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Rikku and Reboo
On the far end of the Mi’ihen Highroad, Yuna stood solemnly, peering into a
sky so blue that it looked like a vast ocean. “Where are you?” she whispered
and the wind carried her voice far into the distance. She held Tidus’s long
sword tightly in her soft hands and waited for an answer. “I will see you
again, won’t I?”
--“Hey, Yunie?” inquired Rikku, stepping up beside her. “Whatcha doing?”
“Waiting,” answered Yuna solemnly. “I come here to wait, even though I know
he—he’s not coming back, you know.” With that she bowed her head and
dropped the long sword, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Don’t say that, Yunie,” consoled Rikku. “Hey, I might know something that
will cheer you up. I found it in a cave not far from here.” She pointed to a
rocky cliff.
“What is it?” asked Yuna, almost smiling.
“Come,” laughed Rikku, and she bounded down the path, turning frequently to
wave to Yuna. “Come on. It’s not far.”
Soon Yuna followed at a short distance behind Rikku who strode frantically
to the rocky cliff. In a short few minutes the cliff face towered many feet
above the two. They entered the cave slowly.
“The secret is in here,” explained Rikku. “It’s just a few feet now.”
Yuna followed very quietly, considering if she really wanted to be inside
one of Spira’s dark, dank caves. Rikku held a paper lantern decorated with
pink and cyan script that lit up the gray cave walls with blue light. The
cave was very small, so it was shortly that Yuna found the secret Rikku had
described. It was a small creature with a gigantic mouth and razor sharp
teeth.
“It’s a Chocobo Eater,” shouted Yuna. “Is it dangerous?”
“No,” answered Rikku. He would never hurt a soul.” She motioned for the
little creature to come to her. “I call him Reboo.” She held the critter in
her arms like a child. “Isn’t he cute?”
“Rikku!” scolded Yuna, “we must leave here before his Mom comes back to get
him.” Her smile faded into an angry frown. “We mustn’t stay any longer.”
“What if he doesn’t have a mother?” asked Rikku. “What if he’s all by
himself? We can’t just leave him all alone. Please, Yunie. Please.” She made
that face with the big puppy eyes and pinched lips that always made Yuna
melt like a birthday candle.
“’Kay,” laughed Yuna,” but promise to bring him back if he does have a Mom.”
“Thank you,” said Rikku. “I’ll take good care of him. Just wait to Lulu sees
him.”
Yuna and Rikku left the gray cave in the rocky cliff and returned to their
Chocobo carriage on the Mi’ihen Highroad. Their coachman, Rin, soon
discovered his third passenger after Reboo bit his lead Chocobo on the foot.
“Bad Reboo,” scolded Rikku. “We don’t bite Mr. Chocobo.” She waved her index
finger at him. Reboo just stared at her like a child who knows she has done
something wrong but doesn’t yet know what it is. He shifted back into the
seat with his tongue hanging out of his gaping mouth.
The carriage sped down the road until it reached the gate at Luca. Here Rin
watched carefully as Yuna and Rikku departed with Reboo in her arms. He
shook his head silently and went back to the business of taxiing paying
customers. He wondered as he led the Chocobo carriage away why he’d ever
abandoned his lucrative merchant business.
Meanwhile in Luca, Lulu watched Wakka practice Blitzball in the Arena. Wakka
dove and shifted in the water, tossing the Blitzball into the goalie. Score!
He signaled the vender for another ball and ran the same course again.
Yuna and Rikku with Reboo entered the Arena and stopped at the vendor for
banana splits. Reboo instantly devoured his snack and stared greedily at
Rikku’s banana split. She quietly resolved just to give him the snack and
bought another banana split. Afterward, they left the vendor and made their
way to Lulu’s seat in the front row.
“Good Evening, Lulu,” greeted Yuna.
Lulu turned around and smiled at Yuna. “You know, I didn’t think you were
coming back this time. Wakka’s been practicing the same shot for the last
two hours.”
A drenched Wakka appeared in front of Lulu. “Well, you got to keep
practicing if you’re ever going to get any better, Ya? I figure that this is
the year for the Besaid Aurochs. This year we’re going to make it all the
way, you know.” Suddenly Wakka recognized the little creature that Rikku
held. “What do you have there, Rikku?”
“It’s a baby Chocobo Eater,” explained Rikku. “He’s all by himself, so we
took him with us.”
“Sounds dangerous if you ask me,” said Wakka.
Suddenly the Arena trembled like Sin had just reawakened to attack Luca.
Screaming citizens in colorful garb dashed frantically out of the stadium.
“What’s that?” asked Lulu.
“I dunno,” answered Rikku shakily,” but it sounds big.”
In an instant a giant angry Chocobo Eater bounded into the Arena. Her tongue
dangled out of her toothy mouth and her eyes were frenzied.
“Sounds like a fight to me,” said Wakka, clutching his Blitzball.
“Ready?” asked Yuna.
“Yeah,” answered the group.
They approached the Chocobo Eater quickly, setting up a strong defense.
Rikku hid in the back with little Reboo. “I’ll protect you,” she promised.
The Chocobo Eater thundered past the group like they didn’t even exist and
headed straight for Rikku. Soon the towering jaws of the mother Chocobo
Eater confronted Rikku. In that instant Reboo jumped out of Rikku’s arms and
squeaked at the giant monster. The Chocobo Eater responded with a rolling
throttle.
“What's happening?” asked Rikku.
“Let Reboo go,” said Yuna. “That’s his Mom and she’s very upset.”
“I’m sorry,” Rikku said to the Chocobo Eater. “I didn’t know he was your
baby.”
The Chocobo Eater turned around and bounded out of the Arena with little
Reboo chasing his Mom at a distance. Rikku waived sadly.
“Well,” laughed Lulu, “that’s why you don’t bring strange animals home with
you.”
The group broke out into laughter, and Rikku just sobbed like a little girl.
The End
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Fan Fiction