Blu and company in Nigel's Revenge

by VPVPVP

Blu and company are forced to return to Rio early due to a serious problem. However, while in Rio, they are forced to deal with some old foes, particularly a cockatoo who is out for heated revenge against them and he kidnaps the group's children as bait for the adults. Blu and company must rescue their kids and confront Nigel and his dog friends once and for all.

3. A phone call from Rafael

Chapter 3- a phone call from Rafael in Rio

Back in the Spix macaw tribe's ravine which was now their permanent home thanks to the area's being set up as a sanctuary allowing the inhabitants to live without the constant worry of logging and poaching, the air was decorated with dozens of blue birds of a rare species as the Spix macaws continued their daily lives. Sprinkled like flowers among the blue flock were spots of red, green, yellow and aqua blue and various other colours from the non-Spix macaws such as blue-and-gold macaws and scarlet and green-winged macaws from the red tribe, as well as other non-macaw birds like toucans; metallic colours from the archaeobirds, and the drabber colours and black from the Amazon flying foxes from the mixed-species tribe and also the bat-birds.

While the caustic enmity between the Spix and red tribes still existed, mixing and befriending between the two had been strictly forbidden and whenever a small group from the two tribes met, a fight almost always erupted, though after the war and the fire which separated Jewel and several others from them, their conflict died down to war-soccer games in the Pit of Doom (now called the Pit of Games) whenever disputes arose, but still, violence sometimes prevailed even in the Pit arena. Any Spix and red macaw that DID mix and become friends were banished from the tribes and were taken in by the mixed-species tribe. This multi-species tribe had kept their distance from the two macaw tribes and their enmity to avoid getting drawn into the destructive conflict, and after the fire, they had been separated from the two macaw tribes for some time and eventually forgotten, even as they settled in the grove that included a super-massive tree they had named the Árbol de la Casa, Spanish for 'Home Tree' when a LOT of the tribe members chose it and its massive and complex interior and network of hollows as their home.However, after the battle against the loggers in which the two macaw flocks, along with the macaws and some other birds from the mixed-species tribe (revealing their existence to the Spix and red tribes and the fact that they, too, had survived the fire in the process), had participated with a lot of other Amazon Rainforest animals, the Spix and red macaws had abolished their enmity for good, made peace and were now friends, so visits between them and also the mixed-species tribe were common, and the mixed-species tribe had joined in now that it was safe to mix with the two macaw flocks. Additionally, the mixed-species tribe got some glaucous macaws as members when part of Rudi's clan moved in with them with Rodrigo as their leader, these macaws having developed a better view of humans while the rest led by Rudi, their rancour for humans intensified by the fire, had moved to a patch of their own, and Sirius, Bellatrix and their large family had gladly moved in with them, the family's dream of living with other macaws like them finally made reality. The most frequent visitor from the red tribe to the Spix and mixed-species tribes was Ruby for she was a part of the extended family of Aurora, Sirius and Bellatrix, along with her blue-and-gold mate Ferdinand and their Catalina two chicks, Opal and Sheldon, and the most frequent visitors from the mixed-species tribe to the macaw flocks were Sirius and Bellatrix and their families, and Orion, Ahsoka and their pups for the same reasons and even better, friendships had developed between more and more Spix and red macaws, especially chicks.

The usual activities continued to flow in the Spix tribe and their neighbours with chicks, flying fox pups and bat-bird flaplings (baby bat-birds) being educated, patrols flying out on their tasks, parents foraging and groups of friends, young, teens, adults and elderly alike, chatting along the clifftops, in the trees and on the banks of the ravine pool. While the activities of the Spix tribe and their visitors continued, Jewel, Mimi, Roberto, Brisa, Zephyr and Augustus, Melissa, Orion and Ahsoka led Carla and company in the direction of Eduardo's tree where the Spix tribe patriarch had just finished his lesson with his son-in-law, Blu, on how to organise and send out patrols, a skill he will need when he becomes tribe leader after his father-in-law. Ruby had returned to the red tribe to return Luca, Spinel and Realgar to Pearl and Felipe but she planned on returning to the Spix tribe's ravine for Ferdinand and her chicks Opal and Sheldon were here. As Jewel and company including the new additions to the extended family, Roberto and Brisa's chicks Finnick and Lavendulan, Ganymede and Gordie the new pups of Orion and Ahsoka, and Blu and Jewel's second brood Neptune, Arrokoth and Chrysocolla, flew through the ravine air and greeting any bird, bat-bird or pterosaur and flying fox on the way, they saw Blu send off the last patrol group of the morning, his father-in-law proudly looking on. Nearby, Aurora chatted with Ferdinand, Sirius, Bellatrix, Antares, Samara and also Alvin, Isabella, Wanda and Pietro who were also visiting from the mixed-species tribe, the latter accompanied by their mates and chicks. Wanda's mate was named Wikstrom and he was a tough, muscularly built macaw with dark blue feathers, a tiny stub for a crest and orange eyes. He was fierce and tough, but always harboured a kind and friendly personality and a soft side, especially to his mate, chicks and extended family. His and Wanda's chicks were a son named Remy and a daughter named Emilia. Pietro's mate was a female glaucous macaw named Carolina and she was a pretty, slender cerulean macaw with sleek head feathers and grey eyes, and their chicks were two sons named Jose and Linguini. Both Wikstrom and Carolina, like every other glaucous macaw, had grey head and neck feathers and yellow eye rings and beak lappets. The adult glaucous macaws chatted while the four chicks, Alvin and Isabella's new and latest grandkids; played with some other chicks, flying fox pups and pterosaur flaplings on the lilypads by surfing on them.

"Well done, Hue," said Eduardo, getting Blu's name wrong YET AGAIN as Jewel and company touched down, "You're getting the hang of this now."

"Um, his name's Blu, Eduardo," called Aurora from close by.

"Seriously, Eduardo, his names UTTERLY simple," said Antares with a slightly amused smile.

"Careful, Remy, Emilia," called Wanda as she and her burly mate Wikstrom watched their chicks fling themselves at a lilypad to surf on it only for Remy to overbalance and nearly fall into the water but was caught in time by a teen pterobat flapling. The others flashed the four new grandchildren of Alvin and Isabella an amused look and continued talking.

"Quite a risky activity is lilypad surfing," said Wikstrom in a thick, deep voice characteristic of a burly character, "I daren't try it myself as I'm quite a heavy macaw."

"I used to love surfing on large leaves strong enough to support a macaw chick's weight in a small, shallow river back in our original place before we lost it to loggers," said Carolina. She and Pietro then proudly watched their sons Linguini and Jose prepare to take their turn to fling themselves onto another lilypad with a pterobat flapling while Remy and Emilia flew to one side to rest.

"We now have eleven grandkids," said Alvin proudly.

"Something we NEVER thought we'd have back in Rio due to our species' EXTREME rarity," said Isabella as she watched Jose and Linguini then fly at a lilypad and surf on it with the pterobat flapling surfing on another one nearby, giggling from the fun on the go.

"Mom and Dad (Gael and Viento) are not the only grandparents to have additional grandkids," said Brisa with a smile before she turned and gave Roberto a kiss as he then led Lavendulan and Finnick away to their tree, the very same large tree Roberto had and that Blu and his family stayed in during their first days in the rainforest. Then Jewel's group began to disperse with Mimi, Augustus and Melissa going over to Eduardo to talk about Blu's progress of learning the skills of a tribe patriarch while Zephyr went over to Aurora and the glaucous macaws with Justin, Charlotte, Matilda, Virgil and Eustace. Opal, Sheldon, Tristan, Quincy, Sapphire, Levi, Aiden and Sapphire left to join the latter six's four new cousins to play with them and teach them how to properly surf on the lilypads and Jewel, Orion and Ahsoka departed with Sandalwood, Acerola, Hermione, Ganymede, Gordie, Neptune, Arrokoth and Chrysocolla for Blu and Jewel's tree along with Carla, Bia and Tiago. Ahsoka flashed a smile at Blu as she left with this little group. "I think Blu over there is doing well as the heir to the Spix macaw tribe leadership role, don't you agree."

"He indeed is," said Jewel, "He's slowly overcoming his habit of sleeping in as well."

"I guess the spider pranks are helping," said Sandalwood before he flashed a smile at his and his sisters' two new identical twin brothers Ganymede and Gordie as they released titters.

"'Twas fun prankin' him with Tiago and Matilda, though," squeaked Ganymede.

"We would love to do it again," said Gordie. Tiago flashed the two little chocolate brown pups a smile when he heard this.

"Blu's the heir to the Spix tribe's leadership role?" asked Ahsoka.

"He is, while I'm to become the matriarch once that happens and when Daddy retires," said Jewel with a proud smile.

"And that'll be you alongside me in the flying fox clan and mixed-species tribe when we take over Dad and Mom's role when they retire or if something happens to them, Ahsoka," said Orion with a smile, "As their son, I'm the heir to that role and you're the heir to the role as matriarch."

Ahsoka gazed at her mate in surprise. She could not imagine herself as being the matriarch of a tribe of a variety of so many animals, among them her species, but it was true. As Orion's mate, she was the heir to the matriarch role after her mother-in-law Melissa.

"You will be trained by your mother-in-law soon," said Jewel as the group soon reached her tree and Carla, Bia and Tiago went inside with Arrokoth, Neptune and Chrysocolla, "In fact, Melissa has scheduled your first lesson this afternoon."

"It will be a proper introduction to the sub-leaders of the clans that make up our tribe," said Orion, "An important thing for when we have to have leader meetings as during those, the leaders of each of the tribe's clans and their inner circle members attend."

Suddenly, musical chirping sounded in Blu and Jewel's tree, snapping the attention of the Spix macaw and the bats in the source's direction. However, that chirping was not from a chick as it was artificial.

"Mom, Uncle Orion, Auntie Ahsoka, the phone's ringing," called Carla, her head craning out of the entrance to the hollow, "I think it could be our Dalmatian friend Milo in Rio."

"I hope it is," said Sandalwood with a smile.

"I wonder how he and Ellie are doing with their new litter of puppies since all ten of their first litter has been sold off to new owners with Sunspot going to Tulio's family and Sputnik to Francisco's," said Acerola.

"Sunspot is honoured to be the dog of the leader of the Blue Bird Project Team," said Hermione with admiration for the young Dalmatian and eldest son of Milo and Ellie, "I heard Uncle Blu's companion Linda has had a son she has named Tommy and Sunspot is a real friend and protector of that baby."

"He once protected him from a rat that had found its way into the baby's room of Tulio and his family's cottage," said Sandalwood, "He managed to catch and kill the rat before it could have chance to bite the baby but in the process, he was bitten himself, on the front left leg and had to be treated at the vet's."

"I'll see if the caller is Milo," said Orion and with that, he and Ahsoka left and entered the tree, putting Gordie and Ganymede down for their three older children to look after while they sought to the phone.

"Sunspot is also the owner of that dog-and-cat-only samba club with his girlfriend Titania," said Jewel with a smile, "and also that ecology club for puppies and kittens of the city so that they can learn about the environment and Tijuca Forest."

"VERY busy dog with those three big areas," said Sandalwood.

"Yes, running two clubs AND being the pet of Linda's family," put in Hermione as she held Ganymede.

"I look forward to seeing him and his progress," said Hermione when Gordie reached up to her long fringe covering her right eye and tugged it. She immediately rebuked him to Gordie's amusement. The others also released titters to Hermione's slightly amused chagrin. Ganymede and Gordie certainly were bundles of mischief and were the furry equivalents of Tiago and Matilda of Blu, Jewel, Zephyr and Aurora's broods respectively.

In Blu and Jewel's tree, Ahsoka pulled out a human device stored in a small compartment on the ground section of the hollow and handed it to Orion. She and Orion had received permission from Jewel to find the phone and answer it. This phone was a discarded Iphone Blu and company had found in a street of Rio and had decided to take it back to their Amazon home to keep in touch with their Rio friends to save the several days' journey to see them each and every time. Luckily, that phone, despite a few cracks on its screen, was still functional. Bia, Sheldon, Quincy and also Sandalwood and Acerola who were quite knowledgeable in basic circuitry besides maths and science, had helped Blu and to fix the salvaged device and managed to get it to work like a still-useable phone. After this and getting it a SIM card to record numbers, Blu and the others had taken it on their return trip to the Amazon once their time in Rio ended with Blu carrying it in his fanny pack which he always took during these trips, though this time, he did NOT take a GPS this time! Then once back in the Spix tribe's ravine and their tree, Blu and Jewel had placed it in a special compartment so that they would be the first ones to receive any call from any friend in Rio. Human objects were now allowed in the ravine for Eduardo had lifted the ban on these items after changing his views on humans to the fact that not all of them were destructive menaces to the environment, though he still bore an extreme hatred to poachers and loggers. Ahsoka, who had some experience on using human devices from her time as a foster bat under Joanna's care for Joanna had one, had taught Orion the basics of using an Iphone, and Ruby, Ferdinand, Samara and Antares had also been taught how to use certain human devices by their mates Sirius and Bellatrix and the rest of the human object-familiar group members in addition.

Then after finding the 'Answer' button on the screen, Orion tapped the touchscreen with his wing-thumb. The chirping ringtone stopped and soon, the caller appeared on the screen.

"Hi, um..." Orion began but when he saw who was on the screen, a distasteful scowl formed on his and Ahsoka's faces.

"Rafael!?" shouted the brown bat in shock while the ginger one flinched. Then the caller which was a black and white bird with a large orange and black beak and brown eyes then shot the two flying foxes a surprised look but then that look morphed into one of mutual disgust.

"Orion, Ahsoka!?" retorted the toco toucan in a voice tone expressing it. In the background was a female toucan with a lime green and magenta beak surrounded by several smaller toucans and she glared bitterly at the two bats as she tended to the young birds around her, some of the many, many children of her and her toco mate. When Carla, Bia, Tiago, Neptune, Arrokoth and Chrysocolla heard Orion shout, they gazed at the two bats in surprise while outside, Jewel, Sandalwood, Acerola, Hermione, Ganymede and Gordie peered in.

"Orion, Ahsoka?" asked the first one of the second list, wondering why the former sounded so angry. Orion and Ahsoka, however, didn't reply and kept their distasteful scowls fixed on the toco toucan, Rafael, on the phone screen.

"I was expecting either Blu, Jewel, their chicks or ONE of the OTHER MACAWS to answer, NOT you WINGED FURBALLS!" shouted Rafael angrily.

"And WE were expecting MILO to be the caller," snapped Orion back at Rafael, Ahsoka looking on distastefully, especially at Eva in the background. Jewel then gently ushered her six chicks out of the tree, Chrysocolla and her two brothers looking warily on.

"Why is Uncle Orion so angry at that toucan, Ma?" asked Neptune as he followed Carla, his oldest sister, out of the hollow.

"Just come out here and wait with your flying fox 'cousins' and biological brothers and sisters," said Jewel firmly. Neptune obeyed and hopped out of the hollow. Outside, Sandalwood, Acerola and Hermione, having also got a glimpse of Rafael on the Iphone screen, had put Gordie and Ganymede down and darted away to weep, the memories of what that toco toucan and his keel-billed mate's incredibly naughty chicks had put them through with Mauro and his marmoset gang crashing back on them like a water wave. Carla and Tiago went to comfort them, leaving Ganymede and Gordie in Bia's care along with Neptune, Arrokoth and Chrysocolla. When these five looked on curiously and confused, Bia began to explain to them while Carla and Tiago began to console the three older near-adult pups as they wept and wrapped their hand-winged around their bodies in distress.

"I still HAVEN'T forgotten what YOUR chicks have put MY OLDER SON AND TWO DAUGHTERS through with those MARMOSET MENACES, Big Nose, when those PRIMATE PESTS dropped 'em into a pile of rotting fruit, took a picture of 'em with that thing humans called a camera, and then spread duplicates of those photos through Tijuca Forest," shouted Orion at Rafael. In the background behind the toco toucan, Eva glared at the screen in disgust for a few more seconds and then walked away with some of the kids, a few of them flashing Orion a fearful look as they followed her. Rafael flashed his keel-billed mate and chicks a look and turned his scowl back to Orion and Ahsoka.

"And I haven't forgotten about HOW YOUR GINGER MATE there insulted MY sparkling mango and her CRYSTALLINE singing voice AND her mothering skills all those months ago," the toco toucan snarled. A scoffing snort-laugh escaped Ahsoka's mouth when she heard this. Behind the two bats, Jewel walked in slowly.

"I'm NOT surprised, though I kind of agreed with our macaw friends that she did go a bit too far with slapping her across the face and calling her a banshee," retorted Orion to which Ahsoka remained nonchalant, her wings folded and her face turned away from the screen showing the toco toucan's angry face as though she was in the utmost right in insulting Eva on those levels like she did. Then the brown flying fox snapped as disgust over this toucan couple's parenting skills flared within him like a steam eruption.

"YOU, Rafael, and YOUR MATE EVA... are a pair of UTTERLY IRRESPONSIBLE... NEGLIGENT... UNCARIN' PARENTS!" he trembled and spat some of the words in this sentence like spurts of scalding hot steam pressurised by his still-present rage at the toucans.

"LEAVE RIGHT NOW, you DOG-FACED furball with WINGS!" snarled Rafael hostilely; his pride at his parenting clearly and severely scalded by Orion's scathing (but largely truthful) steam-like remark. Jewel then rushed in to intervene before the argument could escalate into a boiling exchange of more jets of scalding hot steam that could do some serious damage.

"And LET Jewel behind you talk to us," finished Rafael angrily.

"GLADLY," snapped Orion mutually and with that, he turned to Jewel.

"Orion, Ahsoka, let me take over," said she and Orion, not wanting to spend another second looking at the toco toucan's face, did so without hesitation. Then the flying fox couple, disgust lacing their faces, walked out of the tree to cool down as Jewel took over. Once a Spix macaw's face and one of his first friends was on the phone, Rafael's hostility faded though he was still wincing from his wounded and burnt parenting pride from Orion's searing statement. At the entrance to her and Jewel's tree, Aurora, Sirius, Bellatrix and Ferdinand appeared and craned their heads into the hollow.

"Jewel, why are Orion and Ahsoka so angry and their three older pups upset...?" began the latter, the blue-and-gold macaw but Jewel's wing shot up and told him to be quiet. The four macaws exchanged looks and Aurora and Ferdinand entered the hollow while the glaucous macaw brother and sister and Aurora's 'cousins' since they were chicks went to the flying fox family and Blu and Jewel's six chicks, Bia beginning to explain the situation to them.

"Sorry, Jewel, but my lovely Eva and I cannot STAND those two winged furballs and their pups after what happened between us roughly last year," said Rafael with relief now that Orion and Ahsoka were gone, "They can visit Rio but they are NOT allowed ANYWHERE near US, our HOLLOW, or ANY of our CHICKS," as he said this, a female toucan chick whose beak was a splash of orange, black, magenta and lime green, the colours of her parents' beak combining, flashed her toco father a saddened look and walked away. Then Rafael's brown-eyed gaze found another female Spix macaw and a male blue-and-gold macaw coming in behind Jewel, "Ah, Aurora, Ferdinand."

"Hi, Rafael," said Aurora flatly. Ferdinand wore the same not-so-greeting frown as he gazed at the toucan, Jewel looking on with a slight frown.

"Why the glum faces?" asked Rafael when he saw the two macaws' looks, "You should be thrilled to see me after so long."

"We believe you're still hostile to our flying fox friends after what so many of your chicks had put them through with Mauro and his marmoset gang, Rafael," said Aurora in a low voice.

"And while we agree that Ahsoka did overstep the line and hit your keel-billed mate across the face and insulting her singing," added Ferdinand, "They are still a part of our family including Jewel and hers."

"Ferdinand, Aurora," said Jewel but the two macaws put up a wing and told her not to interrupt before continuing.

"And we agree with Orion and Ahsoka," said Aurora to Rafael's blink of disgust, "Many of your chicks are still a SERIOUS problem and we did promise you that we will NOT associate with you until you get those rambunctious troublemakers sorted..."

"B-b-but we HAVE, Aurora," protested Rafael, "We had a SERIOUS talk with them and grounded them for a week..."

"Not good enough," said Ferdinand flatly, "Either you get those hoodlums sorted or someone or something else will, and we will stay AWAY from you until you do."

Then before Rafael could retort, Ferdinand passed the phone back to Jewel and walked out with Aurora without another word. As the two left the hollow, Blu appeared, a look of surprise at the two macaws and why a raincloud plastered their faces. However, he turned and saw that Jewel was talking to Rafael on the phone, so he went and joined in the conversation.

"Hi, Rafael, it's a pleasant surprise to have you call us," said he. Then Rafael, after putting aside his wounded pride from Orion and then Aurora and Ferdinand's words, smiled and began to speak to his first friend. "Hi, Blu, how are you and your lovely mate Jewel doing?" his face then fell somewhat, "And also Aurora and company, including those... winged furball friends of theirs?"

"Well, you have soured your relationship with Orion's family and to a small degree, us as well," said Jewel with a slight frown before replacing it with a smile, "But we've been doing fine."

"We have had another clutch of three chicks, two sons named Neptune and Arrokoth and a daughter named Chrysocolla," explained Blu, his proud wing around his Forest Gem who smiled, "Brisa, Aurora's sister-in-law and Zephyr's sister, has paired up with Jewel's childhood friend and they have had two chicks, a son they have named Finnick and a daughter named Lavendulan..."

"That's good," said Rafael, "I'm so proud dat handsome Spix macaw has found a mate and has started his own family..."

"And I'm reluctant to say this since we know what you're like towards them right now but I'll say it anyway," said Jewel, "Orion and Ahsoka have had two new pups."

"Identical, or monozygotic, twin sons named Ganymede and Gordie," said Blu.

"Brilliant," said Rafael with an impressed smile and voice tone, though he was not as impressed to hear that the two flying foxes had had two more pups, "Well, we've had another clutch of eggs too."

Blu and Jewel's faces fell when they heard this. At the hollow's entrance, eight heads, six various shades of blue and two chocolate brown, craned around the lip and peered in. However, Carla, Bia, Tiago, Neptune, Arrokoth, Chrysocolla, Ganymede and Gordie remained silent. Nearby, Orion, Ahsoka, Ferdinand and Aurora talked while Sandalwood, Acerola and Hermione sat on a nearby rock, watching a group of flying forms, some of them feathered and blue, fly over them and towards the clifftops.

"You've... had... another... clutch?" asked Blu slowly while Jewel's beak was frozen in place. A smile of pride formed on Rafael's orange and black beak.

"Yes," the toco father of a LOT of chicks smiled before his keel-billed mate appeared and he draped her with a wing, "Of four. You remember when you first met us? We had seventeen, with the eighteenth, Diantha, as an egg. Now we have thirty-three chicks... soon to be thirty-seven."

Blu and Jewel said nothing while at the entrance, Carla, Bia and Tiago's lower jaws dropped open. Their younger siblings and the two newest additions to Orion and Ahsoka's children looked curiously up.

"Our Uncle toucan Rafael has thirty-seven children?" asked Neptune.

"That sounds great," said Arrokoth excitedly.

"We wanna meet 'em," put in Chrysocolla. Gordie and Ganymede, however, remained silent. Then Carla glared at her younger brothers and sister.

"You wouldn't wanna join that bunch of troublemakers for a start, young sibs," said she.

"Indeed," said Bia, "By my calculations, 90-plus percent of Uncle Rafael's children are in that gang. The remaining tiny bit, Nemo, Cleo, Fabio and Diantha, are sensible and absolutely REFUSE to join in with their brothers and sisters' incredibly stupid antics, though they did initially participate when they were younger."

"When we were your age or younger, we used to hang out with them," said Tiago, "But their bad behaviour rubbed off on us and we began to act like them in causing trouble for other birds and animals."

"We attacked a group of newcomers, eventually revealed to be Justin and company's parents including yours, Ganymede and Gordie, before they had become mates and had you, and tied them up with vines and their chains back in Rio, didn't you know," said Carla and with that, she nodded to Orion and Ahsoka as they went over to Sandalwood, Acerola and Hermione. The identical twin brothers gazed at their parents.

"Why would you do that?" asked Ganymede.

"We would NEVER do anything like that," put in Gordie. A smile formed on Tiago's face when he heard this.

"I'm glad you two, despite your mischievous nature quite like mine and Matilda's, have some good sense on the boundaries of mischief for your age," he said, "You two, along with myself and Matilda and a few others in our group, and also Diantha, Cleo, Fabio and Nemo back in Rio (who had abandoned being rambunctious like the rest of their siblings), are rascals," his face then formed a serious frown, "but the rest of the toucan chicks, they're DOWNRIGHT numbskulls and hoodlums in their tricks and mischief who don't seem to know what or where the boundaries are. I'm SO glad Diantha's quartet has given up on those tricks. In fact those four told us that when their brothers and sisters' tricks started to get more and more stupid, they forsook joining them and have been refusing to go along with them since. Nemo has only been a member of that gang for a short time and the first stupid and naughty trick they wanted to do, he gave up there and then."

"Those four have tried to tell Uncle Rafael and Aunt Eva of their siblings' stupidity but it had always been their word against theirs with twenty-nine against four," said Bia, "And because of that, that gang had been disciplined little since their parents believe they aren't THAT naughty."

Then a dark look formed on Carla's face. "Those toucan kids often cause, and HAVE caused, accidents and situations, sometimes injurious, in the past, and have even got other kids into trouble to escape blame and punishment."

"And unfortunately, your older brother Sandalwood and sisters Acerola and Hermione over there have suffered that with their reputation when those toucan kids landed in them into trouble with Mauro and his marmoset gang," put in Bia with a nod to the three older pups. Neptune, Arrokoth, Chrysocolla, Ganymede and Gordie looked on worriedly.

"I hope you've not been bothering Luke, Hauyne and Quaoar in the Enclosure for Permanently Maimed Animals near Tulio's Aviary, have you?" Blu asked Rafael back in the hollow with a frown, "Because you know how they, especially Hauyne, felt when your mate Eva showed off how many kids you've had?"

"Remember, Hauyne had to undergo an operation to deal with her egg-binding, which can be deadly to us female birds," said Jewel, her face twisted into a frown too, "and as a result, she can no longer have chicks, but even before she managed to have Quaoar, she had problems conceiving or producing viable eggs."

"We know," said Rafael with a sympathy-laced voice, Eva also looking sad for the female Lear's macaw, "It had been a terrible backstory for that couple, especially Luke when he lost his left wing AND his ability to fly to that savage beast of a cockatoo Nigel when he mauled him like a rabid dog during his confrontation with him to save Hauyne and other kidnapped animals with some pigeon and raven friends in Peru."

"Indeed it was," said Blu sadly and in agreement.

"And it's sad that your relationship with Orion and his family has become UTTERLY strained as well," said Jewel, "I just hope you and the flying foxes will repair it in the future at some point..."

Rafael and Eva didn't reply to this but then the former moved on to another subject. "By the way, another reason why we are calling you is because we have something about the Blue Bird Project Team's findings to report to ya. We went on an outing and bumped into Milo and Ellie and they told us all about it."

"Really?" asked Blu, "What have Tulio and company found?"

"More rare macaws?" asked Jewel.

"Um, they have found some rare birds but they are not macaws or any other kind of parrot," said Rafael as Eva left to tend to the thirty-plus children in the hollow, shouting for Sofia to stoop shaking one of the eggs and return it to the nest. Rafael flashed a look to his left, or Blu and Jewel's right, and returned his gaze to the Spix macaw couple.

"Sorry, my kiddy-winks can be VERY playful at times," he interjected his report before returning to it, "As I was sayin', the Blue Bird Project Team had found four rare birds, all apparently the last of their species just like how you two and subsequently Aurora and company including... Orion and Ahsoka before more of your species had been found in the Amazon."

"What are they?" asked Blu excitedly.

"They are... um..." began Rafael before the fog of forgetfulness clouded his memory. He turned and asked Eva offscreen to remind him what those birds were and how many had been found. After Eva's reply, Rafael returned his attention to the pair. "There are four of them. Two are golden fruithawks, which are hawks that don't eat meat but fruit," Blu flashed Jewel a surprised look. For all he knew, ALL hawks were meat-eating, or more technically, carnivorous, birds, like falcons and eagles, so a vegetarian or more technically, herbivorous, hawk was a complete twist on the reputation of hawk species indeed. Rafael continued, "They are a male and female, similar age, young adults, though far younger than you. The male's name is Soren while the female's name is Katniss. A team had found the former in the Bahia area of Brazil and had brought him here for Tulio and his team to look after while the latter had been found under the ownership of a woman in Guyana and brought here. The other two birds are two white-and-silver owls, again a male and a female. They are pure white like the snowy owl of Alaska (I had seen a picture of one in Bia, Quincy and Sheldon's books on the birds of the world), but they have silvery wing flight feathers, spots on their chests, rims around their masks and tail feather tips. The male's name is Aragorn and the female's name is Cassiopeia. Both had been found by another research team in a part of a rainforest where a small flock of their species supposedly lived until loggers came and decimated their habitat, leaving only those two as the last surviving members. All four are kept in the area where you two met and also where Aurora, Sirius, Bellatrix and Ahsoka met their mates."

"They are being held there with the same intentions as when we met," grumbled Jewel distastefully, remembering those first moments of meeting Blu, and Blu also shuddered at that time, especially at Jewel's utmost WRATH when he provoked her resulting in her almost going completely feral which would have resulted in SERIOUS injury for Blu back then. Thankfully, Jewel stopped and restrained herself in the nick of time before she cross that line, especially after seeing how TERRIFIED Blu was.

"So are those four the VERY last members of those two recently-discovered species?" asked the male brown-eyed Spix macaw.

"According to Milo and Ellie, yes," said Rafael, "Hopefully, we'll meet them face-to-face when we visit Tulio's Aviary. By the way, are you and your company gonna come to Rio anytime soon?" his face then formed a frown, "Includin' those winged furballs who I have told you are STRICTLY forbidden from approachin' us and the vicinity of our hollow..."

"In the coming summer months," said Jewel.

"And Roberto, my mate's childhood friend, has decided to come as well, along with his and Brisa's chicks Finnick and Lavendulan, as he wants to meet the daughter of the Dalmatian who saved his life from that abusive girl he was given against his will as a smuggled chick, and when she was a puppy," added Blu, "And we are gonna bring our second brood chicks Neptune, Arrokoth and Chrysocolla too, and Orion and Ahsoka, Ganymede and Gordie, their two new pups."

"We also look forward to catching up with Luke, Hauyne and Quaoar," said Jewel with a smile. As she spoke, Aurora and Ferdinand peered into the hollow. "And if we get the chance, we'll drop by and visit your hollow with our six chicks."

"However, Neptune, Arrokoth and Chrysocolla cannot hang out with most of your chicks," said Blu firmly. Rafael breathed a disappointed sigh but recovered himself.

"Okay, I'll see ya'all when you return to here," he said. He then flashed a look to his left or Blu and Jewel's right, "I'd better go, anyway. Eva over there needs my help in managin' our thirty-plus chicks. See ya an' adios."

"Adios, Rafael," said Blu and Jewel together and with that, the pair hung up, making the Iphone screen return to its main menu, and Blu switched off the phone and put it back into its compartment in his and his family's tree. Then the couple turned and left the hollow to meet Aurora and Ferdinand and also Ahsoka and Orion. In the background, Carla, Bia and Tiago played together with Chrysocolla, Neptune, Arrokoth and Sandalwood, Acerola, Hermione, Ganymede and Gordie and now Sheldon and Opal with their scarlet mother, Ruby, looking on, having returned to the ravine after returning her nephew Luca and nieces Realgar and Spinel to Felipe and Pearl.

"Aurora, Ferdinand, Orion, Ahsoka, we admit Rafael and Eva may be in over their heads with all those chicks but they are NOT as irresponsible, negligent and uncaring as parents as you think they are," grumbled Jewel to the four in rebuke.

"We beg to differ, Jewel," said Aurora, before nodding to three of the young flying foxes, "The SEVERE humiliation a LOT of that toucan pair's offspring had put Sandalwood and his sisters and consequently their parents here, through with Mauro and his marmoset gang is still lingering, you know."

"Yes, and it had been made worse by them spewin' a torrent of lies like polluted water to their parents by saying that THEY had been the ones to bother the marmosets and both Rafael and Eva believed them," put in Orion. The brown flying fox then shrugged, "And I doubted they listened to the protests of Diantha, Nemo, Fabio and Cleo, who had learned their lessons well and are better behaved than the rest of their siblings, either."

"Their thirty-plus siblings have damaged the relationship we have had with the toucans," added Ahsoka, "But Rafael and Eva are also responsible for it by believing their lying kids and doing NOTHING about what they did to our son and daughters."

"And WE are NOT gonna associate with them until they DO," added Orion, shouting the last word in anger. Then before the macaws could speak, the two flying foxes went away and called for their five kids. Sandalwood and his sisters and brothers then left their macaw 'cousins' and scurried to them. Then after Ahsoka had scooped up Ganymede onto her breast and Acerola picked up Gordie for Ahsoka could not carry them both (as mentioned before, mother bats could only carry one pup at a time), the family of flying foxes ascended a nearby tree, dropped into flight and flew away.

"We're gonna return to the mixed-species tribe," Orion called out as he led his family away, "Come by and visit some time, won't you?"

The macaws all said yes and waved goodbye to Orion, Ahsoka and their children as they flew out of earshot. Ruby walked in and watched them leave with a smile and as she appeared alongside Ferdinand, the blue-and-gold macaw draped his scarlet mate with an aqua blue, yellow and dark blue wing while Sheldon and Opal appeared.

"If only Rafael and Eva find out what REALLY happened between the marmosets, their kids and that bat couple's three older offspring, and fix their relationship with them," said Aurora with a frown, "But sadly, the pair is just FAR TOO proud of to interrogate their thirty-plus kids excluding Diantha, Cleo, Fabio and Nemo..."

"Hi, Ruby, how are Felipe and Pearl doing with their three chicks?" asked Jewel.

"They're doing fine, Jewel, folks," said Ruby, "I have just returned Luca, Spinel and Realgar to them. It seems those three, especially the first one, have inherited a LOT of my brother-in-law's traits."

"Like speaking in rhyme like their father does?" tittered Blu in amusement.

"Luca actually does that more than his sisters," said Ruby, "Spinel is more laidback but Realgar can be very feisty."

"I'm so glad Felipe has a possible heir to take over his leadership role for when he and Pearl retires," said Ferdinand, "I don't think I would make a great heir because I am a blue-and-gold macaw and it would seem a bit odd to have a macaw species lead a tribe consisting of nothing but scarlet and green-winged macaws..."

"It's possible, my blue and yellow falcon," said Ruby, "But traditionally, the heir must be the same species as the current leaders for consistency."

Ferdinand nodded in agreement for he could not imagine himself taking Felipe's position should anything happen to him. After all, a blue and yellow macaw leading a flock of all-red macaws was quite an unusual thought. Then the group called their children together and left to see to the next tasks they had in mind.