Ignis was the first to wake up the next morning. He laid his phone next to Prompto and Gladio, waking them up with the buzzing and vibrating of the device. He then placed it next to Noctis's head. The prince grumbled and tried to ignore it, but the continual noise along with his pals nudging and pulling him forced him up.

Leaving the tent, the guys noticed the light barrier was already gone. It had dissolved when the sun rose. Ignis decided to try the same method on Lorelai, who still slept soundly. He quietly approached her, kneeling down and laying his phone next to her head. The girl's eyes fluttered open and she lazily stared at Ignis. She smiled and slowly sat up, yawning and stretching.

"Morning already?" She glanced at the phone that Ignis picked up and turned off. "That's an interesting way to wake people up." She then looked up at the four. "Hey, guys."

"Back at ya," Prompto responded with a tired yawn, stretching his arms above his head.

After breakfast, Gladio insisted they head on to Lestallum. "Come on, let's start packing up," he said

While the others began packing up their things, Prompto crouched next to Lorelai who still sat on the ground. "You're leg feeling better?" he asked, genuinely concerned for her well-being.

Lorelai brought her leg up, examining her calf. "Yeah, looks like it's healed up. Those elixirs work wonders."

"I know, right?" Prompto said, standing up with the girl. He noticed up close that Lorelai was a little shorter than him, the top of her head only reaching his eye level. "Anyways, we'll be taking the car back to Lestallum. Hope you don't mind squeezing in the back with Noct and Gladio."

"Not at all," she replied. "I'm just grateful for the ride."

"Oh, by the way, here." Prompto dug into his pocket and pulled out the griffin feathers. He handed them out to the girl. "I almost forgot I had them." He laughed nervously, his freckled cheeks turning a light pink.

Lorelai took the feathers from him, neatly placing them in her pouch. "Thanks, Prompto."

"Prompto, Lora, get a move on!" Noctis shouted. The two turned to see the three men already packed up and heading toward the Regalia.

"There in a jiffy!" Prompto called back. He and Lorelai glanced at each other and jogged to catch up with them.

Noctis allowed Lorelai in on his side before taking his usual seat in the back. The girl was seated right between him and Gladio, her arms touching theirs because of the tight fit. With Ignis pulling out onto the road, Prompto got up and turned completely around in his seat to face Lorelai.

"So, Lora, where exactly do you live anyway?" he questioned, the wind blowing his blond hair.

Lorelai's mind scrambled for an answer. "Well... I don't really stay in one place for long," she coolly explained. "Lucis is my home, there is no specific place that I live."

"If you say so," Gladio stated.

Prompto shrugged, grabbed his camera, and snapped a picture of the girl with Gladio and Noctis. He glanced behind him to see that they were arriving in Lestallum. He sat back down. Ignis pulled into a parking space away from the street. Turning off the car, the five climbed out, the Lestallum heat beating down on them.

"So, are we to meet with your friends now?" Ignis asked the raven-haired girl.

She thought for a second, already knowing how Iris will react. "Eh, I should report to the tipster first."

The men quietly followed behind the girl. They walked down several streets, passing by other people as they went. Prompto took a few pictures of the scenery while Lorelai would occasionally glance back to make sure all four were still with her. Passing through the market, Lorelai collected her reward from the old man at the restaurant.

The group then headed to the hotel where the front doors immediately burst open. "Lori!" Iris rushed over and pulled the girl into a tight hug. "When you messaged me about being delayed, I was worried you'd gotten hurt or something!"

"Iris, I'm fine," Lorelai insisted. "Look at me." She lightly pushed the brunette away and smiled. "I told you not to worry about me."

"Wait a minute, you're friends with my little sister?" Gladio questioned, crossing his arms.

Iris looked past Lorelai and smiled happily at the guys. "Hey, Gladdy! So, you're the reason Lori was delayed."

Lorelai stifled her laughs and turned her head to look at the tattooed man. "Gladdy?"

"Shut up," he grumbled, turning his face away.

Talcott soon came out too, rushing over to the group. "Miss Lorelai, you're back, and you brought Prince Noctis with you."

The guys all greeted the boy with smiles. Lorelai dug into her pouch and pulled out the feathers. She bent down and handed one to the kid. "Here you go, Talcott. A griffin feather, as promised."

"Wow! Thanks, Miss Lorelai!"

Lorelai straightened up and handed the other to Iris, who accepted it with a smile. "Thank you, Lori! It's really cool, but you didn't have to."

Lorelai placed one hand on her hip and waved the other dismissively. "Hey, I told you I'd bring you both a souvenir from my hunt. I kept my word."

Iris slipped the feather into her pocket. She lightly took hold of Lorelai's wrist and pulled her along. "Come on, Lori, let's go for a walk, just us girls. I wanna hear all about the hunt."

Lorelai smiled and followed the girl, who eventually let go of her wrist. The two walked and talked, Lorelai telling her friend all about her fight with the griffin, how she was bitten by a voretooth, and how the guys swooped in to aid her. Iris listened intently, a smile on her lips.

"Gladdy and the guys are great, huh?" She turned her gaze toward the blue sky above. "My brother looks pretty intimidating, but he's really a big softie. Ignis is very kind, always putting everyone before himself. Prompto's a real goofball, but he can usually make just about anyone smile." She giggled at her own comment. "Then there's Noctis. It can be hard to know what he's thinking sometimes, but he can be very sweet."

Lorelai almost instantly noticed the dreamy look on the girl's face. She smirked and playfully nudged her. "You seem to know an awful lot about that," she teased.

Iris locked her eyes on Lorelai, a small pout on her face. "I do not! He's my friend, that's it! Besides, he's supposed to marry Lady Lunafreya."

Lorelai's smirk faded. "Yeah, I heard about that. Yet here they are, wandering around in the wilderness instead of going to Altissia."

"The ships at Galdin Quay aren't taking passengers right now. So, they're doing what they can here and receiving power from Noct's ancestors."

Lorelai nodded knowingly. The two enjoyed talking about all kinds of things. Iris was more than happy to have another girl to hang out with, and Lorelai too found it nice to just spend time with a friend. Though anytime Iris asked about the black-haired girl's past, Lorelai remained brief and vague on her replies. Lorelai trusted the brunette, but she stayed firm on her willingness to never tell anyone about her birthplace.

The day seemed to quickly pass by as the two girls made their own fun. They stopped and snacked at the food stands and eventually found themselves at the market. They browsed the merchandise while a few people were on the side playing instruments. Some gathered around to listen, but Lorelai and Iris could hear them even from the many shops.

Lorelai started by tapping her feet to the beat, her hips following after. She snapped her fingers and lightly bumped Iris with her hip, a small grin on her face. "Come on, Iris, let the rhythm move your body."

Iris laughed at her friend. "You're crazy!" Watching Lorelai dance around, Iris gave up and joined in.

They laughed and moved about to the beat, a few random people occasionally joining them or clapping. Once the sun was beginning to set, the musicians packed their instruments and headed home. The crowds steadily dispersed as well. The streetlights came on, illuminating the darkening streets as the two girls headed to the hotel. With their arms linked, they hummed and swayed their hips, the familiar tune at the market still playing in their heads.

They entered the hotel and went up to Iris and Talcott's room. They opened the door, immediately seeing all five boys inside. All eyes were on them as they continued to hum and sway to the tune. Prompto and Noctis were in the middle of playing darts, but they too paused and stared. The girls finally finished humming and broke out in laughter.

"Looks like you two have been having fun," Gladio said from where he sat in a chair.

Iris walked over to him with a happy smile. "We did. It's so nice to have another girl around."

"Well, don't get too accustomed to having me around," Lorelai said, glancing at the floor sadly. "I'll be heading out in the morning."

"What? Already?" Iris frowned. "But you haven't been here very long."

"Sorry, Iris. I've got things that need to be done - places to explore, daemons to hunt, people to help."

The brunette sighed. "Yeah, I understand. It's the life of a hunter, right?" Lorelai nodded, both looking a bit sad about it. "Just, stay in touch, okay?"

A small smile spread across Lorelai's lips. "I will, and I'll come back and visit you. We can hang out, or go shopping, or anything you want."

"So, when are we heading out in the morning?" Noctis asked, sitting down on the couch and leaning back comfortably. "I hope it's not too early."

Lorelai was taken by surprise. Sure, she trusted these guys and was grateful for their help, but she had always done things on her own. She hunted alone, ventured out to unknown places by herself. Honestly, she was mostly afraid of someone uncovering her secrets. She wanted no one to know the truth.

"Look, guys..." She paused, seeing that they were all watching her. "I normally do things on my own."

Prompto grinned. "Yeah, but I bet it'll be fun to travel together for a while."

Lorelai opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words to deny them. She finally sighed and walked past everyone and to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Ignis ushered his companions out to return to their own room for the night. Ignis and Gladiolus suspected that Lorelai would probably leave them behind in the morning, but they knew there was nothing they could do to stop her.