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Ari watched in fear as the Three Caballeros were blown away by Felldrake's ominous shockwave.
Although the Aracuan Bird had been a distance away from the battlefield, he could already feel just how powerful the attack was. He couldn't bring himself to imagine how painful it must have been to be hit head-on.
The Three Caballeros lay on the floating rock, exhausted and disheartened. Slowly and sorely, Panchito lifted his head, Donald and José following. If it wasn't for their magical armours, the three warriors doubted they could still have the strength to keep conscious. When they did open their eyes, however, they found that Felldrake was nowhere in sight, much to everyone's shock and confusion.
Ari anxiously scanned through the distorted space, hoping to catch sight of their enemy, so that he could warn his friends of the incoming attack. In such injured states, they could not possibly take another impact.
But before Ari could open his beak and tell his friends to run, violet magic concentrated rapidly in the void just behind the three warriors, manifesting into the enormous form of the dark wizard. The Three Caballeros gasped in shock, as they simultaneously looked behind them, just to see their enemy raising a sharply-clawed hand, about to slam down on them.
"Die, Caballeros!"
In those few seconds, shorter than anyone but Ari could remember, it was as if time had paused, and space had turned monochrome.
His eyes widened in despair, tears long accumulated streamed down his pink, feathered cheeks.
Ari felt as though his heart dropped down to the deepest, darkest abyss.
"I...I can't do anything..."
Ari remembered saying the exact same thing just a few weeks ago, when Xandra came back alone from Mexico, bringing the grim tidings that the Three Caballeros had been banished to the underworld. Of course he didn't show anyone his tears. He never showed anyone his feelings easily.
But he did hold them in until he was alone, and then tried his best to hide his swollen eyes and tear-stained face afterwards.
Somehow, Ari still managed to put up a forced smile - and got away with it - when the nieces asked him to participate in an amateur séance to bring Panchito back. They didn't know how much it had hurt him, by asking him to take part in an obviously futile attempt to "save" his dead friends, and then having said attempt fail in his face.
Actually, that wasn't the only time Ari had said those words to himself, nor experienced that dreadful, helpless sentiment. That wasn't even the first time that had happened.
It had happened once, twice...and it's going to happen again. Right in front of him. And again, he couldn't do a single thing.
The ones he loved would be taken away from him, and Ari could only watch the tragedy unfold in his teary eyes.
"They were right. My luck with friendship is pathetic."
"My friendships never end well."
Ari remembered the sneering of the Amazon birds, mocking him for always being the lonely clown of the jungle.
The lonely Aracuan Bird, crying alone on the jungle floor, where no one could hear his weeping.
But hidden within the forest of memories, Ari also saw smiles. Bright, friendly smiles...of an old Aracuan Bird...an elderly duck...a rooster, a parrot and a young duck.
They were all smiling, calling Ari's name, giving him a warm, big hug...They accompanied him when he was the most vulnerable. They held his hand when he was lost in the sea of fate. They gave colours and meanings to his life. They were his family, his friends.
The ones he wanted to protect.
"And I'll change that!"
"What?!" Felldrake yelled in shock. Just when he thought he had finally got his mortal enemies, something intercepted his razor-sharp claws. "This barrier! This golden barrier...!"
Donald opened his eyes when he heard a loud clash but felt no pain. What was playing in front of him left his eyes even more widened.
"The magical barrier...It's the one that protected us back at the cabana!" Donald shouted, pointing his sword in front of him. Felldrake was straining to get through the obstacle with his claws, but the barrier kept repelling his attack, the two types of magic clashing together. "And the power must be stronger than before! Even Felldrake can't pierce through the barrier in his awakened form!"
"But...but we aren't at the cabana!" Panchito held his bronze spear in his trembling hands. "How did it get here?! José?"
Panchito turned to his parrot friend for answers, only to find him staring into the distance in astonishment. Upon looking at that direction, Panchito and Donald too stared in awe.
Clad in a golden armour not unlike those of the Caballeros, Ari stood on a floating boulder, his eyes showing his unyielding resolve. His attire resembled a mix of a warrior's armour and a sorcerer's robe, in a colour scheme that was magenta and gold intertwined: A pair of deep purple leather boots with tips of gold; A magenta velvet robe reinforced with golden metal plates; Topped off with a purple leather wizard's hat, decorated with a wide, gold-plated brim.
And in his feathered hand was a magic staff of pure gold, standing even taller than the Aracuan Bird. Its tip was radiating a magenta-coloured aura, as was its user, his scarlet crest flowing in the gale generated from the impact.
"Ari...my friend..." José whispered at the unbelievable scene in front of him. Ari held firmly onto his weapon, channeling his magic to the protective barrier standing between his friends and their opponent.
"The magic protecting the cabana...The barrier shielding the Caballeros...It was all the work of this little bird!" Felldrake growled in shock and frustration, the golden barrier showing no signs of even cracking slightly. "To think the old Coot had such a partner...!"
Ari bit his beak at the mention of his old friend, tears flowing out of his determined eyes.
"At that time, I left him...I let go of his hand, because of my cowardice...I wasn't there with him to the end, because I was scared..."
"But this time...This time...!"
"I will not run away...! I will not fear anymore...!"
"Donald! José! Panchito!" Ari shouted out amidst the commotion. "I won't let him break through the barrier! I won't let him hurt you anymore!"
The Caballeros were surprised, that the presumedly unintelligible Aracuan Bird could speak, and even more so that he spoke with such resolve and determination.
"Go! Friends!"
Then, they saw the magenta aura surrounding Ari spreading to each of them, changing to match the colour of their respective magic upon contact. It was a gentle glow, covering their holy armours and divine weapons, making them shine bright in vibrant colours.
José felt his fatigue and fear fade away in an instant, replaced with vigour and valour. The pain he had experienced melted away into the colourful magic, his injuries fully healed in no time.
José's gazes shifted between his two friends, their surprised expressions telling him they were also experiencing the same enhancing effect.
"This...is Ari's power...?" José turned to the Aracuan Bird, their eyes meeting each other. Ari gave him a nod and an encouraging smile.
"Thank you, Ari..." José tipped his silver helmet as a wordless gratitude, before grasping his scimitar tightly in his gauntlets. He looked at Donald and Panchito, both holding their weapons in ready.
With a powerful leap, the three warriors charged into action, the sorcerer supporting them from the side.
Ari held onto his metal staff, watching his friends return to the battlefield with a bittersweet smile.
"Gramps...Clinton...and the Caballeros..."
"You have showed me the light of hope...You have saved me from loneliness and despair..."
"And now, I'll be the one to protect...!"
Though his tears kept falling down, the firm resolution in his eyes was unswerving. He raised his golden staff, its magical gleam shining in the boundless void, bright as a supernova.
"I won't let anyone die in front of me anymore! This time, I'll save you all!"
"This time, I'll change that fate!"
(6-6-2022 ~ 9-6-2022)