The Rio the Darkness Saga Remastered

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 64: Hope

Ladies and gentlemen, after a year of writing and story telling, we have reached the conclusion of my remaster. I would once again like to thank everyone for their support over the past year, wouldn't have the confidence to finish my work without your feedback. For the final time of this story, let's get into the chapter. Enjoy.

The final battle commenced, light and dark engaged in combat once more. Roars of determination filled the air surrounding Juruá, cries of warfare echoed the surrounding wildlife. Everything that had been fought for, the countless lives that had been lost in this war, was finally going to end here. One side would triumph, the other would fail. As the battle commenced, the blue macaw were forced to move out of the way for now, recovering what little strength they wielded. With their energy low and Blu suffering from a broken wing, this was going to lesson the odds in their favor more than before.

With the help of Jewel, the blue macaws perched upon a nearby tree branch, overlooking the battle before them. The return of their friends was a dream come true, but even together, none of them stood a chance against the Dark Lord, especially within his monstrous form that summoned frightening power to their aid. Until they could defeat him for certain, there was no hope for certain victory. They did little to help as Nexus easily dispatched of any light macaw that crossed his path, destroying them with single strike, his incredible strength enough to defeat them within an instance.

Blu, who was clutching his injured wing, averted his gaze towards his wife. "Jewel, what's our next approach? You summoned everyone here to this point with a plan, right? Right?"

"I...Didn't," Jewel admitted, briefly pausing to raise her wing and striking away a nearby dark macaw that tried to attack. "Bringing them here was my only plan, I don't know how to beat Nexus! Not like this!"

"But...We have to do something," Blu argued. "There's got to be something. No time powers? No extra power?"

"I…I don't know what to do!" Jewel exclaimed. "The Angelus from my future never told me how to beat Nexus, she didn't know what to do! He's…He's too powerful. It doesn't matter what I do, I can't stop him! I CAN'T!"

In a sudden fit of frustration and in defeat, Jewel slammed her foot into the tree there were perched on, severely denting the point she struck. Blu, who stood nearby, turned away as he considered their next plan, all the while he held his broken wing tightly. The Angelus sacrifice may have severely injured the Dark Lord, but he was still far out of their league. Without her aid, they were at a stronger disadvantage than before and with his injury limiting his movement, it was only a matter of time now until Nexus finished them.

Nearby, Andre flew past and threw his wing forward, unleashing the powerful attack that collided with a group of dark macaws. "Grande Estrondo!"

Blu breathed softly, trying to keep his composure, despite the heavy intensity. He wished he had the answers, the wisdom of the Angelus. For all his intelligence, there was no resolution to defeat Nexus, nothing they wielded could stop him, whenever it be their light powers, time abilities, dark magic, all that meant nothing against the Dark Lord. He had nothing.

There was nothing he wielded.

Blu's eyes shot open, the answer to his problems calling before him. A risky solution, something he had never tested before and was uncertain if he could master it with limited practice. But there was no time for alternatives now, it was the only way. He raised his head and approached Jewel, who continued to vent her frustration. "We're not going to fail, not today, not tomorrow, not ever again."

Jewel turned towards him, her eyes filled with futility. She wanted to believe his sincerity, his willpower to end the war, but the situation was on the verge of futile, far worse than anything they had faced before. "Blu…I…I want to believe…What do you have in mind?"

"We're going to make a Puro," Blu announced.

The Puro, the strongest energy attack of the light, something the Angelus claimed to take a decade to master. Unlike most techniques, this one required energy from others who had goodness in their hearts with no traces of evil. With the return of their friends, this was perfect opportunity to form a weapon of obliteration. Unfortunately, the downside was the time it would take to form, time Nexus would be unwilling to give them.

The mention of the legendary attack only carried more bad memories than hope. It failed the previous time, but it was their only hope now.

"Can you do that, Blu?" Jewel inquired. "You only have one good wing."

"I only need to concentrate and focus on the energy the others can give to me," Blu reasurred, briefly pausing to consider his next choice of words. He hated what needed to be asked, but fought the inner conflict that urged him otherwise. "I can do it, but Jewel, to even have the smallest chance of it working, I can't have any distractions. No matter how dangerous, nothing can intervene."

Jewel nodded. "I understand. I'll keep everyone away from you, but I won't be able to hold Nexus for long. Make it as quick as you can. Good luck."

She briefly pecked the side of his beak, oblivious to the fact this was her mate from the past and he had a wife of his own, but this no longer mattered. Leaping from the tree she was perched upon, Jewel joined the battle below, landing between a wave of dark macaws and knocking them away.

Breathing softly and trying to block out the signals his brain was sending his way from his damaged wing, Blu closed his eyes, concentrating on a technique he had not practiced in a while. "Everyone...It's Blu...Can you hear me?"

Within the center of the army, Sigma threw out both wings and charged two lightning bolts into Cartu and Vath, sending them through the area and knocking down their allies like bowling pins. He abruptly stopped, holding one wing to his head. "I hear you."

Andre unleashed small blasts into a few dark macaws approaching, halting their advances to return the communication. "Bluey boy! Less you're my conscious talking to me again, I hear you loud and clear!"

"Who's talking?" Rico questioned. "I swear, I didn't touch a drink today!"

"Listen, I have a plan to stop Nexus, but I need all of your help," Blu explained hastily. "There's a technique, something far more powerful than anything I have wielded before. But I can't create it alone, I need your energy."

Sigma, recognizing his description, spoke up. "You're crafting a Puro. That is no easy feat, but if you believe it is strong enough to defeat Nexus, then we'll stand by you."

"Thank you, thank you all," Blu replied with gratitude.

"Mind being specific?" Rico requested, ducking to avoid the attack of a nearby dark macaw, retaliating with a headbutt into the ground.

Admittedly, Blu was uncertain how this technique worked, let alone instruct it to others. But there was no time to overthink the situation, instead, he trusted his heart to make the right decision. "Just concentrate on my presence. If you have a pure heart, you can donate your energy to me. Please."

Nico boomed with enthusiasm, recalling this similar event from their battle against Ivan. "You can do it, Blu!"

"Take all the energy the samba master can give you!" Pedro agreed.

"Go amigo!" Rafael encouraged, throwing his wings within the air as he turned his head, unintentionally whacking his large beak into a nearby dark macaw. "We're with you!"

Without questioning their blue macaw friend, everyone complied and closed their eyes, blocking the world around them as they focused. Firstly, Rico, Andre and Sigma raised their wings, concentrating towards the source, as did other light macaws who were out of combat. Before long, everyone could feel their essence leaving their bodies and travelling towards a single location. Blu looked up, gawking with surprise as a giant ball of light essence began to form between his wing. "It's working!"

Despite the intensity, he watched amazement as the Puro grew. All he needed to do was wait while everyone shielded him from harm. Unfortunately, this act of desperation had attracted the attention of Nexus, who ignored all of the previous fights to see the powerful weapon they were beginning to form. He growled and marched forward, intending to finally finish the blue macaw's for good. As the gap between them closed, Jewel suddenly appeared from above, blocking his advancements. Without warning, Sigma, Andre and even Vadin joined in on the defense. Together, they prepared to fight, though for how long they could last, was another story.

"You're not going to hurt anyone ever again," Jewel announced firmly.

Vadin released a roar of anger and dashed forward, charging into battle yet again as he forced Nexus off his path. Nexus sidestepped and grasped Vadin by his throat, lifting him above his face. Swiftly, Sigma and Andre moved from his respective sides, each landing a kick each into his face. He not only withstood their blows, but countered by punching the former while blasting away the latter. He tightened his grasp ans raised both wings, unleashing slow, devastating blows, each one forcing Vadin to cry in anguish. With one final strike to the head, he tossed away into the crowd, but not for long.

Together, the trio charged forward from all directions, intending to strike simultaneously to take down the Dark Lord. As they closed in, Nexus jolted both wings and caught the fists of Sigma and Vadin before throwing his leg forward and kicking Andre away. He slammed the two together before throwing them away. While Vadin fell, Sigma recovered seconds before collision and charged once more, throwing his fists in rapid speed. His attacks were swift, but not enough to avoid Nexus to seeing through his attacks. He grew tired of playing and slammed his first against Sigma's stomach, winding him with such a blow.

He tumbled over and clutched his stomach, the breath knocked out of him. Merciless, he kicked the young fighter away, smashing into the ground. In less than a moment, Nexus dispatched three legendary fighters with ease, but not enough to break their spirits. Vadin charged forward with his fist stretched back. As he moved halfway, a powerful kick from Dark Lord sent him flying through the air, allowing Andre to step forward and take his place. Without warning, Nexus fired and blasted him away with ease before shifting around, swatting away a blast from Sigma before advancing through and force slamming with great power.

As Sigma fell face down, Nexus prepared to finish him off with a blast of energy, only for another familiar face to block him once more. Vadin returned, throwing his wings forward to unleash fiery flames. While distracted with the brotherhood leader, Andre swiftly charged a small energy blast and launched it forward, intending to catch the Dark Lord off guard. Nexus was forced to duck to avoid his blast, allowing Vadin to return his own energy blast, igniting the Dark Lord for a couple of seconds before knocking him backwards. This did nothing more than irritate him, but for until he was dead, they refused to back down.

"Everyone, hit him together!" Jewel pleaded as she finally jumped into action, cupping her wings charging the beam of light between them. "Luz Felixe Ataque!"

Sigma spread both his wings and gathered the power of electricity before throwing his wings forward and unleashing the giant attack. "Elétrico Destruiçã!"

Andre threw down his wing and unleashed the orb attack, launching the powerful blasts the Dark Lord. "Grande Estrondo!"

Vadin raised a single wing and unleashed the powerful, burning attack. "Mal chama!"

Nexus readied himself for their combined attack, the colors of their attacks entwined into one, briefly illuminating to many shades of gold, blue and purple. As their beams approached, the Dark Lord pushed through and punched their beams out of place. The impact shook not only this expanse, but the entire jungle around them from such a devastating attack. Dropping their beams, everyone charged forward.

Meanwhile, Blu examined the Puro, feeling its presence grow with each passing second, but it was still far from ready. "Come on, hurry!"

The four attacked Nexus simultaneously, attacking in different directions to throw him off guard. Despite their combined attack, they were unable to land a single blow. He was fast, faster than any of them could imagine. In frustration, he roared and threw out his wings, knocking everyone aside.

Jewel and Andre caught their footing, the latter unleashing a barrage of energy blasts. Not surprisingly, the Dark Lord blocked with ease, his focus towards them. This allowed Sigma to swoop in from the right, striking his leg towards him. He foot made contact, barely enough to do any impact, but enough to allow Vadin to make his move and strike directly in the face. While he was distracted, Jewel unleashed minor energy wave into his back, all for nothing as he shook it off.

Nexus kicked Vadin as Jewel continued to blast him, releasing grunts of pain. He ducked a fist from Andre before whacking him away with his foot. Jewel pressed forward and roared, pressing more power into her beak. She knew an attack like this was incapable of killing, but any damage they could inflict would give them an advantage. Nexus turned and struck at her head, causing Jewel to fall while clutching both wings against his head in agony, pain took a hold of his body that left him paralyzed. He caught up and grasped him by the leg before slamming her into the ground in rapid succession, repeating the same pattern as there was nothing she could do to break free.

Fortunate favored her as Sigma's fist came directly towards the Dark Lord. With a frustrated sigh, he unleashed a few blasts to which the younger fighter dodged. Sigma caught up and threw himself into him, giving Jewel the chance to break herself free. Jewel and Sigma proceeded to unleash a fury of punches together, inflicting damage without any limitations. He threw out his wings and struck them away, his powerful strength bruising their bones with each strike. Sigma charged for another attack, but the Dark Lord struck first and landed a powerful blow against his face, followed with a powerful energy blast that pushed the Warrior of Lightning away.

He grabbed the blue macaw once more and tossed her towards the ground, just in time to raise his wing and block an attack from Vadin. He threw his leg forward and collided his stomach before throwing him into Jewel She pushed him away and advanced, though she was swiftly knocked away from an energy blast. Exhausted, she could no longer keep up a fight as her energy began to leave her. Nexus slammed his fist into her stomach, followed with knocking her backwards before kicking her to the ground. Groaning in greater agony she had ever felt, Jewel rolled herself onto her back and forced herself to stand, her efforts stopped as Nexus placed one foot against her chest to force her back down.

In one final attempt to help, Andre and Vadin charged and grabbed each of Nexus' wing. In coordination, Jewel threw her feet upward and double-kicked him away. Their combined efforts bought them only a few seconds as Nexus headbutted Andre, hard enough to knock the crazed warbler out of reality for a brief moment Similar, he slammed his knee into Vadin's chest, inflicting enough damage to finally knock him into submission. With one of their team members incapacitated while the other injury, he tossed them aside and advanced.

Blu saw the events unfold before him, fighting the urge to let go and intervene, even in his damage state. He longed to see the Dark Lord's defeat for so long, but for the safety of Brazil, he needed to be more patient and wait, all their trust now placed within him. "Hang in there, guys!"

As Jewel readied her defense, Sigma returned once more, throwing himself into the Dark Lord and tackling him by the waist, barely able to make him stumble. Nexus slammed his foot upwards and kicked the Warrior of Lightning away. Hastily returning, Andre appeared and threw forward his wings, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts, desperately trying to keep the Dark Lord at bay. To his surprise, Nexus made no effort to raise his guard. Instead, he calmly marched forward, allowing the small blasts to singe and scorched his body.

"Would you hurry with that thing?!" Rico requested impatiently. "I could have drank three bottles by now! Just toss it!"

"I can't!" Blu pleaded. "If I throw it now, Nexus will deflect it! We have to wait!"

By now, Nexus marched through the energy blasts and calmly backhanded Andre from his path and into a nearby tree, hitting with a sickening thud, leaving only Jewel as the remaining defender. Without hesitation, she charged and engaged in hand to hand combat, throwing their fists and legs around. Nexus' enhanced speed allowed him to predict exactly where she was going to strike, deflecting her wings before unleashing a combo of attacks. He concluded his attacks with a single strike towards her face before throwing his wing under to perform an uppercut and struck towards his stomach, knocking the breath out of her before jolting his leg out to kick her backwards. Their defense was gone, but not for long as they were still alive.

Growing tired of outside interference, he threw his wing up, preparing to unleash a powerful technique, one he had been developing since his resurrection. "Iminente Desgraça!"

Jewel's ceased her next attacks, halting with concern as hundreds of energy blasts began to fire from his wings. Unwilling to see history repeat itself, she bounced forward with one wing charging a single energy blast, striking at his wing. Their respective blasts connected, the combined forces knocked Jewel away while Nexus stumbled backwards, forced to let go before the attack could be completed. The blasts had ceased from the air, but the Dark Lord was unwilling to allow them to rob his victory.

Summoning the small amount of energy he had fired, Nexus threw down the remaining blasts across the area, scattering down into the umbrella pattern and beginning to form together. In mere seconds, the huge dark essence dome morphed together from all sides and now begun to connect across the sky to complete the dome. In seconds, the area around them was illuminated in purple, shielding the rain the storm from their position. The large purple dome spread across fifty feet of the land, sealing the trio inside and away from further interference of both armies.

Blu panted softly, fears filling within as there alone in their battle once more. With only Jewel to aid him now, there was nothing more between the Dark Lord and victory. His adrenaline further filled his anxiety upon realizing there was no more powering the Puro from outside help. Closing his eyes and entrusting Jewel to watch him, there was only one source of power remaining. His own life force was a great risk, but under the circumstances, risks were nothing now. There was only two outcomes to this battle.

As Nexus inhaled, he averted his eyes towards Blu, who was no longer paying attention to the real world, his aura trailing into the powerful energy wave, sacrificing everything to fuel the weapon. One wrong move and he would lose control. Nexus calmly raised his wing to charge a single blast, his efforts abruptly stopped as Jewel broke his concentration, smacking the blast our of his wing and slamming his feet into his torso, her full power barely forced him to stumble. In retaliation, he slammed his leg into her hip, forcing Jewel to trip sideways with a loud groan.

Ignoring her, Nexus continued forward with the intent on finish this fight. Once more, his efforts were ceased by Jewel, who grasped both wings tightly around his waist. With full effort, she lifted the Dark Lord up and fell back, slamming his back directly into the ground. Swiftly, she rolled on top of Nexus and placed both wings firmly into his face, shrieking with determination as she unleashed a fury of flames into his face. For all his strength, there was no fighting the burning pain as he roared with anguish. Seconds passed before he took action and slammed his fist into her face, knocking her away as she collided against the powerful dome that entrapped them.

Jewel forced herself to stand, stepping back with horror as Nexus stood less than a few feet away. His face was now severely scorched to the point his left eye was no longer visible, strengthening his already monstrous appearance. Without hesitation, he repeatedly slammed his fists into Jewel's torso and face, pinning her against the dome as she was defenseless to fight back. She raised her wing to block, or at the very least, limit the damage he forced her to endure.

Her trauma did not go unnoticed by her friends outside, who were helpless to intervene. Blu, whose powers were leaving him fast, twitched with concern. Even with his severe injury and draining power, he could sense Jewel's life force leaving her. With every punch, her power grew weaker. With each strike, she felt her bones were on the verge of breaking, shattering into pieces. At the mercy of the Dark Lord with no one else to help, she was all alone. He hated himself for not being able to save her, but deep down, he knew she would never forgive him for risking the lives of everyone to save only one life.

For the greater good, he could not intervene.

Blu's eyes shot open and looked up towards the Puro that had ceased to grow further, a powerful weapon now formed within his grasp. His intensity and patience had finally paid off, literally holding the key to victory before him. This action had not gone unnoticed by Nexus, who abruptly stopped his relentless assault and snapped his head towards Blu, growling with frustration as he realized his slow actions. He briefly glanced towards Jewel, who breathed slowly as his talon remained firmly grasped around her throat, one wing arched backwards that he previously intended to be the killing blow. Clueless and desperate, he let her drop and pursued.

"It's ready!" Blu exclaimed, his yells weakened under the intense stress of wielding such a weapon of mighty power. The intense strain of holding the Puro with one wing was proving difficult, his exhausted energy robbed him off previous strength. One wrong move and he would lose their final hope.

As the Dark Lord's focus locked towards the blue macaw, Jewel pushed herself up, her eyes twitching from the burning pain that spread across her body. Summoning one mighty roar, she bellowed at the top of her lungs, desperation and urgency filled her voice. "THROW IT!"

Outside of the dome, the rest of their allies yelled in unison, their yells breaching through the energy, pleading for their blue macaw friend to finish the battle and save their home one final time. "DO IT!"

Their encouragement and trust gifted Blu the confidence to withstand the paid and push forward. Summoning the might to concentrate all focus into his strength, Blu roared, throwing his wing forward to unleash the powerful weapon, one that would finally distinguish the Dark Lord for good. Nexus eyes widened with terror, defensively as the Puro launched towards him. The great power that resided within felt insignificant against the power of pure energy. By sealing himself within the Iminente Desgraça, there was nowhere for him to run in time; he had doomed his fate.

The armies of both sides ceased fighting, their attention no longer focused toward the other. Instead, all of of their attention focused into the battle inside the dome. Regardless of their own battle, the fate of their respective leaders would determine the outcome of this war. Frozen within position, Nexus watched from his remaining eye as the pure energy launched towards him, moving at incredible speed that matched his own, preparing to accept his fate. In seconds, the Puro collided with its target and Nexus appeared from sight, filling the heroes with hope while the dark army stood with concern.

Relieved, Blu fell from his position and landed against the ground, taking caution to spin and land on his good side. There was little energy for him to run on, his body heavily exhausted and on the verge of breaking, feeling very reminiscence of his final confrontation with Ivan. His body urged him to rest, but until he saw the end of the fight, he would remain conscious. Jewel, now consumed with severe injuries of her own, stumbled over, collapsing by his side as she groaned. The blinding light from the Puro illuminated them in a golden shade, blocking out the dome that continued to surround them.

The fight was finally over.

Spoken too soon. The blue macaws gawked with disbelief as the Puro slowly began to rise from the ground, pushed from its original position. Their worst fears were realized as the Puro ascended, revealing the Dark Lord pushing the back the weapon of pure energy, albeit with obvious difficult to the point he focused all energy into his wings, desperately trying to hold the powerful energy at bay. Relief and hope were immediately replaced with fear once more, as the blue macaws struggled to stand, running off little energy. Blu forced himself to stand, stumbling with each movement. Jewel followed suit, clutching one wing tightly around her torso.

"We...We are so close!" Blu exclaimed. "We...Can't..."

Jewel's eyes snapped between Nexus and the Puro, fearing her efforts had been in vain once more. But despite these concerns, she refused to submit until the Dark Lord was dead or she drew her last breath. She turned towards Blu, stretching her right wing towards him. "Stand by me."

Blu, between his fears and lack of hope, raised his eyebrow with confusion. "Jewel..."

"Come on," she encouraged, mustering a smile. "I won't bite. We'll figure this out together."

"Together," Blu agreed.

Returning the smile (though weakly) Blu understood and shifted closer, taking care not to injure himself further than necessary. As their feathers touched, Jewel placed her left wing around his back tightly, bringing them together as one. In coordination, they pressed their feet against the ground and boost into the air once more, positioning themselves in a perfect distance away from their enemy. Their drying energy barely allowed them to levitate within the air, but thanks to their teamwork, they maintained balance. Nexus continued to push the Puro, though it was not without heavy difficulty. There was one chance to turn the tide in their favor once more, one final push to victory, to peace. To hope.

Blu arched back his right wing, focusing the little energy between his grasp. "Luz..."

Jewel raised her left wing and copied his movements in perfect synchronization. "Felixe..."

Nexus grunted as the blinding of light of the Puro burned his feathers, the powerful glare pushing into his eye, intense energy causing his wings to tremble from pain. Worst, he noticed there approaching attack, possibly enough to force more power into the Puro and overcome his defense. He refused to submit to the light, his ambitions fueled his desire to complete his work. If his future self had won, so would he.

"ATAQUE!"

From their respective wings, the two powerful beams of light circled into one, colliding against the Puro with tremendous force, their own pure energy gifting more power into the Puro. Nexus roared, his feet grinding against ground as the scorched heat soared against his body. Jagged rocks and sharp pointed objects poked and prodded into his already damaged body, tearing several long gashes across his feathers. He struggled to keep himself safe, wincing as the burning sensation continued to course through the core of his being, forcing his body temperature to rise way above his comfortable limits, beginning to roast from the inside out. As he continued to hold on with every fiber of his being, his good eye locked towards the dome that surrounded them. In his desperate panic, he had forgotten of the Iminente Desgraça that was shielding them.

As he regained his footing, Nexus raised one talon and pressed his toes together tightly. "I am eternal!"

With a simple snap, the powerful dome slowly began to shrink at a much slower rate. As Nexus was forced to focus most of his energy between his grasp, he could not enforce more speed into the barrier that surrounded them, but it was only a matter of time until the inevitable happened. All he needed to do was stand his ground and wait. Meanwhile, the blue macaws forced their remaining energy into the attack, now within a race against time. Performing the signature attack required their inner energy to wield, something they were running little on. The second their energy ran out, it was over. Even if they held on, the dome would eventually enclose in and erase them. Their only hope was to defeat him now.

Shrieking with determination, Jewel shook off the pain from her previous wounds and concentrated further power into her beam, desperately forcing more energy forward to push past his guard. No matter how much energy she spared, there was no overtaking Nexus' guard, not this one. Seeking to end his reign once and for all, Jewel concentrated most of her power towards her wing, the intensity caused shaking to her wing as the beam suddenly grew twice in size.

Blu roared and forced his body tremendous pain, pushing far beyond any limitation he had never dared to cross in the past. He focused, calling deep within his being, searching past the deepest areas of his body for source of power. Within the darkness, there was a light, a single source of brightness residing within. It was his source of power, gifted to him by the Angelus long ago, the key to wielding powers of light to his aid. Without it, there was no way to control his powers and with the death of the Angelus, there would never be another opportunity to regain this power. Focusing deep, he summoned every ounce of energy that remained to his disposal and pushed his power to the limit one final time. The golden aura emitted from his body with the white aura following suit. Together, his light essence and dark magic combined into one once more, at the cost of his own power. Together, the blue macaw's yelled and with their combined power, the twin beam tripled in size, finally applied enough pressure to push the Puro forward.

Realizing he was in danger once more, Nexus fought in vain to hold back the powerful energy, fighting hard to push it back, but it was no longer plausible. The intense energy alone burned his wings and with their beam forcing the Puro forward, there was no fighting any longer. His strength faltered by the second, no way of holding on long enough for the dome to enclose. Breathing a heavy sigh, Nexus dropped his wings. accepting his defeat at the hands of worthy foes. With nothing more holding back the Puro, it fired forward and consumed him whole, engulfing his body flames of energy.

The super heat of the Puro burned him alive, the light extinguished every trace of darkness that lingered within, the pureness of everyone's energy cleansed the evil from his soul. His body trembled, of pain and fear, knowing that his end was finally going to arrive, left to rot within the depths of Hell forever, no chance of a second resurrection. As his body burned into ashes, he raised his head to see a silhouette of a figure approaching from within the Puro. Though his life was seconds away from extinction, all of his focus remained towards the approaching figure. There, the Angelus stood before him, her beautiful smile greeting him. No longer surrounded within her glowing white feathers, she had returned to her original form in spirit form, appearing as the Queen of Light once more. Without a single word, she offered her wing to join her in the next life.

Merkael raised a smile, weakly outstretching his wing and taking her own. "Salthidel."

As the dome was seconds from sealing, the Puro briefly shrunk it size before a giant explosion followed, spreading across the land and shaking violently, forcing unintentional earthquakes to follow across Juruá. Without warning, the Puro's energy spread in all directions, the intense energy cracked and shattered the dome into pieces, safely disintegrating the attack from existence.

The armies of both sides remained still, their attention fully divided towards the previous battle, now engulfed within a cloud of dust and smoke caused by the intense energy of their battle. The birds of Rio fell silent, fearful their blue macaw friends had perished in the midst of battle, sacrificing their lives for their own. Similarly, the dark army were frozen, concerned their mighty leader had finally been slayed in battle. Together, they stood as one, the rain damping their feathers, the wind brushing heavily against their faces, but this mattered little now, all focus towards the same position.

The heavy rain washed around the flames that surrounded the area, clearing the smoke and ashes within seconds. A large crater now emerged into view, spread deep into the ground. There was no sight of the Dark Lord, out of sight and his energy nowhere to be sensed. But what did catch their sight were the blue macaws lying against the ground, unresponsive as they remained close. Without hesitation, Rafael, Nico and Pedro flew to their side, desperately trying to wake them.

Without their King to lead them, there was no chance of the dark army winning. Finally, after so long, they were forced to retreat once more. Taking temporary leadership role, Lee raised his sword. "Fall back."

Throughout the area, many portals between Juruá and the World of Darkness opened, the path to retreat. The remaining soldiers turned and entered the various portals, leaving any trace of their presence behind. In seconds, they were almost absence from sight, leaving only the elite guards behind. Cartu and Vath entered the remaining portal first while Lee and Xan remained, turning towards their enemies with disgust.

Drako sheaved his sword and placed his wings against his helmet, removing it and revealing his old and scarred face. "Leave. And never return."

Lee remained unresponsive, but acknowledged the warning as a true threat. Together, alongside Xan, the two elite guards entered the final portal, sealing it behind them and finally, blocking off the connection between their worlds for good. With the threat finally neutralized, everyone surrounded the crater, examining their heroes lying before them. Blu remained still, his body void of any light essence while his broken wing remained disfigured. Jewel slowly stirred, blinking her eyes softly to regain her vision. Immediately, she experienced great discomfort, their combined attack had robbed almost all of her power, leaving only small traces behind, her tattoos barely visible.

"Jewel," Rafael greeted. "Take it easy."

"Is...Is Blu okay?" she coughed with concern.

Sigma knelt and placed his wing against Blu's chest, generating a small amount of lightning through his body, a small shock had sparked the blue macaw back into reality. He groaned and scanned his eyes around the noting, questioning how long he had been unconscious for. Their friends surrounded them, the armies surrounded the crater they were buried within.

"Nexus," Blu inquired. "Is...?"

"Gone," Drako confirmed. "The Puro consumed him, cleansed the evil and darkness that resided within him. It is strange. Seconds before he perished, I sensed...Pureness within. It is almost like he was reformed into a pure being, his anger and hatred were no more. As much as I may despise the thought, I believe he has ascended into Heaven with the Angelus. To be together again."

"Nexus' love for her never ceased," Sigma agreed. "And somewhere deep down, I don't believe the Angelus never truly stopped caring for him in return."

There was brief silence between the group as Rico and Rafael helped them stand, the former helping Jewel until she was steadied while the later placed Blu's good wing over his back. As their thoughts relaxed, everyone's eyes locked towards the sky, noting the dark clouds had cleared and the heavy storm had ceased. In its place, the beautiful blue sky of Brazil revealed itself, the sun shinned and basked the birds within a warm and gentle feeling of safety. Finally, the danger had passed.

"Haha, you did it, guys!" Andre praised, jumping with excitement. "You single-handedly ended the two-thousand war! This calls for a celebration!"

"I'll get the whiskey!" Rico agreed.

While Jewel appreciated the kind gesture and finally felt at ease, she knew there were more pressing matters to atone for. "Guys, it's time for you three to head back."

"So soon?" Andre whined. "I wanted to hear more!"

"Believe me, Andre, you will," Jewel reassured, raising her wing and concentrating the final ounce of light that lingered within, creating three gates into the Tunnel of Time. "Go."

The trio prepared to leave, bidding their friends one final farewell. Andre waved and jumped backwards into the portal of his own, laughing triumphantly along the way. Sigma was the next to enter, wishing his blue macaw allies a happy laugh as he entered. Deep down, however, he knew what was to come. It didn't take a genius for Sigma to realize he was going to die within the past, explaining his future self's absence within this timeline. But that was okay, he was willing to die if it led to the end of the war. Contempt with his fate, Sigma entered the gateway home. Rico, the last one to leave, turned and winked, offering them a smile before he too entered. No words or farewells needed to be said, their actions alone were enough. The gateways were sealed and the future was almost secure from further interference.

After they were gone, Vadin approached Blu, looking up towards the taller macaw with a mixture of delight and disgust. "In the year that I have known you, you are without a doubt one of the most frustrating opponents I have ever crossed. But also one of my favorites. Rest assured, our paths will not cross again."

Without another word, Vadin turned and took forth his leadership role, escorting the brotherhood away from the area. They took to the sky in a matter of seconds, flying away until they were in the distance. Similarly, Lenny and Raxos were ready to lead their military macaws away from the area. The Captain moved forward, patting Blu softly on the back. "We will return to Rio at once. It may be a while since we meet again, but we'll always be here for you. Go home and rest well, you've earned it."

The military macaws evacuated the area, their numbers within the center of the battlefield becoming thinner with each leaving member. Drako approached next, offering his wing towards Blu. "Words cannot express how grateful we are for your sacrifice. You gave up your ability to wield the light, throwing away such power for a selfless cause. Not many could be willing to give up their might."

"I did what I had to," Blu reasurred, reaching out his good wing to accept. "But what will happen now? The Angelus is gone."

"Yes," Drako agreed, his voice filled with distraught and grief, having failed his duty to protect her from harm after two millenniums. "The Angelus and the Darkness are both now extinct, as our their Orbs, and Salthidel and Merkael. This perfected the balance of light and dark after so long. As the highest ranking member of our world, it is now my responsibility to watch our people, at least for now. One day, there will be a new ruler, one who will lead the light and dark."

Blu tilted his head with curiosity. "Who?"

"That remains to be seen," Drako replied. "I must leave now, but rest assured, I will be watching."

Bidding farewell for now, Drako tapped his foot into the ground and chanted, forcing their warriors to stand straight. The portal to their world opened within seconds, for the last time. Leading his people inside, Drako personally oversaw the return of all the warriors of the light, seeing that they were through before his own well-being. Placing his helmet firmly around his head, he bowed his head with respect before finally, he too entered the portal to their home, ready to lead their people home. With his absence, only the blue macaws and their closest friends remained, the team of five together again.

"Amigo, we better get your wing looked at," Rafael suggested. "It's going to be a long journey home."

"You guys can go on ahead," Blu assured. "I can walk."

"No way, bro!" Pedro exclaimed. "We ain't leaving you to walk home. We sticking together."

"I'm with Pedro," Nico agreed. "Rio's not going anywhere and neither are we."

Blu mustered a smile once more. However, before he could plan their journey, the sudden fall of his future wife caught their attention. Jewel fell onto her back, breathing softly as Blu jumped to her side. "Jewel, what's wrong?! Are you hurt?"

"The future's secured, Blu," Jewel replied. "My future doesn't exist anymore. That means neither do I."

Blu put two and two together, concluding where she was going with this. He turned towards the trio with pleading eyes, but they remained silent and lowered their heads, Nico taking off his bottle cap in the process and holding it against his chest. Blu fell to his kneels and grasped one of her wings within his good one. "You can't go. You did so much, risked everything to come back home and save us. You don't deserve to die."

"It's okay," Jewel assured calmly, a smile leaving her beak as her body began to fade. She whispered softly, reassuring him there was nothing to fear any longer. "It'll be okay."

In only seconds, Blu was forced to watch as her presence faded from existence, leaving no trace of Jewel ever being within this timeline. She was gone, his wing no longer holding anything but air. Their battle against Nexus had been costly one, but even after earning their victory, she was still robbed of her life, no chance to celebrate her journey. There was nothing that could be done to reverse the effects, not anymore. Without uttering a word, Blu closed his eyes and mourned her loss, sitting within the crater while his friends watched with sympathy. He never believed he would have to watch his wife die twice in this lifetime. His family were waiting for him back home, but never would he forget Jewel's selfless actions to save everyone at the cost her own life.

All he wanted to do was go home and never return to Juruá.

The journey home had been a tiring one, both physically and mentally. Narrowing through the amazon was more difficult than they anticipated, especially with the blue macaw losing his ability to fly. Fortunately, they did not have to walk long, fortune favored them as they crossed paths with a boat heading for Rio. With some effort, they climbed aboard and settled in on the roof.

As hours passed, they finally returned to the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, waiting for them after their intense battle in the amazon. Blu may have grown up in Minnesota, but never did he feel more at home then here. With the help of Rafael's various friends, they were finally able to get Blu the medical aid he needed. After dropping Blu off into Tulio's care, Nico and Pedro stayed be his side while Rafael flew away to find Jewel.

Tulio had no doubt been in a panic to see Blu injured, but remained calm and did his job professional. If he fixed Jewel's wing before, he could do the same for Blu. Fortunately, despite his injury and the hours that passed he endured the pain, it was a relief to hear his wing was not broken but merely dislocated. Without the light essence or the dark magic to his aid, there were no shortcuts to fixing his injuries, forcing him to take the old fashioned route.

"There we go," Tulio said with a smile as he stepped back. "That should do it. You will need to stay off your wing for a couple of wings until your bones are secured and the pain passes."

Blu squawked with response, allowing the ornithologist to pet him softly across the head. As Tulio petted him, his eyes couldn't avoid the canary and cardinal perched nearby. However, Tulio was no stranger to birds and welcomed any creature to his aviary. To help Blu feel more comfortable, he picked up the blue macaw and escorted him within the artificial jungle, the same room he had met the love of his life. As Tulio left, Nico and Pedro followed through the door, landing besides their blue macaw friend.

"Looking good, Blu!" Nico praised while offering a thumbs up the best a canary could off.

"A broken wing is the latest fashion in Rio?" Blu joked, examining the white cast that now concealed his wing from sight.

"Doesn't make you look so blue" Pedro agreed.

Blu opened his beak, preparing to question how that logic even applied to his species. Before he could do so, he was not expecting to hear the cries of relief from his wife and children. Without warning, Jewel appeared by his side, embracing him close. Seconds later, the trio of blue macaw kids followed, surrounding their father and hugging him close.

"Blu, we were so worried," Jewel exclaimed, briefly leaning back and noticing his bandaged wing, reminiscing old times. "What happened? Did you do it? And where's future me?"

"Easy everyone," Blu soothed, gently stroking his wing softly against the children's head. As they were calm and moved back for personal space, he summarized the situation, choosing his words carefully to avoid scaring the kids. "It wasn't easy, but we did it. Nexus is gone, as is the Angelus...And the other Jewel."

She fell silent as news of their passing sunk in. Her future self, the Queen of Light and the Dark Lord, gone from existence, their deaths ensuring the safety of Rio. At a loss for words, she glanced between her children, the King of Carnival and the samba duo. Their faces were slowly dropping from grief, beginning to morph into joy, relief, hope. "Is...It over?"

"Yes," Blu confirmed. "It's over. For good. My wing will heal in a couple of weeks or so, and then we can go home, together."

"Noting would make me happier, Blu," Jewel agreed, raising a smile as she averted her eyes towards their surroundings and his bandaged cast. "Ironic, huh? It ended where it began."

"Fate certainly works within mysterious ways," Blu noted. "But we did it. It's over. Come on, let's go home."

Jewel turned her head curiously. "Go home? But Blu, your wing."

"It doesn't matter where I am," Blu replied, his usual caution and overprotective self had finally faded. "The aviary or the jungle won't matter. As long as I'm with my friends and family, nothing could make me feel safer."

His words never felt more reassuring since their marriage After everything they had endured, all that they had been through, they could finally be at ease. The death of Nexus restored balance to the world, brought justice to the blue macaw clan and the countless lives that had been loss.

Their long fight for peace was finally over.

The World of Darkness felt void, more so than usual. The King of Darkness was no more, his fate extinguished from existence forever. The dark army were now without a leader, no one in Nexus' family left to take the throne, no apprentice to take his place. They were alone, left to rot in this world without another power entity to lead them. The highest ranking members of Nexus' army joined in private within the middle of the woods, away from public ears. Isolated from the rest of the dark army, the elite guards discussed their next plan of action.

"Without Lord Nexus, we are without guidance," Vath addressed. "His death has robbed us of our power."

"Be was it may, we are not without skill," Cartu reminded. "We all wield the might to lead our people and avenge the death of Lord Nexus, however, tradition demands we have but a single leader."

"And we our four," Xan reminded.

Lee narrowed his eyes between his fellow brothers, almost in regret for what he was about to ask. He inhaled softly and drew his sword, placing the tip against the ground. "I propose a single solution. For as long as we live, temptation for leadership will destroy out plans and others will lead by example. For army to grow and fight once more, they demand strong leadership, a mighty Lord to lead them to glory. We will fight for the leadership. Our army demands power. Only the strongest will survive and take control. Are we in agreement?"

The remaining guards exchanged glance, considering the proposal he offered. Admittedly, it was an enticing offer, to receive the honor of taking Lord Nexus' place as leader of the dark army was an indescribable feeling, but at the cost of losing three of their own warriors.

Xan responded first, stepping forward and slammed the end of his axe into the ground. "I will agree one condition: whoever triumph will exact revenge on the blue macaw. Agreed?"

Cartu was the first to respond, spinning his daggers into place. "Agreed."

Vath nodded and placed the tip of his staff into the ground. "I concur."

"Then we are in agreement," Lee stated and unleashed his sword once more, spinning into his combat pose. "Brothers, let us fight. For the darkness."

"For the darkness!"

In the few days that passed across the jungle of Rio de Janeiro, word spread fast throughout the jungle of the previous conflict in Juruá. After hiding in their homes from the storm and waiting for the worst to arrive, peace had finally been restored, the long fight finally over. No longer did they need to hide or cower in fear, they were free to explore their jungle once more, spreading love and joy throughout the land.

In celebration of their victory, Nico and Pedro hosted a gathering at the club, inviting everyone they knew to attend. The storm had previously damaged their roof and knocked out their lighting equipment, but thanks to the help of Rio's finest, they were back to business in no time. During mid afternoon, the blue macaw family arrived at the Samba Club, leaving little Jessica in the care of their Aunt Eva. Upon entering the inside, they were greeted by the crowd of party birds dancing to the music. The blue macaws moved through the crowd until they arrived at the center, greeted by their friends.

"Good to see you birds!" Pedro greeted as he embraced Crystal and Rey by his side.

"How's the wing, Blu?" Nico inquired while he patted Azul softly on the back.

"I believe the structural bones have realigned without any side effects," Blu replied, his explanation enforcing confused expressions to read their faces. Even after a year of friendship, they failed to understand his sophisticated explanations. "I mean, it's healing fine."

His words did amuse them with delight, everyone chuckling light-heartedly. The kids moved away to dance and speak with their Uncle Rafael nearby, though not too far away out of their sight of course. Together, Blu and Jewel walked towards the center of the dance floor, along the way, everyone was kind enough to make space and let them pass. Nico and Pedro ascended both their friends from above, preparing to perform.

"You lovebirds ready to do your thing?" Nico inquired.

"That may be difficult," Blu replied hesitatingly. "I need both wings to lead."

Fortunately, his wife was by his side with a solution to her problem. Without warning, she took his good wing into her own, bringing his focus to her. "Why don't I lead this time?"

"You sure you're feeling up for it?"

"I've had experience."

In agreement, the blue macaws nodded. Without hesitation, Nico gathered the attention of their crowd, ascending higher with Pedro by his side. "Alright everyone, we've had some crazy adventures since Blu and Jewel came into our lives. It's been one heck of a roller coaster, but they did it!"

The blue macaws received round of applause of cheers while a spot light allowed them to stand out as the main attraction. Happy to obligate, the two blue macaws waved to their friends.

Pedro moved in from position, flying by to high-five a few of their guest. "What'd say we get this party rocking?! Hit it!"

Their nearby bands played various objects acting as instrumentals, their rhythm echoing across the club, filling the air with wonderful atmosphere. The samba duo returned to the stage nearby, sliding across the ground while they danced and sung within harmony.

I'm captivated by your sweet face, even when you're angry or tired
But I just wonder if it's OK to live in such a hurry all the time
As for me, I'm quite a mess by the circumstances
Your casual behavior makes me so confused

On cue, Jewel took Blu's wing once more and brought him into a dance. Leading forward, Jewel started their dance slow as they moved circles, their feet in perfect step with the other. Moving forward, she briefly released him halfway, pulling out and in within each other's grasp before repeating once more, impressing everyone with their perfect harmony once more.

But even so, I wanna know if you still live in the past
Many things that I wanted to ask you, but the noise of the crowd
The cars, the street, have been interrupting our talk, but I know we'll find the time
We'll figure it out!

Moving further into the dance, the lovebirds moved closer into their dance. While Blu kept a hold of her wing, Jewel placed her free wing around his back as they joined into a waltz, moving in circles across the dance floor. Everyone was cheering by their side, not as mere party goers, but as heroes. They had risked everything to save them, strangers they barely knew, especially Blu, who had only moved to Brazil a little over a year ago. If there was ever another danger to pass, they couldn't ask for a better bird.

Bit by bit, I'm falling under your charm
You'll keep me and all the world far from harm.
Bring hope to everyone; take in your hands eternity.

"Jewel."

"Yeah?"

"I'm...I'm glad everything is over," Blu reassured, pausing briefly to lean backwards and allow their eyes to meet. "But I can't shake off the terrible feeling this isn't over. There are a lot of people out there who would be willing to hurt us for their own agenda."

To his surprise, Jewel was not at all concerned by his theory. Instead, she smiled with hope. "I don't have any doubt about that, Blu. But I know we can do anything as long as we're together. Right?"

Blu returned the smile and moved closer once more, embracing her close as they danced throughout the night. "Together."

Even when it seems that I don't need you
Just know that I am in love; can't wait to
Leave this endless darkness
Won't you come along with me? Hold my hand

Throughout the night that passed, the birds of Rio celebrated their victory against the Dark Lord, relieved his reign on Brazil was no more. There was no doubt this had been quite the adventure for the blue macaws and the journey they passed. From captured by smugglers to fighting entities of power, this was quite the story they would tell their grandchildren one day. But until that day, Blu and Jewel were ready to return to their lives within the jungle, embrace the peace they earned as they watched their children grow.

Little did they know this was only the beginning of their adventures.

The end. What a journey, I must thank all of for for your support over the past year, I can't believe it's gone by so fast. From here, this is where the events of Rise of the Zealots would take place, something I will be making very minor changes to so it fits both continuities. Now, I'm assuming you all might by wondering if I plan to go back off the site. No, I'm here for good and I do have some upcoming plans.

Firstly, myself and others are planning to finish up reading and reviewing all the stories from the authors I gave shout outs to, so that'll be my first priority. Next, I plan to also remaster my original story line, The last Blue Macaw's new adventures saga, something that may take a while to plan, write and publish. And after all that, I may consider doing a sequel to Rise of the Zealots. We will see what happens in the upcoming months. I imagine some of you may have questions, so feel free to ask away on my Q&A forum. Until we meet again, ladies and gentlemen.

For the final time, I will now list the differences between the original and remastered version of arc 6.

In the remaster, all of the filler leading up to the main events is cut, starting directly to the main plot. Additionally, the filler after the main events is also removed.

The origins of Nexus and the Angelus are explored and how they came to be.

A new character is introduced as the One, who created the powers of the Angelus and the Darkness, as well as the Orbs and is the mother of Salthidel.

Various music has been removed.

In the original, Jewel's leg are broken from an injury. In the remaster, this does not happen.

The remaster features a small conclusion with the elite guards and sets up the events of Zealots.

The warden, Exo, Anox, Asya and Anton did not make an appearance.

In the original, Vadin is killed by Nexus for his failure to defeat Exo. In the remaster, while Vadin does die again originally, the change of history has allowed to stay alive.

The remaster includes time travel, something never previously done in any of my stories. As a result, the entire plot of Darkness Reborn was rewritten from scratch, not including any of the original content from the original.