Emori's heart raced. She was a chick again - back in Costia's talons, Embry lying dead at Marcos' talons. She screamed in terror, fighting against Costia, but she was trapped, then alone in a tree hollow dip. Costia's screams tortured her. "No! No!" the world spun, her blood roared, as Emori covered her head and cried out.
"Make it stop!" Emori wailed, and suddenly the noise faded. She no longer felt damp tree bark beneath - it was soft, warmed by sunlight. She hesitantly opened her eyes, and realized with a jolt that she was lying on sand. She raised her head, staring along the beach - it was unfamiliar, prettier, than the beach surrounding Alegria. And that was saying something, since the Alegria beach was stunning. This beach seemed too beautiful to be real, the cerulean of the sky richer, the sand ivory, littered with white and pink conch shells. Seawater washed up the beach, and Emori moved forwards, to the shore. She saw fish darting about the liquid crystal, splotches of colour indicating a coral reef. Her heart fluttered like a butterfly, and then, a strange sound made her turn, like a shining noise.
A bright light appeared before her, several feet away. It was blinding, so much so, she had to shield her eyes. Then, it drew back. Blinking away the fuzzy mist that appeared when one was looking in too bright sunshine, Emori struggled to make out the figure standing a few feet before her. When the fuzziness cleared, Emori realized that she was looking at familiar face - only there was no grief, fear, tears or clawmarks. The most beautiful female macaw Emori had ever seen knelt before her, gazing down at her with soft, yellow eyes. "Hello, Emori." Her head feathers were tied back with a familiar pink ribbon, but when Emori instinctively reached up, she still felt her ribbon in her own head feathers.
There was another blaze of light, this one, male with blue eyes: like the blue blooming from around Emori's pupil, flowering against the soft yellow. Her wings dropped to her sides, her eyes widened as she faced these two - not quite - strangers. The male had a sweet smile, with dimples - like her own smile. "You're just as beautiful as I remember." He said, in a voice warmer than the sun. Emori was suddenly incredibly shy. She stammered a couple of times, before managing to get a real sentence out.
"Hello." Emori said, shyly. She felt like a hatchling trying to make friends for the first time, awkward and just a little scared. Costia extended a wing, to lift her chin, a tearful smile on her face. Emori looked from Costia to Embry, not caring whether this was real, or happening inside her head. She exclaimed two words, for the first time in her life: mom, dad. Costia swept her off the floor, sweeping her in an arc through the air, before holding her, tight, to her chest. Embry's wings enveloped the both of them, so Emori was surrounded by her mother and father's embrace. Their scent was exactly as she remembered - Costia, of sandalwood, Embry, of dew-dipped leaves.
It was there that Emori finally understood the meaning of being at peace.
Morning
The sun crept higher toward the middle of the sky, for noon wasn't far away. While the grief of Anya's demise weighed upon the grove, the sunshine had lifted it slightly. This morning was literally dazzling - the sunlight hit every rain-soaked leaf, every drop of water hanging off a stalk, scattering tiny rainbows everywhere and making everything appear wonderfully bright. The sky was azure, clear and the breeze light - ideal for flying across the sea.
Somehow everyone knew Daniella and Emori were leaving - islanders had come over to wish them luck and safe travels. It was probably one of Anya's friends who had been there to hear their conversation with the Socorro dove who had spread the message. Daniella was replaying the fire in her mind. Bidding farewell to the dead was different here - Alegrians cremated their dead. Back in the Amazon, the deceased were buried deep in earth, and covered with a sea of petals from every tribe member. The grave was marked with a flat stone, carved with their name. Daniella had been shown Tia's burial spot, and the graves of Sophia's parents, Zenaida and Andre. Here, in Alegria, Anya's ashes had been scattered into the ocean that morning.
Daniella felt better after sleeping the rest of the night away in Melodia's hammock. As they'd slept so late, it was a good thing Melodia had woken her and Emori up in case they slept into the afternoon. They'd been woken to the smell of fragrant flower tea and sweet fruit, although Daniella had politely declined the offer of the strange tasting tea, after drinking it last night. The sweetness of coconut water lingered in her beak, as she gazed upon the busy grove.
Now, she noticed more common species out and about. They usually stayed away from grove out of fear of discrimination, but this was over now. Marcos was gone, and they had nothing to fear. The community was becoming real - Daniella felt a swell of pride, and for once, it didn't sink back down. The sound of grass banjos sounded, and birds were repairing the havoc Kehua had caused. Nest material and branches were being lifted from the hanging baskets. Despite their grief for Anya, they were repairing themselves.
"Daniella, where's Emori?" A voice surprised her. Ash, the young Hawaiian crow, was standing before her. She looked at him, suspicious after their last encounter, after all he'd said. But Ash was looking full of shame, his claws shuffling. "I... I just wanted to apologize, for being... er..." A jerk? "An idiot." She was incredibly surprised, after everything - but she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass. She gave him a half smile.
"Wait here. I'll get her." Daniella flew through the branches of the tree, where she'd seen Emori go not long before. She eventually found her, at the top, overlooking the island for the last time. The coral pink of her ribbon fluttered carelessly in the breeze, as did her feathers. Emori was faced toward the north side of the island, the sea rich and blue. There was no sign of a boat yet; they hadn't missed it. Daniella approached her cautiously, for they hadn't really spoken since falling asleep the night before.
"I can't believe this is the last day." Emori said, without turning round. "The last day I'll be here." Daniella smiled, but it didn't travel to her eyes. She moved forwards, sitting next to Emori. "Before you say something, I'm fine." Was she?
"Emori, don't shut me out." Daniella tilted her head, only to have stripes of black hanging over her eyes. She shook her head; her black head feathers had grown longer since arriving here. Now, they fell about a centimetre past the bottom of her neck, when before they'd just fallen to the shoulders. She liked it - they were longer than Roberto's now. "Honestly. Are you okay?"
"I am." Daniella went to protest, but then, when Emori turned to face her, she realized that her eyes weren't full of the torture she'd seen last night. To Daniella's surprise, they were full of tranquillity. As if a weight she had carried her whole life had been lifted. "You're going to think I'm crazy but... I saw my parents. I dreamt of them." Daniella stared at Emori. "I know, it sounds mad." No. It doesn't.
"Well, it sounds wonderful to me, seeing... someone who's left you." Daniella's smile finally spread to her eyes. "It's not mad. I know." Emori tilted her head.
"Uh... you didn't come back, so..." Ash's awkward voice made them turn around. Emori glanced at Daniella questioningly, for Ash was one of their least favourite birds. "I just wanted to apologize, Emori. For... being a major jerk." Ash's dark eyes were full of guilt. "I'm really sorry about your parents, and for everything I've said to you. I hope you have a great life where you're going." Daniella wondered if Emori would forgive him. Ash had been out of line so many times, and she didn't think Emori was a very forgiving bird.
"Thank you, Ash." Emori made a small smile, which Ash returned. Daniella blinked in pleasant surprise.
"Girls, the time's getting on! Your destiny awaits!" Melodia was back to her slightly crazy self, despite still mourning for her dearly departed friend and leader. The Sun Parakeet's head appeared. "Come on, you don't want to miss the boat! And our new leader has something to say before you leave."
Daniella and Emori followed Melodia out of the tree, while Ash flew over to his parents. The islanders seemed to have all gathered. Gylfie disliked being called a leader, but everyone had turned to the Forest Owlet after Anya died. Her eyes were full of admiration at the sight of Daniella and Emori, as they landed before her. "We have so much to thank you girls for. You both saved our island - you've been so brave. Emori, your parents..." Gylfie looked emotional for a moment, for she had been close to Costia and Embry. "They would be so proud."
The islanders, surprisingly, began to cheer. Emori's skin flushed pink; she had once been ignored or even feared by these birds for her parentage. But now they had proven that Costia and Embry were innocent, and now Emori smiled bravely. "Melodia will escort you to the North beach. And, Daniella, we've restored something of yours. It's not exactly how it was... but we thought you could always have a reminder of Alegria." Leia moved forward - she held up a purple stone on a slender necklace, formed from a thin string of tightly woven coconut fibres, the fibres weaving through the hole in the amethyst to keep it tight. Daniella's heart leapt.
"My necklace..." Daniella couldn't believe it, as Leia tied it back in it's rightful place, over her chest. The fibre end trailed down her back, so she could adjust it as she grew. With the coconut fibres instead of the chain, Daniella felt pure nature around her neck, as well as home. She had thought it lost to the sandy beach...
"Thank Leia. She's the one Emori asked to fix it." Gylfie nodded at Leia, who laughed shyly.
"Thank you." Daniella looked at Emori and Leia, gratitude shining in her lavender eyes, and the Turtle dove dipped her head. The islanders started cheering once more, shouting farewells and good luck. Melodia moved forward.
"I think the sun is nearing the heart of the sky." She murmured. It was time to leave. Daniella and Emori looked around, taking it all in for the last time.
"We'll remember you both!"
"Stories will be told of what you both did!"
"Safe travels!"
In a dizzyingly fast amount of time, Daniella and Emori were flying after Melodia, the sound of the grove fading behind them. Time blurred as they flew through the heftberry trees, over the river, and over the stretch of grass dividing the North and South - but it was here they slowed down. "We'll fly over it." Melodia said. Kehua hadn't been seen since being blinded - perhaps he'd flown into the sea? Hopefully, Daniella thought. But Melodia was taking no chances, and there was also the fact that the North was now home to Marcos, Lorac, and the other traitors. But then, Marcos was on his own - he'd left separately from his former friends.
Daniella's heart was reassured. They were leaving all that behind - she could forget Marcos. Could Emori, after all Marcos had done to her family? She had none because of him. He was the reason her childhood had been a complete misery. Not to mention he'd almost drowned her. Maybe, in the Amazon, Emori could start over. She'd love it.
They neared the beach - sand intercepted the blue and green now, golden in the noon sunshine. The waves rolled up the shore, and Daniella's heart swelled. This was where she'd seen Tia... and almost abandoned Emori and the island, she reminded herself with guilt. She shivered, knowing exactly what would have happened if she'd been a coward and fled. Islanders would be dead, with Kehua still on the loose, and common birds dead or hiding in fear in the North side of the island. Emori would be dead, Anya would have died violently, and Marcos would lead, with Lorac as second leader. Or, as kids had already began to refer, Maniac Marcos and Loopy Lorac.
The three birds landed on the sandy beach, warmed from the sunshine. The boat should be coming along the horizon any moment now... unless Marcos had lied to her, or Anya was wrong. What if the boat only showed up on certain days? Once a week? Or month? I can't live here for much longer! My family... she'd barely given them a thought. She'd been missing for over a week. What if they thought she was dead? Daniella's happiness dwindled slightly.
"I do miss the mainland, too." Said Melodia's dreamy voice, distracting her from these thoughts.. The Sun Parakeet's eyes were cloudy with memory - happy, and anguish she wouldn't dare share with the two girls. "As much as I love Alegria... I miss my birthplace."
"You could come with us, you know." Emori said, looking up at Melodia.
"I do wonder sometimes whether to go back." Melodia had a little longing in her eyes. "But there's a difference between my birthplace and my home. Alegria is my home. It's like you. You was born here, but don't belong here. I wasn't born here, but this is where I'm meant to be. But if I find myself being called back... I know where to go." Melodia gazed at them with sadness, eyes on the horizon. "I... I suppose this is where we part ways." Daniella and Emori turned around, and both their hearts leapt. On the horizon, a thread of smoke appeared, and a tiny white thing. The outside world was in their grasp.
Daniella unexpectedly felt a wave of sorrow. She'd grown quite fond of Melodia's funny way of speaking, her sweet kindness. She was a lot like Mimi, in some ways - she wished she was coming with them. "Goodbye, Melodia. Thanks, for everything you've done." She hugged Melodia, before feeling the sea calling. She turned, gazing at the white speck growing larger.
Emori stared up at Melodia. Melodia, Daniella aside, had always been the bird she'd been closest to. Melodia had volunteered to raise her when nobody else would - she had always been there for her. Even if the Sun parakeet wasn't the most committed of parental figures, she had been the closest Emori had to a mother. "I... I'll miss you, Melodia." There was a pause - then Emori hugged Melodia tight around the neck, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you for everything." Melodia hugged her back, blinking rapidly.
"I'll miss you too, darling." Melodia hugged her tighter for a moment, before reluctantly placing her down on the sand, and stepping back with happy tears of pride. "Now, go, my child. Go have an adventure!" Emori walked backwards, tears streaming now, but still smiling. She dug her talons into the sand, Alegria sand, knowing in her heart this would be the final time she was on the island. Perhaps, now that Marcos was gone, the island could truly live up to it's name, of 'joy' or 'sunshine'. She saw a movement in the bushes behind Melodia, but thought nothing of it.
The seabreeze ruffled their plumage, as Daniella and Emori turned, to face the ocean - the sun shone on the sea, which called them. Emori's breath kept catching - Daniella looked at her, from where she was tightly securing her pink ribbon with slightly shaky wings. "Are you ready?" Daniella asked, heart glowing like the sun.
"Yes." Emori replied, heart racing. She looked back at the palm trees, at Melodia, who was slowly walking backwards while waving with tears in her golden eyes. "Good bye, Melodia..." Emori let go of her emotions, looking at the trees, waving and shouting with joy. "Good bye, Alegria!" Then they found the strength to pull themselves together, to raise their wings. They lifted off the sand, and began to fly over the sea - two of the few to do so. Melodia smiled after them, and, after picking up a shell, began to fly home, deciding to trace the North beach to the South beach instead of cutting through the forest. She flew around the palm trees, and was gone.
A few moments after Melodia left, something emerged from the treeline, staring at the white speck, and Daniella and Emori, who were flying straight and not looking back. The sun didn't seem quite so beautiful in that moment, as it shone down on something terrible. Then the creature lifted into flight, off the sand, leaving the island. As it flew over the water, Alegria turned bright, brighter than ever, for it had been freed - while the sea, with this creature flying over it, temporarily went dark.