Chapter 82- disappeared
Meanwhile
Jewel and Blu had set up the rescue group which consisted of Carla, Bia, Finnick, Zephyr, Aurora, Spinel, Sheldon, Wilbur, Iris, Aramis, Zebedee, Diantha, Tom, Augustus, Stella, Luna, Melissa, Sebastian, Soren and Anabelle, Eragon, Andromeda and their bat-birds; Travis and Sunset, and Broccoli, Daisy and Collette. Despite the healing minor injuries some still had from the previous toucan attacks, they were still determined to rescue Sandalwood and the others from the toucans. As Jewel talked with the group, Sardonyx and Greg stood nearby with Mumble, Atreyu, Ginny, Balthazar, JD the macaroni penguin and Roxanne the galah, worried looks lacing their faces.
"Going out into the dark jungle to find and rescue well over twenty kids is gonna be easier said than done," said Greg.
"This cannot be happening," grumbled Sardonyx, her head in her wings, "Especially based on what those two Spix macaws have told us regarding those toucan mobsters…"
"Their mobster-like behaviour has gotten worse over the years," said a voice which belonged to Eustace as he walked in with Milo, Rosa, Clemont, Serena and young Vincent, Yolanda and Peach. These cockatoos had been forbidden from joining the rescue group by Travis and Sunset and had been commanded to stay behind with the flightless casualties, among them Tiago and Matilda.
"And as many of those toucans have been breeding like rabbits," added Clemont, "Many of their chicks have become naughty and beyond that as well."
"Really?" said Greg.
"If you had been with us the entire time, you'd understand," said Rosa. Then Sardonyx stood up and walked away, a frustrated sigh leaving her beak.
"Well, one thing's certain," she growled, "There's NO WAY we're gonna live in a jungle that's riddled with troublemaking toucans, that's for sure."
"Never mind a gang of them behaving like psychos!" put in Greg angrily. Roxanne and the penguins just said nothing, exchanged glances and shrugged. Then Sardonyx returned.
"I just hope Steven, Kevin and Connie are alright," she said, "and that those guys," she nodded to Jewel's group, "Would find and bring them safely back here. We've already lost one of our sons at that fraudulent Paradise Sanctuary place, and we can't bear to lose Connie and our other two sons."
"You lost one son already?" asked Serena.
"His name was Lars and he was eaten by a group of nasty caracals and servals," said Greg, sombreness in his voice as the tragedy of losing Lars returned, "He apparently sacrificed himself to save Sandalwood and Sirius from being eaten…"
"That was very brave of him," said Milo. Vincent and the other four young cockatoos shuddered however. They couldn't bear the thought of what Sirius, Sandalwood and the others had been through over there and they simply exchanged glances, shrugged and said nothing. As they did this, an excitement and relief-laced voice shouted, "Look, it's a MIRACLE!" outside.
This sparked curiosity within Greg, Sardonyx and the others and they exchanged glances.
"That's our mother," said Eustace, "Sounds like she's seen something."
With that, he left with Serena, Clemont, Milo and Rosa and the cockatoo chicks in tow. Sardonyx and Greg also followed but Mumble, Roxanne and the others stayed behind.
"I hope it's who I think it is," said Atreyu hopefully.
Outside, Blu and the others including Augustus, Melissa, Stella, Luna, Sebastian, Soren and Anabelle and also Greg and Sardonyx as they arrived outside all followed Sunset's surprised gaze and the moment their eyes landed on some incoming forms, the names of those forms were shouted in extreme, overwhelming relief, especially by Greg, Sardonyx, Blu, Jewel, Carla, Zephyr and Aurora as the forms, which were three Spix macaw chicks Sonia, Spica and Melody, the two scarlet macaw chicks Steven and Kevin and the flying fox pup Connie and hyacinth macaw chick Sugilite, melted out of the darkness and towards Tulio's Aviary. Then when Carla, Greg and Sardonyx could not wait any longer, they charged off toward the seven kids and as soon as they collided with them, Sardonyx and Greg swept Connie, Steven and Kevin into a group hug as did Carla with Sonia, Melody, Spica and Sugilite. Blu and the others soon joined them and within moments, the grounded group members, among them Justin, Levi, Trixie and Aiden, emerged from the entrance to Tulio's Aviary, much to the surprise of the humans, and rushed towards the commotion.
"Oh, my three daughters, I'm so glad you're alright!" cried Carla as she hugged Sonia, Spica and Melody. The three sisters struggled to breathe as their mother's wings were wrapped tightly around them. Then as Carla broke the hug with her daughters, Jewel and Aurora took their turn in hugging their granddaughters. Sugilite then broke the hug with Spinel and Sheldon when she heard a familiar voice shout her name, "Sugilite!"
Sugilite whirled round and saw six familiar hyacinth macaws run towards her. Recognising them as her parents Indigo and Victor, grandparents Phoebe and Cobalto and uncle Zebedee and his girlfriend Iris, Sugilite rushed off to meet them.
"Mom, Dad!" she cried, "Granddad, Grandma, Uncle Zebedee!"
As soon as she the first two, she was swept into a family hug by them with the other three joining, Iris looking on with a smile. Among the joyful commotion, Stella, Soren, Luna, Anabelle and Sebastian kept checking the dark background for any signs of Sandalwood, Acerola, Ferdinand and the others but to their dismay, there was no-one else. Saddened, they returned to the seven returned kids.
"How did you manage to escape those toucan kidnappers?" asked Blu. Sonia, Spica, Melody and Sugilite, after the latter broke the hug with her relatives, remained silent. Not caring, Blu pulled the four chicks into a hug again, tears of joy falling from his eyes.
"At least you're safe, along with the other three," he said. As he broke the hug with the four chicks, Augustus came in with Melissa and also Stella, Soren, Luna, Anabelle and Sebastian.
"Have any of you guys seen Sandalwood or any of the others?" asked Augustus. Sugilite and Carla and Justin's daughters, who had just been joined by Justin who swept the sisters into a hug before putting them down again, exchanged glances. In the background with Greg and Sardonyx, Steven, Kevin and Connie flew over. However, the latter felt a flash of extreme guilt course through her like a jolt of electricity when she heard Augustus mention Sandalwood. As the grey-headed flying fox pup and two scarlet chicks touched down with Spica, Sonia, Melody and Sugilite, the first one said, "No, but we have been with Sandalwood, Vega and Regulus."
Murmurs rolled through the crowd and at the mentioning of the latter two's names, Jasmine, Finn, D'Artagnan and Sapphire came forward.
"Where did they go?" asked the first Lear's macaw. That was when Connie's guilt finally reached breaking point and a sob escaped her throat and a tear leaked from her eye. When they saw Connie behave this way, Sugilite turned to her. However, as he did so, a flash of disgust coursed through her.
"I believe you have something to say," she said in a low voice. Connie began to cry. Then when Sugilite saw the hardening and demanding gazes in Blu, Augustus and the others, especially Augustus and the other flying foxes, she said, "Well come on, tell them!"
Connie at first hesitated but when she saw the demanding looks on Augustus and the other flying foxes, especially Stella and Soren, she finally relented.
"I got into an argument with him," she said in a low and guilt-laced voice. As she said this her eyes began to ooze more tears. Glances were exchanged amongst the listeners.
"You what?" demanded Stella. Connie gave her a guilt-saturated, tear-filled look.
"I got into a heated row with Sandalwood over his ability to fly and made him storm off into the jungle," she finally admitted. As Stella, Soren and the other flying foxes' brains absorbed these words, they began to sway in disbelief. Then Spica said, "And Vega and Regulus have gone after him."
Then it was D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Jasmine and Finn's turn to gasp. As Stella and Soren continued to remain silent and speechless, disbelief keeping down their choice of words, Augustus stepped in and glared at Connie. He had kept his anger against the toucans under control but until now, all restraints had been snapped.
"Are you meaning to say THAT YOU'VE DRIVEN MY GRANDSON AWAY IN TO THE FOREST!?" he yelled, sending Connie leaping into the air in fright.
"By insulting his FEAR OF HEIGHTS AND FLYING!?" put in Melissa. Connie, fear and guilt now boiling dangerously within her, nodded rapidly. That did it. The stress within Augustus and the other flying foxes, especially Stella and Soren, finally reached breaking point.
"CONNIE!" barked Greg and Sardonyx together. Then Stella began to yell at Connie.
"HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO OUR ONLY SON!" screeched the albino flying fox, "How DARE you pick on him over his INABILITY TO FLY!"
As she yelled at Connie, Sonia, Spica, Melody and Sugilite backed away and cowered behind Justin. They had never seen Stella so angry but it was understandable. Sandalwood had been put through enough hellish nightmares as it is and now Connie had just added more fuel to the fire.
"I-I-I-I-I'm sorry," stammered the grey-headed flying fox pup timidly but Soren came forward and cut her off.
"You're honestly as BAD AS THEM TOUCAN MOBSTERS!" he shouted. Blu and Jewel just looked on, outrage also plastering their faces but they said nothing. Then Connie tried to protest as she backed away towards Sardonyx and Greg.
"I-I-I-I can h-h-help you f-f-f-find him and…" she tried to say but Stella cut her off.
"There's nothing you can do to help make things any better, young lady," she retorted, "We were gonna go out into that forest to look of him and the other kids anyway but if Sandalwood has landed in trouble, any at all, you will NOT be allowed to associate with our family again!"
Connie flinched at this. She only came to Rio because she had befriended Sirius and the other kids, especially Sandalwood and Acerola and had just befriended Ferdinand as well but now what she had done to Sandalwood had put her relationship with his family on a lifeline. As Stella, Soren, Augustus and Melissa continued yelling at Connie; commotion erupted back at Tulio's Aviary.
"Now WHAT!?" demanded Blu and with that, everyone began to make their way back to Tulio's Aviary. Justin and Carla took Sonia, Sonia and Melody with them while Sugilite went along with Indigo, Victor, Phoebe, Cobalto, Iris and Zebedee. Violet was back in the Aviary, safe.
As the large group of animals arrived near the entrance of Tulio's Aviary, they were greeted by a massive "You WHAT!?" obviously from Tulio.
"What now?" asked Zephyr with a disgruntled frown as he walked with Aurora, Brisa, Roberto, Justin, Carla and Sonia, Spica and Melody.
"Another theft in the artificial habitat?" asked Brisa. The group then began to listen in on the conversation between Tulio and the group of humans led by a man D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Levi, Lapis Lazuli, Aurora and Zephyr recognised as Francisco and based on the looks of his and his colleagues' faces which were saturated with immense dread, worry began to well within the group. However, nothing could prepare the group, and certainly not Tulio who was accompanied by Linda, Fernando, Jack, Jill and Susan and Lucy who went over to the group of animals with Athos and Ruby alongside them, for what Francisco said next.
"There's a FIRE in the Blu Bird Sanctuary, and it's spreading at an alarming rate," said he. The colour drained from the skins under the facial feathers of the birds and the fur of the flying foxes, and Jewel began to enter a seizure-like state, her pyrophobia or irrational fear of fire, set in. At the mentioning of the 'f' word, Andromeda, Eragon, Spyro and Marella rushed to the front and Connie who was stood with Steven, Greg, Sardonyx and Kevin flinched harshly. Then the air above all of Blu's group was fissured by Tulio's voice as he shouted at the top of his lungs in extreme horror and worry, particularly for the birds of the sanctuary.
"Set up your RESCUE GROUP AS FAST AS YOU CAN! LINDA, you, JACK, JILL, SUSAN, LUCY AND FERNANDO HURRY TO THE LINDA'S ORANGE BATS' CAVE AND RESCUE THEM BEFORE THE FIRE REACHES THEIR AREA, while THE REST OF US PREPARE THE MEDICAL ROOM FOR ANY CASUALTIES FRANCISCO AND HIS TEAM RESCUES!"
And with that, the pounding of human feet sounded as Francisco's group dashed off to set up a rescue group for the birds while the rest of Tulio's team scattered to throw their hands on their assigned emergency tasks. Susan and Lucy then began to usher Blu's group back into Tulio's Aviary but Blu, Jewel, Carla, Bia Finnick, Zephyr, Aurora, Spinel, Wilbur, Sheldon, Aramis, Diantha, Tom, Augustus, Stella, Luna, Melissa, Sebastian, Soren and Anabelle, together with Travis and Sunset, sneaked away from the group, but not before Carla and Bia gave their respective mates Justin and Virgil a kiss and a hug as well as Matilda and the others a hug before leaving. From the Aviary, Esmeralda, Porthos and the hyacinth macaws watched on.
"You stay with the others, Athos, Ruby, Eragon and Andromeda," commanded Blu, "While we fly into the forest and help our human friends as well as find and rescue our kids before the fire gets to them!"
"And if we EVER run into ANY OF those toucans, we're gonna INTERROGATE THEM WITHOUT QUESTYION!" bellowed Jewel, her wrath against the toucans flaring through her distress of the kids' endangerment and the toucans' potential part in this.
"Okay, you be careful," said Andromeda. Then Broccoli came in with Daisy and Collette.
"Can we come?" asked he.
"No, Broccoli," said Blu.
"It's too dangerous," said Jewel despite her fear of fire. However, she knew that the missing kids, especially Sandalwood, were in grave danger and in need of rescuing.
"You stay with the other birds," said Zephyr. Broccoli, Daisy and Collette let loose disgruntled hisses and reluctantly obeyed. As the three cats returned to the group, they saw some of the macaws have a meltdown. Ruby was weeping in Athos's wing, immense worry for her seven grandchildren storming her mind while nearby, Virgil, Justin, Kira and the rest of the group were having a meltdown with frustrated and despairing comments flying from their beaks.
"If only things couldn't GET ANY WORSE!" shouted Kira.
"Those toucans are GONNA PAY FOR THIS IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO OUR KIDS!" put in Virgil wrathfully.
"Please, RESCUE OUR KIDS!" cried Justin, tears of distress falling from his eyes. As the macaws began to have a meltdown, D'Artagnan, Sapphire, Porthos, Orquidea, Esmeralda, Phoebe, Cobalto, Levi and Lapis Lazuli, together with Eustace, Milo and Rosa, Clemont and Serena having taken Vincent, Peach and Yolanda out of the scene, began to go round and comfort them despite the extreme worry for the kids who could be out in the jungle burdening their minds. Atreyu watched the immense commotion worriedly.
"Well, I've never heard of a 'fire' but based on the serious distraught of those skuas, it is clear that the situation is indeed dire, Mom, Dad and Uncle Mumble," he said to Mumble, Balthazar and Ginny. Mumble was about to reply when suddenly, the sound of a scarlet macaw shouted, "Hey, where's Connie?"
The four emperor penguins all looked up and saw Greg and Sardonyx call Connie's name and search under the tables and around the other birds in the main medical room. Then another stone was added to the heavy burden of the group, especially Sardonyx, Greg, Kevin and Steven and also Sonia, Melody, Spica and Sugilite who remained in the care of Justin as they also feared for the other kids' lives, especially Sandalwood.
Connie had disappeared.