Fizz Cocoquoise

Written by: Zoe Luglan

Aeloria Island was a loner. Long ago, she was stranded in the deep dark blue by her earthly neighbors. Her skies were always purple and it was here that the wind blew ferociously, holding coconuts in its grasp and hurling them to the ground. Her people were happy simply to be alive and went about their daily tasks, as though they were the most joyful doings in the world. Well, most of her people.

There was one man in particular, that seemed to live within a storm cloud. He wasn't seen often, but when he was, he sent quite a fright through the village. In a sighting, he could be seen climbing the ladder up to his nest, high in the trees. He was always carrying a dark, large and lumpy bag over his shoulder, and had a machete fastened to his belt. 

The people of Aeloria made all sorts of assumptions. He must carry the dead in that bag! And that knife! Oh, it terrifies me to think what he must do with it. And it was because of this swirling gossip, that the people began calling him, “The Butcher”.

—

Brio rose with the sun that morning, for what was possibly the first time in his life. He sat up and was met with a wall of green. There were leaves larger than elephant ears and palm trunks too vast to hug. Just through the foliage, he could see blue. The sound of waves soothed his heart. 

A cerulean butterfly, nearly the size of his head, rested on his shoulder for a moment, before continuing on its way. A fat raindrop traveled far from the highest leaf in the canopy and landed on his cheek. A pink crab larger than a terrier scurried into its hole when Brio stood. 

He brushed the sand off of himself and headed towards the water. Feet warm and the salty air enveloping him, he began to think about the day before. The singular candle in his breakfast eggs, the goodbyes, the door shut behind him. Eighteen years he had lived there, and in one fell swoop it was over. 

After rinsing off in the water, he felt refreshed and decided to look for some fruit to eat for breakfast. He hoped he might come across some bananas, or even better, a mango tree. As he walked amongst the trees, he relished in the sweet melody of songbirds welcoming the sun. Even on a terrible morning, there was still music.

He didn't know where he was going or what he would do with his life now, but in this moment, barefoot on the sandy path and wind in his hair, he felt like he was going to be okay. 

A faint rustling noise pulled him out of his thoughts. It was coming from somewhere ahead of him. He followed the noise. As he rounded a large coconut tree, he saw, about twenty feet away, the broad back of a man, crouched over and hastily adding things to a bag. It was a thick, black bag. Brio's eyes caught on the large knife on his hip. He had heard of this man.

The outlandish rumors and the fear that tainted the house mothers' gossip. The extraordinary accusations. Brio itched to know the truth.

But before Brio could approach the man, he must have sensed Brio's presence, because he quickly hoisted his bag over his shoulder and hurried away.

"Wait!" Brio tried running after him but got lost in the dense greenery.

Unable to kill his curiosity, Brio went back to the spot where the man had been scavenging. He was met with nothing but dirt and sand.

At a dead end for the day, Brio went back to his spot by the ocean, swam for a few hours, and then went to sleep for the night in the soft, warm sand.

The next day was beautiful. The air was light and the wind had calmed to a cool breeze. Brio decided to go for a walk. He wandered through the sandy forest, admiring the colorful foliage. There were vibrant purple bushes covered in dew and teal vines that danced in the wind.

Lost in the beauty of it all, he heard the familiar sound of rustling. He turned towards the noise and saw the man, about a dozen trees away. He was in the same position as the day before. This time, Brio decided to try a different tactic. He stayed quiet and waited for the man to grab his bag and walk away. Brio followed him, keeping his distance. 

After a few minutes of meandering through dense shrubbery and fallen logs, a peculiar house came into view. It was high in the trees and looked like a very large coconut covered in straw. In a way, it resembled a nest. 

Brio hid behind a tree and watched as the man climbed the ladder and entered the house. This was Brio's chance. He could find out the truth.

In a rush of youthful impulse, Brio began climbing the ladder. It was old and rickety, creaking and groaning under his weight. Much to Brio's relief, he was soon face-to-face with the man's door. He gave three quick knocks to the wood.

Silence. He knocked again, louder this time. 

Beyond the door, he heard a man's voice quietly mutter some obscenity, but still no one came to the door.

Brio refused to go home without an answer. He knocked again, this time shouting through the door, "Look I have nowhere else to go." A little pity never hurt anybody, he figured. And then for good measure, he added, "I'm not like them, I promise."

He heard a sigh, and then a grunt, and then heavy footsteps. 

The door swung open. Brio was met with a weathered face, not kissed, but ravaged by the sun. He had to be at least fifty. The man's clothes were colored with patches of dirt and torn at the joints.

"What do you want?" the man asked gruffly.

"Can I come in? This isn't exactly a great place to talk." Brio looked down between the ladder rungs—the ground was at least fifty feet away.

"Fine. Come in."

Brio took a grateful step inside and looked around. Despite the man's rough appearance, he had made this place a home. There was a cot made of straw, a painting of a bird above it, the mysterious bag in the corner, a singular linoleum countertop, and an obscure object nearly half his height, covered by a blanket.

As Brio took all of this in, the man stood awkwardly by the open door. When Brio looked at him, his mouth open to say something, the man seemed to come to his senses and shut the door with a grunt. 

"Well, I guess take a seat." The man gestured to the floor.

Brio nodded and sat cross-legged on the floor. The man joined him.

Silence filled the air.

"What's your real name?" Brio blurted out. 

The tiniest sliver of a smile appeared on the man's lips. "You can call me Ray," he said with a deep, relaxed island accent.

Brio grinned. "I knew it couldn't be The B—"

"Butcher?" Ray chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

"I was bored and you seem to be the last interesting person in the village." That was close enough to the truth, Brio figured.

This brought out a real laugh in Ray. The lines by his eyes deepened and the sound delighted Brio. A soft chirp sounded from the corner. Brio's eyes followed the noise.

"What's under there?" Brio nodded toward the covered object.

Ray paused, hesitant and contemplative. After a moment, he stood and lifted the blanket. Brio gasped. No, it couldn't be.

"I thought they went extinct!" Brio stood up to inspect it closer. It was a gorgeous bird, standing over two feet tall. Its feathers were a vivid turquoise color, much like the ocean, and its head was a striking, dark rose. Embedded in its feathers were tiny glimmering specks that reflected the light. 

"This is Fizz," said Ray. 

"Hi, Fizz. Nice to meet you." Brio stuck a finger into the cage and Fizz leaned into his touch, letting out a purr. 

"He's a Cocoquoise, and you're right, as far as the general public knows, they are extinct."

Brio remembered seeing a section on Cocoquoise in one of his books. There was a blurb that said something along the lines of: if a human killed a Cocoquoise and ate its meat, it would bring their body back to its physical peak and grant them immortality.

"I was able to care for him a long time, feeding him the meat of coconuts—" Ray began.

“Wait—" Brio cut him off eyeing the lumpy bag in the corner, "is that what's in there? Oh! And the machete!" It all made sense. Of course, Ray used the machete to crack open the tough shell of coconuts. Brio was laughing now. The people of Aeloria Island sure could be a judgmental bunch. 

Ray smiled and continued, "But he's starting to be too big for this place. It's not safe for him anymore. If the people find out—" Ray stopped, shaking his head sadly.

"What are you going to do? Does he have any family left? Is he the last one?"

Fizz let out a sad chirp. Ray petted Fizz's head and went over to the counter. He began chopping coconuts on the linoleum, the crisp crack of the machete causing Brio to jump.

"That's the thing," Ray said, "while it's believed that they are extinct, no one has been to the mountain at the center of the island in centuries, so how could we know for sure? The problem is, Mount Aeloria is said to be haunted. Anyone who has ever entered, never returned."

Brio widened his eyes. "Can we go?"

There was a glimmer of a smile on Ray's face before it became stony. "Did you hear me? It's too dangerous, too uncertain. Besides, I'm still working out what the best course of action is."

Brio slumped his shoulders and frowned. "I just want to help."

A flash of remorse crossed Ray's features. "How old are you anyway? I'm not taking a kid on a death march."

Brio sat up straight. "Eighteen, sir."

Ray chuckled. "Tell you what, let me think on it tonight and meet me here tomorrow when the sun's at its highest point."

Brio nodded enthusiastically. "I'll be here."

On the walk home, Brio could hardly contain his excitement. He didn't even mind sleeping on the beach again tonight. For the first time in his life, he had something to look forward to. Something that mattered. 

The next day, he swam in the clear teal waters for a few hours, trading waves for minutes. Once he was sure the sun was high enough, he hurried to Ray's.

Ten minutes later, he was sitting on the floor across from Ray.

"I've decided to take Fizz to Mount Aeloria. It's the best shot I have at finding him a home. I don't know what else to do," Ray said.

"And...?" Brio leaned in and smiled brightly.

"And you can come along if you want," Ray huffed, "as long as you're aware of the risks. You're an adult, it's not like I can stop you."

Brio grinned. "You won't regret this." He jumped up and ran to Fizz. "Did you hear that? We're going on an adventure!"

Fizz gave an excited chirp and danced in a circle, the glimmers on his feathers causing a disco effect around the room. 

An elated laugh escaped Brio. Ray smiled.

"We will set out tonight at dusk."

"Dusk? But isn't it haunted? That’s—"

"It must be dark when we leave town. I can't risk Fizz being seen."

"Right." Brio nodded. He looked at Fizz and frowned, poor bird. He was just a baby. It ignited a deep well of anger in Brio to think about the people of Aeloria plotting Fizz’s death. 

As soon as the sun dipped beyond the horizon, Brio, Ray, and Fizz set out on their journey. Brio and Ray stuck to the sandy path, while Fizz flew in front of them, leading the way. Mount Aeloria loomed in the darkness; it was only because of the full moon that they could see it at all.

It wasn't long before they reached the base of the mountain, and it was clear when they had. Two trees marked the entrance. Warning signs were nailed to their trunks. Brio shuddered when he saw one that said, "Say goodbye to your loved ones first."

It was eerily dark ahead. The canopy was denser here, blocking the moon's light. With a brief moment of hesitation, Ray took a step into the darkness. 

Like magic, a flurry of light fell from the canopy. It swirled around Ray. 

Brio let out a delighted laugh. He joined Ray and the light circled around his body, tickling his skin. Fireflies, he realized. Thousands of them.

Brio took another step. The plants seemed to welcome him, gently receding and uncovering a sandy path. The fireflies left his side and lit the edges of the trail ahead. 

"Ray! Look! They're lighting the way."

Ray smiled, a little unsure. "Let's hope it's not to our death."

They walked in silence, Brio happy to be on an expedition, and Ray on edge, keeping an eye out for any potential threats.

"How did you find Fizz?" Brio broke the silence.

Ray hummed. "Do you remember the hurricane a few years back?"

"The one that took out the entire East Forest?"

Ray nodded. "That's where I found Fizz. He was alone. And so was I." He paused and Brio looked at him. There was a shine to his eyes. Ray swallowed and cleared his throat. "The hurricane took my family, too."

“Oh,” Brio said quietly, “I'm sorry.” He knew what it was like to be without family. 

“Life goes on.” Ray shrugged. “After I freed Fizz from a pile of debris, he led me to the nest where we live now. I've always wondered if it used to belong to someone in his family.” Ray paused. “I'm looking forward to the day when he can tell me more of his story.”

Brio remembered reading about that as well. Cocoquoises can learn to speak human languages, but it takes them many decades, and it depends on how much they interact with humans and elder Cocoquoises. 

Hours melted into the dark, as they continued walking through the misty forest. As far as Brio could tell, the forest had no haunting qualities, in fact, it seemed welcoming. Almost as though it had been expecting them.

When the moon reached its highest point, they became sleepy and decided to set up camp. At the first sight of a clearing, they curled up on the warm, earthy floor and quickly fell asleep.

After a dreamless sleep, the sun rose, painting a masterpiece of purple watercolor streaks in the sky. They set out for their destination once again.

In the light of a new day, Brio felt born again, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It had been one of the toughest weeks of his life and it seemed that finally, things were looking up. He had a purpose. 

“The day we met, you said you had nowhere to go. Where’s your family?” Ray asked.

Brio took a breath. “I grew up in a boys’ home. My house mother said I was only a week old when she found me on the doorstep.” Brio looked up at the sky, feeling his lips quiver. “I’ve always wondered why they didn’t want me.”

A heavy tear fell down Brio's cheek. Ray saw this and immediately pulled the boy in for a hug. Brio cried harder. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been hugged.

Ray pulled back, his hands on Brio's shoulders. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here. I couldn't have done this without you." He let his hands drop. "To be honest, for years I've been too scared to go into this forest alone. Your daring spirit inspired me."

Brio grinned. "You were scared?"

"Hush, boy," Ray chuckled, giving Brio a playful smack on the upper arm. They continued on.

The sun was glistening through the top of the canopy when Fizz began to flap his wings faster, buzzing with excitement.

"What is it, Fi?" Ray asked.

The answer was in front of them soon enough. As they passed through a wall of vines, they came across another clearing with about a dozen trees, spaced perfectly apart. They had made it to the top of Mount Aeloria. 

Nests, much like Ray and Fizz's house, were in every tree. Flocks of Cocoquoise were flying, socializing, and enjoying the beautiful day. When they noticed the newcomers, they froze. Wide eyes and raised plumage. But then they saw Fizz. 

All at once, in a flurry of feathers, they flew to embrace him. The air was filled with happy chirps and welcome home and we've missed you so much.

One of the Cocoquoise separated themselves from the flock and hopped over to Ray and Brio. They were gorgeous, looking strikingly like Fizz, but with deep maroon feathers instead.

The bird bowed their head with elegant poise, "Thank you."

"Are you Fizz’s—" Brio started.

"Mother? Yes."

"What is your name?" Ray asked.

"Eulalia. And yours?" She gestured between the two of them with her wing.

"Ray, and this is Brio," Ray said, nudging Brio with his elbow.

Brio had a question that had been pestering him the entire journey. "Isn't this mountain supposed to be haunted?"

Eulalia let out a laugh. "It can be, but Mount Aeloria's spirit is very wise. She knows who is entering with good intentions. She is a protector."

Suddenly, it clicked for Brio. All those people who had trekked the mountain with the intention to find Cocoquoise for their meat, only to disappear on their expedition… well, Mount Aeloria was simply being a guardian. She was protecting against the true butchers.

"Come celebrate with us," Eulalia said.

Brio immediately nodded his head, but Ray was more hesitant. "We wouldn't want to intrude."

"Please, it's the least I can do."

The celebration was lovely. Everyone was in a joyous mood, surrounded by coconut treats and seed cakes. The light reflecting off the Cocoquoises' feathers could have set the whole world on fire. 

After a few hours, Ray said in Brio's ear, "We should go, let them reunite as a family."

Brio shook his head. "I'm not going back there. Did you forget how they treated us?"

"It's not like we can stay here—"

Eulalia who had been sitting nearby, overheard their discussion. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but hear your conversation." Her eyes were gentle, calm. Brio felt warm around her, safe. "You can stay, if you'd like. We could use some human hands to take care of the place and protect our young. It would be a delight to have you."

Brio was ecstatic. "Really? I would love to help!"

Ray was hesitant. On the one hand, he didn't want to intrude on the Cocoquoises' family life, but on the other, he didn't want to return to a place that ostracized him. In just a few hours, he felt more at home here than he ever did in the village.

Ray nodded. "I am happy to help as well. It would be an honor."

And so, they stayed. Ray and Brio were given their own nest to stay in and every morning they rose with the sun, dedicating their days to raising the young. In what felt like the search of a lifetime, Brio had found his family.