Ryella looked all around, her eyes sparkling with amazement. The wind blew through her brown hair, making it feel as if she were up in the sky. She sat snugly in the backseat of the car between Noctis and Gladio. They were on there way to Lestallum, just as they had planned.

"I-it's been so long since I've ridden in a vehicle..." she said.

"Seriously?" Gladio responded.

"Yes. I've never needed to. I normally just flew everywhere."

"What's it like?" the prince inquired. "Being a dragon, I mean."

Ryella thought about it briefly, summing up a way to explain it. "It's...amazing. I feel so much more powerful and confident in my abilities. I can fly anywhere I want, and protect others as well as myself. Rey and I often trained to perfect our skills so that we could keep Lady Lunafreya safe."

"Speaking of which," Ignis interrupted, "are you aware of the attack on Insomnia?"

The brunette gasped. "N-no. There was an attack...? Is Luna...?"

"We heard that Luna's okay," Noctis explained. "But at the supposed 'peace signing', Niflheim attacked. They stole the Crystal and conquered Insomnia. My dad was..." He fell silent and hung his head down.

Ryella lightly placed a hand on his arm. "I-I'm sorry..." Realization hit her like a brick wall. "So, that's why... Luna anticipated that something like this would happen...and released me."

"Hey, at least she's okay though," Prompto chimed in. He sat up in his seat and twisted around to face his friends in the back. "We're gonna do what we can and teach the empire a lesson!" He grinned cheerfully. "So anyway, I bet life living with the Oracle was great, right?"

Ryella smiled slightly, noticing how Prompto was quick to change the subject and lighten the mood. "I s-suppose so... I mean, I certainly enjoyed it. Despite all the training Rey and I underwent, and the long flights we had to take all across Tenebrae and Niflheim, I actually...enjoyed all I did with both Rey and Luna, despite having the empire watching over everything we did."

"So, you even traversed imperial continent?" Noctis inquired.

"Only the outlying areas that haven't been affected by the Glacian's death," she clarified. "We never dared fly near Ghorovas Rift." The girl shuddered at the thought. "That place and the surrounding areas are nothing but frozen wastelands... I doubt anything but daemons can thrive there."

"I assume you and your brother were present whenever the Oracle would tend to those seeking healing," Ignis said, moving away from the topic of the fallen Astral.

"Oh, o-of course. We acted as transportation as well as protection for Lady Lunafreya. Wherever she would go, so would we."

"What did you all do for fun?" the gunman suddenly asked. "There must've been things you guys did when you weren't busy, right?"

"Um..." So many happy memories came to Ryella's mind. "Well...we made music together...and sometimes Luna and I would try our hands at cooking in the kitchen...and when we could, Rey would take me along for a relaxing flight."

"Made music?" Noctis repeated. "I don't remember Luna ever mentioning that."

"She often sang for us," the brunette told him. "Rey played piano... He was a great pianist... And then I sometimes joined Luna in song while playing on the harp... The three of us created such beautiful harmony."

"Whoa, that sounds so cool!" Prompto exclaimed. "Maybe you could perform for us sometime! I'd love to hear some sweet tunes!"

Ryella averted her gaze, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "I-I don't know... I'm not good at p-performing for others."

"What about cooking?" Gladio inquired. "Ignis could always use a hand in the kitchen."

"Well... I, uh, o-only know how to make a few things... N-nothing too special."

"That's quite alright," the advisor said. "I can manage on my own. But if you should ever want to lend a hand, or simply learn a few new recipes, I'd be happy to teach you."

Noctis suddenly chuckled, catching the attention of the girl beside him. "You know what I just noticed?" Ryella blinked at him questioningly. "You've been talking a lot more and stuttering less. 12 years ago, you could barely even say a single word to me."

A faint smile crossed the girl's lips as she focused her gaze down at her lap. "Oh, um, you guys are just...e-easy to talk to."

It was true. For some reason, Ryella felt safe and comfortable with them. They gave her the same type of feelings that Reynard, Clement, and Lunafreya did. Perhaps the time she'd spent in dragon form getting to know them had an impact on it too. But in the back of her mind, she still feared the heartache were she to lose them. That's why, despite accepting their friendship and trusting in them, Ryella still couldn't form any deeper connections to any of them. She didn't want to link to Noctis or get closer to any of them in a way that could be considered a "bond" of any kind. She believed no one would be able to fill the void in her heart where Reynard and Clement once resided, and honestly, she was relieved by that. She never wanted to replace either of them, or forget them and their sacrifices for her.

"We're approaching Lestallum."

Ignis's voice snapped the girl out of her thoughts. They passed through a tunnel that led straight into Lestallum. Ryella leaned around the males at her sides to look around at the scenery. Her emerald eyes were wide with wonder. There were people everywhere and colors of all kinds painting the streets and buildings. It was rare for the Guardian to see such a lively, bustling place. She was a tad bit excited. Alongside the colorful sights, delectable aromas of all kinds filled her nose, and the sounds of music and chatter met her ears. As soon as Ignis parked the car, everyone climbed out.

Ryella smiled, her eyes roaming over everything around her as she followed behind Noctis. "Wow..." she mumbled. "This place is...so different..." She sniffed the air. "So many food smells...and so much diversity."

Gladio smiled, nudging her arm lightly to get her attention. "Maybe while we're here, you could get yourself some clothes."

"As flattering as you look in Prompto's clothes," Ignis chimed in, "they're hardly befitting a lady of Tenebrae."

"I bet Iris could find you some nice threads to wear," Prompto said.

"Wh-who's Iris?" Ryella asked.

"My little sister," the tattooed man replied. "You'll like her, she's real friendly."

"That settles it," Noctis interrupted, leading the group along. "Before we do anything, Ryella needs an outfit or two of her own."

Ryella didn't argue. They definitely had a point. She couldn't keep relying on borrowing their clothes all the time. The five walked the streets until they made it to the Leville. In the lobby of the hotel, Noctis went ahead and booked a room, giving Ryella the impression that they were going to be hanging around for a day or two. The Guardian suddenly noticed a trio descending the stairs.

"Hey, guys!" the brunette girl of the group greeted. Following her was a young boy and an elderly man with a cane. "I didn't expect to see you all here again so soon!"

Ryella timidly scooted behind the prince, peeking out from around him. "Welcome back, Prince Noctis!" Talcott greeted, respectfully.

Jared smiled kindly. "What brings His Highness back so soon? Is there anything you require of us?"

"Actually..." Noctis looked back at the bashful girl. "We have someone we'd like to introduce. This is Ryella, the Guardian of Luna."

Iris and Talcott looked at one another with confusion, though Jared's expression was purely shock. The group went up to the boys' room to talk. The prince and his friends explained a bit about Ryella and her power as a Guardian. Jared was the only one who'd heard of the Oracle's faithful protectors. Iris and Talcott listened intently though, amazed by Ryella's magical abilities.

"Whoa!" Talcott exclaimed. "You can become a dragon?! Cool! Can you show us?!"

Ryella shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "U-um..."

"Come now, Talcott, show some respect," his grandfather scolded. "This young lady is of House Praesidio, the Guardians chosen to safeguard the Oracles. You can't expect her to expend her energy for entertainment purposes."

The child calmed his enthusiasm and bowed respectfully to the girl. "I'm sorry, Lady Ryella."

The girl smiled sweetly. "It's...o-okay."

"I wish I could be a dragon," Iris admitted. "I'd love to just fly around and see the sights."

"M-maybe sometime...I could, uh, t-take you on a flight... You know, i-if you wanted to."

Iris gasped, grinning with joy. "Would you? That'd be great!"

"So, anyway," Gladio interrupted, "Iris, think you could take Ryella shopping? She really needs her own clothes."

Iris hopped to her feet. "Sure thing." She went over to Ryella and gently took her by the hand, urging her to get up and follow. "C'mon, Ryella, there are so many clothing stores to visit. We'll find you some things, no problem."

"Oh, o-okay..." Ryella barely even got the words out before Iris pulled her away and right out of the room.

"Looks like Iris has found a new friend," Prompto stated with amusement, watching how quickly the females left.

"We should probably stock up on ingredients and curatives while they're out," Ignis suggested.

Noctis nodded. "Sounds good. We could also start looking into that hunter's family while we're at it."

"Good idea," Gladio said.

The four boys left the hotel and went to the marketplace. They bought medicines and groceries and took them back to their room. They then set out again in search of information on the family. But they'd barely even begun when they saw Iris and Ryella sprinting over. Iris was eagerly tugging Ryella along by the wrist, and it appeared that the Guardian now had her own clothes.

"Guys!" Iris called, hurrying over and pulling the other girl forward to stand before the group. "Ta-da! I picked out some things for Ryella! Doesn't she look cute?"

Ryella sheepishly clasped her hands together and kept her gaze toward her feet. She wore a simple pink dress that tied around the waist. The top of it slid off her shoulders with one side being held up by a strap. The sleeves reached only partway down her arm. The bottom of the dress was shorter on her left side and showed a brown garter decoration that matched the brown sandals on her feet.

(This is the outfit)

The boys looked her over, finding that the clothes suited her well. Prompto especialy found her to be quite pretty. He looked her up and down, his blue eyes wide and his mouth hung open slightly. His freckled cheeks heated up a bit, and he finally closed his mouth and gulped.

"Wh-whoa..." he mumbled, growing speechless.

"Nice," Noctis said. "Lookin' good, Ryella."

"I'll say," Gladio added, "You're pretty damn gorgeous."

"Simply divine," Ignis chimed in.

Ryella blushed at all the compliments. "Th-thank you..."

"I made sure to get her a few extra things too," Iris informed them, holding a bag of clothes in her hand. "Well, mainly underclothes."

Ryelle turned to Iris, politely took the bag from her, and dug through the clothing items inside. After a moment, she pulled out Prompto's clothes that she had previously worn. They were folded up neatly as if they were brand new. The girl went over to Prompto and held them out.

"H-here," she said, a soft smile on her lips. "I can't thank you enough...for allowing me to borrow them."

The blond tried his best to laugh off his nervousness and carefully took the clothes from her. "N-no prob. If you ever need extra clothes, just come to me."

"Well, now that that's done," the prince interrupted, "how about we start searching for that hunter's family?"

Ryella eagerly nodded. "Yes, let's begin."