"Diaglo! Happy Birthday little buddy!"

Diaglo grinned in delight as he flew on, seeing the familiar group of blue and white in the sea of green leaves that was one of the starfruit trees outside of Abigail's territory. Rodrigo, the oldest of the friends and the one who had greeted Diaglo, flew up to give the bespectacled spix macaw a fist bump. Behind him, the other friends Giro, Miguel (who is the Spix Tribe's honorary cockatoo member and Carla's boyfriend) and Lalia who is last, followed suit all greeting Diaglo happy birthday.

Just like him and the other Gunderson chicks, their childhood friends have sprouted too. Rodrigo had grown bulkier in size due to his muscular build starting to show and his dark ocean blue feathers are free of down, all smooth and shiny. Giro shared the similar skinny frame of Diaglo and Tiago and like the latter, still had some down lacing his adult feathers around the chest area.

Lalia touched down beside him and they nuzzled beaks; She had grown to resemble Bia's frame with her 'S' shaped figure and her head feathers had grown longer, resting on her shoulders. Lalia had long reformed completely from the impulsive, naive girl into a friendly, mature teenager - Diaglo literally found it hard to believe that this is the same girl that broke his glasses two years ago when they were chicks. She had really changed for the better. She is now the tribe's first adolescent scorekeeper after her mother, the tribe's previous scorekeeper, decided to step down to join the patrolling team.

He noticed that Giro was gazing sweetly and welcoming Lalia with a hug, then they nuzzled each other lovingly. It was at that point did Diaglo remember that the two have become a couple not too long ago. "They definitely go great together." He thought as he smiled in adoring silence at the two. Until somebird tapped his talon on his shoulder.

The one responsible was Miguel, and he too had grown in the past two years. It was stunning; He was slender and so are the flick of crest feathers on his head. Diaglo suddenly remembered something that was once a thing in his the Gundersons, especially Blu and Jewel, they couldn't help but do the occasional flinch for Miguel had almost started to look like his deranged father Nigel.

But of course, Miguel is much more handsome than his former and his heart is as good as he looks. It was no wonder Carla loved him to bits and they are now a couple; Pretty unusual since it's not everyday that a Spix Macaw, let alone the eldest daughter of Blu, would see a partner and even future mate in the son of a dangerous nemesis. It was clear Nigel didn't deserve such a sweet son and it is indeed a wonder on how a kind cockatoo like Miguel could hatch from an egg fathered by a wretched has-been. Maybe his biological mother had influenced him…

Diaglo smiled at his sulfur-crested cockatoo friend and the three spixes. "Thanks guys. You're the greatest!" The four friends all wore wide grins of joy and Diaglo was given talon fist bumps and a hug in Lalia's case. "Hey, what are friends for? It's what we do," Lalia giggled and patted Diaglo's head, tilting her own. "Huh. Two years had really changed you, you're no longer a little bird and you're getting as big as we are!"

At this, Diaglo blushed and shrugged. "Oh, well it's impossible to stay short forever. Besides, everyone has a growth spurt eventually! It's always a part of at least 85% of the macaw community while the rest of the percentage either have nutrient deficiencies or hereditary problems which stunts their growth. Good news is that more and more macaws are getting on with feeding their chicks proper diets that will ensure their healthy growth and body buildup…"

Rodrigo lowly chuckled while Giro and Lalia rolled their eyes as Diaglo kept mumbling off on the facts. "Like father like son. Total nerd birds." Giro mused, causing Miguel to look at him. "Don't forget Bia," He reminded and he smiled at Diaglo who now started to realize he was going off beak again. "Now it's not everyday we get prodigies in the parrot population and we're lucky we even do have them around us!" The cockatoo's eyes were filled with memory of that last battle against the loggers. "I still remember it like it was yesterday. Mr Blu, Bia and Diaglo were smart enough to use human skills to aid in the battle and the same goes for Mrs Abigail and her tribe,"

Diaglo nodded in agreement. "Right you are, Miguel. As wild and natural as we birds are supposed to be, it's time we evolve to use other lifestyles as well." He winced when Rodrigo, Lalia and Giro shared doubtful looks. "Now I know it sounds absurd, but think of the battle against the loggers and also look at how my grandma's tribe is living! The only reason they haven't been confronted by poachers is because they know how to use the poachers' own skills against them!" He held up his wings with an excited look. "Don't you get it? It's like fighting fire with fire, only it's birds. And there's humans. You get the point,"

The three spixes looked on and then they shrugged heartily. "I suppose that's true. Without human skills we wouldn't know how to read the maps of Brazil," Rodrigo pointed out to which Lalia and Giro realized. "Oh yeah! I wouldn't know how to sing Carla's songs either if it weren't for Bia and Diaglo teaching me how to read!" Said Lalia with remembering. Diaglo chuckled and folded his wing over the other. "Now you see the idea. Human skills has their benefits. The wild skills do too but it'll really help if you have both."

The dark cerulean macaw said this as he proceeded to the edge of the branch he and his friends perched on, where he can see the large area of Eduardo's tribe territory. Now with the topic having worn off, he felt his earlier misery return to mind and he found himself sighing, gazing down the canopy as he remembered why he wanted to seek his friends in the first place. He took a moment to think of how to put it in words before taking a deep breath…

"Guys? I just remembered. I've been meaning to ask you all a question,"

The four friends of Diaglo perked up and were immediately near their bespectacled friend. "Oh sure come and hit us. Just don't make it a science or math question." Giro joked which earned an elbow to the side from Rodrigo, his 'this is serious' gaze causing Giro to shut up and look concerned at Diaglo. Lalia eventually decided to make the first move. "What did you wanna ask us, Aglo? Is something eating you?" Her voice was gentle as her azure eyes. Diaglo felt comforted by those and he sighed.

"Oh nothing that serious. I was just having trouble on thinking what to do..." He looked up at his friends, gold-hazel eyes filled with trouble. "All of you have left the nest right? Found trees of your own?" This was greeted with nods coming from his friends. "Well… I haven't yet, to be honest." He shuffled with his talons beneath him. "But I have been thinking of it ever since Carla, Bia and Tiago did though."

"So you had this thought for a while. Then what's stopping you, buddy?" Rodrigo questioned with a tilt of the head. "There's lots of trees around and I'm sure your grandmother has loads of tree apartments for you to choose,"

Diaglo shook his head. "No it's not about the tree itself! It's something else," His protest sent confusion through his friends. 'What is it then?' their gazes appeared to say and then Diaglo continued in a sad tone. "Finding a tree won't be that difficult, that I'm already aware of. It's just.. It's what I'm going to do after I find a new place, that's what's bothering me. I don't know what I'm supposed to do for my future or what kind of future I'm aiming to have!"

The others were wide-eyed at this. "But.. You're a smart bird! There's gotta be lots of potential for you to do out there, Diaglo!" Miguel protested and he advised in a helpful tone. "For starters, I'm good at singing, acting and writing poems, so because those are my main skills I've become the owner of the Amazon Untamed with your sister," He put a wing to his chin in thinking. "So as for you, you're smart, intelligent and you know how to write! So maybe you could be a teacher?"

Diaglo frowned at this. "Bia's already working her way to being one I believe." He averted his gaze. "I know what my strengths are. But I don't wanna have to share the same job with my brother and sisters! I want to do something different. A life purpose that I can be proud to call my own."

"… Well Tiago's been wanting to be on the soccer team and on the patrol team with me," Rodrigo said with a disappointed look. "So it looks like the patrol team is out of your list."

"I know. Gee this is going to take a while," Responded Diaglo quietly and he felt Giro sympathetically pat his shoulder. "Oh don't worry Diaglo. I'm sure you'll find your purpose one of these days! Give it time!" The bespectacled macaw sighed and gave a small smile.

"Thanks Giro,"

"Anytime,"

Diaglo gazed at his friends with a small smile until a certain female spix called for Miguel. "There you are Miguel! Listen we've got the red-bellies auditioning this afternoon and we gotta see them!" The light blue, fluffy form of Carla touched down beside her boyfriend and the two nuzzled beaks. She then spotted her youngest brother and her smile grew wider. "Hiya D, having a good time so far?"

The plump chick gave her brother a hug to which Diaglo smiled. "Sure I am.. Just asked the guys for some vibes though. I'm okay now," Carla momentarily looked concerned, but then she nodded and gave her brother a pat on the shoulder. "Well whatever they said, they're definitely right. You will find your own thing in time lil bro. You'll see," She gazed at Miguel and holding his wing, the two turned around to take off.

Carla looked at Diaglo over her shoulder with a smile. "Miggy and I have to go see to some auditioners today. Don't forget to come home for the cake and gifts!"

Miguel nodded at this and he smiled at Diaglo. "Well. Be seeing you Diaglo! Have a happy birthday!" He called out one last time before he and Carla took off, leaving the slightly happier Diaglo and Giro and Lalia who waved at him and Carla.

Yes that's the same Giro, Lalia, Miguel and Rodrigo from A Tale of Two Tribes