Chapter 14

Carnival. A huge four-day celebration of dancing, laughter and performing. But tonight, it will be known as the day of reckoning. The night of darkness. The rise of the Sentinels.

Jewel sat with her whole family. At least, almost her whole family. She looked down the row of birds to get a glimpse of the old Spix Macaw who sat far from his family. She was part of that family. And he was her father. Earlier yesterday they had an argument and she had told him to stay away. She began to regret it. But it was his fault she reached the breaking point. He had been acting against Blu ever since he arrived. Part of her felt happy, and that's the side that was visible, but the other side was slowly coming out. She looked to the sky, thinking of Blu, till something white flew over. She saw that it was Boah, and he was heading to where the kids were. Soon, I will be alone.

Bia sat in a corner, reading a book. None of the other kids wanted to be near her. They thought of so many excuses, but she read their minds, and saw the truth. They thought she was weird, unlikeable and that no one wanted to be with her. Even her siblings had left her. She was alone. She heard cheering and the tapping of talons on the ground around her. One sound she didn't expect was the sound of wings coming towards her. Then, the voice of a friend. "Hello, Bia. What are you reading?" She looked from her book to see Boah standing near her. "I am reading about the mind. Even though it is a time of celebration and relaxation, it isn't for me. Why do you ask?" she asked, even though she knew. "Well, you looked lonely. And I don't like to see friends being lonely." She saw his mind, and he spoke the truth, or so she thought. "So...anything you want to talk about?" Bia shrugged at his question. Boah then presented a flower. "I almost forgot. I got this for you, to strengthen our friendship. I thought you might like it. I was just flying through the forest I saw it, then thought how good it would look on you." She placed it in her head feathers and hugged him. "Thank you, Boah."

Boah couldn't believe what just happened. She's hugging me! She feels so smooth and so warm and...No! Stop thinking, or she will see. Just wait. He enjoyed the hug while it lasted. He then felt she had stopped and tried very hard not to blush. She saw he had a weird look on his face and thought she had made him uncomfortable. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I just couldn't hold it back. No one has ever done this for me, except for my parents. But thank you." She sat back down, reading her book. Boah sat down next to her, admiring the flower in her head feathers. He thought of an idea, but it was risky. "Um, Bia, do you want to watch the parade?" He hoped she would say yes. "Of course. I don't like being lonely, and I can show my mother the flower. It is very nice of you." They flew from the corner to watch the parade.

When Bia and Boah arrived, they saw everyone but Jewel. Bia went to Aunt Mimi to ask where she was. "Aunt Mimi, where is my mom?" Mimi looked back and pointed a wing. "She said she had to see something. Not sure what, but I couldn't ask. She just shot off. I didn't follow since it seemed to be only her business. Then again, she should be back by-" she was cut off by an explosion from Jewel had gone. They were about to take off before some heavy foosteps were heard, followed by more explosions and screams.

10 minutes earlier...

Jewel felt as if she was being watched. When she turned, she saw something that caught her eye. "Mimi, I need to quickly see something. Stay here in case the kids come by, okay?" She gave a nod and continued watching the parade. Jewel went to follow the object she had seen. After flying for some time, she saw her suspicions were correct. A cloaked bird, flying from her. "Wait! Come back! I just want to talk!" But the bird only sped up. Jewel eventually lost the bird around a corner. She hovered in the air before hearing some buzzing sound. Before she could turn, something knocked into her side as a beam shot past her. The newcomer, the cloaked bird she was following, turned to her. "Go, now!" Instead of claws, this one had fire in it's wings. She shot a fireball at the robotic bird that was coming at them. She started to fly, but was cut off by another. She flew into it and fell back. When she saw what it was, she began whimpering in fear as she backed away. At that moment, another cloaked bird charged it with great force. She took her chance and started heading back. She heard an explosion behind her, but did not turn back. She heard more explosions, but did not stop. When she arrived at the parade, she saw terror. People and birds running and flying from large metallic figures, firing beams at them. She saw Bia and Boah being attacked, Boah holding it back with a wall of ice. She was about to charge forward before another cloaked bird went through it. She saw how. It seemed to have metallic feathers on it's wings. It looked like a falcon. It turned to her, and waved it's wings in her direction. Several feathers went past Jewel to hit a Sentinel behind her, cutting it's head off. When she looked back, the falcon was engaging over Sentinels along with several other cloaked birds. One cloaked bird stood over everyone and began yelling with a loud voice. "All birds. Head to the underground tram system. All birds. Head to the underground tram system." He continued to repeat it as all the birds were heading to the statue. As they flew there, they saw that the parade wasn't the only place hit. All over Rio there was explosions and fire and smoke. She saw almost everyone from the school, plus some birds that lived in Rio. Some were being hit out of the air by Sentinels down below and Sentinel birds diving at them. She almost reached the statue before being knocked from the sky, the collision knocking her out almost instantly.

Zeel sat in the head car of the tram, waiting for everyone so he could start it. He sensed so much pain. So much death. So much loss. He could hear their final screams in their mind before they were never heard of again. Their prayers to God as they were killed. He tried to hold himself together, but it was hard. He heard someone behind him, and turned to see a cloaked bird. The bird removed it's cloak to reveal itself as a raven. " . I am Dusk. I am her to tell you that everyone is almost here. We must prepare for-" Dusk was knocked forward from the force of a Sentinel dropping through the roof. It had the shape of an eagle, and was locked onto him. Dusk then seemed to change into a cloud of black, but was really moving at a great speed. His other power was to go through solid objects, which allowed him to get behind the Sentinel and attack it's back. After a few hits with his armored claws, the Sentinel fell to the ground. He looked to Zeel who had been surprised by the attack. "Get to the front and prepare to start this tram. Now!" Zeel rushed to the front as Dusk went through the roof to check for anymore.

The first thing she noticed was that she was on something moving fast. She looked around to see she was on the tram. She heard a female voice calling to her. "Jewel. Wake up." She looked up beside her to see her friend, Lilian. Jewel tried to shake away the confusion and headache she had. "What happened?" She then heard another voice that sounded like Zeel. "You were attacked. The Sentinel's invasion began early. We only just escaped. But as we were leaving, they hit us again..."

20 minutes earlier...

Everyone had boarded. Zeel looked back to see one of the cloaked birds with no hood. He could see through objects, and saw incoming foes. "Incoming Sentinels. Get going, now!" Zeel started the tram, and it shot forward. He put it to a high speed, hoping to lose them. But he did not succeed. Sentinels broke through the roof of the most rear car and began killing the birds inside. The last faces he saw as it was detached by an explosion was those of Cody, Caitlin and Eduardo. Then, they disappeared in smoke.

Present Time

"I am so sorry, Jewel, but they most likely didn't survive." Jewel couldn't believe what she had heard. Her father, gone, and the last thing they did was fight. But she still hoped he was alive. He had to be.

When they arrived at the tree, the wounded were the first out, along with those who knew how to treat them. Lilian led them to the medical bay as Zeel led the others to the garden. He was about to speak, but could not be heard over the panicked birds. "Everyone, calm yourselves. I know this was not expected, but we must not panic. All non-mutant birds will be shown to places to stay first. I will prepare patrols to watch for Sentinel forces, but I have a source that has told me that it will be a month minimum for them to come here, for they will begin with the cities first. We must seek out hollows as well, for we will have many other survivors coming to us in that period of time, so expect to share your rooms. And may we survive this threat." When he finished, he gave the signal for some of the birds to begin escorting the survivors into the tree, while some went on patrol and began searching for any empty hollows for additional birds. Jewel, however, stayed and stood by Blu's grave. "If only you were here." She left the grave to aid the others.

When he awoke, it was dawn. Light shone through the hole in the tree he was in. Wait a minute. When was I in a tree? And where's Caitlin and Lilian? Worried for his family, Cody began frantically looking around. He stopped when he heard a wingbeat of someone outside. He watched as a cloaked bird entered the hollow with a hood on, shadowing it's voice. "Calm yourself. Caitlin is a little injured, but is being cared for. You were worse than her, though. Never seen you so beat up." The voice was deep, revealing he was a male. Cody could just see the tip of blue feathers poking out from the cloak. "Who are you?" To answer him, the bird removed it's cloak. Cody stared in shock. "N-n-no, i-it can't be. Y-you're dead." But the bird just stood before him. "Well, if I'm here, I'm pretty sure I'm alive." In shock of seeing the bird, Cody fainted. THe next thing he saw was black.