Chapter 33- implementing the plans part one: the gathering of the food
As the tribe and clan leaders and their inner circle birds prepared to depart for their respective tribe and clan homes and had received thanks from Blu, Jewel and their inner circle birds for coming, with Augustus and Melissa also being thanked, Athos sat perched on the ravine clifftops, a very sombre look on his face. Not too far away, Alonso, Soleado, Monique and Felipe were writing their declaration of war messages to Cicatriz and Iracebeth while Augustus talked with some other macaws and offering his sincere apologies about the recent events and also the trauma the prisoners had suffered in the horrible flying fox colony's interrogation area. As Athos gazed into the green sea of trees sprinkled with some colour as some birds flew by, the sound of flapping of a pair of membranous wings reached his ears. Hearing this, the red scarlet macaw turned and saw Melissa touch down beside him and go over to him.
"You don't look very happy," she said sympathetically. "Is it about your mate and what she's been through with the other eight prisoners?"
Athos sighed and did not reply for a minute until he finally spoke.
"Pretty much," he replied sadly, "I just cannot believe what those bats have done to those poor macaws, especially my mate Ruby. I had never known such cruelty inflicted on anyone before."
Melissa also sighed and sat beside him.
"This is not going to be an easy thing to fix, I can tell you," she said, "All I and Augustus can do is apologise and say sorry for what had happened to your mate and friends but I know it's not going to be enough. If only we had managed to find a way out of our tree sooner when Cicatriz had confined us inside," she breathed another sigh and gazed into the sea of trees spreading ahead of the ravine clifftops, "You know, if you were a flying fox who is against these anti-bird teachings of the colony and you're caught helping birds, you're put to death."
Athos shot her a surprised look.
"So it seems that those flying foxes are not only against us birds," he said, "But they also abhor anyone of their own colony who disagrees with the teachings?"
"Any flying fox who even questions the teachings are often seen as cowards and are treated as outcasts," said Melissa, "My aunt Eclipse, the mother of my late cousin Lily, had begun to question the teachings which led to my uncle leaving her and never speaking to her again. It happened after Lily had told her how some birds had rescued her from a poacher's trap."
"So that was what led your cousin into protecting birds, particularly rare species, from the savage and gruesome attacks of the colony and their hatred of birds based on those claptrap teachings at the cost of her life?" asked Athos. Melissa nodded.
"Partly that," she said. Athos then felt a thought come to him. He had wanted to ask Melissa this question before but did not have the chance to do that. Now was the opportunity so he seized it.
"You know," he said, "I've wanted to ask you this question. It's been on my mind since I was found after my first incident of falling into that rushing stream with a psychotic cockatoo a few years ago."
"Oh yeah and what is that?" asked Melissa but then she blinked in confusion. "Psychotic cockatoo?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, that's a long story," said Athos, "His name was Nigel and he was an exotic bird-hating cockatoo and a former pet of poachers who used to be a famous show bird in the human world."
Melissa blinked in revulsion at the mentioning of the word 'poacher'. Like pretty much every animal of the Amazon rainforest, the flying foxes despised poachers and also loggers.
"Those humans are nothing but menaces, poachers," she growled, "Always stealing animals from their natural home to trade as objects. My aunt Eclipse was taken by one and Lily would have been as well had that group of birds not rescued her in time."
"You obviously are aware that birds such as us aren't to blame for pesky humans like poachers, aren't you," said Athos.
"Of course you birds aren't to blame for those pesky humans," snapped Melissa slightly, "Same with logging activity, and any natural disaster such as drought. That's why I and my family are against the teachings of the colony that you are, alongside a few other bats."
"Anyway, coming back to my close brush with death in that rushing stream, when I woke up," continued Athos, "I found myself in some strange place. Since that incident, I kept on questioning on whether it were real or not, or that it was just a near-death experience but the forms I saw were a white furry creature sort of like your son over there," he nodded to Sebastian as he talked with Carla and Justin as they flew past, "Two more similar shaped figures but with brown or reddish fur, and some rather bizarre birds…" Athos then stood up and took a few steps towards the edge of the precipice, his eyes continuously on the sea of trees and morning sky. "Some of those birds resembled scarlet macaws but had paler orange and yellow patches on the backs of their heads, purplish wings with blue flight feathers and blue tails with a red tip…"
Melissa, as she took in this description, stood up and went over to him, a smile on her face.
"That was my cousin Lily's secret hideout you're describing before it was found by some of Cicatriz's spies," she said. Athos shot her a surprised gaze.
"It was what?" he said.
"Don't you remember, Athos?" asked Melissa, "Around three years ago? That white form you're talking about was my cousin Lily. The two other flying foxes were named Marcus and Ana, both who were Lily's friends and two of her helpers with a few other flying foxes that had helped those birds and those scarlet macaw-like birds were some of the last surviving Cuban red macaws."
Athos continued to gaze at her. In his mind, the pieces were finally coming together: the white form with fur, the strange looking scarlet macaw-like birds, the names Lily, Marcus and Ana. Then what Melissa said finally clicked those pieces into place and the puzzle Athos had been going over in his mind for three years was finally solved.
"Lily reported to me and Augustus about how they had pulled out a large red male scarlet macaw with teal-coloured wing and tail feathers from one of the streams in our territory and took him to the hideout, well away from the other bats who would have put him to death had they seen him," said she.
"So… that place where I thought was just a near-death hallucination," said Athos, "It was definitely real and not a hallucination at all?"
Melissa, a smile on her face, nodded.
"It was REAL!?" repeated Athos with increasing shock. Melissa confirmed it with a larger nod.
"It was REAL!" shouted Athos in immense joy, "I can't believe that it was actually your late cousin and her two friends that had saved me from that stream and certain death at the clutches of those colony bats!"
Athos could not believe it. The three-year long mystery of the strange place he had seen was finally solved.
Not too far away, Eustace, Milo, Rosa, Clemont, Serena, Velocity, Diantha and Orion were heading for the ravine's entrance, worried looks on their faces.
"Boy, my heart sure is pounding for the Lear's macaw tribe," moaned Eustace nervously, his gaze on D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Monique and Miranda, Jasmine, Annette, Finn and some other Lear's macaws as they talked with Felipe on the clifftops about their tribe's evacuation to the red tribe's home patch.
"I'm not surprised, Eustace," said Milo, "They're next on the flying foxes' list of bird tribes to drive out."
"Those critically endangered navy blue and teal birds aren't gonna stand a chance against a wave of invading bats," said Rosa, "If a clan of hyacinth macaws had lost so many of their members to such a savage wave, what chance would a tribe of smaller macaws have?"
"Outright slaughter with little chance of surviving," said Orion darkly. Velocity and Diantha then winced in revulsion at the thought of seeing a patch of jungle littered with Lear's macaw corpses. Clemont and Serena were about to speak when a voice called them. All eight heads turned and faced the speaker, Blu who flew up to them with Jewel by his side. Velocity rolled her eyes.
"Let me guess, you want us to return to Rio for our safety?" she asked.
"Or perhaps yell at us for not obeying you in the first place," put in Orion.
"Given the choice, yes," said Blu firmly, "But that is not the reason why we have come to meet you."
The eight city birds exchanged confused glances.
"Then what is it that you want with us?" asked Diantha. Jewel fluttered up to the group, a stern look on her face.
"Well, since you have helped us, especially Augustus and Melissa, in uncovering that sly change in the flying foxes' plans in kidnapping us," she said firmly, "We would like you lot to continue helping us."
"How?" asked Eustace. While they were talking, Diantha caught sighted a flash of movement out the corner of her eye. Curious, she turned and gazed at the location with wonder before leaving the group, the others not noticing her departure.
"I want you to help us in the next stage of our plans," said Blu, "And that is the gathering of food and the subsequent evacuation of the vulnerable members of our tribes and clans to our ravine."
Jewel's eyes then travelled to Velocity and Milo and she added, "Especially since you two had participated in that famous journey to Guyana with our three first-brood offspring Carla, Bia and Tiago and some of the others a few years ago to search for the legendary treasure and save the sanctuary from certain nature reserve status loss."
"With all due respect Blu, we'd love to help out in the next stage of the plans," said Orion, "But which tribe or clan would you like us to help to evacuate?"
"We've got the food gathering stage first," said Blu, "but we'll decide on which tribe or clan we'll have you help to evacuate after this."
The five cockatoos and two falcons all gazed at each other. Then Milo noticed Diantha's absence.
"Diantha?" he asked and gazed around the ravine but could not see her anywhere. Assuming that she has flown off to see Carla, Bia, Tiago, Kira or any of the other closest friends, Milo continued listening to Blu and Jewel's instructions with the other six. Diantha fluttered through the entrance of hole of the ravine and gazed around at the outside jungle for the something she had spotted until her eyes landed on something moving slowly through the morning sunlight bathing the air in a clearing of trees. It resembled a leafy cloak which led Diantha to assume that it was one of Eragon and Andromeda's clan members but then she realised that the flying thing was flying by itself with no bat-bird mount under it. Then the hooded figure turned round and gazed at Diantha. A pair of eyes gleamed in the hood's shadow but their owner's face was concealed. However, Diantha definitely knew that it was not a flying fox for she could see some flashes of colour blink on either side of the leaf cloak and make out the outlines of a beak in the hood beneath the two eyes. The creature then turned round and continued to fly off. Diantha darted off after it.
"Wait, who are you?" she shouted as she flew off after the figure. However, the figure had disappeared into a cluster of trees. Diantha stopped to a hover, looking on in confusion when the flapping noise of two pairs of wings, one feathered and the other membranous, reached her ears. Diantha turned and saw Athos and Melissa approach her, curious looks on their faces.
"Seen something odd, Diantha?" asked Athos. Diantha, at first, felt her tongue stick in her throat but then she finally broke through the block.
"I-I-I saw some sort of bird wearing a leafy cloak over there," she explained, a talon pointing to the location of where she last saw the figure. "At first I thought it was one of the archaeobirds but when I saw that it was flying by itself and had some sort of beak below its eyes under its hood, I was left confused…"
As she said this, Melissa followed Diantha's point and saw a floating leaf cloak fly through the trees. Immediately, she darted off after it. Based on how fast she flew towards the figure, it appeared that she had recognised it or knew whoever was under that cloak. Diantha and Athos followed.
"I hope we're not too distracted by whatever you saw because we really should be starting the food gathering and the Lear's tribe's evacuation," said Athos as he flew alongside Diantha.
Later
The evacuation of the Lear's tribe was soon underway alongside the gathering of the food from their territory, among them the licuri nuts. Like during the events of drought or other environmental crisis, countless macaws and other birds from the tribes and clans and smaller groups went out into the food groves and picked whatever ripe fruit they could find and carried them in large amounts, using leaf and twig bags to save numerous trips and energy, back to their storage compartments in their territory. However, the tribes and clans were instead hauling it all the way to the Spix macaws' ravine waterfall cave for that was where the most vulnerable members of every tribe, clan and group was to go. The Lear's macaws, however, were hauling food from their groves to the red tribe's territory first before taking it to the Spix macaws' ravine.
As the evacuation of the Lear's macaw tribe was going on, the air of their ravine filled with dozens and dozens and dozens of navy blue hyacinth macaw-like birds with teal-tinted facial markings and yellow-orange eye rings and beak lappets alongside some red macaws with green or yellow and blue or teal wings and tails guiding them, D'Artagnan was hovering about the licuri nut trees picking nuts to put into a bag held by two other Lear's macaws, one of them named Alejandro who was one of Sapphire's friends. D'Artagnan was flying with a heavy heart and it was slowing down his concentration on the important task and his face was twisted into one full of trouble and distress, so his efforts were half-hearted. As another licuri nut flew from his talon and into the bag held by Alejandro and the other macaw, Alejandro glared at D'Artagnan with impatience-laced eyes.
"Come on, D'Artagnan," he muttered, "Speed up, will you? We don't have time for tardiness."
D'Artagnan tried to speed up but the troubles on his mind kept clouding his concentration on the licuri nut picking job. As another two nuts entered the bag, Alejandro rolled his eyes in irritation.
"Do you want me to take over?" he asked. D'Artagnan only gazed at him with a sombre look on his face when Dani, the green-winged mother of Sheldon, came by. Alejandro gazed at her.
"I told him to speed up," he said, "But he wouldn't get a move on. Something's wrong with him."
Dani gazed at D'Artagnan as he fluttered onto a branch next to a cluster of licuri nuts and perched there, a heartbroken sigh escaping his beak. However, she understood why D'Artagnan was so down in the swamps.
"I believe it has something to do with the crisis, Alejandro," said she, "A lot has happened over the past few days, from the death of his and Sapphire's youngest son Ozzy and then Valentino, to Waldo's kidnapping, torture and revealing of the information about your tribe and your ravine to the flying foxes and to the horrible threat of certain slaughter hanging over you like a storm cloud..."
"Sapphire and Monique, as well as Rosalind, are also very depressed and upset," said the other Lear's macaw who hovered with Alejandro, a female but then she lightened up. "But at least we have had two flying foxes from that colony who were willing to come forth and help us deal with this threat…"
"Hey, work," barked a voice, jolting the macaw, Alejandro, Dani and D'Artagnan out of the conversation and making them gaze at the speaker, which was Sapphire, as she shot each of them annoyed looks. Pearl flew alongside her with her daughter Regina who had come to help, agreeing looks on their faces.
"And Dani," added Pearl, "Could you go and help a family of Lear's macaws carry their un-hatched eggs and young chicks please? We've got no time for chitchat like this."
"Yes, ma'am," said Sheldon's green-winged mother and after shooting the three Lear's macaws an apologetic look, she flew off to look for a Lear's macaw family among the porous sandstone cliff where countless families were evacuating, the eggs and chicks too young to fly being carried by some red macaws, while Alejandro, his assistant and D'Artagnan returned to work, D'Artagnan resuming picking licuri nuts. Despite the burden of troubles that weighed his heart like a stone tied to him in water, D'Artagnan tried his best to pick more licuri nuts in a shorter time. Alejandro looked on with a sympathetic look on his face.
"Look, I know how devastated you are with the whole thing as are we," he said, "And I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier but we need to get this task done if we're to avoid the same massacre the blue-throated macaws and hyacinth Bluewings, especially the latter, faced the other night."
D'Artagnan nodded in understanding and continued picking more licuri nuts and tossing them into the bag.
Meanwhile
Cicatriz stood on a high branch overlooking the clearing of the grove that used to belong to the Bluewing Clan, his single left eye gleefully watching the flying foxes as they trained for the impending invasion on the Lear's macaws. Sharp-sticks were thrown and clashed in practice fights while other weapons were practiced on fruit bird dummies, battering them into unrecognisable pulps. Cicatriz and Iracebeth had taken up temporary residency in the hollow Violeta and Demetrio had called their home and their two offspring, son Iago and daughter Veruca were in a fighting class back in the main heart of the flying foxes' growing territory. Cicatriz's wicked smile, or should that be, devilish grimace, widened all the more as his left eye took in how well the flying foxes' skills were developing, while his mind was warped with the excitement of the upcoming massacre of the Lear's macaw tribe once the invasion of their ravine arrived, and he clearly looked forward to seeing the terrified faces of countless navy blue teal-tinted faced macaws, seeing more navy blue forms fall from the air, slain mercilessly, blood and navy blue feathers flying everywhere, and hearing screams of terror and anguish from distressed Lear's macaws as they watched their tribemates perish, among other disturbing things for Cicatriz absolutely loved a massacre scene. However, the deranged colony patriarch was totally unaware of the evacuation that was taking place in the target area Rat this very moment.
As the colony patriarch continued watching and examining the flying foxes as they continued to practice their combat skills and improving them, the sounds of a few pairs of flapping membranous wings drew his attention from them to a small group of flying foxes as they approached him. To his surprise, the group looked battered and bruised and one of them struggled to fly but based on their minor injuries, the attack had not been that violent. Then Cicatriz's left eye spotted something green in the foot claws of one of them.
"Cicatriz," called one at the front, a brown female, "While we were examining the border to the blue-and-gold macaw tribes' territory in our new patch, we were suddenly ambushed by a group of macaws who demanded we take these messages from the bird tribe and clan leaders to you and Iracebeth."
"Messages from the bird tribe and clan leaders?" repeated Cicatriz, the eyebrow above his blind eye raised, "What are they wantin' us to do? Call off our invasion? It's too late for that now."
The bat that had the green leaves then passed them to Cicatriz who took them and read them. As he took a few seconds to do this, the group of bats looking on, his smile widened into a wicked grimace.
"Ah, so those feathered worms want an all-out war against us for their territories rather than face a direct invasion and driving out by us, do they?" he crooned, before he gazed at the group that had brought the message. "Then a war it is. Maybe those good-for-nothing flying disasters could do with a lesson they will never forget."
Turning to the group, he said, "Thanks for bringing the message, folks. I'll find Iracebeth and show her this message; then we'll write a reply to those feathered worms and then discuss this with our inner circle bats and tell them that there's been a change of plan. In the meantime, you resume your patrolling of the border or practice your fighting skills."
"Yes, Cicatriz," said the lead bat and with that, the group dropped from the branch into the air and flew away while Cicatriz abandoned his perch to find Iracebeth, the message leaves in tow.
Hours later until evening
A number of hours passed and the birds continued to gather food and haul it into the Spix tribe's ravine and waterfall cave. The stocks continued to grow in the cave and were constantly being monitored by either Blu, Roberto or Zephyr. The Spix macaws wanted to make sure that there was enough food to feed several hundred birds for several days until the war against the flying foxes was over, and this task had called for every eligible pair of talons and beak to assist in the task. Macaws and other birds of various species: Spix, scarlet, green-winged, great green, military, blue-and-gold, blue-throated, hyacinth, glaucous, Lear's and the smaller macaw and parrot species, such as golden conures, chestnut-fronted macaws, blue-headed macaws and the rest, including the archaeobirds, entered in and out of the Spix macaws' ravine bringing in a large variety of food from their territory. During the process, the entire Lear's macaw tribe had been successfully evacuated from their ravine and to Felipe's tribe, taking a massive hoard of food with them, especially licuri nuts, an important food in their diet, before taking it to the Spix tribe's ravine. Also during the food gather, bird patrols had been flying about the territories keeping an eye on things and watching for any roaming flying foxes. However, to their surprise, the flying fox intrusions seemed to have decreased drastically but Augustus and Melissa, who were assisting in the food gathering, had warned the birds that this will not last long which compelled the birds to gather as much food as they could and haul it to the Spix macaws' ravine as quickly as possible. The next task will involve evacuating the elderly birds to the Spix tribe's ravine waterfall cave and once that was done, the young and parents will be next and this was not going to be a very easy task. However, the birds will tackle the problems when they come to it.
The evacuation of the Lear's macaw tribe from their ravine had also not been easy for some Lear's macaws had been reluctant to leave their home and ravine. These macaws required gentle but very firm persuasion to get them out of the ravine and into the safety of Felipe's tribe's home grove under the promise that the Lear's macaws would get their ravine back after the war. After all, it was for their safety. One of the macaws who had been reluctant to leave the ravine was Sapphire though she had been willing to help the red macaws assist in the evacuation and the food gathering. The ravine had been her birthplace and she had missed it for more than fifteen years of her life after she was torn from the Lear's macaw tribe by a fire when she was young. She had hoped that her tribe would eventually get back their rightful heirloom after the impending war with the flying foxes and had to focus on her duties as deputy leader of the Lear's macaw tribe with D'Artagnan by her side. However, due to her half-brother Waldo being out of the picture, especially after revealing to the flying foxes almost every key point about the Lear's macaws and their habitat, the role as tribe leaders was likely to be passed on to D'Artagnan and Sapphire, and D'Artagnan was especially reluctant to take the role as patriarch for he felt that he was not built for leading a tribe of macaws. However, since he was the only male figure left in the tribe leaders' line; that will have to be the case whether he liked it or not, for Sapphire could not lead the tribe by herself. In almost all bird tribes and clans, it was compulsory that a patriarch and a matriarch were selected to lead them, but especially a patriarch. It truly was a difficult time for the Lear's macaws but they were all eventually out of their ravine and in the safety of the red tribe's home, and will be there until after the upcoming war with the flying foxes.
In the hospital
The sun was approaching its setting point in the western horizon. In the animal hospital, the human employees who worked dayshifts were preparing to pass their role to the nightshift workers. In a certain room in the birds' department, several macaws were chatting. A group of macaws, specifically Fernanda and her sister's boyfriend Eric the blue-throated macaws and Levi, Tristan, Trixie, Neytiri and Aiden the glaucous macaws, and Blu, Aurora, Carla, Bia, Tiago, Justin, Matilda and Virgil from the Spix macaws, had come to visit the group while Jewel took over the task for a time. Blu had decided to take a break from the whole task and visit the macaws and Glimmergem who were still in hospital. Estelle also accompanied the visiting group to see her cousin Gabby and also Winona; and Fernanda and Eric wanted to visit Ariel.
The eight surviving prisoners, Ted, Esmeralda, Ruby, Alfonso, Lapis Lazuli, Orquidea, Waldo and Nuvem, were now wide awake after sleeping for so long, almost an entire day. However, they were still tired and starving, and had diminished their food bowls the bird carers had placed in their cages around an hour ago, but they had enough energy to talk with the visitors and with Winona, Ariel Glimmergem and Gabby. As the mixed group of blue-throated, glaucous, Spix and scarlet macaws stood before the rescued prisoners in their cages, Levi with his oldest son and daughter and their other halves talking with Lapis Lazuli, the other son and daughter of the couple, Quincy and Larimar, were busy helping in the gathering of the food back in the Sanctuary de Amazon. As she talked with Eric and Fernanda, Ariel gazed down at the long snaking streak stretching from just below her neck, right down the left side of her body to the top of her left leg and frowned. Her boyfriend and sister gazed sympathetically at her as she then turned her gaze to her reflection in the shiny surface of the metallic worktop, her worried eyes on the streak on her brow.
"You're worried that that gash and the scratch on your brow are going to scar, aren't you, sis?" said Fernanda. Ariel sighed.
"You have no idea what me and Eric had to go through when we were torn from the other blue-throated macaws during that dreadful night," muttered she, her right wing (her left one was still in its cast) brushing over her scratched and stitched brow, "Not only will I be having scars on my physical body, but also the mental scars resulting from the terrors from the flying fox attack on us."
Ariel shuddered as the horrible memories flashed in her mind as vividly as they had the night after the attack. She flinched as she heard hyacinth and blue-throated macaw screams of terror and anguish and devilish flying fox laughter, and also the sights of macaw bodies falling from the sky slain, armed, gleaming eyed flying foxes decked out in black war paint as black as the darkness of the night sky without the moon and the stars to light it up, their black décor streaked with blood-red markings on their faces, bodies and wings, and weapons such as sharp-sticks, including the one that slashed the gash on Ariel's left side, flashing menacingly in the dark. It was honestly like something straight from a nightmare and Ariel still suffered such about that night. However, that was small fry compared to the horrors the eight rescued prisoners had been through.
The eight macaws in their cages were still nearly featherless and the majority of their skins were mottled with blue-black and greyish blooms of bruises, especially around the necks, the faces and chests. Streaking the mottled jaguar's blotch like bruised skin were dozens of reddish streaks of gashes and scratches and their wings were almost completely featherless, like the wings of a newly hatched chick. Blu was utterly horrified beyond description at the result of the horrors the flying foxes had put the eight macaws through and was fortunate that he didn't faint at the sight of eight nearly featherless forms that lay in their cages. He had not seen them back at Alonso's tribe's home area, having only been descriptions of their appearance by Maximillian and the other Spix macaws that went, but seeing them for the first time with his own two eyes had made his horror levels skyrocket.
"They're gonna be in here for a good few months," explained Glimmergem as she watched Levi and the other four talk with Lapis Lazuli and Waldo whose eyes were weeping a torrent of tears. The eyes of the other six were also sending floods of tears running down their nearly featherless faces.
"Obviously, their feathers are gonna require time to grow back, especially their wing and tail flight feathers," continued Glimmergem, "Before they are released back into the wild."
"It's utterly terrible what those horrible bats have put them through," said Gabby as she stood with her cousin Estelle, her left leg in a cast. She wanted to make the most of the short time she had with her cousin as much as possible.
"But at least they'll be safe from the upcoming war," said Eric gratefully. He then sighed as he stared at his reflection in the shiny surface of the worktop as well, gazing at the healed scratches on his face and upper body, the remnants of the injuries he had sustained during the flying fox siege on his clan and the Bluewings' home.
"We've got a lot of things to do in the next few days," said Virgil as he stood by Bia, "Once the food gathering task has been completed, the vulnerable members of every tribe, clan and small group will be evacuated to our waterfall cave."
"It seems that you guys have come up with quite an effective plan," said Nuvem from his cage, "I hope it works out in the end," his face then fell as guilt swamped him, "If only I hadn't told those bats about our tribe, ravine and everything else, especially how our home became to be set up as a protected reserve."
Ruby extended a featherless wing through the cage bars and gently placed it on his shoulder.
"We're all guilty of that," she said.
"Absolutely," said Alfonso in an edgy voice as his emotions threatened to spill. Esmeralda, Ted and Orquidea did not say anything but they nodded in agreement.
"And I think Andromeda and Eragon will be furious with me for telling those bats about their clan now," added Lapis Lazuli, a tear falling from her eye.
"And I'm not worthy to be called a leader anymore after revealing so much information to the flying foxes about our heirloom ravine, our tribe and some other important and confidential information too," put in Waldo. He then sighed. "I reckon those flying foxes will be driving out my tribe next anytime soon."
"Haven't you heard what Dad said?" asked Tiago as he stood with Matilda, "Felipe and his tribe had evacuated them to their home grove."
"Have they?" said Waldo in surprise.
"The Lear's macaws are safe with the red macaws for now," said Carla, "So you need not worry about that."
Waldo felt a sliver of joy and relief streak through him like the light of a shooting star through the black sea of the night sky, or a ray of sunlight piercing a black storm cloud at the news that his tribe was safe.
"I hope Sapphire and D'Artagnan will make great leaders after this mess is sorted," he said in an edgy voice, "They're doing so well."
"Yeah, but Uncle D'Artagnan is finding it very difficult to cope with the stress at the moment," said Virgil as he stood with Bia.
"The loss of his youngest son Ozzy and the recent events have pretty much taken their toll on him," said Matilda. Blu managed a smile.
"But at least he and Sapphire have Monique and Sapphire's cousin Rosalind by their sides helping them," he said, "Despite those events. Monique is, after all, very strong willed."
"She's honestly a macaw of coconut shell material," said Waldo with a smile on his beak, his first one since his kidnap and torture, "I have my immense respect for her."
"And I hope Aramis and my dear two sons and daughter are doing alright as well," said Esmeralda.
"Same for Athos and our three sons and two daughters," added Ruby.
Orquidea then said, "And I hope Porthos and my two sons and two daughters are doing alright as well," her face then fell as guilt took hold. "I deeply regret falling out with him and going into the former territory of the Bluewing Clan and blue-throated macaws against Soleado and Zoie's orders. If only I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been through that mess and the blue-and-gold tribe wouldn't have suffered this…"
She then began to weep and sniffle as her emotions got the better of her. She felt guilty of how Porthos, Clemont and Serena, along with Poinsettia, one of Athos and Ruby's daughters, would have likely died at the clutches of those horrible and murderous flying foxes had Augustus and his family had not been there to intervene. Winona looked on and said nothing, but she had been horrified at those four birds' close brush with death, especially the city cockatoos. The eight rescued macaws also felt extremely guilty at telling those flying foxes about the Sanctuary de Amazon and almost every key piece of information about each of their tribes, clans and smaller groups and their habitat though Nuvem had noted to Blu and his accompanying two daughters, son and their other halves that he did not mention anything about the waterfall cave which Blu was especially glad for. Then suddenly, the sound of the door's bolt clicking out of its socket reached the ears of the group. Blu and the others snapped their gazes from the eight macaws to the door as two humans walked in.
"We'd better be off," said Blu, "We've got a lot of things still to deal with. We'll see you guys later."
The eight macaws, along with Ariel, Winona, Glimmergem and Gabby, all smiled and then hugged the visitors. Nuvem hugged Justin, Matilda and Virgil who noted to their first cousin, once roamed that Zephyr, Aurora, Brisa, Roberto, Charlotte, Finnick, Felix and Lavender send their love. Ruby also hugged before she turned to spend the final moments with her boyfriend. Lapis Lazuli also hugged Levi, Tristan, Trixie, Neytiri and Aiden while Ariel hugged and kissed Eric and also hugged her sister Fernanda.
"I hope you guys put an end to those wretched bats' plans," cried Lapis Lazuli as she wrapped her featherless wings around her mate, oldest daughter and son and their other halves.
"We will, my precious Lapis," said Levi, his wings stretched through the bars of Lapis Lazuli's cage and locking her in an embrace.
"We've got Augustus and Melissa by our side," said Tristan.
"And they are excellent tacticians," said Trixie. After breaking the hug with Lapis Lazuli, Levi turned to say goodbye to the other macaws. Neytiri and Aiden took the opportunity to spend the final moments with Lapis Lazuli.
"I hope you get well soon," said Aiden.
"Larimar and Quincy send their love as well," said Neytiri, "As do everyone else."
"We will," whispered Lapis Lazuli. Just then, Neytiri and Aiden heard their names get called.
"Blu's calling you," said Orquidea in the cage next to Lapis Lazuli. Aiden and Neytiri turned and saw Blu standing with the other visitors, ready for take-off. With one final glance at Lapis Lazuli and the other seven, Aiden and Neytiri pulled their gazes away from them and joined the other visitors. A, Gabby and Glimmergem stood by the eight macaws as the group, after saying one final goodbye, took off and flapped towards the open window through which they entered the building.
"I hope you continue to deal with this difficult time as well, and look after Alexandre and his sisters and brothers especially," called Gabby as she watched her cousin Estelle follow Levi out of the window. Winona placed her right wing gently onto her shoulder.
"I'm sure she will, Gabby," she said.
"She's got others with her after all," said Glimmergem.
"And I wish good luck to Blu and everyone else as they continue to deal with the massive threat as well," said Waldo. The others nodded in agreement as they watched Blu's tail disappear through the open window as he left after the other visitors.