Chapter Text
Noctis tightened his grip with his knees, and leaned against the pull of the corner as Boko's claws churned up the track. As soon as they cleared it and were again on the straight away he shifted back so he was square in the saddle, and loosened his hands a bit more giving the chocobo more freedom. He was immediately rewarded with a burst of speed. Boko loved to run.
This had been a good idea. It had been weeks since they had any downtime, and several frustrating and ultimately fruitless delves into the less populated areas of Duscae and Cleigne in search of hidden Royal Tombs had left the Prince and his retinue snapping at each other when they spoke and the Regalia full of cold silence for hours on end.
They'd rolled into the Outpost the night before to discover bunting and banners everywhere and flyers on all the tables advertising the races for the next few days. Wiz had talked about it as he brought out their meal, a sandwich with something new on it that had Ignis writing lists in that little notebook he always carried. "We hold these little festivals three or four times a year. Sure, it ain't as big as the fancy shindigs they got up in Lestallum but the track here is better for the birds than whatever jumped up tour they got that they call racing. We got a bunch of vendors who come set up a market and borrow a handful of caravans from nearby settlements and have ourselves a party.
"I've seen you boys playing on the circuit when you're around and you ain't half bad. You and that hen you've taken a shine to should give it a go."
They'd demurred at first, focused on the task at hand or possibly picking up a hunt or two to replenish the coffers. Wiz had gotten a sly look on his face, and leaned in a little closer. "No hunts right now fellas, we got all the immediate problems dealt with before the festival kicked off. But if you're hard up for some cash, I didn't say the races were just for braggin' rights now did I?
"There's prizes on those races boys, and they ain't too shabby. Cash purses on most of 'em, or vouchers for the local vendors that are worth a bit more in trade. You get to chose which one works best for you."
And so here Noctis was, rounding out the second of three laps past the grandstand. He couldn't pick any faces out of the crowd of cheering people, just a sea of blurred faces to his right. Somewhere in there would be the other three. A shrill whistle pierced the air, just a measure from the victory ditty from King's Knight, followed faintly by Gladiolus' voice raised in laughter at Prompto's antics. Noctis didn't hear anything from Ignis but could easily imagine the eyeroll at the other two. Wiz had been right; the break was good for them.
Another jockey took advantage of his distraction and slid between Boko and the rail, edging them out of second and into third place. With a snort, Boko clapped her beak at them, and fought the reins in an attempt to lengthen her stride further and catch up to the interloper.
Noctis tightened his grip and stood slightly in the saddle, leaning low and forward over her neck. "Shhh girl, sorry. Not yet. We can take him on the last rush." His eyes narrowed as he watched the two ahead of him run.
The lead bird had the primary feathers along her wings dyed a vivid green, which matched both the tack and gear the jockey was wearing. The bird herself was just slightly larger than Boko, carrying more muscle. She'd proved herself faster on the sprint already, which is why she held the lead position as they entered the final lap but Noctis could see signs of strain in her pace. He was willing to bet they'd pushed a little too much, too early and wouldn't have the stamina to finish strong.
Which left the interloper. The bird was undyed, but a quick look showed him the tack was excellent quality and the jockey's seat was practiced and easy. These were no amateurs. Noctis' lips turned up in a tight smirk. This was going to be fun.
With half a lap to go, he gave Boko her head, and touched his heels lightly to her side. "Give 'em hell Boko!" he called, letting the reins fall mostly slack, just keeping them in hand so they stayed out of the way. He leaned in low so he was nearly lying on her neck, minimizing any drag and resistance he was causing.
"Kweh!" Finally freed to catch up with the two ahead of her, Boko's stride lengthened and she pulled her wings in even tighter, angling them up and over Noctis' legs and sides. They'd done this, practiced this in the hours and hours spent on the plains with the other three, leaving the car hidden away from prying Empire eyes and using the birds to explore and run errands across the region.
The green-edged chocobo in the lead was struggling and slowing and both Boko and the interloper took advantage to edge past them on the inside rail as the bird's exhaustion caused it to swing too wide on the final corner. Noctis tapped his heels again against Boko's sides, and the following surge in speed brought them neck and neck with the interloper.
They thundered down the final stretch, both birds straining and reaching for the finish line. Noctis urged Boko on, using the reins sparingly to adjust her position on the track and avoid rough patches churned up by previous races. He couldn't afford to check the competition here, even so small a movement as turning his head to look could throw them off. He kept himself low and small, calling encouragements and endearments that the wind whipped away.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the jockey on the other chocobo shift. Whatever they were doing, it was a mistake. Calling it a stumble would be too much, not even a break in stride for the other bird, but it was enough. Noctis urged for a final push. Boko exploded ahead in the final yards. From eye to eye, she was ahead by a beak, a head, a neck. The flash of a flag above them, and the applause from the crowd crescendoed.
It took another half lap to get Boko slowed safely, and Noctis indulged them in completing a final victory lap arms up and laughing. The grandstands had emptied out into the commons and onto the track, and the applause and cheers as they rode into their midst were loud.
He could hear the PA system announcing something but it was lost in the sound of the crowd. Prompto and Ignis pushed their way through the mass of people, smiling up at him. Prompto had an armful of greens and proceeded to gush at Boko, feeding the smug bird handful after handful of Gysahl Greens. "Who's the prettiest champion birdie? You are! Yes, you are!"
Ignis shook his head at Prompto's display, and turned his face upwards. "Congratulations Noct, that was masterfully done."
"Thanks Specs, but it was all Boko. You know she hates seeing tailfeathers in front of her!" Noctis kicked one foot out of the stirrups and slid to the ground. Boko fluffed up at the sound of her name, but was far more interested in Prompto now as he continued to feed her treats while he told her what a wonderful chocobo she was. "Where's Glad-"
Noctis was interrupted by large arms sweeping him up into a crushing hug from behind. "Ack! Wait, what! Put me down!" he struggled ineffectually against the embrace Gladiolus (Because of course it was Gladio) had him trapped in. He flailed his feet trying to figure out exactly how far down the ground was and wished he could warp without compromising his identity to the entire crowd around them. Gladiolus' laughter was warm and loud as he easily manhandled the Prince around, hands slapping affectionately between his shoulder blades before Gladiolus deposited him back on his feet.
Glaring up at his Shield, Noctis' expression softened slightly at the pure, unadulterated happiness on Gladiolus' face, his eyes bright and a grin stretched wide across his features. He hadn't seen him this relaxed in ages. Not since before the whole horrible ordeal began, when they were still in the Crown City and his biggest worry was whether nor not his Prince would be playing hooky from training to go to the arcade or if his sister would talk Jared into mimmett greens salad with dinner for the fourth time in a week.
Despite himself, Noctis grinned back. "What's got you so happy, big guy? The prize money on this race wasn't that big."
If anything, Gladiolus' smile got wider. "Funny you should mention that Noct." He hefted a bag that clinked with the sound of gil, before handing it over to Ignis, who's eyebrows shot up at the weight. "Turns out when everyone thinks you're the hotshot newbie hunters in the area, who've never been seen at the race festivals before, there's no possible way you could actually win them." He dropped an arm over Noctis' shoulders and a slightly feral tinge edged into his smile. "Especially when they're up against the three-time champion and their bird. Also turns out, you can get some pretty sweet odds if you're willing to put a friendly wager or two down on that hotshot newbie hunter." The way he kept emphasizing 'hotshot newbie hunter' sounded like he was quoting someone. Probably someone who was quite a bit lighter in the pockets given the size of the bag of gil Ignis was now holding.
"Boko and jockey to the Winner's circle please! Boko and jockey to the winner's circle!" This time the PA system could be heard over the jubilant crowd. Prompto caught up Boko's reins, and while the chocobo snorted, she allowed herself to be led. Admittedly it was probably in large part due to the handful of greens Prompto continued to wave under her beak.
Noctis moved to follow, only to feel his feet leaving the ground once again unexpectedly. Stifling a yelp, he reached for something to help balance, and ended up with a fistful of Gladiolus' hair as the Shield settled him on his shoulder. "Watch the hair princess. I won't let you fall."
"Warn a guy Gladio!" Noctis let go as Gladiolus waded easily into the crowd, following Prompto and Boko towards the reviewing stand at the end of the commons with Ignis bringing up the rear. From his perch he looked out over the crowds, waving at a couple of kids who were jumping up and down at the edge of the sea of people. They giggled and waved back enthusiastically.
They reached the clear space to find Wiz in his race day finery, holding a microphone and an absurdly large trophy cup which had a carved chocobo resting within the bowl. He held the microphone up and gestured grandly with the trophy in his other hand. "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, hunters and fans. Today is a special day in the Chocobo Outpost Racing Extravaganza. Today, we crown a new champion, a hero to the people, a prince among chocobo riders!"
A frisson of fear tingled up Noctis' spine at the word "prince" and he stiffened. Wiz had never let on that he knew who the quartet of hunters who came by perhaps a little more frequently than hunts warranted were, and had always treated them with an easy camaraderie. A large part of their safety lay in anonymity as they crisscrossed Lucius in search of the Royal Arms and even then, it only took them so far. It was blindingly obvious that the Empire knew the Regalia, and their frequent new paint jobs only helped them for so long before the dropships were again making things difficult. If they were outed now before this crowd as the missing Prince and his entourage, their life was about to get a whole lot more perilous.
"Many of you are familiar with this young man and his three friends." Wiz continued. "Whether they've helped you with a difficult bounty that'd been languishing on your boards, bringing much needed closure to a lost hunter's family, or even just as simple as a desperately required repair kit on a stretch of lonely road as night rolled in. The four of them have made themselves welcome throughout Lucius. But today, we've learned something new, something exciting about our mysterious hunters!"
Noctis tapped Gladiolus' arm in warning and slid down from his shoulder. He didn't dare look at the expression on his companions faces or he'd lose his own composure as he pasted a happy, carefree smile on his face, masking the turmoil underneath it. Leaning heavily on his experience being always in the public eye in the Crown City, he waved in acknowledgement to the crowd as he strode forward.
Wiz smiled broadly and swept the trophy around again. "Today we have learned, that this young man is a true Champion, and it has been our privilege and honor to crown this man here as this years 'King of the Races!' Congratulations Noct Gar, you deserve this." he placed the microphone on the stand and moved to meet Noctis as he came forward, handing him the trophy.
In that moment, Noctis knew. Still smiling, he clasped hands with Wiz and as he reached forward to accept the trophy he breathed quietly. "You sir, are a giant troll. When did you know?"
His left eye dropping into a barely there wink, Wiz handed him the trophy and murmured "Not everyone in the sticks ignored news outta the capital. You'd be surprised how many people know, 'Noct Gar.'" he reached for Noctis wrist, and held his hand with the trophy up over his head, and the crowd roared their approval.