Chapter 6- the decision about the fruithawks and owls is made
"NO WAY! WHAAARRRT!?" the sounds of fruithawk and owl squawks of disgruntlement erupted into the kitchen air as the seven gold, yellow, white and silver birds yelled these at Bia who stood before them with a firm look on her face, and the fruithawks that had been eating the peach slices had dropped said slices onto the floor. Behind Bia, Carla, Tiago, Kira, Justin, Matilda and Virgil, together with Azul, Charlotte, Chlorophyll, Finn and Stella, plus most of the other adults of Carla and company's group, also stood with Bia's stern glare replicated on their faces. Nearby, Milo stood with Collette, a rather sad but at the same time agreeing look on his face. Bia had just mentioned the decision regarding these seven gold and yellow fruit-eating birds of prey, and she had decided that they will be taken on a trip to visit the Sanctuary de Amazon.
"You mean you wanna take us TO THE JUNGLE!?" blurted out Ganymede.
"Far away from any HUMAN CITY!?" added Gardenia. Bia, without hesitation, nodded.
"It's best for your future," she said.
"And besides that, we could do with plenty of air from the wild under you seven's wings," put in Carla.
"You could also do with experiencing life in the proper wild and as a wild bird," added Tiago. However, he turned to his sisters with a slight look of concern, "But what about the wild's dangers like predators and that?"
"We'll get to that when we discuss this, bro," replied Bia. The fruithawks then began to protest.
"But we love it here," said Samara.
"It's awesome with all these things," said Gylfie with a gesture of a golden wing to the laptop.
"We don't wanna go to the Amazon," Comet added. The owls, Aragorn and Raya also squawked their agreements. However, Tiago walked over to the seven with a harder frown.
"But we are NOT gonna have you seven lounging around in this place living like house pets for the rest of your lives," he said firmly, making his sternness very clear with the intensity of his voice tone, and Bellatrix and Byron shuddered at that tone for it was what Tiago had always used towards them during their talks whenever they had done something naughty, or on serious matters like bird mating behaviour which Tiago had discussed with Byron and Matilda with Bellatrix in this case. It was also the sternness Eduardo, Tiago's late grandfather had borne when he was alive and now Tiago was applying it to get an important point across to the fruithawks, much to the amazement of Carla and Bia for when they had been chicks, Tiago had been quite an immature and mischievous lad. Tiago continued.
"As we've said before, YOU SEVEN are wild birds and so you must live as such, so I think a trip to the Sanctuary de Amazon is an excellent opportunity Dad has given us to ensure that you seven get a proper start on living as proper wild birds."
The seven fruithawks and owls just breathed sighs and lowered their heads, clearly reluctant to accept this fact, but Carla, Bia and Tiago were adamant. The decision has been made and that is how it will be. But then a thought entered Carla's head.
"But we have a problem though," said the chubby oldest daughter of Blu and Jewel's first brood.
"And what's that?" asked Kira. Finnick stepped in, already knowing the answer to the question.
"The Blu Bird Sanctuary Untamed project," he said, "If we all go on this trip with the golden fruithawks and white-and-silver owls, there'd be no-one to help our assistants in organising and selecting the auditions for the carnival event."
"In addition to that, there'd be far too many of us," said Alexandre as he stood with Estelle and Sol, "and that might not be good with an investigative case going on in the Sanctuary de Amazon regarding a deliberate provocation of a harpy eagle into attacking a small crowd of flying animals."
"Deliberately provoke a harpy eagle?" said Wilbur with a frown at the seemingly farfetched and foolish act to say the least, "Who in the world would deliberately provoke such a dangerous bird-of-prey?"
"I don't know but THAT would be an ABSOLUTELY STUPID thing to do, if you ask me," said Sheldon, "You know what those savage beasts are like."
"No bird or flying fox in the right mind would do such a thing anyway," said Estelle. As she said this, Adenine, Guanine, Thymine and Cytosine who stood nearby just exchanged glances with Betelgeuse, Rigel, Sol and Antares and shrugged, but several of them shuddered for they had seen one of these monsters slay a monkey and haul it back to a nest during an outing with their parents during one of the group's previous visits to the Sanctuary de Amazon, so already they knew how dangerous those giant sickle-claw armed feathered monsters were. And yet, a certain matriarch of the barbaric flying fox colony had managed to slay one singlehandedly when she had been alive. Pushing these thoughts aside, the chicks resumed listening to the conversation as Carla had proposed a solution to the absence problem.
"We'll split up," said Bia and Tiago's older sister, "Some of us will stay here and help with the BBSU auditions while some of us will take the fruithawks to the Sanctuary de Amazon."
"I think that's a great idea, Carla," said Lavender as she stood with Garrett who wore an agreeing smile. Near them, Lilac looked on.
"But who will stay and who will go?" asked Stella. Carla, having already made her decision to this, put her wing up. "I'm gonna stay behind since after all, Justin and I are the main leaders in the audition process and project overall."
"And I'll stay as well," said Justin and with that, he walked over to his mate and stood beside her. Then Bia, Virgil, Tiago and Matilda made their decision.
"We'll go on the trip," said Matilda, "I'd like to visit our relatives in the Sanctuary de Amazon to see if they are alright from that harpy eagle attack, especially Mom and Dad (Aurora and Zephyr)."
"And I'd like to see these dragonbirds that had recently joined the Sanctuary de Amazon as well," said Bia with a glimmer of excitement, "I bet it would be fascinating to see a feathered creature that so resembles a typical mythical reptile in appearance..."
"And I'd also like to see how Miranda, Annette, Larimar, Quincy, and their families are doing as well," put in Virgil, before a worried look formed on his face for the four, especially for the three that now had families, especially after they had unintentionally caused everyone else trouble by nursing Nigel back to health only for him to turn against them. The worried looks also appeared on the faces of Tristan, Trixie, Aiden, Neytiri, Jasmine and also Finn for these six and any family any of them had were their relatives. However, there was another reason behind the worry.
"I sure hope none of those six had been caught in that harpy eagle attack," said Tristan, "Especially Quincy, Larimar and Miranda for they have mates and/or chicks."
"We'll cross that river when we get to it, folks," said Carla, before she turned her gaze to the others, "But first, let's get this group sorting out of the way. Who would like to stay and help in the BBSU auditions and who would like to take the seven fruithawks to the Amazon?"
And with that, the decision making process regarding this question, including amongst the adolescent offspring of Carla and company such as Sirius, Einstein and Miles, Bia and Virgil's sons, continued.
While this happened, the seven fruithawks and owls walked over to Milo and Collette with very disappointed looks on their faces.
"I can't believe Mrs Carla and company would do this to us, Mr Milo," said Ganymede in a voice tone that matched his face, "We really love it here."
"Well, it is because they, and us as well, are concerned for your future, Ganymede," said Milo, "You see; you can't live like this forever. It is time you spread your wings a bit more and experienced the natural environment outside," then a wave of guilt consumed him, "Carla and company were right. I have been quite foolish and irresponsible in allowing you seven to live like house pets just like how Blu had been in allowing Carla, Bia and Tiago themselves when they and we had been chicks..."
"Not to mention the rest of the gang's association with us cats when they had been young as well, such as when Matilda ate with my brother Broccoli. I can still remember that like it was yesterday."
Milo flashed the caliby cat a look before returning his gaze to the seven sad fruithawks and owls.
"Listen," said the half sulphur-crested cockatoo, "I know you seven are disgruntled about this but it is very important."
The seven fruithawks and owls slowly raised their gazes and connected it with those of Milo and Collette.
"When Carla and company had been chicks, Jewel and some of the other macaws including Zephyr, Lapis Lazuli and Azul had that very same concern regarding them, especially Carla, Bia, Tiago, Tristan, Trixie, Quincy and Larimar, and among those reasons were their too frequent exposure to the domestic lifestyle and domestic pets, especially housecats like me," explained Collette. Ganymede, his four siblings and the two owls gazed at the caliby but said nothing as she continued. "And had Carla and company had stayed in Rio and continued to live like humans or domestic pets, they'd have easily missed out on living as wild birds in addition to not finding the Spix and glaucous macaw flocks, and that would have been very detrimental to them since one, they wouldn't have learned the essential survival skills in the natural environment like foraging and nest building and two, they'd have become easy prey targets for city cats and that would have been bad for chicks of a species that is so close to the brink of extinction..."
Ganymede and the other six flinched at this fact. Milo continued.
"So Jewel and some of the other macaws were indeed wise in taking Carla and company out into the Amazon to live as wild birds with occasional visits to Rio," said the cockatoo, "So in the same way Jewel and the others had made that very important point about the futures of Carla and company to those insisting on staying in Rio, Collette and I, and Eustace and the others including Broccoli, Daisy and our greyhound friends would say the same thing, we would like that very important point to you seven. We would like all of you to go on this trip and experience life in the wild and as wild birds," Milo then hardened his gaze, "And make sure that you obey all the safety rules your guardians will be making on the trip such as staying well away from any predators, ESPECIALLY harpy eagles as the last thing we want is any of you seven fruithawks and owls getting killed since you, along with the three fruithawks and two owls found in the Sanctuary de Amazon, are the VERY last golden fruithawks and white-and-silver owls alive."
"I hope you seven will meet those five in addition to spending some time in the wild," said Collette. Ganymede and the other six all just stood there and silently and reluctantly nodded. Though they were clearly reluctant to go along with this opportunity, they realised that it was for their good. Then several blue feathered forms, one of them towering over the others and wore a bandana over his left eye and face, appeared. It were Zebedee, Charlotte, Músculo, Felix and Turquesa and they had come to pick up the fruithawks and owls as it was time to leave.
"Can we take those seven please?" said Zebedee. Milo and Collette nodded and gently told the fruithawks and owls to leave with the five macaws.
As Zebedee, Músculo, Felix and Turquesa left with the seven gold, yellow, white and silver birds to join the other birds and flying foxes as they prepared to exit the cottage via the open window, Charlotte stood with Milo and Collette one last time.
"Have you decided on who will be going to the Amazon with the owls and fruithawks and who will be staying behind to help with the BBSU auditions, Charlotte?" asked Collette.
"We have, yes," said Charlotte, a wing behind her head, "I, Músculo and our son Jason have decided to stay behind and help Carla and Justin with the auditions. Of Carla's family, only Spica will be going to the Amazon though Carla had been very reluctant in allowing her to make that decision after what happened four years ago when she and so many other chicks and pups including Sandalwood were whisked away by those poachers while I and my family were still in the Amazon... not to mention the fire caused by those stupid toucans..."
"I've actually heard that Sofia, one of the most badly behaved toucans, and her family had really, REALLY been struggling in their current home," said Collette, "And after the residents had heard that some of their chicks had been playing with fire, they had been brutally driven out and now they live alone in a little forest as outcasts. No one wants to befriend them at all and their offspring are left to carry the stench of that reputation. Furthermore, they are facing constant bullying and harassment from the other animals..."
"I'm not surprised," said Charlotte with a mostly unsympathetic frown, though a flash of sympathy was felt by her for the offspring who hadn't been born during those events, "She and many of her siblings and in-laws had been an ABSOLUTE disgrace," she then flashed a look at the window where most of Carla and company had gathered, talking and doing a headcount on the adolescent chicks (except Sugilite, Castor, Pollux and Celeste who were still preteens), and young adult flying foxes including Sandalwood, and saw Músculo and Jason standing there, waiting for her. "I'd better fly, sorry. I'll see you two later."
And with that she shared a hug with Collette and then Milo before opening her wings and talking off in her family's direction.
"Let us know if you want help in finding auditions, okay?" called Collette. Charlotte flashed her a nod and then joined her family before finally disappearing out of the window with her mate and son. Then after the last of Carla's group had exited the cottage via the window, the entire group had gone.