Tidus took off, riding his bird to go faster and faster. He'd gone a
third of the way across the Calm Lands before he realized that Traum wasn't
following him. He decided to go back.
Traum sat perfectly still, as did his chocobo. Both had their eyes closed and their heads cocked to the side.
"What is it? What's the matter?" Lulu questioned.
"Shhh!" Auron silenced her hurriedly. "They hear something."
Tidus came stomping back towards the group at full speed. He came to a stop just before them. "What's going on?"
"Shut up for a second." Auron replied with minimal tone.
Traum and Cirri snapped out of it. Traum, after a long pause, finally said, "He's coming."
"Who, Traum? Who's coming?" Tidus asked, now concerned.
"He who is to chocobo like I to men." Traum replied, quietly and quizzically.
"What?" Tidus asked in confusion.
"He is inevitable. All you do is anger him more by trying to stop him." Traum continued.
"I don't follow." Tidus admitted.
Rikku slapped him. "Listen, Numb Nuts, it doesn't matter. He's coming for us!"
"But we already killed it," Auron said. "Long ago on our journey."
Traum smiled. "You cannot kill him." He grunted a laugh. "Tidus, off the chocobo. We must leave here now."
Auron was confused. "Traum?"
"I said we need to leave. Everyone back to the airship, now!"
"Dad!" Rikku said, communicating with the airship. "We need a lift!"
"On my way!" Cid yelled back. "Yee haw!"
"Okay," said Rikku. "We're good to go."
"Not soon enough," Traum said calmly.
Before anyone could ask, a thunderous roar filled their ears. Over the hilltop, they saw it. A stocky mass, with giant arms and no neck. But this time, it had changed. Instead of the old greenish-blue, its skin was now blood red. It's eyes, teeth, and veins, all black.
They all wished they'd listened sooner. Traum had been right. No one had doubted that. But this was far from the same old Chocobo Eater.
**********************************************************************
Rikku, Yuna, and Tidus had all fainted. Traum caught Rikku, and Lulu saved Yuna. Tidus hit the ground with a hard smack.
With a mix of panic and sarcasm, Lulu said, "I thought you were fast, Traum?" as she nodded toward Tidus.
Traum replied calmly, "Who said I cared?" He smiled, but then turned back, for the first time looking concerned and determined. "Everyone head back the way we came and wait for Cid!" He jumped onto Cirri and yelled, "Come on, boy! Let's kick his ass!"
As the others watched, before their very eyes, the bird and its rider shot straight into the sky.
"What the hell?" gasped Lulu. Auron simply smiled, and Kimahri was as stone-faced as ever. Rikku began to stir.
"W...what's going on?" She looked up to see a dark shape in the sky. "Huh? Hey, that kinda looks like a..." She paused as the bird plummeted toward the ground. From two hundred feet up, the bird fell, and fell, and fell. "Oh, Yevon, it's gonna hit the ground!" Rikku cried out. The instant before contact, mere inches from the ground, the bird pulled up and headed right for the monster.
Rikku shot straight up. She ran to where the bird had barely saved itself. As she reached it, the trench coat hit the ground. She stared in shock. "Oh no..." she whispered. The bright sun shone off them, sitting on the black leather of the coat, he obsidian lenses completely opaque. With a mist in her eyes now, Rikku picked them up. As she suddenly forgot everything else around her, she peered at them, and then put them on.
Traum sat perfectly still, as did his chocobo. Both had their eyes closed and their heads cocked to the side.
"What is it? What's the matter?" Lulu questioned.
"Shhh!" Auron silenced her hurriedly. "They hear something."
Tidus came stomping back towards the group at full speed. He came to a stop just before them. "What's going on?"
"Shut up for a second." Auron replied with minimal tone.
Traum and Cirri snapped out of it. Traum, after a long pause, finally said, "He's coming."
"Who, Traum? Who's coming?" Tidus asked, now concerned.
"He who is to chocobo like I to men." Traum replied, quietly and quizzically.
"What?" Tidus asked in confusion.
"He is inevitable. All you do is anger him more by trying to stop him." Traum continued.
"I don't follow." Tidus admitted.
Rikku slapped him. "Listen, Numb Nuts, it doesn't matter. He's coming for us!"
"But we already killed it," Auron said. "Long ago on our journey."
Traum smiled. "You cannot kill him." He grunted a laugh. "Tidus, off the chocobo. We must leave here now."
Auron was confused. "Traum?"
"I said we need to leave. Everyone back to the airship, now!"
"Dad!" Rikku said, communicating with the airship. "We need a lift!"
"On my way!" Cid yelled back. "Yee haw!"
"Okay," said Rikku. "We're good to go."
"Not soon enough," Traum said calmly.
Before anyone could ask, a thunderous roar filled their ears. Over the hilltop, they saw it. A stocky mass, with giant arms and no neck. But this time, it had changed. Instead of the old greenish-blue, its skin was now blood red. It's eyes, teeth, and veins, all black.
They all wished they'd listened sooner. Traum had been right. No one had doubted that. But this was far from the same old Chocobo Eater.
**********************************************************************
Rikku, Yuna, and Tidus had all fainted. Traum caught Rikku, and Lulu saved Yuna. Tidus hit the ground with a hard smack.
With a mix of panic and sarcasm, Lulu said, "I thought you were fast, Traum?" as she nodded toward Tidus.
Traum replied calmly, "Who said I cared?" He smiled, but then turned back, for the first time looking concerned and determined. "Everyone head back the way we came and wait for Cid!" He jumped onto Cirri and yelled, "Come on, boy! Let's kick his ass!"
As the others watched, before their very eyes, the bird and its rider shot straight into the sky.
"What the hell?" gasped Lulu. Auron simply smiled, and Kimahri was as stone-faced as ever. Rikku began to stir.
"W...what's going on?" She looked up to see a dark shape in the sky. "Huh? Hey, that kinda looks like a..." She paused as the bird plummeted toward the ground. From two hundred feet up, the bird fell, and fell, and fell. "Oh, Yevon, it's gonna hit the ground!" Rikku cried out. The instant before contact, mere inches from the ground, the bird pulled up and headed right for the monster.
Rikku shot straight up. She ran to where the bird had barely saved itself. As she reached it, the trench coat hit the ground. She stared in shock. "Oh no..." she whispered. The bright sun shone off them, sitting on the black leather of the coat, he obsidian lenses completely opaque. With a mist in her eyes now, Rikku picked them up. As she suddenly forgot everything else around her, she peered at them, and then put them on.