Around noon three days after Jewel's fixture was removed, Tulio came in with a bird carrier. A tray with some food was placed on top of it. Blu and Jewel were surprised when they saw their friend Rafael inside the bird carrier. The toucan was smiling at them.

"This toucan just came in like he knew what he was doing and seemed to be looking for something," Tulio explained. "I remembered your friends outside included a toucan. Is this one your friend?"

Blu nodded and talked to Jewel, who also nodded. Tulio put the carrier on the floor, opened a door of Blu's and Jewel's cage, and offered his hand to Jewel. Jewel stepped on his hand and was helped to the floor while Blu flew down by himself. Tulio put the food tray on the floor before opening the bird carrier, and Rafael stepped out.

"Hello lovebirds, It is nice to see you again," he greeted Blu and Jewel.

"Nice to see you too," they replied almost simultaneously.

"I got the news a while ago that you were here," Rafael informed. "I thought that getting to you may succeed only once, so I waited until now," he continued. "How is your wing now, Jewel?" he asked. "Adriana, who brought your message, said you had a scary metal thing holding your humerus together. It isn't there now, and your wings look quite normal, but you didn't fly down," he continued, sounding worried.

"My wing is much better now," Jewel assured. "It moves just like before and doesn't hurt," she continued. "However, humans say the bone needs to get stronger, so I shouldn't fly yet. They will recheck my wing four days from now, and hopefully, I can fly afterward. Meanwhile, I can train my wings with moderate flapping while perching."

"I'm happy to hear that," Rafael said before looking at Blu. "Blu, you did fly. How did you finally learn it?"

"A kiss from Jewel made me forget my flying anxiety," Blu revealed. "It might also have helped that I was full of adrenaline before it. After that breakthrough, Jewel has coached me," Blu continued.

"That is wonderful," Rafael said. "I have said that you two belong together," he reminded. "Is it true that these humans don't plan to release you?" He asked.

"It is true," Blu admitted. "By the way, Rafael, weren't you afraid to come here?" he asked.

"A little," Rafael admitted. "I know several birds that have been helped here, and my species isn't scarce, so I didn't expect trouble, but sometimes things go wrong. Being so close to humans is also unnerving," he continued. "You two are quite good at escaping," Rafael reminded. " Can't you escape again?" he asked.

"First, I am not very confident I could," Blu admitted. "These humans know what they are doing, and they should know by now not to underestimate us," he continued.

"Second, I'm afraid there isn't any good place left to us," Blu stated. "Jewel's flock did alright in one good area that burned down years ago. I was told my parents' flock declined until my parents and I were the only ones left. Then my mother died, and poachers took me. Our kind probably did well in Caatinga centuries ago, but that ecosystem has degraded badly, and the last population there was taken by poachers," he continued.

"I am afraid we need help from humans if we want our species to survive and don't want our children to die in a harsh environment," Blu said. "But I will try to convince them to let us fly outside. I will also ask them not to take chicks from us," he promised.

"Blu, maybe we would be lucky and manage to raise our chicks in the wild. And we would have each other at least. We could live a long time together, taking a day at a time," Jewel pleaded.

"Please, Jewel, don't ask me that," Blu pleaded back. "It would break my heart to say no, but it would also break my heart to do it," he continued.

For a moment, nobody talked.

"Will you resent me because I don't want to help you escape?" Blu asked, scared of the answer.

"Maybe little," Jewel answered. "Is it alright if I resent you a little?" she inquired.

"You have the right to feel that way," Blu assured. "Jewel, I will stay by your side if you want me, and I will do my best to give you a good life," he promised.

"I don't know if I can be happy in captivity, but I don't think I could be happy alone anymore, so I will stay by your side," Jewel promised, sounding sad.

"It is good that you talk about your feelings," Rafael advised. "Keeping everything inside isn't good for long," he warned. "Hopefully, your attempts to convince humans work, Blu," he concluded, sounding doubtful.

Rafael, Blu, and Jewel chatted about lighter subjects for a while. Finally, Rafael returned to the carrier, and Tulio took him away to be released outside the building.

Blu imitated the sound of an explosion and got some neck scratches from Linda. Then he launched in the air to return to the cage with Jewel. He was in a good mood now that Linda was back. She had returned to Rio the previous evening couple of hours after Rafael left and came to see him this morning.

He flew to perch beside Jewel, who had watched them with a thoughtful expression. Jewel turned towards him and looked at him. "Do you still think that I am pretty," she asked.

"Of course!" Blu assured. "Why do you doubt that?"

"My flying muscles got smaller during my healing," Jewel revealed.

"I hadn't even noticed," Blu said.

That didn't seem to assure Jewel.

"You are still the most beautiful bird I have ever met," Blu continued.

By then, Jewel had heard from Blu she was the only female macaw he had ever met, but the compliment still seemed to assure her worries.

"You said you would ask humans to let us fly outside and not to take our chicks," Jewel reminded. "When and how are you going to do it?"

"We have to decide first what is most important to us and what matters less," Blu said. "Then we have to think how we make humans see that they aren't bad ideas from their point of view."

"Humans want to grow a population of Spix's macaws," Jewel noted. "Anything else or after that?"

"They want a numerous Spix's macaw population first," Blu answered. "After that, they want to make at least parts of Caatinga livable and reintroduce our kind there. They want to keep a separate population outside Caatinga too."

Blu saw a longing in Jewel's expression when he mentioned the plan about Caatinga.

"A big thing for me is being able to fly outside at least occasionally," Jewel said. "If possible, I want to be able to go outside whenever I want."

Blu nodded and realized he wanted that too. During their adventure, he had been repeatedly scared but had also seen many beautiful things, and he could imagine flying without limiting walls or ceiling would be awesome. He waited for Jewel to continue.

"I have heard that humans who breed parrots may take chicks from the parents before they are fledged, or they may even take the eggs," Jewel said. "I want to raise my children myself. Don't you?"

Blu feared to answer, but he wanted to be honest with Jewel. "A human raised me. I am scared I would be a bad parent, but I would do my best for you," he said.

Jewel smiled at him. "It's okay; I will teach you. I am sure you would learn to be a good father."

Blu felt a warm feeling from her words. "We must ask to be sure, but I think Tulio wants us to raise our chicks. He showed me a video of parents feeding their chick after it had fledged."

"In the wild, juveniles often stay close to their parents for a while," Jewel said. "Even after that, they may see each other from time to time. I want to be able to see my older children sometimes too."

Blu nodded. Jewel's request seemed reasonable to him.

"Humans don't want us to lose chicks, and neither do I," Blu informed. "Even if we have access outside, we should have a shelter that keeps dangerous animals away from our nests, children, and us."

"That sounds good, but I would like a view outside," Jewel added.

"Humans fear that something bad happens to our children or us if we go outside," Blu stated. "What could we say to them?"

"I will teach you how to avoid dangers," Jewel promised. "Also, remind them of how we were taken from here."

"Right! If we have access outside, repeating that is harder," Blu agreed. "If we have a big shelter, our chicks could learn to fly in a safer environment before getting outside."

"Would humans trust us to stay close?" Jewel asked.

"That is a tough part," Blu admitted. "We can remind them that we have heard what happened to each population we have heard about. I hope that is enough to reassure them."

"I can better teach our children survival skills outside," Jewel noted. "They will be useful if our descendants return to the wild."

"I can also say that you are more likely to stay healthy and breed if you are happy," Blu suggested. "I think we should wait after you can fly again to have a better chance to convince Tulio."

There was a silence for a while as the macaws were thinking.

"If humans can somehow make a return to Caatinga possible in our lifetime, will you go there with me?" Jewel suddenly asked, looking at Blu pleading.

Unexpectedly Blu had a premonition. If he promised to go to Caatinga with Jewel and meant it, they would become mates and parents during the next breeding season. The return would become possible during their lifetime. He would tell Jewel about this premonition before that day, and she would still want to go. They would have good times in Caatinga, and he would see Jewel getting killed in the end.

Jewel would live a very long life and peacefully pass away in her sleep if he didn't, but Spix's macaws wouldn't fly in Caatinga during his lifetime.

Blu had until recently been skeptical about the supernatural. Still, his vision felt strong, and he had already started to wonder if some force wanted him and Jewel to succeed in saving Spix's macaws from extinction.

In hindsight, the odds of him ending with someone as dedicated as Linda seemed very low. So did the odds that he and Jewel survived all close calls in their adventure. Their feet had slipped free of the chain as if their bones became rubber for a second, and finally, he managed to carry Jewel to safety.

Blu also wondered if there were minor nudges along the way, like meeting Rafel and his visit. Even the coincidental meeting with Miguel had given him information that he and Jewel had taken into account.

"I don't believe everything has been predetermined," Blu thought. "I think our choices along the way mattered and will still matter."

Blu noticed Jewel was looking at him. She looked worried. He considered the question. If what he saw was true, it was a cruel choice. That thought reminded him of the choice Jewel had made the day before. She promised to stay with him without giving him any conditions.

After short consideration, Blu thought that if humans reintroduced Spix's macaws to Caatinga, it would mean that their numbers were already at a relatively safe level. If that day ever came, and the odds didn't seem high, he and Jewel would probably be old already.

He would tell Jewel, and she would still choose to go.

"Blu?" Jewel asked, looking sad.

"Yes," Blu answered in a steady voice. "I will go there with you."

Jewels' sad expression turned joyful. She reached toward him and initiated a kiss that lasted for a while. The fear Blu had felt due to his vision didn't disappear entirely, but his love for Jewel felt stronger than fear. The way Jewel kissed him also felt slightly different, like Jewel had become more confident about their relationship than before.

After the carrier door opened, Jewel stepped out and took off. A new X-rays had just been taken, and she got permission to fly again. She and Blu had been brought from the inspection room straight into the big room to practice flying.

She flew between trees and landed on a brach near the center of the room. She turned to look back and saw that Blu had also taken off and followed her, smiling. Jewel checked that there was room for him to land and waited for him.

Jewel knew that she needed to take it easy. Too much flying too early would be bad for her rehabilitation. Too little wouldn't be good either. She would try to find the golden middle ground.

In her flock, the injury she got would have killed her and probably quite soon. However, sometimes Spix's macaws got more minor injuries that healed with rest, and the flock learned from experience. She estimated that getting close to normal would take at least twenty-four days, and getting at her best would take much longer.

Blu landed beside Jewel, who smiled at him. Then she took off again, flying along an easy route among the trees. She looked behind her and saw him following. She flew around the room and landed again, and Blu landed beside her again.

The macaws stopped to rest. "After you," Jewel said after a short break. Blu obliged by taking off, and Jewel followed. The parrot couple alternated following the other, and from time to time, they landed on the branches to rest.

Jewel was flying first time in over a month, and it filled her with joy. Even better, she was flying with someone of her kind for the first time in many years, her new boyfriend.

After a while, Blu descended toward Linda and Tulio and landed on Linda's shoulder.

Suddenly strange feeling came to Jewel. She knew that Tulio might be an obstacle to her freedom, but she also knew his reasons. She realized that she couldn't help liking Tulio.

Jewel started to descend and landed on Tulio's shoulder. Then she turned around and touched Tulio's cheek with her head briefly. After that, she turned her head towards Blu, who seemed astonished by what had just happened. Then Jewel realized that she was also very close to Linda's face. They looked at each other, and Jewel decided that Linda was alright.

Two humans stood hand in hand, and two Spix's macaws perched on their shoulders for a while.

"You two can come here to train again tomorrow and the next day," Tulio promised. "We don't want Jewel to fly too much too soon, so you should still live in your cage for a couple of days," he added.

Blu translated Tulio's comment to Jewel. Jewel thought their cage was dull, but she knew she would be tempted to fly a lot here and decided not to argue.

Three days after Jewel got permission to fly, the parrots stood on Tulio's desk. They had asked both Tulio and Linda to be present for discussion. Blu started to write.

We want
stay together

"That is good news," Tulio said. "Is that all you wanted to discuss?" he then asked. Blu continued writing.

We have demands:

Tulio raised his eyebrows and waited. Blu wrote down their first demand.

1. We raise our chicks

"If the health of your chicks is in danger, we will intervene," Tulio warned. "Otherwise, it has been our plan that you raise your chicks yourselves," he assured.

2. We can meet
our children later

"You know, many parrots drive their juveniles away after they are weaned, but if you get along with your children and it doesn't interfere with breeding, it can be arranged," Tulio promised.

3. Large enclosure and
outside view

"Outside view wasn't in our plans, but if it is important for you, we can see if we can change our plans to keep you happy," Tulio said.

4. We and
our descendants
can go outside
when we want

Tulio looked surprised and then angry. "Are you serious?" he asked in a loud voice. Blu stood steadily and looked at Tulio, and Jewel stood by his side. Then anger on Tulio's face was replaced by shame and worry.

"Look, there are predators and poachers and other dangers outside. It is safer to stay inside," Tulio warned in a softer voice. Again Blu answered by writing.

Risk we choose

Jewel will teach
me and children
survive

"How do we know that you don't just fly away and disappear?" Tulio questioned. Blu flipped a new page before writing his answer.

We are not stupid!

Jewels flock:
Jewel is here
Others alive unknown
Good territory is unlikely

My parents flock:
I am here
Father alive unknown
Everyone else dead

Caatinga population:
all gone

We need help!

Tulio looked at the page for a long time without saying anything. "Do you have more demands? Other subjects to discuss?" Blu shook his head, and there was again silence.

"I can't make such a decision alone," Tulio said. "I would get fired, and other conservationists would try to recapture you afterward." He paused for a moment. "I understand that you prefer to fly free, but my mission is to save your species," he added. "Can you tell me any advantages of you flying free to compensate for the risks of going outside?" he finally asked. Blu paused like he was thinking before starting to write.

Jewel teach
survival
to children

Jewel happy
more likely breed
more likely healthy

We were
stealed
this place

Tulio looked at the notepad in silence for a while. "I guess the first one is true, but I don't know if it is worth the risk. And about the second one: Jewel doesn't look very unhappy to me."

Jewel has hope now

Tulio stared at the text. Letting those two outside seemed like a career-ending mistake, and refusing seemed safer for him. On the other hand, Blu might be right. Continued captivity might harm Jewel, and the loss of knowledge passed between generations because of confinement might make returning Spix's macaws to Caatinga one day harder.

In addition, he couldn't see Blu and Jewel as just animals anymore. He had started to see them as two sapient beings, if not persons. To keep them in captivity against their will didn't feel right.

Tulio put his elbows on the desk and pressed his forehead to his palms. "Could there be a way to do it?" he thought. He knew some influential people who might support him, and he had been collecting evidence of the cognitive capabilities of Blu and Jewel. He felt that getting the ministry of environment to agree with the fourth demand would be very hard, but could he look himself in the mirror if he didn't try?

With that thought, he straightened himself. "I don't like this at all, but I will see what I can do." He stood up and lifted the bird carrier on the table. Blu and Jewel walked in. Tulio carried them to their room while Linda followed. On the way, Blu spoke to Jewel briefly in a quiet voice while everyone else was silent.

Author's notes:

Tulio was wary of Rafael because toucans can be aggressive and are bigger than Spix's macaws. He decided to trust Blu's and Jewel's views on Rafael and let him out. The food tray was to soothe him if he happened to be hungry.