8
-Blu's POV-
What if it's not him?
What if it's just… just some random blue bird who looks like me?
God, have I even been thinking? If it's not him, I'm gonna look like a weirdo, asking innocent blue birds if they're my dad. Really?
And, the others… are they gonna laugh at me, or get mad at me for wasting their time?
No, Blu. Don't think like that. They're not cruel. They love you.
…
But what about the random bird who just got asked if he's my father, what would he do?
Laugh? Stare? Get mad?
And if it is?
Will he accept me?
What if he doesn't? What if he rejects me?
What if I'm not good enough for him too?
I haven't shown any form of emotion or gratefulness for the fact that he might be out there. And what about my mom? She's probably still out there too, but I've paid no attention to that either.
No wonder everybody thinks I'm ungrateful. I don't think about others enough as I should.
I'm certainly not thinking about how Jewel feels enough. Instead, I've been sitting here, causing her and the kids to worry.
I need to get over myself. All I'm doing is creating more problems for everyone else, and expecting them to deal with it.
All I'm doing is creating a mess when I don't need to.
Guess Yin and I really are one.
As Blu was thinking to himself, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud "BOOM!" coming from outside, followed by crackling noises.
"Fireworks.", he said bluntly as he got up and left the hollow, quickly gliding out of the hollow and seeing Tiago nearby.
"Hi, Tiago.", Blu said as he landed next to him, who was about to set off a firecracker.
"Hi dad! Look at this firecracker!", he responded as he grabbed a match and lit it against the string at the bottom of the firecracker, which sent it zooming into the air before it exploded.
BOOM!
"Wasn't that cool?", Tiago said, turning around.
"Yeah! Although, it might be a bit early to be setting those off..."
"Don't worry, I'll wait until Bia and Carla are home to set off more. Actually... I think I'll save the rest of these."
"Are Bia and Carla out with your mother?"
"Mhm! Besides, we still have a reason to celebrate!"
Blu was confused, but played along with Tiago's enthusiasm. "And what's that?"
"We're going to Bahia! New vacation, and a new pop-pop!"
Blu took a few seconds to respond before he smiled. "Oh, Tiago. That might not… that might not be him."
Tiago tilted his head. "Then… why are we going?"
"Well… it might be him, but it also might not. We have to find out, I guess."
"Oh. What if it's not him?"
"...I don't know. Hopefully it is, but if it's not… then, uh… then we can just enjoy Bahia for the adventure."
"Well, I hope it is! Pop-pop is awesome, and a second one would be double awesome!"
"Yeah. Yeah, it would.", Blu responded, staring at the leftover firecrackers on the ground.
"Hey, dad? Do you know who invented fireworks?"
"Oh. Yes, well…, historians say that fireworks were created in ancient China."
"Ancient China?"
"Yeah. They made them using rolled up sheets of paper which had gunpowder and a fuse inside of them. They'd use them for festivities, like us."
"...Who's Ancient China?"
Blu laughed and shook his head. "No, son. Ancient China isn't a person. Ancient China means China in the ancient times."
"Oh, okay! Wow, have fireworks really been around for that long?"
"Yeah. But they weren't as safe or colorful as they are nowadays. Back then, the only color would be orange, from the fuse and gunpowder."
"That's kind of boring. How come they didn't have colors?"
"I'm not entirely sure why. If I were to guess why, it's probably because they didn't have the materials needed to add color."
"Then who added the colors?"
"I think it was around the 1800's, in Italy. They would use different metals and salts, and by using something called potassium chlorate. It would make the colors brighter. Pyrotechnicians have to use a lot of science when making them."
Tiago, who would normally find himself bored of a science lesson, was instead mesmerized by what he was hearing. "Wow, that's cool! If I was human and could get a job, I'd want to be one of those guys, so I could make my own fireworks!"
"That would be nice.", Blu nodded. "But you would have to be extra careful when making them. Even lighting them can be dangerous."
Tiago smiled. "That makes sense."
He thought for a few seconds. "Hey, dad? Can I tell you something?"
"Of course!", Blu smiled. "You can tell me anything."
"Well, it's kind of off-topic, but... I just wanted to say thanks."
"Thanks? For what?"
"For defending me against that psycho bird a few weeks ago."
Blu stood in the main room of the hollow he and Jewel shared, surrounded by their friends and family as he secretly glared at Eduardo, still angry about his comment from earlier that day.
Although it was a family gathering, Blu stood awkwardly around them and their interactions, feeling as if they had basically forgotten he was there.
"Huh. Invisible, like always.", he thought. "I need to go for a flight."
Blu looked at the group to make sure nobody noticed him leaving. He quietly slipped out of the hollow and flew around for a few minutes, enjoying the night sky, before landing on some dirt and grass in front of a pond. He tried to check himself in the pond, but due to its green, murky hue and the darkness around him, he could barely see anything. He turned around and began to walk close to the pond, but not close enough to fall in.
"Stupid Eduardo. He's so ignorant.", he said, as he looked down at his feathers and saw that a few of them were still grey and burnt from the dynamite a few days prior.
He rolled his eyes, thinking about the incident. "Nearly got blown up from dynamite after I saved him and his tribe from the loggers after he treated me like crap. And how does he thank me?"
He paused, scoffing at the question.
"Oh, that's right. He didn't thank me at all! Instead, he's all… "Oh, Blu, tell your humans to stay away from us.", Blu said, mimicking Eduardo's mannerisms. "I don't know why you chose to live with humans, blah, blah, blah."
Rolling his eyes again, Blu found himself becoming more enraged by the question.
"Maybe if he listened to a single thing Jewel or I said, he would know that I didn't choose anything! But no, Eduardo thinks he's too good to listen to me! I didn't… I didn't wake up one day as a chick in the nest, and think to myself, "Oh, you know what? I don't want to live with other birds, I'd rather go live with a woman in Minnesota, and I don't even know where that is!", he said sarcastically.
After a few seconds, Blu felt regret saying that.
"No, Blu, don't act like that. Linda saved you. She raised you and she loves you. She's basically your mother! Besides, I'd much rather live in Moose Lake then... okay, that's just not true. Whatever! God, I can't even think straight. Remember, if it weren't for her and her kindness, Tulio would've never come down to Minnesota, I would've never came back to Rio, and I would've never met Jewel."
He stopped his quiet ranting as he spotted a group of three, young blue macaws in the distance.
"And if it weren't for Jewel, I wouldn't have these three."
"Tiago, are you sure this is a good idea?", Carla asked.
"I never said it was a good idea. I said it was just an idea. Besides, if mom or dad realize we snuck out, we're all screwed, not just you."
"Uh oh."
"What?"
"Speaking of dad, he's flying over to us right now…"
"Oh, no. We're in trouble now.", Carla said.
The three, expecting to be reprimanded, dropped the fireworks and began to walk over to where Blu was landing.
"Hi, kids. What are you three doing out here?", Blu asked.
Carla and Bia looked at Tiago.
"What?", Tiago whispered, looking back at them. "Why do I have to speak up?"
"Because it was your idea."
"You know I can hear you, right?", Blu said.
The three instantly turned and looked at their father.
"Uh… we were going to set off fireworks.", Tiago said meekly.
"Oh, alright. Just be safe when you're lighting them, oka-"
"Please don't tell mom!"
"Yeah, please! It was Tiago's idea!"
"Yeah, all Tiago!"
Blu, originally surprised at their reaction, remembered that they were supposed to be asleep.
"If I don't tell Jewel and she ends up finding out, she's going to be pissed.", he thought.
He looked at the three, noticing the pleas and begs in their eyes and beaks.
"But if I do tell Jewel… then all three of them will be in trouble, and because of that, they'll be mad at me."
He continued thinking for a few seconds, before he realized he was more afraid of the ladder.
"Alright. I won't."
Before the three could say anything else, they were interrupted by another spix macaw landing nearby. He was scruff, skinny, and old, the feathers on his head white, and the rest of his body was a light blue. He looked a lot like the one who Blu had seen at the Pit of Doom, but Blu could tell it wasn't the same macaw.
"Hey!", he shouted as he walked over to Blu, getting up close. "These your damn kids?!"
"Uh, yeah? Why?"
"Well, this little shit of yours lit one of those colored sticks on fire earlier today, and it flew straight into my hollow!", the macaw said, grabbing Tiago. "You know, if I ever pulled some sh-"
"Hey, get your talons off him!", Blu said, shoving the bird off Tiago, stepping in front of him. "And don't talk about him like that either, it was definitely an accident!"
"I'll talk to him however I want!"
As the two began to argue back and forth, getting up close to each other, another spix macaw flew in and separated the two. The macaw was known as Miguel.
Miguel was a bit round, and his plumage was a darker blue than Jewel's, but still brighter than Blu. His head feathers were similar to Pedro's, forming what looked like some kind of triangle.
"Woah, woah, woah! What's going on?", he asked.
"This own-goal scoring loser's kid set off a firework that flew into my hollow, and he's not gonna do anything about it!", the elderly macaw shouted.
"Look, don't lay your wings on-"
"You know… uh, what's your name again?", Miguel interrupted.
Blu just stared at him. "It's Blu… why is that important? Besides, he's calling my kid a-"
"You know Blu… to be fair, I don't know how you and your humans do it, but in this tribe-"
"Are you going to let me talk, or are you going to keep interrupting me whenever I try to explain myself?", Blu said, cutting Miguel off.
"I'm not interrupting you! If anything, you just interrupted me. I'm just trying to say that in this tribe, when the kid messes up, the parent does something about it."
"Wha-... I didn't say I wouldn't do something about it, I was just saying it was an accident! Maybe if you didn't cut me off, you would've learned that! God, what the hell are you two's problems?"
"We're not the ones with problems, it's clearly you. And I mean that both literally and physically.", Miguel responded, glaring at Bia, Carla, and Tiago.
"Don't talk about them like that.", Blu said.
"Or what?"
Blu growled under his breath, remembering that his kids were behind him.
"Let's go.", he said, turning to them. "I'm not trying to argue with Dumb and Dumber over here."
"Yeah. Leave, and take your little... human fire sticks with you.", Miguel said, tossing the fireworks over.
Blu scoffed. "Jackass.", he muttered as he picked them up, holding them in his wings as he walked away, with Bia, Carla, and Tiago following him. He put the fireworks in his talons, and flew off with his children.
After a minute or two of the silent flight home, Blu spoke up. "Are you alright, Tiago?"
Tiago nodded. "Yeah, dad. I'm alright."
"Okay... good."
The group landed outside, hearing that the inside of the hollow was quiet. Blu handed the fireworks back to Tiago. "I'd put them in your room, but I'm guessing you three will have to fly through the windows of your room.", he whispered.
The trio all nodded.
"Alright... good night.", he said, kissing all of them on their head feathers.
Bia and Carla silently flew off to the side of the hollow, which worked as a sort of window, while Tiago stayed behind.
"Uh, d-"
Blu gently hushed Tiago. "Your mother will hear you. I don't want you to get in trouble."
Tiago looked at the hollow before he quickly hugged Blu, staying silent as he tightly wrapped his small wings around him, burying his beak in his father's feathers.
Blu didn't say anything as he hugged Tiago back.
After a few seconds, the two separated. "Good night.", Tiago whispered, as he quietly flew around the hollow to get through the window.
Blu waited until he was certain Tiago had made it successfully, and flew through the main entrance of the hollow, and walked into the nest he and Jewel shared. To his surprise, Jewel was somewhat awake.
"Where'd you go?", she yawned.
"Just went to get something to eat.", he said, laying down next to her.
"I never got to say thank you properly, but it means a lot.", Tiago said.
"Oh, you don't have to thank me.", Blu responded. "Just making sure you're alright. That's what a good father does. He looks out for his family and puts them first, even above himself."
"Hypocrite. You're really going to say that? After what you've been doing to them recently? You've only been doing the opposite. Why? Because you're selfish, and that's why you're a terrible father.", Blu thought to himself.
"Look, dad! Mom's home."
Blu turned to see Jewel and their daughters flying close to them, landing next to them.
"Hi guys!", Blu said, walking over to them. "Where'd you go?"
"Well, we went to grab our friends to see if they were still interested in coming with us.", Jewel responded.
"Are they?"
"Hey, y'all!", a voice said in the distance.
Blu looked up to see Rafael, Pedro, and Nico flying down to them.
"Y'all ready for… Partia?", Nico said happily as the flock landed.
Pedro looked at Nico. "Party what?"
"You know. Bahia.", Nico responded. "But with "party" in the name."
"Oh. Bahia ain't no party, yo."
"And how would you know? Have you ever been?"
"Yeah, bro. One of my sistas stays there."
"You have a sister?", Blu asked.
"Got 5 of 'em.", Pedro responded. "And 3 brothers. I got a big fam, yo!"
"I never knew that.", Blu said as he turned to Jewel. "Guess I never asked about them."
"Me neither.", Jewel responded. "Are you ready?"
Blu looked at their children. "You guys ready?"
"Yeah! Oh man, Bahia is going to be amazing! So many new creatures to learn about!", Bia said.
"And birds to sing with!", Carla added.
"And pranks!", Tiago finished.
Blu nodded and turned back to Jewel, taking a deep breath. "Alright. Yeah, yeah... I'm ready."
"Alright.", she said, turning to the group. "Alright, guys! Let's go!"
The group flew off into the air, while Blu stayed behind for a few seconds, looking around him.
"Yin… I don't know where you are at this moment… well, not physically at least.", he said quietly.
He paused, double checking one last time.
"But regardless, I know you're listening to me. So, please…"
"Do not follow me."
And with that, Blu flew off the ground and quickly followed the group.
"Is this Pedro and Nico's club?"
The military macaw stood outside of the barricaded entrance to what he assumed to be the club that belonged to the samba duo, his deep, raspy voice scaring the small, green, and round bird watching over the club, who many birds knew as Tiny.
"Oh, yes! Yes, but it's closed today, I'm sorry… Please don't step on me!", Tiny said, shuddering at the sight of the macaw in front of her.
"Woah, relax. I'm not stepping on anyone. Not anyone here, at least."
Tiny stopped shuddering upon hearing this. "Oh, okay, good! Sorry, but you're so tall, and your voice is so deep, ah!"
"Yeah, I know. I get that a lot. So… why is the club closed today?"
"Oh, well the owners, Pedro and Nico, they're helping our friend Blu with something up in Bahia! I... don't know a lot about Bahia, but it seems really frightening…", Tiny said, her voice low and timid.
The macaw rolled his eyes. "Bahia. Of course, it's always Bahia.", he mumbled under his breath.
"Alright, well… thank you. Have a nice day." he said, his voice monotone as he flew off.
"Oh, oh, you too! Thank you!"
"They really left that poor bird out here? Alone?", he thought to himself as he flew nearby to a hidden, shady alleyway, where Nigel sat, waiting for him.
"Hello, friend!", Nigel said happily. "What's the good news?"
"The good news is… nothing. They flew to Bahia, so it's gonna take a little longer than expected."
Nigel just kept his smile. "Oh, that's alright… no rush, really."
The macaw nodded. "Thanks for understanding. I don't know when I'll be back, but once it's completed, I'll come back to this alley. Should be a few days."
"Very well. Good luck!", Nigel chirped as he hopped away to a nearby alley.
The military macaw just watched as Nigel left. "What a weird bird. No wonder that TV career didn't work out for him.", he thought as he flew away from the alley and in the direction of Bahia, hoping to catch up to the group of birds.