Before anyone could follow Lorelai, Ignis spoke, "I wish we knew of the chancellor's intentions. No good could come from what he told Lorelai's mother."

Prompto's eyes widened. He hadn't even realized that the event Purnima showed them that included Ardyn was when her mother was killed. Gladiolus let out a sigh.

"I suppose we won't know until something happens," he said. "But when it does, we'll be ready."

Purnima climbed up more onto the edge of the cliff, leaving her tail and back legs to dangle below. "I hate to ask this of you humans, but... keep Lorelai safe for me. Whether she wants to believe it or not, I am dying. Please, just look after her."

"You can count on us!" Prompto said with a grin.

Noctis nodded. "I promise, we'll do whatever we can to help her."

A weak smile crept across the dragon's lips. "Thank you."

She lowered her head until it rested on the ground. The four men quietly left her to rest. The sun was steadily sinking in the sky as they headed down to Iris and Talcott's home. Ignis stopped Gladio in front of the house.

"I think it would be a good idea to allow the local hunters to keep people away from the dragon. Her life is fading, and we don't need her presence to become a tourist attraction."

The tattooed man nodded in agreement. "Good call, Iggy. Purnima deserves a peaceful end. We'll ask Dustin and Monica."

Going inside, Dustin and Monica pointed them upstairs. Noctis and Prompto headed up while Ignis and Gladio stayed to inquire the two from the Crownsguard about the dragon's privacy. Entering the room, the two boy saw Lorelai sitting on the floor and leaning against one of the beds, hiding her face in her arms. Iris and Talcott sat by her with saddened expressions. Prompto hurried over and crouched by the girl, placing a hand against her back.

"Lora, you okay?" he asked.

Lorelai lifted her head and looked at him, showing her tear-stained face. She immediately began wiping her eyes. "Prompto, I'm alright. It just felt like... my mother was really there."

Noctis sat on the bed beside them. "I know it must hurt. If I ever saw a perfect image of my father like that, I'd..." He clenched his fists, holding back the tears and sorrow. "It would be hard to face."

"But that's why we're here, Lori," Iris said, "to help you through all the hardships."

Lorelai smiled at each of them. "Thanks, you guys. How about we have fun tonight, you know, to take our minds off all the bad stuff."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Talcott cheered.

Prompto grinned. "Aw yeah! Sounds like a plan!" He then smirked slightly. "Buuut, first things first. You said you wanna get stronger. I'd say the first step to that would be conquering your fears."

Lorelai's eyes widened slightly, already knowing what he was hinting at. "I must say I agree with Prompto," Ignis's voice said.

He and Gladio stood in the doorway, causing everyone to look over at them. "It would be great if you could actually fight at night without having to use your magic," the shield commented.

Lorelai sighed. "You're absolutely right. Getting over my fear is the first step to getting stronger."

"Course I'd be happy to spar with you anytime," Gladio told her.

Prompto glanced at the window before jumping to his feet. "Oh em gee, we're gonna miss our chance! C'mon, Lora!"

He quickly took her wrist and pulled her to her feet. He then tugged her along and hurried downstairs and out of the house. The sun was currently setting, tinting the sky orange. He led her a short distance from the house. He finally stopped and took a seat on a large rock with Lorelai sitting beside him.

"Alright, we're gonna watch the sun's light disappear," he told her. "You're allowed to do anything to comfort yourself except leave or use your magic."

The girl gulped and nodded. They sat there quietly, watching the darkness creep in. With all traces of sunlight nearly gone, Lorelai's breathing picked up, her wide eyes darting around at her surroundings.

"Look at the stars," Prompto instructed, noticing the girl beginning to panic. "Just like before."

Her eyes went straight up to the sky. Her fear faded as she grew mesmerized by the thousands of tiny lights within the sky. She smiled slightly. She suddenly felt a hand on top of hers. She looked over at the blond, her focus instantly shifting to the darkness around them. She gasped, squeezed her eyes shut, and latched onto Prompto's arm, hugging it tightly.

"Look at me." Lorelai carefully opened her eyes, her blue-flecked green orbs locking onto the gunman's blue ones. He frowned, seeing the terror in her eyes. "C'mon, that's enough for tonight. We'll take it one step at a time." He stood her up with him as she created a light orb in her palm. He smiled. "You did good though."

She didn't respond, only smiled slightly. Turning back toward the house, they could see the dim glow emanating from the sleeping dragon a short distance away. They walked back to the house, Lorelai's light orb vanishing once they stepped inside. Everyone was sitting at the large table, eating. The two joined them.

"How'd it go?" Noctis asked.

"She's got a ways to go," Prompto replied, flashing her a smile. "But she'll get there."

"Of course, no need to rush it," Ignis said.

"Thanks for the support," Lorelai said, smiling happily. "I'll try every night if I have to. I want to get past my fear."

After supper, Iris took Lorelai up to her room, handing her some extra pajamas so her clothes could be washed. Iris took a quick bath and dressed in her pajamas, which consisted of a grey tank top and grey pants with black stripes. Lorelai then got a bath after her. Once finished, she got dressed and examined her apparel in the mirror. She had on a black, short-sleeved top that came up above her belly button and black pants with a moogle picture on each leg along with the word "kupo" printed across the butt.

It wasn't too surprising given that they belonged to Iris. The pants fit fine, but the top was slightly small for Lorelai, making it a bit uncomfortable. She would have to deal with it though. She left the bathroom, and headed across to the boys' room, knowing that's where Iris already was. She went inside where she saw everyone chatting, dressed in their own casual apparel. They all paused and looked at her, Iris jumping off the bed she sat on.

"Hey, you wear my clothes pretty well, Lori," she complimented.

"Thanks." Lorelai tugged at the top slightly, trying to loosen it. "Although the shirt is a bit... tight."

Iris crossed her arms. "Not my fault you're bigger than me."

The boys all seemed to avert their gaze upon hearing that, knowing what she meant. Lorelai simply shot the brunette a look that said "really?". To change the subject, Prompto hurriedly snatched up the darts laying on the coffee table.

"Who's up for some darts? Noct, you think you can beat me?" He grinned devilishly, knowing this was one game he could win at.

"You're on."

Everyone got comfortable and watched the two. Noctis ended up losing, much to his dismay. "How about I go up against someone else?" he suggested, his tone frustrated. "Someone more on my level."

"What level would that be?" the blond teased. "The one that sucks?"

Ignoring his friend, the prince set his sights on another. "Lora, I challenge you."

"Wha- Me?" she asked, dumbfounded. "I've barely ever played darts."

Noctis smirked. "Perfect. I can win then."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and stood up. Prompto handed her his darts before taking a seat. Now with her back to them, Gladio's amber eyes caught sight of the writing across her butt. He nudged Prompto and pointed out the words. The gunman's eyes widened and his mouth hung open. The shield smirked in amusement, noticing Prompto's gaze glued to the phrase. Ignis figured out what they were staring at and silently shook his head in disapproval. After Noctis's turn, Gladio shut Prompto's mouth for him, snapping him out of his trance.

"Hey, Lora," the tattooed man called. The girl turned her head to look back at him. "Kupo."

Lorelai immediately knew what he was referring to. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. Like I care if you stare. Enjoy the eye candy."

She focused on the dartboard and aimed. Throwing the dart, it landed nowhere near the center. She frowned and tried again with the same result. She groaned in frustration.

"I told you I can't play darts," she complained. "I'm going to lose for sure."

"That's 'cause your timing's off," Prompto pointed out. "You've gotta time your throw just right." He stood and approached her. "Here, want me to show you?"

She nodded. The blond slowly placed his hand over her own that held the dart. He brought it up in front of her face and leaned closer. He tried to ignore the rising heat in his face and focus on helping her. With his cheek nearly touching hers, he instructed her on how to aim and time her throw. He finally let go and backed away, letting her try on her own. She did as he had said and threw. The dart hit just below the center, which was a huge improvement.

"You did it!" Prompto cheered with a grin. "That was much better!"

"Thanks to you!" Lorelai replied with a happy smile. She held her hand up for a high five that the blond eagerly accepted.

"I still won though," Noctis pointed out.

"Big deal," Lorelai said. "I just improved."

"Savor your victory, Noct," Ignis stated with a chuckle. "Lora will be a more formidable foe the next time you play."

Talcott yawned and rubbed his eyes. Iris took notice and stood, saying, "I think it's time we get some sleep."

Everyone agreed. Lorelai, Iris, and Talcott left and went to their own room for the night. While everyone started getting ready for bed, Prompto stared dreamily out the window.

"You've got it bad." Prompto was snapped out of his thoughts by his best friend, who took a seat next to him. "Don't think I didn't notice that contented look on your face when you were teaching Lora how to time her throws."

"Not to mention the way you were staring at her ass," Gladio added.

The gunman shot him a glare. "Hey! That was your fault, y'know!" Prompto turned his gaze back to the window, humming in content as he rested his chin in his palm. "But whatever. I think I've got a good chance with her after all."

"Or she merely accepts your kindness and generosity," Ignis jokingly suggested.

Prompto winced slightly at that, looking back at the bespectacled man. "Why even say that?!"

Noctis patted Prompto on the shoulder. "We're just messing with you. I think you've got a shot with her, Prompto." He then stood. "After all, just look at how close you two have gotten."

Noctis walked toward the bathroom. Prompto thought over his words and smiled to himself. His best friend had hope for him. The gunman finally stood and went to his bed, plopping onto his back. He grabbed his camera and flipped through the few photos he'd secretly taken of Lorelai. One was when she first entered their room in the pajamas Iris had loaned her, the other was after he'd shown her the way to time her dart throws and she had gotten close to the bullseye.

Gladio leaned over, getting a glimpse of the pictures. "You can be quite sneaky with that thing," he said, chuckling. "Now you can stare at her image like a creep."

"For the last time, I do NOT stare!" the blond snapped. "I admire!" He let out a sigh and smiled slightly at the images. "How could I not? She's beautiful."

"You really are quite smitten with her," Ignis stated.

Nothing else was said. Soon enough, the guys went to bed, drifting to sleep in the soft, comfortable beds.