Final Soulburst

by RisingWinter

Valhalla remains incomplete, the Dead Council causes further grief, and the Mage Guild gains in strength. Everyone fights for their territory, Bhunivelze is the source of all headaches, and Hydaelyn remains blissfully un-involved. The second half and conclusion of this major heckin' Final Fantasy crossover.

82. Epilogues

Firion got stuck with the rest of the Dissidian warriors near Exdeath's castle when the worlds separated in a roar of thunder and shaking earth.

"How do we get back home?" asked Zidane after a lull. "We… do go back, right?"

Lenna joined them, harried and flushed. "Assuming the dead and the Valhallan don't betray us, yes. They have ways of getting people from realm to realm."

Krile grabbed for Lenna and collapsed against her. Lenna held her with an exhausted smile.

"Anyone got a dead friend hanging around?" Tidus asked.

"Allow me," the Warrior of Light said.

"Like waiting for a pickup from the station," Cloud said. "What, are we not legal yet?"

They lapsed into discussion about their ties to Cosmos and how it related to their work here. They talked about things like "cars" and "trains," which Cecil had them describe.

Lightning appeared in a flash of light and pulled Firion aside.

"Your world's revived," she said.

He hesitated. "You lived there, too, Lightning."

She pursed her lips and shook her head.

"No matter where you go," Firion said, "we'll always have a place for you. … You will visit, won't you?"

"Maybe. We're not on the same playing field anymore."

It pained him how mature she acted despite everything. He wanted to argue further, but the words sounded hollow. "Then I hope you found what you're looking for."

She paused and finally looked at him in earnest. "Same to you."

Leon came with them with only a few cold glares to Lightning, who disappeared after dropping them off. They returned to Altair castle and found it hardly worse for wear. Hilda and Gordon greeted them in the throne room and Firion accepted his call back to the army.

Leon showed less enthusiasm for his return but bore his re-instantiation with more grace than Firion saw from him in a long time.

Leila and Guy met with them during a convening on the catastrophe. After the initial wariness of what bad news they could offer, Firion shared some of their interactions with the otherworlders and brought Hilda near to tears with laughter. She showed so much more energy after the encounter with Scott.

Gordon wouldn't stop asking questions and Firion grew tired of trying to recount every word he said. Maria found an excuse to retire to the poison garden and Firion joined her. The garden, once flourished, now withered with the Void's appetite. Firion helped Maria rearrange the plants and find water for them.

Firion remembered the scorched flowers on their trip and the torn landscapes. "It's back to normal with us, I guess," he said. "You to your teaching and me to my… patrolling."

"I'm sure something will come up again to throw us off."

"Hopefully not something as big as this last something."

"You know, for the bad that came out of it, we still got some good things."

"Like what?"

"Like a mage tower on Gaia III. And… we got to see a planet gone dark." Maria paused her fussing and fought a smile. "And we got to see Vaan harass Onion mercilessly."

They laughed at that and Maria repeated in-jokes they formed from the Guild. Firion laughed at the first couple but couldn't find the humor in it after that. Maria paused her garden tending to stifle a chortle and then a yawn. She quieted for a long time and didn't move.

"This is the second time we've done this," Maria said before returning to the plants. She didn't look at him. "It won't take as long to recover this time."

Firion coaxed a bile root leaf off the ground, but its yellowed color and shriveled stem left him unhopeful. "Twice in such a short amount of time won't speed the recovery this time. If anything, it'll take longer."

"With that attitude, it will."

"My attitude can't change the health of the planet."

"Your behavior can."

Firion added what water Maria approved of to the poor roots. They said nothing after that until the sun went down and the whole garden was tended to. Maria said she'd go find a room to rest and read in. Firion let her go and lingered in the doorway, overlooking the garden.

He doubted half the plants would survive. But, with some care and a little hope, the garden would survive.

---

"… And watch…" Luneth flicked the coin to another finger. "Where is it now?"

Arc reached for Luneth's right hand but found it empty. "You're cheating, aren't you?"

"No, I'm just better at this than you." Luneth pulled the coin from his other hand. "You rely only on the distraction part instead of the flippy-cool part."

"But the flashy part is distraction."

"It also makes your hands faster." Luneth flipped the coin between hands, evidenced only by it appearing here and there. "Come on, one more time."

"I don't want to."

"Fine." Luneth pocketed the coin and stood. "You probably want to get back to your studying anyway."

"… Not really."

Luneth drew up short. "Really?"

Arc felt a lump in his throat. Crystal rumbles shook his concentration. "Yes."

The air crackled and someone rapped at the window. Ruby waved at them from behind the glass and Luneth let her in.

"Weren't you with Refia?" Arc asked.

"I was." Ruby floated into a cross-legged position in the air despite a chair resting on the wall beside her. "She's been sleeping a lot though. Apparently, a magickling like her isn't up to manipulating entire worlds yet."

"Then why didn't I crash?" Luneth asked.

"You did," Arc said. "You slept for two days straight. Refia's taking it in intervals, for some reason."

"It's just her body adapting to the muscles it didn't know it had," Ruby said. "I got bored is all. But you two don't look like you're doing anything more interesting."

"Not really," Arc said.

Luneth looked ready to protest but said nothing. Arc explained some of their games, but Ruby waved him off.

"I've got something way more interesting in mind," she said. "You're building your mage guild, aren't you? But where are your people?"

"They left," Arc said. "Even the twins returned to their planet. So, it's just us…"

"And why is that?" Ruby asked.

"Because there aren't other mages on our world."

"Says who?" Luneth asked. "Have you even looked?"

"I'm right here," Ruby said.

"Djinn aren't common," Arc said. "And most aren't as nice as you."

"Oh, you think I'm nice? I must be saying my words wrong." Ruby dropped her float and put her feet on the ground. "It's time to wake you up to the real world, kid. You wanted to travel, didn't you?"

"Yes, but you said you're busy."

"I'm busy sometimes. And what else is your brother for?"

"Hey!" Luneth said. "I don't wanna be some shuttle service! I'm not an airship!"

Ruby gave the room a sneer. "And you'd rather play children's games in a tower?"

"They're not children's games," Arc said.

"Maybe not, but you're bored, and I'm bored." Ruby grabbed both their hands. "Come. We'll find more of these mages together."

"Why just mages?" Luneth asked.

"I'm sure we'll find fae-kin along the way, too."

"Sounds good to me, then."

Arc resisted Ruby's hold. "Wait!"

Luneth took Arc's other hand. "Too late! We're going!"

"I can't fly! Not like you! Not yet! I'll fall again!"

"Leave it to us!" Luneth dragged him out with Ruby and they took off while Arc protested.

---

On a late afternoon in mid-spring, Max stepped off the airbus in Saronia with Monica. It turned into a thriving city between when he visited and now, with flared dress styles, trimmed tunics, and a lot more layers and frills than he saw three centuries ago. As expected, technology progressed like wildfire with communication reopened between continents.

Monica distracted herself with some window shopping and Max with mechanic merchants before they found directions to the Mage City.

It took an hour by train to reach the place and when they stepped off, they found it a modest town with developing outskirts and floating orbs. A lot of floating orbs. The most distinct part of it, though, had to be the tower reaching the sky, floors stacked on top of each other like books on an abandoned workbench. If the books were made of stone, of course.

"Looks a bit like Starlight Temple," Max said. "If you squint."

Monica chuckled. "Needs more shrines for that."

"How about Demon Shaft?"

"Not abandoned enough." As if to demonstrate, a robed boy with cloudlike hair ran past with hands flared bright in fire magic. After him followed what had to his father looking similar in every respect save for the tough cloth and patches from what had to be another time.

They found the tavern and settled in to enjoy the food and drink that carried a hint of magical essence with it.

After they chatted a while and finished their drinks, the door opened to let in Refia. She looked hardly older than when they met her in the past and it showed in the brightness of her face when she saw them.

"What do you think?" she asked as she took a seat opposite Monica. "Doesn't it look amazing?"

"The Tower?" Monica asked.

"Not just the tower! We've got a perimeter to detect inhuman presences, whether Crystal-originated or not. It's already saved us from a handful of fiends."

"Perimeter? I didn't notice."

"Good! The acolytes were so proud of themselves when they managed that."

"Acolytes?" Max asked.

"The trainees." Refia ordered a few drinks and pulled her knees up to her chin. "It gets exhausting just talking to spirits all the time. Ingus suggested giving the younger ones a project, and they used what they've been learning to combine magic and communication."

"Is that what you do?" Max asked. "Talk to spirits all the time?"

"It's more complicated than that, but sort of. We're working toward more reliable channels with other worlds as well as with the dead. It all goes back to the same principles, though, so… yes. We spend all day talking to spirits, whether from living worlds or dead ones. And then there are interdimensional ones… Ace and his siblings have been a big help there."

"Ace?" Monica asked.

"It's such a long story." Refia downed her drink. "How much time do you have?"

"A lot," Max said. "We told Father we'd be gone for at least a couple of weeks."

Monica said, "He thinks we're running away on another adventure."

"Then we'll call this a vicarious one," Refia said. "Oh, Max, I wouldn't drink that."

He looked up from the cup that had distracted him. "Is it alcohol?"

Refia chuckled in a humor Max didn't understand. "Very much, yes."

"But you're drinking it?"

Monica cleared her throat. "The story?"

"Yes. Well, actually, there are two others I was hoping to share it with. I'm not sure I could explain it twice in my lifetime."

"How old are you now?" Max asked.

Refia stood and the suddenness of it rattled the table. "Here they are now."

Behind them, two ponytailed, crisp-clothed, strikingly similar people entered the establishment. From what Max could tell, it looked to be a man and woman, both young.

"Have you waited long?" asked the man.

"Not more than I've made you wait." Refia gestured between everyone. "Max, Monica, these are Ramza and Alma. Right?"

The woman, Alma, curtsied lightly. "Indeed, we are. Might we sit?"

"Of course." Refia returned to her own seat as Ramza pulled two new seats to the table. A moment later, they were settled. Two new people and Max got the feeling they had stories of their own to share.

"Where are you from?" Max asked and inwardly berated himself for failing to come up with a better question.

Alma said, "A place named Ivalice. Unfortunately, our home refuses us welcome, and thus we wander, given the assistance of a mutual friend. Yet, Refia has promised us news."

Refia clasped her hands together and Max could've sworn he saw a hint of crystal dust between her fingers. "Ivalice, and the other worlds as well."

Refia launched into a winding, sometimes animated, sometimes exhausted tale. Of other worlds beyond this one. Of people no longer bound by the walls that once separated them. Of the dead and the living both. She spoke of so many worlds, yet that they were still finding more. Growing a network of worlds and that this town was the central hub for it all.

The tavern quieted and the patrons left and Refia still had more to say.

Crystal glow lit past the windows and Refia continued.

He lost track of time, listening to every word she had to say.

---

"RYDIA!"

She heard her name after hitting Earth's ground. Edge barreled towards her, Cuore on his shoulders.

Her heart stuttered.

He tackled her in a hug and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around him, hardly able to feel that he was here, and he was okay, and so was Cuore and—

"This is near Baron," Cecil said. The words seemed distant and impossible.

Cuore jumped off Edge and looked expectantly up at Rydia.

Rydia broke off the hug. "I'm sorry, Cuore."

"You said it wouldn't be long."

"I did. Then, I was kidnapped."

Edge groaned. "That's what I kept telling everyone, but no one bothered to go looking for you. 'She can take care of herself' this, and 'where would we even start' that. Bunch of lazy royal sloths."

"Oh, she came to the mage guild," Porom said. "I'm not sure I knew that she even went missing."

"It's hard to remember that far back," Leonora said.

"What have we missed?" Rydia asked.

Edge held up a Whisperweed box and said, "Edward is hurt. Alive, somehow, but it was touch and go for a while. Harley, too, though not as bad."

Rydia would visit later. "Anyone else?"

"It'll take more than a planetary merge to kill any of us. Speaking of which—we should figure out defenses against that in the future."

Leonora whispered a prayer and Palom took a step closer to her.

They opted to return to Castle Baron and the conversation turned easier after that, speaking of the better parts of their adventures. The ones that made the best stories.

---

"My lord?"

Edward picked through what rubble he could lift, not knowing what it was he hoped to find. The adrenaline of fighting to save his people was not but a distant memory, and Edward was left with needing to rebuild once again.

"My lord?"

Was this to be his reign? A disaster, the cleanup, his tireless efforts to keep his kingdom alive, with no look to the future…

For a moment, he allowed himself to wish things different. The pain of loss and regret flowed freely, and exhaustion set to his shoulders.

A shattered shield beneath the pile of rubble. He'd find more. There were twenty-six missing soldiers and staff, and if he kept digging, he would find them. Some, at least.

A gentle hand on his shoulder. Harley knelt beside him and brushed a hand over the shield. "This the mid-guard. This part of the castle did not crumble immediately. This brave soul left and returned many times to assist others in their escape."

Edward bowed his head, unable to bring himself to remove the soldier from his resting place. "Do you know his name?"

For a moment, Harley was quiet. "Captain Skies. His unit will want to retrieve him."

Edward nodded, then gave a king's bow.

"A message has arrived, my lord."

"Only one?"

"We've received word from Fabul and Eblan as well, but they did not require much. It is Baron, milord, who I feel most deserves your response."

"What word?" He stood and Harley moved with him. They started on their way back.

"Our missing companions have all returned. King Cecil intends to host a celebration and invites all the kings, as well as select others."

"The Heroes."

"Yes, milord. It's the first time since the recurrence that we've all had the opportunity to gather as one."

Edward remained barely composed as he walked from the ruins. Once again, such a celebration would be marked with such ruin.

"This will be the last of these disasters," Harley said. "King Cecil indicates so in his missive. Even if he is wrong, we will make sure of it ourselves."

"The best the two of us managed was the destruction of a tree."

"A tree which threatened many lives besides the ones it took."

Edward stopped in his tracks as the thought hit him. "Cecil states that we are safe?"

"Yes, milord."

"He refers to the new generation?"

"I believe so. He says the universal threat of old have been firmly vanquished, and even the Void has suffered to regression."

"Then may Captain Skies and his fellows be the last lost to a fight not their own."

"… Indeed, milord."

---

Porom almost didn't recognize the air of Earth when they returned. It felt… normal. No aftertaste of ozone, no dusty scratching of the throat, no air thick enough to choke her.

Yeul didn't stay after dropping them off. She saw them as far as Baron before giving her farewells and vanishing. There, Cecil and Rosa offered the three of them a quiet room in the castle and Rydia got her own.

When Porom entered the room after dinner, she found only Palom, sitting against the wall with a quiet smile on his face. It made her pause to remember the last time he looked so content. It wasn't since their parents left them in Mysidia. … Since they were abandoned.

"Where's Leonora?" Porom asked.

Palom flushed. "Talking to Rosa."

Porom had wondered where Rosa went during dinner, but Cecil himself wasn't entirely sure.

Porom sat by Palom and thanked Kluya that he didn't run at the proximity. "She's good for you."

He huffed. "I don't need your approval."

"Yet you have it all the same. When are we going back?"

"… The Elder would want to see us soon."

"No, not to Mysidia. I mean, to Saronia."

He paused. Blinked. Then jumped to his feet. "We can't lose our momentum! There's so much to do—time—losing—" He screwed his eyes shut and yanked at his braid.

Porom said, "We need to finish our reports first, and I can make a trip to Mysidia alone. After I'm confident that they'll be okay without us—"

"Lot to ask."

"—Then we'll go back. We've got a guild to rebuild, right?"

He relaxed. Porom resisted a pang of guilt at the thought of abandoning Mysidia—she and Palom were supposed to lead it—but they had new responsibilities on the other Gaias now, too. And this was being their own people, not the molds their parents wanted them to be.

"A hub," Porom said. Palom gave her a look like she just coughed up a toad. "We need a stable point of transit between Earth and Blue Terra. Mysidia—while flawed—would be a good place for that."

Palom stuttered a variety of consonants and vowels.

Porom said, "Only on the condition that we're in charge of it on this side. We're not letting them take this over—not when we're the experts. I'm sure Arc would be willing to enforce that on his side. And I do mean, 'we.' Not me, not you, not Leonora. All three of us."

He folded his arms. "Sounds like a challenge."

"It'll be a lot of work is what it is. What, aren't you ready to become a sage? Not just of this planet, but of the universe?"

"We'll get better than Tellah."

"I bet he's proud."

Palom cast a look about them as if expecting him to show up. "I bet."

---

Baron was quiet.

Rosa sat on the high walls, joined by Cecil, Kain, and Golbez. Together, they formed a family quite unlike any other.

"I will take the Lunarians away," Golbez was saying. "We have located a viable option, and the mages of Blue Terra have offered to harbor some in exchange for assisting in their new guild."

"Generous," Rosa said. "Although, I am still quite certain we have the space for some on our own."

Golbez dipped his head. "Some may choose to stay, at least until the new colony is established."

"None other live on this world you speak of?" Kain asked.

"Wildlife only."

Cecil asked, "I'm told that this new guild intends to create stable portals between specific locations. Will this include the new world?"

"It is being discussed," Golbez said. "These portals will rise slowly. The first is intended for Mysidia, for which construction will begin when the twins return to Blue Terra."

"And you'll be leaving shortly?" Rosa asked.

Golbez's silence gave the confirmation she sought.

Cecil rose to his feet. "You will be welcome back should you choose to visit."

"I will have to, at least a few times, to move every Lunarian."

"How long will each trip take?" Kain asked.

"A few months, perhaps. This first will be longer, as I have another destination to visit."

"Your friends?" Rosa asked. "They whose origins you are so keen on keeping a secret?"

"Not entirely secret, simply quiet, on request of their own. Believe you me, they do not need curious visitors to add to their troubles."

"Do any?" Kain asked.

Rosa listened as the conversation quickly grew less serious. It was surreal—in a comforting way—to hear Golbez chatting so amiably with Cecil and Kain.

A wonderful family she both married into and helped create. Her son and his godsister assisted in preparations for the feast downstairs. The twins rested as they did most of the past week. The other three kings, whom she'd come to think of as brothers, had gathered in warm and jovial discussion the moment they arrived.

It was quiet outdoors save for this conversation, and she contented herself to listen to that quiet.

---

Mog took the excuse to escort Lenna and Bartz to Gaia V, to see how the kingdom fared.

Bartz, Lenna, and especially Krile first rested for a long time. Mog zipped about the place while waiting. Broken structures and torn ground weren't revived by the separation, but those could be rebuilt.

He wished Faris would come back, but she refused to leave the stars she loved so much. The crystals would suffer without her, but that was what Onion came back here for. He also rested, but it was only a half-rest.

Mog checked in on Onion and found him staring into nothing, eyes half-closed. He stayed in constant communication with the crystals and in turn, they regenerated his body past wounds and disease.

After watching Onion for a few days, Mog checked in on Bartz and found him lacing up his boots.

"You're leaving, kupo?"

"Yeah," he said. "Boko's settled and Lenna's got her people to take care of, but I've still got that wind calling my name. It may not be cosmic wind, but I have work to do out there."

"But you'll stay on this planet, kupo?"

"Of course! I'm still a Warrior of Light, after all." He stood, all dressed and ready to go. "The catastrophe's passed, but now there's a lot of people hurting and recovering. Straggling Voidsent, farms that need renewing, towns that need rebuilding… I think it'll take years to get past all the damage."

"Won't you get lonely, kupo?"

"I'll still visit Lenna. And Krile if—when she wakes up. And who knows? Maybe I'll find something for me out there as Faris did."

"What if you get bored?"

"Like I said, there's too much to do. I'll stay busy."

Mog let him go, but not without great sadness. He moved on to find Lenna preparing for her speech to the people.

"What will you say, kupo?"

"I'll remind them of priorities. Food and storage comes first, with the rebuilding of homes next. We've arranged temporary shelter for those without rooftops, and now I'll give our official short-term plan for housing those without homes. After that, I'll address long-term plans for development and growth considering what's happened. We'll recover and we'll adapt."

She didn't look at him the whole time. "I'm sorry, kupo."

"It's not your fault."

Mog gripped his staff closer. "I could have done a lot more, kupo."

"You also could have made things worse. Regret is pointless. I'd rather focus on what's to come." She motioned for her servants to pause, then she looked at him and gave a good smile. "Thank you, Mog. You've helped and it's cruel of me to hold anything against you."

"But you're unhappy, kupo."

"Not as much as I would be. The Crystals tell me Krile will wake again. She's not as hurt as she used to be. It will ease the pain of rebuilding to have her working with me on behalf of Bal."

"You'll stay busy, kupo. Serah did the same thing. But it made her unhappier, kupo."

"I'll be fine. I'm not Serah."

"You've still lost people, kupo."

"It's not the first time."

Mog adjusted his altitude. He wanted to help her, but she got more gloomy the more he talked. He left her and floated out to the castle's walls. The villages spread out for days and he watched the hustle and bustle of their people.

He found Krile still asleep at Bal Castle. The staff outside worked without her, and servants came every now and again to check on her.

He had to wait another day for her to stir and wake up. When she did, it was slow, and she looked so tired. He tried to help her sit up, but she was too heavy for him.

"Do I know you?" she asked, voice crackly and sick-sounding. The Crystal-blood faded from her, but kept its stubborn, glittering touch in the form of blue and reflective patches in the skin. The Crystals must have overcompensated when they found a soulless Warrior returned to them. And after so long relying on the Crystals' support, her body would take weeks to operate right without their direct interference.

"Hello?"

He snapped out his staring. Krile stared back, expression slack. "I can't help, kupo," was all he could say.

"Help with what?"

"Everything, kupo. I can't make you better and I can't fix Lenna's whole kingdom and I can't—"

"Why do you have to make it better?"

He cursed himself. Lightning would punt him if she knew he was just making more trouble! "I want to help, kupo."

"Were you—did I see you? When I was dead?"

"I don't think so, kupo. I was busy fighting with Serah. And… I spent a lot of time dead, myself. Well, stuck, you see, kupo."

"Valhalla. I caught a glimpse while I was out there." Krile groaned and rubbed at her temples. "Oh, it hurts. How long have I been asleep?"

"Including before the merge, kupo?"

"That too, but… just this last one for now."

"Two weeks, kupo."

"I'm still tired."

"Your body's capacity is reduced, kupo. You know, like when your stomach shrinks from not eating and then it takes a while to be able to eat normal amounts. I learned about that in Luxerion, kupo. Human bodies are really touchy things. … After such an extreme case like this, I'm not sure how you'll get back to normal, actually."

"Back to normal?"

His insides churned with anxiety at the realization. "You might have been permanently damaged, kupo."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." She moved so slowly, like every motion took great effort. She coughed now and again, and it rattled her whole frame. "Where's the others?"

"Lenna's at her kingdom. Bartz is wandering like usual. Faris… never came back."

She coughed again. "… This is Bal? I guess it would be. I don't recognize this room."

Mog found a glass of water from a nearby table and offered it. Krile reached for it with a quick, "Thanks," then dropped it from shaking fingers. It spilled all over her blanket.

Mog couldn't help a squeak of distress and zipped away. "I'll get you another one!"

She might have said something, but it was lost to the rush of time and space he skipped to find the kitchens. From there, he snatched a tall mug and searched for water. He only found alcohols, juices, and milks. She needed water. Clean water.

He zipped further away. He flew the city, core pounding with urgency. This society understood clean water collection methods, he just had to find where they stored it. They didn't have pipes or distillers, but he had to find something.

After flying about some streets, he found a stream with clear water. It could still have things in it that were bad for these humans, but he hoped a cleansing sufficient for Serah and Lightning's people would be good enough for these ones.

He filled the mug and touched it with a reaction to eat up the dangerous flavors before zipping back to the castle.

Krile laid against the bed and he thought maybe she'd gone back to sleep. He crept up close and her eyes blinked open to see him.

He held out the mug and she gave a weak smile before hauling herself into a half-sitting position.

He helped her get some small sips in. She breathed easier with those and he felt the small boost of strength that came from it.

The door opened and a lady in braids and trim layers gasped and shouted for others.

Mog shrunk at how useless he really was. These people would have a much easier time helping Krile.

"You've done plenty," she said, looking at him with hardly open eyes. "Thank you."

He startled when he realized she understood what he thought. Her consciousness must have picked up some things outside of mortality that it shouldn't have.

She continued, "I'll remember your kindness if nothing else. Could you say hello to your friends in Valhalla for me? I'd like to see it someday."

He couldn't think of what to say to that. He never talked to a mortal that knew his realm before. At least, no mortals that weren't Etro's chosen ones.

Before he could remember a response, someone pushed him out of the way. People clamored around Krile. She managed to give him a half-wave before the team of medics and royal advisors took up every spare space.

He'd sealed spatial rifts and he'd patched the rips of time. But next to the rebuilding of dwellings and caring of broken bodies, he felt hopeless. Krile was right; if hers and Lenna's and Bartz's places were here, then his was in Valhalla.

So away to Valhalla he went.

---

Fang kicked at the ground and found an incredible lack of dust layering the now-fertile land. The air was thick, heavier than she remembered. Not that she had to rely on memory with these fancy god powers. These winds were clean and healthy. Pure.

Terra clasped her hands behind her back and stood up straight. "Thank you, Fang. It's nice to be home."

"They keep telling me the galaxy is a mess and we've gotta get it cleaned up. So, I'm just playing my role."

"Will Setzer be a problem?"

"Not one I'd be quick to clean up. A mess or not, the galaxy's open now. We're not going to stop travel and visitation between worlds."

Terra stared off into the distance, towards the town. "I get the feeling he won't come back."

"Hard to stay in one place when you've got a taste of more. But then, I guess you'd know."

"Perhaps."

Fang slung her spear over her shoulder. "Best get a move on. You're losing light."

Terra took one last look about the greenery before following. The ground thrummed beneath them—that castle must be making a journey.

They passed under trees filled with thick and verdant leaves, swaying gently in the air. Insects buzzed and chirped in the brush under their feet and the Kohlingen river streams burbled with clear water.

Fang whistled a tune to herself at the sight, one she picked up during her time on guard duty here. Terra lingered every now and again to admire a patch of flowers or budding bush like they were the most amazing things she'd seen.

They passed through a grove where the branches rustled. Fang only just caught sight of Gau before he hit the ground. He sprinted at them and jumped into Terra's arms.

"Terra back!" Gau yelled.

Terra said, "It's great to see you, too. And I'm staying this time, okay?"

Gau all but danced in place and pointed. "Everyone waiting. You safer now and no one will die. They want to know!"

"How's your hand?"

He held up a hand with a thick scar down the palm and a matching one on the back. His thumb and little finger shook while the middle three hung limp. "Broken."

"But you still got up in the tree?"

Gau held up his other hand. "One work. Strong."

"That's great," Terra said, faking a smile.

"Keep this family stuff up," Fang said with a wave. "I've gotta see some people before heading out."

"Right, we're coming." Terra followed with Gau bouncing along her side.

"You don't need to, you know. I've got my goodbyes, you've got your hellos."

"Fang leave?" Gau asked.

"Yeah, I've got my own people I've got to get to. But hey—I don't plan on forgetting this place anytime soon. It was like a fourth home."

Terra put a finger to her lip in thought. "Fourth?"

They cleared the grove and came upon Kohlingen at least. It hardly made a bustling metropolis, but civilization showed in the people tending gardens and laying out clothes to dry on lines. Some worked wood, others stone and metal. A chatty group mended and sewed clothing by the river. Nostalgia ripped through her at memories of life here, yet it looked nigh-unrecognizable. A small, nibling part of her wondered what it'd be like to stay and start again.

"Hey, Sabin!" Fang raised her spear in greeting at the sight of the man. He turned to face her and let out a whoop.

"Fang, Terra!"

He ran their way, and he wasn't alone. Celes and Locke and Edgar and Relm and more all stood from their positions around a fire—must have been a meeting they interrupted.

They gathered with Terra and chatted loudly and cheerfully, creating a din in the open grassland.

"Hey," Sabin said to Fang, stance weak with uncertainty. "So, where are you going from here?"

She nodded at Kohlingen. "You've got things handled, looks like, so I thought I'd pop back off where I belong with the mess of people upstairs."

Sabin followed her gaze with a rare, unreadable look. "Then I trust you'll do what you can to make sure that last mess never happens again."

"That's the idea. And you take care of things here while I keep an eye out up there."

Terra was explaining something about Setzer. Sabin gave the group a glance again. "And everything else that's happened?"

"Like what?"

"Like the ghosts. Most—if not all of us—can hear the dead. We see the dead. They show up and guide our planting and… is that going to stop anytime soon?"

"Not sure, myself. But we'll make sure only the nice ones come by. Otherwise, can you really complain?"

"Only when I can't do my business without feeling watched all the time."

"So, tell 'em to bugger off."

"What, curse at the dead? We can't all be you, Fang."

"Doesn't mean you can't try. Etro knows she tried to make it impossible, yet here we are."

He snorted, though it hit her that he would never understand anything about Etro or Bhunivelze or nonsense like that. The thought comforting, in its own way, that no one else would be bothered by that divine mess, and yet it also struck her as… disorienting.

"Don't be a stranger," Sabin said and there was a plea in there.

Fang cleared her throat. "Of course," she lied. "Got all the time in eternity, am I right?"

He nodded. With that, she gave him a salute and vanished to the Historia Crux.

---

Gau couldn't keep up with all the talking, but he liked it anyway. Everyone looked happy. Smiling and laughing. He felt safe now.

A fuzzy figure from town got close enough for Gau to see. Not any closer. Man in dark clothes. Shadow.

Adults kept talking, but Relm saw him too. She looked at Gau and back at the man.

Man bowed then turned to mist.

Relm dropped her head. "Bye," she whispered. No adults heard. She sat and Gau sat next to her. They talked to dead people, but Shadow disappeared and Gau knew he would never see him again. Relm knew, too.

Relm put her hand on Gau's. She didn't look at him. Gau didn't say anything. Relm didn't say anything.

They just sat together and listened to everyone else.

---

Cloud lobbed the head off a hulked-out rat and rolled it away. His sword was due for a cleaning after all this.

Edge looked clearer than ever after the merge and split; the pollution washed out from the change. Most acted like it never happened, with shops returned to open business and cars resuming their traffic.

"You found another one?" Tifa asked when he caught up with her on their street. "That makes the third this week!"

"Fourth."

"Whatever. I guess they're weaker now, but I'd like to just bring home groceries one day without worrying about a snake taking them from me."

They returned to Seventh Heaven where Denzel and Marlene still hadn't cleaned the front room. Tifa shook her head and muttered how she didn't know what she expected.

The kitchen still showed the same state as before. "I'll talk to them," Cloud said.

Tifa got started on preparing for tonight's customers. Cloud went up to the kids' rooms, but they weren't there. He checked the bar and found it empty.

"Did they have another offer from the neighborhood?" Tifa asked when they passed in the hall. "Denzel's still intent on earning money."

"Not that I know of."

"Maybe someone needed a quick job done?"

"Marlene should have called us first."

"Because she's so diligent about telling us that stuff."

Cloud shook his head at her sarcasm. He went to double-check the back and the front door opened.

"Cloud! Tifa!" Marlene rushed in and grabbed Cloud in a hug. "Serah came to visit!"

Sure enough, Serah Farron walked through the front door with Denzel at her side. "Hey," she said. "How's Edge?"

Sound deafened and a distant ringing pierced his ears. It took too long to realize she was asking him. "Rebuilding," he said, tongue heavy.

"With our help," Denzel said.

"If you're all wanting to talk anyway," Tifa called from the stairs, "then can't you do it while helping me get this place cleaned up?"

"Gladly!" Serah talked Marlene into showing her what work had to be done.

Denzel joined Cloud and they got tidying up the kitchen. "Serah's a goddess now," Denzel said. "But she doesn't look like it. She does act kind of funny, though. Like she's lagging."

Cloud glanced at Serah, though every motion resisted it. Like there was something in her that didn't belong. "In what way?"

"You know, like when you're playing a game and it glitches up and all the models move funny."

"… I see."

"But she's new to it. So, it'll get normal, won't it?"

"I don't know."

"Didn't Sephiroth claim to be a god?"

"He wanted to be a different kind of god."

"But you became part of him?"

"… It's complicated."

Denzel got cleaning the dishes. "Tifa and Marlene look like you, now. Your eyes match. They glow, you know. The color's different, but…"

"Yours match closer."

"… I haven't looked."

"It's been a week."

"I know." Denzel cleaned the same spot on the same dish for too long. "I'm just… scared, I guess."

Given they only got back on their feet days ago, Cloud shouldn't be surprised. Given his coma after his first experience with mako poisoning, it was a miracle they walked and talked like normal so soon. Lingering aftereffects were to be expected.

Despite that, his fingers shook at the reminder. At the thought that these kids felt the same thing he felt. Or, a smaller version of it. Milder. Kinder.

Marlene dashed past the kitchen with Tifa and Serah on her heels. They crashed into something and Marlene panicked for a bit before Serah promised to fix it. Tifa expressed quiet awe and Marlene expressed louder awe. They clapped.

"The city is made of people," Cloud said. "And the people have been through a lot. We just had an apocalypse, so an identity crisis is probably normal."

"Do you feel the same thing?"

"Sort of."

Denzel kept washing. Cloud took a break from the table and showed Denzel how to soak stubborn spots in soapy water. They got the kitchen all but spotless before Tifa, Serah, and Marlene wandered in and got to preparing lunch.

"It's so quiet," Serah said. "Is this how it normally goes after the world ends for you guys?"

Tifa said, "It's only our second time, but I think it was more exciting last time. We lost our capitol then."

"We still lost a lot of this one," Cloud said.

"Only pieces this time."

"The city hall was completely destroyed!" Marlene said. "Obliterated! I found pieces of their display rooms all the way in the Gardens!"

Denzel finished washing and helped Tifa fetch ingredients. "They want more help there," he said. "And I think they pay well."

Serah asked Marlene about her education and got a dodgy response. Cloud stepped in and explained how they've been handling studies while the school rebuilds and how it proved better for them anyway. Tifa wanted to homeschool the kids from then on and balance the social aspect with activities and coordinating with the school's trips.

He got a little more used to watching Serah, and with some exposure it didn't feel quite so disconcerting. But there was always something a little off to it and he wondered what connection it might have to their recent experiences with the Lifestream and Farplane. He wondered what other effects he should watch out for. What health issues might present themselves in the family.

Cloud listened to Tifa with half an ear, too distracted by her glowing eyes to correct her when she slipped up on dates. Her original red had turned to a soft amber and lit her lashes in gold-brown hues. It was too soft a glow to notice most of the time, but when he paid attention…

"Cloud?" Marlene tugged on his sleeve. Her eyes glowed a similar hue as Tifa's. "Will you help me make turnovers? Serah brought apples from another planet and they taste a little different, but she said they should cook the same."

"Yeah, just one moment." He made an excuse to the table and pulled Serah aside.

She looked concerned when he guided her around the corner. The human look sat not-quite-right with her inhuman… aura. He looked directly at her, but he couldn't say what was wrong with her skin, hair, ears, expression—though it did seem if he watched her eyes long enough he might see a clock or glimpse the changes of seasons.

"What happened to us?" he asked, voice low to avoid attracting attention from the other room.

She made a silent "oh," then glanced to where they left Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene in the kitchen. "That's more Yeul's thing. But one of the complications of—well, everything that happened—is that there's supposed to be a divide between life and death. For a lot of reasons, of course. You weren't the only ones to experience something you weren't supposed to, but I think it should stick to side effects for you guys. Not everyone was so lucky. So, your natural knowledge and—well, unnatural knowledge—they might conflict every now again. There's layers, you see, and—"

"Will they be alright?"

"… I think so. Again, there's side effects, but as long as you're careful about your mako exposure from here on out, you should all be fine. Not dead, I mean."

"Will Marlene and Denzel have long, healthy lives?"

"For the most part."

"For the most part?"

"They'll see things the rest of their lives, about other people, ghosts, maybe even timelines. 'Ghosts,' and all that. And they might say or do things you don't expect. There's what you know from the Lifestream, of course, and then it's similar with the Farplane. Only, because of Bhunivelze's corruption, it might also mean more leakage from other worlds and realms. Like you have."

"I don't want them to have what I have."

She pursed her lips and played her fingers between each other. He suppressed a shudder at how wrong the motions looked. "I can't undo that."

"Can't someone?"

"No. Bhunivelze broke people out of misunderstanding, but we've learned the laws that govern the worlds and interference is—"

"Forbidden?"

"Tricky. If we were to undo the damage to your bodies, then it would also undo the experience as it happened. This would place you outside of time. Now, we can manage that if it happens to objects, but people are special. Your souls have locked sections and special rules. For every one person's pain we undo, a hundred others could get twisted and corrupted. We're undoing the corruption that we can, but I'm afraid your family's been tied to something bigger than it was meant for. I'm sorry, I—"

"It's not your fault. I'm just…" Tired aches clawed at his shoulders and back as if his body took that for a reminder of how long he'd been without sleep. "We'll figure it out."

Serah took his wrist to keep him from leaving. "It'll be alright," she said with such a sternness as to remind him of visiting her at school and sitting in on lectures with the kids. "We can't fix everything but trust me—we've got everything back on track. Just worry about your family for now and we'll handle the rest. You don't have to protect them from everything."

"Cloud!" Marlene shouted and pivoted around the corner. "Are you coming?"

He looked between her and the softly-smiling Serah, whose form still sat wrong in his view, but now he realized that maybe that was a good thing: it served as a reminder of the separation between him, deity, and the terrible, unknowable beyond.

He nodded to Serah, then followed Marlene to the pantry so they could get spices for turnovers.

---

"Don't you have other duties to tend to?"

Noel looked up at Squall's question. Despite ascending to some other plane of existence, he still acted like a distracted student. Squall wondered how he managed as a professor for so long.

"Valhalla was still rebuilding last I checked." Noel put the book away. "And even then, time doesn't work the same over there. I can't exactly miss anything."

"You've been here for a week."

"Not… exactly. I've jumped in and out."

"If you really wanted to know the results of the trial, why not jump to the time when the results are given?"

"Because I'm not all that good with time travel yet. It's hard enough to hop in and out without losing time."

"You seemed just fine with hopping around before."

"Yeah, before our timelines got unstuck. Without the rails, things got… complicated." Noel played with the beads laced across one finger. "We made a huge mess of things. I'll get out of your hair as soon as we get word on Irvine."

"Then I should tell you he's been cleared."

"You what?"

"I'm the one in charge at this school, and Galbadia couldn't have much say anyway with the state they're in. The council agreed to my decision and his plea's been heard. We're releasing Irvine on account of his coercion."

"And Maqui?"

"He's taken full responsibility despite my warning. I'm arranging to fake his death."

"Will anyone believe that?"

"Who even cares at this point?"

"Then why go through the trouble?"

"It's become a tradition. You'll take him back where he belongs, right?"

"Yeah." Noel gave a swirling gesture. "Thank you. For everything."

"And I'll thank you for not making this worse. You've already gotten Seifer and his crew out of my hair. But if you lose me someone I actually care about, I'll make you regret it."

"Will do, sir. I'll get Maqui and I'll leave."

"He's imprisoned on the lowermost level."

Noel nodded and left.

Squall turned to the window. Despite the school remaining together, it felt like a thousand pieces waited for his retrieval.

---

Noel found Irvine and Selphie chatting with Maqui. Selphie gushed about a recent batch of explosives and swapped crafting tips. They collected enough information about such devices from their traipsing about the galaxy that they often crossed on the same procedure.

Irvine greeted Noel with a tip of his hat. "Here to collect?"

"Yeah," Noel said. "Is he ready?"

"Maybe after you give him ten minutes to cool off this tangent. You'll be okay, traveling with the same guy that killed you?"

"It wasn't him."

"Not entirely, maybe." Irvine shoved his arms into a fold. "But Bhunivelze did know to pull on the right strings. Maqui still has all those strings."

"Only now they're tangled in all the ways they're supposed to be. No one's supposed to get pulled taut like they all were."

"I'm just saying—can't be too careful."

"Yes, sir."

"Now ain't that just backwards, calling me 'sir.'"

"Don't get used to it."

"Yes, sir." Irvine flashed him a toothy grin. "Hope you're enjoying your new powers."

"You'll have to treat us, sometime," Selphie said. "You know, show us around that realm that you guys took over."

Noel shook his head. "Maybe once it's rebuilt."

"I thought time didn't move there? How can it be in the process of recovering?" Selphie asked.

"It's… complicated. Maqui, let's go."

Maqui looked at Selphie. "She's the one with the key."

Selphie opened her mouth—likely to deny it—but Noel just warped inside the cell and took Maqui's shoulder. "Hold on tight."

"Okay. Oh, hey, what about—?"

Noel teleported them out of there and into the stream of time. The Historia Crux flushed dark with their entrance and Noel took the chance to reorient himself. The NORA team took up residence on the Lunar Whale, last he heard… the new one. Not the one that disappeared to Hydaelyn.

Big spaceship. Contained to this galaxy. But anywhere in the between. And they had warp drive because why wouldn't they?

"This is nice," Maqui whispered.

Noel snapped out of his calculations. "What?"

Maqui floated along, limbs limp and eyes drooping. "Floating. Here. We can just rest. And wait."

"That we can." Noel forgot his calculations for now. "You took this way before, didn't you?"

"Sort of. We took the choppy, glitchy version of it. It hurt."

"You don't have to worry about that here."

Maqui went quiet. Noel relaxed and floated alongside him. They moved in silence and Noel reviewed his old sleeping exercises. Even after all these years, it came back to him like clockwork: tense up all the muscles, head to toe. Curl up and clench the digits. Then relax the teeth first. After that, the eyes and chin. Then the neck on down in gradual succession.

He ended loose and relaxed. He didn't drop off to sleep like he used to, though. He didn't know if it was because of the excitement of the last few centuries or his ascended body.

He thought through the path to find the Lunar Whale. He felt the connections in all their different times and it collided like a web of ethereal nothings. Maybe it would be easier if they left this place first…

"Noel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything."

"Don't think twice about it."

---

Zidane tapped his foot against the wooden sea-docking pier. He stood beside Garnet, whom he'd convinced to dress down for the occasion and to just be Dagger again. It was the best way to welcome an old friend back. The dim gray of the world caused by the overcast sky did little else to aggrandize the occasion.

Freya came their way from the boathouse. She wore a dingy gray robe over her red one. "It's a good day," she said.

Dagger smiled and Zidane marveled at how it stretched across her face and showed teeth like Dagger would. She said, "It really is. And not just for the weather."

Zidane gave another glance to the sky as if he could find what they found so appealing about the gloomy roll of dark clouds. That and the cold wind that pushed the waves back and forth. A knot of anxiety twisted his guts.

Freya turned to the canal. "The boat filled beyond expectations. We'll see many passengers."

"Sounds like our friends got here early," Zidane said.

Dagger gave a slow nod. "Ah. I suppose—wait, they're taking the boat?"

Zidane shrugged. "It's a lot of people, but I'm sure they can make it work."

"You have a great deal of undue faith in Tantalus," Freya said.

Zidane said, "Tantalus earned my faith—wait. Tantalus?"

"Indeed. Did you believe I referred simply to Eiko and Quina? No. The party is joined by Blank, Marcus, and Cinna as well."

Zidane counted quietly to himself.

"Nine bodies on a rowboat meant for three?" Dagger asked.

"It is perplexing how they managed it. Ah—they come."

Zidane shared a look with Dagger. She tightened her lips, then turned to the water.

The boat approached, Steiner at the oar. Zidane heard loud voices long before he saw anyone else. It came to a stop at the castle exit and Eiko jumped out, going off about someone's smell.

Steiner anchored the oar and shooed the rest off the boat. Quina jumped off next. Blank, Marcus, Cinna, and Vanille were caught in a conversation of their own even as they deboarded. None paid Eiko any mind.

Steiner and Beatrix came out and Vivi chatted with Steiner on their way.

Vivi.

Zidane shut his jaw. He managed a, "Hey. You're back."

Vivi stopped midword and ran over. He jumped up and wrapped ethereal arms around Zidane's shoulders and left his translucent self dangling above the ground. Zidane carefully hugged back. He held weightless air.

"I brought him back," Vivi said. "I wasn't sure I'd make it, but I did."

"You did great," Zidane said. "You did great. But where's—"

"He's coming."

He buried his hidden face in Zidane's shoulder. Zidane peered past the rim of Vivi's hat—well, through it, really—to see Amarant disembark last. The moment felt impossible.

Dagger moved to Amarant's side and drifted a hand sideways, a few feet above him, checking internal health. Whatever she found satisfied her as she dropped her hand to her side. Amarant, to his credit, dipped his head in his personal method of acknowledgement.

Vivi jumped through Zidane's still outheld hands—weird feeling—and they all started for the castle.

Zidane joined Tantalus as Cinna cracked a joke about the boss. He laughed through the surprise at how easily they joked at Baku's expense. Was it the time that had changed that, or was Zidane's memory tinted?

"Speaking of—" Blank retrieved a folded piece of paper from his bag and handed it to Zidane. "From the boss. Do me a favor and respond? He gets angry when he doesn't hear."

"Oh." Vanille reached for the letter but didn't take it. "He's willing to admit he cares?"

"Guess so," Cinna said. "I mean, he really doesn't like the band breaking up like this."

Zidane pocketed the letter for later. "Tantalus isn't breaking up. Some of us are just busy."

"Busy pawning off Lindblum piece by piece?" Cinna asked. "Or did you get that figured out? Because I can guarantee that's going to have a starring role in that letter."

Zidane winced.

"That bad?" Blank asked.

"Nah, we've got that mostly scheduled up…" Zidane rubbed the back of his head. "But nothing's perfect. I mean, there's nothing—"

"You'd better invite him to the wedding," Vanille chimed as an obvious distraction.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Invite or not, he'll be there."

"If he's asked to come, he's less likely to take souvenirs on the way in or out," Blank said.

"You think that'll stop him?" Cinna asked.

"Ask him to perform," Vanille said. "He likes that more than stealing anyway."

"You kidding?" Zidane asked. "I can't perform on my wedding day, and the productions are garbage without me."

Cinna whistled.

Blank gave Zidane a short look. "You know, the troupe's moved beyond you. It's been long enough we've had to."

Zidane pretended not to hear. "What would we even perform? I Want to Be Your Canary has been done to death at this point. Why do it again when we achieved perfection last time? Don't revisit masterpieces, that's what Lord Avon used to say."

"I don't think that's documented," Vanille said.

"Maybe it's time we revisit Wishing Upon A Star," Marcus mused.

Cinna whined, "Don't listen to him, Marcus, he's not even playing."

"Like you can move on without your best actor." Zidane punched his palm. "Here's an idea—you remember that performance on Garnet's 16th birthday?"

Silence for a moment. Blank broke it. "You think we could forget?"

"Garnet did a spectacular job at Princess Cornelia. I'm just saying, she's the best Cornelia we ever had."

"Don't repeat that anywhere near Ruby," Vanille said.

"So," Marcus said. "Not only are you suggesting that you perform in a play on your wedding day, but that your fiancée—who also happens to be Queen Sarah Garnet Til Alexandros XVII—joins you?"

"It's an activity, isn't it? You're supposed to do activities together."

"I'm not sure that counts," Cinna said.

"How about this?" Blank asked. "You and Garnet do not take parts in a play if we do one for your wedding, but next time we perform for an event that isn't specifically for either of you, you can join."

Zidane mulled it over. "I'll talk to her, but I think we have a deal."

Amarant slipped away from the group. Zidane excused himself and chased after him. "Wait!"

Amarant kept walking. Zidane cursed him and picked up the pace. He sprinted at the horrible man and tackled him around the waist. Amarant adjusted to his weight, betraying his weakness. This guy was normally too strong on his feet to even notice stunts like this.

"You're not just slipping away like that." Zidane twisted around and grabbed Amarant by the vest. He tried to pull him down, but Amarant just looked down at him with a blank expression. "We've got all these things coming up. You'll come around, won't you?"

"That's not my way."

"Oh, come on! You owe me!"

Amarant looked away.

"Call it recompense or whatever, I don't care. Just don't leave us in the lurch like that!"

"I don't belong there." Amarant yanked Zidane off and kept going.

Zidane's fatigue hit him at the thought of chasing Amarant further—it still ached from all that heroic business and now his side throbbed with the sprint. "You know you're a bastard, right?"

Amarant waved a hand and continued on.

"Give him time," Vanille said from his right—he never saw her approach. "He'll come around. They always do."

Zidane folded his arms. "That's putting too much faith in him. What are you eavesdropping for, anyway?"

"It's time for goodbye."

He stuttered. "Don't you have, like, all time and eternity?"

"… Do you remember what you told me about belonging? You were right, anyway. I made sure Amarant got back, but there's work for me to do."

"So?"

"So, I can't run anymore."

Zidane took her shoulder. "Make an exception for us, will you?"

"To the wedding, sure! But—"

"I'll need an address. Is there a human-legible version of your new place?"

Vanille giggled, bright eyes sparkling with an unearthly power hidden in their depths. "Sorry, but the moogles don't know how to find my place."

"Come on, there's gotta be some way I can reach you."

"How about this? Find two nice boxes. Anytime you want to send me a letter, store it in one of them. If I respond in letters, I'll store it in the other."

"The other box?"

"Mmhm."

"And you'll find the letters because of your magical powers?"

"You bet."

He took her hand. "We got a deal. If I put a letter in that box, you have to respond. And within two days."

She broke the shake and took him in a hug. "I will. Tell the others 'bye' for me?"

"Don't try to put that on me. I'll say you'll be at the wedding."

"'Til then, okay?" She asked.

"'Til then."

He watched as she took on a crystalline tone and vanished in a sparkle of crystal dust.

Zidane turned back to the castle, the procession well out of sight. He stuck his hands in his pockets with one more glance to where Vanille had stood a moment ago.

Just like that, he lost three people all over again.

Zidane squared his shoulders and turned to the castle. The most beautiful girl in the world waited within, and they had a wedding to plan.

---

Rikku noticed the humidity first when they landed in Bevelle's dark, early-morning streets. It took way too long for Snow to find this place and he blamed it on Bhunivelze's meddling.

It was still quiet, without even the first lights of morning prayers and errands, and Rikku couldn't help some disappointment that their arrival wasn't heralded with more pizazz. It could be hours still before regular street activity started for real.

"Can I skip the greetings?" Shinra asked.

"No," Rikku said.

"Hmph. You're not my mom."

"You don't have to be with the rest of us," Baralai said. "Though I'm not sure how you'd get around the guards."

"I've done it before."

"Don't tell me how."

"You sure? If you tightened up the security in the lower part of—"

"You're not getting out of it," Rikku said. "You need to 'fess up to Gippal and help me transfer all the information we've found from across the galaxy. So, unless you want to write up a scroll the length of a tree, then I guess you'd better stay close."

"I don't feel like talking."

"Then find another way to communicate."

"Hmph."

Paine and Baralai whispered amongst themselves and Rikku wondered what they felt was so secret. And how they heard each other when she could only tell they spoke because of the movement of their lips.

Yuna met them at the gate, flanked by those Council goons. She took Rikku in a hug and said in a sick-weak voice, "Welcome home."

"Missed you too, Yunie." Rikku returned the hug. "How'd you know we were coming?"

Yuna pulled back. "I've developed a sense for this sort of thing. I'll call for a feast in the dining hall as soon as I find someone awake to make some food. You're all ordered to be there."

"First," Paine said, "some of us could use a nap."

Yuna hugged her next and Rikku shot Paine her smuggest smile. Paine rolled her eyes back.

"Will there be pudding?" Shinra asked.

"I can order for some pudding, yes." Yuna turned to her lackeys. "Kurgum, will you show Baralai and Shinra to their rooms? Chuami, will you handle food arrangements? I'll take care of Rikku and Paine."

Chuami groaned and complained about taking the busy work, but she pulled out a sphere and left.

"Lady Yuna," Baralai said. "I would like to speak with you in private about political duties."

"Now?"

He gave the others a hesitant look. "When you find the time."

"He doesn't want the position back," Paine said. "So, don't worry about him taking your throne from you."

Rikku snorted. Baralai shifted. Yuna's face fell.

"There is more to discuss than that," he said. "But again… I'll leave the details until we have a moment."

Kurgum mumbled under his breath and motioned for the other two to join him. They left together and Yuna made a point of trailing a ways behind them. She didn't say much though. And Paine acted like her normal self, so she stayed quiet too.

Rikku took them both by the shoulders and walked between them. "So," she said. "YRP back together again. I'm sure we can sneak in a crazy plan or two next week with everyone recovering from the catastrophe. What do you say? Old time's sake?"

"Only problem there," Paine said, "is that we also need some break time."

"Agreed," Yuna said.

"Aw, you two are the worst. I don't want to work with Shinra again for at least a month and that leaves Brother."

"And Buddy," Paine said.

"Fine. Him too. But I need more than any combination of those people to do something worth my time."

"Like what?" Yuna asked.

"I don't know. Steal all your record spheres from your basement. I never got what I wanted out of that Via Infinito."

"That's been cleared out," Yuna said.

"What?! When?!"

"A couple of travelers did it in exchange for something else. Gippal authorized it."

"Paine, please tell me you're not staying with these guys, at least?"

"What if I am?"

"I'll fire you."

"You're not the one paying me."

"And how much are these goons paying you? I'll find a better catch than Baralai could ever offer!"

"You'll find it harder than that."

"Don't tell me you two are getting smoochy!"

"We're not."

"You make this so hard. Fine. Yunie, can you get a break and go find treasure with me?"

"… Eventually, yes."

"Goodie. At least one of you is still my friend."

Paine shrugged her off and strode ahead. Rikku ran to catch up. They made it to the palace and one of the staff asked why they were so out of breath. Yuna explained with sheepish voice, the most strained of the three and barely standing.

---

Shinra listened in on Baralai talking to Yuna that evening. He promised to continue acting under an advisory role while Yuna remained as Chancellor. They talked about Paine serving as bodyguard and then about friendship and junk.

Shinra would go back to work under Gippal and Rikku. But he couldn't resist this fascination with these weird political shenanigans. If only he had the time to work out problems here and in Djose.

But then, who said he couldn't do both? Some of the problems Baralai and Yuna talked about, he could assist with in his technical endeavors. Spheres to expedite communication from one end of the island to the other. He could arrange secret channels to allow that same speed but with discretion. And that didn't even breach the restoration of machina said to feed entire civilizations with only the barest of ingredients.

Searing pain in his neck forced him back and he found the steadying help of an alcove. Omega left, but some symptoms never went away.

The pain faded and he relaxed. That was another thing he wanted to work on: medical machina. Maybe he could make something to fix the aftereffects of not only his problems but others' as well. And while he was at it, he could build a machine to take him beyond the sky…

"Hey." Tidus slipped into the alcove with him. "Got in late. What are they talking about?"

Shinra curled in further as if he could get away from his unwanted visitor. "How should I know?"

"You've been listening."

"Being in the vicinity doesn't mean I have to listen."

"Says who?"

"Did you come here for a reason?"

"Yeah, I want to know when they finish talking."

"Then listen yourself."

"Dude, are you okay?"

"Perfectly."

"You're shaking. Here, have a blanket."

"I don't need a—where did that come from?"

"I've learned to keep a lot of stuff on me."

"Yeah, but—" Shinra could hardly fight him through the surprise—"don't you have better things to do than baby me?"

"I'm multitasking."

The blanket was surprisingly soft for something Tidus kept in his impressive pockets. It seemed to expand as he handled it. "I'm supposed to be an advisor," Shinra said.

"Good."

"You're not surprised?"

"Why would I be? You're a smart kid, and you've done about as much work as the rest of us. What are you advising on?"

"… Machina and education with Gippal's sect. They're gonna integrate machina literacy in conjunction with history and religion."

"Neat."

Shinra curled up in the blanket, sour at the way Tidus kept glancing toward the other room. He thought of all the best curses he could use, then hesitated when Tidus slid against the wall and into the one Shinra laid against. Tidus' eyelids fluttered like he couldn't keep awake. The combined light of the other room's torches and the moon showing through the alcove's window showed the dark lines in Tidus' face and reminded Shinra of his own exhaustion.

He scooted closer to Tidus and shared enough of the blanket to cover Tidus' knees. He didn't seem to notice.

Shinra squeezed into the corners and spread the blanket to at least get Tidus' legs before giving up and closing his eyes.

He couldn't remember the last time he got a good night's sleep.

---

Al-Cid got used to helping his political friends. He accepted that Ashelia and Larsa were both young and inexperienced in their different way—Larsa for his physical age and Ashelia for her time lost to rebellion instead of councils. He acclimated to all but twisting the strings of his destined rivals. He just tired of it at times, is all.

"Please, be reasonable," he said. "There is rebuilding to be done, yes, but you're both due for alliances. The people won't wait much longer before they suspect something peculiar."

"I've already married," Ashe said. "I don't need anyone else."

"And I can wait," said Larsa.

"I'm not saying we need ceremonies arranged by next week. Only consideration of candidates. Showing that you're not only moved on from disaster but that you look to the future is a way of telling your people that you're on your feet; you can't be easily distracted. It's a good message for your enemies, too."

"What enemies?" Ashe asked.

Al-Cid gestured to himself. Ashe withered.

"Can we save my discussion for the solstice pageant?" Larsa asked. "I'll have Vaan and Penelo there, anyway."

"And what purpose do they serve? It's months away, regardless. I'll follow up with you next week."

He took his glasses from Mreya and meant to leave. Ashe stopped him and looked like she might say something, but nothing came.

Al-Cid said, "That's more progress than I've made in a fortnight. Thank you, Milady."

She frowned but didn't push the issue. He got away from them and Gabranth joined him in the hall. "They're both at a loss with the departure of their old companions," Gabranth said. "You'll excuse their melancholy."

"Surely it couldn't be so different from before? How often would they have sky pirate visitors?"

"Often enough. But with them on leave from the planet itself, Queen Ashelia and Emperor Larsa feel a greater anxiety. They're more nostalgic for their travels than I anticipated."

"And who are we to blame them? Alas, the anxiety of youth… they'd rather battle demons than face their changing responsibilities."

"I cannot speak for them, but I do not see them as viewing their duties lightly. Yet they found purpose and gratification more easily with their adventurous peers than with their stricter colleagues."

"Then perhaps they'll forget it in light of their new intrigues. I have cousins enough to keep them on their toes."

"I'd rather you didn't encourage bloodlust among your ranks."

"I wouldn't dream of it. But I can't keep my entire family in check, no matter the rumors."

Mreya said in snide motions, "You try too much as it is."

"I can see your words," he reminded her.

"I know."

"How fares Rozarria?" Gabranth asked.

"Well, given the circumstances. If you wonder what threats we may pose, I do not know of any current schemes that might upset your balance. However, with what's just happened, such a pulse as I have on my people will prove far less reliable than is usual."

"Your honesty is appreciated."

"I do my best, Judge Magister." He left just enough insinuation to make Gabranth stiffen. No one else would notice the stutter in countenance if they didn't pay the attention Cid cared to, to Gabranth's credit.

After another silent moment, Gabranth took a bow. "Until next we meet."

"And it won't be much longer at this rate… I can't imagine the next apocalypse is far behind. Keep you and yours alive, if you would. It's not a task I envy you for and I dare not think what would happen if you didn't."

"I've thought the same."

---

Larsa hesitated. He couldn't decide if Ashe's remaining made it better or worse. It felt rude to leave as is, so he said the only thing that felt even a little appropriate: "The work to transfer Nabudis back to you and your people is nearly complete."

"… Thank you."

"Will you rebuild?"

"I don't know, yet. Once we can get proper reconnaissance and determine safety, then… maybe. I can't say which is more important to me: honoring my husband's grave or restoring his dignity."

"I trust we'll all respect whichever decision you make."

She nodded, seemingly more to herself than him. "I'm sorry about your confinement."

"Don't be. I'm safe again in my own self, and that makes it an unpainful imprisonment. I can trust my own judgment again and that makes me sufficiently content."

She nodded again. Silence. They still stood before the desk like Al-Cid never left.

"I can show you to your suite," Larsa said. "They're not far, but—"

"I don't want to go back to Rabanastre."

He took a moment to realize what she said. "Could you explain?"

Ashe looked to the door where Al-Cid left. "Basch won't come back with me. And Vaan and Penelo aren't there, anymore. I'm not sure when or even if I'll ever see Balthier and Fran again."

"Ah."

"Of course, I'm glad to work in Rabanastre, but—perhaps but I'm envious of your keeping contact with the others."

"I—perhaps I can visit. Schedule permitting, of course, but—"

"It's not your responsibility." She took a deep breath and moved like she just remembered how. "Perhaps we'll both marry Rozarrians and then have sufficient excuse to visit all the time."

"Perhaps." He still struggled to process what she said, but she walked to the door before he could speak further. Outside, Basch waited and took Ashe's cue to guide her away from the room, assumedly to her quarters where she would sleep for the night, and then depart for her return trip to Rabanastre.

Larsa's own servant entered shortly thereafter and asked if he intentioned to retire as well. He did and walked the way to his own suite. The whole way, he couldn't take his mind off Ashe's concerns. The primary target of his fixation was the realization that he didn't know if or when Vaan and Penelo returned from their adventures off-world. Worse still, he didn't know if they would ever do so.

---

Alphinaud stared out the window of the Whale. A whole planet floated in the blackness of space, untouched by the aether he knew. He could spend years studying just this one and all the differences and similarities it shared with his home.

Unfortunately—and, it seemed, quite unlike these others—Hydaelyn never wanted for troubles. He told himself that once these were ended, he could hope to return and study to his heart's content.

"You won't be happy as a scholar," Alisaie said beside him. He pretended not to notice her uncanny ability to guess at his thoughts. "You've grown too fond of the warrior's life."

"I'm no warrior."

"Imagine yourself behind a desk and tell me it is truly your ideal ending."

"True or not, do you not think we could encounter knowledge amongst worlds such as these that could assist us in the reclamation of our own?"

"I'd deem it unlikely."

Footsteps heralded Y'shtola's approach. She crested the stairs and joined them at the windows. "It appears our return suffers a detour," she said.

"I'd say this whole journey could be classified as a detour," Alisaie said.

Alphinaud raised a hand to his chin in thought. "A detour of what nature? Surely Golbez realizes the import of our return."

Alisaie said, "I'm sure the Warrior handles well enough alone."

"It is in regard to these people of the Moon." Y'shtola gestured out the window. "There has been located viable planets upon which they mean to establish colonies. Golbez is to ferry them along during our trip."

"Ours?" Alphinaud asked. "Is this not a whole people who must make this move? The Lunar Whale is large, but could it be enough for so many?"

"It sounds as though ours will be a crowded journey," Alisaie said.

Alphinaud's mind fuzzed at the thought, worry clouding that which math did not overtake. "What of food or water? We have resources planned for the four of us. To add more will take space we must already sacrifice."

Y'shtola raised a hand to calm, and Alphinaud calmed. "Golbez assures me that such nourishments are unnecessary. His people created a means by which they can sleep the journey away within something he called a 'stasis pod.'"

"That's better," Alisaie said. "Though I doubt such pods are of diminutive size. How many does he expect to take?"

"Enough for the people to start."

Alisaie frowned. "If they sleep, why not drop us first?"

"He claims it on the way, as well as suggests that the sooner they begin their work creating a home, the better. The migration will occur over many trips and they hope to have each one easier as a transition for the Lunarians."

"I suppose he would know best," Alphinaud said.

Alisaie hummed. "I never quite conquer my surprise at your shows of humility."

Alphinaud felt heat in his cheeks. "A—Alisaie, now is hardly the time to bring up past mistakes."

"It is a pleasant surprise if that helps."

Alphinaud cleared his throat and turned to Y'shtola. "What needs be done before we depart?"

She gave him a flat look through milky eyes. "A good sleep, I should say."

"Unnecessary, I assure you—"

"You haven't slept more than a handful of hours since we returned to the Whale days ago."

Alphinaud opened his mouth to argue but felt the exhaustion hit him as if Y'shtola summoned it. "I… suppose you're right."

"I should say so." Y'shtola turned to Alisaie. "You, too."

Alisaie drew back. "I have no need of sleep!"

"You've slept only as much as your brother. By the Twelve, you think me blind in such ways?"

Alphinaud shared a look with Alisaie. Y'shtola, expression ever stoic, tensed in the shoulders before continuing, "It seems I've been relegated to the babysitter for this trip, and while I may not care for it, I intend to fulfill my role. Both of you to bed, else I'll tell Golbez to stack in more of his people."

Alphinaud tensed at the sudden change in tone.

"Now."

Alisaie groaned but didn't argue further. In silence, they made their way down to the bunks. Alphinaud's thoughts swarmed in his head, clarity lost days before. The comfort of the blankets proved more inviting than he cared to admit.

Even Alisaie had nothing else to say but a simple, "Sleep well," before falling into her own bed.

He laid in his own and tried to pick out one thought to focus on. All he could manage was, "So much yet to do."

---

Prompto never thought he'd be glad to see Eos' darkened skies. It felt more like home than anywhere he went in between, and the soothing cool of night dulled the lingering light and Lifestream pains.

He sat with Gladio and Iris, huddled around a fire and swapping idle plans for moving forward. Iris wanted to focus on killing daemons, and Gladio thought similarly. Prompto tried to think of something more ambitious, but nothing came.

"What about Ignis?" Prompto asked. "We should… update him or something, right?"

"And what?" Gladio asked. "It's resolved. If it comes up, it comes up. Unless you want to go hunt him down and vomit out everything that's happened between there and here. Hell, for all we know, he's been involved this whole time."

"We won't know if we don't ask!"

"I'm not your mom. But I'll bet we'll run into each other again soon, anyway."

"So, it's back to our separate ways," Iris said. "Let's keep in touch, okay?"

"Yeah," Gladio said.

Prompto couldn't think how to respond, so he just nodded.

Gladio muttered something about a quick look at something before walking off. Iris waited for him to leave earshot before saying, "You're still glowing, Prompto. Will that ever go away?"

"I don't know. This is my first time recovering from dead people."

"I mean, it's pretty and all… but it can't be good for you." Iris sighed and slid closer. "We'll make it out of this, I promise. If Noctis is gone for good, then we'll make things work without him. What else are we for?"

"Killing daemons, right?"

"That, too."

"Thanks, Iris. We've made it this far, so I'm not worried about all that. I'm just hurting, still. And tired."

She chewed her lip. "I wish I'd taken more time to learn white magic. But you don't need a mage to deal with chronic pains, just an expert. Maybe we can find someone here?"

"If only those experts were in abundance."

"Right… keep an eye out. Maybe Ignis knows someone. He still has problems, doesn't he? Lingering symptoms?"

"We haven't talked in a long time."

"Then you should ask him. And find out where he's been through all this. And send me a message when you find out because I'm dying to know!"

He warmed. "Roger that, ma'am."

She smiled at him and it made the fire not feel so bright and close.

---

Machina sat at the bar. So passed another day without confirmation from the other crystals. They knew it was possible, but they couldn't exactly get clear-cut instructions before Class Zero took off again. And Tiz and Joker were still recovering from their experience.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Machina started at Rem's joining him. "Weren't you still working?" he asked.

"I called it early today. Is that a rubywhirl?"

"It's what the class would share after missions."

Rem chortled at that. "They told the worst jokes when they got drunk."

"And they sobered faster than any human had the right to."

"Almost like they've always had a little deity in them…"

"They did." Machina downed the rest of his drink. "I just didn't realize it went all the way to the top."

"And now we share it. In a way."

"Whatever 'Warriors of Dark' means when the Light's been beaten back. Who's to say it'll ever unbalance in our lifetime?"

Rem ordered something thin and golden that Machina didn't know they had. It sparkled and shifted in the ready room's overhead lights.

"I expected them to visit," Machina said. "But I guess they don't believe in coming back for us, after all."

"Not true. Deuce appeared earlier to check in on Tiz and Joker."

"Figures."

"They're busy now, and … it is a little lonely, it is."

"It shouldn't be. We were never friends."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Then what would you say? We had each other's backs? We understood each other?"

"No… but did you notice how little they interacted with others in the school?"

"No."

"I did. After joining, of course." Rem swirled her glass. Machina wondered why she bought it if she wouldn't drink it. "Kaeli from Class Seventh stopped going out with me, she did. Ralim slowed in his replies. By the end, I didn't talk to anyone outside the class."

"Why?"

"I don't know. You didn't just get into Class Zero by accident and it made people feel… different. Didn't you think the same when you heard about it?"

"I was distracted."

"And so were they. Even if they didn't know how to recognize it, I think they appreciated having new friends."

"Friends." Machina stared at his glass. Only a faint, pink drop remained at the bottom. "Maybe we were friends."

"As much as anyone could be their friends."

They fell into silence. Machina shoved his glass away. Rem finally took a sip from hers. The quiet of the ready room showed little difference from what it once was. People still didn't talk much down here. People drank more and talked less. But there wasn't the same air of defeat that followed every order.

Rem didn't look his way—her tight features hinted at something else below the surface she didn't address. Maybe she also thought of the differences in Akademeia since the war. Maybe she thought about what it would be like to transcend to godhood in Valhalla. Maybe she calculated class changes.

Joker joined them after a time, but only accepted a glass of water. Eventually, he asked, "You guys planning to stick around?" He sounded groggy.

"Yeah," said Machina. "Can't just leave the school with the new treaty being processed."

"You're planning to just take responsibility for the world?" Joker asked.

"Who else will?" Rem asked.

"We are Warriors of Darkness, now," Joker said. "For most worlds, that means dashing adventure. Glory and fun in exchange for the mortal peril. I say as I recover from a near-fatal encounter with the divine…"

"And that's why you should still be resting, you should," Rem said.

"It… doesn't work like that for us, anymore."

"Why not?"

"We've been out and about. More than most world travelers. Opting out of the cycle… complicated things."

"I'm not leaving," Machina said. "There's too much to do here and I can't… the others are alive, but I still owe them."

"And I want to help, too," Rem said.

"Then we'll be your eyes and ears across the worlds. Do what you can, but the fastest way to build is to connect to the ally worlds out there. The crystals may have lost their fal'Cie connections, but we can reconnect them to their kind. You can restore magic without invoking war."

Rem furrowed her brow. "How can we be Warriors of Darkness without working crystals?"

"I just said—they're not dead. But they've been used and abused by another force for so long and through so many iterations, they'll need reviving. It may take generations, but it'll mean the same magic and protection for this world as every other world under crystal power."

"And they are?" Rem asked. "Protected, I mean."

"Yes. You saw them."

"We caught a glimpse of utter chaos. An abomination of all our worlds combined."

"And you saw it resolved."

"As much as it could be resolved…"

"Did you expect everything to return to the same working order?" Joker shook his head. "Things are messy both there and here, and nothing can go back to the way it used to be. I think you know that, already."

"I do," Rem said. "But that doesn't make the bigger scale of it any less intimidating."

Joker stood. "Well, whenever you find the courage, there are a million things out there waiting for you. You survived Orience's cycles; take advantage of it."

They watched Joker leave. Machina waited for him to take the teleport out before saying, "I'd rather take it slow. Appreciate the life we scrounged together, right?"

"I agree," Rem said. "Maybe later, though."

"Yeah, when we get the next apocalypse."

---

Lebreau stared at the constellations guiding them to the next world, the gentle thrum of spacefaring engines beneath her feet. She tried telling herself that Cocoon laid somewhere in that nothingness, but spending ages hopping from place to place only discouraged that. But she wasn't going to let Snow go on thinking he'd fooled her into giving up.

"You won't find our destination from there," said Setzer. He joined her at the window and his eyes flickered about as he searched the stars. "Tempting though it is to try."

"I don't care about seeing it here. So long as I find something eventually."

Setzer popped a lopsided grin at that and settled against the sill. "Anything's possible, my friend."

"Noel said the same thing."

"I must not have met him."

"He's the one that threw us all into this mess. He blasted in from the sky, took Serah away, and started the apocalypse. Or so I heard… we made it off-world before all that. Which doesn't make sense to me, given our world kind of started this mess, so does that mean we're not connected to its timeline? Like if when you jumped, the world kept spinning without you and you landed somewhere different?"

"I couldn't say."

"Whatever. It's all nonsense to me. Why are you over here, anyway?"

"Because Yuj and Maqui have found that certain of our weapons react to former possessees. Fujin's enthusiastic about testing it on people."

"Like Faris?"

"She's volunteered for testing."

"As a user or target?"

"Both."

Lebreau shook her head. "I shouldn't have to resolve nonsense like this. What do you want me to do?"

"I thought you might like to watch."

She laughed and shoved off the sill. "Fine. I'll see what shenanigans you've found yourselves capable of."

He shot her a crooked smile and left. She watched him go, unable to look away from that swaying coat.

"Sorry I'm late," Noel said.

Lebreau startled back. "When'd you get here?"

"Just now."

"Announce yourself next time!"

"I just did?"

"Fine! Whatever! What do you want?"

"We've established a path between the Mage Guild and most worlds. You shouldn't need this guy much longer."

"And you couldn't have just sent that by space mail or something?"

"I thought I'd tell you in person." Noel rubbed at his neck and averted his eyes. "Kinda feel like I owe you all something."

"And announcing something in person will fix that?"

"No, I—ugh, it's complicated. I guess I wanted to ask if there was anything I could do. I've already spent a while in Valhalla tuning my powers, so I can control them enough for a favor. … Depending on the favor."

"Okay, okay. First off, were you spying on me?"

"I can't spy on people. Not the way you expect, at least. I guess I can peek in here and there—"

"That's spying."

"Fine. I caught something about you wanting your old world back."

"Did you hear what I said about how you're to blame for all this?"

"… No."

"Because that wasn't all true. I blamed it on your taking Serah out on those adventures. I left out the part where you died and made everything worse."

"How did you know about that?"

"We visited VIII, yo."

Noel grimaced. "I forgot."

"So yes, there's a lot I can get mad about. But none of that requires forgiveness or retribution. So, before you get all angsty, just know that it's all water under the bridge. Maqui's alive, Yuj has special powers, and Gadot isn't beating a metal beam into the ground. And Snow and Serah are both safe on your end."

"Thanks. Really, Lebreau, that means a lot coming from you. Any of you."

"Just don't get used to it. If you offer again, I'll hold you up to it and you may not like what I ask for."

"What would you ask for?"

"First off, you still look at people sometimes like it's the first time you've met another human. Stop it, it's annoying. Second, I want Cocoon back. You guys can do that, right?"

"Well—"

"Can you?"

"Sort of." Noel tugged at the lace on his arms as if to tighten them. "We can't bring it back as it was. But we might eventually manage to form a planet in its likeness. Or, a planet in Pulse's likeness with a Cocoon lookalike in the sky."

"How long would that take?"

"Thousands—no, millions of years. If not billions."

"For you guys or for us?"

"… I don't know. Valhalla's relationship with time is weird, but I can't promise it'll all happen in the slipstreamed portion of it."

"Will you try?"

"I can talk to the others. And I can try."

"Then thank you. Really, Noel." She took his hand and wrapped it between hers. "And best of luck in case we don't see each other again."

"We don't have to stay away—"

"I just don't want you thinking you have to come running back. Seriously, we've got a space fortress. We can take care of ourselves."

He opened and closed his mouth.

Blaster-fire went off in the other room. Lebreau tightened her grip on Noel and asked, "Actually, do you have a sec?"

He looked at her, all innocent like he didn't just take on power enough to destroy reality as she knew it. She could swear she saw time spinning in an endless loop behind his eyes.

"I want to talk," she said. "About everything. We've gone through all this shit together, and I feel like we've not had the chance to really talk about it. Serah and Snow were part of our crew. They still are. And you joined their ranks, so I just wish we could—talk about it."

He blinked, stunned as if she just slapped him in the face. "You mean, like, a chat?"

"Yes, a chat."

"How do you—how does that work?"

"Hey, Lebreau!" Yuj popped in from around the corner. "Are you coming or what?"

Lebreau panicked at the thought of Noel warping right back out again. "One moment! Wait, why don't you join us?" She directed the question to Noel.

He looked between her and Yuj like he was caught doing crime. "Uh—"

"It'll be fun. In fact, you're perfect for the test." Lebreau pulled him with her. "We can do all the getting-to-know we need this way."

"What is 'this way?'"

She snorted at the worry in his voice. "Oh, don't worry, you're a god, so I'm sure you'll be fine."

Yuj helped her drag him to the experimentation site and by some miracle, Noel didn't run away.

---

"You're a strange face," said the man tending Fabul's pub while he measured two bottles of spirits.

Ace folded his arms across the table and drummed fingers against his elbow. Drinking establishments across most worlds came with atmospheres to match the frustration linked with drowned sorrows, yet this one proved different. Open windows invited the refreshing, humid air of summer while two corner water features gave a trickling, healing sound. A small gathering of men and women laughed at a joke he missed.

"It's bad luck," the man continued, "housing spirits at the workplace."

Ace couldn't help a smile at that. "I wouldn't worry about it. But I can leave if you'd prefer."

"Eh, I've battled enough bad luck lately to get used to it. So long as you don't uproot the whole garden this time, I'll leave you be."

Ace accepted a drink of a murky green something, slightly sweet and slightly alcoholic. The man returned to his work, but occasionally gave Ace a suspicious look. Ace made to look like he focused on his drink, but the man's history radiated from him. The bouts of depression mixed with occasional episodes of happiness. The good times all ended sooner than the bad. He started out farming, but harsh and early winters made harvest time lackluster. He took the call to Fabul's denser areas and odd jobs. Some made him comfortable and happy, others ate at his will like termites on old wood. This was the first stable job in years and even it took its toll from the recent disaster, with void-rotten plants and broken windows.

Ace finished his drink and tapped it once, twice, each time imbuing a hint of Luck.

"Thank you," he said to the man before sliding the emptied glass across the counter to him.

The man harrumphed and added it to the row of used dishes. He didn't see the transfer of Red power, subtle as it was. The man might fall asleep with an inexplicable fullness in his belly, or perhaps it would leave a tangy trace of metal in his mouth. Either way, he would find some good fortune this week.

Ace slipped his hands into his pockets and left the place with a small, warming glow of satisfaction.

Only to find Nine waiting for him outside.

"You must be bored," Nine said, "if you're gonna go out fishing for hard-luck cases."

That glow vanished. Ace pushed past him and moved toward the Maker's Quarters. "It's my job."

"Not to this degree, it's not. What about the not-meddling thing?"

"It's not meddling. Besides, you must be bored yourself if you're going around stalking us."

"I don't get bored, yo." Nine followed him. "Just ready for the next thing on the list. Why are you wasting time?"

"I'm not."

"You spent too much time with the Mage Guild. You think you have to spend ages talking to people, but that's a waste, yo."

"Building connections with the people we're in charge of is a waste?"

"No, spending all that time is. Your domain is fortune, duh. You don't have to do all this tedious bullshit just to improve things for a couple of people."

"Then how would you do it?"

"Wait." Nine drew up short and Ace stopped with him. "Do you feel that?"

"What?"

"That's me," came Dajh's voice. "There's some illness going around, leftover from the Big Fiasco. Wanna look into it? King will join you in a bit."

Ace looked at Nine, who shook his head. "Will do," Ace said.

"This is the worst," Nine said.

"Only until you get used to it," Ace said. "See, my time with the Guild was my training for this."

"Don't make things up."

"I'm not!"

"My foot! Argh, fine! Let's just get this over with."

Ace felt a wave of relief and followed Nine along the trail. Eight quipped over the link, "Good job not fighting, guys."

"We're not fighting," Ace said. "Just… talking. With conviction."

They passed a church dedicated to Cater, and Nine complained about not seeing one for him. Ace assured him that Spira would dedicate something somewhere in the timeline if no one else did. Nine reluctantly accepted that.

They followed Dajh's signal and Ace asked Dajh for clarification here and there. They checked in on houses marked with the infection, and they traced it to tainted water sources. Leftover contamination from Voidsent.

Nine ended up doing most of the questioning work. Ace let him take over. His gruffness scared people away at first, but it got them answers faster and more genuine than Ace expected he could manage alone. Dajh popped in eventually and took over, though they narrowed in on a cure. It would take some work to purify the streams and lakes again, but that's what they were there for.

"Nine," Ace said after they pulled in Vanille and she worked with Dajh to find the most efficient way to get the place righted. "You want to fit in with people, right?"

Nine scoffed and dragged his hair back against a hot breeze. "Not really. Why would I?"

"They're our charge."

"Yeah. We're supposed to take care of them, yo. Not become best buddies. That's like expecting the Crystals to drop by and ask how you're doing."

"We don't have to follow their example. They let us all live and die as weapons, after all."

Nine went quiet with that.

"Forget it." Ace adjusted his collar, mortal instinct telling him the cape tie should be stifling in this heat. Yet he only felt it as a state—a reading. There was no pressure of dehydration or threat of burning. A part of him wished to feel the dryness and sting of sun exposure instead of this ache in his chest.

"Yo, Ace," Nine said. "Even if you can't be normal with humans, you'll always have us, yo. Siblings first, after all! And those Cie folk second."

Ace nodded, the motion of it mechanical. "You're right. Thanks."

A light went off from Vanille's hands and she shrieked. Dajh shouted with excitement and they tried that again.

He'd never be strange among his family, at least.

---

Lightning watched the ocean of time like she once did. It came back to her like it was all she did. Only now her sight extended to include worlds and realms far beyond Pulse or Cocoon's outermost neighbors. And now she felt emotions natural to her when she looked over the rise and fall of civilizations and the birth of life.

Serah snuck up beside her and asked, "How is it?"

"… It looks cool."

"Cool? That's all?"

"It's not my first time."

Serah changed the ocean to show overlapping images of developing worlds and progressing work from the world saviors they worked with. "It's a lot easier to see with the new sun. I don't know how you made sense of it with all the murky clouds before."

"It still rains."

"At normal intervals."

Lightning gave her a pointed look. "Normal for who?"

"Most of us have been humans longer than we've been gods. You might be used to this, but it'll take a while for me. I'm glad for the rain to balance out that greenish glimmer about the place."

"Should make it less dull."

"I haven't known a dull day say since we started! I'm learning to control time, Snow has these wonderful castles he's building out of ice… I think it's more of a city now, actually. A city of castles, can you imagine it? I didn't know what a castle was before the other planets, and now we're making miles and miles of them!"

Lightning clenched her teeth at Serah's even tone. The calm cheer that pervaded her every word. "Serah."

"Yes?"

"This," Lightning said. "All of this."

"What about it?"

"What if—" She swallowed and found her throat tight. "What if I listened to you?"

"After the Guild?"

"No, in Bodhum. The old Bodhum. Home. My birthday."

"Oh." Serah went quiet. After a long moment, she said, "You mean, would we still be here at this shore if things didn't go wrong?"

"I made them go wrong, Serah."

"You didn't make the vestige appear. You didn't issue the order to purge Bodhum. In fact, you tried to get ahead of things."

"You got caught. You turned to crystal. We all turned l'Cie."

Serah smiled, too soft to show teeth. "And now look where we are. I can't help wondering how much Mwynn and Etro planned this out from the beginning."

"Like Bhunivelze did."

"I think because of Bhunivelze. They didn't know he'd come back, but they suspected. Etro's had her eyes on you for a longer time than any of us expected."

"Or maybe she originally meant to take you." Lightning mentally traced the patterns in the sand. "Maybe I was backup."

"Maybe. Or maybe she preferred Vanille. Or Mom. Or anyone else. Maybe she chose you because you chased trouble to its doorstep and demanded to see its manager."

"Did not."

"Did, too."

"Sis!" Snow shouted from a balcony. "Come here!" He leaped from the balcony and slammed into a rooftop. Serah watched him with a sickening, sweet look.

"We need to get married!" Snow said when he reached them.

Lightning wondered how she'd survive eternity around these people. "You what?"

"Me and Serah! We've been together this whole time and we still haven't gotten married! Do you know how gods do that? There's a process, right?"

"I don't think so," Lightning said.

"Then let's make one. How do you make food here?"

"We don't need to eat."

"I do it anyway. Serah?"

"I want cream," Serah said. "In fruity flavors."

"Straight cream?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah. Cream desserts, like what they had on those shows." Serah looked away. "We couldn't afford it as kids. I want to try recreating it."

"We're in Valhalla," Lightning said. "And you two just want to build castles and eat desserts."

"And get married," Snow said.

Lightning found no words. Their stupid, earnest expressions and the thought of making kid desserts in a realm of divinity left her stunned. Stunned, and amused. "That's stupid," was all she thought to say.

"You don't have to go," Serah said, voice pathetically small. "If you really don't want to."

"But it would crush her," Snow said. "So, you should go. Besides, don't you have things you've always wanted to do but never could?"

"Like what?"

"Like play tag on the beach!" Serah said. "You always said you wanted to join, but you were too busy!"

"Or break a mountain with one punch!" Snow said.

Lightning looked between them, something warm in her fingertips and aglow in her chest. "Time with my sister and new brother-in-law sounds pretty nice."

Serah snatched her in a hug, the strength of her not like what Lightning remembered. "You, too, sis," Serah said. "Thank you."

Lightning returned the hug. "… Sure."

Snow joined them and Lightning turned light. Like all the troubles of the universe melted away with the retreating tide.

---

Hope stared at the ground below his bench. The cracked stone reminded him how long this place stood. To be more precise, how it never didn't exist. How it always existed. How it—

"You're not listening," Sazh said. "I should have known you'd wander off again."

"What?" Hope asked, unable to remember what they were talking about.

"You get lost still, kid. Do you even remember taking a seat?"

"Yeah, of course. You started talking, so I thought I'd—"

"You talked first."

Hope scraped the floor with his shoe. The modern fabric looked wrong with the ancient stone. But he defaulted to what he knew from Cocoon. Only rarely did he take styles from Ivalice or other places.

"Hey, Noel! Can you get his head in the game?"

"I tried for years, already. That's how he got himself killed the first time, and the third, and the tenth through the fifteenth. I could go on."

The two talked then about alternate timelines, with Noel filling in Sazh on things that happened between the cracks. Dajh joined them with excited questions. Dajh, who never complained despite the bumps and jagged wire along the way. With Sazh, who never demanded a change in course to accommodate his own wishes. Talking with Noel, who bore the weight of all his timelines to bring about one possible future glimpsed by one seer.

Timelines. All those timelines. Most blurred in his memory. They all eventually swam in and out of the sterilized roses of the Ark. The scent of blood and rotting things mixed with bleach. And then ozone when Lightning inevitably arrived. He tasted more blood then—from biting his cheek? Stopping himself from telling her everything.

He pulled himself out of the reminder with refreshing ease. It stung still but remained faint. He checked his hands and found them clean and intact. The walls here, old as time itself yet made anew with their efforts, left a sweet sparkle on his tongue like he could taste the stars themselves.

The fear and sickening twist in his gut faded with the return to reality. He found Sazh's sleeve and gripped it tight.

"Thank you," Hope said.

Silence. Sazh and Noel looked at each other.

Hope fought the tingling in his fingers and the roaring of apprehension in his ears. He kept hold of Sazh like it was his lifeline and forced the rest of the words through a tight throat: "Both of you. I never deserved your support."

It remained quiet for too long and Hope almost released that green sleeve.

Then Sazh wrapped an arm around Hope's shoulder. "Don't you worry about that."

Hope's face stung. "I made it difficult."

"You all did," Sazh said. "And that doesn't change anything because I did, too. That's what family does, son. We work problems, not blame them on ourselves or others."

Hope swallowed the heart-pounding anxiety and wrapped his arms around Sazh's middle. It felt strange and awkward—he couldn't remember the last time he initiated a hug—but Sazh just returned it. It felt like curling up by the heater during a rainstorm and falling asleep to the warmth and pattering on the roof.

"I've missed you, Sazh." His voice broke and sounded oh-so-small.

"I've missed you too, Hope."

Yeul wandered in and gave them all a curious look before tugging on Noel's wrist. They spoke in hushed whispers. Dajh joined them, evidently bored by Sazh and Hope's conversation.

"Hey," Noel said to them. "Serah and Snow are getting married in the western quarter. We'd better get going if we don't want to miss it."

"Finally!" Sazh released Hope and stretched.

Dajh rushed over and grabbed Hope's hand. "Run with me!" Dajh said.

Hope couldn't help a smile. He accepted and raced Dajh to the western quarter. They ran through reformed walls and messy recreations. They passed windows made from memory and sloppy paintings. They'd need an eternity to get the place back to where it was before Bhunivelze.

But that was okay. Because they had an eternity.

---

Nora rebuilt Cocoon.

She never found the time until now, and once she started, she couldn't stop. Days passed, then hours. Days, then weeks. Time flew by in her little bubble of existence but that didn't matter because time meant nothing here.

She forged buildings and fussed with the rivers until they looked just right. She recreated the constellations of cities above where she lived and didn't worry about detailing those skyscrapers yet because she cared most about the heights where she sat out with Hope on the porch and talked him through his issues with school.

The view from their house, she spent years getting right. Or maybe it only felt like years. She had no way to track here, though something deep inside insisted it was years. She recreated its original state from when Bartholomew first showed her through, and she replaced those with what she knew the morning they left for Bodhum.

Bartholomew joined her after maybe a decade. He watched her first, then followed her pattern. He cleaned up the rough edges of their old apartment and fixed it to pristine. He colored the sky after her favorite hues, and she lost him to the patterns of atmosphere and space. After another decade, he returned with a triumphant smile and a torrent of rain. She finally pulled away from her work on the wildlife to soak it in.

She danced with him and they remembered the feeling of wet clothes and cold skin. Together they made trees and bushes. They painted flowers and reinvigorated the grass. Life turned out harder than anything else combined—by the time they got their first stem breathing, Nora felt centuries older.

They were in the middle of figuring out insects when another visitor joined them. Hope touched down on a skyscraper and froze like a child stepping on grass for the first time.

Nora joined Hope and took his hand. He looked up at her with large, fearful eyes. She smiled back and felt his anxiety ebb. Then she took him down to see the network of roads she designed to replace that old trash of a system near the eastern bridge.

Bartholomew took them both in a hug when he caught up, then took over with all his excitement for the calculations it took to get the turn of the roads just right. Nora turned his attention to all the flowers she made in trying to mimic living plants for the first time.

Eventually Hope's friends joined them. Because what duties mattered when time didn't pass?

They took up instruments and learned to play them better than any mortal musician. They sang and they danced, and they chased the loneliness of eternity away because they had all they needed.

Vanille helped her figure out the trick to good flowers and trees. Dajh showed her how to make them grow on their own. Fang brought winds and storms to revive the tides. Sazh talked about adding volcanoes to help the planet function without fal'Cie, and that started a group decision about how to handle the inward-facing sphere. Noel insisted he could make it work but would need time to construct a plan.

Lightning pulled Nora aside and dragged Snow with her. Snow took Nora's hand and offered a deep bow.

"I'm sorry it took so long," he said.

"We've been over this." Nora returned it with her own bow. "Having him—and the rest of you—back in one piece is all we could ask for."

Serah came in then, glowing with the echo of time, and gave Nora a quick apology before taking Snow off elsewhere to see what work they accomplished with architecture and rock formations.

Lightning lingered longer, something hidden behind her stoic expression. Nora took her hand and half-expected her to fly away. But she remained and met Nora's eyes.

Nora gave her a reassuring smile and Lightning ducked her head. The poor woman had gone too long without anyone to drop her fears or burdens to. The weight of countless ages still showed in the numbed emotion and hesitant reactions.

"It's okay," Nora said. "And it will continue to be okay."

Lightning nodded. She didn't melt into tears or let loose her bottled emotions, but Nora felt her relax. And she knew Lightning and the rest would only get better with time.

Eventually Lightning called up the rest of the family and reminded them of the work they had to do. Nora and Bartholomew took that as their cue to return to their duties. They left one by one, but Hope lingered and promised to see them time and again. Bartholomew gave Hope a warm hug and they parted ways again.

Nora returned to the council and they discussed how to approach the continued chaos on Hydaelyn. They talked about distant plagues in Cornelia. They addressed calming nervous populations across the non-crystal-bound worlds.

And Nora worked with them as she always did, only now she knew she could visit any one of her family whenever she wanted.