Hello, everybody, and happy New Years! I'm back with another chapter. This one actually focuses a bit on Sierra's background, and can give a little insight as to why he is the way he is, which will be important in the future. Also, yes, I did use a Coldplay song for the title. Enjoy!

To Kyra, there was nothing more beautiful than a clear night. The water shimmered, and stars twirled across the sky. It was on nights like these that she really longed for her old home, for things to be as they once were. But she knew by now that what is, is what must be. A wise flyer taught her so. As she stared at the sky, she could have sworn that she saw a flyer. In her eyes, it looked like…Pterano.

Suddenly, she remembered. She remembered what that wise flyer said after a turbulent series of events which changed so many lives.

"In a sky full of stars..."

... The pale beige flyer slowly swooped down into the shimmering pond, followed by two smaller and light brown flyers. Around the beige flyer's bruised neck was a tiny flyer who was the spitting image of her.

"Come on darling," she coaxed, gently guiding the flyer away from her neck and to the palm of her hand. "That's my good girl." She lovingly nuzzled the tiny dinosaur with her snout before looking to the two other flyers, holding out her hand. "Take good care of your sister, children."

One of the flyers, a young girl, nodded her head as she allowed the tiny flyer to cling to her neck. She then looked to her brother. "Come on." The two flyers darted off into the shallow end, splashing around playfully in the water.

The large female flyer directed a radiant smile towards her children as she watched them play happily before shifting her gaze over to her reflection in the pond. Her smile vanished as she peered at the image of all the scars and bruises on her body. She sighed sadly, knowing that even if they did fade away eventually, there would always be more to take their place.

Moments later, another flyer swooped down. He was a faded cerulean blue with huge and brisk blue eyes. He was much larger in comparison to the beige flyer, who was delightfully surprised to see him.

"Quincy!" Her round and dark golden eyes gleamed with a childlike joy, despite her calm demeanor. She embraced him, allowing him to pick her up and briefly twirl her petite body in a circle.

"I thought I might find you here," said Quincy, smiling. "I'm glad you were able to get away."

As Quincy gazed at her, he caught sight of the bruises on her neck. She already had many scars and bruises, but these were fresh. Evidently, getting away had not proven to be an effortless experience.

"Haniel," he said, worried as he examined the bruised area. "Did he hit you again...?"

Haniel looked up at him, communicating her answer through her saddened hazel eyes.

Quincy frowned. He was angry, but not at her. His frustration mostly stemmed from how helpless he was, how he was unable to do anything to help her.

Gently, he pressed his snout against Haniel's. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could do something." He briefly pulled away, his eyes dampened and sorrowful. "But I promise you, one day you and your children will be free. I'll make sure of it."

Haniel's eyes were sad, but her smile was grateful. She embraced him once more, finding comfort in his loving arms.

Nearby, her son, Sierra, watched as the two flyers shared a moment of intimacy. He was with his friends, who seemed equally interested.

"Sierra," began Tress, "isn't that your mother?"

"Yeah," the light brown flyer replied flatly.

"And that's definitely not your father," Randy added with a giggle. "He is pretty handsome, though."

Tress glanced over at Sierra, raising a brow. "And you're okay with them being this...close?"

Sierra shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, Quincy's cool. He's part of the guard and he makes my mom happy. Not to mention he lets us kids stay at his place when my pa's being the deadbeat dad that he's always been."

Tress nodded, directing her gaze back to the pond.

Kyra spoke next. "Who can blame her, really? At least she knows that she deserves better. Poor woman."

"I wish the herd would do something," said Danielle. "I don't know how much more of this she can take."

Sierra slouched a little. "My ma's a strong woman." He paused, shifting his gaze over to Danielle. "But you're right. Things are startin' to get outta hand."

Suddenly, a screech sounded through the air. Rinkus and Alex swooped down and joined their friends in the tree, accompanied by Pterano.

"What are we all looking at?" Rinkus inquired curiously.

"Good day, Mrs. Haniel!" Pterano called out.

Sierra groaned, and covered his face with his hands.

Haniel and Quincy turned to see the younger flyers watching them from above. They exchanged amused glances and smiles, chuckling softly.

...

The next morning, Kyra was awoken by the unmistakable sound of an argument slowly becoming more heated.

"Samuel, please. It's too early for this."

"It wasn't too early when you went to go spend time with Quincy!"

"Oh." Haniel lowered her eyebrows. "So, now you suddenly care about being faithful?"

"We're married," spat Samuel. "If you can't remain loyal, then our entire relationship and our children mean nothing!"

"You just want to have control," argued Haniel, refusing to let him speak when he tried to counter argue. "No, no, listen to me. Our marriage meant something to me once. Then, you started abusing and threatening me and our children. It lost all meaning then. We may be married, but in my eyes, you were never a husband or a father."

Samuel, who was the spitting image of his oldest son, looked remarkably similar to Sierra when angry. "What am I to you then?"

"A deadbeat," she answered plainly. "You're just a flyer that I live with. Nothing else."

Samuel was stunned into silence. All this time, his wife seemed so soft spoken and weak, and usually took his beatings without a single protest.

Sierra and his siblings were awoken by the arguing, and huddled up against the wall as they watched their parents berate each other.

"...I can no longer sit here while my children suffer at your hands. Please, let go of your contempt before it destroys your life as you know it! Please!"

Samuel's yellow eyes were as hard and cruel as the dry seasons. "...You and our children have been nothing but trouble."

"Samuel!" Haniel stood protectively in front of her children, horrified by her husband's words.

"...And I think it's time that I taught you all a lesson."

"Samuel!" Haniel was desperate. She wished she'd never opened her mouth.

Samuel forcefully clamped his hand around her wrist, eyes blazing with anger. Haniel turned to her children, who hid behind their oldest brother, their huge eyes wide with fear. "Sierra," she quickly breathed out. "Take your brother and sisters and go. Just get out of here. Go. Now!"

Sierra grabbed his brother and sister's hand, and took off. He looked back, eyes filled with not only anger, but fear.

"Sierra!"

"Danielle!"

Danielle flew up to him, azure eyes wide with worry. "What's wrong?"

"I need to get Quincy," Sierra explained frantically. "Take the kids, will ya?"

"Of course." She allowed them to hold her hands.

"Don't go near my place," warned Sierra, aware that his father could possibly kill someone in his state. With that established, he took to the sky once more.

By now, more flyers were beginning to awaken due to the commotion. Kyra had been watching the situation unfold from the safety from her home but decided not to interfere. However, when Samuel began striking his wife with his talons, Kyra could hardly stand to see it.

"Randy!" She gave his shoulder a rough shake, anxious and worried.

Randy groggily opened one eye. "Hm...what?" The sound of crying snapped him out of his bleary state. He became stone faced. "Oh, jeez."

"Stop it!" Kyra yelled, as if it would make a difference. She turned to Randy. "Somebody's got to stop this!"

The two flyers then looked up to see Danielle flying towards them. She pulled herself and Sierra's siblings into a gentle landing.

Kyra felt a wave of relief when she saw that the children were safe from their father's wrath.

"Stay here," Danielle commanded gently. "You'll be safe here." She then turned to her friend. "Kyra, what's going on?"

"Sierra's mom and dad are fighting," explained Kyra.

"Well," objected Randy. "Not really. It's more so his dad's attacking his mom and she's not fighting back..."

Danielle's hands flew over her mouth. "Oh, no. This is bad."

"Kids?" Kyra and Randy's father, Leo, came to inspect the noise. He was followed by his wife, Leia. "Why are you all being so loud? What's the matter?"

Randy looked forward, and then at his mother and father. "Sierra's parents."

Leia walked over. "What about them?" When she caught a glimpse of the situation from across her home, she knew. "Oh. Oh, no."

"What?" Leo made his way over, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What's happening?" He also quickly realized the reason for their concerned faces.

Sierra flew as fast as he could, his wings shearing through the sky. He swooped into Quincy's home, nudging him in the side when he landed. "Hey Quincy, get up!"

Quincy's brow twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes. "What?" He looked up grouchily. He was surprised to see the brown flyer. "Sierra? What are you doing here?"

"It's my ma," he replied. "My dad's attacking her. You gotta help. Everyone else is too afraid to do anything."

"What?" This made Quincy alert almost instantly. Without a sign of hesitation, he flew off towards Sierra's home. Part of him hoped this was just some sick joke. But when he arrived, he found Haniel covered in deep red gashes, struggling to fight back. She was crying, burying her face in her blood-mottled hands.

Just as Samuel was about to strike Haniel again, Quincy acted upon pure reflex, adrenaline taking over when he saw that the flyer he cared about most was about to get hurt. He grabbed both of the male flyer's hands, holding them behind his back. Then, he practically threw his body against the cave wall. Quincy spoke in a low voice, refusing to release the other.

"I've had enough of you, do you hear me? I've just stood here and done nothing for a long time, but not anymore. I'm going to make sure Aaron hears about this."

"You talk good," replied Samuel, his voice muffled. "But that's all it is. Talk."

Quincy narrowed his eyes, forcefully slamming Samuel's body into the wall, effectively stunning him enough that he was too weak to fight. When Quincy saw Haniel, his anger vanished and was replaced by pain. He turned to Sierra, who had been standing behind him.

"Get a healer. Quickly!"

Sierra sped over to Kyra's place, where he made a rough and unsteady landing. "Mrs. Leia," he gasped, out of breath from all the flying, "my mom needs ya. She needs your help."

"Take me to her," said Leia, following Sierra as he took off another time.

When they arrived at the scene, Leia looked to Samuel, who was still being restrained by Quincy. "Samuel." Her voice was gentle, but highly condescending. "You shame yourself." She turned away from him, crouching down by his wife.

"Leia," rasped Haniel. "I—"

"Shh." Leia rubbed her shoulders. "Don't talk. Come on." She gently lifted the wounded flyer up, with Quincy rushing to provide assistance. None of them, except Sierra, turned to look at Samuel as they steadily flew away. Even then, it was nothing but a disdainful glare.

While Haniel was brought back to Leia's home to be treated, Quincy flew off to find the captain of the guard.

Jonathan, also known as the captain of the guard, was one of the largest flyers in the herd. He was a pale lavender, covered in numerous bite and claw marks from past battles. His stormy blue eyes were keen and understanding. As usual, Quincy found him drinking from the lake near the waterfall.

"Quincy," exclaimed Jonathan, pleasantly surprised. "You're a bit early for your shift." He peered into his friend's eyes. They told him that he was not here for a matter concerning his shift. "...What happened?"

"Samuel attacked his wife," explained Quincy. "You know, Haniel. Her injuries are more serious this time, though."

He looked down, peering at his reflection in the ripples of the water. "We need to do something. She's suffering. Her children are suffering. We need to tell Aaron."

Jonathan was well aware of the intimate relationship that Quincy and Haniel had, and he quite liked the woman. But he knew his leader. Aaron was not the type to interfere in family issues, and usually tended to turn the other cheek. And while Jonathan disapproved, there was nothing he could do to change the older flyer's mind. But how long could they turn a blind eye?

"I know," he said in agreement. "We need to bring this to his attention, but…you know him. He would deem this as something that he shouldn't get involved with."

Quincy was angry. Angry at himself for not being able to do anything, angry at Aaron's flawed ways of dealing with issues, and most of all, angry at Samuel for mistreating his wife and children in the first place.

"Well, we can't just pretend it's not happening. Not anymore."

"Quincy, you know our leader."

"Our leader?"

"Yes."

"A leader wouldn't just sit here and do nothing!"

Those words stung. While Quincy had been studying under his supervision, Jonathan had taught him exactly that.

"Alright. Let's go see what he says."

...

Meanwhile, Leia was doing everything in her power to help the ailing flyer.

"I've done all I can," she told her children. "She might recover...or she might be content to give up and just pass on."

Sierra's brother held on tight to his sisters, while Sierra sat idly with sullen eyes.

"She's been through a lot," Leia said softly. "Please don't hold it against her, children." She placed a comforting hand on Sierra's shoulder before flying away to wash off.

Sierra's sister looked up at her older brother. "Why does dad hate mom...?"

"No," intervened Haniel, covered in dried gashes. "Don't say that. Your dad doesn't hate any of us."

Her youngest son innocently tilted his head. "Then why does he hit you?"

"Your father has a lot of anger inside of him," she explained. "His mother and father were not good parents. Your father doesn't know how to deal with his problems, and he takes it out on others. We were just unlucky enough to be in his way."

Sierra folded his arms. "That don't make it okay, though."

"You're right," she agreed. "But you mustn't let your father's behavior affect what you become. Don't let hatred fill your heart."

Sierra couldn't make any promises. His siblings however, could. They promised their mother that they would never turn out like their father.

...

"It's not our place to interfere."

Jonathan was not surprised in the least by Aaron's answer. He was the spitting image of his son Pterano, with the exception of size and the numerous gashes which showed where he had once been most vulnerable.

"Sir," interjected Quincy, "with all due respect, would you please try to understand?"

Aaron raised a brow. "Understand what?"

"How long are you going to keep ignoring this? It's not going to go away."

"It's a family matter. Let them solve it by themselves."

"It's not just a family matter anymore." Quincy found himself practically yelling at his leader, and managed to lower his voice.

"Everyone heard them, but no one did anything. Today, he hurt Haniel. Tomorrow, it could be her children. Would you really stand by and watch children get hurt, knowing you could stop it?"

Jonathan was quite proud; he was good at arguing, but Quincy was even better.

Aaron began to defend his reasoning, but found himself unable to counteract Quincy's argument. He sighed inwardly.

"Very well. We'll gather all the herd members and decide what we should do."

A messenger delivered the news to all of the flyers, commanding them to assemble in one place, but giving them the choice to stay at home if they wished. Soon, most of the flyers in the herd, with the exception of Kyra's mother and several others, had gathered to the hearing.

"Leia, darling," Leo lovingly nuzzled his mate as he prepared to leave. "Will you be staying here?"

Leia nodded, her eyes wandering over to Haniel, who was resting in a corner. "Yes. Someone should."

Leo nodded his head in agreement. "I'll stay with you." He looked at Kyra and Randy. "Kids, will you be alright going on your own?"

"Sure, dad," responded Randy. "Come on, Kyra."

As they closed in on the designated location, they could see several other flyers who were also just barely arriving. Kyra, being the most efficient flyer in her family, flew ahead and made a graceful landing.

Pterano had been remaining near his father, but when he laid his dark eyes on Kyra, he managed to quietly sneak away. Kyra scanned her surroundings for Pterano, and soon wound up in her lover's arms. "Pterano!"

"Hello, dearest." He rubbed her back, holding her close. "We've hardly gotten a chance to talk."

Kyra smiled kindly as she pulled away, although his arms were still loosely wrapped around her fit frame. "Oh, I know.."

"Pterano!"

His father was calling him. He gave a sigh of exasperation, and smiled knowingly as he shook his head. "I'm afraid I must go."

Kyra chortled. "It's fine, don't worry. Go ahead."

Pterano gave her hand a gentle squeeze before returning to his father's side.

Amongst all the murmurs and chatter in the crowd, Jonathan stepped up to silence everyone.

"Attention!"

Silence fell, and every member of the herd that was present directed their attention to the strongly built flyer.

Jonathan looked forward, and nodded. Moments later, the crowd parted to make way for the accused.

As Samuel made his way through the crowd of dinosaurs, one could easily tell that he was least welcome. Danielle held Sierra's siblings close to her, while Sierra did the same with the periwinkle flyer.

"Farrah," said Jonathan, addressing his wife. "Take Alexandra and Rinkus home. They don't need to see this, and Rinkus' parents are probably worried about him."

"Okay," agreed Farrah, taking a moment to rub her husband's shoulder. "Good luck."

"Thank you, love." He briefly nuzzled her, and watched as the three flyers flew off towards home.

"Samuel." Aaron stepped forward, his hands folded behind his back. His voice was gruff and gravelly. "Do you promise to tell the truth and only the truth?"

"...I promise," Samuel said begrudgingly.

"Tell us about what happened this morning," commanded Aaron. "What caused the fight?"

"I found out about Haniel," explained Samuel, making eye contact with Quincy.

"I found out about her...and Quincy. We yelled at each other, and I found out she never saw me as a husband or a father. I-I just lost it. I know it's bad, but I couldn't control myself. I just got so angry."

"But even if you do have a reason, it's no excuse to hit your wife."

"He was gonna hit us too!" Sierra's little sister cried out, clutching the flap of Danielle's wing. "He said we're nothing but trouble!"

"It's not just mommy anymore," added her brother.

It was difficult to ignore what the children said. This was solid evidence of Samuel's misdeed, and children so young wouldn't lie. Aaron tilted his head slightly upwards.

"Samuel. You have a reputation as someone who is not the best husband or father, but I've been able to pardon it until now. You very nearly killed your wife, and came very close to hurting your children as well. You clearly have some issues you need to work out and are a danger to others in the herd. You are to be banished. Permanently."

Samuel's breathing steadily grew louder. "What? You can't banish me!" He raised his hand, but Jonathan took prompt action.

He grabbed Samuel's wrist, gritting his teeth. "You lost your right to stay here the moment you raised your hand against your wife. You ran out of pardons when you decided to do the same to your children."

He abruptly let go, allowing Samuel to topple to the ground. "They will not be suffering anymore, not if I have anything to say about it."

Samuel stood up, massaging his aching wrist. "You haven't even heard my side of the story yet!"

Then, his eyes met Quincy's. Samuel angrily approached him, fists clenched. He almost punched him, but underestimated the other flyer's strength.

Quincy pushed him over onto his stomach, restraining him by digging his talons into the other's hands until blood began to trickle through the open cuts in his skin.

"Don't you ever go near Haniel or her children again, do you understand me? If you touch them again, I'll make sure you don't live to tell your side of the story."

Jonathan waited for Aaron's word. After some time, he looked to his leader, who nodded.

"Quincy," he said. "That's quite enough."

"You are banished," Quincy continued, emerald eyes glowing with fury. "And that's that. I told you that I would make sure Aaron heard about this. I'm letting you go, but if I ever see you here again...I won't hold back." He released the flyer, and reassumed his position next to Jonathan.

"So it's settled then," announced Aaron. "Samuel, you will leave as soon as possible. You must be gone by tomorrow." He looked towards Jonathan, nodding his head.

Jonathan nodded his head in return, shifting his gaze towards the crowd. "Dismissed."

...

That night, Quincy took Haniel and her children to his home, while Sierra flew off to spend some time with Danielle. Haniel leaned against Quincy, barely coherent as her body slowly rose and fell.

Quincy gently prodded her beak with his, his eyes sad and knowing. He knew that the flyer he loved with all his heart was succumbing to her injuries, and that there was nothing he could do.

"You're tired, aren't you?"

Haniel raised her head, her tired half lidded eyes searching the cave before they looked up at Quincy. She gave a weak nod of her head.

Quincy smiled sadly. "It's alright, go to sleep." He turned to briefly glimpse at the small flyers playing and chatting amongst themselves.

"You needn't worry about your little ones. They'll be alright, I'll be here to look after them." He nuzzled her once more.

Haniel looked away, and her breath hitched. "I don't want this..."

Quincy clicked his tongue, his expression as gentle as the breeze that danced through the air.

"I know. I wanted to start a family with you, but...this is how it is, so this is how it must be."

Haniel's dark golden eyes locked with his, shining with a deep longing. Quincy knew what she was trying to say.

"Me too," he said softly. "...Goodnight, Haniel. Sleep well."

Haniel knew her family was in good and caring hands. She could finally be at peace, without having to worry about them being doomed to face Samuel's wrath without her protection. Her body went limp as she closed her weary eyes, finally leaving her body behind.

...

Sierra took Danielle's hand into his as they rested under the shade of a tree, the gentle breeze causing the long leaves to brush lightly against their skin under the cool nighttime air.

"Danielle," said Sierra, "can I ask you somethin'?"

"Of course."

Sierra squeezed her hand as a reassuring gesture, mostly for himself. "Well…uh, I think that we should leave our nests."

Danielle shook her head slightly. "You do?"

"Yeah. I know it's a lil' sudden, but my dad's gone. My mom...I don't think she's gonna make it."

"Sierra," Danielle scolded softly. "If you think like that, of course she won't. Have a little hope."

"You saw how bad she was hurt," he argued. "She ain't gonna hold out for long."

Danielle's eyes saddened. As much as she wished it weren't, it was the truth.

"Quincy's probably gonna take the kids, and I'm almost an adult. So are you. All we need to do is get permission from the boss."

Danielle snickered. "The boss?"

A small smile made it's way onto the brown flyer's face. "You know, Aaron. Pterano's old man."

Danielle looked down, stroking his hands with the flat of her thumbs. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sierra gave an affirmative nod.

"Alright," said Danielle, a genuine smile adorning her face as she threw her arms around Sierra. "I'd be happy to live with you."

...

"Uh, no."

Aaron's wife, Myra, glanced at her husband from the sidelines. She was a small but sightly light blue flyer, with a timid demeanor and slowly diminishing eyesight, which was evident in her wandering and glazed over eyes.

"Aaron..." her voice was scolding, and yet, she seemed to be begging him to reconsider. She supported the decision of the young flyers, but was in no way shocked by Aaron's answer.

"My decision is final," said Aaron. "Neither Danielle nor Sierra will be leaving their nests until the time comes."

"But Sierra has no parents," reasoned Myra. "His father has been banished, and his mother has passed on. And what of his younger siblings? Who will take care of them?"

"I will," offered Quincy, his slender neck slightly arched. "After all, they are Haniel's children. I loved the little lady and wanted to marry her. The least I can do is give her young ones a good upbringing."

Aaron seemed pleased with the other's answer. "Very well. Let it be so."

"But sir," interjected Quincy, "I do believe...that Sierra should be allowed to depart from the nest. It must be filled with terrible memories, and I think a fresh start with the one he loves would do him some good."

Aaron sighed, and looked to Myra, who pleaded with him, desperation in her eyes. Then, he faced Sierra and Danielle. "You do realize that if I do grant you permission, you must live on your own, correct?"

"Yes sir," mumbled Sierra.

Aaron sighed once more, pinching the bridge of his beak. "I'm going to regret this," he whispered to himself. "Very well," he finally said, in his unmissable tone of reluctant compliance. "But remember, Sierra and Danielle, you yourselves can stop this nonsense whenever you wish."

Myra wanted to reprimand her husband right then. Instead, she placed a firm hand on his shoulder, and motioned to the pair of flyers with her head. Aaron met her gaze, his eyes softening as they landed on hers. As impassive as the larger flyer was, he held little resistance against his wife's pleading eyes.

"Regardless," he said, looking Sierra and Danielle in the eyes. "I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors." There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "You have my leave to go."

After the meeting, Pterano turned to Kyra, who had come to offer emotional support. They had both been extremely busy with their own matters, and wanted time alone with each other.

As she listened to Pterano speak in his eloquent and charming manner, Kyra caught a glimpse of Quincy flying solemnly away. She watched him get farther and farther away, her green eyes glowing with concern.

"Let him go," suggested Pterano, rubbing Kyra's shoulder. "He needs time by himself."

Kyra looked at him, giving a good natured smile as he slung an arm around her shoulder and led her away.

...

The night circle was high in the dark nighttime sky, adorned with dark shades of black and blue. It was a clear night, and every star was visible. Kyra flew up to Quincy's home, speeding past Haniel's oldest son and daughter playing on a small and sturdy ledge. She found Quincy looking up at the sky, a little beige flyer nestled in his arms.

"Quincy?" Kyra took a seat next to him. "...How are you doing?"

"My heart is now part of the great circle of life," he said after a moment of silence, dipping his head. "For my love finally stopped flying and joined the others in the sky."

Kyra looked at him strangely. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Haniel had my heart," said Quincy. "She has joined the circle of life, and so my heart has joined it as well."

"Oh," replied Kyra, still not quite understanding what he was trying to communicate. "Well, are you okay?"

Quincy chuckled, almost cynically. "No. Not really." He looked back up at the starry sky. "But...I think I will be. I know she's always with me, because in a sky full of stars, I saw her."

Kyra peered at the sky, looking to see anything that looked remotely like Haniel, or like a flyer. "I don't see anything."

"You are young," said Quincy. "One day, when you're older and you've loved and lost, you will."

...

Kyra never understood what he meant. But now, as she stared at the group of stars that to her, looked like a flyer, like Pterano, she did. She truly loved him, and saw him everywhere. And so long as she could keep him in her memory, he would always be with her.

As the realization dawned on her, her eyes widened and she took off towards Tress' home.

"Pterano." She pulled on the flap of skin on his back with her talons. "Pterano, wake up."

"No," groaned Pterano, swatting at her. "Please, let me sleep."

"I need to show you something," insisted Kyra. "Please?"

Pterano groaned once more, and rolled onto his back. "Alright, Alright. I'm up." He let out a yawn, and followed Kyra outside. They landed on a tree branch near the watering hole.

"Look," said Kyra, pointing towards the sky. "Don't you see the flyer?"

Pterano squinted, his hand above his eyes. "I suppose," he said. "I can see the wings...but why did you need to wake me up so early...?"

"Because," said Kyra, smiling. "In a sky full of stars, I saw you."

Any annoyance that Pterano felt suddenly vanished, replaced by joy. His eyes twinkled, and his smile shined brighter than the star spangled sky.