Notes & Disclaimers:

• Rio is Blue Sky property.

(Please leave a comment and enjoy!)

A Rio Restart:

What If Only One Remembered? Part 5

(Back to Blu's Side) Outside the bird hospital, Jewel had just popped her head out of the air-vent, looking around the area with a big smile. "Yes! Freedom!" She yelled. "Where to now?" She looked around more and noticed the edge of the roof above her before hovering it.

Blu was far behind in the vent and noticed her getting out, making him fearful that he was losing her. "Jewel! Jewel, wait!" He said, and jumped out of the air-vent. But unlike Jewel, he couldn't flap his wings fast enough and fell into a small trash can.

"Ow." He mumbled. Then brought himself up. "Just like the old days, but nothing that can't be averted. Ugh, and at least this can hasn't been used yet. Anyway…Jewel?" He looked up and hovered to the roof, where he saw Jewel. Feeling thankful that she was there.

So he approached her, and said, "Jewel, thank goodness, you're still here."

"Well, sure." She responded with a smile. "And look, Blu, thanks for your help. Now that we're both free, we can finally go wherever we want. I have one good hollow nearby but I know I need to find a new one. But Blu, if you want, I can help you find one…"

"Wait, Jewel. Thank you, I would like a good hollow. But I'm afraid the best ones are not here in Rio. I actually know quite a few that are in…the amazon."

"The amazon? The amazon jungle? Are you saying you came from there?"

"No, no. But…I don't know if you'll believe this, but there is a whole tribe of blue macaws out there. More birds that live freely in the jungle like they do here. But bigger, much bigger."

"How do you know all that?" She asked in a surprised tone.

"I…I've been able to receive a lot of information in my life. Anyway, I can help you get all the way there, if you want to. But before that, I need your help with something else. Somewhere on one side of Rio is a small house that's holding other birds trapped in cages. They were all captured by smugglers and need our help."

"What? Wait, are you sure the humans here aren't involved with that?"

"I'm sure. Look, I know you don't know me very well, but I need you to trust me. Not all humans are like the ones you…or I have seen. And right now, the ones that are bad, have numerous birds locked up. If you help me, not only will I help you find the way to your new home, but you can give every bird that's trapped the same freedom we have now. But, if you don't want to, know that it's your choice and it's no problem. Whatever you want to do, I'll understand."

After Blu said all those things, Jewel's heart felt different. She took a moment to pause and think, acknowledging what her new friend said.

She spoke to herself in her head. "Wow…kind, understanding…and brave. He helped me escape, asked me to trust him, and wants my help to help other birds in need." She looked over in the direction of the jungle. "In my experience it was always every bird for himself (or herself), but…this stranger…is something else. Why does he talk to me as if I was somebody he really knows well? Maybe…maybe, the least I can do is give him a chance." Soon she finally sighed and replied to Blu, "Okay. I'll help."

"Really?" Blu smiled. "Great."

"Only on a few conditions."

"Wha-? O-Oh, okay?" Blu felt surprised, but remembered how different his wife was in the past.

"When we're done here, not only are we going to the amazon, but you're also going to answer some questions. Why do you talk to me as if you know me so well? Why are you eager for me to trust you so much? I assumed…it was because you had a crush on me."

"O-O-Oh?" Blu stuttered and blushed. "W-Why's that?"

Jewel noticed and smiled, "But then again, any bird that's ever felt that way towards me has never put this much effort into wooing me. And you didn't really seem that kind of bird. So when we're on our way, I want to hear the truth from you, alright?"

"Um," Blu kept blushing. "okay. I was planning on telling you eventually anyway. I might as well do it now. Come on, I'll explain on the way. But before we go to those other birds, we need to get some help from a friendly toucan I know of. He'll help us, and I'll tell you everything on the way." Blu hovered up and flew towards the jungle. With Jewel following behind.

Once she caught up, she immediately asked, "So why exactly do you want to help me so much?"

"Well…let me put it this way, are you familiar with the idea of 'time travel'?"

"No. What's that?"

After a few minutes, Blu tried delicately to explain to her what he meant. What the idea of time travel was, and that he was from the future. He told her somewhat of the whole truth, but left out some of the important things.

After that, the two landed on a branch and Jewel wanted to speak.

"So let me get this straight…you're saying from the future. From an alternate timeline where after you and I met, we became friends and went on all these adventures before 2014, where we went to the amazon and saved this tribe from loggers?"

"Yes. That and even more details, but still it's all true."

"I don't believe it." Jewel began chuckling. "Blu, I'm sorry, but everything you're saying would make a bird think you were-"

"Out of my mind, I know. It's a lot to take in. But I promise it's the truth, and while I want to tell you even more, I feel like it may be a bit too overwhelming for you."

"Oh no. I don't care what you think about it, you promised you'd give the whole truth. Also, do you even have any evidence to prove what you're saying?"

"I…actually, I do. Follow me." Blu hovered to the ground, and despite Jewel rolling her eyes, she followed him before they landed softly. "Jewel, I'm going to sing something to you. A song that only you know."

Jewel felt confused and weirded out by that request, but was willing to listen. So Blu took a moment to breathe, and finally sang…"Moonbeams and starlight. Magical twilight. The warmest rain. Hearing it whispering your name. Rainbows at midnight. Sparkling night skies. Don't go away, stay another day." Then he sang the Portuguese version that he knew she would sometimes sing, and as he did all that, Jewel made a big surprised look. Her heart started racing. Sweat fell from her head. She felt totally shocked, hearing the one song that she'd never thought she would hear again.

Once Blu was finished, he noticed that his wife was too stunned. "I…I take it, you believe me now?" He nervously asked.

"How…how do you know that song?"

"You told me about it. After…after we fell off that plane and flew to safety, we were given shelter, and during all that time we got to know each other. One of the first personal things you ever told about your childhood was that song your mother used to sing to you. You told me how it was the biggest thing you remembered her for. You also told about how you lost her, and how you got separated from your dad and the rest of your family. It's how you ended up here and how we got to know each other, and I know all this because I lived it and you told me everything."

"I…I…" She held her head with her wings and sat down. Feeling too overwhelmed. Blu felt bad about it, so he sat next to her and put her wing around her. She wanted to shove it away but knew he was only trying to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Jewel." He said to her.

Jewel stuttered, "I…I…I never told anyone that before. I've never even sung it to myself. All these years of being alone, and I've never done anything to remember my family. But you…I actually told you all these things?"

"Yes."

"Then here's one thing I don't understand. Even if we were friends, I don't know how I would ever feel comfortable sharing everything. So tell me this: Were we really friends? Or were we more?"

"Well…" Blu blushed again. "I'm not gonna lie…and I know this will sound very weird to you…but yes. We were actually a couple. And…eventually a married couple."

Jewel felt even more shocked. Blu removed his wing from her and she said, "Okay…I think that's where I would've called you crazy…but after what you just proved, I don't know if I can doubt that."

"Really?"

"Honestly, yeah. But, just to be sure, if we did become a pair then please tell me everything that happened before and after. Please tell me how everything went."

"O-Okay. I'd be happy to." Blu smiled deeply, and hoped he was closer at earning her affection again.

More Notes & Disclaimers:

And that right there is where we stop. Oh! And did I ever mention that this story…IS THE 51ST STORY I EVER PUBLISHED AND KEPT ON FFN! Whoo! Six years! Six years I've been a member of FFN (including the two years of absence) and it took me this long to share 51 stories. Technically more if you count 1-2 stories I deleted. Now will it take six more to release another 50? Hopefully not. But I know I still have more stories outside of FFN, and I have every opportunity to either share more or edit the previous ones.

Speaking of which, I'm glad no one has sent any hard feedback regarding the chapters I labeled as "Under Maintenance." I have been distracted with other things, but I will get in touch with these and be able to still fix them before they are back to normal. So to speak.

In the meantime, tell me what you guys thought of this story? And rest assured, even though I'm not gonna continue here, I am still going to try to continue it as a transcript on DeviantArt.

Thank you guys for your appreciation as always. Please feel free to look at my other stuff from outside of FFN, on DeviantArt, Twitter, Instagram, and such, and I'll see you next time.