CHAPTER 3: FORWARD
A beautiful day, a calm blue sky and a small bird in a nest. He awoke to the sound of insects and warmth of his atmosphere. An atmosphere that grew a sense of peace in his heart, all that from a few simple sensations that were unattainable for the small bird. A trapped boy, who could not fly or go past the mouth of his nest. He kept his wings close, blinking so his eyes could adjust to the small amount of light that entered through the wooden cavern's mouth. The boy remained at the back of the nest.
"One day." The small chic looked at the tunnel veiled in light that stood in front of him. The light peeked through the hole that lied before him. He had seen the otherside hundreds of times, that is what he hated more than anything. He wanted to experience it all, to see the Amazon with his own eyes and float on calming winds that blew into his home.
"One day, I'll see what's out there!" Those words left the chick's mouth as he got up. What stopped him was not the day or time, only himself. He stepped into the light that lied before him. His steps to freedom were his to take and the smile sprawling across his beak is evidence of his steps.
"Blu." The little chic heard a sweet voice call to him in the light that had become blinding to him. He smiled wider. He began to feel his body grow bigger with every step. His wingspan grew wider, feathers growing longer and his claws sharper. Before he knew it, the Amazon stood in front of him. He looked forward and saw it all. The leaves, trees, the ground, the flowers, the vines. He saw it all. Freedom is notleaving his nest. His freedom is doing something his heart truly believed in, something no one but him could do or enjoy. He is strong for those he needs to be, that is his freedom. Blu smiled at the only nest.
"I guess I did change." Blu smiled to himself and heard Jewel's voice again. He flapped his wings and flew into the light that engulfed the empty nest. A decoration of everyone he held dear to him, present in the light. The patrollers, Mimi, Eduardo, Roberto and Jewel. They were his light in the dark. They were proof he had changed since that day.
Blu lifted his head up, feeling the soft reeds and twigs underneath his body. He felt a slight pain in his left foot which triggered his memories to flood back. The fight against Nigel, the bodies of the Macaws, the snake and his friends. He began to feel panicked and turned to look for Roberto and Jewel. He found himself back home in his rather large nest, even still he moved to fly. His quick movement was met with a sharp pain in his foot and the tightness of his muscles. He froze mid-air and fell to the floor. He landed on his back and flipped to get his feet under him. He struggled to move for a second and had barely raised his head from the wooden ground.
"Blu." Jewel's wings lifted Blu's face to hers. He looked at her, opening his mouth slightly. Roberto appeared from behind her, giving a weak smile to his friend whose eyes became glassy. He cried, hugging both of them close and they reciprocated the same intense feeling. Blu let go of them and looked at both of them. Roberto's face cracked and had been made home of a sinking despair through his smile. Jewel shared a similar expression to a lesser extent, her eyes shaking ever so slightly. The looks on their faces caused him to remember everything that led to this point now much more vividly.
He sighed and sat back, leaning on his wings slightly. Jewel and Roberto understood the shift in his demeanor, sitting down as well.
"How long did I sleep for?" Blu asked.
"About a day. Since then all the birds that escaped reconnected with their families." Blu smiled slightly as Roberto spoke. When Eduardo came to rescue Blu, Roberto and Jewel he, along with the patrollers who tagged along, guided all of the captured birds back to the tribe.
"What about the Elders, have they said anything about us?" Blu asked Jewel and she shook her head.
"No, they haven't. They didn't want to say anything until you were awake." Blu became tense after hearing that response. Now the reality of his and Jewel's actions were coming to the surface. A sense of panic began to set into Blu's chest but he resisted to keep his composure.
"I can get them. Are you guys ready?" Roberto offered. He was uneasy about this situation, a feeling held by both his friends. Blu looked to Jewel for her answer and she looked back, nodding. Their faces conveyed their unease vividly. There is no avoiding the inevitable.
"Alright, I'll be back." Roberto reluctantly flew out of the nest, leaving Jewel and Blu alone. The two looked at one another and took a breath. They had to prepare for the outcome of this complex situation.
"I'm glad you're okay." Jewel hugged Blu. He hugged her tightly and she looked up to him. Blu blushed at the sight of her eyes, they were far more beautiful than before.
"Y-your eyes are really pretty." Blu complimented the bird in his wings with a slight stutter. Jewel giggled at this.
"You haven't stuttered like that since we were kids. You're adorable, Blu." Jewel smiled lovingly at him. Her smile made Blu's heart jump and he followed the instinct in his chest. Blu kissed Jewel and she kissed him back. The moment filled with an honest sincerity that could only be replicated by lovers. Jewel was the first to separate, placing her beak against Blu's. A tense silence followed which choked both of them.
"We lost them." Jewel forced those words from her mouth.
"I know, I'm sorry Jewel." Blu apologized.
"Why?" Jewel moved back to look at Blu with a questioning expression.
"I told you we'd save them all and we didn't. I was too confident." Blu looked at Jewel solemnly.
"We both were, I knew you'd say something like that to give me hope. Even if it wasn't true, you still helped me believe we could. Thank you." Jewel's smile sat with tears above it. Her tears highlighted the turquoise blue of her left eye and the emerald green of her right. Blu's heart connected to hers and he cried as well. The hazel brown eyes leaked onto the ground, however, Jewel raised a wing to stop the flow. They shared a small laugh with one another, their pain mixing with their love. It caused an unrecognizable sensation that forced a laugh to relieve it. They held their beaks together once again to calm their unstead breaths.
The sound of flapping wings rang faintly in the couple's ears. They separated and wiped their faces. They faced the hole in front of them, awaiting their fate and they shared one more look before four birds arrived. Robert is the first to arrive with Eduardo, Manuel and Maria arriving only seconds after. The Elders looked at the two quite sternly. Maria seemed the most angered but a sigh came from her beak.
"Thank you for saving everyone." Maria thanked the two much to everyone's surprise. "Although you broke the rules, most of the tribe wouldn't be here without the both of you." The older bird thanked them with a sense of both sincerity and reluctance. "After your actions, there is little to no doubt that the tribe will accept the news of your exile so that is nothing to worry about." Maria explained. Blu and Jewel smiled at each other and Roberto did as well.
"However, you will have to pay for actions in a different way. For one it'll be impossible for either of you to hold any sort of positions of authority around the tribe. Also, if you leave the tribe's territory then you should commit to it because you won't be accepted back if you do." Manuel told the two of the stipulations. Their smiles quickly faded and Roberto got in front of them.
"How is that fair? Blu was supposed to be a patroller anyway!" Roberto shouted at Manuel. "He's supposed to be a patroller, right? Why does he have to get punished like that when it was his right in the first place?" Roberto's question echoed in Blu's mind. He processed his friend's confession and realized this is what he wanted to tell him before. Jewel felt equally surprised by this revelation and looked to Roberto.
"His removal from the patrol team was an official decision made by us." Manuel countered.
"Why?" Roberto pressed the issue once more. A brief silence overcame the nest, it only lasted a few seconds before Eduardo spoke up.
"They agreed to it as a favor for me. I needed someone to watch over Jewel and protect her if needed. Blu was perfect for that." Eduardo admitted catching the three friends off guard once more. Roberto and Blu beaks slightly hung agape while Jewel wasn't too moved. Her face displayed disappointment rather than shock or anger.
"I don't need to be protected." Jewel stated coldly.
"During your rescue mission we were informed that if Blu hadn't been there both you and Roberto would have been killed, isn't that right?" Maria inquired. Jewel looked away in defeat, a counter not coming to mind. She couldn't admit it but the ability to rely on Blu made her happy.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Blu asked and everyone looked to Eduardo for the answer.
"To tell you to do what you've been doing would have been a waste of time." Eduardo's answer was less than appreciated. To Blu, Jewel and Roberto it felt lazy and selfish. Maria saw their reactions to the answer and stepped forward.
"Regardless of the reasons, we decided this and had Roberto take Blu's place on the patrol team." Maria maintained an air of confidence. Yet, the three young birds only focused on Eduardo who stayed resolute.
"Either way this is something you can sort out alone. The rule of your lock down is temporary, your ban on positions of authority is permanent. I hope you understand this well." Maria repeated their limitations. "Any questions?" Blu and Jewel shook their heads. "Then we're done here." Maria finished. Jewel sighed and walked past her father, bumping him slightly as she did.
"Jewel, wait." Eduardo called to his daughter. Jewel looked over her shoulder in slight disgust and flew away. Eduardo quickly followed his daughter. Maria and Manuel followed suit. Now the nest only held Blu and Roberto.
"I'm sorry Blu, if it weren't for me you would have been a patroller. If only I-"
"If you weren't born I wouldn't be who I am." Roberto looked at Blu with shaky eyes. Surprised, his friend finished his thought.
"Blu you were the right choice for it but my dad and Eduardo got in the way! My dad played on Eduardo so I became a patroller over you! How can you just act like it's fine?" Roberto asked. His friend's calm demeanor confused him.
"Their decision has nothing to do with you. Plus you were meant to be a patroller, you helped save everyone. You could have given up but you didn't. You deserve to be a patroller way more than I do." Blu expressed his emotions which made Roberto's chest tighten.
"You're always strong Blu, how do you do it?" Roberto's eyes were searching Blu's. They were desperate for a method to strength so he could bring himself from the sea he'd been drowning in.
"I'm strong because I needed to be, for everyone I wanted to protect. That wasn't enough though. I had to be willing to value me, you and Jewel above everyone else in the tribe. It's selfish, I know that. I wanted to be a patroller in order to change that. The more I experienced everyone the more people I wanted to protect." Blu's voice possessed an anger directed at no one. This anger was reserved for himself.
"But when you got captured by the humans, I fell back into protecting only you and Jewel. I knew everyone had to be saved! I knew that everyone might not make it out! I knew that but I couldn't accept that you or Jewel might have not made it out!" Roberto looked at Blu, the confession from his friend shook him.
"I saw their faces, I saw them and I still flew away. You and Jewel froze while I kept moving! All because I'm selfish, that's why I'm strong!" Blu yelled, his eyes began to burn with tears. Roberto couldn't speak. He had never seen Blu lose his composure like this since they were children. Even then his outbursts in childhood were few and far between. Roberto remembered the faces he would make when he would cry like this. It was the same face he had now. They were the same drowning hazel eyes.
"Blu." Blu looked up from the ground he cried to. His eyes were forcing themselves to continue flowing. Roberto quietly crouched beside him, a smile of pure happiness curling his beak.
"Thank you Blu, I love you." Roberto's words reached his brother's ears. He hugged his brother tightly. Their bond exceeded friendship, they had a bond that could only be shared by siblings. A familial love made true through their laughs and sorrows. Brothers may not always be of blood. Brothers were determined by a degree of loyalty and care that could not be challenged by anyone or anything. The two separated and looked out the nest.
"Love you too." Blu said to Roberto.
"Now I want a pretty girl to say that to me in a different way." Roberto smirked and Blu lightly shoved him. The two laughed together. Even if their hearts were still fragmented, the brothers found solace in each others' presence.
"So what now?" Blu asked.
"We move forward." Roberto said, his heart used his mouth to speak. Blu smiled at his answer. The two had found their temporary peace. However, peace still escaped Jewel.
"Jewel! Stop flying, let me explain!" Eduardo had been calling to his daughter the whole time they'd been flying. Jewel reluctantly landed at the sight of the celebration from a few nights prior.
"Jewel, I need to tell you I did what I did-"
"Was it that hard for you?" Jewel turned to her father. Jewel frowned at Eduardo and her eyes showed her pain. Her gaze reminded Eduardo of his mate, her mother. He grew weak as he began to see Diana beside his daughter. If she knew what he had done she would look at him in a similar fashion.
"I didn't want to lose you like I lost her." Eduardo admitted.
"Blu is special, a one of a kind talent. Of all the ones we tested he was the best and I knew you liked him." Eduardo paused. "I would be lying if I said I didn't care for him or would be okay with him getting hurt. When I brought him back to the tribe I thought there had to be a reason for it. Something to explain why I found him but not your mother. There was no reason." Eduardo's hardened demeanor returned.
"I felt guilty for not finding her that day, so I thought Blu could alleviate that feeling. I wanted him to be my atonement. I didn't want to lose you or him, so when he became a patroller… I was conflicted. I needed to keep him safe for my own heart and for yours." Eduardo finished and looked at his daughter. Jewel's face shifted from a frown to sympathy.
"It's not your fault, dad." Jewel saw the pain in her father's eyes. The eyes of someone who couldn't fully let go of the past.
"I'm sorry, Jewel." Eduardo apologized to his daughter. Jewel rushed into her father's wings. She couldn't hold contempt for him. She felt it wasn't her place. Although frustration still remained it could not overcome the love and forgiveness she wanted to give her father at this moment.
Eduardo gave his daughter a kiss on the head before he left her. Jewel followed soon after and came to Blu's nest. The two friends were there looking out at the tribe together. Jewel landed in the middle of them.
"How'd it go with your dad?" Blu asked.
"It went well, what about you guys?" Jewel responded, looking at the two boys.
"We sorted it out." Roberto's smile was reminiscent of his younger self which made his friends happy. The three then took a collective breath. They giggled at how synchronized they were together. Everything had been resolved for them and for the moment, they could smile worry free.
That same night a funeral was held for those that died thanks to the humans. Roberto, Blu and Jewel took this particularly hard. The guilt of their deaths weighed on their minds heavily. The crying, mournful faces of birds surrounding them, placing a weight on them far too big for any single being to bear. Jewel saw the faces of both Blu and Roberto. Their eyes looked away from the main crowd and she wrapped a wing around both of them.
"We have to face this. I know it's hard… we can do this." Jewel's voice quivered as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Yeah." Blu wiped her eyes and Roberto gave her a reassuring smile. Jewel felt her confidence return and the three looked back at the funeral from their nest. After the funeral, the tribe slept with an air of hope under their wings. Roberto returned to his patrols the next morning. He needed to train in order to get back into shape for longer shifts and his friends did the same. Blu and Jewel rested for two days at this point, their bodies began to feel a bit more operable. It was a slow process, but after a day Jewel and Blu were able to fly through the sky with little to no trouble. Their stamina was low and their bruises still caused them pain. Even if they were not in the best shape yet, to be able to fly again was enough for them. They didn't do it alone though. A majority of the birds saved flew alongside the pair, giving motivation whenever possible. Even going to the Pit to play several games of war. The games were less than fair with Jewel as a team captain. Her improved speed made her faster than all of the other birds and made up for her less technical play. Every team that challenged Jewel's team got swiftly shut out. However, the greatest match came when Blu joined the fray. Blu got Roberto when he was free from his patrols. It's an even field, Jewel and her speed versus Roberto and Blu with their unmatched teamwork. The game was close. However, with a final score of three to two the brothers fell to Jewel's newfound agility. Even if the final game was another win for Jewel's team, everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. The radiant smiles contrasted the frowns of four days ago. A breath of fresh air for the tribe that was rocked by a tragedy. The past four days were filled with thrilling matches with phenomenal play from different birds. These games were just meant to help Blu and Jewel return to proper shape. Instead, they became the relief everyone in the tribe truly needed.
Upon the last game's conclusion it was soon to be dusk and every bird retired for the night. Blu smiled all the way to his nest. He was happy, life returned to everyone's eyes and the sky was clear for them. The same sky that was once gripped by humans. Throughout the past four days the Elders had decided not to move the tribe. This decision was confusing to say the least, they reasoned that if the humans are at conflict with themselves they should pay little to no attention to their tribe. Those rescued had informed the Elders of their accounts of this "civil war" going on between the humans. There was also reason to believe the tribe moving again after being reunited with their family so soon would have caused more commotion than needed. No matter the reason, to stay in the same place after the recent attack didn't sit right with Blu. If he'd learned anything, it was that with humans peace could never truly return to his home. He was back to his state of mind from days prior, thinking about those who died and when another attack could happen again.
"Hey Blu." Jewel greeted her friend. Blu jumped back in surprise.
"You okay?" Jewel laughed.
"Yeah I was just thinking about stuff."
"What kind of stuff?" Jewel placed her face a few inches from Blu's
"You know, humans and all that." Blu rubbed the back of his head in shame. Jewel sighed at the mention of this.
"Let me show you something." Jewel tilted her head towards the outside. The two flew to the western edge of their territory where they came to a wall of leaves and branches.
"Follow me." Jewel ushered Blu. They moved through a distinct path to get through the thick greenery and the two stood in front of an irregular collection of vines. The vines constructed a small bowl-like structure that was filled with water and had large leaves above it .
"What is this place?" Blu looked around as he asked Jewel. She simply smiled and brought him down into the cool water. Blu was hit by a sudden shiver as the water covered his lower body.
"Watch this." Jewel directed his attention to the sun sinking beneath the horizon. Once it was out of view Jewel swung her wings around the vines closest to her. Fireflies emerged just as the moon became within full view. Blu lit up with a childlike wonder, his eyes captivated by the beautiful sight. He stood in awe of the bugs whose soft neon green glow lit up the sky in front of him. He turned to Jewel as she stared. The fireflies lit up parts of her neck and face. They gave her a sense of mystique that seemed reserved to her and her alone in this specific moment.
"This was where my parents promised to be together for the rest of their lives." Jewel looked at Blu, her right wing cupped his left wing. She tried to feel it as best she could.
"No matter what happens, I want to be with you. Will you stay with me?" Jewel closed the distance between them. Her eyes shimmered with the water that reflected the fireflies' light.
"Don't ask questions you know the answer too." Blu smiled at her.
"I want to hear you say it." Jewel asked once more.
"I love you Jewel and I swear to stay beside you." Blu responded happily. Jewel's eyes began to water. Blu moved to cup her face. Jewel moved past his wing and kissed him, she let her emotions take over her body completely. Blu let go of reason as well and embraced Jewel. They had been through so much together. This left little time for their hearts to blend as they did now. The worries that plagued their minds left them. The hearts of the two lovers worried for one another and no one else. A sentiment Blu and Jewel shared together.
The two lovers shared something special that night. Their hearts melded, ready to brave any trial that would come their way in the future. Trials were what pushed everyone forward. The struggle of overcoming the blocks that stood in front of you were what made people strong . Even if those exact blocks were ones someone forced you to surmount.
On the eastern outskirts of the tribe, Roberto stood on a wide sturdy branch. The Elders stood across from him, a sunlight beaming overhead .Roberto's eyes were wide under his feathers, a shocked expression controlling them. Yet, his blue eyes could not hope to convey the weight he felt on his shoulders.
"Do you understand?" Eduardo asked Roberto. The young bird tilted his head upwards, closing his beak.
"I'm your heir now?" Roberto's face tilted upwards, it was the image of disbelief.
"Yes, we decided this per your heroic acts. Lucas along with multiple other birds told us of your bravery." Maria answered softly.
"My bravery got them killed. Did they tell you that?"
"Yes it did. A leader makes difficult decisions and continues anyway. You have proven you're capable of such behavior." Manuel responded with an air of pride.
"I told them I would get all of them out alive and I didn't. How can I be a leader when I lie to the people who trust me." Roberto's voice became weaker the more he spoke.
"Lies… can be difficult to tell those you trust especially to those you care for. However, once again, you proved you are capable." Eduardo stated. The breath after his first word seemed to drain him.
"I can't do this, I'm not made to be a leader. Everyone else flew away while I stopped and screamed because I was scared. If not for Blu and Jewel I would have died there." Roberto revealed the truth of what happened.
"That means if you see it again you are far less likely to freeze compared to another who has not been exposed to that situation." Manuel responded calmly. "Perhaps you'd allow another to suffer such a sight in your place?" Manuel chipped away at his son's argument.
"No!" Roberto responded instinctively. He could not bear any of the weight being thrust upon him. He never wanted to be a leader to be the chief yet, he possessed the qualities for it. Roberto felt his memories of that day take hold of his heart. The failure, the pain of your promise cursing the people he wanted to protect. He could not let anyone else experience that feeling. This is a burden he must bear.
"Manuel!" Eduardo shot his colleague a look.
"I believe you need to do what you have to as the chief. Do you not?" Manuel smiled back at Eduardo. His face brimming with an air of arrogance relegated to those who have a power no one else could hope to touch.
"Do you accept your place as my heir, Roberto?" Eduardo asked sternly. Roberto closed his eyes and remembered the words of Blu and Jewel the day of his eleventh birthday. He remembered the lost faces. He remembered his fear, all of it came to him.
'I don't have a choice.' Roberto told himself. He took a breath with his beak pointed to the sky. A light breeze blew the leaves. The shifting cover let sunlight touch different parts of the troubled bird's body. Roberto opened his eyes to see the leaf above him cover the sun. He was in the sun's shadow and his light above was gone.
"I accept." Roberto looked at Eduardo with resolute sorrow. A look that only one who accepted their fate could give.
"Good." Eduardo responded. "We will go over the details at a later date in time, for now please try to process all this. I understand it is quite a bit to take in." Roberto nodded without emotion. He flew away without a word. The three Elders were left alone. Eduardo turned his attention to Manuel with an angered expression.
"Eduardo, you would have an easier time arguing with the Red Macaw leader. This is a situation of your own making." Manuel taunted.
"You didn't have to speak to him like that! He's your own son!" Eduardo fired back.
"And you didn't have to trade his freedom for the safety of your daughter and Blu." Manuel's laugh after his retort burned Eduardo's ears. Before he could move towards Manuel, Maria stopped him.
"You've dug this hole Eduardo. Lay in it." Maria's tone came out sharp. Her blunt delivery cut Eduardo's anger to pieces. He looked away in shame. What he did was unforgivable.
"It's the end here Eddy, thank you for playing our little game." Manuel smiled once more. Maria shot him a dirty look to which Manuel shook his head and flew off with a smile.
"In exchange for Blu and Jewel not being exiled, Roberto becomes the next chief of the tribe." Maria repeated the agreement Eduardo knew very well.
The Elders had the power to exile anyone from the tribe. If there were those who broke the rules of the tribe then it is considered treason. The punishment, exile. Eduardo disagreed with the consequence of Jewel and Blu's action. Maria and Manuel both agreed that they should be put out, it was two against one. However, Manuel compromised that if Roberto is made the next in line for chief then he would recount his decision about Jewel and Blu. Eduardo chose to make Roberto the next in line. What the Elders told the three friends about the tribe was a lie to cover up this agreement. Roberto's actions made him the ideal leader and thus he made the perfect cover for their decision.
"I did what I had to-" Eduardo's mouth closed. Maria slapped him with her wing, the pain reminding him of Mimi.
"Do you have any reason to sulk? You condemned that boy, the both of you. All for what? Your selfish desires?" Maria's tongue was made of silver.
"You say that as though you are innocent Maria." Eduardo bit back.
"I am and I accept that. You sit and try to fight what you are Eduardo. You were never meant to be a leader. You couldn't handle what it meant to lose. You left on your own to find your mate and saved an outsider to make up for it. Now you use Roberto to save your daughter and her little boyfriend from their own actions. We all have lost something. You just seem to think you're above that." Maria spoke down to Eduardo. He stood to his feet and looked at the woman in front of him.
"I did give up Roberto for Blu and my daughter. I did leave the tribe behind to find Diana. I did and I can't take it back. I won't! It just can't be done! I never wanted to lose. I never did you're right. Whether I was made to be a leader is not your decision to make!" Eduardo pushed Maria back with his words and his wings. She stumbled slightly, catching herself on her third step back.
"You have no right to judge me. All because you've never felt what it means to lose. No siblings, friends or even someone you love deeply. You haven't experienced loss like I have." Maria could not say anything. What Eduardo said was true. She had never loved anyone except her parents who peacefully passed on a long time ago. Eduardo bumped Maria on his way past her.
"I wish I could tell you to try and understand but that would be impossible." Eduardo took flight as he left Maria alone.
"Caring for someone brings a pain no one should have to bear." Maria said those words with tears beginning to stream down her face.
Blu awoke with Jewel at his side, happy to see her. He softly shook her awake and the two shared a smile before flying down to the ground of the nest. They stretched and got breakfast together. On their way back they saw Roberto sitting on a branch alone. Blu and Jewel landed beside him.
"Morning Berto, we got some extra food. Do you want any?" Jewel offered. Roberto turned with a weak smile. He took one of the Brazilian nuts and the three peeled their food together. Roberto stood on Jewel's left and Blu on her right. The three talked briefly, the conversation getting Roberto's mind off the recent developments if only a little. Although his disturbed nature could not get past his friends.
"You alright Roberto?" Blu asked calmly. Roberto lowered the food from his mouth.
"I'm going to be the next chief." Jewel and Blu's eyes opened wide. They looked at each other before their eyes drew back to Roberto.
"Why? I thought you didn't want to do it." Blu commented.
"The Elders chose me for it. I guess I have the qualities for it." Jewel and Blu felt a cold disposition form in Roberto's words in spite of his smile.
"I don't know what to do from here." Roberto smiled weakly at the food in his foot.
"You don't have to become a leader. You can live your life." Jewel tried to reason with Roberto but he shook his head.
"I think I have to bear this for everyone who died. Maybe I could even do some good." Roberto's weak smile kept up on his face.
"Roberto." Blu's voice made Roberto shudder.
"Please… can you two just stay with me?" Roberto shed a tear with a smile to accompany it. Jewel pulled Blu and Roberto close. She and Blu felt Roberto's pain as if it were their own.
"We promised to be together as friends, didn't we?" Jewel smiled with glassy eyes at the two boys who smiled in return. Their faces were reminiscent of their younger selves when they promised to stay together so long ago. Although times changed, their promise would stand the test of time and beyond even the borders of different worlds if need be.
There will eventually be an epilogue to this story. I understand things may have ended on a somewhat sour note but for now I think it was the best way to end it. Be on the lookout for the epilogue sometime in the future. Thank you for reading , I hope to see you in the four and final chapter of this story!
-Malik Syv