Ugh! Long wait, long wait, long wait!
Terribly sorry about that. Had a lot going on in my life. My friend passed away last month, and I had tons of school work to do. February is one of the toughest months of my life. My father died this month, thirteen years ago. :/
But at least I was able to write that oneshot a few days ago in his memory.
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Chapter Two: Shock
He didn't know how long he's been asleep, but the stars were still up in the night sky. His heart was pounding, and he felt like he lived through a terrifying nightmare, although he couldn't really remember it. Pterano took a deep breath, and tried to get back to sleep, but the warmth of Devon by his side made it almost impossible.
He tried to move away, but Devon clung to him too tightly. "Hmm...my snuggling stick," the sleepy blue flyer murmered, nuzzling his head deep into Pterano's chest. Pterano gasped due to the tight squeeze. Sometimes I wonder about this boy, he thought to himself. He moved the younger flyer's arm and headed towards the cave enterance, taking off immediately afterwards.
He landed on a tree branch, immediately sitting back on the trunk. He observed his surroundings as he soon realized this was the exact spot Pterano met up with Petrie and his friends. He closed his eyes as a flashback took over him.
****
Pterano hovered over the tree, listening to Littlefoot's conversation about this so called "Stone of Cold Fire". He couldn't help but smirk, as it was exactly what he was looking for. He couldn't exactly make up Cera's last line, but he knew it was something about the "smoking mountains are off limits." That was when he knew he had to jump in.
"NONSCENSE!!!" He boomed, landing on a tree brance behind his nephew, the momentum and force shaking the branch, causing poor Petrie to fall to the ground. He perched for a second, taking a look at the longneck, threehorn, swimmer, spiketail and flyer before landing next to his nephew, picking him up in his talons. "Did I startle you, Petrie?"
But Petrie, of course, was scared senseless, as he at first couldn't recognize this stranger. "Yes! No!" he stuttered, trying to find the right words to say. "How you know my name?"
"Petrie, I'm heartbroken," he said, placing his hand over his heart. "Don't you recognize your DEAR OLD UNCLE??"
And just like that, all Petrie's fears have been transformed into joy, as he suddenly realized who this stranger was. Turns out, he wasn't a stranger at all. "Pterano!" he squealed joyfully, shooting himself towards Pterano's beak. "Pterano!" he shouted again.
"Hello, Petrie." Pterano replied, not sure if this was how it went.
"Pterano!"
"Yes, Petrie. It's me." What in the Great Valley was going on here? "Petrie."
"Pterano!"
"Petrie."
"Pterano!"
Okay, this is getting way out of hand. This is not how Pterano remembered it. "Petrie?" Was it just him, or was Petrie's voice...fading?
"Pterano!"
"Petrie?"
"PTERANO!!!!"
Whoa! Where in the heck did that come from? That wasn't Petrie, that was...an extremely ticked off female. That voice caused him to snap his eyes open, his whole body leaped into the air for a fraction of a second, and then crashed back on the branch again with a heavy "Ooof!" He felt his head, as he could have swarn he was seeing stars, although there were barely any stars in the bright blue sky by now.
Mama Flyer was hovering above him, rolling her eyes. "Pterano." She said, giving him a stern look, causing him to flinch a little.
"Hmm?" he gazed up at her, feeling his head.
"Mr. Longneck called a meeting at the Stone Arch." She told him.
"Okay."
"He is retiring as leader of the herd."
"Okay."
"And he wants you to lead in his place." Mama Flyer finished, awaiting his reaction.
"Okay..." then his eyes went wide, and he no longer cared about his headache. Shock began to take over him as his whole body once again leaped off the branch. "He wants me WHAT?!?" But the poor old flyer was so tired and shocked, that he couldn't get a good grasp of the branch to save him from that ten feet plummet to the ground. Luckily there was a bush there to catch him. "Ohhh...my head." As if on cue, a tree sweet fell off a branch and hit his head. "And I spoke too soon." he muttered, laying down flat on his belly.
As the sun continued to rise, the residents of the Great Valley had arrived at the Stone Arch. Grandpa Longneck rose above everyone else, the newly risen sun refecting off his head. "I'd like to thank you all for your attendance and attention as of my upcoming retirement." He started, his voice raspy, but still going strong all the same. "But before I begin, I'd like to welcome Mr. Joe and his herd. A dreadful earthshake had hit their valley, and they will be staying until they can find another place to live."
"Thank you, Mr. Longneck." The elderly spiketail replied, nodding with a small smile. "My herd has come a long way. Countless spiketail's have died in that earthshake...my son included," he continued, sorrow filling his features. He tried to hide it, but you could easily tell in his eyes that he was depressed...if you were fast enough. He snapped out of it, gazing up at the apatosaurus beside him. "Anyways, thank you so much for your hospitality. Words cannot explain just how grateful we are."
"It is my pleasure. You have saved my grandson after all." The two shared a small, friendly smile, before Grandpa Longneck cleared his throat. "As a group, the Great Valley Council and I have come to a great decision for who shall be the next leader. He joined us long ago, as a changed flyer, and not long afterwards, so did his adopted son. " As the apatosaurus was announcing this, Pterano felt his heart skip a beat. He covered his head, as his head was starting to ache. It was happening. It was happening, and Pterano had never been so nausious in his life. And don't even mention anxiety. "...announce that the new leader of this beautiful, fertile land is..." Here it comes! "Pterano!"
The valley gasped in shock, but most approved the Council's decision almost immediately. They applaused in the best way they could. Bipedals woud clap their hands, claws, talons or whatever, just like a human would do. Quadrepedals would just stomp their two front feet. Other's didn't seem to like this decision very well, and they just stood there, either slapping or shaking their heads in shame. Mr. Threehorn was one of them, although he just let out a huffy "Humpht!" and walked away from the scene. Just because he apologized for his actions towards Pterano, doens't mean he fully trusted him yet.
Pterano almost fainted. Seriously! Just give him a few more seconds of anxiety and that would have pulled the trigger! Shock didn't matter anymore. He remembered what happened last time he led a herd. He remembered it like it was yesterday. A trio of fastbiters attacked his herd for Pete's sake! And that was only HALF the herd. This time, it was the ENTIRE herd! He never realized it, but his heart was thundering so hard in his chest as if it wanted to burst out of his chest. He began sweating, and his heavy breathing increased. Grandpa Longneck was still speaking, explaining why Pterano was chosen. But the poor old flyer was so overblown in terror, that his own eardrums were failing him. This was the sharptooth attack all over again.
"Pterano?"
He almost screamed right there. Literally. He would have let out one loud mighty screetch if it wasn't for Grandpa Longneck calling out his name. Instead he froze in place, snapping out of his thoughts. He gulped, gazing up at the old longneck above him. "Umm yes?" he asked, trying not to sound too anxious.
"How do you feel about becoming leader?" Grandpa Longneck asked him, lowering his head a little so he could get a closer look at the red flyer.
"I'm very honored, Mr. Longneck. Honestly, I am!" Pterano said, stepping up to his friend. "But, why me? Out of all the residents in the Great Valley, why me?"
"I had Littlefoot do a few observations for me. Out of most of the valley, you seemed to be best." The elder longneck explained and then his grandson jumped in.
"And you seem to take action faster than any of us. Like, whenever there's a problem, you always know what to do. Think of last night for example. Tops and Tria were debating over if Joe should stay or not and you were the first to take action."
Petrie jumped in next, coming up from behind Pterano. He was taller now, alot taller, though still not full grown. He was at Devon's height now, and he placed a hand on his uncle's shoulders. "Yeah, think about how you saved me and my siblings from Red Claw. Oh you sure showed him!" He nudged him playfully with his elbow.
"And Devon told me how you sacrificed yourself to save the children from that swimming sharptooth." Joe jumped in as well, giving the old flyer a reassuring smile. "I know I wasn't there to see it, but I think it's the bravest thing I've seen anyone do in my day. I even told my whole herd about it."
"Yeah, I really thought you were dead." Devon said, scratching his head.
"See what I mean?" Grandpa Longneck chuckled. "You've come a long way."
"Yeah I guess that's true." Pterano agreed, calm now, although he did feel a tad uneasy.
"Then it's settled," Grandpa Longneck concluded, turning away from the flyer. "You start next week."
As the whole valley departed, no one seemed to notice a muscular, crested, brown pteranodon and a tall, dark green therinzinosaurus blending in with the trees and bushes around them, watching as the Great Valley residents departed into their seperate ways. Pterano and Devon were the last to depart, and the brown flyer narrowed his eyes. "That's the one," he snarled, in a raspy voice. The therizinosaurus nodded, narrowing his dark red eyes. With his forty inch nails, he scratched his head, growling. Then the two left that lurking spot, their colors making it almost possible to disappear into the forest.
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Man, that's a long PINGAS!
Oh Hannah, out of the mouths of hatchlings as they say.
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And yes, that was the raspiest I've heard you do. XD
And if somebody else wanted to take him, that's fine with me. 
