Hello all. I hath returneth! Isn't that rare! Now. Few things to get out of the way before I rabbit on a bit. Read more about this story's contents below, but for now, in this foreword, I'd like to mention that the author's note of this tale, I think, will be worth your while to read. Please consider doing that, as I have a bit of an announcement to make.
It's always bothered me; the scene just before the end of the movie, when Blu and Jewel are unchained, that they fall out. It's like an obligatory happening. Main characters who are in love fall out at the climax of the movie cliche. Well, here's how it should be done. Here is Rio, but without the obligatory fallout at the end. Proof that it could have been done better.
Without further ado, please do enjoy.
The male watched on as his newfound friends joyfully spiralled through the air. The moonlight punctuated the birds' silhouettes like they were pulled straight from an old cartoon, until their colour palettes were applied liberally. Jewel's form received a splash of sky blue, tinted purple in the darkness. Nico got a pinprick of yellow to match his small figure, which was mixed into a blackened chartreuse colour in the night sky. Pedro's ample frame was doused with grey and red, the former colour staying the same in the late air, and the red turning to a burgundy sheen. Rafael's black feathers did not change a bit, but his white chest copied that of Pedro's.
"I'm flying! Flying just like a bird!" cried Jewel, performing silent, graceful arcs against the dark sky like the chalk strokes of a maths teacher writing a complex equation on a blackboard.
"Jewel, but you are a bird!" responded Pedro, causing the whole formation to chuckle, including Jewel herself. She was performing a midar barrel roll which climaxed with a slow arc and at the peak, she steadied herself, soft laughter still escaping from her beak. She looked down to earth. She saw Blu, and her mood darkened, more like a setting sun than a black expression. She angled herself in his direction, her wings fluttering in the warm, night climate. She inhaled, and dived towards the male, who was wandering away into the streets.
"Hey! Where you goin'?" she asked him. They had come a long way since their first meeting. What first was hostility and rejection had turned to comfort and curiosity. Jewel, while maintaining a stiff upper beak, had begun to slouch under Blu's presence. The fact that he was the last Blue Spix's Macaw was beside the fact. There was something about him that fascinated Jewel. He was a pet and had a domesticated outlook on life, which Jewel found to be annoying at times and charming at others. This charm of his was strong and so too was his annoyance, but his acts were more amusing than detrimental. A spark was ignited in the female's heart, and she didn't wish for her blue love interest to leave; there was so much she wanted to tell him.
It seemed almost as if the male was uninterested by her presence. Surely he wouldn't wish to distance himself from the bird he was so transfixed on mere hours earlier?
"Blu?" she enquired, confused. He was uninterested by her presence. His heart had assumed jurisdiction of his actions. While his attraction to Jewel was immense, he just couldn't choose her over the human who had fed him, loved him and nurtured him. He recalled the exchange they'd had in the enclosure.
"That human gave me nothing but love and affection for the last fifteen years, while my own kind tried to strangle me after fifteen seconds!" he recalled, looking through his mind's eye.
The immensity of his attraction overcame his senses and he debated choosing Jewel over Linda. He turned his head to 11 o' clock, in the counterclockwise direction, and looked back at her.
The female's voice took a concerned turn which matched the expression which adorned her beautiful visage, "Blu, what's wrong?" she asked him.
He turned completely sideways to begin to face her. He suppressed his indecision; masking it with a jovial tone, "Nothing!" he began, turning to face her, "Everything is perfect. You'll be off to the rainforest. I'll be back with Linda just how we planned," he finished.
Jewel digested his words and began her reply, when she was cut short by the arrival of the festive duo of Nico and Pedro. She craned her neck to the sky to witness their arrival. "Hey birds! Stop yapping and start flapping! Let's go!" called the canary, perching on a Stop sign alongside his friend, tipping his bottle cap hat.
Jewel returned her gaze to Blu, "I- I guess I thought maybe…" she began, trying to play off her feelings with similar tactics to Blu's; by donning a jovial tone.
"What? That you'd come to Minnesota?" he proposed, and left her no time to respond before assuming her answer, "Pft. I- I guess I'll knit you a scarf," he finished, thoughtfully.
Jewel cocked her head to one side, and prepared to spill her feelings. "No, that's… Not what I meant," she replied, fixing her gaze on him, her tone descending into more serious territory.
Blu felt distressed and delivered his argument, "Look, Jewel, I- I can't spend my life following you around wherever you're going," he retorted, turning away from her. It seemed like all was lost. Jewel chose her words carefully.
"Blu, wait. Don't go, please. We can work this out!" she assured him. Blu seemed fed up. He had been teased with love and watched it get taken away. Jewel wanted to be free; Blu didn't want to bind her by having her cater to all of his needs. He turned around, and addressed her. "What is there to figure? You're so… Free spirited. I've been grounded for life and I like it, but, as you said before, 'Flying is freedom and not having to rely on anyone', and I have to ask you, Jewel," he began before delivering his final blow, "Don't you want that?"
Defeated, the female looked at the ground and nodded, slowly. A fat tear welled in her right eye and ran down her cheek, going slower and faster at respective times as the female nodded her head. Seeing this, Nico and Pedro looked at each other and decided to go to carnaval. Nico announced, quietly, "We goin' to the party. I hope we gon' see you two lovebirds there. Because you two 'is lovebirds."
Jewel inhaled shakily, losing her composure, and without removing her gaze from the asphalt, "I know…" she breathed, "Just. Give us a minute… Will you?" she requested.
The two birds looked at each other, nodded and took off into the night in the direction of the bright lights and distant sounds of laughter and joy, leaving behind the private situation to be shared between the two birds. Rafael, from his position behind Jewel, held up his wings and drew his wingtips together, miming for Blu to get closer to her. Blu's expression might as well have said, "I don't need an invitation," and Rafael gave him a nod with his large bill, before disappearing off into the night after Nico and Pedro.
Blu padded up to Jewel, knowing what should be done. The female remained fixated on the ground, until an external force hooked itself under her beak, leading her vision to ascend a soft visual ladder of a funny shade of dark blue, whose pigment had turned purple in the shade of night. Blu raised her chin so he could look into her eyes, and removed the right wing's primary he used, placing it, alongside the rest of his wing, instead on her shoulder. His left wing rendezvoused with his right behind her neck, and he pulled her close. She hugged him back.
"Jewel, I don't want to weigh you down. You deserve to be free. To live your life in the jungle, where you belong. I can't stand to watch you up there, and know that you think you couldn't leave me," he whispered.
Jewel closed her eyes, "Flying is freedom and not having to rely on anyone. But being a bird is about finding the right bird to fly with. What good is freedom if you're bound by loneliness?" she asked him, her face creasing slightly with every word she spoke, the emotion eating away at the heart of the male, who was unable to see her change in face, but could hear it in her voice and in the manner of which she spoke.
"You would be alone doing what you love. Being free," he began, offering her a choice, "You can be free, Jewel, or, you can be bound with me. Watching as I follow you everywhere. I want you to be the jungle girl you are, and I'll stay the city bird I am. It's for your own good," he finished. Making up his mind. He thought that being with Jewel would be like a dream. Holding her, and loving her. With his newfound perspective, seeing her so happy in the air with her friends, he saw himself as a human, and Jewel as a pet. He believed that by being her mate, he would be forcing her to be his pet, which was what he was used to, but not what Jewel would want. Could the female change his way of thinking?
They drew back from their hug, and gazed into the eyes of one another. Jewel broke the silence first.
"Blu, you care so much about me, but you're wrong. Letting me free isn't for my own good. Right now, I don't... want to be free unless I can be free with you. And, I don't.. Care, if it means I'm grounded. As long as you're with me," she pleaded, her eyes sparkling.
Blu was silenced for a moment. "You have… Such beautiful eyes," he whispered. Jewel narrowed her bottom eyelid, fixing the male with a look of pure longing, "What else about me do you find beautiful?" she asked, her gaze locked on his nervous face.
"The most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life are things I have bore witness to in the last 48 hours of my life: Seeing the city, the sea, the sun, the scenery, and seeing you. When I first laid eyes on you, a million thoughts went through my head, and all of them were about how wild and beautiful you are. When you were released from being stuck with me; seeing you fly so happily. That, Jewel, is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. And yes, that's what else I find beautiful about you," he told her. She let her gaze fall to his neck, and more tears escaped; this time from both of her eyes. They left a film, giving her irises a soft sheen in the moonlight, making them look yet more beautiful. Although their hug had ended previously, they still held on to each other. Blu released the female, and in doing so, set her free. "I am a pet. But by making you stay with me, I'm basically just making you my pet. And you're not my pet. You're a beautiful.. Intelligent.." he began, holding back his own emotions as every positive adjective he used to describe Jewel battered his internal dam, "Caring… Strong and… S-sweet girl. And I just can't bring myself to cage you, so," he continued, his internal dam being lashed against to its breaking point by what he was leaving behind. Tears left his eyes which he quickly wiped up. "I'm so s-sorry, Jewel. You need to be here... You need to be free… It's where you belong, and I-I'll go where I belong… With Linda, where I w-won't hold you back, anymore," he finished.
He left Jewel to be distraught. As much as it hurt him to do so, he knew that if he stayed, he would be convinced to keep her as his pet. The thought began to scare him. His flightlessness became an enemy. His inability to be free was a hindrance.
Slowly and quietly, he wandered off into the darkness of the street. Where would he go? He didn't know. As long as he was away from Jewel; he couldn't stand to see her so upset. He couldn't stand to see her standing in front of him at all; her beauty would tempt him into caging her.
The female was very upset, understandably, but she had been in far worse situations. Blu was right when he described her. She was strong. She flew away into the night to join Rafael, Nico and Pedro at carnaval. Blu was going to find his human. As upset as she was at that fact, she wouldn't let it get her down. A good bit of festivity would cheer her up, anyways. With a few beats of her wings, she was airbourne and headed in the direction of the world's largest party.
After a few minutes of sustained flight, Jewel had caught up with Rafael, Nico and Pedro. They flew in the direction of the party in a formation; nobody dared to speak. Except Pedro, who wasn't the most sensitive of birds, "Gurl, why you cryin'? It's time for Carnaval!"
Jewel lost her temper, slightly, "Pedro! I- I.. Blu was one of the few birds that ever made me think! You don't just get over that in a- a heartbeat," she growled. Rafael stepped in, "Woah, woah, woah. What happened? Where is he?" questioned the Toucan. "I don't know. I just… Left him. I couldn't bear to see him any more. He's so... selfless that he'd reject me to keep me happy," she answered, with a sniff. Rafael's eyes widened, "You left him alone? Where is he now?" he asked, urgently. "Again, I don't know. He wants to be with Linda. He didn't want to weigh me down. It was so… Noble," she chuckled, quietly, still in a chokehold of tears.
"Bom Deus!" he exclaimed, "You left Blu alone! He'll get lost!"
Jewel hadn't considered that he was alone, and she may as well have left him to die. No sooner than she could wrap her head around going to find him, did Rafael turn back to find him, himself. "Wait!" cried Jewel, stopping, midair, her wings fluttering as they kept her in place. "You guys go to the party! I'll make sure Blu is okay! Just make sure to have fun, without me!" called Rafael over his shoulder, not deviating from his path to find Blu and get him safely to wherever he wanted to go.
She let Rafael go, and as she flew through the night air, she couldn't help but cry. The wind blew away most of her tears, but the stubborn ones that remained on her cheek needed to be forcibly removed. She sniffed and used her right talon to flick away the offending droplet, before venturing forth, putting distance between her and Blu, alongside Nico and Pedro. After seeing that he had obviously upset her with his strong attitude, Pedro elected to keep quiet.
Back on the ground, the male carried on wandering down the cobbled streets. He was too busy thinking about Jewel to wonder where he was going. His feet tapped on the ground with every step.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
The taps became louder, somehow, and turned more into clicks.
Tap.. Click.. Tap.. Click.. Tap.. Click..
Frustrated, the male growled, "Jewel. Quit following me. The Jungle is that way, shouldn't you be there?"
"Ohh, I was rather hoping we could go to the carnaval instead," came an evil hiss from behind him. Blu did a 180, his eyes widened in shock. Nigel had been following in his footsteps, and stood directly behind him.
He let out a yelp and tried to get away. The cockatoo simply pounced on him with a spring of his strong legs and a beat of his wings. "Resistance is futile. Come on, pretty bird. We're going to a parade! And everyone.. Loves.. A parade!" he snarled, looking deep into Blu's innocent chocolate irises. Nigel let out an evil cackle and simply flew off with Blu in tow, his wingbeats making a ruckus as they disturbed the once peaceful night air.
Just outside of the large white bird's visual range, was Rafael. He had made it back to where he had left Blu, and ventured in the direction he walked. He found him! But not in the way he would have ever hoped... He saw him being carried off by the largest cockatoo he'd ever seen, and elected to go back and find Jewel. Perhaps Blu's capture would sway her into making the decision for him. Surely Blu would believe that Jewel isn't tied down by the bird she consciously chose to save.
"I feel like we should wait for him," insisted Jewel. "What? But we're practically here now!" protested Pedro. The three birds had landed a short distance from the parade. Rafael had left only five minutes earlier. Although he said he'd help Blu, something deep in the female's gut told her that something was wrong. She had acted too hastily and in her desperation to get away from him, she forgot about the nature of the city. She forgot about Nigel. "Maybe we are, but if Blu is in trouble, we'll have too far to go to get him out of it if we go to carnaval," replied Jewel, firmly.
Meanwhile, Linda and Tulio had arrived at the entrance to the parade. Donning their interesting macaw-themed apparel, they were able to gain access to the party.
"I'm sorry about Blu. It sounds like what he did was purely in your best interests," said Nico, kindly. "He really done found the level above the next level," Pedro agreed. Jewel still felt upset, but couldn't help but cheer up in the presence of the two best partiers in the whole of South America. "Thanks, you two. I'm sure Rafi will find him, and maybe bring him along. We can all go to Carnaval and have fun. Friends or.. More," chuckled Jewel. "So… Does that mean we can go now?" questioned Pedro. Jewel rolled her eyes, jovially, and said to him, "You really can't wait, huh?" He looked at her, and responded, "Nuh-uh. I can't. Partying is what we do. It's our heritage," he answered, defiantly. Nico tapped him on the shoulder with a wing, "Oh yeah.." he said, adding emphasis to the cardinal's statement. Jewel laughed. "Quite the party animals I'm with. I'd better swing by your club in the future and sing for you," she offered. "Gurl, your fine self is definitely a welcome sight at our club. I mean, do not hes-i-tate to swing by. Our guests were reeeeal impressed with your display," replied Pedro. Jewel was flattered, "I'll see what I can do for you, boys," she finished. The party birds seemed pleased by her acceptance. Alas, the moment was short lived. Rafael emerged from the darkness, "Hey! You guys! I'm so glad I found you! I thought for sure Nico and Pedro couldn't be kept from carnaval!" he called. Jewel, Nico and Pedro all exchanged worried glances, "Where's Blu?" demanded Jewel, the concern in her heart working its way into her facial expression. "That's what I came here to tell you! Nigel! He got Blu! He's taking him to the parade!"
Jewel gasped. "This is all my fault… If I hadn't just left him, he'd be safe.." she whispered. "There's still time! We have to go! Now!" insisted Rafael. "You're right. You boys ready to have a real party?" asked Jewel. "Ain't nobody messin with a friend of Pedro! I ain't havin it!" came Pedro's response, "It's on!" came Nico's and "Ready as I'll ever be!" was Rafael's final response. Jewel narrowed her eyes, "Then let's fly!"
And so, the three males and the dedicated female set off in the direction of the party to find Blu. Thankfully, they didn't have far to go, at all. The four birds were practically inside the source of the sounds of music and joy, already.
Inside the smuggler's truck-turned-chicken-float, Blu sat in a small cage, all alone on an interior shelf. A tattered green bungee cord affixed his cage to the walls, and a padlock was fitted to his cage. His mind was sharp enough to know that he couldn't open it, and he held chewing through the bars with his beak in the same regard as chewing off his own leg to fit through the cracks. Nigel strutted in front of the cage door. "One flightless male down… One feisty female to go…" he gloated. Blu narrowed his eyes, "You'll never find her!" he began, his voice taking a more sorrowful turn, "She's already gone… And I'm glad. I want anything but for her to be here with me," he finished. Nigel laughed in his maniacal fashion, "How noble! But don't think that will keep her away…" he responded, sinisterly. "What are you getting at, you brute?" demanded Blu. "Temper, Temper!" scolded Nigel, before revealing his intentions, "I don't need to find her!" he began, before putting on a sinister purr, "She'll find you," he finished, moving into an obscure location, out of sight and out of mind. Blu's face and spirit fell. As much as he wanted Jewel to arrive and whisk him away, he stopped himself from hoping it would happen. Why would she come back for him? He would only slow her down. Besides, how could she possibly even know where he was!
Due to the language barrier, Linda had managed to get herself involved with a dance choreographer, and shoved onto a raising platform that lifted her high above all the action, where everyone could see her.
"Cheese and sprinkles…" she breathed, as the whole party was laid out in front of her. She was protesting to the choreographer about being let down, as he insisted that she dance on her platform. Other actors were chipping in to instruct her.
"Alright," began Jewel, flying over various props near the back of the parade alongside Nico, Pedro and Rafael, "Let's split up; cover more ground. The smugglers are moving all of their birds, so they're going to be piloting something big, and ponderous. Something big enough to fit hundreds of birds of all sizes!" she finished. The males each gave her confirmation of the instruction. They each sped on ahead. Jewel opted to stick to the back; there were a few likely candidates. The first was one with a woman on a raised platform. Jewel looked at her, she seemed to be wearing a costume that resembled her. Jewel stopped for a moment to look at the woman, "Is that…?"
Linda was so vacant that she was looking up at the sky, trying to imagine she was at home in her book store with Blu. She had his face and colour on her mind. She thought she was imagining things when she saw a blue bird hovering several feet in front of her above the platform. She looked on at this bird, and a thought struck her mind, "Jewel?"
"Linda!" cried Jewel, never thinking she would ever be happy to see a human in her life. "This is brilliant! She can help me free Blu!" she thought, remaining in the same place. "Hold on, Blu! I'm coming for you!" the woman thought, desperately in her head.
The poor woman tried to get down from the float by herself, but only ended up landing on another, and getting caught up in the act of the performers. She joined in for a second, and even started to enjoy herself when she lost her footing on the edge, but was caught by Tulio. The choreographer seemed frustrated, but saw that the audience enjoyed the act, and he applauded them.
"I saw Jewel! Look! There she is!" cried Linda, after Tulio had hastily put her down. "What?!" he responded, but soon saw what she was talking about. "Oh, Jewel, you never cease to surprise me," he said, almost to himself. "Come on!" insisted Linda, taking him by the hand and following Jewel, who had seen their act, and began to move on; checking the floats for ones that could be the smugglers. She got her answer fast; "Jewels! Jewels! We found him!" called the lone Pedro. Nico and Rafael were nowhere to be seen. Jewel looked at him desperately, and the cardinal followed up with, "He's on some sort of… Weird Chicken Float!" he announced, before urging her, "Come on!" and disappearing into the light.
Jewel looked at Linda, who was making her way down the sidelines, dragging Tulio along as she went. She seemed torn between them, but ultimately decided, "I'm coming for you, Blu…"
"No, Jewel! Where are you going!" shouted Linda, rhetorically, as of course Jewel couldn't understand her. "No, no, it's okay! She wants us to follow her!" assured Tulio. The whole ordeal was flying right under the radar of the packed stands. The sound of music was too joyful and loud to hear any of the human's desperation over.
With Rafael, Nico and Pedro thoroughly out of sight, Jewel neared the rear of the chicken float. Her keen eyesight spied a loose flap of cloth on the abominable vehicle, and her sharp mind knew that she could fit underneath it. Linda and Tulio watched as she did so, while skirting down the sidelines, avoiding choreographers and performers as they went.
Jewel let herself drop down into the vehicle's interior. "What a dump…" she thought, and then she heard the noises of the trapped birds. It shook her to the core, and she shuddered. "First save Blu. Then we can free the rest of them. That'll show Blu freedom…" imagined the female, trying to think on the good side of the situation. Her first task was to find him. That wasn't hard, he was practically on a pedestal. He looked over at her and spoke, in a whisper. "Jewel?" he called, softly. "Blu!" she exclaimed, pleased to see him. She came over, "I thought I'd have to dig through mountains of cages to find… You…" she began, before slowing her speech. She drew close to his cage, and stopped entirely. Another one with an open door was adjacent to him. She smelled a rat. "You have to go!" he told her, urgently, "Nigel is-" he was cut off. The trick was in motion. With impressive speed, Nigel sprang from his hiding spot intending to shove Jewel into the waiting trap, but the simplicity of his plan fell apart when the female saw the signs earlier than the cockatoo had anticipated. When he sprang, she was able to unbalance him, by tripping him over her back, but he wasn't going down so easily. With a shrill caw, he was against her, and tried to insert her into the cage with force. She grappled with Nigel, and saw the opportunity to demoralise him, "Looks like you underestimated the pretty bird," she purred. Nigel looked at her with fury, "I'd only have been disappointed had you fell for it, Jewel," he croaked. "Then you're going to have to do it the hard way. I'm not leaving without him," she promised. "And that mistake is going to be your undoing, pretty bird," he retorted, pushing her out of his grasp. She stepped backwards under the pressure. "You have a choice. You can leave, now, intact and be saved from the male's fate. Or, you can be really stupid and try and save both him, and his flabby fiesta-ing flunkies," Nigel presented. "Ey, man! Not cool!" protested Pedro. "Quiet," demanded Nigel, "The pretty bird has an important decision to make." Jewel shook her head and laughed, "Not so. It's no decision. You knew the answer before you even asked me the question. You're just afraid of me, you coward. You just want me to leave so you don't get your tailfeathers handed to you, old fool!"
"A worthy adversary..." muttered Nigel, before readying himself to face her, "Prepare to meet the same fate as your blue beloved here," he snarled. Jewel prepared herself, equally, "I've lusted after clobbering you since you pulled that cheap chokehold on me. You're not a good sport at all, are you?" she quipped. "Why don't you find out?!" he cawed, making the first move in the fight.
He extended a talon out to grab the female with a terrifying swiftness, but she was ready, and easily able to angle herself in such a way that his attack was effortlessly parried, and his whole body was in the female's way, begging to be forced out of the way. She applied a liberal shove to his side, and the cockatoo went cheek first into Blu's cage. He grunted in anger, steadied himself, and swiped at Jewel with his free wing. This move was dodged with ease, by simply ducking. It was a blind jab, so Nigel could be forgiven. However, the lowered position gave the female a good angle to cause some damage. In a split second decision, she chose a primary feather in the male's wing to remove. One near the middle would do fine; in one swift motion, she clamped onto a feather, and pulled; she got two for one, and the cockatoo winced in pain. Satisfied with her violent act, while the male was occupied with clearing the disturbance in his wing, she decided to try and give him a taste of his own medicine by pushing him into the cage. She pent up a supply of energy and exerted it all in one fluid shove, sending Nigel staggering backwards into the cage. Nico, Pedro, Rafael and Blu watched in awe at the look of self satisfaction on the female's pretty face, she went over to the cage that Nigel had fallen inside, but alas, he was too big to fit. He merely stood, barely, on the floor just in front. The male found time to criticise her actions, "You accuse me of unsportingness. Looks like someone needs to learn the meaning of fair play!" Without warning, he bunched up his large leg muscles and released their full force on the female's midsection, flinging her onto her back with a grunt. The male rose from the cage and went over to exact his revenge, looming over Jewel and seizing her by the throat. She gasped as the air was squeezed from her body. "I was going to play nice with you, but you just had to be the very thing you accused me of. And now, I'll just have to hand you over; dead. Pity," he told her. "Like- I- Care-" wheezed the female, "About- Your- Games!" She used her talons to rip out some more of his feathers, this time on his stomach where they covered him abundantly. The white hot pain of having several downy feathers plucked from his skin was overwhelming enough for Nigel's brain to dedicate more assets to fighting it, than to hold Jewel, thus causing him to drop her. The female regenerated her oxygen supply, and yanked on Nigel's right leg with all of her might, causing him to fall onto his back, in turn. He grunted as he hit the solid wood. The female sucked in a few more quick breaths and got to her feet, and stood over him. As he tried to get up, she ripped additional feathers from wherever she could grasp them in her beak.
"Watching you writhe as I pluck out your feathers is a real pleasure! You did want a makeover, didn't you?" purred Jewel. "Curse you!" was Nigel's furious response. Jewel decided to carry on remodeling Nigel's chest, but as she dipped down her head, he used his wing to smack her neck aside, and pushed her back with his powerful leg muscles, yet again. She did not fall, but it pushed her back enough to give him time to rise. He wanted to win, now, by any means necessary. He yelled and charged at her, wanting this puny blue disturbance to stop fighting back. She took a stance to meet his charge, and grappled with the fearsomely strong cockatoo. "Just… Give… Up… Already!" he growled, trying to dislodge Jewel's footing. "I'm… Just… Getting… Warmed up!" she assured him. She released the pressure in her left wing, causing an imbalance in power that sent Nigel around her, so that now they had swapped sides. This momentum allowed her to run her feet correctly, and use gravity and thrust to throw him against the wall. It worked perfectly, and the white brute was flat against the wall before collapsing in a feathery heap, he groaned as he lay there, defeated. Jewel was victorious.
"Whoo! Remind me not to cross you, Jewels!" whooped Pedro. "Way to go!" cheered Rafael and Nico. Blu smiled at his saviour, who had moved over to set him free. "Ready to feel your own taste of freedom?" she asked him, sweetly. "Are… Are you okay?" asked Blu, seeing that question as the most important thing to ask. "I'm feeling… Alive," she assured him, "My heart hasn't pumped like this since… Ohh…" she finished, leaving the latter half of her confession to the male's imagination. "Onto more pressing matters, how do I open this cage," asked Jewel. Rafael, Nico and Pedro were too busy celebrating Jewel's triumph, and Blu was too busy eyeing up the lock on the cage, that they didn't notice Nigel had gotten himself up and was lumbering towards the female.
She heard him, but wasn't quite ready. She detected his shove, and began to spin around to meet it, but only managed to get side on, before it arrived; the force sending her head crunching against Blu's cage bars. She was out cold, and fell to the floor, with a defeated groan. The male's joy turned to dismay. "Jewel!" cried Blu, seeing his saviour suffer defeat. "You savage! What have you done to her!" shouted Blu, rhetorically, as he had witnessed the answer. "Nothing she wouldn't have done to me," responded Nigel, calmly. He began the process of stuffing her in the cage, and fastening the lock. Three of her longer, beautiful blue feathers 'accidentally' came off as he moved her. The four friends were forced to watch as the evil cockatoo shoved her in the cage. "Whoops!" he said, holding up the feathers he had pilfered. "You heartless monster!" roared Blu, wishing he could inflict similar injuries upon the cockatoo. He seemed to take joy in seeing the male in a state of great upset. "Oh, love…" He began, "Such a powerful and… Stupid thing…" he finished, exiting the cargo area of the float. He passed through a window in the truck's interior and perched on the smuggler, Marcel's shoulder. "Nice work, Nigel," he commended. Their job done, the smuggler honked the horn on the old truck and sped up, scattering dancers and performers of all kinds as he did.
Meanwhile, by now not so far behind, Linda and Tulio had caught up to the float. "Stop! Wait!" called Linda. Her shouts were falling on deaf ears, as the smugglers were not even nearly close to being within earshot. As the goons celebrated their victory, and looked forward to being rich, Fernando in his papier mache egg costume looked back in sorrow. He looked at the roof of the truck on which he stood and eyed some rags that were used in the construction of the tatty canopy that made the float even remotely resemble a white hen. He kicked one off the roof, and it landed on the tarmac in a crumple. He waited a few seconds before kicking off another. Then another. Then another.
Linda and Tulio reached the end of the road, their vision no longer obscured by other performers and their girthy props. Linda spotted two things that perfectly complemented each other.
Fernando's cloth shaped breadcrumbs and a man leaving behind a majestic red macaw float. A million watt lightbulb flicked on in her head.
Tulio was still trying to chase after the white float, when a brilliant golden float pulled up beside him. He turned to face it as he ran, in alarm, and his face contorted into even greater alarm when she saw that Linda was driving it. Her face was full of determination. She had to get her childhood best friend back, and the way she saw it; It was now or never. "Get in!" she demanded.
Not needing an invitation, Tulio climbed up the wedding-cake tiered golden macaw float and sat in a small passenger seat. Linda put her foot down and the float sped off down the road in pursuit of Blu, Jewel and the smugglers.
On a short runway at a nearby airport, a medium sized twin propellor cargo plane squatted on three wheels on the tarmac. It's rear was open, and inside were cages filled with exotic birds. There was quite a selection, with more items being added to the collection by the minute. Arguably the rarest of this list resided within cages on the same runway, at the rear of the plane, waiting to be loaded into its cargo area. Nico, Pedro, Rafael, Blu and Jewel were all nearby each other, but were separated into their respective zones based upon the intentions of the buyers that were lined up to receive them. Blu and Jewel received special treatment and were left together; they were worth top dollar.
The male didn't take his eyes off of the cage in which Jewel lay. She had yet to come around since her fight with the large cockatoo which had left her out cold, after he hit her head against Blu's cage. A barely visible mark on the door was the only thing left over from this incident.
"Oh Jewel… Please wake up. I don't want to die alone," he whispered, staring at Jewel, who laid in her cage. Despite the fact that they were inches from each other; the walls of the cage increased their distance in hearts by a huge amount, turning their mere inches of distance into miles, if not worlds away.
The inside of the female's head was a hive of activity; her unconscious mind had recovered from the shock and was ready to bring her out of her deep sleep. Blu watched on, waiting for her to rise.
At first, there were only lights. Then shapes. Then colours.
Squinting, the macaw took in its surroundings, shrouded in darkness, only illuminated by the weak glow of the moon. The colours turned into comprehensible objects and surfaces, only there was a distinct lined pattern all around her. An iron curtain of mesh that confined her. She groaned and got to her feet, expecting to be able to move freely. She walked towards this pattern that had consumed her, and tried to move it out of the way. Terrified, she realised she couldn't. She tried behind her, to no avail. To the left, and to the right. It wouldn't give. The roof; she could see the stars and the sky and the moon, but they were barred from her reach as much as they were in distance from the earth on which she lived.
"Jewel," called a soft voice to her side. It was male, and warm. "What? Where am I?" she responded, confused, before realising who was talking, "Blu?" she added, looking over at the male. He fixed her with a look of solemn compassion, and told her, "I'm sorry, Jewel. We're… We're finished."
Jewel froze, and her eyes widened, and the colour drained from her face. "No… No.." she despaired, which changed moods dramatically to a descent into madness, "No! No! NO! NO!" she yelled, banging on the door of her cage, "Let me out! Let me out of here!"
Blu watched on at Jewel's wild, free spirit being slowly hacked to death before his very eyes, causing them to brim with tears. Seeing her try desperately to escape, screaming and banging on the bars moved him to a depth of sorrow he had never reached before. "Jewel.. Please stop. You'll hurt yourself," he whispered, loudly enough for her to hear. At once, the female's attempts to escape died down, slowly. "I don't want you to be in pain. If we're going to die, then, I want to be with you when that happens," he continued. Jewel's vocal escape efforts stopped all together. Her last bang was merely her wing being placed against the bars. "No… It wasn't supposed to end this way… It was supposed to end with me finding the one, and being with him… Living our life in the jungle, together... "
Blu felt physical discomfort, and was as similarly upset as Jewel. He didn't associate cages with danger, so he was taking it well. The female on the other hand had never been caged before, and the idea of a confined space that could prevent her from moving in any given direction was her idea of hell.
"And I found him… I found him, and I wanted to see if I could make him the mate I had dreamed of…" breathed Jewel, turning to face Blu, her eyes wet with tears, "And he is so perfect that he would reject me for my own good… So I could be free… He thinks he isn't good enough for me but that act alone makes him enough," she finished.
Blu shook his head, "This is what being caged is like. I thought that you merely being my mate would be the same as this, but, no, this is much different. To hell with what I said before!" he despaired, looking at Jewel, longingly, "I love you, Jewel. If we survive this, I want to be with you. We'll make it work… I'll find a way," he promised. Jewel wiped the tears from her eyes and affirmed, "I love you, too, Blu… I'll work with you to make it happen. I promise," pledged the female, looking as deeply into the male's eyes as she could, given her distance. She cursed the cage for disallowing her from sealing her promise with a kiss.
Fernando and the smugglers were still busy loading birds of all kinds into the back of the plane. Rafael, Nico and Pedro were already inserted into the hold. The two macaws were thankful that Nigel was too busy tormenting other birds to mock them for now, and having made their peace, chose to sit comfortably and await the journey to their end.
Blu shook his head. "I can't believe you love me, too. I can't," he admitted. "You'd better believe it, Blu. I know I do. Any bird who has my best interests prioritised over everything; even his primeval urges, is already worthy of my affection," assured Jewel. "I only wish I could receive some of that affection…" the male sighed. "I only wish I could… Give it to you," replied the female, wiping away a residual tear. "The first chance I get… I want to just… Hold on to you. Please?" he asked, intently. Making the best of a terrible situation was something Blu had seemed to have done well, "I'll be reaching out for you the moment I'm let out of this cage," laughed the female, weakly. She was incapable of expressing joy, but was capable of soft laughter.
It was at that point that Fernando spied the two lovebirds, their cages sat on top of old crates; the moonlight painted their faces with an eerie white haze as though they were already spectres of their living forms. Blu and Jewel looked at him, and their gaze was met and reciprocated by the small boy who approached them; they were the last to be loaded. He took a good look behind him to make sure that nobody would bear witness to what he would do next.
A look of satisfaction came upon his face when he decided that he was suitably out of visible range and he announced, "I'm gonna get you guys outta here." But alas, as soon as he picked up the lock on Blu's cage to see if he could pick it, before he was able to do anything, the full weight of Nigel slammed down on top of Jewel's cage, with a heavy thud and a rattle of cage bars. He screeched in Fernando's face, deafening him somewhat, and sending him backwards into Marcel, who had heard this and immediately came over to see what the fuss was about. He grabbed the boy by the arm and demanded, "What do you think you're doing?" Fernando was unable to think of a suitable lie Marcel yanked him away from the two birds by the arm. "You shouldn't have done that. Now come on!" he growled, hauling the boy out of reach of the two macaws. He looked longingly at Jewel; her eyes and terrified expression gave him a sense that she was more worried for his safety than her own. In a split second decision, he decided that he wouldn't let her go to her grave wondering if he would be harmed. The boy bit the hand that tugged on him, causing its owner to wince and release him with a grunt. Using the small amount of time to get away that he had, he made his escape without looking back. Armando, the tall goon, came to Marcel's aid as he recovered, and began to pursue Fernando, but Marcel halted him, "J-Just forget him. Get those birds!"
As Fernando bolted away from the three men, Jewel breathed a sigh of relief. "He escaped. Good kid," she breathed, an air of thankfulness in her voice. "He has a lot of promise. I hope that he finds a home, and someone to look after him," agreed Blu. Jewel smiled weakly and added, "I hope that… Linda and Tulio look after him," she began, wiping yet another tear from her eye, "Even if we won't be there to see it, I hope that they look after him, and maybe, they will remember us," she finished.
Nigel remained standing on top of Jewel's cage and heard her sentiment. He cackled nastily and said, "Oh, nobody is going to remember you, pretty bird. The flightless freak might go down in the memory of the human, but you? Your looks are the most memorable thing about you," he began, his voice a horrific hiss, as he reached into the cage to seize the female's throat, and in doing so, caused her to choke, "But it won't be long before even I forget about you, as we move on to even bigger orders, sending more pretty birds like you to a similar fate. You won't be so beautiful when you're dead!" he finished, his voice as evil as could be conceived by the ears. "I'd- Say- Go to hell…" rasped the female, her oxygen supply running out, fast, but she summed up just enough to complete her response, "But- You're- Already- T-There!" she finished, her skin turning blue underneath her external feathers. Nigel would have asphyxiated her then and there had it not been for Marcel shoving the cockatoo off the top of the cage, causing his claws to jerk Jewel upwards until her body hit the top of the cage, only for them to slip from the female's neck when they could go no further. "Nigel! We need this bird ALIVE!" he scolded. The cockatoo protested vocally to being struck, but ultimately agreed with him. What good is suffering if your victim is already dead?
Without much of an issue, Armando and Marcel loaded Blu and Jewel respectively as Tipa, the fat goon, started the plane's engines. Once Blu and Jewel's cages were fastened to the wall, Armando and Marcel bumped fists. "Are you ready to bring that Cha-Ching home?" asked Marcel, jovially, in pure ignorance to the innocent lives he was erasing to receive his ill-gotten gains. "Ah yeah! We're gonna be rich!" replied the tall smuggler, stoked to be reaping the dirty money of the operation.
Immediately after being affixed to the wall, Blu and Jewel, despite still being restricted from each other's contact, tried their best to hold one another through the cage bars. They threw their wings up against the bars to try and get a hold, but their primary feathers either slipped through a short distance or were pushed aside altogether. They despaired. The simple metal wired boxes had thwarted them.
Nigel, who was perched on Marcel's shoulder as the man descended the ramp, fixed Blu and Jewel with a vile, content look, admiring his handiwork of dooming the two macaws, "I told you. Love is such a powerful and stupid thing… And if I had my way, I'd have put you further apart to save you from it. I nearly did. The afterlife is far enough for you two. Because it is, to me," he asked in a sickly sweet voice, like Blu and Jewel were children and he had baked them a pie; only in this case, he may as well have poisoned them and made the concoction with their own blood, sweat and tears. Seeing the horrified looks on Blu and Jewel's faces as they turned to face each other with a stomach-turning dread was the highest form of visual stimulation the cockatoo could receive. "Goodbye… Pretty birds…" whispered Nigel, who just couldn't help but let out one last cackle before the cargo bay door was closed, swallowing the two birds up for good, until it would eventually spit them out into the hands of the Frenchman who meant to do great harm unto them.
They both felt a quaking judder, as the engines of the weedy old plane choked into life, revolving the propellers at high speeds, and sending the craft down the runway at a tremendous rate. The runway was tattered and torn, and every single imperfection in the tarmac sent shock waves up the worn suspension and into the cargo bay, where the many birds were imprisoned, sending a similar jolt down their spines, and reminding them of one thing: They were likely not going to survive.
Soon, the sensations stopped, as the plane left the tarmac, but then, suddenly, there was an extra loud bang on the underbelly of the aircraft, leaving a noticeable dent in the floor-pan, though it was not substantial enough to warrant grounding the plane instead of flying off into the sunset, with the smuggler's feathery saddlebags a-bulging.
The last-ditch-attempt of an assault was by Linda and Tulio, in a float stolen from the nearby carnaval. The bright, flamboyant top decorations were no match for the steel fuselage of the plane, and thus, either broke, or fell off entirely. On the ground, the battered float lost traction and skidded to a halt where the plane had once stood, the battle scars it had endured were burning reminders of Linda and Tulio's failure.
Linda, still dressed in her macaw costume, ran along the runway a short distance, as if trying to run alongside the aircraft and gain entry, though her attempts were futile, as the plane was already growing to be a mere dot on the horizon. Despite this, as if there was a chance in hell that she could be heard, Linda called out to Blu by his name, twice, before Tulio stopped her, with an expression on his face that spoke a thousand words.
"He's gone."
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End of Chapter. (Or probably the whole thing of this; we'll see. I have other ideas for it.)
Did you enjoy that? I sure hope so. Please do leave a review if you have any criticisms, and they will certainly be taken on board with one exception; Please do not note the fact that the dialogue is perfectly written to the point where it seems like two robots are speaking to each other. It is something I am aware of, already, and is intentional. But absolutely positively anything else other than that will be taken on board with a smile and a Thank You. Unless you're just leaving a review saying "its bad" or "i didnt like it" without telling me why, then if stupidity were a disease, you would be a 14th century rat.
Anyways, I'm pretty sure I got the names of the smugglers right. Let me know if I didn't; I'll change them.
Also, I just fast forward the part where the original argument takes place in the film because I just cringe so hard every time I see it. Tico-taco-yah-yah-yah. Yes, I think this story is a bit of a step up from that. Anyways, if you want to bicker about the original scene Vs this story, then go right ahead; I love talking about this sort of thing. PM me about it. I'm happy to discuss.
With all of that out of the way, I am pleased to announce that this story is a canon prequel to an upcoming story of mine. Yes, mine. Me, who usually writes 2 chapters of a story and never touches the series again. Hah. Well, that has all changed.
The name of the story is 'Imperfect', and summing up what it is about is easier said than done. But let's just say it is 20,000+ words long at the moment, and I'm not even nearly done with it. The difference with this story and the ones I say I'll finish but never do? I'm obligated to finish Imperfect. The story has many scenarios in it with some of your favourite Rio characters, and the nature of it is very true to the original plot. The purists will love it; the Star Wars Crossover people, for example, might not. This story is called Rio - Imperfect, not because it sounds nice, but because it is very much a true-to-the-original-tale Rio fanfiction. I have received criticisms from published authors and even a member of this very FanFiction community, CSX GP40-3. I'd like to officially give my thanks to him for his help with growing the story and listening to me blither on about various ideas I've had when it comes to the story. I am very much appreciative of his contributions.
(If you would like to read some of Imperfect early and give feedback, then PM me and I'll give you a link.)
I have written Imperfect in such a way that you can enjoy it as a casual read, or you can look deeply into the text and find a greater meaning to it all. I have taken a lot of inspiration from Shakespeare's various works, which incorporate a lot of words that can hide others, which is what is present in my story. I will not be happy unless there's a deeper meaning put into any possible place that awards the reader for paying close attention to the text wherever it is possible and within reason.
One of the other things I will reveal is that Jewel is the main character rather than Blu. I do thoroughly enjoy writing about her; she has a lot of potential as a character, and I have gone into that in this story. That is not to say Blu is in her shadow. Blu still definitely plays a lead role. But all the Jewel fans out there will be satisfied, I think. I didn't think I'd ever say that in my life. Yet, here I am.
So!
When will Chapter 1 be released? When its ready. If I had to predict? Christmas.
But I promise that if I decide to give up with the story, I will publish everything I have written on it at the time of giving up and you can just have at it as an unfinished story. But that won't happen, because this story will be finished. However, it may take a very very long time.
I will not post Chapter 1 until I am at least 75% done with the story. It is currently 7 chapters long, and when finished? It'll likely have in the ballpark of 20. I will be posting 1 chapter per week or sooner, depending on how well received the story is.
With that all that out of the way, sadly, it is time to say something I haven't exactly been looking forward to saying, but it is something that must be said.
Once I finish Imperfect, I will be retiring from the archive. Unless I say otherwise upon its completion.
Having to explain to people the genre of writing I do is becoming tedious, and I'd simply rather not deal with the hassle of it. As much as I love writing about Rio, I have my own characters, and they fit Blu and Jewel's role nicely, and the setting on which my characters are based in their own story is one I enjoy writing about as equally as Rio de Janeiro. My stories obviously won't be going anywhere, neither will my account, and I will still use it from time to time, respond to reviews, blah blah blah, but I'd rather officially announce I'm leaving than leave and have nobody know about it. I know there are about 7 people on planet earth that'd really miss me.
This author's note has gone a bit, now, hasn't it? Welllll... I have a lot to say. So, thank you for reading.
Leave a review if you want, please make it on topic if you do, if you liked the story I'd appreciate it if you followed and favourited it, because I may well add more in the future... If you're looking forward to the idea of Imperfect (I know I'm looking forward to showing you all!), then consider giving me a follow so you won't miss its release if I do release it early, and if you favourite me as an author, then thank you, but you shouldn't. :')
I wish the best to you all, and be safe out there.
~ Der Verructe Spatenwahnsinnige
(I would like to change my name, but I can't be bothered.)