Chapter 2: A Faded Memory

"Blu, I've been cooped up in here ever since I laid the eggs! I need to stretch my wings and spend a few hours away from them. You're their father, and that means you have to play your part in nurturing them too."

It wasn't that Blu was opposed to my extended outing; he was rather opposed to incubating the eggs, fearing that his clumsiness would cause a terrible mishap.

"I understand, Jewel, but I... I just don't want to endanger them! You're such a controlled and caring mother, but I'm just the opposite. I guess you could say I'm coming up short in the motor skills department..."

I sighed and grabbed him with my wings, pulling him up to the edge of my nest.

"I'll teach you how to sit on them, and you'll catch on in no time. Think of how smart you are compared to me! You'll do fine, I promise."

Blu's unconvinced expression remained, and so I stuck a sweet kiss on his cheek. His eyes narrowed and he ruffled his feathers vibrantly.

"You know what Jewel, you're right. If you can be such an exquisite mother, there's no reason why I can't be a prime father."

"That's the spirit, handsome!" I replied cheerily.

I carefully stepped off of the pair of ovals beneath me and walked around to Blu's right side.

"What do I do first?" he asked excitedly.

"Climb into the nest, but don't cover them just yet."

He climbed over the twigs and stood behind the white ovals, giving me a "please continue" sort of look.

"Alright, now walk forwards and tuck them under you, about an inch front of your legs."

Tentatively, he crawled in my direction and froze once his belly feathers contacted them.

I studied his position and replied, "Perfect. Now just crouch down, like you're resting on a branch."

Blu sunk down slowly, his feathers molding around the eggs and hiding them completely from view.

He let out a chuckle and said, "Oh, that tickles!"

He shook away his joy and added, "They feel like they're in the right spot. Did I do a good enough job?"

I nodded heartily and said, "Yep! If and when you get off, the routine to cover them up again is exactly the same. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes, Jewel, I think I have it down. There's no need to worry about me or them. You just go out and enjoy the freedom you've been denied for five days in a row."

He said the last part with more emphasis, and I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I'll only be gone for a few hours. I'll probably eat, chat with some friends, and take a long, refreshing bath."

He smiled slyly and said, "I wish I could watch you during that last part."

"Sorry Blu, but even female birds deserve some privacy."

"Awww..." he replied meekly.

I hopped over to him and nuzzled my neck against his.

"I love you, Blu. I'll be back before you know it. If you get bored, go ahead and take a nap."

"I love you too, honey, and I'll take that into consideration. Oh, if it's not too much trouble, keep an eye out for Grace. Ever since she had her seizure two days ago, I've been thinking about her."

My mood darkened slightly as he said this.

Grace had also occupied my thoughts as well, and the fact that Blu had not seen her during his previous food-gathering flights had me worried.

Was she avoiding us because she thought she had frightened us too deeply to return?

All Blu and I wanted was to find her and assure her that our friendship was still intact, and if possible, convince her to explain why she was diseased. I would do my best to spot her, but I felt that my chances of finding her were the same as my mate's: slim.

"I'll try, Blu, but I don't think I'll run into her. She'll have to decide on her own whether to come back. There's no telling how far away from here she is..."

"All we can do is pray, Jewel. But enough of this depressing talk. Today is a glorious day, and we shouldn't waste it conversing about matters we can't change. Now go on and fly to your heart's content."

"Alright. Goodbye, handsome."

"Goodbye, my angel."

I drew in one last glimpse of my mate's chocolate eyes before whirling around and jogging towards the exit.

Without hesitation, I launched myself into the sunshine, breathing in the rich scents of sun-baked bark and leaves. The spicy odors flooded my system and seemed to give me a burst of energy.

I pushed my concerns about Grace to the back of my mind and let the warm atmosphere lift my spirits.

Ahhh... I feel like I'm ten years old again! I've been held down in that hollow for so long, I almost forgot how lovely it feels to fly around and experience nature. I'm sorry, Blu, but I may be coming home later than I originally planned...

My blood churning and my chest swelling, I took off to the north in the search for some tasty food. It was barely the afternoon, and knowing that I had many hours of freedom to spare, I couldn't have been happier...

Over a mile to the east of Blu and Jewel's abode, perched in a stately banana tree near the drop-off of a waterfall, sat a dejected female owl. She would have normally been asleep at this lively time of day, but her regret-laced memories haunted her.

She had snatched a young Bushmaster from the lagoon down below and hoped that snacking on it would ease her mind, but to no avail. She had only been able to consume its head and three inches of its body before pangs of grief and hopelessness ruined her appetite.

Why did I have to scare them like that? Why then? I had only been their friends for less than an hour, and my uncontrollable madness decided to take over and ruin everything. They must be so worried about me, and they may even be looking for me, but I can't face them again...

I gazed sadly at the dead snake clutched in my talons, and being as I was unable to eat anymore, I let it slide out of my grip. It disappeared through a gap in the leaves and hit the ground with a dull thud.

I don't deserve what they did to me, what it did to me. I just wish that there was a way to reverse time, so that I could go back and prevent that tragedy from ever happening. It's always the noble creatures who end up suffering, end up being the victims of life's cruelty...

The muted roar of the crashing water was easily picked up by my sensitive ears, a constant rumble that unnerved me.

I leapt from my perch and flew upriver, not stopping until the waterfall's growling failed to stimulate even my fine-tuned ears.

I landed smoothly on the low branch of a cannonball tree and tried to relax, but an urgent internal sensation prevented me from doing so.

I coughed a few times as the pellet rose up my throat, helping it along as much as I could.

With one final sharp cough, it entered my beak, and I spit it out. It left a dry, bitter flavor in my mouth, but the aftertaste soon faded.

If only my seizures were that easy to deal with... I thought sadly.

The sunlight was fairly bright where I was sitting, so I edged closer to the trunk of the tree and basked myself in some decent shade. I rested myself up against the moss-covered bark and yawned, closing my tired eyes in preparation for a necessary and undisturbed roost.

The sea of blackness had only shrouded my vision for a few minutes before a bolt of pain went off in my head.

My eyes shot open, and the world around me became tinged with red as my brain was gripped by a stinging ache. It was as if illusory flames danced across my vision, a powerful comparison to the burning I felt inside my skull.

The pain level grew and grew, as did the crushing dread drowning my insides.

No... please no... not now! I need to sleep... ahhh!

The flames surged and twisted into serpentine shapes, coiling and roping all over each other as they clogged my eyesight.

They were the demons I knew so well, appearing without fail before each episode and tormenting me until they satisfied their hunger.

I released a sharp scream as the agony shocked my muscles and caused me to feel like I was suffocating.

"No! I can't... BREATHE! Urgh... ack... HELP!"

My entire skeleton was swamped by earthquake-like tremors, causing my feet to jerk and lose their grip. I toppled off of my perch, oblivious to the tiny spurts of pain I felt as I smacked the branches on my way down.

I hit the ground face-first, yet the impact was not as rough as I expected it to be. My muscles were still contracting wildly as I realized I had landed in the river, the cool water seeping all the way down to my skin.

The temperature of the liquid did nothing to ease the firestorm scorching my brain.

I randomly thrashed about, turning myself over and splashing liquid in all directions.

"Somebody... anybody... kill me! My brain is MELTING! I want... to DIE!"

The river was mildly shallow in this area, preventing me from drowning and thus putting an end to my infernal suffering. I was unable to cry out anymore as harsh coughs spewed from my beak, a response to my unjustified need for air.

After countless more gasps and wild movements, a bone-chilling calm came over me.

My fatigued muscles were stilled by a temporary paralysis as my chest raced up and down to draw in oxygen. The current was not enough to move me, but I couldn't even gauge its speed to begin with.

"It's finally... over... oh God... help me..."

I lay there like a limp, feathered puppet with its strings cut, clamoring for the feeling to pour back into me. As the sun beat down on my exposed, waterlogged underside, I felt the faint ripples of the disturbed current hitting my feet.

I twitched them instinctively, chasing the numbness out of my tail and legs in turn. I had gone through this restorative routine too many times to even count, but it aided me immensely in the wake of my spastic fits.

The sensation of my awakening nerves crawled up my back and into my wings, then channeled up my neck and bathed my head.

Woefully, I rolled back over and used my wings to push myself up. I nearly toppled back into the water not due to numbness, but due to my exhausted muscles and aching bones.

In the wake of my previous spell at Blu and Jewel's hollow, I had fought through my tiredness and made it a few feet past the border of the clearing before succumbing. Now, due to the conflicting effects of cold water and direct sunlight, my strength had been sucked away much more rapidly.

I was far too weak to shake myself dry, and I slogged out of the river and sat on the bank. The added weight of the water was too much for my fragile muscles to support, and so I slumped down onto my chest.

The warm kiss of the sun would eventually dry my feathers, but its immediate effect was to cast me into a pitiful, energy-deprived sleep.

I had endured a living journey through Hell, and my only reward was to fall into a deep slumber.

At least... I'll be able to recover... peacefully. I don't know how many more times... I can go through this. It has to end... or I'll have to end... myself...

Black patches speckled my vision, growing in number and size as the seconds rolled by. My head swam briefly before my senses were cut off from the world, and I offered my tattered soul up to the folds of sleep...

Jewel returned home just as the sunset splashed the rain forest with a number of unnatural hues, coming upon her mate snoozing in the nest, head-on-wing. She had accomplished all she had set out to do, and she was perfectly content.

Her belly was full, her mind was brimming with the gossip told to her by her good friends, and to top it all off, her feathers were straight and gleaming attractively.

Ahhh... today was a good day. If only I had seen Grace and got the chance to talk to her. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if she returns in the future...

I gazed lovingly at my mate and sighed as a bubble of pride formed within me.

Why does he doubt himself? He's so obedient and capable. I might have him watch the eggs tomorrow too. But for tonight, I think I'll take over again...

I hopped quietly over to him and stroked the back of his neck with my wing. "Blu," I whispered sweetly. "Guess who's back..."

He mumbled something and shook his head, causing me to pull my wing back. He blinked and made a sort of chewing motion with his beak, causing me to smile humorously.

"Jewel... is that... whoa..."

His eyes flew open rather rapidly as he soaked in my shining appearance.

"You see, the end result of a good bath is just as pleasing as watching me take one," I said pointedly.

"Wow, I guess you're right. I urge you to polish yourself up more frequently in the future. Anyways, how was the rest of your day, beautiful?"

"It was good. No wait, it was great! I've never felt so good since we... uh... mated."

I turned away in embarrassment, even though I was telling the honest truth. I turned back to Blu, who had a devilish grin on his face.

"Is that so? Well, that's no reason to feel coy. You get to feel the stimulation without all the restrictive side effects..."

He chuckled at the suggestive statement, and moments later, I was chuckling too.

As soon as our laughter died down, I affected a semi-serious expression.

"It's time we switched places, Blu. You must be dying to get back to your own nest."

To my utter surprise, he shook his head side to side, a clear sign of refusal.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to extend my incubation period overnight."

Dumbfounded, I replied, "What? Earlier this morning, you were complaining-"

He gently hushed me with his wing and said staunchly, "Never mind how I acted then. I am truly enjoying sharing my warmth with our children, and I can plainly see how you put up with it for five days. Wait, those weren't the right words. I can see how you've admired it for five days."

I gazed at the ceiling of the hollow and said, "You've got a point there. It made me feel... magical inside, knowing that I was contributing to their development."

"That's exactly how I'd describe it, beautiful. So, are you giving me permission to fill your position?"

"Yes I am. If you want, you can even stay with them tomorrow too."

"Thank you so much, Jewel. I never knew it would be so enchanting to be a female. But that doesn't mean I'd want to switch genders, if that's what you're thinking."

I rolled my eyes and gave him a deep kiss, pulling back after trading oral flavors for a few seconds.

"I'd do that again I I wasn't so tired. I'm going to turn in early, if you don't mind."

"That's fine... with me... gorgeous..." he replied, his voice light and airy.

He watched me as I traveled deeper into our home and plunked myself down in his nest.

"Did you see any hints of Grace while you were gone?"

I let loose a discontented sigh and replied, "No, I didn't. I can't help but think that she's flown far away, Blu. Neither of us know how long she's been like that. She's probably lost control many times before while in the company of other birds. I bet she's through dealing with the pain she unwillingly inflicts on them..."

"If only she'd come back and let us talk to her, we could at least understand what is plaguing her, and maybe even help her."

"Like I said earlier, it's all up to Grace."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, goodnight, honey."

I sunk lower into the moss and replied while yawning, "Goodnight, handsome."

As sleep threatened to pull me under, my eyelids grew heavy. I stayed awake for a few more minutes, my eyes lazily trained on Blu as he focused his attention on our eggs.

I heard him mumbling to them, and even though it puzzled me, I was convinced it was an American tradition. He was speaking soothing words to our children, and perhaps they were able to hear him.

I had single-handedly incubated our first clutch, and I had never whispered to them, as he was doing now.

A drowsy smile lit up my face as he finished off his faint speech and laid his head on the edge of the nest. I didn't pick up on anything he had said, but whatever it was, I knew he meant it.

It seemed like a trivial matter to me, but to him, it was much more. He was being himself and doing what he believed would aid our children's growth, however nonsensical it was.

He was being Blu, the mate I loved to pieces and the best father our children both young and old would ever have.

As I drifted off to the land of dreams, that simple fact made my already-boundless love for him grow that much more...

As the days went by, Blu and Jewel regularly traded egg-sitting duties, their anxiety only growing with each sunrise as they waited for their children to hatch.

Fifteen days after they were laid, the chicks emerged, breaking out of their shells during the late evening hours.

The result of Blu and and Jewel's requited love turned out to be a son and a daughter.

Both Calisto and Helena – as the male and female were dutifully named by Blu – took after their father plumage-wise. How they were modeled on the interior was yet to be seen.

The differing color of their eyes was the only way to tell them apart, as their feather hue was nearly identical. Calisto's eyes were dyed a a powerful emerald green, while Helena's absorbed the rich brown present in her father's irises.

As those precious early days turned into one week, and then two and three, both chicks grew at a respectable pace, learning how to fly shortly after learning how to speak.

As time flowed on, they developed inquisitive natures and refined appearances. Helena was not beautiful like her mother; she was rather cute and bold, like a mature crimson rose. Calisto was her male counterpart, an adventurous and plucky youngster who charmed by both his nature and his fortified looks.

Raising them was a strain at times, for they were at the age where they dug themselves into trouble and needed disciplining.

Aside from the days when Blu and Jewel reprimanded them, a sense of deep nostalgia reminded them of how pleasant raising their triplets was.

Blu and Jewel were basically trapped in a realm of physically draining days and long nights of recuperation. It was by no means easy educating and stimulating the energetic brother/sister duo, but the wonder of watching them exlore, learn, and grow made it completely worthwhile.

There was but one facet of aching displeasure that gnawed at the back of the proud parents' minds: their Striped Owl friend failed to show up, even after a tedious month had passed since the hatching.

Blu and Jewel's long-festering doubt morphed into hopeless longing as they began imagining that she had been killed. The most obvious possibility they came to was that a seizure could have erupted while Grace was in an unfortunate place, leading to her accidental death.

As they and their children ranged farther and farther from their home, Blu and Jewel opted to politely interrogate the jungle's countless avian residents to see if they had spotted Grace. They were further saddened to hear that all the macaws, hummingbirds, conures, and canaries they asked gave the same answer: no.

Blu and Jewel began to believe that her fate had indeed been sealed, and that they would never lay eyes on the charismatic owl again.

Calisto and Helena picked up on their parents' plight, and even after having Grace's remarkably brief tale explained, they still strove to boost Blu and Jewel's mood.

For the sake of their children, the elder macaws obeyed and brightened their outlooks.

By the time the scorching month of July arrived and repeatedly baked the city – as well as the thousands of vacationing tourists – Grace was hardly anything more than a faded memory to the upbeat macaw family.

She had been scoured away by the sands of time, cleansed from Blu and Jewel's minds to make room for the enriching moments created by their newest children.

Calisto and Helena had grown to be a fourth the size of their parents, and their formerly endless energy reserves had dwindled to respectable levels.

Life for that particular macaw family was serene and relaxed, even when Calisto and Helena's older siblings dropped by, on occasion, to interact.

Blu and Jewel had exchanged the loss of one life for the birth of two, summed up by one powerful quote: "Blood is thicker than water."