Joey The Chocobo

Part Three: A New Friend


"What's a Tonberry?"

"A Tonberry is a shy secretive creature."

"You look like more of a joyful, exuberant type."

"Yep."

"So, why are you running away anyway?"

"Well, my parents are constantly trying to make me be more like everyone else. It gets on my nerves! How about you?"

"Well, I get too much homework, I have an 8:00 curfew, I can't go out at night, I get gross meals, and to top it all off, I'm voted "Most picked on" at school!

"Whoa. You're worse off than me!" After Joey and his new friend, Marie, had finished talking, they set out on the road.

"So, where are you going anyway? Asked Marie.

"Umm… well, I, I don't know!"

"Ohh, I know! My mom told me of a place all Tonberrys go when they're feeling down.

"Where's that?"

"Macalania Woods!" Exclaimed Marie.

"Macadamia Woods?"

"No silly! Mac-a-la-nia Woods."

"Okay, what's it like there?"

"It's all shiny and the trees look like crystal!"

"Sounds good to me! Let's go! Umm, how do you get there?"

"Well, first we go across the rest of the Djose highroad, walk along, until we get to the Moonflow river. Then we cross the Moonflow, walk some more, then we pass through Guadosalam, after that we walk across the Thunder Plains, Then we're in Macalania! It may be a bit of walk, but it's worth it!"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" He ran on ahead, but as he ran he looked back to see if she was catching up. Though when he looked back, he noticed that she was just a little speck in the distance. He ran all the way back to where she was.

"What's wrong? C'mon were wasting time!"

"Sorry about that. Tonberrys are born slow. Do you think I could ride on your back?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"Ha Ha."

"Sure. Hop on, but I must warn you. Chocobos run very fast."

"Ha! I like fast. Nothing's too fast for me!" So she hopped on. After a couple of minutes the remark from Marie was this. "Joey, you're going too fast!"

"You said you liked fast!"

"Not this fast!" She shrieked. He protested, but he finally gave in after she started pulling on his tail feathers. After a couple minutes of walking they came up to a crossroads. "Which way, Marie?"

"Umm… that way!" She pointed left. They walked along, Joey occasionally noticing some people that were hiding behind bushes, but as soon as they looked at him and Marie they immediately started cowering and staring and running away. "Wow, people must be scared of me." He said.

"Um, Joey I have something to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Um, I think the people are scared of me." Joey stared and then burst out laughing

"Scared of you? Ha! You're the cutest little thing I've ever seen! How could you be even remotely threatening?"

"Well, there's something about Tonberrys. You see, all people think Tonberrys are viscous evil monsters. Most of the time it's true. Like my dad. But I don't want to be that way! I want to prove to the world that I'm a nice caring Tonberry!"

"Whoa, someone's confident. Hey look! There's the Moonflow!"