Sora tentatively approached the giant bird, which loomed over him a little unsettlingly. He glanced back over his shoulder, but Donald and Goofy both seemed enthusiastic -- from a safe distance. For a long moment he and the bird just stared at each other, and then it ducked its head and butted at his hand, making a curious warbling sound. "Ah," Sora said, almost startled, "that's right, I brought greens for you."
He held them out and the bird happily snapped them out of his palm.
It's friendly! Sora thought, cheered by this discovery. He waved over his more reserved companions, and they rushed to pet and admire the creature, which preened and chewed on the herbs.
"So now what do I do with it?" he asked.
Donald said skeptically, "Jiminy said you have to race with it."
"Ya gotta race from there to there," Goofy said, looking around and pointing. "An' in ten seconds or less!"
Long experience had taught Sora that Jiminy did not always take physical possibility into account when forming his requests, so it was very hesitantly that he turned to observe the track Goofy indicated. He looked up, up, up at the starting point... and far, far, far across the Calm Lands at the ending point.
"...ten seconds?" Sora echoed. "Unless this -- chocobo is as fast as our gummi ship, is that even possible?"
"The record is eleven seconds," Donald reminded him, folding his arms over his chest.
Goofy said slowly, "An'... There's supposed ta be balloons on the race track, and if you grab one, you get a second off your time! But hittin' anything takes a second away."
Sora looked at the chocobo, which was busily burrowing at his hand as if hoping there would be more. "Okay," he said slowly. "I get practice runs, right?" Did he get a saddle or something? "I've never ridden-- anything before, really."
"I'll give ya a boost!" Goofy said eagerly, ignoring or overlooking this comment. He hunkered down and gathered his hands together to form a step for Sora to hop up on.
He could have made the jump himself (he was good at jumping! why couldn't it have been a jumping contest) but he accepted the help and unsteadily directed himself over the chocobo's back, nervous and expecting it to bolt at any second. But the bird stood still while he got positioned, fluttering its wings expectantly.
After a beat, just clinging to its feathers and learning his balance, Sora felt comfortable sitting up, and he sighed a little with relief. This wouldn't be so bad.
"Good luck, Sora!" Donald cried, but the loud sound startled the chocobo, which rose up and made its strange wark!! sound again and then bolted.
At the very least, that experience made Sora realize believe that it was, indeed, possible for a chocobo to cross that distance in under ten seconds.
Sora, Donald, Goofy: "Racing Stripes"
He held them out and the bird happily snapped them out of his palm.
It's friendly! Sora thought, cheered by this discovery. He waved over his more reserved companions, and they rushed to pet and admire the creature, which preened and chewed on the herbs.
"So now what do I do with it?" he asked.
Donald said skeptically, "Jiminy said you have to race with it."
"Ya gotta race from there to there," Goofy said, looking around and pointing. "An' in ten seconds or less!"
Long experience had taught Sora that Jiminy did not always take physical possibility into account when forming his requests, so it was very hesitantly that he turned to observe the track Goofy indicated. He looked up, up, up at the starting point... and far, far, far across the Calm Lands at the ending point.
"...ten seconds?" Sora echoed. "Unless this -- chocobo is as fast as our gummi ship, is that even possible?"
"The record is eleven seconds," Donald reminded him, folding his arms over his chest.
Goofy said slowly, "An'... There's supposed ta be balloons on the race track, and if you grab one, you get a second off your time! But hittin' anything takes a second away."
Sora looked at the chocobo, which was busily burrowing at his hand as if hoping there would be more. "Okay," he said slowly. "I get practice runs, right?" Did he get a saddle or something? "I've never ridden-- anything before, really."
"I'll give ya a boost!" Goofy said eagerly, ignoring or overlooking this comment. He hunkered down and gathered his hands together to form a step for Sora to hop up on.
He could have made the jump himself (he was good at jumping! why couldn't it have been a jumping contest) but he accepted the help and unsteadily directed himself over the chocobo's back, nervous and expecting it to bolt at any second. But the bird stood still while he got positioned, fluttering its wings expectantly.
After a beat, just clinging to its feathers and learning his balance, Sora felt comfortable sitting up, and he sighed a little with relief. This wouldn't be so bad.
"Good luck, Sora!" Donald cried, but the loud sound startled the chocobo, which rose up and made its strange wark!! sound again and then bolted.
At the very least, that experience made Sora realize believe that it was, indeed, possible for a chocobo to cross that distance in under ten seconds.