~Zodia's POV~

Caressing Ignis' cheeks, the sensation of his warm tears hit my skin. When he covered my hand with his, the warmth of his touch made me smile from ear to ear. It has been three long years since I have felt this peaceful. "I hope my sudden appearance hasn't given you a heart attack."

He took his mask off. "Quite the opposite. You have restored my heart to full." Ignis smiles, leaning down to my height and kissing me passionately. My hand dropped from his face just as he wrapped both of his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against his body. One of his hands snaked up my back and found the back of my neck. With our new position, Ignis deepens the kiss. My eyes slowly close at the heavenly sensation of his lips against mine. I latched onto the jacket of his tuxedo and let myself drown in ecstasy.

After the intense kiss, Ignis rested his forehead against mine and stared into my azure eyes with endearment. The smile across his face grew as I pecked him on the nose. He refused to let go of me as we chatted. "I'm so sorry for the pain I caused you and the others through these three years. That day in Altissia, after I put you to sleep, I learned of the future from Capricorn. Once I learned of the sacrifice Noctis would have to make, I decided to seek out Pisces. With plenty of begging, he taught me a forbidden spell that summoned a single Astral. That's when I traded my blood for my brother's life."

"You're here now. A miracle such as this does not occur every day," he said, placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

"Why don't we go surprise the others? I'm sure they'll be just as surprised as you," I beam.

Ignis nods and takes my mask, placing it back on my face. Wishing to keep up the festivities, he put his mask back on, as well. He offered me his arm and I gladly held on to him. We return to the ballroom and search for Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio. The three were chatting together as Luna was dancing with guests. Gladio spotted us first, his eyes falling upon me. "I see you found someone. Not to mention, a beautiful woman at that."

"Oh! I saw you both dancing together! I snapped a few shots," Prompto beams.

"I didn't know you could dance so well, Speccy," Noctis snickers.

"Only possible if your partner is equally as skillful," Ignis compliments as he and I exchange glances. "I do desire to discuss private matters with the five of us."

"Uh, sure. Let's go to the room down the hall," Noctis said.

Shuffling our way out of the ballroom, we make it to a quiet room with no prying eyes. All of us were silent, but the three confused men were eyeing me suspiciously. Even though they were my friends and brother, it felt very suffocating. Unconsciously, I clung tighter to Ignis and pressed my body against his. He took note of my nature and sent a small warning to them. "Gentlemen, it is discourteous to gawk."

"Sorry, but why is she here?" Gladio asked with a tinge of anger. "What's so private that you have to bring a complete stranger along?"

"Hey, don't be so mean! You're the one who said Iggy should find someone tonight," Prompto came to Ignis' and my defense.

"I just said to find someone else so he could get over Zodia," Gladio remarks.

"It seems your anger still gets the best of you," I retort.

"'Still'? You talk as if you've known me for years when this is the first time I've met you. I don't even know your name, sweetheart," Gladio snarls.

"Gladiolus," Ignis growls lowly with a sharp glare.

"Calm down, Gladio," Noctis said to the shield.

"Yes, please do because the moment I remove my mask, you're going to regret your words," I warn.

"Prove it. Take off that damn mask and reveal yourself. I'll be the judge behind your words." He crossed his arms and kept his glare on me. Ignis released me and I took the mask off. As Gladio recognized me, his eyes, along with Noctis' and Prompto's, widened in bewilderment. After he realized what he said, the shield hastily apologized.

As he became a complete mess and begged for my forgiveness, I walked over and placed a hand on his arm. "It's my fault more than yours. I egged you on and fueled your anger."

"You were right, though. My anger still does get the best of me. I'm sorry, Zodia."

"All is forgiven, Gladio." Then, I gave my full attention to Prompto. Before I could speak, he had fallen on the floor and passed out. "I... was hoping to not kill someone tonight."

"While he's out for the count, it's my turn." Noctis reached out and hugged me. "When I heard what happened from Shiva, I was so damn mad at you. After a day, I could no longer stay mad at you for you had chosen to save me—an asshole who was rarely at your side when we were kids. All the anger that I had towards you was actually directed towards myself."

"Don't talk about yourself like that, Noctis. Even though our time as kids was short and you were gone most of the time, the moments I spent with you I have cherished for years. I wouldn't trade you for any other brother."

"I'm... I'm so glad you're alive. Losing you was too much and Luna did everything she could to help me through the grieving. Losing Dad hurt, but when you passed, I was a complete and utter wreck. How are you here? We saw your body vanish."

"You can thank the twelve zodiacs for that. Each and every one of them sacrificed half their powers to bring me back. It took two years for my body to regenerate and a whole year for my memories to return. Once all the pieces clicked together, I found out you were holding a masquerade ball and decided to attend. It provided me a chance to get into the Citadel and meet with the four of you."

"Luna's gonna love seeing you. She's been searching of a way to bring you back ever since she heard of your sacrifice."

"I do want to meet my new sister-in-law. Can't wait to tell her all the goofy things you did while we were growing up," I tease.

"If I find out you told her something super embarrassing, I'll spill tons of secrets about you to Specs," he retorts with a grin.

"We'll see who wins this battle. I will not back down, Noctis Lucis Caelum!" I declare playfully.

"Nor will I, Zodia Xylia Scientia," Noctis chuckled.

My body froze over, even my eyes couldn't blink at the shock of the last name I heard. Noctis poked my cheek, snapping me out of my paralyzed state. Then, my cheeks began igniting with an intense heat. I playfully shoved my brother and tried to hide my red cheeks in my hands. Noctis and Gladio bursted into laughter while Ignis smiled at me fondly.

"Now that you're back, we've got a wedding to plan," Gladio said with a gentle smile.

"Definitely. It's about damn time," Noctis snorts.

At that moment, Prompto jolted from his unconscious state and flew to his feet. He crushed me in a hug and sniffled. "We missed you, Zodia. Can I be the photographer for you and Iggy's wedding?"

"Of course, silly. Who else would we want to ask?"

He cheers happily and had to stop moving when he got lightheaded. Noctis pats Prompto on the back. "Let's head back to the ballroom. Specs, you take the rest of the night off."

"Yeah, it'll give you both time to catch up," Gladio agrees with the King.

Usually, Ignis would voice against the thought of a night off, but this time, he accepted it without an argument. "Have a wondrous time, gentlemen."

Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio left with huge smiles on their faces. Ignis took my hand and guided me to his room. Once inside, I placed my mask down on the dresser and sat at the edge of the queen-sized bed. "It's so nice to be back with everyone. I just don't miss the Citadel, even though it's been thirteen years." Ignis sat next to me and I took the advantage to rest my head on his shoulder. "Now I'm worn out."

"Would you like to call it a night, my dear?" He asked.

"Yeah. We can talk each other's ears off in the morning. I don't think I'll be able to keep my eyes open for much longer."

"Before you doze off, swap your dress for something more pleasant," Ignis said. He got to his feet and went to the dresser. Scrounging through one of the drawers, he pulled out a shirt for me to change into. I thank him as he hands over the top and head into the bathroom.

Changing into the shirt, I realized it was more of a short dress on me. The hem of the black top reached mid-thigh and the collar of the shirt slipped from one of my shoulders. I tried to fix it but was futile. I hung the dress up on the door and exited the bathroom. Ignis had changed into something more comfortable and had untucked the sheets of the bed.

When I was about to crawl under the soft sheets, my eyes were locked onto two pictures on Ignis' nightstand. They were both of me on our journey to Altissia. I smiled and replayed the beautiful memories in my mind as I climbed into bed. The moment Ignis was comfortable, he pulled me close and I rested my head on his chest. He placed a tender kiss on my head and stroked my midnight locks. As he continued his ministrations, it was hard to keep my eyes open. A few minutes later, I fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

-Next Morning-

Waking up to the sun peeking through the curtains brought a smile to my face. My head was still resting against Ignis' chest as he continued to sleep. Checking the clock, I realized it was almost ten. This was the latest I've ever seen him sleep. Knowing he was still tired, I quietly and carefully got out of bed without rousing Ignis from his slumber. Sneaking out of the room, I head to my old room to see if it was still intact.

Luckily, I had snuck around everyone without being spotted. Reaching my room, I entered to see everything was as I left it. The chocobo plushie Prompto had gotten me was resting on my pillow. Curious, I opened my closet to see a few outfits remained. One was an outfit that my mother had made for me and it was too big. Seeing if it would fit, I pull it out and try it on.

"Perfect," I smile, examining myself in the mirror. Sliding on my matching shoes, I head back to Ignis' room with his shirt in my arms. As I rounded the corner, a group of Kingsglaive spotted me. Their eyes widened in bewilderment as they recognized who I was. I placed a finger over my lips to signal them to keep quiet. They all nodded and continued their patrols.

The moment I reached out to open the door, someone had beaten me to it. The door opened slowly, revealing a slightly worried Ignis. "I was frightened it was all a dream."

"Sorry, Iggy. I went to my room to see if I could find an outfit to wear."

"No need for apologies. I am delighted to see I was not merely hallucinating." He leaned down a placed a chaste kiss on my lips. "I believe we have preparations to make, my dear."

I took his hand and nodded. "Our wedding awaits."