CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: PTERO IS ACCEPTED
Ptero watched in dread as they came back. He wondered if this would be his last moment on earth. His life flashed before his eyes. Especially the little he could recall about his father. He might soon be seeing him again.
"What are you going to do with me? If you're going to kill me, please get it over with. I hate waiting. Suspense kills me." said Ptero. Littlefoot and his group laughed at Ptero's comment.
Littlefoot gave him something. Ptero looked and saw that it was a leaf with some Ground Crawlers on it. "Huh?" said Ptero.
"Enjoy." said Littlefoot.
Ptero ate both of them. When he was done, he wiped his mouth clean. "Thank you. That was delicious!" he said. Then he became more serious. "But what about me? Are you going to kill me? Is this my last meal?" asked Ptero.
"Kill you? What for?" asked Littlefoot.
"What for?!" replied Ptero incredulously. "I guess maybe you are too young or naive to get it, so let me spell it out for you. I'm a Sharptooth. You're a Flattooth. I'm supposed to eat your kind. Your kind and my kind aren't supposed to be friends!" said Ptero in exasperation. "I don't know why I'm here. It's clear that I don't belong here." sighed Ptero. He tried to leave, but Petrie still held onto him.
"Petrie, please!" begged Ptero.
"Me no want you to go!" cried Petrie.
"But I lied to you. I've been tricking you all along as to what I was." said Ptero in amazement.
"Big deal." said Littlefoot.
"Why are you doing this for me?" asked Ptero again, still amazed that they were so nice to him. "No Sharptooth would do this for you!" he added.
"You're not our first Sharptooth friend." said Littlefoot.
"I'm not?!" gasped Ptero.
"No, we have Sharptooth friend named Chomper. He one of our best friends." said Petrie.
Ptero was amazed. "So you don't hate me then?" he said.
"No, I don't." said Littlefoot.
"You are a nice Sharp Beak. You are. You are." said Ducky.
"I don't deserve your kindness. You don't know what I've done. I tried to kill you. I was going to eat you. I thought that all Flatteeth were evil. I missed and flew into that rock. When I had said that I had lost my breakfast that morning, I was referring to you. I added that bit about the Tree Stars so that you wouldn't suspect me." said Ptero, hanging his head in shame for what he had almost done to Ducky. The others gasped. "And I did try and hurt that kid. It was me that did it. And I bit Cera in the tail and blamed it on Biting Buzzers." Ptero added. The group gasped.
"Hmmmmmpppph, some friend you are!" said Cera, thumbing her nose into the air.
"That not very nice." said Petrie to Ptero.
"I agree. I am most ashamed of how I acted. Ducky is so sweet. I feel so sick now for wanting to eat her. I feel bad about that other kid too. And I'm sorry I bit you Cera. I am so sorry for tricking all of you. You don't have to let me stay and I can't even see you letting me live, but please forgive me." said Ptero, hanging his head in shame, expecting no mercy.
"A little late for that. Perhaps we should get the grownups before your sweet tooth acts up again." said Cera, glaring at Ptero.
"Whatever you do, don't have me suffer too much." begged Ptero, feeling it would serve him right if they killed him.
"We could always leave him in the Sinking Sands." suggested Cera. Ptero shuddered.
"Cera, he was hurting earlier. He's nicer now and he didn't kill anyone here after all." snapped Littlefoot. Ptero was shocked that Littlefoot wasn't demanding his head for what he'd done.
"That's just luck! Perhaps he still will!" snapped Cera.
"Cera!" snarled Littlefoot, glaring at her.
"No, Littlefoot, she's right. I tried to hurt Ducky and that kid and deserve no mercy from you. If you'd tried to hurt my kind, we'd never give you mercy." said Ptero.
"I've made it a habit to show mercy to others whether they or their kind show mercy to me or not. I've taken care of Chomper even though his kind killed my Mother." said Littlefoot.
Ptero was totally stunned. "Everything I've believed about Flatteeth was a lie!" he gasped in utter astonishment.
"Yes, we can accept those who are different." said Littlefoot.
"Oh we are all different in our way.
But that is still ok." sang Littlefoot.
"I'd never thought Flatteeth like you I'd ever be able to please
But then I never expected to have friends like these." sang Ptero.
"You may be different from you and me.
But there is more to us than what you see." sang Ducky.
"Ptero you no have to pretend.
Even if you a Sharp Beak, you can still be me friend." sang Petrie.
"Everyone here agrees." sang Cera.
"I'm so glad to have friends like these." sang Ptero.
"Oh I thought Flatteeth were evil and bad.
But friends like you make me so glad." sang Ptero.
"Oh we're so glad to be your friend!" sang the others.
"I'm going to be with you guys to the very end." sang Ptero.
Ptero and Petrie took to the air. "Together we will fly." sang Petrie and Ptero together.
"Petrie is such a swell guy." sang Ptero.
"Ptero such a swell guy. " sang Petrie at the same time as Ptero.
"Through mountains, across the skies, and into the trees." the two sang.
"I'm really glad to have friends like these." sang Ptero.
"Me really glad to have friends like these." sang Petrie at the same time as Ptero.
"Oh we are all at ease.
Because we all have friends like these." all of them sang, finishing the song.
Night soon fell. They were worn out and so went to bed. Ptero was thinking that maybe his mother was wrong after all. Maybe all Flatteeth weren't like the bad ones that killed his father..