A/N: I am re-uploading this story partly due to personal choice, and partly due to the huge success of holospartoi258-zyphyr01's story Paradise.
Even though he informed me it was "marvelous" I felt displeased with my first attempt. I made some drastic changes to the first two chapters, and even added a third to properly cap off the story.
Perhaps, this time around, I can exceed "marvelous," especially for him!
I'll shut up now and let you guys get to the tear-jerking stuff.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1:Unwell
The sun peeked its face over the eastern horizon, painting the ocean with tangerine and gold rays. The light from that very orb suffused across the city, signaling the start of a new day, both for the humans and the lesser creatures.
The two macaws dozing in a lone cannonball tree were no exception. For them, and them alone, this sunrise was unlike the thousands of others they had seen.
Taking nearly a full minute to rouse themselves, they slowly opened their eyes, each gazing at the other.
"Good...morning, Jewel."
"Not one of the best we've ever had, honey..."
The pure rays of light that were unblocked by the entrance to the hollow landed upon them, and their true appearance justified her response.
Their tails were heavily frayed, some of the individual feathers were drastically shorter than their neighbors. Their bodies did not fare much better, marred by unsightly spots of bare skin.
Jewel's head feathers, once short and slightly curled, now drooped against her nape, tinged an unhealthy shade of blue-gray. Blu's neck feathers were no longer puffy and stout; they were twisted together in short spikes that lay flat against him.
The surfaces of their beaks were lackluster, their edges bearing tiny chips and cracks. Most shocking of all were their faces: their once vibrant irises now watered down, their eyelids drooping noticeably.
"I feel sickly, Blu. Not only that, I look sickly."
"I'm not much different, Jewel. The sands of time have not been fair to us, have they?"
Enfolding Blu with her wings, she replied, "No."
"How many years have we been in existence, Jewel? My brain is so muddled I can't even remember."
"Uh, let me see. Ten...fifteen..."
Jewel's voice trailed off as she transitioned from oral counting to mental counting.
Peering deep into his bloodshot eyes, she replied, "Forty-five."
"It's been that long?"
"Yeah. It seems to be showing."
"Can't argue with you there. How about we go grab a bite to eat? We may not be as hungry as we used to, but we need our nutrition."
"I guess. After you..."
The two macaws hobbled to the hole in the trunk and lifted off. Their flight was off-balance, and despite having found a succulent star-fruit tree just past the border of the clearing, they had exhausted themselves. After pausing amidst the yellow clusters of fruit to catch their breath, they plucked a few and headed back home.
Drained of their energy once again, they all but crashed into the hollow, with Blu ending up sprawled awkwardly on top of his mate. After getting back to their feet, they hesitantly consumed the starfruit, managing to only eat one whole fruit apiece.
Their stomachs rejected any more food they tried to consume, and so they plunked themselves against the wall of the hollow, breathing deeply.
"This past year has been a downward spiral for us, Jewel."
She sighed and responded sadly, "I know. First, our feathers started discoloring and falling out. Then, we grew tired much faster than we used to. Now, it feels like we've been afflicted with some sort of disease."
"Well, now we know what aging looks and feels like. Forty-five years of cellular damage can do that to a macaw... or macaws. Regardless, you're still my lovely Jewel."
She looked upon him sternly, her degraded eyes boring into him.
"You know, you don't have to lie about my appearance. I'm definitely not the bird you first met."
"True, but you're my mate. I can't dishonor you like that. I would hope you would do the same."
"The truth hurts sometimes, Blu. I can handle it. I'm pretty sure you can too."
Blu sighed and turned to his mate, her eyes just as red as his own.
"You're right. It didn't take me forty-five years to realize that. Still, I've spent thirty of those years with you, and I'll never forget them. Ever."
Touched by his confession, her heart gave a small jump.
"How did I get stuck with a sweetheart like you? Oh yeah, it started with a kiss."
Getting the hint, he leaned in close, their substandard beaks contacting for a few endearing seconds.
After they parted to draw in oxygen, Jewel remarked, "I've never stopped loving you. And I never will. Even though our time on Earth is drawing to a close, that will not change."
"How could I say any different..."
The time-worn macaws scooted closer together and drifted off to sleep.
That past month, they had spent more and more of each day napping, being as they lacked the energy to do much else. Escapades around the city were out of the question, and even their visits to Linda and Tulio had become rare.
The two humans in question were now in their early fifties, and they had three children to show for it. During their prior – yet infrequent – visits earlier that year, Tulio had noticed the failing health of the macaws, and he did all he could to prepare his family for the dreadful day that would inevitably arrive.
It was either their loyal hands, or the love they poured on them throughout the years, that had allowed Blu and Jewel to push the boundaries of macaw lifespan.
Tulio's family had come to accept that it was a fusion of both, and that they had enjoyed every single moment of their beloved macaws' lives.
Regardless of whether Blu and Jewel were with them in the flesh, or in spirit, they had secured a place in each of the humans' souls.
When Blu and Jewel left them for a better place, they would indeed mourn, but the nine offspring they produced would give them to strength to push forward.
The fruits of Blu and Jewel's efforts would live on for many decades to come, flesh-and-blood reminders of the parents that were loved so much...
The day slipped by outside the cannonball tree, and in the late evening hours, a sliver of wind from the breeze that was scraping the jungle found its way into the nest. The two macaws slowly stirred in response, getting to their feet and trudging over to the exit.
"Such a... pleasant evening. I wonder how our children are doing?"
Blu sank down onto his stomach in a relaxed position, his question hanging in the air.
"I bet they are doing... just fine. Even though we haven't been able to check on them in awhile, they do have each other."
"Yeah. Hey, maybe we can visit them... tomorrow."
"I suppose so. We need to tell them that we don't have much time. They're going to..."
Before she concluded her sentence, she slumped to the floor, her eyes half closed and her wings spread out.
"Jewel? Are you okay? Jewel!"
After Blu's feeble shouts rang out, he nudged his wife with his head, causing her body to rock back and forth.
After a frightening pause, her head lifted from the floor, her eyes blinking rapidly in confusion.
"I thought you had... left me for good, Jewel. Try to hold on just one more day..." he said, pure fear evident in his tone.
Rising to her feet, she shook her head weakly and said, "I couldn't help it. I just blacked out."
Blu scooted closer to her and pulled her up against his chest with his wing.
"Are you sure you're okay? Can you keep yourself alive?"
She stared deep into his aged ocular organs and said with conviction, "I'm fine. For you, I'll try to... make it just a little longer. I... am not ready to leave this life just yet."
She pressed her body lovingly against him, trying to soak up his body heat and his willpower. Blu turned his gaze towards the endless night, velvety and soothing, all the while stroking her back tenderly.
"Just look at the stars. So tranquil, so innocent. We'll be up there with them in a few more days, honey. We'll be... up in Heaven."
She turned her head to follow his gaze, catching sight of the deep blackness over the city.
"I almost don't want to believe it, Blu. Our nine children... oh, how they will miss us! I wish I could stay with them forever..."
"Even though we may wish to live forever, all good things must come to an end. When the time comes, we just... have to let go. It's the way things work in this universe..." he said, defeated.
She locked him in her dreary gaze and asked, "Are you scared Blu? Are you scared to die?"
He paused to collect himself, knowing he couldn't deny his inner feelings.
"Well, yeah. It's just... I..."
He affected a distraught gaze, causing Jewel to tilt her head expectantly.
"You what, handsome?"
"I'm actually more afraid of losing you. I hope we can reunite in Heaven. If your spirit isn't alongside mine, it just won't be the same. It just wont be perfect..."
His head fell as the thought of being separated from his love crushed his heart. A diminished tear rolled from his left eye, and Jewel's remedy was to raise Blu's head with her wing.
"I'm sure we'll be together, Blu. Not even death can sever the bond we share."
He perked himself up somewhat, bringing his head level with hers.
"You're right. God will watch over us. He will make sure that we find each other. It's how He reciprocates His love to all."
Jewel smiled faintly before staring back out at the obsidian sky. Blu did the same, his broken-down mind burdened by the ultimatum that was fast approaching.
He could feel a slight tugging coming from above, as if an illusory hand was trying to extract his soul from his body. He knew that the Lord was calling, but he had to say goodbye to his children first.
After that, he would gladly leap from his earthly existence to a divine one.
In the wake of a few minutes of silence, he heard Jewel whisper, "Do you feel something pulling at you? Pulling not at your body, but your soul?"
"Yes. Do you?"
"Yeah. It's God trying to tell us that we need to join him, isn't it?"
"Correct, Jewel. But before we do, we have to make peace with our children. That is our last earthly task. They will miss us, no doubt, but they have their own lives to live. Eventually, they'll end up just like us, taken to a better place, free from the fetters of this world."
Blu gave a long yawn after speaking, releasing his hold on Jewel before making his way back to the nest of twigs and leaves. Jewel watched him walk across the hollow and settle down.
"Are you going to sleep?"
"Shouldn't be too hard. See you in the morning, God willing...
"Right back at you, handsome. Sweet dreams."
"Thank you, Jewel. Thank..."
Blu had dozed off moments later, leaving her compelled to do the same. After flashing one last glance at the sky, she waddled in the direction of her nest. A small knot in the floor caught her foot, throwing her roughly onto the grainy surface.
A few of her frail feathers were torn loose, drifting along in the breeze and dancing right out of the hollow.
"Ow! Stupid... bump. I love getting kicked when I'm down."
After picking herself up, she noticed one feather had been trapped beneath her chest. Clutching it softly with her right foot, she dropped it beside her husband and climbed into the nest.
"This feather is a perfect keepsake for our children. Even though my voice will be silent, my heart no longer beating, they will know that I will always be by their side."
Burying the feather carefully beneath her body, she quickly closed her eyes and entered the dream realm.
Jewel dreamed of what she would encounter as she passed from this life to the next, and although the journey was a mystery, what lay at its end was well worth the sorrow. Death was the final passage one took in life, but as long as she could share that passage with her lovebird, she would be content.
Blu, however, meditated over what he would say to his offspring in the moments before his passing. Perhaps he should give them a token of remembrance. He opted to pluck out one of his feathers before he passed on, knowing that it would assure those nine bundles of joy that he would never truly leave them.
Their mental stirrings were mostly jovial, but a profound dread had seeped into both of their minds.
There was the possibility that either one of them could wake up and find that the other had perished in the throes of sleep, an occurrence that would be just as suffocating as death itself.
Both Blu and Jewel prayed for their bodies to struggle on until they could inform their children and prepare them for the trauma of their parents' passing. They knew that as long as they could accomplish that task, they could release the hold they maintained on life, leaving their broken bodies behind, once and for all.