A couple of days passed with Isobelle living in the hideout. She felt strangely comfortable there, as if she had lived there for a few years. The way Zidane had told her to expect the Tantalus gang; she was constantly practising her latest reasons on why she should live there, why she was entitled to stay there…

She knew that Zidane and the group had gone to Bermecia, She knew that Garnet had run off again, and she was happy with it. She didn't want to hang around with people who didn't want her there. She was getting adept in her thief skills, managing to get prized items out of remains.

She went chocobo hunting too, and that was the things she was doing when she ran up to South Gate. Choco, the same one Zidane had ridden to get to Gizamaluke's Grotto, was a red chocobo who climbed mountains. When she had first called him, because she needed a ride around the Lindblum area, she was surprised to see he was light blue and once, when she had been chocographing for a few attempts, a haze had eroded the landscape away and when she came back from her coma, she was sitting atop a red chocobo that could climb mountains.

South gate, the start of her next adventure…

She had needed some supplies of potions, for she was seeing how far a distance she could go on choco's back, but he was only a chocobo and climbing mountains was hard work, so when they stopped she needed to defend herself. She was just buying her last potion when she heard a commotion behind her. She hadn't seen who was in the room because she was only passing by, but she turned around and smiled at the scene

'You two are the thieves who helped steal the princess!' A rusty-armoured knight was shouting. She started towards them, seeing the other two people and knowing them too, when a certain princess ran up to the group as well. Fearing her chance that they may leave without her, Isobelle slipped up to the group, behind the knight.

'RUSTY!' she yelled at him in greeting and he jumped into the air, turning round quickly.

'You…you!' he screeched in recognition. 'heh! Well, the princess wants to come back to Alexandria now and you can't stop us.' Isobelle had a mental picture of Steiner pulling a face at her, sticking his tongue out in a 'na-na-na-na-na' way.

'That's nice because I'm just passing through.' She replied, causing Steiner;s smug grin to slip from his face.

'You are not going to tell Zidane where I am?' Garnet asked her, a hint of disappointment in her voice and she smiled

'Did you want me to? Zidane went to Bermecia.' She replied and turned to the two thieves. 'What you up to?' she asked them, meaning it as a greeting, which they accepted. Steiner however started jumping up and down 'Calm down Steiner, I know you're exited that I'm here but…' she said to him briskly and turned back to Marcus and Cinna

'I'm gunna go save our Bro, Blank.' Marcus replied and Cinna nodded 'Cinna's going back to Lindblum.' He also explained and Cinna nodded at that too. Isobelle laughed and then, in a very serious tone and very decisive manner said

'I'm coming with you.' To Marcus and smiled. He shrugged

'Whatever.' He seemed to say and turned round to go out the room

'My Knight and I shall accompany you too. I feel it was our fault that Blank was…petrified.' Garnet added, speaking for Steiner too. They walked out of the room and down to the air station platform. Cinna got on the waiting air ship.

'Go save our Bro!' he said as goodbye to Marcus, nodded at Isobelle, Garnet and Steiner again and disappeared into the ship as it started to depart.

'So, where we headed?' Isobelle turned to Marcus.

'I heard there's someone in Treno that owns some Supersoft. We need to acquire that to help save our Bro.' Marcus replied, looking at the view.

'Hmph, he means steal it.' Steiner started up but Isobelle cut across him

'Choco! I need to send him back to the forest. I'll be right back, hold the ship for me!' Isobelle ran out the station and to choco. 'I need you to go back to the forest Choco.' Choco nuzzled Isobelle's cheek. 'I love you too. Now… go.' Choco blinked. 'Choco. I need you to go so I can help my friends to save Blank.' Choco 'kweeh'ed. 'Choco…' Isobelle sighed and watched as the Chocobo finally understood and ran down the mountainside. 'Goodbye Choco…' she whispered, wondering when she would see the yellow feather-bird again. She walked into the station again

'ISOBELLE!' Marcus called from the airship window. She started running to the door, flung it open and stumbled inside.

'Made it!' she smiled at the people in the ship, who sat there with stony expressions, sighed and sat down in an empty seat behind where Garnet and Steiner were sitting. She stretched out on the seat, leaning up against the wall.

The carriage stopped abruptly and Isobelle fell onto the floor, hitting her head on the seat. She had fallen asleep, too much exploring in such a little time had meant late night, early mornings and constant movement. She got up quickly, drawing her daggers and followed the other three out the carriage and onto the tracks.

'Oh no, not him again…' she moaned inwardly as they faced the Black Mage 3 again. She brought out her daggers and attacked swiftly, being hit by a thunder spell for her trouble. It was then she saw a mage staff hanging from his cloak and without thinking, she made a grab for it and was amazed that as she pulled her hand back it was gripped around the thing. She brought it back with her and threw it behind her to pick up in a moment. Garnet healed them as Steiner, her and Marcus fought and stole items from the mage until it fell down, defeated.

They got back on the train again and took up how they were before, only Isobelle couldn't get to sleep again. After a while, Garnet turned round and smiled at her.

'What adventures have you had since last time we met then?' she asked and Isobelle smiled, launching into how she had levelled Choco up, how she was climbing over mountains and things, although South gate was the furthest she had ever got

'Choco doesn't like going too far away for now, but one day, we'll explore the whole world.' Isobelle said dreamily. Garnet smiled at her and agreed

'Sounds to me like you were making your way eventually towards the Evil Forest.' Garnet suspected in the end and Isobelle laughed

'Maybe.' She replied as they came to their destination. Marcus and Steiner got off, Steiner helping the princess off whilst Isobelle stumbled off again, forgetting about the step there.

They made a quick dash to Dali and picked up a few things there. Isobelle hung back at the entrance, remembering the last time they were there, the feelings she had had then. She still had most of them, except she wasn't so scared about the people she was with. Comfortable companions she thought as she wandered back with them to Treno.

As they got into the gates of Treno, Steiner started ranting on about staying together, safety in a place crawling with thieves that would steal from the princess. Garnet wandered off to the left, Marcus to the right and when Steiner turned his back, wondering where the princess was, Isobelle slipped the way Marcus went, hoping to catch up with him…