Author's Note: After a long summer break, I'm trying to get back into writing fan fic! I thought a short-chapter story would be a good way to get back in the mix. Due to fanfic cracking down on stories/authors replying to reviews, I will no longer respond to comments at the end of my stories. Please understand that I do appreciate the reviews. They make me happy. :)

.C.o.l.o.r.M.e.

Brown

Love is Brown.

As capricious as love can be, it can also be sturdy, firm, a foundation of trust. We held our wedding underneath the oldest of wooden chapels, just outside the Old Man's house. We were both into chocolate at the time, feeding each other under the auburn sky, lying naked like young lovers often do amongst the thick brown forests that dotted the mountainside. I built us a log cabin to pass the days within. Oh how I remember that place that provided shelter during our youthful years and the child that was conceived there…

Relm sat down at the bottom of a shallow valley and reached into the small burlap pouch attached to her belt. Inside it were two sandwiches. Taking one out, she sunk her teeth into the soft bread, savoring the flavors that danced on her taste buds. She looked out across the plains, her cheeks filled with food. To finish down the last few chucks, she took out a little jar filled with fresh water and guzzled it down. Filling satisfied, she took out the other sandwich and purposely laid it on the ground. After brushing the dirt off her legs, she turned around and found herself face to face with a wild chocobo.

"Wark!"

Relm stared into its beady, dark brown eyes, frozen stiff as its breath puffed onto her face. For a moment, she was frightened, but only for a moment.

"Got a problem, bubs?" she said confidently.

The chocobo snorted, kicking one leg back as if to scare her.

Relm laughed, infuriating the chocobo, butting her with its head, forcing her to the ground. Feeling lightheaded, she continued laughing, the world spinning in her head.

"Good shot! But you'll have to do better than that!"

The chocobo was pecking at the ground. Relm quickly realized it was approaching the other sandwich.

"Hey, hey! That's not for you!" she shouted, waving her hands to distract the wild animal.

In response, the chocobo hopped back and ducked low to the ground like a cat before it pounces. Letting out a few 'warks', it began to circle her. When most people would run in fear of a wild chocobo clawing them to death, Relm insisted on mocking it. She crouched down to eye level with the creature and started circling it, making the chocobo angrier. This time, the chocobo 'kweh'd' under its breath as if telling her to back off. Relm simply mimicked the sound in her throat. The feathery beast cocked its head, wondering what strange behavior the girl was displaying. It was just enough time for Relm to take the offensive.

She leaped onto the creature. It attempted to duck but couldn't stop her from ringing its neck. Relm started laughing again as she mounted the literally hopping-mad chocobo. It rolled and bounced and turned as much as its neck would allow, trying to sink its beak into her, but to no avail. So it started to run aimlessly across the plains. Relm just held on as best as she could.

Slowly, she loosened her grip and carefully patted its long neck. Soon she was petting its back and the chocobo didn't realize she had let go.

"See?" she said quietly into its ears. "I'm not so bad after all."

The chocobo 'Wark'ed. Relm reached back into another tied-on pouch and pulled out some Gyshal Greens. She threw some in front of the scurrying animal. It quickly stopped, nearly throwing her off, and bent down to eat the Greens. Relm gently got off of it while it ate.

"Phew, aren't you the mess?"

She had just realized the chocobo was covered in dry mud. Every feather was stained except for a few remaining yellow feathers on the top of its head. Wild chocobos were known for taking mud baths. She mused over the idea of a chocobo wallowing in a pit of mud. Then the chocobo stuck its face on her and pushed her lightly.

"What? You already scarfed those down?"

The chocobo let out a perky 'kweh' and searched her for more food.

"Hey. That's all I had!"

Then, as if it understood every word, it lifted its head to meet Relm eye-to-eye. It seemed angry again.

"You challenging me again? Bad idea, bubs."

The staring contest commenced. Unexpectedly, the wild beast lowered its head, motioning her to get on it. Relm chuckled, with a slight rolling of her eyes, and hopped on. The chocobo waited for her command. Taking a moment to observe her surroundings, she pointed her new friend towards the direction of the graveyard in the distance. The young chocobo took off with amazing speed.

A moment passed while Relm considered a possible name.

"I think I'll call you…Bubs. That okay?"

"Wark!"

She wasn't sure if it was pleased or angered nor did she care. That was its new name and that's that. So she grabbed the sides and nestled in for the remainder of the journey. Grabbing the mud-dried feathers, she decided that before she got to Cyan's grave, she'd give Bubs a bath. This made her giggle, another thing Relm didn't do in public, as she thought about how just moments ago this creature wanted to kill her and now it was her friend.

"Sure," she grunted, "I can tame a wild chocobo like that but I can't tame you."

And like that, she remembered him. She turned to look down the path where she had placed the sandwich. Someone was crouched over it eating it like an animal. She couldn't tell who it was, but she knew.

And this made her smile.

Beyond the forward hill was Doma's boundary and death's beginning.

I love thee mad! I never considered what power love could ordain. I never imagined anything could surpass the embodied sensation of the hilt of a sword in hand. Thou have made me wise like the old acorn tree. Thou have made me strong, stronger than the bronzed warrior or the russet Templar. How do I ever repay such debt? All I can give is a name to our brown-eyed boy. Do you like…Owain?

I became the Knight, given placard in wood, but my dream had altered and firmed into foundation of thine family and faithfulness.

Color me Brown.