The rain pelted hard on Roberto's back and wings, but he couldn't stop - Sophia wasn't far ahead, but she kept disappearing. He didn't want to lose her and have to go back. He would occasionally call out, but over the distance between them and the weather, she didn't hear him. The leaves covering her head probably didn't help, but at least she was dry. He was soaked to the skin in rain.
Roberto would've usually turned around and given up by now, due to the weather, but couldn't bring himself to give up and go home. It was dangerous out here, both at night and during a storm - he wanted to know why Sophia would risk it all by venturing out here.
Where on earth was she going? He didn't recognize this area. Sophia had been flying from the ravine, swiftly, for almost ten minutes now - he couldn't imagine where she was going. Roberto had ventured around the territory many times, but he was positive he hadn't wandered this far from home before. Had they crossed the border? The territory was cut off north by the three other tribes' land, and the free sides were unclaimed - they had headed south-west, and since the surroundings were unfamiliar, it was likely they had left the territory behind. The tribe borders were marked by streaks of colour on the end trees, accordingly to the macaws' colour, and he was sure he'd seen a light blue painted streak on a walking palm tree not long ago.
"Sophia!" He shouted again, but then he realized she was gone. Roberto put on a burst of speed; there was a green flash ahead, but then the leaf-covered Sophia vanished. He halted, confused, but then there was a gust of wind. He was thrown to the left, toward a tree trunk. "Woah!" He seized a branch to stop himself smacking into the tree, and soon found himself struggling to stay perched. He looked for cover; he initially thought there was no protection from the elements, but then he saw a hollowed log on the ground. That should do, until the storm calmed down.
Roberto was relieved when he dived into the log, out of the wind, but the roof was leaking, and various insects crawled above his head. He cowered there in great discomfort. You idiot - you could've just asked her where she was going. And what does it matter as to whether I know or not? He cursed himself for being so stupid. The wind continued to howl, and the rain still thundered on the earth; was he going to stay here all night?
But then there was a friendly squawk close to his ears. Roberto turned around, toward the entrance; to his surprise, a yellow conure stood there, looking surprisingly cheerful despite the weather. A palm leaf was held to cover himself from the rain; Roberto was so surprised he had to blink several times to make sure the yellow conure wasn't a figment of his imagination. "Hello, fella! Quite a storm, ain't it?" The conure was speaking so cheerfully it was unbelievable. Roberto had to pause for several moments before he managed to reply.
"One of the worst I've ever been in." Roberto agreed.
"Well, what're you doing out here, in such appalling weather?" Asked the conure.
"Oh, I was just... I don't know." Roberto wasn't sure what to tell the conure. The yellow bird laughed.
"Well, if you're not busy, I'm on my way to a party - it's out of the rain, and it's terrific fun. Heard of the Danzas de Amor?" The yellow conure looked bright as he spoke. Roberto had never heard of it.
"Well, I know that means 'Dances of Love' in Spanish..."
"It's a club - well, everyone's so close we're a community. Everyone's friends. We always come together for celebrations, such as the start of a new year or the Festival of Stars." Roberto had heard of the Festival of Stars; the tribes celebrated it every year. Lanterns made of leaves were crafted, with a little flame making them float; birds would release them into the night sky, and the lamps were supposed to represent stars. It was about remembering deceased loved ones, sending their 'burning' love up to the stars from earth. The yellow conure continued to beam. "Come along, it's not far - there's some really great singers on tonight, and they serve coconut water." Roberto considered the offer; he supposed it would get him out of the rain, and his mind off Sophia.
"Okay." He rose to his talons.
"That's swell - let's go!" The conure looked enthusiastic. Roberto ducked under the palm leaf, and followed the yellow conure across the forest floor. To his surprise, the walk was incredibly short, and within moments they stood before the tree roots of an immense tree. The roots were long, thick and tangled, and the tree was by far one of the most massive he had seen. Roberto noticed that the gaps had been stuffed with forest debris to keep out the wind and rain. A piece of wood covered the entrance, but the sound of music reached his ears through it.
The conure stopped at the entrance; when he reached up, he did a peculiar series of irregular knocking. There was a pause, but then an amused voice. "That's not the secret knock."
"Oh come on Maximillo, it's me, Esteban!" The conure exclaimed.
"Of course it's you - only you get the secret knock wrong. What's the password?"
"Let us in, Maximillo! My new friend and I are getting soaked!" Esteban knocked again, and, finally, the piece of wood swung open. A large Hyacinth stood there; Roberto froze, remembering the Hyacinth tribe's reputation. But this one was plump with no scars, and he was laughing, in a jolly manner. Upon seeing Roberto's look of alarm, the Hyacinth gave a hearty laugh.
"Don't worry, fella - I'm not from that awful tribe!" At this, Roberto recalled that the non-tribal Hyacinths were known for being pleasant. The Hyacinth stood aside, sweeping his wing out to welcome Roberto and Esteban in. Esteban slapped his wing to the Hyacinth's, and ushered Roberto into the tree. The howling wind ceased as the piece of wood was returned, and Roberto halted in surprise at the scene before him.
The inside of the bottom of the tree was lit by a soft amber glow, and Roberto saw flickering flames along the walls, several feet between each one. There was a sea of birds dancing on the earth - birds of countless species, from macaws to Amazons to parakeets to wood quails, it seemed as though dozens of species were present. Heaps of branches lay on the end of the tree, as a stage - five Red-Bellied female macaws were singing together, while the crowd danced to the music. By the stage sides, birds were playing instruments to make the music; flutes made from branches and reeds, drums made of hollowed wood and leaves, and string instruments with grass strings. It was an incredibly pleasant atmosphere, warm and friendly.
"Yo, Esteban!" A Chestnut-Fronted macaw waved frantically. Esteban laughed, clapping Roberto on the shoulder.
"Have fun, pal! There's coconut water at the left side of the tree, if you want it. Enjoy yourself!" The yellow conure dashed toward the Chestnut-Fronted macaw, and was gone. Roberto blinked, and continued to look around his surroundings. He'd been to a few clubs before, but this one knocked spots off those ones. Then there was a familiar voice behind him.
"Do my eyes deceive me? Roberto!" A wing grabbed him by the shoulder. To Roberto's surprise, Felipe and Azalea stood behind him. Felipe was grinning; even now Roberto could hardly believe the hostility that had once raged. "We had no idea you came to the Danzas de Amor!" Felipe and Azalea looked bright and happy in the club, and Azalea was bouncing her toes to the music. Roberto made a little laugh.
"I actually just got here, Felipe - that yellow conure found me in this weather."
"Ah, Esteban's always bringing in new members." Azalea chuckled. "This weather is unbelievable, isn't it? The one day me and Felipe get time to ourselves happens to be the storm of the decade - typical."
"The worst - so you guys come here?" Roberto asked, and Felipe slung a wing around Azalea.
"We've been coming here for almost a year. We stumbled on it by accident and we've been coming here every few nights since." Felipe explained. "Today's a special occasion, though, for Azalea."
"Really?" Roberto turned to the female Scarlet macaw. "How come?"
"You may know already, but it's - oh, look!" Azalea's hazel eyes snapped to the stage, where the group of Red-bellied macaws were waving as they finished their song. The crowd began to clap and cheer, and several admiring whistles sounded from some males. As the group disappeared into the crowd, there was a burst of colour on the stage.
A female macaw - her chest and belly were orange, and she had a black throat. Her wings, head and tail were a mixture of colourful blue and green feathers, and she had bright, golden brown eyes. Roberto blinked when he failed to recognize her species, but Azalea answered his confusion. "That's Victoria, the owner of the club. She's a Catalina macaw; her mother's a Blue-and-Gold, and her father's a Scarlet."
The moment the hybrid macaw came on stage, the crowd began to cheer. She threw out her wings. "Hey guys! Another big thanks to the Red-bellied macaws, Camilla, Valerie, Gabriella, Luciana and Rosetta!" Once again, the crowd broke into applause for the group. Once the second round of praise had died down, Victoria began to smile widely, nodding toward Azalea. Azalea began hopping on the spot.
"They're bringing her on! This'll be the first time I've seen her sing! I wonder if she's wearing the eyelid shades?" Eyelid shades? That rang a bell. Azalea began craning her neck; the leaves behind Victoria began to move slightly. Meanwhile, Victoria began to speak again.
"Up next is someone I hold very close to my heart, as do all you guys who've heard her before. She's only been singing here for a few months, but we all love her already!" The crowd shouted their agreement. "To our newest members who haven't seen her yet, prepare to see and hear an earth angel!" Victoria then dashed off the stage, leaving it empty; the instrument players then began to hit the instruments in a new song. Roberto's toes began to bounce, and he felt the urge to dance; that was a great beat.
The leaves were pulled aside by two hummingbirds; then a blue figure stepped out. Roberto was starstruck - his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Her midnight blue eyes were so familiar - shimmering between some thick, sooty eyelashes. The area above her eyes was a deep blue-black, beautifully blended, making her eyes stand out and look all the more beautiful. A simple yet pretty white flower with pearly, shiny petals was tucked into the feathers by her left ear, and her periwinkle-tinted blue feathers were glossy in the light. Periwinkle tinted. Midnight blue eyes. I know you...
"Doesn't Sophia look beautiful?" Azalea said, in a hushed voice. "Victoria's right - she is an earth angel."
"And so are you." Felipe kissed his mate on the cheek. Meanwhile, on stage, Sophia was speaking, presumably an introduction before her song. Roberto didn't know what was happening - his heart seemed to speed up, and he hardly acknowledged the cheering crowd. That's Sophia? He stared at her, making sure that it was definitely her. She looked so different - relaxed, calm, and when she spoke, it was loud and clear. She looked stunning.
"This is a little song suggested by the daughter of my friend, Jewel. She's only a chick, but she has great taste in music - you all remember her from the celebrations, don't you? Okay, I hope you guys like this one." Sophia smiled at the crowd, before her beak opened, and a vocalisation rang out - Roberto's heart jolted - before words, quieter than the vocalisation, followed. "I found myself dreaming, in silver and gold, like a scene from a -" Roberto lost Felipe and Azalea; the couple had gone off dancing, leaving him standing at the back of the dancing crowd. Sophia continued to sing on stage, looking more confident than she had back in the ravine.
"So I'm going to love you -" Sophia's voice filled the tree, and the crowd began to cheer. "-like I'm going to lose you -" Roberto felt his wings twitching as he felt the urge to dance; soon his tail was swishing across the floor as he found himself lost in the song, spinning across the floor. He was a fair dancer, so he got several impressed looks. But he barely noticed - he was listening to Sophia's voice.
It was unlike anything he had ever heard - it wasn't light and high-pitched like the girl group, it had so much more to it - soulful, strong, and like pure silver. Had Sophia really flown through this horrific weather to sing here? He could hardly believe that, but what struck him most was her voice. How had she never shown her talent to the tribe? He couldn't imagine why.
Sophia looked so different than she did back in the tribe. She looked so much more relaxed, and genuinely happy - she always seemed tense in the ravine, never completely content. Sophia was swaggering around the stage, singing her heart out - she didn't have a care in the world. Roberto was surprised when the music died down; was it really the end of the song already? The final verse? He hadn't realized that the time had flown so fast.
On stage, Sophia was singing the final words. "-When we'll run out of time so I'm going to love you, like I'm gonna lose you..." Her eyes closed, and her head bowed. "I'm gonna love you... like I'm gonna lose you." The instruments ceased, as did the dancing. There was a stunned, brief silence - then Roberto's ears rang at the immense applause. Birds shouted, squawked and whistled. Sophia was laughing, inaudible with the noise.
"Thanks everybody!" Sophia dipped her head. The Catalina macaw bounced back on stage, seizing Sophia and giving her a tight hug.
"Give it up for Sophia!" Victoria cried, letting her go and stepping away. She looked up with a grin, and a large square made of woven pink flowers landed at Sophia's side. Sophia seized the bottom of the flowers, pulling it up briskly and spinning as the flower curtain concealed her from view; then the piece fell to the floor, and Sophia was gone, vanished from thin air. Victoria clapped, laughing. "She always makes a dramatic exit!"
The song is 'Like I'm Gonna Lose You' by Meghan Trainor and John Legend. Wish I had song-writing skills!