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Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I do not own The Land Before Time or any of its characters.

Chapter One: A Curious Star

Millions of years ago the land was lush and full of life. There were grand, misty forests, and shallow seas full of islands covering the surface. Different kinds of animals flourished within these environments. Among the largest were dinosaurs. There were many kinds of dinosaurs. Many ate plant life in the misty lands while some fed upon plant-eating dinosaurs. Then there were the dinosaurs, in between, eating both leaf and meat, not picky about the contents of their next meal.

It was a wonderful time with little change. The animals were flourishing. Many were in the process of hatching another generation. One such couple was an old pair of longnecks. They were only able to bring one egg into the world due to their advancing age. They made sure to pour all their love into raising her.

Throughout her childhood, she met many friends and traveled long distances within her homeland. She quickly found out making friends among the other herds was difficult, if not outright impossible. The herds rarely associated with each other and kept to themselves. One such failed encounter was with a threehorn. He was slightly older than her. Bigger too. He made sure no signs of friendship were possible with his rough demeanor.

"Threehorns never play with longnecks," growled the older threehorn.

"Why not?," she curiously asked.

The older threehorn didn't have an answer. Instead, he turned around to kick a bunch of dirt and dust into the young longneck's face. She was quite distraught that someone would treat her that way. Her parents gave her some comfort after the threehorn stomped away with an attitude.

As she grew from a child into a young adult, she met with more of her kind, eventually meeting up with a male longneck who she couldn't keep her eyes off of. He was about her age and was attempting to push down a large tree to show off. Quite a few longnecks were watching. He wasn't strong enough to pull it off and instead made a fool of himself when it snapped back into his face. The young female longneck thought it was cute and walked up to introduce herself.

"That was something," she replied.

"Are you here to make fun of me too?" he replied, quite embarrassed about his failed feat.

In the background, a gaggle of young female longnecks run off as they giggle at his antics.

"Oh no. I thought it was quite cute," she giggled.

The young longneck blushes as he stands up, trying to appear tall.

"I'm Littlefoot," he said while standing confidently.

"Littlefoot?" she asked.

She giggles at the name, considering his feet aren't so little by this stage of life. He notices and blushes out of embarrassment.

"I..I mean, it's what my folks call me," he quickly corrected. "My real name is Bron."

She giggles again and nudges up quite close as they take a walk into the early evening. As time passes, they're seen together more often. Her parents notice and approve of their budding friendship, potentially reminiscing of their own first meeting.

Sometime later, a new star appears in the night sky. It grows with intensity for months until it's able to be seen even during the late evening hours, as the sun sets. The dinosaur herds take notice. As spring approaches they view the growing new star as a good omen. As a bringer of light and as a sign of a prosperous spring, many couples among the herds have their courtship under it. Some have their very first. Bron and Littlefoot's mother dance around under the glow of the star in the late evening. In the background, Cera's father and Tria do the same. Citing the beauty of the star as the other stars and planets slowly shine into view.

The new star also brought strange new visitors who talk of a pristine valley surrounded by tall mountains far in the west. They try to tell other herds directly that it's a place where everyone gets along and is devoid of sharpteeth but are laughed off. Even Cera's father has to butt in and make himself heard about the absurdity of such a claim. Many individuals who cross paths with these newcomers witness weird mannerisms. One nosy clubtail reported a pair engaging in a strange dance with weighted vines. It was passed off as a rain dance due to storms passing through after the twirling. The other herds start to call the weird newcomers with strange stories and rituals, rainbowfaces. All due to the multicolored face they exhibit. Even so, the rainbowfaces have slightly succeeded in creating a new story about a mythical land in a deep valley far into the western horizon. It has stuck in the minds of those who listened. Every iteration builds upon the previous until it has reached just about everyone in a short period of time.

Another newcomer has also arrived. A vicious sharptooth. He followed the new star into the southeast in search of new hunting grounds. Through the few days of his first arrival, The Sharptooth successfully chases off any competing sharpteeth within a large area. He intends to dominate the area and keep all the resources to himself. Secondarily he hopes it lulls his prey into a false sense of security. One quiet evening, he observes in silence behind the treeline as the herds start up their early spring courtships to usher in a new generation of eggs. The Sharptooth thinks to himself how they don't have much longer until the peace is broken with the screams of the innocent. The rampage starts tonight.

The first victim is spotted in the distance. It's one of the longnecks on the fringes of the herd, Littlefoot's mother. The Sharptooth waits patiently until she's alone long enough for an ambush. She wanders away from the group for a quick snack before sleeping for the night. The Sharptooth lunges from out of the cover of the dark forest, mouth wide open with dagger-like teeth, aiming for her neck.

Then suddenly a brilliant flash brightens up the southeast horizon. It captures the attention of everyone. They all look to the southeast for the few minutes it lingers. Even The Sharptooth stops his attack to stare into the southeast horizon as the light fades away. As the others stare at the horizon, the rainbowfaces know it's time to hunker down. They start to run around as the intense auroras start. Littlefoot's mother realizes there's a massive sharptooth still staring her down as the sky dances with color.

"Mom! Dad! Bron!" she yells in a panic. "Somebody! A sharptooth is after me!"

The Sharptooth is annoyed that the flash interrupted his kill. Littlefoot's mother whips her attacker in the face with the tip of her tail. A loud, thunderous crack is heard. Bron and her parents attempt to block The Sharptooth in as they arrive. He decides to flee before the longnecks succeed in a sharptooth beat-down. The element of surprise has been lost. A large welt slowly appears under his right eye from the tail whip. He tries to rub the welt, but his arms are too short to do much good.

He saunters off into a canyon as the wind starts to dramatically pick up. He snaps at a few rainbowfaces running around in the night, looking for shelter, as they anticipate what's to come. Bron decides to stick around just in case The Sharptooth comes back. Her parents also stick close by just in case The Sharptooth decides to return for a midnight snack.

"Maybe I should stay with you tonight," Bron said.

"Yes, please stay," Littlefoot's mother pleaded. "There's an eerie feeling in the air and I wouldn't mind the company."

They settle in to watch the auroras until a cloud of dust and debris begins to obscure it. The strong breeze causes the trees to sway as if a storm is approaching. Strange lightning dances in the distance.

The rainbowfaces are making more of a commotion than they realize while running along their evacuation routes. It annoys Cera's father as the pitter-patter of their feet on the bare ground keeps him from sleeping. The panicked murmurs also don't help with the noise issue.

"What do you think you're doing so late at night?!" Cera's father growls.

The outburst scares the group of rainbowfaces.

"Our apologies, sir," a rainbowface quickly says. "We're just on our way to sleep ourselves."

"Well, does it need to include all the noise!" he growls, growing more agitated.

They quickly disappear as Cera's father shifts around into a better resting position, afraid he was going to charge after them with those massive horns. The outburst carries downwind and wakes up the longneck herd leader and a few in her vicinity, including Littlefoot's mom, grandparents and Bron.

"You're the one being loud!" a longneck yells out. It's the leader of the longneck herd.

"I wouldn't be loud if the rainbowfaces weren't acting like the annoying creatures they are!" he yells back.

"Sure, blame the smaller creatures while you snore like a sharptooth grinding their teeth on a tree every. single. night!" the longneck leader yells, trying to be louder than the threehorn.

"Well, nobody says you need to sleep next to my herd!" Cera's father replies, also trying to sound louder than the longneck herd leader.

The threehorn herd leader hears this screaming match in the distance and has enough of the commotion.

"Oh, would you two shut up before I come over there and stab the both of you!" she screams out.

As the yelling match continues, Bron notices the rainbowfaces running into a nearby canyon. They look panicked. He follows them into the canyon thinking it'll be a quick peek. Littlefoot's mother doesn't notice since she's dozing off. With one misstep, Bron accidentally slides into a hidden cave entrance as his head is turned the other way. It's darker than outside, so he can't see much. Ahead, in the cave, he spots a flash of color from a rainbowface. As Bron continues squeezing through the cavern, his eyes eventually adjust to the darkness. A slight blue glow is noticed up ahead. Bron slides along the wall, feeling the ground ahead, to make sure there aren't any more sudden drops.

While Bron is getting himself lost underground, the air outside of the cave starts to heat up to uncomfortable levels. Small fireballs, glowing like embers, fall from the sky like rain. They fly through leaves, leaving perfectly singed holes behind. These singed leaves flare up as more debris rains down. A curtain of hot fine sand comes down upon the whole area. It burns everything it touches, including exposed skin. The ground starts to violently shake as the debris cloud falls. The herds all wake up and panic as their bodies feel like they're on fire. They run around and trample whoever is in the way. The wildfires exploding into existence causes panic to spread. Landslides from the worldwide earthquake bury those too close to the cliffs. Screams of fear and pain ring out and echo off the nearby rock and canyon structures. Littlefoot's mother and grandparents meet up as they escape into a nearby canyon for shelter, their heads down to avoid the debris and smoke invading their nostrils. Bron is nowhere to be seen. Nearby, Cera's father is calling out for Tria in the chaos.

"Tria! Tria, where are you!" Cera's father desperately yells out.

"I'm over here, Topsy! This heat is so unbearable!" Tria replies as she coughs in the debris choked air.

Tria can be heard but can't be seen. The panicking herd keeps her from view. Cera's father is being pushed further along by his own herd. They refuse to change direction since they're trying to escape the blistering heat. The canyon has an overhang and they're trying to take shelter under it.

"I can't see you!" Cera's father yells out again. "Where are you!"

Tria could no longer be heard. Cera's father is forced to run along with the other threehorns to prevent himself from being trampled under the feet of his own kin.

In a cave high above the chaos, Pterano and his sister are watching the situation below them in horror as it plays out. They'd just arrived earlier in the day to take a quick break before continuing their worldly travels.

"I can't believe this is happening," Pterano gasps. "Did...did that flash in the distance cause all of this?"

His sister doesn't pay attention to his ramblings as she watches a few large dinosaurs attempt to flee. It doesn't do any good since they're on fire.

"Those poor creatures," she whispers in fear.

Pterano notices the distress on his sister's face and attempts to console her.

"At least we're relatively safe in this cave, sis."

They notice the debris curtain starts to infiltrate their shelter as they huddle together. The pair are forced to eventually back away from the entrance to escape the extreme heat, finding its way in. Petrie's mother notices the cave extends further than they realized.

"Pterano, look," Petrie's mother says while waving to the back of the cavern. "This cave drops into a deeper section."

Pterano peeks his head in to take a quick look.

"There seems to be a long tunnel under here," Pterano curiously said.

"Well, we traveled this far from home. We might as well explore a cave while we still can," Petrie's mother mumbled.

They drop into the deeper sections of the cave. It's noticeably cooler and damper compared to the outside world. There's a slight blue glow along the rock walls. Pterano picks at it and notices it still glows even while attached to his finger. Out of curiosity, he licks it. It grosses out his sister. She sticks her tongue out in disgust. Pterano also notices a patch of glowing mushrooms on the wall. He reaches out to also have a sample of the glowing fungi.

"Don't you even dare," she warns. "It's bad enough you licked the walls!"

Pterano sheepishly grins.

"Well, I didn't lick the walls. I licked my finger after touching them."

"Close enough," she said.

With nothing else to lose, they follow the glowing tunnels. Petrie's mom slaps Pterano with her wing whenever he attempts to sneak a forbidden snack.

On the other side of the cave system, Bron is still following the trail of the rainbowface he saw earlier. He's unaware of the horrors happening on the outside, other than the massive earthquake that passes through the area. He has to stop in order to regain his footing. A few small rocks tumble down from the shaking. A few pebbles bounce off the top of Bron's head. The narrow cave tunnel quickly opens up into an underground wonderland. He's amazed at all of the plant life growing all over. He's even more amazed that he can stand up all the way without hitting the roof. There's a stream trickling through with a small pond in the center, pooling up from a natural rock dam. The walls and ceiling are covered in glowing slime and fungi.

"All this time traveling through the area and I never knew this place existed?" Bron wonders aloud.

A rainbowface speaks up after hearing Bron talk to himself.

"This sunken grotto is our home. We kept it hidden so it wouldn't be overrun by the others. Now the secret is out…," the rainbowface blurts out in a dejected tone.

"Oh, sorry. I don't think anybody else followed me," Bron replies. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Regardless, it doesn't matter," the rainbowface sighed. "We'll be forced to share it with whoever else stumbles upon this place."

The ground violently shakes some more. A few rocks fall in the tunnel Bron just exited. Bron gazes at the ceiling with worry.

"What about the earthshakes?"

"Don't pay any mind to them. We're fine here," the rainbowface said with confidence.

Outside, chaos ensues. Those stuck in the canyon system back into the walls to avoid the last of the hot falling debris. They also dodge boulders that loosened up from the earthquakes rippling through the area. They threaten to cave in the dinosaurs' only shelter more than a few times. The destructive forces last through most of the night. It's a long night for everyone involved. Not everyone makes it out. The next morning's light shines more of a reality on how many perished from wildfires and landslides. The survivors eventually wander out of the sheltering areas to see the rest of the devastation. There's almost nothing left to eat. A few plants barely managed to escape the fires in little enclaves. The water is full of dust and debris that fell through the night, creating an undrinkable muddy mess. Desperate from thirst, a few individuals attempt to dig deeper to find any water to soothe their dry mouths. The separate herds eat what they can in the enclaves before leaving in search of a bigger food source.

The Sharptooth slowly peeks out from his hiding spot. He sustained minor burns all over his back. Nothing as serious as the herds have, though. He notices many are fatally burned. A few hobble around with a noticeable limp. The air smells like burnt flesh as he sniffs around. Out of frustration from the failed attack on Littlefoot's mother, he rushes out to attack the stragglers. Many flee in time, while a few unlucky individuals feel teeth sinking into their limbs. The Sharptooth drags them away from the safety of the herds. Rain starts to fall as he feasts on their struggling bodies.

Author Notes: I fully intend this story to take place before the original movie and tried to keep the same tone throughout the story. It was originally written to be a fan comic, but since drawing a few hundred pages takes a lot of time and effort, I decided to turn the dialogue into the acceptable form to upload here. It still might happen, who knows, but I have other projects in the works that have more priority. I do plan on drawing scenes and character spot illustrations from this story, though! Despite the darker tone, there's still a bunch of fun scenes included. I can't wait to show you all in the coming months.

Also today is The Land Before Time anniversary. The timing around planning and starting this story ended up to be quite a coincidence.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I do not own The Land Before Time or any of its characters.

Chapter Two: Paradise Lost

Littlefoot's mother and grandparents are the last to leave the sheltering canyons. The rain that started to fall prevented them from leaving. The water burned their open sores like salt in a wound. It even had a funny taste. They still drank it after the heat during the night dehydrated them. Even leaving the canyon was difficult. They had to slowly climb over a few landslides to find the exit. Some piles of rubble had dinosaur limbs sticking out. The poor creatures were crushed to death as the earthquakes rolled through. It took all of their stamina to leave.

Nothing prepared them for the devastation outside of the sheltering canyons. They couldn't believe their own eyes. It went as far as the eye could see. Littlefoot's mother starts to call out for Bron, hoping he's within earshot.

"Bron!" Littlefoot's mother loudly called out. "Bron, are you out there! Bron!"

Her parents are distraught after seeing a few bodies chewed apart by a sharptooth. They hear their daughter calling out and are afraid it'll attract unwanted attention.

"Shhh, please don't yell," Littlefoot's grandmother whispered. "The Sharptooth from last night might still be in the area."

"I'm sorry. I just want to find him before we leave. To make sure he's still...alive," Littlefoot's mother whispered back.

"He's still alive. Bron is a tough longneck," Littlefoot's grandfather assured. "He may have left with the rest of the herd looking for us."

"And we should do the same. We'll need the protection of the herd to fight off that large sharptooth," Littlefoot's grandmother chimed in, trying to sound hopeful.

"Fine," Littlefoot's mother deeply sighed.

Littlefoot's mother looks into the distance at charred tree trunks strewn about. She hopes to find Bron and the herd before The Sharptooth finds them alone and out in the open. They grab a few toasted treestar leaves on the way out to quiet their rumbling stomachs.

As the trio wander away from the area, Bron is underground in the tunnels searching for the hole he accidentally slid into. As he rounds a bend, an aftershock rolls through the area. It's not as strong as the earthquake during the night. It still causes him to stop walking as a bunch of rocks start to shake loose near the entrance. Bron watches as the boulders fill in the only known way out of the cave. He desperately tries to clear the way but isn't strong enough to move the biggest rocks. Bron eventually tires himself out. The boulders are too large for one individual to move. Defeated, he wanders back into the main chamber.

Back in the sunken grotto, Bron starts to ask the rainbowfaces questions about other ways out.

"Of course there are other exits," the rainbowface replied. "You're just too big to fit through them."

"How did he manage to fit through the main entrance anyway?" another rainbowface whispers in astonishment.

"So I'm stuck in here?" Bron asked.

"Appears that way," the rainbowface said. "Don't worry. We'll clear the rocks out in a couple of days."

"I sure hope my family doesn't worry too much about my absence," Bron says in a worried tone.

Pterano and his sister find their way to the main chamber Bron is hanging out in. They followed the voices hoping to find other flyers who survived the disaster. They squeeze through one of the crevasses leading into the main chamber. Pterano startles nearby rainbowfaces as he helps his sister through. They're surprised to see two flyers so far underground.

"Oh great, there's two more," a rainbowface in the background exclaimed.

Pterano and Petrie's mother notice the longneck in the cavern as they search for other flyers. No luck. It's just a cavern with one longneck and a few strange rainbowfaces. They help themselves to the cool water in the center. The siblings try not to bother the young longneck just in case he's in an agitated mood. They wander to a dark corner to talk about the previous night. Little did the siblings know, they picked a corner that bounced sound back into the main chamber. Bron listens in to their conversation just because it was difficult to block out.

"What are we going to do, sis?" Pterano quickly asks. "Other than this cavern, there's nowhere else to go."

"We'll think of something, Pterano. We always do. We're flyers," Petrie's mother said, trying to keep her brother calm.

"This time is different. Everything was on fire the last time we checked," Pterano replies, with a hint of fear in his voice.

Bron decided to speak up.

"Did you say everything was on fire?" Bron asked, quite puzzled.

"Yes," Pterano quickly replied. "Even the threehorns and longnecks."

"What!" Bron yelled out.

"Pterano!" Petrie's mother snapped back.

She glares at Pterano for not having more grace in breaking the news to the longneck. He decides it's time to shut his beak and let sis do the talking. Her screech echoed through the cavern for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, longneck," Petrie's mother softly replied. "The outside world has been set ablaze. A wall of hot dirt fell upon the land."

"That can't be true. When I fell into this cavern it was still lush," Bron said in disbelief.

A couple of rainbowface scouts come through the same crevice Pterano and his sister squeezed through. They hear the three talking about the outside world.

"The flyers tell the truth," the rainbowface scout said.

"Devastation as far as the eye can see," the other rainbowface scout added. "There's nothing left but ash and bone. I'm sorry."

Bron doesn't believe it. He decides to take another crack at clearing the boulders at the entrance. A few rainbowfaces follow him as they can tell he's scared and panicking. The flyers feel bad and also follow Bron. They start to dig out of the cavern before another earthquake seals the entrance for good.

On the outside, far beyond their summer nesting grounds, there's devastation continuing to reveal itself over the horizon. Most of the rivers in the area became choked with the debris that fell from the sky overnight. The debris mixed in with the water to create deep mud pits in random areas. Some are even concealed with a thin layer of water over the surface, obscuring the dangers below. Herds of swimmers, thinking they can just walk on through, end up as the first becoming sucked in. Their herd members, and even a lone spiketail, try to help pull the struggling victims out. Unfortunately those helping end up stuck themselves. Struggling causes many of them to sink faster. Many are stuck up to their necks in thick mud that refuses to let go. The rest of the swimmer herd scatters as The Sharptooth stalking them is heard bellowing in the distance. He circles the swimmers and spiketail stuck in the mud, snapping his teeth at the closest body parts, looking for an easy meal without succumbing to the deep mud pit himself.

Rumors from the surviving flyers above tell the destruction and mud traps are everywhere and not just in an isolated part of the continent. Nowhere was safe except for the rare hidden grottoes and groves. Few of those have entrances big enough to allow the larger animals shelter from the elements. The longneck herd leader decides to ask one of the flyers for help.

"Excuse me, flyer. Can you point me to the closest refuge that'll fit my herd?" the longneck leader asked.

"There might be one in the southwest," the flyer replied. "We stopped there for a few days to rest. Great place! It should be no more than a few days' journey."

"Good luck on your journey!" another flyer chimed in as he flew by.

They fly off as the herd leader tries to ask for clarification of the travel time.

"Is that in flying time or walking...time?" the longneck leader asked as the flyers disappeared. She's annoyed by their sudden departure without further information.

"At least the place exists," a longneck herd member spoke up.

"Let's hope we find it," the leader replies, "and that we all fit."

In the distance, Littlefoot's family can be seen. They've caught up within viewing distance of the herd. They walk at a brisk pace to relative safety. Littlefoot's mother looks around for any sign of Bron.

"Is there a longneck named Bron among the herd?" she desperately asked.

"No, sorry," a nearby longneck replied.

Littlefoot's mother is still upset he's nowhere to be found. Her parents assure her he's still out there.

"We'll find him, my dear," Littlefoot's grandmother said.

"I sure hope so…," Littlefoot's mother quietly responded.

A few days later, the hidden cavern entrance was dug out. The new hole is barely big enough to fit Bron. It's unstable, so the group hurries to help him squeeze through to the other side. Pterano and Petrie's mother help pull as the rainbowfaces help with the pushing. Bron digs at the bare ground with his front feet to pull himself out. He makes it through with a few minor cuts and scrapes.

"I'd like to bring my family back if that's okay," Bron said to the rainbowfaces.

The rainbowfaces didn't know how to tell the longneck they all wouldn't fit. Thankfully, they didn't need to as an aftershock caved in the hole for a second time. This time more material falls in to seal the hole permanently. Bron, Pterano and his sister are stuck on the outside while the rainbowfaces are safe on the inside. The rainbowfaces yelled and shouted through the debris, hoping Bron could hear them as they recited the directions to The Great Valley.

"There's a better place for you and your family," the rainbowface loudly said. "The Great Valley."

"Follow the bright circle past the rock that looks like a longneck. Oh and past the mountains that burn," the other rainbowface shouted, hoping Bron would hear through the stone debris.

"Um...thank you for the help," Bron replied in a puzzled tone.

Bron wanders away from the cave wondering if The Great Valley is a real place. He's heard the stories for a couple of months now. Most of his herd, along with the other herds, have written it off as a fairy tale. A mythical land so far away it's beyond the horizon. The flyer siblings shrug as they watch Bron meander off in thought.

Once Bron leaves the maze-like canyon, he notices the flyers and rainbowfaces weren't exaggerating about the destruction. There really was only ash and bone, and a whole bunch of bodies, as far as the eye could see. Even the sky has changed from a deep blue to the color of soot and sand. The sunlight that manages to penetrate the thick atmosphere is a dingy orange. Pterano and his sister are quite upset they were locked out of the sunken grotto with Bron. They quickly checked the cave they were taking shelter in to find a way back in. They noticed a landslide from the earthquakes filled the hole with no hope of digging it out.

"Of course this has to happen to us," Pterano sarcastically said.

"Maybe there's another hidden entrance somewhere," Petrie's mother said.

"No, it would be a grand waste of time," Pterano stated. "The food all burned away and the water's no good. The rainbowfaces might not even let us back in. We need to move on."

Bron watches as the siblings fly into the dusty horizon. He's left behind and suddenly realizes he's truly alone for the first time in his life. There are tracks left behind from the longneck herd leading into the direction of where the flyers went. He decides to follow as there's no other option left. Staying would mean guaranteed starvation.

Author Notes: Another chapter completed and more of the devastation revealed. Also more of the rainbowfaces. They'll pop up in the story from time to time.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I do not own The Land Before Time or any of its characters.

Chapter Three: The Wastelands

Weeks pass by as the situation becomes more dire. Without enough food to sustain the large dinosaurs in the herds, many portions start to slow down and die off from starvation. Some desperately dig into the dry ground for water. Bron is still searching for the longneck herd. He lost the trail from the crisscrossing traffic of the other herds scrambling around. While searching, Bron becomes a witness to the dead and dying. Some actively preyed on by smaller versions of the large sharptooth that's been terrorizing everyone since the night of the big flash. These areas are appropriately named The Wastelands. Other scavengers who survived the impact event picked the decaying bodies clean to the bone. Even a few desperate flyers get in on the rotting feast. They're often chased off or preyed upon by their larger flying cousins. They possess large beaks capable of skewering smaller flyers without effort. One in particular stands out as she is the largest of them all. She's been nicknamed The Giant Flyer among the surviving flyers.

Bron keeps a lot of distance between himself and the recently deceased. Not only to escape the predators, but to also escape the rotting scent filling the air. He hopes none of the bodies are of his family as he tries to rediscover the trail. All of the footprints from the different herds are still overlapping and leading into different directions. Bron picks up the scent of freshwater as he follows the footprints in the sand. He picks up the walking pace before losing this new scent. At the source of the water is a scene he'll never forget. Longnecks who became trapped up to their bellies, and in some cases necks, in a large tar pit. All that remained were bones. Bones chewed apart, picked clean, and pulled from the original bodies. All strewn along the edges of the mud. The scavengers could only reach so far as a few became stuck themselves trying to reach the rest of the bodies barely submerged in the pit. The poor longnecks never had a chance. The surrounding landscape is dotted with other examples of such carnage. Bron quickly and carefully leaves the horrific scene as it fills him with dread.

As Bron wanders away from the death traps, he notices a fresh set of tracks. He caught up with the longneck herd. The muddy tracks lead into the direction of another small system of cliffs. It's quite a ways off in the distance.

"Hopefully the herd is still around," Bron whispered to himself. "I'd like a break after walking nonstop for days..."

As Bron stumbles to the hill formations in the horizon, a pair of lost brothers show up ahead of a major sandstorm. They've been trying to outrun the wind in order to find shelter. Their luck has run out, though. The cloud is right on their tails.

"Ozzy, I don't think we can outrun this sand cloud," one brother yelped.

"We need to try, Strut!," Ozzy yelled over the increasing winds. "If we get turned around, again, we won't make it another day."

They notice Bron lumbering toward shelter in the distance. He's far enough way to barely make out the shape of his body. Ozzy and Strut squint as sand obscures their vision.

"Follow that longneck," Ozzy said.

"How?" Strut asked. "I can barely see him anymore."

"Keep your head down and follow his footprints," Ozzy said, quite irritated from all the sand blowing around.

Ozzy points to the ground. They're indeed Bron's tracks since there's fresh mud and tar in each print. Strut sighs as he grabs onto Ozzy's tail so they're not separated in the low visibility.

In a completely different part of the wastelands, sitting on a rock outcrop for a midday break, Pterano watches the sandstorm in the distance rage on. The group of flyers he and his sister met up with are from all over the continent. The same sad story echoes through each of their stories. A sudden flash in the distance, the earthquakes, the intense burning sand falling from the sky, losing loved ones, it was too much to take in from so many individuals at once. When it was Pterano's turn to speak, he decided to try a different approach.

"And what about you?" a nearby flyer asked.

"We were starting a world flight when the disaster struck," Petrie's mother said. "There's no way to know if our other family members survived. I'd rather not think about it..."

"This disaster had the power to change all of our lives. Maybe we can take that power back," Pterano said. "The flash in the distance. It had to have been something beyond our understanding. By confronting it we can learn the truth. To turn our misfortune around. Who will follow me to find this power?"

His sister is shocked by these words. The other flyers who were listening shook their heads in disapproval. Quite a few call him crazy, while others murmur how their old lives are never coming back. Most of them fly off, leaving only his sister and a couple of others who have yet to take off. Even a rainbowface traveling in the background shakes his head at the absurdity.

"Pterano, what are you talking about?" she asked, worried about the tone of these new words.

"It's okay, sis," Pterano said in a reassuring tone. "Follow me beyond the southeastern horizon. We can return to our old lives again."

"...did you eat that glowing cave mushroom?" Petrie's mother quickly asked while glaring at her brother.

"What, no! I mean what I say!" Pterano blurted out.

Two strange flyers approach as the two siblings continue their disagreement. One is anxiously holding his tail. The other rolls his eyes at the commotion around him. They fully accepted Pterano's offer.

"I'll go with ya. I've lost everything and everybody in my life," the anxious one said.

"Count me in, too," the sarcastic one replied. "I'd like a taste of this power you speak about."

"And who are you two?" Pterano asked.

"I'm Sierra. My tail wringing buddy over there is Rinkus," Sierra said.

"You're really going, aren't you…," Petrie's mother quietly said, realizing Pterano isn't kidding around.

"Please come with me," Pterano pleaded.

"No. I will not follow you into unknown danger. You heard the other flyers. The closer to the flash, the more the land has changed for the worse!" Petrie's mother exclaimed. "With food as scarce as it is, and with The Giant Flyer hunting us down now, I'd rather stay with the group. They're searching for The Great Valley."

"So you'd rather chase after a mythical valley? Which may not even exist?" Pterano asked in surprise.

"Your plan for finding some great power is no better!" she screeched back. "There's a much better chance of a protected valley surviving. I'm disappointed in you, Pterano."

She flies away in a huff as a male within the flyer group calls for her. Pterano's two new followers speak badly about his sister.

"She'll just slow us down," Sierra remarked.

"Yeah, forget about her," Rinkus gleefully added. "We have our own travel plans."

Pterano looks back longingly at his sister as she takes off with the rest of the group.

"If you say so…," Pterano mumbled.

The three flyers start their southeast journey to find the cause of the flash that one fateful night.

Wandering the barren land, Cera's father wonders if Tria is still alive. He's been upset about losing her since the night of the impact. With more and more dying of starvation in the threehorn herds, and with none of the others spotting her on their travels, he starts to have his doubts. A few herd members are sick of his sulking. One decides to speak up.

"Toughen up, will ya," a nearby threehorn blurts out. "We've all lost someone. Your loss is no more tragic than the rest."

He was about to rip into them when it was interrupted by screams from the rear. The Sharptooth from the night of the impact has returned. He's grabbed a slower member's back leg. The Sharptooth is attempting to drag him away from the group.

"Help me! Please, help me!" the threehorn pleaded as he felt his body give way to exhaustion.

Help is too late as The Sharptooth pulls the threehorn behind a rock wall. Out of sight from the rest, a sickening loud crunch is heard. The screaming suddenly stops as blood pours out into view.

"There's nothing more we can do! He's gone," the threehorn leader solemnly said. "We need to hurry on before another falls victim to The Sharptooth!"

Murmurs abound about that particular Sharptooth being more dangerous than most. Stories being passed along that he's been hunting the herds for fun, leaving a wake of terror and blood. Cera's father learned to stay in the middle of the group to avoid being picked off like his traveling companions. A sandstorm blows in and conceals their movements from The Sharptooth as they search for shelter. The leader bumps into a stone feature. They followed the wall to find a way around the natural barrier. A whole herd of threehorns stuck in one place would be easy pickings for The Sharptooth roaming about. Another way is eventually found as night falls. They've found a canyon to sit out the ensuing sandstorm. There's even a few tough plants along the walls and a small pool of water collected by drippings off the rock walls. Enough for a brief stop. The peace breaks once the leader discovers there's a longneck herd already taking shelter.

"Back it up, there's a longneck herd in here," the threehorn leader said.

As the herd attempts to leave, Bron suddenly bursts through the sandstorm into the shelter. He spooks the threehorns enough to reconsider braving the sandstorm again. A few tails are accidentally stamped on as he plows through. Cera's father is the first to greet Bron. It's not a nice first meeting.

"Watch where you're stepping, longneck!" Cera's father exclaimed in surprise.

"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't see you there," Bron apologetically said.

He quickly integrates into the longneck herd to avoid stepping on anymore threehorns. Littlefoot's mother lifts her head up from a light sleep, thinking she heard someone familiar in the commotion. She sees him come into view.

"Bron? Is that really you?" a familiar voice asked.

"It's really me," Bron responded.

"Quite a few of our members have been lost, including your family members," she quietly said.

Bron is visibly upset at the news. He wonders if the longnecks in the mud pit fields could have been them. He shakes the thought away, he's had enough with existential crises for a lifetime. Bron is grateful his three traveling companions are still around. They settle in for the night, or try to, as the longneck and threehorn herd leaders argue over resources. The longneck leader becomes fed up with the argument.

"That's just fine. My herd will be leaving shortly after first light," the longneck leader loudly said. "You threehorns can have it all!"

"Hmph, fine. More for our hungry bellies," the threehorn leader replied.

The leaders split to find a place to rest within their own herds. Everyone else listening sighs a breath of relief as they can finally get some rest without their leaders bickering at each other all night.

Later in the night, the two brothers following Bron finally arrive where the longnecks are sheltering. They wander with their heads still down, Strut hanging onto the end of Ozzy's tail, following large footprints through the raging sandstorm. Strut quietly complains about hunger as they enter the canyon. After rubbing the sand out of his eyes, Ozzy notices there's also a threehorn herd taking shelter among the longnecks.

"Strut, shut up, there's two big herds in here," Ozzy aggressively whispered.

"I'm still hungry, though," Strut whined.

"Shhh. We've got to gather quietly," Ozzy whispered. "Do you want to be kicked out, or worse, trampled?"

Strut closes his mouth while shaking his head, no. He quietly follows Ozzy to gather the few sources of plants and fruit along the canyon walls. They try their best to tip-toe around the sleeping dinosaurs, especially around the sleeping threehorns. Once gathered, they eat as quickly and quietly as possible. They take turns keeping a lookout while the other slurps down enough water to wet their dry throats. A few stir in their sleep, which spooks Ozzy and Strut. A narrow crevice is found nearby that leads to another chamber big enough to fit two smaller creatures. A scorpion is taking residence in the hiding spot. Strut does his best not to screech as Ozzy gently picks it up. He snaps the tail tip off and tosses it aside. The scorpion is evenly portioned among the two.

"Yeah, sure, you're okay with eating it," Ozzy remarked.

"Food's food, Ozzy," Strut replied while happily eating. "Besides, it can't hurt me without that stinger."

They snuggle up to each other for warmth on the frigid rock floor. It doesn't last long since they're rudely awakened by the ground shaking. The herds are stomping around in the canyon due to yet another disagreement. Strut thinks it's an earthquake and beings to scream. Ozzy quickly clamps his claws around Strut's face so they aren't heard or found. All they can do is listen. The herd leaders are fighting over a midnight snacker, potentially munching on food on the wrong side.

"How dare you accuse my herd of stealing!" the longneck leader yelled.

"You're the only ones in here with necks long enough to reach!" the threehorn leader screamed back.

"Hmph, we have long necks, but not that long!" the longneck leader replied. "It was probably one of your threehorns sneaking a snack!"

Ozzy and Strut glance at each other as the squabble ends when the longneck leader has had enough. They realized they were so close to being caught and did their best to stay quiet to keep it that way.

"Listen up! We're leaving. Now," the longneck leader said, addressing her own herd. "Better wake up if you don't want to be left behind."

Bron and his traveling companions wake up to the sudden call. They notice the sun's light is barely peeking across the horizon. Bron and Littlefoot's mom groan as they're still wiped out from traveling through a sandstorm. The herd eats what they can at the last minute.

"You threehorns can have it all," she said with disdain.

With the longneck herd's back to her, the threehorn leader yells out in a snarky tone, "Good luck with The Sharptooth prowling around!"

Once the longneck herd has moved out, the threehorn leader starts to bark out their plans.

"Now that the longnecks are gone, we can stay a little longer," she calmly said. "We'll leave after the great circle touches the ground twice."

Ozzy and Strut realize they're now stuck until most of the threehorn herd falls asleep at sunset. The way out had guards posted shortly after the leader announced the new plan. They don't want to be seen skulking around after the food fiasco between the longneck and threehorn herds.

"I miss our family. Mom and dad...the others in the herd," Strut sadly said as he recalled the night everything was set ablaze.

"So do I," Ozzy quietly replied while nuzzling up next to his brother.

They wait in their little alcove all day long in order to sneak out in the cover of night. They drank water by licking the morning dew off the rocks while it was available. Ozzy caught scorpions whenever they scurried past to gobble down. Strut happily took his share. It was the most he had eaten in days. A small pile of scorpion stingers pile up in an unused corner.

Night falls and this night is just as frigid as the last. Ozzy and Strut peek their heads out to make sure the threehorns in their potential path are sleeping. Thankfully they are. Ozzy leads Strut in tip-toeing to the exit. It's dark, so they don't notice the drab body of Cera's father. He notices them sneaking around and quickly blocks the exit.

"Who are you? Why are you sneaking around? Are you sharpteeth up to no good, hmmm?" he snapped at the two brothers.

"Oh, no, we're not sharpteeth," Ozzy said, trying to mask his fear.

Strut opens his mouth.

"We don't even have any teeth!" Strut quickly replied.

Cera's father huffs as he grows impatient.

"We're just passing through," Ozzy said, "looking for shelter from the sand cloud and The Sharptooth."

Cera's father sighs while moving out of the way of the exit. He lets Ozzy and Strut go while feeling pity for the smaller creatures. They're little more than a snack for a sharptooth. Ozzy and Strut do their best to act normal while walking out into the cold, dark wastelands. They picked up the pace to a full run once they were sure nobody could see them anymore.

"That threehorn was scary," Strut stammered. "I'm glad he didn't try to accuse us of stealing food or water."

"He would have gored us on the spot if he suspected us, Strut," Ozzy replied.

"Yeah…," Strut murmured. He imagined the threehorn stabbing him in the abdomen with a brow horn.

"At least the sand clouds dissipated," Ozzy said. "It'll be easier to follow the longneck herd."

He points to the trail of longneck tracks slowly being erased by the cold wind.

"We need to hurry before losing their trail to the winds."

"Is...is that such a good idea?" Strut asked, worried about future conflicts.

"Longnecks can see more than us," Ozzy stated. "They should find shelter a lot faster than the other herds. Besides, they're a lot nicer than the threehorns…"

Strut nods and agrees with his brother. It's a good idea to follow at least one of the herds for their own survival. They run off into the frigid night, with a plan to loosely follow the herd in order to not be seen just in case the longnecks feel trample-happy.

Author Notes: We get to see more of the other characters. Finally, right? The Giant Flyer is supposed to be a quetzalcoatlus northropi. If this were illustrated, she'd be stylized like the liopluerodon in Journey to Big Water. More realistic proportions and colors compared to the other characters. More of her is to come in the next two chapters. The next two chapters are also my favorites. So stay tuned!

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I do not own The Land Before Time or any of its characters.

Chapter Four: Horizon's Rim

Far to the southeast, Pterano, Sierra and Rinkus fly far above the land. There's far more devastation the further south they fly. The forests have been flattened and burned. Whatever wasn't burned to ash or buried all points into one direction. It appears to point to the source of the flash. Pterano takes it as a sign they're headed in the right direction.

"This is a good sign," Pterano confidently said. "Behold, a taste of the power we'll accept once we reach our destination."

He points to the tree trunks aimed like arrows in the landscape to the distant southeast horizon. The other two were giddy with excitement.

With all of the devastation fanning out in all directions, Pterano wonders if there's any food on the ground. They land to take a short break in what appears to be a giant field. Upon closer inspection the ash field turns out to be a former lake. They managed to find some fish buried under the debris that fell during the night of the flash. They had to dig deep to find enough for three hungry flyers. Luckily water also starts to pool at the bottom of the deep hole. The debris laid down thicker in the southern regions of the continent which might pose some problems for the three flyers. The fish were cooked to death in the fires and molten rain before their burial. Pterano notices the skin has been blackened and breaks one in half. It's a much different texture than he's used to. Pterano pulls the flesh out. It has a flaky texture. The other two notice as well.

"Hmm," Pterano ponders. "This fish seems to have a much different texture and taste."

"Yes, it's quite good like this!" Rinkus happily speaks up. "I wish I knew why..."

Sierra picks out strange globular particles and flicks them away.

"If it means picking these weird rocks out, I'll pass," Sierra said without enthusiasm.

Their meal is interrupted by a bright white object streaking across the sky. It's followed by smaller fragments. Rinkus and Sierra are worried it might land on their heads and cower. Pterano watches, with a wing up to obscure the glare, as the meteor lands in the distance. A flash is seen as it slams into the ground.

"That's it," Pterano said with new realization.

"That's what?" Sierra mocked.

"The flash," Pterano said. "It's similar to the one we all witnessed that fateful night."

Rinkus and Sierra shrug as they finish their fish in one big bite. Pterano prepares to search for the object. They quickly find the newly formed crater from the sky. It's still pulsing with thermal energy as they land in the vicinity. Rinkus and Sierra brave the heat and walk up to the rock to try and touch it. Pterano pulls them back.

"No, don't touch it!" Pterano cries out.

"And why not!" Rinkus yells in frustration.

"Yeah, Toronto," Sierra angrily said, "we're here, might as well touch the damn thing."

"It's Pterano, and go ahead, touch it. Just don't whine when you burn your wings away," Pterano condescendingly replied. "Besides. There will be another, and hopefully that one will be the one to grant us wondrous powers. The big event that ended our world! The Fallen Star!"

"Oh," the two flyers replied together.

They back away to admire the contents of the crater for a little longer. Pterano cuts their viewing time as they lose daylight under the obscured sky. As they fly into the distance, a couple of rainbowfaces come out of hiding. The entrance to their underground cavern was hidden as a natural rock feature. After checking to make sure nobody else is in the area, they pull strange tools out of the hidden entrance. The rainbowfaces measure and analyze the fresh crater and its contents.

Further to the north, the longneck herd continues their search for a semi-permanent home. The leader wonders if the flyer group was lying or exaggerating about the refuge they so desperately need. There's no sign of it.

"A few days my tail," the longneck leader said angrily. "At this rate we'll all fall before reaching it."

"Excuse me, may I speak?" Bron politely asked.

"You may," she said in irritation.

"If we can't find this refuge the flyers speak of, might we search for The Great Valley instead?" Bron asked.

"Ha. Maybe in our dreams," she replied. "The Great Valley is nothing more than a story."

"But, I know the way, sorta," Bron said in a hushed tone. "The rainbow faces told me."

"Those weirdos?" the longneck leader said while trying not to burst into laughter. "They're all just a bunch of storytellers. Nothing they say should be believed."

"I'd like to know the directions, Bron," Littlefoot's mother said.

"Let's see," Bron replied while recalling the information. "I believe they told me to follow the great circle past the rock that looks like a longneck and past the mountains that burn."

"Even the directions sound like a children's story!" the longneck leader blurts out. "You'd be a fool to follow them. It'll lead to your death."

Bron feels discouraged and embarrassed for even bringing it up. His traveling companions don't think so.

"Between you and me, it's a good story," Littlefoot's grandfather said. "Does this valley exist? I don't know."

"But maybe keep it on the down low," Littlefoot's grandmother replies. "It's upsetting the rest of the herd."

"It's a nice backup plan...just in case," Littlefoot's mother said.

Bron nods and decides to stay quiet. The last thing he needed was to upset the herd leader enough to kick him, and his traveling companions, out to fend for themselves in the wastelands.

A few meteors streak overhead in the dingy sky as night approaches. So far there are no signs of The Sharptooth. The longneck herd hoped they lost him while sheltering from the sandstorm. Nights out in the open have been colder than usual. With the sun mostly blocked out and the surrounding areas suffering from desertification, even the daylight hours are cooler than what everyone experienced in the past. The longneck herd huddles closer together for warmth and safety each night. Ozzy and Strut are still trailing behind, forced to stay on the outside for fear of being chased off or trampled. They're the only two of their kind known in all their travels. They fear they're the only two left from the disaster. The brothers do their best to cope with that unfortunate fact. During frigid nights they survive in the open by digging small ditches or huddling up next to the sparse rock features.

Much further north, the threehorn herd deals with flash floods from sudden deluges. Many are wiped out and buried under mud flows in old riverbeds. White-out blizzards take over for the monsoon-like rains when the temperature drops enough. Such conditions wipe out most of the herd. Thin ice forms over pools of flood water. The heavy threehorns fall through. They can't climb out from the thin ice cracking as they thrash in the water. Cera's father barely manages to make it out of the cold snap. There were days he thought was going to die in the white hell his herd led everyone into.

Groups of small sharpteeth band together to stay safe from the larger, scarier version wandering around, picking off the weakest and slowest in the herds. The Sharptooth has gained quite a reputation, even among his own kind. As a cold blooded killer who will stop at nothing to take what he wants from the weak. He chases the smallest away from their meals to claim the remains all to himself. Some are even slaughtered and consumed for defending their hard-earned food sources. Many learn to leave or hide when the huge Sharptooth makes his presence known.

Eventually the dwindling longneck herd finds the place the flyer described weeks ago. Their numbers dropped significantly from a few hundred strong down to less than fifty individuals. Starvation, dehydration, hostile environments and consistently being preyed on took its toll. The canyon entrance is barely big enough to allow such large creatures through. They manage it in a single file, and by taking it slow. Not all make it, though. The Sharptooth seemingly appears out of nowhere. He pulls the last longneck escaping into the canyon out by its tail. Those closest to the looming danger panic. Screams echo back and forth like a reverberating nightmare on the rock walls. Those in the front can't move any faster, let alone turn around in the narrow path to help. The Sharptooth ignores the young adult longneck he pulled out of the narrow canyon. He left it to struggle in the sand. In his greed, The Sharptooth attempted to grab another in the narrow passageway. Luckily, he can't fit into the canyon due to being too wide from gorging himself on other dinosaurs. It doesn't stop him from snapping at the air for another tail.

A loud screech is heard in the background which grabs The Sharptooth's attention. As he backs out, he almost gets his chest stuck in the crevasse. The Giant Flyer has landed to steal the struggling longneck away. With her spear-like beak, she stabs at the victim, missing every time the longneck flails its limbs in defense. Her beak stabs into the ground, becoming trapped in the hard dirt, a handful of times. The Sharptooth won't put up with thieves despite being one himself. The Giant Flyer notices a large, dark green creature charging in her general direction. At the last second, she leaps into the sky before the jaws of death clamp down to shred a wing or two. Triumphant, The Sharptooth turns his attention to the struggling victim on the ground before moving on.

At the end of the narrow passageway, the longnecks find a surprisingly large rock chamber. There's plenty of space for a couple hundred large visitors and more than enough food. Not enough to be a permanent dwelling, but enough to take a well-needed break from the harsh outside world. There's a variety of plants growing all along the walls and around natural water features flowing through the cavern. Trees grow where the sunlight shines the most consistently. The raining fire didn't ruin this place due to a rock roof overhanging most of it. There are enough cracks to let rain and light in. Thankfully not much else. Rainbowfaces wander around in the background. One approaches the herd.

"You're welcome to stay," the approaching rainbowface said. "This is our home, so please treat it with respect."

"And please don't eat everything…," a rainbowface in the background murmured.

"Thank you, rainbowface," the longneck herd leader replied in exhaustion.

The terms are agreed to and the herd stays for a well-needed break from the hard journey. Bron notices that this cavern is quite similar to the one he fell into by accident. It even had the blue glow along the walls and ceiling in the darkest corners. He wonders how many more hidden green places exist out there. With rainbowfaces in each one, no less. Bron drifts into sleep with these thoughts in his head next to his mate.

A few flyers find the sheltered area as a means to wait out The Giant Flyer circling. The screeching can be heard above their shelter. She even attempts to stab her beak into the small cracks in the ceiling. It unnerves the inhabitants. The Giant Flyer eventually gives up. The flyers hang out for a couple of weeks to make sure she leaves the area. Having a decent source of water didn't hurt, either. Talk of The Great Valley ramps up as many are desperate for a permanent home, sheltered from the outside dangers. Even those who thought it was just a story started to make plans to head west in search of it.

There's nothing left to lose for many. Petrie's mother is part of the flyer group. She is now partnered up with a male flyer. Pterano hasn't been seen for ages. She assumes her brother foolishly perished by chasing the flash on the southeastern horizon. Everyone is surprised when Pterano does show his face. They're preparing to leave within the day and don't want Pterano, or his crazy ideas, around. Pterano, worse for wear and without his companions, begs to join them.

"Please let me join. I beg you from the bottom of my heart," Pterano shamelessly begged. "I'm all alone."

"Why should we, Pterano?" his sister replied. "You left with two other flyers only to return without them."

"I can explain. Please," Pterano continued to plead.

"Make it quick," she sighed. "We're about ready to take off."

Pterano takes a deep breath before recounting his journey.

"A terrible storm separated us. I've never experienced anything like it. It came so suddenly it almost knocked me out of the sky while searching for shelter," Pterano said, recounting his travels. "Once the storm passed, Sierra and Rinkus were nowhere to be found. The storm must have pushed them far off course."

"Is that it?" Petrie's mother asked.

"No," Pterano said. "I actually found what I was looking for."

Pterano opens a closed hand to reveal a clear crystal.

"Oh no. Do not start with me, Pterano!" his sister screeched. "I've had enough of your lies."

The male she started traveling with called out for her.

"Sweetie, it's time to go," he said.

"If you haven't given up on this newfound nonsense by the next time we run into each other," Petrie's mother quickly said in anger. "...I never want to see you again."

She flies off, leaving Pterano alone with his thoughts. He stares at the crystal in his claws. The rainbowfaces have been eavesdropping and are quite interesting in hearing the rest of this strange journey. They wanted confirmation that this flyer had somehow flown to the impact crater and lived to tell about it.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to hear about the rest of your journey," a rainbowface said, startling Pterano out of deep thought.

"In return, we'd let you stay an extra couple of weeks," another rainbowface chimed in.

"I'll tell you the rest," Pterano said. "Only because you're so willing to listen to my grand story."

After giving up on finding his two companions, Pterano decided to continue the journey. Maybe Sierra and Rinkus made it first, but there was no such luck. What he did find was spectacular. It was a newly formed ring structure in the shallow sea. It sprawled out as far as the eye could see, well past the horizon. The center was full of steaming sea water. Even while trying to fly higher into the sky, Pterano couldn't view the entire ring. He crash-landed into the rocks that formed the ring structure. Pterano was too exhausted to stay aloft after flying for thousands of miles without a break. He wouldn't dare fly past the ring for fear of falling into the ocean. A sparkle on the ground catches his eye. It's a piece of clear crystal. As Pterano picks it up to take a closer look, it catches the light just right to have a slight glow. The sun peeked out behind the clouds long enough to shine on the crystal. Pterano took it as another sign. A sign that The Fallen Star wanted him to have this object as proof of his journey. He also believed it would be the object to grant enough power to make the return journey.

"The Fallen Star was gracious enough to lend me enough power to fly back to tell the tale," Pterano said. "I couldn't make it to the true center for the full effect. I...I don't know if anyone should."

The rainbowfaces listening were amused with his little tale. A couple had to walk away before bursting out into laughter. One was interested in the crystal Pterano brought back.

"Can I take a closer look at that shiny rock?" a curious rainbowface asked.

Pterano shrugs and hands it over. The rainbowfaces gathered around to check it out. They're impressed with it and outline certain features with their claws. Pterano noticed they were looking at it quite close. Maybe a little too close. Afraid they might steal this precious gift, he asked for it back.

"Can I have it back now?" Pterano quickly asked. "It means a lot to me."

As the rainbowfaces hand back the crystal, they notice how dirty, scratched up and emaciated Pterano became from the long flight.

"Thanks for telling us about the rest of your journey," a rainbowface gratefully said. "Now go get something to eat."

Once Pterano was out of earshot, the rainbow faces talked among themselves about the discovery. They agreed many research teams will need to be dispatched due to the sheer size of the impact crater. They also wanted confirmation from above, way above the clouds, once the sky was clear enough for a full visual. It would be impressive to not only view at ground level but also far above the atmosphere. The rainbowfaces quickly drop the subject and disperse when a longneck strolls by.

Far to the east, Rinkus and Sierra have been searching for their way home. They're hopelessly lost. At least the storm deposited them on the shoreline instead of being blown out into the ocean to drown. With almost no energy to keep flying, they settle down on a beach. Dead sea creatures were washed ashore from the storm. They dot the beach. Rinkus picks up a starfish to gnaw on.

"That was the worst storm ever," Rinkus said while coughing up sand. "Do you think Pterano survived it too?"

"If he didn't crash into the ocean, sure. We managed," Sierra said. "He may have even accepted that great power he babbled about."

"Should we go find him?" Rinkus asked.

Sierra gazes down at the beach. There are no signs of life anywhere. Just the dead sea creatures along the shore. Even the trees were gone. Large ripples etched into the sand where the water forcefully flowed.

"I say we let him find us," Sierra finally said.

He digs out a nearby fish from the sand. Sierra quietly complains about the strange globular stones in the fish as he picks them out. It'll take years before Rinkus and Sierra find their way back west. They have their own misadventures on an island archipelago along the eastern continent.

Author Notes: Pterano was certainly busy while he was away. Too bad only the rainbowfaces might believe his story.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I do not own The Land Before Time or any of its characters.

Chapter Five: Flashes of Color

When the longnecks decide to move on, Pterano takes a chance to ask if he can accompany them.

"Absolutely not," the longneck leader said with authority.

"Please? I can be a big help to your herd," Pterano begged. "As a flyer I have a larger field of view. Sharpteeth can be spotted sooner and different routes can be planned around obstacles. Also, don't forget I can check out potential canyons to rest in."

The leader thinks about it quickly as the other herd members squabble about it being a good idea to have eyes in the sky.

"Fine," she deeply sighed. "Be useful and you can stay. Start spouting that nonsense about a fallen star or even attempting to get in my way, and you're gone."

Pterano gulps as the longneck menacingly towers over him.

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Pterano stammered.

He tries to find a longneck to hang around with, but none will tolerate his presence. The only group that accepts Pterano are Littlefoot's relatives. Even they only allowed him to hang around on their backs and necks out of pity. Pterano looks in the sky to see others of his kind flying together. It only exacerbates his loneliness.

Ozzy and Strut contemplate on continuing to follow the longneck herd. Ozzy, noticing how the rainbow faces have access to stable resources, thinks up a plan.

"Aren't we losing the longneck herd?" Strut asked with worry.

"I have another idea. Follow me," Ozzy said.

Ozzy, with Strut close behind, walks up to a group of rainbofaces, having an in-depth conversation about the impact and its effects on the world. They quickly end the conversation as the two brothers approach.

"Yes? What do you two want?" a rainbowface asked, irritated the private conversation was interrupted.

"My brother and I would like to stay among your group," Ozzy replied. "Until we find our own kind...if that's okay."

The rainbow faces all perked up. They look to the one leading the conversation earlier on what to do.

"Can...you give us a moment," the rainbowface said.

The rainbow faces search out a private area to speak freely. Strut is concerned they'll be rejected from all of the intense whispering going on.

"Are you seriously considering it?"

"They might figure us out!"

"I highly doubt it. I mean...look at those two," the rainbowface said.

She points at Ozzy and Strut, who slightly flinch at the gesture.

"They're more concerned with survival," she said.

"She's got a point."

"What can they do for us?"

"Hmmm," the rainbowface murmured while thinking up a plan.

Once the whispering stops, the rainbowfaces come back with a decision.

"You can stay, but we expect you to help us with whatevers needed," the rainbowface said.

"Like what?" Strut blurted out.

"How fast can you run?" she asked.

Ozzy and Strut look at each other, wondering what that's supposed to mean.

"Never mind," the rainbowface said. "You two will transport messages to other rainbowfaces. Any questions?"

"No," Ozzy and Strut replied.

"Good, now go off and relax," she said. "You'll need to be rested for the first run."

The two brothers are waved away.

"Ugh. Why do we let these creatures into our home?"

"They're a good source of fertilizer," the rainbowface replied with a serious tone. "Also, it's your turn to distribute it to the plants."

"Our new residents will see the shovel."

"Then wait until they pass out," she casually remarked.

With incoherent mumbling, the rainbowface stomps off to find the tools.

The different herds start to loosely converge due to dwindling numbers. Most don't like the new reality and prejudices are at a high. Cera's father and his herd are the most vocal of the groups. They make sure everyone knows . The other herd leaders drop a harsh reminder of their situation.

"You're welcome to brave The Sharptooth alone," the longneck leader said.

"Don't forget about the unforgiving wastelands," the swimmer leader added.

"You wouldn't make it in such a small group," the spiketail leader said with pity.

The threehorn herd shut their mouths and grumbled to themselves about the dire situation. They may not be happy about relying on the other herds for protection, but even they realize the world is a much more dangerous place now. Pterano is the only flyer among the converging herds. He's constantly sent out to inspect the surroundings. Usually there's nothing of note to report. When sharpteeth are spotted, Pterano is the one to lure them away from the group. He pretends to be wounded to draw them in, only to fly away at the last second. He repeats this action enough times until they grow tired of the game. The big sharptooth wandering around doesn't fall for such games. It takes the concentrated effort of the herds to push him away. Still, some are lost to his attacks. The Giant Flyer didn't bother messing with the converging herds. She circled once or twice out of curiosity. Her passing shadow put many on edge, especially Pterano. The Giant Flyer preferred easy targets and moved on once her curiosity was satisfied.

On a particularly long trip, the herd leaders wonder if Pterano has finally run away. He's been a big help and losing their eyes in the sky would put them at a major disadvantage. Others wonder if The Giant Flyer or The Sharptooth finally caught him. Elsewhere, Pterano is diving his head under the surface of a clear river. He's found a shallow valley that has quickly regrown after the cataclysmic event. Most of the plants are ferns and other shrubbery, as the giant forests have yet to recover. It extends as far as the eye can see along the river and marshes. A narrow thread of green and blue among a sea of sand.

In the distance, a large creature lands in the marshes. It's The Giant Flyer. Pterano quickly ducks, hoping he wasn't spotted. With a quick splash, The Giant Flyer stabs at a giant catfish. She quickly swallows it whole and searches for another. A loud thunder-like crack is heard in the distance. Then another. It spooks The Giant Flyer into taking off. The shadow passes over Pterano as he lies in a fetal position on the ground. He slowly peeks over the ferns for the source of the sound. Two rainbow faces come into view as they wade into the marsh. They spot Pterano's crest peeking out of the ferns. He's recognized as the flyer with the clear crystal. The rainbow faces wave before moving on.

Late in the night, Pterano returns to the longneck herd. He leaves a wake of dust while sliding through the sand upon landing. His sudden arrival startles other herds in the area. They start to freak out thinking it's The Giant Flyer coming to take them under the cover of night. The longneck leader notices the visitor is Pterano.

"Quite down over there, threehorn, it's only the flyer," the longneck leader hissed.

"You mean he's still kicking?" the threehorn leader said in astonishment.

"Sorry for disappearing for so long," Pterano breathlessly said. "I had to dodge not only The Sharptooth but also The Giant Flyer."

"Did you find anything out there?" the longneck leader asked.

"Yes," Pterano said with excitement. "A green section along a river. It's full of life."

Those among the herds who were awake perked up. They whispered among themselves.

"Is it safe?" the threehorn leader asked.

"Safe?" Pterano asked.

"Yeah like not infested with sharpteeth," she replied.

"Oh, uh, well, there were little creatures running about," Pterano stammered. "The Giant Flyer showed up but-"

"Oh. Forget it, then," the threehorn leader said.

"Wait, she was scared off by the rainbowfaces," Pterano quickly said. "There was a loud crack, like thunder; she flew off as they came out of the ferns."

"Don't lie to us, flyer," she said angrily. "Only a longneck can make that sound."

She stands to show a demonstration of the sound. A long, graceful whip of her tail, and the air suddenly booms. Pterano cowers as the tail whips high above his head. The rest of the herd wakes up to the sonic boom.

"I'm not. I swear," Pterano replied in fear. "Nobody else was there."

"I say we go. The Giant Flyer hasn't caused us any trouble," Littlefoot's grandfather said. "If she shows up, we can handle her. If Pterano says a loud tail crack can scare her off, then what do we have to fear?"

"The Sharptooth is more of a concern, and yet we can still fight him off," Littlefoot's grandmother said.

"Fine. We leave at first light," the longneck leader loudly said. "Everyone else is welcome to follow."

The herds arrive at The Shallow Valley with the directions Pterano gives them. They're able to stay for many years. Littlefoot's parents grow into strong adults. Bron towers over the other three in no time. The sky becomes less dingy and more patches of blue sky show through. Rain is more frequent, which allows The Shallow Valley to thrive with life. Sharpteeth are occasionally spotted wandering through the marshlands. The stronger individuals are able to drive them off with ease. Even The Sharptooth backs off for a long time, preferring to prey on the stragglers out in the wastelands. The Giant Flyer also keeps her distance from the herds.

Survivors slowly trickle in as word spreads among the flyers. Everyone assumes the worst is past them and live real lives again. Some even lay eggs and raise a generation of new dinosaurs. Littlefoot's mother starts to expect a clutch of eggs of her own, as with many of the others. Cera's father eventually finds new love among the new arrivals and is also expecting. Petrie's mom is nesting nearby, as are Ducky's parents. There's still talk of The Great Valley in small circles. Some think they actually found it, while others think it's still out there or is, in fact, just a mythical place.

While the herds are living it up again in The Shallow Valley, Ozzy and Strut are out in the wastelands running errands for the rainbowfaces. Their faces have been painted to mimic the rainbowfaces' multicolored beaks. At a distance it's quite convincing and they pass as rainbowfaces. Up close, the colored mud texture is more obvious and ruins the illusion. Random items are delivered to remote rainbowfaces. Most objects are hidden in hollowed out rocks. Strut is the most confused on why they like rocks so much. Coded messages are also delivered between the hideouts. Silly phrases that Ozzy and Strut constantly ask about.

"Ozzy, what do you think the message "The mountain's thunderous echo rings the planet" means?" Strut asked in curiosity.

"I have no idea," Ozzy replied. "Last time I asked what "Shocked quartz at the horizon's rim" meant, they told me it was none of my concern."

"Just deliver the message exactly as recited," Strut said in a mocking manner while giggling.

They see a lone rock formation in the middle of nowhere. It's the midway point between a few sunken grottoes.

"Oh, good, it's almost time to stop for a break," Ozzy said.

"Finally some shade!" Strut exclaimed. "Ever since the great circle became visible again, it's been unbearably hot."

As the two brothers slow their run to a brisk walk, The Giant Flyer passes nearby. The flash of color on Ozzy and Strut's faces caught her attention. It triggers her hunting instincts as they bob their heads around, flashing the colors in the bright afternoon sun. As The Giant Flyer makes a sudden change in direction, she obscures the sun briefly. Ozzy turns his head around to see what's going on. He sees the silhouette of The Giant Flyer racing into their direction. He panics.

"Strut, run. RUN," Ozzy quickly said.

With a flash of white, The Giant Flyer passes overhead the two brothers as they dive behind the rock. She comes back around for a landing. Screaming at the top of their lungs, they dodge, being skewered by her spear-like beak. Ozzy and Strut use the rock formation as a shield until their assailant knocks it over with one powerful wing bash. The commotion is noticed in the distance by The Sharptooth following another trail. He decides to turn his attention to The Giant Flyer instead.

Knocked over and pinned down by a wing, Ozzy and Strut hold each other in the hot sand as they prepare to die. The ground begins to shake as The Sharptooth charges closer. From Ozzy and Strut's perspective, he comes flying out of nowhere, snapping down on The Giant Flyer's long neck. She barely has time to let out a screech before The Sharptooth slams her into the ground, breaking her neck and wings at the same time. He doesn't notice Ozzy and Strut lying in the sand as he chows down. Without even a whimper, Ozzy and Strut slowly crawl away. They keep their bodies and heads low to the ground as they quickly escape.

Perched upon a giant boulder, a rainbowface uses binoculars to scan the horizon. He's keeping an eye out for sharpteeth prowling the area. They had a few close encounters in the past. A small sand cloud is being kicked up in the distance and approaching fast.

"That's a strange sand cloud," the rainbowface scout mumbled.

On the ground, another rainbowface is digging a hole in the hard dirt.

"Oh, great," the digging rainbowface said. "Is there a sharptooth headed our way again?"

"Hmm. No," the rainbowface scout replied. "It's just those two goofy brothers."

"They're quite early," the digging rainbowface said in surprise. "Now where am I going to hide this shovel..."

The rainbowface on the large boulder hides his binoculars under a hollowed out stone. He slides down to greet Ozzy and Strut to keep them away from the excavation. The two brothers collapse on the ground in the shade of a rock pillar. The rainbowface picks up the rock the two brothers dropped. He waits until they catch their breath.

"What's the message this time?" he asked.

"The echo's thunderous planet rings the mountain," Ozzy breathlessly recited.

The rainbowface is quite confused at the coded message.

"No, no. Ozzy," Strut said while coughing up sand. "I think...I think it was "The mountain's thunderous echo rings the planet ``''.

"Yeah, that makes more sense," the rainbowface scout said, still puzzled. "So what were you running so fast for?"

"Oh, uh, we were attacked by that giant flyer," Ozzy stammered.

"Then that crazy sharptooth took her out. I hope he didn't follow us…," Strut fearfully said while looking behind him.

"She was probably attracted to the colors on your face," he said. "We rainbowfaces have... or had the same problem."

Ozzy and Strut aren't amused by that revelation. Dirty glares are shared as they slowly walk by to enter the canyon maze. The rainbowface who was digging out of sight hits a solid object. He pulls out a metallic cylinder by a thick, black cable. There's an arrow etched into the metal next to the letter N.

"Hey, you finally found it," the rainbowface scout exclaimed.

"Next time mark the spot," the rainbowface digger said in exhaustion. "I never want to do that much digging again."

In the background there are many holes dug out in a grid pattern. The irritated rainbow face rips out the cord of the device. Lazily, he throws dirt into the hole to cover the exposed section. He sneaks into a hidden entrance to the sunken grotto to avoid being seen by Ozzy and Strut. The other rainbow face returns to his post scanning the horizon. In the distance The Sharptooth continues following a scent trail.

After gobbling down a dinner of fruit, Ozzy and Strut chase each other around through the sunken grotto. They shove each other around trying to outdo the other in strength. With one strong shove, Strut rolls into a hidden cavern covered by giant fern fronds. Curiosity gets the best of the brothers. They wander around in restricted areas of the rainbow face's home. Nothing too unusual is seen that couldn't be interpreted as something natural. Strut pulls on some black vines to nibble on. He stops once the bitter taste becomes too overwhelming. Eventually they come across a cache of eggs at the end of a dead end tunnel. Their curiosity wins out.

"Are those rainbow face eggs?" Strut curiously asked.

Ozzy sniffs at each egg in the nests, reciting the potential contents of each.

"Hmm. Longneck, threehorn, spiketail, and...sharptooth?" Ozzy mumbled out.

"M-maybe we should leave," Strut quickly said. "The parents might come back."

"Parents? There are no parents around," Ozzy replied. "I think the rainbowfaces might be stealing eggs."

Ozzy inhales the scents more, trying to find evidence of their own kind. He doesn't find any. Instead, he starts to notice the eggs smell amazing and wonders what they taste like. As Ozzy drools over the eggs, a rainbow face comes through to check on the nests. She catches Ozzy and Strut sniffing around.

"What are you doing here!" the rainbowface screeched. "Get away from those eggs!"

"Are you stealing eggs?" Strut innocently asked.

"What? Of course not!" the rainbowface yelled. "These eggs were abandoned by migrating herds. We're caring for them."

She personally escorts the two brothers out of the secret area. As she disappears into another tunnel, Ozzy sneaks back into the cavern of abandoned eggs. Strut is surprised he's even trying to go back.

"Ozzy, we're going to get into trouble," Strut loudly said.

"Quiet down," Ozzy quickly whispered. "You're big mouth will for sure alert the rainbowfaces."

Strut does as he's told and follows his brother to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. At the egg cavern, Ozzy sniffs at them once more. He takes the time to decide which one is most ripe for the picking.

"Pick an egg, Strut," Ozzy said.

"Why?" Strut asked.

"So we can eat them, duh," Ozzy replied.

"Oh," Strut said, feeling stupid. "Is that such a good idea?"

Ozzy picks an egg and pushes it into Strut's face.

"Smell it, Strut. Really inhale that lovely scent," Ozzy said in a craze. "Something that smells this good must taste amazing."

Strut takes in a deep whiff. He becomes curious about the taste. Strut's train of thought is interrupted by his brother pushing an egg into his hands. Ozzy snatches another for himself. They tip-toe out of the egg cavern and sneak into their sleeping cave. A couple of rainbowfaces walk by as they are in the midst of feasting on the eggs. The rainbowfaces are horrified.

"What are you doing!" a rainbowface shouted.

"Those aren't for eating!" another rainbowface screeched in disgust.

Ozzy and Strut quickly lift their heads. Goo inside the shells stretch from their snouts. Before they know it, they're banished from the rainbowfaces' group for life. Kicked back out into the wastelands to, once again, fend for themselves.

With a taste for a new type of food, Ozzy and Strut risk their lives for more. Raiding sharpteeth nests only to be chased and almost eaten themselves. They run for their lives from flyers and other creatures they manage to anger. Eventually, through a string of failed nest raiding, Ozzy and Strut stumble upon The Shallow Valley. The remaining colors on their faces wash off in a heavy fog as they enter the valley.

"Ozzy. Why don't we go back to our old diet?" Strut pleaded. "Stealing eggs is too much work. I'd rather not be kicked out of another lush place."

"No, we're eggstealers now," Ozzy aggressively said. "There's no going back to our old ways, understand?"

Strut backs down as Ozzy stands tall over him. There's a crazy look in his eyes that Strut has never seen before. Strut is worried about angering his brother any further.

"Okay, Ozzy. Whatever you want…," Strut whimpered.

Ozzy perks his head up as the scent of newly laid eggs permeates the air. He decides it's time to prowl around their new home for some delicious eggs. They manage to sneak around and eat eggs without being caught. Feasting on many kinds from the different herds in The Shallow Valley. The eggshell evidence is buried in the ground to hide their trail. Strut even starts to like them more himself.

Through a big string of raiding successes, Ozzy becomes more daring and less careful in his pursuits. Enough to almost get them killed by angry parents. The Shallow Valley herds slowly notice the egg snatchers' movements. Many charge on sight. They avoid being gored and trampled more times than what is comfortable for Strut. Ozzy decides to drop the daring act after a particular close encounter with a clubtail. Others of their kind still haven't been spotted, and neither of them want to be the last one standing. Alone, without someone else there to console them.

Author Notes: Ozzy's egg obsession begins while dragging Strut into it. The Giant Flyer is forever gone. Oh, and The Shallow Valley is nowhere near as grand as the valley we all know. It's still a decent place to live in. It beats roaming around wastelands, waiting for the end in whatever form it may take.

Fun fact: Catfish have existed since the Late Cretaceous.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I do not own The Land Before Time or any of its characters.

Chapter Six: Return of The Wastelands

Then suddenly, one day, the land starts to change again. What once was a thriving ecosystem starts to slowly transform into the barren wastelands they've come to expect. Littlefoot's mother has already laid a clutch of eggs. She wouldn't abandon a nest as the herds prepare to leave. Many herds decide to head to The Great Valley in the west. They feel they have no other choice. Even if a few stubborn individuals still claim following a story will lead to their demise. The herds keep themselves separated from the others. The only difference this time is that they stay loosely associated for protection purposes. The Sharptooth is still prowling around in the wastelands, waiting for a chance to terrorize them again. The longneck herd leader decides to take a different route, claiming The Great Valley is still a myth. Most of the longeck herd follows. Littlefoot's relatives stay to keep his mother safe while hatching her eggs.

Bron attempts to recruit help in search of The Great Valley. All of the longnecks refuse. He makes a painful decision. Find it on his own.

"Please don't leave," Littlefoot's mother said.

"I have to find a safe home for us, for our little ones," Bron replies. "This shallow valley will soon become a sea of sand. That's no place to raise children."

"Your father and I will be here to protect you," Littlefoot's grandmother assures her daughter.

"Yes, we aren't going anywhere," Littlefoot's grandfather said.

"See? You'll be safe," Bron states.

"But what about you?" Littlefoot's mother asked with concern.

"I'll be fine," Bron said. "I wandered alone while we were separated as the world turned to sand, remember?"

With a tearful goodbye, Bron sets off to find The Great Valley for his family. They watch as Bron disappears into the distant horizon.

"Bron, will be back before you know it," Littlefoot's grandmother said in a soft voice.

"I hope so…," Littlefoot's mother mumbles to herself.

Even Pterano has been making plans to leave. He's been attempting to rejoin his sister and the flyers since they arrived in The Shallow Valley a couple of years ago. They still refuse to allow Pterano back. They're all afraid he'll start spouting nonsense about great powers and fixing their lives yet again. False promises even Pterano is crazy for suggesting. Holding onto the clear crystal for so long has caused more trouble than it's worth. Pterano decides to throw it into whatever is left of the marsh. A rainbowface walking through the marshlands notices Pterano staring at the crystal. He recognizes the flyer with the crystal. Then he remembers the outlandish story of how Pterano retrieved it. The rainbowface approaches Pterano, hoping to gain ownership of this crystal.

"Are you throwing that shiny rock away?" the rainbowface inquired.

Pterano, lost in thought, became startled by his new visitor.

"Um, yes. Yes I am," Pterano replied. "It's outlived it's use..."

"Can I have it?" the rainbowface politely asked.

"And why would you want this? It's useless," Pterano said, staring at the crystal.

"Maybe to you," the rainbowface said. "Where I'm from it'll find a new use. A new home."

"Fine, take it," Pterano quickly said in frustration. "You don't need to make fun of me, either."

Pterano tosses the clear crystal into the rainbowface's hands. He holds it up to take a closer look. It's still as radiant as the day it came into the sunken grotto a few years ago.

"If you don't mind me asking...what do you mean by a new use?" Pterano asked out of curiosity.

The rainbow face quickly thinks up an explanation that'll make sense to the flyer.

"This shiny rock will be kept in a special place," the rainbowface replies. "A place where everyone can view it for quite a long time."

"Will...will I be able to see it again?" Pterano hopefully asked.

"Afraid not. It would take too long to fly there," the rainbowface replied in regret.

"Oh well…," Pterano said, saddened by the reply.

After finally giving up the crystal, and accepting its fate will be better off with a rainbowface, Pterano flies off to find his sister one last time. The rainbowface made sure the piece of quartz was preserved. He even wrote down how a native inhabitant flew across a continent to the impact crater to retrieve it. Little did Pterano know, his grand adventure would outlive him, and be told to millions.

Pterano finds his sister tending to a bunch of eggs on the side of a cliff. She's not happy about his presence but allows Pterano one more chance. All of the flyers have left already. Even the father to her newly laid eggs.

"Are you going to drop the nonsense, Pterano?," she firmly asked. "I don't want my future hatchlings exposed to it."

"I promise I won't mention The Fallen Star again," Pterano replied.

"And what about that shiny rock?" she asked while looking for signs of it.

"It's gone," Pterano mumbled.

"Good," Petrie's mother replied with relief. "I guess you can stick around. I need help watching the nest after their father took off."

Pterano flies off to perch on a rock pillar to stand guard. He's glad to be traveling with his last surviving sibling again. Maybe they'll finally fly around the world once it's recovered enough for the journey. He thinks about The Great Valley being a possibility while hearing whispers about it in the wind.

The land continues to change as Littlefoot's egg incubates with his mother and grandparents keeping guard. Day by day, they watch as the plants slowly die off and the water dries up in sections. Even the smaller sharpteeth are becoming braver as wastelands creep every closer. More attacks were heard during the night. It unnerves everyone nearby. Cera's father gores and stomps those who wander too close to his nesting site. The younger sharpteeth eventually scatter when they have had enough of being charged by threehorns. Ozzy and Strut evade his charges during their nightly runs. Cera's father never gets a good look at who's attempting to raid his nest. He assumes it's those little sharpteeth again.

"That threehorn is scary!" Strut yelled. "Let's never try angering him again."

"Agreed," Ozzy replied. "There has to be an easier target left in the area."

Ozzy and Strut search throughout the night for caches of eggs. Most of what they find are empty nests with broken eggshells scattered about. While Strut is digging into a dirt mount, Ozzy sniffs the air. He picks up the scent of incubating eggs nearby. Ozzy taps on Strut's shoulder and points into the direction of the scent. They followed it to find many eggs for the taking. It's the nest containing Littlefoot and his potential siblings. Two of the adults are sleeping nearby while one is standing guard. Ozzy and Strut both sneak in one at a time to steal an egg. Nobody spots them. They continue to raid the same nest even as the adults eventually notice eggs are missing or are broken in failed attempts.

The last egg snatching was done during the day in a rainstorm. The brothers hoped the storm would mask their movements despite the time of day. Ozzy successfully steals an egg. Strut attempts to steal Littlefoot's egg, but he's caught as Ozzy is seen sprinting away. Strut's clumsy splashing didn't help either. Littlefoot's mother quickly reacts. She shoves Strut with her nose as she attempts to bite an arm. Strut whimpers and screams in surprise as he drops the egg. It rolls and bounces away. The force of the blow knocks him down. Flailing to crawl out of the marsh, he barely avoids being attacked again by the angry parent. Strut bolts from the area before Littlefoot's mother crushes his body in a rampage. Out of breath and scared out of his mind, Strut catches up with his brother, egg-less. Ozzy notices Strut lost it and refuses to share.

"Please share some egg," Strut begs. "I'm starving."

"No. Go retrieve the egg you so clumsily dropped," Ozzy hissed.

Strut whines as he wanders off to find the lost egg. After backtracking, he finds it in a sand pile. Strut watches as the egg hatches while the guardians show up to celebrate. He stays hidden behind the tall grass and becomes fed up with being an eggsnatcher.

"This isn't fair!...and I'm still so hungry," Strut whined to himself.

In frustration, Strut pulls on the dry grass surrounding him. He gobbles handfuls of it down to try to sate his hunger. He returns to find Ozzy burying the eggshells of his meal. He comes up with an idea.

"We should find The Great Valley, too. It'll be a constant source of eggs," Ozzy said. "The herds are desperately trying to find it, so I think we should follow. Like before."

Strut sighs at the thought of traveling for weeks at a time again. He feels there's no choice. Dashing through the dry, tall grass, Strut follows his brother to search for this mythical valley.

With Littlefoot hatched safely, and as the only one to actually survive, his mother and grandparents decide it's time to leave. The once safe area has become too hostile to stick around with a new hatchling. Bron hasn't returned from his long journey either. The group hopes to meet up with him on their way to The Great Valley.

Meanwhile, Bron is finally arriving at the entrance to The Great Valley. A sort of entrance anyway. He's been wandering in circles around the valley, without realizing it, for days now. The only landmark he wandered by in the rainbowface's directions were the mountains that burn. A dangerous area full of fire fields and tar pits. There was no sign of the rock that looked like a longneck. Bron wonders if it even exists. The way into the valley is difficult. Bron is forced to slide and stumble down steep slopes with cracked and bleeding feet. The gravel digs into his sore feet, slowing down his descent.

At the bottom, Bron rests near a grouping of trees around a dammed up river. The cool mud and water eases the pain in his limbs and throat. While Bron is picking out the best treestar leaves to munch on, a valley resident notices the newcomer. He startles Bron as he introduces himself.

"Oh..it's not a sharptooth," Bron said in surprise and relief.

"I'm sorry for startling you," the old dinosaur politely replied. "I noticed you're new in the valley."

"Yeah, I just...slid on in today," Bron said while laughing to himself.

"I'm Mr. Thicknose," he said. "You're welcome to stay. There's plenty for all."

"Thanks," Bron gratefully said. "The outside world dried up and blew away. How did this place avoid such a fate?"

"It was protected by the tall mountains and cliffs surrounding the valley. There was some damage after the fire rained down. The recovery was quick enough for those sheltering here at the time," Mr. Thicknose recounted. "None of us dared to leave when the news came through of the badly burned survivors from the outside. Are you expecting more of your kind?"

"Not anytime soon," Bron said with guilt. "I need to go back to find my mate and her parents. We have a bunch of hatchlings to escort into the valley. The sooner the better. Our home has been drying up."

Mr Thicknose notices Bron's badly injured feet from non stop walking on rough terrain.

"Maybe you should stay to heal those feet," Mr. Thicknose said with concern.

"I can't. I need to find my family," Bron said.

As the longneck and thicknose talk, a fairly large earthquake rolls underneath their feet. The first in quite a while.

"I insist," Mr. Thicknose urged. "You'd be of no use if you couldn't make the journey a second time. And with little ones at that."

Another rumble of an earthquake passes by. A few rocks fall from the mountains in the distance.

"You're right," Bron sighed. "But only until my feet heal and the earthshakes calm down."

Mr. Thicknose smiles while hoping for the best for this new stranger as he wanders off into the valley. Bron continues to munch on the greenest treestars he's ever seen in his life. Aftershocks rumble under Bron's feet as he enjoys what the valley has to offer. In the background, meteors streak across the sky. The rainbowfaces hiding out in The Great Valley watch, take note of where they may have landed before heading out to find them. The evening sky twinkles with a few stars as the sun begins to set.

Author Notes: And that's the end of The Fallen Star. Now that it's complete, I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts. Constructive criticism and other comments are welcome (as always).

The rainbowface with the crystal is more of a kind of closure for that item than for Pterano giving it up. It gained a life of its own as I was writing about it.