Sienna hummed as she finished feeding the last of the chocobos. She had gotten up bright and early to walk to the stable and get ready for the day only to find that the first of Lilia's eggs had hatched during the night. It was a healthy male chocobo with snowy white feathers, just like those of his mother. She promptly ran through a list of possible names, but the one that seemed to fit was Phantom. Both mother and baby agreed with a happy wark, and so the newest addition was named.
At present Phantom rested next to his mother in one of the larger stalls that was meant for chocobo interaction. In the following week he'd be moved to his own stall and then would be big enough to be trained for riding. Not that chocobos really needed much training when it came to riding, they were naturally adept at what they did. They usually just needed to learn a few of the basic calls and motions of their rider that would be used when dealing with humans. Still, it always depended on the rider themselves and the specific chocobo when it came to communicating. Nature did most of their training for them.
It always awed Sienna how fast a chocobo grew up, considering their long lifespans.
"Sienna…? Oh, hey! They're white!"
Sienna turned to see Reno approaching her from the back door. He looked the same as he had the day before, clad in his Turk uniform, grin and all. The dark outer jacket hung loosely off of him, the pale undershirt was, as usual, not tucked in and unbuttoned at the top to partially reveal his smooth chest. To avoid staring, she turned back towards the chocobos, mentally chiding herself. 'This is only a job. Only for my family. Stop looking at him like that!'
Her inner battle caused her to hesitate and Reno came up beside her with an indecipherable look on his face. "Is something the matter?"
Sienna jumped and turned quickly. Maybe a bit too quickly. "No, no! Sorry, I was… thinking…" She blushed. "You surprised me, that's all. How'd you find me, anyway?"
He shrugged and leaned casually against the wall. "I have a knack for finding people. It's extremely useful when it comes to work." That reminded him of why he was here in the first place. He had a job to do, and that was to get some information out of her about those chocobos. "So, uh… care to tell me a bit about these chocobos of yours?"
Her eyes brightened. "Of course!" She eyed him mischievously and spoke in a teasing voice, "…Only if you'll help me after."
This seemed to be working out well for Reno. "Only if you'll tell me that story."
"I almost forgot all about that," she said. "It's a deal." She turned towards the two resting white chocobos. "Let's start here. This is Lilia and Phantom - he just hatched during the night."
Reno nodded. "Why are they white? Is it natural?"
Sienna laughed and beckoned him to follow her down the aisle. "Yeah, I'll tell you more later when I get to the story."
He followed her, a quizzical look on his face. "It has something to do with the story?"
"Yeah, well, kinda… It's hard to explain." She paused, "Ah…okay." She stopped, turning back towards Reno, then motioned towards one of the stalls. "You know Furi…that black one there is Obsidian. You saw how Furi can be fierce sometimes… Obsidian's like that almost all the time…"
She continued on, naming each chocobo as she passed them along with any particular traits that could help him identify them. Reno was surprised at the various colors and sizes of the birds. A tall green one named Glenn, a timid yellow one named Rune, a blue one she called Bandersnatch because of her mischievous tendencies, and even a small silver one, named Riku. There were a group of eight, one of each of the colors, that had strange names like Kepthair and Riellial, but Reno decided it was better not to ask.
The last one was a stern-looking black one. It seemed to be the oldest, judging from the graying and thinning of its feathers in different sections. There was a series of scars crisscrossing just above one of its dark eyes. Sienna gazed at it with a sad fondness. "And this is Hokuden." She stopped, as if thinking something over, "…I'm sorry," she said, turning to him with a sheepish smile, "that was a bunch of names and you probably don't really care all that much. It's just easier to deal with them if you know their names and-"
Reno's fingertips on her lips stopped her rambling. "Don't worry about it, I'm good with names." He winked, pulling his hand back and turning towards the older black chocobo. "Hokuden, huh. Sounds Wutaian."
"It is." She reached out and gently patted Hokuden on the head, ruffling feathers grizzled with age. "My father named him. He loved Wutai. Hokuden was his since he was little, before…" She couldn't continue. Images of her father's limp body lying over Hokuden's back still haunted her dreams.
Reno remembered reading something the night before about both of her biological parents having passed away. Her father in the war, and her mother in a fire. "I read in your file that he passed away in the Great War…" He placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder, turning her slightly so he could see her face. Moisture was gathering in her gray-blue eyes, threatening to spill down her face as she stared unblinkingly at nothing. Seeing the unshed tears in her eyes bothered Reno, although he didn't fully understand why - sympathy normally wasn't one of his strong points. No one ever gave a damn about him, and he generally returned the sentiment. "I'm sorry…"
She continued to stare unseeingly into the air, her mind's eye somewhere else. "He…Hokuden tried to save him, but it was… it was too late." Her eyes blinked suddenly as if for the first time, and she gazed at Reno, her face expressionless as she subconsciously tried to read his expression. She wanted to tell him the whole story; she wanted… she wanted to believe that he was trustworthy. She hadn't ever told anyone the entire thing - the real story about most of her past - not even her foster family. After all those years, she just wanted someone to confide in, a friend.
He returned the gaze with curious clear blue eyes and she almost broke down. But she couldn't. No, not to him. He was a Turk. Even if he was a good person, even if he was trustworthy… he still worked for Shinra. It was impossible.
Breaking the gaze, she turned away, determined not to let her regret show. Plastering a smile on her face and shielding her eyes, she turned her attention back up, startling Reno. "You promised you'd help me with my work today. Then I'll tell you the story."
Reno blinked at the sudden change in her demeanor, but went along with it nonetheless. Over the next couple of hours they transported various sized bags of feed, greens, and hay; looked over each of the 22 chocobos for any health problems - well, Sienna looked and Reno watched, helping when he could; fed, watered, and watched the chocobos when they were all let out into the back field for a little exercise; and took a short trip into the nearby forest to look for some herbs Sienna said were good for keeping them healthy - there they ran into a few wild monsters, which Reno took care of easily and discovered that Sienna was quite talented with the small bow she had brought along; the whole time chatting to one another about this and that. It was hard work, but Reno found that he enjoyed it. Or perhaps it was the company he enjoyed. Whatever it was, Reno found that he was glad to have gotten this assignment over any of the other kidnapping and tracking jobs he'd ever been given.
They collapsed against one of the stable doors, laughing. "I suppose after all that work you helped me with, you do deserve to hear that story you wanted me to tell you."
Reno grinned, exhilarated from the race they had just finished from the forest to the barn. "That… and," he winked at her suggestively, "perhaps a little something else, if you get my drift."
Scowling cutely, she threw a few pieces of hay at him. "If you're talking about what I'm pretty sure you're talking about, then I'm thinking a big no."
"Not a big yes?" Reno gave her his best pout.
She laughed, showering him with more hay. "Not unless you're talking about chocobo crap - I've got plenty of that around here."
"Nope, I'm pretty sure that's not what I want."
"Well, I guess you'll just have to settle for a story, then."
Reno's mischievous pout turned into a grin as he shrugged. "Well, I had to try," he said lightly, "you'll have to give in sometime."
"You wish." She shifted to a more comfortable position, turning sideways and leaning against the smooth stable door so that she was facing Reno. Positioning her elbows on her folded legs, she plopped her chin in her upturned hands and proceeded to gaze at the young man in front of her.
Reno followed suit, mirroring her movements until they were locked in a silent staring contest. During that time, Sienna took the opportunity to look closely at his face, observing things she hadn't really noticed before, from his strong jaw, to the small rings in his ears, the wisps of bold red hair that dangled over the black goggles-like glasses on his forehead… even down to the scar-like tattoos that ran from his temples to under each of his sapphire eyes. All the things that came together to form the face of someone she had subconsciously began to consider as a friend.
Reno, on the other hand, had taken note of the way her eyes softened as she looked at him in consideration. But being the type who can't sit in complete silence for too long, which was the opposite of Sienna, who seemed to not mind the quiet, he decided it was high time to do something. And so he did. Leaning forward quickly, he was able to brush her lips with his before she pulled back in surprise.
"W-what are you doing?" She looked almost frightened; here she was just starting to consider him as a friend, and he was trying to kiss her? It kind of unnerved her a little. This was definitely something she wasn't used to. "Why do you keep doing that?"
Her tone wasn't angry, but it sounded confused and even a little anxious. Reno instantly felt sorry for frightening her with his forwardness. "I'm sorry… I couldn't resist…" His hand automatically went to the back of his neck as he grinned sheepishly. "I didn't mean to upset you…"
Her gaze turned questioning, as if trying to gauge his sincerity. After a few seconds it seemed he had passed. "Um, don't worry about it. I'm just not… used to anything like that. That's all."
"Really? And here I thought that you always had guys chasing after you."
"Actually... I really don't know any guys... ever since I was adopted I just kept to myself and took care of the chocobos."
"Well now you know me."
His grin was reassuring and she couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah…" She glanced over at a clock that was ticking serenely on one of the high stable walls. "Well, I've wasted enough of your 'story time' - what do you say we get down to business?"
Reno chuckled, pushing aside the thoughts that had unwittingly popped into his head. "Sounds good to me, but…" Jumping up to his feet, he gazed suspiciously around the large hall. Sienna gazed curiously at him. "I'll have to check and see if this place is bugged."
"Bugged? Like… with microphones or cameras?" Sienna said, suddenly nervous. She looked around the large room as if something was going to jump out.
Reno winked at her, "I don't see anything, but… just in case, I'll give 'em a show they won't forget!" And he proceeded to make various gestures - some quite crude - in every which way, sticking his tongue out and saying several choice phrases as he went.
A light red tinged Sienna's cheeks as she watched and heard Reno's 'show'. Having lived on the Upper Plate with no real contact with people her own age, Sienna wasn't used to seeing such things. All in all, she had led quite a sheltered life since her foster family adopted her.
Reno plopped back down beside her and shrugged. "Nobody has come after me, so I think we're safe. Either that, or they're just used to me by now."
"Do you think… would they really bug this place?"
"I wouldn't put it past Shinra, but I don't think you have anything to worry about," he said with another one of his characteristic winks, "I was just messing with you."
Relieved and abashed at the same time, she narrowed her eyes teasingly, "Oh, I can't believe you…!"
"Don't you have something to tell me?"
"Oh, right…" she murmured, attempting to settle back into a comfortable position. "First I've got to see how much you know. What is the name of this continent?"
"This continent? Hmmm…" Reno's hand moved to his chin, "The only name I've ever heard is the Eastern Continent, although I'm sure Shinra would love to call it the Shinra Continent or something equally as dumb."
She chuckled, "I see… well I suppose nowadays they call it the Eastern Continent, but that isn't the real name. This continent," she swept her hands in an all-encompassing arc, "was originally named Gar."
"Gar? That's a strange name."
"Yeah, I dunno who came up with that name…" She shrugged, "Ever wonder where the name 'Midgar' came from? Midgar literally means 'Middle of Gar'; it was originally the name of this general central area of the continent. There was no huge city with 8 sectors, but 8 separate villages that resided in the Midgar area…"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Over the next few hours, Sienna recounted the story of the Chocobos of Midgar to an attentive Reno.
She spoke of 8 separate villages, each one named after the original family that founded the village: Issigar, founded by the Issil family; Azugar, by the Azuma family; Miogar, by the Mione; Shamgar, by the Shamand; Talgar, by the Talgos; Kepthagar, by the Kepthair; Rielgar, by the Riellial; and Derigar, by the Deris. Each of these families, and later the villages, specialized in the breeding of a specific breed of chocobo; each breed was respectively named after the family which specialized in it.
Each breed was distinct in its own way, from color to ability.
The chocobos of the Issil breed were by far the largest of all. The great red birds possessed vast strength and were commonly used for transporting large loads (or even up to three adult people) because of the ease in which they could do so. Their beaks were tougher than any known substance and could crack through rock with little effort, but unlike their smaller yellow cousins, these red chocobos were rarely used for the mining of coal and other materials. This was because of their natural apprehension of closed-in spaces, which was attributed to their large size. Although faster than any human and many wild beast could move, these birds were the slowest amongst the eight breeds, and therefore were used less for quick travel and racing.
The people who originated from the Azuma family prided themselves in the water-crossing, blue feathered birds of their stock. When goods and people needed to be brought reliably over river, lake, or ocean shallows, people knew to turn to these birds. The average blue chocobo was quite quick on their broad feet, which were designed for easy water crossing, and relatively good-natured and easy to train, although there were the occasional exceptions. Most of the time, however, it was unwise to try and ride a blue chocobo over any land terrain other than flat grassland to small hills - they were relatively unstable on mild terrain because their large, smooth feet had insufficient grip. Many of the breed developed a fear of heights in reaction to this.
In the next town over, people were exceptionally talented at training chocobos of the Mione breed. Smallest of the chocobos (barely large enough to carry one adult, and many not even that), these quick birds sported beautiful silvery feathers. In general these silver chocobos were the fastest breed, but because of their size they couldn't be used for the transportation of people, except by carriage. They also had a tendency to become tired easily because of their quick speed. Yet as small as they were, they possessed enough strength to pull goodly amounts of materials over both land and sea, as they could travel on any terrain, including over the deepest of oceans. They came in quite useful, along with several of the other water-traversing breeds, during the times when goods were traded from Gar to the other continents, particularly far-off Wutai.
The people of Shamand were especially proud of their white chocobos because of their ability to fly. Only two breeds were known to generally carry that ability, but it was the whites that were used more with humans because of their inherent gentle nature. This also made them ideal for training, however the same gentle nature made them very susceptible when left in the wild. Almost at all times when in open areas must a white Shamand chocobo be accompanied by someone so that they do not become spooked, lost, or easily hunted down. These birds, too, could cross some mountainous terrain and shallow waters.
The most common breed that can be found in the wild across the planet today is the yellow Talgos chocobo, although wild ones tend to be weaker than those that are bred. In the past they were used widely for transportation of people that didn't require rough terrain or water because of their swift speed and high stamina. During those years mako wasn't used for power as it is at present, but coal was instead mined from deep caves in the mountains. The beaks of these chocobos were strong and their size ideal for useful assistance in the mines. When mako began to gain in use, both yellow and red chocobos were used at first to assist in digging down through to the substance before machines were introduced for the job.
The best chocobos for climbing mountains and other various terrain were the green chocobos bred by the Kepthair. They were racing favorites because of their long stride, high jumping ability, and easy handling of all terrain. As with most other breeds, these green-feathered birds carried both goods and people to other towns and areas, most notably to high mountain areas and deep mines. A downside, however, is that they are naturally afraid of water and avoid even the shallowest river if it cannot easily be jumped across.
The golden feathers of the chocobos bred by the Riellial line were often sold at high prices. The chocobos themselves also often came at a high price because of the difficultly to breed (the nuts and greens that needed to be used for each breed were usually quite abundant around Gar, but the specific nut used for gold chocobos became increasingly harder to find over the years) and their great usefulness. No terrain (land, sea or otherwise) was especially difficult for these birds, and most were able to travel for days at a time without so much as a rest. The Riellial chocobos continued to be heavy favorites for individual travelers because of their high stamina and versatility.
The chocobos of the eighth village were the hardest of all to train. Like their white cousins, the black Deris breed possessed a larger wingspan that gave them the ability of flight. Unlike the white ones, however, these ebony beauties were extremely fierce and hard to handle. Even those of the Deris bloodline had trouble with these birds if not handled correctly. It is said that it took years of practice to learn to properly train one of these birds. This made them unsuitable for human transport for the most part. However, a black chocobo can deliver goods anywhere and find its way back home very easily without the aid of a trainer, as they possess an innate sense of direction. Only a handful of humans have been able to successfully tame a good number of the birds for use in travel and recreation.
For years the eight villages of Midgar lived and trained these different breeds, using them for a multitude of purposes. It is said that these people of Midgar naturally had a knack for taking care of these chocobos. A knack that was much like that of the Cetra and their ability to speak with the Planet, or so the stories go. Some theories even go so far as to say they are ancestors of the Cetra - humankind that possessed a special connection with the lifestream and living things. Whether this is true or not has never been discovered - it is almost impossible for anyone to trace back far enough to reach these ancestors. Even if they could, there are doubts that such a connection exists today, or even did.
Nearly 200 years into the past, a large conflict broke out between different members of the eight villages. Nothing seemed to help resolve the problem until one man, who found a way to settle the differences between the families, decided it was beneficial to convert the eight villages into eight parts of one new city - called Midgar. He was chosen to help lead the blossoming city because of the favor he held in all the eyes of the people. His name was Ryen Issil - a direct descendant of the original Issil family who founded Issigar - and the eight communities flourished under his rule.
Ryen Issil, however, did not have any sons, but twin daughters, Callei and Celise. The time was coming for him to choose another successor to lead Midgar. Issil, however, favored both of his daughters equally and found it nearly impossible to choose. Both of his son-in-laws were also equally fit for the role of leader. One of his daughter's husband, a man by the name of Garin Shinra (he was descended distantly from the family of Deris, and like many of his family, was quite proud), suggested a team chocobo race between the two daughters and their spouses. The idea was set before the twins and the other son-in-law, whose name was Daen Alexiande (his mother's surname had been Shamand, descendant of the founders of Shamgar), and when planned and approved, was brought before the people for their decision. The idea was met with eager acceptance, as chocobos trials and races were quite popular among all the people of Midgar.
Now these chocobo races were not just the simple races on a track that are held today, but were designed with each breed in mind. There were various kinds, some specifically for those who could cross water and others for those birds that could fly. This race was naturally the most extravagantly designed that Midgar had ever seen and would ever see.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Shinra, huh? Who won?"
Reno's anxious expression was reward enough for Sienna's story-telling efforts. She smiled and gave her best motherly look. "If you'll listen a little longer, I'll tell you."
She shifted positions as Reno gave her a half-pout. In the background she could hear a few of the chocobos warking to one another in soft tones. "Okay, this race was quite complex and required the use of all eight breeds…"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The crowd was huge on the day of the race that would decide the new leader of Midgar.
Celise and Callei stood side by side mounted each on a large red chocobo for the beginning leg of the race. A little ways up ahead stood Garin and Daen, waiting for their wives' to reach them so they could begin.
And with a loud shot, the race began.
Both Callei and Celise were matched in skill - living and practicing together for years made sure of that - and hit the first checkpoint within milliseconds of one another. At that point the two men began their race down towards the water shallows. Celise and Callei quickly switched chocobos and turned up the mountain path.
Callei had never been an aggressive racer - she much rathered taking care of the giant birds. This time, however, her heart drummed wildly in her chest from the excitement. She really didn't care if she was awarded the position of head of Midgar - her more outspoken sister would probably be suited better to it - but she wanted to win for Daen. He deserved the recognition after all he'd done for Midgar.
'Besides,' she thought, gazing over to her sister who was hunched over her emerald green mountain chocobo, 'That strange husband of Celise's has been coming up with weird ideas for using mako… I don't think Celise would ever dream of disagreeing with him, even if draining mako for power doesn't seem to be very good for the planet… I just want Midgar to stay the great city that father made it to be.' She turned her head to look up ahead, spotting the tethered yellow birds up ahead. 'I can do this!'
The race continued as the twins stopped their green mounts at the crest of the mountain next to the two yellow mounts. Their next task was to ride their Talgos chocobos down the next small trail and then have them break through the huge boulders in the path with their diamond-hard beaks. It wouldn't prove to be too hard, as both sisters had trained a few of the yellow chocobos on their own and had even gone down to visit the mines on a few occasions. Quickly clambering on the large birds, the two set to work.
Not far away the husbands of the twins raced quickly across the large expanse of water on their sapphire-feathered mounts. Their goal was the two golden birds that were resting lazily on the water a bit further ahead of them. Presently Garin was in the lead - he had much practice racing the blue chocobos with his younger brother, who favored the water-racers over all others. Daen, however, wasn't far behind. The two gold chocobos rose to their feet as the blue chocobos neared them on the small waves.
Nearby stood two smaller silver birds. Tied to each of them was a cloth bag that contained a box that held a key inside. The key was for the stables on the other side of the shore where their last mount - the large black Deris breed chocobos - were kept. The task at hand was for the two men to ride the gold chocobos in a race to catch the quicker silver birds and retrieve the key to their last mounts.
Daen took a quick glance back towards the high cliffs on the side where Callei and her sister were just reaching the white birds for the final lap of their half of the race. Once the girls reached the finish line, a point would be added to the score of the team of the sister who crossed first; the winner would be decided on which husband crossed and passed the key to their respective wife first.
Celise and Callei both lifted themselves up onto their snowy birds, gripping tightly to the straps as each stooped and spread their wings. With great force the white birds pushed forward into a strong sprint and kicked off into the air, catching an updraft under their massive wings, and finally settling - albeit a little roughly - into a glide.
The wind blew fiercely through both feathers and hair as they drifted over the crowds of onlookers. With each strong beat of her chocobo's immense wings, Callei began to feel a little faint. Flying was normally her favorite part of the racing, but for some reason she was beginning to feel dizzy. But, now that she thought about it, she had been feeling a little sick lately…
The girl's chocobo noticed the lack of response he was getting from his rider, and slowed a little. Close by, Celise noticed her sister's sudden drop in speed, and looked just in time to see the girl drop unconscious upon the white chocobo's back. "Callei?" With great skill and a wildly beating heart she turned her own chocobo around to beside her sister's, ordering it to help stabilize and bring the other gently to the ground.
Below the crowed stirred loudly when the two white birds began to descend onto an open area. A frantic Celise jumped off her own chocobo to check on her sister.
The change in the crowd did not go unnoticed by Daen, who turned from his chase in time to see the two ivory-colored chocobos settle to the ground, a frantic Celise jumping off of her own mount, and he knew something was wrong. Without a second thought, he changed direction, pushing the golden-feathered bird to go as fast as possible across the water. Within seconds he felt the familiar dull thud of running on land and it only fueled him to run faster. What if something has seriously gone wrong? If she were hurt, he'd never forgive himself…
The gold bird skidded to an abrupt stop beside his sister-in-law and Daen was beside his wife in a mater of seconds. Celise hovered worriedly hovered over his shoulder as he looked her over. She looked worried when he quickly glanced at her and spoke in a cracked voice, "What happened?"
Celise wrung her hands, "I don't know… She was fine, and the next thing I knew she had fainted… Is she… alright?"
He sighed and gently picked Callei up. "I think so. As far as I can tell, she only passed out, maybe because of over-exertion or something." He gazed at the girl in his arms with worry in his blue-gray eyes, "But we should probably bring her to the hospital just in case."
Celise full-heartedly agreed just as her father came running up, a sweat-covered Garin following behind. His gaze first fell on his one daughter in the young man's arms, then focused on his other. He looked weary beyond his age, "Is Callei… is she okay?"
Daen nodded and whistled his large gold chocobo over, first placing his wife and then jumping up himself, supporting her in his arms. "I'm going to bring her over to the hospital, just to make sure everything's alright."
Garin stepped forward, wiping his brow. "What about the race?"
Daen looked sharply at him, "What about it?" and without waiting for an answer, snapped his reins and took off in the direction of the hospital.
Celise gave her husband a warning glare as he expectantly looked towards his father-in-law for word on the race. Winning the race was the only way that he'd be able to get the support for his new ideas on how to use mako for the people, which made him anxious for the results.
Ryen signed and stared off at nothing in particular. The crowd had begun to disperse in whispers as the hired crowd control sent them off. No one in the entire continent of Gar would have thought that such a thing would happen, and, as Midgar had proved more and more frequently, word spread like wildfire across the villages. He had to settle it now or never. "I'm calling it off. From now on there won't be a single leader of Midgar, but a collection of people who can keep this city strong." He looked directly at Garin, who seemed to be contemplating what was said. "That is my decision." With that, he turned to his daughter, giving her his best smile. "Come on, Celise, let's go see your sister before Daen decides to not let anyone in."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reno blinked. "So… no one won?" He shifted his position - his butt was getting sore from the hard stable floor. "Then how come there's Shinra Electric Company, but there's no Alexiande around?"
"Callei was bedridden for a few weeks and diagnosed with something no one had ever seen before. A few years after her and Daen had a son, she died. Out of despair, Daen practically withdrew from the world with his son - he stopped helping with Midgar and let his sister and brother-in-law do all the work. When his father-in-law died, he moved away from Midgar to Kalm to get away from the memories. There he just raised and bred chocobos with his son."
"That's kinda sad. What about the others?"
"Mmm, yeah, it is sad…" She looked up toward the ceiling, as if searching for some invisible spot that perhaps held the answer to the story. "Celise and Garin's eldest son followed Garin's mako-usage ideas, and formed what we call mako reactors to use mako as an energy source." She shrugged, turning back towards the redhead. "And thus was created the Shinra Electric Company." She looked pensive for a moment. "Although it really wasn't an 'electric company'… More like a weapons company. Powerful weapons were developed using mako. Using the mako reactors for electricity wasn't really popular until more greedy people realized that it was a good moneymaker. The chocobo breeds kinda… died off after that because they weren't needed and really couldn't survive well in the growing metallic city."
A knowing smile spread across Reno's face. He leaned comfortably against the solid wooden door, hands behind his head, and long legs spread across the floor. "Heh. So that's how it was, huh? Definitely a bit different than the records kept in the Shinra building." He cracked one eye open and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Not that there are really any good records of Midgar in that library. I wonder why…?"
Sienna shrugged again, and her voice notably lowered as she spoke. "I dunno. That's just the story my parents told me before they died." She gave a small smile, "maybe that's just all it is - a story."
She jumped a little when she realized that Reno had sat straight up and was looking intently at her. He gave her a great smile when he caught her eye. "I doubt it. Sounds more credible than anything else I've ever heard." He stood up and offered his hand to help her up. "Especially after seeing all these chocobos of yours."
Gratefully accepting his hand, Sienna stood. She appreciated his thoughtfulness and sincerity. She really couldn't comprehend exactly why he could be so kind and thoughtful when he was supposed to be a Turk, but at that point she really didn't care to question it. He was just doing his job, and she would do hers as well. Telling him a little 'story' would be harmless, right?
Bringing the smile back to her face, she proceed to walk across the smooth wooden floor over to where the giant ruby Furi rested in his stall. She felt Reno's eyes on her as she turned to face him. Her voice betrayed a hint of amusement. "You haven't even seen what they really can do."
Reno eyed her suspiciously. "What exactly are you getting at?" Reno thought her tone sounded a little too mischievous for his liking. She just had to be planning something…
She laughed genuinely at his suspicion, dusting off her tan pants nonchalantly. "Have you actually ever ridden a chocobo?"
The question caught him by surprise and he had to stop and think a minute before answering, "Well, now that I think of it… not really. Maybe once or twice a long time ago." His hand reached the back of his neck in the familiar pose, and a sheepish grin crossed his face as he spoke. "I usually fly helicopters and things like that."
Sienna laughed; she had expected as much. People in Midgar didn't really get the chance to ride chocobos anymore - most of them hardly even left the city. The only things they rode in were the large trains that traveled throughout the whole city and those on the upper plate who had the luxury of cars drove those about. She swiftly turned and unhitched Furi's gate, leading him out. "Then I guess you're going to just have to learn."
Well, Reno was usually always up to anything, but at that point in time Furi was shooting him the worst death glare. If looks could kill, Reno would've been six feet under. Giving the huge red bird another look, he blanched. "Learn? To ride? Him?" His pointed unsurely at the vicious red bird.
Sienna found Reno's reaction absolutely priceless. Shaking her head, she patted Furi's soft shoulder feathers, as she really couldn't reach comfortably higher when he was standing. "No, no, heh, he'd probably throw you off just to spite you." She turned to look at the assembled rows of birds. "You probably should start by riding…" she paused contemplatively, "Hey, Rune, come out!"
Reno was slightly disappointed when he recognized the timid yellow chocobo. "A yellow one? Anyone can ride a yellow chocobo!" He gave her a pout that turned into a sly grin. "Besides, his yellow feathers kind of clash with my hair."
Sienna rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
Reno's grin only widened. "Yep."
"Okay then… Bandersnatch? No… she'd probably drop you in the water because she's a brat like that." She laughed at the image of Reno being dumped unceremoniously into the nearby ocean. "Okay, Rowan, then?" She looked questioningly at her companion. "His feathers match your eyes…"
Reno shrugged. "True. But… can't we just ride the same chocobo?"
Sienna shook her head and laughed, "Nice try. But you can't learn to ride if you're sitting behind me!"
He gave a small shrug, walking up to them and placing his hand on the blue bird's head. "Can't argue with that, I guess. Maybe someday Furi will let me get close enough to him to actually ride him."
Sienna winked as she grabbed some reins and other accessories for the chocobos. "Maybe."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -