Chocobo - Go Go Go!

[neverfirstclass]

Who: Cloud, Shining Armor, Zelda, Rukia, Ace, Pyrrha, Yuri, Bartz and K’pandolu
Where: On the road to and adventures in the Crystal Forest
When: February 1-6
Summary: Cloud and his friends embark on a journey south across the continent to visit the fabled Chocobo Forest
Warnings: None

To say that Cloud was overwhelmed by the support he received in chasing down a rumor for the sake of his chocobo would be an understatement. Friends and acquaintances both had come together to help, largely by a single bond: their love of Chocobos and their desire not to see one suffer any longer than he had to from the illness he’d been suffering. It would be a long journey, but as long as luck was with them and they moved swiftly he hoped that they would be back in around a week.

Comments

The Return Home - K-KWEHHH ! ! !

[neverfirstclass]

For a while, the digging in the Chocobo's Forest seemed like a fool's errand. It was just junk for the most part: old potion bottles, a boot, bits and pieces of old rocks that looked important and first glance but turned out to be nothing. The effort was reaching the point of seeming hopeless when, just before the breaking point, an old stone carving was unburied by the industrious chocobos.

It was a map, an old one, but based on the shapes carved into its face it seemed to point in the direction of some location in the Calm Lands. Chocoboy and Mene had never seen anything like it before but it seemed exactly like what they were hoping this forest might hold. Dubbing it a 'chocograph', Chocoboy suggested that the collected Heroes follow this new clue.

As it was on the way back to Aqures Ixen it wouldn't be out of their way to follow this last lead.

[damn_juicebox]

Rukia was perfectly willing to follow the map. They didn't really have any other options that would lead them to this Fat Chocobo, so they would be on their way.

...Right after she washed the dirt off of Yuki's talons. The chocobo had looked at her so pitifully, holding up her dirty feet as if she could barely stand it a moment longer. It was a little pathetic, but Yuki had been good to her, and demanded very little all in all. So Rukia washed her chocobo's feet, and Yuki departed the woods in high spirits once she was sparkling and clean again.

Once more, Rukia took point and rode ahead to serve as a lookout, her eyes sharp as she scanned the plains for signs of monsters or thieves. So far, it was clear. Hopefully they would reach the chocograph's destination soon.

[unyieldingspirit]

With the chocograph found, both K'pandolu and Esen were eager to see what lay in the place it indicated, and were close to the front of the group this time.

"Has anyone else gone searching with a map before?" she asked, swivelling in the saddle to look at the others in the group.

[dammit_flynn]

"I have. You guys having some trouble reading it or something?"

Yuri replied raising his hand. He was sure he was burrowing a chocobo to ride temporarily since he's not really into keeping these things as pets. He also promised Cloud he'd help in any way to get Zack better and he actually liked Zack, the chocobo.

"The question is if this things going to try to throw us in for our deaths or not. It could be a trap for all we know."

Not particularly trusting the map but he can lead with it if no one else comes up.

[neverfirstclass]

It wasn't the easiest map to follow. The Chocograph showed some land forms that Cloud had recognized from when he was looking over different maps for planning this trip in the first place. However now that they were down on the ground the angles were completely different.

"We're definitely close. That hill and that tree there are shown on here...I think." He handed the chocograph over to Yuri to take a look at if he wanted to.

"I don't think this is a trap though. If someone was going to do something to us they've had all this time. Why wait until we're so close to Aqures Ixen again?"

Unless this was another plot of Palitutu's to unearth another WEAPON but...no, he was sure it wasn't.

[unyieldingspirit]

"There've been a few maps, but that wasn't here. In any case, you're familiar with this kind of thing, then?"

K'pandolu settled back in the saddle, humming. "I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of protection active, but I imagine it's nothing we can't take care of." Some maps had brought chimeras upon her group, but they'd been prepared- particular after the first time. And Cloud was probably right regarding the location, in her opinion.

[dammit_flynn]

"Who knows? Can't be too careful but you got a point. Maybe I'm overly cautious?"

The response was a lot more sarcastic than he intended it to be but Yuri more or less took the map that was offered to him as he looked it over. They definitely were going the right way more or less. There's some confusion but nothing he couldn't stave off.

"You got that right. I guess we'll just do what we can in the mean time. We should be going this way, if that helps," he pointed straight ahead. Reading things like this were one of his specialties. Especially when he traveled so often.

Wrapping this up

[neverfirstclass]

Yuri wasn't wrong to advise caution. The map indeed lead the group to a buried chest, but when it was opened there was nothing but a cloud of smoke inside. It spread quickly, having no effect on any of the assembled Heroes. The chocobos however found themselves in a daze. At least that's how it seemed from the outside.

While their riders looked on in concern, the birds were blessed with a vision of the Fat Chocobo. It spoke to them and imparted its blessing on those who would take it. As they returned to consciousness a few of the birds had changed colors and were now blessed with new abilities. Close inspection would reveal that all the birds were hale and hearty if not better. Even Zack's sickness had been completely cured.

(ooc: I felt like it would be good to get this bit down before I have Cloud run another quest. The information I had didn't specify if the Heroes would be knocked out or anything, simply that the chocobos would have a vision. I kinda went with the FF9 portrayal where it was a chest full of gas. I'll poke our mods for more details on it for next time)