Land Before Time Retold is a series of The Land Before Time Fan Fics written by Avatar Emerald
, now Elise Lowing.
The series adapts the film series, but with a twist: a human girl named Aylene ends up transported to the world that Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Ducky, and Spike inhabit, and becomes good friends with them, going on numerous adventures with them.
Thus far, the series has adapted the first film, The Great Valley Adventure, and The Time of the Great Giving, Journey Through the Mists, The Mysterious Island and The Secret of Saurus Rock.
Land Before Time Retold includes examples of the following tropes:
- Action Girl: Aylene, due to being able to hold her ground against numerous predators throughout her and her friends' adventures armed only with her bow and arrows.
- Adaptation Distillation: It turns out that the "Biggest, Meanest Sharptooth of them all," fought by "The Lone Dinosaur" was The Sharptooth. It just so happens that while Sharptooth lost, he didn't die, thus explaining how he was still around for the first story.
- Adaptation Expansion: Let's just say that with hindsight to help, the author's able to give a bit more depth to several moments and characters, foreshadowing events from later stories, fixing some plotholes, and connecting events that in the original movies where all stand alone occurances. Some examples:
- It turns out that Cera's Mom and Sisters (from the first movie) were part of the herd that Pterano got killed (which is actually a popular fan theory among the LBT fandom), hence why they are missing from the sequels, and why Cera's dad is so protective of her.
- Strongfang is Chomper's father, and also Sharptooth's brother, making Chomper Sharptooth's nephew. And part of the reason that Chomper is an only child is because the two egg thieves from the second movie ate the rest of the eggs in the nest.
- Elaine, Aylene's grandmother, knew Doc, the Diplodocus in The Secret of Saurus Rock, as a friend.
- Adapted Out: Elsie, the friendly plesiosaur is switched with Battle Scar the Baryonx and his pack for getting Littlefoot, Aylene and their friends home from the mysterious island.
- The author has also gone on record that this universe will NOT be adapting sequels 11 through 13. However, given the use of characters who didn't appear until that point in the franchise (such as Battle Scar and his pack), it's possible that certain characters will be used in new roles and possibly even some plot points could be used in a different fashion; time will tell.
- Adaptational Heroism: Battle Scar and his pack are allies of not just Littlefoot's group but leaf eaters in general, as they only eat fish.
- Another Dimension: The dinosaur world is revealed to be this to the human world, in turn justifying the Anachronism Stew that it has with dinos like Cera and Littlefoot existing in the same time frame.
- Big Sister Instinct: Aylene develops this to the rest of the gang, especially Littlefoot. In one chapter of Great Valley Adventure Retold, as soon as Littlefoot's head goes under the sinking sand, Aylene personally jumps right into the sand and pulls his head up before having the others pull them out.
- Again in Great Valley Adventure Retold, she points out that they can't take care of the egg. When asked why, she responds dryly that it's hard enough taking care of the gang, much less a baby.
- In Great Giving Retold, Derek's adherence to this trope drives a wedge between him and Aylene. They make up but that doesn't stop him from going crazy when she runs off.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Both Derek and Doc call out Elaine for giving Aylene the Time Stone, knowing that it would send her to a world full of living, breathing T-Rexes. While this is a valid point, Elaine in turn points out that she had no idea that it would work like that, since for both her and her father, it sent them to the Great Valley and thought that the stone was set to send people there. Aylene getting sent outside the Valley was a surprise to her.
- Bow and Sword in Accord: Aylene has wielded a bow since the beginning, but now has the addition of sword from Land Before Time: The Mysterious Island Retold, only she is just learning how to use it.
- Call a Smeerp a "Rabbit": Aylene tries to label things by human names, while the Gang try to keep up and understand her. She tries to not force her terminology on them, and does try to use their words. Still, human vocabulary is much more extensive than dinosaur vocabulary, and there are times where she uses terms or concepts the dinosaurs have no name for.
- "Sun" vs. "Sky Disc."
- "Leaves" vs. "Tree Stars."
- "Sharptooth" vs. "Tyrannosaurus Rex."
- ["Land Before Time" Dinosaur Name] vs. [Human Dinosaur Name]
- Commuting on a Bus: Ken was given lots of screen time in the fourth story, but because of his stone being tied to Ali's herd, which wanders outside the Great Valley, he doesn't show up often in the Land Before Time adventures Aylene has. Since they go to the same school, though, he shows up there frequently.
- Cool Old Lady: Elaine, who, like Aylene, made trips to The Land Before Time when she was younger.
- Cool Sword: Aylene finds a sword made from a meteorite and names it "Fierce Loyalty", after her friendship with the Gang.
- Covers Always Lie: That poster at the top of the page? Yeah, Chomper doesn't actually join the gang like that in the story, particularly since he's in his TV Show form. The closest we get is him hanging out with the group in Mysterious Island Retold, in which the background is different and they don't hang out like that, or Great Valley Adventure Retold, where he doesn't look like that.
- Dark Is Evil: Sharptooth for his dark coloring and cruel sadistic nature. Subverted with his brother Strongfang, who is the same color but not an evil character.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Strongfang, Sharptooth's brother, is a predator who hunts by nature and following his father's teachings that herbivores are equals and should be hunted when hungry, not to wipe out.
- Battle Scar and his herd are scary-looking carnivores, but they're friendly (as their diet doesn't consist of plant-eaters, but fish).
- Deus ex Machina: Averted from the source material. Rather than Elise the Elasmosaurus coming in to the assistance of Littlefoot, Aylene and Chomper from a Megalodon, Battle Scar, Bar and Onyx jump in and tear it to shreds. What made Elise one was that she showed up literally without warning or any foreshadowing, while Battle Scar and his group were mentioned and shown throughout the fifth story.
- Didn't Think This Through: Aylene decides to leave a note for the gang to tell them where she, Littlefoot, Ken, and Ali are going, forgetting that Dinosaurs don't know how to read. This gets a Call-Back in "Mysterious Island Retold" when she appears to be doing the same time but as she points out, since her brother is with the adults, he can read the note's contents to them.
- The Dreaded:
- Sharptooth, who is well known within the Land Before Time as the "Walking Terror."
- Ichy and Dil have this reputation in Journey Through the Mists Retold. Just hearing Ichy's voice is enough to absolutely terrify Ali and Ken.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Red Claw and his two minions show up as major antagonists of The Great Valley Adventure Retold. For the record, the first time they showed up in regular canon was in the TV show, which took place between the thirteenth and fourteenth movies, and "Great Valley Adventure" is the second.
- The Baryonyx foes that the gang faced in the thirteenth movie show up in The Mysterious Island Retold, but as secondary protagonists.
- Epic Fail: Exactly what it says in the title and word for word when Littlefoot and Aylene collide head on with one another by accident.
- Even Evil Has Standards: According to The Great Valley Adventure Retold, while Sharptooth had no qualms against killing his fellow Sharpteeth, even he wouldn't go so far as to eat them.
- Everyone Has Standards: As it turns out, Cera would never have mocked Littlefoot's mother if she had known she was dead and is quite contrite when she is told this.
- Evil Power Vacuum: As Ozzy and Strut reveal at the end of Great Valley Adventure Retold, due to Sharptooth's death, several other predators will come after Aylene and the Gang and kill them in order to claim his title as "the Walking Terror" for themselves.
- Eye Scream: Part of the reason Ichy and Dil are after Ken and Ali in Journey Through the Mists Retold is because Ken shot out one of Dil's eyes with his crossbow.
- Fish out of Water: Littlefoot, who eyes everything in the human world with curiosity, even when Aylene is trying to keep him hidden from her family by having him hide in the garden shed.
- Foil: Chomper serves as one for his uncle Sharptooth. While they both suffer from the disorder Predator Rage, Chomper is still capable of speech and controlling himself under its influence while Sharptooth went full on mute berserker; also Chomper is driven by a desire to protect his loved ones while Sharptooth was a full on Blood Knight.
- Foreshadowing: Strongfang asks if Aylene will take Chomper in to the Great Valley at some point in the future to protect him from those who want to claim Sharptooth's title. In canon, Chomper moves into the Valley sometime after the thirteenth movie.
- At the end of Great Valley Adventure Retold, Strongfang and Rena run away from Red Claw, with Strongfang telling Rena he knows a place where no one will find them, setting up for why they were on the island in Mysterious Island Retold.
- Game-Breaking Injury: In Journey Through the Mists Retold, Ichy was shot by Ken in the wing with a crossbow, which crippled him and rendered him unable to do more than glide.
- Hand Wave: When Chomper says that his parents would like the Gang, Cera asks if they'd like them rare or medium well. This confuses Aylene, as a) being plant-eaters they shouldn't know how to prepare meat, and b) Cera shouldn't have knowledge of human cooking terms. Turns out that she got it from Derek off-screen (closing up a plot hole from the source work where she had the same line, but without any explanation).
- Here We Go Again!: Happens a few times, though more noticeably when Derek finds out Aylene left him behind AGAIN after running off with the others to the mysterious island.
- Heel–Face Turn: Due to Aylene unwittingly saving their lives from Chomper's parents, Ozzy and Strut agree to leave the Gang in peace and depart from the Great Valley after warning Littlefoot and Aylene that because they and their friends defeated Sharptooth, other predators will come after and try to kill them in hopes of becoming the new "Walking Terror".
- Heroic Lineage: Aylene got the Time Stone from her grandmother, who had her own adventures with Doc (from "The Secret of Saurus Rock.") In that adventure, Elaine reveals that she got it from her father, who had his own adventures.
- Ken has his own- he got his Time Stone from his grandfather.
- Interspecies Friendship: Between the Gang just like in canon, only now a human gets in on it.
- I Owe You My Life: Battle Scar and his pack owe the Gang a great debt of gratitude for defeating Sharptooth, thus becoming a friend when in need of assistance.
- The Egg-eaters from "Great Valley Adventure" were unintentionally saved via Aylene's interference. As such, they will no longer chase Aylene or her friends.
- To a degree, Strongfang, who now trusts Aylene and the Gang for saving Chomper's life twice- first by saving him from the egg eaters, and also because Sharptooth vowed to kill anyone that Strongfang loved.
- It's All My Fault: Aylene blames herself for the death of Littlefoot's mother, remembering that she had a bow and arrows and could have shot Sharptooth or done something before he killed her. Ken feels the same way about the death of Ali's father.
- It's Personal: Ichy and Dil's entire beef with Ken and Ali is this throughout the fourth story, since Ken, in self-defense, blinded Dil in one eye and crippled Ichy's wing.
- Jerkass Realization: As in the first film, right before the volcano and tar pit fiasco, Cera badmouths Littlefoot's mother, resulting in their big fight and the group splitting up. After Littlefoot and Aylene save them, Aylene explains to Cera that Littlefoot reacted the way he did because his mother was killed by Sharptooth; Cera is instantly ashamed of herself and apologizes to Littlefoot.
- Mythology Gag: A heartwarming example. When Aylene sings a lullaby to the gang in the first fic, the song she sings is If We Hold On Together.
- Named After Somebody Famous:
Word of God claims Ken is named after Kenneth Mars, the previous voice actor for Grandpa Longneck who passed away in 2011, and is currently being voiced by Barry Bostwick. - Named by the Adaptation: The leader of the Baryonyx pack from The Wisdom of Friends is named Battle Scar here.
- Non-Malicious Monster: Strongfang, the brother of Sharptooth. Unlike his brother, he only hunts for food, his father having taught him that herbivores are their equals and only to hunt when hungry.
- Battle Scar and his herd. While they are sharpteeth, they're Baryonyxes, and thusly eat only fish. Despite their frightening appearance to leaf-eaters, they're quite pleasant.
- Not a Date: Aylene's attempt to deny that she and Ken are not dating and are just friends in front of Derek. Derek isn't as convinced.
- The duo themselves utilize some Exact Words to define their relationship as they don't want a sappy in-your-face relationship like the ones they associate with most couples but are perfectly willing to spend time doing some things that could be considered dating.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Ken and Aylene realize this when they reveal that they both feel guilty because of something that happened to a parent of one of their dinosaur friends.
- Official Couple: Aylene and Ken make it official at their school dance.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Aylene's reaction at the beginning of Time of the Great Giving Retold when she accidentally brings Littlefoot to the human world with her.
- In Journey Through the Mists Retold, Ken's very soul trembles when he realizes that Ichy and Dil have followed him and Ali's herd to the Great Valley.
- Omniglot: Battle Scar and his herd can all speak plant-eater languages, despite being carnivores. This is because since their diet is based on fish, they pose no threat to the plant-eaters, and thus are allowed to live in watery areas near where plant-eaters live. Over time, they picked up the language.
- As a result of being hatched by the Gang, Chomper speaks not only Biter language but plant-eater language as well.
- A trait of the Time Stones; anyone wearing them can understand any dinosaur. This doesn't extend to mammals or other prehistoric animals though.
- Parting-Words Regret: In Great Giving Retold, Derek learns from Grandpa Longneck that Topsy and his first wife had a major falling out, which led to her decision to take their remaining kids and join Pterano's herd, leading to them getting killed.
- Planet of Hats: Averted. Turns out that Predators are not a only one-hat race, particularly when it comes to Sharptooth. While there are many who want his old position, there are just as many who hated and feared him, and treated news of his disappearance with glee.
- Poor Communication Kills: Chomper's parents start by telling Aylene that "She'll pay for what she did." Aylene responds that she had no choice but to kill him. The problem? They weren't talking about the same thing. Chomper's parents thought that she and the gang had taken their only remaining egg. Aylene thought they were trying to get revenge on behalf of Sharptooth. The end result is that Chomper's parents are sent into a Roaring Rampage of Revenge because they think that this human brutally murdered their child for no reason.
- Power Born of Madness: Predator Rage, a mental condition that some biters get; it enhances a biter's senses and hunting prowess, but also sends them into an Unstoppable Rage that makes them more dangerous to friend and foe alike. No trigger for it is the same; Sharptooth's was the thrill of the hunt, and Chomper's is revealed to be when his friends are in danger.
- Really 700 Years Old: It's revealed by Doc that he and Elaine fought Sharptooth, but then Elaine vanished for a hundred years (her Time Stone stopped working). If this is true, that means that Doc, Rena, and Strongfang are all well into their second century of life, as was Sharptooth (before the events of the first story, that is).
- Related in the Adaptation: In this fic, it's revealed that Chomper is Sharptooth's nephew.
- Retcon: Starting with Great Valley Adventure Retold, Aylene (and others who come into contact with the Time Stone) have the ability to speak Sharptooth. In Mysterious Island Retold, the rules were changed slightly- the stone always granted translation of Sharptooth language, it's just that Sharptooth himself suffered from a mental condition that turned him into a mute berserker while under the effects.
- Secret-Keeper: Initially, Aylene's grandmother Elaine helped her keep her adventures a secret from the rest of her family. Derek also becomes one when he finds out that Aylene was hiding Littlefoot in the garden shed.
- Series Fic: It's a revision, but also a series building its own mythology up slowly.
- Shipper on Deck: Littlefoot for Ken and Aylene.
- Spared by the Adaptation: In "Time Of The Great Giving Retold", the pack of Velociraptors survive being washed away by the recently released water.
- Super-Persistent Predator: At first Sharptooth himself as he pursues the Gang in the The Land Before Time Retold on their journey to the Great Valley. But after his death, nearly every predator in the entire series wants the title of 'The Walking Terror' or wants revenge against the kids.
- Timey-Wimey Ball: The time differential between the two worlds is not set in stone and seems to fluctuate nearly at random. Aylene goes back to the Land Before Time world after only a few days following her first journey, and five years have passed... yet later on, she brings Littlefoot to her world for a day, and Littlefoot returns to his world soon enough that no one seems to notice that he left.
- Title Drop: Aylene's grandmother calls the world of Littlefoot and his friends "The Land Before Time."
- Tragic Villain: Sharptooth. Despite being an evil character, you cannot help but feel pity for him when it is revealed by Strongfang he was lost to a condition known as Predator Rage, a rare disorder that causes carnivorous dinosaurs to have supernatural abilities but comes at a cost. No trigger for it is the same. For Sharptooth, his trigger was the thrill of the hunt. Because he was so caught up in the condition, he lost what little sanity he had left and went on a killing spree. When she learns of Sharptooth's condition in The Mysterious Island Retold, Aylene can't help but feel sorry for him.
- Translator Microbes: Those humans who come into contact with the Time Stone can understand Biter language, as well as speak it.
- Troubled Fetal Position: Aylene ends up in one after the Gang narrowly escapes getting attacked by Megalodon shark.
- Uniqueness Decay: As revealed in the fourth story, Ken has a Time Stone of his own; both he and Aylene believed theirs were one of a kind. They later find the remains of a human village on the Mysterious Island, showing that long ago many humans came to this world.
- Year Inside, Hour Outside: Time passes much more quickly in the Land Before Time than in the human world. In the first story, Littlefoot ages five years while Aylene is merely visiting her grandparents, and when she finally returns home, she's shocked to discover that while she was in the Land Before Time for several days, only five minutes have passed in the human world.
- You Are Not Alone: The fourth story introduced Ken, who also has a Time Stone, meeting Aylene in the Great Valley after traveling with Ali's wandering herd.
- Mysterious Island Retold reveals an entire ancient campsite from humans who managed to travel to the Land Before Time world, but disappeared.
