AN: Sorry that last chapter was so confusing ^^;;; the first part was meant to be her running away from home, and then the end bit was meant to reflect that a little. The middle part was just a…dream! You know how things can switch and stuff like that? Anyway ^^;;; here's chapter 2!

Chapter 2: Cockatrices and Chocobos

I walked the endless fields day after day, wandering aimlessly around to unknown destinations. I didn't know what to do with myself. I had lost everything I had ever known: my friends, my…family, my home…

'Seifer…' my mind was once again thinking of him. It had been ages since I last seen him. Even then our meeting hadn't been one of joy. That was the time I left. Thinking back to it, I didn't quite know why I left. Everything was so sudden. That dream had shattered me completely, but now that I've run away, I want to go back. I wanted to go back to Seifer and my friends. But I didn't know my way back. I had walked for days in no particular direction. I was tired and was completely unaware of where I was.

From where I was standing I could see a herd of beasts running through the trails of their ancestors. I had noticed the temperature getting colder during the night. I guess winter is on its way, and in knew that things would get very, very difficult soon.

The wind began to pick up around me, rustling its way through the grass. It brushed my hair around my face. I remembered back to the day that I first met him. The breeze had been exactly like this, I had been staring out over the endless grass and blue skies, and he had been standing at that…

Were my eyes deceiving me? Or was there someone standing not that far away from me waving a weapon in the sunlight?

'Seifer?' I ran over to where the person was standing to get a better look. 'This brings back memories…' But to my disappointment, it wasn't the boy I had hoped it'd be. The boy was much taller and had dark skin. He held a long staff in his hand and I could sense that he had magic. The young man had short black hair and wore a sleeveless jacket.

Suddenly I heard a bird call. "WARK!" it called. I looked around again and saw a giant yellow bird. A chocobo! The bird distracted the boy and he looked round at me.

"Who are you ya know?" he had a deep voice with a slight accent.

"Me?" I questioned.

"Yeah you ya know." I paused for a moment, but he cut me off as he spoke again. "You want a ride ya know?" I nodded in approval. I walked over to him and thanked him gratefully. He picked me up unexpectedly and sat me down on the back of the chocobo. He then got up and sat behind me. The chocobo immediately began to start running.

I had never ridden on a chocobo before and I would have felt more comfortable if there had been something to hold on to! I grabbed a handful of yellow feathers in my hands and squeezed my legs around the side of the bird. But that was not a good idea. The chocobo warked again and began to pick up his pace. I started to feel myself slip, but a strong pair of warm hands placed themselves on my hips to prevent me from falling. I shot my head backward to look up at the kind stranger. He was smiling and chuckling to himself.

"You gotta hold on tight ya know. But don't squeeze her belly ya know."

"Ok…" I mumbled.

"Don't worry. I'll keep a hold of ya." I thanked him and turned my head back to the fields. His hands kept their place on my hips and I had now fear of falling now. I needed to thank the boy for giving me a lift, although I had forgotten to ask him where we were going…

'Oh well. Anything would be better than here, wondering aimlessly in the empty world. I thought as the gentle bouncing of our bird moved my body. The world really was an endless land of an empty void that nothing could satisfy. We always wanted more than we could handle. The hole in my heart was getting bigger everyday, and I kept looking for something to fill it, and for some reason I came here to find it. I didn't know why. I had spent of much of my life, wandering from place to place, forever searching for something to please the growing gap inside my soul.

I longed for some comfort and some relief from this world. Everything that I knew I lost very early on. I never had anything to build on. I always had to scramble around for a foundation. I thought that I had found that at the orphanage. But that too crumbled, forcing me to start over.

I felt myself lurch forward as I woke out of my reverie. The boy behind me was wildly steering the chocobo in a crazy direction. I heard a cry from behind, and I looked to see that squawk belonged to a cockatrice. And not just one, but a whole flock of them were savagely trailing behind us. I heard the boy curse from above my head. My support suddenly disappeared and I felt as though I'd fall immediately. But I soon regained my balance as the boy's arm came roughly around my waist.

"Hold on ya know!" He leaned forward and stretched his free arm to steer the panicking chocobo. I looked back in fear to see the printing bird even nearer than the last time I looked. I knew we were going to get caught at this rate.

'If I could free my pinwheel, I could cut down the lot.' The chocobo tumbled again and the grip around my waist was freed. Everything happened so fast I didn't quite know how I got there, I but ended up on the hard, grassy ground. The cockatrice's had halted before me and were eyeing my vulnerable flesh. I grabbed my pinwheel from my back and let it fly through the air. A few cockatrice's fell, but I realised that that was what they wanted. As soon as my beloved weapon had left my fingers, they recommenced their onslaught. All of them screeched and ran after me as I fled. I heard my pinwheel coming and I held out my to receive it. But it never came. I heard more bird carnage fall to the ground, but the pinwheel never returned to my fingers.

I turned round as I heard the fleet come to a stop. My mouth hung in fear as I saw one of the flying demons holding it in its mouth. 'How could it have stopped it? That would slice through anything that it touched while it was in flight. The lead cockatrice stepped forward planting its claws in the dirt. It ruffled its feathered head and spread it's wings. It bellowed in my ears and beared it's sharp teeth. I closed my eyes waiting for death to come. Maybe I could finally rest and find what I've been looking for…

Again nothing came. I heard more shrieks and I opened my eyes. The leader lay dead at my feet, with a spear through its neck. I looked up and saw the dark boy standing upon a high rock in the plain.

"You ok?" The herd screeched as their leader had fallen. The one captive of my pinwheel dropped it to the ground. I scampered forward forgetting that they were there. "You idiot ya know!" I heard the boy shout in anger. I ignored it and dived to the ground to retrieve my weapon. The monster above me opened its mouth about to screech in my face, but no sound was heard as I shoved my blades into its neck. It fell forward as I ran back to safety. The boy was collecting his spear from the dead leader as I made my way out of the confused and now retreating herd. I released my pinwheel again, knocking down the defenceless flock of scaly birds.

I turned round and looked in victory over the running birds. The pinwheel whirled through the air and returned to my hand exactly as I knew it would. I took one last look at the distant fleeing birds and the rotting carcasses on the ground and walked back to my rescuer.

"What were you doing ya know?" he sounded angry.

"Getting my weapon back!" I argued. He shook his head and looked away. A familiar 'wark' revealed a hiding chocobo walking from around the back of the rock.

"Get on." he grumbled. He lifted me back up and we continued our journey. Silence over took us as our destination came into sight. "Welcome to Esthar ya know." I could see every building top from our current position. I had never seen so many buildings all in one place. My friend spoke again. "What's you're name kid?"

"Fujin."

"Rajin." He patted me on the shoulder. "Well Fujin…You're a good fighter ya know?"

"Thanks." I had never really been complemented much before. But I liked it. We continued our journey in silence once more as we neared the city of skyscrapers.