Author's Note: Ahaha. Ha.

Summary: Chocobo catching ain't easy. It's even worse when you're forced into it. It probably doesn't help that a pint-sized con artist is taking advantage of the whole thing.

Rating: T

She Was Laughing
By: Mazzie May

She was laughing. Loudly. Not that 'ha ha' funny laugh, either. It was that 'you're kidding' laugh. Cloud looked back over the fence, cheeks pink-tinted, embarrassed, trying to think of an excuse to tell the polite elderly farmer who was explaining the point of the ranch. Tifa and Barret were cooling in the barn and RedXIII was sleeping under a tree.

It'd been a four and half day hike from Kalm to this ranch, and the sun had starting getting to her early the second day. Cloud had his training on his side, so he managed to only become tired from the trek. Barret had complained, but his want to lead the group out weighed his want to rest. Tifa looked pretty flushed the whole way, but she was a martial artist and told him the first night as long as she concentrated on relaxing her muscles and stretched at night and before they got going again, she'd be alright. RedXIII didn't appear to be phased at all.

Aeris, though… It became very obvious very quickly that Aeris was not made for such rough conditions. She tried to be as compliant as possible, complained little in the beginning. She lasted all of four hours. Cloud couldn't really blame her; she wasn't dressed for traveling, nor had any of them expected it to quite take so long. Next to Cloud, she had the heaviest weapon. At least he was able to secure his sword to his back, Aeris had to carry her rod in her hand, before using it as a walking stick and, eventually, a crutch.

Her braid was messy and her bangs tangled. Her face was red from heavy breathing and the sun. She was dirty, so were her clothes and her body twitched and tweaked due to her strained muscles. What worried Cloud the most was the far away, glassy look in her eyes.

Heat provoked delirium was not fun, and Cloud really didn't know how he was going to handle her. Her eyes were big, showing too much white and her loud laugh had settled into a crazed titter. She was leaning over the fence, poking the chocobos.

"Wark!" The large yellow bird blinked at her, turning its head so its eye was right even with hers. "Wark!" it cooed again.

She pressed her palms against the wood and Cloud grimaced, watching stray, thick, long slivers enter her hands. She didn't seem to notice as she pushed harder, forcing herself forward, bringing her and the large bird even closer.

"Wwhaaaaarrhk…." She whispered loudly back.

Suddenly, it jumped backwards, and all of the chocobo began to move with synchronized movement; their wings spreading up and wide as they stamped their feet, swinging their necks about in a counter clockwise circle. Cloud caught the image of something red, before hysterical laughter brought him back. She threw her arms up and out, imitating the large birds. The sudden movement sent her backwards.

"I… have to…. Just… one minute…" he said to the old man, rushing to the fence. His quick sprint got him there in time, and she fell heavily into his arms, against him. Cloud could feel the fever through her clothes and his gloves.

The old farmer appeared behind him. Cloud continued looking down at her worriedly, but asked, "Is there any way I could get her out of the sun?"

"Oh, why, yes! Please, let's get her inside!" The farmer began walking towards the house, calling "Cloe! Cloe, come here, dear!" Cloud noticed a small girl in a dress appear from the barn, but he paid her little attention.

Dropping low and placing an arm at her knees, he hoisted Aeris up into his arms, bridle style. She let out a weak "Whoa!" before falling completely limp. She passed out! was the first thing that to came to mind, and he briskly made his way to the tiny farm house.

xXx

Some girl—Cloe, maybe?—laid a wet washcloth over Aeris' forehead. Tifa was in the doorway, pushing her hair back behind her shoulder before placing one hand on the doorframe, the other nervously touching her lip. She shifted her worried gaze from their collapsed comrade to Cloud.

He gave a very fake, weak, reassuring smile. She nodded, knowing he didn't feel a bit of it and turned back to Aeris.

Cloud was doing his best not to look in there. Seeing her like that was depressing. He tried to listen to the elderly man.

"I'm afraid there's little other option." He ran a plump hand over his balding head. "It's hard to get across the marshes without a chocobo."

Cloud brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was getting more complicated by the moment. "Could we borrow your choco…bos?" he trailed off, watching the old man shake his head slowly.

"I'm sorry, young sir, but those all belong to another client." Cloud was not quick enough to hide his irritation. The elderly man looked a little worried. "Really, there's nothing I can do—" Cloud held up his hand, lazily waving it, quieting the man.

"I get it, I get it." Well. Shit. They were just going to have to risk the run across the marshes. But Aeris… Man, how were they going to do this. Maybe RedXIII could carry her? Cloud sighed, wanting to turn away from the apologetic man, but afraid to look at Aeris.

"Well…" Cloud turned to Tifa. "There's a boy in the barn," she said. She'd moved in front of the door, completely blocking Cloud's view. He smiled his thanks.

"Oh, you mean Billy!" The old man chimed in. "He's my grandson…" The aged farmer seemed to be forming an idea. "I'm a little too far along in my years to keep the math straight in the business. Billy does a lot of that for me. I'm sure he'll be able to work out some kind of deal with you. Tell him that I said to help you out."

Cloud looked at the withered farmer, who smiled and seemed pleased himself, wondering just how reliable someone with the name "Billy" was going to be. Regardless, he shook hands with the helpful only man, and let Cloe lead him by hand to the barn, leaving Tifa in charge of Aeris.

xXx

It took all of five seconds to realize this Billy was just as bad as the kid in sector five. He held his head too high, smiled a little too tightly and made a very sad attempt to look Cloud up and down, as if a conman was eyeing a sucker. He reminded Cloud of Rufus.

"So, Gramps said to strike a deal with ya, huh?" the little boys said quickly, with a bad impersonation of a city salesmen. "I think I can work something out with ya."

Oh, good, Cloud thought, smiling just as tightly at the boy. "Is there any way we could rent one or two of those chocobos?"

The way Cloud figured it, he could be on one chocobo, carrying Aeris and Barret and Tifa on another. In the 'Midgar Zolem' was that bad of news, the battle plan would be to have him ride through with Aeris and get her across first, RedXIII keeping up with them as a form of defense. As talented as Cloud was, he'd be useless in the marshes. Tifa would pilot the second chocobo, Barret firing to keep the Zolem away. It was a good, solid plan.

The kid seemed to be calculating something similar. "Well, ya could, ya could…" Cloud looked down at the boy, feeling a "but" coming on. "But…" Yeah, thought so. "There's no guarantee the chocobos won't get hurt in the process. And seeing as how they aren't ours, it would be a bad business decision on our part." Cloud felt a second "but". "But…" I should get paid for reading people. "Since Gramps wants me to help out and I like ya so much, I'll make you business proposition."

A proposition? Are you kidding? Cloud wanted to laugh. This Billy couldn't have been more than ten and he wanted to make a deal. He had some gull, Cloud'll give him that. "What kind of… "proposition"?" Cloud couldn't resist making the little 'bunny' quotes, and smirking down at the boy.

The child glared up at him. "Well, to catch a chocobo, ya gots to have the right equipment." He walked over the wall where several miscellaneous items were mounted. "Ya need your Choco Lure—" he pointed to a purple Materia. "Your Choco Whistle—" a polished brass whistle, which looked suspiciously like a dog whistle to Cloud. "Your Choco Sonar—"

"How much is this all costing?" Cloud interrupted. The boy turned to him, looking smug.

"Well, I can give ya all of that plus the greens for special low, low price of fifteen-thousand Gil."

"What the hell! No way!" Barret roared from the other end of the barn, running to where the two stood. Cloud held up his hand to silence him, grinding his own teeth to keep from hollering. "Why do we hafta catch 'em!" Barret's nostrils were flaring and Cloud stepped up and around, placing a hand on the large angry man's chest, holding him back a bit.

"And why are they that much?" Cloud asked through gritted teeth.

The boy continued looking smug. "Well, there's five thousand a piece, ya know."

For a brief moment, Cloud considered letting Barret pummel the kid. Before he could move his hand, though, Cloe popped up.

"Just get the lure," she said matter-of-factly. They all looked over at her. "The sonar helps you find the tracks, which you could do on your own and the whistle and lure basically do the same thing."

"CLOE!" Billy looked horrified. Barret's breathing began to even out and Cloud smiled at the girl.

"Thank you, Cloe."

"Your welcome!" With that, she turned away and went back to where she and Barret had been before.

"One Lure." Cloud said, mirroring the smug expression Billy had been wearing earlier. "Please"

Billy glared up at him. "Sure…" He pulled the purple Materia from his pocket and tossed at Cloud. "It matches your outfit," he sneered. Cloud quite spinning the Materia on the tip of his finger. "Before ya go, though… You're gonna have to buy greens."

Cloud looked over at Cloe who didn't raise any protest. "How…" he turned back to Billy. "What kind of greens?"

"Oh, we have several to choose from." Billy's expression lifted and Cloud's faltered. "Why don't ya look at our selection…"

xXx

Cloud couldn't fight the disbelief he knew was on his face as he held the list of greens in one hand, the other in his hair. This was outrageous. One thousand, five hundred Gil for one green… Good God.

Billy wore a very mean smile. Cloud glared down at the midget con artist, gripping the paper with the prices on it so hard it began to rip. Billy began to grin.

"Green's are necessary." That's all he said every time Cloud glared over at him. "We take cash and debit. No checks, though."

"Bastard con artist…" Cloud muttered, pulling his wallet from his back pocket, sliding out his debit card from behind the fake ID Jessie had given him. "Get three of those… Gysahl Greens."

xXx

Five hours and thirty-six Gysahl Greens later, Cloud, Tifa and Barret wearily trudged up the hill, two chocobo in tow. Barret looked more defeated than enraged, knowing that a lot of the money that went for the greens came out of Marlene's schooling. Tifa was very sun burnt, and constantly winced and hissed as her heavy hair brushed against the tender skin.

Cloud was just pissed. He lost all patience for everything, what with watching the little jerk-off steal all their money and Barret's outburst. Cloud glared harder into the air in front of him. About four hours in, Barret had completely tossed out all reason and began taking aim at the bitchy birds. The two they'd already captured quickly ran away despite Tifa's best efforts to restrain them, nor was she able to get them back, even after chasing after them to the point where she was out of sight. Cloud hadn't really been paying attention to her, seeing as how he was too busy trying to calm Barret down. But he was no physical match for the larger and frustrated man, and ended up backing away and tazering him—casting a weak Bolt spell.

The intense static continued to keep his hair frizzed.

Aeris was out of the bed and the house, crouched in front of the chocobo fence where she'd been before. "Oh no…" Cloud breathed, forcefully handing the ropes (which Billy had also insisted they needed) to Tifa, before taking large strides down the hill, and breaking into a small run when he reached the bottom.

She turned to him when he stepped into her sunlight. "Hey, Cloud, look…" She half turned, holding up what looked to be a red Materia. He took it from her. "What is it?"

Cloud turned it a little. "Summon Materia," he said, holding it up to the sun, closing one eye and looking at. "Learned about them in SOLDIER training… never seen one, though…"

She was squinting up at him. "Mmm," was her only reply. He shrugged handing it back to her.

"You're the magic genius. You use it."

"You trust me with something this strong?" she asked taking the large orb and popping open her Iron Bangles. She looked back up at him, still squinting a little as she took out what Materia she had equipped.

He smiled, blushing a little. "You seemed to be doing better."

"I am." She looked back down, rearranging the powerful marbles. The stayed like that a moment, the white light of the sun being broken by the crystallized Mako, making colours dance around their feet and on the grass.

When she closed her bangles, two Materia were left. She held up her hand. "These can go in my weapon. Help me up?" He took her hand. Even after he tugged her to standing and they started for the house, he didn't let go.

xXx

"And that's how we're gonna cross," Cloud finished up. It was basically the same plan they had before, only now that Aeris was recovered, she'd be able to cast some magic to keep the Zolom at bay. Everyone was fine with the plan, though Aeris looked uncomfortable.

After the little meeting, everyone separated; Tifa grateful accepted the lotion Cloe suggest she use, as Barret made his way into the barn in an attempt (more likely violent) to get back some of their money. Red XIII remained settled in the doorway. Aeris had ventured back into the bedroom and Cloud followed.

"Something wrong?" he asked as she laid across the far bed, reaching for her staff.

"Nngh…" was the sound she made, coming back into a sitting position. "No, it's just…"

He took a seat on the middle bed. "It's just?"

She looked like she was trying to find a way to word something before letting her shoulders dropped and looked exasperated. "I don't want to ride a giant chicken."

He blinked at her bluntness. "Well…. You're going to."

"Yeah, I know." She blew a bang away from her face.

He felt a humorless smile. "You do not know what we went through for those things, Lady." She looked over at him. "You are getting on one of 'em."

She sighed. "How do you know it's safe?"

He shrugged with a scoff. "As if it matters at this point. Besides that, though. You'll be fine. I'll take care of you. It's my job as your bodyguard, right?" He flicked his hair. "I'll keep you safe."

She mirrored his humorless smile. "Just like you'd keep me safe from the Turks?"

His face fell and he glared slightly at her. "You know…"

"I understand, I understand," she laughed waving him off. "To the chocobos!" She stood and began walking out.

"Damn right" he muttered, following her.

xXx

Just before the marshes, Red XIII sitting in front of their ride. Tifa was on the lighter yellow bird, looking very shiny, near oily due to the lotion. Barret sat behind her, with his game face on. He'd quit pouting about not getting any money back during the first of several failed attempts to get on the bird.

Cloud held the rope that the old man had been kind enough to let them keep (despite Billy's protests that they'd only been renting them), Aeris tucked nicely in front of him. He scanned the white gunk, and caught sight of a long shadow.

Are we ready for this?

He looked back at the group and found them all looking at him. Determined

As ready as we're gonna be…

Cloud raised his right arm, and Red XIII stood, keeping low to the ground. "Remember," Cloud said a little loudly to be heard over the wind. "We follow Red. No matter what."

Everyone nodded. Tifa gripped the rope tightly, Barret checked his arm one more time and Aeris braced against him. She laughed a little.

Cloud shot his arm forward.

Author's Note: There's Cleris in this. But you gotta squint. So, if you like that pairing, squint. If you don't like that pairing, well maintain normal vision. I enjoy writing things that are funny, but not silly. I hope I managed that.

R&R Please.