A/N: So this wonderful little one-off comes courtesy of me and one of my best friends getting into a huge fight, exchanging very hurtful words, and almost going our separate ways. After that had happened, I asked myself: what would have happened if I never saw him again? It made me think deeply about how much of an impact just a few words can make. So this story will bring that scenario that we've all most likely had to our two favorite macaws. And like the Avenged Sevenfold song that it's titled after, this story deals with the ones you love, and the possibility of losing them in an instant. So, as much as it pains me, I'm gonna drive a wedge right between them. So as you're reading this, think about what I asked you in the description.
Also, I'm still writing A Lasting Legacy, but this just came to my mind and the ideas were flowing like a river. So I just had to write this. And to those who are reading A Lasting Legacy, it's coming to a close soon, so stay with me a little longer.
*Disclaimer* I do not own any rights to the band Avenged Sevenfold, their music, or any of their affiliated companies. Although, it would be pretty awesome if I did.
The day started off like any other. The cool ocean mist making it's way into the jungle. The squawking and chirping of the countless other birds in the rain forest. The very distant sound of the city; the cars, the boats, and the aircraft all over the sky. Everything that I had grown used to after moving to Rio.
I was awakened by the steady stream of photons making their 8 minute journey from the photosphere of the Sun to the Earth and right into our hollow. Even at the astronomical distance of 93,000,000 miles between the Earth and the Sun, it was still close enough to provide significant amounts of heat, and during the summer...err, winter part of the year (I'm still getting used to the reversed seasons), the heat from the Sun was especially brutal.
As I looked to my left, I could see Jewel's sleeping form in all of her beauty. As I looked at the peaceful look on her face, my gaze turned to her belly. It had been only a few days since we found out that we'd both be first time parents. I knew that it'd be my responsibility to take care of Jewel while she was carrying our children. It was a terrifying thought at first, after meeting those demons Rafael calls kids. But something told me that they'd be just like Jewel and I, and that I'd have Jewel to help me along.
It really was hard for me to believe though. Just a few weeks ago, I met her under...less than ideal circumstances. I could remember the look on her face as she saw me, a complete stranger to her. I remembered how much she wanted to be rid of me and to be free from anyone that could tie down her freedom. Only after we'd almost been killed numerous times, and the adventure that we were taken on did she actually warm up to me. It was only then that she realized that it wasn't freedom that she craved...it was someone to share it with. It was at that point that we both realized how inseparable the two of us were, and that we'd always want to be together. And now, we would be closer to each other than ever before.
A few minutes later, almost as if she could sense me watching her, she woke up, her smiling face never ceasing to make me happy.
"Good morning Jewel." I said in a loving tone.
"Ugh...how can you stand being up so early?" She said, her drowsiness present in her voice.
"...Good morning Blu." She said a few seconds after.
"How are you doing Jewel?" I asked.
"Eh, not too bad. I'm not really feeling any different."
"Okay. That's good to hear. How are the eggs doing."
"They seem to be getting bigger. It won't be long until it's time to lay them."
"I can't wait to see what our kids will be like. I wonder who they'll take more after, you or me?"
"They'll probably be a perfect mix of the both of us."
I began stretching my wings to get the feeling back in them.
"How many did Túlio say to expect?" I asked.
"Three if I remember correctly."
"Three? I couldn't even deal with one, and now I have to take care of three? That'll be fun..." I said sarcastically.
"Oh come on Blu. You'll be great with them. In fact, I think they'll adore you and you're personality."
"Are you sure? Do you really think that?"
"Why do you think I chose to spend my life with you? The fact that you and I are going to be parents should justify it."
"I guess you're right."
"Yes I am."
"And don't worry, I'm sure that you'll be an exemplary father too."
"Thanks Jewel."
"So where are you going Blu?" Jewel asked, seeing me walk toward the exit.
"I was thinking about going out and getting some food for us."
"Do you think...I could come with you?"
"Um, actually I think it would be safer if you stay here."
"Come on Blu. I'm tired of having to stay here all day."
"I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."
"Nothing is going to happen to me. I'll be fine."
"I just don't want to take a chance."
"That's the problem with you Blu! You're too over overprotective!"
And so starts the yelling. I knew that I wouldn't be able to win this argument by being passive, so I decided to - against my better judgement - become aggressive towards her.
"At least I AM protective! You're too strong willed to accept anything that's not what you want!"
"No, you're not protective, you're pessimistic! You worry about things that aren't gonna happen!"
I knew for a fact that Jewel was completely wrong on this one, so I decided to remind her of all those times that I was right about worrying that something would happen.
"Really?! I worry about things that aren't gonna happen? Then what the hell do you call all the crazy shit that happened on the first day I met you?! What about being taken from the aviary, or the favela chase with Nigel? Or how about the two of us almost getting killed on those hang gliders?! Were those me being pessimistic? Because I sure as hell remember them alright!"
"No, you know what, I really don't care anymore. Go ahead, I don't need to go! Do whatever the hell you want! I don't give a shit!" She said in an venomous tone.
I knew that this was going to escalate to this point, and there wasn't much I could do to avoid it. Once the adrenaline started pumping and we started going at it, there was no turning back. I knew there was no point in furthering this argument, so I turned around toward the exit of the hollow and flew off. I knew it would be better to defuse the situation and cool off than potentially make her even more angry.
At first, I was angry at Jewel for yelling at me. But as I though about it, I began to see her point. She hadn't been able to get any freedom for days, and I was keeping her from getting any. I had been so focused on keeping her safe, that I forgot about her needs. She was especially able to fend for herself, as evidenced by that fact that she'd been living alone for years before meeting me. I had taken too much control over her life, and she had every right to be pissed off at me.
I flew farther and farther from the hollow, both to let myself and Jewel calm down. I already had an idea on where I was going. It was a place that we found the first night I spent here in Rio with Jewel. As I looked around to get my sense of location, I could see the observation tower in an opening in the canopy. I set a course for it, and after a few more seconds of flying, I was there.
As I sat perched on one of the cross beams of the tower, a wave of memories came surging back. After we had escaped the smugglers and Nigel - just thinking about that name makes me shudder - we slept the night here, the reason being it was the only place that I could deem a safe place in the jungle. Now as I sat here, I could see mental apparitions of the two of us as we spent our night there, comforting each other and making each other feel safe.
Now, as I sat here alone and without Jewel, I realized just how much I had and how lucky I was to have Jewel. I had pissed off really the only person I had. I had no parents to go to for comfort, for as far I knew, they had died long ago. Linda was out of the question. She was far off in the city, and I was ill equipped for a long flight. Jewel was all that I had at the moment, and I knew that I had to make it up to her.
Many thoughts came to mind as to how to cheer her up, and one sentimental way in particular came to mind. I mentally plotted the course to my destination, and then moments later I spread my wings and took to the sky. As I flew, I kept on the lookout for where I wanted to go. After a few minutes of flying, I saw a familiar grove with a waterfall and pond in it, which alerted me that I was close. Seconds later I was at my destination.
I landed on a large branch of a huge mango tree, and I began my search for the luscious fruit that it produced. The fruit the I was searching for had strict criteria. They had to be big, juicy, and extremely sweet, for I knew that these kind were Jewel's favorite. I looked around the lower branches and didn't find any. As I looked higher, I saw two fruit that met my expectations perfectly. Carefully, I snapped the stem off of the first fruit with my beak and grabbed it with my left foot. However, the second fruit was slightly higher up than the first. Carefully, I stretched my legs and neck to reach the second one. I tried to grab it, but the stem was more resilient than the first. As I used more force on it, it abruptly snapped, sending me off balance. I quickly threw my wings out to balance myself before I fell off, and thankfully, it worked.
With the precious cargo underfoot, I then flew off, looking for the last thing I needed. This item however, would be a bit harder to find. I scanned the ground diligently, looking for this elusive item. It seemed to be a fruitless attempt at first, but as I was flying, I caught sight of a white spot on the ground. I banked sharply to the right, and began my descent. When I reached the ground, I saw what I was looking for at the base of the tree. Carefully, I used my beak to snap off the orchid, being extra cautious to not damage the fragile flower.
Now, with all three items now in my possession, I knew that it was time to make my way back home, and hopefully apologize to Jewel. I knew that I had been wrong, and I wanted to fix that.
As I was flying, I had a very ominous feeling that someone or something was following me. However, whenever I looked around to see what was causing the eerie feeling, I could not find anything. After a while, I dismissed it as just my own mind trying to play tricks on me.
After a while, I was a few hundred meters away from our home, and I began to pickup the pace. However, a loud screech made my blood run cold. The screech was very distinctive, and I knew that it was a Harpy Eagle. The only thing that I didn't know was where it was. But before I could turn my head around to see where it was, I felt three razor sharp talons tear into my back, causing an immense flare of pain. The pain was excruciating, almost like someone had run daggers straight into my spine, and it was nearly impossible to continue flying like this. But I knew that I had to if I wanted to make it home and survive.
I could feel liquid along my back, and I knew that was bleeding. I just didn't know how badly. I was about two hundred feet away from safety, but the eagle made a second run at me. I tried to drop my altitude to avoid it, but its talons made contact again, this time with the right side of my body, tearing open a new set of wounds amidst another agonizing explosion of pain. My wings reflexively clutched at my side, causing me to drop straight to the ground like a feathered Hellstorm Missile. I hit the ground with unrelenting force, my body impacting hard and sliding across the moist topsoil of the jungle.
Even though my injuries put me in an unimaginable amount of pain, I knew that I couldn't stop. With all my strength, I got onto my feet and tried walking toward the hollow. My left wing was pressed up against the right side of my body, but I could still see drops of blood hitting the ground beneath me. I knew that it was useless trying to walk, and I didn't have the strength to continue. With my energy reserves depleted, I collapsed onto the hard ground.
At that point, the pain from my injuries was almost unbearable, and I let out a loud, pained cry that could probably be hear several hundred meters away. My only hope was that Jewel would hear it. The only drawback would be that the eagle might hear it too.
I dared not move for fear of worsening my injuries. I slowly turned my head around toward my back to see how bad the injury was. What I saw were three long, deep, jagged gashes down the center of my back, and much of the feathers around the cuts were stained a deep crimson. I knew that in this state, I'd be easy prey for the eagle. However, almost as if God himself intervened, the eagle gave up its search for me, increasing my chances for survival.
However, my vision was getting blurry, and I started getting dizzy due to the blood loss. I knew that I'd only be conscious a short while longer, and I hoped that someone would find me before it was too late. I didn't want to die though. I had so many things to live for; Jewel, my new family, and so much more. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but I knew that all of my attempts were useless. I didn't have enough energy left to keep my head up and before I lost consciousness, I could make out a blue figure flying through the air.
As Blu was leaving the hollow, I had so many emotions rampaging throughout my mind. I was beyond pissed off at Blu, and in my mind, he deserved it. For days, I've been kept in here while he's gone off on his own. I was losing my sanity, and I blamed every bit on him.
I wasn't sure if it was him being stubborn, him forgetting my needs, or if it actually was him worrying about me. I couldn't understand why he would think that something bad would happen every time I left our home, and it annoyed me every time.
However, the more I thought about it, the more that I felt sorry for yelling at him. He had been trying to keep me safe, and I completely ignored him and yelled at him for trying to protect me. My want of freedom had clouded my judgment, and now Blu was now most likely struck with unbearable guilt and sadness. My fury and anger at him slowly dissipated, and slowly I began to feel more sorry for him, and angrier at my self for losing control of myself and yelling at him.
Unfortunately, he was most likely long gone, and I'd have no chance in catching up to him. He might have only been flying for a few weeks, but his masculine build enabled him to fly much farther and faster than I could. The only thing that I could really do was sit here and wait for him to return.
After a while of waiting, I began to feel drowsy. Seeing as how I had no idea when Blu would return, I decided to sleep for a little bit. With any luck, I would wake up when Blu returns, and then I would be able to give him a sincere apology.
After about an hour sleeping, I woke up. I looked around, expecting to see Blu somewhere in the hollow. However, he was nowhere to be seen, and I started growing worried. It wasn't like him to be gone for long, even if we had been fighting. I decided to take the initiative and start searching for him. But as I spread my wings and started to take off, I heard a very loud cry reverberate throughout the jungle. It sounded stricken with agony, but as the vocal pattern registered in my head, my stomach dropped clear to my feet. I knew it was Blu.
Without hesitation, I bolted from the hollow at a speed that made me look comparable to a streak of lightning. I knew that I had absolutely no time to waste, as Blu desperately needed my help, and every second was a matter of life and death. As I got closer to the area where I last heard him, I could see a Harpy Eagle flying off, fresh blood on its talons. I gasped when I saw this. A surge of unbearable heartbreak overcame me, and deep down I felt that I was the one that caused this.
Even though I knew that I'd be easy prey if I were to continue on toward Blu, I knew that I had to find him, for there was still a tiny shard of hope that he was still alive. I dove into a sharp descent, and before I hit the ground, I braked hard and came into a soft landing. As I looked around, I could see a trail of blood heading into a clearing towards our hollow. Naturally I followed it, my heart full of dread. As I went into the clearing, I could feel my heart break. Lying just a few feet away was the motionless body of Blu. His back was turned toward me, and I saw three deep gashes that stained his feathers with blood. His eyes were both closed, almost like he was merely sleeping.
I slowly walked towards him, each step increasing the dread by a tenfold factor.
"Blu? Can you hear me? Are you okay? Please answer me..." I called out to him.
He does not respond, or even move a muscle. I could not even see the rising and falling of his chest. It took me an eternity to come to the conclusion that he was gone. My eyes filled with tears at this realization. The only bird to ever have loved me was dead, and I'd never get him back. Knowing that I'd never get to see him again, all that I could do was hold his lifeless body in my wings, but what good would that do.
"Oh Blu...I'm so...sorry. If only...I hadn't...gotten angry with you...you'd still be here..." I said amidst my sobbing.
As I looked around, I could see two mangoes and a bit farther away, a white orchid. The heartbreak I was experiencing only intensified when I saw these items. I knew that Blu was most likely trying to apologize to me and make me happy. But now all I could feel was sadness. I buried my face in his chest, the tears from my eyes staining his once perfect plumage. But then I heard something.
As I listened closer, I could hear an extremely slow, but audible heartbeat. I also noticed a very slight breathing in his chest. A wave of pure ecstasy came over me as I realized he was still alive. But that feeling quickly vanished as I realized how desperately he needed medical attention. There was absolutely no way that he would survive out here much longer, and by the looks of his wounds, there wasn't much time to waste.
"Don't worry Blu! I'll get you out of here!"
I knew that I had to be careful, for the risk of hurting him even more was very high. Carefully, I hovered over him and wrapped my claws around the base of his wings. Slowly, I lifted off and began flying towards the aviary, paying close attention to keep the jostling down during the flight. I knew that he had regained consciousness, because as I was flying, I felt him shift under me, and as I looked at him I could see him looking towards me, his eyes barely open. His eyes weren't their usual deep soulful brown. Instead, they were dull and lacking their luster. His breathing was shallow and came about in short, quick breaths, and it worried me more than anything. My only hope was that I could get help before he succumbed to his injuries.
A short while later, the familiar white building that was the aviary came into view, and I let out a sigh of relief. It would only be a short while longer before Blu could get the help he desperately needed. I immediately sped up, hoping to get there before it was too late. Thankfully, there was an open window on the west side of the building, and I quickly flew through it.
As I put Blu down and landed, some of the volunteers there looked at me with smiles on their faces. However, as soon as they saw Blu, their smiles vanished and morphed into looks of extreme worry and concern. One of them carefully picked Blu up, and when she saw the extent of his injuries, she gasped. She wasted no further time in alerting Túlio to what was going on.
"Túlio, get in here! Quickly!"
Soon after, Túlio could be heard coming into the room.
"What is it? I'm dealing with a Scarlet Macaw right now and I'm really... Oh my God, Blu! Let me see him!"
The volunteer handed Blu over to him, and Túlio immediately began studying him. Knowing him, he'd most likely know exactly what to do.
"It looks like he's been attacked by another bird. By the looks of it, I'd say a Harpy Eagle attacked him. He's incredibly lucky to be alive. Most of the time, birds like Blu don't survive an attack by one."
I was shocked when I heard this. It was only by sheer luck that Blu-the bird I loved with all my being-was still alive.
"We need to treat these wounds and get them covered. Can someone else deal with the Scarlet Macaw I was working with? Blu is my top priority as of now. Feel free to come with me if you want Jewel. He might want your company."
I didn't hesitate following him into the treatment room. I wanted to be by Blu's side the whole time to comfort him. When we reached the operating table, Túlio placed him on the table while I landed next to him. Blu had a look of worry on his face, and it was my job to comfort him. I looked around at Túlio, and I could see him take out a cloth and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from a cabinet.
"Alright Blu, were gonna have to disinfect those wounds."
Even though he was physically weakened, I could still see him cringe noticeably when Túlio said that. I knew that it was going to be extremely painful for him, and the worst part was that there wasn't much I could do to help. Túlio was unscrewing the cap from the bottle when he motioned for me to stand by Blu, and I immediately picked up on his subliminal message. I let Blu bury his head into my chest to, for one, let him cry out if he needed to, and also to keep us from contracting hearing damage.
Soon after, Túlio began pouring some peroxide onto a cloth, and then he began wiping the blood off of his back. I could feel Blu crying out in pain, and it tore me up seeing him in such agony. The pain must have been brutal, but it was necessary to help him. I might not know a lot about medicine, but I knew that he'd die if they got infected.
A minute or two later, Túlio was finished cleaning up Blu's back. Blu's pained crying had died down to pitiful sobs, and I did my best to ease the pain. Where there was previously blood caked on him, I could see three strips of featherless skin that each had a deep gouge in them. I couldn't begin to imagine what he felt when he was attacked.
I was unsure on whether or not Blu would need stitches, but judging by how carefully he was operating on Blu, I figured that it'd take a while for Túlio to finish helping Blu regardless. There wasn't much I could do but stay by Blu's side and hope for the best. I was starting to fall asleep, and it wasn't long before I did. I just hope that Blu would be able to soon.
When I woke up, I could see Jewel sleeping right next to me. I immediately assumed that the events that had transpired earlier were just a dream. Unfortunately they weren't, because as I looked around I saw that we were in the artificial hollow, and that I had bandages around my body.
I tried stretching my wings to get the blood flowing back into them, but I was immediately greeted by a flare of pain between them. I couldn't hold back the cry of pain that escaped my beak, and I unfortunately woke Jewel up. However, she seemed more concerned than she did angry.
"Blu! Are you okay?"
"Yeah...yeah I'm fine." I said, trying to keep my composure.
"I'm so sorry Blu. This was all my fault. If only I hadn't yelled at you, this wouldn't have happened."
"What do you mean?"
"You wouldn't have almost been killed if I didn't get pissed off at you."
"No, I should have listened to you. You were right. You've been wanting to get out, but my overprotectiveness kept me from letting you."
I knew that this conversation would just keep shifting the focus around, so I decided to take a more direct approach.
"You know what? We were both wrong. We shouldn't have treated each other like that. How could we have let that happen?"
"I...I don't know. I never wanted this to happen."
"Well then...let's make sure that it never happens again. I don't want to deal with the fallout of something like this ever again."
"Agreed. Let's both make sure of it."
"You got it."
A few hours later, Túlio came into the the artificial jungle and gave me the all clear for us go back to the hollow.
"Alright you two, Blu seems to be doing better, so I don't see any reason to keep you here any longer. When you're ready, go ahead and head home. Oh...and make sure to look after Blu, okay Jewel?"
"Got it." She replied.
Soon after, we left the safety of the aviary and made our way home. I may have been given the go ahead by Túlio, but it was still somewhat difficult to fly. As a result, we flew at a slower pace than usual, which meant that it'd take slightly longer than usual.
Because of this, both of us were extremely vigilant to keep an eye out for any possible threats to our safety. As we were flying, something caught my eye down below. Making sure Jewel didn't see me, I quickly dove down to retrieve the two mangoes from earlier. Thankfully, Jewel didn't notice me altering my flight path, and I continued on to the hollow.
When I landed, I noticed that Jewel had her back toward me. However, as soon as she heard me, she turned around and looked at me, a look of surprise adorned on her face.
"Huh...what are those for?" Jewel asked.
"Well, why should I waste them. I figured I should finish what I set out to do in the first place."
"Wow. Even after all that has happened, you're still as determined as ever to make me happy. You do truly love me, don't you?"
"You know it. And I'll continue to love you to my last day on the Earth. Let's just hope that that day doesn't come for a long time."
"Now come on. Let's eat."I said with a humorous tone.
Even after all that had happened, and all that Jewel and I said to each other, we were still able to triumph over any obstacles between us. Because I knew that the two of us were an inseparable match, and nothing - and I mean that in every sense of the word - would ever change that. Jewel needed me, and I needed Jewel. And I would not have it any other way.
And do you want to know why? It's because I love her with all my heart, and Jewel reciprocates every bit of it. And I know that would never change...
A/N: So there's really not much for me to say here. After I read it over, all I could really do was think about my friend and how closely related these two situations were and how close I came to losing someone I cared about. I really hope that this story was enlightening at the least, and actually presented a moral. Anyway, since this is my first one-off, and my first exploratory topic, tell me how it was, and what you thought. And if you feel like it, feel free to share a similar situation you might have had with me. I WILL reply if you do.