Thirty days had passed since Jewel's surgery, and another X-ray had been taken of her wing. Like each time after the surgery, Blu had translated instructions from Alan to Jewel, who had taken the appropriate position and stayed still, making typically used anesthesia unnecessary. After previous images, Alan had informed the macaws that the bone was healing normally. Blu and Jewel were on the inspection table waiting for the results when Tulio and Alan came in.

"Good news," Tulio said. "The bone has healed enough that the temporary fixture can be removed. Now we need to anesthetize Jewel for it."

Anesthesia was expected, and Jewel was eager to get rid of the fixture, so she was more than alright with that. A couple of days ago, she had revealed a nightmare to Blu: she had been conscious while humans slowly removed the fixture parts from her wing. The day before the bad dream, she had wondered why the thinner pins had grooved surfaces, and Blu had explained the principle of the screw. Imagining threaded pins slowly coming out of her wing when turned didn't have a calming effect on Jewel.

After Jewel was asleep, Tulio took Blu back to the cage, where he had to wait alone. He knew experts treated Jewel but couldn't help climbing nervously around the enclosure until, after less than an hour, Tulio came to the room without Jewel.

"Operation went well, and Jewel will likely sleep for a while," Tulio informed. "Do you want me to get you when she starts to stir?"

Blu pointed at the notebook. Instead of letting him out, Tulio made a guess.

"Am I right that you would like to see her immediately?" Tulio asked. Blu nodded.

"No," said Tulio. "You wouldn't get less stressed watching her in a deep sleep. You would also be in our way all that time. Here you have food, water, and room to exercise. I will get you when we see the first signs of her waking up." About 30 minutes later, Tulio returned and took Blu to the treatment room. Jewel was lying on her stomach inside a glass box, and Blu saw that the fixture was gone.

"This is a temperature-controlled box for sick birds and those waking up from anesthesia," Tulio informed. "Last time, we put her in the cage before she woke up because she had attacked people handling her. Now that she has cooperated, we can use the normal protocol."

Eventually, Jewel opened her eyes which made Blu sight from relief. She was confused about the box she was in, and Blu explained its purpose. Tulio decided to let Blu in the box until Jewel could walk. It wasn't exactly according to protocols, but he was certain Blu would behave. After a while, Jewel was standing stable, and the parrots looked bored. Tulio brought Alan back to them and opened the box.

"Listen, Jewel is not yet permitted to fly," Tulio said. "However, she can do lower-powered flapping while perching."

Blu translated Tulio's statement to Jewel, who looked disappointed.

"Just to be extra safe," Alan said, getting an angry look from Tulio. Blu didn't object to being extra safe with Jewel's health and didn't translate that part.

"We will take another X-ray week from now to see if flying is ok," Tulio informed. "Jewel should do gentle stationary flapping several times a day. She can increase the power day by day if she doesn't feel pain and stays clearly under the power needed to fly," Tulio added. Blu translated instructions to Jewel.

Soon they were back in the cage, and Jewel was doing gentle flapping on a perch. She seemed unsure if she should be happy or not. Blu understood her frustration because he had already learned to love flying, which had been Jewel's primary movement mode for years. He felt relief that Jewel was getting better, and watching her while she practiced was nice.

The day after removing the temporary fixture, Tulio carried Blu into a room where he saw a large parrot with a long tail in a cage. According to Tulio, it was a blue and yellow macaw. The species' name was fitting as it had golden yellow frontside and bright blue back and topsides of the wings. The macaw's face was almost white with some dark stripes, and the beak was close to black.

Blu's first thought was that the macaw looked sad. Then the parrot noticed the visitors, turned his head towards Blu, and stared intently. Blu was surprised by the reaction but noticed that the other parrot didn't look hostile. Instead, his face was filled with surprise and curiosity.

Tulio put the carrier on a table beside the cage and opened it. There was already a notebook, a pencil, and a low perch on the table. Blu stepped out, perched, and took a second look at the macaw.

"This guy is big," Blu thought. The evil cockatoo Nigel had seemed huge to him and Jewel, but the parrot before him was, without doubt, both taller and heavier. His feet looked big even in proportion to his size, and that beak made Nigel's look puny by comparison. However, he looked like he had big bones, but his muscles were too small for them. Otherwise, Blu didn't see any indications of bad health. Blu had never known any large macaws, which made estimating uncertain, but he guessed that the bird in front of him was a couple of years older than him.

Tulio had informed Blu that the smugglers that had taken him and Jewel had been arrested. In addition, police had managed to catch many members of a more extensive smuggling network. During their inspection, they also confiscated some illegally captured birds, including the blue and yellow macaw before him. Blu was about to greet the other macaw, but it spoke first.

"Hello, it is quite a surprise to see a Spix's macaw again," the large parrot stated. "When did humans capture you, and where are you from?" he asked.

"Well, I was captured about 15 years ago. I was just a chick then," Blu revealed. "I was told it probably happened somewhere near. What about you?"

"What is the earliest thing you remember?" the large macaw asked instead of answering.

"The morning I was captured," Blu answered. He felt the other parrot was somewhat rude by not answering but decided to stay polite.

The big parrot leaned his head forward. "You woke up when other birds were singing," he stated. "You were in a hollow in a tree, alone. The hollow had a big mouth and low rim, but it was better than having no shelter at all. You perched on the rim and wagged your tail. You saw birds flying around you and decided to try flying first time in your life. You spread your wings, and - poachers started to capture birds around you," the big parrot continued. "Am I right?" he asked.

"You are right," Blu admitted, shaken that the large parrot could describe that morning in such details. "How did you know?" he asked, even though he already had a hunch.

"I was there," the other parrot stated. "I kept watch from a nearby tree but failed to keep you safe and got captured also," he continued. "I am relieved you are alive, Matheus. And you look healthy too. You even have decent muscles. I bet you have been able to fly and climb," he added, smiling warmly at Blu.

"I am called Blu, and I have been treated well," Blu stated. He hadn't expected the blue and yellow macaw to have a personal interest in him and felt overwhelmed. "Did my parents name me Matheus? Do I have to change my name?" he asked.

"My name is Miguel," the larger parrot revealed. "I don't think your parents would want you to go through a name change in these circumstances," he continued. "I can call you Blu also," he promised.

"Did you know my parents?" Blu asked, starting to feel hope. "What happened to them?" he asked.

"I was friends with your parents. Your father likely wasn't captured as he left to get food earlier," Miguel deducted. "Sadly, your mother died five days earlier. Killer bees killed her, but fortunately, you survived as she managed to get you out of the nest in time," he revealed.

Blu thought that her mother dying like that was sad, but it didn't hit him hard because he couldn't remember her.

"Were there any other Spix's macaws around?" he asked because it could affect saving their species.

"Sadly, your parents told me they were the last survivors of their flock. And their flock had never heard about other Spix's macaws in the region," Miguel revealed.

"That wasn't what we hoped to learn," Blu thought. "Could my father be still alive?" Blu asked.

"Life is harsh in the wild for a lonely Spix's macaw, but it is possible," Miguel stated. "He was smart, a strong flier, and not too old to survive until today. He might still be alive," he continued. Then the curiosity on his face faded to sadness. "Many times, I have wondered if he blames me," he revealed. "After all, I suggested moving to that forest after his mate had died. I carried you there and failed to keep you safe when he was away," he admitted.

Blu looked at Miguel, whose face seemed like an open book. He acted friendly and shouldn't know so much about that morning unless he had been watching him, which indicated an emotional connection. It still occurred to Blu that if Miguel was hostile and just pretending to be friendly, he already had a chance to harm him that morning. Even though the conversation had been a little weird, Blu's gut feeling was to trust Miguel.

"I don't blame you," Blu assured, meaning it. "You did your best in a bad situation. And my life hasn't been bad. I accidentally ended up with a nice human that took good care of me. I was brought together about a month ago with a lovely Spix's macaw lady. Everything isn't perfect, but things could also be much worse," he continued.

"Thank you, Blu," Miguel answered solemnly, looking less sad. "Why do you think humans brought you to me?" He asked, his face again showing curiosity.

"Oh, they want me to ask you some questions," Blu answered.

"You can communicate with humans?" Miguel asked, face full of surprise.

"Yes, I can," Blu answered. "One thing they wanted to know was what happened to my parents and possibly other Spix's macaws, and you have already answered," Blu stated.

"How did humans guess I might know about Spix's macaws," Miguel inquired.

"One of the bad humans that captured birds made notes," Blu informed. "Nicer humans found the notes that said we were captured the same day. They didn't know if you knew about my parents of other Spix's macaws but wanted to check just in case."

"Clever and lucky," Miguel admitted. "What are they going to do with me?"

"They haven't decided yet," Blu revealed. "They don't know what would be best for you and don't want to waste their efforts," he explained. Were you a wild bird or an escaped pet?" Blu asked.

"Why would they think I wasn't a wild bird?" Miguel wondered.

"Your species usually live far from here," Blu said.

"I was eager to explore," explained Miguel. "I was born far from here in the Amazon rainforest. I learned to survive in different types of environments along the way. I flew to this region using my wings - with my mate," Miguel continued, his voice getting quiet in the end and sadness returning to his face.

"You had a mate. Did something happen to her?" asked Blu.

"Egg binding happened," revealed Miguel. "Before she died, she told me that there had been many egg bindings in her relatives in the past. That's why she wanted to explore the continent before getting chicks, if ever getting them. We did explore for one and half years before becoming mates. She told me that she couldn't resist anymore," he continued. "I was full of sorrow, and I felt ashamed," Miguel revealed. "I felt I couldn't face my species at the time. I couldn't go back yet. We had met your parents a short time before she died, and we four had been only macaws around. I became attached to them. In addition, their story was intriguing. I have gathered and retold many stories, and I wanted their story to have a happier ending."

"I am sorry for your loss," Blu said. "The humans would probably like to release you, but currently, you aren't fit enough. Are you motivated to get in shape?"

"I am," Miguel assured. "I haven't had enough room to fly for years, and my cage was bad for climbing. That is the reason for my sorry shape. If they give me food, space, and time, I will train myself to be fit again," he pledged.

"If they release you, where do you want it to happen?" asked Blu. "Should they do it where you were captured or where your species normally live?"

"I would prefer this region," Miguel answered. "I feel I am meant to be here for some reason," he added. "By the way, what will humans do with you?" Miguel asked after a pause.

"My girlfriend and I are the only Spix's macaws left that human experts have found," Blu explained. "They want to keep us here safe and breeding. It isn't easy for my girlfriend, who has lived her life in the wild," Blu revealed. "What were my parents like? What were their names? Why were they the last ones of their flock?" Blu asked.

"Their names were Andre and Livia," Miguel revealed. "They were both friendly and smart. Your father was a quiet type, sharp and practical. Your mother was curious and contemplating one. She was bigger than your father, but it didn't bother them," he described.

It seemed to Blu that Miguel was missing them. He made his parents sound worth knowing, and he felt sad for not remembering them.

"Life in this region was harsh for the Spix's macaw flock," Miguel continued. "They tried to stay far from humans, which drove them to poor areas where their number decreased. After decline had progressed enough, fertility problems quickened it," he explained. "Your parents weren't mates very long," revealed Miguel. "Before your father, your mother had an older mate. With him, her eggs always failed to hatch. Ultimately, her previous mate got old and was probably captured by a predator. After that, your parents were the only ones left in the region."

Blu remembered how Jewel had wanted him to follow her into the wild. He kept getting evidence that living out there wasn't easy.

"Thank you for answering my questions, Miguel," Blu said. "I hope you will get better soon."

"It was nice to see you again after all these years, Blu," answered Miguel. "I hope things work out well for you, too."

A little later, Blu was on the table close to his and Jewel's cage beside a notebook and stared at it. Tulio seemed puzzled for a moment. Then he waved to Jewel to come out, and Jewel came to Blu's side.

"Was that blue and yellow macaw mean to you?" Jewel asked.

"No, he told me sad things," Blu answered. "Give me a moment to gather my thoughts," he asked. For a while, he stood there, concentrating on his breathing and Jewel's touch. Then, he took the pencil and started alternating between talking to Jewel and writing a bit at a time until everything was told.

Afterward, Blu was grateful for Jewel, who had listened by his side, but he still felt sad about what Miguel had told him about his parents, their flock, and Miguel's past.

Two days after the fixture was removed, Jewel was free of pain. Her flapping power had increased, and her flying muscles weren't sore after training. "It seems the healing has progressed well," she said. "I have tried not to think about what Tulio probably plans for me, but I guess I am ready now," she continued.

"The thought of us becoming mates and raising a family isn't unpleasant, and I do want our species to survive," Jewel said. Her voice was soft, and she looked Blu in the eyes making his heart beat faster. "But I don't want my children and I to live in captivity producing eggs or chicks for humans. I feel it would be a harsh price to pay," Jewel continued, her voice and expression getting harder towards the end. "I see another problem when I think of my potential descendants," Jewel continued sternly. "Tulio said he wants to save our species. That sounds like he hopes there to be several generations of Spix's macaws," she deducted.

"He said he wants a population that is safe from extinction, and for me, it sounds like a very long term," confirmed Blu wondering where Jewel's argument was going.

"We are supposedly the last ones of our kind," Jewel reminded. "Our children would have only their siblings as potential mates. The second generation would have double cousins to choose from at best," she deducted. "In my flock, even cousin pairings were discouraged," Jewel informed. "Sibling pairings followed by double cousin pairings sound very risky," she stated. "How can Tulio assume it would work? Why should I live in captivity if saving our species is doomed to fail?" Jewel asked, her voice getting loud towards the end.

"Those are good questions," Blu admitted. "Maybe we should ask Tulio."

A while later, two Spix's macaws were on Tulio's desk. Jewel was on a low perch on the table, and Blu was standing with a notebook and pencil. He drew a simple pedigree tree and added labels on it.

Blu+Jewl (last ones?)

Sibling pairings

Double cousin pairings

Risky?

Tulio looked at the notepad for a moment. "I understand your worry. The situation is far from ideal," he admitted. "However, there have been cases where a population has started from two individuals. It is very uncertain but still better than no chance at all," Tulio claimed.

Blu translated that to Jewel, who didn't look satisfied with the answer.

Tulio waited until the translation was ready. "Remember also that you are the only Spix's macaws known by scientists, but we don't know everything," Tulio admitted. "There may still be birds captured from the wild alive. There might still be some birds in the wild. There may even be private collectors that have managed to breed your species in captivity," Tulio continued. "If you two breed successfully, the news may inspire people who know about other Spix's macaws to contact us," he added.

Again Blu translated what Tulio had revealed. Jewel looked thoughtful.

"There is also the possibility of cloning," Tulio claimed. "Scientists can't clone birds now," he admitted, "but hopefully, we can in the future. We have tissue samples from several already dead Spix's macaws for that purpose," Tulio informed. "Maybe someday we can take unfertilized eggs and alter them to produce clones of birds from the past," Tulio continued. "The cloned individuals would, in time, reduce inbreeding in the population. However, for that plan to work, there must be a population first."

Blu spoke with Jewel, and a lengthy discussion followed that. The concept of cloning was hard to explain to a wild bird. Jewel wasn't sure how to feel about the idea. When Tulio spoke about the possibility of cloning birds, she wondered if it was wishful thinking or realism. She also tried to imagine how she would feel if humans asked her to produce unfertilized eggs for such a purpose intentionally. She would never like the idea, but it might become the only way for her children and grandchildren to get mates that weren't closely related.

"There is still some hope for our species," Jewel thought. That hope made her life more complicated.

Author's notes:

In the movie, one could see parrots whose colors were closest to blue and yellow macaws and green-winged macaws, both species weighing over a kilogram on average. However, compared to other parrots nearby, their size seemed to vary from small to slightly bigger than Spix's macaws. Usually, they were about the same size as Blu and Jewel.

Those parrots didn't show effective fighting against the marmosets like one would expect from large parrots. They seemed to be just visual props chosen for their bright colors. In real life, there shouldn't be populations of large macaws near Rio. That is also true in my story world. The absence of a blue and yellow macaw population made Tulio suspect that Miguel had been an escaped pet.