Warning: This chapter contains violence to adults and children, with the latter involving drowning and attempted crushing. There's also spitting swallowed water and plant matter into someone's mouth. Reader discretion advised.
We Will Hold On Forever
by
DaveTheAnalyzer
Chapter 35: Re-turning the Circle Part 1
With a jerk, Wing Father returned to his body. That wasn't the correct term for stretching his mind out to influence others but living amongst mortals, he was starting to think in mortal terms. He frowned. Wing Father floated near a lake where several swimmers trained to swim back and forth in synchronization. Verter stood on the shore, shouting instructions. It was his idea to come up with an aquatic attack force, loving the concept of jumping enemies from the water. Verter couldn't wait to try it out in his and Wing Father's future war games. Tega sat under the shade of a tree, chewing grass and looking troubled. Patty walked into view, arguing with her mother Alis.
"…must understand, I need to speak with Wing Father in private." Patty was saying.
"I know. I'll respect your privacy." Alis replied. "But can you at least give me a hint to what's going on? You haven't been talking to me about anything lately. Are we going to be attacked? Does this have something to do with the valley's enemies?"
"Like I said, it's nothing you need to worry about." Patty said. "Anyway, talk to one of the flyers waiting for their turn."
Alis pressed her lips together but wandered off. She slowed near the group of flyers waiting in the trees and on the ground before greeting one flyer on a nearby branch. Mood foul, Patty turned to Wing Father.
"I didn't like doing that," she said.
Verter looked up from the shore and smirked. "What, sending your mommy away or bringing down Chomper's mood?"
"The second." Patty snapped. "This was supposed to be paradise but…I don't feel like I'm doing good, bringing down kids' moods."
"It doesn't matter how you feel about it." Tega said. "It matters that it's effective. This is for the greater good, right?"
Patty glared but remained silent. Wing Father raised a hand.
"This debate's irrelevant," he said. "I sense a disturbance. The kids won't let me influence them anymore."
Tega raised her gaze sharply. Verter started.
"Are you serious?" he asked.
"They're still plotting how to change the world back." Wing Father said. "I'm afraid they have a lead on how to do it. We'll need to act fast."
Tega frowned. Patty looked shocked such a dim possibility might become reality. For the first time in a while, Verter appeared worried. At that point, Don flew in and landed on a nearby boulder.
"It's no use. I can't find these kids anywhere." He clenched a hand in frustration. "They must have given me the slip either sneaking through the foliage or finding a hole underground. Any updates?"
"Wing Father says the brats have a good lead on reversing the ceremony." Tega said.
Don goggled. After a moment, he said. "What did you say? This isn't the time for jokes, spiketail!"
"Unfortunately she's not joking." Patty said. "Littlefoot and his friends have rallied and know of a way to reverse the ceremony. Our attempts to bring their mood down failed."
Don stared stunned for several seconds. Then he threw a foot up and kicked the boulder he stood on.
"That can't be true! They're children! There's no way they could not only rally but find a way to take our control of the world away from us!"
"They were chosen because they're a tenacious lot." Tega said. "On second thought, maybe we should've chosen those who would've been more obedient."
"There isn't time to linger on what-ifs." Wing Father said. "We must stop them before they get to the cave."
Verter thumped a forefoot, blue eyes hard. "When I'm done with them, they'll never act out of line again."
"They definitely need some reeducation." Don muttered.
"That might be too much trouble." Tega smirked. "I say we bury them somewhere where they can't ever escape. Separately. We need their deal. We don't need their freedom."
Verter chuckled. "Oh, that sounds great!"
Don winced. He looked to Patty, who also had misgivings.
"Do we have to?" she muttered. "There's no need to be that harsh."
"Remember, this is to save what we worked cold times for." Tega said. "You want your mother to stick around, right?"
Flinching, Patty looked over to her mother. Alis laughed while the flyer sitting on the nearby branch made hand shapes while sharing an exaggerated anecdote. Closing her eyes, Patty breathed out slowly.
"If we must," she said.
Don looked at her, disturbed. After a moment, he closed his eyes and nodded his assent. Turning in the air, Wing Father stared in the direction of where Littlefoot and the others were.
"I'm glad we're in agreement then." Wing Father smiled. "Let's show Littlefoot and his friends a hint of the power we possess."
It took some time to find the right tunnel exit to slip out of. After traveling through a twisting network of passages, Chomper paused below one tunnel exit and indicated this was the closest one to the hidden tunnel entrance. Voices huffing out in unison echoed above. Cautiously, Littlefoot peaked his head out. A convenient boulder blocked the hole from view. He slowly emerged and while the others quietly climbed out, stretched his neck around the boulder. At this designated battleground, all the swimmers did pushups, many moving in eerie synchronization. To the right, many of the children kept up with grunting determination. Nearby, flyers sat in the grass waiting for their turn. The swimmer at the head of the gathering gulped after one push up and glared around.
"Keep up the rhythm, don't slow down!" he shouted. "We need to build our endurance. Remember, there're no breaks on the battlefield. This is all for Wing Father's sake!"
"For Wing Father's sake!"
All the swimmers, young and old, gave this pronouncement. Littlefoot didn't like the uniformity on display but at least the swimmers and flyers were distracted. He swept his gaze about, finding some long grass that could obscure their journey to the trees where the Great Wall rose into the sky. He looked back and jerked his head.
"This way."
Crouching, he led his friends through the long grass, the thin plants tickling at and under their sides. Spike looked at the grass contemplatively but thankfully shook his head and kept moving. They passed several yards in front of the training swimmer children, who continued their pushups. Littlefoot glimpsed one boy struggle to push himself up and collapse onto his side, yipping while holding a bruised shoulder. Ducky gasped softly and covered her mouth.
"My brothers and sisters are probably doing the same training now," she murmured. "Are some of them getting hurted too?"
Cera nudged her. "Don't worry. We'll fix this."
Ducky looked up at her in surprise before smiling thankfully. Passing through a line of trees, they came upon open grassland near the Great Wall. It was nearly eight longneck widths in size, the Great Wall mountains looming high. It was sunny and several dinosaurs walked casually in both directions. At Littlefoot's tail flick, he led the others in jogging out into the open. Littlefoot hoped they looked like they were rushing somewhere to play like they had innumerable times before. The gang tried not to react when some gazed at them curiously, faces stiff and some like Spike averting eye contact.
"Remember, don't look too guilty." Littlefoot said.
"Easier said than done." Chomper muttered.
"Me often feel guilty when me do something sneaky." Petrie panted.
"The hidden tunnel that leads to the cave is the one you went into with Patty, right?" Ruby asked.
"That's right." Littlefoot said. "Patty was taking me to Wing Father there before I found out she had…you know. It's not very big, so not many dinosaurs can chase us if we're spotted."
"On the other hand, we'll have less room to dodge if we get chased." Cera muttered.
"It's also out of sight, so we're less likely be caught." Littlefoot countered, before looking ahead. "If we're quick, no one will know what's happening."
"But Wing Father know we up to something." Petrie said.
"That's why we're moving as fast as we can without the other valley dinosaurs noticing us."
They fell silent, more because it was taking a lot of breath to keep up the jog. To their right, a longneck rumbled passed them, smiling up vaguely as though imagining something pleasant. Approaching ahead from the left, a spikethumb and spikefrill chatted, chuckling cheerily. A domehead emerged from the treeline patting a chin while looking about. The grunts of training swimmers faded with distance. Cera looked down, expression grim
"They'll notice something's up when the world changes back," she said. "Or not. I don't know if anyone'll remember these past few days."
"Whatever grownups remember, hopefully they can help take down Wing Father." Petrie said.
"But what if they do not take well to having gaps in their memory?" Ducky asked.
"There would be some things I'll be glad they don't remember." Ruby said. "And some things I'll be sad they don't."
"I don't want us to mess with people's minds again." Chomper said grimly. "But how would they react if they did remember?"
The others contemplated this. Spike cooed with worry. Littlefoot tried to focus on the mission but his mind couldn't help lingering on what might happen after. It would be a big change whether the world remembered or not. There would be confusion and chaos. Littlefoot felt guilty about these potential consequences but told himself that the reversal had to be done to prevent further suffering. Still, some might die. Soon, the calm steps of dinosaurs passing around them might turn into panic.
It took Littlefoot a bit to realize he hadn't heard footsteps for a few seconds. He stirred, turning his neck to adjust his hearing. Even some of the background buzz of bugs or croaks of hoppers fell silent. Littlefoot raised his head and halted, heart in his throat.
"Guys!"
"What wrong?" Cera said, she and the others stumbling to a stop behind him. "Give a warning if you're just going to stop in your – what the?"
The others looked up and their eyes widened. Everywhere they looked, dinosaurs that had been walking around had froze in place. Many had their feet up in mid-stride or were in the middle of doing things. To the left, the domehead had paused in the middle of eagerly reaching for a blue tree sweet. The spikethumb and spikefrill the gang were about to pass had heads thrown up in frozen laughter. The longneck that had walked ahead of them had both her fore and hind left feet lifted up halfway through her stroll, inexplicably not toppling onto her side. Littlefoot and the others' heads darted about, pulses quickening with fear.
"What - what going on?" Petrie said, flaps jerky. "This freaky!"
"Did we do it again?" Ducky had a hand to her lips, looking panicked. "Oh, did someone think or speak forcefully enough to make everyone stop?"
"I didn't do it!" Chomper said.
Spike shook his head hard, the sight of the frozen dinosaurs making him ill. Ruby threw her hands out desperately
"Why would I do it?" she asked. "It must be something el-"
Thump! All the dinosaurs put a foot forward. Slowly, they turned vacant glares toward the gang. Littlefoot and the others jerked back as the spikefrill with her spikethumb companion locked eyes only a spiketail's length away. The gang cried out in alarm. They didn't know what was going on but it shook Littlefoot to the core.
"Stop the children," said the spikethumb tonelessly.
"Stop," said the domehead, raised hand flopping to his side, "the children."
"You mustn't destroy paradise," said the longneck.
"Oh no." Cera gulped. "This must be…Wing Father."
"He can control others this much?" Petrie squeaked.
"Stay where you are," said a threehorn.
"You mustn't approach the tunnel," said a flyer.
Thump! The dinosaurs around the gang took another step forward. Slowly, they marched closer. Ducky and Petrie looked up and yelled when the trees shook and more dinosaurs emerged, the flyers flapping with jerky, purposeful rhythm. Littlefoot pressed into his friends, their bodies shivering against his. At this rate, he and the others would hemmed in. The alien horror of the situation was such Littlefoot's mind almost blanked. Forcefully, he attempted to keep a clear head.
"Guys," Littlefoot murmured, "I think it's time we moved…fast."
"I'm a bit tired," Ruby said, "but not tired enough that I can't be fast."
"Good, because we don't have much choice." He took a breath. "Run!"
They rushed forward at top speed. The dinosaurs darted after them. With pursuers from ahead and behind, Littlefoot saw his friends try to look in both directions until stumbles made them face forward. Spike grabbed Ducky's tail and flipped her onto his neck. Littlefoot had to think quickly. All that came to him was that it was impossible but he denied that and tried to visualize a route around the now hostile valley dinosaurs.
The gang ducked passed the spikethumb, her snarling mouth flecking saliva onto their backs. Footsteps rushed behind them. Ducky's call of alarm was the only warning before Spike jumped back to avoid the domehead's head-butt. He leapt around and raced ahead of Cera. She glanced back and yelped when the domehead closed in on her. Cera dodged from one side to another as that skull roof wracked the air inches from her back.
"Not again!" she said. "Where's a tar monster when you need it?"
The longneck ahead had turned around, glaring into their path. Littlefoot and the others had little choice but to keep running. The longneck threw her neck down and Petrie and Ruby shrieked and barely jumped ahead as it crashed into the grass behind them. They ran between the longneck's legs and her tail dropped into view. The gang leapt and ducked around it with Chomper's tail missing the thickest midpoint so closely the burst of air made him stumble forward. The longneck only had lifted her neck and tail a fraction when the domehead and several of the other pursuers ran into the longneck. The thump and shouts from the pile up made the longneck topple and crash onto her side. This caused enough of a blockade for Littlefoot and the others to continue running with only the flyers in the sky to worry about.
"Oh, that look like it hurted!" Ducky said, looking back. "I hope they are alright."
"We're still in Wing Father's world." Littlefoot said. "Their injuries will heal. We could use that. Ducky, keep an eye out for anyone behind us."
"Got it, I-!"
Two shadows fell over them. A pair of crestless swimmers ran into the gang's path in their distraction, reaching down with snarling expressions. Screaming, Cera's swerved out of the left swimmer's reach and ducked under, ramming a horn into the left swimmer's leg. The left crestless swimmer yowled and fell into his companion, the group running between them just before they fell with a rumble.
Ducky yelped and pointed, bringing attention to a threehorn charging at them with horns lowered. They just barely jumped out of the way. The threehorn skidded, turning up grass as he turned and joined the other grownups in pursuit behind the gang. A few of the dinosaurs who had been caught behind the fallen longneck slowly closed the distance, dust rising up in their rush. Littlefoot and the others yelled when a flyer swooped down, splitting apart to avoid her snapping beak. Spike ended up getting closer to the pursuing land dinosaurs and in the process, a growling sprinter sped up enough to reach out and grab his tail.
"Spike!" Littlefoot cried.
Desperately, Spike kicked her mouth. The sprinter staggered back, working her jaw. A few seconds later, Petrie grabbed a rock from the ground and flung it. It struck the sprinter's eye and she yelped and lost her footing, rolling back and getting crunched underfoot. A few grownups tripped and fell over but most got out of the way.
"Oh no!" Petrie gasped. "Di-did I…"
"Remember, no death!" Littlefoot cried. "Look, we're almost at the tunnel!"
In the distance, the tunnel entrance came into view. A few swampy trees stood nearby, offering shade to a pond connected to a river covered with floating water greens and lily pads. Wet thick bushes circled that area. Littlefoot didn't remember the area nearby being so wet but his memory of being led into the tunnel entrance by Patty was vivid and clear.
"We have to get in there!" he cried.
Two flyers went down and the gang had to separate again to avoid the slashing claws. Litltefoot's words ringing in her ear, Ruby snatched up a rock from the ground and eyed the Great Wall to their right, rapidly scanning it. They passed the huge boulder blocking the cave Littlefoot didn't want to think about, the snapping and yelling dinosaurs still in pursuit. Eying a crumbly area above, she hesitated, face full of misgivings, but tossed it in that direction. Littlefoot only realized what she was planning just a second before the rock cracked against the crumbly area and a huge pile of boulders and slabs of rock roared off from the Great Wall.
"Don't slow down!" Ruby shouted.
A rumble shook up their feet. Rocks as small as Petrie and boulders as large as the necks of longnecks tumbled down. Flyers hastily shot out of the way and a few dinosaurs looked up but most had their eyes only on the gang, so had no warning when the avalanche crashed down onto them like a sideways water wave. Dust puffed up around them and the gang coughed as they darted from side to side to avoid cutting stones and huge heaves of rock. Obscured silhouettes were tossed into the air or rolled about from the impact before the dust and rock pile became too much to see through. When the air at last cleared, only a few heads or legs were visible, gazes dazed, cheeks or temples crushed. A few flyers didn't manage to get out of the way and beaks and wings peaked out among the rubble. The flyers that got away circled above, making Littlefoot briefly wonder why they weren't following. Muffled groans and cries of pain began to echo out from those trapped within the avalanche. Ruby looked shaken.
"I – I didn't like doing that." she said.
"They will be okay, they will be okay!" Ducky said to herself.
"We're almost there!" Littlefoot assured. "It won't be much longer!"
Indeed, they were only a longneck's length away from the tunnel entrance. The gang looked relieved and unsettled, that maybe they could if not rest, at least slow their pace. Chomper lowered his head with a tired sigh, nostrils flaring. He jerked in panic.
"Wait, wait! Slow down!" he said. "One of them already got ahead of us!"
Ruby's eyes widened. "'One of them?' You mean-"
That was all she got out. The wet bushes shook as they passed and a spiked tail sailed into view parallel to the ground. Many screamed and leapt over or ducked under. Petrie picked up Ducky to pull her up while Spike jumped over and fell onto his side. Ruby and Chomper crouched close to the ground, the tail sliding across their backs. Ruby let out a yowl, a cut now searing on her side. Chomper looked beside her, alarmed.
"Ruby, are you okay?" he cried.
"It's just a shallow scratch!" she panted. "Get away from the bushes!"
The others staggered up and backed away panting. Petrie descended to deposit Ducky back onto her brother. The wet bushes shook again. Slowly, Tega emerged, wandering over to stand in front of the tunnel entrance. Littlefoot had the momentary thought the plants near the cave weren't this overgrown but he didn't have time for that. She chewed her grass casually but it belied her ominous stare.
"You brats always avoid serious injury at the last second," she said
Ducky and Spike stared at her, hardly appearing to breathe.
"Tega." Ducky said at last. "What are you doing here?"
"Shouldn't it be obvious?" Tega said. "Stopping you from doing something stupid. You don't want to spoil this."
"Spoil what?" Ruby retorted, wincing as she touched her cut. "No one being able to remember or decide what to do for themselves?"
"Not my problem." Tega said. "You get the benefit of never dying. What's Wing Father controlling the rest of the world compared to that?"
Ducky glared. "A whole lot, if you ask me!"
"No one asked you. For all your proclamations about helping others, you sure are acting selfish."
"That is not going to work this time, Tega!" Ducky leaned forward, she and Spike glaring at her in unison. "We know you were never honest and we are not going to listen to you anymore. We are going to change things back and there is nothing you can do about it, yep, yep yep!"
Spike grunted in agreement and scraped the grass threateningly. Tega slowly looked at the pair.
"Is that so?" she asked "Well, if you put it like that…"
Littlefoot heard a plant-like groan under the earth. Several bangs shook around them. Vines burst out of the dirt, surging high into the air. The gang gasped. Grass lengthened, poking at their feet and stomachs. The bushes' stems cracked and enlarged, reaching toward Littlefoot and the others. The trees shook and widened their canopies. Wherever they looked, plants were growing and lengthening at an impossible rate, surrounding them, moving like long-bodied animals. The gang shouted, looking around with terror and incomprehension. Unable to wrap his mind around this, Littlefoot shot a Tega a horrified look.
"What did you do?" he cried.
"I'm an Anchor, remember?" Tega said. "I've been using this neat trick to make tasty plants grow faster. Normally not this fast, just enough so they ripen a few days earlier. Wing Father's given me permission to speed things up though. Let's see you get out of this."
Littlefoot and the others stepped into one another, surveying the writhing plants around them. Spike pressed forefeet to his ears, as though the unnatural plant sounds was painful to hear for him. Littlefoot thought there must be a way out, it must exist. They felt the poke and prod of plant material everywhere and it was hard to avoid.
Petrie flew up but vines and grasses blocked his ascent. He flapped side to side, attempting to navigate but his right wing got entangled. A weed slithered around Cera's foot and she shrieked, trying to wrench it off. Grass ensnared Chomper's legs and toes. He cried out, pulling at them but more grew and grabbed him than he could pull apart. Littlefoot stepped forward to help his friends but found his legs grabbed by flowers and struggled, thinking it was wrong for such pretty plants to do something like this. The plants were tougher and more fibrous than should be possible. There was no way to go and they were becoming tied up. A water weed gripped Spike's hind foot and pulled him back, throwing Ducky off him.
"Spike!" Littlefoot cried.
Spike screamed, scrabbling to keep himself from being dragged away. Shaking her head, Ducky scrambled to her feet in pursuit, her smaller size allowing her to hop and dodge around the flowers and grass that lashed at her. Spike was pulled into the pond, splashing and rocking as he tried to stay on the surface. Ducky jumped in after him, swimming desperately to catch up. She almost reached a hand for his nose when a piece of water greens grabbed her foot underwater. She yelped, jerking her leg. Two strands grabbed an arm, holding it in place. More underwater grass and lily pads wrapped around her, dragging her into the center of the pond with her brother. Gradually, the pair were pulled under, splashing hard as more plant material latched onto them. Ducky gasped, pulling a hand out to her brother.
"Sorry!" she said. "I will try to free you, Spike – I will try!"
"You fell for it twice, only reverse this time." Tega said. "Remember the day of the ceremony? I take one of you and have the other follow right into my trap."
Ruby struggled at the weeds on her feet. She watched as Ducky and Spike sank into the water and gained a look of horrified realization.
"No!" she said. "Don't tell me you're going to-"
"What do you think you were going to do if you reached Spike?" Tega said. "You wouldn't be able to free him. We've been treating you brats lightly. Let's show you some true discipline."
Spike and Ducky sloshed desperately. They got tugged under, throwing their heads up and gasping in air. Water leaked into their mouths and they coughed it up. They jerked against their binds, doing their best to keep their heads above water. But with a final tug, the siblings' gasped and disappeared under the lily pad-covered surface. Sloshes and bubbling splashes erupted, that of two desperate to escape and breathe. Cera and Petrie gasped and pulled and wrenched towards the pond but their binds wouldn't give.
"Stop it!" Chomper tried to tear at the grass holding him down, eyes nearly filled with angry tears. "Let them go!"
"You know these are the consequences." Tega said. "If you just kept your head down, none of this would be happening."
"You hurting Ducky and Spike in their element!" Petrie shouted. "That cruel!"
"Well yes, that's the idea." Tega gave a horrible smile. "Don't worry, they won't die. But how long can they stand drowning over and over again? The mind can only take so much suffering before it snaps."
"You evil-!" Cera said, tugging wildly in Tega's direction. She snapped her teeth into one of the vines but threw her head up and fell onto her side. "Ack, it burns! It burns!"
"Cera!" Littlefoot said, looking at her with concern.
"I coated those plants with the same foul taste as the vines Verter used when he tried to take you and the sharptooth away." Tega said. "I knew you children might try to bite your way out. Now, surrender."
Littlefoot snarled, fighting the holding grass and flowers. "We'll never surrender!"
"Will you leave Ducky and Spike to drown all day then?" Tega asked. "How selfish you are. I can let them go anytime. It's all up to you."
Littlefoot froze. Tega waited expectantly. Cera looked at Tega with an open mouth, unable to believe she could be this monstrous. Growling, Petrie and Chomper struggled harder. It was an impossible choice. Tega was forcing them to choose between saving the world or their friends. Ruby gave a stricken look to the others and resumed pulling at her binds. They didn't want Ducky and Spike to suffer but they couldn't let everyone else in the world suffer either. What were they supposed to do? Could they escape?
Meanwhile, Ducky and Spike jerked and tugged against their binds underwater. Ducky's lungs burned from lack of breath, water seeping in and sloshing in them. It was becoming hard to think in the haze of fear and depriving air supply. Even if Ducky knew theoretically she and Spike couldn't die, it was hard to turn off the instinctive panic. Spike gasped, bubbles streaming from his lips. He looked like he was in agony. She hated seeing her brother like this. Ducky pulled and worked at the grass and lily pad stems around her, trying to find some weak point.
*Come on. Break.*
But it was no use. The water greens were made of sterner material than she was experienced with and she was getting tired. Ducky stared at Spike frustrated, thinking there must be some way she could help him. Desperately, she reached out to him. Seeing her hand wave toward him, Spike turned to her. Fumbling a forefoot, he strained and clasped her hand. Their kicking and flailing slowed as they met each other's eyes. The lack of breath was a constant ache and parts of Ducky's mind blacked out but at least they were together. If she could comfort Spike in some way, at least she felt better.
Spike saw his sister send a faint smile, some bubbles trickling from her lips. His heart ached. He felt terrible she was helping him after he got them both dragged into the pond. Were they going to drown forever? He almost drowned a few times and didn't want to know what happened if they went all the way without death being a factor. But he didn't wish for his friends to give up on saving the world either. Ducky choked and let out a bubbly moan. Spike jolted, trying to think of a way out. He found there was a bit more maneuverability underwater but it wasn't enough. Spike bit and pulled at the grass around his foreleg with his teeth but choked, spitting them out. His mouth filled with a foul burning sensation. They tasted horrible, how could he stomach eating them?
He despaired at being able to escape or be of any use when he noticed he did bite off the grass. The strand still on him and its disconnected counterpart rooted to the pond bottom extended to each other, reconnecting at a slow rate. He pulled the foreleg away, breaking the grass again before it could fully reform and the two strands waved uncertainly in the water. Spike thought if he was fast, maybe he could bite all the grass and vines off before they reconstituted themselves and have room to move. It might give him a stomachache but that was an acceptable risk. Grimacing, Spike braced himself and bit through more of the plants, chomping hard, not lingering more than he had to before the greasy burning taste became overwhelming. The bitten off parts jerked and writhed, as though caught off guard. A few other grasses reached toward Spike but he chomped at them, keeping them at bay.
Ducky watched Spike's face twist while doing this, slow to realize what he was doing. The lack of air made her thoughts sluggish and disconnected. Then she realized he was biting the plants to help them escape. The plants must taste pretty bad for him to make those kinds of faces. But with a look sent her way, she came to the realization he was mostly doing this for her. Some water greens and lily pads were still attached to Spike and he chomped at those trying to cling back onto him. It would take forever for him to free himself and get to her. She needed to help too.
Bracing herself, Ducky bite at the grass around her arms, coughing and writhing from the foul burning taste. It was awful – she thought she heard Tega mention she put the foul taste in as a precaution. Was this what Cera and Chomper had to deal with when Verter tried to kidnap them? Shaking her head, she bit off the ones around her torso and swam out of range of the bitten off segments reaching out to her. Ducky didn't have many attached to her, she could bare the taste.
Giving quick chomps around her feet and tail, Ducky freed herself and quickly swam, darting around reaching grass to get to her brother. Spike chewed up nearly half the plants attached to him but was too busy biting away at the grass and lily pads reaching for him to get to the other half. She ground her teeth to break a lily pad around his neck before chomping on grasses around his rear legs and tail. Ducky coughed a few times when the taste became too much but she didn't give up. Buoyed by the help, Spike aggressively turned his neck this way and that breaking and tearing at any plants that got too close while she worked.
Biting off a lily pad on her brother's tail and finally freeing him, Spike and Ducky swam up hastily without looking back at what the bitten plants might be doing. Their ears popped as their heads surfaced. They gasped, coughing out water and the greasy burning taste, grateful to breathe air at last. Their friends were extensively tied up, Petrie and Chomper dangling in the air, while Littlefoot, Cera, and Ruby grappled feebly on the ground. They started when Ducky and Spike appeared. Tega had been sitting down in front of the hidden cave entrance calmly, chewing her grass. She jerked her head up in shock
"What?" she shouted.
The siblings rushed onto the shore to avoid the reaching grass and lily pads in the pond. Raising her head, Ducky spoke with a gurgly voice, hacking up water and plant material.
"Bite through the plants!"
Cera faltered. "But – they taste horrible…"
"Do it anyway!" Ducky said. "I will help!"
The others stared but hastily struggled and started biting at any binding plant within reach. Some yelped and made cries of disgust but continued on regardless. Chomper hesitated at the grass holding him down, but closed his eyes.
"Oh, alright!" he said.
Chomper turned and bit and tore at the plants holding him as fast as possible. Cera teared quickly at some holding her forefeet, sticking her tongue out frequently and gagging. Petrie chipped through his with his beak, a few pained tears rolling down his cheeks. Littlefoot and Ruby used their long necks to gnash at any grass or flowers within reach. Ducky helped where she could, assisting Chomper in tearing the grass binding his tail (falling onto the ground with a yelp) and hopping over to free Ruby's left leg. She hated every second of biting and tasting the plants but they had to escape. A few yards off, Spike walked this way and that, wanting to help but looking sick. The plants regrew slowly, making a grab for the children but they dodged or moved around them faster. At last freeing themselves, the gang ran forward, Ducky and Spike grimacing and pressing their lips together. Tega was in shock but at their approach, anger made her surge to her feet.
"No! No!" She raised her trail. "You can't possibly-"
When they got close, Ducky and Spike glared and spat out a mix of water and chewed up plant remains into Tega's face. Some got into her mouth. Eyes bulging, Tega sputtered and crouched rubbing her tongue with her forepaws, bemoaning the disgusting taste. The distraction allowed Littlefoot and the others to flee around her and into the hidden tunnel entrance. Tega realized this and turned.
"Come back!" she cried, voice muffled. "Don't go any further!"
"This is what happens when you care for others, Tega!" Ducky shouted.
Tega snarled but Spike looked about and found several rocks and boulders around the inside of the entrance and a vine connected to them. It was probably a backup plan of Tega's to block the children from entering. Pulling at the vine, the boulders unbalanced and rocks tumbled down. Running forward, the crash and break echoed behind the gang. After dust blew over them which caused a few to cough, they looked back and saw the cave entrance was blocked. Littlefoot and the others eyed it hesitantly but the rocks and boulders were so tightly piled together it would take a while to get through. They resuming running, her angry, muffled calls following after them.
"Maybe it's not such a good idea to taunt one of the enemies trying to hurt us!" Cera said.
Coughing, Ducky rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry. But she is so mean and selfish, I could not resist."
"She deserved getting that foul taste." Chomper said, rubbing his tongue briefly "How were you able to stand drowning for so long?"
She looked down. "Oh, it was like I said." She coughed up a small piece of grass. "Me and Spike were there for each other."
Spike puffed up and raised his head proudly, only to hack and spit out a small spray of water. This earned a much-needed laugh from his friends as he gave a sheepish smile.
"Well, at any rate, we managed to get to the tunnel." Littlefoot said, then winced. "I need to get over the taste but I can still move. It's straight shot up to the cave. Follow me!"
"I hope Wing Father did no get there ahead of us." Petrie murmured. "Oh, my tummy."
"Let's just hope really hard it'll be really hard for him to do that." Ruby said.
They continued to move up the tunnel. Now the adrenaline of the chase was wearing off, his friends were panting from exhaustion. Petrie took heaving flaps before settling down on Cera's frill. Ruby tripped as she walked, glancing at her side cut with tired worry. The exertion made Ducky and Spike cough up the last of the water, rubbing their tummies and appearing on the mend. Littlefoot looked about, trying to remember the last time he was here with Patty. He had been so distracted by and Patty's apparent promise to fix the ghosts and his grandparents following a new lead on Mr. Clubtail's death that he hadn't been very observant of his surroundings. He kept an eye out for anything that might be familiar. To Littlefoot's relief, an ovular hole appeared in the distance halfway up the left wall.
"I recognize that," he said. "I escaped from Patty there, with Petrie's mom's help. We should pass it quietly."
"Why?" Cera asked.
It was Petrie who answered. "Other flyers could be there waiting. They could fly in and chase us if they know we here."
That was a good enough answer for Chomper, who waved for silence. Spike nodded and even with his recent drowning experience, held a small breath. Pressing their lips together and treading lightly, Littlefoot and the others sneaked under the hole, glancing up warily as they passed. Ruby nasal breathing wavered when she raised her gaze, as though expecting to see a flyer flapping in waiting outside. But the skies were clear and blue. The gang didn't take any chances, moving quickly passed. They only relaxed when that hole was far behind them. Soon Littlefoot ran into the spiky vine in the middle of the tunnel he used to stop being pulled along by Patty.
"This is the last detail I remember," he confessed. "Patty did drag me up further but it'll all be new from here."
"Hey, no problem." Cera said. "Like you said, it's just a straight shot up."
"At least we get some break from being chased." Petrie chuckled. "We must be more than halfway there."
Littlefoot and the others kept up the uphill walk, encouraged by that sentiment. They would soon come across the cave and stop Wing Father's machinations. But as the long journey went on, their feelings turned to confusion. The others panted from the continuous walking. Chomper huffed as he put one foot in front of another, nearly tripping and bumping into Ruby's leg. Littlefoot frowned. He thought Petrie guessed right and it shouldn't take long but there was still no sign of Wing Father's cave. He glanced about, attempting to find any sign of the tunnel levelling off or the change in light level that signaled a cave coming up.
"Are we there yet?" Cera asked.
"It shouldn't be that far now." Littlefoot said. "At least, I don't think so."
"Maybe tunnel take turns." Petrie suggested. "That why it taking so long."
"But it has been a straight shot up."
"Do not worry." Ducky assured. "I am sure we will get to it eventually. All we have to do is keeping going and…"
She trailed off. The tunnel levelled only to split into two. They both curved off smoothly left and right into the distance, like the segments of two circles. In terms of lighting and texture, they were complete reflections of each other. They stopped. Ducky stared with everyone else before she remembered what she had said and a hand clapped her face.
"Sorry," she said. "Did I tempt bad luck?"
"Where do we go from here?" Cera asked. "Left or right?"
"I think…that way." Littlefoot's head turned to the left tunnel. "My guess is the tunnel stays close to the valley-side of the Great Wall until Wing Father's cave. Um, does anyone remember seeing where the tunnel entrance ended in that cave?"
Chomper shook his head. "I didn't see it. I was busy being scared."
"I don't remember much aside from the stones we were supposed to stand on and the four holes giving a view of the valley." Ruby murmured.
"Me thought me saw tunnel was opposite to path we entered in." Petrie said, waving vaguely. "But me can no be sure."
Littlefoot sighed. "At any rate, I decide left. That's the likely direction the cave would be in."
So saying, they turned left and kept going up. The gang encouraged themselves, thinking they mustn't be far from Wing Father's cave. Every once in a while, a crack in the wall appeared, allowing in a ray of sunlight. Littlefoot slowed at a few to squint through and gauge distance outside but it was too bright to see anything. He surmised that with the sun's angle in the afternoon, that made sense but he was puzzled couldn't even make out colors or faint shapes. The gang tensed waiting at any moment for Wing Father's cave to slip into view around the tunnel's curve, dreading finding someone waiting for them. Instead, they came across a three way cross-path. The left and right tunnels took even sharper, rounder turns while the middle one was a straight shot as far as the eye could see. The gang slowed, baffled.
"Does this part of the Great Wall bend in such an extreme way?" Ruby asked. "Is that left tunnel possible?"
"I don't think so." Cera said, eying the left one warily. "It must lead to a dead end or a drop. Did anyone see a protruding hole outside around this area?"
"Me was carried over by Don and me did not see any protruding hole." Petrie said uncertainly.
"Alright, in case the left one does turn into a sudden drop, we should take the center tunnel." Littlefoot said. "We must be close. If it isn't the right way, we'll double back."
The group went down the center one. Littlefoot's muscles were getting really sore. The others were no longer encouraged, becoming impatient. The ground continued to go uphill.
"Was this part of the Great Wall always this high?" Chomper asked.
"I swear there was one Great Wall mountain that can touch the sky puffies." Ducky mused. "Was it on this side?"
"Don't worry." Littlefoot said. "This time, I'm sure we're almost th…"
Littlefoot forgot to end the sentence. They came across yet another cross-path. This time there were four tunnels. The far left and right ones curved hard like the previous set. The inner left tunnel curved up while the right one curved down. Littlefoot and the others goggled. Spike titled his head, widening an eye incredulously.
"How many of these cross-paths are there?" Cera demanded.
"Some of these must reconnect with each other." Ruby said.
"Which one should we take?" Chomper asked, glancing anxiously between them. "Are we at the same level as the cave? Above? Below?"
"Oh, we cannot get lost now." Ducky gripped her head. "Do some of these tunnels turn in on themselves or go back up?"
"We can't stand here deciding all day." Littlefoot said. "I think we went higher than the cave. Let's take the down tunnel. If it turns back up, we'll go back."
They did so. Now that they were traveling a downward trek, some relaxed in spite of themselves. They were grateful to have a break from all the climbing. But Littlefoot still saw worry on many of their faces. He eyed the tunnel's downward curve warily, desperate to see the cave appear in the distance at any moment. However, it continued to move deeper into the mountain, shooting past the level he assumed the cave would be. Soon the tunnel did level off and they came across a crack in the left wall. Baffled, Littlefoot stared into it but it was as impossible to see through as the earlier cracks.
"That can't be right," he said. "If we took those kind of turns, we should be deeper into the Great Wall."
"What's with this place?" Cera growled.
"This make no sense." Petrie said. "Oh, did me somehow give bad suggestion earlier?"
"You didn't. It's more what you didn't do." Ruby said. "Something strange is going on. How do these strange tunnels keep branching? The mountains can only be so – oh."
The group stopped. The tunnel started to curve upward. Ruby sent Chomper a questioning look.
"Does the tunnel go back down at some point or does it keep going up?" she asked.
Chomper sniffed. "It keeps going up."
"We're going back." Littlefoot whirled around, cutting through his friends the way they came. "We need to retrace our route and get a better grounding for where we are."
Reluctantly, the gang followed him back across level ground and uphill. They were all disgruntled. As they went uphill, Littlefoot considered what other tunnel routes might be the best option. Then the ground abruptly levelled off and his friends gasped. They didn't go back any farther than a longneck's length when they came around another cross-path, with five tunnels this time. Petrie's gaze darted about, confounded and a bit scared.
"No way." Cera said. "We would have noticed if there were some tunnels behind us at that last turn."
"Did anyone look back and notice tunnels back here?" Petrie said.
"No, I did not see anything at all." Ducky looked back. "And there is only one tunnel in front now!"
Littlefoot and the others started and turned around. Indeed, there was only one tunnel ahead of them curving down. Moreover, the cross-path didn't look like the one they passed through earlier, with the light level darker and the rock texture more scuffed on the ground and walls. Chomper's pants came harsh.
"We definitely should have noticed that!" he said.
"Where are we?" Petrie said. "Me didn't see crack with light coming back up. It no take long to get back here either."
Spike gasped as he appeared to realize this and he looked about, attempting to find anything familiar. Ruby gripped her head.
"It is like the tunnels are changing as we go along!" she said.
"We're lost." Chomper threw up his hands. "How can we ever hope to get out?"
"Now let's calm down." Littlefoot said. "We should think carefully."
"How can we?" Petrie demanded. "We know this should no be possible."
"We shouldn't get carried away. If we just sit down and…"
Littlefoot trailed off. He stared at Petrie, then at Ruby, a few details clicking together. He didn't want to consider it but there was no other answer.
"Maybe that isn't so impossible now," he murmured at last.
"What isn't impossible?" Cera asked.
"The tunnels changing around us." Littlefoot said. "We know the environment has been changed before in the last few days. Petrie and Ruby know who's been doing that."
Puzzled, Petrie and Ruby thought over who Littlefoot might be referring to. Their eyes widened.
"The who you're referring to is Don." Ruby said.
Littlefoot nodded. "We know with Don it's possible to change the weather and from how Cera and Chomper described it, the pit Wing Father and Verter made their parents fight in wasn't natural. What if Wing Father or the Anchors are moving the tunnels as we go along so we can't get to the cave?"
The others inhaled with shock. Ducky jumped up on Spike. Cera looked about suddenly, as though expecting the tunnels to rearrange around them in front of their eyes. Petrie touched a shaking hand to his beak.
"That must be it," he said. "The way these tunnels go would make no sense if they were natural."
"So we are being led in circles?" Ducky asked.
Cera groaned. "We are so screwed. How do we get out of this if the tunnels constantly move around us?"
Silence followed. Ruby looked a combination of fearful and resigned. Littlefoot kicked himself for not realizing the tunnels were changing sooner. With all the other impossible things happening lately, he should have considered it. The gang was scared and dejected. If they pleased, Wing Father or the Anchors could keep them wandering these tunnels forever, forgetting what the outside world looked like. Growing hungry, the gang might turn on each other. Chomper shuffled anxiously, obviously imagining how his diet might play in such a scenario. Littlefoot didn't want any of that to happen, especially after he and his friends patched up their relationship. Spike went over and nudged Chomper, trying to be reassuring. Petrie sat on Cera's frill, tapping his chin, desperate to think up an idea. His gaze fell on Spike and Chomper and he cried out.
"What if we sniff our way out?" he said.
"Huh?" Ducky and her brother exchanged confused looks. "What do you mean?"
"Spike and Chomper with us." Petrie started flying in a circle, excited. "They best sniffers in valley. Maybe they able to detect changes in air currents, so we follow that until we find way out."
"That sounds like a big ask." Chomper said, unsure. "Can I pick up such small smells…?"
"Petrie has a point." Ruby said, smiling. "Whenever your and Spike's noses were determined to find something, they found it. Your noses helped us a lot on our adventures. If we can move fast, you and Spike can help us quickly find a way out."
Cera perked up. "I guess we can work with that."
"I know we can." Ducky said, smiling down. "You can do it Spike."
Spike stepped in place doubtfully before a smile split his muzzle and he grunted eagerly. Chomper fidgeted.
"You think I can do it?" he asked. "Well, if you insist…"
Cera nudged him. "We do. You uncovered what happened to Mr. Clubtail, right?"
Chomper stared at her and all the other encourages faces. Appearing to remember what he vowed earlier, he nodded determinedly. He and Spike started sniffing, moving to opposite sides of the gang, circling around and out in a spiral formation. They had greater looks of concentration than Littlefoot had ever seen. Their noses nearly bumped into each other as they met together and finally looked at the far left tunnel. Nodding to each other, Chomper pointed.
"That way," he said.
The gang didn't question it. They immediately ran, following the pair. A part of Littlefoot hesitated, since that tunnel would lead them further into the mountain but reminded himself that one's instinctual sense of direction no longer worked here. Now with a lead, they found the energy to move quickly. In their sniffing strategy Spike and Chomper led them to another cross-path. The pair sniffed on the run. Littlefoot rarely saw them move so quickly, usually having to slow and pause to regain the scent. But Spike and Chomper unhesitatingly led the gang through the center tunnel.
The tunnel curved downward, so steep they slid down. The gang yelped and stumbled but soon adapted, directing themselves around thorns and big rocks. Whoever was changing the tunnels must have realized that making the tunnel a slide only helped the gang, for it abruptly levelled off. They fell off their feet briefly before scrambling up and resuming their quick pace.
The tunnel turned around and became wiggly, forcing them to make harsh turns at each bend, like they were traveling in the outline of a water wave. At the third cross-path since starting the sniffing strategy, there were six tunnels, half on cliffs with paths leading up to them. Spike and Chomper led the gang into a rightward tunnel, becoming exhausted by the constant running.
"Are we almost there yet?" Cera panted.
"Maybe!" Chomper cried, sniffing again. "The way the air moved kept changing but it's stable now!"
They soon rushed into a large cave, bulgy and twisted like it had only just been finished. There were no tunnels visible. For a second, Littlefoot feared they took a wrong turn. Then Spike sniffed and scampered ahead, and the others followed. Turning around a rocky protrusion, they found him jerking his head to a small tunnel on the right side of the cave. Daylight shone at the end. The gang cried out in joy and relief. Then the tunnel slowly seemed to shrink.
"That doesn't look good." Ruby said tremulously.
Littlefoot panicked. "Quick, go, go, go!"
The gang shot into it. The tunnel shook as it shrank around them, making them trip, debris knocking onto their heads and backs. Parts of the floor cracked. Ducky clung onto Spike, eying the descending ceiling warily but not wanting to be left behind by getting off. Chomper scrambled on all fours, accidentally hitting his snout against the ground and yelping at a bruise but didn't slow down. No one stopped if they got hurt. Every step mattered. The light resolved into clear, blue sky. Three-quarters through, the tunnel became so low Ruby and Littlefoot had to duck their heads to avoid bumping against the ceiling. Cera panted, eying the tunnel with barely disguised panic.
"We have to make it," she said. "We have to make it!"
Several yards from the end, the tunnel pressed into their sides and feet. They had to squeeze and shuffle to get through. Littlefoot and the others slowed, shoving rocks and breaking protrusions with their shoulders to keep going. Petrie flew ahead, circling outside briefly before beckoning his friends onward.
"Almost there!" he called. "Almost there!"
Spike pattered to the exit. The light almost vanished out-of-view around him but he squeezed and toppled out. Ducky looked a bit squashed atop him but was otherwise relieved. Chomper was the third to hop out, looking up and barely scrambling out of the way as Littlefoot scraped himself through and tumbled down. Cera pulled halfway through, got stuck but with Spike's teeth tugging on her forefoot, popped herself free. Cera whimpered from some scratches but all attention turned to Ruby. She climbed into the light, having to press her gangly body together to be able to move through a tunnel now barely wider than her. Her breathing became constricted.
"Come on, Ruby!" Chomper said.
He and Littlefoot grabbed Ruby's arms. They pulled hard. Ruby thrusted and groaned to shove herself free. Spike and Cera jumped in to help. It was hard to make her inch forward. Her breath gained a wheezing edge. For a moment, Littlefoot feared it was too late and they were going to watch their friend get crushed. Some hollow kicks echoed in the shrinking tunnel and Ruby pushed herself out but not before a cry of pain. She fell onto her friends. They looked up just in time to see the tunnel narrow rapidly to a stick point and disappear into the wall.
Next time…
Part 2
Note: Part 2 will be posted next Friday.