Rio 1. The Emergence

Phew! Finally! This chapter took me 3+ hours to write!

Here is the first piece to the puzzle of my fourth story!

This is the sequel to Transformed, and this is also going to be a fun story to write!

I will be updating daily starting tomorrow, and I hope you enjoy my coming chapters!

Please review when finished, and don't be afraid to be honest.

Theme song: The Script-For The First Time

Until tomorrow, all I can say is ~The Wolf is Out!~

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><p><em>Prologue: Blu and Jewel's next generation comes into being, and everything is finally back to normal for this happy macaw family.<em>

_Even though their first three children have recently found homes of their own, they will soon have a new obligation to keep them occupied._

_As they try to enjoy this newfound peace, they will soon come to find out that although new life can be created, it can be obliterated just as quickly..._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:The Emergence<strong>

The two months following the event of Blu's revival has been a roller-coaster for him and his family. Vicente, Ricardo and Esperanza had said goodbye to their parents a month before, as they had made the choice to live on their own.

A few days of sadness lingered as a result, but then things started looking up for Blu and Jewel. The night of "romance" they shared two months prior had culminated in something very special: the three lightly freckled cream orbs snuggled before them in a pile of moss.

Every so often, one would shudder ever so slightly, causing the two macaws to smile with glee.

"You know, Blu, I am getting this feeling of...I don't know...like we have been through this before!"

"Indeed we have! It isss a ssstrange ssssensssation. I felt it all the time back in Minnesssota. I think Linda called it déjà-vu."

"Déjà-vu, huh? Well, I have to say I am enjoying it! I wonder what these eggs will hatch out to be? What if your little 'gift' is passed onto one of them?"

"That isss a very good quessstion! I guesss we will have to wait and sssee! Thessse eggs might hatch in the next day or two."

The second-time macaw parents busied themselves with cleaning their hollow in preparation for the wondrous event that would soon come to pass. The sun drifted lazily by outside as they worked, and as it entered the last leg of its trek across the sky, three macaws flew into the hollow.

They rushed up to their parents and hugged them tight. "Mama! Papa! We have missed you! How are your eggs doing?"

"We have missed you too, dear children! They are doing just fine. They are very close to hatching. It could be late tonight, or even tomorrow when they do. It is all up to them to decide when to come out!"

Vicente trotted over to the nest and peered down at the three small shapes. "Oooh. They look so cute! Is this how we looked before we were born, Mama?"

Jewel replied, "Yes, Vicente. You and your siblings hatched from three tiny eggs just like these!"

His brother and sister attempted to see the eggs, but Vicente was blocking their view. "Move over, Vicente! We can't even see the eggs!"

He scooted over to make room for Esperanza and Ricardo, and they too stared at the gently rocking shapes below.

"Do you know what they will be, Papa?"

"No. Not yet, at leassst! We will find out when they hatch. Me and your mother are wondering if one of them has acquired some of my 'features'..."

The three siblings gazed at each other in alarm. Esperanza whispered, "What if Papa is right? What if one of our new brothers or sisters looks like him? That would be so cool!"

Her two brothers replied, "Hey, you're right! That would be so neat! We are about to burst with anticipation!"

Jewel turned from her children and gazed at Blu. A worried look was plastered on her lovely face.

"What if one of them looks like you, Blu? How will he or she react once they grow old enough to understand? I don't want our son or daughter to feel like an outcast..."

Blu shared her worry, but he was optimistic nonetheless. "We will jussst have to work at it, Jewel. If I can ssshow him or her that it isss okay to be different, everything ssshould work out."

Jewel smiled weakly and gave her mate a soft kiss. "I believe you, Blu. Together, we can do it, just like we always have..."

The five macaws continued their observations well into the night, and the pale sliver of the moon could be seen from the entrance. Blu and Jewel felt that the eggs would not hatch until the following day, so they decided to send their children home.

"Ricardo, Esperanza, Vicente, it is time for you to go home! It is getting late, and you need your rest. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day!"

"B-but, Mama, we want to stay and watch!"

"No. The eggs will not hatch until tomorrow. You can come by as soon as you wake up, if you want. Now go."

They all three frowned and shambled towards the entrance. Just before they lifted off, a strange crunching noise split the silence.

"Look, Jewel! One of the eggs is cracking! Children, come here!"

All five macaws rushed over to the nest, and what they saw made their hearts jump: The largest freckled egg now bore several cracks upon its pristine surface.

Not a word was said between the five macaws as the egg continued rocking, and the cracks continued to spread. It ceased all motion for a few tense seconds, and then the fragments fell away to reveal a quivering ball of soggy feathers.

The other eggs remained mostly still, and the tiny chick soon dried out and grew very fluffy. It turned its head and gazed at Jewel, a slight smile manifesting on its face.

Its eyes were a deep emerald color, and her feathers matched the hue of a sapphire. Jewel could tell immediately she was a female from the way her chirps sounded.

"That one is a female, Blu! Can't you hear it?"

He heard a high pitched squeak escape her beak from where he stood, thanks to his enhanced hearing. "She sounds so lively! What should we name her, Jewel?"

"Uh, let me think. Hold on. Yes! I got it!"

She leaned in close to the tiny chick and said, "You shall be...Liliana."

She turned to her mate and he said, "That is a lovely name, Jewel."

"I like it, Mama!" "Me too!" "So do I!"

Jewel turned to her children and whispered, "Please be quiet, you three! You don't want to hurt her ears!"

"We are sorry, Mama! We will whisper instead!"

The second and third eggs then began quaking in unison, and one after the other, two more chicks flopped out into the moss next to their sister.

Blu and Jewel anxiously waited for their wet bodies to fluff up, and when they did, their individual features emerged: The second chick was the same shade of blue as Jewel, and it appeared to be a male. The last chick resembled Liliana in every way, and Jewel realized that she was Liliana's twin sister.

"Liliana has a twin, Blu! Look at her! It is going to be hard to tell the difference when they get older!"

"I hope not! I don't want to get them mixed up!"

"Well, you can pick her name, okay?"

Blu nodded, and Jewel gazed at her other children. "Do you want to pick your new brother's name?"

Their eyes flashed with excitement, and they replied softly, "Yes, Mama! Let us think for a few minutes!" The three macaws huddled together and then began brainstorming names.

Meanwhile, Blu was doing just the same for his daughter. "What about...Josefina, Jewel?"

"Hmmm. I like it. Josefina it is!"

"I think his name should be Diego." "No, Ricardo. His name should be Santiago!" "No way, Esperanza! His name should be Arturo..."

Blu and Jewel heard the commotion that their children were causing, and they grew frustrated.

Blu declared, "Hey, keep it down! Quit arguing and just pick something!"

Their father's harsh words made their voices dwindle to mere whispers. "Papa is right. We will never find a name if we don't think of one we all like! Forget the others. What about Stefano?"

"I like it, Ricardo! What about you, Esperanza?"

"It's good. I can't think of any more!"

"Then it's settled. Our brother's name is now Stefano!"

Ricardo marched over to his parents and said, "We agreed on the name...Stefano. Is that okay with you?"

Blu and Jewel smiled at him and replied, "That is a wonderful name!"

He turned around and saw smiles plastered on his siblings' faces. Esperanza and Vicente joined the others at the nest, staring down at their new family members.

Jewel muttered, "Liliana, Stefano, Josefina, these are your siblings! Can you say hello to them?"

Three tiny voices seemed to squeak, "H-hello..."

Jewel peeked over their heads, and she no longer saw the pale scar of the moon outside of the hollow. "Oh my. Look how late it is! You need to go home now, children. You got to see them hatch. Now, run along."

They all three replied, "Okay, Mama! Thank you for letting us stay! When can we come over tomorrow?"

"Whenever you like!"

"Bye, Mama! Bye, Papa! Good night!"

"Good night, children! Sleep well!"

The three macaws lofted from the hollow and out into the chilly night air.

Jewel moved next to her mate and said, "I am going to sleep. _Eu estou tão cansado_. Can you *yawn* watch the children?"

"Don't worry. I will be right here next to them. You jussst get sssome sssleep. Good night, my angel..."

He watched as she settled down into their nest and shut her eyes. Blu shut his right eye and dozed off, keeping his left eye fixed on them as a surveillance measure.

He was awoken a few times throughout the night, when he had caught one of his chicks trying to clamber out of the nest. Despite that, he managed to get a good night's rest, and he maintained his watch until the world turned to face the sun once more.

Blu was torn from his semi-conscious state by the burn of the sun's rays on his left eye. He moved out of the harsh light and gave a huge yawn.

He gazed around and saw that Jewel was still asleep. He then looked down, and he counted three small bundles of feathers snoozing in the nest.

_Looks like they finally settled down! I hope Jewel offers to watch them tonight. They have so much energy for being newborns! I don't know how she does it! Perhaps it's just her motherly instincts._

Blu terminated his mental ramble and approached his sleeping mate. "_Bom dia. Como você dormiu?_"

"What? W-who's there? Go...away. Oh, it's you."

"Who elssse would it be? You know, you are hilariousss when you talk in your sssleep. Keep doing it!"

She gave him a playful slap with her wing before climbing out of the nest. "Very funny, serpent boy. And if you must know, I slept just fine. You?"

"Pretty well, except for the fact that _sssome_ chicksss don't know _how_ to _ssstay _in their nessst!"

"Oh. Well, you have to forgive them. They were only a few hours old!"

Blu just gave an irritated snort in response.

Jewel walked over to the tiny chicks and nudged them gently with her wing. "_Hora de acordar, os pequeninos._"

The three tiny souls stirred and opened their crystalline eyes. Gazing up at her, they began to make chirping sounds.

Luckily, a few days before, Jewel had stockpiled a few mangoes in another corner for this exact situation. She plucked one from the pile and brought it back to them.

Placing it in front of the nest, she said, "Go on, my little ones. Eat!"

The two twins climbed out of the moss and began to take small bites out of the mango. Stefano, however, tripped on his way out, causing him to bury his face into the mango.

He withdrew his stained face and blinked, and his twin sisters chirped in laughter. Stefano began chirping happily as well, and he turned and started digging out tiny yellow chunks with his beak.

"Just look at them, Blu. So adorable..."

Blu wrapped her in his wings and gave her a soft kiss. Still holding her, he turned away and stared at the tiny balls of fluff before him.

He observed them carefully, and something about Josefina's tiny feet startled him. He noticed her claws were actually visible, while her siblings' claws were not.

A chilling thought ran around and around in his head: _Is she the one? Did I pass on part of my changes to her? Is what Jewel and I feared would happen coming true?_

"J-Jewel?"

"Yes, serpent boy?"

He fixed her with a look from his left eye and whispered, "Look at Josssefina'sss feet. What do you sssee?"

She focused her eyes on the tiny black shapes beneath her body. She started to quiver with dread, and she quickly led her mate to another corner of the hollow. "Is that...what I think it is, Blu?"

"I am afraid ssso, my dear. I think ssshe isss the one..."

"What do we do, Blu! How will she feel! Should we tell her?"

"No. Not yet, Jewel. She isss too young. I think we ssshould wait until ssshe dissscoversss it on her own."

"But, what if she gets angry at us for not telling her!"

"We will have to deal with that when it happensss, Jewel. But that isss in the future. For now, let'sss jussst focusss on taking care of them like nothing isss wrong. We can't give her any indication that she is not...normal."

Just as soon as Blu concluded his reply, his children stormed in, their feathers frayed and askew. "We woke up late, so we flew over as fast as we could!"

Before their parents could even reply, they caught sight of three chicks stumbling around the mango, obviously stuffed full of the sweet fruit.

"They are so _cute_! Come on you two! Let's go see them!"

Esperanza and her two brothers rushed over to them, and they each snatched a chick up in their wings.

Blu and Jewel quickly masked their intense worry and dread, and they hoped that Vicente wouldn't notice the claws on Josefina, who he was now holding.

They were holding the three chicks close to their faces, and the chicks were squeaking loudly. Blu and Jewel interpreted their squeaks of joy as squeaks of discomfort.

"Please be careful with them! They are not that durable yet!"

Esperanza cuddled Liliana into her face and replied, "We won't hurt them! We know better than that, Papa!"

They set the three chicks back down after a few minutes, and the newborn macaws stumbled their way over to their parents.

"M-Ma-ma? P-P-Pa-Pa?"

"Did you hear that, Blu? They talked! They said their first words!"

"Indeed I did. Pretty sssoon, we can ssstart teaching them how to ssspeak!"

Just then, the three chicks found their way to the nest and hopped back into the moss and feathers. They gave tiny, high pitched yawns and dozed off.

"They need to sleep. Why don't you go out and have some fun by yourselves? Go visit Rafael and Eva, or go spend some time with Tulio and Linda."

"If you say so, Papa!"

"Be careful!"

The three macaws simply left the hollow without replying.

"Isss it alright with you if I take a nap, Jewel?"

"Go ahead, dear. You watched them last night. It's my turn."

Blu nodded weakly and drooped into his nest, his eyes closing within seconds.

Jewel went over to her chicks and placed herself next to the nest. "Sleep well, my children. _Sua mãe está bem aqui. _Dream happy dreams..."

Jewel relaxed next to her snoozing chicks, and she gave a content sigh. Now that her mate was back in her life, and she had more sweet children to raise, she couldn't possibly have felt any better.

She was really starting to enjoy the little phenomenon called déjà- vu, and she hoped she could continue to experience it...every single day.


	2. Long Time, No See

**Chapter 2:Long Time, No See**

The raising of the three rambunctious chicks continued, and one week later, the two macaw parents still ended up exhausted by the end of each day. So tired was Jewel that, one night, she had accidentally slipped into sleep, and as she awoke, she instinctively looked down at the nest.

It was empty.

Jewel immediately grew frantic, and she raked the hollow with her gaze. To her utter relief, she found her chicks romping around the hollow with yellow mango stains on their faces.

They were noticeably larger, and their energy seemed as limitless as before. They were causing a ruckus, and she didn't want them to wake their father up.

"Hush, you three! Settle down and come here, so I can clean you up!"

They quickly silenced themselves and waddled over to her. Jewel noticed that Josefina was having trouble walking on her abnormal talons, and her daughter sensed it.

"Mama, why do I walk funny?"

"Uh...because...you are only a few days old. All young chicks walk funny..."

She looked unconvinced, and as she gazed up at her mother, Jewel felt a shock deep inside her. Her daughter's right pupil was an odd shape: It was oval, instead of round.

_What would make her eye look like that? Unless...She must be more like Blu than we thought! Oh no, what will we do! This could turn out to be a tragedy for her, should she find out..._

"Mama, are you okay? Mama?"

"What? Huh? Oh yes, dear. I am...just fine. Let me clean your face."

She proceeded to wipe away the gooey mango juice on her face, trying to avoid the gaze of her daughter's abnormal eye.

She soon cleaned up the other two chicks, and when she was done, she told them to go wake up their father. They scurried over to him and began jumping up and down, shouting, "Papa! Wake up! Wake up! Hurry!"

He shook himself awake and noticed three blue shapes dancing around him. "Calm down, you little rassscalsss! I'm up. I'm up!"

"Good morning, serpent boy. Ready for some breakfast? The kids decided to wake up early and help themselves to a mango without us!"

"Yesss. But fruit wasssn't what I had in mind. I will be right back!"

"What do you-" He had rocketed out of the hollow before she could even finish. She merely shrugged and said, "Suit yourself."

She went over to the dwindling mango pile and plucked one up with her talons. She spent several minutes taking measured bites out of it, as if it was the last mango on Earth.

_I am so worried about her! We need to go somewhere and do somethin!. It will help me take my mind off of her my! We need to go see Linda and Tulio! It has been so long. They don't even know what happened to Blu! Well, maybe it would be better if they didn't know. They will be ecstatic when they see our new chicks! But, should __Blu come in with us? When Tulio sees_...

"I...am...back! I had to go...eat a few lizardsss! Are you enjoying that mango?"

"Lizards? Why!"

"I get thessse cravingsss for meat, and I have to satisfy them. It's nothing, really."

"Oh. Well, the mango was good." She released it from her grasp, and it hit the floor with a gooey _plop_. "Come here. I need to tell you something!"

Blu marched over to her and whispered, "What isss it?"

"Josefina's eye...is changing shape! I have a feeling it will look like yours in another week or so. Now what?"

"Uh...I...don't know. It'sss not like we can ssstop it! I can't help how ssshe turned out! I promissse to explain it all to her, after ssshe getsss older. That isss all I can do!"

"I am not blaming you! It's just that...I don't want her to suffer. It would break my heart."

"We will help her underssstand when the time comesss. You and me both. Now, what should we do today? It is wonderful out there!"

"I was thinking that...maybe we could go see Tulio and Linda. It's been so long since we last saw them."

"But how will they react when they sssee me? I don't think I can do it."

"Hey, listen! We can just cover you up like those two macaws did. Just act natural, and try to control your tongue!"

"That ssseemsss reasonable. Well then, let'sss go."

Blu and Jewel walked back across the hollow and paused at the exit.

"Do you want to see some human friends of ours, children?"

Liliana queried, "What is a human, Mama?" Stefano added, "Yeah. What is that!"

"They are tall and skinny creatures. They have two legs, and no wings. They are also a lot bigger than we are."

The three chicks began to shiver with fear. "Are they g-going to hurt us? I don't like b-big things! I don't want to go!"

"It's okay, Josefina! Don't be scared. They are nice humans. Come on. Follow us!"

Blu and Jewel lifted off, and they were enfolded by the warm comfort of a sunny Rio afternoon.

Blu drifted back and allowed his children to pass him. He wanted to keep an eye on them, since their flight skills were still weak.

The train of macaws slowly drifted through the jungle, on a direct course for the building nestled near the eastern border of the sanctuary. They landed in the jungle just off to the side of the house, and Jewel peeled some leaves from a fern to serve as Blu's camouflage.

She then grabbed hold of an errant vine that was growing on the wall, tearing it into manageable lengths. As soon as he was snugly covered up, they crept around to the front door and slipped in through the entry flap.

Blu was feeling intense anxiety and apprehension, while his children were dealing with a mix of joy and fear. Jewel, however, was bursting with happiness.

They crept across the soft carpet floor, the tiny fibers tickling their feet. Their children began to giggle and hop around on the plush gray carpet. While they played, Blu and Jewel waddled from room to room, and they saw not a sign of Tulio or Linda.

They heard a commotion issuing from behind the only closed door, and as they drew near it, Tulio opened the door. He nearly stepped on Jewel in the process, and she gave an alarmed screech.

A billowing cloud of steam rolled out after him, and he looked down at the sudden noise. "Whoa! What the-well, look who it is! It's my two favorite macaws in the whole world! Long time, no see, you two! How have you been?"

Tulio stepped aside, and Linda came out of the steaming bathroom with a towel on her head. She looked down and saw two fuzzy blobs at her feet. "Tulio, can you bring me my glasses? I can't see a thing!"

He went back into the bathroom and snatched them up from the counter. He placed them gently on her face after wiping off the condensation, and the world jumped into focus.

"Hey, guys! Come here and hop on my arm! Wait, what is on your feet, Blu! Are those leaves? They look like slippers! And you have a leaf stuck to your face, too! Here, let me take it off."

Linda reached down towards Blu's face, and he backed away from her, keeping just out of reach. "Come on, Blu! I am not going to hurt you!"

Blu found himself pressed against the hallway wall, and as Linda's fingers neared his face, he gave a piercing shriek and scurried away. "Okay, fine! I guess you don't want to be touched right now. How about you, Jewel?"

Linda reached down again, and Jewel happily perched on her arm. She clambered up her arm and perched on her shoulder, seeing her reflection in Linda's glasses and pecking them inquisitively.

"Those are just my glasses, Jewel! I bet you saw your reflection in them, huh?"

Linda reached up and stroked Jewel's head, and the macaw gave a happy chirp. Jewel then turned and faced the living room, issuing a more commanding screech this time.

Blu slowly crept back into the hallway, and trailing him were three plump macaw chicks. "Well, would you look at that! You brought us some more babies! They are just as adorable as the first three!"

"No, you are wrong, Linda. They are even more adorable! Come to Tulio, little ones! Come on!"

He bent down and held out his hands. The chicks backed away, but Blu nudged them forward with his wing. Two females reluctantly climbed into his hand, and Linda picked up the other, a male.

Tulio brought them up to his face, and they were shaking visibly. "Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you! I don't want to have to deal with two angry macaws right now!"

Jewel looked at them and gave a soft screech. They stopped shaking, and Tulio gazed at them more closely. "Linda, these two females are twins! I can barely tell the difference! This one's claws are growing fast! She must be eating a lot. Hey, wait. What is wrong with your pupil?"

He noticed that it was oval-shaped, when it should be round. "Hmmm. It is probably just a temporary abnormality. Nothing to worry about!"

Jewel turned and peered down at Blu, and he had a look of extreme relief plastered to his face that mirrored hers.

The cuddling of the chicks continued for a few minutes, and then Linda set Stefano down and looked at Blu. "We love your new chicks! We would like to stay and play with them, but me and Tulio have to go to the market."

Linda peeled the towel from her head and tossed it onto the bathroom floor. "Come on, guys. We will let you out, so you can go home."

Linda and Tulio strode over to the front door and heaved it open. The five macaws walked out into the light, and Tulio shut and locked the door behind them.

He and Linda walked over to their Jeep and climbed into it, separating the picture of the macaw on the door panel into two halves. Just before she shut the door, Linda waved and said, "Bye, Blu! Bye, Jewel! See you later!"

The Jeep roared to life and executed a tight turn, rumbling slowly down the entrance road and sending a wave of exhaust over the five macaws. The noxious odor rendered Blu and Jewel nearly speechless, and their children coughed incessantly.

"Yuck! Well, good thing *cough* that is taken care of! I thought Tulio was going to *cough* examine her! Phew! Now what, Blu? Do you want to go back *wheeze* home?"

"I wasss thinking that we ssshould go *choke* visssit thossse two Ssscarlet Macawsss. They would be ssso thrilled to sssee our new *wheeze* children!"

"Whatever you say, Blu. We still have a good six hours of daylight left! We might as well not waste it sitting in a hollow!"

"Right! Maybe they have sssome children to keep our babiesss company!"

Blu quickly tore the leaves from his feet and removed the leaf from his eye. After it opened and adjusted to the harsh light, he rose above the building and led his family west across the jungle.

It took them a few minutes to traverse the lush expanses below. Blu recognized the telltale rushing sound of the waterfall long before the others, and he quickly spiraled down into the undergrowth.

Blu's mate and children arrived moments later, and he began picking his way through the jungle, searching intently for the small cliff where the two macaws lived. He soon arrived at a wall of rock, and upon looking to the right, spotted a familiar tree jutting up from the cliff base a few feet away.

"Ah! There it is! I hope they are home."

He quickly lofted up to the rim and knocked on the trunk with his beak. A bright red macaw stuck its head out suddenly, and Blu lost his grip on the edge. He fell only briefly, before he spread his wings and hovered just outside the opening.

"Whoa! Way to scare your neighbor, Frank!"

"Oh, hey Blu! Sorry about that!"

"It's alright. Just try not to do it again next time!"

"Sure thing! Now, what brings you here, if I may ask?"

"I will show you! Bring them up, Jewel."

Frank retreated from the entrance and went over to sit next to Maricela.

Blu flew inside and waited for Jewel to join him. Liliana, Josefina, and Stefano reluctantly entered the hollow, fixing their gaze on the boldly colored macaws across from them.

"Oh my! You have new chicks! Way to go, you two!"

"Thanks, Maricela! They really aren't new, though! They just turned one week old."

"What are their names? I have to know!"

She pointed to her son and declared, "This is Stefano. Say hello to our neighbors!"

"H-hello!"

"Hello, little one! I like your name. It suits you very well!"

Jewel then pointed to her two daughters and said, "These are our twins. Liliana is on the left, and Josefina is on the right!"

"Hello!"

"Hi!"

"Likewise, you two!"

She lifted her gaze to meet Jewel's and asked, "How do you tell them apart?"

"Uh...well...Josefina is slightly...different from her sister."

Jewel silently motioned at Josefina's feet, and then pointed at Blu's feet next. Maricela's eyes widened and her beak fell agape, as if to say, "You mean..."

Jewel nodded in response, and a knowing look flashed on her face. Maricela simply returned to her nest and settled down without another word.

"So, are you and Maricela planning on starting a-" Jewel's question was cut short as Maricela moaned in pain. Jewel glanced over at her and saw the macaw clutching her stomach.

Frank immediately rushed over to her side, his face fraught with worry. "Are you okay, dear! What happened? What's wrong!"

Jewel's mind immediately formulated the answer, and she walked over to Frank with a smile on her face. Frank noticed her mood, and he immediately turned hostile.

"What are you smiling at? My mate is in pain, and you think it's funny? She could be very sick, or...or..."

"Calm down, Frank! I am smiling because I am happy for you."

"Happy for what? _Please_ explain!"

"You are going to be a father, Frank."

"Huh? Come again?"

"Maricela is pregnant. That is why she is hurting. Believe me, I know what it feels like, and as you can tell, it's not pleasant!"

"R-really, Jewel? I am going to be a mother?"

"Correct, Maricela!"

Despite the ache in her belly, she stood up and wrapped her mate tightly with her wings.

"Can you believe it, dear? We are going to be parents! I have waited so long to start a family! It was all because of you and Blu! For that, I thank you."

"You are welcome, I guess! I never thought that we would be the ones to spur you on!"

"I admired how happy you and Blu were after you got back together. Your chicks were the sweetest things I have ever seen! It was then that I made up my mind, and so here we are!"

"What a story! Well, we won't keep you then. You and your mate deserve some alone time to celebrate! We should be heading home anyways. This has been a long day!"

"We wouldn't mind you staying for awhile, but if you insist on leaving, then who are we to stop you!"

Blu trotted over to the exit and said, "Sssay goodbye to Maricela and Frank, children!"

"Bye!"

"See you later!"

"Bye!"

"Goodbye, little ones. Sleep well!"

"Come on, you three! Let's go back home."

Blu and Jewel drifted lazily from the port , and their children soon followed in their wake.

"Just you wait, Frank. In a few months, we will have lovely children of our own, just like them!"

"Indeed, my dear. I am so happy! That will be a day we may never forget..."

Blu and Jewel returned to their hollow, which was now filled with the golden rays of the evening sun. To their utter surprise, Vicente and Riphate were also there, and they told them that they had been waiting for Blu and Jewel to return.

Neither the snake nor the macaw had heard a shred of information about Blu's revival, and they were dying to know the reasons behind it. Riphate, in particular, was completely bewildered by this turn of events.

He had come to accept the fact that whether he had meant to kill Blu or not, _he_ actually _did_, and he was tormented day and night by his mistake. He had left Jewel's hollow shortly after Blu's burial, seeking a solitary life in the jungle, as it helped him suppress the guilt he felt.

Seeing Blu standing before him, albeit with a few "modifications," had turned his world upside down.

"I know you are both craving the detailsss behind my revival, but I have come to realize that they no longer matter. All that doesss matter isss that I am alive and breathing, and that I am with my mate once more. The passst isss in the passst, and that isss how I want it to ssstay."

"Well, that was a very eloquent speech, Blu. If that is how you feel, then I vow to never bring the issue up again."

"A mossst convincing argument, friend. I vow to do the sssame, and I hope that one day you can forgive me for my missstake."

"We ssshall sssee, Riphate. But, you ssshould really be focusssing on my mate inssstead. Ssshe wasss the one who sssuffered."

"You are absssolutely right."

The viper swiveled his head and fixed Jewel in his gaze. "Can you find it in your sssoul to forgive me, Jewel?"

A long, tense silence suffused the air in the wake of his words.

Jewel broke the silence and said, "I...I...forgive you. I see no reason...to hold a grudge. Blu is here again, by my side, and like he said, that is the only thing that matters..."

"Thank you, Jewel. You have easssed the crussshing guilt that has plagued me for ssso long..."

"You...are welcome. Now if you don't mind, me and my family would like to sleep."

"Of courssse. Sssleep well. I ssshall sssee you in the future. Goodbye."

The viper slithered out made his way down the trunk of the tree.

As soon as his tail vanished from sight, Vicente said, "I should be going too, Jewel. I have recently found my own hollow not too far from here. It is behind this tree, a short distance past the border. You can come visit anytime you want."

"Very well, father. Good night. I love you."

"I love you too, dear daughter. Good night. Good night to you too, Blu."

"Good night, Vicente. Farewell."

The grizzled macaw slipped from the hollow without making a sound.

"Come on, Jewel. Let'sss get sssome ressst."

Blu noticed that their chicks had beaten them to the dream world, and they looked so peaceful, all huddled together in their mossy bed. Blu plopped himself down and waited for Jewel to join him in their nest.

"Are you tired?"

"Yesss. I ssseriously need to sssleep more often. I don't know whether it's the chicks that are tiring me out, or if I am just getting old."

"Very funny, serpent boy. You aren't that old!"

Blu fixed her with a questioning gaze from his snake eye.

"You know that dissscusssion we had about me calling you an angel?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Maybe I ssshould change my name to ssserpent boy!"

"Oh. Sorry. I know I sound a tad hypocritical. I will do my best to clear that phrase from my vocabulary."

"Well, good night. Sssee you tomorrow."

"Likewise, Blu. Sweet dreams."

As the golden orb of the sun morphed into a striking orange hue, the jungle took on the appearance of a delicate painting. It was as if a ghostly painter had swiped his brush across the sanctuary in one artistic stroke.

The liquid orange hue lulled the two macaws into sleep's embrace, and their minds and bodies could finally recover from this tumultuous day. They were going to need it, because more even more chaotic days were in store for them...


	3. The Grand Palm

**Chapter 3:The Grand Palm**

The next morning, Blu and Jewel actually awoke before their children, but they would soon find out that the peace and quiet would not last. The sky above their heads was obscured by thick, ominous clouds, and the air had a chill to it.

Blu fluffed up his feathers and whispered, "Wow! How can it go from toasssty and warm one day, to chilly the next! The jungle ssshouldn't be thisss cold!"

Jewel was seemingly impervious to the cooler-than-average weather, and she was quick to glean some fun out of her mate's predicament.

In a baby-like voice she muttered, "Awww, what's the matter? Can the poor macaw not handle the cold? That's too bad. I just don't know what to do about it!"

"_Hilário. _You crack me up, Jewel. You know I hate the cold. That isss the reassson I never went outssside in Minnesssota! Ssspend five minutesss out there, and you would turn into a living icicle!"

Jewel continued talking in the same tone as before, and Blu found himself getting slightly offended by her remarks. "The poor macaw doesn't want to be an icicle! Maybe that's why he never learned how to fly. He was too comfy in his warm little bookstore!"

"Okay, you can ssstop now, Jewel! I think you got the messsage across! Can you come over here and warm me up?"

"Does the big, tough macaw need a hug? I don't know if he deserves one! Let me think..."

Jewel strode up to him and enfolded him with her wings. She ceased her baby talk and instantly grew serious. "You are so handsome when you get angry. Maybe I should tease you more often!"

Blu's anger soon faded as he reveled in the intoxicating warmth that radiated from her body. "Thank you, Jewel. That feelsss lovely. Now I guesss I owe you thisss..."

"What do you-" Jewel's reply abruptly ended as she received a soft, but long-lasting, kiss from Blu.

"There. Now we...are...even."

Little did they know, their three children had roused themselves moments before, and they had witnessed the entire exchange. It invoked a fair amount of disgust from them, and they let out unappealing noises.

"_Gross_, Papa! Do you _have_ to do_ that_ in front of us?"

"Do you want me to do it again!"

He leaned in towards Jewel and prepared to kiss her once more, but the three macaw chicks yelled, "Nooo! Just stop!"

She broke loose from her mate's embrace and stared jovially at her quivering children.

"You three are so cute when you make those faces! That is why I love you!"

Stefano retorted, "I am not _cute, _Mama! I am _brave _and _strong_! Just like my Papa!" He quickly ran over and tackled Blu in his stomach, giving him a tight hug.

"Yikesss! *Groan* Thank you, *Ouch* ssson. I appreciate it..."

Stefano ran back over to his sisters, leaving his father doubled over in pain.

"They sure are growing, wouldn't you say, Blu?"

"It sure _feelsss_ like it! _Você é uma ave pouco forte_!"

Stefano just beamed happily in response, even though he didn't know much Portuguese yet.

"How about we eat some juicy breakfast and get our minds off of this cold weather?"

"Yay! Breakfast! We want mangoes! Mangoes!"

"Right over there, _meus filhos._ Are you coming, Blu?"

"Yeah. Give me a minute. This cold weather is making feel...sssluggish. I don't know why."

"Whatever you say. Take your time. There are plenty of mangoes!"

Blu trudged his way across the hollow to join them, and he felt frozen on the inside, and it was even affecting his coordination. It took him nearly twice as long to eat a mango than it did for the others, as if he was eating in slow-motion.

Once they were finished eating, and free of the mango stains they could never seem to avoid, all four macaws marched over to Blu and huddled around him.

Bathed in the warmth from their bodies, he slowly began to "thaw out," and after a few minutes, he was back to his normal self. Well, his new "normal" self.

"What are we going to do to pass the time? I do not want to be trapped in here _all day_!"

"Hey, what if we take the kidsss and go see Kipo! He still thinksss I am dead, and we could surprise him!"

"We are not taking them to The Palm! Are you crazy? They do not need to be exposed to that crazy house right now!"

"I didn't mean actually take them inssside, Jewel! We could just go in through the back and chat. Kipo has a little room back there, all for himself, behind the stage."

"Oh. Sorry for jumping to conclusions there! I guess we could go. Kipo would love to meet our children!"

"Well then, what are we waiting for!"

Just as he reached the rim of the hollow, Jewel asked, "Wait. Isn't a bit dangerous for the kids to be out in the city? Aren't they a little too young?"

"Nonsssenssse, dear. We are jussst going to The Palm and back. What could go wrong!"

Jewel appeared unconvinced, and even worried, but at least she would be free from the confines of the hollow. "Fine. _Mas não vai ser em outro lugar_!"

"That'sss fine with me. Come on you three, let's go to The Palm and sssee Kipo!"

Blu was in the lead, closely followed by his chicks, and Jewel concluded the string of macaws.

They passed over the sanctuary building belonging to Linda and Tulio, before finally arriving at the border net. Locating an exit hole, they slipped through one by one, and they were met by an eerie silence.

They glided across the desolate city, and only a few vehicles were seen driving around. The beaches were empty, not a single umbrella or fold-out chair in sight, all along the barren stretches of sand.

Blu felt the cold creeping back into his system, and his wing-beats grew languid. He led his family into a small cluster of crowded buildings, and he spied their destination nestled in the center of those buildings. He glided down and made a painful landing, skidding along the rough ground, since he had lost his sense of balance.

"Are you okay, Blu? What is wrong?"

"Too cold...need to sssleep..."

Blu went unconscious as the cold took over, and Jewel realized she could only wake him up by warming him. She located the rear entrance to the club and began to drag Blu through the small gap, noticing that the club was just as quiet as the rest of the city.

_What is going on here? Have all the birds vanished too? It's like every living thing has gone into hiding_!

After she and Blu were inside, Liliana, Stefano, and Josefina followed, and they found themselves in a small room, illuminated by a lonely lamp above.

"Kipo? Is anybody here? Hello?"

As the words faded into the silence, Jewel heard a rustling noise coming from around the corner. She noticed a distorted shadow dance across the floor, and then Kipo stepped into view.

"Hey, Jewel! Wait...is that...Blu? It can't be!"

"Yeah. It's him all right!"

"But...he...died...funeral..."

"It's a long story. Don't worry about it!"

"Well...uh...okay! So...are these your new chicks?"

"Yes!"

She swiveled around and said, "Say hello to Kipo. He is a close friend of your father and I! Oh, and don't forget to tell him your names!"

"Hello! I am Stefano!" "My name is Josefina!" "Hi, Kipo! I am Liliana!"

"I am pleased to meet you! Me and your parents go way back. They were the stars of this club!"

"Speaking of which, what happened to it? I thought it was always packed out with birds!"

"Oh, didn't you hear? I am moving it somewhere else! I have found an even bigger club! You and Blu were so popular, more and more birds showed up, and pretty soon this club ran out of room! After you announced his death, so many birds came here to ask what had happened that I had to find more space!"

"Wow! That is quite a story! Where is it?"

"It is to the south of here, and it's right next to the street! It used to be a propane storage building, but I saw some humans taking the cylinders away in a large truck a few days ago. I went down to inspect, and it was nearly empty, from floor to ceiling! I knew then that it was a perfect site for my new club!"

"What about all of the equipment and stuff you have here? What are you going to do with it?"

"We have already relocated most of it. Many of the birds from this club volunteered to help set it up. Would you like to go see it!"

"I don't know. I told Blu that we were only going to come here, and then go back home."

"Please take me, Mama!" "I want to see! I want to see!" "Just this once! C'mon!"

Jewel wanted to deny them, but she didn't have the heart. "Okay, children. We will go. But then, we are going home!"

"You won't regret it, Jewel. Let's go!"

"Wait, Kipo! We have one more thing to take care of..."

She pointed to her sleeping mate and said, "Do you mind warming him up with your body? He gets all drowsy when he gets cold!"

"Ha! That is funny! Never seen that before! But it sure is chilly out there! Let's get this macaw warmed back up!"

He picked up the limp macaw and held him close to his chest. He waited and waited, and finally, Blu creaked his eyes open. However, Blu was startled by his proximity to Kipo, and he broke free of his grip and crashed to the floor.

"K-Kipo? What were you doing! You nearly ssscared my feathersss off!"

"Did I? Well, you should talk to Jewel. She was the one who made me do it!"

Blu picked himself up and glared at Jewel, who was trembling with laughter. "I...told Kipo...to warm you up! _Eu não acho que você iria ficar com medo_! Ha ha ha! The look on your face! Oh my, that was rich!"

"Fine. Keep laughing! You alwaysss teassse me, but I never teassse you back! Oh, that'sss right, it'sss because I am actually a decent male macaw!"

"Oh come on, Blu! Don't get upset! I wouldn't hurt your feelings on purpose. It was just entertaining, that's all!"

Blu merely turned away from her and gazed up at Kipo. "So, why is The Palm empty?"

"I was just telling your mate that I found a bigger club. I will take you to it, if you wish."

"Huh. Well, let'sss go then!"

They five macaws exited the same way they entered, and Kipo rose into flight above the city, with them hot on his tail feathers. The group of birds flew just above the street that ran past the beaches, and Kipo zoomed down towards a large brick building nestled on a street corner.

He landed just outside the towering building and led them around to the rear. A section of the brickwork had fallen away, and it left a sizable opening for them to pass through.

They stepped inside, and a huge open space loomed in front of them. Birds were flying about all over, carrying strings of lights and power cordsalike. Clanking and knocking sounds could be heard as spotlights were being set into place on the rear wall above.

On the left and right walls, a large rack of colored lights was being hoisted into place by teams of birds pulling on ropes. Blu marveled at the effort that was being put into this new attraction.

"Wow! Looks you will have quite the club, when it's finished!"

"Thank you, Blu! I have decided to name it The Grand Palm, in honor of my former venue. It should be completely set up and decorated by late tonight!"

"That is great, Kipo!"

"Hey, I know just the thing to get my new club noticed by the birds of Rio! Why don't you and Jewel come and sing tomorrow? It could be your debut performance! I know you haven't partied in a long time! What do you say?"

Jewel was enthralled by the notion, but her mate was not as inclined.

"That would be so wonderful, Kipo! I miss the old days. I don't even know how much my voice has suffered!"

"I don't think it'sss a good idea. I mean, I am not your average macaw. What if I scare the whole club off!"

"Don't worry about that, Blu! You and Jewel are such an awesome team, they will be too riveted to leave! Come on!"

He gave Blu a convincing push with his right foot.

"Hey, easssy there, Kipo! Well, if it'sss fine with Jewel, then it'sss fine with me!"

"Awesome! Well, just be sure to come by as soon as the sun is swallowed up by the sea! By then, it will be dark, with no sunlight to get through those windows!"

Blu and Jewel stared past him and noticed three windows spaced along the street-side wall. They also noticed a propane tank next to the left-most window, nestled in the corner.

They gazed around and noticed that the other three corners all had a propane tank leaning up against them.

"What are the propane tanks for, Kipo?"

"Oh, I just decided to leave them here for some symmetry! I think they are empty though, because the men left them here."

Blu replied, "Oh. Well, thisss isss a nice place, or it will be very sssoon! We will ssshow up tomorrow when the ssssun setsss, ready to sssing and dance our heartsss out!"

Jewel added, "Perhaps we should come up with a special song to sing, Blu!"

"Great idea! We can prepare it tomorrow, after we wake up."

Jewel's twin daughters skipped over to Blu and fixed him with a pleading gaze. "Can we come with you, Papa? Pleaseee! We want to see you sing!"

"Sorry, Liliana and Josefina. But you are too young to come to a club. It isss...how do I put it...not a very nice place for chicksss."

They then rushed over to Jewel, hoping that she would agree instead.

"Your father is right. This is no place for little ones like you. Maybe we will bring you in the future. But not now."

"Thanksss for ssshowing us around, Kipo! We are going to head home now. We need to get our rest for tomorrow!"

"You're welcome! It was my pleasure! Bye, you three cute macaws!"

"Say goodbye to Kipo, children. Don't be rude."

They managed half-hearted goodbyes, and they trudged out of the building in the wake of their parents.

"Can we hurry up and get home, Jewel? I don't want to fall asssleep again!"

"You got that right, mister! I don't want to have to carry a certain snoozing bag of feathers all the way up to our nest!"

The five macaws soared into flight, soon leaving The Grand Palm behind as they made a beeline for the jungle. They re-entered their safe haven, and after short flight to the clearing,and their home, they landed happily inside.

Blu however, was on the brink of dozing off, and he tumbled into the hollow, landing on his mate in the process.

"Way to go, Blu! I wish I could land like you..."

"Mmmm. Ssso warm...ssso cozy..."

"Can you please get off me. I would like to breathe!"

"Jussst...two...more...minutesss..."

Jewel shoved Blu off of her and tried to straighten her now messy feathers. "Children, could you go warm your father, please?"

Liliana, Josefina, and Stefano skipped over to him and snuggled him for a short while.

"Thank you. I n-needed that."

He rose to his talons and shook himself lightly. "I hope that thisss weather isss gone by tomorrow! It isss not very pleasssant, to put it mildly!"

Even though it was only early evening, the macaw family opted to turn in for the day. If they were to perform their best tomorrow, _and_ make Kipo proud, they would need all the rest that they could get. They also needed to have a clear heads in order for them to conjure up an enthralling song.

They tucked their children into bed first, and it was not long before the trio of macaws fell sound asleep.

"Good night little ones. Sleep well."

Jewel then turned to Blu and whispered, "Sweet dreams, _serpent boy_."

"Sweet dreams, my little _angel_."

He watched her close her eyes and fall rapidly into sleep's embrace.

_Tomorrow is going to turn out great! I just hope that she hasn't lost her singing voice! I hope I can still dance, too! It is going to be one of the most energetic and jubilant days of our lives!_

Blu fell asleep after concluding this thought, and he dreamed he was already singing and dancing right next to Jewel in The Grand Palm. He reveled in the magic of his dream world, and he twitched in his sleep from anticipation, knowing he would be experiencing it for real the following day.


	4. In The Blink Of An Eye

**Chapter 4:In The Blink Of An Eye**

Just as Blu had hoped, the sun had managed to burn away the lingering blanket of clouds from the previous day, and now the noon sky was toasty and clear. Blu was jolted awake by the heat of a golden ray that had slipped past the entrance.

"Hey, Jewel! Jewel! Wake up! The sssun isss back. Yesss!" Blu leaped clear out of his nest and began dancing around.

The raucous noise tore both Jewel and the chicks from their peaceful sleep.

"Really, Blu? Does the whole jungle need to know! *yawn* Thanks for waking me and the children up!"

"Sssorry! I am jussst ssso glad that I won't have to deal with any cold-induced sssleep today!"

"True, but I wanted at least another hour of sleep! I am pretty sure that our children feel the same."

"Way to go, Papa!" "I was having a wonderful dream, until _someone_started yelling!" "Try to keep it down next time!"

"I really am sssorry. Maybe I ssshould keep my beak ssshut for awhile..."

Blu hung his head and shambled over to the fruit-and-nut pile in the corner, picking around for a star fruit and snatching one up. He ate his breakfast half-heartedly, taking slow, measured bites out of it.

The joy he always experienced when he ate his favorite fruit seemed nonexistent, and Jewel felt that she and the chicks had been a little too hard on him.

After releasing a heavy sigh, she said, "Come on, children. Let's get something to eat..."

She led them over to the now disheveled pile, and Blu scooted over to make room for them, and he said not a word.

Liliana and Josefina shared a papaya, and Stefano dined on a small pile of nuts. Jewel plucked up a mango and planted herself down next to her mate.

"I apologize, dear. I should have been happy for you, and instead, I was angry. That was wrong of me. Do you forgive me?"

Blu slowly swiveled his head to face her, and his left eye flashed with mischief. "Actionsss ssspeak louder than wordsss, Jewel. Come on, you can do it."

He pointedly turned away and moved his cheek in close to Jewel's face.

"Hmmm. Bribing your mate is not the most appropriate way to get even, you know."

"Fine. I guesss I will continue the sssilent treatment."

He shut his eyes and resumed his meal, more energetically than before.

She sighed again and whispered, "_Por que você deve fazer isso comigo_? Come here then, Blu."

He leaned in once more, and he received a warm kiss from Jewel. "Ahhh. That'sss better. No more hard feelings, right?"

"If you insist. Just finish eating, so we can work out our plans for tonight. Can you at least do that much?"

"_Eu acho que posso administrar isso._"

"_Thank you_..."

Stefano, Liliana, and Josefina finished first, and they waited patiently for their parents. Blu waited for Jewel to down the last of her mango, and _then_he quickly finished his star fruit.

Jewel saw that her twins had actually kept their faces clean for once, and her mood lightened as a result.

"Good job, you two! Now I don't have to wipe your faces off today!"

"Thank you, Mama. We learned how to peel and eat fruit the right way all by ourselves! Now, all we need to do is teach Stefano!"

"I don't need your help! I will learn too, someday!"

"_Sure_you will! By then, me and Liliana will already have our own hollows!"

"You are lying! Just you watch! I will prove it-"

"Stefano, quit arguing. Liliana, Josefina, stop teasing your brother."

They all three knew not to disobey their father, and they immediately ceased their argument.

"Before we do anything, Jewel, we have to decide where to take our children."

"I bet Rafael and Eva won't mind. Nearly all of their children have already moved out. They would love the company!"

"That isss a good idea." He shifted his gaze from Jewel to his children and asked, "How about it, _meusss filhosss_? Do you want to go and visssit your Uncle Rafael and Aunt Eva tonight?"

To his surprise, they declined his offer quite openly.

Stefano complained, "No way, Papa! I want to see someone else instead!"

"And who might that be? Linda and Tulio?"

His twin sisters added, "We want to see our siblings, Papa! Can you take us there tonight? Please?"

Blu glanced at Jewel with a questioning look on his face. "I don't know if they will want to take care of you. We can't really force them to! We will go see them later, and if they say no, we will have to take you to Rafael and Eva instead."

Stefano replied, "That is fine with me, Mama. I know that they won't say no!"

"Now that we have that taken care of, what'sss next?"

"We need to organize a song, Blu. I think our children would gladly help us come up with the right words. The more brains we have, the better!"

"I will help you, Mama!" "Me too!" "So will I!"

"Ssshould it be a more upbeat, Sssamba-ssstyle sssong, or ssshould it be more...laid-back?"

"I was thinking that a less aggressive song would do, Blu. I bet you my tail feathers that Nico and Pedro are probably going to be there. They would never pass up an opportunity like this! We will leave the energetic performances to them!"

"Sssoundsss like a plan! Now let'sss get ssstarted!"

"Maybe the first words should be..."

The construction of Blu and Jewel's song took longer than they had expected, but they knew it would be nothing short of spectacular when they performed it.

"Do you know the partsss you are going to sssing, Jewel?"

"Of course I do! I am worried about you! You are really going to have to control the words that have the letter 's' in them!"

"I know! I don't want to ssssound ssstupid like I do now! I will do my bessst!"

The sky had morphed from a bright yellow hue to a heavy orange tone in the time it had taken to create the song.

"Maybe it's time that we take our children over to see Ricardo, Vicente and Esperanza."

"You are right, Jewel. I hope they are home. Let's go and sssee."

Just as they were about to fly out, they were pleasantly surprised to see said macaws flying towards them. Blu and Jewel drew back and let them enter.

"Hello, Mama! Hello, Papa! We have missed you!"

After they each received a hug from all three macaws at once, Blu and Jewel asked, "How is life treating you? Did you find some nice hollows?"

Ricardo replied, "It has been wonderful! We all found some trees that were pretty close to each other, over in the jungle to the left of here. Maybe we can show you!"

"Well that'sss good. We would love to go and sssee your homes, but your mother and I have sssome plansss for tonight!"

"Plans? What kind of plans?"

"We are going to do a little debut performance at Kipo's new club!"

Their three pairs of eyes widened with excitement. "Wow! You must be so happy! You haven't been to a club in a long time!"

"We are indeed happy! It'sss a good thing you ssshowed up, because we wanted to asssk you sssomething."

"Did you want to ask us if we wanted to go!"

"No, Esperanza. We need you to watch Liliana, Josefina, and Stefano for us. They really want to stay with you!"

"Oh man! We wanted to go with you and watch you sing!"

"If you don't feel like watching them, we can take them to Rafael's instead."

As much as they craved to see their parents sing, the idea of spending quality time with the little ones seemed just as appealing. "No, no, no. It's okay, Mama! We would love to watch them!"

Esperanza's two brothers added, "We would? Oh, right! We would! Yes!"

"Okay then! Do you want to go now?"

Their three chicks shouted, "Yes! Let's go! Hurry!"

They scurried to the opening and jumped out, and their older siblings followed soon after. Their parents heard Ricardo yell, "Wait! You don't know where our nests are! Follow us..."

Jewel sighed contently and whispered, "They should have lots of fun. No need to worry about them for awhile!"

"Right. Maybe we should go and see if Rafael and Eva want to come! They probably don't even know about it!"

"I never thought of that, Blu! We still have a few hours of daylight left. Let's head on over to those crazy toucans!"

Blu followed Jewel as they wound their way through the quiet jungle, and they arrived at Rafael's home in less than five minutes.

"Rafael? Eva? Are you here? We need to ask you something!"

A large toucan poked his head out from the tree hole above, and after taking one look at Blu, he tumbled from the hollow in shock. Rafael picked himself up and stood with his beak agape.

"B-Blu? How...you...dead...buried..."

_How many times will I have to go through this?_

"Yeah, I already know what you are going to sssay: What'sss wrong with your eye? Why are your talonsss ssso long? How are you ssstill alive? I am not going to explain it again, ssso jussst don't even asssk!"

"Wow! How did you read my mind? I don't think I even want to know! I am just glad that everything is alright with you! Well, mostly alright!"

Rafael turned and yelled for his mate. Eva fluttered down, and she was soon rendered speechless, just like Rafael had been.

"It's a shock, Eva. I know. But Blu told us not to ask about it. Come on, snap out of it!"

He waved his large black wing in front of her face, and she broke loose from her stupor.

"Uh...okay, Rafael. You can stop now! I am here! I won't even bring it up. I promise!"

"So, what brings you two here on this lovely Rio evening?"

"Blu and I came to invite you to Kipo's new club. We are going to perform there in a few hours!"

"Kipo has a new club! When did he build it?"

"He didn't. He found an old brick building right next to the road that goes past the beaches. A bunch of humans came and took away nearly all of the propane tanks inside. He showed us around yesterday, while they were still putting up all of the lights and decorations. It is going to look amazing!"

"I am absolutely in favor of going! What do you say, Eva?"

"Of course I will go! How can I miss the chance to see Jewel sing? She has such a lovely voice! And Blu is a great dancer, I must say!"

If the two macaws could blush, their cheeks would have been the color of roses. "You really think that, Eva?"

"Why wouldn't I! You and Blu are good all by yourselves, but when you work together, it is a sight to see!"

"Thanks! We are glad you are coming! We have a feeling that Pedro and Nico are going to show up too, so you will be getting a double dose of energy!"

Just then, the two birds in question flew in rapidly and skidded to a stop on the slick ground. They had obviously come along way, because their feathers were frayed and sticking up in various places.

"Hey...guys! Have you heard about...Kipo's new club? He set us up to perform there tonight...hey is that you, Blu? You are alive! Man, this is awesome! What happened?"

Blu gave Pedro a harsh glare, and he had a feeling that Blu wasn't going to tell him. "You were saying, Pedro?"

"What? Oh yeah, me and Nico got a great song to sing! It's going to get you shakin' so much, your feathers will fall off!"

Blu replied, "That'sss great! Me and Jewel are going to sing there too!"

"Really! Sweet! If you don't mind, me and Nico are going to go first!"

"No problem! We are going to sing a soft song. You guys can get the club full of energy, and then we will make it explode!"

"Sounds great! Maybe we should head on over to The Grand Palm and get ready."

Rafael and Eva declared, "Why not? Let's get going!"

The small group of multicolored birds took off towards the setting sun to the east, their minds racing and their stomachs quivering with anticipation. Slipping through an exit hole in the border net and emerging out over a large street, they could see that the city was finally back to normal.

As they glided through the warm air, they noticed that the streets were full of all sorts of vehicles. People lined the sidewalks in every direction, and the beaches were now full of screaming children.

The sea was tinted a strange reddish color, and yet it was beautiful just the same. Blu and Jewel had their focus down below, scanning the street below for the large brick structure that was the Grand Palm.

They finally found it nestled on the corner of an intersection, and odd flashes of light poured from the street-side windows. Jewel called out, "There it is! Let's get in there and start the preparations!"

The six birds spiraled down to the ground just outside the left wall. To their surprise, Kipo was standing next to another entrance, and he smiled as he laid eyes on them.

"Hey! Looks like you brought the whole crew! You guys ready to get your bodies moving?"

Pedro and Nico replied, "Of course, Kipo! We came early so we can prepare! Can't afford to be sloppy for something this big!"

"In that case, go on inside! Now I can officially say, welcome to The Grand Palm!"

He waved them along with his wing, and they filed past the open aluminum door. As they emerged out onto what seemed to be the main floor, they never could have imagined that the club would be so amazing.

The street-side windows were framed by intense azure lights, and the last slivers of sunlight were lost in the glare. A rack of colored spotlights was mounted three quarters of the way up each wall, except for the rear side of the building.

In its place, two soft white spotlights were attached, and a small set of stairs on each side allowed them to be reached and directed. Several large tables were spaced along the walls, and they appeared to be carefully constructed from corrugated aluminum.

A single long strand of multicolored lights was laid down along the base of each wall, and another strand was attached to the ceiling as well. The most imposing feature of them all was the three-tier wooden stage that occupied most of the space along the rear wall.

On one side, an assortment of bird-sized instruments sat, ranging from a drum set to congas, maracas, a tambourine, and even a guitar. A string of green, red, and blue lights ran down each side in a zig-zag fashion, from the highest level down to the floor.

A large, multi-faceted disco ball hovered high above their heads, suspended by ropes that were attached to each of the four propane tanks Kipo had kept in the four corners of the room.

Jewel exclaimed, "Oh my! This is quite the place! Kipo must be so proud!"

Rafael added, "Man, this place is so lively! Makes me want to go back to Carnaval!"

The six birds dispersed and explored the club for over half an hour, and during that time, more and more birds of all kinds had been trickling in. Blu and Jewel walked back outside and asked Kipo if he had a private area to rehearse.

He lead them around to the former entrance in the rear, and they found themselves beneath the stage, in a brightly lit space.

"Wow! This is perfect! No one can hear us while we practice!"

"Let'sss run through the sssong one more time..."

After nearly an hour of repeating their parts and recognizing when they would switch, and when they would sing together, Kipo moved the door away from the hole and let them out.

"Come on, guys! Pedro and Nico told me that they were ready to go! They are waiting next to the stage! This party is about to start!"

Kipo led them up some stairs to another small hole in the rear wall, and as they walked through it, they ended up behind a black curtain. The large black sheet moved across the stage and blocked it off from the multitude of birds below.

They noticed Pedro and Nico waiting across from them. The two birds hopped over and said, "You ready to rock the house?"

"We sure are! You two are going to be the ones to get their blood pumping, so good luck!"

"Thanks! We wish you good luck too!"

Just then, they heard the DJ announce their names as the curtain slid open, and then the band starting churning out a nice strong beat as they emerged out on to the stage.

Blu and Jewel couldn't help but lightly dance along behind the curtain to Nico and Pedro's song. The lights in the club began flashing and moving, and colored streams of light danced all over.

Towards the end of their song, the two spotlights above the stage were focused on the revolving disco ball, and hundreds of shimmering squares swept across every surface, and every bird as well.

The DJ announced them once more, and the club was filled with cheering and whistling. The curtain closed once more, and the music died off.

The two macaws heard their names being called out, although the sound was muffled by the heavy curtain. Blu and Jewel walked to the center of the stage, and Jewel whispered, "This is it. _Vamos fazê-los orgulhosos_!"

Blu nodded resolutely, and the curtain slowly drew back. To their surprise, all of the lights in the club went dark, and they stood out on the stage in total blackness.

The band started up a soft, haunting melody, and a dual beam of blue and purple light shined down on them from the left and right. Jewel and Blu drew apart from each other, and Blu began to dance as Jewel began to sing...

_I found another point of view,_

_Just a dead end avenue._

_I'm crawling closer back to you..._

_Just what I don't want to do,_

_Just what I don't want to do,_

_Is to fall in front of you..._

Blu and Jewel jumped down to the middle level of the stage, and they held each other in their wings. As they slid back and forth, in a slow rhythm, Blu's voice merged with Jewel's:

_And you can break and you can mend,_

_For all the wrongs that you defend._

_You learn the hard way in the end..._

Blu's voice dropped off, and he and Jewel lofted into flight, they soft streams of light following their every move. As they glided around each other in a mesmerizing aerial dance, Jewel resumed her singing:

_So, stay in my memory,_

_You can hide out there._

_Don't take all my thoughts today,_

_So I can start to begin again._

_So, stay in my memory,_

_You can hide out there,_

_Don't take all my thoughts today,_

_So I can start to begin again._

Blu and Jewel descended down to the last level of the stage, and the purple and blue light morphed to a deep red. Jewel took the lead as the dancer, while Blu now began his part of the song:

_So, I don't wanna be left with all this, I_

_Plan to be there right by your side._

_Now it seems that it could be,_

_Just a dream with you and me._

_I don't wanna be left with all this I,_

Just as Blu started the last line of his part, Jewel moved to his side and sang it with him.

_Plan to be there,_

_Plan to be right by your side..._

Blu watched as Jewel floated down to the floor and continued the song. The crowd of birds parted for her as she glided around the room, still enfolded in the intense red light.

_So, stay in my memory,_

_You can hide out there._

_Don't take all my thoughts today,_

_So I can start to begin again._

_So, stay in my memory,_

_You can hide out there,_

_Don't take all my thoughts today,_

_So I can start to begin again._

Blu walked over to his mate, and they rose into flight once more. Jewel flew over to the sill on the left window, while Blu flew to the sill on the right window. The blue lights around the windows were shut off, and a myriad of stars could be seen flashing outside. They slowly advanced towards each other, with Jewel starting the next verse:

_And you and I, we had the stars..._

_And you and I, we had the stars._

Blu started his duet flawlessly as she continued singing:

_That you left over and over again,_

_And you and I, we had the stars..._

_And you and I, we had the stars..._

_And you and I, we had the stars..._

_I don't wanna be left with all this I,_

_Plan to be there,_

_Plan to be right by your side._

The two macaws met just as their duet ended, and Jewel flew down to the floor once more. She turned and faced Blu, who was still on the windowsill. The disco ball began flashing as Jewel concluded the song:

_So, stay in my memory,_

_You can hide out there._

_Don't take all my thoughts today,_

_So I can start to begin again..._

_So I can start to begin again..._

Blu glided down to her as the guitarist let loose a soft solo. Just as the band slowed the beat down to a stop, Blu and Jewel shared a powerful kiss.

All of the spotlights then focused on the two macaws, creating a rainbow of light on their bodies. They separated from each other, and all of the birds around them began cheering and jumping up and down.

They heard a myriad of joyous shouts all around them. "Way to go!" "That was so awesome, it made me cry..." "There is no better team than Blu and Jewel!" "Wait until my neighbors hear about this!" "This was the best day of my life!"

Pedro and Nico weaved their way through the crowd and gave the two macaws giant hugs. "You two were so beautiful together. I am going to cry now..."

Small tears began to stain the floor at Nico's feet, and Pedro tried to comfort him. "I think you two are going to be the most popular birds in all of Rio now! I bet Kipo loved that performance! I know I sure did!"

The two macaws were so flattered that they could hardly speak. "Thank you. That really makes us feel good. You were just as entertaining, though!"

"I don't know if that is entirely true. You might be giving us a run for our feathers!"

Blu turned around and saw the DJ vanish for a few seconds. The Military Macaw returned and stood on the stage, and both white spotlights focused on him.

"Kipo wants me to give his personal thanks to these birds: Pedro, Nico, Jewel, and Blu! He never could have imagined such a great display of talent! He hopes that this will be the first of many appearances for you.

That is all the events we have planned for today, but the club will stay open for two more hours. Good night, and be sure to keep the Grand Palm grand!"

Rafael and Eva flew up shortly after, and they heaped even more praise on the two macaws. Rafael, Eva, Pedro, and Nico all decided that they were going to head out.

Blu and Jewel, however, decided to stay for one more hour. Just as they began walking towards the side exit, Blu called out, "Bye, you guys! See you later!"

Blu suddenly realized that he had somehow controlled the slurring of his words, and he quickly turned back to Jewel. "Jewel! I did it! I didn't mess up my words!"

She gazed at his handsome face and replied, "I am happy for you, Blu! Good job! Now you can-"

The entire club was instantly silenced as a loud screeching sound issued from outside. Shortly after, the piercing noise was replaced by a horrid, grinding din.

Blu asked, "_Que diabos foi isso_!"

"I don't know. It's getting louder! I think it is coming-"

Jewel's reply was cut short as a tremendous crash filled the club. The corner where the front and left walls met was blown in, and in the blink of an eye, a large metal hulk plowed into the throng of birds...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** **I know that this was a long chapter, but it was unavoidable! It sets the stage for the rest of the story. This will probably the longest chapter I will ever write! Anyways, the song that Blu and Jewel sang at the Grand Palm is called Stay In My Memory. It is sung by the English duo Bim. You can Youtube search it and listen, if you want. (FYI, it is the first video result). It is one of my favorite songs _ever_. It is just so haunting, sweet, and powerful, and the animated video makes it even more so. It is one of the few songs that actually makes me want to cry. Yes, I said cry. Well, that wraps up this chapter! Be sure to review when you finish, and you can comment on the video in the review, if you want. Until my next update...*The Wolf Is Out!***


	5. Its A Massacre

**Chapter 5: Its A Massacre**

A man named Joaquin was driving south, down the bay-side road near midnight, when his cellphone rang. He picked it up and plastered it to his right ear, keeping one hand on the steering wheel. A soft voice said, "Hello, Joaquin. How are you?"

"I am just fine, dear. I am on my way home right now. We had to ship some extra stuff today at work, so that's why I got out late!"

"It's okay! Just be safe. I will see you in a few minutes. _Amo você,querida!_"

"Love you too, honey! Wait for me at the-"

Little did he know, his truck had drifted into the oncoming lane as he was talking to his wife. A loud horn blast jarred his focus back to the road, and two blinding headlights assaulted his vision.

"_Meu Deus_!"

He yanked the steering wheel hard to the right, dropping his phone onto the passenger seat. Luckily, he had managed to avoid the head-on collision by mere inches.

As he tried to straighten his truck out, he over-steered, and the tires gave loud squeals of protest. He gave a panicked yell as the truck toppled over onto its right side and went skidding down the street towards an intersection, leaving a trail of glowing yellow sparks in its wake.

He saw a large brick building approaching rapidly, and the last thing he heard was a loud_ crash_as the truck smashed into the corner.

His head was forced into the dash as glass and pieces of brick filled the cab.

His phone was thrown out of the disintegrating driver's side window, and it scraped along the ground for a few feet, before coming to a stop.

"Hello? Joaquin? What was that noise? Are you alright? Pick up! Pick up..."

Before a single bird could react, a large truck barreled through the corner and ground its way across the sea of stunned creatures. Blu had been standing out of reach of the vehicle, but as soon he was able to take in what had happened, he was dealt a powerful blow in the chest.

As he was thrown across the room, he saw a large gray object fly past his head. Blu was slammed into the side of the stage with a sickening _crack_, and he fell to the floor. He tried to get up, but it felt as though he was no longer connected to the rest of his body.

His senses began to fail, one by one, and he found himself slipping into a familiar, featureless black void. His eyes drew shut and he realized that he was dying.

_No. No. No! This...can't...be happening! I just experienced...the most wonderful night ever, and now my life...is slipping away._

Blu felt his heart slowing down as his blood was pouring out onto the floor around him. He knew that nothing could save him now, and he just wanted his suffering to end.

_Goodbye, Jewel. Goodbye, loving children. Goodbye, everything..._

Just then, a sharp pain began to radiate from his neck, and it made him beg for the embrace of death.

_It feels like my neck is on fire! How am I not dead! Please, somebody kill me! I can't take it anymore!_

The sensation continued for several minutes, and then it abruptly vanished. Slowly, Blu's senses began to power up, one by one, and he noticed that he could feel the rest of his body again.

He pried his eyes open and staggered to his talons. He gazed down, and he found himself standing in a pool of his own blood. He had been completely stripped of feathers in a few areas, and bare patches of skin showed through.

The various cuts all over his body were still fresh, but they weren't even leaking a single drop of blood.

As he lifted his gaze back to the club before him, the full extent of the catastrophe revealed itself: The truck had destroyed a large portion of the left and rear walls, and it had skidded all the way across the club.

It now lay half buried in the right wall, with the bed pointing towards the stage. It was obscured under a multitude of shattered bricks, and the metal was covered in huge dents all over.

Blu realized that Jewel was no longer next to him, and absolute panic set in.

_Oh no! I have to find her! Please don't let her be dead. Please!_

Blu began walking weakly over to the left wall, and he could not believe the carnage that the truck had caused. He had to step over all kinds of birds that were laying in macabre configurations of death.

Several dozen macaw and canary bodies littered the stage, and they were mangled beyond recognition. Most of their heads were drooping over the edges at sickening angles, their eyes wide open and bleeding, and their beaks agape.

So many birds had died on the wooden structure that it had become a miniature waterfall with their blood. Blu turned away from the horror of the stage, and as he arrived at the damaged left wall, even more death was revealed to him.

All along the wall, several toucans lay crushed under fragments of red stone. The toucans had either been buried under the bricks and died an agonizing death, or they had been bludgeoned by them as they went hurtling through the air from the impact, which killed them instantly.

Blu nearly choked on the foul stench of blood that was beginning to fill the air. He walked past the slaughtered toucans and arrived at the gaping hole that used to be the corner of the building. The quiet street could be seen just a few feet away, and it seemed to Blu as a portal out of the Hell he was standing in.

He slowly turned away from the opening and continued his search for Jewel. Walking beneath the shattered windows of the street-side wall, a new method of murder was borne upon his eyes: Most of the birds near this area had been caught in the direct path of the truck, and they had been shredded into near nothingness.

Multicolored feathers were plastered to the floor with scarlet liquid, and the dismembered structures of the victims were spread out all over. Bits of skulls, talons, spines, and various organs littered the floor like demonic confetti.

The birds that had avoided the truck were killed by the hail of glass shards from the windows above. Blu had to climb over a large group of various macaws that had been impaled by slivers of glass.

Large, jagged pieces were buried into their chests. Others were lying face down in rivers of blood, and the scarlet edges of the glass slivers were jutting up from their backs.

Further on, mixed with the others, Blu saw a group of twelve macaws and cardinals that had been skewered in the eyes by the crystalline rain. Just past them, as Blu trudged up to the smoking front wheels of the truck, a few toucans and macaws had slivers of glass driven into their throats.

Blu nearly choked as a result of what he had seen, and he managed to croak, "Its...a...massacre. It's enough...to give...a demon...nightmares."

Blu jumped up onto the slowly revolving left front tire, and he quickly scurried off, because the smoking rubber had burned his talons.

"Ouch! Man, that hurt!"

As the pain in his talons subsided, Blu hoped that he would find Jewel somewhere near the truck he was now standing on. He had searched everywhere else, and he had not seen anything that resembled his mate, in the slightest.

He burst into tears at his realization, knowing that he would have found her by now, if she was still alive. She was the only other Spix's Macaw, after all.

_Why haven't I found her! What if she was caught in the direct path of the truck? I wasn't close enough to be hit by it, and she was standing right next to me! Oh no! She has to be either on or in the truck. If she isn't, then she really is gone...forever..._

Blu felt waves of heat coming from the metal beneath him, which meant that the engine was still running. His tears fell onto the warm steel and evaporated within seconds. Blu trudged over to the driver's side window and peered in.

The window had been destroyed, and Blu noticed a dark form slumped over in the seat. He knew it could only be the driver, and it looked as though his head had been smashed against the dash. The human did not move, and not a single sound issued from his still form.

"He's...dead. The driver is...dead. But, why did he crash?"

Blu walked back to the front of the truck, an he stood on the metal above the wheel well.

"Help me. Please..."

A muffled voice came from just ahead, and Blu saw a female canary pinned to the brickwork by the hood.

"H-hold on. I am coming..."

He moved as far forward on the side of the truck as he could, and he balanced himself next to the wrecked headlight. He stretched his left wing out as far as he could, and the canary reached for it desperately.

However, her reach fell short, and Blu caught a flash of light just in front of her. The metal emblem on the hood had been driven into her body, and small trickles of blood coated the once-shiny design.

He realized then that she could not be saved, and he whispered, "I...am sorry. I can't help you. You won't have to suffer much longer. May you rest in peace..."

The yellow canary gazed up at him, and a few drops of liquid spilled from her eyes. "You...have to-"

Her plea was silenced as her head fell onto the hood, and it never moved again. Blu turned away, still shedding tears, and climbed up onto the upper rim of the cab. A small pile of bricks was resting against the wall, and Blu spied a small light blue patch between a gap in the pile.

He knew of only one bird who had feathers that color: Jewel. He rushed over to the mound of stones and began heaving them off, one by one. Blu saw his mate laying face down on the side of the truck, and her right wing looked like it was hidden by the roof of the cab.

"Jewel! It's me, Blu! Wake up! Please tell me you are alive. Please?"

To his utter shock, Jewel turned her bloodstained head and gazed at him. "Blu? Is that...you? Am I dead? Are you an angel?"

"No! We are both still alive! Can you get up?"

Jewel managed to chase away the fatigue, and she tried to stand up. She felt a searing pain in her right wing, and she collapsed back onto the truck.

"Ahhh! My wing! It's stuck! I think it's broken! Get me out!"

"Okay! Hold on Jewel! I need to-"

Just then, a noxious odor drifted into his nostrils, and he recognized the smell immediately. "Jewel, the propane tanks are leaking! The truck must have damaged them when it hit. If we don't get out, we will suffocate!"

"Well then, hurry!"

Sure enough, as Blu looked over the cab and past the bed, he saw two propane tanks in the corner. He deduced that he had been hit by the one in the opposite corner, where the truck had entered. It had flown across the room and slammed into the other, cracking the steel and allowing the gas to escape.

Blu turned back to his battered mate and quickly analyzed the situation. He knew that he couldn't possibly move the truck away from the wall. However, he noticed that the cab roof had loosened some of the brickwork.

"Be still, Jewel. I am going to try to slide the bricks out!"

He pushed on the bricks with his talons first, and he got them to move out slightly. He tried to push on them with his head next, but they would no longer budge.

He had exhausted himself, and his lungs began to burn with every inhalation. He could think of no other way to free her, and he had accepted the fact that they wee going to die.

"I...can't...do it! I am not strong enough! I am not...going to leave your side, Jewel! I will stay here...until the very end!"

"Do not say that, Blu! We are not going to die! Come here!"

Blu leaned down, and to his surprise, Jewel gave him a powerful kiss. The warm heat flowed through his body, and went into a trance as his serpent instincts took hold of his mind once again.

He hypnotically moved to the edge of the roof and placed his left foot right next to Jewel's wing. He gave his foot a mighty yank, and the curved ends of his talons tore into the metal with an awful grating sound.

Blu continued gouging out the steel with his talons, and soon he had removed a long vertical strip of the roof. He collapsed next to Jewel as he regained control of his body, and he was lifted from the trance.  
>"You...are...free...Jewel. Stand up...and pull... your wing out. Hurry!"<p>

Jewel nodded obediently and rose to her talons once more. Her wing slowly slid out from the gap Blu had created, and he could tell it was broken. The lower half of her wing was tilted at an odd angle, and she could only hang it limply at her side.

"H-how did you do t-that! You just tore m-metal with your bare talons!"

"I-I don't know. I had to save you, Jewel! Remember, I am not a normal macaw! Don't understimate me!"

Jewel was afraid to jump to the floor, because she knew that the landing would cause her great pain.

"How will I get down?"

"Here, let me carry you!"

He cradled Jewel in his talons and gently lowered her to the blood-slicked floor. Jewel heard a soft splashing sound behind her, and she whirled around and searched the underside of the vehicle.

Just above the right rear tire, a large metal container was pouring out a strange brown fluid, and a river of it was flowing past her talons.

"B-Blu? What is that? What are we standing in?"

Blu followed her gaze to the stream of liquid. "I think...its gasoline. The truck is leaking gas! Come on! Let's go!"

The birds that survived unscathed were clambering madly over the bodies for the hole in the side of the building. The concentration of the propane in the air was still rising, and the birds grew frantic as they tried to reach the fresh air.

Cries for help and moans of agony were resounding throughout the club, and they all blended together into one awful, resounding din. Some birds had flown through the shattered windows to escape, while the rest, including Blu and Jewel, had walked out instead.

The two macaws finally passed through the gaping hole and breathed in the fresh air of the warm Rio night. Scores of birds now fled after catching their breath, and they never looked back.

Blu then heard shouts of, "There are still birds in there!" "I am going back in!" "We need to save as many as we can!" "Come on, everyone!"

He whirled around and locked his mate in his gaze. "I am going back in there! I have to try and save some more birds! I will return shortly!"

Before could Jewel could even protest, he blasted back in the the living hell that was the Grand Palm, and Jewel knew that he was risking his life.

Although he was out of earshot, Jewel shouted, "Please be careful! I can't lose you again! I just can't..."

Blu re-entered the thick atmosphere inside the building, and he flew around in circles above the death pit, scanning for any signs of life. Buried under two toucan bodies, he spied the bright green chest of a Military Macaw, and it was slowly rising and falling.

He spiraled down to it and heaved the corpses off. "How bad are you hurt? Can you walk? I am going to get you out!"

"M-my wing is broken. But, other than that, I am fine. Thank you for *wheeze*saving me!"

"You are welcome! Now let's *cough* go!"

Blu followed close behind the female and made sure that she didn't lose her balance on the slick bodies that lay all over. They finally made their way over to the exit, and a few more birds joined him.

To his right, a Scarlet Macaw was carrying a dazed canary in its talons. To his left, two toucans were guiding a third that was covered in lacerations. As they emerged back outside, the survivors began milling around and calling out the names of their mates and family.

Blu saw another blood-stained macaw fly up to the female he had just rescued. "Are you okay, Juanita!"

"Y-yes, Jose! My wing is broken, though. How will we get home?"

"Do not worry,_ mi querida._We will find a way!"

The male macaw then walked over to Blu and shook his talon. "Thank you for saving my mate. I was so worried about her!"

"No problem. I hope you get home safe!"

As the macaw couple walked off down the street, Blu decided to head back into the fray one final time. He saw that the club was now devoid of any living creatures, save for a toucan and macaw down just ahead.

As they lifted another battered macaw out from under some bricks, he heard an odd ripping sound. He gazed up at the ceiling, and the blood-splattered disco ball was swinging precariously. He saw that two of the four support ropes were gone, and the remaining two had started to unwind where they were connected to the top of the ball.

"Hey! You have to run! The disco ball is going to come crashing down!"

He heard the Scarlet Macaw yell, "Come on! Get up! We have to move!"

The macaw that they were trying to help replied, "Just...leave me here. I am not going to make it! Save yourselves!"

The toucan countered, "No! We are not going to do that! You will be just fine! Get up!"

Blu heard a loud tearing sound as the ropes gave way.

He shouted, "Get out! Now!"

But it was too late. The massive disco ball plummeted through the air and crushed the three stunned birds. Hundreds of squares of glass spun through the air, putting on a brief, dazzling light show.

A spray of blood painted the walls, and many scarlet drops landed on Blu and began ruuning down his chest.

He cringed away from the disco ball and yelled, "Why! Why didn't you listen! You didn't have to die..."

Blu did a quick scan, and he saw no one else in the room, save for himself. He blasted back out to his waiting mate, drawing in another deep breath of the pure air.

"Is that everyone, Blu!"

"I think so!"

"What is going to happen now?"

"I don't know, Jewel! But we shouldn't stick around to find out..."

Deep inside the club, high up on the right wall, the spotlight rack had been hit by several hurtling bricks. The bulbs had been shattered, and sparks had been raining down on the floor below. A few of the sparks had just descended into the river of gasoline, and it was ignited instantly.

Blu and Jewel saw an orange flash from within the club, and a wave of fire was sweeping across the floor. The putrid stench of burning feathers and melting flesh made it hard to breathe, even outside the building where they were standing.

The remaining birds suddenly fled in all directions, and the two macaws began walking hastily away from the burning building. They just reached the sidewalk of the main street when a deafening blast knocked them down.

The fire from the gasoline had managed to ignite the propane-laden air, and the result was a tremendous explosion.

Lying on their backs, they looked up to see the building collapsing, and flaming chunks of stone and glass began to rain down, like a volcano. The flaming rocks began to strike the ground all around and shatter, and some missed Blu by mere inches.

He jumped to his talons and yelled, "Come on, Jewel! We can't stay here!"

She tried to follow, but every movement of her wing shot intense pain throughout her body. Blu spun around, and he saw that she was lagging a few feet behind as the stone rain continued.

She finally managed to catch up, and she cried, "Slow down, Blu! My wing...its killing me! I can't move as fast as you!"

He slowed his pace and continued walking, and as he turned around a few seconds later, Jewel was no longer by his side. He spied her face down in the middle of the street, and she was totally unmoving.

He flew over to her, and he saw a smoldering brick laying on her back.

"Jewel! Are you okay? Answer me!"

He slid the brick off of her, and a large wound ran from the base of her wing down to her tail. Scarlet fluid was dripping steadily from the gash, and he suddenly felt himself grow faint.

He barely managed to stay conscious, and he gently rolled her over with his right foot.

"B-Blu...I can't...feel my feet. My back...is broken..."

"No! You have to get up! We have to get home! Please don't say that, Jewel!"

"I won't...make it. I am...dying. You have to leave. I won't...last much longer..."

Blu's eyes began pouring out tears, and they swirled into the pool of Jewel's blood at his feet.

"No! Come on, Jewel! You have to fight! You can't leave our children without a mother! You can't leave _me_!"

She gazed up at him one more time and whispered, "Goodbye, Blu. Take care...of them. I...will miss you. My life was fulfilling, while...it lasted. And now...it is over..."

Her head slumped down into the pool, and her eyes were fixed on Blu in a blank, cold stare.

"Jewel! Don't die! Wake up! Please! Please..."

Blu reclined against his mate and stroked her gently. "You have to wake up! I will not...let you go!"

Blu stood up and relinquished control of his body to his serpent mind, and he felt something growing rapidly on the inside of his beak. After a few minutes, Blu leaned back down to his mate and hovered his face above her chest.

He opened his beak slightly, and two needle-like fangs swung forward. Small drops of sparkling fluid gathered on their tips and landed in the blood, and he drew back his head.

In one swift motion, he darted forward and buried the fangs deep into Jewel's chest. As soon as they pierced her flesh, he felt streams of liquid being injected into her. The liquid poured into her chest cavity and began dispersing throughout her wrecked body...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** **I think that this chapter did a pretty good job at allowing you to actually visualize the carnage inside the Grand Palm. This is now my second longest chapter ever, and man, did it take forever to write! I am a steadfast fan of violence, and that is why I changed the rating to T! I have one more chapter planned for this story, and I will add it tomorrow, in my last update. Please review this chapter! (I know you won't forget!) I think the most pressing question you want to ask is: What is Blu doing to Jewel? Well, you will just have to wait and see! It's only one day away! *Wolf Out***


	6. Ungrateful

**Chapter 6:Ungrateful**

After half a minute of shooting his venom into his mate's body, Blu slid his fangs out of her chest, leaving two tiny punctures. He stepped back, and his fangs folded backwards, concealing themselves inside his beak.

His left eye shrank down to a thin vertical slit as he was returned to the macaw side of his consciousness. He watched Jewel's body begin to tremble and shake, and he could only wonder what his newfound ability was doing to her.

_Is..she being revived? Is my venom designed to heal, instead of kill? What if I am too late? What if it doesn't work? I hope I find out soon..._

Jewel's demolished body continued quivering, and Blu could hear strange cracking and tearing noises. The noises echoed horribly in his refined ears, sounding as if someone had thrown a dead, festering animal into a meat grinder.

Blu couldn't bear to watch any longer, and he turned his back to her, his eyes slowly dripping tears. After Blu suffered through a few more minutes of agony, the sounds abruptly ceased, and he apprehensively turned back around.

His mate lay just as still as she had been a short while ago.

"J-Jewel? Hello? Can you hear me?"

A wave of crushing dread and sorrow filled washed over him when she didn't respond. However, the dread soon vanished as he saw her eyes blink once, then twice. She opened her beak slightly, and she managed to speak...

All Jewel remembered after the explosion that destroyed the Grand Palm was limping along behind her mate, her fractured wing shooting pulses of pain with every step. Just as she and Blu neared the sidewalk, something pounded her in the back and tossed her into the street.

She heard a sharp _snap, _and then she was skidding along the ground. She tried to get up, but she had lost all sensation to everything below her shoulders.

She felt her energy draining away, and she simply reclined her head against the rough surface of the road. She saw a red pool expanding away from her on her left side, and she noticed a large gash extending down the side of her body.

The large wound caused her no pain, and she figured that her spine must have been severed by the impact. Her mate glided over to her and began spouting frantic questions.

"Jewel! Are you okay? Answer me!"

She watched as he removed a flaming brick from her back, and yet it was as though the brick had never been there at all. He rolled her over onto her back, and she managed to mutter, "B-Blu...I can't...feel my feet. My back...is broken..."

He shook his head and shouted, "No! You have to get up! We have to get home! Please don't say that, Jewel!"

As much as she wanted to believe him, she knew that her body could take no more. She had reached her limit, and the thread that tied her body and her soul together would soon be snipped.

"I won't...make it. I am...dying. You have to leave. I won't...last much longer..."

As his eyes poured out tears, he begged for her to stay, both for him, and for their children.

As her failing heart gave one last feeble thump, she replied, "Goodbye, Blu. Take care...of them. I...will miss you. My life was fulfilling, while...it lasted. And now...it is over..."

She dropped her head into the lake of her own blood, and she felt herself disappear. It was as if a jet black dome had been lowered around her, cutting her off from the world of the living. She felt as light as a cloud, and this new realm seemed oddly peaceful to her.

_This is what it feels like to die? Why was it so...easy? Is it trying to make a mockery out of life? The sorrow that Blu must be feeling is unimaginable, but yet, I feel nothing. Why does it have to be this way! Why is it so unfair! I had everything I ever wanted and needed, and I lost it all, just like that. Does death have the ability, the sentience, to feel remorse?_

That was the monologue that repeated endlessly in Jewel's thoughts as she drifted about in the austere, unchanging black landscape. She was having trouble dealing with the fact that this would be her home, no, her _prison, _for her entire future.

She did, however, look forward to the day when Blu would join her, if such a thing was even possible.

_I hope that Blu lives along and happy life without me. He has our children to take care of, after all. He has a bright future ahead, and when his time finally comes, I will be right here waiting. Too bad I won't get to see him until then..._

As Jewel concluded her thought, she saw what looked like two puncture holes appear in the wall of the black dome. A strange clear liquid began squirting out of the holes and spreading out beneath her, like a lake of sparkling water.

Much to her horror, the peaceful lake suddenly erupted into a a conflagration, becoming a raging expanse of fire. She felt herself being pulled into it, inexorably, and she could somehow _feel _the scorching flames that now bathed her.

The flames crackled and popped, and strange ripping noises resounded from every direction.

_What is happening! I am burning! How can I feel it if I am dead! It has to end! I can't be trapped in here for the rest of time! Please let it go away!_

The phantom agony that plagued Jewel lasted for several minutes, and the heat from the ghostly fire seemed to be melting the dome that surrounded her. As the dome dripped and oozed away, a world of drab color revealed itself.

She saw miniature flames all around her, like the one she had just been in. Strange jagged, reddish shapes littered the space in front of her, and in the distance, large blocky structures jutted into the air. As if to try and confirm what she was seeing was real, she blinked her eyes once, and then once more.

_Did I just...blink? Why do I feel a steady thumping in my chest? And is that...wind...blowing through my feathers? Am I...alive? Am I actually alive!_

She noticed a warped blue mass approaching her, and it issued a series of twisted sounds.

To her, it sounded like, "J-Jul? Hlow? Cn yoh hr mu?"

The tone of the convoluted noises suggested that they were questions, and Jewel felt an urge to answer them. To her surprise, her beak creaked open ever so slightly, and she managed to respond.

"Bl-hwth-rve mth. Whf cnk eyf tlks!"

"Jewel! You are alive! But why are you talking so funny?"

Jewel wanted desperately to know the answer to his question as well. It felt like her tongue had been ripped out and then shoved back into her beak haphazardly. "Whft dhd yum dth mft? Anf yum crsy!"

Just as she replied, a familiar serpentine tongue darted in and out of her beak.

"Uh, Jewel? I...need to tell you...something."

"Wnht?"

"I revived you with my...venom, and it looks like although it healed your body, it gave you some...modifications."

"Wnft dch yum mnn?"

"Well, _your_ tongue...now looks like _my_tongue."

Jewel's eyes widened in absolute shock, and she managed to stand up. Her speech was finally clear now, and Blu sorely wished it hadn't been. "What did you say! My tongue is a snake tongue! What did...you do to me!"

"I had to bring you back, Jewel! I didn't know my venom would affect you like that!"

As she pummeled him with her furious voice once again, two sharp fangs folded forwards out of her beak, making her even more fearsome. "Why! What possessed you to try and save me!"

"It wasn't me! I did what I did out of instinct! I had no control!"

"Oh, really? So, instead of just letting me stay dead, you turn me into a monster!"

"You are not a monster, Jewel! You told me that you would always love _me_, no matter how I looked. I feel the same way about _you_!"

"Well, maybe I don't feel that way about myself! Now I have to deal with all the emotions you felt! Do you remember how long it took for you to come back to me? Too long!"

"But, Jewel. Aren't you happy that you are alive?"

"A little, yes. But I died a macaw, and I wake up a freak! I didn't ask for this..."

She turned away and started to sob, drooping her wings to the ground. Blu walked up behind her, and he was going to try his best to make her see the positive, instead of the negative.

"Why are you being so ungrateful, Jewel? I couldn't bear for you to leave me, just as you couldn't bear for me to leave you. I tried to save you, and it worked. Everything is going to be fine. You are fully healed. We can go home now."

Jewel did not reply. Instead, she let out a painful screech.

"What's the matter? What happened! Look at me, Jewel!"

She whirled around, tears still dripping from her eyes, only this time, her right eye was bloodshot. It was changing shape right in front of him, and when it stopped, her eye had been mutated into a snake eye.

"Jewel! Your eye! Now that looks like mine too!"

"You see. You turned me into a monster. You brought me back from death, and you placed me in a life that is just as bad. I would rather be dead then have to cope with this!"

"It's because I love you, Jewel! I never intended for this to happen! You can't blame me! If I can get through it, so can you! You are a strong bird!"

"No! It is your fault. *Sniff* How can I face our children, our friends...like this."

"It can be done, Jewel. No matter how you appear on the outside, it's the inside that counts. I love you, and I will help you adjust."

She gave him a swat with her wing, and he nearly tripped from the blow. "I don't want your help! Why don't you just *Sniff* kill me all over again! Do it!"

"I-I can't! I won't! Please come home, Jewel..."

"No! I will not go home! *Sniff* I am leaving! I am finding a place that is so remote that you won't ever find me! And don't try to follow me, either!"

Blu could not believe that his mate was acting so hostile. He had never seen her this way. It was as if she had taken on not just the features of a snake, but the temper of one as well.

"Jewel, you can't go! I love you! Don't you love me?"

She spread her wings for flight and replied, "Not anymore."

She blasted herself into the dark sky and streaked away, unsure of where she was going. All she did know was that she was going away from _him_.

Blu sat there in stunned silence for several minutes. He could barely register Jewel's final words to him. "She said 'not anymore.' What have I done? All I wanted to do was bring her back, and I just ended up losing her again!"

All Blu was torn as to what he should do. He couldn't decide if he should he follow her secretly and try to make amends, or if he should go back and break the news to his children.

He opted to give her some time to cool off, and he would go search for her the following day. He slowly spread his wings and lofted into a depressed flight.

Making his way back across the quiet city and back to the sanctuary, he found his way inside and weaved through the jungle. He tried to remember his children's directions as best he could.

"They said they lived in the jungle to the ...left of the clearing. Or was it the right? I am too shocked to even think straight! I will try going left first."

Unbeknownst to him, he had chosen the right direction, and he glided past the lone tree in the clearing that was his home. He made a beeline for the border and drifted through the wall of plants.

As he flew on, he saw nothing that resembled the three fairly adjacent trees that his children had described to him. "Am I going the wrong way? I must be! Guess I better turn around."

In the middle of his course change, he caught sight of three oddly spaced trees to his right. "There they are! I must have been going the right way all along!"

He swerved around and flew straight towards the trio of moss-covered trees. His refined hearing picked up the soft breathing of six macaws, and he deduced that they must be asleep.

"I hate to have to wake them, but they must know what happened to their mother."

He glided towards the middle tree and gently alighted in the good sized space. His six offspring were bunched together in the far corner, all snoozing peacefully.

Liliana, Stefano, and Josefina were reclined against their older siblings' stomachs, and they could not look any more content. Blu trotted closer to them and whispered, "Wake up, _meus filhos._ I have something terrible to tell you..."


End file.

Rio, Family, Mystery