A.N: To artist seeking money from for their art, please leave the comment section open for discussions about the story only and don't private message me for I will most likely not respond. Thank you.
Chapter Seven:
Beauty and the Beast
Standing only a few feet apart, both had to make a choice, decide whether to get better acquainted or separate for good. Tyrannosaurus Rex was only interested in seeing and training his heir. Ruby wanted to be true to Chomper and try to get him back, even if that meant being nice to Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"So, are you going to kill me?"
"No, are you going to kill me?" Tyrannosaurus Rex asked cautiously, looking the weapons over. "Where did you get those? I've never seen anything like them."
"They're from your Sky-Being parents."
"Sky-Beings?"
"There's is a lot about your past you don't remember do you, your past seems to have faded away?"
"Yes, I recall only insignificant things. But things that were important to Chomper. That's how I knew you liked sweet bubbles."
"Well, until you learn about Chomper, I can't expect you to be like him. Though, the children will expect him to be that way. Tell you what? I'll tell you everything about Chomper, then, you pretend to be him and only then will be able to see the children. Sound fair."
"Okay, I can pretend to be simple."
The days to follow, Ruby took long strolls with Tyrannosaurus Rex, telling him of Chomper's first moments on earth.
"Wait, I hatched in the Great Valley, among leafeaters?"
"Yes, you knew how to speak leafeater before you spoke sharptooth. You taught me how to speak sharptooth."
There was so much about himself that Tyrannosaurus Rex could hardly fathom. Chomper was friends with leafeaters, many of his friends still residing in the Great Valley. Then there was having two sets of parents; the Sky-Beings and the sharpteeth.
"What are, Sky-Beings?"
"They appear as rainbow-faces, so, to be honest, even I don't know, know their appearance I never will."
There it was her odd speech. "How did I become a mix of two creatures?"
"The same way the egg is a mix of you and I." Ruby carried the egg with her that day.
"Wait, that egg if really yours and I-I..." He trailed off. "It makes no sense."
"Many things with your Sky-Beings parents can be difficult to imagine or understand."
"Fastrunner, was that why Chomper was so different?"
Ruby nodded. "Yes."
Tyrannosaurus Rex felt a bit of sympathy for Chomper in that moment. "Despite how the world treated him, he never lost sight of himself. He was kind when others were rude, caring when others were careless. No wonder I'm a monster in comparison." His looked at Ruby. "Do you fear me?"
"Chomper asked me the very thing many times. And every time he asked, I'd say 'no, never.'" Ruby replied. "I don't trust you yet, but I'm sorry for calling you a monster. I just wanted to hurt you; make you feel bad was my goal. Chomper would be disappointed in me for that."
"I deserved it. I was rude, mean to you. I'm sorry, fastrunner."
"You can call me Ruby; Ruby is my name."
"No, not yet."
Day in and day out, Ruby did her best not to be mad at Tyrannosaurus Rex, for he couldn't help who he was, or that he was in the body of the one she loved. It took her time to separate him from Chomper, telling herself they were two completely different beings, no matter how badly she wished Tyrannosaurus Rex was more like Chomper. The time she wished he was Chomper, was the night that the egg hatched. Within the home, Screech, Thud, Rodney, Trudy, Fang and Claw gathered around the nest, eager to see the new baby.
Crack!
Ruby lifted the shell, finding something amazing. A set of red eyes stare back at her, reminding her of Chomper. Once the shell and embryo was removed, Ruby found the baby was bigger than a fastrunner, yet was the color of blue, the same as her father.
"Aww! So cute!" Claw shouted. "What is it mommy?"
"A girl, welcome your new little sister, Star." Ruby knelt for Fang and Claw to see their little sister.
Rodney started to cry, leaning into Trudy. Screech and Thud shared a warm smile, happy to see the new member of their pack, their new family. Ruby rocked Star back and forth, laying her down in the small nest to sleep, tucking Fang and Claw into their own nests.
"Mommy, why hasn't daddy returned yet?" Fang asked. "Does he not want to be with us?"
"Your father will return when he returns." Ruby comforted her. "Trust me, he'll be back sooner than you know it."
"I hope so, I can barely remember him." Claw put in.
"Don't worry, I'm always here for you, along with your grandparents, and uncles."
Kissing each of them, Ruby went to her own room, seeing Star slumber away. "If only you could see this, Chomper. I miss you."
Ruby curled into bed and shut her eyes, knowing she had to do all she could to enlighten Tyrannosaurus Rex, and get Chomper back.
Time passed and Tyrannosaurus Rex felt his eyes had been opened to something special, something he couldn't believe. Yes, Chomper lived an unconventional lifestyle Tyrannosaurus Rex never would've, yet, Chomper's life had been filled with adventure, friendship, and most importantly, love. Love was something Tyrannosaurus Rex never thought about or believed he'd find for himself. In a way, he envied Chomper for having something he never would, a loving mate, a family. It was then, Tyrannosaurus Rex began to wonder about the fastrunner, look forward to their talks. When he waited for her to arrive, he decided to pick some flowers, doing what the pair of fast bitters suggested, give her a gift.
"Tyrannosaurus Rex?" Ruby called.
"Fastrunner!" Behind him, Tyrannosaurus Rex couldn't keep his tail from sweeping back and forth with excitement.
Ruby appeared and saw him. "Whoa, what has that tail of your's going?"
"Nothing, here!" He passed her the flowers and grabbed ahold of his tail.
"Oh, thank you." She sniffed them and looked up at him. "What is this for?"
"Well, instead of saying it, I think this is what Chomper might do."
Tyrannosaurus Rex:
"I once thought of love as a prison,
A place I didn't want to be,
So long ago, I made a decision,
To be footloose and fancy free,
But you came and I was so tempted,
To gamble on love just one time,
I never thought I would get caught,
It seemed like the perfect crime,
Baby you left me defenseless,
I've only got one plea,
Lock me away inside of your love, and throw away the key,
I'm guilty,
Of Love in the First Degree,
I thought it would be so simple,
Like a thousand times before,
I'd take what I wanted and just walk away,
But I never made it that far,
Now babe, I'm not begging for mercy,
Go ahead and shoot your arrows at me,
If loving you's crime,
I know that I'm as guilty as a male can be,
Baby you left me defenseless,
I've only got one plea,
Lock me away inside of your love, and throw away the key,
I'm guilty,
Of Love in the First Degree,
(Love in the first degree)
Oh, yeah, oh yeah,
Baby you left me defenseless,
I've only got one plea,
Lock me away inside of your love, and throw away the key,
I'm guilty,
Of love in the first degree,
(Love in the first degree)
Oh, yeah, oh yeah,
(Love in the first degree)
Oh, yeah,
(Love in the first degree)
Ruby was speechless, unable to believe what Tyrannosaurs Rex was saying, er, singing. Did he really grow to care about her, had she grown to care for him? Yes, they talked, shared many things, yet he was still different than Chomper. It was all very confusing.
"I umm, well, I gotta go check on something."
In a cloud of dust, she was gone. "That didn't go like I thought."
"Well, Second Boss, Chomper might've sung to her, but I doubt he'd compare love to prison." Screech pointed out. "That ain't much of a turn on for the ladies."
"Yeah, you have to be soft, tender, not like that." Thud added. "We agreed to help you, but now it's time you take our advice instead of brushing us off."
"Okay, fine, what would Chomper do?"
While Screech and Thud gave Tyrannosaurus Rex more information on Chomper, Ruby went to see her kids and parents. When she wasn't teaching Tyrannosaurus Rex about his past, she was with them.
"Ruby, you're back early, early you've returned." Trudy commented.
"Yes, well, umm, I wanted to be with you guys today."
"Ruby, why are you lying to me?"
"How did you guess?"
"Well, you're holding what remains of a bouquet of flowers, running here no doubt. What happened?"
"Oh, mother, I'm confused."
Ruby looked over at their young. Fang was growing and turned three, while Claw was two. Why, even the egg hatched. Ruby saw the baby fastrunner/sharptooth hybrid. It was a girl, fastrunner in appearance, yet was the color blue, like her father. Ruby called her Star, the child who came from the stars.
"So much time has come and gone. I wonder if Chomper will ever come back." Ruby found herself pouring her heart out. "What if I never see him again?"
"Ruby, you have a male who is here for you now. Yes, Tyrannosaurus isn't Chomper, yet, he is in some way. If you find your heart cares for him, it's worth a chance. But if you feel it can't last, let him know, don't drag it out."
"It's hard, in my heart I know he isn't Chomper, yet he's shown a different side, changed. It would be cruel not to try, right?"
"Do what your heart tells you."
Ruby had to go and be with her thoughts, standing high atop the cliffside of the island, able to see out into the Big Water. The sea air hit her face, smelling of salt. With a sigh, she sat and thought deeply. Her love for Chomper was strong and she would cherish all they went through, from children to adults. However, if Tyrannosaurus Rex was going to stay and be in control of Chomper's mortal body, she would have to choose on whether to accept him as more than a friend. Still, it was hard to let go of Chomper, to accept he was gone.
