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Secret Santa 2021 - Kyde's Golden Egg — Description
Kyde tottered after Harry, dragged along by the eager man who had an unbreakable grip on her hand. "Harry! Slow down! What do you need?" she said in exasperated tones.

"You'll see! It's really, really great! But we need to hurry!" Harry began going even faster so that they were practically at a run. If Kyde didn't have full confidence in Harry's utter lack of cunning (how little she knew), she might have fought free of his hand and demanded an explanation rather than being dragged unceremoniously through her castle.

He did still give her unnerving vibes, but she had to admit that part of her was curious. He had been so quiet and nervous in the first couple years of his stay with them that she was still surprised when he showed this exuberant side of himself. And she hadn't seen him this excited since...

Her suspicions grew as they went out the castle door leading to the chocobo stables. But no, that couldn't be the case. He might be good with the birds, but even he couldn't have figured out the problem that had been eluding her for so long. Maybe he wanted to show off a new trick his birds had learned.

When she followed Harry into the stable and down one of the aisles, she was confused by the empty stalls. Then she was even more confused to see that a sizeable number of the 99 chocobos that graced their castle grounds (what HAD she been thinking, acquiring that many eggs for an Easter Egg Hunt?) were crammed together into a section further down, clustering around one of the wider pens used by the biggest birds.

"Okay," Harry breathed, slowing as they neared the flock, which was deeply focused on something in the biggest stall. "Guys, make room! Master Kyde needs to get in! I hope it hasn't finished yet," he said, alternating between talking to the birds and to her.

"You hope what hasn't finished yet?" Kyde growled as they pushed up to the side of the pen. "What could be this big of a--" Then she looked down.

The pen was nearly as packed as the hallways thanks to multiple yellows and browns, with Coco's purple, one of the whites, and one of Harry's reds taking up most of the space. But at the center was a familiar golden shape. Kyde opened her mouth to ask why Harry had moved it, when she heard the noise.

Cheeping. And the quiet crack of breaking eggshell.

Kyde watched in astonishment as the golden egg that had sat unhatching in her office for so many months wiggled slightly, and a sharp orange beak tip jabbed through the shell along a jagged line she hadn't noticed. Then suddenly, the egg jumped in the straw. Beside her, Harry was gripping the wooden boards with unbridled delight and anticipation. "It's happening!!!" Good grief, he almost squealed!

Another jump. Then another. Then the top of the egg broke off, lifting up on the head of a wet, feathery form that let out a loud peep. It was easily as big as some of the smaller full-grown yellows, but its feathers glimmered with an unmistakable metallic gold so like the shell it was coming out of.

"How..." Kyde realized she had a hand to her mouth. She turned to stare at Harry. "Just, how?"

Harry grinned widely at her and waved a gloved hand at the birds crowded around him. "The chocobos did it! They were all trying to get into that stall where you put the egg - that's how I found it - and so I moved it into this stall, and then they all gathered around and it started warming up! I think it just needed all the other colors to be here - there's been at least one of each around it constantly the last few days! Then I checked on it this morning and I heard the peeping, so I had to come get you so you could be here in time!"

A glance around proved he was right. Brown, yellow, blue, green, red, black, white, purple, and silver - every color of chocobo they had was in the surrounding flock, clearly drawn to the new hatchling. It had never occurred to her that proximity to the other colors was all that was needed... but then again, who could have guessed something like that? It sounded like even Harry had only found it by accident, although naturally it would be Harry who would make that kind of discovery.

"But how did you know it was mine?" Kyde blurted. It probably wasn't the most pertinent question right now, but it was the first one that burst from her mouth. She'd thought no one knew about the extra egg. She'd meant to surprise everyone when it finally hatched, and then she'd been too embarrassed that it was apparently a dud to tell anyone. Putting it here in the stalls had been half last-ditch effort and half a way to clear some space in her office.

The grin on Harry's face took on a shrewd look she wasn't used to seeing on the odd man. "You're the leader of the castle and the one who got the eggs. And anybody else woulda told everyone if they found a big golden egg and brought it home."

Before Kyde could think of a response, Harry was suddenly guiding her gently but determinedly by the shoulders, pushing her through the swinging stall door. "Go on, Kyde! It should see you first so it knows it's yours!"

Wonderingly, Kyde found herself on her knees in the straw. The silly bird kept swiveling its head around and peeping woefully, apparently baffled by the eggshell hat covering its head and eyes. Kyde carefully reached out both hands and lifted the shell free.

Two big eyes stared up at her in silence for a moment. Then the bird tipped over on its side, still stuck in the rest of its shell but determinedly trying to wriggle out and towards her.

Kyde couldn't help it. She let out a delighted laugh as she reached to help the 100th chocobo wiggle out of its shell. Her chocobo.

It was some minutes later when the bird was fully free and sitting contentedly in Kyde Drakes' lap. Chocobos all around them were cooing and chirping happily in welcome. Kyde glanced behind her to see Harry still leaning against the door, staring down at her and the baby bird with a smile of pure contentment on his face. Kyde looked down again, gently stroking the moist feathers.

"Thanks, Harry."

She wasn't looking, so she couldn't see, but something told her Harry's smile grew even warmer. "It was absolutely my pleasure, Master Kyde."

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MERRY CHRISTMAS Kyde-Drakes !!! I know you were suspecting it all along but I hope I still gave you some surprises ;D Hurray for having all of the Hero's Sanctum chocobos present and accounted for!

Drawn traditionally, colored with Clip Studio Paint.

This is for the group
Kyde belongs to Kyde-Drakes www.deviantart.com/kyde-drakes…
Harry belongs to me www.deviantart.com/riverfox237…
Kingdom Hearts and the Chocobos belong to Square Enix