Mother Figure- Age up

Oceania, ultimately, wasn't thinking when she decided to run after the squirrel for something to eat. Yeah, she felt bad for even thinking of munching down on the fluffy brown thing, but she was hungry! So very hungry... Her stomach has been growling for days and if she doesn't eat something soon then...she may end up like her mother.

And that won't be good, no, she has to keep fighting. She has to keep living, for her mother's sake.

So, here she was when she spotted the squirrel on the ground munching on some sunflower seeds. Oceania licked her lips as her stomach growled for the millionth time, it felt like. Oh, she was so hungry...and it looked so tasty...

Before even thinking about it, she charged after the fluffy thing. Her footsteps thundered against the grass below her paws. The poor thing, as a result, had plenty of an indicator that she was running at it cause of that reason alone. She knew she should've stalked the creature, but she wasn't thinking! The only thing she was thinking of was food!

And, of course, the squirrel ran off into the bushes, but Oceania wasn't giving up that easily! Instead she continued running through the bushes and trees. She could hear birds cawing at her as they flew out of the trees she was running through. And... probably a lot of animals were upset with her for disturbing the peace.

But...food!!!

However, all of that came to a screeching halt when she blindly continued to run and run and run. Suddenly the squirrel darted up a tree and disappeared into the foliage. Oceania tried to come to a stop, but since her body was so massive and big, coming to a stop was much more difficult for her. And...before she knew it, she felt a sort of weightlessness.

Wait, what?

Oceania's pale red eyes looked down at what was supposed to be the ground, only to realize that...the ground wasn't there anymore! Instead, it was air, and the ground was back there-

That sneaky devil ran her right off the edge of the cliff!! She didn't even know there was a cliff there! How in the blazes...

But, that wasn't her pressing matter at the moment, the most pressing matter was the fact that...she was currently falling off a cliff!

She grunted and groaned as her body rolled down the rocks and steep cliffs. Ow, ow, ow, it hurts so much! Everything was hurting! Where was she even going? She had no idea! Her instincts told her to curl into a ball, and so that's exactly what she was doing without any hesitation-

"What in the... Oof!!"

That didn't sound like her voice. Oceania coughed roughly as something hard and big stopped her from falling any longer. Her eyes looked around as she groaned deeply, only to blink when she noticed that she had literally tumbled...right into another dino!

This dino was a pale green color with one lighter green stripe going down her side. And she was a styracosaurus! Huh, it's been a long time since she's seen one of those kind of dinos around here-

"Are you okay?! That was quite a tumble... Wait, you're an Albertosaurus, aren't you?"

Suddenly the dino squeaked and frantically pushed herself away from Oceania.

"Don't eat me! I mean you no harm! Please don't eat me! If you don't eat me... I can help you find some food! I can-"

"You don't need to be so fearful..." Oceania shook her head as she slowly stood up, "I don't eat dinos. But uh... Thanks for stopping my fall." Her eyes lifted up the cliff and she blinked at seeing just how far she fell. "Wow... That was a massive fall! And yet I don't feel that much pain... If anything I just feel kinda achy... But, are you okay? Did I hurt you at all?"

Oceania frowned as the smaller one was still looking up at her in fear. Hm... Maybe it would be better if she left this dino alone-

"Y-You really...don't eat dinos? But you're...you're an Albertosaurus, aren't you? I... Why don't you want to eat me? I... No... I'm fine... Just a bit bruised is all. I think you would've stopped here anyways even if I wasn't here."

"Why is everyone so surprised when I say that? I may be a carnivore but that doesn't mean I'm a monster!" Oceania shook her head, "Unlike the rest of my kind, I don't eat dinos. Only animals. And even then I only eat certain animals, and ones that are sickly or elderly. But that's good that you're feeling alright! Oh, you've got bruises? Here, I know how to help that! I've healed up a fair share of bruises in my time! Let me see them!"

The green dino was clearly still hesitant but slowly she turned to her side, and Oceania hissed softly once she saw the massive bruise forming on the side of the dino's leg. Yikes, that's definitely going to hurt in the morning.

"Hm... I'll need some herbs and wrappings to help that... Let's see... Where are we..." Oceania looked around, luckily they were still in the forest, just a different section of it. The herbs still should be here. "Okay! I'll go look for the herbs, you stay here and rest, yeah?"

Oceania stood up and began to leave, but as she did the dino stopped her.

"Wait! Why...are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

"Huh? Well, I caused the bruise! I might as well try to fix it, right? It's the least I can do for barreling into you like that!"

The dino blinked and gave a small giggle. "Yeah, you did barreled into me... Alright, I'll stay here. What's your name by the way?"

"It's Oceania! What's yours?"

"Fern. The name Fern."

Oceania gave a toothy grin, her fangs on full display. "It's nice to meet you, Fern! Now let me go get those herbs for you!" And before Fern could say anything else...the big loaf of Oceania was gone.

By the time Oceania had returned with the bundle of herbs and a few wrappings in her paws, she had thought that Fern had left. Hmm...she can't be too surprised. Fern did look pretty spooked by her earlier, but she was...a bit sad that she left without even saying goodbye. Oh well... She hoped that she would have a good life, wherever she went-

"Oceania!"

Oceania blinked in shock, and she turned around to find Fern sticking her head out from a head of shrubs.

"Hey! Sorry I moved without letting you know. But I was out in the open in the spot that you left me at and I thought I would move to a better spot. Sorry about that! I... Why do you look surprised?"

Oceania shook her head, "No reason! I just thought...that you left me."

"Why would I leave? You were so kind to me... And besides I uh..." Fern looked down at her leg, "I don't know how to bandage up a wound, or even a bruise... I don't know...much of anything about bandages or herbs or anything of the sort. Mother...never taught me it."

Oceania paused at that, she hesitantly stepped towards Fern but she stopped at the mention of her mother. "You had a mother too?"

"Hm? Of course, I did. But... I don't know where she is right now... I woke up and she was gone. I'm searching for her right now. What about your mother?"

"Um..." Oceania ducked her head as she began applying the herbs to Ferns's leg. She heard a faint hissing sound from Fern and she squeaked. "S-Sorry! It's...gonna hurt. I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's alright, keep going. I assume it was going to hurt."

Then she sucked in a breath. "My mother died... She got sick and didn't make it."

Fern gasped loudly in horror, "W-What?! But you're so young!! Don't tell me you're living by yourself?! Do you have a father?!"

Oceania didn't understand why Fern was reacting like this, but she shook her head. "N-No... I never knew my father... I've been living by myself for... Uh... A couple years now-"

"A couple years?!?"

Goodness Fern can get loud when she wants to. For being such a small dino she certainly packs a punch with her lungs.

"Uh... Yeah?"

"You're just a hatchling though!! A hatchling shouldn't be by themselves!! A hatchling needs companionship! And love! And needs teaching!! Do you even know how to hunt?!"

"Uh... Um..." Oceania ducked her head shyly, but before she could answer that question properly, her stomach answered for her with a loud growl. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Of course you don't! I bet your mother wasn't able to teach you much of anything before she passed! Oh, you poor thing! But don't you worry, you can stay with me from now on! I'll teach you what I know, and in return, you can teach me how to mend wounds and how to do the whole...herb thing!"

Oceania sucked in a breath at that, should...she go off with this stranger that she had just met? It doesn't feel like a good idea. But...if this dino could teach her how to hunt and survive then...surely it'll be worth it, won't it? Surely she'll be fine! Fern is a herbivore anyway, it's not like she'll eat her even if she tries!

"O-Okay! But um... I don't want to leave my nest... It's in a cave by the ocean. It's... My mother died there and so I don't want to leave the place. I don't know why but...just thinking about it tears my heart apart-"

"Oh no, it's okay! You don't have to leave if you don't want to! If you don't mind me staying with you then that's fine by me! I do have a cave that's closer to the human city nearby, but I can bring my things over, can I?"

"Of course you can! I don't mind that at all! There's plenty of space in my cave!"

"Perfect! Then it's settled! I do tend to explore around so I may be gone for a few days at a time, but I'll always be back! Don't you worry!"

"Oh, right, you mentioned earlier that you're trying to find your mother? It's alright, I understand. Thank you for being willing to teach me! And...your leg is done!"

"Wow! You did a great job! I dare say you've done an even better job than any of those humans could ever do! I barely feel anything at all!"

Oceania blinked at that, does that mean...Has Fern met some humans? But her mother told her that humans died years ago, so how could Fern have met humans? She doesn't look that much older than Oceania, there's no way she was alive when humans were around so how...

"Now! Let's head to your home so I know where I'll be placing my things! And so I could possibly teach you some hunting techniques on the way there! Let us go!"

"Y-Yeah!!" Another toothy grin from Oceania.