Ryella watched the water inside the pot boiling and bubbling. Ignis stood in front of the table while the girl was on the opposite side. Gladio was currently pitching the tent nearby while Prompto was busy setting up the chairs around the campfire. As for Noctis, he was down at the pier, doing a little fishing.

"Wow, so it's really that simple?" Ryella questioned. "Boil water, pour it in, and the noodles cook themselves?"

Ignis smiled, turning off the portable oven. "Pretty much." The bespectacled man slipped on some mitts, and carefully poured the boiling water into each of the cups. He then closed the lids on them to keep the heat in.

"Fast and efficient. I like it."

"Don't forget delicious," Gladio butted in, looking up from where he kneeled beside the tent. "Cup Noodles make the best meals when you're hungry and have little time to spend on cooking."

"Weeell," Prompto interjected, "I mean, I wouldn't call them the 'best' meals. I'm sure there are other foods out there just as good or better. Like Ryella's scrumptious little cake, for instance. I could eat that everyday." Ignis narrowed his eyes at the blond, clearing his throat rather loudly. "And Iggy's yummy suppers too," the boy swiftly added. Finished with the chairs, Prompto casually strolled over to the girl's side. "So, when are you gonna bake us another cake?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Ryella giggled. "I tell you what, once we go back to Caem, and I have a proper oven to work with, I'll make you another Fluffy Chiffon Cake. How's that sound?"

"Mmm, sounds good! Can't wait!"

"Noct!" Ignis called out. "Supper's ready!"

By the time the prince joined them, the others were already sitting down with their cups in hand. Gladio remained standing, already slurping up his noodles. Ryella glanced over each of her friends, who'd begun digging in. She watched the steam rise from her noodles, and felt the warmth of the foam cup against her palms. The aroma of the food certainly smelt good. She carefully used her spoon to pick up some noodles, blew on them to cool them, then scooped them into her mouth. But being noodles, she had to slurp up whatever was hanging out of her mouth. She quickly realized both Prompto and Gladio were staring at her. That made her swiftly chew and swallow.

"U-um...did I do something...wrong?"

Gladio chuckled. "Nah, that's not it at all."

Noctis had noticed everything as well, and swallowed his food to elaborate, "You eat noodles like a cute, delicate princess."

"A manner befitting a lady though," Ignis added.

Prompto had already set his cup down and snatched up his camera. "I've gotta get a shot. I've never seen anyone slurp noodles so freakin' cutely!"

Ryella blinked at him, a light blush of embarrassment dusting her cheeks. She nervously continued eating, allowing Prompto to snap a picture of her. He even got a second photo of her licking her lips afterwards. He found it adorable the way her tongue stuck out to wipe over her upper lip. Satisfied, he went back to his meal.

"So whaddya think of your very first Cup Noodles, Ryella?" Gladio asked.

She smiled brightly. "It's actually pretty good. To be such a simple meal, it sure is tasty."

"Glad you like 'em. Anytime you're craving Cup Noodles, you just let me know. I'll be sure to grab some for ya."

The girl laughed lightly. "I'll remember that."

After supper, Ryella went over to the pier. She sat at the end of it, removing her shoes and dipping her bare feet into the clear, cool water. She enjoyed the tranquil sound of the rushing waterfalls and the light chirping of crickets. The moon above reflected on the water's surface, adding to the natural beauty. But the girl's solitude was interrupted by approaching footsteps. She turned her head to the side, looking up at the blond who stopped beside her.

He flashed her a grin, his camera in hand. "Hey, just thought I'd get a few pics of the scenery. It actually is pretty nice here."

He aimed his camera at the falls, snapping a couple of photos. He then sat down beside the girl, setting his camera aside for the time being. He took a sideways glance at Ryella, her happiness evident in her expression. Her eyes sparkled, the moonlit water reflecting off them.

She wore a small, cheerful smile and hummed softly. "This spot is so beautiful, especially at night."

"Yeah, it is." The boy steadily scooted closer to her. "But to be perfectly honest..." He carefully draped an arm around her shoulders. "You're the most beautiful thing here right now."

Ryella quickly looked at him, a blush spreading across her freckled cheeks. "Y-you can't be serious..." She turned her head away. "I-I'm not that pretty..."

"But you are." Using his free hand, Prompto took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently forcing her to meet his gaze. "Ryella, you are truly beautiful, inside and out. And I really mean that."

Unable to look away from his captivating blue eyes, the girl smiled softly instead. "I-I don't know what to say but...thank you."

The boy grinned, his gaze softening. "Y'know, you're really cute when you stutter." He trailed his fingers up from her chin to the side of her face. He brushed some of her hair out of the way, tucking it behind her ear. "And I love seeing your eyes. It's like I'm looking at glittering emeralds."

Ryella was stunned. One compliment was enough, but he was throwing out several. That was unlike him. Although she couldn't deny that every flattering word that left his lips made her heart flutter. But she just found it odd how much he was talking, he was usually so bashful when confessing things like that. His tone was so gentle, and his light touches sent shivers throughout the girl. What's gotten into him?

"Ryella, I've been meaning to tell you that..." His face suddenly flushed and he gulped nervously. "I...I-I..." He finally sighed roughly, turning away. "Nevermind, it's nothing important."

Ryella could've guessed what he wanted to tell her, but she wasn't surprised his shyness got the best of him. That was the Prompto she recognized. With his arm still around her shoulders, she reached a hand up, resting it over his. "It's okay. If there are things you'd rather not discuss, we don't have to."

"It's not that, it's just...well..." The gunman sighed again. "It's hard to, uh, put into words. Don't worry about it though, it's really nothing important."

To be honest, Ryella actually kind of wanted to hear what he had to say. She knew he liked her, it wasn't difficult to tell. And she really liked Prompto. She enjoyed his company, and his kindness and light-hearted nature always made him a pleasure to be around. Despite knowing all of that, the timid girl couldn't bring herself to admit any of that to Prompto. She'd rather him be the one to confess. Clement had been the one to confess his feelings to her, she never had to say a thing. She was still quite inexperienced when it came to things of that sort. But even if she couldn't say what she wanted, she knew how to show it.

Ryella leaned against Prompto, laying her head on his shoulder. He, in turn, rested his head over hers. With his arm around her, his hand gently ran along her arm and shoulder, enjoying the softness of her skin under his fingertips. A comfortable silence fell over the two. They enjoyed the peaceful sounds of nature around them, and the warmth of each other's body. They both wished for that moment to last for as long as possible. But it was all cut short when several small fish swarmed around Ryella's feet. They nibbled at her toes, startling her. She jolted up, squeaked in surprise, and yanked her feet out of the water. Her sudden movements caused her to put all her weight on Prompto. Not expecting the abrupt actions, the blond fell back, bringing the girl with him.

It seemed like in the blink of an eye, Prompto was flat on his back with Ryella laying against him. Both of their eyes were wide and their faces were completely red. The position they'd landed in wasn't what they had expected. With her hands against his chest, Ryella laid on top of the boy, her legs between his. But the most embarrassing part was that the tips of their noses were touching. Their lips were mere inches apart. They both stared into the other's eyes, unable to move or speak for the moment. Ryella could feel the blond's warm breath against her lips. It finally snapped her out of her frozen state. She pushed herself up off him, covering her flustered face with her hands.

"Goodness, I-I'm sorry! The fish...they t-tickled my feet... It startled me!"

Prompto slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Th-that's alright! No harm done! Just a little accident, no biggie!"

"Still...I...I..."

The gunman carefully took both her hands in his, pulling them away from her face. The blush on her cheeks matched his own, but when her bright, green eyes met his, he managed to calmly smile. "Ryella, it's okay. I'm not upset or anything. Accidents happen." His words made a faint smile tug at her lips.

"Hey, lovebirds!" The two snapped their heads around. Noctis was still over by the camp where the others appeared to be cleaning up. "We're getting ready to turn in for the night!"

"Be there in a jiffy!" Prompto shouted back. With Ryella's hands still in his grasp, he rose to his feet, pulling the girl up with him. "Guess it's time we get some sleep."

The brunette nodded. "Yeah."

They both hurried back over to the haven. With their friends already piling inside the tent, the two climbed in to join them. As always, they got in their preferred places and got comfortable. Prompto found himself staring up at the ceiling of the tent, mentally scolding himself. Dammit, Prompto, why couldn't you just tell her?! It was literally the perfect opportunity! All you had to do was spit the words out! How hard is it to simply say, "Ryella, I like you"?! He quietly sighed to himself. I'm such a loser.

Noctis too was having difficulty falling asleep, but for different reasons. Every time Ryella and Prompto did anything, just the two of them, the prince was overwhelmed with a warm, fuzzy feeling. He knew it was because of the Guardian's attraction for his best friend, and he certainly had no problems with that. But the sensation he got---that was the problem. It annoyed him to constantly know how Ryella felt whenever she spent time with Prompto. He knew he'd have to deal with it though, that was part of the price he had to pay for agreeing to form a link with Ryella.

He took a sneaky glance at the gunman, noticing he was awake and staring absentmindedly at the ceiling of the tent. A slight grin tugged at the prince's lips upon seeing his friend so restless. He really does adore her. He's driving himself crazy over her. Kinda funny seeing him so worked up over a girl, the dork. But he does seem to just connect with her. In some weird way, they're actually perfect for each other. Too bad he doesn't have the guts to tell her how he feels. Since he wasn't far from Prompto, Noctis inched closer, reaching over to give the blond a light slap on the arm. Startled out of his thoughts, Prompto turned his head to look at the prince.

"Stop worrying," Noctis whispered, just loud enough for the other boy to hear him. "She likes you too. Now go to sleep."

Without waiting for a response, the prince rolled onto his other side, facing away from the blond. Prompto smiled to himself. Noctis often seemed to understand him, and was often the only person he'd confide in when it came to personal problems or fears. Even though he pretended not to care, Noctis had always been his best friend. With those words repeating in his head, Prompto finally managed to shut his weary eyes. She likes me too. While it had never really been hard to figure out, especially after she'd agreed to a date and often showed signs that she returned his feelings, hearing someone actually utter those words was like the confirmation he needed to know he wasn't imagining it all. Ryella likes me. The boy began dozing off with a slight smile. Ryella...likes me...and I really...really...like her.

~~~~~

Ryella shuddered, her hair dampening from the rain. She huddled into Prompto's side to keep warm. The boy, in turn, wrapped an arm around her, keeping her close. The morning sun hid behind a thick layer of clouds. As soon as the group had awoken, they'd found the sky darkened and light rainfall to put a damper on their walk out of the Myrlwood. Fortunately, their trip out wasn't as long and treacherous as it had been when they first arrived. No monsters barred their path, and they didn't get lost amongst the greenery. They made it safely back to the Regalia by the dirt road.

"Well, guess it's time to go back to Caem," Noctis said. "We've got a long drive ahead."

Ryella abruptly froze, turning her gaze to the sky. A loud screech sounded from the massive bird drifting overhead. The boys jerked their heads up, their eyes landing on the zu that Ryella had sensed.

Gladio sighed. "Looks like that damn bird still has its feathers ruffled. Guess Ryella had better lay low for a bit."

Prompto took hold of the girl's hand, tugging for her to go to the car with him. But he found Ryella not wanting to budge. She simply stared up at the zu, a spark of determination in her eyes. The blond clutched her hand tightly, growing worried by her expression.

"Ryella? What's the matter?"

"I..." The brunette's eyes remained glued to the colossal avian creature. "I can't just sit by and watch the zu wreak havoc."

"Wh-what're you saying?" The boy took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Ryella, you can't honestly be thinking of facing that thing! The last time you fought with it, you barely escaped with your life!"

"I know that," she lightly argued. "But it's only acting this way because of me. I started this whole thing. And if it were to hurt any innocent people...it would be all my fault for agitating it."

"But, Ryella-"

The girl placed her hands over his, smiling softly as she pulled them away from her face. "It's okay, Prompto. I'm not afraid anymore. I can do this, just have faith in me. You do trust me, don't you?"

Prompto thought hard on that for a moment. It was a tough decision, but he knew he couldn't stop her. "I do. I trust you, Ryella."

Noctis sighed. "If you're really doing this, then be careful. You'd better come back down here in one piece, got it?"

With a firm nod, the Guardian answered, "I will."

She sprinted over to the haven nearby, swiftly absorbing ice energy from one of the elemental deposits that grew around the area. Her eyes glowed an icy blue, and she exhaled a frosty mist. She then hurried around the haven to undress and transform. Once in dragon form, she growled up at the zu. Spreading her wings, she soared up into the air, heading straight for the bird. She gave a small roar to get its attention. When it twisted around to face her, she could see its right eye was scarred and unusable. It had been partially blinded from Prompto's shot the first time they'd escaped the monster. Ryella knew that was a huge advantage for her.

The zu flew at her, hoping to ensnare the dragon in its large talons. Fortunately for Ryella, she was unhindered by injuries or fatigue this time around, meaning she was at full strength. Her speed and agility allowed her to swerve around the zu's talons, and swoop around onto the bird's back. She latched on with her claws, hanging on while ice began spreading from her palms. The avian beast screeched, its back freezing over. It thrashed about in the air, effectively slinging Ryella off. The Guardian was quick to right herself as the zu dove in with its beak opened wide. That was just the opening Ryella needed.

She dodged the snapping of the bird's beak and breathed out a frosty breath that encased the creature's mouth in ice. The zu panicked, unable to breath through the ice. Ryella then darted past its right eye, where it was blind, and sunk her claws into the back of the beast's head. More ice spread from her hands while frost spewed from her jaws, steadily freezing the bird. Little by little, the zu grew weak as its body became entombed in ice. After mere moments, the bird looked like a statue plummeting down to the ground. Ryella had used all her ice magic to do it, but she completely trapped the zu in ice. To finish it off, she dove down and smashed into it, shattering the frozen creature into chunks that splashed into the Vesperpool.

Ryella then glided down to land before her friends, where she was immediately tackled by Prompto. "You did it, Ryella!" The blond latched onto her chest, hugging her. "You beat the zu! I'm so proud of yooou!"

Ryella placed a hand against his back, returning his hug. He joyfully hummed the Victory Fanfare while smothered against her thick, damp fur. "Excellent work," Ignis complimented the Guardian.

Gladio nodded in agreement. "Great job up there in an aerial battle. Real glad to see you've improved since your first encounter with the zu."

With his hands on his hips, Noctis gave a faint smile. "You've certainly come a long way, Ryella. Your brother would be proud."

Ryella purred in response. Prompto finally let go of her and stepped back, still beaming with glee. "Now c'mon, give us a victory roar! You definitely earned it!"

Ryella took a deep breath, tilted her head up, and gave a mighty roar of triumph. She was actually quite pleased of what she'd accomplished. She had defeated one of the foes she'd feared the most. Ryella had been trying hard to be brave and dependable, just as a Guardian should be. But she had always fallen short. It seemed like with the friendships she'd made---the bonds she'd forged---she had found her courage. She still had fears, of course, but with the desire to protect those dear to her, she was learning to conquer them, one by one. She finally felt as if she was walking in the footsteps of her brother and her father.

Prompto suddenly shivered. "Uh, anyone else ready to get outta here? It's starting to feel a little chilly."

Ryella used a wing to shelter the four boys from the rain. "We'll be fine," the prince told her. "You go get changed so we can go."

With a faint nod, the dragon did as told. Now that they'd collected another royal arm and taken care of the zu menace, the five friends could return to Cape Caem. They had no idea whether the boat repairs were complete or not, but with nothing else to do, they decided to go. If anything, they could at least have a little time to rest and relax while waiting for Cid to finish up. But as soon as the boat was ready, it would be off to Altissia for them.