Hello!! Another chapter today, I'm on a roll with this story this week, aren't I? Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter as this one is a little intense, oh boy!

~

That morning, Ignis went over the plan with Bella, she would take over in the air and make sure everyone escaped quickly and safely.

"Won't people question why a giant cat is in the air?"

Ignis shakes his head. "No, they'll be too busy evacuating, we should be alright," assured Ignis with a curt nod. "Don't worry, you'll be on the ground before they even notice anything was out of the ordinary."

Bella nods towards Ignis as he continues; "During the rite, we must see to it the empire does not harass Leviathan."

"Gonna be tough to pull off before the king receives her power." sighs Gladio

"And with four of us on evacuation detail..." Prompto adds looking at everyone. Bella agrees silently.

"Indeed," Ignis answers confidently, "The best we can realistically do is to help the Hydraean help herself."

Bella raises a brow and asks him. "What kind of help are you talking about, Ignis?"

"Just like Titan," responds Ignis staring at her. "The empire will seek to immobilize Leviathan."

"Ah, with the harpoon things?" questions Prompto gesturing with his hands as Ignis nods.

Bella was curious and began speaking. "So, you're realistically saying that if we dislodge them from said Goddess, she'll have a fighting chance? Is that right?"

"That is spot on, actually." Ignis nods to her.

"Sounds good in theory," Gladio implores to them. "But don't push it. It's pointless unless you can get that blessing."

Ignis was quick to agree. "Stay flexible, stay alert."

"Alright, will do," Noctis told them with a curt nod.

~

Bella and Kirara stayed in the air while they watched everything happening below them. Bella wasn't listening to Lunafreya speak, she guessed it had something to do with what was going on. She would have to admit though, she was gorgeous. Even more gorgeous than what the men had explained to her. Ignoring that, something was nagging Bella and it was in the pit of her stomach, biting her lip gently making sure not to draw blood, she was worried for the young King.

Even though... It was more than that...

Kirara quickly shoots for the ground while everyone began leaving, she lands on the ground as she changes into her small form jumping on Bella's shoulder. Bella's bright orbs scanned around the area once more and then felt a huge quake in the ground making her fall on her ass. Bella groans a little bit rubbing her behind, she stands up as she touches Kirara's head changing her into a Bow-Blade, she held the bow tightly as she keeps it close to her while she guides people to safety.

"So, it begins..." Bella barely heard Prompto speak through the radio in her ear, Bella quietly nods as she continues guiding people.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she looks around seeing her space almost empty. "Yep," affirmed Bella trying to keep people calm as they escaped from the battle. She turns her head after the last of the people leave, the young maiden takes her bow knocking it back shooting the MTs coming at her. They hit the ground heavily as she turns around seeing more MTs rushing towards her. She groans loudly. "Great..."

Taking her weapon, she changed it into a blade swinging it backward knocking the heads off and she kicks one behind her changing her weapon quickly shooting an arrow at the MT in the distance. Turning around she kicks one away from her and shoots it in the chest making it malfunction. Standing straight, she looks at her achievement, Bella changes Kirara back for a bit so she could rest. Bella lets out a deep breath as she turns around seeing a huge serpent in the distance and it worried the young maiden. Kirara and her look at one another nodding while quickly running towards the serpent in the distance.

After getting a good distance in, Bella stopped for a breather knowing she's not getting any closer. Kirara stops and looks around seeing the chaos around them. "Bella!" They both heard in the distance, Bella turns around seeing Prompto trotting towards them. Kirara felt uneasy and gets close to Bella while she tenses up. Bella frowns at this motion and bites her lip. "There you are, I was worried sick," He stops and looks over her. "Are you alright?"

Bella narrows her eyes quickly touching her companion's head changing her into the Gunblade, pointing it at his neck while Prompto's eyes grow wide as he sees Bella's eyes turn bright green.

"Whoa, Bella! What's going on!?"

"Don't start with me," She snaps at him while her eyes grow brighter. "I know you're not Prompto as he's helping people on the other end of Altissia, I'm not an idiot. Good try, though."

Prompto chuckles with a smirk on his face changing into the man who was deemed Chancellor by Ignis. Bella kept her glare and weapon at him, while he kept his eyes on her. "I didn't peg you to be this smart, little girl."

Bella growls louder pushing his blade with hers. "Shut up...!" She kicks him in the stomach making him fly away from her. "You have absolutely no right to call me that!" She could hear Ardyn chuckle as he warps feeling the power of Kings rushing through his body. Bella looks around for him once again. "Son of a bitch..."

"Behind you, girl..." Ardyn whispers making her gasp and shivers go up and down her spine as he kicks her in the back as she heads towards the ground. Bella yelps closing her eyes awaiting the impact about to happen, but – it never did. Bella felt herself floating.

Thinking it was Kirara, Bella opens her eyes seeing her shadow, and sees wings behind her. Snapping her head behind her, she sees her lavender wings flapping behind her. Grinning widely, she turns around and quickly heads to him ignoring the dirt, mud, and rips on her body. Bella's eyes burned in anger as she flew towards him; Ardyn and her both fly in the air clashing swords against one another. Bella miraculously kept up with his speed as he was going fast. Ardyn was impressed, although he would never admit it.

Knocking her against the ground again, she groans trying to get up but yelps when he grabs a handful of hair and brings her up to his level.

"You should really fight a little harder there my dear, what would Noctis think of you when he sees you like this?" asks Ardyn with a curt chuckle. She yelps quietly in pain, closing her eyes tightly. He couldn't help but smirk even wider. "Even the others, what would they think?"

Bella opens her eyes and glares at him, but yelps again when he yanks on her hair. Her Gunblade is just a few yards away from her. "Come on, you have to do better than that, you're so weak and pathetic." Bella's eyes filled with tears from the pain. "No wonder you kept hiding from me every time I showed up, you're scared of me, are you not?"

Bella chuckles looking at him. "Nope, I've faced worse and scarier enemies than you. You're on the bottom of people I'm scared of." Bella raises her leg and kicks him away from her as he lets go of her hair making her drop on the ground as she gasps from the release. Hair wasn't held up by the half pony anymore, completely down and she could feel it. "Don't act as if you know me because you don't."

Jumping from her spot to the weapon, she grabs it and shifts the blade to the gun, and begins shooting at him while he warps away from her. And then kicks her down to the ground again making a crater, coughing from the dust.

As she slowly gets up, she sees a bright light in front of her making her freeze while she felt a familiar presence behind her.

"So... what if it looks hopeless," A familiar voice behind her spoke making Bella gasp. "If it were me... I still wouldn't give up. But – you know that, right, Chibi?"

"Big... Big brother..." Bella whimpered, tears filling her vision.

Zack smiles turning towards her, the buster sword in his hand. He puts his hand out as she turns to look at him, her wings folded behind her, her body beaten up. "Well, Chibi, do you need a hand?" Bella smiles shaking her head. "You beat Sephiroth, not only once, but twice! This should be a cinch!"

"Yeah," She nods taking his hand as he helps her up. Their hands gripping tightly against one another, remembering everything that they've been through together.

"Chibi, do you remember what I told you?" Zack asks her, looking into her own sky-blue eyes.

Bella smiles, tears continue to fall keeping her hand into his as she nods. "Yes," She snaps her head tears flying from her face, a confident look taking over her face. "I, Isabella Fair, sister of the famous Zack Fair, am your living legacy!"

The white disappears as the touch leaves her hand.

Ardyn gasps when he sees her rushing towards him with more strength than ever. She shoots ammo and arrows at the same time hitting him as she takes her Gunblade slashing him a few times. Feeling the power building up within her. Ardyn flies back and hits the pillar, knocking the breath out of him. She quickly heads his way to finish him but his face changes and attacks her making her gasp before she could touch him. She didn't even feel the pain in her side.

Bella then flies towards the water feeling her back hit the water hard, she felt the power deplete from her body as her wings disappear and her eyes turn back to normal. "Is this how I die?" she began thinking as her eyes began feeling heavy. "I still have so much more to do... but... I can't move..." She then felt herself pass out as she continues sinking. Kirara changes back quickly turning around grabbing Bella's shirt dragging her back to the surface and onto the concrete. Kirara sees Ardyn standing there with a smirk on his face.

"My, my, what a challenge," Ardyn comments walking towards Bella as Kirara puts her down growling his way, standing over Bella's body, protecting her. Ardyn stops, obviously amused by this motion. Kirara growls even more loudly at him, ready to fight him herself. "Follow me and I won't hurt you, cat," as he walks off. Kirara lets out a huff, stepping back and grabbing Bella's arm gently, tossing her on her back-adjusting Bella gently feeling the rain pound her fur. "What. A. Challenge." Ardyn symbolizes each word.

Kirara kept her distance while she followed him closely.

~

Gasping awake as she felt rain hit her skin, Bella turns onto her stomach leaning against her elbow with Kirara sitting there next to Ignis. Bella's eyes widen as her shoe digs into the ground to push her up and run to Ignis who was laying there coughing. When she makes it to him, she sits on the ground picking up his head putting it onto her lap.

"Ignis... What happened?" asks the young girl looking down at him, she then heard footsteps walking towards them as she looks up and gasps seeing Ravus standing by them as Kirara growls at him. "Why are you here?"

Ignoring her, Ravus looks down at Ignis. "Well, that was rather reckless," Ravus commented as Ignis looks at him.

Coughing again, Ignis finally catches his breath and asks with some struggle. "Where is Noct... Is he..."

Ravus nods keeping his gaze down on them. "More or less – all thanks to you" As Ignis lets out a sigh of relief he begins coughing heavily while Bella tried to calm him down from his coughing.

"Lie still," instructed Ravus as Bella touched Ignis's chest making sure he stayed down. "Conserve your strength and let this young woman help you. You have a calling to fulfill," Bella widens her eyes at Ravus's suggestion as she looks up at him. "As do I, may fortune favor us both." He then turns to someone wishes him well before walking off.

"Bella!" "Ignis!" She heard her friends calling them from afar as she looks over seeing Noctis lying there making her gasp quietly. Before she could call his name, she sees someone standing beside him, a familiar person.

"Not now..."

"Believe me now, my Little Butterfly..." Genesis had begun and chuckles.

Bella shakes her head as he walks towards her, grabbing her chin making her look at him with a glare on her face, whispering something only she can hear. Kirara growling at him ready to attack but then he releases her chin gently and begins walking off before her friends show up. Letting out a shaky breath, she looks down at Ignis.

"Please... forgive me..." mutters Ignis, looking towards Noctis as he begins closing his eyes. Bella sighs, setting him down gently as something caught her eye, she slowly gets up walking towards it. She looks down seeing a ring, grabbing it gently she sets it in her pocket gripping it gently as Gladio goes by Ignis and Prompto towards Noctis.

"I've..." Bella whispers as she looks back seeing the men walking off. "What have I done...? What... have I caused...?" Bella tears up and lands on her knees while crying quietly. "He's right... I'm useless..."

Kirara walks up to her and sits in front of her while Bella continues crying quietly. Kirara just sits there in the rain while both ladies regain the pride they have lost.

Back at the hotel, everyone was patched up and sleeping off what had happened. They hadn't noticed Bella come back at all. They were still wounded and trying to regain what they had lost. Bella walks in the room seeing Prompto and Noctis sleeping it off, letting out a sigh, she walks to her bed and sits down as Kirara jumps off her shoulder and onto the pillow falling asleep herself.

Bella lies down on the pillow and begins thinking of the events that had happened. Maybe it was supposed to happen the way it did... Maybe it didn't. More tears spill from her eyes quietly as she closes them. Maybe she should sleep too, it has been a long day.

~

Around three in the morning, Bella wakes up and sits in her bed noticing she was covered by her blankets. Letting out a shaky breath, she moves the blankets and stands up seeing Noctis standing on the balcony, her look softens as she walks to him slowly. Bella stands behind him for a moment, trying to think of she should do. Reaching slowly, she wraps her arms around his chest and hugs him close.

She felt him tense up, but her hug didn't falter. She kept her cheek against his back while he raises his hand and touches hers. Bella felt awful for what happened, there was nothing she could do to change it but – she could at least help him ease what he had happened. Bringing herself closer to him and lets out a small breath.

"I'm so sorry, Noctis... I truly am..." She whispers to him. "I wish I could do something..."

Noctis sighs, releasing her hand, and turns around to look at her as she looks back at him, wondering what he was doing. "Could you... Could you hang on to the ring until I need it?"

Bella looks at him and brings out the ring from her pocket and he looks at it with a sad look on his face. Bella looks down at the ring and slowly nods. "Yeah, I can..."

Noctis touches her shoulders and walks off to go back to bed, Bella watches him as he lays back down and falls asleep. Bella's heart broke for him and there was nothing she could do for him. Taking a deep breath, she looks over and watches the stars glisten in the sky. She remembered what Zack told her. That everything happens for reason and they shouldn't dwell on it.

"We can do it, too." She whispers and looks back at them. "Don't sweat the small things, I can do it, they can, too."

With that, she walks back tothe bed and lays down and falls back asleep.