At long last, it's here - the sequel to 'The Outcast'! Whoo-hoo! You're probably wondering why it's called 'The Estrella' - 'Estrella' means 'star' in Spanish, and the reason why it is the title will become clear as the story progresses.

A few months after 'The Outcast', the burned rainforest has grown back and is restored to its former glory. Bia and Azure are as close as ever, their love growing with each passing day. Tiago and Orchid's relationship is growing stronger too, and Carla and Bruno (who are still not in a formal relationship) are getting closer - unfortunately, life isn't always perfect, when two threats emerge to tear things apart.

Love, Sorrel

Jewel sat up, blinking at the sights around her. This certainly wasn't home; the last thing she remembered was settling into her down-filled nest, under Blu's wing, and calling goodnight to her three teenaged kids, Bia, Carla, and Tiago. The tree trunk walls, decorated with climbing plants and flowers, had been replaced by flowery branches that had a sweet, dainty scent. She was perched upon a moss-covered branch, and the flowered branches had small, red fruit hanging from them. The fruit looked juicy, and she was tempted to pick one, but then Jewel heard a voice - one she hadn't heard in over nineteen years.

Tears came flooding into Jewel's eyes as she turned around, finding herself gazing at the first face she ever remembered seeing. She had been a hatchling, and had opened her eyes, and found herself looking up at her mother. Jewel's mother, named Tia, had been soft-spoken, kind, and her smile had always been warm and filled with love. Tia had a striking resemblance to Jewel; the same head feathers and turquoise eyes, only her feathers had been rather dark. Now, standing in front of her, Tia looked the exact same, only with a few tiny speckles of light woven through her feathers. She had had the most beautiful singing voice, and Jewel remembered every lullaby she sang. But mom's dead… if she's here, does that mean I'm…?

"Don't worry, you're dreaming." Tia assured her. Without a word, Jewel rushed up to her mother, flinging her wings around her.

"I've missed you, mom." Jewel whispered, tears a mixture of both joy and grief trickling from her eyes.

"I've missed you too, darling." Tia replied, her voice full of love and sadness at the same time. Jewel pulled away from her mother, staring upwards, while Tia held her face with her wingtips.

"I… I can't believe you're here!" Jewel exclaimed, eyes shining like a pair of turquoise stars. "I haven't seen you in years! Do - do you see everything that happens to the tribe? I've got a mate and three kids, mom!"

"I know - Blu, and then there are those cute little balls of fluff." Tia was crooning. "They're all so beautiful - Bia's so smart, Carla's so talented, and Tiago's just a little bundle of mischief. But that's not why I'm here." Tia's voice turned serious, and Jewel could also hear fear. The fear was also present in her eyes.

"It's not?" Jewel asked, blinking up at her mother. "Then… why are you here?"

"We're here to warn you." Tia answered.

"What do you mean, to warn -" Jewel then stopped speaking, confused. "Wait, who's we?"

"Who do you think?" said a new voice. Jewel turned, and gasped. A young, female Scarlet macaw, with dark brown eyes and a short, spiky collection of head feathers.

"Adelaide?" Jewel asked, incredulously. Adelaide bounced forward, giving Jewel a hug.

"Look at you! You look beautiful!" Adelaide exclaimed. Jewel remembered Adelaide's last few moments as clear as day - dying in Jewel's wings, after some branches gave her fatal injuries. It had happened when they were both less than a year old, during the fire that had torn Jewel from her family for nineteen years. Adelaide had been the childhood sweetheart and first love of the Scarlet macaw tribe's leader, Felipe. Unlike all those years ago, Adelaide was now smiling. Jewel found it hard to believe that she had once despised Adelaide.

"Come on, Adelaide -" Tia said gently. "We haven't got much time."

"Oh, right." Adelaide sighed, before the playful look in her eyes vanished. "Jewel, something is coming - a danger."

"A danger?" Jewel echoed. She crossed her wings in frustration. "Fantastic. Who is it this time? Humans? Nigel and the what's-her-name frog? I'm sick of that cockatoo - revenge, honestly! He won't give up - how mature."

"It's neither of those." Said Tia, and Jewel felt a wave of surprise. Tia and Adelaide exchanged dark looks. "There are two threats coming to you - and we're terrified that you won't survive either of these threats." It took a few moments for these words to sink in, before Jewel finally found words.

"What?" Jewel whispered, her eyes widening in shock and fear. "No! You - you can't be serious! After all I've been through? Do you know how many times I've almost died in my life? T-there was the fire, the smugglers, that fall to the sea, and-"

"Sssh." Adelaide soothed. "We know, Jewel. These two threats will come, and we must warn you to be strong and do whatever it takes to survive - no matter how much pain you go through."

"You haven't even told me what these threats are!" wailed Jewel, throwing up her wings in frustration, but then the dream began fading very fast. Adelaide and Tia's voices faded, replaced by another. She let out a squawk, her eyes flying open. A pair of wings was shaking her, and a familiar voice was calling her name.

"Jewel! Wake up, you're having a nightmare!" Jewel whipped around, and came face-to-face with Blu, breathing rapidly. Her beloved mate looked worried and alarmed. His dark blue feathers were on end, and the three little feathers on the back of his head were fluffed up. His hazel eyes were full of tension, rare for someone like him. "You were squawking and writhing in your nest - are you okay?" Jewel looked around, her heart beginning to slow down as she looked at the familiar walls of her home. Warm, honey-golden sunlight was streaming in, shining in a blue sky that was dotted with white clouds. She could hear the spray of the waterfall, and hear the excited whoops of chicks as they went water-skiing on the giant Amazon water lilies that scattered the surface of the plunge pool.

"I-I… I'm okay… I'm fine." Jewel stammered, before sinking to the floor. "It was just… a bad dream." Blu wasn't fooled, however, and sat down beside her, wrapping a wing around her. Comforted by Blu's gesture, Jewel pressed against him, closing her eyes, beginning to calm down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Blu asked quietly. Jewel briefly considered telling him about Adelaide and Tia's warning, but then she decided not to. She didn't want to worry him, and besides, it was probably nothing. Probably just a dream to scare her - they probably hadn't been the actual Tia and Adelaide, but a figment of her imagination. But it was so real… it was as if I was actually awake, seeing them alive. Was there a possibility that it was really Tia and Adelaide, coming down to warn her of a genuine threat? What threat could there possibly be? The area was protected from logging, now - ever since that incident almost a year ago, a sanctuary had been put up by the two humans, Linda and Tulio, to keep this part of the Amazon safe.

"No, it's okay. I was just… no, it doesn't matter." Desperate to forget about her dream, Jewel decided to change the subject. "You're up early, Blu." She commented, looking up at the pocket watch Blu had, hanging up on the wall. It was half past six in the morning, which was incredibly early for her mate. Blu usually woke up in the noon, six hours later than when she woke up. Jewel, a wild-born macaw, had always been an early riser, waking up at dawn - while in contrast, being a pet for the majority of his life, Blu wasn't used to waking up early.

"Well, your father doesn't really appreciate me sleeping in late - and besides, Tiago and Orchid will go wake me with a tarantula if I sleep for too long." At Blu's words, Jewel let out a laugh, the fear of her dream fading.

"Good for you, sweetie - it's about time you woke up earlier - speaking of our son, where are the kids?"

"They went out to the mango trees." Blu replied. "Azure, Orchid, Bruno, and the rest all went out with them. Eduardo went to talk to the leader of the Blue-and-Gold macaw tribe, Johanna, about a section of territory. Mimi's in her spot -" by this, Blu meant the little hollowed rock that Mimi napped in, with flowers and fruit over her eyes. "- and Roberto and Sophia are outside, about to go and meet up with Felipe and Azalea - they invited us along. Do you want to come with?"

"Sure." Jewel shrugged. At the mention the two Scarlet macaws, she remembered Adelaide. While Adelaide had been Felipe's first love, Azalea - the Red tribe's score marker - was Adelaide's cousin. She was also now the mate of Felipe. Neither of them knew about Jewel being there when Adelaide died - and Jewel didn't want them to know. There was no point in causing them the agony of remembering Adelaide's demise.

"Great - I'll be waiting with them outside, just come out when you're ready." Blu kissed her on the cheek, before heading outside. Their voices floated into the nest. "She'll be out in a minute, Roberto, Sophia."

"Sure, Blu - it's unlike you to be up early!" Roberto remarked, brightly. "It's a good thing!" while the three macaws outside went into conversation, Jewel got to her feet, and began smoothing out her feathers. She teased out some scraps of moss, strewn in her feathers from sleep, before rubbing her eyes. Two threats. Of course, it must have just been my imagination.

"Hey, Jewel! Ready?" Sophia called.

"Coming!" Jewel replied, turning around and walking toward the entrance. She then let out a yelp as a shooting pain went through her foot. Jewel's foot hung in the air, and she clenched her beak. A kind of Amazon thorn was lying on the floor, and she had just trod on it. A small cut had opened up on the bottom of one of her talons. Cursing under her breath, Jewel watched a tiny droplet of blood drip onto the floor on the nest. Hearing her yelp, Blu looked over his shoulder.

"You okay, honey?" he called.

"I'm fine!" she answered, shaking her foot slightly. "I just trod on a thorn." Jewel, limping a bit, hopped forward, up some roots, and stood in the entrance of the hollow. The three macaws were waiting patiently for her.

"Sleeping beauty rises!" Roberto teased. When Blu gave him a look, Roberto and Sophia both laughed. Sophia didn't look bothered by her mate's words - she understood that Roberto and Jewel were just childhood friends, and no more. "Just kidding, honestly, buddy, don't worry - morning, Ju-Ju." Blu looked more relaxed, then - Jewel had a feeling that Blu felt a bit threatened by Roberto, from his ceaseless talent and good looks. A year on, and he was still wasn't one hundred percent content.

"Morning, Roberto, Sophia." Jewel gave both Roberto and Sophia a friendly smile. "Ready to go?"

"Yes!" Sophia said excitedly. "Let's go, I haven't seen Felipe and Azalea for ages!" Roberto and Sophia then turned, before flying out toward the exit of the ravine, chattering excitedly. Blu turned to her.

"Coming?"

"Of course, of course." Jewel flapped her wings, and within seconds, Blu and Jewel were following Roberto and Sophia out of the ravine. Jewel's foot still stung a little from stepping on the thorn, and she kept looking down at it in irritancy. She'd probably have a little scab under her talon for a few days, since the thorn had been rather sharp. As they flew into the rainforest, she kept thinking of Tia and Adelaide's warning. Two threats. What could they be? Jewel shook it off. You're worrying about nothing… but then she heard a voice in her head. Are you?

Don't worry, Bia, Azure, and the others will be in the next chapters. Please leave reviews, and remember to click the follow or favourite button! Thank you!

(To who have not read my Rio prequels) If you want to learn more about Adelaide, Azalea, and their connection to Felipe, please read 'All of My Heart'. If you want to learn about Jewel's mother, Tia, please read 'Before Jewel Met Blu'. It makes things much easier to understand for you.

All characters that are not featured in either Rio or Rio 2 (i.e: Sophia, Azure, Isaac, Bromeliad, Orchid, Azalea, Adelaide, Tia, etc.) are fan made by me, and solely mine.