Author's Note:

So this chapter had a bit of a different feel from the last. There's a bunch more characters and it's a little talk-y, and less on the descriptive side, but I couldn't find much that didn't feel necessary? So it was hard to shorten it. We meet some key players, and Materia reveals her intentions. I also noticed, reading over this one, that I have a nasty habit of slipping between past and present tense, so I will be going back real quick and looking over the other two chapters.

Chapter II

To be fair, Noctis hadn't been given a basis for what to expect when meeting the supposed heiress of the goddess of harmony. So when he met Materia, he wasn't sure whether he should feel over or underwhelmed.

She was… pretty… he supposed. Elegant in a way often reflected in women of status. Her features were soft and round, a sweet face framed by long hair. Golden waves fell over her shoulders and down the middle of her back, easing into a rose color. Her honey eyes shone with flecks of gold, and an unexpected sort of apathy. She was petite, otherwise. Unassuming, save for the grand, mechanical wings of clockwork at her back, and the staff in her delicate hands, spinning and ticking and giving off a faint glow of blue light. She didn't quite feel like she belonged, really.

And Noctis wasn't quite sure how that bode, for any of them.

Her gaze slowly shifted over her warriors - fourteen of them, total - seemingly empty and almost uncaring, before they settled on the prince. And that coldness melted away to something akin to shock, her pink lips parting in a silent gasp. Noctis tilted his head questioningly, but didn't otherwise speak. Materia was the first to break the silence outside of the insecure shuffling of her warriors. "You're not supposed to be here," she noted.

And then, all eyes landed on Noctis. He didn't know what she meant, but he wasn't too keen on being singled out, and he immediately drew into himself, arms crossed over his chest and eyes downcast so he didn't have to meet the stares of his fellow fighters, judgmental or not. Not supposed to be there? Well, sure, he supposed; he certainly didn't want to be. He had a wedding to attend - his own - and a city that needed rebuilt. Too much to take care of to be wasting time in some interdimensional war. If he could find his voice, he'd have been all too eager to ask to be sent home.

Instead, he kept quiet, and Materia continued. She shook her head slowly, turning her gaze away from the prince and spreading her attention. "No matter. Your aid will be welcomed." And that is not what he wanted to hear. Many of the others didn't seem like they wanted to hear it, either. Especially the tall woman with pink hair and a very standoffish attitude. But another fellow in a leather jacket with a wide scar from just under his hairline to under his left eye was pretty close behind her in regards to who was the most done with the situation. The rest seemed fairly confused, sharing curious glances and uneasy expressions.

Right. The Warrior of Light had said that they all thought the battle was over.

"Uh, s'cuse me!" A young man piped up in the back, clad in cut-off shorts and a gauntlet of leather and brass, jacket pulled open to reveal an athletic build. His hand was lifted, like a student in a classroom, and the excited bounce of his body jostled the pendant around his neck. "Aid in what? We already beat Chaos, right?"

Materia pinned him with a look, fairly blank and just a bit offended. It silenced the excitable young man, and drew a defensive expression from the apparent weaponsmaster at his side, if his arsenal was any indication. A shorter male, bearing golden hair and a long tail, of all things, offered a sympathetic look and reassuringly patted his arm.

"The age long conflict may have ended, but I fear that was not quite enough to save my fragile world."

The unspoken question was on the tip of everyone's tongue, but even the bold young man from before didn't bother to speak aloud.

There's more?

Even Noctis, who hadn't been a part of the initial conflict, couldn't help feeling surprised. In fact, looking around, only the Warrior of Light seemed to be without reservations. He simply nodded, like he was silently accepting some sort of sacred duty. In a way, they all were, whether they wanted to or not.

Materia continued, tone monotonous despite the gravity of her words. "I fear that this world between worlds is crumbling. There was a great instability when I was given charge, certainly; but since, it has only deteriorated more and more rapidly. The very land beneath our feet is unstable, and my energy alone is not enough to sustain it, anymore. Not when it feeds from the energy and wills borne of combat."

There was a heavy pause. It was the pink haired woman who spoke up. Her voice was sharp. No-nonsense. Noctis found that the way she spoke - intelligent and firm - was enough of a combination of his shield and advisor to already make him a bit homesick. "So what you're telling us is that if this land isn't serving as a battleground, it simply falls apart." Materia nodded. The woman scoffed. "You may as well tell us that all of our efforts in bringing peace was pointless. A hindrance, even."

Materia showed the first flash of emotion, however brief, since her surprise at Noctis's presence. It was guilt, but only for a second. And not a pair of eyes in the room missed it.

There was a mutual sigh between the silver-haired weaponsmaster and another white-haired knight, donning silver and lavender armor. It was him who spoke next. "Then what would you propose we do? Surely you couldn't ask us to fight one another."

There was another flash of emotion, too quick to be caught that time, but it was telling enough. Noctis thought it was something she had at least considered. But it wasn't what she said, though it made no one feel any better. "There are still the manikins, plenty of which had been left even after you previously sealed the rift to their dimension."

The pink haired warrior spoke up again, cutting off whatever Materia was about to say, if anything. She grew more and more heated with each word from the goddess's mouth. "But that's not a permanent solution. Their doorway is closed, and unless we open it again - which no one will do - we're bound to destroy them all. Then what? Turn on each other?"

No one disagreed with her, but the Warrior of Light, at least, had decided enough was enough. He turned his head, just enough to catch his fellow warrior out of the corner of his eye. "Lightning," he said simply, and Noct wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the Warrior of Light seeming to be their elected leader, or some sort of mutual respect, but the woman - Lightning? - huffed and went quiet.

Solidarity showed itself once more when the man in lightly colored armor spoke up again. "Miss Materia," he began, voice soft, "surely you can understand our perspective. Many of us have developed close bonds on the battlefield. It isn't our desire to put one another in harm's way."

"Nor is it my desire to see any of you hurt. But I fear I am left without another option."

The following silence was heavy with unease. Noctis could almost hear the others' breathing around him. Some were shallow and nervous. Others heaved angrily through flared nostrils. What a disaster.

Materia must have known the weight of her cold request, because she turned away from the room as she said, "you may go," and dismissed them.

They left in trickles, Lightning leading the way back to the elevator with the scarred fellow and a blond carrying a massive broadsword on his back close behind. Then the athlete, alongside the weaponsmaster, the tailed boy, a timid young lady in red, a child knight, and a young man in a silver vest with a posture too relaxed for the conversation they just had. A short woman with pointed ears walked out on her own. Another woman with white hair and pale eyes was close behind, but she paused long enough to offer Noctis a sort of quiet, understanding look. Noctis wondered, briefly, if she was new, too.

The white knight hesitated before he turned to leave, too. His eyes had remained glued to the Warrior of Light's back, as if he were contemplating physically pulling the other away, but he stopped himself, and shook his head. Instead, he turned on his heels, and he, too, approached Noctis. "Let us depart." Noctis stopped, too, turning his gaze briefly to the Warrior of Light. The other man shook his head, gently resting his hand on the prince's shoulder. "He'll find his way back to us."

And then, they took their leave as well.

By the time they had reached the ground floor, the others were already chatting amongst themselves, gathered in a subconscious circle, and had left spaces for their comrades missing. But Noctis couldn't help noticing an additional spot, besides the ones for himself, the white knight beside him, and the Warrior of Light. Like they were missing a fifteenth person.

"Surely she can't expect us to do this," sighed the carefree boy, his hands folded behind his head and his gaze turned towards the sky. "I mean, how can a goddess of harmony ask us to practically turn on each other?"

"She's still a goddess, Vaan," Lightning said, and there was no shortage of bitterness in her tone. "It's not unheard of for them to just drag unsuspecting innocents in to clean up the messes they either make, or don't know how to deal with."

"I'm guessing you're not big on royalty or politicians, either," joked the blond with the monkey tail - Noct was pretty sure he had heard another warrior call him Zidane when they approached.

A younger boy in armor, helmet donned in white, splayed feathers, spoke up next. His words carried more weight and understanding than his age should permit. "I'm not so sure. Cosmos wasn't like that."

Lightning huffed. A common occurrence for her, Noctis thought. At least her lungs worked well. "Regardless of how she showed herself, she still used us like pawns on a chess board. Ultimately, it wouldn't have mattered how many of us fell, so long as her war was won."

"She cared!"

Noctis's outburst shocked everyone, including himself. He flushed, pale features brightening with pure embarrassment. He shrank into himself, immediately floundering, guilt creeping into his blue eyes. "I mean… the Warrior of Light… he told me what happened before. She… seemed like she genuinely cared about you. All of you."

The paladin who had escorted him outside smiled a tiny, almost private smile. "Of course. He has this gift for spinning things in a positive light."

And just like that, though there were lingering stares and curious glances in his direction, the conversation was steered away, and the older warriors went back to chatting amongst themselves. Even the paladin, who introduced himself as Cecil, returned to the side of the weaponsmaster. Meanwhile, Noctis took the opportunity to step away, leftover awkwardness encouraging him from the group. It left room for the woman with the white eyes to approach him. She carried herself upright, posture respectable, but she still seemed at ease and confident. She regarded the prince kindly, and Noctis smiled back at her, politely.

"So it would seem as though we are the ones to share a more common ground," she mused. Her speech was elegant and her voice almost musical. Noctis wondered if she, herself, was royalty. But he cast her an inquisitive look at her words, and the woman chuckled softly behind her hand. "I, too, am unfamiliar with this land."

"Oh."

She didn't seem too bothered by Noct's discomfort. She seemed to simply roll with things, all the elegance of a lady. "My name is Y'shtola," and she held out her hand for him to take. Her dark skin was soft and warm as Noct took her hand.

"I'm Noctis, but, uh, just call me Noct, please."

"As you wish." The passing silence they shared, oddly enough, wasn't uncomfortable. They shared a mutual focus on the group at large, likely discussing their next move. "I must ask, Noct, what your thoughts are on this squabble."

"Which one? Between the gods, or between them and Materia?"

"Perhaps both. Whatever you'd like to share."

"Well, she definitely doesn't seem like she knows what she's doing."

"That's an understatement." The response came from a different voice, from the jock who had been chastised by their goddess. "And not too big in the emoting department, either."

"Unkind as it may seem, I think I have to agree." The weaponsmaster approached as well, standing close to the first young man. Obviously, the two were close, but as far as Noctis could tell, only one person from a world had been called, so they had fought together before. He, too, smiled at Noctis. "My name is Firion. And this is Tidus." The jock waved when he was introduced. "I overheard that your name is Noctis?" The prince nodded. "I apologize, on behalf of everyone, that your welcome into our forces wasn't so… welcoming."

Noctis practically scrambled to brush off the apology, waving his hands in front of himself. "I mean, it's no big deal. There's been a lot going on, so, ya know."

Firion's responding smile was encouraging. He likely could sense Noct's severe lack of surety. "Regardless, I'd like to welcome you, now."

"I'd say it'll be good to fight by your side," Tidus chimed in, "but I can't say I'm sure how that'll go, now."

Yeah, considering there was a real possibility of them having to turn on one another, Noctis thought, uncomfortably.

"There are always the creatures that roam these wastes. We should refrain from entertaining thoughts of warring against comrades when there are adversaries already in our way." If no one else, Yshtola seemed to be a voice of reason. Perhaps it was her inexperience in the world that she was able to offer a more level headed perspective. "And if there are many of these manikins, as I presume there are, we're blessed to have much time to think."

"And in the meantime," Firion added, "we'll have a chance to search for a possible way home."

"Definitely can't hurt," came Zidane's voice, and it was then that Noctis looked away to realize that each of the other warriors had tuned in, gathering around the circle they had created to listen in. "Nothing's definitely gonna get done if we just stand around and do nothing."

"What we need is the Warrior of Light to return." Cecil turned his gaze back, following the line of Materia's tower up and into the sky, where they had left the knight. "I imagine he has been speaking with Materia. If he can return with more insight, perhaps we can flesh out a proper strategy."

With a temporary plan formed, they sat, Settling in together like old friends as they spoke of their own worlds, and comrades back home. Catching up on time passed. And with a mutual sort of enthusiasm, they welcomed both Y'shtola and Noctis into the group, all the same.

And Noctis ignored the way it made him feel homesick.