We Will Hold On Forever

by DaveTheAnalyzer

A chance encounter with old enemies leads Littlefoot and friends to discover a phenomena they can barely comprehend. The answers to that phenomena shall lead to tough choices that will drive them to their very breaking point.

7. An Unwelcome Reunion Part 2

We Will Hold On Forever

by

DaveTheAnalyzer

Chapter 07: An Unwelcome Reunion Part 2

They never slowed, those heavy, rhythmic footsteps keeping up with each step. Littlefoot hoped his memory was accurate. He had only traveled this route once, long ago, and no one could afford having to double back from a wrong turn. If a route was blocked off by one of the innumerable earthshakes that have occurred since that journey, then they were so screwed and it would be Littlefoot's fault he drew them into this.

To Littlefoot's relief, beside a waterfall, he spotted a path rising up the Great Wall, covered in grass, leading into a cave. He led his friends up that path as the sharptooth kept pace, his formerly easy gait speeding up as he lost patience with the chase. Littlefoot and the others hastily picked up speed as they briefly passed into darkness and down a hill, Littlefoot directing his friends through the cliff side path on instinct alone. Ducky looked around with a dawning expression.

"Wait," she said. "I think I know this route. I do, I do."

"Oh," Petrie said, "Me think me do too."

"Where are you leading us, Littlefoot?" Cera asked.

"To a very familiar place." Littlefoot said. "Hopefully one that'll be familiar to the sharptooth as well."

After a second, Spike gasped in realization and the unspoken knowledge spread to the rest, even those who weren't present during that fateful day. Four others soon joined Littlefoot in confidence with where they were going, falling into a single file to fit on the narrow path with a long drop on either side. Despite having to now literally put one foot in front of the other, the sharptooth didn't lose his stride. He gave an impatient roar that implied he wanted this hunting game to end and for the main course to really begin. Littlefoot's heart leapt when he saw a very familiar cliff coming up and below that a pitch black pond.

They had returned to where they killed the first sharptooth.

"Slide down here!" Littlefoot said urgently. "We need to get him by the water."

They found a slope level enough they wouldn't have to fear falling. They let gravity take control as they slid down, wincing as bits of rock struck and scraped across their toes and soles. At last, they skidded to a halt right near the water and scrambled out of the way as the sharptooth followed them down. He skid to a stop with a quiet ease quite unlike his usual direct and brutal nature. He lowered his head as a growl of grim satisfaction vibrated that great throat. Littlefoot and the others backed off until they hit another rock wall but didn't flee. Littlefoot tried to steal himself. He had been caught up in emotion earlier but having that red gaze aimed so unwaveringly at him after so long was nerve-wracking.

"We're – we're here." Littlefoot gulped. "This is where we last saw each other. Don't you remember?"

The sharptooth continued staring, not giving any sign he heard or understood. That made them stir nervously.

"I thought you said he could understand leaf eater?" Cera said, voice high.

"I – that's what our parents thought happened." Littlefoot said. "But maybe – he was just mad at your dad's tone after all. Uh…"

After a moment, Chomper nervously stepped forward, growling as he began translating Littlefoot's message. The sharptooth zeroed in on Chomper, who blanched and shivered. The sharptooth growled, questioning, and Chomper answered, tone mediating. They went back and forth, the sharptooth occasionally becoming aggressive and Chomper's growls rising an octave as he tried to bring the conversation back to calmer territory. Amid his fear, Chomper at times sounded defensive. At last, Chomper repeated his first set of growls. The sharptooth's indifferent gaze didn't look at the pond, growls short and gruff.

"What are you two saying?" Cera asked tepidly.

"I said what Littlefoot said but he wanted to know why I was with leaf eaters." Chomper said. "I gave a short version of how I became friends with you guys and he doesn't like it." He fidgeted. "He thinks I've dirtied my pride as a sharptooth, that I've gone soft. He hates all of you more now because of me."

Petrie shook like a leaf on top of Spike but he managed to pry his beak open. "But what he say about what Littlefoot say?"

"He said, 'why should it be of importance to him?'" Chomper answered.

Littlefoot felt confusion and apprehension flood in. "This is – this is where the five of us drowned you. We pushed that boulder on you and you fell to the bottom of the pond. You never came back up. I'm sorry – but you're dead. We killed you."

Chomper translated for Littlefoot. Before Chomper could reach the end, a snort interrupted him mid-growl. The corners of the sharptooth's lips quirked up ever-so-slightly in amusement and that expression was nearly as terrifying as his fury. Still not so much as glancing at the pond, the sharptooth growled back and with each second, Chomper looked more terrified. Even after the sharptooth finished speaking, Chomper remained silent, so still with fright he couldn't speak.

"Chomper." Ruby said. "What's wrong?"

"Why is he not scared to learn he is dead?" Ducky asked.

Chomper turned his shaking head to them. "He – he already knows. He knew he was a ghost the entire time. He knew things could pass through him and he could pass through them if he wanted to. With his anger, he can stay in this world, and hurt and kill anyone he wants now."

"Then…when he said why this place should be of importance to him, he meant…" Littlefoot felt horror brush through him.

The sharptooth spoke again, the growling filled with more of that horrible amusement. Chomper was as white as a sheet.

"It's no longer of any importance to him because…because he'll soon have what he wants – us." Chomper's voice became high-pitched on the last word.

The sharptooth lowered his head further to examine them, licking his lips longingly. Littlefoot's stomach curled sickly with shame. He had been so stupid. He and their parents thought the sharptooth had been so driven by anger and vengeance he didn't notice others could phase through him. It was possible. Apparently, Ichy didn't notice his claws phased through Ducky the half dozen times he attempted to kill her. But with the many phased through blows exchanged throughout the sunny day, there was no way he couldn't notice.

In fact, Littlefoot remembered the sharptooth had expressed annoyance when the parents' attacks phased through him and anger when his own strikes initially went through them…but no shock. He had all the body language of someone who found being a ghost a frustrating inconvenience, not an existential crises. That was why he now refused to look at the pond with such a lack of concern. Littlefoot should have noticed these clues immediately but he had been too worried about the wellbeing of their parents to think of anything else and now his friends were going to pay for that fatal oversight.

"It's my fault." Littlefoot whispered. "It should have been obvious he knew but I thought…scatter. Hide."

"We're not leaving you." Cera said

"Yes, there must be something I can think up." Ruby said.

"Me should think of something too." Petrie said.

"I do not want you to get hurted!" Ducky said, with Spike nodding desperately.

"I'll help you somehow." Chomper said. "I'll-"

"He can't get us all at once if we're not together." Littlefoot looked at them beseechingly. "I'll be hiding too. Maybe one of us can come up with a better idea while he tries to look for us. Please…I don't want to lose any of you too."

No one replied but he could see the others' eyes darting about, looking for escape routes and hiding places. The sharptooth took a single step, red eyes focused on his prizes. Littlefoot looked down between the sharptooth's legs and the former's heartrate doubled. He had to time this right. Be too early and the sharptooth would foresee their plan and strike at one of them. Be too late and they would be his lunch. At just the right second, they would get out of the way and he would slam into or phase through the rock wall (either would be advantageous) and his confusion would buy them time to run in all directions. The sharptooth slinked closer, so confident, probably believing Littlefoot and the others had no escape plan and were resigning themselves to their fate. Littlefoot felt his friends gaze at him subtly, desperate, pleading for his signal.

"When?" Cera whispered.

"Not yet." Littlefoot muttered. "Not…"

The sharptooth's growl converted into a roar as he walked to them with increasing speed, closing the distance to rapidly narrowing feet-

"Now."

Though quiet, Littlefoot's voice came through clearly. Just as the sharptooth jaws opened toward them, they scattered. Ducky, Spike, and Cera went left toward the water, Ruby and Chomper went right further inland, Petrie flew straight into the sky, and Littlefoot ducked under the jaws as he ran through the gap between the sharptooth's legs. The sharptooth's head went through the rock wall and he stopped before rocking his upper body and thrusting back, screaming his fury to the skies.

By then, Petrie was out of sight in the mountain cave, Ducky had dived into the water, Spike was swimming across the pond for a nook in the ground surrounded by rocks, and Cera had jumped into a hole beneath a scraggly bush. Chomper and Ruby, meanwhile, were still running, separating in opposite directions. Littlefoot aimed himself for a crack in the opposite rock wall, throwing himself onto his hind legs as he shimmed into it, wincing as some needle-thin points cut into him but ignoring the pain. Currently, Littlefoot was only glad he and the others were growing slow enough they could still use hiding places even adults couldn't dream of squeezing into.

He glanced back. The sharptooth was looking around furiously, trying to find where his prey vanished off to. With a jolt, Littlefoot saw the sharptooth's muzzle casually phase through the rock wall the gang had been backed into a minute ago and suddenly remembered that no hidey hole was safe if he knew where any of them were. He could go through and become solid enough to bite, and it would all be over. Littlefoot remained as still as possible as the sharptooth rose to his full height, sniffing and attempting to catch sight of any of his quarry. He scanned the surface of the pond and its surroundings, seeming to catch a whiff of something but unable to pinpoint its exact location. He turned to the rock wall where Littlefoot hid and almost focused on the crack. Littlefoot strangled down his breath from audibility.

Fortunately, the sharptooth instead looked skyward, expression becoming distasteful. He apparently knew where Petrie was but didn't know how to quickly climb the mountain. The sharptooth was displeased Petrie could evade him with his flight advantage. Littlefoot prayed with all his soul the sharptooth didn't learn how to fly. Some stories did report that ghosts could float and Ichy had been able to stand on thin air with no effort. Then the sharptooth looked in the direction of the inlands and narrowed his eyes before taking off. Littlefoot's eyes widened, suspecting who might have been spotted in that sparse area with little cover, and he struggled, wedged in his hiding place. Panicked, he lost all sense and yelled out at the top of his lungs.

"No! Not them! Not any of my friends, but especially not them! They had nothing to do with you, leave them alone!"

But the sharptooth never heard him.

Meanwhile, Chomper pumped his legs for as long as possible. There was no hiding place in sight on his side. Ruby had already disappeared. She had lived up to her kind's fast runner name and had probably concealed herself somewhere among the gnarly bushes and trees on the other side. Chomper felt tempted to seek a hiding spot there but he didn't want to lead the sharptooth to her. He hated that all he could do was flee and not bring attention to his friends, the sharptooth's words calling him soft and weak echoing in his mind, but he shunted those thoughts aside. There must be someplace where he could be out of view, even if he had to dig it out himself. He was used to tasting dirt when searching for underground crawlies and his life was on the line, so he could use his mouth to build himself a hole if necessary.

A roar behind Chomper made him look around and he screamed when he found the sharptooth in full pursuit. Chomper ran at full gamut but with nary a place to duck behind within sight, he didn't know where to go. He continued running hoping to at the very least stumble over or fall in something useful but nothing came up.

There was a loud cracking sound. A patch of kicked up rocks and earth sailed over and smashed in front of him, making him slid and stumble to a stop. The sharptooth closed the distance and loomed over him, grateful to have found some prey.

Chomper looked around desperately and found no escape route. Losing his head completely, Chomper yelled and charged forward to bite at the sharptooth's feet. His teeth clanged painfully against each other as he went right through those toes. He felt an unnatural chill surround him and hastily backed off. In response, the sharptooth casually flicked a toe at him but it had the strength of Ruby's kick and more. Chomper's breath was taken away as he was sent flying, the world turning upside down around him before he landed hard on the ground. Reeling, Chomper got up and hugged himself, cornered. That enormous muzzle descended ominously.

"Get away." Chomper pleaded in sharptooth. "Don't hurt me. Just…Leave my friends alone. Please."

The sharptooth sneered. "Pathetic. You don't even have a sharptooth's strength to protect those friends, misfit. Your screams will only draw them to me in the end."

Chomper jerked as though struck by an arrow. He recalled Dil and Ichy's jeers, the taunts of Hyp's posse, and the sharptooth's earlier words. He tried not to concentrate on those thoughts but now at death's door, he couldn't help them. He was a failure as a sharptooth – he couldn't be scary when it mattered, he couldn't fight anyone that threatened his friends, and when he attempted to shield them, he was tossed aside as though he was nothing. If anything, he only burdened his friends, since they had to go rescue him. He only bothered his parents with his weirdness and he wasn't able to do anything when that got them hurt by Redclaw. The concept of how powerless he was, how it burdened those he loved, overwhelmed him and he curled up in a ball, and wept. He kept his muzzle shut tight as the sharptooth's jaws descended. Chomper hoped he won't make a sound that might attract his friends when those enormous teeth pierced the life out of him.

"Wait!"

Ruby pelted toward Chomper and the sharptooth, waving her arms wildly. She had hid behind a tree, squeezing down among the gnarly roots to keep out of sight. There had been enough room to even press herself beneath the tree but with the sharptooth being a ghost, that didn't provide much maneuverability if he found her and could just phase through to maul her. She planned to sit tight and try to think up a plan to get rid of the sharptooth when she heard Chomper's scream. Upon peeking out, she saw him eventually get cornered, so small, so out of his depth. He became so sad, so resigned to his fate, that Ruby was moved to action. Chomper was as much her younger sibling as her actual younger siblings and she wasn't going to stand by and let him get killed while she had some measure of mind power to prevent it.

"Wait!" Ruby repeated breathlessly. "Waiting means time to think, and time to think means taking the correct action!"

The sharptooth and Chomper stopped what they were doing to look at her. Chomper wasn't relieved. If anything, he looked even more stricken.

"No, Ruby!" Chomper cried. "Stay away!"

Ruby ignored him. She stood in front of Chomper and gave her best level glare at the sharptooth, ignoring how much her instincts were screaming in revolt. This sharptooth was far from the only intimidating one Ruby engaged with but the ruthless killing intent in those red eyes was great enough to leave Redclaw in the dust. Gulping, Ruby remembered to use words.

"Sharpteeth shouldn't eat sharpteeth," she said. "That's cannibalism, and even the most desperate sharptooth who have no other choices find it distasteful. It makes you feel like raving monsters. No matter how much you fight, if you have other choices, you guys never stoop to that level. You have those choices, you don't need to eat as a ghost. So spare Chomper, and you'll be spared of that shame. Tell him, Chomper."

Chomper quickly growled to the sharptooth, tumbling and having to backtrack as he watched Ruby fearfully. She knew enough of the sharptooth language to know Chomper tried to repeat all she said, even adding her plea for him to translate without thinking. The sharptooth stared at the two and then a rumble like a chuckle shook through him. He replied to Chomper and even before the latter translated, Ruby found her stomach sinking.

"He – he doesn't care. He doesn't need to eat but he needs revenge. He was only going to bite me in half but," Chomper shook hard, "after what you said, he's considering slowly chomping me up and swallowing the bits before he eats you. My screams'll get our friends' attention then. He - he says you don't know as much about the divide among sharpteeth over that issue as you think. Oh Ruby, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't help. Please, run. Save yourself!"

Ruby stood numb with shock. Her attempt to reason with the sharptooth had only dug Chomper and her friends into a deeper hole they mightn't be able to climb out of. She hadn't known the full extent of her facts and he exploited that. The sharptooth sought vengeance to such an extent he would break any taboos to satisfy his quest and even spite his prey in the meantime. Ruby should have considered all of this, should have drawn up taboos and norms that would give the sharptooth more pause but instead Ruby pulled at the first thing that came to mind and her best friend was going to pay for it. Ruby saw the sharptooth descending again and narrowed her eyes before throwing her arms out.

"No Chomper, I won't abandon you," she said. "Let's run together, I'm sure we can find a place where he can't-"

Faster than she could react, the sharptooth threw his foot at her and she was thrown off her legs. She landed hard. The kick hasn't been strong enough to cause any severe damage but the kick was still from a sharptooth and pain pulsed from her stomach as she struggled to draw in oxygen. Her vision blurred as the sharptooth resumed his approach of Chomper, saliva-dabbed teeth closing in. Ruby tried to think of something, anything that would pry her beloved friends out of this crises but her brain remained frustratingly blank as Chomper lowered his head and braced himself…

A pebble flitted through the air and through the sharptooth before clicking and wobbling to stop at Chomper's feet. The sharptooth turned his attention behind him where Petrie flew in place, defiant.

"Leave them out of this!" Petrie said. "Don't you want me?"

The sharptooth turned fully to Petrie. Faster than Petrie expected, the sharptooth leapt and snapped. Fortunately for Petrie, he had many cold times of practice flying and evading sharpteeth, so he flitted higher in the sky and went back, flapping his wings tauntingly.

"Ha!" he said. "Flyers really are greatest after all!"

Making a noise of consternation, the sharptooth made another leap for the tiny flyer. Petrie evaded again, drawing the sharptooth slowly in the direction of the pond. Quietly, Ruby stumbled to her feet and carried Chomper off to the other side of the plain where the plants could hide them. Petrie had to keep the focus on him. His outer cockiness was starting to crack. A slight tremor came across his beak. That was nothing compared to what was happening inside, though, as he had been mentally shrieking at the top of his lungs for the past couple minute.

*What am me even doing?*

Petrie already knew the answer to the question. As he implied earlier with Littlefoot, the world was filled with so many dangers – so many horrific ways to get hurt, so many ways to die. Petrie was scared of all of them and even dreaded others that remained unfounded hypotheticals in his mind. Yet the concept he dreaded most, that struck him with the greatest fear in his sleep stories, was him living while his friends died and not doing everything he could to stop it. Not seeing Littlefoot or the others again filled Petrie's chest with such agony that he would brave any challenge that could kill him many times over in order to keep them safe. That was why when he saw Chomper and Ruby get threatened, he had to take action, no matter how much the consequences filled him with dread.

Petrie dodged yet another snap, always being sure to be just a few inches beyond reach, the sharptooth's attention only on him. It wasn't that difficult, but Petrie's fear was making his movements stiff and the sharptooth would only be entertained by this game for so long before he became aggressive enough to lunge suddenly and finally get Petrie. Petrie shoved that thought out of his mind but like all his fears, it moved right back in and made itself at home. There must be another method to distract the sharptooth while someone, anyone, put a plan together.

An idea sparked within Petrie's head, something pretty risky…but oh, it was worth trying. If this had any chance of success, it would be quite a coup. Petrie almost didn't believe it was possible but as he learned from his friends on their adventures, it was that sharpteeth and other meat eaters had more complicated inner lives then most leaf eaters thought. His memory of the distraught Ichy was particularly at the forefront. Petrie stopped flying backwards but remained out of the grabbing range of the sharptooth.

"Um Mr. Sharptooth, can we talk please?" Petrie asked. "Me sure we can resolve this without-"

The sharptooth made another lunge and Petrie hastily ascended out of reach.

"Without doing that!" Petrie squeaked. "Come on, you must not be all bad. Everyone have a little good inside. Like Uncle Pterano. You must have liked someone."

The sharptooth didn't appear to be listening. As far as he was concerned, all of Petrie's talk was just incomprehensible waffling. The sharptooth crouched and jumped, snapping those teeth too close for Petrie's liking.

Then Petrie felt like smacking himself. It probably sounded like incomprehensible waffling because it was, at least to sharptooth ears. Littlefoot did say he thought the sharptooth could understand Mr. Threehorn's insults at one point but it was now unclear if that happened or not. Petrie probably needed a translator for this but Chomper was obviously in no shape to step into the role. So Petrie would have to do the best he could with what he had. He briefly pressed a hand to his chest.

"Me know we talk differently but please listen through heart." Petrie pleaded. "Me sure we can fix this without anyone getting hurt. Do you not like us because you were so hungry? Well, we hungry then too. That made us do mean stuff. But we got over it and became friends. Me know it too late with you being dead but maybe we can help with your issues so you can finally rest in peace. What you say to that, huh?"

The sharptooth had stopped snapping at him and closely observed the flyer as though listening, bemused. Petrie thought he saw some softening in those red eyes and hope flared in his heart. Maybe Petrie's words had got through to the sharptooth after all. Even the meanest meat eater might be able to turn around.

The sharptooth's head twitched rhythmically and Petrie realized with a jolt that the softening in that red gaze was actually anger being subsumed by amusement – the sharptooth somehow understood but instead of softening, he only found Petrie's heartfelt words funny.

Petrie felt a chill tingle through him. A sickly embarrassment settled in his gut. He was foolish to think his speech could get the sharptooth to calm down and talk. Judging by the sharptooth's cruel amusement, he wasn't interested in talking out his feelings. He just wanted to have his vengeance, just as he always did. Petrie had been naïve to try this. The sharpbeak hadn't become soft to the gang while grieving over his state, so why would the sharptooth? The blunder mortified Petrie so much, he didn't notice the tail swinging toward him until it smacked into him. Crying out, he dropped like a stone, barely able to feel the pain of impact and he lay on the cracked earth, stunned.

*Ow. Me shouldn't have done that.*

The sharptooth's focus was on Petrie in a manner different from the frustration of earlier and it was much scarier. A shadow fell over Petrie as the sharptooth raised an enormous, powerful foot.

*If he have any good, then he won't show it toward us.* Petrie thought. *How he even understand me? Oh, why me try to think about it, me so stupid. Now not only will me get crushed, he'll go after my friends. Me should have stuck with previous strategy. At least me could fly away but it too late now.*

Just as the sharptooth's foot started its rapid descent, Petrie shut his eyes and prepared himself for the end.

Then a familiar bossy voice proved to be his salvation.

"Stop right there!"

That foot paused and Petrie opened his eyes in the voice's direction. Cera stood openly in the distance, head raised defiantly. Petrie used that opportunity to scramble out from under the foot while the sharptooth was distracted, finding the energy to take to the air. Cera was doing such a good job commanding the sharptooth's attention that Petrie could have flown off doing loop-the-loops and he wouldn't have been noticed. She gave the sharptooth a look of disdain.

"Leave my friends alone." Cera continued. "They aren't worth the effort. Why don't you go after someone who's truly challenging, like a threehorn? I was the one who gave that final push to the boulder that put you in that pond, after all."

The sharptooth hissed through his nostrils. He couldn't understand leaf eater again, but he clearly remembered her well and his hate for her was almost as strong as his hate for Littlefoot. Cera did her best not to let her cocky expression show its strain as she stepped back.

"If you want that challenge, you're going to have to find me!"

Cera turned and moved as fast as her legs could carry her. Only then did she allow herself to visibly express the panic shaking through every pore in her body, the emotion accentuated when she heard those giant footsteps.

"Oh no," she whispered. "Why, why, why, why-"

Cera made it back to her hidey hole beneath the bush before the sharptooth could make out where she was going. She hopped in and the foliage shook from her passage. She hastily reached up to still it quicker but she only made things worse as the shivers of her body transferred up her forelegs to the plant. Cera disengaged contact and curled up into a ball so as little of her as possible touched the plant. She breathed to calm the shivering but that only seemed to make it all worse.

*Dang it all.* Cera thought. *Why can't I do anything without becoming the worst scaredy egg?*

When Cera heard her friends were in trouble, trying desperately to avoid becoming the sharptooth's lunch, her instinct and pride kicked in. She did the first thing that came to mind to save those who, no matter how much they might drive her to fits, meant so much to her, as she always did. She refused to face a future without them.

But now the sharptooth had moved to thinking to have her for lunch, another instinct moved to the forefront – fear. She tried to think of another plan, the next step to surviving the sharptooth, but the fear overwhelmed all other thought until she couldn't think of anything except going back to her hiding place and hoping he would go away. As a threehorn, it made her sick with shame.

*Be brave.* Cera told herself. *Just think logically. You can't survive this if you can't think.*

An ominous stomp distracted Cera from her thoughts and she dared to gaze up, still shivering. That step sounded close. She hoped the bush above her moved because of that footstep and not because she couldn't keep still for one freaking second. She heard the sway of that enormous head and the sniff of those great nostrils. The sharptooth probably knew she was very close by and since Cera chose the same hiding spot as before, he was more likely to track her scent down. Cera found breathing quietly a monumental challenge.

*What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?*

Those thoughts became a mantra with nothing to follow as the sharptooth rumbled nearer. In other dangerous situations, Cera had managed to think even if the fear didn't go away but it was nearly impossible with this sharptooth, who had attempted to kill them so viscously, and she couldn't pull her attention away from how he sniffed harder, looming a shadow over what little light slipped into her hiding spot. For a moment, Cera thought she was a goner and braced herself for whatever pain might come.

Then the shadow disappeared and the heavy footsteps became quieter. Cera relaxed, her breaths calming.

*Maybe he'll look for me somewhere else. Hopefully he won't find my-*

Then the light overhead disappeared with a rush of air. The roots of the bushes above Cera suddenly strained. She was horrified when the bush and a descent chunk of earth was ripped out, light fully spilling in. The sharptooth swung his head high, the foliage swinging in his teeth, and he threw it aside. Cera screamed, screamed with all the terror flowing through her. Death was staring at her in the face, mocking her with those gleaming teeth. She couldn't face it head on like she couldn't face much of anything head on and there was no distraction, no denial, just one vile fact stripped of anything that could comfort her. The sharptooth took a moment to appreciate Cera's fear of her own mortality before roaring and lunging down.

"Cera, get out!"

Cera felt some flat teeth take hold of her shoulder and she was pulled out of what remained of the hole just before the sharptooth bit through the ground. The sharptooth came back up spitting dirt and gravel as Littlefoot dragged Cera into the water, Cera barely able to scramble her feet under herself.

"C'mon Cera, we have to move!" Littlefoot said.

"There's no escape, he can reach us anywhere." Cera said.

"There must be a way to get rid of him."

Cera gave Littlefoot a deadened, incredulous look but found the strength to start treading water all the same. Littlefoot looked so scared, so desperate, but when he stared straight at the possibility of all of their lives coming to an end, he took action. Unlike her, at least he was useful in a pinch. Cera felt tears of frustration prick and she shut her eyes.

*I hate this.* Cera thought. *I just want to do something. But what can I do?*

For now, the only thing she could do was follow Littlefoot across the pond, kicking up water as their run turned into a hurried swim. The sharptooth recovered from tasting dirt and began catching up to them, snapping at their tails. The sharptooth's attention was so focused on the two he loathed most that he almost missed another of the children hiding not far off. Cera and Littlefoot continued swimming desperately across the pond until they heard the splashes of those giant feet quiet and Littlefoot look around to see what the fuss was about.

"Oh no, Spike!"

Spike had been busy trying to be inconspicuous in his ground nook and whimpering whenever he heard his friends were in danger. He really very much wanted to help, but he didn't know what to do. He glimpsed Littlefoot and Cera try to flee from the sharptooth, heart breaking at how his normally playful and cheeky friends sounded so terrified and desperate for hope. Spike didn't notice the sharptooth had switched his attention elsewhere until Littlefoot called his name. Spike found the sharptooth staring squarely in his direction, standing at an angle where the rocks piled in front didn't obscure the nook, and his stomach dropped.

Spike hesitated, not sure whether to flee or remain where he was in case the sharptooth couldn't or wouldn't reach him. He remembered those terrifying scarlet eyes from his early days, how the two times the sharptooth appeared he put fear and conflict on the tender bonds that had been forming between the five. He saw that gaze waver back to Littlefoot and Cera, who didn't appear to know whether the sharptooth attacking them or Spike terrified them more. The sharptooth stepped toward him and something in Spike seemed to snap.

He jumped out of his nook, and started punting rocks from the pile at the sharptooth with his tail. Desperation and fear and anger accompanied each grunt labored out from the assault. The rocks just went through the sharptooth as before, but Spike didn't stop. He was tired of this, tired of all the danger. He liked exploring the world's wonders like the rest of his friends, but the fear and uncertainty and sadness that came when threats inevitably arrived...it was just too much. He enjoyed the relaxed lifestyle of the valley that gave him and his friends the opportunity to play, eat, and hang out to their hearts' content. How dare the sharptooth once again threaten and bring unhappiness to the people who were not only his best friends, but were the only family he knew in the first few weeks of his life before reaching the valley. The sharptooth should just go away, back to where bad spirits like him dwelled. He just wanted this all to stop!

Of course, none of the rocks did anything to deter the sharptooth's approach. Panic overcoming the anger, Spike jumped away as the sharptooth lunged for him, running around the pond, eyes darting for another hiding place, realizing he didn't have an escape plan. The sharptooth had rebalanced to follow, another snap for his tail and rear feet forcing him to jump into the water for cover. He hastily attempted to swim away but the sharptooth caught up with only a few steps and was rearing his head back for a third lunge.

A rock flitted by and passed through the sharptooth's head, getting his attention. He turned to Littlefoot and Cera standing on the other side of the pond.

"You have a grudge against…us." Cera's voice wavered. "Leave Spike alone!"

The sharptooth looked from Littlefoot and Cera to Spike, and back again. Spike thought he saw some temptation to be spiteful when those red eyes looked at him at an odd angle but faster than he could react, the sharptooth swung his tail high and smashed it toward him. There was an almighty splash and Spike view's became nothing but bubbling water…

Littlefoot and Cera ducked as droplets rained down on them, giving the area a brief drizzle. When it dissipated, the pair shook the water out of their eyes and looked at the pond. Where Spike had been swimming desperately, there was only the clearing white foam of water. Panicked, their eyes searched the pond.

"Where's Spike?" Cera said. "Where is he?"

Littlefoot's gaze stilled. "Cera…"

"I can't see him, he…nothing had better happen to him!"

"Cera, we need to move now!"

Cera realized the sharptooth was turning back to them. She and Littlefoot hastily made tracks a bit into another set of inlands, the wet stomping of feet starting to become more prominent. Cera was still glancing back at the pond.

"But what about Spike?" she asked. "What happened to him, that tail could have-"

"He's fine." Littlefoot said quietly. "I saw him swimming away for a second, with a shape that I think was Ducky. I don't think the sharptooth noticed. He'll be fine, with his sister beside him."

Cera relaxed. "Yeah. Good. That means we only have to worry about…"

There was a snap at their heels, and Littlefoot and Cera screamed as they quickened their pace to put some more distance from the sharptooth.

"Him!" Cera exclaimed. "Help! Someone get this guy off our tails."

Meanwhile, Ducky nearly drew in breath underwater when she observed the sharptooth chase two of her friends as they lead him around a small mountain. The sharptooth paused and turned around to snarl. Littlefoot and Cera nearly ran right into his mouth. They doubled back but the sharptooth hopped onto the small mountain and onto the other side, causing a set of screams audible through the water that fortunately weren't cut short.

Ducky hesitated, wanting to help, but with no immediate ideas, she briefly peaked her mouth into the air and took a deep breath before diving back down. She swam quickly to a hole obscured by waving water grass only a foot or so below the surface, not slowing until she entered and saw the heavy shape of a juvenile spiketail. She rose up to a rippling flatness in the hole and gasped out as she surfaced in an air pocket, Spike turning to her. After Spike darted underwater to avoid the sharptooth's tail strike, Ducky helped him into this hiding place. Now he bayed at her with concern.

"Littlefoot and Cera are still alright." Ducky said. "Well, the sharptooth is still chasing them but they are alive the last I checked."

Spike appeared only slightly reassured, his gaze wavering about as he worried about how long the pair would remain alive. After several seconds, Spike sloshed forward but Ducky panicked and moved to stop him.

"Wait! What are you doing?" she asked.

Spike bayed and gesticulated to outside. He wanted to help save Littlefoot and Cera. They needed to find a hiding place; they couldn't flee from the sharptooth forever. He made a gesture to the hole the siblings were in, indicating he could guide Littlefoot and Cera into here. As Ducky absorbed the gist of this, something in her grew upset and she shook in her head.

"No!" she said. "I do not want you to go out there."

Spike stared at her, confused and incredulous. Ducky fidgeted awkwardly.

"That was a close call with the tail, it was, it was. It – it really scared me. If you go help the others, you might actually get hurted by the sharptooth, or worse. And I do not think Littlefoot and Cera going in here is a good idea. There is not enough room for it and we might run out of air if there are too many people here."

Spike gazed at her helplessly, at a loss. He made a few forefoot gestures that asked if he was just supposed to stay here, that they should leave their friends out there at the sharptooth's mercies. Ducky shook her head again.

"No, we will not abandon the others. We just…" Ducky touched her chin in thought. "There must be other holes like this one in the pond. I will look for them and I can tell the others when they come by so they could hide in them. I do not think that will fix anything…but at least it is somewhere to hide. Now you stay here for me, okay Spike?"

Spike swiveled his head uncertainly but upon meeting Ducky's eyes, he sighed with resigned acceptance. Relieved, Ducky went over and gave him sisterly peck on the cheek before diving down and out of the hole, briefly surveying the pond before descending down.

Even as she attempted to focus on her mission, her mind couldn't help lingering on the image of Spike in that hole, sick with worry about his friends yet forbidden to go out by his sister. A trill of guilt went through Ducky. She knew he could have joined her in helping their friends. Whatever his mistakes, Spike had proven as useful in their adventures as the rest of them. She had been fine with him accompanying them in potentially dangerous adventures before. But with this sharptooth, the one who took Littlefoot's mother and nearly took all of their lives more than once, she couldn't stand risking Spike being endangered by him. What if the sharptooth actually killed him? The concept was unthinkable. Ducky wouldn't let it happen.

In the process of securing Spike's safety, though, he was trapped and distressed in a cramped place. Not only that, the rest of the gang were at more of a risk of having their lives cut short without Spike to assist them or Ducky allowing at least one of them to share his shelter. She didn't like the thought she was making Spike's unhappy and endangering her friends, all to ensure her ease of mind. Ducky didn't want to hurt them in anyway and it only reminded her of what Cera said that she cheered others up so she wouldn't have to deal with their unhappiness.

Even if others' distress did make the cheery-tempered Ducky uncomfortable, she thought she only did this because she selflessly wanted others to be happy. But when danger was afoot, as seen with Spike and the others' current situation, it seemed Ducky was willing to sacrifice others' happiness and maybe more to assure her own mental contentment. Whatever her words, Ducky appeared to be more self-interested then she thought and she didn't like what that might say about her as a person.

Ducky pushed those thoughts aside. She could worry about them later. The actual selfless task she could do right now was finding hiding places for her friends in this pond. She investigated her underwater surroundings. Even with the daylight, the darkness was still quite pronounced and Ducky had to squint to make out much of anything. There was just barely enough room to dodge the sharptooth in here, with a few water grasses and other plants dotted about as convenient little shelters for her. She stroked past a few of those plants to note if any holes were present, finding only a few with little to no air pockets in them.

Trying not to be discouraged, she swam down further, the pressure a bit uncomfortable but something she could handle. There was a boulder at the bottom. Great, Ducky thought, maybe she and her friends could use that as a temporary hiding place in case the sharptooth decided to peak through or search the pond for them. She started the process of examining for more holes in the hopes they could be hiding places or even escape routes to the surface when another glimpse of that boulder gave her pause.

Ducky didn't have much of a fascination with giant rocks, but this one was familiar, so familiar. Granted, there wasn't anything particularly notable about the boulder and it had been worn down by the passage of time. Yet it tickled something in her mind. Ducky descended to see some more details but noticed there was something pinned under the boulder, a shape that became more distinct and made her stomach curl the closer she got.

Then she recognized what was under the boulder and almost screamed.

In the meantime, Littlefoot and Cera had finally managed to give the sharptooth the slip. After being chased all around the area while reaching the very limits of exhaustion, Petrie zipped by when the pair briefly got out of the sharptooth's sight and pointed out a little tunnel they could slip into. Once they went underground, they walked quietly as the sound of the sharptooth sniffing in confusion and scraping at rocks and holes echoed above.

"Thanks Petrie." Littlefoot whispered.

"Me at least know useful tunnel when me see one." Petrie muttered.

"Now what?" Cera asked. "He saw us go underground in the valley. He's bound to look for holes."

"Right." Littlefoot said. "It was because I froze up that the sharptooth knows about that."

"Blaming yourself isn't going to help." Cera said impatiently. "How long can we keep this up?"

"I don't know. I had us all scatter so he would remain busy while someone could come up with an idea but nothing's coming to me. This is preventing all of you from being eaten but I've been so worried trying to keep track of everyone that-" Littlefoot shook his head, upset.

"Maybe someone else did come up with idea?" Petrie said weakly.

"What can we do to get rid of a ghost?" Cera asked. "He's breaking the patterns we do know and they weren't very solid to begin with. Besides, do we even have time to try out each idea while he's chasing us all over the place? He'll eat us before anything comes close to working."

Cera lowered her head, glaring at the earth as she walked with them. Littlefoot was at a loss for what to say. He tried to think of something reassuring, that they have got out of tight scrapes before and someone shall come up with an idea to save them now, but Littlefoot had difficulty believing it himself. Normally, he had some clear head in these situations and could find a solution. Currently, though, Littlefoot hardly thought an answer was going to conveniently drop down on them while they were at their lowest.

There was a rustle of movement ahead and Littlefoot, Cera, and Petrie froze. They saw shapes coming into focus, around their size. Soon they saw they had no reason to be wary, as the shapes resolved into Ducky, Spike, Ruby, and Chomper. Both groups rushed to each other in relief.

"Thank goodness you're all safe." Littlefoot said.

"What are you doing here?" Cera said. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but he can get us all now."

"But Ducky has an idea to get rid of him." Chomper said.

"Really?" Petrie perked up. "What is it?"

Ducky shifted uncomfortably. "I was swimming in the pond, trying to look for hiding places for you guys, when I came across the boulder we used to drown him. And beneath that boulder…he is still there, he is, he is."

"His body is still there, basically." Ruby said. "Knowing he's dead didn't work but maybe if he sees that he's dead, then that might do something to him."

"So lure him in pond to see himself and he go away?" Petrie asked. "That sound like good plan."

"How is this a good plan?" Cera said. "You're all making some big guesses here. What proof do you have this would work?"

The others' expressions faltered. After a few moments, Littlefoot slowly raised his head.

"Hang on, they might be on to something," he said slowly. "The sharptooth didn't look at the pond when we told him he died there. I thought he was just so confident, he didn't feel the need to look…but what if he couldn't? Maybe some part of him feared if he looked into the water too closely, he would see his body and be forced to really face he was dead as Ruby said."

"But he looked at the pond plenty of times when he was chasing us and Spike around it." Cera pointed out. "Him not looking the first time might not mean anything."

"Did you notice, though? When he was chasing us, he was looking at the pond very oddly, liking he was only trying to look at us. It was only a little thing, yeah…but I never saw that look on him before. Maybe he's not aware of it and he's just focused on us. But I don't think it's natural. This plan could really work."

Cera still appeared doubtful. "But what you're saying is still guessing. Good guessing, but… If he sees himself and doesn't care, what then? What do we do?"

There was silence as they contemplated the implications of failure. Littlefoot raised his gaze.

"I still think it's worth a shot," he said. "Since he's after me most of all, I can lure him down there. This is a risky plan, you guys don't have to get involved -"

"But you need someone to show you where the body is." Ducky interrupted. She shuddered. "It is scary but I will do it for you, I will, I will."

Spike nodded and nudged against her. He too wanted to swim down with Ducky and Littlefoot. That seemed to steel the resolve of everyone else.

"If Spike going, me going too." Petrie said, resigned but set.

"I'm not leaving you to face this alone." Chomper said fiercely.

Cera sighed. "Better put Ducky's swimming lessons to good use."

"If he wants all of us, then going as all of us will make it more likely he follows." Ruby said.

"Not again." Littlefoot sighed. "You have done enough, you don't have to risk yourselves-"

"Littlefoot, really." Cera said dryly. "Does it look like anyone is going to listen to you here?"

Littlefoot scanned the faces around him and, though there was fear and uncertainty, no one backed down. For a second, anger swirled in him. Didn't they see he wanted to keep them safe? Then Littlefoot sighed and looked down.

"I wish you would." Littlefoot muttered. "But okay. We must move quickly and quietly."

They moved to the other side of the tunnel and hefted out, noting with relief they came out near the pond. Fortunately, the sharptooth was still a fair distance away, his attention now on the hole Littlefoot, Cera, and Petrie hopped in. They kept their steps silent as they neared the pond, glancing back often to make sure the sharptooth remained ignorant of their location. They sloshed through the water until they reached the deep, dark end. They all stared at the depths, including Petrie, who moved to stand in the water to prepare himself for the plunge.

"Okay." Ducky said. "Does everyone remember our swimming lessons?"

There were nods. Sometime after Tricia and Cera learned how to navigate the water, an incident forced every member of the gang, even Petrie, to learn how to swim. They had all struggled and nearly drowned in rivers, lakes, or the big water before and they took these lessons to minimize future water dangers. Now they were going to see how well those lessons really stuck. Ducky glanced around at them worriedly.

"Do you remember how to dive deep? How to conserve your breath? The position to use to float up quickly?"

Each question was answered with a nod, with increasingly nervous glances back to the sharptooth. Ducky found these answers acceptable and her gaze shifted to Littlefoot, who surveyed his friends carefully before his eyes moved to the sharptooth's direction.

"Okay, if everyone's ready to be noticed, let's do this."

Once again, there were nods of agreement. Breathing deeply, Littlefoot raised his head.

"Hey sharptooth, you're looking in the wrong place!"

The sharptooth, who nosed at the hole and was attempting to trace where it went, immediately stood to his full height. He observed his youthful targets standing defiantly in the water and his eyes widened. Littlefoot surmised the sharptooth thought they were going to drown themselves and rob him of the chance of finally exacting his vengeance. As grim as it was, Littlefoot believed it would be too advantageous to dissuade the sharptooth from that notion.

"We're over here. If you want to catch us before we do anything drastic, you're going to have to take a dip!"

The sharptooth exhaled through his nostrils sharply. He started stomping toward them, the booms becoming closer and more hurried. With that sound growing louder, Littlefoot and the others glanced nervously at one another and took the second to grab each other's hands and forepaws, seeking comfort in each other's touch, each other's connection, and whatever might happen, at least they were together. Some struggled to keep their breathing measured as the moment of physical unity seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Then a shadow started to loom and they disconnected, tensing their legs.

"Dive!" Littlefoot yelled.

Taking deep breaths, Littlefoot and the others leapt straight into the water. Ears were flooded and their hearing was soon filled with the distant, muffled sounds of the underwater world. Littlefoot only took a second to adjust before stroking down. Ducky came level with Littlefoot and a glance back showed the others following with various proficiency. Not all of them were elegant but they kept up with Littlefoot and that was what mattered.

They got a quarter of the way down when Littlefoot looked up and found the sharptooth sliding into the water with not even a ripple, his ghostly state allowing him to follow without all the disadvantages of moving underwater. He growled without unleashing a torrent of bubbles and he clawed the water like he was climbing a mountain in reverse. The sight was terrifying and made Littlefoot and the others descend faster. They past the halfway point and began seeing the bottom, a familiar boulder becoming more prominent.

He heard a muffled squeal and turned his head back. The sharptooth had apparently lost any and all patience at the cat and mouse game the children had been playing and was snapping wildly, getting closer to some of the kicking feet of his prey. It had been Petrie who squealed at the sound of gnashing teeth and closed his wings even tighter to make his swimming faster. Petrie's tiny toes escaped getting clamped on in a nightmarish repeat of what happened last time.

Chomper waved his limbs swiftly, his small arms not projecting as much strength compared to his legs but he still kept out of reach of the sharptooth. He would be panting from the exertion if he wasn't so busy holding his breath. Spike was doing well, as expected from Ducky's brother, but his body shape meant he could only go so fast. He fell behind as the sharptooth started snapping dangerously close and had to redouble his efforts to keep up with his friends. Cera and Ruby kept out of reach the best, the former because of her swimming experience and the latter because her narrow body made cutting through the water easier.

Littlefoot kept up with Ducky at the head of the group. Ducky moved the fastest and Littlefoot couldn't help feeling she was slowing down to not leave them behind. He could feel his lungs burning as his oxygen supply dwindled but the sounds of the sharptooth's teeth chomping sometimes inches from his friends kept him going. Within a few more strokes, the pair neared the bottom of the pond and what was beneath that boulder became clear to all.

A great skeleton lay in the rocks and sand, with barely any flesh to remind observers it had once been a living being. The chest cavity had crumbled in on itself, the weight of the boulder and the deterioration of muscle robbing away anything that might have kept the skeleton together. The tiny arms lay stuck between the back bones like forgotten stones. The tail bones had drifted apart and some fell in a pile where they would have connected to the rest of the body. The only sign of its former life was the skull titled to the side, jaws wide as though still baying for air forever out of reach. It was a horrifying sight, the last gasps of a dying beast, and a nauseating spike snaked through Littlefoot's stomach. He and Ducky at last made contact with the boulder and gazed up.

Cera and the others were desperately descending with the sharptooth on their heels. They moved for the skeleton as though it were their salvation, becoming scattered in their panic. The sharptooth was solely focused on getting at least one of his prey, not yet noticing what was before him. He gunned for Cera, who squirted down like a startled finned swimmer. He snarled at Ruby, who evaded and caught up with Cera. He made to cleave Spike in half with those great teeth but Spike's moved his legs with wide eyes and that desperation for survival moved him quickly out of range. The sharptooth then veered in on Chomper, snorting out air. Chomper flicked down, grabbed Spike's tail, and was soon out of reach. At last, the sharptooth made a growl of outrage and torpedoed for Petrie. For a heart stopping moment, Littlefoot thought their luck had at last run out and Petrie would be taken from them. But Petrie, though panicked, swooshed down suddenly as though the water was air. He brought up the rear as the rest of his friends reached Littlefoot and Ducky.

Cera, Chomper, Petrie, and Spike pressed themselves against the boulder's side, nearly out of breath, squinting or closing their eyes to brace for the worst. Ruby joined Littlefoot and Ducky a bit closer to the top, the three watching with trepidation as the sharptooth got closer. He was driven by so much anger, so much vengeance, that Littlefoot and Ducky feared he would never see his own corpse, never mind react in a significant way. They were either all going to drown or get eaten, and there was nothing the pair could do about it. A huge weight of guilt appeared in their chests.

*I should have just let him eat me.* Littlefoot thought.

*Why did I suggest this idea?* Ducky thought. *It is not going to work, I should have asked the others' ideas, I should have. Oh no, no, no-*

It seemed to happen in slow motion. The sharptooth was seconds away from the gang. The sharptooth opened his jaws wide, roaring his loudest yet, the sound clear and not bound by the muffling water. They braced themselves for the pain of penetrating teeth. In the motion of attempting to fit them all in one chomp, his gaze fell on the skeleton.

He stopped. There was no deceleration. One blink, he was moving like sky fire and the next, he was as still as the boulder Littlefoot and the others clung to. The sharptooth didn't appear to know what to make of seeing his own remains. His red eyes roved from the skull all the way down to the tail and back again. The sharptooth became increasingly stiff, emotions unreadable. Littlefoot didn't dare feel anything. He just waited for the next, likely negative, twist to drop.

Then suddenly, the sharptooth convulsed. He screamed and gagged, like water was just now filling his lungs, and he ascended quickly. He grew more distant, still struggling, and surfaced, showing not the slightest signs of coming back down.

Glancing at a shocked Ducky and Ruby, Littlefoot waved for them to descend slightly to Cera and the others, who had looked up upon hearing the sharptooth's struggles and now turned their widened, uncertain gazes to the three. Littlefoot pointed sharply upward. They understand his meaning instantly. Quickly, they swam back up, their chests an agony of carbon dioxide, darkness clawing at the edge of their vision, but the light peering through the surface gave them strength. As they swam, they positioned their bodies to float up the remaining distance, the ascent seeming to speed by even as every second was like an eternity…

They broke above water and gasped in the air, not caring how it seared their throats. More gulps of air were taken and coughs came in, getting rid of the leaked in water and putrid carbon dioxide. After several seconds of labored respiration, Littlefoot became aware of a loud thrashing. He turned to see the sharptooth staggering from one place to another, gripping his jaws, phasing through a cliff face on one side and rocking to the other side only to smash debris out of that cliff face. He seemed to be in agony and didn't notice the children's presence at all.

"What's the matter with him?" Cera said faintly.

"He look like he have worst headache ever." Petrie said.

"I think this might be much worse than a headache." Ruby said.

"Yeah – yeah, yeah." Ducky said. "Maybe it really worked."

The sharptooth stopped staggering and breathed hard, stilling long enough to open his eyes and spot Littlefoot and the others. The sharptooth's expression turned into a strange mix of fury and desperation, and he strained to growl at them.

"Ducky's right." Chomper said, dawning. "Seeing his own body…it affected him. He's demanding to know what we did since he can barely control himself now."

The sharptooth growled harder and suddenly lunged. The gang screamed and dipped back into the pond, zooming underwater to reach the shallower end within a second. When they resurfaced, the sharptooth hadn't gotten far, bending his head in pain, but he still watched them fixedly.

"He might be effected but he's still dangerous." Littlefoot said. "Stay on your toes."

As one, they began to cautiously back away, not turning away from the sharptooth. Suddenly, he stomped to them, but lost his balance as he reached the water. He cringed inward and threw his head up, groaning in pain. At first, he stepped on top of the water like it was ice, and then he slipped through up to his chest. Just as abruptly, he was standing on top of the water again, a bit too close for Littlefoot and the others' liking. They hastily backed off as the sharptooth couldn't control his legs and fell forward, crashing spectacularly through the water – and his lower jaw faded a bit through the ground. Even with how dazed the sharptooth appeared, the gang still kept a safe distance.

Chomper took a whiff of the air. "His smell's going in and out. I don't think he'll be able to stay around."

"Don't get too close." Littlefoot said. "Even if we have to split up, let's at least stay in twos or threes. It's best if we can look out for each other."

There wasn't much arguing with that logic. Despite the exhaustion, despite the fear still trilling through their veins, they were ready when the sharptooth got back up enough to try and slam his chin down on them. Littlefoot and the others jumped away, rocks and dirt being thrown up. They padded backwards calmly but hurriedly, always watching the sharptooth. They split up into three groups – Ducky and Spike; Cera and Petrie; and Littlefoot, Ruby, and Chomper. They went in three different directions and the sharptooth followed them with his gaze, determination to get them outstripping his energy to do so.

When he saw Cera and Petrie move up the hill where that boulder had been dropped so long ago, he snarled and went into pursuit. He reached out with his mouth but Cera and Petrie just screamed and jumped back, teeth closing on thin air. He made another snap, but the pair just hopped out of range. Cera and Petrie continued to keep themselves out of his reach, observing for signs of briefly regained energy before they moved. When they got to the top, the pair were backed onto the cliff, the sharptooth surveying them hungrily before another headache made him wince and close his eyes.

"I hate being backed into corners like this." Cera muttered.

"We should run between his legs now." Petrie said.

"Wait. I have an idea."

Even as Cera's knees trembled, she stayed where she was as the sharptooth overcame the pain pulsing through his skull. Shaking his head, the sharptooth focused on the pair and leapt for them. At first, Cera was so terrified her legs refused to work. At the last second she sprinted, avoiding those teeth, her head dodging those mighty jaw by inches. With Petrie crouching behind her frill, she passed between the sharptooth's massive legs, getting glanced by his wildly whipping tail but her run barely slowed down. Even as the sharptooth realized his prey evaded him, he couldn't overcome the momentum he built up and roared as he plunged over the edge. Cera and Petrie heard a huge boom. They returned to the cliff and found the sharptooth laying on the ground to the left of the pond, dazed.

"Woah, that too close." Petrie wiped his brow. "Still…great plan, Cera!"

"Yeah." Cera nodded faintly. "Yeah…I did plan that."

In the meantime, the dust cleared and Ducky and Spike watched the sharptooth's still form from the safety of a little cave. The sharptooth didn't disappear and the siblings didn't dare come out to investigate. The sharptooth stirred, opened his eyes, and strained to get back up. As he did so, his gaze fell on Ducky and Spike's hiding place.

"Oh no." Ducky said. "I think we have been foundeded."

Spike yelped and sprinted out of the cave before the sharptooth thought about phasing through and chomping them. The sharptooth began his pursuit, rumbling step after clumsy rumbling step keeping up with Ducky and Spike. Carrying her sister, Spike looked around quickly and made a break for the narrow strip of land around the pond. The sharptooth trailed after, and seemed to have an aversion to the water. He did his best to put one foot in front of the other in that small space.

However, pain made him wince again, unsteadying his movements, so he couldn't stop a foot from landing in the pond. The sharptooth screamed as though he stepped in molten rock. He ignored Ducky and Spike entirely in favor of getting out of the water. The siblings yelped when the sharptooth stepped in front of them, Spike crashing into the foot and the momentum flinging Ducky against it. Collecting themselves, Ducky and Spike dodged around and kept going, the sharptooth groaning as he rocked from side to side.

"I do not think he can stand even being in the water he died in anymore." Ducky said. "I did not know that was going to happen, oh no, oh no."

Spike shook his head in agreement. He just went here on instinct and hoped that, with their swimming experience, the water might give them an advantage. It felt good to discover there was more of an advantage than either of them thought, and his heart swelled when Ducky gave him a look of sisterly pride.

Littlefoot, Chomper, and Ruby stood in the open near the inlands, watching the sharptooth scream as he tried to clear the pond only to have both feet get in the water. He jumped out and stamped his feet on the ground as though attempting to put out a fire. He noticed the trio in the process and a desperate anger gripped him. Chomper flinched, and Littlefoot briefly laid a tail on the former's shoulder.

"It's okay." Littlefoot said. "We can manage this."

Chomper nodded, and gulped. The sharptooth yelled and stepped forward. Ruby waved for the trio to jog backwards. The more the sharptooth approached, the more space Littlefoot and the others put between themselves and their enemy. They were backing into the inlands Chomper and Ruby fled to, so they had plenty of room to retreat.

They jogged at too relaxed of a pace, for the sharptooth suddenly jumped and the trio had to turn tail and run. The trio didn't go far and returned to their backwards retreat.

Cera, Petrie, Ducky and Spike came in, providing distractions to the sharptooth's left and right flanks. They followed Littlefoot, Chomper, and Ruby's example and jogged backwards. The sharptooth didn't seem to know where to turn. He would go for Cera and Petrie one moment, attempt to attack Ducky and Spike the next, and then fail a tail swing toward Littlefoot's center group without any rhyme or reason. The sharptooth snarled in frustration, becoming more uncoordinated the longer this went on.

"He wants to get one of us, any of us." Chomper panted. "Even on his last breath."

"It's going to be over." Ruby said. "Please, let this over be soon."

The sharptooth swayed on his feet. He chomped toward Ducky and Spike but didn't get down far enough to reach them. The sharptooth growled ominously at Cera and Petrie but the pair shuffled off before he could snap at them. At last, the sharptooth returned his focus to the origin of all his hate. He advanced that enormous leg slowly, straining to move through sheer vengeful will, and allowed gravity to takeover. He fell opening his jaws wide, covering much more distance than expected. Chomper and Ruby jumped away. Littlefoot was slower, not watching where he was going, and found himself slipping. He hadn't noticed the crater where the sharptooth kicked up debris earlier to corner Chomper. Littlefoot slid into the depression and he scrambled to get out as the sharptooth's shadow fell over him.

"Littlefoot!" Petrie yelled.

"No, no, no!" Ducky screamed.

The others ran to him but the sharptooth was descending too quickly and Littlefoot was rooted to the spot. He looked up with terror but that was overwhelmed by a strange calm as those sharp teeth got closer, and closer…

There was an almighty boom. A great plum of dust rushed outward, forcing everyone to stop in their tracks. Cera and the others closed or covered their eyes as sand and dirt blew past them. They hoped for the plum to dissipate soon so they could check on Littlefoot yet at the same time they wanted it to go on for a while longer, dreading what they might find.

At last the air cleared, and they reluctantly uncovered their eyes. The sharptooth lay on the ground, almost inert. Littlefoot stood right next to those teeth, unmoving. His neck seemed to terminate right at those teeth. A thrill of horror went through them and Cera's breath hitched.

"It can't be. It can't – what?"

Cera's confused tone made them turn back to the sight. They gave a double-take. Littlefoot's neck didn't terminate at the sharptooth's teeth.

It phased through the teeth.

Littlefoot stepped back and his head came into view, whole and unharmed. Backing away a bit, he stared up at the sharptooth exhaling laboriously through his teeth. The sharptooth thrust himself up, fell down, and tried again. However, he couldn't move more than a few inches. The sharptooth couldn't get up. He wasn't going to get up.

"It's done." Littlefoot said softly. "He's done, guys."

Cautiously, Cera and the others quietly patted over and stood next to Littlefoot. Upon closer inspection, they found the sharptooth had become a bit translucent. Littlefoot had noticed in the sharptooth lost his solid coloring in his fall, and the longneck allowed hope to surge through him before the impact. The sharptooth rumbled, expressing the dull aches that reverberated through every part of his form. He opened his eyes, exhaustion dulling the anger toward the seven children standing alive before him. The sharptooth growled, barely above a whisper, yet his voice vibrated their chests.

"I assume he's not happy with us, huh?" Cera said faintly.

"He resents us." Chomper said. "He's cursing our luck. Despite all he did, the experience and notoriety he built, some kids who barely knew what they were doing drowned him in a pond and he ceased to matter. The world moved on and forgot about him while you guys survived and continued to survive. He…he thought if he killed us, he might get his pride back and accept being dead, but he couldn't even manage that."

"So…what? Were we just supposed to volunteer ourselves to be chewed to bits? We didn't do that then and we weren't going to do that now, especially since he threatened Ruby and Chomper too."

"I suppose he thinks any friend of you five is not a friend of his." Ruby said. "Especially if those friends are a fast runner and sharptooth. Being friends with leaf eaters has only made us his enemy even more."

"Then he really unlucky." Petrie crossed his arms. "He should have got message when we kept running away from him and leave us alone."

Ducky nodded. "We would not have had to drown him if he just gave up and did something else, that is true, that is."

Spike murmured his agreement, yet he didn't appear victorious they survived once again. No one did. The sharptooth continued to struggle breathing, clinging desperately to his phantom body even as energy continued to leave him. Littlefoot stepped closer.

"I don't regret making sure me and my friends survived," he said. "You tried to kill us and we did what was necessary to live. You lost. However…I'm sorry we live in a world where you had to die so we could live. If life wasn't so unfair, maybe things could've been different. Maybe we could have both been happy."

Glancing at Littlefoot while he spoke, Chomper began translating, taking his time even as Littlefoot fell silent to make the longneck's point clear. The sharptooth's gaze stayed on Littlefoot as he heard this, emotions unreadable. When Chomper finally finished, there was no reaction for several seconds. Then those red eyes narrowed and his next growls shook.

Chomper gulped. "He hates us even more now. To be given sympathy by his killers makes him feel like nothing. He – oh goodness, um – let's just say he wouldn't mind if something super terrible happens to us."

The sharptooth waited for his point to be made clear. Then his demeanor…changed. That narrowed eyed resentment seemed to melt away as his lips turned up and he gave an amused snort. He growled ominously, tone mocking. Chomper looked confused and nervous.

"He says – uh, what's he talking about? – um, ah, he's saying, 'you think you're so smart. You think you're clever enough to survive all of the fears of the world. But even you haven't noticed the greatest terror – the one that has been staring you in the face this entire time.'"

A chill went through Littlefoot's stomach. "What – what do you mean?"

"Does this have something to do with the ghosts?" Cera said quickly. "What is it? Tell us!"

Chomper repeated their questions in sharptooth and from how his growls stumbled, he added his own as well. The sharptooth's amused, threatening expression faded, leaving behind uncertainty. He growled, confused and a bit worried.

"He – he doesn't know?" Chomper was baffled. "The words – he didn't know where they came from, they just fell out of his mouth. He doesn't know what's happening."

"Is he serious?" Cera said. "Maybe he's messing with us."

"Me don't know." Petrie said. "He does look really confused."

Ducky nodded. "It does not seem fake. Maybe he is telling the truth."

"Then what were those words about?" Ruby murmured. "Things are becoming more confusing as I think about them."

The sharptooth's confusion was shifting to anger and when he spoke, it was with rumbling resentment.

"He's blaming us." Chomper said faintly. "He thinks being a ghost and us fighting back is messing with his head. He curses us. First we shame him with sympathy and then we give him delusions. He really hates us. We…really do ruin everything."

Amid his confusion and apprehension, Littlefoot's heart sank. He still hated and feared the sharptooth, for what he took and what he nearly did, but somewhere in that, he began to feel empathy toward him. Whatever kind of person the sharptooth was, his bitterness toward his cut-short life was genuine and his ghostly predicament was one no person should be in. With his tiredness of death, Littlefoot tried to reach out, to make the sharptooth feel at least a bit better in his final moments. But Littlefoot's attempt at comfort was slapped away, the sharptooth's pride and grudge too important for him to react in any other way than with further bitterness.

The sharptooth became much less solid looking. Gradually, the gang could see through him to the imprint he made in the ground, and the land beyond. In the distance, they could still make out the cliff where they dropped that fateful boulder and the pond where the sharptooth's body now lay. Soon, he was more like a faint wisp of fog given shape and color. All the while, the sharptooth continued watching Littlefoot and the others, the resentment in his red eyes never wavering.

The breathing softened, the sound continuing to echo as the sharptooth became fainter, fainter. Between one blink and the next, he and his resentful gaze faded, and his last powerful breaths were stolen by a rolling gust of wind. There was nothing left of the sharptooth other than the land and mountain damage, the giant footprints, and the impression in the earth feet from the gang where he lived out his last moments of his facsimile of a life.

Littlefoot's legs gave out from under him. He continued staring at the sharptooth's impression, relief and guilt and indistinguishable emotions swirling inside him. Cera collapsed against his left side, seeking comfort in their contact. On Littlefoot's right, Spike leaned in, nuzzling the former in relief. Ducky slid onto her stomach and closed her eyes, hugging Spike's neck and reaching out a hand to touch Littlefoot. Petrie fluttered down and settled between Littlefoot and Cera's feet. Chomper rested on Cera's flank, rubbing his head against her and, by proxy, all those she was connected to. Ruby completed the connection, sitting down next to Spike and reaching out with one long hand to stroke Spike, Ducky, and Littlefoot. For those she couldn't reach, she sent a grateful look they were still there.

For a long while, Littlefoot and the others remained pressed close to one another, tired and hollowed out, relieved that every one of their number was so physically present. That entire ordeal had been very taxing. Littlefoot didn't know if he would ever have the energy to stand up again. No one seemed to have the will to return to their feet. The temptation to be lulled to rest by the warmth of each other's presence was great and, for a second, they felt they might do just that, to escape what they went through, what it revealed.

Finally though, one by one, they stood and began the slow walk home.

By the time they reentered the Great Valley, the bright circle was nearing the horizon. Many residents were out in the open, eating or standing around nervously, still feeling the tense atmosphere of that sharptooth's intrusion and not knowing if the threat was gone. Some flyers flew at various heights, on the alert. More than a few of the flying and land walker residents stared at Littlefoot and the others, who walked so lifelessly, and whispers spread wherever they passed.

"Are you kids okay?" Mr. Clubtail asked.

"We're still standing." Cera said. "The sharptooth isn't."

"So you got rid of him?" Don said sharply.

"It's the reason we made it back at all." Littlefoot replied.

Don and several others stared in shock but Littlefoot and the others paid them little mind. They had other people they really wanted to reunite with. Eventually, they heard a familiar set of heavy footsteps and found their parents moving in their direction, wet, their injuries showing signs of recent treatment. Their steps were wincing and uneven, but they gazed about with a desperate energy, hope slipping away with every second of their search. Then they saw their children and gasped softly, picking up their pace. Littlefoot and the others started jogging forward, not stopping until their parents closed in and swallowed them in their embrace.

Mr. Threehorn and Tria pinned Cera between their muzzles as they nuzzled her, eyes closed, faces slightly hollow from guilt and relief.

"Cera, Cera." Mr. Threehorn whispered. "I'm sorry. My stupidity forced you to be a hero again."

"We couldn't do anything, we were so useless." Tria said.

"Fine." Cera said wetly. "It's fine. We got through it. He's gone now."

Ducky and Spike's mother had scooped up the pair and held them to her chest. Despite the tight grip, they bore it stolidly and hugged her back. Their mother shivered at the contact.

"Do not be sad, Mama." Ducky sniffed. "We really did get rid of him. I helped make him see himself in the pond, and he disappeared."

Spike nodded and made an insistent noise, thrusting his head proudly toward his sister. Their mother only shivered harder and her grip became protective.

"My brave, selfless children," she choked. "I'm always scared your luck will run out at some point."

Petrie nestled near his mother's neck, eyes closed as she stroked his back gently. She seemed the most composed but he could feel her fingers weren't as steady as they should be.

"Sorry we always worry you, Mama." Petrie said. "Are everyone's brothers and sisters still underground?"

"We've been in contact with Guido and Big Daddy but we left them in their care while we were looking for you." Mama Flyer said. "We'll pick them up on the way home…and we can finally get some rest."

Ruby and Chomper stood awkwardly to the side, watching this reunion between child and parent. Ruby felt a swell of emotion. She knew her family was safe, she knew they were happy she made the Great Valley a home and gained good friends here. Still, their absence ached and she watched her friends wistfully. Then she felt someone take her hand and she looked down to find Chomper leaning against her.

"I miss my folks too," he murmured. "I know I'm not that much help but I'm here for you."

Ruby smiled. "You're also part of my folks and I hope you don't mind a hug after the mistake I made."

Ruby lowered and embraced him, glad she had a friend like Chomper and that her idea this time was achieving a positive result – giving him a smile that mirrored her own.

Grandpa and Grandma Longneck lowered their heads, nuzzling Littlefoot's head. He could feel them trembling.

"Oh Littlefoot." Grandpa Longneck said. "You're safe."

"Thank goodness." Grandma Longneck murmured. "Thank goodness…"

For that moment, Littlefoot was content to nuzzle his grandparents, so glad to feel their love and touch and life. He didn't want it to end. But then they pulled away and sternness entered their gaze.

"Don't ever do that again." Grandpa Longneck said.

"We were so worried when we saw you vanish off with that sharptooth in pursuit." Grandma Longneck said. "We thought when too much time passed that…promise us you will stop risking your life like that."

"Um, well…" Littlefoot stammered, searching for something soothing to say. He could only look away. "I can't really promise you that."

"Please Littlefoot, you have to understand." Grandma Longneck pleaded. "You have so much life ahead of you, so much left to do. We beg you to consider yourself first before you endanger yourself and cut all of your wonderful opportunities short."

"We consider your survival one of our greatest duties." Grandpa Longneck said firmly. "If you sacrificed yourself for us…we wouldn't know how to live with ourselves."

Littlefoot's heart squelched. They looked greatly distressed, desperate to make their point clear. Littlefoot understood their concern but the thought of what would have happened if he hadn't shouted out on time, the crunch of flesh, the dropping of lifeless necks, swirled inside him. His grandparents' every disapproving word seemed to tell him he should have went for inaction, should have let two more gaping holes be opened in his heart. The pain and fear he got a taste of in that horrible sleep story got magnified more and more by that unthinkable what-if until he couldn't stand there silently anymore.

"But how could I live with myself without helping you!" Littlefoot shouted.

Everyone else's reunion faltered and they stared at him. Even his grandparents were caught off guard.

"Littlefoot?" Cera said. "What's gotten into you?"

Littlefoot ignored her, shaking. "No. No. I wasn't going to watch him take you down like he took …you're my family, I wasn't going to let it happen again. You still have so much to do too – don't sell yourselves short like that. I – I want to do so much with you. If you were gone before we could do any of that, before I could learn and laugh all I can from you, I…I…"

Littlefoot's couldn't get any more words out. He lowered his head and closed his eyes but he couldn't stop the tears from flowing, sobbing as his greatest terrors came down on him like a heavy weight. He hated how pathetic he sounded, like a hatchling throwing a tantrum. Everyone mustn't think highly of him now. He tried to stop crying, to sniffle it to a halt but it was futile. The tears just kept coming.

Then he felt a gentle touch on both sides of his face and his grandparents were offering comfort again, making sure he wasn't alone in this tumult of emotions.

"Oh, Littlefoot." Grandpa Longneck whispered. "Dear Littlefoot."

"Shh." Grandma Longneck said gently. "It's okay. Shh."

"Sorry." Littlefoot gulped to calm himself, but it was just as ineffective. "Sorry."

It took a bit but Littlefoot was able to breath in enough air to steady himself, if not his eyes. He was relieved to find his friends' expressions only communicated concern. His grandparents drew back, looking at him with guilt and sympathy.

"There, there." Grandpa Longneck said. "It seems today has been hard on all of us."

Littlefoot laughed shakily. "Yeah…it has been kind of rocky."

Grandma Longneck frowned. "Though I sense this rockiness isn't restricted to today. I can't help but notice you've been treating us a bit more gently lately. A few days back, you said you had a bad sleep story but felt, 'better now that you're here.' You used similar wording when pleading with us not to fight the sharptooth. I hope I'm not being intrusive but…did you feel better seeing us because we were involved in that bad sleep story?"

Littlefoot froze. Cera and the others looked amongst themselves, confused. A bad sleep story? Littlefoot never mentioned that. He gazed up uncertainly at his grandparents, not knowing what decision to make, and they immediately noticed his distress.

"Never mind." Grandpa Longneck shook his head. "You've had enough stress for today."

"Yes, let's get some rest." Grandma Longneck said. "I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that."

"No, it's okay." Littlefoot took a deep breath. "I probably should've told you earlier but I didn't want to worry you. But I guess that backfired and it's still bothering me, so I might as well tell."

Grandma Longneck nodded unsurely. "Very well. If you're prepared for it."

Tria glanced around and coughed. "Come, everyone. Let's get to sleep. It has been a long day for our children."

"Isn't it still kind of early?" Cera asked, confused.

"As Tria said, it's been a long day." Mr. Threehorn said. "Let's retrieve Tricia and the other kids, and have an early night."

"But should we go home when you all are still hurted?" Ducky asked

"We had our injuries treated after some flyers found us." Mama Swimmer said. "It's…what delayed us in looking for you. Things aren't going to be fun for the next few days but we're healed enough we can go rest at the nest without worrying too much."

"I am tired." Ducky failed to bit back a yawn. "But I do not want to leave Littlefoot, I do not."

Spike vocalized his agreement, gazing at Littlefoot with concern. Mama Swimmer hesitated but softened.

"I'm sure we can arrange for you to see him tomorrow," she said.

Petrie yawned widely and looked at Littlefoot with half-lidded eyes. "Okay. Goodnight, Littlefoot. Me don't know about bad sleep story but me hope you have good sleep."

Mama Flyer smiled. "We all hope for that. Goodnight, you three."

Everyone nodded and voiced their "goodnights" to Littlefoot and his grandparents before setting out into the night. Mama Flyer gave an unreadable glance at Ruby and Chomper but she and Petrie left with the rest of the families. Ruby and Chomper lingered long enough to add a wave.

"We know this is for your privacy, Littlefoot." Ruby said. "If you want to talk about the bad sleep story tomorrow, you can do so. If you don't, don't. Whatever makes you happy."

"We all have things we don't talk about." Chomper smiled weakly. "If you don't want to talk, we'll still be your friends."

Littlefoot smiled as they waved once more and vanished into the darkness of the trees. He appreciated the grownups and some of his friends didn't want to discomfort him by giving him an audience. His grandparents still appeared ready to call this off but he steadily met their gaze. Now he decided to be honest, he wanted to go all the way. He couldn't, wouldn't, keep this quiet any longer. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck recognized this resolve, and relaxed.

"Continuing on, then." Grandma Longneck said wryly. "What did happen in your sleep story, Littlefoot?"

Littlefoot took another breath, readying himself for the plunge. "It all – it all started when I woke up and I saw it was a perfect day. I was ready to have fun. Then I saw you two hadn't gotten up…"

Next time…

New Arrivals Part 1

---

Note: And that's the end of arc one out of...five, I think, for this story. Tune in next month for the two opening chapters for arc two!

Note 2 on 11/19: Welp, I might not be able to update by November's end after all. The monstrosity that is for now chapter 10 needed some scenes majorly changed and I'm rewording a lot of paragraphs as I go. I'm only through pages 37 out of 77 and there might be more major edits in the future. It's all to give the best product I can make. Hopefully I can finish it and be able to post chapters 8 and 9 by December. On the bright side, there will be one month where you get chapters 10, 11, and 12 back-to-back. I doubt I'll be able to maintain the monthly chapter postings as I'm reaching the end of material I already wrote but we'll see. Anyway, thanks for sticking around for this story and I hope you can be patient.

Note 3 on 12/30: So yeah, as you can tell by the date, I won't be posting chapters 8 and 9 this month after all. Chapters 10-12(or 13) took forever to complete one revision of. It's now over 90 pages! I'm on revision two of it all, and so far (knock on wood), it looks like this revision would be a lot faster. I might do one last third one but I'm more confident that the opening chapters for arc 2 will be posted by the end of January. So hang on!