First Rio fic in years/months Ever since my return to the fandom I've been coming up with a new story to kinda reintroduce myself and trick out my enhanced writing skills in bird form. So this is a little treat from me - If you all remember Diaglo, my little bespectacled macaw OC, this story is mostly centered on him as an adolescent macaw. His family will make appearances of course! But most of the 'A' plot will be on Diaglo... And a new set of characters I'm excited to introduce! Old ones like Lalia, Rodrigo, Miguel, etc will have appearances too. It will be explained why when the story progresses to a certain point.

It had been a couple years later after the whole Sanctuary de Amazon conflict and everything has made great progress the longer time has passed. The bare areas that have once been destroyed by poacher activity have long grown and green is back and evident. Birds have even started living in there again and everything was just happy… Well, almost.

Deep in the heart of the spix macaw territory, a certain dark cerulean spix macaw in glasses and a wooden leg perched on the edge of a branch, staring at a blue morpho butterfly and smiling as it fluttered off slowly. Diaglo tilted his head and took a whiff of the fresh Amazonian air.

Like the jungle around, Diaglo too had grown to fit the changing environment. The steadfast chick had already grown into an early teenager (sixteen years old in human) and he had changed likewise from his chickhood. His once messy head feathers now stuck out as longer feathers slicking over forward and shorter ones curling back. He started wearing black framed, roundish square glasses in place of the round, ovals he had as a child; Though his piece of wood still remained stuck to his leg.

Diaglo frowned in memory. He had grown too big for the pegleg so he wound up getting a replacement; A piece of Amazon wood cleverly carved by talon and rock so it looked like a pegleg. It took about several nights of talonwork and Diaglo's talons had ached for days. But nonetheless, the work paid off and Diaglo felt the familiar smile of pride form on his beak. He had really matured over the years, his parents and other relatives would say.

But Diaglo merely took it with a shrug. Aside from gaining wild skills and more wisdom, he hardly changed in personality. Surely he couldn't have grown any more mature right?

A youthful giggle sounded from the leaves from above him and Diaglo rolled his eyes. Speaking of mature…

He quickly raised his head to look straight above at the lush blue feathers above him with an amused look. "I know you're up there Tiago," Diaglo crossed his wings and smirked. "Just give it up already. Your jumping down trick is getting old,"

"Aw man,"

A shuffling in the leaves sounded and a darker blue teenager landed before Diaglo. Naturally like his little brother and their big sisters Bia and Carla likewise, Tiago too had aged up and he had grown taller so Diaglo's height only reached his chin level due to Tiago being older. But even though he's grown, pranks are still a thing and Tiago apparently didn't let go of his traditional jumpscaring.

"Seriously D? I thought your'e so scared of this?" He laughed while Diaglo just rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Well I was," Said the younger boy flatly and Tiago's laugh reduced to chuckles. Some things just never change apparently. "I guess I grew out of it that's all," He shrugged and Tiago just smiled.

"Oh yeah, you've definitely grown a bit bro. I guess it's just me that couldn't believe how fast my little brother has grown!" Said the young bird and he reached behind his back to produce a bundle wrapped in leaves. "Which is why it's time I give you my present!" He grinned. "Happy Birthday bro!"

Diaglo blinked and then his eyes grew wide. "It's my birthday?"

Tiago nodded quickly and then he tilted his head. "You don't remember? It's the sixteenth of April! And the day mom and dad took you in!" His cerulean brother looked thoughtful and then he remembered. April 16 was the day he was found by the ornithologist Tulio as a baby chick.

Back then he was blinded, fluffy and in pain from his leg stump. But then came the warmth of his aunt Jewel and uncle Blu (who are sister and brother to his birth mother Lilac and father Andrio respectively) and he was adopted into their brood; Consisting of three older siblings; The sassy Carla, intelligent Bia and cheeky Tiago.

Diaglo took in a breath. It had already been two whole years since that happened and he forgot. Maybe he lost track of it due to being overwhelmed with other stuff. Has it really been that long ago?

"I can't believe it. I'm already sixteen years old now. I'm nearly a grown up." Diaglo ran his wing across his head feathers in slight awe. He's an adolescent bird now and he hadn't realized. Tiago smiled happily and brushed his brother's shoulder. "Let's go see the others bro," He suggested. "Mom, dad and everybody else are waiting for you at the tree!"

Diaglo opened his beak but seeing Tiago's excited look and feeling his own toward seeing the family, he held his brother's present with his talons and hovered. "Okay then let's go, we can't have them waiting!"

Tiago grinned. "That's great! Last one there is rotten dung!" He lept up and dashed past his brother - Causing him to yelp and whirlwind away slightly from the speed. Diaglo gasped and glared after his brother. "Hey no fair Tiago! Wait up!" He squawked and flew after Tiago, a dark cerulean streak speeding across the green of the jungle.

He felt a smile tug at the corners of his beak when he saw the sea of blue all perched around the tree that contained his family, relatives and closest friends. There was his adoptive parents/uncle and aunt Blu and Jewel, sisters Bia and Carla, the tribe leaders and grandparents Eduardo, Mimi and even Abigail, the leader of the City Spixes and the mother of Blu.

Tiago joined them first and the moment Diaglo settled on a branch, he was immediately surrounded and hugged with many pairs of wings as cheers and whoops emitted from the surrounding tribe birds. "Happy Birthday Diaglo!" Abigail was the last to hug her youngest grandson and the rest of the adults beamed with delighted smiles. "Welcome to early adulthood!" Bia was next and Carla twirled her way to Diaglo for her own hug.

Blu and Jewel looped their wings around Diaglo with happiness. "You're all grown up. We're so proud of you," Jewel was nuzzling her boy and Blu looked like he was about to tear up. Diaglo looked surprised and let outta chuckle. "Aw dad I'm only sixteen years old," He winced at the confused looks of his maternal grandfather, grand-aunt and their tribe. "Or at least, sixteen in human years," He added meekly.

Blu shrugged and patted his son's head. "I know son, I know," He smiled. "You're still young, but you've come a long way," He briefly glanced at Jewel and their eyes appeared wistful and it was seeing that that made Diaglo realize something. He's two years old now. The common age where a young bird in the spix tribe can leave the nest and live in their own tree; The age of responsibility.

Carla, Bia and Tiago have done it after their second birthday several weeks ago and now reside in separate trees. Carla took up a flowery tree a minute's flight away from that of the family while Tiago and Bia's are a bit farther and close to the waterfall - Although they still join their parents and brother often for meals or to hang out.

Diaglo felt a surge of nervousness and longing course through him. He is still yet to leave the wings of his parents and he's dreamt of one day finding his own place, his own tree, like his older brother and sisters. But is he ready? What can he do once he's moved out?

The adults happened to read their son's thinking and grandfather decided to offer a word. "No need to rush Diaglo, there is plenty of good trees out there in our land. You'll have lots of choices to pick from when it's time," Diaglo smiled slightly at Eduardo's advice. "Thanks Pop pop," His smile then fell. "Yeah there's plenty of trees but.. When I find one, what will I do by then?" The family exchanged looks. "Am I just gonna find a tree and stay there? Nothing else?"

At this, his three siblings stepped forward with knowing smiles. "There's decorating so you feel more at home," Carla pointed out. "You know, some hollow reinforcements are nice because it makes your home comfy and well, presentable for visitors,"

Bia nodded in agreement and held up a wing finger. "And there's looking after yourself," She told her brother. "There's foraging to be done, survival, avoiding predators," She went on the list. "We may be safe living in big numbers but that doesn't mean we are perfectly safe. Safety truly depends on the individual so you can't call yourself safe unless you know how to be safe,"

Tiago grinned and gave his brother a friendly smack on his shoulder. "But the best of it all is that you can do whatever you want! Take whatever life throws at you and you know, keep seizing the day with no rules and no chains to hold you back!"

His sisters rolled their eyes and Bia whispered to Diaglo. "He's right Aglo. But please don't overdo it and go into predator turf like he did once," Tiago heard her and his feathers bristled. "Hey!" He sounded like a bratty child and the adults laughed.

Amongst them, Diaglo nodded slowly and shuffled his talons, taking in his siblings' advice. "That's true," He murmured. He can do all of that really. He's been doing it ever since as a chick. But... Is that it? "But what about purposes in life?" His next question grabbed the eyes of his family. "Aside from keep living, surely there's gotta be something we could be doing right? Like some sort of life duty or.. I don't know, Professional job?"

Abigail and Blu shared looks of thoughtfulness. "Well we are birds and we live in the Amazon jungle. We don't need to work for a living like humans do," Said the human-civilized grandmother macaw and she smiled. "But then that doesn't mean a macaw is to go without a form of work. There's lots of things for a macaw like yourself to do here!"

She held out her wing to her three older grandchildren. "Take your siblings for example; Carla can easily be the best singer and the bird in charge of a club. Bia's smart enough to become a wise healer or even a teacher for the chicks and Tiago will make a good patrol bird with his swiftness and bravery. But of course, that was just me saying. You could end up with other kinds of positions too."

She gently looked upon her four grandkids with her soft, brown eyed gaze. "You are all amazing young birds. Each and every one of you are capable of handling life's challenges and I know you all can find your purpose." She held out her wings. "In this world, anyone can be anything. Just follow your heart and there you'll find the thing you are destined to do,"

The three beamed with pride while Diaglo frowned in slight dejection. Even though it's opinionated, Abigail's thoughts on his siblings are entirely true. All of his siblings have potentials for the tasks she mentioned. But what about him? He's smart, kinda like Bia, but he can't exactly sing or dance as well as Carla or is as swift or daring like Tiago. And even if he can be what they are, it doesn't feel right.. He'll practically be sticking with either sibling if he shares the same position as one. He loves them, but he wants to be independent. Have a unique position from them, then he wouldn't worry about birds thinking he's a clinger which is practically a downy feather act.

Maybe it's time he goes to see a certain group of friends. Maybe they'll know what to do. With this in mind, Diaglo vowed to go see them once he's finished celebrating with his family.