I'm back! I'm brown . . . and not so beautiful, but then again, I never
was! I had to play chocobo hot and cold to get some details for this
chapter. It's a lot shorter than I wanted, and it's really more of a
'filler' than anything else, but I like it! R&R!
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CHOCOBO FOREST
"Yah!" shouted Zidane. "Coming through!"
The boy skidded between two nobles, stopping them in their tracks. As he darted to the square, an equally fit and young noble boy burst through the two.
"Come back here you little thief!" he screeched, chasing the blond haired boy. "I'll teach you not to make me look bad!"
Zidane groaned inwardly as the noble started to catch him up. Somewhere along the lines, two guards had joined in the chase too. That was the last time he ever tried his charms on a girl that was already taken. The girl had found it hilarious when he had joked about her main partner. The boy however, hadn't been so amused. When he spotted the girl's necklace in the boy's pocket, well, the great chase of Treno had begun. Zidane jumped over the wall in landed in the square, and sprinted for the other stairs.
"There he is!" a familiar voice shouted.
"Oh no, no now!" moaned Zidane. Coming up the stairs was one of Treno's many thieving gangs. The tailed thief had been in Treno for over a year, and made quite a name for himself. Unfortunately, there were no 'lone' thieves in Treno, and several gangs had attempted to 'initialise' him into theirs. First they had tried words, and now, brute force.
Zidane backstepped into the square. He was surrounded, unless . . .
He flicked his head back. The gates weren't being guarded. Just a clean break of freedom.
He made his choice. He hated leaving the few things he owned, but he had no choice. He'd have to make do with what he had.
Taking one last glance at his home, he ran out the gates, leaving the nobles and the thieves to crash into one another.
* * *
The boy sighed as he stared out at the plains near the South Gate. He didn't have a map, he couldn't go back to Treno for a while, and he had no intention of going back to the Ice Cave. He'd barely survived last time! If it hadn't been for pops . . .
"Wait a minute!" Zidane said. "Pops said he came from somewhere called Lindblum. Maybe I should head there. It cant be that far if he was walking."
Zidane stood up, and tried to remember which way pops had walked a year ago. "Was it south? Maybe it was west . . . Oh who cares! I'll find someone and get directions!"
With that, the boy walked into the mist.
* * *
"Ooh, maybe this wasn't such a good idea" Zidane moaned, clutching his stomach. He hadn't had a meal for hours, and he hadn't seen anything vaguely resembling a town. Just then, he heard the strangest sound.
"Kweh!"
"Huh?" Zidane said, looking round. Finally, his eyes spotted a large shadow running along the plains.
"H-hey!" Zidane shouted, running after the shadow. "Wait up!"
* * *
The chocobo heard the voice behind her, and picked up her pace. She would not get caught like her son. Without looking behind her, she ran into the forest.
* * *
Zidane's eyes widened as he caught a good look at the creature. "A chocobo!" he exclaimed. "I wonder if it has an owner somewhere in those woods."
With no where else to go, Zidane followed the bird into the woods.
* * *
"Wow!" Zidane said. "This place is great!"
Although Zidane had lost track of the chocobo, he'd found himself in a bright forest, seemingly untouched by the fog outside. Every now and then, he heard a faint 'kweh' but couldn't pin point it. Finally, he reached the edge of a cliff, which looked into a bright clearing. On another ledge, was a young moogle.
Zidane was about to go and ask the moogle where he was, when a chocobo entered the clearing. Zidane recognised it as the same one that he had followed, but it seemed tired and beaten.
"Chica!" cried the moogle. "What happened?"
"Kweh" the chocobo sighed, collapsing to the ground.
"Where's choco kupo? Did someone take him away?" asked the Moogle, flying to the chocobo.
Without realising it, Zidane had crept to the edge of the cliff, and was transfixed by the moogle tending the bird's wounds. Just then though, Chica noticed the blonde thief and chirped in his direction.
"Hey! What are you doing up there?" shouted the moogle, flying up to the boy, clearly angry.
"Did you take Choco, kupo?" he asked.
"I don't know any choco!" shouted Zidane. I was just looking for directions. I saw the chocobo and followed it. That's it, honest!"
The moogle stared at Zidane for several seconds, then sighed. "You don't look like you're lying, sorry for suspecting you."
As the moogle flew back down to his friend, now slowly falling asleep, Zidane followed him.
"What happened to the chocobo? She looks exhausted," Zidane asked.
"Humans have been coming into the forest recently" explained the Moogle. "They've been catching the chocobo's here to ride or work. By the way, I'm Mene, and this is Chica."
"I'm Zidane. But why are they coming here? Can't you find chocobo's everywhere?"
Mene smiled. "Ah, but here is special. It's known as Chocobo Forest, and in the ground, there are strange maps drawn on stones. I call them chocographs.
They say these stones show the way to a 'Chocobo Heaven' So chocobo's all over the world come here, to try and find the stones."
"So its easier to find them here" translated Zidane.
Mene nodded, and looked down at Chica. "Chica's very old, kupo. Her mate was captured a few months ago. She and her son, Choco, escaped, but by the looks of things, they tried to catch her again. And Choco apparently, couldn't get away kupo."
Zidane stroked the bird's feathers. "That must be so hard, to lose your family like that."
Mene nodded. "You should always treasure what you have." Then he frowned. "But what about you? You seem too young to be out on your own, kupo. Won't your own family be worried about you?"
Zidane shrugged. "I don't remember my family. I hit my head about a year ago, and I only remember my name."
Mene's eyes widened as Zidane continued. "I figured I'd head to Lindblum. I have a friend who lives there. Maybe he can help me find 'em."
"Good luck kupo" answered Mene. "If you want to get to Lindblum, head west. When you reach Qu's Marsh, start heading south. You should hopefully reach it then. But if you get lost, you should be able to find someone to get directions. It's a pretty popular place kupo."
"Qu's marsh?" asked Zidane.
The moogle nodded. "If you're hungry, maybe you can catch a frog!"
Zidane turned green. "I think I'll pass."
Mene shrugged. "The Qu's think they're quite the delicacy. But I can understand why no one else would want to eat them.
The moogle tossed the boy a small bag from seemingly nowhere. "There's a kupo nut and some bread in there though. You look hungry."
Zidane smiled. "Thanks Mene" he said, and stood up. "I hope you find Choco. I wish I could help, but . . ."
"You have your own mission to finish" finished Mene. "But if you meet choco, let me know."
"Deal!" said Zidane, and walked out of the clearing, and into the mist plains.
* * *
As he left, Mene returned to tending for Chica. "Its humans like that, kupo, that will change Gaia one day."
"Kweh" answered Chica.
To be continued . . .
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Okay, considering I wrote this in a bad mood, it's not half bad. Ruby's story WILL be updated this week, not too sure about Guardian. In the next chapter, Zidane heads for Lindblum, but accidentally takes a small detour (come on. You didn't think he was going to go to Lindblum before he met Freya did you?)
And a note to all readers who live in Scotland. If you own Final Fantasy 8 (or any other game for that matter) that freezes during movie scenes etc., DON'T just take them to 'Game' and sell them, because sooner or later, someone (namely me) is going to buy them. So far, I've bought two preowned ff8's and they've BOTH frozen at different points. I can get my money back, but it costs cash to get TO the shops! I just want to finish it, its got great graphics, and an equally great storyline, but its lost on you if you have month long intervals in which you forget half the story!
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CHOCOBO FOREST
"Yah!" shouted Zidane. "Coming through!"
The boy skidded between two nobles, stopping them in their tracks. As he darted to the square, an equally fit and young noble boy burst through the two.
"Come back here you little thief!" he screeched, chasing the blond haired boy. "I'll teach you not to make me look bad!"
Zidane groaned inwardly as the noble started to catch him up. Somewhere along the lines, two guards had joined in the chase too. That was the last time he ever tried his charms on a girl that was already taken. The girl had found it hilarious when he had joked about her main partner. The boy however, hadn't been so amused. When he spotted the girl's necklace in the boy's pocket, well, the great chase of Treno had begun. Zidane jumped over the wall in landed in the square, and sprinted for the other stairs.
"There he is!" a familiar voice shouted.
"Oh no, no now!" moaned Zidane. Coming up the stairs was one of Treno's many thieving gangs. The tailed thief had been in Treno for over a year, and made quite a name for himself. Unfortunately, there were no 'lone' thieves in Treno, and several gangs had attempted to 'initialise' him into theirs. First they had tried words, and now, brute force.
Zidane backstepped into the square. He was surrounded, unless . . .
He flicked his head back. The gates weren't being guarded. Just a clean break of freedom.
He made his choice. He hated leaving the few things he owned, but he had no choice. He'd have to make do with what he had.
Taking one last glance at his home, he ran out the gates, leaving the nobles and the thieves to crash into one another.
* * *
The boy sighed as he stared out at the plains near the South Gate. He didn't have a map, he couldn't go back to Treno for a while, and he had no intention of going back to the Ice Cave. He'd barely survived last time! If it hadn't been for pops . . .
"Wait a minute!" Zidane said. "Pops said he came from somewhere called Lindblum. Maybe I should head there. It cant be that far if he was walking."
Zidane stood up, and tried to remember which way pops had walked a year ago. "Was it south? Maybe it was west . . . Oh who cares! I'll find someone and get directions!"
With that, the boy walked into the mist.
* * *
"Ooh, maybe this wasn't such a good idea" Zidane moaned, clutching his stomach. He hadn't had a meal for hours, and he hadn't seen anything vaguely resembling a town. Just then, he heard the strangest sound.
"Kweh!"
"Huh?" Zidane said, looking round. Finally, his eyes spotted a large shadow running along the plains.
"H-hey!" Zidane shouted, running after the shadow. "Wait up!"
* * *
The chocobo heard the voice behind her, and picked up her pace. She would not get caught like her son. Without looking behind her, she ran into the forest.
* * *
Zidane's eyes widened as he caught a good look at the creature. "A chocobo!" he exclaimed. "I wonder if it has an owner somewhere in those woods."
With no where else to go, Zidane followed the bird into the woods.
* * *
"Wow!" Zidane said. "This place is great!"
Although Zidane had lost track of the chocobo, he'd found himself in a bright forest, seemingly untouched by the fog outside. Every now and then, he heard a faint 'kweh' but couldn't pin point it. Finally, he reached the edge of a cliff, which looked into a bright clearing. On another ledge, was a young moogle.
Zidane was about to go and ask the moogle where he was, when a chocobo entered the clearing. Zidane recognised it as the same one that he had followed, but it seemed tired and beaten.
"Chica!" cried the moogle. "What happened?"
"Kweh" the chocobo sighed, collapsing to the ground.
"Where's choco kupo? Did someone take him away?" asked the Moogle, flying to the chocobo.
Without realising it, Zidane had crept to the edge of the cliff, and was transfixed by the moogle tending the bird's wounds. Just then though, Chica noticed the blonde thief and chirped in his direction.
"Hey! What are you doing up there?" shouted the moogle, flying up to the boy, clearly angry.
"Did you take Choco, kupo?" he asked.
"I don't know any choco!" shouted Zidane. I was just looking for directions. I saw the chocobo and followed it. That's it, honest!"
The moogle stared at Zidane for several seconds, then sighed. "You don't look like you're lying, sorry for suspecting you."
As the moogle flew back down to his friend, now slowly falling asleep, Zidane followed him.
"What happened to the chocobo? She looks exhausted," Zidane asked.
"Humans have been coming into the forest recently" explained the Moogle. "They've been catching the chocobo's here to ride or work. By the way, I'm Mene, and this is Chica."
"I'm Zidane. But why are they coming here? Can't you find chocobo's everywhere?"
Mene smiled. "Ah, but here is special. It's known as Chocobo Forest, and in the ground, there are strange maps drawn on stones. I call them chocographs.
They say these stones show the way to a 'Chocobo Heaven' So chocobo's all over the world come here, to try and find the stones."
"So its easier to find them here" translated Zidane.
Mene nodded, and looked down at Chica. "Chica's very old, kupo. Her mate was captured a few months ago. She and her son, Choco, escaped, but by the looks of things, they tried to catch her again. And Choco apparently, couldn't get away kupo."
Zidane stroked the bird's feathers. "That must be so hard, to lose your family like that."
Mene nodded. "You should always treasure what you have." Then he frowned. "But what about you? You seem too young to be out on your own, kupo. Won't your own family be worried about you?"
Zidane shrugged. "I don't remember my family. I hit my head about a year ago, and I only remember my name."
Mene's eyes widened as Zidane continued. "I figured I'd head to Lindblum. I have a friend who lives there. Maybe he can help me find 'em."
"Good luck kupo" answered Mene. "If you want to get to Lindblum, head west. When you reach Qu's Marsh, start heading south. You should hopefully reach it then. But if you get lost, you should be able to find someone to get directions. It's a pretty popular place kupo."
"Qu's marsh?" asked Zidane.
The moogle nodded. "If you're hungry, maybe you can catch a frog!"
Zidane turned green. "I think I'll pass."
Mene shrugged. "The Qu's think they're quite the delicacy. But I can understand why no one else would want to eat them.
The moogle tossed the boy a small bag from seemingly nowhere. "There's a kupo nut and some bread in there though. You look hungry."
Zidane smiled. "Thanks Mene" he said, and stood up. "I hope you find Choco. I wish I could help, but . . ."
"You have your own mission to finish" finished Mene. "But if you meet choco, let me know."
"Deal!" said Zidane, and walked out of the clearing, and into the mist plains.
* * *
As he left, Mene returned to tending for Chica. "Its humans like that, kupo, that will change Gaia one day."
"Kweh" answered Chica.
To be continued . . .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Okay, considering I wrote this in a bad mood, it's not half bad. Ruby's story WILL be updated this week, not too sure about Guardian. In the next chapter, Zidane heads for Lindblum, but accidentally takes a small detour (come on. You didn't think he was going to go to Lindblum before he met Freya did you?)
And a note to all readers who live in Scotland. If you own Final Fantasy 8 (or any other game for that matter) that freezes during movie scenes etc., DON'T just take them to 'Game' and sell them, because sooner or later, someone (namely me) is going to buy them. So far, I've bought two preowned ff8's and they've BOTH frozen at different points. I can get my money back, but it costs cash to get TO the shops! I just want to finish it, its got great graphics, and an equally great storyline, but its lost on you if you have month long intervals in which you forget half the story!