Secret Love v2

[DiddyKT2]

Okay, so in the summer of 2017, I had decided to write some simple DuckyxPetrie love story, titled "Secret Love," and it was met with great reception on FF.net. It became my FanFiction highlight of a year in which I went through so many family struggles, such as my stepfather's near-fatal injury, my grandmother's loss to cancer, and having to move because our old landlord turned evil. Thankfully, those hard times are well past me now, and the last year and a half have shown great improvements.

Anyways, since "Secret Love" was my first "successful" LBT story on FF.net, and because I remembered so little about the series at the time, I knew that at some point I'd think about writing it again after I joined this forum, because now that I look at it, there are many things that could have been differently. So, this new version you'll be seeing here will be drastically different from my 2017 version. There will be differences in the storyline, and there will be some other changes here and there. My friend, TimeLordMaster108 also requested that I include references to my previous prompt entries, so perhaps you could consider certain stories like, "Waters Rise, Illness Flies" and "A Broken Family" to be some sort of prelude to what you'll see here.

Fittingly enough, since it's the first of February, and this month's prompt obviously involves romance to coincide with Valentine's Day, I will be entering this as my entry for the February prompt, even though it will contain many chapters. The original story had 30 chapters, so I thought that perhaps I could post a new chapter once every two days all the way up to the prompt's due date at the end of March, and it should be finished just in time by then. This will by far be my longest prompt entry to date, and I don't know if I'll ever make one this long again.

I initially didn't want to post this on FF.net, since there already is a much-liked version on there, but I decided to read through the guidelines at the last minute and realized that it was mandatory to post a prompt entry on FF.net, so yeah, I suppose my FF.net audience will get quite a surprise.

Finally, I'll just let it out that I am a proud DuckyxPetrie shipper, so to anyone who isn't a DuckyxPetrie shipper and happens to come across this story, I at least hope you'll find the story itself enjoyable as it progresses over time, as I am aware that some of you whom I've come to know on this forum are not shippers of these two adorable characters.

Anyways, here's my prologue for what will be my much-revised version of "Secret Love."

SECRET LOVE

PROLOGUE

Are we really meant to be?

“Are we really meant to be?”

Those were the only words she could picture herself saying as she stared down at the river on a starry night in the Great Valley.

Whenever a certain subject came into her mind, all her usual feelings of playfulness would be replaced by those of a friendship she shared with someone very special to her.

For about two years now, ever since this green Swimmer had the adventure of a lifetime that earned her four great friends and a wondrous new home, there was still something she felt uncertain about. She had a great home, a wonderful family, and now had not four, but six special friends whom she could play with every day. The moment she thought about her friends, one friend in particular, would take over her thoughts …

Ducky stared down at her moonlit reflection in the river as she allowed all her thoughts to be consumed by her best friend. To her, this “best friend” felt more than just a “best friend.” From the moment they first met, she thought he was an adorable sight, even for a Swimmer like her …


Littlefoot and Ducky were walking through a somewhat barren forest, intending to find this legendary … “Great Valley,” but they had barely even walked a few steps before there came the sounds of their stomachs growling with hunger.

“My stomach is talking,” giggled Ducky.

“Mine, too,” replied Littlefoot as he curiously looked up at a tree, “I wonder what this tastes like?”

However, as Littlefoot began to pull on the tree with his mouth, they heard what sounded like yelling coming from within the tree.

Ducky gasped as she heard the yelling. Although nobody had ever said anything about talking trees, she couldn’t help but wonder if this tree was capable of doing such a thing.

“The tree is talking,” she said.

“No, it isn’t,” replied Littlefoot, trying desperately to pull off anything from the tree.

“You should not eat talking trees. Nope, nope, nope,” said Ducky.

Littlefoot ignored her again, but a second later, a small creature came sliding down the tree the Longneck was pulling on, screaming as it slid towards the two hatchlings. The tiny creature landed right on Littlefoot’s nose, and the Longneck looked in shock and screamed in horror. As he released the tree from his mouth, the plant swung around and tossed the creature into the sky, screaming. Ducky took cover underneath Littlefoot just as the small creature went crashing right through the ground.

Ducky quickly recomposed herself and approached the hole that had been left on the ground by the small creature’s fall. When she looked inside, she was very surprised to see that the creature was a young Flyer, appearing to be so frightened and confused.

“Who are you? Huh?” she asked the Flyer.

“M-m-my name Petrie,” the Flyer stuttered.

Ducky couldn’t help but giggle as she brought her head back up and allowed Petrie to crawl his way up.

“Petrie, huh?” chuckled Ducky, “Funny name.”

“I-I-I flied?” said Petrie.

“No. You falled,” answered Ducky.

“I falled?” whimpered Petrie in frustration as he threw himself onto the ground.

“You cannot fly?” asked a confused Ducky as an odd thought struck her. If Petrie couldn’t fly, then how could he have managed to make his way up a tree? “But how did you get way up there?”

“I climb,” answered Petrie, jumping and putting on a midair pose that Ducky thought was rather adorable.

“Hmm,” was all the Swimmer could say.

“But you are a Flyer, not a faller,” said Littlefoot.

“Hard thing to fly,” said Petrie, and he made another attempt at flying by flapping his wings, but he remained in the air for only about a second before he came right back down with a thud.

“I guess it is,” agreed Littlefoot, “We can’t do it.”

“Nope,” added Ducky, “We cannot do that alright.”


Ducky sniffled as she thought about that warm memory of when she first met that young Flyer. It was hardly any time at all after their first meeting that she began to think of Petrie as an adorable Flyer. There were many things about Petrie that Ducky thought was adorable; his smile, his cute-sounding voice, and his somewhat nervous personality. In the many adventures that followed, Petrie had even come to enjoy her presence just as much as she would enjoy his, and whenever she was down, he was, more often than not, the first one to come to her. This inspired her to do the same for him when he was down.

Ever since then, Ducky had secretly been developing these strange, unexplainable feelings for Petrie, but she was too afraid to mention it to him. She especially didn’t want to tell anybody else in the Great Valley, because they feared that she and Petrie would become outcasts if anyone found out about these unexplainable feelings. She wasn’t entirely sure how their families would react, although Cera’s father would definitely forbid such a thing from happening, so he was the last one she wanted to approach. She wasn’t even sure if her mother or father would be in favor of such an idea, even though they had willingly adopted Spike for Ducky’s sake after they found that she really adored him as a brotherly figure.

Over the last two cold times since they came to the Great Valley, the Swimmer and Flyer had developed a very strong bond with each other. In fact, Ducky often spent more time with Petrie than anyone else, even her brother, Spike. Only time would tell if she and Petrie were meant to have such a special bond …

“Ducky!” she heard a familiar voice calling her name, “Time to come back to the nest and get some sleep!”

Quickly snapping out of her trance, the Swimmer came back to reality and stood up before heading in the direction of her mother’s echo.

“Coming, Mama!” she replied as she found her mother next to a large rock, waiting for her.

“Are we really meant to be?” she thought to herself one more time before she joined her mother, and they started their walk back to their nest.


“We really meant to be?”

In front of a cave within a large rock not far from the river, a small brown Flyer was murmuring those same words as he sat on the ledge in front of his home. He stared down towards the beautiful view of the Great Valley that was dimly lit by the Night Circle. Every once in a while, throughout the last two years following his arrival in the Great Valley, he would find himself clouded with strange thoughts. They weren’t about how happy his life was in the Great Valley, nor were they about his not-so-happy family life, or his friends, … unless, of course, if he counted one friend in particular.

Ducky was the only one whom Petrie could think about from time to time. Sure, they may have been best friends, and she would always be there whenever he was feeling down, and he did the same for her, but there was something about Ducky that Petrie felt was extra special.

Unlike Littlefoot, Cera, … or any of their other friends, for that matter, Ducky seemed to give Petrie a more warming presence whenever they were together, and it often made him wonder if she had special feelings for him. He also thought of her as extremely beautiful, and he loved it whenever he got to see her eyes glistening and sparkling. Of course, Ducky’s famous catchphrase, “Yep, yep, yep!” would always put a smile on the little Flyer’s face whenever they were playing together or just being happy.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. He was developing certain feelings for Ducky. It wasn’t just because they were best friends. He didn’t know how to explain these feelings, and he kept it all to himself because he was wary of how everyone would react to the idea of a Swimmer and Flyer being … “together.”

Was it right for them to be together? Was it wrong just for one to have special feelings towards his or her special friend, regardless of what kind they were?

One thing was for certain, though; time would tell if they were meant for each other, and if that was the case, how would they be able to tell each other? More importantly, how would they be able to keep it a secret?

Petrie began to reflect on some of the past adventures he had with his friends, and how on some occasions he and Ducky would get close to each other for warmth and comfort.

He could vividly remember the heartbreak he felt when his own uncle betrayed him and kidnapped his precious friend. When he and his friends found Ducky the next day, he was so overjoyed to have her back by his side, but he couldn’t imagine why his uncle had committed those heinous crimes. Ducky was the only one who was able to assure him that Pterano was really a good Flyer at heart, and Petrie was so grateful to Ducky for her reassurance that he was not truly a bad Flyer. For many days afterward, Petrie struggled to cope with his uncle’s banishment, but Ducky always came to his side every day and comforted him to the point of treating him almost like family.

That, however, was only one out of many times Ducky would come to Petrie during his many emotional distresses, yet that one seemed to be the most memorable to him.

“Petrie?” a voice called right behind him, snapping him out of his flashbacks.

“Aah!” Petrie shouted as he jolted and looked back, only to find his mother motioning for him to come inside the cave, “Mama, why you always startle me when me think about things at night?”

“I’m sorry, dear,” Mama Flyer apologized, “But it’s time to come into the nest and get some shuteye.”

Petrie sighed in disappointment. He couldn’t possibly feel like sleeping right now when so much was on his mind, but, being a kid, he would have to get plenty of sleep every night.

“Okay, Mama,” the little Flyer gave in.

“I understand you like to come out here and think about things every now and then, but you’ve got to get lots of sleep each and every night,” said Mama Flyer as her son slowly walked into the cave.

“Me know, Mama,” sighed Petrie, “Sometimes, me wish me could stay up longer.”

“I know, dear,” sympathized Mama Flyer, “Once you’ve reached the Time of Great Growing, you’ll be able to stay up a little later.”

Petrie sighed in defeat, and he lied down in the back of the nest, well away from any of his four sleeping siblings. He quickly grabbed his snuggling stick so that he could sleep comfortably. His mother lied down next to him and gently patted him a few times to provide enough warmth for him to close his eyes.

“I love you, dear,” Mama Flyer said gently to her son.

“Me love you, too, Mama,” replied Petrie just as he closed his eyes.

“Goodnight, Petrie.”

“Goodnight, Mama.”

As soon as he was sure his mother was fast asleep, Petrie opened his eyes for a few seconds as an image of Ducky appeared in his head. All he could think to himself as he settled down to sleep that night was …

“We really meant to be?”

So, it's become apparent that Ducky and Petrie are feeling these strange vibes, but what could this lead them to? What could they mean? How will they tell each other if it remains stuck on their minds? I'll be delving deeper into all of that when I post chapter 1, possibly on Sunday. Like I said, do expect chapters to come regularly over the next two months. So, until then, have a good day, and I'll be back soon!

[Sovereign]

I saw this story on FF.net when you were writing it for the first time and I couldn’t help but notice it was rather well received. And indeed, this first part was quite nicely written and it showed the duo’s affection towards each other rather effectively. You’ve always been great at elaborating the characters’ feelings and it’s clear that those skills will excel in this kind of fic. However, as you probably know, I’m one of those who do not really like this shipping but I’ll still give this a shot as I have full confidence you’ll still make this story worth reading despite the premise. We’ll see how it turns out soon enough if you really plan to keep that pace in publishing new chapters.

[OwlsCantRead]

Hey, I adored Secret Love when it came out since I ship these two, so I'll go out on a limb and wager that I'll enjoy this rewrite too.

It might be just me, but despite the A/N in the beginning I couldn't really spot any obvious changes in the prologue from the original. Then again, it IS the prologue, so heh. I'll look forward to Chapter 1, then.

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 1

Those Strange Feelings

Ducky was awakened early one morning after feeling a warming sensation on her cheek. Gradually, it began to tickle her, and she began to giggle. She knew that only one thing in the Great Valley could possibly give her such a sensation.

The Swimmer slowly opened her eyes, giggling as she felt the sensations tickling her, and she noticed Spike licking her cheek in an effort to wake her up in the same playful way that he always would.

“Spike! Stop it!” Ducky giggled, “That tickles! It does!”

Spike stopped licking his sister, and she sat up in the nest and stretched her arms while yawning.

“Good morning, Ducky,” her mother called.

“Good morning, Mama,” Ducky replied once she stopped yawning.

“Did you have a good night’s sleep?” her father asked.

“I did. I did,” answered Ducky.

“That’s good,” chuckled Mama Swimmer, “You woke up just in time for breakfast. Spike’s already had his.”

Ducky sighed as she stood up and joined her brothers and sisters for breakfast. She couldn’t help feeling strange for being the last one up this morning, since she never was the last one up, … and she quickly remembered why.

All throughout the night, Ducky had been thinking about Petrie in her sleep, and all she could think about now were the special feelings she had for him. It was slowly getting to the point where she wouldn’t be able to hide it from him much longer, and she would surely have to tell him soon. She didn’t want to simply approach him like she always would and give him a cuddle, as that would be a little too sudden for him. She simply wanted him to know how she really felt about him but telling him would surely be a challenge, even despite all the many moments they shared together.

Suddenly, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to see him today. The two had been best friends for more than two cold times, yet now she felt so nervous about the idea of simply being in his presence. Her urge to tell him about her feelings seemed to have gotten her so shy that she thought of avoiding him for a while until she could gather up the courage to do what she wanted to.

The sound of her siblings’ chewing on nearby tree stars managed to snap her out of her thoughts, and she grabbed a few ground stars and slowly ate them. Before long, she had eaten nearly more than enough ground stars to keep her energized at least until lunchtime.

As soon as she finished eating, the young Swimmer sat down on a rock near the nest, not really feeling like playing with her friends at the moment, and she stared off into space. All she could think about was her longtime Flyer friend whom she felt so attached to, … but not for long …

“Ducky?” Mama Swimmer spoke gently as she approached her daughter, “What are you doing, just sitting there, doing nothing?”

Ducky didn’t know how to get herself out of this situation. She had to come up with a valid excuse.

“I do not know, Mama,” she said, “I was just, … um, … thinking about so much.”

“What kind of things are on your mind, dear?” asked Papa Swimmer as he joined them.

“Well, I do not think now is the best time to explain them,” replied Ducky.

Her parents looked at each other oddly. It seemed rather strange for their daughter to be behaving this way, unless a certain Swimmer came into her mind.

“Are you thinking about Judy again, dear?” Mama Swimmer asked calmly.

Although that name usually brought sad and cold thoughts to Ducky, she managed to quickly shift her mind away from her friend she lost so long ago.

“No, it is not Judy,” she told her parents, “It is something else.”

“Well, dear, whatever it is you’re thinking about, I sure hope it’s something happy,” smiled Papa Swimmer, and he gently nuzzled his daughter.

Ducky smiled up at her father and allowed both her parents to nuzzle her playfully for a moment, before Spike suddenly ran up to them and gave the girl a pleading smile.

“I think Spike wants to play with you,” giggled Mama Swimmer, “Why don’t you run along and find your friends?”

“That was the last thing I wanted-ed to do,” thought Ducky as she sighed in dismay, not quite comfortable of the idea of seeing her friends at a time like this.

“Okay, Mama,” she answered, giving in.

Spike instantly licked her face in such a playful fashion.

“Spike!” giggled Ducky, “Stop that!”

“Run along now,” chuckled Papa Swimmer, “We’ll see you two later.”

“See you later, Mommy and Daddy,” replied Ducky as her parents returned to their nest.

Without another word, Ducky jumped off the rock she was sitting on, and she led Spike on their journey to their friends’ regular meeting place.


Petrie felt rather groggy as he woke up to the sound of his mother and siblings eating their breakfast. He was used to often being the last one in the nest to wake up in the morning.

However, he knew why he was feeling groggy …

He had been having strange sleep stories about Ducky. He was still wondering if they were meant for each other after he couldn’t stop thinking about her for yet another night. This was the fourth night in a row which he could only endure happy sleep stories about her.

“Good morning, Petrie,” the Flyer heard a voice gently greeting him as he felt a pleasant sensation on his head.

He knew it could only be his mother gently patting him on the head, and he grinned. At least it wasn’t one of his brothers or sisters trying to wake him up in such teasing ways like they often would, especially after that one embarrassing incident during the cold time.

“Good morning, Mama,” Petrie yawned as he stretched his wings.

“You’re quite one to oversleep, Petrie,” one of his brothers teased.

“Always having so many weird sleep stories,” said one of his sisters.

The other children laughed, and Petrie flushed in embarrassment. Mama Flyer could see how embarrassed her son was, and she turned to her other children to stop the teasing.

“Ahem! Now, children,” Mama Flyer scolded them, “You know Petrie can’t help that sometimes, so try to give him some personal space, okay?”

The other Flyer children stopped teasing Petrie and quickly resumed eating their breakfast.

“They never stop teasing me,” sighed Petrie sadly, “Even after … that night.”

“I’m sorry about them, sweetie,” Mama Flyer sympathized, “I know you sometimes have a hard time getting up in the mornings. I’m sure a lot of other dinosaurs go through the same thing.”

Petrie looked down as he stood up and leaned against a wall. It was then that Mama Flyer noticed that something was a little … off … with her son, and yet she wasn’t all that surprised …

It had not been a happy cold time for Petrie. He had endured the most depressing cold time of his life. After his mother admitted to him what had truly happened to his father, he spent several Night Circle cycles descending into depression, until a terrible sleep story caused him to have his worst wetting accident ever and his siblings coldly threw him out. He flew away to some strange cave and found a mysterious wall of frozen water that showed him a wondrous vision of his entire family, including his long-dead father. Seeing such a vision provided some sense of closure to the little Flyer, but although he promised his mother that he wouldn’t constantly go looking around for it, he still did it on some nights until the cold time was over and the frozen sky water melted.

“Petrie, are you feeling okay?” Mama Flyer asked her son.

Petrie gulped nervously.

“M-Me feel okay, Mama,” he stuttered, “Just … have strange sleep stories.”

“You still haven’t gotten over that cold time yet, have you?” sighed Mama Flyer sympathetically.

“It not that,” replied Petrie, “It something else.”

“What is it, dear?” his mother asked him curiously.

Petrie looked away and fidgeted as he tried to come with some excuse to hide his thoughts.

“Maybe now not best time,” he stammered.

Mama Flyer didn’t feel convinced, but she decided to shrug it off for now. She didn’t want to pressure her son again after everything he had been through during the cold time.

“Here, Petrie,” she said as she handed him a tree star, “I saved this one for you.”

Petrie gladly took the tree star and took a small bite out of it. In no time, his taste buds were treated to the delightful taste of the tree stars that grew not so far from where their cave was.

“Thanks, Mama,” he smiled, “This so good.”

“I’m glad you like it, dear,” chuckled Mama Flyer.

Petrie finished his tree star, and he quickly stepped out into the open space in front of the Flyer family’s cave.

“Are you going out to play with your friends, Petrie?” asked Mama Flyer.

At that moment, an odd thought struck Petrie …

He didn’t feel very sure about playing with his friends, especially if Ducky was going to be with them today. He didn’t quite feel like seeing her today after thinking about her for so long. He wondered how he could approach her the next time they met, but nothing came to mind. She may have been his best friend, but he suddenly felt so nervous about her. He couldn’t bear the idea of seeing her while he was developing these strange feelings for her.

However, Petrie also did not want his mother to find out why he was feeling so strange, so he decided that he was going to take off towards his friends’ meeting place so that she wouldn’t become suspicious about him.

“Yeah,” he finally said, “Me no can wait to see me friends.”

“Okay then,” replied Mama Flyer, “Run along now, and have fun.”

“Me will, Mama,” said Petrie as he opened his wings and took to the skies, “See you later.”

“See you later, Petrie!” he heard his mother call back before he set off on his journey.


Ducky and Spike were still on their journey towards their friends’ usual meeting place. In just a matter of minutes, they would be meeting up with Littlefoot, Cera, Chomper, Ruby, and … Petrie …

Suddenly, Ducky froze as she began to think about her best friend again. She still felt nervous about seeing him at a time like this while so much was on her mind … about him. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him at all today.

Spike took notice of his sister’s abnormal behavior, and he gave her a worried expression. Ducky could tell what her brother’s expression meant, but she couldn’t let him bother her at a time like this.

The Spiketail let out some groans that only Ducky could understand, and the Swimmer sighed and looked up at him.

“You go ahead and find the others, Spike,” she said, “I will catch up in a little bit. I will, I will,”

Spike nodded and set off towards their meeting place, while Ducky looked to her right and found her favorite shallow river just a few yards away.

Once Spike was no longer in her sight, the Swimmer walked towards the river and sat down right on the bank. She dipped her feet into the cold water and sighed as she could not stop thinking about Petrie.

“I have never felt-ed this way before,” she said to herself, “Petrie has been my best friend ever since we first meet-ed. There is just something about him that I find so … so, … I do not know how to explain it. No, no, no.”

She knew that no other dinosaur her age would know anything about what it was like to develop special feelings towards someone else, so Petrie would probably not be able to understand how she felt about her. However, she did have a hunch …


Petrie giggled happily to himself as he was enjoying his flight through the skies over the Great Valley. He felt like nothing could strike him down. He didn’t know how to explain it, but it felt like just another happy morning in the Great Valley. A simple flight was all it took to refresh his thoughts and think about the day ahead. With each day, he could slowly but surely get over this nasty cold time and focus on the near future. The warm times were coming back, and the valley was blooming with life again like it always would during this time of the season. It was a sight for sore eyes to behold.

It was then that he looked down and gazed at the beautiful river below him. The water glistened beautifully as the Bright Circle’s light gorgeously reflected it. It was one of the most amazing sights he had seen in quite a while.

Then, he noticed someone sitting on the edge of the river, and he gasped in shock once he realized who it was …

“Oh, no! It Ducky! Me must hide!” he thought to himself as he swooped downward and took cover behind some plants on the opposite riverbank.

Among all his friends, Ducky was the last one whom Petrie was planning to see today. He still didn’t know how to approach her with these newfound feelings spiraling within him. It felt nearly too much to bear.

“Why me feel so nervous around her?” he thought, “Me wish me could just forget all about these strange feelings!”

On the other hand, he began to imagine that all his feelings were one-sided. After all, nobody at his age would likely be experiencing feelings like these, so he was sure that Ducky wouldn’t be feeling the same about him.

Taking a few deep breaths, Petrie peeked across the river to get a glimpse at Ducky.

There she was, soaking her feet in the river with a strange look on her face. She seemed to look exactly how he had felt this morning, and the Flyer started to feel a little uneasy with himself. Now, he wasn’t sure that his feelings were one-sided. He was suddenly picturing himself in one of his sleep stories where it was just the two of them together, having an adorable time. He started to have a hunch that she was feeling the same about him as he was feeling about her, and he felt rather spooked by it.

“Maybe, … me should just go meet up with Littlefoot and others,” he whispered to himself, and without a second thought, he left his hiding place and walked along the riverbank, keeping himself hidden behind the bushes so that Ducky wouldn’t see him.


Ducky had finally decided that her feet were cold enough, and she scooted backwards before standing up. Petrie was still stuck on her mind, and she still wondered how she would act the next time she saw him, but for now she had decided that she would take her parents’ advice and play with her friends for a while, even if Petrie would be among them.

“I had better get going,” she said to herself, “Littlefoot and the others will be waiting for me. Yes, yes, yes.”

With that, she pressed on with her slow walk towards their friends’ meeting place. She stayed alongside the riverbank so that she could listen to the gentle sounds of the water glistening in the daylight. The sounds of water could always take her mind off certain things whenever she needed it to.

Then, once she got to the end of the river, where the two riverbanks would join, she looked to her right, … and she was met with a completely unexpected surprise …

There stood Petrie, stopping dead in his tracks and gasping at the sight of her, just as simultaneously as she had at the sight of him, looking at her as if he had just been frightened by her appearance.

Both children stood frozen in place and gazed at each other nervously. This was the one moment that they were NOT prepared for. Each had foolishly assumed that the other would, for some random reason, not be joining their friends today, but now they had proven each other to be fools for believing so.

Now, here they were, looking into each other’s eyes while their cheeks blushed red. As they looked at each other, they seemed to notice how their expressions looked so eerily similar. It was then that each had realized why the other was blushing and quivering nervously as they stared at each other. No spoken words had to confirm it. Their faces did it for them. That alone was enough for one to realize the other’s feelings. Neither had seen the other this nervous in each other’s presence before, unless they were going on one of their many dangerous adventures, and it just about spooked them both because of the fact that they had developed strange feelings for each other, although they hadn’t told each other once over the past two years that they had those special feelings. They were best friends, but new feelings had taken over their minds as they thought about each other in recent weeks.

Ducky couldn’t find any words to say as she looked into Petrie’s eyes. She wanted to slowly walk away from him, but her legs wouldn’t move. It was as if she had been paralyzed from the waist down.

Petrie felt as if he wanted to back away from Ducky, but his nervous body prevented him from moving an inch. He could only look into her eyes as he tried his best not to act so panicky.

Eventually, Ducky managed to gather up her courage and greet her best friend, “H-hi, Petrie.”

Petrie shifted back an inch when he saw that Ducky was acting as nervous as he was. He felt a lump form in his throat as he struggled to form words. There was no turning back now.

“H-h-hi, D-D-Du-Ducky,” the Flyer stuttered.

Ducky saw that Petrie was acting in a rather panicky state, almost as panicky as he typically would be, although there was nothing around him that could trigger it.

“Are you feeling okay, Petrie?” asked Ducky, although she already had a few guesses for the answer to that question.

Petrie couldn’t find any words to answer her question, and he stayed silent while staring right at his best friend.

“Did you have a scary sleep story?” Ducky guessed.

Once again, Petrie didn’t answer, and Ducky’s selfless instincts began to take over as she slowly approached her friend and stopped right in front of him.

Petrie looked down and placed his hands behind his back, showing a clear sign of nervousness, and Ducky slowly reached down and gently held the Flyer’s hands. She knew this almost always worked when she wanted to calm him down.

Thankfully, Ducky’s method worked its magic, and Petrie sighed and looked into the Swimmer’s eyes again with a very faint, almost unnoticeable grin on his beak.

“Okay, Ducky. Me confess, … me no have bad sleep story last night,” he said, although he quickly regretted saying that, as he knew that instantly blew his chances of pretending that he had gone through yet another sleep story that caused him to wet the nest. Ducky had heard about Petrie’s sad cold time and unpleasant wetting accidents. She had endured very similar experiences herself, so she could relate.

Seeing that Petrie hadn’t endured a bad sleep story last night, Ducky began to sense that her predicament about him having feelings about her might have been correct.

“It is okay, Petrie,” Ducky whispered gently to her best friend, “I have been having strange sleep stories myself, too. I have, I have.”

Hearing that brought an uneasy feeling into Petrie’s chest. Seeing that Ducky had not been going through bad sleep stories lately, there was definitely something odd about her strange behavior, even if it mirrored his own.

“Me wonder what we so nervous about?” the Flyer said, trying to change the subject, “It about something our friends have planned for today?”

“Not exactly,” replied Ducky, “I was just thinking about some of our fondest memories ever since we first came to the Great Valley.”

Petrie grinned faintly as he thought of the many happy times they had had together over the last two years.

“Me, too,” he said in a cute voice that just about made Ducky smile and giggle, “So many Great Valley memories. What can me say? This just a happy place to be.”

He stopped when he noticed that his best friend was smiling at him.

“What you laughing about?” he asked as he blushed.

“Did I ever tell you that you have one of the cutest voices I have ever heard-ed?” chuckled Ducky.

Petrie blushed deep red in embarrassment from hearing those words, while his heart received a warming sensation from a particular word that no one had ever used to describe him, except for his mother.

“Cute? Ducky think me voice sound cute?” he thought to himself.

As the Flyer tried to get over his embarrassment, he took a glimpse into Ducky’s sparkling eyes and smile. He could only describe it as being the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life.

Ducky took notice of the smile that appeared to be stuck on Petrie’s face, and she smiled right back as their cheeks continued to blush.

“What are you smiling about, Petrie?” the Swimmer asked.

“Me think your eyes so shiny, … and your smile … just … beautiful, Ducky,” Petrie answered.

“I could say the same about your smile, Petrie,” replied Ducky.

The two young hatchlings stood where they were for a few moments, smiling passionately at each other, although to them, it suddenly felt as if time had slowed down tremendously. Just a moment ago, they felt uncomfortable about even seeing each other, yet just a few cute words managed to get them to overcome their strange fears and now they were seemingly falling into a pleasant trance; one they wished could last forever.

It was then that Ducky decided that she would take her chances and admit why she had been so nervous about being near Petrie …

“To be honest, Petrie, … there is a very special reason why I have been thinking about all our happy times together,” she said.

“Really?” replied Petrie with a look of interest on his face, “What that reason be? It about our old games or Grandpa Longneck’s stories?”

“No,” giggled Ducky as he found Petrie’s eager guesses to be amusing, “It is because of the time that I get to spend with you, Petrie.”

“M-me?” stuttered a surprised Petrie.

“You and I are best friends, Petrie, … but that is only part of why you have always felt-ed so special to me. You are always there for me when I am sad, just like I am for you, and you know how to make me happy.”

Petrie was speechless. He could not have imagined hearing those words from his best friend. He felt tears building up in his eyes as Ducky’s words sank into his heart.

“Y-you think … m-me so … s-spe-special?” the Flyer said.

“I think you are very special, Petrie. Yep, yep, yep,” answered Ducky.

Petrie allowed some tears to leak from his sparkling eyes as he refused to break eye contact with Ducky’s smile. Her heartwarming words had put a big smile on his face, and he promptly wrapped his wings around the Swimmer’s back to embrace her.

Ducky smiled and returned the embrace by hugging the Flyer, her arms creating a warm barrier around his back.

“M-me think … y-yo-you … so special, too, Du-Ducky,” he sniffled, “Sometimes, me feel so sad that no one can cheer me up, … except for Mama, … or you, … and you always know how to make me so happy.”

Ducky’s heart melted warmly as Petrie’s words filled her with happiness.

“Aw, Petrie!” the Swimmer sniffled as tears threatened to pour from her eyes, “You are the sweetest Flyer I have ever met. Yep, yep, yep!”

Petrie giggled as his smile grew wider. He could never get enough of Ducky’s happy, “Yep, yep, yep!”

After what felt like ages, the two kids broke their hug, and they gazed at each other’s eyes, smiling as their tears subsided.

“Me guess this make our friendship very special,” chuckled Petrie.

“It sure does,” agreed Ducky, “You really are the most adorable Flyer I have ever known, Petrie, and our friendship has always been very special.”

“Aww, Ducky!” chuckled Petrie, blushing, “You most adorable Swimmer me ever know, too, … and me agree our friendship always be so special from beginning.”

Ducky blushed deeply as they continued to smile adorably at each other. The ends of their mouths pointed upwards at such angles that it looked as if they had been wanting a moment like this to happen for a long time.

Suddenly, Petrie felt Ducky’s hands gently grasping his own, and they refused to take their eyes off each other as their faces grew closer together. Their faces slowly came closer together as they seemed to fall into some strange trance.

“Me think Ducky like me very much,” thought Petrie, “Me wonder if she maybe …”

“Petrie must really care about me so much as a friend,” thought Ducky, “I wonder if our friendship is going to have a whole new feeling?”

Their faces were now as close as they could be, and Ducky’s bill opened ever so slightly and touched the tip of Petrie’s beak. The Flyer nearly tensed but allowed the sudden sensation to soothe him. Their lips were right on the brink of touching, when suddenly …

“Ducky! Petrie! Where are you!?”

The two children were momentarily startled by the sound of Littlefoot’s voice calling them from afar, and they both jumped back with jolts in their backs. They took deep breaths to get over their moment of shock, and they looked at each other again. At that very moment, they realized something that just about broke their hearts …

They had just come inches away from what just might have been a passionate kiss, but the sound of another echoing voice interrupting them had denied them of that pleasurable moment.

“Oh, no, no, no! We were so close!” thought Ducky sadly.

“Me no can believe we almost kissed!” Petrie thought, “Our first real kiss!”

Sure, Ducky may have kissed Petrie in such childish ways in the past, but this would have been their first true kiss that they would have enjoyed had it not been for some form of interference.

“Why our other friends always have to ruin our moments at wrong time?” thought Petrie as he couldn’t help but feel angry at Littlefoot and the others for ruining what may potentially have been a warm, adorable moment.

“Very bad timing, Littlefoot,” thought Ducky, “This would have been our moment to enjoy.”

“Me guess we better see what Littlefoot and others up to,” sighed Petrie.

Ducky sighed sadly in agreement, but then an idea suddenly flew in her head …

“Hey! I have an idea, Petrie,” she said, “Would you like to join me by the river just before the Bright Circle goes down tonight?”

Petrie perked up and looked at his best friend with amazement showing all over his face. The idea of spending the evening alone with Ducky sounded like the most pleasant thing in the world. They had enjoyed very few times like those before, and the prospect of doing it again gave him excitement in his chest.

“Sure, Ducky,” he said with an adorable smile.

Ducky returned the smile, and the two kids resumed their journey to their meeting place where their friends were waiting for them.

Before long, the duo had caught up with their five other friends, and the seven children found themselves playing their usual favorite games in no time.

“So, so close,” Ducky and Petrie secretly thought as they reflected on their near-kiss, “Maybe someday …”

Well, this is where the differences really start to become obvious. Considering that I have a better knowledge of the series than I did two years ago, you can probably say that this is a bit more LBT-like than my previous effort. Also, since I decided that I don't want to make any chapters so ridiculously short, I decided to take chapters 1-2 of the old version and mix them into one chapter. That way, you wouldn't be left for two days wondering what would happen once the two suddenly met each other next to the river.

So, Ducky and Petrie came so close to revealing their true feelings, but it seems that fate wasn't quite on their side this time around. Although they've gotten close, this wasn't quite their time, but when will that time come? I'll be back on Tuesday with the next chapter! See you then!

[rhombus]

And Littlefoot interrupts at the most inopportune time. XD  Though I cannot claim to have read the first version of this story when it came out due to some severe time constraints on my part, I am quite enjoying what I have read thus far.  The characterization of Petrie and Ducky seem quite spot on as is their respective concerns about seeing the other when their feelings are entering full bloom.  I also quite like how you incorporated some of the events in the other stories of yours (like the mirror in the cave, and Ducky's thoughts on Judy) though I think that the description of the mirror incident might seem a bit jarring to someone who had not yet read that story.  In any case I loved the call backs to those stories as they firmly establish in my mind that this story takes place in the world where those events took place and with that I have a firmer understanding of what these two characters have already been through.

I look forward to seeing how this develops going forward.  I will have to resist the urge to read the previous version of this story as I want to experience this fresh, but I have no doubt that the future chapters will be worth the wait.

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 2

Talking Hearts

It would be another one of those regular fun days in the Great Valley for the gang, for the most part. For Ducky and Petrie, they spent most of the day unable to stop thinking about their near-kiss that morning, and they did everything they could to pretend it never happened. However, it was easier said than done. Whenever they looked at each other, they shared odd smiles and occasionally blushed, and before long Littlefoot and the others began to notice their abnormal behavior.

Early that afternoon, Cera was helping herself to some leaves that had fallen off a bush, when Littlefoot stepped in to take the bush that was next to it.

“Have you noticed anything odd, Cera?” the Longneck asked.

“Nothing odd around here,” replied Cera in her usual, gruff tone that clearly showed her lack of interest, “Why would you ask?”

“I can’t help but notice that Ducky and Petrie seem to be acting a little … strange today,” said Littlefoot.

“Gee, I wonder why,” the Threehorn said sarcastically, “Maybe they’ve had one too many tree sweets.”

“Uh, I … don’t think so,” Littlefoot disagreed, “I’ve seen them making these odd faces whenever they look at each other.”

Cera paused as she pondered what Littlefoot had just said. It was never like Ducky and Petrie to act this way when they were together, given how they were always playful on days like these.

“I think … something’s up with those two,” she said thoughtfully, “I’m not quite sure what.”

“Whatever it is, it just seems … strange,” said Littlefoot, “I wonder what it is?”

“And how do you expect us to do that?” asked a bemused Cera, “We can’t just get in their faces and suddenly ask, ‘Hey, what’s been going on with you two?’.”

“You’re right,” agreed Littlefoot, “I guess we’ll just drop the subject until we can get a clear answer.”

With that, the two best friends continued eating their lunch and spoke no further about Ducky and Petrie’s odd behavior.

The topic was relevant with Chomper and Ruby, too, as they went bug-hunting for their lunch.

“Ducky and Petrie have been behaving so odd today,” said Chomper, “Have you noticed them?”

“I have, actually,” replied Ruby, “Something tells me that something is going on between those two, because those two have something going on.”

“I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure it may become concerning later on,” said Chomper.

“I don’t really think that now is the best time to talk about it,” said Ruby.

“Why not?” asked a confused Chomper.

“If they want some privacy with whatever it is that’s going on with them, then we should give them the privacy they need,” explained Ruby.

Chomper sighed. He knew his best friend was right. Although he felt concerned that Ducky and Petrie may be up to something suspicious, he knew that right now was the time for the duo to have some privacy until they settled whatever it was that was happening between them.

Just then, the Sharptooth fixed his eyes on a crawler beneath the tall grass.

“Mmm! A ground crawler!” he said excitedly, and he launched himself towards the crawler before catching it with his mouth.

In an instant, his taste buds were satisfied with the taste of those ever-delicious ground crawlers that he enjoyed so much.


The hours passed, and the gang tried their best to take their minds off Ducky and Petrie’s suspicious behavior, while at the same time the two were trying to act as normally as they could without thinking so much about that morning. They would still smile at each other for longer periods of time whenever their friends weren’t looking, and sometimes the gang would catch them doing so, which renewed the concern they had for their two friends. It became more and more clear to them that something was brewing between the Swimmer and Flyer, but none knew what.

Eventually, the Bright Circle began to set, and the gang decided that now was the time to part ways for the night and go home to their families (with the exception of Chomper and Ruby, who lived together in the Secret Caverns).

Ducky and Petrie felt their hearts leaping with excitement as they could finally spend some time to themselves by the river as Ducky had planned. Of course, though, there was still one final obstacle they had to overcome …

Spike.

As the duo went along with their journey to the river, Spike, being the typical brother figure he was to Ducky, wouldn’t stop following them. He was anticipating that they would be on their way home right then and there, and this made the Swimmer feel wary of their situation. She knew there was only one way to lure Spike away from them for a while.

Once the three made it to a beautiful spot on the riverbank, Spike began licking Ducky’s cheek to get her attention.

“Spike!” chuckled Ducky, beginning to feel a little annoyed with her brother’s antics.

“You think you can take Spike home first?” suggested Petrie uncomfortably.

“Spike, … why don’t you go ahead and head on back home, okay?” Ducky instructed her brother, “I will meet you there in a little while. I will, I will.”

Spike groaned sadly, but he decided to obey his sister nonetheless, so he turned the other way and began his slow walk back to the Swimmer family’s nest.

The instant the Spiketail was gone, the Swimmer and Flyer sighed in relief and relaxation.

“Peace and quiet, … at last,” they sighed.

The duo sat down and dipped their feet into the shallow water of the river, and they held each other’s hands as they looked at each other in the eyes. They couldn’t have imagined themselves having some time alone like this, especially after the strange feelings they had been going through in recent weeks. It already felt so unlike any of the previous times they spent alone together. Any other time they did this, there was nothing much to anticipate, but tonight, they each knew deep down that the other was wanting to make this occasion memorable.

“This feel so nice,” sighed Petrie as his feet received soothing sensations from the water, while having Ducky by his side warmed his heart.

“Yep, yep, yep,” agreed Ducky, earning a chuckle from Petrie.

The Swimmer couldn’t help but giggle from the fact that Petrie was chuckling at her catchphrase, and she knew exactly why.

“You really like it when I say, ‘yep, yep, yep’, don’t you, Petrie?” she guessed.

This prompted an even bigger smile from the young Flyer, and the Swimmer giggled playfully as she wrapped an arm around his back.

“Me always love that, Ducky,” beamed Petrie.

“I am always happy to make you smile, Petrie,” replied Ducky.

Petrie blushed as he couldn't stop beaming.

“That is one of the reasons why I think you are the most adorable Flyer I have ever known,” added Ducky.

“Me smile?” said Petrie, blushing even deeper from being called ‘adorable.’

“Yes, yes, yes,” said Ducky, “But you are also adorable in other ways, too.”

Petrie felt happy tears forming in his eyes as his best friend pampered his heart with so many warming words.

“Your voice is the cutest I have ever heard in my life,” Ducky went on, “Your eyes are a pleasant sight whenever you are happy, … and it is when you are happy that I am happy, … because it always makes me sad when you are sad or lonely.”

“Y-you always know how t-to … br-bring happiness to m-m-me,” sniffled Petrie as his beak quivered, “This the most happiness you give me in one night.”

“I have thought-ed about our many adventures together, … and … more often that not, I have thought-ed about you, about how you are sometimes the first to come to me when I am sad, and how I do the same for you.”

Petrie simply smiled and chuckled at her statement.

“Do you remember when we went to the Land of Mists?” asked Ducky.

Petrie instantly shivered at the dreadful memories of that adventure. Almost immediately, he realized exactly what she was referring to.

“You mean, when that Sharp Beak and blind Belly Dragger tried to eat us?” he stammered.

Ducky nodded uneasily.

“Me remember that so much,” tremored Petrie, “Me never forget when me see you get snatched by that Sharp Beak, and me feel this strange pain in me chest that give me courage me never have before, … to save you.”

“That was what told-ed me that you really care about me,” admitted Ducky, “That was when I started-ed to think that I should do the same for you, … and … I began to feel so differently about you.”

The Swimmer noticed that Petrie was staring off on the horizon, appearing to be deep in thought, and she gently tapped his shoulder.

“Hmm?” he murmured, indicating that she had his attention.

“What is it, Petrie?” Ducky asked cautiously.

Petrie sighed and frowned.

“You … remember … me Uncle Pterano?” he said in a sad voice.

Ducky nearly tensed at the name but remained calm.

“I do, I do,” she answered quietly.

“Me think that really make me feel stronger about you than our other friends,” confessed Petrie, “After me own uncle take you away, and me no could save you, me feel so bad. In fact, Cera even blame me for everything until it over.”

“I remember,” said Ducky, keeping an arm wrapped around Petrie’s back to keep him calm, “I will never forget how you felt-ed when you and the others found-ed me.”

“Me feel so happy to find you that day, but me feel so upset that me uncle could take you away like that, … even if he mean no harm,” quivered Petrie, as the renewed pain from that terrible memory lingered in his fragile heart.

“I may have already told-ed you this once, but … before I eavesdropped-ed on your uncle, I had really been on my way to your home, … because I wanted-ed to cheer you up.”

“You know, Ducky, … me have some good friends, … but you only one who really understand me when me down,” said Petrie as he turned to look at Ducky’s eyes.

Ducky smiled and allowed her best friend to wrap a wing around her back to add a little happy flavor to their touchy moment.

“Our friends may make us happy, … but when I am with you, I feel the happiest of all,” said Ducky with a cute chuckle.

This turned Petrie’s frown into quite a sweet-looking smile, particularly sweet for Ducky’s eyes.

“Me think we very lucky to find each other,” grinned Petrie, “We both lose so much before our lives change forever.”

He paused and sighed as he didn’t feel comfortable about bringing up those who didn’t get to share the Great Valley or their happiness with them.

“You lose such wonderful friend before Earth Shake separate us and bring us together as if by destiny; … me lose me Daddy right after me hatched, … and me lose me uncle to exile. Sometimes, me feel like me lose more than you did. You have such wonderful family, … but me have such miserable family life that it feel like me Mama only one who loves me.”

Ducky looked down at their reflection in the river as Petrie mentioned the friend she had lost so long ago. She almost couldn’t bear to hear anyone mention her, even if he hadn’t spoken her name, but she knew Petrie had a point to make. He himself had suffered a similar loss during his hatchling days, so he would have known how painful it felt, even though he wasn’t told the truth about his father’s demise until just before the most recent cold time.

“Judy would have loved-ed our Great Valley,” sighed Ducky sadly, and she turned to Petrie again, “And you know what, … I think your Daddy might have, too.”

“Me never really know me Daddy,” sniffled Petrie, “Sometimes, me and me Mama spend nights alone together, and she tell me stories about me Daddy so that me understand what he was like. From stories me hear, me think you right, Ducky.”

Ducky smiled and gave Petrie’s chest a very brief tickle. Even though it only lasted for about two seconds, it was still enough for a giggle to escape his beak, and she chuckled along with him.

As the two smiled at each other, they each thought about how strangely they had behaved that morning, and each wanted to ask the other about what they had been thinking about.

“Well, here it goes,” Ducky thought to herself as she took a deep breath and broke the silence.

“When we bumped-ed into each other this morning and we were both nervous, … I was actually thinking about you,” she began, as Petrie listened to every word she had to say, not daring to interrupt her, “You see, … the day we first meet-ed … and when I found-ed you in that hole underground, … I thought-ed right then that you were the cutest sight I had ever seen. Even if you were not able to fly then, you were still special to me in many ways. After we drowned-ed the Sharptooth and you fell into the river with him, I thought you were gone forever, … but when you came back up, my heart was filled-ed with so much joy, … more joy than you could have imagined-ed. So many adventures later, … I think I can say … that … I could never see myself living my life without you, Petrie. Nope, nope, nope.”

Petrie felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he tried his best to hold them in so that he could hear the rest of what Ducky was trying to say.

“Only just recently, … I have been having these happy sleep stories, … and they have been about just the two of us being together, having fun and playing our own games,” Ducky continued, earning a chuckle from Petrie as he sniffled a let a single tear escape, “Sometimes, when I find you, you are feeling very sad about something: missing your uncle, Pterano, … or there being other kids like Hyp bullying you. All I do is just say some nice words to you, … and your frown turns into a smile.”

“Aww, Ducky!” sniffled Petrie happily, “Me feel so, … so …”

The Flyer couldn’t even think of a word to describe his overflow of happy emotions that Ducky’s words were giving him.

“Basically, … what I am trying to say, Petrie, … is, … is, … uh.”

“Yes, Ducky?” said Petrie with eager eyes.

Ducky gulped nervously as she wondered how Petrie would react to what she was about to say next. She knew it would feel very odd, but she had waited so long to let it out, and after all this time, she knew now would be the time to unbottle her feelings and bring them out into the open for him to hear. It was now or never.

At that moment, Ducky looked intently into Petrie’s eyes and reached out to his hands with her other hand.

“I love you, Petrie.”

The Flyer stared at her with wide eyes and a wide-open mouth as tears slowly began to trickle down his face. He could not believe what he had just heard.

“She love me? Did Ducky just say … that she love me?” he thought.

At that moment, it dawned on the little Flyer why she had been acting nervously around her, and why she had been looking very thoughtful when he spotted her soaking her feet on the riverbank this morning. She had been waiting for so long to confess her true feelings about him, and now here she was, telling him that she loved him.

Petrie remained speechless for nearly a whole minute, while Ducky started to feel nervous about his inevitable reaction.

Then, …

“Y-y-yo-you l-lo-love me, D-D-Du-Duck-Ducky?” Petrie stuttered, still trying to register what he had just heard.

“Yes, Petrie,” smiled Ducky, regaining her confidence, “I love you … with all my heart. I do, I do.”

Upon hearing those words that confirmed to him that she, indeed, loved him, Petrie wrapped his arms around Ducky’s neck and cried heavily onto her neck and shoulder. The Swimmer instantly felt the tears landing on her as he cried hysterically. It took her everything to not start crying herself.

“Petrie never feel this happy before,” wept Petrie, “Me no expect this. Me no know what to say.”

Although Ducky felt weird about how sudden this was for Petrie, she was happy to have finally let those feelings out and let her best friend know how much she truly cared about him.

It took a whole minute for Petrie to regain his composure before he looked into Ducky’s eyes with this strange new feeling within his heart; one that renewed his similar feelings about her when he had awakened that morning. If she had such courage to open up to him about her feelings, then he knew he would have to do the same with her.

The Flyer took a deep breath and spoke in a nervous yet cute voice, “Me feel same about you, too.”

Ducky was stunned as she heard those words, and she looked into Petrie’s eyes.

“M-me feel so nervous around you lately, … because … m-m-me no could stop thinking about you, Ducky,” Petrie began as the tears continued to soak his face, “Me remember all the happy times we have together in Great Valley, but mostly because … of you.”

Ducky felt a warm sensation in her chest as she listened to Petrie’s words. Even if they were spoken in improper grammar, he still sounded so sincere to her.

“When we first meet, you so kind to me, … and me love it when you warm me whenever me feel sad,” the Flyer continued, “That not only reason why you so special to me.”

Ducky smiled as she felt the tears building in her eyes.

“Your eyes sparkle so beautifully, especially with nice eyebrows, … your smile so gorgeous, … and your happy, ‘yep, yep, yep,’ get me every time,” Petrie went on, “Most of all, … your presence always feel warm to me, … especially when compared to everyone else.  You always there for me when no one else is. You only one who truly understand me troubles much like me only friend who understand yours. Me no can imagine me life without you, Ducky.”

“Aww, Petrie, … you are so sweet! Yep, yep, yep!” chuckled Ducky as the tears began to fall from her eyes.

“Me no know how to say it, … b-but, … um, … but,” Petrie stuttered as he struggled to let those words out of his mouth, the words that would describe his true feelings towards his longtime friend. He looked away from her and stared at his reflection in the river while he tried to compose himself again.

“But what, Petrie?” asked Ducky, wondering what her friend had to say.

Finally, Petrie realized that he could hold it in no longer, and he knew that now would be the only time he would get to say those words, so he gulped several times and looked directly into Ducky’s eyes again, … then he swallowed his pride and spoke …

“Me love you, too, Ducky.”

Ducky gasped in astonishment as she heard those words from Petrie, and her mouth was agape. She sat there for several seconds, not moving a muscle as she realized why he was acting just as nervous as she was. Petrie had developed feelings for her just as she had developed feelings for him, and, by coincidence, they shared those special feelings, which they could now describe as love and devotion to each other.

“Do you really love me, Petrie?” asked Ducky, wanting to be sure that what she had just heard from Petrie was true.

“Petrie love you so much, Ducky, … with all me heart,” the Flyer cried happily.

The young Swimmer could hold no more of her emotions, and she pulled her friend right onto her lap and embraced him with a hug that nearly felt bone-crushing. Petrie was taken by surprise by her hug, but he didn’t want to complain because this was the Swimmer he could now say he loved so much, and now that he knew that she loved him just the same, he didn’t want this moment to end.

Just this morning, they each had been nervous wrecks, but now there was no need to feel nervous anymore. They had discovered their feelings for one another; they had been secretly crushing on each other for more than two years, and now their long-awaited confessions had been made. All the uncomfortableness had been replaced with warmth and happiness as they cherished their newfound love for each other.

“This happiest day of me life,” sniffled Petrie.

“This is the happiest day of my life, too,” replied Ducky, “Yep, yep, yep.”

Petrie once again giggled happily from hearing Ducky’s catchphrase.

“You want me to say it again just to give you grins and giggles?” asked Ducky playfully.

“Yep, yep, yep,” chortled Petrie happily.

“Hey, that is my line. Yep, yep, yep,” replied Ducky.

At that moment, the two kids broke into laughter as Ducky eased her grip on Petrie. This allowed the Flyer to breathe a little more after being squeezed for nearly a minute. He relaxed comfortably as the Swimmer kept him on her lap.

“Me ever mention how sitting on your lap feel like?” the Flyer said with a wide grin.

“I am happy when you get to relax on my lap,” replied Ducky, “You make my legs feel very warm.”

“Aw. You a sweet swimmer,” giggled Petrie eccentrically.

“And you are a funny flyer,” chortled Ducky playfully.

“Sweet Swimmer and Funny Flyer?” said Petrie in realization, and a suggestion flew into his head, “Those names sound so funny. Maybe we make those our new secret love names for each other?”

“I do not see why not,” said Ducky, “Sweet Swimmer and Funny Flyer it is, then.”

The duo laughed again for a moment before Petrie took notice of how marvelous the Bright Circle looked when it was setting. The sky was a brilliant assortment of yellow and orange as the Bright Circle shone down on the two.

“Bright Circle look so beautiful when setting,” sighed Petrie.

Ducky looked toward the Bright Circle and couldn’t help but smile. She was fascinated by the early evening skies and their wondrous mixture of warm colors.

“It is beautiful, Petrie. It is, it is,” she agreed.

“But not as beautiful as you, Ducky,” Petrie put in.

Ducky turned back towards her longtime friend and smiled brightly. Petrie instantly returned the smile in such a playful fashion, and they once again stared into each other’s eyes while just catching glimpses of the ends of their mouths which pointed upwards at such angles that could only indicate such bright, happy smiles.

Slowly but surely, their faces got closer together, and soon Ducky’s bill came in contact with Petrie’s beak. In an instant, they both felt strange sensations in their chests, and to them it felt as if their slightly sped-up heartbeats were urging them to open their mouths.

Unable to resist the urge any longer, Ducky slightly opened his bill and allowed Petrie to bring the front of his beak inside. The instant the Flyer could feel a somewhat pleasant sensation on his beak, he opened his mouth slightly and brought his tongue out. Ducky felt something gently tapping on her tongue, and she knew immediately that it was the Flyer’s. Without a moment’s hesitation, the two brought their tongues together and started dancing with them while they moaned softly in delight.

As their tongues danced around while they exchanged saliva, they looked into each other’s eyes again as they simultaneously realized that they were interlocking each other in something much warmer than all the previous times they had cuddled together, such as when they got lost on the mysterious island where Chomper was living at the time, or when they reunited after Ducky had been kidnapped by Petrie’s own uncle, or on any of their other adventures they had been on. This was the moment they had been putting off for so long, and now it was finally coming true …

Their much-awaited first kiss.

The ends of their mouths pointed upwards again, and Petrie relaxed pleasurably while Ducky hugged him, pinning his arms and wings down, while continuing to cuddle him in her lap. The Flyer simply moaned in pleasure to indicate to the Swimmer to keep hugging and kissing her, and she obliged by tightening her grip on him to form a warm blanket around him.

Eventually, though, they both reached the point where they had to get some air, so they reluctantly pulled their mouths away from each other. Their mouths made a cute sound as they pulled away, and the two children started gasping for air so they could regain their breathing stability.

It took them several seconds for their breathing to become stable again, and they once more looked into each other’s eyes with bright smiles.

“That … feel … so …,” Petrie started but couldn’t find the words to describe what they had just experienced.

“Warm and pleasuring,” Ducky finished his sentence for him.

Petrie nodded in agreement, and the two lovers nuzzled each other’s faces for several minutes while blowing small kisses all over each other.

“Me wish tonight could last forever,” sighed Petrie.

“Me, too,” replied Ducky, “I’m dreading the moment when this will end.”

“Same here,” agreed Petrie.

Suddenly, a terrible realization hit them both like a ton of boulders.

“Oh, my,” gasped Ducky.

“Something definitely not right about what me thinking,” said Petrie.

Indeed, there wasn’t. Although friendships between those of different kinds didn’t matter very much in the Great Valley, a relationship between dinosaurs of different kinds was strictly forbidden. They both knew that anyone who defied that rule in any way was to face immediate and permanent banishment to the Mysterious Beyond and never be allowed to return to the valley, even with another herd. Anyone in an interspecies relationship would forever be seen as outcasts and infidels by those living in the valley, particularly Cera’s grouchy father, given his strict beliefs. Now that Ducky and Petrie were in such a relationship, they realized that their newfound love for each other had just put them in grave danger. If anyone ever found out about them …

“I guess I know another reason why we have been so nervous about each other,” said Ducky, shuddering as if she was frightened, “We are going to have to be very careful.”

“We must keep this secret, Ducky,” panicked Petrie, “Otherwise, we get kicked out of Great Valley forver.”

“We must, we must,” agreed Ducky.

The two examined their surroundings for a moment to make sure that they were alone. Nobody else could be seen anywhere, and they sighed in relief, knowing that nobody else had been present to witness them express their forbidden love for each other, which, in the eyes of many, was considered a heinous crime.

“How we going to keep this secret from everyone else?” asked Petrie worryingly.

“We just … do not tell anybody,” answered Ducky, “And not let anybody see what we do when we are alone.”

“Me hope that not easier said than done,” said Petrie.

“I hope so, too,” replied Ducky.

“Petrie!?” came Mama Flyer’s voice echoing from some distance away, “Time to come home!”

“Uh, oh,” gasped Petrie, and the two lovers instantly broke off their hug and got back on their feet, “That be Mama. Me gotta go home now, Ducky.”

“Okay, Petrie,” said Ducky.

“Ducky!? Time to come home to the nest!” came Mama Swimmer’s voice calling from afar.

“That sounds like my Mama,” sighed Ducky.

“Me guess we both gotta go home,” said Petrie sadly.

“So, … uh, … Petrie, … you wanna … come back here again tomorrow night?” offered Ducky.

“Sure, Ducky,” answered Petrie with an instant smile, “Me love that.”

“Just remember about our secret, okay?” Ducky reminded him, “Do not tell anybody.”

“Me promise, Ducky,” replied Petrie, “You no tell anybody, either, okay?”

“I promise, Petrie,” agreed Ducky.

“Well, … me guess me see you later, Ducky,” said Petrie.

“See you later, Petrie,” said Ducky, and she planted a quick kiss on Petrie’s beak, earning a smile from the young Flyer, “I love you.”

“Me love you, too,” Petrie replied before he flapped his wings and took to the skies, “Bye, Ducky!”

“Bye, Petrie!” the young Swimmer called back as she watched Petrie disappear into the yellowish-orange skies above.

Once the Flyer was gone, Ducky turned away and started her walk back to her family’s nest. She felt so happy to have confessed her love for Petrie, and she was so overjoyed that he had confessed his love for her. The only thing she hoped was for their love to remain a secret. Who knew what could happen if anyone ever found out about their forbidden relationship? She shuddered to think about that.


Up at the Flyer family’s cave, Mama Flyer had only just tucked her children into their nest, but Petrie hadn’t shown up yet. She began to wonder why her son was taking so long to return home. She recalled that he had been acting abnormally this morning before he took off to play with his friends, and she figured that because of that he was taking an extra-long time to come back.

Eventually, though, she walked back outside onto the open space of the entrance … just in time to see Petrie soaring towards her with a smile on his face.

“Oh, Petrie!” Mama Flyer sighed in relief, “I was just about to go out and look for you. You had me worried for a few minutes.”

“Me just admiring how beautiful Great Valley is,” replied Petrie as he came down in front of his mother.

Mama Flyer seemed awestricken upon hearing that. It wasn’t often that Petrie would be out late, admiring the Great Valley’s natural beauty.

“Something is off with Petrie lately,” she thought to herself, “First he oversleeps for several mornings in a row, and now he’s admiring the Great Valley. I’ve got to figure out what’s going on with my little son.”

It was then that she noticed that Petrie seemingly couldn’t stop smiling for reasons she didn’t know. Gazing at the Great Valley in all its glory couldn’t possibly keep a smile on the face of someone like him.

“You look as if something amazing happened with you today,” said Mama Flyer.

Petrie tensed and tried desperately to think of a valid excuse for his strange behavior. Now that his mother was on his case, he knew that he would have to be careful when it came to making up stories so that she wouldn’t find out about his new relationship with Ducky.

“Okay, Mama,” he sighed, “Truth that me and me friends have so much fun today, we all smiling so much after playtime over.”

Mama Flyer couldn’t help but chuckle at those words. The thought of Petrie and his friends having such a great time that they were all smiling by the end of the day sounded rather cute.

“Well, I’m glad you and the other kids had fun today,” she beamed.

Petrie felt relieved that his excuse was just what he needed to get himself out of this sticky situation.

“I sure hope you don’t plan on staying out here again like you did last night,” said Mama Flyer.

Petrie gave his mother a strange look that seemed to show the slightest bits of annoyance and sarcasm.

“Mama,” he sighed.

“I’m sorry, Petrie, but we all need to get some sleep,” Mama Flyer reminded him.

“You seem to over-worry about me sometimes,” said Petrie.

“Well, it’s my job to worry about you, isn’t it, little one?” chuckled Mama Flyer, “After all, I’m your mother, you’re my special boy, and I love you so much.”

Petrie couldn’t help but grin and blush as his mother’s love for him sunk into his heart.

“Me love you, too, Mama,” he said cutely, “And, … you really think me special?”

“Of course, you are, dear,” said Mama Flyer kindly, “Haven’t I already told you how special you are?”

“Oh, uh, y-yeah,” said Petrie as the realization hit him, and he blushed in embarrassment as he thought of the memories of the recent cold time.

“Now then, … are you going to come inside with me and get some sleep?” asked Mama Flyer.

Seeing that his mother wouldn’t be letting him stay outside tonight, Petrie sunk his head, feeling defeated.

“Okay, Mama,” he sighed.

“Come on, sweetie,” Mama Flyer said in a gentle voice as she placed a hand on her son’s back and brought him into the cave.

Petrie was rather surprised to see all his siblings already fast asleep, even though the Night Circle hadn’t come out yet.

“Night Circle not even out yet, Mama,” the young Flyer whispered, “This usually too early for us to go to sleep.”

“I want to make sure you don’t wake up late again tomorrow, Petrie,” replied Mama Flyer.

Petrie sighed sadly. He knew his mother was right. The longer he stayed up at night, the later he would get up in the morning. So, he decided to go ahead and settle in for the night.

The Flyer grabbed his snuggling stick and wrapped his wings around it to keep himself warm and secure. Before long, he felt his mother’s warm presence as she lied down next to him.

“I love you, dear,” she spoke in a gentle whisper.

“Me love you, too, Mama,” Petrie replied faintly.

“Goodnight, Petrie.”

“Goodnight, Mama.”

As his mother quickly fell asleep, Petrie stayed awake for a few moments and thought about Ducky. He felt dreadfully nervous about how they would be able to keep their relationship a secret. He shuddered to think about what would happen if they were ever found out. The consequences of an interspecies relationship in the Great Valley could potentially be … dire.

Eventually shoving his thoughts aside, Petrie closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

And so, our favorite Swimmer and Flyer have confessed their true feelings for each other, and now they've gotten themselves into what may seem like a happy relationship, but, as mentioned, the fact that interspecies love is forbidden, in my version of the LBT universe, at least, will set the tone for some later chapters. Now that Ducky and Petrie are officially in love with each other, the new question is how they will be able to keep it a secret from everyone else. From this point on, future chapters will contain some romantic flavor in them, but they will also contain dread, as the couple try to avoid having their love being discovered. Even if one single family member on either side found out, the consequences could still potentially be severe for both of them.

I hope you enjoyed what may surely be the most romantic prompt chapter I've written thus far, even though the romantic flavor will only increase from here on. That will be all for today, and I'll see you on Thursday with the next chapter; the beginning of a new forbidden relationship.

[OwlsCantRead]

OML, you're serious about your update rate. Geezzzzz... I'm gonna be a slower reviewer than your refresh rate.

Chapter 2 thoughts in this post, will do Ch3 next time when my eyes aren't droopin'.


Ah, yes. Swim of Silence ref. At the rate this is going your stories are going to get an arc-based continuity just like every regular author in LBT.

I distinctively remember laughing when I read them running into one another and being trolled by Littlefoot ruining the moment. I suppose that hasn't changed. xD

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 3

One Fun Morning

Petrie woke up early the next morning after having a very happy sleep story about Ducky. After they had confessed their love for each other last night, all he could think about was spending some fun time with her. He felt as if nothing could get in his way …

… except, of course, for breakfast.

At that moment, just as Petrie was stretching his wings, Mama Flyer awakened and sat up. She was rather surprised to see her son up rather early. It seemed that putting him to sleep earlier than usual had done the trick.

“Good morning, Petrie,” she whispered as quietly as she could so that she wouldn’t wake up her other children.

“Good morning, Mama,” Petrie replied in a whisper, and he stood up and stared out the cave entrance.

He managed to get a glimpse of the Bright Circle’s early light shining down on the rocky ledge in front of the cave, indicating a bright start to a new day.

“You’re up rather early this morning,” said Mama Flyer as she herself on her feet and followed her son outside onto the ledge.

“Maybe that because you put me to bed before Night Circle was out,” Petrie pointed out with a slight bit of sarcasm.

“I was just worried about you, dear,” his mother reasoned, “You’ve been quite random with your sleeping hours lately, Petrie.”

“Me sorry, Mama,” sighed Petrie, “Just thinking about so much lately.”

“I could see that,” said Mama Flyer, “Something tells me that it’s more than just our wondrous Great Valley, … or your six good friends.”

Petrie gulped as he looked down to admire the early morning view of the Great Valley. It seemed that with every minute that passed, his mother was becoming more suspicious of his recent behavior around her.

“Me no want to talk about that right now,” he said nervously.

Mama Flyer could tell immediately that her son was trying to get himself out of admitting what he was really thinking about. She knew it wouldn’t be easy trying to get him to discuss wherever his thoughts had drifted off to, given his long history of trying to hide his thoughts from her, and she was sure it didn’t have anything to do with the recent cold time, but she wanted to be able to know at some point sooner or later.

“Okay, son,” she sighed in defeat, “I will want to discuss this further with you when you come home tonight, … but for now, let’s have breakfast so you can go out and play with your friends.”

Petrie desperately did not want to discuss this subject with his mother any further any time soon. This was something he had to keep private, or everything just might fall apart.

“I’ll be right back with your breakfast, sweetie,” his mother said kindly as she lifted herself off the ledge and soared down to the trees below.

Petrie let out a sigh of relief as he had once again managed to bribe his mother out of invading his personal thoughts. He was still worried, though, that she would continue to try and goad him into revealing why he had been acting so strangely around her. Even though his mother loved him very much and had a good heart towards all of Petrie’s friends, the young Flyer still couldn’t help but worry if she might react negatively towards his relationship with Ducky. What would she do if she ever found out? How would Ducky’s parents react? How would the rest of the Great Valley react? Petrie couldn’t bear the thought of himself and Ducky receiving backlash for their forbidden relationship. His beak nearly began to quiver as he tried to avoid thinking about the possible consequences if they were ever found out.

A moment later, Mama Flyer returned with several tree stars in her beak, and she set them down on the ledge before handing one to Petrie. The little Flyer began nibbling on his breakfast, and before long he felt some new energy within him; energy for playfulness.

“Me suddenly feel so good,” he chuckled to himself.

“You must have really enjoyed that tree star,” giggled Mama Flyer.

“Me sure did, Mama,” smiled Petrie, “Well, me off to go play with me friends now.”

“Okay, Petrie,” replied Mama Flyer, patting her son’s back, “You go and have fun!”

“Me will, Mama!” said Petrie as he flapped his wings and lifted himself off the ledge, “See you later!”

“See you later, dear!” Mama Flyer called back as she watched her son descend towards the beautiful Great Valley grounds below.

Petrie smiled brightly as he flew over the Great Valley’s many fascinating highlights of beauty. There was only one place he could think of flying off to …


Ducky woke up seemingly early after having a joyful sleep story about Petrie. She couldn’t stop thinking about their confession last night, and now that they were in a relationship, all she could think about was spending lots of quality time with him. She felt as if nothing could stop her from meeting up with the Flyer on a bright morning like this …

That was, except for breakfast, … and, inevitably, Spike.

Mama and Papa Swimmer were only just sitting up and stretching their limbs when they turned and noticed Ducky doing the same thing.

“Good morning, Ducky,” Mama Swimmer said to her daughter softly.

“Good morning, Mama,” Ducky replied.

The young Swimmer looked around and saw that all her siblings were still asleep. She looked back and saw Spike still sleeping peacefully beside her. This was quite the opposite of yesterday, and to her it felt like such a drastic change.

“Decided to get a head start today, Ducky?” asked Papa Swimmer.

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Ducky thoughtfully as she stood up and looked around their nest area.

“I’ll get you a few tree stars,” said Mama Swimmer, and she stood up and picked a few tree stars from one of the nearby trees.

Ducky licked her lips in anticipation of a tasty breakfast, and the moment her mother laid the tree stars on the ground in front of her, she immediately grabbed one of them and began to nibble on it. Her parents couldn’t help but chuckle as they watched their daughter enjoying her breakfast.

“I take it you can’t wait to start a new day,” she chuckled.

“Nope, nope, nope,” replied Ducky, “I am so excited-ed about today.”

“Quite a change from yesterday, I must say,” Papa Swimmer pointed out.

Ducky sighed as she remembered yesterday, and she tried her best not to remind herself of yesterday’s events, although her confession to Petrie seemed stuck on her mind.

“What exactly were you thinking about yesterday, dear?” asked Mama Swimmer.

Ducky gulped nervously as she tried to think of a lie that would bribe her parents out of invading her personal thoughts. She couldn’t let them find out that she was now in a relationship with Petrie. She didn’t want to imagine how they would react if they found out, or how Petrie’s mother would react, or anyone else in the Great Valley, for that matter. Although her mother had such an open heart to all the valley’s children, she was still sure that her father would probably not take very kindly to a relationship between a Swimmer and Flyer.

“I was thinking about how happy I am to be living in the Great Valley, … and how I am happy to have five great friends and a wonderful brother in Spike,” she said, trying to add some sincerity in her voice.

The two adult Swimmers looked oddly at each other as if they had just been hit in the head with a rock. The way Ducky sounded when she said that didn’t quite seem sincere.

“Something within me tells me that it’s more than that,” Mama Swimmer whispered to her mate the instant Ducky looked away from them and continued eating her breakfast.

“I’m with you on that,” replied Papa Swimmer suspiciously, “Our daughter’s acting a little … strange. Something must be going on.”

“But if she says it’s not … You-Know-Who, … then what would you suppose it is?” asked Mama Swimmer.

“I suspect she and one of her friends are having kind of a hard time,” said Papa Swimmer thoughtfully as he stared off into space for a moment, contemplating his guess, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she and Cera were having another quarrel the other day.”

“That’s very possible,” nodded Mama Swimmer.

The two looked down at their daughter, who was still happily eating her breakfast, and she soon finished her tree star.

“You know, Ducky, we’re both happy that you’re happy to be living in this wondrous valley,” smiled Papa Swimmer, “It means you’re one very happy and thoughtful child.”

“Oh, Daddy!” blushed Ducky.

“We’re happy to be in the Great Valley, too, you know,” Mama Swimmer added, “I’m especially happy that you have so many special friends in your life already, and that one of them happens to be a friendly Sharptooth. Nobody else had ever come face-to-face with a friendly Sharptooth before Chomper came along.”

“Yeah,” chuckled Ducky.

The young Swimmer smiled up at her parents, and her mother grabbed a nearby handful of tree stars and handed a few of them to her mate. Just as they started eating them, they looked to their right and found a pleasurable sight.

“I take it you finished your breakfast just in time, Ducky,” commented Mama Swimmer.

“What do you mean, Mama?” giggled Ducky, taking no notice that they were looking to their right for a reason.

“It seems that one of your friends has decided to be an early bird,” said Mama Swimmer.

Ducky looked to the direction her parents was facing, and she gasped in delight and smiled brightly when she saw who was there …

There was Petrie, standing on a rock just a short distance away, smiling adorably at her.

“Surprise!” he called adorably but not too loudly so that he wouldn’t wake up the other Swimmer children.

“Hi, Petrie!” Ducky greeted the Flyer she now secretly called her boyfriend as she stood up and ran towards him.

“Hi, Ducky!” Petrie replied with a broad smile as he anticipated a hug from the Swimmer he now secretly called his girlfriend.

Hardly a second later, Ducky was pulling Petrie in for a playful hug. She was careful not to make it look so passionate so as not to break the illusion to her parents. To further convince them, she decided that she would tickle the Flyer to make him laugh, and he immediately started laughing cutely.

Ducky’s parents laughed softly as they watched the two best friends hugging each other in such a playful fashion and giggling adorably from their tickling. The sight of it seemed so cute to them that neither Swimmer could stop smiling.

“Good morning, Petrie,” the Mama Swimmer greeted the Flyer.

“Good morning, Ducky Mom and Dad,” Petrie replied once he and Ducky had ended their ticklish hug.

“That was quite a cute surprise,” Papa Swimmer chuckled.

“Me feel so happy today,” said Petrie, “Me just couldn’t wait to play with all me good old friends.”

“Well, you’re probably a few minutes early, Petrie,” informed Mama Swimmer, “Spike hasn’t woken up yet.”

“Oh,” sighed Petrie, although he secretly felt happy that Spike was still asleep, thinking it could give him and Ducky an opportunity to spend a few minutes to themselves before they would go find their other friends.

“I just coincidentally happened-ed to be up early this morning just like you, Petrie,” said Ducky, “Yep, yep, yep.”

Petrie smiled from once again hearing his girlfriend’s catchphrase, and they shifted their gaze back to Ducky’s parents.

“Would you two like to go ahead and run along?” offered Mama Swimmer, “We’ll wake up Spike in a few minutes and tell him you and your friends will be waiting for him.”

“Okay, Mama,” answered Ducky, “We do not mind if Spike joins us late. All that matters to us is that he will still get to have fun today. Yep, yep, yep.”

“Alright, then,” chuckled Papa Swimmer, “Have fun, you two.”

“We will, Ducky Mom and Dad,” smiled Petrie, earning a laugh from the two adults as they found the Flyer’s broken grammar to be adorable the way he called them.

“Bye, Mama. Bye, Daddy,” waved Ducky.

“Goodbye, kids. See you later,” replied Mama Swimmer as Ducky and Petrie left the Swimmer family’s nesting area.


Before long, the two lovers found themselves standing on the bank of the ever-so-beautiful river once more, and they rubbed their faces together as they watched the Bright Circle’s reflections glisten the water.

“How you doing today, Ducky?” asked Petrie.

“I am doing swell, Petrie,” replied Ducky, “How about my handsome Funny Flyer?”

Petrie chuckled at that name, and he cutely replied, “Me doing great, me beautiful Sweet Swimmer.”

“Aww, Petrie!” chuckled Ducky adorably.

“Funny Flyer and Sweet Swimmer,” said Petrie thoughtfully.

“Are you enjoying our secret love names?” giggled Ducky.

“Yeah!” chortled Petrie, and Ducky happily kissed her boyfriend’s beak, earning a bright smile from the Flyer.

It was then that Petrie’s smile faded a little as he stared off into space. Ducky noticed this and wrapped an arm around his back to soothe him, while wrapping her other arm around his chest, pinning his wings down.

“Is something wrong, Petrie?” the Swimmer asked.

Petrie sighed sadly as he looked into Ducky’s worried eyes.

“Me feel kinda nervous,” he admitted, and he murmured to himself, “What we doing?”

“I know how you feel,” Ducky replied.

“Me Mama often get suspicious because me no seem to stop thinking about you,” said Petrie.

“She does not know, does she?” gasped Ducky with worry.

“No, no, no,” answered Petrie, “She no know.”

Ducky sighed in relief.

“She just curious because me no able to stop acting strangely when me home with me family,” added Petrie.

“I have been acting funny at home, too, and my Mommy and Daddy seem to have noticed-ed,” explained Ducky, “We have to be able to act as normally as possible when in the presence of others. The longer we do not act normal in front of our families and friends, then they will get more suspicious, and we will surely risk them finding out that we are together.”

“Me know,” sighed Petrie, “Me just wish acting normal was easy still.”

“I understand, Petrie,” said Ducky, pulling her boyfriend closer for a warm hug, “My Mama and Daddy have been a little suspicious, too. They asked-ed me what I was thinking about lately.”

“That exactly what me Mama ask me, too, Ducky,” said Petrie, “Me tell her that me think about Great Valley and all me friends, … and how happy life is here.”

“That is what I told my Mama and Daddy, too,” said Ducky.

“Me Mama still no buy it, though,” added Petrie, looking down at his reflection in the river, “She still want to talk with me about it tonight.”

“Whatever happens, Petrie, please do not tell her that we are in love,” pleaded Ducky.

“Me try, Ducky, although Mama probably make it hard to do,” said Petrie.

“It scares me to think about how they would react to us being together,” said Ducky nervously.

“Me, too,” shivered Petrie, “Me Mama love me, and your Mama and Daddy love you, … b-but … me not sure they like us being together, … and with me Mama still asking me every morning what going on with me, … me no know.”

The young Flyer couldn’t comprehend the possibilities of what would happen if their folks found out about their relationship. One thing was for certain, though; their parents loved them very much, so they felt sure that there was the smallest chance they would be okay with it, … although they knew that almost everyone else would not.

“Maybe, … when the time is right, … if we are forced-ed to do it, … then … I guess we might have to tell our families eventually,” admitted Ducky.

“Me guess you right, Ducky,” sighed Petrie sadly, “We just hope they okay with us being together.”

“Me, too,” gulped Ducky, “For now, though, … why don’t we go find our friends?”

“Good idea,” said Petrie with a slight grin.

The two lovers broke off their cuddly hug, and they started roaming around the Great Valley to find their other close friends.


As it turned out, the two would, by sheer luck, be in for a day all to themselves …

Cera was forced to stay home and babysit Tricia, because her father and stepmother had gone to find new sticks for their worn-out nest. Chomper and Ruby had gone bug-hunting all day, and as a result, the Secret Caverns had no sign of life when Ducky and Petrie tried to find them. As for Littlefoot, he was spending the day with his grandparents after he had failed to get Cera, Chomper and Ruby to join him.

Convinced that none of their friends would be available today, Ducky and Petrie returned to the Swimmer family’s nest and informed Ducky’s parents that they would be spending today all by themselves. Mama and Papa Swimmer agreed to keep Spike home for the day while the two kids ran off to enjoy their day.

The moment they left the Swimmer family’s nest, they felt warm feelings building in their chests. It was the anticipation of a joyful day all to themselves; a day of playing, cuddling and potential kissing. They couldn’t wait to find a beautiful spot in the Great Valley to begin their first playful activity of the day.


Before long, the two lovers found a tiny area underneath some fruity bushes right next to the river, and they sat down, facing each other. They briefly peeked their heads out to see if anyone was around. The only dinosaurs they could see were a few Longneck and Swimmer families playing in the river, along with a few other dinosaurs taking quiet drinks. No one seemed to have taken any notice of them, and they ducked their heads back in and pulled the branches back in to conceal themselves within their hiding spot.

“This beautiful place, Ducky,” whispered Petrie, admiring the tiny spot they were in.

“It is, it is,” agreed Ducky in a chuckling whisper, “Although, I am sure there are other beautiful places in the Great Valley that would be great for us to play together and snuggle with our newly-found love.”

Petrie smiled broadly in agreement. He was sure that the Great Valley was filled with countless places where a loving couple could hang out.

“So, my Funny Flyer,” chuckled Ducky, making Petrie blush and smile cutely like a newborn hatchling, “What would you like to do first?”

“Well, me thought of fun game we could play with our feet,” said Petrie playfully.

“That sounds like fun. We have never played with just our feet before,” said Ducky.

“It kinda like what we do with our hands,” explained Petrie just as Ducky quickly came to understand what he meant.

“I get it, only we have to use our feet,” she guessed.

“Yep,” confirmed Petrie with a nod, “But other tricky part that you have to have arms behind your back.”

The Flyer placed his hands on the soft grass, behind his back, and shrugged his shoulders up while slightly lifting his left foot. This prompted Ducky to do the same. They smiled at each other as they admired each other’s poses.

“Okay, now what, Petrie?” the Swimmer asked.

“Now, we clap our feet together!” beamed Petrie in a playful whisper.

Ducky giggled happily, and the two hatchlings started pressing each other’s feet in much the same way they would occasionally do with their hands. Despite the fact that Petrie had rather tiny feet compared to Ducky’s, they still found their new game very entertaining as they felt soothing warmth whenever their feet touched.

After about a minute, they began to do it rhythmically as if they were making their feet dance with each other. They made sure to do it quietly, though, so that they wouldn’t gain any unwanted attention.

“This is fun,” giggled Ducky quietly.

“Oh, me know how to make it more fun!” chuckled Petrie.

Ducky smiled in anticipation as the Flyer grabbed a sweet bubble from one of the bushes, using only his beak, and placed it on his left foot.

“Me try to feed you this sweet bubble with me foot,” he whispered as he balanced the fruit using only his foot, “But trick is you can only use your mouth to grab it while we keep our feet pressed together.”

“That sounds tricky,” said Ducky, “It is worth a try.”

“Ready?” asked Petrie.

“Yep, yep, yep,” replied Ducky.

With her feet still pressed against Petrie’s feet, the Swimmer stretched her neck forward and opened her mouth to grab the sweet bubble from his foot. It proved to be a little harder than they thought it would be, but after several tries, Ducky managed to grab the sweet bubble with her bill, and she brought her head back up as she slowly ate the fruit.

“You did it, Ducky!” smiled Petrie.

Ducky swallowed the sweet bubble and softly replied, “That was so much fun, Petrie! Yep, yep, yep!”

“Me love that game!” giggled Petrie quietly.

“I know something fun and loving we can do,” said Ducky.

“Really?” said Petrie excitedly in anticipation.

“Sit on my lap, Petrie,” the Swimmer said.

The Flyer instantly obliged, and Ducky wrapped an arm around his chest to cuddle him tightly, keeping his arms and wings pinned down, and she briefly looked through the tiniest openings in the bush’s leaves to make sure nobody had taken any notice of them. Luckily, everyone was still minding their own business. Feeling assured they were still unnoticed, the Swimmer used her other hand to wiggle gently on the Flyer’s feet. Petrie instantly felt his feet receiving ticklish sensations from Ducky’s hand, and he began to giggle softly.

“Hehe! That tickles, Ducky!” he giggled cutely.

“That is the fun of this, Petrie!” smiled Ducky.

Petrie returned the smile as his giggles became more bubbly, which sounded like cute music to Ducky’s ears.

“Have you ever been tickled-ed before?” the Swimmer asked.

“Hehehehehe! Me Mama do it every once in while, but, … aahahahahahahahaa, … this feel so tickly!” laughed Petrie.

“Tickle, tickle, tickle those adorable feet!” sang Ducky playfully as she continued to wiggle Petrie’s toes around, “Yep, yep, yep!”

“Duhuhuhuckeeheeheeheeheehy!” laughed Petrie, blushing as his quiet laughter began to take his breath away.

Although he couldn’t admit it, the Flyer was enjoying this tremendously. Having his feet tickled by Ducky was one of the most loving things that had ever happened to him. He felt like a tiny hatchling all over again, and although feeling like one embarrassed him, this one occasion felt so wonderful that he wished she could keep doing it for as long as they wanted.

“Are you enjoying this, my funny Flyer?” smiled Ducky brightly.

“Thihihis soho gohohohohohohohood!” laughed Petrie happily.

Eventually, though, the Flyer began to take huge gasps in between laughs, so Ducky stopped tickling his feet so that he could take some deep breaths.

Petrie gasped repeatedly for about a minute until his breathing was stable again, then he looked into Ducky’s eyes with a loving smile.

“That was so much fun, wasn’t it, my Funny Flyer?” giggled Ducky.

“It so much fun, me Sweet Swimmer!” chuckled Petrie, “Me could have enjoyed it longer if me no have too much trouble breathing from so much laughter.”

“I am sorry if I overdid-ed it a little,” Ducky apologized.

“It okay, Ducky,” smiled Petrie cutely, “Besides, you make me feel like baby all over again, especially with me sitting on your lap.”

“I guess that is children’s love for you,” laughed Ducky softly.

“Yep, yep, yep!” they said together in unison, and they broke into laughter for a moment.

Once they recomposed themselves, the two once again looked out to make sure nobody had heard them, and everyone still seemed focused on the river. Once they ducked back in and concealed themselves with leaves and branches, they wrapped their arms around each other’s backs and embraced in a tight hug. They each felt extremely warm and pleasurable sensations from the other’s loving hold, and they smiled at each other adorably.

“Me love you so much, Ducky,” whispered Petrie.

“I love you so much, too, Petrie,” replied Ducky.

At that moment, Ducky’s bill touched Petrie’s beak, and they slowly opened their mouths and brought their tongues together. With the sensations instantly warming their faces, the pair closed their eyes and sucked each other’s mouths lovingly. They softly moaned in pleasure as they engaged in a long, soothing kiss. Petrie’s tongue received an extremely soothing sensation as he managed to get a taste of the juicy remnants of the sweet bubble that Ducky had eaten a few minutes ago.

“Mmm,” murmured Petrie in a muffled voice, “Taste … mmm … good.”

Ducky smiled, feeling happy to have treated her boyfriend to a sweet bubble-flavored kiss, and the two resumed sucking each other’s faces to fulfill their hearts’ desires.

Neither of them noticed that at that very moment, Littlefoot was only a few feet away, looking for some tree stars to share with his grandparents for lunch. He felt rather bored without any of his friends being around to play but being in the company of his grandparents greatly brightened his day.

Just then, as he was about to pick off a ground star plant, he heard the faint sound of what sounded like a child kissing underneath a bush, and he dared himself to take a discreet peak inside. He closed one eye and used the other to look inside, and what he saw greatly shocked him. He managed to hold back a gasp and instantly pull his head back out, and he had to question his own senses about whether what he was seeing was true or an illusion …

Ducky and Petrie … kissing!

“Did I see what I think I just saw?” Littlefoot thought to himself, unsure of what to make of this.

As long as he could remember, from the moment Ducky and Petrie first met, they were very close, but he couldn’t have imagined that they were this close. It took everything for him not to do anything so sudden so that they wouldn’t notice him spying on them.

“Ducky and Petrie are in love?” he whispered to himself as he backed away from the bush and picked off some tree sweets from another, “How could I have not known all this time?”

The Longneck gulped nervously as he recalled that the Great Valley wasn’t accepting of relationships between dinosaurs of different kinds. He began to fear that if anyone ever found out about Ducky and Petrie, then they might become outcasts and even get banished from their precious home forever. This also seemed to explain their odd behavior the previous day.

“How am I going to break this to our friends?” he asked himself, “Wait, no, I can’t tell anybody. They’d tell their families, and everything would fall to pieces.”

Littlefoot knew that the only option he’d have was to not tell a living soul. For now, he would let them be and allow them to enjoy themselves.

Finally, the Longneck grabbed a few ground stars to go with the tree sweets and ran off to rejoin his grandparents.

As Littlefoot disappeared, Ducky and Petrie continued to pamper each other with their cuddles and kisses, … completely unaware that they had been spotted …

And so, the dread slowly begins to creep in. A certain Longneck has discovered two of his dearest friends performing, in the eyes of many, a heinous act. How will this effect them in the long term? Will Littlefoot keep silent, or will the truth be spilled so early on? Worse still, with their parents, particularly Petrie's mother, raising their own suspicions about their children, will Ducky and Petrie be forced to confess to their parents, and if so, how will they react?

I will return on Saturday for chapter 4, and believe me, the dread will intensify from there. I can promise you that.

I saw this story on FF.net when you were writing it for the first time and I couldn’t help but notice it was rather well received. And indeed, this first part was quite nicely written and it showed the duo’s affection towards each other rather effectively. You’ve always been great at elaborating the characters’ feelings and it’s clear that those skills will excel in this kind of fic. However, as you probably know, I’m one of those who do not really like this shipping but I’ll still give this a shot as I have full confidence you’ll still make this story worth reading despite the premise. We’ll see how it turns out soon enough if you really plan to keep that pace in publishing new chapters.

I should have replied to this a little while ago, but yes, I was already very well aware that you were among those who do NOT ship these two, but I'm happy to see you sensing some good potential in this, given my great strength in expressing character emotions in my stories, and I will try to keep this as LBT-like as I can, something I feel I didn't quite do well with my previous version of this story.

And Littlefoot interrupts at the most inopportune time. XD  Though I cannot claim to have read the first version of this story when it came out due to some severe time constraints on my part, I am quite enjoying what I have read thus far.  The characterization of Petrie and Ducky seem quite spot on as is their respective concerns about seeing the other when their feelings are entering full bloom.  I also quite like how you incorporated some of the events in the other stories of yours (like the mirror in the cave, and Ducky's thoughts on Judy) though I think that the description of the mirror incident might seem a bit jarring to someone who had not yet read that story.  In any case I loved the call backs to those stories as they firmly establish in my mind that this story takes place in the world where those events took place and with that I have a firmer understanding of what these two characters have already been through.

I look forward to seeing how this develops going forward.  I will have to resist the urge to read the previous version of this story as I want to experience this fresh, but I have no doubt that the future chapters will be worth the wait.

So, turns out I have come across someone who never read the old version! I feel like I'm writing something new all over again!

Like I mentioned in the prologue, the somewhat touchy DuckyxPetrie scenes in my previous stories could be considered preludes to what eventually builds up here, but I guess you're right in saying that I should have left a notice telling readers to read my previous stories first before reading this one, since they're all set in the same continuity and should be read in a particular order, like tree branches connecting. I could have left links up there, but I didn't think of it at the time.

Since you're looking to experience this fresh, I promise to make that as exciting as possible!

OML, you're serious about your update rate. Geezzzzz... I'm gonna be a slower reviewer than your refresh rate.

Chapter 2 thoughts in this post, will do Ch3 next time when my eyes aren't droopin'.


Ah, yes. Swim of Silence ref. At the rate this is going your stories are going to get an arc-based continuity just like every regular author in LBT.

I distinctively remember laughing when I read them running into one another and being trolled by Littlefoot ruining the moment. I suppose that hasn't changed. xD

I typically don't write my stories so quickly, but this one I'll be able to update regularly because, in fact, I still have the original documents for this story from two years ago. All I do is just rummage through my docs and open them up, and I make changes to them to increase the LBT-like flavor in them, and make whatever other changes I can think of making to create a bigger variety of character interactions, thoughts and emotions. Please don't fret if you end up falling behind. I suppose it will just mean more to read!

[jassy]

Oh hey, I remember the original version of this story! It was one of the first stories I read when I started writing on FF.net and I loved it, so it’s pretty likely I’ll love this one too. I’ve only read the prologue so far, but it was just as heartwarming as I remembered. I’m a bit slow with reviews as you can see but I look forward to seeing more from you!

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 4

The Dreadful Confession

Ducky and Petrie’s first day of their new relationship could not have been sweeter. They spent the whole day together, exploring the Great Valley, playing their own games that they only played whenever they were alone together, and, of course, there was plenty of smooching and cuddling as long as they could find a tiny hiding spot for their privacy to avoid detection. They could only say that it was the happiest day of their young lives, and they couldn’t wait for it to happen again sometime soon.

Early that evening, as the Bright Circle began to set, the two loving kids sat down together on a small rock, admiring the colorful setting of the Bright Circle in much the same way they did the day before. They each had an arm wrapped around the other’s back for warmth and comfort as they snuggled each other pleasurably.

“Bright Circle setting may be beautiful,” sighed Petrie before he shifted his gaze over to Ducky, “But nothing as beautiful as you, me Sweet Swimmer.”

Ducky smiled adorably at Petrie, and she planted a smooch on his beak.

“You are so sweet, Petrie!” she said cutely.

“You, too, Ducky!” replied Petrie happily.

The two sat in silence for a moment before Petrie spoke again …

“So, … exactly how long you be in love with me, Ducky?”

“Since our first adventure to find the Great Valley after we met,” answered Ducky, “When I first saw you, and I thought-ed you were just adorable; your looks, your voice. Right then, I had-ed a soft spot for you in my heart, and after we got-ed to the valley, I began to realize that I was falling in love with you.”

“You love me for that long?” said an astonished Petrie.

“Yep, yep, yep,” replied Ducky.

Petrie felt tears welling up in his eyes as he realized just how long Ducky had been in love with him. He suddenly felt as if he was beginning to love her even more than he did just a moment ago. His heart melted in happiness as he rewarded the Swimmer with a kiss on her bill.

“You so loving, Ducky!” he said happily.

“Aww, Petrie!” giggled Ducky.

“Me wish me could kiss you all night!” continued Petrie, planting another kiss on his lover’s face.

“You really are my Funny Flyer!” laughed Ducky.

“And you really are me Sweet Swimmer!” replied Petrie eccentrically.

“So, Petrie, … how long have you been in love with me?” asked Ducky.

Petrie looked towards the Bright Circle and thought back on all the happy times he shared with Ducky during their many adventures together, then he remembered one day when his heart first started to gain a soft spot towards her …

“Me first get feeling of love for you right after we come to Great Valley,” he began, “First night after we arrive after we defeat Sharptooth, me have happy sleep story, and in it you say loving words to me.”

“What exactly did I say in your sleep story that night, Petrie?” asked Ducky curiously.

“Well, me no can exactly word it same way you would, … but you say you happy we become best friends, and that one day we go far together.”

“That sounds so sweet,” smiled Ducky, “And it was after that sleep story when you began to fall in love with me?”

“Yeah,” confirmed Petrie, “But me especially start falling in love with you after, … uh, … Pterano …”

“After he kidnapped-ed me?” said Ducky.

“Yeah,” said Petrie, feeling uneasy about mentioning his uncle whom he missed so much despite his wrongdoings, “When we reunite in that cave, me heart feel so overjoyed that you okay, and me tears that day come from more than just guilt from me behavior towards everyone, … but also happy tears … for you.”

“Aww, Petrie,” sniffled Ducky as her boyfriend looked directly at her.

“It then me realize … me fall in love with you,” Petrie finished with a quivering beak as he felt his eyes building up with tears.

“Aww, Petrie! You really are one adorable Flyer!” Ducky sobbed happily as tears began to fall from her eyes.

“Me love you so much, Ducky!” wept Petrie.

“I love you so much, too, Petrie!” replied Ducky.

With their happy tears forming waterfalls down their cheeks, the two kids hugged each other tightly and smooched each other’s faces for several minutes while sharing their happy tears of love. With the Bright Circle shining warm colors over them, this moment felt so perfect. There was no other way they could ask for to end their first day of love together after their confession.

Eventually, the two lovers looked at each other passionately again with their eyes still sparkling with tears, and they smiled cutely at each other.

“Me shall never forget this day,” beamed Petrie.

“Me neither,” agreed Ducky, “This has been the greatest day of our lives. It has, it has.”

“If only it last longer,” sighed Petrie.

Upon saying that, he began to wonder what he would say to his mother tonight when he got home. Ducky began thinking the same thing. They both knew their parents would have to know sooner or later, whether they liked it or not.

“You think we should tell our families tonight, … or should we wait for when time right?” asked Petrie.

“Well, Petrie, I am not entirely sure when we should tell them,” answered Ducky, “I do know that we will have to tell them eventually, and just hope they do not spread it to everyone else.”

“Me no want other grownups to know we together,” gulped Petrie.

“Me neither,” agreed Ducky.

“Me feel scared that … me … might have to tell me Mama tonight, … because she say she want to talk about me strange behavior lately,” Petrie pointed out.

“Maybe it is because we are still children and we can act very strangely with these new feelings,” explained Ducky, “After all, we are too young to be together.”

“At least we not hatchlings anymore, … but seven Cold Times still very young,” said Petrie thoughtfully.

“Maybe that is why everyone waits for their Time of Great Growing to find a mate,” assumed Ducky, “We just happened-ed to end up finding love in each other because of our very special friendship that drew us closer together.”

“Like it destiny for us to be together?” said Petrie.

“Yep, yep, yep,” finished Ducky.

Petrie once again giggled from hearing Ducky’s catchphrase, and the two lovers kissed each other before they shifted their gaze back to the Bright Circle.

Just a few minutes later, there came another familiar voice approaching them from behind …

“There you two are,” it said, “I’ve been looking for you all day.”

The two lovers instantly broke off their hug and frantically turned back to see who the source was …

It was Littlefoot.

Ducky and Petrie felt lumps in their throats as they hoped that their Longneck friend hadn’t managed to catch them hugging and kissing each other.

“Hi, Littlefoot,” they both said in unison.

“How was your day with your grandma and grandpa?” asked Ducky.

“It was fine,” answered Littlefoot, “Could have gone a little better if there had been someone to have fun with, but they know how to make any day happy.”

“That why Ducky and I spend day with ourselves,” said Petrie, “We no could find anyone else to play with.”

“You two really seem to have had a good time today,” said Littlefoot.

“Uh, y-yeah,” said Petrie awkwardly.

“Yep, yep, yep,” agreed Ducky, “So much playing around and having fun.”

“About that, … there was something I wanted to talk about with you,” said Littlefoot.

Ducky and Petrie gulped nervously as they hoped that this conversation wouldn’t involve their secret relationship.

“What is it you wanted-ed to talk about, Littlefoot?” asked Ducky.

“Well, … um, … today, when I was by the river, collecting ground stars and tree sweets for lunch, … I, uh, … I …”

“You what, Littlefoot?” asked Petrie.

Littlefoot knew they would not feel comfortable speaking of what he wanted to mention, but he felt as if he had to speak his mind to get a confirmation of what he could swear he saw them doing earlier that day …

“I saw you two kissing under a bush,” he whispered.

Ducky and Petrie’s faces paled as they heard those words. They had been found out by one of their closest friends. Their secret had been slipped while they were taking no notice, and now they were sure they were in for some big trouble.

“We are doomed!” thought Ducky.

“We done for!” thought Petrie.

“Are you two feeling okay?” asked Littlefoot as he noticed the Swimmer and Flyer’s faces had just about turned white.

“Y-yo-you saw us?” stuttered Ducky.

“Uh, … at least you’ll be relieved to know that I haven’t told anybody, by the way,” informed Littlefoot.

“You better not tell anybody!” hissed Petrie with a warning glare.

Littlefoot was taken aback by this, and he took a step back to recompose himself.

“Please do not tell anybody you saw us kissing, Littlefoot,” said Ducky as she calmed Petrie down.

“Okay, I promise. I won’t tell anybody,” promised Littlefoot, “I only wanted to know if, … if … you were, … you know, … together.”

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other worryingly. Although they didn’t want their secret to spread, they knew that Littlefoot was one to keep secrets, so they felt sure they could trust their longtime Longneck friend with their lives.

The two each took a deep breath, and Ducky decided to say those words that would confirm Littlefoot’s suspicions …

“Yes, Littlefoot,” she said softly, “Petrie and I are in love with each other.”

Littlefoot went wide-eyed as he stared at his two friends for a minute. He could not believe what he had heard. The Swimmer and Flyer were in love with each other, and only now it was dawning on him that they were in a relationship that was forbidden and considered a blasphemous crime.

“How long have you two been … together?” the Longneck asked.

“We confess just last night,” answered Petrie.

“Even though, we have really been in love with each other since the time we came to the Great Valley. From the moment we first met, I thought Petrie was just adorable,” added Ducky, making Petrie blush in embarrassment, “It just was not until yesterday when we discovered-ed our love for each other.”

“I remember that day like it was only yesterday,” sighed Littlefoot as he recalled the day the three first met.

“Good times,” sighed Petrie.

“Good times,” Littlefoot and Ducky replied in unison.

“Listen, guys, … I’m very sorry,” the Longneck apologized, “I just didn’t know what to make of it when I saw you two kissing underneath those bushes.”

“It is okay, Littlefoot,” replied Ducky.

“Friends always can be forgiven,” agreed Petrie.

“And I promise, … I will not tell a living soul about your relationship,” said Littlefoot.

“Thanks, Littlefoot,” the two lovers replied in unison.

“Well, I’d better get home. I don’t want my grandma and grandpa worrying about me,” said Littlefoot as he began to walk away, “I guess I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, Littlefoot,” said Petrie.

“Hopefully, we can play together again with all our friends,” added Ducky.

“I hope so, too,” replied Littlefoot, “Bye!”

“Bye!” called Ducky and Petrie.

Once Littlefoot was gone, the two lovers gazed at each other again, although now they felt rather wary. Now that Littlefoot was aware of their secret relationship, they knew they had to be extra careful whenever they were around their other friends.

“We really have things to dread now,” sighed Petrie.

“Hopefully, we will not have to dread those too much,” reassured Ducky.

“Petrie!?” came an echoing voice, “Time to come home!”

“Speaking of which,” sighed Petrie sadly.

“Are you really going to tell your mama, Petrie?” asked Ducky worryingly as she wrapped an arm around her boyfriend’s back.

“If Mama force me to discuss what me recent behavior about, … then me may have no choice,” quivered Petrie.

“Okay,” said Ducky, feeling very uneasy, “Then, maybe when I get home tonight, … I’ll probably tell my Mama and Daddy, too.”

“Let’s just hope for best,” gulped Petrie.

“I love you, Petrie,” said Ducky, planting one more kiss on Petrie’s beak.

“Me love you, too, Ducky,” replied Petrie, and he returned the kiss on Ducky’s bill, “See you tomorrow, me Sweet Swimmer. Me hope.”

“See you tomorrow, my Funny Flyer,” said Ducky.

Finally, the two lovers broke away, and Petrie hesitantly flapped his wings and took to the skies.

“Bye, Petrie!” called Ducky as she watched her boyfriend fly away.

“Bye, Ducky!” Petrie called back to his girlfriend down below.

Just a few seconds later, Petrie was gone, and Ducky gulped several times before she jumped off the rock and began her slow journey back to her family’s nest.


In front of the Flyer family’s cave, Mama Flyer was waiting anxiously for Petrie. She had spent just about all day wondering why her son had been acting so oddly over the last few days, and she almost couldn’t wait for a straight answer.

Eventually, just as the Bright Circle reached its final few moments in the sky, Petrie came soaring towards her, looking rather worried dreadfully about something.

“Ah, Petrie,” she greeted him, “You’re home.”

“Hi, Mama,” said Petrie in a soft voice as he brought his feet down onto the ledge.

“How was your day today?” his mother asked.

“It good,” nodded Petrie.

“That’s what I want to hear,” grinned Mama Flyer, “Now then, I believe there was something I wanted to discuss with you.”

Petrie gulped as he looked away, desperately trying to think of another way to get out of this situation he was once again trapped in.

“What has caused you to act strangely around me lately?” asked Mama Flyer.

Petrie didn’t answer immediately, and he could feel sweat running down his face. Mama Flyer took notice of the nervous expression on her son’s face, and she knew this conversation could lead to something he did NOT want to discuss.

“Are you okay, Petrie?” Mama Flyer asked her son. “You look as though you’ve just taken another journey through Black Rock.”

“M-Ma-Mama?” stuttered Petrie as he felt his chest heaving in pain, and he looked anxiously at his mother, knowing that the dreadful moment was probably just seconds away.

“What is it, Petrie?” said Mama Flyer gently as she sat down and pulled her son onto her lap.

Petrie gulped several times as he struggled to find the right words to start this uneasy conversation.

“M-Me … have s-so-something to t-tell you,” the young Flyer said.

Mama Flyer gently cuddled her son in an effort to calm him down so that he would be more comfortable about discussing what he had to talk about.

“Is this about your recent behavior and random thoughts?” she asked him.

“Y-yes,” answered Petrie nervously.

“I’m glad you’re finally opening up about your feelings, dear. I’ve been so worried about you over the past few days,” said Mama Flyer kindly, “Now, what is this about?”

Petrie peaked over towards the nest to see if his siblings were awake or asleep.

“Me brothers and sisters asleep?” he asked shyly.

“Yes,” answered Mama Flyer, “Why do you ask? Is this something private?”

“Yes,” gulped Petrie, “Me no sure how to explain this.”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” said Mama Flyer, “You know you can tell me anything. I’m your mother, and it’s my job to worry about you, … because I love you so much, … my special little boy.”

This managed to get Petrie to grin briefly, but it almost as quickly reverted to a frown.

“Now, … what exactly is this about?” asked Mama Flyer, “What have you really been thinking about lately?”

“Oh, boy,” gulped Petrie faintly before he looked up at his mother’s eyes again, “It about … D-Du-Duck-Ducky.”

Mama Flyer felt strange that her son was thinking so much about Ducky over the past few weeks, and she could sense very few reasons to why that could be the case.

“What is it about Ducky that you’ve been thinking about lately, Petrie?” she asked.

“Well, … uh, … we recently no could stop thinking about each other, and, … oh, this so hard!” panicked Petrie.

“Is there something going on between you two?” Mama Flyer questioned him.

Petrie looked nervously at his mother again and felt the tears forming in his eyes.

“Please no hate me for saying what me about to say,” he gulped.

Mama Flyer began to get ideas as to what her son was going to say, and she had a hunch as to what it might be.

“I could never hate you, Petrie,” she said gently, “You’re my special boy, and I want to know why your thoughts about Ducky have been making you act odd lately.”

“You may yell at me for saying this, Mama,” sobbed Petrie as the tears began to fall.

“Why would I yell at you just for thinking about Ducky?” asked Mama Flyer with an odd look on her face.

Then, a thought struck her …

“Wait a minute,” she said, holding back a gasp, “Petrie, … do you mean to tell me that …,”

At that moment, Petrie knew he had to say it now. There would be no more turning back for as long as his mother would continue to invade his personal thoughts.

“This it! Me sorry, Ducky! Me sorry, Mama! Me sorry, Great Valley!” he thought as he could feel his heart racing with fear.

So, after several more gulps and tears forming waterfalls on his face, Petrie looked into his mother’s worried eyes. He could tell she was worried deeply about him from seeing the tears pouring down his face. With one last gulp, the young Flyer swallowed his pride and said those words that he did not want to say to his mother, in a faint whisper …

“Me in love with Ducky.”

Mama Flyer was barely able to make out a single word that came out of her son’s beak, and she lowered her head down to his level.

“What did you say, dear?”

Petrie took a frantic breath and spoke a little more loudly …

“Me in love with Ducky!”


Ducky arrived at her family’s nest just after the Night Circle came out. She was quite astounded to see that her entire family, including Spike, were already asleep, except for her parents anxiously waiting for her.

It was then that the older Swimmers perked up and noticed their daughter arriving home. Ducky could see a grin immediately growing on their faces, indicating that they were happy to have her back home.

“Hi, Mama. Hi, Daddy,” she spoke softly.

“Hi, Ducky,” Mama Swimmer replied, and she walked over to where Ducky was standing and sat down, “How was your day out with Petrie today?”

“It was fun,” said Ducky with a brief grin, thinking back at the many playful things she had done with Petrie that day.

However, her grin instantly turned into a frown as she dreaded the moment that she would have to tell her parents about their true feelings for each other.

As Papa Swimmer sat down next to his mate, he immediately noticed the unhappy look on Ducky’s face as Mama Swimmer gently lifted their daughter into a hug. The young Swimmer gulped nervously as she tried to think of how she would break the news to her parents. This was the moment she had been dreading.

“Is something wrong, Ducky?” Papa Swimmer asked her.

“Well, … um, … I do not know how to explain it, Daddy,” replied Ducky nervously.

“As a matter of fact, Ducky, we didn’t entirely believe you when you told me this morning what you were thinking about that caused your recent strange behavior. Is there something going on between some of your friends?” asked Mama Swimmer.

Ducky looked nervously into her parents’ eyes and gulped several times as she tried to find the right words.

“Um, … the real truth … is that …,” she stammered, “… it is about … P-Pe-Pet-Petrie.”

“I had a feeling it had something to do with Petrie when he surprised us this morning with that cute arrival here,” recalled Mama Swimmer, “Are you two having so much fun lately or are you just happy to be best friends?”

“About that,” tremored Ducky, “There is something going on between me and Petrie, … and I am not sure that you would like it very much.”

Papa Swimmer immediately tensed at that possibility, and his hands fidgeted, prompting his mate to calm him down. She, too, though, felt a little tense, but she knew it was best to let their daughter explain everything in full before their worst fears were confirmed. The idea that something strange had been happening between their daughter and her longtime Flyer friend could mean the possibility that one of those possibilities would be one that wasn’t widely accepted in the Great Valley.

“What do you mean, Ducky?” asked Mama Swimmer.

“I do not know how to say it, Mama, … b-but … ple-please do not hate me when I say what I am about to say,” pleaded Ducky.

“We could never hate you, Ducky,” her mother reassured her, “You are our special daughter, and we love you so much.”

“Please tell us, dear,” said Papa Swimmer calmly, “You know you can tell us anything.”

Ducky grinned faintly, but her grin disappeared just as quickly.

“Well, … Petrie and I … re-recently started-ed to get a little closer than before,” explained Ducky as she felt tears building up in her eyes, “Now we have realized-ed th-that, … oh, please do not yell at me for saying this, Mama and Daddy!”

“Why would we yell at you if …,” Mama Swimmer began.

Then it simultaneously struck her and her mate. They looked at each other with their hearts pounding as if they were anticipating finding out that their daughter might have done something horrible.

Seeing the tears beginning to slip from their daughter’s eyes, and after hearing every word she had said so far, the Swimmers knew what she was going to say.

Ducky looked tearfully into her mother’s eyes again, and then her father’s, and back to her mother’s, as she gulped several times before she would say those dreaded words that she wished she wouldn’t have to say in anyone’s presence …

“I am so sorry, Mama! I am so sorry, Daddy!” she wept, “B-but, … I … I am in love with Petrie!”

And thus, the parents on both sides have become aware of their children's forbidden relationship, but how they will react I will keep a secret with this double cliffhanger until the next chapter! And, to those of you who read the previous version, you'll probably guess right away that it will not quite turn out the same way as it did in the old version, but I will still leave you with a 50/50 chance they might support Ducky and Petrie's relationship or oppose it. Anything could be possible at this point. Will this be a moment to cherish, or a fearful moment to dread?

I'll try to get the next chapter ready by Monday. Until then, have a good day.

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 5

This Can't Be True

“Me in love with Ducky!”

Mama Flyer stared down at her son with her mouth open slightly. Her eyes were wide as she looked into Petrie’s teary eyes. She couldn’t have imagined that he had fallen in love at such a young age, but she especially couldn’t have imagined that he would fall in love with someone who was not of his own kind; something that was considered a despicable crime. She had been sure for a while that he and Ducky were very close, but never could she have imagined that they were this close.

Petrie noticed his mother’s expression, and he was sure that she was about to yell at him for being in a relationship that would see him as an infidel to the eyes of many. He closed his eyes and turned his head away, awaiting that dreadful moment when she would lash out at him.

“Is it not true? Tell me it’s not true,” the young Flyer heard his mother say after nearly a whole minute of silence went by.

Petrie opened his eyes and saw his mother’s expression. She appeared to be horrified, and for good reason.

“Y-y-yes!” sobbed Petrie, feeling his heart sink with shame, “Me in love with Swimmer! Me so sorry! Me know you hate me for this! Go ahead and punish me!”

Petrie wept as he sunk his head and buried his face with his wings. He was sure that any second now, his mother would punish him severely.

Then …

“I don’t hate you, dear.”

Those were the last words he expected to hear, and he perked up and saw that his mother was giving him a kind expression.

“W-What?” he stammered in shock.

“I could never hate you, Petrie,” Mama Flyer repeated.

“Really?” sobbed Petrie, not believing a word she was saying.

“I will always love you as my son,” assured Mama Flyer as she tightened her hug on her son.

“Even if me a Flyer in love with a Swimmer?” asked Petrie.

“Of course, my little one,” smiled Mama Flyer, then her smile turned into a frown of worry, “Even though, … you know very well that relationships between those of different kinds are not allowed in the Great Valley. You know what could happen if the elders find out.”

“Me know, Mama,” sniffled Petrie shamefully, “Me so sorry, but … me think me falling for Ducky. Me no know how to explain, but me think me love her.”

Mama Flyer softened and gently cuddled her son within her wings. Although Petrie had grown to the point where his height was now up to his mother’s waist, she could still easily squeeze him in tight hugs that warmed him soothingly.

“My little Petrie is growing up so fast,” she thought to herself as she smiled at her son.

“Even though we don’t allow such relationships here, and even though you’re too young to be in such a relationship, … I’m actually very happy for you, my little Petrie,” she spoke softly.

Petrie gasped in surprise. He could not have imagined that his mother would be accepting of his secret relationship, one that was forbidden for more than one reason, one that could get himself, his mother and Ducky in big trouble.

“D-do you … r-re-really mean it, Mama?” stuttered Petrie.

“Of course, I do, dear,” replied Mama Flyer with a playful wink, “Do you want to know what I think? I think that it shows that you have an especially big heart for someone as young as you are, and you truly are a very special boy. I am aware of the risks I’m putting myself in to help you, but I’ll do it because I love you, Petrie. You are my special little baby, and I will do everything I can to keep you happy, because I want my sweet little one to be very happy.”

“You no discourage me and Ducky from being together?” quivered Petrie as he blushed deeply in embarrassment from being called a ‘baby’, even if his mother meant it in an affectionate way, unlike his bullying siblings.

“Of course, I won’t, sweetie,” sympathized Mama Flyer, “Even though you and Ducky are of different kinds, and even though you’re both too young to be in love, being just seven cold times old, … I understand that you and Ducky mean so much to each other. I’ve had a glimpse of some of the many times you two have played together, and you seem closer to her than with any of your other friends. It shows that even at such a young age, your heart has desires, and you have already found that desire in her, despite being of a different kind.”

Petrie blushed deep red as he smiled up at his mother. His sad tears were replaced by happy ones as he wrapped his wings around his mother’s neck and began weeping hysterically in happiness. He felt so happy that she had accepted his relationship with Ducky. However, one more thought still crossed his mind.

“Ma-Mama?” he cried.

“What is it, my little Petrie?” asked Mama Flyer soothingly as she cradled her son.

“You promise me something?” sniffled Petrie as he tried to compose himself.

“Of course, you can,” smiled Mama Flyer, “I’m your mother, after all.”

“Please no tell anybody else about our love, not even me brothers and sisters, or other grownups,” begged Petrie, “We still want to keep it secret.”

“Does anybody else know about your relationship?” asked Mama Flyer.

“Only Littlefoot,” answered Petrie with a sad sigh, “He see us kissing while we no looking.”

“He didn’t inform his grandparents or your friends, did he?” gasped Mama Flyer worriedly.

“He promise he no tell anyone,” finished Petrie.

Mama Flyer sighed in relief, and she playfully nuzzled her son’s beak, earning a cute, soft giggle from her precious son.

“Your secret is safe with me, dear,” she whispered with a smile.

Petrie smiled as more happy tears escaped from his eyes, and he eccentrically kissed his mother’s face.

“Petrie, you silly one,” giggled Mama Flyer, “By the way, … I’m curious. When did you two start falling in love with each other?”

“We confess … just last night,” answered a blushing Petrie, “Although, we really have feelings for each other ever since we come to Great Valley.”

“Then that means you’ve told me at just the right time, Petrie,” chuckled Mama Flyer, “It gives me an idea I think will help you and your compassion for Ducky.”

“What kind of idea?” asked a dumbstruck Petrie.

“If Ducky tells her parents that you two are in love with each other, … and if they are willing to accept it like I am, then I’ll discuss this with them and see what we can do to help you.”

Petrie once again couldn’t help but shed a few more tears as he smiled adorably at his loving mother.

“Me love you, Mama,” smiled Petrie.

“Aw, I love you, too, Petrie,” his mother replied, “Now, let’s get some sleep.”

“Okay, Mama,” yawned Petrie.

“Oh, and thank you for finally opening up and sharing your feelings with me,” added Mama Flyer, “I was so worried about you lately, but I’m glad you’ve finally stopped blocking it all from me, so now I have less reason to worry.”

“You welcome,” sighed Petrie tiredly.

“Let’s get you tucked in,” chuckled Mama Flyer playfully, and she walked into the cave, holding her son warmly in her wings, forming a protective barrier around him like any Flyer mother would.

Just as she stepped into the nest and lied down, Petrie was already closing his eyes, and she could tell that he really must have had one fun day. The older Flyer reached for Petrie’s snuggling stick and slipped it into his wings so he could feel more comfortable in his sleep.

“Goodnight, Petrie,” Mama Flyer whispered into Petrie’s ear.

“Goodnight, Mama,” Petrie replied, his voice barely audible.

With that, the two Flyers settled down to sleep with the rest of Petrie’s siblings as the little Flyer could not stop smiling. He was so happy that his mother had accepted his love for Ducky. He couldn’t wait for the next day to come so he could inform her of this happy news. Of course, though, he could only hope that her mother and father would be accepting of their relationship, too …


“I am in love with Petrie!”

Mama and Papa Swimmer couldn’t believe their ears. There was just no way this could be possible; their own daughter defying one of the most important rules in the whole valley, the one that forbade love between those of two different kinds. It could never have occurred to them that Ducky would commit such a serious crime.

“I … cannot believe what I just heard,” Papa Swimmer gasped as he began hyperventilating from shock.

Mama Swimmer placed a hand on her mate’s back to calm him down, and she shifted her gaze back to their daughter.

“Is it true, Ducky?” she asked her, “Is this all real?”

Ducky let a fresh stream of tears escape her eyes as she shamefully shielded her face from her parents.

“Yes!” she cried, “It is true! I am so sorry! I am such a horrible Swimmer, … but I cannot keep my feelings hidden forever! I am falling for him! I love Petrie!”

Ducky’s parents looked at each other, horrified. They felt as if this was a very bad sleep story, but their hearts nearly stopped when they were forced to accept that this was reality.

“You cannot be serious, Ducky!” panted Papa Swimmer once he recomposed himself, “You know the rule about falling in love with someone whom is not from our kind!”

“I know, Daddy,” sobbed Ducky in deep shame.

“You could get our whole family in trouble for this!” continued Papa Swimmer, “You and Petrie would most definitely get banished from our home! Even worse, we could probably all get banished and have to go on the run from Sharpteeth every minute of every day because you’re in love with a Flyer! Don’t you have any idea how much danger you’ve just put yourself in!?”

Seeing how frightened Ducky was becoming, Mama Swimmer quickly stepped in and calmed her mate down.

“Dear! That’s enough! Calm down! You’re going to wake the others!” she warned him.

Papa Swimmer continued to stare down at Ducky, and she stared back at him, breathing heavily with tears trickling down her face, whilst she took a few backwards baby steps.

“Ducky?” Mama Swimmer spoke gently, “I know you mean well, … but you must realize that falling in love with someone other than your own kind is something we cannot accept in the Great Valley. It is strictly forbidden.”

“I know, Mama!” cried Ducky, “Just, … I … I am so sorry! If you hate me now, … then … I will just … go.”

“Please don’t go, Ducky,” said Mama Swimmer, instinctively pulling her daughter back in and picking her up in her arms.

“I once thought that being friends with a baby Sharptooth was bad enough, but falling in love with a Flyer? That goes well beyond me!” hissed Papa Swimmer, “The consequences will be severe on all of us! I don’t see how I can ever accept this!”

Watching her father rant like this brought some very bad memories into Ducky’s head; one of her watching another certain Swimmer taking his anger out on his own daughter in much the same way her own father was doing now.

Suddenly, something snapped in Ducky; something that had been trapped within her ever since … that one fateful day …

“You know what, then!?” she began as she glared at her father, “If you are not going to love me anymore like a daddy should, then why don’t you just get rid of me so that you do not have to deal with the consequences!?”

“W-what!?” said a confused Mama Swimmer.

“I can see where this is going!” Ducky ranted, “You do not realize how much I really miss Judy, so go ahead and do what you want to me, just like Rolf!”

“Ducky!” her parents both gasped, seeming to be frozen in place like they were just Swimmer-shaped boulders. It was then that Ducky realized she had just made a huge mistake, and she let out a horrified gasp of her own whilst she covered her mouth with her hands with wide eyes.

“W-what did you say?” gasped Papa Swimmer as a single tear managed to escape from his eye, unable to comprehend that his own daughter had just compared him to that nasty Swimmer whom had committed so much evil.

“Ducky!” panted Mama Swimmer, “I can’t believe you just said that!”

Papa Swimmer looked away and closed his eyes tightly as he tried so desperately to hold his tears in, but it was easier said than done. He had never wanted to be compared to someone so despicable. He had something that Rolf never had: a loving heart for a father, and yet his own precious child had to bring him to his senses that he had just behaved somewhat like that cursed Swimmer. He remembered how Ducky had always been so precious to him and his mate, and for him to have come so close to throwing her out felt so wrong of himself to have done. He knew no other father whom had ever done such a terrible thing, aside from that monster.

Mama Swimmer turned to her mate and was met with the sight of him breaking down in tears for the first time in what seemed like a very long time to her.

“My dear? Are you-?” she began to ask him before he cut her off.

“You’re right, Ducky,” he sniffled as he managed to choke back a sob, “I … I feel as if I’ve just acted like a terrible father. I shouldn’t have gotten so furious like that. This news … just … came as such a shock.”

He finally gathered the courage to look at his precious daughter, and he saw a heartbreaking sight. Ducky was silently sobbing, her cheeks drenched from tears, her eyes shining from wetness, her nose leaking what looked like tiny tears of its own. These days it had become a little easier for the two parents to tell just how their daughter felt. Ducky had grown quite a bit since they found the Great Valley, and now she was about the height of their kneecaps.

“I am so sorry, Daddy,” the little Swimmer cried in a tearful voice, “I was just, … I could not hold it in. Old memories came back to me. I know you are not a terrible daddy. I just do not want you to hate me because I am … in love with a Flyer.”

She brushed a few tears away and looked up to see both her parents looking down at her, trying to hold back tears. The little Swimmer offered her hand, and her father graciously took it.

“Listen, Ducky, I want you to know that I will never become like … that Swimmer,” he spoke gently to her, and he looked away and snorted as he thought of that … hideous monster, “Even now, I can’t even say his name.”

“We both understand how his actions scarred you for life, because it scarred the both of us, too,” added Mama Swimmer, “We were just as saddened by Judy’s passing, and we all agree it was so unfair what happened that night.”

Ducky tensed from hearing Judy’s name again, and she did her best not to break down again as simply hearing the name was typically enough for her to burst into tears like someone younger than she was.

“We both love you very much, Ducky,” said Papa Swimmer with a faint grin, “But the fact that you have fallen in love with a Flyer is, nonetheless, a very serious matter.”

“I know,” whispered Ducky shamefully, “I am so sorry, … but … it is the truth. I really love Petrie. I do not know how to explain it, … but he and I have been so close from the day we meet-ed, and he understands my feelings more than any of my other friends.”

“Even Spike?” said a baffled Mama Swimmer.

“Well, … it seems that way,” nodded Ducky.

“I could swear that ever since you arrived in the valley, I have seen how close you and Petrie are,” said Mama Swimmer thoughtfully.

“You know, perhaps that explains why we saw the little guy saying ‘hi’ to us this morning,” said Papa Swimmer, gazing at the very rock that Petrie had perched on that morning.

“Um, … I know you are going to say ‘no,’ but I just had to tell you now so that you would know,” said Ducky, “I am so sorry I scared-ed you.”

“Let’s all stop apologizing endlessly to each other, for a start,” chuckled Mama Swimmer, “I think we can all understand where we’re going from here. Am I right?”

Her mate and daughter nodded in agreement.

“I want you to listen to us very closely, Ducky,” said Mama Swimmer, cuddling her daughter, “Regardless of what you have done, whether it be running astray, disobeying us, or being in love with a Flyer, we will always love you very much, because no matter what you do, you are our precious and very special daughter. Parents are there to be there for their children, and we will always do the same for you, dear.”

“She’s right, our little one,” agreed Papa Swimmer, “This may be a serious matter, and I may still be skeptical about what may happen if you’re ever found out, but your mother and I will be there for you every step of the way.”

“R-re-really?” gasped Ducky in astonishment.

Her parents both nodded and smiled at her, and she sniffled as tears of joy began pouring from her eyes.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!” she cried, and she hugged her mother before doing the same with her father. They both nuzzled her in return, with her mother giving her a ticklish kiss on her head crest, earning some cute laughs from the little girl.

“Listen, Ducky,” said Mama Swimmer warmly, “In my opinion, it’s not necessarily wrong to be in a relationship with someone from another kind. Just because the other grownups don’t accept it, doesn’t mean it’s a crime. Love means discovering where your heart’s desires are, regardless of what you are. After all, just look how well Spike fit into our family. The point is that I can see you’ve found your heart’s desires in Petrie. From what I’ve seen, he is one adorable Flyer, and I’ve seen from time to time that you two get along very well with each other.”

Ducky wasn’t too surprised that her mother was accepting her love for Petrie, and she happily smiled at her.

Mama Swimmer smiled right back down at Ducky and gently rubbed the back of her head.

“Your father and I may have differing views on this, but I’m very happy for you, dear,” she spoke kindly to her daughter, “I’m especially happy that you’ve finally opened up about your feelings to us. We were so worried about you lately because of how long you were blocking your true feelings.”

“We’re both happy to know that you’re happy with your heart’s decision. It shouldn’t be up to us to say where your heart belongs,” agreed Papa Swimmer, “Whether you follow your heart is entirely up to you.”

He cast a glance at his mate.

“That’s just the thing that brought us together, wasn’t it, my dear?” he chuckled at her.

Mama Swimmer chuckled back and nuzzled him briefly.

“I am sorry I blocked-ed my feelings from you for so long, Mommy and Daddy. I am, I am. I knew that you would not be happy about it at first, but I knew I would have to tell you soon. My heart is with Petrie, and I am so happy to have fallen in love with Petrie,” cried Ducky happily, “Yep, yep, yep.”

Mama Swimmer chuckled as she continued to caress her daughter.

“Exactly when did you start falling in love with Petrie?” she asked him with curiosity.

“Well, … from the moment I first meet-ed him, … I thought right away that he was so cute,” explained Ducky nervously, and her parents both laughed at that.

“Aww, that sounds so adorable,” giggled Mama Swimmer.

Ducky blushed deeply in embarrassment.

“We confessed-ed just last night,” she added.

“I guess that means you’ve told us at just the right time, my little Ducky,” grinned Mama Swimmer, “I think I just might have a nice little talk with Petrie’s mother when the Bright Circle rises, granted that she knows and is accepting as well, of course.”

Ducky felt sure that Mama Flyer was bound to know by now, after Petrie had told her that his mother was greatly worried about him lately. However, there was one other thought that worried her deeply.

“Mama? Daddy?” she said, “Can you keep a secret?”

“Of course, we can, Ducky,” smiled Papa Swimmer, “What is it?”

Ducky gulped nervously as she began to explain her secret, “Well, … Petrie and I are still trying to keep our love a secret right now.”

“We understand, sweetie,” said Mama Swimmer, “I would assume that Ms. Flyer and I are the only ones who should know right now.”

“Well, … Littlefoot knows,” sighed Ducky.

“What? How did he find out?” gasped a shocked Papa Swimmer.

“He spotted-ed us kissing while we were hiding under some bushes,” explained Ducky, “He promised-ed he would not tell anybody, though.”

“I’m sure he’ll keep it a secret, dear. I know Littlefoot is one to keep secrets, … and don’t you worry, dear. Your secret is safe with us, too,” said Mama Swimmer.

Ducky felt so overjoyed to hear that, and she let more happy tears pour out of her eyes as she crawled up her mother’s chest and planted a kiss on her cheek. She was rewarded with kisses on her cheeks from both her parents, and she blushed profusely as her parents’ love for her sunk into her heart and put a bright smile on her face.

“Aw, Ducky!” chuckled Mama Swimmer, “You’re one fun Swimmer!”

Ducky giggled cutely as her mother licked her back and kissed her on the back of the head.

“We love you, Ducky,” her parents spoke simultaneously, and they once again kissed her cheeks.

“I love you, too, Mommy and Daddy,” replied Ducky.

“Now, let’s all get some sleep,” said Mama Swimmer, “Tomorrow is another day.”

Sure enough, just as she said that, Ducky began to yawn, indicating that her day out with Petrie had drained quite a lot of energy out of her system. Only some sleep could help her regain that energy for the next day.

“Okay, Mama,” the young Swimmer nodded.

Mama Swimmer slowly walked over to where Spike was sleeping and gently placed Ducky next to him. The little Swimmer was already closing her eyes as she snuggled next to her brother and felt her mother kissing her cheek once more.

“Goodnight, Ducky,” she heard her parents whisper faintly.

“Goodnight, Mama. Goodnight, Daddy,” Ducky replied in a barely audible whisper before she closed her eyes completely and fell into a deep sleep just as a sleeping Spike wrapped a forelimb around her as if by instinct.

Mama and Papa Swimmer watched for a moment as Ducky and Spike snuggled close together and slept soundly like an inseparable pair, then they looked at each other and exchanged strange looks. They were still registering the news that their daughter had gotten into a forbidden relationship, but they knew deep down that Ducky’s love for Petrie was truly sincere. They grinned at each other as a way of saying that they would do anything it took to keep their daughter’s forbidden love a secret and keep their precious child safe. Finally, they lied down next to each other and fell asleep within moments.

Ducky seemingly couldn’t stop smiling as she slept through the night. She felt so overjoyed that her mother and father had, to some degree, accepted her being in a relationship with Petrie. She only hoped that his mother would have the same reaction …

And so, after quite some tension, the parents on both sides seem to be accepting of Ducky and Petrie's love for each other. With their mothers, in particular, on board, it seems that our favorite Swimmer and Flyer will have good news to tell each other the next day, and it also seems that they may get some help with building their love for each other as another day approaches.

Now that the first chapter of dread is out of the way, the next couple of chapters will simply have Ducky and Petrie finding new ways to spend some alone time together, whilst trying to keep their relationship a secret. I should have chapter 6 up by later this week, so be sure to tune in for that. I'll see you later!

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 6

Temptations of Love

The Great Valley was once again treated to a delightful morning as the Bright Circle rose into the sky and lit up the valley like a true dinosaur paradise. It was as beautiful as any dinosaur could have pictured it would be, but for two particular children, it would be just the kind of beauty they would want to see their valley in.

Ducky woke up just as early as she did the day before, and once again her mother and father were the only other ones awake.

“Two days in a row, I am the first one up?” she thought, “I must really be getting rather excited about being with Petrie every morning.”

The little Swimmer sat up and stretched her limbs, and she squirmed her way out of Spike’s grip and was met with a smile from her mother.

“Oh, … good morning, Mama,” said Ducky in slight surprise.

“Good morning, Ducky,” Mama Swimmer replied, “I take it you had a happy sleep story last night.”

“Lucky guess,” chuckled Ducky.

“I’m happy to have a happy daughter,” said Mama Swimmer with a grin.

Ducky smiled and blushed as her mother picked off a few tree stars from one of the many trees that surrounded their nest. It still hadn’t sunk in that her mother and, to some degree, her father had accepted her being in a relationship with Petrie.

Hardly a moment later, Mama Swimmer laid down three tree stars in front of Ducky, and she quickly started to nibble on the first one.

Mama Swimmer looked over to see that Spike and the other Swimmer children were still sleeping, and she turned back to Ducky.

“I can see you seem excited today,” she chuckled.

“Yep, yep, yep,” confirmed Ducky, “I was thinking I would head up to the Flyer nest and surprise Petrie the way he did yesterday.”

“That sounds like a cute idea,” giggled Mama Swimmer, but she knew that would be easier said than done if her daughter wanted to keep her relationship with Petrie a secret, “Just one thing, though. You’d have to hope that his brothers and sisters are either still asleep or have gone out by the time you get there.”

Ducky paused as she thought of her mother’s predicament. She knew that Petrie’s siblings were prone to teasing him very often, and if they found out about their relationship, then they would never stop laughing at Petrie for probably the rest of their lives. She also wasn’t sure how Petrie’s mother had reacted to their relationship, unless the little Flyer hadn’t already told her.

“I will consider that when I get there,” she said, then another thought hit her, “Maybe, I will just pretend that I was sent-ed by Littlefoot to pick him up.”

“Sounds very convincing,” said Mama Swimmer.

“It is, it is,” agreed Ducky before another thought struck her, “Um, … how is Daddy?”

“Your father did have a bit of a hard time accepting it after we went to sleep last night, and he’s still a bit … skeptical, if I may say, but he’s okay with it as long as you and Petrie don’t get caught.”

Ducky sighed as she remembered her father’s brief panic attack last night. She had known from the beginning that he would not be very accepting of her being in love with someone other than another Swimmer, but deep down, he loved his children, and he was willing to do anything to keep them happy, even if it meant reluctantly supporting one of them with a forbidden relationship.

In just a matter of minutes, the little Swimmer had finished her breakfast, and within seconds she was running off in the direction she knew would lead to the Flyer family’s home.

“I will see you later, Mama!” she called as she left her home.

“See you later, Ducky! Have a good day!” Mama Swimmer called back before her daughter disappeared.

“Be careful, okay?” Papa Swimmer called to her.

“I will, Daddy! Goodbye!” answered Ducky, and she excitedly ran towards the river, smiling brightly in anticipation of seeing her beloved Petrie.

As soon as she approached the river, she cutely jumped over some green pads floating over the water to make her way across, and she eccentrically skipped her way across the grassy grounds of the valley, making playful, jump-like steps down a path she knew would lead her to Petrie’s home.


Petrie was still sleeping soundly in his nest with his mother holding him tenderly. In his sleep, he couldn’t stop picturing himself having a pleasant day with Ducky, thinking of all the many things he couldn’t wait to do with her.

Eventually, though, the Bright Circle’s morning light just managed to break into his eyelids through the tiniest gap in the cave entrance, and the Flyer found it elusive to keep himself asleep, so he turned himself around before opening his eyes, and he stretched his wings and yawned as silently as he could in an effort not to wake up his siblings. The yawn awoke his mother, though, and she opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of her son waking up with a smile, obviously in anticipation of another happy day ahead.

The little Flyer crawled his way out of his mother’s wings and waited until she stretched and stood up before walking quietly to the entrance and out into the light of the Bright Circle. He smiled as he thought himself to have been lucky to once again be the first one up before his siblings had a chance to open their eyes.

“Morning, Mama,” the kid whispered once he noticed the warm presence of his mother standing beside him.

“Good morning, Petrie,” she replied softly, “Did you have a good night’s sleep?”

“Me sure did,” said Petrie happily before he looked back to make sure his siblings were still asleep, “Me can’t wait to see Ducky.”

Mama Flyer chuckled, “Alright, then. I’ll be right back with some tree stars.”

Petrie watched as his mother opened her wings and soared into the valley grounds below to find some breakfast. While he waited, he decided to sit down and adore the gorgeous views of the valley, from the rivers and forests to the mountains. Of course, though, just about every second he could only think about Ducky, and another happy thought crossed his mind. He still couldn’t contain his excitement that his mother had accepted their secret relationship, and he couldn’t wait to share the news with his beloved Ducky.

A moment later, Mama Flyer returned with several tree stars in her beak, and Petrie delightfully took one of them just as she was setting them down for the rest of the Flyer children to eat once they awakened. The instant he began nibbling on his breakfast, his taste buds were soothed to the delightful taste of those ever-so-delicious green stars.

“I assume you’re going to head over to the Swimmer family’s nest?” guessed Mama Flyer.

“Me guess so,” agreed Petrie, “Me would love to surprise her again.”

“Surprise her?” chuckled Mama Flyer.

“Yesterday, me arrive at Swimmer family nest so early, and she very surprised to see me,” smiled Petrie, “Ducky mom and dad think it adorable.”

Mama Flyer giggled as she found the description to be so cute.

“You really know how to be a sneaky one, don’t you?” laughed Mama Flyer, “No wonder we’ve often had to worry about you when you go on those adventures of yours.”

“Me guess so,” blushed Petrie, “And me no can wait to do it again.”

Just then, Mama Flyer looked to her right and found a very familiar sight standing just a few yards away, down the hilly pathway that led from the grassy valley floor all the way to the ledge.

“I think that today it was meant to be the other way around, Petrie,” Mama Flyer chuckled.

Petrie was still nibbling on his tree star when he heard that, and he grew very confused.

“What you mean?” he asked with a dumbstruck look on his face.

“Look who’s here,” giggled Mama Flyer.

Upon hearing that, Petrie stood up with his tree star in his hands, and he was very surprised to see who was standing on the rocky pathway …

It was Ducky.

The Flyer couldn’t help but smile when he noticed that the Swimmer was smiling adorably and her eyes glistened beautifully underneath the light of the Bright Circle, especially with her eyebrows adding to the beauty of her appearance.

“Surprise!” she said.

Petrie blushed and giggled happily as he heard that word. It seemed that Ducky had been inspired to surprise him in the same way he had done to her the day before.

“Hehe! Hi, Ducky,” giggled Petrie.

“Hi, Petrie!” Ducky called back.

Then, the Swimmer noticed that her boyfriend had a partially-eaten tree star in his hands, and that his mother was there.

“Good morning, Ducky,” called Mama Flyer.

“Good morning, Ms. Flyer,” responded Ducky nervously.

“It okay,” Petrie assured her, “You can come up. Others still asleep.”

Ducky was surprised to hear that, but she felt happy to oblige. Without a moment’s hesitation, she walked up the final hill and joined the two Flyers on the ledge in front of the cave. She briefly looked inside to see if the other Flyer children were still asleep, and, just as Petrie had said, they were all sleeping soundly. She sighed in relief.

“What a nice surprise,” commented Mama Flyer.

“I had a little, … um, … inspiration,” chuckled Ducky, making Petrie blush.

“So I heard,” Mama Flyer responded.

“I am sorry if I came a little too early,” said Ducky.

“That’s okay, Ducky,” reassured Mama Flyer, “It’s nice whenever you visit here.”

Ducky smiled just as Petrie finished his breakfast.

“That good tree star,” he sighed in satisfaction.

“They sure are delicious,” agreed Mama Flyer, “So, are you two going to go out and play with your friends?”

“Yep, yep, yep,” answered Ducky.

“Okay, you two,” chuckled Mama Flyer, “You both have a good time.”

“We will, Mama,” responded Petrie as he led his girlfriend down the rocky pathway.

“See you later, children,” called Mama Flyer.

“See you later!” the two lovers called back before they disappeared into the lush valley below.

Mama Flyer smiled as she watched her son and his girlfriend cuddling each other excitedly as they walked their way down to the valley. She knew they would be in for some happy times together as long as they kept their relationship a secret from others.


Once the two kids had approached the river again, they looked at each other with smiles that indicated their love and desire for each other, and they wrapped an arm around each other’s backs for warmth, making sure to look around to ensure that nobody else would catch them in the act.

Eventually, they found some bushes they could easily hide in, and Ducky playfully lifted Petrie off his feet and carried him inside the bush, closing the branches to conceal themselves inside. The Swimmer sat down and placed Petrie sitting in front of her, and they pressed their feet together.

“So, … did you tell your mama around us being … together?” whispered Ducky as her smile faded into a nervous expression.

“Me did,” sighed Petrie.

“How did she take it?” asked Ducky nervously, “She may have looked-ed happy to see me when I came-ed over to pick you up, but that does not quite convince me. No, no, no.”

“She nervous but happy,” said Petrie.

Ducky perked up and looked at her boyfriend in complete astonishment. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“Your mama … is okay us being in love?” she gasped in a whisper.

“Uh-huh!” nodded Petrie with a smile.

Within an instant, the Flyer was rewarded with a bone-crushing hug from Ducky as she excitedly kissed his face all over. Petrie blushed and laughed uncontrollably for a few seconds before he regained his composure.

“That feel fun,” he commented with a bubbly voice.

Ducky laughed as she eased her grip on Petrie but continued to hug him tightly.

“You tell your mama and daddy, too?” asked Petrie nervously.

“I did. I did,” answered Ducky.

“What they say?” Petrie asked with hope in his eyes.

“They were not very happy at first, especially Daddy, but they eventually thought-ed it would be okay as long as we do not get caught-ed,” said Ducky.

Petrie gulped worryingly.

“So, … you mean, … they-,” he began before Ducky finished.

“My Mommy and Daddy are happy, too,” she finished with a bright smile that took all of Petrie’s fears away.

The Flyer’s mouth was wide open in surprise as he gasped in excitement. Ducky put on the same expression as they simultaneously realized something that warmed their hearts tremendously. Both of their families had accepted their secret relationship, and this couldn’t have felt happier a realization than it was.

“Yay!” Petrie shouted happily as he wrapped his wings around Ducky’s neck and kissed her bill in such adorable ways, “Me feel so happy me can hardly contain excitement!”

Ducky laughed at Petrie’s eccentric behavior and gently shushed him to make sure they had not been heard, and the duo kept each other in a tight hug while the Swimmer began to rhythmically hop on one foot to treat Petrie for some fun that was perfect for their age. This earned playful laughs from the Flyer as he felt himself being bounced up and down by her dancing.

“How is this for a way to relax, my Funny Flyer?” she giggled playfully.

“This feel so bouncy, me Sweet Swimmer!” chortled Petrie, earning more laughs from his girlfriend.

This went on for several minutes with Ducky switching feet from time to time, until she began to tire her legs out. Eventually, she had to stop with the hug-dancing so she and her boyfriend could get some air.

“That … really tiring,” gasped Petrie as they broke off their long-lasting hug of excitement.

“It sure was fun, but my legs are worn out,” panted Ducky.

“Let’s get drink from river, Ducky,” suggested Petrie.

“Good idea, Petrie,” said Ducky.

The two kids peeked their heads out and looked to their left, and then to their right. Only a few grownup Swimmers and Threehorns appeared to be in sight, so they emerged from the bush, walking casually as if they were just there for their morning drink, and sat down on the riverbank and lowered their heads to suck some water into their mouths. In an instant, their mouths were cooled down by the coldness of the river’s water, and they found it very pleasuring.

“This feels much better,” sighed Ducky relaxingly.

“This water sure nice,” agreed Petrie.

After a few more sips, the two brought their heads back up and tiptoed their way back into the bush. Once they were concealed, they looked into each other’s eyes desirably.

“Did I ever tell you how cute your eyes are?” asked Ducky.

Petrie blushed and grinned widely.

“Me ever tell you how beautiful your face is?” he replied in a whisper.

Ducky’s cheeks instantly turned red, and she smiled one of the most adorable smiles Petrie had seen on her.
“Me really know how to make you smile,” the Flyer commented.

“Yep, yep, yep,” agreed Ducky, “And I see I really know how to make you smile, too.”

“Aww, Ducky!” smiled Petrie.

“C’mhere, ya!” said Ducky with some bubbly giggles, and she pulled the Flyer onto her lap and pleasantly kissed him on his beak.

Petrie smiled brightly in pleasure as he felt his girlfriend squeezing him in a tight hug and kissing him. There was really something about Ducky’s hugs and kisses that made him feel so loved. This even seemed to pale in comparison to the hugs his mother would give him.

“You so loving,” he sighed happily.

“I know you are, too,” replied Ducky playfully.

Petrie could only blush even more, and he planted a kiss on Ducky’s bill in response.

“There proof,” he smiled.

“You are a funny one,” giggled Ducky.

“Me love you, Ducky,” the Flyer grinned.

“I love you, too, Petrie,” the Swimmer replied.

The two looked at each other with their eyes half-closed as if they were seducing each other towards a passionate kiss, and they brought their mouths together and began sucking each other’s faces. However, this was not to last …

Just as they were starting to lick each other’s tongues, they were suddenly interrupted …

“Um, … e-excuse me,” said a voice.

The two lovers quickly opened their eyes in horror and pulled their mouths away from each other, briefly screaming as if they had been startled. They were sure that they had just been caught red-handed, and surely it could mean big trouble.
However, when they opened the branches and looked outside their bush, they found that Littlefoot was the one whom had interrupted their kiss … again.

“Littlefoot!” they both shouted angrily as they started to feel rather irritated from his consistent interruptions.

“S-sorry, guys,” the Longneck stuttered, looking around to make sure no one else was looking, “I’m very sorry for interrupting your little … moment, … but I thought I might tell you that our friends are waiting for you.”

The Swimmer and Flyer continued to gasp as they tried to recover from their moment of panic. Although they felt relieved that it was Littlefoot whom had cut off their kissing moment and not anybody else, they still felt disappointed that they couldn’t finish their pleasant kiss, and they began to feel very agitated having to have their private moments rushed consistently. They felt that this was something that would have to stop so that they could get more time to themselves … and more time to secretly engage in their smoochy love sessions.

“Me hope you no plan to disturb us like that very often!” said Petrie, shooting the Longneck a warning glare.

“That was kind of rude, Littlefoot,” added Ducky a bit more calmly.

“I apologize for that,” sighed Littlefoot, “I just wanted you to know that the others are waiting for you to join us. We’ve been looking for you all morning.”

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other for a moment. Although all they really wanted was have another love day to themselves, they were beginning to miss playing with their friends after yesterday’s rather smoochy day of rushed love-making sessions hiding in various bushes and tiny caves to avoid being seen by anyone.

“So, … you guys wanna come and join us?” offered Littlefoot.

“Well, … me guess me could do with a little fun with everyone,” said Petrie hesitantly.

“Me, too,” agreed Ducky, knowing that keeping up appearances could potentially keep their friends less suspicious about them, “We would be happy to play with you, Littlefoot.”

Littlefoot chuckled, “Good! Meet us at our meeting place.”

“Okay!” the two lovers replied as their Longneck friend ran off.

The duo took a moment to smile at each other for at least a little bit longer before they stood up and briefly kissed each other once more.

“Well, Petrie, we may not have gotten today all to ourselves, but at least we did get to do one of our own dances,” chuckled Ducky.

“That one-foot hopping dance really make me feel bouncy when you hug me like that,” giggled Petrie, “We should do that again sometime.”

“We should, we should!” agreed Ducky.

“Wanna race to our meeting place, Ducky?” asked Petrie.

“You bet!” Ducky accepted.

“Last one there first to be tickled tonight once everyone go home!” teased Petrie with a laugh.

“Oh, it is on!” laughed Ducky playfully, and the two lovers leapt out of the bush and set off on their one-on-one race to meet up with the rest of the Gang.


Mama Flyer was soaring over the valley, admiring the view provided by being up in the sky. She had fed her children some tree stars for breakfast, and now she was keen on meeting up with a good friend of hers. Ever since she had learned about Petrie being in a relationship with Ducky, she wanted to meet up with Mama Swimmer, so they could “have a little discussion.”

Before long, the cerulean blue Flyer found that she was not very far at all from the river, and she spotted the dinosaur she wanted to see, taking a drink.

Mama Swimmer could see the shadow of a Flyer approaching her as she drank from the river, and she looked up and noticed that Mama Flyer was soaring towards her.

“Ah, Ms. Flyer,” she greeted her good friend.

“Hi, Mrs. Swimmer,” Mama Flyer replied as she brought her feet to the ground, “Just the one I wanted to see.”

Mama Swimmer could tell why, and she didn’t hesitate to guess.

“So I assume you heard the news?” the Swimmer said.

“What news?” asked Mama Flyer, wanting to be sure of what this news was.

“About our kids?” added Mama Swimmer in a whisper.

“I have, yes,” answered Mama Flyer, knowing immediately what her Swimmer friend was referring to, “Petrie came home last night and told me that she apparently has feelings for Ducky.”

“Ducky informed my mate and I about the same thing when she came home,” said Mama Swimmer, “She seems to have fallen for Petrie.”

“Did she tell only you, or does your mate know as well?” asked Mama Flyer.

“He does. He initially lashed out at Ducky, but she brought him back to his senses after I think something might have snapped in her, and she compared him to, … I still don’t have the courage to speak his name on a regular basis.”

Mama Flyer gasped, knowing whom she was referring to. To think that any father could be compared to Rolf was quite a shock. It would be an understatement to say that any father didn’t like being compared to him, particularly now that everyone in the valley had heard Ducky’s tragic story of Judy.

“He eventually apologized and said he’d be okay with it, but I think he wants next to no involvement in helping them. He greatly fears the consequences if our kids are ever found out,” finished Mama Swimmer.

“I’m dreading the consequences, too,” sympathized Mama Flyer, “Whether they will effect just our children or our whole families, I’m not sure, but I’m with you in believing that we should help Petrie and Ducky with their love for each other whilst making sure that none of us get caught in the act.”

“This really came as a shock to me,” said Mama Swimmer, “I didn’t have any idea that they would get this close.”

“I’ve noticed for a while now that they have been very close to each other, and I guess they eventually reached the point where they seemed to have found their hearts’ desires in one another,” smiled Mama Flyer thoughtfully, before her smile faded from her beak, “However, I think they’re just as nervous about being together as we are.”

“I’ve noticed that, too,” replied Mama Swimmer, “They’re so tempt on spending time alone together, but the problem is there aren’t that many places where they can do it without the worry about someone else seeing them.”

“Exactly,” nodded Mama Flyer, “Littlefoot somehow managed to find out, but other than that, they’ve managed to keep it safe from the others.”

“It does make me feel a little nervous, too,” sighed Mama Swimmer, “They’re still too young to find a mate, seeing as they’re still just little, playful children, and with many dinosaurs in this valley not being supportive of relationships between those of different kinds, … I think we have quite a sticky situation in our hands.”

“That is, unless we’re able to keep the details away from everybody else,” said Mama Flyer, “I’m sure Littlefoot’s grandparents would be okay with it, since they’re very caring to all the children, … but others, I’m not sure.”

“Mr. Threehorn would definitely forbid it. I’d say we keep this as far away from him as possible,” shivered Mama Swimmer.

“Agreed,” Mama Flyer instantly replied, “So, … I’ve been thinking that since your daughter and my son have started this new relationship, we should try to help them in some way.”

“When I first fell in love with my mate, we would often venture off into some very special place that was filled with nothing but sheer beauty. To this day, I remember so much about it.”

“My mate would get very picky when it came to finding the perfect place for us to enjoy ourselves in,” Mama Flyer recalled sadly as she thought about her deceased mate whom Petrie never really got to know as a father.

“I wonder if there’s someplace in the Great Valley that’s just as beautiful as the one I remember from all those cold times ago,” suggested Mama Swimmer.

“A place filled with beautiful tree stars or shiny stones?” Mama Flyer said thoughtfully.

“Exactly,” smiled Mama Swimmer.

“A place filled with beautiful tree stars and shiny stones,” said another voice, “Sounds like a dream place for anyone.”

The Swimmer and Flyer exchanged worried glances and frantically looked behind them to find Tria taking a morning stroll with her daughter, Tricia.

Mama Flyer let out a fake cough and hesitantly replied, “Yeah.”

“So, who’s the lucky one?” asked Tria curiously.

Mama Flyer looked nervously at Mama Swimmer as she tried to think of a way to avoid having their precious children being found out. With Tria being Topps’ mate, they didn’t feel comfortable with her finding out, as it presented a severe risk of the most rigid dinosaur in the valley discovering Ducky and Petrie committing a serious crime.

“Oh, a friend of mine,” Mama Swimmer suddenly said rather quickly.

“A friend?” said Tria with interest.

“A few Night Circle cycles ago, an old family friend told me that her daughter found a mate and happily enjoying her new life with him. They’ve been trying to find some beautiful place to peacefully enjoy their time alone,” lied Mama Swimmer.

Mama Flyer was so astounded that Mama Swimmer could improvise such a detailed story so quickly. She couldn’t have possibly managed that herself. It could be extremely useful if Ducky and Petrie ever became on the verge of being caught.

“Oh, well, next time you see her, tell her I’m wishing her good luck,” winked Tria just as Tricia started jumping excitedly around the Swimmer and Flyer mothers.

“Hi there, Tricia,” greeted Mama Flyer gently.

“How are you today, little one?” Mama Swimmer asked the baby Threehorn.

Tricia simply giggled excitedly as she ran circles around the two mothers.

“Tricia,” called Tria, “Come on, dear. Let’s go find some tree stars.”

In an instant, Tricia went running back to her mother, and the two Threehorns continued on with their morning walk.

“Have a good day!” Tria called.

“You, too, Tria!” Mama Swimmer and Mama Flyer replied in unison.

Once the Threehorns were gone, the Swimmer and Flyer sighed in relief.

“That was way too close,” whispered Mama Flyer, “Amazing you could come up with such a convincing story so quickly.”

“I’ve done that quite well in the past,” chuckled Mama Swimmer.

“Anyways, do you know any place in the Great Valley that Petrie and Ducky might find enjoyable?” asked Mama Flyer.

“Not that I know of. However, I have thought of another way we could help them,” answered Mama Swimmer.

“What might that be?” asked Mama Flyer.

“We could each take our kids someplace to find something they think the other might like. Think of it like this: You could take Petrie to find something he thinks Ducky might like, and I’ll take Ducky to find something she believes Petrie might like,” explained Mama Swimmer.

“Excellent plan,” agreed Mama Flyer.

“Well, I’d better gather some lunch for my children,” said Mama Swimmer.

“Me, too,” Mama Flyer replied, “Well, thanks a lot for offering your help, Mrs. Swimmer.”

“I’ll be happy to help out, Ms. Flyer,” grinned Mama Swimmer, and the two shook hands, “I’ll see you later.”

“See you later,” replied Mama Flyer before she took to the skies again to find some lunch for her children.

Mama Swimmer watched Mama Flyer leave, and she thought intently about the idea she had just proposed. She was sure that finding some place to privately enjoy some loving time together just might be something Ducky and Petrie could do just fine themselves given their vast number of adventures but looking for something special to give the other just might be a bit of a challenge unless they got help. She smiled at herself as she seemed convinced that her idea of helping them find that “special something” could be just the thing that would bring those two loving kids closer together.

Eventually snapping back to reality, Mama Swimmer began picking off tree stars to feed her children for lunch, all the while thinking of her daughter and Petrie.

This chapter may not have had too much to offer, but Ducky and Petrie have come to the realization that their love for each other is being supported by their parents.

I initially was going to publish this chapter yesterday, but the winds were pretty harsh and I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. Also, coincidentally enough, today is Valentine's Day, so I guess it's fitting I posted a chapter on Valentine's Day!

From here, I will probably start posting chapters a little less frequently than before, in order to allow readers to catch up. I know that as of the time I'm posting this, a lot of you have probably fallen behind, and I want to allow you to keep track of my progress. Thus, chances are I'll probably shift to posting every three days instead of every two days. Still though, there's a long way to go, but I feel that this is progressing well so far, and I'm still willing to meet the March 31 deadline for the epilogue. Anyways, have a good day, and I'll see you over the weekend with chapter 7!

Oh, and happy Valentine's Day!

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 7

A Night to Remember

The Gang had one of the most fun-filled days they had in recent weeks. Once Ducky and Petrie had joined up with their friends, with the Swimmer beating the Flyer to them, they started their day with a game of Stop the Seed. Then, once they had lunch, they played a “boys vs. girls” match of “Toss the Seed.”

During the match, Petrie scored the game-winning goal with Ducky just so happening to be the opposing goalie who came so close to keeping the game possibly ending in a tie. As Ducky got back up, instead of smirking at Petrie as an “I’ll beat you next time” gesture, she smiled at him, and the Flyer blushed and smiled back just before Littlefoot and Chomper congratulated him for winning the game for the boys’ team.

Of course, though, Ducky and Petrie naturally had a hard time trying to hide from the others the fact that they were in love, but once it came time for them to part ways for the night, Cera, Chomper and Ruby had grown more suspicious than before, yet only Cera seemed brave enough to voice her concern.

“You were right about one thing, Littlefoot,” she said to Littlefoot once the two were alone.

“About what, Cera?” asked Littlefoot.

“Ducky and Petrie have been acting weird lately whenever they get close to each other,” Cera pointed out.

“So, … they’re just best friends,” said Littlefoot innocently, “They enjoy playing together very much.”

“Well, the past few days, it’s shown more than ever,” added Cera suspiciously, “It’s that what tells me that they have something going on with each other.”

Littlefoot could feel himself falling under some real pressure now that his Threehorn friend was on their case. He knew what the consequences would be if she or her father ever learned the truth.

“If I were you, Littlefoot, I’d go ask them what they’ve been up to lately,” suggested Cera, “There’s something not quite … right … about them.”

“I tried that yesterday, but all I got was that they were just being playful pals to each other,” lied Littlefoot.

“Hmph,” snorted Cera, “I find that hard to believe, even if it came from them.”

Littlefoot sighed in annoyance. He was really beginning to feel worn out from Cera throwing her suspicions in his face.

“I’ve noticed them acting oddly lately, too,” Chomper said as he and Ruby joined them.

“Are Ducky and Petrie feeling alright?” asked Ruby, “They have been behaving very strangely, since they have a very strange way of behaving.”

Littlefoot sighed in despair. Now three of his friends were begging to know the truth. He couldn’t take any risks trusting anyone to keep Ducky and Petrie’s secret safe, and he knew it was going to take desperate measures to make sure that wouldn’t happen.

“Listen, guys, I don’t know what’s up with Ducky and Petrie,” he said, “If I ever get the chance, I’ll ask them myself what is going on with them. Right now, I don’t think it’s the best time to discuss this.”

The Longneck looked over and saw Ducky, Petrie and Spike approaching them, and the other kids immediately fell silent. Cera, however, maintained her gruff look as she eyed Ducky and Petrie suspiciously. She knew something was extremely off with the two.

“Fine. We’ll discuss this later,” she whispered to Littlefoot in a somewhat threatening manner.

The Longneck gulped nervously. He did NOT want to have to mention this matter to Cera again, but as long as she stayed suspicious, she was determined to find out what was wrong with Ducky and Petrie.

“Well, we’ll be seeing you all tomorrow,” Chomper said as he and Ruby prepared to make their walk back to the Secret Caverns.

“See you tomorrow!” Littlefoot called back.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” said Ruby to her Sharptooth friend.

“Tomorrow should be just as fun as today was!” said Chomper excitedly just as the two disappeared from the sight of their friends.

“We’ll see about that,” thought Cera as she once again fixed her gaze at Ducky and Petrie.

“Well, … I’m going to head home now,” the Threehorn said as she turned and began her walk home.

“Goodnight, Cera,” called Ducky.

“See you later!” added Petrie.

“Littlefoot had better get to the bottom of this soon,” the Threehorn thought with a furious look on her face that was hidden from her friends as she walked away.

Once Cera was gone, Littlefoot turned to his friends still occupying them. He was about to open his mouth, but he quickly saw that Spike was still in their presence, and he wasn’t sure that he should be allowed to know, either, despite his inability to talk.

“Spike, would you like to go ahead and head back home?” Ducky asked her Spiketail brother, “I will catch up with you in a little while.”

Spike nodded while letting out some simple grunts, and he turned and walked slowly in the direction that would lead him to the Swimmer nest.

“Guys,” whispered Littlefoot, “I’m beginning to have worries about you.”

“What you mean, Littlefoot?” asked Petrie, although he (sort of) knew what the answer was, and he gulped nervously.

“I think you’d better be careful when we’re playing together in the future,” warned Littlefoot.

“Why?” asked a nervous Ducky, “Have the others seen us?”

“No, but Cera’s gotten extremely suspicious,” shivered Littlefoot, “She’s trying to force me into revealing the truth to her. I’ve managed to keep her away for now, but I’m afraid she’ll probably be asking me the same question tomorrow.”

“Oh, please no let Cera find out!” panicked Petrie.

“Her father would banish us to the Mysterious Beyond if he found-ed out!” quivered Ducky as she shuddered to imagine herself and Petrie becoming outcasts.

“Unless my grandparents would manage to talk him out of it,” sighed Littlefoot.

Ducky and Petrie gulped and looked at each other worryingly. They weren’t sure they were ready for Littlefoot’s grandparents to know about their secret love for each other.

“You are not going to tell your grandma and grandpa, are you, Littlefoot?” asked Ducky.

“No,” answered Littlefoot, “I’m not sure if they should know or not, so right now I’m keeping it to ourselves.”

“You mean, … you may still tell your grandma and grandpa … eventually?” gulped Petrie.

“Only if I have no choice,” said Littlefoot, “If this situation ever gets out of hand, then I’ll have to tell my grandparents. They care deeply for all of us.”

“Yeah, but they may no have soft spots for Swimmers and Flyers loving each other,” said Petrie nervously.

“That I can’t say for sure whether it’s fact or fiction,” replied Littlefoot.

“Ducky, … maybe we should avoid Cera for a while,” Petrie told his girlfriend.

“If she is trying so hard to know the truth about us, … then I guess you are right, Petrie,” agreed Ducky.

“Listen, guys,” said Littlefoot, “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop Cera from finding out about this, okay?”

“Please do!” begged the two lovers.

Littlefoot nodded nervously and he looked and noticed how low the Bright Circle was getting. Although there was still some time left before the last of its light would disappear, he was sure that now was the time to allow Ducky and Petrie to have some time alone.

“I’m gonna go home now, guys,” the Longneck said, “See you later.”

“See you later, Littlefoot,” the lovers replied in unison as their Longneck friend left.

Now that the two were alone, they couldn’t help but smile at each other, although they still felt nervous about Cera trying to find them out. They desperately hoped that nobody in the Threehorn family would ever find out, as they knew that the consequences would be severe if Topps ever discovered their secret. He greatly despised the idea of such a relationship in much the same way he used to despise the idea of children of different kinds playing together before learning of her daughter’s unwavering loyalty to her friends changed his mind about that.

The duo soon shifted their negative thoughts aside and decided to find a nice place to sit so they could nourish each other with love again.

Before long, the two found a small rock to sit on, and they sat side-by-side, admiring the Bright Circle setting while hugging each other’s backs. Ducky looked to her left, whilst Petrie looked to his right, and they were relieved to see that nobody was around to see them.

“Every evening this feel more warm and beautiful,” sighed Petrie.

“I feel the same,” agreed Ducky.

Petrie then looked at his girlfriend and smiled brightly, “Because you and your beauty give me so much warmth and happiness.”

Ducky blushed and smiled cutely at her boyfriend.

“You are such a sweet Flyer! You are, you are!” she said happily, and she rewarded Petrie with a loving kiss on his face, making him blush and smile pleasurably.

“Aww, Ducky!” the Flyer beamed in delight.

“You and your cuteness gives me so much warmth and happiness, too,” the Swimmer said, “Yep, yep, yep!”

Petrie’s smile widened to a more adorable one, and he promptly kissed Ducky’s face in return for her loving words.

“Me could listen to your, ‘Yep, yep, yep’ many times in a row,” commented Petrie playfully.

“How about this? Remember you said-ed that whoever won our race to meet with our friends got-ed to tickle the other? Well, we are keeping that word!” said Ducky in a playful voice as she pulled Petrie onto her lap and hugged her tightly, then she began kissing his face and tickling his feet while repeatedly singing, “Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep!”

Petrie laughed in delight as Ducky’s catchphrase warmed his heart and the ticklish sensations on his feet sent his body into an uncontrollable fit.

“Haahahahahaheheheheheeheeheeheeheeheee!” the Flyer laughed adorably, “Meeheeheeheehee lohohove thihihihihis!”

“You are my Funny Flyer! Yep, yep, yep!” said Ducky playfully before she stopped tickling Petrie’s feet and began smooching him lovingly.

Petrie moaned in pleasure once he felt his girlfriend’s bill sucking passionately on his face, and he relaxed and closed his eyes while he allowed Ducky to soothe him delicately.

After a minute, Petrie turned his beak towards Ducky’s bill, and the two brought their mouths together and began sucking each other’s faces while exchanging saliva and playing with their tongues. They softly moaned in pleasure and made cute, babyish sucking noises with their mouths like a pair of newborn hatchlings. When it came to all their secret love games, none of them compared to the moments when they kissed and smooched.

The duo continued to suck each other’s faces and look seductively at each other until it got to the point where they needed some air. Reluctantly, they pulled their mouths away and gasped for air.

“I love you, Petrie,” smiled Ducky.

“Me love you, too, Ducky,” replied Petrie.

It was then that another warm thought entered Ducky’s head.

“Petrie, … have you ever thought of … looking for a place where we could hang out and share our love for each other without anyone else having to interrupt us all the time?” she asked Petrie, “Maybe tonight we could try and find somewhere nice to go.”

Petrie seemed confused upon hearing that, but he understood what she meant.

“You mean, … like …,” he began.

“A little spot where we can have lots of privacy,” Ducky finished for him.

“Hmm,” murmured Petrie thoughtfully as he tried to think of some of the most beautiful places he had visited during his young life, “Me … n-not so sure me know many such places.”

“Maybe we should go exploring,” suggested Ducky, “The Great Valley must have many beautiful places for us to visit.”

“Me sure you right, Ducky,” agreed Petrie.

The two stood up and looked at each other with bright smiles that showed their anticipation of another little adventure; one that the two would have all to themselves, something that had never happened before.

As Ducky gazed at Petrie’s smile, another idea suddenly flew into her head …

“I was wondering, Petrie. I love it when we ride on Spike's back, but I was just thinking, would you like to ride on my back?” the Swimmer offered.

Petrie put on what Ducky would have certainly called a cute “thinking face,” and she giggled as the Flyer pondered how’d it be like to ride on her back. He had rode on the backs of just about all their friends, but never Ducky’s. They were nearly the same size and had never really tried carrying each other, except for whenever Petrie was trying to lift Ducky out of one of the countless dangerous situations they had gotten themselves in. Although Petrie preferred being the eye in the sky, he couldn’t help but wonder how it would be like to let Ducky carry him around for a while. He began to feel curious about how warm it would feel and quick of a ride it could be as Ducky was quite a fast runner for her size. Finally, he had made up his mind …

“Me think me like to try it out,” he answered with a smile, and Ducky promptly turned around and used her tail to lift Petrie onto her back. The Flyer wrapped his arms around her neck whilst his wings slipped underneath her arms and wrapped around her chest. The Flyer sat comfortably on her back and tail, his legs dangling back and forth and gripping the sides of her tail.

“Ready, Petrie?” asked Ducky, and she reached back with her arms and wrapped them around the Flyer’s back to hug him from behind while keeping him secured on her back.

“Me ready, Ducky!” chuckled Petrie as he felt her warming hold already giving him soothing sensations.

“Let’s go adventuring!” proclaimed Ducky before she broke into laughter and started running whilst holding the Flyer tightly on her back.

Petrie laughed along with her and kept his arms wrapped tightly around her neck to keep himself from falling off. He rested his head on her shoulder and leaned against her cheek while she ran with her two quick feet.

In almost no time, Petrie was beginning to get a very good sense as to how fast Ducky could really run. Although he could fly faster than she could run, he had to admit in his mind that she really was quite an effective runner. The air blew gently around them as she made her way through the valley, obviously heading for someplace they had never been to before, and he loved every second of it.

Soon, they entered a forest, and Ducky switched from running to skipping, still keeping her arms behind her back to help Petrie stay on. The rhythm of Ducky’s skipping brought some feeling of excitement into Petrie’s chest as he giggled and enjoyed the playful ride she was giving him. This felt like the most fun-filled ride of his life, and it seemed to him that Ducky really knew how to make it fun and keep it that way until they reached their destination.

As they emerged from the other side of the forest, into another area of open grass under the light of the Bright Circle, the Swimmer looked ahead and saw what looked like a very narrow pathway on the other side of the open path. However, just as curiosity got the best of her, she looked to their right, towards the Bright Circle, and saw Littlefoot’s grandparents, appearing to be talking happily with each other. The Swimmer and Flyer’s eyes gazed downward, and they saw Littlefoot himself eating a tree star, presumably for dinner.

“Uh,” Petrie began murmuring as he shuddered worryingly, but Ducky thought quickly and crouched beneath some tall grass, still keeping her arms behind her back as she held Petrie. The Swimmer gently shushed the Flyer and kept her eyes on the Longnecks, waiting for an opportunity to sneak across to the other side of the forest.

Eventually, the two elderly Longnecks looked down at their grandson, and Ducky instantly began tiptoeing across the grass while keeping herself low.

“Keep your head low, Petrie,” she whispered to the Flyer, and he obeyed by lowering his head next to hers.

Neither of them let a single sound escape their mouths as the Swimmer cautiously made her way across. She sped up a little once she saw the forest on the other side getting nearer and nearer. Finally, she ran the rest of the way and scurried straight down the narrow pathway she had aimed for. Petrie opened his eyes once his eyelids detected that things had suddenly gotten darker, and he saw trees and plants surrounding them, indicating that they had made it onto the narrow forest path.

“Whew,” he quietly sighed in relief.

“That was a close one,” whispered Ducky, and she used her head to push a large leaf out of the way.

As Ducky carried Petrie past the leaf, it reclosed the entrance behind them. They looked ahead and noticed just how long the path would be. To them, it seemed amazing that it was just small enough to fit only the two of them. None of their other friends would have been able to squeeze their way through the tiny hole, unless Spike ever decided to try and eat his way through. What further amazed them was how long the path was. It looked as though it could stretch on for miles.

“Me wonder where this lead to?” whispered Petrie.

“Let’s find out,” replied Ducky curiously, and she began to skip her way down the path whilst never bringing her arms out from behind her back. Petrie once again giggled cutely as Ducky’s skipping again gave him that sense of excitement.

Eventually, they rounded a bend and noticed the end of the tunnel-like path just ahead. Ducky stopped skipping and started hopping on both feet. With each hop, she swung her legs forward in midair so her feet sprung her and Petrie forward. Petrie couldn’t help but feel awkward yet somewhat cute. He had never seen Ducky behave quite like this before. He began to wonder if she always got this way whenever she got this excited. Then again, he had never seen her jump like this before, even at times when he saw her get so excited. This seemed to be a new side to her, and it seemed that this was excitement from the idea of just the two of them about to find some place for them to privately feed love to each other.

“Whoa! Ducky!” chuckled Petrie, “This jumping so fun!”

“Oh, I am so excited!” giggled Ducky cutely as she continued jumping towards their probable destination, a smile etching on her face with wide open eyes of excitement. If Petrie had been able to look at her face at that moment, he would have seen just how joyous she really was.

The Swimmer closed her eyes and made one last jump. The two emerged from the tunnel and into an open area of forest beautifully lit by the Bright Circle. Petrie looked around and gasped with wonder …

He saw that Ducky was standing on moist grass, and ahead of them was a very small pond with floating green pads. Beyond the pond were rocks that formed a wall. Just above the rocks, the Bright Circle was filling the entire area with orange light. The gap above the rocks was bordered by many trees and leaves surrounding the entire area from all four horizons, perfectly sealing it from anyone outside, with the sole exception of that big window on the western horizon that allowed the setting Bright Circle to shine directly at it towards the end of the day. The walls at ground level were gorgeously covered in green moss. Petrie looked up and saw tons more branches and leaves covering the area as if they were forming a ceiling much like that of a cave. The whole place looked so astounding, and Petrie could only gaze with wonder at what he was seeing.

“Ducky, … open your eyes,” said Petrie.

With a smiling chuckle, Ducky opened her eyes and saw for herself just what Petrie had just seen, and she gasped in amazement. The whole area was just beautiful, and what further excited her was the fact that it was perfectly secluded in the middle of a forest.

“Wow!” she exclaimed, “This is … beautiful!”

“This place … so … amazing!” shouted Petrie excitedly.

“I have never seen anything like this before!” agreed Ducky, “Nope, nope, nope!”

“Oh, boy!” giggled Petrie excitedly, “This perfect place for us to enjoy ourselves and kiss!”

“I agree!” chuckled Ducky, “This is perfect! It is far away from where everyone else is, so nobody will see or hear us in here, and it is so beautiful when the Bright Circle is setting!”

“So, me Sweet Swimmer,” said Petrie seductively as he looked at the green pads floating in the pond, “Wanna hop on those pads?”

“Sounds like fun, my Funny Flyer,” replied Ducky with an eccentric smile.

The Swimmer finally brought her arms out from behind her back and allowed Petrie to slide down her tail. Once the Flyer was finally free, the two didn’t spend a moment’s hesitation wrapping an arm around each other’s backs, and they began hopping on the green pads, each on one foot. The surface of the floating plants felt very soft for their feet. In fact, they were so soft that they decided immediately that they would hop onto the pad in the center of the pond and sit down on it. Ducky sat down and spread her legs out so that Petrie could sit in front of her and get a feeling of the pad’s soft surface. Once the Flyer sat down, the Swimmer wrapped her arms around his chest and pinned his arms and wings down, and she delightfully kissed the right end of his mouth, earning a big smile from him.

“This so nice,” sighed Petrie in relaxation as they began admiring the Bright Circle’s setting from within their new hideout.

“I feel as if I never want to leave this place,” said Ducky, “It is perfect.”

“And nobody see or hear us in here,” added Petrie, “We feed each other as much love as we want when we here and never get caught.”

“Yeah,” chuckled Ducky, “Now that you have mentioned that, there is so much we can do in here to show our love for each other.”

Petrie smiled as he thought of the endless possibilities they had in this forested cave.

“What you think we do next, Ducky?” the Flyer asked with an eager smile.

Ducky looked around their cave and noticed two red shiny stones sitting by the corner of the pond.

“I wonder if we can do anything with those shiny stones?” she said thoughtfully.

Petrie eyed the shiny stones as he gained a sense of what Ducky was about to consider.

“Me thinking what you thinking, Ducky,” the Flyer spoke cutely.

“Why don’t we make something out of them?” the Swimmer suggested.

“Good idea,” agreed Petrie, “Like something to show our love for each other?”

Ducky let out a bubbly laugh and replied, “That is exactly what I was thinking.”

“Let’s do it!” chortled Petrie.

Ducky opened her arms and allowed Petrie to stand up and flap his wings, so he could fly over to the shiny stones. The Flyer landed next to them and eagerly grabbed it, while Ducky hopped over the green pads and grabbed the other one.

“Well, we have got-ed our two shiny stones, … so let’s see what we can do with them.”

“Me no can wait!” said Petrie excitedly.

With that, the two kids their shiny stones and walked over to a spot where they could do their little projects privately so that they could surprise each other once they were finished.

Ducky grabbed a couple of tree stars and used her mouth to cut some small pieces out of them. Once she had all the small pieces she needed, she scrunched up another tree star and turned it into juice. She had seen how tree star juice could often be used to stick some things together, like branches, so she wondered if it could work on shiny stones as well. She splashed the juice all over the face of her shiny stone and started laying out the cut-out tree star pieces over it. She immediately knew what she would stick on the stone.

“Petrie is going to love this,” she whispered, “Yep, yep, yep.”

Meanwhile, Petrie had also cut some tree stars to pieces and scrunched another one to make sticky tree star juice. Once he splashed the juice on his shiny stone, he began sticking the tiny tree star pieces onto the stone in a very particular way, … one he knew Ducky would love …

“Ducky love this so much,” he whispered to himself in anticipation.

The two each waited for the tree star juice to dry, then they brushed off any empty spaces containing juice so that their shiny stones could retain their sparkling shines. With their stones completed, they each took stems filled with small green leaves and glued the ends together with tree star juice, then they took their decorated stones and stuck them to the stems.

They each took a glance at their own finished pieces, which now looked like something they could wear around their necks. This was exactly what they had envisioned doing, and now they were ready to present their stones to each other.

“Me done with mine,” said Petrie as he approached Ducky, hiding his stone behind his back.

“Mine is ready, too,” replied Ducky, also hiding her stone behind her back.

“Ready to see yours, me Sweet Swimmer?” asked Petrie.

“Show me, my Funny Flyer,” chuckled Ducky eagerly.

With a beaming smile, Petrie cutely revealed his shiny stone to Ducky, and the Swimmer gasped in astonishment.

Petrie had decorated his stone with the depiction of a Swimmer and Flyer playing with each other. Above them, the Bright Circle seemed to have taken in the shape of a heart.

Ducky’s eyes welled with happy tears as she adored the cute picture Petrie had made with the tree star pieces.

“Petrie, you are so loving,” she sniffled happily.

“For you, Ducky,” grinned Petrie proudly, and he ceremoniously placed the stone around Ducky’s neck.

“Thank you so much, Petrie,” quivered Ducky.

“You welcome, Ducky,” replied Petrie.

The shiny stone sparkled brightly right over the Swimmer’s chest, and she smiled as she took a moment to admire her new neckwear. Then, she remembered that she had one to show Petrie as well.

“Wanna see yours, Petrie?” she asked him.

“Me no can wait!” said Petrie excitedly.

Ducky revealed her shiny stone from behind her back, and Petrie could only gasp in amazement …

The Swimmer had decorated this stone with the image of a large heart. Within the heart, a Swimmer and a Flyer were kissing each other in such an adorable fashion.

“Ducky, … me no know what to say,” gasped Petrie, “This … so … lovely.”

“This is for you, Petrie,” smiled Ducky, and she delicately placed the stone around the Flyer’s neck.

Petrie smiled as he saw his new neckwear shining directly over his chest, then he looked back up at Ducky.

“Thank you, Ducky,” he smiled cutely as tears leaked from his eyes.

“You are welcome, Petrie,” replied Ducky.

The two took a few moments to adore each other’s appearance, now that they were wearing their new neckwear with shiny stones dangling right underneath their chins.

“Let’s make this more pleasurable,” said Ducky seductively.

“Delighted,” answered Petrie, and the two hugged each other’s backs and once again hopped over the green pads floating in the pond.

Once more, the two kids sat down on the pad in the center of the pond, and Petrie sat on Ducky’s lap and allowed the Swimmer to cuddle him tightly while they admired the Bright Circle setting once again. They slowly brought their mouths together and began smooching each other cutely. Their mouths made a funny noise as they smooched, and they found it as music to their ears.

Their hearts felt warm sensations as they cuddled and kissed each other. With their newly-created neckwear and the warm colors of the Bright Circle dimly lighting the forest cave, this moment felt the most pleasurable yet, even more so than their first kiss. It seemed that with every moment they spent with their love sessions, it felt sweeter than the last. No matter how many times they hugged or kissed, it always felt refreshing to their hearts. They knew right then and there that this would be one special evening to remember.

“Me love you, Ducky, … so, so much,” whispered Petrie.

“I love you, too, Petrie, … so, so much. Yep, yep, yep,” replied Ducky.

Petrie smiled and giggled from hearing Ducky’s catchphrase, and the two gazed at each other’s neckwear. Ducky seemed to notice something that felt special about having shiny stones over their chests.

“You know, Petrie, … these shiny stones have a special meaning for us now,” the Swimmer said.

“What you mean, Ducky?” asked Petrie curiously.

“The red color of the shiny stones … and the decorations on them … are much like our hearts beating for each other,” explained Ducky as Petrie listened with interest, “Red is the color of the blood that goes through our hearts that desire each other, and the decorations show our friendship that we have built-ed on ever since we first met.”

Petrie was amazed at what he heard. He was fascinated with the vision that these shiny stones were symbols of their love by showing how much their hearts beat for each other. It all made perfect sense to him. Ever since their first adventure, their hearts had been desiring each other, but they had waited for over two years to finally connect and bring the two kids together in a way they couldn’t have imagined. Now, here they were, in a relationship that they were only just starting to build on, although it would be a number of cold times before they would reach their Time of Great Growing. Only then, they would be able to become mates; at least, they hoped they would. This was only the first stage of a relationship that would take many years to develop.

“Even though we still children, me happy we together,” grinned Petrie.

“Me, too, Petrie,” agreed Ducky.

“Problem is … it still many cold times before Time of Great Growing,” sighed Petrie, “If only we no have to wait that long.”

“I understand, Petrie,” sympathized Ducky, “For now, it is our time to be kids and love each other the way kids do.”

“We still young … mean we still have lots of fun times ahead,” chuckled Petrie.

“Right,” answered Ducky, “You know what they say?”

“What?” asked a confused Petrie.

“Kids will be kids!” chuckled Ducky.

Petrie laughed after hearing that, and Ducky almost immediately joined him in laughter.

Once their laughter died down, the two snuggled close together and nuzzled each other’s faces while they continued to watch the Bright Circle set.


An hour later, the Bright Circle had gone, and the Night Circle began to appear. Throughout that entire hour, Ducky and Petrie had cuddled closely and kissed from time to time, until the Flyer seemingly began to fall asleep in the Swimmer’s lap. Ducky had tightly wrapped both arms around Petrie and kissed his head crest to pamper him with their love as the Flyer slowly fell asleep. Now, Petrie was fast asleep while Ducky continued to snuggle him comfortably so that he would never stop feeling her pleasurable warmth. His sleep rumbling sounded so adorable to her, and she wondered how much longer she would get to her it.

Then, she suddenly realized just how late it had gotten …

“Oh, my!” she gasped quietly, “It is so late! Our families must be worried-ed about us! Oh, dear. Oh, dear!”

Instinctively, Ducky gently began to tickle Petrie to wake him up. The Flyer giggled in his sleep as he felt his girlfriend’s fingers rubbing delicately on his wings.

“Heeheeheeheehehehehe!” he giggled bubbly, “Duhuhuhuckeeheeheeheehy!”

“Wake up, Petrie,” whispered Ducky, “It is getting late. We have got to go home.”

Petrie only continued to giggle cutely, and Ducky found this as music to her ears. Eventually, though, the Flyer gave in and opened his eyes, and Ducky stopped tickling him, so he could catch his breath.

Petrie looked around and saw that the cave was suddenly a lot darker than it was when he fell asleep.

“How long me sleep?” he asked.

“For a while,” replied Ducky, “We had gotten so comfortable together that you falled asleep on my lap.”

Petrie gasped as it dawned on him that he had slept right on Ducky. He had never slept this closely with anyone before, except his mother, and he wondered how she felt from having him sleep right in her cuddly hold.

“Me sorry me sleep on you,” he blushed.

“It is okay, my love,” replied Ducky kindly, “It felt-ed good, and your sleep rumbling was so cute. Yep, yep, yep.”

Petrie blushed deeper and could only reply sheepishly, “Aww, Ducky!”

“Come on. Let’s go home,” said Ducky, and the two stood up and hopped over the floating pads before their feet touched land again.

Then, a thought struck Petrie …

“Me not sure we should take these shiny stones with us,” he said nervously, “What if someone else see them?”

Ducky paused, and she remembered that they were still wearing their shiny stones around their necks. Petrie did have a point: if anybody else other than their mothers, or Littlefoot, saw their shiny stones, then there would be a much greater risk of everyone finding out about their secret relationship, and thus a much greater risk of them spending the rest of their lives in the Mysterious Beyond.

“You are right, Petrie,” the Swimmer gasped in realization, “Maybe we should keep these here.”

“You think they still be here next time we come here?” asked Petrie.

“I think so,” answered Ducky, “Since no one ever comes here, these shiny stones should be safe. Yep, yep, yep.”

The two lovers reluctantly removed their neckwear and gently placed them next to each other against one of the moss-covered rocky walls. It was there they would hope to find them the next time they entered this paradise-like forest cave.

“Well,” Ducky said with a sigh as she picked up Petrie and placed him on her back, “Let’s go home.”

With that, the Swimmer grabbed the Flyer’s hands and placed his arms behind his back while holding his hands with her own hands. Petrie chuckled in anticipation of another fun ride, and Ducky used her head to brush the tree star out of the way to reveal the exit and started her walk down the long, forested tunnel once more.

Before long, the kids made their way out of the forest and into the open area near Littlefoot’s home. Knowing that almost everyone was asleep, Ducky playfully started running across the valley again to treat Petrie to a fun piggyback ride, occasionally switching between running, skipping and jumping on both feet to give the Flyer a very fun ride. As far as they were concerned, anyone who didn’t know them would probably have said that Ducky looked like a Swimmer carrying her foster Flyer brother around for a playful time.

As they finally returned to the river area where their homes neighbored each other, Ducky stopped in her tracks and saw adult Swimmer and Flyer feet standing in front of them.

The two looked up and were met with the sight of their mothers, looking down at them with their arms crossed, and looks that told them they were probably in trouble for being out so late.

“Uh, … oh,” murmured Petrie sheepishly.

“Um, … h-hi, … Mama,” they both spoke together, blushing as they anticipated trouble.

“Okay, you two,” smirked Mama Swimmer, “Where have you been all evening?”

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other nervously. They weren’t so sure about revealing that hideout they had just discovered, but on the other side, they felt they could trust their mothers, so Ducky spoke up as Petrie was too shy to do it.

“We, … uh, … went-ed adventuring around the valley, trying to find some place where we could have some … private … time together, … and we found-ed this beautiful place in the forest near Littlefoot’s home,” explained Ducky.

Mama Swimmer and Mama Flyer looked at each other quite oddly. They had somewhat suspected that the two would have probably wandered off looking for such a place. After their conversation earlier that day about such a possibility, they were happy that they had managed to find one themselves.

“Just what we thought, I must admit,” chuckled Mama Flyer.

“Huh?” said Ducky and Petrie.

“Yes, kids,” nodded Mama Swimmer, “The two of us met up today and discussed what you two have been up to lately.”

“Really?” gasped Petrie.

Their mothers nodded and smiled at them.

“We just want you to know that, regardless of what others would believe about all this, we are both very proud and happy for you,” said Mama Swimmer, and she and Mama Flyer winked at their kids.

Ducky and Petrie looked at their mothers with astonishment and brightly smiled back.

“So, you say you found some sort of hideout in a forest?” said Mama Swimmer.

“Uh, huh! Uh, huh!” nodded Ducky and Petrie together with beaming smiles.

“Did you two have a good time in there?” asked Mama Flyer, trying to hold back a laugh.

“We have so much fun in there,” smiled Petrie, “Me no can wait to do it again.”

“Yep, yep, yep!” agreed Ducky.

Their mothers chuckled and smiled.

“Well, kids, we’re happy that you had a great time together,” said Mama Swimmer, but then her smile faded a little, “However, you had us worried for quite a while. We were patiently waiting for you to come home, and we were only just about to head out looking for you two.”

Ducky and Petrie sighed and looked down, then at each other, sharing some sorrowful looks. They knew their mothers would not be happy about them being out so late when it was well past their bedtime.

“We are very sorry,” Ducky apologized.

“Really, really sorry,” added Petrie, then he spoke up, “It kinda my fault, really. We get relaxed in there, and me guess me just get so cozy that me fall asleep.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” nodded Ducky in confirmation, “Petrie falled asleep on my lap, but I thought-ed it was cute, … but then I realized-ed that it was getting late and we had to come home.”

“Listen, Petrie, we understand how tempting it might be to snuggle together, but home is still the place to come to if you’re ready to fall asleep,” Mama Flyer spoke gently to her son.

“Me know,” sighed Petrie.

“Um, if it ever happens again, will you … still get mad at us, … even if you know where we will be?” asked Ducky.

“It would probably be good knowing where you are if it does happen again, and if it’s just as you described it, we’ll be happy knowing you’re comfortable together in a safe, secluded area,” smiled Mama Swimmer, and Mama Flyer nodded in agreement, “Not that we’d encourage that to happen too often.”

Ducky and Petrie exchanged awkward grins.

“Just you wait, little ones,” said Mama Flyer, “Tomorrow night, when the Bright Circle starts to set, you can go back to your secret hideout, and only if one of you ends up falling asleep in there, we’ll allow you to spend the night there.”

“Although Spike will probably feel lonely,” added Mama Swimmer.

“Oh, I do not want poor Spike to feel lonely. No, no, no,” said Ducky, shaking her head.

“Maybe we sleep there sometimes, but not every night,” suggested Petrie, “That way Spike no be lonely some nights.”

“That’s a good idea, Petrie,” nodded Mama Swimmer.

Ducky and Petrie smiled at each other. They couldn’t wait for tomorrow night to come.

“Now, kids, I think it’s time we all got some much-needed sleep,” said Mama Flyer.

“Ducky,” chuckled Mama Swimmer, “Would you let Petrie off your back, please?”

Reluctantly, Ducky stretched her arms out from behind her back and let Petrie off. The two kissed each other’s faces one more time before Mama Swimmer picked up Ducky and caressed her while Mama Flyer nuzzled Petrie.

“Goodnight, Ducky. Me love you,” said Petrie.

“Goodnight, Petrie, and I love you, too,” replied Ducky.

Their mothers smiled at those words and kissed their faces, earning laughs from both.

“Come along, Petrie. It’s time to go home,” said Mama Flyer as she flapped her wings and lifted herself off the ground again.

“Coming, Mama,” Petrie replied as he followed his mother into the air.

“See you tomorrow, Petrie,” called Ducky quietly as she waved at the Flyers.

“See you tomorrow, Ducky,” Petrie called back, waving one of his wings at a faster speed to gesture a return hand wave.

“Bye, Petrie. Bye, Ms. Flyer,” said Mama Swimmer.

“Bye, Ducky. Bye, Mrs. Swimmer,” the Flyers replied before they disappeared into the night sky.

Mama Swimmer turned towards her nest just as Ducky began to yawn. She knew her daughter had quite a fun-filled night with Petrie.

“I think you came home just in time,” the older Swimmer commented, “You look very tired.”

“I am very tired,” sighed Ducky weakly as she began to close her eyes.

Mama Swimmer approached their nest and gently placed her daughter next to Spike, and the instant Ducky felt herself touching the ground, she snuggled up to Spike and closed her eyes.

“Goodnight, Ducky,” whispered Mama Swimmer.

Ducky was too tired to reply, and she kept a smile on her face as she fell into a deep sleep.


Petrie and his mother returned to their rock, and Petrie was barely even able to flap his wings by the time they brought their feet onto the ledge in front of their small cave, despite the fact that he inadvertently got half an hour of sleep on Ducky’s lap while they were in the forest cave.

“Not bad for first date,” whispered Petrie as he panted for breath.

“I’m so glad you and Ducky had a great time,” said Mama Flyer.

“Me, too,” replied Petrie, “Me no wish it stop, though.”

“Don’t worry, Petrie,” said Mama Flyer, “Tomorrow night, you’ll get to do it again.”

Petrie grinned at that idea. He couldn’t wait to go back into that forest cave and enjoy cuddles and smooches with Ducky for as long as he wanted.

It was then that the little Flyer began to yawn, and he slowly followed his mother into the cave, where, much to his relief, all his siblings were asleep.

Mama Flyer stepped into the back of the cave and lied down. Petrie followed her in and grabbed his snuggling stick, wrapping it in his wings, and he lied down right next to his mother and faced her. The boy couldn’t help but smile at her as a way of saying “thank you” for the willing support she had given him so far. The older Flyer playfully winked at her son and wrapped her wings around him to provide some more warmth.

“Goodnight, Petrie,” she whispered to him.

“Goodnight, Mama,” Petrie replied weakly as he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Mama Flyer watched her son fall asleep, and she soon fell asleep herself, feeling happy that Petrie was doing a great job at building his love for Ducky despite their incredibly young age.

This chapter was certainly a handful for me. I must have spent hours on end thinking of ideas to make the chapter even cuter than it was on the previous version. To those who read the old version, you may have noticed that this is again a combination of two chapters on that version combined into one for this new version. There is also a major difference here between the two: in the old version, I had Ducky and Petrie's mothers find the hideout for them, but this time around I thought it'd be more realistic for the two kids to find it themselves by curiously exploring their valley. I understand that the necklace idea, also carried over from the old version, may not seem too LBT-like, but I kept it in simply because I thought it was adorable, and I didn't have the heart to remove it!

Nevertheless, I hope you found this chapter adorable in more ways than one, and I'll be working my butt off over the next few days to get the next chapter ready. I never thought that revamping a story, even with the old documents intact, could still be rather challenging. Anyways, see you soon with chapter 8!

[OwlsCantRead]

geez this pacing

I typically don't write my stories so quickly, but this one I'll be able to update regularly because, in fact, I still have the original documents for this story from two years ago. All I do is just rummage through my docs and open them up, and I make changes to them to increase the LBT-like flavor in them, and make whatever other changes I can think of making to create a bigger variety of character interactions, thoughts and emotions. Please don't fret if you end up falling behind. I suppose it will just mean more to read!

...you know, I've ever re-wrote old stories of mine before, and it surprisingly takes longer than expected because one tends to try and bring the quality up to current work to the point where even existing material can't offset the time spent rewriting.
aka I'm quite sure that re-writing is more time-consuming than you think from experience. Don't bite off more than you can chew.


Chapter 3 thoughts:

Gawd I forgot how fluffy and adorable this was.

And for what it's worth, I like how immediate their bubble popped. It was like one moment, "our feelings are reciprocated, yay!" to "our feelings are reciprocated, what if ppl find out oh no".

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 8

The Sky is Crying

As morning broke over the Great Valley, anyone who hadn’t yet woken up would have no idea that a streak of eleven bright days in a row was about to come to an end …

Dark, heavy sky puffies loomed over the skies over the valley just as the Bright Circle was beginning to rise, and as the sky water began to arrive, it would not be the Bright Circle’s blocked light that would wake the hundreds of leafeaters in the valley; it was to be the sound of sky water pelting on the ground, along with occasional strikes of sky fire and accompanying rumbles of thunder.

Petrie woke up with a startle when sky fire struck just outside his home, and a loud roar rumbled the entire cave. His mother and siblings all jolted awake, and the children looked around and trembled in fear. None of them could bear the prospect of losing another home to a thunderstorm.

“Now, now, kids,” Mama Flyer said soothingly to calm her children down, “Everything will be alright. I’m going to go make sure there’s no damage outside.”

With that, the Flyer slowly stepped outside just as more sky fire struck near the cave. It took everything for her not to jolt from shock, but her kids once again jumped in the nest and screamed.

Petrie found himself with one thing on his mind. It wasn’t how scared he and his siblings were of the sky fire, but it was about Ducky. He had been looking forward to having some secret fun with her today, but now the chances of that happening were next to nothing. His mother rarely ever let him go play in sky water after he had gotten sick twice from having wet feet when the valley was flooded. He knew that Ducky loved playing in sky water and mud puddles, but it did little to ease his predicament.

“Everything outside is just fine,” Mama Flyer’s voice came a few moments later, “The sky fire hasn’t damaged anything.”

“Me hate sky fire!” said Petrie as he walked up to a tiny rock and kicked it with his foot, “Especially after it ruin our old home!”

“I know, Petrie,” said Mama Flyer gently, “That’s why I picked this cave, because this rock is a lot stronger than the last one we lived in.”

“Me wanted to play so bad today!” pouted Petrie, crossing his arms in disgust.

“Aw, there, there, Petrie,” sympathized Mama Flyer, sitting next to her son and embracing him in a motherly cuddle, “Hopefully, this storm won’t last. It’ll just be for a little while.”

“It better be,” snorted Petrie.

“What about our breakfast, Mama?” asked one of Petrie’s sisters.

Mama Flyer sighed. She knew she would have to find at least something for breakfast, even if it meant flying out into the sky water.

“Okay, kids,” she said after several of her kids begged her for food, “I’ll be right back with some food. It’ll probably be deliciously moist.”

Some of the children licked their lips at the thought of moist green food, while Petrie took no notice. He was too busy sulking about how his day had effectively been ruined before it had even begun.

Mama Flyer once again left the cave and hesitantly soared down towards the wet floors of the valley. Petrie, with his arms still folded, angrily sat down right in front of the entrance. He made sure not to get too close to the ledge so that his feet wouldn’t get wet. The last thing he wanted was to catch another cold.

“What’s wrong with you, Petrie?” asked the oldest brother.

Petrie refused to reply. The last thing he wanted was to be bothered by his siblings, particularly after the last cold time.

“I said, what’s wrong, Petrie?” the same brother repeated.

“Nothing!” snorted Petrie, refusing to look away from the falling sky water.

“Can’t fool us, Petrie,” said a sister teasingly, “You’re upset because you wanna play with your friends but don’t wanna get sniffles again!”

Petrie tried his best to ignore their teasing, but that soon became much more of a challenge as their rude comments kept pouring out of their beaks.

“Petrie is bored because the sky water is pouring!” his four siblings all sang, “He tried to fly but bumped his head and couldn’t get up in the morning!”

As the kids laughed cruelly at him, Petrie felt a rage building within himself. That song felt so degrading, and he would see to it that they didn’t get the last laugh.

“Shut up!” he shouted.

“Ooh,” said all his siblings together as if they had heard him say something incredibly rude.

“Not very friendly,” said the younger brother.

“Why you no stop teasing me!?” Petrie hissed, “You stop teasing me, me no say that!”

“Then how come you’ve never said that to your friends?” snickered his oldest sister.

“Because me friends no pick on me like you do!” answered an annoyed Petrie.

“I don’t think that’s true,” giggled the younger sister, “I’ve seen Cera pick on you before.”

“Cera pick on everybody before!” Petrie excused.

“Hey, can you guys think of one dinosaur who hasn’t picked on Petrie before?” chortled the oldest sister.

“Oh, yes!” the oldest brother replied, and the four all rudely sneered, “Dear old Ducky!”

Petrie felt a lump in his throat upon hearing those last three words. How could anyone have the nerve to speak of Ducky that way, let alone anyone within his own family? He began gritting his teeth as his anger towards his siblings turned to fury. Hearing them mentioning his girlfriend in such a way triggered something within him; something he had been wanting to do since that horrible night during the cold time.

“You no talk about Ducky in front of me!” he hissed as he turned to face his siblings and gave them a warning glare.

“Oh, poor old Petrie misses poor old Ducky!” teased the oldest brother, earning laughs from the others.

“The sky is crying, and so is Petrie!” the four all sang, “Can’t play with Ducky without a shady tree!”

“Take that back!” yelled Petrie, and he began breathing faster than normal.

“Or what? You’re gonna go cry to your dear old Ducky as if she was your girlfriend?” teased the oldest sister.

Petrie’s beak quivered as tears began to build up in his eyes. He could not take another second of hearing all those bad things being said about him or Ducky.

“Eew!” mocked the other three siblings, “A Flyer in love with a Swimmer!?”

“That is disgusting!” said the younger brother.

“At least that’s what I think sometimes,” added the oldest sister, “Have you ever had the impression that Petrie and Ducky might be in love with each other?”

“Petrie and Ducky up in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” sang the younger brother and sister.

With those last few insults being thrown at him and his girlfriend, Petrie had finally lost it. He stood up and slowly walked towards his siblings with a hateful glare on his face. He gritted his teeth as hard as he could while he clenched his fists and slowly charged up his arm. He eyed all four of his siblings as he got closer to giving them what he thought they deserved. They would not hurt his feelings or speak ill of Ducky anymore …

Three of them gulped and slowly backed away as they realized what their brother was going to do. The oldest brother, on the other hand, seemed to have his eyes set behind their youngest sibling.

“You are so busted, Petrie,” he snickered.

“Shut up, you, stupid someone who call yourself some brother of mine!” hissed Petrie, and he focused on the others.

“Um, …w-we’re sorry, Petrie,” stuttered the younger sister.

“Me believe you after me give you this!” screamed Petrie as he prepared to throw a punch at one at one of them.

“Petrie! No!” shouted another voice just as a shadow quickly darkened the area they were in.

Petrie took no notice and was just about to punch one of his sisters in the beak, when both of his arms were suddenly pulled back and dragged him away. The little Flyer jolted in shock and looked back to see what had pulled him, only to see that it was his mother whom had intervened.

“Alright, children! What is going on this time!?” asked Mama Flyer sternly, “Did this quickly turn into another game of ‘Let’s Make Fun of Petrie while Mom is Out’?”

“Of course, you side with him when he tries to beat us up!” accused her oldest son.

“Do you suppose there is a good reason for that, perhaps?” Mama Flyer countered, and she turned to her youngest child with a sigh that hinted annoyance towards the children always picking on Petrie whenever she wasn’t around to protect him from their bullying, “What were they doing, Petrie? Did they make fun of you again?”

“They all tease me about being in love with Ducky!” Petrie screamed on top of his lungs.

Mama Flyer gasped in horror when she heard those last few words, and she eyed the other children as she panted a little. How could any of her kids have possibly discovered Petrie’s secret? Could they have been spying on him behind their backs? Could they have heard Petrie talking about Ducky in his sleep? If they had found out, there could surely be a risk of any one of her own children betraying their little brother and spreading the word to any one of Petrie’s friends whom may possibly not quite be trustful enough to keep such a secret safe from the most rigid adults in the entire valley. Anything could be possible at this rate.

“What exactly … did I just hear?” she panted.

“They tease me about me no go out because of sky water, then they sing rude songs about they think me be in love with Ducky!” explained Petrie, anger and hatred still etched all over his face.

“Tattletale!” his siblings all replied.

“Me no tattletale!” Petrie retorted.

“Isn’t there a rule about complaining about everything to Mama?” the oldest sister shot back, earning a death glare from Petrie.

“That no mean this, you …,”

“SILENCE!”

The five children all screamed as their mother let out a loud screech to shut them all up, and as she pulled Petrie away, she eyed the others with a furious glare that told the four bullying kids that they were all in big trouble for once again humiliating their little brother.

The only relief Mama Flyer felt was hearing the word, ‘think,’ which indicated that her children did not know the truth about Petrie being in love with Ducky. Deep down, she was extraordinarily relieved to know that their secret was still safe, but she would not let her troublemaking children go unpunished.

“How could you make fun of Petrie that way!?” she shouted furiously at them with an angry glare, “What makes you think that he would possibly fall in love with Ducky!? We are Flyers, but she is a Swimmer, and nobody, and I mean, NOBODY, talks about that in the Great Valley! Petrie and Ducky are simply best friends, but they are not in love with each other! In a place where such a relationship is strictly forbidden, that is the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my life! How dare you!? All of you! Teasing your brother in such a way like that!? It was already bad enough when you constantly harassed him during the cold time with your endless comments about him being a nest-wetting crybaby in your eyes, but THIS!? Oh, I can’t believe you still haven’t learned a thing about teasing my youngest child; my little Petrie! I told you that we are meant to respect each other equally in this family, but you still haven’t gotten the message! I can’t believe you, children! I’ve never been this angry with my kids until now! Do you have any idea what you’ve just put your brother through!?”

Petrie felt relieved that his mother was covering up his secret relationship with Ducky from his siblings, but even then, he could still feel his eyes building up with tears. His siblings’ harsh words had left him feeling so hurt inside, especially considering that they apparently hadn’t learned their lesson after that cold time.

The younger sister then spoke up.

“We didn’t mean it when we said that Petrie and Ducky were…”

“NOT ANOTHER WORD!” Mama Flyer screeched loudly, scaring everyone else present, “I will not hear another word about this matter, and what happens between Petrie and his friends is none of your business! I repeat: none of your business!”

Petrie’s siblings all cowered in fear and backed against a wall. They knew that this time they had really crossed the line.

“Now, children, I believe you all owe your poor brother, Petrie, a sincere and formal apology!” demanded Mama Flyer.

The Flyer children all looked at Petrie, and they weren’t surprised to see that his eyes were leaking tears, and his beak was quivering as he tried to maintain his angry expression, which had by now turned into one of hurt and humiliation. They knew they had once again hurt their youngest brother deeply.

“Well, kids, go on,” said Mama Flyer sternly, “Say you’re sorry.”

However, just as one of his sisters was about to open her mouth and apologize …

“No! Forget it!” Petrie yelled, causing all his siblings and his shocked mother to take a step back, “Me no care if you sorry or not!”

“Petrie, calm down,” said Mama Flyer, trying to calm her son down, but he coldly shoved her hand away.

“You never stop teasing me!” Petrie continued his rant as he glared hatefully at his siblings, “You never forgive me for all those Day of Flyers practice mess-ups, you make fun of how me miss me uncle Pterano, you make fun of how me have night terrors that make me wet nest at night, and now you make fun of me best friend Ducky and say me in love with her!? Some brothers and sisters you turn out to be!”

“Petrie, we’re really sor-,” said the middle brother, but Petrie rebuffed his apology before he could finish.

“Me never forgive any of you! Me had enough! Me wish me had much nicer brothers and sisters!” Petrie yelled before screaming on top of his lungs, “ME HATE YOU!”

The Flyer children could only stare at their brother with shock as he finally turned his back on them and ran off towards the cave entrance, crying hysterically as their insults towards him and Ducky spiraled in his mind.

Mama Flyer was just as shocked as her children as she watched Petrie bury his head in his wings in absolute despair. He had never heard her son say those words to his siblings before, even despite what they had done to him during the cold time, but after throwing those heartless insults at him and his dear friend, that was the last straw for Petrie.

The Flyer turned back to her other children and glared at them with such unimaginable fury. If the punishment she gave them after bullying Petrie during the cold time wasn’t enough for them to learn their lesson and change their ways, she didn’t know what would be good enough. She seemed to have fallen into a no-win situation with her own kids when it came to trying to stop them harassing her youngest child, her precious Petrie.

“Well, children, I hope you’re happy,” she said sternly, trying her best not to start seething with rage, “You have driven Petrie right over the edge, and now he may not forgive you until after the next cold time has passed, if ever.”

The four children simply stood still, their backs against the wall as they anticipated another harsh punishment for humiliating their little brother yet again.

“Throwing him out into the frozen sky water after he wet on my wing because of a night terror was bad enough!” said Mama Flyer, panting as she tried desperately to keep her anger in, “Making fun of his friendship with Ducky by suggesting they are doing something we do not allow!? OH! I have no idea what kind of punishment could possibly put you in the right place once and for all! I can’t even look at you right now!”

The four kids looked at each other, worried that their mother could give them possibly the worst kind of Flyer punishment imaginable.

“One thing’s for sure, though: all four of you will be staying in the nest for a whole week!” finished Mama Flyer firmly.

“But Mama!?”

“No buts! Now, let me make something perfectly clear! If you EVER mention Petrie and Ducky in such light again, I will keep you in the nest until the end of the next Night Circle cycle! Do I make myself clear!?”

“Yes, Mama,” answered the children sadly.

“Good!” said Mama Flyer, “Now, none of you are going to move from that spot while I, with no thanks to you, try to cheer up your little brother whom you don’t even treat as a brother!”

She paused as she let out a deep sigh of frustration.

“I’ve had it up to here with all of you!” she finished, and she finally turned away from her guilty children and slowly approached Petrie.

The poor Flyer’s head was buried in his wings as he bawled his eyes out. She felt terrible for her son to have gone through so much pain from all that teasing, and she especially felt terrible for allowing Ducky to be teased in such a way.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the older Flyer approached her distraught son and sat next to him, and she gently tapped his back to get his attention.

“Petrie?” she whispered.

Petrie perked up when he heard his mother’s voice. He was only glad that it was her and not any of his heartless siblings.

“Ma-Mama?” he bawled as he revealed his drenched face, completely soaked in tears from his nose and eyelids down to his chin.

Mama Flyer couldn’t bear to see Petrie feeling so sad. Although the sight of his tears and the sound of his crying had become a very common occurrence during the cold time, it always made her tear up to see her precious boy so heartbroken. Even the thought of it would break her heart in much the same way. So, she promptly lifted her poor son and pampered him with a tight hug and a motherly kiss on his beak. Petrie responded by wrapping his arms around his mother’s neck while continuing to sob uncontrollably. The sky water pouring just outside their cave seemed to make it feel a lot more depressing, much like that terrible storm at the start of the cold time.

“Ssh. There, there, Petrie,” whispered Mama Flyer soothingly, “Your Mommy’s right here. It’s okay. They’re not going to pick on you anymore.”

“Th-tha-thank you, M-Mom-Mommy!” cried Petrie, knowing that as long as his mother was around there would be no endless teasing from his siblings.

“Anything for you, my little one,” said Mama Flyer warmly.

“M-me sorry me almost-,“ Petrie began before his mother shushed him, knowing what he was trying to apologize for.

“Sssh. It’s okay, my little Petrie. Don’t worry about that,” said Mama Flyer, “Although I definitely would not have been happy with you if you had punched your brothers and sisters like that. You know we don’t allow that here.”

“Me know,” sobbed Petrie, sinking his head in shame.

“But you can settle down now. Everything will be okay, dear,” whispered Mama Flyer warmly, smiling at her son.

Petrie perked up and exchanged a teary-eyed glance with his mother, and Mama Flyer gently rubbed her son’s eyes to dry off the tears, although more tears came down within seconds.

“It all stupid sky water’s fault,” Petrie pouted once he had managed to get a hold of himself.

“I’m sure this sky water won’t last all day,” assured Mama Flyer, “In a little while, hopefully, the Bright Circle will come out, and you can go play with your friends.”

“All me really wanted to do today was … be with Ducky,” Petrie whispered faintly into his mother’s ear.

Mama Flyer sighed sadly as she nuzzled her son’s face.

“I understand, Petrie,” she sympathized, “I’d be happy to help you with that, but we Flyers can’t go out when sky water is falling.”

“If me wings too wet, me no can fly. If me feet too wet, me get sick,” Petrie sighed in annoyance, imitating his mother’s voice, as he reminded himself of the lesson she had taught him about going out in sky water.

Mama Flyer could clearly see how annoyed Petrie was with the sky water, and she allowed him to sit on her lap while she kept her wings wrapped warmly around him as if she was protecting a newborn baby Flyer.

“How’s about I keep you warm until the sky water stops?” she offered her son.

With a sniffle, Petrie looked up and saw that his mother was grinning at him. He knew she wanted to keep him company so that he wouldn’t be alone. To him, being alone was a lot worse than being bored on a wet day.

“Okay, Mama,” he said softly with a cute grin as the last few tears escaped from his eyes.

“I love you, dear,” whispered Mama Flyer.

“Me love you, too, Mama,” replied Petrie as he felt touched by his mother’s love for him.

“That’s my little boy,” chuckled Mama Flyer, making her son blush and giggle briefly.

Without another word, both mother and son sat together and watched the sky water fall, while Petrie’s siblings simply sat in the back of the cave and stared with contempt at their brother as their mother snuggled him.


At the Swimmer family’s nest, Ducky had already had her tree star breakfast, as did Spike and the rest of her siblings. She looked sadly towards the direction she knew would lead to the Flyer family’s nest. She knew that Mama Flyer never allowed Petrie to go out in the sky water anymore, so she was sure that any chance they had of spending any time together at all today was gone.

“Why the long face, Ducky?” asked Mama Swimmer as she and her mate noticed their daughter’s sad expression, “You usually love the sky water.”

“Usually, yes, … but not today,” sighed Ducky.

Her parents were dumbstruck by this.

“Why would you suddenly not like sky water?” asked Papa Swimmer, “I’ve never heard that come from you.”

Ducky looked up to face her mother and father as her siblings walked past them, all wanting to play in the nearby river. Once her siblings had gone, she looked into her mother’s eyes and mouthed, “Petrie.”

“Oh,” said Mama Swimmer in realization, “I see what you mean.”

“Flyers really do have a lot of limitations on days like these,” sighed Papa Swimmer.

“Petrie’s mother never allows him to play in sky water anymore,” informed Ducky, “Not after he got-ed sick twice during the Days of Rising Waters.”

“I remember the second time that happened,” recalled Mama Swimmer, “I can still remember hearing how the poor fellow was on the brink of death before we gave him those white flowers.”

“The poor kid,” sympathized Papa Swimmer.

“Whenever Petrie’s feet get too wet from sky water, he gets sick very easily,” said Ducky, “The first time it happened-ed, and he got-ed a cold for a whole week. He did, he did.”

Her parents sighed sadly.

“And he cannot fly when his wings get too wet,” added Ducky.

“That we know,” replied Papa Swimmer.

At that moment, Spike ran up to Ducky and licked her cheek in that ever-so-playful fashion. The Swimmers could tell that he was eager to play with his foster sister.

“I’ll tell you what, Ducky,” said Mama Swimmer, “Why don’t you go play with Spike for now, and I’ll see if I can take you over to Petrie’s this afternoon, even if the sky water continues to fall by then.”

Ducky smiled at that idea. She always wondered how it would be like to be with Petrie on a wet day, since they had never had that opportunity before.

“Okay, Mama,” she agreed eagerly.

“Alright then,” chuckled Mama Swimmer as Spike licked Ducky’s face again, “Why don’t you two go out and play in the water?”

“Okay, Mama!” giggled Ducky, and she turned to her brother, “Come on, Spike! Let’s go splashing!”

In an instant, both the Swimmer and Spiketail ran towards the river and excitedly jumped in. In no time at all, the two foster siblings joined the rest of Ducky’s siblings and began playing their fun-filled splashing games that they always enjoyed on a wet day.

Mama Swimmer noticed his mate’s worried expression. She could tell that his worries about Ducky’s secret were rising again.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked uneasily, “If Petrie’s stuck at home all day because of the sky water, then chances are his brothers and sisters might be just as well. If we took Ducky over there, any one of them could get a clue from it.”

“Ducky and I will come up with some way to keep Petrie’s brothers and sisters from getting even the slightest clue,” assured Mama Swimmer, “I know some stories that will convince them that it’s nothing more than just a playdate much like any other day.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, dear,” sighed Papa Swimmer, “I can’t even begin to think what would happen. I happen to know for a fact that Petrie has a couple of quite pushy siblings.”

“And if Ducky’s determined to not let them hold her back, then I’m determined not to let it hold them back, too,” said Mama Swimmer determinedly.

“Well, … I wish you the best of luck, my dear,” said Papa Swimmer, nuzzling her mate.

“Thanks, dear. It’ll be easy,” chuckled Mama Swimmer, and the two watched their children play and splash each other in the river.


The next few hours came and went, but, to Petrie’s dismay, the sky water only grew heavier and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Sky fire strikes became more frequent, too, although none of them struck anywhere near the Flyer family’s home.

“Today stink!” pouted Petrie as his mother continued to cradle him in her lap, “Me wish sky water go ruin somebody else’s day!”

“I know, Petrie,” sighed Mama Flyer, “Sometimes, we just have to deal with days like these the hard way, whether we like it or not.”

“It no fair!” snorted Petrie in frustration, “Me never get to go out today.”

“I’m sorry today had to go like this, Petrie,” sympathized Mama Flyer.

“It not your fault, Mama,” sighed Petrie.

“Will you be okay if I head out and find you some lunch?” offered Mama Flyer.

“Me guess,” nodded Petrie hesitantly.

“I’ll be right back, dear,” said Mama Flyer as she gently set Petrie on the cave floor and left the safety of the cave once again to find some lunch.

Petrie sat where he was and stared blankly at the pouring sky water. His thoughts were only on Ducky as he frowned at the dark gray skies above. He couldn’t bear the thought of having to spend a whole day without her. He missed her so much that it tore him up inside.

As he sat there, heartbroken, he suddenly wondered how Ducky would be feeling about having the spend a whole day with him. He could only be sure that she missed him just as much as he missed her.

“Me miss you so much today, Ducky,” thought Petrie to himself as he struggled to keep in the tears that were building up in his eyes, “Me wish we get to be together today. Why this sky water have to stop us from playing today? Me miss your warm hugs and kisses! Me need you, Ducky!”

Just as Petrie was about to sink his head and cry again, Mama Flyer returned with two tree stars; one for him, and one for herself.

“Here you go, Petrie,” the older Flyer said kindly as she handed her son a tree star.

“Thanks, Mama,” sighed Petrie in a dull tone as he accepted the tree star and slowly began to nibble on it.

Mama Flyer sat down next to her bored son, and they slowly began eating their lunch.

“Judging from what I saw from the skies just now, I’m afraid this sky water might last all day,” sighed Mama Flyer.

That was the last thing Petrie wanted to hear, and he sank his head in defeat and despair. Mama Flyer felt terrible for giving him the news that his entire day was ruined, and she wished she hadn’t said it.

“I’m very sorry, Petrie,” she sympathized, “Maybe tomorrow.”

“No flying for whole day feel worse than no playing for whole day!” he pouted.

“There’s always tomorrow, sweetie, and the day after that, and so on,” explained Mama Flyer, although Petrie appeared to be buying none of it.

“Me no can stand sitting in this cave for whole day,” he sighed in frustration.

“Sometimes, there’s things in life we just can’t control, Petrie,” said his mother, “Today is just one of those days.”

Petrie had run out of words to criticize the miserable weather, so he laid back against the wall and stared out at the pouring sky water again. He wanted to curse at it for ruining his entire day and his plans he had with it, but he had nothing more to say, so he stayed silent and sat lazily against the wall with his partially-eaten tree star on his lap.

“Aren’t you going to finish your lunch, dear?” asked Mama Flyer.

“When me in mood,” answered Petrie, looking so impatient as he continued to stare out the cave entrance in boredom.


Ducky had just finished her lunch, and she decided that now would be a good time to take a stroll over to Petrie’s place. The moment her mother granted her permission to go, she lifted her daughter onto her back and carried her across the river on their way to the Flyer home. Ducky was worried that her time with Petrie today would more than likely be less to nothing, but she was determined to brighten his day whatever it took.

In almost no time, Ducky peeked ahead and found herself looking at the large rock that was Petrie’s home. She could feel her heartbeat increasing with excitement as she anticipated getting to see her beloved Petrie.

“I cannot wait to surprise Petrie again,” she giggled to her mother, “He is going to love it when I come over! Yep, yep, yep!”

“That depends, dear,” said Mama Swimmer, and she lowered her tail and allowed her daughter to slide her way down to the ground.

Once her feet had touched the ground, the little Swimmer was running up the narrow, rocky pathway that led from the ground to the ledge in front of the Flyer cave. She panted with each step she took, but she was careful to be as quiet as possible in the event that Petrie and his mother were not the only ones home.

Eventually, she spotted the ever-so-familiar ledge, and she gently knocked on one of the rocks next to the entrance five times to get the attention of anyone who might be inside.

“Well, well, I wonder who this could be?” she heard Mama Flyer say.

“No one me expecting. That for sure,” came Petrie’s pouty voice.

Ducky could tell immediately that her boyfriend had gone through a day of boredom because of the sky water, and she wasn’t at all surprised. However, she felt sad that Petrie was bored, and she wanted to do something about it.

“I’m going to go see if anyone’s outside. I’ll be right back, okay?” came Mama Flyer’s voice from inside.

“Okay, Mama,” sighed Petrie sadly.

A few seconds later, Mama Flyer stepped outside and looked to her left to see Mama Swimmer standing a few feet away. The Flyer nearly jolted in surprise but quickly calmed herself down.

“Hello there,” she whispered to her, trying not to gain her children’s attention.

“Hi, Ms. Flyer,” whispered Mama Swimmer, “I’m sorry for showing up on such short notice, … but … a certain someone … insisted.”

She pointed a finger behind Mama Flyer, and she promptly turned back to find Ducky hiding next to the entrance, away from the children’s line of sight. She was very surprised to see the little Swimmer at a time like this.

“Oh, … hi, Ducky,” the Flyer whispered.

“Hi, Ms. Flyer,” replied Ducky, “Is Petrie home?”

Mama Flyer sighed with dread. Although she knew that Ducky meant well, she had picked probably the worst time to see Petrie. With all her children stuck at home, it would be too easy for her kids to realize just what Petrie and Ducky had been up to. That, in turn, could only mean dreadful times ahead for them all.

“He is, but I can’t let him out today, or any of my kids, for that matter,” answered Mama Flyer.

Ducky felt a lump in her throat as her and her mother’s worst fear had come true, just as they had predicted. She knew she had to avoid being spotted by Petrie’s siblings when in his presence or face probable banishment if any one of them was really that stupid enough to betray their little brother so heartlessly.

“Oh, … um, … can I …,” she began before Mama Flyer spoke up.

“I know you mean well, Ducky, but Petrie can’t be out in sky water,” sympathized Mama Flyer.

“I was wondering … if … maybe we could just spend a little while, … over by my nest? I have a very good hiding near my nest,” offered Ducky.

“You really want to brighten his day in some way or another, aren’t you?” sighed Mama Flyer.

Ducky eagerly nodded her head.

Mama Flyer thought hard for a moment. She could tell that Ducky was absolutely willing to give some form of happiness to Petrie’s bad day, no matter what she had to do. She knew it would be heartbreaking for both of them if the sky water prevented that from happening. She began to understand just how much Ducky and Petrie truly meant to each other. It wasn’t just their love for each other that brought them happiness, but simply the idea of spending time together always cheered Petrie up whenever he sensed the chance of it happening. The two really did mean so much for each other in so many ways.

Finally, having made up her mind, Mama Flyer nodded at Ducky and answered, “I think I can make an exception just this once.”

“Really?” gasped Ducky in astonishment, “You would really do that?”

“Of course, I would, little one,” grinned Mama Flyer, “After all, Petrie misses you very much today.”

“I miss him very much, too,” sighed Ducky, “I would be happy to cheer him up if he is having a bad day. I would, I would.”

“Alright, Ducky,” chuckled Mama Flyer, “You stay right here, and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, Ms. Flyer,” nodded Ducky.

Mama Flyer walked back into the cave and saw that Petrie was still slumped back against the wall, looking incredibly bored.

“Petrie, one of your friends wants to see you,” she informed her son.

“Who that be?” asked Petrie in dull tone.

“I suppose you’d better step outside and see for yourself,” chuckled Mama Flyer, not wanting his siblings to get any ideas.

“But me no can go outside in sky water,” objected Petrie.

“You have my permission today, Petrie,” smiled Mama Flyer, “Go ahead and step outside, dear.”

Dumbfounded from this sudden development, Petrie slowly made his way outside and looked around until he noticed Mama Swimmer winking at him. He looked in the other direction and just managed to hold a gasp of joy as he saw Ducky standing right in front of him.

It just couldn’t be! Had Ducky really gone through all this trouble just to cheer him up on a wet day? It had never been like any of his friends to do this in the past. With every day that passed, Petrie was seeing so many new things about Ducky that he had never seen before. He could only guess that it was their secret love for each other that had brought a new side to the Swimmer that the Flyer could only love seeing from her.

“D-Ducky?” the Flyer hatchling whispered.

“Yes, Petrie. I am here … just for you,” replied Ducky with a wink and a grin.

Petrie’s eyes leaked tears of happiness. Right up until now, he was sure they would not get to see each other today, but here she was, a surprise guest who wanted nothing more than to be with him, just as he wanted nothing more than to be with her.

“Me so happy to see you, Ducky,” sobbed Petrie happily as Ducky lifted him off his feet and enveloped him in a hug as she slowly carried him down the pathway.

“I am so happy to see you, too, Petrie. Yep, yep, yep,” whispered Ducky.

Mama Swimmer was waiting at the bottom of the topmost hill as her daughter came down with Petrie in her arms. The little Swimmer jumped into her mother’s arms.

“Me feel so bored and lonely today,” sighed Petrie sadly before he gazed at Ducky’s eyes, “But me no feel so lonely anymore now that you here.”

“I am always happy to keep you company whenever you are feeling sad or lonely,” said Ducky before he kissed Petrie’s beak, “You do not deserve to be left alone just because of the sky water. No, no, no.”

Petrie smiled as he let his happy tears flow from his eyes and drizzle down his face, and he kissed Ducky’s bill in return.

“Are you okay spending some time with us at our nest, Petrie?” asked Mama Swimmer.

“Me okay, Ducky Mama,” Petrie eagerly nodded, “It really help after me bad, boring day.”

“Petrie, be back before dark, okay?” called Mama Flyer.

Petrie looked up towards the ledge in front of his home and replied, “Okay, Mama! See you soon!”

“See you soon, dear!” his mother responded before she winked at Mama Swimmer with a smile and turned back inside the cave.

Mama Swimmer winked back and went on her way with Ducky and Petrie in her arms.

“So, has it really been that bad of a day, Petrie?” asked Mama Swimmer kindly.

“Yeah,” sighed Petrie, “It pretty rough day.”

Ducky frowned as she looked at her boyfriend. She felt so sad to hear that he had been having a bad day, and she was relieved that her presence had taken all those feelings of loneliness and sadness away and replaced it with happiness and love.

“I am so sorry to hear you have not had a good day, Petrie,” the Swimmer sympathized.

“Me brothers and sisters give me hard time this morning. Me no wanna talk about it, though,” the Flyer sighed.

“You do not have to talk about it if you do not want to,” said Ducky, “All that matters to me is that you are happy because you have a special someone to be with you while the sky water falls.”

“You so sweet, Ducky,” sniffled Petrie.

“I know you are, too, Petrie,” chuckled Ducky, making the Flyer blush.

“Me love you, Ducky,” whispered Petrie.

“I love you, too, Petrie,” Ducky replied in a whisper.

With that, the two loving kids kissed each other passionately and delicately, sucking each other’s faces and twirling each other’s tongues as they stared seductively at each other. Mama Swimmer couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her daughter smooching her loving boyfriend. She felt so proud for the both of them for having found their love and devotion to each other, and she was so happy for her daughter to have found the love of her life, even at such a young age and being a different kind than he was. She hoped that their unconditional love for each other would last a long time. She didn’t care what others thought about it.

Once the two finished their smooch and began gasping for air, the older Swimmer gently patted her daughter’s back to get her attention, and she smiled at her proudly. Ducky returned the smile, accompanied by a smile from Petrie.

“I’m so proud of the both of you, children,” Mama Swimmer beamed proudly, “You two are perfect for each other, and I hope you two stay together for a long time.”

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other and smiled brightly. Hearing such words coming from Ducky’s mother gave them warm feelings in their chests as their hearts melted happily. They knew right then that they intended to stay together for as long as they both would live.

“I love you, Petrie,” whispered Ducky once more.

“Me love you, too, Ducky,” Petrie replied before they kissed again.

“I hope you will be mine forever,” grinned Ducky.

Petrie blushed deep red and his beak quivered, “Me hope you mine forever, too.”

Ducky blushed just as deeply as Petrie, and his bill quivered a little as tears leaked from her eyes.

Eventually, the three arrived at the Swimmer nest, and Mama Swimmer gently set Ducky and Petrie back down. As Ducky quickly led Petrie to a hiding spot next to the nest, Papa Swimmer watched and was very surprised to see that they had a guest.

“So, I see you managed to bring him out of that little cave for a while,” he chuckled.

“I suppose his mother really felt sorry for him and decided it was best that they spend a little time together,” said Mama Swimmer.

“Well, as long as those two are happy, I’m happy,” smiled Papa Swimmer.

“Me, too, dear,” replied Mama Swimmer, and the two chuckled as they watched Ducky and Petrie jump into a bush underneath some trees. The sound of Ducky’s cute laughs brought smiles to her parents’ faces as they listened.

From then on, the rest of the day would be nothing but hugs, kisses and cute games for the two kids as they cuddled and smooched each other during their couple of hours underneath the bush. Mama Swimmer would keep watching over them to make sure that none of her other children or Spike would catch the two in the act. Thankfully, none of them did. Not even the occasional sound of sky fire would manage to startle Petrie as long as Ducky kept him company and gave him so much love with her constant hugs and kisses.


Eventually, the skies became very dark, as the sky water continued to fall, and the Bright Circle had obviously started to set, hidden beneath all the sky puffies. By now, the rest of the Swimmer children, along with Spike, had returned home for the evening, and Petrie knew it would be time for him to return home before his mother started to worry about him.

“Kids,” came Mama Swimmer’s whispering voice as she peeked inside the nest that Ducky and Petrie were hiding in, “It’s getting late. It’s time to come out and get some sleep, … and Petrie, … I’d say it’s time you flew back home.”

The two children sighed sadly as they looked at each other. Ducky, in particular, looked as though she was pleading Petrie not to leave.

“Well, … me guess it time for me to go, Ducky,” sighed Petrie.

Ducky sighed sadly as she heard those words. She secretly wondered if Petrie would have interest in spending the night with her and Spike, but, alas, that would most likely never be an option; not without the possibility of her other siblings getting a possible glimpse of the two. Even the idea of Ducky spending the night at Petrie’s would never be an option, given how pushy they always were with him.

“I hope to see you tomorrow, Petrie,” said Ducky in a sad voice.

“Me hope there no sky water tomorrow so we can be together outside and enjoying Great Valley,” said Petrie.

“Me, too, Petrie,” said Ducky as the two shared one more hug before they stepped out from the bush, “Tomorrow we can go exploring the valley if our friends are not waiting for us.”

“Me sure they might not be,” assumed Petrie, “After all, Cera probably no wanna play anytime soon.”

“What do you mean, Cera may not want to play?” asked Mama Swimmer curiously.

Ducky and Petrie sighed in disappointment. They knew they would have to express their concerns about their secret being in potential jeopardy whenever they and their friends got together.

“Cera get suspicious about us,” said Petrie.

Mama Swimmer knew immediately what those words meant, and she quickly grew frantic with worry.

“She’s trying to find out?” she said.

“Yeah, but Littlefoot is doing everything he can to hide it from her,” explained Ducky.

“Me hope it can stay away from her until Littlefoot know what to do,” added Petrie.

“What did Littlefoot say he wanted to do?” asked Mama Swimmer.

“He has not decided yet, … but he said-ed he wanted-ed to inform his grandma and grandpa if this suddenly gets out of hand,” said Ducky.

“Well, I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Longneck would be very understanding of our situation,” said Mama Swimmer, “They have such great hearts towards all of you children, so I’d imagine they would be supportive of your relationship once they understand the essence of it.”

“Me hope so,” gulped Petrie nervously, still not feeling sure if Grandpa and Grandma Longneck would be feeling supportive of such a relationship, “Anyways, me better get going.”

Ducky quickly smooched Petrie’s face, earning a blushing smile from the little Flyer, “I love you, Petrie.”

“Me love you, too, Ducky,” chuckled Petrie, returning the kiss on his girlfriend’s face, making her blush, too, and he turned to her mother, “Bye, Ducky Mom.”

“I’ll see you soon, Petrie,” chuckled Mama Swimmer.

“See you tomorrow, my Funny Flyer,” whispered Ducky.

“See you tomorrow, me Sweet Swimmer,” smiled Petrie cutely.

With those last few words, Petrie ran to get himself a running start before flapping his wings to get himself airborne. Ducky and her mother watched as the little Flyer took off and began his flight back home.


Mama Flyer was waiting anxiously for Petrie to return home as the sky water continued to fall. Ever since Ducky and her mother came to bring him over to their nest for a little playdate, she couldn’t help but feel concerned for him. For all she knew, anything could have happened, good or bad.

Eventually, she looked outside and felt all her worries disappear as she saw the welcoming sight of her son flying towards her, and as he got closer, she could see a smile on his beak. This meant only one thing: Ducky had treated him to yet another delightful time.

“Hi, Mommy!” Petrie called delightfully as he touched down on the ledge.

“Hi, Petrie!” chuckled Mama Flyer happily as she pulled her son in and hugged him tightly, “Did you have a good time?”

“Me sure did!” giggled Petrie, “We have very good time!”

“I was beginning to worry about you, but I’m glad you’re home, my little Petrie,” said Mama Flyer.

“Oh, Mama!” blushed Petrie.

“Now, let’s go inside and get some sleep,” said Mama Flyer, carrying her son inside.

Petrie’s smile slowly turned into a frown once he saw that all four of his siblings were still awake and staring at him with contempt, but their mother let out a stern cough to make them look away.

The little Flyer walked to the back of the cave and sat down, looking rather glum.

“Hey, why the long face, Petrie?” asked his mother as she sat beside him.

Petrie answered by simply casting a cold look at each of his siblings, and his mother understood immediately. To her, it seemed as though going from playing and making love with Ducky to being glared at by his hated siblings had brought his mood down tremendously. At a time like this, he couldn’t bear being in the same space as his brothers and sisters.

Mama Flyer sympathetically looked at Petrie and gave him a brief tickle to get the ends of his mouth to point upward again.

“Heheheheheeheeheeheehee! Mohohohommeeheeheeheehy! Staahahahahahahop!” the Flyer giggled adorably as the ticklish sensations drove him into an uncontrollable fit.

“You’ve had a good time, Petrie, and I’d like to see that sweet smile again, my sweet, little one,” chuckled Mama Flyer playfully, setting her son lying down on her lap and continuously tickling him, ignoring the groaning from his annoyed siblings.

“Pleeheeheeheehease nohohohoho mohohohohore!” laughed Petrie.

“Maybe once you say ‘uncle’,” teased Mama Flyer.

“Uhuhunclehehehehehehehe!” laughed Petrie in a bubbly voice as saliva leaked from his mouth due to excessive giggling, prompting his mother to stop tickling him.

The little Flyer panted for nearly a minute as he recovered from the tickle torture, and he looked up at her a strange look on his face.

“That feel so crazy!” he complained sarcastically.

“Well, how else could I keep that adorable smile on your face, my dear?” chuckled Mama Flyer.

Petrie couldn’t help but chuckle as the two grinned at each other.

“I love you, dear,” soothed Mama Flyer.

“Me love you, too, Mama,” replied Petrie cutely as he received a motherly kiss right on his beak, making him blush in embarrassment and put on such an adorable smile that his mother could only smile right back at, “Aww, Mama!”

“That’s my little boy,” grinned Mama Flyer, “Now then, it’s time for sleep.”

Petrie sighed sadly as he didn’t feel like going to sleep yet, but right at that moment, he let out a yawn, indicating that the tickle torture his mother gave him had just about worn him out.

“It seems that I applied that magic touch again,” commented Mama Flyer.

“Mama,” sighed Petrie sarcastically.

“Time for sleep, sweetheart,” chuckled Mama Flyer.

“You win, Mama,” Petrie sighed in defeat, and his mother lied down and grabbed his snuggling stick for him.

“Just you wait, Petrie,” she said as she tucked him into her wings, “Tomorrow will be a new day and hopefully the Bright Circle will come out again.”

“Me hope,” replied Petrie.

“I love you, Petrie,” said Mama Flyer soothingly.

“Me love you, too, Mama,” Petrie said once more before he yawned and closed his eyes, “Goodnight, Mama.”

“Goodnight, Petrie.”

With that, the two Flyers settled down to sleep while the sound of the sky water gently soothed their senses.

The only thing Petrie hoped for as he settled down to sleep was that tomorrow would have lovely weather again.

Man, this chapter was such a pain to get done. I really should try catching a break before starting the next one.

I'm sure we can all say that there's one lesson Petrie has learned today: even on a wet day, there can still be something fun to do whenever you have company, like Ducky.

I'll take a day off before getting chapter 9 ready for the weekend. At the rate I've been going, I should give it a rest before picking up the pace again.

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 9

Happiness All Around

As morning broke over the Great Valley, Petrie twitched and turned in his sleep once the Bright Circle’s rays of light managed to poke through his eyelids. He involuntarily turned himself around in his mother’s wings, but he soon gave up on getting anymore sleep. The Flyer opened his eyes and yawned while stretching his wings. This got his mother to wake up, and she slowly sat up and stretched her wings before she looked down at her son.

“Good morning, Petrie,” she whispered.

“Good morning, Mama,” Petrie replied as he set his snuggling stick down and crawled out of his mother's wings.

The Flyer looked out towards the cave entrance and noticed something …

Light.

Light from the Bright Circle! It was so bright outside that it felt too good to be true after yesterday’s awful storm.

Petrie smiled in delight and almost couldn’t contain his excitement as he imagined himself having another sweet day out with Ducky. After spending nearly all of yesterday being confined within his home, he couldn’t wait to fly back outside and have lots of fun with the Swimmer he loved.

“Today feel so happy already,” he chuckled to himself quietly, trying not to wake his sleeping siblings.

“Why do you say that, Petrie?” asked Mama Flyer.

“Sky water stopped. Bright Circle come out today,” smiled Petrie, and he eagerly ran outside onto the ledge and looked down to find the Great Valley looking bright and shiny once again just like it was meant to be. He gasped and smiled in delight at the wondrous sight, and a sense of excitement rose in his chest. He seemed to be breathing a little quickly as his excitement only grew.

Mama Flyer looked outside and saw that the Bright Circle was once more shining beautifully over the Great Valley. It looked like a splendid morning.

She glanced at her son and noticed him breathing ecstatically from excitement, and she instinctively wrapped a wing around him to calm him down.

“Okay, dear. Settle down,” she said, “I know you’re excited, but you need to have your breakfast first.”

“But me no want to wait for breakfast!” complained Petrie, and his mother chuckled at his response.

“Lucky you don’t have to wait a few extra minutes, because I just so happen to have saved a few tree stars from yesterday,” Mama Flyer informed her son, and she revealed a tree star to Petrie and handed it to him.

“Yippee!” Petrie squealed in excitement as he eagerly began to eat his breakfast.

Mama Flyer giggled as she watched Petrie’s eccentric behavior. She felt happy for him that he would be able to go outside again and have lots of fun, whether it would be with all his friends or just with Ducky.

Before long, Petrie had finished his tree star, and he turned to smile up at his mother.

“Going out to play, dear?” assumed Mama Flyer.

“Yep, yep, yep!” giggled Petrie, unable to resist using Ducky’s catchphrase since he loved it so much.

“I thought that was Ducky’s phrase,” laughed Mama Flyer.

“Me love it so much, me thought me use it for once!” chortled Petrie, “Well, see you later, Mama!”

“See you later, Petrie!” Mama Flyer replied as her son flapped his wings to get himself in the air.

“It so much fun being a young Flyer!” Petrie laughed to himself as he happily flew over the Great Valley, knowing exactly where he would be going this morning. He hummed a little tune as he soared over the valley, unable to contain his happiness …

“It so much fun being a Flyer.

It so much fun being me.

Me got me eyes in the sky, me can play low or high!

Just the way me always like to be!”

He laughed at his own cute little song and flew his way to the one place he felt just somewhat more welcome than he did at home.


At the Swimmer family’s nest, Ducky had awakened once the Bright Circle hit her eyelids, and she opened her eyes and sat up just as Spike groaned behind her and stretched his limbs.

“Well, I cannot always be the first one up,” Ducky thought to herself as she sighed and stood up before stretching her arms.

“Oh, good morning, Ducky. Good morning, Spike,” her mother greeted them.

“Good morning, Mama,” Ducky replied.

It was then that the little Swimmer looked around and came to realize just how beautiful the Great Valley was with the Bright Circle’s light, compared to yesterday when the sky water storm hit. The green grass shined beautifully as some of it was still damp from the recent sky water, and the nearby river glistened gorgeously.

“My, what a beautiful day,” Ducky said to herself with a smile as she admired the surrounding landscape.

“It sure is, Ducky,” agreed Mama Swimmer.

“Come over here and have some breakfast, then you can go out and play with all your friends,” called Papa Swimmer.

Although Ducky always liked the idea of playing with all her friends, the only friend she really wanted to play with was Petrie. Since Cera was still trying to barge in on the truth, she didn’t feel very comfortable being anywhere near her.

Without hesitation, Ducky joined her siblings and shared two tree stars with three of her sisters.

Within moments, all the Swimmer children had finished their breakfast, along with Spike, and Ducky stood up and gazed towards the river. She wondered how Petrie would be feeling once he saw that today’s weather was a lot better than yesterday.

“I am going to go find my friends, Mama,” the Swimmer smiled.

Then, she noticed her mother looking up towards the river as if she was gazing at something.

“I see someone’s already come over to save you some of the trouble,” she commented.

Just as Ducky turned to see who it was, she heard a singing voice which she thought was so adorable …

“It so much fun being a Flyer.

It so much fun being me!

Me can be anywhere, high or low, here or there!

Just the way me always like to be!”

Ducky smiled with delight as she heard Petrie’s cute voice, and the Flyer came soaring down towards that same rock as the day before last and set his feet on it. Her mother giggled and smiled as she listened to his voice. In her eyes, Petrie had such cute ways of making surprise entrances to her family’s home these days.

“Petrie!” the Swimmer squealed in excitement as she ran towards her boyfriend as fast as she could.

“Ducky!” the Flyer replied with a giggle in anticipation that his girlfriend was about to grab him and nearly crush him in a hug.

Sure enough, just as Petrie had predicted, Ducky ran right up to him, grabbed him with both arms and squeezed him in a tight hug while rocking him from side-to-side like a baby. Then, she eagerly smooched his beak for several seconds, releasing him with a big, “Mwuah!”

Petrie blushed deeply in embarrassment and happiness as the love Ducky gave him instantly melted his heart warmly.

“Good morning, my Funny Flyer,” the Swimmer said cutely.

“Good morning, me Sweet Swimmer,” the Flyer replied adorably.

“I am so glad you could finally come back outside to enjoy this wonderful Great Valley! Yep, yep, yep!” chuckled Ducky.

“Me, too! Uh-huh!” agreed Petrie with a smile before kissing Ducky’s bill.

“Hey, guys!” called a very familiar voice nearby.

Ducky and Petrie looked around and spotted Littlefoot running towards them with an excited look on his face. They knew what that smile was for.

“Hi, Littlefoot!” the Swimmer and Flyer said together as their Longneck friend stopped in front of them.

“I’m happy to say that we have a good chance of us having some fun today,” announced Littlefoot.

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other nervously. They desperately hoped that a particular Threehorn would not be among them today.

“Um,” muttered Petrie.

“Cera had to go with her father to collect something for Tricia, so she won’t be joining us today,” whispered Littlefoot.

Ducky and Petrie instantly perked up and smiled at the Longneck.

“We be happy to join you!” smiled Petrie.

“Yep, yep, yep!” agreed Ducky, and she turned to her Spiketail brother, “Are you coming, Spike?”

Just as she finished her question, Spike appeared from behind the ground star plant he was eating, and he licked Ducky’s face.

“Spike!” giggled Ducky, “That tickles! It does, it does!”

“Me take that as ‘yes’,” commented Petrie with a playful chuckle.

“Are Chomper and Ruby joining us, too?” asked Ducky.

“Yes,” answered Littlefoot, “They’ll be waiting for us near the Secret Caverns. Come on, let’s get going!”

“Have a good time, kids!” called Mama Swimmer.

“We will, Mama!” Ducky called back, “See you later!”

“See you later, Ducky and Spike!” replied Mama Swimmer.

With nothing but smiles on their faces, the four friends hurried on their way towards the Secret Caverns to meet up with Chomper and Ruby.


Throughout the morning, the six kids all enjoyed playing some of their most favorite games, even those they would occasionally play whenever Cera was not around. For some of the kids, it felt a little empty without Cera being included today, but Ducky and Petrie felt rather happy to not have to deal with the Threehorn’s constant complaining and bickering suspicions about them. Of course, though, Littlefoot couldn’t help but notice that whenever Ducky and Petrie were close to each other, they would exchange cute smiles. He knew what those smiles were for, but he felt worried about how Spike, Chomper and Ruby would react. If any one of them found out?

Around lunchtime, the Longneck’s fears came true when he noticed Chomper and Ruby once again taking notice of how odd the Swimmer and Flyer were acting. He feared they were going to ask him what was going on with their smaller friends. In his mind, it was only a matter of time.

But could he trust them? There could still be even the slightest risk that one or both of them could spill the truth, even accidentally, and if that ever happened, Ducky and Petrie’s lives could potentially be ruined forever. Littlefoot couldn’t even begin to picture the dreadful consequences that could have the potential to negatively affect all their lives.

“There they go again,” Chomper whispered to Ruby as they watched the Swimmer and Flyer smiling at each other in a strange way.

“I think we should ask Littlefoot if he’s taken any notice, since he probably knows what is going on,” suggested Ruby.

“You’re right,” agreed Chomper, “They’ve been doing this for some time now. He must know something by now.”

While Littlefoot, Ducky and Petrie decided to eat some sweet bubbles, Spike helped himself to a ground star plant, and Chomper and Ruby started catching some bugs that were flying right over them.

It was then that Littlefoot looked to make sure that Spike was preoccupied with his lunch, then he turned over to Ducky and Petrie.

“How have you two been doing?” the Longneck asked in a whisper.

“Oh, we have been doing very good,” answered Ducky with Petrie nodding along with her, “Petrie and I have discovered-ed how much we truly love each other.”

“We so happy together, and we hope to stay together forever,” added Petrie.

“I’m happy to hear that,” grinned Littlefoot, “I was worried about you when all that sky water fell yesterday.”

“Yesterday so boring,” sighed Petrie sadly as he remembered yesterday’s dull events before Ducky invited him over to her home, “Until Ducky invite me over and we have good time.”

“That sounds cute,” chuckled Littlefoot.

“Yeah,” agreed Ducky and Petrie.

Then, something struck Littlefoot’s mind …

“But wait. Ducky, if you invited Petrie over to your home, … then, … did anyone …”

“We hid-ed under a bush so that my brothers and sisters would not see us,” explained Ducky, “It was a very good hiding place.”

Petrie nodded in agreement and grinned.

Littlefoot sighed in relief just as Chomper and Ruby came up behind him.

“Littlefoot, … do you mind if we ask Ducky and Petrie what’s been going on lately?” asked Ruby.

“We don’t want to bother you guys with this, but we can’t help but notice that you two have been acting a little … strange … lately,” put in Chomper.

Littlefoot sighed unhappily, while Ducky and Petrie gulped nervously. They weren’t very keen on letting any of their other friends know the truth about their secret love. If either one of them were given the truth and let it spill for any reason, they’d never forgive them.

Spike suddenly appeared next to Ducky and nuzzled her. It was obvious that the Spiketail had eaten enough ground stars for now.

The Longneck looked down at Ducky and Petrie. He could tell they were scared of what would happen if their Spiketail, Sharptooth and Fast Runner friends learned the truth. What would happen if anyone of them spread the word to the rest of the Great Valley residents? Anything could be possible, the good or the bad.

“I’m not sure if this is something that should be discussed right now,” sighed Littlefoot.

“We promise we’ll keep this to ourselves,” promised Chomper pleadingly.

“We promise to keep this a secret, since secrets must be kept to ourselves,” added Ruby.

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other once more. They knew there was no turning back now. If Spike, Chomper and Ruby desperately wanted to know the truth, then they would have to know sooner or later. The only hope was that they wouldn’t spread it to anyone else.

“Me guess we have to tell them, Ducky,” gulped Petrie.

“You are right, Petrie,” sighed Ducky sadly.

“Is there something dreadfully wrong?” asked Chomper, “You look as if something horrible has been happening.”

“It may be horrible to others,” said Petrie nervously.

“Horrible to others?” said a dumbstruck Ruby, “What do you mean?”

“It involves something that is not acceptable in the Great Valley,” explained Littlefoot.

Spike let out a moan, indicating that he was quite surprised that his sister was involved in something that the Great Valley dinosaurs would discourage.

“What has been going on that involves the two of you and would be discouraged in the Great Valley?” asked a confused Chomper.

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other, and they knew that now was the moment to say what they dreaded to say …

“We are in love.”

“We in love.”

Chomper, Ruby and Spike all gasped in astonishment. Ducky and Petrie in love? A Swimmer and a Flyer falling for each other at the age of just seven cold times? No dinosaur had ever heard of such a thing happening anywhere on Earth, and yet here it was happening: a Swimmer child and a Flyer child secretly in love with each other. To them, it felt so amazing that such a thing could happen.

“You two are in love?” gasped Ruby.

“That’s amazing!” said Chomper with a smile of amazement, accompanied by a nod from Spike.

“To us, yes, … but to others, maybe not,” said Petrie sadly.

“Why not?” asked Ruby, “What’s wrong with a Swimmer and a Flyer being in love with each other?”

“For one thing, we are too young to be mates,” Ducky explained, “Secondly, the Great Valley dinosaurs do not like relationships between those of different kinds.”

“What’s wrong with relationships between different kinds?” gasped Chomper in shock, feeling that nothing could possibly be wrong with such relationships.

“Nobody feels comfortable with the idea of one kind joining another,” said Littlefoot.

“I think it’s fascinating,” said Chomper.

“Me not so sure others agree,” Petrie disagreed.

“So, … that’s what you’ve been trying to keep secret from us for the past couple of days?” said Ruby.

“Yes,” sighed Ducky.

“Have you even told anybody?” asked Ruby.

“My Mommy and Daddy, and his mommy,” answered Ducky, “Littlefoot found-ed out when he saw us kissing.”

“Why didn’t you tell us, Littlefoot?” asked Chomper as he looked up at his Longneck friend.

“Because … they told me not to tell anyone. I gave my word that I would keep it a secret,” answered Littlefoot.

“That’s just silly,” said Ruby, “Why wouldn’t you want to tell the others?”

“Because they hate us if they find out,” replied Petrie.

“Please do not tell Cera about this,” begged Ducky, “If her father ever finds out, Petrie and I will be banished-ed to the Mysterious Beyond forever. Oh, yes, yes, yes.”

“Mr. Threehorn despises relationships like these, and he’s one of the most powerful figures in the Great Valley, along with my grandparents,” explained Littlefoot, “I’m pretty sure he would be throwing Ducky and Petrie out right now if he would have just learned the truth.”

Chomper and Ruby looked at each other with odd expressions, while Spike exchanged one with Littlefoot. They still couldn’t understand why some dinosaurs refused to accept the idea of love between different kinds. Why would it be considered a crime to fall in love with somebody from another kind? It felt just absurd and unthinkable to forbid those of different kinds from falling in love with each other. As far as they were concerned, love should have to be all about finding the dinosaur you thought would be perfect for you, regardless if it was a Longneck, a Threehorn, a Swimmer or a Flyer. This just didn’t add up very well.

“Why would anyone even think of forbidding these relationships?” said Chomper as he could feel a slight rage building up within him, “That is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard in my life! No one should have to be judged just by what kind they are! I mean, look how they treated me when Ruby and I first came here! It is just despicable!”

“And unacceptable!” agreed Ruby, “Just because someone of one kind falls in love with someone of another kind, doesn’t make them bad dinosaurs, because good dinosaurs fall in love with each other all the time.”

Ducky and Petrie couldn’t help but feel newfound strength for each other from hearing Chomper and Ruby’s strong words. They sounded as if it would be a perfect argument if it ever became a meeting subject.

“You two are perfect for each other,” said Chomper, as Spike nodded and licked Ducky’s face playfully, earning a giggle from the Swimmer, “I’ve seen how close you’ve been, even before I met Ruby. The way I see it, once you’ve found the love of your sleep stories, then you will always be happy as long as you stay together through thick and thin.”

“You may be in a relationship that’s considered bad to others, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop being your friends,” added Ruby, “We will all be the best of friends until the end.”

“Really?” sniffled Petrie.

“Really, really,” replied Chomper.

The Swimmer and Flyer smiled at each other before they looked up and saw that Littlefoot, Spike, Chomper and Ruby were all smiling down at them.

“You all best friends we ever have,” smiled Petrie tearfully.

“Yep, yep, yep!” agreed Ducky.

“We promise we won’t mention a word about this to anyone unless absolutely necessary,” swore Chomper.

“I’m still wondering whether or not my grandparents should know eventually,” said Littlefoot.

“Your grandparents should know, Littlefoot,” said Chomper, “You said they’re among the leaders of the Great Valley, and they love all of us.”

“It’s true,” agreed Ruby, with Spike nodding in agreement with an expression that looked as if he was begging the Longneck to do something for him.

“I’ll think about that later,” said Littlefoot thoughtfully, earning nervous gulps from Ducky and Petrie, “For now, though, let’s play ‘Hide and Seek’.”

The Gang instantly broke into cheers, and the six kids commenced their game of “Hide and Seek,” with Ducky being “it.”
In the back of their minds, Ducky and Petrie couldn’t wait until tonight to get some time to themselves.


By the time the Bright Circle began to set that evening, the six kids began to feel tired out after so much playing. It still felt a little empty without Cera being around, but now Spike, Chomper and Ruby knew it was for the better of Ducky and Petrie. The Sharptooth still couldn’t believe that love between different kinds could be discouraged in the Great Valley, and he desperately wanted to do something about it. However, since Ducky and Petrie’s relationship was still a secret … for now, he knew that right now was not the best time to discuss it any further.

After the six had finished playing their last game of the day, Chomper and Ruby were keen on getting back home to the Secret Caverns, while Littlefoot and Spike were willing to go home early to allow Ducky and Petrie to have some time alone together.

“Well, today was quite a day,” said Littlefoot.

“Well, we’d better be heading home, since home is where we must be,” said Ruby.

“I think we all should be heading home,” agreed Littlefoot.

“Hello there, kids,” came an elderly voice right behind Littlefoot.

Everyone knew who that voice belonged to.

The kids looked up and saw the always-warm sight of Grandpa Longneck standing over them with his always-warm grin.

“Hi, Grandpa,” said Littlefoot.

“Did you all have a good time today?” his grandfather asked.

“Yep, yep, yep,” answered Ducky.

“Those are the kinds of days we love to hear about,” came Grandma Longneck’s voice as she stepped beside her mate.

“Well, children, it’s getting late, and I think you’d best be getting home before your folks worry about you,” suggested Grandpa Longneck.

“Okay, Mr. Longneck,” said Chomper, and he and Ruby walked away, “Goodbye, guys!”

“Bye, Chomper! Bye, Ruby!” the rest of the kids called back before the Sharptooth and Fast Runner disappeared.

Spike playfully licked Ducky’s cheek to earn a giggle from her before he turned and walked on his way back to the Swimmer family’s nest.

Littlefoot’s grandparents then focused their attention on Ducky and Petrie, who appeared to be sharing giggles with each other.

“Ducky? Petrie?” said Grandma Longneck, “Aren’t you two going to head home, too?”

“We will,” answered Petrie.

“Hmm,” muttered Grandpa Longneck as he observed the Swimmer and Flyer’s odd behavior.

“Let’s go, Petrie,” Ducky said as her boyfriend got airborne and hovered right over her.

“Me right with you, Ducky,” Petrie replied, and the two went on their way across the valley.

“My dear, I think something is up with those two. I can feel it,” Grandpa Longneck whispered to his mate, and they eyed the Swimmer and Flyer closely, noticing that they were staying very close to each other and exchanging smiles that could be seen, even when their backs were turned.

There was something about those particular smiles that told the elder Longnecks that something rather strange had happened between those two.

“Yes, I can feel it, too,” replied Grandma Longneck, and the two looked down at their grandson, “Littlefoot, would you happen to know exactly why Ducky and Petrie are acting so strangely?”

Littlefoot gulped. He hoped this moment wouldn’t have come so soon. As much as his grandparents had soft hearts, there was no idea if they would be accepting of Ducky and Petrie’s undying love or not. The little Longneck felt a lump in his throat as he struggled to find the right words to say. He knew he would not be able to keep the subject away from his grandparents for much longer.

“It’s a long story,” he said.

“Well, why don’t we go home and eat some tree stars, and we can start from the beginning?” offered Grandpa Longneck.

“Good idea,” agreed Littlefoot, letting out a tiny sigh of relief, “I think this would be best explained there than out here.”

Without another word, the three Longnecks began their slow walk back to their home. As they went on their way, they watched Ducky and Petrie on the same path ahead of them, appearing to be staying close together and enjoying each other’s presence.

Ducky walked through the valley with Petrie flying right over her. Both had anticipating smiles on their faces. They knew exactly where they were going tonight, and they couldn’t wait to get there so they could privately smooch and pamper each other with their love to their hearts’ content. All the while, they never looked behind them and thus had no idea that three certain Longnecks were following them curiously.

Eventually, the Swimmer and Flyer found the location of Littlefoot’s home, and they looked to their left and saw that familiar narrow tunnel they had crawled underneath the other night. They knew where that long, narrow, sealed path would lead to.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ducky playfully pulled Petrie down from the air and placed him on her back. Petrie was nearly startled by this, but he quickly relaxed as Ducky placed his arms behind his back while holding his hands within her own, keeping her own arms behind her back to hold him securely. The Swimmer tiptoed into the tiny tunnel, and a few tree stars sealed them from the outside world behind them.

Littlefoot noticed this and ran up to the little spot they had crawled through, but he couldn’t see Ducky or Petrie within the many tree stars shielding their tunnel, and he was too big to fit inside. He wasn’t ready to give up yet, though, and he quietly stumbled into some branches to try and catch a glimpse of the Swimmer and Flyer.

Once they were concealed, Ducky began rhythmically hopping on both feet at the same time. With each hop, she swung her legs in midair to bring herself forward a little, and Petrie smiled and giggled from the breezy sensations of his bouncy piggyback ride on Ducky. They both felt rouses of excitement in their chests as they hopped closer and closer to their new secret hideout, failing to notice a certain Longneck trying to follow them discreetly.

As Ducky settled into her bouncy rhythm, she couldn’t resist the urge to break into song …

“Well I am the kind of girl who will never settle down.

Where all the fun is, well you know that I am around.

I kiss you and I love you ‘cause to me you are so cute.

I hug you and I squeeze you like a cootchie cootchie coo!

We are lovebirds.

A couple of lovebirds.

Hopping around, ‘round, ‘round, ‘round.”

Ducky stopped and turned to the right each time she sang, “’round,” performing a perfect rhythmic spin before she continued down the path, sharing some adorable laughs with Petrie. As she continued switched from hopping to skipping, still maintaining her rhythm, the Flyer decided to sing the next part of their little song …

“There you Ducky on the left, and me Petrie on the right.

And Ducky be the girl who me be with tonight.

And when she ask me, where she give me ride to?

Me say our secret cave with a ‘cootchie cootchie coo’!

We are lovebirds.

We couple of lovebirds.

Skipping around, ‘round, ‘round, ‘round.”

As Petrie finished their second verse, Ducky stopped skipping and started marching, rhythmically lifting Petrie up and down on her back. They managed to hold back laughs and start singing together in unison.

“Well, we roam around the valley.

We love each other with so much care.

And we are happy like a baby.

And with our two hearts beating and we going nowhere.”

Close behind them, Littlefoot, whom had been listening to the entire song so far and had been enjoying it, suddenly found his path blocked by three trees. The gaps were too narrow for him to squeeze through. He looked to his left and right and found more trees blocking his view. It seemed that whatever tiny gap there was between the trees was enough to allow Ducky and Petrie through, but the Longneck had no place to go but back where he came from. Disappointed, he sighed and turned back to rejoin his grandparents.

As they started their final verse, Ducky went back to joyfully hopping on both feet like an eccentric hatchling, while Petrie simply relaxed on her back and cherished this babyish, dancing ride Ducky was giving him.

“Well, we a couple of kids who love to roam around.

We never in one place, from the sky to the ground.

And when we find each other with a smile on the face,

We hop right over the trees, our hearts at such a quick pace.”

Ducky instantly switched from hopping to marching again as they noticed the right-hand bend in the tunnel drawing very near.

“Yeah, we are lovebirds.

A couple of lovebirds.

Marching around, ‘round, ‘round, ‘round.”

With a, “Yep, yep, yep,” Ducky then went back to skipping, her feet never losing their rhythm for even a moment.

“Oh, we call us lovebirds.

Yeah, we lovebirds.

Skipping around, ‘round, ‘round.”

“Oh, yep, yep, yep,” Ducky added once again as they she rounded the bend and could see that last tree star shielding them from the Bright Circle’s light in the forest cave just ahead. She went back to hopping again to prepare for a jumping entrance, as she and Petrie sang the last few words to their song.

“Hey, we each other’s lovebirds.

Yeah, we sweet lovebirds.

We hop around.”

The two closed their eyes as Ducky brushed past the large tree star and made several big hops on a few small rocks, still in rhythm to their song, until she made one more giant jump, landing delicately on both feet on the damp, grassy floor of the forest cave. They opened their eyes and smiled with delight as they found themselves in their new private paradise. Everything seemed just as it was when they last stumbled in here, and, to their joy, their shiny stone neckwear was exactly where they had left it before. With the Bright Circle shining directly on them with orange light, it felt so perfect, … too good to be true, as if it were just a sleep story.

“Ready for another love night, Petrie?” asked Ducky excitedly as she brought her arms out from behind her back and let Petrie jump off.

“Me always ready to love you in this beautiful place!” he replied adorably.

The two instantly walked up to their neckwear and put them on, around their necks. The red shiny stones shone directly over their hearts as they looked down and admired what they called their symbols for their love and devotion to each other.

“That such breezy dance you do back there, Ducky,” commented Petrie with a chuckle.

Ducky cutely giggled and suddenly thought of an idea …

“I think we should dance on the floating pads in the pond.”

Petrie adorable smiled in such a way that Ducky couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“We do love dance?” the Flyer beamed, “Me would like that. Yep, yep, yep.”

This earned a laugh from Ducky as she heard her own catchphrase being used by her “Funny Flyer.”

“Let’s go,” said Ducky, and the two held hands and began to cutely hop onto the pond’s green pads.

They each landed on one foot with each jump they took in order to make it feel more adorable and just right for their young age, and by the time they made it onto the pad right in the center of the pond, they released each other’s hands and bowed to each other as if they were about to start a dance to express their love. They smiled cutely at each other as they gazed at each other’s eyes and smiling mouths, knowing they were in for the dance of their lives.

“Ready?” asked Ducky.

“Me ready,” answered Petrie.

With that, the two brought their heads back up, and they each brought one foot forward and placed their hands on their hips. They tapped their feet in a rhythm they knew they could dance to, and the duo held each other’s hands and started doing some cute dance moves.

“Now fun really begin!” chuckled Petrie.

“Oh, yep, yep, yep!” agreed Ducky.

The Flyer held both of Ducky’s hands with one of his own, and the Swimmer performed a spin while standing on one foot. The spin ended with her taking both of her boyfriend’s hands, and Petrie squeezed underneath one of Ducky’s arms.

“That so beautiful!” cheered Petrie, “We do that again, me Sweet Swimmer!”

“With pleasure, my Funny Flyer!” smiled Ducky.

Just a few seconds later, ten fish brought their heads over the surface of the water, scratching their heads with curiosity, and they watched in astonishment as Ducky and Petrie pulled off even more childish dance moves they were fitting for them. They couldn’t help but smile at the couple, and they began making sounds in the rhythm of their dance to provide them with some dancing music.

The Swimmer and Flyer couldn’t believe what they were hearing, as the fish poked on rocks and sang softly with their mouths. To their ears, it sounded so magical to them, and they smiled at each other before resuming their dance, now that they had some music to dance to.

Over the next few minutes, Ducky would spin on one foot and squeeze Petrie underneath her arm after she stopped spinning. Petrie would stand on Ducky’s feet when the Swimmer wrapped her arms around her chest from behind, and Ducky would perform some cute moves with her feet which brought Petrie’s feet up with them. The Flyer smiled brightly as he watched his girlfriend’s feet move his feet around.

“This so much fun!” he giggled.

“Special moves just for our love, my Funny Flyer!” chuckled Ducky.

“Aw, me Sweet Swimmer!” beamed Petrie.

Soon, Ducky released Petrie, and the two held hands and closed their dance with Ducky doing one more spin. This time, it ended with them wrapping an arm around their backs as the Swimmer crouched while smiling up at her boyfriend. Petrie smiled right back down at her, and the two brought their free hands together and engaged in a dance-closing smooch. This prompted the fish to perform a drum roll on the rocks before they stopped the music in style. Just as the last note played, the two children released each other’s mouths with a big, “Mwuah!” to each other, and the fish applauded them with claps and cheers.

“Me think they like it,” chuckled Petrie.

“Me, too,” agreed Ducky, “They must think we are so adorable together.”

“Because we are,” grinned Petrie.

“Aww, Petrie!” giggled Ducky, blushing.

The fish let out some laughs before they dipped back down into the water and swam away.

“It was very nice of them to provide us some music,” said Ducky.

“It was,” agreed Petrie.

“So, Petrie,” said Ducky as the two sat down on their green pad, “Do you want to sit on my lap and watch the Bright Circle with me?”

“Me love to relax that way after so much dancing,” replied Petrie.

The children smiled at each other, and Petrie sat on Ducky’s lap. The Swimmer then tightly wrapped her arms around the Flyer’s chest, pinning his wings down, as if she was caring for him like a baby. He sighed comfortably as he felt her loving hug soothe him warmly.

“I love you, Petrie,” Ducky whispered before she planted a kiss on Petrie’s beak.

The Flyer blushed and smiled brightly at the Swimmer.

“Me love you, too, Ducky,” he said cutely, and he returned the kiss on Ducky’s bill, making her blush just as deeply as he had.

“Doesn’t this feel so wonderful?” asked Ducky.

“It do,” nodded Petrie, “Me wish we could sit here forever and live in this forest cave.”

“I wish we could live here, too, Petrie. I do, I do,” agreed Ducky, “Maybe, … if our mommies let us live here after we have reached-ed our Time of Great Growing.”

“Me already see us living here,” chuckled Petrie.

“You silly one!” laughed Ducky, tickling her boyfriend’s chest playfully.

“Hehehe! Duhuhuckeeheeheehy!” laughed Petrie in a bubbly voice.

“You are my funny Petrie,” beamed Ducky as she stopped tickling him.

“And you me sweet Ducky,” Petrie smiled brightly.

With those words, the couple brought their faces together, and Ducky opened her mouth to allow Petrie’s beak entry into it. The Flyer instantly opened his mouth as Ducky sucked his beak into her bill, and the two instantly began sucking each other’s mouths, exchanging saliva and playing with their tongues delicately. The ends of their mouths pointed upwards at such levels that it looked as if they would never stop smiling at each other, even in a trancing kiss. Their eyes sparkled in delight as they pleaded to each other to not stop smooching.

Petrie’s smile turned brighter once he felt his beak being covered all over in Ducky’s saliva, and Ducky’s smile brightened in return, knowing she had done a great job at splashing her boyfriend’s face in such a seductive fashion. Their tongues continued to dance with each other as they twisted and turned in loving fashion. The children closed the top half of their eyes and looked at each other seductively. They each knew what the other wanted, and they knew it was for this kiss to never end. The sounds they made as they smooched sounded as if they were drinking saliva from each other’s mouths.

After what felt like an hour, although it really had been four minutes, the two kids pulled their faces away from each other. Their mouths made an adorable sound as they broke away, and they gasped in desperation for air that they had not breathed in for nearly four minutes. They looked at each other’s eyes, feeling quite surprised that they were able to keep a single kiss going that long without them suffocating.

“That … felt-ed … so … sweet,” panted Ducky.

“Me … feel … so … warm,” Petrie panted as his beak was drenched in saliva from their kiss.

“Your beak really tastes good,” commented Ducky jokingly.

“Me hope you no get ideas,” said Petrie oddly, not getting her joke.

“I was just making a joke,” laughed Ducky.

Petrie quickly realized what she had meant, and he giggled softly as he tried brushing off the saliva from his beak.

“This kiss really do it,” commented Petrie with a grin as he looked down at the saliva coating his face and dripping off the tip of his beak, landing on their feet.

“Let me help you with that,” chuckled Ducky, and she planted multiple kisses all over Petrie’s face for several minutes.

Petrie could only smile and blush as his girlfriend pampered him endlessly with so much love that he felt his heart melting in happiness. He wanted this moment to last a very long time.

Ducky’s bill continued to feed Petrie’s beak some loving rubs and smooches for a while, until the saliva had been washed off. Sometimes, she would playfully suck his beak in and coat more saliva on his face just to make him feel warm, before washing it off again with more pleasant kisses. Petrie giggled and allowed Ducky’s soothing cuddle to rouse his heart to the point that he felt … excited on the inside … in some strange sense. To him, her presence felt so sweet that he couldn’t stop smiling, and before long, he was breathing a little quicker than normal.

Likewise, Ducky also felt some odd excitement in her chest as she tenderly held Petrie and kept washing his face with her own saliva. Simply the idea of providing the Flyer he loved with such a warming presence gave her so much of a thrill on the inside that she, too, began breathing a little faster.

It was then that they looked at each other and simultaneously realized that strange feeling they had both gotten. They blushed sheepishly as they contemplated simply the idea of getting these rushes of adrenaline in their chests. They never imagined that anyone as young as they were could possibly gain these sensations, but once they spent a moment thinking about it, they suddenly discovered right then and there that their love for each other had much more of a special meaning than before. It was as if it was their destiny to be together forever, like they were the perfect match, … the perfect couple.

“Uh, … m-me guess we have new secret to keep from everyone,” said Petrie sheepishly.

Ducky let out an awkward chuckle before she started laughing, “Yep, yep, yep! I think we have discovered-ed that we are just right being together. We shall stay together forever.”

“Together forever? Yep, yep, yep!” Petrie eagerly agreed.

The couple laughed and kissed each other’s faces, and the Swimmer eventually finished washing and rinsing the Flyer’s face with her own saliva.

“How is that for a wash?” she chuckled.

“That so good!” beamed Petrie in between excited giggles, “Me love it!”

“I am happy to do it just for you, Petrie. Yep, yep, yep!” smiled Ducky.

“Me love you so much, Ducky,” said Petrie.

“I love you so much, too, Petrie,” replied Ducky, “Yep, yep, yep!”

Petrie smiled even brighter from hearing so much of Ducky’s “Yep, yep, yep.” He felt as if he could never hear enough of it.

“Me love that strange feeling me get when you hug and wash me,” giggled Petrie, “You think we do that again sometime?”

“I had-ed that feeling, too,” confided Ducky, “I would love to feel that again. How about the next time we come here?”

“Yippee!” cheered Petrie excitedly.

With some more babyish laughs, the two relaxed on their floating pad while they resumed watching the Bright Circle set. They felt it was the perfect way to relax and cuddle together after their dance and a long smooching kiss.


“So, I’m to understand then that Ducky and Petrie have been falling in love with each other ever since we came to the Great Valley, and only now they have started a relationship?” Grandpa Longneck said as he looked down at Littlefoot with a shocked expression.

Littlefoot had only just explained to his grandparents that Ducky and Petrie had been secretly falling in love with each other for over two years since their arrival in the Great Valley, and that after putting it off for so long they eventually confessed their love to each other and started something that hardly anyone in the Great Valley would be accepting of: a relationship … between two different kinds.

“It’s true, Grandpa,” sighed Littlefoot, fearing his grandparents were not going to take this matter very kindly, “Every word.”

Grandma and Grandpa Longneck looked hard at each other for what felt like ages to Littlefoot. They could not have imagined a Swimmer and Flyer just seven cold times old falling in love and forming such a loving bond. This was practically unheard of up until now. Firstly, they obviously could not have imagined that they would fall in love at such a young age; them being way too young to be in love, and it still being at least six Cold Times before their Time of Great Growing would come. Secondly, they were of different kinds, and no one (or, at least, no one they knew) had ever heard of dinosaurs of two different kinds falling into a loving relationship. This was something completely new to the Longnecks, and they wondered how it could have happened, or how would everybody else react to it.

“I never saw this coming,” sighed Grandpa Longneck.

“Me neither, dear,” replied Grandma Longneck, “I have never heard anything about a Swimmer and a Flyer falling in love with each other as long as we’ve been alive.”

“If it ever did happen before, it might have happened a long time ago, or it may have happened somewhere else on Earth; somewhere far, far away,” said Grandpa Longneck thoughtfully.

The two then looked down at their grandson, who was eyeing them worryingly. They knew why he was worried, but they had to ask him just for good measure.

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier, Littlefoot?” Grandpa Longneck asked.

“Because I was afraid of what would happen if anyone found out,” answered Littlefoot in a low voice.

“You shouldn’t be afraid to tell us if something is going on between your friends, Littlefoot, even if it’s something you’re not sure about,” explained Grandma Longneck, “You can tell us anything, because we care about you so much; in fact, just as much as we care about the rest of your friends, don’t we, dear?”

“We sure do,” agreed Grandpa Longneck, “You are all special in your own way, and that’s why we care about all of you.”

Littlefoot grinned faintly as he heard those words, but he was still nervous that his grandparents would not like the idea of a Swimmer and Flyer being in a relationship.

“Another reason why I didn’t tell you was because … I didn’t think you two would take it very well,” he admitted, looking down in shame for what he had just said.

“Littlefoot,” Grandpa Longneck began in a gentle voice, “We know that love between different kinds isn’t acceptable in the Great Valley, but in the case of Ducky and Petrie, I think we can make an exception.”

Littlefoot was very surprised to hear this. He felt as if he had just been hit in the head with a rock as he looked up and saw his grandparents’ warm grins. Had his grandfather really said what he thought he had just said?

“Wait! What did you say!?” he gasped.

“We can understand why Ducky and Petrie fell in love with each other despite their young ages and them being different kinds,” Grandma Longneck added, “Now that I think about it, any dinosaur can find love and desire in any other dinosaur, regardless of what kind they are, because they share the passion they have for each other, and they follow their hearts to the point where they realize they are meant for each other.”

“Ducky and Petrie quickly found themselves at the point where their hearts began to beat for each other,” said Grandpa Longneck, “They have strong devotion to each other, they share the same passion, and they feel connected whenever they’re together.”

“The way I see it, they each found something so extraordinarily special in the other, and it was that special something in each of them that connected their hearts and brought them into a loving bond,” Grandma Longneck finished.

Littlefoot was astounded as he listened to his grandparents’ wise words. He began to imagine so much what love really meant. Despite being underage, he could picture himself finding a special somebody whom felt right for him because, in his heart, she meant so much to him, maybe even if that ‘she’ wasn’t a Longneck like him.

“I can see it now,” he said thoughtfully, “Ducky and Petrie found each other so special the moment they first met, and they developed a strong passion for each other with each day that passed.”

“Exactly!” chuckled Grandpa Longneck, with his mate smiling along with him, “It is not the kind of dinosaur you are that determines what happens in your future. It is your choices.”

“Then, how come nobody has ever spoken of such relationships during our time here?” asked a dumbstruck Littlefoot.

“That would be very difficult for someone your age to understand,” answered Grandma Longneck, “Once you’ve reached your Time of Great Growing, you will understand much better.”

Littlefoot felt as if there was so much he wanted to know about what love really meant. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he didn’t know how to word them, or how he would understand the answers. He knew then that his grandparents were right: as long as he was still a kid, love would be impossible to understand. This made it even harder for him to understand why Ducky and Petrie had somehow managed to fall for each other, even though they were the exact same age as him.

“So, … about Ducky and Petrie?” the young Longneck said nervously.

“We believe that those two are just right for each other,” smiled Grandpa Longneck.

“They will make a great couple when they reach their Time of Great Growing,” agreed Grandma Longneck.

Littlefoot gasped in surprise and smiled with astonishment. He was happy his grandparents would be accepting the idea of Ducky and Petrie being in a relationship, but he knew deep down that a few certain grownups would most certainly oppose it.

“Is there anybody else who knows, Littlefoot?” asked Grandma Longneck.

“Well, … Ducky’s mom and dad, Petrie’s mom, and all my friends, except for Cera,” answered Littlefoot.

“How did their folks react to it?” asked Grandpa Longneck.

“They accepted it,” replied Littlefoot, “Although, I’d imagine Ducky’s dad was probably not very excited about it.”

“Mr. Swimmer does have a tendency to care a little too much about his children,” chuckled Grandpa Longneck, “Well, that’s one problem out of the way. We know their parents are happy with them being together.”

“I’m still worried about how … M-Mr. Threehorn …,” Littlefoot stuttered before his grandmother spoke up.

“If Mr. Threehorn ever finds out, we’ll find a way to force him to accept the facts,” explained Grandpa Longneck, “In my personal opinion, it should not be a crime to love somebody from another kind, so there’s no reason those two kids should be banished to the Mysterious Beyond just for being in love. To condemn two dinosaurs because of love would sound like the equivalent of … I don’t know what.”

“Especially since they’re children,” said Grandma Longneck sternly, “Banishing children should be considered a crime, not falling in love with someone from another kind. I personally find it distasteful to even contemplate what would happen to those two kids if they ever received banishment just for sharing their passion for each other.”

Littlefoot eagerly nodded in agreement. He knew that banishing children from the Great Valley was one of the most depressing things any dinosaur could do. He shuddered to imagine Topps banishing Ducky and Petrie. It would be the worst thing they would ever experience during their lives. Although the matter had never been formally addressed before, in the eyes of many adults, love between different kinds was a one-way trip to permanent banishment with immediate effect. He wished that perhaps they could, in some way, change that rule so that love between ANY two individuals could be encouraged.

Littlefoot’s grandparents looked up at the sky and saw that the Bright Circle was just about to disappear below.

“I think it’s best if we get some shuteye,” yawned Grandpa Longneck.

“I think so, too,” agreed Grandma Longneck.

At that moment, the three Longnecks heard the sound of tree stars shaking around. They looked to the direction the sound was coming from, and they were very surprised to see Ducky and Petrie emerge from the forest floor, through the same hole they had crawled into, smiling at each other while holding hands in such passionate fashion.

The two elderly Longnecks eyed them for a moment and exchanged looks of astonishment. They could tell right away that those two children meant so much to each other and greatly deserved each other.

“Those two really are so great together,” sighed Grandpa Longneck happily.

“Aren’t they just adorable?” agreed Grandma Longneck.

Littlefoot and his grandparents then watched as the Swimmer and Flyer exchanged kisses on each other’s faces so adorably. The little Longneck couldn’t help but chuckle quietly as he watched them kiss. There really was something about each of them that brought them closer to each other, and it was no wonder they had fallen in love.

“Ducky, … you okay if me take you home tonight?” they heard Petrie ask Ducky, and the Swimmer chuckled in delight.

“I would love that, Petrie. Yep, yep, yep!” she replied.

“After you, me Sweet Swimmer,” Petrie said adorably as Ducky wrapped an arm around her boyfriend’s back.

“Nope. We are going together, my Funny Flyer,” she giggled.

Littlefoot’s grandparents chuckled at the adorable moment, but they suddenly wished they hadn’t …

Ducky and Petrie seemed to freeze in place, and they slowly turned their heads and noticed the two elderly Longnecks looking directly at them.

They gasped and paled as their hearts skipped beats. They had been spotted kissing by two of the most powerful elders in the valley. They had been caught red-handed committing a heinous crime right in front of the leading elders. They flushed and struggled to calm themselves down as they stared at the Longnecks with fear etched on their faces.

“Uh, … w-we, … uh, um, … we w-were just …,” stuttered Ducky.

Petrie gulped, “Mm, h-hey, … hi, Grandpa and Grandma Longneck.”

They looked at each other and panted heavily before they stood side-by-side and slowly lifted their hands up as if they were surrendering.

“Kids?” said Grandma Longneck worryingly.

“Would you really think that someone like us would do something so horrible to you just because we saw you kissing?” chuckled Grandpa Longneck.

Ducky and Petrie looked down and noticed Littlefoot gesturing to them that everything was okay. The couple were dumbstruck by this. How could everything be okay after they had just been caught?

“Relax, children,” said Grandma Longneck, “We’re not going to punish you.”

“W-what?” gasped Ducky and Petrie.

“I must admit that little moment you had there was quite adorable,” chuckled Grandpa Longneck, “We’re fascinated with the fact that you two have fallen in love being so young.”

“Really?” said Ducky and Petrie in astonishment, their eyes staring widely at the old Longnecks.

“It is true that we normally wouldn’t allow love between dinosaurs of different kinds in the Great Valley, but seeing how special you two are, we can make this an exception,” said Grandpa Longneck, and he and his mate both grinned and winked at the two lovers.

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other as if they had just been smacked on the head with boulders. This just couldn’t be true. Littlefoot’s grandparents accepting them being in love despite being forbidden from doing so?

“Uh, … w-wow,” muttered Ducky, “That is, … I … do not know what to say.”

“Me neither,” shrugged Petrie.

“We are both willing to support you as you grow closer to each other each and every day,” said Grandpa Longneck warmly, “As long as you don’t get caught, I think you’ll have plenty of hiding places within our valley that you can enjoy yourselves in.”

The Swimmer and Flyer beamed in delight and gasped in surprise. This felt too good to be true. Two of the most powerful figures in the valley were willing to allow them to be in love and help keep it a secret. This was the greatest news that had received since that fateful evening when they confessed their feelings for each other.

“Oh, wow!” squealed Ducky eccentrically, grabbing Petrie and hugging him tightly, “Did you hear that, Petrie!? Littlefoot’s grandma and grandpa are happy with us being in love!”

“Um, … n-not so loud, Ducky,” said Petrie, struggling to breathe from being held so tightly.

“Sssh! Be careful when you say that, Ducky,” warned Grandma Longneck, “You’re lucky no one else was around to hear that.”

“Oh!” gasped Ducky in realization, and she calmly set Petrie on his feet again and covered her mouth with her hand, “Oops. Uh, I am sorry.”

“Ducky, … me think we should be more careful when we not hiding,” said Petrie softly.

“You are right, Petrie,” nodded Ducky in agreement.

“Speaking of which, … we followed you while you were strolling around a little while ago, considering our home is right here, … and we couldn’t help but notice you crawling into the forest and apparently staying in there for quite some time,” said Grandpa Longneck, “Is there something about that forest that interests you?”

Ducky and Petrie shuddered nervously. They didn’t want to break their secret about the special hideout they had just discovered. If anyone was able to find out where they had set up their new space to privately engage in … excitable love activity, … then what were the chances that anyone else could blow their secret and find that cave?

Littlefoot then spoke up.

“I tried to follow you once you crawled into those trees, but I couldn’t keep up and gave up after a while,” he said.

Ducky and Petrie looked at each other, holding hands, and sighed with dread. They knew that the Longnecks would have the right to know why they had been sneaking into a forest neighboring their home. They nodded at each other and hugged each other’s backs as they gulped nervously and looked up at the two elder Longnecks.

“Okay, Grandma and Grandpa Longneck, … and Littlefoot,” Ducky began, “We will tell you what we found-ed in there, but you must promise to never, … ever … tell anyone what it is, not even any of our friends.”

“Especially Spike because he try to eat his way through if he find out,” muttered Petrie.

“Do we look like a couple who need to be asked to keep a secret?” said Grandpa Longneck, chuckling at his own comment.

“We found-ed a secret cave in that forest, with walls maded out of branches and tree stars instead of rocks,” said Ducky.

“There nice little pond with green pads, and grass so soft and cool, it feel so nice,” added Petrie.

“Best of all, the Bright Circle shines brightly over it when it sets before night,” put in Ducky, “It is so beautiful, and we love it there.”

“So, we decide to make it our secret hideout where we hug and kiss each other without anyone seeing us,” finished Petrie.

The three Longnecks were all fascinated by their description of what surely sounded like a place that could only exist in one’s sleep stories.

“That all sounds so unreal,” said Grandma Longneck.

“But it is true,” said Ducky, “It is so beautiful, and it is so deep into the forest that no one can hear us in there.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh,” nodded Petrie.

Littlefoot’s grandparents chuckled. Although it sounded hard to believe, if they were very sincere with what they had just described, then they were willing to believe them.

“Alright, little ones. We believe you,” smiled Grandma Longneck.

“And don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us,” her mate added with a wink.

Ducky and Petrie turned to Littlefoot, and he nodded and winked at them, too. This brought more smiles to the Swimmer and Flyer’s faces as they let it all sink in. It felt so comforting to have the Longnecks on their side when it came to their secret relationship. They couldn’t have imagined it being the case until now.

“Now then, kids, I suppose you both better get home before your folks worry about you,” said Grandpa Longneck.

The loving couple peeked behind the Longnecks and noticed just how low the Bright Circle had sunk.

“Me think you right,” said Petrie, not wanting to possibly have their mothers out looking for them again.

“Thanks a lot, Grandma and Grandpa Longneck,” said Ducky graciously, “This means so much to us.”

“It so delightful to have you happy that we happy being together,” added Petrie.

“It’s such a wonder to have two special children like you finding passion in each other,” replied Grandma Longneck, making the two lovers blush.

“Run along now, and we’ll see you tomorrow,” her mate told them.

The two lovers held each other’s backs and smiled to each other as they turned around to begin their journey home.

“Goodnight, you two special ones,” called Grandpa Longneck.

“Goodnight!” Ducky called back.

“Goodnight, Littlefoot!” hollered Petrie.

“Goodnight, guys!” replied Littlefoot, and with that the Swimmer and Flyer disappeared into the distance.

“They are so cute together,” chuckled Grandma Longneck.

“I’ve never seen a moment between children that was sweeter than that,” agreed Grandpa Longneck.

“Those two really deserve each other,” said Littlefoot before he yawned.

“We’ll talk more about this later,” said Grandpa Longneck, “For now, let’s lie down and get some sleep.”

“Okay,” said Littlefoot as he lied on his belly and rested his head on his forelimbs.

“Goodnight, Littlefoot,” his grandparents spoke softly as they also lied down to rest.

“Goodnight, Grandma, Goodnight, Grandpa,” replied Littlefoot weakly as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, feeling happy that his grandparents would be supportive of Ducky and Petrie’s relationship.

In his mind, there was only one obstacle left to overcome before Ducky and Petrie would truly feel safe about living peacefully in the Great Valley while in love with each other and flourishing their relationship.

Well, this chapter came out a bit earlier than I was planning, but that's for good reason...

My city of Buffalo is expecting a windstorm tomorrow, with gusts potentially reaching 75 MPH by tomorrow evening. I decided to go ahead and get this chapter done before it was too late. Unfortunately, though, such winds like these will obviously mean a high threat for power outages spread throughout upstate New York for up to several days. If that ends up being the case, then it will slow down the tremendous progress I've made so far. I'm just telling you now so that you'll understand later if my progress suddenly slows down and I may not get the next chapter done for probably a week.

There's a few things about this chapter I'll go ahead and explain. First off, the song that Ducky and Petrie sing while she's bouncing through the tunnel is actually based off a timeless classic tune: "The Wanderer" by Dion. When I was a kid, I had a collection of Kidsongs VHS tapes, and there was a 1986 tape that contained a cover version featuring some singer that sounded like either Billy Joel ... or, in my opinion, more like Ric Ocasek from The Cars. Melodically, I'm more familiar with that 80's pop version than I am with the original 1961 version, so I probably would have imagined Ducky and Petrie singing along to the former. Again, there's my taste for 80's synth! I, thus, give credit to the song's original writer, Ernie Maresca, although I wrote my own lyrics for the kids to sing. Cover version or parody, what's the difference?

As for Ducky and Petrie experiencing those "feelings of arousal and excitement," that is the closest I'll ever come to even suggesting that there will be a point where they, ... well, you know what I mean. DON'T get any ideas! I am not the kind of writer who likes to write such suggestive scenes in any of my stories, and what you saw here is only something I put in to give an idea of how their presence makes each other very happy. This is simply a love story that I'm trying to keep age-friendly, and that's that.

Well, since this may or may not be the last chapter for a while with the coming storm, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I have no idea when I'll be able to post the next one. If any of you wake up on Monday and my name does not appear online for several days in a row after that, you'll know why. Wish me the best.

See you ... soon.

[Sovereign]

It has been rather challenging to keep up with this fic due to the very frequent updates so my apologies about that. As for the fic itself, it is a difficult one for me to review. On one hand, it is just as solidly written as the rest of your fics but the premise itself is… not my favorite, so to say as i mentioned earlier. You have created great dynamics between the two lovebirds and the situations where they try to hide their relationship from the others as well as the reactions of their parents were established sweetly.

However, in addition to the pairing, there are other dynamics I don’t really enjoy, I’m afraid. I’m especially worried about where this story is going but then again, those are only my own preferences. I hope you don’t take this review too badly as my problems aren’t with your style or writing itself. I’d like to enjoy this but there is just so much going on that puts me off. I’ll try to keep reading this story until the end but don’t be too surprised if I won’t leave too many reviews.

[DiddyKT2]

Okay, so the windstorm that hit my area, persisting until yesterday afternoon, did end up knocking down trees and lines in area surrounding me. Surprisingly, my power remained intact throughout the storm, but I still have neighbors without power, though. I was able to get through this next chapter quite well as I braced for that power outage that never happened, and I hope this was worthwhile.

Speaking of windy days ...

CHAPTER 10

A Windy Day

The Bright Circle once again shone beautifully over the Great Valley as it rose to signal the start of a new day. The river glistened and sparkled in the morning light, and the valley was instantly turned into a haven of bright beauty.

Mama Flyer stirred in her sleep once the Bright Circle’s rays hit her eyes through the entrance to her family’s cave, and she turned around before opening her eyes.

“Oh, man, did I sleep?” she murmured to herself weakly as she sat up and stretched her wings with a yawn.

The Flyer mother looked down when she heard the sound of sleep rumbling, and she chuckled as she saw Petrie sleeping beside her with his snuggling stick in his wings. The Flyer was smiling in his sleep, and Mama Flyer could only assume her son was having happy sleep stories about Ducky.

Suddenly feeling the mood to have the slightest bit of fun with her son, Mama Flyer began to gently tickle Petrie’s back, and the boy instantly began giggling cutely. Mama Flyer chuckled as she listened to the adorable sound of her son’s bubbly giggles.

“Guess who?” she teased playfully in a quiet voice, trying not to wake her other children.

“Duhuhuhuckeeheeheeheehy?” laughed Petrie.

Mama Flyer giggled as she heard that answer. She knew immediately that his Swimmer girlfriend was stuck in his mind.

“Guess again, Petrie,” she teased.

“Hehehehehee! Mohohohohommeeheeheeheehy!” Petrie giggled as the sensations on his back grew more ticklish and got him to open his eyes.

“That’s right, my little one,” chuckled Mama Flyer, “Time to get up. There’s a new day ahead of us.”

“Mehehe no wahahahahant to gehehehet up, Mahahahamahaha!” laughed Petrie.

“Then I guess I’ll keep tickling you all morning,” teased Mama Flyer, and she lifted her son onto her lap and started tickling his chest.

“Nohohohohoho! Stahahahahahop!” begged Petrie through laughter, the tickle torture starting to feel too much for him to take much longer.

“Hmm. How’s about when you say, ‘sweet bubble’,” Mama Flyer teased playfully.

“Sweeheeheeheeheet buhuhuhubblehehehehehe!” giggled Petrie as saliva leaked from his beak due to laughing for so long.

Finally convinced that Petrie had had enough, his mother stopped tickling him, so he could get some air. The little Flyer gasped and panted to regain his breathing stability, and he looked up and saw his mother’s warm grin.

“Good morning, my little Petrie,” Mama Flyer said in a warm, motherly voice.

“Good morning, Mama,” Petrie replied cutely with a smile.

“How’s my special boy doing today?” asked Mama Flyer.

Petrie blushed as he heard his mother call him ‘special,’ and he smiled brightly as his beak quivered in happiness.

“Me feel so good,” he spoke adorably, “How about you, Mama?”

“I’m doing good, too,” answered Mama Flyer.

The two Flyers exchanged some warm family smiles and kissed each other’s beaks to express their mother-son love for each other, and Mama Flyer playfully hugged Petrie and placed him on her back.

“Wanna go for a little ride, Petrie?” she offered her son, “We haven’t done that for quite a while.”

Petrie smiled as he thought of that idea. He didn’t exactly know when was the last time he rode on his mother’s back, but he knew it was after the end of the most recent cold time.

“Me love that,” he said happily, and he wrapped his arms and wings around his mother’s neck.

“Okay, son,” smiled Mama Flyer, “I was thinking we should head out together and find some sweet bubbles for breakfast, because I know you like those very much.”

Petrie licked his beak upon hearing the words, ‘sweet bubbles’, and he began to anticipate a very tasty breakfast.

“Me love sweet bubbles!” he said excitedly as his mother stepped out of the cave and onto the ledge, where another surprise awaited them …

This surprise wasn’t Ducky, nor was it anybody, for that matter …

The wind was blowing roughly, and the Flyers could instantly feel a breeze blowing around them.

“Oh, dear,” said Mama Flyer, “It’s windy today.”

“That not good,” gulped Petrie.

“Unless we fly carefully,” assured Mama Flyer, “Just hold on tight, and we’ll be just fine.”

“O-Okay, Mama,” stuttered Petrie, clinging to his mother’s neck and back.

Just as she was about to flap her wings, Mama Flyer looked and found another Flyer coming to land on the ledge. This Flyer, however, was one she knew quite well, and one she found very helpful.

“Ah, Wingfoot. Thank goodness you made it!” she sighed in relief.

Petrie chuckled a little as he saw Wingfoot land next to them. Whenever there was a day that his mother had to go out and couldn’t be home to look after her children, Wingfoot, being the good family friend that he was, was typically the one to save the day. Petrie didn’t really see Wingfoot very often, though, as he almost always came on days when he flew off to play with his friends while his mother wasn’t home. Nevertheless, he was on very good terms with their occasional babysitter.

“Gee, and I wonder why it had to be today you planned to do this,” Wingfoot chuckled sarcastically.

Petrie was dumbfounded by this. He had no idea his mother had anything planned out today.

“Well, how can you anticipate when it’s gonna be windy?” said Mama Flyer, holding back a laugh.

“Mama, … what this all about?” asked a confused Petrie.

“You’ll see, dear,” his mother answered with a wink.

“So, as I understand it, your other children were grounded the other day?” guessed Wingfoot.

“Yes,” nodded Mama Flyer, sighing as she looked back inside towards her other children, still sleeping, “They teased my little Petrie in one of the worst ways possible, and I still haven’t even thought of anything that will teach them a valuable lesson.”

“I’ll just make sure none of them leave the cave, alright?” assured Wingfoot.

“Thanks, Wingfoot. You’re such a big help. I feel like I owe you some,” said Mama Flyer.

“Hey, … it’s just what I do,” smiled Wingfoot, and he winked and walked inside.

Mama Flyer smiled back and shifted her attention back to the flight ahead.

“Here we go,” she announced, and she opened her wings and lifted her feet off the ledge.

Petrie held on tightly to his mother’s neck while grasping her back with his feet, and Mama Flyer soared over the Great Valley smoothly as she tackled the winds with her son riding piggyback on her.

Before long, Petrie found that he was enjoying his first piggyback ride on his mother in quite a while. The winds blew gently around them as she carried him over the valley for a very comfortable flight.

“This fun,” he giggled.

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying it, Petrie,” Mama Flyer responded, before she looked down and noticed some plants below that had sweet bubbles growing on them, “Look, Petrie! Sweet bubbles!”

Petrie looked down and saw the sweet bubble plants, and he gasped with joy.

“Oh, boy! Sweet bubbles! Me no can wait!” he cheered eccentrically.

“Hang on tight!” said Mama Flyer, and she swooped towards the ground.

Petrie closed his eyes nervously as his mother began her descent, but there proved to be nothing to worry about, as Mama Flyer made a soft feet-first landing on the grass. The little Flyer opened his eyes and saw that they were on the ground, and he sighed in relief that their landing was a soft one.

Unable to wait any longer for a taste of those sweet bubbles, Petrie slid off his mother’s back and ran up to the plant with his mother right behind him. He licked his beak excitedly as the scent reached his beak, and he smiled cutely in anticipation.

“Here you go, my little one,” chuckled Mama Flyer playfully as she picked one sweet bubble off one of the stems and handed it to Petrie.

The little Flyer gasped in delight with a wide open mouth, and he eagerly took the sweet bubble and instantly began to nibble on it. Mama Flyer giggled as she picked off another sweet bubble for herself and took a small bite while watching her son eat his so childishly. She thought Petrie looked so adorable whenever he ate like this.

“This taste so good!” the child said happily as his eating splashed a bit of sweet bubble juice on his beak.

“I’m so glad you like it, Petrie,” chuckled Mama Flyer, “I’m happy to treat you to a delightful breakfast.”

“You so wonderful, Mama!” beamed Petrie, “Me love you so much!”

“Aw, I love you so much, too, Petrie,” replied Mama Flyer, “Anything for my little boy.”

She gently patted her son’s head, and the kid smiled adorably before the two resumed eating their sweet bubbles.

As Petrie was admiring the taste of his sweet bubble, he suddenly thought about Ducky, and he began to imagine himself doing something extra-special for her. They may have already been enjoying so much together since they confessed their love, and they had a secret forest cave to pamper each other lovingly whenever they felt like going there and feeding each other love and smooches without interference. However, there was one thing Petrie hadn’t done yet: give Ducky something very special that she would love so much. It had to be more than just very special; it had to be so special that it would be such a rare treat for her. It would be something she would cherish for the rest of her life, and it would be something that would always make her think about him.

“A love gift,” he thought happily, “Me should give Ducky special gift of love.”

He was momentarily interrupted by his mother’s curiosity …

“What are you thinking about, Petrie?” Mama Flyer said as she noticed the thoughtful look on her son’s face.

Petrie snapped out of his trance and looked up at his mother, not quite happy that she had interrupted his thoughts … again.

“Oh, … um, … me think about … Ducky,” he said awkwardly.

“I’m sure you can’t wait to go play with her,” assumed Mama Flyer.

“Actually, … me think … me go out today … and find something … special … for Ducky,” said Petrie.

“What a coincidence,” his mother said, “That’s exactly what I was thinking we’d do today.”

Petrie gasped, and he looked as though he had just been slapped on the beak.

“Wait! What!?”

“I discussed this with Ducky’s mother the other day, and we agreed that we should help the both of you in some way. We came up with the idea of taking each of you out to find something you think the other will love so much.”

Petrie was speechless. He stared with wonder at his mother with his beak wide open, so surprised that he couldn’t make a sound.

“So, are you ready for a little … adventure, if I might put it?” asked Mama Flyer.

At this, Petrie jumped up and down and eagerly nodded with excitement, something his mother had never seen him do before. She laughed as she watched him show these new, cute behaviors from her son.

“Oh, boy!,” nodded Petrie, “Me no can wait to give Ducky something special to express me love for her!”

“Oh, Petrie, you sweet, silly one!” said Mama Flyer warmly, “Ducky would love that!”

“Yeah,” grinned Petrie, “Me just … wonder where to go look for it?”

“Well, there are many places to look in the Great Valley,” explained Mama Flyer, “I’m sure that if we look really hard, we’ll find just what you’re looking for.”

Petrie looked thoughtfully at his mother, and he looked at his surroundings. He was sure that he wouldn’t find that special something anywhere near here, but there had to be that special someplace in the Great Valley that just had to be the place he would be looking for. He knew that the Canyon of Shiny Stones wasn’t an option, since that place had been melted down by an erupting Smoking Mountain that he thought HE had enraged. Also, the special forest cave he shared with Ducky in the evenings already had plenty of what they loved. Besides, their forest cave contained shiny stones, and they had already made their special neckwear out of them to create their own symbols of their love.

“There have to be someplace in Great Valley,” he said before he took the last bite of his sweet bubble. “Where can we look?”

“We could look anywhere in the valley, Petrie,” replied Mama Flyer, gently wiping the sweet bubble juice off Petrie’s face, “We just need to be careful of the wind, and also make sure nobody overhears us mentioning anything about this.”

“Okay,” promised Petrie, “Me will be as careful and quiet about it as me can be.”

“That’s my boy,” grinned Mama Flyer.

Once her mother had cleaned off his beak, Petrie climbed back onto his mother’s back and instantly felt another rush of wind blowing at them as she prepared to take flight once more.

“Just promise me you won’t stray too far, dear. I don’t want to lose sight of you in this wind,” said Mama Flyer, “When I say it’s time to search somewhere else, I want you to hop on my back right away and I’ll fly you somewhere else, okay?”

Gulping with worry over the wind, Petrie nodded, “Okay.”

“Okay, my little Petrie,” said Mama Flyer, “Let’s get going.”

With a running start, the blue Flyer flapped her wings and got herself airborne with her son clinging tightly to her neck. Petrie gulped nervously as he tried to think of something he was sure Ducky would truly like.


Ducky was walking alongside her mother as they took a little walk through the valley after having breakfast. The little Swimmer had been woken up by her mother first thing in the morning, much to her slight annoyance, and once they had breakfast, Mama Swimmer informed her daughter that they were going to “go exploring.”

“So, … um, what are we exploring for, Mama?” asked Ducky curiously.

“I was just about to tell you why, dear,” her mother grinned, “It’s about you and Petrie.”

Ducky was utterly surprised to hear this.

“Really!?” she gasped.

Mama Swimmer gently hushed her daughter and crouched down to her level, placing an arm around her back.

“Petrie’s mother and I had a little talk about the two of you, and we decided that we would be willing to help you in some way,” she explained.

“R-really? How?” asked Ducky.

“Have you thought about exploring somewhere to find something extra-special for Petrie that he might like so much?” asked Mama Swimmer.

Ducky thought about her mother’s question for a moment, and she came to realize that it hadn’t yet crossed her mind that it’d be very nice to find a special gift for him. As far as she was concerned, it could be anything: a shiny stone, a special tree star much like the one Littlefoot’s mother gave her son, or maybe another stick like Petrie’s precious snuggling stick.

“Maybe I should find something Petrie will really like, something to make him think about me,” she pondered.

“Well, that’s what I’m going to help you with today,” smiled Mama Swimmer.

Ducky gazed at her mother with a wide-open mouth, completely surprised by this unexpected news.

“Are you really!?” she gasped.

“You know I deeply care about the two of you, and I’d be very happy to help you blossom on your love for each other,” whispered Mama Swimmer, and she playfully kissed her daughter’s face.

“Oh, Mama! Thank you, thank you! This will be so exciting! Yes, yes, yes!” chortled Ducky excitedly.

“Okay, my dear,” giggled Mama Swimmer, “Not so loud, though. We don’t want others to know what we’re really doing, remember?”

“Oops,” said Ducky, covering her mouth with her hands as she chuckled sheepishly, “Um, … y-yeah.”

“And we might also want to be careful, Ducky. The wind is blowing a little hard today,” warned Mama Swimmer.

“I will be careful, Mama. I will, I will,” promised Ducky.

“That’s my girl. So, let’s get going,” smiled Mama Swimmer, giggling at her daughter and nuzzling her before taking her hand and leading her to someplace she was sure Ducky had never been to before.

The two Swimmers walked side-by-side, holding hands, now that Ducky was big enough for them to be able to do so. Ducky took bouncy steps to express her joy and excitement, making her mother laugh from the playful display. The little Swimmer couldn’t wait to see just what she could find. She was gleefully anticipating that special something to be just what Petrie would love.


Petrie and his mother had searched through several places in the Great Valley that he had rarely been to, but he couldn’t find that perfect gift he thought would be special for Ducky. He found gorgeous tree stars, shiny stones and even yellowish-green flowers, but he was sure that none of those could be extra special. They just seemed too common by now, even shiny stones, which weren’t quite as common as plants.

The wind was giving the Flyers a hard time, too. They would occasionally get tossed around by the dangerous gusts, but Mama Flyer managed to retain control of her flight whenever she was nearly blown off course, always making sure Petrie never fell off her back.

“Oh, me never find special gift for Ducky,” Petrie lamented as he looked at his surroundings below, “Where me could possibly look next?”

“Say, Petrie, … take a look up ahead,” said Mama Flyer.

He peeked from behind his mother’s head and spotted what looked like a forest of trees containing something pink. He could swear he had never seen pink tree stars before, but he wondered if what he was seeing was really what he was seeing.

“Whoa! That place look beautiful! Let’s go check it out!” he said excitedly.

“Okay, dear,” replied Mama Flyer, and she soared towards the forest as carefully as she could.

Suddenly, Petrie felt another gust of wind blowing around him, and his hands slipped off his mother’s neck.

“Ah!” he yelled in panic as he slid down his mother’s back and started to fall.

“Petrie!” Mama Flyer cried in horror, and she dived towards her son.

Then, all of a sudden, another huge blast of wind shoved Petrie straight towards the forest while lifting him higher into the air rather than down towards the ground.

“WHOA! WAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAOOOOO!” he screamed as he shut his eyes, not daring to look at what could possibly happen next.

“Petrie!” his mother called out to him, “Flap your wings!”

The little Flyer tried doing just that, but he seemed to have no control over where he was going, and he felt the Bright Circle’s light no longer poking through his eyelids. He opened his eyes and saw nothing but green and pink around him. He could tell that he had stumbled into the forest and was sure he would inevitably crash-land. He found himself with his back towards the ground as he soared out of control feet-first. He saw a tree ahead and closed his eyes. He bent his knees so that his feet would hit the tree, and he braced himself for the impact …

“CRASH!”

“OW!” Petrie screamed as a burst of pain shot through his feet, and he felt himself falling but refused to open his eyes.

“THUD!”

Petrie crashed to the ground flat on his back, and he wailed as he felt pain coursing all over his body.

“OOOWWWW!” he wept as tears of pain came pouring down, and he opened his eyes to check his surroundings …

The Flyer found himself on what looked like a grassy pathway, and every tree surrounding him had pink tree stars. The smell of red tree sweets hung in the air, providing a rather pleasant scent.

“Whoa!” he gasped in disbelief, “What … place this? W-where … m-me at?”

He tried to stand up, but the pain in his feet caused him to yelp and crash onto his bottom.

“Aaooww!” he screamed as he felt pain soaring throughout both of his legs, “That really hurt! Ow! Now me never get outta here!”

“Petrie!” he heard the ever-so-recognizable sound of his mother’s echoing voice calling desperately for him, “Where are you!?”

Taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, Petrie cried as loud as he could, “ME IN HERE, MAMA!”

He desperately hoped she would have been able to hear that. From what he had heard, his mother sounded like she was miles away.

A moment later, he heard tree stars and branches rustling against each other, and he looked to the direction the sound was coming from. He panted, hoping it would be his mother coming to his rescue.

Eventually, the nearby trees shook a little, and out came Mama Flyer, brushing some leaves off on her way out onto the open pathway.

“Mama!” cried Petrie.

“Oh, Petrie! There you are! Oh, thank goodness!” Mama Flyer sobbed with relief as she ran to her son and lifted him into a tight, protective hug, “Oh, my little Petrie! For a moment, I thought I’d lost you!”

“Please, … n-not so tightly, Mama,” coughed Petrie.

Mama Flyer loosened her grip on her son and sat down, setting him on her lap.

“Sorry, dear,” she apologized.

“Ow, me legs,” wept Petrie.

“Are you okay, Petrie? Did you crash-land?” asked Mama Flyer.

“Me crash into tree, then me fall to ground on me back,” sniffled Petrie with hiccups, “Ow! Me hurt so much!”

“I’ll say … that was one flight you took, little one,” came another feminine voice.

The two Flyers froze in place and frantically looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, and only then did Mama Flyer notice that they were surrounded by trees containing pink tree stars. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she stared at the pink trees with amazement.

“Wow!” she gasped, “I wonder where we are?”

“You’re in Pink Forest,” came the feminine voice.

Petrie looked around frantically again, still trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

“Pink Forest?” he said nervously.

“Yes,” the voice answered.

“Um, … who you? Where you?” Petrie asked.

“Where I am, I’m right over here. Who I am, it’s a mystery to all,” said the voice.

Petrie tried to get up again, but his legs gave way once more, and he landed right on his bottom on his mother’s lap again.

“Me no can walk,” he called, “Me hurt me feet.”

“Can you still fly?” asked the voice.

“He’s hurt,” called Mama Flyer, and he looked at her son, “Please don’t try to walk, dear. I’ll carry you in my wings.”

“Okay,” nodded Petrie, and his mother stood up and held her son tenderly in her wings as if she was carrying a newborn.

“Me legs really hurt so bad!” he complained dreadfully.

“It’s okay. I gotcha, Petrie,” his mother assured him.

“Now, just follow my voice, and you’ll know exactly what awaits you in Pink Forest,” said the feminine voice.

Mama Flyer did as the voice told them to do, and she slowly walked in the direction where it came from.

Before long, the Flyers noticed somebody smiling at them, and they gasped in astonishment at who she was looking at …

It was a pink adult Threehorn, with sparkling purple eyes and big eyelashes. She looked so much Tria, only that her shade of pink was much brighter.

“Wow!” Petrie gasped, “Who you?”

“My name is … Sparkle,” the Threehorn said in a gentle, soothing voice.

“Sparkle?” said Petrie in amazement.

“I know. It’s quite a gorgeous name, isn’t it?” chuckled Sparkle.

“Me think you beautiful!” smiled Petrie with wide eyes of wonder.

“Thanks, little one,” beamed Sparkle with a warm smile, “What might your name be?”

“Um, Pe-Petrie,” he stuttered nervously.

“Petrie? That’s an adorable name for someone like you,” smiled Sparkle.

Petrie blushed in embarrassment as he looked up and saw his mother smiling at him warmly.

“And who might you be, ma’am?” asked Sparkle, turning her attention to the larger, blue Flyer.

“I’m his mother,” she answered.

“Motherly instincts can lead to quite a mother-son adventure when you put it that way,” said Sparkle, chuckling at her own comment.

“So, Petrie, … what brings you here to Pink Forest?” the Threehorn asked.

Petrie gulped nervously, wondering just how he could tell this beautiful Threehorn that he was in love with a Swimmer without her lashing out at him for being in a relationship with one.

“We went out looking for something, but, as you can probably guess, the wind knocked us off course,” Mama Flyer spoke up before Petrie could open his beak, and he stared at her, surprised that she could come up with an excuse so quickly in an effort to cover up his true intentions.

“Well, you two have come to the right place,” smiled Sparkle, “It’s not every day I get visitors around these parts. In fact, I hardly ever get visitors at all.”

Petrie was shocked to hear this.

“W-why not?” he asked.

“This forest is very well hidden from everybody else in the Great Valley, and the only visitors I am ever likely to get are Flyers like you,” explained Sparkle, “I started growing this forest a long time ago, way since before you were even an egg, Petrie. Pink Forest quickly became one of the most visited places in the Great Valley, until everything so suddenly changed, and all the common green food started flowering over the valley afterward. All the dinosaurs who were newer to the valley basically gained no knowledge of this place’s existence. Pink Forest essentially became a forgotten place in the Great Valley, or to older dinosaurs, a thing of the past. Your generation would probably believe it to simply be some legend now.”

Petrie was astounded by Sparkle’s story about Pink Forest, and he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her after hearing how this place had become overshadowed by the Great Valley’s common green food and delicious fruits. Now that he thought about it, he felt very lucky to have stumbled upon this forest.

“Me think your forest so beautiful, Sparkle,” the Flyer said softly, “Me never see anything like it. It too bad nobody know about it.”

“You know, I wish we could help in some way, but as you say, I’m not sure our neighbors will believe us,” said Mama Flyer.

“If I ever had another Threehorn come to this place, and he wanted to share it with me, I am sure that he would delight in becoming my mate, and we would have a child who would take over in our footsteps as the guardian of Pink Forest,” said Sparkle thoughtfully.

“Guardian of Pink Forest?” said Petrie, “You guardian of Pink Forest?”

“Yes,” confirmed Sparkle, “I’ve lived in this forest ever since I started growing these special trees with all of those precious pink tree stars many, many cold times ago. Oh, how I would do anything to share it with others now.”

“Sparkle,” Petrie began as he thought long and hard, “Me been thinking. It okay if we … take a few tree stars and show them as proof that this place exist? Maybe it convince everyone in Great Valley that Pink Forest real.”

Sparkle looked at Petrie and thought for a moment about his idea. She knew it would not be any easy feat by any means, but this little Flyer seemed determined to help her as if he had known her for so long. This strange new friend of his certainly had a kind heart towards those whom he knew meant well to him.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Petrie?” Mama Flyer asked her son, unsure of what he was really up to with his idea.

Petrie nodded and winked with one eye, then winked with the other. His mother quickly saw just what he was planning to do, and she smiled and winked back at him before kissing his forehead, earning a cute giggle from her little son.

“I will allow you to take two pink tree stars, little one,” the Threehorn smiled.

Petrie gasped and smiled widely in delight, “Yippee!”

“Can I ask you a favor as well?” added Sparkle.

“Sure, Sparkle. Anything,” replied Petrie.

“You have friends, I trust?”

“Oh, yes!” nodded Petrie eagerly, “Me have six very special friends! They all different kinds, and we have many adventures together! Me think they definitely believe this place real when me show them pink tree star!”

“Excellent!” beamed Sparkle.

With that, she pulled a pink tree star off one of the tree branches, and she handed it over to the Flyers. Mama Flyer sat down and held Petrie on her lap again as she took the tree star and got a closer look at it. As she did this, her son once again cried and sniffled in pain.

“Aaawwwooowww!” he wailed, “Me feet still hurt!”

Having momentarily forgotten that the little Flyer was still injured, Sparkle quickly pulled off another tree star and placed it in front of them.

“Eat this, Petrie,” she instructed him, “It will help. Your legs will heal in just a few minutes.”

Petrie looked up at Sparkle’s glistening purple eyes, which he imagined must have earned her her name when she hatched from her egg. There was something about her grin that made her look so sincere and gentle. He felt as if her presence was almost like motherly warmth, although not nearly as warm as his own mother was, and he was reminded so much about Tria just by looking at her and by seeing her much warmer personality compared to Mr. Threehorn.

“Go ahead and eat, Petrie,” she grinned, “You’ll need that pink tree star more than I do.”

Sighing warmly with a pleasant grin, Petrie noticed his mother nodding in agreement with the Threehorn, and he grabbed the pink tree star and slowly began to nibble on it. After just a few bites, he felt the pain in his legs and feet begin to subside. The taste was very good, too. It tasted like a mixture of red tree sweets and sweet bubbles, and it soothed his tongue pleasantly.

“This taste so good,” he said, “Now me really wish this place not forgotten.”

“I know, dear,” chuckled Sparkle, “Now, just wait for a few minutes, and you might be able to stand up again.”

Petrie finished eating the pink tree star and sat still in his mother’s lap, whilst Mama Flyer kindly took the other pink tree star and patiently waited for anything to happen.

Before long, Petrie felt the pain subside from his legs and feet, and he cautiously attempted to stand up. He felt no pain in his feet as he pressed them on the ground, and he managed to straighten his legs upward and stand up.

“Wow! These tree stars do heal fast!” he exclaimed in delight, “This place just so amazing!”

Sparkle chuckled happily and smiled at Petrie, “See. With these pink tree stars around, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Thanks so much, Sparkle,” said Mama Flyer graciously.

Petrie felt so grateful to Sparkle for her kind compassion and generosity that he didn’t know how to thank him enough.

“Thank you so much, Sparkle! Thank you … for everything!” the Flyer said cheerfully.

“You’re very welcome, Petrie,” replied Sparkle proudly.

“Okay, Petrie,” smiled Mama Flyer, “Let’s get going.”

“Me right behind you, Mama!” nodded Petrie, and he lifted himself off the ground again and grasped the rolled-up pink tree star from his mother with his feet.

He then turned to Sparkle.

“Thanks again!”

“You’re welcome,” repeated Sparkle, “Now, off you go.”

“See you later, Sparkle!” Petrie called as he flew above the tops of the pink trees.

“See you later, Petrie!” Sparkle called back just before her new friend disappeared back into the heart of the Great Valley with his mother following closely behind.

However, Petrie had only just made it back over the valley’s open space, when a sudden gust of wind knocked him off balance.

“Aaah!” he screamed as he found himself somersaulting in midair while holding desperately onto his pink tree star with his feet, “NAAAOOOO!”

The wind quickly grew stronger, and before long Petrie found that he was flying at speeds a little faster than he was naturally capable of. He felt himself being tossed around in the air like a pinecone. The winds kept blowing him in random directions in the sky. He kept his pink tree star grasped in his feet so that he wouldn’t lose it. All he knew was that this trip would possibly not end well for him.

“Petrie!” he heard his mother shouting behind him.

“MOMMEEEEEEE!” he screamed, “HEEEELP MEEEEEE!”

Mama Flyer watched in horror as the wind tossed her son around like a simple tree star. She knew he would not be able to save himself without there being someone to help him.

“MOMMEEEEEEEEEE!” Petrie screamed again, “PLEEEEEEHEHEHEASE! HEEEEEEEHEHEHEHEEEEEELP!”

Mama Flyer determinedly chased after her son, refusing the let the winds get the better of her as she focused solely on her mission: to save Petrie from these dangerous winds.

“I’m coming, Petrie!” she called towards him, although she wasn’t sure if he would be able to hear her because his body was still somersaulting and spinning in all sorts of directions as if he was being carried by a windstorm.

Petrie did manage to hear his mother’s reply, and he felt so relieved that she was trying her best to keep up with him. His only hope now was that she would reach him before it was too late …


Ducky and her mother had journeyed into a forest, still looking for something special that the little Swimmer was sure Petrie would love. The two had searched through several different places that Ducky hadn’t been to before, but all she saw were many common plants that she was sure she could see almost every day.

However, Mama Swimmer knew that this particular forest was a place her daughter had never been to before, and she was sure that she was bound to find something very special in here.

“This place sure looks … different,” said Ducky, completely unfamiliar with everything she saw.

“I once came here, but I remember so little about that day, so I was thinking that maybe bringing you here would be just the thing to do,” said Mama Swimmer.

Ducky looked around and saw many different plants and sweets she had never seen before. Then, she looked ahead and gasped …

“Mommy! Look!” she shouted in excitement.

“What is it, dear?” asked Mama Swimmer, and she watched as her daughter ran ahead, straight into a bunch of strange greenish-yellow flowers.

“Wow!” gasped Ducky, “Look at these! They are just as green as me!”

Mama Swimmer crouched down to get a closer look at the flowers that had caught Ducky’s attention, and she was amazed not just by how their shades of green matched Ducky’s, but also how their shade of yellow matched that of her chest.

“They’re as yellow as you, too,” the older Swimmer chuckled.

Ducky looked awkwardly at her mother before she realized just what she meant. She gazed down at her own chest and noticed how the middle yellow part of the flowers just essentially the same shade, much like their green petals being the same shade of green as most of her body.

“Wow! You are right, Mama! These flowers look just like me! Yep, yep, yep!” she giggled.

“Would you like to take one of these and give one to Petrie?” her mother asked her.

“Oh, yes!” answered Ducky, and she carefully pulled one of them out from the ground, bringing its roots up with it, “It looks just like me, so maybe Petrie can think about me when he sees this!”

“That is such a thoughtful idea, Ducky,” smiled Mama Swimmer, “I’m proud of you.”

The larger Swimmer kissed her daughter’s forehead, and they held hands and walked together out of the forest. In her other hand, Ducky tightly held the flower she had just picked out. She sniffed at it for a moment, and she thought it smelled just wonderful.

“Petrie will love this! Yes, yes, yes!” she said to herself with a giggle of delight.

“Okay, Ducky. So, when you and Petrie meet up later today, maybe even tonight, depending on what you’re planning to do today, you can give that flower to him, but until then, we’ll have to keep it hidden, okay?” explained Mama Swimmer.

“Okay,” nodded Ducky in understanding.

“And be sure to hold on tightly to that, okay? I’m not sure when these winds will stop, but it’s still pretty breezy out here,” said Mama Swimmer a little worryingly.

“I will try,” said Ducky nervously, and she held her flower in a way that made it look as if she was hugging it like it was her new little friend.

As the two Swimmers came back to open land not covered by trees, the winds began to pick up again, and the two Swimmers held hands tightly so that they wouldn’t get separated on their way back home.

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLP!”

The Swimmers froze and gasped as they heard that voice. It wasn’t just any old voice calling for help, but Ducky could recognize it in just about any way.

“Oh, no! Is that Petrie in trouble?” gasped Ducky.

“That sure sounds like Petrie,” her mother panted.

“It must be the wind!” said Ducky as she quickly figured out just what kind of trouble had befallen the Flyer he loved, “Petrie must be being blown around by the wind!”

“Let’s go find him so he can help-“

“Hold on, Petrie! I’m coming!” came another voice.

“That is Petrie’s mama!” shouted Ducky.

It was then she looked up at the sky, and she saw a nightmare just above their heads …

There was poor Petrie being tossed through the sky like a simple seed. His body spun in so many random directions that he surely must have been getting dizzy as far as Ducky was concerned.

“There he is!” cried Ducky, pointing up at her boyfriend.

Mama Swimmer looked up and saw for herself just how much peril the poor Flyer was in.

“Oh, my goodness!” she gasped in horror.

At that moment, Ducky suddenly felt some determination flowing through her veins, the kind of determination that was egging her to save Petrie any way she could. This was the Flyer she loved so much, and the one who loved her in return. She would not let anything, not even wind, bring harm to her beloved Petrie. She would do anything for his safety, even if it meant risking her own.

“Here, take this!” she said so suddenly, handing her flower to her mother, and without thinking twice, she sprang into action, following Petrie from below.

“Wait! Ducky! Where are you going!? Come back here!” Mama Swimmer called, but it was no use, and within a moment, Ducky had disappeared from her sight.

“PETRIE!” called Ducky, panting as she ran as fast as her legs would allow her to.

Petrie felt a lump in his throat as he thought he could swear he heard the voice that belonged to his beloved Ducky. He tried to get a glimpse at the ground, but that proved to be easier said than done with the wind still spinning him so much. He did manage to get a very brief glimpse at the green grass for one split second, and during that very small space of time, … he saw her …

“DUCKY!?” he cried in complete shock.

“PETRIE! I AM COMING, PETRIE! HOLD ON!” called Ducky.

“HURREEEEEEEEY!” Petrie pleaded desperately, still unable to fight the merciless wind.

Ducky didn’t need to be told twice. She ran and ran, her heart pounding fiercely, her breaths becoming faster and more prolonged with every second she spent running. She looked around for anything that could be useful, but only then did she think of another idea.

“Yes!” she panted to herself, “I know just where our friends might be!”

Turning to her right, the little Swimmer noticed a narrow path through a dense forest, and she decided to jump in. She hoped this potential shortcut could lead her straight to where their friends were possibly chilling.


The wind was making things a little difficult for the Gang, too. As they stopped by their regular meeting place, waiting for Ducky and Petrie to join them, they played a game of “Catch the Tree Star,” but due to the strong winds, they ended up losing six tree stars while trying to play their game.

“This stupid wind had better stop soon, or else I’m gonna get REALLY mad!” exclaimed Cera, “I’m especially surprised that Ducky and Petrie haven’t joined us yet!”

Littlefoot felt a lump in his throat as she said those words. It was quite obvious that she had intentionally thrown a pun referring her own longing suspicions about the Swimmer and Flyer that refused to escape her.

“Gee, I wonder why? Do you suppose these winds have kept them back? Petrie, in particular?” said Chomper sarcastically in an effort to distract the Threehorn from her concerns towards their … “strange behaviors.”

“Besides, remember what happened last time it got this windy?” added Ruby.

This left Cera dissatisfied, but the Threehorn couldn’t retort after remembering that one windy day during the last warm season. She knew these winds could very well be dangerous for Petrie, but after remembering once again that Ducky was not among them, she was still keen on getting an answer as soon as possible. She hated being cast aside about a certain manner for so long that it drove her into madness. She would not let this secret that Ducky and Petrie were apparently keeping from her away from her forever. She would find out sooner or later, or she would make sure they never heard the end of this.

The Threehorn turned to Littlefoot with a glare that told him that she would not let this go so easily.

“Littlefoot, … have you managed to figure out what’s been going on between Ducky and Petrie? I’m really getting tired of all this being kept away from me, and I won’t put up with this any longer!”

Littlefoot tensed as he tried not to show any signs of being startled by her aggressive approach on the subject. He tried to think of another quick excuse, but none came to mind. As unfortunate as it seemed, he knew that Cera would, in one way or another, try so hard to discover Ducky and Petrie’s secret, but he still couldn’t trust her not to spread it to her family. One single slip of the mouth could turn all their lives upside down.

With a deep sigh of defeat, Littlefoot began to speak …

“I guess I’d better-“

“HEEEEYYYYY!”

The five children all jumped at the sudden call, and after a brief panic they spotted Ducky running towards them, panting heavily, her tongue sticking out of her mouth indicating just how worn out she was from all that running.

“What is it, Ducky?” asked Littlefoot, as Spike let out a groan of concern.

Ducky panted wearily and let out deep gasps to regain her stability before she was able to speak.

“Wind! … Petrie! … Trouble! … Need … help!”

The others gasped at the unpleasant news, and Littlefoot immediately began thinking of a plan.

“Where is he?” he asked Ducky.

“I followed-ed him, … before I took a shortcut … to get you for help!” gasped Ducky.

“Chomper, use your sniffer so we can find out where he is!” instructed Littlefoot.

“I’ll do my best!” the Sharptooth replied, and he began sniffing as hard as he could for any possible signs.

Before long, he picked up the sense that Petrie was in the air, as the scent was coming from very high up. He paused and examined the scent, and he gained this strange feeling that the wind was carrying Petrie closer towards the very spot they were standing now.

“Petrie’s being blown around by the wind!” he called, “I can tell because his scent is so high up! My sniffer also says he’s coming this way!”

“Quick! Let’s gather some branches and tree stars so we can make a trap that will catch him!” Littlefoot said quickly.

“And just how would that work?” protested an unconvinced Cera.

“We’ll set up some branches between those two large trees over there,” Littlefoot began, looking at said trees that were standing nearby, “Then, we stick the branches together with tree star juice.”

“What if that doesn’t work?” said Ruby.

“We’ll use the rest of the tree stars and what’s left of our tree star juice to cover up the empty spaces,” Littlefoot continued, “If Petrie ends up in one of the empty spaces, the tree star juice will stick him to the trap. Then, we pull him out of the trap and bring him back down!”

“That will take a long time,” complained Chomper.

“But with six of us, it will take just about no time!” encouraged Littlefoot, “Let’s get to work!”

Without any further questions, the six children climbed up the two trees and gathered some tree stars and branches to use for their trap. They knew they had to get it all done in just a few moments, because they knew Petrie might just pop up at any time.

The kids crushed some of the tree stars and splattered tree star juice all over a couple of large branches, and they stuck the smaller branches together before sticking the remaining tree stars on with the last of the tree star juice.

The whole process took just two minutes with there being six young dinosaurs; only just enough time before Petrie suddenly came into view, still being tossed around like a pinecone and appearing to be holding something with his feet.

“Oh, no, no, no! Here he comes!” called Ducky.

“Everyone out of the way!” called Littlefoot.

The Gang took cover inside the two large trees and watched tensely as Petrie headed straight towards the newly-constructed trap.

“Please work! Please work!” Ducky begged, clasping her hands together underneath her chin as her boyfriend came closer to the trees.

“This will work,” whispered Littlefoot to the Swimmer, “Just calm down.”

It was only at that moment that Petrie saw the trap for a split second, and he closed his eyes with a scream and prepared for the crash to happen …

It never did.

Petrie felt tree star juice covering himself, but an instant later he could still feel himself being carried by the wind. He opened his eyes, and he saw that his beak was covered in tree star juice, and on his feet, his pink tree star was still in one piece. He quickly realized that whatever his friends had planned to do had apparently been for nothing …

“Oh, no!” yelled Chomper, “It didn’t work!”

“I knew this wouldn’t work!” snapped Cera.

“AAAH!” came another sudden scream from behind them, and they all looked back and gasped in horror.

“Oh, no! It’s Petrie’s mom!” called Chomper.

“DUCK!” yelled Littlefoot, and the kids all jumped out of the way and slammed against the ground … just in time …

“CRASH!”

The kids looked up once they heard the ear-piercing crash, and they gasped in disbelief as Mama Flyer came tumbling towards the ground, screaming as she fell. Juice-covered branches and tree stars came down with her as she landed on her side and rolled over a couple of times before finally coming to a stop on her back.

“Oh, no!” shouted Chomper.

“Ms. Flyer!” yelled Cera.

Immediately, the six children rushed to the Flyer’s side as she groaned in pain and struggled to get herself back up.

“Oowww!” she cried, “What in the world was that!?”

“Ms. Flyer! Are you okay!?” asked Littlefoot urgently.

Mama Flyer slowly sat up and felt some pain stinging through her head and chest.

“Oh, my goodness! That’s gonna hurt for quite a while,” she said in a weak voice as she felt herself for any possible injuries.

“We’re very sorry, Ms. Flyer. Sorry we are,” said Ruby despondently.

“What were you kids up to, anyway?” asked Mama Flyer.

“We heard Petrie calling for help, and we tried to set up a trap for him,” explained Cera.

“He flied right through it and kept-ed going,” sniffled Ducky, knowing that her boyfriend was still in great danger.

“Well, at least you tried to save my son, and I appreciate you trying to help,” said Mama Flyer kindly.

“I told you this idea wouldn’t work, Littlefoot,” said Cera, glaring at Littlefoot.

“It worked on other Flyer children before, Cera,” Littlefoot pointed out, “I saw other kids try it out, and it worked brilliantly.”

“Then how come it didn’t work this time?” asked Cera.

“STOP!” Chomper screamed, and the Longneck and Threehorn fell silent at once.

The Sharptooth was sensing his sniffer picking up Petrie’s scent again, and he was sure that it would lead him to wherever the wind was taking him to.

“I smell him!” he said, pointing a finger towards the direction Petrie had flown off to, “He went that way! Come on!”

“I hope he is okay! I do, I do!” Ducky said again as the six kids, with Mama Flyer flying directly above them, ran in the direction their distressed Flyer friend had been blown off to.

Soon, the children reached a grassy ledge that gave them a splendid view of the landscape beyond it, and they looked up and saw poor Petrie still being tossed around.

Then, Chomper gasped in horror when he noticed a very familiar rock formation in the background behind Petrie.

“Oh, no!” he said with wide eyes of horror, “He’s going to …,”

“BLACK ROCK!” the kids, except for Spike, all screamed in disbelief.

“AGAIN!?” Ducky screamed in sheer horror, “NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOO!”

The Swimmer ran right up to the edge of the ledge, and she watched in despair as her boyfriend was helplessly blown towards Black Rock, the same place he and Guido had been blown off to once before.

“Oh, my! Not again!” came Mama Flyer’s distraught voice as she watched her son’s uncontrollable flight towards the Mysterious Beyond, and she gulped nervously, “I’m going to have to fly over there and help him!”

“I will go with you!” Ducky said the instant Mama Flyer finished her sentence.

“WHAT!?” Littlefoot, Cera, Chomper and Ruby all shouted, staring awkwardly at her as if they had just been hit in the head with large rocks.

“Are you crazy, Ducky!?” said Cera, “You can’t just run off into the Mysterious Beyond like that!”

“I cannot just sit here and-,” Ducky began before Mama Flyer cut her off.

“She’s right, Ducky,” she said in a calm voice, “It’s too dangerous for children like you to be in the Mysterious Beyond, even if there’s one adult with you.”

“I do not want to just sit here and wait for Petrie to come back! I want to help him!” Ducky cried as tears began falling from her eyes, “I cannot stand him being in so much danger! I just cannot!”

The kids were very surprised to see Ducky behaving this way, but none more than Cera. She was certainly not the Ducky that she was all so familiar with. This seemed … different. Too different.

Ducky had never felt so distraught before until now. Her precious Petrie was in grave danger, and to not be allowed to help save him made her feel so useless to him. She felt as if she was letting her boyfriend down by staying behind and potentially letting him get fed to Sharpteeth living in the Mysterious Beyond.

“Ducky,” said Mama Flyer, “I know how much Petrie means to you, and I know how much you want to help save him, but it’s too dangerous in the Mysterious Beyond, and you’re too little.”

“But what about Petrie?” asked Ducky.

“I’ll go save Petrie,” said Mama Flyer, “I’m as worried for him as you are. After all, he is my son, and as his mother, I have to make sure he’s okay, no matter what the risks are.”

“Ple-please bring Petrie back okay … for me, … please?” begged Ducky.

“I’ll do my best, little one,” replied Mama Flyer, and she stared off towards Black Rock and could still just get a glance at Petrie, who now looked so tiny from how far away he was, “Well, … here goes nothing.”

“Good luck, Ms. Flyer,” said Chomper nervously, “And again, we’re sorry about the trap.”

“You’re not seriously hurt, are you?” asked Ruby.

“I should be okay,” said Mama Flyer, feeling herself again and not picking up any signs of injuries that could slow her down, “And don’t you worry about that trap. You did your best to help, but it’s all up to me now.”

“Good luck,” the kids spoke, with the exception of Spike.

“Thanks, kids,” replied Mama Flyer, “I should be back before nightfall, … with my son.”

With that, the Flyer stretched her wings out and lifted herself off the ledge. The wind instantly sped up her flight as she soared as quickly as she could towards Black Rock.

“Bye, Ms. Flyer!” the Gang waved at them.

“Bye, kids!” Mama Flyer called back as she fixed her eyes on Black Rock and set off on her mission to rescue her son.

Ducky watched as Mama Flyer flew further and further away, then she sank her head and sat down.

“Are you okay, Ducky?” asked Chomper.

Ducky sighed sadly, “Just the feeling of not being able to save Petrie. I feel so useless just as much as he probably feels so helpless. My poor best friend. Poor Petrie.”

“Listen, Ducky. I know you want to help your friend, but Ms. Flyer will do her best to bring him back,” consoled Littlefoot.

“I still wish I could go. I should be with him right now while he is out there, feeling all alone and helpless,” sniffled Ducky as her bill quivered again, “I can only wonder if he is okay, and I am sure he misses me just as much as I miss him.”

Cera kept her eyes on Ducky, and she began to have strange thoughts spiraling in her head. She could see from hearing how much Ducky missed Petrie, and from their recent behavior, that they had been behaving oddly for a reason. As she put all the pieces together, she began to see just how much the two meant to each other. It seemed that they were more than just best friends. Could it possibly be that some sort of special bond had been growing between the Swimmer and Flyer behind everyone’s backs?

The Threehorn shifted her gaze to Littlefoot, and just as she opened her mouth …

“Ducky! There you are!”

Everyone looked and saw Mama Swimmer joining them, letting out a huge sigh of relief. The kids noticed a strange-looking flower in her hand, and Chomper immediately took a step back, not impressed with its scent.

Ducky looked back to see her mother looking at her, panting as she approached her. The little Swimmer turned back to stare off at Black Rock, tears beginning to stream from her eyes.

“Ms. Swimmer?” said a dumbfounded Cera, “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for Ducky, of course,” answered Mama Swimmer with a somewhat sarcastic chuckle, “Would you think I wouldn’t worry about her after she just runs off?”

The Gang were completely dumbfounded by this.

“Run off?” said Chomper.

“But, … s-she came here to warn us that Petrie was in danger, so we all tried to save him with a trap, but it was no use,” explained Littlefoot.

“I was aware that Petrie was in trouble, but I couldn’t help but worry when Ducky just suddenly took off the way she did,” said Mama Swimmer.

“What are you talking about?” asked Cera.

Just as Mama Swimmer was about to answer, her daughter spoke first …

“I am sorry, Mama,” she sniffled, “I just could not … let Petrie get blowed around by all the wind. I just had to try and save him.”

“Listen, Ducky, I know that you have growing instincts, and I’m happy for that, but please don’t leave me worried like that,” her mother gently replied.

Ducky looked up at her mother and revealed her tear-soaked face. Her mother promptly lifted her onto her lap and wiped the tears away.

“There, there, dear. It’ll be okay,” she soothingly lulled her daughter.

“Um, M-Ms. Swimmer?” said Littlefoot awkwardly.

“Speaking of which, what happened to Petrie?” asked Mama Swimmer.

“Petrie was blown away! That’s what happened!” said Cera in a matter-of-fact tone, “And now he’s off to Black Rock all over again!”

Mama Swimmer gasped and looked out over the horizon. She could just faintly make out the tiny-looking form of Mama Flyer apparently chasing after her distressed son.

“Oh, my goodness! Again!?” she gasped, “Oh, the poor little Flyer.”

She looked down at Ducky, and now she could understand just how distraught her precious daughter really was. The fact that her boyfriend was on an uncontrollable flight to the Mysterious Beyond had crushed her heart, and now she was on the verge of breaking down as she waited so anxiously for Petrie’s safe return.

“Alright! Something just doesn’t add up here!” came Cera’s aggressive voice.

“Whoa! Calm down, Cera,” said Mama Swimmer uneasily, “What exactly do you mean?”

Feeling she couldn’t hold her complaints in any longer, the Threehorn began breathing quite erratically as she began voicing her opinion …

“Alright! I’ll spit it out, and I’m gonna make this plain and simple!” she began, “I’ve noticed Ducky and Petrie’s absolutely bizarre behavior in the last few days or so. First, they exchange these weird smiles whenever they look at each other, then they seem to got close to each other more often than usual. I keep asking Littlefoot is he’s seen anything awkward, but I get nothing!”

She glared viciously at Littlefoot, who gulped and took a few steps back.

“Now, we get news that Petrie is in danger because of all this stupid wind, and after we try to save him, Ducky throws this uncharacteristic tantrum, wishing she’d be going after Petrie to help save him when she clearly can’t do so! Well, now I see how it is! There’s something going on, isn’t there? Something that all of you apparently don’t want me to know about! Well, I won’t let this be a secret from me any longer, so I’m going to ask you this, and I’m going to ask you this only once: What Are You Hiding From Me!?”

Everyone stared at her as if they were completely terrified. She noticed the looks on everyone’s faces, and she knew that there was something they were hiding from her. It seemed enough to give her a partial answer.

She shifted her glare to Ducky and her mother. Mama Swimmer appeared very uneasy, while Ducky was hyperventilating from apparent fear. She was acting as if she was being forced to let out a dark secret that she obviously didn’t want the elders to know.

Ducky’s heart was beating much quicker than normal. Her worst fear was coming true. Now, Cera was forcefully demanding her to spill her secret so that she could probably go spill that to her father and potentially get her and Petrie banished from the Great Valley for the rest of their days. She wished this was simply a very bad night terror, but she was hit with the cruel reality that it was real. She knew she was doomed. She knew Petrie was doomed. There was no way she would be able to keep their secret hidden anymore.

She glanced up at her mother, and she appeared to be just as scared as she was, but she knew that even if her mother would try to stop her from spilling her secret, Cera would keep pressing on them until the whole truth was revealed. There was no turning back anymore.

Ducky looked at Cera again and took a deep breath. She sensed her mother was cryptically shaking her head to beg her not to, but even she knew deep down that it was time to let the secret out and just hope that Cera would not go running off to her father and spreading the word all over the valley just to get her own friends thrown out forever.

“Fine!” she cried, “Petrie and I are in love! We have had secret feelings for each other ever since we met-ed, and now we have falled in love!”

She immediately gasped and covered her mouth with her hands afterward, wishing that inevitable moment hadn’t slipped through, but it was too late. She knew she had made a fatal mistake. Her mother was panting and holding her tightly. The little Swimmer hid her face beneath her mother’s chest and wept babyishly, knowing that it could be just a matter of minutes before Mr. Threehorn would be looking for her and Petrie and demanding to have them banished for all-time.

“You … have got to be kidding me,” came Cera’s response, sounding as if she was in complete disbelief.

Cera’s eyes were wide with surprise, and her mouth was agape as she stared at Ducky. This was just what she was sure was the case. Even so, she could not have imagined that their Swimmer and Flyer friends could possibly fall in love. They weren’t the same kind. Nobody ever fell in love with someone from another kind. This was utterly baffling.

Then, a sudden through struck her as she remembered why this was the case. Relationships between dinosaurs of different kinds were strictly forbidden. Anyone caught doing so was to be punished with permanent banishment to the Mysterious Beyond with immediate effect, never to be allowed to return, even as a member of another herd. She remembered that her father was very serious when it came to that rule. She recalled a story about him catching one pair in the act once, and they were sentenced to permanent banishment within the hour. She, however, had no recollection of what kinds those two were.

Now, she understood why Ducky and Petrie had been keeping it secret, and Littlefoot had apparently been helping them keep it secret from her. He was afraid that she would go straight to her father and try to get them banished.

However, Cera simply stayed put where she was and just stared at Ducky. Half of her wanted her to go tell her father on them for committing a heinous crime, but the other half of her told her not to. They were her friends. They were loyal to her, and most of them trusted her. Could she really have such a heart to betray her friends so cruelly? What of the possibility that her own father would get rid of them, … or possibly harm them? Even if they were her friends, he would more than likely still try to get them banished the instant he found out. He seemed to not care much for her friends as much as she did. He didn’t understand friendship and loyalty as much as she did. He simply couldn’t understand how much her friends truly meant to her, even if it didn’t seem that way most of the time.

“That … is, … uh, … quite ssstrange, to be honest,” she spoke after what felt like ages of silence to everyone.

Ducky looked at Cera, still hyperventilating out of fear of her and Petrie being exposed as criminals.

“Please do not tell your daddy!” begged Ducky through a big stream of tears, “We do not want to be banished! We do not want to leave the Great Valley!”

The Threehorn simply looked at Ducky for another moment, and in a split second, she had made up her mind …

“Honestly, Ducky, do I look like someone who would betray my own friends?” remarked Cera.

Ducky and her mother were both stunned into frozen silence.

“W-w-what!?” gasped Ducky.

“You mean …,” Littlefoot spoke, but couldn’t utter another word out of disbelief from what he had just heard.

Spike, Chomper and Ruby were just as stunned. They couldn’t speak. They could only stare at Cera in shock.

“I think it’s … quite astounding,” said Cera, “I’ve never heard anything like it. To be honest, … I think it’s remarkable.”

“But, … I thought-ed you did not like love between different kinds,” sobbed Ducky through sniffles and hiccups.

“So, that doesn’t mean I’m just going to try and get my own friends thrown away into some Bright Circle forsaken place,” replied Cera, chuckling a little from her own remark, “Sure, I care so much about trying to please my dad, but I don’t have the heart to turn against anyone who cares about me, family or not.”

A couple of the kids softened from that last sentence.

“Somehow, I’ve had a hunch from the very beginning, … that you and Petrie were so close. I thought nothing of it, until you started showing these strange behaviors,” Cera continued, “After we arrived in the Great Valley, I’ve seen your friendship grow so much, but I didn’t see this coming.”

Ducky felt much of her fear fading away, and she began to take deep breaths to calm herself down as much as she could. She felt so much relief knowing that Cera had actually decided she would not tell her father. Perhaps, more fear was gone, but she was still worried if she would truly keep her word.

“I may be skeptical about this, but you two sure seem like you’re right for each other. I know no one else who would agree, though,” said Cera.

“So, … are you not going to tell your father?” asked Ducky nervously, hoping she truly meant what she said.

“I would also be very grateful if you could keep a certain promise to us,” her mother spoke up.

“What promise?” asked Cera, although she knew what the answer was.

“To not spread the word about this matter to your father, or to anyone else, for that matter,” replied Mama Swimmer, “Ducky’s father was already quite skeptical, but we were able to convince him to help keep this secret.”

Exchanging a glance of surprise, Cera nodded at the Swimmers.

“Very well,” she said, “You have my word.”

“Oh, thank you!” gasped Ducky in huge relief, “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes, yes, yes!”

“As a matter of curiosity, is there anyone else that knows?” asked Cera.

“Let’s see. Myself, of course, my mate, and Petrie’s mother,” answered Mama Swimmer.

“Um, actually, Littlefoot’s grandma and grandpa know, too,” Ducky pointed out.

Mama Swimmer shook her head and looked down at her daughter. To her, this was quite unexpected news.

“What!? You can’t be serious, Ducky!” she said.

“Last night, my grandma, grandpa and I noticed them … just … holding hands and saying nice things to each other, … and they said they’re willing to make an exception to this … rule,” said Littlefoot.

Mama Swimmer sat in silence for a moment as she registered this news. It was such a surprise that Littlefoot’s grandparents were willing to side in favor with Ducky and Petrie being in love despite being forbidden from doing so.

“Wow,” she said, “That’s … unbelievable. That’s such great news. I didn’t think they’d be happy about this, but I’m sure glad they are.”

“That’s wonderful!” smiled Chomper.

“Oh, if only Petrie were here, though,” said Ducky sadly, as she stared off toward Black Rock.

“Don’t worry, Ducky. Ms. Flyer will be back soon with Petrie,” assured Littlefoot.

“As I know, she is quite a protective and doting mother,” remarked Mama Swimmer.

“To him, at least. I’ve seen quite a few shenanigans his brothers and sisters have gotten to,” commented Cera.

Nobody else said a word as they stared off on the horizon. With more dread out of the way, only one thing (or person) was on everyone’s minds …

Petrie.


The winds were finally dying down. Petrie had stopped somersaulting, and he still held his pink tree star tightly with his feet, but he felt so dizzy and his wings felt so weak after so much flying. He desperately wanted to find somewhere to land, but it was only after he looked down that he realized where he was …

“Oh, no! Black Rock! Not again!” he panicked, “Me gotta get outta here!”

However, he found it so hard to keep flapping his wings as all his energy had been drained by the wind. Surely, he could fall and crash-land into Black Rock any minute now.

“So tired,” he panted.

“PETRIE!” he heard a voice calling.

The Flyer looked around and quickly found the source of the voice …

“Ma-Mama!?” he called weakly, “Help me!”

“I’m coming, Petrie!” Mama Flyer called back as she came closer to him.

Mama Flyer was just as tired as her son was. Her wings felt so much pain from flying such a long distance, but she had to carry on. Her son was in distress, and she would not let her youngest, most precious child befall such a terrible fate. She just had to save her precious, little baby.

On the back of her mind, she knew that Ducky was extremely worried about Petrie, and she wanted to make sure they would get to be together again somehow. This was not just for her own son’s sake, but for Ducky’s sake as well.

Petrie tried flapping his wings again just as the last breeze of wind stopped, but just as his mother approached him, he suddenly lost the ability to maintain his height, and he began to fall helplessly.

“MAAMAAAAA!” he screamed in terror as he closed his eyes and felt himself falling way down.

“PETRIE!” Mama Flyer yelled in horror, and she swooped down towards her son, determined to catch him by any means necessary.

Petrie kept his eyes closed and didn’t dare uncurl his toes. He didn’t want to lose his pink tree star. It would break his heart if he lost Ducky’s love gift after going through so much trouble to bring it to her. He would not let it be all for nothing.

Mama Flyer got herself into a position below Petrie so she could catch him, and she hovered as she waited for him to come down.

“I’ll catch you, Petrie!” the little Flyer heard his mother call below him.

He opened his eyes and saw her hovering right below him. He opened his wings to prepare himself for the landing.
Mama Flyer kept her eyes on her son until he came down right on her back. However, with the sudden gain of weight, she felt herself struggling to maintain her height, and just as Petrie wrapped his arms around her neck for safety, she felt the last of her energy drain from her wings.

“Ugh!” she panted, “I can’t keep this going much longer!”

“Please try, Mama!” begged Petrie, “Me feel too tired to fly again!”

But it was no good …

Mama Flyer was only able to flap her wings a few more times before they, too, succumbed to loss of energy, and they began to tumble their way down towards the mountain.

Petrie closed his eyes tight and clung onto his mother’s neck for dear life. They both screamed helplessly as they fell. Neither one of them dared to open their eyes.

Mama Flyer suddenly felt herself sliding down a mountain slope, and she opened her eyes and found that they were sliding straight towards a large hole; a hole she was sure would lead them directly into the caves below.

Once they got to the bottom of the slide, the Flyers got a glance of the hole they were about to fall into, and they closed their eyes again and screamed as they fell right in, knocking over a few rocks on their way down. One of those rocks was a giant one that closed the hole with a big “CRASH!” and plunged them into complete darkness.

“OOOOOHOHOHOHOOO! NOT AGAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAIN!” Petrie wailed loudly.

Neither Petrie or his mother could have imagined at that point … that they were trapped within the unforgiving caves of Black Rock, … and no one knew where they were …

Whew! It seems that with each chapter, at this point things are really starting to get challenging for me, but perhaps even more challenging for our favorite Swimmer and Flyer pals. Now, Cera is aware of their secret, but you can't help but ask yourself: Will she truly keep her word? With Threehorns like her, you can never know for certain.

But on top of all this, the merciless winds of nature have tossed Petrie to Black Rock again, and now with him and his mother trapped inside and injured, how will they be able to make their way out and get back to the Great Valley? What could await the Flyers in such a dark, forsaken place like Black Rock?

Until the next chapter, I'm rolling out for now. See you soon!

It has been rather challenging to keep up with this fic due to the very frequent updates so my apologies about that. As for the fic itself, it is a difficult one for me to review. On one hand, it is just as solidly written as the rest of your fics but the premise itself is… not my favorite, so to say as i mentioned earlier. You have created great dynamics between the two lovebirds and the situations where they try to hide their relationship from the others as well as the reactions of their parents were established sweetly.

However, in addition to the pairing, there are other dynamics I don’t really enjoy, I’m afraid. I’m especially worried about where this story is going but then again, those are only my own preferences. I hope you don’t take this review too badly as my problems aren’t with your style or writing itself. I’d like to enjoy this but there is just so much going on that puts me off. I’ll try to keep reading this story until the end but don’t be too surprised if I won’t leave too many reviews.

Just so you know, I'm perfectly okay with that. I am aware that many find it hard to keep up with fast writers like myself, and I understand that DuckyxPetrie shipping isn't quite your piece of cake. Sometimes, when writing a romance story, there has to be some form of sacrifice when it comes to the interest of others, and that includes shippings that not quite everybody is fond of. I know that the DuckyxPetrie shipping is very popular, and I myself greatly support the shipping. I'm glad you've been liking the style of it all, and I am working on keeping it as LBT-like as possible.

Of course, when it comes to romance between children, I can't help but try to make it as cute as possible, because I have this surprisingly great strength in writing cute scenes, whether they involve family bonding or a romantic couple. Up to this point, though, there really hasn't been too much tensity, but now that we are maybe about halfway through the story, I intend to add some intensity in later chapters that will give it a more complete package. I'm not spoiling any of it, though!

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 11

Black Rock

Petrie and Mama Flyer were falling through a steep tunnel. Mama Flyer was trying to be as calm as she could, while poor Petrie screamed and cried. They kept their eyes closed as they felt their stomachs lurch from the speed of their fall. Even with their eyes closed, they could tell that around them was nothing but darkness, which further terrified Petrie.

Petrie dared himself to open his eyes for one split second and look down. He saw that the end of the tunnel was very near, and he gasped.

“Brace for impact!” he wailed, and his mother promptly got herself into a kneeling position. Petrie, however, still wouldn’t let his pink tree star slip out of his feet.

Finally, the Flyers popped through the hole, and Mama Flyer landed on her feet. She felt a sudden pain jolt through her ankle, and she fell onto her chest. Petrie, however, took the worse …

The little Flyer came down on one of his wings, and he felt his wing receive some excruciating pain just before his body rolled over several times like a log. Mama Flyer opened her eyes just in time to watch her son roll over, and she gasped in horror, knowing that a rollover like that would most certainly hurt him badly.

“Oooowwww!” Petrie wept in pain as his right wing burned with pain, “Me wing hurt! Awwwwhowhowhowhoooowww!”

Mama Flyer crawled over to her son as she found it hard to stand up with the pain in her ankle, and she sat up and pulled Petrie onto her lap. She then gently removed the pink tree star from his feet and cradled him tightly.

“It’s okay, Petrie, Mommy’s here,” she said soothingly.

Petrie looked up at his mother as tears poured from his eyes, and then a terrible realization dawned on him as he saw just where they were …

“Oh, no!” he gasped, “Me never wanted to come back here!”

Mama Flyer looked at their surroundings. It was very dark and quiet, but there was something about this darkness that could be very scary to children, but especially for those like Petrie, whom easily got frightened of just about anything.

“You’ve been here before?” she gasped as she recalled the story of the last time Petrie had fallen in here.

“Yes,” gulped Petrie, “This … Black Rock!”

“This place does look like it could scare any child out of his wits,” commented Mama Flyer, “There’s almost no light in here.”

“You okay, Mama?” asked Petrie.

“I’m not sure,” answered Mama Flyer as she looked down at her left ankle.

Blood was oozing out from a tiny wound in her ankle, and once Petrie saw it, he was horrified.

“Oh, no! Mama, you bleeding!” he panicked as he hoped off his mother’s lap.

“I’ll be fine, Petrie,” assured Mama Flyer as she tried to stand up, “Ow!”

In an instant, a sharp pain stung her left ankle, and she had to balance herself on her unharmed right ankle.

“I think I twisted my foot,” she said, “I won’t be able to walk for quite a while.”

“But at least you, … OW!” Petrie yelped as he moved his right wing around, receiving a sting of pain, “Owwhowhow!”

“Are you okay, Petrie?” asked Mama Flyer worryingly, “It’s you I should be more concerned about than my own foot.”

“Me wing hurt!” quivered Petrie, “Me no can fly!”

“Aw, dear,” gasped Mama Flyer, and she motioned for her son to sit on her lap again, “Come here.”

Petrie obliged, and his mother examined his right wing …

There was a deep bruise from the rough crash-landing, and there was a bruise on his back from the subsequent rollover.

“There’s bruises on your wing and your back,” said Mama Flyer, “You must have landed quite roughly, Petrie.”

“Aw, no!” Petrie cried, “Me no can fly, and you no can walk! We never get outta here!”

He looked down at his pink tree star, and he sighed sadly as he thought about Ducky.

“So, … that, I assume, was going to be your love gift for Ducky?” asked Mama Flyer.

“Lucky guess,” sighed Petrie despondently.

“I really think she might like it, Petrie,” said Mama Flyer thoughtfully.

“Too bad it have to end like this,” lamented Petrie, “Now look where we are. Black Rock! Swooper no live here anymore, me no can fly, and you no can walk. We never get back to Great Valley, … and me never get to give this pink tree star to Ducky! She would love this tree star, but now she no get to see it, because … we no get to see each other anymore! It all my fault!”

The poor little Flyer couldn’t keep his floodgates closed, and he buried his face in his mother’s chest and began weeping hysterically. Tears came pouring out of his eyes and formed waterfalls down his cheeks. He was sure they would never make it back to the Great Valley, and that he would never see his beloved Ducky again. It made him wonder how she would feel if she never saw him again. It tore him up just thinking about it.

“Aw, Petrie,” sighed Mama Flyer, feeling so terrible for her heartbroken son, and she embraced him by wrapping her wings around him and nuzzled his face with her beak, “Sssh. There, there, Petrie. It’s okay, it’s okay. Please don’t cry. I’m right here, my little baby. I’m right here. Ssh. It’s okay. We’ll figure out a way to get out of here.”

“Me wish,” cried Petrie miserably.

“I can still fly, and you can still walk,” said Mama Flyer thoughtfully, “Since you’ve been here before, maybe you can find us a way out of this cave, then I’ll carry you on my back and we’ll fly back home from there.”

Petrie looked up at his mother with tears still streaming from his eyes like waterfalls.

“You s-sure, Mama?” he stuttered as he tried to get a hold of himself.

“Just calm down, Petrie,” soothed Mama Flyer, “Once you’ve gotten a hold of yourself, you can lead the way.”

Petrie wasn’t so sure about the idea. Although he may have been here once, he didn’t have a good memory of where everything was. He remembered so little about his last trip to Black Rock other than trying to comfort Guido or meeting Swooper. However, he knew he was the only chance they had of escaping this dreadful mountain alive, and he knew that with his mother by his side, he could try to brave the darkness and find their way out, as long as there weren’t any vicious monsters lurking around at every corner.

“Okay,” he sniffled as his sobs turned into hiccups.

It took several minutes for the poor little Flyer to recompose himself, but once he did, Mama Flyer winked and grinned at him to assure him that she would stay by his side.

“How you follow me if you no can walk?” asked Petrie.

“I’ll just have to limp on one foot until we make it out of here. If I get tired of that, then I guess I’ll just get down and crawl. There’s not enough room for me to fly in this cave without crashing into something,” explained Mama Flyer as Petrie grabbed his pink tree star.

“Me wish me had been more careful because of all that wind,” lamented Petrie.

“It’s okay, Petrie. It wasn’t your fault,” his mother reassured, “At least you were able to find something for Ducky before this happened, so it wasn’t all for nothing.”

“True,” sighed Petrie doubtfully.

“If only there was something to eat around here, though,” said Mama Flyer.

Upon hearing that, Petrie suddenly remembered something from his last visit to Black Rock.

“Me know where there food in Black Rock,” he said, “We just need to find cave where light come in.”

“Okay, Petrie,” grinned Mama Flyer, “Lead the way.”

With a nervous gulp, Petrie slowly took a few steps as his mother struggled to get herself up due to her injured ankle. She limped on one foot as she followed her son through the dark cave. She hoped Petrie knew where he was going …


Ducky distraughtly walked back to the river that flowed through the tiny neighborhood area where she and Petrie lived. Ever since Petrie’s mother had taken off to save him, she couldn’t help but feel useless for not being able to help rescue her Funny Flyer. She felt that she needed to be with him while he was out there all alone and probably so scared. Who knew where he was now? What if something horrible had happened to him? What if his mother wouldn’t be able to save him?

“I miss you, Petrie,” Ducky sniffled as she walked at a very slow pace, “Wherever you are, … I hope you come back soon.”

Eventually, the little Swimmer arrived at the river and sat down on the bank, dipping her feet into the chilly water. Her toes instantly felt a soothing sensation as she sighed and looked down at her own reflection. By looking at the water, she could see some tree stars flying above her, which indicated that the winds were still blowing across the valley.

“Why, wind? Why did you have to blow Petrie away to Black Rock again? Why, why, why?” she asked as she looked up and glared at the gusts that had tossed her boyfriend out of the Great Valley, “It is all your fault.”

“What are you yelling at the wind for, Ducky?” came her mother’s voice from behind her.

The Swimmer looked to her right and saw her mother stepping into the river and lying down to soak up some water.

“This wind has been so mean today,” sighed Ducky, once again glaring up at the sky.

Mama Swimmer sighed. She knew her daughter was still torn up over Petrie being blown away.

“Listen, Ducky, sometimes there are things we can’t control, and today just so happens to be one of those days,” she explained.

“But look at today’s coinced-da-, … um, … co-en-cidence,” she stuttered as she struggled to pronounce the word correctly.

“Coincidence?” her mother corrected her with a chuckle.
“Yeah,” said Ducky, “Look at what happened-ed today! Petrie got blowed away to Black Rock again! His mommy went out to rescue him, … but … they have not come back!”

Mama Swimmer cautiously approached her daughter and gently patted her back.

“I’m sure Ms. Flyer will be back soon, … with Petrie,” she said soothingly.

“I am not sure,” lamented Ducky, “The wind has been blowing so hard, and they probably do not have enough energy to fly all the way to Black Rock and back again. What if they got trapped-ed inside Black Rock just like what happened-ed to Petrie and Guido?”

Mama Swimmer sighed sadly. She knew Ducky was losing hope with every second that passed. Petrie meant so much to her that for him to disappear the way he did tore her young heart to pieces. She really was doubting that they would ever see each other again. The longer he was gone, the more heartbroken she got.

“If Petrie got lost in Black Rock once and managed to find a way out, then I’m sure he’d be able to find that way out again like he did last time,” Mama Swimmer reassured her daughter, “I’m sure he has some good memory of his last trip to Black Rock, and if his mother got trapped with him, then he has one of his most supportive figures to accompany him so that he isn’t scared or lonely.”

“I should have been the one who got trapped-ed with Petrie in that stupid mountain!” pouted Ducky as she crossed her arms.

“Now, Ducky, I’m sure Petrie misses you just as much as you miss him, and because he misses you, he’ll be very determined to find a way back home, … so he can be with you,” explained Mama Swimmer with such a sincere voice.

Ducky looked up at her mother and saw a warm grin on her face. The little girl could see that she had lots of faith that Petrie and his mother would return. It was as if her mother knew deep down that the Flyers would eventually return, and that patience would be what it took to handle their absence until then.

“Really?” the little Swimmer stammered as she tried to fight off her tears.

“Of course, my little one,” grinned Mama Swimmer, “Just you wait, my dear Ducky, and Petrie will be back in the Great Valley before you can say, ‘playtime’.”

Ducky managed to chuckle the slightest after hearing those words, and her mother affectionately licked her cheek.

“Mama!” she giggled.

“I love you, Ducky,” smiled Mama Swimmer.

“I love you, too, Mama,” replied Ducky.

“And don’t worry, my dear,” added Mama Swimmer, “I’ll bet Petrie and his mother are trying to find a way back home right now. You just wait and see, my precious one.”

“I hope so,” sighed Ducky.

Mama Swimmer sat down in the shallow river and started soaking her body with cold water to refresh herself. Ducky simply watched as her mother bathed herself with cold water, but her thoughts remained only on Petrie. She hoped he wouldn’t be so scared out of his wits while trapped inside Black Rock, even if his mother accompanied him.


Petrie shivered as he led his limping mother through the dark caves of Black Rock. Strange noises echoed throughout the caves, and the darkness made their surroundings look terribly frightening. The little Flyer did his best to not feel so scared, but even though he had been here once before, he could still imagine a terror bird or a small Sharptooth lurking around at any corner.

“I hope you know where you’re going, Petrie,” said Mama Flyer, still limping on one foot as the pain in her left ankle refused to subside.

“M-me sure me know where to go,” gulped Petrie, although, truth be told, he was not sure that they were going in the right direction with there being so many caves.

Whenever they reached an intersection, every cave led to nothing but darkness, and some of the caves contained rotting skeletons that smelled like a hundred dead dinosaurs. Others even led to dead ends that contained the skeletons of more unfortunate souls long lost and probably forgotten. For Petrie, it was so sickening that he nearly retched.

“Me think we lost,” he panicked.

Seeing that her son really was terrified out of his mind, Mama Flyer nuzzled him to provide some form of reassurance.

“I know you’re very scared right now, my little one, but you must be brave,” she spoke in a gentle, assuring voice.

“How me feel brave in place like this?” replied Petrie, not feeling any sense of reassurance from even the gentlest of his mother’s words or cuddles.

“You have to at least try, Petrie,” she told him, “Try thinking of when you were here last time, and when you found … whatever that place was that you mentioned.”

“Me try to, but me no can find it anywhe-“

“ROAAAARRRRRRR!”

Petrie jolted and wrapped his mother’s wings around him.

“AH! What that!?” he screamed as he shivered.

“Sssh! Don’t yell so loudly, Petrie!” whispered Mama Flyer, “Whatever it is, we don’t want to get its attention.”

Now absolutely terrified, Petrie scrambled free from his mother’s wings and ran back to the last intersection they had reached. He looked in all four directions, desperately trying to figure out which way was the right one. The last thing he wanted was to run into a Sharptooth.

“Which way we go!?” he panicked, scanning each direction several times before he made a split-second decision and jolted forward. His mother struggled to keep up with him due to her injured ankle, and she got herself down and crawled after her son as fast as she would be able to.

“Petrie! Not so fast!” she panted.

Petrie seemed to take no notice. He ran as fast as his feet would let him, tightly holding his pink tree star as if it were his snuggling stick.

He looked ahead, … and suddenly, he noticed something …

Light.

Not just light. He looked around and noticed the stone teeth and the ground star plant. Suddenly, he realized …

“Mama! Look! Me find it! Me find it!” he cheered in delight, jumping up and down like an excited little hatchling.

“Find … what, … Petrie?” his mother wearily panted behind him, dragging herself across the ground.

“This where me and Guido find ground star plant and find our way out! This it!” said Petrie, “Come on!”

Mama Flyer hesitantly obliged and lagged behind her son, trying her best not to groan in pain as her ankle continued to bleed the slightest.

Petrie recognized the stone teeth as the ones that Swooper had named, and he recognized the ground star plant with tiny crawlers squirming all over it.

Mama Flyer looked at their surroundings. She found it unimaginable that Petrie had been in this particular cave before.

“Is there where you met Swooper?” she asked.

“Yes,” recalled Petrie, “We not far from way out now.”

“That’s a relief to hear,” said Mama Flyer, “Although I could do with a little food so I can get my strength back.”

“Me think you lucky, Mama,” grinned Petrie, pointing to the green stars on the ground, “Try this ground star plant!”

“Oh, thank goodness!” she sighed in relief, “Finally, a place where I can rest my good foot.”

As Petrie walked right up to the ground star plant and pulled off a ground star, his mother sat down on a rock behind him and instantly felt her good ankle straining with pain after so much limping.

“Here you go,” said Petrie, and he presented a ground star to his mother.

Mama Flyer took one look at the ground star, and she saw something that didn’t look right with it …

“Um, Petrie, … there’s crawlers on those ground stars,” she said.

Petrie immediately brushed the crawlers off the ground star and allowed his mother to take it.

“No crawlers now,” he chuckled.

“Oh, Petrie!” giggled Mama Flyer, feeling amused by her son’s humor, and she eagerly took the ground star and took a small bite from it, “Hmm, not bad.”

“See! You feel better soon, Mama!” smiled Petrie, and he took a ground star for himself and began eating it.

“These really aren’t that bad,” commented Mama Flyer as she slowly ate her ground star.

“Me like these ground stars,” agreed Petrie, “They very tasty.”

As Mama Flyer swallowed the last of her ground star, she some sudden newfound strength in her wings.

“I feel strong again already,” she said, “You mind if I have another one, dear? I’m sure that two of them will be enough for me to get us all the way back to the Great Valley in one flight. After all, we wouldn’t want to land anywhere that might contain Sharpteeth.”

“Sure, Mama,” replied Petrie, and he picked off another ground star from the ground star plant, brushed off the crawlers and handed it to his mother.

“ROAAAARRRR!”

Petrie instantly shook and hid himself within the ground star plant after hearing that echoing roar again. Now, he was certain that there must have been some Sharptooth lurking around these caves.

“Oh, speaking of Sharpteeth!” he cried, “Oh, please no!”

“Settle down, Petrie,” his mother spoke calmly as she pulled him out, “We’ll be out of here before that Sharptooth manages to find us.”

She saw Petrie’s look suddenly change from worried to complete horror. He looked like he was staring at something utterly horrifying that was apparently right behind her.

“Petrie?” said Mama Flyer, “Are you alright?”

Petrie was breathing very fast. His eyes were wide with shock. His breaths only came out faster with each second that passed. He wouldn’t take his eyes off whatever it was he was staring at.

“MamaaaaaAAAA!? LOOK OOOOOOUUUUUUT!”

Mama Flyer looked behind her, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat …

A Sailback Sharptooth was standing just a few inches away, its eyes locked on the two Flyers. Judging from its size, it had to have been an adolescent. Fully-grown Sailbacks were much bigger than this one, and Sailback children were nowhere near this big.

The predator slowly opened its jaws and prepared to take a bite at Mama Flyer.

“DOWN!” screamed Petrie.

The Flyers ducked to the ground just as the Sailback snapped its jaw, missing its mark by an inch.

Adrenaline suddenly took over Mama Flyer. Even with her injured ankle, she managed to get back on her feet, despite the tremendous pain and cracking sounds coming from her ankle, and she lifted Petrie off the ground and placed him on her back.

“Hold on!” she said.

She noticed a hole in the ceiling where the light was coming through, and she locked her eyes on it and began flapping her wings …

The Sharptooth suddenly smashed its head against the hole and hissed viciously at the Flyers.

“AAAAAH!” Petrie screamed as he shut his eyes and cowered on his mother’s neck.

Before either of them could process another thought, the Sharptooth brought its tail swinging at the Flyers. Mama Flyer felt a sudden “WHAP!” slam her body, and before she knew it, she was being thrown backwards like a seed.

“AAAAAAAAAH!” the two screamed.

Mama Flyer fell to the cave floor and rolled over a couple of time. Petrie slipped off his mother’s back and landed on his side, while his mother rolled some distance away from him. The little Flyer frantically got back on his feet and grabbed his pink tree star, which was thankfully unharmed. He hid himself behind a rock as the Sharptooth approached him, and he didn’t dare move until the monstrous predator had ran past him, not taking any notice.

Then, he gasped in horror as he saw the Sharptooth approaching his mother. She was still down, struggling to get back up, and the predator was just a few feet away.

His mother was in danger. The most trusted and lovable figure in his life was in grave danger, and nobody else was near but himself. She was helpless. She was doomed. She would meet her end in just a matter of seconds …

Suddenly, Petrie felt something he had rarely felt in his life …

He felt a sudden urge to actually do something before it was too late, … something that would be incredibly risky.

He didn’t dare make a sound so as not to gain the Sharptooth’s attention, and, with his pink tree star still in hand, he climbed up a wall and into a little tunnel just under the ceiling. Pain shot through his bruised wing and back as he struggled his way through, and he saw what looked like tons of rocks that seemed only just small enough for him to lift.

A new idea had suddenly spiraled into his head. He knew it might have been stupid, but he just had to do it …

Not caring about his injured wing, or any pain he knew would come, Petrie grabbed one of the rocks and looked down toward the Sharptooth trying to attack his mother. He remembered how his mother had told him about willingly sacrificing her life to save him like many other mothers would, but today he was not willing to let her die. He was not ready for that moment to come this early in his life. He was going to save her, and he didn’t care how much she would protest and urge him to save himself.

“HEY!” he screamed, and he lifted his arms as high as he could and threw the rock as hard as one good wing and one injured wing would be able to let him do.

Pain coursed through his wing as he made the throw, but he ignored it and watched the rock smack the Sailback’s nose.

The Sailback froze for one split-second before it looked up at Petrie with a growling hiss.

“Petrie! No! What are you doing!?” Mama Flyer gasped in disbelief, “Get out of there!”

“LEAVE ME MOMMY ALONE!” Petrie yelled at the Sharptooth before picking up another rock and throwing it at its head.

Mama Flyer was horrified to be watching this. As much as she would have been willing to die right there to save her son, to suddenly see him trying to save her at the risk of his own life was every mother’s worst nightmare.

“Petrie! Stop!” she yelled.

“GO, MAMA! GO! RUN! RUN!” he yelled back at her from above, “ME CATCH UP!”

“NO!”

“GOOOO!”

Seeing that her son was not willing to back down, Mama Flyer reluctantly got back up and ran back to the cave with the light shining through it. She turned back and tried to pick up the sight of her precious little Petrie. She couldn’t help but feel baffled by this sudden change of character in him. She had never seen him do something this daring before. Since when had Petrie gained the bravery to save her from certain death just as she always tried to do for him? Was it simply because he was injured and not able to fly without her aid, or was it truly out of the mother-son love they shared with each other? She had known Littlefoot to be this brave, always egging his friends to be as brave as he was, but Petrie? This was completely new to her.

The Sharptooth jumped and snapped at Petrie, but the Flyer scrambled his way back into the tunnel just in time, hastily grabbing his pink tree star to keep it out of harm’s way. He crawled back through the tunnel and stopped at the other end. Seeing how high the tunnel was, there was no way he’d be able to jump without a rough landing with his inability to fly. He’d have to slowly climb his way down, but that could only buy the Sharptooth more time to catch up to them and strike again.

“Petrie!”

“Mama! Over here!” the little Flyer called to his mother.

Mama Flyer didn’t hesitate in limping her way towards her son, and she spread her arms out.

“Jump! I’ll catch you!” she called to him.

Petrie hesitated for a moment, still nervous about a potential crash against the ground that would only cause more harm to his already-injured body. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and jumped. He let out some cries of fright as he fell, not knowing how this could end. He didn’t dare open his eyes. He braced himself for the crash.

Suddenly, he felt two wings wrapping tightly around him, stopping his fall. He opened his eyes and found himself in his mother’s tight hold.

“Gotcha!” came his mother’s voice.

The boy looked up to see his mother’s frantic expression, but he had no time to process the next thought before another ear-splitting roar echoed across the cave.

“We need to get out of-“

“CRASH!”

The cave shook violently, and the ground tremored beneath their feet. The Flyers nuzzled each other before they heard another deafening roar that blew warm air around them.

“OH! That Sharptooth have terrible breath!” cried Petrie.

The predator launched another snap with its jaw, and Mama Flyer ducked to the ground, dropping Petrie in the process. The little Flyer got himself back up, refusing to leave his tree star behind, and he ran into another cave.

“Petrie! GET BACK HERE!” his mother’s voice screamed behind him, but he kept running, just wanting to get away from this dreadful Sharptooth that was so determined to win them as its delicious meal.

Suddenly, the Flyer stopped once he saw that this was another dead end, … but it wasn’t quite a dead end …

He saw that the floor contained some sort of pit below, and he slowly peeked down.

The pit stretched down for quite some distance, and there appeared to be tons of stone teeth that stretched from the floor and contained very sharp points on top.

Petrie cringed at this terrifying sight, but then it suddenly gave him an idea …

“Wait!” he said to himself, “Maybe me make Sharptooth fall in!”

He had so little time to contemplate his idea before he heard the rumbling footsteps of the Sailback approaching quickly. He turned back and saw the beast slowly stalking him, hissing viciously at him with its very sharp teeth.

The Flyer froze in place and didn’t move a single muscle. He slowly lifted his hands up until they were about the height of his head. He made no further movement as the Sailback brought its head down and sniffed at him.

The Sharptooth’s breath made Petrie wince in disgust as he tried to remain still. He turned his head away, but at that same instant, the Sharptooth took advantage of having his eyes not looking directly at him and scraped its feet against the ground, and made its charge …

Petrie quickly realized just what kind of trick the Sharptooth had tried to use against him, and he saw its open mouth come within inches of scooping him up.

With hardly even a millisecond to spare, the Flyer suddenly dived to the side and slid all the way to the wall just as the Sailback’s face crashed against the ground. He closed his eyes as he heard its feet sliding against the ground in an effort to stop.

Then, … he heard an echoing roar that sounded like it was shocked. He knew it could only have been one thing …

“SHLUCK!”

To Petrie, it didn’t sound like just one stab; it sounded like a hundred echoing stabs all happening simultaneously …

The Sharptooth suddenly let out high-pitched roars of agonizing pain, accompanied by very quick breaths in between each dreadful roar. The sound of what seemed like water splattering all over the place nearly drowned out the first few roars.

Petrie opened his eyes, and he dared himself to look down at what he knew must have probably just turned into a gory nightmare …

The Sharptooth had fallen into the pit. Its body had been stabbed all over by numerous stone teeth, each one coated with blood. A pool of blood flooded the floor of the pit. The Sailback was helplessly roaring in pain and shaking as if it was having some kind of panic attack.

Then, the Sharptooth became silent and stopped shaking, and it slumped and suddenly sank a little deeper. The stone teeth further penetrated its wounds and splashed more blood in all directions until the predator was partially sunken in a pool of its own blood.

Petrie gasped as he watched the Sharptooth slumping and the blood flying everywhere. He groaned dreadfully and winced in agony. He had only looked down for about ten seconds and he already couldn’t bear to watch anymore of the Sharptooth’s suffering. He felt something building up in his throat as the sight of it all sickened him. He coughed and retched, and he felt himself throwing up something he had previously ate. His vomit splattered all over the cave floor right under his feet, and he coughed and fell on his butt, unable to stand while he was dizzy from the sickness.

“Oh, me feel sick!” he cried before more vomit poured out of his beak. He coughed and coughed, and lazily began to crawl his way back with his tree star in hand.

Petrie sluggishly dragged himself across the tunnel, pain coursing throughout his entire body. He felt so nauseous that he just wanted to faint. After seeing that Sharptooth die such a gruesome death, he felt sure he would be having night terrors every night until the next Night Circle cycle. This felt more traumatizing than nearly drowning with … that Sharptooth that had so nearly killed him and his friends so long ago.

“Petrie!” he heard his mother’s unmistakable voice hollering out to him.

The boy was too nauseous to reply, and he slumped on the floor and panted as saliva drooled from his beak. He continued to hyperventilate as he watched his mother frantically limping her way towards him, and just as he felt her warm wings enveloping him, everything turned black …


Ducky was soaking in some cool water from the river whilst her mother gently rubbed and stroked her in a soothing manner. The little Swimmer felt very relaxed from these soothing sensations, she felt as if she could fall asleep and take a nice nap.

“Hmm? Hmm?”

Ducky turned to notice Spike standing on the riverbank, looking worryingly at her. He instinctively jumped into the water and nuzzled her before she had time to react.

“Spike,” she protested, “Please, not right now. I am too tired.”

“I think Spike would agree with me in saying that you’re not tired, dear,” her mother playfully teased, “You’re just worried about Petrie.”

“Mama?” groaned Ducky.

“I can tell, my little one,” said Mama Swimmer, “I know my children’s troubles when I see them, and for you, it’s no different.”

“Okay, fine! I am still worried-ed about Petrie!” Ducky pouted.

“Hey, don’t be so pushy, Ducky. You just need to be patient. Like I said, if you wait patiently, everything will be just fine,” her mother said.

“You really think so?” sighed Ducky doubtfully.

“I know so,” her mother replied with a wink.

Ducky simply leaned her back against a rock and grabbed a tiny stone. She tossed it up and down for a moment before she made an underhand throw. The stone made several bounces across the water before it finally splashed down and disappeared below.

“Hmm. This might be a little fun, … at least until Petrie comes back,” she sighed sadly, and she grabbed another stone and repeated what she did with the previous one. The second stone also made a couple of bounces against the water before it, too, disappeared with a splash.

Seeing a pile of tiny rocks next to her, Ducky began throwing them to see how far she could make them bounce, while her mother and Spike watched with interest. She quickly found it quite entertaining, but not enough to put a smile on her face. She knew her precious Flyer friend was still in probable danger, and with there still being no sign of him or his mother, anything could have happened to him …


“Petrie?”

…

“Petrie? Wake up.”

…

“Petrie? Please wake up, dear.”

The voice seemed to sound rather distant and incomprehensible as he partially opened his eyes. Everything looked so blurry that he couldn’t make out anything. He groaned from the exhaustion he felt throughout his body. He could barely move it all.

He blinked a few times, and the blurriness slowly faded away. He could only make out … blue.

A shade of blue that could only mean one thing …

He looked up and saw a very familiar face nuzzling him. There was only one Flyer he knew who would nuzzle him like this …

“M-Mama?” he murmured.

“Oh, Petrie!” his mother gasped with relief, “Oh, thank goodness!”

“Wha-w-what … ha-happen?”

“You fainted, dear,” his mother answered, “Apparently, you drew the Sharptooth into a trap, and I assume you must have glimpsed at him after he fell. I saw vomit on the ground after you fainted. You must have been so shocked by watching the Sharptooth fall into the pit that you got sick and fainted.”

Suddenly, Petrie remembered everything that had happened; luring the Sailback into a trap, listening to those fatal stabs and roars of pain, seeing the Sharptooth in a bloody mess, vomiting from the trauma of seeing such a gory sight, and passing out from the nausea.

The little Flyer began to pant heavily again as the very recent memory of that Sharptooth’s nasty death lingered in his mind again.

“Oh, Mama!” he cried as he sat up and hugged his mother around the chest.

Mama Flyer jolted from her son’s sudden crying, but she instinctively hugged him back and tried her best to soothe him.

“It so horrible!” Petrie cried, “Sharptooth fall into trap, and me watch it die! Oh, it so scary!”

“Sssh. There, there, Petrie. It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s all over. The Sharptooth is gone. We’re safe now,” his mother assured him, “It’s alright.”

Petrie just kept weeping, and his mother had to gently rock him side-to-side whilst shushing him like she was comforting a crying baby.

“Sssh. Calm down, my little Petrie,” she whispered to him soothingly, “It’s okay. Mommy’s right here. I gotcha. It’s okay.”

Slowly but surely, Petrie’s weeping died down to hiccups, and he took deep breaths to calm himself down as much as he could.

“That’s my little baby,” his mother whispered to him with a smile, “There, there. You’re alright. Just take a deep breath. Nice and steady.”

Petrie felt deeply embarrassed by having his mother speak to him as if he was a baby all over again. Even though she did it to show motherly affection, he still hated being called a ‘baby’.

“Me wish you stop calling me ‘baby’,” he sighed with dread.

“Well, you are my precious little boy,” chuckled Mama Flyer, “To me, deep down, you will always be my sweet, little baby.”

“Mama!” moaned Petrie, blushing deeply, “Please!”

Mama Flyer simply countered her son’s sarcasm by tickling his feet with one of her hands, and her precious son began laughing adorably.

“Mamahahaha! Stahahahahop!” laughed Petrie.

“Cootchie cootchie coo!” teased Mama Flyer playfully, “That’s my sweet, little baby!”

“Mmmhmmkeeheeheeheeheeheehehehehehehehahahahaha!” Petrie laughed in a bubbly voice, “Pleeheeheeheeheeheehease!”

“Are you gonna stop complaining, my little one?” his mother asked teasingly.

“Yehehehehehehes! Me give! Me gihihihihive!” replied Petrie, shaking with laughter.

Mama Flyer took that as her prompt to stop the playful tickle torture, and her son took some deep breaths to calm himself down.

“I must say, that was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen you do,” she spoke gently once he had recovered.

Petrie nervously looked into his mother’s gentle eyes, worried that she would scold him for what he had done to keep the Sharptooth away from her.

“W-well, … m-me just … w-wanted to save you from being … eaten,” said a cringy Petrie.

“Well, you must know that I was not very pleased to see you putting yourself in danger just to save me. You know very well that I am trying to protect you, not so that you can turn around and try to protect me,” said Mama Flyer in a stern yet gentle voice.

“Me know, Mama,” whimpered Petrie, sinking his head in shame.

“You should consider yourself very lucky that we both got out of that situation alive,” his mother spoke as her voice grew a little more calmer yet retained its sternness, “I am proud of you for standing up to that Sharptooth so that we could escape, but you must understand that you’re too young and little to take on Sharpteeth like that. Once you and your friends get older, you’ll be able to protect our valley from those fierce beasts, but until then I am forbidding you from doing it again. I will tell you this now in case we happen to bump into another Sharptooth on our way back, but should I ask you to run, you will do as I say and let me do the fighting. I don’t want to see my youngest child murdered. Your word, Petrie?”

She held out her hand in front of Petrie, and he cringed and quivered a little from the gentle scolding before he reached out to take her hand.

“Me word, Mama,” he spoke shyly as they shook hands.

“That’s my boy,” his mother smiled, and she enveloped him with both wings again, “You know I love you very much, and I want to be able to watch you grow up. I’m sorry if I may have sounded harsh, but I just want you to be safe.”

Petrie felt his mother kissing him on the beak, and he couldn’t help but chuckle after feeling her motherly love sink in. He understood just how much he meant to her. He knew she wasn’t ready for him to risk his life to save hers, even after this lucky escape. He knew she wanted him to wait patiently until he was old enough to actually start fighting against any Sharptooth whom might attack the valley in the future, even though he had encountered many Sharpteeth in his short life already. He had seen his fair share of jaws and was already wishing he’d never have to see them again, but the odds of it happening again were very high with him still being so young. However, the only one he had ever revealed to his mother was when he nearly drowned with … Sharptooth. The mere thought of that memory made him cringe again.

“Me love you, too, Mama,” he murmured once he had gotten a hold of himself after flashing through the memories of his numerous Sharptooth encounters, “And … me sorry.”

“That’s okay, dear,” his mother replied.

“Me promise me will let you protect Petrie instead of me protect you,” he promised.

“That’s my boy,” Mama Flyer smiled proudly, “Now, I think it’s time we made our way out of this forsaken place before anymore Sharpteeth come crashing in.”

Suddenly, Petrie remembered …

“Wait! Where me pink tree star!?”

“Don’t worry,” Mama Flyer giggled, “It’s right here.”

She handed her son the tree star. Remarkably, it was still unharmed after all that they had been through.

Petrie sighed in relief and looked at his tree star. He could faintly see that it contained the tiniest bit of sparkles, and he picked up its refreshing scent of red tree sweets and sweet bubbles. It smelled so good that he felt like it was from another world.

“Ducky love this,” he thought to himself as he thought about how Ducky would react when he gave it to her, … if he and his mother ever got back to the Great Valley, “It smell so good, me think it remind her of me because me pick it out for her. Maybe she love Pink Forest, too. Me wish me take her there.”

Suddenly, he remembered something else …

He looked down at his mother’s foot, only to see that it had been wrapped in leaves and herbs.

“Don’t worry about my foot, Petrie,” Mama Flyer reassured her son, knowing what he was concerned about, “Us getting home is more important than some wound on my foot.”

Suddenly noticing that he was feeling something on his back, Petrie turned his neck and noticed ground stars covering his back and his right wing.

“Yes, dear,” his mother chuckled, “While you were out, I treated your wounds with herbs and bandaged them with some of those ground stars. They should heal in good time.”

“Um, … okay,” sighed Petrie.

Mama Flyer lifted her son onto his back, and Petrie once again used his feet to tightly grasp his pink tree star. She limped her way towards the hole in the cave’s ceiling and stopped.

“I won’t be able to climb up that wall with my foot still in bad shape,” she said, “However, I can shoot my way up with a perfect launch and soar my way into the sky, and from there we won’t stop until we reach the valley.”

“Um, … o-okay,” shivered Petrie nervously, unsure if her idea was going to work.

Mama Flyer slowly flapped her wings a few times to prepare herself for the flight. Even while standing on one foot, she skillfully built up enough strength to lift herself. Petrie clung on tightly to her neck while curling his tiny toes to hold his pink tree star firmly.

“Okay! Hold on, Petrie! Here we go!” she said so that he’d be prepared to brace for a possible crash.

Petrie shut his eyes, and before long, he felt his mother lifting herself off the ground and flying straight towards the hole that led back to the outside world. He panicked as he anticipated the worst to happen …

It never did.

The little Flyer opened his eyes once he felt light poking through his eyelids, He looked around and saw that they were suddenly soaring over the misty trenches of the Mysterious Beyond.

“We made it,” he muttered as he realized that they had truly escaped, “We make it out of Black Rock!”

“I should be thanking you, of course!” beamed Mama Flyer, “Without your knowledge of Black Rock, we might have been stuck in there for a long time.”

“You welcome, Mama,” smiled Petrie.

“Hang on tight, my little Petrie,” grinned Mama Flyer, “Great Valley, here we come!”

“WHOOO, HOOO!” Petrie cheered in delight as he found his ride on his mother’s back exhilarating, earning a playful laugh from her.

The little Flyer could barely contain his excitement as he nuzzled his mother’s beak. In just a matter of minutes, they would be returning to the Great Valley, and he would be reunited with his beloved Ducky. In just a matter of minutes, everything would be alright again!

“Hold on, Ducky! Me coming!” he thought happily as he relaxed and snuggled himself on his mother’s back, unable to wait for that moment to come.


Ducky was still tossing stones across the river, watching them bounce like Hoppers. It was the one and only form of entertainment she could find as long as the valley felt empty without Petrie. Although she did somewhat enjoy this, it just didn’t feel the same without her Funny Flyer being around.

“I hope you come home soon, Petrie. I do, I do,” the Swimmer said to herself in a low voice before tossing another stone with an underhand throw.

“Hello, Ducky. Ducky, hello. Are you feeling alright?”

Ducky sighed as she found that her peacefulness was not to last. She needn’t even guess who that voice belonged to.

She turned and noticed Ruby standing next to the riverbank, but she wasn’t alone. Chomper, Littlefoot and Cera had joined as well, all appearing to be worried for their Swimmer friend.

“Hi, guys,” sighed Ducky, “I guess I am feeling … sort of … okay.”

“Hello again, kids,” Mama Swimmer greeted them.

“Hello, Mrs. Swimmer,” replied Littlefoot.

“Did you come to bring any news about Petrie?” asked Mama Swimmer.

“I wish we could claim we were, … but … no,” answered Chomper solemnly.

Ducky leaned against the bottom of the riverbank with a dreadful sigh. She had been anticipating the news of Petrie’s return, and yet here her friends were with no new news. Petrie could still be anywhere right now, and now she was sure it could be ages before he returned, if he ever came back at all.

“I guess we just wanted to see how Ducky was doing,” sighed Cera.

“Thank you, everyone, but I am just worried-ed about Petrie. I am, I am,” said Ducky sadly.

“Don’t worry, Ducky,” said Littlefoot, “Ms. Flyer will be back with Petrie soon. I’m sure of it.”

“Me, too,” agreed Chomper.

“Me three,” put in Ruby.

“The wind seems to have settled down by now,” said Littlefoot as he looked up at the sky and could no longer see the tree stars blowing around, nor could he hear the howls of gusts, “I think the worst is behind us.”

“I hope so,” said Cera gruffly, “I’ve really gotten tired of the wind by now.”

“It’s been quite a while since Petrie and his mom disappeared,” said Chomper, “Surely, they should be back by now.”

“For now, I guess we will just have to wait, because waiting is such an easy thing to do,” said Ruby.

“Speak for yourself,” snorted Cera.

“Listen, Ducky, we all miss Petrie just as much as you do,” sympathized Littlefoot, “He’s been a great friend to all of us for so long, and we know that if he’s still out there, he’ll try his best to find a way back.”

“Oh, I hope Petrie’s okay,” said Chomper.

“We all do, kids. We all do,” said Mama Swimmer, with Spike murmuring and nodding in agreement.

With that, the children decided to take a chill and drink some water whilst they watched Ducky toss stones across the river to watch them bounce their way across. Littlefoot, Chomper and Ruby seemed fascinated by it, while Cera took no notice and simply took a drink from the river.

“Please be okay, Petrie,” thought Ducky, “I am so worried-ed for you, my Funny Flyer. I am, I am…”


Mama Flyer continued to soar over the Mysterious Beyond with Petrie on her back. The boy held on to his pink tree star with his feet while keeping his wings wrapped around his mother’s neck. Below them, it seemed to be nothing but a misty wasteland with plenty of Sharpteeth occupying the area. To Petrie, it seemed to have already taken ages to find the Great Valley after departing from Black Rock.

“Me not sure if we going right way, Mama,” gulped Petrie, “All me see is dark, scary trenches and really scary Sharpteeth.”

“I know for sure we’re going the right way, Petrie,” Mama Flyer reassured her son.

“How you know?” asked Petrie dumbfoundedly.

“Look up ahead,” his mother said with a grin.

Petrie peeked his head out from behind his mother’s head, and, sure enough, he could see one of the border walls of the Great Valley just ahead.

“We find it!” the little Flyer cheered in delight, “We find Great Valley!”

“I told you there was nothing to worry about!” chuckled Mama Flyer, “We’re almost home!”

“Yippee!” Petrie squealed happily, “We back! We back!”

“Hold on tight, my little Petrie! We’re going in!” said Mama Flyer, and she pointed herself down slightly to speed up their flight over the wall, and in no time, they could see their beautiful Great Valley again.

The river was sparkling in the Bright Circle’s light, and all the plants looked so extraordinarily beautiful from how high up they were.

“Hold on, Ducky! Me coming!” Petrie cheered, earning a playful chuckle from his mother.


As Ducky kept on throwing stones across the river, the Gang suddenly heard what surely sounded like a Flyer’s screech.

Everyone paused and looked up at the sky for any signs of the Flyer that made the call. Ducky felt her heart ready to leap out of her chest. She began to anticipate that maybe, just maybe, Petrie’s mother was returning to the valley and had brought her son back with her. She looked all around the sky, but she couldn’t see anyone.

“Look! Someone’s coming!” Chomper shouted.

Ducky looked at Chomper’s hand so that he could get a glimpse at his finger. When she noticed which direction his finger was pointing to, she turned to that direction, … and she saw just what he had …

“Is that Ms. Flyer?” said Littlefoot as he noticed immediately that it was an adult Flyer.

“I think it is,” replied Ruby.

“Sure looks like her,” said Cera.

“Can you figure out who it is, Chomper?” asked Ducky pleadingly.

Chomper immediately used his sniffer to pick up the scent of the approaching Flyer, and he sensed the presence of a Flyer they knew anywhere; in fact, not just one, but two.

“I smell two Flyers,” he said as he sniffed the air, “It’s Petrie’s mom, and my sniffer tells me she’s got Petrie!”

“She does!?” said Ducky as her heartbeat suddenly increased rapidly with the anticipation of the news that her boyfriend was safe again.

Then, just as the Flyer came within a short enough distance in which the Gang could recognize her, there came an ever-so-familiar voice …

“Hi, guys!”

“Petrie!” everyone but Spike shouted with delight.

“Oh, thank goodness!” said Mama Swimmer, letting out a sigh of relief.

“PETRIE!” Ducky screamed with joy, “HE IS BACK! HE IS BACK!”

The Gang watched with odd faces as Ducky jumped out of the river and started jumping with joy with the news that her boyfriend was okay and had finally returned to her.

“Hello there, kids!” Mama Flyer called in an echoing voice, “Petrie’s alright!”

The Gang let out some celebratory cheers as Mama Flyer hovered over them and slowly made her descent.

“Thank you, Mama!” Petrie said as he nuzzled his mother’s beak, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, Petrie,” beamed Mama Flyer, “Then again, it’s you that I should be thanking, because if it wasn’t for you, we’d be trapped in Black Rock for who knows how long.”

“You welcome, Mama,” chuckled Petrie.

Eventually, the Flyer mother touched down on the ground with only her good foot, as her left ankle nearly throbbed in pain from the injury it had received.

“Down you go, dear,” she said to her son, and she carefully took the pink tree star from his feet whilst he slid down her back and onto his feet.

The instant the little Flyer came down on his feet, he saw a very happy sight approaching him so quickly that he almost didn’t have time to register what it was.

Ducky was running towards Petrie as fast as she could, happy tears streaming from her eyes as she ran up to her boyfriend.

“PETRIE!” she screamed in delight as she snatched the Flyer and squeezed him in a bone-crushing hug before spinning around for several seconds, enough to make Petrie feel very dizzy and breathless, “Oh, Petrie! I am so glad you are back! Yep, yep, yep! I was so worried-ed about you! I thought-ed something awful had happened-ed to you, but you are safe! You are back, and we are together again! Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep!”

No one could say a word as they watched the Swimmer envelop the Flyer in such a tight cuddle that Petrie couldn’t reply, … and almost couldn’t breathe.

It almost immediately took a toll on Petrie, as Ducky unknowingly shot more pain through his injured wing and bruised back with her tight hug.

“Duck-ky!” the Flyer gasped, “Me … no … can … breathe! Ow, ow, ow!”

“Okay, Ducky. I know you’re excited and everything, but you must calm down, dear,” Mama Swimmer chuckled as she joined in on the happy reunion.

Ducky realized that she was close to choking Petrie, and she quickly loosened her grip on her boyfriend.

“I am sorry,” she said, “I am just so happy that you are alive and well, and that we are back together!”

“Me happy, too, Ducky,” panted Petrie as he struggled to regain his breathing stability.

“Ducky, I would recommend that you don’t hug Petrie so tightly,” informed Mama Flyer, “We both took a little hit from falling into Black Rock.”

Ducky gasped in shock and she immediately released Petrie. Only then did she notice that his right wing and back were bandaged. Petrie reluctantly removed the tree stars bandaging his wounds and revealed the dark purple bruise on his wing and back for everyone to see. The Swimmer gasped in horror.

“Oh, my goodness! You are hurt-ed! Are you okay?” asked Ducky.

“What happened?” asked Chomper as the rest of the Gang saw Petrie’s bruises.

Mama Flyer sat down and revealed the bloody wound on her left ankle, which was also bandaged with leaves.

“Oh, my!” gasped Ruby.

“What on earth happened to you two?” asked Mama Swimmer with shock.

“I lost my energy after trying to save Petrie, and we fell into Black Rock and landed quite roughly,” explained Mama Flyer, “I twisted my left ankle and it bled for a while, … but Petrie landed on his wing and rolled over several times. The rollovers bruised his back.”

Mama Swimmer and the Gang gasped and remained speechless for what felt like ages.

“Me no can fly for a while,” sighed Petrie, “Probably for few days.”

“And I won’t be able to walk for a little while. You’d have no idea how painful it felt to fly from Black Rock all the way back here,” added Mama Flyer.

“Here!” said Littlefoot as he leapt into action before anyone could respond.

“Littlefoot?” said Ruby, “What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna get the Flyers some healing flowers,” replied Littlefoot.

“Oh, I could sure use one right about now,” sighed Mama Flyer.

“Me, too,” agreed Petrie.

Hardly a moment later, Littlefoot returned with two healing flowers, and he set one down in front of Mama Flyer, and the other one in front of her son.

“Go ahead and eat,” the Longneck said kindly, “You’ll feel better soon.”

“Thanks, Littlefoot,” grinned Mama Flyer as she took her healing flower.

“You kindest Longneck around, Littlefoot,” smiled Petrie.

Littlefoot smiled and blushed slightly as he took in Petrie’s compliment, and everyone watched as the two Flyers slowly ate their healing flowers.

Before long, both Flyers felt the pain in their injuries subside, although their cuts and bruises would likely remain for a while.

“Me feel better already,” said Petrie.

“My foot doesn’t feel as bad as it did before,” said Mama Flyer, “It’d probably be best if I stayed here for a while before I risk straining my foot again.”

“Good idea,” agreed Littlefoot.

“Me stay here, too,” sighed Petrie, “Petrie no want to hurt meself again.”

“Okay, Petrie,” replied Chomper, “Maybe you can join us for a little game tonight before the Bright Circle goes down.”

“Maybe,” said Petrie doubtfully.

“I think I would like to stay here, too,” said Ducky, wanting to spend some time alone with Petrie after they had been separated all day.

“Alright, Ducky,” Littlefoot accepted, and he turned to the others, “Come on, guys! Who’s up for a game of ‘Catch the Pointy Seed’?”

“Ooh! I am!” Chomper said eagerly, with Spike nodding along.

“Let’s go!” announced Littlefoot, and he, along with Cera, Spike, Chomper and Ruby ran off to find the nearest pointy seed.

Now that they and their mothers were finally by themselves, Petrie and Ducky smiled at each other and gently took each other’s hands.

“Me have something for you,” he beamed cutely.

“Really?” gasped Ducky with an adorable grin, “Did you really go through so much trouble just to find me a gift?”

“No just any old gift, Ducky,” smiled Petrie, “It a love gift that express me love for you.”

“What a co-en, … uh, … coincie-dence,” said Ducky, still struggling to pronounce the word correctly, “I just so happened-ed to find something for you, too.”

“Really?” gasped a surprised Petrie.

“Okay, you two. Maybe we should present them one at a time. Is that okay?” suggested Mama Flyer.

“Okay,” Ducky and Petrie nodded in agreement.

“So,” said Mama Swimmer, sitting down next to her daughter, “Who should be first?”

Petrie eagerly leaned back against his mother’s wing, and she felt her handing him just what he wanted to give her. He walked in front of Ducky again, hiding his gift behind his back.

“What did you give me, Petrie?” asked Ducky as she noticed Petrie’s bubbly smile, and the Flyer slowly brought his wings out from behind his back and out in front of her.

Ducky’s eyes went wide with wonder, and she gasped in astonishment at what she saw …

It was a pink tree star that sparkled delicately and smelled like red tree sweets and sweet bubbles.

Ducky was speechless. She was so astounded by this pink tree star that she couldn’t even think of a word to describe it out loud. It was the most beautiful plant she had ever seen in her life, and after imagining that Petrie had gone through so much trouble just to get her a pink tree star, even getting himself hurt while doing it, she felt that she suddenly loved him more than ever; in fact, just as much as she loved her mother. She began to think of Petrie as the sweetest Flyer on the entire planet, and she wanted nothing more than to smooch him all over until the end.

“W-where did you … find … that … tree star?” the Swimmer stuttered as she remained nearly breathless from the sight of the pink tree star.

“Me and me Mama find this special place hidden somewhere in Great Valley. It called Pink Forest,” explained Petrie, “There live a friendly Threehorn named Sparkle, and she guardian of Pink Forest for many Cold Times.”

“I have never heard-ed of Pink Forest before,” said Ducky thoughtfully, “What is it like?”

“Pink Forest filled with so many trees growing sparkling, pink tree stars,” said Petrie as he vividly remembered his visit to Pink Forest just a little while ago, “They smell so good, and they heal very quickly. Me had one after wind make me stumble into Pink Forest and me hurt me feet, and me feet heal so quickly that me could walk again in no time!”

“I’m sure everyone would want to go to Pink Forest,” said Mama Flyer, “It’s such a gorgeous place.”

“Why hasn’t anyone ever mentioned Pink Forest?” asked Mama Swimmer curiously.

“Because long time ago, Pink Forest get surrounded by all this green food, and it left abandoned for longest time,” sighed Petrie sadly as he recalled Sparkle’s story, “Sparkle tell me to tell you to tell our friends about Pink Forest so that we spread it to others. Then, someday Pink Forest get visitors again.”

“Did you say Sparkle was a friendly Threehorn?” asked Ducky.

“She very friendly,” replied Petrie, “She pink, just like tree stars, and she very generous to me when me land there by accident.”

“And she gave you this to give to me?” grinned Ducky.

“Well, … me no did tell her that we in love, but after me promise to help her get visitors again, she give me two pink tree stars, and me thought me give one of them to you. You know, me just thinking me sure if me take you there, you be very welcome there,” said Petrie thoughtfully.

“At least you kept-ed our love a secret from her,” Ducky sighed in relief.

“She live alone,” nodded Petrie, “Nobody live in Pink Forest but her, and she never leave Pink Forest.”

“Wow,” said an astonished Ducky, “Now that I think about it, … you should take me to Pink Forest, Petrie, … once you are able to fly again. I would love to see it. It sounds like another beautiful place for us to hang out together, just like our secret forest cave.”

“Yes,” smiled Petrie in agreement, “That is, as long as Sparkle no catch us kissing. Maybe tomorrow, when me able to fly again, me take you to Pink Forest. It only possible to find it when you have Flyer around like me. There so much green food covering Pink Forest that dinosaurs living here today no know about it.”

“That is pretty sad,” sighed Mama Flyer, “It’s too bad that everyone had to forget about Pink Forest because it got surrounded by so much green food.”

“Do you think you can introduce me to Sparkle when we get there, Petrie?” asked Ducky.

“Of course, me will!” beamed Petrie, and Ducky promptly hugged him and kissed his beak.

The Flyer then ceremoniously handed the pink tree star to his loving girlfriend, and the Swimmer smiled and grasped it in her hands.

“This for you, Ducky,” said Petrie proudly, “This pink tree star express me love for you, and how me always think about you every day. This way for you to think about me whenever you look at it, because me love and devotion for you stronger than anything else. Me love you, Ducky, … and me will always love you from bottom of me heart, … forever and ever.”

Ducky smiled as happy tears came spilling out of her eyes. She was so touched by Petrie’s loving words that her heart melted with so much happiness. She could only think about smooching Petrie all over after seeing him present his gift to her, and she now desperately wanted him to be her mate, regardless of their age. She could already picture them having a great life together in the years to come.

“You are the sweetest-est Flyer I have ever knowed, Petrie,” the Swimmer cried happily as she cuddled Petrie into a hug and smooched his beak a few times, making him smile brightly from the love she was giving him, “Whenever I look at this pink tree star, I will always think about you, because my love and devotion for you is stronger than anything else on Earth. You are the Flyer of my heart, Petrie, and I will always love you from the bottom of my heart, too, … forever and ever. Yep, yep, yep.”

Petrie blushed deep red and smiled as brightly as he ever had in his life, and he had to look away for just a moment to hide any possible tears. When he faced Ducky again, he gasped as a flower had suddenly appeared in her hands, … one with green leaves, and yellow in the middle.

“W-what that?” he stammered in surprise.

“It is a flower I found-ed in a forest before I heard-ed your call for help,” answered Ducky, “It is as green as me, and it is as yellow as me, and I think that with this flower, its colors will make you think about me whenever you look at it.”

“Aww, Ducky!” Petrie sniffled happily, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

Ducky handed the flower to her boyfriend, and he sniffed at it and could only say that it smelled so nice, like some of the tastiest tree stars around.

“That is for you, my Funny Flyer,” smiled Ducky, “To express my undying love for you, because you are so sweet to me just like I am to you.”

Petrie felt so much love that he thought his heart would never stop melting in happiness. His chest felt so warm that it began to feel so pleasant, and he wrapped his wings around the Swimmer’s neck and kissed her face several times.

“Me heart never stop beating for you, Ducky,” smiled Petrie.

“My heart will never stop beating for you, either, Petrie,” replied Ducky.

With that, the two lovers hugged each other tightly and engaged in a passionate kiss before they closed their eyes and sighed in relaxation, their gifts seeming to form a protective layer around them. Ducky’s bill playfully pulled Petrie’s beak in by sucking him closer, and they started clapping their tongues together as they moaned in pleasure. Each felt so attached to the other that they seemed to become one.

“Mmmmm, mmmmm,” Petrie murmured happily in a muffled voice as he felt Ducky’s bill splashing saliva all over his beak.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm!” Ducky pleasantly agreed as she playfully licked Petrie’s beak all over and tickled his tongue, making the Flyer giggle briefly.

Their mothers watched, chuckling as happy tears fell down their cheeks. They couldn’t stop smiling as their children delicately exchanged love with each other. They felt so proud for the both of them. Mama Flyer, in particular, was very proud of Petrie after he had gone through so much trouble to find his special love present for Ducky, and that he had been so brave during that unexpected trip to Black Rock so that he would ensure that Ducky got her present. However, she was especially proud of Petrie because he had already found the love of his life at such a young age. When she looked at Ducky, she could tell that she had many things that Petrie loved about her, and she could sense a great future for both of them as long as they stayed together.

Eventually, the two loving kids broke their kiss and started gasping for air, which they felt they desperately needed after sucking each other’s faces for several minutes.

“That was so cute,” said Mama Flyer in a gentle, happy voice, making the two children look up at her with blushing smiles, “I’m so proud of you, Petrie. You went through all that trouble and bravely got us out of Black Rock just to make sure that Ducky received the greatest present you could give her. You really are a generous little Flyer, Petrie, and I’m proud to be your mother.”

“Aww, Mama!” replied Petrie sheepishly with a blushing smile.

“I’m especially proud of you because I can see how you two mean so much to each other,” continued Mama Flyer, “Even at such a young age, you have each discovered that special feeling in the other that brings you two together, and your hearts have connected delicately to the point where you know you will be together for the rest of your lives.”

Petrie exchanged a bright smile with Ducky, and the two kissed each other’s cheeks before looking back up at Petrie’s mother.

“On top of it all, your love and devotion to each other is so strong that one of you would be willing to risk your life for the other’s safety … and happiness, as I’ve seen today,” Mama Flyer went on, “You’ve proven to me already that no matter what stands in your way, you will stand up to all the obstacles you face, and in the end, there will be joy and happiness. I’m so proud of the both of you, kids, and I hope you will stay together for a long, long time.”

“So do I, kids,” agreed Mama Swimmer, “You’ve both done such brave things, mostly without our permission, but we see that you mean good in them, and I’m very proud of the both of you, too. I can see us being one big happy family at heart someday far in the future.”

Hearing such heartwarming words coming from their mothers brought joy into the hearts of Petrie and Ducky. Knowing how strongly their mothers supported them being together felt like nothing else. They each felt that the other’s mother was becoming a very motherly figure, almost as much as their own mother, and they could feel as if they were already ready to treat them like they were one big family.

“Wow! Me feel so happy!” beamed Petrie, unable to contain his excitement after hearing their mothers’ sweet, supportive words.

“You feel just like a mama to me, Ms. Flyer,” added Ducky, “You have such a warm heart towards me, and it makes me even happier to have falled in love with Petrie. Yep, yep, yep!”

“And you sometimes feel like mama to me, too, Ducky Mom,” chuckled Petrie, “Me happy to know that you happy me fall in love with Ducky. Yep, yep, yep.”

All four of them laughed as Petrie finished his sentence with Ducky’s catchphrase, and their mothers playfully lifted each of their children onto their laps, facing each other. As the kids felt their mothers playfully placing their arms behind their backs, they cutely spread their feet out and began clapping them together.

The two kids felt so playful to be playing their recently-invented feet-clapping game while sitting on their mothers’ laps. Their mothers chuckled and gently kissed their respective kid’s faces as they played with their feet, earning bright, playful smiles from the loving duo.

To all four of them, this felt just like it was a brief taste of what their futures would look like many Cold Times from now.

Ducky and Petrie continued to smile at each other as they allowed their mothers to soothe them warmly while they played their feet-clapping game. They began making a little tune that comprised of somewhat babyish or childish sounds, in rhythm to their feet clapping.

“Doop. Doop. Doopity-da, dee, dee, da, da.

Beep. Boop. Boopity-da, bee, bee-da, da.”

They repeated this a few times as they clapped their feet, their voices singing together in perfect unison. Their mothers giggled as they listened to their tune, finding it to be the most adorable thing they’d ever heard. Hearing their mothers giggle only widened the already-so-bright smiles on Ducky and Petrie’s faces as they smiled bubbly and sang together. Their hearts were leaping with so much excitement that their smiles nearly caused saliva to leak from their mouths. It was such a perfect moment.

This lovely moment felt like the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Not only did it show just how much Ducky and Petrie loved each other, and how much their mothers were greatly accepting the idea of them being a future family, but it proved that they would love each other to the end, … and stay together …

… forever and ever.

The only other thing that could have entered Petrie’s mind at that moment … was a very special plan for tomorrow …

And so, Petrie returns to the Great Valley and finally gets to give Ducky the pink tree star, but he had to go through so much just to do it, and it involves my first true Sharptooth confrontation scene in any of my stories! Previously, I've been terrible at intense action scenes, but I knew I had to try it out sooner or later, and I decided to place some random Sailback into the fray!

You could say that Petrie has gone through quite a bit of development in this chapter. His newfound determination to keep his mother safe at all costs has led him to do the most daring thing he has ever done in his life, but believe me, it will traumatize him for quite some time. You'll see. Sometimes, I wonder: the Gang would surely have had PTSD for a long, long time after the events of the first movie, but why don't the sequels show any of that? Consider this as taking a swipe at the filmmakers for not including that!

Anyways, that's all for today, and I'll see you next week with the next chapter.

[DiddyKT2]

CHAPTER 12

Night Terrors

“ROAAAAARRRR!”

That dreadful, echoey sound of what could only be a Sharptooth jolted Petrie as he flew as fast as he could. He just knew he had to get away.

He looked down and saw that he was flying over what looked like the Great Valley, but any sense of peace had faded when he saw that many dinosaurs below were screaming in terror and running for their lives.

“Oh, no!” he gasped as a thought suddenly hit him, “Maybe Sharpteeth invade Great Valley again!”

He looked back, and his heart nearly stopped …

Two Sailback Sharpteeth were hot on their trails, roaring ferociously with hunger. Their feet stomped loudly with each step they took towards a potentially large meal.

Petrie could swear he recognized one of them from a terrifying sleep story he had during the Cold Time, but that was the farthest thing from his mind as he turned back around and kept on flying. Now was no time to slow down.

“PETRIE! OVER HERE!” he heard a voice screaming to him. He stopped in midair and searched for the voice.

Then, he found a rock with a small hole in it, and he gasped as he saw someone waving to him frantically.

It was Ducky.

“DUCKY!?”

“QUICK! IN HERE!” the Swimmer called to him.

Petrie gazed at the land-bound dinosaurs still running in panic, and he heard another vicious “ROAR” from the Sharpteeth. He knew there was no time to lose. The Flyer wasted no time diving his way straight towards the cave, closing his eyes to mentally prepare himself for a possible crash just before he was consumed by darkness …

Suddenly, everything was silent …

… and he felt no crash-landing.

Somehow, though, he felt his feet touching some form of rocky surface, but the ground was all he could see. Everything else around him was completely black. There was nobody to be seen anywhere. It was so eerily quiet that Petrie thought he was suddenly alone, but he could swear he saw Ducky gesturing him to come inside the cave, so why was it suddenly black and dead silent?

“AAAHHH!” Petrie heard a scream coming from some close distance, and he recognized the voice as Ducky’s.

“DUCKY!? WHERE ARE YOU!?” Petrie called in panic.

Suddenly, he felt someone grabbing him, not one, or two, but four of whatever they were, pulling on him from all sides.

“ACK! Hey! Let me go!” he yelled as he tried to free himself from their grasp, but their grip was firm, and he couldn’t even begin to squirm his way to freedom.

He suddenly felt himself being shoved to the ground, landing on his back, and a sudden blast of white penetrated the entire area. The Flyer closed his eyes tight and looked away to avoid being blinded by the sudden burst of light, and soon the light faded to the point that it was no longer hazardous for his eyesight. He opened his eyes and found himself in a dimly-lit cave, but when he looked around, he saw his four siblings sneering heartlessly at him.

Suddenly, he realized that he couldn’t move his wings, and he looked down and saw, to his horror, that he had been bound by several tree stars covering him from shoulders to waist. He swung his legs up and down, but it was no use in getting him free.

“Ha, ha, ha!” laughed one of his sisters, “Look who’s the real flightless baby now!”

Petrie saw his siblings laughing rudely at him while they shot snob comments at him. He tried not to cry as he found himself reliving one of the many things his siblings would do to him during those miserable first five years of his life before the Earth Shake.

“Let me go!” he screamed in anger, “Me thought you finally stop doing this!”

“Oh, really!?” sneered his oldest brother, “Well, old habits never die.”

“And why would we want to keep dealing with some wimpy, nest-wetting crybaby like you!?” hissed the oldest sister, spitting in his face.

“You stupid beakbrains! You no brothers and sisters of mine! Let me go right now!” shouted Petrie as he felt tears welling up in his eyes.

“Why would we?” mocked the younger sister, “After all, don’t you want to see your friend?”

Suddenly, another light shone down, and Petrie gasped when he noticed his precious, beloved Ducky, also being bound by tree stars in the same way he was. She was crying helplessly, swinging her legs in a futile attempt to escape.

“Ducky!” cried Petrie.

“Petrie!” wailed Ducky.

Petrie turned to his evil, heartless siblings.

“What you do to her!?” he screamed demandingly.

“Oh, don’t you worry,” chuckled the younger brother, “We just thought we’d make your last moment together excruciatingly memorable!”

“Last moment together!?” gasped Petrie, “What you talking about!?”

“ROAAAAAAARRRRRR!”

“Well, time to go!” proclaimed the oldest brother.

“Goodbye, worthless beakface!” said the oldest sister, kicking Petrie’s beak hard.

“OW!” he cried in pain.

“Nest-wetter!”

“Crybaby!”

“Little, flightless Petrie!”

The insults from his early childhood spiraled around his head as his siblings left the scene, laughing and mocking him so heartlessly.

“ME HATE YOU! ME HATE YOU!” he wailed in unimaginable pain as the memories of his past began to consume his mind.

“Petrie!? Please do not cry! Do not listen to them!” panted Ducky.

“Well, it true now! Me flightless because they do this to me … AGAIN! Just like how they used to do when me still trying to learn how-“

“ROAAAAR!”

“CRASH!”

The cave shook violently like an Earth Shake. Rocks came down from the ceiling and crashed to the ground between the two bound children. They screamed to each other in desperation as tears flowed from their eyes.

“DUCKY!”

“PETRIE!”

Suddenly, the entrance to the cave was completely obliterated by the sudden arrival of a Sharptooth smashing its face against the cave. Petrie closed his eyes and turned his head away. He just couldn’t look as he anticipated his doom.

“Yessssss!” he heard the Sharptooth hiss, “I have finally found you! Remember me!?”

Petrie dared himself to open his eyes and look up …

There was the same Sailback Sharptooth whom had terrorized him in that absolutely horrific sleep story he had during the cold time; the same one he had rescued Guido from; one of the Sharpteeth he most easily recognized from his past adventures.

“Y-y-yo-you!?” stammered Petrie.

“You really thought you could get away from me forever, did you!? After you denied me a nice meal of a Glider!? Well, guess what!? You killed my son!”

Petrie was horrified by that last sentence. He couldn’t have possibly killed anyone …

Then, … he remembered encountering the Sailback in Black Rock and luring it into a death trap to save his own mother.

No! This just couldn’t be! It just couldn’t be true to have a particular Sharptooth suddenly have a personal vendetta against him and go out of his way for revenge.

“So, I killed your father, and you kill my son! Well, guess what!? You’re gonna be the one paying for what you did to me, but first, I’ll give you even more pain than how much you felt from losing your precious Daddy! I warned you I would kill everyone you know to make your life as miserable as possible before finally finishing you once and for all!” roared the Sharptooth mockingly, and his snout slowly turned to Ducky.

Petrie gasped in horror, “NO! YOU NO DO THIS! LEAVE DUCKY ALONE!”

“You first!” the Sharptooth roared at Ducky.

“NO, NO, NO! DO NOT EAT ME!” pleaded Ducky, but before Petrie could process the next thought, he saw the unthinkable happen before his very eyes …

The Sharptooth snapped his jaw at Ducky, and her voice was instantly reduced to silence. He brought his head back up, and the Swimmer was gone.

“NAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOO! DUCKIEEEEEEEE!” Petrie wept as he watched his Sweet Swimmer get taken away from him, the love of his life, the one who loved him. His heart shattered into a million pieces as he wept in despair and hopelessness.

“And now, you’re next!” growled the Sharptooth.

And an instant later, … Petrie felt the Sharptooth’s breath blow violently around him, and then …

“CRUNCH!”

…


“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

Petrie screamed and jolted awake, his heart racing furiously as he yelled and wailed.

“Petrie!”

He nearly screamed again once he saw two blue objects shielding his entire body, but once he finally looked up, still panting and panicking, he realized that those blue objects were the wings of his mother.

“Petrie! It’s alright! Calm down, dear! It’s okay! Breathe, okay? Breathe. Calm down, Petrie. It’s okay. Just relax,” his mother spoke into his ear while he continued to take uncontrollably fast breaths and stammering cries.

Then, he heard a very unwelcoming sound …

… the sound of something splattering on the cave floor like a tiny waterfall.

The little Flyer gulped and blushed profusely, his face paled, and his heart nearly stopped …

He looked down and saw his worst nightmare coming true yet again. Urine was squirting out from between his legs and soaking a tree star on the cave floor underneath his mother’s legs, which he noticed were apparently healing quite well. He shut his eyes and buried his face in his mother’s chest, knowing the inevitable reactions would come in just a matter of seconds, yet he didn’t want to face them.

Mama Flyer heard that not-so-pleasant sound, and she gasped softly and tightly hugged her son, knowing he had once again lost control of himself.

“Oh, Petrie. Not again,” she said in a sad tone that indicated to him that she felt sorry for him.

Then, the inevitable …

“Eew!”

“Oh, great! Petrie’s done it again!”

“Petrie! You, stinkbug!”

“I really hate you, Petrie!”

“EEW!”

“UGH!”

“Nest-wetter!”

“Crybaby!”

Petrie covered his face with his wings as he heard the complaints and insults being thrown at him yet again. This was just the same every time he wet the nest. His heartless siblings would always mock him and humiliate him to no end, and only his understanding and loving mother would be there to comfort him and shield him from this remorseless bullying and family abuse. Even though he had grown somewhat in the last few cold times, this had never changed, and he wondered when it ever would.

“So, what happened to the scaredy-egg now!?” hissed his oldest brother.

“Scaredy-wetty!” mocked the younger sister.

“SILENCE!” Mama Flyer screeched fiercely at her older children, and they all fell silent at once.

Soon, the sound of Petrie’s urinating died down, and the foul stench filled the cave.

“AWW!”

“EEW!”

His siblings complained of the terrible smell billowing through their home. Petrie couldn’t bear to hear it, and he once again hid himself in his mother’s wings.

“Okay, children! That’s enough!” shouted Mama Flyer, “I’m going to dispose of this leaf, and I’ll be back right afterward. Surely, that’ll take no time at all, but I’m warning you right now: if any one of you touch Petrie or try to kick him out of the nest like you did last time, it will not go unpunished! Oh, yes, I’ve got my eye on you children! You’d better behave yourselves!”

With that, the blue Flyer took the leaf that Petrie had urinated on and left the cave, shooting warning glares at her children before she walked outside and jumped off the ledge.

Once she was gone, so was the nasty smell, for the most part, but Petrie still had his legs drenched in his own urine, and even that was enough for his siblings to keep sniffing the air and still notice the horrible stench.

“Ugh! You really are disgusting, Petrie!” snorted his oldest sister.

“Leave me alone!” replied Petrie as he covered his crotch and legs with his wings.

“And how could we do that when you still smell like piss!?” countered his oldest brother.

“Maybe if you no piss me off, some of these sleep stories no happen!” Petrie fired back.

“Oh, really!?” said the younger sister, “Are you saying it’s our fault you’re having those stupid sleep stories?”

“Let me think! YES! Me never get over all those things you do to me when me no could fly!” cried Petrie, “Wrapping leaves around me so me no could move!? Pushing me out of the way and turning me upside down when Mommy try to give us dinner!? Me could think of so much more that you do to me, and you ever say you sorry? NO! You never say you sorry, even so much later! Not even after Great Day of Flyers! If you really wish me never hatch, then … just …”

He couldn’t come up with a way to finish his sentence, and he let out a loud scream to express his unforgiving frustration towards his siblings whom had bullied and abused him before he had even learned how to talk … somewhat. He hated them with a passion, and he knew they probably hated him just as much. It seemed they would never be able to get along together. He couldn’t wait for the day they would all grow up and find mates so that they could go their separate ways and he would never have to deal with them again.

Once he relaxed a little, he stared at his heartless siblings with a tearful glare. His quivering beak showed nothing but anger and hatred for them, whilst his eyes were shining with tears. They stared back at him, and he knew from the looks on their faces that they could clearly see the pain his face was expressing. However, he still saw no remorse or sorrow in their hearts.

“You no idea how it feel,” he hissed, “How any of you like to be one who no could fly? How you like to fight Sharptooth and drown with him? How you like to be trying to get away from Sharp Beak and blind Belly Dragger? How you like to be trapped on island with Sharpteeth? How you like to be flying away from many Sharpteeth? How you like to hatch with some stupid mind problem like me like Mommy’s aunts and uncles!?”

That last sentence made his brothers and sisters gasp in apparent disbelief. They looked at each other, appearing to be shocked from this sudden revelation.

“What are you talking about?” asked the younger sister, clearly not believing him.

“Oh! Me see how this is! Mommy never tell you! That how it is!?” grunted Petrie.

“Tell us what?” said the oldest brother.

“Mommy say his aunts and uncles had problems, and she tell me me hatched with same problems!” ranted Petrie, “That why me still talk like … whatever, … that why me scared of so much, and that why me almost never get to fly!”

“I don’t get it,” said the oldest sister.

“You never understand!” said Petrie, “You no idea how it feel, and you have no heart to try and understand me problems like Mommy do!”

At that moment, Mama Flyer returned, and none of the children spoke another word.

“Alright, children. Perhaps we can all try getting some more sleep if you’re done exchanging harsh words?” she told them, making it apparent that she had heard at least most of their dreadful conversation.

It was only then that she sniffed the air and noticed that the smell hadn’t quite disappeared just yet. She looked at Petrie and noticed him covering his crotch and legs with his wings, and she could tell immediately that there was still one more thing she had to do.

“Petrie? Could you come with me, please?” she told her youngest son gently.

Exchanging one last Cera-like snort with his siblings, Petrie stood up and walked his way outside, feeling rather happy about the prospect of getting away from them for at least a few minutes, if for any time at all.

“Follow me, dear,” his mother spoke once they were on the ledge, and she jumped off and spread her wings on her way down, prompting Petrie to do the same.

The little Flyer hesitantly followed his mother as they slowly flew over the grassy plains that were bordered by a few other large rocks and forests.

He looked down and saw the nearby river flowing through the area that marked the neighborhood his family shared with a few other Flyer and Swimmer families, including Ducky and Spike’s. He felt happy to be living in this neighborhood after that terrible storm destroyed his old nest and forced his family to find a new, safer home. It was this move that brought him closer to where Ducky lived, and the idea of them being close neighbors felt like one of the luckiest things that had ever happened to him. Having his Swimmer and Spiketail friends living only a few minutes away, just across the river, felt like a happy sleep story come true to him.

Soon, Petrie noticed his mother landing on the riverbank, and he nervously came down next to him. He looked at his mother and saw a gentle smile on her beak.

“Let’s get you washed up, my little Petrie, then you can tell me what happened, okay?” she said kindly.

Petrie had never really enjoyed bathing, even whenever he wet himself in his sleep, but he knew he had to do it so that the nasty smell would disappear.

“Okay,” he sighed in defeat, and his mother slowly lifted him by his sides and set him on her lap.

He watched as his mother grabbed a tree star and dipped it in a small mud puddle, then he stuttered nervously and shut his eyes as she began rubbing his crotch and legs with the mud. It was very typical of her to use mud to wash him on occasions like these, since mud was not only effective at washing urine off, but also helped protect from infection.

Soon, Petrie sighed in relaxation as the mud soaked him, but it didn’t last long before his mother took another tree star and dipped it into the river to soak it, and she began rubbing the wet tree star all over him to rinse the mud off. He shivered as a cold sensation shot through his legs, but he knew he had to endure it until it was over. His mother would never allow him to break free in the middle of a bath.

He looked down and saw that all the mud was gone, and he sniffed the air and picked up no sign of that nasty smell of urine. The bath had done its job well.

“There you go, my little one,” chuckled Mama Flyer, “You’re all clean now.”

Petrie sighed as he stared down at the glistening river. His night terror was still fresh on his mind, and he just couldn’t seem to get it out.

“Now then, Petrie, what happened?” his mother asked calmly as she turned him to the side and wrapped a wing around his back.

Petrie quivered and took a few deep breaths to mentally prepare himself, and he told her everything that had happened in his terrible night terror; trying to escape the Sharpteeth, flying into a dark cave, his siblings luring him and Ducky into a trap and bounding them, and the Sharptooth from his previous night terror eating Ducky before turning on him.

“Aw, my poor little Petrie,” gasped Mama Flyer once her son was finished, and she instinctively hugged him tightly as he began to cry again.

“Sharptooth eat me Sweet Swimmer!” wailed Petrie, “It so horrible! Why, why, WHY!?”

“Sssh! There, there, Petrie. It’s okay, it’s okay,” his mother hushed him gently, “It wasn’t real. There are no Sharpteeth coming after you, and Ducky is still alive and well.”

“But what if it come true one day!?” wept Petrie, “Sharptooth who eat us was Sailback that look just like one in me night terror during cold time, and he look so much like one in Black Rock that try to eat us, only he much bigger! What if Sharptooth in Black Rock probably have mommy and daddy who find out it me who kill him and come after me!?”

Mama Flyer let out a deep sigh as she contemplated such a possibility. In her eyes, Chomper was the only Sharptooth he knew whom showed emotions, but those were friendly and kind ones. Then again, she thought it might be possible that some Sharpteeth could hold grudges against those who wanted territory … or against those who killed someone in their family.

“Listen, Petrie, even if such a possibility may not be out of the question, you must remember that we live in the Great Valley, where we are safe from Sharpteeth. The walls around the valley protect us from any outside threats, so you have nothing to worry about … unless you and your friends wander off without our permission again,” she chuckled heartily.

“Mama,” moaned a blushing Petrie.

“I know you’ve done a lot of brave things, but you keep us worried whenever you just disappear behind our backs,” said Mama Flyer.

“Me know, Mama,” sighed Petrie.

“I just want you to understand that I want you to be safe,” said Mama Flyer, gently stroking her son’s face.

“Me know! Okay!? Me know!” pouted Petrie, crossing his arms.

Mama Flyer sighed and let a snorty chuckle escape her beak.

“Hmm? You know what I like to do when you start showing me that attitude, Petrie?”

“Oops,” murmured Petrie, realizing his mistake, and he looked up into his mother’s eyes as she gave him a smirk, “M-me sorry, Mama.”

“I know you are, my little Petrie,” his mother smiled, “But just for good measure…”

With that, she wiggled the fingers of her free hand and slowly brought them closer to Petrie. The kid gulped nervously and tried to move, but the hand wrapped around his back had quite a firm grip.

“N-no! Please! Me say me sorry!” he said frantically, but it was no use.

Mama Flyer’s hand reached Petrie, and she began tickling his chest with two fingers while using the other two to wiggle his toes.

“No! Mommeeheeheeheehee!” laughed Petrie, “Nohohohohoho! Hehehehehehehehahahaha!”

“I just need to see you smile so I know you’re really sorry, my little baby!” giggled Mama Flyer playfully, refusing to stop the tickle torture.

“Pleeheeheeheehease!” begged Petrie as saliva began drooling from his beak from his bubbly laughter, “Mmmhmmhmmhmmkeeheeheeheeheeheeheehehehehehehahahaha!”

“Say ‘uncle’!” his mother teased.

“Unclehehehehehehehehehle!” Petrie laughed, and his mother promptly stopped and allowed him to breathe until he was stable again.

“Okay, my sweet little one,” she smiled, “Are you really sorry?”

“Yes!” panted Petrie, “Please! No more! Me sorry, Mama!”

“Alright, Petrie,” replied Mama Flyer, “That’s my boy.”

With those words, she lifted her son and pulled him in for a tight, warm hug, and he responded by wrapping his arms around her neck. They nuzzled each other’s faces and sighed happily, enjoying their warm embrace.

“I love you, my special little Petrie,” whispered Mama Flyer, and she kissed her son’s head crest.

Petrie blushed from slight embarrassment and replied, “Me love you, too, Mama.”

“Petrie?” said another voice.

Petrie instantly recognized that voice. He recognized it anywhere.

He turned around, and he saw just the dinosaur he would have loved to see at a time like this, standing with her feet in the river …

“DUCKY!” he squealed.

Mama Flyer placed her son back on his feet and gave him a gentle push on the back, and he dipped his feet into the river and ran right up to Ducky before hugging her tightly.

“Oh, Ducky! Me so glad to see you! Me thought you gone!” he cried as a fresh stream of tears flowed down his face.

“Me, too, Petrie,” sniffled Ducky, “I thought-ed you were gone, too.”

The two looked at each other with a sudden realization spiraling into their heads.

“You mean, … you have bad sleep story, too?” gasped Petrie.

“I did, I did. Yes, yes, yes,” nodded Ducky.

“Oh, my,” gasped Mama Flyer.

“It was quite bad,” came Mama Swimmer’s voice as she seemed to appear so suddenly to Petrie, “In fact, … it was so bad that, … well, … I’m sure you could probably guess.”

Petrie was stunned. Could it just so happen to be that Ducky wet herself after having a frightening sleep story of her own just like he did? This was such a terrible coincidence. It just seemed so wrong.

As Ducky realized just where they were, she guessed just why Petrie was here, too. After he had told her that he had a bad sleep story just as she did, she quickly deduced that he had wet himself from fright as well.

As they simultaneously realized their coincidence, they blushed and quivered. Tonight seemed to have been a bad night for both of them. They had both wet themselves after some frightening night terrors, and even if one could try to comfort the other, how could it happen when it happened to both at the same time? Perhaps the only comfort they could feel was that one could confide in the other and not feel bad because the other had had an accident that was just as bad.

“W-what happen?” asked Petrie nervously.

Ducky gulped and panted a little. She desperately wanted to get this night terror out of her mind, but it was just too fresh. However, she knew Petrie had the right to know just what brought her to where they were now.

“Well, … it started-ed out with me walking through the valley, … and then suddenly I heard-ed you cry for help. The wind started-ed blowing you around again. I chased-ed after you, but the wind blowed you away before I could catch up. Then, I stopped-ed and saw … my old friend, Judy, … and her mother, Nitha. Nitha had caught-ed you with her hand and set you back down, and we hugged-ed and I thanked-ed them for saving you. Judy told-ed me that she was happy that I was moving on with my life, and so did Nitha, … but then …”

Ducky paused and looked away. She cringed as she remembered what happened next, and she almost couldn’t tell Petrie just what it was.

“Then what?” asked Petrie, giving her a worried look.

“I heard-ed a Sharptooth … nearby, … and … we ran for our lives,” she continued as the tears began to come down like waterfalls, accompanied by heavy sniffles, “We ran and we ran. We ran into a cave, and when we ran out the other side, the Bright Circle had suddenly lowered-ed to the west like it was evening, and I looked-ed down and saw … that river.”

Petrie gasped in horror.

“OH! Not that river me fall in with Sharptooth! Please not that!” he cringed.

“It was!” said Ducky regretfully, “We tried-ed to find a way to get across, … but the Sharptooth caught-ed up with us too quickly. We ducked-ed to stay away from his mouth, … but then I heard-ed you screaming.”

“NO WAY!” screamed Petrie in complete horror.

“He did!” cried Ducky, “It was Sharptooth himself, … and he falled into the river and took-ed you with him all over again! I cried-ed out to you, but you never answered-ed, so Judy jumped-ed down to try and save you, … but then I saw … blood, … and I saw … you and Judy’s … bodies.”

Petrie let out a gasp of unimaginable fright.

“Nitha cried-ed for her daughter, … and I cried-ed for you!” wailed Ducky, “Then, all of a sudden, the cliff crumbled beneath our feet and we falled in, too! Sharptooth came back up and I tried-ed to swim away, but he caught-ed me by the tail … and …”

Finally, the Swimmer loosened her grip on Petrie and collapsed, wailing like a baby.

“Oh, my goodness!” gasped Mama Flyer, just as horrified as her son was.

“OH, PETRIE!” screamed Ducky unbearably, “Please do not ever leave me!”

Before Petrie could respond, the Swimmer got back up and hugged him tightly, knocking him down. The Flyer was greatly shocked by this and panted as he stared at Ducky’s weeping face.

“Oh, Petrie!” Ducky cried again, “I was so scared-ed for you when you were lost in Black Rock, and I cannot bear spending another day without you! Please do not ever leave me again, Petrie! PLEASE!”

Petrie cringed and quivered as his girlfriend held him and cried. He was rather frightened by this gesture, but he understood why she was behaving this way. He felt quite the same about missing her while he was trapped in the middle of nowhere, and he honestly felt as though he couldn’t spend another day without her, either.

“Me no can bear being without you, either, Ducky,” he sniffled as he helped her up into a sitting position and returned the hug.

Once she settled down, Petrie told Ducky what had happened in his sleep story, and she was just as shocked as he was, particularly after hearing about the Sailback Sharptooth eating them both.

“Oh, my!” gasped Ducky.

“It so terrible! Me thought you gone forever!” wept Petrie, “Me felt so lonely without you while me in Black Rock, and me wish you there to hug me! OH, PLEASE, DUCKY! Hug me! Love me! Please no ever leave me, either!”

Ducky promptly hugged Petrie so tightly that he almost couldn’t breathe, and he hugged her back. The two wept loudly together and soaked each other with their tears. They understood each other’s pain perfectly well. One just couldn’t bear being without the other. They could never stand being separated by anything that tried to stand in their way or tear them apart. Their love for each other was suddenly so strong that they never wanted to be apart. They just wanted to hug each other until they made their trip to the Great Beyond together.

Their mothers watched the scene with their hearts beating at a quick pace. They sniffled as they tried their best not to cry while their children cried babyishly and snuggled inseparably. It broke their hearts to watch them struggling like this.

Mama Swimmer was able to fight off her tears quickly, and she got into the river and sat down right behind her daughter. Mama Flyer did the same once she composed herself, and together they began nuzzling their children.

“Sssh,” they both soothed.

“Settle down, kids,” Mama Swimmer whispered in the kids’ ears.

“Sssh. Calm down. Take a deep breath, okay?” Mama Flyer spoke soothingly.

As Ducky and Petrie felt their mothers rubbing them affectionately, their crying died down to sniffles and hiccups, and they began gasping for air.

“Sssh. There, there, children. Please don’t cry,” said Mama Swimmer, her voice making it sound clear that she was still trying to hold back tears, “The night terrors are over. You’re safe, and you’re together again. Nothing is going to happen. We’re all safe in our Great Valley. You’re both going to be just fine.”

Ducky and Petrie refused to let go of each other. They kept hugging each other very tightly and kept their faces close together as they continued to share their tears.

“There, there,” soothed Mama Flyer, “That’s a good couple of kids. Just relax and settle down. Everything’s okay.”

Finally, the children opened their eyes and stared each other’s tear-stained faces and quivering mouths. They sniffled, hiccuped and sobbed quietly as they steadily calmed down. They knew their mothers were right. The Great Valley truly was a safe place for them, and as long as there were no more breaching incidents, then they would surely never see a Sharptooth try to break into the valley again. They would stay together through thick and thin until the end. They were determined never to be separated again. They would stay together … forever.

“Good kids,” smiled Mama Swimmer, “That’s much better.”

“Are you okay now, children?” asked Mama Flyer.

“Yes,” the two kids muttered, refusing to take their eyes of each other.

Ducky slowly began to pull Petrie closer, and she opened her mouth to gesture him to do what she wanted him to do. Petrie knew exactly what it was and brought his beak into Ducky’s bill. They tightened their hug again and began making babyish sounds with their mouths as they kissed. Petrie’s beak opened slightly and let Ducky’s tongue in, and they brought their tongues together and began sucking each other’s mouths, exchanging saliva each time. They moaned and kept sucking each other, making babyish sucking sounds like a couple of newborn hatchlings. They closed their eyes and let their kiss soothe them into a gentle, sleep-like trance that brought them some smiles. Petrie’s hidden beak was pleasantly coated in saliva, and he enjoyed every warm splash.

Their mothers couldn’t help but giggle a little as they listened to their sucking sounds that reminded each of them of when their kids were just cute, little innocent babies. It was such a heartwarming thing for them to listen to. It seemed to be just the medicine to calm the kids down and drive away the fears of being separated by such a great distance. As long as they were assured that nothing was going to break them apart, they would be happy with the assurance that they would be together forever and always.

“Kids?” whispered Mama Swimmer in the softest possible tone.

Ducky and Petrie slowly opened their eyes, smiling pleasurably and dreamily with their sparkling, wet eyes, and they pulled their faces away from each other with a very soft, “Mwuah.” They giggled cutely and nuzzled each other’s faces.

“Are you okay now, kids?” asked Mama Flyer warmly.

After being unable to break eye contact with each other for what felt like a whole Night Circle cycle, the two kids exchanged smiles with their respective mothers and answered, “Yes.”

“Good,” chuckled Mama Swimmer.

“Sleep stories will be scary sometimes, but you know deep down that the scary ones are not really going to come true,” assured Mama Flyer.

“The Longnecks may have had foretelling sleep stories, but we Swimmers and Flyers have never really experienced them,” explained Mama Swimmer, “There is nothing to be scared of as long as we’re safe here in the Great Valley.”

“She’s right,” nodded Mama Flyer.

“Me hope so,” said Petrie nervously.

“Me, too. Yep, yep, yep,” agreed Ducky.

“Okay, kids. I know you’re not going to like this, … but we have to go home and get some more sleep,” said Mama Swimmer.

Ducky and Petrie instantly felt their hearts dampen upon hearing that. They knew it would come, but they weren’t ready to face more potentially frightening night terrors.

“We promise you’ll get plenty of time together tomorrow once the Bright Circle comes up, okay?” said Mama Flyer.

With sighs of dread, Ducky and Petrie looked at each other, then at their mothers.

“Okay,” they groaned together, and they finally broke apart after hugging for so long.

“Children need lots of sleep, you know,” Mama Swimmer reminded them.

“We know,” the downcast kids responded.

“Come along now,” said Mama Flyer, “It’s time to go home.”

“One second,” replied Petrie, and he held Ducky by the shoulders, “Me love you, Ducky, and me promise me never leave you again.”

He finished with a kiss on her cheek, and the Swimmer hugged him once more.

“I love you, too, Petrie, and I promise to never ever leave you, either. I do, I do,” she said, and she kissed his beak in return.

“That’s very sweet of you two,” remarked Mama Swimmer as a single tear escaped from her eye, “Come along now, Ducky. Goodnight, Petrie. Goodnight, Ms. Flyer.”

“Goodnight, Ducky Mom,” replied Petrie.

“Goodnight, Mrs. Swimmer. Goodnight, Ducky,” said Mama Flyer, “Let’s go, Petrie.”

“Goodnight, Ms. Flyer,” said Ducky.

The two kids looked at each other one more time with nervous chuckles.

“Goodnight, Petrie.”

“Goodnight, Ducky.”

With those last few words, they finally let go of each other’s hands and reluctantly broke away. They maintained eye contact as they took backwards steps until their feet were out of the river. Finally, Ducky turned away to follow her mother back home, and Petrie lifted himself into the sky to follow his mother back to their cave.

Ducky and Petrie both dreaded more night terrors once they each got back to their homes, but they knew at heart that they would be safe in the Great Valley and always get to be together each and every day as long as they got to have a home in their precious valley.


“Where is he!?” he growled to himself as he kept his eyes turning from one side to the other, scanning the dark rocks around him, his sniffer desperately trying to pick up the scent of the one and only dinosaur he was concerned about …

“We’ll find him, … eventually,” his mate roared beside him, appearing to be just as frantic as he was.

The two Sailbacks searched everywhere. Their son had not returned home that evening after he had gone hunting for food. He had claimed he was going to the trenches under Black Rock to try and find any leafeaters that may have so freely wandered into their mist. Any Sharptooth in the area couldn’t possibly deny such a possibility for food to foolishly come crawling its way in.

“Wait a minute!” the female suddenly cried, and she sniffed the air and thought she could smell something that was all so familiar. She looked ahead and turned her head up towards the sky.

There stood Black Rock itself, right over their heads, standing tall and proudly dominating the entire landscape.

“He probably got lost in there,” growled the male, and he began sniffing at the mountain to pick up any possible signs that their one and only son was still inside, surely trying to find his way out.

“Can you smell him?” his mate asked him.

“Damnit! NO!” he furiously fired back and tried sniffing again. He hated any such interruptions at a time like this when their child’s life was surely at stake. His fate was in their hands, and they would bring him back home safely, no matter what stood in their way.

The female slapped her own face in frustration and kept watching hopelessly as her mate sniffed at the mountain. It seemed to be getting them nowhere. What were the odds of finding their son in such a place like this?

“He’s not here, okay!?” she growled at him in annoyance, “Let’s just go back and try-“

“WAIT!” his mate suddenly screeched, “I smell something!”

“You’ve said the same thi-“

“QUIET!”

She didn’t dare make another sound and waited rather impatiently for him to make any confirmation of what his sniffer had picked up.

“He’s in there!” he yelled, “He must be trapped inside! I’m going in!”

Her mate gasped as he walked back and scraped his feet against the ground. He determinedly gazed at where he was aiming for and licked his lips to prepare himself.

“Stand back, dear,” he hissed to his mate, and she stood clear of his path.

Then, with one loud roar, he charged at the mountain at top speed and smashed his face against the rocks.

Rocks came crashing to the ground as the wall completely collapsed. The Sailback stepped backwards to avoid having his head being smacked by any falling rocks and waited until the sound of the rockslide ceased.

“Cover me,” he instructed his mate, “You never know with all those other cursed Sharpteeth!”

As he slowly began to make his way inside, his mate followed closely. The smell of their son’s scent became much stronger. They knew they were much closer to finding him. Soon, they would bring him back home safely and question why he had come back so-

“ROAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!”

The female tensed at her mate’s sudden cry and ran next to him.

“What is it!?” she asked.

He was looking down with his jaw wide open. His expression showed pure shock and horror. He was breathing so quickly that he was on the verge of fainting.

She looked down and let out a loud gasp of disbelief …

There was their son, lying on the ground, … but it just couldn’t be their son. It just couldn’t be …

He was lying on his side, completely still, partially submerged in a pool of blood. Dozens of stone teeth had penetrated through his body and left countless wounds. Blood from the wounds stained his whole body. The blood on the ground could only be … his own.

The smell of decay hung in the air, a smell that told them they were too late. Their son was dead. Their only child was gone, having been taken away from them by someone whom was so cowardly enough to kill him.

“Who could have possibly done this to our son!?” the mother roared, panting, while her mate let out a screeching roar of disbelief.

“I’m sure as going to find out just what kind of bastard took our son away from us!” screamed the father.

Before long, his sniffer picked up a different scent, one he could swear he had smelled once before.

“Wait a minute!” he growled, “I smell something else!”

“What is it?” his mate asked him.

“I could swear I smelled that scent once before,” he pondered, and he looked towards the partially-crumbled tunnel and spotted what looked like a few very tiny footprints.

“Flyer footprints,” the mother hissed, “Some Sharpbeak thought it’d be fun to draw our son into a death trap!”

“No!” her mate fired back, “Look at the size of those footprints! No adult Flyer makes footprints that small! This was a child! A child Flyer! Some stupid child stumbled his way in and killed our son!”

“But how could a child kill him!?” the mother argued.

“Look how the tunnel leads straight to here!” the father countered, “It leads straight down to these stone teeth! Don’t you see? Our son was chasing the Flyer, and the child thought it could cleverly lure him into this pit! It was a death trap!”

“So, you mean to say that some damn Flyer child led our son into a trap and got away scot-free!?” gasped the mother.

“It sure seems that way to me! The evidence is right here!” retorted the father.

The mother took a glance at the footprints herself, and she saw them leading through the tunnel that led to nothing but darkness. Somehow, though, she sniffed at the Flyer scent and managed to come up with some strange conclusion …

“Something tells me that the Flyer is nowhere near here,” she growled, “The scent seems to lead through the mountain.”

“Maybe it stumbled back through the mountain and flew out the other side,” snarled the father.

“I’m going to try and pick up that scent from the other side and figure out where it leads to,” roared the mother, and she stepped her way back outside and climbed up some steep, rocky hills, frantically trying to pick up that cursed child’s scent again. She stumbled a few times as the rocks slid down and rock piles collapsed, but she refused to let that take her down. She would find that scent. She would track down that Flyer whom had killed her son. She wanted to know just where it ended up.

Eventually, she found herself at the other side of the mountain and saw a cloud of mist ahead. She sniffed the air again, and the Flyer scent returned. It came from way up high, as she had anticipated, given the nature of Flyers, and it seemed to leave a trail that stretched to the north of their location.

“Have you picked up the scent?” her mate growled behind her rather suddenly, and she nearly jolted from the momentary shock.

“Well, no thanks for that interruption!” she roared sarcastically, “Yes, I picked up the scent! It’s coming from the north. The Flyer clearly managed to fly its way out of Black Rock and escape north.”

“Hmm,” the male pondered, “I’m telling you, I could swear I once encountered a child Flyer that apparently came from the north of here. I once tried to make a meal of a Glider, but that little Flyer flew in and saved it before I could take a bite. Oh, if I had only known this could be the same Flyer whom has just murdered our son!”

“Flyers just never leave us alone!” hissed the female, glaring at the sky with contempt etched on her face.

“He seemed to look a lot like another Flyer I once ate so far away from here,” the male recalled, “Only it was an adult. I swear, when I glimpsed at that child, I sensed some … strange … familial resemblance.”

“Well, if that child was daring enough to kill our son, then we’ll show him just how painful it really is to lose someone in the family,” the female roared, clenching her teeth.

“I’m going to find that Flyer, and I’m going to give him what he deserves!” the male growled determinedly.

“I’ll go with you,” his mate replied, “I won’t let you go through this alone! He was your son just as much as he was mine! There’s no point in staying here when we’ve got no children to look after!”

The male Sailback contemplated for a moment. Would it really be right to drag her along into this mess? If that Flyer was anywhere, where could they possibly start? Would she be able to keep up if their search could last for days?

On the other side, he knew she was just as devastated as he was for the loss of the only child they ever had. If there was no hope of continuing the family bloodline, then they, together, could show that they would not go down without a fight if that killer had any allies whom would try to protect it by any means. They could bring that Flyer down once and for all, and show that sickening Red Claw that they would not surrender their territory so easily.

“Alright, … but don’t you be thinking that I’ll be tolerating you not keeping up with me,” he hissed with a warning glare.

“Oh, I’ll be keeping up with you, alright!” she retorted, “I want revenge just as much as you do! We’re in this together! We will avenge our son!”

“Fine!” he roared, “Only the Bright Circle knows where that damn Flyer is! We’ll keep following the scent until we find out just where it leads! We could be searching for days, but we won’t stop until we find that little brat!”

Hissing viciously, the two Sailback Sharpteeth began their slow journey north, as the Flyer scent led them straight into a maze of misty trenches. They would not rest until they found that stupid Flyer whom had taken a precious part of their family away from them.

Just because scary sleep stories seem real, doesn't mean they will come true ...

... or will they?

Yes, go ahead and call me evil for this! No one is blind to emotions, and I'm afraid in this case the same applies to Sharpteeth.

So, to those of you who experienced the old version and don't recognize this, this chapter was never on the old version. This is entirely new material made for this version. I wanted to apply some sort of post-trauma for what had happened in the previous chapter; Petrie for his unexpected trip to Black Rock, and Ducky for having to endure being separated from Petrie and continuously worry about him, wondering if he was dead or alive. There are, of course, plenty of references to my previous stories, which I guess can help establish what the two have already been through right up to this moment, from Petrie's siblings' history of bullying him, to Ducky still missing her once close friend. Again, if any of you haven't read those other stories, then I greatly suggest reading those first in order to gain a better understanding of my continuity.

On top of it all, though, Petrie is dreading the possibility that his nightmares may come true. I'm afraid to say that he may be right, even if he has no idea that those night terrors have just come a little closer to becoming so real. By luring that Sailback into that trap in Black Rock, Petrie has unknowingly marked himself for death. The Sailback's parents are out for revenge, and this could lead to a major confrontation later in the story... No spoilers!

Well, I'm gonna have to come up with quite an effective strategy with the next chapter. There's still quite some ways to go with only about a month left, and I want to beat that deadline! Have a good day, and until the next chapter, peace.