Epilogue

One month later…

Mysidia

The classroom in the Tower of Prayers was agonizingly hot that morning – gone were the early summer days that still brought cool breezes in the morning and refreshing nights where one could sleep with their windows open. Porom had rose early in a mess of sweat to take a cool bath, finish some transcriptions, and had retrieved ingredients from the sundries shop all before her twin brother had even rolled out of bed. Now she was waiting patiently before the Elder, five minutes early for lessons, per usual.

The Elder finished shelving the book he had been referencing, and brushed the dust from the book that had gotten on his hands onto his robes. "Well then, let us begin today's lesson."

Porom nodded obediently. "All right." She was so excited – finally, they were going to start talking about level three magic!

The Elder paused for a moment, just now realizing that he had only been talking to Porom. "…Where is Palom?"

Porom glanced around. Palom's bed was empty (but not made – typical), but all of his stuff was still piled next to it, so he couldn't have gone anywhere far. She knew he wasn't in the bath, because it was the ladies of the tower's morning to use it. Suddenly, it hit her. "Oh, not again..." She grumbled. "I'll find him."

She walked outside the tower and around the corner to where a little man-made pond was dug for rainwater. Sure enough, her twin brother was outside, regaling a random cute girl who was visiting Mysidia for a field trip from Troia. This was a habit he had started picking up on since things in the world had settled down a bit and people started traveling again. That meant lots of new faces were visiting Mysidia, which had become even more infamous since the Red Wings Water Crystal burglary. This particular face had honey blonde hair pulled up into two pigtails, and was wearing an elegant green taffeta dress that was beautifully cut, and brought out the green undertones of her haunting gray eyes, but was far too hot for a day like today. Porom was reminded that women who visited from Troia always seemed to dress way too nicely for a little place like Mysidia, where people liked to get their robes dirty.

Palom had his chest puffed out as he was talking. "So I cast a mighty Blizzard on the fires of Mount Ordeals…"

Porom marched right up to him, smacking him on the head. Palom screeched and tried to bat her away, but she blocked his fists and hit him again. The little girl watched wide-eyed, trying to stifle her laughter.

"When are you going to stop that!? The elder's furious with you!" Porom shrieked. She grabbed Palom's collar, and started to drag him away. Palom looked back toward the girl longingly, reaching out with his hand.

"But it is Leonora's last day here…!"

"Oh jeeze," Porom whispered. "You won't even remember her in a week. And we've got other places to be today, remember?"

When Porom shoved him back inside the Tower of Prayer, the Elder immediately jumped on Palom, his eyes red with rage. "How many times must I tell you the same thing before it sinks into that thick skull of yours? You've a great deal of growing up to do if you ever plan to be the sort of mage Tellah was. Two more hours of spell transcription for you!"

Palom's jaw dropped…the Elder had hit him where it hurt: Invoking Tellah's legacy and boring homework. "Aw, not again..."

Porom crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "You've only yourself to blame, you know."

Eblan

Seneschal paced back and forth, despairing at the sight transpiring before him. He felt like he had to have the same conversation nearly every day for the past week, and it was beginning to put even more white hair upon the white hair he already had from the normal aging process. Edge was leisurely draped across his throne; his legs crossed over one of the throne's arms and his cowl pulled down around his neck as he flipped through the latest issue of Ninja Sutra. It was indeed not the image of a young King, but rather a cavalier tramp who had decided to drop by and impersonate a royal.

"Your Young Highness, you are the heir to our kingdom's throne! You have responsibilities!" Seneschal began the same lecture he had prepared every morning since Edge had suddenly returned to the Cave they were hiding in and declared that they were to start rebuilding Eblan – immediately. At first, he hadn't had to use his lecture, much – Edge seemed pretty motivated on his own. But lately, he had taken a sharp downhill spiral back to his old philandering ways.

Edge closed the magazine, sighing. "I know that!" He just couldn't get into it – not because the Seneschal was around and yelling his head off (a detail as minor as that didn't stop him from having fun) – but because of something else that had been obsessing over ever since a piece of correspondence had been hand-delivered to him by a Baronian Red Wing days ago. His immense appreciation for the finer arts in life had seemingly disappeared in smoke overnight. He tossed the magazine behind him, and swung his legs over the throne, standing up.

Seneschal put his hands on his hips. He knew the root cause of all of this, unfortunately. He had seen it too many times before – most recently with Edge's father, god rest his soul, when he had been soundly defeated by Edge's mother and mooned over her for the twelve hours it took for him to screw up the courage to propose. "Then might I suggest you stop chasing after this daydream maiden of yours and start fulfilling some of them!?"

Sensechal began listing off the list of outstanding items that needed to be accomplished to continue the rebuilding of Eblan.

"Someone needs to fly the borrowed airship from Baron up north to the Fabul forests and retrieve the wood they have cut for us…the children haven't had schooling for weeks, now…how is the hunt for the new headmistress progressing?...We need to repair Damcyan's hovercraft…one of the ninja apprentices accidentally punctured it with a star…"

Edge sauntered away, waving his hand. He didn't hear a word. "Right, right..."

Seneschal stomped his foot. "A little more sincerity would go a long way!"

Edge pulled out the correspondence he had received, flicking it with his finger triumphantly. "Did you forget on your list, Seneschal…That I have an appointment to tend to today? I'd dare say it's even a diplomacy mission. I'll be back tonight! Or maybe tomorrow, depending on how much alcohol is involved."

Seneschal sighed and shook his head. He wasn't sure how diplomatic Edge could really be if there was drink. He supposed he should prepare himself for what could be the first of a long string of embarrassing national incidents.

Edge looked down at the scrawling manuscript on the letter he had received. The date inscribed was today's, and the time only a few hours away, right before noon.

Would she really be there, too? She had to be…right?

Edge closed his eyes, folding the letter. "Rydia...There's not a girl in this world that will ever come close to you."

Seneschal turned red. "Y-Your Highness!"

The Feymarch

Leviathan was smiling delightedly, his grin wide on his human form. He had rather taken a liking to the "old man" persona he had been trying on when Rydia had first come to visit him with her friends – it didn't hurt that it seemed to drive Asura wild, too, so he decided to make it permanent. He and his wife were watching as Rydia ran about their chamber, checking to make sure she had packed everything she needed. "She has become a fine young woman indeed."

Asura chuckled. "And to think she would return here, to us!"

"It's a good thing the All-Father helped me concoct a spell that would dampen the effects of our flow of time for her," Leviathan sighed. "It was the first thing he did when he regained his strength from the battle on the moon. It seems he's very keen on keeping her close to us."

"It's unheard of for an Eidolon to take such an interest in human affairs…" Asura shook her head. "But here we are, three fools madly in love. It is a different world now, indeed."

A cloaked eidolon was helping Rydia by meticulously oiling the leather handle of her whip, a task that was a little difficult because of his claws – but he had been so honored when Lady Rydia begged for help getting ready, he couldn't say no. "Rydia!" He exclaimed, when finished. She had been looking in the mirror at the dress she had made, smoothing it down over her hips. It had a strapless bust with a pearl-studded empire waist that flowed into a layered ivory and emerald skirt, and her hair tumbled over her white shoulders in soft waves, pinned up on one side with the hyacinth clip. The ribbon she had retrieved from the Lunar Subteranne was tied around her neck in a delicate bow. She paused and smiled at the eidolon as he got up and waddled over to her, presenting her with her whip. "Rydia, why do I have fangs? I want to be the same as you!"

Rydia blinked and gently pulled back the eidolon's hood, exposing a young, impish face with a red-tipped nose and a crooked incisor fang, black hair tumbling down his shoulders and obscuring his yellow eyes. She gently pushed him toward the mirror and kneeled down to match his height, her arm wrapped around his shoulders. "What do you mean? We're all the same! There's no difference between humans and Eidolons."

The eidolon blushed deeply and gazed at Rydia admiringly in the mirror.

Asura took Leviathan's hand, watching the two children. "The Feymarch is going to become a very interesting place in the days ahead, isn't it?"

Leviathan nodded. "Most certainly - and one not lacking for beauty!" He leaned in and they shared a delicate kiss.

Rydia stood up, and pulled the letter out of the discreet pocket she had sewn into the hip of her dress. She held it close to her breast, lowering her head.

"All that matters is what's inside us. Isn't that right, Cecil?"

Fabul

Sheila yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. She was beginning to regret waking up with Yang every morning to keep him on track with his efforts to not sleep in, especially now that her cast-iron frying pan was decaying somewhere on the moon. She wondered when King Edge would deliver on his promise to bring her a new one. Even though she now had servants to cook for her and attend to her every whim, it wasn't the same as being able to fry up a fresh chocobo egg on your own whenever you wanted. "Honey..."

Yang was sitting on the throne, trying not to laugh at her obvious misery. Early mornings weren't so easy after all, eh? "You're a queen now. Won't you make a little effort to speak like one?"

Shelia narrowed her eyes, and reached for the closest object next to her – a staff she snatched from the oblivious monk standing behind the throne. The monk gasped, but dared not raise a hand in defense against his queen. "Yang, you know I can't stand all that prim and proper stuff!" She cracked the staff against her palm as she said "prim" and "proper", and Yang suddenly leapt from the throne, as if it had gone up in flames.

"Oh, no! It's already past time for today's training! Come along!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" A chorus of voices replied, who had been stone-facedly watching the drama from the front of the throne room. This was a queen that they were all going to have to take some time getting used to – she was the complete opposite of the quiet, benevolent ruler they had grown up in the castle with. But there was definitely a…vigor she brought to Fabul that they all aspired to in their training.

Yang fled from the throne room, a throng of monks trailing after him. Sheila snorted, tossing the staff on the floor with a loud crash. "Always running out on me...he's got another full agenda today."

The former King of Fabul, now completely recovered from his injuries from when the Crystal of Air had been raided, shook his head, laughing. He came up to Sheila, gently patting her back. "Do not fault your husband. He'll build a fine new Fabul for us all, I've no doubt of it. I haven't had a single fear since he returned to us that I made the right decision to abdicate."

Sheila gave a secretive smile. "Oh, I have no doubt as well. He's been more energetic than ever since taking the throne. But now I'm worried that I'm the one who can't keep up!"

Damcyan

Edward was wandering about the topmost level of the castle, checking in on everyone who had showed up to help with today's rebuilding. When he had first returned, recovered from his grievous wounds, he could only count the number of volunteers on one hand, folks from Kaipo who wanted to swear fealty to their future king. But as time passed, more and more people – some of them from around the world, including Troia's eight Epopts – had shown up on his doorstep to share their talents. Progress was slow, but Edward was determined to not only rebuild what they had lost, but to make Damcyan grander a fortress than ever before, so that none who lived there would ever have to suffer again. It was his dream to turn Damcyan Castle into a village unto itself – a sanctuary for the arts and a beacon of peace and learning for the new world, one worthy of the Crystal of Fire.

A group of children from Kaipo who had accompanied their parents to the rebuilding ran up the stairs, surrounding Edward. "Prince Edward! Sing us the song about the paladin again!"

Edward laughed. "I would be most happy to - but not until you've finished your chores for the day! You want the castle to be back the way it was again, don't you?"

A little girl pouted. "Of course! But you promise you'll sing it, right?"

Edward nodded. "You have my word! I'll be departing for the day soon, but I'll sing you to sleep tonight."

"Yay!" The children cheered, and ran back outside to finish digging for bricks that were buried in the desert from when Damcyan was first attacked.

Edward pressed his fingers to his mouth, staring at newly repaired floor in the rear of the throne room. Clear as if it had happened yesterday, he could see himself kneeling down, laying Anna to rest in that very spot and kissing her good-bye. When he had finally been able to return to Damcyan, a kind stranger – probably someone from Kaipo – had recovered her body and had given her a proper burial. Edward still had not been able to bring himself to visit her grave, but built himself up a little more for the eventuality each new day.

"Anna...Please wait for me. I must be strong and live on here, for the people of Damcyan. Be at peace...with Tellah."

"Your Highness!"

A Kaipo villager who had volunteered to become a guard-in-training for Damcyan bolted up the stairs, pausing at the top to catch his breath.

"What is it?" Edward smiled. The villager did not seem alarmed, just excited.

"Your…huff…candidate is here…huff…for assisting with the rebuild."

"Oh!" Edward blinked. He had totally forgotten that he had put out word that he was looking for a capable assistant to help supervise Damcyan's progress. With the number of volunteers growing each day, the organizational aspects of the project were becoming too much for just Edward to bear – but he had had no prospects for the position until but a few days ago, when a letter had arrived for him from a candidate declaring her intention to interview for the role. The letter had arrived at the same time as a messenger from the Red Wings, and Edward decided that the best interview he could do was letting the candidate supervise everyone the day he needed to be away in Baron. He wrote her back post-haste, but didn't hear from her again until now.

"This is the university student, from Troia, right?" Edward asked.

"Yes sir," the man nodded. "A young woman named Harley."

"Very good!" Edward exclaimed, relieved. "Please bring her to me. I'll give her the rundown before I depart."

Dwarven Castle – Three Days Prior

Outside of King Giott's castle, a group of dwarves were gathered around the dilapidated walls wrapped around the northern keep, taking turns hauling materials and tools to different stations and climbing on each other's backs to reach the very highest points with their chisels and hammers. King Giott was standing in the middle of all of the activity, directing traffic with Luca by his side.

"Lali-ho!" The dwarves shouted, and King Giott clapped his hands together.

"Listen up, dwarves! We're going to make this castle as good as new again!"

A dwarf ran up to Giott from outside the keep, bowing quickly. "Your Majesty, we've not all the materials needed for a project this large!"

Giott laughed, and Luca looked up at him wonderingly. "Then scrap the tanks! They'll see no more use now anyhow!"

The dwarves all cheered again, and Luca jumped up and down.

"Father, are you serious!?"

"Very," Giott said, scooping her up in his arms and kissing her forehead. "It was your mother's dream to live in a world where war was never an afterthought in the development of our kingdom. She longed to raise you as a princess in an era of peace, so that you could grow up to be whatever you desired. It's my pleasure to keep that dream alive – and I promise to spend more time with you now that there are fewer distractions."

"Thanks, Father!" Luca smiled, throwing her arms around his neck. "I want you to know that I understand that you are busy – it must be hard running a kingdom alone. It was fun when Cecil was here – it was so exciting to meet people from the overworld for the first time! I wonder how Cecil and the others are doing…"

Giott put her down, smiling. "I've just received some good news in that regard. Cecil and Rosa are to become the king and queen of Baron!"

Luca squealed. "Really!?"

King Giott nodded, "And not only that – we've been invited to the coronation! We'll leave for the overworld in three days."

Luca pumped her fists in the air. "Yay! I can't wait to see everyone again!"

Another dwarf wandered over, his arms overloaded with bricks. "Your Majesty, you're not helping at all!"

Giott paused, looking around. All of the dwarves had stopped working, and were watching him and Luca. He cleared his throat, and let out a mighty yell that made the walls shake. "Didn't I tell you to go and scrap the tanks!?"

The dwarves shrieked, fleeing from the work yard en masse.

"Lali-ho…!"

Mount Ordeals- Present Day

Kain had awoken long before the sun that morning. He stood on a precipice at the summit of Mount Ordeals, watching the darkness of the night give way to the first rays of the morning sun. In the distance, he could see the darkened forests of Mysidia to the north, and the expanses of the sea. It had been a difficult ascent, but the peaceful view made it all worthwhile. He hadn't seen a single person in days – the Mysidians were still terrified to go anywhere near the mountain out of fear that they would be killed by the undead that still roamed.

A few feet away, the meager tent Kain had erected gently tilted in the wind, and his hand lantern clattered onto its side, making Kain flinch in surprise and snapping him out of his reverie.

He tried to picture what his friends were doing back home. It would surely be an early rise for them both today – there was probably yet much to do for the coronation and the wedding. Kain closed his eyes, reaching up to pull off his helmet. He had slept in it in case he had needed to fend off any monsters, but none had dared approach since he had left a path of their bodies in his wake on the way up the mountain's summit.

When the three of them had gotten home, the days had gone by in such a blur; Kain could barely remember anything that had happened. As he had predicted, the people of Baron made it known that they wanted Cecil to ascend to the throne as their new king. A petition had been circulated throughout the village, and officially presented to Cecil by the surviving leading officers of the Red Wings and the Dragoons, which were few in number.

Kain had been with Cecil at the inn when it happened, and Cecil had taken it all in stride, offering a half-smile and promising to take the request under careful advisement. When they had left, Cecil looked like he was going to fall off his stool, and Kain had to practically carry him home.

But nearly two weeks after he had received the formal request, Cecil had come to Kain's room, knocking so quietly that Kain had thought it was the wind and ignored it. When the door swung open, and Kain saw the determined look on Cecil's face – he knew what his decision was going to be.

"Have you talked to Rosa yet?" Kain asked. He had passed Cecil the bottle of brandy wine he kept stashed in his room for emergencies, and Cecil had pried it open and proceeded to drink straight from the bottle.

"There hasn't really been a great time," Cecil confessed, sliding the bottle back to Kain. "I haven't seen her – she's been traveling with the other white mages to bring aid to Mist. She's coming home tonight though, so I'm going to talk to her then."

Kain rested his fingers on the bottle. "What are you going to say to her? This is…going to be overwhelming for Rosa, to say the least."

Cecil nodded. "I know…but…I decided I could only do this if I had both of you by my side. It's selfish, but…"

Kain drummed his fingers on the table, shaking his head. "Cecil…"

Cecil looked down at the table, a flush crawling up his cheeks. "…I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Kain felt as if all of the oxygen had been sucked out of his lungs. He pursed his lips together, and in the silence, realized he couldn't even hear his heart beating. When Cecil looked up at him, he pushed the bottle to his mouth and took a heavy swig. A rush of blood ran into his face and ears, and he placed the bottle back down, using every ounce of restraint in his body not to slam it.

"Cecil…let me be the first to congratulate you."

Cecil smiled a little. "It's a little early for that."

"It's not…I know Rosa. And I know how much she loves you. She'll say "yes"."

The wedding was to coincide with the coronation, which meant it was imminent. Kain tried to keep himself distracted by heading up the effort to re-assemble the Dragoons and by helping Cecil and Rosa with the preparations. And truly, seeing how Rosa practically floated when she walked and watching the weight of the coronation practically disappear from Cecil's shoulders made Kain happy, in the deepest chambers of his heart.

But a few days before the ceremony, Kain had awoken in the middle of the night from a repulsive nightmare. Like a ghost, he was watching himself in the third person climb up the stairs to Cecil's bedroom in his full suit of Dragoon armor, only it was stained in black, rapidly spreading splotches. When Kain threw open the door, he steadied his lance, aiming for Cecil's heart while he slept. But as it sliced through the air, Rosa suddenly sat up in the bed next to Cecil, and threw herself in its path. Kain watched in horror as the lance tore through her chest, staining their marital bed with a spray of cherry red blood.

Waking up to Rosa's screams ringing in his ears, Kain threw back his blankets and hurriedly rushed through his room to gather only what he could carry. By dawn, he had fled Baron – discreetly knocking out the guards posted at the Devil's Road so no one could see him escape.

Setting his helmet down at his feet, Kain crossed his arms over his chest and spoke aloud to the horizon, his voice sodden with regret. He knew, of course, that the wind wouldn't carry his prayers back to his friends – but he hoped that it was not foolish for him to believe they would find it in their hearts to forgive him – someday.

"Cecil...Rosa...I have no right to bear witness to your joy - not like this. I will temper myself here, on Mount Ordeals. And then, when I've become an even finer dragoon than my father - perhaps then I can return. Until that day comes, I can but wish you well."

Agart

In the observatory, Cory's assistant was scribbling down the last of her observations for her early morning shift at the telescope. She stifled a yawn, and while focusing back on the telescope, reached out blindly for her tea. She let out a sudden cry, knocking the mug over and sending it flying to the floor. "Oh, my!"

Cory jumped up from where he had been half-sleeping at his desk, rubbing the drool off the corner of his mouth as he ran to her. "What is it?"

She shook her head, sliding off of the stool. "The moon, it's – see for yourself!"

Cory took her place, not bothering to adjust the scope for his height, and peered through the eyepiece. He could see the red moon, which they had previously observed as moving closer to the planet, now moving further away – at a shockingly rapid pace. In just the few moments Cory stood at the telescope, the moon had completely flung itself out of orbit, and was sailing away – it was no bigger than a pebble before Cory gave up and pulled away from the telescope, his mouth ajar.

Baron Castle

"Cecil…"

Cecil looked up from his desk, where he had been pouring over some census records he had exhumed from the Baronian archives. He was wearing the paladin armor and blue and ivory cloak he had received from Mount Ordeals for the first time since they had come home, the armor polished to perfection and completely detailed and restored in crystal as a gift from Kokkol in the underworld. He pushed back his chair and stood up, looking around. A gentle breeze was blowing the curtains back from the window, and nearly every available surface – including the floor – was covered in massive bouquets of white lilies, white roses, and hydrangeas – gifts sent from the villagers and from well-wishers the world over.

Rosa, who had been sitting on the bed and putting on a pair of dangling gold earrings, got up and walked over to him, barefoot and wrapped in a white silk robe, her hair splayed over her shoulders. "What is it, Cecil?"

Cecil shook his head. "Nothing. I just – I could have sworn I heard my brother's voice."

Rosa pushed the post of the second earring through her lobe, and clicked the clasp shut. "You did?"

Cecil frowned. "It...it must have been my imagination."

Rosa rested her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. He looked up at her, and smiled once more, pulling her against him.

"You've been a little distracted," She said softly. "Are you nervous?"

"To marry you? Perish the thought."

"How about being crowned King of Baron?"

"As long as you're my Queen, I assure you, I have nothing to be nervous about."

Rosa rested her hand on his chest. He wasn't getting away that easily. "So…what's wrong?"

Cecil sighed. "I am worried…it's about Kain…there has still been no sign of him." Rosa bit down on her lip. She had been worried too, of course, but had still remained hopeful. After all, there had been no evidence that anything terrible had happened. If she understood Kain as well as she thought she did, she was sure that he had just needed some space. Cecil had told her that Kain had acted perfectly normal when he told them about their engagement, but…Rosa wished she could have been there when he broke the news. Sometimes, she thought she could pick up on emotional cues that Cecil was totally oblivious to. That was the sense of balance she had always brought to their at-times tumultuous friendship.

"Cecil…he'll be here," she assured him. "He…he has to be."

"You're right…" Cecil trailed off. Kain had promised him on the Lunar Whale…

Rosa leaned in, brushing her lips over Cecil's. As he closed his eyes, the door slammed open, and heavy footsteps clambered over to them.

"What are you two still doing here?! It's a beautiful, sunny day and there's no time to be lounging about!" Cid put his hand on his hip and waggled his finger teasingly. He was stuffed in a long, ivory jacket, but still wore his work jumpsuit underneath – Amelia had managed to launder one and keep him out of it until the coronation, but just barely.

Cecil and Rosa hurriedly broke apart. "I'm sorry, we must have lost track of time," Rosa blushed.

Cid shook his head. "You'll have all the time you want later to get that lovey-dovey stuff out of your system! Come along, Rosa! Or should I say…Your Majesty."

Rosa blushed even deeper. "Please, I'll always be Rosa to you, Cid."

Cid chuckled. "Really!? You mean it!? Well, then…Rosa – a bride can't be going without her makeup! I've got a maid all ready. We'd best hurry along!"

Rosa smiled. "Of course." She walked toward the doorway, and looked back at Cecil. "It's been a long time since we've seen everyone, hasn't it? They'll be arriving soon. You'd best hurry too, Cecil – although I guess you're already dressed, right?"

Cecil smiled back at her. "Right." Rosa gave a little wave, and left, closing the door behind her. Cecil wandered to his window, peering outside. The sun was climbing high, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. The outline of the moon was barely visible, and Cecil, try as he might, couldn't even see the moon's twin. He wondered if what he heard had not been imagined after all…

I heard it, I'm sure of it. My brother…he said "farewell".

Cecil and Rosa sat upon the silk-embroidered twin thrones that had been newly-constructed in the throne room, at the head of a red and gold carpet that stretched out into the antechamber. On Rosa's side of the aisle, to the left, a row of soldiers and white mages stood at attention. The soldiers wore newly-pressed royal blue Baronian uniforms and stern faces, and the white mages giggled happily and waved to their former classmate. When Rosa returned their smiles, they let out a simultaneous squeal. On Cecil's side, another row of soldiers stood in mirror formation to the soldiers across the aisle, a mix of veterans who had survived the war and fresh-faced cadets who were anxious to seek their destiny under the leadership of the new king. Behind the soldiers, the black mages of the castle stood, dressed in their matching blue robes and the yellow silk scarves that obscured their faces, as per tradition.

Cid stood in the center of the aisle, and gestured for the pair of guards positioned by the throne room doors to pull them open.

First through the threshold was Edge, who looked like he hadn't changed a bit since they had last seen him a month ago. His hair was still a disarray of spikes, but he had pulled his cowl down around his neck, and was grinning ear-to-ear. Cecil and Rosa stood when he approached them, and in place of bowing, Edge gave Rosa a long look and turned to Cecil, giving a thumbs-up and a wink. Cecil tried to keep a straight face and Rosa giggled behind her hand as Cid gave Edge a look that said "Move along…now." Edge relented and moved to the left of the aisle, and Cid stood across from him on the right.

Next were King Giott and Princess Luca. They walked up the aisle together, holding hands, and bowed to Cecil and Rosa. They returned the bow, and Giott nodded to Edge before taking his place beside him. Luca, who had been admiring Rosa's gown, scrambled over and breathlessly stood next to her father.

Yang strode up the aisle, and in true Yang fashion, looked as if he had just completed an intense bout of training. He pressed his hands together, kneeling before Rosa, and stood up in front of Cecil, grasping his hand. Cecil smiled, shaking Yang's hand, and Yang took his position next to Cid.

Palom and Porom excitedly skipped down the aisle after Yang. Porom stared in awe at the beauty of their surroundings – the throne room had been completely transformed from the gloomy, shadowy place she had last done battle against Cagnazzo, and was now filled with hundreds of beautiful flowers and made dazzling with the smiles of everyone inside. When she reached Cecil and Rosa, Porom bowed as low as she could manage, and Palom excitedly launched himself into Cecil's throne, bouncing up and down in it and laughing. Porom stared in horror, her jaw on the floor, as Cecil and Rosa looked at each other and tried not to burst out laughing. At the end of the aisle, their Elder had entered, and was nodding to the others that had arrived before him. When he looked up and saw Palom on the throne, Porom feared that he would burst a blood vessel right then and there.

The Elder calmly walked up the aisle, pulled Palom off of the throne by his collar, and deposited him back on the carpet, with nary a word exchanged between them. Palom blushed and the three of them bowed, and Cecil and Rosa returned the sentiment, trying to convey to the Elder with their eyes that everything was really all right. The Elder shook his head, a small smile on his lips as he escorted Porom next to Yang and Cid. Palom, however, had gotten distracted by Princess Luca across the aisle, and made a beeline for her.

"Hey, I'm Palom, mage extraordinaire and sage-in-training, from Mysidia," Palom grinned, and Luca blushed deeply.

"I'm Princess Luca, of the Underworld," she giggled. "You looked good on King Cecil's throne!"

Porom glared and marched over to Palom, smacking him in the side of the head and dragging him away by his ponytail. The Elder covered his face in embarrassment, and Luca looked up Giott, her eyes sparkling. Giott swallowed a lump in his throat and looked away – he wasn't ready to even entertain the idea of Luca having suitors – EVER.

Prince Edward approached the throne next, and Cecil and Rosa were relieved to see that his limp was nearly gone, and that he had made a drastic recovery from when they had last seen him at the Tower of Prayers for their homecoming. Edward folded his hands and bowed to each of them, taking his place next to Princess Luca.

Edge lightly tapped his foot, trying to keep himself from falling asleep standing up, when suddenly, she entered the room.

Rydia walked down the aisle with her head held high, as regal as any of the royalty that stood before her. Her gown gently dragged across the carpet, making a soft "swishing" noise as she approached the throne. Edge felt his cheeks turning so red that he looked away as she strode past him, and stealthily pulled his cowl back up to hide his face. Grinning, Rydia curtseyed to Rosa and Cecil, and placed her hand over her chest. Rosa looked like a dream, and Cecil looked so happy that Rydia almost didn't recognize him – he was shining even brighter than when he had defeated Zeromus.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Rydia walked over to Edge, and slightly bowed to him. He was King now, after all – she supposed it would be the proper thing to do. Edge nearly choked when she approached him, and awkwardly raised a hand in greeting.

"Are…you well?" Rydia whispered. She could feel her entire body getting hot, and suddenly felt like her exposed shoulders were as scandalous as being naked. Why had she worn something like this when it was so…grown-up?

Edge cleared his throat, not knowing what to do with his hand, so he rubbed the back of his head, pretending to fluff up his hair. "I…I am well, thanks. That's…a beautiful dress. It really suits you."

Rydia tried not to smile too hard as she thanked him, and took her place next to Prince Edward. Ah, yes…that was why I wore this dress. Edward smiled at her, and she relaxed a little, letting her smile grow wider.

Cecil and Rosa turned to each other, entwining their fingers. Cid approached the throne once more, carrying in his hands two crowns. The first, a silver tiara inlaid with crystals and diamonds, he gently nestled in Rosa's hair. Cecil let go of Rosa's hand for a moment, and kneeled before Cid since he was so much taller than the engineer. Cid placed the second ornament, a golden grown with a glimmering ruby set in the center, upon Cecil's head. Cecil stood upright again, and took Rosa's hands within his once more, pulling her close. He could hear Cid saying something to the others in the room, but his mind had completely blocked out everything else except for his bride in front of him.

Rosa smiled up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears. Her hair had been pulled back into a high-piled bun, the rest of her hair tumbling down her back underneath the veil that had been pinned behind her tiara. On each side of her head, behind her ears, violet-white hairpins shaped like wings had been fastened, and a pink sapphire headband was draped over her forehead, giving her the appearance of a Valkyrie goddess.

Around her neck, she wore a golden curved pendant, said to have once belonged to a Baronian Queen many ages ago. The pendant rested over the lace mesh scoop-necked halter of her gown, which fit snuggly through her waist and flared out at the hips into a white chiffon bustle, layered upon a lavender bell-shaped skirt. Fingerless white gloves traced up from her wrists to her elbows, her left hand now displaying a rose gold band studded with princess-cut pink diamonds that Cecil had slipped on her ring finger in bed that morning. On his own hand, he now wore a platinum band.

"Rosa…" Cecil tried to keep his voice from shaking as he whispered over Cid's booming voice. "…I promise I will never leave your side again. And I will never let anything – or anyone – take you away from me."

Rosa nodded, gazing into her husband's eyes and rejoicing that it was her reflection she could see within the light that shined from them. "And I will always protect you, Cecil. I…I've loved you since the moment I met you. And I'll love you until I draw my last breath."

Cid finished speaking, and there was a sudden burst of loud cheering and rapturous applause. Cecil and Rosa were startled out of their own little world, and saw everyone around them clapping, whistling and waving. The guards were jumping up and down, and one of them dove onto another, laughing as the other soldiers ran over to join and started a dogpile. Cecil felt something tickle his nose, and when he raised his head, he saw light pink rose pedals pouring onto them from the ceiling. He had hoped he would see Kain in the rafters, shaking the flowers down on them as a joke, but no one was there.

The white mages and black mages began to chant, pumping their fists in the air.

"Long live King Cecil!"

"Long live Queen Rosa!"

The next morning, at the stroke of dawn, Cecil and Rosa snuck into the courtyard with one pack of belongings each strapped to their backs, to meet the chocobo handler they had made arrangements with after Cecil had proposed. They had literally needed to tiptoe through the audience hall of the castle – so many soldiers and mages were passed out from partying all night, and they were pretty sure they saw Edge curled up in a corner with Palom sleeping in his lap. They could hear the festivities going long after they had gone to sleep, and fireworks had been going off in the village outside of Cecil's window.

The handler was waiting for them, as promised, with a tall, bright-eyed female bird that was cheekily pecking at the ground. She already had her reins attached, and after Cecil paid the last of the deposit, they were off. The morning was gray with a hint of fog, but it was all supposed to burn off later in the morning and be another beautiful sunny day.

Cecil was driving, and Rosa was holding a small map with one hand, with the other wrapped around his waist. He took the chocobo outside of Baron proper, and started heading north on an old dirt road, where houses started getting further and further apart.

"Are you still all right with us making the first stop before we head to the villa on the beach?" Cecil asked.

"Of course," Rosa smiled. "I know this has been on your mind since we got home. No better time than the present. How did you find this place, anyway?"

"Cid helped a lot," Cecil said. "He told me that there were archives in the castle that had information about Baron's population before and after it annexed a village that used to be north of us. Apparently, this happened shortly after we were born. According to the census from that year, most of the villagers moved to the Baron we know, although some stayed behind. The king had all of the names of the villagers recorded that decided to stay. Cid said that he spoke with someone in the village about developing airships before I came to Baron and before the annexation…it could have been my father...he never gave Cid his name…" Cecil shook his head. "There is no record of anyone named Kluya or Cecilia living in the village right before or after the annexation…the timing would be correct if they were already…" He trailed off.

"I see," Rosa said softly. "And…what is in the north woods of this village that we are trying to find?"

"According to what I found in the archives…it's where the village buried their dead."

The chocobo let out a cautious whark as they began to push deeper into the woods. Cecil and Rosa could see the remains of several dilapidated houses as they went, all set along the overgrown path they were following. They made a left turn, and found themselves on what was probably a main street in its heyday – piles of rotting wood were scattered that were probably once food stands, and more frames of abandoned and neglected houses were placed closed together, the yards all overgrown and overtaken by weeds and wildflowers that were as tall as Cecil's waist. Taking another path that branched north toward the woods, they passed a tiny white house that was still half-standing, the walls that were still up choked in ivy, with an empty, filthy pit in the back yard that had probably once been a pond.

"Cecil, look," Rosa pointed to their right. They had passed a crumbling headstone. Cecil slowed the chocobo down to a walking pace, taking better stock of their surroundings.

Eventually, they reached a bigger cluster of headstones in a clearing, and Cecil halted the chocobo. He climbed down and offered his hand, helping Rosa hop off. There weren't that many headstones to go through, as most had been destroyed by the elements, hooligans, or monsters, so they split up for Cecil to take one side of the clearing, and Rosa the other.

Cecil pulled out a knife, cutting away at the grass and weeds that were blocking some of the stones so that he could read them. They were all names he didn't recognize, and some of the dates were several generations before his parents'. He was beginning to wonder if his theory was totally off-base, when Rosa called his name. He looked up, and saw her waving from several yards away.

"I think I found something…!"

His heart starting to race, Cecil jogged over to her, and kneeled down to investigate what she was pointing at.

It was a large, white stone flat marker that had nearly sunk entirely under the ground and was stained with moss and decades of runoff. He could see where Rosa had clawed dirt and weeds off of it – her outstretched hand was covered in black, wet soil, and her fingernails had left trails on the marker. Cecil scraped away the remaining clumps of dirt and grass with his knife, and kneeled before it to get a better look.

Rest in peace, village friends

Kluya

Cecilia

Theodor

Baby Boy

Cecil swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, reaching down to trace the letters with his finger. Rosa kneeled down across from him, a tear sliding down her cheek and splashing onto the marker. "This is…"

"Father…Mother…" Cecil leaned over the marker, a sob escaping as he pressed his fingers into the stone. "…I can't believe…you've been this close this whole time…"

Rosa stroked her hand up and down Cecil's back as he clung to the marker, letting her tears fall freely into her lap. She couldn't begin to imagine the mix of pain and relief Cecil was feeling, but she was grateful that she could at least be by his side as he processed it all. After a few moments, Cecil sat back on his knees, swiping at his eyes.

"Father…I hope I accomplished everything you wanted of me. I did it – I protected the planet you loved so much. I…wish I could hear your voice just one more time. Had I known on Mount Ordeals who you were – I…I would have asked you so much more…"

"Cecil…" Rosa sniffled and hugged him tightly. "Your father is very proud. Your mother, too. I know they are watching over you right now – I can feel it."

"Thank you, Rosa…" Cecil sighed shakily and clung to her, digging his fingers into her back. "Thank you for being here…"

Rosa nodded, and they sat there for a little while longer, holding each other with their eyes closed, listening to the wind gently whistle in the surrounding woods and feeling the sun's elusive rays finally starting to break through the clouds to warm their skin. At last, Cecil released Rosa and stood up, offering his hand to her. She grasped it, and he pulled her back to her feet. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, twisting a lock of her silky hair around his finger. It still smelled like the wedding flowers from their bedroom. He was feeling more and more ready to get to the beachside villa he had booked for their honeymoon and put the past few months behind them – for good, this time. It was time for Cecil to start living his dream, with the family he had created for himself.

They both stared down at the grave marker one last time, and Cecil broke the silence.

"Theodor…do you suppose that is Golbez's birth name…?"

"I had assumed so," Rosa said softly. "It's a lovely name. Do you know the meaning?" Cecil shook his head.

"It means gift of the gods."

The End

Author's Note: Thank you for taking the time to read my interpretation of Final Fantasy IV. It's a game that means a great deal to me, and I'm quite shocked (and apologetic) that it took me 15 years almost to the day to finish this story. I literally started this as a child, and am now an adult and Final Fantasy is celebrating its 30th anniversary…kind of crazy! Thank you to my friends, old and new, who encouraged me to write. If you have any Final Fantasy story ideas you are interested in seeing, please let me know in the comments or send me a PM. My immediate plans for future projects are to clean-up the first few chapters of this story that were written 15 years ago (typos, edits based on constructive feedback, etc.), and publish Final Fantasy IV: Interlude as a one-shot.

Thank you again!

-CC, 7.2.17