Returning to the Coernix Station, it was around sunset, and people had gathered outside, having been watching the battles raging at the Slough. They had seen Ryella kill the rogue behemoth in order to protect the four men that had ventured out there. They had even witnessed Nero's appearance, but his dark haze had obscured their view of the remainder of the fight, at least until he flew away. Upon Ryella's approach into the edge of the rest area, everyone warily backed away to give her room. The Guardian felt a bit hurt upon seeing their reactions hadn't changed.

But it was a small child, a young boy, to be exact, who boldly broke free of his mother's grip and stepped out of the crowd. He peered up at the dragon, seeing her emerald eyes staring back into his. She was surprised to see him actually moving closer. She crouched in response and lowered her head to his level. He stopped in front of her and hesitantly reached out, placing his hand against her snout. She purred happily at him, which caused him to grin. One by one, others approached, eager to touch the creature, or at least stand before her. All fear was erased as people found the dragon to be quite gentle.

"Look at that," Prompto began, "looks like they're not afraid anymore!"

The little boy who had first approached spoke to the white beast, "I saw you down at the Slough! You saved those four hunters from the behemoth!"

"And not just them," a woman added. "That behemoth was getting awfully close to us here at the station. You've saved all of us."

Gladio chuckled. "You're a hero now, Ryella. Enjoy it."

"We'll go report the hunt to the tipster," Noctis said. "Be back in a minute."

The four males made their way through the people crowded around and went to the diner. The group of people steadily dispersed, but Ryella found herself still claiming the attention of several small children. The boy that'd initially approached her was now accompanied by a girl and another little boy. They smiled cheerfully.

"Wanna play with us?" the girl asked.

Ryella's eyes lit up and she nodded. The next thing she knew, she was sprawled out on the ground on her back. The girl and the first boy sat on her stomach, petting and playing with her fur. The other boy was sitting along her tail, holding on and laughing as she swished him back and forth. When her friends came out and saw her in that situation, they couldn't help but smile.

"Aww, look who's being adorable!" Prompto cooed.

Ryella gazed at the four guys from her upside-down position. "Looks like you've acquired some new friends," Ignis added. "But we'd best return to Galdin."

"Nooo!" the boy on her stomach whined. "I don't want you to go yet!" He swiftly moved to a specific spot he'd discovered mere moments ago and began scratching it. Ryella's eyes closed partway and she purred loudly in pure bliss at the pleasurable sensation. "I'll give you belly rubs all the time! Just please don't go!"

Noctis laughed at her reaction. "Oooh, looks like the big, tough dragon has a weak spot."

Gladio teasingly smirked. "That could be handy to know."

Ryella immediately ceased her purrs and snapped her eyes open. She slowly rolled over onto her side, forcing the children to slide off and onto the ground. She grumbled at the males teasing her and rose to her feet. The three kids sprinted around to her her arm, hugging it tightly, not wanting her to leave.

Prompto went over and crouched beside them. "Listen, I know you wanna keep playing with Ryella, but we've all got important stuff to do."

"Like what?" the third boy asked.

"Well..." The gunman took a moment to think of a simple answer. "Like hunting monsters and helping people."

"Oh," the first boy mumbled. The three kids finally let her go. They all looked up at the dragon. "If you're gonna save others from those scary monsters...then you should go. It would be really bad if someone else got hurt because we kept you here."

Ryella purred and leaned down, nudging them with her nose. They all gave her a hug before backing away. Her friends climbed onto her back like usual, and the children waved to them as Ryella took off into the sky. She glanced back at them and inwardly smiled. But as soon as they were out of sight, her joy faded as her mind wandered back to her encounter with Nero. She had so many questions with little to no answers. Why does he want to kill me so badly? I've never done anything to him. So why is he doing this? She started feeling guilty as well for how poorly she performed in combat. She went against all she was taught out of fear.

Night had fallen by the time they made it back to Galdin. Ryella flew around to the docks, hovering over them. Dino jumped to his feet, surprised to see the Guardian. The gusts from her wings nearly blew him back, but he managed to keep his feet planted in place. The boys hopped down onto the dock, watching as Ryella left them, heading back towards the caravan. She landed on the sandy beach, turning her gaze to the bright moon shining in the sky. With her mind overwhelmed with thoughts and fears, she laid down in the sand, curling her tail around her body. She momentarily placed a hand against her left cheek, still feeling where Nero's claws were pressed against her face.

The boys soon returned from the Quay only to find Ryella laying on the beach. She stared distantly out at the sea and sky. They walked over to her. "Ryella, you ready to change back yet?" Noctis asked. "We shouldn't need you for battle or transportation for awhile."

The dragon purred, giving them a sideways glance, but otherwise, didn't respond. "Guess that's a no," Gladio assumed.

"Let us know when you wish to be human again," Ignis told her.

The four went to the caravan where Ignis decided to get started on supper. "Do you think she's upset about what happened at the Slough?" Prompto whispered.

"Undoubtedly," the bespectacled man answered. "She appears to be deep in thought."

"No wonder," the shield chimed in. "With Nero appearing and all."

Noctis sighed. "And here she was, hoping she wouldn't run into him. But what's his deal anyway? Why go after other Guardians?"

"I'm uncertain of his reasons," Ignis began, "but he appears to have a grudge against Ryella. He intends to kill her, that much we know. But what motivates him to do so?"

"And why'd he retreat when he was so close to finishing all of us off?" Gladio inquired.

Prompto groaned, scratching his head. "This is making my brain hurt. There's so little that we actually know about him."

"Let's not dwell on it," Ignis advised. "There's nothing to gain from simply worrying ourselves with it."

"Someone should tell Ryella that," Noctis added.

"I might go talk to her," the blond said. "See if I can cheer her up. I hate seeing her all sad and stuff."

Gladio smirked and crossed his arms. "Go for it, loverboy."

"If anyone can brighten her mood, it's you," Noctis added.

The gunman's blue eyes widened. "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Ignis interjected. "She's been nothing but open with you. The way in which she speaks with you is unlike her usual timid manner towards others. I believe, whether she wants to admit it or not, she has a bit of a soft spot for you."

Prompto's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up," the tattooed man interrupted. "It could still be just a 'I wanna be best friends' deal."

Prompto nodded in understanding. He left the guys at the caravan and went down to the beach. He steadily approached the dragon's side and placed a hand on her arm, hoping to get her attention. But she didn't even glance at him, instead, her eyes remained glued to the scenery.

"Hi, Ryella," he greeted. "Still not feeling too great, huh? Hope you'll at least join us for supper in a bit." Seeing as how she wasn't responding in any way, he decided to skip the pointless chitchat. "You're still thinking about Nero, aren't you?" Ryella finally shifted her focus to him. "You don't have to mope around in silence, y'know. You can always talk to me." A bright smile spread across his lips. "Buuut, if you'd rather not talk about it, we could do something else instead. How about a leisurely flight, just you and me? Sorta like when we first met." Ryella grumbled and looked out at the sea again. Prompto swiftly climbed up onto her back and sat down. "C'mon, you know you wanna."

Ryella didn't move for several moments, but the idea of a peaceful flight around Galdin did sound appealing. She surprised Prompto by rising to her feet and stretching her wings out. The blond swiftly clutched onto her fur, and she flapped her wings, taking off into the night sky. Hearing Prompto's laughter caused her to inwardly smile. He was always so fun and carefree. To know he was having fun began to lift her mood. Not only that, she really enjoyed spending time with him. It seemed like just being with Prompto could make her feel happy and at ease.

"Wow, this brings back memories," the gunman said, looking all around at the view. "It's just like our great escape from the zu...well, except that we don't have a giant bird on our tails." He hummed in content. "You really saved my life that day."

And you saved mine, she thought.

"Y'know, sometimes it feels like we've known each other a lot longer than we actually have." The boy chuckled to himself. "Crazy, right?"

In all honesty, Ryella felt that way too. A specific few had the ability to make her smile and laugh with ease, to make her feel comfortable. Clement had been one of those few, and Prompto was as well. Something about them just allowed her to relax and open up without her shyness getting in the way. She didn't even have to know them for very long for them to have that effect on her. Those were the type of people she was most compatible with.

She soared up high in the sky and drifted down toward the water's surface. Prompto took in the beautiful scenery. The sky was clear, and the moon illuminated the darkness while thousands of stars decorated the sky. The glow of the moon reflected off the ocean's surface. All together, it was a lovely night, and it was loosening up the Guardian. She soon landed upon the beach once more, her feet in the shallow water. As Prompto started climbing down, Ryella abruptly tilted to the side, dumping him in the water.

"Hey!" he snapped, his clothes soaked. "What was that for?!" An odd rumbling sound reverberated in her chest. It only took the boy a second to realize she was laughing. He grinned mischeviously. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, huh? Take this!"

He splashed water onto her side, stopping her laughter. She blinked at him before suddenly stomping her foot down in the water, sending up a wave that engulfed Prompto. Both were laughing as they splashed at each other like children, but after being completely drenched in seawater, Prompto shivered and hugged his arms.

"Oh man, I didn't realize it was so cool out here." Ryella lightly pushed him out of the water with her wing. "I know, I know, I'mma go get changed."

The dragon shook the water from her fur and the two headed back to the caravan where their friends were. "Looks like you two had a good time," Gladio teased, having seen them fly off and play in the water.

Prompto's cheeks turned pink. "Sh-shut up."

He quickly went inside to dry off and change into his extra clothes. Meanwhile, Ryella looked to the prince and held out her hand. "Ready to change back now, I see," he said, swiftly snatching up an elixir and placing it in her palm.

She crushed it, feeling rejuvenated, and Ignis handed her her clothes. The advisor had taken the liberty to wash them for her while she had remained in dragon form. She then moved behind the caravan, and out of view of the windows, to transform and get dressed. After she was back to her human form, and Prompto had gotten into some dry clothes, the group all sat around and ate together. Ryella still didn't say too much, her mind going back to the events at the Slough. But she repeatedly told the others she was fine, even though they could tell she clearly wasn't. Once she'd eaten, the girl was back on the beach again, sitting alone on the shore.

It wasn't long before Prompto joined her. He took a seat next to her on the sand. "Still thinking about him, aren't you? You don't have to be afraid. We'd stand and fight for you if you needed."

Ryella glanced at him briefly before staring down at her lap. "I-I know, but...u-um, well..."

The blond arched an eyebrow. "Is there something else bothering you too?"

She looked at him in slight surprise. "Wh-why would you think that?"

"Because you're stuttering. You only stutter when your nervous."

"I-I..." The girl turned her head away. "I don't know if you'd understand."

Prompto smiled. "Even if I don't understand, that doesn't mean I can't listen to what's on your mind."

"Well...o-okay. You might not think this, but..." She took a deep breath. "Back at the Slough...I was...pathetic." The blond furrowed his brows in confusion. "Sure, I can boldly take on all manner of monsters and daemons, but when I saw Nero again, I...I turned and ran!" She buried her face in her hands out of shame.

"What's wrong with that?" Prompto cautiously asked.

"Because I'm a Guardian!" she explained, uncovering her face to look at the boy. "We're supposed to stand firm and fight to protect others! That's what we're born to do! But me...I tried to flee like a coward, leaving all of you to fend for yourselves! I'm weak and inferior!" She hugged her arms, her eyes growing wet with tears threatening to fall. "Out of fear, I abandoned everything I was ever taught. I am undeserving of my title." She placed her palm over the left side of her face. "Even now, I can still feel those powerful claws against my skin. There was so much strength behind them, and I truly feared that those were my last moments---that I was to die at the hands of a Guardian far better than myself in every aspect."

Prompto stared at her, empathizing with her situation. He understood perfectly how it felt to constantly think you're not good enough. There he was, an untalented commoner, friends with the crown prince, his bodyguard, and his chamberlain. But Ryella had much more going for her than he did, at least she was actually useful. He slowly reached out, sliding his hand under hers and gently resting his palm against her cheek. She flinched at first but relaxed into the warmth of his hand. She slowly looked over at him with wide eyes, meeting his bright blue orbs and kind smile.

"It's okay to be afraid," he told her, "and it's okay to make mistakes. We all have fears and weaknesses, it's part of being human. You aren't some machine programmed to be the perfect guard dog, and no one expects you to be. Don't think you're not worthy of being a Guardian, and don't think that Nero is better than you. As far as I'm concerned, you're the greatest Guardian ever. You're kind and fierce, gentle yet powerful, all at the same time. You often risk your life for others without concern for yourself, and the one time you run is simply because your enemy was after you, and you alone. So please don't call yourself weak, or pathetic, or inferior, because you're none of those things."

Ryella blinked at him, astonished by his words. "But you don't understand-"

"Yes, I do," he interrupted. "Trust me, Ryella, I get it. I know what it's like to feel lower than others."

"You...do?"

He removed his hand from her face and nodded, turning his gaze to the ocean in front of them. "Just look at me, an unimportant commoner traveling with royalty. I'm not like the others, I don't have any special talents like them. I'm nothing, really."

The brunette carefully rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Everyone is something, Prompto. The same goes for you. Social class doesn't impact that. And you are talented as well. I've never seen anyone take such beautiful, memorable photos, and you have a way of making people smile and laugh. That's certainly not a gift everyone has, especially timid people like me."

The gunman chuckled. "I wasn't always this talkative and outgoing though."

"Oh, you did mention that before. Back when we first met."

"Yeah, that's right." Thinking back on it, Prompto did recall saying that he was an introverted kid. "But I was super shy when I was a kid. Too scared to talk to people, and I didn't have any friends. That's when I met Noct for the first time, and I decided to shape up so I could build up the confidence to talk to him."

Ryella tilted her head to the side, puzzled. "What do you mean 'shape up'?"

Prompto's face flushed. He hadn't realized he'd let that slip out. He nervously shifted a bit and cleared his throat. "Uh, y-you see...back in elementary school...I was sorta, kinda...big...as in overweight."

"Aww, I bet you were adorable" the girl cooed, giggling lightly. "Prompto, appearances never matter, it's what's inside that counts. Besides, just look at how far you've come. You built yourself up into one amazing person."

Prompto smiled lightly, relieved that she didn't poke fun like he feared everyone would. "I think we've both come a long way. Hey, how'd we even get to this topic anyway?" A goofy grin spread across his lips. "We started off talking about you, then we ended with me explaining my childhood." Ryella laughed at that. "Guess I can't complain, I got you to smile. You're the only person other than Noct that I've told about this though."

The girl quieted her laughter but continued smiling. "I won't tell anyone, I promise. Thank you for making me feel better."

She leaned over, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. The boy's face grew bright red, but he returned the comforting embrace, gingerly winding his arms around her smaller frame. He smiled to himself, wanting so badly to nuzzle her shoulder and hair, but he managed to hold himself back. After pulling away, Prompto had an idea that might make her even happier.

"So, I hear they have a new Tenebraen dessert at the Mother of Pearl, how about tomorrow we all go try it out?"

Ryella eagerly nodded. "Sounds great. I can't wait."

"Before we go, wanna get a picture with this beautiful view?"

The girl giggled at the enthusiasm evident in his expression. "Okay."

The two finally got up, dusting sand off their clothes. Prompto snatched up his camera and held it out, facing them both. The blond gingerly draped his free arm around the girl's shoulders, scooting closer so they could both fit in the shot. He ignored the nervous blush on his cheeks and grinned, snapping a photo. He then released the girl and checked the image.

"Nice! That one's a keeper!" He looked at Ryella. "Um, do you think I could get a shot of just you in front of the water?" He gulped anxiously. It was the first time he'd actually asked her for a picture without anyone else in it.

"Sure, I don't mind."

He pointed to where he wanted her to stand at the water's edge. She did as told, and with the ocean at her back, she smiled brightly, hiding her hands shyly behind her back. Prompto clicked the button, snapping the shot. He took a moment to look at the resulting image, finding himself mesmerized by how gorgeous Ryella looked in the dim lighting. Her pretty smile and cute pose left him speechless.

"Wow..." he breathed out.

The brunette looked at him with concern, thinking she might've looked silly in the picture. "Er, 'wow', what?"

The gunman was snapped out of his thoughts by her voice. His cheeks turned red out of embarrassment. "Oh, uh, the ocean looks amazing in this lighting!" he swiftly explained.

Ryella went over to his side to see for herself. She smiled at the image. "Oh, you're right. And the sky looks pretty too."

You're the prettiest thing in this picture though, he thought to himself. He cleared his throat and put his camera away. "Well, it's getting late. We should probably go inside."

The two returned to the caravan where their friends were inside playing games on their phones. All three looked up from their screens upon noticing the pair walking in. "Ryella, you feeling alright?" Noctis asked, still worried about her.

She gave them a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Good," Gladio replied. "There's really no reason to worry your pretty little head about what happened. Nero's gone, and he won't find us so easily a second time."

"Indeed," Ignis agreed. "Although I still find it peculiar that he would leave of his own accord when he was so close to finishing the job."

Ryella knew the answer to that, and she wasn't surprised that they didn't notice. "That's because he didn't."

Standing beside the girl, Prompto leaned toward her slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"His reaction gave it away," she explained. "He didn't leave because he wanted to... He was summoned, I'm sure of it. Nero has a master."

Prompto gasped and Noctis said, "So maybe that's why he's after Ryella. Whoever he works for might be the one who wants to kill her."

The advisor gave a sigh. "I'm afraid that's highly illogical. If it were his master's plan, then why would they call Nero back before he could finish the job?"

Gladio nodded. "Yeah, I think the idea of hunting down Ryella is all Nero's."

The Guardian hummed in thought. "I do remember...Lunafreya suspected that Nero was with the empire. If that were the case, could his master be someone in power there?"

It wouldn't be...Ravus, would it? Ryella swiftly discarded that thought. He'd never side with someone like that. But then...who else would save us---save me? Ryella always knew the truth about Ravus. Though he allied himself with the empire, he worked behind the scenes to ensure his sister's safety, along with her Messengers and Guardians. His grudge was solely against Lucian royalty. Ravus...I pray that both you and Luna are doing okay.

"No use tiring ourselves out trying to figure it out," Noctis said, already climbing into his bed. "Let's get some sleep. I think we're all pretty beat after today."

With that, everyone went straight to bed, finally able to rest their weary heads. They'd had an adventurous, yet hectic day, and Prompto even learned quite a bit more about Ryella. He was surprised to have found that she had insecurities similar to his own, but it made him feel all the more closer to her. As for Ryella, Nero overwhelmed her thoughts. There were far too many questions and mysteries surrounding the Guardian and whomever his master was. Though she didn't want to meet him again, she couldn't deny that she wanted answers. But all of that had to wait for the time being.