The Secret Garden

A lone female macaw was walking through a sheltered glade in the middle of a sunlit forest, the peaceful breeze whispering in its own unique tone as it meandered between the trunks and slipped between the leaves.

Beams of pure golden illumination danced all around her, casting their soulful warmth on every gently swaying flower and blade of grass. The sounds of chirping birds both far and near echoed from all directions, mingling with the multitude of butterflies that fluttered through the air on wings of dust.

For all those who are curious, this plane went by the name of Paradise.

It was a vast land that cycled through all the seasons save for winter, a higher realm meant only for the departed. The lone female macaw was one such being, having left the real world behind five years prior. Those close to her were never the same, but they bid her a melancholy farewell and wished for her to be safe on her travels.

She did not want to leave them, but Mother Earth had called for her, and her personal timepiece in Father Time's hand had stopped ticking.

She was sad for a while, but the sheer amount of joy and bliss and wonder permeating this splendid new world smothered all her negativity. It resembled her former home in so many ways, but it was the subtle magical presence she felt that led her to believe it was something more.

Her first life may have come to an end, but here, her existence was guaranteed to be eternal. She wandered around after her arrival, scouting the rolling hills and exploring the grand valleys, searching for one special place to call her own.

Not long after, she had found such a place, the very location she was present in right now. She deemed it "The Secret Garden," and would never be found too far from her patch of sacred ground.

There were times when the other inhabitants of that world chanced upon her territory, and she welcomed them with open wings and a friendly smile. They would while the hours away without a care, exchanging stories from days gone by, dining on the delicious fruit the trees made available to them, and always treating each other with kindness and hospitality.

But on the flipside, there was always time for her to relax in solace, to reminisce on her past life as well as how great it was to thrive in Paradise.

But it must be noted that she spent a few years alone, as her male counterpart had succeeded her down on terra firma. It was not that she deliberately wished for him to perish just so that their separation would cease, but she did long for him to be by her side.

Ultimately, it was not due to natural causes that he was granted the opportunity to be forever bound to her, but a tragic accident that could not have been avoided.

A terrible thunderstorm had targeted the city of Rio with its weather-borne fury, sparing no building or tree as it raced inland. But it did not dump an inch of rain as it ravaged the coast of Brazil, incessant lightning, gale-force winds, and heavy surf its weapons of choice.

The metropolis was built to withstand such a climactic occurrence, but the rain forest was at the storm's mercy. Needless to say, disaster was wrought upon the jungle as severe as a Biblical plague.

Countless trees were toppled, and the rest were struck by bolts from the sky. Whole sections of the rain forest were turned to fields of ash and charred corpses, a few rogue fires even encroaching upon Rio itself and destroying many favelas.

The lifelong companion of the female witnessed firsthand the destruction, trapped in the stout cannonball tree he called home due to the speed with which the tempest manifested. His eldest children, a son and a daughter, were also imprisoned with him, having visited him the very day the pseudo-hurricane was spawned and barred from venturing out.

In a cruel twist of fate, their tree, which had stood tall and mighty in the face of the high winds for several hours, was eventually nailed by a white-hot spear of electricity and set ablaze.

And so it was that the hollow became their grave site, as they were unable to escape.

Wracked with hopelessness and fear, tears streaming down their faces, they huddled in the farthest corner and embraced for the last time as scarlet flames poured in. They burned alive, suffering a miasma of agony that no living being should ever experience.

But after their unimaginable torture was stopped, their souls were set free on a one-way trip to a better place, the horrid, lifeless shells that used to contain them being left behind. During that irreversible trek, a flawless, identical copy of their earthly bodies was gifted to each of them so that they could begin anew.

They were angels through and through, both in the spiritual sense and the literal sense, as they had sublime wings and divine souls. What Heaven was to humans, Paradise was to animals, and all three victims-turned-benefactors instantly fell in love with their new residence.

The family was united once more and linked with unbreakable bonds, and then they were finally able to live happily ever after. But in actuality, the events that transpired to bring them together did not constitute the end of their lives, but the very beginning.

There were many such families spread all across that admirable nation, but that special quartet of macaws was undoubtedly the happiest.

It is time that I end the narrative, so that you, my dear readers, may associate yourselves more closely with her and her kin.

It is time that we inject ourselves into her consciousness and experience what it is truly like to be her, a caring creature with a heart of 24 karat gold.

And last, but certainly not least, it is time for us to experience what it is truly like to spend one day in Paradise…

The grass tickled my feet and legs as I waded through my little slice of heaven, and I couldn't help but chuckle when the sensation proved too much. I made my way over to the edge of a crystal clear pond to drink, inhaling the lovely air that smelled of many different types of flowers.

But before I arrived, an innocent butterfly drifted down and landed squarely on my beak. I immediately stood still so as not to scare it off, watching as it slowly fanned its orange and black wings idly.

"Did you come to say hello, little guy?"

I wondered if it could understand me, but it sure didn't hurt to greet it anyways.

Carefully, I unfolded my right wing and eased my primaries up to my beak. To my surprise and enjoyment, the insect turned around and bravely walked onto my longest feather on his hair thin legs. I stared at the marvel of design that it was for over a minute, watching as he waltzed all over the fuzzy surface with a carefree attitude.

Being as the direct sunlight hitting my upper body was making me uncomfortably warm, I outstretched my wing as much as I could, elevating the butterfly into the open air.

"It's time for me to say goodbye. Maybe we'll meet again sometime."

On cue, it flapped its wings and caught the breeze, being carried away almost too fast for my eyes to follow.

"Stay safe, little fella," I called as he vanished into the trees.

I continued the rest of the way to the shallow pool and bent over, gulping down three beakfuls of the cool, refreshing liquid. I stood straight up and smacked my beak when I was done, using my wing to wipe off the excess.

I then took one step in the direction of an oak tree to take shelter in the shade, but a familiar, soul-stirring voice stopped me short.

"My my, aren't you looking beautiful today?"

I spun around and locked eyes with my handsome Blu, who was leaning slyly on the trunk of a pine tree across the garden. My eyes shimmered in delight, and I hopped over to him.

"You're not too bad looking yourself, pet," I cooed, pulling him away from the trunk and wrapping my wings around him.

"Of course not, Jewel. My stylish appearance partly explains why you became my mate so long ago."

"You got that right, Blu. I wouldn't trade you for anyone else."

I squeezed him tighter against me and dove in for a kiss, feeling him go limp in my grasp and watching his eyelids droop. I ended our beak-on-beak contact before he ended up on the ground, backing my head away a few inches.

He perked up and sighed, a wash of his spicy breath rushing over me.

"Ahhh… I love it when you kiss me. I'm like hot wax in your wings…"

"Then I better tone it down, or you might end up turning into a puddle that I can't do anything with."

"How did you get so clever? Did my natural intelligence rub off on you?" he asked, pecking me on the cheek.

"I'm sure it did, Blu. I'm sure it did."

He paused and looked over my shoulder, his eyes narrowing.

He stepped away from me and said, "Wait right there, gorgeous. I've been wanting to give you something special."

He bounced to the center of the garden and searched with his eyes, looking in every direction while tapping his wing on his beak. My puzzled expression drilled into him as I tried to make sense of what "gift" he was referring to.

I jolted a bit as he exclaimed, "Ah ha! There's one," and jogged off in one particular direction.

I followed him and came up behind him, stopping before I stepped on his tail.

He bent over and buried his face in a group of crimson and sapphire flowers, and I asked, "Blu, what are you doing? You look like you're-"

He whirled around in that instant, his left foot clutching a stem covered in sharp spines. He donned a juicy expression and held the blossom out to me, his hazel eyes twinkling.

In a suave voice he said, "A blue rose… for my blue rose."

I took it from him, making sure not to stab myself.

"Oh… why thank you, Blu."

I put my nostrils near the curled petals and drew a whiff of the strong, energizing scent into my lungs.

"It matches you perfectly, honey. It's elegant, it's not afraid to use its thorns, and it smells oh-so-luscious."

Tears beaded up in my eyes as his words plucked my heartstrings, and I sniffed once to prevent them from spilling over. I sauntered over to my mate and hugged him, dropping the rose as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Oh Blu… thank you so much. You make me feel so… so loved…"

He ran his wing up and down my spine, answering softly, "You're welcome, honey. It's my job to make you feel that way, because you mean the whole world to me."

He laid his head on my shoulder in turn, planting a smooch on the base of my neck.

"I love you, Jewel, always and forever."

"I love you too, Blu…"

We embraced in unbroken silence from then on, feeding on our affection for each other and the wonderful sensation of our feathers rubbing together. I could have stayed in that position next to Blu until the end of time itself if I wanted to, and I am one-hundred percent sure he could have as well.

Unfortunately for us, our reverie was shattered by the sound of two throats being cleared.

"Ahem, are we interrupting something?" a male voice asked teasingly.

"We came to see how you were doing and perhaps stay for a while, but if you would rather have us drop by later so you can continue, well, interacting…" a female voice added sarcastically.

I separated from Blu and turned towards the source, which happened to be my son and daughter.

"Carmen, Nicholas, it's good to see you both. How has your morning been?" I greeted as Blu and I sauntered over to them.

"It's been great, Mom," Nicholas replied after hugging us.

"Yeah, what he said," Carmen intoned gleefully.

Blu and I smiled at one another, and then did the same with our offspring.

"That's nice to hear, you two," Blu said cheerfully.

"So, is it alright if we stick around until oh, I don't know, this evening?"

"You don't even have to ask, Carmen. Feel free to stay as long as you like."

"Sweet! Thanks, Dad. We've been looking forward to spending quality time with you and Mom, since you know, Nick and I have kinda been keeping to ourselves lately."

"You're welcome, Carmen. But remember, there's nothing wrong with enjoying some personal time, sweetie," Blu replied.

"Yeah, you're right. Sometimes I feel like a young chick again, even though I'm practically an adult."

Blu stroked her face and answered, "That may be true, but you'll always be Daddy's little girl."

I leaned over and kissed my son on the cheek, putting in, "And you'll always be a Momma's boy."

He frowned in disgust and batted at his face, trying in vain to remove the invisible stain of love.

"Aww Mom, come on! Don't go getting all sappy on me!"

I simply grinned, unfazed by his actions.

"As long as I'm your mother, I'll always be sappy, and there's nothing you can do to change that."

Carmen crossed her wings and snorted.

"Mom's right, bro. It's called love, and you should really think about improving your opinion about it."

"With the way I get treated, it's not likely, sis."

She rolled her eyes, and I shook my head in mock disdain, much to Blu's amusement.

"Have you two eaten breakfast?"

Carmen folded her wings over her stomach.

"I sure have, Dad. I had two whole red apples. I am stuffed."

"Nicholas? What about you?"

"Nope. Not yet. I've got a craving for oranges, but I haven't been able to find any. Figures."

"Well, why don't we all four head over to where our hummingbird neighbors live and ask if they can help us out? I'm sure they can lead us to an orange tree that's close by, being as they get around so much. They're Nature's professional crusaders."

In an even tone our son replied, "If you're willing to do that for me, who am I to stop you? Lead the way, Dad."

We sailed determinedly to the east, the endless clusters of trees speeding by beneath us. Upon locating a particularly tall oak tree that projected noticeably above the rest of its companions, we spiraled down to it and drifted through the canopy to the forest floor once more.

A small ensemble of hummingbirds was zipping about in the vicinity, too busy darting about for the fun of it or resting in the many hollows bored into the trunk to notice us. One of them was more familiar than the others, and we recognized him immediately.

It was Spencer, the founder of this little community and Christine's mate. All the other tiny birds rushing back and forth were most likely his children and grandchildren, with some other relatives mixed in as well, I would guess.

"C'mon Blu, let's get his attention, or otherwise we'll be standing here all day."

He motioned with his wings and said, "Right behind you, my dear Jewel."

I hopped forwards with Blu on my tail, Carmen and Nicholas bringing up the rear. When we were about two or three wingspans away from the oak, we stopped and peered up.

Picking the brightly-colored male out, I raised my wings to my beak and called, "Spencer! Hey, Spencer! Down here!"

He executed a high-speed turn and zoomed down to us, slowing down in a split-second and plopping onto the ground.

There were far less rules in Paradise than there were on Earth, one of the primary differences being that we had no metabolisms and did not need to eat to survive. That restriction removal was especially favorable to the hummingbirds, who did not have to constantly feed and thus could spend their time however they wanted.

"Well if it isn't my old pals! How are you all on this sunny summer day?" he greeted in his youthful, bright voice.

I responded, "Amazing, as always. How is your dainty flower doing?"

"Christine? Oh, she's doing wonderful! She's in the tree right now, taking a nap."

Upon hearing this bit of news, I replied, "I think we should stay outside and chat, then. It wouldn't be very nice to disturb her."

Spencer shook his tiny head and chirped, "Actually, I wanted to invite you into our home so we could talk. And it's not like she's going to get upset. She's you guys' best friend too, you know," he declared with a smile.

"Um, are you sure? Absolutely sure?" I asked, a bit hesitant to just barge into their home and rudely end her slumber.

"Yes yes, very sure. She'll be nothing but exuberant when she gets to see you and your family again. Come on, follow me."

I shot a quick glance back at Blu, and he shrugged as if to say, "Oh well, it's what he wants!"

He rocketed into the air and bolted off, and we hurried after him. Luckily, the chamber they called their home was surprisingly large and spacious, providing enough room for all four of us to fit comfortably.

We huddled against the left wall of the hollow, our eyes falling upon the tiny body of the sleeping hummingbird in the equally tiny nest. Spencer motioned with his wings to stay put, whispering through this needle-like beak,

"Give me a few seconds to gently wake her up."

We all nodded, and he stalked over to her without a sound.

He lightly nuzzled his head against hers and chirped, "Christine, dear, we have some very special visitors here today."

She mumbled something and twisted her head away from her mate. He nudged her again with a bit more force, and this time, her head rose up an inch or so.

She rubbed her eyes and muttered, "Blue… eagles? I don't know any… blue eagles. How are they… even real…"

She blinked her eyes fully open and continued, "Wait… is that Jewel I see? And the rest of her family?"

I answered, "You bet, Christine. There isn't another team of macaws quite like ours living around here, as far as I know."

Twin flares of excitement sparked behind her sky blue irises, and she sprang from the nest on her frantically beating wings. She launched her body at me harmlessly – she couldn't possibly weigh more than one or two of my tail feathers – and hugged my chest as best she could.

"I've missed you so much, Jewel! You're the sister I never had, and I wish you'd come around more often."

"Then I apologize, and I promise I'll stick you into my schedule more frequently."

"Thank you so much. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime, Christine."

"You gonna forget about me and the kids, Christine? Our feelings are gonna get hurt," Blu quipped teasingly from behind me.

"Oh, right! On my way, Blu!"

After she had greeted and embraced my mate and our children, she and Spencer squeezed themselves into their nest. We formed a broken circle around them, crouching onto our midsections and tucking our legs beneath us.

You could feel the energy and spirited-ness flowing away from their bodies like a fog, even though they were very old by hummingbird standards – not that age meant anything here.

They had entered Paradise five years before Blu did, the unfortunate victims of Earth's food chain.

After saying goodbye to their third set of children, who had left the nest mature and ready to live their own lives, Spencer and Christine literally ran into a problem whose solution was death. They flew into a spider web they couldn't even see and were entangled by the sticky threads, their wings immobilized, all hope of escape gone.

The web's owner didn't wait to claim its pair of succulent meals.

Christine told me shortly after we met for the first time that she wanted to die next to her mate in that web, all because of what she was forced to witness.

Spencer's scream of pain as the spider pierced his stomach with its fangs, the horrified expression on his face as the spider sucked the life out of him, and lastly, the moment when Spencer's eyes went forever dark and his chest stopped rising and falling.

She had welcomed the fiery agony of the spider's bite and her loss of consciousness as a result, so very glad she would never open her eyes again. It took a few days in Paradise for the memory's incredible grip to fade and release her, but fade it did, and from then on, she looked forward to spending the rest of her unending life with her companion.

Spencer began, "So tell me, what have you guys been up to? Been anywhere or done anything-"

"Um, Mom, Dad, aren't you forgetting to ask them about where I can find some you-know-whats?"

I slammed Nicholas with a hard stare, and so did Blu.

"If you're going to interrupt, at least do it nicely and apologize," I scolded harshly.

Blu queried none-too-happily, "What do you need, Nicholas? Quit being vague."

"You said they could lead us to some oranges so that I can eat…" he answered in a quiet, shamed voice.

I faced the couple and said, "Sorry about that. Nicholas over there has a craving for oranges, but hasn't been able to find any, which may explain why he's not showing much respect."

I turned my head to glare at him for two seconds, and then returned my attention to the hummingbirds.

"Do you think you can help?"

"Absolutely! Most of us who live here love oranges as well, Christine included. That said, we have a sizable stockpile of them in a hollow higher up the tree, whole ones as well as slices."

"Wow, really? Neat! Let me at 'em!"

Nick's eyes gleamed, and he spun and made a dash for the exit. I was about to nail him again, but Blu beat me to it.

He grabbed hold of Nick's tail with his foot and brought him to a not-so-pleasant stop.

"Ouch! Hey, what's the deal, Dad? Let me go!"

"Not until you tell them a sincere thank you for letting you eat their food, which they don't have to do."

"There's no need for him to thank us, really. Those oranges are there for everyone, whenever they want some."

Blu shook his head and countered, "But still, Spencer, I am going to make him repay you and Christine for your kindness."

He locked eyes with his son and ordered, "Do it, Nicholas."

Our disgruntled son faced the couple and said, "Thank you for sharing your food with me."

"You're welcome, Nicholas," Spencer replied fluidly.

"Can you let me go now, Dad? Please?"

Blu released his grip with an irritated flick of his foot.

"There. Get a move on. And you better shape up and stop acting so rude."

"Fine, fine," he replied, exhaling crudely.

He scurried out of the hollow and took flight, vanishing from my line of sight.

The female hummingbird quipped warmly, "He seems like quite the character."

"You don't know the half of it, Christine. He's got my looks and Jewel's untamed spirit, that's for sure," Blu replied with narrowed eyes.

"Does he always act like that?" Spencer asked.

I responded, "Hardly. I don't know what's gotten into him lately. He's behaving like a more of a rebel than usual."

"Mom, Dad, can you give me another brother who isn't so… rough around the edges?"

"Not exactly, Carmen. No matter how often we… tried, your mother wouldn't get pregnant."

Carmen fired back, "I know, Dad. I was being sarcastic."

"Oh," Blu replied awkwardly.

"So much for your intelligence, Blu. Where has it all gone?"

"Eu ouvi isso, Jóia. Ha ha, muito engraçado." {I heard that, Jewel. Ha ha, very funny.}

"So, about that question I asked earlier…" Spencer said pointedly.

Blu answered, "Oh, right right. Well, to be honest…"

And so it was that we resumed the conversation that Nicholas ended prematurely, admitting that no, we had not done anything notable or gone anywhere special.

About ten minutes in, Nicholas came back.

His stomach was obviously distended, and the feathers around his lower beak were matted with juice. Since they were short, it didn't look extremely tacky, but it was noticeable nonetheless.

"Cheese and sprinkles, son! How many oranges did you eat?"

Dreamily, Nicholas replied, "Two entire oranges... Dad. I am so full… I think I might explode…"

He parted his beak and burped long and loud, covering his beak after he was done.

"Oops. Sorry!" he said in a muffled tone from behind his wings.

I rolled my eyes and said flatly, "At least you apologized…"

The next thing I knew, I saw a small head peek out from behind him… the head of a female hummingbird.

She was stealthily clinging to his back, her low weight allowing her to hang on unnoticed. She waved her wing briefly, a cheeky smile on her beak, and hid her head again.

We all began giggling, especially Christine and Spencer.

"What? What's so darn funny?"

None of us answered him, continuing our restrained laughing.

"Ugh, tell me already! Seriously!"

The ninja-like female crawled up to the back of his neck, raised her head, and pecked the top of his skull several times.

The instant he jerked his head up and saw her, she squealed, "Surprise!"

"Ahhhh! Get it off! Get if off!"

She leapt away as he batted at his head with his wings, dodging them expertly with her extreme speed and streaking to the floor in front of her parents' nest.

Sensing that she was gone, he refolded his wings and squawked, "Scared the daylights… outta me! You hummingbirds… are… crazy!"

He fused his gaze with the skilled bodily hitchhiker and asked while panting, "Who… who are you?"

In a sugary tone she replied, "I'm Lexi!"

"And Lexi is our daughter, Nicholas," Spencer answered proudly.

Nick frowned angrily.

"Figures. You guys find the strangest ways to have fun… at other peoples' expense…"

"It's in our blood to be tricksters, Nick. Nothing you can do about it," Christine declared haughtily.

"I can put my wings to good use and leave, can't I?"

Lexi ran over to Nick and seized the edge of his wing.

"Come on, don't leave. I just got here! I bet we'll be good friends once we get to know each other."

"Yeah, sure we will…" he said, sounding one-hundred percent opposed to the idea.

"No worries, Lexi. He'll get over his displeasure and play nice, because he won't be going anywhere until I say so," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Why are you always against me, Mom?"

"I am not always against you, son. Don't even go there. I am just against you this time, and I have a right to be."

He let out a leaden sigh of defeat, moving over to the leftmost wall and reclining against it in a huff.

"You can go talk with him, Lexi. He won't bite. Because if he does, I'll bite back harder."

"I sure will then. Thanks, Jewel!"

"You're welcome, Lexi."

She buzzed over to him like an oversized, ornate bee and land in front of him, asking, "Tell me about yourself, Nicky Nick. I'm all ears."

"I will if you call me by my real name…"

"Okay, Nicholas. I will."

"That's better."

He cleared his throat and said, "Anyways, I took after my mother…"

While the two new acquaintances chattered back and forth, the rest of us did the same. We never ran out of things to discuss, as strange as it sounded, even though it was all small talk.

But for me, at least, it did get somewhat boring after a while. It had nothing to do with me being unappreciative of the hummingbirds' company. Instead, I was itching to fly back home. After another hour and a half, I expressed my wish to leave.

Thankfully, the hummingbird trio was not offended or hurt by my honesty. And it was true that I had had a wonderful time with them, so there was no burden of guilt on my conscience either.

We said our goodbyes, shook wings with our neighbors, and bid them farewell.

Back at our secret garden, Carmen wandered off a short ways to smell the flowers and Nicholas took a nap while Blu and I relaxed in each other's wings next to the pristine pond.

"Hey Jewel, guess what?"

"What?"

He stated, "I love you."

"I love you too, handsome."

"Oh yeah? Prove it."

"If you insist, Blu…"

I melded my beak with his, infusing as much passion into the kiss as I could. He stood his ground and kissed back, grunting luxuriously.

I reached around with my free wing and glued it to the back of his neck, preventing him from pulling away. He did the same and planted his wing on my lower back, massaging my feathers and sending shivers up my spine.

Our beaks smacked loudly as our tongues went at it with each other, our breathing becoming labored and deep. I rolled myself on top of him and squeezed him tighter, feeling him shudder and his muscles ripple beneath me.

"Would you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep…" Nicholas squawked drowsily, obviously unaware of what we were doing.

Blu then flipped me over with too much force, causing us to barrel-roll more than once and come to a stop in a dense clump of flowers. He positioned himself on top of me in a show of dominance, devouring my beak and setting my senses ablaze with pleasure.

I felt a wave of dizzying thrill rush through me as our nether regions briefly met, and I moaned into his beak. He broke the kiss off and lifted his head, gazing down at me with eyes full of love… and lust.

"You're tempting me… to go all the way… with you. Do you want that?" he said through a clenched beak.

"If Nicholas wasn't here… I would. We'll have to settle… for sensual foreplay…"

"Hmmm… you're right. Foreplay is… enough for me… then. Now… where were we…"

He lowered himself onto me, using gravity to his advantage and cementing our smooth bodies together. He tilted his head down and feasted on my neck like a vampire, licking all over and biting me harmlessly.

"Oh yes… that's it… Blu. Mmm… taste me… all you want…"

"Mom, Dad, can you please be quiet? Aren't you gonna show me some respect?"

I was oblivious to the sound of him approaching, though I have to say I didn't care, as I was lost in the blissful moment.

"I did what you asked me to do back in our neighbors' hollow, but you aren't doing what I am asking you… oh brother…"

His voice went silent, and I heard him gulp down a lump of sheer embarrassment.

"Yeah… I think I'm just gonna… go over there… for a while. You two are clearly… very busy…"

The sound of his legs shuffling through the flower stems as he hobbled away was drowned out by our grunts.

"Well… now that… he's gone… do you want to…"

"Yes…" I answered. "We haven't done this… in a long time… so let's make it… a memory… we won't… forget…"

"As you wish… my beautiful Jewel…"

And so it was that my mate blew my mind for the next ten minutes with his body, driving me deeper and deeper into a pit of ecstasy until I self-destructed. I did the same to him, naturally, kissing and stroking and thrusting into him until he passed the point of no return.

The writhing of our bodies as we reached the pinnacle of stimulation brought our escapade to an end, and what an intimate end it was. Due to our divinely healthy systems, we were not exhausted in the least, only delirious as we bathed in the mellow afterglow of our shameless act.

Oh how I felt so close to Blu, our bodies intertwined, my head resting on his chest, his wings wrapped around me protectively… the list went on and on.

This was how we were meant to be, a bond of companionship and love and security that not even death could break. For us, it was paradise in Paradise, and it was a deep-seated feeling of splendor and warmth unmatched.

"I love you, Jewel, and I will always treasure you like the stunning gem you are…" he whispered into my ear.

"I love you too, Blu. You stole my heart, and I am okay with that. And I never want you to give it back…"

We surrendered to the silence and lay there, motionless and perfectly content. Our children made their way back within the hour, effectively ending our period of solitude and reflection.

We talked idly with them about whatever was on our minds, passing the time as lazily as possible. The sun was a few hours ahead of midday, on the home stretch that would lead to it setting and temporarily disappearing.

Running out of interesting things to converse about, we decided to all nap, but then coincidence intervened.

The sounds of grass rustling and faint chattering filtering from the forest behind us caught our attention, and we spun our bodies around as the noises grew ever-louder. It wasn't long before the creatures responsible emerged from the shadows and halted as they came upon us.

There were three of them, each incredibly unique compared to one another, and I had no clue what any of them were.

The one on the right was a female about half my height. She was mostly dressed in feathers the exact same color as Blu's, her wings and tail also decorated with many streaks of black and a few streaks of white.

The bird in the middle was definitely male, his entire upper body made up of shimmering azure feathers that reflected the sunlight. He also wore a funny crest of feathers on top of his head that vibrated in the breeze. He was by far the heaviest of the three, at least twice as tall as me with a sturdy neck, a stocky chest, and powerful legs. His tail was very long and bulky-looking, the end of it somewhere past the oak tree he was standing next to.

The bird on the left was another female, a few inches taller than the male. Her lower back and tail were pure black, while the rest of her was a soft gray hue. Her legs were surprisingly bony, but they must have been durable, because they were long enough to hold her entire body at least two feet off the ground. Lastly, a bunch of black feathers sprouted from the back of her head that lay flat against her nape, easily reaching the point where her neck fused with her back.

I was certainly impressed and awed by these strange visitors, as were my children, but Blu seemed more intrigued than anything.

"Why hello there! I don't think any of us have met any of you before. What are your names?" Blu asked merrily.

"My name is Kira," the super-tall female said huskily.

"I'm Hailey," the other female answered in a smooth, lively tone.

"And I go by Blake," the lone male replied boldly.

Blu gestured to me and our offspring with a sweep of his wing.

"My name is Blu. That lovely bird you see right there is my mate, Jewel, and these are our children, Carmen and Nicholas."

He sidled up to Kira and held his wing out for her to shake, and she did. He repeated the maneuver with the other two, my kids and I bursting into laughter when Blake's huge wing knocked Blu off his feet. Nicholas, Carmen, and I then shook wings with them to conclude the introductions, Blake restraining himself this time.

Being as no one had popped the question yet – and the fact that my children were as confused as I was – I took the initiative to obtain the answer they and I needed. I ran up to him and tapped him on the shoulder just as he began to speak.

"So, what brings you all here-"

"Um, Blu, pardon me for interrupting, but can you tell me what kinds of birds they are? I honestly have no idea."

He gazed at me with wide eyes, and then slapped a confident smile on his sharp beak.

"Not a problem, Jewel. Kira here is a secretary bird, Blake is a peacock, and Hailey is a blue jay."

The trio of birds nodded in agreement, their heads bobbing at different rates.

"You sure are as smart as you look, Blu. There's a certain vibe about you that says you've got a bigger brain than most," the peacock complimented.

"Thanks, Blake. I used to get that a lot before I came here, especially from Jewel. As a matter of fact, I still do."

He shot me a pleased glance, and I sent him a silent "You're welcome" in the form of an air kiss.

"Say, why don't we group up in the shade over there and get to know more about each other? That is why you all came to meet us, right?"

Hailey replied, "You bet, Jewel. None of us have been here for more than a month, and the only friends we've made so far have been each other. A few of the locals suggested we look for a family of super-rare macaws, which must be you four, huh?"

"That's us! We're Spix's Macaws, and we were the last of our kind on Earth. As you can probably figure out, we're extinct now."

Kira snickered and remarked, "According to the humans you are, Blu."

"Oh, yeah, you're right! Cheese and sprinkles that was good, Kira!"

Three puzzled stares landed squarely on Blu, and no one uttered another word.

After an awkward silence, he squawked, "Um… it's a Minnesota thing…"

"It's a long story, guys. Don't even bother asking him to explain, or we'll all end up laughing until we drop."

Hailey chirped, "He he, whatever you say Jewel!"

"My beak is sealed," quipped Blake.

"If you insist," Kira concluded.

Once we had all settled under the heavy shadow of the grand oak and gotten ourselves comfortable, I kicked off the lengthy conversation we were sure to have by asking the single biggest question yet.

"Blake, Hailey, Kira, would you mind telling us how you all died?"

"Why not, Jewel?" they chanted in unison.

"Alright then. Would you three rather go first, or do you want us to take the spotlight?"

Blake bent his head in thought, and then responded, "Hmmm... I would like for you all to go first."

Hailey chimed in, "So do I,"

Kira finalized, "As do I. And then I will be delighted to tell the tale of my own doom."

"I guess it's unanimous, then."

I drew in a deep breath and collected myself, and then spoke calmly.

"My life ended pretty boringly at the age of fifty-three. I was really old, and I went out like a light in my sleep. Nothing more to it."

Three pairs of eyes shifted to Blu, and he coughed once.

"I was caught in a wicked storm in my hometown of Rio De Janeiro. The ferocious winds made flying impossible, and I could not leave my hollow. My tree got hit by lightning, and because it wasn't raining, it essentially turned into a giant match. So yeah, I ended up burning alive, and let me tell you, I'm thankful I only had to go through it once."

"Carmen and I burned with him, because we had stopped by before the storm hit, and couldn't leave. What a nasty triple-play, eh?"

"It sure sounds like it. What a terrible way to go."

Blu squinted and retorted, "You don't even know the half of it, Blake. Good thing I only cooked for one minute. Breathing in lungfuls of smoke also helped speed things along. But I'm glad it's all over. I much prefer immortality."

"Alright, so who's up next?" I asked.

"I'll take my turn, Jewel," the secretary bird said.

"Great, Kira. Whenever you're ready."

She shook her head briskly and adjusted her pose a bit, as she was crouching down on the ground with her legs tucked beneath her.

"While I was living my life out on the plains of Africa, I was shot in the back by a hunter's arrow, most likely because he wanted to harvest my quills. It didn't kill me right then, and I flew away. I summoned up the courage to remove it a few hours later, and the pain was so intense I passed out. Afterwards, I hoped that the wound would heal and I would get better, but that hunter must have put something on the arrowhead to prevent that from happening. The tear in my skin did stop bleeding, but it was already infected. I got sicker and sicker, more and more of my energy draining away, and after a week, I realized I wasn't going to make it."

She halted for a bit, and then resumed.

"I tried to find my mother and father and say my goodbyes, but by then I was too weak, and the journey was too long. I abandoned the trip and crawled back to the rain tree I had lived in ever since I matured. I spent the entire day lying against the trunk, dreaming of all the happy memories I had experienced in the past and making peace with myself. I was so incredibly tired that I couldn't even move, and I was constantly fading in and out of consciousness. I finally fell into a deep sleep as the sun set, the air warm and the stars burning bright. My body must have given out and lost the battle that night, because I never woke up. But the next thing I knew, I was here, and I was back to normal."

"Wow. What a gripping turn of events. Thanks for your input, Kira."

She rocked her head up and down twice in a hearty nod.

"My pleasure, Blu."

She turned her head and eyed Blake pointedly.

He met her piercing stare, effectively getting the hint. He sucked in a huge breath of air and parted the halves of his tawny beak.

"I ended up going just like you, Jewel, at the ripe age of twenty-five years. I usually fathered about six to eight chicks per year, so I can say that I've had a ton of kids. Anyways, I had a good life, but once my tail started falling apart, that was the end of the road for me. When the very object that defines you is ruined, it's pretty much game over in my society. I got teased by all the younger males, and the females wanted nothing to do with a ragged old guy like me. Nor respect, no compassion, no romance, nothing. I was ready to get the heck outta there, if you know what I mean. I sure was relieved when my heart stopped beating, because my soul took off like a rocket. I sailed into this place with a brand new tail and a bright, healthy body, and I am finally content."

"Congratulations then, Blake. Now you can strut your stuff and flash your magnificent tail whenever you want."

"You said it, Blu. Thanks a bunch. I think I like you already."

"Likewise, Blake."

"I'm the only one left, it seems. Well, here goes!" Hailey spewed out excitedly.

We riveted our eyes to her as she spoke in that vigorous voice of hers.

"I got kicked off of Earth during one tranquil fall day, and I blame one careless human and a dose of bad luck. I lived in a birch tree right next to a curvy road at the base of a mountain, and I crossed that thing dozens of times per day without any issue. But it just so happened that, as I was shooting across on the way to my favorite breakfast spot one chilly morning, I ended up in the path of a speeding sports car. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I smacked into the windshield. I was fine one second and toast the next, and I didn't feel a thing. If you're wondering what happened to me, let me describe it this way. My body splattered on the glass like a fresh-baked apple pie dropped onto a kitchen floor. But then boom, I got all fixed up in the blink of an eye, and now I'm back in action."

"Yikes. Leave it up to humans and their deadly technology to turn you from a living, breathing creature to a statistic."

"Pretty much, Blu. Tell me something I don't know. But eh, I don't care. Life here is way better than life on Earth ever could have been. I may not be able to have a family, but I am pretty sure I can find a male blue jay that will come to love me if I search hard enough."

"I think I might copy you, Hailey. I was too young and self-absorbed to bother looking for a mate back on Earth, but now, I am going to persevere until I find 'the one.' "

"That's the spirit, you two. There are plenty of fish in the sea… or rather, birds in the sky, since we're not underwater."

We lapsed into a short spell of laughter in response to Blu's statement, and he started laughing too.

We spent the rest of the day with them, forming connections of friendship that were guaranteed to last without spoiling, just as we had predicted. Our family had grown in that sense, as we had gained a deeper understanding of three birds who started off as complete strangers, but were then converted into something more.

Though they were one-of-a-kind based on their appearances and personalities, they were also just like us. They had each earned the right to exist in Paradise, whether or not their lives were cut unfairly short. As we watched them glide off into the sunset, the orange and red and gold beams swallowing them up, swells of all-too-common happiness burst forth within us.

Blu and our children retired and chose where they were going to sleep, Nick and Carmen opting to spend the night with us rather than be alone in their own homes. I was the last one to go, remaining at the edge of the secret garden and staring off into the distance long after our friends had melted away.

I was not blinded by the rays of the descending sun, peering deeper and deeper into the center of the sinking disk until I entered a trance. I swore I felt myself take off and plunge into the blazing orb like a meteorite, soul-pleasing heat swarming around my spirit and putting me at peace.

I the three-dimensional flames that surrounded me, I saw the forms of two birds I only harbored the murkiest memory of: my parents. They smiled at me and tickled me with their wings, wordlessly saying hello to me as they had done when I was a hatchling.

It was as if I had known them all my life, as if they had never been taken from me only a few days after I was born.

I felt like I spent one-thousand years with them inside that ball of fire, and when that time was up, they bid me farewell and melted back into the flames from which they came. I exited the sun and traveled in reverse, the lucid vision ceasing.

It was so very far away now, unreachable, but it would always be there, as would my parents.

Out of the blue, I felt a tap on my shoulder, followed by his pearly voice.

"Are you coming, honey? I can't sleep without you by my side."

"Yeah… I'm coming… I'll be right there…" I replied dreamily, still dazzled by the nature of my hallucination.

"Why are you talking like that? Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry… about me. I'll be there… soon…"

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you."

When he was gone, my beak parted of its own accord.

"Mom… Dad… I love you. Whenever you want me to... call me here… and I'll fly off… to be with you…"

No matter how many millions of miles separated us, we were a part of the same Paradise, and they would always be there when I needed them.

I cracked a smile and whispered, "With you watching over me, maybe my secret garden… isn't so secret after all…"

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