Where was I? Oh yes. Black chocobo.
Bartz: Cid... We found Crescent Island, but the fire-powered ship sank!
Cid: Oh, so?
Mid: Whatever. We'll just build another one!
Cid: More importantly, we've learned the whereabouts of King Tycoon!
Lenna: What!?
Cid: He was seen in Karnak. From there, he moved on to the Desert of Shifting Sands...
Faris: Shifting Sands, you say?
Mid: It's the desert to the west of here, where the sand flows like water...
Cid: ...Thus the name. It's impossible for people to enter. They say that past the desert is the Town of Ruin, but no one can actually get there to see.
Bartz: If no one can enter the desert, how did the king manage to do it?
Cid: Good question.
Mid: Witnesses claimed to see him floating in midair.
Bartz: Floating!?
Lenna: Father...
Faris: Come on, it's not like we're getting any closer to that desert by sitting around here.
Galuf: Doesn't matter how close we get TO it if we don't know how to get IN!
Faris: Maybe we'll see it and be inspired. Don't tell me you're afraid of some sand, old man...
Galuf: Please! When I was your age, we crossed burning sand every day and liked it! Come on, Bartz!
Bartz: Let's check it out!
Naturally, the next destination is a place with no forests for the black chocobo to land in, so we've gotta hoof it.
Stepping on a sand flow is a typical video-game conveyor. You can't step off until it's finished shunting you wherever it is you're going -- in this case, all the flows dump you right back at the start.
Mid: It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, and the orchestra hasn't even
started tuning up yet!
Cid: We'll build a bridge!
Mid: It's a little risky, but you guys are all about danger, right?
Cid: How it works is, we use this bell to call the sandworm...
Mid: ...then you guys trash it...
Cid: ...and there's your bridge!
Galuf: Not the most sophisticated of methods...
Cid: You aren't that sophisticated of a guy! I think it suits you fine!
Cid: All right, we're going to call the sandworm!
Yeah, let's get rollin'.
"Ha ha, now that you're committed to your current party setup, we're going to give you an important hint! Suckers!"
jingle jingle jingle