"It was a difficult time in Ivalice. The war had devastated the neutral cities,the peace-treties had come to an ubrupt end with the treacherous slaying of King Raminas; and with Rozarria poised for a pre-emptive strike against the growing Imperial threat, the Kingdom of Dalmasca was left in a sorrowful state. The Lady Ashelia B'Nargan Dalmasca took to the steps in front of the grand cathedral in the city of Rabanastre to make her speech, the final barrier and glint of hope for her peace-loving people. The Marquis Ondore had sworn her security, and now here she was, heir to the throne, the fate of the nation hanging on her-"

"What the hell is this, Zidane?"

Zidane lost his concentration, and came tumbling back down to Gaia from the dreamworld he was describing. "What do you mean?" he asked, slightly offended, and more than a little confused.

Blank could do little but stare at him incredulously. Eventually, however, he found his words. "Well," he began, "On what grounds do you call that a ghost story?"

"Are you kidding me!? Treachery, deciet, an Empire's lust for power with an entire nation's democracy hanging in the balance! Who much scarier do you wanna get!?!"

Cinna was only half-listening, but his eyes found focus again as he heard this and sat up straight, worrying about the pins and needles he was going to feel in a minute when the blood rushed back into the cheeck he had leaned on his hand. "Zidane, maybe if it was happening to Lindblum I'd be worried, but there's no way anyone is ever gonna try and pass that off as a story! It's not scary, it's not exciting and I'm startin' to worry you've bored the boss to death..."

He glanced over at Baku, who was lying abnormally still on the other side of the camp fire, which Cinna noticed seemed to have suffered the same fate. What had been a roaring orange flame when Zidane begun his tale was now no more than a ptiful collection of dying embers, breathing their last hisses of regret at their misfortune to be here. Baku, however, let out a grunt and turned over, releiving the other three somewhat, although Zidane was still feeling bitter.

Behind the party was Chocobo Forest. They had left the Dragon's Gate of Lindblum that morning and set ut on foot across the plains and over the river to reach the lush greenland. Marcus hadn't joined the Camp party, as he and Ruby were watching the Prima Vista in the company's absence. Tonight they camped, and tomorrow they would venture into the forest as part of their sight-seeing hike around the continent. Or at least, that's what the moogle in the forest had been told.

Zidane was still unsure as to how they'd pull off a full Chocobo Heist without someone noticing back in Lindblum, but he supposed he'd done more dangerous things. The stars were out overhead now, and Zidane's gaze lingered a while on the crimson object a little out of place among them before he fell slowly off to sleep.

Zidane stirred groggily as the sunlight of dawn caught him in the face. With his eyes closed he murmured happily as he felt his lovers arms gently cradling his chest. Although they wern't really cradling - more like grasping. Tightly. A bit too tightly in fact. Zidane's sleep-addled mind was still trying to catch up, and by now he was panciking because his lover was trying to kill him! He couldn't move!

After a moments struggling he remembered he didn't have a lover, that he was on a camping trip, and that he had been bound tightly sometime during his slumber, which caused him to relax. He was glad he didn't have a girlfriend trying to murder him. But still, there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, and a second later, something clicked into place, and he was finally awake, and aware. He sat bolt upright, pulling out his knives and spinging up into a crouched position, looking all around for his captures. Or at least, he would have if he hadn't been tied up. The crumpled, coccoon like shape on the ground that was Zidane tried to move his neck a little, to look around the campsite. The other three were all awake, with Baku and Cinna looking angrily at Blank, who's turn it had been to keep guard. Their captures were nowhere to be seen, so with much effort, Zidane struggled himself upright into a seated position where he voiced his plan of attack to his comrades in arms.

"Morning!" he said cheerfully, "What's for breakfast?"

"Nothing!" said Cinna, "The geezers who did nicked our sausages!"

This was the last straw. Zidane pulled monstorusly on his ropes, his cheeks red and the sweat already pouring. He was gonna get free, and he was gonna find those damn sausages.