Silent tears slid down Ryella's face. She clutched both Reynard's pendant and Clement's dog tag tightly in her hands. Lunafreya stood beside her. Servants of House Fleuret and residents of the nearby village had gathered for the memorial of the two lives that had been lost. A couple of large stones had been placed and imprinted with the names of the fallen. One had been a faithful Guardian of the Oracle, the other, a kind young hunter from Lucis.

For Ryella, it seemed like the previous day was nothing more than a nightmare, but staring down at the remnants of the two that she held in her hand reminded her that it wasn't a dream she could simply wake up from. The last of her family was gone. The young man she was falling in love with was gone. It seemed like everyone she cared about was slowly being taken away from her. Quiet sobs erupted from her throat.

"H-how could..." She tried to silence her cries enough to speak. "How could another Guardian...do something like this?"

"That being was no Guardian," Luna calmly responded. "A Guardian protects others. That was a creature of pure hatred and darkness."

"Still... I had no idea that there were others like me out there."

"Nor did I. But whoever he is, he is not of House Praesidio, that much is certain."

"Nero..." Ryella muttered to herself, remembering the name he'd given her. "Just what are your reasons?" She sighed, wiping her eyes the best she could. "Well, now I suppose it's all up to me now. I'm the last Guardian of my family. I swear, I'll do my absolute best to serve and defend you, Luna."

The Oracle smiled slightly, looking over at the girl. "Your brother would be so proud of you, Ryella. Always know that he and Clement will still be with you in spirit."

A sad smile crossed her lips and she nodded. "Yeah. Rey, he..." She wanted Luna to know just how much she meant to her brother. "He really loved you."

"I know."

Ryella looked at the blond woman in slight surprise. "You do?"

Luna gave a nod. "We were linked, I could feel his admiration, despite the trouble he went through to try and conceal it."

"He wanted to tell you, but he knew you loved Noctis. He respected your choice and accepted that you would never be more than a friend. He was really anticipating the wedding even though it broke his heart, because at the same time, he wanted to see you happy."

"I had no idea about that," Luna admitted, feeling guilty. "I never meant to hurt him, but my heart already belongs to another."

After a brief silence, Ryella added, "I just figured I should tell you since...Rey can longer say it himself."

It grew quiet once more. The people who had gathered steadily left, one by one, until only Ryella and Luna remained. The Oracle knew she needed to inform Ryella on what she intended to do next, but she hesitated. She didn't want to sadden the girl even more, and feared speaking up at that moment might shatter her heart beyond repair. Ryella dried her eyes the best she could and looked over at the blond woman.

"I...guess I'd better start packing. I'll get you safely to Altissia, just as my brother and I intended to do in the first place."

Ryella only took a couple of steps when Luna called, "Ryella." The brunette paused and turned back around to look at the woman. Luna turned her gaze to the ground. "I'm not going to Altissia, at least not yet."

Ryella tilted her head to the side in confusion. "You're...not?" She slowly shook her head. "Well, wherever you wish to go, I'll take you there."

"I'm going to Insomnia," the blond explained. "And you...can't come with me."

Ryella gasped lightly. "Wh-what? Why not?"

"I'm going to the Crown City for the peace signing." She placed a hand against her chest, determination in her blue eyes as she met the girl's gaze. "It is time for me to fulfill my calling."

"But if I go with you, I can help," Ryella argued. "I won't get in the way. I'll follow you to wherever you need to go."

"No!" Luna snapped, raising her voice a bit. It took all her willpower to remain firm in her decision. "I will not place you in harm's way. My journey will be difficult and full of dangers, I refuse to drag you with me. I cannot afford to share my energy with you anymore." Ryella stared with wide eyes, her sorrow evident on her face. "Not only that, the black dragon seemed intent on slaughtering you and Reynard. What's to stop him from returning for you?"

"S-so...are you saying...?"

Luna gave a single nod. "Yes. Though it saddens me to say, we must part ways. I want you to leave Tenebrae and go to Lucis, the nation with the least amount of imperial influence. And though it's unlikely, if, and only if, you should ever find Noctis, I pray you will lend him your strength, for I'm certain he needs you more than I."

More tears began spilling from the girl's eyes. "Luna, please... Don't make me leave."

"Please understand, this is for your well-being. Now, transform while our energy is still being shared."

Though she didn't want to, Ryella complied, using a large amount of magic energy to assume her dragon form. Her clothes tore apart during the transformation, but she still grasped the pendant and tag in her claws. Standing before Luna, the beast watched with teary eyes as their link became visible. It looked like ghostly chains that burst out of both Luna and Ryella's bodies. Luna's chain was gold in color while Ryella's was solid white. The two chains met in the middle and were woven and tied around each other.

Lunafreya raised a hand in a way that made it look as if she were holding a sword. "Ryella, as your master, I release you from your bond. From this day forward, you shall be free."

She swiped her hand horizontally in front of her, severing the magical chains and causing the two to both flinch at the sudden sensation. The chains disintegrated into nothing. Ryella suddenly felt a painful aching in her chest. It felt as if she'd just been abandoned, or cast out. She gazed down at the Oracle, completely dejected.

"Now go!" the woman commanded.

With tears falling from her eyes, the beast backed away. She quickly turned and sprinted away, spreading her wings and taking off into the air. Luna watched her fly away, feeling regret for being so harsh with the girl. But she was no longer safe there by the Oracle's side. She didn't want Ryella to lose her life like Reynard and Clement had.

"Be safe," the woman muttered, watching her former Guardian moving farther and farther away.

Ryella flew rather quickly, tears still flowing from her eyes and being swept up by the wind. She firmly gripped the two necklaces in her hand. She turned her head, glancing back at Fenestala Manor one last time. Goodbye, Luna, she mentally said. Thank you for all the years you've been kind to my brother and me. She gazed out at the land in the far distance ahead of her, confirming that she was heading east.

She didn't know how long of a flight it would be, but she was determined to reach Lucis. Luna wanted her to go there, even stating that it was the safest place to escape the empire and the black dragon Ryella knew as Nero. The white beast pondered over what she should do next. She glanced down at her closed hand, remembering what Clement had told her before.

"So, it's a form of identification?" she questioned.

Clement smiled and nodded. "Sorta. It's purpose is actually to be a reminder of who we are in case something should go wrong on a hunt. If a hunter is killed on a hunt, their tag is collected and returned to their family."

The girl frowned. "That's so...sad. To know that someone you care about could be gone the very next day, and all you get is a dog tag as a reminder of them."

"Ryella." He used his thumb and index finger to lift her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "We hunters choose to risk our lives to help others. In a way, it's not much different from what a Guardian does."

"I...guess."

Clement smiled kindly. "Don't worry, I, for one, know what I can and can't handle. I won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

Ryella made several small whimpers of sorrow at the memory. Her heart was in so much pain, she couldn't stand it. It was a terrible feeling to lose everyone she cared about. One thing was certain though, she never wanted to feel that much emotional agony again. She didn't know if she could handle it. An idea popped into her mind, more like a plan for her own future. No more relationships, she told herself. I only end up losing everyone I love.

She slowed her pace to a gentle glide, riding the air currents. She carefully opened her hand, looking at the two necklaces within her claws. I'll return Clement's tag to his family first. Then I'll simply remain like this forever more. I'll stay as a beast, living a life of solitude, because I can't afford to watch anyone else leave me. Ryella had resolved to remain as a dragon.

Not only did she want to distance herself from people, but without a link, she could no longer borrow the extra magic energy to transform whenever she wanted. At the moment, it would take quite a while to naturally restore her energy on her own. But she had no reason to change back to her human form. As a dragon, she was stronger and much more confident in her abilities. She knew she could hold her own out in the wild if need be.

All she had to do was reach Lucis. Ryella was already at the edge of the ocean, soaring right over the shoreline. The salty sea air caught her nose. She gazed down at the beautiful blue ocean below. At that moment, she had officially left Tenebrae. The beast only hoped she'd make it to Lucis before she grew too tired to keep herself aloft. Plummeting into the ocean was a definite possibility.

It was times like those that she wished she could move through the water like her brother. But her magic and physique weren't built for that. Ryella pushed onward, despite the heartache she felt upon thinking of Reynard. She was determined to make it to Lucis so that she could track down Clement's family. The least she could do was give them his tag, and it would give her the chance to meet his family, just as Clement had hoped for.