ⁿᵒ ˢᵘʳʳᵉⁿᵈᵉʳ ✧ 𝙵𝙵𝚇𝚅

VII

Bella woke up suddenly feeling super warm, opening her eyes, she looks down seeing a blanket covering her and Kirara. Looking up seeing Ignis awake cooking some breakfast. She lightly smiles sitting up and stretching her back smelling the air.

"Morning, Bella," Ignis greets not looking at her. "And you as well, Kirara,"

Bella stands up dusting her skirt off. "Good morning, Ignis," greets a smiling Bella. "That smells wonderful, is there anything you need me to do?"

Ignis was taken back from her offer, no one has offered to help. Ignis would have to ask for help. He smiled at her and nods her way, "If you don't mind, Bella, would you stir this for me while I cut some vegetables to add to it,"

Bella smiles once more nodding, walking his way washing her hands quick as she takes the spoon from his hand and began stirring the food. While stirring, she began humming quietly to keep herself busy while she stirred. Kirara was behind Bella sitting behind her. Ignis sees Kirara watching Bella intently, smiling he puts some vegetables on a plate putting it down in front of the sabertooth cat, Kirara looks at him and then to the plate.

Bella turns her head seeing Ignis' gesture, smiling she nods indicating that it was okay for her to eat it. Kirara changes into her small form and begins eating.

"Does she always eat in her small form?" asks Ignis putting the remainder of the vegetables in the pot while Bella continues stirring.

Bella looks at him and shrugs. "I guess it depends on what she's eating," Bella informs him with a sigh, "she usually has to ask permission to eat, unsure why." Bella looks at Kirara as she continues eating the food.

"You mentioned to us that she was scientifically made, how so?"

Bella freezes a bit and looks down. "My big brother has requested a pet to be made for me, I got so lonely at the tower my brother was at," Bella was stirring slower and slower as she was explaining. "I'm unsure how she was made, but - on my fifth birthday, she was given to me by him. She grows with me, ages with me." Bella stops stirring and begins tearing up a bit. "She's the only link I have to my brother..."

"If you don't mind me prying, what happened to him?"

"Um..." Bella breathes out and takes a step back putting a hand to her arm. "He was murdered in front of me," Bella explains. "We were on the run from SOLDIER and he told me to take care of Cloud and um..." Bella's tears began falling down. "He was outnumbered, outgunned and yet, he still fought with every ounce of energy he had and still, in spite of everything he did... they still fired at him and left him for dead."

Ignis listened, unsure what to say. "Sadly enough, he had enough energy to tell us we're his living legacies, and he loved me... But..."

"You still miss him..."

"Every. Single. Day, I miss him," Bella puts her hands around herself as if to hug herself. "He's in a better place right now with the love of his life. He even asked Cloud to take care of me, we both grieved him, together." Bella sighs a little bit. "I perked up a couple years after his death, but Cloud..."

"He didn't..."

"It took him years for closure," Bella finished for Ignis. "After beating Sephiroth for the second time, he finally started showing a bit more emotion, he finally started hugging me back a few weeks ago, calling me his little sister, saying how much he appriciated me being alive and how my brother would be so proud of me... And..."

"You got sent here," Gladio spoke startling her. Bella looks back seeing the brute walking towards her. "Look. About the way, I act..."

Bella shakes her head. "I harbor no ill will towards you, Gladiolus," Bella smiles. "I understand why you are the way you are," Bella looks at him. "To be honest, you're not even the scariest man I've seen, I think you'd get along with Barrett, one of my friends."