Blu flew cautiously through the Amazon canopy with an eagle's gracefulness, his senses on high alert as he looked in every direction, his plumage and wings crusted in dirt, mud and leafs.

He quietly perched on a nearby branch and fully scanned his surroundings, searching for the slightest hint of movement in the foliage—especially from behind him.

He allowed his wings, his whole body, to relax once he confirmed that no one was there. He exhaled loudly through his beak—the first time he had caught his breath since waking up this morning.

He needed water, badly. The crusted mud on his feathers made his every movement in mid-air a crushing challenge, and it didn't help that he was still sore from his training exercises two days ago.

And right now, he craved to be in his hollow, sleeping peacefully in his nest with Jewel tucked beneath his wing, cuddled into his chest.

But he quickly disregarded the thought. He needed to focus on passing his final exam—one that Eduardo, out of nowhere, had decided he was ready for.

Blu flew through a bundle of low-hanging vines, being careful as to not let his wings get caught in the loops.

Even after weeks and weeks of blood, dirty feathers and tears, Blu knew he wasn't anywhere near the point of being able to qualify for his final exam. The exam, in particular, was only meant for birds who were aiming to become tribe warriors—a position that Eduardo had heavily encouraged Blu to train for.

The rules of the actual exam were simple yet so difficult. A day before the exam, the examinee would endure a harsh, brutal training session as a way to tire them out completely. This was to make sure that they were being pushed to the absolute limits of their physical and mental strength while taking the exam.

And at the very crack of dawn (4:00am in human time) the exam would start, and if the examinee accidentally slept in, it would result in an automatic failure. But if they managed to wake up on time, the examinee would have only a simple task to complete: to pick up a blue-and-yellow painted brazil nut from behind the waterfall of the plunge pool and deliver it to the Brazil nut groove, all while being hunted down by three other tribe warriors—who were tasked with stealing the brazil nut.

And if the examinee were to fail in anyway, they would have to completely restart their training and take it next year.

The exam itself always seemed daunting to Blu, and a part of him hoped that he would never qualify. But the day Eduardo came to him and told him that he wanted him to take the exam, adding in the fact that he believed he was more than ready for it… Blu… he didn't feel any fear or dread in that moment… he only found himself grateful that he was able to have Eduardo as his father-in-law.

Grateful that, despite their rocky start, he had a male—a father figure—in his life who believed in him, who motivated him to become a better bird through training and discipline.

Indeed. Through that training and discipline, the quality of his life had improved dramatically.

It'd taught him to embrace his natural instincts as a Blue Spix Macaw, which had helped him to better socialize with the other tribe members, especially among the tribe warriors—or Pit Of Doom players, as Eduardo sometimes referred to them (or soccer players, as Blu secretly referred to them as).

And since he spent a majority of his day training and patrolling with the other tribe warriors, he was able to develop close bonds with them, friendships, even. One of his closest friends, surprisingly, was Roberto, the male's kindness and willingness to support him—to teach him—was the reason why he was able to advance as a tribe warrior so quickly.

It hadn't only been his social life that had been improved, though. His body had as well. The training had shaped him, toned him, making his chest broader and his waist smaller, his wings filled with strength and power. He couldn't be prouder of himself, more in love with himself, for achieving the body type that he had spent his entire life only dreaming of.

And Jewel, as well, loved it, couldn't get enough of him.

Almost every evening and morning, they'd cuddle and kiss in the nest until their plumages were covered in each other's feathers. And if their kids were away, they'd spend hours making sweet, passionate love, strengthening the affection between them.

At those intimate memories of Jewel, a warm sensation filled his chest, even as he flew through the dense foliage, his wings straining against the crusted mud.

…Jewel… his one and only…

More than Roberto, she had been the reason why he had remained so diligent with Eduardo's training. Whenever he felt that he wanted to quit, whenever he felt that he wasn't skilled enough or talented enough to continue in his father-in-law's training, Jewel would always be there, cheering him on, giving him the encouragement he needed to keep pushing himself to try harder.

So, it had been strange when Jewel kept giving him a worried look every time he mentioned his final exams yesterday. And it wasn't until the evening, after his harsh training session for the exam, that he mentioned it, asking her if anything was wrong.

"What do you mean," she had said.

"Well, every time I've been mentioning the exam today, you give that look whenever you feel something's off."

"Oh, it's nothing, Blu, really," Jewel waved, a bright smile on her beak, "I'm just hoping Dad doesn't go overboard in the exam, that's all. You know how he can be."

Although he wasn't convinced, Blu smiled and said, "yeah, all too well."

But on the morning of the exam, when Blu woke up at the crack of dawn and quickly readied himself to leave the hollow and begin his exam, that he heard his beloved mate call out to him.

"Blu," Jewel moaned, her eyes half-closed, though there were tears in them. "Please… I… please, don't go to the exam."

Blu fully turned to his mate. "Jewel?"

"You were right," she admitted, sitting up in the nest, a tear slipping down her cheek. "There's been something tearing me apart from the inside ever since I heard you were taking your exam…"

His expression softening, Blu came up to her and placed a gentle wing on her shoulder, his gaze lined with patients, understanding.

Jewel lifted her chin and met that comforting gaze before she lowered her head, staring down at her chest, at all of the dark blue feathers that were mixed in with her own there—a product of their cuddling and lovemaking from last night. She breathed, "…Blu, I think something bad is going to happen if you go to your exam… I know it… I didn't want to mention it to you yesterday, you looked so focused and determined… and… and I shouldn't be mentioning it now, Blu… I'm… I'm sorry…"

"Hey," Blu assured, softly, placing a wingtip beneath her chin and raising it, her turquoise meeting his hazel, "I'll be alright, okay, I promise."

Jewel nodded, another tear slipping down her cheek. "Okay," she uttered out.

"I love you," Blu said and pecked her on the beak.

Suddenly, Blu was ripped from his train of thought when he caught a streak a blue zip past the corner of his vision.

His stomach began to crinkle into a ball, his throat bobbing as he swallowed a lump there.

I think they might've found me. And he hadn't even gotten to the painted brazil nut yet.

He needed to hurry.

Luckily, he noticed a landmark, a blackened, burnt tree that had been struck by lightning, which meant he was only a minute away from the plunge pool.

With that in mind, Blu began flying full speed through the canopy, making sure to stay in the thickest parts of the foliage so he wouldn't be spotted.

He made it to the clearing of the plunge pool faster than he expected to and he immediately looked towards the water fall the painted brazil nut was hidden behind.

Blu flew high into the air before tucking his wings in and diving straight towards the waterfall.

It was a way to conserve his energy while also gaining extra speed from his velocity.

Blu kept diving until he was able to see the large, secret cave hidden behind the waterfall and the brazil nut that sat at the opening of the cave.

Blu unfurled his wings wide, slowing himself down. Though he nearly crashed into the clay walls of the plunge pool as he swooped behind the waterfall and grabbed the painted brazil nut while still in mid-air.

"Yes," Blu cheered out to himself, clutching the painted brazil nut in his talons. He began flying full speed up from the water fall and across the clearing of the plunge pool, his eyes locked onto the trees that sat at the edge of its cliff side.

If he was fast enough and lucky enough, he could escape into the thick canopy and hide there for a while, and let himself rest, replenish his stamina.

There was no time limit on the exam. So, if he wanted to, he could hide then take flight for a little while before hiding again, making sure that he wasn't being followed. He could do

same process until he reached the Brazil Nut grove, where Eduardo would be waiting.

A snail's pace maybe, Blu thought to himself, but it'll allow me to go the entire exam without having to worry about my brazil nut being stolen. It'll just be smooth sailing.

And as Blu grew closer and closer to the canopy, a sense of relief slowly started to fill his chest—and he pumped his wings harder.

Almost there! Almost there!

But suddenly, he saw three shadows swoosh over the cliff face of the plunge pool.

Blu looked behind him, towards the source of the shadows, and his pupils shrank to grains of sand.

Jewel had been right… Eduardo had gone overboard.

The old bird hadn't just chosen any random assortment of tribe warriors to act as the hunters for this exam.

No, he had chosen Roberto, Estrella and Santiago—the three best warriors in the entire tribe.

Immediately, in the split second that his eyes locked onto the three powerful birds flying above him, Blu banished all panic from his mind.

He allowed his logical mind to take over and scanned over everything he knew about his hunters.

Santiago was the strongest bird in the Blue Spix Macaw Tribe, even stronger than Eduardo. He was also the largest male in the tribe as well, towering over everyone in height—one might even mistake him for a Hyacinth Macaw if they weren't looking close enough. But despite his size, Santiago did not lack anything for speed, it's what made him so dangerous as a tribe warrior… being able to quickly catch up to an opponent and rip them apart with his strength. Blu knew that any close combat with the bird would result in him getting thrown around like a rag doll, and even worse if he stole his brazil nut from him.

But the one he was most terrified of getting his brazil nut stolen by was Estrella.

Estrella, who was Roberto's newly parred mate, was the only female member of the tribe warriors. And with her being a female, it also made her the physically weakest member, since she didn't possess the natural, raw strength that the males did. Though, she made up for that weakness with her lightening-quick speed and reflexes.

Indeed—when it came to speed, Estrella was the fastest bird in the tribe, and with her small size, she was able to maneuver her way through branches and vines with total ease. And to add onto that, she was a master at stealth, being able to fly through the air as near silent as an owl.

Coming at an opponent's blind spot and striking them before they knew what'd happened—that was Estrella's strength. And Blu knew for a fact that she would be targeting his blind spots this entire exam.

And if she managed to steal the brazil nut from him, it would mean an immediate failure of the exam. He would never be able to catch her, he'd only be able to helplessly watch as she widened the gap between them, leaving him far behind in her dust. He prayed nothing like that would happen.

And then there was Roberto…

Roberto was the one bird that Blu had prayed Eduardo wouldn't be assign into the exam.

Although Estrella and Santiago had a lot of speed and power, their youth made them reckless and sloppy, with Estrella only being only seven years old and Santiago eight. But Roberto was fifteen years old, which meant that he possessed a skill that both Estrella and Santiago lacked: experience.

A lot of experience.

Because from what Blu had heard from Eduardo, Roberto had been involved in patrols since he was half a year old, meaning that he knew the entirety of the Blue Spix Macaw territory like the back of his flight feathers.

Every landmark, every short cut, hiding spot and blind spot, Roberto was fully aware of it and knew exactly where to find it. And all of that combined with his superb athleticism and combat skills, Blu began to wonder if Eduardo was out to make sure he didn't pass the examine.

No, Eduardo wouldn't put him up to such an enormous, near-impossible challenge if he knew he wasn't capable of succeeding.

He could do this.

I can do this!

Taking in another calming breath, Blu immediately took off with a heavy pump of his wings and shot into the thickest parts of the canopy.

He maneuvered quickly through the bushes, twigs and branches, not daring to look back—not yet. But he was already panting heavily, his strength running low, leaving exhaustion to slowly take hold of him.

It was the mud, he realized.

I need to get this mud off of me now, Blu thought, urgently, forget about hiding, I just need to make it to the brazil nut grove as fast as I can.

"ESTRELLA," Blu heard Roberto call out, "FLANK HIM, DON'T LET HIM OUT OF YOUR SIGHT!"

And just as the order was called out, Blu heard a soft, light wingbeat from behind him.

He looked back—

Blu flipped in the air, turning the brazil nut upward, narrowly dodging Estrella's strike, her feathers grazing over his.

Blu returned to his normal flight position; his every breath laced with panic.

He'd barely dodged that, he admitted, swallowing a lump in his throat. In the exact moment that he'd dodged, he had seen Estrella's outreached talons, aiming straight for the brazil nut…

If he had reacted any slower… the exam would've been over.

No! You can do this, Blu! You can do this!

Blu dived, flying closer to the jungle floor, if only so he could find a puddle to get most of this mud off of him—

But he at once took notice to his mistake. He was too exposed near the jungle floor, much easier to spot—

Santiago suddenly appeared beside him and Blu's eyes went wide, his stomach falling.

He tensed up every muscle in his body, readying himself for the brutal, powerful strike he'd have to endure from the strongest male in the tribe—

But Santiago gave a cocky, arrogant smile that never failed to piss his opponents off, to piss Blu off, and said "I think you should look up, Blu."

It was already too late—

Before Blu could even look up, he felt a pair of talons snatch his wing in a harsh grip.

Roberto—

Roberto's grip hardened as he spun Blu around by his wing—once, twice, thrice—, roaring, "give up, Blu!" before throwing him.

Blu twisted and flipped through the air, but he managed to regain his balance, a sharp pain searing from his left wing—

That light, soft wingbeat sounded again.

Blu looked down—

Estrella, with her talons outstretched—

Blu flipped again in mid-air, dodging her, but exhaustion had him losing his balance.

He began to fall to the forest floor, flipping and twisting—

Blu cried out in pain when he crashed into a branch, a too-audible crack sounding in his ears.

He lay on the branch for a brief moment before physics had him sliding off and falling. But Blu managed catch himself in the air and continue flying, the brazil nut still clutched tightly in his talons.

I-I think I might have broken a rib, he thought, his eyes burning. And… dammit, Roberto. It feels like my wing is about to fall out of its socket.

I-I don't think I'm going to pass this exam. This… its too much.

As much as he hated the thought, a part of him knew it was true. Exhaustion's hold on him was becoming unbearable. The edges of his vision were turning black, and his body was begging him to rest. And all the injuries he had sustained had severely crippled his flight speed.

But—

Blu began to hear the calm, flowing of water from nearby. He was close to the Amazon River.

Perfect. All he would have to do is take a quick dive into the river to wash most of the mud from his plumage.

"WEAR HIM DOWN!" The call had come from Roberto again, and it set Blu's pulse roaring.

He began pumping his wings faster, fighting against his fatigue.

I need to hurry! I need to hurry!

And with every pump of his wings, the sound of flowing water grew closer.

"HE'S TRYING TO WASH THE MUD OFF IN THE RIVER! DON'T LET HIM!"

"Shit!" Blu cursed aloud—a rare thing he usually never did.

I need to change my strategy. He was still at least a few yards away from the river, so close yet so far away. But if he began diving right now, and without hitting any branches on the way down, he would be able to make it into the water within seconds.

I'm going to have to be careful how I dive though. If I dive too vertically, then I'll risk plunging too deep into the water and being carried off in the current. The mud-crusted feathers on Blu's back rose at the thought. I need to be at an angle.

With those thoughts in mind, Blu began searching for the best gap in the foliage to dive through, one with the least number of branches and twigs, one that would allow him to dive through at an angle.

When Blu spotted the perfect gap, he cheered out a 'Yes!' in his mind and arched up in the air, readying himself to dive—

The low, deep rumble of someone's voice—a male's voice—sounded from behind him.

He recognized that low, deep rumble—it was a sound only Santiago would make right before he tackled a bird with his full strength—

Blu was only able to take a glance at Santiago before the bird's hulking body slammed into his.

Black, white and blue flashed in Blu's vision at the impact—

And he was sent flying through the air.

He hit a branch with such force that the bark splintered—

But he did not cry out in pain this time, for his world had gone completely dark.

He was unconscious—

And Blu's unconscious body continued to fall.

Fall

Fall

Fall

Right through the bushes, leaves, twigs and branches, until he splashed into the deep, powerful waters of the Amazon River.

It was then when Blu awoke, his eyes shooting open, a swarm of air bubbles bursting from his beak—

He thrashed and clawed and flapped against the water, managing to somehow pull his head above the surface, taking in a gallon of air—

"BLU!" He heard Roberto, Estrella and Santiago all cry out before the currents dragged him back beneath the surface.