More than a Myth

Growing too Soft

Noctis heard everything Lightning muttered to herself from the entrance of the garden. She feels alone? He thought. So she wasn't angry as Gladiolus commented, just... sad. He couldn't bear to see Lightning so upset. He got an idea.
He approached Lightning. "Hey..." He shyly said. She looked over at him with an emotionless expression. Noctis wasn't sure how to ask her. He tried to act cool.
"That slap hurt, you know." He teased. Lightning's wasn't fazed. Well then, Let's try plan B. He walked over to her and took a seat on the ground next to her.
"I can see why you're so confused about everything. It was foolish of me to throw you into all of this so quickly." He told her sympathetically.
"Why do you give a damn?" She responded, her voice cold and harsh. Truly, Noctis didn't know why yet. He was so concerned for her happiness. But why? He barely knew her. She just reminded him of something, someone... But who?
He pushed the thought aside and answered, "What Gladiolus said was uncalled for. I wouldn't take what he said so lightly either." Lightning was puzzled. Why was he being so nice? Lightning thought to herself. Wow, I really am too paranoid. Gladiolus was dead on. Lightning mentally slapped herself for thinking that way. She was a soldier. Never could she become so soft.
Noctis finally got the courage to ask her, "When I'm in a rut, there's a place I like to go to clear my mind. Would you like to go?"
Lightning was stunned. No one here showed her such kindness towards her. Why him? Why now? She thought it over. This could be an opportunity to pry some information about this world out of him. "Fine. Anything to get away from here."
Noctis didn't expect her to actually accept his offer. But he was glad to get some time to know her.
"Follow me."

Noctis lead Lightning through the castle and out a back door that went to a huge backyard full of trees, flowerbeds, and small ponds. A red wooden building similar to a barn was nearby. The red facility was where all chocobos were held. He started walking over to it when Lightning asked, "Just where are we going now?"
He looked back at her before responding, "A plain that is not too far from here. It's easiest to go there by riding a chocobo. You have ridden before, right?"
Lightning shot him a glare. "Of course I have," She snapped.
Noctis smirked. He believed it was funny when she got mad over silly things like that. He loved to tease her, too. "So I shouldn't expect you to fall, or are you just trying to sound tough?" Lightning punched his arm as he laughed.
He signaled for Lightning to wait outside the corral while he got two chocobos. Lightning didn't expect seeing Noctis come back with one white and one black chocobo!
"Aren't all chocobos yellow?" She wondered out loud. Noctis thought that was a yet another strange question. She seemed to ask a lot of those. "Actually, they come in many assorted colors. Didn't you know?"
Lightning felt sheepish for voicing her inner thoughts. All the chocobos on Pulse and Cocoon were yellow and yellow only.
Noctis decided to let the odd question slide and handed her the reins to the white chocobo. It wasn't quite as large as the chocobos from Pulse, but the bird still stood at a good seven feet. Noctis climbed onto his black chocobo.
Lightning hopped onto hers while Noctis said, "This is Cinis. He's been with me since I was a little kid."
"So... Why are you telling me this?"
Noctis felt a little stupid for introducing his chocobo as if it was a human being. "Well... He's just been my chocobo for so long. I guess he's special to me, that's all.
She understood what he meant. "What's this one's name then?" Lightning asked.
"She's Snow."
Lightning frowned. Damn coincidence has to remind me that I don't even have my idiot brother-in-law to annoy me anymore.
Noctis noticed her discontentment. "Something wrong?"
Lightning came out of her thoughts, "I'm fine, I was just thinking."
Noctis whipped Cinis' reins and made him start running after he kweed. Lightning did the same and followed.
Lightning never knew there was such a long field so close to the castle. She thought there would be a fence or something behind it. The field had few trees apart from a forest to the far east. Dandelions and other weeds littered the rolling hills just as lush green grass did. It was spring, so many bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and other bugs fluttered about. It was a couple of hours away from noon, making the field seem to glow in the morning sunlight. No clouds covered the sky, allowing the beautiful blue to engulf everything below it. A warm breeze flowed through the air.
Noctis said the place he talked about wasn't too far, but they had ridden for some time. A tall hill soon approached them. Noctis slowed down and stopped Cinis at the hill's base. He jumped off Cinis and tied his reins to a tree close by. Lightning did the same with Snow. Lightning's waist and shoulder burned from the bumpy ride. She didn't want to show her pain in front of Noctis, so she ignored the pain.