NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS

Another chapter, another chapter… glad to be back in the swing of things. That's probably because we're getting close to the introduction of my second-face character in this game (after Cloud). Just wanted to let you all know that I'm modifying the 'How-To-Catch-A-Chocobo' section. A lot of originality in this chapter. That's all.


Final Fantasy VII

Emerald Princess of Vernea

Part Three: Chocobos, Parades… And A Ninja

Chapter Thirty-One

It was a fairly long journey across the Midgar Plains towards the eastern part of the continent. Cloud and his team headed east across the plains. On their way they had to pass through a large valley that ran between two sets of mountains. They mountains to their right were the mountains that divided the whole of the continent, separating Midgar and Kalm from the other towns that lay hidden on the other side.

As they reached the mountains, the three stopped and turned to look behind them. In the far distance they could see Midgar – a solitary dark soul in the middle of the vast, dying land. It looked so alone where it stood, and they could only imagine the panic that would be sweeping through the citizens of the city now. The Shinra would probably be doing all they could to try and cover up the incidents of the tower, but who knew where the new Shinra President would be. He had flown off after his battle with Cloud, and Cloud got the feeling Rufus wouldn't be there for his father's funeral.

Aeris stepped forward and waved gently at the city. This was probably the last time she would see Midgar for a while, or her mother. She hoped that Elmyra had managed to get away from Midgar and was safe. As she stood there she got the feeling that Barret had also stood here and looked at Midgar, praying that little Marlene was also safe. When she was done looking she turned back to Cloud and Tifa, and they headed off once again, saying goodbye to Midgar one final time.

Unfortunately their journey was not as easy as their journey to Kalm had been. A few monsters blocked their path as they went through the mountains, but they were easily dealt with. With each monster that went down, none of them could help but think of the capsules Cloud had told them about, wondering just how many monsters in the world the Shinra had actually produced.

They soon emerged from the valley and into the open plains in the eastern part of the continent known as the Choco Plains. They were called the 'Choco Plains' because they were reputed as being the number one breeding land for Chocobos. Of course Chocobos bred all over the world, but there were very few plains where the Chocobos were free to breed without much threat from hungry monsters.

As they entered the plains, they were surprised to see very few Chocobos running around like they had expected. The Chocobos they could see were few and far between, and certainly seemed to be keeping their distance from Cloud and the others. It was almost as though they were scared. Which was strange, because Chocobos were usually very friendly.

They continued on their way across the Choco Plains, eventually beginning to head south towards the mountains, for there were no other towns in that part of the continent except for a farm that was not too far away from where they were.

As they headed south they saw the mountains gradually drawing closer to them, and saw that the land surrounding the base of the mountains was different from the grassy plains they were standing in. The short blades of grass turned into a thick marsh covered in large stalks of dying weeds, shielding what lay hidden beneath them. One thing was for sure: it wasn't a very hospitable looking place.

Barret and Red XIII were already waiting for them there, standing at the entrance of the marsh and trying to see through the long weeds. The weeds were so tall they nearly towered over Barret, and were so thick that they couldn't see more than a few feet into the marsh.

"Yo, Cloud!" Barret called, turning as he heard Cloud and the others approaching. He nodded his head towards the marsh. "Looks we ain't goin' this way through. Don't look like nothin' could get through there."

Cloud, Aeris and Tifa came to a stop at the edge of the marsh beside Barret and Red XIII, and looked out at the marsh. Looking down they could see the ground becoming swampy around where the weeds grew, thick and choking.

"You don't suppose Sephiroth went through this marsh, did he?" asked Aeris. She sniffed deeply and a terrible stench from the marsh hit her nose. She curled her lip in disgust. The smell was terrible – it smelt of mud and dirt and who knew what else.

"Maybe," Cloud said, tapping his foot against the grass. "This is the only way I know that leads to the other side of the mountain. We'll have to cross…"

"At any rate, I don't believe it would be a good idea to cross the marsh on foot," said Red XIII. He climbed to his feet again and walked past Cloud and Tifa, looking out towards the farm that stood a little way away. "Perhaps we should go there and see if there is any other way to cross the marsh."

The others all nodded in agreement, before they turned and headed off towards the farm. They walked away from the marshes in the direction of the farm, but Cloud remained at the edge of the marshes a few moments more, looking across the large plain of dying weeds towards the foot of the mountain.

Cloud frowned. He knew Sephiroth had passed through those marshes – he could almost feel it. He could feel Sephiroth's presence in the air hanging around him, along with the deep hatred that he bore inside. He quickly turned away from the marsh and began to run after the others. And as he ran off, a loud and agonising cry of pain and anguish echoed from deep within the marshes, but Cloud didn't hear it.


Chocobo Farm

The farm that they had spotted was actually a Chocobo Farm, owned by an old man and his grandson. The farm was built specifically to tame and hire out Chocobos for travellers wanting to cross the marshes or travel towards Midgar. The land that the farm was built on had once been a battleground a number of years ago during the last war. The consequences of that battle had led to the ground around the farm becoming lush, and Chocobos began to breed there. Thus the farm was founded, and Chocobos flourished.

There were a number of Chocobos already gathered within the farm, with about four or five of them standing in the large pen in the middle of the farm, enjoying the sunshine. They looked up as Cloud and his friends entered the farm, intrigued by their presence.

"Wark!" one of the Chocobos squawked at Cloud as he walked past the pen. Cloud stopped and looked up. The Chocobo walked over and stuck its head over the bar, leaning over as close to Cloud as it could reach. It flicked its yellow head back. "Wark? Warkwark? Wark?"

Cloud blinked. He was completely baffled by the Chocobo's sudden interest in him, but he wasn't sure what the Chocobo was asking of him. The Chocobo wouldn't give up though. It stamped its feet against the sandy floor of its pen and flicked its head back and forth, demanding an answer. Cloud scratched his head. "…Wark," he said.

That answer seemed to be enough for the Chocobo. "Wark-----" it said.

All at once all of the Chocobos in the enclosure fell silent, and Cloud and the others stared. Then, all at once, the Chocobos suddenly began to dance. Each and every Chocobo standing in the pen suddenly began to do the exact same things – bobbing their heads, fluttering their wings, jumping off the ground and landing daintily back on the ground again. It was a peculiar sight to see – Chocobos dancing in unison.

By the time the dance was over, the Chocobos all returned to their usual state, carrying on with what they were doing before as though nothing had happened. Only the first Chocobo close to Cloud remained where it was. It squawked at Cloud happily, before it suddenly dipped its head low behind the wooden bars and began to dig at the dirt with its claws. It dug up a small hole in the ground, and then stuck its head in the hole. It came back up a few seconds later, with something red and shiny in its beak. It flicked the object carefully through the bars of its pen, and Cloud caught it and looked down at it.

It was a piece of Materia – a very rare piece of Materia. Cloud lifted it up and looked inside the red sphere. Through its semi-translucent surface he could see the faint image of a Chocobo inside of it, along with a small figure on its back. He knew just what kind of Materia this was. The materia must have been buried under the earth after the war, and the Chocobos must have dug it back up.

"Summon Materia," Cloud said to the others. He lifted up the blade of his sword where more materia slots were, and quickly slotted it in. Summon materia could be very useful – when used correctly.

They soon left the marshes behind them and headed up to the main farmhouse. The door had been left wide open, and they could hear the sound of muttering inside. Slowly Cloud walked through the open door, leaving the others outside to wait (Aeris was already busy petting one of the other Chocobos in the pen).

Once inside, Cloud could see the source of the muttering. It was coming from an old man – Choco Bill, the owner of the farm – who was standing in the kitchen beside the sink, talking quietly to himself. He didn't notice Cloud at first, and carried on talking to himself about Chocobos. Cloud coughed loudly to get his attention. The old man looked up and took off his hat, squinting through his eyes to see Cloud. He wasn't old, in age, but years of weathering from his farming had aged his skin.

"Thinking of crossing the marshes?" he asked with a country accent.

Cloud blinked. He wasn't wasting any time in getting to the point. "Yeah," he replied.

"Hmm," Old Choco Bill said, nodding his head. He put his hat down on the table. "Then it'll probably be safer for you to get a Chocobo," he told him. He walked over to the kitchen window, which overlooked the marshes by the mountain, and looked out at them. "Then, you can zip through the marshes with the Chocobo. It's the only way to avoid being attacked by the Midgar Zolom."

"Midgar Zolom…?" asked Cloud, confused.

Choco Bill nodded again and turned away from the window. "It's a serpent-like creature 30 feet tall!!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms to emphasise the size of the creature. "It picks up on footsteps that enter the marshes… And then, BAM!! It attacks!!!" He slammed his hand on the table, making Cloud jump. He then picked up his hat and placed it on his head again with a certain flicker of pride, and then began to speak like a salesman. "To avoid that, buy a Chocobo at the Choco Bill & Choco Billy Chocobo Farm. To purchase a Chocobo, please talk to my grandson. He's in the Chocobo stables at the far right end of the farm."

Cloud nodded and turned back towards the door.

"By the way," Choco Bill added suddenly. Cloud stopped and looked back at him. "There was another person heading towards the Marshes. Without a Chocobo, the Midgar Zolom probably got him." He crossed his arms and looked up thoughtfully. "It was a man in a Black Cape."

That caught Cloud's attention. He stared at Choco Bill. At least that confirmed his suspicions – Sephiroth HAD crossed the marshes and was heading to the other side of the continent. He also got the feeling that Sephiroth was not going to have any trouble handling the Midgar Zolom, however big it was.

He went outside, and he and Barret headed to the stables, leaving Aeris with her herd of Chocobos that had come to her to be petted. Sure enough as Cloud entered he spotted the grandson, Choco Billy, tending to an empty stable near the back of the barn. He was only young, about twelve or maybe thirteen years old. The boy looked up as he heard the creak of the barn door and eyed Cloud and Barret over with a quick, fleeting glance.

"Do you want a Chocobo?" he asked, speaking with a strong country accent like his grandfather. He looked at Cloud very curiously, as though he had never seen a man with a sword or a man with a gun-arm before in the country.

"Hmm……" Cloud muttered, also looking the boy over. "Give me one."

Choco Billy turned away and picked up a bucket of a peculiar vegetable. He walked over to another stable, carrying the bucket with him. "You old folks are out of luck!"

Cloud tilted his head. "Old folks…?" he scratched his head, confused. He could understand Choco Billy looking at Barret and calling him an 'old folk', but he was only twenty-one… How did that classify him as an 'old folk'?

"We're all out of Chocobos," Choco Billy continued, ignoring Cloud's puzzled face and Barret's angry, staring glance and shaking fists. "I'm taking care of those ones out there for someone else." He put down the pale by another stable and began to scoop out the wheat into a pail beside it. He then stopped and turned to Cloud and Barret. "You know, if you really want a Chocobo, you should go out and catch on. Want to know how to catch a Chocobo?"

Cloud and Barret both glanced at each other with a look that clearly said they weren't particularly interested in being lectured by a kid. But then, neither of them really knew a thing about Chocobos. "How do I catch one?" Cloud asked eventually, swallowing his pride for a moment.

Choco Billy grinned and climbed up onto the top of the stable bars, and leaned against the pole. "There are loads of wild Chocobos in this area," he explained, grabbing a length of straw from the edge of the stable and chewing it. "However they're mighty timid and a pain to catch when they're not tame. If you get a wild one angry, run like hell before you get a chunk taken outta ya."

He then suddenly jumped down from the bar and pulled out one of the peculiar green vegetables in the bucket he'd been carrying, and threw it over to Cloud. "That there is a Gysahl Green," he said. "Greens are Chocobos favourite food. If you want to catch a Chocobo, you gotta keep it from running by feeding it Greens. That should stall it long enough for you to catch it. Once you're on a Chocobo it's pretty easy to get it under your control – just keep on it until it learns that you're in control. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. Oh, and one more thing," he added. "Once you get off a Chocobo, it'll run off back to its home. So, you gonna try? We have a variety of Greens, but Gysahl Greens are the cheapest at 20 Gil."

Cloud bought a couple of Gysahl Greens, and he and Barret headed back out to the others. After explaining what they needed to do to catch a Chocobo to the others, they left the farm and went back out to the plains.

Whatever had scared the Chocobos before had obviously left now, for there were a few more Chocobos roaming around the perimeter of the farm. They were, of course, wary of Cloud and his group as they approached, and very slowly and cautiously backed off away from them.

"How many are we going to have to catch?" asked Tifa, as they stood on the edge of the Chocobo field, looking back at the wary Chocobos.

Cloud tapped his foot against the ground and folded his arms. "I think, to get us all five of us across the marsh, we're going to need at least three Chocobos." He looked at the Greens he held in his hands. "I hope we have enough of this stuff."

"Three will not be necessary," Red XIII said suddenly. Cloud turned. "I am able to run through the marsh without any trouble I will be able to outrun any serpent."

Cloud nodded, and turned back to the Chocobos. "Well, I guess those two will do," he said, pointing to a pair of sturdy-looking Chocobos standing nearby, pecking at the ground. "We'll have to give them the Greens first, and then Tifa and I will try and mount them while they're distracted."

"And what the hell should we do?" Barret demanded.

"Barret, you, Red XIII and Aeris can help herd the Chocobos and prevent them from running if we can't get them," Cloud said. "Just be careful not to get attacked." He turned to Tifa. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," replied Tifa.

The group then parted ways and spread out around the two Chocobos that they were targeting. Barret, Aeris and Red XIII spread out in a wide circle around the two Chocobos, while Cloud and Tifa advanced slowly towards the Chocobos, each of them with a Gysahl Green in their hand.

One of the Chocobos looked up as they approached, and stared directly at Cloud and Tifa through its large eyes. It made a squawking sound and the two stopped in their tracks, freezing until the Chocobo was more relaxed at their presence. The calmer the Chocobos were, the easier it would be to capture them. After a moment or two the Chocobo fluttered its wings and lowered its head again. Only then did Cloud and Tifa begin to advance again.

The second Chocobo then suddenly lifted its head and stared at them, and Cloud froze again. Only Tifa continued to advance, taking small, delicate steps towards the bird. The Chocobo tilted its head at her but did not seem to be panicked by her presence, so she kept on advancing, until she was within reach of the creature.

Very carefully she extended her arm, holding out the Gysahl Greens with it to the Chocobo. The creature looked at the greens and squawked for a second, before it slowly leaned its head forward and took a step up to them, sniffing the greens carefully. It took another careful step towards her and put its head in her hands, taking the greens from her and beginning to eat them. Tifa then stepped right up to the Chocobo and gently placed her hand on the soft feathers on its head, riding her hand down its neck towards its wings.

Her actions drew the attention of the first Chocobo by then, and was looking at Tifa with its companion with interest. It watched Tifa as she continued to gently stroke the side of the Chocobo's head. The Chocobo suddenly dipped its head down to the ground and bent its legs, allowing Tifa to climb up onto its back. She did so, and once she was secure on the Chocobo's soft, feathered back it stood up again, carrying Tifa with it.

Cloud stared as Tifa gently dug her heels into the Chocobo's side, and the Chocobo began to walk at her command. The Chocobo was indeed very tame, much tamer than he had expected. He slowly began to approach the second Chocobo, hoping that its capture would be just as easy as the first one.

Unfortunately it was not going to be as easy as that. As Cloud approached the Chocobo suddenly lifted its head and squawked very loudly, making Cloud take a step back away from it. The Chocobo made the feathers around its face, wings and back expand and flutter out, showing its discomfort of Cloud being so near.

"Cloud," said Tifa from the back of the first Chocobo. "It doesn't like your sword. It feels threatened. Put it down."

Cloud did as he was told and placed his sword down on the grass, and then took a step away from it. That seemed to ease the Chocobo's discomfort and it began to settle again, although its feathers remained slightly fluffed up, completely aware of Cloud's presence now.

"Hurry up, Cloud!" Aeris called out to him with a playful tone to her voice. "We're waiting for you!"

He ignored Aeris as he began to approach the Chocobo again, slightly nervous because it was much more wary now. He held out the greens he held in his hand as he approached it, hoping that would distract it long enough for him to get to close.

The greens seemed to attract the Chocobo's interest. It blinked and slowly stepped forward to him, sniffing the greens with care whilst keeping a constant eye on him. With a sudden snap it lurched forward and snatched the greens from Cloud's hand, pulling away again and beginning to eat the greens hungrily.

"Now's yer chance, Cloud!" Barret said to him. "Get it!"

Cloud quickly dashed forward and made a leap for the Chocobo while it was distracted. He took a firm hold of the Chocobo's strong back and jumped up, throwing one leg over one side of the bird and climbing up on top.

The Chocobo reacted instantly; lurching upright and screeching so loud it nearly burst Cloud's eardrums. He wrapped his arms firmly around the Chocobo's neck and held on as the Chocobo began to run and bound around madly, trying hard to throw the ex-SOLDIER off. Cloud held on as tight as he could, also wrapping his legs underneath its body to secure him, making sure that whichever way the bird twisted and turned, he would not fall off.

Tifa sat on top of her Chocobo, rolling her eyes at the performance going on in front of her. The Chocobo ran round and round, but wherever it turned its path was blocked by Barret, Aeris and Red XIII, who continued to run around and prevent the bird from escaping.

With one final, ferocious lurch the bird dipped its head forward and Cloud finally lost his grip, tumbling over the bird and onto the grass in front of it. The bird began to pound the floor with its feet around him, its wings flapping madly. Tifa dug her heels into the Chocobo she was riding again and headed on towards the spectacle. As amusing as it was seeing Cloud fall off a Chocobo, they didn't have time to waste.

She led her Chocobo into the circle and whistled to the other one. The sound of her whistle made the Chocobo snap its head round and flutter its wings again, making a peculiar hissing sound from its beak. Tifa took another Gysahl Green she had been holding and held it out. She made a soothing, cooing sound in her throat as she walked slowly towards it.

The sound of her gentle cooing made the Chocobo relax, and its feathers gradually softened until they were flattened again. Tifa threw the greens to it, and the Chocobo ducked its head down and began to peck at them. She then nodded to Aeris, who walked over and mounted the Chocobo with ease. The Chocobo then stood up and cooed at Aeris, who stroked its neck softly.

Still on the ground, Cloud stared in surprise at the ease in which Aeris had climbed up onto the Chocobo. The Chocobo was much calmer now with Aeris in control, and was much tamer. He accepted the hand that Barret offered him and pulled him up to his feet, both of them in shock.

"Must be a woman thing," Barret surmised, and Cloud nodded.

Like Tifa, Aeris gently dug her boot heels into the Chocobo's waist, making it move slowly until it stood alongside Cloud. With a gentle tap on the bird's head the bird knelt down, and Cloud cautiously climbed on. The bird gave no reaction to him now and stood up the moment he was on, the extra weight meaning nothing to it.

"How do you know how to ride a Chocobo?" he asked her curiously.

"You have to be careful with creatures like these," Aeris replied with a smirk. "They demand care and attention, not someone who will be forceful." She gave Cloud a playful wink. "I would have thought someone in SOLDIER would know how to mount a Chocobo."

Cloud frowned, and his face burned slightly. Aeris just laughed and moved the Chocobo aside, allowing Tifa to move her Chocobo in for Barret to climb on to.

Once they were ready, they headed back towards the marshes close to the foot of the mountains, and stopped beside them. The marshes were deadly silent and eerie, and now, mounted on the Chocobos, they could see clearly over the top of the grass. It was a field of grey, seeming to sway and flutter like sand blowing and swirling in the breeze. There was another scent in the air now, they noticed, and it made Red XIII wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"It smells of blood," he said, growling deep in his throat.

"Red XIII, are you sure you're all right running through here?" Aeris asked, concerned. "I don't like the look of this marsh."

"Do not worry about me," Red XIII assured her. "The smell might be repulsive, but I am a fast runner. You run ahead, and I will follow you through."

"Okay," said Cloud. "Let's go."