Land Before Time 1. Chapter 1

_****LAND BEFORE TIME****_

_****The Dinosaur Named Thorn****_

_****Disclaimer: I do not own the original story line of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters****_

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_**Chapter 1 Reincarnation Can Be Disconcerting**_

Imagine a world very different before the time of man, even before the time of the first mammals.

Millions of years ago our planet was filled with prehistoric plants, insects, bugs and animals which splendor went far beyond our imagination.

Some of the plants we never will know of, and there may have been wildlife that we will never discover in our lifetime.

But what we do know is that millions of years ago our planet was ruled by the mighty beasts that ruled the land from generations to generations.

The mighty animals were what we humans came to call Dinosaurs after Sir Richard Owen came up with the word in the year 1841.

_Yeah, I became a book-worm due to certain circumstances, so sue me!_

Some were absolutely massive in size and some of the dinosaurs turned out to be the height and weight of kittens.

These ancient beasts came in three different kinds. Plant eaters that ate only vegetation substances while omnivores ate their fill upon berries, meat and plants.

Then there were the dreaded carnivores that hunted solely for the herbivores and omnivores for food sustenance.

But what was still debated on, and worked on, was what sort of texture of skin these beasts had and if they came in different colors.

This was fact. And I could understand it.

But what I never would have believed in was reincarnation.

So as you know**** reincarnation**** is one of the religious or philosophical concepts that the soul, or spirit, begins a new life in a new body after it's biological body experiences death.

Do you believe in it?

I certainly wasn't expecting it to happen to me upon my death-bed after suffering through three years of body- killing cancer.

Even more, I would never have believed that it would be in an entirely different world and that I'd become a creature I'd believed I'd never witness walking with my own eyes.

...

But even that knowledge came to me much later.

All I knew of in the beginning, upon having woken up, was that I'd somehow been cooped up into a very small space with no light and very little room.

At first I'd believed it to have been a coffin, but soon realized it couldn't have been one. It certainly didn't feel like a wooden coffin.

Needless to say I felt very confused, lonely and frightened.

Where was I exactly? Good question, because the only thing I could think of as to where I'd ended up was inside an egg. But what kind, and what exactly was I doing inside one in the first place? What in the world had I been reborn into exactly and who were my caretakers? Again a good question but I really couldn't see anything with my eyes.

I breathed in and out, in and out and would repeat it several more times in my life as an egg.

What I did know for certain that in mind and soul I was still Ronja Elisa Katariina Niemi; a human citizen of Finland and that I'd died from an internal illness.

But beyond that I hadn't the foggiest!

I wanted to scream in frustration for not having any answer but all that came out was a loud squeak. A squeak? I decided to move my back legs a little and found myself moving an extra appendix that felt like a tail.

A tail?

What exactly had I become?

I cried out again, louder this time, and was answered by a soothing voice talking to me from somewhere outside my tiny space. I also felt the 'someone' gently nudge the side of my egg.

'' Calm down my little one. Little one, its not your time to come out yet.'' the soothing voice told me.

_'' So its not my time to hatch yet? How long must I wait, then? And how do I know I'm ready to hatch?''_ I thought to myself nervously.

I uttered a despondent squeak and shivered with nerves as I settled down in the little space I had and closed my eyes tight against the already surrounding darkness around me.

All I could do was wait! And wait... and wait some more.

...

****END OF CHAPTER 1****


	2. Chapter 2

_**LAND BEFORE TIME**_

_**The Dinosaur Named Thorn**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the original story line of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters**_

_**...**_

_**Chapter 2 The Time of Hatching**_

Time did pass by much slower than I'd hoped it would, but time did pass and I began to see a change in the interior of my little egg.

There was more light shining through the formerly tough shell. The shell itself had become thinner and thinner as time passed.

The sounds around me had become more clear to my undeveloped ears, and yet my eyesight was still extremely poor.

_Much later, when I'd asked about the egg-shell thinning around me and the sounds becoming more clear in my ears, my father had explained that it had been the very first signs for us hatchlings to know that it was almost our time to join the world._

In the end, after much waiting, my hatch-day did finally arrive. But unfortunately on that day I'd become unbearably sleepy and never realized that my other sisters had begun to call out to their parents with small squeaking sounds.

If I had been awake to realize what was happening I would have known they were telling our parents that they were ready to come out.

I never heard the faint sounds of the eggs being cracked open by my would be sisters or heard my parents happy voices as they nuzzled them one by one as their children were revealed to them.

I missed seeing mamma's and papa's awestruck expressions as they watched one of my sisters running around still half stuck in her egg and ramming into our parents when just a newborn.

_It was a story I was later told by my father when I dared to ask him about my hatch-day._

I never saw my parents joyful expressions fall when they realized that they still had one unhatched egg in their nest; not the heartbroken tears that appeared in my mothers eyes as she looked down at my unblemished, temporary home for a short moment before nuzzling my father whom was quick to nuzzle her back whilst clenching his teeth together to hold in his own emotions.

I didn't hear or see anything until some wise guy knocked into me by accident or with intent. Well whatever the reason, the impact knocked my egg over and made it roll downhill. And the sensation of being banged around like I were in a washing- machine startled me into giving an almighty squeal of surprise.

'' SHE'S ALIVE?!'' I heard a feminine voice exclaim in a joyful realization and the ground was soon quacking with heavy footsteps moving towards me.

Suddenly I felt my egg hit something solid and my egg and I were brought to a jolting halt.

__'' Yep, I'm alive and vexed and wanting to know who knocked me rolling.__'' I thought grumpily as I began the painstaking job of getting myself out of the eggshell.

I could here tiny squeaks around me and knew they were the siblings I'd been hearing for a long time now, but never been able to see them from inside my egg.

It would have to take some time getting used to (having sisters, I mean), as I'd had younger siblings in my former life but I'd had to say a tearful goodbye to them not so long ago when my illness had overtaken my body. The siblings I'd had to leave behind were so fresh in my human mind that I didn't know how to feel about these children that were now calling out 'hellos' in child-like enthusiasm.

First my tail popped out, followed by my back legs. Finally I knocked my head forward onto the ground and the rest of the shell split apart.

Slightly disorientated and still unable to see beyond my nose, I tumbled backwards suddenly.

I cried out as I rolled down, and I could hear my parents gasp out as they tried to catch me but were too late to spare me the next painful part for my new hatchling body.

I hit something with sharp spikes or thorns, making me cry out in pain as they dug into my skin. I struggled to get out but only managed to get myself even more tangled.

I was half-blind and starting to panic slightly.

Thankfully the mother and father I'd been given were good-parents soon realized I wouldn't be getting out of this trap on my own.

A heavy foot came down near me( I could feel the vibrations) and I felt blunt teeth wrap around my tail and lift me up and away from the irritating thorns.

I gave an unintelligible mumble of thanks to whoever had gotten me out of those thorns and blinked when I felt my legs hit something solid, but warm and pebbly. I shook my head slightly, trying to shake my eyes clear.

Then I felt the nuzzle on my back and head. It was warm and comforting and I instinctively leaned into the touch.

'' Oh my little girl. My little Thorn.'' my new mother exclaimed in a loving voice.

'' Thorn? Is that my new name?'' I thought dazedly, still leaning into her nuzzle.

It sounded odd after knowing my former name in the human world had been Ronja, but I could learn to like the new name.

I was still caught in the clutches of soft nuzzles when the moment was broken by a new voice.

'' Dear, as much as I treasure this moment of our life, I feel that we should move on, now. Its not safe to stay in one spot with the children so tiny.'' the person's gentle, but gravely voice suddenly spoke from somewhere under me, and I was given the revelation that I was probably standing on my father's forehead.

'' You are very right, Topps.'' the female spoke up and drew away from me.

I found this to my disliking and squeaked out in protest which in turn made my new father chuckle softly in amusement.

'' Already living up to your name, little one? Good job, Thorn. Keep that up and you'll become a fine Threehorn, indeed.'' he said with amusement.

I almost gasped out loud at his words. Had I heard correctly? Did he really say Threehorn? I must have heard wrong!

I wiggled around for a while and bumped straight into something smooth and bony. Feeling around carefully I realized that it might've indeed been a large horn.

_''Oh, boy!''_ I thought, wiggling to the other side. I felt another one of those bony things sticking out of my father's forehead.

'_'Oh, gosh!''_ I exclaimed inwardly and carefully allowed myself to slide onto my father's snout. I could hear him chuckling again at my curiosity as I wriggled forward and found myself touching another one of those bony horns.

''__GAH! LAND BEFORE TIME__!'' I moaned out inwardly, realizing what I was up against.

Of all the places I could have ended upon my reincarnation, I'd been put into a world of one of my treasured childhood animation movies where the land was inhabited by giant leaf-eating Dinosaurs; and with menacing, dangerous predators waiting to seize anyone that wandered too far from the herd.

They were the dreaded sharp teethed Dinosaurs.

And there was one very dangerous carnivore actually named 'Sharptooth'. The massive Tyrannosaurus Rex with a nasty habit of going after long necked Dinosaurs in particular.

And wasn't that a spooky sort of emotional picture?! Only a newborn and I was already feeling like there would be a lot of trouble and dangerous encounters waiting to spring out in the dawn of my new life as a Prehistoric creature.

_'' This is just perfect! I was given a second change and I could end up getting eaten during my very first year!_'' I thought in slight despair and closed my eyes tightly for a short moment.

...

**END OF CHAPTER 2**


	3. Chapter 3

_****LAND BEFORE TIME****_

_****The Dinosaur Named Thorn****_

_****Disclaimer: I do not own the original storyline of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters****_

_…****...****_

**_Chapter 3_ **

Oh, I was definitely one hundred percent right about the trouble.

But the troubles didn't start off with any carnivores skulking around the area my parents had chosen as a temporary nest, but from one of my very own sister.

Apparently she'd become vexed and jealous after my parents had started paying attention to their last hatchling whom had hatched from the egg practically blind and had gotten herself tangled up in sharp thorn bushes.

Hence the reason I'd ended up being saddled with the name ''Thorn''. I knew it was my real name now but I was still getting used to the strangeness of it and my new change at life.

Once upon a time my family had been of two human adults, my father and stepmother and my two younger sisters.

At the present it had transformed into two adult Triceratops and four squeaky, orange skinned hatclings so small and vulnerable in a large and often violent world of dinosaurs.

Therefore our small family had relocated into a safer area once my new sisters and I had recovered enough from the strain of hatching. We hadn't noticed our tiredness at first, with all the excitement, but drowsiness had kicked in after a while and we'd ended up being carried by our mommy and daddy.

And it was here the antagonising had began in earnest. Antagonizing that included being poked in the hindquarters every now and then by the little beastling of a Threehorn.

I could feel my temper rising rapidly to exploding point at every continuing contact.

Poke, poke.

'' Grrrr!'' I growled out, flinching at the feel of the sharp nose horn poking into my sore skin that was already tender enough from the thorns that had bitten into it earlier today.

Poke, poke.

__'' She better stop it.___'_' I thought grimly, turning back to drink water from a tiny area between the rocks.

Poke, poke.

'' STOP IT, CERA!'' I half -screamed out loud as I finally lost my patience.

Spinning around to face my sister I found myself ramming my nose horn bitingly into my sister's side, knocking her over onto her other side and probably knocking the air out of her lungs while at it.

_'' It didn't even hurt much!''_ I realized with personal awe at my own strength and ability to take an impact without wounding myself.

But I was a dinosaur now! Not some weak- skulled human who would find myself with a concussion from a big enough solid impact with something harder than my own head.

Cera gave a wheezy gasp and looked up at me with surprise and even slight awe as I stood over her with my face so close to her that we were almost touching. It was the only way I could actually see her, though even then her form was blurry.

I snorted at her before snapping my face away. I was so bitter with her former attitude that I just walked off towards our parents, following the shadowy, hulking figures where they stood near some browned leaf bushes.

My other siblings were standing around near their feet already munching on the leaves.

I heard the annoying sister stand up somewhere behind me and was now following me back to our parents.

_''___ Hmph__, '' I thought angrily,'_' ___I'll just ignore her for a while, then.''__

I huffed out loud, ignoring her as she fell in step beside me. I turned my head away when she tried to look at me.

She nudged me slightly, clearly not with bad intent this time around but I was too vexed at her to care for any form of sisterly bonding at the time.

**RRRUUUMMMBBBLLLE! CRASH!**

''EEEEEKKKK!'' Cera shrieked loudly in what was obviously fright over the noise and light clashing amongst thick clouds and ran off to hide under our 'mama's' hulking figure where the rest of my siblings already lay huddled close against momma's front leg.

I could hear Thera and Tessa giggling at Cera's fright. I smirked lightly.

So Cera was afraid of thunder-storms! Exactly like the movie had shown.

It wasn't that I hadn't jumped at the loud rumble of thunder in the clouds and the lightning that had flashed but instead of being overly afraid I was curious and wanted to feel the rain on my skin.

It felt wonderful.

Being stuck in a hospital bed for the six months before my death had been a chore; and it had left me missing something as simple as water falling from the clouds above me.

I smiled when I felt the sensation of water dripping down my scaly skin and lifted my head to catch the drops. I opened my mouth to receive the water and savoured the taste on my tongue.

It tasted so pure. So uncontaminated by human kind that it brought tears of delight into my eyes.

This land was completely intact, without humans tampering into the structure of it and robbing it of it's natural riches. It was practically almost heaven to me at that short moment I stood there with my face lifted to the sky.

I didn't even flinch as another flash of thunder flashed within the clouds, followed by rumbling that almost sounded like a rampaging wild animal.

I could hear my sisters asking each other what I was up to as they watched my strange enchantment towards the thunder- storm.

But I could care less of it at the moment. I closed my eyes, still enjoying the sensation of water sliding in trails down my scaly skin.

I didn't look away until the moment I felt and heard the earth rumble beneath my feet as heavy footsteps approached. The rain stopped falling on me as a large, horned head lowered down to my level and began nuzzling my head lightly.

It was my 'papa' shielding me from the falling rain.

I uttered a squeack of protest when he gently lifted me by the stretchy neck- skin behind my nape-shield ( it didn't hurt, thankfully) and carried me back towards the rest of our family.

I watched as our 'papa' nuzzled our mother as he passed and she accepted with a serene smile on her face.

I, on the other hand, was eager to be on my own four feet again.

'' Papa!'' I squeaked out, wriggling a bit as I glared at him to draw his focus back onto me.

He laughed at my annoyed face and gently lowered me back onto solid ground, nudging me slightly on the behind to get me to move under his hulking form.

Rrruummbblle!

I looked down at my suddenly whining 'tummy' and frowned. Being a growing hatchling mean't always being hungry.

I nudged my father's leg and gave a squeack to get his attention.

He looked down at me for a moment and seemed to know what I was pining at for he reached out to grasp a brown colored plant with tough looking leaves on it and ripped it free off the ground. He chewed on it for a moment before lowering it down onto the ground in front of me.

I stared at it doubtfully, my human mind balking against the thought of eating something that had just been chewed on.

But my father grunted and nudged me with his large snout to indicate that I needed to eat.

Another insistent grumble in my belly seemed to agree with my father.

I uttered a soft sigh before brushing aside my doubts about wether this was hygienic and cautiously picked up the plant with my long lip and chewed on it. I winced as I realized there was hardly any taste to it; and it also felt very dry against my mouth. The brown plant turned out to be tough to chew on, as well.

I winced again when I could feel the strain on my still very tender jaw and gums, but my father's stronger jaws had broken the structure of the plant and it had softened enough that I could eat it.

Now I realized the reason why daddy had chewed on it himself before handing it over to me. I could have broken the developing teeth inside my gums if I'd tried chewing on it myself.

I quickly finished the plant and nudged my father on the leg a second time and smiled up at him eagerly.

My father smiled back and turned to find more edible plantation.

And very soon I had a whole pile of pre-chewed plants in front of me. The pile was taller than me, even!

I squeaked an enthusiastic 'thank you' before starting to fill my hungry belly.

After a moment one of my sisters wandered over, looked at me cautiously before moving to join me on the meal our father had set up.

A closer glance told me it was Cera, again, but this time I didn't mind the intrusion as I now had food in my stomach and my mood was more leniant.

Soon all my sisters had joined up with the two of us and I found, much to my surprise, that I liked being amongst my new sisters. Even the most annoying ones.

Then all of a sudden I was attacked with the urge to yawn. I opened my mouth open wide. My eyelids immediately drooped.

_'' Sheesh, I'm like a baby that has just consumed a full course meal of milk._'' I groaned inwardly as I layed down on my stomach and rested my head against 'papa's' massive front foot.

Then Cera was suddenly squeezing in next to me, drawing a somewhat annoyed grunt from my mouth but she felt comfortably warm against my side and I decided against pushing her away from me.

Our father uttered a soft chuckle and nuzzled the two of us on the head and back. I sighed at his touch and leaned into it for a moment before letting my body relax.

Still somewhat awake, I let my senses wander and realized that having another warm body lying so close next to me brought back fond memories of sleeping together on the same bed with my human siblings on cold winter nights.

I snuggled even closer, and layed my head on the nape of Cera's neck before closing my eyes finally and allowing sleep to take over me almost instantly.

...

**END OF CHAPTER 3**

...


	4. Chapter 4

_**LAND BEFORE TIME**_

_**The Dinosaur Named Thorn**_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the original storyline of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters

**...**

**Chapter 4 Family Squabbles**

Days, possibly months had passed since my Hatch- Day.

I really couldn't be completely sure how long ago it had been.

But time had passed and I'd grown a lot, as well as sprouted all my blunt herbivore teeth. It had been a rather uncomfortable and painful ordeal;possibly a recollection of the time when I'd been a human baby. Anyhow, it wasn't something worth repeating ever again.

The upside of the teething was that I was able to feed myself, and now I was packing up weight and musculature at the same rate as my slightly elder siblings who'd been a lot bigger than I'd been on my Hatch Day.

And I'd finally gained my sight by the end of the first three days since the hatching.

It had taken that time for my sight to form and I'd finally been able to look straight up at my parents as they'd woken me up that morning.

I'd been a little startled at the sight of the huge creatures that were my parents.

Especially when they'd been leaning over me the way they'd done with their formidable horns jutting out of their skulls.

The first sight of their massive forms had made me squeak out slightly and flinch away from their heads, but mama's gentle croons had soon made me return to them with an awed look on my face.

To think, if I survived to adulthood, I'd be as big as mama or papa.

Papa had several long scars running down his sides which looked to have come from large predators. Mommy had fewer scars on her skin but she didn't lack them, either.

This was evidence that living outside of the Great Valley was hazardous for ones health.

And that Valley was the place we were heading towards, according to mother, but we needed to find the rest of our herd along the way.

Mama and papa had told us that only the family members with hatchlings on the way had stayed behind until the hatching times. And certainly not all of the members of our herd had been in the process of family extension.

As for my age sisters, they were as scar free as me. Tiny, innocent and vulnerable compared to our parents.

When they'd realized my sight was possibly now a reality they had all charged at me as one and proceeded to nuzzle and gently poke me with their noses until I showed I could see them by charging at Cera who's pokes had become a bit too rough for my liking.

She'd given a delighted squeal and had taken the impact with my skull with grace.

I'd been surprised to have known what to do the first time I'd charged Cera on our Hatch Day, but perhaps it was instinct programmed into some small spot in our brains so that we would avoid injuring ourselves.

We'd kept to the play-fighting until daddy interrupted our sisterly bonding by lifting me up by the nape of my neck and carried me over to a small watering hole nearby.

Well to be truthful it was more like a deep puddle than a true watering-hole.

He'd set me down on the edge of the watering-hole where I'd been able to look down in the water and see my reflection for the first time.

I'd been stunned to silence at the rippling reflection of myself in the cool water.

I was a hatchling Threehorn, no doubt, with the smooth and slightly rough skin and missing horns but with skin the shade of fresh snow in winter and eyes the color of beautiful, very lightly pinkish color.

My sisters eyes were either dark jade green or hazel like our mother's.

I was a very rare 'Albino Dinosaur', or 'Colorless' in the Dinosaur language.

Having a 'colorless' be born into any family, my father had explained, was a cause for joy as usually it was 'our kind' who grew up to become the most adamant survivalists in a herd.

And if a 'colorless' did grew up to full adulthood it usually was a Threehorn as we were known as one of the toughest, most stubborn of the dinosaurs living on land.

But we albinos kind of had to become tough in the first place, I'd deemed, as our skin was so noticeable among the plantation and in the darkness of the night. I would need to find a way to make myself unnoticeable to predators but at the same time I needed to grow stronger like daddy and mama were; so I could one day be capable of protecting myself and my siblings.

Thera, though a little quiet some times, did have 'back-bone' and was usually the one to step in to stop the fights between Cera and I when things 'heated up' between us.

Tessa was quiet most of the times and avoided confrontations. She did play with us but always bailed out when the games became to rough for her liking. She was quite smart, though, and always curious about her surroundings. She always listened very enthusiastically whenever our parents educated us on how to survive in the wild.

_'' Siblings sure aren't so bothersome once you get to know them better.''_ I thought warmly as I grabbed a chewy plant with my blunt teeth and beak like lip and pulled it free from the ground,

Said siblings were moving around like tiny shadows behind our father who was pointing out edible plants for us to eat as we kept walking towards the valley mamma and papa had said would be a safe place for us all to grow up in; without fear of sharptooth attacks.

But while my sisters may have been almost glued to papa's massive form, I on the other hand...

'' THORN? THORN WHERE ARE YOU?!''

Liked to keep to myself sometimes!

I stifled a giggle when I spotted my mother just above me. And she sounded worried because she couldn't spot me where I was hidden amongst a large bush and a grey rock twice my size.

'' Mama, over here!'' I called out calmly, poking my head out from the bush and giggling slightly at the frustrated snort she uttered when she realized just how close by I'd been after all.

'' Oh, Thorn,'' mama sighed as she lowered her head down to nudge me away from the rock and bush,'' how many times have I told you to keep within my sight at all times? Its dangerous...!''

'' To wander far! I know, mother.'' I cut in before she could continue her lecture. I swallowed the food I still had in my mouth.

'' Then why is it that you keep doing this to me? You keep wandering into these places where I can't see you.'' mother asked with a frown as she nudged me forward to walk alongside her feet.

'' I'm practicing hiding, mother.'' I answered with a small smile.'' I'm so white of skin that I need to learn how to keep out of sight of sharpteeth because they'd spot me first. I look so different from Cera, Tessa and Thera.''

Mother paused for a moment as if in thought, her crossed expression softening remarkably at my words as she turned to look at me.

'' You are a smart little thing.'' she said proudly.'' But Thorn, try to remember what I've lectured you about. Keep yourself close to me or your papa. You are very good at hiding but when on open ground you need to stay within a group. Once we reach the Great Valley you can do as much hiding as you want, but I'm sure your father would like you to also participate in becoming tough like a Threehorn should grow up into.''

'' I will do that, mama.'' I answered with a smile, nuzzling her front leg for a moment.

I loved her protective nature and slightly more docile temper that was the opposite of daddy's more brash character. Truly loved her like a daughter should love the parent whom had given birth to her.

And while I still sometimes thought of my past life as an adult human I was slowly getting over the grief of never seeing any of my human-family again. And who knew, maybe one day I'd be granted the change to be reunited with them when it was my time to join others as a spirit without a physical body.

I was determined to take the best of this new life I'd been given and not squander it by refusing to see myself as part of the 'Circle of Life' with these amazing creatures I'd only seen as fossils, or reconstructed in Animal Documentary Films.

'' YUCK, OWWW!''

I turned to glance back at my siblings as Thera gave a disgusted cry and loudly spat out a piece of vegetation that had a hole in it through the middle.

I watched, intrigued, as a large blue beetle crawled out of the branch and frantically skittered away from the bigger creature attempting to stomp it dead in her disgust.

Thera looked furious over being pinched and I could see a slight redness on her lip from where the pincers had gotten her.

I stifled a giggle as the rest of my siblings burst out tittering at Thera's misfortune.

Honestly, my eldest sister had the worst luck of any infant our age. Why yesterday she'd been bitten by a small fuzzy rat like creature when her head had invaded it's nest.

The creature I'd seen was the likes of which I'd seen in the 'Land Before Time movies'; which proved to me that like in the films all dinosaurs were in the same timeline. Which, of course, made our lives ever more dangerous because there would be more apex predators lurking around somewhere. And not just on the land we walked on, but lurking in the depths of deep water, too.

'' Hah haa, Thera! Its always you who gets bitten by something!'' Cera burst out between giggles. She certainly had no qualms about laughing at her sister's annoyed expression.

'' Be quiet Cera! Its not funny at all!'' Thera growled out as she charged the second youngest of our company in frustrated anger.

_'' It is a little bit funny.''_ I thought, turning away to hide my amused face as the sound of heads clashing against each other reached my ears.

'' Alright you two break it up. We must keep moving on so we can meet up with the rest of our herd.'' Daddy Topps said almost fondly as he took hold of Cera's tail and pulled her back from her elder sister.

'' I hate this place! Is there anything better to eat here? I'm tired of getting bitten by creepy crawlers that have their nests in things I eat!'' Thera growled out with a glare in Cera's direction.

Mama and papa looked at each other with wistful filled eyes and I tucked food into my mouth to avoid biting my own lip as I recalled Littlefoot's mother's words to her son when he'd asked a similar sort of question as Thera had asked just now.

'' Well, dears,'' mama said as she moved to fondle her eldest on the side of her head,'' long before you were born the climate in our former valley began to drastically change around us. The green food began to die out and our herd was left struggling to find enough food for our survival. I was... with eggs by the time we decided to abandon the familiar valley to seek a better place. I struggled to sustain enough nourishment to provide you all life.''

She looked so pained that I did bite down on my lip as I struggled with the tears stinging my eyes.

'' Sometimes I wonder if I'd done more you would all have been healthier.'' mama continued tearfully.'' You were all smaller than when Dema and Dora, your eldest siblings who are with the rest of the herd, were born; and especially you, Thorn, were so tiny that I feared you wouldn't survive the first days of your lives.''

I looked shamefully at the ground. I'd probably really scared mamma and Papa when I'd not hatched at the same time as my three sisters. But I was fine, now.

'' Don't cry, momma. I'm here now aren't I?! And I was quite strong, too, even when I couldn't see very well.'' I said softly and looked up at my parents.

'' Oh, yeah, you knocked me over. I need to get you back for that someday.'' Cera broke in with laughter in her voice.

'' Don't you dare! You poked me hard in places that were scratched by thorns, so we are totally square!'' I retorted, suddenly getting into Cera's face at her words.

'' Are we now?!'' Cera drawled out in a challenging tone and pawed at the ground with her front feet.

I copied her with a growl but was startled at the 'thud' of a massive leg slamming down near us before either of us could begin butting heads.

'' As your mother was saying the climate began to change and take away our lifeline. Then violent earth shakes appeared to change our valley and the land around it even further. We had to leave.'' Topps continued, giving the two of us a scolding look.

'' Is it like this everywhere, daddy?'' Tessa asked nervously as she peered around us at the looming, almost bare land with faded vegetation and bare hills surrounding our small herd.

'' Well little ones,'' our mother spoke as she peered up at the sky above us,'' there is hope that a land of lush green and water still exists. Someone in the past named it the Great Valley. It is a place where all our herd is trying to find our way.''

'' But how are we to find the way to the Great Valley?'' Thera asked with a frown.

'' And how do we know its even a real land?'' Cera scoffed out with a snort.'' Papa has always said to trust in only what you can see in front of your eyes.''

Papa uttered a slight cough as mother shot him a scathing look and hissed out: '' As a leader of the herd you would expect him to believe in something that is beneficial for the survival of our herd. But if he doesn't he certainly has a mate who adamantly believes in it. And she will try to make him LISTEN to her advice!''

'' Alright! ALRIGHT, Rome! I will try to believe in something that I've never seen before with my own eyes just this once.'''' Daddy Topps cut in before mom could get into one of her long tirades.

He gave a tired sigh whilst Cera uttered another disbelieving snort. Tessa and Thera just looked mildly amused whilst I could only roll my eyes up at the sky over the ridiculous hardheadedness of some of my family.

Honestly, Cera was like a miniature copy of father in both looks and manner.

Having a little faith in something you haven't seen with your own eyes could sometimes be rather soothing to the heart.

'' Look up little ones.'' mamma continued, lifting her head up again to peer up at the sun.'' When you see the hot, bright circle above us you know you must follow it to wherever it touches the ground. Wherever there is warmth and light, there is also water and green food.''

I looked up at the sky and the horizon, hoping against hope that I'd live to see the valley for myself; and to see my whole family survive the arduous journey there.

Still, from what I knew from the films it hurt to know that mother and most of my siblings would likely perish somewhere along the way before we were to reach the Great Valley.

But for whatever reason, I really didn't know.

THUMP!

''Cera, don't do that all the time!'' I exclaimed indignantly when my sister crashed headlong into me from behind. She hadn't hurt me, but heavens, had she made me annoyed with her actions.

She only grinned and rebutted:'' Why shouldn't I? Your so fun to get riled up, Thorn!''

I uttered a snort through my nostrils and rolled my light pink eyes skyward.'' That's not the point, you brat!'' I sighed and head-butted her for good measure.

It was all true enough, though. Cera and I had inherited our dad's looks and characteristic short fuse.

The reason I couldn't fathom as I never was like that during a normal day of my human life; though at the very end of my life, when the the cancer had taken full hold, I'd become more and more irritable because of the agony and discomfort ravaging me from the inside.

It had taken my family becoming upset at my fluctuating moods to bring me out of the funk each time.

Unlike then, perhaps the short fuse came from inheritance that mirrored all Threehorns, or maybe just from our father who was notoriously bad tempered most of the time.

'' Come now you two, we need to move forward now that the Bright circle is still high up in the sky for us to follow.'' mother said as she dragged me away from her and daddy nudged Cera forward in front of him.

'' Hmph, alright mom.'' Cera mumbled sullenly fell back to fall into step beside me like my very own personal shadow.

It made me grin. We'd gone a long way, Cera and I, from our 'Hatch day'. We were getting along better than we'd done during the first days of our lives. And for that I was grateful for as now we were almost inseparable.

But it wasn't like I wasn't close to my other siblings. No, I loved them just as much as I loved Cera, but the brash threehorn and I had something so much in common that I felt I could relate to her the most.

I giggled slightly as Thera naughtily bumped her horn against Cera's behind. The loud yelp that came out of Cera's mouth had me and Tessa giggling even louder.

Of course our reaction was another cause for her to get mad.

Thera and Cera growled at each other and pawed the ground underneath their feet but before they could so much as charge at one another mother had once again taken hold of one of her irate children's tail and lifted her up high in the air before depositing the hatchling down on her own back.

'' Goodness me, if you lot don't stop with the antagonizing we won't be getting very far by the time the Bright Circle disappears from the sky. Honestly Topps, Cera is too much like you for my comfort. Even at this age.''

Thera, Tessa and I giggled at the expressions on the aforementioned family members faces but a stern glance from our father made us quickly quiet down and turn our attention to the path in front of us.

There it was, the hot, bright circle that shined down at the almost completely barren wasteland in front of us. The air around us seemed to shimmer and form images that weren't real.

You really needed to keep your wits when it happened or you would have been driven off course.

I sighed, and groaned when I felt sweat appear and slide down my face to hit the ground where it immediately disappeared with a soft sizzling sound.

It was hot here. So hot that I was constantly perspiring!

…

**END OF CHAPTER 4 ****Family Squabbles**


	5. Chapter 5

****LAND BEFORE TIME****

****The Dinosaur Named Thorn****

****Disclaimer: ****I do not own the original story line of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters

****...****

**Chapter 5**

Days passed by in the Land of the Dinosaurs, though as usual I didn't delve deeper to determine just how many days had come and went.

I'd started to take each day in stride, eating (and drinking) what little the land could offer numerous times a day to gain enough sustenance for growth and for energy so that I would last another day.

And we had grown! All of us. If my sisters and I had only been a few kilos of weight as newborns, then now we were at least twice that size and tougher and more volatile.

Especially Cera whom was driving the rest of us sisters up the wall with her antics and brash attitude.

Sigh, and just like any other day the scedule was travel. Travel, travel, and more travel across a barren hot landscape that made our feet blister and ache and our stomachs to grumble with hunger whenever there was no food to be eaten. Our mouths and throats were constantly aching for cool water and our still soft infant skins longed for any shade from the sun beating down on us.

It was a brutal way to live, and yet life was always brutal. Even back in the time I had been human.

Not to mention, all the whining and whinging around me made me long for some alone time.

Yes, I loved my sisters dearly and truthfully enjoyed the playtimes with them, but it wasn't always easy being an adult human stuck in the body of a hatchling Threehorn who always needed to stay within a group to be safe.

Yeah it was foolish of me to want to be alone when you thought of the dangers you could encounter, but it was what I needed.

I took my changes when my family stopped momentarily to rest and eat.

I cautiously wandered further and further away less terrifying carnivores beasts lurked around the area. I wagered they wouldn't miss a change to snatch a young one for their next meal.

This totally went against momma's urges for us to stay safe but as long as I were to keep ears and eyes open at all times...

A laugh rang out from behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see Cera abandon her lunch in order to engage our father into another playful fight instead.

I smiled at the two of them. Papa usually had no qualms about bowing to any of our wishes and seemed to enjoy making his children happy.

But then again, there were things he absolutely forbade us to do if it had to do with our safety or against Threehorn ethics.

I sighed. He always drilled those ethics into us before bedtime with help from our mother, who's job was to tell us important rules that we needed to follow.

CRASH

I shook my head slightly as I watched Cera lunge after a large blue beetle and run head-long into a boulder that immediately buckled under the impact with her head.

Turning my head away from the scene, I wandered to an area with a huge bush with long faded overhanging leaves and poked my head within its fold before jumping to the other side.

Only to find myself not alone.

I jumped slightly as the young Longneck hatchling took several steps backwards and uttered a small yelp. His purple eyes were wide and his mouth gaping as he stared at me with wonder.

Either he'd never seen another species of dinosaur or he'd never seen one like me before in his life.

Afterall I was a rare albino Threehorn.

I glanced beyond the young longneck to see that he wasn't alone afterall. There were three full grown adults standing not far off staring down at me in surprise and even slight awe.

I was in shock, too, for a different reason. These were grown up Apatosauruses with long muscular necks reaching several feet in length and with back and front legs the width of young tree trunks.

I'd seen big dinosaurs before on our journey but these ones were absolutely enormous. They dwarfed my own parents several times over, and it made me feel even tinier than I already felt when I compared myself to momma and pappa.

'' H-hey, what are you?'' the little dinosaur piped in to get my attention. He was peering at me cautiously as he began to circle me.

'' You don't know? '' I asked as I circled him back, trying to look none threatening.

Daddy had always said to not turn your back on strangers. You never knew when you might find yourself needing to be cautious of strangers.

The young Longneck was a nice dark purple and brown color with a lighter colored underbelly. He was a little larger than me in size but most of his length was in his neck and tail. I also kind of doubted his physical strength would be as great as a hatchling Threehorn's at this stage of his growth; even though he was bigger than me.

But I had to admit that long neck and tail might've been able to dish out a good wallop if he were to become serious.

'' No, that's why I asked you.'' the child answered with a small chuckle and stopped circling to face me.

'' I'm a threehorn and my name is Thorn.'' I answered finally, and stopped circling to face him directly.

'' I'm Littlefoot and I'm a... a... what am I?'' Littlefoot asked me; he suddenly looked very confused.

I giggled quietly at his naivety even as I wondered why his mother hadn't educated his son to the different species of dinosaurs walking on this land.

'' You are a Longneck, Littlefoot.'' I answered.'' Nice to meet you.''

Littlefoot smiled at me, seemingly having lost his nervousness and asked: '' Why don't you have any color at all, Thorn?''

There it was, that question I'd expected to hear at some point during this unexpected , unexpected for Littlefoot, not so much for myself.

I was going to answer him when the ground underneath our feet started vibrating from slow heavy foot-falls approaching us. Three humungous shadows fell over us both.

The three grown- ups had joined us.

'' H-hello.'' I spoke a little nervously as Littlefoot's mother and grandparents lowered their long necks and peered down at us.

'' Hello there, little one. Goodness, I haven't seen one like you in a very long time.'' the aged female longneck spoke to me with a small smile on her face.

'' One like me?'' I asked, still feeling a little nervous around these giant sized Dinosaurs.

'' There hasn't been a 'Colorless' seen in a very long time.'' the elder male Longneck answered with a kind look in his wise eyes.

'' Oh, that...thing.'' I mumbled quietly, a small frown forming on my face.

I knew my skin held no pigment and my eyes had little of it, but I certainly couldn't be called colorless in my manners. Why, my temper could rival Cera's when I had reason for it and my physical strength wasn't anything to be laughed at either.

Yes, I preferred the human phraze for someone like me but I wouldn't allow this turn in conversation to bother me into snapping at these two elders whom actually seemed to hold no real resentment towards me for having come so close to their young herd member.

'' AHAHAHAA!

CRASH

I turned to look back in the direction I'd come from, knowing it was Cera having fun out there; chasing the beetle and running into boulders.

Littlefoot seemed to become quite intrigued by the laughter on the other side of the brush and pushed past me to stick his head into the thick bush.

_'' He sure is a very curious young Longneck.''_ I thought, keeping an eye on him.

'' Littlefoot, dear, I don't want you wandering too far! It is not safe.'' the young female Longneck (with a beautiful greyish blue skin), called out to her son.

_'' Like I shouldn't be doing, but I am.''_ I thought, poking my own head into the leaves to see what my family was up to at this time.

My mother was sniffing the air and shifting worriedly on her feet whilst Thera and Tessa were munching on the tough vegetation without a worry on their young faces as they stayed close to momma's feet.

I jumped and nearly cried out with surprise when a massive shadow fell over me, and a warm snout lightly touched my back.

I slowly turned myself around to face the mother Longneck whom didn't seem hostile or angry over me being so close to her only child; but there was a touch of wariness in her manner and voice when she asked: '' Your name is Thorn, wasn't it? Where is your family?''

'' Umm, they...,'' I began to answer but was cut off when Littlefoot broke out into peals of laughter over something he'd seen on the other side of the overhanging bushes.

'' WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?''

'' Oh, Cera!'' I groaned out loud as my heart began to hammer inside my chest. I knew where this was going lead and the outcome was going to be anything but good.

'' Your parents wouldn't happen to be the ones standing over there on the other side of the brush?'' the mother longneck asked me, having raised her head high up into the air to peer at what her son had seen.

She shifted on her feet, looking noticeably more tense and worried.

'' Y- yes, their my family.'' I answered distractedly as I kept glancing at Littlefoot to assure he wasn't attempting to do anything stupid, but then the little hatchling made a leap to the other side of the brush.

_'' Oh no no no!'_' I thought as I leaped over to the other side of the boulder.

'' LITTLEFOOT, DON'T GO OUT THERE!'' his mother cried out at that same moment, but Littlefoot acted typical of a child that didn't listen to his parents.

I was forced to run after him as he charged towards my sister who was charging at him with a rather playful look in her green eyes.

_'' You little idiot!_'' I thought as I sprinted after Littlefoot, smashing into rocks as I bulldozed my way through the obstacles.

Things were quickly escalating from bad to worse when I heard my father's heavy, rumbling footsteps, and his bellows, drawing closer.

And Threehorn footsteps weren't the only ones rumbling along the plain. Even heavier feet were shaking the earth beneath my feet.

I winced at the words my mother had spoken not that long past.

One of the basic rules of living amongst a family with hatchlings was that another member of a different dinosaur species was to never to approach the children unless they were absolutely certain they were welcomed by their parents.

And my father was one of those creatures that wouldn't mingle with other species and had prejudices about allowing his children to get to know other hatchlings that weren't Threehorns.

And yet it seemed to be, that when push came to shove mother Longnecks could be just as protective of their young as an adult Threehorn.

I gritted my teeth and pushed on, finally gaining on Littlefoot who was slower in his movements.

Once I was running alongside him, I didn't hesitate to ram my frill against his side.

And let me tell you something, the human paleontologists sure weren't missing the mark when they'd rambled on about the thickness of a Triceratops's frill or the maneuverability of the joint-socket at the back of the neck.

_''Yeah, too many hours of Dinosaur Documentaries when one's 'trapped' from the outside world had made me into a Dinosaur-nerd, sheesh! '' _I thought darkly as those thoughts came to mind_.''But that's beside the point!_

My point was, it didn't take much movement of my head to knock Littlefoot off his feet and he crashed to the ground with a pained 'oof' sound.

This put him behind Cera and I, and not between either of us, as dad's powerful leap had the whole earth shake upon landing with one paw slamming down between me and Littlefoot and the other in front of Cera.

Cera managed to halt her charge before she slammed smack- dag into our father's limb whilst I failed to avoid crashing into the solid mass with an 'ooff' of pain.

**CRASH, CRASH, CRASH!**

I felt goosebumps appear on my skin when two humongous legs (like trees) were slammed on the ground between my dad's foot and the young longneck who'd stood up by then and was cowering from my dad's scowling face.

I heard momma give a loud cry of worry as a long muscled neck lashed out to collide with daddy's side with enough force to make him stumble backwards, his front feet missing a startled Cera's head by an inch as she ducked to avoid a collision that would have likely cracked her skull open.

'' CERA!'' I cried, ducking under our stumbling father to get to my sister's shivering form, and tried to nudge her back out of harms way.

I was scared, too, knowing that when two such colossal forms were butting at each other it could prove dangerous to stay so close to either of them.

I glanced back just as Cera finally got to her feet and saw Littlefoot running away towards his quickly approaching grandparents.

'' CERA! THORN! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!''

Our mother's anxious bellow jarred the two of us into quickly running towards where she was crouched protectively over Thera and Tessa who were lying on the ground, huddled together.

The look of fright on their faces was like a mirror image of my own expression right then. My heart was hammering almost painfully inside my chest as mother reached out to snatch Cera and I by the skin on the back of our necks and pulled us into the huddle of hatchlings.

I immediately turned to watch the confrontation between the two adults once I was back on solid ground. I bit my lip as I worried about the outcome.

My father wouldn't stand a change if these events escalated into a full-blown feud. Littlefoot's mother was young and her strength was in her prime and though daddy was huge for an adult Threehorn he would still have lost the feud. Broken bones and crushed skulls could have very well been the outcome.

And I sure as hell didn't want that to happen!

'' DADDY!'' I cried out with worry filling my voice, not realizing I'd taken several steps forward towards the circling adults until mom's teeth had grabbed hold of my tail.

Thankfully our papa seemed to snap out of his funk once he heard my voice calling out to him. He shook his head with an irritated 'hmmphh' before turning to glare 'sharptooth fangs' at the young longneck cowering in the safety of his grandmother's large front feet.

'' NEVER come near my young ones, longneck! Threehorn's NEVER play with YOUR KINDS! You should have been aware of that already unless your forgetful mother never told you about the rule to not mingle with others outside your species.'' he growled out icily.

I gasped at the blatant insult. I'd been so wrong about my father snapping back into thinking straight.

My eyes widened in horror when daddy dared to take a threatening step towards the grandparents hiding their grandson behind their huge limbs.

This prompted Cera to be brave and brash as she took off towards where our father was standing before momma could stop her, practically shouting: '' Threehorns NEVER play with Longnecks!''

I winced at her words and broke free from momma, when she'd inadverdently loosened her hold on my tail, and followed after my sister.

I worried that the little threehorn was gonna do something extremely foolish in her quest to establish her bravery.

A loud, animalistic, hissing sort of bellow suddenly halted Cera straight in her tracks. I yelped at the sudden noise and almost ran into her 'behind', but managed to stop myself in time.

I looked towards the adults when Littlefoot's mother uttered another bellow and received the shock of my life when the young mother rouse up onto her two back feet before slamming her front feet to the ground with enough force to make the ground quake violently beneath our feet.

It was clearly a sign of aggression as her narrowed dark blue eyes fixed a hard look in our father's direction.

Even daddy backed away when the longneck took a sudden step forward before freezing.

'' Do not threaten my Littlefoot! He is but a young one, like your own little ones!'' she replied, not shouting, but there was a clear warning in her voice and manner as she turned to walk back over to her parents who were watching the whole sorry episode in silence.

Her long neck was still turned in our direction as she watched my father's every move as he turned to walk back in our direction.

I solemnly looked towards where Littlefoot had stood up but was half hiding behind his grandmother's leg. He looked around for a moment before running towards his mother, whom stopped as soon as she had seen his approach, and eagerly nuzzled her front leg for comfort.

I swallowed hard when Littlefoot's mother lowered her neck to her son's level and licked his back gently.

Poor Littlefoot! He had just wanted to play with my sister and was instead scared half to death by my own father.

Well, I'm sure his own mother's unexpected aggression had frightened him, too, but it had been my father who'd initated the agressionable retaliation from the mother Longneck.

I cleared my throat almost unnoticeably, half scared over wanting to open my mouth in front of my own parents and the three adult Longnecks whom had just witnessed how crudely my kind could treat other species of dinosaurs.

But I just couldn't stay quiet.

I watched as Littlefoot's mother gently grabbed hold of her son's stretchy neck skin and lifted him up into dizzying heights before the little longneck managed to scramble up to lay down on his mother's head.

'' LITTLEFOOT!'' I cried out finally, making him jump slightly as he heard my voice.

I winced as Cera nudged me harshly, likely wanting me to shut up, but I just gave her a glare before turning my attention back to the confused young dinosaur.

'' Littlefoot, I know, I know I shouldn't be talking to you at all, but I just want you to know that I don't see you as a stupid Longneck! I know we can never really be friends, but I do not share the same views as my father! And... OW! Cera stop it!''

I head-butted her harshly before turning to look up at a now stunned looking Littlefoot whom was leaning further over his mother's head as he waited for me to speak again. There was a hopeful glint in his purple eyes and his mouth held a trace of a smile.

'' And I'm sorry, for everything.'' I finished my thoughts before uttering a yelp at the feeling of being lifted into the air by my father who'd grabbed me around the tail.

He began carting me away, and though my eyes were turned away from him, I could already imagine the fierce scowl etched onto his face.

I kept my eyes on Littlefoot as his mother started walking away, too, and noticed him looking back at me with a true smile on his face.

Littlefoot's mother had an unreadable expression on her face (from what I could see) and I couldn't know what she might have thought of me. And I wondered if I ever would know.

I winced when daddy dropped me to the ground more harshly then he normally would have done and nudged me towards mommy.

She had a deep scowl schooled to her face when she said heatedly: '' You are in trouble, little lady.''

Thera and Tessa could only look at me and Cera in stunned disbelief.

'' Yeah, really big trouble.'' she commented, looking rather smug until our father nudged her and growled: '' She isn't the ONLY little lady in trouble, Cera!''

I almost wanted to wear the smug expression my sister had dropped upon hearing that she, too, wasn't off the hook. But the thought of the tongue lashing we'd be bombarded with in the future stilled that want to be smug towards other child.

Instead, I gave an angry hiss and retaliated with a: '' And your comment towards Littlefoot was unnecessary, Cera!''

'' And your apology to him was unnecessary! He is a longneck!'' she retorted through gritted teeth as I gave her a withering glare.

'' So what?! I don't care if he is a longneck or swimmer or a flier,'' I almost shouted at my sister,'' he's just as much a youngling as we are, Cera! And he did deserve that apolo...!''

'' ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!'' our father bellowed, which had both of us wincing and shifting on our feet as daddy turned to our mother and said in a much calmer voice: '' We will save our lecture for a later time. We can't stay out in the open much longer in case Sharpteeth wander too close.''

_'' __Its even worse waiting for the lecture __than hearing it now._'' I thought darkly as mother lifted me by the nape and deposited me on her wide neck where I curled up behind her napeshield and closed my eyes as tears started to slide down my cheeks. I wiped them away furiously.

I already dreaded the horrifying lecture I was going to receive later, and I just knew it would be something I'd deeply detest. I wasn't a racist towards other dinosaurs and daddy would likely begin by emphasising the reality that our kind never interacted with other species; especially longnecks whom were viewed as the dumbest species ever to walk the land.

It wasn't how I saw it. Perhaps there were those Longnecks with less intelligense, but from what I'd seen in even the first movie back when I'd been human, Littlefoot's mother certainly hadn't been a dumb Longneck. Or her mother. Or her father.

It was ludicrous to assume such awful things about others when you didn't even know them for real, and if there was anything that I'd continue seeing through different eyes, it was this sort of racism.

**END OF CHAPTER 5**


	6. Chapter 6

**LAND BEFORE TIME**

**The Dinosaur Named Thorn**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the original story line of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters

**Chapter 6 Why we are Different**

…

Savanna found herself frowning ever-slightly as she kept her eyes fixed on the blazing bright circle above them. It was their natural compass that would lead them to a safe land with food and water aplenty.

She and her parents walked steadily across the dry and cracked plain stretching out in all directions. It was hot, much too hot to be comfortable and she was trying not to show her own discomfort to her young son who undoubtly felt much worse.

His skin was still soft and unused to the harsh elements that she had lived with for a much longer time.

She could hear Littlefoot groan quietly in discomfort and felt him snuggle into the groove of her neck with the large, still green treestar draped over his head.

She shook her head, wondering if he was ever going to eat it, or if the treestar would forever be viewed as something Littlefoot would keep holding on to the entire journey.

'' Momma, why are we called Longnecks?''

The young mother smiled at the sound of his son's slightly bored tone of voice, but kept her eyes on the path ahead. She had been expecting her son to voice out his thoughts on what had happened earlier today and knew what exactly she had to teach him so he'd know better in the future when they'd come across other dinosaurs.

'' Well Littlefoot, you did watch how I reached up into the tree to give you that treestar, didn't you?!''

'' Yes, mama.'' Littlefoot answered immediately.

'' We need our long necks to reach the tall trees to grab the tender, green treestars to provide ourselves with proper sustenance. Or more importantly, our young ones the food they need to grow.'' the young mother answered, smiling when her boy nodded his head thoughtfully.

'' Was it our kind that named ourselves longnecks?'' he then asked with curiosity in his voice.

'' I believe it was our kind, but I cannot be certain as it happened generations ago.''

'' So why couldn't I play with the two Threehorns?'' Littlefoot scoffed out.'' We were having fun!''

Littlefoot's mother laughed gently at her son's words.

Indeed she had noticed something akin to enjoyment on the face of the young Threehorn, Cera, when she'd charged towards Littlefoot. But any fondness she might've felt towards that particular hatchling was masked when she'd acted typical of a hatchling having been ordered not to mingle with children not of her own kind.

But then there was that other hatchling,Thorn, a beautiful ' Colorless' threehorn, whom had spurred hope in her heart that not all children listened to their parents prejudices.

She'd made it quite clear when she'd opened her mouth to apologise to Littlefoot.

And yet, she knew in her heart that despite that hope of finally having a generation of dinosaur hatchlings whom had the promise of perhaps becoming those to get along despite being different kinds of dinosaurs, any forming friendships would be nulled by the parents that ruled their lives for years until they were adults and able to make their own decisions.

And by then they would have changed too much to be comfortable forming friendship bonds.

It was a sad reality. But it was the reality they all lived in. It would take a miracle for everything to change and prejudices to disappear in the face of change.

She could remember herself having been much the same at the age her son was now. Curious, naive and wanting to know why she wasn't allowed to go near other dinosaur hatchlings.

She knew she couldn't allow her son to come to harm by seeking something that was impossible to fight against.

'' Littlefoot, the reason we keep to our kind is because we are different. The Threehorns, the Spiketails, the swimmers, the flyers; we never do anything together.'' she answered her son, softly but firmly, knowing she had to make him understand.

'' But why is that?'' Littlefoot insisted.'' Why do we feel that we are so different from each other?''

'' It is how the world is, Littlefoot.'' Savanna answered with some sadness in her voice; her head filling with memories of how she'd, in her naive moments of childhood, ventured over to a family with young ones her age.

They hadn't been of her kind and the show of bravery had led to her being attacked; very much like her son had almost experienced.

Therefore she'd been scared for the safety of her son, and furious at the words that had come out of the adult Threehorn's mouth when he'd gone so far as to threaten Littlefoot.

She shared a look with her parents whom looked back with sadness in their eyes. They obviously remembered that day as clearly as she did and understood her worry for her only child's safety.

'' Its always been this way, my son,'' Savanna answered,'' and I need you to understand this because what happened out there could have threatened your life.''

She could hear Littlefoot gasp before asking: '' Would... would Thorn's father have hurt me?''

'' He very well could have done that, Littlefoot,'' Savanna answered,'' and it is for this reason I'm telling you to not try to get too close to hatchlings whom aren't our kind.''

Littlefoot gave a sad sigh and lowered his neck down on her back.

'' What about Thorn? She was a threehorn but she was actually kind to me.'' he asked sadly.''

'' But she has parents who don't want their daughter playing with longnecks. I'm sorry, son, but this is just how things are.'' Savanna pointed out.

Littlefoot uttered another despondent sigh, and his mother winced at the sad look that etched onto the young child's face.

Her son was obviously craving for a friend's company and it made Savanna's heart ache to be unable to provide him what he wanted.

If only she had been able to give her son siblings that he would have been able to interact with, to bond with, he wouldn't have had to feel like this.

But no, all his siblings had been preyed upon by scavengers, like the egg-nappers, before they'd been ready to be born.

And Littlefoot had almost been lost to her on his Hatch-day. He'd been very lucky that she'd spotted and caught the Egg- napper before it could have run off with her precious little one.

'' Do not worry so much,'' she continued encouragingly, turning her head to gently nudge her son,'' once we reach the Great Valley there will be many, many longnecks for you to play with.''

'' I wish we were there now mother.'' Littlefoot said quietly, suddenly sounding sleepy, and nuzzled his cheek against her head.

Savanna smiled warmly at his words and said: '' There is still a long way for us to walk, Littlefoot. We need to seek the rock formation that looks like a longneck, and then cross past the fiery mountains. But we shall make it there. Don't you worry, son.''

'' Okay, mother.'' Littlefoot agreed before yawning hugely.

Grandma and grandpa Longneck shared an amused glance when their grandson fell asleep on their daughter's back, still cloaked in the large tree star he had yet to eat.

'' Looks like he fell asleep.'' Savanna commented quietly, trying not to be too loud.

'' Sound asleep by the looks of him. Its amazing how quickly children can fall asleep when their feeling tired.'' Mama Longneck answered with a smile on her aged face.

Savanna gave a small sigh as she looked at her parents with a slightly hopeless expression.'' Oh, mama, I worry so for my son. He is so full of curiosity that I fear he will come to harm.''

'' You were the same, dear, but eventually you learned to curb in your curiosity and ended up socializing with other longnecks. Though I must say the young threehorn, Thorn, surprised me with her open-mindedness. Perhaps there is something to those we call 'Colorless' that we do not know about yet.'' Papa longneck said softly as he came to walk beside his daughter whom had inherited his mixed blue and grey color (though his had dimmed into dark grey because of his advanced age).

'' Perhaps, dad, '' Savanna sighed as she looked back at the road,'' but I'm not about to allow my child to try be friends with that particular family of threehorns. I'm not risking things again when it was quite obvious the father could have caused Littlefoot harm.''

'' Whatever you decide to do, dear, we will go along with it. But who knows what will happen once we reach the Great Valley. '' Mama Longneck spoke calmly as she came to walk beside her mate.

'' You mean to tell me that you believe that the herds might not be so opposed to us when we reach the valley? That the herds would become more open to each other when food and water is plentiful?'' Savanna asked incredulously, turning to stare at her mother for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh.

'' You know it is an impossible, mother.'' she said.'' There was a time period, before I met Bron, when food could still be found throughout the lands. And if the herds couldn't get along then, what could possibly make you think it will come to be in the Great Valley?''

'' You are never too old to hold hope for a better future, Savanna.'' Mama longneck spoke softly, glancing down at her sleeping grandson.

'' Oh mother,'' Savanna sighed as she turned her head back in the direction of the road,'' I hope you haven't forgotten what happened all those years ago when I was a hatchling. The day I tried to be brave and open minded towards other species I found myself in danger. The prejudices carved into our society is marked too deep. I just... I can't allow Littlefoot to come to more harm by trying to get along with those who don't accept him.''

Grandma and grandpa shared a knowing look as they thought back to the memory of their small hatcling longneck bravely walking up to a family of spiketails, only to be chased into the safety of a large rotten log by the father of the female spiketail hatchling their daughter had sought to befriend.

Savanna had tried again with a family of threehorns but had almost ended up being seriously injured by the aggravated father.

Grandpa had been forced to step in to stop the threehorn from bringing harm to his young daughter.

How could he forget the moment of absolute fear when he'd seen his daughter in trouble?!

They could sympathize with Savanna's misgivings towards the idea of hoping for something so far off usual order but, nevertheless, there had just been something different about Littlefoot's encounter with Thorn.

Maybe it was the fact that a threehorn, of all species, had acted so unlike the norm of her species and Littlefoot being so similar to how Savanna had been like at his age that had sparked hope in the hearts of the pair of elderly dinosaurs.

'' You do whatever you believe is right,'' Papa longneck said softly to his daughter,'' but remember the words you told Littlefoot. Some things you see with your eyes. Some...''

'' You see with your heart.'' Savanna whispered, turning to look at her parents whom were smiling at her, before looking thoughtfully down at her small child whom was snoring softly in his sleep.

Meanwhile...

A sleepy Threehorn hatchling was woken by a chorus of welcoming bellows. Startled awake, she looked out from behind her mothers large frill and was momentarily lost for words as her eyes fell upon the huge herd of dinosaurs that were of her kind.

She had yet to see such a massive herd of threehorns with varying ages; ranging from full grown adults, to teenagers who's heads reached their parents calves and adolescents half their elders size. Then there were the babies.

The same age group as Cera, Thera, Tessa and herself.

There were so many of her kind in different shades of color, and she would be the only one to stand out with her odd white skin and pale pink eyes.

Thorn swallowed hard and hid behind her mother's tall frill as the different voices echoed along the dry grass filled area of the plain, welcoming them all back into the safety of the herd.

Not that she was scared of her own kinds but being in such close proximity of more than two dinosaurs as large as her parents was making her nervous and shy.

'' Momma! Papa!''

Thorn blinked as she heard two voices, filled with joy, sound above the others and peeked out from behind her mother's frill for the second time.

Two adolescents half the size of her parents were making their way towards the approaching family with their faces bright and alight with happiness over a what was no doubt a reunion.

The bigger of the two, the male, was of the same coloring as their papa with his dark and light grey skin whilst the female had a touch of bright orange shade to the underside of her neck and her frill.

_''Dema and Dora.''_ Thorn thought, quietly gasping out loud in understandement as to who these character's were supposed to be in relation to her.

She knew that one of these adolescents would one day become a parent to threehorn twins filled with mischief. And those said twins would cause a great deal of trouble to a certain group of young dinosaurs.

_''__But what of the other adolescent? What would be the fate of the other elder sibling? '' _Thorn thought with a small frown as she hid herself behind her mother's frill once again as the two elder siblings came together with the parents and were greeted with fond nuzzles and gentle head-butts to show off growing strength.

I could see Cera, Thera and Tessa hiding behind our daddy's larger frill with just as much nervousness as I was showing. Clearly I wasn't the only one overwhelmed by the sheer number of big dinosaurs in the herd.

Not to mention the whole brother, sister bonding with siblings so much older than us.

_'' I wonder how we are all gonna __get along.''_ I wondered inwardly, a small laugh escaping my mouth as I imagined Dema and Dora putting up with Cera's antics from the moment of our introductions.

**End of Chapter 6**


	7. Chapter 7

**LAND BEFORE TIME**

**The Dinosaur Named Thorn**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the original story line of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters

...

**Chapter 7**

'' I'm glad your back, mother.'' Dora said enthusiastically as she took a few steps back.'' I was a little worried that you and papa wouldn't be able to catch up to the rest of the herd with grandpa leading us forward at such a crueling pace.''

I turned to look at dad as he gave an amused laugh before saying: '' That tough old guy may indeed expect much from his herd but he would never willingly push on at a pace that would leave someone behind; especially not his son and his mate. And his grandchildren.''

'' Speaking of grandchildren,'' Dema laughed out,'' how many little brothers or sisters have you given us?''

'' You have four little sisters Dema, Dora.'' Rome answered with a smile on her face as she moved towards her mate and grabbed Thera by the nape of her neck. She flinched at the movement but didn't struggle as her mother lifted her in the air and lower her down to the ground.

Tessa and Cera soon joined their sister on the ground and the two adolescents were momentarily distracted by the sight of the three tiny hatchlings looking up at them shyly.

'' Awww, aren't you guys so cute.'' Dora voiced out as she approached her new sisters. '' What are your names?''

'' I'm Thera.'' Thera said quietly, looking a little less anxious about the meeting with their family.

'' My name's Tessa.'' Tessa answered in her usual shy voice.

'' Cera!'' Cera answered shortly (in a brash tone of voice), pawing the ground before charging towards Dema whom laughed good naturally when his little sister's head connected with his larger snout with a 'thumping' sound.

'' Aren't you a spunky one, Cera.'' he said as Dora laughed out loud at the sight of their little sister wincing and shaking her head from the slight pain that had assaulted her head.

'' She sure is, but hey... where is the fourth sister you mentioned?'' Dora asked, looking around in confusion.

Topps and Rome shared a fond smile before the male threehorn made his way towards where his youngest noticeably winced and tried to hide behind her mother's tall frill.

He chuckled when Thorn tried to scramble back from his head but with so little room to move he was quick to catch his evasive daughter whom stilled once she realized she had been caught.

''Oh, my goodness!'' Dora gasped when her youngest sister was held into view by their father. She slowly walked closer until she was standing but a few inches from the little threehorn who's feet dangled above ground as Topp's held her by the nape.

Topps willingly deposited Thorn on top her elder sister's nose. Dora stayed motionless for a moment so that her sister got her bearings back before saying:'' Hey little one, I'm your sister Dora. What is your name?''

'' Thorn.'' I whispered, turning my eyes downward so I could look her in the eye. I was still trying to shake off the nervousness clinging ito me like a thick coat.

'' Thorn? How did mom and dad come up with that name?'' Dema broke in as he, too, made his way towards me. Thera, Tessa and Cera all followed him.

'' Well,'' I drawled out sarcastically, rolling my eyes slightly,'' I had a little trouble with a sticky thorn-bush on my hatch day and mommy and daddy decided to be funny and name me after that said plant.''

Dema and Dora broke into peals of laughter over my words and I soon joined them in the moment of hilarity. It was quite a funny story, afterall.

Thera, Tessa and Cera stared up at us with somewhat annoyed expressions, none of them quite understanding what we had found so amusing in our exchange.

This in turn had my parents break into a shared laughter as they peered at their daughters moment of exasperation and confusion. Their youngest never seemed to cease surprising them with her very bright intellect that sometimes made her sound so much older than her barely six moon cycles of age.

'' You are a smart one for your age, Thorn. I can tell.'' Dora said with one last chuckle as she lowered me down closer to the ground.

I hopped off her nose and was greeted with my age sisters slightly jealous expressions. Something that wasn't a strange occurrence. They usually gave me those looks when I managed make myself sound so hard to understand.

'' And a 'Colorless' mom, dad.'' Dema broke in with a smirk,'' what an honor to have one born in the family of the next soon to be leader of the herd. Grandpa will be estatic.''

The jealous expressions on my sisters faces seemed to intensify at Dema's words and I couldn't help but retort with a miffed: '' Its NOT my fault I'm glorified because I was born colorless!''

Cera snorted at my words and turned her back on me whilst Thera just rolled her eyes before looking up at the sky. Tessa allowed an apologising look come to her face when she gently nudged me on the neck when I uttered another annoyed sound and turned my back on them all in retaliation.

I nudged her back before looking in the direction of the moving herd.

My eyes widened slightly when I was reminded of the scene in the movie where the threehorn-herd had been shown walking towards the horizont with the sun-setting in the background.

I quickly looked up at the sky where the sun was and found to my surprise that right before my eyes, the sun was indeed setting towards the horizon.

It was like looking at a movie scene all over again. Especially when one of the dinosaurs at the back stopped suddenly and bellowed:'' COME ON, STOP STANDING AROUND WHERE SHARPTEETH WILL CATCH YOU, STRAGGLERS!''

I couldn't help but jump at the loud bellow. He sure was loud for someone whom looked like he'd seen many years come and be gone.

Humungous in size and with dark skin like our father's; scars and wrinkles were all over his body but his eyes were piercing brown in color and seemed to still hold a fighting-spirit.

I couldn't help but continue gaping at this threehorn whom was like a dinosaur version of a war veteran that had seen everything and anything during his long life.

Then I found myself being nudged forward by someone, who turned out to be my eldest brother, and had to make my small feet move forward across the rough and dry grass filled plain.

My age sisters moved into step beside me and Dema and Dora urged all of us to head towards the herd. They flanked us from either side whilst our parents followed behind all of us, boxing us in a safe zone. Even the ones whom were almost fully grown up.

I heaved in a breath when our footsteps took us closer and closer to the still waiting leader of the herd. Our grandfather.

Tessa cowered ever so slightly at his formidable figure as she was the first to pass a few feet by him. Thera was more calm and composed whilst Cera stared hard, almost challengingly into the eyes of the old leader.

Our grandpa stared right back at her with satisfaction flicking across his face.

Then his eyes fell on me and he paused, his face shifting to one of surprise and shock.

I stared back at him, wanting to make the same sort of impact as Cera had made just moments before.

Unfortunately the kind of impact I did make wasn't the one I had wanted to make; what did happen was the most embarrasing moment of my hatchling life.

WHUMP

What I'd failed to notice was that Cera, Tessa and Thera had all veered slightly to the left to avoid a large and thick trunked, barbed bush.

I'd run smack dag into it with a surprised cry of shock and pain that I quickly suppressed by clamping my jaw shut tightly!

_'' God, those thorns hurt._'' I thought as I backed away from the sticky thorns, shaking my head slightly as I tried to free the stinging sensation from my skin.

'' AHAHAHAAA! Thorn, I can't believe you can be so clumsy, and right in front of grandpa,too!''

''RRRGGGHHH!'' I growled, seeing red when I realized Cera was rolling on the ground laughing and making fun of me for running into that thrice cursed thorn-bush.

Thera and Tessa were peering at me with somewhat worried expressions as I stood there shaking in anger for a long moment before I pawed at the ground underneath my two front feet.

Then I charged straight towards the aggravating bush that was now the cause of my humiliation!

And which was in my way!

'' Thorn, don't...!'' Thera began but shut her mouth when she saw me close my eyes just shy of impact with the prickly bush.

I collided head-long into the trunk!

THUNK

Having my eyes closed prevented them from being poked out of my sockets as I dug my sharp nose horn into the tough bark and dug my feet into the ground.

The roots were deep but I kept pushing and pulling until I could feel the roots begin to give way.

'' GRRAAHHH!'' I shouted,giving one last almighty push and pull, and the thing popped clean off the ground, showering me with brown earth particles.

I tossed my head to the side, dislodging the uprooted prickly-bush from my nose-horn before charging towards Cera whom had been laughing one moment and the next had been silenced by my unexpected 'show'.

THUMP

Our skulls collided heavily with each other and Cera pushed against me as I dug my feet into the dirt and wouldn't let her overpower me this time.

'' You get yourself stuck in a thorn bush and I'LL laugh in your face!'' I growled at my sister whom I could see glaring at me as we continued pushing against each other, changing positions and circling each other but never turning our backs on each other.

'' HEY, will you stop that the both of you?!'' I suddenly heard Tessa exclaim before she pushed her way between us, though her voice had been enough to cool us down as we hadn't expected her to be the one to end our fight.

'' Don't you guys ever stop bickering? I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF IT!'' Tessa snarled, glaring at us as we gaped at her in shock that was slowly turning to deep admiration.

To think that shy, gentle Tessa had a voice like that when she truly wanted to let loose!

I started to laugh, quietly at first, before chuckling audibly. Not derisively, mind you, but out of admiration towards her new-found split personality that had made itself known today.

Cera started to laugh with me, though I think she couldn't quite understand the reason for my amusement.

Tessa sure didn't understand and her expression soured even more.

Still laughing I jumped at her and pushed her gently to the ground in a playful tackle. I nuzzled her on the head and before she managed to push me off I'd already said: '' Glad you have a voice afterall.''

Tessa's angry expression softened as I hopped away, my tail wagging slightly.

She suddenly attacked me with a playful expression and nudged me on the side. I snorted as she jumped to the side,her own tail wagging as she invited me to the usual game of tag.

I answered the invite and lunged towards her.

Tessa giggled and ran off in another direction.

Cera enthusiastically jumped into the fray and after a moment of watching and standing around Thera uttered a challenging cry and charged into the midst of the game.

Cera,Tessa and I uttered shrieks and laughter as we ran away from our eldest age sister and twisted and dodged under our parents, older siblings and grandpa. Even in the midst of the the game I noticed them watching us play with fond smiles on their faces.

Then, suddenly, a loud trumpeting call sounded through the hot plain which startled all four of us motionless in our tracks.

Whoever had made that sound, that someone sure hadn't sounded like a predator. But it's voice had been enough to startle my sister and I from our game of tag.

Then the earth began to shake underneath our feet like an earthquake.

I looked back towards the direction my family had come from to meet up with the herd and was shocked to see another massive herd stampeding in our direction.

Their heavy legs and feet kicked up dirt that rouse into a humungous dust-cloud; which prevented me from seeing what kind of dinosaurs were in that herd.

My eyes widened at the sight of the dust cloud coming closer and closer to where we were standing on top a hill; then I yelped loudly when I felt blunt teeth grab me by the tail. I was forced to dangle upside down with my eyes facing the ground.

Groaning, I looked to my side and noticed that I wasn't the only one in the uncomfortable position.

Cera was being carried by our brother Dema, Thera by our sister Dora while a whimpering Tessa was being held by our mother.

As for me, my carrier was... our grandfather?!

I was surprised that it wasn't my father until I overheard my papa release an audible, bellowing call of his own. A bellow that told much to me after a short moment of thinking.

That call which echoed along the dry plain told a clear message: '' RUN! RUN! DANGER! SHARPTEETH!

The sound of stampeding feet became even louder as our own herd immediately picked up the pace in front of us.

I uttered a terrified gasp once I realized the other herd's stampede wasn't anything to laugh about; and just then another bellowing roar sounded somewhere at the very back where the other dinosaur herd's feet were kicking up a dust cloud.

A shiver ran down my back! If you've ever seen the movie 'Jurassic Park' and 'Land Before Time' you would no doubt understand what I was ranting on about!

The human being in me recognised that telltale roaring sound and was instantly terrified by the sound of it.

The chilling, blood freezing noise of a fierce apex predator of the 'Dinosaur World'.

A TYRANNOSAURUS REX!

And if that wasn't enough...

I pinched my eyes shut, shuddering when a high-pitched sound of terror and agony ripped through the air before whoever had made that awful sound fell silent; but the predator couldn't silence the voice of a male dinosaur bellowing out his mate's name. Or the tearful screams of a hatchling continuing to call out to his, or her, mother.

Tears dripped down my face before falling to the ground.

The apex predator had made a kill, and a family had lost one of it's members to the carnivore that had attacked. Either a male that had hunted to spare it's own life in the world that was '' kill or to be killed'', or it could have been a female T-rex hunting to spare its hatchling's life.

Whatever the reason for this hunt, I wept quietly for the male leaf-eater that had lost his mate and for the young child that had lost a mother.

….

**END OF CHAPTER 7**


	8. Chapter 8

**LAND BEFORE TIME**

**The Dinosaur Named Thorn**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the original story line of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters

**...**

**Chapter 8**

Even though the herd had stopped stampeding a long time ago it hadn't meant that we'd halted altogether. The herds had merged into one and were pushing on in search of a safe area.

Long after the carnivores lizard had finished it's hunt!

And by the time the herds finally stopped moving, my tail was aching and I was feeling dizzy and uncomfortable. I uttered a quiet moan when grandpa gently lowered me down on the ground for the short moment we all needed to catch our breaths and recuperate from the stampede.

I mumbled inaudibly when grandpa nuzzled my back comfortingly and couldn't help but shiver from the shock of being even that close to an apex dinosaur predator.

I looked around at the tall, leafless trees around us, still reeling from the experience and hoped that whatever area had been chosen for our rest was a safe one.

'' Are you alright, Thorn?'' grandpa asked me, moving to stand in front of me so he could see my face.

'' My tail hurts but otherwise I'm alright.'' I answered softly, nuzzling my relation's cheek with my nose. '' Thank you, grandpa.''

'' No child is to be left alone during a stampede unless it is for sure that the child will not get out in time,'' grandpa answered,'' therefore anyone in our herd would have helped you and your age sisters. But I accept your thank you. Now, stay here; your sisters will find you soon enough.''

He nuzzled me for a moment longer before walking away towards what I thought, with a short glance, to have been a meeting with the leader of the other herd that had been moving with us since the chase had ended. Likely my own father and grandfather weren't too happy about it, as when I looked around at the huddle of hatchlings within the protective circle I could see many other kinds besides my own.

And I could see I hadn't been the only one shaken by the Tyrannosaurus rex. Many of the young hatchlings were whimpering quietly and shaking as they cowered within close range of what I believed were their own sibling groups.

Then I jumped when I felt four bodies crash into me suddenly, but relaxed once I realized they were my own sisters.

They pressed close and I willed myself to stop the still existing tremors going through me. I may have been a hatchling, and the youngest in the clutch, but I had the mind of an adult. I needed to be the one to stay calm and assure the others that we were going to be alright.

I nuzzled poor Tessa whom looked the most scared out of us and was relieved when she started to calm down more.

'' D-did a-anyone one of you hear someone yelling for his mate?'' Tessa whimpered quietly.'' I-I thought I heard someone scream in pain and fear before it was silenced.''

I winced inwardly. So I hadn't been the only one that had heard the conclusion to the predator's hunting spree.

'' I heard something but I wasn't sure what it was. I couldn't focus.'' Thera answered softly, closing her eyes for a moment.

'' I was too busy trying to keep my lunch inside me.'' Cera mumbled weakly. '' I hate being grabbed by the tail.''

I glanced at her. She still looked a tad ill. I winced in sympathy for her and nudged her on the cheek comfortingly.

After a while we all calmed down, and I could turn my attention to what was happening around us, and taking stock of what kinds of dinosaurs were mingled with my father's herd.

I found there to be several Styrachosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Ankylosauruses and several other species; that included twice the amount of Spike-thumbs (or Iguanodons) in this currently mixed herd.

I wondered why there were more of the Spike-thumb kinds than other sorts until I caught sight of two very large male Iguanodons standing in front of my father, Grandfather and mother (whom was standing a little further back).

Seeing the light purple, and brown, shaded Iguanodons gave me the answer. One was likely the leader of the herd and the other his second in-command. They certainly looked like they could have been the ones in command with their formidable sizes that were, by my estimate, very close to forty-three feet long from muzzle to tail-end.

The size of the biggest Iguanodon skeletons found by human kind on earth.

Whatever they were discussing with my relatives I deemed it would have been about our two herds still travelling in the same direction in close proximity of each other. It certainly would be something that would have sent my father into a huffy-mood.

'' Who are they, and why are they still staying near OUR herd?'' Cera grunted out with a glare.'' Why won't they just be on their way?''

'' I don't know for certain, Cera,'' I sighed, shaking my head,'' but it could be something to do with those two Spike-thumbs talking to our family. The herd won't move away until the other herds leader gives out the order.''

Cera glanced in the direction I'd been looking at and huffed loudly.

'' Daddy won't be too happy if they stick close to our own herd for too long.'' Thera commented, looking warily around at the other kinds of dinosaurs spread out around the area, with the bigger adults on the outer areas of the circle, the adolescents behind them and the teens and babies boxed in the middle.

'' No kidding.'' I sighed out sarcastically just as I heard my father saying: '' And what makes you think WE WANT your herd joining ours?''

My attention was instantly caught us the other, less hefty Iguanodon's voice echoed into my ears.

'' And OUR HERD is heading in the same direction as your own herd. Besides, if it is the Great Valley your searching for you are better off putting up with a mixed herd!''

'' And why is that, young blood?'' Our grandfather put in, sounding a bit less incredulous than my own father.

The heftier built Iguanodon was the one to answer this time around.

'' Because the Great Valley is our usual Nesting- Grounds, old timer! We know our way there.'' he said in a gruff voice.

His answer seemed to stump even daddy Topps into silence, whilst mama's expression had turned very hopeful all of a sudden.

'' They know the way to the Great Valley?!'' Thera exclaimed as she and I quickly stood up onto all four feet and exchanged stumped expressions.

Cera looked incredulous whilst Tessa was almost jumping around in her excitement.

'' So it DOES exist!'' Tessa cheered out quietly, taking off towards the grown ups before Thera and I could stop her.

'' Tessa!'' Thera growled out in exasperation before taking off after her younger sister.

Cera and I exchanged glances before taking off after our siblings; both of us knowing that it was better to face it all together as Tessa had cowered before our own grandfather upon first meeting and these two large Iguanodon were quite certainly the sort to raise some fear within a less brave hatchling passing under their eyes.

But much to my relief Tessa barely payed attention to their glances when she ducked under bigger bodies to get to our mother whom had engaged papa and grandfather in a quiet but urgent discussion.

As Cera and I approached at a slower pace, something about the appearances of these two Iguanodon kept 'bugging' me. It was as if I'd seen them somewhere before but couldn't place where I could possibly have met them in the past.

That was until I was close enough to look at them in more detail.

I had to bite my tongue hard to stop myself from loudly crying out in surprise as the two adults turned their heads to watch us approach our relations.

It wasn't that I'd ever met these two Spike-thumbs in the past. More like I'd seen them, but hadn't recognised the connection because of only having seen the finnish dubbed version of a certain ' Disney Film' (hence not recognizing the English voices of these dinosaurs).

But if the purple and lavender scaled Iguanodon staring down at me wasn't the same Kron from the 'Dinosaur' movie then I was still 'human' in body.

I almost wanted to give into hysterical, nervous laughter as Cera and I passed by. I could feel his stare and heard him quietly muttering something to the other standing by his side.

''_ The brown one certainly looks like Bruton_.'' I thought inwardly as I slipped into place beside Thera and Tessa.''_ But if they really are who I believe them to be, then why are these characters in this world? Is the universe messing with my life?''_

I couldn't help but stare up at them with the same intence glances that they were giving me.

I took note of the subtle differences in how they looked here, compared to how their appearance had been in the film. Neither dinosaur stood out so freakishly from other Iguanodons in their herd.

The nose and muzzle were certainly not as soft and horse-like (this included all Iguanodons in the herd). And their skins looked less worn than what had been shown in the film. Nevertheless, those two still seemed several years over the age of full-growth (with their extended nose and back plaits and the skin- flap thing on the underside of their necks).

''_ Maybe those grown nose plaits are signs of full adulthood_.'' I inwardly wondered and looked around at the other Spike thumbs in Kron's herd.

I was stricken by the fact that while most were adults, they still seemed younger than the leader and second in command. There were fewer adolescents and teenagers. And the herd lacked almost entirely of hatchlings, which therefore at least explained the Great Valley as being their nesting-grounds.

There were no elderly Iguanodons by the looks of it and I honestly hoped that some massive natural disaster was the reason why the herd was missing its elder counterparts. And not for the reasoning of a certain leader holding no sympathy for those left behind because they'd been too exhausted to carry on with the journey.

My silent contemplations were brought to a halt when a slender Spike-thumb with light fuchsia-pink (and violet) back scales and cream colored underbelly and cheeks, pushed her way to the front to stand slightly behind the two males.

_'' Is that Neera?''_ I thought, taking in her physical form.''_ She looks younger! More towards Dema's and Dora's age group.''_

'' Hmph, we could take care of our own herd,'' Daddy commented, before turning his attention to mother and asking.'' Or, are you questioning my leader-skills, Rome?''

'' I'm not questioning...,'' mother began before shaking her head and exclaiming,'' but Topps, this herd knows the Great Valley and if we follow them then we will find food and water much quicker than we would without their knowledge.''

''Please papa,'' Tessa exclaimed, moving to stand in front of the much larger threehorn,'' were so hungry and thirsty all the time. Can we not follow them?''

Topps seemed to immediately deflate at Tessa's sad tone of voice. He grimaced slightly as he moved forward to nuzzle his little girl.

'' You see, Topps,'' mother commented softly,'' even your children think we have a better change with a combined herd. Will you not listen to their opinion?''

Topps looked in the direction of his father whom grunted:'' You are the leader of this herd now, Topps, make your own decision based on what is for the good of the whole herd.''

Father sighed and glanced at his two elder children whom were looking at with unreadable expressions, then Thera whom looked back at him imploringly. Cera kept glaring slightly at the two adult iguanodon whom seemed more amused than annoyed by her spunk.

When father's eyes fell on me I didn't hesitate to voice out my thoughts.

'' It will help so many families, not just our own, if we follow their herd.'' I said imploringly, wincing when my stomach suddenly growled too audibly to my liking.

Quite soon after that embarrassing sound a quiet laugh could be heard from near Neera's back feet, and another, more like a giggle was heard somewhere by Bruton's front feet.

My head immediately snapped in the direction the sounds were coming from; and was more than a little surprised when two small bodies popped out from two different hiding places.

Two young Spike-thumbs, maybe a little older than my age sisters and I, were looking at me!

The other's expression held curiousity as she looked me over, while the other's expression could prove to be trouble.

But I hadn't been so caught off guard because there were two young ones staying near the adults. It was the fact that like me, the slightly bigger hatchling had the same sort of snow-white skin and pinkish colored eyes that I'd been born with; though I could see a bit more light pink color to the skin surrounding his eyes and under his chin.

And instead of being female like myself this 'albino' was clearly a male.

'' Y-you a- are a 'Colorless'!'' I couldn't help but exclaim out loud, even as my own family uttered either grunts or gasps of surprise.

A frown crossed over the male's face and he snapped:'' My name isn't 'Colorless'! Its Krom!''

'' I'm sorry, its just that I haven't met others with similar coloring to mine.'' I stuttered, trying to shake off a different sort of surprise; mainly the fact that this male's name was so similar to a certain other dinosaur's.

'' Bah, I haven't seen one either,'' the Iguanodon snorted,'' but I don't go around calling others 'colorless' like you do! What, did your parents name you ' Colorless?''

My expression fell at his words. I hadn't meant anything with what I'd said earlier, but apparently this guy was seeing my lapse in conduct as a way to cause an arguement.

'' My name is 'Thorn'! And I wasn't trying to be rude to you.'' I answered, biting down a scathing remark for the sake of keeping things from escalating into a bigger arguement.

'' What kind of name is 'Thorn'?'' Krom asked, and even had the nerve to laugh loudly in my face.

'' Now who is being rude?'' I exclaimed, moving away from my three age sisters. I shot Cera a look that told her very clearly to not butt in on this matter. I needed to handle things myself!

I slowly approached the Spike-thumb who was still laughing as he, too, made his way towards me.

'' Krom, don't cause trouble!'' Neera spoke up sternly as the two of us started circling each other, while still keeping a distance between us.

'' Thorn,'' Dora scolded as gasps and mutters from bystanders of both herds started rising around us,'' he is trying to bait you. Don't rise to his words!''

'' Why would your parents name you after a plant-bush? Unless they see you as a 'Thorn' in their sides.'' Krom threw more fuel to the fire, obviously having not listened to a word Neera had just said to him.

I could hear my sisters hissing at the male's words. And I could only imagine Neera's face right then. Perhaps she was experiencing a moment of embarrasment mixed with aggravation.

'' The only thorn in ANYONE'S side is you!'' I answered icily.'' Where are your manners?''

The guy obviously wanted to see how far he could go without getting a true rise out of me.

He actually looked like he wanted to challenge me, and I found myself cautiously peering at Krom's thumb-spikes. Even on one as young as him those spikes could prove dangerous if he were to lodge them in my throat or the back of my neck.

But before any challenge had been set, two large front feet came down on the ground in front of us. One, I quickly realized, was my father's. The other was a large foot with one of the five digits a sharp conical shaped claw.

Then a large head moved in to pull the young Iguanodon up in the air by the nape. Ice blue colored eyes seemed to drill into my soul as he looked down at me for a moment before focusing on the other troublemaker (who was facing his elder with the way he'd grabbed by his stretchy skin).

'' Krom,'' the leader spoke, looking angry even though his voice was smooth and not loud,'' unless you haven't anything productive to say, you will keep your mouth closed.''

Krom looked away from his eyes and stared at the ground underneath him. He looked suitably chastened.

'' As for you, young threehorn, you are better off watching how you speak around your elders.''

My head immediately snapped back up so I was looking straight into his piercing eyes. Then I nodded, backing away towards my father. I felt very much chastened by this someone whom seemed more than just a leader of the herd.

There was something that spoke of hidden gentleness and underlying fatherly insticts.

My own father looked down at me with his own scolding expression before turning back to the male Iguanodon.

'' Very well,we shall follow your herd to the Great Valley. But know this, my father and I will be in charge of our own herd!''

The purple scaled male snorted slightly as he lowered the albino hatchling back to the ground near the younger female Iguanodon.

She immediately gave him a chastening nudge in the hind-guarters with her slightly hoof-like hand.

Krom's immediate yelp had me give an involuntary snort of laughter that was echoed by Cera, and surprisingly, the little brown female staying close to the male I'd deemed to be Bruton.

Krom's annoyed glance in my direction had me biting my lip after the first peals of amusement whilst Cera snickered on openly. Thera and Tessa looked too cautious to even attempt laughter. The soft giggles from the brown Iguanodon had me know that she held no qualms about reacting to her friend's embarrasment.

That was until the brown, hefty spike-thumb nudged her gently on the side with his front leg. The brown female immediately stopped laughing but didn't look frightened by the chastening glance given her way.

My mother nudged Cera and whispered:'' Be quiet now, Cera!''

She listened but looked reluctant to quit.

'' Hmph, whatever, threehorn.'' the dark lavender spike-thumb spoke.'' Do things your way as long as you stay out of my business and don't question my authority towards my herd!''

''As long as that authority doesn't end up being harmful.'' Dema couldn't help but mutter.

Grandpa uttered a low grunt and whacked him harshly on the side with his tail when the Kron look- alike snapped his head in the direction of my adolescent brother.

I gulped at the glare he dished out at Dema.

The hefty Bruton look-alike that had been standing at the other's side took some steps in the general direction of my brother but before he could get closer my father had nudged me further back in the safety of my mother's form and had moved to stand between the brown male and his own son as a buffer.

'' Unless you have a death-wish, kid, you better watch what you let escape that mouth of your's!'' the brown Spike-thumb growled out.

'' And unless you've got one youself, Bruton,'' my father growled out darkly,'' you'll step back right now!''

I gulped inwardly when I heard the male's name being spoken. The name seemed to ring continuously in my ears as the large male nodded, glared at my brother one last time, turned and made his way back to the brown hatchling watching on with widened grey eyes.

And he wasn't the only person shocked by the events. The moment Dema had spoken those words I'd had the urge to facepalm.

'' Nice going there, genius!'' Dora exclaimed in a loud whisper, punting her brother on the side with her frill,'' now the guys gonna watch your hide like a sharptooth stalking its prey the entire time from now until we set foot inside the Great Valley!''

Now that just about summed up my own thoughts on the matter of our brother's loose tongue. I couldn't help but giggle under my breath.

Kron uttered an agitated sound, probably mourning the fact that there were those that kept getting on his nerves.

'' The journey to the Great Valley will take us approximately ten days. There are watering holes along the way, but from here the next one can be found only after we've crossed the desert area of the plains.''

Cera, Tessa and Thera all groaned at the news, knowing that they wouldn't be able to have water for quite some time and I shuddered as I imagined how 'well' my white skin would react to heat that wasn't filtered by any trees and with nothing but hot sand underneath my feet.

It was a walk along 'sunburn alley' for sure!

''That is all.'' the Kron look-alike added before turning away from us. He gently nudged the smaller female Dinosaur on the side of her neck to tell her it was time for them to leave. She in turn nudged Krom on the side to get him to move along.

The Iguanodon that I'd found out to indeed have been Bruton, nudged the brown child standing by his feet. She immediately reacted to the gentle urging and began following the large adult.

They hadn't made it far when my father's question made them freeze in their tracks.

'' The 'Colorless' hatchling is your son, isn't he?''

'' My only son, Krom. '' the large lavender Iguanodon answered shortly, turning to look over his shoulder.

'' And where is Sawadi, Kron?'' my mother continued, looking around expectantly as if she were trying to spot the very person she'd asked after.

I almost fell over in shock, and Cera, Tessa and Thera all gasped out loud. My parents had met this herd in the past? Even knew this Iguanodon's name? And there it was, the confirmations as to whom this large Iguanodon was by name; though Bruton's name had been a dead give-away, too.

Kron almost seemed to tremble at the question (seemingly struggling against whatever emotions of loss had been revisited), and I held in my breath as he seemed to stare at my mother for an unbearably long time before answering:'' My mate was killed by a pack of fast-biters at the very beginning of our journey towards the Great Valley.''

A choked sort of noise could be heard from the young female standing by Kron's side and when I glanced at her I immediately spotted tears appearing in her soft amber-colored eyes.

Little Krom was trembling as he buried his face into the young female's front leg. His haughtiness was totally faltered.

I honestly felt sorry for him right then.

My mother uttered a sad sound of understanding to the family's loss. Even grandfather's expression softened ever so slightly.

Dema and Dora just looked confused over the situation. So were Thera, Tessa, Cera and myself.

Kron finally turned away with a huff and grunted:'' Let's go, Neera, Krom.''

_'' This was unexpected.'_' I thought inwardly, unable to find satisfaction in now knowing who all these characters were for real (and not in my imagination),'' _to see him react even that __m__uch to his mate's loss; and in front of __our family__. __Sawada must really__ have been __a__ soulmate __to him__.''_

'' Let's,'' my father finally voiced out as we still watched the group of iguanodons walking further and further from us,'' gather up our herd and have them know we will have herd with different sorts. Though I'm still against the whole idea of it!''

He gave Toru a meaningful look.

Grandfather nodded his head in acknowledgement before lifting his head up into the air to utter a bellow that had my age sisters and myself jump slightly. Dema and Dora seemed unaffected by it as they stayed by our parents sides.

'' Momma, those Spike-thumbs.'' Dema spoke up.'' You and dad have been aqcuinted with them in the past?''

'' You might not remember this particular event,'' mother answered softly,'' but back when you and Dora were almost babies, our two herds had been in the same area of one of the distant valleys. A spike-headed sharptooth was stalking the herd and your sister wasn't near us when it decided to go off on a hunting spree... ''

Dema looked startled and Dora was staring at our mother intensely, waiting to hear the rest of the story. Thera, Tessa Cera and myself were listening with rapt attention,too.

'' Then... what happened?'' I piped up in a hushed voice.

'' We thought she'd been lost in the stampede,'' mother continued,'' until later when our herd was approached by the other herd's leader; a dark purple shaded Spike-thumb and his Lavender shaded mate. They had their son with them; a teenager, who had been the one to grab your sister by change during the stampede.''

'' The teenager was Kron, wasn't he, mother?'' Dora asked.

Mother nodded before continuing:' ' We never became more than acquaintances, but since then your father has had more patience to that certain herd than any other.''

My elder brother gave a low whistling sound and Dora was staring thoughtfully at our father's back as he walked ahead of our family.

My head was whirling with everything that had happened in such short course between each other was making my brain hurt.

Kron having saved my elder sister's life in the past certainly explained why mother and father knew the names of those Dinosaurs and why they seemed to tolerate joining the other's herd, even if reluctantly.

Though, to me, it was towards the hypocritical thinking when they still refused to tolerate other species from other herds.

But at this time I wasn't in the safe zone to be questioning their beliefs as I was already on the rocks with having approached a Longneck- herd. And my wanderings were the reason why daddy had that awful, dark bruise on his side.

At some point mother and father would have that long talk with Cera and myself. I needed to be careful with how I'd run my mouth to them until it happened.

Meanwhile there was another matter that remained a 'pain' in my side.

What would happen with two leaders and two commanders herding us on towards the Great Valley?

Would Kron still be doing whatever he wanted with his herd? Would he still drive them on mercilessly like he was portrayed in the Disney film.

Yes, it was called survival and with water and food so scarce in the land it was for good reason the herd had been driven on at speeds that not all could manage. I could understand that thinking somewhat; and yet, some of Kron's thoughts had been more than just about survival. He'd feared that Aladar would seize leadership over him and for that he'd acted so antagonists towards the younger Iguanodon.

Would my parents, knowing the said older Iguanodon, try to pursue him to not be so merciless to the herd or would they simply stand back and allow him to tyrannize everyone?

And more importantly, when would the massive earthquake split the land and cut families from each other? Would the sort of event even happen, now?

Would Littlefoot and Cera cross paths again before 'Sharptooth' were to appear? Would Littlefoot's mother still fall protecting her only son and my age sister? What would happen to the rest of my family and myself when these events occured one after another?

And what about a certain Iguanodon and his Lemur-family? Would they cross paths with us at some point as well?

Just how much had the future changed because I was here? Somehow it seemed foolish to assume that the story of others had changed because I'd been reincarnated into this world, but it didn't mean it wasn't a possibility, either.

I bit my lip hard. It frightened me what would happen in the near future. I prayed for the others in the herd. I prayed for their strengths to remain iron hard for the days to come.

I also prayed that my own will would not shatter and I'd live to see myself grow up in the Great Valley. Safe and sound, and with my family safe and thriving alongside me.

**END OF CHAPTER 8**

**Author Notes:** Yeah, I wanted to experiment something different to the usual story of 'Land Before Time' and I do have the Finnish dubbed version of ' Dinosaur' at my place on VHS. So yes, unless my sisters and I saw the original version in Brussels the year it came out to the theaters (I don't remember) I've never seen the original, heh!

Hopefully the experiment doesn't blow up in my face!

The name **'Zawadi'** that I chose as a name for Kron's deceased mate is a common Swahili word for '**gift'**. I was actually going to use the name Nala but when I googled the meaning for' Nala' I found this lovely alternative choice.


	9. Chapter 9

**LAND BEFORE TIME**

**The Dinosaur Named Thorn**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the original story line of ''LAND BEFORE TIME'' or its original characters

**...**

**Chapter 9 Why We Are Different (Repriese Part 1)**

It was either very early in the morning or very late in the evening when I was abruptly woken by something I couldn't quite name at first. But something had pulled me away from deep slumber.

After a moment laying there blinking sleepily while in deep thought, I felt it!

Constant tremors at steady intervals that I could feel very keenly with my feet.

They were impact tremors! Something very big was approaching the two herds!

My heart jumped in my throat and I was on my feet in seconds, my left foot clipping my sister Tessa on the side; which in turn snapped her awake.

'' What is it, Thorn?'' she whispered sleepily as I shifted nervously on the spot, listening intently to the steady tremors.

'' Do you feel and hear this, Tessa?'' I hissed back at her, my jaw clenching tightly.

My words snapped my sister into attention and she listened for a moment before gasping and shooting to her feet moments later, breathing in and out before shakily saying.'' Oh no! Oh no!''

She'd noticed the tremors, too!

I hurried over to my father's head, nudged his cheek firmly and hopped back the moment he stirred.

We'd all been firmly told to not remain so close to mother or him when both were still half many years living in danger had carved deep marks in how they reacted upon waking up.

Just as I thought, he was on his feet in moments; totally defying his large bulk.

Daddy's nostrils flared as he listened intently for a moment before uttering a loud warning call that had the whole herd startle awake and scramble back onto their feet.

Noises of distress could be heard from the large, now combined herd as we all waited for the 'whatever it was' to show itself.

I could tell from their demeanor that the herd wouldn't start a stampede unless it was truly needed; especially now when it was a desert we all needed to cross in order to find a water source again.

Pointless stampedes could have proved deadly for the dinosaurs from both herds. We would have been in the open and if we had stampeded for too long dehydration would have begun kicking in.

I swallowed as the tremors continued, the dry branches of the trees swayed and crackled as something solid brushed past them.

My heart raced in my chest as I squinted to see in still relative darkness, my sisters pressing close to my sides and momma, Dema and Dora all crouched over us protectively.

Then, from behind withered leafless trees three massive sized Apatosauruses plodded into view. Their heavy footsteps made the earth shake at steady intervals between each step they took.

Those tremors... it had never ceased to make me marvel the feeling of it under my soles. Not even when I felt them every waking moment whenever I walked near large adults.

My throat suddenly felt very dry and I swallowed hard at the sight of the Apatosauruses coming into view.

First the whole thing with the apex predator,Tyrannosaurus Rex, had caused a massive stampede! Then the meeting with the other herd leader who'd turned out to be the same persona from one of my treasured 'Disney Movies'!

Now these familiar Apatosauruses I'd met just yesterday, or earlier today, had found their way to our herds!

What were they doing in this area, anyway? Had they been following our herd?

'' I don't believe this! What are THOSE longnecks doing here!'' Cera exclaimed, looking very much outraged as he pushed her way in front me and glared in the direction of the newcomers.''

'' Are they the same family-group we saw earlier?'' Thera commented with a furrowed brow. '' You know, the ones you approached when you wandered off on your own again?''

'' Y-yeah, sis, I think so.'' I muttered, swallowing again.

There was the dark grey shaded elderly longnecks, Grandpa and Grandma longneck, following their grown daughter who was carrying her young son on top her head.

All three of the adults were moving quicker than usual, like they'd just gone through hard times. Their faces were pinched with worry and the young mother looked like she wouldn't back away from a verbal, or even a physical fight to get through what she sought.

'' There's Littlefoot. '' I pointed out to my sisters as the dark blue shaded female lowered her neck down low to the ground and Littlefoot hopped off his mother.

The little longneck looked around at the herd members for a moment but once he realized there were so many eyes fixed on him, he shied from the glances and backed away to the safety his grandparents gave with their formidable size.

I didn't blame him for doing it.

Both herds were looking at him, many simply because they were amazed by his small appearance compared to his relations. Mostly the teenagers or hatchlings whom had never seen such a young longneck before in their life.

I allowed a rueful smile come to my face.

Back when I'd been human I'd always marvelled at the tiny sizes in which dinosaurs were born.

But no longer! Now I was just scared each and every day when I remained this small; because there were predators much bigger than I, lurking around.

And the smaller ones like the velociraptors were just as dangerous. Or even more so because they never hunted alone. They hunted in packs of five or more inviduals!

I breathed in shakily as Littlefoot's mother raised her head high and determinately turned to make her way towards our combined herds.

Many of our herd members backed away from her as she neared.

But not all.

My own father, grandfather and older siblings stepped forward to interrogate this giant. Kron and his second in command, Bruton, also walked towards her.

Neera stayed back slightly with young Krom who, by the looks of it, was awestricken by the appearance of the three massive sized longnecks.

My own mother growled lowly in dissatisfaction and herded my sisters and I backwards as the elder longnecks wandering eyes caught sight of me standing with my sibling group.

She didn't look at all happy when the grandparents acknowledged my presence with gentle smiles.

Cera noticed the elders searching glances and her mood noticeably darkened. She nudged me harshly on the side as if to tell me to stop looking at them without dissatisfaction of them having come to the same place as us.

I grunted at the slight pain but kept my eyes and ears peeled to the confrontation that would very soon take place between the adults.

'' What do you want, Longneck?'' I heard my father ask directly as he stepped forward to interrogate the large mother.

'' We wish to join your herds.'' Littlefoot's mother answered simply in her smooth, calm voice.'' We couldn't help but notice that you have allowed a mixed herd to form. My herd consists only of my parents, my son and myself.''

'' It is your kinds that Sharptooth is after in particular. What makes you think we would allow any of you to travel with us'' my father gruffed out vehemently and shook his large head.

'' There is strength in a large herd, Mr Threehorn. But if our presence bothers you, we can walk a little further away from both herds.'' Littlefoots mother answered, her smooth voice now marred slightly by growing annoyance.'' And besides, out of all kinds it is our sorts that can best answer to the power of a sharptooth his size.''

_'' Their speaking of Sharptooth himself.''_ I thought, my brow furrowing.

'' She speaks wisdom,Threehorn. And her strength is in her prime. Her kin don't look too weak and elderly, either...'' Kron voiced out in his familiar gruff timbre.

I frowned slightly at his use of the word 'weak'.

'' And I don't know about you, but I'm not against them joining the herds if they can keep up with the rest of us.''

'' They will lead the 'Sharptooth straight to us, Kron! It will put both our herds in danger.'' Toru commented gruffly, looking very much against the whole idea of the small group of Apatosauruses joining up with us.

'' Then they can be the meat-buffer slowing down the predator if it comes to it!'' Kron answered, quite callously.

I almost threw up in my mouth at that image and could only stare at the Iguanodon in disbelief. From the corner of my eye I could see Neera giving her older brother a '' are serious' expression of disbelief.

The familiar hissing sort of bellow suddenly echoed in the area. It wasn't as loud as the one the longneck mother had made when she'd been riled by my daddy threatening her son, but it was still loud enough for even Kron and Bruton to step back sharply from the longneck's vicinity.

My father did, too, when the females dark blue eyes seemed to bore into his own for a short moment. It was as if she was challenging him, too, to say anything untoward to anyone of her small herd.

'' WHAT NERVE!'' Old grandpa longneck boomed out, echoing his daughter's outrage for the callously spoken words.

He thumped his long, heavy tail against the ground which caused the earth to jump beneath my feet, and many of the others in the herd backed away slightly in fear of getting caught in his line of wrath.

'' You better watch what you say!'' Grandma longneck echoed, her normally placid expression showing as much anger as her spouse and her daughter were expressing.

'' No matter how you may view any of us, you will not express yourself that way when there are children around!'' Littlefoot's mother said icily as she turned her attention from my father to Kron,'' Now, I'm glad you aren't opposed to us joining the herds, but talk like that again in my sons vicinity or threaten him in any way...''

She threw a scathing look in my daddy's direction.'' It won't be just the sharptooth you need to look out for.''

Neera drew in a sharp breath at the Longneck's words and backed away further. She looked slightly intimidated by the bigger dinosaur's promise of repercussions even if it hadn't been aimed at her personally.

I was stunned by her words.

Littlefoot's mother hadn't been portrayed like this in the movies, ever. But... of course the films had only shown a fraction of this person's nature until she'd been tragically killed by 'Sharptooth'.

So why did it surprise me so much that she was so fiercely protective of Littlefoot?!

'' Hmph... FINE! Your group can join up with our mixed herd, but don't,'' I could hear my father practically spit out,'' get in my way, longneck, or allow your hatchling to approach my daughters again!''

My adolescent siblings threw a surprised glance in our direction. I blushed faintly and looked down at my feet.

'' As long as you keep your children away from my Littlefoot!'' the longneck mother immediately retorted with a scowl on her young face.

It seemed, that after that meeting between our families yesterday (or earlier today) and me having put Littlefoot in danger (from my own father), the young mother wasn't going to allow the little longneck to get to know me better.

I shifted on my feet and noticeably winced at the sting of those hurtful words.

I couldn't help but feel wounded by them when I'd made that confession in front my family and their's.

'' Should have expected her to say something like that.'' I thought bitterly as my eyes stung with tears that I faught to surpress.

I kept my eyes lowered to the ground and refused to look up at Littlefoot's mother when her dark blue eyes moved to look around at the rest of the herd.

I knew without looking up that she'd found me nestled amongst the more brightly colored threehorn hatchlings; I could almost feel her eyes on me.

I cautiously turned my eyes to my daddy as he threw the young mother a look that resembled a thunder-cloud.

'' Topps, what is going on here?'' I could hear my grandfather ask gruffly.

'' I will explain everything later, father. Right now, I need to talk to a sudden young lady.'' daddy answered through gritted teeth before he turned sharply and made his way towards mother, my sisters and myself.

As he lumbered towards us mama stepped forward to meet him. She opened her mouth and would have said something to him but daddy made a quick shushing motion and nuzzled her face, his expression softening remarkably.

'' Rome, you need to have a talk with Cera about her manners towards others. Earlier, my own father commented about them to me.'' he said softly after a moment of showing his love to her.

He gave Cera a quelling look when she uttered an exclamation of annoyance and protest.

That glance clearly said: '' DON'T argue with me !''

'' Very well, Topps. I will talk to our daughter.'' mother said quietly as he nuzzled her one last time before he turned his attention upon me.

'' Thorn, I wish to speak to you privately.''

I gulped silently, glancing over at Thera and Tessa whom both gave me encouraging glances.

Cera just looked utterly resigned for the lecture mama was going to give her as soon as our father and I had left for the private talk dad wanted with me.

I gave her a look of encouragement before quickly following our father who was already lumbering away from our family group.

**End of Chapter 9 ****Why ****W****e ****A****re ****D****ifferent (****R****eprie****s****e ****Part 1****)**


End file.
