“Man... this place hasn’t changed.”

Tapping a restless tune against the tiling of the roof with his tail, Zidane Tribal let out a quiet sigh as he overlooked the metropolitan canopy. He had just returned from a trip to Burmecia, where he'd gone to visit - or in Freya’s words, “interrupt their lives with his overly grandiose appearance”. It wasn’t his fault he had decided to go through the window instead of the door and Frately had been present... Zidane chuckled as he remembered.

Tantalus had welcomed him back with the usual raucous and warmth; the back-slapping, the brotherly hair-toussles, the ‘friendly’ punch from Baku that had already bruised... He had retreated to the rooftops to rest, and smiled as he looked around his childhood home. But even the uproar from the Nero brothers or the kiss on the cheek from Ruby hadn’t quite made the place feel like home yet.

It hadn’t felt quite like a home since he’d returned from Alexandria.

The sun was up high, casting a bright hue over the bustling city of Lindblum, a place that Zidane knew like the back of his hand. His smile dissipated as the aircabs and rooftops blurred, and the image of Alexandria entered his mind. No matter where his travels took him, his thoughts would always return to her.

How long had it been since he’d seen her? He’d lost count of the months. His thoughts became blurred lines when he tried to remember how they’d become so separated. 

He shook his head. Thinking about it only made him moody and confused, and what could he do about it here, in Lindblum? She was miles away in her castle, ruling her kingdom. She was safe and happy. That’s all he needed to know, right?