And we are back with "The Journey to New England", however I am refraining from calling this "Rio 3", since this is largely AU. The premise of the story is much the same as the original story with many grammar fixes and general content revision, but the future content will be vastly different, since I completely rethought the plot of this story. I hope you enjoy this better quality first chapter.
Will I abandon the CSX and Spix's Macaws project? Nope. You can still stay tuned to that, but I won't be uploading as frequently to that story. I'm still plugging away at the third chapter of that story, and until I know where exactly to go next with it, it doesn't seem I'll be making many changes to CSX and Spix's Macaws anytime soon.
Chapter 1: Thunderbird
The light was dim, and the air was damp. The sky was a deep dark blue, and thick, boiling clouds crawled across the sky. There was the occasional and sudden flash of lightning, followed by a soft roll of thunder. At the ground, dead, brittle vines thatched large areas of the ground, and above them grew broad leaved plants and tall ferns underneath giant jungle trees, with their canopies hoisted high above the ground. Raindrops fell from the leaves of the giant stalks of wood, patting the undergrowth below. As the storms drew nearer, the strikes of lightning became brighter, and more pronounced. The low rumbling evolved into steady booming.
Leaves rustled, and small sticks snapped in the undergrowth. A blue wing shot out from behind a fern, pushing it aside to clear the way.
"Hey, Blu!" Jewel yelled, struggling to keep up with Blu.
"Yeah?"
"What is it you would like to show me?" She asked enthusiastically.
"You'll see when we get there. I thought that during a storm would be the best time to do this,"
"Ok…" Jewel replied unsurely.
Blu, Jewel, and their children had since made home in the Amazon rainforest, and Brazilian Summer was settling in for the year.
"You're not scared by the lightning, Blu?"
"Oh, no. This is my favorite." Blu said. He the chuckled to himself as he continued walking through the soft green foliage, "I lived right on the edge of tornado alley. Storms like this would come plowing through our town in Minnesota," Blu continued, admiring the jungle surrounding them.
"Here we are. Just step right through these ferns. I found this spot yesterday, and I thought you might like it,"
Jewel was hesitant to do so, but she went ahead and peered around the giant leaves. "Jewel?" Blu asked, but she only stared, apparently memorized at what lie ahead of her. Blu followed as she sat perched upon a small boulder resting over a small cliff. Blu hopped onto the rock next to Jewel.
"Isn't this just amazing?" Blu asked. Jewel didn't answer. She gazed at the towering storm clouds that hovered over the vast rainforest below, slowly rolling toward them. A wall of rain pushed along with the storm, drenching the trees below. There was no sense of danger watching the storm draw nearer, but only a sense of sheer awe.
"This is the most amazing thing I've seen in years," Jewel said, smiling brightly at Blu. Blu and Jewel sat there for many minutes. The rain soon got heavier, but this didn't deter them.
They eventually began on their way back, stepping over vines, large branches, and other things of the sort. It was still dark yet, and there was little motion surrounding them.
"Alright, everybody, get to your nests. We've spotted a storm heading toward here!"
Eduardo's voice could be heard throughout the jungle, echoing off of every nearby tree trunk.
"You two!" Eduardo barked.
"Oh. Yes, ah-ha, h- hi…" Blu stuttered.
"I'm just teasin', but yes, you two should—"
"Yes… We heard," Jewel explained.
Phew. I genuinely thought that he was going to scold me for something…
"Alright. Good. You two know where to go, right?" Eduardo asked.
"Just follow me," Jewel whispered to Blu.
She hopped into the air and flew in a seemingly random direction. Blu was quick to follow. Jewel landed in their hollowed tree trunk, which wasn't far from where they ran into Eduardo.
"I guess we stay here until it's blown over," Jewel said. Blu grabbed his fanny pack and pulled his GPS out, and on it, a notification popped up for a software update.
"Oh. I guess Google must've updated their maps," Blu muttered contently to himself. He gave the screen a single tap, and then set it down next to him onto the reeds that carpeted their tree hollow.
"This is wonderful. It's just you and I, here, hiding from the rain," Jewel said, walking toward Blu, who was staring out of the opening to the hollow in the tree. He became captivated by what appeared to be a light moving through the woods in the distance, accompanied by the rumbling of a large sounding diesel engine and the high pitched screeching of steel. It wasn't an easily recognizable sound, and it was certainly alien to this part of Brazil. However, Blu immediately knew what it was.
After several minutes, whatever there was in the distance had gone. The GPS made a little jingling noise, and the screen emitted green light. Blu bent over to take a look at it, and zoomed in on a gray line cutting across near where the illegal logging operation had previously been abandoned.
"Is everything alright?" Jewel asked, looking confused at Blu.
"Something is over there. I'm gonna go find out once Eduardo gives the OK that the storm is over. Also, where are the kids?"
"They're with Rafael. You left them with him so that you could take me to that spot,"
"Oh, yeah, right," Blu turned around and situated himself next to Jewel. She put her wing around him, and they continued to watch the falling rain.
After little time, there was a bit of commotion around the tree that Blu and Jewel stayed in. The two of them peered their heads out of the opening in the wood, and they saw many of the Spix's macaws faced toward the apparent source of the metallic screeching noise that passed many minutes ago. Eduardo and a second Spix's Macaw were standing in front of them on top of a rotten log.
"My friend, here, said he heard something behind where we're standing, and I'm sure you all heard it, too. I did," Eduardo announced, "Something is back there, and we don't know what it is, so I guess we'll need some volunteers to help explore that area," Eduardo stated.
"Anyone who is interested in helping us should line up in front of this log." The Spix's Macaw added. Blu fluttered down to the small crowd and walked toward the log behind a couple other Spix's Macaws in a semi-single file line. He was staring at his GPS, virtually exploring the new geographical feature on the map.
"Hey Blu! You come from humans, right?" Eduardo asked.
"Well, not technically, but—" Blu started, looking up from the small handheld device.
"Oh, Pablo, have you met Blu, yet?" Eduardo interrupted, tapping the Spix's Macaw standing next to him.
"Uh, no. I don't believe so," Blu replied.
"Hi. I'm Blu," he said, holding his wing out for a "handshake".
"Aren't we all?" Pablo replied. Blu became disappointed with his reply.
Oh, geez, not you, too!
"Well, uh, no. That's my name," Blu said, this time making himself heard.
"Oh, hah!" Pablo replied, smacking his head with his wing, "Eduardo just told me that, too!"
"Yeah. Heh," Blu replied, dismissing the response.
"Anyway, can you perhaps explain to us what that thing is?" Eduardo said low and slowly.
"Well let's go have a look, shall we?" Blu replied.
"No! It is far too dangerous. What if it's a trap?"
If it's a train, it's not a trap.
"Wait, Blu! Where are you going?" Jewel asked him in a slightly shocked manner.
"I'm going to see what this thing is. Oh! When's our trip back to Rio? I need to charge the GPS for the year, again," Blu said, pointing to it with his talon. He then turned back toward Eduardo.
"Alright. Do you see that gray line?"
"Yes. What exactly does that mean?"
"I think that's where the sound came from,"
"Ok. Fine… You heard him. Let's go," Eduardo announced, and two other Spix's Macaws closely followed he and Blu. Jewel stayed behind with the large majority of the crowd, looking into the distance with mild uncertainty.
• • •
"This is weird," one of the Spix's Macaws said, "What on earth is this?"
"I'm not exactly sure. Maybe Sue, er, Blu can tell us," Eduardo replied.
"Tell you what?" Blu asked.
Thank goodness he didn't hear me mess up on his name… Again…
"Get over here with that human tracker of yours,"
Blu gaily hopped over to Eduardo.
"Do you know what this place is?" Eduardo inquired. Blu looked around at his new surroundings. In the clearing, the trees parted, forming an unnaturally linear pathway. The trees and undergrowth stopped at a clear margin, where a grassy berm rose a few feet above the swampy jungle floor. This berm was topped with rust-laden, crushed rock. Blu began curiously walking up the embankment.
"Blu? What are you doing?" Roberto asked, popping into the situation very late.
"Roberto, where have you been?" Eduardo asked, then paused a few seconds, "Ah, never mind. Just wait."
All four of them watched as Blu explored the raised land. He seemed to walk back and forth, taking unusually long strides from one space to another.
"Well? What is it?" Pablo cried out.
Blu walked to the edge of the mound and announced,
"It's a railroad!"
The two other Spix's macaws gave perplexed looks to Blu.
"A what?"
Blu hopped down from the embankment, intermittently glancing at the ground for large stones or sticks. Shortly after his three foot journey from the previously unknown, Eduardo placed his wing on Blu's shoulder.
"Uh, Blu?" Eduardo whispered.
"What is it, Sir?" Blu silently asked.
"What the heck is a railroad?" Eduardo asked in disappointment and confusion.
"Well, uh—"
"Ya' know what? Just explain it when we get back."
"Ok. Yeah. Sure."
"Let's head out, everybody. Nothing more to see here." Eduardo once again announced to the few birds in the small vicinity.
This is absurd! Eduardo is now using Blu instead of me to investigate? How could Blu possibly help with this?
"Wait! So Blu gave it an arbitrary name, but that doesn't explain the lights! Or the weird noises," Roberto said just before Eduardo was about to take off.
"We'll just have to hear what he has to say on the subject. Maybe he's not actually a complete nut," Eduardo explained.
"Well, he liked being caged up and living with a human. He's not a nut, you say?"
"He ended our brawl with those Scarlet Macaws and single-handedly, or 'wing-edly', I should say, stopped our rainforest from being destroyed. I think he deserves even a little respect."
"But he's so weird. He doesn't even really belong here,"
"Roberto, he has insight on humans that nobody else has ever had, and all that means is that he gets to help with that kind of stuff. I'm not relieving you of your duty. You are still my right hand bird. But in case you never got the message, he's family now,"
Roberto remained silent, and Eduardo flew into the woods back toward the sanctuary. The sky, even after the storm had passed, remained dark. Roberto stayed behind for a short moment after Eduardo disappeared, looking around at the ground. Something snapped in Roberto's mind. Confused and slightly jealous, he bolted back into the trees.
• • •
"…There were rectangular logs that these rails sit on top of, which were cold, like stone, except they weren't really. They were shiny, and they rang if I hit them with a rock. This is one of the many ways humans like to move stuff, and I think this thing is going to be used for more than taking our trees away. There is this giant thing called a train that, well, It's hard to describe. Anyway, it rolls on these rails, and behind it are these boxes, or, well, there are a lot of different, well. Aagh…" Blu stammered as he tried to explain what a railroad was to birds who have never come in contact with anything human.
It's helpful to have lived in a bookstore, but this is impossible to explain it to them.
"It would be easier if I took you all to the tracks and had you sit in a tree above to watch the trains,"
"I don't want anyone going anywhere near that thing until I figure out what it is." Eduardo interjected.
"Then I might as well take you there, first." Blu insisted.
In that instance, a train horn echoed in the distance. It sounded a rather pleasing noise through the jungle, one comparable to that of several French Horns.
"Welp, we'd better hurry, Eduardo. That's the train." Blu said, as he began flying toward the tracks.
"Hold on, I'll be right back. You all just stay put." Eduardo said before he took off after Blu. Jewel found her children and brought them back to the foot of their tree where Blu previously had his discussion.
"What's Dad doing?" Bia asked.
"I know. Remember when I took you on that yellow tram last summer?" Jewel asked.
"Sort of."
"He's just teaching everybody what that is, except that these are several hundred times longer than that trolley car."
"What d'ya' mean?"
"Follow me…" Jewel said, then sighed.
Jewel and Bia followed Eduardo's general direction. They peered from behind a cluster of leaves, and see Blu and Eduardo on a branch several trees down from them. The headlights on the locomotive in the distance were bright, and they stood out against the inky sky. The train advanced toward the birds at a notably fast pace. The locomotive was a solid red, with thin letters A-L-L on the sides and nose. This was an American locomotive fitted for use on Brazil's railways. Below the A-L-L letters read "América Latina Logística". The train passed the birds at unfathomable speed, or at least for them it was.
"This is what you meant with the big boxes in your explanation?"
"Well, without context, it thought it might be hard for you guys to understand," Blu said. Eduardo rolled his eyes.
The train was headed by four engines with six axles each, and an endless string of freight cars followed behind.
"It's so loud!" Bia yelled from the other tree. Jewel covered her ears, and Blu peered over at Jewel.
"What are you two doing here?" Blu yelled over the screeching sound of steel wheels on steel rails.
"I thought I told everybody to stay put!" Eduardo barked.
"Oh, come on, she's my wife, and besides, we kind of lived in human environments for several years of our lives. We know the whereabouts of this stuff."
"Ok…" Eduardo said, rolling his eyes once more.
The freight train continued to rattle along the newly constructed railway through the amazon. Eduardo continued to watch the train passing below.
Jewel and Bia fluttered from their tree branch and landed on the limb that Eduardo and Blu were perched on.
"So, Blu, what I really need to find out is how dangerous this thing is," Eduardo said.
"Well, it really depends on what you plan on doing around this thing," Blu replied.
"Yeah?"
"Well, you see, trains run on tracks, and they don't come off of the track, or else they can't move. If you are sitting on top of the tree, watching the train, then no, it is not dangerous. If you are playing on the train tracks, or doing anything on said train tracks, for that matter, then yes. You could be killed! Trains are safe to watch from a distance. They won't come chasing after you, and about the only thing they'll do to affect us is make noise,"
"Alright then. It's safe to fly across?"
Blu didn't answer, but just leapt off of the tree and flew across the tracks above the moving train, no harm done. Blu remained in the air across the tracks returning a goofy smile, and all four of them looked over to the last car of the long freight train. Blu made his way back across the tracks.
"That's everything I need to know. You've been a good help, this morning." Eduardo said. He gave Blu a pat on the back. He and Eduardo flew back into the woods, and Jewel and Bia followed shortly after. The sky was still very dark, but the storm had long passed. It was only cloudy.
• • •
Later that day, Blu decided he would spend some time alone. He set off into the woods toward the railroad tracks.
"Ya' know, Blu, you're finally a part of something," He spoke to himself. As he ventured deeper into the woods, enjoying his hike, he heard the rustling of a creature that might be following him.
"Hello? Anybody there?" Blu called into the woods. He looked around him, and, soon afterward, continued through the rainforest. Blu looked ahead, and saw the clearing where the tracks were laid. Just after Blu stepped out of the low-lying plants, he heard a quiet voice.
"I've got you now."
In the next instance, Blu was swept off of his feet and into a tree by another blue figure. It was a painstakingly familiar shape, but Blu was disoriented by the blow to his chest that sent him crashing into a rotting trunk. Blu looked up at the bird that towered above him as he lay in the leaves.
"Roberto." Blu gasped. His eyes widened for a second, then he squinted.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"I have some unfinished business to take care of, and you're first on my list." Roberto said in a greatly discomforting tone. Roberto stepped toward Blu with insane outrage in his eyes. Blu stood up, waiting for Roberto to make the first move.
"This stops here." Blu yelled.
"Make me!" In this instant, Roberto leapt toward Blu, knocking him backward into the same tree, strangling him. Blu shoved his foot into Roberto's stomach, loosening his grip on Blu just enough for him to grasp Roberto by the wings and pin him against the grimy bark.
"What has gotten into you?"
"You've stolen my future wife, and now you're taking over my life!"
"What are you talking about?" Roberto threw Blu into the mud next to the tracks, and a loud crack of thunder sent rumbling vibrations through the clearing. The two birds took aggressive stances, ready to engage in full combat. While Blu threw more conventional punches and kicks similar to those of a human street fighter, Roberto used more barbaric tactics. The fight persisted for only a short time, and was terminated by a quick flash that ripped across the sky and exploded onto a tree trunk, releasing rotten wood shrapnel from the titanic orange glow. One of these charred fragments of tree pulp hit Blu square in the top of his head, causing him to go completely unconscious for a short time. He soon awoke, disoriented, disgusted, and scared, only to find that he was tied tightly to a tree.
"I think it is that time, Blu."
"Time for what? Where am I? What are you doing?"
"Justice. I'm about to ruin your life just as you've ruined mine,"
When he uttered those very words, another freight train slowly rolled by the birds, stopping several minutes after its arrival. Roberto proceeded to his deed, and a shriek of agonizing pain filled the jungle. Feathers had been torn from Blu's wings, and they blew into the jungle by the wind produced from another oncoming storm. Rain drops started to fall once more, and Roberto cut Blu from the tree and kicked him in the stomach.
"Good luck getting around after that." Roberto said, and chuckled. Blu only groaned, and Roberto placed his foot on top of Blu's throat. The stinging in his wings was unbearable, but Blu knew there was nothing he could do now to escape.
"Blu!" Jewel screamed from behind.
"Roberto, what are you doing?" She yelled. She charged toward him shortly after realizing what had been done. Roberto quickly turned around and snatched a club from under a pile of dead leaves, and forcefully struck Jewel in the head, causing her to fall into a shallow puddle next to the tracks. Blu quickly got to his feet, and Roberto swung his club and struck Blu in the throat, knocking him to the ground. He then looked upward in horror just before being hit again in the in the same spot the tree shrapnel struck him before. With the freight train stopped on the tracks, Roberto dragged Blu and Jewel up a ladder and on top of a rusty boxcar, where he would leave them for the train to take them out of the Amazon. Roberto flew off, just as another thunderstorm set in. Blu and Jewel remained unconscious, and after several minutes, the train began to move. Blu and Jewel had embarked on a journey into the unknown, and they wouldn't know until almost an hour later.
I still can't believe I posted this chapter in the state that it was in before I decided to completely overhaul this piece of writing...