Date Four:So You Think You Can Ride This Chocobo?

The wild fresh air of the Wildlands cut through Light's rose coloured hair, sending her pink strands of hair to dance in the wind as she stared into the distance. Ahead stood were hills of farms and fiends alike. Grabbing onto the strap she held onto it tightly before feeling herself moving forward once more. Her Chocobo - the Angel of Valhalla roamed down the beaten track as its huge claws dug into the ground every time it took a step. Light pulled onto the strap and her white angel came to a halt. In front of the train station was no other but the Patron himself.

"What the hell." Light spoke in a dull manner, her surprisement not evident.

Roaming around for ages in the Wildlands, either from doing little fetch quests or training to get stronger, words had floated to her that the Patron himself from Yusnaan would be dropping by in the most unlikely of places. Though her relationship with Snow had improved since he saved him she didn't understand why a man that made a huge metropolitan city would come to a place filled with more trees than the city itself.

Crowds gathered before being scooted away by Light and her now fluffy Odin. Jumping off, the silent warrior made her way to the Parton himself. She stood by her stead until the crowd slowly subsided.

"Explain yourself." Her introductions as bold as ever,

"Oh hey Sis, nice day for a walk don't you think?" Snow had one of his goofy grins up as usual.

"Nobody takes an hour and half train ride for a simple walk Snow." Light glared. "There isn't many days left before the end of the world. There isn't time for simple walks." Lightning scolded.

"But maybe because the world isending that we should slow down and take in everything that we have now." Snow replied back. He crossed his arms. "I've been stuck in the palace for five hundred years and you've been asleep for just as long. We both have good enough reasons to take a break, even if it's for just an hour."

"But we aren't just normal people here. You run a metropolitan city and I'm in charge of bringing as many souls into the new world. If I take an hour off I could miss out on hundreds of souls." Light watched as Snow made his way to Odin. The white bird tilted its head at Snow before getting vague memories of the blond hard headed warrior. "And plus it's not my problem if you wanted to be a loner in a huge city for five hundred years."

Light closed her eyes for a moment to take in a sigh before opening to see Snow was petting Odin like it was his own pet. "Hey hey hey!" Light approached her soon to be brother-in-law. "How are you able to do that?"

Still petting the majestic animal Snow looked at the Angle of Valhalla before back at Lightning. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No, it's not that." Lightning reached for Odin and pulled his head to face her. She stared at the little green lightning bolt placed on its head. "It's that Odin doesn't just let anyone touch him."

Snow took a few steps back in shock and in surprisement. "That's Odin?! Since when did he get feathers?"

Cocking up an eyebrow, "After what we have been through I think I'm tired of explanations."

Lightning took her gaze away and looked down the dirt path as villagers walked past her and Snow with their baskets filled. Others were merchants that were indicated by their oversized and huge backpacks and their annoying chants of their products that were on sale. Some were shepherds guiding their livestock safely and scaring the fiends away.

"Hey Snow." Lightning spoke after a minute of silence. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to take a walk."

Turning around Lightning nearly felt her jaw drop at what she just witnessed. Somehow, a miracle happened as Snow was on top of hersteed. A steed that everyone believed only let its real masterride it and feed it. So what in God's name did Odin let Snow slip on top of him into the driver's seat?

"Hey just because you don't have your fancy motorbike to ride doesn't mean Odin is suddenly your replacement."

"Well while you were looking into the distance Odin kept bumping into me to take him on a ride. Maybe he let me on because we travelled once together." Snow held onto the riding straps tightly. "You've been riding him all day, aren't you tired?"

"I'm not human so no."

Snow paused. "But you still sleep at my hotels don't you?"

Blushed and embarrassed. "How do you know that? You better not have a thing for me or-"

"You're the Savior Light and you stand out more than the statue you brought down that night. You shouldn't be so surprised that news about you has gotten up to me and my palace."

Silence, the man had a point.

"Alright then, it you insist."

Walking closer to her steed Lightning placed her hands on her white feathered friend as she pulled herself on top of it. Sitting behind Snow she scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around the Parton. Snow felt his hands shaking and his whole body heat up.

"W-What are you doing?!" Snow stuttered.

Glaring over his shoulder, "If you think you can get away riding with my Odin then think again Villiers. Until you leave the Wildlands, I'll be here watching you."

"So where you want to go then?" Snow asked Lightning nervously as he stared at her giant sword behind her back. He wouldn't be surprised if Light would hold her sword and tease him a little as he was riding Odin.

"Wherever," Lightning spoke dully. "Just enough until you get over this 'I-want-to-ride-Odin' thing."

Taking Lightning words as a sign to get going Snow signaled Odin to going to the direction of Canopus farms. The little farm that introduced Lightning to Odin once again after so many years apart. Snow thought for a moment that if Odin wasn't a Chocobo he would of thought they would be together like some lovely couple.

Snow paused. "Why am I even think about that?"

Snow looked on forward and felt the wind cutting into his now long blond hair as images of trees painted his surroundings. Running down dirt footpaths the people of the Wildlands had already made, nothing but the wild crashing into their face acted as their conversation.

The Patron would glance over his shoulder from time to time and would notice how quiet Lightning was. She was observing the mountains in the distance and the hills of lush green grass they were passing by. These were sights they weren't so use to before as they lived by a beach in a town called Bodum. Closing her eyes Lightning would do anything to hear the crashing waves and the saltiness of the water that could sprinkle across her face once again.

"You miss the ocean, don't you?" Snow's words woke her up from her fantasy.

"As beautiful these mountains and hills are nothing can replace that feeling of just being near the sea."

Snow smiled, "I heard the Dead Dunes has a great view of the ocean. Have you seen it?"

"I've been too busy saving souls to actually bother."

Coming to a stop Lightning opened up her eyes. "There is something I want to show you."

Feeling his presences gone Lightning could have easily taken the rails and ride Odin and her away to gather more souls but she didn't. As Snow got his balance back he turned and held his hand out to her, offering to help her down. Lightning couldn't understand why she accepted his help when she could have easily jumped off her Chocobo with ease. Still holding his hand like a small fragile little girl Snow guided her to an edge of a cliff.

In the distance, pass a gate and a very long road was the Dead Dunes and in the horizon was the ocean that Snow mentioned to her earlier.

"Close your eyes and I'm sure you can already feel that sea breeze. Just like back in Bodum."

Lightning looked at Snow blankly with a string of doubt. But after they had been through the impossible was no longer impossible. Looking away she closed her eyes as she held onto Snow's hand tighter in response. What seemed to be a waste of time quickly changed as Lightning felt that welcoming sea breeze and that taste of salt in the air on her lips.

Light opened her eyes in shock and took a step or two back. Her heart was racing and her face warmed up for a split second, and she withdrew her hand away from Snow's. Snow felt the sudden displacement as he turned to the confused Savior.

Fear ran into her bloodstream as she rushed to the Angel of Valhalla and tried desperately to climb on top of him before feeling Snow's huge arms bring her down and into his arms. She was struggling to get out as Snow waited for her to draw her blade out but nothing. As if her mind was in scrambles and Light was currently confused between what was right and what is wrong.

"Light, calm down." Snow spoke in a reassuring manner. Lightning soon stopped struggling and instead just stood in his arms. "What happened Lightning?"

Still in his arms and her back facing Snow the almighty Savior spoke no words. "Lightning?" Snow asked once more.

"...I'm scared Snow."

Snow was suddenly confused and let Lightning go on.

"When I felt all those feelings coming back to me I suddenly felt scared. Maybe it's because I know I'll never feel those feelings again."

Releasing his grip on her Snow let Light walk out of his arms. "I know saving Serah will come at a price." Turning to face her brother in law, "And that price is my freedom."

Rushing to grab onto her shoulders, Lightning felt Snow shake her shoulders lightly. "What the hell are you speaking like that?!" Snow snapped. "You'll save Serah andyourself. Together we'll all enter to this new world your God has promised us all so much!"

Her anger pour over as Light pushed Snow's hands off her shoulders, "And what if not?!" Lightning snapped ever more.

"Well isn't it ourjob to make the impossible into the possible?" Snow spoke as a flood of emotions came over them both. "You've done it before, why stop now when we nearly reached the end?!"

Frozen from hearing her own words being used against her, Lightning felt her body stared to shake as she embraced herself to give herself a sensation of safety and protection.

Biting her bottom lip, "It's different this time."

"Is it because we are no longer human, is that it Light?"

Looking into Snow's eyes Lightning knew Snow was serious. Ever since she had saved him he took life a little more seriously, but it wasn't enough to stop him goofing around when he could. Snow would always speak nonsense to either embarrass her or irritate her but when Snow was serious he would speak words that would sink into her mind and never leave.

She didn't want to admit it but Snow was her rock when it came to the dark and low times of her life, like now.

"No matter what everyone says I think we are still human here." Snow placed his hand on his heart. "And Light… you should be the first to believe that." Snow reached for Lightning's hand and placed it on top of where her heart laid. "Human or not, just promise after you save Serah that you'll save yourself as well alright? Life isn't the same without ya. Don't give into that fear you hear me?"

Letting the man's words sink into her, Light put up a half lit smile. "You always had a way with your words Snow." Lightning turned to Odin and patted him down his fluffy neck. Odin squawked in happiness. "So, do you want to ride Odin on the way back?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Well?"

"What's the catch?" Snow asked as he cocked up an eyebrow.

Lightning smiled as she patted her fluffy friend once again, "Oh nothing much. It's just Odin has got quite a thing for you now."

The fluffy Odin flapped his wings and jumped up and down, chirping loudly with his response as the huge white bird suddenly stood by Snow's side. He once again jumped up and down, flapping his wings in joy. Snow smiled proudly and crossed his arms with a goofy smile.

"Looks like Odin and I are on the same page." The Patron looked over to the huge bird. "Looks like I'm the better Chocobo rider now."

Lightning sighed, "And to believe you were the same man to not give into my fears just then." She gave a sigh of relief. "Alright, you can have your fun for today."

Punching his fists in the air with excitement Light saw Odin mimicked the Patron before watching him get on. Following Snow's lead Light did the same and wrapped her arms around Snow's waist tightly. With a grin, "So you really think you can ride this Chocobo?"

"What do you mean?" Snow asked as he got a firm grip onto the bird.

"You do know Odin tends to get distracted by fiends and gets himself into fights constantly and this normally happens a lot while you're still riding him."

Both could hear the Angel of Valhalla squawk as he spotted a few mini flans crossing the huge open fields. In a rush the young bird left his spot and sprinted towards the fiends, causing both Snow to lose grip suddenly and falling to the ground, taking Lighting down with him.

Massaging the back of his head, Snow looked up to a pissed Lightning with a nervous smile.

"I take that all back."