How it Should Have Ended
by Magnus Prime

Bowie stared into his drink with an intense look that contrasted with the lightheartedness of the celebration going on around him.

He looked to one side to see Chester and Higins laughing and drinking. Looking to the other side he saw the princess, blushing as she chatted happily with Janet and Sheela. He started to tip his tankard back when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jaha.

The dwarf sat between Peter and May, staring at his tankard as Bowie himself had just been. Not laughing with those around him, not lifting his tankard in celebration. Just…staring, and the leader of the Shining Force knew exactly what was on the dwarf's mind.

"I understand what my friends are saying, but... I love her. May I kiss her? Somebody, say yes!"

Bowie's chest tightened as he remembered Jaha's pleas for acceptance, as well as Sarah's dismay over the impromptu vote. A quick scan showed that neither Sarah nor Kazin had returned yet, and the young leader found himself feeling…sad? Jealous?

He rose from his seat at the table and, ignoring the puzzled looks from his teammates next to him, headed out to the courtyard and out the castle gates.

He came across the elven mage headed the other way as he made his way toward the school where many memories had been made with Jaha and Sarah. "Where is she?" he asked after stopping his friend.

"At your old school," Kazin said with a tired expression. "I wouldn't try talking to her if I were you; she's in a very bad mood."

"Thanks, but I'll risk it; she and I go way back," Bowie replied, with no small amount of heaviness. "Go to the castle; you're missing the party."

"Right," the sorcerer replied, then gestured back to the schoolhouse. "I'll definitely need a drink after that."

The young hero watched as Kazin headed toward the castle, then heaved a sigh as he started toward the schoolhouse again.

He opened the door to the school and started to step through, only to have to duck to avoid a chair flying at his head. "I said get out of here!" the shuddering and teary voice of his childhood friend cried.

"Sarah? It's me," Bowie carefully announced, just in case he wouldn't be as welcomed as he hoped.

"B-Bowie?" she said as she lowered her next projectile, a desk, to the floor. "I-I'm sorry, I thought you were Kazin again."

"He was headed to the castle when we met, so you should be safe for now."

Her giggle had the hint of tears as she shuffled the desk back into place. "That's g-good, but…why are you here?"

Bowie made his way further into the old classroom and plopped down into his old seat. "I'm not sure…It just seems like…nothing's right."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, also settling into her former chair. "The princess is saved, you're next to become k-king…"

Bowie couldn't help but notice her stutter. "Maybe I don't want to be king…" he mused.

"Huh?"

"Did you notice how that whole thing was done? Sir Astral turned it into a vote…sort of. He asked everyone what they thought, until Jaha spoke up, then he basically decided on his own."

"Yeah," she replied, her gaze becoming unfocused. "He asked me what I thought, but I got the feeling that he didn't really mean it."

"That's because he had it all planned out from the beginning," Bowie said bitterly. "I was the 'hero', the leader of Shining Force, so of course it would look good to have me become the next king, regardless of our own feelings." He leaned back in his chair and deliberately looked away from his childhood friend, uncomfortable with what he was about to ask. "Sarah…some of them said that you loved me…is…is this true?"

His head snapped back to her as he heard a gasp, and he saw her hiding her face in her hands. "B-Bowie…"

His jaw dropped. "Y-You do?" As overcome with shock he was at the revelation, he also realized… "Sarah, if this is true, then…I think there's a way for everyone to be happy here."

She lowered her hands from her eyes to reveal tear tracks and puffiness. "R-Really?"

He nodded as he licked his lips. "Yeah, but…for this to work, we have to be honest, so…do you love me?"

"I…I do," she admitted with a shuddering breath. "What about you?"

He sighed with an awkward smile. "I'll admit that I haven't thought about that kind of thing much since I've been so busy 'saving the world', but…" he reached out to cover one of her hands with his own. "…I can't think of anyone I'd rather have by my side."

He could feel her hand start to tremble along with the rest of her. "B-Bowie…"

He quickly got to his feet and pulled her into an embrace. "It's okay," he said as comfortingly as he could as she cried tears of relief into his chest. "I'll fix this; you'll see. Everyone will see."

"Jaha? Arenn you goinnn to drink?" The young man in question looked up from his tankard to see Gerhalt hovering over him, clearly drunk. "Good stuff! *hic*"

Jaha didn't reply, but looked down to his drink again. "I probably should, huh? I really made a fool of myself in front of everyone; this should help me forget." He put the tankard to his mouth and was about to tip it when the doors to the great hall slammed open, revealing his commander and friend.

"H-Hero Bowie!" the king exclaimed. "Where have you been? "

"I am here to save your kingdom, your highness," Bowie declared as he reentered the hall, Sarah following behind.

The king shot to his feet. "Save it? F-From what?"

"From cowardice, my liege."

Astral rose from his seat to join the king next to his throne. "Cowardice, young hero?"

Bowie motioned for Sarah to take a seat, and she did so. "I would tell you a story, if you would allow it." The king simply inclined his head, and Bowie returned the gesture before continuing. "There was once a young man of no importance who was given a great task; to save the world from a great evil. To do this, he set out with his two best friends and, over time, found others who were willing to join his just cause."

"He sounds like a remarkable young man," the king remarked. "Who is he? If he is real, I should like for him to join my elite guard."

"After many trials and tribulations, he defeated the great evil. However, at a critical moment, when a great decision was to be made…he showed himself a coward."

"Indeed?" Astral said, with what appeared to be a knowing smile. "And how was this mighty hero a coward?"

"He failed to speak for what was right," Bowie declared, "and many people were hurt as a result."

Jaha, wide-eyed, watched his friend as he realized what he was talking about.

"However," Bowie continued, "there was a member of that army who also showed great courage not only through many battles, but also showed courage when the great decision was to be made. He showed great courage in speaking…but was rebuffed."

"Outrageous!" the king bellowed. "Why, if that courageous young warrior was here right now-"

"He is, your highness," Bowie interrupted as politely as he could.

"Show me!"

Bowie quickly scanned the crowd, and was relieved to find who he was looking for. "Baron Jaha! Front and center!"

Jaha could feel all eyes on him as he slowly rose to his feet and made his way over to Bowie's side. "C-Commander?"

Bowie winked at his friend before turning back to address the king again. "This is the man who showed true courage, your majesty. He fought at my side at every battle, showing courage in the face of overwhelming adversity." He paused to let his words sink in before continuing. "Not only that…when the decision was to me made regarding who would…wake the princess, he confessed his love for her before the entire court."

"B-Bowie!" Jaha hissed.

"Is this true?" All eyes turned to see Princess Elis rise to her feet with an expression of shock.

"Yes, your highness," Astral answered. "When we were deciding who should wake you, he asked on the basis of his feelings toward you."

"He was quickly denied," Bowie added with a glare toward his former mentor. "Everyone thought a human would be a better candidate, and myself in particular, presumably due to my leadership of the Shining Force."

"Is that so…" she mused as she studied the pair. "Baron Jaha, please come with me; I wish to speak with you at length."

"M-Me?" Jaha nearly squeaked. "Y-Yes, your highness!" It took a nudge from Bowie to get his feet moving, but Jaha managed to follow the princess as she led him out a side door.

As the door shut behind the two, murmuring started to rise from the gathering.

"What are you hoping to accomplish with this?" Astral asked from his place next to the king.

"Justice," Bowie answered simply. "I can accept my successes as evidence that I am a great leader and warrior, but that does not mean that I would be a great king. If you want a man with great courage, you would want Baron Jaha, who has shown courage on and off the battlefield."

"But he is a-"

"Dwarf?" Bowie said, interrupting his mentor. "Sir Astral, I will admit that politics isn't one of my strong suits, but it sounds like you're implying that dwarves aren't good enough to be royalty." He looked to the throne. "Do you believe this to be true, your majesty?"

"W-Well…" King Granseal was apparently unprepared for the question. "I…I'd never really thought about it…"

"If your daughter were to return saying that she wanted to marry the baron, would you object?" Bowie asked.

"I…I suppose that would be okay…" the king managed to mumble.

"Your highness?"

King Granseal looked over at his trusted advisor. "Sir Astral, I have always prided myself on being a very fair and open-minded king. Were I to deny him the throne based solely on his heritage, what kind of king would I be?"

The astrologer opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again.

The king 'humphed' before turning to address the gathering. "If my daughter wishes to marry Baron Jaha, she will do so with my blessing. I would stand in the way of true love to the detriment of my kingdom."

"That is good to know, father," the princess said, drawing everyone's attention to her once again as she entered the room with the baron. "I would hate to have to defy you."

"P-Princess Elis…?" Astral stammered.

"Hero Bowie; I apologize for what my father and his advisor have put you through. I am very ashamed of the heavy-handed tactics used to try to put you on the throne," she said, sending a displeased look to the king and Sir Astral. The glare faded, however, as she shifted her gaze to the elven healer. "Vicar Sarah, I understand that you are owed an apology as well, so I offer it; I am very sorry that your feelings were disregarded in the decision-making process. It was cruel to ask your opinion fully knowing that it would be disregarded."

"Th-Thank you, your majesty," Sarah squeaked as she shot to her feet, hurriedly wiping at her eyes.

"Father, I hope that you will excuse the four of us," Princess Elis said, bowing slightly toward her father. "Baron Jaha and I have planning to do, and we would like the hero and the vicar to join us."

King Granseal simply waved his hand, and the princess made her way over to the leader of the Shining Force. "Hero Bowie, would you and Vicar Sarah honor us with your presence?"

A smile spread across Bowie's face at her request. "We would be honored, your highness," he replied, looking to Sarah for confirmation.

The trio of friends left the din of the great hall, following the princess down the hallway to a set of double doors. Jaha and Bowie quickly stepped forward and opened the doors for the ladies, much to their delight. After they had settled around a table within, Elis folded her hands before her. "The first thing we need to take care of is-"

"Excuse me, princess?" Jaha interrupted.

Surprise showed on Elis' face, though she didn't seem offended. "Yes, milord? What is it?"

Jaha's mouth snapped shut, and his friends smiled as they realized that his reaction was due to the way the princess had addressed him. "B-Before we start, th-there's one thing I don't understand."

"What's wrong, Jaha?" Sarah asked, dropping the formalities.

"When Mitula took the Jewels to seal Zeon, she told us that you had been poisoned, and that you could only be awakened by your true love's kiss."

At his words, Bowie and Elis awkwardly glanced at each other.

"Wouldn't that mean that Bowie is your true love?" Jaha asked.

"How would the curse know that Bowie is my true love?" the princess asked.

"But Mitula told us that-"

"But she also told us that she didn't know how long the poison would last," Sarah pointed out. "That curse seemed pretty particular, don't you think?"

"Are you suggesting that Mitula lied to us?" Bowie asked in an astonished tone. "She knew that when her skin cleared that the poison would be gone."

"And Volcanon lied to us about forsaking us," Sarah countered.

"She…may have said what she did to help bring happiness to our kingdom," Elis suggested. "Finding a husband for me would have brought happiness…has brought happiness to our kingdom, so perhaps she said what she did to that end."

"Someone could just as easily have come up and said 'Wakey, wakey'?" Bowie asked with an impish grin.

"I was very impressed by your bravery in trying to rescue me early on," the princess said. "But how would anyone know who was my true love? I was gone or asleep for most of your adventures." She reached over and laid a hand atop Jaha's. "I'm just glad to know that there were many brave warriors willing to fight to rescue me and save our kingdom."

"It was our pleasure, your majesty," Bowie said with a slight bow.

"And a lot of fun!" Jaha exclaimed, raising his free hand into a fist, causing the princess to giggle softly.

"Settle down, you brute," Sarah scolded half-heartedly.

"Milord is no brute," Elis insisted. "He is a brave man who is not afraid to fight for what is right; that is not the way of a 'brute' but a warrior."

Bowie's gaze fell to the table as he unconsciously remembered his cowardice in the courtroom, but a squeeze of his hand redirected his gaze to Sarah, who smiled warmly at him, drawing a smile of his own.

"May I go back to what I started to talk about?" Elis asked.

"Oh! Of course!" Jaha exclaimed. "I'm sor…please forgive me for interrupting."

"Do not worry about it," she replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I believe it was good to address it and put the matter to rest."

Poor Jaha could only smile sheepishly as he glanced repeatedly at her.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Bowie asked, trying to contain his laughter at his friend's expression.

"Our wedding plans," Elis said.

"W-Wedding…?" Jaha had started to pale.

Plans were made, though they had to take many breaks so Jaha could 'get some air'; while he loved the idea of marrying the princess, actually planning for the wedding proved a bit much for the young man, requiring several retreats to the balcony to recover.

"Congratulations again, you two," Bowie said as the quartet headed to the castle gates. "We'll definitely consider your proposal; we'd just like some time to talk about it."

"I understand," Princess Elis said as she and her new fiancé waved. "We hope to hear your answer soon."

As they left the castle grounds, Bowie glanced over as his elven friend. "Well, Sarah? Any thoughts?"

"I'm still worried," Sarah admitted. "She's so beautiful and I'm so…plain."

"You are not," he humphed. "The princess even said so herself, remember?"

She thought back with a blush at how Elis had gushed over her. "You have a unique grace and loveliness all your own," the princess had insisted when Sarah initially brought up her concern. "We were not all created to be beautiful in the same way."

Sarah jerked with a gasp as she suddenly felt something contact her face, then relaxed as she realized that it was Bowie taking her face in his hands. "You…You scared me!"

"Sarah…" The look in Bowie's eyes nearly made her knees buckle. "I wish I could show you how beautiful you are to me. It bothers me that you feel this way about yourself."

"I…I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

"Don't be," he whispered back. "I'm sorry I can't say anything to help you. All I can say is that I think your eyes are big and beautiful, I like the shape of your ears, and I love the way your hair sits around your face."

Her giggle sputtered through her tears. "You're right, you are awful with words…" She reached up to cover his hands with her own. "…but thank you so much for trying; it means a lot to me that you would do that."

"Sarah?" he said, drawing her into an embrace. "I want to accept the princess' offer. I want us to marry in the castle with her and Jaha. I want to see you in that huge white wedding dress. I want to lift that cloth…whatever-it's-called and kiss you."

"It's called a 'veil'…" She choked through her laughter once again. "A-Are you sure you'd be okay having Jaha as your boss?"

"He can't be any worse than I was," Bowie chuckled. "Besides, I want you to have the best, and if I have to stop adventuring for a while, then so be it."

"Bowie…I-I love you so much…"

As he walked his childhood friend back to her house, Bowie thought about all the work he and the others had done to get to this point. Sir Astral may have tried to force things, but the leader of the Shining Force knew how it should have ended.

Rough Draft complete