A.N: Due to scams online, if you are an artist seeking money and private message me, I will not respond. Thank you and enjoy the story.

Chapter Sixteen:

Remember Me

The three children and Rex entered the sandy beach, being followed and surrounded by a pack of raptors, along with a pair of sharpteeth. Rex growled and tried to stay between the danger and the kids, who saw their boards, trying to figure out whether to bolt for them or that trust Rex would protect them.

"Kids, stay close!" Rex shouted.

"Claw, we need to stay with Rex." Star translated so Claw would understand what was being said between them.

"Between the flesh eating sharpteeth and him, I'll take my chances with him." Claw was gutsy, yet even he knew they'd go from him over either of his sisters.

Fang was almost the size of the fast-bitters, counting six in total, too many for her to take on alone. The pair of sharpteeth attacked Rex, leaving the kids unprotected, or so they thought. The pack surrounded them, hissing and snarling to intimidate them. Fang held a cool expression while Star raised her hands, throwing them out to send one member into a set of other, lowering their opponents to half, Fang going for the three. All the while, Claw shook, froze where he was, unable to move a muscle.

"Claw!" Star grabbed and lifted a fast bitter who leaped at her brother, sending the fast bitter into the big water. "We have to go, come on!"

Fang ducked and hit her fine into the male above her, spinning and slapping the second with her tail, seeing all were down by this point and knowing it was time to fall back. As they went to the land path, the fast bitters were up and going after them. Trapped on the small second of land, Fang stood to shield her younger siblings.

"What do you want with us? Why are you here?" Fang asked.

"Well, we were here to kill the Alpha, but instead we find you, his children. Word spread that they had a hybrid child, but not another heir."

"What's he saying?" Claw wondered.

"Don't worry, it doesn't involve you." Star said.

"You can't kill my father."

"Doubtful-"

From behind the kids, Screech and Thud leaped into the pack, taking them on without fear. Fang wasted no time in grabbing her brother and sister, slowing moving back toward the island, torn on whether to stay or take them home. Her gaze spotted something moving in the water, heading to the beach where Rex was struggling to keep up with the two who tagged teamed in attacking him. Rex's legs shook, blood dripping from the wounds he received from the pair, one resting while the other came at him. Unfortunate for Rex, he didn't have time to catch his breath and was slowly wearing down. With a roar, he shoved the male back, huffing and seeing him laugh.

"When all this is done, you'll wish you'd join us instead of being loyal to that wimp of an Alpha."

"I think it's you who will regret not being loyal. Who are you pledging yourself to then?"

"Someone far greater than the cowardly sharptooth. His name is-"

A beam of bright blue light shot out and consumed the guy, Rex sent back by the powerful gust that spread out. Tossed to the ground, he turned to the big water as someone sprang out of it, leaping and tackling the second sharptooth. From his back, a fastrunner appeared, raising her bow and shooting at the pack that attempted to attack her young.

"Miss Alpha?" Rex asked with hesitation.

"Rex, good to see you, to see you again warms my heart. Though I wish the circumstances were better, under better conditions I wish it would be for this interaction."

"Is-is that the Alpha?" Rex saw Chomper hold the guy down, punching him across the face a few times.

"Yup, we're together again."

"Wonderful!" Rex rose and lowered for her to get on, leaving the male to Chomper and going to help Ruby's pair of fast bitter friends.

One the land path, Screech saw the kids didn't run home. "Thud, get the kids back to the island!"

"But-"

"Go, I go this. Mrs. Boss and that random guy, are coming to help."

Thud nodded and darted back, going to usher the kids toward the island. Screech was holding his own well, till a he felt a talon cut across his leg, dropping him. Under the bombarded of teeth and claws, Screech tried to shield himself.

"Screech!"

Ruby and Rex got to the small group, Ruby cutting her way through as Rex grabbed a fast bitter in his jaw, tossing the limp body away. Ducking as a claw slashed her way, Ruby cut the fast-bitter several times before sweeping past the dropping body to fight another. When all were cleared away, Ruby knelt and looked Screech over, who coughed of blood, was covered in great gashes, wounds that Ruby was unsure if she could heal.

"Chomper!" Ruby called, seeing he was still fighting the sharptooth.

The male was pinned below the evolved form of Chomper, who held him tightly. "Who set you?"

"Wow, you're stronger that I thought."

"Tell me who sent you?" Chomper lifted and slammed his head back into the sand. "Why are you here?"

"All I can tell you is we won't stop coming, we will never stop trying to find you."

"Well, maybe I can get more info out of the next guy, maybe he'll be smarter than you." Chomper rose and lifted his mighty foot, slamming it onto the guy's chest, digging his claws in as he heard the guy wheeze. "Still won't talk?"

"No-no!" The guy sputtered as blood dripped from his muzzle.

"Very well, then I'm sorry for this."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No." Chomper grabbed and lifted the guy, spinning and tossing him into the water. "I hope you can swim."

"Chomper!"

Hearing Ruby, Chomper moved with speed to get to her side. What he saw was Ruby, who did all she could to stop the bleeding, Screech laying still in a pool of blood.

"Screech!" Chomper changed sized and Rex's jaw dropped, watching as Chomper leaned over Screech. "Don't worry, I'll have you healed in no time."

"Chomper..."

"No, no, Ruby, I got this." Chomper lifted Screech, wondering why he wasn't moving, was so still. "I can heal him, I can save him."

Chomper:

"Flower gleam and glow,

Let your power shine,

Save what has been lost,

Bring back what once was mine,

What once was mine."

Tears ran down and fell on Screech's body, yet the healing didn't happen, nothing happened. Chomper shook his head, couldn't accept it, no, Screech couldn't be gone, he was a fighter.

"Chomper, I'm sorry, he's gone." Ruby lay her hand on Chomper's trembling shoulders. "You did what you could, we did what we could."

"What will we tell Thud?" Chomper's voice trembled.

"The truth." Ruby added.

Rex lifted Screech from Chomper's grasp, the three making their way quietly to the island. When they reached it, they saw the entire family had gather to wait for them, Thud stepping forward and looking for Screech.

"Everyone okay?" Thud asked.

"Thud, I-I'm sorry." Chomper swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm so sorry."

Rex approached Thud, carrying Screeched lifeless form. All were silent, watching Thud go to touch Screech with a trembling hand, taking Screech's clawed hand to squeeze it, receiving no response. His eyes teared up, Thud hugging Screech and longing, whishing he'd embrace him back, knowing it would never happen.

"Uncle Screech, is he, dead?" Claw asked.

"Yes, dear, he'd gone." Ruby went to comfort her children, Star burying her face into her mother.

"Poor uncle Screech." She sobbed.

"There, there, he's not in pain anymore." Ruby patted Star's back.

Fang turned to Claw. "This is all your fault!"

"Me, what did I do?" He signed and asked.

"You goateed us into going to the beach, you got in trouble, you killed uncle Screech! His blood is on your hands, his death is your fault. You always wanted to be a predator, well, congratulations. Today's your lucky day, you're a monster!" Fang screamed.

"Fang, stop!" Chomper held her back, seeing her get closer and closer to the cowering Claw.

"But it is his fault!" She shoved Chomper back and in his tinier form, he was sent tumbling along the earth. Gasping and regretting her actions, she rushed to him. "Father, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me!" Breaking down, she sobbed, Chomper taking her in his hold, rocking her tenderly.

"It's okay, we've all been through a lot today." He said soothingly.

Ruby took the children home, Chomper lifting Screech and carrying the body back so they could prepare it for burial. They made a basket and placed flowers in it, Chomper, Ruby, her parents, and Thud carried it to the beach, wading into the water. From the shoreline the kids watched, Claw trembling as he tried to hold back his tears. Star wept and Fang took her hand.

In the water, the five let the basket sink, the body going down with it. "Goodbye, Screech, my friend, my brother." Chomper saw his reflection disturbed as the body slowly sank.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you." Ruby placed her face in her hand, guilt sweeping over her. Her parents comforted her, taking her back to shore.

Thud waited till he could no longer see Screech, looking at Chomper. "Don't feel bad, he wanted to die an honorable death." With a half smile, Thud continued. "His worst fear was growing so old that he couldn't mov and would starve to death."

"I'm sorry, Thud, I'm so sorry."

"You know, we did a lot of bad things when working with Red Claw. We killed so many, took from the innocent, showed no mercy. We were rotten creatures who didn't deserve a second chance at happiness, who didn't even deserve to live." Thud swallowed hard, trying to continue without breaking. "Yet, when working with you, we found joy, we found meaning in our lives. Thank you, thank you for giving us, for giving him that chance."

Chomper said nothing, simply hugging Thud, who cried softly, grieving for his lost love. It was something Chomper couldn't imagine, making keeping his family safe all the more important. For the loss of Screech, felt like a piece of himself had been torn away, never to hear or be replaced by another.

The kids stood and saw Thud come back, looking out to the Big Water. What really got to everyone, was what followed next.

Thud:
"Remember me,
Tough I have to say goodbye,
Remember me,
Don't let it make you cry,
For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart,
I sing a secret song to you, each night we are apart,
Remember me,
Though I have to travel far,
Remember me,
Each time you hear a sad note,
Know that I'm with you in the only way I can be,
Until I hold you in my arms again,
Remember me."

Thud's voice shook, the tune was a song Screech sang to the kids, to him when they parted for a hunt. It was both romantic, yet tragic, for no matter what, Thud would never forget his partner, Screech, the sarcastic fast-bitter.