"Come on, you can do it," Jewel encouraged, gently edging Carla toward the edge. It was about time the chicks learnt to fly.
"Go on, it's easy," Blu said as well. Bia and Tiago were beside Blu, watching Carla closely.
Carla tried to look down, but Blu edged her head back forward.
"Don't look down, it won't help," Blu said hastily.
Carla looked anyway, and gulped.
"Don't worry, if you fall, I'll catch you," Jewel comforted.
The chick hesitated briefly, before jumping out, and frantically flapping her wings. She squealed as she panicked, hovering around the same spot, trying to get back onto the platform, when she realized that she wasn't falling. Carla looked down and around, fascinated by her newfound ability.
"See kids? It isn't that hard," Blu said.
"Easy for you to say," Jewel chuckled.
"At least I learnt how to some time ago," Blu replied.
"What do you mean Dad?" Bia asked, not familiar with the story of how Blu and Jewel met.
"That's something you'll know about next time," Jewel promised.
"Can I try now?" Tiago rushed over to the side, looking at Carla.
"Sure, knock yourself out," Blu permitted. "Not, literally."
Tiago had already leapt off the platform, and was doing somersaults in the air.
"Race ya!" He yelled out to Carla, zipping around the treehouse. Carla was quick to follow as the two chased each other around. Since Blu and Jewel's old hollow was burnt in the fire that happened two days ago, Linda and Tulio had built a tree house on a tall mango tree next to the aviary's old kitchen for the blue macaws.
"Slow down! You might hit something!" Blu warned, moving over to the two.
Jewel looked at Bia, and signaled for her to try. Bia walked over to the edge of the platform, and did what Carla did. She looked down. She immediately jumped back, lying on her back, panting. Jewel looked funny at her.
"You sure have your father's genes. Come on, it's not that hard," Jewel helped the chick up. Bia looked at the edge, and shivered slightly.
"It...its too high," she stammered, backing away from the edge.
Jewel went deep in thought, not sure what to do.
"It's not that bad, I'll catch you if you fall," Jewel said, taking flight and hovering in front of Bia.
Bia took a few deep breaths, and extended her wings, and prepared to jump. She hopped off the platform, flapping frantically, trying to imitate Carla. But to no avail.
Bia gasped as she noticed herself losing altitude rapidly.
"Help!" She called out, plummeting toward the ground.
Jewel didn't hesitate, and charged after her, and caught her in her talons. Bia squeaked and hugged Jewel's leg, refusing to let go.
"Blu, there's a slight problem," Jewel called her mate, landing back on the platform on one leg, stretching out the leg that Bia was holding.
"What happened to Bia?" Blu asked, landing with Carla and Tiago beside him.
Jewel hopped to face him.
"She seems... Afraid to fly," Jewel whispered. Blu gently pulled at Bia, and cradled her, trying to calm her down. Tiago and Carla looked at them, confused at what's happening. Bia's shivering slowly died down in her parent's embrace, and she finally calmed down.
"Now what?" Blu asked Jewel.
"You're asking me?" She asked skeptically.
"What's wrong with Bia?" Tiago asked, looking at his sister.
"Nothing's wrong with Bia," Jewel said.
"Maybe I should go ask Rafael, he might have dealt with this before," Blu suggested.
"Go ahead," Jewel said, while Blu gently placed Bia onto Jewel's wings, and headed for Rafael's.
Jewel looked at the sky, and remembered that she should gather food. She carried Bia over to her room, which was a little house with a circular entrance. The tree house consisted of four such wooden mini houses, one for each chick, and one larger one for Blu and Jewel. They were all connected with a few planks, leading to a wooden platform in front of Blu and Jewel's room.
"Don't get to any trouble, don't leave the treehouse, okay?" Jewel instructed her kids. All three nodded in agreement, and Jewel went off to fetch food for the family.
Meanwhile at Rafael's hollow, Blu was discussing Bia's case with Rafael.
"Well, I've never had a kid like that," Rafael admitted. "They all learnt to fly pretty quick. All the better to dodge me and Eva I guess."
"So, what do I do?" Blu asked again.
"Well she probably is afraid of the height, so maybe try her on a lower area. Where she definitely won't be scared," Rafael suggested.
"Actually that sounds like a good idea," Blu replied.
Meanwhile back at the treehouse, Tiago and Carla were talking to Bia.
"Carla and I have been thinking," Tiago said.
"Nope, mostly me," Carla laughed.
"Hey!"
"Anyways, we thought of something that might allow you to fly," Carla explained.
"And how do you intend to do that?" Bia asked, unconvinced,
"If we pile up some stuff in your room, you could jump off that instead to try and fly," Tiago added.
"It would certainly be way lower than outside," Carla said.
"Where are you going to get anything to pile up? Mom told us that we can't leave," Bia reminded.
"Oh... Right," Carla recalled.
"Nobody cares, what she doesn't know won't harm her," Tiago was already prepared to go.
"What I don't know will certainly harm me, Tiago," Someone said from behind.
The three chicks turned to look, and saw Jewel standing at the entrance.
"Oh! Hey! Didn't see you there," Tiago covered up nervously.
"Hi Mom, how long have you been standing there?" Carla asked.
"I just came," Jewel replied. "What are you three discussing?"
"Nothing," Tiago grinned widely at Jewel.
Jewel stared at Tiago briefly, and decided to not intrude, further. She left for a moment, and pushed in half a papaya from outside.
"Don't finish it if you can't, okay?" Jewel said, leaving the kids to enjoy their meal.
"Interesting fruit," Bia commented, closely observing the brightly colored flesh, and the black seeds.
"It's fruit, it's not interesting," Tiago said, burying his head in the middle of the papaya.
"Ew," Carla groaned as Tiago made a mess of the fruit. She settled at one end of the fruit, and picked out bits to eat one at a time. Bia sniffed at the fruit, picked out a portion and tasted it.
"Hmm," she grunted, and, like Carla, picked out parts of the fruit to eat.
Meanwhile in Blu and Jewel's room, the two mates were discussing Bia's situation, while eating the other half of the papaya.
"How is she going to fly from so low down?" Jewel asked, unconvinced that the plan would work.
"Well, is there a better plan you can think of?" Blu replied, with his mouth full of fruit.
"No," Jewel admitted.
"What if she doesn't learn to fly?" Jewel asked, still worried.
"She will. Eventually," Blu reassured.
Jewel shuddered as she imagined Bia finally able to fly... But at Blu's age.
"The plan had better work," Jewel sighed.
