A/N- I got the chocobo racing idea from finalfantasywordsman77… she deserves full credit for this . Edited. Enjoy.
Part 2
Alexia laughed as Yazoo repeated the whole story Kadaj had told Alathia.
"So why did it take you three days?" she asked curiously just before they entered his dome.
"Mmmm…"
(-Flashback-)
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Neah!"
"…I'm sorry Kadaj… I didn't mean to upset you." Yazoo sighed softly, lowering his head and staring at the ground.
"Forget about it Yazoo… We're all tired…. I really could use a hot fudge Sunday… without the ice cream right about now." Kadaj smirked, warming his soaked pants by the fire.
Yazoo cringed slightly… a bowl of hot, sugary, chocolaty, goopy, fudge was not his idea of something appetizing.
Kadaj loved his sweets a bit too much… It was turning into a comfort food for him. Before the women had come, sweets were just a treat. Now that everything seemed to be digging them into a bigger hole, and a little closer to hell, Kadaj was stocking up on the stuff.
Yazoo flicked and ruffled his hair… trying his best to dry it.
"Where am I? This is a lovely house you three have here. Where's your mother?" the chocobo master asked, walking out of the bathroom and sniffling.
Snot was running out of his nose and his sunglasses couldn't sit on top of his baggy eyes.
"Mmmm, we don't have a mother… Now, don't you wanna sit down and soak your feet in this warm water?" Loz cooed, ignoring the fact that the water was boiling.
The chocobo master didn't seem to notice as he plopped down in a chair and dunked his feet in the water.
All three men cringed, but acted like nothing was wrong.
"Master… can you please tell us how to get a gold chocobo?" Kadaj pouted, giving the old man puppy dog eyes.
…
"Why do ya'll keep calling me master? That ain't my name! The name's Robert… or is it Finkley… Jim? Who am I?"
Kadaj's left brow began to twitch as he tried his best not to whip out Souba and slice the worthless fool to pieces.
"Hey, hehe… In the morning I'll go into town. Ya want anything… specifically you Kadaj." Loz smiled through gritted teeth.
"Candy… and lots of it."
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"It went on and on like that for days! He'd forget who he was… remember… start telling us the instructions, forget parts, forget who he was again, remember… AND FALL ASLEEP! Gah!" Yazoo twitched, opening the dome door…
What they saw next surprised them. Instead of Alexia's chocobo being in its stall, it was waiting for them at the door.
"WARK!"
"AH!" Alexia shrieked back and hid behind Yazoo.
Yazoo clicked his tongue thrice and walked up to the wild bird. It chirped happily back, and allowed him to scratch the feathers along its neck. The man smiled up at the happy bird and continued scratching its neck and talking baby talk.
"Oh, good girl, yes you are, yes you are! Look at how absolutely blue your feathers are, oh how pretty! Yous a pretty girl aren't you? Now how'd you get outta the stable? Hehe, go ahead Alexia… she's sweet. Pet her."
Alexia detached herself from Yazoo's back and slowly reached out for its feathers.
…
Slowly.
…
Almost touching.
…
Finger tips grazing.
…
WARK!
"Neah! Its crazy!"
"No its not… just cause I got you a bird that was a bit rambunctious last time,"
"It tried to peck my eyes out before the race Yazoo!"
"He was upset! You scared him!"
"How! I was talking to Alathia! I was no where near the ruddy thing!"
"Just shut up and practice riding this one!"
There was a short stare down among all three creatures before Alexia sighed and hopped on its back.
"See, she ain't gonna hurt yah!" Yazoo sighed happily.
…
WARK!
…
"Yazoo when-this-thing-stops-I-am-so-totally-going-to-kill-you!"
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The air from the crowd was filled with the stench of the stables, tobacco, cigarettes, cheap perfume, and cologne. Sephiroth had to swallow some of his vomit twice… so he didn't seem like a fool.
His long silver hair was tucked into a beanie, and he wore street clothes. Oh how he hated street clothes. They left him feeling weak and unprotected, even though he didn't need protection.
Avalanche and the silver haireds rushed up to the chocobo race stands, while Alathia and Alexia lead their birds to the track.
Sephiroth's head spun with lights, noises, laughter, and smells. The odor from before had died down once in their seats, and gave way to the smell of something he liked… gunpowder.
Fireworks were going off everywhere before the races started (which was why gun powder was in the air), and a tiny symphonic band played marches while everyone seated themselves.
The silver haired men smiled contently as they were very VERY grateful to get out of the hole in the ground… and away from the red mountains with barely anything…BUT mountains.
Their wide eyes took in everything as the afternoon sky was covered by the gold saucer's always-nighttime sky. It glowed with the random sparks of firework light, and the final call for the riders was announced on the intercom.
Loz pecked Yuffie on the cheek and squeezed her tightly before whispering something in her ear…
"What was it that you wanted to talk about hon?" he purred softly.
Yuffie bit her lower lip and looked at him worriedly. She began debating on whether she should really tell him or not.
"What if… or what if… oh maybe it's a bad idea. But someone needs to know."
The battle in her mind gave way to one side and she leaned over to talk in his ear.
"I think those two girls are up to something. I think they're planning on leaving after the Great Battle."
Loz's form went rigid as what she'd said sunk into his brain. He really didn't know what to do. Should he tell Sephiroth? Should he be freaking out? What about his younger brothers! They'd be devastated! No. Nothing like that should happen, not until he found out it was true. Just as he was about to ask what made her say that, a gunshot was fired into the air, and the race gates opened.
The race had begun and Alathia was in it.
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Alathia's bird warked loudly at the earth shattering boom of the gun, and darted out of the gates as soon as they were open. She shut her eyes tight and practically clung to the bird's neck in order to stay on. Beast #2, as Kadaj properly named it, sped forward into the third place spot. It was no use trying to control this thing during the race; she'd have to let it run itself.
Alathia tried to open her eyes as they sped along, going through the hologram worlds, but the wind was whipping around them too fast. Alathia's heart fell into her stomach as she heard another bird and rider next to her… The bird hissed and pecked at Beat #2's legs, trying its best to trip it and pull ahead.
Beast warked back and rammed itself into the other, sending sharp pains through Alathia's left leg. Her eyes snapped open, and mouth opened in shock. This crazy bird just smashed her leg. A tiny whimper escaped her throat as the two birds pulled away, opponent having been rammed into a gate.
Painful tears filled Alathia's eyes and threatened to spill all over her cheeks as she felt her flesh beginning to swell around the knee. But she wouldn't let them fall, and gritted her teeth in silence.
They pulled into second place.
Alathia felt her weight slipping, as her wounded leg couldn't hold the grip anymore. Things became blurry as the dull pain shot up her leg and all through her body. Her breath hitched in her throat as the bird increased its speed even more.
They pulled into first place.
Alathia's body was leaning off the saddle and more towards the right side of it as they neared the end. She screamed painfully as the person they'd just passed rammed his bird into her left leg… sending another wave of pain through her body. Each bird hissed at each other as they ran neck and neck. Alathia clenched her teeth and buried her face into Beast's soft feathers as the other rider rammed his bird into them repeatedly.
Blood was beginning to smear on the opponent's saddle, her bird, and her leg…
This was exactly why Alathia despised being a rider. The other riders would stop at nothing to win, while she was just trying to get her bird to get a higher class.
Just as all hope seemed to be lost, and Alathia released her grip on the bird, Beast #2 opened its wings, creating a soft place for Alathia to land instead of the ground, and darted ahead.
They'd won the race by a head.
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"Woo, yeah! Alathia won! She's a freaking mess, but Beat is S class now! Woo go Alathia!" Kadaj shouted, jumping up from his seat and throwing a couple punches in the air.
Alathia hopped off the bird and hobbled to its side, clinging to its feathers for support.
She scanned the crowd and found her friends via her boyfriend acting like a maniac. Alathia chuckled to herself at the sight of him.
How adorable.
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Sephiroth smiled and politely yanked Kadaj back down in his seat.
"Don't draw so much attention boy! Now, save my seat until I get back. I must take Alathia her weapon."
Kadaj and everyone else blinked in surprise as Sephiroth gripped both of her gun blades and left to the stables.
Alexia was just getting seated on her bird as Seph walked up with his weaponry.
She and the bird were getting along MUCH better after the both of them went to battle with Yazoo.
And won.
She smirked at him as he casually strode up to her and handed Alexia the guns.
"Now remember: defense only. Don't cheat like the others, got it?" Seph questioned warningly.
"Uh hum." Alexia responded lazily while hooking the holders to her sides.
Seph departed and Alathia rode her bird to the race gates.
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Alexia dared look at no one as she entered her gate slot. The riders were all sneering at each other and showing off their weaponry. She always got stuck in the race with the REAL cheaters.
Dio, the gold saucer's owner, had changed the rule for this specific race (rather than take it out all together) when a rider was murdered on the track.
Riders could now carry weapons for protection ONLY. But it seemed to make everything worse. Riders were almost always locked in combat the whole race, trying to knock each other off, injure each other, or anything else just so they could pull ahead.
Alexia ignored the death glares from the riders and spoke softly to her bird… not really expecting it to understand.
"No matter what happens to me, I want you to run as fast as you can."
The shot was fired and the gates snapped open, revealing all fourteen aggressive riders.
Aquarius, as Yazoo had named the bird, pulled into fourth place within seconds. Alathia dodged daggers, throwing stars, and swords as Aquarius passed all but three riders.
Third place rider wasn't about to give up his spot so easily, and leaned back revealing two pistols. Riders never aimed at the birds, as that was cause for forfeiting and immediate removal from the gold saucer… and yet it was okay to hurt the other riders (Dio wasn't paying too much attention when he made the rules).
Alexia gasped and used her gun blades as a shield to the rain of bullets shot at her. With a lot of luck, and a memory from Yazoo's aiming lessons, Alexia managed to shoot both the man's guns out of his hands.
"Only for defense, only for defense, only for defense. GODS WHY CAN'T I SHOOT THAT SNEER OFF HIS FACE? Only for defense…" Alexia whispered to herself as Aquarius pulled ahead into third place.
She shuddered as she heard clanging metal and cries of agony behind her, but dared not look at the carnage.
Determined to win, Alexia whispered a 'go faster' to her bird and stared straight ahead. So close to second, her heart was racing with anticipation. Each time they passed someone the opponent got harder and harder.
There they were, neck and neck for second, and not far behind the first place rider.
Alexia desperately tried to just pass the rider without having to combat, but again failed. It was a she rider, and as soon as they were close enough, the woman was trying to cut loose Alexia's saddle with her daggers.
…
Alexia let a cry of frustration escape from her throat as the woman successfully managed to cut off Aquarius's reigns.
The bird took it personally.
Aquarius warked angrily and pecked the opposing rider in the head; causing the woman to fall off her bird.
Alexia saw the end of the track only one mile away as they came upon the last rider. The instant Aquarius was beside the other rider, Alexia had to block a slice from a very long, thin blade.
The man hissed like a snake and swung at her back. Alexia bent backwards, still starring at her opponent, and blocked the strike with her gun blades.
Sparks were flying everywhere as the two riders rounded the last curb.
Alexia gritted her teeth as the man tried to cut her in half, and blocked it… bringing their faces closer together. There was a stare down for an instant before the man smirked.
…
And cut the strap to her saddle off.
Alexia screamed at the sudden loss of balance and began sliding off the bird.
As gracefully as possible, the girl flipped around Aquarius's neck (nearly choking the bird) and perched right where she'd been before.
Aquarius passed the finish line first.