As the fires continued to spread, what they left behind was nothing but charred earth and blacked trees now bare and brittle. Cole watched alongside Littlefoot, Ducky, Spike, and Petrie while Grandma Longneck watched above.
"I hope your grandfather found Cera and her father.", Cole said turning to Littlefoot, "Sure Tops can be a pain sometimes, but even he doesn't deserve death."
Littlefoot silently agreed though he was worried too. Then, the sound of thunderous steps caught their ears. Cole turned with Littlefoot to see Grandpa Longneck showing up with Mr. Tops and Cera.
"Well, I guess he was successful."
Grandpa Longneck came up to Grandma Longneck and she looked more at ease.
"You made it.", she said with relief, "I was so worried."
They shared a nuzzle as Grandpa Longneck looked her way smiling.
"I'm fine dear. Really.", he answered her, "How is everyone else?"
"We all got here safely.", Grandma Longneck answered, "Thanks to Littlefoot and Cole."
Cole took a moment to go up to Tops and Cera and gently pat Tops' front leg gaining the older three horn's attention. It was only a glance, but Cole could tell he was reconsidering what he had said earlier before he left with Cera and rejoined the gang.
"Oh yes, thanks to Littlefoot and Cole.", Ducky said cheerfully.
Cole looked assured.
"We should all feel lucky to be alive."
"Lucky?", Mr. Tops asked, "How could you say we're lucky when our valley burns?"
He walked to the edge to overlook the valley now looking more in despair.
"We are without water and now we are without a home.", he continued, "All is lost."
Cole came up to him.
"Not necessarily.", he answered, "You're still here and are still here for Cera's care."
Mr. Tops looked Cole's way a bit understandingly and slowly seemed to be taking in what Cole had said.
"Oh, you are right.", he said before turning to Grandpa Longneck and recalled how he was saved, "Thank you long neck."
Grandpa Longneck looked assured, but voices rang out with the others.
"But the three horn speaks the truth!"
"We're doomed!"
"We'll never be able to go back to the great Valley!"
Needless to say, the gang didn't take this too well.
"Never go back to the Great Valley?", Ducky asked in shock, "Oh, no!"
Cole then looked awestruck.
"Wait, we forgot about telling them about what we found.", he told Littlefoot.
Littlefoot quickly caught on.
"Grandma, Grandpa, we found water!"
That got everyone's attention.
"Where Littlefoot?", Grandma Longneck asked.
"It's stuck.", Littlefoot answered.
The rest of the gang joined in also.
"Behind the Thundering Falls.", Petrie added.
"The flying rocks did it.", Cera concluded.
"They did.", Ducky finished.
/
Cole looked firm.
"The water has been dammed in the Mysterious Beyond."
That got the adults talking again.
"The Mysterious Beyond?"
"We can't go there."
"It's dangerous."
Mr. Tops had regained his nerve and was coming forward looking sure.
"Of course it's dangerous.", he stated firmly, "But no place is safe now. We must go and free the water."
Cole leaned close to Cera.
"Geez, and I thought Denethor was desperate."
Cera looked curious.
"Who?", she asked.
"Someone who was very much like your father is now.", Cole answered, "Had good intentions, but he got carried away and did some things he probably shouldn't have."
Before Cera could answer, Grandpa Longneck spoke up.
"But such a huge gathering place of water could attract other creatures besides ourselves.", he stated, "In the Mysterious Beyond, there will be sharpteeth."
Spike looked alarmed and rammed his head into the ground and Ducky looked like she agreed.
"I do not like sharpteeth.", she said plainly, "Their teeth are too sharp."
"Still, we must do something.", Grandma Longneck said putting her opinion forward, "We must come up with a plan to free the water."
"I agree.", Cole answered coming forward, "Any ideas?"
"I have a plan.", Mr. Tops answered.
A clubtail looked annoyed.
"I hope it's better than your fire escape plan.", he grumbled.
Mr. Tops looked his way growling and Cole frowned.
"Please, this is not the time to argue.", he said firmly.
Mr. Tops got up in the clubtail's face.
"At least I have a plan.", he sneered.
The clubtail growled back and Grandma Longneck suddenly stepped between them.
Stop it, you're acting like children.", she said firmly.
Cole rolled his eyes.
"Great, Tops is going to get everyone going and soon it will be like that meeting with Elrond.", he muttered.
Nobody heard him as Petrie said something not that the adults were listening.
"Hah, we no act like that.", he scoffed.
Needless to say, Cole was right as more adults kept talking over one another about their ideas not knowing that Hyp, Mutt, and Nod were above listening in and clearly heard the whole thing.
"I'd sure like to get to that water first before those dummies go slobbering in it.", Hyp said firmly.
Nod looked unsure.
"But you heard the grown-ups, Hyp.", he stated, "What about sharpteeth?"
/
Hyp didn't look so moved. He took one look at his charred fingers and the memory of Cole's necklace made him all the more angry.
"What about 'em?", he asked.
Nod looked unsure as he turned to Mutt.
"You tell him Mutt."
Mutt looked surprised, but started talking anyway.
"Well, uh… they're bad. Yeah, and… and scary too.", he answered before noticing Hyp counting on his fingers, "Come on, you're just afraid of 'em as we are."
Hyp's anger rose as Cole's words echoed in his ears.
"I have seen real bullies Hyp, and compared to them, you're just pathetic. A real clown in my eyes."
Hyp suddenly looked Mutt's face coldly.
"Me?", he answered, "I'm not afraid of anything."
Nod suddenly looked firm himself.
"Bet you are!", he countered.
"Bet I'm not!", Hyp told him just as firm.
"You were afraid of those big flying rocks.", Nod pointed out.
Hyp thought of an excuse quickly to try and cover up his insecurity.
"I was not. I just… I just ran cause you guys did. I… I didn't want to look stupid."
Mutt looked unsure, but Nod had clearly found his nerve.
"Well then, prove it!", he challenged.
Hyp slapped on his arrogant smile.
"All right, I will.", he said before heading off, "I'm getting me some tasty water, and you babies can stay here."
Nod and Mutt took a moment to talk among themselves.
"Well, I'm not a baby.", Nod said.
"Yeah, me neither.", Mutt agreed.
Nod and Mutt then turned and followed Hyp.
"Hey Hyp, wait up.", Nod called.
"Yeah, for us.", Mutt added.
Cole was by now looking annoyed again and was taking a break from all the arguing the adults were doing and joined the gang as they were then looking up to see the bullies heading off.
"They are so dumb.", Cera stated, "Didn't they hear what the grown-ups said about sharpteeth?"
"I guess not.", Littlefoot answered.
Cole sighed heavily.
"Teenagers.", he said plainly, "They think they know everything. You give them an inch, they walk all over you."
Cera clearly wasn't in a forgiving mood as she turned away.
"Well, if they get eaten, it'll just serve them right."
Ducky didn't look like she agreed.
"Cera, that is not nice."
"I don't care.", Cera answered, "They deserve it."
/
Cole didn't look so sure.
"Cera, I know that Hyp, Mutt, and Nod are bothersome, but taking a life will not take away the pain."
Littlefoot also looked unsure.
"I don't know.", he said, "Maybe we should do something."
Cole raised an eyebrow.
"And what would you suggest?", he asked.
Littlefoot looked thoughtful as the gang followed him and Cole.
"Like… tell their parents where they went?", he suggested.
Cera frowned.
"All of our parents are too busy arguing.", she pointed out.
Sure enough, as Cole and the gang passed, they could hear the adults arguing and clearly they were not going to be listening anytime soon.
"Your plan is too dangerous."
"Yours is no better."
"Then listen to mine."
"Yours? Don't be silly."
By the time they got to the side that led to where Hyp's group headed out, Littlefoot looked more sure.
"Then… maybe we should stop them."
Cole raised an eyebrow as the gang started voicing opinions.
"Stop them?", Cera asked.
"Us?", Petrie asked.
"They hate us.", Ducky stated, "They will not listen."
Littlefoot looked a bit hurt as Cole voiced his own opinion.
"Guys, I know they're bigger."
"But definitely not smarter.", Cera stated firmly, "Besides, Cole is just as big as they are."
Cole looked firm.
"Guys, I agree with Littlefoot.", he stated.
"But why?", Petrie asked.
Cole took a breath before he started a song with Littlefoot.
"They have feelings just like we do.", Littlefoot sang, "They have problems too."
"You think because they're big, they don't.", Cole sang, "But they do."
He and Littlefoot started up the path with the gang slowly following as they continued.
"They're louder and they're stronger.", Littlefoot sang on.
"And they make a bigger fuss.", Cole sang after.
"But way down deep inside, I think they're kids like us.", Littlefoot concluded.
Soon, the rest of the gang was following as Cole sang the next line.
"They have parents just like ours who tell them what to do."
"They have feet and tails and horns and scales and noses too.", Littlefoot sang after, "And when the earth is shaking, they run and hide because."
He and Cole jumped on a rock that was nearby and it made a small rock slide that made the others cringe a bit.
"Even if they think they're tough.", Cole sang when the others recovered, "They're still kids like us."
/
Even though Cole and Littlefoot's song was making a point, the others didn't seem to agree completely.
"It's just too dangerous, Littlefoot.", Cera pointed out.
"Yes, it is.", Ducky agreed.
"And they're too mean.", Cera added.
"Very, very mean.", Petrie put in.
Cole sighed, but looked firm as he and Littlefoot kept singing.
"Maybe when you're bigger, you think you should pretend.", Littlefoot sang, "You're not afraid of scary things, that you don't need a friend."
Cole took a moment to look down at the grownups still looking like they were still arguing and then rejoined the group.
"But they're just kids in trouble.", he sang, "They need someone to trust."
Littlefoot looked his way smiling.
"If we can bring them home."
"Show them, they're not alone.", Cole added.
"That they're just kids.", Littlefoot said before turning to the others.
This time, the whole group except Spike sang the last line.
"Kids like us."
Once they were done, Cole looked more assured as he touched the amber around his neck.
"Well Littlefoot, if you're going to stop them, I'm going too.", he said after putting a hand on Littlefoot's shoulder, "Besides, if you guys get in trouble, I want to be there to help get you out of it."
Littlefoot nodded and turned to the others.
"You guys do what you want."
He headed off with Cole right behind him. Cera looked at the ready and headed after them.
"Last one after Littlefoot and Cole's a scaredy-egg.", she said playfully.
"Me no scaredy-egg.", Petrie protested as he flew after them.
Ducky and Spike were right with him.
"Wait for us.", Ducky called out, "We are not scaredy-eggs either."
As the group got together, Cole looked thoughtful.
"Hey, you mind if I tell more of that prologue from last night?"
The gang nodded since it would pass the time and Cole took a breath before remembering.
"After Sauron fell, the stone passed on to the heir who had a chance to destroy evil, but the hearts of his kind are easily swayed and the Stone of Power has a will of its own. It betrayed the heir, to his death, and things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend, legend became myth, and for two and a half thousand years, the stone passed out of all knowledge. Until when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer. The stone came to the one called Gollum who took it deep within the Misty Mountains and there, it consumed him. For five hundred years, it poisoned his mind and in the gloom of his cave, it waited."
(A/N: I'd love to thank LORfan2187 and Ashoriotrey for the ideas used here (though Ash's idea was kind of altered if that's ok).