Our New Life Together
Chapter 3: Welcome To Paradise
"I still don't understand why you wanted to practice your flying in the city."
"The structure difference of each building will develop my coordination."
"We have trees in the jungle that are different size."
The last Blue Macaws on Earth conversed on top of a building rooftop after another day of flying lessons. Thanks to days of practice under the more experienced Jewel, Blu was improving with each day. Since moving to the jungle, it wasn't often the lovebirds visited the city, mostly to drop by and see Linda once a week. While Jewel longed to go back to the jungle soon, she couldn't deny it was a beautiful day.
The sun basked them in warm heat, the gentle breeze brushed softly through their coat of feathers. The noisy streets of Rio was barely audible from this high up, providing a peaceful atmosphere to enjoy. Sighing with relaxation, Jewel sat at the edge of the building, taking the moment to appreciate the silence. She was no city bird by any means but even she couldn't deny how beautiful the city was, especially the Ipanema Beach.
Blu joined her shortly afterwards, sitting close by as they enjoy the midday sun together. "It sure is peaceful from up here."
"It's why I love flying so much," Jewel replied serenely. "Whenever things get too stressful, I like to come up here and get away from it all."
"I never knew how much I've been missing over these years," Blu agreed. "But I don't think I could have done this alone."
At that moment Jewel took his wing within her own. "And that's why I'm glad I have you, Blu."
Their eyes locked towards each other as they smiled. No words needed to be spoken; their eyes told the other everything they needed to know. Slowly, they inched closer together, ready to share their next romantic gesture.
"Whatcha doing'?"
The Blue Macaws jumped at the unexpected voice, during which Blu almost stumbled off the edge. Jewel was quick on her feet and caught him before Blu's footing became unbalanced. Pausing to compose themselves, they once again faced the Samba duo.
"You guys really need to stop doing that," Jewel said with annoyance.
Pedro shrugged innocently. "Doing what?"
"That."
"What?"
"That!"
"What?"
Nico stepped in to defuse the situation. "Hey now, let's not get out tail feathers in a twist. We were just heading back to the club and saw our favorite lovebirds hanging out."
"The club's reopened?" Jewel inquired, disregarding her previous annoyance in favor of a new interest.
The Samba Club, the heart and soul of Rio de Janeiro for all birds alike. A special place that introduced the Blue Macaws to the samba and helped build up their relationship from friendship to love.
Nico nodded. "That's right! Grand re-opening. We were just on our way over there now. You lovebirds want to come and get funky?"
"I think that sounds like fun," Jewel agreed while turning to her mate for his answer. "What do you say, Blu?"
The shyer and less confident Blue Macaw rubbed one wing over the back of his neck. "I, uh…I'm not sure."
"Come on, Blu, it'll be fun!" Pedro exclaimed. "You and Jewel were our biggest hit last time! You're the talk of the town!"
"Us? Really?" Jewel played along, almost intriguing in the idea of being a celebrity amongst birds.
"You bet!" Nico said with enthusiasm, hopping between the two Blue Macaws for answer. "I take it that's a yes from you two?"
Jewel couldn't be more excited to attend the Samba Club again since their first visit. It was the only time she loosened up and enjoyed herself, dropping that stern exterior for once. While Blu was equally excited to return to the place he realized his true feelings for Jewel, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anxiety. Being the center of attention wasn't exactly something he was used to. But as long as he had Jewel by his side, nothing was impossible.
Mustering his courage and remembering the wisdom of Rafael, he finally offered an answer. "I can't wait to see the club!"
"Alright!" Nico boosted with excitement. "Let's get going, the party waits for no one!"
Together, all four birds took to the sky and set course towards the Samba Club with Nico and Pedro taking the lead. Jewel could easily take the lead if she wanted to and race them there, but held back to allow them to stay ahead. It was their club, after all and she wanted them to feel a sense of guidance.
The trip to the market didn't take long. Thanks to Blu's new flight ability, they reached the Samba Club in a relative short time. The markets of Rio were packed with humans on the daily visit to purchase market goods. Little did they know of the crazy excitement just below their feet. The four birds landed just outside of the club, faint music immediately hit their ears.
"See how much it is to travel when we're not walking everywhere?" Jewel teased Blu with a playful nudge.
"Look on the bright side," Blu replied. "At least we got to take in the sights."
"Because falling from cliffs and almost getting hit by cars is such fun," Jewel sarcastically remarked, though in a less mocking way and more bantering. Despite their close calls with death on numerous occasions, she had to admit it was entertaining in a strange way. Fate certainly had a way of keeping them together.
Blu returned her teasing smile, agreeing their first adventure had been a great one. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."
During their small conversation, they had failed to notice Nico and Pedro had already entered the club. Together, they gently pushed through the club's entrance and entered. The club was filled with party birds enjoyed the atmosphere and good company. Everyone was having the time of their lives, dancing and conversing with friends and family.
As the Blue Macaws reached the center of the club once more, Nico moved to reintroduce them. "Welcome back to paradise!"
Taking his cue, Pedro took to their man-made stage and gathered the attention of their attendees. "Yo, yo, yo, yo! Listen up! Our favorite couple are back and ready to show you guys and gals how it's done!"
A small spotlight covered said lovebirds, causing them to stand out like a needle in a haystack. Blu offered a nervous wave while Jewel took a small bow with glee.
His questions were met with a round of applause of cheers in perfect timing of the spotlight hovering over said macaws. Now the center of attention, Blu waved towards the crowd with Jewel taking a small bow. Ready to get this party started, Nico signaled for their band to get the rhythm going. The club was filled with an upbeat atmosphere, colorful lights painted the club with style. Truly a magnificent place to let loose and enjoy themselves.
As Blu nodded his head to the beat of the music, his foot tapped lightly against the ground without warning. It wasn't long before his whole body swayed to the music. In one of the rare times in his life, he didn't think about his actions and just went with the flow. Similarly, Jewel joined him and spread her wings to the music, dancing alongside her loved one.
Blu danced his feet around while Jewel performed a couple of twirls. They danced in perfect harmony, spinning and sidestepping around each other. As they neared each other once more, Jewel spun around with Blu, crossing each other with their wings spread. She had her back facing towards Blu, who took her wing and turned her back towards him. Holding wings as a duo, she allowed Blu to lead their dance once more.
Nico and Pedro watched with joy and shared a friendly fist bump, heart warmed to see their new friends enjoying themselves. They knew there was something special about Blu from their first meeting. Not because of his rare species but who he was as a person. Ever since meeting Blu and Jewel together, they knew they were meant to be. It couldn't bring them more happiness to know their friends would be together forever, a journey they too would be part of.
With their wings joined, Blu allowed the samba guide him forward. In the past, he doubted anything could be done with perfection without practice or rehearsal, yet here they were. Moving onto the next level, Blu and Jewel moved onto the next level as their speed increased. Blu remained hold over her wing as he would repeatedly spin her halfway before pulling out and in within each other's grasp and repeating once more.
At one stage, Blu spun Jewel towards him as their wings wrapped around the other and moved into a triple spin. Jewel, with a little help from Blu, was launched into the air. Spreading her wings to the rhythm of the music, she closed her eyes and bathed in the samba heaven. Blu felt entwined by her loveliness, gazing in awestruck as the spotlight shined all of her beautiful blue feathers. To think a domestic bird from Minnesota would get to be with a beautiful angel like her. Never would he let her go.
Unexpectedly, the vibrant atmosphere of the party was suddenly interrupted by a blinding light illuminating the club. Their man-made roof was ripped to shreds, exposing their hidden club to the outside world. Jewel broke out of her trance and immediately joined Blu at his side. The birds briefly covered their eyes, adjusting to the sudden change of dark to light. Once their vision was cleared the birds moved forward to investigate the outside threat.
Dozens of marmosets entered the interior of the club, using their incredible acrobatics skills to maneuver around their opponents. Mischievous intent was spread around their faces, ready to bounce at the first sign of attack. A sense of déjà vu hit the partygoers, realizing history was about to repeat itself.
Jewel rolled her eyes unamused. "Not again."
From the entrance of the club the monkey's leader entered the area, dressed in trinkets they "borrowed" from unexpected tourists. King Mauro approached the Blue Macaws standing together, chuckling with satisfaction. "Well, well if it isn't the lovebirds together again."
"Who invited little King Kong to the mix?" Pedro demanded as he and his best friend stood ready to defend their club.
"Didn't we teach you little funky monkeys last time you wrecked our club?" Nico agreed.
Mauro chuckled while pacing up and down the same spot, hands behind his back as if he were a dictator ready to give a lesson of authority. "The last time we fought we were but a small force. But now we are back, stronger, faster and better than ever!"
Without Rafael to try and defuse the situation with his charming demeanor, Blu stepped forward to negotiate. "There's really no need for hostilities. Can't we work something out?"
Mauro snapped his fingers. "Right you are, blue boy. After our humiliating defeat we have decided to expand into further territory. To put it simple: this club is now ours."
A moment silence followed as the birds exchanged glances of momentary confusion. Before long, everyone erupted into laughter at this humorous demand. Mauro stood firm without a hint of amusement, crossing his arms with annoyance. "Have I said something funny?"
Nico paused laughing to wipe a single tear from his eye while using his bottle cap as a fan. "You think you're going to take our club? That's hilarious."
The laughter died down eventually with the partygoers now more amused then threatened. Mauro temporarily paused to hit one of his own allies who decided to join in on the fun, sending a message for the rest of his followers. Shifting his attention towards the birds, he finally got to the point. "Leave now or we will make you. Your choice, pássaro!"
Despite the conviction of his voice, none of the birds took him very serious. Quite the contrary, everyone readied themselves for battle. Mauro snapped his fingers once more and the monkeys readied themselves for a fight. To add drama, one of the monkeys played a western showdown song on their radio. Silence filled the air, even as the world around them continued in the busy markets of Rio. One side was ready to defend, the other to conquer. Only one side would triumph.
Just like the last time they fought, Pedro bellowed out the attack signal. "Birds versus monkeys 2!"
Mauro followed suit, throwing his finger forward with such authority. "Attack!"
The birds and the monkeys clashed, throwing themselves into each other as they fought for the same territory. To their bird's surprise, Mauro's threats had not been unexaggerated. The monkeys were far tougher than ever, attacking with such ferocity and teamwork. They had been practicing since their last battle, determined to overwhelm their enemies.
Nico and Pedro used their same strategy and tossed small berries at a pair of monkeys. Their expressions dropped as one of the monkeys dodged while the other caught it within his paw and tossed it back. Nico threw out his bottle cap as a shield but it wasn't strong enough to stop the force from launching him away. This distracted Pedro and allowed him to get struck by a berry as well. The two monkeys laughed and high-fived each other.
Nearby, the strongest member of their team, Kipo, used his giant size as an advantage but the monkeys were swarming him with vast numbers. Recognized as a true threat, the monkeys worked together to overwhelmed and trip the Spoonbill over. He struggled against their numbers but it was in vain as they surrounded and took him down.
Blu avoided the conflict and stumbled around, occasionally knocking over a monkey by accident. One such monkey did not take kindly to this and tightened his paw to strike. As he threw his fist forward, he stopped in surprise as a tight talon wrapped itself around his arm. Jewel, with the marmoset in her grasp, bounced into the air and spun, tossing the monkey towards more of his allies and knocking them down like bowling pins.
She offered a smile of satisfaction towards Blu but it wasn't long before another monkey launched upwards and grabbed hold of her feet, followed by another jumping onto her back. Blu spread his wings to assist his mate, launching upwards as fast as his inexperienced wings would carry him. More monkeys intervened, grabbing a hold of each wing and yanking him back to the ground.
Everyone fought with such determination and ferocity. Unfortunately for the birds, the monkey's sheer numbers and perfect teamwork coordination gave them a huge advantage. Knowing this was a battle that they couldn't win, Blu yelled out while a couple of marmosets pinned him down. "We have to run!"
"Run? I am not running from these groups of Abus!" Nico exclaimed in disagreement. He paused to toss his bottle cap as a weapon, bouncing off one monkey's head before it returned to his side.
Amongst the commotion, Jewel wrestled with a trio of monkeys and joined the uproar. "Blu's right! We can't win like this!"
"But we can't lose the club!" Pedro added. "Where else are we going to party?"
Blu shoved through the monkeys to get within hearing range of his friends. "There's a time to fight and a time to run! If we escape now, we can regroup and figure out a way to take back the club."
The thought of abandoning their club to the funky monkeys didn't sound ideal for the birds of samba but there was no doubt this fight could be won. Their enemies held every card and countered anything the birds could throw at them. Nico and Pedro cherished their club. It was the heart and soul of Rio de Janeiro, the one place everyone could come together and have fun, letting their worries sink away. Giving it up wasn't just losing their club, it was losing a piece of themselves as well.
Accepting this sacrifice, Nico jumped into the air as two monkeys tried to tackle him, accidentally crashing into each other. He whistled loudly, catching the attention of his friends. "Everyone, get out of here! Vai, vai!"
The partygoers hastily took to the sky and escaped their opponents. The monkeys' acrobatic skills were not to be underestimated
Mauro gloated with pleasure, bathing in their victory. "That's right, fly away!"
As the last of the birds flew to safety, Jewel momentarily paused and turned towards the mischievous leader, glaring at him through her sideways vision. Unable to simply walk away, she threw up her foot and landed a powerful low blow, the force sent Mauro flying through the air and out of all his jewelry. She smirked, satisfied enough to finally leave the area without further conflict.
The marmosets caught their leader midair before he landed, saving him from further harm. Mauro glared towards the escaping birds but prevented the rest of his followers from pursuing. Grinning, he bounced on top of the highest crate, taking his position as king of the marmosets. "Victory is ours today! This club is ours!"
The area thundered with applause, the monkeys screeching with excitement and joy. With a new base to establish their operations, there were so many goodies out there to steal from the unsuspecting tourists. Nothing was going to stop them.