A/N: OMG!! I love you all! I love all the reviews I got from the last chapter! So I just had to post this XD! Thank you for all your support, even to the people who don't review. Also, there is a gift on the bottom for all you guys and gals!
This Chapter is dedicated to spopococ cause she is a wonderful person, and you will see why at the bottom! (^w^) Hugs for her w!
Disclaimer: …-Eye twitches as lady-yuna7 points to the first chapter- don't make me say it again…
Thanks to Ziggy Pasta for betaing this chapter because Mitchel is rather busy at the moment.
Also, I want to point out that Zack's eyes are blue and violet in this story. Since people say they are violet and then they're blue, so I decided when Zack is human, they're blue and when he is a chocobo they're violet. But I say that they are blue since they're blue in the original, Ehrgeiz, AC, ACC, BC, LO, KH:BBS and Crisis Core.
---The Black Chocobo: The Rewrite---
The morning sun rose with a smile upon its face as it shone its magnificent rays across the land and hit a sleeping blond man, covered in Gaia's natural green tent with a tuff of yellow sticking out, and a black chocobo that was drooling.
Cloud's eyes twitched as he slowly opened them to help him get out of his sleepy state. He took in a loud yawn, which cracked his jaw into place. He soon closed it with a small lazy smile to replace it. He then stretched, cracked a few bones, then started to rub his eyes. What a morning to wake to! Even though his natural bed gave him a bit of a stiff back, birds had greeted him with their morning song and a nice nature-like scent blew in the soft wind. The blond man then crawled out of his little tent, closed his eyes, took a deep breath in and exhaled. To make the moment more relaxing, he slowly opened his bright, mako blue eyes.
Cloud soon walked past the used small campfire, straight towards Fenrir, and checked his baby if she was scratched during the night by a stray animal. That was when he heard a loud snore come from behind him. His eyes widened as he turned around. It was a black chocobo that was sleeping on his back with its talons sticking up in the air. Its head was on the side as it was slowly breathing in and out.
Cloud walked up towards the chocobo and looked down to its head. The crown of feathers upon its head was shaped differently than other chocobos. It was pointing in the same way as an average chocobo, but it was just dead straight. Not only that, it had a small but noticeable 'X' shaped scar right under the left side of its beak.
This chocobo looked strangely familiar to Cloud, but that couldn't be, because he was never into breeding chocobos. The man didn't dwell too much on it, and walked towards Fenrir again. He got on the beast and was about to start it up, just as another beast squawked awake and jumped up. Cloud also jumped out of surprise.
The black chocobo opened its violet eyes and looked startled right into Cloud's.
The bird soon shook its head to get sense back in it, and then looked at Cloud again, but this time, with eyes more focused. The blond-haired man then blinked his eyes twice in response.
Cloud soon broke the gazing match that had evolved between the two, and walked towards Fenrir. It was really was weird waking up and finding a chocobo at his campsite. The fire at night was meant to keep such creatures and monsters away. Well, it had kept the monsters and most stray animals away. So why did this odd-looking chocobo choose to stay close to something that most chocobos would usually run away from?
This chocobo was a strange one. Black chocobos were very rare, and if someone had found this rare breed, then it wasn't found in this area. Not even this continent. Not only that, but something about this strange black chocobo made it seem familiar, like he knew it before. Maybe it escaped the chocobo farm? But this chocobo just didn't look like it was from the farm. It looked trained, sure, but maybe Cloud had seen this chocobo before. It just looked way too familiar. 'Maybe in another life' thought Cloud as he turned around, trying to ignore the pointing gaze of the black chocobo behind him.
He once again got on top of Fenrir and started her up. That was when he finally heard the chocobo let out a loud squawk behind him. The bird ran up to Cloud, blocking and successfully stopping his escape.
Cloud got off Fenrir and moved towards the bird. The bird just innocently watched Cloud get closer with its violet eyes. His stopped in front of the bird and halfheartedly glared mako blues into the violet ones. The bird cooed softly at Cloud.
Cloud didn't pay heed to the bird's soft coo and walked around until he was next to its wing. Desperate to gain Cloud's attention, the bird cooed a bit louder. Cloud paid no heed to it still.
Cloud picked the bird up and moved it to the side, out of Fenrir's way, then moved towards his bike and sat down. The bird did nothing when Cloud picked it up and placed it down. The black chocobo gasped, then let out a sorrowful wark as it looked down to the ground, feeling rejected.
That's when the bird heard the engine of the vehicle start. It warked and jumped in front of it yet again. But this time was different.
How?
The bird reered its right talon back and kicked it forward, successfully piercing its front two claws into Fenrir's front two tires. POP goes the tires…
The bird pulled its talon back, placing it on the ground with the sounds of air escaping, and Cloud shrieked.
The bird moved back so Cloud could run to his front tire to moan and gasp repeatedly while shaking his head.
Cloud lifted his head to see the chocobo sit down next to him. He was thinking of hitting the beast, but somewhere in his heart, something was calling out to him not to. Anyway, even though he was a little bit mean to them, and his hair resembled its ass, he had a soft spot for them. Stupidly cute walking puffs of feathers.
"Why?" asked Cloud, even though he knew the chocobo wouldn't reply. The black chocobo just looked up as if it was thinking. 'Stupid bird.' The chocobo soon got up and started to scratch something in the ground with its claw. What was that bird doing now? Look for bugs to eat?
It soon indicated to Cloud to come over by pointing its head. Cloud couldn't believe that he actually got up to see what the chocobo was doing. What? Did it find a colony of bugs to eat? Cloud snorted at that thought, then looked down to see this 'colony of bugs', only to find something that made his eyes widen a bit larger than usual.
It wasn't a colony of bugs…
It wasn't an under ground layer…
And it definitely wasn't a pot of gold.
The black chocobo had written something down by using its claws. The bird wasn't stupid at all, it was actually quite smart. Even had the grammar and spelling correct. Cloud usually forgot the minor details when writing. He gave some credit to the bird.
'Because it will sadden me that you will be leaving me this time, not me leaving you. You're so mean.' It said.
Cloud blinked. And blinked again. What did THAT mean? Cloud scratched his head before letting out a 'hmm'. The black bird just looked at him with a choco-smile.
He then got an idea. Stupid idea, but it just might work. 'Can't believe I'm going to do this,' he thought.
"Uhh, what do you mean by that?" Cloud asked stupidly. The bird looked up in thought, before looking back down again to rub its talon across the writing, then scratched over it again. And again, another message appeared.
'Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten me )': That's not nice Spiky, you've hurt my feelings,' the message read. Cloud's eyes went harsh, nostrils flared as he took a deep breath in. He read it again. Spiky?!
It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. Impossible…wasn't it? Cloud slowly turned his head towards the chocobo, who was once again scribbling something in the dirt with its sharp talon.
'Yeah, Spiky, I know what you're thinking, and yes, it's me, the one, the only, and the awesomeness Zack Fair ~owo~' it said.
"Zack…?"
"Wark?"
"Is it really you?"
"Kweh."
"Seriously?"
A nod.
"You're not smartassing me now, are you?"
"Wark." A choco-frown.
Cloud was just staring at Zack in uncertainty. Was it really Zack? But as a chocobo? How is it possible? Why did it happen? Was the planet involved? So many questions that had no answer for now. But there was that ONE question that was nagging his brain out.
"If it is you Zack, why did you hurt my BABY!" Cloud pointed his arms towards Fenrir, like the females in those car ads do to help sell them, while still looking straight into Zack's shining violets with anguish written all over his face.
Zack didn't pay heed to the bike because the look in Cloud's eyes was just…alluring. He looked so lost and scared with his eyes so wide and his little mouth open just a tiny bit.
He moved his head closer to Cloud's and hugged him like a lion (1).
Cloud let his hands fall to his sides rejectedly, then moving them up to hug the Zack-chocobo awkwardly. Zack cooed and whistled softly. They soon moved apart. Cloud coughed.
"I'll be back soon. Just stay here for a moment."
"Kwehhhh." Violet eyelids lowered.
"I promise, I just need someone to pick Fenrir up."
"Wark?" Zack's head tilted to the side in obvious confusion.
"My bike." Cloud pointed towards Fenrir to show him.
Zack 'kweh'ed while nodding in understanding and walked over to the makeshift campfire and sat down. Cloud walked a bit further away to gain a bit of privacy while dialing someone on his phone.
Zack sneezed, sniffled and slightly shook his head before starting to groom himself. 'Man, Cloud sure seems weird around me. Might be because I'm a chocobo. But shouldn't that make him feel comfortable? He's got the hair and I got…the, well, body.' Zack looked up to see Cloud close his phone. Their eyes met before Cloud let a small smile appear on his face, then faced his bike after he hung up and placed his phone into his pocket. The small smile was replaced by a small frown. He then walked dejectedly towards Fenrir, and plopped sadly down in front of the equally sad popped tires. He let out a long sigh as he inspected the damage that had been dealt. Zack went back to grooming himself.
'Can't he get over the bike? What's so good about it anyway? There's always me to look at! Come on, Cloud, look this way! Oh I am so tempted to wag my ass in front of his face and say 'Hey your hair is on my ass! Isn't it pretty?' but he won't understand me.' Zack shook his head from those thoughts. He had been away from Cloud for so long. Zack feared that Cloud had lost that closeness to him. 'Ahh, I don't EVEN want to dwell on those thoughts. Hmm, what should I think about? Haha! I'm thinking about thinking of something. I'm so silly! I wonder what Noodle is doing? Maybe he took a trick off me and started to hurt Bill. I never liked that Bill, even before I was a chocobo…Damn slack-jawed yokel.'
"Hey, umm, Zack?" Cloud looked towards Zack and he lifted his beak from his feathery wing and tilted his head. He blinked.
"Since Fenrir's two front tires are popped, which I haven't forgiven you yet for doing that, can I ride you to take me to the chocobo farm? I…umm need to go there for…something," the blond man asked shyly, getting a tinge of red on his face from utter embarrassment, as his eyes averted Zack's violet ones. The question sounded wrong in so many ways, but the way he was asking it was out of pure innocence, with no sexual implications there. Even though Cloud loved Zack, he was, in no way, even if Sephiroth came back to destroy the planet and it was the only way to doing it, going to do it with a chocobo. He was not into bestiality.
Zack looked disinterested and softly warked angrily a bit, before nodding. He got up before walking to Cloud.
"Wait, we're not going yet. I'm not leaving Fenrir out here all alone. I'm not moving until the tow truck from Kalm comes." Cloud proved this by walking around the chocobo and sat next to his natural tent. Zack watched his movements before walking towards the dead campfire and sat next to it and continued to preen himself.
It took two hours till Cloud started to hear an engine in the distance. About freaking time the blond man was thinking. He got so bored from thinking, he started to create a little tower out of twigs. Zack started to choco-stomp bugs on the ground.
When the truck came to a halt, both Cloud and Zack looked at the greasy man that exited to drivers' seat door.
To Zack, the man was so stereotypical, it was funny. The chocobo snorted.
The man had a dirty white shirt on and was chewing on a piece of wood. He had quite a tummy too. Zack heard Cloud take a sharp breath in though his nose out of shock.
'Maybe because he doesn't want that man touching his "Fenrir". I can't really blame Cloud, that man looks like he would hump anything. Wait a second; I don't want Cloud near that man! I better follow!' Zack inwardly thought as he quickly followed right behind Cloud, acting like a dumb chocobo.
The man looked towards Fenrir, then towards Zack, and finally to Cloud. He grunted.
"That your ride?" The man pointed towards Fenrir. Cloud nodded.
"So where do you want me to send it to? The dump?" Cloud looked mortified. Well, his mortified, anyway, which were just widened eyes.
"No, I merely want you to take it to Kalm's motors and repairs and get the two front tires replaced," Cloud said. The man nodded before moving towards Fenrir, ready to haul it onto the back of his truck.
"Wait!" Cloud suddenly said. He jogged to Fenrir and opened the compartments before withdrawing his swords and placing them into his harness. The man whistled but didn't say anything.
The trucker took hold of Fenrir's handles before pushing it towards his tow truck and hooking the motorbike to it. The man then went to Cloud, got his pay, then moved towards his truck before turning back around to face Cloud. The trucker asked if he should tell the mechanics anything, and Cloud said he had already called the mechanics and explained everything.
The man then got into his vehicle turned it on before facing Cloud yet again.
"One more thing. Don't go to Kalm for a while. There is this strange girl that's looking for you. She's been asking all over the place for you. She asked me before I left. Redhead with glasses, know her?"
Cloud looked to the ground, as he started to think. "Melinda." Cloud looked back up towards the man. "When you get into Kalm, please make sure she doesn't see my bike, otherwise she will not stop following you. If she does spot you, don't say that it's mine, say it's a replica, and you're trying to make it work and need mechanics to help you. Under whatever circumstances, do not tell her that it's MY bike. You will not see the end of it," Cloud said. The man nodded.
"Right. I'll be taking that advice to heart. I wouldn't want her following me. I must say that I feel sorry for ya. She's fucking hideous. Well, I'm going to go now, bye Mr. Strife," the man said as he started to drive off, Fenrir rolling behind.
Poor Fenrir, the bike was getting dust all over it. Cloud moped inwardly.
"Kweh?" Cloud looked at Zack, as the chocobo got up. He started to scratch something in the ground again.
'Who's Melinda? Scary ex-girlfriend? I hope not ):!' it said. Cloud quickly shook his head.
"She's the most scariest fangirl that I have. She stalks me and tries to make me like her. Zack, I can't really express how much she scares me. My life is being turned upside down because of her. I'm just so…confused about it. I can't live a normal life anymore, and I blame her." Cloud looked down sorrowfully.
Zack scratched his claw into the earth again.
'Well, now you got me here, and I promise you Cloud, I won't let her get near you. I will try, Cloud, only for you.' And Zack puffed his chest out when Cloud looked up to him. If Zack could, he would never back down on his word. When he promised something, he held his honor to it, all his pride he had earned, everything. And if he made a promise to Cloud, he WOULD keep it. He would try his hardest to keep it, anyway.
Every time he heared Cloud's name, or thought of him, something in his body felt a strange sensation. He couldn't pinpoint it, though.
"Thank you, Zack. For some reason, you always help me. I won't ever understand why though." Cloud let a light laugh and slightly shook his head. Zack just kweh'd.
Zack walked over to Cloud. He kneeled down next to Cloud and the blond man hopped onto his back, hoping not to pull any feathers. Cloud loosely wrapped his arms around Zack's neck and held his hands together. Zack moved his wings so it was over Cloud's leg. It helped by not letting the rider fall off, and was more comfortable on Zack's side. Zack turned his head so Cloud's face was in view.
"Do you know which way it is to the Ranch, Zack?"
The chocobo nodded. "Wark."
"Ok, go!" Cloud said, kicking softly at Zack's sides.
Zack kweh'd before dashing off. He might have started a little fast, because he could feel Cloud clutching on tighter. Zack just hoped Cloud didn't vomit on him.
It was getting dark, Zack was getting tired and Cloud fell asleep. When Zack had been running, he looked back to see that Cloud was resting peacefully on him.
They had gone the whole day without food. Zack went to take a detour out of hunger and thirst. He went back to the lake where he was before his smelled Cloud's scent the previous day.
Zack gasped at the beauty of it.
Since last night, he was too busy freaking out about Cloud's scent that he didn't stop to look at the beauty of it when the moonlight hit the water. It was something out of a dream, or maybe a painting. Whichever one sounded more beautiful. There were even little fireflies floating around turning off and on that gave the illusions that the bugs were teleporting.
Zack very carefully tried to take Cloud off his back. The blond-haired man got off, but let out an 'ompff' before letting out a little whine. He moved around on the ground before getting comfortable, like a child. Zack laughed a bit before walking towards the water to get a drink.
He didn't dunk his head in like before, but took careful sips. When he was quenched, he then walked over to the grass patch. He could NOT get over how much he hated the greens. He wanted proper food! Human food! Zack cringed before he started to eat.
'Can't those damn ancients work faster? Sure, being a chocobo is fun, but I just can't like those greens…they're just so bitter.' Zack swallowed. 'Ughh, gross, but I need the energy.'
After Zack ate the greens, he walked back to Cloud.
The blond was happily sleeping away. Zack sat down right next to him. He softly clamped his beak at Cloud's collar before dragging Cloud a bit under his wing for warmth. Cloud seemed to accept it and snuggled his head further into the soft, warm feathers. He also moved his arms under Zack's wing. Zack just choco-smiled before shutting his eyes, falling asleep under the star-filled sky, dreaming of a time when life was free, with birds flying in the sunset.
---The Black Chocobo: The Rewrite---
(1): You know how lions rub their heads together? Yeah that's the effect I'm trying to get.
A/N: Yay! This chapter is finished! Shorter than the others, and not as funny…well to me anyway. But it had to happen haha!
Oh my god! I love you all! All the loving I got from last chapter made me all…giggly inside w! AND THERE IS EVEN FANART!!!
Yeah you read right! Fan art! The most wonderful spopococ (I know you guys must of heard her around here on his site sometime! Ever read Training? Birth of a Phoenix? Confidence? Go read them! They are epic!) Drew a lovely piece of work for me! Zack is so cute in it!
http :// spopococ. deviantart. com/ art/ quot-The-Black-Chocobo-quot-157546463 (You know the drill, just delete the spaces!) If you can't click on it, the link is on my page.
And guess what! I got my assignments over and done with! So hopefully I'll be updating sooner than usual!
I actually posted this chapter today for specific reasons. Malady gets updated today. Yay! Love Malady! Well…for us Australians anyway…At 7:00pm…I know I timed it D:! But I don't care that much hehe! Ziggy Pasta calls me…Her 'persistent nagger'…I don't mind.
You see that little blue writing down there in the middle of the page that has a speech bubble. Go click on it and tell me what you think about this chapter. It's called a review haha!
lady-yuna7