Disclaimer: I own nothing! Rio, Rio 2 and all their characters belong to Blue Sky Studios. The song belongs to Britt Nicole.
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Chapter Two: The Three Bs
Is that...music?
Nigel groaned. Part of him wanted to strangle whoever it was for disturbing his slumber whilst the other wondered who in their right mind would be up so bloody early. He cracked one eye open, then both, yawning as he pushed himself up onto his talons and stumbled to the front of his cage.
It had been three days since Fernando brought him to Tulio's bird sanctuary and he'd spent the first six hours of it on a cold steel surgical table. They'd saved his life, but all of the doctors agreed, he'd never fly again. Too many broken bones at one time. His wing was healing but what good would that do him if he couldn't use it?
They should've just let me die.
Nigel leaned his head against the cool metal bars. He was contemplating whether or not he should just go back to sleep when the sound of ruffling feathers caught his attention. What he saw left him mesmerized. It was a female spix macaw with cerulean feathers, a gray beak and turquoise eyes. Definitely a pretty bird.
No, not pretty...Nigel told himself. She's positively exquisite. And she was singing.
You were walking on the moon,
Now you feeling low.
What they said wasn't true,
You're beautiful.
Sticks and stones break your bones,
I know what you're feeling.
Words like those,
Won't steal your glow,
You're one in a million.
This, this is for all the girls,
Boys all over the world.
Whatever you been told,
You're worth more than gold.
So hold your head up high,
It's your time to shine.
From the inside out it shows,
You're worth more than gold.
You're worth more than gold.
Everybody keeps score,
Afraid you're gonna loose.
Just ignore,
They don't know the real you.
All the rain in the sky,
Can't put out your fire.
Of all the stars out tonight,
You shine brighter.
This, this is for all the girls,
Boys all over the world.
Whatever you been told,
You're worth more than gold.
So hold your head up high,
It's your time to shine.
From the inside out it shows,
You're worth more than gold.
So don't let anybody tell you that you're not loved.
And don't let anybody tell you that you're not enough.
Yeah, there are days when we all feel like we're messed up.
But that truth is that we're all diamonds in the rough.
So don't be ashamed to wear you're crown
You're a king, You're a queen inside and out,
You glow like the moon, you shine like the sun.
This goes to you, wherever you are!
This, this is for all the girls,
Boys all over the world.
Whatever you been told,
You're worth more than gold.
So hold your head up high,
It's your time to shine.
From the inside out it shows,
You're worth more than gold.
So, don't be ashamed to wear your crown,
You're a king, You're a queen, inside and out
Nigel was speechless for what felt like the first time in his life. Ethereal beauty and a voice reminiscent of silver bells at Christmas. He immediately began to clap along with all the other inhabitants of the aviary as the female macaw flew about coming to land beside his cage.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, We didn't wake you, did we?"
"Oh, not at all," Nigel replied, "I'm an early riser myself. You have a lovely voice miss..."
"Jewel," the female macaw smiled, "My name is Jewel. And you are?"
"Nigel," he answered, "I'd offer my wing, but..." He motion to the cage surrounding him.
"I think I can do something about that," Jewel said, offering him yet another friendly smile. " Blu! Roberto! A little help guys?"
Two male spix macaws appeared both with cerulean feathers and gray beaks, though one sported blue eyes, the other brown.
"Friends of yours?" Nigel asked, watching them land on the edge of the table on which his cage sat.
"My brothers," Jewel told him motioning toward the blue eyed macaw. "This is Roberto..." Then to the brown eyed one "...and this is Blu. Guys, this is Nigel."
"Nice to meet you," the sulphur-crested cockatoo murmured.
There was a time long ago when he'd been a fairly social bird, but it had been years since Nigel interacted with others, especially in a non-threatening manner. He wasn't sure how to proceed. It didn't help that they were all such pretty birds. Nigel had a gray-white body, a yellow feathered crest and dark brown eyes. He'd been quite the looker once upon a time. Now he just felt as if they were judging him.
"Do you think you can get him out of there?" Jewel asked, interrupting Nigel's thoughts.
Blu took a moment to examine the lock on Nigel's cage. "It's a standard flip mechanism. Shouldn't be too hard."
Nigel heard rustling, then a click as the bar slid back, and the door popped open.
"Way to go bro," Roberto praised, high-fiving Blu as he stepped aside so Nigel could exit the cage.
"Well done," the cockatoo agreed, "You're quite intelligent."
"Blu's the brains of the operation," Roberto explained, "I got dad's brute strength and Jewel...well, she's-"
"Absolutely beautiful," Nigel finished.
Jewel blushed.
"Eh, she's okay," Roberto teased.
His humor earned him a playful jab in the wing from his sister.
"Hey, guys, we're going to be late," Blu declared, pointing up at a clock on the wall.
Nigel frowned. "Late? Late for what?"
"Free Mango Monday!" Roberto and Blu exclaimed simultaneously, giving each other another high-five.
" Our friends, Nico and Pedro, own a samba club in the marketplace," Jewel explained, "We don't get to see them very often, so we go over every Monday to hang out and catch up."
"Hey, Nigel, you should come with us," Blu suggested.
"I don't think..."
"Come on buddy," Roberto urged, " It'll be great! There's gonna be dancin' and singin'-"
"-and all the free mangos you can eat!" Blu added.
"But my wing," Nigel began, glancing down at the bandages covering his half-healed injury.
"No worries," Jewel coaxed, "That's what trollies are for."
"You're sure I won't just hold you back?" Nigel asked.
"Not at all," Blu replied.
"I like human vehicles," Roberto grinned, "You get where you need to go without ever liftin' a wing."
"Come with us," Jewel persisted, "It isn't good for you to be cooped up like this."
Nigel thought long and hard about it, then nodded his head. "Alright. I'll go."
Cheers erupted from all three macaws.
Nigel had no idea why he'd agreed to go with them, though suspected it had something to do with his new female friend. Jewel was like a drink of cold water, so refreshing, yet one sip just wasn't enough.
He felt a sudden rush of warmth spread through his chest. What is this feeling? He wondered. It was so foreign. All emotions were save hate and anger, yet he felt neither.
Could this be love he was feeling? Nigel scowled and mentally chided himself. Even if he was capable of such an emotion, he doubted very seriously Jewel would ever return his affections, especially once she learned about his past and all the wretched things he'd done.
Nigel shook his crested head. No. He couldn't-wouldn't-love. Love was a weakness and he refused to be weak.
"Hurry up you two!" Roberto called, "Shake those tail feathers or we'll miss the trolley!"
"We're coming," Jewel shouted, turning to Nigel. "Sorry. They're just really excited."
"No need to apologize," Nigel assured her.
The trolley ride to the marketplace went smoothly despite the fact that Blu almost fell off twice. The young male seemed to have quite a knack for getting into trouble. His siblings took it with a grain of salt as he was their brother and they cared for him no matter his shortcomings.
Nigel found himself drawn to Jewel. She was constantly asking about his past. He usually enjoyed ranting on about all the injustices humans had committed against him, yet he kept his answers as vague as he possibly could, refusing to say anything that might give up information about his criminal history. He didn't want her to know because he didn't want her to think less of him. It was strange. He'd never really cared what others thought of him before.
...
I promise the next chapter will be more exciting. I'm trying to make sure I stay true to the characters' personalities. Feedback is always welcome.