Reply To: The Land Before Time XV: The Friendly Sharptooth Flyer
CHAPTER TWO: THE DIFFERENT FLYERS
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Sometime later, young Ptero was with his family. “Father, when can I learn to fly?” Ptero asked Sydo. “Soon enough dear.” said Agatha. “You don’t seem quite ready yet. You nearly fell last time.” said Sydo. “Yes, but I caught you.” said Agatha.
Don’t worry kid, you’ll do it someday. said an Ichthyornis. “I can’t wait.” said Ptero. Sydo brought him some Tree Stars, which he ate happily. He really liked those. Agatha gave her son a mammal to eat, which he also ate. Sydo was so used to this behavior by now that it didn’t bother him one bit.
Ptero liked the Tree Stars better, in part because there wasn’t blood, and, because, having asked his mother why the mammal looked different from the Tree Stars, had finally been told that it had once been a live creature.
Ptero had freaked out at first upon hearing this. “Ptero, dear, you need to eat too. There are plenty of other Tickly Fuzzies out there.” Agatha had said. Ptero still felt sad. He made sure to eat every bite, knowing what it had cost the creature to be his meal.
Agatha had thought of feeding her son a Leaf Eater, but Sydo put his foot down. “No, I will not have you doing that. He’s part Leaf Eater himself.” Sydo had told her one night after Ptero was asleep. “But he’s a hunter too.” countered Agatha. They moved out of the nest, so as not to wake their son, and continued arguing outside.
“He may be a hunter if he so chooses. But it’s up to him. Let the boy decide.” said Sydo. Agatha had agreed to this.
Ptero kept trying to fly. He loved the breeze on his wings. However, flying wasn’t as easy as it looked. He had learned to climb things in the meantime. He saw a pretty butterfly. He went toward it, examining it. However, he was saddened when a Pterodactylus came and grabbed it and ate it. Delicious, isn’t it? the creature remarked to Ptero. Ptero was saddened by what Sharpteeth had to do to get food.
Ptero climbed and jumped from tree to tree. He was doing quite well, though both Sydo and Agatha, and sometimes the other Sharp Beaks, had to save his life when he missed. Ptero enjoyed it, though hated when he fell.
Ptero had no idea what he was yet. He knew that he could eat Tree Stars and meat. He also noticed that he lived with Sharp Beaks, and so was disposed to think of himself more as the latter. However, he was glad that he could eat Tree Stars, as it meant he wouldn’t always have to take a life whenever he wanted a meal when he got older.
Ptero saw that his life was happy enough and that he had both his mother and his father. He assumed that things would always go on the way they’d always been.
Petrie, meanwhile, was with Don and Pterano. He was trying to fly. “Me got this. Me going to do it today!” yelled the Flyer proudly. SPLAT! Petrie fell, again, and landed in mud.
“Oh dear, another wipeout!” moaned Pterano.
“Not to worry Petrie boy, you will get it.” said Don.
“Me hope so.” replied Petrie, not so sure.
Both Petrie and Ptero were happy with their fathers. However, the good times were not to last.
