Hey, guys. I actually found time to update today. This chapter I really enjoyed writing, despite how intense and serious it is. It focuses on more of Pterano's past, tying everything up sort of. I hope you guys enjoy!

Pterano flew up to his sister's nest, examining the clouds that stretched across the sky. He had opted to take the long way home to avoid any possible confrontation. He was really trying his hardest to redeem himself, but it was no use. Nothing would ever be the same again. He sat on the ledge, folding his wings around his frame as if he were hugging himself.

"Pterano?" Tress' unmissable voice sounded from behind him.

"Tress, please," he pleaded. "Leave me be."

Tress didn't try to press matters further, fully aware that her brother still had a plethora of issues he needed to recognize and fix. "Alright," she said. "Would you like to be alone?"

"That would be most appreciated."

Without another word, Tress took off. She hoped that Pterano didn't want to be alone all night, for her children needed a place to sleep.

Pterano's dark eyes roamed all over the valley, the numerous dinosaurs bringing back memories of the single most grave mistake of his life. He'd managed to push that horrid memory to the back of his mind, but it was beginning to resurface, bringing back other memories Pterano didn't want to remember.

... "Alma? Hey, wake up. What's wrong with you? Are you okay? No…this can't be happening…please wake up, Alma, just open your eyes. Please!"

Pterano recognized the voice, somewhat. In his groggy state, he initially thought it was Charlie. As he woke up, he came to realize that it was the voice of Charlie's brother, Jan.

Jan's screaming soon woke everyone else up, but he could hardly find it in him to care. Throughout this whole mess, the only thing that kept him going was the fact that he and Alma possibly had a future. Now, he couldn't stop crying. It was a pitiful sight.

Seeing Jan in such emotional anguish opened Pterano's eyes to how lucky he was. So many families had lost so much, but he still had his family and Kyra. He wandered around the small space, searching for her. When he couldn't find her, he assumed that she had gone outside, so he woke her father.

"Mr. Leo, sir?"

"Hm?" Leo opened his eyes, still half asleep. "Oh, Pterano...yes?"

"Have you seen Kyra? If she went outside..."

"She was sleeping right next to me..." Leo's eyes drifted downwards to find that the space that had once been occupied by his daughter, was now empty. His eyes widened in shock and fear. "She was right here!"

"So, she hasn't gone outside?"

Leo shook his head. "She would have told me."

Now, Pterano was worried. He placed a hand on his chin, frantically wondering where his love could have gone. Amidst his panic, he gave a slight bow. "Thank you. I'm sorry for bothering you." After that, he began pacing around the room.

Tress noticed her brother's plight, but she was still grieving from the loss of Randy. She wouldn't be able to comfort Pterano. If anything, she'd make things worse, so she said nothing.

Pterano spent the whole day searching. He soared across the skies, screaming Kyra's name. His efforts were in vain. No matter how loud he was, he received no answer. When he landed back home, he was met by his mother, who searched his eyes for answers. Even as her life slowly ebbed away, she still found time to be worried about her children.

"Pterano. Come here, dear."

He shook his head sadly, crying into his mother's chest. She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back.

"It's alright," she cooed. "Just let it all out."

Pterano sobbed. "Why would she leave...? I loved her, I..."

"I know, darling." His mother wiped away his tears. "It's terrible and unfair. But you must understand that Kyra is gone. And even if she is no longer here, you must stay strong. We need to stay together, especially in a time like this. Please try to understand."

Pterano's mother was always so gentle and wise. He clearly took after her when it came to his behavior and emotions, but physically resembled his father.

"Mother?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you think that she may be out there somewhere? Or do you think that she's..."

"I don't know. It's entirely possible that she may still be alive, but the chance that she's not has the same likelihood."

Pterano nodded, knowing that she was right. His mother was always right.

...

"I'm going to kill him."

"I-I don't think that would be very smart, Sierra."

Sierra turned to face Rinkus, his eyes angry. "Why not, huh? He killed everything I ever loved! My mom died 'cause he didn't say somethin' when he should have. Danielle's dead 'cause..."

"Because she got eaten by a sharptooth," Rinkus finished for him. "Alex is gone because of that too. That's not Aaron's fault. We can't control the minds of sharpteeth."

"I don't care," spat Sierra. "I'm still blamin' him. We should've moved when that Kiara girl died, but no, that stuck up prick can't swallow his pride!"

"C-C-Calm down, Sierra." Rinkus motioned with his hands, worried what would become of his friend if he was caught talking ill about their leader.

"Don't tell me to calm down," snapped Sierra. "I am calm!"

Rinkus winced; Sierra's hollering was starting to give him a headache. He clenched his fists and stood on his toes. "Then stop yelling!"

"What are you two talking about?"

Sierra and Rinkus jumped, nearly flying upwards and hitting their heads. For a split second, Rinkus feared that Aaron had heard Sierra dissing him. When he turned around, he'd never felt more relieved.

"Oh, Pterano!" Rinkus chuckled, a hand on his chest. "Oh, good. I thought you were someone else."

"Someone else...?"

"We thought you were Aaron," growled Sierra. "It wouldn't matter if it was him, I'd still pound that egotistical jerk."

"Sierra!" Rinkus's voice was barely above a whisper, but he was clearly scolding the brown flyer.

Pterano resented his father at times, but even he seemed offended. "I say, how dare you?"

Sierra was hardly intimidated. "Because of him, Danielle is gone, and so is Alex. Rinkus can act like this don't bother him none, but I can't."

"My father couldn't have foreseen that sharptooth attack, Sierra."

"I don't care. He's the leader, ain't he?"

"Well, yes..."

"Then he's responsible. He's gotta step up and admit that this is his fault."

"Sierra, I know this is bad, but—"

"He has a point," interjected Rinkus. "Your father is the leader, so he should be taking responsibility instead of avoiding the problem, yes?"

"Both of you need to—"

"Wait." Rinkus extended his hand, motioning for him to be quiet. He peered outside, and saw Aaron flying towards the swamplands below. "Hey, where's your father going?"

"What?" Pterano pushed past them and saw that his father was indeed going somewhere. Alone.

"Come on," said Sierra, spreading out his wings and preparing for take off. "Let's check it out."

"Hold on." Rinkus grabbed hold of Sierra's arm. "We can't just fly in there all willy-nilly." He searched the landscape, his eyes widening when his eye caught sight of a large tree near the swamp, with plenty of leaves to hide them. "There. We can hide there."

Sierra was about to take off again, but Rinkus pushed him back onto the floor. "Not yet, buzzard brain." He took a moment to perform a quick check of the skies. "All clear. Now we can go."

Sierra huffed, and took to the sky. Rinkus followed him, and noticed Pterano still waiting. "Pterano? Aren't you coming with us?"

"Hm?" Pterano looked up, and averted his gaze. He'd been thinking about Kyra. "Oh. Um, yes. I'm coming." He flapped his wings, allowing them to lift him into the air.

The three flyers soared through the dark sky, the twinkling stars guiding their way. They swooped down towards the tree, the leaves creating a soft rustle as they landed on a branch.

Sierra unknowingly had his wing in Rinkus' face. "What's goin' on?"

"I can't see," the pink flyer hissed, elbowing Sierra. Once his view was no longer obstructed, he let his eyes do the rest of his work.

"Well?" Pterano's eyes were wide with anticipation. "What do you see?"

"It's...Jan! He just flew down." Rinkus stole a brief glimpse of Pterano. "He's talking to your father."

...

Aaron scanned the dark and scrawny trees that surrounded him and the grayish blue flyer. It was a bit unsettling, but it hardly bothered him.

"So, Jan," he said, addressing the other. "What was it you wanted to speak to me about?"

Jan twiddled with his thumbs, his pale blue eyes nervous and uncertain.

"Jan. I don't have all night."

"I'm sorry, sir. It's just that today...I lost my wife."

"I heard. I give you my condolences."

"Keep them," Jan murmured in a low voice before returning to his original volume and tone.

"Sir, we have been losing more members of the herd. So many are injured and dying...our way of life, I think, is dying."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I-I think that we should...uh, what I'm trying to say is…"

"Out with it, Jan!"

Poor Jan was so frightened, that his hands flew to his face. "O-Okay! I think that we should move!"

"What?" Aaron's tone was dark.

"Please, sir..." Jan was bawling his eyes out. "T-There has to be some place better than this."

"There is no place better than this! This herd was started here, and it will end here!"

Tears streamed down Jan's face at an uncontrollable rate. His eyes were like the river on a bright day, but they were not beautiful. They held nothing but pure fear.

"Then," he sobbed through ragged gasps of panic, "Then you've killed us all!"

That was it. That was the catalyst. In that moment, Aaron lost whatever calm he had, unleashing a viscous storm. He raised his hand and struck Jan, every ounce of anger carried in that single blow.

Jan let out a pained grunt as his body fell into the water, sprawled out in a way that was anything but natural. Even the loud splash was not able to drown out the sound of the bones in his neck being shattered to pieces. He was not bleeding, but he lost consciousness the moment his body made contact with the earth. He would never wake up.

It wasn't until every little noise ceased that Aaron realized what he'd done. Even the small nighttime creatures stopped chirping, almost as if they were watching. His dark eyes were wider than they'd ever been. Quickly, it began to sink in that he had just murdered a member of his own herd. He'd taken someone else's life.

But perhaps, he thought, there was a chance. His eyes never left Jan's limp body, even as water soaked his legs. He knelt down, a genuine look of fear on his usually stoic face. Hoping against hope, he held out his hand above Jan's agape beak, checking for any breathing.

There was nothing, not even a feeble, little gasp. He'd died on the spot.

The trio watched the entire scene unfold, and by a stroke of luck, Aaron never saw them hiding in the tree. They were all shocked; even Sierra was wide eyed.

Rinkus was the first to speak. "Poor Jan…" He'd never even known the flyer that well, but he didn't deserve that. No creature deserved such a fate.

Pterano couldn't find his words. He just witnessed his father kill someone, someone he knew. What would his mother say? Her poor heart wouldn't be able to take it. Before he could delve too deep into his thoughts, a voice brought him back to reality.

"Sir." It was one of the guards. He'd come to deliver a message, and wasn't expecting to see Jan's corpse lying in the water. "Uh..."

"I'll explain later," said Aaron. "What is it? Do you have a message for me?"

The flyer cleared his throat. "Um, yes. It's about your wife. She told me to get you."

"Why? Is something the matter?"

"...She's dying, sir. She doesn't think she'll last much longer, and she wants you to be with her when she passes."

Aaron pushed the matter concerning Jan to the back of his mind, his wife being his first priority at the moment. "Take me to her. And...inform Charlie of his brother."

"Of course, sir."

The two flyers took off, leaving Pterano and his friends.

Pterano couldn't forget the messenger's words. They ricocheted off of his mind, over and over again.

"Mother...dying?"

In that moment, Pterano didn't seem to be in control of his own body. He was drawn towards home, where his mother was. When he, Rinkus, and Sierra arrived, Pterano's father been awaiting his son's arrival.

"There you are, Pterano. Come."

Pterano couldn't look his father in the eye. How could he kill someone and then act as if nothing happened? Rather than obeying his father, Pterano stood in a corner next to his sister. As he watched his father pull his mother into a tender embrace, he saw it. The sorrow in his eyes. Whether it was because of his guilt or because of his wife dying, Pterano didn't know, and he couldn't find it in him to feel the least bit sorry.

Aaron rarely showed any emotion at all, unless it was around his family. And even then, it was rare. But now, a flood of emotions spilled out. He held Myra close to him, cradling her fragile body in his calloused arms.

Myra could tell something was bothering him, even in her weakened state. "Aaron. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Aaron looked into her eyes, and the two shared a moment of silent communication.

"...No. Except that I love you, and I'm proud to call you my wife and the mother of my children."

Myra chuckled, her glazed eyes drifting off towards the night sky. "You're always so serious. I wish I could see you smile, but...I can hardly see anymore."

Aaron forced a smile, for her sake. It was the least he could do. "I'm smiling now. You can't see it, but I am."

"I believe it," rasped Myra, who could feel him smiling. "Can...Can I see Tress and Pterano?"

Aaron looked up, silently motioning for his children to come over. They gripped both of her hands, Pterano holding one and Tress holding the other.

"Oh, children. You've both been through a lot." She held onto their hands, her grip increasingly feeble. "I'm sorry that you had to experience this terrible feeling...and I'm sorry that your father has to experience it as well. But don't fret. I know it seems hopeless, but you will both be fine. I know you will. I love you." She and Aaron briefly touched beaks. "All of you."

"We love you too, mother," said Pterano, a bittersweet smile on his face. "Thank you for all you've done."

Myra beamed, a glimmer of joy in her sunken eyes. "Tress?"

"Yes, mom?"

"Take care of your children...raise them how Randy would have wanted you to."

Tress nodded, tearfully smiling. "I will. I wish you could be here to see them..."

"Me too..."

Her voice trailed off, her eyes clamping shut as she suddenly stopped breathing in Aaron's lap. It wasn't exactly sudden; they all knew it was coming, but it still hit hard. A horrible noise escaped her, and as horrifying and painful as it sounded, it was over in a matter of seconds. Her body went still, and she looked peaceful. Like she was asleep.

Pterano blinked away the tears, tightly squeezing his mother's cold and dead hand. Tress, who'd lost her mate, friends, and mother, began to wail. Aaron remained silent, but Pterano saw him shed a single teardrop. He knew more tears were threatening to fall, and left the scene so he could grieve in peace.

Pterano watched him leave, and had a slight change of heart. He did feel sorry for his father. He'd never understand why he did what he did, nor would he ever hold him in the same respect as he once did, but he hoped that the older flyer would be alright.

Aaron never was alright. Nobody was, especially after the events of that night. Charlie had lost his entire family, save for his children. Aaron had lost his lifelong mate and the trust of his herd, Pterano and Tress their mother. But Pterano lost something else that night…his respect for his father.

Families grieved, crying at the loss of their loved ones. More of them began to speak of leaving the herd. At one point, Quincy had enough. He hadn't lost anyone to the strange plague that overtook their land, but he'd lost someone important to him before due to Aaron's negligence. He approached him one night, with an intention to be brutally honest.

"Aaron." He didn't address him with any honorifics. He wasn't going to attempt to be respectful.

"Quincy. Good to see you."

Quincy was in no mood for pleasantries. "This has gone on long enough, Aaron."

Aaron knew what he was speaking of, but didn't wish to acknowledge it.

"I'm sure you know why I'm here."

"…The answer is no."

Quincy could hardly believe it. Just how big was this flyer's ego?

"Your herd is turning against you. You know they are."

This angered Aaron, who impulsively clamped his hand around Quincy's wrist in a fit of anger. "Do you know to whom you speak?"

Quincy snatched his hand away, and narrowed his eyes. "I know to whom I speak, Aaron." He sighed. "You bring this upon yourself."

Aaron's eyes were filled with nothing but contempt for the flyer before him, the flyer who had once been one of his most loyal guards.

"I don't care what you say. I'm leaving, with my children. Jonathan and Farrah are too, as well as Charlie and several others. There's nothing left for us here."

"Go on then. See if I care."

"Alright. We're leaving right this moment."

"Very well. Goodbye."

The small group took off, with Jonathan staying behind to say his goodbyes.

"...I'm sorry it's come to this." He looked at the flyer who had once been his superior one last time, and then helped Farrah onto his back. He flew away moments after, leaving his first and only home behind.

Aaron didn't answer until they were gone. "...So am I."

Pterano had watched the entire thing from the sidelines, mortified at his father's selfishness and refusal to take the wellbeing of the herd into consideration. Unseen to his father, his face contorted into a frown as he shook his head. Whatever fate befell the old flyer, he deserved it.

As time dragged on, more flyers abandoned the herd. Leo, Danielle's parents, and soon…Rinkus and Sierra. However, Sierra refused to leave until he gave Aaron a piece of his mind.

"Hey, Aaron!"

Aaron, now used to no longer being addressed as 'sir', turned around.

"I hope you're happy now! This is all your fault, and you're gonna pay!"

Rinkus, who just wanted to leave, held Sierra by the shoulders. "S-S-Sierra, that's enough."

"No, it ain't!" He pointed a shaky finger at Aaron. "He was the one who killed Jan! Jan was just askin' to move and he broke his neck!"

Aaron didn't bother to hide his guilt, or pretend he was innocent. He had nothing more to lose.

"That's right, I saw it! And so did Rinkus and Pterano." Sierra pointed towards the mentioned flyers.

The families, at least those that were left, all expressed their fear. Some held their mates close to them and scooped up their children, while some left right then and there.

Pterano just hung his head in disappointment, while Tress looked at her father for confirmation, fear in her eyes. When she found out it was true, she sunk to her knees and cried.

Satisfied that the truth was now in the open, Sierra finally flew away with Rinkus.

... Pterano suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, returning to the real world. Not much time had passed; the bright circle was barely beginning to set. Still, it was surprising how clearly he remembered everything. It was like he'd relived it. But those memories were nothing compared to what happened next. Pterano didn't even want to think about it.

Then, Kyra swooped down and took a seat next to him.

"What are you doing up here?"

"Oh...I just wanted to be alone."

"Pterano," she sighed. "I know you've been through a lot. And I've heard you've done some terrible things. But I want to hear it from you. We both know what happened before, and..lit would make me feel more confident telling you what happened to me after I left, if you tell me what happened to you."

So much for not wanting to think about it.

"Alright," said Pterano. "Very well. Do you remember Jan? Charlie's brother?"

Kyra nodded. "Yes, I used to have a crush on him when I was younger."

Pterano glared at her in such a way it made her laugh.

"Pterano!" She cackled, slinging an arm around him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I didn't love him, I just thought he was handsome. Please, continue."

Pterano wrapped an arm around her, returning to his story. "Well...my father killed him."

"What?" Kyra was taken by surprise, not expecting to hear that. She lifted her head, still keeping her arm around him. "What happened?"

"Jan lost Alma. He woke up one morning to find she was dead. No one knows what happened."

"Oh, no..." Kyra's eyes welled up with tears. She hardly knew Alma, but it was still rather depressing to think that an innocent creature was dead for no reason.

Pterano sadly nodded his head. "Yes. And Jan, in his grief, asked my father if the herd could move away. But of course, my father was sure he had all the answers and couldn't handle having his authority questioned. Poor Jan was so frightened, and had an outburst. That was when my father struck him. He passed out right then, but he never did wake up."

Kyra brought a hand to her mouth, shaking her head. "That's terrible...Jan didn't deserve that."

"Nothing deserved that," added Pterano. "Anyway, more members of the herd began to leave. Quincy and his children, Jonathan and Farrah, Charlie and his children, your father…I could go on. Even Rinkus and Sierra left at some point. It just continued to get worse from there."

Kyra massaged his shoulder, briefly touching his beak. "Tell me."

...It didn't take long for the remaining families to leave. After hearing what their leader did, they feared for their lives and their loved ones as well. If he killed Jan in a fit of anger, what was stopping him from doing the same to them?

Soon, all that was left was Pterano, his father, and Tress. One of the many reasons the herd flourished for so long was the large number of flyers. But now, with only the three of them, they were at a high risk.

Pterano refused to speak to his father. When he did address him once, it was cold and harsh.

"We need to relocate. There's no one left."

"He's right," added Tress. "Look at this place."

Aaron clenched his fists. "Fine," he growled through gritted teeth. He took off, his children following him.

After days of flying, they found an opening in a cliff to nest in. Pterano helped Tress gather leaves and twigs, and there, she laid the eggs which she had been withholding for a little while.

The downsized family hardly spoke to each other. Aaron often went in search of food, and came back hours later. Then, he would go searching for more.

One day, when Aaron had decided to stay, they were attacked. Two gigantic sharptooth flyers with rectangular crests on their heads swooped in out of nowhere and caught them by surprise. Pterano and his family didn't stand a chance.

Tress' hands went to her face. "Pterano, what are we going to do?"

Suddenly, Aaron lunged towards one of the flyers, his dark eyes filled with determination.

In the heat of the moment, Pterano screeched. "Father, don't!"

It was too late. The flyer dug her sharp and pointed rows of teeth into Aaron's flesh, squeezing the life out of him. He put up quite the fight, but he was no match for such a lethal creature. Within seconds, the life was gone from his eyes and his body was completely still.

The other flyer flew towards his mate, talking to her in his own language of screeches and growls. Then, the pair zoomed off towards their nest.

If the silence before wasn't awkward, it definitely was now. Pterano and Tress were all that were left of their family. Pterano took his father's place and gathered food for him and his sister without uttering a word. He wondered if they would ever speak to each other again. It seemed hopeless for a while, until the eggs hatched.

"Tress…they're beautiful."

"They are, aren't they?"

Pterano smiled, his eye drifting towards a small brown flyer tugging on his wing. He scooped the flyer up in his hands, nuzzling him to show that he meant no harm. "Look. This one reminds me of Randy."

"How so?"

Pterano touched the hatchling's nose with his finger. "He's needy."

He and Tress burst into a fit of giggles, and shared a laugh.

"What will you name him?"

"Petrie," Tress announced without a sign of hesitation. "Randy always liked that name."

"Well, it's very fitting." Pterano scratched little Petrie under his chin. "I can tell he's going to be a special one. They all are."

They remained in the cliff until the hatchlings were about a year old. Pterano had suggested traveling to the Great Valley, and while Tress was skeptical, they had nothing to lose by making the journey. So, once the hatchlings were old enough, they set out.

During their journey, there was a catastrophic earthshake, even worse than the one that killed Randy. The land was split in two, and not all dinosaurs were able to stay above ground. Families were divided, and many were lost, or worse, trapped.

Luckily, Pterano and Tress managed to hide themselves and the hatchlings, biding their time until the tremors ceased. When they finally did, Tress stepped out to make sure the coast was clear.

"Everyone okay?"

"Yes mama," the hatchlings replied in unison.

Tress wanted to be sure, so she did a count of every hatchling, moving them to the side as soon as they had been accounted for.

"One, two, three, four, five…that can't be right." She counted again, and let out an ear piercing screech of panic when she realized there were only five little flyers instead of six.

"What's the matter, Tress?"

"One of the hatchlings is missing! Petrie! Petrie?"

Pterano's heart sunk. To lose one of the hatchlings was horrible, but Pterano had taken a specific liking to Petrie, the little flyer who reminded him so much of Randy.

"Petrie!" Pterano flapped his wings and flew around the area, searching for his lost nephew. "Petrie, are you there? Answer me, Petrie!"

He'd hoped that he'd find Petrie behind a rock or in a crawl space, but he had no such luck. After flying in the blazing heat of the bright circle for quite some time, he reached a point where he had to land and rest. Disappointed and devastated, he returned to Tress.

"Did you find him?"

Pterano shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Tress..."

Tress didn't have much of a response. She knew that something like this had always been possible, and that they had to move on. Scanning the landscape once more, she sighed.

"Come, children. We must keep moving."

And so, the family carried on, eventually meeting up with another herd of dinosaurs whom had also been separated from their families. There was a large number of them, so Tress and Pterano felt that they were safe. Tress and her children rode on the backs of other dinosaurs, while Pterano remained mostly airborne, keeping to himself. They traveled all day in the heat, which gave way to arguments. Just when things were starting to get heated and were beginning to lead to a physical assault of some kind, an elderly longneck spoke up.

"Now, now," he began, his gentle voice instilling calmness in the others. "There's no need to fight. We're all tired and hungry, and the heat is getting to us. Perhaps, we should rest here for the time being."

"There's even some water to drink," added his mate. "We can all have a drink and move on when it's cooler."

"Yes," said the male longneck. "Right now, it's important that we remain a group. No one decision outweighs the other."

So, the herd made a rest stop in the rocky area, drinking their fill and resting their aching joints.

Pterano found himself talking to the others in the herd, telling stories of his adventures. His stories received much positive reception, so much, in fact, that he began fabricating his tales.

"And so," he announced, standing on top of a rock, his wings outstretched, "even though I was within the jaws of death, I managed to escape and teach that beast a lesson! He never dared to challenge me again."

Several dinosaurs gasped in awe, amazed by the story he told. Others, however, were skeptical.

Tress frowned at her brother, her hands on her hips. "That never happened," she murmured.

"Bah!" Spat a gruff looking threehorn. "Sounds like a whole lot of nonsense to me."

Pterano ignored the grouchy threehorn, knowing that there was a good number of dinosaurs who supported him. He genuinely felt that he could lead the herd to the Great Valley, that he could be a great leader; even greater than his father.

The following day, he resumed his position on top of the rock. The way he spoke was so eloquent and charismatic that his followers couldn't help but put every ounce of their faith in him. Soon, he led them away from the rest of the herd.

"This way," he instructed, pointing with his talons. "Go this way if you want to reach the Great Valley. It's not too far, I assure you."

"Pterano." Tress' voice carried a cold warning tone. "Pterano, you're making a big mistake."

"Dear sister," he chuckled, "the only mistake I made was not stepping up earlier. Trust me, this is for the greater good." He paused for a moment before preparing to fly. "Never mind. You'll see soon enough." Just like that, he was gone. And so were the others.

Pterano felt that they were making good progress, especially when they reached an area with bunches of green food.

"Oh," remarked a duckbill, "is this the Great Valley?"

Pterano didn't get a chance to answer, for he was interrupted by the tumbling of rocks. The dinosaurs panicked, running for their lives.

"Oh! Danger!"

"Run, run!"

"SHARPTEETH!"

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a pack of fast biters emerged. They growled and hissed, creating more panic and separating the herd. Pterano was forced to watch as the dinosaurs he'd barely gotten to know were cornered and then ripped apart to shreds by the powerful jaws which were built to kill. He spotted the duckbill, dangling off the side of a cliff, her claws creating scratches in the earth as she held on for dear life. Her scream as she fell into the depths below would haunt him for as long as he lived.

Pterano couldn't take much more. He covered his face with his hands, and began the flight of shame back to the others.

Tress landed in front of him, shooting him a questioning and hostile look. "Well? Where are the others?"

Pterano cowered away from his sister, his hands gripping his head. "It's not my fault. It wasn't my fault..."

At that point, Pterano was kicked out from the herd, and they moved on without him. The flyer lived out his days in the mysterious beyond until he one day encountered his old friends. He managed to convince Sierra and Rinkus to travel to the Great Valley with him, for he was planning to visit his sister, and his nieces and nephews.

Upon his arrival, he heard of the stone of cold fire, and the possibility of it containing magical powers. This was it, he thought. He had another chance. He had another chance to prove himself worthy of leadership.

Unfortunately, he took the chance, which resulted in him being banished for five brutal cold times. But he understood. His actions were beyond questionable… and it was his duty to be accountable for them.

... "Oh, Kyra..." He hid his face in his hands. "You must know that I never meant for any of it to happen. There was nothing more I wanted than for things to be right again...my intentions were noble."

"I know, Pterano. I know that you truly did mean well, but...your actions were still wrong."

"I know. And now, I fear that things will never be the same again."

Kyra removed his hands from his eyes. "You're right. Things will never be the same again, and that is a good thing."

"It is...?"

"Yes. If things remained as they were, where would we be?"

Pterano gave it a moment of thought. "In the mysterious beyond, starving?"

"Exactly. Things do change, but sometimes, it's good that they do."

"I suppose..."

"I still regret leaving, but in a way, I'm glad I did. I lived a much better life than I would have if I had stayed, and I was able to find you again." She took his hands into hers. "And now...we can be together. We can do what we wish. Isn't that what we've always wanted? To not be held back by the boundaries our herd set for us?"

Slowly, Pterano nodded. "...Yes. It is. And I'm glad we have it."

Kyra smiled, and gave a deep and saddened sigh. "I just wish the others could have been here with us." She looked up at the bright circle, and then at the rest of the valley below them.

"What's the matter, dearest?"

"This place would have been a dream come true for Kiara and Charlie."

"You miss Kiara, don't you?"

Kyra nodded, tears suddenly springing to her eyes. "More than I ever thought possible..."

Pterano held her close. "Well, she'll always be with you, so long as you remember her."

Kyra didn't say anything, just flashed an unconvincing smile.

Pterano knew just the thing to do. He smiled slyly before clearing his throat, and began to sing.

"I know that we can last forever, ever, and more~"

Kyra gasped softly, tears now falling freely from her eyes like waterfalls the very moment she recognized the familiar melody.

"You remembered our song...!"

"Of course I did. You and Kiara would sing it all the time."

"Oh, this brings back so many memories..."

"Do you see what I mean? She's never truly gone unless you forget her completely."

Kyra nodded her head, eyes glistening from her tears. "I understand." She wrapped her arms around the other flyer. "Thank you, Pterano."

Pterano wrapped his arms around her in response. "Of course, my dear."

"I never thought the day would come where we could do this again..."

"It's rather grand, isn't it?"

"It is," squeaked Kyra, wiping away her tears. "It is."