During all this Brandol was upstairs in his room asleep. He finally woke up after the chocobo dismissal results were announced. When he came down Tensberger rushed toward Brandol to tell him all about the dismissal. Brandol of course listened carefully.

"......So Ramza dismissed most of the chocobos even the one that attacked me!"

Brandol soon started to notice something strange though, "I say Tens, isn't it a bit quiet here?"

"Of course it is! Didn't you listen to a word I said?!? Ramza dismissed most of those stupid wild chocobos!"

"Yeah but....." Then a terrible thought hit Brandol, "Say...where's Croaker?!?"

"Oh he was one of the dismissed chocobos. We figured that since you two didn't get along well it would be better if Croaker didn't stay."

"Whot?!?!"

"Uhhh...yeah we thought you might like it without him around."

Brandol was shocked to hear that they actually dismissed Croaker. Then he was shocked again when he realized that he actually cared about that.

"Tens! Where did they release the chocobos?"

"At the nearby meadow! It's...ahhh...a mile down south from here!"

"Thank you old chap! Now I'll be off!" and with that Brandol grabbed his coat and was off to find Croaker.

It wasn't long before Brandol reached the hill. He managed to get hold of one of the remaining chocobos so that he could get there faster. When he got there he found an array of chocobo tracks allover the place most of them headed towards the same direction but one set of footprints stuck out for it was going towards the nearby valley. Brandol knew that those footprints belonged to Croaker. Only Croaker would be foolish enough to think that he could survive the wild. Not only that, but the footprints were bigger than the others. Croaker may be a runt but he has feet bigger than any chocobo twice his size. Brandol knew he had to get there....before it was too late.

It was hard for Croaker to recover from the shock of getting dismissed, but soon he started to look on the bright side.

"Hmmm," he thought to himself, "Well...its not like I needed them anyways... Maybe I'll adapt to the wild! I may even get the title as king of the wild! Fighters everywhere will fear me! They will quiver in fear when my name is called! I'll rule all the wildernesses of Ivalice! Mwuahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahah...What should my title be though? Hmmmmmm...Oh I know! CROAKER THE CHOCOBO KING......that's retarded....oh! What about, CROAKER THE DEMONIC CHOCOBO......what's wrong with me?!?! Oh I know...!"

While Croaker was thinking up titles he would never own, a group of dirty, lost, and starving bandits were heading his way. They were exhausted after being attack while trying to rob a merchant's caravan. All they could think of was food and each member of the group were to the point of eating their allies. Of course that all changed when they saw Croaker.

As soon as they laid eyes on him the vision of roast chocobo popped up.

"Okay men!" The leader of the grouped whispered, "We finally found a chance to get some food. SO DON'T BlOW IT!"

"Yes sir!" they replied in hushed whispers.

They all started to surround Croaker and were closing in on him. Unfortunately for Croaker he didn't notice till it was too late. He had a very short attention span and by the time he noticed the bandits already surrounded him and before you know it they were all on top of poor Croaker.

Brandol was almost about to give up when he heard some loud sharp WARKS! He turned to see that just a few meters from him he saw a group of men all on top of ...a black chocobo.

Fortunately, Brandol found Croaker. Unfortunately, he had to save him. He didn't have a clue about what to do next. He couldn't fight them, the chances were against him. It was just him with his pathetic little dagger against two archers, one wizard, and three thieves. Of course if Brandol couldn't fight them off....then he can scare them off.

Brandol loved to make potions, he always carried his strange potions with him, and it was a good thing that he had them now. He reached into his knapsack and after searching for a few seconds he took out a small maroon bottle. He took a sip and soon he felt his throat burning...a second later it refreshed itself as if he had eaten a mint.

When Brandol started to speak his voice didn't sound the same...It was ten times louder and he sounded possessed.

"Here me foolish mortals, who dares to intrude upon my sacred grounds?!"

At this point all the bandits stopped what they were doing, some even dropped there weapons. They were all as white as sheets. Finally the bandit leader spoke up.

"Who are y-you? Come sh-show yourself!"

Brandol replied in his blood-curdling voice, "Tis I, the Devil! If you mortals value your life you would leave this place right now and-!!"

Brandol did not get a chance to finish himself because at that moment the bandit leader shouted out in a rather annoyed tone, "'Bout time you came! 'Cause I did my share of the deal and sold my soul, and it's a-been six months and I been patiently awaitin' your service and now ya finally came just when we were at the point of eatin' this disgusting chocobo."

"He sold his soul to the devil?!?" thought Brandol, "What a nut...." Soon all the other bandits started to protest against the devil's slow service. Brandol new he had to think of something to say and fast.

"Well I...um...I'm a very busy man and ....you...uh... aren't the only ones who have sold their souls you know...and...er....OH FOR HADES SAKE YOU ARE REALLY TICKING ME OFF NOW! PREPARE TO SUFFER MY WRATH!!!!"

With that Brandol began to throw every potion out of the bag aiming towards the bandits. Soon there were puffs of smoke all over the place and the bandits stared to shout because the potions did strange things to their bodies. One hand fins and another started to grow whiskers, two were joined together, and another started to make a sound similar to that of a donkey. Soon all the bandits were running away for their lives.

When the coast was clear Brandol ran out to see Croaker lying down stiffly with his eyes closed.

"Oh no! Croaker! Croaker!" Brandol kneeled down by Croaker's side and picked him up, "Speak to me Croaker! Oh...I w-was too late ol' chap..."

Brandol lowered his head in shame and then...he heard a small, weak voice!

"Brandy....Brandy....need....Brandy..." It was coming from Croaker! He was alive!

Brandol beamed at Croaker and said, "Relax Croaker...I'm here."

"No I didn't mean YOU. I said I need a drink of brandy!"

If Brandol hadn't been so grateful for the fact that Croaker lived....he would have punched him. But all he could do was smile and say, "You stupid bird. Let's go home."

"Really?! Okay!" shouted Croaker as he jumped up, but then he fell back clutching his leg with both wings.

"Ooh ooh...my leg!" moaned poor Croaker.

"Hmmm...looks like you must've fractured a bone during that struggle you had with the bandits..." Brandol inquired after taking a closer look at Croaker's leg.

"Well, then there's only one thing to do! I get a piggyback ride!" Croaker shouted delightfully.

"Oh no you d-!" But it was too late Croaker was already on top of Brandol. Croaker was quite heavy but Brandol decided to let him stay on his shoulder and made the best of it even if he did stumble a bit. Then Croaker sang on top of his screeching bird-like voice. He kept singing till soon Croaker and Brandol were just one stumbling shadow in the horizon, heading home.

The End

Yay! I'm finally done! And about time too! ;;;; I'm just too lazy I guess.....TT But that doesn't matter now cuz I'm done! Please review!