CHAPTER 10
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 in 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 up the hundreds of herbivorous residents of the valley; it was to be the sound of sky water pelting on the grounds, along with occasional strikes of sky fire and accompanying rumbles of thunder.
Petrie woke up with a startle when a sky fire strike 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. They were sure that they were about to lose another home to a thunderstorm.
Mama Flyer quickly stepped out of the nest and shushed all of her hatchlings.
"Now, now, kids," she soothed them, "Everything will be alright. I'm going to go make sure there's no damage outside."
With that, the Flyer mother turned and slowly stepped outside just as more sky fire struck near the cave. It took everything for her not to jolt in 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 romantic 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 from having wet feet when the valley was flooded. However, he knew that Ducky loved playing in sky water, but it did little to help him since his siblings would possibly find out about their relationship if she, by random chance, came over.
"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 stepped out of the nest and kicked a tiny rock with his foot, "Especially after it wreck our old home!"
"I know, Petrie," said Mama Flyer gently, "That's why I picked this cave, because this mountain 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 few hours."
"Me hope so," 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 been essentially 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 one of his brothers.
Petrie refused to reply. He typically didn't like talking with his brothers and sisters since they made fun of him nearly every minute they were together, especially while they were practicing for the Great Day of the Flyers.
"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 felt a rage of anger building up in his system. He could never stand how much his siblings teased him time and time again.
"Petrie is bored because the sky water is pouring!" his siblings all sang, "He tried to fly but bumped his head and couldn't get up in the morning!"
"Oh, shut up!" he shouted.
"Ooh," said all his siblings together as if they were surprised.
"Not very friendly," said another 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 another sister.
"Because me friends no pick on me like you do!" answered an annoyed Petrie.
"I don't think that's true," giggled a third brother, "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 a sister.
"Oh, yes!" answered another sister, who was then joined by two other sisters, "Dear old Ducky!"
Petrie felt a lump in his throat upon hearing that. He began gritting his teeth in hatred as his anger towards his siblings instantly reached a much higher level. Hearing them mentioning his girlfriend in such a way triggered a new rage within him.
"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 first brother, earning laughs from all the children, except for Petrie.
"The sky is crying, and so is Petrie!" sang five siblings teasingly, "Can't play with Ducky without a shady tree!"
"Take that back!" yelled Petrie, sensing with fear that his siblings' teasing would lead them to finding out about his secret relationship with Ducky.
"Or what? You're gonna go cry to your dear old Ducky as if she was your girlfriend?" teased the first sister.
Petrie's beak quivered as tears began to build up in his eyes. He could not take another second of hearing bad things being said about him or Ducky.
"Eew!" mocked three siblings, "A Flyer in love with a Swimmer!?"
"That is disgusting!" said the second brother.
"At least that's what I think sometimes," added the third sister, "Have you ever had suspicions 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 four sisters.
That was the last straw …
With those last few insults being thrown at him and his girlfriend, Petrie 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 fist and slowly charged up his arm. He eyed numerous siblings as he got closer to giving them what they deserved. They would not hurt his feelings or tease his girlfriend anymore …
His siblings gulped and slowly backed away as they realized what their brother was going to do.
"Um, …w-we're sorry, Petrie," stuttered one of his sisters.
"Me believe you after me give you this!" screamed Petrie as he prepared to throw a punch at one of his many siblings.
"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 something dragged him away from his siblings. The little Flyer jolted in shock and looked back to see what had dragged him away, only to see that it was his mother whom had intervened.
"What do you think you're doing, Petrie!?" Mama Flyer scolded him, "What would possibly give you the nerve to beat up your brothers and sisters!?"
"They all make fun of me and 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 her other children suspiciously. She had a hunch that they might have spied on their brother while he had been exchanging kisses with Ducky over the last two days. The kids all gulped nervously. They were sure they were in for a severe scolding from their mother.
"What exactly … did I just hear?" Mama Flyer demanded, secretly wanting to make sure that her children had no knowledge of Petrie's relationship with Ducky.
"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 written all over his face.
"Tattletale!" complained some of the kids.
"Me no tattletale!" Petrie retorted.
"Isn't there a rule about complaining about everything to Mama?" asked a sister.
"That no mean this, you …, Petrie began but was suddenly cut off.
"Silence!" shouted Mama Flyer, and all her hatchlings, including Petrie, fell silent immediately and looked up at her.
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, but she still felt furious for the subject being brought up. There was only one thing she could say to her children …
"How could you make fun of Petrie that way!?" she shouted furiously at Petrie's siblings 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 interspecies relationships in the Great Valley! Petrie and Ducky are simply best friends, but they are not in love with each other! How dare you!? All of you! Teasing your brother in such a way like that!? I've never been this disappointed with my children until now! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!"
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. He could never stand it whenever anyone hurt his beloved Ducky.
"But Mama?" one of the girls began.
"We didn't mean it when we said that we think Petrie and Ducky are…," said one of the boys, but Mama Flyer instantly cut his sentence off.
"Not another word!" she roared loudly, scaring all her kids, even Petrie, "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. They all knew they were in big trouble now.
"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 really done it this time.
"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, … Petrie finally lost it …
"No! Forget it!" he 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," Mama Flyer attempted to soothe her son, but in vain.
"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, 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 one of his sisters before her brother cut her apology off, too …
"Me never forgive any of you! Me had enough! Me wish me had much nicer siblings!" 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, but she maintained her furious expression when she turned back to her other children.
"Well, children, I hope you're happy," she said sternly, "You have driven Petrie right over the edge, and now he may not forgive you until after the next Cold Time has passed."
The Flyer hatchlings sank their heads in shame. They knew they had gone too far this time.
"As punishment, you will all stay in the nest for a whole week," Mama Flyer finished firmly.
"But Mama!?" complained most of the children.
"No buts!" Mama Flyer retorted, "And if you EVER mention Petrie and Ducky in such light again, I will keep you in the nest until the end of the next Cold Time! Do I make myself clear!?"
"Yes, Mama," answered the children sadly.
"Good!" said Mama Flyer, "Now, into the nest! All of you!"
Without another word, the Flyer children slowly and shamefully crawled into their nest and sank their heads in despair.
Once all her children, bar one, had crawled into the nest to serve their week-long punishment, Mama Flyer turned towards the cave entrance and saw Petrie, his head 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 siblings.
"Ma-Mama?" he bawled as he revealed his drenched face.
Mama Flyer couldn't bear to see Petrie feeling so sad. The sight of his tears and the sound of his crying just about made her tear up, so she promptly lifted her poor boy 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 for them.
"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 talking about.
"Don't worry about that, my little Petrie," 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 because you didn't punch anybody, I won't punish you," said Mama Flyer kindly, "You've been through way too much in one morning already."
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 few hours, 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 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 as he reminded himself of the lesson his mother 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 leftover from his crying, 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.
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 romantic time together today was gone.
"Why the long face, Ducky?" asked Mama Swimmer as she noticed her daughter's sad expression, "You usually love the sky water."
"Usually, yes, … but not today," sighed Ducky.
Mama Swimmer was dumbstruck, "Why would you suddenly not like sky water?"
Ducky looked up to face her mother 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."
"Petrie's mother never allows him to play in sky water anymore," informed Ducky, "Not after he got sick when the flood happened."
"I remember when that happened," recalled Mama Swimmer, "I can still remember when Littlefoot showed us half of the Great Valley being underwater."
She paused and looked down at Ducky again.
"And you said Petrie got sick when that happened?" she asked her daughter for confirmation.
"Yes," confirmed Ducky, "Petrie's feet got too wet, and he got a cold for a whole week. He did, he did."
"The poor little Flyer," sighed Mama Swimmer sadly.
"And he cannot fly when his wings get too wet," added Ducky.
"That I know," replied Mama 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.
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 mountain cave.
"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 to spend a whole day without 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 feel so empty without you! 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 to enjoy 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 today's 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 that he had planned out, but he had nothing 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 eaten 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 was off like a Runner. The Swimmer jumped over floating pads on her way across the river, and she ran through the sky water as fast as her legs would allow her to run.
In less than ten minutes, she found herself looking at the long, rocky pathway that led from the valley floor all the way up to the Flyer family's cave. She could feel her heartbeat increasing with excitement as she anticipated getting to see her beloved Petrie. With virtually no hesitation, the Swimmer hatchling started her long walk up the mountain.
"I cannot wait to surprise Petrie again," she giggled to herself, "He is gonna love it when I come over! He is, he is!"
It took a while for Ducky to reach the end of the path, but she eventually spotted the ever-so-familiar ledge that was right in front of Petrie's home.
Slowly, the Swimmer walked up the last slope, 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.
After what felt like a long time, Mama Flyer stepped outside and spotted the Swimmer standing next to the entrance. She looked very surprised to see her at a time like this.
"Oh, … hi, Ducky," the Flyer whispered.
"Hi, Ms. Flyer," replied Ducky, "Is Petrie home?"
"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 she suddenly remembered that Petrie's siblings were home, too. She knew she had to avoid being spotted by them when in the presence of Petrie, or else they might find out about their relationship.
"Oh, … um, … can I …," she began before Mama Flyer spoke up.
"Our cave has a small space in the back. If you wanna stay for a while, I can move the other kids back there, and you can hang out with Petrie and I for a while," Mama Flyer offered.
"Really?" gasped Ducky in astonishment, "You would really do that?"
"Of course, I would, dear," grinned Mama Flyer, "After all, Petrie misses you very much today."
"I miss him very much, too," sighed Ducky, "I would be happy to stay for a while."
"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 Ducky could hear the Flyer telling her kids to move to the secluded spot in the back of the cave. Ducky knew that the so-called secluded spot was normally where Petrie would hide himself whenever he felt so depressed and his mother would often go back there to comfort him. Today, though, it was a whole different story.
A minute later, Mama Flyer came back outside, and she smiled down at Ducky.
"The kids are all in the back now. They won't be able to see you," said the Flyer, "You may come in now."
Ducky scooted over to the entrance and hid herself so that she could surprise Petrie again. She thought that making a surprise entrance would put a big smile on the little Flyer's face.
"Petrie, there's somebody here to see you," came Mama Flyer's voice.
"Who that be?" asked Petrie in a dull tone.
At that very moment, Ducky emerged from her hiding place and stepped right in front of the cave entrance. The moment Petrie saw her, his heart melted in extreme happiness, his eyes went wide with joy, and his mouth was agape with a big smile.
"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 it was quite obvious that Ducky was determined to make sure that would not be the case. Now, 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 walked over to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"I am so happy to see you, too, Petrie. Yep, yep, yep," said Ducky.
The Swimmer sat down and held her boyfriend in a cuddly embrace, while Mama Flyer sat next to them and smiled at the adorable couple.
"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 she 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.
"It's very nice of you to come by and keep Petrie company, Ducky," said Mama Flyer, "He really hasn't had a very good 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, keeping those words as quiet as he could so that his siblings could not hear them.
"I love you, too, Petrie," Ducky replied in a whisper.
With that, the two loving hatchlings 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 Flyer couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her son being smooched by his loving girlfriend. 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 son to have found the love of his life, even at such a young age. She hoped that their unconditional love for each other would last a long time.
Once the two finished their romantic smooch and began gasping for air, the older Flyer gently patted her son's back to get his attention, and she smiled at him proudly. Petrie returned the smile, accompanied by a smile from Ducky.
"I'm so proud of the both of you, children," Mama Flyer 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 Petrie'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 be mine forever, too."
Ducky blushed just as deeply as Petrie, and her bill quivered a little as tears leaked from her eyes.
From then on, the rest of the day would be nothing but hugs, kisses and tears of love between the two hatchlings as they cuddled and smooched each other for several hours straight. Mama Flyer would keep watching over them to make sure that none of her other children would sneak out of the secluded area and inadvertently catch the two lovers 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 lovingly in her hold as if she was protecting him.
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 Flyer children had fallen asleep in the back of the cave, and Ducky knew it would be time for her to return to the Swimmer family's nest before her mother and, to a lesser extent, Spike would begin to worry about her safety.
"Well, … I guess it is time for me to go, Petrie," sighed Ducky once she noticed how dark it had become, "My mama is going to worry about me unless I get home soon."
Petrie sighed sadly as he heard those words. He secretly wondered if Ducky would have interest in spending the night with him, but, alas, that would most likely never be an option; not even with his siblings being grounded for a week.
"Me hope to see you tomorrow, Ducky," said Petrie in a sad voice, "Me hope there no sky water tomorrow so we can be together outside and enjoying Great Valley."
"Me, too, Petrie," said Ducky as the two finally broke off their cuddly hug that had lasted for several hours straight, "Tomorrow we can go exploring the valley if our friends are unavailable."
"Me sure they might," assumed Petrie, "After all, Cera probably no wanna play anytime soon."
"What do you mean, Cera may not want to play?" asked Mama Flyer curiously.
Ducky and Petrie sighed in disappointment. They knew they would have to tell the truth about Cera to Petrie's mother.
"Cera get suspicious about us," said Petrie.
Mama Flyer 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 Flyer.
"He has not decided yet, … but he said he wanted to inform his grandparents 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 Flyer, "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 interspecies relationships.
"I better get going," said Ducky, and she 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.
"Bye, Ms. Flyer," Ducky said before she turned to Petrie one more time, "See you tomorrow, my funny Flyer."
"See you tomorrow, me sweet Swimmer," smiled Petrie cutely.
"Bye," Ducky said as she turned to the entrance and stepped out into the pouring sky water once more.
Petrie's smile slowly turned into a frown once Ducky disappeared, but a brief tickle from his mother immediately got the ends of his mouth to point upward again as she tickled his chest.
"Heheheheheeheeheeheehee! Mohohohommeeheeheeheehy! Staahahahahahahop!" the Flyer giggled adorably as the ticklish sensations drove him into an uncontrollable fit.
"I'm not quite ready to see your smile disappear yet, my sweet, little one," chuckled Mama Flyer playfully, setting her son on her lap and continuously tickling him.
"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 lied down in his mother's lap and looked up at her with 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 bed."
Petrie sighed sadly as he didn't feel like going to bed 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, knowing that her tickling had done the trick.
"Mama," sighed Petrie sarcastically.
"Time for bed, sweetheart," chuckled Mama Flyer.
"You win, Mama," Petrie sighed in defeat, and his mother stood up and walked back to their nest, carrying him in her arms.
"Just you wait, Petrie," Mama Flyer said as she lied down in the nest and handed Petrie his snuggling stick before tucking him into her wings, "Tomorrow will be a brand new day and hopefully have lots of light from the Bright Circle."
"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.
Meanwhile, Ducky had only just returned home, and her siblings had only just been tucked into the nest. Spike had also fallen asleep, leaving just Mama Swimmer to wait for her daughter to come home.
The older Swimmer smiled in relief once she saw Ducky appear, and the hatchling ran up to her mother and smiled.
"Hi, Mama," she whispered quietly so that she wouldn't wake up her siblings.
"Hi, Ducky," her mother replied, "How was your afternoon over at Petrie's home?"
"He was very bored when I first got there, but once he saw me, it was happiness all the way," explained Ducky with a smile.
"I'm so glad you were able to brighten his day," chuckled Mama Swimmer, "It really means a lot to him."
"I agree," said Ducky, "It's like I was the only one who could put a smile on his face with all the sky water pouring in the Great Valley."
"Hopefully, tomorrow will be a lot more fun," said Mama Swimmer.
"I hope so," agreed Ducky, "Let's hope there won't be sky water again tomorrow."
"We'll see. Now, I think it's time you got tucked in," said Mama Swimmer.
Ducky yawned just as her mother said those words, indicating how tired she really was after a long trip home from Petrie's.
"Okay, Mama," she said tiredly.
"I love you, dear," said Mama Swimmer soothingly, planting a quick kiss on her daughter's cheek.
"I love you, too, Mama," replied Ducky, returning the kiss on her mother's bill.
"Goodnight, Ducky."
"Goodnight, Mama."
With that, the little Swimmer tiptoed towards the nest and quietly crawled in with her siblings. With one more silent yawn, she lied down and closed her eyes before falling into a deep sleep.
The only thing she hoped for as she settled down to sleep was that tomorrow would have lovely weather again.
I'd say that Petrie did learn one lesson today: even on a wet day, there can still be something fun to do whenever you have company.
Coming up in chapter eleven, the Great Valley gets wonderful weather again, and it brings pure joy to the two loving hatchlings. Furthermore, the Gang of Seven resume their suspicions about their Swimmer and Flyer friends.
