Author's note: You know, since I joined this site, I did write a lot of different story types. However, there is one genre that I barely touched in my career; romance. Romance has always been a mysterious and hard to understand topic to me. Which is why I feel a bit nervous about writing my first major romance story on this site, not counting my little one-shots like "The Date".

I do not own Rio, its characters, or locations. 20th Century Fox does... and since they have been bought by Disney, they are technically the ones owning it now.

The idea of this story came out of nowherearound two weeks ago, when I was watching Ninja Warrior with my family. I tried to think back of what made most Rio stories on this site so good, and then I managed to figure it out: it was the love story between Blu and Jewel. As stated above, my knowledge in terms of romance was limited, so I spent a full day studying how to write a good romance story alongside other tips and tricks.

I will do my best to update this story regularly. My deadline is 75,000 words in 30 days, meaning I would have to write at least between 2,500 and 4,000 words a day. With school starting again soon, I hope it will be alright.

Enjoy this story!

A Cerulean Bond

Can you find a more kind and caring woman than Linda? No, you cannot. I'm the most well-placed one to know that. Firstly, she always keeps her library open for at least twelve hours a day, sometimes even on the weekend. Additionally, she never neglects her customers, always making sure they get the right books they search for. Furthermore, when she goes out for groceries, she always gets me the things I want and need. Because of this, she would without a doubt be the one I would call my mother if we were not of different species.

This explains why I wasn't mad at her when she announced me that we were moving out of our home. Everything started normally that day; I sat down near the window of the library, reading my favorite magazine and enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate. This would have been just perfect, had I not been forced to endure the immature comments of Alice and Chloe as they launched snowballs on the library's window. Once my cup was empty, Linda came to tell me the news.

"We're moving the library out of Minnesota, Blu," she told me. "We'll be leaving for Rio de Janeiro in two days. My cousin told me that demands for American books are getting very high these days in the city. Going there, we could earn twice more than we do here on a daily basis." Then, when she saw my surprised and sad expressions, she added: "I know that you don't wanna leave Moose Lake. I don't either. But we must think about our future. And I must do what's best for you." I just nodded a yes, and we then exchanged our secret handshake.

Throughout her whole life, Linda did nothing but take care of me. From the moment we first met when she pulled me out of a box as a chick all the way to our adult days. We did form a great team. Even on the night of her prom, she decided to go with me instead of a pretty boy like all the other girls did. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't trust her on this?

The travel to our future home in South America was a very special one - mainly because it was the first time Linda and I traveled outside of North America. I was still half-asleep when she came to pick up my cage and put it into the car. My brain came back to life when we arrived at the airport which allowed me to enjoy the pleasures of going through hundreds of security measures along with waiting for a very long time in the waiting room. Then, finally came the time for us to board this giant metal engine called a plane.

The idea of taking a vehicle that would get me hundreds of kilometers above the ground was enough to make me sweat. Oh, did I forgot to mention? I don't know how to fly. That's what happens when you're a bird who grows up without a bird mommy to teach you how to flap your wings and use the air for yourself. I did learn how to jump and flip around though.

So, I was forced to endure my fear of heights for eight hours straight. During that time, I attempted to distract myself by reading a book teaching how to speak Portuguese If I was to move to another country, I would need to learn their language. But clearly not as much as Linda. During the flight, many Brazilian attendants came to ask her if she needed anything. I lost the count of times she had to tell them she didn't speak Portuguese, only English. Maybe settling in Rio wouldn't be as simple as I initially thought.

After what felt like an eternity of being trapped inside a metal box, our plane finally arrived at Cidade Maravilhosa, Rio de Janeiro. Just looking at the city through the window of the plane, I could see that it was very different from Moose Lake. And it became more evident once we stepped out of the vehicle. The wave of heat that hit us was the total opposite of our former home's climate. In only two minutes, my blue feathers were drenched in sweat.

Good thing for us that a translator was there to help us to go through the security measures. Otherwise, we would have been stuck at the airport forever. It was that same translator who was charged to drive us to our new home inside the city. Linda pulled my cage in the back of the truck before going to sit down next to our friend. During the car trip, I couldn't help but give a good look at the landscape.

Rio was truly a wonderful place to see. First, because of its natural beauty. I could see tall mountains in the background and palm trees reaching higher than most buildings, similar to Florida. Also, the city seemed to offer a wide range of activities for its people. I saw humans playing games of volleyball at the beach, surfing on the ocean, and even hand-gliding in the air. Before coming here, I also got the chance to read some tourist guide about the nicest places to visit such as Christ the Redeemer's statue or the hills of Corcovado around it. These features made me feel excited to get settled in my new home and getting to visit everything.

However, the detail that retained my attention the most was the number of colorful birds flying all around the city. Being from Moose Lake, I was mostly used to see your everyday average bird such as gooses or American crows. The thing is that I never met any bird that were like me in terms of appearance. Nobody with blue feathers. One day, I decided to make researches on the subject and discovered that I was actually a Cyanopsitta spixii, or Spix's macaw, a species from Brazil. Funny coincidence, right? Upon learning that we would move in this very country, I hoped that I would get to meet birds just like me. It would be a pleasant change from all those gooses who mocked me just for being a 'pet'.

About one hour of driving across the city later, we arrived at our new home located in the more peaceful part of Rio. From the outside, this house looked old, but wonderful. It had been built with tan bricks and had tan stone decorations. Small, half rounded windows added to the overall look of the building and had been added to the house in a fairly asymmetrical pattern. The house was equipped with a kitchen and two modern bathrooms. It also had a small living room, three bedrooms, a dining area, the place that would serve as the library, and a spacious but empty garage. Linda would have to buy a new car before being able to use it. Our building was rectangular shaped and partially surrounded by wooden overhanging panels on two sides. The second floor was the same size as the first, which had been built exactly on top of the floor below it. And, of course, there was a big window at the front for everybody to see the library inside.

"Thanks for your help, Morena," Linda said to our translator/driver after he helped her to get our boxes inside the house.

"Sem problemas, Linda," he replied with a smile. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a little paper and handed it to her. "If you have trouble with something or need information about the city, call me on this number. I'll try to help you as much as I can."

After Morena left, I contemplated the tens of boxes scattered across the house and felt my wings burn just at the thought of opening them and moving their content everywhere in the house. By some sort of strange coincidence, Linda voiced my thoughts: "Looks like we have a lot of work ahead of us. Right, Blu?"

I responded with a positive SQUAWK! Even though my little size would not allow me to carry huge packages, I would still do my best to help Linda unpacking our stuff. We were a great team after all. And besides, our furniture had already been brought in, so we didn't have to open and place everything in one day.

"What would you say about a little snack, Blu?" Linda asked me. "I don't know about you, but all this travelling made me hungry. There's a few restaurants around the block. Maybe we will do a better work with our stomachs full, what do you say?"

Right after she said this, my stomach let out a loud growl. Only then did I realize that my amazement for the beauty of the Brazilian city mixed with my annoyance of being tasked with opening tens of boxes made me miss the begging cries of my poor belly. The water and bird seeds that I ate in the plane were far behind me now. Opening my wings, I flew to the table in the living room, grabbed a pencil with my talons, and proceeded to write a letter for Linda: "Good idea. I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse!"

Linda giggled after reading my note and gave me a soothing pat on the head. "Let's go before you decide to eat my leg then." And so, Linda and I headed out of our new home to go find a good restaurant.

As we walked in the streets of our new residential district, I couldn't help but notice the difference in terms of atmosphere. I couldn't shake away the sensation of walking outside without feeling ice and snow underneath my feet. There was no summer back in Minnesota. Whenever we left our home, Linda and I had to wear at least three couches of warm clothes. That being said, it was pretty pleasant to replace all of this with concrete and a warm breeze brushing on my blue feathers. The perfect climate for an exotic bird like me.

After searching for a while, Linda and I settled for a restaurant called 'Churrascaria Diti'. Neither of us knew what it was supposed to mean, but it seemed like a nice place, so we just sat at an outside table and waited for someone to take our command. The menu offered a variety of typical Brazilian meals... including poultry. This made me widen my hazel-brown eyes and gulp a bit. There was no way I would ever eat my own kind.

Eventually, we were received by a black-haired waiter with tanned skin wearing a white servant costume. Thankfully, he spoke English, meaning we wouldn't have to go eat at another restaurant. "What may we get you today?" he asked us. Since we were not particularly in the mood to try Brazilian food for the first time, we just settled with corn soup.

When our plates got served, I grabbed a spoon and brought a sip into my beak. Almost instantly, my taste buds were invaded by a mix of warmth and sweetness. I didn't think I ever got to eat such a special soup. Despite liking to keep good manners at table, I found myself eating my soup at the speed of light, one sip after the other. Only after my fifth sip did I notice Linda staring at me as if I had ten heads.

"Jeez, Blu. You're eating this faster than your favorite chocolate chip cookies!" she remarked with a giggle. "Is it really that good?" She proceeded to take a sip of her own soup... and got the exact same reaction as me: widening her eyes and eating faster.

Yup, it was no surprise that Linda and I were the best of friends: we were exactly the same.

During our meal, I couldn't help but notice that some customers sitting at other tables were giving odd stares in our direction. They probably weren't used to see a human eating with its companion bird in a restaurant. True to be told, I used to receive the same treatment back in Moose Lake. After adopting me, Linda brought me absolutely everywhere, including at restaurants. Her parents tried to tell her that such places were not for animals, but she refused to hear it. Eventually, they accepted the reality that I would follow her everywhere she goes. The people of Moose Lake accepted it too and stopped giving me odd stares.

By the end of the meal, I was so full that my tummy became a blue balloon. Gotta believe the cooks did not plan to make a portion fit for a bird like me. Linda seemed pretty full too from the way she leaned back in her chair and let out a little burp. "Did you like it, Blu?" she asked to which I responded with a nod. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute. Can you give this to the waiter for me?" she asked with taking out some money and pulling it down on the table before walking away.

A loud yawn escaped my beak as I patted my stomach with my wing. After eating so much, I could go for a good nap... However, I pushed that thought away upon remembering the service Linda asked from me and all the boxes awaiting at home. Cheese and sprinkles!

"Wow, amigo! I think it's the first time I ever see a bird eating with such appetite!" I turned to see a bird landing on the table. A male toucan. All of his feathers were black safe for his underbelly's which were white. His long beak mixed orange with yellow and had a black heart on the tip of it. An air of friendliness emanated from this bird, making me feel like I could be comfortable around him.

"Oh, hello. Yeah, I was pretty hungry; I didn't eat anything for quite a while," I said with patting my tummy. Just then, I realized a detail. "Wait a minute, you speak the same language as me?"

"Of course, amigo. I saw you and your human friend arriving earlier from the skies and heard you speaking exclusively in english." He crossed his wings over his chest. "You guys are new here, am I wrong?"

"No, you're right. Linda and I just arrived in here," I confirmed his guess.

"I knew it!" the toucan suddenly exclaimed with wrapping a wing around my shoulders, pulling me closer. "I am Rafael, and Rafael knows EVERYBODY around here! That's why I understood you weren't from around here; because I would've recognized your face."

"Nice to meet you, Rafael. My name is Tyler 'Blu' Gunderson. But you can call my Blu," I introduced myself and extended my wing forward.

The toucan blinked his eyes with a curious expression. "I think it's the first time I meet a bird with three names... Oh, oh! You wanted me to use my nickname? Sorry, I'm Rafael King of the Carnival." He grabbed my wing and shook it with energy.

I liked this guy already. Judging by his enthusiastic and optimist nature, I could tell that he and I would go along just fine. Back in Minnesota, I didn't have that many friends because I was what the outside birds considered a 'pet'. It was a nice change of atmosphere to be received positively by the local avians. "King of the Carnival you say?"

"Yes, himself!" Rafael said with placing his wings on his hips and holding his head high. "If you need someone to have fun, advise you, or just teach you how to be a true Rio bird, I'm the man you want! Say...," he wrapped a wing around my shoulders once more, "wouldn't you like to come with me? I know the perfect place for newcomers like you to get introduced to the wonderful life of Rio, get to know the local folks, and have lots of fun! What do you say?"

Getting to know about my new city, making more friends, and having fun? This sounded very tempting! I was about to accept his proposition when I remembered something. "Sorry, Rafael. I'd like to, but my friend and I have a lot of work to do in our new home. I don't think I'll have enough energy to do anything after that." I rubbed the back of my head with my wing and looked down.

"Bah, it's cool, amigo. There's always tomorrow. I know where your home is, so I'll come to pick you up, alright?"

"Sure, good idea."

Rafael nodded and patted my shoulder before opening his wings and gracefully taking off to the skies. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to be able to go and fly with him to his... Wait a minute. I didn't know how to fly! I completely forgot to tell him about it! And he was too far for me to call him back now. Will I still be able to get to his bird place without flying? Bah, I'll just ask him tomorrow.

Linda returned from the bathroom at the same moment the waiter arrived to give us the bill. She gave him the money that she asked me to give before, and we were on our way back home. While I enjoyed the change of atmosphere during the first walk, this time, I couldn't help but glance up and stare at all the birds who flew up in the sky, wondering how it would feel like to fly. Not in a plane, but with my actual wings.

"What is it like to fly with your own wings?" I asked myself a lot of times. In all the documentaries I watched back in Minnesota, experts said that flying was an essential skill for birds as it allowed them to escape predators, build nests in trees, and travel wide distances in little time. I never had a problem with any of these because there weren't any predators for birds in Minnesota, I already had a home with Linda, and I never had to travel anywhere.

Some nights, I remained awake, trying to picture myself kilometers above the ground, flapping my wings in the air. Aside from the slight fear caused by my vertigo, it was pretty pleasant: I could go everywhere I wanted without anything to hold me back. All the flips and jumps I usually did inside my house, I could do them in the air. One day, I decided to actually try and fly with my own wings... only to end up tangled in Christmas decorations. This taught me a lesson; never try to fly again without proper training.

My tiredness returned in force and sweat drenched my head feathers when we entered our new home and saw all the boxes awaiting us. "Come on, Blu, if we work together, we can get a lot done before going to sleep," Linda said in a touching but ultimately pointless attempt to cheer me up.

Our task lasted forever. Linda left me to take care of the smaller boxes while she opened and unpacked the big ones. I must admit that I felt kinda bad looking at her carrying big things like our microwave or her computer while I simply took out timers and books.

Books. There was a mountain of them to take out. At least two hundreds, all from Linda's library in Moose Lake. And I was forced to place them all by category on the shelves in alphabetic order!

By the end of the day, we finished around 3/4 of the work. The relief I felt when I collapsed inside my cage could not be described by words. My wings were burning like lava and my legs would snap if I took another step. I understood now why we never saw a macaw like me helping in layout work.

But at least, I would get to meet new friends and have fun tomorrow. That was enough to make me fall asleep with a smile, having excitation and anticipation for tomorrow...

Author's note: That was the first chapter, people! I thank you for reading up this far. This is the first time I write a story in first-person. It's a lot more different from writing in third person.

Fun fact: the restaurant at which Blu and Linda went to eat in this chapter was the same one where she had dinner with Tulio in the first movie. I felt like it would be fun to do a little cameo there.

I hope you enjoy this story so far. Constructive reviews and tips are welcome as I need all the help I can get to make this story great. May the gods watch over you all.