Sandalwood and his Friends and the Paradise Sanctuary- edited

by VPVPVP

Carla and company's trip to Rio goes badly wrong when some of their kids are caught by poachers. The kids get rescued and placed in a conservation area with various animals from around the world, but they soon suspect something off about the area. In Rio, Blu and the others must deal with another problem on the Blu Bird Sanctuary while figuring out a way to rescue the poached kids

50. 50- suspicions confirmed, a rescue

Chapter 50- suspicions confirmed and a wild rescue and chase

Back at the Paradise Sanctuary

Betelgeuse glared bitterly with fiery yellow-orange eyes at the piece of tough green tendril tying her by the leg to the stem of a leafless shrub whose bare branches and twigs clawed at the air like gnarled talons and spikes. This tendril was strong enough to resist the bite force of a parrot chick and provided an excellent unbreakable tether to prevent Betelgeuse from running away. Narcissa and several other servals and caracals had hauled Betelgeuse, who had been constantly writhing like a fish caught in a predator's mouth, screaming at the top of her lungs like a distressed wild boar and spewing every possible caustic threat and word that came into her head, everything that her elders, especially her parents Spinel and Sheldon and maternal grandparents Athos and Ruby would surely cuff her if they heard those words come out of her beak in their presence. However, Betelgeuse and her younger siblings Rigel and Antares were respectable kids and they knew that the caustic venom Betelgeuse was spewing from her beak was utterly out of order for chicks their age. But because Betelgeuse was being dragged away by these horrible wildcats to be eaten, she had resorted to throwing the wildest and worst possible tantrum she could muster in her entire life.

While throwing this volcanic tantrum, Betelgeuse had also raked her claws and sank her beak into Narcissa's paws, inflicting Narcissa with some painful scratches on those areas but it only accelerated the serval into moving faster towards where the little chick was now. Betelgeuse continued her extremely violent temper tantrum as her captors tied her to the shrub by tying one end of the tendril to her leg and the other to the stem before leaving to tend to Narcissa's injuries but as the paw-injured serval and her companions left, Betelgeuse spat foul words and threats at the cats, alongside several globs of saliva at the floor after them, only to shut up when one of the caracals bellowed at her.

"SHUT UP, BEFORE I FLATTEN YA WITH MY PAW!" the caracal had screeched at the top of its lungs, making Betelgeuse jolt, stop her extreme tantrum and shut her beak, but the little red macaw chick continued to caustically glare after the group of cats as they left with Narcissa who limped away, except for one of the other servals who opted to stay behind and keep watch over Betelgeuse to ensure that no rescuers came by. However, Betelgeuse and her guard were unaware that the former had some hidden companions hidden amongst the darkness of the surroundings, intent on rescuing her and getting her out of this hideous place. Sandalwood, along with Sirius, Spica, Sugilite, Cytosine and Thymine, Steven, Lars, Connie and JD, had been following her captors as they dragged her away, keeping to the shadows to avoid getting spotted.

As Betelgeuse continued to glare bitterly at the tether connecting her to the shrub, her anger simmering inside her and making her plumage dangerously bristle, especially the feathers in her pineapple stalk-like crest such that the little chick looked twice her usual size, her serval guard glared at her with a stern and intimidating amber-eyed eagle-like gaze.

"Glare like a spoilt chick at your tether all you want, feather-ball," he growled adamantly, "but you're goin' nowhere."

Betelgeuse turned to fiercely spit a short spray of verbal venom at her guard in retort but the serval hardened his gaze and cut her off. "And don't even think about spitting backchat like a stubborn brat either, kid. I'm not settin' ya free and that's that. Now sit down and behave!"

Betelgeuse released a hiss and sat down with her wings; her left one tattered and missing its primary flight feathers, crossed, her face twisted into an immensely disgruntled scowl, rage making her quiver slightly. 'I hope that chameleon gets flayed when Dundee and his group find out what he has done and catch him!' she thought volcanically.

"And another thing, brat; wipe that sour look off your face," added the serval, "Before I wipe it off for you."

Betelgeuse shot an extremely acidic glare at the serval, her unusual crest spiked dangerously out like a porcupine's quills.

"Or WHAT, spotted CAT-RAT!?" she snapped loudly. The serval replied by raising a paw and flaring its claws, a stern glare still on his face. From the shadows, Sandalwood, Sirius, Spica, Cytosine and Thymine, Sugilite, Steven, Lars, Connie and JD watched on, worried and awed looks on their faces.

"I would do as that wildcat says if I were in her feathers," whispered Steven. Sirius and the other eight could not help but admire Betelgeuse's courage. She was just like her mother Spinel and in some ways, Jewel but the group could also clearly see that the little chick was putting her life on the line. Betelgeuse's fiery orange-yellow glare then moved to the flared claws of the serval.

"I'll jump at ya face and TEAR YA WHISKERS OUT!" she screeched in a voice tone that was remarkably reminiscent of Jewel's whenever she issued a defensive threat.

"I'm afraid you can't do that," retorted the serval adamantly, his paw still hovering with its claws flared, "One, you're a puny, useless little chick and two, your wing is missing some of its crucial feathers thanks to our chameleon friend who has purposely done that to help in our catching of you should you ever escape," Betelgeuse flashed a bitter glare at her tattered left wing, a massive flash of fiery disgust flaring like a volcanic eruption in her mind at the mentioning of Dalek but then the serval began to raise his threat. Suddenly surging like a water wave towards the three-quarter-scarlet chick, the spotted wildcat released an EXTREMELY loud screech. This vaporised Betelgeuse's courage and rage in a blink of an eye and the red chick screamed and jumped back in extreme fright. Sandalwood and the others flinched violently as they watched the action.

"Now you STOP THAT ATTITUDE AND DO AS I SAY!" bellowed the serval at the top of his lungs, finishing his threat. Betelgeuse, frightened whimpers emitting through her beak, timidly nodded, to the serval's satisfaction.

"That's better," the spotted cat said in a calmer voice, before hardening his glare, "Now you STAY that way and BE GOOD! Your fate is fast approaching."

Betelgeuse continued trembling and whimpering timidly at the serval as he resumed his post and fixated his guarding glare on her.

Just then, a caracal, Shenzi, melted out of the darkness. Sandalwood and the others crouched in the shadows as they watched the plain sandy brown wildcat with lynx-like ears walk over to the serval and Betelgeuse.

"Has Carnassial reached a decision on who will be eating that little chick yet, Shenzi?" asked the serval, a glance at Betelgeuse who winced. Shenzi also gazed at the red macaw chick with a satisfied look.

"Yes," she said, "Carnassial himself will be the one to eat her."

Horror tore through Sandalwood and the others and Betelgeuse emitted a frightened chirrup while a disappointed look came upon her serval guard's face.

"I'm sorry but there's only one macaw chick," said Shenzi, "We could have divided her amongst us if she were a larger adult macaw but she's too small," she gazed at Betelgeuse and her size before turning back to the serval, "So, it's been settled that Carnassial will be the one to eat her. In the morning, we'll issue a request to Dalek to catch more parrots, preferably the larger adults, and bring them here so that we can ALL get a fair share of treats."

"Right," said the serval, his glare on Betelgeuse as she continued to shudder, "When will Carnassial's treat be served?"

"In a few seconds," said Shenzi. This sent chills coursing down Betelgeuse's spine and making her feathers flatten, and her crest spike out. Sandalwood and the others with him exchanged glances and began to set to formulating a plan in rescuing Betelgeuse before her fate was sealed but how were they going to get to her without getting spotted by any of the other servals and caracals? Then an idea entered Connie's head as the young grey-headed bat's gaze landed on the tether connecting Betelgeuse to the shrub's stalk. With this idea in mind, she began to discuss it with the others. After a few moments of discussion, Sandalwood's group left to implement the plan.

Shenzi and the serval continued to sit by Betelgeuse in waiting for Carnassial's arrival.

"Carnassial should be here any minute now," said Shenzi. The serval smiled when suddenly; a fluttering noise reached the two cats' ears. Betelgeuse's ears also picked up the noise. The caracal and serval the flashed suspicious glares into the darkness of their compartment jungle.

"What was that?" asked the serval. Shenzi continued glaring into the darkness when suddenly, her feline amber glare picked up a small, fluttering creature as it flashed past a shaft of moonlight beaming through the window from outside into the jungle. The caracal blinked.

"Was that a bat?" she asked. The serval guard gazed at the moonlight shaft.

"I don't know," he replied, "Maybe it's one of the smaller carnivorous birds that lives in our compartment?"

Shenzi, however, put on a disagreeing face.

"I don't think so," she said, "I'm gonna investigate. You stay here with that red macaw chick and make sure that she behaves until Carnassial arrives, or until I get back."

The serval nodded and moved over to sit by Betelgeuse, who shuddered and backed away as Shenzi left to investigate the spot where she had seen the flapping thing. As the female caracal melted away into the darkness, Betelgeuse gazed at the serval guard and twisted her beak to form words but she shuddered as her mind replayed the serval's warnings.

"W-w-w-will I be eaten ali…" she began but the serval flashed her a fierce scowl and bellowed "SHUT UP!" sending a shockwave surging through the little chick's body and making her jump back.

"You're NOT to say a word until Carnassial arrives," growled the serval in a lower voice, "I want you to keep that little beak of yours shut or I'll be the one to shut it for you. Is that clear?"

He shoved his face dangerously close to Betelgeuse who at first, didn't answer, fear gripping her like a jaguar's jaws.

"I said IS THAT CLEAR!?" screeched the serval loudly, making Betelgeuse jump. Timidly, the little chick tried to form words.

"B-b-but…" began the chick but the serval let loose a massive screech in her face, prompting Betelgeuse to nod rapidly to confirm that she did understand, fearing for her life. Satisfied, the serval's mouth widened into a smirk and he backed away.

"Good, and make sure you STAY quiet until Carnassial shows up," commanded the spotted wildcat, "Or you'll surely face some DIRE connsequences."

Betelgeuse was too gripped by fear to speak and sat on the floor with her wings wrapped around her body, tears beginning to well in her eyes as her serval guard returned to his post. It was clearly a nightmare for the poor red chick. Unable to scream and shout, unable to protest, and unable to inflict physical injury with her claws and beak without potentially life-threatening consequences at the paws of these wildcats, in addition to not being able to break through the tether holding her to the shrub and not being able to fly at all due to her tattered left wing thanks to Dalek, Betelgeuse was practically out of options and was thus trapped in a pit of hopelessness. However, she was unaware that outside the pit, a lifeline was about to be thrown.

While Betelgeuse continued huddling on the floor, her eyes shedding tears of despair and distress, the tether tied on her leg snaking out from under her colourful wings and towards the shrub stalk like a thin but tough green worm ending in a tight loop around the base of the leafless plant's trunk and the serval watching her like a hawk, his amber glare fixed on her like a jail guard, movement flashed behind the serval and the leafless shrub. Betelgeuse's tear-stained eyes caught a glimpse of the movement but she brushed it off as a mere animal that lived in this compartment. The serval's sensitive ears, however, had picked up the sound made by the movement. Alerted, the serval slowly turned round and flashed a suspicious glare behind him. Betelgeuse looked up at the serval in curiosity as the spotted wildcat slowly rose to all four feet and turn further round, suspicion lacing his sinister amber glare. However, the moment the spotted cat had his back fully turned on Betelgeuse; he was greeted with three pairs of small eyes laced with scorn scowling at him from the darkness.

"Hello, spot-face," crooned one of the owners of the eyes mockingly. Then before the serval could act, a pair of light blue comets shot in from behind him and before the serval knew it, his entire head was smothered by a large leaf but some more comets exploded from the darkness and pounced onto him.

"Who turned out the lights!?" screeched the serval as he writhed and screeched under the small leaf and the small forms, which Betelgeuse saw were some macaws and a penguin with straw-like feathers emanating from his head, much to her hopeful smile.

Meanwhile, Shenzi continued investigating the spot where she had seen the fluttering thing. Her eyes glowed menacingly in the moonlight as the light reflected by the moon struck a structure in the back of her eyes, making the caracal's eyes glow like a pair of sinister silver spots in the darkness. After examining the area for a few more minutes, Shenzi gave up and began to return to the spot where Betelgeuse and her guard were.

"Must have been a small nocturnal bird or something," she hissed quietly as she walked along. However, the caracal was in for a nasty surprise. As the spot where the serval, Betelgeuse and the leafless shrub were sat emerged into view, Shenzi's eyes landed on something but the moment they did, a sharp gasp of air was drawn through her mouth. The serval lay in a heap by the leafless shrub, his moth completely smothered by a large sheet of green plant material. His paws were tightly tied together by the same green tendril that tethered Betelgeuse to the shrub and a few claw marks dotted the spotted cat's face's face, but to Shenzi's immense astonishment and horror, part of the tendril binding the serval's feet together snaked out from the loops around his legs and ended in the tight loop around the shrub's stem similar to how Betelgeuse's tether was tied. The serval had been attacked, bound and had somehow become Betelgeuse's substitute! The stricken serval gazed back at Shenzi, his gagged mouth emitting muffles as the caracal darted over to him.

"What happened!?" demanded Shenzi. The serval tried to reply but because of the large leaf binding his mouth shut he could not form meaningful words. Seeing this hindrance, Shenzi hooked her claws on the leaf and yanked it away from the spotted cat's mouth, allowing him to speak properly.

"Where's the chick!?" asked Shenzi again.

"I-I-I've been attacked by some macaw chicks who clawed by face, smothered me with an enormous leaf and bound me to the shrub," replied the serval, "In the process, the red macaw chick had disappeared…"

Shenzi shot the serval a disbelieving glare before the look of suspicion displaced the incredulous one. "Looks like we may have some intruders that may have followed the cats that have brought that chick to us," she hissed. Then without wasting any more time, Shenzi set to untying the vine binding the serval to the shrub and shackling his legs together. "We have to report this to Carnassial but he'll not be pleased."

The only reply serval could give was a sigh as Shenzi began to untie his bound legs.

Meanwhile, a group of young animals were frantically but carefully creeping through the dark, graveyard-like jungle clearing of the Compartment of the Carnivores, keeping to the shadows and flashing wary glances at the terrifying surroundings for any presence of carnivorous animals that may be stalking in the shadows, hunting for any morsel of food that may be on the move in the darkness. Sandalwood, Sirius, Sugilite, Spica, Cytosine and Thymine, Steven, Lars, Connie and JD, along with Betelgeuse who was clinging desperately onto Thymine and Cytosine's wings, were rapidly half-creeping and half-running at the same time. They were clearly desperate to get back into the safe grounds of Dundee's land and report to Dundee and the other inner circle animals of their findings, especially Dalek's connection to Carnassial and his gang and the parrots going missing.

"This is dangerous, scurrying through such a creepy place at night like this," said Steven, his gaze flickering at the surroundings for fear of any predator that may be lurking in the darkness, "What if we get spotted by a nocturnal dog creature or something?"

"That's why we wanna get back to Dundee's jungle on the double," snapped Sirius rather sharply than he intended. The stress and desperation had set his nerves on edge. Steven said nothing and continued quickly creeping along, Lars, Connie and JD right behind him.

As the eleven passed by the clearing in front of the den in which Carnassial and his gang lived, Sandalwood and Sirius led the others to behind a set of stones where they ducked, their frantic eyes having spotted several servals and caracals pacing around and talking. After they had dived behind the rocks, Sandalwood peered warily out.

"Are any of those wildcats looking our way, Sandy?" asked Sugilite as Betelgeuse stuck close to her, Cytosine and Thymine. Sandalwood frowned at the spotted and bare sandy brown cats as they continued pacing around or talk before turning to the others to give his reply.

"No, but let's hug the shadows and sneak along more carefully," he said, "And as soon as we are a good distance from that den, we'll move faster."

"But what if we get spotted before we're clear of the den?" asked Spica, before her gaze turned to the number of cats in front of the den's mouth-like entrance, "By my calculations, there are about a dozen of those caracals and servals or more and all of them have excellent night vision and hearing. If any of us put one foot wrong, they could be alerted and could chase us."

Sandalwood shot Spica a look but Sirius backed his double cousin's theories up.

"She has a point, Sandy," he said.

"If those servals and caracals hear or see us," said Connie, "We will have to pick up speed."

Sandalwood sighed. It was true. If the eleven young animals were to come out of this dangerous compartment alive but are spotted by the caracals and servals intent on eating them, especially the macaw chicks, they will have to move fast, and Betelgeuse shuddered at the thought of getting caught again, and the thought of any of the others getting captured too. After all, this was a daring, life-risking rescue Sandalwood and the other nine with him had been on. Sandalwood then relented to Spica's suggestion.

"Okay, we'll move slowly at first but if we're spotted," said the young amber furred flying fox, "I'll give the mark for us to run. JD," JD rose to attention, "You carry Betelgeuse for she will not be able to fly with that tattered wing."

JD nodded and turned to Betelgeuse who flashed a glare at her tattered left wing. Then the macaroni penguin chick picked the red macaw chick off the ground and got prepared to carry her. Cytosine then frowned.

"Is it just me, or is Sandalwood getting braver?" he asked.

"No time to talk about that, bro," hissed Thymine with a frown, "Let's just focus on getting out of this horrid graveyard of a place."

The group then got prepared to make their next move. Sandalwood, Sirius and Spica gazed at the caracals and servals as they continued pacing about and talking while Cytosine, Thymine, Sugilite, Steven, Lars, Connie and JD who carried Betelgeuse crept by under Cytosine's lead. As soon as the other eight had passed behind them, Sandalwood, Sirius and Spica followed but kept their eyes continuously fixed on the servals and caracals. It was then that a pair of cats, a male serval and a female caracal, darted in. Betelgeuse shuddered as she recognised the two newcomers, especially based on the dreaded and alarmed looks on their faces.

As soon as the two cats, which were Shenzi and the serval that had guarded Betelgeuse, screeched to a halt before their comrades, another caracal, Banzai, walked over to them.

"Whoa, you two," he said upon seeing the armed state of the pair, "Calm down. Has something happened?"

"The red chick's gone missing!" said Shenzi in a mixture of outrage and frustration.

"I was attacked and tied up," put in the serval, "And before I knew it, the red chick's disappeared."

"Where's Carnassial!?" demanded Shenzi. Then before she and the serval could let panic overtake them, some of the other caracals and servals came in to calm them down. Then Banzai turned to three more caracals and said, "Fetch Carnassial while we investigate the chick's disappearance."

The three caracals nodded and set off to find the gang leader while Banzai's group left for the site where Betelgeuse had been tied to a shrub.

"I hope that will buy us some time," said Sirius in a hushed voice. Then pulling his gaze from the caracals and servals, the Spix macaw chick and Bia and Virgil's oldest son turned round and followed the others as they continued to sneak away. However, the group did not get very far when suddenly, "HEY!"

Horror tore through Sandalwood, Sirius, Spica, Cytosine and Thymine, Sugilite, Steven, Lars, Connie, JD and Betelgeuse who cowered in JD's wing flippers like a massive blast shockwave. Sandalwood and Sirius and the others flashed a horrified glance at the caller and to their immense terror; a pair of serval eyes was glaring their way. More and more eyes; both serval and caracal, including those of Banzai, Shenzi and Betelgeuse's serval guard, darted in Sandalwood's direction as well.

"THE RED MACAW CHICK!" barked the serval guard when he saw the bundle of red feathers in JD's flippers. The moment those words left that serval's mouth, a familiar caracal entered the scene and followed his gang's gaze. That was it. Sandalwood knew that it was time to make a break for it.

"RUN FOR IT!" he screeched at the top of his lungs and with that, the others launched into rapid escape mode. The wings of Sirius, Spica, Cytosine and Thymine, Sugilite, Steven, Lars and Connie shot out and they took to the air while JD and Sandalwood's legs began to beat like pistons.

"AFTER THEEEEEM!" screeched the caracal, Carnassial and with that, comets with four legs and either pale orange and black spotted or plain sandy brown pelts dashed off after Sandalwood's group. Then within moments, a wild chase started up. Clinging onto the terrified Betelgeuse with his wing flippers, JD rushed along as fast as he could but Cytosine and Thymine flew in and latched onto his other wing flipper with their talons to help drag him along and move faster while Connie and Lars dragged Sandalwood along to increase his speed as well. Behind the group, Carnassial and his gang, outraged looks lacing their faces, gave chase.

"GET BACK HERE!" bellowed Shenzi furiously.

"WHEN WE GET HOLD OF YOU LOT," put in Carnassial who ran at the front, "Ya ALL gonna be CHOWED DOWN LIKE MEATBALLS IN AN INSTANT!"

Sandalwood and the others did not reply or flash a glance at their chasers behind them and continued running or flying for their lives through the dark jungle of the Compartment of the Carnivores, the caracals and servals in hot pursuit.

As a group of birds and two flying fox pups with a pack of small spotted or plain sandy brown lynx-like wildcats shot by, glowing eyes followed the forms. Diurnal carnivorous animals, having been jolted awake by the commotion, had come to investigate what was causing it, while the other nocturnal animals looked on in astonishment, especially at the group of diurnal (daytime active) birds flying or running by with two flying fox pups accompanying them. JD and Sandalwood jumped over and sidestepped any obstacle lying on the ground such as bones, stones and fallen branches, JD barely avoiding tripping over when his foot snagged on an outstretched hard arm of a discarded femur bone, his grip on Betelgeuse tight as she threatened to fall out of his wing-flipper, while Sandalwood hopped over another pile of bones, his wings clinging onto Connie's feet and Lars's talons as they dragged him along. As the group charged along, panic began to set in especially as the group could not see ahead for they, apart from Sandalwood and Connie, were not built for navigating that well in the darkness.

"We can't SEE!" cried Spica in terror as she flew ahead, "We don't KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING!"

"It's TOO DARK IN HERE!" shouted Sugilite. No sooner than these words left the hyacinth macaw's beak, an outstretched arm slammed into her face and knocked her clean out of the air. The others stopped dead as they watched Sugilite collapse onto the ground.

"SUGILITE!" cried Sandalwood and with that, he shot over to the dazed hyacinth macaw chick. Sirius, Connie and Lars followed him while the others looked on. However, Sirius shot them a desperate look.

"GO, GO, GO!" he barked, "Get BETELGEUSE back to DUNDEE'S LAND!"

At first, Cytosine, Thymine, JD with Betelgeuse, Steven and Spica were reluctant but after hearing the sounds of caracal and serval screeches explode behind them, the five sprang into action and disappeared into the dark jungle, leaving Sirius, Sandalwood, Connie and Lars to see to the battered Sugilite. The poor hyacinth macaw chick wore a dizzy face and was grasping the area of impact where the branch, which had been the arm, had struck her: right on the forehead. Her vision swam in a sea of stars and her head felt light. As Sirius, Sandalwood, Connie and Lars set to heaving Sugilite off the ground, the pattering of cat paws reached their ears. Connie shot a horrified gaze in the direction of Carnassial's gang, their faces laced with immense triumph, cackles escaping their mouths and their lips dripping with hungry saliva, close in on the group.

"We're NOT GONNA ESCAPE IN TIME!" cried the grey-headed flying fox, "Not with HER badly dazed!"

She shot a worried look at the dazed Sugilite. However, Sandalwood glared bitterly at Carnassial and his gang and formulated an idea in his head, but it was a very daring, wild one. Perhaps the wildest idea he had ever concocted. Shooting Sirius, Connie and Lars a look, Sandalwood said, "I'll try and distract them while you leave with Sugilite."

"Sandalwood, NO!" cried Sirius, "That is NOT A GOOD IDEA!"

"Those caracals and servals could be even faster than you," put in Connie, "And in addition to your inability to fly…"

However, Sandalwood had already dashed off. Giving up, Connie, Sirius and Lars picked up Sugilite and dashed off.

Sandalwood then screeched to a halt and glared at the incoming caracals and servals as they pursued Sirius, Connie, Lars and Sugilite. He paused for a moment, nervousness welling within him but as Carnassial's gang came closer, the Brazilian flying fox pup sprang into action. Inhaling deeply and puffing out his chest as his lungs expanded to their limit with air, the pup released a macaw chick-like screech at the top of his lungs. This stopped Carnassial's gang as they all screeched to a halt, before one of the serval's gleaming-eyed glare shot in Sandalwood's direction. However, the spotted wildcat had been fooled by Sandalwood's impersonation of a macaw chick and had not seen the pup at first and to Sandalwood's relief, the ruse worked.

"One of the macaw chicks is over there," he called the others, a paw point in Sandalwood's direction. The caracals and the other servals followed it. This provided Sirius, Connie and Lars the distraction needed to carry Sugilite away from the danger and they accelerated away with her in tow but this distraction did not last long. The moment Carnassial's eyes landed on Sandalwood and saw that he was merely a flying fox pup and not a macaw chick, he realised that it was all a trick. The caracal released an extremely enraged screech, making Sandalwood jump into the air in extreme fright. The screech carried, reaching Sirius, Connie and Lars's ears and making them slow to a hover and look back. Dread flared within them.

"Now Sandalwood has DONE IT!" barked Connie, outraged at Sandalwood's apparent foolhardy idea, He's put himself in MORTAL DANGER!"

Lars then whirled round to fly back the way they came, leaving Sirius and Connie to carry Sugilite to safety by themselves. Because Sugilite was a hyacinth macaw chick and was bigger than them, she required the effort of both Sirius and Connie for neither could carry her by themselves.

"You get Sugilite outa here while I help Sandalwood," demanded Lars.

"But Lars," said Sirius.

"No time to argue," snapped Lars and with that, the young scarlet macaw chick dashed off into the darkness, leaving Sirius and Connie, who gazed worriedly after Lars, to leave with Sugilite.

Carnassial glared fierily and dangerously at Sandalwood, his amber eyes ablaze with unspeakable wrath. Shenzi and Betelgeuse's serval guard who stood with the other servals and caracals, also glared bitterly at the young bat; the glares of wrath on their faces matching Carnassial's one.

"I should have KNOWN that you little brat had come to interfere with OUR RARE AND SPECIAL TREAT, you LITTLE RAT WITH WINGS!" snarled Shenzi volcanically. Sandalwood just gazed timidly back at the wildcat gang and shuddered, especially as the group began to stalk towards him. Since his confrontation with the toucan chicks led by Isabella after his refusal to participate in the trouble they were about to unleash on some of the Blu Bird Sanctuary's residents back in Brazil, fear boiled dangerously within him and he could not speak. However, under that extreme fear, outrage was beginning to manifest.

"I will give you exactly THREE SECONDS…" snarled Carnassial threateningly, his fiery glare fixated on Sandalwood, "To TELL US WHY YOU CAME HERE and HELP OUR TREAT ESCAPE! WE…"

Around him, his underlings continued to glare furiously at Sandalwood as he continued to shake in fear. However, that fear was about to rupture as the outrage within Sandalwood eventually reached critical. Then in a critical moment, something Sandalwood had never done before, that rage eventually exploded through the flying fox pup's fear and brought with it a flash of confidence.

"Oh YEAH!?" snapped Sandalwood at the top of his voice, "WELL, JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL DUNDEE HEARS ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION TO THAT HORRID CHAMELEON and HOW SOME OF THE PARROTS THAT ENDED UP IN HERE HAVE DIED!"

Carnassial's face flashed a look of immense surprise and he actually stopped. The other caracals and servals also flashed astonished faces.

"How did you know of Dalek's friendship with US!?" demanded Shenzi. Sandalwood did not reply. Instead, the flying fox pup began to tremble with immense anger. His green eyes became green firestorms and his amber fur bristled. His teeth also gritted and under his facial fur, the skin flashed a fiery red. For the first time in his life, he was absolutely volcanically furious.

"Really?" asked Carnassial, surprised at Sandalwood's stubbornness, "You're not gonna answer Shenzi's question?"

Still Sandalwood continued to tremble with rage. Carnassial just rolled his eyes but then his frustration at his treat escaping thanks to Sandalwood and his group's efforts then resurfaced.

"Well in that case, I might as well KILL YOU INSTEAD…" he screeched and with an extremely loud screech and to Sandalwood's immense fright and terror, the lead caracal's back legs sprung the rest of him off the ground and he flew straight towards the flying fox pup. Sandalwood released a scream and darted off, moments before Carnassial's front paws, their claws flared, slammed into the ground just where he had been a moment ago. Sandalwood then scurried like a terrified mouse along the clearing as Carnassial, another screech exploding from his mouth, gave chase. The other servals and caracals rushed in to help but before they could join in the chase, a red comet with blue and yellow wings zoomed in and before any of the wildcats could spot him, Lars shot towards Shenzi and slashed his claws right over her face. Shenzi let loose a stunned and pained screech and covered her face with her front paws as Lars shot away. The other caracals and servals shot stunned glances this way and that but as they did, another comet, an electric blue one, charged in and hooked his beak right on the ear of Alecto, another serval. Cries of extreme pain and shock exploded from Alecto's mouth as she began to writhe and bolt as Sirius, his eyes blazing brown infernos and his electric blue feathers puffed out like an urchin's spines, then began to fiercely tug on her ear. Sirius and Lars had returned to help Sandalwood after Sugilite had been carried to safety.

While Sirius continued sinking his beak into Alecto's ear, Lars swerved round and launched himself into the crowd of caracals and servals. He scored his claws over each and every cat's face he could catch, inflicting small claw marks over their faces on the go. More cat screeches erupted as scratch pain tore through their faces and they began to flail their paws in an attempt to catch the scratcher but Lars had already disappeared into the dark air where he turned round and prepared for another attack. Carnassial flashed an annoyed glance at his underlings and continued his savage chase after Sandalwood. Like a cat after a mouse, the caracal and the flying fox pup continued scurrying along the dark clearing. As Sandalwood swerved round a pile of discarded bones, Carnassial attempted to slash the flying fox pup with his claws, only to miss by centimetres. Sandalwood let loose a scream and continued charging on in the new direction, Carnassial hot on his tail. From the commotion of the servals and caracals in which several more furious comets, Cytosine, Thymine, Connie and Spica, had joined, Sirius flew out of the inferno and flashed a frightened look at Sandalwood as he continued to flee from Carnassial. He had managed to inflict Alecto a nasty cut on her ear, the anger having added to the immense pressure of the little Spix macaw chick's bite force. However, that fiery anger had flashed to desperation as he watched his flying fox friend as he tried to outrun Carnassial whose temper was erupting full throttle.

Sandalwood swerved around a large bush with Carnassial in hot pursuit and hopped over a pile of stones. However, Carnassial jumped right over them and continued his relentless chase of the little bat pup, screeching loudly and explosively. Sandalwood flashed a terrified glance at his chaser and continued running like mad. His wing and leg muscles were straining hard and he was gasping for air but adrenaline continued propelling him on. However, Sandalwood knew that his muscles will eventually become too tired to propel him away from Carnassial and soon, he will be at the mercy of the extremely enraged caracal's fiery wrath. Desperately, the flying fox pup shot gazes this way and that, trying to figure out an alternative way of escape. Sirius continued to hover there; too afraid to intervene for fear that he may end up caught in Carnassial's flames of fury. However, an idea entered his head.

"Sandalwood, SCURRY UP THAT TREE!" he screamed. Sandalwood flashed a glance at the electric blue form as he hovered in the darkness. "Scurry up that tree!"

The flying fox pup looked ahead and saw the trunk of a tree. Behind him, Carnassial was moments away from catching Sandalwood and possibly killing him. With no other options, Sandalwood darted for the tree trunk, hooked his foot and wing thumb claws onto it and began to scrabble up the bark like a terrified cat escaping a dog, moments before Carnassial appeared and slammed his face into the tree trunk. However, the impact did not deter the enraged caracal from his relentless chase of Sandalwood and he also hooked his claws into the bark and began to scurry up the tree trunk after the terrified flying fox pup. Sirius looked on in terror as he watched Sandalwood continue to scurry up the tree trunk, Carnassial moments behind him. However, he realised that Sandalwood was traversing one of his most detested things that always sent crippling fear down his spine and turning his blood into ice: climbing and heights. However, Sandalwood was too blinded by immense terror to even notice that he was scaling higher and higher from the ground and up the tree trunk, especially with a maniacal, rage-crazed caracal right behind him. Carnassial then tried to slash Sandalwood with his claws as soon as he was close enough to him but the little flying fox pup heaved himself up just in time, the claws of the caracal barely missing his feet by centimetres. Sandalwood then strained into another heave and forced himself up the tree trunk further as Carnassial launched another swipe at him, an explosive screech erupting from his mouth. Sandalwood's wing arm, chest and leg muscles cried in agony as he continued to force them to heave the rest of his body further up the tree trunk.

"Sandalwood!" cried Sirius as he watched the horror. Behind him, the caracals and servals continued to try and swipe at Spica, Cytosine, Thymine, Connie and Lars as they continued to mercilessly claw and slash at them with their claws, beaks and in Connie's case, teeth. More and more scratches and bite marks were opening on the cats, along with a little blood being drawn as the servals and caracals continued to desperately try and catch their attackers. Spica, her eyes blazing amber fire, then lunged at Banzai and scored her claws as hard as she could across his nose; inflicting a painful, brutal scratch and making Banzai scream in agony.

Sandalwood continued scrabbling up the tree trunk with Carnassial continuously launching swipes at him only to miss, until he finally reached a node of a branch, the point where the branch joined the main trunk and as soon as he was on it, Sandalwood leaped from the tree trunk and clasped onto the horizontal arm, narrowly escaping yet another slash of sharp needle-like claws thrown by Carnassial. Carnassial then heaved himself onto the branch and began to advance towards Sandalwood who gazed back at the caracal's fiery glare with a terrified gaze. Below, Spica, Cytosine, Thymine, Lars and Connie then broke off their assault and darted off into the darkness, the servals and caracals, their faces covered in countless bite and claw marks, giving chase. Sirius flashed a glance at the group and then gazed back at Sandalwood, fear and worry gripping him as the flying fox pup continued to back away from the still rage-fuelled wildcat. Carnassial's amber eyes were practically blazing with wrath and his mouth was gritted, revealing his deadly set of needle-like teeth. His claws were flared as they gripped the bark on the branch, harpy eagle talon-like and just as deadly. Sandalwood let loose a timid whimper and happened to look down. To his horror, he realised he was on an elevated branch. The flying fox pup released screams of immense terror as his fear of heights began to violently rear its ugly head. Carnassial, when he saw the flying fox pup begin to cringe and whimper at the height, then put on a mocking glare. His mouth widened as he snickered at the timid flying fox pup.

"Well, it seems that you are the same flying fox pup that cannot fly at all…" crooned the caracal; his fire of anger briefly pushed aside, "All because you're afraid of heights. Quite ironic for a mammal that is built to fly…"

Sandalwood just gazed back at Carnassial as he continued to saunter towards him, mockery of his height fear continuously emanating from his mouth. Sirius looked on and began to think of a way to rescue Sandalwood just as Lars flew in. However, before Sirius could put his idea into action, Carnassial's wrath flared up once again.

"But that is not important…" growled the caracal as he crouched to spring at Sandalwood, "You're still a PESKY LITTLE WINGED RAT AND I'M DESPERATE TO SLAUGHTER YA…"

Then with an extremely enraged screech, Carnassial launched himself off the branch and flew straight towards Sandalwood, his front claws poised for the kill.

"SANDALWOOOOD!" cried Sirius. Then Lars was about to rocket in but before he could surge towards Carnassial, something amazing happened. Sandalwood, immense terror flaring within him once again at the sight of the enraged caracal leaping towards him, suddenly jumped off the branch… and right into the air! Carnassial landed on the spot where Sandalwood had been moments ago but to his frustration, he realised that he had missed. Enraged, he glared after Sandalwood. Sirius and Lars also looked on, their beaks agape in astonishment. Sandalwood had his eyes tight shut in preparation for a gruesome death at the claws of Carnassial but he realised that he could not feel any needles attacking him. Furthermore, he felt a rush of air blow through his pelage and his wing membranes and he did not feel any hard surface of the ground under him. Feeling this, the flying fox pup slowly opened one eye and when he saw where he was, both of his eyes jolted open.

"Sandalwood, you're FLYING!" cried Sirius in immense joy. Indeed he was. Sandalwood was indeed airborne. However, he was only gliding, his wing membranes outstretched. Carnassial looked on in outraged astonishment as his target glided away. Sirius and Lars cheered but then Sandalwood's fear of flying kicked in and he began to freak out. A frightened squeal exploding from his mouth, Sandalwood began to flail and in the process, his membranous wings were withdrawn from the air, much to Sirius and Lars's horror. Then Sandalwood began to plummet towards earth, screaming for someone to help him. Immediately, Sirius and Lars surged forwards but as they did, three of the caracals from the rest of Carnassial's gang appeared. Carnassial shot the trio a glare.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" he barked, "SEIZE THAT BAT AND KILL HIM AT ONCE!"

Then without another second's hesitation, the caracals surged forward just as Sirius and Lars latched their talons onto Sandalwood's wings just before he hit the ground. However, the trio saw the three caracals surge towards them, their front paws poised to attack. Lars then made a split-second decision.

"LOOK OUT!" he screeched at Sirius and with that, the young red macaw chick tackled into the Spix macaw as he held Sandalwood by the wings in the side and knocked him out of the way. The moment he did that, a caracal paw appeared and slammed into Lars… hard. Sirius and Sandalwood watched on and screeched Lars's name as the scarlet macaw chick careened limply in Carnassial's direction and crash-landed at the foot of the tree, the same tree up which Carnassial had chased Sandalwood. Then before Lars could come round, a pale brown lynx-like cat was on top of him. Carnassial had dropped down from the tree and had pounced onto Lars the moment he had landed at the foot of the tree. Then without another second's hesitation, the wicked and greedy caracal seized Lars, a grin stretching his mouth across the width of his face. Sirius and Sandalwood screamed as a gulp was heard. Terrified, the Spix macaw chick rocketed off in the direction of Dundee's land; Sandalwood safely in his clutches as Carnassial then subsequently released a burp, licked his lips and rubbed his belly, before congratulating the three caracals for whacking the macaw chick in his direction.