Chapter 7- Quaoar sees how naughty the toucan gang really is
Quaoar happily flew along with the flock of twenty-plus toucan chicks, the oldest ones like Sofia, Manoela, Carlos and Miguel being teens now and old enough to look after their younger siblings (or should be). In the trees around the group, animals continued their activities like gathering food and chatting with friends. A hyacinth macaw was talking with some friendly marmosets while some blue-and-gold macaws were performing an aerial group dance rehearsal for a dance competition planned by Nico, Pedro and Chip-I-Am. Quaoar gazed at the aqua blue, green, darker blue and yellow or orange-yellow parrots enviously and often wished that he could go to the club duo and their honeycreeper friend's club one day. However, Luke and Hauyne have always strictly said, "No! Their club is for grownup birds only," each time the young Lear's macaw asked his parents. This made sourness boil within Quaoar as he wanted to attend a birds' club one day when he was old enough. But unlike Blu and company, Luke and Hauyne were also against bird clubs, often seeing them as lousy places where birds get up to a variety of senseless things though Nico, Pedro and Chip have insisted their clubs have strict rules their visitors must abide by for the safety of each other and other birds. However, Luke and Hauyne adamantly refused to allow their son Quaoar to go to their clubs and so; those areas were strictly off limits to Quaoar to his frustration. It was clear that his parents were sometimes overprotective of their son but it was understandable; Quaoar was their only son and chick Hauyne had managed to conceive and successfully hatch. After all, Hauyne had severe fertility issues and all the other eggs she did successfully lay were infertile despite Luke having no problems with his fertility. Then the poor female Lear's macaw and mate of Luke had to undergo surgery when she suffered egg-binding, a VERY serious medical emergency in female birds that can be fatal if it was not treated straight away and since that surgery, Hauyne had NEVER been able to conceive and produce another egg again. This heartbreaking stormy flight for the mother was the reason why Quaoar was highly valued by his parents.
"Hey, Quasar," said one of the older toucan chicks, Carlos as he led the flock through the forest on the group's search for their next adventure, "Have you heard about those two unusual hawks and owls in the Aviary?"
Quaoar snapped out of his thoughts about his parents and why they valued him so much and gazed at the toucan and his siblings as they smiled at him. However, he did not hear that Carlos had got his name wrong.
"Um, what?" asked the Lear's macaw with a jerky headshake of confusion.
"The two unusual hawks and owls in Tulio's Aviary, Quincy," said Sofia, "They're apparently the last two members of each of their species."
A frown formed on Quaoar's face at what Sofia had just called him. "My name is Quaoar. Quincy is the name of one of Mr Sirius and Mrs Samara's sons."
"Your parents certainly have given you a silly name," giggled Manoela. She did not mean that in a malicious, mocking context but it still stung Quaoar and made him wince.
"I'm sorry," said Manoela apologetically, "But it seems unusual that your parents would give you such an odd name."
"There's NOTHING wrong with my name, okay!?" snapped Quaoar angrily, "I'm just named after a small outer Solar System object called a dwarf planet. Anyway, what are we gonna do?"
"We're gonna play a brill, wicked game, Quasar," said Carlos with a smile on his orange and black beak, again calling Quaoar by the wrong name. Carlos and most of his siblings looked more like their toco father Rafael and had only his black and orange beak and black feathers. The only feature these particular toucan kids had inherited from their keel-billed mother Eva was her red-rimmed face and belly patches. However, a few of the toucan kids did show more inheritance from Eva with them having lime green and magenta beaks instead of orange and black, and one of the younger ones' beak was orange, black, lime green and magenta all on the same beak, the beak colours of her parents having mixed together. The only other toucan kid to have this beak trait was Diantha but she was back at her large toucan family's nest with Nemo, Fabio and Cleo. Nemo and Fabio had Rafael's beak while Cleo had Eva's beak. Quaoar glared at Carlos and corrected him but Carlos smiled and continued to lead the group through the canopy.
Moments later, Quaoar and the flock of toucan kids came within the vicinity of a tree belonging to a flock of small birds; honeycreepers similar to Chip-I-Am but of various species, and finches. These honeycreepers and finches lived in the branches of the tree, those branches having been hollowed out and perforated. The perforations served as windows and entrances/exits to these little birds' large hollow and this flock of small birds lived together as a community all of their own in this tree. At points where the hollow branches lay on the branches of neighbouring trees were dips and from those dips grew flowers. This mini community of finches and honeycreepers liked gardening and growing flowers to decorate their home. The small birds were up to their usual activities around this unusual home with some of them, among them Tiny the green bird, tending to the flowers. A wide smile formed on Carlos' beak.
"Here we are," said he to the others and with that, the flock descended into a nearby tree and hid in its leaves. After this, Carlos nodded to several of the toucan kids who carried leaf bags (which they had kept concealed from Iris and Sputnik before leaving with Quaoar) and they came forward. While Carlos spoke to the leaf bag carriers, Quaoar gazed at the finch and honeycreeper tree.
"Why are we here?" he asked the toucan kids.
"You'll see in a minute, Quentin," said another toucan kid named Darla, a streak of mischief present in her voice tone and beak smile.
"My name is Quaoar, QUA-WAH!" snapped Quaoar in irritation. A small giggle escaped Darla's mouth as she went to Carlos and the other toucan kids who were gathered around the leaf bag carriers. Quaoar continued to gaze at the honeycreepers and finches' home as the little birds continued their activities with Tiny tending to her flowers in one area until finally, one of the toucan kids called his name.
"Here," said the toucan kid and as he said this, his wing clutching a stick appeared. Quaoar gazed at the stick, took it and examined it. He peered through one end of the stick and saw that it was hollow, like a tube or drinking straw he once saw Nick, his father Luke's human companion; use to sip lemonade from a glass. Quaoar then gazed at the toucan gang and saw that many of them were decked out in attire made from plant material, paint on their faces and bodies and their beaks and wings clutching more hollow sticks and some smaller leaf bags. Carlos wore a solid piece of fruit shell tied to a vine over his eye and had yellow pollen paint smeared on his face and wings to make him look more intimidating. Then Sofia, a leaf-bandana tied to her head, stepped forward and handed Quaoar some supplies. They were a leaf bandana, a small leaf bag and a red flower.
"Here, Quincy," said the sister of Carlos, "Decorate your face with the red pollen from the flower, put the leaf bandana on your head and take these seeds."
Quaoar gazed at the supplies and slowly took them. However, a horrible feeling at what the toucan kids were planning to do began to well within him, especially as he gazed at the seeds in the small leaf pouch and the hollow stick.
"What... are we... gonna play?" the Lear's macaw adolescent asked slowly. The mischievous grin on Carlos' orange and black beak widened as he gazed in the direction of the finch and honeycreeper home.
"We're gonna play 'Pirates', Quasar," he said in a tone of voice to match his grin, "And our choice of birds for our prank are those finches and honeycreepers out there, among them Miss Tiny..."
"Wait, you mean we're gonna jump out at them and whip up trouble on those small birds, among them Miss Tiny!?" blurted out Quaoar but Manoela rushed in and clasped her wings over his beak to shut him up.
"Pipe down, Lear's macaw," she hissed as she did it, "Those finches and honeycreepers could hear us and if they are alerted to our presence, that's our plan of our Pirates game SUNK!"
"Yes, show some stealth, Quincy," put in Sofia in irritation, the impatience in getting on with the 'game' biting at her like a louse.
"And dress up and get prepared with your shooting seed ammo in addition," added Rita while Darla near her checked her seed and filled her hollow stick with some. Then Manoela released Quaoar's beak and joined the other toucan kids, ready to implement the 'Pirates' game. Quauar then stared at the toucan gang and moved his gaze from them to the honeycreepers and finches and their hollow and back to the toucan kids again. Finally, he made his decision. Placing the seeds, the hollow stick, leaf bandana and red flower meant for painting his face down at Carlos' feet, the Lear's macaw glared at him and his siblings present.
"I'm sorry," he said, "But if I participate in whatever HORRIBLE prank you're planning to do on those small birds, my parents back in the Maimed Animal Enclosure would be giving me an UTTER earful..."
"You coward," snapped Darla angrily. Some of the other toucan kids including Manoela and Sofia then hissed at Quaoar but Carlos rebuked them into being quiet. Carlos then glared at Quaoar.
"Well, if you don't wanna participate with us in the fun, Quasar, then it's your loss," said he, "Not ours. Since I have spent so much time planning this prank, WE are gonna go through with it anyway as it would be a waste of time if we didn't implement it but if you don't wanna join us, then that's your problem."
Then before Quaoar could protest, Carlos called for his siblings and with that, the flock of toucan kids left their cover with the ammo and began to sneak up on the finches and honeycreepers' hollow without being seen. Quaoar peered out and watched the toucans then divide into groups and go to different locations to launch their 'attack'. Then what happened next threw EVERYTHING in the air around the hollow into CHAOS to Quaoar's HORROR. One minute the finches and honeycreepers were enjoying a peaceful atmosphere but then the next minute, that peace was shattered like the glass of a window by a rock thrown by a vandal as the poor little birds, Tiny included, were set upon by a barrage of seeds. Quaoar watched on with beak agape and eyes inflated as the toucan kids launched their attack on the poor finches and honeycreepers, pirate-like cackles escaping their colourful beaks with some more colourful beaks blowing through the hollow sticks and firing seeds at the small birds and the hollow. The air was then filled with small colourful comets as finches and honeycreepers launched into the air in panic from the marauding toucan kids. Tiny was among them and as soon as the flowers were left alone and open by their tenders, more toucan kids rushed in and began to destroy them, cackling as they did. Other toucan kids, the flower pollen in their possession, then proceeded to paint graffiti all over the finches and honeycreepers' hollow. Quaoar stood in the tree, rooted to the spot by stun and horror as he watched the toucan gang continue their relentless attack on the small birds and their home. One finch rushed by in a vain attempt to dodge one of the lasers of seeds fired by one of the smaller toucan kids from his hollow stick like a peashooter while two honeycreepers flew by trying to escape a larger toucan kid as he chased them and flung his leaf bandana at them in an attempt to 'catch' one of them for the fun of it. However, this was NO fun NEITHER was it funny and Quaoar could clearly see this as plain as a blue butterfly on a brown tree trunk. Then after a few more minutes of this frenzied attack by the toucan kids on the finches and honeycreepers and their hollow, it was all over and the toucan kids soon regrouped to admire their 'work' and cackle at it. Quaoar looked and drew in a sharp breath, inflated his eyes and covered his beak with a wing. The honeycreepers and finches' hollow was covered in pollen and fruit juice doodles and many of the small flower patches, among them Tiny's had been destroyed, the flowers torn up form their little furrows and cast aside like shredded coloured paper, the finches and honeycreepers' hard work in growing those flowers literally uprooted and destroyed. Some of the finches and honeycreepers were dazed from being pelted from the seeds by the toucan kids but these weren't the worst injuries. One of the yellow finches appeared to be grasping its wing, its eyes screwed shut in agony. Quaoar winced when he saw the poor finch, knowing that meant one thing as he had seen a macaw like this in Tulio's Aviary once. Then a shout from Tiny pierced through Quaoar's stun and snapped his attention to her as she and countless other finches and honeycreepers glared FURIOUSLY at the toucan chicks. Nearby, a small flock of adolescent green-winged macaws flew by, having gone out on a trip and they were carrying bags of flowers and fruit juice. However, they had NOT gone out on a trip to graffiti all over someone's hollows. They were, in fact, an art group who used pollen, fruit juice and slabs of bark as art supplies though a few used manmade art supplies like pencils and crayons and drawing books as well, similar to Bia and one of her younger brother Neptune (who was yet to see Rio with Arrokoth, Chrysocolla and the others born to Blu and company in the Amazon).
"Toucan kids, did you destroy our flowers and doodle all over our hollow?" demanded the little green honeycreeper as the toucan kids giggled. Then Manoela came forward and pointed a talon at the group of young green-winged macaws passing by.
"No, it was THEM, Miss Tiny," she shouted.
"That art green-winged macaw group did it," added Sofia. The furious scowls of the honeycreepers and finches moved from the toucan kids to the green-winged macaws who stopped in stun at the focal point and also at the sight of the messed up hollow. Then Quaoar decided to do something, knowing it was cowardice to let this injustice continue. Leaping out of the tree towards the honeycreepers and finches, he screeched, "No, it were those tou..." however, a black, pale red, white and orange blur shot in and tackled into the Lear's macaw to knock him away and prevent him from revealing the true culprits to the honeycreepers and finches. Quaoar released a screech of surprise as he flung onto another branch by Carlos. The Lear's macaw then looked up at the lead toucan kid who then scowled at him hostilely.
"Don't even think about spillin' th' truth to those honeycreepers and finches an' gettin' us into a LOTTA trouble, Lear's boy," he hissed, "Or you'll end up like your one-winged FATHER!"
THAT scathing and insensitive comment and threat sent OUTRAGE exploding through Quaoar like a shockwave from a volcanic eruption and he rose to his feet, his eyes blazing turquoise fire.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST..." the Lear's macaw blurted out in retort but he soon found himself on the receiving end of more hostile toucan kid glares. Darla, Manoela, Sofia and some of the other older ones came in to back up Carlos. Then what came out of Carlos' beak vaporised all confidence and outrage Quaoar had.
"Teach that Lear's macaw a lesson, my bros and sissies," said the oldest toucan. Then a split-second later, the flock of toucan kids around Carlos turned into a tsunami of black, white and red feathers with orange, black, magenta and lime green beaks as the flock SURGED towards Quaoar, threatening screeches exploding from their beaks. Quaoar, however, had already whirled onto his belly and had flapped into flight the moment Carlos' command to his brothers and sisters escaped his beak. Then within moments, a chase erupted as a dark blue comet with a colourful meteor storm rocketed through the canopy.
Quaoar flew faster than he had EVER flown before and was flying like a pigeon trying to escape a peregrine falcon. His dark blue wings, fuelled by a MASSIVE surge of adrenaline from the chase, beat the air furiously to propel him forwards and keep him ahead of the aggressive toucan kids as they furiously chased him down to catch him. Quaoar flashed a look back at his chasers and saw their menacing glares as they pursued him. Frightened, Quaoar continued on, flying like a dark blue rocket through the forest with the flock of adolescent toucans in hot pursuit. As he rocketed on, regret at joining the toucan kids on their 'adventure' began to well within the Lear's macaw and he began to utter to himself, "Oh how I had HEEDED Mr Sputnik's advice about those big-beaked marauders... and how I WISHED I'd stayed near Miss Iris' side..." suddenly, a barrage of small seeds flew in and struck Quaoar in the back, sending repeated stings ripping through there and making him cry in pain. Quaoar flashed another look back at his chasers and saw that one of them was firing seeds at him through her peashooter stick. Cackles escaped from his chasers' beaks as he cried in pain from the seed laser. Then Darla broke away from the group briefly, seized a mango and rejoined her group, and then tossed it at Quaoar, shouting, "Hungry, Lear's macaw boy? Have some MANGO!"
The green and red ball flew like a rock fired from a giant catapult from Darla's talons towards Quaoar but the Lear's macaw dodged it. The mango flew downwards and struck an unintended target on a branch below: a marmoset wearing a paperclip in his hair and a golden wristwatch around his waist. The marmoset, after having his head struck by the mango, shot his glare skyward but to his surprise, he saw a dark blue comet flying ahead of a flock of black and colourful comets.
"Bothersome family members an' friends of those Spix macaws," hissed the marmoset, "I sure hope those two dog-faced rats with wings have disciplined their son and daughters for peltin' me and my pack with fruit."
With that, he resumed his activities such as foraging for his pack or planning his next looting trip on some tourists.
Quaoar continued to fly like a rocket from his toucan chasers, more seeds and fruit flying at him from them. This chase lasted for a few more terrifying minutes but soon, and without Quaoar noticing for he was too focussed on escaping his chasers, the toucan kids gave up their chase and turned back, the Lear's macaw flying too fast for them to keep up and attack any longer. However, Quaoar continued flapping like mad on; his wings beginning to have fatigue creep into them. Though he was still a teen Lear's macaw and only half the size of an adult of his species, he was flying as fast as an adult. Teen Lear's macaws should not be able to fly this fast but because Quaoar was so flooded with adrenaline from the fright caused by the toucan kids, he was able to do so but that ability was beginning to wane as his wing muscles had begun to complain of tiredness. However, still Quaoar flew on, thinking he was still being chased by the toucan kids. He flew on and on, unknowingly heading in the direction of the city itself and a certain cottage. Later, Quaoar's wings became so tired that they could no longer keep up with the demands of flying at this top speed. Furthermore, Quaoar was panting heavily from all that flapping and flying so fast and he was beginning to slow down. As he did, the cottage in which Aurora, Bellatrix and Sirius' human companions Brendan, Matthew and May lived came into view. Recognising this to be also the home of a certain pair of Dalmatians, especially as he saw the couple watch over five puppies as they played in the garden, Quaoar decided to descend to here and rest, so he did. The Lear's macaw fluttered down and landed clumsily on the fence and began to breathe heavily with a wing clutching one of the vertical bars of the construction enclosing the garden of the cottage. As he gasped for air and clutched his aching breast where his flight muscles were with his other wing, those muscles severely fatigued from the rocket flight, a male white dog with black spots appeared; a disapproving scowl on his face. However, Quaoar was too tired to flinch from surprise at the Dalmatian's appearance so he just looked up at him.
"Quaoar, what are you doing here and why did you fly in so fast like that?" demanded Milo. Behind him, Ellie talked with the five puppies, Kayla, Katrina, Kay, Kimberly and Kevin about the history of the domestic dog and their descent from the grey wolf from a book about dogs, the five puppies' eyes widened in fascination at this fact. Quaoar continued to breathe heavily until finally, he was able to control his breathing enough to answer Milo.
"S-s-sorry Mr Milo," he replied in a few words at a time between pants, "I-I-I was trying... to escape those... toucan kids when they... tried to get me to... graffiti all over the tree of... some honeycreepers and finches and... destroy their flowers... they chased me to here when... I tried to tell those little birds..."
"You've still got a LOT to learn about bad company, Quaoar," said Milo sternly, "It is important that you stay with the more experienced birds and animals until you can be trusted with keeping out of trouble and being safe when you become old enough to go out on your own. If you cannot do that, you're gonna have to stay in the enclosure with your parents Luke and Hauyne until then," as he said this, Ellie walked in, having seen a dark blue bird on the fence. However, she knew it was Quaoar. She had left the puppies to discuss among themselves about the domestic dogs' descent from the grey wolf as a group learning method. Milo continued.
"You're their ONLY son you know and they want you to grow into a good-mannered, respectful Lear's macaw."
"Also, both your parents cannot accompany you, Quaoar," added Ellie, Milo flashing her a gaze, "especially your father who is permanently grounded due to the loss of his left wing at the clutches of that BEASTLY cockatoo when he fought him to save your mother from his torture methods and because of that, she has to stay behind to care for him."
"And to add," continued Milo, "Those toucan kids of Rafael and Eva except a few of them like Diantha are NOTHING but UTMOST trouble. Our oldest son Sunspot, his girlfriend Titania and their vegetarian cat friend Vegetal became victims of that borderline-malicious pitfall trap trick of theirs, and Vegetal suffered a bad injury in his left shoulder from the fall in the form of a fracture."
Quaoar flinched violently when he heard this. "B-b-but I thought city cats can right themselves to land on all four feet when they fall."
"They can but that pitfall trap took Vegetal, Sunspot and Titania by so much surprise that the cat didn't have time to do that and he ended up landing badly on his shoulder," said Ellie, "And I was ESPECIALLY worried for Sunspot and Titania as well, fearing that they have suffered injury from that fall but thankfully, they haven't."
Quaoar gazed at the two adult Dalmatians and parents of Sunspot and Sputnik as Milo continued.
"But as I've said before, if you cannot be trusted with being sensible on your own, especially if you're gonna get yourself entangled in bad company like Rafael and Eva's problematic toucan children; you WILL have to stay in the enclosure..."
"But I WANNA learn about the outside world," protested Quaoar, clearly finding that idea repulsive for he was an adventurous chick, "And as for me joining the toucan chicks, Miss Iris and Mr Sputnik allowed me to do that."
When Milo's ears picked this up, an angry scowl formed on the male Dalmatian's face. Turning to Ellie and telling her that he wants to do something and to look after Quaoar until he got back, Milo left the garden by jumping over the fence and headed off in the direction of Francisco's family's house. He was not only cross with Quaoar, but Sputnik and Iris as well. Then after finding said family's cottage and garden and seeing that Sputnik and his owners were present, Milo went and gave Sputnik a SERIOUS reprimand for allowing Quaoar to join the toucan kids. He also told a green parakeet to send word to Iris and tell her off for allowing the macaw adolescent and only son of Luke and Hauyne she had been entrusted with looking after to go off with those naughty birds and that she SHOULD know better since, after all, she was an experienced babysitter, especially of chicks. After that, Milo returned to his family and owners' cottage and called for another parakeet to come and take Quaoar back to the Maimed Animal Enclosure and report to Luke and Hauyne about what happened to Quaoar's dread. Then as soon as Quaoar was back with Luke and Hauyne in the enclosure, he was grounded for a month for going off with such badly behaved toucan kids by his parents and told to never leave the hollow for the first week, to Quaoar's UTMOST displeasure. However, it was clear that a lesson MUST be learned for the adolescent Lear's macaw after all.