The sun beat down onto the open grassland. A gentle breeze was
blowing on and off, keeping them partially cool.
"Auron, would you tell us who's racing already?" Rikku pleaded.
"Well, you *know* who one of the contestants will be." Auron smiled. Everyone looked at Traum, who in turn took a bow. "And the other..." he trailed off. He motioned to the breeder, who brought forward a big yellow chocobo.
The group looked at Auron, not believing. Finally, Yuna stepped forward. "Sir Auron, you intend for Traum to race this bird? We already know he's faster."
"Lady Yuna, I have every intention of leveling the playing field." Auron stepped over to the bird. "When Traum and I first started working together after my excommunication, this is how we made money. We'd bet travelers that Traum could beat the bird. And it worked every time. But now, I want to see if I can trip him up. I've been waiting a very long time for this."
"Then let's at least hope it's fun to watch." Yuna finished.
"Aren't I always?" Traum spoke up, smirking.
"Indeed," Lulu scoffed. Rikku just smiled. Wakka and Tidus were scratching their heads.
"So, like, who's gonna ride the bird, ya?" Wakka wondered.
"I was hoping Tidus would give it a shot. You've done it before, right Tidus?" Auron asked.
"Uh...yeah. Of course. Sure, I'll do it."
"Alright," Auron continued. "Just give me a minute to explain the rules, and then the race will begin."
The anticipation was almost unbearable. But not because anyone was unsure of the outcome. They all wanted to see how Auron planned on slowing down Traum. Even Traum himself was curious as to what Auron had in store. Rikku and Wakka looked excited. Yuna looked as impatient as ever. Lulu was somewhere in between. Tidus began preparing himself for the ride. Auron just smiled lightly, collecting his thoughts.
"Auron!" Rikku pleaded. "C'mon, tell us already. I'm dyin' here."
"Alright," Auron began again, "here's what's going to happen." He pointed to the chocobo. "Tidus, would you care to mount your stead?"
Tidus nodded with a grin. "Yee haw! Ride like the wind!" Tidus yelled as he hopped onto the awkward animal.
Auron looked at him. "Without the noise and theatrics, please?" Tidus sank down, looking slightly disappointed, but strangely not embarrassed.
"What's the surprise?" Rikku begged. She knew she sounded half her age, but she really didn't care.
"This," Auron said. He suddenly whistled. The group heard a small clattering, a squawk, then finally saw the black bird coming toward them over the mountain.
"A black chocobo?" Wakka asked.
"Actually," Lulu noticed, "it looks more like a dark silver." As she finished speaking, she noticed that Auron and Traum were looking at each other. She couldn't read either's expression. "Is something wrong?"
"How?" Traum asked, still expressionless.
"Ever since that day," Auron began, "I've been waiting for this. But you took longer than expected. And Cirri here, well, just because you won't age doesn't mean he won't."
"It's been too long," Traum said quietly. He stepped over to the bird. "But I see your age has made you look quite majestic. And yet, I..." Traum paused, lifted a lock of his own hair, and let it slip through his fingers. "I have nothing." He looked to the ground, reminded of all he had lost in his many lifetimes. "Cirri, I fear this will be our last contest. Let's make it count." He smiled. "Okay, Auron. Let's go."
As Traum climbed on his chocobo's back, Auron nodded. He was about to set them off. "On your mark, get set, g..."
"Wait! That's it? That's the surprised?" Yuna asked, vexed.
"Why not?" Auron said. "It's quite a surprise to Traum. And I think it greatly evens things, since Traum won't be using his own speed."
"Fine, whatever. Get it done with." Yuna gave up.
"Alright. On your mark, get set...go!"
"Auron, would you tell us who's racing already?" Rikku pleaded.
"Well, you *know* who one of the contestants will be." Auron smiled. Everyone looked at Traum, who in turn took a bow. "And the other..." he trailed off. He motioned to the breeder, who brought forward a big yellow chocobo.
The group looked at Auron, not believing. Finally, Yuna stepped forward. "Sir Auron, you intend for Traum to race this bird? We already know he's faster."
"Lady Yuna, I have every intention of leveling the playing field." Auron stepped over to the bird. "When Traum and I first started working together after my excommunication, this is how we made money. We'd bet travelers that Traum could beat the bird. And it worked every time. But now, I want to see if I can trip him up. I've been waiting a very long time for this."
"Then let's at least hope it's fun to watch." Yuna finished.
"Aren't I always?" Traum spoke up, smirking.
"Indeed," Lulu scoffed. Rikku just smiled. Wakka and Tidus were scratching their heads.
"So, like, who's gonna ride the bird, ya?" Wakka wondered.
"I was hoping Tidus would give it a shot. You've done it before, right Tidus?" Auron asked.
"Uh...yeah. Of course. Sure, I'll do it."
"Alright," Auron continued. "Just give me a minute to explain the rules, and then the race will begin."
The anticipation was almost unbearable. But not because anyone was unsure of the outcome. They all wanted to see how Auron planned on slowing down Traum. Even Traum himself was curious as to what Auron had in store. Rikku and Wakka looked excited. Yuna looked as impatient as ever. Lulu was somewhere in between. Tidus began preparing himself for the ride. Auron just smiled lightly, collecting his thoughts.
"Auron!" Rikku pleaded. "C'mon, tell us already. I'm dyin' here."
"Alright," Auron began again, "here's what's going to happen." He pointed to the chocobo. "Tidus, would you care to mount your stead?"
Tidus nodded with a grin. "Yee haw! Ride like the wind!" Tidus yelled as he hopped onto the awkward animal.
Auron looked at him. "Without the noise and theatrics, please?" Tidus sank down, looking slightly disappointed, but strangely not embarrassed.
"What's the surprise?" Rikku begged. She knew she sounded half her age, but she really didn't care.
"This," Auron said. He suddenly whistled. The group heard a small clattering, a squawk, then finally saw the black bird coming toward them over the mountain.
"A black chocobo?" Wakka asked.
"Actually," Lulu noticed, "it looks more like a dark silver." As she finished speaking, she noticed that Auron and Traum were looking at each other. She couldn't read either's expression. "Is something wrong?"
"How?" Traum asked, still expressionless.
"Ever since that day," Auron began, "I've been waiting for this. But you took longer than expected. And Cirri here, well, just because you won't age doesn't mean he won't."
"It's been too long," Traum said quietly. He stepped over to the bird. "But I see your age has made you look quite majestic. And yet, I..." Traum paused, lifted a lock of his own hair, and let it slip through his fingers. "I have nothing." He looked to the ground, reminded of all he had lost in his many lifetimes. "Cirri, I fear this will be our last contest. Let's make it count." He smiled. "Okay, Auron. Let's go."
As Traum climbed on his chocobo's back, Auron nodded. He was about to set them off. "On your mark, get set, g..."
"Wait! That's it? That's the surprised?" Yuna asked, vexed.
"Why not?" Auron said. "It's quite a surprise to Traum. And I think it greatly evens things, since Traum won't be using his own speed."
"Fine, whatever. Get it done with." Yuna gave up.
"Alright. On your mark, get set...go!"