Chapter 78- a spreading menace, Blu and company's determination
Back in the forest
In the dark clutter of the jungle, movement indicating the presence of nocturnal animals shook some small branches as those tree animals were out hunting, their eyes glowing like cat's eyes in the dark as they scanned their shadowy surroundings for any flash of movement of prey. Above the trees, the moon continued bathing the treetop zone with its silvery shafts of light, transforming that part of the jungle into a mystical paradise-like realm. However, the peaceful dark night and the activities of the nocturnal animals was about to be shattered. As the animals, which were some nocturnal marmosets, continued their search for prey, they were made aware of an orange glow heading their way. Startled, the little monkeys shot their glowing eyes in the direction of the brightening orange glow but as the source drew near, the little animals, stricken by panic, fled, moments before the source, which were orange comets being carried on branches by some flying birds, shot past, bathing the areas where the monkeys had been in a bright orange light.
The toucan chicks, their talons carrying the branches with the orange comets on their ends and their beaks emanating gleeful and fascinated laughter and with sheer excitement boiling within them, continued zooming through the canopy. However, they were so consumed by the equally glowing orbs of excitement that glowed brightly as the orbs on the ends of their branches that they were unaware that those orange balls were making contact with the branches of the surrounding trees as they passed, and the moment those branches and their leaves touched the orange comets, the orange balls began to replicate themselves and spread and climb up the green leaves and wooden covering of those trees' branches. Small orange stars also rained down from the orange balls on the branches and leaves, and nocturnal animals looked on in sheer horror as they watched the moving orange comets on the branches carried by the toucan chicks continue to rush through the forest and disappear out of sight, leaving behind a trail of growing orange balls spawned by those comets on more tree branches and vegetation in their wake.
Back in Tulio's Aviary
Almost every space of the worktops of the main medical room was blanketed by colourful feathers as Carla, Bia and Tiago and company had been brought into this room by the humans for treatment. Poor Carla, Bia and Tiago and most of the rest of the group were battered and badly shaken from the toucan attack and many have had the primary or secondary feathers of their wings torn out and were thus grounded until their feathers grew back. The only birds that still had their full set of flight feathers in the group were Carla, Bia, Finnick, Zephyr and Aurora of the Spix macaws; Spinel and Sheldon out of the red macaws; Wilbur the blue-and-gold macaw; Aramis of the green macaws and Zebedee and Iris of the hyacinth macaws. D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Brisa, Roberto, Porthos, Orquidea, Aramis, Esmeralda, Phoebe, Cobalto, Levi, Lapis Lazuli and the rest of the macaws including Tiago and Matilda were missing some of their wing flight feathers, something that macaws needed a full set of if they were to fly properly. The other members of the group still able to fly were Diantha, Tom and all the flying foxes and of course Greg, Sardonyx, Rita and Carlos for they had managed to escape, or had had help escaping from Broccoli, Daisy and Collette who had managed to seize the birds and bats and leap out of the inferno. However, the three cats were also battered and bruised with patches of torn-out fur and scratches marking their bodies, some of the marauding toucans having attacked them as well and had yanked out beak-fuls of fur. But the external injuries were nothing compared to what the poor lot, especially the macaws, Diantha, Tom, Spyro, Marella and the flying foxes, felt on the inside after losing their kids a second time. Extreme distress, worry, trauma and other negative emotions churned like the choppy waters of the Amazon River inside these poor characters and they were afraid that they might never see their kids again. This was the second time they had been plunged into this abyss at the clutches of those horrid toucans. Only this time the joy and happiness of successfully rescuing Sandalwood and the other kids from the fraudulent Paradise Sanctuary place were completely crushed for the hard work of Blu and the others who had risked everything to venture there and retrieve them had been wasted.
As Blu, Jewel, Eragon, Andromeda, Athos, Ruby, Travis and Sunset, accompanied by Milo, Eustace, Rosa, Clemont, Serena and cockatoo teens Vincent, Yolanda and Peach, stood back and watched the humans as they examined the battered Carla, Bia, Tiago and company with the bat-birds standing with them under Andromeda and Eragon's care, Eustace, Milo, Rosa, Clemont and Serena were flooded with immense outrage and horror.
"This is HONESTLY the worst thing those toucans have EVER done besides their attack on Tulio and Linda's cottage and almost roasting us with that fire in our birdhouse!" said Eustace as he watched the poor members of Bia's group continue to be treated, some of them wincing from the pain of their cuts and scratches as the humans continued to clean them. Eustace's worried gaze travelled to Tiago and Matilda as they winced with gritted beaks from the pain as one of the bird doctors gently dabbed the scratches and bite marks on their sides and faces with a sterile tissue to clean them of the weeping blood. Athos and Ruby and also Sheldon and Wilbur then gazed at Spinel and Poinsettia as they gazed wearily at their tattered wings, the devastation and distress clearly smeared all over their faces. Athos and Ruby knew that their daughters would not be able to fly with tattered wings, and it was likely to take months for new flight feathers to regrow and replace the ones lost. As the two sisters gazed at the other birds with torn out wing flight feathers, the rest of the group including Blu and Jewel just looked on, too gripped by immense flabbergast and mortification to even form words.
While Blu's group continued to watch their human friends treat the battered group of Carla, Bia and Tiago, Broccoli limped in. His left front paw had been bitten by one of the adult toucans as he tried rescuing some of the kids but without success and the rest of his body, especially his right ear, were covered with toucan claw and bite marks and bald patches from ripped out fur, and Susan had just finished bandaging his injuries and had put his injured left paw in a bandage. However, despite the pain emanating from his injuries and the trauma of getting attacked along with his sisters Collette and Daisy and Bia's group, which was eerily similar to the vicious attack he had faced from Nigel years ago, Broccoli's face was saturated with unspeakable wrath and he was actually trembling with it. An infuriated hiss, indicative of his temper about to erupt, was filtering through his gritted teeth, sand his brown eyes were blazing firestorms, something Broccoli rarely harboured, and as he spoke, his temper actually did burst out of its containment field.
"This is just like what HAPPENED with them poachers ALL OVER AGAIN!" bellowed the volcanic Veggie look-a-like at the top of his voice. Blu, Jewel, Eragon, Andromeda, Athos, Ruby, Travis and Sunset and the bat-birds then jumped back as Broccoli let loose a furious screech and slammed his other paw, the right one and the one that hadn't been badly bitten, hard onto the leg of the table as his volcanic temper momentarily got the better of him, sending a loud bang coursing through the wood like a shockwave and into the main body of the table, startling some of the birds standing on top of it, among them D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Finn and Jasmine.
"IT MAY NOT be in my nature to harm and kill birds but AFTER WHAT THOSE TOUCANS HAVE DONE, I REALLY WANNA FLAY THEM!" bellowed the cat as he did it. Because he was so consumed by the firestorm of wrath, Broccoli did not care one bit about the pain it had caused his paw.
"Hey, watch it, Broc," called D'Artagnan as he winced from a piece of tissue dabbing at his scratched face by one of Tulio's employees who had flashed Broccoli an annoyed look, "You'll frighten everyone and draw attention to yourself."
"Go and vent your anger somewhere else," commanded Sapphire. Broccoli, his fury finally threatening to explode in the most violent way in his life, obeyed without hesitation and darted for the main entrance to the building, jumping aside to avoid running into the cage containing Mumble, Ginny, Balthazar and Atreyu who flashed a glance at the cat as he hurried outside.
"That four-legged seal certainly has a volcanic temper," said Mumble as he watched Broccoli leave through the main entrance, erroneously referring to him as a seal.
"He's a city cat," said Blu before a scowl formed on his face, "but him being EXTREMELY volcanic is not surprising. What those toucans have done is the final leaf."
"Is that how Sandalwood and the others ended up at the Paradise place?" asked Atreyu.
"Yes, but it's a long story," said Clemont, "In fact, if I were to calculate, it would take ages to explain everything to you since you've never been in a human city before and will likely have not heard many human-excusive terms, like 'plane' or 'Iquitos' which is the name of the city where that building was run, before."
"Never mind one with flying birds that live in trees, such as us macaws," put in Blu.
"Which you lot keep calling skuas," added Travis. Sunset rolled her eyes at this. She obviously did not like being called a seabird she knew to be gruesome carnivores at times.
"Hey, I've been in a penguin enclosure before," grumbled Mumble. However, the neotenous emperor penguin trailed off when he saw Ruby begin to volcanically erupt as well but unlike Broccoli whose outburst was pure anger and frustration over the toucans' attack and kidnapping of the kids, Ruby's outburst was devastation and extreme distraught. A piercing screech exploding out of her beak followed by uncontrollable sobbing, the scarlet macaw then fell onto her front and began to weep hard and loud. Athos and Jewel went over to her and put their wings around her to comfort her as she began to break down, tears falling like heavy rain on a stormy day and like the other macaws, among them Spinel and Sheldon, as many of them began to break down as well. Mumble and the other three penguins could only watch sympathetically for they lacked the understanding of what has happened.
Somewhere else in the room, Diantha, Tom, Aurora and Zephyr (who also bore bandages and plasters for their injuries but their wings still had a full set of flight feathers) were talking with Rita and Carlos, the latter two toucans and two of Diantha's many, many siblings who were swamped with immense guilt and feelings that they were failures at being unable to rescue any of the kids from Bia's group. While these six talked, Porthos and Aramis (who were also battered and bruised and were missing some of the flight feathers from their wings) were looking over Collette and Daisy as Lucy bandaged their injuries. Nearby, Benjamin and Petunia were being comforted by Esmeralda and Orquidea as the turmoil of emotions, among them extreme anger and distress, boiled within them and while more of Tulio's employees treated them of their injuries as well. Across the room, Roberto and Brisa were with Carla, Bia, Tiago, Justin, Matilda and Virgil and also their own son Finnick and his mate Kira, comforting them as well.
"This CANNOT be happening," Porthos heard Zephyr snarl, to which he stole a glance.
"Mom and Dad are gonna go Krakatoa if they hear about this," whispered Carlos timidly and guiltily.
"They REALLY HAVE crossed the line, I can tell you," put in Diantha furiously. She practically felt no trust or love for her many, many siblings, apart from a few, anymore and felt utterly betrayed and devastated by this final leaf. In fact Diantha did not see Marco and the others as her brothers and sisters and in-laws anymore. Nor did she see their kids as her nephews and nieces. The only thing Diantha saw in those toucans were mere monsters that have descended into the depths of insanity, beyond the point of no return, just like how Nigel had when that parakeet destroyed his acting career. As these feelings against her siblings and their families boiled within her, Collette came up to the group after Lucy had finished bandaging her injuries. Like Broccoli, Collette was furious with the toucans but she had managed to keep her explosive, volatile anger under control.
"Have you guys seen Broccoli?" she asked. Diantha, Tom, Aurora, Zephyr, Rita and Carlos and also Porthos and Aramis gazed at her.
"Um… I think he went outside," said Aurora.
"Yes, we heard Broccoli erupt into a furious meltdown a few seconds ago," said Aramis.
"Why do you want him?" asked Zephyr. Then a look of determination appeared on Collette's face. Behind her, Daisy was gritting her teeth and tightening her eyes from the pain from her bite and scratch wounds as Lucy continued to wash them with clean, sterile water. However, she cocked an ear to listen to her sister speak.
"Once Daisy over there has been bandaged," said Collette with a flash of glance at her sister, "we're gonna go after those rotten toucans and get those kids back. Broccoli's gonna come with us as well."
That made astonishment tear through Zephyr's group.
"WHAT!?" barked Zephyr, Aurora, Aramis, Porthos, Rita and Carlos all at the same time. Then Tom came forward, a look of angry disapproval plastering his face.
"Are you MAD, Collette," he retorted, "You, your sister and your brother are lucky that you didn't suffer any serious injuries from those marauding CROWS who call themselves toucans such as a scratch over your neck artery and vein," as he said this, Collette raised a paw and felt the area where her carotid artery and jugular vein, the important vessels of the neck, were and flinched at the thought of a toucan or macaw's claws running over that area which fortunately was unmarked. However, she pushed it aside and glared back at Tom as he continued. "You're gonna stay here in the safety of your human companions…"
However, Collette's stubbornness only sent this command in one of her ears and out of the other. When he saw that Tom's protests were not sinking into the caliby (calico/tabby mix) cat, Zephyr went over to her to back Tom up. Behind Zephyr and Tom, Diantha felt agreement with Collette's statement well within her.
"Tom is right, Collette," said Zephyr, "You should stay here. We can't risk you, Daisy and Broccoli getting hurt like this again."
"And besides that," put in Carlos as he stood with Rita, "Our siblings and their families are RUTHLESS. They might even be like those rabid flying foxes of that… um… Scarface's colony Uncle Zephyr and the others were forced to fight to protect their protected homes in the Amazon…"
As he said this, he found himself on the receiving end of a glare of a group of seven flying foxes from nearby. Carlos turned and saw Augustus, Stella, Luna, Melissa, Sebastian, Soren and Anabelle glare at him with seemingly offended frowns. Carlos felt a pang of guilt stab him.
"Sorry for mentioning your former colony, you seven, I-I-I just wanted to say how bad our pathetic excuse for siblings and their families are in this deed," he said to the bats. However, Augustus walked over to him with, to Carlos and Rita's surprise, an agreeing look on his face.
"Don't be," he said, "What you've said about those toucans is absolutely right. They ARE like that psychotic brother of mine and his mate."
Carlos shot Augustus a confused look as Blu, Jewel, Andromeda, Eragon, Travis and Sunset and the bat-birds, two of them being ridden by Andromeda and Eragon came in. Athos and Ruby had gone to see to Broccoli after he had burned himself out in his temper outburst.
"Correct, Augustus," said Blu, an angry look on his face, "Marco and that gang of his are certainly no different from Cicatriz and his colony."
"And because of that," said Jewel, "We're gonna go after those wretched psychos and rescue Sandalwood and the others before they do anything to them."
Carlos and Rita gazed at something behind Blu, Jewel, Andromeda, Eragon, Travis and Sunset and saw that some of Bia's group, those that still had a full set of wing feathers, stand in a row, determined looks on their faces.
Carla, Bia, Finnick, Sheldon, Zebedee (who was missing his bandana), Iris and Wilbur stood in that row with determined looks on their faces. Despite the injuries they bore, the determination to get the kids back was burning brightly within them. That flame was also burning brightly within Blu, Jewel, Diantha, Zephyr, Aurora, Augustus, Stella, Luna, Melissa, Sebastian, Soren, Anabelle and Tom and also Travis, Sunset, Andromeda and Eragon. In the background, Eustace, Milo, Rosa, Clemont, Serena and Peach, Yolanda and Vincent stood with some of the macaws unable to fly due to missing flight feathers, among them Frodo and Ellie. Then Blu stepped forward, his eyes beginning to scan the other toucans, especially Tiago and Matilda and the other grounded Spix macaws who wore desperate looks on their faces, and called for the birds still able to fly to come over to him.
"Anyone still able to fly, come here please," he called. And with that, the sounds of flapping wings filled the air as Carla and company flew over to Blu and Jewel and touched down around him. Rita and Carlos gazed at each other.
"What's going on?" asked Rita. Blu and Augustus shot her and Carlos a determined frown.
"We're gonna devise a plan and get Sandalwood and the others back," Blu said.
"But it might mean using serious force or even violence," said Augustus a little reluctantly. This was met with an agreeing nod from Jewel and Zephyr and a small, reluctant nod from Melissa, Stella, Luna, Sebastian, Soren and Anabelle. Violence against birds was often a big taboo in Augustus's new clan of flying foxes since the fall of their colony but in extremely rare cases, such as this one involving the toucans making off with Sandalwood and the others, Augustus and his family had no other choice. When they hear Augustus say this boldly, despite the reluctance he felt, Carlos and Rita felt alarm tear through them at this remark but they were unsurprised. Marco and the others have really crossed the line and deserved to be punished and possibly exiled from the Blu Bird Sanctuary as well.
Meanwhile
Sandalwood continued dashing through the darkness in the direction of the outskirts of the forest, a small flock of toucan chicks hot on his tail. He was running along like he had never run before and was constantly dodging and darting this way and that as Isabella and her gang swooped down on him from the air and tried to attack him. As they did that, the toucan chicks were flooding the air with crow-like cackles and squawks which were as frightening as Carnassial's wrath. But despite their behaviour reminding him of that horrible caracal and friend of that equally horrible parrot-detesting chameleon, Sandalwood continued running like a terrified mouse despite the fatigue setting in his wing and leg muscles and his panting for breath.
"C'mere, ya useless flightless bat," cackled Isabella as she swooped down at Sandalwood from above in an attempt to seize him with her talons, only for him to dodge, "We're gonna bind ya and knock ya off the end of a branch again!"
"And this time, it'll be straight into a runnin' stream… at night!" cackled one of Isabella's comrades, one of her brothers as he attempted to capture Sandalwood by the head only for him to dodge.
"What's the matter, puppy?" asked another toucan meanly, "Unable to fly?"
This sent hurt piercing through Sandalwood's terror when those words reached his ears but then Isabella's mean voice sounded.
"He won't be when we bind him and toss him into a stream, sis," she crooned. Sandalwood let loose a timid whimper ass he continued dodging more toucan swoops and continued dashing, the flock of toucans cackling continuously as they continued chasing him and swooping at him in an attempt to catch him.
"You certainly ARE a useless, pathetic bat, Sandy-bud," Isabella continued as she swooped right behind the terrified bat pup, "Was this how ya grandpa and grandma, and your mommy, daddy and ya uncle and auntie behaved… when they had to meet those bird flocks in the Amazon when your colony was threatenin' them?"
The other toucan chicks cackled mockingly after this. , Sandalwood snapped an enraged glare at the toucans.
"You sure know NOTHING ABOUT what Mom, Grandpa… Grandma, Aunt Luna and Uncle Sebastian did… when THEY helped the bird flocks to DEFEND THEIR HOME FROM THAT DERANGED FLYING FOX COLONY led by my great-uncle Cicatriz, you BUNCH OF BRATTY TOUCANS!" retorted the flying fox pup as he dodged another feathered comet as another toucan chick swooped upon him. Sandalwood could not believe the boldness he had expressed as he said this but he knew that he had to get away from these toucan chicks or they would carry out their threat if they catch him. Terrified, the amber flying fox pup accelerated on with his big-nosed pursuers in hot pursuit.
Behind Sandalwood, some of the chicks from Bia's group was struggling to keep up. Vega, Regulus, Sonia, Sugilite, Spica and Melody, along with Connie, Steven and Kevin who had managed to escape getting seized by the toucans in the closing minutes of their brawl with their parents and relatives (Carla, Bia, Tiago and company), were pursuing the toucan chicks as they continued to terrorise Sandalwood and attempt to catch him, Sugilite rushing ahead of them for she was larger than the others due to being a hyacinth macaw chicks, having already begun the growth spurt that was characteristic of her species.
"If we don't… stop those… toucan chicks," called Sugilite as she flew ahead, her lungs straining to draws in air to power her flight muscles, "If they… get hold of… Sandalwood… they're likely gonna… do what they did… in the beginning!"
As she said this, she began to put more effort into flying faster and attempt to catch up with the toucan chicks before they could get a hold of Sandalwood while Connie, Steven and Kevin continued to fly alongside him, confused and disgusted looks on their faces.
"So is Sandalwood a descendant of some bird-killing bat?" demanded Steven furiously. However, none of the other six macaw chicks responded and continued chasing the toucan chicks as they continued to terrorise Sandalwood. As the dark sea of trees approached, the screaming of a flying fox pup erupted from the toucan chick cloud, plunging the hearts and blood of Sugilite, Sonia, Melody, Vega, Regulus and Spica into ice and also frightening Connie.
"PUT ME DOOOWWWN!" screamed Sandalwood's voice as the crow-like cackling of the toucan chicks sounded. Sonia and her sisters could only deduce one thing.
"They've GOT HIM!" cried the three daughters of Carla and Justin in unison and with that, they and the others rocketed more after the toucan chicks. Sandalwood screamed and writhed as one of Isabella's chicks hauled him into the air in his talons like a coconut but the ears. The toucan chicks relished his terrified screams.
"Oooh, look at you," crooned Isabella wickedly as she gazed at the terrified flying fox pup, "You certainly ARE afraid of flying and heights," she then turned to some of her comrades, "Get some vines!"
The comrades, which were five of her brothers and sisters, nodded and left to find said material but as they left, something astonishing, especially to Isabella and her group, happened. As Sonia, Spica, Melody, Vega, Regulus and Sugilite, with Steven, Kevin and Connie right behind them charged in, Sandalwood suddenly felt the urge to defend himself volcanically erupt and explode through his terror. As the toucan chick then lifted the flying fox pup into the air and caught him by the sides, Sandalwood suddenly turned round and, without hesitation and with his eyes flaring green fire, lashed out and sank his teeth as hard as he could into one of the toucan chick's wings! Sonia, Spica, Sugilite, Vega, Regulus and Melody arrived just in time to hear a piercing scream from a toucan chick but as they charged into the cloud of chicks like a squadron of mini-planes, Sandalwood had disappeared.
"You take care of those brats while we look of Sandalwood," commanded Regulus and with that, the Lear's macaw chick and his sister dived down with Steven, Connie and Kevin shooting after her while Sugilite, Spica, Melody and Sonia began to unleash their fury on Isabella's gang full throttle. Spica then rushed in and seized Isabella by the throat with her talons.
"How DARE you threaten to tie Sandalwood up and plan to do to him like what you did in the BEGINNING!" bellowed the Spix macaw right into Isabella's face, "How DARE you attempt to traumatise him like you've done before."
As she spat these words into Isabella's face like fireballs, Isabella glared bitterly at the daughter of Carla and Justin.
"Would you like me to bring my Mommy and Daddy into this to have you dealt with?" she retorted. Spica, in response, just thrusted the toucan chick downward and the two began to circle one another like a pair of cats.
Below the cloud of inferno as the brawl between Spica, Sonia, Melody and Sugilite and Isabella and her comrades began to erupt, Sandalwood had crash-landed into a patch of ferns after the toucan chick he had managed to bite had dropped him. Not too far away, the injured toucan chick was dragging his wounded wing which was punctured with bleeding tooth marks marked by Sandalwood during his defensive lash, his other wing grasping it and his face twisted in agony. While the brawl between the other four chicks and Isabella's group continued to rage, Sandalwood crept out of the ferns, stunned from both the fall and the change of events. As the flying fox pup crept fully out of the ferns, he was met by a quartet of forms. At first Sandalwood thought they were toucan chicks but when one of the forms explained, "Sandalwood, oh, you're alright!" and pulled him into a hug, Sandalwood felt a wave of relief wash over him when he realised that it were only Regulus and Vega. As the two Lear's macaw chicks and the flying fox pup broke the hug, the other three forms, Connie, Steven and Kevin walked in. However, their faces were laced with sheer disgust as they glared at the flying fox pup. A few minutes later there was commotion outside the beginning of the jungle and four macaw chicks appeared, battered and bruised and out of breath but fine.
"Those… cowardly toucan chicks… gave up and fled almost… instantly," puffed Sugilite as she stood with the equally out-of-breath Spica, Sonia and Melody, "Apparently, an overhead shadowy form with gleaming eyes which I believe was a nocturnal predatory bird flew over us and Isabella broke off their attack on us and fled."
However, Sugilite's excitement and relief suddenly gave way to surprise when she saw the disgusted looks on Connie, Steven and Kevin's faces aimed at Sandalwood. Then Steven came forward.
"You came from a family of bird-killing flying foxes that detested birds like how Dalek loathed parrots?" asked the scarlet macaw chick, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"What!?" snapped Sandalwood.
"Your family killed birds for fun?" said Connie with disgust lacing her voice. Sandalwood flinched but then outrage took hold.
"Look, it's NOT what you think it is," he said, "While it's true that Grandpa and his family came from a colony of bird detesting and killing flying foxes, not all of them were like that and Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, Aunts Luna and Anabelle and Uncle Sebastian were NOT like that."
"They actually helped the bird flocks to defend their home in the Amazon Sanctuary," added Spica, before her wings went to her hips, "I think you should ask Mr Augustus to explain everything to you. He understands it all better than us for he has been through it himself."
"We're confused," said Kevin. Then Connie decided to change the subject.
"Look, let's just fly out of here and return to where we originally were," she said. Then a smile appeared on her face, the disgust at Sandalwood's family's backstory having faded, "I can't wait to have a fly around this city to explore it."
Kevin and Steven both nodded in agreement.
"We will when we sort this whole mess out first," said Regulus to which Vega, Spica, Sugilite, Sonia and Melody nodded. Sandalwood then felt a wave of sadness come upon him.
"B-b-but I still cannot fly," said he, "How am I gonna join you if I cannot fly?"
He then shuddered and flinched at the thought of standing on an edge of an elevated edge and dropping into the air, something that bats had to do to get airborne. Sandalwood's eyes then turned to Connie and began to well despair.
"Especially you, Connie, and my cousins Acerola and Ferdinand and my Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad and everyone else," he continued before his gaze turned to then birds, "Including you guys."
"Er… well, um…" began Sonia but Connie interrupted.
"I thought you would overcome that issue now," she said. Sandalwood returned his gaze to her and said, "Look, Connie, how am I gonna follow you on the land while you soar in the sky with everyone else? I can't possibly follow you everywhere like this…"
"Hey, are you blaming me that you can't fly, Sandalwood!?" snapped Connie in disbelief, believing that Sandalwood was trying to pin the fault on her for his not being able to fly. Then silence hung over the little group.
"Uh, dear," said Sugilite uneasily. Then Steven came in and said, "Look, you two, let's just put all this aside and let's focus on returning to where we are, okay?"
"We could carry Sandalwood," said Kevin.
"What, with HIM being unable to fly and being scared of heights!?" snapped Connie bitterly, her glare aimed at Sandalwood, making the amber flying fox flinch. Finally, something within Sandalwood snapped and he glared fiercely at Connie.
"You think I'm some stupid and inconvenient burden to everyone else, don't you!?" retorted the amber bat at the grey-headed flying fox pup, "YOU think I'm just an annoying blot amongst everyone else who is able to fly and a stone that keeps slowing everyone down, DON'T YOU!"
"Hey, don't you DARE accuse me of being like your bullies who grounded you in the first place!" snapped Connie in a furious voice.
"Can I say something?" asked Vega.
"NOO!" snapped both Connie and Sandalwood at the same time, making Regulus' sister flinch.
"Why can't YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I will NOT be able to fly until I HAVE OVERCOME MY FEAR OF HEIGHTS COMPLETELY FIRST!" screeched Sandalwood at Connie.
"Well, I guess that proves it," snapped Connie angrily, "You ARE an annoying BRAT!"
That did it. The moment that word stabbed Sandalwood like a thorn and made him flinch with hurt, the macaw chicks decided to intervene. Sugilite was the first to jump between the arguing bats.
"Look, let's SNAP OUT OF IT before THIS SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL, OKAY!?" she barked, making Sandalwood and Connie flinch, "Arguing is not gonna get us anywhere. Let's just return to where we should be as it's not safe here."
"Good point, hyacinth macaw chick," snapped Connie and with that, the grey-headed flying fox pup whirled round, climbed a tree trunk and dropped into flight. Kevin and Steven took off after her. Sugilite simply breathed a relieved sigh.
"I guess it's time to leave," said she.
"Sandalwood," said Sonia. However, as she, Regulus, Vega, Spica, Sugilite and Melody turned, they saw that he had disappeared.
"Sandalwood?" asked Sonia again. Then Melody saw movement in the forest floor foliage. Annoyance tore through her.
"Oh, GREAT!" she snarled. Then Regulus came in with Vega.
"We'll will go after him," said she, "You four follow Steven, Connie and Kevin back to Tulio's Aviary."
"But you two," began Sugilite but Vega shot her a glare.
"Just DO IT!" she snapped and before anyone could stop her, the two Lear's macaw chicks took off after Sandalwood, both of them calling Sandalwood's name. Giving up, Spica, Sugilite, Melody and Sonia departed after Connie, Steven and Kevin, leaving the two Lear's macaw chicks to chase down Sandalwood as he continued to dart through the forest floor foliage, immense sobs and tears flying from him.