Chapter 6: Rescue

(Azure's P.O.V.)

*RECAP*

"I understand… I just wish there was a way I could've remained with Wolf… I love him more than anything I ever know… except blackberries." I playfully added, eliciting a chuckle from Angel. He seemed to be looking thoughtful as I looked away. "Well… there is one way…"

My head spun towards Angel's direction so fast I became slightly dizzy, and I asked in total disbelief, "WHAT?"

*RECAP END*

Angel frowned as he said, "there is only one way for me to bring you back…"

"How is that?" I asked, curiosity eating away at me now.

"Wolf must acquire enough goodness to actually bring you back, from the dead, as you say."

"Well, can't you tell him that?" I asked.

He shook his head and said, "You must influence him to do so, but I must warn you; and this is a soul warning." He now had a serious face and continued, "You can influence him, but if you do so, you risk harming your soul by using too much energy. Remember how when you spoke to them, they not only heard you, but your energy drained?" I nodded my head slowly. "Well, if you were to over use your energy, your soul would go out, much like a flame with no air; you would be snuffed out into little or no existence. Now, when he sprouts angel wings from his back that is when he has enough goodness to do a revival. Do you understand me?"

"Yes… so when can I get started?"

(Wolf's P.O.V.)

Turning away from Azure's grave, which I had just finished lining with rocks the size of golf-balls, I saw Blu and Jewel, along with their kids, and mine standing slightly further away. I slowly approached Jewel, "I'm sorry to ask you this again, but would you be willing to watch my children again?"

Blu stepped forward before Jewel could reply, "Can you tell us where you will be heading to?"

I sighed as I looked towards him and said, "I want to make sure Nigel is dead, and I also want to make sure that the smugglers didn't have any other birds or animals inside that warehouse."

Blu nodded as he stepped back again, and Jewel sighed heavily before saying, "We will watch them Wolf, but we can't keep doing this. Your children need their father more than ever, and we understand how it feels to lose a loved one; I lost everything to humans, and so did Blu."

"I understand, but I can't stop this nagging feeling that someone is still there… let me just say bye to them before I go back there." As they both nodded, I turned towards Beleza, Luke, and Gabriel, and gestured them closer to me with my wing. I smiled as I looked each one of them over; Beleza had a striking resemblance to her mother, Luke had that mischievous look in his eyes, though it was watered down due to his turmoil and solemn mood, and Gabriel was downcast, but had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Hey there you little rascals, come here!" I lowered myself and spread my wings out, and when I smiled towards them, their moods instantly jumped, and they came running towards me before tackling into me and giving me a tight hug. I chuckled as I felt their smaller wings, beaks, and talons moving around in my wings and stomach. I held them tightly, but was careful not to squeeze tight enough to hurt Gabriel and/or Luke. My frown dropped by a fraction, and as I stood back up, I heard my chicks giggling, but I said, "Now, I need you three to behave for Blu and Jewel, I need to go do some things before I come back…"

When I saw Beleza's face drop, I felt a lump spring into my throat, and she asked, "Will you be back this time?" I sighed and nodded my head, and said, "I promise not to get lost on my flight back, you know how forgetful I can be."

While Luke and Gabriel chuckled quietly, Beleza closed her eyes as she giggled. I smiled as I leaned forward, and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head, and ruffled the feathers on both boys' heads', and pulled away from them. "Remember, be good for them, I will be back…"

After I turned around and took flight, the wind blew my feathers down, and I felt like someone was flying next to me, but as I looked over, all I saw was the open sky and clouds dotting it. I shook my head as the feeling stayed, but I looked forward and kept flying towards the warehouse.

I'm going to grab my guns before I go though, they should still be there… also, was I seeing things, or did I see a ghost of Azure at the funeral? Well, I can't really figure out most my questions, but I am sure Nigel had taken a few other birds before me, or else I would have been treated far worse…

-FLASHBACK-

SLAM! My back hit a wooden box hard, and when my head whipped back and connected with the box, I saw white flash across my vision, and it quickly turned to muddy black. It lingered longer than usual, but that was attributed to the fact I had just hit my head hard. "UGHH!" I felt talons punch into my midsection and gut, but the pain wasn't really getting through to me anymore as I was still showered in the hit from the box.

"What's the matter Wolf is that pain you are feeling? How about this," Nigel slammed another talon punch into my gut rougher than the first few, and as my vision was coming back, "Does that feel real enough for you yet Wolf?"

Chuckling, I looked up into his insanely crazed eyes, and I said, "I don't feel nothin'." And as I saw the anger boiling in his eyes, I topped it off by spitting into his face. "RRRAAA!" Nigel yelled as he grabbed my throat and started crushing it, and I soon felt weightlessness, and when I realized he threw me, it was too late, and I slammed into a cold metal wall. Nigel landed nearby, and as he cackled manically, I heard Azure cry out, "Stop, you're hurting him!"

Just as he was about to reach over and grab my throat again, I barely heard him say, "So… you wish to trade places with him, do you? Well, I will be happy to oblige!" I heard a scream, and a white blur shot past my hazy vision as I was panting heavily. A white and blue blur shot past me again just as I was starting to see stuff clearly, and I saw Nigel's white form soaring across the room towards what looked like a table. It was then that I saw he had Azure, and as I heard her whimper, I shouted out, "You leave her alone!"

-END FLASHBACK-

I looked downwards near the base of the statue, and was relieved to see both my guns, actually resting side by side, and untouched and undamaged, although I would trade these and my own life for Azure's…

Don't think like that now, just focus on your task…

When I heard Azure's voice all around me, I plummeted a dozen feet in air, and when I regained my flight, I looked around and called timidly, "A-Azure… w-w-was that you? B-Baby…?" I looked all around me as I felt my heart throb, and as I turned once more in a circle and didn't see any sign of anyone, I sighed and mumbled, "I must just be going crazy… I buried her myself…" I felt a solitary tear slide down my face and drip from my beak as I landed near my weapons, and as I shifted into a human, I slid the assault rifle on my back, and put my pistol in the back of my pants, I sighed as I wiped my hand across my shirt. It was blood free, unlike my feathers, but I shook the thought away, and shifted into a bird, and took off again…

Landing outside of the warehouses creaking door sent a chill down my back, but I shifted until I was a human, and unslung the rifle from my back, and slowly eased my way forward. When I was inside the mildly lighted warehouse, I instantly felt anger boiling beneath my skin, and I was tempted to just get out, and burn this place down, but not before dragging the smugglers bodies in here to burn with it. But if I did that, then I would not only cause un-needed danger of a forest fire, but I would be wasting my time…

Sighing deeply, I continued to walk forward into the warehouse, not hearing a sound, not even from my shoes. I crept across the warehouse floor, and was shifting the barrel down every corner I came to, not sure what to expect in this dank storage building. When I passed another isle, I froze as I stared upon the scene before me; a bright overhead light shining down on a bloody table, and the body of a white bird beak down with a scalpel thrusting through its back. I grit my teeth as I passed by the scene, intent on doing what I came here for.

Was that… whimpering? I spun right as I came to another row of crates and boxes, and listened intently, cocking my head sideways to catch any sound better…

There it is again, I'm sure of it! I raced off silently down the rows, and made a left, and then another right as the sound was growing louder. When I rounded another corner, I kicked a stray box and stumbled down, and dropped my rifle to catch myself. As the gun spun around and clattered down the aisle, the noise stopped, and I slowly picked myself up. I walked over to my gun, and when I picked it up, I quickly looked around the area I was in, and surveyed the boxes that circled around me. I saw various cages with blue, yellow, green, and the occasional golden feather scattered around in the cages.

The last box held more than just stray feathers, but an actual bird, but it was hard to tell what type, especially in this poor lighting. I walked closer to it, and as it whimpered pitifully, I quickly slung my rifle onto my back, and peered into the confines of the cage, and was met by brown eyes that were filled with fear. "Hey, hey, it's alright. I'm here to help you…"

Frightened, the bird just whimpered some more as it pressed itself into the back, which was open, but had wooden boxes stacked against it. I sighed, and I quickly pulled the cage towards me and turned it around. The bird turned to face me, but I reached in and carefully and gently grabbed it. I frowned when I felt how frail the bird was in my hands, and when it trembled, I could barely feel anything besides bones and a few sinewy muscles. I gasped when the bird attempted to bite me, but instead of hurting me, it simply applied pressure. I dropped the cage, and I turned around and quickly walked towards the entrance, passing more and more cages, but these ones had dead bodies instead. Most the bodies I passed looked like the bird I was carrying now; frail, bony, and decorated with dull feathers. I looked at the bird in my grip, and noticed how this one was slightly bigger than the other ones, and made a random guess that a few more days, and this one would have died.

Sunlight was pouring in through the open door, and when I stormed out of it, I quickly covered the birds' eyes, and started running, while keeping the jostling to a minimum. I know there is a papaya tree nearby, I just… need to find… THERE IT IS!

I carefully placed the bird on the ground, which looked at me fearfully, but I gasped again, and shifted into a bird. I gently brought a wing up and brushed it past the macaws' chest, which was littered with feathers falling apart or matted with what looked like blood. The other bird gasped too, but I was too busy looking it over; it was around my size, with a yellow patch near its beak and eyes. I turned around and flew up to the tree, and quickly grabbed the plumpest and largest papaya I could see, and raced back towards the bird. Its dull blue plumage wasn't hard to find, but when I landed near it, I placed the papaya in front of it and said, "Eat up, you look like you need it more than anything."

As it began to eat, ravenously, I glared towards the direction of the warehouse, and closed my eyes as I felt the pain roll into my heart. I felt like I was going to start crying again, from the mixture of anger and sadness I was feeling, but I decided I had more important things to worry about, like what I should do next. I glanced towards it again, and looked away, but I did a quick double take as I saw that it had finished the fruit and looking at me intently. Its brown eyes seemed to have gained some color, but I was even more surprised when it found the energy to ask, in a feminine voice, "Thank you, but would you mind getting me another one?"

I nodded vigorously, and took off again. I came back with an even bigger papaya, but I had managed to find a few blackberries also. When I placed them in front of the other bird, she began eating right away, but this time slower and more reserved. I was observing her as she ate, and when she looked up at me, she seemed to blush, but she held my gaze for a while longer before looking the other way. "How long have you been trapped in that building?"

She looked over at me with saddened eyes and said, "To long to tell…" she looked away and added, "Thank you so much for saving me, it has been so long since I have seen someone else… alive."

"You're welcome, now finish your food, you will need the energy." I said.

She shook her head and pushed it away and said, "I'm not hungry anymore…" I slightly dipped my head, but I raised it again and opened my wings and flew over until I was above her. She gasped lightly when I clamped my talons around her shoulders, and giggled when I rose into the air. I soared forward towards the closest stream I knew of, and sighed as I remembered; it was the one I first bathed in with Azure. "Is something wrong, uh…?"

"Wolf… my name is Wolf, and don't worry, nothing is wrong."

While she was shifting, I saw the stream approaching, and I flew down towards it. I looked down and saw her eyes were closed, and a small smile was pulling at the end of her beak. I chuckled, and her eyes snapped open and she looked up towards me, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Heh, it has been a long time since I got to feel the wind…" I frowned as I thought about that, and I looked back forward and gently set her down on the damp grass, and I settled down next to her. I wrapped a wing around her back and walked her towards the water.

"I know mates only do this together, but you will need help cleaning yourself. Remember, I will be here to help out…" when I finished, her feathers were rising, and I stepped into the water, holding out a wing for her. She timidly grabbed it, and stepped into the pool of chilling water with me. when the water had reached her stomach, she gasped and pulled forward until she was leaning into me, and a flood of memories washed over me; most of them how Azure acted similar when we first came here.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry W-W-W-Wolf! I-It's j-j-just really c-cold!"

"Understood." I replied casually with a hint of stiffness, even though I was extremely embarrassed. I looked down and saw all the dirt and grime washing off of her feathers, and I said, "Well, we had better get you cleaned up, I will be taking you to the sanctuary so you can be helped better than I can do… ok?"

"What is this Sanctuary?"

"Um, it is where birds heal…" I answered.

(Túlio's P.O.V.)

"Ok, now just wrap that around the wing… and there, we are done. Good work Maverick." I addressed the young man that had just finished putting a cast on an injured bird. I turned towards another assistant that was taking notes as she was observing a bird stretching its wings in different directions, and as I turned towards another, I saw Wolf standing there with Azure on his shoulder, except, "WOLF! What has happened to Azure!"

Wolf seemed to cringe when I finished, but he said, "This isn't Azure, in fact, what is your name?" The bird made a few chirping noises, and as I observed it carefully, I asked, "Where did you find this bird Wolf, it appears highly malnourished and under-muscled... in fact, it looks like it hasn't flew in ages?"

"Because she hasn't. Now, I need you to take care of her, I need to be going." Wolf looked away and said, "When she is deemed well enough to go back to the wild, bring her to my den."

He reached up and I watched as the bird stepped onto his forearm, and he held her out for me, which I responded to by holding my own arm out. She looked up at me with mistrust, but Wolf said, "You can trust him, he won't harm you. I promise…"

As I watched the Hyacinth macaw look back at him, then back at me, she hesitantly stepped onto by arm, and when I pulled her closer, I asked, "So, how is Azure?" A few tears suddenly drifted down Wolf's cheeks, and his face looked heartbroken as he sniffled. "Wolf, what is wro-"

"Azure is dead. Nigel killed her…" the Hyacinth macaw in my arms flinched at the name, but Wolf didn't notice, "But I managed to kill him before I escaped… sorry, you weren't supposed to hear that, but you were going to ask anyways…"

Before I could say anything or give my condolences, he turned around, and was quickly gone. I stared dumbfounded at what I had just heard, but I looked down, and noticed the macaw waiting impatiently on my arm, and I said, "Well… that was unexpected news. Let's go see what is all wrong with you, shall we…?"

A.N.: I considered posting this before my trip, but that was the reason I posted last chapter, which I didn't want to, but it ended up drifting into 2 chapters anyways, so I decided to finish this one, and see how you all liked it.

Now, I haven't given the mystery bird a name yet, so that will be you, the reviewer, a chance to have your name picked for hers. So review, and leave a feminine name, and if it is good enough, I might just choose it…