Alcyone stood inside Clef's magic bubble. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be stabilized. But on the inside…she could hear her heart. It was pounding in her ears. Thump…thump…thump… Chills ran down her spine. She wanted to cry out. Her insides were churning…as if something was controlling her. Then there was a voice. "Alcyone," it said. "Lady Debonair," she whispered, not wanting to lose herself. "You are the door that connects me to the castle. Now open the door. Welcome myself and my minions into the castle!" That was the pain she felt. An uncontrollable feeling. Alcyone let out a scream as she felt her body collapse. It was as if she had been smashed into a million pieces. Her vision distorted as darkness surrounded her. And then she felt the presence of millions of monsters and Lady Debonair herself looming above her.
Lantis had felt the shift in the castle, just as Presea had. He also had sensed that it was coming from Alcyone. He knew that she was in trouble. Suddenly monsters appeared. "Monsters in the castle?" Something was terribly wrong. Lantis defeated the monsters with little struggle. Then he ran on. He reached the room where Alcyone was being held. The door was smashed. He looked inside. The magic bubble was broken. And Alcyone was lying in a heap on the ground. He ran over to her. He was worried…not only for the broken woman before him but for Cephiro. Alcyone had released…a monster? Alcyone's eyes fluttered open for a moment. "Lady Debonair…" her voice cracked. Then she was out. "Debonair," Lantis repeated. He lifted Alcyone from the ground. First he would get her some help. And then he would investigate further. Who exactly was Lady Debonair?
Presea and Braden reached Alcyone's chamber not soon after Lantis had taken her away. "Oh no!" Presea cried. "Alcyone's gone! Where could she be?" "Calm down," Braden instructed. "You're still recovering." "I don't care! She's missing!" "Think deeply then. Perhaps you'll be able to sense her presence." Presea nodded and took a few calming breaths. "Ok." She closed her eyes. After a few minutes, her eyes snapped open. "You're right, Braden. She's still in the castle somewhere." Suddenly there was a rumble. "What the…" And four monsters appeared. "Monsters?" Braden asked, astonished. "There aren't supposed to be monsters here!" "I told you, there's some sort of shift in power," Presea said quickly. "And we have to get rid of them before they hurt someone." By this time the monsters were advancing on them. Presea clapped her hands twice and pulled her sword out of the ornament on one of her gloves. Braden did the same. "Let's go!" Each of them took two monsters. Presea was still swift when it came to fighting. She fought the monsters with ease, as did Braden. They had trained for years when they were younger. All of the training paid off when it came to situations such as the one they were in. Finally the last monster disappeared with a screech. Presea turned to Braden. "How are you?" she asked. "I'm fine. You?" "No scratches at all. I'm surprised though. Those monsters were extremely strong. They were much stronger then any monster I've ever fought." "You're right. The seemed to be drawing power from a source… and a large source at that." "I need to find Alcyone. I bet she knows something about what's going on." "Should I go with you?" Presea thought for a moment. "You know… Maybe you should go find Dylan." "I thought that he wanted nothing to do with…" "Yes, but this is very serious. Alcyone needs him. And he definitely needs her… more than he even knows it."
Alcyone was now sleeping a restless sleep in another of the castle's rooms. She stirred a bit and sat up. She was dressed in a light blue dress. It was a huge change from her normal attire. The magic bubble was gone. She was in a bedroom of some sort. "This is…" she whispered. Suddenly the room got brighter with the opening of the door. "Who is it?" Lantis stepped into the room. Alcyone's face lit up. "Lord Zagato! Lord Zagato…" Then her face dropped. The man before her wasn't Zagato… "It isn't!" she cried and clutched her side in obvious pain. Lantis knelt beside her and touched her cheek. "Does it hurt?" Alcyone nodded, but her face was confused. "You're…" "Zagato was my elder brother," Lantis told her. "It looks like Debonair's spell on you was broken." "Lady Debonair," Alcyone whispered and looked at Lantis. "Listen to me. Alcyone, tell me, where is Lady Debonair? I feel her evil presence from all over Cephiro, yet whenever I look, I cannot find her. Where is she?" Alcyone opened her mouth to speak. But something choked her words. She screamed in pain. Her eyes went blind for a moment and she clawed fitfully at Lantis. He quickly took her into an embrace. She was shaking. Something was preventing her from speaking. "Everything concerning Debonair is locked away," he murmured.
A sorrowful Dylan sat in a chair in his room. He watched the ongoing storms pass by his window. Dylan had been in solitude for the past few days. He didn't know much of what had been happening in the castle. He knew that his daughter was back. He knew that she was totally insane. But then Dylan had felt the magic shift. He had felt it even stronger than Presea or Lantis because the shift had occurred in Alcyone. "She's in trouble," he muttered. "I knew this would happen." Dylan walked over to his bookcase and took out an old picture album. He sat on the bed with the album and began leafing through its pages. Pictures from the past crossed his mind. Pictures of himself…and his late wife, Mirai. Then pictures of a young Alcyone. The pictures ranged from Alcyone's infant years to when she graduated from Master Mage Clef's school. He looked closely at the pictures. What a beautiful woman she had become. Alcyone had always been beautiful, even in her evil state. In fact, she looked a lot like Mirai. "Where did I go wrong?" he asked the photos. Dylan had raised Alcyone since she was eleven years old. That year Mirai had died in a battle. It was the same battle that took place in Questria. That was when Presea had been separated from her family. Dylan didn't realize this until now. What had happened at the Underground Society that day had been traumatic. Strange sorcerers had invaded the Society that evening. Dylan remembered fighting them. Mirai had been a sorceress too, and had fought by Dylan's side. Still, something had gone wrong. All Dylan remembered now was that Mirai had sacrificed herself for the Society…and for the lives of Dylan and Alcyone. Her dying wish had been for Dylan to make sure that Alcyone became a strong sorceress so that she would not meet the same fate. "Oh Mirai!" Dylan cried out. "I have failed you! Our daughter is being eaten away now! There's nothing I can do! How can I forgive her now? She betrayed me…and your wish!" A small light appeared. It shimmered as it grew larger until it finally took shape. A woman dressed in white stood before Dylan. She had beautiful blue eyes, black hair, and a kind expression. "Mi…Mirai!" Dylan gasped. She smiled…that same sweet smile from so long ago. "How…?" Dylan was still in shock. "Don't be frightened," Mirai said. "I'm here for you now." "What do you mean?" "Our daughter is in grave danger, you know." "Alcyone!" Now Dylan's tone turned icy. "She has betrayed us." Mirai shook her head, her voice was calm and patient. "No, Dylan. She was lovestruck. Many people fall into that trap easily. They become blindly devoted to a person and forget everything else. Sadly, our Alcyone has been taken to the next level. Lady Debonair took over her will. Now she has it back and she's completely lost." "But…your wish." "She didn't betray my wish. My wish was for her to become a strong sorceress, and she has. Unfortunately she turned to the wrong side. Now you must help her regain her confidence. Dylan, you must help her become the radiant young woman that she once was." "She reminds me of you somewhat," Dylan said softly. "She looks a lot like you." Mirai smiled her gentle smile. "I know. She still has hope. You have a chance to be in her life again." "What if she refuses to see me." "Dylan, my dear, she has been waiting for you to speak to her. She misses you…" "I've missed her too…" There was a knock on the door. Braden burst in. "Dylan! Alcyone needs you! I know that you don't want to see her, but you have to!" Instead of becoming angry, Dylan nodded. "Braden, my boy, I'm coming. I know what I have to do." Braden was a bit shocked, but didn't question Dylan's reasoning. Dylan turned back to where Mirai had been. She was gone… Dylan smiled. "I love you Mirai," he said. "And I will rescue our daughter."
Lantis was still with Alcyone. He had a feeling that he wouldn't able to get any information from her. Something was keeping her from speaking. All he could do was comfort the shaken woman. Then someone came into the doorway. "Eagle!" Lantis shouted. Eagle was supposed to be confined by a magic barrier. How had he broken free? "Sorry to bother you," Eagle smiled. Then he turned his wrist slightly. Lantis saw a tiny ball drop from the compartment on Eagle's wristband. It was a bomb. Lantis barely had time to react, when the bomb exploded. Luckily he had been able to put up a protective barrier. By this time Alcyone just looked frightened. She collapsed. Eagle ran down the halls. Lantis had to follow him. He knew that leaving Alcyone alone was a risk, but letting Eagle run rampant in the castle…was an even bigger one.
Presea gasped when she heard the strange explosion in the castle. The sound forced her to pick up her pace. Who knows what it might have been. It could have been a monster…or something worse. She reached a hallway. Smoke was clearing from a crumbling door. Presea sprinted for the door. For all she knew somebody could be seriously injured. But when she peered through the smoke she saw… "Alcyone!" Presea ran to her fallen friend. "Oh my god! Are you hurt? What happened to you? I'll get help! I'll…" "Presea," Alcyone said weakly. "Can you sit up?" "I'm all right. It was that Autozam man. He set off a bomb but Lantis…protected me. Presea, Lord Zagato's dead!" Alcyone burst into tears. Presea was shaken now. She sat beside Alcyone and put an arm around her shoulder. "I know that he's dead. I'm sorry." "Why? How… I can't go on!" "What do you mean?" "He was my life." Presea looked at her friend's face. Alcyone was in pain. Her blue eyes seemed to scream for direction. "But Alcyone, you're so independent. You don't need him…" "But I do! I was in love with him! You know that." "I know." "And now, Lady…ahhh!" She seemed to choke. "Are you ok?" "I can't seem to speak…about her." Presea nodded. She knew whom Alcyone was trying to talk about. "What can I do now? Where will I go? Everybody hates me! I've done so many wrong things… so many bad decisions. I wish I could turn back time…" "You can't change the past," came a voice from the doorway. Alcyone's eyes widened and she cringed. Dylan stepped into the room. "But you can change the future." "Father?" "My child." Alcyone stood. Dylan walked to her and hugged her tightly. "What's the meaning of this, father?" Alcyone whispered. "I was wrong," he said. "I was very wrong. I thought that you were stone cold from the bottom of your heart. I truly believed it. But now I see that you are warm… You're a beautiful young woman, Alcyone. I was mistaken." "I'm sorry. I betrayed you…and mother." "No, no that's not it at all." "But…" Alcyone pulled away from her father's embrace. "I have no reason to live now. I want to die!" "You can't now," Dylan said. "There is nothing left for me. I betrayed my family and friends. I betrayed myself for love. And now I can't stop loving him! I want it to end!" "Your mother was right…" "Mother? You saw mother?" "She came to me. She wanted us to be together again." Alcyone started to cry. Dylan took her back into his arms. "It's all right now. I am going to help you through this." "Father!" "I forgive you. I forgive you for the evil that you've done. I just hope that you can forgive me for leaving you alone." "I do forgive you! I've been waiting all this time to speak to you." Now Presea felt tears in her eyes. They were tears of joy. "I'm so happy," she said. Alcyone turned to her and hugged her. "Thank you so much Presea. I don't know how it happened, but you did have something to do with it. How can I ever repay you for sticking with me?" Presea shook her head. "You don't have you. You saved my life already." She smiled at Dylan and then left the room to give the father and daughter a chance to reconcile with each other.
Presea found herself facing Braden as soon as she had left the room. "How did it go?" he asked. "They're going to be all right," she replied. Braden put an arm around Presea's shoulders and they walked down the hall together. "Did Lantis ever catch up to Eagle?" Presea said, wonder in her voice. "Sort of…" "Sort of? What do you mean by that?" "Clef put an image in my mind. He didn't send you the image?" Presea shook her head. Braden sighed. "Eagle and Hikaru reached the proof of the Pillar at the same time. They both went into the room… and they both came out unhurt." "But that's impossible!" Presea cried. Everyone knew that only the Pillar of Cephiro could enter the room without instantly dying. There could only be one Pillar… how could both of them go in and come out alive? "What does this mean?" Presea muttered. Braden was silent. "I don't know," he finally said. "Nobody does…"
A day went by before the crumbling of Cephiro intensified once again. Presea was worried again. Alcyone appeared to be doing well. The Magic Knights seemed all right… But Master Mage Clef's condition was deteriorating. Presea needed to visit him, just to make sure that he was doing ok. But as she neared his room, she heard him shout "Lantis!" Her eyes widened and she burst into the room. "Clef!" she shouted. Clef was sitting upright in his bed, staff in hand. "Are you all right?" she asked as she ran to his bedside. "Lantis has been abducted. We must get him back…" "When? Who did it." "It was that girl that looks like Hikaru! Lantis was here and we were discussing the current condition of Cephiro. But then she came… and attacked. I can't break into the dimension that she has created! I can barely communicate with him!" "Sit down before you hurt yourself!" Presea commanded. "You must keep yourself calm or you might become drained!" "We must do something, Presea!" "We will," Presea assured him. But what? She asked herself…
It wasn't long before the Magic Knights found out about Lantis' abduction. They went out in their Ruin Gods right away. The castle was shaking nonstop now. Braden and Rogue had rushed to the residential areas to help everyone stay calm…a hard task to do. The people were frightened beyond belief. Many thought that they were going to die within the next few hours. Presea was still with Clef, trying to make sure that he was all right. One tremor knocked her right off her feet. That was when Clef got out of bed and grabbed his mage robes. He began to dress, despite Presea's pleas for him to be reasonable. "Clef! You're being reckless in your condition!" she protested. "I don't care," he replied. "Master Mage!" He faced her. "Even with my powers, I can only tell that Debonair is near Cephiro. I can't pinpoint her. The only one who knows is Alcyone. Now hurry. We must ask her or once again…the Magic Knights' battle may be in vain!" "But…" "Are you with me or not?" Presea sighed, but nodded slowly. "Good. Let's go!"
Presea and Clef burst into the room where Alcyone was now staying. She had a defeated look once again. "Master Mage Clef… Presea," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Clef stepped forward. "Tell me, Alcyone, please. Where is Debonair? Lantis was abducted by one of her people. We must hurry and rescue him!" Alcyone looked out of the window at the stormy sky. "Lord Zagato's younger brother?" Clef's tone intensified. "At this rate, Cephiro will crumble completely. Tell me, Alcyone…" "I don't care what happens to Cephiro now that Lord Zagato's not here," she replied, sadness in her voice. She faced the two. "The man I risked everything for, including betraying you, my master. He's no longer here? Why did I stay alive? Even if I wasn't loved back, at least I wanted to die with him…" She burst into tears. "Alcyone…" Clef said. He saw that there was much more plaguing her than he had even realized. Presea quickly went to her friend and hugged her. Alcyone shuddered and continued to sob. Clef looked at both of them. Presea looked back at him. "I'll try," she said. "And I'll see how the condition of the castle is," Clef answered. He left the room. "Good luck," Presea whispered. Then she looked back at her friend. "Let's sit down. Ok?" They sat down on the bed. "Do you want to talk about it?" Presea asked. Alcyone shook her head. "I don't know what to do anymore. I just want to die!" "You can't! There are people here who care about you. You can't just leave them in pain…" "I can't live like this, Presea! I'm the one in pain!" The castle shook violently, and Presea shielded Alcyone from the falling debris. "Zagato…" she muttered. Presea took her friend's hand. "Alcyone, please tell me where the enemy is!" "I'm sick of this," Alcyone said defiantly. "I don't want to keep on living in this world without Lord Zagato! I don't!" "Alcyone," Presea said. Tears began to form in her eyes. At this rate, they were all as good as dead.
The situation in the residential area was no better. The other invading countries, Chizeta and Fahren, had seen the errors in their ways. Umi and Fuu had changed those countries, and now they worked to help Cephiro instead of rule it. The place was still chaos though, even with their help. Stephen and Terria were shielding their baby as well as other children from the crumbling ceiling. Meanwhile, Braden was running around, calming the panicked people, but frantic as well. He ran into Dylan. "Braden, slow down!" "Have you seen Presea?" "No…" Braden was panting. "I don't know where she is! The last thing she said was that she was going to visit Clef. But she hasn't come back. I don't know what to do. She could be injured in the castle. We must find her…" "Calm yourself," Dylan instructed him. "I'll look for her, all right? You stay here and calm these people. You're not helping the situation by panicking yourself." Braden nodded and took a few calming breaths. "Hurry, Dylan." "I'm on it right now."
Presea stared out of the large glass window. Alcyone was still sitting on the bed, lost in thought and completely out of it. Presea could see the Magic Knights battling what appeared to be another Ruin God. But then… "They've disappeared!" she shouted in disbelief. It was true. They had been there only a minute ago, but now they were gone. "Where did they go?" she asked the window. Then the castle shook. Presea stared in horror as the two great columns that were on either side of the castle broke into pieces. The castle was doomed. She could only imagine what the residential area must be like now. Was here family ok? And her friends? Presea placed a hand on the window. "Please return, Magic Knights…please…" "Presea!" Clef's voice said. Her eyes went wide. "Master Mage Clef!" Where was the voice coming from…? He spoke again. "From now on I'll support the castle using my magic powers. The old force field has diminished completely. If I don't do this the castle will be annihilated." "You being so reckless!" Presea shouted. "To use your magic in your condition… Are you suicidal?" "The Magic Knights are risking their lives in battle," he said. "I too want to protect the ones I love using everything that I have." Presea could feel his magic surrounding the castle. "Please stop, Clef!" "Don't worry. I will not die. I believe in the Magic Knights. I'm sure that they will return alive. If I die, they'll be sad again. Presea, ask Alcyone about Debonair's whereabouts. And let the Magic Knights know where she is…" Presea now felt Clef and the castle become one. "Clef!!!" she shouted. She smacked her fist into her other hand in frustration. Tear brimmed in her eyes. One of her mentors was going to give up his life… Presea walked over to Alcyone and grasped her shoulders. "Please tell me where Debonair is. Please tell me Alcyone! At this rate Clef… he'll die!" "And what will it do?" Alcyone asked. Presea looked desperately into her eyes. "Will your life really become as it was again? Are you willing to risk your life for the sake of the ones you love? Are you? I was and it was of no use! I don't want you to be hurt, Presea. Think about this… do you think that you'll be able to win? She's strong, Presea. So, are you willing to risk everything, even if it's no use? For the sake of the ones you love?" Presea was speechless when the door banged open behind her. Umi and Fuu walked in. "Please tell us, Alcyone. Please tell us where Debonair is. I don't want anymore people to die. That is why we are going to fight her!" Umi said. Alcyone stood up, her arms wrapped around herself, as if she was cold. "Even if you can't win?" she asked. "We will win! We'll make sure to win to protect the ones we love," Umi told her. "Please tell us, Ms. Alcyone," Fuu begged. Alcyone looked sadly at Presea and then at the two Magic Knights. Why hold it in anymore? If they were all going to die… at least they should die as heroes. "Lady Debonair is…" she began to speak, but then screamed. A dark shadow began to surround her. It grasped her, as if it meant to choke her. "Debonair is…" Alcyone tried to continue. "Alcyone!" they all shouted. "This must be because she's trying to talk about Debonair," Presea muttered. She grabbed hold of the shadow and tried to pry it away from Alcyone. But she was in pain… "Stop!" Umi shouted. "You don't have to tell us!" "Ms. Alcyone!" Fuu shouted. Alcyone gasped. "Debonair…is…on the reverse side of Cephiro!" The shadow squeezed her harder. Presea couldn't hang on…it was too strong. "Alcyone!" Umi cried out, in shock. Presea looked at her friend. She was dying. "Fight it! You can win!" she shouted, her voice angry. She tried once again to pry the shadow away, but her efforts were in vain. Suddenly Alcyone ceased her cries. She was strangely calm. "This ending is what I have decided on. There is no need to cry… Lord Zagato…" And then she disappeared with the shadow. "Alcyone," Umi said sadly. Fuu began to cry softly. Presea watched the two Knights comfort each other. She, on the other hand, was still in shock. Then Umi turned to her. "We know where Debonair is now. We must go and fight alongside Hikaru." Presea nodded. "Go on," she said, her voice soft. "Please save Cephiro." The girls nodded and ran from the room. Presea looked at the spot where her friend had disappeared. She felt tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Alcyone… Why…" Suddenly Dylan was beside her. "Presea! Thank goodness you're all right. Where's my daughter?" Presea looked at Dylan, tears in her eyes. "She's dead, Dylan." "What?" he asked, his voice a bit strained. "She gave up her life to tell the Magic Knights where Debonair is. It was her choice." "My…little girl," Dylan said in disbelief. He began to cry. "No, Dylan. She told us not to cry. We must be strong, as she was. It was her moment of glory. Let's celebrate this moment instead of crying." Dylan was silent. "You're right," he finally said. "Let's get to the residential area. It's too dangerous to be here."
Presea and Dylan found themselves in complete chaos when they reached the residential area. People were screaming and crying. They were huddled in groups or running around the room. The room itself was crumbled to almost nothing. The last huge tremor had destroyed the roof, exposing the people to the storms and to the battle. They fearfully watched the Magic Knights fight Lady Debonair…the great shadow of Cephiro. Presea felt someone run into her. It was Kaylee. "Kaylee! Are you all right? Is your family safe?" "Yes, but I'm so scared, Presea!" Tears were in the girl's eyes. Presea hugged her. "Stay with me. Everything is going to be all right. The Magic Knights will win, you'll see." Suddenly her friends and family surrounded her. Braden, Rogue, Caldina… everyone was there. Braden immediately went to Presea, and she kissed him on the cheek. "Things aren't going so well, I presume." "You've got that right. The people just won't calm down. They can't seem to believe that the Knights will win." "Somebody has to tell them…" Just a Presea finished her sentence, a little girl stood up in the center of the room. "Don't be afraid!" she said. "The Magic Knights will win if we all believe in them! So stop crying! We'll be all right!" What a brave little girl, Presea thought. She's right. "Listen to her!" Caldina shouted. "You've gotta believe!" "The Magic Knights came here to help us. They won't lose," Ferio chimed in. "That's right!" said Lantis. The chaos transformed into confused chatter. Then a woman stood up. "I'll believe!" "Me too!" a man added. Soon the whole room was shouting, "Do your best, Magic Knights! We'll believe in you!" Meanwhile, Presea felt a jolt in her heart. "Clef," she muttered. "Where is he?" asked Braden. "Supporting this castle with his will. I'm going to help him." "Are you well enough to do that? Is your soul fully healed from that time in the Chamber of Creation?" "I don't care! I must help him or he may die!" "But Presea…" "Let her," Dylan interrupted. "Dylan? Will it hurt her?" "It may. Put it this way, Braden… it'll be her moment of glory." He smiled at Presea. "Go on, my dear. Your heart knows what is right." Presea nodded. "Thank you, Dylan. And Braden, if I don't make it, I want you to know that I love you and that I'll always think about you." "I love you too." Presea knelt down and drew her sword. It glittered for a moment before she stuck it into the floor. Holding the hilt, Presea began to glow. Then she heard Clef's voice… "Presea, what are you doing?" "I'm helping you. It's too stressful on your part to support this castle by yourself. I've seen too many people die for this country, and I’m going to put a stop to that if I can." "Your heart is truly into this. Thank you." "You're welcome. Always."
Braden watched his wife. Her eyes were closed and she was glowing. But…she looked extremely serene. Then he looked toward the sky along with everybody else. The Magic Knights pooled their power together with the strength of everybody behind them. Suddenly they shot a huge beam of light at Lady Debonair. Debonair cursed the Knights…and then disappeared. A bright light filled the sky. "Look at that," Lafarga said. "The storm clouds are fading," Rogue observed. Braden stared, openmouthed. For the first time in weeks, the sun shone through the clouds. Then he looked beside him. Presea had fallen over. The glow was gone. He dropped beside her. "Presea?" he shook her shoulders. She groaned and then her eyes opened. Her face broke into a huge smile. "It's over, isn't it? We did it." Braden smiled back. "We did." He helped her up and took her hand. Kaylee joined them and took her other hand. "Look there!" she cried. Presea and Braden looked into the sky. The Magic Knights were floating down. "Hikaru's the Pillar," Presea gasped. Hikaru spoke to Lantis as she came down. Fuu talked to Ferio, and Umi talked to…Clef. Then they were gone. Presea rushed over to Lantis. "What did she tell you?" "She told me that she loved me. And… that, as Pillar, she wished for a Pillar-less Cephiro. She felt that the people of the country should run it." "That's wonderful!" "Indeed it is," said a voice. They turned and found Clef standing before them, unharmed. "Clef!" Presea ran to him and hugged him. "You made it!" "I did. But it might have been impossible if it hadn't been for you… or the people of Cephiro."
A week had passed. During that week, the people of Cephiro were busy organizing themselves and planning for their new country. Presea and Braden were busy packing their bags for the journey ahead of them. Soon they joined their friends at the doorway of the crumbled castle. "Where are you headed?" Braden asked Caldina. "I dunno," she said. "Lafarga and I are gonna run away together! Right?" Lafarga just smiled. "How about you, Ascot?" Ascot was surrounded by his beasts. "My friends and I are going to travel Cephiro. We decided that we're going to help the people of this country start over." "That's very noble," Presea said. "Any news of Lantis?" "Seems that he went back to Autozam," Lafarga said. "But why? Will he return?" "Oh he'll return. He wanted to tell them of the news… Eagle died in the last battle." Presea was silent. "I never met him, but I feel sorry." "Yes. But he died with honor." "What about you, Dylan?" Braden continued. "I'm going back to the Society. We're still in existence, you know. I've got a job to do. I will work to honor Alcyone's memory," he smiled. "We're going back too," said Stephen. "Yes," added Terria. "Perhaps our house is still standing. I want life to return to how it was as soon as possible." "Now that you've asked us," said Stephen, "How about you?" "Presea, Braden, where are you two headed?" "We're going home," said Presea. "Home?" "We're going back to where Questria once stood… and we're rebuilding it. We're also going to make a memorial to those who died there." Braden nodded. "What about you Rogue?" Terria asked. "Where they go, I go. I figure that they're gonna need help once they rebuild that kingdom." "I will go with you, brother," said Ferio. "There's much that I can learn from you. And from Braden and Presea. I'm sure that your lessons can help me learn the ways of a prince." "We'll try," Rogue joked. "So I guess this is good-bye for now?" Presea asked. Caldina hugged everyone. "I'm gonna miss you guys!" "Visit anytime." "We will." "Perhaps you can look into to Underground Society?" Dylan suggested. "Maybe…" Lafarga said thoughtfully. He and Caldina joined hands and began to walk away down the path. "Good-bye!" they called. "I'm on my way too," said Ascot. "See you guys in the future!" He climbed on the back of one of his beasts and flew off. Clef walked out of the palace. "I'm going to go to the Society with you Dylan. I'd like to establish a new mage school there, if possible?" "Of course you can, Master Mage. It would be an honor." Clef turned to the castle. "This castle will now be a figment of our imaginations," he said clearly, and raised his staff. A beam of purple light shot from the staff and then the castle was gone. Then he turned back to the group. "Let's be on our way, then." "Take care of yourselves," said Terria. "We'll be there to check up on you guys soon." Bindi cooed in her arms. Presea hugged her friends and kissed Bindi on the cheek. Then Clef raised his staff once again and he, Dylan, Stephen, Terria, Bindi, and Sui all disappeared. Braden offered his arm to Presea. "Shall we?" "Of course." She took his arm. The two of them and Rogue and Ferio started down the long road to Questria. Soon they reached the old site. "There it is," Braden muttered. "Home sweet home. This is gonna be fun," Rogue said. "Ooooh yeah!" "Well," said Presea. "No time like the present. Come on you guys! We've got a lot of work to do!"

One Year Later

Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu stood together in Tokyo tower. "It's been a year since our last time in Cephiro," Hikaru told her friends. "Who would have thought that Lady Debonair was just a shadow created by the people of Cephiro's hearts," said Umi. "Yeah." "Don't forget… Nova was a shadow of Ms. Hikaru's heart," said Fuu. "That was scary," Hikaru admitted. The three gazed out of the window. "I wonder what it's like now," Umi said peacefully. "Ms. Hikaru was right when she let the people of Cephiro choose their own destiny," Fuu added. "Guys…" said Hikaru. "I want to go to Cephiro once more." "Me too!" "I also want to go." "Because I'm sure that Presea, Clef, and everybody else are well! I also want to see Lantis… I want to one day fulfill the promise of my heart!" Hikaru exclaimed. The other two nodded vigorously. "Look!" Umi said. She was pointing to the sky. The three glanced at the sky… in it's reflection was Cephiro… the mirror of the earth itself.

A year had passed since the annihilation of Lady Debonair. Cephiro was now rebuilt and stable. Questria had become the thriving city that it once was. Rogue was back to his old ways… as crazy as they were. Ferio was following in his footsteps. The Underground Society had grown and prospered too. And so had the royal family of Questria.
It all had started that fateful day, months ago, when Presea had come to Braden, a twinkle in her eye. "What are you hiding now?" Braden had asked, knowing that look. "Hiding? I'm not hiding a thing. Rather, I've got a surprise for you." "With everything that has happened to us, nothing could possibly surprise me." "Oh really? Well, here's one for you. I'm pregnant." At that point Braden's eyes almost popped out of his head and his jaw almost hit the floor. "Wha…what? Really?" Presea had laughed cheerfully. "Yes. We're going to have a baby!" "Oh my god! I can't believe this!" Then he had swept Presea off her feet. "We've got to start preparing! I'm so excited!" she said as he embraced her. "We've got months… We can take our time with this. Right?" he had asked.
Braden was now pacing up and down the halls of the castle. Apparently time had flown by and Presea was already due. Terria and Stephen had come immediately and now Terria was inside a room with Presea. Braden knew that the baby was coming soon. Meanwhile, Rogue stood against the wall, his arms crossed. Ferio stood there too, in a similar fashion. "Where have I seen this before?" Rogue asked. "Stop pacing already! Man, you always do that!" "I'm sorry. I'm just excited. I'm going to be a father, you guys." Rogue smiled. "Seems like yesterday that Presea herself was a child. Now she's having one…" "It's just crazy!" Stephen said. Suddenly the door flew open and Terria emerged, a smile on her face. The guys faced her, anxiety in their eyes. "Well?" they all asked. "Congratulations, Braden. You've got a daughter." "Yes!" Braden began jumping around the hall. Rogue and Ferio joined his cheers. "I've got a baby! I've got a baby!" Braden shouted. Then he calmed a bit. "How's Presea? Can I see her? And the baby? Now?" "Presea's tired, but of course you may see them." Braden rushed past Terria. Presea was sitting up straight, a bundle in her arms. She smiled brightly. Braden could hardly contain himself as he went over to his wife. First he kissed her. Then he looked down into the blankets. Sure enough, there was a little baby. She had a wisp of dark hair on her head and her eyes were bright blue. She stared up at both of them, yawned, and closed her eyes. "She's…perfect," Braden whispered. "She looks like you," Presea said. "Make way! Uncle Rogue is here!" "Uncle Rogue?" Rogue looked at the baby. "Look at that! I see some Presea in that baby. Look at the mouth and the nose. Yup, that's definitely Presea." "She's beautiful," said Ferio. "Congratulations, Presea, Braden," Stephen said. "Thank you," said Presea. "Yes," said Braden, "Thank you all."
A grand party for the new baby was held a few days later. Presea looked beautiful, despite the fact that she was worn out. The strangest thing of all was that they had not announced the baby's name yet. Gifts piled high to the ceiling. All of Questria and the Underground Society had been invited. Dylan had been smiling more than ever. His soul was now at peace. Caldina, Lafarga, and Ascot had come too. Even Lantis, who had returned from Autozam, came to congratulate the couple. Presea stood outside with Braden, the baby in her arms. The little girl's eyes had that unmistakable sparkle…just like Presea's. Dylan joined them on the balcony. "The kingdom is back. You have a new baby. You must feel so happy." "More than you can ever imagine!" Braden said. "Believe me, I can imagine. So tell me, why haven't you announced the child's name." "Because," said Presea, "We were waiting to tell you first." "What do you mean?" "Dylan, Braden and I have decided to name our little girl Alcyone. That way your daughter's spirit will live on through ours. She was a key part to saving Cephiro. We wanted to honor her memory…not only for us, but for everyone." Dylan broke down in tears. "You two… I always knew that you both were amazing people. To do this for me… No, to do this for her… Thank you!" He kissed them both on the cheek and then kissed little Alcyone on the forehead. "Congratulations," he said through tears. "I'm a wreck. I need a drink…" Braden and Presea laughed. "Go ahead," Braden said. Dylan nodded to them and went back inside. "Hey you two lovebirds! Come on in!" called Rogue. "We're all waitin' for ya!" added Caldina. "We'll be right there!" Braden called back. Then he turned to Presea. "You two… are the best things in my life. I'm so lucky to have you. And our future is secure…" He put and arm around Presea's waist and took Alcyone's hand. "I love you Presea. And I love you too, Alcyone." "I love you too Braden. I will always love you," Presea said. "I'm grateful to you. And the kingdom. And everyone who helped us along the way." Braden looked into her eyes as he had done so many times before. He noticed tears. "Tears? On your beautiful face…why are there tears now? Aren't you happy?" Presea handed the baby to her husband and wiped away her tears. The wind blew her hair back and the sun shone down, reflecting in her brown eyes. "This is it. This chapter is closing. A new one is opening." "But that doesn't tell me why you cry?" "I'm happy, Braden. More happy than you'll ever know." She turned and faced the kingdom…the place of her greatest triumph and turmoil. "More happy than you'll ever know. We've come full circle." Then she smiled, took her husband's hand, and the three of them went back to the party together. Cephiro's time of trouble was a thing of the past. It was now time for the new chapter to begin.

The End

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Part 2