Chapter 26- someone has gone missing!
Zoie continued leading the stargazing group as they flew quickly through the forest with the fire close behind them. To the group's relief, the missiles of fleeing birds had subsided and the defending macaws no longer had to deal with any more feathered comets threatening to hit the macaws carrying the chicks and send chicks flying everywhere. No chick had been lost which all the adults were glad for. However, no-one had noticed that one of the Spix macaws had gone missing. As the stargazing group continued rocketing on, Porthos stole a glance at the fire behind the group. The proximity of the flames to the group was startling. The formerly domesticated and muscularly built blue-and-gold macaw shuddered and kept a firm grip on Azul who was extremely scared and screaming as he, like every other chick in the group watched the fire pursue them. Porthos hoped that this would be the only time he would experience a forest fire and hoped that he would never, ever experience an inferno like this again. Fire was useful, Porthos knew that, but if it were ever allowed to get out of control or fall into the wrong hands, he knew how destructive it can become. Suddenly, Zoie's cries snapped Porthos out of his thoughts. However, these cries weren't those of fright, but of utter relief.
"Oh, Porthos, you're safe," cried the blue-and-gold tribe matriarch. Blu, who held Virgil and Bia and had his fanny pack on him, looked up and saw a group of macaws approach the stargazing group. It was a group of blue-and-gold macaws, sent by Soleado to pick up Porthos and the others with him to take back to the blue-and-gold macaw tribe. With them was Orquidea and when she saw Porthos and Azul, she made a beeline for them.
"Porthos!" she cried.
"Orquidea!" cried Porthos and with that, Orquidea flew over to him and kissed him.
"I thought you'd have died in the fire," cried Orquidea.
"Zoie," cried one of the patrollers at the front of the group, "I'm glad you and your stargazing group are still alive."
"Let's get you to safety, and quick!" said another patroller. Zoie nodded and turned to the stargazing group.
"Everyone follow Henrique and the patrol group," she commanded in a loud voice, "And as always, stay together. Now LET'S MOVE!"
The stargazers obeyed without hesitation and flew off after the patrol group led by Henrique, one of Orquidea's childhood friends. The group then took off with Zoie close behind, the fire raging and spreading to the next plants behind them. As the group flew on, some more macaws flew in. This time the group was blue or cerulean with blue-white faces. Blu immediately recognised two of the macaws at the front and immediately flew over to them.
"Zephyr, Tornado!" he cried.
"Blu," cried Zephyr and with that, he flew over to him and hugged him. After the two males broke the brief hug, the other Spix macaws in the stargazing group flew over to the Spix macaw patrol group.
"You lot head back to your tribe's ravine, and quick," commanded Zoie, "We're so sorry about this mess."
"Yeah, don't worry about us," said Athos who had Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia in his talons, "We'll be fine. Zoie's going to take us to her tribe's evacuation pint unless a patrol group from my and Felipe's tribe comes in to collect us."
"Don't worry, Zoie, it wasn't your fault," said Tornado. Then Zephyr began to look for Aurora.
"Aurora," he called. The other stargazers began to look around but could not find the pigtailed female with them at all. The moment they realised that Aurora wasn't with the group, horror tore through all the macaws like a lightning bolt, especially Zephyr, Porthos and Athos. Panic and dread then boiled within Zephyr as he began to frantically cry for his mate. Athos and Blu looked around with a horrified expression on their faces.
"That can't be," screeched Athos, "She was right with us."
"Where could she go?" called Blu. Then a Spix macaw patroller's voice sounded.
"Wait, where's Jewel?" he asked. This made all macaws whip round and to their horror, Jewel was missing as well. Tornado felt a torrent of dread crash into him as he had a horrible thought.
"Oh, no," he muttered, "Don't tell me she and Aurora have…"
And with that, he turned his head in the direction of the sea of flames. Zephyr also looked at the fire, a mortified expression on his face. Then Zoie's voice broke through the horror.
"We need to get these macaws to safety," she called impatiently as the fire crept closer to the group, coughing from the smoke, "I'm sorry but we don't have time to be hovering here. It's too dangerous."
Blu, who also stared at the flames, then began to make his decision. Passing Bia and Virgil to one of the Spix macaw patrollers, he said, "Here, take these two to their families back in the ravine's waterfall cave! I'm gonna look for Jewel!"
And with that, the brown-eyed Spix macaw rocketed off in the direction of the flames. Tornado called after him.
"Blu, get back here! It's too dangerous," he called, "Blu, BLU!"
However, Blu was already out of earshot and had disappeared into the flames. Bia and Virgil called for Blu before Zephyr then decided to look for Aurora.
"You lot get to safety, I'm gonna look for Aurora in the fire," he cried. Tornado seized his son by the sides with his talons and shook him violently.
"You are NOT gonna go into the flames, son," he snarled.
"But Dad," protested Zephyr but Tornado swept on.
"No, I am NOT gonna lose you again!" retorted his dad angrily, "Remember what happened last time when we were torn from our tribe with your mother and sister!"
He then released Zephyr and looked at him but Zephyr's determined expression remained.
"I'm NOT going to allow my beloved star flower to perish in the fire, Dad," he retorted, "If she is ever found missing or dead, I'll never forgive myself."
There was a brief moment of silence among the group.
"Guys, we'd better get going," said Zoie warily as the fire crept closer. Zephyr and Tornado continued glaring at each other, Tornado against Zephyr's idea of going into the inferno for his safety and Zephyr determined to rescue Aurora. After this, Athos made the decision.
"Zephyr, you try and find Aurora but do be careful!" he called, "While we get to safety."
"Right," said Zephyr. Tornado then reluctantly decided to go along.
"I'm coming with you," he said, "I don't want to risk losing you again like I've said before."
"Then let's get to it," said Zoie and with that, the group split up. Zephyr and Tornado flew off in the direction of the flames while the rest continued their journey. Zephyr then shot the macaw carrying Bia and Virgil and said, "You look after our chicks while we look for Aurora. Also take care of Carla, Bia and Tiago, won't you!"
The macaw nodded while Virgil cried after his dad and grandfather as they disappeared into the blazing trees. However, he and Bia were soon carried off by the macaw as he flew off with the other Spix macaws. The Spix macaws then split from the red and blue-and-gold macaws and rocketed off in the direction of the Spix tribe's ravine while everyone else headed off for the blue-and-gold macaws' home patch.
"Have a safe flight," cried Porthos after the Spix macaws, but they were already out of earshot. He continued his flight after Orquidea and the other red and blue and yellow macaws, Azul in tow.
A while later, the patrol group sent by Felipe had found the stargazing group to collect Athos, Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia and the other scarlet and green-winged macaws. Like the blue-and-gold macaw patrollers they were glad to see the red macaws alive and well, but their rendezvous with Zoie's group was short-lived. After saying goodbye to the blue-and-gold macaws the patrol group then escorted Athos and the other red macaws with him back to Felipe's tribe's home patch and the cave where the other were waiting, while the blue-and-gold macaws made a hasty flight to the other blue-and-gold macaws' home patch and cavern.
The Spix macaw patrol group and the stargazers continued flying back in the direction of the Spix macaws' ravine, the fire raging some distance away. Bia and Virgil were frightened, as were the other Spix chicks that had come stargazing with them. The fire had taken the group by surprise. As the Spix macaw group continued flying through the dark forest still unlit by the fire, they saw an old and large Spix macaw approach them. The Spix macaw at the front recognised him.
"Eduardo," he called and with that, he shot off towards him, the others following. When the large old bird, Eduardo, saw the patrollers, relief flooded within them.
"Oh, Artie, what a relief," cried the Spix tribe patriarch. As the Spix macaw patrollers and stargazers met their patriarch, the lead patroller, Artie began to explain everything.
"The red and blue-and-gold macaws have been picked up by a patrol group sent by Soleado," he said, "So they're in safe hands."
"Oh, good," said Eduardo. He then realised that Blu and Aurora were not with them.
"Where are Blu and Aurora?" he asked, "And also Jewel, Zephyr and Tornado? Those three had gone out to look for you."
This was met by a horrified look on the patrol and stargazing group. They did not want to answer this question, knowing how Eduardo would react, especially to Jewel's absence. But seeing how close the fire was getting to the group, they decided to leave for the ravine first. Meanwhile, the blue-and-gold macaw patrol group had led the blue-and-gold macaws that had joined the stargazing group to the underground cave where they were reunited with their families and friends. They had made it in time as well for the fire had begun to consume the blue-and-gold macaws' home trees. Orquidea, Porthos, Azul and Wilbur were reunited, as were Ignacio, Sandra and Preciosa, and Zoie had reunited with Soleado and Tobias. Then after everything had settled down in the cavern, the blue-and-gold tribe, along with their glaucous macaw guests, began to brace for the worst as the fire continued to spread throughout the blue-and-gold macaws' home trees. The red macaws had also made it back to their tribe's home patch and had made a beeline for the cave. Reunion had also taken place between the stargazers and their families and friends, especially Ruby with Athos, Alexandre, Spinel and Poinsettia and Ramon with Sheldon and Dani. It had been a tearful reunion, especially for Ruby who had been plagued by thoughts of Athos and her three chicks being found burned after the fire.
Alexandre and his sisters had been badly shaken, as had Athos and the usually brave macaw was trembling violently all over. With the red macaws, Alonso and Valentino's patrol groups had taken shelter in the red tribe's cave for it was now too late and dangerous to return to green and Lear's tribes' territories with the fire raging outside.
In the blue-throated and Bluewing hyacinth clans' home patch, dark blue and yellow-orange (with some lighter blue and yellow) and navy blue birds were filling their evacuation spot, a large island in the middle of a lake in their territory in a large clearing, unlike the other bird tribes and clans, whose evacuation point was some sort of cave. The large island however did have a small cave and also some trees and bushes, which were withered like the other plants from the drought. The large space between these trees and the surrounding trees on the edge of the lake provided a barrier against the fire thus making this patch of land an ideal evacuation point for the Bluewings and the blue-throated macaws did not have a large cave to take refuge in, and the island was big enough to shelter two clans of macaws. As the hyacinth and blue-throated macaws headed for the island, termed the evacuation island, Violeta and Reynaldo's mate, Anita were guiding macaws to various spots. Macaws carried eggs and chicks too young to fly as well as much of the fruit that had been hoarded into a storage tree, knowing that the tree would catch fire due to it being close to the other trees, burning the fruit inside. Demetrio and Reynaldo were ushering the macaws out of the home patch and shouting orders to evacuate. Demetrio's voice was the loudest, and it sounded like a booming horn. Demetrio would only shout like this if he wanted to get the macaws' attention, to bark orders or to give a misbehaved macaw or outsider a good telling off. While he and Reynaldo continued shouting at the macaws to leave their trees, Ariel and her family, her mother Carolina and her father and sister, along with the other macaws flew toward the evacuation island. The lake around the island was clearly shrunken. Cracked mud was visible around the rim where the soil had contracted from losing water to the intense heat, and it was visible even in the dark somewhat. Here and there, fish corpses littered the area after those fish ended up stranded from the shrinking water body and exposed to the hot sun where they perished. As her family flew over the desiccated lake, Ariel shuddered at the fish carcasses.
The lake had suffered worse loss of water before and at one time, it had completely dried up. However, there was no time for the macaws to stop and gaze in worry at the dried up lake. They had to get to safety from the fire. The blue-throated macaws were directed by Anita toward the small cave while the hyacinth macaws were directed by Violeta toward the trees. Ariel and her family followed the other blue-throated macaws toward the small cave where they settled into a soft spot amongst the sea of rich blue and yellow-orange. Ariel and her sister then settled under Carolina's wings as she settled into a soft hole in the soil on the cave floor. Then as soon as the clan was in the cave, the blue-throated macaw flock, together with the Bluewings in the trees, began to watch the fire consume their main home patch.
In the Navyfeather Clan's territory, the hyacinth macaws were also moving to their evacuation point, another cave under a stream. This cave was large enough to house a clan of large macaws with lots of room to spare. As the Navyfeather Clan continued entering the cave, Phoebe, Cobalto, Indigo and Zebedee settled into a bed of moss. Cobalto placed a large bag of collected fruit aside and then flew off to help the other hyacinth macaws carry chicks and eggs into the cave. Zebedee and Indigo looked very frightened.
"What are we gonna do, Mommy?" squeaked Indigo.
"We're going to stay here until the fire dies down, sweetie," said Phoebe as she checked the bag of fruit. The hyacinth macaws had collected the fruit they had stored up for the drought in their trees and had brought them to the cave.
"What was it like when you were surrounded by fire, Dad?" asked Zebedee as Cobalto touched down after seeing plenty of macaws assist the others still to enter the cave. Cobalto gave him a look.
"Extremely scary," he said, "Think of the nightmare you had one night of being chased by dogs or when we had to get Tristan out of that garden in Rio on New Year's Eve. This is a thousand times worse. It was when I was torn from the clan."
"Were you all alone?" asked Indigo.
"Well, there was no-one else in sight," said Cobalto as he shuddered at the memories, "But let's just settle here until the fire dies down. I'll tell you more about my horrifying ordeal later."
Zebedee and Indigo obeyed while Cobalto continued checking the fruit packed into the leaf and twig bag. Nearby, Victor's family settled into another nest. Victor was a hyacinth macaw chick and a friend of Indigo and Zebedee. He always wore a fruit shell for a hat and would throw it like how humans would throw a disc-shaped object called a Frisbee as Phoebe had observed, and his friends would try and catch it. Victor was never seen without his fruit shell hat and if he lost it, he would always look for a replacement. He was the only son of his parents, Pedro and Bruna, who were Marinho and Cobalto's friends when they were chicks. Pedro and Bruna were expecting two chicks and thus had a clutch of two eggs. They had decided to give Victor some siblings to play with for they felt that he was a bit lonely in the hollow though he had some outside-family friends, among them Phoebe and Cobalto's two, Zebedee and Indigo. As a hyacinth macaw placed one of the eggs into a dip in the soil of the cave floor, Bruna gave him a grateful glance while she placed the other egg into the dip.
"Thanks, Mateo," she said, "You're a big help."
"No problem," said Mateo, one of the assistant macaws. Nearby, Victor and Pedro lowered the bag of fruit.
"Last time a fire broke out, knowing that it was caused by loggers, we were taken by surprise," said Pedro, "And believe me it was a living nightmare. We lost quite a few members of our clan, among them Cobalto. Flavio's mate Lena had perished in the fire, as had his brother Rico and sister-in-law Angela, who had been the parents of Cobalto and her brother Marinho. Rico had been our patriarch but after he had died, Flavio, being his only surviving brother and thus closest blood relative, took it up. But he had properly taken it up months later for he had a broken heart over losing his mate, brother and sister-in-law, and of course his nephew Cobalto, to contend with first."
"Did Flavio and Lena have any chicks?" asked Phoebe from her nest. Pedro checked on Bruna as she made sure that the eggs were unharmed.
"They did have a clutch of two eggs," he said, "But they turned out to be infertile, which is why Flavio had opted against finding another mate after Lena's death. He feels that he might have fertility problems."
"I've been told that Mimi of the Spix macaw tribe cannot have chicks," said Cobalto, "Apparently for the same reason."
"Some individuals are infertile, sadly," said Bruna as Victor settled beside her and as Mateo left to assist another family of macaws into another nest, "It's just one of those things."
Just then, Phoebe heard Marinho's voice. She stole a glance from her brother-in-law as he ushered more hyacinth macaws into the cave.
"Alright, keep moving, everyone, that's good!" he said. Dozens of clan members carried more eggs and chicks and fruit bags into the cave and settled into whatever empty space they could find.
"In the last fire," said Bruna as Phoebe continued watching the clan enter the cave, "We didn't stock up enough fruit either. As a result, we were faced with going hungry as the majority of the trees that produce fruit had been burned. We had to turn to other tribes and clans for help and thankfully, the red tribe was able to help us with food stocks for they had stored up enough food in their home patch."
"Looks like we have been well prepared this time," said Cobalto. He then prepared to settle and brace for the fire with his family and the other macaws as the rest of the hyacinth macaws entered the cave and settled into more makeshift nests, bags of food brought with them.
In the Spix macaws' ravine, Eduardo had managed to lead the patrol and stargazing group to the safety of the waterfall cave. The Spix macaw carrying Virgil and Bia took the chicks to their respective families where they were reunited with their siblings, and the other chicks and their parents that had come stargazing were also returned to their families. Roberto and Brisa took Bia and placed them with Tiago and Carla, who were relieved to see their sister alive and well.
"Man, sis, I thought you got toast," cried Tiago as he gave Bia a crushing hug. He didn't intend the pun, however for he for once in a while, knew how serious a fire was. Carla also gave her sister a hug.
"Where are Mom and Dad?" she asked, "And Aunt Aurora?"
Bia didn't reply. She had been traumatised by the whole thing including the fire taking the group by surprise and almost being lost when Blu was almost stuck several times by some of the fleeing birds. Roberto gave Bia a relieved hug.
"But at least you've been returned to us safely," he said. But then the thought about Zephyr, Blu and Jewel entered his mind. Brisa also looked worried.
"Eduardo's not going to like this," she said to Roberto in a low voice. Roberto replied with an agreeing look. Nearby, Viento, Gael and Nuvem were relieved that Virgil had been returned. After thanking the Spix macaw patroller who then left to look for his family, Virgil was swallowed but by a number of wing pairs. His siblings, Justin, Charlotte and Matilda all hugged him as did Viento, Gael and Nuvem. Like Bia and the other Spix macaw chicks, he was traumatised and was crying frightened tears and trembling.
"At least you have been returned safely, cousin Virg," said Nuvem with relief, "You're safe now."
"But where are Zephyr, Aurora, Blu and Tornado?" asked Viento. Virgil then gave his great-uncle a saddened look. Dread hit Gael.
"Oh, no," she muttered in a low voice. Suddenly, there was an anguished cry from an old male macaw. This made Viento, Nuvem and Gael turn in Eduardo's direction and as soon as they eyed the tribe patriarch, they saw him scream at the top of his lungs. When the Spix macaw patrollers told him that Jewel and Aurora had gone missing and that Blu, Zephyr and Tornado had gone to look for them in the fire, the patriarch had erupted into a volcano of anguish. Then feelings of immense guilt began to wash over Eduardo like the rushing water in the Amazon River when it is full, and he began to blame himself for forgetting the stargazing group. Mimi began to try and console him.
"Oh, Eduardo, please don't blame yourself," she said. But Eduardo refused to let these comforting words calm the storm of guilt raging within him.
"But we forgot about the stargazing group completely, Mimi," shouted the tribe patriarch, tears falling from his eyes in large amounts, "We were so consumed with panic about the fire when those three green macaws warned us, that we just forgot about them. And because of that, I almost lost some of my tribe members, among them one of my granddaughters, Bia, and now, my daughter, son-in-law, and my new tribe member and her mate and father-in-law are out there in the dangers of the fire. Oh, if only we hadn't forgotten about the stargazing group in the first place, we wouldn't have put everyone in this mess!"
And with that, he began to break down hard, refusing Mimi's comfort. Mimi then began to feel guilty as well. Looking at Carla, Bia and Tiago under Roberto and Brisa's care, and then at Justin, Charlotte, Matilda and Virgil under Gael, Nuvem and Viento's care, feelings of dread washed over her as she could not imagine those two broods of chicks losing both their parents to the fire. Roberto stared back at Mimi with worried eyes. Jewel had been one of his closest friends when they were young, and if that relationship had continued to develop as they grew had that fire not torn Jewel from the tribe, they would have likely become boyfriend and girlfriend and eventually, mates. This closeness was why Blu showed a dislike towards Roberto when they first met, and why he feared that Roberto may try and ignite the flames between him and Jewel. Roberto also still had some feelings for Jewel as well, not realising she was already paired with Blu, but after learning that Jewel already had a mate, he had learned to be more careful, but Roberto still treated Jewel as a close friend. But as far as Jewel was concerned, he was developing feelings for another female macaw, Zephyr's sister Brisa.
As worries for Blu, Jewel, Aurora and Zephyr, and Tornado plagued his mind, Roberto began to focus on caring for Blu and Jewel's chicks, Carla, Bia and Tiago with Brisa, who was also very worried about her brother, father and sister-in-law, until the whole nightmare was over, but was is going to be an anxious wait.