[EXO] [PD6] On the Road (Where You Don't Look Back) 3/3
Title: On the Road (Where You Don't Look Back) 3/3
Fandom: EXO (sort of fused with Final Fantasy VII)
Series: Phoenix Down (#6)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, crossover (sort of)
Word count: 27,046
Disclaimer: Not mine, damnit.
Warnings: There are a lot of corpses in this fic. However, none of them are characters.
Part 2
On the Road (Where You Don't Look Back) 3/3
Kris has never raced a chocobo in his life. Ridden one really, really fast in order to escape danger, but never with five other chocobos racing alongside him, all determined to be first over the finish line. Before leaving Chen says he'll arrange for Kris to participate in the first race of the morning - he even offers to let them do the short course - and tells him where he needs to take Ace.
"Moping around the stables isn't going to win you that race," Yixing says after Kris has spent ten minutes petting Ace and staring blankly into the straw. "Can we at least get dinner while you think about it?"
"Nothing to think about," Kris says glumly. "You didn't see this guy race. His chocobo's like an extension of his body."
"Ace loves you very much," Yixing points out. "Don't discount him yet. Chen said the tracks will be free in an hour; you can go in and practise then."
"I don't think practice is going to help much..."
Kris lets Yixing persuade him that food would be an excellent idea (and to be fair, he's starving, only anxiety about the race is doing a good job of helping him ignore it) and the two of them return to the hotel, where a slightly more awake Jongin is waiting for them in the lobby.
"Lu Han told me you were on your way back," he says. "And also that Baekhyun wants you to call him out later. Something about chocobos?"
"It's a long story," Kris says. "You can hear it over dinner."
The hotel dining room is more than adequate for their needs, though the servers dressed as ghosts are somewhat disconcerting. Kris doesn't call Baekhyun out yet, because even though the Summons tend not to eat around their masters, Baekhyun is more prone to snacking than most and Kris refuses to buy food for a man who's eating perfectly well in another world anyway. Jongin giggles when they explain about the challenge, though his face falls when Kris enlightens him about Chen's success rate and skill level.
It falls further still when Kris tries to explain to him why he wants to revive the dead. Yixing's being considerate enough not to mention it, but Kris knows better than to think he won't somehow let it slip out in an unguarded moment. And Jongin deserves to hear it too, the reason they're on this quest in the first place. He listens quietly while Kris talks; the confusion spreading across his face makes him look like a bewildered child and Kris feels a twinge of guilt for dragging the others into this.
But if he hadn't... What if they'd still been in Junon, where they'd been staying before coming to find him in Midgar? Would they have escaped across the sea when the red clouds descended, or perished in their beds? There's no way to know. Kris is grateful to have them here - still alive, still fighting alongside him, whether there's something in it for them or not.
Jongin waits for the end of Kris's explanation, chopsticks dangling unused from his fingers, noodles cooling before him as the confusion begins to clear. He's not wearing his gauntlets at the table; they're clipped to his belt, twin materia orbs half-visible at his waist. Kris doesn't know if Jongin actually has to be wearing them in order for Lu Han to speak to him inside his head, but he doesn't have that slightly distracted, faraway look he sometimes gets when he says he's carrying on a conversation no one else can hear. He's too focused on Kris for that.
It's that intense focus that reminds Kris that although he's the youngest, Jongin's no child.
"I think I get it?" Jongin licks his lips, everything a question. There's no certainty here. How can there be, when even Kris has no real idea what he's doing? "Feeling like...you shouldn't be here. Like there are things you should remember, but they happened to someone else."
"Things with Lu Han?" Yixing suggests, and Jongin flushes, pretending to stab Yixing with his chopsticks.
"I don't have any memories with him, except that dream I had on the ship. I wish I did. He does."
"Give it time," Kris says. He's not sure how sensible it is to fall for someone who doesn't even have a physical presence in this world most of the time, but it seems to make them both happy, and if Kris would really rather not think about it in too much detail, it costs him nothing to be supportive. "You've only had the one dream. It's been over a decade for me. It must've been a long time for Lu Han, too."
Jongin nods solemnly, then remembers his rapidly-cooling food and attacks with great gusto, talking in between (and occasionally during) mouthfuls. "Are you really going to do this? Do you have to?"
"I'll worry about that after we find that materia." Kris takes a sip from his water glass. "If we ever get out there."
"You might win," Yixing says. "It's not impossible."
"It's not," Kris acknowledges with a rueful grin, "but that doesn't make it likely. I'll go try out the course in a bit and see how much trouble I'm in. Anybody want a practice race?"
"I would, but apparently I have plans," Jongin says. "Lu Han won't tell me what they are, though."
"This is why I got you a room to yourself," Yixing says, and Jongin chokes on his food. "I'm going to sit in the room and make up some more Potions while we have the time. There's nothing further we can do before morning anyway."
Kris doesn't push. If Yixing had been planning to come here for his honeymoon, exploring Gold Saucer might not be the most enjoyable of activities for him. Best to leave him to his own devices. They can always use the Potions.
Yixing disappears upstairs after dinner. Jongin hovers for a moment, probably waiting for Lu Han to show up, and Kris takes him aside to the least dusty corner of the foyer to ask, "Are you okay with this?"
"With what?"
"With..." Kris waves his hand vaguely over his chest. "With what I'm doing. What I'm thinking of doing."
"Oh." Jongin takes a few minutes to think about it; Kris can practically see him turning his answer over and over in his mind. The gauntlets are still off, so Jongin's probably alone in his head right now, and not talking it over with Lu Han. At last he says: "I'm not okay with you killing yourself. I don't...I've never had many people I could trust. I don't really want to lose one."
"You trust me?" Kris is flattered. Jongin's relaxed considerably since they first met, but he's still wary and for all that they've been through together, they've never explicitly discussed this. "Even after what I said?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I agree with it. There has to be a better way to find yourself. Take up meditation or something?"
"I'm not going to do anything without thinking it through first," Kris assures him. "I want to talk to the guy who has the materia, too. He got crushed to death before he came back; I don't plan on doing anything like that to myself. Probably bad for my skin."
That, Jongin does agree with, and the joke seems to work better as reassurance than any serious discussion of how Kris is not intending to jump right into anything without considering the consequences. "I understand why you want to do it," he says. "I mean that. And we're all in this together, finding that materia. But I don't want to think about what happens afterwards."
"Then don't," Lu Han says as he appears at Jongin's side. "Focus on what you have right now." He turns to Kris. "Baekhyun's waiting for you to call him out. Keep him away from the bar, will you? He threw up all over my bed the last time he got drunk here."
Kris raises an eyebrow, laughing. "Unless there's one on the racetrack, he's not getting anywhere near alcohol this evening."
"Good." Lu Han grins, clearly satisfied, and grabs Jongin's hand to lead him out the front door. "Good luck on the track, and don't wait up."
Maybe Lu Han and Jongin have time to see the sights, but Kris has work to do. "Baekhyun," he whispers, and in a flash of light, his Summon appears, dressed more casually than usual in jeans and a plain navy T-shirt. He's still wearing the eyeliner, though there are no monsters to intimidate here. Not unless he fancies a turn in the Battle Square, and that's not going to happen.
"Lu Han said you wanted to talk about chocobos?" Kris asks. "Do you even have them where you're from?"
Baekhyun smirks, heading for the front door. "Sure we do. I used to ride them all the time in middle school."
"That was what, like, three years ago?"
"Very funny. Are we going to check out the track or not?"
Kris doesn't bother to ask how Baekhyun knows what's going on. He's getting used to the idea of Summons being able to hear things through their orbs, but he tries to make a point of never taking his sword to the bathroom with him. "Going to be my cheerleader?"
Baekhyun waves one small, elegant hand with an imaginary and very sarcastic pompom. "Rah rah."
Chocobo Square is largely deserted when they reach it, all the races over for the day, everyone gone to seek their pleasures elsewhere. Everyone, that is, except a pair of security guards on the door and a young lady in a pink dress, who introduces herself as 'Ester', and informs them that Chen had asked her to help Kris out.
"I'm his manager," she adds, and Kris doesn't know whether to be heartened that his racing rival is being so helpful, or suspicious of his motives. Still, it's not like Ester can take him down to the track and kill him with all the cameras watching, and he's pretty sure he can take on one lone, unarmed woman.
Or Baekhyun can, though he seems more interested in complimenting Ester on her hair, in which she's stuck a jaunty chocobo feather.
"We don't have time for that," Kris mutters, pitching his voice for Baekhyun's ears alone as Ester moves to unlock the door through to the stables.
"Why's Lu Han the only one allowed to get some in this world?" Baekhyun says. He's actually pouting. Kris wonders if it's too late to swap him for Kyungsoo. "Did you see the way she smiled at me? Tell me that wasn't interest."
"If she's Chen's manager she's probably in love with him too. Everyone else I saw in here today was."
"Even the old men? Gross." Baekhyun looks thoroughly disgusted. "That guy should have some restraint."
Kris tries to convey the hypocrisy of this in one withering glance, but quickly has to school his face back into something friendlier when Ester invites them into the stables. This is the entrance the jockeys and staff use, and they pass by the chocobos regularly berthed there en route to Ace. He points out Emperor on the way. Chen's prizewinning chocobo is wide awake, peering curiously over the door of his stall. Baekhyun looks him over with an appraising eye but doesn't offer an opinion, which can't be good news.
"How's my boy?" Kris croons to Ace when they reach his stall. "Did you miss me?"
Ace joyfully headbutts his master's hand in response; Ester's eyes light up. "That's so cute!"
"But not as cute as me," Baekhyun says, worming his way between Ester and Kris, and Kris groans inwardly. His Summon does have a kind of impish cuteness about him, but their combined good looks are not going to win them this race. Charming Chen's manager is probably a waste of time.
Not that Baekhyun's succeeding, anyway. "I just love chocobos," Ester says, completely focused on Ace. "And this one's a beauty!"
"How does he compare with Emperor?" Kris asks.
"I can't answer that without giving one of them a swelled head. Chocobos are very sensitive, you know."
"Exactly," Baekhyun interjects in a knowing tone, puffing out his chest. "That's why you have to give them just the right kind of stimulation."
Ester smiles at him, brighter than the stable lights, and Baekhyun blossoms under the force of her attention. "Do you know much about chocobos?"
"Enough to have them eating out of my hand." Baekhyun's self-satisfied grin really is becoming unbearable.
"Chocobos will eat out of anyone's hand," Kris points out. "It's stopping them eating your hand afterwards that takes skill."
Baekhyun shoots him a dirty look; Ester merely laughs. "Emperor nearly cost a few jockeys their hands," she says. "Their necks too. He simply wouldn't behave until Chen came along. We all thought he was amazing."
"He does seem pretty good," Kris has to admit. "I guess he's really got a way with chocobos."
"I hear that's not all he's got a way with," Baekhyun says snidely, but no one pays him any heed.
Ester nods. "You'll see for yourself tomorrow morning. Let's get Ace ready to go, and I'll take you through to the track. You can practise as much as you like tonight; they don't come in to do maintenance until six tomorrow morning."
Ace is thrilled to escape his stall. It's all Kris can do to prevent him hurtling off the second they reach the track. It's so peculiar, standing there without the hustle and bustle of the race, without the flashing lights and frantic music. The course trails off into the distance, marked out by coloured lights, and Kris has no idea what lies in wait for him up ahead. He hopes he and Ace can handle it.
"I'll be watching from the office," Ester says. "Come find me when you're done. Good luck!"
She leaves them alone to explore, and Kris considers where to start. Walk Ace through the course to get an idea of the layout? Or hop into the saddle and just go for it?
"The key to winning this race," Baekhyun says, "is the relationship you have with your chocobo."
Kris hopes Baekhyun isn't implying things he doesn't want to think about. "He's like a son to me."
"A son? That's good, we can work with that. But I bet your "son" has never had his daddy sing him to sleep, has he?"
"We don't have time for sleep!" Kris says. "And no, I've never sung to him. Why would I?"
Baekhyun looks at him like he's five years old and completely clueless. "Because chocobos love music. Not as much as they love food, but if you win their hearts with food all the time they get too fat to run. When I used to ride, I'd make them fall for me with my voice." He moves to stand opposite Ace and begins to sing. "Baby don't cry, tonight..."
He sings beautifully, Kris thinks, beginning to lose himself in the warm, rich sounds bringing life to the deserted track. It's no wonder Ace looks spellbound. The usually excitable chocobo has forgotten all about Kris and is edging towards Baekhyun, beak gaping open and eyes blissfully glazed. Kris has never been able to make Ace look at him like that. It's stupid to feel jealous of of your own Summon, right?
By the time Baekhyun's finished the song, Ace is nuzzling him happily, taking playful nips at his ear and allowing himself to be petted and fussed over. Kris might as well be invisible.
"He'll do anything I like now," Baekhyun says smugly. "He'll win the race or die trying."
"I don't want him to die," Kris says. "And you're not the one riding."
"That's not the point. You can do this too."
"I don't know..." Kris hasn't sung much in his life. Mostly, there hasn't been anyone around he'd want to hear him. He's definitely no match for Baekhyun's voice, and if that's what Ace likes...
"Give it a try," Baekhyun says, impatient now. "If your rival can do it, so can you."
"You think Chen sings to his chocobo?"
"He was crooning to Ace. I could hear it even from my orb. He's got a good voice." Baekhyun adds, "If that's what you're into. His chocobo probably is."
If Chen's voice can tame an untameable chocobo, Kris doesn't fancy his own chances. He searches his memory for song fragments, any snatch of melody stuck in the back of his mind. There's not much, and the few songs he's heard lately have come from Yixing and Minseok, who do the occasional double act. Minseok keeps Yixing's guitar in his world and brings it across on request; more than a couple of dull evenings have been livened in such a way. Sometimes Jongin even dances for them - he's so confident when performing, yet so shy when accepting praise, and he clearly misses having opportunities to dance. Kris doesn't contribute much on those occasions, save some amateur percussion...and, sometimes, a little rap.
"Selected VIP wouldn't it be mind-blowingly awesome-"
Ace screeches "Wark!" and tries to hide behind Baekhyun. Kris stops immediately, frowning at his laughing Summon. The further Ace retreats from Kris, the more Baekhyun doubles over with laughter. Kris hopes Ester can't see them on the cameras.
"Maybe this isn't a technique that's going to work for you," Baekhyun says when he finally calms down. "You probably have other talents...right?"
"Right," Kris says dryly. "They mostly involve chopping things that annoy me in half. I could demonstrate?"
"You could, but then you wouldn't have anyone to stand here guarding your sword while you take Ace around the track. I'm sure you'll go much faster without that weighing you down."
Baekhyun can't move Kris's sword, not while his own materia's equipped in it, but he can certainly stand still next to it. Maybe it'll keep him out of trouble. "Okay," Kris agrees. "Now can you stop cuddling up to my chocobo so he remembers me again?"
"He remembers you, he just doesn't like you rapping. Go on, Ace." Baekhyun gives the chocobo a little nudge. "It's okay to go back. The weird sounds have stopped. There's a good boy."
Kris is less than amused by Baekhyun's opinions of his musical efforts, but he can't complain when Ace slowly inches his way back to be met by Kris's large, gentle hand with an always-welcome ruffle behind the wing. A few smiles and encouraging words, and Ace is headbutting him with as much love as ever, almost bowling him over with the strength of his affection.
"See?" Kris says. "Ace loves me anyway, even if I don't sing to him. Maybe chocobos in your world are different."
"They're not," Baekhyun says. "Some of them just have better taste than others. The one I always rode in middle school, he wouldn't respond to anyone's voice but mine after the first time I rode him." He sounds a little nostalgic. "I was so sad when his owners moved and took him away with them. None of the others will ever be as special to me."
"What was his name, this special chocobo?" The Summons don't talk that much about themselves, so Kris figures the polite thing to do would be to show an interest.
Baekhyun gives him an embarrassed smile. "Ah, I was quite young when they let me name him..."
"His name?" Kris presses, curious now.
"Beakhyun."
Kris settles for raising judging eyebrows at his Summon and tossing his sheathed sword down at the edge of the track, before climbing astride Ace. "You want me to pretend I didn't hear that?"
"I stand by my choices," Baekhyun says.
"I don't care if you stand by your choices as long as you stand by my sword."
Kris leaves Baekhyun by the starting line and hopes he won't disappear before they get back. Not that he's worried about anyone sneaking in and stealing his sword, but even so, he doesn't like being unarmed for longer than he can help. He won't be allowed to carry any weapons in the race tomorrow anyway, and he could do without the extra weight.
Ace behaves himself moderately well, only turning his head a few times to give Kris a bewildered look; Kris gently nudges him to continue. They walk the course through once, then three times at varying speeds so Kris can get the hang of where he wants to be for rounding corners, and where it's best to approach the stairs. There's a lot riding on this - more than he really wants to take responsibility for, but it's not as if he can ask someone else to do it. He made a bargain and now he's committed to holding up his end.
By the end of the fourth lap, Kris feels they know the course as well as can be reasonably expected - given his head, Ace now makes the turns himself - and without any opponents to measure them against, he can't tell how well they match up in terms of speed. They'll just have to wait until morning and hope for the best. Baekhyun stays long enough to wish them luck before disappearing back into his materia orb, and Kris takes Ace back to the stables with Ester.
"See you at ten," she says, showing him out the front entrance. "You should go enjoy the Saucer tonight. The fireworks are beautiful."
"Thanks, but I think I'll just head back to the hotel. Tomorrow's going to be rough."
Kris's attempts to spend a quiet night in don't go quite as planned, as Lu Han - alone, and dressed differently to earlier - intercepts him on his way back and persuades him to go to Event Square. Kris proceeds to regret agreeing to this for the rest of the evening.
At least when he finally returns to the hotel, he's knocked out enough that sleep comes easily. This time, he doesn't dream.
-----
Neither of the others have dreamt, either, when he checks at breakfast. Yixing, who'd been back in the hotel making Potions by the time Kris had returned, is his usual amiable self. Jongin's sleepy, of course, but he seems happy after his date with Lu Han. Kris finds it easier to ignore his impending race and force down food when he's talking to the others, and if they're apprehensive about his chances, they don't let on.
"You can drive, right?" Jongin asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he looks at Kris. "I don't have much practice."
"I've never tried," Yixing says. "How hard can it be in the middle of a desert?"
Kris sighs. "Okay, you're definitely not driving. We have to bring back this van in one piece, remember? I'll do it." He's fairly certain he's got more driving experience than Jongin, and if they let Yixing do it, the odds are that he'll space out and run them into a cactus - even if it's the only thing out there. "I used to work as a courier out of Midgar for a while, before the company went bust and had to sell off their cars."
"Is that when you started selling your sword?" Yixing asks.
"I did a little freelance translating in between," Kris says. It's not like he has any reason to keep his past a secret. Not anymore. The others have already heard far more embarrassing things about him. "I grew up in Wutai, so..."
Yixing smiles. "So that's why you sleeptalk in multiple languages!"
"I do?" This isn't the first time Yixing has told Kris he talks in his sleep, but he's never found out if any of it makes any sense.
"Not all the time," Jongin assures him through a mouthful of toast. "I just thought you were mumbling gibberish."
Kris smacks him lightly on the arm with a rolled up serviette and concentrates on not spilling juice down himself before the big race. He's definitely going to have an audience.
When they get to Chocobo Square, they find a long line of people placing bets - most of them, on Chen. Word has spread, but there aren't too many people willing to risk their money on the unknown newcomer. Jongin and Yixing find a corner from which to watch the race on the big screens. They don't bet on Kris either - at least, not with money. The stakes are much higher for them.
Ester pops up to greet them and take Kris through to the stables again. Chen's already there, petting Emperor in his stall. He turns when Kris bids him a good morning and Kris is surprised by the lack of colour in his face. Chen looks like he rolled out of his sickbed for the occasion, face pale and downcast, eyes haunted and wary. This isn't what Kris expects from the number one chocobo jockey in the Gold Saucer. Where's that easy confidence, that love of the race?
Perhaps he didn't sleep well. "Bad night?" Kris asks sympathetically. It wouldn't do to crow over anything that might give him an edge in the race.
"You could say that." Chen offers him a weary smile, so lacking in energy that Kris wants to suggest they call the whole thing off until tomorrow - but there's no time for that. "Don't think I'll be easier to beat because of it, okay?"
Kris returns the smile. "Okay."
The stableboy appears then, to assure Kris that Ace has received nothing but the best care since his stabling, and Kris leaves his exhausted opponent behind. Ace is waiting for him.
"We can do this," Kris murmurs to Ace as he leads him out to the track. "Just you and me, boy. You know you're the best one out there, right?"
Ace smashes his head affectionately into Kris's chin. Kris thinks himself lucky it wasn't beak-first.
There's a tense atmosphere out on the track, despite the cheerful music blaring from the speakers. Chen and Emperor are there, of course, and the other four jockeys seem far more worried about them than they are about Kris and Ace. Two of the other chocobos are yellow; another is pink, and the last is green. Three of the jockeys appear to be female; Kris can't tell about the fourth. What they do all have in common is their determination to win, and the more Chen's subdued mien registers with them, the more confident they appear to grow. Chen ignores them all, save a nod in Kris's direction as they take their positions.
Kris has time for a quick nod back and then with a fanfare they're off, dashing through a rainbow tunnel with Chen in the lead. Ace is at least moving in the right direction, clearly remembering last night's drills, and Kris doesn't have to do much steering with his knees. They're not first. They're not even second. But although this is the short track, it's long enough that Kris reckons that with Ace's speed, they can make a comeback from fifth place. It's still early.
They pass through the rainbow tunnel to a lighter area filled with greenery. An arrow pinned to a giant tree advises them to run right; the jockey in fourth place notices too late, and Kris takes advantage of the moment's hesitation to overtake. A yellow tunnel takes them to a multicoloured chessboard, spiralling around a pillar of pink light, leading them up in a loop. It's not a steep incline but it's steady, and Kris hears one of the birds behind him take a tumble. He doesn't turn to look. Chen's still in the lead, and that's where Kris needs to be.
The purple and white checks open out in a dark, forested area, where trees dot the track and low-hanging branches must be dodged, lest the jockeys be swept from their saddles. Kris remembers how to avoid them, knows how to weave between the trees. The jockey in third place isn't so lucky. She doesn't fall out of the saddle, not completely, but the blow slows her down and like that, Kris is in third.
Big yellow pillars bracket the course on either side as they leave the forest, passing a large, foreboding-looking ship in a pool of water on the left. The pillars give way to a crystal cave, stalactites of blue, green and pink hanging down from above, icy crags lining the track. Any slips here could mean the race, and that's exactly what happens to the rider in second. Ace is surefooted, even on ice, and the terrain doesn't faze him at all. Kris ducks the lowest stalactites and hangs on, content to let his chocobo pick his way through the best way he knows how.
In second place now, Kris follows Chen into a green and brown garden, full of flowers and the scents of spring. The rider in third is hot on his heels, but her chocobo stops to eat the flowers and there's just no coming back from that. Kris can't see the other three. He has to trust that they're too far behind now to matter. This is all about catching Chen, only a little way ahead and flying up the set of stairs at the end of the garden.
Ace leaps up the first three steps in one bound, jarring Kris horribly on the landing but it's worth it. That's not something they tried last night. Ace is striving on his own, making all the right moves to take them into first place, and Kris spares a moment from his adrenaline rush to feel all warm and fuzzy about it. Win or lose, somebody's getting his feathers ruffled later.
Emperor is faster on the stairs, the natural result of so much practice, but Ace catches up rapidly. Kris wills all his energy, all his drive, into the hand he rests on Ace's neck, in an effort to boost his chocobo's resources. They're in this together; he knows Ace can tell how important this is to him. It's silly, he accepts, trying to augment his chocobo like that, but it's a harmless fantasy, that Ace will borrow his strength to win the race.
Chen's still ahead at the top of the stairs, crouched low over the saddle, ready to make the final dash to the finish line. That's when everything changes. Emperor stumbles over the top step, and in the few seconds it takes for him to regain his balance, Ace sprints past him, hurtling into a tunnel as dark as the night sky, with large, brightly coloured planets looming over the path and marking the way to the gaping mouth of a giant moogle. Emperor's fast, and now he's desperate too. Kris is only too aware of the sleek black chocobo barely a second behind him as they chase through the moogle's mouth to the finish line.
It's close. It's painfully close. Emperor could take a bite from Kris's shoulder, he's so near. Kris needs this victory. They have to win.
And with one final surge, they do.
Ace has to be pulled back after the finish line - he wants to keep running - and Kris isn't even certain he's won until he sees Chen dismount. The other four chocobos show up within a minute, too late to see the end, but the cameras will show the winner. Everyone watching on the screens will know the result by now.
"Congratulations." Chen holds out his hand; Kris shakes it. Chen looks much brighter now, perhaps from the thrill of the race. He's still clearly tired, but much more aware of himself and his surroundings. "I told you that you had a good bird."
"He's the best," Kris agrees, and Ace presents his head for a good scratch. "Please look after him well until I return."
Chen seems startled for a moment, like he's forgotten all about their agreement, but recovers his equilibrium fast. "Ace will be in safe hands," he promises. "You've got nothing to worry about."
They arrange to meet in the car park in an hour; as Chen says he needs to get the van fuelled up, and Kris needs to round up the others. They've already made arrangements for their chocobos to remain in the stables as well, to give Ace some company, and because Kris figures they're not going to get far riding them in the desert anyway. They've already checked out; all their gear is with Jongin and Yixing, waiting for Kris in the lobby.
Along with a whole crowd of people who want to congratulate him. Kris can see Jongin over the herd (Yixing is below his line of sight) but it takes ten minutes to reach him, beset, as he is, by his newly-acquired fans. Anyone who beats Chen, it seems, automatically acquires 'legend' status and must make themselves available for autographs and random acts of worship.
"You won!" Jongin greets him when he finally makes it through. "That was so close, at the end!"
Jongin's grinning madly, eyes crinkling up in the way he does when he's truly happy about something, and Kris thinks it may only be propriety that's keeping him from flinging his arms around Kris in celebration. They do have something to celebrate, after all. Kris decides to make it easy for him. He extends an arm and Jongin ducks under it, letting himself be enfolded as Kris tugs him close. Yixing's far more serene about it but accepts Kris's other arm, joining them in a group hug.
It's warm, this three-way embrace. Kris isn't used to it, to feeling close enough to anyone that he'd want to hold them and be held by them like this. They're an odd little family, the three of them, but that's what they've become, isn't it? He's pretty sure he reeks of chocobo but they stick by him anyway, sharing the victory between them until he lets go, insisting that he has to go get Ace settled before they leave and then clean himself up.
The hour passes quickly. Kris leads the way to the car park, where but a handful of vehicles are parked. (The exorbitant fees listed on the wall presumably have something to do with it.) Chen's is the only van, black as Emperor's feathers and easily long and wide enough to carry several chocobos. Kris can tell, because when he walks around the back to talk to Chen, he can see all four of their chocobos inside - including Ace, last seen in the stables no more than half an hour ago. Emperor doesn't look overly thrilled to be sharing his space with three strangers, but they fit readily enough, and if the stalls are not designed for long-term habitation they do at least look comfortable.
Chen himself has a bag slung over one shoulder, and is carrying a lance with a pair of materia slots on the end. One is occupied with a glowing green Magic materia - Bolt, Kris sees when he takes a closer look. There's a crate of large water bottles on the ground, waiting to be loaded into the van, and another crate underneath that he assumes also contains supplies.
"What's going on?" Kris asks, confused. This isn't what they'd agreed on.
"You didn't think I was really going to let a bunch of strangers drive away with my van, did you?" Chen says. "Nobody drives it but me. Therefore, I have to go with you."
"I suppose I'll have to wait to try driving another time," Yixing says, and Kris groans.
"You weren't going to drive anyway," he says.
"Does that mean you lost on purpose?" Jongin asks from behind the rear door. "So you could come with?"
Kris quickly introduces Jongin and Chen, who have yet to meet, and when Chen's mouth gapes open upon seeing Jongin he suspects there's more at work here than Jongin's natural cuteness claiming another victim. When Chen admits that yes, he deliberately came in second, Kris tries not to feel too disappointed about the outcome of the race.
"Don't feel bad about it," Chen advises. "I thought I'd have to sabotage myself a lot more to lose to you. You very nearly won under your own power."
That helps, a little, but it still doesn't make much sense. "I don't get it. You could've said you'd drive us yesterday, instead of challenging me to a race you were going to throw anyway."
"But yesterday, I planned to win," Chen says. "I had no intention of letting you drive away in my van, much less being your driver. I just thought it would be fun to race against you."
"I did enjoy it." Kris hadn't planned to admit that, but it slips out regardless.
"Me too." Chen's eyes brighten as he smiles at Kris, an expression far too kind to belong to the cocksure chocobo jockey with his hundreds of adoring fans.
"So what changed your mind?"
Chen's smile fades. "Your dream about a giant tree. I think that's what I saw last night. All of you were there - even Jongin, though I didn't even know what he looked like until now. We were all fighting. I was...firing bolts of lightning at some red clouds? Lightning from my hands? Not with Bolt materia?"
Kris's gaze flicks across to Yixing and Jongin. He's sure they're all thinking the same thing. Chen is one of them?
"I'm sure Lu Han didn't know," Jongin says. "He would've said something."
Privately, Kris isn't so sure, but he keeps that opinion to himself. What Lu Han knows and what he's willing to tell tend to be two different things. "We all have those dreams," he explains to Chen. "It's...a long story. Really long."
"Tell me while we drive," Chen says, tossing his keys in the air and catching them again. "And then maybe you can explain to me why you transformed into a dragon in the dream."
"I wish I knew." Kris gives a final wave to Ace and closes the door on the chocobos, after Jongin loads the crates inside. "You'll think it's all crazy."
"I think it's crazy already," Chen says. "But I knew that from talking to you yesterday. If it gets too weird I can just abandon you all in the middle of the desert and forget about it."
The flippant comment eases the tension in the air, prompting a round of awkward laughter. Kris wasn't expecting this. He doesn't have definite plans as it is, and now he has to factor in a person he only met yesterday? Someone who...could've chalked up the dream to strange coincidence and left it at that. Someone who could've decided he wanted no part of it, who could've refused to help.
And Chen hasn't done any of those things. Kris knows nothing about him, but maybe they'll find out on the way.
"We definitely haven't met before, have we?" Chen asks.
"Not in this life," Kris says. "At least, not that I know of."
"So that dream was from another life?"
"Yeah." Kris has no idea where to start explaining, especially when there are so many gaps in his knowledge. "We were different people, but...not?"
"With different names?"
"Some of us, yeah. Why?"
"Because in the dream, you called me Jongdae," Chen says, and Kris knows this explanation's going to take a while.
There's a double row of seats in the front; Chen sits behind the wheel and Kris swings himself up into the adjacent seat, leaving Jongin and Yixing to strap themselves into the back. Chen's lance, Yixing's staff and Kris's sword all have to be tucked down the side. They look like they're driving off to fight a battle.
Maybe they are. There's no telling what they'll find in the desert.
But at least now they have the chance to look.
Fandom: EXO (sort of fused with Final Fantasy VII)
Series: Phoenix Down (#6)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, crossover (sort of)
Word count: 27,046
Disclaimer: Not mine, damnit.
Warnings: There are a lot of corpses in this fic. However, none of them are characters.
Part 2
On the Road (Where You Don't Look Back) 3/3
Kris has never raced a chocobo in his life. Ridden one really, really fast in order to escape danger, but never with five other chocobos racing alongside him, all determined to be first over the finish line. Before leaving Chen says he'll arrange for Kris to participate in the first race of the morning - he even offers to let them do the short course - and tells him where he needs to take Ace.
"Moping around the stables isn't going to win you that race," Yixing says after Kris has spent ten minutes petting Ace and staring blankly into the straw. "Can we at least get dinner while you think about it?"
"Nothing to think about," Kris says glumly. "You didn't see this guy race. His chocobo's like an extension of his body."
"Ace loves you very much," Yixing points out. "Don't discount him yet. Chen said the tracks will be free in an hour; you can go in and practise then."
"I don't think practice is going to help much..."
Kris lets Yixing persuade him that food would be an excellent idea (and to be fair, he's starving, only anxiety about the race is doing a good job of helping him ignore it) and the two of them return to the hotel, where a slightly more awake Jongin is waiting for them in the lobby.
"Lu Han told me you were on your way back," he says. "And also that Baekhyun wants you to call him out later. Something about chocobos?"
"It's a long story," Kris says. "You can hear it over dinner."
The hotel dining room is more than adequate for their needs, though the servers dressed as ghosts are somewhat disconcerting. Kris doesn't call Baekhyun out yet, because even though the Summons tend not to eat around their masters, Baekhyun is more prone to snacking than most and Kris refuses to buy food for a man who's eating perfectly well in another world anyway. Jongin giggles when they explain about the challenge, though his face falls when Kris enlightens him about Chen's success rate and skill level.
It falls further still when Kris tries to explain to him why he wants to revive the dead. Yixing's being considerate enough not to mention it, but Kris knows better than to think he won't somehow let it slip out in an unguarded moment. And Jongin deserves to hear it too, the reason they're on this quest in the first place. He listens quietly while Kris talks; the confusion spreading across his face makes him look like a bewildered child and Kris feels a twinge of guilt for dragging the others into this.
But if he hadn't... What if they'd still been in Junon, where they'd been staying before coming to find him in Midgar? Would they have escaped across the sea when the red clouds descended, or perished in their beds? There's no way to know. Kris is grateful to have them here - still alive, still fighting alongside him, whether there's something in it for them or not.
Jongin waits for the end of Kris's explanation, chopsticks dangling unused from his fingers, noodles cooling before him as the confusion begins to clear. He's not wearing his gauntlets at the table; they're clipped to his belt, twin materia orbs half-visible at his waist. Kris doesn't know if Jongin actually has to be wearing them in order for Lu Han to speak to him inside his head, but he doesn't have that slightly distracted, faraway look he sometimes gets when he says he's carrying on a conversation no one else can hear. He's too focused on Kris for that.
It's that intense focus that reminds Kris that although he's the youngest, Jongin's no child.
"I think I get it?" Jongin licks his lips, everything a question. There's no certainty here. How can there be, when even Kris has no real idea what he's doing? "Feeling like...you shouldn't be here. Like there are things you should remember, but they happened to someone else."
"Things with Lu Han?" Yixing suggests, and Jongin flushes, pretending to stab Yixing with his chopsticks.
"I don't have any memories with him, except that dream I had on the ship. I wish I did. He does."
"Give it time," Kris says. He's not sure how sensible it is to fall for someone who doesn't even have a physical presence in this world most of the time, but it seems to make them both happy, and if Kris would really rather not think about it in too much detail, it costs him nothing to be supportive. "You've only had the one dream. It's been over a decade for me. It must've been a long time for Lu Han, too."
Jongin nods solemnly, then remembers his rapidly-cooling food and attacks with great gusto, talking in between (and occasionally during) mouthfuls. "Are you really going to do this? Do you have to?"
"I'll worry about that after we find that materia." Kris takes a sip from his water glass. "If we ever get out there."
"You might win," Yixing says. "It's not impossible."
"It's not," Kris acknowledges with a rueful grin, "but that doesn't make it likely. I'll go try out the course in a bit and see how much trouble I'm in. Anybody want a practice race?"
"I would, but apparently I have plans," Jongin says. "Lu Han won't tell me what they are, though."
"This is why I got you a room to yourself," Yixing says, and Jongin chokes on his food. "I'm going to sit in the room and make up some more Potions while we have the time. There's nothing further we can do before morning anyway."
Kris doesn't push. If Yixing had been planning to come here for his honeymoon, exploring Gold Saucer might not be the most enjoyable of activities for him. Best to leave him to his own devices. They can always use the Potions.
Yixing disappears upstairs after dinner. Jongin hovers for a moment, probably waiting for Lu Han to show up, and Kris takes him aside to the least dusty corner of the foyer to ask, "Are you okay with this?"
"With what?"
"With..." Kris waves his hand vaguely over his chest. "With what I'm doing. What I'm thinking of doing."
"Oh." Jongin takes a few minutes to think about it; Kris can practically see him turning his answer over and over in his mind. The gauntlets are still off, so Jongin's probably alone in his head right now, and not talking it over with Lu Han. At last he says: "I'm not okay with you killing yourself. I don't...I've never had many people I could trust. I don't really want to lose one."
"You trust me?" Kris is flattered. Jongin's relaxed considerably since they first met, but he's still wary and for all that they've been through together, they've never explicitly discussed this. "Even after what I said?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I agree with it. There has to be a better way to find yourself. Take up meditation or something?"
"I'm not going to do anything without thinking it through first," Kris assures him. "I want to talk to the guy who has the materia, too. He got crushed to death before he came back; I don't plan on doing anything like that to myself. Probably bad for my skin."
That, Jongin does agree with, and the joke seems to work better as reassurance than any serious discussion of how Kris is not intending to jump right into anything without considering the consequences. "I understand why you want to do it," he says. "I mean that. And we're all in this together, finding that materia. But I don't want to think about what happens afterwards."
"Then don't," Lu Han says as he appears at Jongin's side. "Focus on what you have right now." He turns to Kris. "Baekhyun's waiting for you to call him out. Keep him away from the bar, will you? He threw up all over my bed the last time he got drunk here."
Kris raises an eyebrow, laughing. "Unless there's one on the racetrack, he's not getting anywhere near alcohol this evening."
"Good." Lu Han grins, clearly satisfied, and grabs Jongin's hand to lead him out the front door. "Good luck on the track, and don't wait up."
Maybe Lu Han and Jongin have time to see the sights, but Kris has work to do. "Baekhyun," he whispers, and in a flash of light, his Summon appears, dressed more casually than usual in jeans and a plain navy T-shirt. He's still wearing the eyeliner, though there are no monsters to intimidate here. Not unless he fancies a turn in the Battle Square, and that's not going to happen.
"Lu Han said you wanted to talk about chocobos?" Kris asks. "Do you even have them where you're from?"
Baekhyun smirks, heading for the front door. "Sure we do. I used to ride them all the time in middle school."
"That was what, like, three years ago?"
"Very funny. Are we going to check out the track or not?"
Kris doesn't bother to ask how Baekhyun knows what's going on. He's getting used to the idea of Summons being able to hear things through their orbs, but he tries to make a point of never taking his sword to the bathroom with him. "Going to be my cheerleader?"
Baekhyun waves one small, elegant hand with an imaginary and very sarcastic pompom. "Rah rah."
Chocobo Square is largely deserted when they reach it, all the races over for the day, everyone gone to seek their pleasures elsewhere. Everyone, that is, except a pair of security guards on the door and a young lady in a pink dress, who introduces herself as 'Ester', and informs them that Chen had asked her to help Kris out.
"I'm his manager," she adds, and Kris doesn't know whether to be heartened that his racing rival is being so helpful, or suspicious of his motives. Still, it's not like Ester can take him down to the track and kill him with all the cameras watching, and he's pretty sure he can take on one lone, unarmed woman.
Or Baekhyun can, though he seems more interested in complimenting Ester on her hair, in which she's stuck a jaunty chocobo feather.
"We don't have time for that," Kris mutters, pitching his voice for Baekhyun's ears alone as Ester moves to unlock the door through to the stables.
"Why's Lu Han the only one allowed to get some in this world?" Baekhyun says. He's actually pouting. Kris wonders if it's too late to swap him for Kyungsoo. "Did you see the way she smiled at me? Tell me that wasn't interest."
"If she's Chen's manager she's probably in love with him too. Everyone else I saw in here today was."
"Even the old men? Gross." Baekhyun looks thoroughly disgusted. "That guy should have some restraint."
Kris tries to convey the hypocrisy of this in one withering glance, but quickly has to school his face back into something friendlier when Ester invites them into the stables. This is the entrance the jockeys and staff use, and they pass by the chocobos regularly berthed there en route to Ace. He points out Emperor on the way. Chen's prizewinning chocobo is wide awake, peering curiously over the door of his stall. Baekhyun looks him over with an appraising eye but doesn't offer an opinion, which can't be good news.
"How's my boy?" Kris croons to Ace when they reach his stall. "Did you miss me?"
Ace joyfully headbutts his master's hand in response; Ester's eyes light up. "That's so cute!"
"But not as cute as me," Baekhyun says, worming his way between Ester and Kris, and Kris groans inwardly. His Summon does have a kind of impish cuteness about him, but their combined good looks are not going to win them this race. Charming Chen's manager is probably a waste of time.
Not that Baekhyun's succeeding, anyway. "I just love chocobos," Ester says, completely focused on Ace. "And this one's a beauty!"
"How does he compare with Emperor?" Kris asks.
"I can't answer that without giving one of them a swelled head. Chocobos are very sensitive, you know."
"Exactly," Baekhyun interjects in a knowing tone, puffing out his chest. "That's why you have to give them just the right kind of stimulation."
Ester smiles at him, brighter than the stable lights, and Baekhyun blossoms under the force of her attention. "Do you know much about chocobos?"
"Enough to have them eating out of my hand." Baekhyun's self-satisfied grin really is becoming unbearable.
"Chocobos will eat out of anyone's hand," Kris points out. "It's stopping them eating your hand afterwards that takes skill."
Baekhyun shoots him a dirty look; Ester merely laughs. "Emperor nearly cost a few jockeys their hands," she says. "Their necks too. He simply wouldn't behave until Chen came along. We all thought he was amazing."
"He does seem pretty good," Kris has to admit. "I guess he's really got a way with chocobos."
"I hear that's not all he's got a way with," Baekhyun says snidely, but no one pays him any heed.
Ester nods. "You'll see for yourself tomorrow morning. Let's get Ace ready to go, and I'll take you through to the track. You can practise as much as you like tonight; they don't come in to do maintenance until six tomorrow morning."
Ace is thrilled to escape his stall. It's all Kris can do to prevent him hurtling off the second they reach the track. It's so peculiar, standing there without the hustle and bustle of the race, without the flashing lights and frantic music. The course trails off into the distance, marked out by coloured lights, and Kris has no idea what lies in wait for him up ahead. He hopes he and Ace can handle it.
"I'll be watching from the office," Ester says. "Come find me when you're done. Good luck!"
She leaves them alone to explore, and Kris considers where to start. Walk Ace through the course to get an idea of the layout? Or hop into the saddle and just go for it?
"The key to winning this race," Baekhyun says, "is the relationship you have with your chocobo."
Kris hopes Baekhyun isn't implying things he doesn't want to think about. "He's like a son to me."
"A son? That's good, we can work with that. But I bet your "son" has never had his daddy sing him to sleep, has he?"
"We don't have time for sleep!" Kris says. "And no, I've never sung to him. Why would I?"
Baekhyun looks at him like he's five years old and completely clueless. "Because chocobos love music. Not as much as they love food, but if you win their hearts with food all the time they get too fat to run. When I used to ride, I'd make them fall for me with my voice." He moves to stand opposite Ace and begins to sing. "Baby don't cry, tonight..."
He sings beautifully, Kris thinks, beginning to lose himself in the warm, rich sounds bringing life to the deserted track. It's no wonder Ace looks spellbound. The usually excitable chocobo has forgotten all about Kris and is edging towards Baekhyun, beak gaping open and eyes blissfully glazed. Kris has never been able to make Ace look at him like that. It's stupid to feel jealous of of your own Summon, right?
By the time Baekhyun's finished the song, Ace is nuzzling him happily, taking playful nips at his ear and allowing himself to be petted and fussed over. Kris might as well be invisible.
"He'll do anything I like now," Baekhyun says smugly. "He'll win the race or die trying."
"I don't want him to die," Kris says. "And you're not the one riding."
"That's not the point. You can do this too."
"I don't know..." Kris hasn't sung much in his life. Mostly, there hasn't been anyone around he'd want to hear him. He's definitely no match for Baekhyun's voice, and if that's what Ace likes...
"Give it a try," Baekhyun says, impatient now. "If your rival can do it, so can you."
"You think Chen sings to his chocobo?"
"He was crooning to Ace. I could hear it even from my orb. He's got a good voice." Baekhyun adds, "If that's what you're into. His chocobo probably is."
If Chen's voice can tame an untameable chocobo, Kris doesn't fancy his own chances. He searches his memory for song fragments, any snatch of melody stuck in the back of his mind. There's not much, and the few songs he's heard lately have come from Yixing and Minseok, who do the occasional double act. Minseok keeps Yixing's guitar in his world and brings it across on request; more than a couple of dull evenings have been livened in such a way. Sometimes Jongin even dances for them - he's so confident when performing, yet so shy when accepting praise, and he clearly misses having opportunities to dance. Kris doesn't contribute much on those occasions, save some amateur percussion...and, sometimes, a little rap.
"Selected VIP wouldn't it be mind-blowingly awesome-"
Ace screeches "Wark!" and tries to hide behind Baekhyun. Kris stops immediately, frowning at his laughing Summon. The further Ace retreats from Kris, the more Baekhyun doubles over with laughter. Kris hopes Ester can't see them on the cameras.
"Maybe this isn't a technique that's going to work for you," Baekhyun says when he finally calms down. "You probably have other talents...right?"
"Right," Kris says dryly. "They mostly involve chopping things that annoy me in half. I could demonstrate?"
"You could, but then you wouldn't have anyone to stand here guarding your sword while you take Ace around the track. I'm sure you'll go much faster without that weighing you down."
Baekhyun can't move Kris's sword, not while his own materia's equipped in it, but he can certainly stand still next to it. Maybe it'll keep him out of trouble. "Okay," Kris agrees. "Now can you stop cuddling up to my chocobo so he remembers me again?"
"He remembers you, he just doesn't like you rapping. Go on, Ace." Baekhyun gives the chocobo a little nudge. "It's okay to go back. The weird sounds have stopped. There's a good boy."
Kris is less than amused by Baekhyun's opinions of his musical efforts, but he can't complain when Ace slowly inches his way back to be met by Kris's large, gentle hand with an always-welcome ruffle behind the wing. A few smiles and encouraging words, and Ace is headbutting him with as much love as ever, almost bowling him over with the strength of his affection.
"See?" Kris says. "Ace loves me anyway, even if I don't sing to him. Maybe chocobos in your world are different."
"They're not," Baekhyun says. "Some of them just have better taste than others. The one I always rode in middle school, he wouldn't respond to anyone's voice but mine after the first time I rode him." He sounds a little nostalgic. "I was so sad when his owners moved and took him away with them. None of the others will ever be as special to me."
"What was his name, this special chocobo?" The Summons don't talk that much about themselves, so Kris figures the polite thing to do would be to show an interest.
Baekhyun gives him an embarrassed smile. "Ah, I was quite young when they let me name him..."
"His name?" Kris presses, curious now.
"Beakhyun."
Kris settles for raising judging eyebrows at his Summon and tossing his sheathed sword down at the edge of the track, before climbing astride Ace. "You want me to pretend I didn't hear that?"
"I stand by my choices," Baekhyun says.
"I don't care if you stand by your choices as long as you stand by my sword."
Kris leaves Baekhyun by the starting line and hopes he won't disappear before they get back. Not that he's worried about anyone sneaking in and stealing his sword, but even so, he doesn't like being unarmed for longer than he can help. He won't be allowed to carry any weapons in the race tomorrow anyway, and he could do without the extra weight.
Ace behaves himself moderately well, only turning his head a few times to give Kris a bewildered look; Kris gently nudges him to continue. They walk the course through once, then three times at varying speeds so Kris can get the hang of where he wants to be for rounding corners, and where it's best to approach the stairs. There's a lot riding on this - more than he really wants to take responsibility for, but it's not as if he can ask someone else to do it. He made a bargain and now he's committed to holding up his end.
By the end of the fourth lap, Kris feels they know the course as well as can be reasonably expected - given his head, Ace now makes the turns himself - and without any opponents to measure them against, he can't tell how well they match up in terms of speed. They'll just have to wait until morning and hope for the best. Baekhyun stays long enough to wish them luck before disappearing back into his materia orb, and Kris takes Ace back to the stables with Ester.
"See you at ten," she says, showing him out the front entrance. "You should go enjoy the Saucer tonight. The fireworks are beautiful."
"Thanks, but I think I'll just head back to the hotel. Tomorrow's going to be rough."
Kris's attempts to spend a quiet night in don't go quite as planned, as Lu Han - alone, and dressed differently to earlier - intercepts him on his way back and persuades him to go to Event Square. Kris proceeds to regret agreeing to this for the rest of the evening.
At least when he finally returns to the hotel, he's knocked out enough that sleep comes easily. This time, he doesn't dream.
-----
Neither of the others have dreamt, either, when he checks at breakfast. Yixing, who'd been back in the hotel making Potions by the time Kris had returned, is his usual amiable self. Jongin's sleepy, of course, but he seems happy after his date with Lu Han. Kris finds it easier to ignore his impending race and force down food when he's talking to the others, and if they're apprehensive about his chances, they don't let on.
"You can drive, right?" Jongin asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he looks at Kris. "I don't have much practice."
"I've never tried," Yixing says. "How hard can it be in the middle of a desert?"
Kris sighs. "Okay, you're definitely not driving. We have to bring back this van in one piece, remember? I'll do it." He's fairly certain he's got more driving experience than Jongin, and if they let Yixing do it, the odds are that he'll space out and run them into a cactus - even if it's the only thing out there. "I used to work as a courier out of Midgar for a while, before the company went bust and had to sell off their cars."
"Is that when you started selling your sword?" Yixing asks.
"I did a little freelance translating in between," Kris says. It's not like he has any reason to keep his past a secret. Not anymore. The others have already heard far more embarrassing things about him. "I grew up in Wutai, so..."
Yixing smiles. "So that's why you sleeptalk in multiple languages!"
"I do?" This isn't the first time Yixing has told Kris he talks in his sleep, but he's never found out if any of it makes any sense.
"Not all the time," Jongin assures him through a mouthful of toast. "I just thought you were mumbling gibberish."
Kris smacks him lightly on the arm with a rolled up serviette and concentrates on not spilling juice down himself before the big race. He's definitely going to have an audience.
When they get to Chocobo Square, they find a long line of people placing bets - most of them, on Chen. Word has spread, but there aren't too many people willing to risk their money on the unknown newcomer. Jongin and Yixing find a corner from which to watch the race on the big screens. They don't bet on Kris either - at least, not with money. The stakes are much higher for them.
Ester pops up to greet them and take Kris through to the stables again. Chen's already there, petting Emperor in his stall. He turns when Kris bids him a good morning and Kris is surprised by the lack of colour in his face. Chen looks like he rolled out of his sickbed for the occasion, face pale and downcast, eyes haunted and wary. This isn't what Kris expects from the number one chocobo jockey in the Gold Saucer. Where's that easy confidence, that love of the race?
Perhaps he didn't sleep well. "Bad night?" Kris asks sympathetically. It wouldn't do to crow over anything that might give him an edge in the race.
"You could say that." Chen offers him a weary smile, so lacking in energy that Kris wants to suggest they call the whole thing off until tomorrow - but there's no time for that. "Don't think I'll be easier to beat because of it, okay?"
Kris returns the smile. "Okay."
The stableboy appears then, to assure Kris that Ace has received nothing but the best care since his stabling, and Kris leaves his exhausted opponent behind. Ace is waiting for him.
"We can do this," Kris murmurs to Ace as he leads him out to the track. "Just you and me, boy. You know you're the best one out there, right?"
Ace smashes his head affectionately into Kris's chin. Kris thinks himself lucky it wasn't beak-first.
There's a tense atmosphere out on the track, despite the cheerful music blaring from the speakers. Chen and Emperor are there, of course, and the other four jockeys seem far more worried about them than they are about Kris and Ace. Two of the other chocobos are yellow; another is pink, and the last is green. Three of the jockeys appear to be female; Kris can't tell about the fourth. What they do all have in common is their determination to win, and the more Chen's subdued mien registers with them, the more confident they appear to grow. Chen ignores them all, save a nod in Kris's direction as they take their positions.
Kris has time for a quick nod back and then with a fanfare they're off, dashing through a rainbow tunnel with Chen in the lead. Ace is at least moving in the right direction, clearly remembering last night's drills, and Kris doesn't have to do much steering with his knees. They're not first. They're not even second. But although this is the short track, it's long enough that Kris reckons that with Ace's speed, they can make a comeback from fifth place. It's still early.
They pass through the rainbow tunnel to a lighter area filled with greenery. An arrow pinned to a giant tree advises them to run right; the jockey in fourth place notices too late, and Kris takes advantage of the moment's hesitation to overtake. A yellow tunnel takes them to a multicoloured chessboard, spiralling around a pillar of pink light, leading them up in a loop. It's not a steep incline but it's steady, and Kris hears one of the birds behind him take a tumble. He doesn't turn to look. Chen's still in the lead, and that's where Kris needs to be.
The purple and white checks open out in a dark, forested area, where trees dot the track and low-hanging branches must be dodged, lest the jockeys be swept from their saddles. Kris remembers how to avoid them, knows how to weave between the trees. The jockey in third place isn't so lucky. She doesn't fall out of the saddle, not completely, but the blow slows her down and like that, Kris is in third.
Big yellow pillars bracket the course on either side as they leave the forest, passing a large, foreboding-looking ship in a pool of water on the left. The pillars give way to a crystal cave, stalactites of blue, green and pink hanging down from above, icy crags lining the track. Any slips here could mean the race, and that's exactly what happens to the rider in second. Ace is surefooted, even on ice, and the terrain doesn't faze him at all. Kris ducks the lowest stalactites and hangs on, content to let his chocobo pick his way through the best way he knows how.
In second place now, Kris follows Chen into a green and brown garden, full of flowers and the scents of spring. The rider in third is hot on his heels, but her chocobo stops to eat the flowers and there's just no coming back from that. Kris can't see the other three. He has to trust that they're too far behind now to matter. This is all about catching Chen, only a little way ahead and flying up the set of stairs at the end of the garden.
Ace leaps up the first three steps in one bound, jarring Kris horribly on the landing but it's worth it. That's not something they tried last night. Ace is striving on his own, making all the right moves to take them into first place, and Kris spares a moment from his adrenaline rush to feel all warm and fuzzy about it. Win or lose, somebody's getting his feathers ruffled later.
Emperor is faster on the stairs, the natural result of so much practice, but Ace catches up rapidly. Kris wills all his energy, all his drive, into the hand he rests on Ace's neck, in an effort to boost his chocobo's resources. They're in this together; he knows Ace can tell how important this is to him. It's silly, he accepts, trying to augment his chocobo like that, but it's a harmless fantasy, that Ace will borrow his strength to win the race.
Chen's still ahead at the top of the stairs, crouched low over the saddle, ready to make the final dash to the finish line. That's when everything changes. Emperor stumbles over the top step, and in the few seconds it takes for him to regain his balance, Ace sprints past him, hurtling into a tunnel as dark as the night sky, with large, brightly coloured planets looming over the path and marking the way to the gaping mouth of a giant moogle. Emperor's fast, and now he's desperate too. Kris is only too aware of the sleek black chocobo barely a second behind him as they chase through the moogle's mouth to the finish line.
It's close. It's painfully close. Emperor could take a bite from Kris's shoulder, he's so near. Kris needs this victory. They have to win.
And with one final surge, they do.
Ace has to be pulled back after the finish line - he wants to keep running - and Kris isn't even certain he's won until he sees Chen dismount. The other four chocobos show up within a minute, too late to see the end, but the cameras will show the winner. Everyone watching on the screens will know the result by now.
"Congratulations." Chen holds out his hand; Kris shakes it. Chen looks much brighter now, perhaps from the thrill of the race. He's still clearly tired, but much more aware of himself and his surroundings. "I told you that you had a good bird."
"He's the best," Kris agrees, and Ace presents his head for a good scratch. "Please look after him well until I return."
Chen seems startled for a moment, like he's forgotten all about their agreement, but recovers his equilibrium fast. "Ace will be in safe hands," he promises. "You've got nothing to worry about."
They arrange to meet in the car park in an hour; as Chen says he needs to get the van fuelled up, and Kris needs to round up the others. They've already made arrangements for their chocobos to remain in the stables as well, to give Ace some company, and because Kris figures they're not going to get far riding them in the desert anyway. They've already checked out; all their gear is with Jongin and Yixing, waiting for Kris in the lobby.
Along with a whole crowd of people who want to congratulate him. Kris can see Jongin over the herd (Yixing is below his line of sight) but it takes ten minutes to reach him, beset, as he is, by his newly-acquired fans. Anyone who beats Chen, it seems, automatically acquires 'legend' status and must make themselves available for autographs and random acts of worship.
"You won!" Jongin greets him when he finally makes it through. "That was so close, at the end!"
Jongin's grinning madly, eyes crinkling up in the way he does when he's truly happy about something, and Kris thinks it may only be propriety that's keeping him from flinging his arms around Kris in celebration. They do have something to celebrate, after all. Kris decides to make it easy for him. He extends an arm and Jongin ducks under it, letting himself be enfolded as Kris tugs him close. Yixing's far more serene about it but accepts Kris's other arm, joining them in a group hug.
It's warm, this three-way embrace. Kris isn't used to it, to feeling close enough to anyone that he'd want to hold them and be held by them like this. They're an odd little family, the three of them, but that's what they've become, isn't it? He's pretty sure he reeks of chocobo but they stick by him anyway, sharing the victory between them until he lets go, insisting that he has to go get Ace settled before they leave and then clean himself up.
The hour passes quickly. Kris leads the way to the car park, where but a handful of vehicles are parked. (The exorbitant fees listed on the wall presumably have something to do with it.) Chen's is the only van, black as Emperor's feathers and easily long and wide enough to carry several chocobos. Kris can tell, because when he walks around the back to talk to Chen, he can see all four of their chocobos inside - including Ace, last seen in the stables no more than half an hour ago. Emperor doesn't look overly thrilled to be sharing his space with three strangers, but they fit readily enough, and if the stalls are not designed for long-term habitation they do at least look comfortable.
Chen himself has a bag slung over one shoulder, and is carrying a lance with a pair of materia slots on the end. One is occupied with a glowing green Magic materia - Bolt, Kris sees when he takes a closer look. There's a crate of large water bottles on the ground, waiting to be loaded into the van, and another crate underneath that he assumes also contains supplies.
"What's going on?" Kris asks, confused. This isn't what they'd agreed on.
"You didn't think I was really going to let a bunch of strangers drive away with my van, did you?" Chen says. "Nobody drives it but me. Therefore, I have to go with you."
"I suppose I'll have to wait to try driving another time," Yixing says, and Kris groans.
"You weren't going to drive anyway," he says.
"Does that mean you lost on purpose?" Jongin asks from behind the rear door. "So you could come with?"
Kris quickly introduces Jongin and Chen, who have yet to meet, and when Chen's mouth gapes open upon seeing Jongin he suspects there's more at work here than Jongin's natural cuteness claiming another victim. When Chen admits that yes, he deliberately came in second, Kris tries not to feel too disappointed about the outcome of the race.
"Don't feel bad about it," Chen advises. "I thought I'd have to sabotage myself a lot more to lose to you. You very nearly won under your own power."
That helps, a little, but it still doesn't make much sense. "I don't get it. You could've said you'd drive us yesterday, instead of challenging me to a race you were going to throw anyway."
"But yesterday, I planned to win," Chen says. "I had no intention of letting you drive away in my van, much less being your driver. I just thought it would be fun to race against you."
"I did enjoy it." Kris hadn't planned to admit that, but it slips out regardless.
"Me too." Chen's eyes brighten as he smiles at Kris, an expression far too kind to belong to the cocksure chocobo jockey with his hundreds of adoring fans.
"So what changed your mind?"
Chen's smile fades. "Your dream about a giant tree. I think that's what I saw last night. All of you were there - even Jongin, though I didn't even know what he looked like until now. We were all fighting. I was...firing bolts of lightning at some red clouds? Lightning from my hands? Not with Bolt materia?"
Kris's gaze flicks across to Yixing and Jongin. He's sure they're all thinking the same thing. Chen is one of them?
"I'm sure Lu Han didn't know," Jongin says. "He would've said something."
Privately, Kris isn't so sure, but he keeps that opinion to himself. What Lu Han knows and what he's willing to tell tend to be two different things. "We all have those dreams," he explains to Chen. "It's...a long story. Really long."
"Tell me while we drive," Chen says, tossing his keys in the air and catching them again. "And then maybe you can explain to me why you transformed into a dragon in the dream."
"I wish I knew." Kris gives a final wave to Ace and closes the door on the chocobos, after Jongin loads the crates inside. "You'll think it's all crazy."
"I think it's crazy already," Chen says. "But I knew that from talking to you yesterday. If it gets too weird I can just abandon you all in the middle of the desert and forget about it."
The flippant comment eases the tension in the air, prompting a round of awkward laughter. Kris wasn't expecting this. He doesn't have definite plans as it is, and now he has to factor in a person he only met yesterday? Someone who...could've chalked up the dream to strange coincidence and left it at that. Someone who could've decided he wanted no part of it, who could've refused to help.
And Chen hasn't done any of those things. Kris knows nothing about him, but maybe they'll find out on the way.
"We definitely haven't met before, have we?" Chen asks.
"Not in this life," Kris says. "At least, not that I know of."
"So that dream was from another life?"
"Yeah." Kris has no idea where to start explaining, especially when there are so many gaps in his knowledge. "We were different people, but...not?"
"With different names?"
"Some of us, yeah. Why?"
"Because in the dream, you called me Jongdae," Chen says, and Kris knows this explanation's going to take a while.
There's a double row of seats in the front; Chen sits behind the wheel and Kris swings himself up into the adjacent seat, leaving Jongin and Yixing to strap themselves into the back. Chen's lance, Yixing's staff and Kris's sword all have to be tucked down the side. They look like they're driving off to fight a battle.
Maybe they are. There's no telling what they'll find in the desert.
But at least now they have the chance to look.