We Will Hold On Forever
by
DaveTheAnalyzer
Chapter 21: Collecting the Seven Part 1
There was a wham. A cry of pain followed, the cry of someone being struck
"How dare you act on your own like this! Do you realize the damage you've done?"
Mama Flyer tried not to wince. She stood on a ledge in between two of the four holes on the mountain peak that was the Anchors' base. The bright circle ascended ahead, ushering in the blue of a new day. Her eyes stung with the faintest exhaustion but she ignored it. After the confrontation and revelations last night, the gang's parents were desperate. They had to find something to use against the Anchors. So, Mama Flyer volunteered to eavesdrop on their enemies. Remembering the tall mountain near where the rockslide occurred, she had flew in low and under tree cover so she wouldn't be seen. Once she reached the base, she turned and flew up close to the sandy brown surface of the mountain. She didn't know where their cave hideaway might be until she neared the peak and between one blink and the next, four holes appeared in the mountaintop that weren't there before. Startled, she quickly veered to her left in her ascent so she wouldn't zip by in front of one of the holes. Fortunately, there was a ledge between them and she had slowed as she flew past and perched on it. Mama flyer stood there, looking around, unsettled but her focus soon returned to the argument inside.
"We were planning to reveal things slowly and carefully." Patty continued. "We were hoping to warm them up to the idea of changing the world. But you had to go and ruin it with your games."
"Can you blame me?" Verter said. "What you held from them was very juicy. Who could resist revealing it just to see their faces?"
Mama Flyer's beak curled in disgust. Another wham followed and Verter bellowed.
"We can very much blame you." Don said, voice coming from the side of this torment. "For Wing Father's sake, you were capable of planning the long game when it came to the threehorn and sharptooth child. Just because you're now invulnerable doesn't mean you have to stop planning."
"Don't put yourself out of this." Patty said. "You also acted out of line when approaching Ruby, Petrie, and Chomper. Because of this, you got the parents to gather them together and built up the fear that Verter blew open."
"I was doing what was right." Don said. "I thought if I could talk reasonably with them, they might be persuaded to cooperate. For Wing Father's sake, they would want to avoid a fight. Don't you want to prevent a battle that would get anyone hurt?"
A brief silence.
"You still should have consulted the rest of us." Patty said, voice caught. "Then we could have coordinated."
"He didn't want to coordinate." Tega said. "He's jealous of some of our intellects and wants to prove he isn't an old blowhard."
"Now look here, spiketail!" Don's outraged footsteps echoed out. "I'm not going to take your insults. Someone of your laziness can't be intelligent."
Tega's voice was smug. "I didn't mention myself."
"You sure as implied it! Why, I have half a mind to-"
"Everyone, please," said a new voice. He sounded calm, young, pleasant. But something about it made Mama Flyer shudder. "We shouldn't fight over what's been done. We need to focus on what we can do now."
Mama Flyer held her breath in the silence, her heart hammering in her chest. It hadn't occurred to her, but there had been a faint green light emanating from the holes on either side of her since she landed in between them. She was sure this wasn't a smoking mountain. Where was that strange light coming from? Verter grunted as though released from a hold and heavy steps moved away from each other.
"But this was a great wrong, Wing Father." Patty said. "How will we recover from this?"
"We will find a way." Wing Father said. "Just because Verter made a few thoughtless actions doesn't mean we can't find other ways to…persuade them. Unless any of the seven die, our cause isn't lost."
"So don't damage the chosen ones." Tega said. "Got it."
"Don't talk like that." Patty said, uncomfortable. "They aren't shiny stones. We shouldn't hurt them anymore than we have to."
"She was joking, Patty. Their parents won't hesitate to hurt us." Wing Father said. "They will do anything to keep us from their children now. We have to consider some harm inevitable in our current situation."
Patty growled and Mama Flyer could almost hear her glare. "We should punish Verter, at least. It's because of him we are in this situation."
Verter only snorted in reply. Mama Flyer almost nodded in agreement with Patty before she stopped and remembered Patty's actions the last many days.
"I will speak to Verter about it." Wing Father said. "He will be made to understand what's important. Currently, we can't have fighting amongst us while we have a goal to accomplish, correct?"
"Y-yes." Patty said, voice strangled. "You – know what's best, Wing Father."
"Good. Let's plan on how to approach the seven and their parents. We must prepare for any action they might take." Wing Father paused, as though thinking. "There is one matter that concerns me. I hope they don't discover the carving. If they damage it, it could be dangerous."
"Oh?" Tega said. "Ah. We can't have that. Fortunately, we didn't put it at the base of this mountain. That would make it too easy to find."
"A good thing you put it at the base of that mountain halfway opposite of the mountain path we use to get here." Verter chuckled. "They would never think to look for anything there."
"R-right." Don shuffled. "For Wing Father's sake, we can't afford to have them learn this."
Patty gave an "mmm" of agreement. "We must be careful with what we say to them. It has hurt us before, as we just talked about."
A secret carving? Mama Flyer frowned. What was a carving? She shifted uneasily. More words these Anchors used that no one else did. Still, it was a good lead to pick up on. Maybe it might help them. Pressing an ear near a hole to make sure none of the Anchors were nearby or listening, Mama Flyer closed her wings and fell off the ledge, letting gravity guide her until she was half way down the mountain. She swept her wings out and flapped quietly back to the others, a pinpoint of hope shining amid the fear and dread.
"My team hasn't seen any movement from the Anchors, or disturbances from ghost or any other unusual phenomena." Mr. Thicknose said. "So far, the Great Valley is silent."
The gang's parents listened to this report with mixed attention. After Verter's stunt last night, the gang and their families ventured to find a safer resting place and settled for another hilly place where trees only flanked one side of the area. The grownups would have preferred no forest but they had to get their treestars from somewhere. The gang sat together, chewing their breakfast, only Ducky and Spike pressing against each other. Cera rolled a rock under her forefoot, swallowing her treestars and not bothering to pay attention to the talk. Chomper barely got up and walked around to scour for bugs to eat, sniffs coming out in quiet puffs. Every once in a while, Petrie looked around and down as he fidgeted. Littlefoot listened to the report to distract himself but he was more disturbed by the return of Mr. Thicknose's old dry voice.
"I have also requested for rubble to be cleared out of the evacuation tunnels." Mr. Thicknose droned on, in an attempt to impress the actions he had taken. "People are moving about their day like usual but a few have already taken shelter. I'd say most of the Great Valley is aware of where they can flee to now."
"That's good." Grandpa Longneck said, looking uneasy. "And Big Daddy?"
"As I said, He and his children say they are ready to take in Littlefoot and his friends at any point today." Mr. Thicknose frowned. "We just discussed that before the bright circle rose. Don't worry, we know what we're doing. I have a lot of knowledge about the Great Valley."
"But it's good to be prepared for surprises." Grandma Longneck said, looking up briefly to scan the skies. "We all learned that during the time frozen white ground sparkles first came to the Great Valley. Remember?"
"What?" Mr. Thicknose looked blank for a moment "Oh, yes, yes! Prepare for surprises like that. I forgot about that. Strange, my memory is otherwise pretty…" he shook his head, uneasy. "Got it. But I hope we prepared as best we could already."
"You already have." Tria managed an encouraging smile.
"Right." Mr. Thicknose turned to leave but stopped to look at them. "I just want to say I'm behind the protection of your children all the way. They might cause trouble sometimes but they have really benefited the Great Valley. I'll – I'll do what I can."
With that, he turned and walked away. The parents watched his departure with a mixture of disturbed and sad expressions. Littlefoot hadn't been the only one to notice Mr. Thicknose's shift in behavior.
"He is acting just like he used to before that first really cold time changed him." Mama Swimmer whispered. "I can't believe it. It's really true."
"Should we have told him about what we learned last night?" Tria asked.
"I don't know if he would have believed it." Grandpa Longneck replied. "Even after all the ghosts and the Anchors, it sounds impossible. We don't want people worrying about our sanity during this crises. Besides, even if we could persuade everyone, this would only cause widespread panic."
"This is something to actually panic about." Mr. Threehorn muttered. "Everything in the Great Valley is going to stay the same as long as those monsters are still around."
"It's not just the Great Valley." Grandma Longneck said. "This must effect the entire world. Bron's herd, the spiketail herd with Spike's friend Tippy that came through twice, other people we know outside the valley, haven't aged this entire time. Ruby met with her family later and she said they are mostly the same. Everyone around is being affected by this."
"We mustn't give up." Grandpa Longneck raised his gaze, which lit with relief. "Look, Mrs. Flyer has just got back. Maybe she can tell us something that can help."
The swoop of wings foretold Mama Flyer descending into view, settling on a branch from a nearby tree. All attention turned to her. Petrie looked faintly relieved.
"Did you hear anything?" Grandma Longneck asked.
"Yes." Mama Flyer rubbed her wing. "They were at the mountain peak near the rock slide. It was eerie. When I flew in, the top didn't have any indication there was a cave inside. The open mountain path where Mr. Clubtail was killed terminated before it could reach that mountain. But when I got close enough…something changed. There was a cave there, with four holes looking out to the valley and when I looked out, the mountain path connected to it. If I didn't get close, I never would have noticed. It makes me wonder – how long have they been up there?"
The grownups exchanged uneasy glances. Petrie shuddered and pressed into Littlefoot.
"That is troubling." Grandpa Longneck said. "They seem to have more powers than we thought."
"Never mind the spooky nonsense." Mr. Threehorn said impatiently. "Did they say anything that could be used against them?"
"Sort of." Mama Flyer said. "The Anchors don't seem to like each other. I heard them whipping Verter for what he did last night. They didn't like him revealing all that stuff about a frozen world so early. They kept arguing. It took Wing Father coming in to stop him. Maybe we could turn them against each other."
"You heard this Wing Father?" Tria said, sitting up. "What – what was he like?"
"He – He sounds like a normal person. Young, like had finished the Time of Great Growing a few cold times ago. I didn't see him, just a green light. He sounded reasonable in trying to break up the fighting but there was something about him that just-" Mama Flyer shook her head. "But that's not all. They might have a weakness."
This elicited a few stirs from the gang and their parents. Ruby sat up and looked at her. Ducky and Spike brightened with some facsimile of hope. Grandpa Longneck's gaze didn't waver from Mama Flyer.
"They have?" he asked.
Mama Flyer nodded. "They mentioned a 'carving,' halfway across the valley opposite from the Great Wall path they use to get to their cave. I don't know what a carving is, but they were worried about it being discovered. It sounds like something that could be damaged. If we do that, maybe it could make them weaker."
"Not that would do much." Mr. Threehorn said, miserable. "It's just one more thing they know that no one else does. How do we know it's something that we can touch and break?"
"They wouldn't be discussing it if it wasn't something that couldn't be at risk." Grandpa Longneck said. "We shouldn't dismiss it." He exchanged glances with his mate. "Let's check it out, to see if it's a weakness we can take out."
"Should we leave right away?" Grandma Longneck asked, standing up.
"We can't turn down any clue offered to us." Grandpa Longneck rose to his feet. "Mr. Threehorn, remember the warning call we discussed last night. Be loud in case something happens."
Mr. Threehorn nodded, gaze on the ground. The grandparents turned to go, but stopped when their eyes fell on Littlefoot. He had watched the whole conversation but had lowered his head with a depressed expression. The grandparents stepped to him.
"Littlefoot." Grandpa Longneck said. "We're going now. Listen to Mr. Threehorn and the other grownups while we're away, especially if something happens."
"Right." Littlefoot said, not looking at them.
The grandparents turned their necks to go but hesitated. After a moment of thought, they turned back to him.
"We want to apologize." Grandpa Longneck said. "We should have comforted you better two nights back. And we shouldn't have handled the secret situation in the way we did. We should have been more sensitive."
"You have been through so much." Grandma Longneck said. "We should have kept that in mind. But we made mistakes. Know that whatever our flaws, we do what we can to protect you."
"I know. I know that. I don't hate you, just…oh, I don't know." He looked up, upset. "Please don't talk like you're saying goodbye forever. This is a see you later, right?"
"Of course." Grandpa Longneck lowered his head, nuzzling Littlefoot. "Forgive us. Parents have moments where they feel the need to remind their children of their love a lot sometimes. We'll see you later. Hopefully, with some good news."
Grandma Longneck nuzzled Littlefoot too, and he pressed into it, wanting to sink into his grandparents' touch. When they pulled away, his head went up with them, reluctant for the parting. Grandpa and Grandma Longneck gave one last smile before they turned and rumbled off. Littlefoot watched them go and when they disappeared in the distance, spent several more seconds staring after them. The mood among the friends and grownups didn't improve. With what they knew now, with Wing Father's current power over the world, how could a carving, whatever that was, stop him? Spike sighed and lowered himself to the ground, the air seeming to thicken with misery.
"Maybe – maybe we should give in to them." Cera blurted out.
"Huh?" Ducky said.
"Maybe," Cera's eyes darted at the grass, "maybe we should surrender."
"Cera, no." Littlefoot stood up.
"Maybe if we do this, they will-" Cera said.
"We can't do that." Littlefoot stepped closer, voice rising. "We can't do that!"
"He's right, Cera." Mr. Threehorn said. "After what they did to Mr. Clubtail, we can't give in."
"That not brave thing to do." Petrie said.
"Like that's getting us anywhere." Cera muttered.
"Cera, I know you're upset but you can't go thinking like that." Tria said.
"That is wrong." Ruby said. "They have done so many wrong and terrible things. How can you say these things?"
"I'm sorry!" Cera closed her eyes. "It's just for so many days, it's just been one thing after another! Ghosts and dead people and monsters. I'm sick of all this happening at the same time. Can we get through this? I – I just want it to stop!"
Littlefoot and the others stared in surprise. Then the gang closed in, and pressed against her, pretending not to notice her barely suppressed sniffles. Mr. Threehorn, Tria, Mama Swimmer, and Mama Flyer stared at the children, at a loss for what to say. Chomper looked like he wanted to offer comfort but his face became resigned in hard frown. Littlefoot could relate to Cera's struggles. Patty's words from last night haunted him. He hated how tempted he felt about the eternal life these Anchors offered. He wanted this to end but at what cost would that happen? They remained pressed into one another, taking comfort in each other's warmth. Then…
"Mrs. Flyer! I mean, Petrie's mother! I, I mean-"
Guido glided into view, veering down and having to grab for the branch Mama Flyer stood on as he undershot it. She grabbed his hand to pull him up. He panted, eyes wide.
"What's the rush, Guido?" Mama Flyer asked. "Why were you flying so fast?"
"It's just – incredible. Something I didn't – well, maybe I should've. I mean-"
Guido walked over and whispered into Mama Flyer's ears. Spike and a few others looked up with curiosity. Mama Flyer's eyes grew wide and for some reason she sent down a look at Ruby and Chomper. Mama Flyer stood straighter.
"We should address this," she said. "Lead the way."
"You're leaving too?" Mama Swimmer said. "What needs to be addressed?"
"We need to protect the children, remember?" Mr. Threehorn said. "Safety in numbers? Can it wait?"
"No, it's urgent. I'll explain when I get back." Mama Flyer said. "I'll try to be quick. Be safe, all of you."
With that, she swept her wings out and took to the air. Guido hesitated and then jumped off branch, circling the tree to build momentum before both flew away. The gang, Mr. Threehorn, Tria, and Mama Swimmer looked amongst each other in confusion. What was that all about? Littlefoot wondered if it was something else going wrong. But there was no fear in Guido, nor Mama Flyer when she heard about it. Sure, there was shock and urgency but more that of someone having to go to a surprise meeting. Still, what could it be?
Most of their minds turned elsewhere. The parents had expressed worry about the gang playing games, since it gave the Anchors an opportunity to snatch them, and having finished breakfast, the gang lay on the grass. Cera continued to roll her rock under her forefoot. Ducky lay on Spike's side, the siblings staring into the middle distance. Littlefoot was faintly aware of Petrie sitting on top of him, glancing up at the sky every once in a while. Ruby watched the dinosaurs go by in the distance, studying them closely, hands fidgeting anxiously. Chomper stared around and sighed, worried yet resigned. Mr. Threehorn's dark eyes swept the surroundings with extra focus, like he was trying to keep something off his mind. Tria kept watch with him, her gaze wandering between him and Cera. Mama Swimmer kept looking at the sky, with faint concern and curiosity. Littlefoot didn't think much about anything. He just sat there, only the whoosh of an occasional breeze, the crackle of Cera's rock, and the distant thuds of dinosaur footsteps breaking the silence. It all mixed together into a white noise that made him zone out, and he didn't even notice another sound joining in until–
Littlefoot stilled. "Wait. Do you hear that?"
The others looked at him with confusion. Soon, they heard it too. A faint humming coming from the forested section to their left, cheery, brimming with anticipation. The gang and the remaining parents froze. The voice was familiar.
"No." Ruby said. "It can't be."
The humming continued on. They all stared at where it originated for several stretched seconds before standing up. They entered the forest, turning into a bent path. The humming grew louder. Slowly, they came across a clearing to their left lined with large bushes. Some thick trees blocked the view but they could pick out a faint circular shape in the clearing, reddish brown with white marks. Dread grew as they neared. Their feet felt like they moved with a life of their own. Spike sniffed and moaned anxiously. Turning a corner around the barrier of bushes, they stepped into the clearing where there was only grass, a large stone, and someone turning in front of a sweet bubble bush.
"Hello, everyone." Mr. Clubtail smiled. "Great day to eat sweet bubbles, huh?"
The gang and the parents just stared. Littlefoot was only faintly aware of Mama Swimmer letting out a small "ah."
"Now what's with the shocked faces?" Mr. Clubtail asked. "I told you about my favorite foods. You know I like sweet bubbles, right?"
No one responded. Littlefoot found he lost his voice. Mr. Clubtail looked the same as when they last saw him all those days ago, except more clear-eyed and cheery. He bore none of the damage Littlefoot glimpsed when they discovered his body. Even after the many ghosts, Littlefoot wondered how this could be happening. Looking awkward in the silence, Mr. Clubtail turned and nodded at a bush of orange sweet bubbles.
"I've been looking forward to trying these out, you know," he said. "I haven't had them for a while. Do you think they'll still taste great?"
Cera stared down at a few still blades of grass, having a hard time looking at him. It took a few seconds for Ruby to realize Mr. Clubtail was addressing her.
"Oh." Ruby said. "Uh, yes. I don't expect their taste to change after time but how you approach them can change how you react to the taste."
"What she said." Mr. Clubtail chuckled. "Yeah, as long as I lived, I find my opinions on certain green food changes with time. I wonder how it's going to be now."
Only quiet. Chomper tried to pull himself together, having to muffle his sniffles. Ruby gazed at Mr. Clubtail with a great look of pain.
"I – I am sure you will like them." Ducky's voice cracked a bit. "Me and Spike eat a lot of stuff and we always like getting back to the foods we like, we do, we do. I hope you can still taste them with how you are a-"
"With how your tongue is dry!" Tria cut in. "Yes, that's right. It's not always fun to eat stuff when your mouth isn't very wet. I hope you had a good drink."
Ducky looked around, confused by the interruption. Then her eyes widened, and she put a hand to her mouth. Spike pressed against her in assurance.
"Right." Bemused, Mr. Clubtail frowned. "I think I had a drink before? Not sure. Must still be groggy. Whatever, at least I'll wake up with the taste of sweet bubbles."
"I know of a small river not far off you can drink from if they are too sour." Mama Swimmer said. "I sometimes had to do that when I ate something with a very strong taste."
"Thanks for the advice." Mr. Clubtail said. "But I can take strong tastes. I really look forward to trying them again."
"You – you enjoy them." Littlefoot voice cracked. "Anyway, we need to go now."
"Go?" Mr. Clubtail repeated. "I'm not asking for you all to gawk at me while I eat but what's the rush?"
"We need to go back to where we slept last night." Mr. Threehorn said. "We are – having a sleepover. Yeah. These kids hang together so much, they might as well have one. It would also help us make sure they don't sneak off into trouble." He feigned a glare at the gang. "Anyway, it isn't over, so we can't hang around.
"Oh-kay." Mr. Clubtail said but he turned back to the sour sweet bubbles. "Well, don't let me stop you."
He started to approach the bushes. The gang and the parents turned and started walking away. A few members of the gang looked back in spite of themselves but Mr. Threehorn glared and waved his head to keep moving. Ruby kept glancing back and had to force her gaze ahead. Petrie fidgeted, anxious over what to do. Spike sneaked a look back and gazed at Littlefoot, eyes pleading, but Littlefoot shook his head. He didn't have any ideas of how to help Mr. Clubtail and now wasn't the time for a plan. He just wanted to get away and not see what was going to happen. Littlefoot felt awful about this but his mind was a blank buzz. Before they even left the clearing, Littlefoot and many others couldn't stop themselves from seeing Mr. Clubtail close in on the sour sweet bubbles, open his mouth and his lips phase through the sweet bubbles like fog.
For a moment, his eyes were closed, expecting to feel the burst of the sour taste. Then they snapped open and he appeared confused.
"That's funny." Mr. Clubtail said. "I swear I just-."
The gang and the parents slowed, attention drawn to him. Before they could shake this off and take another step, Mr. Clubtail attempted another bite. His eyes were open this time but with their positioning, he couldn't see his teeth pass through the sweet bubbles.
"Again?" Mr. Clubtail frowned. "I bit them, I'm sure. Did you guys see that?"
"See – see what?" Petrie said.
"We were busy leaving." Tria said. "What are you talking about?"
"Me eating the sweet bubbles." Mr. Clubtail said. "I tried to chomp on them but they are still here. With all those eyes, did none of you really see it?"
"We weren't paying attention." Littlefoot squirmed at Mr. Clubtail's confused gaze. "Look, we really want to get back to sleepover stuff now, we-"
Before they could do anything, Mr. Clubtail bit at eat the sweet bubbles again. Once more, he mouth passed through them and the little branches and brambles also poked through his snout and chin. He stepped back again, consternated.
"I really should have had them this time." Mr. Clubtail said. "I was so close I should have felt the branches poking into my nose. Why is this-" He looked at them, seeing how still and nervous they were, and stopped. "What's going on?"
Littlefoot averted his gaze. "Um."
"Something in your eyes says you know something." Mr. Clubtail's gaze narrowed "What is it? Why can't I eat these sweet bubbles?"
"How – how should we know?" Cera attempted to be her usual blunt self but she shifted. "We aren't pulling you by the tail to get them out of your reach, if that's what you're thinking."
"You know that's not what I'm talking about." Mr. Clubtail turned and stepped closer to them, frowning. "Why can't I eat them? Be honest with me."
"It nothing." Petrie said, "You just – you just not getting close enough to eat them and-"
"Don't give me that excuse." Mr. Clubtail snapped. "It's pathetic. I'm not stupid, I can tell you're scared to look at me. Tell me what's going on, now."
"Hey, don't talk to our kids like that." Mama Swimmer said.
"That's right." Mr. Threehorn stepped forward. "They are scared. Back off."
"You tell me then." Mr. Clubtail glared at the parents. "Why can't I eat the sweet bubbles?"
"It's just-" Tria's eyes darted about, breaths hitching with increasing nervousness. "Please, let us go. You don't want where this goes."
"Where what goes? What? Are you really scared of me?"
"We're not scared of you." Chomper appeared pained. "It's – it's about something else."
"Then what is it?" Mr. Clubtail got closer, gritting his teeth. "Beating around the bush is not helping. Be straight with me!"
"Please don't yell." Ruby said. "Yelling won't help anyone."
"I'm yelling because you won't tell me anything in the first place." Mr. Clubtail took another step. "I'm not a child. I can take the truth. Besides, you thought that was yelling? Why, I'll show you how to yell-" He raised a foot.
"No, don't!" Ruby cried. "There is a rock under your foot, you'll-"
Her eyes suddenly widened, and Littlefoot also realized too late that was the wrong thing to say. Mr. Clubtail looked down as his toes came down on a jagged rock three times the size of Spike and his mouth twisted in fright. But as his foot came down, the front of it phased through the rock.
Silence. Mr. Clubtail stared down, mouth open. Half of his forefoot stood on the grass but the front disappeared into the rock. Littlefoot's heart lurched.
"W-Wha…" Mr. Clubtail said.
Then he screamed. He ran back as though the rock was a fast biter. There was the sound of disturbed foliage nearby, and he looked around to see his tail phase through the sour sweet bubbles bushes. Mr. Clubtail yelled and charged forward, hastily stopping as he neared the rock. He panted, looked about and at the people in front of him. His eyes were wide.
"Did you see that?" he asked. "My – my foot went through the rock and then my tail…I – that isn't possible. What's happening to me?"
"What – what do you mean?" Ducky played with her fingers. Spike nodded along with her. "We – we did not see your foot or tail going through anything, yep, yep, yep."
"Maybe – maybe you're seeing things." Littlefoot suggested. "Anger can do that. One time I got so angry, I thought I saw-"
"Don't give me that!" Mr. Clubtail shouted. "You all saw it, I can see it on your faces. Please, tell me. What's going on?"
The gang and the remaining parents were silent, at a loss for what to say but not wanting to admit the truth. Mr. Clubtail panted, gaze beseeching each of them. Ruby twitched, opened her mouth, and sighed.
"Re – remember when you looked at the night circle like a sweet bubble one night?" she said. "It – was supposed to be a fun trip. I hope you had fun…"
"Huh? I don't – yeah, I think I did that. But what does that have to do with-" Mr. Clubtail trailed off.
"Then-" Littlefoot's voice caught in his throat. "You found a cave. A strange cave that wasn't there before. It probably wasn't there before. Then you decided to look…"
"There – there was an odd cave." Mr. Clubtail said faintly. "It was glowing inside."
"Then you got scared." Chomper attempted to be brave, but a few tears leaked out. "You…tried to run. But someone was following you and that cave was supposed to be a secret. So, so they…"
Mr. Clubtail stared, not comprehending. Then his eyes widened. He backed away, pants harsh.
"That means – no. No, no, no, no!" he said. "I'm not! That was just a bad sleep story! I got back down! I'm sure! I'm here and I, I-"
"You couldn't touch the sour sweet bubbles." Mama Swimmer said. "Do you remember getting back down?"
"I – how long ago was that?" Mr. Clubtail shook his head hard. "I just forgot! I can't be dead, I can't be like that sprinter!"
"We are so sorry." Tria said. "This must be so hard. We could only…"
"Don't talk to me like that!" Mr. Clubtail backed away. "I'm not dead! This must be a mistake! You –" A shaky smile came in. "I really did see things. Ha ha, you're right. I really did need to get closer to eat the sweet bubbles. I just, I-"
He trailed off at the expressions of the gang and their parents. Mr. Threehorn had to force himself to step forward.
"It's too late for that," he said. "You demanded the truth, and we gave it to you. You – you are dead. It has been many days since we lost you."
Mr. Clubtail eyes darted about, as though searching for an escape route. Seeing the wall of sad, resigned faces, his head lowered and he stared at the grass, shaking.
"No," he said. "Not like this. I still had so many cold times ahead. The – the Great Valley is supposed to be safe! Why me, why was it me? And knowing this means I'll…this isn't fair. Why did I end up like this? Why did it have to be me, why couldn't I-"
His gaze fell on the gang and their parents.
"Why did you have to tell me about the rock?" he said desperately. "I know what's going to happen. I'm going to disappear. Oh no. If you didn't tell me, I wouldn't be in this mess."
The gang jumped. They stepped away, and Littlefoot felt horrible. Spike closed his eyes and whimpered. He could see Ruby cringing, hands overlaid together in shock.
"I didn't mean to!" she said. "I spoke without thinking, and spoke because I was worried. I'm sorry!"
"I thought you were supposed to be smart one?" Mr. Clubtail shouted. "Now because of that, I'm going to fade away like those other ghosts. And you'll just walk away and continue on."
"Of course not." Littlefoot said. "We missed you."
"We were very sad you were gone." Ducky said.
"Oh really?" Mr. Clubtail pressed his lips together. "Do you know my name?"
"Oh, yes." Ducky said. "It's Mr. Clubtail."
Spike nodded, attempting to smile comfortingly. "Uh-huh, uh-huh."
"No, it isn't." Mr. Clubtail snapped. "Some people get called respective names based on their kind. As you can probably tell with 'Topsy,' Mr. Threehorn isn't his actual name."
"Oh." Petrie said. "Then, uh, um, me think…"
"Kosh!" Mr. Clubtail said. "My name is Kosh. You say you care but you don't even know that?"
"We didn't think about your name before." Cera shuffled. "We – we never thought to ask."
"Of course you didn't. You didn't ask yourselves why you came here in the first place and why you had to talk to me." Mr. Clubtail growled. "Why couldn't you have just kept quiet?"
"Don't take it out on our kids!" Mr. Threehorn stepped closer. "They aren't to blame for what happened to you."
"But you three could have stopped them!" Mr. Clubtail retorted. "Why didn't you? Why didn't you think before meeting me?" He collapsed, his great weight leaving no sound at all. His body started to gain a bit of transparency. Tears trailed down his face. "Why couldn't you have stayed away? So I could be around a bit longer. I – I wanted more time. Why couldn't you stay away…?"
Mr. Clubtail faded, tearful face pressed through the grass. He didn't even leave an imprint to indicate he had been there. The gang and the parents all stood there, struggling to comprehend what they witnessed. Chomper's mouth was open, lips shaking. Cera' gaze lowered, and she closed her eyes. Ruby had a fist pressed to her chest, conflict and guilt in her blue eyes. Mr. Threehorn, Tria, and Mama Swimmer looked down, second thoughts sliding guilt into their eyes. A sniffle broke the silence and Littlefoot collapsed, tears running down his cheeks.
"Why does life have to be like this?" he said. "Why do people have to be gone before they should? He shouldn't have gone through that. It's horrible. Why?"
"You see how things are then."
They all started. With the disturbance of foliage, Patty walked into view, glancing nervously at where Mr. Clubtail had been standing. Littlefoot stared up, and felt a chill spike through him. The sound of ruffling foliage didn't come from Mr. Clubtail, since as a ghost, he couldn't effect anything. It was Patty, who had been watching the whole time.
"This is the suffering the circle of life puts us under," she continued. "Everyone will deal with this loss as long as the circle of life exists. But we can change this. I regret what I did to Mr. Clubtail but he and all others we lost can be brought back. Just think, a deathless, peaceful world. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Not with people like you in charge!" Mama Swimmer snapped.
"It would be great if the world wasn't so…scary," Tria glanced away, "but the circle of life allows people to grow and change. How can you take that from everyone?"
"Is that worth the pain of losing those you love?" Patty asked. "Do you want to lose more of your family Mr. Threehorn?"
"I-" Mr. Threehorn then growled. "Don't you dare bring them up."
"Yeah." Cera gritted her teeth. "Go away!"
"We do not want to change anything, leave us alone." Ducky said.
"We won't help you with your goal of making no one grow up." Ruby said. "Don't force us."
Spike nodded, stepping back with fear. Patty glared at them, before returning her gaze to Littlefoot.
"Do you still agree with them, Littlefoot?" she said. "After all this time."
Littlefoot hesitated. "I don't like the circle of life…but I don't like what I see of your world. I don't think we should go through with this."
"Even if that means you will lose everyone you love? Is that what you really want? To be alone?"
Littlefoot froze. He glanced at his friends. The thought of losing any of them, even being the only survivor, was almost too horrible for him to take. He didn't like parts of the Anchors' goals but losing his friends…he closed his eyes, shaking his head to get rid of the distressing choice before him. Tria stomped her foot.
"Leave him alone!" she said. "How dare you mess with a child's feelings like this."
Patty jerked back. She looked away. "I'm – I'm only trying to get him to see the stakes..."
"Is that what Mr. Clubtail was here for?" Mr. Threehorn stepped forward, glaring. "I think it's a mighty coincidence his ghost appeared near us after none have appeared for days. This was a scheme you and Wing Father created to manipulate our children. Monsters. You lot are no better than Verter when it comes to using children's feelings for-"
Wham! Patty's tail lashed out over the gang, slamming into Mr. Threehorn and then Tria with enough force to make them collapse. They cried out in pain. Mama Swimmer went to Tria's side, attending to her new bruise on the side of her frill. The gang screamed, staggering back. Patty stood there, burning with fury.
"I am nothing like him!" she thundered. "Don't make that kind of comparison!"
Littlefoot looked at her, and all the uncertainty melted into anger. "You hurt them! I'm not going to cooperate with you now."
A tail whipped out. Littlefoot felt something wrap around him before wrenching him off his feet. He screamed as he was pulled into the air, Cera and Ruby jumping to grab him only to miss by several feet. He struggled as he was pulled back to Patty, held at her height and her eyes glared into his.
"I'm done with this arguing. We'll have to speak with Wing Father about this," she said. "He'll set you straight."
Mr. Threehorn struggled to his feet, ignoring a growing bruise on his forehead. HIs eyes widened in horror.
"Littlefoot!" he cried.
"Let Littlefoot go now!" Chomper cried.
Patty turned her attention to them. "There is still time to cooperate. Come with us willingly and there will be nothing to worry about."
'Nothing to worry about?'" Tria repeated, getting to her feet with Mama Swimmer's help. "You were the one who attacked us! That means we'll only fight harder against you."
"This is your last warning."
"Why should we listen to anything you say?"
"Because this was a final act of mercy." Patty sighed. "I wanted to end things peacefully but it looks like you're too stubborn for that. Do you think that I'm the only Anchor that is taking action? They are coming."
A chill went through the clearing. Cera and Spike exchanged shaking looks while Mr. Threehorn's mouth fell open. The rest of them stood there, eyes wide as they took in the implications. Littlefoot struggled harder, attempting to face them.
"Guys, forget about me," he said. "Run before they get here."
"No, Littlefoot!" Ducky said.
"I promised to protect all of you kids." Mr. Threehorn said. "I can't leave you."
"What if she do something bad to you?" Petrie asked.
"She won't hurt me." Littlefoot said. "This changing world thing seems to need us to be alive. Get out of here before they catch you too. Run."
The gang and the parents stood frozen in place. Mr. Threehorn's eyes flicked between the children and Littlefoot, uncertainty plain. Littlefoot twisted in Patty's grip, desperation making his moves wild.
"Run!"
That snapped the gang and the parents out of their trance. They turned and fled the scene, Mr. Threehorn looking back as he brought up the rear.
"We – we'll send help!" he called.
They ran out of the clearing and burst into the open. Their feet moved in a wide gait, dodging around rocks and stray vegetation. Adrenaline masked over any exhaustion from the lazy morning. They ignored the few people they passed who looked up in surprise and confusion. For as far as they could see, dinosaurs went about their day in the usual slow manner, but the gang and their parents were a spot of speed and panic. The Great Valley usually felt wide, with the Great Walls looming all around them but now it felt claustrophobic. Where were they supposed to hide? A few like Ducky and Chomper looked back, expressions distraught but everyone's focus remained on running, getting away from the current threat.
"We left him!" Petrie cried.
"Stay focused!" Tria panted. "We need to get to the nearest Tinysaurus hole quick, Topsy. Their tunnels are small. The Anchors would be too big to reach them from there."
"They might try to collapse the tunnels to get them out." Mr. Threehorn replied. "But you're right. Then we can go back and-"
They didn't see the shadow coming up from the sky. But they heard screams from nearby dinosaurs. Before the gang and their parents could figure out the source of that panic, Don snatched Petrie from his position above his friends. Petrie screamed and waved his wings between Don's fingers as the old flyer turned to ascend into the sky.
"No!" Ruby leapt up, grabbing Don by the legs. "Let him go! Let him go!"
Don cried out in indignation at the additional weight, and continued ascending. Mama Swimmer leapt for them but Don was already out of reach and Ruby's demands turned to screams as she and Petrie became pinpricks in the sky.
"No, Petrie! Ruby!" Ducky screamed.
"Let Ruby go!" Chomper yelled.
"Keep moving, kids!" Mama Swimmer cried. "We can't fly, there's nothing we can do. Just keep going to the Tinysaurus holes and-"
They passed one of the small collection of trees and bushes. They didn't notice one of the spots of green launch itself out. Tega snatched Ducky with the mouth, running past with rumbling feet that couldn't mask Ducky's screams rending the air. Nearby dinosaurs started upon Tega's appearance and fled the scene, not wanting to meet the wrong end of this Anchor. Spike cried out and started running after his sister's kidnapper.
"Ducky!" Mama Swimmer screamed. "Spike, no, don't follow her!"
Mama Swimmer ran after them. Mr. Threehorn snapped his gaze about, taking in the two charges that remained of seven before letting out a chest shaking roar. Cera looked at where Ducky and Spike had been, eyes wide with desperation.
"We have to help them!" she said.
Mr. Threehorn and Tria swayed, looking at Cera and Chomper and appearing to think they should at least keep those two safe. But Mr. Threehorn and Tria turned and began running for the two they could help. Cera and Chomper scrambled to follow. They ran in the direction they saw Mama Swimmer last, Cera and Chomper feeling the ground shake from Mr. Threehorn and Tria's footsteps. Chomper panted, feeling the strain and trying not to let it show. Too many friends had been lost today, and he could only stand by and watch. He wasn't going to let anything more happen to them. They had no idea if Tega had changed direction or not. They only thought so far was to keep running in the same direction until they saw Mama Swimmer, Spike, or Tega. This went on until they saw a figure walk out of a gathering of trees and stand in their way. They hastily stumbled to a halt, Chomper and Cera being hit by kicked up dirt from her parents. They stopped, Chomper's heart lurching at the smirking face.
"Lost so many children already, Topps old pal?" Verter said. "You really have lost your touch."
No response. Only Mr. Threehorn's shaking breaths could be heard.
"Stand aside, Verter," he said.
"Mm." Verter said. "No."
"Stand aside!"
"I'm not afraid to say that isn't an option for me. I have a duty to fulfil. You have me to deal with."
Tria stepped to the right. "And we have children to save. Come on Topsy, let's not entertain his games. Let's just run around him and-"
"Do you think I'll just stand here while you do that?" Verter interrupted. "I can snatch Cera and Chomper faster than you can react. You would have a hard time catching up if I run. So unless you want that, you'll have to face me."
Mr. Threehorn and Tria froze. Mr. Threehorn's gaze darted at Cera and Chomper and back to Verter, conflict in his eyes. Mr. Threehorn glared.
"You really want a fight, don't you?" he said.
"Good to hear you can still catch on." Verter said. "So, are we agreed?"
Tria glanced at Mr. Threehorn with concern. Mr. Threehorn breathed in and out through his teeth.
"Cera, Chomper." Mr. Threehorn said. "Stand aside."
"But Daddy-" Cera began.
"Listen to your father." Tria said. "Both of you, stand over at that tree. We don't want you to get hurt in…what'll happen."
Cera and Chomper stared. Tria didn't like this. But her gaze became resigned. They were really going to fight, Chomper thought. He could see from Cera's expression she also didn't like this. But they saw no option other than to back away until their tails brushed against a hardwood tree. They could only see the side and back of Mr. Threehorn, Tria mostly hidden beside him.
"Tria-" Mr. Threehorn began.
"I know what you're thinking, Topsy." Tria said. "The answer is no. We should fight him together."
Mr. Threehorn pursued his lips but he focused on Verter all the same.
"You face the same numbers as last time." Mr. Threehorn said. "You know how it's going to go."
"Oh, I do." Verter said. "You barely sneaked in a win against me. But now, you won't have luck on your side. I have a great power coursing through me."
"Hmm." Mr. Threehorn said. "There's not been much demonstration of that power."
"Topsy…" Tria glanced at Mr. Threehorn.
"Your sappy mate is right to be concerned. You are deluded."
"That light show doesn't count." Mr. Threehorn said. "I wonder if you have the real strength to fight."
"Oh Topps, do you have a short memory?" Verter asked. "I helped push that avalanche two days ago. How have you survived this long? Not that I'm complaining. You'll see the demonstration of my powers soon enough."
Mr. Threehorn and Tria glared at Verter, who only smirked at them. The treetops waved in the wind as two parents stood against a malicious force of one. Chomper found himself panting. He wasn't sure if he liked the odds of this fight. Beside him, Cera didn't take her eyes off the scene. The few sky puffies trailed slowly over the blue sky.
Mr. Threehorn and Tria launched themselves at Verter. He threw his head under and their horns stabbed at where his head had been. He turned to clank his horns into Mr. Threehorn's. Verter strained before thrusting his head slightly to the right. Mr. Threehorn's feet left the ground as he was slammed into Tria, who cried out before she toppled to the side with Mr. Threehorn. All this happened within a few seconds. Chomper gasped and Cera stared. It took a lot of strength to lift someone of equal size off the ground but Verter was able to do that with barely more than mildly gritted teeth. Verter stepped back as Mr. Threehorn and Tria lay there, feet sliding in the grass.
"That's more like it," he chuckled. "You're in your rightful place, lying at my feet."
That got Mr. Threehorn going. He put one foot underneath him and then the other, groaning as he stood back up.
"Just a lucky shot." Mr. Threehorn said. "That won't happen again. Are you alright Tria?"
"I'm fine." Tria pushed herself up a few seconds later, uneasy. "That was a strong move he did."
"As I said, he got lucky." Mr. Threehorn said. "He always put too much energy in the first hit, even when we were kids."
Tria opened her mouth at him but stopped and sighed. Verter watched this hint of conflict and smirked.
"You're no better," he said. "I wonder if Ducky and Spike are with Wing Father now."
Snarling, Mr. Threehorn charged. His horns crashed and pushed against Verter's, grounding with much pressure. Verter's horns didn't even bend or groan. Verter stood there relishing this before he reared a bit on his hind legs and Mr. Threehorn was lifted with him before being thrown off and crashing onto his side. Mr. Threehorn groaned.
Looking predatory, Verter stepped closer, only for Tria to shout and charge. No sooner did they lock horns that he threw her onto her side. Mr. Threehorn got to his feet and went to Tria's side as she got up again. They charged once more, Verter ramming Mr. Threehorn back hard. Tria's horns grazed Verter's frill but he turned to crash his horns against hers and send her stumbling away. Panting and wincing, they looked at each other.
"Looks like he wasn't bragging." Tria said. "He is stronger."
"Then we're going to attack harder." Mr. Threehorn said.
"Isn't that what we have been doing?" she asked. "It doesn't seem like it's getting anywhere."
He only looked determined. "That Don was smacked around by Guido and Swooper. We just need a little incentive."
"But Don didn't strike me as an experienced fighter and he was caught by surprise." Tria said. "Verter is bigger and stronger."
Mr. Threehorn glared. "Look, if you have another plan, I'd love to hear it. We can't let them get Cera and Chomper, remember?"
Tria hesitated and lowered her head to agree. But soon Verter decided to charge and they had to lock horns and fight him off again. Despite the couple's best efforts, they barely kept him back.
"They're not doing so good." Chomper said.
"Thanks for the observation." Cera replied. "I don't know how much they can take being thrown around. We – we should help them."
"What can we do?" He lowered his gaze. "We couldn't exactly fight him off last time."
"We could distract him!" She stepped forward and back, looking around. "Get in his way, or, or knock a tree or boulder onto him. That would make things easier."
"But he is much stronger now," he said. "Trees and boulders don't hurt threehorns and sharpteeth too much anyway and now, he might even shrug them off."
"What's with you being a downer all of a sudden?" Cera glared. "You're usually the first to jump in and help!"
"If we couldn't take him on before, what makes you think we can be useful now?" Chomper kicked at the grass. "We'd just get in the way. We're small. The only thing we can do is hope your parents can fight them off and…I hate this."
Cera opened her mouth to retort but her gaze returned to the fight and the outrage left her face. It appeared she realized the challenges Chomper pointed out. Cera gritted her teeth, guilt in her eyes. Chomper felt bad for being so down but he couldn't think of a way out of this. There were no other dinosaurs in the area but even if there was, he hesitated about them getting involved. They might just get hurt. Helplessness mixed with frustration in him. Wasn't there anything they could do?
Cera's parents changed tactics, Mr. Threehorn grappling Verter with his horns while Tria sneaked around and scraped her horns into Verter's side, leaving behind three thin lines. That was a smaller wound than usual for threehorn combat but Verter grunted and winced all the same. Still, he raised a hind foot and kicked her in the chin, making her cry out and stagger back.
Mr. Threehorn snarled and pushed Verter back hard. Verter ground his feet into the dirt until he stopped moving and pushed back, thrusting down with enough force to crash Mr. Threehorn into the ground. Verter looked down at him and laughed. Tria clanged into Verter's horns before he could raise his head. She pushed him away with more surprise than force and Mr. Threehorn got back up to charge for Verter's tail. With a flick, the tail smacked Mr. Threehon away and booming onto his side. Chomper started. That tail packed more strength than it should. With another strong head crash, Verter made Tria trip away from him.
Backing away, the couple eyed each before Mr. Threehorn rumbled forward to duel with Verter. Tria slinked close, eying Verter's tail. Verter's eyes flicked to her, noting that, only Mr. Threehorn broke off and ran out of view as Tria met Verter's horns instead. Verter stumbled, confused and hissed when Mr. Threehorn grazed his side. Mr. Threehorn got kicked back and Tria rammed into Verter with gritted teeth in retaliation. The couple stood back, taking in their breath. As they went in for another attack, Verter started laughing. He slammed Tria with the side of his head, knocking her down, and he kicked a foot into her forethigh. Mr. Threehorn went in for another charge and Verter's horns ground him down with enough force to force Mr. Threehorn to kneel into the grass.
"Yes!" Verter said. "Keep fighting. Keep fighting! This is the best entertainment I had in cold times. Don't give out on me now. "
Mr. Threehorn and Tria got up, scratches on their frills and near the base of their horns starting to show. The pair panted, the exhaustion in their eyes becoming anger. A bruise forming on her chin, Tria charged.
"Do you think this is a game?" she yelled.
She grappled horns with Verter. She pressed hard and the sounds of clanking horns were wild. Mr. Threehorn sneaked around and grabbed Verter's tail with his teeth. Verter thrust his tail up and Mr. Threehorn made a muffled cry as he was lifted into the air and slammed into the ground. Verter tumbled Tria to her side again. She and Mr. Threehorn got up once more but their legs shook. Chomper felt a chill in his stomach. Could they keep going? In some ways, Mr. Threehorn and Tria never gave up. That they were doing this partly for Cera and Chomper made him grateful and mad all he did was just watch. Mr. Threehorn and Tria continued to attack Verter from different sides but even when he got scratches or even deep stab ones, he met their attacks with ease. Was this the power Wing Father had?
Eventually, the couple staggered back and collapsed, panting hard. Verter stood before them with that horrible confidence.
"You're not going to win against me," he said. "You're just going to ware yourselves down until I crush you. That might get boring. Maybe I should take Cera and Chomper now to make things interesting..."
Chomper and Cera jumped. Chomper looked up to find Verter's blue eyes focused on them, stepping around Mr. Threehorn. Chomper found himself rooted to the spot. Desperation seized him and he looked about, not wanting to be anywhere near Verter. Beside him, Cera stepped back, shaking, letting out a sharp breath. Verter didn't get far before Mr. Threehorn put a foot under himself. Slowly, he rose, breaths coming out in soft bursts, turning to reveal dark eyes burning with furious determination.
"Do your worst, Verter." Mr. Threehorn said. "We're not handing over the children."
Tria stirred and rose slowly, hobbling over to glare with Mr. Threehorn.
Verter's smile widened. "Very well. I might enjoy this fight after all."
Scratched up and bruised, Mr. Threehorn and Tria adjusted their stances and readied for the next part of the battle. Chomper watched. On the one hand, he was relieved they could continue to fight, still willing to use the energy they had to protect him and Cera. On the other, it was because of this he felt sick and depressed. All he and Cera could do was observe, unable to do anything to help.
Next time…
Part 2
Note: Sorry for the long gap. I became slow and struggled with writing and rewriting the next chapters. I also became busy with school. For certain private reasons, I won't be double-posting chapters to the Gang of Five forum anymore. Part 2 will be up next week. I am determined to finish this story. Finally, I want to say black lives matter, that you all survive through covid-19, and hope that the incompetent fascists in power actually get thrown out this year.