FFXV: After the Fall

Chapter 2

The trio crossed the main hall and walked into the dining room. In the distance, on one of the room's lining side tables, Helena and Cor were deep in conversation and smiling occasionally.
Prompto nudged Gladiolus. "Huh, look at that," he commented, "sure looks like they're gettin' all cosy."
   "Well yeah," Ignis said, "it's called conversation. Maybe you should try to engage in some sometime?"
   "Very funny. I mean, that they look...that kind of cosy. Ya dig? I'd say he's tryin' to steal her away from you, Gladio."
Gladiolus chuckled. "They're just talkin', you clown. It's not everyday that we get a Magister here, after all, let alone the Head Honcho herself."
   "I think we need to get over there."
   "We do anyway." Ignis reminded his exuberant friend. "This is the brief respite before we start the...thing."
   "The thing? Hardly a technical term. You feelin' alright?"
Ignis sighed, and started to walk towards the table. Gladiolus followed him, leaving Prompto to stare at their backs.
   "...what'd I say?" He asked.
He got no reply, however, so shrugged it off and went to join in.
   "Everything going well?" Ignis enquired as he drew closer.
Roc smiled at him. "Catching up with current affairs abroad." He told him. "Not much has changed there, either."
   "Did you ever expect it to?" Helena added. "They're even more stubborn than Chancellor Vance is."
   "I can always hope."
   "Mind if we join you?" Gladiolus asked.
   "Not at all, the more the merrier." She smiled at him.
Prompto also ended up sitting with them, after pausing to grab yet another hot meat sandwich.
   "Where do you put it all?" Ignis remarked. "Your boots?"
   "I'm a growing lad, apparently." Came the muffled reply.
   "Tch, manners."
   "You'll not change him either." Gladiolus grinned. He then selected a beer, aiming its top at a nearby bin and scoring. "So what's it like being a Magister?" He asked Helena.
   "Not...that exciting." She giggled. "Most of the time it's a lot of formality; visiting villages, doing blessings, performing the odd Royal wedding, that sort of thing. Apart from that..." She then spread her hands apart briefly.
   "Sounds boring. This'll almost be like a vacation for you."
   "Yeah, I guess it is."
   "So what will our next steps be, shortly?" Ignis then asked.
   "Trust you to mix business with pleasure." Prompto tutted.
   "I'll need memories from each of you." Helena told them all. "I'll collect them into a special sphere, then I'll be able to temporarily journey Beyond to give that to Noctis- once I've explained everything to him, that is."
   "So you'll communicate? Across the divide?"
   "Yeah. I'm hoping to speak to both of them. Then after that's all finished, he'll be able to come back to us. At least you won't have to fill him in on what he'll be doing next."
   "There's that, yes. Could have taken a while."
   "It won't look like I'm doing much when I begin. But, you can rest assured that I will be. Just not here. You could always wait outside the Crypt if you wish, and I can call you once he's back."
   "I'll...see how I feel at the time, I think."
   "Of course."
   "What does your husband do?" Prompto blurted out. "Is he like a Magister too? Or a King, maybe?"
Gladiolus fixed his friend with a very stern look.
Helena shook her head. "I...don't have anyone. It's not really something that I'd thought about. I used to be a lot busier when many more Daemons were about, so I'd not got much free time to look at it with."
   "Oh! O-okay, that's...okay. No rush, heh heh."
   "She's outta your league." Cor joked.
Prompto blinked. "Nooo, I wasn't asking for me, as such..." He then caught the silent death threats on Gladiolus' face, and decided to shut up about it.
A slight smile appeared on Cor's face at that. "I daresay you may be rather too busy, after Noctis is back with us. There are far more pressing concerns, after all."
   "Agreed, lets change subject." Ignis asserted. "I'm curious to know more about how our memories of him will make it into this sphere you mentioned, Helena?"
She nodded. "You'll each have different things that you remember of him, more than others, and that's due to your personalities. So you'll work with me, and I'll oversee the process. All you'll have to do is remember."
   "Bet I can guess which sort Prom will take care of." Gladiolus smiled. "All the funny ones."
   "That's spot on. Yeah, it'll go just like that. Once each of you have given enough, I can begin the next stage."
   "...will it hurt?" Prompto asked.
   "I'll fucking hurt you in a minute." Gladiolus said crossly.
   "It's a valid question."
   "You honestly think it's gonna get a yes?"
Helena looked at the nervous blonde. "It won't hurt at all, I promise. If anything, it should be quite pleasant. It'll feel warm more than anything else."
   "Great. Thanks." Prompto smiled. "Uh, w-well, I'm ready whenever you are, I guess."
Ignis raised one eyebrow. "That's rather bold for you, friend."
   "Not really...I just have all this great stuff in my head right now and I don't wanna lose it."
   "...I take it back." He smiled.
Helena produced a small, white sphere from her pocket. "I don't mind, if you've that much to remember."
   "I sure do." Prompto grinned cheekily. "He'll love it."
   "Oh fuck..." Gladiolus rolled his eyes.
   "Step this way." Elaine rose out of her chair and led Prompto into the opposite corner of the room, then explained everything to him while the others watched from a distance.
   "What have we let ourselves in for." Ignis smiled.
   "He'll not fool her." Cor said. "She's very intelligent. And, she's got a point. Noctis did have an air of humour and exuberance about him. Still a kid on the inside."
   "Nobody beats the undisputed master of childishness over there, though. I'm surprised he's not climbing the walls."
   "Best behaviour- or as close as he'll ever get." His head then turned to look at the two men. "So who was he asking for?"
They remained silent at first.
   "Out with it." Cor said. "I don't want anything to jeopardise this mission or make it complicated."
   "Don't see how." Gladiolus answered on reflex. He then paused, and saw the look on Cor's face. A knowing look. "...Prom reckons that I do cos' of how I've spoken to her, that's all." He then added.
   "I see." Cor said. He then smiled. "Hmm."
   "...what?"
   "Oh, nothing to worry about."
   "C'mon, you can't leave me hangin' like that."
   "It just occurred to me that you might be quite well-suited." Cor said with a small wave of his hand. "However, you do realise how important this task is, don't you?"
   "Sure I do."
   "Fair enough." Cor then went back to watching Helena and Prompto, and Gladiolus was left feeling...rather confused as he watched their hands hold the now-glowing sphere between them.
Ignis leant over to his friend's right ear. "I do believe that you've just had the talk." He whispered.
   "Talk? What talk?"
   "The, talk."
   "...oh. Hang on, he's not my-"
   "Just leave it, trust me on this. Let it go."
Gladiolus sighed, but he did. He was not in the mood.