A Success of Great Magnitude
Word Count: 299
For once in his life, Zack Fair stood absolutely still, gazing in awe at the sight before him. His heart raced, his palms were beginning to sweat, and although he noticed his lips had parted and he stood like a slack-jawed buffoon, he could do nothing but continue to stare. Slowly, ever so slowly, his expression changed from one of awe to one of hope and longing, and he took a small step forward.
For its part, the chocobo gazed solemnly back. Zack's approach, slow as it was, did not startle the bird one bit. Slowly, ever so slowly, Zack reached a hand across the distance, fingers extended, breath baited. Inches away from the beak of the enormous bird, his hand stopped. Still the chocobo stared, as if with its eyes it could measure the content of Zack's character.
Then, as if deciding the spiky-haired boy had passed some unspoken test, the chocobo gently lowered its beak to butt against the tips of the SOLDIER's fingers. In a rush of air, Zack let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. After a moment of what seemed to be disbelieving relief, Zack let out a whoop of pure joy and vaulted onto the unsaddled beast's back.
The chocobo pranced a bit, getting used to the weight, and flapped its wings a few times before taking off to run laps around the paddock, its rider making happy sounds of encouragement along the way. "Seph, you are the ABSOLUTE BEST, how did you KNOW?!" he yelled delightedly as they dashed by in a blur of black spikes and yellow feathers.
From his place leaning against the paddock fence, Sephiroth felt a smile tug at his lips. After all, what did a success of this magnitude deserve, if not celebration?