She stood there on the balcony of Tycoon Castle looking over the realm she had inherited. Since the demise of Exdeth in the void, the two worlds which were once separate had remained fused together. It was no longer a land where there were only a few countries like Walse and Tycoon. The lands of Bal, Moore and Kuza were also present now. The world was vast and everything was changing quickly.

Once a princess, now a Queen, Leena Tycoon clutched at the pale blue shimmering crystal fragment she wore around her neck along with the royal pendant of Tycoon. It was all she had left to hold onto which was real. Everything else was just in her mind. Though her memories would never leave her, and she could always journey to Bal to see Krile, but it wasn't the same. It would never be the same, not without the others.

"Why couldn't you have stayed sister? I know you did not want the throne, but I could have easily talked to the chancellor and the council to accept the position, it was after all something I was ready for compared to you... We could have made this work..."

The Queen shook her head as she kept hold of the crystal shard in her hands, gently rolling it around between her fingers, hoping, praying that somehow it could hear her thoughts and pass them on to those she was thinking about.

"Bartz... You could have stayed too. You didn't have to become a fully fledged knight or a member of the royal court. You could have just lived in the castle grounds, helped out, shared your stories and your knowledge..."

The time they had spent together was something Lenna would forever cherish. Although their time was brought about by needing to rid the world of an ancient evil, the bonds they forged, the experiences they shared and the sacrifices they made to save their planet were worth it. The events had helped shape who they had become, four heroes who came together to overcome the darkness and restore the light to the world.

"I knew you wouldn't have stayed anyway, either of you... You were both free spirits, fire and wind, uncontrollable, impossible to command or form into a shape... Unlike earth and water which could be manipulated to suit its purpose... Your elements are the representation of freedom whereas mine and Krile's are the representation of function, only free when we have to be... You can work the land, you can contain water, but you cannot tame fire or the wind..."

Lenna sighed as she opened her eyes. Looking out once more at the lands of Tycoon, she slowly turned her back on it and walked towards the tower's entrance.

"I suppose in a way, you all knew that and had accepted it before I could realise that... If only I didn't try to make you stay... But I suppose you can always return here one day... the both of you"

As Lenna slipped into the tower, she glanced out the window at the sea. On the horizon she could make out the faint outline of a boat. Unable to tell if it was coming or going, the Queen tried to suppress the hope which had suddenly sparked inside her. As she descended the stairs and walked out onto the battlements, passing along the walls, she looked over the plains. Once more in the horizon, she thought she could see the faint image of a Chocobo, but again, she could not tell if it was coming or going.

"My eyes must be playing tricks on me... I think I need to rest"

Retiring to her chamber, the Queen undressed herself and got into bed. As she drifted off to sleep, she was unaware of the voices outside of her room talking.

"Yes m'Lady... She has retired for the afternoon... She will probably wake near the middle of the night as she usually does, soaked in sweat and panicked by the thoughts in her sleep. She did go through a traumatic experience, you all did... But you seemed to have coped well"

The attendant looked to Krile who stood there with a concerned look on her face.

Krile: "I see... Does she do that often? Stand on the battlements and tower and watch the horizon?"

Attendant: "Yes m'Lady... People who have passed her or gotten close enough to hear her speak tell us that she always says similar things... Fire, Wind, freedom, her sister, that journeyman, yourself, the crystals, Exdeth..."

Krile sighed.

Krile: "I see, it appears that the Queen has not yet accepted the fact that only myself and her returned from the void..."

Krile had struggled to accept it at first, but after losing her parents to Exdeth, and then witnessing her grandfather Galuf die by Exdeth's hand, she had become more accustomed to loss than the gentle hearted Queen of Tycoon. They both had lost family to the evil which they had overcome... Lenna lost her sister and her father whilst Krile lost everything.

Krile: "Water cannot hold its shape alone... It needs something solid, sturdy and dependable to keep it in one place... Perhaps the council should suggest the Queen takes some time off, they could run the country in her absence and I will take her to Bal with me... Help her become herself once more..."

Attendent: "A good Idea m'Lady... But... I fear that such a request would send our Queen further into her affliction... They say that the truth will set one free, but at what cost?"

Krile: "Surely it's better than allowing her to live the rest of her life pining for a lost cause and never getting closure?"

Attendant: "With all the turmoil in the world, we need our Queen here, she is the only thing holding Tycoon together"

Krile: "But who is holding her together? If you do not pass my concern on to the council, then I shall do it myself... There is no need to drag this out any longer... It's been two years since we slain Exdeth and sealed the void... Surely there is no better time than now to finally lift the burden off of the Queen's shoulders and to free her from this affliction?"

Before the attendant could answer, the chancellor appeared. He had been lurking nearby, listening intently to the conversation between Krile and Lenna's attendant.

Chancellor: "As much as I hate to say it, but Lady Krile is correct... Whilst we do rely on our Queen to keep everyone stable, it has been selfish of us to do so... Please, see to it that the Queen's belongings are packed, Lady Krile will take her back to Bal with her where hopefully she can deal with the affliction and help free her mind once more so the Lenna we all love is back with us"

Attendent: "Yes m'Lord! I will do this at once!"

The chancellor turned to Krile with a sad expression on his face.

Chancellor: "Please Krile... Save our Queen... If the people fear she has lost her mind and gone insane, I dread to think what nefarious characters would seek to claim Tycoon for themselves"

Krile: "I hope I can Chancellor... Just be reassured in the knowledge that the kingdom of Bal is at your service if you need us to be..."

Chancellor: "You have my upmost thanks lady Krile, I pray to the crystals that it does not come to such a time when we need your land's assistance, but I can assure you that I do find some comfort in your promise and words... Please..."

The Chancellor's voice waivered a little as his eyes slowly started to water.

Chancellor: "Save our Queen..."

Nodding, Krile curtsied to the chancellor and made for the tower in which she was staying.

As she closed her door behind her, locking it, she sat at the table and pulled out a book from her bag. Opening it up and then reaching for a quill and ink, she began to write.

"It is just as the reports said... Lenna shows signs of losing her mind... She still believes Faris and Bartz are alive and is waiting for them to finish journeying the world so we can all reunite at Tycoon once more... Though it pains me to write this, I must reveal the truth to her and make her understand that her sister and the man she loved but never could bring herself to admit it to him are both no longer with us in body.

Grandfather, I pray that you are keeping them safe... Please keep us all safe"