Blu opened his eyes ten minutes after Jewel left. He thought he felt something move. Scared, he got off the eggs and examined them. He sighed in relief.

"Not today. Boy, if Jewel missed hatching day, she would mope about it for the rest of her life."

Would you mope about it?

Blu's eyes widened. He checked his surroundings.

"Who, who said that?"

Aw, Blu. Why the frightened face? Don't you know who I am?

Blu frantically looked around, wandering a little away from the eggs.

"Sh…should I?"

Of course. After all, we are related.

"Related?" wondered Blu, still trying to find where the voice came from.

Well, not the related you're thinking off. More like identical twins.

Blu turned around to find a blue macaw standing a few inches in front of him. He jumped a little, giving out a yelp. He scooted back a little, covering his eyes. He peeked through his wings to see if the bird was still there. The blue macaw smiled.

Easy, Blu. I mean you no harm.

"Who are you?" Blu asked, putting his wings slightly down.

Isn't it obvious? I thought you, me, was smart?

Blu dropped his wings completely and gasped. He was staring at a mirror image of himself.

"Are you real?"

I am real as you want me to be Blu.

The mirrored Blu looked at the eggs and smirked. He faced Blu.

You are scared, aren't you?

"About the chicks?" asked Blu and then turned to look at the eggs.

These chicks will hatch, and you are not ready.

Blu faced mirrored Blu.

"I am."

You keep on telling yourself that, but you are not ready. I know you well enough, Blu. How can a nervous, socially awkward clown father kids and protect a family?

"Hey, shut it! I've been there for Jewel."

Jewel, our precious mate, can take care of herself. Unlike Jewel, chicks are defenseless and need someone that is strong and knows how to be a good parent.

Blu looked down. He then looked at the mirrored Blu.

"Then what should I do?"

Mirrored Blu grinned.

You are a smart bird. Do what logic tells you to do.

"Logic tells me to see how other birds handle it, but I don't want to upset Jewel. She says it will come instinctively."

Ah, yes. Instincts. Those beliefs are a load of crap. How do you think man has survived for so long? Man has no instincts, but they have their giant brains. Brains always make the better animal. You should know that. Follow your brain, for it will provide the answer.

The mirrored Blu faded.

Always remember that.

Blu looked around and saw no sight of the mirrored Blu. He peeked outside the entrance of the den and saw no signs of a blue bird. He exhaled loudly and went back to keeping the eggs warm. He stayed awake and thought what the mirrored Blu said.

Probably I should stay away from mango for awhile.


Jewel found the spot in a creek and flew down. She landed on a large rock that was glued on the ground. She looked at the crystal-clear water and smiled. There were two things that would relax her: a nice bath and a seductive Blu. Blu was getting on her nerves, so a bath was the only way to calm her down.

She jumped into the shallow water. It was warm, but a bit on the cold side. She didn't mind. It was the temperature she was accustomed to. Of course, a hot tub would be nice, but this was also nice. She bent down to scoop some water up with her beak and opened her beak a few millimeters on top of her targeted feathers. She then pecked at her feathers to make them brighter. She repeated the process again and again.

Unknown to her, a pair of chocolate brown eyes were staring at her. They belonged to a Harpy Eagle. More precisely, Juan. Juan had seen a blue macaw fly down to the creek. He had slept on a nearby tree. He saw Jewel, but he made no efforts to attack her. If he did, he would never find Blu. Jewel could cooperate with him, but Juan had that feeling she would not. Besides, Blu was the one that launched a fireball at him and killed Boss. However, Jewel would unknowingly lead him to Blu. He would follow her stealthily and kill that Einstein of a bird.

"Mister, what are you doing?"

The child's voice scared him a little. He looked back and saw a blue macaw chick. He grinned and lowered his head towards the kid.

"Nothing of the sort. Tell me. Are you related to that blue macaw over there in the river?"

"Which one?"

Juan moved the leaves of the bush-like plant a little so the kid could see. The macaw stared at the light blue macaw in the river. He looked up at Juan.

"Nope."

"Well then. Why don't you let me be?"

The small macaw shrugged and walked out of the bushes. Jewel did not see the kid walk towards the river. The kid had walked five feet away from the bushes and stopped. He looked at Jewel.

"Hey lady! There's a perv in the bushes."

Juan leaped out of the bushes, but a rock the size of a golf ball hit his head, knocking him out. Juan flew out of the river and landed next to the chick. She examined the raptor and recognized it as Juan. She gasped and looked at the blue chick. He smiled.

"Thank you," Jewel smiled back.

"That was a strange bird. It was like he was getting to jump on you or something."

Jewel looked around.

"Um, where are your parents?"

The macaw dropped to his butt and cried.

"Papa is dead," he sobbed. "I'm alone."

Jewel tried to calm him down.

"Sh, sh. There, there."

The baby calmed down, and Jewel dropped her wings back to her sides.

"Why don't you come back with me?"

"Papa said to never go with strangers."

"Oh, right. I'm Jewel."

"My name's Pepito."

"Well, we are not strangers anymore."

"I don't know, lady. You're pretty strange to me."

Jewel was on the edge of slapping the kid, but she stopped.

"But you're out here all alone."

"Well, he was with me, before you knocked him out."

"But now I'm with you."

"True. Okay, lady. I'll follow you to your home."

"Good, and stop calling me lady. It makes me feel old."

"But you are old."

Jewel's brain was telling her to abandon the kid, but her heart told her that the kid needed her.

"Alright. Follow me."

Jewel flew up. Pepito looked at the raptor and flew up to catch up to Jewel.


Blu was about to go to sleep when he spotted a blue bird flying towards him. He also saw another blue bird flying with Jewel. Jewel and Pepito entered the tree den. Blu got off the eggs and kissed Jewel. Pepito closed his eyes.

"Jewel, you look so elegant. You shine like a diamond."

"Ohhhh. Thank you, my Blu bird."

Blu looked down and noticed Pepito.

"Um, hi. I'm Blu."

"Like the color blue."

"Kind of. It's just the first three letters."

"Okay. My name is Pepito."

"Blu, why don't you go get some food?" asked Jewel.

He nodded. It was okay for her to bring guests over close to a meal, but not him. Probably he should follow the advice of his mirror self. He flew off in search for some nuts and berries. Pepito looked up at Jewel.

"Did you find him too?"

"We found each other. He's my mate."

"So you are from Australia?"

"What? No. A mate is a bird you love."

"Oh. Okay."

Jewel looked outside and rolled her eyes. Pepito looked at the eggs. He walked over to them. Jewel beat him to them.

"Are those yours?"

"Yes. They are Blu's and mine."

"So you two made them? How?"

Jewel blushed and decided the kid was old enough. Besides, she saw no harm telling the kiddie version of where eggs came from.

"When two birds love each other, they get together and decide to have eggs."

"Oh. I see what my papa meant."

"What was it?"

"Love stands for Lust, One-night stand, Vex, Eggs."