A Quetz with Trolls

Sick Quetz

Calibri shook out her feathers while the vehicle was moving at a fast pace. She was concerned since her feather tips were starting to turn a light shade of grey. When she stopped, there were a few feathers on the floor now. 

"Operation Family Harmony, is on and popping!" Branch seemed pretty excited about the mission, and it made the feathered woman smile. 

Poppy leaned over to Branch. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you're excited." 

Branch was now in denial. "Uh, it has nothing to do with my brothers." 

This made Calibri shake her head with a small chuckle. "Sure, amor, keep telling yourself that." But after she was done with her chuckles, she coughed a bit. 

"Cali, are you ok?" Poppy and Branch helped the woman sit on the couch. "I'll be fine, just a small cold." 

Then a voice came onto the speakers. "Alright! Alright! Tiny, Branch, Poppy, Cali, and this random dude!" 

John took offence to that. "What?" 

The group then went to the front to see Tiny driving. "On another musical adventure filled with heart, hilarity, and happiness!" 

Calibri shook her head. "Tiny Diamond, what are you doing here?" 

"Well, Aunt Calibri, for your information, I am no longer a baby. I am a big boy now. And I'm on a man-sized rite of passage to learn lessons of life, courage, and maybe love." This just made the woman pinch the bridge of her nose. 

"Aw." Poppy was proud. 

John Dory spoke some sense. "Uh, should we be letting a baby drive?" 

"Thank you, John, for talking some sense." 

Tiny seemed to have come prepared. "Not to worry, fellow grown up. I have procured my learners permit." He held up a card with his photo, he was wearing a fake mustache and his name was fake. 

"Who's Adulty McManface?" Poppy read the fake name out loud, and after Tiny put it away he asked the queen something. "The better question is, are you a narc?" 

Calibri growled at that, and Tiny seemed to have turned back to the road. But after growling, the woman started coughing again. This time kneeling as she shook and breathed heavily, as some more of her feathers fell. 

"Cali!" Branch and Poppy helped her up and John lead them over to the couch. "Rest, you need it." 

"I'll rest when we get my mother and Floyd out of their prisons." Calibri was forced to lay down before a blanket was draped over her. "I'll be fine." 

John Dory seemed ready to put pedal to the medal as he went back to the front. "Enough chit-chat, Adulty McManface. Step on it!" 

Branch held Calibri's hand a bit. "If you won't rest, do you have any ideas on how to track down my brothers?" 

"Clue board. Take everything you know about each of your brothers and pin it up. Anything that is of their hobbies, what they might do now, just use what knowledge you have." 

The troll nodded and got to work, first they were going to find Spruce, the heartthrob of the band. "Okay, guys, where was I? We gotta find our brothers and fast. But don't worry, old Branch has it covered. Thanks to Cali." 

He then switched on a light that showed the clue board. There were pictures, posters, photos, and magazines, everything they needed. "All we do is follow the clues." 

Poppy came over and Calibri watched from her spot on the couch. "Wow, check out your old outfits. Puffy jackets, puka shell necklaces, denim tuxedos?" 

This made Calibri get up so she can get a better look and she saw the photo of baby Branch with frosted tips. "Amor, you had frosted tips?" 

"Yeah, it was an era." Branch led Calibri back to the couch and had her sit down. But then John had to be the annoying brother. "Don't forget his perm." 

This made Poppy cling to the guy. "No way! Pictures or it didn't happen!" 

John then pulled out a photo showing Branch with curly hair, and it made Poppy jump for joy. "Look at you! You were so cute! I love it!" 

Calibri then reached over and took the photo. "¡Dios mío! ¡Eras tan adorable! ¡Me quedo con esto para siempre!" 

John then shrugged. "But we had to pull the plug when he tried to frost his perm." 

The feathered woman didn't stop gushing over how cute it was. "Understandable, but still!" 

Branch though tried to defend himself. "It was an era!" 

"Tragic." John rubbed in some salt to the embarrassment. 

"While you three were strolling down memory lane, I'll work on finding Spruce." Branch got back to work, and Poppy whispered something to John. "If I ever get the photo away from Cali, I'll make copies. Wallet size." 

John winked at Poppy and turned to Branch. "We don't need your little board to find Spruce." 

"It's not little." 

The older brother continued. "Because I got this. Boom!" He pulled out a post card, a sunset for the picture and 'Wish you were here!', was there too. 

"A post card? Really? It doesn't even have a signature." Calibri was right as she tucked the photo of baby branch into her pocket. 

"It's defiantly Spruce. I mean, he's the only one who I know who talks that way." John stated it like it was obvious. 

Poppy took the card and had the feathered women lay down. "Cali, you rest. If your mom saw you like this, she wouldn't be happy. Besides, all we gotta do is find this sunset." 

Calibri huffed out a sigh and reached out, holding the pink troll's hand before nodding in understanding. "I'll see if I can communicate with her in my sleep, see how she's holding up." 

Branch then came over and kissed the woman's forehead. She didn't have a fever, but her body heat was dropping instead. "We'll wake you up when we get Spruce." 

With that Calibri closed her eyes and fell asleep, reaching out to her mother through her subconscious. She also reached out to Floyd, trying to see if he was alright too. And it seems to have worked as out of the dark came a middle aged Quetz and a troll with pink hair. 

"What is this place?" The troll, Floyd, looked around. 

"It is the space between the conscious and subconscious mind, Floyd." The older Quetz looked around before spotting the younger feathered woman before her. "Hello, who are you?" 

Calibri teared up before smiling. "Hola, Mama." 

Mariana took a closer look and gasped, her own eyes tearing up at the sight of her daughter. "My little hummingbird." 

The two hugged, crying happy tears as they held each other. Floyd let them have their moment as he smiled a bit at the two. 

"Look at you, all grown up. So beautiful." Calibri smiled before looking to Floyd and kneeling to his height. "Hey, I'm Calibri, I'm Branch's girlfriend." 

Floyd seemed shocked at that but smiled anyway. "How is he?" 

"We're looking for Spruce, but he's doing fine. It's you two I'm worried about." Calibri took Floyd's hands they seemed silvery and drained. "Your life force is being drained as those perras drain your talent."

Mariana nodded. "They keep me in a cage like some exotic pet. I got a lead on Velvet and Veneer kidnapping Floyd and went to investigate. Turns out it was a trap.  Quetz's are like the police in this world, even though there are police. We're the ones people call when things get out of hand." 

This made Calibri flare her wings in anger. "Why would they trap you?" 

"I'm the leader of the Quetz's. Without me, there is no order till I or one of my children return. Some of your siblings are here too, I want you to find them." 

Calibri nodded as she closed her eyes and woke up to see Branch nudging her awake. "Cali, we got Spruce, well he goes by Bruce now. And apparently I'm an uncle now." 

"Good to hear. Can't wait to meet your nieces and nephews."