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

53. 53- lifts me up like helium

Chapter 53- your love lifts me up like helium

Meanwhile, back in Rio

Zebedee, Iris and Sheldon continued to push the red cart with a pair of rainbow tipped mops and rainbow ribbons, wheels and cardboard wings containing the three emperor penguins who have told the macaws that their names were Mumble, Ginny and Balthazar, the uncle and parents of a penguin chick named Atreyu, in the direction of Susan and Lucy's cottage after spending some time getting some rest and sleep. As the three macaws pushed or pulled the penguins in the cart along the path, Sheldon was very worried for Blu and company, especially Spinel. Zebedee and Iris had explained to the ruby macaw of Sandalwood and company's possible whereabouts and that Spinel had left for Peru with Blu and the others to find them, among them their three chicks, Betelgeuse, Rigel and Antares who are believed to have been taken to the Paradise Sanctuary as well though the evidence in the magazine found by Broccoli, Daisy, Collette, James and Ebony was rather patchy, like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle or a fuzzy photo of a supposed cryptid, with only a few of the missing kids being completely visible in the pictures such as the ones of Bambi and Sylvester. But Sheldon, Zebedee and Iris had hoped that all the kids were there besides the ones visible. The three penguins were laced with worry and despair for a chick called Atreyu who they told Sheldon, Iris and Zebedee was torn from a fishing trip by an illegal fishing boat. They kept referring to the city of Rio and the world outside as 'alien land' and the macaws as 'alien birds' or 'colourful skuas', which the macaws found rather puzzling and at times irritating but then it dawned upon them. The penguin trio's place of origin was isolated from most of the rest of the world, especially human-dominated places with the emperor penguin colony only going to the ocean to fish. Apparently the other animals that lived near and around 'Emperor-Land', the name of the emperor penguins' habitat as stated by Mumble, Balthazar and Ginny were the only animals familiar to the emperor penguins. All the other animals were completely unheard of by these three penguins, such as the macaw, cockatoo (which Mumble and his two companions kept calling a skua after seeing Nigel) and human place-living animals like city cats and dogs, which the penguin trio continued to awe at as the macaws pushed them along in their cart.

"So do you colourful skuas come from a colony of your own kind?" asked Mumble as the three macaws continued pushing or pulling the cart with him, Balthazar and Ginny along.

"We live in flock groups referred to as tribes, clans and simply smaller groups in a rainforest called the Amazon Rainforest," replied Sheldon as he pulled the handle at the front of the cart while Zebedee and Iris pushed from behind. Mumble and his two companions threw on confused looks.

"It's a massive expanse of trees," explained Zebedee, "Sort of like your icy expanses but with big plants instead."

"Do you alien birds sing and dance like we emperor penguins do?" asked Ginny with an intrigued smile.

"We each have our own songs and dances, yes," said Zebedee, "But we don't normally use singing and dancing to attract mates and pair up like how you penguins claim to do in your own homeland."

Mumble, Balthazar and Ginny gazed at the hyacinth macaw with intrigued looks. Then Iris said, "Here we are."

The other five looked ahead and saw the familiar cottage, at least to Sheldon, Iris and Zebedee, and its garden melt into view. The lights were out for Susan, Lucy, Bernardo, Jack and Jill were out and Molly and Mary had been given into the care of a babysitter during this time but flying forms were going to and from the roof. However, as the three macaws and their three new penguin friends approached the cottage more, they found two macaws standing by the gate to the garden, those two familiar to Sheldon and the hyacinth macaws. However, the pair did not look welcoming, relieved or worrisome as Zebedee, Iris and Sheldon initially thought. The two macaws, which were Brisa and Cobalto, were standing with their wings crossed and their faces laced with stern indignation, the same sort of posture and facial looks Zebedee, Iris and Sheldon knew were used whenever there was trouble afoot, and based on how the two macaws were directing those stern glares at the trio, they knew it meant one thing. As this realisation came upon them, the three macaws exchanged glances.

"Oh, dear," said Iris, "We're in trouble."

"Is it because we've been out for too long?" asked Zebedee. Sheldon, however, said nothing, for he had not been present when Zebedee and Iris left the cottage's attic to spend some time alone together, while Mumble, Ginny and Balthazar only looked on in curiosity.

"Looks like there are more of these colourful skuas," said Ginny as she gazed at Cobalto and Brisa.

"Are they relatives of yours?" asked Mumble.

"That large navy blue bird over there is my father," said Zebedee, a nod to Cobalto, "While the smaller, lighter blue one is another type of macaw, or 'alien bird' as you seem to call us."

"Alongside 'colourful skuas'," put in Sheldon rather irritably. He did not like being called a predatory seabird for macaws were not ocean-going birds like real skuas, but the three penguins were still completely unfamiliar of their bird type. As Zebedee and company got closer, Cobalto was the first to move.

"We want a word with you, son," he said in a gruff voice that sent chills down Zebedee's spine. Zebedee shot Iris and Sheldon a worried gaze before returning it to Cobalto and Brisa. "Is it because we're late?"

"We're sorry if we are," said Iris, before turning to Mumble and his two companions in the cart, "We stumbled upon these three penguins on Copacabana Beach and had to rescue them."

Brisa went over to the three emperor penguins.

"I'll see to these three penguins," she said firmly, "You two get off to the attic, NOW!"

Zebedee and Iris flinched at the way the final word came out of Brisa's mouth and obeyed.

"We'll see you three later," said Zebedee to Mumble, Balthazar and Ginny as he and Iris released the cart's handles and sides, "We have some sort of matter to discuss."

The three penguins only gazed at the hyacinth couple in confusion before watching them leave with Cobalto. Sheldon then began to explain to Brisa about the three emperor penguins as well as his regret for breaking up with Spinel and how he wanted to reunite with her.

Moments later, Cobalto had led Zebedee and Iris through the opening in the roof and into the cottage's attic. As the two hyacinth macaws entered the attic after the older one, the pair's eyes spotted a small gathering of other birds, all with the same indignant and cross facial expressions as Brisa and Cobalto, and to Zebedee and Iris's surprise, four familiar small birds stood at the front.

"Nico, Pedro, Sparkle, Rose!?" said Zebedee in utter surprise. The four small birds who stood with an equally angry Zephyr, Sapphire, Esmeralda (who still had her bandages), Ruby, Orquidea, Lapis Lazuli and also Travis and Sunset, Rafael and Eva (who had returned from Basil's colony's home and the residents' evacuation respectively), and the glares of all these birds were converging on Zebedee and Iris, but most especially Zebedee. Roberto was with Dash, Ginger and the other cats and dogs including Broccoli, and also Andromeda who had also returned from helping the Linda's small orange bat colony after hearing what had happened to Eragon and Marella, helping the remaining young adult birds, among them Matilda, Virgil, Finnick and Justin, and flying foxes look after the remaining seven kids, Ferdinand, Sonia, Melody, Diego, Byron, Einstein and Miles, and also Eustace and his family including Milo and Rosa, his brother and sister, and also Vincent, one of his sons, to get some sleep but not in the attic. They were in another part of the house. Porthos and Wilbur were also back but they were still recovering from the effects of the sleeping gas thrown into the Aviary a good few hours ago, along with the few others that had been exposed to it. Furthermore, Cometa, Lightning, Orion, Hermione and Velocity were out keeping an eye on Tulio and his team, only returning to bring updates, and had left Zelda and Spike in the care of Cobalto and company as well, while they were out.

As Cobalto led Zebedee and Iris to the floor and touched down with them, Iris was the first to speak.

"Has something happened?" asked she. Pedro stepped forward.

"Yes it 'as," he growled. Then Nico and Sparkle the canaries stepped forward.

"We 'ave just 'ad a bunch of marmosets suddenly appear an' wreak havoc in our club a while ago," explained the former, the cap-wearing canary, "Not only 'ave they attacked us an' our clubbers," Nico's gaze turned to Rose, Pedro's girlfriend, "they 'ave also seriously injured some o' them an' almost got a few more, such as Kipo and Orton, two of our rosette spoonbill friends, an' my buddy Pedro's girl there," he nodded to Rose, "killed."

"Those monkeys also ransacked an' overturned our instruments an' other clubbing equipment, torn down our tent covering an' even pelted us with fruit and stones," put in Sparkle, her gaze laced with outrage. Her gaze then turned to Rafael and Eva, "An' when those two toucans heard what had happened to our club as reported to them by Ruby, they rocketed over to here with her."

"We could NOT believe that such a thing would happen to our four small bird friends," growled Rafael in his raspy voice, indicative of his age. Eva nodded in agreement but said nothing. Zebedee and Iris flinched in horror, flashed each other a gaze and returned them back to the group of angry birds.

"Did those marmosets plan an attack on the Welcome to Paradise Club by themselves?" asked Iris. Sapphire stepped forward.

"No, the leader of that gang, who we managed to catch and interrogate, told us that someone commanded him and his gang to carry out the attack," she said. She then nodded to Orquidea and Lapis Lazuli as she said, "Which brings us to the reason why we want you (to Zebedee and Iris but specifically to Zebedee) here. You two."

Orquidea and Lapis Lazuli then took their turn to step forward. Zebedee and Iris flashed each other a confused glance again.

"Why us!?" retorted Zebedee in disbelief. Orquidea replied by brandishing something, a flight feather but it was not any flight feather. This feather was navy blue, like those on Zebedee, Iris and Cobalto and also the absent Phoebe, but it was not from Sapphire or any other Lear's macaw for the feather was too long to be from a navy blue and dark teal macaw that was the size of a Spix macaw. Zebedee and Iris gazed at the feather in Orquidea's wing in utter astonishment.

"This," said the blue-and-gold macaw harshly, "Is a hyacinth macaw wing flight feather."

"The lead marmoset gave it to us during our interrogation of him and his gang," said Pedro, "And he said that it had come from a hyacinth macaw who told him and his gang to destroy our club."

"What did this hyacinth macaw look like and did the marmoset get its name?" asked Zebedee who was beginning to quiver.

"According to that marmoset," said Nico with narrowed eyes, "The hyacinth macaw was a male and had a bandana over his left eye and face, and he was the one who told that marmoset and his gang to go to 'that birds' club' and destroy it."

"And the identity of the macaw brings us to one conclusion," said Cobalto and with that, he glared fiercely at Zebedee. After all, he was the only hyacinth macaw wearing a bandana over his left face side, and left eye. As the realisation on which macaw matched the description dawned upon him, shock tore through him. Then Iris stepped forward.

"What are you talking about?" she protested in defence of Zebedee, "Don't you folks realise that we've just got back?" her frantic gaze turned to Zebedee who wore a disbelieving look on his face, "and besides that, don't you realise that Zebedee here has been through enough trouble already?"

Ignoring Iris, Pedro and Nico hovered in front of Zebedee, their glares a few inches from the right side of his face and his only seeing eye.

"Did ya talk dose lil King Kongs into attackin' our club!?" demanded Pedro. Zebedee gazed back at the samba duo with his tongue stuck in his beak and began to shoot pleading glances at the surrounding macaws including Cobalto for defence but to his dismay, none of them stepped forward to defend him. Then finally, rage exploded within him.

"This is utterly ridiculous!" he snapped, "You know I would never, ever get myself involved in those troublemaking primate furballs."

"Well it seems that you have, son," said Cobalto firmly, "The evidence and the marmoset's description of that bird's identity matches you very well."

Orquidea, who still had the hyacinth macaw feather nodded in agreement. Iris then flashed a look at Zebedee and said, "He couldn't have had that bunch of marmosets attack Nico and Pedro's club," her glance darted from Cobalto to Nico and Pedro and from this pair to the other birds gathered for the confrontation, "This does not make any sense. I was with him the whole time, as was Sheldon…"

"He seems sly enough to slip away to send those marmosets to my friends' club and wreak that havoc," said Rafael angrily, making Zebedee shoot a disbelieving look at the toco toucan and his keel-billed mate, "No different from the slyness of our deranged older offspring who have entered the territory of utter madness and insanity that is no different from that of that foul cockatoo…"

"Wait, are you saying I'm like NIGEL!?" retorted Zebedee in outrage. His angered glance then darted about the room at the other birds. Iris's glances also shot this way and that.

"B-b-but he's been with me the whole time we were out, like I've said," she protested, "The only time he left was to get me some fruit while we were in a tree with some other parakeets…"

"Perhaps 'e sent th' marmosets t' our club while 'e was away from you at th' time," said Nico, his glare fixated on the disbelieving and outraged Zebedee, "An' must 'ave used that statement of fetchin' you some fruit as a cover-up t' divert your attention away from 'is true intentions…"

"WHAT!?" barked Zebedee, "NO! I REALLY WAS getting Iris some berries and a papaya. I did NOT go to ANY group of marmosets…" rage then began to make him tremble, "And besides that, why would I LIE to her to do some malicious deed on someone else!?" he continued to gaze at Rafael, Eva, Nico, Pedro, Cobalto and the others while Iris looked on, "It's clear that I have been set up…"

However, this only fell on deaf ears, much to the hyacinth macaw's chagrin. Then Cobalto stepped forward.

"Come on, Zebedee," said the one-eyed hyacinth macaw's father, "As punishment for sending a bunch of troublemaking monkeys to ransack Nico and Pedro's club and almost causing loss of life, you are BANNED from leaving this cottage attic for the rest of the time we are here."

"B-b-b-but, DAD!" protested Zebedee as Orquidea and Sapphire seized him but Zephyr cut him off.

"Shut your beak or we'll shut it for you, young man," he snapped.

"And when this is over when Blu and company come back with Sandalwood and the others safe and sound from Peru," put in Orquidea who had him by one of the wings, "and we get back home after that, YOU will be facing whatever consequence your parents will decide…"

Zebedee then turned to protest to Iris but Ruby appeared and came between him and his girlfriend. Iris looked on in utter disbelief. At the entrance, Sheldon came in but Travis and Sunset appeared and blocked him from entering the attic.

"Iris, PLEASE!" cried Zebedee as he struggled in Orquidea and Sapphire, and now Ruby and, Lapis Lazuli's grasp, "YOU KNOW I WOULD NEVER associate with a bunch of TROUBLEMAKING MARMOSETS, much less SEND A GROUP OF THEM TO CAUSE DESTRUCTION…"

"Come on, Zebedee," said Lapis Lazuli. Zebedee continued to utter protests as he was dragged away. Iris then tried to run in but Cobalto blocked her path.

"I'm afraid you are gonna have some time away from him, Iris," he said casually, "You're not to go anywhere near him for the rest of the trip."

Iris's heart began to lurch and thrash like a fish caught in a net upon hearing this. The female hyacinth macaw's green eyes then began to ooze tears, her unusually purple-tinted feathers began to bristle and her iris flower-like crest began to rise slightly at the sounds of her boyfriend's protests and sight of him being pulled away. Furthermore, her heart lurched at the thought of being banned at the possibility of ever seeing him again. Sheldon at the entrance began to protest and fight his way past Travis and Sunset but the two cockatoos refuse to budge. Sheldon then glared bitterly at the macaws as they continued to drag the protesting Zebedee away. Then in a flash, fiery outrage surged through the scarlet/green-winged hybrid macaw and set his blue eyes on fire. This time it was not at Spinel for taking her anger out on him. The rage had been ignited by the injustice that played out before his eyes. Jerking out of Travis and Sunset's grasp, Sheldon turned tail and rocketed out of the attic like a fireball.

"Sheldon!" barked Travis but the ruby macaw refused to look back and continued surging away from the cottage.

On the ground, Brisa, together with Mumble, Ginny and Balthazar, gazed in surprise at the red streak that shot across the dark night sky, his colourful wings beating furiously on the go.

"That red skua looks extremely angry," said Ginny. Brisa did not reply but opened her wings and took off after Sheldon, joining Travis and Sunset and also Ruby who had seen her son-in-law charge off in a rage, leaving Ginny to gaze at Balthazar and Mumble who shrugged. Sheldon continued rocketing away from the cottage, fiercely kicking at some leaves with his talons on the go.

"SHELDON!" barked Travis again. No answer. Sunset, Brisa and Ruby threw on angry looks.

"SHELDON!" called these other three birds. Still Sheldon didn't answer. Finally, the ruby macaw whirled round and shot the four chasers a volcanic glare. This glare was far fierier than the glare he shot at Spinel before flying away from her after their heated fall out.

"Get away from me," snarled Sheldon, his feathers bristled like a sea urchin's spines as the quartet flew over to him, "Get AWAY FROM ME!"

"SHELDON," barked Ruby in retort, "Let's talk about this."

Sheldon, in response, whirled round again and shot off into the open space above Rio. Ruby's talon went to her forehead and slapped against it.

"Oh-ER" yelled the scarlet macaw and with that, she began to give chase, Sunset, Brisa and Travis following, Sheldon's name flying from her beak in protest for her son-in-law to return.

"SHE-E-E-ELDON!" screeched Ruby. Back in the attic, Rafael and Eva watched through the opening, disbelieving looks lacing their faces.

"NOW what's up with Sheldon?" asked Rafael grumpily.

"Is it to do with Spinel again?" added Eva. Zephyr came in.

"Just leave Sheldon to Ruby, Travis, Sunset and Brisa," he said. As Zephyr said this, Iris had sneaked away towards the loft opening while Zebedee had managed to escape Orquidea, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire's grip by distracting them and quickly slipping away. The bandana-wearing hyacinth macaw darted out of the attic through the ceiling entrance, entered the hallway, and rocketed towards one of the rooms where Mary and Molly slept (based on the presence of two cots decorated with baby toy mobiles dangling above them, alongside a variety of other baby toys scattered across the floor and placed neatly on furniture such as drawers and chairs) and a window in that room.

As Zebedee began to undo the lock to the window to unlock it, his eyes oozing enraged and distressed tears, shouts of his name rang out behind him.

"Zebedee!" came Sapphire's voice.

"Zebedee, get back here this MINUTE!" barked Orquidea's voice. Zebedee flashed an enraged glance at the callers and continued unlocking the window. Finally he managed to get the lock undone and as soon as he had shoved open the window, Zebedee squeezed through the opening and made a hasty break for it. Iris saw Zebedee's navy blue tail disappear through the open window through the door to Susan and Bernardo's twin girls' room, as well as his form rocket away from the cottage through the glass. Immediately, Iris dashed for the window to follow him, moments before Orquidea, Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli turned up and met in the middle of the hallway. In the baby's room, Iris also squeezed through the window and closed it to prevent the other macaws from following, before tearing off after Zebedee.

"I can't believe we allowed him to slip away like that," cried Lapis Lazuli in disbelief.

"We're gonna HAVE to get him back somehow," said Orquidea. Sapphire just sighed.

"I guess he's at it again with his slyness like how he sent those marmosets to attack Nico and Pedro's club," said the Lear's macaw. Just then, a new voice sounded, "What's going on?"

Hearing this, the three macaws all turned and, to their surprise, they saw a group of macaws, a flying fox, a cat and two dogs gaze up at them, their eyes laced with surprise but also irritability and tiredness. Then one of the macaws, Finnick, his eyes drooping from the weight of tiredness, stepped towards the hovering Orquidea, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire and said irritably, "Can't you see that we and the kids are trying to sleep?"

Behind him, Petunia, Justin and Ellie nodded in agreement while Melissa, Broccoli, Dash and James gazed up at the three macaws, the irritable looks from tiredness on their faces too. The three hovering macaws lowered to meet the newcomers.

"We're ever so sorry to jolt you from your sleep, you lot," said Lapis Lazuli apologetically, "But we're looking for Zebedee."

"He's caused Nico, Pedro and their clubbers a great deal of trouble by sending a bunch of marmosets to ransack the place," added Sapphire. Hearing this, Petunia, Finnick, Justin and Ellie, and Broccoli, Dash and James all flinched in disbelief and exchanged glances while Melissa looked on confused.

"What do you mean Zebedee's caused a lot of bother for Nico and Pedro?" asked Petunia irritably.

"By sending a gang of marmosets into attacking them?" put in Justin in confusion.

"Why would he do that?" asked Broccoli.

"Look, we'll explain later," said Lapis Lazuli, "You get yourselves back to bed and we'll deal with this, okay?"

The three macaws were about to take off to resume their search for Zebedee when suddenly, Broccoli, a look of outrage suddenly flaring on his face, darted round the trio and rushed to the front of them before they could increase their height from the ground.

"We demand to KNOW!" shouted the tabby cat fiercely. Lapis Lazuli, Orquidea and Sapphire flashed taken aback looks at the tabby cat's behaviour. Then Dash and James joined Broccoli, alongside Justin, Finnick, Ellie and Petunia, their faces mirroring that of Broccoli's.

"Why would Zebedee send a bunch of marmosets to cause Nico and Pedro trouble!?" asked Finnick again, this time in a demanding voice rather than a tiredness-laced one. The three hovering macaws exchanged glances until finally, they relented.

"Okay," said Sapphire and with that, she began to explain to Finnick's group.

Meanwhile

Zebedee continued charging through the trees, desperate to get away from the cottage as quickly as possible. In his mind was immense chaos, a maelstrom of things whirling around in his mind. Confusion, outrage, betrayal, distress... all kinds of churning emotions were churning violently in his mind like the waters of the Amazon River during a storm. As Zebedee continued to zoom along, his large wings beating furiously, his eyes, both his seeing right eye and his blind and damaged left one, beginning to weep tears, and his bandana flying from his face, having been dragged away by the wind that surged over Zebedee's face, exposing the tiger-stripe like scars and his faded left eye where the evil flying fox had struck him several years ago while he tried protecting Stella, Luna and Sebastian from that same bat resulting in those scars and damaged eye, a familiar female voice called out behind him.

"ZEBEDEE!" shouted Iris who was desperately trying to catch up to him. Her heartstrings were pulled to breaking point as she watched her beloved boyfriend break down in anguish. "Zebedee, come BACK!"

"Please LEAVE ME ALONE!" retorted Zebedee in a voice that sounded like breaking ice, "NO-ONE TRUSTS ME ANYMORE!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" retorted Iris loudly. She flew upward to avoid crashing into a cluster of leaves before continuing her chase after Zebedee, "LISTEN! YOU'VE BEEN SET UP BY SOME SPITEFUL WRETCH! I KNOW IT! YOUR father Cobalto and the others, along with Nico and Pedro, have been DUPED!"

But Zebedee was too consumed by immense grief and the maelstrom of other emotions, his mind too warped and swamped with these, to answer. Iris continued trying to catch up to Zebedee in a desperate attempt to snap him out of his frenzied anguish, ignoring the growing ache in her wing flight muscles as they strained to pump her wings harder and harder, along with her lungs and heart inhaling in and out and beating furiously to provide power to her straining muscles but Iris didn't care. All she cared about was catching up to her boyfriend, who she now saw as her true love, and bringing him out of his immense anguish.

As the two hyacinth macaws shot past at an alarming speed, the draft of air whipped up by their large wings and blowing the leaves and flowers, curious eyes flashed out of the darkness of the branches and holes in the surrounding tree trunks as curious animals gazed at the two massive navy blue comets as they surged past. The furious chase continued for a few more minutes, right out of the patch of jungle and into the air above Rio until finally, both Zebedee and Iris's muscles became too tired and fatigued to allow the two hyacinth macaws to fly any further. Not to mention their rapid breathing rate as they ran out of breath from flying so fast. The pair was eventually forced out of the sky and descend towards the city below. Tiredly, and puffing and panting, Zebedee clumsily glided downward towards the houses and crash landed onto the flat roof of one of the buildings, his eyes tearstained, and began to wheeze and gasp for air, and clasp his chest as his muscles ached immensely. Iris also crash-landed clumsily onto a building's roof but on the one adjacent to the one Zebedee had landed, and began to burst into an episode of puffing and panting. Then after recovering, Iris fluttered over to the roof on which Zebedee had landed, barely making it for her flight muscles were too tired to allow flight, and landed on the slab of metal. There, she began to confront Zebedee as he broke down and wept hard.

"Zebedee," begged the female flower crested macaw, "Zebedee, listen, you need to get yourself together!"

Zebedee continued to sob hard and did not hear Iris's pleas but Iris refused to give up. "Both you and I KNOW you didn't send those marmosets to attack Nico and Pedro's club. It is clear that you have been set up! ZEBEDEE!"

Zebedee continued to sob which tugged on Iris's heartstrings harder than ever. Iris then began to weep and continue to beg. As she did so, a flash of outrage fired up within her at whoever was responsible for getting Zebedee into such trouble and based on Nico and Pedro and the others' description of the culprit, it was apparent that some bird has dressed him or herself up as Zebedee and send those marmosets to destroy Nico and Pedro's club but Iris wasn't certain, but she knew full well that Zebedee would never, ever get involved with a bunch of mischievous monkeys, and certainly not a bunch of deranged toucans who have pretty much descended into insanity based on the latest incident they have caused Blu's group including Zebedee and Iris. Pushing that aside, she continued to beg Zebedee but rather than using words, she instead went over to the sobbing facially scared macaw and threw her wings around him. Zebedee, at first felt shock surge through him but Iris refused to let go.

"I NEVER liked seeing you break down like this," sobbed Iris, her green eyes beginning to shed tears, "And I CERTAINLY never like anyone getting you into trouble over something you haven't done…"

Iris then closed her eyes, making tears seep through her closed eyelids and run down her cheeks. Zebedee, as the warmth of his girlfriend's hug took hold, then began to feel his anguish fade and the maelstrom of negative emotions slowly subside, but the hurt still remained. Slowly and reluctantly, his wings snaked around Iris's body and soon, he had Iris in an embrace as well. As the two macaws remained in their tearful embrace, the sound of a song emanated from below the flat roof from some sort of human device for a human was playing a song on her CD. This song sounded romantic, sung by a famous artist who also sang a song called 'Breathe Me'. As Iris's ears picked up the music, she looked up at Zebedee with tearstained eyes.

"Listen," she said in a soft voice. Zebedee, a few sobs escaping his beak, paused to listen to the music.

"…Your… love…lifts me up like helium; your… love… lifts me up when I'm down, down, down…"

"I know this song," said Zebedee in a calmer but still fragmented voice, the maelstrom of negative emotions having calmed down. Iris, her eyes filled with tears, smiled and nodded once.

"Sounds romantic, doesn't it?" she cooed. Zebedee gazed at Iris but soon found himself captured by her emerald green eyes, and Iris captured by his dark blue eyes, one of which was faded and laced with scars but Iris didn't mind. She was going to let Zebedee know that he had dropped his bandana but decided to delay that to spend some time in this moment. The pair of hyacinth macaws continued to stare into each other's eyes, locked in their embrace as the song continued to play.

"…You lift me up when I am found, you lift me up before I hit the ground, you lift me up when I'm down, down, down…"

The hyacinth macaw couple continued gazing into each other's eyes, their sobs and tears slowly subsiding until finally, an unknown force pulled their heads together such that their foreheads were touching. After a spending a moment in this, Zebedee's beak slowly closed in on Iris's and enclosed it in a kiss. After breaking the kiss, Zebedee gazed at Iris in surprise.

"Did I just…" he began but Iris took hold of his head and smiled mischievously.

"Come here, my lovely heartthrob," she cooed and before Zebedee could protest, his beak was locked in a kiss with Iris's. Zebedee was immediately pulled into a calm state of mind as the kiss of his girlfriend sent warmth coursing through him. Naturally, he pulled Iris in his embrace and returned the kiss.

The song, which was 'Helium', by Sia, continued to play from below as the two hyacinth macaws continued to remain in their kiss and embrace. Then after romantically bidding each other goodnight, the two hyacinth macaws parted to find separate compartments in the houses to spend the rest of the night.