We Will Hold On Forever

by

DaveTheAnalyzer

Chapter 18: The Anchors Part 2

The roar of the rockslide went on forever. The rocks and boulders surged down the mountain, loosening and carrying along other material, making an earthy wave. Cera and the others remained ducked behind their boulder, Tria having rushed forward and pressed her head over them. Brown dust bloomed outward, like the mist from a waterfall, and they coughed as it entered their lungs. All the while the crash continued to fill their ears, a surge that stretched the many second out into eternity.

Then at last, the rumble quieted. The crackles and crashes became spaced apart and silence reigned, the silence following a disaster. Tentatively, they opened their eyes and peered up. The brown dust was still around them, obscuring their view of everything. Cera raised her head, trying to keep her breaths even but finding that difficult as she looked around.

"Daddy," she said. "Daddy!"

"Cera, don't move yet!" Tria said. "It might still be dangerous." Tentatively, she stepped back, glancing down. "Are you all alright?"

"We – we think we are." Ducky answered, getting up from Spike's neck. "But what about the others?"

"I don't know." Tria said. She stared into the brown fog ahead. "Oh no. Topsy…"

The brown plum continued to be around them. They looked around but there was silence and they appeared to be the only ones around.

"Ruby! Chomper!" Ducky shouted, cupping her mouth. "Where are you? Please be alright. Oh, please…"

Spike echoed her, calling with urgency and concern. The silence was worrying. They wondered if their friends could hear them or something worse happened. Then a distant voice called out.

"…alright!" Ruby said. "Chomper is alright too. We got ahead of it quickly."

There were sighs of relief. It was good to know their friends were still safe. The tentative tap of footsteps came behind them, and they realized they weren't alone.

"Ducky? Spike? Is that you?" Mama Swimmer's voice called out. "My goodness, I was marching over expecting to punish you for getting into trouble, only to find you in another kind of trouble."

"The trouble did not happen to us." Ducky said. "It happened for Ruby, Chomper, Grandma and Grandpa Longneck, and Cera's dad. Ruby and Chomper are fine but they are on the far side of the rockslide."

"I'll go get them." Mama Flyer's voice said, close to Mama Swimmer's. "I'll make sure they don't get in the way of any remaining falling rocks."

There were the flap as Mama Flyer flew away. The dust cleared a bit, and they could see some of the trees behind them. A tall shape was approaching in that direction, resolving into a distressed Mama Swimmer. A few other dinosaurs were moving in behind her, the first bystanders that usually came after a disaster struck, examining their surroundings. They could begin to see the outline of the pile of rocks and boulders looming over, some of the round shapes of individual debris becoming clear. They saw a flying shape go by, making a beeline for two distant youthful figures moving tentatively into view from around the pile. Cera looked around with increasing distress.

"Daddy!" she said. "Daddy, where are you?"

"Grandpa Longneck! Grandma!" Petrie said. "You safe, right? Me sure you safe." More quietly, he said. "Please say you safe."

There was silence. People got closer, a few glancing among themselves and whispering as they got together who was in trouble. The dust continued to hover, leading to many blind spots around them. A dark grey female threehorn bit her lip with worry. There was the feeling of everyone holding a breath. Then, a voice.

"It – it's alright." Grandpa Longneck's voice panted. "We're alive!"

There were sighs of relief and cheers. Three figures appeared to the left of the Great Wall, dark shapes in the dust. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck resolved into view, a bit dirty and scratched up, but unharmed. Mr. Threehorn brought up the rear, eyes wide and panting from the aftermath of a hard run.

"Daddy!" Cera cried.

Tria broke her hold and allowed Cera to run forward, nudging against Mr. Threehorn's lowered head and nuzzling him.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. Both of you," he added, as Tria came in for a nuzzle. "That was a close one there."

"Oh." Tria said, pressing into him. "You got to stop scaring me like this."

More dinosaurs were arriving. They were squinting through the dust, mouths open at the damage they could glimpse. Mr. Thicknose had come in along with his volunteers, taking in the scene before him with wide eyes. They were able to hear Grandpa Longneck announce their status, and Mr. Thicknose approached him and Grandma Longneck.

"When I heard you were trying a new angle, I didn't realize you were risking your life for it," he said dryly.

"Neither were we." Grandma Longneck replied. "The rockslide surprised us. We nearly got buried there."

"And those kids got into danger again." Mr. Thicknose sighed, glancing at the gang. "I wish they would stop risking themselves like this."

"We aren't happy about it," Grandpa Longneck said, "but it was because they followed and gave their warning that we had enough time to get away."

They smiled as Mama Flyer escorted Ruby and Chomper to Cera and the others, and the kids embraced. The grandparents and other grownups turned and looked up. The dust had finally cleared. A pile of rocks and boulders reached up high before them, nearly twice the height of a longneck and covering an area wider than the Thundering Falls. The lower part of the pile sloped a bit forward but enough rocks had gathered that it stabilized and there was no risk of it rolling down.

"What caused this?" Grandpa Longneck said.

"It's too much of a coincidence that rockslide came in at the exact spot where we found where Mr. Clubtail fell." Grandma Longneck said.

"It isn't." Cera said. "There was a giant pile of rocks on top of the mountain. Someone was trying to push them on you."

"Someone did not want us to live to put the clues together." Grandpa Longneck said. "They were very desperate. They must have kept close track of what we were doing. But who...?"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me! They got away?"

Everyone looked up at the voice. It was distant and echoed, but it projected from the top of the Great Wall mountain. They could just make out two heads looking down at them. The long, narrow head flinched but the other just stood there, gazing down without shame. They were a familiar brown and green.

"Wait." Petrie said. "That is-"

A four legged dinosaur jumped down the Great Wall. There were gasps but she slid down an angled path of the Great Wall, maneuvering her feet to avoid protrusions and landing on the mountain path. She gazed down at the assembled dinosaurs, chewing her piece of grass.

"Bet you didn't think I could do that, huh?" The spiketail said.

Everyone stared. There was a distant growl of frustration. The flyer figure opened his wings and flapped out, flying down to the spiketail.

"Did you really have to go down and expose us?" he demanded.

"You exposed us by talking too loudly," she replied. "No use hiding after that."

A whoosh came through Cera and the others. They looked up along with everyone else, seeing but unable to believe.

"I am confused." Ducky said. "I am so confused! What are Tega and Don doing there?"

Don and Tega stood together on the mountain path, looking down on everyone.

"You!" Grandpa Longneck said. "You were the ones who tried to kill us?"

Don hesitated but his gaze hardened.

"I did warn this plan shouldn't be implemented," he said. "Now you suffer the consequences."

There were intakes of breath. Those that were gathered exchanged glances, disbelieving, not knowing what to do with this. Mr. Thicknose's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly, before sending a concerned glance at the gang. A few other dinosaurs were walking in, looking about with confusion at what the fuss was about. There was a shout.

"No!" Ruby said. "This has got to be a misunderstanding! Please say this is a misunderstanding, right?"

Don flinched and looked way. Tega continued to chew her grass, no guilt in her eyes.

"You were getting too close to the truth," she said. "We couldn't have you bumbling in and ruining everything we had been working for."

"Ruin everything you work for?" Grandpa Longneck said. "That must mean…you were the ones who murdered Mr. Clubtail!"

There were shocked murmurs. Mama Flyer stepped back near the children.

"You mean…I've been allowing a murderer near my family?" she asked.

"We weren't the ones who killed Mr. Clubtail." Don said. "It was…an associate of ours. A rash action. It caused us much trouble."

"Not that makes us feel any better." Mama Swimmer snapped. "Why were you associating with our children? What did you want with them?"

"We thought we might as well make the best of the situation." Tega said. "Your children are very important. It could solve many problems at once."

"You didn't answer the question." Mr. Threehorn growled.

Don sighed. "Let's go through the reasons. First, we couldn't help but notice Cera and Chomper were getting caught in the company of a dubious character, Verter." He grimaced, eyes rolling up in distaste. "We were concerned about what the threehorn would do to the pair. So we associated with your children to have them doubt Verter and get them to separate Cera and Chomper from him."

"What?" Grandpa Longneck said.

"What is going on?" said a voice. The spikethumb leader marched in, eyes sweeping around. "What is everyone gathering near a dangerous rockslide pile for?"

"Ah, here she is." Tega said. "What convenient timing."

The spikethumb leader looked up and narrowed her gaze at Tega and Don on the path. "Who are you people?"

"These dinosaurs tried to kill us while we tracked down the killer, who they are associated with." Grandpa Longneck answered. "They also had some hand in arranging Verter's death."

"They have?" The spikethumb leader turned, gaze boring into the pair. "So you are the ones who murdered one of my herd members."

"Something like that." Tega smirked. "He was a bad, bad boy."

"Is that supposed to be funny? How do you justify yourselves?" The spikethumb leader retorted, furious.

"Haven't you noticed the troublemaker in your herd? Someone has been sneaking out of your herd at night." Don said. "He was going to take Cera and Chomper away. We couldn't have our associate caught. With those two concerns, we framed him for the murder."

The spikethumb leader frowned, looking strangely disconcerted about what he said.

"Wait." Mama Flyer said slowly. "So the whole reason you bonded with Petrie and the others was to blame Verter for the murder?"

"Not on the whole." Tega said. "But it was a very important part."

Silence fell. Petrie, Ruby, Ducky, and Spike looked down, shock mixed with grief. It had been only a few short days, but they had gotten along well with Don and Tega. They thought the pair had gotten closer because of genuine interest. The concept they bonded with the kids for duplicitous reasons was a betrayal they struggled to comprehend.

"T-tell us," Ruby's voice cracked. "Was – was everything a lie. Did you really care about us?"

Don flinched. He closed his eyes, pain mixing in as he sighed.

"I do like you two," he said finally. "But I had to do it. I had to lead you to the right conclusions so our mission wouldn't be for naught."

"So we weren't being smart?" Petrie said, voice trembling. "We were being lead to what you want to think?"

"You followed the clues I laid out well, Petrie." Don said. "You put them together at the right moment. We suspected Verter was up to something, but not kidnapping. You helped urge action just when we needed it most."

"But me did not do that because me smart." Petrie stepped back. "You…you tricked Petrie. You made me feel smart so you could make me go where you want."

"I don't mean to be blunt but…it fits your temperament." Don replied. "You'll need far more time to get where I am."

Petrie staggered, unable to stop a whimper from escaping his beak. Mama Flyer pressed a hand to his back, glaring upwards.

"If someone is tricked, that means someone has to be the trickster!" Ruby said. Her eyes were wet but they burned with anger "How dare you hurt us like this."

"Ruby, I'm not happy about this-" Don began.

"If you weren't happy about it, you should have stopped!" she snapped. "A good person would stop and apologize. Just feeling regretful while still doing bad things isn't good enough."

"You don't understand!" Don shouted. "Oh, of course you don't understand. I have to survive, my wisdom has to survive! For Wing Father's sake, I can't allow the world to forsake me again." He almost appeared to glow with fury. "Hurting two children's feelings isn't great but there are more important things out there. I can't expect someone from your generation to understand!"

"Calm down, Donny boy." Tega said. "You don't want to reveal things too soon, do you?"

Don stopped and closed his eyes as he attempted to calm down. Ruby glared, a tear going down.

"Ah, there's the old Don," she said. "Was that in you this whole time?"

Don started. Regret flickered in before he shook himself and glared down coolly. Ducky looked up with Spike with hesitation.

"What about you, Tega?" she asked. "Did – did you not feel anything for us?"

Tega stared down while chewing her grass.

"You were amusing," she said at last. "That's the most positive thing I could say about you two."

Spike started, his eyes wide. Ducky stepped back.

"That – that is all?" she asked.

"You shouldn't be surprised, with my self-interest talk." Tega continued. "You have such a naïve view of the world, I had to stop myself from smiling more than once. You two weren't much help though. You didn't pick up my hints that Verter was a danger at all."

"But I liked you." Ducky protested. "Me and Spike did. Even if you were kind of snippy, I thought you were our friend."

"Friend? Pah." Tega laughed. "You were just a means to an end. I was such a jerk to you two but your wishy-washy compassion made you give me chances again and again." She sighed and looked down "Ah, the beginning story of so many battered mates."

Ducky flinched. In spite of herself, she started sniffling and Spike whimpered. Mama Swimmer embraced them.

"You're heartless, Tega," she snapped.

Tega yawned. "Did you practice that in your sleep? How natural for the mother of unimaginary cretins."

Expressions grief-stricken, Petrie, Ruby, Ducky, and Spike pressed together while Cera and Chomper, watching sadly, joined them, already knowing the sting of betrayal. Cera glared up at them, furious on her friends' behalf. Those two were monsters, for hurting them, for nearly taking away her dad…but how were an old flyer and lazy spiketail able to push so much rocks? She was too confused and sad and angry to pursue that thought, assuming it wasn't actually that strange since the gang have caused rockslides themselves a few times. More than one dinosaur was glaring up at Don and Tega after that exchange.

"You didn't need to put the kids through all this hardship." Mr. Thicknose said. "There was already concern about Verter. Rumors were being spread about what he might be up to."

"That was because I was spreading those rumors." Don replied. "No one was taking swift enough action. Cera and Chomper could be under threat. So I passed the word on to a couple of gossipy female flyers and spread it wide. I thought this would press the valley to take the kids from Verter. Unfortunately, no one took the rumors seriously enough."

"You do realize the reputation rumors have around here." Tega said.

"I did what I had to do." Don said. "It is everyone else's problem they didn't act."

"But if you realized how these things were received, you would have come up with something better. Not very smart, eh?"

Don growled but he didn't object. Grandpa Longneck stared up, anger over the treatment of the gang making him press his lips together.

"So what was the other reason you associated with the children?" he demanded.

"It was because of their connection to a certain someone." Don said. "A little impertinent longneck known as Littlefoot."

"Littlefoot?"

There were whispers. Dinosaurs turned and exchanged glances. Guido landed on a branch beside Swooper, who turned and gave a summary of what he was hearing from the conversation.

"That's right." Tega said. "Wing Father is really interested in him. And as his Anchors, it's our duty to seek what he wants."

"Anchors?" Mr. Threehorn said. "What are you doing, throwing around made up words?"

"It's not a made up word. Let's just say it's going to become popular in a future that's not going to happen."

Grandpa Longneck frowned. "And who's Wing Father?"

"That's just a saying Don likes to say when he's frustrated." Ruby said. "At least, that's what he says…right?"

She turned to Don, uncertain. Don shuffled and gazed down.

"It was a saying I made up to cover for when I was muttering his name," he said. "As experienced as I am, I can't help but talk to myself at times and it would have been suspicious if I started saying a stranger's name."

"But who is Wing Father?" Grandpa Longneck said. "And what does he want with Littlefoot?"

"Oh, it's a name you'll become familiar with very soon." Tega said. "He is going to make some changes around here. Things that should have been reality a long time ago. As for Littlefoot, he is the chosen one, he is where it starts." She rolled her eyes. "Typical, right? That longneck is going to play a very important role in putting Wing Father in charge."

"You won't get him!" Grandpa Longneck said, stepping forward. "We refuse to let you touch him!"

Don sighed. "This is why we have been so secretive. People tend to act rash with what they don't understand. For Wing Father's sake, that is why we tried to kill you when you were getting close to the truth."

"So that was why Mr. Clubtail was killed?" Mama Flyer asked. "Because he found out about Wing Father?"

"Found out a place related to him." Tega replied. "Caused our associate who found him to panic and kill him."

"And you are okay with this murder?" Grandpa Longneck asked. "Is this Wing Father?"

"Wing Father is beyond normal morals." Don said. "Whatever our actions, they are worth it for the greater world we pursue."

"No one is above morals." Grandma Longneck said. "You're not making a good argument for your leader. The killer. Who it is?"

"Oh, it should have been obvious. It would be the troublemaker in the spikethumb's herd. The one who sneaks off for much of the night."

"You already agree that Verter wasn't the killer." Tria said. "So why are you-"

"Verter wasn't the one sneaking off for much of the night." The spikethumb leader interrupted. She looked troubled.

"W-what?" Tria blinked. "But – he sneaked to Topsy the night you arrived. How could you-"

"He might have done so, but he was present all other nights. I checked myself. "

"Oh. Then I'm confused." Tria replied "Who else could have sneaked off? I only know him and he was clever, maybe he slinked off to find new training spots or -"

"It wasn't him, it was Patty!" The spikethumb leader said.

Silence fell. It was almost greater than the silence that followed the rockslide.

"I have sneaked in looks of the body when no one was looking," Don said. "Didn't you wonder what those thin marks under the injuries from his fall were?"

The silence remained. Don leaned down, gripping the edge of the path.

"Whips marks." he said. "Young, longneck whip marks. Do you see?"

They all stared. Slowly, Grandpa and Grandma Longneck started looked around, head movements becoming quicker with desperation.

"Littlefoot." Grandpa Longneck said, breaths becoming harsh. "W-where's Littlefoot?!"

Tega laughed creakily. Don snorted.

"Don't you worry," he said. "He is on his way to Wing Father now."

Silence reigned in the tunnel. Littlefoot was staring at Patty, barely aware of her tail wrapped around his. Her eyes were lowered. Her sad, resigned tone was so unlike how she usually behaved he didn't know what to make of it.

"See too much?" he repeated. "What do you mean? Are you saying that – no. Oh no."

"I wish I had been more careful with my words." Patty said. She sighed. "But I can't take them back now."

Littlefoot gulped. He tried to deny, to spin all this as a practical joke, but he couldn't wave off the evidence in front of him.

"You killed Mr. Clubtail," he whispered.

She didn't say anything. A cold spread through Littlefoot, settling in his stomach and tingling beneath his skin. He couldn't believe, still couldn't. Patty, the teenage longneck who had a loss like his own, so nice yet so sad, who accepted an offer of friendship from a youth like him. How could the Patty he came to know do something like this?

"W-why?" his voice cracked.

She sighed. "I acted rashly. When I heard Mr. Clubtail planned to look at the night circle on the Great Wall, I got paranoid. I knew I might be overthinking the risks but-"

"How did you know about that?" Littlefoot interrupted. "Mr. Clubtail only told us."

"I hung behind to listen in on you." Patty said. "I was so happy to meet you, Littlefoot. I couldn't resist hiding behind the trees and hearing more about you. When I heard what Mr. Clubtail was going to do, I thought I should be sure. So that night I followed him along the Great Wall path, watching him look at the Night Circle. I thought nothing was going to happen other than watching someone with odd tastes be silly. Then he – came across the cave, the place where we're going. He had looked so scared. I thought if he told the others about what he saw, they might misunderstand and collapse the cave so we couldn't change the world. I – I couldn't let that happen. So I..."

She fell silent, not needing to elaborate. Littlefoot lay there, trying to comprehend, eyes wavering to Patty, the ground, and back again.

"You – you killed him because he got scared," he said. He sniffled. "Why – why couldn't you have just explained things to him?"

"He would have been scared to have me suddenly appear there. He would have run." Patty hesitated and said. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, you know. So I ha-"

There was a ringing Littlefoot's ears. Something hot burned in him, making him shake.

"Don't," his voice came out harsh. "Don't you dare. Mr. Clubtail was in no way a threat to anyone, how dare you say that."

"I –" Patty said hastily. "It was to prevent suffering in the world. I just couldn't-"

Littlefoot's head snapped up, eyes full of fury.

"Don't you say you had to kill him!" he shouted. "If this is to stop the ghosts, you could have explained that to him! You said what you're doing is supposed end suffering, but with Mr. Clubtail's death, you caused more! All the fear and sadness here is because of you!"

"I – I didn't want to do this," she stammered. "This is very important. You didn't know him that well anyway. He – he didn't have any mate or kids."

"That doesn't matter," he snapped. "Just because he had no family doesn't mean his life is worth any less. Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth?"

"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. I'll try to make up for it." She stepped forward. "Now can we please continue on to our mission?"

"No!" Littlefoot stepped away. "Why are you doing this Patty? You said you just found a solution to the ghosts but what you said about Mr. Clubtail says you knew sooner than that. Why couldn't you have just told everyone you found the solution? After all we've been through, we would have gladly jumped at the opportunity to end the ghosts. Does this really solve that?"

"It does, but-"

"But what? What else happens if we do this thing? Why won't you tell me?" He saw her step back, looking scared, the type of fear Littlefoot had seen in his adventures when one got too close to the truth. Something in him broke. "I thought you were my friend. I thought you considered life important. Yet you killed Mr. Clubtail, you killed him without a second thought. Do – do you care about anyone?" He closed his eyes. "Murderer!"

Patty flinched. She reared her head, anger coming in.

"This hasn't been easy for me either, you know," she said. "I've had to carry the weight of this death every day, along with the death of Mom. Do you think I want this? Do you think I want to hurt others? I did all this so I could end the world's pain. It's all I have left. If it goes wrong, what reason would I have to exist?"

"You could have found friends, other family." Littlefoot said. "I struggled after Mother died but I found new people to be with. Struggling after a parent's death is hard…but you could have lived for something else."

"That is the thing, Littlefoot!" Patty shut her eyes. "I didn't survive!"

All the anger inside him got blown away by confusion. "What?"

Patty started. It appeared as though she hadn't meant to say that. Her eyes wandered around before she sighed.

"After Mom's death…I just fell apart," she said. "I switched between wandering around and staying in one place for days at a time. I didn't notice I was hungry for a long time, and by the time I did, I just didn't care. It got tiring to move around. And then…"

Littlefoot blinked. Then the full implications of her words hit, and he found himself scrambling back.

"You're…you're dead?" he asked.

"I accepted its embrace," she said. "I was so sad, so angry. I didn't want to deal with living anymore. I cursed the circle of life Mom told me about for taking her away, glad I was no longer under its whim. But as the darkness came around…he came."

A beatific smile slid across Patty's face. Littlefoot felt his chest cool and he listened.

"Wing Father. He was someone beyond this world, never touched by the Circle of Life. He had been watching us for a long time. He thought it was unfair. Those who you love should never leave you. You shouldn't suffer for want or hunger. He wanted to change things. He offered me a role in putting him in charge so he could make it a reality. That is why I'm walking the land again…because of this opportunity he gave me."

Littlefoot shook his head. "You really have lost your mind. You can't be dead. Wing Father is just Don's saying. You must be delirious."

"Come Littlefoot, is that really what you're going to say when ghosts exist?" Patty asked. "If I'm the killer, does it occur you why I didn't appear tired when you met me after Mr. Clubtail's body was discovered? When I spent much the night following him and dragging his body to the sweet bubble glen? I should have been exhausted. That was Wing Father's power. With him, I don't need to sleep or eat. I can walk for days and still have enough energy to keep going."

"But that's impossible!" he protested. "I saw you eat, I saw you bite at the leaves in the trees."

"That was only acting. Did you ever notice I always seem to 'eat' on the other side of the tree or when you're doing something else? I don't want to waste food. Of course, this means it has been long since I ate or slept. And being back in my body…I can't grow up. I haven't for a long time."

Littlefoot stared. This was all so impossible. But there was an unwavering look to her eyes. Mouth dry, he spoke up.

"How long?"

She hesitated. "Twenty cold times. I had to move from herd to herd so people wouldn't notice my odd eating and sleeping habits. I couldn't have them know my secrets. So I had to be alone, waiting until the time was right to change the world. But someone alive needs to be part of it, someone who embodies one of the many qualities of the living. Littlefoot, that's you."

Littlefoot stepped back. "M-me?"

Patty nodded. "Wing Father told me about you. I was so looking forward to meeting you. Imagine my surprise when you were the one who approached me. He needs those like me who could link him to this world. But he needs the help of the living to get him in power. Someone like you helping change the world, you should be honored. I know all of this is confusing. I'm sure Wing Father can clear this up. He has a way of explaining things that makes them make sense. He'll set everything right."

She turned and dragged him up the tunnel. Littlefoot staggered, attempting to process everything. Patty, the person he thought had been a friend, had died, and a power beyond his imagination had brought her back for vague plans to influence the world. It was so important, a person had to be murdered to keep it going. It was so unbelievable. A few weeks back, Littlefoot would have thought her mad. But after meeting his mother's spirit and encountering ghosts that unleashed heartbreak and terror, he couldn't ignore the supernatural was real. All the pieces she pointed to fit together. He never saw her truly eat, she rarely if ever tired from playing with him, and she had continuous youth. And she was going to have him meet the person whose influence made her do those terrible things.

He found his feet scraping against the ground, ignoring the stinging in his chest, almighty panic gripping him. Patty stopped, glancing behind him.

"Littlefoot, what's the matter?" she asked.

"I don't want to be part of this cause!" he cried. "Let me go!"

"Littlefoot, it's okay," she soothed. "You don't need to worry. Wing Father might be intimidating but he's a nice person. He'll make things clear."

"No, I don't want to meet him! I don't want anything to do with this! Please, let me go!"

"It's going to be alright. We're not going to hurt you. We will be helping."

"How can I trust something that would allow you to do something so bad?" Littlefoot said.

"That was more my fault. Please, Littlefoot." Patty pleaded. "There are more important things now. Aren't you sick of death and all the circle of life does to us? This might be our only chance to change the world for the better. We can't let this pass by."

"Is this what he really wants?" He sent a brief glare up. "Did he disapprove of what you did? Or did he support it?"

"You don't understand," she said, anger coming into her voice. "We need this. Don't ruin this for everyone."

"I don't want to be part of this!" he cried.

She pulled at his tail, walking faster. "You're going to meet the savior. He will have you calm down. You will cooperate."

"No, I won't!"

Littlefoot spotted a thorny wooden vine snaking across a section of tunnel ground. He grabbed onto it with his teeth and held on for dear life, ignoring how it pricked his mouth. He wedged his feet between several protruding rocks. He felt Patty stop and her grip briefly slacken, and Littlefoot saw a flicker of opportunity. If he could pull himself free and book it down the tunnel, maybe his quickness would surprise her enough she would be slow to pursue…

But then there was a wrench and Littlefoot cried out as his tail muscles flared in agony. The pain was such his hold weakened and Patty jerked him from the vine and dragged him on, giving his tail a few hard tugs.

"Patty," Littlefoot whimpered, "you're hurting me."

"Then don't make me do something so horrible." Patty hissed. Her eyes burned. "I don't want to do this Littlefoot but if you make me truly angry, I will do what is necessary. I've waited too long for this moment. If you extend this world's suffering any longer, you won't like what actions I will take!"

As her voice rose, a green glow flared. Littlefoot staggered back as light shone out from every part of Patty, and for the first time, he could truly see her. She was emaciated: her legs were thin tree trunks and middle measly and narrow. The skin of her neck was pressed into the muscle and there were hollows in all the wrong places. Patty's gaunt eyes literally shone with a deep fury Littlefoot only saw in the likes of the first sharptooth and it was just as terrifying. This overt display of power few mortals ever glimpsed was just too much for him. He threw himself in the opposite direction, scrambling his feet fruitlessly against the hard rock.

"Help!" Littlefoot screamed. "Someone help!"

The glow faded and Patty's appearance returned but Littlefoot didn't forget.

"I'm in this tunnel! I'm being kidnapped! Someone help!"

"No one can hear you." Patty said. "You're high up from the ground and your voice won't carry here."

He didn't bother replying. "Help me! I don't want to be here! I'm being taken against my will!"

She shook her head. "This is all my comrades' fault. If they just waited a bit longer with the rockslide, then you wouldn't be like this."

His terror was briefly subsumed by anger. "You mean my grandparents and Mr. Threehorn getting buried by a rockslide was on purpose? Everything I learn about you keeps getting worse and worse. I won't cooperate with you!"

"Whatever happened to them, Wing Father will explain everything. Goodness, stop making me repeat myself."

Her callous dismissiveness of the potential death of those he loved drove his anger to greater heights. "If you hate repeating yourself so much, I might have a solution for that!"

Littlefoot wheeled around, and bit with all his strength on Patty's tail. She yelped, more started than hurt but that tail around Littlefoot's slackened enough that he leapt out of reach and bolted down the tunnel. Only a few seconds followed before Patty's booming footsteps came after him. He weaved around rocks and stray plant matter, the strong stinging in his chest only making him briefly stumble, avoiding anything that might slow his speed. He could hear her rapidly catching up but didn't look back. He had evaded pursuers larger than her but this straight tunnel had no branching pathways or hiding spots. But there had to be a way out, he refused to give up. The opening where he witnessed the rockslide came into view. He thought quickly and turned his steps in that direction.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking," Patty shouted, "don't you dare!"

But Littlefoot dared. He hopped onto the edge of the opening and glanced around, spotting a workable ledge a foot below that ran far off a scraggly but stable line to the right. Littlefoot slid down rear legs first, and his grip on the opening slipped. He yelped as he briefly fell, but his forefeet caught the ledge. Gaining a firmer grip, he began shimmying, feeling the late-morning breeze brush coolly on his side. The sound of Patty's footsteps slowed. She poked her head out and saw him moving away at a careful but consistent pace. She briefly vanished and her tail snaked out, whipping around to reach for him. He flinched as he felt the force of it whip nearby but fortunately he had shimmied far enough that Patty's tail tip whipped for him a few feet out of reach. Patty head came back out.

"Please Littlefoot," she said. "I know you're upset but it's dangerous. Come back. There's no advantage in hanging on a ledge all day."

"At least I'm not stuck in there with you." Littlefoot shot back. "Plus, now I'm outside, I stand a better chance of someone hearing this – help! Somebody help!"

Patty started. His screams carried out much farther at this height in the Great Valley. He continued yelling at the top of his lungs. Littlefoot glimpsed her reach out with her tail again but it was fruitless for her. The greater concern was how long his strength would allow him to cling to the Great Wall. Adjusting his grip so he would be able to hang on more comfortably, he continued screaming for help, hoping someone would eventually hear him.

Meanwhile, shaken by Don's revelations, Chomper and Spike immediately went sniffing about to find their friend's scent while under the watchful eye of the parents and other grownups. Chomper and Spike changed their nose's directions quickly, faces anxious. Trying to track someone down while standing in place was difficult but with their friend in danger, they were doing the best they could.

"Found anything?" Grandpa Longneck asked.

"I think he went somewhere to the Great Wall there." Chomper nodded in that direction. "I don't know exactly where, but his smell is mixed with Patty's."

Spike bayed in agreement, his normally relaxed demeanor replaced by great worry as his eyes searched those distant mountains on the other side of the valley. Don chuckled humorlessly.

"You won't be able to get to him where they're traveling. They'll already be at their destination by the time you find where they went."

"I swear, if anything happens to Littlefoot-" Grandpa Longneck began.

Tega snorted. "We're not going to give him the Mr. Clubtail treatment, if that's what you're thinking. That would just complicate things. No, Littlefoot has a very special role waiting for him."

"That doesn't bring us any consolation." Grandma Longneck glared. "Dear, we should get going. We can't waste time here while Littlefoot is in danger."

"I wouldn't advise that." Don said. "Do you think we would allow you to leave? For Wing Father's sake, we won't hesitate to hurt you again if it comes to it."

"Quiet." Grandpa Longneck said. "We aren't going to argue with the insensible."

"And you're the heights of sensible yourselves?" Tega asked. "You have been handing over your grandson to a complete stranger for four days without considering if she's trustworthy. That doesn't indicate much smarts about you."

"That's-" Grandpa Longneck began, but guilt wracked his face. He shook his head. "We can't be entertaining your mind games. We have a grandson to save."

"Don't worry." Don said. "You will see Littlefoot again. We don't plan to keep him forever. In fact, this will go a lot faster if you also-"

He was cut off by someone calling out. Spike was thrusting his nose at something on the opposite Great Wall, glancing at everyone and making urgent head motions. The crowd's attention fixed on that location. At first, no one knew what Spike spotted but then Petrie fluttered down on Spike's neck beside Ducky and squinted before he gasped.

"Look, someone hanging near that hole over there!"

With that scrap of information, they spotted it. There was an opening halfway up the Great Wall and a bit far from that was a tiny gray dot. From this distance they wouldn't have noticed anything unless they were looking for it. With a jolt, they realized it was Littlefoot, hanging on for dear life on a thin ledge, the thin waving line of Patty's tail vainly trying to reach him from the opening. They thought they could ever-so-faintly pick up what might be his screams for help.

"Littlefoot!" Grandpa Longneck shouted. "Oh, clever Littlefoot…"

Don and Tega also noticed. They appeared caught off-guard by this but Don's superior sneer returned.

"Of course," he said. "He's as difficult as common word says."

"What are we going to do?" Grandma Longneck asked. "That's a very long drop. We can't reach him from the ground and we can't use the tunnel if Patty is nearby."

"We better think of something quick." Cera said. "It's hard to hang onto cliffs for long. We have been on enough to know."

Petrie brightened. "Then he need help of someone who can fly. Mama can help!"

"Yes." Ruby nodded. "She can avoid Patty while also avoiding climbing. It would be the fastest way to help."

Grandpa Longneck turned to Mama Flyer. "I understand this is a huge responsibility to take on…"

Mama Flyer shook her head, smiling. "You don't need to say any more. Leave your grandson to me."

Grandpa and Grandma Longneck smiled with relief. Sweeping her wings out, Mama Flyer took off and made a straight beeline for the opposite Great Wall. Barely a second passed before Don flew after her.

"Oh no you don't!" he said sharply. "You won't interfere in-"

Just as Don closed in, two shapes intercepted. Guido closed his mouth hard around Don's left wing, causing the elderly flyer to cry out. This delayed him enough for Swooper to come in and slap him. Don was thrown back, slightly dazed, but recovered and examined the pair who flew in place, blocking his path.

"Oh goodness, I didn't think I could really bite anyone like that." Guido said. "I mean, I might have done so before I lost my memories but…" Taking deep breath, he opened his eyes to stare grimly. "Stay where you are."

"Was that a threat?" Don said. "You're going to have to be better than that. And what are you doing, Swooper? You're too blind and delicate to be using those wings."

"If there's anything I've learned in the Great Valley, it's that you can adapt to anything." Swooper said. "I thought a self-proclaimed wise guy like you would know that."

Don scowled and swooped in fast. Guido and Swooper dodged but the former took another bite at Don's wing as he passed and Swooper slapped a wing at Don. Don flapped back but then went after Swooper, who circled out of the way.

"You have adapted." Don said. "But there's only so much you can do if your enemy has a great power by his side."

Don tucked in his wings, and fell toward the pair. Guido and Swooper started but braced themselves with grim determination. Don wasn't bothered. Once he crashed into them, they would fall from the sky and maybe not rise again. It was what they deserved for getting in the way of his mission. Before Don could make contact, an almighty tail swung in. He gasped and rolled out of the way, only for another tail to come in. He ducked under and was forced to retreat as Grandpa and Grandma Longneck stood in the way.

"You will not get our grandson!" Grandpa Longneck thundered.

Don pressed his beak together in frustration but then others stood alongside them and his way to Mama Flyer was blocked.

In the meantime, Littlefoot could feel some exhaustion digging into his forelegs. He had moved a lot today and the more he hung there, the more energy left his limbs. But he ignored this, continuing to call for help. His voice was becoming a bit hoarse but he didn't care. At some point, someone must see or hear him. A bit of the talkback from this height was amplifying his voice. It was only a matter of time, that was what he told himself.

All the while, Patty alternated between pleading for him to come back and trying to reach out with her tail. Her tail tip could only scrape a few feet away from him, so he elected to only give her marginal attention while yelling for assistance. She made so much noise in her shouts and tail smacks against the rock he almost didn't notice a second voice call out to him.

"Littlefoot, I'm coming!"

He looked back and his heart leapt when he saw Mama Flyer fly in, ascending past and flapping over him.

"It's okay, I've got you," she soothed.

"Are my grandparents – is anyone…"

"They're fine. They and Mr. Threehorn are a bit bumped up but they survived."

Littlefoot beamed. Such relief flooded him that, for a moment, he nearly forgot he was hanging from a high drop. He had a look over of Mama Flyer, and his mood dampened.

"Are you going to carry me? I'm too big. We'll fall."

"Don't worry." Mama Flyer assured. "It'll be a controlled fall. I'll carry you as far as I can. Once we land, run, and I'll guard you from above."

That still sounded risky but she sounded confident in her plan, so he nodded. He stilled as she hovered above him, feeling wind be blown past him as she grabbed him by the middle. She continued to flap her wings as she firmed her grip on him.

"Alright, when I say 'let go,' let go," she said. "Don't struggle while we fly. Remain calm and trust what I'm doing."

The back of Littlefoot's head nodded to her. He glanced at the opening and found Patty glaring at them, her mind trying to work out how to prevent their escape. He felt the air beats get faster as Mama Flyer flapped herself into a steady pattern, waiting for the signal.

"I'm ready," she said. "Let go."

He relaxed his forefeet from the ledge and yelped as it dropped past. Mama Flyer flapped her wings faster, turning around as she flew from the Great Wall. She soon got used to the weight and, though they still fell, it was slower. Fields and trees passed below him, a great Big Water of light and dark greens, rivers and watering holes intermingled among them, little lines and dots among the landscape. The dinosaurs looked like bugs from this height. A few looked up and stared as Mama Flyer and Littlefoot passed. In their controlled descent, they covered a great distance. If this were any other situation, Littlefoot would be enjoying this. He looked back at the Great Wall opening.

"I can't see Patty," he said. "She killed Mr. Clubtail, she might go after us!"

"We know." Mama Flyer said. "Stay still. I'll be with you until we get to your grandparents and the others."

They were a quarter across the Great Valley. His feet were nearly scraping the higher leaves on the tops of trees. Mama Flyer flapped with quick and careful precision, the ground passing below at a steady, closer rate. He raised his gaze to see her panting, his weight getting to her but she persevered. Eventually, though, even her strength couldn't last forever. She did some last wing beats before she closed the distance, gently depositing him on a plane of grass. She crouched down beside him, panting to catch her breath. Littlefoot watched with concern.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I tried to be as still as I could."

"Don't worry." Mama Flyer gave a brief smile. "You're doing wonderfully. Now, run! I'll follow you."

He decided to trust her word and the thought of hearing Patty's thundering footsteps overrode any desire to stay in one place. Littlefoot started running, ignoring the exhaustion in his forelegs. It felt like a lifetime ago when Patty first took him from his grandparents and she gave her mysterious proposal. Now he was going to see if his grandparents were truly alright. He covered some distance, passing long grass and trees, and valley denizens eating and relaxing, some of whom raised their head to look at him in puzzlement as he rushed by. Mama Flyer's assuring shadow soon came over him but he didn't stop.

He thought it would take forever to get to the other side of the valley and his breaths were heaving but within a few minutes, his heart rose as he glimpsed a crowd coming up, standing in front of a massive pile of rocks and boulders. They were scattered about, some appearing unsure while others were standing guard. A few appeared to be fighting something. His grandparents were among that few, standing at the edge of the crowd and batting at something with their tails, but looking very much alive. Beneath the tangle of grownup legs, he could see his friends bunched together. When Cera and the others' looked at him, they brightened and he felt a surging joy. Littlefoot found the will to run faster.

"Grandpa! Grandma!" he called. "Guys!"

Grandpa Longneck glanced down from the act of whipping his tail and panicked. "Littlefoot, look out!"

Littlefoot was puzzled but then Don swung around Grandpa Longneck's tail, folded his wings in, and fell straight for Littlefoot, eyes focused on him with fury. Panicked, shocked by this unexpected enemy, Littlefoot found himself rooted to the spot…

Mama Flyer zoomed in and rammed Don hard. Don was thrown back, flapping wildly. Before he could recover, Swooper and Guido flew in and threw their bodies against him. By the time Don reoriented himself, Littlefoot had resumed moving and was among a circle of grownup feet, which stood protectively.

"You're not touching him!" Grandma Longneck declared.

Littlefoot turned to see his friends a few feet away, and they rushed each other in a group hug.

"Thank goodness you are okay, oh yes, yes, yes." Ducky murmured.

"I should say the same for all of us." Littlefoot said, with some tears in his eyes. "When I saw those rocks coming down on my grandparents and Cera's dad, I thought some of us were about to lose family."

"Dad and the others told us to stay put but we didn't listen." Cera said, with a flicker of pride. "We warned them out of the way of that rockslide just in time."

Petrie shuddered atop Littlefoot's head. "Me didn't think Don and Tega would be the ones to cause rockslide. Me thought they nice but they trick us."

Littlefoot's heart sank. "Wait…Tega is with them too?"

The others looked up and Littlefoot trailed after their gaze, seeing Tega laying on the path above, chewing a piece of grass, her usual look of indifference mixed with a slight amusement too calm for the situation. He felt a whoosh. He looked at his friends, seeing the pain he experienced in their eyes. He hadn't been the only one betrayed. All of them have been used by people who approached them with the false pretense of friendship. It disheartened him. Were there any new people they could trust?

A bunch of slowing footsteps became audible and Littlefoot stilled. Slowly, he turned to find Patty emerging from the trees, not looking pleased to see the party in front of her.

"Couldn't you have taken out at least one of them?" she demanded.

"They had forewarning." Don moved to fly beside her, frustrated. "Those kids live up to their reputation as trouble. I might have made more progress if that spiketail stopped chewing her grass and did something."

The dinosaurs around the forefront of the crowd pressed close together, glaring at her.

"Patty!" It was the spikethumb leader, stepping forward. "Is it true? You're complicit in the clubtail's murder and part of this deranged group?"

Patty looked her up and down, before lowering her head. "Sorry to disappoint you, leader. There are some things that must be done. Needless to say, I can't be with your herd anymore."

The spikethumb leader's eyes widened. Her mouth thinned. "I'm not pleased to realize two I've given refuge are complicit in crimes."

"I'm not like the threehorn. Right now, be grateful I didn't hurt anyone in your herd."

The spikethumb leader frowned, glaring with displeasure. The grandparents stepped forward.

"Patty." Grandpa Longneck said. "We're disappointed. We've been fond of you. How could you be part of this?"

Patty flinched. Her eyes lowered for a moment but then she met their gaze. "I'm sorry Grandpa and Grandma Longneck. I didn't mean to deceive you or hurt Littlefoot. But I have to do this. I can't let my emotions get in the way of making difficult decisions."

"You are just making excuses." Grandma Longneck said. "Do you really believe what you're saying?"

Patty fell silent, as though there was nothing else she could say. The crowd stood warily, facing two self-proclaimed Anchors from the forest and watching the one lying on the Great Wall path, waiting for their next move.

"So," Grandpa Longneck said, "what are you going to do? You are outnumbered here. You can't fight all of us."

"No," Patty said, "but we'll find a way. Littlefoot will join us."

"Don't make us do something we'll regret." Mama Swimmer said. "After manipulating our children, we aren't in a merciful mood."

"You can't discourage us." Don said. "Only Wing Father has power over us."

"Then we have words for this Wing Father of yours." Mama Flyer asked.

Patty smiled grimly. "They will have as much effect as death has on us. Wing Father is a force like the wind. You can't stop him."

"Wait, death?" Grandpa Longneck said. "What does death have to do with what you're doing?"

"Patty is dead, Grandpa." Littlefoot said. "She told me she died after her mother did and this Wing Father brought her back to life. She glowed when she got angry and she looked starved. I saw it."

"What is this?" Mr. Threehorn scoffed. "The dead, coming back to life? You were probably seeing things."

"You said the same thing the first time we told you about the ghosts me and my friends saw. I never saw her really eat. She killed Mr. Clubtail and when I met her that day, she didn't look tired and she was never tired when she played with me. Wing Father is making her strong. If Don and Tega are working with him, they must be dead too."

"Nonsense." Mr. Threehorn said. "You can't just believe whatever you hear. Why, this is most ludicrous thing I've ever-"

"No, he's telling the truth." Don said.

"We all died." Tega said.

Everyone became quiet. People turned from staring at Tega to Don and Patty, wondering if this was some joke but their expressions were serious.

"What?" Petrie said. "You dead? But – when that happen?"

"It was my encounter with the sailback sharptooth." Don replied. "Remember? I gave you and Ruby the details two days ago. Except I didn't escape. The sharptooth bit me in half." He lowered his head. "I was so bitter about being left behind. I wished the world didn't change so I wouldn't be disregarded. When Wing Father came, I was in awe. He offered me a chance to change the world so my knowledge would never become out of date. After being abandoned by a flock member and falling behind on knowledge, it was too good of an opportunity to pass."

There was silence. Ducky turned to Tega.

"Is – it the same for you, Tega?" Ducky asked tentatively. "Did you not escape the Thundering Falls fire?"

"Yeah." Tega's eyes lowered. "I tried to get away but there was so much fire...no matter where I turned, I started getting burned. It wasn't a fun way to go. I was so distraught. I thought I could survive alone but the world rejected my kind. It was unfair. That was when Wing Father appeared. It was a bit freaky at first but when he made his offer to change the world so loners could survive, I saw this was someone I could work with."

"Oh, that must have been so hard…"

Tega looked at Ducky and laughed. "What, sympathy again? After all I did? You're so easy to play with."

Ducky stepped back and Spike growled, their friends glaring up with him. Strangely, Patty was also glaring at Tega but she pursed her lips. Looking uncomfortable, Don spoke.

"You must have noticed, haven't you?" he said. "We never ate in the company of others. The spiketail likes chewing her grass but she rarely swallows or else has to hack it back up. Unlike her, I don't put myself to such unpleasantness. My solitude fortunately means that few notice my lack of diet, and no need to sleep. It has left me free reign to check on the body and other matters without suspicion. It is a gift that Wing Father has given all of us."

"You still haven't specified who this Wing Father is." Mama Flyer said. "What kind of dinosaur he is, where does he comes from? It's understandable why we have doubts about this. It's not possible for one person to control the world."

"Then you have a narrow view of what things can be." Patty said. "Wing Father isn't a dinosaur or any kind of creature. He is a power beyond our world and only deigns to visit us."

Littlefoot felt a prickle of unease, a certain pair of rainbowfaces coming to mind. "You mean he is from the stars?"

"I didn't say that." Patty said, giving him a confused look. "He is beyond life and death. He exists in what comes next. How else could he give us the power to come back to life? But he has limited influence on the living world. To fix that, he has to choose four people who died with regret, Anchors, who he could bring back and help him establish influence. We obey his will so he could take power and make the world better."

There were whispers. Dinosaurs among the crowd looked at each other and the three Anchors, discomforted. Mama Swimmer stepped in front of the gang, eying Patty warily. Littlefoot's mind was buzzing. This talk about a power beyond life and death was beyond anyone. Many hoped and believed that there might be something after death but this talk of a being who technically never lived was hard to wrap their minds around. Still, they couldn't help but notice the Anchors rarely appeared to eat or tire. Maybe there was some truth to those words. Mr. Threehorn looked around and frowned.

"Come on, are we really going to believe this?" he asked. "These three are all delusional. People coming back to life, not eating or sleeping, some creature that has never lived or died – it's all nonsense. There's no way any of this could be true."

"You say that, during a time when ghosts roam among us." Don said. "Have you just forgotten the rockslide we caused? That needed great strength."

"The ghosts have been seen. And there are small ways to start a rockslide even with just one person. All we have right now is just your word and it's clear you've jumped off the deep end. You're just mad at how the world is and lashing out. I don't know if this Wing Father is real or not but he is feeding your issues."

"The world is broken." Patty said. "Death and suffering are everywhere. We have to change it."

"We're going to swap this world for a better one." Tega said. "Wing Father is the answer. He'll make a world where it's every dinosaur for themselves."

Mr. Threehorn snorted. "Instead of facing the facts of life, you throw yourself at someone with grand promises you delude yourselves into believing. If I could, I'd pity you. Cowards, the lot of you."

"That's rich, coming from you, Topps old pal!" called a voice.

The color drained from Mr. Threehorn's face. Silence fell as everyone gazed to the top of the Great Wall to see a green threehorn step into view. Cera and Chomper stepped back, shaking.

"Oh no." Cera whispered. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

"Not him, not him!" Chomper said.

The threehorn jumped and slid down the mountain, confident as he navigated around the rocks and steeper drops. He slowed and landed on the path. There was a collective intake of breath. Verter stood beside Tega, blue eyes surveying the assembled dinosaurs with nary a scratch or blemish, a smirk playing across his muzzle.

Mr. Threehorn opened and closed his mouth. "You're – you're dead. We saw you die. How – how did this happen?"

"Wing Father happened, friend." Verter's lip curled. "I didn't expect to come back either but I didn't expect to die. When Wing Father came around, I was quite happy to take his offer."

The spikethumb leader stared up, mouth open. "You – this must be a mistake. You can't possibly be dead."

"Really, dear leader?" Verter said. "After believing everything you heard about the ghosts, you doubt now? Well, let me make things clear. I did try to take Cera and the sharptooth kid. Topps and Tria did kill me in trying to stop me. I did meet Wing Father. He gave me a second chance to better the traditions of threehorns but you wouldn't understand the details anyway. Threehorn matters are beyond other kinds. But if you can't understand that, imagine the trouble you'll have trying to comprehend a power beyond most living beings that can bring the dead back to life."

The spikethumb leader stepped back, a hint of terror in her eyes. Verter switched his attention elsewhere.

"Anyway, enough with that herd. I was never really interested in them anyway. I have greater priorities now. Oh, how I can't wait to make examples out of all of you."

His eyes bore onto Mr. Threehorn, Tria, and the children. Though he smiled, there was a hard look in his blue eyes and a green glow came from him, faint but clear. There were gasps and screams. The breath was taken from Grandpa and Grandma Longneck. Mama Swimmer cried out and clapped her hand to her mouth. The spikethumb leader was just stunned. Petrie yelped and Littlefoot heard more a few gasps from his friends, feeling the pit drop in his stomach at seeing this a second time. Everyone stared, unable to believe what they were seeing. Cera and Chomper screamed and ducked among their friends, trying not to be seen. Though scared, Littlefoot and the others quickly grouped around the pair to block them from view. Verter was too far up to see the scars of his death but the glow was enough to shock everyone even after it at last faded. Patty glared at Verter but before she could say anything, Tria shook herself and took a shaking step forward.

"You – you will not harm Cera and Chomper," she declared.

"That – that's right." Mr. Threehorn said, finding his voice. "If – if we have to kill you again, we will. You have proven yourself a danger to the children. We won't allow you near them, especially now you've chosen to align with these Great Valley menaces."

Verter threw head back and laughed. It went on for a bit too long. Some shifted uneasily. For some reason, Don avoided looking at him.

"Why do you find that funny?" Tria demanded.

Verter quieted and bared his teeth. "Because it was you two's effort to put me down that led me to Wing Father. He had been searching for the fourth and final Anchor for a long time now, someone who would qualify for his requirements. If you hadn't killed me, he would have had to search even longer to put his plans in motion. Thanks to you, that doesn't need to happen."

Mr. Threehorn tensed. "Hang on, I didn't cause this, you forced our hand-"

"Of course you say that." Verter said. "You always leap before you look and when it goes bad, you lay the blame somewhere else. If you weren't so focused on making sure no one took more water than they 'deserved,' you might have figured out what caused the Thundering Falls to dry up, correct? Then there would have been no fire and you wouldn't have endangered your daughter by leading her where she could have been burned alive."

"I was foolish back then. I'm much better now."

"It didn't sound like that when the valley herds got driven out by the swarming leaf gobblers and you suggested the herds break apart. Because of that, your daughter and her friends ran away and nearly died many times to make sure you stayed together."

"That was-" Mr. Threehorn shook his head. "I'm not heartless, I was just thinking what I thought was best to survive."

"Is that what you meant with the Tinysaurs? You were planning to kill them for the simple crime of eating from the Tree Sweet Tree. You didn't consider they mightn't have known about its importance. Because of that, fast biters were led into the valley and your girl and her friends were nearly killed again. Does that sound like someone who takes the right actions?"

"I…" Mr. Threehorn stuttered. "That is, I-"

Verter smiled. He stepped forward.

"But hey, it's not all bad," he said. "Because you killed me, I got to meet Wing Father. He now has the four Anchors needed to begin his next step to being in charge of the world. I can have a paradise I always wanted. For all that you did for us, I just want to say, thank you very much."

Verter gave a mocking bow. Mr. Threehorn stepped back, breaths fast, eyes becoming wide as he grasped the implications of his actions. There were murmurs and some dinosaurs began looking around with fear, Tega watching with amusement. Littlefoot took this in, stomach sinking. If someone dead like Verter was standing before them and could glow, that meant Patty and the others were telling the truth about also dying. And if that was real, then this Wing Father might be real as well. This realization caused dread to form and a few even started glaring at Mr. Threehorn for this danger he unwittingly unleashed. Grandpa Longneck looked around and frowned.

"Really, are we going to listen to criticisms from those who wish to harm us?" he asked. "Whatever Mr. Threehorn's flaws, he was right to defend Cera and Chomper from Verter. Right now, we have two killers and their accomplices who plan to do our children harm and we should make it clear they aren't welcome here."

That caused a stir. Becoming more determined, the grownups gathered closer around the children, hiding them from view, and the space became so tight Littlefoot had press closely into his friends so as not to be wedged against Mama Swimmer's foot. None of the Anchors were impressed.

"This won't stop a thing." Patty said.

"Are you really prepared for what we can accomplish?" Don said.

"I still haven't tested everything I can do." Verter cricked his neck. "Please, fight back. That will only make it more fun."

There were snarls and bellows. Several of the grownups snapped teeth and stamped the grass, furious eyes conveying the consequences of a fight. Patty stood her ground. Don flapped beside her, showing the sharp counters of his wings. Verter loomed over the cliff, smirking down. It was a tense moment, and Littlefoot worried about what was going to happen. Some shifted and tried to hide their nervousness, apparently dreading whatever powers the four might have that could harm them. Mama Flyer took a deep breath, to look determined. Then Tega leaned down and twirled her grass to one corner of her mouth before sighing.

"Well, we are certainly outnumbered. Why don't we call it a day?"

Don jerked his head up. "What?!"

"It would be annoying to round up so many people." Tega smiled at Don's outrage, waving at the crowd below. "We should consult Wing Father about a more useful strategy."

Patty looked at the crowd with pain. "We've waited so long though…"

"We can wait a bit longer." Tega surveyed the crowd with an eerily intelligent gaze. "Besides, we need time to plan what to do next. We need to make things easier…and more fun."

Verter's irritated look melted away. "Yes." His eyes glittered as he looked down. "We have already given them a taste of what's to come."

Don looked unsatisfied. "Next time, they will have forewarning. For Wing Father's sake, that will make attaining our goals difficult, spiketail."

"And yet there are advantages to regrouping." Patty said, thoughtful. "We should do that."

Don didn't look pleased but there was a thoughtful gleam in Patty's eyes that made him back down with a sigh. She surveyed the crowd in front of her.

"We shall return," she continued. "Our cause is one that won't be delayed."

"You won't know what our next actions will be." Don said. "The minds employed here are beyond your comprehension. Though be comforted, you will be happy."

"You aren't comforting anyone." Grandpa Longneck said. "Why should we believe your cause is just if its methods lead to such heartbreak?"

"Because once Wing Father has control, everyone won't have anything to worry about again." Patty walked off, stopping to look back. "Make no mistake – the circle of life will be ended. Death and all its heartbreak will be stopped."

With that, she turned and marched off. Don flew after her, disappearing into the trees. Tega and Verter exchanged looks before Tega got up and they moved up the path, disappearing around a bend on the mountain. For a moment, the crowd turned their heads from the cliff to the trees, making sure the four had vanished. Mr. Thicknose stared, unable to fathom what just happened. Guido tried to stop shaking, Swooper patting his back. The gang stood reeling, a few absently rubbing their chests. Mama Swimmer stood close to Ducky and Spike, her fear and confusion a mirror of everyone else's.

"So… wh-what now?" Mr. Threehorn said, trying to sound casual.

"First, we need to treat our injuries." Grandpa Longneck sighed, looking at the adults around them. "Then, we need to talk."

Next time…

Take Your Time

Note: And that is the end two. I hope to post the beginning chapters of arc three around June or July (I hope to make it this time, sorry for the delay with these ones.).