Reckoning Of Darkness

Chapter 2: Nighttime Terrors

Dreams. They were supposed to be the source of comfort, a time to rest both the body and mind. Rio de Janeiro's reputation of samba and high energy parties couldn't be more true, but even the residents needed to rest once and in a while. The lively jungle fell silent as the night sky covered the crystal clear skies, surrounding the city in darkness.

Crickets chirped throughout the night, owls softly hooting as they emerged from their daytime slumber. It was beautiful and peaceful, far different to the daytime celebrations. Even the most peaceful of atmosphere's didn't bring any sense of comfort to the Blue Macaw.

During another restless night, Blu tossed and turned around their nest in desperation for easement. His body cried for sleep yet his mind refused to let go of all negative thoughts. Desperation, fear, paranoia, all mixed into one. He couldn't simply switch off and sleep. Growing restless, Blu stood out of their nest and approached the exit of their hollow for solace.

The night sky was beautiful. in the quiet night sky, the stars of the sky played with each other, watching all kinds of interesting and beautiful scenery on the Earth. The bright lights within the city made Rio stand out like a needle in a haystack. From this view it was truly a sight to behold. Nico was right. No matter where you went in the world, Rio was the only place anyone wanted to be.

"You will fail."

Blu jumped in fright, awkwardly stumbling backwards in terror against the sharp voice that snarled through his ear. Regaining his composure, he spun around to face where the noise originated from. To his utter shock there was no one else present. Only Jewel accompanied him. The voice was directly behind him. No way they could have got past him so quickly to escape. No possibility of exiting so quickly.

Calmly his nerves before making any rash decisions, Blu slowly inspected their surroundings. His body was weak and he lacked severe energy from lack of rest, but his observation skills were as strong as before. Without even thinking his body mentally shifted into a combat stance, years of training suddenly coming back to him on pure instinct.

"You cannot escape your destiny."

Blu spun around, swinging his fist towards the source of the taunt. As fast as he spun there was no one there. The voice felt so close to his eardrums, almost breathing through his feathers. But there was nothing. Growing frustrated with his lack of sleep, Blu took one small glance at his sleeping mate before hopping softly outside of their home, landing against the soft ground.

Long ago he feared travelling so far down, knowing there were land predators stalking for prey at nights. After enduring so much over the years he didn't know what to fear anymore. One more year of trauma may push him to the point of suicidal to relieve himself of this constant anxiety. Jewel was the only part of his life that gave him hope, even if it was just a small glimmer.

"You are going to die."

The voice whispered sharply into his ear once more and he couldn't endure it any more. Blu didn't turn this time as expected. He slowly moved his head around, eyes narrowed as he refused to show this taunting figure any sense of reaction. The rest of his body shifted, locking eyes with the tall presence that tormented him.

Whatever anger Blu held was washed away with fear, all sense of confidence vanished in the blink of an eye. His feet trembled, his body tensed up and eyes widened. Everything he feared appeared in an instance, years of trying to overcome trauma went to waste. All those years of preparation meant nothing anymore, not against the one who caused him so much harm.

Nexus.

The Dark Lord towered over him. The scars of their final battle were still visibility present. His body was scorched, one eye remained missing from burned damage and cuts visible across his body. Despite all those injuries his immediate presence was as powerful as ever. He grinned softly, narrowing his remaining eye towards the covering Blue Macaw.

"You will never escape me."

Blu's intense fear caused him to hyperventilate, panting heavily in distress. It couldn't be Nexus. He refused to believe the Dark Lord had returned from his demise. The Puro had burned him from existence. With peace finally established between the Worlds of Darkness and Light, there was no possibility he could have returned. No one he knew had the power to resurrect the dead, not without the Orbs.

Overcome with emotion clouded Blu's judgement. Pushing past his fears with a sudden rush of adrenaline, he roared with determination and charged, tackling the Dark Lord directly against the closest tree. Without hesitation he unleashed brutal strikes, striking Nexus everywhere he could to gain the upperhand. He hit with every ounce of his strength yet the Dark Lord did not react as if he wasn't even there.

After striking harder and harder with each strike, Blu stumbled backwards and landed against his back, clutching his trembling wings. His eyes shot towards where he thought Nexus was positioned. All that remained were small dents made at the bottom of the tree. There was no Nexus. He fought against nothing but a figment of imagination.

Relieved the whole ordeal was nothing more than his fears playing tricks, Blu closed his eyes and inhaled deep breaths, mentally calling on Master Yoshi's teachings to temper his rage. Remaining against the soft ground until the pain in his wings stopped, Blu slowly moved onto his feet and inspected the area once more. The voices stopped as did the illusion.

Before returning to home, Blu suddenly broke into a small coughing fit. His lungs briefly tightened, cutting off his breath. He coughed profusely, desperately trying to regain his controlled breathing. Fortunately the tightening pain didn't last for so long and he recovered in no time. Blu inspected himself once his breathing was in control, relieved the ordeal would be over soon.

"That was...Different," Blu mumbled out loud. "I haven't coughed like that since catching a cold in Minnesota. This...Lack of sleep is really getting to me."

Realising the commotion he caused combined with talking aloud had probably attracted nearby visitors, Blu flew back into his hollow, ignoring the trembling pain residing within his wings. He returned to their nest, relieved to see his outburst did not wake up Jewel. She slept far better, even after all the trauma she went through as well. There was no doubt in his mind she was always going to be the tougher one in their relationship. He wouldn't have it any other way. Tiptoeing into their nest, Blu rested alongside his loved one and hoped to get a goodnight's sleep.

"Let's hope for a better day tomorrow."

As the night sky dispersed with the morning sun casting long shadows on the ground. The slanting rays of the setting sun gave a warm blue tinge to the sky. Almost crystal clear with no clouds in sight. Blu said nothing to Jewel of last night's battle against his imaginary opponent. The last thing he needed was for her to worry about him more than she did. Today was their trip to the Amazon.

Despite his tired state, Blu was ready to get going. There would be a few stops along the way to rest up. Neither of the lovebirds were as young as they used to be. But Jewel's free-spirited nature never faltered in their years. She could beat even the fastest of birds in a race. After grabbing their morning breakfast and working out the best journey route it was almost time to go.

Jewel finished the last of her favourite breakfast before joining her mate on a nearby branch. "Are you ready to go?"

Blu remained unresponsive for now, staring towards the city on the horizon. This was the last time he was going to be in Rio for a while, a special place he was proud to call home. Truthfully he wished there was time to say goodbye to their friends & family, but the last thing he intended was to worry them when they had their own lives to live.

Finally breaking out his thoughts, Blu turned towards his loved one and smiled. "I'm ready to go. Just saying goodbye to Rio."

Jewel returned a small smile and followed his gaze towards the city. "I'm going to miss it, too. But we won't be gone too long. We'll be back before you know it."

Blu paused to briefly cough into his wing before returning the smile. "Lead the way, Jewel."

Taking one final glance towards their home, Blu and Jewel silently said goodbye to everything before soaring into the sky and setting course towards the Amazon. It was going to be a long trip, an estimation of two days if Blu's calculation skills hadn't failed him over the years. Along the way they would find temporary shelter and places to eat.

Rafael had once told him about many locals who were friendly and helped other birds on their journeys. If this was true they had nothing to worry about. A safe journey, perfect weather and in each other's company the whole way.

If only they knew what was to come.

Thanks for reading. Longer chapters will arrive soon.