Athos and company: On in the Amazon

by VPVPVP

Athos and company follow Blu and company's path into the rainforest. However some run into problems. Aramis, Esmeralda, D'Artagnan and Sapphire must deal with the conflict still existing between the Lear's and green tribes while Levi and Lapis Lazuli must convince the stubborn and homeless glaucous macaw tribe that they are vulnerable

17. 17- the game

Chapter 17- the game between the Lear's and green macaws

"You went WHERE!?" bellowed Valentino after D'Artagnan had explained everything that had happened between him and Alonso at the camu-camu fruit grove. Standing with him were Sapphire, Miranda, Jasmine, Annette, Waldo, Rosalind and several other Lear's macaws. Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Milo and Rosa stood next to Sapphire and around the group. Around the ravine, dozens and dozens and dozens of navy blue heads with teal markings, yellow-orange facial features and black or grey beaks protruded out of many of the holes in the cliff faces and a few of the holes in the trees, gazing at the gathering. D'Artagnan was shaking like a leaf, clearly frightened by Valentino's rage and the convergence of gazes from the audience formed by many of the tribe members focussing on him. However, he barely had enough control over his tendency to stammer when under pressure to speak.

"I-I-I was going to get some camu-camu fruit for myself and my family," said the timid grey-eyed macaw, "w-w-when I noticed a navy blue feather appear. When I went to investigate it to figure where it had come from, more feathers appeared and before I knew it, I wandered right across the stream and into the green tribe's side following that trail of feathers."

Gasps were drawn in from the spectators and glances were exchanged. Then Rosalind approached D'Artagnan, her aqua blue eyes ablaze with anger and her wings on her hips and as soon as she was near the terrified Lear's macaw, she shoved her beak right into his face.

"You know what this means, Darcy?" the matriarch snarled, making D'Artagnan flinch. "It means that YOU have critically endangered our precious supply of camu-camu fruit."

"Absolutely," put in Waldo, rage also boiling within him, "And once our side of the grove is lost to the green macaws, our tribe is going to struggle to find alternative food sources to make up for the lost camu-camu."

D'Artagnan continued standing there, speechless until finally he broke through the barrier.

"I'm sorry," he begged, "I didn't mean to put the Lear's tribe's side of the camu-camu fruit grove in serious jeopardy but… it wasn't my fault. I just got distracted by those navy blue feathers that appeared out of nowhere and they led me across the border and into the green tribe's territory. I knew not to trespass on Alonso's side…"

"That's NOT an excuse, Darcy," snapped Rosalind angrily, "You've put our only supply of camu-camu fruit at serious risk of being lost to our green macaw enemies!"

D'Artagnan flinched at the angry comment. Then jeering erupted from the tribe members who had heard this, making Travis and Sunset look around and then back at D'Artagnan with sympathetic eyes for he was clearly out of his flight league. Sapphire continued staring at D'Artagnan with a disappointed look on her face. Then she changed her expression to one of curiosity.

"Wait," she said, "Did you say that you found some navy blue feathers appear out of nowhere and lead you into the green macaws' side?"

"That's what I'm trying to say," protested D'Artagnan. Valentino, however, shook his head in utter disapproval, completely assuming that D'Artagnan was making it up to escape the consequences. However, he had something else on his mind too.

"Well, if Alonso wants a match in the Pit of Doom for the whole camu-camu fruit grove then so be it," he snarled, "I just hope we win it, get the entire camu-camu fruit grove including the green macaws' side and teach those pesky green neighbours of ours not to mess with us. Hopefully they'll be the ones to find alternative food sources to replace the camu-camu fruit and not us."

Turning to Waldo, he said, "Waldo, you gather the Pit of Doom team members and get prepared for the match at mid-afternoon on the double. Tell Archie also to get prepared as soon as he turns up, understand!?"

"Yes, sir," replied Waldo obediently and without hesitation, he took off to gather the Pit of Doom team.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked D'Artagnan, grabbing onto Valentino's wing before the tribe leader could take off. Valentino shot the macaw a bitter and disapproving glare.

"No, human's pet," snapped the patriarch, yanking his wing from D'Artagnan's grasp, "You've helped enough."

"Yeah," said Rosalind in agreement as Valentino lofted into flight. Before she followed her mate, she shot D'Artagnan a glare that was as hot as a fire cinder. "And if those green macaws win, you're in serious trouble!"

And with that, she took off after Valentino with the other macaws accompanying her, leaving D'Artagnan to stand there appalled. Sapphire, Miranda, Jasmine and Annette came up to him as did Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Milo and Rosa.

"I don't understand!" D'Artagnan wailed in frustration, "I didn't go over to the green macaws' side on purpose."

"Do you have any idea of how those navy blue feathers appeared?" asked Sapphire again.

"No," said D'Artagnan, "I looked around but did not see any passing Lear's macaws other than the one that flew a few metres away. And before I knew it, I was led right into the green tribe's patch."

Then suspicion entered Sapphire's head.

"Something fishy must have been going on then," she said, a frowned look on her face and a wing pinching her beak.

"Something fishy?" repeated Travis. Sapphire looked at the sulfur-crested cockatoo.

"Well if those navy blue feathers, obviously feathers from a Lear's macaw, have just appeared out of nowhere with no other Lear's macaws flying past from D'Artagnan's perspective," replied Sapphire, "Then it's obvious that someone else must have been there..."

"Well if that is so, then who?" asked D'Artagnan.

"Furthermore," added Sapphire, "I believe those feathers would have been dropped…"

But before she could finish, she was interrupted by Waldo's cries as he rounded up the Pit of Doom team members.

"Can you team players for the Lear's tribe's Pit of Doom gather at the mango trees please?" barked Waldo as he flew around the ravine. As he continued shouting orders, several Lear's macaws flew out from the holes of the three cliff faces and the few trees and joined him. Soon Archie turned up at the clifftops. As he did so, Waldo flew past.

"Oh, Archie, there you are," said Sapphire's half-brother, "Can you get ready for the Pit of Doom at mid-afternoon please? The other team members are gathering at the mango trees."

"Why?" asked Archie, "What's happened?"

"No time to explain, Archie," replied Waldo and with that, he continued flying around the ravine calling for the other members of the Lear's tribe's Pit of Doom team. Archie just lofted into flight and joined the other team members perched in the mango trees.

Meanwhile

The glaucous macaws were up to their usual business. Rudi was sending out glaucous macaw patrol groups to continue the hunt for a place the tribe could call home. However, some of the macaws were growing bored of this routine. Since the flying foxes' siege on this flock of ultra-rare and near-extinct macaws resulting in them being forced to abandon their home as well as flockmates too risky to save, and live as nomadic refugees without a proper home, the search for a new home had been gone on for years now with no luck or success. Because Rudi and Valeria, and Rudi's parents who had led the tribe before Rudi took over after his father's death, did not want to burden the other macaw tribes and clans, they had moved out here to search for a new home by themselves, leading the other macaw tribes and clans to believe that they ALL perished in the flying foxes' attack though now they know that Lapis Lazuli had survived.

While Rudi and Valeria continued sending out patrol groups to continue the search for a new home and to keep an eye out for humans and predators, Levi was on a flight out with three of the glaucous macaw tribe members. The three macaws were two males named Santiago and Henri and the third was a female named Beatrice, the same mother macaw seen by Travis and his family. The three macaws had been commanded by Rudi to take Levi out training and learning the skills of jungle survival, some of which Levi already had, such as getting out of traps or entanglement in vines, foraging for food and building a nest. As the four flew along, three of them talked.

"When I found my daughter Cristal standing face to face with that weird parakeet with the crest, I had been alarmed," said the female named Beatrice, popping Levi's head as she unintentionally caught his attention. "Honestly, I had never seen such a strange parrot…"

"Oh, it's not important, Beatrice," said one of the males, Santiago, "What's more important is training this young male (referring to Levi) in the basics of jungle survival."

"Wasn't he accompanied by that white parrot with the yellow crest yesterday when he turned up with Lapis Lazuli and their four chicks?" asked Henri, the other male, "I haven't seen that bird anywhere today."

"That white parrot was a sulfur-crested cockatoo named Travis," said Levi, "He's one of our friends. The chick Beatrice's daughter saw was one of his sons Eustace."

"A what?" asked Henri confused.

"Sulfur-crested thingy-too?" said Santiago, "That's a species of parrot we haven't heard of."

"Sulfur-crested cockatoos aren't native to Brazil," said Levi.

"Well, let's just forget that subject;" said Henri firmly, "We've got training to do."

Then the four continued flying on through the trees.

"What was your name again?" Henri asked Levi.

"It's Levi," replied Levi.

"Right then, Levi," said Henri, "We're going to start with escaping from traps. I assume you already know how to get out of a tangle of vines, don't you?"

"Yes, I bite my way out with my beak," replied Levi.

"That's the method of trap escape," said Beatrice with a smile, "and you knew the answer to that which is a big important thing. The main purpose of this trip is to sharpen your current skills and introduce you to new skills like camouflage using the environment…"

"Camouflage?" repeated Levi, "How?"

"We'll get to that later," said Henri. The quartet continued flying on when suddenly, Santiago shouted, "GET DOWN!"

Suddenly, Levi felt a wing grab his own left one and pluck him out of the air. He was then immediately dragged into a cluster of leaves as Henri had quickly seized him by the wing upon hearing Santiago's warning. Santiago and Beatrice also hid in another cluster of leaves. Then Santiago parted the leaves and looked out. Levi, Beatrice and Henri did the same. They couldn't quite see but they did hear some noises but they weren't from natural creatures. Instead, the noises were from artificially made beasts, beeping and chugging emanating from some sort of machine concealed by a large barrier of trees. However through the gaps in the screen formed by the green vegetation, flashes of bright yellow and other unnatural colours were visible. Then the four glaucous macaws heard the sound of cracking and splintering accompanied by a large rustling of leaves. Along with these sounds, buzzing was heard which Levi recognised was from a human's cutting tool he had seen lumberjacks use to help cut down trees. The moment he identified the tool, he flinched from the awful sounds. He then turned to his three trainers though he already knew what the sounds' sources were.

"What are they?" he asked in a low voice. Henri looked at the blue-eyed glaucous macaw darkly.

"Loggers and their tree destroying machines," he murmured in a serious voice, "They're a real menace, those destroyers. So many animals have lost their homes because of those pesky humans and their destructive machines."

"We'd better monitor those loggers closely and see where they are heading," said Beatrice, "we'd better make sure that they aren't heading our way."

"That's the problem the Spix macaw tribe and the other macaw tribes and clans had to deal with," said Levi, "In fact logging was what caused the Spix macaw tribe to relocate so many times in the past before they found their ravine. Thankfully it's now been set up as a sanctuary..."

This was met by looks from the other three glaucous macaws.

"What do you mean the Spix macaw tribe's home has been set up as a sanctuary?" asked Henri suspiciously.

"How?" asked Beatrice, "Who has set the Spix macaw tribe's home as that?"

Levi was about to answer when a loud cracking of wood was heard. All four heads whipped round and saw the trees topple down before them. The barrier knocked down, the culprit was fully revealed. Levi gasped and flinched in horror when he saw a wheeled machine with bright yellow covering most of its surface. The machine's wheels were connected via a strip of metal which Levi had seen on a human's army vehicle called a tank. At the front of the thing was a colossal mouth-like thing with teeth serrated into the bottom lip. This 'mouth' was attached to the machine via two long poles, one at either side. Levi then saw that this thing was piloted by a human as he or she drove the thing into more trees, the mouth ramming into the trunks and pushing more trees down while smaller vegetation was mowed. Behind this machine and its driver, more humans dotted what appeared to be a clearing of bare soil with stumps, the bases of the trees that had been cut down. These stumps dotted the clearing. In the distance, more machines mowed the rainforest while some more machines worked on the trunks such as hoisting them onto more machines with some sort of container which Levi recognised as carrier trucks. Levi continued gazing at the scene in utter horror and awful awe. This was the first time he had seen the devastation caused by deforestation with his own two eyes in his life. Then Henri's voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Let's get out of here before those humans spot us," said he, "We must alert Rudi and Valeria about this at once."

And with that, the flour macaws abandoned their hiding spot and flew off back in the direction of the glaucous macaw tribe.

In the makeshift 'home' of the glaucous macaws, Lapis Lazuli was teaching Tristan, Quincy, Larimar and Trixie how to cut up a pineapple by showing them how it was done. As she did so, a turquoise glaucous macaw with a messy ruffle of curled feathers behind his head and green eyes flew in and perched beside Lapis Lazuli as she sliced up the pineapple with her beak while her four chicks watched.

"And that," said Lapis Lazuli, concluding the lesson by holding up the chopped up pineapple, "Is how we cut up pineapples. It is with our beaks."

It was then that she noticed Larimar gazing at something with wide eyes while the other three smiled, indicating that these three had been paying attention to the whole lesson.

"What is it, Larimar?" asked Lapis Lazuli, still unaware that Rodrigo was standing by her, looking at her.

"Hi, Lapis Lazuli," said Rodrigo, making the rich blue and grey macaw jump and whip her head in his direction. However, the moment her eyes landed on Rodrigo, disgust and bitterness boiled in them.

"You sure have a nerve to show your face, don't you, Rodrigo?" growled Lapis Lazuli disgustedly, before raising her voice to one of hostility. "What do you want!?"

As she snarled this, her feathers rose, making Rodrigo flinch. Rodrigo put his wings up to show that he meant no harm.

"No need to get snappy," said he timidly, "I just came to apologise to you about something that had happened between us years ago."

Lapis Lazuli only turned her attention to Tristan, Larimar, Quincy and Trixie and jerked her head slightly in a direction, saying to them with this wordless gesture, 'come on, kids, let's move'. The four chicks obeyed and took off. Lapis Lazuli then shot Rodrigo a glare.

"I'm afraid it's too late, Rodrigo," said she as she opened her wings to follow her chicks, "I don't have time for a talk."

And with that, she lofted into flight. Rodrigo, however, didn't want to leave Lapis Lazuli alone just yet so he lofted into flight after her.

"Look, I know you're still angry with me even after all these years, Lapis," said Rodrigo as he flew after Lapis Lazuli who didn't look at him. "B-b-but those bats were too powerful and too dangerously armed with those deadly weapons and there was no way I could save you…"

Still Lapis Lazuli did not answer and continued following her chicks.

"…I would have done, had I had the chance," continued Rodrigo despite his excuses falling on deaf ears, "But I would have been killed…"

"You DID have the chance to save me from those bats when I was cornered against the tree by them, Rodrigo," snapped Lapis Lazuli as she landed on a perch with her four chicks, before making eye contact with Rodrigo once again, "I was surrounded but you weren't, and you were MERELY a few metres away from me, close enough within range to seize me and carry me away from those bats. However, you didn't and instead, you just flew off to save your own skin despite the pleading look in my eyes, and left me to escape those savage flying furballs armed with weapons on my own, resulting in me being further separated from this tribe for well over ten years."

Rodrigo tried to protest but then guilt swept over him like a strong wind as he remembered that day. However, he tried to come up with more excuses.

"I-I-I was too afraid," he muttered, "I-I-I'm sorry."

"Not good enough," snapped Lapis Lazuli, "Ever since that day after escaping those bats, I had been severely heartbroken. You never didn't care about me at all, despite all the things you've said to me during our time as a boyfriend-girlfriend couple, such as how beautiful I am and how you loved me and cared for me and how you would EVEN risk your VERY LIFE to protect me whenever I was in danger. But you have thrown all that away by escaping to save your own skin and leaving me to escape those barbaric bats on my own. The promise that you will protect me with even your life turned out to be a MERE SHAM!"

Rodrigo tried to protest but Lapis Lazuli swept on. "And ever since I was forced to settle somewhere on my own with no other glaucous macaws around me before I met Levi, it took me months to overcome my broken heart."

"And then years later, you've found that guy and he's now your mate and the father of those four chicks," said Rodrigo pointing to Trixie, Quincy, Larimar and Tristan, which Lapis Lazuli gave a curt nod. Then Rodrigo looked on in appal.

"B-b-but I wanted to be the father of your chicks," he protested, "How have you met this Levi guy when the chances of meeting other glaucous macaws are incredibly slim due to our rarity?"

Lapis Lazuli bluntly turned her back on her former boyfriend. "That's not for you to know, Rodrigo, now go away and leave me and my chicks alone before I POUNCE ONTO YOU AND TEAR OUT YA FEATHERS!"

She screeched this threat to reinforce her point, and Rodrigo shuddered at it. Defeated and not wanting to face the wrath of his former girlfriend, he turned and lofted into flight, leaving Lapis Lazuli alone with her two sons and two daughters.

Just then, Levi, Henri, Santiago and Beatrice had returned. As they flew through the trees dotted with dozens and dozens and dozens of grey headed macaws with teal, turquoise and even rarer blue, plumages and yellow facial features with some flying about, Henri began to look around for Rudi and Valeria.

"Excuse me," he asked two of the passing glaucous macaws, "Have you seen Rudi and Valeria? We want to speak to them."

The two glaucous macaws didn't reply but pointed a talon in the direction of the leaders.

"Thank you," said Henri and he led Beatrice, Santiago and Levi in the direction. As soon as the four macaws found Valeria and Rudi as they continued sending out patrol groups, they flew over to them and touched down on the branch on which the two leaders sat. Rudi then saw then and turned to them.

"Hi, Henri, I thought you were taking Levi out to train," said the patriarch.

"We were but before we could start the first lesson," explained Henri, "We ran into some loggers."

When Rudi heard this, alarm exploded within him while Valeria whipped round upon hearing this after sending out another patrol group.

"Where?" shouted Valeria.

"Twenty minutes flight south-west from here," said Santiago, "I don't know which direction those loggers and their machines are heading but we must keep an eye on them."

"Alright, thanks for letting us know," said Rudi, "I'll send out a patrol group to monitor those loggers right away."

"Thanks," said Henri and with that, he nodded to Levi, Santiago and Beatrice and the four flew off to look for somewhere else to train Levi. Levi looked around as he flew through the community of the glaucous macaw tribe and felt a pang of pity for them. They indeed had no safe place to stay and were vulnerable and open to the dangers of logging and poaching.

'Those bird ecologists have just GOT to find this flock soon,' he thought, 'They've just GOT to'.

Then he followed his three trainers into the jungle.

Meanwhile

It was now mid-afternoon, the sun half way between its midday point and the western horizon and all the diurnal animals were up to their afternoon business. However, a big event was taking place at this time, a big and important event between two macaw tribes in a giant rock crater known as the Pit of Doom. The Pit of Doom was alive with the loud roar of perpetual squawking from two huge flocks of macaws and the ridges that ran around the wall of the giant crater which served as stands were covered by a blanket of colour. Half was dark navy blue while the other half was green. The Lear's and green macaws were preparing for their Pit of Doom match. Seated in front of the Lear's macaw tribe gathered at one side of the Pit were Valentino and Rosalind, their eyes ablaze with anger and wrath as they glared at the green macaws' leaders, Alonso and Verde. The green and Lear's macaws were booing and jeering at each other. Most were anyway. Among the green crowd, Aramis, Esmeralda, Chlorophyll and Petunia looked around with sombre eyes, especially at the Lear's macaws. Somewhere in the Lear's crowd near where Valentino and Rosalind were seated, D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Miranda, Jasmine and Annette, together with Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Rosa and Milo sat, saddened as the Lear's macaws around them jeered at the green macaws opposite them. While the two macaw tribes jeered at each other, two mammals took their stand on one ledge of the Pit. They were a tapir and a porcupine, the former which served as the announcer, and the latter, a commentator.

"Welcome, everyone," shouted the tapir announcer, who had an enormously big voice which was sometimes deafening to his porcupine friend and that rang and echoed through the massive Pit, "It sure is a nice day in the Pit of Doom isn't it?"

"Indeed it is," shouted the porcupine commentator, "In today's match between the Lear's macaws and the green macaws, it is for the entire camu-camu bush grove and the game will be played on the best of seven…"

In a hole in one side of the Pit of Doom below the stands, which was the scoremarker hole, two macaws, one from the green tribe and the other from the Lear's tribe, stood, glaring at each other. The name of the green tribe's scoremarker was Amelia and she was a military macaw and a cousin of Lewin and Luis the twin brothers. Like all military macaws, she was green, yellow, blue and red and her eyes were a shade of green unlike her near identical cousins. However she did have a short sheet of feathers similar to her cousins. The Lear's macaws' scoremarker was named Monique and she looked identical in body shape to Roxie, the Spix tribe's scoremarker and Cherie, the red tribe's scoremarker. However, her feathers were not a large ponytail-like flick but a few short flicks of feathers pointing forward over her face. Her eyes were a shade of green.

Apart from the hyacinth macaw clans as the hyacinth macaws were too large for Pit of Doom games and the macaws felt that their size and strength would give an unfair advantage against smaller bird species, all bird tribes and clans had a Pit of Doom team consisting of players, a goalie, a scoremarker which was always female and a team captain which was always male, as well as substitutes in the events of fouls that rendered players too injured to continue. The Spix tribe's team captain was Roberto and the scoremarker was Roxie; the red tribe's team captain was Felipe and their scoremarker was named Cherie who looked identical in body shape to Roxie; the blue-and-gold tribe's team captain was named Ignacio and their scoremarker was named Felicia, and the blue-throated macaw clan's team captain was named Franco and the scoremarker was named Teresa. The glaucous macaw tribe, before they were brutally driven out by the flying foxes, also once had a Pit of Doom team but that the team's Pit of Doom games role had, at the moment, become obsolete. None of the bird flocks had EVER had a Pit of Doom game with the flying fox colony due to those bats' savage attitude towards all birds of the Amazon. In fact, a tribe of parakeets tried to have a Pit of Doom game with the flying foxes but they had been ruthlessly slaughtered in the Pit. Since then, games against the flying foxes had been strictly forbidden amongst the birds.

Amelia and Monique glared at each other bitterly. At their feet was a pile of seven dragonfruit which will serve as counting points for each goal the scoremarkers' team would score. The fruit and the number of them used varied. When the Spix tribe had their match against the red tribe for the whole Brazil nut grove, Cherie and Roxie had used Brazil nuts to mark their respective teams' scores and score rules had been set to the first team to reach a set number of goals. However, the Lear's and green macaws had opted for the odd-number option instead. While Amelia and Monique bitterly glared at each other, in the main space above the pool, the teams prepared for action. The Lear's macaws' team led by Waldo did some sort of taunting dance. Opposite them, Lewin who led the green team, also danced and taunted the Lear's macaws. At the same time, the goalies took up their positions in the goals formed by rock arches on opposite ends of the aerial stadium. While all this happened, D'Artagnan began to try and talk with Valentino.

"Excuse me," he said, "Can I…"

"Look, just sit back down and watch, Darcy," snapped Valentino harshly, "You're the one who brought this on us."

As he said this, D'Artagnan was met with bitter glares from the row of substitutes with some of them spitting insults at him. Defeated and seeing that his attempts to explain things will get him nowhere, he sat back down beside Sapphire and his daughters and cockatoo friends. In the green crowd, Aramis tried to pick out D'Artagnan and Sapphire.

"D'Artagnan's in serious trouble now," Esmeralda told him, "He crossed into our side, haven't you heard?"

"But how" asked Aramis as he held Chlorophyll on his lap, "I thought he knew better."

"Look, Mom, Dad," shouted Petuina who sat to Aramis's right excitedly, "The team captains."

Aramis and his family turned their eyes onto the central rock column which served as the starting stand.

This was Aramis, Chlorophyll and Petuinia's first time in watching a Pit of Doom game but the soccer games played were serious and not fun much to their surprise. Esmeralda had explained to them why. It was definitely better than a typical war involving fighting as both opposing sides would end up with casualties having often serious injuries. However, fighting sometimes does occur in Pit of Doom games at times, and the red tribe's team was renowned for doing just that with the Spix team when the two tribes used to hate each other; the red team members would deliberately cause fouls and pretend it was an accident but Esmeralda had told Aramis that the green tribe's team also played rough with the Lear's macaws. As before, games against the flying foxes were strictly forbidden due to how they treated their opponents like how they did with that parakeet Pit of Doom team. On the central rock column, Lewin and Waldo stared each other down, their eyes flooded with bitter hatred boring into each other. Their feathers were raised.

"Lewin!" snarled Waldo bitterly.

"Waldo," growled Lewin. Then a bird, a bare-faced curassow appeared with a small yellow and orange motmot on wing.

"Ready?" said the curassow which was the referee.

"Heads," said Lewin.

"Tails," said Waldo. Then the referee threw the motmot, which was the coin-toss bird, into the air. The little bird spun until she fell onto the rocky surface between the two macaws, landing on her backside. Her face twisted with pain from the impact but since she was sitting with her head up, it signified heads. The referee then picked up the coin toss bird and set down a fruit shell which will serve as the ball. Lewin immediately kicked it and passed it to another member of the green team, a great green macaw who then passed it to another green macaw to the cheers of the green tribe. Lear's macaws gave chase, trying to get the ball.

"Oooh, look at Bastian go, everyone," shouted the tapir commentator, "He's surely an agile macaw he is…"

As he said this, the green macaw, a male military named Bastian, dribbled the ball agilely over, under and past any Lear's macaw that came his way. Then suddenly, a navy blue and teal blur shot in and nabbed the ball right out of his talons.

"Excuse me, you feathered colourful fruit, this is mine," tittered the blue form mockingly. As the form snatched the ball from Bastian's talons, the commentator shouted, "Oooh, Waldo has taken the ball right from Bastian, everyone."

Bastian then shot Waldo a thunderous glare as the Lear's macaw flashed him a sweet smile laced with condescension while dribbling the ball away. As he dribbled, the Lear's macaws cheered wildly while the green macaws jeered. Waldo then flew towards the goal only to be confronted by three green macaws. Thinking quickly, Waldo shot the ball to another Lear's macaw who then shot the ball at the goal where the green macaws' goalie was waiting. However, the green macaw caught it.

"Oooh, it was close, everyone," said the tapir, "Daysi almost scored a goal but Nalda the goalie has saved it."

The goalie named Nalda then passed the ball to one of the green macaws and that green macaw then began to dribble the ball in the direction of the Lear's macaws' goal, Lear's macaws in hot pursuit. D'Artagnan watched in awe as the green macaws swiftly passed the ball between each other with Lear's macaws giving chase. Then suddenly, Waldo shot in and snatched the ball right from under a female great green macaw's beak and began to agilely dribble back towards the green team's goal where Nalda was. He rapidly dodged every green macaw that came his way by flying over, under or around them. He sometimes sent two green macaws crashing into each other and then as soon as he was near the green macaws' goal, Waldo gave the ball a powerful kick, sending it zooming past Nalda, who failed to save it in time and into the goal.

"GOOOAAAL!" shouted the tapir, "What an amazing shoot from Waldo, everyone!"

The Lear's macaws erupted in an uproarious cheering while the greens screeched in frustration. D'Artagnan looked on in admiration. In the scoremarker's hole, Monique gleefully picked up the first dragonfruit and set in on a ledge above her to mark Waldo's score, much to Amelia's fury and the green macaw actually trembled with rage.

Soon the game was back on track after the referee blew a whistle squawk and the ball was recovered. Starting from the central rock column again, Waldo kicked the ball and passed it to Archie who then passed it to a female member of the Lear's team. As the female Lear's macaw dribbled the ball, a green blur shot in and snatched the ball. Luis, Lewin's twin brother, had zoomed in and had managed to sneakily take the ball much to the Lear's macaw's frustration. As Luis began to quickly dribble the ball in the direction of the Lear's goal with the Lear's goalie waiting with Lear's macaws in hot pursuit, the commentator said, "Wow, look at Luis go, everyone! He's zooming past three Lear's macaws and has passed the ball to Drake…"

A male great green macaw named Drake then took the ball and dribbled the ball towards the goal where the Lear's macaw goalie was. Then with a powerful backflip and kick, Drake sent the ball flying like a comet into the goal. The Lear's macaw goalie tried to save it but the ball flew over his wing and into the goal.

"GOOOAAAL!" shouted the tapir, "What an amazing shot from Drake there! Straight over Paolo the Lear's goalie's wing it did!"

The green macaws then cheered as Amelia, a mocking smile at Monique eagerly picked up the second dragonfruit and set it on the ledge above her to mark one-all to both sides, Monique glaring at her. Drake then shouted to the Lear's players, "Haha, eat THIS, Lear's brats!"

Soon the ball was retrieved and the next game started from the central rock column. During this game, Archie dribbled the ball in Nalda the green goalie's direction when he found himself confronted by a wall of four green macaws. Immediately, Archie passed the ball to Daysi who then began to dribble the ball. However, something nasty happened. As Daysi dribbled the ball towards Nalda and the green macaws' goal, Lewin hovered behind her and shot in towards her at high speed. However, rather than take the ball, he deliberately ploughed right into Daysi's back, making the Lear's macaw screech in pain. This was met by gasps of horror and shock, as well as flinches, from the Lear's crowd and an "OI!" from Valentino. D'Artagnan flinched harshly when he saw the incident, as did Aramis and Esmeralda in the green blanket.

"Oooh, looks like we've had an accident, folks," said the tapir in shock, "Daysi's been put out of action as a result of Lewin's tackle."

As he said this, two Lear's macaws with a large leaf came in and took Daysi away. Daysi looked in pain and was clutching her hurt back with a twisted face. However, the Lear's macaws that had seen the incident were outraged.

"How was THAT an accident!?" screeched Waldo. As he said this, the curassow referee flew in and presented Lewin with the motmot's yellow face.

"Foul!" said the referee.

"Oh, come on," muttered Lewin, "It was only an accident, like the tapir said."

"No, you did that on PURPOSE!" shouted Archie nearby. Lewin blew Archie a raspberry and flew away as Valentino sent in a substitute to replace Daysi. Soon the game was back on track which ended with another female Lear's macaw named Susana scoring the goal, making the Lear's macaw crowd go into an uproar as the tapir shouted, "what an amazing score from Susana there! It's time for the Mexican wave!"

And with that, while Susana's teammates including Waldo tossed her into the air and chanted her name much to the green macaws' disgust and fury, the navy blue and teal crowd sent a pulse of wings coursing through them. The wave travelled from one side of the navy blue sea to the other. As it passed over them, Sapphire, D'Artagnan, Annette, Miranda and Jasmine just remained seated. The wave continued travelling around until it finally reached the last Lear's macaw seated next to the green macaws. The adjacent green macaws just glared at the Lear's macaws disdainfully before turning to face the game again. In the scoremarker hole, Monique had picked up the third dragonfruit and had set it on the ledge above her with the first to mark one-two to the Lear's macaws. Amelia bitterly glared at her as she did it but Monique responded with a smug smile. Over the next six scores, a lot has happened. Lewin has managed to score a goal for the greens by shooting the ball straight at Paolo and have it bounce off his beak, much to the wincing of the Lear's macaws and then into the goal, scoring the second goal for the green macaws and making the greens go in to a Mexican wave of their own. The third score for the green macaws was done by a female member of the green macaws named Hayle and the third score for the Lear's macaws was done by Waldo. However, during these games, a few macaws ended up as casualties during the rough and tough game. Waldo had accidentally collided with Drake when trying to take the ball from him and had received a yellow from the referee which marked a foul, four Lear's macaws were taken out of action as they were deliberately attacked by two green macaws, forcing Valentino into sending four more replacements while they had to be carried off from the aerial stadium, and a male Lear's macaw named Lucas had deliberately injured Luis's foot by pretending to tackle him to take the ball but struck him instead, earning a foul from the referee. Luis had to be taken off the stadium and replaced by one of the substitutes by Alonso. The scores was now three all for both sides with only one dragonfruit left.

"The scores are now three all, everyone," shouted the tapir, "The last score will determine the fate of the entire camu-camu fruit grove!"

"Absolutely," said the porcupine, "And that fate will be whichever team wins the game."

Valentino looked on tensely. He was clearly worried for the Lear's macaws' side of the camu-camu fruit grove but he had his trust in the team. He then eyed the number of substitutes and saw that he was down to one.

"Good job, Lear's macaw team," shouted he, "Now all you have to do is score the final goal and the entire camu-camu fruit grove will be ours."

Rosalind sat and looked on silently as the ball was retrieved and the game started up for one final time. Waldo kicked the ball and passed it to Hayle who then passed it to another member of the Lear's macaw team with green macaws in hot pursuit. Alonso was shouting from the green tribe crowd, "Go on, green macaws; don't let the Lear's macaws score the final goal!"

As he said this, one of the great green macaws rocketed at the Lear's macaw that had the ball and ploughed into his stomach, much to the flinching of many of the macaws. From the green macaw crowd, Aramis flinched while Esmeralda covered her beak in shock. Chlorophyll and Petunia looked on in shock as well and Petunia actually released a shriek. As the Lear's macaw fell towards the pool at the bottom of the Pit, clutching his stomach in agony, his teammates swooped down and caught him before he could fall into the water which was infested with piranha fish. The teammates then hoisted him back into the Lear's macaw crowd to be treated while the green macaw that had attacked him received a foul from the referee. Valentino then sent in the last substitute to replace the injured macaw and the game was back on track. However, it wasn't long until another Lear's macaw was taken out of action by a military macaw who landed a claw strike on her wing while flying past for the ball.

"Oooh, looks like we have another foul, folks," said the tapir, "This time, Violeta's involved as Ted has scratched her on the right wing."

Valentino sighed with a wing on his forehead as Violeta was rescued from the stadium and hoisted back to the Lear's macaw crowd by two Lear's macaw first aiders, her left wing clutching her scratched right. When Valentino saw that he had no substitutes left, he began to despair.

"It looks like Valentino has no substitutes left, everyone," said the tapir, "He's going to have to find another macaw to replace Violeta or the game will be forfeited."

Rosalind, at this, nudged Valentino.

"We must send in another macaw to replace Violeta, dear. We can't afford to forfeit the game," she said seriously, "It's too important. The fate of our side of the camu-camu fruit grove depends on it."

Valentino shot her a glare. "But how? I've no substitutes left."

As he said this, D'Artagnan walked in.

"Let me be the substitute, Valentino," he said. This was met by a distrustful glare from Rosalind and Valentino and a shocked look from Sapphire, Travis and Sunset.

"D'Artagnan, no!" cried Sunset.

"Don't you realise how rough it is out there, Dart?" asked Travis.

"You could get injured," added Sapphire, "Those green macaws are reckless players!"

Miranda, Jasmine, Annette, Eustace, Rosa and Milo also protested against D'Artagnan going into the stadium. However, D'Artagnan ignored his family and cockatoo friends' protests and continued insisting on replacing Violeta.

"Please, Valentino," insisted D'Artagnan, "Send me into the stadium. After all, I'm the macaw accused of bringing us into this whole mess."

In the aerial stadium, the players hovered, waiting for Valentino to make the decision while the green macaws looked on. Among the green crowd, Aramis and his family gazed at D'Artagnan in awe and shock.

"It's not wise for him to join the game," said Esmeralda, "He could get injured."

As she said this, some surrounding green macaws looked at her and Aramis with suspicious eyes. However, Aramis, Esmeralda, Chlorophyll and Petunia didn't notice.

Valentino continued thinking, D'Artagnan continuing to stand and stare insistently and pleadingly at him. Across the stadium, Alonso and Verde stared at Valentino blankly as the curassow referee flew in with the motmot in her talons and said, "Well, Valentino, what's your choice? Shall we forfeit the game? If you don't have a substitute…"

At the last second, Valentino interrupted and said, "No, I'll send in a substitute."

And with that, he reluctantly nodded to D'Artagnan, who triumphantly jumped and shouted, "YES!"

The referee then smiled and flew away, D'Artagnan lofting himself into flight to join the Lear's macaws. As he entered the stadium, shocked faces flared up from the teammates while the green macaws jeered.

"Darcy!?" shouted Waldo. The other Lear's macaws also looked on in shock. However, one Lear's macaw wore a look of scorn as he watched D'Artagnan join them.

"Look, let's just finish this game," said the referee to Waldo, "What Valentino has decided is done. There's no going back on it."

At first, Waldo looked back in shock but then relented. Then the Lear's and green macaw teams prepared for action with D'Artagnan involved.

"Looks like Valentino has sent in one of the macaws from the crowd, everyone," shouted the tapir, "Who goes by the name of Darty or whatever it is. Anyway, let's watch the test of the game. There's only one dragonfruit left!"

Sapphire looked on from the crowd as she watched her mate prepare for action.

"Be careful, D'Artagnan," she murmured. From the green crowd, Aramis and Esmeralda also showed concern for D'Artagnan.

"He's going to end up injured," said Esmeralda, "I know it."

Nearby, some green macaws began to talk about Esmeralda and Aramis, suspicion written all over their faces. Then seconds later, at the whistle squawk of the referee, the ball was tossed between talons again. Waldo kicked the ball toward another Lear's macaw who then kicked it to another before a green macaw could take it. Then the macaw began to dribble the ball with green macaws in hot pursuit.

"Whooa, look at Pedro go, everyone," shouted the tapir, "He's dodged two green macaws and… oooh, he's nearly collided with Drake…"

The macaw named Pedro had narrowly managed to escape a collision with Drake by sharply kicking the ball in another direction. D'Artagnan flew alongside the other Lear's macaws as they tried to get into position about the green macaw opponents.

"Hey, pass to me," he shouted, "I'm right here!"

"Oh, shut up, newbie," snarled one of the green macaws.

"Yeah, why don't you return to the Lear's macaw crowd where you belong?" asked another green macaw mockingly. D'Artagnan, however, ignored them and continued trying to get into position to catch the ball.

"I'm over here," he yelled as Pedro shot the ball to Hayle. The moment Hayle received the ball, five green macaws surrounded her. Hayle, at this, looked around quickly when she heard D'Artagnan's shouting,

"Over here!" called D'Artagnan as he hovered in free space. Seeing no other choice, Hayle made the pass to D'Artagnan before any of the green macaws could snatch the ball from her. The ball flew towards D'Artagnan but the ball ricocheted off his chest, causing a wincing reaction from many of the macaws including Sapphire, Miranda, Jasmine, Annette, Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Milo and Rosa and also Aramis, Esmeralda, Chlorophyll and Petunia who held their wings over their beaks in shock. The ball flew up and landed into D'Artagnan's talons. However, no sooner than he had caught it, D'Artagnan looked up to see a large mob of green and Lear's macaws come rocketing towards him like a massive thundercloud. Petrified by the incoming mob, the grey-eyed Lear's macaw froze in horror.

"Dribble the ball," shouted Valentino. However, D'Artagnan still hovered there as the crowd of Lear's and green macaws continued towards him, grey eyes full of fear.

"Dribble the ball, you idiot!" screeched Valentino. Aramis then began to shout from the green crowd.

"D'Artagnan, dribble the ball or you'd be hurt!" he called. This move definitely attracted some of the surrounding macaws' attention and they looked up at him suspiciously. Chlorophyll and Petunia both screamed as the mob of green with blue, red and yellow and navy blue with teal feathers were seconds away from D'Artagnan.

"DRIBBLE THE BALL!" shouted Valentino loudly. D'Artagnan then felt panic set in. Without another second's hesitation, he kicked the ball and began to dribble it away from the mob of Lear's and green macaws.

"That's it, D'Artagnan," shouted Waldo, "You know where the green macaws' goal is. It's over there!"

And with that, he indicated with a talon.

"Alright, thanks," shouted D'Artagnan as he began to agilely dribble the ball towards the goal where Nalda was. As he did so, his speed and agility began to show, much to the amazement of the crowd.

"Wow, look at Darty go, everyone," shouted the tapir, "He's super-fast!"

"Yeah, and despite him being a newcomer," said the porcupine, "He's got boosters in his feathers."

Indeed D'Artagnan had boosters in his feathers. He was practically shooting around each and every green macaw that came his way and the green macaws were having trouble trying to tackle him. Some green macaws were sent colliding into each other while some more narrowly avoided colliding with the stadium wall. From the green crowd, Alonso and Verde watched on disdainfully as D'Artagnan inched closer and closer to the goal where Nalda was. However, as D'Artagnan kicked the ball to shoot as soon as he was near Nalda, a green, yellow, blue and red blur shot in and took the ball, whacking him with a wing in the process. At first D'Artagnan was stunned but when he recovered, he saw an aqua blue eyed military macaw make off with the ball.

"You're gonna pay for trespassing on our side, you Lear's pest," shouted the macaw named Lewin scornfully. D'Artagnan, a determined look on his face creeping in, rocketed after Lewin.

"Lewin's got the ball and he's got Lear's macaws in hot pursuit," said the tapir, "And he's passed it to Coco…"

A female green macaw named Coco then took the ball and continued dribbling it towards the goal where Paolo the Lear's goalie was waiting. As she did so, Waldo flew in and tried to take the ball from her but Coco slyly spread a wing across the ball to block him. However, another navy blue blur shot in and took the ball. Coco looked up in astonishment to see that it was D'Artagnan. However, that astonishment soon flashed to disdainful fury.

"YOU!" she shouted, "I should have known it was you comet bird."

D'Artagnan didn't answer and began to try and agilely dribble the ball back in Nalda the green goalie's direction to the cheer of the Lear's macaws and the tapir's glorious shouts. However, something happened.

As D'Artagnan found himself confronted by a wall of green macaws and was forced to change direction, going in Paolo's direction and planning to dribble the ball in a curve around the green macaws, Archie flew in, his eyes locked onto the ball. D'Artagnan then dribbled the ball past Paolo and the Lear's macaw's goal when suddenly; a navy blue blur rocketed in and crashed into him from behind.

"Oooh, looks like the newcomer's been hit by one of his teammates, folks," shouted the tapir. The macaws, especially Sapphire, Miranda, Jasmine and Annette, winced. The collision had made D'Artagnan kick the ball upward, rendering it free to be kicked by one of the green macaws. Lewin, seeing the opportunity, immediately and without hesitation seized it. He shot towards the ball and, with an elegant backflip, kicked the ball towards the goal where Paolo was waiting. When D'Artagnan recovered from the collision, he looked around and saw the ball fly towards the Lear's macaw goalie. Horror flooded within him but there was not much that could be done now. Everyone held their breath as the ball flew towards Paolo and he reached a wing to save it. Rosalind and Valentino looked on with open beaks and Alonso and Verde hopeful, Sapphire and her daughters and Travis and his family looking on in worry, Aramis, Esmeralda and their two chicks looking on in despair. Paolo tried to save the ball but the ball flew over his wing and careened straight into the goal with a clicking noise as it hit the back of the rock arch. At first, there was silence but then the referee's whistle squawk broke it, followed by an enormous shout from the tapir.

"GOOOOAAAAL!" he shouted at the top of his voice, "Looks like Lewin has made the final score! The green macaw tribe wins the ENTIRE camu-camu FRUIT GROVE!"

Then within a split-second, the air above the green macaws was shattered by a HUGE uproar from those macaws (apart from Aramis and his family). In the scoremarker hole, Amelia immediately and ecstatically seized the last and final dragonfruit and poked a tongue out at Monique, who flopped her wings down and screamed "NOOO!"

The Lear's macaws, meanwhile, were crying and wailing in UTMOST despair. Valentino was especially screeching like a little newly hatched chick.

"NOOOOOOO!" he bellowed, "OUR CAMU-CAMU FRUIT! OUR PRECIOUS CAMU-CAMU FRUIT!"

Rosalind also cried as tears flowed from her eyes. In the stadium, Lewin's teammates came and tossed him into the air and chanted his name, Lewin wearing a jubilant look on his face. Through his jubilation, he shot the Lear's macaws a smug look. D'Artagnan, realising that the last score was made by one of the green macaws, and feeling pain from his back, immediately felt tears well in his eyes. Archie, who had been behind him when Lewin had made the final score, shot the distressed Lear's macaw a disdainful glare which added to the Lear's macaw's already-agonised devastation.

"Now look what you've done, you brat!" he screeched. This finally sent D'Artagnan over the edge. Loud sobs escaping his throat, he retreated to the side of the stadium and began to cry his eyes out. Some of the green macaws let loose a mocking laugh as they watched him fly off in tears. Valentino and Rosalind continued looking on in utter shock at what had just happened, tears falling down their cheeks.

"Our camu-camu fruit," murmured Rosalind in a strangled voice. Just then, a green, yellow, blue and red form flew in and landed beside the two Lear's macaw tribe leaders. A smug, triumphant, mocking and scornful look was plastered all over his face.

"Oooh, look at you both," crooned the macaw, which was Alonso, in an equally mocking voice tone, "Cryin' your eyes out like as pair of big chicks. Well, this is the conclusion. You've lost your side of the camu-camu fruit grove and will now have to look for substitutes from now on. So long, losers!"

Then with a final mocking laugh as a parting shot, Alonso took off to follow his tribe as they lifted off from their stands, the green, red, blue and yellow blanket rising, leaving Rosalind and Valentino to weep. Sapphire, Annette, Miranda and Jasmine, together with Travis, Sunset, Eustace, Milo and Rosa then looked around for D'Artagnan. However, what happened next shocked both tribes. As the green macaw tribe continued to ascend, their ascent was abruptly stopped and heads in the flock turned in the direction of D'Artagnan. The Lear's macaws were also especially shocked, but the ones who were most astonished were Alonso and Valentino. Both flocks looked on as a family of four great green macaws flew towards D'Artagnan.