Chapter 76- the nightmare gets even worse

Somewhere in Tujica Forest

On the forest floor, dirt was flying up and landing in a spray from a certain location as some birds dug at the ground. These birds, which were more toucan chicks but not some of the chicks from Marco and Anastasia's group but relatives of them, were tittering mischievously away and digging a hole in the ground using slabs of wood like shovels and spades. Near this group of toucan chicks, a pile of twigs, sticks and leaves lay with three of the toucan chicks standing by it. This foliage will be used to cover the hole in the ground once the diggers have dug the pit deep enough. The toucan chicks were making another pitfall trap in hopes of trapping a victim to pelt with fruit and seeds for the fun of it, regardless of the potential injury the trap would inflict on the victim that stepped onto the false covering. However, something, or rather someone, was about to invite these mischievous troublemakers to something far more dangerous than a pitfall trap.

While the group of toucan chicks continued digging the hole with their wood slab 'shovels' and 'spades', tossing the dirt aside as they hauled each load of dirt from the pit, one of the toucan chicks that was watching the diggers caught-sighted movement in a patch of ferns. The chick's gaze turned from the pit and the diggers to the movement. As its attention was directed to the ferns, one of the fern fronds shook, before a shadowy shape appeared from the blackness under the ferns reached out and beckoned the chick into coming over. The chick, curiosity consuming him, then went over to investigate. As he left his comrades, another chick saw him leave and followed. This caused a chain reaction and soon the entire group of the toucan chicks, including the diggers of the hole who stopped digging and left the hole in the ground, had scurried over to the something in a patch of ferns. As soon as the group of toucan chicks (about twenty of them or more), had gathered around the something hiding in the patch of ferns, they were greeted by a pair of eyes that glowed menacingly in the darkness. However, these eyes meant no harm. The toucan chicks, curiosity and confusion welling within them, then exchanged glances as the something then reached a shadowy limb out of its hiding place, picked up a small fallen branch and pulled it into its dark hiding place. The toucan chicks continued looking on curiously as the branch was swallowed up by the darkness and the something in the shadows then set to its next intention.

The toucan chicks exchanged whispers and murmurs amongst each other, wondering what the stranger in the shadows had for them but as they spoke, a slashing noise, like something rubbed against the surface of a branch, sounded and before the toucan chicks knew it, the dark area under the ferns erupted with light as an orange, glowing comet burst into life and hovered as a ball above the stranger, sending light emanating from it and lighting up everything within its reach. The toucan chicks, at first startled by the sudden appearance of the light then began to examine the hovering orange glowing ball. As they did so, their eyes inflated in admiration, fascination and awe while their beaks widened in awed smiles. Then the stranger smiled at the toucans and picked up the branch it had dragged into its hiding place and set the glowing orange ball close to the leaves on its end. The toucan chicks watched in awe as the orange ball then sent more of itself onto the branch's ends as it made contact with the dried leaves. This done; the stranger then handed the glowing branch to one of the toucan chicks. The toucan chicks looked on in greater fascination, their eyes reflecting the orange glow as one of their siblings held it in his wings. Then the stranger went round and began to gather more fallen sticks and branches, the toucan chicks looking on with sheer excitement. Out of the toucan chicks' sight, a small box lay in a small patch of grass, its contents being pale orange sticks with red knobs on one end…

Meanwhile

Back at Tulio's Aviary, Blu and Jewel had just finished washing the streaks of red of Nigel's blood off their blue and cerulean plumages in a special bath, the red streaks forming swirls in the water. This done, the two Spix macaws went to dry themselves on a towel handed to them by Travis and Sunset. Standing nearby, Eustace, Milo, Rosa, Clemont and Serena looked on with Andromeda, Eragon and the remaining bat-birds; Rouge and Garnet having been sent to keep an eye on Bia's group as they went out stargazing. Around the group, Tulio's employees, the nightshift workers, continued their work in checking on the health of the birds and the birds talked. Some even sat on the blades of the fan on the ceiling, chatting, that fan set to a low spin for the safety of the birds. Among the crowd were Jack and Jill as they helped in examining the health of the birds rescued from the Paradise Sanctuary place, among them Mumble, Balthazar, Atreyu and Ginny the emperor penguins. Mumble had taken the opportunity in showing his tap-dancing moves to the birds of Tulio's Aviary and was even teaching some of them, among them the teen cockatoo chicks Vincent, Peach and Yolanda some of the moves. Eustace examined the progress of the three chicks.

"Peach and Yolanda certainly seem to have the talent to tap-dance," said he with a smile as Rosa, Serena and Clemont looked on.

"Vincent doesn't don't seem as keen," said Rosa as she watched the male teen cockatoo as he seemed to phase out at Mumble's basic dance lessons. Atreyu then called to him to pay attention much to the amusement of the watchers. Eragon then came in.

"Some of our clan members are expert fire dancers," he said, "Some can even spin sticks with each end lit with fire."

Eustace gazed at the archaeobird clan patriarch. This description brought to his mind the dances some of the Polynesian humans involving sticks lit with fire on each end and spun in their hands as they danced. The archaeobirds certainly did show a remarkable mastery of fire in more ways than one, something the macaw and other bird tribes and clans, and the flying fox groups, of the Amazon had never developed due to fire's notoriety with them. The archaeobirds also used fire to cremate their deceased, to sit by and even to roast some snacks. VERY, VERY rarely did they use fire as a form of deterrent, the only known example being when the colony flying foxes intent on kidnapping some of them being the only example the bird flocks knew. However, the strange feathered dino-like creatures were also extremely careful to keep their fires contained for they were especially aware of how destructive the orange flames that formed it was if it landed in the wrong hands or wings or handled carelessly. No wonder they were unsurprised at the damage the previous fires as described to them by the inhabitants of the Sanctuary de Amazon had inflicted on the rainforest.

As Eustace continued to admire the archaeobirds' mastery of fire, Blu and Jewel, their cleaned plumages now dry, then walked over to the cockatoos, Eragon and Andromeda as she checked on the bat-birds. Travis and Sunset were behind them.

"I suppose you're going to join Bia and the others to stargaze, eh?" asked Milo.

"We are as well as spend some romantic time together," said Blu, "Like how Athos and Ruby are doing in the artificial cage."

"Cage?" repeated Andromeda confused.

"That jungle-like thing our human friends have constructed," explained Jewel, "Where I met Blu and Zephyr, Brisa, Sapphire and Lapis Lazuli met Aurora, D'Artagnan and Levi."

"But aren't cages these metal square slabs joined by vertical metal poles with a door in one side?" asked Eragon with a frown, "Or are barred metal things that come in different shapes?"

"They are but I suppose 'cage' could also refer to an artificial habitat like the one in this building as well," said Milo. Then Rosa flashed a glance at the three cockatoo chicks Vincent, Peach and Yolanda as they continued learning tap-dancing from Mumble and smiled.

"Well, we're gonna watch our three teen chicks learn tap-dancing from that emperor penguin over there," she said, "While the rest of you carry out your plans."

And with that, she opened her wings and took off with Clemont, Serena, Milo and Eustace in tow. Andromeda watched the five younger adult cockatoos leave before something else came into her head.

"I wonder how Bia and the others are doing out on their little stargazing trip," she said.

"I'm pretty sure they are alright," said Travis with a smile of certainty, "They have Aurora, Zephyr, Roberto, Brisa and the others with them after all."

"What could possibly go wrong with that group, anyway?" put in Sunset, "and I think it was quite unnecessary in sending two of your bat-birds after them to keep an eye on them."

"I want to make sure that Carla, Bia, Tiago and the others are safe, especially the kids," replied Andromeda slightly irritably, "don't you remember what happened last time when WELL over half of them, among them Sandalwood and our only grandson Bambi, were taken by those rotten poachers?"

Eragon just gazed at Travis and Sunset and shrugged while the cockatoo couple simply gazed at Andromeda in wonder over her apparent overprotective and over-cautionary idea in sending Rouge and Garnet after Bia and company. Blu and Jewel then came in but as they did so, a frantic shout, accompanied by the sounds of equally frantic wing flaps entered the six's ears.

"Blu, JEWEL, GUYS!" it cried in a familiar female voice before an episode of rapid puffing and panting was followed. The sulfur-crested and Major Mitchell's cockatoos, the two Spix macaws and the two archaeobirds, together with the remaining bat-birds, all turned their heads to the shouter as she charged towards them. To Blu and the other five's surprise, the incoming bird had a black plumage and reddish-cream underside and face mask, and a multi-coloured (orange, black, lime green and magenta) beak indicative of her hybrid nature due to her heritage from two separate toucan species (toco and keel-billed).

As the hybrid toucan rocketed towards Travis, Sunset, Andromeda, Eragon, Blu and Jewel, Milo saw her in the form of a colourful, mostly black, comet.

"Diantha's back so soon?" he said to the other cockatoos and also Mumble, Atreyu, Ginny and Balthazar, interrupting Vincent, Yolanda and Peach's tap-dancing lessons from the first penguin. The group of cockatoos and emperor penguins then all flinched harshly as the toucan, which was indeed Diantha, crash-landed onto the table top before Blu and Jewel, almost crashing into Travis who had managed to back away just in time. Then two more comets, this time a pair reddish and dark red ones made of a fur-like coat and membranous wings, appeared and touched down before Eragon and Andromeda, having followed Diantha through an open window.

"Looks like Diantha's had a close encounter with a predatory bird like a harpy eagle," said Rosa when she saw the panicked appearance of the poor toucan. Diantha was indeed stricken with panic. Her sleek black feathers and red-cream front which she had inherited from her keel-billed mother Eva were flattened and her brown eyes were saturated with unspeakable terror as though she had seen a ghost, and she was puffing and panting rapidly from flying so fast.

"Let's see what's going on," said Eustace when he saw Travis and Blu help Diantha to her feet and Andromeda tend to Garnet and Rouge, their eyes also flooded with alarm and terror, "I have a bad feeling that something horrible has happened…"

"Stay here with Mumble and the penguins, kids," commanded Rosa as she opened her wings and took off after Eustace. Milo, Clemont and Serena followed despite protests from Yolanda, only for her to stop and throw a disgruntled growl.

"It's not fair!" growled she, a wing slap onto the floor, "We NEVER are allowed to help."

Vincent and Peach also emitted frustrated sighs but Mumble, Balthazar and Ginny were unsurprised, while Atreyu was curious about Diantha's rushed flight into the room.

"Well if a situation's too dangerous for chicks like you crested skuas and Atreyu," explained Mumble.

"We're cockatoos," snapped Vincent in irritation at Mumble's calling them skuas.

"Whatever alien bird you are," said Mumble, "But as I was saying, if a situation's too dangerous for chicks, then the elders have good reason to command you kids to stay out of that and thus the danger involved."

"You could get seriously hurt," added Ginny. Balthazar nodded in agreement. Vincent then dropped his disgruntled attitude and took up and accepting and understanding one. "Mind you, I suppose Mom, Dad, Uncles Clemont and Milo and Auntie Rosa don't us risking getting hurt again, like me and my broken wing…"

"How did you break your wing?" asked Ginny.

"It's a long story," said Vincent, "And because of that, our parents don't want us facing any more injury..."

"That's right," added Mumble, before he turned to Atreyu, "When Atreyu was caught in that fishing net during our fishing trip, my mate Gloria had ordered the other young penguins to retreat to a safe distance while I and some other adult penguins pursued that boat to rescue Atreyu only to fail to prevent any more young penguins getting caught by those intrusive aliens, which we now know are called 'humans' in their fishing nets."

Vincent nodded in agreement but before Yolanda could ask a question about Atreyu's incident, Blu's voice exploded from across the room, pulling the group's attention to Blu's group on the table.

"Take us there AS FAST AS YOU CAN, DIANTHA!" bellowed the Spix macaw. Diantha nodded frantically and took off like mad with Blu, Jewel and Andromeda on her bat-bird Rouge following. Eragon, Travis and Sunset then took off in another direction while Milo returned to Vincent, Peach, Yolanda, Eustace, Clemont, Serena and Rosa took to looking after the remaining bat-birds.

"We'll round up the humans with their net-guns while you five take care of the bat-birds and the cockatoo kids," called Travis as he followed Sunset and Eragon, also on his bat-bird steed, as they began to sound the alarm to the human bird catchers. As Milo touched down, Vincent stepped forward.

"What's going on, Uncle Milo?" he asked.

"Carla, Tiago and Bia and the others are in serious trouble," replied Milo, dread and alarm swamping him like a stormy flood, "But you're to stay here with us while Blu and the others go to their rescue."

"Toucans again?" asked Peach. Then Mumble, Ginny and Balthazar exchanged worried looks while Atreyu began to feel worry for his friends, among them Sandalwood, Sirius and Acerola, boil within him. Milo shot his niece a confirmatory glare.

"Yes!" he snapped, making Peach flinch. Then Eustace flew in.

"Should we alert Athos and Ruby as well?" he asked. Milo was about to reply but then he remembered the recent incident in which Nigel had attempted to kill Ruby only to send Athos over the edge into a violent storm of unspeakable rage. The shock of Nigel's appearance and almost killing Ruby had already worn down the scarlet macaw couple, especially Ruby who was still traumatised from the incident. Hearing that Spinel and Poinsettia, along with their mates and chicks and everyone else as well were in danger would probably add fuel to their already raging fire of stress. Milo then reached his final decision but with reluctance.

"I think we'll leave those two in peace," he said, "they've had enough trouble as it is with that rotten Nigel character making his uninvited appearance to cause them trouble…"

But before he could finish this sentence, a voice said, "Milo?"

Milo, Eustace, Clemont, Serena and Rosa turned and to their surprise, they saw a pair of scarlet macaws, the male with his left wing in a cast, walk in.

"What's going on?" asked Athos as he walked in with Ruby. Milo gazed at the other four cockatoos and Mumble, Atreyu, Ginny and Balthazar worriedly.

"Is it about Bia and company?" asked Ruby equally worriedly.

"We heard Blu shout to Diantha through the door to the artificial jungle room," said Athos. Then seeing that it was no point in hiding the problem, Milo decided to explain to the pair of scarlet macaws what was happening.

"Okay, but you're not gonna like it you two," said the middle child of Sunset and Travis and with that, he prepared to launch into an explanation bout Diantha, Garnet and Rouge's hasty appearance and their subsequent departure with Andromeda, Eragon, Blu, Jewel, Travis and Sunset's scramble to fly to Carla, Bia, Tiago and company's rescue after them.