Chapter 3:First Impressions, Part 2

It was two days after Cobalt's illustrious and charming meeting with Azura, and as he had stated earlier, it was the day in which his meeting with Sapphire would be carried out.

Having already woken up to a less-than-mild Rio morning and gone out to nourish himself, he jetted off towards his parents' hollow, touching down inside after a hurried flight.

Much to his elation, they were still snoozing, wrapped in each others wings to block out the chill.

"Mom, Dad? It's me, Cobalt." he muttered, trying to rouse them as tenderly as possible.

His restricted attempt worked, and gracefully, his parents greeted him by opening their eyes.

"Good morning, Cobalt." said his mother with a yawn.

"Oh, good morning, son." added his father, his tone shaky from the cold.

"Not the warmest morning, ever, wouldn't you say?"

"Agreed, Cobalt," he said as he extricated himself from Jewel's wings, and subsequently, the nest, "isn't there something important your mother and I have to do today? I... can't remember."

He chuckled and replied, "I have to meet Sapphire. I just have to find her... uh, where can I find her?"

His mother hopped from the nest and said sweetly, "You won't have to find her. We'll go out for you and do a quick search. Would you like us to bring something back for you to eat?"

Shaking his head, he countered, "No thanks. I already ate a good breakfast."

While the female preened her feathers, the male said, "Alright then, Cobalt. We'll be back shortly..."

Cobalt watched as his father assisted the female with her preening, giggling as he worked.

Once she had been rendered more appreciable, she waved to Cobalt and said, "Stay right here, honey. We won't be long!" before shooting out of the hollow.

The senior male trailed after her, sending a second rush of air throughout the roomy space.

Cobalt nestled down onto his stomach and thought, "Things sure are looking up for me! Too bad the fun times won't last forever. Eventually, I'll have to make a choice: Azura, or Sapphire? Won't be an easy one, but what else can I do?"

His mind was storming with all the possible solutions that could emerge from his situation.

True, he would most likely have to choose one over the other, but he could also choose neither. It was all left up to not how his mind felt, but how his heart felt.

He was ready to take the second step of his journey, but what lay beyond was a mystery. He sat there, brooding, yet visibly anxious to encounter his second counterpart.

Just as his creators said, their search would not last very long. Their entrance somewhat startled the macaw, but the shock quickly passed.

Perking himself up, he approached his parents, eyes glistening with readiness.

"That sure didn't take long! Where is this Sapphire stationed at?"

"There's a small waterfall about two minutes to the east of here. That waterfall feeds a good-sized river, which in turn keeps the banana trees along its banks growing steadily. It's basically a wall of banana trees. You can't miss it. Sapphire is waiting there."

"Thanks, Dad. Did she seem interested?"

"Very much so, Cobalt. I have a feeling your union will go very smoothly."

"Really, Mom? Well then, I better not keep her waiting. I'll be back in a little while with my... report, you could say."

His mother patted him on the head and scooted side for him to pass. He skipped between them and threw himself out of the space.

"Be careful out there, and have a good time!"

Hearing her jubilant voice, Cobalt responded, "Sure thing, Mom! Don't worry about me!"

Pointing his beak towards the east, he powered on through the weak sunshine, leaving the clearing behind quickly. His trek through the undergrowth was swift, his eagerness fueling the strokes of his wings.

He kept his hearing tuned for the rushing noise made by falling water, an unmistakable din in the silence of the chilled jungle.

He soon picked it up on his left side, and so he veered off towards the source. The line of trees his father spoke of was still hidden, but his growing proximity to the waterfall convinced him he was drawing close.

Tilting his head down, he noticed a wavy current of liquid below, curving off to his right, and then looping back to the left.

"Alright, I found the river. Now, I just follow it! It should lead me to my destination..."

He descended lower as he matched the route of the river, the jungle seeming to become less dense as he flew on. Eventually, the river straightened out and became deeper, its current decelerating. He looked to his left and right, and sure enough, he was walled in by two thick stands of banana-laden plants.

He randomly banked to the right and ascended to alight in the crown of one, only to be surprised by a flash of movement. A thick yellow rope shot out from his chosen landing spot, the front end wide open and tinted pink.

He swerved desperately to avoid the python's lunge, avoiding the strike but unbalancing himself in the process.

Before he could get his bearings, he burrowed into an upper branch and became lost in the leaves. He tumbled and spun his way down, thoroughly disoriented and bumping roughly into the branches.

He dropped from the lower boughs, only to land face first in the lazy stretch of water with a pronounced splash. A few dislodged bananas and a shower of leaves accompanied his impact, plopping into the liquid all around him.

He immediately stood up and scrambled from the water, which was much colder than the surrounding air. He perched himself on the left bank, rightfully soaked and shivering uncontrollably.

"What luck! I manage to avoid being snagged by a snake, only to end up falling into a river of freezing water! I hope she doesn't see me! I look ridiculous..."

An energetic, bright voice filtering down from above then froze him, literally: "Uh oh, looks like somebody got a bath!"

Moments later, a light blue bird fell with a soft thud onto the opposite bank, her deep blue eyes shining with elation.

"How's the water? Do you feel refreshed?" she said, giggling.

"What d-do you t-think? This w-water is f-freezing!"

"Shake yourself, then! By the way, I'm Sapphire! What's your name?"

"C-cobalt."

The female looked on in shock, standing stock-still, before donning her previous joyous expression. She skimmed across the water in a rapid flight, plucking a banana out of the water with her foot.

She set the curved yellow fruit down on the ground as she landed, deftly peeling the outer skin back and nibbling some of the end. Once she swallowed, she skipped over to Cobalt, who promptly shook himself vigorously.

"Hey, I don't want to get wet too!" she exclaimed gleefully while shielding herself with her wing.

Once Cobalt had stopped, she lowered her damp wing, only to see his feathers still matted to his body.

"Hah! You look really skinny! Oh, I am trying so hard not to laugh!"

She clutched her stomach and clamped her beak shut, trembling from the effort.

"Nice t-to meet y-you t-too..." he grunted sarcastically.

She toned down her excitement and bounced over to him, planting herself inches away, smiling faintly.

"I'm sorry, but you did put on quite a show, Cobalt! I take it you're the bird who wanted to see me?"

"Y-yeah. Did you meet m-my parents a s-short while a-ago?"

"I sure did! They were very excited when they asked me to wait for a 'special visitor.' I never would have expected this much fun, though."

"I s-see..."

She noticed he was still trembling, and after biting off a second chunk of banana, pulled him close and wrapped him in her wings.

"Is that better, buddy?"

Cobalt was amazed by her maneuver, finding it hard to reply.

"She's so... lively! So... spontaneous! The complete opposite of Azura. She's actually hugging me, despite knowing only my name. Man, I have a difficult road ahead of me..."

Her firm embrace helped to mitigate his shivering and raise his body temperature. On top of that, her feathers tickled him, their fine edges exciting his skin nonstop.

"That's much better, Sapphire. Thanks."

"Oh, you're welcome. That's what friends are for! So tell me, how did you end up in the water in the first place?"

"Well, I was about to land in that tree over... there, so that I could look for you. I didn't know a python was hiding there. He tried to bite me, but I dodged. After that, I ran into the tree next to it and fell all the way down, landing in the river. Not the warmest welcoming committee..."

"Wow. I didn't see you take a tumble, but I sure did hear you! Just be thankful it's all over."

"Yeah. You know, I think I'm warmed up enough."

"Are you sure?" she asked sweetly.

"Yep."

She stepped away from him, studying his puffed-out coat and smiling widely again.

"Do you mind telling me about yourself?" he asked sternly.

Her reply was delayed, for her beak was loaded with mushy yellow paste. He watched as her throat bulged as the food went down, leaving her beak free and clear.

"Well, I am seven years old, I have lots of friends, and I love to party!"

"What kind of parties?"

She chuckled and replied, "Club parties, silly! I love to dance, but my singing isn't so good. My foster parents love to party too. I usually go with them. We're making a name for ourselves here, actually."

Cobalt smiled and replied, "Interesting."

"Okay, now it's your turn!"

Compelled by her enthusiasm, he cleared his throat.

"I'm also seven years old. I am kind of clumsy, just like my father, and I enjoy being free, which is something I got from my mother. My dad taught me how to read and write, if you can believe it. I usually spend my free time with my parents, because I don't have many friends."

"Awww, that's okay. I'll be your friend! Do you mind?"

"Uh, not at all, Sapphire." he replied, touched by her offer.

"Great!"

"What should we do now? It's kind of boring around here."

"Let me finish my breakfast, and then I'll take you to my parents' house. How does that sound?"

"Fine with me."

"Awesome. I'll be done in just a minute..."

As she skipped over to her food item and snacked on it merrily, Cobalt couldn't help but be swarmed with wonder.

"She's so different compared to Azura. They are complete opposites, in terms of character. Her beauty is also varied. Azura was more cute-looking, while she is more eye-catching. Her tail and chest are more pronounced, and her head feathers are somewhat longer and less stout. Oh man, how do Mom and Dad expect me to pick! Perhaps I'll have to take them each out on a... date... or something. Only then can I judge how my heart feels. Only then will the end come..."

These serious musings kept Cobalt occupied until Sapphire finished her meal. He was once again startled out of his thoughts, this time by a series of light taps on his face.

He jerked his head up, only to see Sapphire standing in front of him, her wings extended and cutting off his vision.

"Why were you staring at the ground, buddy?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about... stuff. Shall we go, then?"

"If you're ready, we will."

He gave a quick nod, and Sapphire was hovering in the air moments later.

"Come on then! You'll really like my parents."

"We'll see, buddy!" he replied mockingly.

She rolled her eyes and said challengingly, "Bet you can't catch me!" before blasting off like a rocket.

"Get back here! I don't want to lose you!"

He grumbled and took off after her, pushing himself hard.

"Yep, she's a wild one! I wonder if her 'parents' have anything to do with it. If I want to find out, I better hurry!"

Threading his way rapidly through the greenery, he eventually locked on to her darting form, smiling slyly at his victory, anxious for a second time as to where and who she was leading him to...

By the time Sapphire slowed her flight, Cobalt was already fatigued, while she seemed none the worse for wear. She landed proudly in the hollow of a Papaya tree, while he plunged in like a downed plane.

From his subdued vantage point, he saw Sapphire march over to a pair of surprised – and odd-looking – birds. One was the color of the sun, while the other was tinted like lava and just as alluring.

He heaved his weary body off of the smooth floor and instigated a steady rhythm of deep inhalations.

"Cobalt, I want you to meet Pedro and Nico, my foster parents!"

"Hey... Nico. Hey... Pedro. Nice to... meet you..."

"Yo, what's crackin', Cobalt!" greeted Pedro.

"Hey, what's the matter? You look tired."

He stared at Sapphire and wheezed, "You think? I'm not used... to flying so fast! I didn't want to chase you... but if I didn't... I would have gotten lost."

As his confession filtered into her ears, she dashed over to him and rubbed his back gently.

"I'm sorry, Cobalt. I guess I'll just have to be more... laid-back around you."

"That would be nice. I forgive you, though. You're a... lively girl by nature. It's how you... were born."

She nodded softly and replied, "Yeah, that's true. Once you've got your breath back, come and see my parents."

"Will do..."

Sapphire, Nico, and Pedro waited a full thirty seconds for the male to regain his composure and satiate his body with oxygen.

Once he was restored to a proper state, he walked happily up to the strongly-painted figures and shook their wings, one by one.

"I take it you are Pedro." Cobalt said as he looked at the rotund bird.

"You got it, man! That's me!"

He switched his gaze to the other and said, "So you must be Nico."

The comparatively tiny canary slapped Cobalt's wing in agreement.

"Heck to the yeah! Nice to meet ya!"

"Likewise, Nico."

Now that the salutations were taken care of, he stepped back until all three creatures were in his field of vision. All of a sudden, a powerful realization slammed into Cobalt's mind.

"Wait a minute! How are both of your parents... male? Where are your real parents? Are they... dead?"

Her expression turned somber, being the first time he had seen such a transformation occur.

"I know it's weird, but I can't remember my parents, or even their names. I don't think they're dead, though. They must be out there somewhere..."

For some reason, Nico and Pedro looked on edge, akin to the way Azura's caretakers acted when he visited them.

"Is everything alright, you two?"

The pair of birds seemed to break free of their daze, replying almost too quickly, "Yeah, we're fine, dude. Don't worry about it."

"Something is up with both Azura's and Sapphire's parents. That I am sure of. How deep it goes, I have no clue, but it makes me wonder..."

"Anyways," began Sapphire, "why don't we talk about more cheery topics, everyone?"

Cobalt shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure, Sapphire. That's fine with me."

"I'm down." exclaimed Pedro.

"So am I." added Nico.

"Come on then, let's all huddle together."

She made a sweeping motion with her wings, disturbing the still air in the space. The three males obeyed and clustered together in front of the female, their bodies forming a semi-tight circle.

"What should we talk about, Sapphire?"

"I was thinking we could tell you about the highlights of our club life."

"Since you seem so keen to press the topic, go ahead."

She gave him a rich smile and nodded.

"Well, as soon as I was old enough..."

With an exuberant tone, she launched into her recollection, describing one high after another in her far-reaching tale.

When she saw fit, she handed the discussion over to her male counterparts so that they could inject their own perspectives.

All throughout the tale, Cobalt remained enthralled by the wonder and the deepness of it all, finding out just how wild and upbeat all three of their separate lives were.

By the time they all concluded their history lessons, Cobalt himself was speechless. After a sharp nudge from Sapphire, he managed to utter a fortuitous "Wow!"

Just over two hours had passed since he had arrived, but he obliged to stay and chat idly with them, and Sapphire in particular.

There wasn't much left to discover about her, however, and so he opted to depart ten minutes later.

He and the female exchanged proper goodbyes, with the male taking off moments later, a cheerful female in his wake...

As Cobalt trekked home, he found himself buzzing with excitement, all due to his encounter with Sapphire. It was as if her spunky personality had been infused into him by some unseen force.

"Mom and Dad will be so happy to know everything went well! Maybe I should leave out my unfortunate brush with the python, though. What they don't know won't hurt them. I wonder how my date idea will go down with them..."

He knew, without a doubt, that his parents would be just as pleased with the outcome as he.

Fueled by the desire to give his marvelous report, he increased his flight speed, cutting through the plant matter like a winged knife.

His entry into Blu and Jewel's hollow was rather abrupt, giving them both quite a scare. After recovering from their shrieks and appropriate apologies, he wasted no time in spouting out his recent accomplishments.

"Just in case you can't tell, my little outing with Sapphire was crazy, but fun! She has more energy than I could ever possess, but it didn't put me off. I think this is the prelude to a case of 'opposites attract.' "

"Well, this isn't just good news. It's great news!"

"Thanks, Mom. I figured you'd say something along those lines."

With a half-jovial expression,Cobalt's father marched up to him and cautioned, "You do know that now is the time to get serious, right?"

Cooling himself down, He replied, "Yeah. I actually was planning on going on a sort of date with each of them. Trouble is, I have no clue what to do, or where to take them. I don't want to blow my chances after just getting started."

Jewel approached him and countered, "Oh, don't you worry about that, Cobalt. Your father and I can give you some vital tips. We have plenty of experience in that area."

"That's good to hear," he said with a sigh, "but I want to relax for a couple of days before we start planning my dates."

She patted Cobalt on the head and said warmly, "That's just fine, son. It's your life, so we'll do what you say."

"Great! So, now what should we do? I am still fizzing with energy, and I need to let it out."

"Hmmm..." began the eldest male, "how about a visit to our favorite humans?"

"No objections from me, Dad."

"I got nothing, handsome. Looks like your offer sticks!"

"Alright then. Let's go, everyone!"

Blu was first out of the hollow, with his mate a close second.

Cobalt brought up the rear, all the while thinking, "With their generous help, my chain date will go as smoothy as possible. As long as I don't screw everything up. I hope my clumsiness doesn't decide to get the better of me. Oh, the embarrassment..."

Cobalt mulled on the iffy thoughts before chasing them away and hurrying to catch up with his parents.

When the time came for his big nights, he would be ready.

Ready to deal with any curve-balls that fate might throw at him, and equally ready to delve deeper into the personalities of the pair of creatures known as Azura and Sapphire.