Well guys, how about we go back to what is happening in the tribes now, shall we?
Before we do, again, please give T8E. CR34TOR an answer please!
And also, we have someone new here! Please make sure to say a big welcome to anxslife!
Well lets continue!
Chapter 18: Standing Trial
The day after Alex was nearly killed by a Harpy Eagle but saved by Tomada, the first day of the trials for Lily began and those who were closet to Alex and Lily, their family and friends dreaded what was to come. With each passing minute Lily was becoming unbearable, with both mental and physical pain taking its toll on her, Luckily Jewel and Mimi were always with her to watch over her and make sure she really did not do something crazy. Roberto and Liz always kept constant guard outside the hollow entrance, making sure no one they did not trust enter to hurt Lily. Both of them feeling Lily's pain as they heard her loud cries.
On the morning of the trials, Blu and Maria flew to Lily's hollow, to get her for the trials. Roberto blocked the entrance of the hollow, Luckily Liz was not here this morning or else Maria would have suspected that her oldest daughter was a traitor.
"Not another step." Roberto said determined while getting in the way. "You are not taking her."
Before Maria could speak, Blu came up and put a wing on Roberto's shoulder, with a sad face on.
"Roberto, the tribe leaders are becoming impatient, and we can't find Alex. I'm sorry, but the leaders demand we start the trials today." Blu sadly reported.
"Blu, we can't, you know Lily's condition." Roberto replied, keeping Lily's pregnancy a secret because Maria was here.
"I know, don't worry she will be fine, I promise." Blu reassured Roberto.
Roberto then stepped out of the way and Blu came in, Jewel besides Lily, who was just waking up. Jewel looked like she did not sleep at all last night.
"How are the both of you?" Blu asked, worried for Jewel.
"Same with Lily, wants Alex to just come back. Me, I could use some sleep." Jewel said tiredly, bags under her eyes.
"You will, but first, you have to help her get to the trial." Blu said, delivering the terrible news.
"I can't believe this is really happening." Lily joined in and started to let out tears again. "Alex, where are you?"
Jewel helped up Lily, who had stomach pains and backaches as well as the broken heart and guided her to the hollow entrance. Maria looked at her with an unchanging expression and Lily stopped to look at Alex's mother with disbelieving eyes.
"You're a monster." Lily simply said softly, but also with a tone of anger.
"Come on Lily, just ignore her." Jewel told her friend.
The group then flew for the large open area that was cleared for the trial. As the group flew in, all the macaw tribe leaders were there, seated in a half circle, while Lily was to stand before them to face them. Lily sighed as she tried her best to not reveal her secret and to be brave in front of such opposition. Alex would have wanted her to be strong.
"Everything is going to be okay Lily." Jewel comforted her friend.
"Thanks Jewel, I hope so." Lily replied, holding her tears.
"You want me to go up with you?" Jewel offered.
"No, you done enough for me, I think it's best if I stand alone for this." Lily answered. "Thank you however."
"Any time." And Jewel gave Lily a tight hug and while hugging, Jewel whispered something in her ear. "Don't worry, he will come back."
"I know." Lily answered and came very close to shedding some tears.
After the two released the hug, Blu spoke to Lily.
"It's time." Blu told her and the two came up.
Blu took his place along the leaders, Roberto standing a bit behind his leader. He looked to see Liz standing behind Maria, who had taken her place. The two lovebirds looked at each other, not saying anything, only having depressed looks in their faces. Maria started the trial by making the first statements.
"Today, we are here to judge this female Blue macaw and what she did with my son, and see if we are to banish her away from her tribe." Maria said in a loud voice to be heard. "We will now hear what this Blue macaw has to say." Maria looked at Lily.
Lily took a deep breath, tried to not think about crying and thought about how much she loved Alex and wanted to stay with him. After a couple of minutes, she made her statement.
"I know that many of you think that having a mate of a different colored feather is wrong, but is it wrong when the two love each other so much? I love Alex because he is not like the birds in my tribe, he is different, I can't really explain it, but he is exactly what I love to have in a mate. He shows his love to me every day we are together, he comforts me and makes sure I am warm and happy. And I was the one who wanted to have chicks with him, I was the one who wanted to be his official mate, I wanted him to be in my life forever. Why? Because I can't live without him and his love for me."
Lily finished her statement with passion and held back her tears at the same time while taking a deep breath from talking as the leaders looked at her. Some of them were actually moved a little by Lily's little, but passionate speech and actually got them to think about some things. Blu, obviously, was the only one who really believed Alex and Lily should be together and he was happy showing the effect of the speech on the leaders.
"Maybe there is a chance after all." Blu thought in his head.
Roberto looked back again at Liz and she had a smile on, him smiling back, both of them clearly having the same thought. The leaders themselves were starting to talk along themselves, Maria, however, not joining in on it and only looked at Lily.
"You can go now, we will be talking about our decision." Maria told Lily and Lily walked away, Jewel with a smile on.
"Nice job Lily, I think that will make the leaders think twice now." Jewel said happily.
"Thanks, to be honest I was really nervous, but I pictured Alex watching too, that certainly helped me a lot." Lily replied, managing a weak smile.
"And we will search for him much more now." Roberto said, coming in and joining the two females. "Blu has ordered me to get more birds to join and double time it, meanwhile he is going to try to get the leaders to change their minds."
"Thanks Beto." Jewel said.
"You're welcome Juju and don't worry Lily, we will find him." Roberto promised.
"If you do, please tell him how much I miss him." Lily said.
"I will." Roberto replied, and got set to go start the search again. "Well I better go now, see you two later." And Roberto flew off, Jewel turning to look at Lily.
"Ready for some rest now?" Jewel asked.
"Definitely." Lily replied. "However, I think you need some rest too."
"I will when we get back to your hollow." Jewel returned and the two flew off together back to Lily's hollow.
When the two got back, Lily sighed, thinking how great it would be if Alex came back and was in the hollow to surprise his mate, but of course, it did not happen. Jewel noticed the sad look on Lily's face, her eyes staring at the empty hollow entrance.
"Don't worry, they will find him." Jewel told her.
As they got inside, Lily decided to have some alone time and turned to Jewel.
"Jewel, can I be alone for now, you can rest." Lily told her friend.
"You sure?" Jewel replied, an eye raised.
"Yes, I just need it." Lily replied, a neutral tone of voice present.
"Okay." Jewel yawning. "Goodnight."
As Jewel went to lay down and get some shuteye, Lily went to the hollow entrance, watching the sun start going down and slowly making the sky turn from blue to an orange. As she stood there, she touched her belly with her wing, feeling it a bit expanded from the eggs growing in her. Rubbing her belly a bit to feel the eggs, she spoke to them as if the chicks inside could hear her.
"Don't worry my chicks, your father is going to come back and he is going to love and take care of you when you hatch." Lily said softly, feeling the tears finally coming out. "I promise my kids."
Lily went back to staring out into the evening sky, hoping that Alex was somewhere out there, also looking at the sky, maybe even in her direction. However Alex was still unconscious from his near death experience and it would take a lot of pain to take place to wake him up…
Oh boy, it's a race against time! If only Alex would just wake up…