//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The Following Morning Part 2 // Story: It Came from the Mysterious Beyond // by Jongoji245 //------------------------------// Compared to the human world, and contrary to popular belief, the dinosaur world was primarily one of peace and quiet. Living in the Great Valley, one could easily earn a day's sleep. There have been a few incidents of danger in the valley ranging from flooding, volcanic eruptions, and even reports of insurrection among the leaf eaters, but those are too fleeting. As the Bright Circle rose above the mountain wall surrounding the valley, the air was disturbed by the yawns of dinosaurs, the loudest of which coming from the Hollow Horns. A few hours into the new day, Dapplewood joined up with his new pals as they fed on the green food. Littlefoot, being the largest of the group fed on leaves from a small tree. Petrie, being able to fly, fed on the more tender greens that the young Longneck couldn't reach. Ducky tried to eat whatever bush leaves were left after Spike bolted down most of it. Chomper, being the only Sharptooth in the Great Valley, satisfied his hunger by eating insects. It's not as easy as it sounds; the young T. rex constantly chased a butterfly in circles. Ruby was an oddity; she does eat plants, especially sweet bubbles, but when Dapplewood arrived, the Oviraptor was shin deep in water as she fished out a clam. Using the two teeth on the roof of her mouth, Ruby broke the shell with a loud crunch. Dapplewood caught interest in a tree with pear-shaped fruit on its branches. While he is as tall as Littlefoot and Ruby, the fruit are well beyond his reach. Dapplewood attempted to climb it but as his kind are earth walkers, he just slid down the tree, leaving claws marks on the bark. "Ever tried, you know, ramming the tree?" Cera asked sarcastically Dapplewood stretched his arms palms up. "You're a dome head!" - Cera rolled her eyes - "Use your head!" After seeing the "reply" being Dapplewood furrowing his eyebrows, the young Threehorn scraped the ground before charging at him with a bray. Dapplewood ran out of the way as she charged towards the tree. With a mighty thump, the tree shook violently as the tree sweets fell to the grassy floor. Cera grabbed one, strutted over to Dapplewood with her head and tail held high and sat next to him. She eyed the last tree sweet on the tree before looking at the boy. "The trick" - Cera flipped the tree sweet into the air and catches it in her mouth - "is not feeling anything." As she chewed her food, Dapplewood approached the tree. He arched up and rammed the plant several times, but the tree sweet stubbornly refuses to fall. The Domehead ran back twelve feet before he turned around, scratched the ground and charged towards the tree. With yet another massive thump, the tree shook violently. Dapplewood's first attempt at using the "cranio-impactus" method left him dazed; he turned to see three duplicates each of his friends. The tree, as if feeling remorse, kindly released it's remaining possession. Springboarding off his snout, Dapplewood grabbed the fruit and showed it to Cera. "Hmmm, not bad for a first timer." Said Cera with a smug look on her face. Dapplewood walked over to the riverbank and sat down. As he ate his tree sweet, Littlefoot approached him. "So Dapplewood, where did you come from?" Littlefoot asked Dapplewood stopped eating, placed the remaining fruit in the water, and pointed to the east. "From the Mysterious Beyond?" Littlefoot continued Dapplewood cocked his head. "The Mysterious Island?" said Chomper Dapplewood furthered this with a raised brow when Petrie landed on his snout. “Or maybe he like Guido, he no know where he come from.” Dapplewood thought for a moment. First, he flopped on the ground, then began running in place before stopping and guiding his right index finger on his left eye down to his finger. “You were chased by Red Claw?” Said Cera Dapplewood repeated the gesture again. “That right, Red Claw have nasty scar.” said Petrie “Gives him his name it does.” Ruby continued “You are lucky," - Chomper walked up to the Dapplewood - "Red Claw is the biggest, meanest Sharptooth ever.” “Not to mention his Fast Biters, oh no no no no…” Said Ducky Dapplewood looked on the ground. Littlefoot gave a worried expression. “What’s wrong?” Littlefoot asked Dapplewood casts his shadow on a rock, then raised his hand over his head to have the shadow illustrate an elegant looking animal. “An egg stealer?” - Cera noticed Dapplewood raised his middle and pointer fingers - “Two egg stealers?” “Like the ones that we saw before?” Said Ducky worryingly Spike responded with a mere “uh-huh” “Well we can’t give them our eggs," - Littlefoot turned his head over to Dapplewood - "they love eggs.” Dapplewood pointed to general direction of the tree sweet tree. Cera cocked her head, “Why would they want the tree sweets?” Dapplewood rubbed his head before spotting a hill full of red clay. His face beamed as he gestured his friends to follow him. “An idea he has" - Ruby motioned her friends - "follow we shall.” The Gang of Seven follow him. Elsewhere, the mostly eaten tree sweet went through a runoff in the valley. The fruity carcass ended it's trip at a river bank in the Mysterious Beyond. A massive shadow looms over as a gray snout sniffs the fruit, hisses through it’s teeth and walked away, squishing the fruit in the process.