Disclaimer: Here is the next chapter of this drabbles collection. Going good so far. Happy reading and enjoy yourselves!

Can you make a guess of things here?

NOTICE: These oneshot drabbles contain Lightis and some other couples depending on the story, and are in no particular order, nor do they tell a specific tale of just one story. Some of the drabbles might have a second part in later chapters, and if readers become fond of a certain drabble story, that drabble might have the chance to become a new full story.

CHRONICLES

Chapter XXXV: Desperado

Rating: T

Genre: Adventure

Characters: Noctis, "Storm Mare"

Pair: Lightis (Rivalry)

Notes: As a great horse tamer, Noctis took a fascination to the stories of a legendary wild mare that was said to live in mountains and roams the fields. Unable to sleep, Noctis leaves home to find the wild mare and tame it.

Staring out of his window, Noctis felt himself relax from the long hard day of taking care of the horses. He remembered the time when he first told his father he wanted to raise, train, and tame horses; his old man had yelled and thrown a fit, going about how the family's business—Caelum Car Corp.—needs him to look after and inherit it.

Noctis stood his ground and argued how he loved horses and chocobos more than cars. This threw his father off his rocker even more. Fortunately for the future horse tamer, his mother stepped in and gave Noctis her approval, much to her husband's dismay.

It had taken a long time to get to where he was now, but Noctis felt proud of his accomplishments.

He and his friends was a band of chocobo and horse trainers, caretakers, and tamers. Noctis did most of the caring and taming and training. His friends did the other half and the breeding.
Noctis remembered the look on Prompto's face when the last chocobo egg hatched to reveal a blue chocobo; or River Chocobo as it was commonly known.
He recalled Prompto jumping around Gladiolus almost fainting as it had taken them months to breed a blue chocobo. Noctis laughed that day along with Ignis as they celebrated the birth of the new baby chocobo.

Returning back to reality, Noctis looked out of his window.

The night sky was starting to grow cloudy and very light drops of rain fell down to the grown and on Noctis' window. "Perfect." He turned to his bed and grabbed his backpack before rushing out of the door.
He was probably crazy for doing this, but it was the only way he could get up close and personal with the one thing no one had ever been able to get within a few inches of. However, before he could even get up close, he hoped he could at least find it first.

The story was still stuck in his head.

There was an urban legend that talks about a great wild horse that was completely elusive and untamable. The horse was said to be a beautiful large black mare with a pure white mane and tail; many said the horse appears during thunderstorms when the rains are heavy and lightning and thunder ruled the skies.
The mare could be found in the mountains looking over everything below it and is sometimes said to run down and roam the fields, but no human had ever been lucky enough to see it run by.
A few people who claimed to have seen the horse said that when the mare runs around in the open fields, its mane seem to turn into flames. Some others say it turns into lightning bolts instead.

After hearing the stories, Noctis was not sure if he was ready to believe that the horse was of a mystical kind, but just the thought of a horse that could not be tamed made his horse-tamer's blood boil with excitement; if he could catch that wild horse and somehow tame its very wild blood, then he would be known as the greatest horse tamer in the world.
If he could get the horse to listen to him, then people will be in awe at him and his majestic new steed.

The boys had warned him to steer clear from the mountains and not to believe in those superstitions about some lightning-fire horse.

But Noctis was drawn and obsessed the moment he heard about how wild and untamable the mare was. He simply could not help himself; but if the boys did not believe in the story, then he would have to find the mare by himself. Noctis admitted that he was also unsure about the stories as they sounded too good to be true. But whether the tales were true or not, Noctis knew he had to take a chance.

A flash of light reminded Noctis that he had to move fast and reach the mountains before the storm became any heavier.

With a grunt he walked onwards, thanking Etro that he lived up on the countryside and close enough to the mountains and fields. He cursed the weight of his backpack but he needed the items it contained if he were to tame the wild Storm Mare—as the people had dubbed it.
The description of the mare's coloring was one of the things that drew Noctis in; it was rare, if not impossible, for a horse to be a pure shiny black but have a heavenly white mane and tail. And the size of the Storm Mare was said to be larger than normal mares. But what attracted Noctis to the mysterious horse was its personality. Many told him that the mare was totally wild, had a bit of a temper and tends to lash out and attack.

Usually people in their right minds would steer clear from the dangers those kind of horses pose. But Noctis felt challenged and attracted to this mysterious, wild and dangerous horse.

As he looked up, he could tell that he was now close to where he should be. The Storm Mare usually appears on one of the highest cliffs in order to look down upon the fields and human territory while the lightning and thunder and rain fell behind and around it.
Such a story, but Noctis was up for seeing if it was true or not. He started climbing until he was sure he would have the best view of the mare when it appeared.
As soon as he settled down in a stable and perfect spot on the cliff, the rains started pouring heavily and the clouds grew darker. Thunder started booming loudly and lightning began flashing overhead. "How hard does a storm have to be for a horse to get up here?" Noctis grumbled; any ordinary horse would have run off to find shelter or something.

Thunder boomed once again and Noctis could have sworn he might go deaf.

It felt like forever and Noctis was beginning to lose faith in his 'perfect horse' fantasy. "Knew it was too good to be for true…" he grumbled and muttered in disappointment; it definitely was a good idea to sneak away to the mountains without the boys, his pride would not have been able to take such embarrassment.
Just as he was about to finally give up and leave a loud neighing sounded off, mingling with the raging booming of the thunder. Noctis looked up and saw it; the majestic beast stood high up on the cliff edge, standing on its hind legs and letting out a mighty neigh as it kicked its front legs in the air.

The heavy rain pelted down on its sleek black body and the silky white mane and tail.

It was the Storm Mare. Noctis' heart was jumping; the mare really did exist! He watched as the mare shook its body around, sending thousands of droplets his way without even noticing his presence. It was just as the explorers described; the black body, the white mane and tail, and the wild majesty of it all.

The mare stared down at the fields Noctis knew he had walked up from to get up this mountain.

As he watched and observed the mare, another flash of lightning blazed past its black head and Noctis caught a glance of its eyes; they were bright blue, something that was not normal or even possible in horses—as far as he knew anyway. All horses he tamed and trained had dark eyes, but this one had not only a unique coloring, but also blue eyes.
This was definitely the perfect horse, and the perfect challenge.

The Storm Mare's hooves thundered on the cliff and it bucked and Noctis wondered if the mare was planning to head down to the fields.
However, the mare did not seem to be in the mood to run through the rain. It suddenly turned away and headed back to wherever it came from. Noctis grabbed his backpack and carefully followed the horse into its territory.

He made sure not to make any noise as he took out a rope he packed to lasso the mare with.

Suddenly, the wild mare stopped moving. It held still like a beautiful statue and lifted its head, sniffing the air. Noctis raised an eyebrow. The mare whipped around and stared at him right in the eyes, shocking Noctis. Had the horse known he was there the whole time?
He steeled himself and held the rope in his hands tightly. The mare got up on its back legs and reared, neighing warningly at the human. Its front legs kicked at Noctis, threatening to crush him if he took another step forward.

"You're not getting away from me, horse!" Noctis swore, staring at the horse's electric blue eyes. The mare neighed and reared at him again.

Noctis glared at the wild beast and readied the lasso. The mare turned its eyes on the rope and snorted at the human as if mocking him then shook its head haughtily. Noctis grit his teeth and swung the lasso around.
The mare reared once more then charged at the dark-haired human. Noctis dodged and glared at his current opponent; they were not kidding when they said the mare was wild.

This was a challenge he was looking forward to, if he could capture the creature.

He ran forward at the horse but stopped and jumped back when the Storm Mare lowered its head and lifted the hind legs to kick him. "Damn horse!" Noctis growled when the mare took off, attempting to escape.
He ran after it, intending to get the rope around its neck. The mare seemed to know what his intentions were and outsmarted him at every turn. This animal was getting on the horse tamer's nerves. He loved challenges, and wild horses, but most of all, he hated losing. Especially to a horse he intended to tame.

The mare seemed to know this and took advantage of every detail. Nobody had mentioned that this horse was smart as well.

In a bold and dangerous move, Noctis jumped up and threw the rope around the horse's neck. The mare reared and bucked as Noctis ran up and leapt onto its back. The sheer power of the mare was unlike any strength of the other horses he tamed; this wild beast was truly powerful and stronger than normal horses.
The mare bucked and reared in an attempt to shake Noctis off; he could tell by how the horse was acting that it was completely enraged. He held on tight, hoping to wear the animal down. The mare neighed loudly, clearly out of rage. The horse tamer held on tighter until it felt like the rope would cut the skin of his palms. "Damn horse! Make this easy on yourself!" He yelled in the animal's ear.

The mare seemed to understand his words and reacted like his words offended it, which it probably did.

Eventually, Noctis was thrown off and landed in front of the angry mare.

The black beast reared up above Noctis' head, intending to crush his skull under its thundering hooves. He rolled out of the way and snatched the rope once more. The mare struggled but it seemed to get rid of the human easily.
Noctis, however, had no intention of losing to a wild untamed horse. His opponent charged forward and tackled him; the force literally knocked the wind out of Noctis, and soon he found himself being bashed against a rocky wall on the cliff.

He groaned in pain and the mare stood over him and reared and neighed as if yelling at him warningly not to ever approach again.

"I'm not…done yet!" He snarled. The mare snorted nonchalantly, obviously doubting his ability to go for another round. Noctis mentally cursed when he realized that he won't be able to stand being thrashed around for too long. But the mare looked like it could go on forever, even under the heavy storm.
There was a chance Noctis could get a fever and several broken bones if he was not careful. The mare huffed and grumbled at the human in front of it and swiped its hoof over the rocks, like a bull that was preparing to charge. However, it was more of a warning than a preparation to charge. Noctis got to his feet and ran towards the mare, reaching for the rope.

The mare reared, only lifting its body high enough to make Noctis miss the rope around its neck and stumble down onto his face. His horse tamer pride was now on the line; he needed to capture that mare!

The horse continued to charge at him and Noctis was starting to get frustrated. He needed to somehow get the horse to surrender to him once he gets the rope back in his hands; he just needed to find the perfect opportunity.
The mare huffed and snorted at him, dug its hoof into the ground, swinging its head around and sending white mane and water droplets flying. Despite the situation, it was a magnificent sight.

"You're coming with me, Storm Mare!" Noctis declared and rushed up to the beast and grabbed the rope. The mare neighed and took off once again, dragging the human male along with it as it dashed down towards the grassy plains where other wild horses lived.

Soon, the rough road ended and Noctis felt his body feel relief when grass now brushed underneath him.

The horse should have been worn out by now, and yet it still seemed to have more than a little fight left in it. Noctis had to slow it down and quick before he got battered again. He climbed up the rope, nearing the horse's rump. The wild mare seems to catch on with what he wanted to do and started running even faster, attempting to throw the human off.

Noctis reached the horse's back and mounted the beast. He tightened his hold on the rope and yanked, trying to get the horse to stop galloping at high speeds. If she continued she would hurt herself; and as much as possible, Noctis wanted to avoid damaging his prize.

The wild mare neighed loudly and tried to throw Noctis off with all its might.

The persistent horse tamer held on tightly, hoping he would not fall off. He needed to get this horse back to his stables.
The beast reared and tried slipping him off its back but Noctis held on even tighter. To the mare, he was like a parasite that clung onto its body no matter how hard it tried to dispose of him. "Give up already!" He growled, praying that for their sakes, the mare would stop running. Either he or the wild mare was going to get hurt and he intended not to have any injuries nor did he want his future prized horse to break a leg.

The beast refused to give in to the commands of a human and charged along the rainy fields.

Noctis grabbed the mare's white mane, the only thing that was white on the horse aside from its tail. The horse tamer closed his eyes for a brief moment despite the fact that it might have been a terrible move considering that he was astride a wild mare.
Still, the wind was cool on his face and the rain felt refreshing. Suddenly it was as if the horse was not trying to get rid of him anymore.

The dream ended when he opened his eyes and the horse lifted its back legs and threw him forward. Noctis landed on his back and groaned at the painful impact.

He stood up and turned to stare at the horse, right in the eye. The mare glared back at him with such stubbornness, it was almost intimidating!
Noctis approached the horse again but it reared and neighed loudly, its cry mingling with the booming thunder. Indeed this was the Storm Mare. The beast settled back down on its feet and continued to stare at the horse tamer with an intense gaze that Noctis was sure he had become frozen. The mare huffed and pawed at the ground with its hoof.

At first it seemed as if the mare was about to charge like a raging bull. But instead, it turned around and ran made a dash for the safety of the forest. Noctis was not willing to let is prize escape. He went after it and grabbed onto the rope that was still around it. The horse grew tired of the human's stubborn attempts and shook him off easily.

The rope snapped and the mare was free of the restraints.

With another mighty neigh, the wild beast turned and ran, leaving Noctis out in the cold. He cursed when he fell back on the ground, realizing he was too tired to chase after it anymore.
He had been so close! He growled and grumbled as he picked himself up and headed back home. He needed to think of a new tactic for capturing the mare.

At first he thought of telling the boys that the horse was real, but he knew better. They would simply say the storm was playing tricks on him and it could have been any wild horse. He decided to keep this to himself until he caught the mare; only then will anybody believe that he was telling the truth. Then he would bask in the green glow of envy as people look at his new steed.

Noctis reached home in one piece but with a bruised pride.

The Storm Mare was more than any challenging horse he had ever encountered. It was wilder than people described it. It was also strong and ferocious.
Somehow Noctis felt that the mare's strength was more superhuman than any other horse's raw power; having worked on many kinds of horses with different personalities and temperaments, Noctis simply knew.

He calmed his nerves with a nice hot shower and tried licking his wounds after tasting defeat by a wild animal. The horse could run but it will never be able to hide. He swore to himself silently that he will capture the Storm Mare.

That night, his dreams were plagued by the sleek black form and white mane and tail, along with the electrical shine of those blue eyes.

This popped into my head a long while back.

To be honest, this story had been in progress for quite some time and I had written a lot. But my old laptop at that time had crashed and therefore I lost all the progress I had made. I was so upset that I stopped writing this chapter for a bit and kept it back until I got over the loss.

I hope you all liked it.

If anyone of you have questions about anything, let me know and I will do my very best to answer them in the next chapter I make. So I will see you soon with a new idea or perhaps a continuation.

Also I would like to announce that I am close to confirming everybody's favorite arc. Tell me which ones you love the most and the one that has the most love will make it as the next story. But not to worry every arc will get the chance to make it big!

I was thinking of starting a poll to see which arc would be chosen, but I still need to learn how to start one. So in the meantime just say your choice in the old fashioned way!

Until then…