The Prince of Water stood tall and proud as he returned his sword to the Starlit Goddess. The Goddess accepted the blade and favoured him with an impossibly perfect smile. “My sword, returned as it was taken, Lady Goddess. May it rest as long as peace rules these lands.” “Thank you, Adam.” The Goddess replied with a voice as clear and bright as crystal. “I will watch over it until it is needed again.” Next, Lily stepped forward to return her mirror. The Princess of Air looked a lot more at home with herself than when they first met, Adam mused. Even now, with her blond hair roughly cut and her clothes ripped and worn from their adventures, she looked a lot more comfortable than she had before their journey began. Next to step up was Sven, the Prince of Earth. His expression was firm and solemn as he offered his bracers to the Goddess, but as soon as he stepped back he shot Adam a brilliant grin which the boy couldn’t help but return. They had done it. After all this time, after all their struggles and setbacks, they had won. Finally Amber, the Princess of Fire, stepped up to return her harp. She held the instrument close and played one final, lasting note, the sound heavy with equal measures of melancholy and hope. Slowly, almost hesitatingly, she gave the instrument over to the Goddess. The moment it was out of her hands she ran over to Lily and pulled the other girl into a tight hug, her dark hair falling to hide her face as she sobbed silently into her best friend’s shoulder. Adam wanted to say something to her, but he didn’t know what. As far as any of them knew, Amber had never had any real friends before they all came here… And now they might never see each other again. The Starlit Goddess laid a hand upon Amber’s head, gently stroking her hair until she managed to stop crying. Then, for one last time, the Goddess spoke to them. “The four of you have done this world a great service, and we are all forever in your debt. The greatest of all evils has been sealed away and the land knows peace once more.” Behind her opened a glowing doorway in the air itself, just like the ones which had taken them there. “The time has come for you to return home. Go proudly with your heads held high, my heroes, for you have all accomplished great things.” One by one, the heroes said their last goodbye and walked through the portal. But Adam hesitated. He turned towards the Goddess once more. “If the evil comes back…” He began. “I want you to know you can always call on us. We will be ready to protect this world again, no matter when.” “Thank you, my brave prince. But now, you must go. Go and return to your own world. I’m sure someone is looking for you.” Adam nodded and turned towards the portal. As he entered, he again felt the sensation of falling through space even as he stood still. He saw the Goddess dwindle away in the distance, and then the castle, and then the whole world. Adam landed heavily on the same hill where he had first found the portal, and stumbled and rolled all the way to the bottom. Dizzily trying to get up, he caught sight of his parents hurrying towards him. Even though he knew he had been away for months, his distraught parents simply said they had been looking for him for hours. He decided not to worry about that as he ran up and hugged his mother and father. Be it months or hours, he had missed them a lot, and he was glad to be back. And besides, he thought with a smile, he had so many things to tell them.