"It sounds nice." And yet, if Zelda sounded a shade wistful there, so did Ven. He appreciated this second chance -- third, fourth, really -- but as enjoyable and comfortable as Aqures Ixen might turn out to be, it still wasn't home. Not his real home, not the Land of Departure, and that was a gap in his heart that couldn't be bridged by a substitute, new friends or no.

Nevertheless, those were darker thoughts that could wait. For now, he would appreciate what he'd been given.

"And it sounds like everyone's been busy," he added more cheerfully. "I'm still not really sure what's expected of me, but I hope I can live up to it." That was the least he could do in return for having been revived -- although even now he felt a little uneasy at the idea of simply leaving Sora behind. Ven had been in the role of the protected for so long, but only recently he was moved to do the opposite and protect Sora. What if he was needed again?

Either way, Ven couldn't do anything about it at the moment, so he went on smiling curiously at Zelda. "I guess I just need to go check the city out myself. Are you heading back soon?"