Jewel and Blu arrived the next morning at Linda's house. They were perched on the window seal. Blu knocked the window of Linda's room.

"I hope the chicks were good," commented Jewel.

"They had better be. If not, we will have to find a new babysitter."

"Then who would be the backup?"

"Easy. Fides and Luis."

"Um, Blu? They don't like Leoncio."

"Raphael and Eva?"

"Don't like Leoncio."

"Nico and Pedro?"

"Can handle the chicks, but they're irresponsible. Remember that one and only time we left the chicks with them? They all went to an adult party, Pedro was using them to get lucky, and the chicks kept on talking about the game the male and the female birds were playing."

"Mm… Oh, Luiz."

"Definitely doesn't like Leoncio."

"Man, why doesn't everyone like Leoncio?"

Jewel half-closed her eyes.

"You're really asking that? Let's just be glad Linda likes all of our chicks."

The curtains behind the window moved. Linda's face was hovering above the two birds through the inside of the window. She opened the window. Jewel and Blu happily flew inside and landed on the desk against the window. They looked up at Linda and dropped their happy expressions. It appeared Linda had cried just a few minutes before. She held a note to her chest.

"I'm sorry Blu and Jewel."

The two looked at each other confused. They looked back at Linda.

"I told the chicks to wait in the kitchen. I want you to read this."

Linda placed the note on the desk. Blu and Jewel walked to it and read it carefully.

Dear Mama and Papa,

I can't do this anymore. I've tried so hard to fit in, but I've felt so awkward. I don't belong here. I guess I was the accident of the family. Accidents should be fixed, not a burden to the family. I've decided to run away. I think everyone will be happier. Though it may be sad at first, just try to move on without me. The family will be happier. Don't try to find me. By the time you read this, I will already be gone out of Rio and will try to find somewhere I truly fit in.

Love,

Aurora

The two parents stood in disbelief at what they read. Jewel picked up the note and skimmed it again. Her eyes began to water after reading it again. She looked down. Teardrops fell to the ground. Blu placed a wing around her shoulder. She finally turned and buried her face in Blu's chest. He wrapped his wings around her and looked up at the ceiling. Their daughter was gone, forever.

"I'm so sorry," said Linda.

Behind the wall of the hallway, Jalin peeked into the bedroom. His mother was crying as his father looked like there was dying hope for their daughter's return. He hid behind the white wall and plotted himself on the floor. He looked at his wings and buried his face in them. What had he done!

Aurora woke up with the sudden stop of the pickup truck. Her head banged the metal frame. The pain caused her to open her eyes. She stood up and rubbed her head.

"Ouch!"

She then noticed the metal floor and looked around. She was outside. Buildings of old towered over her. The rumbling of people walking around shook her eardrums. She nervously placed a wing on top of the other and kept them close to her chest.

"Wher-where am I?"

The Latino driver got out of his car. Aurora saw him approaching the back of the truck. Scared, she flew away. She flew to the top of the nearest building top and landed on the edge of the walkable rooftop. She looked around to see where she was.

This was a metropolis area filled with tall buildings and rich and poor houses populating the area around it. It looked nothing like back home. There was no beachfront, above-moderate clean air, and simplistic buildings. The city smelled of greed and selfishness.

"Hey, chick."

Aurora turned around. She saw a Grey-fronted Dove behind her. She confronted the dove.

"Miss, where am I?"

"Why, you're in Belo Horizonte."

"How far is that from Rio?"

"Rio? You can't mean Rio de Janeiro."

Aurora nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but you're like a while away."

Aurora sighed.

"Well, I better start flying home."

Aurora turned around and was about to take off when the dove placed a wing on her shoulder.

"Little One, you don't plan to go there by yourself?"

"I have to," she said, extending her wings.

"I see, but I have one question before you leave. How did you get here?"

Aurora dropped her wings and turned around to face the dove.

"I…I don't really know. I remember waking up in the back of a truck this morning. Before that, the last thing I remember was Mama getting ready for her date with Papa."

"Your mama and papa are in Rio. They must be worried sick."

"Yeah, so I better get going."

Suddenly, both birds heard a clash of thunder. The dove looked at Aurora. She was looking down at the floor.

"Great. It's going to rain."

"Why don't you come with me for tonight? It's very dangerous for a bird to fly into unpredictable weather."

"I guess," Aurora replied, looking up at the dove.

The dove smiled.

"Okay, then. Follow me."

The dove flapped her wings and took off to the skies. Aurora sighed and followed the bird. She flew up next to her.

"What is your name, Miss?"

"Call me Dixie."

"My name's Aurora."

"Well, let's hurry to my home and hope to not get caught in the rain."

Blu returned to the tree den. His feathers were drenched with water. He shook them off. Jewel, once sitting on the nest, walked up to him.

"Any luck?" she asked with hopeful eyes.

"I'm sorry. I tried to find her throughout Rio. I also asked local birds if they've seen her."

Jewel looked down. Blu placed a wing around her. She faced him with watery eyes.

"Oh, Jewel. Our baby…"

He couldn't think of the words. Aurora was gone. That was that. He knew no words could relax Jewel. It was motherly instincts to cry over for something heavily loss that at one time was attached to you. He would've probably felt the same grief if he laid the egg.

Jewel was now crying on Blu's chest, thinking about Aurora. She slightly smiled at the memories they had shared with her.

"Oh, I remember when she first flew."

Blu also remembered. He also remembered that he skydived to the ground, trying to save Aurora. He thought she wasn't going to make it, but she did. As Jewel applauded on Aurora's success, Blu was slowly recovering from the head trauma.

"Yeah, I do too. Sort of, anyways."

Blu sighed.

"Our daughter. She's smart and resourceful. I'm sure she's alive."

Jewel slightly smiled as tears were become less and less.

Away from them, Jalin had one eye opened. The chicks were supposedly asleep. It was a power-nap, but they only did it because they were bored to death. He saw his mother and father still distraught about Aurora's disappearance. He closed his eyes and tried his best to fall asleep. When it failed, he opened both eyes and looked sadly at the ground. They needed to tell the truth.

"Mama's here! Mama's here!"

Dixie flew into the tree hollow. She smiled as her two chicks circled around her. Her mother smiled.

"There are my adorable chicks. How did you behave for Grandma?"

"They were fine, Dear."

Aurora faced the old bird. The dove looked a lot like her daughter, but older. Her eyes were squinted, and her feathers were not as bright as Dixie's feathers. She walked over to her daughter and noticed Aurora. The two younger doves also noticed Aurora. One of them looked up at Dixie.

"Mama, you said you were going to get food. Not bring home a blue bird."

"I know, Yessenia. It's just that a storm might be coming."

The taller of the two walked up to Aurora. What made her truly different from her sister were the green-colored eyes over her sister's amber-colored eyes.

"Hi," said the green eyed, brown dove. "I'm Lily."

"My name is Aurora."

The grandmother walked up to Aurora.

"Aurora, is there something special about you?"

"I think not."

The grandmother smiled.

"Can I see your wing?"

Aurora saw no problem with this and gave her wing to the lady. She placed the wing in-between her two wings. She closed her eyes and opened them after a minute. She smiled at Aurora.

"Ah, you were made at the end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You are smart, beautiful, and unique. These traits had made you loved and hated."

Aurora looked down.

"The only ones who love me are my parents. My siblings hate me."

"Oh. And why do you think of that?"

"I'm perfect."

"Perfect?" inquired the grandmother.

Aurora sighed.

"Yeah. I'm smarter than my oldest brother Jalin, prettier than my sister Elena, and more cunning than my older brother Leoncio. No wonder why they hate me so much."

"Child, you got it all wrong. They envy you."

"There's no difference. Envy means something you see in another that you want. You then become jealous of the bird and despise that bird."

The grandmother smiled.

"I see, but that doesn't prove your prefect. No one in this world is. If we were all perfect, where would your flaws fit in?"

"But I've been told I have no flaws."

"You just mentioned them to me."

Aurora looked at her, confused.

"Child," continued the grandmother, "your imperfection is thinking what others say about you. This causes you to think different and badly on yourself. If the acts you've done hurt your siblings' feelings, make it so that you let them have the spotlight. You want to feel appreciated because you think you're perfect. By grabbing all the attention, your siblings are ill-hearted towards you. Aren't you all a family? Let them feel the appreciation with you."

Aurora thought about it. The old bird was right. She had convinced herself she was perfect. That was what an imperfect bird would've thought. Because she thought this way, she thought it was necessary to steal the spotlight. Her and her siblings were family. They should all share the appreciation and love they got from their parents. Aurora smiled and looked up at the grandmother. Unexpectedly, she gave the stranger a hug.

"Thank you," she said as a tear was formed.

The grandmother smiled and hugged back.

"You're welcome, Child."

They departed from the hug.

"Now let's get you settled it. When this storm passes, we will help you get to Rio."

Aurora nodded. The doves surrounded her and gave her a tour of the tree den.