Iris's amber eyes fluttered open. She sat up in her bed, stretching her arms above her head and yawning. She noticed Talcott was sitting under the covers of his bed, flipping through his grandfather's notebook, and Ryella was walking out of the bathroom with a hair brush in her hand. She smiled at the other girl while steadily brushing the tangles out of her long hair.

"Good morning," she greeted.

Iris grinned. "Morning."

"How are you both feeling?" the Guardian asked, her smile fading. "Did you sleep okay?"

Iris could hear the sincere concern in her voice. Ryella had been worried about the pair the previous day. They'd both been so sad after losing Jared. "If you mean after everything that happened, I think I'm feeling better," the younger girl replied. "Besides, Jared wouldn't want us to mope around like this."

Talcott closed the book in his hands and set it aside. He managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I felt better when you sang for us, Lady Ryella. So...thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm happy that my songs are able to lift the spirits of others. It makes up for the anxiety of performing in front of a crowd." Ryella placed a hand against her chest, pausing her brushing. "That was probably one of the most nerve-racking things I've ever done."

"I thought it was beautiful," Iris admitted. "Your voice, your playing---it was as if an angel was performing for us."

Ryella's cheeks turned red. "Oh, thank you."

Talcott climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to start brushing his teeth, leaving the girls alone. "So," Iris began, "you wanna hang out tonight? Dustin and Monica are coming to pick up Talcott in a bit, so it'll just be us girls."

"You're not going with them?"

Iris shook her head. "Nah, I wanna hang out with all of you some more. Gladdy said I could hitch a ride with you guys. So? We doing anything later?"

"I'm afraid I can't, sorry."

"Why not?" Iris questioned. "Have other plans?"

Ryella nodded shyly. "Y-yeah, I have a, um, date tonight."

Iris gasped, practically leaping out of her bed. "You have a date?! With whom?!" Her eyes sparkled and a giddy grin adorned her lips.

Ryella blushed like crazy. "Uh, P-Prompto..."

Iris hopped up and down multiple times, squealing with delight. "That's so cuuute! I had no idea you guys were a thing!"

"W-we're not... It's just a date, that's all."

"There's no such thing as 'just a date'!" In a singsong voice, she added, "You liiike hiiim!"

Her light teasing made the Guardian a bit uncomfortable. "H-he's the one who asked me..."

"But you agreed now, didn't you?" Iris giggled like a child. "Have you figured out what you're gonna wear? What are you gonna do about your hair? Oooh, and you can't forget about makeup!"

"Iris, there's really no need for all of that. It's just a simple date. And I don't exactly have a lot of clothes."

Iris paused, a serious look in her eyes. "But it's your first big date with him. You've gotta dress to impress. Don't you wanna look nice for him?"

Ryella nervously rubbed her arm and turned her head away. "Well...yeah."

Iris clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled. After breakfast, we're going shopping. I'll find you the perfect outfit to wear!"

There was no stopping Iris's commitment to the task. She was so happy for the older girl that she wanted everything to go smoothly for her big night. Although it was a bit overwhelming, Ryella knew she just wanted it all to be perfect. Truthfully, it was nice just seeing Iris acting like her old, cheery self again. It seemed like things were starting to go back to normal after the incident. The girls were quick to eat breakfast and clean up before heading out. Iris gave Talcott a quick explanation as to what was going on, and even he seemed happy for Ryella. But the Guardian barely had the chance to say anything to him before Iris was tugging on her wrist and leading her out of the hotel.

The two went out to the many shops and stores that sold clothing. Iris confidently led the way, remembering where the best places were. She took Ryella to each shop, helping her pick out and try on clothes. They discussed which outfits looked good, which were comfortable, and which were appropriate for the occasion. Though it was tiring, Ryella couldn't deny that she had fun shopping with Iris. It took hours of running back and forth to different stores, but finally, they found something that satisfied them both.

Ryella twirled around in front of a mirror, examining herself with a small smile. "I like this one. It's comfortable, and I like the colors."

"Me too," her friend agreed. "It's not too fancy, but not too casual. Now we just need some shoes and accessories. Stay right there."

Iris hurried over to the shoe selection within the store. After a moment, she came back with a pair of heels. Without having to say a thing, Ryella took them from her and tried them on. They matched the dress perfectly and earned Ryella's approval. Iris then scampered away again, coming back with some accessories to try on. Thanks to the fashion tips she learned from Ryella before, several of the items she picked out went perfectly with the rest of the outfit. Having it all settled, they purchased everything and stuffed it all into one big bag. Iris then took her friend to another store where they picked up some makeup and perfume. All in all, they probably spent quite a bit more than they should've.

By the time they made it back to the hotel, it was already around 2 pm, meaning Ryella had about 3 hours to get ready. They first saw Talcott off with Dustin and Monica. The two Crownsguard had just arrived to escort the young boy to Caem. Everyone, including the guys, said their farewells to the child. After waving to them as their car sped away down the road, Iris didn't give Ryella a chance to even speak to the guys. She quickly urged her back to their hotel room to get ready.

Ryella began by changing into her new dress. It was sleeveless and the top was white with blue plaid stripes. Around the waist was a silky blue ribbon, which Iris tied in the back. Below that, the dress consisted of 3 layers and hung down just below her knees. The base layer was off-white with a couple of blue stripes around the hem, the two top layers were both transparent and covered in small, glittery star patterns. Ryella then slipped on her blue heels and tied the half-ribbon necklace around her neck. She waited on putting on her blue flower hair clip and gloves until after she did everything else.

(This is her outfit)

Ryella then got to work on brushing her hair. She wove each side into braids and carefully connected them into a side braid that hung down over her right shoulder. She tied it with a white hair tie that would match her outfit, then finally fixed the flower clip in her hair. Lucky for her she knew how to do different hairstyles.

(This is the style of her hair)

Lastly, she got to work on her makeup. She applied some dark eyeliner to make her eyes pop. Then she added some smokey brown eyeshadow and put on a little mascara. She topped it all off with some light pink lipstick. After doing her makeup, Ryella slipped on her gloves and sprayed on some vanilla perfume. She finished up fairly early, so she decided to simply wait with Iris. As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, Iris was beaming with delight.

"You look so pretty!" she gushed. "Prompto won't be able to take his eyes off you!"

"You think so?"

"I know so. Trust me, you look amazing!"

~~~~~

"Well, guess I'd better go," Prompto said, heading for the door. "I've got, like, less than 15 minutes till I meet up with Ryella."

Gladio chuckled. "Look at you, ready for your big date. I expected you to be more nervous than this."

The gunman flashed his friends an anxious grin. "Actually, I am pretty nervous right now. I mean, what if I say or do something stupid? What if I mess up the whole thing?"

"Dude, chill," Noctis told him. "It'll be fine."

"Besides," Ignis began, "I'm certain Ryella will be equally as apprehensive. She's a timid individual, so I'm sure an event like this will have her a nervous wreck."

"Yeah," the shield agreed. "Just be your usual bubbly self. That'll break the ice."

The prince gave a faint smile. "You do have a way of getting her to loosen up. Now go on already if you wanna be on time."

Prompto nodded and exited the room. He went downstairs and through the lobby. Outside, the area around the fountain was mostly bare. Ryella wasn't there yet. The boy went over and took a seat on the ledge around the fountain. Seeing as how he'd have to wait, he slipped out his phone and played a little King's Knight. In the back of his mind, he had nothing but negative thoughts. What if she stands me up? What if she changed her mind? Maybe she decided not to come out with me tonight. The clacking of heels approaching caused Prompto to finally look up. His jaw immediately dropped and his blue eyes grew wide. He nearly dropped his phone from how stunning she looked.

"Sorry if I made you wait," she apologized. The way Prompto silently stared up at her made her frown uncomfortably. "I-I probably went overboard with dressing up..."

The blond startled her by abruptly hopping to his feet. "No, no, I just got here too! And you look..." His eyes scanned over her appearance. "Really...beautiful." His face flushed when he realized the words that slipped past his lips. "Er, I mean nice! Really, really nice!"

Ryella giggled at the way he stumbled over his words. "Th-thank you, I'm flattered. So, um, you said we'd go eat?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" He held his hand out and dramatically bowed. "Shall we be going, m'lady?"

The girl smiled at his playfulness, feeling a bit more at ease. "We shall."

Prompto grinned, gently clutching her gloved hand. He led her along away from the Leville and down the streets of Lestallum. He took her over to Tozus Counter where he politely pulled a seat out for her. She smiled and sat down, watching as he took the seat across from her.

"Order whatever you like," he told her. "It's on me."

"Are you sure?" she asked, not wanting him to spend too much on her.

"Course! It wouldn't feel right for you to pay when I'm the one who invited you."

"Well, okay." Ryella looked down at the menu on the table in front of her.

The owner went over to their table with a friendly smile. "What can I get you both this evening?"

The brunette hummed. "Hmm, I think I'll have the Soul Soup, please. And some tea."

"Make that two Soul Soups," Prompto added. "And a soda for me."

The man nodded in understanding, taking up the menus and walking away. Ryella suddenly realized the gunman was staring at her with a look of content. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just happy to be here with you."

The girl blushed. "M-me too. I'm glad you invited me."

Prompto glanced past the girl to see the snack stands. "Hey, uh, you want a snack with your meal? Like some chips? Or maybe cookies?"

"Since we're having soup, some chips would be good."

"Okay!" The blond nearly jumped out of his seat. "I'll go get us some! Be right back!"

He darted away to buy a bag of chips. He kind of reminded Ryella of a puppy---energetic and eager to please. The thought made her giggle to herself. After a few moments, he came right back with the chips, standing beside the girl. He hurriedly pulled open the bag with a little too much force. Chips flew out of the bag and into the air...and landed right onto Ryella. With a gasp of surprise, the girl tensed up, feeling a few chips hit her head and one slip into the top of her dress.

Prompto immediately started to panic. "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Ryella!" He smacked himself in the head. "Ugh, I'm such a klutz! Here, I-I got this!"

He swiftly picked off the chips that were in her hair. He then reached for her chest but caught himself before he went diving into her dress in search of a chip. He instead watched her as she picked out the stray chip from between her breasts, dropping it on the table. She then dusted off any remaining chips from her lap. The boy set the chip bag on the table and sat back down in his chair, discouraged by his clumsiness.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Ryella. I'd never purposefully spill anything on you."

He was shocked to hear her giggling. "It's fine, Prompto. It was just an accident."

The gunman was relieved to see that she wasn't upset with him. He thought for sure she'd be angry after dropping food all over her. He almost couldn't believe he made such a stupid, clumsy mistake. He was just so captivated by Ryella's beauty tonight that he seemed to turn into a complete klutz around her. Fortunately, their soup was brought over before anything else could go wrong.

"Thank the Six," the blond breathed out.

Ryella overheard him though and tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong?"

Prompto froze, forgetting about her sharp ears. "U-uh, nothing." He forced a smile. "Everything's going great!" He nervously laughed, scooping up several spoonfuls of soup and stuffing it into his mouth.

Ryella frowned. "Seriously, what's wrong? I know something's bothering you."

The boy swallowed his soup and sighed in defeat. "It's just...I wanted this night to be perfect. But it's already off to a bad start. I've never thrown food on a girl before. And you look so nice...but I didn't even bother to dress up."

"Prompto, it's okay. I'm not angry or upset, none of that bothers me in the slightest. You could've dressed in rags and poured a whole bowl of soup on me, and it still wouldn't ruin this night for me."

The gunman stared at her with astonishment. "You...can't be serious."

"I'm very serious." She smiled brightly. "This night will be perfect. Do you know why?" He shook his head. "Because I get to spend it with you." The boy's eyes grew wide. "You can make anything fun, and I can't help but smile and laugh when you're around."

The blond smiled lightly. "Do you really mean that?"

She nodded. "I do. Now why don't we just enjoy our supper?"

Prompto laughed a bit. "I'm all for that. And, um, by the way, it...means a lot to me that you're here." The girl smiled brightly in response.

The two ate their meals and shared the chips that were still in the bag and hadn't flown all over the place. They enjoyed a fun chat and had a few laughs as they each shared memories of their childhoods. Once they finished eating, Prompto paid for the food and the pair left. The boy shyly slipped his hand into hers again, taking her away from the restaurant. Instead of going back into town like Ryella suspected, he led her across the road and down to Pegglar Outlook. It was always pretty devoid of people at that time. Everyone normally went there during the day, then either gathered in the streets or went home by night. Prompto took the girl over to a vacant bench that faced the scenery, sitting her down with him.

"Wow," the girl muttered. "It's pretty out here. We can see the stars."

"That's why I figured you'd like to see the view here. Plus, it's quiet and peaceful, just the type of setting I knew you'd enjoy."

Ryella giggled. "You know me so well."

The couple sat in silence for a bit, gazing out at the night sky. The cool night breeze blew over them, causing Ryella to shiver. Prompto took notice out of the corner of his eye. He pretended to stretch his arms and smoothly rested an arm along the bench behind the girl's head. He was a bit surprised when she scooted closer, and prayed she couldn't hear the rapid pounding of his heart. She leaned her head against his shoulder, causing his cheeks to turn red.

"Y'know what's weird?" the blond suddenly spoke. "The fact that we seem to understand each other so well. It may sound silly but, since the day I met you, as a dragon, I just felt like we had some sort of connection."

Ryella smiled to herself, feeling the boy's fingers dance across her shoulder. "It's not silly at all. I always felt the same way. You remind me so much of Clement in regard to how easily you get me to open up."

"O-oh..."

Ryella picked her head up, hearing the sorrow in his tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up."

"I-it's not that. It's just that..." He sighed. "You always compare me to him, as if I'm just a...replacement."

Ryella swiftly reached up, taking his head in her hands and keeping his gaze on her. "I'm so sorry, that's never what I meant. You and Clement are a lot alike, but you are each entirely different people. I know that." She smiled. "You both know how to make me feel comfortable, and always get me to smile. But you, Prompto, are much more playful and silly. Like me, you can be a bit timid with strangers. You have an amazing talent with a camera, and you always brighten the mood, no matter the circumstance. Clement could never do some of the things you do, and vice versa. Never think that you're just a replacement, because I promise you, you're not."

Prompto was stunned by her words. A joyful grin broke out on his face. "Thanks, I needed to hear that." Ryella smiled and released him. "And I'm sure Clement would want you to have fun like this again. I mean, if anything ever happened to me, I wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life alone and miserable."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"And I bet your brother would feel the same way."

Ryella laughed lightly. "Oh no, if Rey saw me on a date like this, he'd kill you."

The blond winced. "Ouch. And here I was hoping he'd like me." He began playing with her braided hair, unable to resist touching her soft locks. "Still, I'd like to have met him. It would've felt like a huge accomplishment to earn his seal of approval."

Ryella smiled softly, tilting her head to the side in that cute way of hers. "Really? You'd risk incurring the wrath of a Guardian for me? You're so sweet."

"Hey, mind if I get a picture with you?" He abruptly asked. "I'd like to remember this night."

"No, I don't mind at all."

Prompto snatched up his camera and held it out in front of them. Ryella leaned against him while he used the arm wrapped around her shoulders to pull her closer. They both smiled brightly at the camera, and with a click, Prompto captured their image. He checked how the shot turned out, smiling in satisfaction, and put his camera away.

"So, ready to head back to the hotel?" he asked. "As much as I like spending time with you, I don't wanna keep you out all night."

"Yeah, it is getting kind of late."

Prompto gently took her by the hand, lacing his fingers with hers. They took a slow, steady walk back to the Leville, making their time last longer. But they eventually arrived at the door to Ryella and Iris's room.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Prompto," the girl said with a happy tone. "I hope we can do this again sometime."

"Yeah, me too." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, well, I guess this is goodnight."

She nodded, turning toward the door. "Yeah. Goodnight, Prompto."

She placed her hand on the door knob, but before she could twist it, Prompto's hand shot out, covering hers. "W-wait... Can I at least have a hug first?"

Ryella looked over her shoulder, seeing the hopeful look in his eyes. Her expression softened and she turned back around to face him. She moved closer with a smile and a permanent blush on her cheeks, and slowly wrapped her arms around his torso. She rested her head against his shoulder, feeling the rapid beating of his heart that seemed to match her own. With a slightly red face, the blond gingerly enfolded her in his arms, placing one hand against her back and the other against the back of her head. He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He breathed in the smell of her perfume, humming in content.

"You smell like vanilla," he pointed out. He then stifled a small laugh. "And chips."

The girl couldn't help but grin at that, a quiet giggle rising up from her throat. "Well you did toss chips all over me."

He chuckled against her skin. "Yeah, sorry about that. But at least you smell good." His warm breath against her neck gave her goosebumps.

Slowly, the two pulled apart, smiling sheepishly at one another. Prompto seemed to lose himself in her gorgeous emerald eyes. Before she could even comprehend her own actions, Ryella leaned in, planting her lips on his cheek. The boy's face lit up at the sudden kiss, his blue eyes wide and his whole body stiff. When the girl pulled away, her face was bright red. She swiftly turned and retreated into her room, leaving the boy standing there alone. Once inside, she pressed her back against the door, lightly touching her lips.

Why did I do that?! I shouldn't have kissed him! The last person I kissed like that was...Clement. She clutched her head. I...I don't know if I'm ready for this. Maybe I shouldn't be that involved in a relationship. I mean, I do like Prompto, a lot. But everything's getting so complicated now. Ryella noticed that the bathroom door was closed, meaning that Iris must've been in there. That was good, Ryella needed time to herself to think about everything.

~~~~~

Prompto rested his palm against his cheek. She...she kissed me. Oh em gee! Ryella kissed me! His mind was throwing a victory party while his wobbly legs took him back to his room. For that single moment, he felt like he was on top of the world. He went inside, where his friends appeared to be playing cards. They looked up at the gunman who stumbled over toward a bed with a dreamy look on his face.

"How'd the date go?" Noctis asked.

Without answering, Prompto collapsed onto his back on the bed with his arms outstretched. He let out a long, loud sigh of pleasure. "I suppose that means it went well," Ignis concluded.

Gladio caught sight of the lipstick on the blond's left cheek. He smirked. "Oooh, looks like it definitely went well. Check out the lipstick mark."

The blond glanced over at him with a goofy grin. "Make all the fun you want, big guy. Not even you can ruin this for me."

"So she actually kissed you?" the prince questioned, his eyes going to his cheek as well. "Good for you. No wonder Ryella felt so happy the whole night."

Prompto abruptly sat up. "She was? Enough for you to feel it?"

His best friend nodded. "Yep. I had this inner joy stuck inside me all night because of her. Except now...she kinda feels...confused and conflicted. I don't know why."

"Oh?" The gunman hung his head down sadly. "Maybe she's...having second thoughts?"

"Or perhaps," the advisor interrupted, "she's merely still struggling to let go of the past. She could still be having trouble moving on."

Prompto only nodded. At least Noctis would be able to give him a little insight on Ryella's mood. Maybe it was wrong to pry into her emotions in such a way, but the blond boy couldn't help it. He wanted to know what the girl of his dreams was feeling so that he could better understand her. Ryella was one person he wanted to know everything about. If she was still having some internal conflict, he hoped he could help her through it. But at the moment, even those thoughts couldn't put a damper on his mood. After such an amazing date, how could they? Prompto just hoped that maybe he, and his friends, would soon be able to erase that conflict from Ryella, for her own sake.