Reply To: The Land Before Time XV: The Friendly Sharptooth Flyer
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: PTERO’S CONFESSION
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‘Yeah right!” laughed Cera.
“Good one Ptero.” giggled Petrie nervously, for he knew the truth about Ptero. Spike was laughing hard.
“But I’m serious. The reason that I can fly so well is that I’ve always needed to change paths quickly when hunting.” said Ptero.
“Real funny Ptero.” laughed Littlefoot.
“But my Mother is a Sharp Beak. It’s true. I’m a Sharptooth.” said Ptero.
“We all feel like our parents are Sharpteeth sometimes.” said Cera, still laughing.
“No, my Mother is the leader of the pack that keeps coming here. They’re after me. I’m supposed to take over the pack after her. “said Ptero rather loudly. The others, minus Petrie, just laughed.
“You cannot be a Sharptooth. Oh no, no, no. You do not have sharp teeth.” said Ducky.
“Actually I do. Put your hands in my mouth and you will find it to be true.” said Ptero.
“All right. I’ll play along.” said Littlefoot, who was still giggling. He put his right foreleg into Ptero’s open mouth. He suddenly bumped against something sharp and withdrew his hand. “Ow, that’s sharp!” he said. His eyes widened as realization hit him. “Wait, that’s sharp! Sharptooth!” gasped Littlefoot, his eyes widening in fright.
The others gasped too. Their eyes all widened. “You really are a Sharptooth!” said Cera.
Ptero went and dove into water, came out with a fish, and ate it. “Yes, I am.” he replied.
“Ut oh, secret out now!” moaned Petrie.
“Wait, you knew?” gasped Cera. Petrie nodded.
“Me find out a while back. Me keep Ptero’s secret.” Petrie replied.
“Why did you keep it a secret? We could have been in danger. We could. We could.” asked Ducky.
“Me no think Ptero dangerous.” replied Petrie.
“Well, he’s a Sharp Beak. What should we do with him? He might be planning to eat us when we turn our backs. Perhaps we should get rid of him. He caused that pack to come near here and we could have gotten hurt. Perhaps he’s planning to betray us to them.” said Cera.
Ptero began to shake. This was what he had been fearing. Was he about to die like his father, killed by the Flatteeth that he had once counted his friends but that betrayed and murdered him when they found out that he was a Sharptooth? Ptero began pleading “Please, please don’t kill me! I’m just a boy! Please! I don’t want to die like my Father! He was killed by Flatteeth who had been his friends but turned on him when they found out that he was a Sharptooth!”
“But you said that you didn’t know who had killed your father! Were you lying?” asked Littlefoot angrily, wondering if everything Ptero had told him was a lie.
“No, Mother told me today. I hadn’t known.” Ptero said quickly.
“You met your mother today? Here, in the Great Valley?” asked Littlefoot incredulously. Ptero nodded.
“Is she still here?” asked Littlefoot in alarm.
“I think she’s around here somewhere.” replied Ptero.
“Is that what really happened, or are you lying? You might be making up loads of stories just to get us to trust you, planning all along to get us alone with you and have us for dinner!” said Cera angrily.
The others just kept staring at him. Ptero spoke up again, still trembling. “Look, I promise I’ll go and never come back. Just let me leave. I’m just a boy! Please!” he pleaded, shaking, fear in his eyes.
“Well, you always were a weird looking Flyer. Now I get why.” said Cera. “You should know that Sharpteeth aren’t allowed in the Great Valley.” she added.
“I said I’d leave.” said Ptero nervously.
“How do we know you won’t come back at night and get us?” asked Cera skeptically.
The others began to whisper to each other. “What should we do?” whispered Littlefoot.
“Perhaps we should turn him in. He might hurt our families.” whispered Cera.
“He no hurt us though.” said Petrie.
“But he might still. He might. He might.” said Ducky.
Spike, as always, remained silent, but he nodded in agreement with Ducky.
“He’s just a kid like us though.” Littlefoot reminded them.
“Yeah, a kid with fangs!” Cera retorted.
“He is sweet though. He’s helped us a lot. He had his chance to eat Petrie.” Littlefoot commented.
“Yes, he could have eaten Petrie in me sleep.” Petrie added, nodding.
“He saveded me from a Swimming Sharptooth. He could have lefted me to die if he was a mean Sharptooth. He could. He could.” said Ducky.
“He help me with bullies. If he mean Sharp Beak, he could have eaten Petrie when me all alone with him.” Petrie added.
“Yes, but unlike Chomper, he’s been keeping quiet what he is and never told us. Petrie had to find out on his own. Why do you suppose that is?” whispered Cera.
“Perhaps he is afraid of Leaf Eaters.” suggested Littlefoot quietly. “He thought we were going to attack him when we first met him.”
“A Sharptooth afraid of Leaf Eaters? I have never hearded of such a thing. Oh no, no, no.” commented Ducky.
“Perhaps he has a goal of wanting to eat Leaf Eaters! Perhaps he’s being nice to us so that he can get us all off our guard and get a nice meal!” whispered Cera.
“Maybe he does plan to hurt us. But he’s just a kid. Would it be right to hurt him?” asked Littlefoot.
“Better him than us.” Cera snapped.
“But what should we do with him? If he is a mean Sharptooth, he cannot stay here. Oh, no, no, no, he cannot.” said Ducky.
“Me think he nice Sharptooth.” Petrie countered.
“How did you found out he was a Sharptooth?” asked Cera.
“Me hear him crying at night. Me see him eat Ground Crawler.” Petrie replied.
“And he just let you be?” asked Cera incredulously.
“Well, he….” said Petrie nervously.
“I kidnapped him. I was going to finish him to keep him silent. But I decided not to.” Ptero confessed. The group, minus Petrie, gasped.
“Well, there you have it. He’s a menace to the Great Valley. I think we should get the grownups!” Cera declared.
Ptero decided that it was time for him to leave. He turned to go, but Petrie grabbed him. His eyes widened in fright. “Please Petrie. I said that I’d leave! Let me live! I’m begging you!” he pleaded, shaking like a child who had been forbidden to have candy and been found with candy wrappers all around him.
“A little late for that, pal! You kidnap a member of the Gang and you pay the price!” Cera snapped.
“Please, I’ve changed. Don’t hurt me!” begged Ptero, shaking from head to foot.
Littlefoot had pity on him. “I think we should give him the same chance we gave Chomper. Let’s welcome him into our gang.” whispered Littlefoot. The others, minus Cera, nodded.
“I think this is a dumb…” Cera whispered. Littlefoot glared at her and she stopped whining. Ptero realized that they had decided what to do with him.
“Wait here.” said Littlefoot to Ptero. He and the others, minus Petrie, went off. Ptero was terrified. What would they do with him?
