It was near the end of the year, and Fone and Phoney were in the park selling pies. Fone decided to have a talk with Phoney about this change of his:

"Phoney I'm getting worried, you haven't been yourself all year."

"Being myself is what caused this whole mess." Phoney grumbled.

"What, you mean being chased out of Boneville? That didn't stop you when we reached that valley." Fone pointed out.

"I meant the trouble in the valley." Phoney corrected. "Getting messed up in the race, staked and doused in eggs, having to work in that dumb Barrelhaven, and don't get me started on when we had to deal with that hooded freak."

"You started and earned those troubles you know." Fone crossed his arms and frowned. "Well, except for the trouble with the Hooded One, you didn't earn that."

"Don't remind me, all that was worse then having those kids throw rocks at me!" Phoney glared. "I just don't want to cause anything near to what we dealt with in the valley again. And I especially don't want to be chased towards the valley either…not that you'd mind."

"Hey, just 'cause I still miss Thorn doesn't mean I'd ditch you guys if we ever get back to the valley." Fone frowned then sighed. "We're all we have left."

"Yeah, I know, why do you think I tolerate Smiley's company?" Phoney smirked.

"Because he's the perfect stooge for your schemes?" Fone smirked back.

"Har-har." Phoney said sarcastically before growing solemn. "You must really love Thorn if you still miss her, I mean it's been a year."

"Yeah, well, I've never met anyone like her." Fone said sadly. "And we've been through a lot together…we even almost died together."

"Fone, tell me the truth, was Smiley and I the only reason you came back?" Phoney said.

"That and I didn't want the townsfolk ripping you to shreds." Fone smirked.

"Har-har again; but what about staying in the valley? Would Thorn have been the only reason?"

"Yes…and no. I think I was starting to feel a part of the royal family." Fone admitted. "I mean I almost did as much for Atheia as any past good ruler, and Grandma Ben actually seemed to want me to stay as much as Thorn did if not more. Plus I was the only one depicted on that shrine, not Grandma Ben or even Thorn. I would've insisted that at least Thorn should be put on the shrine, but as you remember we found out just as we left the city and I was too overwhelmed to mention it then."

"Maybe…maybe you should've stayed." Smiley said sadly, just arriving with Bartleby.

"I couldn't just leave you guys like that." Fone shook his head. "It…it was just hard because I felt as if I was split in two. I still feel that way."

"I never heard of anyone belonging in two places at the same time." Phoney shook his head.

"Me neither, I guess I'm the first." Fone sighed.

"Well I know I can't go back," Bartleby shrugged. "Rat creatures are despised there."

"Yeah but Thorn rules the city now and certainly wouldn't let anyone kill you…despite her first impression of you." Fone pointed out.

"Yeah, I wonder what changed her mind."

"Maybe because she saw us – especially me – taming you." Smiley suggested.

"Or maybe it was just because he helped us out when he came back." Phoney added.

"True."

They spent the rest of the day talking, especially when some of the local kids came by wanting to hear the story of the three of them helping an unknown queen and her granddaughter princess save their kingdom. It got a bit awkward when one kid innocently asked if Thorn was Fone's girlfriend, but Fone handled it by smiling and replying: "Who wouldn't love her?"

Atheia, around the same time….

Repairing the city went very well, though food supplies were in shortage what with the ghost circles damaging everything. Luckily farmers worked extra hard in supplying food, and even donated some to the city. The Red Dragon helped out too, since the other dragons used to be mad at him for saving the defilers from their wrath (Thorn and Fone from back when they touched the Crown of Horns). They forgave him when they found out who the defilers were and why they came, but temporarily forbid him from living at Deren Gard for a few weeks as a small punishment anyway. Red Dragon lived at the palace during those weeks, but since it happened months ago no more was ever said about the subject.

Thorn had to slowly get used to ruling a city, but luckily her first orders – taking care of the city and it's people – were very smart so no one had any doubts about her being a good ruler. Plus she had Grandma Ben and Ted the bug – an old friend of the royal family – to help her out. The only problem was that during all this time, she missed Fone. She couldn't explain it since they were just friends, but the fact was she had depended greatly on him during their adventure and now felt alone on her throne without him to help her. Grandma Ben missed Fone too, to her he felt like a member of the royal family, especially since he was as equally devoted to Thorn's safety as Grandma Ben herself if not more. Plus he was a big help during their past adventure and she had a feeling he would continue being a big help during Thorn's rule. One day she and Thorn had a talk about this:

"This place seems strangely empty without Fone Bone." Thorn sighed.

"I know; I feel it too." Grandma Ben agreed. "It was like he was always a part of here."

"It does, but I can't understand it." Thorn frowned, confused. "Why do I still miss him as much as I did when he left all those months ago?"

"I'm not sure, though I can assure you that Fone misses you as much."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Remember that crush he had on you?" Grandma Ben smiled.

"How can I forget? He practically admitted it when that so called sister of yours continued threatening me." Thorn chuckled. "I think it might be stronger that that though, when he found out that I was desperate to find the Crown of Horns he became scared."

"Scared?"

"This was of course back when I still had that piece of the Lord of Locusts in me and he realized that if I touched the Crown it would kill me too." Thorn explained. "He actually pleaded with me not to touch it and even looked close to tears. The strange part was that he didn't try to stop me when we finally reached the Crown, instead he tried to help even though it meant risking his own life."

"Ah, I know what was going on." Grandma Ben smiled.

"What?" Thorn asked.

"When he first pleaded with you not to touch the Crown it was because he was scared of losing you. Then when you were trying to reach the Crown he realized how determined you were to end the war and, well, he obviously would do anything for you."

"But what about when he acted as a connector between me and the Crown?"

"He didn't mind since he realized that if you both didn't survive you'd still be together anyway. He truly loves you. I noticed it right away when he had that crush, but when he stayed so that he could help us, especially you, out instead of running away from the danger I realized that his crush was actually real love."

"Amazing," Thorn shook her head. "I mean we're different species…."

"You think he cares about that?" Grandma Ben smiled. "This is what is meant when they say that 'love is blind'. It means the good love as well as the bad."

"I know, Lucius obviously didn't make the right choice when he picked Briar." Thorn frowned. "Disgusting."

"Yeah, I'll say." Grandma Ben smiled before looking sad.

"Sorry grandma I shouldn't have said that." Thorn said sympathetically.

"No, it's alright, Lucius was never proud of that mistake either. I just miss him that's all."

"I know, me too, but at least he's in heaven."

"That's the only thing that comforts me." Grandma Ben smiled. "Its too bad Boneville is too far away for Fone to even visit."

"I know, but I respect his decision." Thorn smiled. "I just wish Red Dragon could've figured out a way to let Fone stay here and be in Boneville."

"Not even a dragon is that powerful." Grandma Ben shook her head.