Tiago gently opened the door, poking his head in. It had been a few hours since Bia and the family had left, and since then, night had fallen, and the lights had all been turned off. Most of the employees had retired to their living quarters, while others stayed awake through the night to ensure none of the recovering animals took a turn for the worse. He had snuck into the building via a window, despite the dark and the rain.

The battle was finally over, and everybody was celebrating - a proper party had already been arranged with the three tribes, but they would wait until all the injured had recovered. Patrols were inspecting the Kapoks, just in case, but there were no Hyacinths in sight. They had all fled outside the territories they had invaded, into the unclaimed land. As for Kerja, it was assumed that she had perished in the river, but everyone was still wary. The Red macaw tribe were hoping to move back to their rightful home within the next few days - this was a relief for the Spix's macaws, since an extra hundred-and-something macaws had made things crowded. Fruit and nut supplies were down to slim pickings, but to make up for it, Felipe had offered foraging opportunities in his territory.

Miraculously, nobody had been killed. This was an absolute shock - so many close calls, and the fatally injured were being treated with the Estrella flowers. The strategy of a minimum of two per Hyacinth had worked in saving lives, and the arrival of the Blue-and-Golds had made a huge difference. Most injuries were minor, or non-life threatening, except for those three. Well... not all injuries had been minor.

There was a great sense of relief in all three tribes, but Orchid's family was finding it hard to feel happiness. They had told Tiago about her injuries, as they hadn't been aware of his eavesdropping. It was horrible. So many sympathizers had approached to offer their condolences, as news of Orchid's horrific injuries had spread quickly. Tiago had been back to the Blue-and-Gold territory, and had been reunited with his entire family at last. Of course he was happy that Jewel was going to live, but Orchid's misfortune hung over him like a cloud.

Sophia was now asleep, but she kept muttering occasionally about Hyacinths. Orchid, meanwhile, was silent, but still awake. Her remaining eye faced his way, blank and set on the ceiling of her cage. Tiago carried the glass of water, with the yellow flowers standing in them. "Psst." He whispered. Orchid blinked, and looked his way. She looked mortified upon seeing him there, and covered her bandaged face, refusing to make eye contact. "Brought you something." Tiago carried the glass of yellow flowers, placing them on the counter. Their soft yellow petals looked fresh and vibrant in the dark.

"Orchids. My favourite." Orchid murmured, softly, gazing at the flowers she was named for - they were yellow, which was also her favourite colour. Tiago glanced at Sophia, who was still asleep, before flying up to Orchid's wire door and hooking his claws onto the wire. He looked through the barrier, wide-eyed, feeling an indescribable wave of sorrow and pity. The bandage almost covered the entire right side of her face. Her remaining eye was dull and full of depression.

"I... I heard everything." Tiago admitted, trying not to look at the bandages and looking into her remaining eye. "And I'm really sorry. I truly... truly am." Orchid's face flushed, and she backed away, turning her face from view. Tears welled up in her one eye, and she harshly wiped it away. "Orchid... you never know, the Estrella petals... they could -"

"No!" Orchid said, fiercely; she stiffened when Sophia stirred, but she didn't wake. Orchid covered her face. "No, Tiago. Those flowers are for saving lives... not for fixing things like this."

"But -" Tiago began to protest, but Orchid cut him off.

"It won't give me my eye back. I told Bia earlier... it didn't regrow her feathers, did it? Feathers can regrow. But not eyes." Tiago prepared to protest, but then he realized. Orchid was right - it was unlikely that the flower could return her eye. Besides, they were being used to heal those three who had been badly injured. The realization crashed down upon him.

"Oh, Orchid." Tiago rested his forehead on the wire bars. There's no chance of Orchid getting her eye back.

"Please, Tiago... leave me alone." Orchid picked up the water bowl, and looked into it. She looked at her blurry reflection in the metal, disgusted by the bandage she saw. She had caught a glimpse of what lay beneath in a mirror, when the human had carried her from out of surgery to this cage. And she was sick to her stomach. "I'm hideous. I look like a... like a monster."

"Don't say that!" Tiago gasped, staring at her in shock. "What are you talking about? You're -" to his shock, she threw up her wings in frustration. She slammed the bowl down, and whirled around. She then ripped the bandage away from her face, revealing what lay underneath. Tiago couldn't stop himself from staring at the three gashes, the ones that would surely scar. The hole that had once contained an eye. But to his own surprise, he wasn't repulsed or sickened at all. Just shocked - and devastated for her.

"Hideous?" She asked, an attempt at finishing his sentence. But Tiago wasn't fazed by her appearance. He didn't feel sickened.

"That's not what I was going to say, Orc. I was going to say beautiful, no matter what." he promised, but he knew Orchid didn't believe him. She shook her head, and looked away.

"Look at me, Tiago." She faced his way again, the right side of her face staring at him even if it didn't have an eye. "Don't tell me I look fine. I know it's vile. Disgusting."

"It's not." Tiago insisted, but she swept on.

"I will never lead a normal life, and we both know it. Something approaches on my blind side, and I'll never see it coming." She looked away, a glazed look entering her remaining eye. "I want kids someday, Tiago... at least three. They wouldn't deserve me for a mother. Their mom will be half-blind - and everyone will flinch and feel sick everytime they look at her. These..." She pointed to the three claw marks. "These will scar, you know. And the eye socket is just horrific. The moment they see me for the first time, they'll be terrified of their own mother." She sniffed. "No matter, though... who would ever want me?"

"I'd want you." Tiago murmured, ignoring his embarrassment at saying it. Orchid glanced at him. "And kids... they wouldn't be terrified. They'd love you to bits, because you'd be their mother. You're the kindest, bravest bird I know. I mean... you saved Adele. Who knows what would've happened to her, had you not..." Tiago's voice faded out. "Look, what I mean is - you can't let this change you. You can't let it stop you from living a full life..." Orchid's expression remained the same. "And, no matter what, Orchid - you'll always be beautiful to me." Tiago hoped that his words would be of comfort to Orchid, but she still possessed the same look of devastation. In his heart, Tiago knew that no words would ever reassure her. She had lost an eye - this would effect her for life. Her confidence was shattered.

"Look at me." Orchid said, simply. "Every stranger we run into will be freaked out... I can't just fly around with this on show." She turned her face away, re-tying the bandage. "Please... just go." She hugged her knees, and rested her face on her wings, not looking at him. Tiago's heart sank, and he knew he couldn't convince her. Defeated, he dropped from the wire, onto the floor. Since he had heard of Orchid's injury, an idea had entered his mind. Orchid was right - flying around with her scars and eye socket on show wasn't practical, and she would surely be subject to abuse by the insensitive and disrespectful individuals out there. Maybe he could do something to help with that.

"I'll... I'll be back in a few days." He promised. Orchid looked down, puzzled, as Tiago made for the exit, a look of determination in his eyes. "I'll go back now and tell everyone where I'm going...

"Tiago, what are you on about?" She asked, in confusion. "Where are you going?"

"Trust me - I'll be back in a few days at the most." Tiago then turned, and ran to the door.

"Hey!" Orchid jumped to her talons. "Wait -" but he had already disappeared into the corridor, and the door had clicked shut. Orchid stared, wondering what on earth he meant - before her thoughts returned to her new disability, and she slumped back to the floor. The sense of despair returned, and she soon forgot about Tiago.

Later

Both of the remaining flowers had been used on three severely injured macaws - two Green-Winged macaws and a Spix's. One Green-Winged had been stabbed directly in the back, and another and a Spix's macaw had lost a lot of blood. There had also been the problem of there being only two flowers. So the first Green-Winged, with the worser injury, had been given all the petals of one, while the last flower had been split between the last two injured. With half of the magic missing, their wounds hadn't completely healed, but they had healed enough to stop their injuries from being life-threatening. Still, however, the pair had been taken to the Spix's Wing, just to make sure.

Eduardo was in talks with the other leaders - discussing whether it was safe for the Red macaws to go home, what had happened to Kerja, and of course Eduardo and Felipe were thanking Johanna and Alejandro - they had so much to thank for. Sheltering the evacuated, helping the injured and coming to the tribes' aid in the battle, and Eduardo was thanking Johanna over and over for all she had done for Jewel. She had helped keep her alive for so long, and had she not, it was likely that Jewel would've died long ago. Blu, Jewel, Carla and Bia had also thanked her, expressing their gratitude - Tiago, however, was no where to be seen. He had been pretty shaken up earlier on, before going to see Orchid - but now he was no where. But then they had returned to find a note.

Blu continued to blink in confusion at the untidy writing, written on a leaf. He could barely read it. He had taught his kids to write when they were younger, and all of their writing styles were different. Carla's writing was big and bold, with slight curls at each letter end. Bia's writing was small and neat, the letters joined up, always written with flawless grammar and no spelling mistakes. As for Tiago, his writing always looked as though he had written it in a hurry, the letters not always the same sizes, and the letters were often hard to make out. He often spelt and used grammar incorrectly, and based on how the note was written and his absense, it was Tiago's. Gone to manouse to find something fore Orchid. will be a Few days.

"Um..." Jewel looked over Blu's shoulder, frowning at the message. "What is 'manouse'?" Behind them, Carla and Mimi were also looking confused. Bia was outside, with Azure - he was struggling to sleep, after all that had happened.

"I'm guessing... Manaus?" Carla said, with a frown. "Something for Orchid... maybe he wants to get something to cheer her up?"

"He had to go without telling us, didn't he?" Mimi was shaking her head. "Honestly. He could've at least waited for the rain to stop..." that was true. It was night, and the rain was still coming down hard. The lightning and thunder was still around - Tiago was probably sheltered in a tree right now.

"I hope he's alright." Said Blu, anxiously. "I'm sure he will - he's just like his mother, after all..."