"Whoa. A black chocochick, you say?" came a familiar voice from the other side of the door. The voice of Prompto, Noctis's best friend. Or, former best friend, since Noctis technically wasn't...Noctis anymore. Either way, he'd been waiting for Prompto here inside this stupid barn for what felt like half a lifetime.
Wiz's hearty laughter followed. "Good to see the long night didn't steal 'way your passion for our birds, son."
"Never," Prompto said with the conviction of a true chocobo lover. "Please tell me more about the chick!"
"Well, it'd be mighty helpful if ya could take care of the li'l thing in our stead. He's a…rowdy one. Been tryin' to break out one too many times."
Tsk. It wasn't as if Noctis had any choice in the matter. Wiz didn't let him leave even though he had places to go. While the other chicks were allowed outside, he'd been locked in this barn after the last time he'd tried to run away. It was unfair.
He'd almost given up on ever seeing his friends again until Prompto showed up.
"You…" There was a touch of hesitation in Prompto's voice. "You want me to raise the chick?"
"I'm not gonna force ya. But we got our hands full with rebuildin' and ain't got no capacity for this sorta special case jus' yet. I'd owe you a big one."
"Wow," Prompto breathed out. "Me. Raising a chocochick."
"I say it'd fit ya. What d'ya say to havin' a look-see?"
"Of course."
Noctis heard the lock turn and the door click open; sunlight permeated the room. His head shot up from where he sat on an uncomfy bale of straw. A familiar mop of blond hair came into view behind the broad statue of Wiz. Finally.
"Here he is, the little one," said Wiz.
Prompto's wide, excited eyes met his.
"Took you long enough, Prompto," Noctis said, but what came out was a "kweeeh!". He hoped to get the message across despite the language barrier.
"Well? What do ya think?" asked Wiz.
Noctis knew the look on Prompto's face: he was enamored. "Look at him! Look at you," he said, and then came over, ducking down to Noctis's eye level. His hands immediately shot out to pet him. They felt heavenly, Noctis noticed as he leaned into them.
Prompto gasped in exaggeration. "Most. Adorable. Chocobo. Ever. "
Noctis let out a smug "kweh". Of course he would've been reborn as a gorgeous animal.
"Aww. You want to be pampered and spoiled rotten, am I right?" Prompto kept raving about Noctis. "Is this place too cramped for you? I know. You wanna see the outside world, don't ya?"
Prompto then scooped him up and enveloped him in a warm hug. Noctis's eyes drooped in content. There was no comparing being hugged by Wiz or the other locals to being reunited with his best friend. Even if that friend believed him to be no more than a cute chocochick.
"Aw, he's so soft and perfect. What's his name?"
Wiz laughed, evidently amused at Prompto's behavior. "He ain't got one yet. Feel free to name 'im—he likes you, I can tell."
"Uh, name him? Me?"
Noctis looked up at Prompto, hoping he'd come up with a cool name. Like The King of Birds or The Raven of Lucis or—
"How 'bout...N-Nox?" Prompto said. There was something in his expression when he said that name, all teary-eyed and grief-stricken. It made Noctis think it was a good thing he'd asked the Astrals to let him be reborn, even if they couldn't return him to his old body. He had a mission here, as self-imposed at it might be: he would stay at his friends' sides and make sure they'd live a happy life.
"Nox. A fittin' name," commented Wiz, then he raised an eyebrow at Prompto. "Well? What do ya say 'bout a test day? See how ya two get alon'?"
"Won't say no to that," was Prompto's eager answer. His eyes didn't leave Noctis, and Noctis reveled in the attention.
Wiz also turned to Noctis. "Don't give our friend here a hard time, ya hear me, li'l one?"
"Wouldn't think of it," Noctis replied.
"Let's get you out into the fresh air," said Prompto, and carried him outside. He didn't look as if he wanted to let Noctis go anytime soon, which Noctis didn't mind in the slightest.
It was nice to be out in the sun again after the long time spent in that stuffy barn. Not that he had a good sense of time anymore. Since he came to life in this body, he'd learned that chocobos had different senses and priorities than humans, so to speak. Everything mostly revolved around eating, sleeping, and having fun. Then again, he figured he was weird for a chocobo as well: a bird with a perfect understanding of the human language and the memories of a past king—if that weren't weird, what was?
But all in all, life as a chocobo wasn't so bad; it was amazing actually. He was free, he was allowed to have a simple mind, and no one had any expectations of him.
But there was one problem...
"Oh, I know! You must be starved. Let's find somethin' to fill your little belly!" Prompto said, as his gaze swept over the ranch. "Ah, over there!"
Yep, just one tiny problem: the food.
Prompto took a lettuce leaf out of one of the feed baskets. "C'mere, buddy. Doesn't this look sooo good? Yum! Nice, delicious greeens."
Noctis couldn't help the disgusted "kweeeh!" escaping him. Greens. Eek.
"Say Ahh."
"Don't you dare get that gross stuff near me," Noctis objected, furiously flapping his wings around to make it clear that he wouldn't eat goddamn leaves of all things!
After some more flaps and cursing, the message seemed to finally dawn on Prompto. "Wait, you don't like it? That's weird. Never heard of a chocobo that doesn't like greens."
Well, he would be the first reasonable chocobo, then.
Prompto hummed. "I've got some fries left from the Crow's Nest, but…"
Fries? Goddamn, he'd been deprived of anything greasy for what felt like two whole lifetimes!
Not wanting to lose this precious chance, he gave the lettuce leaf one last vengeful kick and went in search of the fries, snuffling about. It brought him to Prompto's bag. He could smell the grease through the leather. Determined, he started pecking at it with his beak, at first only weakly, but when he noticed that the damn bag wouldn't open, his assault became more violent.
"Wh-whoa! Calm down there, buddy!" Prompto cried out. "I'll give you my fries, all right?!"
Noctis stopped his attack. He gave Prompto a smug look. Mission accomplished.
The fries were placed in front of him and Noctis didn't wait long before he dug in. Gods, it was delicious.
"I can't believe this chocobo eats fries but no greens," Prompto muttered, watching Noctis eating his fill.
Once the fries were all gone and Noctis's tummy was sated, Prompto petted his head, a fond smile on his face despite this unforeseen development. "You're a weird bird, but the cutest thing ever, y'know."
Noctis hoped that meant Prompto would take him in. He couldn't get rid of him at this point anyway. Noctis would follow him wherever he planned to go whether he liked it or not.
"Well," Prompto said at last, standing up and wiping off the dirt on his pant legs, "I came here for a reason. Will ya come along while I help with rebuilding? We want this place to look just like back in the days, before you were born, y'know?"
Noctis squeaked in excitement. Yes, he wanted to help with rebuilding his country. He wanted to help his people and all other people of Eos. That was another reason he'd returned to Lucis.
"Aw, such a good boy."
Prompto started walking towards the race track. Noctis waddled behind.
Unsurprisingly, the place was in shambles. Of course, Noctis knew this having lived here for some time already. But what put a damper on his mood was the miserable look on Prompto's face.
"It's no good. Look at all the toppled trees," said Prompto, as he looked over the former track, now hardly recognizable. Noctis was aware that Wiz and the other locals put most of their efforts into rebuilding the ranch for now. There had been no time to clear up the race track yet. "This was a happy place once," Prompto continued, his voice taking on a wistful tone. "People came here to spend fun times and not think 'bout how messed up the world was. I hope…it'll become like this again."
Noctis understood what Prompto meant. He remembered all the times they'd raced against each other here. Prompto had always looked so happy when they came to visit the post. He wanted to return a smile to Prompto's face, to see him as happy as he'd been back then, without those bags beneath his eyes and that sad downturn of his lips.
This thought fueled his determination. He would return this place to its former glory.
Noctis strode toward a fallen branch and picked it up with his beak. It was by no means easy, but he was a stubborn man—bird now. He carried the branch to the pile of wood people had striven to stack but was still pathetically small.
He heard Prompto's breath hitch behind him. "Oh, Nox." When Noctis looked back at him, his best friend was furiously scrubbing his eyes and nose on his sleeve. "You're the sweetest chocobo," Prompto said, and kneeled down to look him in the eyes. "You're right. We gotta get to work, and this place'll look nice and pretty in no time."
Noctis kwehed in agreement.
Prompto stood and started picking up branches and pieces of wood, now with a determined look on his face. They continued clearing the area together, Prompto's praise and adoration motivating him to work until his feet could barely carry him anymore.
After a hard day's work, they returned to the ranch. "'t was a nice day, huh?" Prompto said, as they passed the parking lot. The soothing smell of his chocobo brothers and sisters greeted them. "Time flies when you're bein' productive and havin' fun!"
"Hell yeah," Noctis kwehed. He had loved every second of it.
They spotted Wiz who stood at his favorite spot over in the dining area and waved at them.
"Well, look at that," he said, observing how Noctis trotted along Prompto and didn't make any move to run. "Can't believe this unruly chick got all tame this quick. So what d'ya say? Wanna keep him?"
Noctis's little chocobo heart started beating wildly. Don't you dare say no, Prompto.
With a big grin on his face, Prompto said, "What kinda question is that? Of course! We've become the bestest of friends today, right buddy?"
The relief that filled him was almost overwhelming. He couldn't help but lunge at Prompto, giving him the best feathered hug he could manage.
Prompto yelped but held onto Noctis, falling into laughter at Noctis's fierce hug. "You really are a rowdy one!"
At least Prompto's smile looked real now.
"Well this is touchin'," said Wiz. "I can see a great bond formin' between ya'll. You're family now."
They'd always been. At least Noctis believed so.
The tightening of Prompto's arms around him gave him enough reassurance. They would become family again; he'd make sure of it.
Prompto said, a smile still on his face, "C'mon Nox, let's eat something real quick and then catch some zzz's."
Wiz brought Prompto some bread with soup, which wasn't as greasy as Noctis hoped but still better than those "fresh, yummy veggies" Wiz gave Noctis to eat—not that Noctis ate even one of those.
Prompto, you really are the best friend ever, thought Noctis, watching him force down carrot after carrot in Noctis's stead.
Once the last carrot disappeared into Prompto's throat, they finally called it a night.
"Night, you veggie freak," kwehed Noctis to Wiz in parting. "And just so you know. You smell of chocobo poop." Yes, he was feeling just slightly petty after being locked away in that barn for a chocobo eternity.
Prompto too said goodbye to Wiz and carried Noctis to the trailer, never letting go of him. Noctis noticed these hugs were becoming addictive. Was it some chocobo instinct to crave hugs? Whatever the case, he really hoped they would be part of his daily routine now.
He also was getting quite drowsy. Today had been exciting and tiring.
"Aww, look at you, sleepy li'l thing." Prompto stroked his head and grinned. "No surprise, though. You worked so hard today, attaboy!"
They entered the caravan and Prompto carefully placed him down on the bed, right on top of his pillow. He didn't seem to care that Noctis was filthy. "Go ahead and take a nap, buddy, I'm gonna get ready for bed real quick."
Unable to hold his eyes open any longer, Noctis dozed off, but never fully succumbed to sleep. He wanted to wait up for Prompto.
Thankfully, Prompto didn't take long. He turned off the light and snuggled in behind Noctis.
"Today was fun, wasn't it," came Prompto's voice, breaking the silence of the trailer. They were cheerful words, but to Noctis's ears they didn't sound as if Prompto meant them.
Noctis wiggled around so he could see his best friend's face. Being this close he could see the wetness of his eyes in the darkness. "Y'know," Prompto continued, "I miss him sometimes." Then a hollow laugh left his throat. "All the time, actually."
Noctis snuggled in closer. That was all he could do.
Prompto gripped onto Noctis like a lifeline. "G'night, Nox," he mumbled after a long while.
"Goodnight, Prompto," Noctis replied.
Things weren't perfect. But Noctis was content for now. He had finally reunited with his best friend; he even had a name now. Soon he'd see his other friends and help them rebuild Eos. And he would do everything in his power to put a smile on everyone's faces.
A/N: Thanks for reading!
I've been filling this prompt on the kinkeme and finally came around to edit the first part. This story will have four chapters in total, so there's more to come soon! I usually write very angsty stuff, so this was quite a pleasant break, so to speak. :') I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!
A big thank you to Ciardha Fiachra, Poshu and blueandie for beta reading and contributing ideas!
