Reply To: The Land Before Time XVII: The Threehorn Gathering
CHAPTER TWO: OLD FOES
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“I’m not a kid anymore!” said Topps gruffly. He wasn’t going to take it anymore. “You yourself told me to be tough.” said Topps.
“Yes, but not to consort and fraternize with other kinds.” said Tryus.
“Topsy, who are you talking to?” said a voice. It was Tria. She came forward. “Oh, it’s…er…you Tryus.” she said, a bit annoyed.
Cera was shocked. She’d never seen her stepmother look at anyone like that, other than the time before Tria had married her father, when her father had overdone it with the Tinysaurus issue.
“I live here now. Things are different here. We must all change.” said Topps.
“Henh!” grumbled Tryus. “Olivia didn’t change. She still stays in the Mysterious Beyond.” said Tryus.
Topps said nothing. He felt bad that Olivia had stood up for the separation of the kinds and had lived in the Mysterious Beyond as a result of it, as she didn’t like the Combined Herd. It was ironic, but, then again, she didn’t see what he had. Threehorns doing the unthinkable. All of these cold times he had tried to tell Cera that Threehorns could do anything. What he’d never told her was that that included bad things. She had truly no idea and thought that Threehorns were truly the best. Topps was sure that she still had some bias in her. He was glad, though, that it hadn’t gotten like Olivia’s. He’d had Tria go over and talk to her. He himself tended to argue and get in arguments, and Tria had a magic touch. She’d had some effect on Olivia. Olivia had been here, at least for a few weeks, though she was still grumpy. Topps was worried about his grandkids, Dana and Dinah, and how the things he’s put into Olivia were now, no doubt, going into them. Just as Tryus had put it into him. Would this chain ever break?
“Listen here Dad, I’m a grown man now! I can do what I want! You have no idea what I went through!” said Topps.
“Perhaps I don’t. But you need to toughen up.” said Tryus.
“Dad’s tougher than anyone here!” said Cera. “And he taught me too.” said Cera. She went and rammed a fair sized boulder, and smashed it into tiny pebbles.
“Impressive. Perhaps there’s hope for you yet Topps.” said Tryus.
“I doubt it.” came a voice.
It was Angus. “YOU!” said Tryus. Tryus himself looked slightly alarmed.
“Ah, with your boy I see. What a disappointment he is. It’s such a pity he can’t be more like my boys.” said Angus.
Banger and Prong came forward, as did their friend Chas. “Hello Topsy!” they said.
“YOU!” said Topps.
“Scared?” said Banger.
“Of what?” said Topps defiantly.
“You used to be afraid of us all the time Topsy. We got you and pushed you into the mud and splashed water in your face when you were a kid.” said Prong.
“Yes, and we ate your Tree Stars.” said Chas.
“Leave my Dad alone!” said Cera. She was shocked that anyone could have bullied her dad as a kid and even more that they’d have the nerve to bully him now.
“Oh, what you gonna do missy? Poke me with that little horn of yours?” taunted Angus.
Cera rammed him with her horn, for she had a temper. “Yes, I am.” said Cera defiantly.
WHACK! Cera was knocked flying. Luckily, she landed in the tall grass or else she’d have been hurt a lot worse. As it was, she only got the wind knocked out of her.
Topps was in a rage of fury. “How…dare…you…hurt…my…daughter!” he bellowed. He rammed Angus. Nor had he been the only one to do so. Tryus had joined in. It was now Topps and Tryus versus Angus, Chas, Banger, and Prong.
“Hey, cut it out!” said Tria, coming to join in.
“Ah, you need the missus to help out?” laughed Banger.
“Tria, stay out of this. I can kick their tushes without your help!” said Topps. The groups continued to fight.
WHAM! Topps and Tryus were knocked backward. WHAM! WHAM! Angus, Banger, Prong, and Chas were knocked backward. Grandpa Longneck had moved Topps and Tryus away with his tail. Both he and Grandma Longneck had moved away the four others with their tails combining to push away them.
“Break it up gents!” said Grandpa Longneck.
“Ahhhhh, you’ve brought in Longnecks! Have you no shame?” laughed Angus, getting up and dusting himself off. He moved toward Topps and Tryus again. Grandpa Longneck blocked his way.
“You want to fight, you can go do it in the Mysterious Beyond!” he snapped threateningly.
“Come on Topsy, wanna take me on out there?” laughed Banger.
Topps looked ready to consider it. However, Tria shook her head at him. “No, not now.” he said.
“What, are you a coward?” laughed Prong.
Topps moved to go forward. It took Tria, and Mama and Papa Swimmer to restrain him.
“We’ll be back!” said Angus. He, his two sons, and Chas left.
Tryus moved to go after him. Grandma Longneck, however, blocked his path. “They’re not worth it. Trust me.” she said.
Things soon cooled down. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” said Grandpa Longneck to the kids.
“How long are you going to stay?” Grandma Longneck asked Tryus.
“For a while. I need to toughen up Topps. He’s gone soft in the Great Valley. And I need to settle that Angus personally. He’s picked on me when I was a kid and it’s time I got him for it!” said Tryus.
The two Longnecks shook their heads. They had a feeling that the fight wasn’t over. And they were right.
