Isobelle woke up with her arms round Blank, riding on the back of Choco. She thought of the days past, the days of her and Blank that have been so long, yet been over so quickly. They had had to stop regularly for Choco to rest and as they did so, they talked of the thousands of things that seemed so insignificant now that they were together again, yet they discussed them anyway. The gathering of Mist, the Alexandrian monarchy and how it was becoming tinted evil by Queen Brahne, Zidane and Dagger, all subjects that they needed to discuss but not really listening to each other, to busy just watching the other, thinking of how much they loved them. Oh! And there was lots of kissing…
'He's done it again…' Blank turned round and said ruefully. Isobelle didn't know whether to laugh or be angry with Choco. She chose laughter.
'How come he only does it with you?' she asked Blank, who smiled innocently
'Because he doesn't like me.' He said simply and kissed her nose 'We're now about to come to Treno, after the detour Choco nicely made to Bermucia and back to Alexandria, we may finally be on course…'
'I don't know if you're just getting extra time with me alone…' Isobelle quipped and laughed. Blank gave her a smile suggesting that was exactly what he was doing, turned round and rode Choco on, over the field outside Treno and across to Lindblum again…
Blank helped Isobelle down off Choco and let him walk into Chocobo Forest. Choco nuzzled against Isobelle and 'kweeh'-ed softly, Isobelle stroke his head feathers back and kissed the side of his beak
'In you go.' She guided softly, leading Choco into the entrance of Chocobo Forest. He 'kweeh'-ed sadly as Isobelle began to walk away. 'I'll be back soon, I really will!' she promised and blew a kiss back at the chocobo, who glumly walked into the forest.
'Come here.' Blank held out his hand to her when she caught up to him on the bridge. She put her hand into his and linked her fingers with his. They walked towards Gizamaluke's Grotto, Keeping silent until they got there, and then Blank suddenly ducked into the small bit of Mountain opposite Gisamaluke's Grotto, into a concealed crack that he only just got into.
'Blank?' Isobelle asked, looking into the crack but only seeing darkness. Blank's hand shot out, grabbed his arm and pulled her in. he put his finger to his lips, a gesture Isobelle could only just see, and started carefully to creep down a flight of stairs. There was a door at the end and light was faintly coming from around the edges. Blank and Isobelle neared it, keeping silent except for their footfalls. Suddenly, two figures loomed from the shadows in front of the door
'State your name, the password and your purpose.' The two figures said in monochrome unison. Blank held Isobelle back into the darkness, his hand stroking her arm calmingly.
'Blank, Hill view, my purpose is to have a good time and show Isobelle around.' Blank pulled Isobelle into the only-fractionally-better lit darkness. She saw the figures move slightly and felt their eyes upon her.
'Isobelle…err, Hill view, my purpose is to be shown around, not to cause trouble and to have fun?' Isobelle said, scared and confused. She reached for Blank's hand and gripped it tightly.
'Enter Blank and Isobelle' the two figures said, pushing the door behind them so it became ajar. Blank pulled Isobelle lightly through the door and into the unknown to her eyes.
'Welcome to Niegel.' Blank whispered to her, showing her the view behind him.
Isobelle gasped, hands to her mouth as she looked around. The place was beautiful. It was dimly lit, yet this didn't bring on a sense of dismay or hopelessness, it was as if the place couldn't exist in light brighter than this fragile light that was hidden in glass outside each building. The buildings were like mud igloos, yet they were made of red and orange clay with stained glass windows in the sides. All the houses were the same, leading down towards a stage in the middle of the streets that had a live band playing on it, the people of this place all dancing in the street, a massive bundle of jumping and dancing heads in the centre of such a town. To the side of Isobelle was a tree with yellow fruit growing on it, shaped like hexagons. The streets were cobbled with broken metal, all welded down with mud and cement compacted into the gaps. The people were wearing normal clothes, and although dirty, they looked like normal people. There was ivy all over the rock walls surrounding the city, the outsides of the mountain Isobelle presumed. Flowers grew on grassy patches in junctions of where the streets met up. It wasn't a big place, there only being about fifty houses in total and all of them no bigger than Garnet's room in Alexandria Castle. It was the atmosphere that made the place feel bigger, the atmosphere that seemed to hold screams of joy and laughter in its folds. From where Isobelle stood, there was a flight of steps as long as the ones she had come down before, although these ones were lit and then the town started.
'Niegel…Home of the Outcasts, the lost and the lonely.' Blank explained, taking one of the fruits and giving it to Isobelle. 'Take a bite.' Isobelle did so and was taken aback to taste grapes, apple and pear all in one bite. She gave the fruit back to Blank 'Maxelle, has all the vitamins you need for a good day.' Blank stated and laughed 'I sound like an advert.' He smiled, looked down at the fruit and threw it behind him.
'A good-looking advert.' Isobelle smiled at him, leant over and kissed him. He pulled away after a bit and took her hand.
'Come on, let's go see around.' He said and pulled her down the steps towards the town. Laughing, they ran into the group of dancers to the live band and Isobelle started dancing, Blank laughed and tried to join in, shifting from foot to foot. He looked dos cute when he danced, concentrating so hard on how he should do it as not to show Isobelle up that after ten minutes, Isobelle had pulled the Tantalus member to the side of the dancers, down onto a grassy patch of flowers where they were kissing.
'Blank?' a voice came from above them and reluctantly, Isobelle and Blank drew away from each other and looked up at a black-haired, brown-eyed guy who was holding his hat in his hands. He smiled down at them 'I knew it was you. Who's this lady?' he said, bowing to Isobelle who blushed
'Hey Charge. This is Isobelle.' Charge wasn't the only one to notice the emotive way Blank said Isobelle, like nothing mattered more than that name and the person it represented. Isobelle stood up, brushing her skirt down she curtsied sweetly at the new guy and slipped her hand into Blanks, who seemed a little grateful for it. Charge looked at Blank to Isobelle
'Is he treating you right?' he asked her, Isobelle was taken aback, why wouldn't he.
'Yes…' she said annoyed. Charge then put his hand on Isobelle's shoulder and whispered into her ear
'You know, if anything ever happens, you can come to me. I'd help you out.' He whispered and kissed Isobelle on the cheek. Isobelle, who had felt Blank tense as Charge leaned into Isobelle and had squeezed his hand sweetly, smiled shakily
'Right…thanks…' she muttered, feeling relieved as Charge leaned back from her and started to walk off, but then he turned round
'Think about it, yeah? I mean, even if you get bored…' he said and Isobelle gritted her teeth
'Ok, thank you.' She said sweetly, her teeth grinding. As soon as Charge was lost in the dancers again she turned to Blank. 'D'you know what?' she said and he looked at her wearily
'What?' he asked unsure
'I think I bloody love you.' She exclaimed and smiled at him.