Skylar and Tudor collect Zephyr, Cruz, and the other Jaquins and take them into Vallestrella. However, not everyone's pleased and this results in some feathers getting ruffled.

Once through the portal, Skylar and Tudor fly toward Mooncliff. "The race will be soon, and I am going to win it! Let me prove it to you. Race you there!" Skylar yells excitedly.

He increases his speed and leaves Tudor closely behind him. "Sure! But I will be there first!" Tudor replies with the same excitement.

Speeding to Mooncliff, both young Jaquins land in the clearing at the same time. Wheezing a little from the sprint, they realise a flock of Jaquins in there with them as well. Skylar looks around and notices that all kinds of friendly-looking eyes are on him and Tudor. He finds this thrilling as he knows pretty much all of them, which clearly shows through his wide-open smile and his tail wagging sideways. Everyone has a liking of him, for he has a fun and accessible personality. He looks among the flock of Jaquins and finds Cruz. He approaches him. "Cruz! Amigo!' Skylar happily greets the big purple Jaquin yet carefully continues, 'So, today I heard what happened because of my early graduation as Guardian of Avalor. You must know, I really have been looking forward to being trained by you, amigo!"

Cruz feels contempt toward Skylar. Contempt as such that he cannot increase his influence over him anymore, and thus over the clan as a whole. His vaulting ambition now seems to crumble. Yet, he feels even more contempt for Zephyr, who had this opportunity stolen from him. Cruz squints his eyes briefly out of a surge of vengeance that he bores for the old Jaquin, no longer being able to further his agenda to become even more powerful. He craves a more prominent position, in which being a Navegera is simply not enough… "Ah, no worries." he says calmly and smiles condescendingly at Skylar with his head held high.

"Great! Hey, I came to collect you and chief Zephyr. Today is Solyestra!' Skylar says out of sheer ecstasy over the festival being held in Vallestrella today and starts wondering, 'Speaking of which. Where is the chief?"

Skylar looks around more carefully now. He misses Zephyr. Yet, he hadn't been looking all too well. The old Jaquin is sitting on the elevated part in front of the clearing, overseeing everyone as he does so often. Skylar finds Zephyr and his eyes looking back at him. Both he and Tudor notice standing in between the chief and the other Avalor Jaquins. Skylar feels uneasy with the stern look in Zephyr's eyes and focuses on the flock again, and notices a male Jaquin he'd seen a couple of times yesterday. At the same time, that particular Jaquin notices Skylar in return and nods at him, making Skylar smile at him cheerfully. He then hears a throat-clearing sound and realises it belonging to Zephyr. Quickly, he and Tudor move up the elevated part and go stand beside him. Zephyr looks around and slowly nods when noticing everyone's present, sitting at attention wing by wing. "Tudor,' Zephyr states firmly yet frowns of surprise, 'you are known to ruffle some feathers every now and then… However, that aside, I had not expected you here."

"Neither have we." the male Jaquin adds cautiously.

Tudor recognises this Jaquin immediately, as he does with the female Scout next to him. They are his parents. They smile at him amiably, his mother also winks. "Well, Skylar. I just finished my speech to everyone here. We are ready to go into Vallestrella. King Verago send you to collect us, I assume?' Zephyr says calmly yet frowns with his following question, 'And, he agreed on Tudor coming with you?"

Skylar flinches as he's caught by surprise. "Eh… Yeah, he – did." he stammers slightly of insecurity.

He knows all too well that this is a lie. The words sprang into his mind so suddenly and before he realised it, they also exited his mouth due to this sudden and, above all, unexpected question. On the other hand, this answer suites Skylar in such a way that he feels he doesn't need to explain himself for Tudor's presence. He looks at the chief and notices both the stern and frowned look he receives from Zephyr in return. Skylar feels uneasy as the old Jaquin's eyes seem to peer right through his façade. In the meantime, Tudor recalls on Zephyr telling everyone about past celebrations of Solyestra and how he's looking forward to this year's festivities. This year was no different, he assumes without a doubt. "You repeat this speech every year, right?" Tudor says slightly agitated.

Zephyr nods in an agreeing way. He sees Tudor's tail flicking. He replies wittily and with a grin: "Whenever I need to if someone has not been paying attention…"

"Nah, you probably forgot you ever told that story. You are getting old, chief! And if you ask me, also too grey: demasiado gris…"

Zephyr shakes his head displeasingly and rolls his eyes. Yet, he decides not to reply, knowing that this would only fuel Tudor and lead to escalation. Silence is the best cure in a situation like this. However, he's not the only one noticing the tension that's developing within Tudor. In order to prevent further awkward conversation, the male Jaquin intervenes by saying: "Ah, Skylar. I heard exciting news of you having become a Guardian. Congratulations! And not only that, but you graduated on your first day of train…"

Zephyr clears his throat to interrupt him, who in turn remains silent out of respect for his chief. "That he did, indeed. Something that is unprecedented; never done before. That is impressive, to say the least. That deserves you a double congratulations, Skylar."

"Aw, thanks! Both of you!" Skylar replies excitedly and nods at both with a wide-open smile.

Skylar looks exuberantly happy. His tail is wagging once more and he has his head held high of sheer pride. "You must be proud, I can tell. As are we all.' Zephyr continues calmly as he sits gracefully in front of his cave home and smiles at Skylar, 'Even though you became one later than I had anticipated."

"Well, you know. He is a slow learner, hehe." Tudor jokes and smirks at his father playfully.

Tudor's father, however, doesn't look pleased with that remark and remains silent, effectively ignoring his son. Cruz bears this same smirk as Tudor. However, he does so out of disdain toward Skylar. He's holding a grudge, one that he'll one day want to replace with revenge…

Back in Vallestrella, Luna flies around the Palace perimeter. She sees all kinds of ongoing activities down below. She relishes this sight, looking at everything being prepared for the festival to start soon. She looks at a nearby open field that's transformed into a funfair on this particular day, with equipment being erected for the cubs to play with. This funfair is held in honour of the Sunbirds, as they're the Guardians of the Realm. Their affiliation with protecting Jaquins from evil and hardships had earned them this annual festival for a long time now. The adults know cubs are usually too energised and distracted by all the happenings at the festival to experience the true meaning of this holiday: to honour the Sunbirds, to learn about them, and to respect them. So, they want the cubs to enjoy themselves and at the same time develop the desired interest in the Sunbirds.

Luna also sees food being prepared. From the chopping and squashing of food items with claws and paws, to the baking of those items on scorching hot flat-surfaced stones that act as stoves. She inhales deeply to savour all the scents that reach her from down below. She starts licking her lips at a relishing thought: *I certainly hope some patatas recubiertos will be made, otherwise I will make my own. It is my absolute favourite! Hmm-hm.*

She's disturbed from this thought, however, when she spots Zephyr and Cruz heading for the Palace. *Apparently, Skylar has gotten back with Zephyr and the other Jaquins from Avalor already. It surprises me that he had done this so quickly. I truly thought he would get distracted by… well, anything, and delay their arrival…* she thinks.

Luna feels her thought being replaced by an immediate urge to talk to Cruz. Entering the Palace behind the two, Luna catches up with Cruz. He says lovingly: "Cruz! I missed you yesterday."

"What for?' Cruz asks caught by surprise but recovers and continues flirtatiously, 'Ah, I know. It must be because of my charms, eh?"

Luna feels her cheeks start burning. This coy expression of hers toward Cruz mustn't go unnoticed, she feels. She chuckles and while blushing little, she replies: "And your tongue. We had a grooming session yesterday in the afternoon. I was hoping you would show up."

"Really? Oh, I mean… sure. If someone told me I would have certainly joined… You seem like a fine groomer, and I like how you care about my looks and all.' he says in a flamboyant manner yet changes his tone to an annoyed one, 'Ugh, but now we have to wait until next session, or whenever that will be… Just make sure to come and collect me by then."

"Sure thing! But – what about your duties as Navegera? After all, you reside in Avalor all this time."

"Pfft, never mind that. It can wait.' Cruz says flatly to his responsibilities and then notices something that grabs his full attention, 'Ah, but this cannot wait… Hold that thought, preciosa! I have something else to do first."

Luna sees Cruz walk off toward a small flock of Jaquins that just entered the Palace. "Bye, Cruz." she calls after him lovingly with her cheeks blushing still.

As his paws continue down the grand hallway, they now gently touch the Palace's floor as he walks up to Zephyr unobtrusively, seemingly prowling on the chief from behind him. Finding himself in a vindictive state of mind about what happened earlier, something he blames Zephyr for, the large purple Jaquin approaches him and starts hunkering. When he's in paw's reach with the grey old Jaquin he goes to stand beside him. "Chief!" he says with an aloof tone of voice.

Zephyr swings his head around. Observing what he sees he startles and turns around his body also. The Jaquin in front of him shows an ambivalent combination of both anger and calm. Zephyr's eyes radiate slight terror yet his posture remains unaffected, displaying a stance at ease. "Cruz. I thought you fell behind. We must see king Verago before the feast starts.' Zephyr says sternly but when noticing the way Cruz's looking at him he clears his throat in order to think of something else to say that'll ease Cruz, 'How are you – all of your trainees doing?"

"Hey!' Cruz yells and steps forward towards his supervisor, 'You took away my chance to train the prince, the most important trainee I will now never get to train! Now I have only two left and they cannot – cope well or get along with me nicely…"

Zephyr groans out of frustration over Cruz's excuses for not being a good Navegera.

Not far away from them, a female Jaquin looks at them. With such raised voices, it's not hard to ignore and overhear the conversation turning toxic. She starts walking over to them. Such tones of voice call for an intervention…