Rio I Promise

The dreams I traveled through in the veils of sleep were serene and reassuring enough, but all that changed when slivers of golden sunshine struck my face.

As my body prepared itself to resume normal activity levels, my mind gave a small start and flicked on. As I peeled open my eyes, my lovely dreams became reality.

Huddled up against me was the source of my spiritual life-blood, the entire reason for my existence, the female I belonged to: Jewel. The feel of her silken plumage cuddled against mine, the warmth that she poured into me, the love her embrace channeled into my soul, was more concrete than any mental dream-scape my mind could fathom.

Judging by the peacefulness with which she nestled up under my wing, she was content enough with her visions that my awakening had not disturbed her. As reluctant as I was to break her reverie, the glorious morning beckoned just beyond the leaf curtain I had crafted, and there were other needs besides our own that needed addressing.

Reaching around with my free right wing, I teased my primaries over the divine face of my love. Her left wing languidly rose up to brush away the irritation, adding to the stimulation and rousing her.

"Huh... w-what... leave m-me..."

I smiled silently at her humorous ramblings, no doubt caused by her half-alert brain. A few blissful seconds later, she revealed her twin pools of aquamarine to me, a honey-like smile adding to the expression.

"Good morning, Blu..." she muttered cheerily.

"Good morning, Jewel..." I replied, my voice still heavy with drowsiness.

I performed a drawn-out yawn, a maneuver she mirrored shortly after. I planted a gentle kiss on her cheek and asked, "How are you feeling? Are they bothering you at all?"

I loosened my wing as she rose to her full height, my feathers still absorbing the warmth radiating from her back. She stroked her belly with her wing, waves of wonderment washing over her face.

Peering deep into my eyes, she proclaimed, "I can feel them shifting inside of me. They're ready to come out, to greet their parents. My instincts are telling me that I will lay them some time today."

She gave a satisfied sigh and returned my previous kiss.

"All we've been through, all the pain I suffered, all the hopelessness you battled, it was all for them. We're chained-together birds, but more than that, we're parents. We'll soon have three little miracles to watch over, Blu, and I couldn't be happier. You may be an awkward pet, but you're the mate I belong to, the father of my children, and I love you..."

My heart swelling with melancholy pride, I replied, "I love you too, Jewel. You're the mate that has given me, and will continue to give me, all that life could ever offer. I never imagined that the mother of my children would be the most gorgeous female on Earth, and yet here you are, in my wings..."

As my powerful words faded away into the silence of the dawn, I lost myself in her eyes.

No matter how melodramatic we were acting, no matter how cheesy and fawning our words happened to be, it was all true.

_Without me, Jewel will forever suffer in a life of hollow freedom, knowing that sharing it with someone else only elevates it to a higher plane of nobility and significance. Without her, I will lose the motivation to carry on alone, to live. By some higher power, we were brought together, and I will eternally cherish the time we have together._

Our amorous deadlock finally ended when a gurgle surfaced from her stomach and an urgent sensation in my gut prodded at me simultaneously.

Acknowledging the whims of her system, she blushed and said meekly, "These eggs sure are taking a lot of my energy! Could you bring me something to eat?"

I dejectedly extricated myself from the nest, reluctant to leave her side, but forced to do so by my bodily needs.

"Would you like anything in particular?"

Flaring her wings like a phoenix, she replied, "Surprise me."

Stunned by the intricate, perfect arrangement of her feathers and the way they shone in the light, my answer was delayed.

"Wow... oh, uh, sure! Your wish... is my command."

I jogged around the nest as she relaxed down into it, resting on her right wing to alleviate the pressure on her belly.

I stuck another quick kiss on her beak and warned, "You just rest, honey. Keep our eggs safe and comfortable. I'll be back in no time."

Flashing me a kindhearted glance, she urged me on with a sweep of her left wing. I jogged away from her and pushed aside the swinging leaf curtain, launching myself into the brilliant morning glow eagerly.

I relieved myself of my digestive wastes as soon as I was out of sight, grateful that the entire clearing was devoid of any extraneous life.

Having to do so was never much of a problem during my time in Moose Lake. I was basically a housebroken macaw, and I would always do my business outside of the bookstore.

After Jewel's wing had healed and we had forged ourselves a home in the jungle, I found myself perpetually in the company of my mate, and things were slightly more touchy. Every time she or I had to go, we left the nest, took care of it, and returned.

It was unnerving at first, since we both knew what the other was doing, but now that Jewel's pregnant, it hardly bothers us anymore.

Ever since she allowed me to mate with her, to intimately satisfy her body as well as mine, such sensitive notions have no effect on our perceptions of each other.

On numerous occasions have I seen other birds openly relieve themselves, and even go so far as to copulate while in the presence of a tree-ful of neighbors.

I would never commit such revealing and awkward acts with Jewel in public, for my personality was unable to handle that variety of stigma, and I doubt that she would perform them with me either.

Refocusing my mental capabilities, I charted out a course to a novel grove I had discovered a few days after we established our abode.

_If I remember correctly, it's two kilometers to the northwest of our tree._

Comparing my orientation with that of the sun, I banked to the left until the young yellow orb was behind me and off to the right.

That particular grove seemed to retain its food supply longer than the few others I had come across, though I could not say why.

_It is in a relatively secluded location, but surely I'm not the only one to have borrowed from it. Hmmm, this may be a mystery that I am unable to solve at the moment..._

Dispelling my curious thoughts, I plowed on towards my predetermined target at a brisk pace.

Jewel had told me that she would lay the eggs today, but not _when _she would lay them. Missing the sight of my children entering the world for the first time – the event was just as momentous as their hatching – would leave a lasting pit in my soul.

I pushed myself as hard as I could, emboldened by the desire to return to her as quickly as I could manage.

When I arrived at the choice grove, I plucked a passion fruit for Jewel and two star fruit for myself. With the yellow shapes in my talons and the plump sphere cradled in my beak, I jetted off in the same direction I had came.

My flight was fueled by the sight of Jewel's joyous expression manifesting in my mind, proud of my service in her time of need.

Though my furious flight had sapped most of my energy, I regained my composure dutifully before entering the hollow I shared with the love of my life.

I abandoned my load before trotting over to her, plopping the intact passion fruit squarely in front of her.

"Oh my, a passion fruit. Thank you so much, Blu! I knew you would come through."

I gave a sultry bow in response, a gracious smile igniting on my face.

"You're welcome, Jewel. All you have to do is ask, and I will provide to the best of my ability. Now that you're pregnant, it's practically a requirement."

She rolled her eyes as she said, "Oh Blu, I won't expect you to overwork yourself _all _the time! Once I push these eggs out of me, raising them will be a team effort. Now go get your food, so we can eat as a couple."

Obeying, I scooted away to where the two fruits lay, kicking them softly towards the nest as I walked. I plucked one off the floor and brought it to my beak, pausing before taking a bite.

"Ladies first," I chided.

Jewel nodded and rolled onto her feet, leaning down and carving out a generous portion with her beak. She chewed it heartily and swallowed, visibly overtaken by the delicacy I had given her.

"Mmm, it tastes so sweet! You picked a perfect fruit, Blu. This should keep me full until I lay the eggs."

My face lighting up, I tore off one half of the nutritious item in my claws. A tangy flood of sensation titillated my senses, exacerbated by my repeated chewing of the firm pulp.

After swallowing, I threw down the remaining half while Jewel devoured her breakfast in time with me. Being that she was instilling more effort in the process of creating our children, I split my second star fruit with her.

She initially refused, but I pressed her innocently, offering it as a token for her hard work. She consumed it with glee, her mood no doubt uplifted from the taste, as well as the fact that she was now full.

Her beak was remarkably clean – her eating habits tempered by a lifetime of caring for herself and her flawless image. If her contorted face was anything to go by, I was not so fortunate.

"Uh Blu, I think you have some cleaning up to do!"

I tried using my tongue to swab my beak, but the residual bits of pulp and juice were too high up to be removed.

After a few seconds of flailing my tongue around, Jewel ordered, "Come here and I'll clean it for you. I'm trying really hard not to laugh!"

Ruefully, I sprung into the nest beside her, my beak inches away from hers.

She used her bumpy tongue to lick the fluids from my sticky beak, the benevolence of the act tickling me internally. After a few upbeat repetitions, she withdrew.

"Thank you, honey. I'm glad that I have you to help me out when I need it."

"No problem, handsome. I'll always be here to do just that."

She eased over onto her right side again, wrapping her wings around her midsection. Enticed by her position and yielding to the desire to feel her silken coat, I tilted carefully over onto my right side.

She lifted her wings so that I could rest my back against her chest, and then swaddled me with them as soon as I was comfortable. Her head slumped down onto my neck, which doubled as a living pillow of unprecedented softness.

I watched her eyelids close as she sighed, and a feeling of pure, unadulterated purity overtook me.

Our pose was truly romantic, truly touching, and the embers of love seeping into me due to Jewel's marshmallow-like plushiness made me dizzy with affection.

I would protect the female embracing me with every fiber of my being, just to ensure that the rivers of love flowing out her remained. On top of that, three physical vessels of our shared love were buried in her belly, objects that I was also sworn to defend by word and deed.

The space inside the tree was dim but not dark, and only the whispers of our breathing could be heard.

_There is no more romantic setting than this. It's just me, Jewel, and our unborn children, all united in a perfect hollow. I could stay like this forever, never needing to sever the physical bond I have with her..._

The respite that a siesta bestowed was pulling on my eyelids, and I eventually complied.

However, as my thoughts wandered aimlessly, a nagging concern prevented me from fully dozing off. Images of the sanctuary, of a pair of strikingly-patterned toucans, and a duo of vividly-hued shapes peppered my resting brain.

I fidgeted and twitched about for several minutes, my attempts to drive them away for the sake of dreaming utterly futile.

My random movements caused to Jewel to eventually surface from her slumber.

I silently cursed at myself as she pulled her head from my neck.

"Blu, what's wrong? Having trouble sleeping?"

My tone laced with regret, I answered, "I was planning on telling our friends, as well as Linda and Tulio, about you laying the eggs today. I wanted to go after breakfast, but I didn't want to leave you all alone. I wanted to be next to you for awhile longer..."

Boldly, Jewel released her wings and guided me back onto my feet, separating our once-intertwined bodies.

"That's sweet of you to want to stay, but if you really want to tell them, go ahead. And besides, they deserve to know what's going on between us, especially Linda and Tulio. If you get this off your chest now, we can sleep soundly together once you get back."

_Dang, she's good. Just another reason why I love her, and some times, why it hurts to leave her..._

"But what if... the eggs come while I'm away? I was worried about that this morning, and now I have to go through it again?"

At this, Jewel stood up and slapped her wings onto my shoulders.

"They're not ready _yet_, Blu. The day is only half over, so there's plenty of time left. Just drop by our neighbors, tell them what they need to know, and move on."

"But Jewel, I-"

"No buts, Blu! I'm asking you nicely to go. I'll be waiting right here, in this nest, for you to get back."

She lowered her wings and drilled into me with a stare bloated with "tough love."

"Fine, I'll go. I'm going to miss you the whole time, though."

"And I will miss _you_. If you hurry, we won't have to miss each other for long..."

I strongly nodded and backed away, shoving past the curtain and leaping into flight. The midday sun pounded me all over, though the masses of clouds scudding by overhead shaded me often.

Battling back the urges to turn around – knowing that would only upset Jewel and would not be healthy for the eggs – I drifted on, my first destination being the ivory walls of the sanctuary.

Naturally, both Linda and Tulio were ecstatic upon hearing the news.

The latter grabbed me and nearly hugged me to death in a manner unfit for an ornithologist of his status. Linda's timely intervention ensured that my chicks would not grow up without their father.

After recovering from Tulio's muscular assault, both he and his wife dumped heaps of praise onto me. I was grateful for their support and for the pride they instilled in me, but I felt that it was perhaps a little _too_ much.

Before I suffocated under the weight of their endless ramblings, I bid them goodbye, using my native language of squawks and chirps. I conducted my trademark "fist-bump" with Linda as an added measure of my thanks, and then promptly fled the aviary.

Nico and Pedro's residence was my next stop, and I was forced to rouse them out of their nap to convey my message. Despite their size, the flurry of back-slaps and wing-shakes they administered jarred my stability.

They weren't keen to observe the relatively boring eggs, but when they actually hatched, they would fly over at a moment's notice – with my permission of course. They also swore that they would alert the community via the Palm when my chicks emerged.

Jewel and I had morphed into a sort of idolized, interesting and unique couple for the avian population of Rio, and more importantly, the club-going types.

Nico and Pedro stated it was a necessity for their audiences to hear that Jewel and I, the club-rocking and incredibly rare macaw couple, were raising three offspring.

When Nico and Pedro finally toned themselves down, I thanked them sincerely for their enthusiasm, tacking on the fact that their "love lessons" greatly paid off after all.

I apologized for disturbing their siestas and urged them to go back to sleep. They refused my apologies, but not ten seconds after climbing back into their beds, were already snoozing nonchalantly.

Nico's high-pitched wheezing and Pedro's raucous snoring effectively drove me away, spurring me on to my third and final venue.

Rafael and Eva gave me the most controlled expression of their feelings thus far, praising my accomplishments verbally, rather than physically.

Their numerous chicks were too preoccupied with trouncing on each other to even listen to the conversation, let alone turn me into their punching bag.

Normal Eva then twisted into expert-on-childcare Eva, opting to give me some tips on how to keep the eggs warm, safe, and clean – information all meant for Jewel, of course.

Knowing that my mission was complete, mighty pangs of longing and separation anxiety constricted my soul. As politely as I could, I told the toucans that I needed to leave, and that I had made a pact with Jewel to return as quickly as possible.

They were not offended by my proclamation; they rather bid me good luck and urged me to leave, sounding nearly as excited at my being a father as I myself was.

The sun had sunk noticeably over the course of my escapade, now gleaming at a point halfway between its zenith and the plane of the horizon.

A scarce form of madness gripped me as I streaked off towards my home, the jungle aromas flooding my nostrils constantly reminding me of Jewel's tantalizing perfume. Before I irreversibly succumbed to the clamoring heat within, I touched down inside the hollow.

My disease was instantly cured as I caught sight of Jewel curled up cutely inside the ring of branches and moss. She was napping in her favored position, her attractive chest and visibly swollen belly presented to me full-on.

"Jewel," I muttered in awe, "I'm back..."

She threw open her dazzling eyes – as if she had never been dreaming – and waved me over with her mobile wing.

I couldn't help but glue an enthralled smile on my face as I joined her, a sense of déjà vu swamping my mind.

As she curled her left wing over my breast and pulled me up against her, she cooed, "I missed you, handsome. How did everything go?"

It was not enough to be cuddled up against her sensually; I needed to feast my eyes on her while we chatted. I swiveled my body in a series of short turns, stopping only when my chest brushed against hers.

"Just fine, my gorgeous Jewel. Tulio nearly crushed the life out of me, Nico and Pedro said they would stop by when the eggs hatched, and Eva enlightened me with some vital egg care tips. There will be time to teach you those later, though. Were you... scared of being in here... without me?"

Jewel's eyes visibly darkened, heralding the answer before she could reply audibly.

"Well, yes, but I put my faith in the knowledge that you would return. The only way you would vanish is if you... died. I know it's wrong to think so negatively, but that is the only thing that could tear you apart from me..."

There was true power in her speech, and it was then that I realized death was, in fact, the only occurrence that would stop me from seeing her.

"You don't have to fear, Jewel. I don't think that's going to occur for a very long time. Until that day, I will stand beside you, your knight as well as your friend. That is the essence of love, the supernatural force that compels a male to ensure that his soul mate survives and prospers. It may not be explainable and it may not be rational, but it's real. It is anchored here,"

I held my foot against the spot above my heart, "And here.."

I then transferred my foot to Jewel's heart, raking her coat gently with my talons before retracting them.

"That love binds me to you, a diamond of an oath that I will forever honor. I'm yours for as long as my heart beats and my lungs draw in air, Jewel. Never forget that."

Her eyes growing damp from the tears my confession invoked, she replied, "I am yours as well, Blu. And that isn't something I will _ever _forget."

I used my wing to wipe away her tears before asking, "Are you tired, my angel?"

"Yes. But with the eggs moving around, it's getting harder and harder to get the rest I need to keep them healthy. That puts me in an ironic situation, you know."

I opted to resolve her problem by closing the distance between us, such that she was able to tenderly use my neck as a pillow once again. I allowed the silence to persist for a few more snippets of time, and then I broke it.

"Did that help, my love?"

She wiggled her body slightly and replied, "A little, but it's still not enough. I may be forced to stay awake until these things come out of me..."

Puzzled and disheartened by her restlessness, I began cranking the gears in my brain, in the hopes that they would procure a solution to me. I narrowed my eyes in concentration, all the while rubbing her back with the primaries on my right wing.

_Ah ha, I've got it! I'll sing her the lullaby Linda recited to me in my youth, with a few pertinent modifications. I just hope my less-than-respectable voice doesn't ruin it..._

"Just be quiet, Jewel, and I will do my best to ease you into your slumber."

She kissed my neck once before relaxing, a silent signal for me to begin.

I cleared my throat and recited the lullaby with perfect clarity: "Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, my smile awaits you when you rise. Sleep, sweet angel, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby. Cares you know not, therefore sleep, while over you a watch I'll keep. Sleep, sweet angel, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby..."

Following my repetition of the soothing melody, Jewel released a drawn-out sigh. I craned my head up, and sure enough, her eyelids were fully closed.

As a measure of caution, I repeated the rhyme, dragging my own consciousness down as the poem trailed off. I toyed lazily with Jewel's head feathers before drifting off, spying one last glimpse of the angel in my wings before the blackness stained every inch of my vision.

I could not say what fantastic realms I visited in my dreams, but they were made all the more magical by the fact that Jewel had somehow worked her way into them.

I soon pushed past the shock of seeing her, enchanted by her eternally beautiful outline. Without so much as a thought, I embraced her and asked her to follow me on my exploratory journey. She gratefully agreed, basically propelling me into flight with a deep, passion-laced osculation.

And so it was, in that impossible chain of parallel universes, I frolicked and cavorted with my mate. We were gifted with boundless energy akin to the spryness of youth, and we soared for days in a realm were time was meaningless.

Those long stretches of unquantifiable time were translated into mere hours in the waking world, and it was well past sunset when our paired reverie came to a close.

Jewel was the first one to surface, nudging me awake in a restrained manner. I rose to my feet sluggishly, rubbing the drowsiness from my ocular organs brusquely.

I blinked rapidly, but the features of the home I knew so well remained hidden from me. Not a single shaft of sunlight entered the space, leaving it shrouded in thick darkness.

From a point directly in front of me, a milk-and-honey lilt snagged my attention: "Blu, I... I need to ask you something."

Caught off-guard by the odd question, I responded, "About what? Does it have something to do with our eggs?"

"Uh... yes and no. You see, I've been cooped up in here all day long, and I need to stretch my legs and wings. Also, they are putting pressure on me from the inside, and I think a walk should help deal with that."

Her points were valid and I was compelled to agree, but I pinpointed a few problems in her logic.

"I know you must be cramped and uncomfortable, but it's dark out. And what happens if you... go into labor... while we're out there? Do you know how perilous that would be for them? I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait it out. They must bee arriving soon!"

A spell of silence followed, as if Jewel was formulating counter-arguments.

"But Blu, I am so cramped and in distress! Please, just give me this one liberty. A thirty minute walk around the clearing, and then we can come back. If my body decides to begin pushing them out, you can fly me back here, and I will lay them safely. _Please_?"

_She sounds so irritated and desperate! I suppose it won't be too bad to let her amble around for a short while. It feels moderately cool in here, so the snakes probably won't be actively hunting for any prey. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any prowling the border so far, so it must be safe..._

"Since you put it that way, I... I don't have the heart to refuse. I don't think predators should be an issue either. But I'm telling you now, we're coming back once we orbit the border once, or if you go into labor. Deal?"

"Deal," she replied with conviction.

"Can you fly, or do you want me to carry you down to the ground?"

"Uh... I'd rather you carry me. I don't feel up to flying right now."

I jumped from the nest and made my way through the void that was our hollow, feeling along with my wings until I reached my makeshift screen. I extended my wing in the supposed direction of our nest, hoping that she would grab onto it and ease her way over.

Needless to say, I gave a small jump when she bumped into me, a tangible ghost in the darkness.

"Are you ready, Jewel?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Just don't drop me, okay?"

"Trust me, Jewel, I'll take care of you. I always have."

"Yeah. I'm just nervous right now, that's all. Since I'm an inexperienced mother, I don't know what to expect."

"Here we go..."

Gripping the bones in her wings securely with my talons, I eased her out of our home and lowered her to the damp jungle floor. Thankfully, the full moon cast its mercurial light upon the rain-forest, an unwavering source of illumination.

I watched as she flapped her wings several times, then gave them a quick preen. After she nibbled on her feet for nearly a minute, she gave a prepared sigh and looked my way.

"Ahhh, much better. I feel so refreshed! Lead the way, handsome. I'll be right behind you."

"Sorry, Jewel, but I have to remain closer to you."

I walked over and wrapped my wing around her back, guiding her away from the tree despite the perplexed look she gave me. That expression mutated into a sweet grin of security, which I absorbed for several seconds before she faced forwards.

We marched in a straight line across the desolate clearing, stopping to gather our wits only after we penetrated the encircling wall of foliage.

I swiveled our bodies ninety degrees to the left and queried, "Are you ready, my love?"

"I've waited all day for this, Blu. Let's go."

With that, I initiated our lengthy counterclockwise walk, using the pleasure she pured into me to combat the inklings of doubt and fear in my cortex.

I soon realized that my worries were unjustified; with jagged patches of moonlight adorning the ground and the symphony of the night massaging my ears, I slipped into a state of trance-like somnolence.

As we crawled along the circumference of the clearing, I would every so often ask if she had felt any internal changes pertaining to our offspring.

Every time, her answer was routinely "no."

I didn't mean to perturb her or gradually spoil the mood, but as a first round father, I was instinctively on edge regarding Jewel's situation.

Moderately deep into our evening trek, I stepped away from her and peeked out of the undergrowth, spying the rear of our tree.

I skipped back over to her and stated, "We're halfway done, Jewel. Any developments _now_?"

Shaking her head dejectedly, she replied, "Nope. Let's finish our excursion now."

Wordlessly, I obliged, swaddling her with my right wing and steering her onward. Not two minutes after the break, she froze unexpectedly.

"Blu, I... need to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

I withdrew my wing and said cautiously, "Please be careful, Jewel. Don't stray too far."

She scurried behind a cluster of fern fronds, which swayed back and forth from the disturbance.

When she didn't reappear, I took one large step in her direction, only to have my blood flash-frozen by a shrill cry, _her _cry: "BLU! HELP!"

I charged past the ferns like an enraged bull, coming upon a sight straight from the devil's journal: Jewel, my dear, pregnant Jewel, trapped in the coils of an emerald tree boa.

One of her wings lay splayed out on the muscular rings while the rest of her form was being constricted mercilessly. The look in her eyes was like an irresistible magnet, begging and pleading with me to rescue her, save her children.

The boa had its head firmly clamped onto her back, its narrow pupils supremely focused on its victim.

Faster than I thought physically possible, I flung myself at the murderous creature, landing heavily on the boa's neck.

"You blasted demon! Let her go! She's carrying our children, damn it!"

With reckless abandon, I bit and clawed at the snake's neck, only inflicting minor injuries despite my untold rage and desperation.

_Please God, this can't be happening! Don't take her away from me! Please!_

The overlapping scales denied me the ability to puncture and lacerate, and so I relocated my attacks to the snake's vulnerable head.

"Blu... I can't... it's suffocating..." was her strangled plea, and it drove me insane.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Jewel's eyes roll back as her oxygen supply was cut off, followed by her head drooping over like a limp sock.

I dove for the boa's left eye and pinched it with my beak, ripping it out amidst a spray of blood.

Instead of the vile reptile hiding its head in its coils, it reacted offensively, and I was in no position to avoid the attack. It yanked its fangs out of Jewel's back and struck at me like a bolt of emerald lightning.

Two unimaginably hot needles of agony scorched my midsection as my syrinx vibrated with the effort of my scream. The boa whipped its head and flung me at a nearby tree, its fangs cutting me even deeper as the throw dislodged them.

The blow stunned me to the point of paralysis: my muscles would not unclench, my feet would not function, and my wings were useless.

As twin rivulets of blood wound their way down my side, I could only watch helplessly as the the reptile unhinged its jaws and fastened them around Jewel's jelly-like throat.

_Jewel... I can't... help you. I'm so sorry..._

My system was too overburdened and too wracked with pain to obey the orders of my traumatized brain. As the boa gulped Jewel down, my eyes melted as her mangled right wing contorted upon entering its gaping maw.

As her deformed belly entered the fleshy cavern of doom, sallow rose-hued fluid and white flakes leaked from her cloaca, their identities sending another punishing filament of horror through my skull.

_My children... my unborn children... crushed in their shells. I can't even begin to... my... my life is over..._

My spirit decayed and withered away as the frayed plumes of Jewel's tail were sucked down, consigned to the same eventual fate as the rest of her.

The half-blind snake threw a domineering, spiteful gaze at me before slithering off, content with its meal and having to mend its wounded pride. The lump that was my mate bulged out nearly a whole foot behind the snake's head, already on her way to being digested.

Like an internal blackout, everything inside of me went dark, never to light up again. It was as though my entire life-force had been wrenched out of me, leaving me utterly hollow and eternally numb. In that moment, I collapsed onto my back, unable to move one muscle or blink.

It was then that I died, a silent event that knocked me out, and yet I was still breathing. I no longer felt pain, heard sound, or detected light.

I was simply gone, a broken-down shell who had suffered the cruelty of life, possessing not a chance of surviving it spiritually.

_Jewel... I watched you die... I watched our babies die... and it was all my fault. I tried so hard... to save you... save them... and I failed. I failed you Jewel!_

I was dead inside, but tragically, it wasn't enough.

I yearned to die physically, by whichever means nature chose to inflict upon me. Again, life was cruel, condemning me to suffer the loss of my family and stealing away all the ways to cut off that suffering.

My impossibly terrorizing thoughts drained out of my ruined mind and found my syrinx. I let out a guttural, sickening, deafening wail that seemed endless, and the very air resonated with the force of my cry.

I had reached my omega point, and every being within five kilometers must have heard the keening moan, the defeated mourning of a fragmented soul...

* * *

><p>I was napping contentedly, head-on-wing, when a terror-laden shriek administered a massive shock to my senses.<p>

I bolted from my plushy bed and slammed into the wall behind me, my heart racing and my breathing frantic. I spied Blu writhing about in the corner of the hollow, a mask of anger adorning my face due to my violent awakening.

"Blu, what was _that_ for? You scared me out of my feathers! I could've damaged the... Blu?"

On closer inspection, his quivering form – barely visible, as only scant rays of moonlight penetrated his leaf curtain – was coupled with pitiful sobs and whimpers.

I had never seen him crying so fitfully, and so I dashed over to him, my mask of displeasure twisting into a mask of extreme worry.

Locating his smooth back and placing my right wing upon it, I asked, "Blu, why are you crying? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

His voice, intermittently punctuated by tragic sniffles and inhalations, replied, "You and I-I... yesterday... jungle w-walk... snake... k-killed..."

An explosive burst of sound and tears followed, and Blu buried his damp face into my chest.

"Oh Jewel... it was so horrible! I a-attacked the snake, b-but it didn't work. I watched y-you die... our children d-die... all because of me! I wish..."

I knew right then he had underwent a nightmare, and a brutal one at that. I was wrong to have shouted at him, and so I folded him close to me with my wings.

"I didn't know, Blu! I apologize for yelling at you. It's okay now, there are no snakes in here."

I massaged his neck with my wing and kissed him softly on the cheek. His heaving sobs died down significantly, but his skeleton still trembled.

I felt him shift positions, his husky breath signaling that he was facing me directly.

"Jewel... I was so scared! I lost all I needed to survive, but I couldn't die! Are you okay? What about our eggs? Please tell me nothing happened!"

I kissed him and again and replied assuredly, "Blu, I swear I'm alright! I'm a bit shaken up, but other than that, I'm fine."

I turned to the side and motioned slowly towards my nest. Three oval shapes, their stark white shells easily visible against the darkness, lay shrouded in moss.

"You see, Blu, they're alright. It was a nightmare, that's all."

"But it was so... _real_... so traumatizing..."

"And it's over now, Blu. You're in the real world, with your mate and your unborn children. Nothing is wrong. I need to cover up the eggs now..."

As I broke away from him, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoed out of sync with mine as he trailed behind. As I climbed into the mossy bed and tucked the ovals under my belly feathers, I felt Blu's wings grab my shoulders.

"I'm sorry for... frightening you... I was just... I..."

Blu inhaled deeply and concluded his fragmented speech: "I need to... ask you something... incredibly important."

As he inched closer to me, his head a large, shadowy outline in my field of vision, I said quietly, "Ask me whatever you want."

"Jewel, I can't bear the thought... of losing you. If something malicious... happened to you... I would kill myself. Please promise... you'll never leave me. Please promise... you won't disappear..."

My mate sounded so heartbroken, so washed out, but his words clearly professed the bottomless love he held for me.

"Blu, as long as I'm here, you have _nothing_ to fear but fear itself. Until the day I die, I will _never_ leave you or disappear."

With the next two words, I would also profess my love for him in return. The three stiff ovals sequestered away beneath me were physical proof that our boundless love was equally shared.

"I _promise_..."

To cement the unbreakable sincerity of my oath, I dragged him forward and slipped my tongue into his beak, igniting blazes of deep passion in my body as well as his.

As our oral samba dance continued, the three ovals rocked in silent agreement, announcing the everlasting bond their creators shared, an illusory connection that would transcend time itself.


End file.

Rio, Family, Hurt-Comfort