A/N: Alright, so this is probably one of the last really quick updates I will have. I intend to keep some sort of schedule with this story, but with life picking back up, I won't be able to get one or two out a day.

I also do not want to nag you guys every chapter with a read and review plea. I think you probably get it by now, and I intend to keep writing this with or without reviews. However, reviews are very useful in helping me get better. So if you have a minute to spare and some good advice, praise, or suggestion please feel free to let me know.

Again I do not own Rio, any of the characters, the story, the ideas, the places, the images, or the heart of anything that appears in both the movie and this story.

3. Discoveries

Raphael and his family were nice an all, but that one child… ugh, I couldn't help but wince a bit at the dull pain that still resided on several parts of my body, each precisely where a feather should have been. Still Raphael seemed nicer than most of the other birds I had met thus far. Maybe this Luiz would be able to help after all.

While I was thinking, the leg I had just stepped onto was nearly yanked from under me as Jewel pulled the chain in a "subtle" reminder to hurry up. Regaining my balance and realizing I had in fact been moving slowly. I doubled my pace to catch up with the other two birds, trying not to look at Jewel in the process.

I had finally heard her laugh. Last night when I finally proved myself useful by pulling us both up the gazebo, I had finally heard a softer emotion than the disappointment and anger I had only seen from her before. I was just glad that she had a nice side, it gives me hope that maybe we can at least be acquaintance birds.

"So I haven't seen macaws of your color around here, we have plenty of scarlets, greens, and blue golds around here, but I've never seen your colors before." Raphael commented in an attempt to start conversation.

"We-we're the last two of our species." The answer was obvious, I couldn't help but speak up, I just wish I hadn't.

Raphael let out a laugh "I knew it! I knew you two were destined for-"

"We're Strictly chained to each other birds!" Jewel interrupted before Raphael could finish his sentence. The glare she gave me as she said it sent chills down my spine and overshadowed my memories of her laughter. She was still the caged bird trying to escape and her glare made it obvious that I was acting as her cage.

I sputtered out an agreement, dropping behind the other two birds, hoping not to anger her further. I had only spoken truth, but I guess that doesn't count for much out here. The glare had told me something that any word never could, something made Jewel despise anything that held her back, anything that restrained her. But I'll be honest, I could not care less about what made her that way. Instead I chose to focus on the more prominent discovery. It was painful, but the truth was, with this chain, I was her cage and she despised me…

It was a stormy evening. The tree outside ran its branches against the back of our house as the storm prematurely ripped the autumn leaves from it. Normally I would have been mildly concerned about the brewing storm. I had read enough to know that even here in Minnesota, violent storms were possible. Tonight however, I wouldn't have cared if a tornado swept right through town. Ok, ok I would have cared, but tonight was Friday night.

Not long ago, Linda and I had created a tradition. She was usually free on Friday evening and I, being, well myself was always free. So, in honor of this, Friday nights became Discovery nights. We would spend the entire evening watching Discovery channel. Honestly, its one of the coolest traditions ever.

Just as the sky began to darken for the evening, Linda collapsed into the seat next to me on the couch. With a large bowl in hand, she clicked the TV on and smiled at me with a mouth full of popcorn she had just stuffed into her face.

I couldn't help but smile back at the ridiculousness of her expression. I stepped over onto her shoulder and she offered me a piece of popcorn. Taking it, we began to watch our shows. We hadn't been watching long when Linda looked over at me and burst out laughing. Had I done something? I glanced down trying to find the source of her amusement. When that proved fruitless, I looked back at her questioningly. Suppressing her laughter she reached over and pulled a kernel shell that had become well acquainted with the top of my beak. I ruffled my feathers and pretended to ignore her by watching the show. Secretly I was planning revenge.

It was later in the evening when I saw my chance. I now stood on her head. She was engrossed with the current TV segment on the making of plastic bottles. I grinned to myself at the plan that I had been forming most of the evening. I gripped the kernel shell I was holding and decided it was time to strike.

Grabbing the kernel in my beak I leaned forward over her forehead. I would have to be quick if this was going to work. Carefully I lowered myself towards the bridge of her nose.

"What are you doing?" she asked, moving to look up at me.

Her inadvertent movement caught me off guard and I lost my balance. With a quick squawk of surprise I suddenly found myself looking up at Linda from the inside of the popcorn bowl. This of course did nothing for my revenge plot and only served to give Linda another chance to laugh until she cried at my expense.

With an indignant huff I rolled of and hopped out of the bowl. The next thirty minutes were spent cleaning up. I focused on getting the popcorn out of my feathers while Linda attempted to pick up the popcorn that was now strewn all across the room. Finally, when all my feathers were once again pristine and almost all the kernels had been cleaned up, we continued watching our shows.

I awoke to find Linda asleep and the TV still on. I was about to wake her when something blue caught my eye on the TV. It was a bird, like me. I mean it looked exactly like me. It was flying over the jungle canopy while the camera panned in order to keep up.

"This is one of the Amazon's more magnificent birds, The Spix's macaw. This beautiful creature was named after the German Naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix. Unfortunately the decline of the-"

I was so enraptured by the sight of another bird like me that I failed to notice Linda's mom come in until she turned the TV off. Dumbfounded, by this discovery I did nothing when Linda awoke and took me back to my cage.

Sleep evaded me that night as the image of the macaw continued to soar through my head. I had never questioned what I was or where I came from, but now, now the questions wouldn't leave my mind.

Finally in the dead of night as the storm finally called down, I made up my mind. I unlocked my cage and cringed as the door swung open much louder than usual. I hopped out and crept across Linda's desk, watching her bed the entire time for movement. The soft glow of the computer she had gotten for her birthday this year lent its light to help me reach it. With a couple taps on the keyboard, also much louder then they had ever been before, I entered her password.

The screen loaded and the picture of Linda holding the spelling bee trophy filled the computer's background. I clicked on the Internet icon and waited for what seemed like ages for the dial-up to connect. Finally when I could swear I was seeing grey on my feathers the page had loaded. A couple more loud taps of the keyboard and I had all the information on my species I could want.

The wealth of new information on me was almost overbearing, but I read it all. Only when I finished did I notice the link to an update. With one click, my demeanor changed. In bright red letters, the words "Declared Extinct" filled the top of the screen. Th-That couldn't be! I continued to read. Apparently deforestation and trapping had rendered those like me extinct.

I was shattered. Without another look I made my way back to my cage. There was just no way! Was I really the only one? That night I couldn't sleep. I did however, manage to pick up a habit that took me months to break. As I sat in my cage thinking, mulling over what this all meant I absently grabbed a feather from my chest and plucked it. This continued most of the night.

The Next morning came with a myriad of phone calls by Linda, who was trying to figure out why I had bald spots on my chest. It was only after a long drawn out talk over the phone, with what had to be my physician, that Linda came over to my cage.

She looked me over with a troubled expression. I couldn't even make eye contact with her.

"I can tell something is wrong Blu. The vet says it's a stress thing." She paused, thinking about something. "Please, tell me what's what it is, I'm here for you."

I finally looked at her. The concern on her face hurt me as much as my feather plucking hurt her. I halfheartedly motioned towards her computer. Confused, she looked it over, assuming it was something about the computer that had upset me. When she knocked the mouse, the screen woke up and showed her exactly what it had shown me. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she read and realized what I was going through.

"Blu, I didn't know; Oh Blu." She consoled. She reached over and let me climb onto her soft arm where she rubbed my beak.

Looking at the love in her eyes, I couldn't help but smile. I may be alone as far as my species went, but I was accepted and loved by Linda.