Chapter 25- more toucan trouble

Near the Maimed Animals Enclosure, outside

The teams associated with the Blu Bird Project and the lesser projects continued while carers went in and out of the Maimed Animal Enclosure to check on the animal inhabitants living in the artificial jungle that were too maimed to be returned to the real jungle, especially rare animals. Near the entrance to the Enclosure, a group of animals was talking and among them was a certain family of three Lear's macaws. Luke, Hauyne and Quaoar talked with Iris, Chip-I-Am and Jean-Luc and catching up on a variety of things. Across the car park from the Enclosure, Milo sat with Matthew, Aurora, Sirius and Bellatrix's former owner and human companion and playing with him.

"'Ow are Milo an' Ellie's new lil' doggies doin'?" Chip asked in his gangster accent.

"He told us that they are doing fine," said Jean-Luc the toco toucan who is distinguished from Rafael with his burlier build, "But they are still too young to be sold to owners at the moment."

"City puppies must first be weaned from their mother before they can be sold," said Luke in his Australian accent, a legacy of his time with Nick Down Under before travelling to Peru for conservation purposes, "Y'all know that it is never wise to sell puppies FAR too young as they need their mother's care for the first few weeks of their lives."

"Ellie, Milo's mate, is still suckling Kayla, Katrina, Kay, Kimberly and Kevin though they are approaching their weaning age and will be ready for sale," said Iris the green-winged macaw. She has re-earned the trust of Luke and Hauyne in looking after Quaoar since his incident with Rafael and Eva's troubled offspring, "Milo over there told me that."

"I hope their first litter of ten puppies are doing alright," said Hauyne, "Sunspot is extremely busy with multiple roles with being a housedog of Tulio and his family and protector of their four babies Amy, Elise, Ursula and Tommy being one and an owner of a cat-and-dog only samba club for another..."

As she spoke, Quaoar walked by, gazing at the trees of the forest. Then Chip changed the subject.

"By th' way, th' four new owls an' fruit'awks are doin' fine," said the honeycreeper, "Bu' th' fruit'awks won't go anywhere near each other. Me friends Nico an' Pedro 'ave been to visit 'em recently an' have advised 'em about lurve..."

"I would NOT recommend they do that," said Luke, "Certainly not after Soren and Katniss the fruithawks' horrifically bad first meeting. They would only stoke the fire."

"Katniss actually clawed Soren REAL good during their first meeting such that the ornithologists had to intervene before any more damage was done," said Hauyne, "Soren was actually hauled out of the artificial jungle chamber for his protection."

"Katniss is a VERY vicious fruithawk despite being human-raised like Blu and me," said Luke, "Soren is as well and he loathes human-raised animals, but I hope they warm up to each other and dissolve their enmity."

The others nodded in agreement before moving on to another subject.

"Anyway, do you sometimes have times between the two of you where it can be stressful?" asked Iris.

"Luke's flightlessness has sometimes caused me stress, and we sometimes have our arguments," said Hauyne, "But at the end of the day, I refuse to leave him. After all, that bug-eyed cockroach with a yellow crest had him grounded for life by mangling his left wing," as she said this, Luke gazed miserably at his missing left wing and sighed as his mate continued, "and after he saved my life from the clutches of that cockroach, I became his mate."

"Good thing ya did," said Chip-I-Am with pride at the female Lear's macaw's decision, "An' though you suffered fertility trouble, a'least ya managed to have a lurvely son," the honeycreeper nodded to Quaoar as he said this. Luke and Huayne smiled proudly. Then an idea entered Jean-Luc's head.

"I think you could do with assistance in getting out of the Enclosure if ever you need a family outing, Luke," the burly toucan said, "I'd be more than happy to carry you if the three of you ever need to be out of the enclosure..."

"Ya, bein' stuck in there surely mus'be frustratin'," said Chip. A smile formed on Luke's face at this idea.

"That sounds excellent," the male flightless Lear's macaw said delightfully, "Though my human companion Nick would sometimes take me out but a PROPER flight out would be GREAT."

"You'll need to be EXTREMELY careful when we take you to the highest points in the trees, Luke," said Hauyne, "Since you're not able to fly with just one wing..."

Luke gazed back at his mate with understanding. Though it would be risky, flight has been something that Luke had missed most. However, due to one wing with the other being amputated due to Nigel damaging it so badly, Luke had to have help. Then Chip said, "By th' way, Hauyne, 'ave you ever thought of goin' to th' Sanctuary de Amazon with your son Quaoar?"

"No, not while Luke is alive," said Hauyne, "And secondly, Quaoar is still a bit young for such a major trip..."

"Well, I would like you to take that option in the event that I do pass away," said Luke, "Remember, there is a small flock of Lear's macaws there as Blu and the others told us and I would like you to take our son there and join them. It will do Quaoar good to socialise with other Lear's macaws his age and perhaps find a mate and have a family of his own."

Hauyne breathed a sigh and had hopes for Quaoar regarding this too for she would love to be a grandmother. However, she was worried that Quaoar might have inherited her infertility as many members of Hauyne's side of the family suffered from fertility issues, some of them being males. If Quaoar could not have chicks, it may be distressing for him and it was one of Quaoar's desires to be a father when he matured. Hauyne also considered the option of moving to the Sanctuary de Amazon with Quaoar but as long as Luke was alive, she absolutely refused to take that option. However, she would still like Quaoar to go to the Sanctuary de Amazon once he was old enough. As Hauyne thought about this, Quaoar came by and accidentally stumbled over Chip.

"CAREFUL, young Lear's lad," cried the honeycreeper during this.

"Sorry, Mr Chip," Quaoar apologised. Chuckles erupted from the other birds including Quaoar's parents.

"That's the problem with being such a small bird," tittered Jean-Luc, "Nico and Pedro sometimes face that from careless bigger birds too."

"Yes, a military macaw once tripped over Nico at the birds' club the other day," said Iris. Chip then helped Quaoar to his feet. Across the car park, Milo was approaching the group, a lead attached to his collar and linking him to Matthew as he was walking over to Nick who was about to enter the Enclosure but had seen Luke and his family conversing with Iris, Jean-Luc and Chip. However, as the Dalmatian approached the group, howling noises and cackling filled the air.

"What's tha' noise?" asked Chip with a sceptical frown, "Crows or sommat?"

Suddenly, a flock of black bird with large colourful beaks rushed by, zooming through the car park MUCH too fast. These birds had their beaks and talons clutching some sort of tether and that tether was attached to some sort of playing cart on wheels. That cart was red, had cardboard box 'wings' attached to its side, two mops attached and pointing backwards and a cluster of colourful ribbons hanging off their bristles and flapping in the wind. In the cart was someone and that someone was EXTREMELY frightened. As the birds rushed past with the cart, the animal in the cart became visible and to the HORROR of the group, it was a white dog with black spots. That dog had its muzzle and feet tied and its face was saturated with unadulterated TERROR. Despite having its muzzle bound, it was still able to speak.

"HEEEELLP!" cried the Dalmatian, "HELP MEEEEEE!"

"C'mon, my siblings, FASTER!" the birds pulling the cart by the tether, a skipping rope, toucans, cackled and began to accelerate their frenzied flight. The dog writhed in its bounds and begged the toucans to stop but the toucans continued. As the toucans and the cart whizzed past and into the forest, following a path, horror and disgust tore through the group.

"Good GRIEF!" screeched Hauyne in outrage while Iris, Jean-Luc and Chip looked on. The middle one immediately recognised the toucans pulling the cart at high speed.

"Rafael and Eva," growled he in a dangerously low voice. Then Quaoar's wings sprung into action.

"SCOTTIE!" he cried to the Dalmatian in the cart and with that, he launched into a rocket flight after the poor dog, Scottie,m as he disappeared down the path and into the forest.

"Quaoar, where are you GOING!?" demanded Luke but his son was out of earshot. Grunting, Luke called for Milo and he rushed in, having managed to yank his leash from Matthew's hand to his OUTRAGE. He then ducked down and Luke mounted him for he could not fly. As he did that, Hauyne, Iris, Chip and Jean-Luc flapped off after Quaoar. Then Milo, who had also seen the cart with the dog in it shoot past and recognising him as one of his older sons, followed with Luke on his back. Matthew and Nick yelled at Milo to get back ere and began to give chase, attracting commotion from the other employees from both Tulio's Aviary and the Enclosure.

The toucans, which were some of Rafael and Eva's troublesome offspring, rocketed down the path and through the trees with a bound and terrified Scottie in the cart in tow. A marmoset came by and upon seeing the incoming rocket on wheels pulled by some fast-flying big beaked birds, darted out of the way to avoid getting run over, moments before the cart zoomed by where it had been. Scottie continued howling for help and writhing in his binds. The toucans cackled and continued flapping along at high speed, their beaks and talons clutching the skipping rope and pulling Scottie at extreme speed. Behind Scottie, Quaoar flew along, his wings beating the air as he tried to catch up with the cart. He could not believe how fast the toucans were flying and what astonished him even more was the fact that they were pulling a CART with a grown DALMATIAN in it at this velocity. However, Quaoar did not care. All he cared about was rescuing Scottie who was one of his friends. Trying to shout at the toucans to slow down and release Scottie was NOT an option for he knew what those birds were like.

"Scottie," called the young Lear's macaw, "Use the tip of your jaw to chew through the binds of your paws. USE YOUR JAWS' TIPS!"

"I can't," Scottie shouted back distressfully, "My jaws are bound too good to allow me to open 'em wide enough to bite through the binds on me legs," he writhed and tried in vain to get his paws free. The cart's wheels struck a rock and jolted it to the right, nearly throwing Scottie out of it. However, it fell back level and Scottie remained inside. The dog whimpered in terror at almost being thrown out and Quaoar, seeing the direness of the situation escalating rapidly, decided to help out.

"I'm, gonna try and get ya free Scottie, HANG OOON!" cried the Lear's macaw teen and with that, he picked up speed to land into the cart. Scottie gazed on, his eyes coloured hazel, as Quaoar flapped harder to catch up.

"OOOH, HURRY, QUAOAAAR!" cried Scottie as the Lear's macaw continued to accelerate until he was finally above the cart. Thankfully, the toucans pulling the cart at high speed were too consumed with the thrill of this 'prank' (which really WASN'T a prank. It was a DANGEROUS and INCREDIBLY STUPID thing to do) to look back and notice the little dark blue bird with a teal-tinged face and yellow-orange marks leap in and set to helping Scottie untie his binds. The binds holding Scottie's mouth closed and feet together were vines and Quaoar was briefly reminded of how Aurora, Sirius, Bellatrix and company were tied up like this before they paired up and had their chicks and pups. Putting that aside, he clamped his beak onto the first loop of vine and began to chew through it. Because he was still a teen, his jaw strength was still too low for him to actually bite through each loop with one chomp so he was forced to chew through the loops, so he started with the first one. However, Quaoar did not have much time for the toucans pulling the cart were going faster and faster and the ride was getting bumpier and bumpier. The bumpiness was making it more and more difficult for Quaoar but the determination to free Scottie prompted him to NOT give up and continue working through the loops. He managed to chew through the first loop of the vines binding Scottie's legs but there were around a dozen more loops to go to the Lear's macaw's frustration. Scottie released a howl of distress as his unwanted ride became bumpier and bumpier and Quaoar looked up at the toucans. To his horror, he saw them swerve sharply to the right with the skipping rope tether. Then Quaoar felt the cart begin to tip to the left. Alarmed and knowing what was imminent, the Lear's macaw launched himself into the air and out of the cart.

"THE CART'S TIPPING OOVEEEER!" cried Scottie as the cart turned ninety degrees. Then within moments, the scraping noise of the metal cart erupted on the stony path and Scottie was thrown clean from the toy vehicle. Quaoar flapped clumsily out of the unfolding disaster as the poor Dalmatian tumbled like a crashing car along the foliage in a shower of dust. Then moments later, calmness consumed the chaos and the dust settled. Quaoar flapped in and took in the disaster zone with a gasp. He slowly flew along and examined the flattened ferns and shallow trench of dug up dirt caused by Scottie's violent tumbling. The cart lay overturned, a trench of ripped up surface soil behind it as well and Quaoar looked around and saw no sign of the toucans. But disbelief pulled him back to the mini crash site they had just caused.

"Sputnik was right," the teen Lear's macaw spoke, "Those toucans really ARE destructive in their antics to the point of causing injury to their victims in their stupid pranks. No wonder Vegetal the vegetarian city cat suffered that broken shoulder from that pitfall trap they did on him, Sunspot and Titania the other day..." he then flew over to Scottie, the poor Dalmatian with the distinctive spot pattern on his back resembling a badge from a certain Sci-Fi series earning him his name from a certain engineer character caked in dirt as he groaned from the pain from the crash. Bruises and grazes marked his body from the tumble. Quaoar flew over to the dog.

"Help may already be on the way as my parents and possibly your father have seen those toucans fly by with you in that cart, Scottie, so I'm gonna help break those vines binding your legs together," said Quaoar and with that, he went to continuing freeing Scottie's legs. However, as he touched Scottie's bound paws, a howl erupted from the Dalmatian, making him wince. Quaoar shot Scottie a horrified look and saw a pained look on his face. Then a horrible, dreadful feeling welled within the Lear's macaw.

"Oh, no..." murmured he. Then he began to ask Scottie for the reason for his pained howl.

"Are you okay?" asked Quaoar.

"N-n-no," Scottie spoke, pain clearly in his voice, "M-m-my l-l-legs..."

That information, together with the agony in Scottie's voice sent shivers down Quaoar's spine and he arrived at an AWFUL conclusion. However, Quaoar himself was about to land into trouble with a group of certain birds. Not too far away from the Dalmatian and the Lear's macaw, one of the toucans appeared and called for the attention of more birds from the canopy. Quaoar continued tending to Scottie when the sounds of horrified gasps and murmurs filled his ears. Knowing these sounds to be coming up from above, he looked up and to his surprise, he saw a gathering of colourful feathers and fur congregating around him in the branches in the trees. The eyes of these feather and fur bundles glared down at Quaoar and their beaks and mouths flapped and contorted as the gathered audience, some of the bird and mammal residents of Tijuca Forest, discussed among themselves, some of them pointing at Quaoar to his embarrassment. Quaoar could see that the faces of many of the audience members were saturated with accusation. Then another toucan did an EXTREMELY spiteful thing. He began to stoke the suspicion fires of the gathered crowd.

"Look at that, everyone," he called, "That Lear's macaw has been pulling that toy cart by the skipping rope with that city dog bound and placed inside and has deliberately caused him to crash."

Quaoar WINCED at this obvious lie and shot the toucan an EXTREMELY enraged look.

"I did NOT, Dexter," he retorted, the name of the toucan being Dexter and he was one of Carlos' many, many brothers and one of Rafael and Eva's twenty-plus, almost thirsty and counting, offspring. Dexter was just as bad as Carls and a number of others and was destructive in his pranks.

"YOU and youir SIBLINGS DID THIS TO POOR SCOTTIE," Quaoar continued as Scottie uttered another pained groan. Dexter glared maliciously at the Lear's macaw as one of his sisters named Darla came in.

"No, YOU did, you ROTTEN LEAR'S MACAW!" she retorted in a harsher, louder voice. Her voice was piercing, like her mother Eva's. Then the other toucans flew in and began to batter Quaoar with agreeing accusations. Some of the audience members exchanged sceptical looks. The volcanic argument between Quaoar and Dexter's group continued back and forth until finally, Quaoar felt his nerve break and he bolted, not wanting to face trouble from another gang of Rafael and Eva's toucans again. However, as he ran, a young green-winged macaw dropped down before him and brutally pushed him, sending the young Lear's macaw into a stumble.

"How COULD you do SUCH A WICKED THING to that POOR CITY DOG, you WRETCED BLUE-FEATHERED SWINE!?" the red macaw with blue and green wings bellowed. Then a marmoset appeared behind Quaoar, seized him by the nape and threw him toward three young blue-and-gold macaws. Those macaws, also enraged at Quaoar's 'injurious deed' to Scottie then began to beat up Quaoar with one punching him, another clawing him and the third kicking him. Quaoar tried to get airborne but one of Darla and Dexter and by extension, Carlos' brothers rushed in and tackled violently into the toucan, knocking him out of the air and into a crashing tumble. As he came to rest, a young rosette spoonbill glared down at the Lear's macaw, his left eye surrounded by a black bruise.

"Why don't you go back to that Enclosure with your grounded father where you BELONG, Lear's boy?" snarled the wading bird.

"Yeah," put in a jungle quail who seized Quaoar and 'helped' him onto his feet before giving him a hefty shove, "Especially if yer gonna go 'round causin' SUCH trouble such as takin' city dogs for a wild ride and injurin' 'em..."

Quaoar tried to protest in his defence but found his tongue stuck in his beak as more angry accusing eyes surrounded him. Then a voice erupted from through the trees.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" the audience and Quaoar and also Dexter, Darla and their group looked up and saw an older male toco toucan and female keel-billed toucan emerge from a cluster of trees, an angry look on their faces. However, when their eyes saw a beaten Quaoar and a short distance away, a badly injured Scottie and the overturned cart together with the mess such as the mini-trenches where Scottie and the cart had crashed, a HORRIFIED gasp was drawn in by the female toucan and she rushed over to the downed dog. Dexter and Darla followed. The couple that had arrived were their parents, Rafael and Eva. Rafael then hovered over the disaster scene and shot an accusing glare at Quaoar.

"Did you do this, Quaoar?" asked he, "Did you DO THAT TO POOR SCOTTIE!?"

Quaoar was abut to protest but one of Dexter's siblings once again interrupted.

"Yes he did, Father," he said, "We saw that Lear's macaw fly by at high speed with Scottie in that cart and then he deliberately crashed the cart and injured him."

The gathered audience also uttered murmurs as outrage at the toucans' lies flared within Quaoar once again.

"I DID NOT," screeched the Lear's macaw, his eyes blazing turquoise flames, "YOU DID..."

"NO WE DIDN'T, QUAOAR," retorted the toucan, "YOU DID!"

Quaoar furiously opened his beak to retort but before this argument could spiral out of control and become a fireworks display again, another voice rang out as some newcomers turned up.

"No, Mario, Dexter, Darla, the rest of you, YOU DID THAT TO SCOTTIE. WE SAW YOU LOT WHIZZ BY US WITH SCOTTIE IN THAT CART," Rafael, Eva, the toucan named Mario who was another of their troubled sons, Dexter, Darla, Quaoar and the others looked up and saw five newcomers which were two adult Lear's macaws with one of them being a male without his left wing, an adult male Dalmatian, a blue and black honeycreeper with bright reed feet, a female green-winged macaw and a hulking tococ toucan arrive. The faces of all five of them were plastered with unadulterated RAGE and behind them; a group of humans ran past. Matthew cried out when he saw Scottie and ran over to him with Nick following. Then several more humans appeared, among them Tulio and a woman. When the woman saw Scottie and his state, she cried out in horrified Spanish and rushed over to him. Quaoar looked on and deduced this woman to be Scottie's owner. He shuddered with dread at what sort of vet bills she would be facing if Scottie was seriously injured. Then Luke and Hauyne, the former dropping from Milo's back, rushed over to Quaoar who was bruised from the beat up he received from the angry audience as rallied by Dexter and his group over their deliberate accusation of his deed to Scottie, scooped him up and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're alright, son," said Luke as he gave his son a one-winged hug.

"Are you hurt?" asked Hauyne and she began to check over him for injuries. When she saw that Quaoar was slightly bruised with a black eye, she was at first horrified but then firmness appeared.

"You're gonna be examined by a bird doctor when we get back to the Tulio's Aviary site, young lad," she said in her motherly sternness. Quaoar gazed at his mother for a while until finally, his emotions from the whole ordeal in trying to rescue Scottie and the accusations thrown at him from the gathered community members thanks to Dexter finally reached critical and he broke down in tears. Hauyne and Luke hugged him to comfort him, glad that he wasn't too badly injured. However, that comfort moment was shattered by an enraged raucous voice and it yanked Quaoar's parents' attention. The pair looked up and saw the keel-billed toucan, an ENRAGED look on her colourful face, storm towards them.

"You two are NO BETTER THAN THOSE WINGED RATS IN THEIR ANTICS, YOU ARE!" she bellowed and with that, she charged at Luke as Hauyne scooped a still-sobbing Quaoar away and bashed into him, knocking him back in a hefty shove. "HOW DARE YOU LET YOUR SON DO SUCH A THING TO POOR SCOTTIE and THEN ACCUSE MY KIDS OF BEING THE CULPRITS!"

OUTRAGE flared within Luke and also Milo, Iris and Jean-Luc. They immediately knew who were the liars were. Milo then stormed to Eva, some of her older offspring including Dexter standing behind her.

"Quaoar injuring Scottie and then blaming YOUR kids for the deed, Eva," he retorted, "WE saw who dragged Scottie by in that cart and WE know where Quaoar was been before he rushed off after those senseless toucans to attempt to rescue him only for it to end in THAT crash!"

"They caused the crash, Mrs Eva," cried Quaoar tearfully in Hauyne's wings, his mother glaring angrily at the keel-billed mother. Eva moved her glare from Milo to Quaoar and Hauyne to an equally angry and agreeing Iris, Chip and Jean-Luc and then back to Milo.

"That's NOT TRUE," retorted Dexter but then an angry father bark exploded and interrupted him. Rafael appeared.

"Dexter, kids, back to our hollow NOW," he commanded.

"But father," protested Mario but Rafael reiterated his command in a harsher voice. The group bolted and flew off. Some of them however, were exasperated.

"Get your older kids disciplined RIGHT NOW, Rafael," snarled Milo, "OR YOU'LL BE FACING SOME SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. THEIR ANTICS ARE HONESTLY CROSSING THE LINE TOO OFTEN."

Iris and Jean-Luc looked on with agreeing faces and folded wings, the latter nodding.

"I think Luke and Hauyne oughta get THEIR son disciplined," retorted Eva, "Especially if THEY are gonna GET OUR KIDS INTO TROUBLE OVER SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T DO!"

"Eva, my love, please return to our hollow," said Rafael while Hauyne and Luke's eyes flashed with hurt and outrage. Eva opened her beak to protest but then obeyed her toco mate's command and lofted into flight but not before she issued the Lear's macaw couple one final caustic and incredibly INSENSITIVE parting shot.

"At least your infertility won't allow YOU to have any more chicks, Hauyne," she squawked to the UTMOST ASTONISHMENT of the others including Rafael, "Otherwise we would have had more delinquent LEAR'S MACAWS out causin' TROUBLE!"

Hauyne winced VIOLENTLY at this statement and Rafael yelled at his mate to get back to the hollow now and Eva obeyed, her bitter face turned away from the Lear's macaws. Rafael issued the others an apology for his keel-billed mate's temper and left. However, those words had already hacked and slashed a certain individual and she broke down into tears. Dropping Quaoar, Hauyne flapped off and rocketed through the trees, tears flying everywhere as she sobbed heavily. Luke tried to follow but realised that he cannot fly to his ANGER and humiliation. He really wanted to fly after Hauyne to comfort her but he could not with a single wing. Then he shot Iris, Jean-Luc and Milo a FURIOUS glare.

"That's the END of our friendship with those toucans if they are gonna cause such HURT," he snarled and with that, he stormed off, "We're gonna follow Orion and his family and have NOWT to do wi' them from NOW on, EXCEPT a few of them who actually have SENSE like Diantha!"

With that, he went over to Nick and asked him to pick him up, which Nick did. Then Tulio came over to Quaoar to check the young Lear's macaw for any injuries. When he saw that he had a black eye and some bruises, he decided to take him back to the Aviary for treatment. The gathered Tijuca Forest community members dispersed, some of them shaken up by Eva's caustic remark to Hauyne while Chip and Milo followed Tulio and also Nick, Matthew and the other humans including Scottie's owner as she carried the injured, still-bound and crying dog and the damaged cart which actually belonged to her and her children back at her home, and Jean-Luc and Iris flew after the lacerated Hauyne. Soon, everyone had left the crash site which had been cleaned up save for some mini-trenches and damaged vegetation where Scottie and the cart had crashed.

Tulio had promised Scottie's owner to help pay for the vet bills for her and her family's dog and apologised for what had happened to him