I drift easily to sleep, thankfully before gallows begins to snore. I feel sorry for jet and Virginia, though. They'll have to contend with it. I have a comfortable dream. I begin to hope it comes true.

We come triumphantly home from defeating Beatrice. Filgaia is sweet and green. We report to Halle in Baskar colony, and for the first time I think ever, she kisses gallows instead of whacking or berating him. After a great deal of fuss, we take lombardia to boot hill.

Virginia's family and neighbors celebrate victory and her arrival back home, smothering her with attention. After that, we fly to Humphrey's peak.

Catherine and kaitlyn are waiting for me. I present my eager daughter with the last adventure book, and hold her tight.

"I promise no more bad things will make me leave you." I say to her.

I then embrace my wife, and we both laugh and cry at the same time.

"Where to now, leader?" gallows asks Virginia, clearly out of habit.

"Our adventure is over, but aren't we missing something?" Virginia realizes.

I look around. Something is missing.

I realize what it is: We haven't gone to jet's home and family to celebrate. Something else hits me: He doesn't have one. And another realization: jet is missing.

We take lombardia and search Filgaia for him. He doesn't seem to be anywhere. As a last resort, we check the secret garden. To our relief, he's there, talking to florina.

"Jet! Why did you go?" I ask him.

He looks up at me. He seems depressed.

"I really don't belong." He says. "You're all celebrating at home with your families, but I don't have either."

"But you do." I object. "Your home is Filgaia. Your family is with us."

He doesn't seem to hear me. He laces up his radical sneakers and jumps a fence.

"Jet! Wait!" I call out, but to no avail.

"Florina, what were you talking about with him?" I ask.

She smiles like she always does.

"He came here feeling really bad. I gave him some flowers and told him he had a home, a family, because he saved Filgaia. He saved the flowers, he saved everybody. He said he was a reject, he didn't go out to save anything, he went hoping to cash in. now he's supposed to be some kind of hero, and he doesn't really belong. That's when you came."

My head aches as I try to think of where he would go next, and what to do if we find him.

Actually, I think my head is aching due to gallows' snoring, even though I can't hear it in my current state of mind.

You're one of us, jet, you're no reject. Don't ever forget that.