The party had gone well into the night. It had been amazing, held in the Blue-and-Gold territory in a gorgeous clearing, hidden in a bunch of particularly flowered trees. The trees had been decorated with fruit and flower-ladden vines, as well as large palm leaves. Tribes had brought fruit and nuts from their own territories, and all these had been placed in multiple large palm-hammocks, so that there had been a great feast. After this, the tribes had all performed their special dances, with the other two joining in or watching. 'Beautiful Creatures', the Red tribe's 'Perlina', and the Blue-and-Gold's 'Warm Sky' had all been done, and for the rest of the celebration, all the tribes had mixed - dancing, chatting, eating leftover fruit.

The best tribe singers had sung; Roberto and Sophia, performing a song, while Bromeliad, Isaac, Azure and Orchid had gone up to sing lyrics and back-up vocals with their parents. They had inherited their parents' singing gifts, and the entire family, after everything they had gone through, had received phenomenal applause. Carla and Bruno had gone up afterwards, and sung their hearts out. Many other singers from the other tribes had sung their songs too, and by the end, everyone's heads were filled with the inspirational music that had been performed. By the time the celebration had ended, the moon had been halfway into the sky, and the stars had been bright in a cloudless night. Everyone had been exhausted, and most of the tribes had slept in until noon, which was very late for them - Jewel had tried to wake up at normal time, but had been too tired to do so, and Blu hadn't complained, of course, loving a late start like he used to have.

It had been a few days since Orchid had been released - she had been nervous, but she had been welcomed back to the tribe with warmth and joy from every tribemate. In fact, at the celebration the other night, the party had broken into loud applause from everyone as she arrived - Spix's, Red, and Blue-and-Gold. Felipe and Azalea had rushed to greet Orchid - Azalea had been in tears, and they had been thanking her over and over for saving Adele. Adele and Leti too had hurried over to thank Orchid, and she had earned a hug from both because of it.

Sophia had been released a few weeks prior to Orchid, and had recieved a similar hero's welcome. She now carried absolutely no sign of what she had gone through - all wounds, all bruises, gone. But of course Orchid's story was different. She had fallen in love with her new bandanas, the lilac one being her favourite, but it hid a tragic memory. They had sworn to find a fitting glass macaw eye, but for now, Orchid accepted the bandana. The scarring was now present - only two lines, between one and two inches in length, but it still bothered her. Bia had told Orchid ways of getting them to fade - rubbing sand onto the scar tissue to help exfoliate it, and using lemon to lighten it up. Orchid did this twice daily, once in the morning and once at night. The results would show in time - maybe one day she wouldn't have to wear the bandana, if they found her a glass eye.

Orchid found her family's fussing irritating. They often hurried to help her do things, and it made her feel weak and stupid. The message seemed to be getting through, now, a few days on, and they kept their distance when she didn't need them. This was a relief, as Orchid hated having to rely on someone - and most seemed afraid to touch her, as if she were fragile and would shatter like glass. This was so annoying - she was independent and could look after herself.

Today wearing the pale blue bandana, Orchid was doing regular practice - running, dancing, and flying, to try and adjust to her new way of life. So far, everything had run very smoothly. In fact, Orchid swore that the ear on her blind side was better at picking up sound - and it was said that those robbed of a sense had sharpened other senses, and now this seemed to be true. Today, she was flying through a thick group of trees with criss-crossing vines and branches, to improve her coordination.

Orchid was flying surprisingly fast - and well. She rarely bumped into anything now, compared to before, where she frequently didn't see an obstacle on her blind side and flew into it. She had once been afraid and uncomfortable, but now she flew with ease. Orchid was still troubled - and devastated - by her loss. But she would adjust in time - she was just like any other macaw. She was going to be just fine, and now, she was nearing the end of the trees. Orchid finally flew into the open, and felt a sense of achievement and pride. She rushed to meet her family, who waved at the finish line.

Roberto and Sophia leapt up and down, cheering for their daughter, alongside Azure, Isaac, Bromeliad and Tiago. Sophia now looked as healthy as she had ever been - her wing feathers had grown back entirely, and she was back to her feisty, loving self, her eyes regaining their sparkle. Bia was also present, cheering on her friend, at Azure's side. Carla and Bruno were in their club, busy entertaining their loyal party-goers who had flocked back as soon as the club had reopened. The club was bustling, and recieved new attendees everyday. Blu and Jewel, meanwhile, were at home in the ravine. The two lovebirds had never left one another's sides since the battle had ended, and their bond was stronger than ever before. Bia was glad for it - after Jewel had nearly lost her life, she was now strong and there to stay.

"Well done, sis." Isaac's eyes were bright, from where he stood beside Bromeliad. Bia eyed the two. They're the only ones who haven't got someone. Bia thought of a male named Gabriel, who liked Bromeliad a lot, and Isaac had no shortage of female admirers. It wouldn't be much longer until they both had someone special. Meanwhile, Orchid was holding wings with Tiago. She grinned at her family members, before giving Tiago a kiss. Roberto coughed, Sophia rolled her eyes in amusement, and Orchid's siblings all laughed. Orchid pulled away from Tiago, and gave them a mischievous grin, before turning and searching for a new challenge.

Azure and Bia watched as Orchid flew excitedly away, followed by Tiago, headed for another cluster of trees. Their family - Bia counted Azure's family as her own, now - proceeded to follow, but Azure took Bia's wing, nodding up to the tree branches above. Roberto, Sophia, Isaac and Bromeliad turned around, waiting for them. "Go ahead, we'll catch up." Azure said, waving. Roberto and Sophia smiled, before turning and following Tiago and Orchid. Bromeliad and Isaac waved back to Azure and Bia, before turning and following Roberto and Sophia.

Bia and Azure flew up to a branch that was some metres away. Bia sat down, snuggling herself under Azure's wing, head resting on his shoulder. Her wing tangled with his, and they tipped their heads up toward the sky. It was nearing the evening, with the sun beginning to fall steadily into the horizon. Birdsong sounded in the surrounding trees, and the sun, while dimming, still caught the Amazon river surface. The sky was blue, but the horizon was turning gold and pink. Bia briefly thought it was all beautiful, before she caught sight of the old Hyacinth territory in the distance, and shivered briefly at those memories.

Patrols had entered the deserted Hyacinth territory to make sure, but they had found no sign of them. The barren land seemed to be recovering - buds were developing, tiny green leaves forming on half-dead trees. Wildlife was returning with the owners' absence, and the cave was empty. The Hyacinths had not regrouped - rather, they had settled into families or small groups. This was what the patrols had observed, anyway - in the unclaimed territory within the sanctuary, the Hyacinths had spread out. The violence had ceased to exist, and the Hyacinths who had always been there, the ones who had never been part of the tribe, had visited Eduardo, Felipe and Johanna to tell them that the old tribe macaws weren't plotting anything. It was severely unlikely, what with them being far apart and without a leader, but the non-tribal Hyacinths promised to keep their ears open, just in case. If the Hyacinths plotted vengeance, they would be ready and prepared.

"You think Orchid will be alright?" Azure asked, his cheek resting on Bia's head. Bia turned her gaze, gazing toward the trees Orchid and Tiago had headed to. The pair were flying into the trees now, their laughter heard from Bia and Azure's position. Roberto and Sophia had landed on a branch, and the latter was leaning on her mate, who had a wing around her. Isaac and Bromeliad were craning their necks, trying to seek out Orchid and Tiago in the trees. Bia knew the answer to Azure's question.

"Of course she will. She's brave, and has her family. And don't forget Tiago." Bia couldn't believe how far her little brother had come - he had gone from immature and reckless to thoughtful and a loving soulmate to Orchid. Of course he was still the most mischievous bird she knew. There was probably a prank awaiting somebody at home. Carla and Bruno's future was also bright - Carla had let go of her fears and hesitation at long last, and now the two club owners were in a relationship. Bia was so happy for the both of them, and she knew Bruno was delighted too. They were actually close to the club Kapok - she could see it through the trees - and the sound of Carla and Bruno's singing voices was heard. "I think it's safe to say that everything's going to be alright, now."

"Yes... it really is." Azure agreed. Bia knew it was - her whole family was safe. Eduardo and Mimi were safe from Kerja's rage, now that Kerja was well and truly gone. Her parents were together, and Jewel wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. The tribes were all at peace, and the Hyacinth tribe was no more. Azure then began smiling. "You know... this is the tree we had our very first kiss in. Do you remember?"

"How could I forget that?" Bia's heart warmed at the memory - back then, Bromeliad had deeply upset her and Bia had fled into the jungle in tears. Azure had come to find her, had comforted her. It was hard to believe that Bia had once hated his sister - now, they were the best of friends. I truly do have great friends. Carla and Tiago, Bromeliad, Isaac, Bruno, Orchid... and him. She turned to Azure, her wingtips reaching up and framing his face. Azure covered her left wing with his, holding her wing to his cheek. "I love you, you know... you really don't know how much." Bia wasn't at all embarrassed to say it. It was the truth. Of course there were those out there who thought finding love young was silly, wouldn't last. But this just wasn't the truth. She had found genuine love, and Bia had never felt more certain of anything in her entire life. Azure smiled.

"How about a kiss to seal that last sentence?" Azure had meant it as a joke at first, but then he realized just how good an idea that was. Looking at Bia now, Azure felt a warm feeling spreading through his heart. It was something he felt everytime he saw her face or heard her voice, but now, it was warmer than ever. He loved Bia so much, more than anyone. She was beautiful - her hazel eyes that shone with intelligence, her smile, her silk for feathers, but this wasn't the only thing that made her beautiful to him. She was beautiful on the inside - her spirit, her kind, brave heart.

"I think you know the answer." Bia leaned toward Azure, and touched her beak to his. They had risked so much for each other, almost died along the way. But they wouldn't change a thing. They were, and always would be in love - it was evergreen, and it would never fade. After a few moments, she pulled away from Azure, and allowed him to envelope her in his wings. She rested her cheek on his chest, and closed her eyes. Bia was truly happy - and always would be happy - in Azure's embrace.

And, finally - The Estrella is finished. It took almost eight months, but at last, it's reached it's end. It was so time-consuming, often difficult to write, and I'm exhausted, but I'm fairly happy with the result - I think this was a successful sequel, and I prefer this to it's predecessor. I had initially planned an epilogue to finish this off, but I couldn't quite find enough words to fill out my 2000-words-minimum-chapter routine. But I'll let you know that it would have shown Bia and Azure three years on, departing on a solo travelling trip together, around Brazil and Venezuela. All the teenaged characters - Bia, Carla, Tiago, Azure, Bruno, Orchid, Bromeliad, Isaac - they're all young adults now.

Now, I have a few things I'd like to express: firstly, this will be the only major sequel to The Outcast. As much a I'd love to do a third, a third major one might spoil it, as I can't think of anything to top this one off. However, since I adore Bia and Azure so much, I am planning a spin-off for them - set four years after The Estrella, it's not set in the Amazon - but I can promise that Bia and Azure won't be on their own. While their families and friends are back home, they'll be joined by the city characters - and a few new characters I'm super excited to introduce.

I won't give you all a glimpse of the main plot just yet, but I'm hoping to have it on the website by sometime next year. I need to figure some more things out, how it's going to flow, etc. I have several Rio and non-Rio stories - five, at the moment - in mind before my spin-off, but I may start the spin-off between one of these five stories.

If you have any questions about this story, do contact me! And I'd just love to thank you all for everything - your patience, encouragement, advice, and, of course, the phenomenal support. I can't believe the review number - I never expected it to grow that high, and I can't thank you all enough for it! Anyway, thank you all once again, and I'll see you soon with the rewrite of 'Roberto's Nightmare' - bye!