Hello, everyone! :) I've mostly been writing stuff for the Blue Dragon series – both game and anime – but I've been playing Final Fantasy XIII the past few days, and when I sat at my computer an hour ago, this idea wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down. So… Here I am. XD At first, I wasn't going to publish it, but after thinking about it, I decided to do so and see what people thought. If you like it, I might try my hand at writing more FFXIII stuff. ;) (Actually, I'll probably end up doing that anyway, but…) In any case, please don't broil me too badly… I don't mind you telling me your honest opinion, though, as long as you don't do it via flames. If I've made mistakes here and know about it, I can use it to improve for next time. :) Anyway… I could bore you with my history with Final Fantasy games – played every number, including X-2 and excluding XI – but you probably want to get to the story by now. So, after the disclaimer, read on! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII. Um… Am I supposed to put something else here? XD

Chocobo is happy to see Dajh again. Dajh is Chocobo's best friend, and even though it's been really nice being with nice Daddy and kind Pretty Girl, Chocobo has missed him terribly.

It's an unpleasant surprise when Dajh turns into crystal. Chocobo is disappointed, because Chocobo wanted to spend time with Dajh - but he isn't disappointed, because he knows his best friend will be okay. He's a bit sad, though, because he knows it might be a while until Chocobo sees Dajh again. In fact, Chocobo may have to wait until he's all grown up before he'll see Dajh again (Chocobo doesn't mind being little, but is happy about this, because after seeing the grown-up chocobos earlier, he's looking forward to being like them in the future).

But Daddy is so sad... So very sad... Heartbreakingly sad... And Chocobo is distressed about it, because he wants to do something but doesn't know what. So he stays inside of Daddy's hair, and waits.

And then mean Sneaky Woman says a bunch of stuff that Chocobo doesn't understand, but that makes Daddy and Pretty Girl even more upset - Pretty Girl even cries! - and it makes Chocobo dislike Sneaky Woman even more than he did before. (And he disliked her lots, because she kept Dajh and Daddy apart for long periods of time.)

And then Pretty Girl runs away, runs further into the amusement park, which seemed bright and happy before but is now dark and scary. Chocobo is very scared, and not just because of the way this place has changed - Sneaky Woman has said more things to Daddy - Chocobo still doesn't understand her words, but is still able to tell that her words are poisonous.

When Daddy takes off running in the direction of Pretty Girl, Chocobo's feathers stand on end the way they do when he gets a bad feeling about something. And he knows distinctly what it is - Pretty Girl is in danger. And though she's always in increasing danger, because of the thing on her upper thigh that will swallow her up if they don't hurry - and Chocobo keeps telling everyone to hurry, but they never listen to him - something is different this time. Something is more decisive, more immediate.

But what makes Chocobo despair the most is that he is riding on the one who will bring that danger to her.

Chocobo isn't sure which of them he's more concerned about.

And then there's a flurry of events that Chocobo has trouble keeping up with. Daddy is going to kill Pretty Girl, then he isn't going to, then they have to fight an enemy which isn't actually in an enemy in a fight that's actually just a complicated and dangerous test, then everything seems to be okay, then Daddy is going to kill Pretty Girl, then he isn't - why, Chocobo wonders, can't anyone around here make up their mind? - and then Daddy lifts his weapon and... and...

It's too close. It's just below where Chocobo is. He can see it just by peering over the edge of Daddy's hair.

What's he doing?! He's going to hurt himself doing something silly like that! Daddy is the one that's always saying those weapons aren't toys!

It's too close!!

... It's about five seconds before it happens that young Chocobo realizes that Daddy means for it to be too close.

That he means to hurt himself.

No...

No.

No!!

Daddy!!!

But no one can hear Chocobo over the sound of the pistol's echoing shot.

To Chocobo, the sound is like a cannon right besides his ears - which are ringing from the loud noise. His head is also pounding. And he can smell the smell of that red liquid that keeps humans alive, and it's making him sick. He can't tell how much there is or isn't, because his sense of smell has always been a little underdeveloped.

... Sazh...

It's the first time Chocobo doesn't call him Daddy (he only calls him that because that's what Dajh calls him, and it ended up becoming habit), and he didn't think it would be under such circumstances.

Tons of Mean And Nasty Soldiers flood the area, followed by Sneaky Woman. They put Daddy in a box and Pretty Girl in a binding robe.

From his place in Daddy's hair, Chocobo can see that they're being taken to the big scary ship. Chocobo is afraid.

But he hasn't lost hope. Whatever happens, the Mean And Nasty People won't take that away from him. They're not able to.

Chocobo can feel it - Daddy is still alive.

Chocobo just doesn't know for how long - whether he'll survive, or if he only has moments left.

If only they hadn't tied up Pretty Girl - she could use her magic to heal him!

Stupid, stupid Mean And Nasty Soldiers. And stupid Sneaky Woman (her more than any of them).

As they're continuing their march towards the sleep - and good grief, are these guys ever slow! - Chocobo finds his moment and temporarily leaves the haven of Daddy's hair.

None of the soldiers, or Sneaky Woman, notices as he flies - gosh, he'd just been talking figuratively, but they really are stupid if they don't see a bright yellow fluff floating around, but then again he is small so maybe they deserve more credit - towards Pretty Girl. She makes a strangled noise in the back of her throat as he lands on her shoulder. Chocobo has to think fast, because she looks like she's about to cry again (why is she crying so much, when she couldn't stop laughing just a short while before?).

Vanille!

And Chocobo feels equally happy and triumphant as he sees the corner of her mouth twitch and her eyes light up. That's the first time he's called her by name, too.

Chocobo nuzzles her cheek - and then anything seems possible, the future full of hope, because she's smiling again, even though her eyes are filled with tears.

Chocobo tells her something, and hopes desperately that she understands (not all humans understand every detail of what he says), because it's really important this time, maybe one of the most important things he's ever said. Because if she hears it, it just might give her the unshakable hope that he already has.

We're going to be okay.

… And it's done! I don't know how good that came out… I tried to capture what Chocobo might have been thinking during this time, and tried to word things the way he might interpret them. Overall, I think I was pleased with some parts, and others I was not. But I'll leave it up to you guys to decide how good it is. :) On that note, please review if you're able to! I'd like to know what everybody's thoughts are on it. :) I don't think I'm going to be doing a chaptered FFXIII fic anytime soon – though it's possible – but there is a chance you'll see more oneshots or a few drabbles from me. If so, I'll probably try to write something about Serah – she's my favorite character, so I'd like to do some writing concerning her at some point – or maybe something concerning Lightning and Hope (I think I've been the most intrigued by their relationship so far, though I'd have to say that I'm interested in all of the characters and the way they interact with the others). So, I think that's all I have to say for now. Thanks for reading! :D