Chocobo on the Loose!

I started to feel bad for letting the chocobo loose. Luckily, as if Altana had given me a chance to atone for my transgression, Brutus asked for my help to bring the chocobo back. Of course I felt totally obliged to do so and immediately hopped an airship to San d'Oria. After arriving in San d'Oria, I set out for La Theine. It wasn't long after setting foot on the plateau that I found some chocobo tracks (E-5 on the map). Sure enough, there was the chocobo I'd let loose. As I approached it, I heard a familiar "kweh" and glimpsed a wild chocobo run off into the distance. I guess maybe there are wild chocobos still living on La Theine - and maybe Brutus' chocobo had found one. I led the escaped chocobo back to San d'Oria and returned again to Jeuno.

Brutus thanked me for returning his chocobo but mentioned it had been acting strangely since I'd brought it back to him. It seems the bird had become stubborn and was beginning to be a bad influence on the other chocobos. Just as I was talking to Brutus, an Elvaan named Hantileon came up and spoke to us. It turns out that a chocobo in San d'Oria, and possibly all over Vana'diel, had started acting strangely. Hantileon said that they would need to call the Vana'diel Chocobo Society (VCS) into session. He asked Brutus to go to the chocobo stables in San d'Oria as soon as he could and Brutus suggested I should also attend the session meeting since I was the one who last saw the chocobo before its change.

Eventually, I got back to San d'Oria and went straight to the chocobo stable fearing I was late for the VCS meeting. I was becoming very curious about what was going on and I started feeling a little worried that my little stunt had caused a much bigger problem. I found Hantileon in the stable and approached him. Just then, Brutus and chocobo keepers from all the major nations entered and the meeting began.

Zopago from Bastok and Pulonono from Windurst said their chocobos were doing just fine. Hantileon explained how the problem was currently only affecting San d'Oria and Jeuno but that it would spread to the other nations soon. As it turns out, a chocobo had also escaped from the San d'Orian stables and returned to La Theine as well. It must have been the other chocobo I saw when I retrieved the one I freed from Brutus' stable. Zopago suggested the birds might have been answering the call of the wild. After a bit of discussion, the four chocobo keepers asked me what to do!

I suggested they return the chocobos to the wild, but the suggestion was rejected. Then I suggested to give the chocobos a rest. Again, they did not like the idea. Finally I suggested to reform the chocobo raising system. That too did not go over well with a few of the keepers. Finally I just suggested to bring the chocobos together. At first they balked at the suggestion but then Brutus convinced them that we wouldn't know its effect unless we gave it a try. The keepers finally decided to meet in Jeuno and see what happens. So once again, I was off to Jeuno.

In Jeuno, I met Brutus at the chocobo stable and soon after my arrival, the three other chocobo keepers showed up. They were all amazed when the chocobo from San d'Oria and the one from Jeuno (that I had freed) frolicked and played together as if they knew each other. I think Brutus understood the reason better than all of us. In his explanation, both birds thought they'd found a wild chocobo when they saw each other on La Theine Plateau. Brutus told me the VCS would have to meet once again and, if I were to come back later, he'd tell me what they discussed.

I slept that night and thought about what I'd done. I didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt at letting the chocobo out for a bit. After all, I think it was very healthy for the bird and it didn't really cause any big problem at all. I was curious about what would be said at the VCS meeting and I was eager to talk to Brutus in the morning.

Shortly after waking, I ran back to the chocobo stable in Upper Jeuno. Brutus happened to be out already and commended me on my timing. He said the VCS had made a big decision. According to him, it was thanks to me that the chocobos' behavior returned to normal. Hantileon imagined that there would be many times in the future where they could use the help of adventurers. They decided that they would allow adventurers to participate in chocobo raising! All agreed that an adventurer such as myself could raise a fine chocobo.

Brutus handed me a chocobo egg (it still felt a bit warm to the touch) and told me to take it the stable and raise it as my own. He admonished me to give it loving care as love is what's most important in raising a chocobo. I think that's something Brutus learned with help from me.

My dream of chocobo ownership could be coming true! It looks as if I'll be raising my own chocobo soon. I have a lot to learn about that and I hope I can raise a healthy, happy bird.