Chapter 1: The Messenger and the Dancer
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	Zephyr swayed uncomfortably on his chocobo mount.  The sun pounded
down mercilessly today, as it did most days in the desert.  Only a few more
days...  Zephyr didn't like riding chocobos.  The only reason he was riding
one at all was becuse it could also drag a cart behind it.  Zephyr glanced at
the pile of tomatoes trailing along behind him and smiled.

	As he rode, Zephyr tried to occupy his thoughts with other subjects.
Kurago knew how to fly!  The bluish moogle shook his head in confusion.  How
was that possible?  The hardest part was taking off, Kurago had said.

	As merry images of himself soaring through the air passed through
Zephyr's head, he some noise in the distance.  It sounded like music.  In the
middle of the desert?  He halted his chocobo and shaded his eyes with his
hand to get a better look.  What was it?  The moogle finally decided to
dismount and get a closer look.

	After lecturing the innocent-looking chocobo about stealing other
moogles' tomatoes while they were out scouting the desert, Zephyr very
carefully made his way between the dunes until the site of the mysterious
sounds lay just over the next crest.  The moogle then knelt down and
listened.  That was definitely music.  And lots of jangling noises.  Gypsies!
 Zephyr raised his fuzzy head over the crest, and his wide green eyes were
greeted with the sight of a prosperous gypsy camp.

	"Kupo!" Zephyr exclaimed.  He waved to the chocobo, then shouted at
it, then finally he went back and took its reins.  "That means I want you to
come to me!" he said to the bird.  A frustrated Zephyr then led the animal to
the camp.

	A leathery-faced old man was the first to greet Zephyr as he entered
the cheerful camp.  "Hello, lad!" the old gypsy exclaimed warmly.  Zephyr
grinned happily and bounded up to the man.

	"Hi!  On your way somewhere?"

	"Nowhere in particular.  We'll probably end up in Maranda eventually,
but who knows?  My daughter wants to visit the opera, but we have no real
destination, other than that."

	The moogle's ears pricked up at the mention of the opera house.  "Oh,
kupo!  Me too!  Would you like me to take her?"  The old man looked
thoughtfully at Zephyr for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.

	"You seem like a responsible moogle.  Sure... why not!"

	"Kupo!  Where is she?  I'd like to leave as soon as possible, if
that's okay with you."

	The old man laughed heartily.  "Goodness!  You certainly are in a
hurry to run off with my daughter!  She's a big girl, though... she can take
care of herself." The man then shouted at a group of girls dancing around a
large campfire.  "Jinjin!  Come here, will you?"  One of the girls stopped,
and thanked the musicians before approaching the pair.

	She was a very graceful girl, Zephyr noticed.  Her hips swayed
elegantly as she walked.  Definitely the hips of a dancer.  She curtsied
politely to Zephyr, who bowed in return.  "Jinjin, this is Zephyr.  Zephyr,
my daughter Jinjin."  The old man faced his daughter. "Jinjin, my flower,
this fellow is going to the opera house.  Would you like to accompany him?
You can meet up with us again in Maranda."

	Jinjin's eyes widened at the prospect.  "Really?  Yes, yes, I'd love
to!"  The old man winked at Zephyr, and walked away.

	One half-hour later, the girl was sitting patiently on the chocobo as
poor Zephyr tried to get the thing to move.  "Kupo!  Move, blast you!"  When
it finally, did, Zephyr thankfully selected a tomato from his basket and bit
into it gratefully as he walked alongside the bird and its lovely passenger.

	Jinjin glanced at him with a curious glint in her brown eyes.
"Tomatoes?" she asked wonderingly.

	The only sound that could be heard as the opera house rose into view
was the sound of Zephyr's hysterical laughter.