'Shut up Rusty' Zidane said in an outtake of breath. Isobelle lowered herself to the floor and started to push her finger around on the ground, making patterns and pictures with the dust.

'Scoundrels! And one of you is a girl! Did they force you into their gang? What part did you play in this monstrosity!' the knight rounded on Isobelle. She looked up, nonplussed.

'What's your name?' she asked, causing the knight to stutter in disbelief.

'Adelbert Steiner of the Knights Of Pluto.' He answered, being the polite guy that he was, he never left a question unanswered.

'Hello Steiner.' She replied, smiling. 'I'm Isobelle. I live in Lindblum. I was brought into this play by my own will. I am no thief, nor a scoundrel, just a girl, an actor.' She explained to him and went to look at the ground again.

'I bet you stole things from the castle as well. Kidnapping the princess, causing the Queen to loose her temper, no, I need to get the princess back to the castle, where she belongs.' Steiner stayed stuck on his podium.

'I am not going back to the castle!' a regal voice intervened from where Garnet was standing…

'Zidane, you were heading back to Lindblum, right?' Garnet turned to Zidane once Steiner was unable to argue anymore. Zidane nodded. 'That is where I'd like to go, can you please take me there?' she asked, smiling at him. He was a ladies man, how could he refuse?

'Let's get some rest first.' Zidane smiled at her. Isobelle sat a little closer to the fire and laid her head to rest on the floor whilst the rest f the group went into the tent they had erected along with the help of a moogle, who had also given them a moogle flute. Steiner, the knight, refused to rest.

'You're not going to sleep there are you?' he asked once he came near Isobelle. Isobelle shifted herself so she was looking up at him

'I've slept in a worse place, there's no more room in the tent, you're guarding over us all, there's no wind, why shouldn't I sleep here?' she asked back at him and he stuttered once more

'I am protecting the princess. You'll get attacked by monsters in the night.' He replied.

'I have daggers.' She yawned and lay back to her side. 'I can protect myself' she added and then closed her eyes. 'Night Knight Steiner.' She smiled in the first stages of sleep and then slept peacefully, dreaming of the inn back in Lindblum, Lindblum itself and Blank…

The Ice Caverns were cold and held no pleasure in store for Isobelle as she meagrely walked along with the rest of the group. Steiner and Zidane focussed on Garnet, Vivi was up ahead melting ice with his magic and so she was left feeling even more rejected and alone. If Blank was here I'd be having fun she thought again and again, trying to picture her friend in corners of the Ice Cavern, ready to jump out at her and scare her, saying 'How could you think I was petrified?' and drag her headlong into another adventure. But he wasn't there and Isobelle was getting colder and colder.

'Vivi!' Isobelle ran to the little mage as he fell off the side of the ice walk. 'Vivi…?' she shook the mage 'He's in a kind of deep sleep…' she shouted up to the others. As she went to climb back up the stairs, she saw Steiner look over at Vivi, turn round and then also fall down the gap. She jumped off the stairs again and ran to the Knight, shaking him and calling his name too.

'What's happening?' Zidane asked Isobelle, but she turned up to him, smiled lazily and collapsed on top of Steiner, sleeping peacefully. Zidane climbed up the ladder again to see Garnet also asleep 'Oh Garnet, not you too!' he said in angered confusion. Then he went off to find out the source of the problem…

'What have you done to the Princess!' Steiner shouted at Zidane as he came back. It woke Isobelle up and she got to her feet quickly. Brushing off ice from her skirt that had flown out across the ice and as a result was soaked.

'Nothing!' Zidane argued back. Isobelle looked at Vivi who adjusted his hat

'Aaah, what wonderful company. We all get along so well' she whispered drolly to him, she wasn't sure but she thought he heard him laugh…

They came out of the Ice Cavern to see a village in the distance. Zidane turned to Garnet and they started up a conversation of disguise. Isobelle waited patiently, not knowing why because it was like she wasn't there anyway. That is why she was jolted back to reality from her daydreaming when all the faces were looking at her and Zidane had just said her name

'Pardon?' she said, hoping that she would get the gist of the conversation

'I said, Aren't you Isobelle?' Isobelle looked at him blankly. 'you're just here by coincidence, not part of a big plan, aren't you Isobelle?' he said, making the question longer, anger in his voice.

'Yes…' Isobelle replied, looking away from the group. Feeling foolish and scared. She was with people she didn't know, the only person she did know was acting like she didn't exist and she was in a place she had never been to in her life, so she couldn't just walk away.

'Come on, let's go.' Zidane said to the group and they carried on towards the village. He grabbed hold of Isobelle's arm and pulled her towards him 'are you ok?' he asked. Isobelle nodded, thinking of Blank. 'Look, I know we're in a strange place, but we'll get back to Lindblum soon, I promise.' Isobelle tried to hold back tears. She didn't care about not being home; she had no friends, no house to call home at Lindblum 'Do you miss Blank?' Zidane sussed and Isobelle's lips curved slightly up at the name, 'He'll be fine, I know that.' Zidane put his arm round Isobelle's shoulders, gave her a quick squeeze and then ran to catch up to Garnet, who Isobelle made a mental note to call Dagger now.

They got to the village and went into the Inn. The keeper was asleep and Zidane tapped him on the head to wake him up. 'A room for five please' Zidane stated and smiled at the keeper. The keeper looked at all of the people, his eyes catching on Garnet.

'It's rude to stare.' Isobelle added as Zidane was about to say something. The keeper shook his head as if to clear confusion from himself and handed over the keys to the room beside them.

'It's only for four, but we could give you a pillow and duvet and someone could sleep on the floor.

'That'll be me, I don't mind.' Isobelle piped up. Zidane looked at her with protesting eyes, but didn't argue. Knowing that Isobelle felt like she was a spare part, a nuisance and he also realised just how bad Isobelle had slept in Lindblum, a roof over her head was probably luxury, she wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor. He nodded in forced agreement and they cramped themselves into the room.

'Er, Zidane, where shall I sleep?' Garnet asked, Zidane turned to her

'I know it isn't luxury, but you have to sleep in here with the rest of us.' Zidane said, Causing Steiner's blood to boil.

'Don't worry, he wont

peek', he isn't that bad…' Isobelle advised Garnet, but she wasn't sure herself. 'Anyway, this wont be for that long, one night.' Isobelle patted the princess on the arm and walked into the room herself, holding a pillow and duvet that the keeper had given her.

Isobelle laid her things down on the floor by the vanity desk. Setting up her bed there seemed the best choice for there was the most space there…

In the night, Isobelle laid awake, not being able to sleep. She heard someone get up quietly and go to the window and then she heard a soft, lullaby voice singing to the air. Is that Garnet? She asked herself. The lullaby was so soft, the voice so tuned, that Isobelle found herself falling to sleep calmly, the image of Blank petrifying before her eyes, pain and fear carved on his face even when he was trying his best not to show it…