Amazon Adventures

Chapter Twenty-Four: Tree Trunked

Carla, Bia and Tiago flew across the Amazon together.

"Try and keep up, slowpokes!" Tiago teased his sisters.

"Please." Carla snorted. "I could outfly you with one wing tied behind my back!"

"That would be physically impossible." Bia pointed out.

"It's trash talk, sis." Carla rolled her eyes. "It doesn't have to make sense."

"Why don't you two try flappin' your wings instead of your beaks?" Tiago smirked.

"Careful what you wish for, bro." Carla shot back.

Eventually, they tired of their flight, and landed on a tree branch.

"Oh, yeah." Tiago grinned. "Who's the fastest? I'm the fastest!"

"Only because you're so scrawny." Carla chided him.

"You mean 'aerodynamic', right?" Tiago chuckled.

"Hey!"

Antonio suddenly flew over.

"What do you twerps think you're doing on my turf?" He growled.

"Not this again." Bia groaned. "The jungle belongs to everyone, Antonio. None of this is your 'turf'."

"Wanna bet, brainiac?" Antonio snorted.

"Back off, Ant brain." Carla sprang to her sister's defence.

"Why do you always have to be such a jerk?" Tiago asked.

"Because I'm better than you losers, that's why." Antonio sneered. "Now beat it."

"No way!" Tiago flew up to look Antonio in the eye. "You beat it!"

"Don't push me, shrimp." Antonio snarled. "'Cuz I'll push back."

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Tiago smirked.

"You should be." Antonio declared. "I'm the toughest bird around. I'm not afraid of anything!"

Antonio shoved Tiago. Unfazed, Tiago shoved him back.

"You little..." Antonio snarled.

"Leave it, Tiago." Carla declared. "He's not worth it."

"No!" Tiago yelled. "I've had it with this jerk! Someone's gotta put him in his place!"

"Someone like you, short-stuff?" Antonio sneered, shoving Tiago back. "Don't make me laugh! I'm more afraid of your sisters than you!"

Incensed, Tiago rammed into Antonio. They struggled in mid-air, a flurry of feathers, spinning and tilting.

"I'll teach you to respect me, ya little runt!" Antonio cuffed Tiago on the head with his wing.

"As if!" Tiago headbutted him.

"Tiago, stop!" Bia called.

"Listen to your egghead sister." Antonio growled. "Back off before I really hurt you."

"You first." Tiago spat.

"No, you." Antonio grabbed Tiago's wing and spun him around. "See ya!"

Just as Antonio threw Tiago, Tiago grabbed his leg with his beak, bringing the Scarlet macaw with him. They spun across the air in a haphazard cartwheel, and slammed into the side of a tree. They then fell down the hollow trunk of a smaller, thinner tree.

"Tiago!" Carla gasped.

"No!" Bia yelped.

Tiago and Antonio fell hard on the bottom of the trunk.

"Ow!" Antonio cringed.

"Where are we?" Tiago frowned.

"Tiago!" Bia knocked on the outside of the trunk. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." Tiago called.

"Can you fly out?" Carla asked, peeking though a small crack in the side.

"Hold on." Tiago made to spread his wings, but the tips banged against the sides of the trunk. "Ow! ...No go. This place is too thin."

"Can you climb up?" Bia asked.

Tiago attempted to scale the inside of the tree using his beak and talons, but it was too smooth for him to get a grip.

"Nope!" He called.

"We'll go and get help." Carla told him. "Just sit tight!"

"Like I'm gonna go anywhere." Tiago snarked.

As he turned, Tiago realised that Antonio had curled himself up in a ball, and was rocking from side to side.

"This is not happening... this is not happening..." The young Scarlet macaw muttered to himself.

"What's wrong with you?" Tiago gaped.

"N-nothing!" Antonio tried to wave off the inquiry.

"Really?" Tiago squinted. "All this..." He mimicked Antonio's movements. "...Is about nothing?"

"I... I..." Antonio stuttered. "I don't like tight spaces, okay?! I'm a bird! I'm supposed to be out in the open, not trapped in dingy little tree!"

"Will you relax?" Tiago groaned. "My sisters are going for help. We'll be out in no time."

"And what if the help can't help?" Antonio glared. "Then we're stuck in here forever!"

"Well, there's that..." Tiago shrugged.

Antonio curled back into a ball. Tiago couldn't help but watch the pitiable sight of him rocking back and forth.

"I bet you're lovin' this, aren't you?" Antonio growled. "Seeing me all scared, and junk..."

"Not really." Tiago shrugged.

"Yeah, I believe that one..." Antonio snarled.

"What's the big deal?" Tiago asked. "We're all afraid of something. You wouldn't believe the amount of things my dad's afraid of. Besides, it's not like there's no reason to be afraid here."

"No kidding." Antonio snorted. "Thanks a lot for getting me into this."

"Me?" Tiago gaped. "You started it!"

"But it's because of you that we wound up in here!" Antonio yelled.

"None of that wouldn't have happened if you weren't such a jerk!" Tiago shot back.

"Yeah, well..." Antonio stumbled, unable to think of a comeback.

"It doesn't really matter anyway." Tiago sighed. "Like my mom says, 'what's done is done'. Fighting isn't going to fix anything."

"For once, you're right." Antonio sighed.

For a few moments, they sat in silence, waiting for rescue. Suddenly, Antonio looked around, breathing heavily.

"The walls, they're closing in..." He gasped.

"They're really not." Tiago declared. "You gotta calm down. I've seen what happens when my dad panics. It's not pretty."

"Like I really need your help." Antonio spat.

"Yeah, 'cuz you're so great on your own." Tiago rolled his eyes. "...Why do you have to be such a jerk all the time?"

"Why?" Antonio growled. "Why? ... I don't know. I just... do."

"Doesn't it ever bother you that no-one really likes you?" Tiago asked.

"Of course it does!" Antonio yelled. "I don't have tons of friends like you... and most of the friends I do have are scared of me, because I push 'em around all the time."

"Why, though?" Tiago asked.

"I... don't know any other way to act." Antonio admitted. "I've always been this way. I can't help what I am."

"Sure you can." Tiago told him. "Birds can change. My dad had to change to live in the jungle. It was hard, but he did it. You can, too. You just gotta try."

"What do you care, anyway?" Antonio asked. "I'm a jerk, remember?"

"True." Tiago nodded. "But you're also a kid, just like me. I just never noticed 'til now."

"It doesn't matter." Antonio sniffed, tears coming to his eyes. "Because we're never getting out of here. We're stuck, forever."

"Seriously?" Tiago frowned. "You're crying? What happened to Mr tough guy?"

"Good question." Antonio sniffled.

"C'mon, bird up!" Tiago nudged him. "Don't give up! Show this dumb tree who's boss. You're not afraid of anything, remember?"

"Yeah." Antonio stood up straight. "I'm not afraid of you, ya big lump of wood!"

"That's the way!" Tiago cheered.

"I'm the toughest bird around!" Antonio smirked. "No tree's gonna scare me!"

"You know it!" Tiago chuckled.

"Tiago, are you in there?" Blu's voice called.

"Dad!" Tiago smiled.

"Hang on, honey." Jewel's voice called. "We're going to get you out!"

"How?" Antonio yelled.

"Just you wait and see." Blu's voice said confidently.

After a few seconds, Tiago and Antonio saw a length of vine being lowered into the tree.

"Grab hold, you two!" Jewel urged.

Tiago and Antonio grabbed the vine with their beaks, and were pulled up and out of the trunk. Blu and Jewel had been pulling the vine, while Bia and Carla watched.

"Freedom!" Antonio whooped.

"You okay, son?" Blu asked. "No broken bones? Stubbed toes?"

"I'm fine, dad." Tiago rolled his eyes at his father's overprotectiveness.

"You're okay!" Bia smiled, as she and Carla hugged their little brother.

"'Course I'm okay." Tiago grinned. "Takes more than a little fall to hurt me."

Carla suddenly slapped Tiago's shoulder.

"Ow!" Tiago yelped.

"That's for scaring us!" Carla yelled. "Seriously, I told you to leave it!"

"Jeez, sor-ry." Tiago rubbed his shoulder.

"Just don't do it again, okay?" Carla hugged him again.

"You got it." Tiago gagged. "Can you lay off the hug a little? I can't breathe here."

"Okay kids, what say we get some lunch?" Jewel suggested. "It's been quite a morning for us all..."

"Yeah, no kidding." Carla nodded, releasing Tiago.

"I could eat." Bia smiled.

The family started to fly off.

"Hey, hold up a sec." Antonio called to Tiago.

"Yeah, what?" Tiago glanced at Antonio.

"I gotta hand it to ya, you're not as big a loser as I thought you were." Antonio admitted.

"Gee, thanks." Tiago said sarcastically.

"In fact, you're pretty cool... for a shrimp." Antonio smiled awkwardly.

"You don't give many compliments, do you?" Tiago sighed.

"Nope." Antonio admitted. "Anyway... thanks for helping me out back there. I owe you one."

"Quit bugging me and my sisters, and we'll call it even." Tiago declared.

"Done." Antonio nodded.

"Awesome." Tiago grinned.

"One last thing." Antonio added. "Tell anyone I cried, and I'll pound you into pulp."

"Your secret's safe with me." Tiago nodded.

"Good." Antonio gave him a more believable smile. "Later."

As Antonio flew away, Tiago followed after his family, joining them in enjoying some berries.

"That Antonio." Carla frowned. "What a jerk."

"He's always causing trouble for us." Bia agreed. "And today was no exception."

"Ah, lay off him, you guys." Tiago told them. "He's not all bad. Deep down, he's just a kid like us."

"Did you hit your head when you fell down that log?" Carla asked. "Why are you defending that bully?"

"Let's just say me and Antonio came to... an understanding." Tiago smiled.

"What does that mean?" Bia asked.

"Just that he won't be giving us any more trouble." Tiago declared.

"Seriously?" Carla gaped. "Did he hit his head?"

"Not quite." Tiago chuckled. "But I did manage to talk some sense into him."

"You?" Bia smirked. "Talk sense? Will wonders never cease?"

"Very funny." Tiago frowned. "Hey, you guys up for another race after lunch?"

"Oh, yeah." Carla grinned. "Get ready to eat my dust."

"Not if you eat mine first." Tiago retorted.

"Ordinarily, I'd say that flight doesn't actually kick up dust." Bia declared. "But like Carla said, trash talk doesn't have to make sense. With that in mind: I'm going to mop the skies with you!"

"Now you're getting it!" Carla chuckled.

Their race continued anew. Regardless of the outcome, Tiago already felt like a winner.

To Be Continued...

(Rio 2 and all associated characters are the property of Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox.)