~6 months later~

Darkness was steadily taking over Eos. The light of the sun was dimmed behind a dark haze that blanketed the world. Both man and beast were struggling to survive against the rapid increase in daemons. Many had already lost their lives, becoming the nocturnal monsters they fought against. Even so, survivors were pouring into Lestallum, one of the few places still safe from the daemons. Thanks to the Meteor's energy, Lestallum still had power, which kept the daemons at bay, and the EXINERIS workers were doing all they could to connect power to other outposts, creating multiple safe places throughout Lucis. As for all the able-bodied warriors, they battled the daemon threat as best they could. Hunters, Crownsguard, Glaives---they had all banded together to combat a common enemy.

Amidst the darkness, flames burst forth around the western section of the Mencemoor. A battle was raging on between Guardians. Though they were both in their human forms, Ryella and Nero fought fiercely as if they were beasts. The two had confronted one another several times since Noctis's disappearance. With her eyes glowing red, Ryella stood firmly, fire erupting around her. She panted lightly, watching Nero stalk toward her, blade in hand. He suddenly lunged forward, slashing horizontally. The girl was quick to duck under the sword and jump back. She lifted her hands, raising a fire pillar in front of Nero, who stepped back before he was burned.

"I don't understand!" she cried, growing tired. "Why are you still doing this?! After everything that's happened, why are you still helping Ardyn?!"

Nero scowled, charging toward her while avoiding her fire attacks. "You wouldn't get it! You're not like me!" Ryella clumsily avoided his sword swings. "You grew up with a perfect family in a perfect home!"

"What are you talking about?! My life was far from perfect! My mother passed away before I even got the chance to know her, and my father was killed when I was young!" Nero paused, allowing her to move back and catch her breath. "For years, my brother and I did what we could to carry on."

Nero stared at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I lost my father at a young age as well."

"I'm...sorry." Ryella slowly shook her head. "Please, Nero...can't we end this? I'm sick of fighting." Her voice trembled. "We're both Guardians...we should be working together." She slowly reached a hand out to him. "We can help bring the light back."

Nero's gaze instantly turned into a glare. He swung at her, grazing her arm before she could retract it in time. "Who says I want the light back?!"

The girl shot a tiny blast of fire at him, which he easily avoided. Ryella froze, the crimson glow of her eyes fading. Her magic had been depleted. Nero lightly kicked her in the stomach, making her fall onto her back. Before she could move, he stabbed his blade into the edge of her right shoulder. She shrieked in pain, writhing as he crouched over her.

"Don't you get it?!" he spat angrily. "I don't belong in a world of light! My power of darkness could never fit into this world you dream of! That is why I side with Ardyn! He accepted me---the darkness accepted me when no one else ever did!"

Ryella whimpered and wriggled under his intense gaze, but she managed a slight smile. "Have you...ever looked at the night sky?"

Nero blinked in confusion. "What?"

"It has a serene beauty to it..." she continued, despite the pain of her bleeding shoulder. "When most people think of night...they think of darkness...but one look at the sky...and you can see there's so much more... The bright, shining moon lights up the dark...with the aid of the shimmering stars... There is always light within the darkness...you need merely look for it..." The man stared in shock as she reached up, resting a hand on his arm. "Nero...there's more to your power...I know it... You do belong...if only you'd realize that..."

For once, Nero's expression didn't show any hostility, instead, it showed pure bewilderment. No one had ever spoken to him like that---in such a kind, compassionate manner. He had to wonder, could she be right? Was there some good to his power? He slowly stood, yanking his sword free. He turned and began walking away, pondering over her words. Ryella carefully rose to her feet, clutching her bleeding shoulder.

Nero paused, looking back at her from over his shoulder. "Ever since the darkness took over, I've begun losing interest in you. My hatred of you and everything you stand for...has diminished. Ardyn and I have already achieved what we set out to do. But if you continue to get in our way, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Ryella watched him leave, changing into his dragon form and flying away. She hoped that she'd gotten through to him---that maybe her words would help him to realize that he was misinterpreting his own power. At least she would no longer have to deal with him coming after her. But once Noctis returned, she knew she would have to face Nero once more. She glanced up at the hazy sky. She couldn't tell the exact time, but she knew it had to be getting late.

"Back to Lestallum," she muttered to herself. "I don't want to worry Prompto."

She transformed, ripping the raggedy clothes she used when traveling. All of her good clothes were back at home, but she didn't dare wear them out often for fear of tearing them to shreds when changing forms. Ryella took to the sky, thankful she still had a surplus of magic energy. Both her and the Glaives had been granted the power of the past kings of Lucis, which allowed them to wield magic freely despite the absence of their king. So the Guardian could transform as much as she needed, as if she were still connected to Noctis.

Ryella soared straight for the lights of Lestallum, hoping her boyfriend wasn't pacing back and forth waiting for her. The couple had settled into Lestallum for the time being, getting their own little place to call home. Ignis and Gladio often rested in town too, but they weren't around quite as often. The four friends were drifting away from each other a bit, each going out and doing their own things. Ryella flew out nearly every day, helping to lessen the daemon population. Prompto was out some days as well, but he was often back even before Ryella. She assumed he just didn't want to be away for long and worry her. And yet, she was doing the exact thing he tried to avoid. It made her feel a bit guilty.

Upon arriving in Lestallum, Ryella landed in the streets, squeezing between buildings until she reached her home. She transformed again, hurrying inside before the light faded from her body and someone saw her completely exposed. The living room area was dark and quiet, which meant Prompto must've already been in bed. Using her arms to cover her bare chest, she rushed to the bathroom. She immediately began cleaning her wounds, thankful that they'd stopped bleeding. The light cut on her right arm was easy to dismiss, but her right shoulder still stung and burned with even the lightest touch. She'd have to be careful with it since they didn't have any spare medical supplies at the moment.

The girl cleaned herself up a bit and slipped on her underwear and her usual white nightgown. She then left the small bathroom and went straight to the bedroom, carefully stepping inside. Sure enough, Prompto was already in bed, clothed in his tan pants and red tank top that he often slept in. Ryella's gaze darted to the bedside table where a small clock sat beside her pendant. It was already close to midnight, though with the constant haze clouding the sky, it was nearly impossible to tell. Not wanting to wake her boyfriend, she crept over to the bed and climbed in. She was taken by surprise when Prompto suddenly rolled onto his side to face her. She watched his eyes open partway and a smile grace his lips.

"Hey, babe..." he greeted. "I was gonna wait for you, but I didn't know how long you'd be gone."

Ryella smiled softly. "That's okay."

He suddenly pulled her into a hug. "Please start coming home earlier. I worry about you." He took notice of the cut on her shoulder, his expression showing concern. "What happened?"

Her eyes darted to the small gash. "U-um...well, these things happen when you're out fighting daemons and everything."

His brows furrowed. He didn't quite believe her. "I...guess." He didn't bother pressing her for details. He leaned his head over, pressing his lips lightly against her shoulder, beside the cut. "Just be more careful. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

"I will, I promise." She pushed her lips to his briefly before snuggling against him and closing her eyes. "Goodnight, Prompto."

The blond kept her firmly in his arms, kissing her head. "Night, Ryella."

~~~~~

Prompto awoke to find Ryella no longer beside him. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around. For a split second, he thought maybe she'd left on her own again to who knows where. But to his relief, the brunette pushed open the door, stepping inside with a tray of food in hand and a bright smile on her face. She was still in her white nightgown, meaning she'd immediately gotten up to make breakfast.

"Good morning, Prompto," she greeted in a chipper voice. "I made you breakfast in bed."

The blond grinned cheerfully, eyeing the meal. "Morning! What a pleasant little surprise."

The girl giggled, going over to his side. "Consider it my way of apologizing for worrying you last night." She set the tray on his lap. "Monica's been teaching me how to prepare some new meals. I hope you like it."

Prompto stared down at the food. It was an omelette with buttered toast on the side and a glass of orange juice. Although it was something simple, getting a hold of the ingredients for it at the present time was quite a feat. He licked his lips, smelling the delectable aroma.

"Looks good!" He picked up his fork, cutting off a piece of the omelette and stuffing it into his mouth. "Mmm, that's yummy!"

He greedily began scarfing down his breakfast while Ryella happily watched. "Thank you. I wasn't sure at first if it would turn out all that great."

Prompto paused. "Are you kidding me?! This is delicious! Here, try some."

Before she could decline, he held up a piece of omelette on his fork. She'd already eaten a bit of breakfast and didn't want to take his, but she also couldn't decline either. She graciously gobbled up the omelette, smiling at the taste. Prompto then tore off a piece of toast, holding it up to her. She gently took it between her teeth, careful not to bite his fingers. He grinned at seeing her happily chewing and swallowing the food she'd taken time to prepare.

"I guess I worried for nothing. It really is quite scrumptious."

The boy stifled a small laugh, seeing a bit of butter smeared across her upper lip. "Babe, you've got butter on your lips. Here, let me get it."

He pulled her closer and caught her lips with his own. She blushed at the feeling of his tongue gliding over her upper lip. He quickly pulled away, smirking lightly and licking his own lips.

"There, that's better."

Ryella immediately turned her head away, trying to hide her red face. He laughed at her reaction and continued his meal. He scarfed down his breakfast and allowed the girl to take his empty tray and glass. She headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes while her boyfriend followed behind her. Prompto nearly forgot the whole reason he was out yesterday, but spying the cardboard box on the living room couch reminded him. He waited for Ryella to finish the dishes before taking her hand and leading her to the living room.

"By the way, I have a little surprise for you too."

He sat her down on the coach beside the box, and he sat on her other side. "Is this more supplies?" the Guardian questioned, confused.

Prompto smiled, leaning over her shoulder. "Nope. Open it up, I guarantee you'll like what's inside."

She carefully opened the top of the box. She gasped, her eyes growing wide. The box was full of an assortment of things...all from Fenestala Manor. She could hardly believe her eyes. After she'd learned that the manor had burned down, she thought everything in it had been lost. But there she was, staring down at numerous items from her home.

"H-how...? How did you manage to get all these things?"

The blond hugged her from behind, resting his head on her uninjured shoulder. "Well, after we'd heard about the manor burning down, I thought it'd be nice to bring you some reminders of home. It took some time, but I finally tracked down an old lady who served there, and she'd salvaged a bunch of things before she fled. When I told her they'd be going straight to you, she was happy to part with some of them."

Ryella silently began rummaging through everything. There were all sorts of little trinkets and items. She first picked up a small dragon statue that once sat in her father's room. She showed it to her boyfriend before setting it back inside the box. There was a beautiful, ornate hair clip she'd received from Luna on her 10th birthday, along with a bracelet from Ravus, and a necklace from Reynard. She found other little bits of jewelry and such before she came to a moogle doll. Ryella picked it up, staring at it for a moment and trying to remember where it was from. Examining it, she found a name written on its back that read "Maggie".

"Oh my goodness, I remember this!" She suddenly hugged the doll. "Maggie!"

Prompto chuckled. "Maggie the moogle?"

Ryella glanced at him still leaning over her shoulder. "Maggie was the first doll I'd ever received. My father gave her to me when I was only 4 years old, and I slept with her every night until I was 8. I had forgotten about her all this time."

The gunman pecked her cheek. "That's adorable."

Ryella then moved onto the last item. It was a book of some kind with a simple blue cover. Opening it up, there was a pressed sylleblossom on the first page. The next page had a photo of Queen Sylva with a young Ravus and Lunafreya standing with her. The following page was of Damon and his children, Ryella and Reynard.

"This is...a photo album," she mumbled.

She flipped through the pages, finding various pictures of both hers and Luna's families. The final photo was of all of them together. It was a much older photo because Ryella was only an infant in the arms of a woman that resembled her. The woman had long, brown hair and light freckles across her face. Damon stood by her side, an arm around her. On the woman's other side was Sylva holding a toddler in her arms. In front of them stood two young boys, Reynard and Ravus. Ryella stared at the woman holding her, lightly tracing her fingertips over her image.

"Is that your mom?" the boy asked. "She looks a lot like you."

Ryella's vision blurred with tears that threatened to fall. "She does, doesn't she? I wish...I had gotten to know her." She slowly closed the book and held it to her chest before placing it back in the box. She then twisted around and hugged Prompto. "Thank you... Thank you so much for this."

Smiling, he returned her hug. "You're welcome. It's the least I could do for you when you tirelessly fight against the growing darkness each day."

He pulled back from the hug enough to kiss her. Their lips moved together, and Prompto heated things up by adding his tongue to the mix. Ryella melted in his arms, enjoying his affection. The blond abruptly broke the kiss only to reach behind the girl. She watched him curiously as he grabbed the small box, carefully sliding it off the couch and setting it on the floor. He then placed a hand on the side of her face, turning her head back toward him. He pushed his lips against hers again, a little more hungrily than before. The girl was caught off guard when she felt him steadily leaning her back until she was laying across the couch. He pulled back from the kiss to gaze lovingly down at her.

Ryella was blushing madly, staring at the blond hovering over her. "P-Prompto... Wh-what are you doing?"

He smiled, leaning down until his face was mere inches from hers. With his arms on either side of her, he kept himself from putting his weight on her. "Just treating you the way I think you ought to be treated. You deserve all the love and affection I can give. Isn't it a guy's job to make his lover feel good?"

Ryella meekly turned her head away, biting her lower lip, unable to form a response. Prompto only chuckled at her cute behavior and pressed his lips to her cheek. From there, he trailed his lips down to her neck. He experimentally kissed all along her throat, trying to find the most sensitive places. There was one spot in particular that caused the girl to gasp. Taking that as a good sign, the blond continually kissed at that place, even giving it a few licks and nibbles. Ryella whimpered and moaned softly at the sensation, her hands reaching up to grip onto his upper arms. The pleasurable noises she made was like music to the boy's ears.

Once he was finished there, he moved down to her collarbone, giving it the same treatment and listening to the female's positive reactions. He kissed his way down to the edge of her nightgown, where he paused to glance up at her. He was curious to see more of her, and with her not giving any sign of wanting him to stop, he reached one hand up, taking the edge of her gown between his fingers. He tugged it down as far as it would go, revealing the top portion of her breasts. He stared at them for a moment, as if mesmerized, wishing he could see the full thing. He was quick to plant his lips against the newly exposed skin, nuzzling and kissing, feeling just how soft her chest really was.

With his hand now free, he instantly went down to her stomach, pressing his fingers against the weak spot beside her navel. The girl whimpered and squirmed, clutching his arms. His fingers vigorously began rubbing the area, causing moans to tear from Ryella's throat. Prompto chuckled, glancing up at her as his lips continued their work on the tops of her breasts. The girl writhed and moaned in pleasure, but for once, allowed him to toy with her weak spot. Once he'd had his fun, the blond's hand trailed down to her leg, slipping under the hem of her nightgown. Ryella immediately snapped her eyes wide open, realizing what was happening.

"P-Prompto...!"

Hearing the panic in her tone, the boy froze. He met her gaze, frowning slightly. "Something wrong?"

"I-I'm not... I'm not r-ready for this..." Her eyes darted to the side. "S-sorry...I-I..."

Prompto smiled, moving up to give her a reassuring kiss. "Hey, no need to apologize. I understand." His expression softened. "I'm not gonna force you into anything, that's not the kind of guy I am." He fixed the top of her gown before pulling her up to a sitting position with him. He laughed lightly. "Honestly, I'm surprised you even let me go as far as I did."

Blushing, the brunette stared down at her lap. "W-well...it felt...g-good."

The boy smirked, pulling her into his arms. "Oooh, it did, huh? I'll have to remember that." His playful tone turned to a serious one. "Seriously though, I will never do anything you're not comfortable with. I love you too much to do something like that to you."

Ryella smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. "Thank you... I love you."

He buried his face into her neck. "I love you too."

He pulled back, giving her a quick, tender kiss. Ryella then stood and picked up the box of things. Her boyfriend followed her to the bedroom. She set the box on the bed, taking her pendant off the nightstand. She twisted it open and took out the picture inside, unrolling it. She picked the photo album out of the box and carefully slipped the photo inside before placing the book back into its place. She then reconnected the pendant and set it inside with the other items. Taking one last glance at everything in the box, Ryella closed it and set it on the floor.

"Good idea putting everything together," Prompto said, slipping his hand into hers.

The girl leaned against him with a smile. "This is all of my things from back home...reminders of my childhood."

The gunman hummed. "Now if we could just get the world back to normal."

"We will. Once Noctis returns, he will bring back the light, just as the prophecy foretold. We'll do what we can until then."

Prompto nodded. "Yeah." He pecked her head. "Just gotta stay positive. We can do this, together."