FF8 Presents The Thing

Chapter 9


Seifer pulls Zell along as they head off. Squall doesn’t bother to watch them as he was little angry at Seifer for wanting to risk their lives out there but hands Kiros the list.

Squall, “ You know where they are... “

Kiros, “ Got it.”

Zell and Seifer are at the working snowmobile. Zell is modifying the barrel of a torch. Stream it shoots out is fifteen feet long.

Zell, “ I can get even more out of this baby, if ya want.”

Seifer, “ No. this is enough.”

Zell works more on the snow mobiles. Kiros pushes a wheelbarrow of items over to the two.

Kiros, “ I have a box of TNT... a box of thermite.. three shotguns... a box of flares... two flare guns... thirty cans of gasoline... and a case of alcohol. Is this enough?”

Seifer, “ Lets load them up into the truck. You can drive, right?”

Kiros, “ I drove before you got out of diapers!”

Soon two snow mobiles rip across the snow following the tracks of the Chocobo. Kiros drives the one with the supplies while Seifer and Zell double up on the other. Zell doesn’t complain much about holding onto Seifer. The snow let up and the tracks were faint but were trackable. Sun glares down at midday. Winds are still rough.

Zell looks ahead using his binoculars. For a while they see nothing but tracks. Soon they come across a half eaten Chocobo. Nothing is left but the lower half. They come to a stop by the remains.

Zell, “ Look!”

Seifer, “ Someone had dinner.”

Kiros, “ All my life and I never seen a normal chocobo do this.”

Seifer, “ I know.”

Seifer takes a can of gasoline and pours it on the remains, “ We have to be sure nothing remains. “ as he sets it on fire.

Zell, “ They have two hours on us.. maybe more. Soon its going to be night. The temperatures are really gonna drop!”

Seifer, “ You guys can always go back.”

Zell, “..... Hey! I’m not leaving you alone!”

Kiros, “ Might as well keep going.”

The sun is heading down into evening. Orange light for the snowmobiles to go by. The tracks seem to change direction. Its much colder, their hair white snow. The direction heads towards the far off bluffs which stand opposingly. The snowmobiles travel through a valley of snow. Their headlights soon come to a Chocobo. It is chewing on the upper portion of another chocobo ignoring them. The guys get off their vehicles. Zell carries the torch and seifer grabs a thermite bomb.

The men fan out... looking around. Unspoken question hung in the air. Where is the third chocobo? Seifer looks around the snowy bluffs with a flashlight. Kiros looks around the bluffs with a flashlight. Then something from under the snow grabs his ankle and pulls him down in one powerful pull. Disappears into the ice. Zell and Seifer turn, confused by the scream and can see only his head. Sound of something snapping is heard. Seifer stops to see the chocobo ‘s back had hair like a porcupine now. It turns with devilish noise coming from its beak.

Seifer curses, “ Damn it!”

Zell sees the beast charge Seifer, fires at it in hopes to stop it. Seifer then throws his bomb. The Chocobo is engulfed in fire. Kiros was screaming in pain, y et they still couldn’t see what was attacking him.

Zell yells out to him, “ Kiros!”

Seifer holds him back, “ Stay back!”

Then Kiros’s head disappears. The ice seems to rumble and boil as parts of his body pop up and vanish. The two watch in frustration and anger as this thing took away their ally so swiftly.

Zell near panick, “ What do we do, man?!”

Seifer shoots back, “ Like I fucking know?!”

Kiros’s head and shoulder surface near the snowmobiles. He seems to be held inside giant maul of a chocobo. His skin seems to bulging in and out.

Seifer, “ Torch it!”

Zell, “ But.. “

Seifer, “ Kiros is dead already! Give him some peace!”

Zell blasts away, tears trickling down his face. The creature and Kiros catch on fire, screeching as it burns. But the thing was not yet done. Seifer grabs for a can of gasoline and grabs it in time before a tentacle knocks him away. He recovers and throws the cans at the mass. Zell and Seifer watch as the mass of thing and Kiros burn. Behind them the other thing also burns. Zell turns away wiping tears from his face. The sun sets upon them leaving them only the fire for light as the screams soon die.