Into the Realm of Fantasy
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Final Fantasy Okay?
Valencia: Please don't laugh at my Bad Luck of being a Chocobo…
Clyde: And you're now an Unexpected Chocobo Mom…
Cindy and Bunny: -Rolling on the floor laughing- You're a Chocobo Queen!
Valencia: -Sulk and Angst- …
Zel: -Pats my back in sympathy- Please Red and Review would be nice…
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CHAPTER 1: NEW WORLD
"My First Adventure, WHAT!? I'm an Unexpected CHOCOBO MOM!?"
It was dark…why is it so dark? The three of us were floating somewhere in the void, hands were still intertwined with each other, our eyes were close like those were sleeping in peace, facing each other, smiles were on our lips and curled to each other.
'My Dear Warriors, listen to my call.'
Who was that?
Light flooded in the Darkness embracing us with its warmth.
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You opened your eyes and blinked few times to see clearer all you could see were a huge Black, Red and Silver Feathery Fluff and you can hear Zel groaning something Feathery and heard some confused questions like.
"Where the F #*ng Sh8t are we?!" You knew who said that…it was Cindy since she's more of a potty mouth for a Girl.
"What are we wearing?" That was Bunny…
"Is everyone alright?" That was Dorm Mistress Sephora who asked the question.
"Where's Professor Honey, Mr. Julian, Ms. Heidi and Mr. Violet?" Ms. Angela asked.
"Maybe they got separated from us!" Ms. Geneva called out.
"Where are Ms. Ferris, Ms. Strike and Ms. Valiant?" Ruffie called out.
You sat up from the feathery bed (Which was me) and looked around.
"I'm here!" You called out answering Ruffie's call.
"Me too!" Zell added spitting out some feathers which she received raised brows.
"Are you that hungry that you would eat bird's feathers?" Tier asked curiously.
"No!" Zel cried out.
"Where's Valencia anyway? I hadn't seen her since we woke up."
"I'm here!" I called out but it turns out that the only words came out of my mouth is "WARK WARK!"
Everyone turned to my side and looked at the Giant Ball of Feathers, I sat up and looked at…or rather looked down on everyone.
"Why is everyone is a little short?" I asked and again the sound came out of my mouth is: "Wark wark wark wark wark wark wark wark?"
Soon Cindy and Bunny are rolling on the floor laughing, the others Jaw dropped, and Ms. Angela, Ms. Geneva and Ms. Sephora paled.
'What?' "Wark?" I asked.
"Uhh…Val? Is that you?" Zel asked rather unsure.
'Of Course it's me you idiot!' "Wark Wark Wark Wark Wark Wark!" I answered, then I froze…wait…what's going on? Why can't I say the words I want to say aside from Warking?
Then I froze again…did I just thought Warking? I turned to you, you shook your head and took my arm…or rather my Feathered arm or Wing and pulled me to a nearby mirror that was oddly in the wall of a throne room like chamber. You pointed the reflection and I look, but as soon as I look at the mirror I nearly fainted, there in the Mirror standing a Black and Red Feathered Taller than Normal Chocobo with Silver Streaks in the tip, Golden 8 inched long talon legs, 25 wingspan of wings, 5 feet length of feathery tail and a spiky crests, Sharp red eyes with slit pupils and a razor sharp beak.
And I let out a loud:
"KWEH! KWEEEEEHHH!" 'OH! NOOOOOO!'
My screech was equaled by Cindy's and Bunny's howl of laughter.
"Val is a Chocobo! Val is a Chocobo! Oh this is so rich!" Bunny howled with laughter as she clutches her side.
"Miss Vampire is a Chocobo!" Cindy doubled over.
Okay, that's it! I turned around sharply and leering at the two laughing hyenas.
"Val…" You warned.
But I ignored it and let out an indignant:
"KWA KWAAAA!" 'TO DEAATH!' and charged at the duo.
Noticing me coming Cindy and Bunny stood up immediately and ran like hell…screaming…well, screaming long strings of profanities in Cindy's case. With speed bore from being a Chocobo I managed to catch up to them and gave them a hard head-butt on the head.
"OW!" Bunny whined as she touched the lump on her head.
"OW! BLOODY HELL OW!" Cindy cried out.
I walked up to your side again and looked at my reflection. There is something odd, if I am a Chocobo, I shouldn't be this tall right? But then a ghostly figure of a woman appeared before us.
"Welcome to the World Warriors." She said. "My Name is Gaia."
At first no one believed but all of us thought otherwise as we ask questions.
"All of you are here, because I revived you back here in the Planet that bore my name. as for why I summoned you all here, for great danger is looming in this planet, old enemies are coming back intending to destroy me, so forth I seek help to you." Gaia said softly.
"W-Wait…what about your previous warrior?" Zel asked in confusion.
"Like I said Great Danger is looming in this planet and they will need your assistance…will you lend them help?" Gaia asked pleadingly.
"Th-then what are we going to do here?" Ms. Sephora asked as she tried to understand as always.
"You shall build your own empire here…your new home, plan your strategies and wait for the time to come as your three friends will go and find my other Heroes." Gaia said.
"Well…one of our friend is a Chocobo here…how is she going to fight or talk?" Zel pointed me as I look impassively at the Woman.
Gaia chuckled…
"Your friend had a different task, young one. And oh she's not just any Chocobo, she's a Hybrid Chocobo crossed between a Phoenix and a Chocobo, when she finds true love then she'll turn back to normal and as for means of communication, You Clyde Strike and Zel Ferris had a strong bond with your friend Valencia all you have to do is to understand your friend even if she's in a different body that is your first test others will come soon…" she smiled and turned to Sephora. "Since you are the eldest on your adult group you will lead them along with your companion, built your new home and live as you will. I shall visit you again Warriors."
"Wait! How are we going to find these Warriors of yours?" Clyde asked.
Gaia giggled and pointed at me…
"Your friend already knew…" She said and vanished.
You and Zel turned to me.
"Do you know where they are now?" You asked.
I nodded.
"Who are we going to look first?" Zel asked.
"Who else would be the leader of this Gaia's Heroes?" You sighed.
"Yeah…that would be Cloud Strife." Zel grinned.
"And if we set Val to find him…how are we going to find Val?" You asked as you ran a hand on my crest scratching the itchy area, I purred lightly.
Raid walked up with some sort of a device and held it up, it turns out to be a golden bracelet with a tracking device.
"This would help." She said as she fastens the thick bracelet on my Right leg and she handed over the phone to Zel and in the monitor there is a Blinking Red dot not far from them. It showed a map too.
Raid explained everything to both Zel and You, as Ms. Sephora found some armories for me, while you and Zel are busy learning the New Techs from Raid, I allowed Ms. Sephora to arm me, she put the saddle like armor on my broad body careful not to break my wings, leg armors and some on the edge of my wings and then a winged helmet that had horns that was curved up then curved to the front one horn on each side of the head in between the Horns is an Elemental Materia that has the power over Elements.
"Now you must be careful, I hate to let you go on your own to find the Heroes, I would've come but I had a lot of work to do here. Zel and Clyde will follow you once you found one of the Heroes." Ms. Sephora said ruffling my feathers.
I nodded at her gentle words and leaned on her touch. I know where I'm going so I'm going off first and will head on my way.
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A few more hours later I was standing at the open gate of the Citadel, You and Zel are on my side.
"You'll be looking for them for a very long time, will you be okay to go on your own?" You asked.
'Yes…' "Wark…" I warked and nodded…
"Be careful out there okay many predators prey on Chocobos." Zel said with a hint of teasing.
'Harrumph!' "*Snort*" I harrumphed and stomped my clawed foot.
Ms. Angel and Ms. Sephora put a bag full of Food (Human Food) that looks like Juicy Red Apples and other fruits and Herbal medicines if highly needed, she tied it in the left side of the armor for an easy access.
"Be careful and have a safe journey out there, Miss Valiant." She said and gave me a peck on my beak for good luck.
"Live up your Last Name, Miss Valiant…Stay Safe." Ms. Angel said with a smile.
With an encouraging boost for my journey…I gave an encouraging:
"WARK!" 'Yes!' And I flapped my wings.
As the Gate was open and my way is clear, Cindy gave a loud:
"GO!"
And I ran off the Citadel to the distant in a mere minute. Back at the Citadel.
"Alright! While Miss Valiant is out there in search for the Heroes, we should go to work. Ruffie, you and your Group teach Miss Strike and Miss Ferris, while the others help out restore this Citadel to once what it was." Ms. Sephora ordered and her commanding voice is not something to question.
"I'll take the Left Side of the Citadel with Ms. Cindy Silverwind, Mr. Aries Gainsheart, Everheart, and Ms. Bunny Grace." Angel called out her group.
"Then I'll take the Right Side of the Citadel with Ms. Black XIII Raigeki, Mr. Yuhi Kirihara, Mr. Mark Grace, and Ms. Runa Torino." Geneva called out her own group.
"Then Me, Kathy, Liz and Yunice will take the Northern Part of the Citadel." Ms. Sephora said calling her Little Sisters.
"Then I'll take Keno, Eric and Daniela with me in the Southern Part of the Citadel." Mr. Lucius called out.
All of them made their own way and start working and found some Restoration Materias on their designated areas and used it to make their own work easy, While Raid and Shen are working on a Vehicle for Zel and You to ride on once it was done, while Ruffie is giving You and Zel a lesson about the New Technologies she invented.
"That Darn Chocobo Val is a one lucky Chocobo…" Zel whined.
"Instead of whining you should listen so you'll know how to operate machines." You huffed and continued listening to Ruffie's Monologue Lesson despite being bored and worried for me.
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As you and the others are busy, I was busy running with a cry:
'WHAT THE HEEELLL!' "WARK WARK WAAARRK!" I Cried as I ran like Hell as Wild Midgar Wolves are hot on my Feathery Behind (Ass).
I wasn't even a 500 Meters away From Gaia's Citadel I was being chased relentlessly by these Mangy Mutts, what a Horrible day to set out on a journey alone for the First Time. Gaia must be laughing her round ass up there by now. But being a Chocobo and a Fast Tracking Field Runner I managed to out run them as I cawed:
'Eat my dust, Suckas! (Suckers!)' "Wark Wark Wark, Wark Wark!" I squawked and ran even faster shaking my birdy head as I realized that I used Bunny's Profanity.
The scene would've made into a Road Runner Show, though the Road Runner was a Giant Armored Hybrid Chocobo and the Willy Coyote are the Wild Midgar Wolves. The Bastards are very persistent! I continued running without getting tired at all and got into a Forest.
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Back at Gaia's Citadel You and Zel are having a break in the now restored Garden.
"Do you think Val is alright out there?" You asked.
"Val is a Fast runner, she could outrun everything. She's fast enough as a Tracking Field Runner, it doubles now that she's a Chocobo and besides You, Me and Her are studying Martial Arts and Kung Fu too, right?" Zel said.
"Yeah…she would be fine." You said looking up in the sky.
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Night Time, I managed to reach Midgar Swamps and found a Grove to rest on, I managed to light a fire to keep more warmth. An Hour passed by when he heard squawking in a distance, I managed to outrun the Blasted Mutts and now there is another disturbance, seeing that this disturbance won't stop soon I stood up from my camp and come out to check what's all the hubbub.
I had no idea why the allemagnes had seen fit to attack me as well as the chocobos they had obviously been hunting, but I did know it was a very bad idea.
Really. Had they just stuck with the chocobos, I wouldn't have had to waste my energy.
They had made short work of the chocobos, but the allemagnes had the sense enough to fly away when I had started shooting fires, one escaping with a fairly large piece of chocobo in its mouth. It was odd, though-normally, chocobos could pretty much outrun anything, even in the forest. Especially in the forest, come to think of it. And allemagnes weren't really that smart-while they would attack in groups as well as singly, they weren't exactly packed hunters, to plan a hunt.
It was quite odd, but not really my concern. I turned around to go back in my camp and heard a strange little "Peeeeeeeeeep!" sound behind me. I turned, and realized quickly why the three chocobos hadn't run away-they had been defending their nest. The allemagnes had lucked out, coming across two chocobos and three hatching eggs. While the babies had been struggling out of its egg, its parents had been fighting off the allemagnes, unable to run away.
The chocobos-still wet from hatching so that its down was plastered to its body, making its colouring indistinct as anything other than "pale"-was struggling to their feet and trying to come after me. I stared at it, slightly perplexed, as the little birds stumbled and then struggled again to its feet, looking at me with wide, terrified eyes.
"You cannot come with me, little ones. There must be a herd of your kind close," I said in a Chocobo warking language, and turned.
"Peep! Peep! Kwee! Kweeeeeeeeee!" the three let out plaintively. I could hear it struggling again. Baby chocobos got to their feet quickly, I knew, but it still took them awhile, and without a mother and father to protect it...
There were still allemagnes around. They were on the edges of the forest around him, close enough that I could smell them, and I knew they were waiting for me to leave so they could finish their meal.
...It would be difficult, I have no experience on taking care of babies let alone three Chocobo Chicks! Even I myself a Chocobo for now…
If I left it here, it was going to die, probably as soon as I was gone.
I had turned back before I really realized I had done it. The chicks were still struggling, trying with all its might to get to me. As soon as I was close enough, the three latched out, grabbing my scarf's tattered ends with its beak, making small, desperate chirping sounds.
It was very hard not to react to something like that, and I found the corners of my lips or rather my beak quirking up. "Come on, then, little one," I said.
Baby chocobos were tiny, really-not much larger than good-sized puppies. So it was an easy thing, to pick the three up and placed it on my front loose scarf. One of their claws tightened around my scarf when I cradled them, and the birds nestled in against my chest as my shroud swirled around us when I took to the air it was late now, so perhaps in the morning I could think of something. For now, I would take the chicks with me to my camp, clean it off, and wait until the morrow.
The birds nestled its head against my chest, making a little peeping sound and then going still.
I didn't sleep very much-I had slept far more than enough-but I was surprised to find myself awakened.
And not simply awakened. Awakened by the baby chocobos-now that it's down was completely dry very obviously a white-pecking at me.
"Waaaaarh!" the little chicks let out, the sound high-pitched and warbling…
"Nn? What is it?" I said in a Chocobo Wark, blinking and trying to wake up, rubbing my eyes tiredly.
"Waaaaaaarh!" the chicks let out again, their eyes wide and pleading.
"What's wrong?" I said, frowning. The chicks were making sounds like it was in pain, sounds far larger than I would have imagined such tiny chicks capable of. Had it been injured in the night? Had it hatched with some kind of ailment?
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarhhh!" they let out, sounding more plaintive and desperate, waving their wings.
After a good fifteen minutes of trying to figure out what was wrong and why the thing was crying like it was-I could see no injuries and there was no place where it seemed to be in pain, but it did keep making that cry and opening its mouth desperately whenever it saw the claw I naturally had on my Rebirth here in this world. The chocobos made another harsh, warbling cry, poking desperately at my metallic, clawed leg and waving its wings. Then realization had bitch slapped me in the face, of course the Chicks are hungry, so I sighed and find some greens if I could remember clearly to what I red on Zel's Novel about Chocobos they eat Ghyshal Leaves and I had an Idea what it looks like, I look down at the chocobos and they were looking up at me with wide eyes, opening their mouth desperately and making pathetic little noises. I got up and the chocobos got up as well and started to follow me.
"Stay here," I said, gesturing downwards with my metallic claw, since it had seemed to respond to it for some reason. "I'll go get you some food," I finished and then felt foolish to be talking to the birds. I did another "stay here" gesture. The little chocobos stared at me, blinking, then toddled back over to where we had been sleeping and hunkered down, their eyes bright and pleading.
Right. It probably thought that was our nest.
...Nest.
This whole situation struck me as supremely odd when I let myself think about it, and so I decided not to. Instead I just said, "Right," and patted the little birds on the head with my wing. The little chocobos let out a contented little trill, and its beak popped open hopefully, and I shook my head, feeling guilty. "I'll get you food now. Stay here," I said again, pointing at where the bird was sitting.
It was probably safe enough. After all, whatever monsters might be attracted by the scent of baby chocobos could probably smell me, me and the things inside of me, and that would be enough to keep them away.
...Best to be quick, though, I thought, and with a final pat, left in a swirl of red.
"If you can't get chick feed, just mash the greens up into a paste, then add water to make it a little thinner than porridge. Heat it to help break down for about ten minutes, then let it cool to chocobo body temperature. Feed the chick by dribbling it into the chick's mouth." That was the book that Ms. Sephora had packed up on my pouch bag, lucky I didn't ripped it when I held it in my beak to get it out of my bag and thankfully that the bag didn't get a hole on my constant pecking to find for a right thing.
"Sometimes chicks that young don't know when to stop eating. If you overfeed it, it'll throw up. So for now, use about a fourth of a green to make the feed. In about a week, changeover to half. Add a quarter of a green each week, then it'll be about ready to start switching over to regular greens in a month or so." The Book said, Praise a Hybrid Chocobo with a Human Brain!
Alright. Mash the greens into chocobo baby food mush. I could do this. Provided the chicks' crying didn't drive me insane.
'EEWW!' "Krrr…" I shuddered as I dunk another Chocobo Baby Food Mush on the three hungry mouth, I'll wash my mouth about 50 times to compensate of what I'm doing now, the taste was horrible! And it will take me a month to do this thing, if Cindy and Bunny hear something about this they won't let me sleep with their teasing.
After what seemed a rather long time, the birds turned its head away from the offered food, and instead let out a sleepy cheep and burrowed themselves under my wings, my shroud draping around them like a wing and their belly so full I could feel how round it had become.
"Ah," I began in surprise, and got no further before the three made a contented little chirrup sound and started to fall asleep.
"-Ah," I began again. They made the small little chirrup sound and burrowed their head against me again, then with a little "whff" sound settled into contented-seeming sleep. Realizing I wasn't going to be able to go anywhere for a while, I simply let my mind wander, and when the sun rose, several hours later, I realized that at some point, I had rested my wing against the three baby chocobos and had been stroking their downy feathers, and in their sleep, the little things were making soft, contented cheeping sounds.
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At the Citadel…Ruffie was confused.
"It's been two weeks and she wasn't leaving the place, what happened?" Ruffie asked.
"Something might have caught her attention and needed to stay in the place for a while." Ms. Angela said scratching her chin.
"Remember this is Valencia we're talking about, she never leave until she got things done, so she might be occupied with something." Ms. Geneva said looking at the map in the screen in the map is a red blinking dot in the forest.
"Let's leave Valencia on her quest, she knew what she's doing." Ms. Sephora said.
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That morning, I had gotten a large bowl and other supplies to use to make the chocobo food. Which was good, because it seemed that they had to eat every few hours. And then sleep. Then run around and chirp. Then poop. And then eat and start the cycle all over again. Then preen the darn things.
The chocobos were in one of its few phases where it was not sleeping, eating, or excreting. In fact, the little chocobos were toddling around on their spindly little legs, chasing a butterfly and chirping.
I watched the chicks chasing after the butterfly, trying vainly to catch it. But the butterfly was darting in directions faster than the chocobo chicks could move, especially the chocobo chicks so young that their sense of balance was still on the unsteady side.
But I figured it was good for the chicks; surely this was how they learned how to run and balance, after all.
Plus, and I would never want to admit this out loud, it was awfully cute to watch.
"Not so close to the edge, little ones," I said as the chicks followed the butterfly dangerously close to the edge of the stream. The birds, of course, ignored me, and I had just gotten to my feet to retrieve the birds when the butterfly changed direction and the chocobos tried to as well but couldn't quite manage it, and fell into the stream with a loud splash.
It took barely an instant to be at the stream bank, and less time to find the terrified, thrashing chicks and pull them out, and as soon as I had them out and pulled them against me, they wrapped a claw around my scarf and buried their face against my chest, kwaa-ing in shrill, belated terror.
"Shh, shh, it's all right," I found myself saying, stroking them with my beak to try and get them to calm down. I also found that now, after I had the birds safe, my heart had started pounding far too quickly and I wanted to hug the little birds.
...And that I was, in fact, actually hugging the birds.
I held the crying chicks against me, making small, "Shh" noises until they calmed down and stopped trembling, and then I realized just how sopping wet the three of them were. "Come on, let's dry you three off, little ones," I said, putting the birds down to gather materials for a small fire, and giving the chicks the "stay here" gesture. The chicks gave me a woebegone look at being put down, and I was unable to keep a small smile off my face now, because the poor chicks looked hilariously pathetic; down plastered against their tiny body and the absolute picture of abject misery. The birds huddled down, dripping wet and looking as if life was horribly unfair, making pathetic "kweeeeeh"s as they told the world how badly life was going. I got a fire built quickly and had just began drying the bird off when I realized that I had no idea just what gender the things were. And no idea how to tell.
Well. That could wait. The birds were more or less dried off now, but all of their downy white feathers were sticking up in different directions, making them look like a little chocobo puffballs.
A puffball.
...Right.
The idea of using my beak to brush the chocobos seemed, like most things had when it came to the little chicks, supremely odd. Besides. Chocobos didn't use brushes. They used their beaks...Ah, I thought suddenly. Well. I had something that could work. The gods all knew the chicks seemed to think the thing was a beak anyway.
I sighed and sat down, pulling the chicks beside me, then carefully began lightly using my beak to brush through the chocobos' down, so lightly the tips only barely grazed the chicks at first. Almost immediately, the little chicks hunkered themselves down and began making contented little noises, leaning into my chest occasionally when I found a good spot.
It was very hard when the little birds looked so happy to not smile. I was a little surprised to find myself chuckling slightly under my breath when I stopped and the chicks turned their big eyes on me, all but pouting, and the way it made the happy "kweh!" sound when I started scratching them again.
"Like that, do you?" I said, and got a "Kweh!" in response, and the chicks turning to nuzzle at my beak before going back to contentedly chirping, now starting to tug at and play with one of my buckles with its beak. They stayed like that for a while, before the chicks suddenly pecked at my beak and let out their "I'm hungry!" warble.
I chuckled again. "All right, little ones. All right."
...I really did need to find out if they were male or female. They kind of needed a name. At this rate, it was going to start answering to "little ones," and considering how big chocobos got to be, that was going to seem rather strange sooner rather than later.
I wiped the last bit of mushed greens off my beak, watching as the little chocobos were trying to figure out how to climb over a log. As soon as they had eaten, instead of falling asleep as it normally did, the chicks had warbled and then taken off at a run, jumping and playing.
"There are two ways to sex a chocobo. One you're just not going to be able to do. Trust me. It involves sticking things into the chocobo and...anyway. The other way is to look at its claws. Does it have a little bump on the back of its ankle? That's where adult males grow spurs during mating season. If it's got a little bump, it's a male. No bump, and it's a female." The Book said as I read the line about Chocobo Genders.
"I see. Hold on," I said, and gestured with my metal claws. The little birds came over instantly, with a happy bounce.
"Kweh?" they said, nibbling at my metallic fingers. I peered at the young chocobos legs. The birds let out a startled "Warrr!" and threw out their wings to keep their balance, giving me a betrayed look.
"I think they do have bumps," I said, and let their foot go, and then patted the chicks in apology. The birds gave me another wounded look, so I scratched the back of the chocobos' head. That caused them to make a happy trill, settling down to be petted more.
"Then they're males."
I had quickly gotten used to the little chocobos sleeping next to me, a warm little puffballs of white covered by my shroud and tucked under my wings. Since it was so close, it woke me at once when the chicks sneezed.
At first, I wasn't sure what the sound was coming from. I opened my eyes tiredly, noting that it had to be the middle of the night. Luckily, there was a full moon so I could see, but it was still far too late to be awake.
That was when the chocobos sneezed again.
I looked over at the chicks, completely perplexed, when they sneezed again. And their beaks were open. Not the "I'm hungry" open, but open like they were breathing through it.
"Kweeeeeeeeeeeeeh," the little chicks said, sounding pathetic. They laid their head on my leg like it was too much effort to hold it up, and then sneezed again.
The birds are sneezing. Sneezing and not moving very much. What's wrong with them? What am I supposed to do? Is this because they fell in a stream yesterday? The chocobos let out another string of sneezes and then kwehed pitifully again, looking at me to make it all stop.
And breathing with their beak open and listless…
"It's a cold, Just keep them warm and make sure they eats. Keep them comfortable, warm, and fed, and they'll be OK in a few days."
"Kweh," the little chicks thickly, trying to curl closer against me.
Keep them warm, the book had said. Very well. They were still tiny, for all they were growing quickly, and as I had the day before grooming them, I pulled them beside me, wrapping my tattered cloak around them to help them stay warm.
The next few days I watched the chicks like a hawk, watching for any signs of them getting worse. They hadn't wanted to eat, but what they did eat she kept down, and while they didn't want to walk-they wanted to stay curled up in my cloak and sleep-they managed it without falling when they had to. The book, much more forgiving, assured me that listlessness was normal and they'll be fine in under a week. And true enough, a few days later the little birds woke up with a loud "Kweeeeeeh!" and was running around enough to make up for the three days of illness.
It was almost startlingly easy for me to settle into a pattern. I would wake up in the mornings and make the greens-mush for the chicks-and for the life of me, I could not come up with a name-to eat, then the chicks would either sleep or run around (doing more of the latter than the former as they got bigger), then I would feed them again and they'll take another nap curled up under my shroud, ensuring I could do nothing at all save nap myself or scratch the chicks, then they'll wake up and warble for food and I'll feed them again, then I'd watch the chocobos playing or tugging at my buckles, then feeding again, then groom the birds as twilight fell, and have the birds curl up under my wings again to settle down for the night.
It was oddly...relaxing. I was constantly amazed at how much trouble the little chicks got into-they were, like most chocobos, very inquisitive, so they were always poking their head into things.
I hadn't been able to help laughing when they stuck their head into hole in a tree stump and then couldn't get back out. I had to get them out and then calm them down, and they'll have given me the betrayed looks they were so good at for me having laughed in the first place.
They were more careful around the stream, something I was grateful for.
It was, however, something of a shock the day the chicks decided that my long mane which was strange for a Chocobo was in need of a bit of grooming. The chicks snuck up behind me when I was thinking about things that had been, and with a "Kweeeh!" grabbed a beakful of my mane and started tugging at it. I jumped slightly and was pecked for my trouble, then reached up and scratched the chicks' head, going back to staring off into space and letting the chicks do whatever they wanted to my mane. It's not like anyone was to see it save the birds, I figured.
Besides. It felt kind of...nice.
The whole situation, I thought once again, was extremely odd. The chicks were almost ready for greens, though.
They just had to get a littlebigger. On solid greens, maybe.
And I had no idea when I had started scratching them again.
It was something of a shock the day the birds came over when I was getting greens ready to mash and nibbled at them.
They were big enough, I realized, as they let out a happy little "Kweh!" and started eating the greens, which he could leave them on their own now.
The thought made me oddly...sad.
It was about time I figured out what to do with them. They were old enough to go on their own, or old enough to be set free. Both thoughts were strangely upsetting.
"Here, eat," I said, waving at the greens, then headed off to the "nest", to sit and figure out what to do with them. I couldn't keep them, obviously. I still had the demons literally inside me and had missions to finish, and they would have no qualms attacking half-grown chocobo chicks. Letting them go...they were white chocobo, meaning they stood out. And they were still so little, surely some monsters would go after them. I could try and find a herd of chocobos and let them go near them, perhaps...
A loud "Kweh!" startled me. The little chocobos were standing in front of me, all but bouncing from one foot to another, looking at me and then looking at the forest, then looking back at me.
I gestured with my head. "Go, if you've a mind to."
"Kweeeeh!" the chocobos said, bouncing more and staring at me.
"I am content as I am," I snapped, and felt unaccountably stupid as soon as I realized I was talking to the birds. Again. And had been for almost a month and a half straight…
Talking to the birds which came over and butted their heads against me, trying to nudge me up… I ignored them-I had to figure out what to do, after all, not take them out to play.
"WARK!"
I looked up in surprise to see the little chocobos had let out a full-fledged "wark" instead of their normal squeaks, chirps, warbles and kwehs...and not only that, they had a look on their chocobo faces, and if they had had hands, there was no doubt they would have their hands on their hips.
I had the oddest feeling that, in this case, "wark" translated into "Come on already."
That was when the birds started pecking me.
"Kweh!" Peck. "Kweh kweh!" Peck. "WARK!" Peck peck peck.
"All right!" I finally said, narrowing my eyes. "Now what is it that..."
"Kweeeeh!" the little chocobos let out, bouncing again. Then they grabbed my shroud in their beak and pulled.
I pulled the cloak back, feeling put-upon. Really, the little beasts were too much. I had given up over a month and a half of his life to care for it, and here they were, growing and eating solid greens and-
It was time to let them go.
There was something, I thought as the chocobos danced around me, nudging me trying to make me get up and warking insistently.
Pet chocobos. There was no reason I should keep them. None. But-
They nudged me with their head again, green eyes bright. "Kweh!"
They were still a baby. I could figure out what to do with them later.
"All right, little ones," I finally said, rising to my feet. "If it is a race that you want, a race you get," I said, and, with a tiny grin from my beak, vanished into a mist. I reappeared three feet away, behind the chocobos, and reached out to tug on their tail. They made a startled "Kwaaa!" sound, jumped and whirled, and then with a "Waaaark!" tried to grab me. I vanished again in a swirl of shroud, reappearing just a few feet away.
And then, with a happy "Wark!", the chase was on.
Besides I was learning too, learning to take care of little chocobos even so that one day I'll restore myself to normal. Will they be able to recognize me when I'm back to my Human Form?
Few weeks later I found myself on the road again, followed by six Chocobos. The Chocobos I raised had found themselves a partner, three Chocobo Hens that were hunted down by the Midgar wolves 400 meters away from the forest where I had been raising the Chocobo Roosters, the three Girls were running away desperately from the Wolves that were trying to pounce on them, my chocobo (For the love of God…or Gaia) instincts yelled at me to save the distressed Hens, so saving them I did and soon found myself leading a Flock of Chocobos.
And rumors spreads fast as hunters starts hunting a Flock of Chocobos lead by an Armored Giant Chocobo, which I was now named as the 'Chocobo Queen' for I was a Female Chocobo, many hunters and military men tried to catch me and my Flock but all of them failed to catch even a single one for I as the Chocobo Queen will defend my Flock and with the mercy of Gaia my Flock was gifted with powers varied on their feather colors. The Chocobo's I raised had Combat and lightning powers, while the Hens had Water, Fire and Light.
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At Gaia's Citadel Keno entered the library with a baffled look on her face.
"Hey Yo! Heard the News today?" she called out.
You, Zel and our three Leaders turned along with Ruffie in question.
"What's the News?" Ms. Sephora asked.
Keno scratched the back of her head quite uncomfortably.
"Well…uhhh…I was in the neighboring town yesterday and I heard rumors about an Armored chocobo running on the road along with other 6 chocobos, they say that the Armored Chocobo is the Chocobo Queen."
You dropped your clipboard out of shock, Zel had fainted, Ms. Angel, Geneva and Sephora were shock, Ruffie was pale, Cindy and Bunny were roaring with laughter.
"SINCE WHEN DID MISS VALIANT HAVE BEEN A MATE TO A MALE CHOCOBO?!" Ms. Sephora yelled.
They had misunderstood the situation I was in right now.
"Please tell me this is not true!" Zel moaned in despair.
"WAHAHAHAHAHA! VALENCIA THE CHOCOBO QUEEN!" Cindy and Bunny Howled with laughter…
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It had been a week of run on the road, now a little distant of Edge City at the high hills I stood up and looking down at the lower grounds and to the City. This is where I'm going to find the Hero I was tasked to search. It was night time and my flocks need their rest and I had to stay alert in case those blasted hunters are on the prowl to catch me and my flocks again. Chocobos that were raised by me the Chocobo Queen is sacred, and nobody is allowed to catch them let alone for military purpose!
I hate to admit it but this flock of mine is my family! Whoever dared to catch them or hunt them will face my unholy wrath.
To Be Continued
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