GL (GalaxyLight): Hey! I'm back and I'm here to discuss something which makes my head hurt.

Don't you find it annoying when you have a very difficult time whether to choose to give someone more than one relationship that receives awkwardness. What I'm trying to say, is that I feel like Noctis needs a lot of company from the girls so I'm basically back to square one into giving him a harem or not. I know I did say, I wasn't going to due to his trauma, however I also said that he's going to have a second chance in experiencing life, like his father told him. Second chance means starting over from scratch, like starting a new game, meaning Noctis has to put his past emotions aside and make new ones so he can become a person who can win and fight for those he's close to. Holding the pain will not make Noctis stronger but only slow him down, so I want him to get rid of it so he can start what's in front of him. Luna would understand as she too wants to help him move on. I want Noctis to feel more comfortable with new people around as well as having fun too, even if the past tries to hold him down. Plus, I feel like he'll be in good relationships with Neptune and Noire and probably Compa and IF as well. What's more, I don't want the girls to be left out without a guy to befriend and bond with, it just feels wrong like that. I'll have to start up the romance a little bit more.

In honesty, I've NEVER done a harem story before so this is probably going to be my first time and I'm somewhat excited to do it. Please don't hate me for it if you don't like it.

Did I also mention that Regis came in too? There will be hints of the Goddesses talking about him once they meet Noctis, because they actually met him before... spoilers by the way.

I also managed to get 1 OC for this story:

Zeromus Zacharias by Twilightiger1602

Thanks for attending. Though, due to which place you have decided to be in, it'll take a while for you to make an appearance since this story won't let us see the Goddesses until like 5 chapters or so. But don't worry, you'll be there soon.

I'll tell some more at the end of the chapter, so have fun reading!


After leaving the dungeon, Noctis laid down on a tree exhausted. He looked at himself and saw that he had some slight scratches on his hands. It may be from the boss he faced together with Neptune and Compa. The nurse-in-training offered to bandage the scratches off which the prince agreed to let her. Although the result was something he didn't like to see. Instead of bandaging the scratches on Noctis's hand, Compa ended up covering his entire hand, it now looked like he was wearing a boxing glove covered in bandages.

"...Are you absolutely sure you're a nurse?" Noctis asked while sweatdropping.

"Ah! Of course, it's just that I...uh..." Compa stuttered, stuck on what she's trying to say.

"You know what, nevermind." Noctis sighed as she untied the banages and all that's left was the cotton taped on Noctis hand. "I think this should be okay. At least you did very good on this one. You'll definitely become a good nurse after a couple of years."

"R-Really?! Th-Thank you, N-Noct!" Compa smiled while blushing red from Noctis praise. Noctis smiled back on her, until he felt an odd but scary presence from behind, what's more that's where Neptune is. Noctis wonders why, but that was not the time to think about that. He has something to discuss with the keeper of Celestia.

"Compa, could you do me a favor and take Neptune somewhere else? I need some alone time right now." Noctis asked her.

"Huh? Oh, sure. I can do that. Just le us know when you're done." Compa said as she stood up and went to tell Neptune. While Noctis waited, he could still hear them from where he's sitting.

"What were you and Noct doing?" Neptune asked. "Not hiding any secrets like kissing on the cheek or something." Compa blushed when she heard that last part.

"W-What?! N-No! We're not doing anything like that!" Compa protest. "I was just helping Noct with some bandages, that's all! Nep-Nep, could you give Noct some space. He wants to be alone for a moment."

"Eh? How come? Oh, maybe he wants to think about how awesome I was in that boss battle. I was like ka-pow and Wa-bam!" Compa sweatdropped by her excitement as they walk away far from Noctis who was watching them.

"They seem to be far enough. Okay then." Noctis then stood up and took a deep breath before calling out to someone. "Histoire! Are you there?! I want to speak with you for a moment!"

"P-Please, not so loud, Noctis! I can hear you perfectly fine!" Histoire spoke.

"Sorry, I just needed your attention." Noctis apologized.

"It's alright. I guess you and I know what you want to talk about..."

"Yeah. It's about my Royal Arms. Do you by any chance have anything to do with them, or did Dad take them away from me?"

"Uh..." Histoire gulped down and took a deep breath, hoping that noctis will forgive her. "About those... I...may be the one at fault." She admitted.

"Excuse me?"

"Well... You see...when I tried to transport you to a place when I can get you to Neptune. I sort of...accidentally used to much of my power to send you faster...only for your 'Royal Arms' to scatter itself from you in separate nations."

"SAY WHAT?!" Noctis cried out in shock. He totally did not expect this to happen, he thought a king could only be at hold for them but to separate itself from the host, that's entirely new, even for a king like him. "What do you mean 'scattered'?! How did that happen?! Or rather how did YOU make that happen?! I know you have the power of like a god but come on, this is ridiculous!"

'I'm very very very sorry about this!" Histoire apologized in panicking tone. "I'm not entirely sure how that happened when I tried transporting you! I must have triggered something that caused your Royal Arms to delink you and separate themselves. But I am certain that I do not know why that has happened? Please forgive me! I did not mean for this to happen!"

As much as this angers Noctis, he felt like arguing the tome won't do anything, it won't help him bring his Royal Arms back. Plus, Histoire was begging like crazy for his forgiveness, almost like she's acting like a little girl, well, she kind of is one but not momentarily. Leaving out a sigh, Noctis has decided to forgive her.

"Alright, alright! No need to go far. Everybody makes mistakes so it's fine, okay?" He spoke to Histoire.

"Truly? You forgive me?" Histoire asked as hope was gained in her emotions.

"It's not like arguing would change anything, so yeah."

"Thank you, Noctis. I really am grateful."

"Sure. So do you know where the Royals Arms are?"

"Well, I can't pinpoint their exact location, however I do know how may Arms there are in each nation. There are 4 in Planeptune, 4 in Lastation, 2 in Leanbox and 3 in Lowee. I also cannot be certain which Royal Arm there are either. I apologize for that."

"No need to. I think that's more than enough. Thanks for the heads up!"

"You're most welcome. So is there anything else you need to know?"

"Well, how are my friends doing so far? Promtpo, Gladio and Ignis?"

"Well...From what Regis has told me so far, they seemed to have left the Empire Base and took the crystal away from it. It was difficult since your world is corrupted by daemons, but they had managed to escape back to Lucis. Right now, they wait for you to come back as they continue to fight the daemons while evacuating all the civilians to safety."

"I see... Alright. That's all I have to say. Thanks, Histoire." The tome girl giggled.

"I hope we can discuss more. I've taken a liking to you, Noctis, not in a awkward way just to not misunderstand you. I wish you and Neptune good luck." After that Noctis could not hear Histoire's voice anymore.

"Stay safe, guys. When I come back, I'll be the one to fight for you!" He said to himself while clenching his fist with determination. He went back to where Compa and Neptune were. The moment he got there, he freaked out when he saw Neptune's face covered with bandages.

"Hmmhmmhm!" She muffled in a spooky tone as she slowly walked to Noctis like a zombie, until Noctis grabbed her head to stop her from moving.

"What are you doing?" He asked her. If this was a prank, he would be annoyed right now.

"S-Sorry, Noct!" Compa bowed to him a couple of times. "Neptune had a few bruises so I tried to bandaged them up, but I overdid it again!"

"...You really do need help." Noctis sighed as he untied Neptune's bandages.

"Gaaaaah! Finally some fresh air~!" Neptune gave a sigh of relief. "I thought I was never gonna get out of there. Thanks a bunch, Noct!"

"No worries! Now, before we get going, I want to you ask you something Neptune."

"Oh? Are you gonna ask me out?" Neptune joked, causing Noctis to groan.

"No! It's about your weapon! You're not seriously going to fight more monsters with that thing, are you?!" He pointed to the wooden sword Neptune had.

"Huh? What's wrong with it? It's looks fine to me."

"That's not the point! That sword is not enough to fight your way to victory. Sure a wooden sword can knock one out, but it'll take forever to kill one with just that. I've seen better swords in my time and this one is just used for practise."

"So you're saying that I need something harder?"

"For you, I'd recommend a longsword or a greatsword. With that insane strength of yours, I doubt you'd have a problem carrying them. As for it's material, iron or steel would totally be the best."

"...You're bad at sexual innuendos, Noct." Neptune puffed her cheeks.

"I'm bad at what-now?"

"Please forget what Nep-Nep said, Noct!" Compa cried out while covering Neptune's mouth from saying anything perverted. Although Noctis was curious, he decided to move on.

"...Anyway, speaking of which. Where do you keep that huge hammer of yours, Neptune? Unless you have some kind of ability that can teleport your weapon and retrieve it-" He stopped talking when Neptune took something behind her back, revealing she obtained at the dungeon and presented it to Noctis. "-back... You know what, I'm not gonna ask about that!"

"Before we leave to find Neptune a REAL weapon. There's something I'd like to ask you about, Compa."

"Huh? What is it, Noct?" Compa asked.

"Do you by any chance have a camping set with you? You know, in case we spend the night outside and some quick resting?" Noctis may not be a camping lover like his bodyguard Gladiolus, but he did admit that he liked camping and he wanted to experience it again.

"Camping set? Well, I kinda do but all I have is a tent, one sleeping bag and a lantern. Sorry if it isn't much."

"What do you usually eat when you camp?"

"Oh, just some sweet potato and canned food. It's really nothing much."

That sounds like spending one night alone without much to do but sleep. If they're gonna have a peaceful time at a campfire, they're going to need more than that. He wanted the camping set to be exactly the one he has when he and is friends camp at Safe Havens. They'll need a cooking set for food, meaning they need to collect a lot of ingredients and materials they can find outside or at the store. They may need a bigger tent since more people are gonna sleep in. Folding chairs aren't necessary but it might be good to make people get comfortable while camping.

"That's not bad, but not good enough for the three of us." Noctis sighed. "We'll probably need more stuff we can get for camping. Don't worry, I'll be the one deciding on what to get for camp. After we go to the weapon's shop, we'll go find what we can get for camping."

"You got it, Noct! Although I like staying inside, camping can be fun too!" Neptune smiled.

"One more thing, do any of you know how to cook?" Noctis asked the girls.

"Nope! I only know how to fight baddies, cooking was pretty forgettable for me." Neptune sighed.

"Actually, I can cook since I live by myself. Though, I'm not a master so I can only cook common things, nothing fancy just to let you know." Compa answered.

"Guess I'm gonna have to buy you a cook book if I have enough money." Noctis muttered to himself. "That's good enough. We'll go to the grocery store after we collect everything we need. Let's head to the city, and hopefully find what we can get."

"Yeah!" The girls nodded in response as the three made their way to the city of Planeptune. It was surprisingly big and futuristic for Noctis. he did see some mechanical cities like the Empire's home and Insomnia, but this one was a whole different level. Eventually, they found their first destination: The weapon's shop.

"Wow! Look at all the cool stuff in here!" Neptune called out with excitement. The shop had quite the armoury here. The walls were almost covered with metal, and by metal it is meant by weapons. Swords, lances, guns, shields and many more were displayed around the room. Computers, TV screens and other terminals are mounted in certain places, showing the prices and displaying upcoming items. A few weapons were displayed on glasses symbolising how rare they are. What surprises Noctis though was that some of them are just pure-energy, multi-coloured lights coming out of their insignificant hilts are eerie, radiant with heat. The future can be really amazing at times.

Most of the weapons were suited for Noctis because of the fact he can not only wield a sword but also a lance, axe, guns, daggers, a shield and even more. He's like a professional weapon master. He knows that he doesn't have enough money to afford all the weapon types but when the time comes, he'll be sure to try them out. He'll be sticking with the Engine Blade for the time being.

"Be careful not to break anything, Nep-Nep." Compa informed Neptune. "Those can be very expensive for all of us, okay?" Noctis worries that Neptune will pick an overpriced weapon to he went to speak with her for a moment.

"Neptune, would it be alright if I pick a weapon for you for the time being?" He asked her.

"Eh? But I wanna do it, Noct!" Neptune pouted. Noctis just sighed as he has to push further.

"Tell you what, this'll be the only time I'll choose a weapon for you, the rest will be all on you, alright?" Neptune gave it some thought and then finally gave him her reply.

"Alright, you can pick then." She said.

"Great, Compa mind watching over Neptune while I choose a weapon for her?" Noctis asked Compa.

"You got it, Noct!" Compa smiled as Noctis went on his own to pick the weapon. He began examining various weapons and also checked their weight to analyse what will be perfect for the little goddess. Eventually, one caught his eye.

A humble katana which seemed to look quite basic but strong. The edge was pure sharp steel and the pattern on the handle was black hilt with white diamond-shaped figures. It looked a lot like the Katana of the Warrior, except shorter and not as sharp. When he picked it up, he found it slightly heavy but he doubt a goddess like Neptune would let that slow her down. The price wasn't low but it was around average to the blade, though a katana like that would sell thousands in Lucis. He swung it slowly a couple of times and the speed to it was very fast. Noctis can agree that this weapon is perfect for Neptune, especially when she's going to face some tough opponents throughout the journey.

The problem was the money. Compa said money is called credits. This means gil doesn't exist in this world which became a gigantic problem for Notcis.

"I wonder if I have money for this, although credits is not like gil so..." Noctis then felt something in his pocket. He took it out and what revealed to be a huge sack. He took a peek and found a huge amount of money which may likely to be credits. From the looks of it, the sacked seem to have about 50000 credits inside. "...Where did this come from and how did this get into my pocket...?" He asked himself, though there wasn't an answer he could find. Deciding to forget about it, he went to the girls.

"Will this do, Neptune?" Noctis showed her the weapon of his choice for her. Her reactions was pretty shiny, because her eyes became extremely sparkly.

"That...looks...AWESOME!" She squealed loudly. "I'm SO going to kick lots of butt with this baby! Thanks a lot, Noct!"

"The price seems decent, especially when I have more than I can count." Noctis showed the girls his sack of credits which shocked them.

"Whoa! That's a lot of money!" Neptune cried out in surprise.

"Where in the world did you get those?!" Compa asked. That question was unknown to Noctis so he had to make one up.

"I...must have gotten these before I lost my memory." Noctis lied but was worth it since they believed it.

"Wow! You must have been very adventurous!" Neptune smiled. Carrying the desired purchase, they walked up to the cashier.

"Welcome! Have you decided to purchase that katana?" The cashier asked.

"Yeah." Noctis replied.

"Do you want anything else?"

"...Actually there is one thing." Noctis went to get something and the came back with two pistol guns. They looked cheap but they still look like they'd pack a punch. "We'll take those."

"Very well. That'll be 1800 credits in total please." Noctis handed the money and the cashier puts them in the cash register, satisfied with it." Thank you, please come again." The three left and headed to a camping shop where they can more equipment needed for camping.

"Why did you buy guns?" Compa asked Noctis curious.

"Neptune, you once said you wanted to shoot a gun before, right" Noctis asked Neptune.

"Yeah? Wait, are you saying I can have one?!" Neptune cried out in surprise.

"Sure. As long as you aim it right and not shoot us, it should be okay." Noctis gave the pistol to Neptune.

"Thanks, Noct! I'm going to wallop the baddies good with this baby!"

"So, the other one is for you, Noct?" Compa asked Noctis who had the other pistol on his hand.

"Yeah, I'm actually good with these since I remember using one before. Don't worry, I think I can handle it. Now let's go to the camping store." The girls nodded in unison as the three were now in there store they were looking for.

"Okay, first we need a big tent for you girls." Noctis instructed.

"Us?" The girls asked in confusion.

"Well, since I'm a boy, we'll be sleeping in separate tents, aren't we?"

"Eh? But you don't have to, you know?" Compa said. "We trust you won't doing anything to us."

"Yeah, and I won't doing anything bad to you, either." Neptune smiled. Noctis sweatdropped as he felt uncomfortable with that last part.

"If you say so..." Normally he doesn't sleep with girls before, but he did sleep with Iris and the other boys in camps, which did felt pretty awkward for him. "Let's go and get what we need. Hopefully we have enough to afford them." The trio began searching what they can find in the store. they managed to find an outside kitchen set featuring a stove shaped like a suitcase while it is battery powered, a cooler, a table, plates and bowls with forks and knifes, a frying pan and a big pot for cooking. They got four folding chairs, the spare was for anyone who joins their party. The tent was the difficult part to find because there was many to choose from. Eventually they found one and it was pretty darn good. It was deluxe tent with the colour of blue and white and a size so big it can fit 6 or more people inside. The total amount was 42500 credits which was just enough to pay all of it.

The last destination was the grocery store where they went to buy some meat, bread, vegetables, herbs, milk and eggs. How can they all put all the stuff away you ask? Apparently the girls has some kind of disc that can help them store all kinds of things into one disc, no matter how big they are, but it is important to note that each disc has a capacity limit. It also explains how Neptune stored her hammer.

"Yay! Now we're all set leave Planeptune!" Neptune cried out in delight.

"Hold on, Nep-Nep! There are still things we need to do in Planeptune!" Compa told her.

"But Compa, we already gathered the fragment from Planeptune. Let's not waste any time and mosey to the next landmass!"

"No need to rush. This place is still threatened by monsters. We can't just leave at townspeople like this."

"Besides, there could possibly be more things we missed such as key items or possibly treasures." Noctis said. 'I might be able to find a Royal Arm if I stay here.'

"Well... fine... Let's go clobber some monsters. Plus, I can't wait to try out this bad boy!" She swung her new katana like a fan. They continued to explore Planeptune starting with a dungeon which looked like a mine with purple crystals around the area.

"It's pretty dark here." Compa said.

"Allow me." Noctis smiled as he activated his small flashlight that was on his jacket, much to the girls amazement.

"Whoa! That's cool!" Neptune cried out. "Where can I get one of those?!"

"Heh. You won't find one around here unfortunately. I got it somewhere far away and I doubt you'd know where to get one of these."

"Aww, phooey! You know, bad guys hole up in caves, but I wonder if it's kinda like where they do the thing and make babies. Sorry to intrude." Hearing that made Noctis feel sick, just what in merciful is Neptune even trying to imply? Neptune began running ahead, but that also meant she can't see where she was going due to the fact she was far away from Noctis's light. "OOF!"

"See? That's what happens when you run off on your own, especially without light!" Noctis scolded as he and Compa ran to where Neptune was.

"Nep-Nep? Are you okay? You should be careful, or you might fall onto some spikes and game over..." Compa warned her.

"Are you making an platforming game reference?" Noctis shrugged.

"No, I ran into something. Wait, no again, something ran into me!" Neptune said. Noctis turned to the being that bumped into her.

"You might wanna rephrase something to someone, and both of you and whoever it was bumped into each other." Noctis said as he looked at who it turned out to be another girl.

The girl was fairly skinned with emerald eyes and light brown hair that is about waist length. Most of her bangs are long and reach down to her eyes, curling outwards or inwards to her face, with a split on the upper corner side. A few parts of hair frame her face while more of it reaches her chest, about the length of the hair she wears in a ponytail, held with a leafy green hair piece. She wore a black, tank top and short-short style one piece with silver detailing and a belt around her waist. This is worn underneath a dark blue, oversized jacket with black, silver, and white detailing. It is worn open and has a big loose belt and she also wore matching boots.

"Ow... watch it girl." She groaned. "This isn't the place for kindergarteners to have recess!"

"Kindergarteners? Look who's talking." Neptune retorted. "Who're you? Do you live in this icky cave?" Noctis just rolled his eyes. What made Neptune think a clean little girl like her would live in a dark and messy mine?

"Do I look like a ragged bum to you?" The girl sighed. "I'm IF. I'm here to eliminate the monsters, as requested by the Basilicom. Who're YOU?"

"We're here because people are in danger. So, we're here for the same reason." Neptune said. "My name is Npetune, this is Compa, and this is Noct."

"H-Hello." Compa greeted IF. "I enjoy arts and crafts, and I'm good at math. I know I don't look it, but it's something I'm quite proud of."

"You didn't need to talk about your school status." Noctis sweatdropped before turning to IF. "My real name is Noctis Lucis Caelum, just to let you know. Noct is just a nickname for shorts. You can just call me Noctis or Noct. Your choice."

"Noted. I think I'll go with Noctis." IF said. She the noticed the prince staring at her deeply. "Is...there something wrong with my face?"

"Wha-?! Oh, no! It's nothing! You just somewhat remind me of a friend far away." Noctis exclaimed. He was lying, despite the fact that IF is young and is a girl, her presence, personality and attitude looked similar to one of his friends, Ignis. He didn't know why though.

"Oh, maybe it's because Noctis has amnesia he's getting odd vibes from people like IF because he can't remember." Compa said. "Could she be a friend that you forgot or perhaps a long-lost lover?!" She said the last three words out loud.

"WHAT THE HELL GAVE YOU THAT IDEA?!" Noctis and IF shouted at her at the same time.

"Geez, what's with you people saying ridiculous things like that to someone you just met?" IF sighed.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it, and you might wanna ignore most of them." Noctis followed.

"Sure, I'll keep that in mind..."

"In any case, Compa, you are now in charge of our item inventory and accounting. Anyway, why not help us conquer this dungeon?" Neptune offered IF.

"What? Well, I guess the more help I get, the easier it'll be for me." IF said to herself. "Fine. We'll team up, but know that you're joining me!" While IF seemed to want to keep things in strict check, Neptune's eyes began to gleam with excitement.

"Oh, you'll do it? I'm glad I asked." She squeaked. "Compa, Noct, Iffy said she'll join our party!" Noctis snorted a bit when Neptune called IF Iffy, although no one seemed to notice it which was a good thing for him.

"Whatever. Don't call me Iffy. That's not my name." IF corrected her but Noctis wasn't betting on that.

"Now we really look like a party! We'll be together forever. It's our pleasure to have you with us." Compa smiled.

"...Using the word 'forever' is pushing it way too high, Compa." Noctis sweatdropped.

"I'm with him." IF agreed. "Plus, we're only teaming up for now. This dungeon." However, Neptune would not accept IF attempting to leave them, despite the fact they've only met.

"Bzzzt! We're already a party, so you can't get away from us, even if you try." She informed her. "Abandoning your party is against the rules of this world. You got that missy?" Noctis could tell that IF was totally lost by that statement.

"U-Um, no, but... it doesn't matter." IF replied.

"Just don't get any ideas, IF, because we're going to be in a long trip." Noctis said to her. Now with a party of four, they continued to roam around in the dungeon. They ended up in a dead-end, however this is what IF has planned.

"A dead-end? You know if there was an item lurking around here, I would have picked it up." Noctis sighed.

"I can help you with that." IF smiled as she raised and then a brilliant light shoots out from it. The beam arcs forth and when it landed on a certain spot, a treasure chest was revealed, much to everyone else's surprise.

"Holy moly! How did I not see that coming?! Talk about awesome!" Neptune squealed in excitement before opening the treasure chest.

"How did you do that?!" Compa asked.

"Heh! Well, my Bandit Bangle was made for these things, it works pretty darn well if you know what I mean." IF smiled proudly.

"So it's basically a treasure detector?" Noctis asked.

"Pretty much." The prince wished something like that existed in Lucis, that would make item finding much more easier than it needs to be. Moving right along they moved to another area where they were ambushed by a brute-like monster with a one-eyed mask, carrying a rock club.

BGM - Final Fantasy XV OST - Stand Your Ground

"A Jaki, great!" IF sighed as everyone went to their battle stance. IF's weapon of choice is a pair of Katar daggers (Indian daggers), but they weren't ordinary daggers. The daggers IF has seems to be modified with a pistol attached to it as well. Two weapon types in one are rare, but they are extremely useful in battle. This also explains why IF has long sleeves; to hide her weapons.

"Daggers and guns, I dig it a lot." Noctis complimented IF.

"Thanks. I could say the same thing about your sword." IF smiled back. "It looks like it's equipped with an engine."

"Which is why it is named Engine Blade."

"Ah, fair enough." Neptune started her attack and made a combo of slashes on the Jaki while Compa made constant shots with her syringe (the surprised IF as well). As for IF, she made a fast lunge and made a mixed combo of slashes, kicks and stabs before finishing off the combo with a gunshot as she stepped back. Her movements were so fast, even almost matches Noctis's warp.

"You're quite fast." Noctis commented on her.

"I've been doing this for a while, so I guess a little hard work can make things happen." IF replied with a smile.

"I guess so, but your speed can match mine to what I'm gonna do right now!" Noctis threw his Engine Blade at the Jaki and immediately warped his way to the sword and impaled the Jaki through the eye, killing it after he took his sword out.

BGM END

"That's how it's done!" Noctis made a fist pump of victory.

"Wait, how did you-?!" IF looked to where Noctis threw his sword and back to him. It all happened in the blink of an eye to her.

"There it is again! Noct's special ability: The Warp Strike Attack!" Neptune squealed in amazement.

'When did she get the time to name that?' Noctis thought with a sweatdrop.

"Warp? Seriously?! No one in the world has learned an ability like that! How did you do it?!" IF asked Noctis loudly.

"Well, I don't really remember since I have amnesia after all." Noctis lied. "But this ability may possibly be a gift from one of my closest ones, perhaps my dad gave it to me."

"Really? Your dad really must have been awesome!" Neptune smiled. "Sad that he's in the afterlife."

"Afterlife?" It took a while for IF to understand what she meant and when she found it, she began to make a face of pity. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine, I've gotten over it. How about we move on so we can find what we're looking for?" The girls nodded in response and moved on. Neptune and Compa were ahead while Noctis and IF were following them from behind.

"Hey, Noctis." IF called to him.

"Huh?" Noctis turned to her.

"You seem to be in good hands outside the places, unlike those two, you seem to be more mature and realistic. By the way, how old are you?"

"Twenty."

"...Yep. Definitely makes sense now. What I want to know is why you are babysitting them? I mean you could save yourself a lot of trouble by just leaving them and do what you want on your own." Noctis had to admit, IF did make a good point. He could have let the girls go and finish the job on his own, however going with them is something he needed to do; to save the world. Noctis let out a sigh and explained why he can't.

"Part of me wants to do that, but I can't do that." He told her. "They're young and they need an adult to help them progress their journey from hideous monsters. Also, I can tell they can achieve something great if they keep moving, so I'm going to support and protect them. Besides, Leaving them would most likely be a salt to my nature, especially without giving out a reason. And it's not like I know anything much about where I could go." IF took a glance at Noctis and sighed.

"You sound like you've been through a lot." She said.

"Oh, I wish I knew." Continuing on, the heroes were almost at the end of the journey until they were met with the dungeon's boss; a big sand worm with sharp teeth and a rather tough looking hide.

"...To be honest, I expected the monster to be bigger than that." Noctis commented when he was received with odd looks from the girls. "Not that I wanted it to BE big or anything!"

"Hey, boss monster! I am the Pretty and Mysterious Neptune of Love and Justice! In the name of the Basilicom, I'll punish you!" Neptune shouted on her speech while pointing her katana at the boss.

"Wow! Nice speech. Did you rehearse while we were talking?" Noctis asked sarcastically.

"Oh, definitely! Amazed?!" Noctis just rolled his eyes.

"Sand worms have very durable skin, but it is quite slippery and fast so watch out!" IF informed everyone.

"Any weak points?" Noctis asked.

"You kinda scratch the skin with that blade of yours but if I were to find a weak point, it would have to be the mouth. I fought one or two before, and I usually resort to bullets and aim for the mouth. It's easier said than done when it's on you and you're trying to escape from it's hunger and mad whirlwind of death, if you know what I mean."

"Right... Well, I can handle that since all of us are shooters. We could give it lots of bullets on the worm, and if it comes to us, Neptune and I will be the vanguard and take it head-on. Don't worry, I can survive a few attacks, and Neptune's durability...is something else."

"We'll split up and flank the worm, we can use the rocks for cover, is that alright?"

"Sounds like a plan." IF nodded.

"Here what you can do..." Noctis began to explain a tactic that only he and IF can do. "It may not be much, but I'm sure we can expose his openings."

"Got it! I'll break that shield of his if I have to. But will you be able to pull it off?"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"...You know, this feels like we're at war with monsters, just saying here."

"Please don't mention war. I feel dizzy when I hear it for some reason."

BGM - Final Fantasy XV OST - Hunt or Be Hunted

The battle began with the party taking cover on solid rocks. Neptune made a couple of shots on the Sand Worm using her pistol, it damaged it but it wasn't enough for one gunner. Compa used her syringe to fire pellets at the Sand Worm. Noctis fired and IF did the same as what Neptune did. The Sand Worm went after Noctis first, forcing him to warp out of the way to evade its attack.

"An opening!" Neptune smirked as she lunged herself to the Sand Worm and made a combo of slashes, kicks and punches. She finished it with a strong punch to the face causing it to barrel toward the other side of the room. "Ow, I think I hit too hard." Neptune whimpered with a red hand.

"Geez, and I thought Gladio was the only one who could do something like that." Noctis muttered to himself. The Sand Worm got back up and then began shooting its own pellets at them.

"Yikes!" Neptune shrieked as she dodged the pellets by running away from it. Some also went after the others, Compa and IF took cover while Noctis did a back reversal dodge. When the Sand Worm did a loud roar, it was then his mouth was exposed.

"IF! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!" Noctis called out to IF.

"Got it!" She replied back. IF carefully aimed her pistol up and took sharp look at the mouth. The moment she got her target, she immediately aimed her gun at the mouth and fire a piercing bullet (similar to Prompto's Piercer technique) at the mouth and penetrated through the head. "Noctis!" IF called out for the prince as she threw one of her Katar-pistol in the air. Noctis warped his way to the dagger and made a mid-air follow-up shot finishing the boss and kill it.

BGM END

"Nice shot!" Noctis smiled tossing back IF's dagger.

"You're not so bad yourself." IF replied back with a smile as well.

"Whoa! That was some awesome team-up you guys did there!" Neptune cried out.

"I know, you guys were amazing out there!" Compa followed.

"Thanks but it was actually Noctis who came up with the idea." IF said, making the girls turn to Noctis.

"Let's just say I have a good spot for team follow-up attacks." He smiled. "I always like to give an ally a hand before they done their part. It's a good way for cooperation as well as bonding friendship. I think remember doing those once or twice."

"Wow! I should have done that more often. Okay! I'm going to start doing that right now, starting with you guys!" Neptune declared.

"You mean your memory is coming back?" Compa asked Noctis surprised that he's remembering something.

"Not much, but just a bit. I still have a long way to go, though."

"Wait, what do you mean by memory?" IF asked confused. Compa and Noctis sweatdropped as they forgot that IF doesn't know about his and Neptune's amnesia. Noctis explained about that and the brunette instantly understood the situation. "That must be tough. I'll be wishing you luck on getting your memoires back."

"Thanks for the support. How about we get out of here now? I'm wiped."

"Alright, let's take a break out of this dungeon and come back later. I'm kind of tired myself." IF agreed.

"Not to mention I'm hungry. I need food!" Neptune whined.

"We have plenty of food so we can cook when we leave here." Compa smiled. After they all agreed to leave the dungeon, they made their way back to the entrance of the dungeon, only to find out the sky is dark now.

BGM - Final Fantasy XV OST - Safe Haven

"Whoa! It's night time already?!" Neptune gasped in surprise.

"I didn't think we'd be in there for a while." IF sweatdropped.

"Then I guess it is a good time to make camp." Compa smiled.

"Let's not do that near a dungeon." Noctis said. "Let's go find a safe haven, and by safe haven I mean a safe open area that we can sleep at." The girls nodded in agreement, and began to search for a safe haven. "Are some people here out in full force when they go out in places like these?"

"Yeah, some wear armour to keep them protected, unlike us." IF said. "Speaking of which, are you sure you're fine with what you're wearing right now?"

"I need no stinking armour!" Neptune retorted. "They slow me down like a snail!"

"I have to agree with Neptune." Compa followed. "I can hardly move on them."

"Well, you are just girls so it's no surprise there." IF sighed. "What about you, Noctis?"

"I'm fine with what I wear." Noctis said while looking at his Crownsguard outfit. "It was made when I began my journey and it also got a sweet insignia on it too. This attire sort of identifies me as a traveller so I wear this with pride."

"I have to admit, you look pretty cool in that outfit." Neptune commented. "You almost look like a prince in disguise!"

"I think so too!" Compa agreed. They definitely weren't wrong about that. Noctis gave two girls a nod of thanks.

"Whatever works with you guys then." IF sighed before letting out a smile. If they wear what they like, then it's not something to complain about. After a couple of minutes of searching, they finally found an open spot which looked fresh and safe, in fact there was an old campfire sitting in the middle.

"Someone must have used this campfire in the previous nights." IF said. "I guess it'll be okay to camp here."

"Okay, time to get everything out!" Compa stated as she took out a disc and opened out all the camping equipment to the outside world; the table, the stove, the tent and you know the rest.

"Wow! You guys were pretty well-prepared for camping, huh?" IF asked surprised by all the equipment they brought out.

"I know, it's going to be awesome when we set all this up!" Neptune said excited. "Now if you excuse me, I'll be napping until you're done." The moment she tried to though, she was karate-chopped to the head by the black-haired prince.

"You're helping too, doofus!" Noctis scolded her. Netpune just pouted but she was ignored by it as she was forced to set up the camp with everyone else. Noctis was setting up the tent, Compa was setting the table and stove, Neptune took care of the folding chairs and groceries and IF started the fire. After the setup was done, the campfire was finally done, and it was pretty great-looking too.

BGM - Final Fantasy XV OST - Relax and Reflect

"Wow! This looks like an A-rank campsite!" IF spoke in surprise. "I'm shocked that you have a lot of money to afford all this!"

"All thanks to Noct!" Neptune smiled. "Now food, food, food!"

"Leave the cooking to me!" Compa smiled. "I'll see what I can whip up." She searched in the groceries to see what ingredients she'll use. When she found them, she placed them on the table and started the stove.

"You think Compa will be alright with those?" IF asked Noctis worried that Compa would make an accident.

"Don't worry, I have a hunch that she can do it." Noctis replied. "I'm not much of a cook myself but until I buy a cookbook, I will. Besides, it's always good to learn how to cook when you come up with new recipes, y'know?"

"That's true. I think I'll try it myself if I have the time." After minutes of waiting, Compa was finally done.

"Food's ready!" She stated. The three stood up and looked to what Compa has made, and boy did it surprise them...slightly. It had some rice and miso soup, which by the way appears to be tofu miso. There was also a side dish of meat, potatoes and onion stewed in sweetened soy sauce, giving out a mouth-watering aroma.

"This looks so delicious! Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Neptune begged.

Slow down, Nep-Nep! There's some for everyone, you know!" After everyone got their dish, they all sat on their folding chairs and all tasted the food together with delightful reactions.

"...Delicious." Noctis was the first to comment.

"This is super-duper amazing!" Neptune squeaked. "You're the best cook I've met, Compa! I'm so leaving you in charge of the cooking from now on!"

"For a second, I thought there was going to be an accident soon, but I guess I was worried for nothing. This is very good." IF smiled.

"Oh, it's nothing. This is kind of a basic dish so it's not much." Compa scratched the back of her head with a face slightly pink.

'Well, it may not be as good as Ignis's cooking which is always top-notch, but Compa would sure get the job done.' Noctis thought. "Maybe so, but I'll bet you'll cook something better if you look around and find what you can to come up with new recipes. Trust me, you'll learn something!"

"You think I can?" Compa asked with a pink face. "W-Well, if that's the case, I'll do my best to find new recipes for you and everyone else! It's a promise!"

"Heh. I'll look forward to it." He could see Neptune puff her cheeks for some reason while IF just sighed, but they did agree on wanting to see new recipes, it's going to be very exciting.

"Now, that we're relaxed, mind you guys telling me why you're defeating monsters and such?" IF asked them for an explanation. Since they'll be staying side to side for a while, it couldn't hurt to spill the beans. Noctis, Compa and Neptune began explaining what they need to do and what they have found so far. "So basically, the three of you are looking for Key Fragments for this...Histy person." She asked them. Though the name's wrong, Noctis decided to role with it to avoid revelations.

"Ding-dong! Histy's sealed away somewhere in this world." Neptune grinned. "She's like one of those secret optional characters."

"Optional? I'm pretty sure you mean 'mandatory'." Noctis corrected her.

"Whatevs!"

"The different fragments are guarded by monsters. So, the source is really whoever ordered the fragments to be guarded." IF understood a bit. "That Histy character must have something to do with it, too. Saving the world, hmm? It could be a big fib."

"Ooh, Iffy, you're beyond keen." Neptune squeaked with eyes gleaming bright. "How can you possibly be so observant at such a tender, young age?"

"Oh, come on, Neptune. It's common sense." Noctis sighed. "I mean, if you trust someone you don't know like a trickster as he says 'trust me' to you, then we're just leaving money on the table for your future."

"Exactly." IF agreed. "If this is all true, however, leaving it to you two...will spell doom for all humanity." Hearing that made Compa tilt her head in confusion.

"You two? What do you mean, Iffy? Noct is with us, so that makes us three, right?" She said to her.

"I'm pretty sure Noctis will perfectly be fine on his own, but the real problem lies with you two." IF explained. "From what I see, Noctis is practically stuck with you two, which makes me wonder why he hasn't ditched you yet!"

"That's because we're partners of heroes, right, Noct?" Neptune gave a wink to the prince who rolled his eyes.

"Don't push your luck just because you have me around, y'know." He sighed as he continued eating his food.

"Welp, since it's going to be like that..." IF gave some thought and found a solution as she smiled. "Alright! No choice! I'll help. You're all traveling, right? You'll need someone with you who's been to a lot of different lands."

"Oh, definitely." Noctis agreed. "Good to have you with us as not only an ally but also an advisor and navigator for the team." IF twitched in surprise that she's earned so many titles in one.

"Whoa, I didn't think I'd play so many roles, but I guess I can do those. Anyway, back to the topic! About those fragments... If they're guarded by monsters, it might be pretty easy to find them after all."

"R-Really? Then, I'm sure we'll save Histy in no time." Compa stated with stars of hope on her eyes.

"You make it sound like it's so simple." Noctis sweatdropped. "So what's the plan tomorrow morning?"

"Basilicoms around the world have been researching monsters. I think they'll have a good idea where they spawn." IF explained.

"So, speaking of...what's a Basilicom again?" Neptune asked scratching her cheek in confusion. "Like Noct, I'm apparently an amnesiac, so I need you to explain stuff for me in a manner convenient for the readers to understand!"

"Who?" Noctis asked confused. Who was she referring to was totally ignored though.

"Be patient with her, Miss IF. She bumped her head on the ground and lost her memory." Compa told IF. "Sorry for my delayed explanation."

"I should apologize too for not bringing it up sooner either." Noctis shrugged. "Sorry about that."

"Basilicoms are holy organizations run by those who serve the goddesses." Compa began explaining. "There are two parts of a Basilicom: the Sanctuary where goddesses are cared for, and Parliament for political activities."

'Very different from what I've experienced in Insomnia.' Noctis thought.

"Whoa, stop." IF interrupted. "Why not let the people at the Basilicom explain it? We're heading there anyway, by tomorrow morning, of course."

"To ask about monsters? But we don't need to do that until we go to another landmass." Compa protest.

"Well, we need a permit from the Basilicom to travel anywhere. They manage the Sky Harbors, too."

"Oh, I see. Then we'll continue this when we reach the Basilicom, after our sleep. Okay, Nep-Nep and Noct?" After finishing the food, Compa washed the dishes, using a nearby lake while Noctis and IF set everything up inside the tent such as books, cards, alarm clock on Noctis's phone and sleeping bags.

"Hold on. Where are you going to sleep, Noctis?" IF asked Noctis. She was curious to why there was only one tent and a big one at that. Normally, guys and girls go in separate tents, right?

"What do you mean, Iffy?" Neptune asked in confusion. "We're both sleeping in the same tent with Noct." Hearing that causes IF to splutter in shock.

"Are you serious?! You're okay with a grown-up man sleeping with us on the same tent?" She shouted. "I mean have you even considered it with Compa and Noctis."

"To be fair, I was outvoted." Noctis said.

"Compa said it's fine. We trust him completely because we're allies of justice. You trust him too, right?" Neptune spoke.

"Well, yeah I guess. But it still seems weird." IF sweatdropped. In all honesty, she's never slept with a male person on the same tent or room for that matter. This will be the first time which would make things a little awkward.

"Don't worry, IF. I'll be careful with myself." Noctis smiled. "I don't move around much in my sleep so it'll be okay. I used to camp a lot with friends so it's no big deal." IF still had some thoughts but then ended with a deep sigh.

"If you say so, but don't blame me if you do something weird, got it?" She warned her. "You can sleep on the right side, while us girls will take the left side. This tent is big enough to keep us separated."

"Cross my heart." By the time Compa came back with cleaned dishes, they began to play a little bit of cards and board games and others before it was finally bedtime. They all began to sleep peacefully so they can continue their quest saving the world and some collecting for Royal Arms, too.


Noctis's Audio Entry Log III

Apparently, my Royal Arms got separated from me, thanks to a certain someone, and are now scattered in multiple nations. But I don't know where they are but I know there are 4 here in Planeptune. I'm gonna need to look around carefully if I'm gonna find them. I met another girl who somewhat reminds me a bit of Ignis for some reason, is it because of her personality or how she fights, that may just be me. Still I think she's a nice girl to stick around with since she's the most serious one out of the other two which is kinda a relief for me now that I don't have to babysit them by myself... Okay I might be a little bit biased but I can't help it when there are so many things to take care of than just them, alright? I just hope tomorrow doesn't make anything harder, and for Lucis sake I hope to find a Royal Arm soon...


Bonus: Purple Heart's Battle Quotes

Enemy Encounter: Let's get this over with!

Enemy Encounter 2: Let's not waste anymore time!

Enemy Encounter...Again: What a persistent lot...

Rare Enemy Encounter: This a rare one...good!

Boss Encounter: Time to strike you down!

Giant Boss Encounter: This...could get rough.

Low HP: Ugh! I let my guard down...

Healing item used: That will remove my stress...

Rescuing ally: I advise you to be careful next time.

Rescued by an ally: I won't repeat the same mistake again.

Ally intensely wounded: Get away from the battlefield! You cannot fight in your condition!

Vulnerable enemy: Attack now while it's down!

Blindside: I have you now!

Link-Strike: Let's do this!

See Enemy Fleeing: You're not getting away!

Compliments Noctis: I expected nothing less from you, Noctis.

Complimented by Noctis: You weren't bad yourself.

Complimented by others: This is nothing.

Formation (Regroup): Everyone, here!

Formation: (Attack): Go for the enemy!

Formation: (Improvise): Show them what we can do!

Victory: Victory is ours!

Victory (Boss): I expected more of a challenge.

Victory (Giant Boss): We've done it, is anyone hurt?

Victory (Barely): Let's hope we don't carelessly fight like that again.

Defeated: How could I...be so...careless...?

Defeated (Retreat): Ngh! I underestimated them...Forgive me, Noctis, but I must fall back lest I become a liability.

Fleeing: A tactical retreat is sound strategy at this point! Fall back!

Accidentally hitting an ally: My apologies.

Accidentally hit by an ally: I am not your enemy!

Struggling with the enemy: I did not think we would had trouble with this one.

Losing Confidence: I never thought our enemy would be this strong.

Fire effected: AGH! I've been caught in fire!

Freeze effected: T-T-Too c-c-cold...

Lightning effected: GAH! I-I-I've been struck by l-l-lightning!

Poison effected: Argh! The poison is damaging my body...

Confusion effected: Where am I? What's happening?

Ally with poison effect: (Name) has been infected with poison!

Ally with confusion effect: (Name) is confused and cannot fight properly!


GL: HOLY SH*T THAT WAS LONG! I didn't expect the chapter to go on like that because I couldn't find the time to stop until here. Geez, they really need to put a break in this story.

Look like the Royal Arms are scattered...again, and now Noctis needs to find them once more, just like the old times. I decided to make the camping scene similar to Final Fantasy XV since I love those scenes, it looks to peaceful and fun when they're interacting with each other. I'll give Noctis more weapons soon, when they have enough money to get one that is.

Yes, IF seemingly reminds me a bit like Ignis due to having similar weapons and personalities, although Ignis is a bit more educative and adult-like than IF since she's still a teenager.

I'm trying as hard as I can to get Noctis closer to the girls, but since I'm not good at building romance, it may take a while to do so, but I'll get to it.

My OC will come soon in about 2 or 3 chapters so wait a little bit longer for that. By the way, I'm still waiting for a few OCs, that is if you want to join in.

See you in the next chapter!