"Warrior," Cosmos called.
Though it was his resting shift, Warrior stood near Cosmos with his shield in his hands and his eyes on the horizon, watching intently for some far away threat. Standing guard over her alongside Vaan, Zidane, and the Onion Knight.
He was at her side in moments.
"Cosmos?" he asked.
"Walk with me," she said. He offered her his hand and she accepted, unable to hide her prideful smile as she lifted herself to her feet with little help from him.
"Your strength is returning."
"It is," she said.
"Ah, then something else has you uneasy."
She blinked at him, too caught off-guard to immediately deny it. She didn't think he was even watching her, standing sentineled and half-turned away from her.
"You wrap your shawl tighter around yourself when troubled," he explained, like it was the most obvious tell, "almost as though to protect yourself from your worries." She smiled, flattered by his attention.
"I sometimes forget how well we know each other," she said. "It is only a small battle. Rosa's patrol group encountered two Chaos warriors and some manikins." Cosmos focused her power inward and pinpointed each of their energies, like colored dots on her heart. All alive and healthy. She locked on to Rosa's energy and felt her surges of power and magic, contributing comfortably to the battle. "All are well."
"I am glad to hear it."
"Yes. Walk with me," she said again, inviting him with a sweep of her arm. Rather than start ahead of her, he stopped next to her and offered his arm. She looped hers in his.
"Where are you going?" the Onion Knight asked her, eyes flicking between her and the Warrior. He walked up the stairs on the other side of her throne, and an air of uncertainty flared around him. "I know that Warrior's capable, but . . . the three of us are supposed to be guarding you. Should we follow?"
"We only pace around my throne. There is no need to follow." The Knight shared a glance with Vaan and Zidane, clearly unhappy with her decision but unsure of how to express his displeasure. Cosmos met eyes with Warrior, and without even so much as a sign he understood what she wanted.
"In the meantime," he offered, "would the three of you be willing to gather the items we've set aside for sale and trade? That will be our next mission."
"You got it, boss," Zidane said, offering a sloppy salute with knives in his hand. He wrapped his arm around the Onion Knight's shoulders and led him away from the throne. Cosmos turned and Warrior turned with her, and they ambled slowly around Sanctuary.
"Your new patrol system is working well, from what I see," Cosmos began.
"Yes, it is," he affirmed, nodding once, "So long as you feel that your protection is assured."
"Undoubtedly. Three posted guards at any given time is more than enough."
"Perhaps, but I'd much rather err on the side of caution."
"As would I, I suppose," she mused. "I'm going to call a new warrior soon. I value your insight as the leader among you. What kind of warrior do you feel you most need in your ranks?"
"What kind? Do you mean class? Another White Mage is paramount-"
"Yes, and I plan on calling one immediately. But so much of my strength has returned, I feel I may be able to call another. What could you use?"
Warrior's mouth parted, and his eyes shifted down into the water. "Give me a moment," she said. "If I may be frank, I had not thought past one warrior."
"Of course."
His eyes scanned Sanctuary, stopping at each of the warriors resting there. She followed with him. Lightning and Squall were both sitting by themselves. Both trained soldiers, both accomplished swordsmen, and they both possessed Black Magic capabilities, though they were secondary abilities. They were effective and balanced - trained to not only deal damage, but also know when to stay back and support their allies. Cosmos would trust Vaan with the same responsibilities, considering the sheer number of weapons he knew how to use. Though, she added, Vaan lacked the same intuition that Lightning and Squall were trained to have.
Tidus, Kain, and Tifa were hard and heavy battlers. They all had great strength and speed, and they knew how to use them. Almost no magic between the three of them. Cecil and Firion and Cloud only had secondary magic abilities. Laguna and Zidane almost had no magic between them whatsoever. Even Warrior only had secondary magical abilities. Bartz was the exception, though his copies of everyone's skills was limited by his personal physical strength.
Perhaps a Black Mage to help Terra and the Onion Knight in his Sage class.
"Perhaps a Black Mage?" Warrior said, repeating her exact wording.
"I came to the same conclusion," she said.
"Who are your candidates?"
"I have a few in mind," she said. "This feels different than other summonings. I have at least one warrior from every world of which I am aware, so I am less concerned with the new warrior's adjustment to this world and to me. I really only have cause to worry about the character of the person I call. I remember a light from when I selected Rosa. A girl named Krile, from Bartz's world. Like Bartz, she can mimic many classes, but if I call her I would select Black Mage for her - or perhaps Red Mage. Her light is softly pink, and beautiful. She has an optimistic and hopeful spirit that would most definitely brighten our morale. She also has special abilities in addition to her skills in battle. From what I could sense she can speak to moogles, chocobos, and even spirits.
"But, she's only fourteen. Can I justify calling a girl that young in the first place? In my panic of earlier cycles, I selected the Onion Knight and Zidane, but I now have the luxury of strategy- I'm sorry. I lost myself in my own thoughts."
"It's alright," he assured her. "Continue. Who else?"
"There is a Black Mage from Zidane's world who is almost as young. There's an older gentleman that has familial energy with the girl Krile - perhaps they're related? There's a mage from Ivalice, where Vaan hails . . . I have much to consider."
"Yes," Warrior said. "But as long as you believe they will help you, then you have my full support."
"I do think any of them would help. A strong Black Mage, any kind of mage really, coupled with Rosa's power . . . anyone would be a fine addition."
A change came over Warrior at the mention of her name among the powerful. Cosmos quickly checked in on them and made sure her warriors were still doing fine in their battle. Bartz was struggling, but she knew Rosa was nearby. She trusted her to do her duty.
"Are you still angry with Rosa?" Cosmos asked him.
"Are you not?" Warrior asked. "After her insolence?"
"No. She is only curious. Do not fault her for it." 'Cosmos, why haven't we defeated ten warriors yet, after all this time?' Rosa's questions and the ferocity with which she asked them echoed in Cosmos' head. 'Why haven't we been sent home by now? Tell me why.'
"I do not fault her for her questions. I do, however, have a quarrel with her accusatory tone and distrustful attitude towards you. As though all of this is your fault. You called her, yes, but your circumstance demanded it."
"Yes, Warrior, but that's not all that she's upset about. We should understand her frustration with our secrecy. She is perceptive, and she has already realized that there's something missing. She knows that there's a chance we know the answers, and are not telling her. Not knowing of the cycle leaves large gaps in the logistics of this place."
"Has your position changed on not telling her?"
"No, not yet. I should have to bear her distrust, I think, until the right time."
"What time is that?"
"I don't know." Preferably soon, before a warrior falls in battle and Rosa is unable to revive him or her.
"Rosa and Bartz are still the only two who do not know. You had better tell her soon, before she finds out on her own. I cannot imagine she will react well."
As strong-willed and involved as Rosa intended to be, Cosmos knew she wouldn't react well at all, no matter when she was told. She tried to remember how the others reacted. When Warrior and Tifa told Lightning, she scoffed and rolled her eyes. She stormed off - Cosmos couldn't remember what was said, but it wasn't kind in regards to her status as a goddess. Cecil took it well in the moment, pledging his sword to her cause, but Cosmos caught him later shedding tears over 'the loss of his loved one', he said at the time. Cosmos knew now he was referring to Rosa.
Rosa didn't respond well to being called at all. Cosmos didn't want to imagine her reaction to the cycle.
Who would respond well, she thought. She had done them a great disservice, calling them here. Forcing them to leave homes and friends and families to fight an endless war. She was so grateful to them. Grateful to them, and grateful for them. She was grateful to them for many things. For answering her call when she needed them; and for the light and spirit they brought with them when they came. She was proud of the skills they possessed, and how they put them to use for her out of the goodness of their hearts and the strength of their resolve despite the nature of this conflict.
She wanted to send them home. They deserved it.
It hurt her heart that she couldn't. Not until Chaos and his fiends were defeated, and not until the world she held so special was safe.
With the arm that was free of Warrior's, she clutched her shawl, gathering it around herself before she realized what she was doing. She cast a sidelong glance at Warrior and the small smile on his face, and she knew she saw.
"Shall we sit?" she asked, offering a distraction.
He led her back to the throne and she pulled her arm free and sat down. She looked around for her guards and saw them standing a ways off. The Knight was looking right at them, fist clenched around his sword, clearly waiting for them to finish. She waved him over, and he rallied Zidane and Vaan, herding them back.
"How was your discussion?" he asked. He had his eyebrows raised in question, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Anxious to know what they discussed and be involved. He always loved to share his intellect.
"It was enriching," Warrior said.
"Indeed it was," Cosmos confirmed. "At ease, little and I discussed the possibilities of a new warrior, and we came to the concl-"
A sharp pain stabbed into her heart, catching her breath in her lungs. She doubled over and gasped, clutching at her chest. Warrior started, stepping towards her.
"What's wrong?" he demanded.
Cosmos closed her eyes and her attention directed instantly towards the Fens, where she left her battling warriors. She counted the energies - one, two, three, four, five, six -
She knew instantly who was missing, and panic seared into her heart. Where had she gone? She scanned the entire world, pushing her influence across the boundaries of the Realm of Chaos, and found her pink aura on the complete other side of the world, in a gateway in the Mirage Sandsea.
"No," she breathed. Somehow, Rosa ended up separated from the group while they battled. And she was surrounded by three of Chaos' warriors. She could feel the terror in Rosa's heart and the despair of being outmatched, and her own fear multiplied with hers. One of the Chaos warriors' auras surged and another flare of pain hit Cosmos' chest. She cried out, curling tighter around herself, hunching over her knees.
"Cosmos? What's wrong?"
"Cosmos!" Warrior yelled.
Cosmos looked around Sanctuary. By then, everyone had been alerted that there was something wrong, but the only people who were armed and ready were those already guarding her. She checked in on Cecil and the rest of the group and could sense that their battle was finished. She vanished in a flash of gold light so quickly, she forgot to tell Warrior she was alright.