A Serial Killer in the Midst

by VPVPVP

Sequel to Paradise Sanctuary. Carla and co's offspring and their cohorts are now grown up. However, in the Sanctuary de Amazon, an incident has happened and it is revealed that it was no accident, and killings start to occur. As time goes on, it becomes clear that there is a killer on the loose but it is not a predator.

5. 5- problem with some birds

Chapter 5- a problem with the golden fruithawks and white-and-silver owls

Back in Rio

It was the afternoon of the same day (New Year's Day) and everyone had pretty much resumed their usual holiday activities, though a lot of the people had slept in late due to last night's celebrations. In a certain part of the Tijuca Forest where the variety of animals, especially birds were continuing their usual communal activities such as parent birds awaiting the hatching of their eggs or teaching chicks to fly, and elderly birds exchanging stories of their younger years, Carla, Bia and Tiago's clan and group continued their usual activities as well. However, they had one other activity and that was planning a Carnival-style party called Blu Bird Sanctuary Untamed, named after the Amazon Untamed Carla had helped the late Rafael the toucan, Pedro the cardinal and Nico the canary to organise, and just like how the quartet had gathered various talented animals as auditions for the project, Carla and some of her company had gathered various inhabitants on the Blu Bird Sanctuary, among them some Linda's orange bats whom Carla and her siblings and parents met during the events of dealing with an oversized snake, enlisting. The main organisers of the Blu Bird Sanctuary Untamed, or BBSU for short project were Carla, Justin, Finnick, Felix and Lavender and they were assisted by their adolescent chicks, such as Sonia and Melody, two of Carla and Justin's daughters; and Finnick's mate Kira and their daughter Polaris. Also assisting them was Luna, though quite a number of other individuals such as Bia and Virgil and their sons Sirius, Einstein and Miles also lent a wing, alongside James and Ebony, two of the group's greyhound friends who shared their ideas on the auditions. However, alongside the BBSU planning and auditioning, Carla and company had other tasks on their wings to concentrate on as well, and one of them was raising the golden fruithawk and white-and-silver owl youngsters and keeping them out of trouble. Since last night when they attempted to light the fireworks, the seven birds had been put under strict watch by Carla and company but there was something else about them that was a problem too.

While the Blu Bird Sanctuary community was up to its usual activities, a few certain birds and flying fox had been out on a foraging trip for some fruit for the fruithawks and their own offspring. Charlotte, Chlorophyll, Azul, Finn, Iris, Bia and Stella were flying over the forest with the fruit, some of which were berries and two mangoes with Stella carrying a small cluster of berries in her mouth for flying foxes could not carry heavier fruit like mangoes and a Brazil nut which Azul had in his talons. As soon as they were happy with their selection of fruit, the seven began to make their way back to where they lived, the cluster of trees just outside Linda and Tulio's cottage where those humans still lived. The seven then flew over the city of Rio which was hustling and bustling with human activity with people driving to various destinations in their vehicles as well as walking on the footpaths (called sidewalks to the Americans) while on the beach, various people sunbathed with children playing in the sand and sea, giggling. As they flew away from the beach, Bia's eyes found a group of certain birds of prey as they butchered a pigeon they had caught.

"Oh, look it's Orion, Hermione, Hunter and Eris," said the Spix macaw to the other six who gazed down at the blended falcon/merlin family as they fed on the pigeon carcass. Orion and his family then gazed upward and smiled at the passing macaws and flying fox.

"AFTERNOON, YOU SEVEN!" he called loudly so that the seven could hear with Hermione, Eris and Hunter emitting loud chirps.

"Afternoon, Orion," called Bia in reply while Chlorophyll simply waved a talon. The two groups continued to gaze at each other until finally; they were out of each other's sight and earshot.

"Eris and Hunter certainly do look like an exact mix of their parents, don't they?" said Azul as he carried a mango and some berries in his talons, "I can see that both of them have brown on their undersides..."

"They're exactly like how some of our offspring, such as Chlorophyll's daughter Perdita, Azul, and also your Catalina nephews and nieces, Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine and Guanine," said Bia, "Eris and Hunter are a hybrid of two species of falcon just as Chlorophyll's daughter is of a great green macaw and a military macaw."

"They're called perlins I've read somewhere," said Charlotte, the only first-brood child of Zephyr and Aurora who didn't go to Rio during the Paradise Sanctuary events four years ago, "And that is exactly what Orion and Hermione's son and daughter are. Their father's a peregrine falcon and their mother's a merlin."

"Just like how my daughter Perdita is a hybrid like Bia said," said Chlorophyll with an intrigued smile.

"That's correct," said Bia. Then Stella formed a smile.

"It will be interesting to know how Sandalwood and Connie's pups will appear when they set to having them," said the albino bat, "Their pups will be a hybrid of the Amazon flying fox and a grey-headed flying fox."

"We've definitely got an interesting blend of hybrids, I can tell you," said Chlorophyll, "Three-quarter scarlet, one-quarter green-winged crosses... scarlet/blue-and-gold crosses..."

"There are a few hybrids in the Amazon, such as Falkor who is half-hyacinth, half-military," said Iris at the back of the group.

"And then you have Travis and Sunset's children Eustace, Milo and Rosa and their offspring," said Finn, "I know Eustace and Serena's two, Yolanda and Vincent are three-quarter sulphur-crested cockatoos, one-quarter Major Mitchell's but what is Rosa and Clemont's daughter Peach again?"

"Half citron-crested, one-quarter sulphur-crested, one-quarter Major Mitchell's," said Bia who had a mind for genetics and maths, "It's complicated I know but that's her heritage."

"Three species in a single bird's genes, now THAT is a mix," said Stella.

"It's mind-boggling, I can tell you," said Iris. The other six tittered and with that, the group flew on.

Soon the seven passed by a familiar, and rebuilt structure, the Vista Chinesa. During the Blu Bird Sanctuary fire caused by Dalek and the toucans four years ago, the original Vista Chinesa had been burned to the ground, and Tulio and Linda's house, which had been just nearby, had also been caught in the fire due to the surrounding trees. Thankfully, no-one was in it and anyone who had been in it would have evacuated anyway. The newly built Vista Chinesa was circular like it was before the fire but its plaque had been replaced. The original was circular and had a portrait of Blu's face in the middle. The words 'Blu Bird Sanctuary Rio de Janeiro' had been printed around the portrait. The rebuilt tower's plaque, however was rectangular and printed in the middle of the rectangle were the portraits of the faces of the initial main cast and parents of Carla and company: D'Artagnan, Aurora, Blu, Athos, Porthos, Aramis, Phoebe and Levi and their respective mates Sapphire, Zephyr, Jewel, Ruby, Orquidea, Esmeralda, Cobalto and Lapis Lazuli, along with Brisa, Zephyr's sister. Portraits of the first broods of the eight couples when they had been chicks, such as Carla, Bia and Tiago for Blu and Jewel, had also been printed while Brisa had none for she had not yet paired up with a mate back then. The words 'Blu Bird Sanctuary' had been printed above the faces while the lower line had 'Rio de Janeiro' printed.

As the seven flew past the Vista Chinesa, Iris picked out the plaque and also a number of square pages stuck up around it. The mate of Zebedee squinted her eyes and gazed at the pages harder and saw that they were pictures of Carla, Bia, Tiago and company and their mates and families, taken by an owner of D'Artagnan and the others, Lucy, and the pictures then printed and copied four years ago but the collection also had some recent additions. Iris slowed to a hover and managed to pick out a picture of her with Zebedee, Celeste, Castor and Pollux. The other six stopped and flew to her.

"That's the photo album of us, Iris," explained Bia, "I can see Tulio has added your family picture to the rest as well, alongside that of Stella, Soren, Sandalwood and Rutile when she had been a pup, and Sebastian, Anabelle, Acerola and Ferdinand, and also Luna whose pictures had been taken by Tulio's adopted son Fernando."

Iris scanned the other pictures and picked out the pictures of the flying foxes. Just then a couple of familiar humans, one a young man and the other a woman, appeared. With them were two young girls and they giggled and gazed at the seven hovering animals.

"Hi, Bia and company," the male called while the other three waved. The six macaws and Stella squawked and squeaked back in reply before flying on.

"Those four I were the fraternal twin siblings Jack and Jill and their adopted identical twin sisters Mary and Molly," said Azul as he gazed back at the four humans.

"That is correct, Azul," said Bia, "As you can see, the twin sisters have grown up. They are now six years old."

"I STILL find it hard to believe that humans don't become adults until well over ten years," said Stella with a glance back at the kids accompanying Jack and Jill.

"I reckon their older adoptive siblings and Fernando will be young adults by now," said Iris, "I've heard Fernando is doing a degree in ornithology and wants to specialise in studying macaws and archaeobirds."

"Jack wants to be a bat specialist while Jill wants to become a specialist in living fossil creatures such as archaeobirds and the bat-birds," said Bia with a smile. The other six smiled also and with that, the seven flew on. Within seconds, Tulio and Linda's cottage emerged from a row of trees, some of which were the homes of Carla and company as indicated by the birdhouses present.

Since the mean toucans had damaged them several years ago, these birdhouses had been fixed with larger or additional compartments built for them to accommodate the now-adolescent and/or grown-up chicks. For example, Tiago and his family's birdhouse which initially had two with one for Tiago and Matilda and the other for Byron and Bellatrix to have a shared bedroom now had three as the brother and sister now got their own separate rooms and thus private space. The birdhouse of Bia and her family consisting of her mate Virgil and three sons Sirius, Einstein and Miles, was still the same and had three compartments: one for Bia and Virgil, another for Miles and the third for Einstein and Sirius as a shared bedroom, its covering bearing the 'E=mc^2' equation on its outside to reference the brothers' love for science, though Sirius had it the least of the three. The brothers' compartments had been replaced by larger containers to accommodate the size of the adolescent brothers. Also present were the birdhouses of Eustace, Rosa and their families and also Milo which had also been modified, and a birdhouse for the seven fruithawks and owls had also been built to allow the golden fruithawk and owl siblings to stay with Carla and company. As for the flying foxes and archaeobirds, and also Frodo and Elsa and their son Sylvester, they stayed in a more natural hollow in a tree nearby for they did not like staying in artificial constructs at all except to visit human friends.

Bia, Stella, Iris, Azul, Charlotte, Chlorophyll and Finn touched down on the platforms of the birdhouse of the golden fruithawks which had eight compartments, one for each adolescent bird. As the latter six held the fruit, Bia went about waking up the five fruithawks and two owls, believing them to be in their compartments still. After all, they would have been tired after last night's festivities. Bia approached Ganymede's compartment and knocked on its wood.

"Fruithawks, owls," called Bia, "We have some fruit for you."

However, all she got was no reply. Perplexed, Bia fluttered up to the other compartments and also knocked on their sides, shouting their names. Azul joined in.

"Gardenia," called the blue-and-gold macaw and Wilbur's brother through the hole leading to Gardenia's compartment. He then moved to the next compartment, Comet's while Bia shouted for Gylfie.

"Comet?" said Azul as he peered into said fruithawk's compartment. As the pair did that, Stella, Charlotte, Chlorophyll, Finn and Iris exchanged worried glances. Bia and Azul then returned to them.

"That's strange," said Bia with a perplexed frown on her face as she gazed at the seven empty compartments, "All seven of the precious birds were sleeping in them just before we set off to forage for fruit for them."

"Maybe Carla and Tiago or someone else has decided to take them out on a trip?" asked Iris. Chlorophyll was about to voice his agreements on the possibility when suddenly, a voice sounded from Linda and Tulio's cottage, "Okay, who wants apples?"

Milo's voice and it sounded so reluctant. Then some familiar voices sounded, prompting Bia to exchanged a frown with the other six.

"Don't tell me Milo is feeding those five fruithawks and two owls fruit, and meat for the latter, already acquired by those humans, is he?" asked Charlotte. The other six didn't answer. Picking up the fruit they had foraged for the fruithawks and owls, they spread their wings and lofted, or dropped from the platform in Stella's case, into flight. Charlotte followed. At the same time, some of the other members of Carla and company's group turned up in the distance.

In Tulio and Linda's cottage, the five golden fruithawks and two white-and-silver owls were living in a similar way that humans would. One of them, Gylfie was on the laptop playing a Space Invaders-type game while Samara was lounging lazily on a perch listening to some music on an iphone device similar to how Carla and Justin and some of the others had done when they had been young and still sometimes did. She bobbed her head to the rhythm, a pair of headphones in her ears and snaking via a wire to the flat device. Nearby, Aragorn and Raya were playing on a handheld game console similar to a Nintendo Switch while the other three, Gardenia, Ganymede and Comet, were sitting on the back of the sofa watching an episode from the Japanese cartoon known for its electric yellow mouse mascot. All seven of them were eating apples and other fruit given to them by Milo not from the fruit trees outside, but from the fruit bowl and fridge, while Aragorn and Raya also ate some cooked chicken. Milo sat down the sliced apples beside Gylfie who gladly took them and continued playing the game on the laptop before leaving to serve the chopped up fruit which consisted of apples, pears, oranges and berries, to the other six, along with the cooked chicken for the owls. As Milo served the next dish to Aragorn and Raya, a familiar four-legged form came in through the door. Broccoli, Daisy and Collette sometimes paid a visit to Tulio and Linda's cottage and they gained access through an open window to the building. The cat visiting was Collette, one of Broccoli's sisters. However, as she walked into the kitchen/living room area, she was greeted by the scene of gold, yellow, orange, white, silver and grey birds of prey feasting on fruit, and meat in the case of the owls, in the house and playing with electronics or watching TV. Milo came by with some sliced up pears.

"Oh, hi, Collette," said the cockatoo as he passed by. Collette, however, looked on with a displeased face.

"What are those seven hawks and owls doing messing around with that laptop, iphone, handheld games console or watching TV?" she asked with a paw point to the scene. Milo placed the plate of fruit down by Gardenia, Ganymede and Comet's side and flew over to the caliby (calico/tabby mix) cat.

"Those seven shouldn't be living like this, Milo," said Collette with a frown, "They're WILD birds, not DOMESTIC city birds like you and your brother, sister and the rest of your family. They should be out in the forest learning to forage for food and living in the wild..."

"But it is safer for the five fruithawks and two owls here since they are, after all, the last of their species, Collette," said Milo, before his gaze moved from one fruithawk and owl to the next, "and besides that, they love it here..."

"What if any more fruithawks and owls are found and Tulio wants to pair any of those seven up with them so that they can have chicks?" asked Collette sternly, "Honestly, Milo, if those seven ultra-precious birds don't learn to live in the wild, they'll never know how to forage for their mates and offspring and that can be detrimental to the survival of their families and consequently, their species."

Milo was about to reply but Collette swept on, "Seriously, Milo, we can't have those seven last known members of the golden fruithawk and white-and-silver owl species living like humans. You remember how worried Jewel was when Blu was allowing Carla, Bia and Tiago, when they were chicks, to behave like humans when they were the last known Spix macaws on the planet alongside Aurora, Zephyr, Justin, Charlotte, Matilda, Virgil and Brisa before that flock of blue macaws was discovered..." as Collette spoke, Gardenia flew in with some raspberries in her talons.

"Hey, Miss Collette, Mr Milo, sibs, owls, WATCH WHAT I CAN DO!" crowd the fruithawk and with that, she launched the red-pink mini-berry clusters into the air from her talons while she hovered.

As she began to juggle them, her four siblings and the two owls paused whatever they were doing and turned to watch her. Gylfie paused her laptop game while Aragorn and Raya placed the handheld console down. Samara pulled a headphone from an ear while Comet and Ganymede turned from the TV. Milo watched on as did Collette but the latter wore a disapproving look on her face as Gardenia then launched into a juggling frenzy, the red-pink raspberries flying from her talons into the air. The other six cheered for her as she began to try and be clever with this trick, even tossing the raspberries behind her to juggle them behind her back. Then as she did a brief twirl while all the raspberries were in the air, she resumed her original position and continued the juggling action to the cheer of her seven siblings. Milo smiled but Collette shook her head.

"Try juggling them upside down, Gardenia!" called Aragorn. At this request, Gardenia tossed all the raspberries higher into the air and flipped herself upside down. Milo's smile flashed to alarm.

"Oh, no," he said as he watched the fruithawk then begin to try and hover upside down and juggle the raspberries. However, since it was NOT a suitable position for a hawk or any other flying bird, to be in for long, Gardenia suddenly lost her balance and in the process, began to accidentally kick the raspberries in all directions. Collette drew in a horrified gasp as pink-red comets flew everywhere and splattered messily against the walls and other things. Milo rushed to seize Gardenia but was struck messily in the face by a cluster of red-pink mini-balls. Another red comet splattered messily against the laptop screen much to Gylfie's alarm and annoyance and the rest went everywhere. Aragorn, Raya, Comet, Ganymede and Samara (who took her iphone with her) all dived for cover as the room suddenly became flooded with red-pink squishy bullets, but Gylfie could not move fast enough and was splattered in the face by a raspberry. Within seconds, pink-red splats appeared in various places of the kitchen and living room. As for Gardenia herself, she was sent into a chaotic and clumsy flapping which landed her in crashing hard against the glass pane of the window.

"Co-o-o-ol," she crooned despite the pain of hitting the glass and after that, she slid down the transparent sheet and landed in a heap on the windowsill. As she recovered, she spotted a number of colourful forms either perch or hover outside the window. Collette then leaped onto the windowsill but she stopped when she also saw the forms.

"Oh, hi, Mrs Bia, Mr Azul," said she as she picked herself up off the windowsill and opened her wings to take off, "Guys."

As Gardenia lofted into flight, Bia came in with Azul, Charlotte, Chlorophyll, Finn, Stella and Iris, the faces of all seven of them marked with astonishment indicated by the agape beaks and mouth. However, they were not alone. Accompanying them were Justin, Carla, Virgil, Tiago and Matilda and their offspring Sirius, Einstein, Miles, Sonia, Melody, Spica, Bellatrix and Byron, all of who either wore astonished looks or looks of puzzlement. Collette greeted Bia and Azul and allowed them into the room through the window. Ganymede, Comet, Aragorn, Raya, Samara and Gylfie gazed at the newcomers.

"I think we're busted, sibs, owls," said Ganymede and with that, the six went to watch TV, Gardenia accompanying them.

"Sorry about that, Bia, Azul, guys," said Collette as she went to wipe one of the red-pink splats off a cupboard. Bia and Azul, however, gazed at the five fruithawks and two owls as they watched TV and munched on the plate of fruit (and chicken for the owls) on the sofa's backrest.

"Then why are those last five fruithawks and two white-and-silver owls in existence watching TV?" asked Azul.

"They should have been in their birdhouse waiting for us so that we could teach them to forage in the environment," put in Charlotte. Collette could not reply but then Chlorophyll's eyes travelled to Milo as he hovered to clean several more raspberry splats from the wall and laptop. A frown of anger forming on his face, Chlorophyll flew over to confront the cockatoo; an equally annoyed Iris and Finn close behind.

Milo continued wiping the raspberry splats when he felt a talon tap his right shoulder. The sulphur-crested/Major Mitchell's cockatoo turned round and found himself greeted by three pairs of frowning eyes saturated with annoyance and disapproval.

"You, Milo, was supposed to be a RESPONSIBLE GUARDIAN FOR THESE SEVEN!" shouted Chlorophyll angrily into his face, his talon gesturing to the seven fruithawks and owls on the sofa's backrest. Milo then tried to form excuses.

"Oh, um..." he began, broken in his words at first due to nervousness, "I... uh... they weren't bothered about going into the forest due to last night's festivities with the New Year..."

"That's NO excuse in allowing those seven precious birds to live and behave like humans," said Iris, "Milo, we've talked about this!"

"In addition to that, we've promised our elders such as Blu, Jewel, Travis and Sunset to bring up those fruithawks and white-and-silver owls in the WILD forest," put in Finn, "NOT in the DOMESTIC environment."

"Can you imagine what your sulphur-crested father and Major Mitchell's mother are gonna say about this?" asked Chlorophyll. Milo couldn't reply for his tongue was stuck in his beak. Just then, his eyes caught sighted the pile of fruit Chlorophyll's group had brought back on the table.

"Excuse me," said the cockatoo and with that, he flew over to the fruit pile. As he touched down, Sirius gazed at the laptop screen, a smear of raspberry juice blemishing it messily.

"Have you been playing that electronic game while eating raspberries, Uncle Milo?" asked the older son of Virgil and Bia. Milo was about to reply when Sirius's mother called his name. He flashed his mother a gaze and backed away from the laptop.

"I thought we discussed this, Milo," said Bia with her wings on her hips, Carla, Tiago, Justin, Matilda and Virgil also standing akimbo (wings on their hips as well) in disapproval behind her while Iris, Charlotte and Stella talked with Collette in the background. Chlorophyll, Iris and Finn joined the Spix macaws as Bia continued.

"We're those seven's guardians and that includes you, Eustace, Rosa, Clemont and Serena and to a lesser extent, Orion, Velocity and their families and Spike the falcons and merlins, Milo," she said, "We were supposed to raise the fruithawks and the owls in the natural environment," her angry glare then turned to the five gold and yellow hawks and white and silver owls on the sofa backrest watching TV, "WHY are they living in this cottage watching THAT electronic box or playing with those OTHER electronic devices?" she gestured with a wing to the handheld games console and the laptop as she said this.

"Well, you guys did and sometimes still do," said Milo. Carla rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"That's true yes," she said, "But NEVER to utmost excess like we used to when we were chicks. Apart from you cockatoos and our parents for much of their lives before deciding to move to the wild, WE are wild birds and must live as such, and those five fruithawks and two owls are no different," she pointed to the quintet of gold, yellow, white and silver birds as she said this.

"And while it is okay that those seven get a limited introduction to human things, they should NOT be living COMPLETELY like humans," put in Tiago. Then Milo's eyes travelled to the pile of fruit.

"I can see you've been out foraging," he said, "Is that fruit from the forest?"

"Yes, we were intending on introducing the fruithawks and the two owls to where fruit, which is one of the key staples of their diet, besides meat for the owls, naturally comes from," said Azul, "and that is from the fruit trees in the forest."

"While I've brought a Brazil nut as a treat for our teenaged chicks," said Bia as she picked up a hard brown ball, "There is definitely a Brazil nut tree close to the city but its fruit is very sparse. I was lucky to obtain one."

As she said this, Sirius, Einstein, Miles, Melody, Sonia, Spica, Byron and Bellatrix came around, excitement bubbling within them for they had not had a Brazil nut for a few months since their last visit to the Amazon rainforest's Sanctuary de Amazon. Just then Gardenia flew in with a tin of peaches and strained at the handle of the lid to open it.

"Fruit coming from trees?" she asked as she managed to pull the lid from the tin with a pop and then throw it aside. The metallic disc clattered to the floor beside Collette as she continued to talk with Iris, Charlotte and Stella. Stella, disgust glazing her face, seized the metallic disc and glared at it while the cat, hyacinth macaw and Spix macaw shook their heads in disapproval as they glared at Gardenia as she held the tin of peaches and the syrup they were suspended in.

"I thought they came from tins and the shops as Mr Milo showed us," continued the fruithawk and with that, she greedily plunged her head into the contents of the tin, sending a massive fountain of syrup exploding upward and splashing all over Byron and Bellatrix much to their annoyance. Some of the drops also landed on Charlotte and she disgustedly brushed her plumage of the slightly sticky water.

"This is as gross as Luiz's drool," hissed she while Collette, Stella and Iris said nothing. Bellatrix and Byron also shook their feathers of the syrup, sending some of the drops flying onto Einstein and Sonia and they winced in irritation.

"What sort of fluid do those humans use to store that orange fruit!?" complained Bellatrix as she brushed her pigtails. Byron then looked on as Gardenia, her head and upper body half hidden in the tin as she greedily slurped at the peaches and wolfed them down, a slightly amused look on his face. Tiago shot Milo an annoyed glare, the cockatoo replying with a nervous and embarrassed laugh and a shrug.

"Looks like Dad's upbringing of us in the human environment when we were chicks is showing itself on those seven," said Carla slowly. Suddenly, more wing flaps reached the groups ears, pulling Bia and company's attention to the window. It were Finnick, Kira, Lavender and Garrett and they had brought in another device, a mobile phone or cellphone as it is known in the Americas. Outside, the majority of the rest of Carla and company's group, among them Azul's family, Brooke, Alegria and Thomas, were perched in the trees and near their birdhouses.

"Carla, Bia, Tiago, folks," said Finnick, the one who had the phone, "Blu is on the phone. He has some exciting news."

Carla and the others exchanged glances before Carla took the phone from Finnick and left to talk with her father in a quiet place, her sister, brother and cousin Kira following. As the quartet left, Finnick, Lavender and Garrett gazed at the scene of Gardenia eating peaches from a tin and her four siblings and two owls on the sofa's backrest watching TV, stuffing their beaks with fruit and for the owls, chicken. Before any of the three could speak, Azul simply replied, "Don't ask."

As soon as Carla, Bia, Tiago and Kira had found a quiet spot, they began to speak with Blu on the other end.

"Hi, Dad, how are you doing in the Sanctuary de Amazon with everyone else?" asked Carla with a smile, that same adornment decorating the faces of Bia, Tiago and Kira as well. However, the four's smiles evanesced when they saw the worried and concerned look on Blu's face but Blu managed to push aside the concern and form a smile, speaking before any of first-brood offspring and niece could ask any questions.

"Some of Augustus and Melissa's scouts have managed to find three golden fruithawks and two white-and-silver owls living with a very small clan of dragonbirds just outside the boundary of the Lear's macaw tribe's territory," explained the Spix tribe patriarch, "They are all unrelated. The three fruithawks are two males and a female while the two owls are a male and a female, and according to the patriarch of the dragonbird clan, they are the last surviving members of a golden fruithawk and white-and-silver owl flock that had been decimated by loggers and poachers. Looks like Ganymede and his four siblings, and Aragorn and Raya might not be the last golden fruithawks and white-and-silver owls the planet after all."

"Oh, THAT is excellent news, Dad," cried Bia with delight. As she spoke, Sirius, Einstein and Miles peered around the corner. Kira noticed them and turned to them, raised a wing feather to a beak and made a "Shh!" gesture.

"Can those three fruithawks and two owls come over to the Blu Bird Sanctuary?" asked Tiago. However, to the four's dismay, Blu shook his head.

"I'm afraid that's not possible for the dragonbirds have a STRONG hatred and mistrust against humans after experiencing a LOT of bad encounters with them, such as habitat loss," said the father of the trio and Kira's uncle, "and that view of humans is replicated on the adopted non-dragonbird clan members including the three adopted fruithawks and two owls."

"What's a dragonbird?" asked Sirius in a low voice but Kira flashed him a rebuking look and issued a "Shh!"

"Then that means we're gonna have to bring our five fruithawks and two owls over to the Sanctuary de Amazon for them to meet them," said Carla, "But over here, we currently have a huge project on our wings: the Blu Bird Sanctuary Untamed carnival, and I'm gonna need as many group members as possible in finding auditions to perform in the event."

"How are the five fruithawks and two owls doing over in Rio?" asked Blu, before a frown formed on his face, "I hope they aren't getting up to endangering themselves, are they? Because you remember what happened when we almost lost all of them at the jaws of those vicious city dogs with only Samara getting severely hurt thanks to that vile (bleep) Nigel which cost your younger brother Luke a wing and this his ability to fly and your adopted brother Eddie his life alongside Danny, one of our greyhound friends, among other things including the near loss of all your chicks and our grandparents including those of Roberto and Brisa."

Carla, Bia, Tiago and Kira shuddered as they remembered how Sirius and the other chicks including Finnick, Lavender and Garrett's offspring had almost died in that incident, and Sirius, Einstein and Miles flinched when they had flashes of snapping dogs' jaws in their heads. Putting that aside, Carla decided to answer Blu's question about the fruithawks.

"We've been trying to teach the five fruithawks and two owls how to forage for food in the forest," said she, before hardening her look, "But they seem to have taken an interest in the domesticated life as well. We've been trying to sort it out right now..."

"Oh, no they should live in the wild, you four," said Blu firmly, "they are NOT house pets like how I and some of the other macaws like Levi and Aurora had been. You remember your mother's utmost disapproval when I allowed you, Bia and Tiago to live like humans when you were chicks, Carla."

Carla breathed a sigh as she agreed with this. Kira then left with Bia to have a talk with her about the golden fruithawks while Tiago began to explain to a very insistent Sirius, Einstein and Miles about what a dragonbird was, leaving Carla to talk with Blu alone.

"Yes, Dad, I do remember us behaving too much like humans and how Mom was concerned for our future," said Carla. She then flashed a glance back at her brother, sister and cousin before returning her gaze to Blu, "Sorry, Kira and Bia have left to have a talk while Tiago is explaining to our nephews about what a dragonbird is."

Blu then hardened his gaze.

"If any human actually discovered even ONE individual from that species, Carla, mark my words, it's gonna make headlines. The dragonbird is so named because the creature bears a strong resemblance to the 'typical' mythical dragons, only they have just two wings somewhat resembling a bat's, and two legs, and like all birds, feathers."

Then Sirius peered around Carla to see his grandfather.

"Do they breathe fire?" asked the vivid blue-white adolescent macaw.

"No but they can spit a venom from their muzzle-like beaks that causes the sensation of burning," said Blu, "But enough of the introductory lesson on the dragonbirds. We need to discuss the future regarding the five fruithawks who are the offspring of the late Aurum and Gylfie that we have entrusted to you for your care in raising over in Rio, along with the two owls who were orphaned in the fire as eggs."

Carla, together with Bia and Kira who had returned from their own talk, prepared to listen to Blu while Tiago led Sirius, Einstein and Miles back to the others.

Back in the living room and kitchen, Azul continued to reason with Milo. The subject was exactly the same.

"Those seven cannot continue to live like this, Milo," said the blue-and-gold macaw sternly, his wing gesturing to the seven fruithawks and owls eating fruit from the plate and now the tin of peaches opened by Gardenia as well, and in the case of the owls, the chicken. The seven were still watching TV on the sofa's backrest, "They are now adolescent fruithawks and owls, approaching adulthood, and it is VERY important that they leave behind this domestic life and start living like wild birds."

"That is how we were supposed to raise them as instructed by Blu and company, Milo," put in Charlotte, "They're living too much like humans and city pets, and they are NOT either of those."

"It would have not what their parents, Aurum and Gylfie would have wanted for their children," added Chlorophyll, "In fact, if they were still alive, they'd have been VERY displeased."

"Just like Jewel had been when Carla, Bia and Tiago were living like humans as chicks thanks to Blu's influence," added Finn.

"And that can have some serious implications if those owls and frutihawks continue to live like that," added Collette as she stood with Azul, Charlotte, Chlorophyll and Finn and also Stella, Soren, Luna, Anabelle and Sebastian, the latter four who had entered the house to join in the important conversation. Milo swallowed a lump.

"And what are those?" he asked nervously.

"Well, they'll never know how to live as wild birds for one," explained Soren.

"Tulio and Linda and our other human friends would not approve of these fruithawks acting like city pets for another," said Sebastian. Then Collette hardened her look.

"And three, those fruithawks and owls could make themselves more vulnerable to dangerous pets like cats... and vicious dogs," said the caliby cat, "You remember that incident when Nigel nearly had them all killed involving the latter, along with many of his other victims?"

"Which he succeeded in doing so with Eddie, Blu and Jewel's adopted son and a member of Carla and her siblings' family, and Danny, one of the greyhounds" put in Azul. Milo nodded.

As the conversation continued, Finnick, Felix, Lavender, Garrett and Turquesa tried to persuade the fruithawks and owls from continuing to watch telly while Virgil, Justin and Matilda left to check on Bia, Kira, Tiago and Carla, only to meet Tiago and the three brothers, Sirius, Einstein and Miles, Tiago beginning to explain the situation.

"Well, that time," continued Azul, "All the five fruithawks, including Samara who had been seriously injured and had recovered, and both owls had been very lucky. The next time they wander into danger, they might not be so fortunate."

"And that brings us to another point," said Anabelle, "Their tendency to wander into danger."

Then Milo remembered last night with the fireworks.

"Their foolish handling of those matches and fireworks," said he. Azul, Charlotte, Chlorophyll and Finn and the flying foxes and Collette all nodded in agreement.

"Yes," said Collette seriously. Just then the pattering of talons on the kitchen floor sounded, and all eyes turned to see Carla, Bia, and Kira emerge from their private spot along with Tiago, Justin, Matilda, Virgil, and Sirius, Einstein and Miles. Their conversation with Blu had finished but the trio had some very important information to give.

"How did your conversation with Blu go, you three?" asked Azul. At the same time, Finnick, Felix, Lavender, Garrett and Turquesa and the seven owls and fruithawks touched down to prepare to receive the news.

"It went fine thanks," said Carla, "But Dad has told us that we should do something about the owls and fruithawks and their slipping into domestic habits."

"We were just discussing that with Milo, Carla," said Azul.

"However, that is not all," said Bia, "Three more fruithawks and two more white-and-silver owls have been found living with a tiny clan of dragonbirds found living outside the Lear's macaw tribe's territory and Blu has advised us to bring the seven owls and fruihawks to the Sanctuary de Amazon for the five to meet, which brings us to what I've been talking with Kira."

And at this, Kira stepped forward.

"We have decided to take the seven owls and fruithawks on a trip to the Sanctuary de Amazon, but only some of us will go because of the Blu Bird Sanctuary Untamed arrangements coming this year's Carnival..."

Alarmed looks formed on the seven owls and fruithawks' faces and Ganymede opened his beak to protest, only to close it again when he could not form words. Carla then stepped forward, a stern look on her face.

"However, if we do take the advice to take the golden fruithawks and the white-and-silver owls to the Amazon Sanctuary to meet the five individuals," she said, "We must make sure to keep out of a case that is being investigated, and especially keep those seven out of it as well."

Worry rolled throughout the group.

"What sort of an investigation is going on?" asked Poinsettia as she stood with Wilbur, Alexandre, Estelle, Spinel and Sheldon and all their chicks, among them Betelgeuse.

"There has been a deliberate provocation of a harpy eagle resulting in an incident," said Bia seriously, "a number of casualties and fatalities has resulted, and since the harpy eagle's appearance had been caused by that provocation, a number of suspects had been brought forward. Apparently, a blue flying creature was the culprit, but that is not important right now. Dad will probably explain to us further when we arrive in the Amazon Sanctuary..." she breathed a sigh and turned her gaze to Ganymede, Gardenia, Samara, Comet, Gylfie, Aragorn and Raya as they continued to eat peaches from the tin and the two owls, a piece of chicken. When they saw the Spix macaw gaze at them like that, all seven exchanged confused glances.

"Now, regarding those seven," she said, "We have a very important decision to make about them..."

However, what was going to be said next was going to be about a big important decision to make regarding them, and they may not like it, but it was going to be best for them and their future.