I can't believe I managed to read through this entire journey in a span of just 2-3 days! It's astonishing I was able to stand staying up until 2:30 AM for four straight nights for this, and I'm sure glad I sacrificed sleeping time to see to the end!

The start of the final act pretty much summed up the terrible state of the dinosaur world that would remind us all that Red Claw would have to meet his match sooner or later. The longer he terrorized the world, the more dinosaurs would die. The act did seem to get off to a slow start as we picked up the political sense of what was happening, but once all the facts came together, I knew this was not going to disappoint me.

Out of all the characters who stood out in this climactic finale, Petrie was the one who really stood out once it became clear that he was the catalyst for all the bloodshed that befell the Hidden Runners. He had become a liar just like his uncle, and he paid dearly for it, but also like his uncle, he redeemed himself and earned the forgiveness of the world when it mattered most.

And, of course, the epic battle that would decide the fate of their world. We all knew it was going to be a bloodbath, but nothing could prepare me for all the death and destruction that ravaged the Great Valley. The aftermath, particularly Petrie's supposed "death," really tugged at my heartstrings as the scope of the tragedy was felt throughout the valley. It's always difficult to read a bittersweet ending to a battle that left thousands of bodies in its wake.

And speaking of bittersweet endings, there is the reality that the Gang must leave their families and past lives behind them forever, as direct interaction with those who loved them would never stay peaceful given their new nature as hunters. It felt devastating to imagine that their sweet, innocent days in their "Peaceful Valley" had suddenly come to an end after everything they had been through from the moment the Great Earth Shake had changed their destinies, and that it was time to live out their days beyond the Mysterious Beyond, bound to forever hunt the kinds they once were.

And, of course, it was only a matter of time before Calin finally got his comeuppance that I had so long awaited the moment it became clear that he had not the slightest shed of honor in his heart. It's absolutely no wonder this character inspired many OC villains in this fandom.

Overall, this story is one for the ages, and I cannot believe I waited until now to finally sit down and read it, but I'm glad I finally stopped putting it off. Of course, it's not perfect. I just couldn't warm up to the Rainbow Faces' origins, but other than that, this was a thrilling yet tragic journey, and your then-lack of writing experience at the time was made up for with all the ingredients for an epic adult fantasy. Just the kind of story we all need every once in a while. I commend you for a story well written, and I will happily await what other stories you have up your sleeve!

Okay, act 3 ...

I would have to sum this up as the part where everyone's worlds collided. From beginning to end, clashes of family and foes alike brought all the character arcs together very effectively, and now we wind up here with the reunion of families, the feelings of betrayal and outright hatred for the kids the valley once knew, and it all gets capped off by a vicious battle that was won but lost. As with the case in any battle, the costs are heavy, as we saw with several notable casualties among a few characters we solemnly got to know in the movies. Even then, there's a sense of dread knowing that another battle is inevitable, and it's one that could become a battle for the ages.

To say that this emotional roller coaster has made tons more bumpy jars along its journey would be a massive understatement. The emotions are very high as everyone is forced to face a truth that no one could have imagined. As the truth of the children's fate spreads out into the open, it was very understandable that many dinosaurs who once thought of them as friends have now lost all trust in them, but the reaction that was the most jarring came from Ali and Uta. The mother's blind rage might have made my blood boil even though she had good reason to believe that these kids who were once her daughter's friends had betrayed them in the worst way possible.

The one scene in this act that really brought tears to my eyes (well, almost) was Littlefoot and Ali's reconciliation. You don't ever want to be in such a position where you are stricken with guilt and remorse and begging for mercy and forgiveness as Littlefoot found himself in. It's a clear sign that the unfortunate misunderstanding has had a big impact on the Gang's families and their former friends, and it is quite clear that nothing will ever be the same again. Even after the Gang redeemed themselves, they will forever be met with outrage and hatred over the fact that they have become killers that could never be trusted despite their hearts of gold. Nothing can change the fact that they are Sharpteeth, and as fate would have it, everyone's lives have been forever altered by their fateful wish.

I can already guess what drama act 4 will bring, but after experiencing so much heartbreak already in this story, it is no question that there will be much more heartbreak still to come. While many could look back at their earlier works and cringe at them, this, on the other hand, is something I think you should look at with pride and joy. Normally, I would hate to read stories like this, but this has greatly shaken my views at some aspects of the Land Before Time universe, and I'm certainly glad I finally took some time checking this out.

Well, time for me to take some deep breaths before I move on to act 4 ...

Okay, my thoughts on act 2.

It was very intriguing to see how each member of the "Gang" dealt with the reality of becoming dinosaur killers. Even we as readers would want to believe there's a glimmer of hope that this wouldn't become their fates for the rest of their lives, but fate is such a malevolent thing that we cannot control, and the reality is this is their lives now. The guilt that comes with killing innocent dinosaurs just like the ones they once were is a painful thing, especially when it comes to killing babies, as Petrie, and later Cera (each having to kill babies of their respective former species), have to deal with, but now that they have turned into "monsters," they have no other choice.

The stories of the other Fast Biters in this arc really took my interest, and I was genuinely surprised to see Littlefoot choose to form an alliance rather than scaring them off or challenging them. He seems to still have a little too much of his old self for his own good. I will admit, it was disappointing to see three of them bite the dust at the end of the act. I thought they still had potential, but that's just my opinion. And now I can clearly see TLD's inspiration for Sculra. This ... Calin character is nothing more than a representation of pure evil, and villains like these are sure to make any reader's blood boil. Again, great strength for character development despite your inexperience at the time.

The only thing that threw me off was the Rainbowfaces' story. I'm gonna be honest here; mixing futuristic technology and alien societies with a prehistoric Earth millions of years behind them in time just does not sit well with me. I suppose I'm not the greatest fan of time travel. The RF's to me felt like they were disrupting the flow of the entire story, and learning their background didn't really do much to change my views, either.

It is good to see that the soon-to-be-Seven Hunters are well on their way to resigning to their fates and accepting their new lives, but with the wrath of the Great Valley hot on their heels, I wonder how long it'll be before they are forced to confront those who want them dead for ... "their deaths?" It feels like it's only a matter of time before worlds collide and everything descends into chaos.

So, after hanging back for many years I finally decided to read this, and now I feel so bad for having waited this long. A review like this may be six years late, but you'll finally know how I feel of this story.

Since I don't really have the time and patience to review individual chapters these days, I figured I'd wait until reaching this far and review the first act as a whole. :P

Despite this being one of your earlier works, it did not disappoint in the slightest. Even stories that have signs of inexperience (or was, at the time, rather), it seemed to have the typical feeling of a normal LBT story right up until the meteor hit the valley. Everything from then on was filled with effective tearjerkers and several notable plot twists that really caught me off guard. The emotional factor of everything the gang has gone through up to this point is spot on, and the many unpleasant surprises are enough for one to skip a few heart beats, and man was I greatly surprised by what I read in this first act. I didn't know who I'd expect to show up or how things would turn out, but to have it end on a positive note for the Gang was the perfect wrap up to what has been a tragic event for everyone and those who know them.

From a fellow writer's perspective, your lack of experience at the time didn't stop you from creating such an emotionally-effective journey that has only just begun, and one that will change everyone's lives forever. I'm quite impressed by what I've seen so far, and I hope to find inspiration from OCs that will undoubtedly be numerous in later acts as I read along.

I've read this story more then once over the past years, and always enjoy it more each time. Without a doubt, it is one of the best Land Before Time fanficiton stories ever written, well done

Awesome...

Wait, DO they have feathers all over? Anyways, keep up the good work with your writing!

This story continues to compel me, I’ve stayed up late multiple times for the sake of this story!
You should try writing original fiction, or fan fiction for something in the public domain, I think you could totally get something published!

I rembernrading this story before, I don't think I got to finish it, but that was so long ago I decided rereading was a good idea, plus it would
be nice to do , this is a good story, it’s written well
although I will reluctantly point out that technically, Utahraptors (and other dromeosaurs) should have a full covering of feathers, rather than just a few, but it’s not like the land before time franchise is the most accurate thing ever anyway, as we all know

Skytail's pack consists mainly of juvenile Utahraptors. That's like a street gang made up of middle schoolers. Skytail and his pack are very close and familial towards each other. How likely are Human child 'gangs' like that?

Woah, their all raptors now?

An epic and amazing story!

The plot and characters were incredible thank you for writing this story.

Where did you find the inspiration to use vines, of all things, as natural growing improvised armor? Are there such vines that exist in real life?

So entirely unrelated but super powerful blue stone...makes me think Bhelliom...

In the TV series episode The Lone Dinosaur Returns, Doc had courted a mate named Darla. Does this mean that Darla's dead?