Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Final Fantasy 8. They belong to SquareSoft. I don't own Chocobos but I own Unmei, Shukumei, Yekai, Hana, and Shifuku.



The Gift of the Chocobos

1 Chapter 1: A Plan is Hatched



Unmei and Shukumei stood together on the edge of the cliff together, looking at the blood-red orb of fire as it set, sending a wave of pink and orange sun-light across the ocean's surface.

Unmei entwined her neck with Shukumei's.

"Our first sunset together. Can you believe it Shukumei?" cooed Unmei.

"Hardly." He replied.

"Shukumei?"

"Hm?"

"Neru anata."

"I love you too."

~~~~*~~~~

Rinoa gently opened her eyes the next morning. The tent they were sleeping in was still a bit dark. It must be really early, she thought. She saw Quistis, Selphie, and Zell still peacefully asleep. But where was Squall? She got up and looked around, but he was no where to be seen.

"Oh well, he'll come back in time for breakfast." Rinoa sighed.

She got changed and went outside. Rinoa walked the few yards to where the Chocobo were stationed. Looking down, she saw that her female Chocobo was still fast asleep. But something was missing. There were one, two, three, four Chocobos. Where was Shukumei?

"Squall must have taken him for a ride. Well, I guess there's to do except follow him." She quietly tip-toed toward her Chocobo, Unmei. "Wake up Unmei." Unmei opened her eyes, but did not get up.

"Unmei, don't be a hum-bug." Rinoa sighed. She knew Unmei was not a morning chocobo. "We're going to look for Squall…. Shukumei'll be there."

At these words, Unmei raised her head and positioned to mount.

"Good girl." Said Rinoa. She clambered onto her ride and set off.

~~~~*~~~~

"Where's Unmei?" clucked Shukumei. He was tethered up next to a field of flowers. Carnations, roses, and orchids decorated the earth with magnificence. Shukumei only remembered being awaken rudely from his sleep at about 2:00 in the morning, and of course the romance that had taken place last night. It seemed like a dream to him now. It was such a wonderful feeling, standing there with Unmei, watching the sunset.

Parting from his fanciful memories, he turned his head back to the path, starting to get impatient, glowering down at Squall so that he could untie him and get back to Unmei.



Not too far away from Shukumei, Squall lay in a bed of grass thinking.

"Everything's all right, but I feel like something's missing. But what?" he said.

He rested there for quite a while, pondering what he could be missing. Squall didn't know it, but Shukumei had over heard his thoughts. Gee, thought Shukumei, sounds familiar.

~~~*~~~

"Shukumei!"

"Unmei!"

As soon as Rinoa had dismounted, Unmei sped toward Shukumei. Their hearts beating for each other, they once again fell into their dream world of romance.

"Geez. Talk about passion." Sighed Rinoa.

"I know, what a couple." Rinoa jumped. She spun around. Squall was standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and grinning. Rinoa sighed and looked up. She noticed that-

"You have grass in your hair again. Day dreaming again?"

"Eh heh heh…. Well, spotted again." He said reaching behind to brush it out of his hair.

"You're not doing it right. Let me do it." Said Rinoa as she quickly walked up to Squall. Rinoa extended her arm and neck over Squall's shoulder. Squall's face turned a bright red. Rinoa hadn't seen it but Shukumei and Unmei had.

"That looks like a familiar face, eh Shuku-chan?"

"Really? How?"

"Don't act dumb. That's how you're face looked that time I had to pick out all the leaves from the back your neck after you unstuck your head from that apple tree."

"You saw that?"

"It's hard not to see red blotches on a beak that's usually a light orange Shuku-chan."



~~~~*~~~~

"All right! Tenpura and shoyu dip! My favorite!" Selphie said gleefully at lunch. She then began to help herself to fried- shrimp and shoyu.

"Why do you like it so much?" asked Zell, who was about to stick a fourth shrimp on his chopstick and call it a shrimp-kabob.

"Why do you like shrimp-kabobs?"

"Why do you tempura?"

"Answer my question first."

"No way! I asked you first!"

"So? I asked you second!"

"Oooh you—"

"Stop quarreling you two."

Quisitis had emerged from the tent and was tapping her foot.

Squall and Rinoa were sitting on a log together, eating quietly. They were spotted by the chocobos.

"They look so cute together ya' know?" said Selphie's chocobo, Yekai.

"I know." Said Hana, Quisitis's chocobo.

"You aren't going to get any more ideas are you?" said Shifuku, Zell's chocobo.

"No because Shukumei and I have a plan already." The two mates had entered the conversation.

"Dang. I want to come up with all the ideas." Whined Yekai.

"Well too bad." Snorted Shukumei. "Unmei and I have been discussing this and we've come up with a way to get those two together!"

"They deserve each other!" cried Unmei dramatically.

"All right then," said Hana. "What's your plan?"





End of Chapter 1

Whoo. That took me about an hour to write. It's worth it though. I'll come up with the next chapter in a week or so. Later!