I apologize for the delay of not posting. I've been very busy and I've had little time to work on this story. I'm still alive, I assure you! Anyways, without any further interruptions, enjoy the next chapter!
Sleep wasn't a considerable option that night. My troubled thoughts were enough to propel me from a nice slumber. Instead, I lay under the stars, searching desperately for something to focus upon. I study the skies above me, tracing intangible lines throughout the constellations. However, my focus was obscured for my mind kept darting back to my past and all the negative thoughts embedded within it. I remember the argument my mate and I took a part in. It's naive motives caused an uproar within me. I became relatively greedy, I sensed my mates anger and wanted more, thus I provoked her beyond her limit. In an instant, she withdrew her wing, targeting it straight for my vulnerable face. A flash, accompanied by a faint blur, sent me backwards a few paces. I clenched my beak in agony, a warm liquid trails down my azure feathers. It wasn't long before I sensed what occurred actually happened. It left me speechless, heartbroken to say the least. I shot a glare down at my mate, studying her. Her emotions were alike mine, only guilt and shame accompanied them. She pleaded for forgiveness, and I turned it down. I had to get away from it all, it was to much for my brain to handle, thus I left. I left her, alone and vulnerable to the outside dangers. Every night she coaxed herself to sleep, in hopes I'd return. Eventually, her pleas seemed futile. She eventually lost all hope, her soul was left broken, almost torn in half. The other half, was mine. I was the missing piece to mend her shattered soul. Without me, Jewel was nothing, and nothing she remained until I returned. I remember feeling the wind beneath my wings, collecting and propelling me forward. I wasn't in seek of any destination, only in the hopes I could run away from her. It wasn't long before I conversed with a bird of whom shared the same experience as me. We both were alike in many ways, two distressed souls seeking the other half. Eventually, we both grew fond of each others company, thus we became mutual friends. However, it was the night we shared underneath the stars that reminded me of my guilt and shame. The situation itself was so serene that it blinded me from my true belonging. I instinctively forgot exactly who I pledged my love to. In the end, I had mischievously kissed her. I acted on impulse, I couldn't control myself. I was a pilot on auto control, a mechanical auto machine. Afterwards, I silently cursed myself, how could I have let this happen? Gabriella was confused by my sudden outburst and sought answers. When I told her the truth, how I already had a mate, she was in disbelief. Her pouts and disgruntled remarks were sent flying towards me. Shame had ridiculed through me completely, filling in the gaps that consumed me. It broke my heart as much as it did hers. I truly never meant to hurt her, or Jewel for that matter. However, even if I despise it, I did hurt two souls in the same day, both of which I mended later. However, I could still sense the guilt and shame, as if it were fallout, forever surrounding me. It was thoughts like these that occupied my brain currently. It saddened me just how foolish I was. I was utterly stupid, to say the least. There is only one word for birds like me.
"Monster, that's what I am, and all I ever will be." I whisper silently to myself as to not disturb my slumbering partner. I let out a disgruntled sigh, turning my gaze towards the bird slumbering next to me. I gaze at her perfect features. She was the mere definition of beautiful, and far more. She wore an assortment of colored feathers, each one bestowing its own charisma. Her irises had acquired a lovely shade of oceanic blue. Even her sweet harmonic voice was enough to coax me into a hypnotic trance, as it did almost every time we conversed. Everything about her screamed the word, beautiful. I smiled as I studied her. The best part, she was all mine, and that feeling alone was enough to keep my heart thumping. No bird in the forest could ever acquire an angel as angelic as Jewel. No bird could ever take her away from me. I swore that from day one I'd guard her like the Jewel that she is, and if any smugglers should intercept our path, I'd destroy them. However, a dark thought distracted me away from her. What if I wasn't good enough for her? I mean, let's be honest, I am not the finest bird in the jungle... more like one of the stragglers that nobody wants. But, it fascinated me just how a bird like me appeared attractive towards a bird on a whole different spectrum. I'd always been a quirky bird, even from the start. My domesticated mind set had set me completely apart from my ancestors, and most wild birds in the jungle. Yet, I somehow managed to befriend a couple of tropical birds, even the one I fell in love with. Maybe I just saved her life, and the whole guilt of it drove Jewel madly in love with me? Or maybe she actually did see something in me, which I highly doubt. Hell, why am I downgrading myself? Whats wrong with me? I sank my feathered fist into my eye sockets, trying desperately to obtain a good nights sleep. I tossed and turned that night, trying each and every position my body cold mangle itself into. I gave up eventually, silently letting out a sigh of defeat. I cursed myself under my breath, I couldn't sit still. My futile methods of falling asleep got the best of me. I hoisted myself upon the edge of the nest I lied in, looking out towards the entrance of the hallow. Stars were scattered among the skies, each one bestowing a different glow. With interest, I gathered myself together and paced my way towards the entrance. I poked my head outside, studying the clear night sky in disbelief. The warm night air traveled through my feathers, causing me to shiver in delight. However, my hypnotic trance had left me vulnerable against my senses. It was mere seconds before a faint tug against my feathers brought me back to reality. I gazed down at the source. A pair of confused chocolate colored eyes stared up at me. An audible voice sounded from below, my full attention upon him.
"Daddy, I can't sleep." Tiago whined, sagging his tiny wings to his sides in defeat.
"Heh, me neither." I smile at him. There was no doubt in my mind that this child was mine. It was as if he was a mirror image of me. Every marking upon his dark blue feathered body, copied mine. He even acquired my chocolate irises.
"What are you doing?" He asked quietly.
"Watching the stars." I reply, adding an emphasis of wonder laced within my voice. I gesture my wings out towards the skies above me.
"Can I watch them with you?" Tiago asked shyly, twiddling his wings together.
"I don't see why not." I nodded in approval. I watched as he slowly joined my side, leaning against my feathered belly. I wrap a protecting wing around his fragile body and squeeze lightly, bringing him closer to me. I readjusted my gaze, astonished by the intricate beauty that is the sky.
"Daddy, what are those?" My son pointed towards the speckles of light that littered the sky.
"Those are stars, son." I whisper lightly into his ear.
"What do they do?" He asks, intrigued by the subject. I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, deep in thought.
"They do many things." I reply.
"Like what?" Tiago's onslaught of questions kept me on my toes.
"Well, for one, they can be used to navigate to different places." I remember studying an old book back in Linda's shop about famous explorers, and the tedious methods they would use to guide them throughout the world.
"What else?" Tiago questioned.
"They can give off light, which is necessary for flying at night." I acquaint him with knowledge, which he soaked up generously.
"Why can't I touch them?" Tiago asked, his wings outstretched as if to catch one of the many speckles of light in the sky.
"Because, they are very far away." I answer.
"What's that big star right there called!?" Tiago gestured his wings towards a brightly lit orb occupying the sky. I chuckled to myself, forgetting that his naive mind made him incapable of fully recognizing the lunar surface of the moon.
"That is not a star, that is the moon." I assure him.
"How come it's bigger than the rest of them?" I laugh to myself, biting my beak to try and stifle it. How many possible questions can one kid ask? I was about to find out.
"It's much closer to the earth than the rest of the stars." I state in a matter of fact tone. His gaze leaves the stars above him as he slowly stares off into space, a new topic occupying his young mind.
"Dad, I saw a bug yesterday." A fatherly instinct told me something was troubling his mind, as I noted from his voice. I gaze down at him, giving him my full attention, allowing him to continue. "I watched it for a while... and then... It just stopped moving." His eyes widened with curiosity. "I don't know what happened to it." He pondered his own question, seeking an answer. A sense of shock washes over me as I gather my thoughts. Tiago hadn't been informed of the "Death Talk" yet. A wave of panic crashes into me. How was I suppose to go about telling him about death? I string my words together carefully, and reply.
"Well, son. You just happened to witness a beautiful moment in a being's life, called death." I speak slowly.
"Death?" Tiago asked with curiosity.
"Death is... a time in one's life in which... they stop working." I sigh in stress.
"What do you mean?" Tiago's voice seemed to be troubled, as if he was scared out of his mind.
"How do I describe this?" I asked myself, deep in thought. "Everyone has a set time for them to die, some are closer than others." I explain carefully. "It essentially means... a point in which a life form can no longer do anything." I take a deep breath, soaking in precious oxygen. I sense a slight disturbance underneath my wing. I stare down in shock to see my son, shaking with fear. I comfort him by bringing him softly into an embrace. "What's wrong, my son?" I ask quietly.
"A-Am I g-going to... die?!" He asks, with his beak chattering softly.
"No, honey!" I assure him softly, "Not for a very... very long time." He sobbed quietly. His cries were muffled substantially by my feathered wing's, each one soaking up the tears that fell beneath his eyes.
"W-What about y-you?!" He asked.
"I'm not going anywhere for a long time." I assure. Eventually, he began to stop shaking, his soft cries had been reduced to sniffles. He slowly unhinged himself from my embrace, staring at me with longing.
"You promise?" He asked.
"I promise." it fell quite between us.
"What happens when you die?" He asks, disturbing the silence. He used his wings to soak up the remaining tears upon his cheeks.
"A question even I can't answer." I put my wings upon his shoulders lightly. "A question even modern science can't explain." I answer. "Though there are many religious beliefs that try and mock scientific fact." I explain.
"Huh?" Tiago peeped.
"Never mind" I laugh, realizing my enhanced vocabulary prohibited my son's naive mind from absorbing the information.
"Hm, weird." He implied. We both continued to examine the stars above us. Together, Father and son, forever bound by love.
An illuminating light fought its way through my closed eyelids, causing me to stir. A painful headache subdues my senses as I succumb to the waking world. I grit my teeth, holding back the inner pain. The light obscures my vision immensely, causing colors to combine and contrast against each other. Eventually, my sight repairs itself, allowing me to examine my surroundings to their full extent. I tried to breath in deeply, but was stopped by a weighted force against my chest. I crane my neck upwards, gazing at the culprit. There lies my son, Tiago, resting against me. His minuscule wings were fanned out in front of him, soaking in the warmth that fell from my chest. He listened intently to his father's heartbeat, counting each one subconsciously. I laughed silently, my chest collapsed against itself, causing my son to stir awake. I watched him open his eyes slowly. Eventually, he met my gaze and cracked a grin.
"Good morning, Dad!" He sounded sleepily.
"Good morning, son." I returned the greeting. Tiago quickly escaped from my chest mound and fell silently to the floor.
"Where's Mom?" He asked, turning around in circles to locate his mother.
"I don't know where your mother is." I answered as I watched him cheerfully spinning like a top.
"Hey Dad, watch this!" He exclaimed with excitement. The sleepiness that had once occupied his body was now fading. He began to turn with his wings displayed out in front of him. Now spinning around in circles, he began laughing to himself. Eventually, a cold sickness crept up on him, causing him to halt to a stop. There he swayed like a ship in the ocean, seeking to find balance. I watched as he toppled over, head over talons. After the ordeal, I silently clapped accompanied by a small cheer.
"Bravo!" I cheer. He begins to acquire his balance, allowing him to stand back up.
"That was awesome!" He exclaimed with excitement, fist bumping in midair. "Dad, try it!" He ushered me to stand up.
"I don't think I should." I mutter. Truthfully, my headache doubled in pain since I had been awaken and I wasn't eager to provoke it any further. However, I didn't want to further disappoint my son.
"Please!"
"Ugh, fine." I reluctantly agreed, mustering up all my courage and strength to stand. I start slowly spinning in circles. My blurring surroundings obscure my vision completely. A wave of nausea crashes over me as I begin to pick up the pace. I halt to an abrupt stop, swaying upon my talons, trying desperately not to plummet.
"Timber!" Tiago shouts as I lose my footing. "Hit the deck!" he bellows loudly as my back greets the hard flooring. A tingling sensation creeps through my idle body, forcing me to grit my teeth. "Wasn't that awesome?!" Tiago questions loudly with excitement.
"Yea... totally." I cover my pent up pain, forcing a small grin to reassure him I was alright. Truth be told, I wasn't in the slightest. I lay upon the floor in a heap of azure feathers, gasping for much needed oxygen.
"I'll go find mom." Tiago smiles before zipping away from me. I watch him disappear from my view when he quickly darted behind the hallow entrance.
"Oh... my..." I smack my ruffled wings upon my face, groaning in agony. "What is wrong with me?" I question myself pitifully. My body was essentially glued to the floor, not being able to move. Just then I hear an auditory sound protruding from outside. I examine the entrance, waiting eagerly. A small pattering sound of footsteps, accompanied by a larger set, could be heard from outside the hallow.
"Tiago, what is it?" Jewel beckons as she issues her way through the entrance, followed by Tiago.
"You have to come see Dad!" He exclaimed defiantly.
"Where is your father?" She answered her own question by locking gazes with me from across the hallow. "Good afternoon, sleepyhead." Jewel greets in a sarcastic tone, smiling humorously.
"Good morning, love!" I nod, acknowledging her from afar. She paces her way towards me, examining me. "Yes?" I question, slightly irked by her quizzical stares.
"What is that?!" Jewel asks, a hint of worry laced within her outburst.
"Huh, what is what?" I question, dumbfounded. Jewel instantly dropped to the floor, her wings outstretched to grasp my fragile body. She withdrew my wing, studying it from all sides.
"You're scarred." Jewel exclaimed.
"Scarred?" A startling sensation echoes through me like an earthquake.
"Look." She beckons. I lift my head up slowly, examining my wing displayed before me. My feathers were battered, almost torn. The different varieties of blue that each wing bestowed had resorted to a faded navy color. I struggled to hold my wing in place with my deteriorating strength, however, my wing fell limp beside me. A nauseating feeling accompanies my worries as I examine the scars that littered my body. How was I just noticing these scars? I don't know.
"You look... terrible." Jewel remarked, "No offense." She quickly added, noticing my harsh glare. I sighed deeply, breathing in her intoxicating scent, causing me to relax. I was obviously stressed out, right... right?!
"Thanks." I implied sarcastically.
"What happened last night?" She questioned, setting a topic.
"I have no clue!" I chuckled slightly. It seemed ridiculous for my health to collapse on itself, especially in this short amount of time.
"Looks like I can't call you, Blu, anymore." Jewel smirks at her own humorous comment. "I'll have to call you, Gray Feathers."
"This is not the time for jokes!" I frown angrily, displeased by her comical stare.
"Alright, I get it." Jewel rolled her eyes. "Do you feel okay?" She questioned.
"What do you think?" I scolded her with my first primary planted firmly upon her chest.
"Just a question." Jewel shrugged, offended by my abrupt negative behavior.
"I haven't felt much like myself since I awoke." I answer truthfully. "I feel pain almost everywhere around my body."
"Why did you sleep here last night?" She asked. "I was wondering why I was so cold in the middle of the night." she added, smirking.
"I-I couldn't sleep." I reluctantly answer, truthfully, not wanting to stir more trouble with her.
"Why is that?" She asked.
"No reason." I quickly insist, retreating my gaze from her.
"Blu, tell me." Jewel insists, not buying my useless lie.
"I-I can't." I grit my teeth and smile weakly.
"Blu, as your mate, I have the right to know everything about you." Jewel infers, scolding me. She gave a sinister stare, before folding her wings below her chest, eager for a reply.
"You're right." I sigh in defeat. "Truth is, I'm still not over our whole argument thing." A heavy weight slams upon my chest as I utter those words.
"Blu, that's in the past now!" Jewel argues.
"I-I know, I just can't help but feel that I hurt you."
"You never hurt me!" Jewel implied crucially.
"I-I know!" I yell.
"Then why are you going off about this!?" Jewel questions, gesturing her wings in the open air.
"I don't know." I continued. "The guilt is eating me alive... I never meant to hurt you, or any other bird for that matter." I close my eyelids shut, letting my neck slump towards the floor in shame.
"Blu, we agreed we'd put it in the past." Jewel implied defiantly.
"I can't get over the past!" I shout angrily, not at her, but at myself.
"Then who's fault is that?!" She questions. I stare at her, awestruck. 'Who was she, blaming me for my abrupt sickness?' 'What a selfish act on her part,' I thought.
"Mine." I mutter, my beak trembling with rage. I felt as if I was a ticking time bomb, one small mishap and... boom!
"My point exactly." Jewel inferred dominantly.
"Whatever, how do we fix this then?" I groan exhaustedly.
"That's the million dollar question, BoBo!" Jewel cheered sarcastically.
"Your enjoying yourself aren't you." I reply instantaneously, squinting my eyes at her in fury. "If you're going to keep mocking me, then I suggest we depart from each other." Jewel quickly stopped smiling, replaced by a nonchalant expression.
"I suggest you go to Tulio." Jewel spoke up after a few moments of silence. "Maybe he knows something about what's going on with you?" Jewel shrugged, perplexed by her own question.
"I doubt it." I reply negatively.
"Honey, it's worth a shot." Jewel insisted, "Besides, I'd hate to see you get even more hurt than you already are." Jewel added sympathetically. I met her cold hard gaze, deep in thought. It was as if her inner soul was speaking to me beneath those beautiful azure eyes. It came clear to me, I needed to see a doctor.
"Fine... I'm only doing this for you though." I infer sweetly.
"Good, now you better go... before sundown." My love ushered me out of the hallow, beckoning me to take flight quickly.
"Okay, I'm going!" I yell, being pushed upon my talons towards the exit.
"Good, love you." Jewel replies sweetly, before sending me straight out of the hallow.
"Love you to, sassy." I remark humorously, which she gave a small laugh to. I flew towards my destination at a fast pace, wanting to get there before the sun burned out for the night. After some time, I was closing in proximity towards my destination. With the aviary hospital in sight, I made my descent. My landing was a bit on the harsh side, as I couldn't catch my footing completely, causing me to crash land onto heavy metal. I made a mental note to ask Tulio about my slow motor skills, as they've been acting up recently. It seemed as if my mind was perceiving information at a slower rate than that of reality. I instantly brushed myself off, getting off the dust that was embedded within my feathers. I examine the aviary, looking for an entrance. I paced my way towards an outer wall containing an air vent of sorts. I had to slump my body posture slightly in order to fit through the small air vent, however I had no trouble guiding myself through its inner workings. I listened intently to my pattering talons upon the cold metallic flooring. There was no point in being stealthy on this mission, so I didn't take any precautions. I guided myself quickly through the maze and eventually ended up inside. I carefully exerted myself from the safety of the air vent and stepped inside a laboratory. I study my surroundings, taking in everything. The room was poorly lit by fluorescent lights, each one dimming and flickering every now and then. The shelves were decorated with all sorts of journals and books, each one containing their own useful information. I glimpsed in front of me, catching some sort of movement. Curiously, I followed the unidentified source. Eventually, I caught up with the origins of the sporadic movement, which acquainted me with a thin figure bearing a lab coat. I examined his facial features from afar, not wanting to disturb his work. He seemed frustrated in a sense, almost angry, as he gazed at his clipboard. I didn't want to interfere with his work, but I didn't have a whole lot of options either. I had come to the conclusion that I'd make known of my presence. I stepped out from behind the filing cabinet from where I hid, pacing my way towards the troubled scientist. I let out an auditory squawk, to signify I needed help. I watch as his eyes leave the clipboard, staring around the room for the source of the sound. His gaze met mine almost instantly after I sounded for him. He stared at me for a few moments, curiosity plastered his face.
"Blu, why are you here?" He asked, dumbfounded by my abrupt, unannounced appearance. He made his way towards me, clipboard in hand. "You don't look to good, Blu." He eyed me worriedly.
"Pftt... Thanks, like I haven't gotten that one before." I sigh sarcastically.
"You look sick." Tulio infers. "I'm going to check you out." He explains, before grasping me firmly and hoisting me up like a crane through the air. He plopped me down gently upon an examination table. He started experimenting, trying every possible method of diagnosis. Eventually, he came to a startling conclusion.
"Blu, I think you have some sort of parasite." He says, shocked by his own conclusion. The words hits me like a speeding bullet, piercing through the inner workings of my chest. My pupils dilated within my ocular cavities. It was hard for my brain to string together what I just heard. I remember studying a book in Linda's old bookstore about parasites. How they feed off of you for their own survival. Slowly sucking you dry, like a smoothy. I panicked, my heart racing within my chest as I quickly began pacing upon the table.
"This can't be happening!" I mutter with a slightly disturbed tone.
"You should have come sooner, I'm afraid the damage is irreversible." Tulio explained with bitter disappointment. I must be dreaming, I thought. This all can't be happening, it doesn't make sense. How could I have attained a parasite? "I can prescribe medication, but it can only do so much as slow down the process... the most I could see you prospering, is a week. I deeply apologize, Blu." Tulio hung his head in defeat. Silence. I heard nothing more from him, for I had vanished, escaping into the night.
Dat cliffhanger doe. What will happen to Blu? How will he tell his family his deadly secret? We can only wait for the next chapter. I hope you like this chapter as much as I did writing it. It's one of the longer ones! (you guys deserve a long chapter!) Revew iv ya creh eveitim.