Chapter 2:Fix You
Once again, the oddly peaceful sunrise brought its light upon the world. The tattered forms of Blu and Jewel quivered in response, slowly opening their eyes.
After giving a fortuitous yawn, Jewel said, "Good morning, Blu."
"Huh? What? Oh. Good morning."
After stepping from the nest, he flared his wings like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Shortly after his refreshing maneuver, he felt a sharp pain in his left wing joint, and although he tried to re-fold it, the throbbing continued.
"Ouch! Oh man, I think I pulled a muscle. Now how will I be able to fly to our children?" he said, exasperated and worried.
Jewel climbed from the nest and drew near him, patting the sore spot with her wing.
"You just rest for awhile. I'll go get us some fruit. Give your wing time to heal. We'll go visit our children later this afternoon."
She planted a warm kiss on his beak and flew out of the hollow.
He stared at his limp wing and silently cursed at the unfair timing of his injury. He moved back over to the wall across from the exit hole and reclined against it.
Blu feared for her safety, knowing that she would make easy prey for a prowling snake or eagle. They had come to acknowledge the fact that every flight could be their last, due to predators or their ailing bodies giving out from the stress.
Blu would have gone instead, since he was always the one to provide for her, but his injury had left him grounded, and even more so, incredibly worried about her well-being.
"Please come back, Jewel. We need to cling to life, together, for just a few more hours. Then we can rest eternally..."
The flight across the clearing was a draining endeavor, and Jewel was forced to land just outside the border to recoup her strength.
"I can't do...much more of these, she told herself, I may fly out one day and never fly back. I can't do that to Blu. If I'm going to die, I will do it by his side."
After shaking her head to mentally refocus, she walked slowly through the undergrowth. She kept her gaze split between the trees above and the ground ahead, knowing that she could easily be caught by a lurking python.
As she moved around the trunk of a cannonball tree, a welcome sight appeared in front of her. Lit by an errant ray of light that slammed past the canopy was a stubby, yet healthy, mango tree. The six tangerine fruits that it bore seemed to leap out at her due to the golden light from above.
"Would you look at that. Mangoes! I better-"
A loud flutter of wings stopped her cold as two Lear's Macaws burst through the greenery on her left, alighting happily in the crown of the tree.
"Just look at these tasty mangoes! The kids will love them, Ariel!"
"Let's take them all, Alex, dear. There should be enough for our whole family."
They began plucking the fruit relentlessly, and Jewel didn't want to lose her chance to gather some of them.
"Uh, excuse me. Could you leave two of those behind?"
The two macaws heard a clear voice from down below, a female voice. They leaned over, peering past the crown of the tree inquisitively. An innocent macaw was looking up at them, her tattered form morphing into quite a shock for the macaws perched above.
"Who are you?" queried the male.
"Why are you so beat-up and frail?" added the female.
"My name is Jewel. I am... a very old Spix's Macaw. I came looking for some food for my mate and I. Could you leave me two mangoes?"
The Lear's Macaws gazed at each other for several seconds, quite astounded by what they had seen and heard. Regardless, they did not want to be cruel to such a resolute bird as she.
The male replied, "No problem Jewel! We won't let you and your mate go hungry."
He gripped a mango in each talon and brought them down to her.
"Thank you. That was very kind of you to share."
Nodding politely, he replied, "You're welcome."
Ariel dropped down next to Alex, eager to find out a little more about the female before her.
"Forgive my rudeness," she began, "but, how old are you?"
A gentle smile flashed across Jewel's face as she replied, "I don't mind. I am... forty-five years old."
The two macaws' eyes widened with her announcement.
"Really? Meu Deus! Alex and I are only seventeen. You must have more memories than you could ever count!"
"Yeah. I met my mate, Blu, when we were both fifteen. We are the last two Spix's Macaws alive, aside from our nine children. We've shared a long, fulfilling life."
She did not want to depress them by divulging her near-death secret, and so she held it inside her.
"Amazing. There's more to you than what meets the eye, Jewel."
"It seems that way, Ariel. Well, I better head back home. My mate is probably worried about me."
"Do you need help carrying those mangoes? They are pretty good-sized fruits."
"No thanks, Alex. I think I can do it. Nice meeting you both..."
After clutching one fruit in each of her talons, Jewel turned and rose into flight, Alex's words ringing true as she struggled to stay aloft with the added weight of the hefty mangoes.
Alex and Ariel watched the female fly slowly off into the distance, marveling at her age and personality.
"We have quite the story to tell Sarah and Jonas, don't we?"
Her eyes twinkling, she said merrily, "Yes we do, Alex. Let's go. They-"
Just then, they heard a soft crashing noise in the jungle ahead, followed by a cry fraught with frustration. "I bet that was Jewel." declared Ariel.
"Her age has probably sapped her strength, Ariel. I doubt she's able to carry those fruits anymore. Let's go help her..."
The young macaws flashed stern nods at each other, springing into flight moments later.
Jewel had only flown a quarter of the way back to her home before her wings grew fatigued. She fell to the ground in exhaustion, skidding along the damp earth on her chest and dropping the mangoes in the process.
Too drained to heave herself up, she rested her head against the ground, exclaiming, "They were right. I can't make it! I need help. Please, I'm so tired..."
Her distressed cry echoed out through the jungle, but no one responded.
She lay on the ground, her chest heaving, her weakened heart straining to pump her blood. From her bird-unfriendly vantage point, she was beginning to think that a snake would come crawling out of the bushes and snatch her up.
"Am I going to die here, a victim of predation? Blu will never even see my body. No, no, no, I can't do that to him! Why has nobody heard me? I'll never get home without help..."
A sense of despair crept into Jewel's feeble mind, leading her to think that all was lost. She tried to stand, but her legs were unable to lift her body weight, and so she plopped back onto the damp earth.
As if to answer her desperate pleas, a soft rustling caught her attention, resounding from somewhere behind her.
A flare of joy lit up her spirit as the macaws from before trotted up beside her, their faces twisted with worry.
"Jewel! Are you okay?" queried the male as he examined her from head to tail.
Barely shaking her head, she replied sadly, "Not really, Alex. I can't make it home. Those damn fruits are too heavy! I'm exhausted..."
"It's okay. We'll help you get home. Honey, can you carry Jewel? I'll carry the mangoes."
"Sure, Alex."
She skipped over to Jewel, helping the sprawled-out macaw to her feet while her mate walked away and clutched one of the orange blobs in his beak and the other in his left foot.
"Can you show us the way to your home?"
"Yeah. Thank you so much, Ariel You really shouldn't be doing this for me."
"Don't worry about it. It's the least we can do. Here we go!"
After going into a hover, she picked Jewel up with her talons, leaving Jewel suspended beneath her youthful body.
They peeled off through the undergrowth, moving faster than Jewel could have ever hoped to imitate. With Jewel's guidance, the two macaws found their way to the lone cannonball tree.
Jewel's energy had recovered slightly during the relaxing trip, a fact that improved her mood by the same amount.
Ariel entered first and freed the grateful female from her talon-grasp. Her mate followed just behind, placing the slightly bruised fruits down next to Jewel.
Another ragged macaw was present, rushing over to his mate and hugging her gently.
"I was so worried, honey! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Blu. I had to enlist a little help to get back here." she said, motioning to the Lear's Macaws.
"Oh, I can never thank you enough for helping her! As you can see, our age has left us looking... unattractive, and also unable to do many things."
"No problem, Blu. We could never just leave such a respectable and senior macaw behind like that." declared Alex smoothly.
"And there's no need to get even with us. We did this out of complete courtesy, and maybe a little fascination. Both of you are the most interesting birds we've seen in forever, really!" added Ariel.
"Oh. Well that sure sounds intriguing. If Jewel and I had the time, we could tell you a ton of stuff about us."
"Oh, we would love to stay and chat, but we have two chicks to take care of, and we kind of left them home alone to gather breakfast."
"Well, we won't keep you then. Thanks so much, you two!"
"And you are most welcome, Jewel." they replied in unison.
"We'll see you around, then. Bye!" they added, disturbing the air as they departed from the hollow.
"Such nice neighbors..." Blu said with melancholy, "how will they feel when they never see us again? What will they think when they find out... that we're... dead?"
Frowning with that revelation, Jewel sighed and replied, "There's nothing we can do, handsome. They barely even know us. And besides, who is going to tell them?"
"You do make good points. Still, I think it was better that we didn't tell them about... that. Now, how about we get a bite to eat?"
"I agree. My ordeal with the fruit has left me dead tired, so after I eat, I'm taking a nap."
"I think I'm going to take a little snooze as well."
Blu hobbled over to one of the mangoes, picking it up and holding it out towards Jewel. She promptly took it from his foot, nibbling a small bite from one end.
"Thanks, handsome."
"No problem, my angel..."
They carefully consumed the mangoes, somehow managing to cram one whole fruit apiece into their shriveled stomachs. With their insides churning and digesting the food, they slumped against the wall, side-by-side, for their midday nap.
After coughing roughly a few times, Blu declared, "We have to go see our children tonight, Jewel. I just hope that they will all be together. We can't be flying back and forth across the jungle."
"Yeah, me too. I can barely make it out of the clearing before I have to rest. Going to each of their homes is impossible." she stated pointedly.
"I know. Let's rest now, honey. We'll need all of the strength we can muster. Sleep well."
"You too. See you in a few hours..."
As the sound of their voices faded away, their eyes slid shut, cutting them off from the visual world. As the folds of sleep claimed them, the sound of their sallow breathing was all that could be heard.
Their dreams were nonexistent, and so their distressed bodies protested while they slept, rendering their rest period less than successful.
The hours passed like fitful minutes, a slight relief to the ailing macaws, who were eventually awoken by the breath of planet Earth.
A strong wind was whistling by outside, steadily rushing into the hollow and buffeting the horrid-looking birds nonstop.
"Well, I think it's time we get going, Blu."
"I agree, Jewel. We-"
Blu was cut off by a sharp burning sensation in his chest. He attempted to remedy it by holding his wings to the very spot where the pain was concentrated, but to no avail.
The fire eventually subsided, yet leaving him out of breath and in a coughing fit. As he greedily sucked in oxygen, in between his body-wracking splutters, Jewel scampered over to him, patting his back rapidly.
"What's going on, Blu? Are you alright?" she asked loudly.
"I think so," he wheezed, "it felt like I was having... a heart attack. We better hurry up, Jewel. I don't think... I'll live to see tomorrow. I can feel it... in my soul..."
As minuscule tears formed in his bloodshot eyes, he faced Jewel straight on, drawing her into the muddy pools of his irises.
"Before we go... I want you to know... that I love you. Whether in this life, or the next, I will never forget you, Jewel. You are my whole life, and just the same, I want nothing more than to perish by your side."
Jewel's own tear ducts opened as his words sank in, and after sniffling once, she responded, "And I love you just the same, Blu. I never imagined that I would meet someone like you. And yet, we've lived together for thirty years, created nine loving children, and seen Linda's family grow. I suppose the last step there is to take... is to die peacefully."
While hugging her as only a devoted lover could, he whispered, "We've had a good run, Jewel. We experienced everything we could have hoped to experience, and then some. It is true, our journey... is over, but the journeys of our children are still ongoing."
After a tearful pause, he added, "And that is why we must go see them now, while we still have the chance."
Jewel sniffled once more and nodded silently.
Blu broke away from her softly and threw himself into the night, slowly trekking away from their ancient abode.
In one quick movement, Jewel returned to the nest, snatching up her errant feather from the day before.
She clenched the tuft tightly in her right talon and set out after her mate, drawing up her last reserves of energy for what was most likely her final flight.
Thankfully, the wind was a tailwind, and their flight across the Sanctuary was rendered much easier. Their course was southwesterly, and the trek took all but ten minutes.
The home of their three oldest children was Blu and Jewel's destination, and before long, the trio of fairly adjacent trees drifted into view.
Suddenly, Blu dropped from the air and crashed into the ground, coming to a stop a few feet in front of the middle tree. Jewel spiraled down to him, her mind now panicked as to what had happened.
His eyes were half-closed, and she feared that he was losing his grip on life.
"Blu? Blu! Wake up! Don't die now!"
After a few frantic shoves, courtesy of Jewel, he awoke.
"Meu Deus! You're okay! Did you black out?"
"I guess so. It's just like what happened to you... yesterday. I'm so tired, Jewel. I want to rest..."
With hot denial in her voice, she replied, "No! We have to see our children first! Don't leave them with out saying goodbye."
Her powerful words forced Blu to rise to his feet.
"Okay, Jewel. I'll... do it."
Looking up, her heart plummeted, for she could not hear the pleasant chatter of her children.
"I don't think they're here. There's no way to find them. What are we going to do?"
Jewel began to sob feebly, but she did not mourn for long.
A flock of macaws streaked in on the tailwind and dispersed amongst the three nearby trees. The noise filtered its way down to them, seemingly unaffected by the steady wind flowing all around them.
"Jewel, our children just came in. We have to get up there."
Hearing his joyous proclamation, she lifted her head.
"Let's hurry, then..."
They managed to fly up to the middle tree, but no more. They landed heavily on the floor right in front of their twin daughters, who recoiled slightly.
"Mama! Papa! How are you? You look terrible!"
"We know, Carmen."
"I'm not Carmen, Mama. I'm Alexis! Carmen is right next to me. Why did you forget my name?"
"I... don't know. Forgive me. Go gather the rest of your siblings. Your father and I have something to tell you all..."
Without another word, Carmen and Alexis left the hollow and split apart, each heading for the adjacent trees.
Blu and Jewel had moved to the wall furthest from the entrance and reclined against it, a maneuver that once more sapped their strength.
Moments later, their children slowly filed in, the hollow becoming cramped with their bodies.
"Carmen and Alexis said there was something you needed to tell us. Is something wrong?" asked their youngest son.
"Yes, Michael. Your mother and I are... near the end of our ropes."
Nine pairs of eyes bored into Blu with puzzled looks.
"What your father means is that we are... old. Very old. We may not be around for much longer."
Shock now replaced the confusion on their faces, and the sensation could be felt lingering in the air.
"What! Does that mean you're going to...go bye-bye?" said a tiny female.
"I'm afraid so, Marissa."
With that, Blu and Jewel stood up and were promptly hugged by several of their children.
"I don't want you to go!" cried Samuel.
"I want to hear more bedtime stories, mother!" shouted Alyssa.
"Can't you stay with us forever?" pleaded Leslie.
The desire in their voices stabbed multiple daggers of loss into Blu and Jewel's hearts.
"We are sorry. We wish we could stay too. We don't know when we are going to pass away, but it won't be too much longer. We came to warn you all." said Jewel, her tone laden with sorrow.
"Jewel and I have been through a lot, meus filhos. Our lives have been rich and fulfilling. Every day, month, year that we have spent together is a memory in itself. On top of that, we couldn't have asked for more caring children than you."
Pleased with his attempt to bolster their spirits, she said, "Your father is exactly right. Everyone has to die sometime, but it is not something to fear."
"But I am scared, Daddy..." declared Matthew.
Blu scooted closer to his son and said, "Don't be. With these, you'll have something to remember us by."
Blu reached up with his foot and yanked three feathers from his chest. He felt no pain, just another reminder that his life was drawing to a close.
He laid them out before him and said, "Keep one of these in each of these hollows. Even though I won't be with you as a whole, part of me always will."
"I will give you some of my feathers too."
Jewel plucked two wispy shapes from her chest as well, placing them next to the feather she had brought from her home.
Jewel declared, "We love you all more than words could ever say, and we are going to miss you dearly. Just know that each of you hold a special place in our hearts."
She felt her heart skip a beat, the internal shock causing her to fall back against the rear wall of the hollow. A collective gasp filled the space, and Blu made his way over to her side.
"Jewel? Are you okay?" Her yes wandering all over, as if she was confused, she replied, "I...don't think so. My heart. I can feel it weakening."
Realizing that her organs were giving out, he consoled her by saying, "Just relax, honey. It'll be over soon."
As he watched Jewel's chest struggle to rise, he felt an odd stillness inside him, and he couldn't stay up. He plopped against the wall next to his mate, his lungs trying to draw in air, just like her.
A shrill female voice asked, terrified, "What's happening to you and Daddy, Mommy?"
Scrounging up the energy to speak, Jewel replied, "We're... going away, Rosalie. Our bodies are broken..."
"Can I fix Daddy? Can I fix you?"
"No, daughter. We are beyond repair. Only death can mend us. Our spirits will be set free, and all will be well." was Jewel's defeated reply.
Soft streams of tears began to flow from some of the older macaws' eyes, and the nine offspring huddled together.
Blu and Jewel couldn't help but cry along with them.
In between deep sobs, Blu muttered, "We will see you all again someday, when it is your time to go. Be strong for us, but be stronger for each other. Promise... you'll do that."
They all whispered sullenly, "We promise, father."
"This is a depressing time, but you still have... the rest of your lives to enjoy. Don't waste it mourning." added Jewel.
Blu's breathing had begun to slow, as did his mate's, and they rotated their heads to look at each other.
"Linda once told me a poem, honey. She remembered it from when her grandmother died. It was recited at the funeral, and I decided... to keep it in my mind."
"Really? Can I... hear it?"
After drawing as much breath as he could muster, Blu whispered, "As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die... before I wake, I pray the Lord... my soul to take..."
Blu could barely finish the sentence before another bout of coughing gripped him.
His body convulsed as staccato groans erupted from his beak. The cycling pressure spikes from the effort of his coughs burst the blood vessels in his eyes, and the leaking fluid drained from the only feasible outlet it could find.
His offspring watched, horrified, as scarlet trails bled from his tear ducts, running down the sides of his neck and forming tiny pools on the floor. After the deadly coughing ceased, his chest lay still after one last angry wheeze.
His feet and wings went limp, laying completely still after a few seconds of motion.
A few of the older offspring buried their faces in their wings, while others increased the rate of tear flow dramatically.
Jewel turned to face them and muttered, "Never forget him. And never forget me. Take care of each other. I... love you all... always..."
She let her head roll back to Blu's silent form and sighed deeply. Though she was traumatized by the vileness of his death throes, she no longer possessed the strength to express it.
He was finally at peace – the only respite that she could draw from the situation – and she was ready to join him.
"I'm coming, Blu. Wait... for me..."
Her heart gave one last feeble thump, and then no more followed.
She, a creature without a heartbeat, remained conscious for a a few more seconds, her eyes locked on her silent mate, and then she was gone.
The surviving creatures squeezed together in a desperate hug, buried by the sorrow of what they had just witnessed.
Even as they were torn up inside, they swore to never let the memories of their parents escape their minds. A small shred of hope lingered, for they knew that they would join their Mama and Papa one day, wherever they went...
Blu felt an uplifting sensation as he left his abused biological form behind.
He felt as light as a cloud, seeming to rise higher and higher as the seconds ticked by. It appeared as though he was rising out of his tree and rocketing into the atmosphere, going faster and faster.
Eventually, the world became a blur of color, not a single feature recognizable.
As his detached spirit flew on upwards, it came to an abrupt stop.
Blu found himself in a realm lit by a sensuous crescent moon, and out of curiosity, he looked down. Right before his eyes, an exact replica of his feet formed beneath him, seeming to fade out of the air and acquire visible form.
He waited for a brief amount of time before looking to his left, only to see part of his chest in the corner of his vision. He stretched out his left wing, and there it was, every feather present, every structure intact.
Stunned by this observation, he thought, "I have a new body, just like the one I had down on Earth! Wait a minute, that can only mean I'm in Heaven! At least, I think I am. This place feels so... strange, and yet... so peaceful..."
Detecting a strong urge to explore this new landscape, he took off from the cool ground, propelling himself higher until he reached a decent vantage point.
He brought himself into a hover and peered down, seeing a vast expanse of green – which he decided was a meadow – complete with a meandering river.
Off to his left was a vibrant jungle, and on his right lay a murky expanse of water, accompanied by what looked like a sandy beach. He spiraled down to the sand, loving the feel of it as the grains slid past his feet.
Silently, he mused, "So, this is Heaven. No golden gates or peaceful music. Just the sound of the ocean brushing the shore, the wind rustling the trees. It's not half bad, even though I expected more. Oh, how rude of me! Don't talk like that, Blu! Be grateful of where you are."
Curiosity still roiling inside him, he opted to head towards the jungle, since he felt more at home there than out in the open.
True, he had still maintained his body, but it was like it had no weight. He was also partially translucent, suspended halfway between an illusion and reality.
He alighted on a palm tree, preened his feathers, and gazed around. Suddenly, he felt very alone, realizing that something, or someone, was missing.
"Shouldn't there be another bird here? That bird is... Jewel! Where is Jewel? Why can't I find her?" he asked himself silently.
Blu left the tree and scoured the vicinity, his gaze darting every possible direction. After spending an unquantifiable amount of time flying around, he perched on a suspended vine, now filled with longing.
Displeased with his empty search and craving the presence of his lovebird, he cried out, "Jewel! Where are you? I need to be with you! Are you out there?"
The playing of the wind with the branches caused moonbeams to dance around the jungle, an eerie yet soothing display.
Out of one of the silvery flashes, a figure emerged.
It melted from the light and flew towards him, its features instantly recognized by Blu's divine mind.
"Jewel! It's you! You made it! I missed you so much, even though we weren't apart for too long."
Her earthly beauty was impressive enough, but this, this was mind-numbing. She alighted down next to him, a new-found twinkle in her healthy aquamarine eyes.
"Of course it's me! I missed you too. I think you deserve one of these."
She leaned over and burned Blu's cheek with a sweet kiss.
"Thank you, honey."
"You're welcome," she said sweetly before adding, "isn't this place...wonderful, Blu?"
"Wonderful, no. Unbelievably wonderful, yes. Part of it is because you're by my side."
Touched by his sincerity, she chuckled, "How sweet, Blu! No wonder I love you. Always so expressive, so charming, so you."
"Not the first time I've heard you say that, my love..."
The two ghostly macaws fell silent, but remained on the branch, taking in the sights and sounds of their new residence.
The female broke the silence as the wind increased its intensity.
"I wonder how our babies are doing? They must be torn up back on Earth."
"Without a doubt, Jewel, but they'll pull through. They had good parents to help them grow."
"Hmmph. You're right. I wish we could speak to them, touch them, soothe them..."
"Wouldn't hurt to try. See if you can use your spirit to send a message."
Both Blu and Jewel closed their eyes and cast their assurances out into the night.
If the spirits off their offspring could somehow reply, they would wait patiently for those replies to arrive. If not, at least Blu and Jewel knew that their calming wishes had reached them.
Jewel dropped from the vine – which was oddly undisturbed by her maneuver – and initiated a glide towards the boundary of the jungle with the meadow.
"Where are you going?"
"To the beach. I want to hear the sound of the water against the sand. It is a reminder of our home."
"Oh. Care if I join you?"
"Not a very wise question, handsome. Come on!"
Down on the lane of silky sand, Blu and Jewel let the gentle surf roll over their feet, reveling in the feel of the warm water. "Who knew Heaven could be so... carefree, so melancholy..."
Jewel could tell that what Blu had said was phrased as a statement, not a question.
"Well, it has to be attractive, Blu. We'll be spending forever here. I wonder if it ever changes. You know, like the seasons."
"There's plenty of time to find out, gorgeous."
Jewel scooted up alongside him, pulling him close with her right wing.
"Being as we're in Heaven, I would rather you call me 'angel.' How does that sound?"
"A fair request, my angel."
"Ahh. Thanks for that. I love you, Blu. On Earth, as in Heaven. Forever."
Another kiss concluded her speech, leaving Blu stunned like so many times before.
His spirit swept up in the rush of glory from the kiss, he uttered one last powerful word: "Forever..."
The two macaws then trotted back and nestled down onto the sand, out of reach of the tepid waves.
Wrapped in each others wings, they sat in content silence under the smile of the moon.
However long it would take for their babies to arrive, they would wait it out.
Whether time passed in this brave new world or not was something to be contemplated. Until then, they would have each other, and each other was all that Blu and Jewel needed.