UPDATE: IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY NOTICED, A GOOD THIRD OF MY STORIES WERE DELETED BY SOME JERK SEVERAL DAYS AGO, INCLUDING THIS ONE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE ANY PROHIBITED CONTENT FROM ALL THE DELETED STORIES AND REPOST THEM. THE SONG LYRICS TO THIS STORY (THE REASON THIS WAS ORIGINALLY REMOVED) WILL NOW BE LOCATED ON MY PROFILE TO AVOID ANY MORE FANFICS BEING DELETED. THIS IS FOLLOWING THE RULES. EVERY TIME YOU SEE -0-0- DURING A MUSICAL NUMBER IN THIS STORY, THAT REPRESENTS THE REMOVED SONG LYRICS. I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE LYRICS NOT BEING IN THE STORY. IF YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO VIEW THEM IN MY PROFILE, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! THANK YOU!
Wooo! Last chapter of "Into the Wind"! Don't kill me! XD If ya'll have any story requests or anything else, PM me! Anyway, please R&R, but no flaming! Thank you! Enjoy!
P.S.: Oh, and if you happen to listen to the song, Pedro is rapping Tyler's part and Nico is singing Coco's part. Thank you! :)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rio. The OC Jake (aka 'Grandpa Ninja') is the property of Mastfic. The song lyrics for this story, which WAS going to be the song "Guardian Angel" by Tyler James Williams and Coco Jones, can be found on my profile. The symbol -0-0- represents the missing lyrics.
Chapter 3: Guardian Angel
"I'll stay."
Shocked, Nico stared at his friend for several moments before happily squealing (!) and glomping Pedro.
The cardinal laughed happily before saying "Whoa, hey! Don't go all fangirl on me!"
Nico let go of the larger fowl and rubbed his neck with his left wing sheepishly. "Heh, sorry. I'm just happy."
"More like burst-your-friend's-eardrums sort of happy!"
The duo shared a good laughing session before calming down and grinning like idiots at each other.
Breaking the silence, Pedro asked "Nico?"
"Yeah, man?"
"Before you leave, can we sing another song together? Y'know, just like old times?"
"Sure! Which one?"
Pedro thought for a moment before replying, "I know! You'll recognize it!"
The cardinal jumped off the branch and gave his signature caw before twirling in the air and beginning.
-0-0-
Pedro was correct. Nico did recognize the song. Wasn't it the one that they had performed at the Branch about a week before the fire?
-0-0-
Not missing a beat, Nico joined in singing his part and dancing on the branch.
-0-0-
Pedro watched the canary in surprise, and almost stopped flapping his wings. Nico's voice was even more beautiful (if that was possible) than before. It was melodious and haunting (the kind of voice that you just couldn't ignore), yet smooth and sweet as honey. It had always been awesome before, but now it was just…wow. The yellow bird had hopped off his branch and was now doing little tricks in the air as he sang.
-0-0-
Pedro realized it was his turn and snapped out of his trance. He flew closer and joined Nico in creating loops in the air.
-0-0-
Nico joined in with a few of the lyrics.
-0-0-
To emphasize those last words, Nico and Pedro spread their wings as far as they would go and soared in the air. They twirled around each other in the air.
-0-0-
Swiftly, both birds did a hammerhead as the song jumped to Nico's part.
-0-0-
They chased each other around the trunk and weaved through the branches on the tree top. There were no other animals (alive or not) near them, which was odd, but Pedro was happy for that at the same time; this moment was solely for him and Nico.
-0-0-
The song went back to Pedro, and he rapped his part with clarity and enthusiasm that he hadn't had since three months ago. Nico twirled around him in the air and chimed in a few verses.
-0-0-
Pedro's heart was beating quickly, excited. It was just like old times. Before the he got hit with that car, before Nico's death…before the fire.
-0-0-
Pedro gleefully ended his part and listened happily while Nico sung the last few verses.
-0-0-
The canary did a little cartwheel in the air. How that was aerodynamically possible, Pedro would never know. Then again, Nico was a ghost. The laws of physics probably didn't apply to him.
-0-0-
Nico landed on the branch and removed his bottle cap. The small song bird held the beloved metal object in his wings as he sung out the last part.
-0-0-
Pedro landed next to the canary and listened as the now heavenly voice concluded their last song.
-0-0-
The last notes of the melody drifted through the air as if someone had drizzled it with honey.
Pedro breathed in and out. "Wow. You've gotten better."
Nico's chocolate brown eyes opened and he grinned at Pedro as he replaced his bottle cap. "Thanks. You sound under practiced."
The cardinal glanced down at his feet and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah…I wasn't really in the mood to rap before…"
"Ah." Nico glanced in the direction of the bird sanctuary. "Well, we'd better get going. Your twenty-four hours is almost up."
Pedro peered up at the green and yellow bird sanctuary. Thankfully, it had been one of the few things spared of the fire's wrath. With a few repairs and a fresh coat of paint, the Blu Bird Sanctuary was good as new. The cardinal had heard that the humans that worked here were planning on building another sanctuary in the new rainforest. Pedro was glad for that. It just didn't look right for such a successful building to be out in the middle of miles of ruined trees and debris. That, and passing the very graveyard that was home to Nico's own grave would probably give any bird the heebie jeebies.
"Well, here we are." Nico stated, landing next to him. "Better get in there."
"Nico?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you be there when I wake up…like, in my own body?"
Nico replied, "Yeah, sure. You'll be the only one that'll be able to see me, though."
Pedro shrugged, reassured. "That's okay, bird. So, I just step into my body?"
"Yep."
"Okay, here goes nothing."
Pedro flew through an open window in the sanctuary and peeked in every room he passed. Finally, he came across the right room. On a long white table inside a cage lied his body. Its chest and head was covered in bandages, but other than that it looked fine. The cardinal flitted over and cautiously pressed a foot to its abdomen. Pedro squeezed his eyes shut for a second. Would this hurt? What if he harmed his body further. The cardinal glanced down, and was pleased to find that this grey foot had phased right into it. Gently, Pedro put his other foot in and lied down. Within seconds he was put into a deep, dreamless sleep…
"Is he awake?"
"I don't know! You check!"
"Shh! He's waking up!"
"Nrrghh…" Pedro lightly groaned before raising his right wing to massage his temples. He had a whopper of a headache, and he couldn't remember where he was…
"Pedro? Are you feeling alright, amigo?"
That voice sounded familiar…Pedro's brown eyes fluttered before opening completely. Light poured in from a window right next to him, and his eyes shut again in pain. After letting his eyes adjust, Pedro opened his eyes again and this time it hurt a little bit less. Standing next to him was none other than Rafael, and behind him was Blu and Jewel. All three had worried facial expressions, but when they saw Pedro's eyes open, full blown smiles spread across their beaks.
"Pedro! Are you feeling okay? Do you need some water?" inquired Jewel as she and Blu walked closer. Oh, that was right. He was in the Blu Bird Sanctuary. But where was Nico?
"I'm fine, Jewel." He answered as he sat up. An immense amount of pain followed, but after a second it went away and Pedro could look around. Bandages surrounded his forehead and chest, and he was sitting in a nest in a small steel cage placed on top of a long white table. Around him were other colorful birds in cages. Most were either asleep or getting a drink of water, but a few were watching Blu, Jewel, Rafael and Pedro curiously. His favorite canary was nowhere in sight.
"Hey," Pedro said. "Where're the kids?"
"With Eva." Replied Blu.
"Although we'd better get over there before they kill each other." Added Jewel.
"Okeydokey! Bye, guys!" Pedro called.
Blu and Jewel offered their farewells before flying off the counter and out the open window next to Pedro's cage. Rafael was about to leave, too, but turned back.
"You're sure you're okay?" he asked.
"I told you, I'm fine." Reassured Pedro. After a second, he added, "Hey, you available in a week?"
Rafael cocked an eyebrow. "Si. Why?"
Pedro grinned childishly. "Do you want to head over to the Canary Corner with me and samba once I blow this joint?"
The toucan looked surprised for a second before a grin spread across his beak. "Of course! Glad to know you have your samba spirit back, amigo! But what made you change your mind?"
Pedro grinned wider. "A friend helped me." He replied.
Ralfy chuckled and shook his head, used to Pedro's strange answers. The toucan bid the cardinal farewell before flapping out the window and towards home. The round bird waved, then leaned back for a second to wait for Nico to follow through with his promise. Unfortunately, the tranquility was ruined when the cardinal felt something sharp digging into his back. Irritated, Pedro reached behind him with his right wing and pulled out the offending object. The grey and red fowl's eyes widened in surprise when he realized it was a bottle cap with a green background and wavy cerulean lines. A shiny silver trim rounded its bottom. The slightest of tinkling noises was heard and Pedro glanced up towards the open windowsill. He smiled when he saw the certain yellow canary casually leaning against the side without his trademark bottle cap on his head. Nico was grinning down at him, and he was almost translucent. Just as he promised, no one but Pedro noticed him.
When Pedro held up his bottle cap and pointed to it, the canary shook his head, soundlessly mouthed keep it and winked. Pedro smiled, mouthed thanks back and delicately fingered the blue and green design on the bottle cap. When the cardinal glanced back up, his eyes met Nico's chocolate brown ones, and they shared one last grin before the canary silently faded away to…well, wherever ghosts went when they vanished.
Pedro looked back down at Nico's old bottle cap. He flipped it around a few times in his wings before setting it in the nest next to him. Once again, he leaned back and gazed contentedly at the ceiling of his cage. Both he and Nico were right where they were supposed to be. He was here with his friends, and Nico was likely kicking it in Heaven. Everything was alright, and this time Pedro really meant it. The cardinal closed his eyes and fell into his first peaceful rest in a long time.
Nico sighed as he watched his last sunset in Rio. Once Jake showed up, he and the old macaw would have to return there. It's wasn't that Nico didn't like the afterlife – like Pedro had said, there were lots of hot wings and killer samba clubs. The canary would just miss his friends and family here. Nico heard the sound of wings flapping and the light thump of a bird perching next to him.
"Hey, Grandpa Ninja." He greeted half-heartedly.
The ancient Blue Spix Macaw simply grunted in response. Jake, or better known as 'Grandpa Ninja' by most of the younger birds, had been born in 1500 in Russia. There, he had trained as a warrior all his life. Later, in 1586, the macaw had died protecting a friend from an enemy. Jake was tall and brawny, with deep brown eyes and grey, decrepit-looking feathers (although if you peeked underneath them, the feathers were blue). All of the younger birds, including Nico, looked up to Jake for his strength and bravery.
The old bird frowned at Nico before saying in his deep Russian accent, "You stare with longing at your former home. You will miss it, no?"
"Yeah." Nico turned and looked up at the Russian macaw. "I will."
Jake nodded before replying, "I also missed my home in Russia when I perished. It took me many years to dull the heartache of leaving behind my family and comrades. But alas, it must be done." He turned back towards the beautiful sunset. "But, fortunately, wounded souls mend, and after a few moons we all move on. Your comrades will be fine."
The young canary nodded. "I know. But that doesn't mean I won't miss everyone."
At that, Jake just grunted and agreed. "Indeed."
Once the sun had completely vanished behind the ocean and trees, the ancient Blue Spix Macaw placed a wing over Nico's back. "Come, child." He stated. "We both have duties to attend to elsewhere."
Nico grinned. "Yeah. C'mon, Gramps…let's go home."
The older fowl offered one of his rare smiles as both birds rose into the air and flew upwards towards the whitish hue of the rising moon. Suddenly, Jake looked at Nico in surprise when the canary began to whistle and sing a quiet melody. The feeling passed, however, and Jake smiled again when he realized Nico was saying goodbye in his own unique way.
-0-0-
The end! And...oh, gosh...I'm so sorry, guys, this flowed so much better when it did have the lyrics! D: That last -0-0- represented the last few verses of "Fly Love". Don't know why I added them. Guess I just figured it would make a nice ending. :/ And I'm sorry for Jake's terrible Russian accent – I don't hear them very often, so I can't write them very well! Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! EyeoftheCobra out!
I REPEAT: IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY NOTICED, A GOOD THIRD OF MY STORIES WERE DELETED BY SOME JERK SEVERAL DAYS AGO, INCLUDING THIS ONE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE ANY PROHIBITED CONTENT FROM ALL THE DELETED STORIES AND REPOST THEM. THE SONG LYRICS TO THIS STORY (THE REASON THIS WAS ORIGINALLY REMOVED) WILL NOW BE LOCATED ON MY PROFILE TO AVOID ANY MORE FANFICS BEING DELETED. THIS IS FOLLOWING THE RULES. EVERY TIME YOU SEE -0-0- DURING A MUSICAL NUMBER IN THIS STORY, THAT REPRESENTS THE REMOVED SONG LYRICS. I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE LYRICS NOT BEING IN THE STORY. IF YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO VIEW THEM IN MY PROFILE, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! THANK YOU!