"If they hadn't bombarded in here, if you haven't followed in after, if our fates never crossed, we wouldn't be here today. We'd still be...up there," Isa gazed hazily at the sky, a dreamy look glossing her eyes, "with no knowledge of the land beneath us, without freedom, boundaries and restrictions at every corner. So no, I don't regret it at all.

"My people, their happiness now is all that matters. And I've learned to see that. You must know by the least why we're all so grateful."

Lukas' leg bounced uneasily, arms folded across his chest. Why was it he never looked at it that way? A different angle, a new perspective. The Blaze Rods had created a sense of despair, but that was where the hope had bloomed. Isa surely thought of it that way.

"I think I know why you came back here." She went on, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "You came back for closure. It's been bothering you, hasn't it?"

"Was it that obvious?" He replied half-heartedly, shrugging. She responded with a laugh.

"Not at all, just a feeling I suppose."

A pause.

"I've...I've been seeing things." A shaky breath escaped his lips, his mind racing. "When I'm asleep, it's the nightmares. When I'm awake, it's the hallucinations. Aiden, he's laughing at me, I can hear it, all while knowing he's here, harmless. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Her expression softened, shaking her head ever so slightly.

"Every warrior has suffered. And each of them has taken that suffering with them. But what makes a warrior great is how he chooses to deal with that pain. Bottle it up? Use it as fuel for a deeper emotion? A great warrior faces that suffering, learns from it, and moves forward.

"What use is it to dwell in the past? By doing that, you'd only blind yourself from your future, wasting your present."

A gentle snort rang out from one of the pigs, and Isa chuckled. Lukas forced himself out of his trance.

"I suppose it is getting late. You should get some rest, I take it you're leaving bright and early tomorrow." She stood up, dusting off her dress and gesturing the blond to do the same.

"Hey, Isa? Thank you, for that." He scratched his head, finding it easier to make himself smile, even if only a small one. "I'll take it into account."

"Of course," she exclaimed, nodding, "farewell Lukas. Please, say hello to Jesse for me."

*

He closed the door gently behind him, making sure his farewell and thank you note stuck firmly before leaving. The straps of his bag clung to his shoulders, the slight pitter-patter of his footsteps sounding across the dirt. Once again, he made his way through the darkness. It was so early the sun refused to get up.

He took one last look at the city, wondering if he should stay longer. But something similar to homesickness nagged him away. He wanted to get back just as much as he wanted to get out. And besides, he didn't want Jesse to get suspicious. Not that she would, he didn't visit as frequently as he wanted, so she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't show up for a while.

"Lukas!" A familiar voice got his attention. Reginald practically ran up to him, with a tight grin on his face. It soon fell as he approached.

"Good day Reginald, what's got you up so early?"

The former guard was tense, shoulders straight and eyes looking around nervously.

"I was hoping, nevermind...Aiden isn't with you, is he?" The blond raised an eyebrow, not expecting that question.

"No, he isn't. I'm sorry." Lukas shook his head apologetically.

Reggie let out a short sigh, folding his arms across his chest. He tapped his foot on the ground, staring off into the distance.

"I'm supposed to supervise him when he works early in the morning, but I can't find him anywhere. Isa is going to kill me if she finds out." His hands went to his face, as if he was attempting to cover up his panic. The poor guy, he was only trying to do his job. Of course Aiden would screw it up.

"Hey, I'm heading out now, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll look around for him and send him right back if I do." Reggie's face lit up hopefully, making Lukas smile.

"Oh thank you! That would be wonderful, I would really appreciate it. Of course, if it isn't troubling you..."

"No worries, it's no trouble," he replied easily, gesturing with his hands, "and I'm sure if you explain to Isa what happened she won't be angry, so don't fret about it."

"You're right, thank you Lukas. Good luck on your travels!" And just like that, he was gone. Running off somewhere into the city, searching for the former Blaze Rod.

The returning hero took his time heading towards the portal, keeping his word to try and spot Aiden. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him. His thoughts were beginning to get the best of him again. It was strange, really, the day he had returned Aiden had deemed himself missing. Where was he? Where could he be?

Before he knew it he had reached the portal. It was the only bright light shining through the darkness of morning, glimmering its intimidating glow. Lukas took a deep breath, and stepped through it. The vulnerable part of him tingled a bit before he landed on the other side. The nostalgia took hold.

It wasn't even that long ago, but it felt like ages, years. Down the hallway, an abundance of colors brightened his vision. A wide variety of portals faced him. He could remember dimly of what most if not all of them contained.

A world similar to the nether, burning hot fire and lava falling from the sky. Another quite the opposite, snow rising upwards, ice covering the land. And then there were others, one with no gravity, one with giant holes that seemed to go down forever, one with blinding bright lights everywhere they went. A part of him wished he wasn't alone now. It tugged on the strings in his chest.

But he couldn't go home yet. Not until he had accomplished his goal.

Thud

Lukas swerved towards the sound, eyes wandering around nervously. Someone had decided to keep him company.

"Come out." He ordered, hand wobbling as he readied to reach for his sword. There was no sound. "Don't make this difficult."

Step

He turned around again, but this time, the first thing he processed was a fist aiming straight for his face.