"So you got captured by a man too?"
Jewel shook her head.
"We were just enjoying breakfast when we were captured," explained Blu. "We were put in cages, and by the time we woke up, we were in a den. It was all so weird."
Blu and Jewel had just explained to Salvia on why they were here. As Salvia already knew, Jalin had invited them. The reason why was because of comfort and guidance. It angered Salvia at first, but as she understood, it slowly dimmed down. Of course, it was still there, especially by the fact Jalin had kept Blu and Jewel hidden from her. It was like if he was uncomfortable sharing his ideas with her. He was doing his own thing while she had no clue. Still, she was glad that her parents were there. If they were not there, she would have been a toy shared between two birds. Salvia looked down at the floor of the tree den, thinking.
"I wonder what they have in-store for us," she uttered.
"Probably an experiment of some kind," said Blu. "Why else would they contain birds by a domed cage."
"Yeah," agreed Jewel.
She sighed and leaned against Blu's chest. He wrapped his wings around her.
"I just wish we were back in Rio," said a teary Jewel.
"There, there Jewel," comforted Blu. "We'll get out of here... I just need to know how."
Salvia lifted her head up and faced her parents.
"But Daddy, we need to find Jalin."
"I know...I know. We can't just leave him here."
Jewel looked out of the den from where she was. She stood in shock. It was not Jalin, but the fact that she saw another Spix's Macaw not related to the Blu family was a sight she was uncomfortable seeing. She politely spoke.
"Is that your friend?"
Blu looked forward towards the entrance of the den as Salvia turned her head back to see the entrance. Coming into the den was a Spix's Macaw. The macaw had dark blue feathers and green eyes. His beak was as dark as the midnight sky under a new moon. He was a little taller than Jalin, but it could go unnoticed. He carried a batch of three bananas. He set them aside near the entrance and looked from Salvia to the two new birds. They smiled at him.
"Did I... Did I miss something?"
"These are my parents, Dustin," answered Salvia.
"Parents?" wondered Dustin as he walked up to Salvia. "I thought your parents lived in Rio."
"Yeah," said Blu, "but we're visiting...well...we were visiting the island before we got captured."
"Oh. So...you're tourists?"
Blu and Jewel nodded.
"But now we're stuck here," grunted Jewel. "Luckily, we found Salvia."
"Oh," said Dustin, rubbing the back of his neck. "Say, um, how did you get here? Hawaii, I mean."
"By plane," Blu simply answered.
"You didn't fly?"
"Yes, we did."
"By your wings."
"Oh," said Blu and then shook his head. "We snuck onto a plane after our son told us which one he was boarding."
"Your son is here too?" wondered Dustin.
"Yes," said Jewel. "His name is Jalin."
"Jalin?" he replied with an astonished and disgusted face.
He turned back to Salvia, who gave him a confused look.
"You're doing your own brother?!"
Salvia blushed.
"We haven't really done anything."
"You know what I mean! Salvia...why?"
"I love him. I don't care if he's my brother. It doesn't feel like it."
"Doesn't feel like it?! He's your brother!"
"I know, but we never grew up with each other. The last time I saw him, I was a tiny, infant chick and he was one and a half. We grew apart for ten years not knowing each other. Though we are from the same family, we came together as if we were not."
"But doesn't it gross you out?"
"In the animal kingdom, it's okay. Dogs mate with each other, even though they are related."
"But that's why they're called dogs."
"But do you get my point?"
"Yes, but... I don't know."
"Look, Dustin," said Blu. "I mated with Jewel, but who knows? She could be my long-lost sister."
Jewel looked up at Blu with a disgusted face. He sensed her stare and looked down.
"Please don't put that thought in me," Jewel strictly and simply said.
Dustin looked from the Blu couple to Salvia.
"But what about now?"
"What do you mean?"
"You just meant another Spix's Macaw, me, and there are plenty more in here and across the globe."
"Spix's Macaws in here?" wondered Blu.
Dustin faced Blu and nodded.
"Yes. There are a few more Spix's Macaws other than me. I come from Loro Parque in Spain. That's the most recent I've been in. I was born in the Philippines in their reservation and was transferred to Spain five years ago, and then I was transferred here."
"So there are more? Astonishing. I wonder why Tulio never mentioned this."
"I guess he wanted a wild bird," said Jewel.
"But I wasn't wild. I was captive."
"Maybe not to the scientists. I don't think Tulio wanted to go through the process of getting a male Spix's Macaw from one of those reservations."
Blu thought about it.
"So it was easier to fly across three countries, convince Linda to go to Rio immediately, and try to make me love you than filling out papers and wait for a bird to come to him? ...I can see that."
"It doesn't change anything about what I feel towards Jalin," said Salvia. "Listen, we do need to get out of here, but we need to find Jalin first. I'm worried about him."
Salvia sighed and looked down. A lone tear splattered on the floor. Dustin looked at Salvia, almost like if he was studying her. He opened his beak.
"Okay."
Salvia looked up as Blu and Jewel faced him.
"We'll look for this Jalin bird so you guys can get out of here."
"Are you going to escape to?" asked Jewel.
"I have lived all my life in reservations. How can I survive out there?"
Salvia and Blu turned towards each other and smiled. They faced Dustin.
"Welcome to the club," said Blu.
Dustin's expression lightened.
"Yeah," smiled Salvia. "My daddy and I were captive birds for a very long time, and now we live in the jungle. You just need to know what to do and you'll be fine. It's easy."
Blu rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head slightly.
"Yeah... Kind of...but once you get the hang of things, it's...gets easier."
Dustin slowly smiled.
"You think I can?"
Salvia nodded. Dustin beamed.
"Alright. I'll give this jungle-thing a try, but first, we need to bust out of here. Let's eat up, and I'll take you to where you can escape from."
The Blu family agreed. The macaws gathered around the meal Dustin brought and began to eat.
Jalin and Dinah landed on a tree branch high above the ground compared to the branches high above the ground of other trees. They looked out of the area, only to see tree tops, a vast sky, and the transparent dome. Behind the domes, they saw a flock of seagulls landing on a nearby beach. They were far off in the distance. Jalin sighed, which caused Dinah to look at him.
"Hey. What's up, Jalin?"
"Well, I'm thinking. This place is pretty big. How can we find her? She could be anywhere, and if she's flying to different spots trying to find me, it'll make things harder."
Dinah thought about how she could be of help instead of just aiding Jalin in this wild-goose-chase.
"Well, the dome is created by humans and probably monitored by scientists. They monitor by the use of hidden cameras. I know because one of the fruits I picked up one day was a hidden camera."
Jalin looked back with a baffled expression.
"Hidden cameras? God, I feel so uncomfortable now... Wait. How did you yank the fruit with the camera off the stem?"
"I bashed it with a rock."
"Woah. You really wanted that fruit."
"Of course. It was the first papaya I've seen in a while. It was the perfect size to carry too."
"You must really like papayas then?"
Dinah nodded.
"It's my favorite fruit...um... What's yours?"
"That's easy," smiled Jalin. "The blackberry."
"Blackberry? What's that?"
Jalin's eyes widened.
"You never had a blackberry before."
Dinah shook her head.
"Well, when we get out of here, I'll give you one."
"Get me out of here?"
"Yeah. Don't you want to?"
Dinah gave Jalin a soft, serious expression. With no words exchanged, Jalin understood.
"You don't want to escape?"
"I've lived in reservations all my life. It's only logical I stay."
"Logical? Yes, but you're a bird. Logic also says you should be free."
"Free? I can't be free. I don't know where to get food, how to find a good shelter, and how to survive harsh situations."
Jalin shook his head.
"No. I'm pretty sure you know how."
"But I-"
"This reservation is the closest to the jungle, but it feels like a jungle. Obviously, you can look for trees with fruit on them. That's like in the jungle. You found a tree den in a safe place. That's like in the jungle. Most situations are not hostile in the jungle unless you upset some birds, like my dad."
"But they are all different. In here, every other tree has fruits or nuts, so you technically aren't hunting down for a fruit. Plus, they are arranged in a certain order to make it easier to find. For shelter, you walk up in a den and it's your assigned home. You don't have to look for one. Location is safe since it's only birds and some ground animals like rats and anteaters. There are no predators here. And probably the most horrible thing here is accidentally running into the dome. There's no way I can live in the jungle."
"Then...then I'll teach you."
Dinah's eyes widened in surprise.
"What?"
"Yeah. If you agree to get out with me and my girlfriend, I'll teach you. No bird shouldn't be free."
"Really?"
"Yes, and I'll be the best teacher you ever had."
"Thanks Jalin. I really appreciate it."
"You're wel-"
Before he finished his sentence, Dinah flung onto him rather quickly and kissed him.