Jina was exceptional among her people, the Al Bhed, for she was raised in a big town, and not on the dusty island of Bikanel.
Therefore, it wasn't very easy for her to find a job, because most people disliked her tribe, as they believed them to be 'traitors of Yevons teachings'. Jina never did anything that would be against those teachings, nor did she ever get involved with Cid's plans...
Luckily, she managed to get a nice, well-paid job in one of Mr. Rin's travel agencies.
What she liked most was taking care of the chocobos that Rin rented to those people who didn't want to travel along the highroad by foot. She had to get up early to feed them, but she didn't mind.
Happily humming a tune and carrying a bucket with Gysahl Greens, she exited the front door of the agency, turned around the corner and walked towards the chocobo corral.
What she didn't expect was a giant, two-tongued fiend with arms the size of palm trees and a VERY bad case of halitosis, that was just grabbing one of her charges, while the other birds were running around in a panic.
The bucket fell on the floor.
----
Meanwhile, Ranma got used to the fact that it wasn't his father waking him up in the mornings, but mostly the morning sun shining onto his face.
He trashed around in his bed while murmuring: "Mmmmm... jus' a few more minutes..."
He took a quick, dozy look at the other beds and realized that Tidus and Wakka were already up.
Well, they surely wouldn't mind if he was staying in bed a little longer...
He was jolted awake, when he heard a panicking, female voice from downstairs:
"Aaaaaaaah! Somebody help! The chocobos!"
Ranma immediately jumped out of bed, and out of the window.
He was landing outside the building at the same time Tidus was exiting through the front door.
"What's up?" Tidus asked the shaking Al Bhed woman.
With a shaking finger, she pointed to the building's roof. "Up... up there..."
They turned around. On the roof, they could see the massive form of a fiend that was notorious for all highroad travellers, because of its large appetite and its favorite dish: Chocobos.
It was the Chocobo Eater!
The others came out of the agency.
Kasumi gasped. "Oh no! That poor bird!"
The chocobo inside the hand of the beast trashed around, while chirping miserably. The Chocobo Eater licked his lips with his gross double-tongue and moved its prey closer to its mouth.
That's when a blitzball hit his head on the side. "Hey, you big piece of slime, go pick on someone your own size!"
That wasn't the wisest thing to say, as no one of the present people was as big as the Chocobo Eater himself.
The fiend lowered its hand while angrily roaring at Wakka.
Suddenly, something smacked into his head from behind. The beast was that startled that it dropped its prey. Snarling, it turned around to face whoever was bothering him.
It was Shampoo, now sporting big, feathered wings.
"Shampoo knew her air form would come in handy sometimes," she smirked.
But while she was trying to lure the Chocobo Eater from the roof, his primitive mind tried to comprehend the situation.
He just dropped a chocobo, one of his favorite meals, that was yellow and feathered.
Next to him, in the air, there was flying something that also had feathers... and while the feathers were brown, its FUR was a sandy yellow.
Therefore, it came to a very simple as well as for Shampoo unpleasant conclusion:
'FOOD!'
And its large prank snatched Shampoo out of the air.
"AIYAAAAH! Let Shampoo go, you stupid, stupid thing! Shampoo is winged Amazon, not Cho... Choboco... yellow little bird! Let go!!"
The fiend jumped down the roof and made the earth shake by its impact on the highroad.
"Do something," Yuna cried. "We can't let it take Shampoo!"
"Is no use," Kimahri grumbled. "If we attack, Shampoo in danger. Chocobo Eater has simple mind, but can be tricky."
"And if I just aim for his other arm with my blitzball?" Wakka asked.
Auron shook his head. "Won't hurt it! It's body armor is too thick. I should break it down using my sword, but if the girl is in the way... it's too dangerous."
"Dang!" Ranma yelled. "There's GOTTA be something we can do!"
And while he was desperately trying to find a solution, someone else took care of that problem.
A loud squawk was heard from the other side of the highroad, where another chocobo had appeared - this one had wings that were shining with gold. And on its back... there was a boy wearing a spotted bandana.
"ALL RIGHT, CHOCO," Ryoga yelled. "GET HIM!"
And while Ryoga was lowering his head, his feathered friend stormed towards the Chocobo Eater at full speed, sounding like an approaching steam locomotive.
And when they hit they fiend's back with a big 'BAM', the beast was hurled skywards by the impact.
Shampoo was safely sitting on the Golden Chocobo's back, while Ryoga was thrown off by the impact, dazed sitting on the ground, his eyes spinning circles.
Before the skyrocketed fiend could become a victim of gravity, Choco quickly pulled his friend to safety with his beak.
'WHAM!!' The ground welcomed the Chocobo Eater with a major headache.
Auron carefully approached the creature. "It's knocked out," he stated.
Shampoo jumped off the Golden Chocobo's back. "Aiya," she shouted. "Lost boy finally arrived at the right time once. If not come earlier, Shampoo would have become roast chicken."
Ryoga dizzily stood up. "C-can anyone get the number of that truck?" he mumbled. His chocobo friend soothingly nuzzled his side.
The Nerimians ran up to the scene.
"Ryoga," Ranma cried out in surprise. "Man, that was cool, pork-butt! Shampoo's right: For once, you managed to arrive at the right time."
"Well, yeah, that I owe to my feathered friend Choco," Ryoga smiled while petting the chocobo.
He 'kweeeh'ed happily in response.
"How did you get here, Ryoga?" Akane asked. "Did the Espers recruit you as well?"
Ryoga nervously scratched his head. "Well, uh... you see... I, uh, just got pretty lost, that's all.."
Everyone that knew Ryoga just nodded.
"Ah, makes sense!"
Tidus shook his head. How could anyone get THAT lost?
"And, um, by the way, I also found your pet pig, Akane. And I, umm... took it home... if that's all right."
Akane smiled. "You're really a sweet guy, Ryoga!"
What Ranma really interested was: "Hey, did you get here directly, or did you need multiple tries?" He winked at his rival.
Ryoga blushed. "Weeeell, you see..."
----
A man with colorful, kinda bizarre clothes and a painted face like a clown, was approaching the water canal.
"Now I'm gonna poison that water... and that's the end of the army of Doma!"
And then he crazily sniggered: "WHU HUH HUH HUH HUH!"
"Um, excuse me, please, but... can you point me to a world named Spira?" a voice interrupted his laugh.
Angrily, he turned around. "Who are you?" he demanded to know. "How DARE you interrupt the mighty Kefka in his time of triumph?"
The boy, who was riding on a golden-glittering chocobo, looked around. "Um, looks like we're wrong here as well, Choco. Let's try again!"
The chocobo made a little 'Kweeeh', and with a flash, they disappeared.
Kefka shook his head. What a strange boy.
Oh well, he had more important things to take care of...
----
Ryoga looked grimly at Ranma. "Of... of course I got here directly! What do you think I am? Eternally lost? Hah, not any more, not any more..."
He again mounted his trusty bird. "Well, was nice seeing you, but I gotta go on."
"What?" Ranma asked in surprise. "You're not gonna join us? We certainly could use your help here!"
"Sorry, Ranma," Ryoga replied. "Me and my lil' buddy here are on a quest ourselves, and we only came through here by accident."
"Right," Ranma grumbled quietly. "What else...?"
"Where do you have to go?" Kasumi asked intrigued.
Ryoga shrugged. "Oh, just some world called Spira! I certainly hope I'll find it before lunch... Let's go, Choco!"
And with a flash, they disappeared.
It was quiet for a while.
"Ryoga, you doofus..." muttered Ranma.
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(Posted Tue, 18 Jul 2006 23:24)
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