"Presea. We need to talk."

The small girl broke her gaze away from the scene before her, of the early rays of light filtering though the forest surrounding Dirk's house, and looked round to see Regal stood behind her position. Adjusting herself so she was sat on the grassy bank more comfortably, Presea smiled brightly. "Yes…we do."

"Our journey has finally reached its conclusion." Regal's voice was soft and plain, sounding to Presea very much like hers did that night talking with Lloyd in Heimdall. She felt a shiver run up her spine as she nodded. It was true, with the defeat of Mithos and the restoration of the Khalan tree, their journey really was over. But new journeys would soon begin in its place – like the one she was going to begin with Lloyd.

She leaned back onto the ground, feeling the grass tickle her skin. "It feels…strange…that it's over."

"Yes. We've placed so much of our time and emotions into this – it does feel unusual. It is after all, a time of partings too."

"That is true." Presea rolled onto her side so she was facing the blue haired man. "I had been thinking about that. I'm…I am going to miss everyone." She met Regal's gaze. "I did not really consider it as such until recently, but ever since I…well, since I joined the group…you have been like my family…my friends. I am going to miss that companionship."

"You'll still have Lloyd," Regal said, a small smile on his lips.

"Yes I do." Presea closed her eyes briefly. "And that fact alone makes me more happy than I thought possible. But the concept that the rest of you will be absent still makes me feel…sad."

Regal was silent for a second, staring at the trees at the base of the hill. "Even me?" He asked quietly.

The words ignited something within Presea. A long time ago it would have been hatred or frustration which would have been gnawing away inside her. Now, though, she felt sorrow, and guilt.

"Regal…I…" she paused, trying to find the right words. "…I need to apologise to you."

He shook his head, a humourless smile on his lips. "No, you don't. For what I did…" his voice had become choked. "For what I did to Alicia…and indirectly to yourself…I could only ever ask your forgiveness, and never an apology for your quite justified behaviour." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not even sure I can ask your forgiveness."

Presea felt the familiar pain of loss return and soreness spread across her chest as she struggled to find the right words to say. Her eyes felt wet with fresh tears but, unlike others she had shed over her sister's death, these felt light of weight – as if through them she could finally find some sort of closure to the grief. She placed a hand on Regal's, and smiled despite the tears. "You don't have to ask," she said softly. "For so long I was consumed with…hatred for what you did, no matter how much I knew how justified your actions were. Then, although I could accept you were not really to blame for what happened, I still found it easier to hate you than forgive you. That was wrong of me."

"Presea…" Regal lay down, his bound hands moving to support his head as he looked up. "I still do not really forgive myself for what I have done, so I can't –"

"It doesn't matter." She joined Regal in looking up at the sky. A large cloud, looking as fluffy as wool, moved over and took the sun within its grasp. "I do forgive you Regal." The tears kept coming, though the pain had been lifted from her with the admission. She smiled. "I should have done so a long time ago. That is why I apologise."

Regal laughed at that, a combination of relief and emotion choking it to a gasp. "You have an enormous amount of kindness."

Presea found herself blushing at the compliment. "No…I do not, not yet. But I am learning." She looked across at Regal. "One day I will be able to live up to that statement."

"Is that Lloyd's influence?"

"Yes." Presea plucked a blade of grass from the ground and broke it in half. "I do believe he is the reason I have begun to think that way. I owe him a lot."

"I don't think you owe him that much." Regal stretched in the warm caress of the sun. "I think he has found true companionship and love in you. In that respect, he owes you as well."

Presea felt as though her smile was as bright as the sun as she looked at Regal. "It feels…nice to know that someone else thinks that way…about the love. I find myself wondering sometimes if I am just getting too…enthusiastic about the whole thing. I still find it all quite confusing. Love itself…I had never really considered it before Heimdall…you know, that night before Lloyd entered battle with his father. It's a…confusing emotion."

"I agree. It's a difficult feeling to understand."

"It is. You know, I think I had felt that way about Lloyd for some time – I just never really understood it. But to have the object of your affections admit that he feels the same way…I…well, I could relive that night over and over."

"You sound so happy, and you're smiling so often now – I am pleased for you. But Presea, I need to ask something of you."

Presea rolled onto her front, looking up the remainder of the hill at Dirk's house. "Of course, what is it?"

"I…" Regal closed his eyes, his head still facing the sky. "I think I am ready, now that it's the end of our journey, to be released from these shackles."

Presea closed her eyes for a second in thought. "I understand. That seems…fair."

"I am glad you think that way. I…I would like you to break the shackles."

Presea opened her eyes to study Regal's face. "I don't understand. Do you not have a key?"

"It's not that." Regal sat up and stretched, turning his gaze on the forest before him. "I have ways to remove the shackles, but I wanted you to break the link. Humour me here Presea – I need you to split the chain that keeps these shackles together."

"Why me though? I do not understand."

"Consider it a metaphor. I need it to be you who breaks the chain. To do so means that I have truly earned your forgiveness." Regal paused, before he looked at Presea. "You do not have to honour this request – I know I don't deserve it."

"No…" Presea met his gaze. "You do deserve it." She folded her arms and rested her head upon them. "I understand. This would signify the breaking of the past, and the acceptance of what has transpired. – I will honour your request. It is the least I can do for a friend." She blinked away the last of her tears. "And you are my friend Regal."

He placed a bound hand on her shoulder. "That means a lot to me Presea. Thank you."

The sun had reached its zenith in the sky overhead, casting a thick layer of heat over the clearing around Dirks house. Presea studied her axe as she ran a finger down the flat side of its head, tracing the ornate carvings upon it. The last legacy of a father she had barely known.

"I'm going to let Alicia go now," she whispered. "Please take care of her, father."

Looking across from the side of the house where she had left her weapon, Presea saw Lloyd and Colette in conversation near the grave of his mother and wondered where the others were. Now that their journey was at an end, she imagined that they all had things they would want to do, new journeys they would want to begin. Presea considered this as she walked back down the hill to where Regal was waiting, and hoped that people hadn't already began to depart already.

"Are you ready to begin?" She asked on her arrival.

Regal nodded, the only sound coming from the chain joining his shackles together as he made to stand up.

"What are you going to do now?" Presea asked Regal as he placed his hands on either side of a small tree stump, the shackles chain taunt on top.

"I don't really know," he said after a pause. "Probably return to Altamira to begin with, although I was thinking of handing over the reigns and perhaps turning to something else. Like cooking."

"Cooking?" Presea blinked at the word as she lined up the blade of the axe with the chain.

"Yes, though it is just a thought at the moment – I'm not really sure yet."

"It is a fine idea. You are very good at cooking after all, and you seem to enjoy it. I hope I can find something I am good at when the time comes."

Regal looked back up the hill from the outskirts of the woods they were now sat in and thought. "You are very good at carving," he suggested.

"I had not thought of that," she conceded. "It's an idea…thank you. Are you ready?"

Regal braced himself, his eyes on the sharp blade of the enormous axe. "As I will ever be."

"Do not worry," Presea gave another small smile. "I will try not to miss."

Both pairs of eyes were on the chain as Presea's axe began its descent. The blade appeared to fall slowly, as if it was cutting through the gravity of the situation on its way to the chain.

"For your crimes," she shouted as the loud clink of metal signified that the chain had been split, "I release you." Her voice had fell to a barely audible whisper at the end, and she dropped the axe from her shaking hands, her eyes welling up again. She had no idea why the earlier grief had returned now – she thought she had already dealt with it. Alicia, I did it. Presea looked down at Regal, who was staring at his hands, now separated from each other, his own eyes damp but shining bright.

"I forgive you," she said softly, crouching down opposite him. "And you know she does."

Regal returned her smiling gaze then, and nodded.