A/N:

I am truly sorry about the late update, but I have been dealing with a well-timed case of writer's block, among other things.

Anyways, enough of my excuses and small talk.

Let's move on to the good stuff!

Chapter 6:The Promise

Stirring from his trance-like state, Blu opened his eyes and blinked. The black void he had been locked away in, ever since his collapse in front of his family and friends, was gone. As best as he could recall, it had been shriveled and dissolved by a ray of the most pure gold light imaginable.

Am...I...alive? Has my torment been superseded? Has the curse been lifted?

Gazing down below, he saw a smooth white surface, featureless and blank. Lifting his head up, he noticed yet another white expanse, though this one was splattered with drips of red.

Gazing around, he noticed three others, and he soon realized he was in a room. A lab room. Tulio's lab room.

Suddenly, the remainder of his senses gripped his body, and he felt as though he was falling. Looking down once more, he noticed his feet and tail dangling below him, along with two white cords leading from his chest. Twisting his head around, he noticed four more white cords trailing up from behind him, winding their way into several machines.

An austere mix of sounds were streaming from them, and after studying their readouts, Blu realized that he was indeed alive.

Even though he was inches from death moments ago, he felt as though nothing had ever happened. In fact, he felt more than just a regular bird. His soul shimmered with the qualities of an angel: eternal, pure, and innocent.

After taking hold of his newfound energy, he flapped his wings, and in one lush stroke, perched himself on the red-speckled bed that was situated off to his left.

His euphoria was quickly shadowed by what he saw splayed out before him: the still aquamarine form of his wife. Although her eyes were sealed shut, her chest undulated up and down every few seconds. Seeing that his mate was alive, the euphoria quickly returned, and he gently brushed his mate with his left wing.

"Jewel? Wake up, honey. I'm here for you."

Several seconds passed, and not one sound or twitch escaped from her body. Placing his right foot on her chest, he gently traced simple designs upon it, leaving faint furrows in her feathers. He saw her feet clench, and then relax, and he promptly withdrew his talons from her chest.

Bringing his head down close to hers, he peered intently at her eyelids, watching silently as they creaked open. Her twin pupils immediately dilated, and he heard a bewildered, depressed question rise from her beak.

"B-Blu? Am I in heaven with you? Are you an angel?"

"No to both, Jewel. We are on Earth, and I stand before you as your flesh-and-blood mate. Although I don't know how, the sickness within me has been banished. Now, are you okay? Can you get up?"

As the tears trickled from her eyes, she pulled him close with her wings, locking their bodies in an bittersweet embrace. After releasing her grip, she stared up at her blurry mate, her heart drowning in a mix of residual despair and bottomless joy.

"Over an hour ago, you started to shake and spit up blood. The meteor was destroyed, and Linda came running back with a shard. She placed it on your chest, and you were bathed in golden light. We thought that you were saved, but you never moved after that. The machines showed that your heart had stopped, and your body temperature wasn't even readable. I-I thought that y-you were gone..."

He took a moment to mentally connect the dots regarding the events leading up to his revival.

"So the jungle is safe once more? That's good. But I assure you, Jewel, that I am not gone. I will be right here next to you, just like always."

"I-I-don't know what to say..."

As his rich hazel eyes met her own, she sensed a silent confirmation that the words he spoke were undeniably truthful.

"Perhaps, in a moment like this, silence is best..."

He brought her to her feet, and they engaged in a long lasting, passionate hug, full of sincerity and wonder. As their embrace ended, Blu stared out through the viewing window, and he saw not one living creature.

"Uh Jewel? Where's Linda and Tulio? And what about the refugees?"

"They're out there, Blu. Linda must still be just under the window, the other birds are on the kitchen counter, and Tulio is probably still outside. A depression like we've never experienced filled the aviary after your supposed death, and aside from our little revelation, I doubt that much has changed."

"Well, what are we waiting for? We have to alert them!"

"No Blu, wait! The-"

Blu attempted to fly towards the window, but he was jerked back onto the bed after just one wing-stroke. He lay face down on the soft material and his expression seemed to tell her that he was in mind-chilling pain.

"The sensors and IV's are still connected to you, Blu! Are you okay?"

Jumping back to his feet, he replied hotly, "Sort of. I guess I forgot that I was still hooked up to those machines! I didn't feel any pain, though. I am more annoyed than I am hurt! Can you help me get them out? I can't reach them!"

She drew herself up right next to him and surveyed the situation. Two wires sprouted from his chest, one on the left and one on the right, winding their way under his wings and up to the machines. Four more erupted from his back, and he appeared like some foreign creature connected to an alien life-support system.

They were all held in place by translucent tape, and Jewel wasn't sure if he would be leaving with all of his feathers.

"I need to peel the tape off first, and then I can slide the stuff out. I'll try to be as gentle as I can..."

Blu merely relaxed his body without replying, knowing that he would feel no pain from the procedure. After peeling the tape slowly away, Jewel extracted the two wires from his chest, and they did not bleed or cause Blu any discomfort. She moved around to his back and did the same, a sense of accomplishment flooding her mind as the last wire dropped to the bed with a hollow thump.

Jewel had worked so meticulously that his feathers had not been ripped out, and he returned the favor with a caring kiss. They then flew to the windowsill, and as they gazed down, the top of Linda's head was visible just below.

Jewel knocked the sturdy glass repeatedly with her beak, and the human slowly rose up off the ground. Blu was instantly depressed by her red, puffy eyes, but that depression melted into utter happiness as an infinite smile grew on her face.

She stood up in one rapid motion and scurried for the lab door.

Before he even had a chance to greet her, Linda snatched Blu up and pinned him in her arms.

"Blu! It's...you! You're...alive! The shard must have worked after all..."

She pressed him up to her face, still damp from her previous bout of mourning. He nuzzled into her and uttered several reassuring chirps, his left wing feathers becoming glued together from the moisture.

"It's okay, Linda! I'm here, and I'm alive. No need to worry anymore."

Linda's grip was firm, but Blu experienced no discomfort. An invisible flow of longing and melancholy flowed between them, and he wanted to make it last as long as possible. After a few reflective minutes passed, Linda replaced Blu back on the sill and rushed out to inform her husband.

"Quick, Blu! We have to go tell the rest of our group that you're alive!"

They jumped from the sill and glided past the door as it swung open. They banked to the left and entered the kitchen, their stomachs churning with a mix of apprehension and elation. Alighting on the counter, the stares from six piercing pairs of eyes landed on them.

What followed next was nothing short of shocking. After a simultaneous shout of joy rippled into the air, Blu was ambushed by six feathery forms. He was knocked onto his back as a result, and his friends and family crowded around him.

At just that moment, the front door flew open as Linda walked in, followed by an exasperated Tulio. He caught glimpses of Blu between the flurry of birds on the counter, and his spirits rocketed to brand new heights.

"Meu Deus! I can't believe it, Linda! He's perfectly fine! The shard did what it was supposed to..."

"Of course it did, Tulio! I have never been happier in my entire life!"

"Shouldn't we go check on him?"

"Not yet, dear. Let him have some time with the others..."

Blu spent the remainder of the day at the aviary, playing and conversing with the others. He had to split his time between the birds and the humans, as they both vied for his attention. After all was said and done, night had descended upon the city, and the party of birds had agreed to depart for their various abodes.

After Tulio and Linda sealed the front door, Blu and Jewel took their time to say goodbye to Nico, Pedro, and Maricela.

They then did the same with their children, albeit with more legitimacy and care. After watching the three bluish forms fade away into the distance, Blu faced Jewel mischievously.

"Well, it seems that we have one last order of business, honey."

"What are you talking about? Why are you being intentionally vague?"

"Remember my...promise, Jewel? Tonight is the night that I will uphold it."

"Oh, that! It's ironic that I forgot about it, and you didn't!"

"It seems that way, Jewel! Anyways, we should get going. The night is still young, and we have all the time we need to...express ourselves."

"Right you are, handsome! Our home awaits."

The two macaws rose into the stuffy night air, orienting their flight path towards the clearing that harbored their home.

Tonight is going to be so amazing! Jewel and I haven't done this in so long, and I have forgotten what it feels like! I know that it will be nothing short of spectacular...

Blu shuddered at the thought as he flew on, and he found himself in the clearing, the cannonball tree ahead beckoning for him to enter.

Jewel powered past Blu and went into a hover directly in his flight path.

"What is it, honey?"

"You go on home and get...prepared. I have to go take care of something really quick!"

Blu smiled mischievously and replied, "Don't keep me waiting, gorgeous!"

"Trust me. It'll be worth it..."

She swiveled around and jetted off towards the northeast, disappearing into the jungle after a few seconds.

Blu continued on towards the tree and alighted down inside, reveling in the balmy heat that surrounded him. He preened himself thoroughly, starting with his sapphire wings and moving on down to his belly and lower back. Seeing that his feathers were straight and fluffy, he could only wait to see Jewel's reaction to his refined appearance.

He glanced around the hollow, and he noticed that their nest was disheveled from days of neglect.

"Well, that just won't do. Nós não podemos fazer amor em um ninho assim!"

Blu tromped over to the sizable nest and rearranged the twigs and feathers to the best of his ability.

"This is really difficult! Now I see why humans are so creative and deft with their work. They have hands, not to mention opposable thumbs..."

Blu toiled away at the nest, his brain yearning all the while for the coming sensation of Jewel's body upon his.

Jewel had left the clearing without looking back, knowing that Blu had gone straight for their home. She tore her way through the jungle, listening intently for the sound of the small pipe near the border of the sanctuary. A bubbling din soon wound its way into her ears, and she dove down towards the source.

Piercing a small grove of ferns, she found herself next to a large, rippling pond. The irrigation pipe lay exposed on the other side, and a steady fountain of water was erupting from it and pouring into the pond. She waded determinedly into the moonlit water and splashed it over her body with her wings.

She was diligent in her work, allowing the water to soak into her wings and wash the debris away. She flipped onto her back and saturated it for a few minutes, lying very still and gazing up at the mercury orb high above. After feeling the chilled water touch her skin, she jumped up and shook herself vigorously.

She focused on her head and neck last, dipping them into the shallow pond before withdrawing them, allowing the water to slide over her feathers. After a few repetitions of this, she brought one last splash of water over her, leaving hundreds of drops glittering on every inch of her sleek form.

As she gazed at her reflection in the pool, she saw that she had done a stunning job.

"I can't wait to see the look on Blu's face. Ele não será capaz de manter suas asas de cima de mim!"

She lifted off from the pond and retraced her flight path back through the jungle. As she flew past a patch of dragon fruit trees, she noticed several orchids growing between them. She spiraled down and landed smoothly next to a small clump of them.

"Hey! I think I could use one of these. I'll take...this one!"

She plucked a tangerine flower from one of the stems, causing it to spring back and shake the other orchids. She set it carefully in her head feathers and rose into flight once again.

Jewel completed the flight back to their home in a few short minutes, and her anxiety only continued to increase as she drew closer and closer to the tree that they called home. She blasted across the clearing and skidded to a stop in the hollow.

After focusing her vision on her mate, she could only equate his expression to that of a mere mortal standing in the presence of Aphrodite.

"Well? How do I look?"

"J-Jewel, you l-look," he stuttered. "You look so damn beautiful..."

"Thank you, Blu. You don't appear too shabby yourself. Actually, you look like a different bird! I like the new you!"

As Blu stared unflinchingly at his mate's diamond-like body, complete with a bright orchid on her head, he replied, "Really? I did my best to clean myself up. Oh, and I fixed the nest for us. It was way too messy for us to have fun in."

She flashed a quick glance past Blu, and she noted that the nest was incredibly neat.

"Good job, Blu."

She crept her way towards him, stopping after her chest brushed against his.

"Are you ready, gorgeous?"

She wrapped her wings around him in one swift motion, placing them gently upon his back.

"I have never been more so, handsome. Now, where were we?"

She forced her beak up against his, letting her tongue slide out and make contact with his. Their tongues met in the middle, and a luscious dance ensued. A strawberry flavor registered in Blu's brain, and he explored her beak even more fervently, trying to soak up all that he could.

Conversely, Jewel was enamored by the earthy, nutty flavor of her mate, and she sped up her tongue to match Blu's new pace. The heated kissing continued for several minutes, but the two macaws eventually drew apart and sucked in much-needed oxygen.

"That was...delicious, Blu."

"Well, you taste...like strawberries, and it is utterly...invigorating."

After allowing their bodies to replenished with oxygen, Jewel stared at Blu with devilish eyes and enfolded him with her wings once more.

"Had...enough yet, Jewel?"

"Hah. Eu estou apenas começando..."

Jewel backed him towards the wall, and his tail was eventually forced underneath him. He took one more step backwards and slipped on his tail feathers, causing him to slump against the wall in a sitting position.

"Woah! Jewel, what are you-"

His question was cut short as Jewel reclined her body against his and began to kiss him once more. He closed his eyes and wrapped his wings around her back, thereby pulling her against him. Their bodies slowly began caressing each other, their chests heaving from the effort and the passion.

He massaged her back with powerful strokes from his wings, and he marveled at the sensuous feeling of her chest sliding against his. Their hearts began to pound more and more, and Blu felt Jewel draw back once more. The kissing ceased, and Blu gazed up at her slyly.

"Por que não vamos levá-la até um entalhe?"

"Gladly, Blu..."

She skipped the kissing and went for his neck, raking her beak through his feathers. She felt her mate shudder beneath her, and she felt his wings squeeze her against him in an intoxicating rhythm. Blu managed to find Jewel's feet with his own, and he firmly locked his with hers.

As Jewel's beak continued to stimulate his skin in time with his wing-squeezes, he felt their steaming love for each other flowing between them, a hot, endless river cycling through their bodies. However, another feeling was embedded within the river, and it didn't take long for Blu to realize what it was.

It was an undercurrent that was less restrained, and more primal, than mere love.

This isn't love, Blu pondered. Jewel and I are feeling...lust. Long-awaited...beckoning...lust.

Blu responded by lifting himself off of the wall and hoisting Jewel off of the ground with his wings. She paused her beak-strokes and gazed lovingly into his eyes. He carried her to their nest and laid her down gently amidst the feathers.

"Eu acho que é a minha vez a agradar a você, linda..."

"Surprise me, Blu..."

He moved over to her left side and locked eyes with her, her cerulean pools sending him a silent signal of confirmation. He raised his right wing and began tracing designs all over her body with his wingtip. Every so often, Jewel would shudder beneath Blu's touch, and a heated squawk wold erupt from her beak.

After a few minutes of Blu's ritual, Jewel turned to face him and extended her right wing, stopping his wing in its tracks.

"No...more teasing, Blu. Come closer...so you can...feel it too..."

Blu nodded and stood up from his spot, making his way over to stand in front of Jewel, whose chest was puffing up and down from his previous "stimulation."

He climbed up onto her stomach and locked his talons with hers once more. He relaxed his leg muscles and let gravity do its work. The steady downward force caused Blu to sink down against Jewel, and their bodies met in a number of places, some more intimate than others.

Blu's tail was resting on top of Jewel's, and he was now face to face with Jewel. Blu spread out his wings and wrapped them behind Jewel's head like a makeshift pillow. He pulled himself closer to her, and he closed his eyes as a warm wave of sensation welled up inside him.

He gave a heavy sigh and opened his eyes, gazing down at Jewel immediately afterwards. Jewel felt an electric jolt course through her body, and her feathers seemed to stick out from her skin, as if she had been electrocuted. Her eyes grew wide as the charged feeling resonated throughout her body, and she had to suppress an electric scream that urged to escape her beak.

She stared up at her panting mate as the sensation subsided, and she saw a mix of pleasure and trust in his hazel eyes. She lifted her wings from her sides and laid them on Blu's back, mimicking his embrace.

"You are...driving my body crazy, Blu, and I love it. I haven't felt this way...in a long time."

"Neither have I, my love. I feel...just as you do."

"I love you...more than I will ever...be able to express..."

"I couldn't...agree more, Jewel. Are you ready...to finish this?"

Jewel did not reply with words, merely closing her eyes and nodding twice in rapid succession. She gave Blu a final, powerful squeeze, and Blu responded by doing the same. Their bodies pressed together one final time, and the two macaws unified their bond once more, amidst a wave of pure ecstasy that swallowed them both.

A few seconds later, a satisfied Blu unlocked his feet from Jewel's and climbed off of her stomach. He climbed into the nest next to her, and he reclined on his right wing as Jewel rolled over to face him. No words were spoken between them as they reveled in the afterglow of their heated performance.

Their hearts were still thudding from their previous acts, although the pounding was less pronounced than before. Blu worked his right wing under Jewel's, and she in turn rested her left wing on top of him. The two macaws shared a quick kiss before falling into an exhausted, but pleasurable, sleep.

The sound of their content breathing soon filled the hollow, and they snuggled closer to each other subconsciously. The passion and love that they had shared filled their resting brains, and they were simply too lovestruck to dream.

The river of love that tied their hearts and souls together had dwindled down to a thin string. Be that as it may, it was just as intangible, and just as unbreakable...

A/N:

Nós não podemos fazer amor em um ninho assim!=We can't make love in a nest like that!

Ele não será capaz de manter suas asas de cima de mim!=He won't be able to keep his wings off of me!

Eu estou apenas começando...=I'm just getting started...

Por que não vamos levá-la até um entalhe?=How about we take it up a notch?

Eu acho que é a minha vez a agradar a você, linda...=I think it's my turn to please you, beautiful...

Well, how's that for detailed? o.O

We managed to keep it trapped between a T rating and an M rating, but it wasn't easy!

This chapter wraps up our collaboration, and the Count and I both hope you enjoyed!

As for any sequels, they are still unknowns at this point, but I will let you all know if we decide to write them.

Special thanks goes out to ToothlessFuture, Zacarais, Blu Wolf 23, Aninat131, ArmyOfOne1112, and last, but never least, Count Doofus himself! (You better believe it, Tim.)

I am now going to focus on wrapping up my Rio/GoGH crossover. (You guys should check it out, I haven't had very many reviews as of yet.)

After that, I have another expansive Rio fic planned, so get prepared!

Until my next installment,

THE Wolf is out...