to find one. The one is based on the chocobo in FF9, and is told from the chocobo's point of view.
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Another Chocobo's Tale
By: Ninn
I am a chocobo. You know, one of those yellow feathery birds that people ride? Well, that's me.
But I'm not a happy chocobo. No - my owner mistreats me, and I can't escape. I don't even have
a name.
But that's not the worst of it, I was never given a stable to live in. I have to be out in the extreme
temperatures, and we live in a really bad area. And if the temperatures weren't enough, he won't
take me in when it rains or snows, so I end up soaking wet (and wet feathers are not a nice thing
at all) or freezing my tail off.
But I could live with that, maybe, if he saw fit to feed me. I'm starving and he ignores my cries of
"kweh", or he'll beat me when I make any noise.
If I was fed, it wouldn't matter that he likes to ride me. After all, that's what I'm for, transportation
and companionship. But I can barely carry him. It's not that he's a big guy or anything, I just don't
have enough strength. He rides me almost every day, and each day I get slower and slower. He
should just walk, it'd be quicker, and I could rest. That will never happen though.
I have to escape - I just have to. Maybe in the wild I'll be able to get some food and shelter. Or
maybe even a new owner....
But now he's calling me over to go somewhere, and I have to go. I don't want to get beat again,
but I probably will anyway.
I can see him running toward me, and take a flying leap onto my back. I can't help it and squwak.
Becuase of that, he hits my head hard, then tells me to walk.
I do what he says and begin to walk as fast as I can, planning an escape in my head. I know that
I'll only have one chance, and I plan on using it.
I'm thinking so hard that I nearly pass where he wanted me to go - a store of some sorts, I don't
really know, I can't read human letters, but I always have to carry much more back when he
makes me come here.
He jumps off my back and doesn't bother to do anything to make sure I'll stay put, after all, I
always have. But not today. I know from past experiences that he'll be in there for a long time, so
I'll have plenty of time to get away, and without his weight, I can probably run faster that he can.
Or at least I hope I can.
But I can't think about that now, and I take off running.
It doesn't cross my mind that I don't know how to live in the wild, or that I have no idea where I am and
where I want to go. I just run blindly.
I don't know how long I had been running for, but when I finally stopped, it was getting dark, and I
couldn't see anyone behind me.
Then I realized how tired I was, and I lay down on the ground, which was softer than the ground that
I was used to sleeping on.
After a few hours, I found that I was unable to sleep, and climbed back to my feet to continue. This
time I was just going to walk though. And walk I did. I walked until daybreak, and I did fall asleep
then.
When I woke it was midday, maybe - there were clouds hiding the sun, and it looked like it was
going to rain.
I didn't want to be stuck in the rain, so I looked for anything that might provide shelter, and finally
spotted a small patch of woods across a bridge from me.
I made it there quickly, and before the rain.
Inside the woods it was clear. It was warmer here too, and I could tell that there was a bunch of
stuff buried under the ground. I didn't dig it up, though, I didn't know if it belonged to anyone, and
I didn't want to get beat again.
Ignoring everything, I lay down near a small rise in the ground and was just about to fall asleep when
the trees by me parted, revealing a small white creature. A moogle. I didn't move, besides the fact
that I was too tired to, it didn't strike me as dangerous.
"Kupo?" I heard it say, as it approached me.
I looked up at it and made my eyes really big. I could use a little pity.
"What are you doing here, kupo?"
I blinked and looked sad.
"Are you lost, kupo?"
I shook my head, might as well make my answers as clear as possible.
The moogle scratched his head, "Did you run away from someone?"
I nodded the best I could.
"Were you mistreated, kupo?"
Again, I attempted to nod.
"Kupo......... Do you have a name?"
I shook my head.
"I'll name you, kupo. Do you like Choco?"
I nodded and made a happy sounding noise. I finally had a name!
"Good. You can stay here, kupo. We'll be friends."
I managed to stand and pecked at the ground. Maybe the moogle didn't know about the stuff
hidden under the ground. A few moments later I recovered an item of sorts.
The moogle looked suprized then took it from my beak.
"Is there anything else here, kupo?"
I nodded, then sat back down. I didn't want to dig it up now, I was too tired to do it now.
The moogle didn't make me, and I finally fell asleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke, the moogle wasn't there. I stood and was about to
go and look for him when he returned, carrying food.
He set it in front of me and told me to eat, so I did. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was good.
I ate slowly, trying to make it last, but I was full pretty quickly, and to thank the moogle I went and
dug something else out of the ground. I think it was money.
The moogle seemed pleased, and gave me some greens, which smelled to good not too eat, so I
did, even though for the first time, I didn't feel I needed it.
I then decided to look around, and was facing the back of the clearing when the trees parted again.
I could smell a human, and I tried to hide, but I could also smell other creatures, and I know that
my old owner didn't know any nonhumans.
Now I was curious, and I wandered over to them. The person in front reached out to pet me, and
then turned to the moogle. When he turned, I could see he had a tail. Would he be taking me with
him?
Apparantley so, because the moogle was telling him to take care of me, and he was selling plenty of
those good greens to the tailed man.
"Kupo. Good-bye Choco."
I looked up at the moogle and saw him waving to me, and I could see the tailed person and his
companions walk over to me, so I lowered my head and allowed them to climb on.
And as I walked out of the small clearing, I knew that my life as a chocobo would be much happier
from now on.
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Yeah, so this one was shorter than the other three. But I also like this one alot, how many chocobo
stories are there, let alone ones told from the chocobo's point of view?
This is also my first FF9 fic!
And a note on my other story, The Other Side of the Mirror, I don't know when I'll have the next part
up, I can't think of what I want to do now, and keep it romance free.