I almost forgot! Thanks to Toltec Spirit for coming up with the newest character, Margaret! Expect to see much more of her soon! Moving right along with things, here's Chapter 26!

Chapter 26

The group of birds reentered the club to find everyone conversing and moving around. Many were noticeably unsure about the outcome of a fight with Peter and his men.

"I'm wondering how well everyone's going to take the fact that they have to put their lives on the line here," Dave pointed out to Newton as they walked in. "The reception could really go either way for most."

"The way I see it," Newton replied, "they undoubtedly understand that they're obligated to play their part. They know it's for the greater good of their friends and families. The humans call it 'nationalism': Pride toward one's culture, customs or nation. Rest assured, though. I imagine that this is the war to end all wars here. When everyone's hovering there over the bay, they're gonna realize that this isn't worth fighting and dying over anymore."

"Are you saying that you're banking on Peter's army backing down?" Dave was confused. "What in your right mind makes you think that? Have you seen what they've done? I mean, I didn't lose anyone in the attack, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about all the others! I'm not going against your plan; I understand the decision has a very strenuous thought process. But you need to understand something other than the statistics and numbers. These people are hurt bad mental-wise. Throwing them together into an army the day after they lost loved ones is a bit cruel and unfair to them. But like I said, this is a tough choice to make. I shouldn't be questioning elders."

"I understand where you come from," Newton nodded, "and thank you for understanding the decision made. Keep in mind that our friend is out there with them, and one of our new friends is there too. You wanna see firsthand what stress and terror is? Look at him over there." Newton looked back at Blu, whose face showed bitterness and was on the verge of breaking down mentally.

"Are you alright there, kid?" Newton asked Blu, trying to make sure he was holding up.

"I'm managing," Blu solemnly replied, putting his head down. "My lifetime companion is in danger and I can't do anything about it. Don't I have the right to be concerned?"

"I didn't say that you didn't have the right to be," Newton cleared up. "You're one of the stronger birds here. No one can take that away from you. You know where this will all end up. Peter's doomed. His army will see our resilience and they will back down. We'll get our friends back and we'll deal with this warmonger. This ends today."

"What if they don't back down?" Blu brought up.

"They will," Newton assured him.

"You can't place everything you have on that hunch," Blu tried to reason. "We know how devoted his group is. If he tells them to take us out then they will."

"Then we'll deal with that," Newton assured again. "No one is going to get hurt."

Blu walked up to Newton and stared directly up at him. "Whether you realize it or not, the three of you aren't an army. Even if you are the biggest birds of the forest, enough force will take you all out. Goliath was brought down, despite being the most powerful beast to ever walk the earth. This is not a suicide mission. I won't let any of you let yourselves die to save anyone else. I'm going to take a more proactive approach."

"Oh yeah?" Newton was a little surprised and agitated. "What are you gonna do about him then?"

"I don't care about Peter anymore," Blu admitted. "I stopped caring about him an hour ago. I'm here to save my wife."

Blu walked out the back door. Newton followed behind after he realized that he may have upset him. By the time he made it outside, Blu was gone.

"Oh no," Newton said under his breath to himself as he looked up to see the buildings above him. "Poor guy's going for requital. Stay safe, my friend. Don't do anything stupid." He turned around and headed back into the club. When he reentered, he noticed Dave's face had a peculiar look to it. Curious, he approached Dave. When peering at his face from closer, he noticed Dave's eyes in a trance-like stare, and his jaw dropped. Newton looked in a similar line to Dave and noticed Arlene talking to Ivan at the bar.

"Like her, huh?" Newton broke the silence to Dave. Dave quickly snapped out of his trance and flinched a little, turning to Newton.

"No, no," Dave tried to turn the attention away. "I was, I was just in deep thought. I don't even know who you're talking about."

"You're a liar, kid," Newton smirked. "It's okay to lie about something like that. Come on, go up to her and sit down. She needs someone to help her out. She just lost her husband in the attack by the way."

Dave shed a small but noticeable tear in disbelief. "I'd do anything to make her happy." He ignored Newton and walked over to the bar. Maintaining confidence, he hopped up on a stool next to Arlene. Arlene turned her eyes and glanced over at him, though after doing it once, she found herself performing said action much more than once as he ordered a drink.

"Licorice," Dave requested to Ivan, who was quite surprised and understanding at the same time. "Anything licorice."

"Licorice, huh?" Arlene turned in her stool to Dave.

Dave turned her way and nodded. "Always a favorite of mine. Family tradition, as I understand. Do you share a liking for its bitter and tangy feel?"

"Very vibrant word choice, I see," Arlene smiled at him. "If I must, a pair can compete in such a profound display of intelligence." She displayed a minute smirk, enough for Dave to realize. "Habitually, my mind is inclined to lean away from a drink such as yours, though frankly I share a striking similar taste for the enchanting lure of what many call licorice."

Dave's drink was placed in front of him. He wasted no time snatching it and slamming it down, looking at Arlene the entire time. "Quite elementary to infer that you're enacting a vain attempt to impress me, isn't it?"

"I could repeat your own words to describe your own actions," Arlene stood up and looked down on Dave. Dave stood up as well.

"Heights rarely differ between birds of a similar species," Dave told her. "Nice try, though. Any other way for you to attempt at beating me?"

"Hmm," Arlene thought. "An athletic competition?" Another smirk.

Dave was bolting for the door before Arlene even realized. She made every attempt possible to catch him out the door, though she realized it was in vain. She didn't even bother taking off. She stood there outside and watched him zip through the sky.

"Woohoo!" Dave cheered as he whipped around. He landed back down in front of her. She was impressed, but she certainly didn't want to show it. She looked away and closed her eyes with just a slight smile.

"Looks as if your ego got the best of you there," Dave remarked.

"You win some and you lose some," Arlene managed to say, looking back at him smiling.

Newton watched the action from just inside the club. "Love always manages to find a way," he said to himself.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Music played from inside the club moments later. Arlene turned and laughed as she looked back at Dave.

"I heard about what happened to you," Dave came right up to Arlene. "I hope you're feeling alright."

Arlene looked into his eyes and smiled. "The pain's there, but I find ways to suppress it."

"So why don't you name one of those things for me?" Dave jokingly pressed.

"Looking at you," Arlene admitted. Their heads moved closer, almost touching.

"Wooo!" a voice from behind them broke off their moment. They both turned to find Luiz watching them. "Now that's a love story!"

"Hello. Is it me you're looking for?" More music played.

"Okay guys," Dave laughed. "Enough with the music already. C'mon!"

The music stopped. Newton walked out from the club.

"I was just trying to let the feelings flow, Dave!" Newton joked as he came out. "I saw the chemistry before you did! It was literally like putting two magnets next to each other and waiting!"

Arlene and Dave laughed. "Why don't we wait until after we deal with Peter?" Dave put his wing on the side of Arlene's head.

"I can agree to that," Arlene smiled, and the two walked back into the club, along with Newton. Luiz sat outside and stared up at the bright blue sky that enveloped the magical city that day.

Rewind. Blu scurried away from the club as his mind began to endlessly race. Is Jewel alright? Is my best friend and companion safe? Is Kepler alright? Is he with Jewel? Where is this Peter guy? Am I gonna run into him?

The Costa e Silva Bridge spans Guanabara Bay about 8 miles north of the club. Contrary to popular belief, Ipanema Beach is not technically part Rio de Janeiro. The actual city of Rio is a few miles north of Ipanema, showing that Blu's trek to the bridge was not to be an easy one. Imagine sprinting for 8 miles: you probably wouldn't make it. Your mind and body would most likely quit on you unless you had trained for the occasion, or unless your adrenaline was in full use. For those eight miles, Blu didn't want to slow down. Determination and adrenaline forced his wings to keep moving, and his eyes stayed focused on the bridge. At last, after extreme over-exertion and stress, the bridge was nearly right in front of Blu. Swooping down to a pillar, he sat down and tried to catch his breath and make sense of the situation.

"Okay," Blu said quietly to himself through his heavy breathing. "Where is he holding them? Up top? Underneath? On the end? In the middle?"

Blu gazed out onto the waters of the bay and glanced further down the bridge. "Think methodically. Where on the bridge is the prime position for detecting an incoming attack?" He noticed that the center section of the bridge was raised above the rest of the bridge. "Bingo."

Blu slowly took off and made a sweep of the upper deck. Once he made it to the center truss of the bridge, he made a closer observation of the structure. There was nothing. Not a soul present.

Blu stopped and hovered in mid-air. "This is strange. Someone intelligent would have done that. Or maybe he wanted me to think that way."

He dove back down to check the lower underside of the bridge. The higher pillars had no areas to place anything, but the shorter pillars did. Blu went pillar to pillar, listening in for any voices. The cars on the bridge above were making it harder to hear, however. Blu stopped and sat down on another pillar, waiting for movement. After a few minutes, something caught his eye. A Military Macaw was sprinting parallel to the bridge. Blu wasted no time giving chase, but keeping a good distance as to not give away his position. Not far from where Blu was, under a lower section of the bridge, the Military Macaw turned in. Blu dove in a few pillars down the bridge, and as quiet as possible, crept up the line of pillars. He was able to get one pillar away from them, and he listened in on the conversation.

"Sir," the Military Macaw spoke. "Mauro has informed me that the army is formed and ready to mobilize. They're currently at the ready on the bridge's western end, near the docks."

Marmosets, Blu thought.

"Return to Mauro," another voice ordered. Blu inferred that it must've been Peter. "Inform him that the army is to be mobilized immediately. We cannot allow them to make the first move and catch us off guard. Send them here. They are to form a defensive position in front of this area of the bridge, around 500 feet up. The two I have here are to be protected at all costs. No one is to get near them. Mauro has in his possession two small earpieces that act as walkie-talkies. Bring one to me and keep the other for yourself. Once they arrive, and I get my earpiece, we are a-go."

"Yes sir," the Military Macaw replied. Sounds of beating wings could be heard as he took off towards wherever Mauro and his marmoset friends were. The voice of Peter, however, remained.

"As for you, my two friends," Peter must have been talking to Kepler and Jewel, "you both just sit tight. This isn't your fight. This whole thing shouldn't take long. Afterwards, you'll both be taking orders from me." He chuckled evilly. "I can't imagine what it will be like for three little children to grow up and live their lives without a mother."

"You wouldn't!" Jewel cried hysterically. Kepler stayed silent and tried to comfort her. Blu cringed and let out a small tear thinking about it.

"Oh, there, there," Peter stroked Jewel's head. "Nothing's going to hurt you. Death is quick and painless. You won't feel a thing." He stopped stroking her head, and instead slapped her across the face. He let out a huge, evil laugh.

"You're such a cold-blooded monster," another female voice chimed in. Blu had no idea who it was. "I love it."

Blu couldn't take staying hidden, and carefully managed to peek his head out and see everyone there. Jewel and Kepler were tied up together next to each other, and who he now knew was Peter was standing next to another female. They were facing away from him, and therefore did not notice Blu's head. Peter and his accomplice (known to the audience as Margaret) shared a quick kiss in front of Jewel and Kepler, who tried to look away in disgust.

"I don't believe that I could have asked for a better partner in crime," Peter smiled at his female friend.

"Well as the humans say," she replied, "birds of a feather flock together." She rubbed her beak in his chest.

"That's right!" Peter put a hand on her head. "Words cannot express how I feel about you."

"You know," the female said, "I cannot believe that I ever doubted you. I apologize for always thinking that your plans were foolish and stupid."

"No need to pity me," Peter played. "My greatness is but a small part of the grand scale of things."

Blu noticed the Military Macaw arrive back. He had a device on his head.

"Here you are," the bird said as he handed Peter a metal device just like the one he had on. Peter placed the device on his ear and smiled.

"Perfect," Peter expressed his happiness. "Are they on their way now?"

"Mobilizing as we speak," the bird replied. "They're taking it slow to stay in formation. They'll be here in 10 minutes."

Peter nodded in approval. "Looks like it's time for Margaret and me to go. You're in charge of the forces from here on out. We'll relay you the instructions when we see from Sugarloaf that the other side has sent what they have. Dismissed."

The Military Macaw took off and left. Peter and Margaret took off and headed for Sugarloaf. Blu felt that he needed to check to make sure they were gone, so he turned and looked out onto the bay. There was no one in sight, so he popped out of cover and flew over towards Kepler and Jewel.

Jewel and Kepler turned simultaneously to see Blu, and both of them had different reactions. Kepler let out a small smile of gratitude, and Jewel's big eyes widened and her jaw dropped into the biggest smile she could muster.

"BLU!" Jewel yelled as she started crying again. Blu flew right up to her, and together they shared the biggest kiss of their lives since their freefall from the plane. Their show of compassion made Kepler tear up.

"Oh my god Jewel," Blu started crying with her. "I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so sorry."

"Are the kids okay?" Jewel managed to say.

"Eva's watching them now," Blu assured her. "They're okay." Jewel kissed him again.

"I honestly thought I was never gonna see you again," Jewel was still in shock and crying.

Blu put his wings on the sides of her head. "I'm here now. I'm not leaving you." He turned to see Kepler. "Are you alright? What have they done to you?"

"Too much," Kepler replied, exhaling. "I'm so sorry that I had to involve her. He was gonna kill me if I didn't tell him the location of someone of importance. It was absolutely nothing personal—

"—I'm not mad at you," Blu assured him. "You did what you had to do to stay alive. Thank you for being here to help her when she got here."

"Always my pleasure," Kepler replied. "What's been happening back at the funeral?"

"It's been finished," Blu replied. "Everyone went back to the club. We've been dealing with getting you guys back and fighting this army of his. They should be leaving really soon."

"Did Lucas, I mean Newton, make that decision?" Kepler asked.

"All your friends did," Blu responded. "Most seem to agree with them."

"Oh we're deep in this one," Kepler put his head down and put it back up. "This fight in gonna be a mess—

Kepler cut himself off. "Wait, the noise on the bridge stopped. Why is it so quiet?"

Blu flew up to look. What he saw was something of complete shock and awe. The bridge was empty, with police cars on the Rio side and Niteroi side blocking traffic. There were car accidents all over the bridge. In the sky was a sight that could have blocked the sun. A group of hundreds, if not over a thousand birds flew in an organized flock above the bridge. Their slow rate of speed and organization was unbelievable.

At the same time, Tulio was at home on the phone with another ornithologist.

"What do you mean there's a flock of birds cruising around?" Tulio demanded answers. "What's so important about that?" He switched on the TV to the local news station to see a breaking news story, with the camera on the massive group of birds flying over the bridge. His jaw dropped.

"I'll have to call you back," Tulio said quickly before he hung up the phone. Linda and Fernando came running down the stairs.

"Did you see that news story?" Fernando was very tense. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea," Tulio admitted, staring at the TV. "I need to get video of this. I will be back." He grabbed the keys and walked out of the house. Linda and Fernando sat down and watched the TV.

Tulio drove to the base of Sugarloaf to get into his boat. The traffic into the city completely blocked every road. Police were trying to keep order on both sides of the bay and prevent people from getting onto the bridge.

Tulio made his way out onto the bay in the boat, quickly approaching the bridge. When he finally made it, the flock had organized into a rectangular position above the bridge. He wasted no time grabbing his video camera and taping the event.

Rewind. Blu returned to under the bridge to tell Kepler what he saw.

"The army's here," Blu gulped.

"How big?" Kepler pressed.

"Too big," Blu took a deep breath. "We won't have a chance. I need to find out how to get you guys out of here."

"These are steel chains," Kepler explained. "Nothing in our arsenal can break these. We need a human tool."

Blu thought for a moment. "I know someone who can get us one, but we need to deal with this army before we can get you guys out. I don't think I can stay here. I need to get back to the club and help Newton organize everyone. We will win this."

"Don't go!" Jewel was nearly in tears again. Blu kissed her.

"I have to," Blu looked straight into her eyes. "Kepler's going to keep you safe. You'll be fine."

"You can't leave now," Kepler reasoned. "The army is almost in position. If they see you, they'll take you out faster than you ever thought possible. You need to stay here. Newton and the other guys will take care of things."

Blu had to make a decision. "Fine. I'll stay. I guess all we can do is hope now." He took a seat next to them and stared out onto the bay. "I just hope we know what we're doing."

I must've dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They're moving into the street

Now did you read the news today
They say the danger's gone away
But I can see the fire's still alight
There burning into the night

There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?

Well this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in…

The suspense is killing me as I write this! The massive army of Peter has showed its ugly face, and the entire city of Rio is shut down, staring in awe at its awesome power. How will our favorite birds respond? Chapter 27 will end the feuding with a war to end all wars!

Looking ahead to Chapter 27: every little plot detail thus far has led up to the battle between Peter's forces and the forces led by Newton and his friends!