Rio: Endangered

Strangers

"Who are you? What have you done with Jasmine?" The lonely bird was alarmed at the arrival of Nova and Miguel.

"I am Nova, and this is my friend Miguel. We have come from a nearby flock of Spix Macaws to scout the territory for a newcomer of ours. Might I ask what your name is and what you are doing here?"

"Why is it any of your business what my name is. I don't even know you well enough to trust you. For all I know you two are the ones responsible for kidnapping, or worse, killing Jasmine."

"Miss, we have not harmed Jasmine. In fact, I do believe she is back with the tribe attending to some family matters."

"Family matters? What family could she possibly have? I am her only family. And you can stop calling me 'Miss'. My name is Andrea."

"Andrea," Nova explained, "Jasmine has a brother that she is staying with at the moment. We came to check this territory for intruders so we can let her stay here."

Now Andrea was about ready to keel over. Before she had come looking for Jasmine, she had been searching the Rio area for Blu. Whether she realized it or not, her life-long search for them was over.

"Where... where is this flock you're from?" she asked.

"Follow, us, Miss Andrea." Nova and Miguel flew back to the homeland, Andrea and her "crew" close behind.

---------------

Blu and his family, as well as their friends, were preparing themselves for another trip to Rio, this time hoping to not have an unwelcome surprise. After all, the last time they visited the city, they barely got to enjoy themselves before being assaulted. Blu wanted to see if they could catch up to Linda and Tulio this time.

"Tiago, hurry up!" Jewel fussed. He was taking his time saying goodbye to Stacey.

"Be there in a minute, mom!"

"You said that a minute ago. Let's move!"

"Ok," He complained.

Everyone else was packed up and ready to go. Blu had his pack, Bia grabbed her beloved wildlife book (like she really needed it at this point), and Carla gathered her Ipod and earbuds. Jewel and Jasmine didn't need to gather a thing. Eduardo re-established Roberto as the temporary head of the flock while he was to be gone for a while. Nico and Pedro said farewells to their friends, and Rafael rounded up his own little flock of a family.

When they were about ready to leave is when Nova and Miguel returned home with their discovered group of birds.

"Well, well. Found some more newcomers, have you?" Eduardo said.

"We found them in Jasmine's hollow. This one here, Andrea, was particularly worried about Jasmine, so we brought Andrea here to see her."

Andrea searched every face she could lay her eyes on, and her gaze immediately fixed on the two faces staring back at her; Jasmine's and Blu's. She could hardly hold back the emotion welled up inside her for finally having found them. "Blu! Jasmine!" She ran up to them both and embraced them in a tight hug.

"Mom?" Blu inquired. "Is that really you?"

"It is, my dear son," she said through a torrent of tears. "I missed you both so much."

"Where have you been all this time?" Jasmine wanted to know. "Why did you abandon us?"

Andrea stopped hugging them to look them in the eyes for the first time in years. "We didn't abandon you. We left you two behind in the places we did for your own protection. It hurt us so much to have to do such a thing, but we were left with no choice."

"It sure felt as if you abandoned us," Blu stated. Even though Andrea had said that she was their mother, he was starting to have some doubts. "How can we know that you are really who you say you are?"

"You remember that time, years ago, when I tried to teach you to fly? Jasmine got the hang of it pretty well, but you, Blu, were the only one who wasn't willing to give it a shot. You were always afraid of falling every time you spread your wings."

That confirmed it. What she told him was the truth. He'd been pestered by her several times to give flying a try, but he wouldn't do it. It was on that day he was captured that he'd actually been willing to try; the song gave him the inspiration to do it.

"It is you," he cried. "Terrin lied to us." Blu gave his beloved parent a hug.

"What do you mean? Terrin came here?"

"Yes. He did. He came with a whole army of birds to end us, but we took care of him just earlier," Jasmine told her.

"Oh my. I thought that bothersome little bird had died years ago. After all, your father and I vanquished the whole species of birds in a conflict. That conflict occurred not long after we hid you two."

"Where is he?" Blu wanted to know. "Is he here?"

Andrea became upset. A frown spread itself across her face. "I'm sorry to say this to you, but he died in the fight."

The news was depressing indeed. They'd longed to see both their parents again, but it just wasn't meant to be. "I... am glad that at least you made it out alive," Jasmine said. "We both are."

Andrea hugged them both one last time.

"So now we have another grandparent," Carla's voice came from the background.