Official Story: Enter Sedorra

[Lonely Paper Star]

Camille counted them over and over again. Each time, the number of chocobos in the pen came up the same, but it wasn't the right number. How dumb of her to have left the stable door open and trust them all to not wander off.

"Okay!" she shouted out in annoyance, putting her hands on her hips. Most of them looked up at her, but the rest continued grazing. "Two of you snuck out while I wasn't looking. Where'd they go?"

Stupid, she thought to herself. As if they'll answer me. I really need to meet people.

Either way, she needed to search for the missing chocobos. She worked entirely too hard in raising Koko and Bristles, and there, they've gone and eloped. She giggled at the thought--wait, what was she doing? This wasn't funny! They were much needed money, especially Bristles, who was a less common color of blue.

If people stole them, then they must've headed to Lucrecia, Camille reasoned. But were these thieves well-versed with the Wylds? She knew she herself was. She has wandered through many times with various chocobos, to test them fit for travel. Most of them came out fine, but Koko and Bristles were among the younger batch, and have not completely finished training. They are probably scared in the Wylds. And the thieves won't last in those woods if they don't know their way.

Camille debated on which chocobo to take to go after them. Takka was her most trusted, and sometimes helped herd the others when they wanted to graze further away from the property, but he was not her fastest.

She gulped as she thought of her lone black chocobo, the one she used in races years ago. Prestissima, Song of the Night, she was called, as professional racing chocobos always had fancy names. Camille had not ridden her since her last race. It was superstitious of her, but she hated thinking about her past, and Stissi was a very, very prominent part of it.

But Camille found her feet moving already, past the main stables where she kept the chocobos at night while she slept, and toward the back one next to her cabin deeper in the safer southern forest.

She must hate me now, Camille thought glumly, but forced herself to meet Stissi's eyes. The black chocobo regarded her warily and kweh-ed with question.

"We're going to the Wylds, Stissi," she told her, and offered a smile. It was a little dark in the forest, but she was once told her smile was one of the brightest. "Your son and your niece are missing." She slid open the stable door.

Stissi did not move at first, and only did so when Camille held out a stalk of Sylkis Green. How far their relationship has fallen, when Stissi needed to be lured with food from her only rider rather than with simple trust. But at least she was obedient; that or she understood the situation. After circling around to warm up her legs, Stissi lowered herself to the ground to allow the much shorter Camille to climb up.

Nostalgia hit the breeder like lightning. Camille could already hear the crowd in her ears, cheering her on. She inhaled sharply and climbed upon the chocobo. Everything about this was too familiar, too reminiscent, but she had no time to waste on her burdens of the past.

They left for the outer pen, where the other chocobos still were. Takka gave her a curious look and warked. Camille herded everyone into the night stables. When all the necessary things were done, she pulled Stissi away and dipped her head to hers.

"Just like The Queen's Cup," she murmured.

Prestissima, Song of the Night darted out of the property in a flash and to the Bethereon Wylds, as fast as she has ever been. Camille almost smelled and felt the dirt of the tracks rise up around her, even if she was surrounded only by trees and grass.