AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whelp, hope everyone had a lovely 2012 year, so let's start off 2013 with another chapter to Worlds Collide, shall we? Thanks for all of the reviews! Crazy to think this is one of the lesser-known stories and it has 40 reviews! Let's drive it up even more! Rereading this it may sound like a CloudxLight chapter, but trust me, it's not. If anything, I ship CloudxTifa more than any other pairing, but you won't see any fluff between either two in this series.

On a side note, I'm extremely sick with an annoying cold. Anyone know of any herb remedies? I've tried tea and salted water., but I don't really like taking medicine...any suggestions? I feel like I have chaos in my throat!

Official battle theme for this fic: "Thermal Shock" by Cliff Lin in his album Riptide. I love this song not only because of its eerie beat, but it fits well with a future chapter I have in mind...as for a battle theme, it ties in with Cloud and Lightning's darker side in battle...the more ruthless soldier in both of them. That's the main reason I chose this song as the battle theme for WC.

Official theme song: "FINAL FANTASY Dissidia Duodecim 012 'Final Trailer'". Not only are Cloud and Lightning "introduced" to each other in this game, but the sheer epicness of this song warrants approval by me, and the theme song for WC fits. If you haven't played this game, PLAY IT!

Write on,

WriteFF13

.:WORLDS COLLIDE:.

Chapter 10 – Chaos Reigns

["Setting You Free" – Final Fantasy XIII OST]

Monty's mouth was open for only a second more before Lightning's hand darted out and snatched the moogle up, smothering his mouth. Mont Blanc's eyes were downturned, furious, but at that point the soldier didn't really care. She wasn't about to be caught by a bunch of Turks because of this moogle's loud mouth. However, over the steady hiss of the chaos swirling around inside of the church the moogle's cries of protest were muffled. Still, the Turks were trained special agents, and after her recent disappearance, she didn't know if they would be willing to hear her out or not.

Lightning and Cloud immediately fell to the ground, crouching low. The blonde gestured towards a pile of debris and I-beams that were stashed directly behind the church, a few safe yards away. They darted for them and Lightning released Monty, quieting him with one simple, cold look.

Sensing the need for silence, the moogle reluctantly closed his mouth, though his fists were shaking.

"It's a – "

"A moogle. Mont Blanc...or Monty, as he's called," she whispered back, watching the chaos inside, spilling out of the roof and accumulating in swirls of darkness. The chaos must have leaked out from the Historia Crux when she traveled through...but that meant...

"Monty," Lightning whispered urgently. The Turks could be anywhere.

He simply glared at her.

"Can I talk now, kupo?" he snapped, but conscious of the volume of his voice. After all, he was in this for Valhalla.

Lightning blinked. "Yes."

"I wasn't asking for your permission, kupo!" he retorted, wings flapping hard. "What are we hiding for anyway?"

"I'll tell you later." She shifted a large sheet of metal and blocked off the path leading to their huddle. It wasn't much, but at the same time it was something. "Besides, where the hell have you been?" She remembered the countless times when she could used the moogle's knowledge.

"'I'll tell you later'," he mocked.

Lightning gritted her teeth, clenching her fist. Cloud glanced between the two and sighed, irritated. Out of the three of them, he was the most clueless. Lightning had snuck off from the Turks, a moogle had appeared from the ground, and Aerith's church was enveloped in darkness.

"Save the fighting for later," he said quietly. "What were you trying to do in the first place?"

Monty and Lightning suddenly ceased their bickering, turning away ashamedly. Yet Lightning was only distracted for another moment, then nodded towards the church.

"I need to get in there," she said simply.

Monty stared at her, incredulous. "You have a death wish, kupo?! Why not just let it ooze nastiness, kupo?"

This time Cloud answered. "There are people who live on this planet with a disease, and the pond in that church is the only source of healing we've had since the Rain. If Lightning thinks there's a way to stop that chaos from going any further, that's what we're going to do."

Mont Blanc blinked, only fully realizing the size of the blade strapped on Cloud's back. He gulped, intimidated by the sharp gaze of the ex-soldier's bright eyes. The moogle suddenly popped into the air, held aloft by some unknown power – Lightning had noticed he didn't always flap his wings when he flew – and began zooming towards the elegant structure.

Lightning was also surprised. Cloud didn't always talk much, but when he did, he meant it. "Right. Let's go."

The two darted from their positions, speeding for the back of the church. On one side was a gaping opening where chaos spilled in heaps. It seemed to have a mind of its own as it slowly leaked out, hissing slightly. Lightning grimaced.

This was not going to end well.

"You sure about this, kupo?" Monty asked. Lightning was shocked to hear just a minute amount of concern in his voice.

"Monty – "

"'Cause we don't have all day. I'm starving! I've been trapped under that pile of trash for days now, kupo!"

Lightning rolled her eyes. Scratch that.

"Are you sure that stuff is safe to move around in?" Cloud asked, peering at the tendrils of chaos. Clearly he remembered their attack upon his meeting with Lightning.

She did too. Turning to the moogle she asked, "Well, Monty?"

"For humans, no, but I'm immune to it because I live in Valhalla. The chaos is everywhere in Etro's realm so she granted us immunity to it...well up to a certain amount, kupo. If it overrides our system, then...we die."

"Great. So what about us?"

"I just told you! I don't know, kupo. Etro may have blessed you with the same gift, but I don't know about this guy."

"Cloud. Forgot to mention him," she said, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder at him.

The said man nodded his head quickly; Monty did the same.

"I'm going in. The day you found me here, I'd emerged from the pond through a time gate – the same one I told you about earlier. The Historia Crux is connected to Valhalla, and therefore the chaos. I'm thinking it slipped in when Monty and I arrived, but other than that I have no clue how it keeps growing."

"Wait..."

"Yeah?"

"From the pond? What do you mean?"

"The time gate...it's submerged deep under that pond..." she trailed off, confused.

He shook his head. "That's impossible. The pond is only a few feet deep. It's clear, too."

"How else would you like me to explain how I swam from the bottom of that pond and into the church? Cloud, it's like a lake down there. And it's filled with chaos right now. The longer we talk here the faster it grows. Who knows what kind of effect it will have here? You said there's a disease on the planet that can be healed by the pond's water. Don't you want that available again?" she said.

He merely nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Cloud, stay here. I don't know what this is going to do to me, but there's no point in getting us both killed. See if you can't call off your friends' search. I'm going to need some time."

"Sure."

Lightning stood and flicked her gunblade into a sword, gripping it tightly. The chaos swirled around her feet; she sucked in a breath, but nothing happened. Could she actually be...?

"Y-you're immune, kupo..."

If the will of the goddess bids it so, then so be it.

She blinked in surprise, but could feel newfound strength flowing through her veins. Whether it was adrenaline or the goddess had yet to be revealed.

"Ready, kupo?"

She breathed in slowly, closing her eyes.

Serah...

"Ready."

Moogle and soldier stepped forward into the darkness. Minutes later they were swallowed by the chaos as they made their way into the heart of the church.

["Will To Fight" – Final Fantasy XIII OST]

The second they stepped through the massive wall of chaos, the room was pitched into near absolute darkness – only Monty's slightly glowing pom-pom served as a guide as they blindly moved in. His immunity allowed him to see clearer through the chaos and although Lightning seemed to possess the same gift, this was the first time she had fully immersed herself into the chaos...intentionally. Moogle and human fought against the massive force of the chaos at its strength attempted to push them back. It was like fighting through a blast of uncontrollable wind from the Oerba tundra.

Lightning held her arms out in front of her, squeezing her eyes tightly. Chaos swirled around her body, intertwining around her boots and curling up around her arms, causing her to shiver. Nonetheless, it didn't attack her and for that she was thankful. Etro had blessed her after all. She could feel a bed of flowers padding the ground beneath her, but even their vibrant chroma of petals couldn't withstand the intensity of the chaos.

"Monty!" she called, shouting above the loud hiss of the chaos.

"Kupo?" his voice was right to her left.

She opened one eye to better see her companion. "The pond should be just a foot in front of us. I'm going to dive down!"

The moogle had to elevate his voice to a near screech, his squeal grating to the ears. He hung on to the back of her cape now because of the rather low mass of his body, but even so his body still whipped around even as he tree-ladder climbed his way to her shoulder. "Are you stupid, kupo?! That's where the chaos is coming from! You can only take so much and now you're gonna swim around in it? You're insane, kupo!"

She kneeled down, feeling with her hands until her gloved fingers gripped the edge of the floor. She jerked her hand back when she felt the sharp sting as her finger touched shockingly cold water; she dropped her blade and laid it aside. Her bright blue eyes stared down at the dark water, grimacing at the ugly reflection of chaos rising around her form.

If you're really out there, Etro, hear me now.

"W-what are you going to do down there, kupo?"

She unstrapped the thigh pack and threw it beside the Blazefire Saber, along with her gloves and outer uniform. Standing she stepped back, face set in a resolute gaze.

"Stay here, Monty."

"Fine by me, kupo," he scoffed but she could tell he was slightly annoyed. "It's virtually impossible to stop the chaos, ya know..."

"I stopped it the other day with some weird magic...I could feel Etro inside of me..." she murmured, but the moogle didn't catch her voice over the roar of the chaos.

The Geostigma.

Cloud, the second guardian.

Both were valid reasons to do what she was doing now, risking her life to stem the flow of the impending chaos. Yet she couldn't help but wonder if she was throwing any her life needlessly should things go awry. She had arrived in Midgar just yesterday and already she was back, diving into a pool of chaos.

Wish me luck, Serah.

["Shard" (Ambiance) – Mirror's Edge OST]

Taking a running start, she leaped into the air and dove headfirst, splitting the chaotic waters with her hands as she delved into the church's very heart of chaos. Her senses suddenly became deaf to the outside world as her body became submerged in the thick black liquid, stinging at her skin but doing no more damage than that. If anything as she swam downwards, the worst part of it was the iciness, like a liquid glacier stuck in a freezer and left to thaw.

Her eyes blinked sharply, trying to penetrate the darkness of the water but it was near impossible. Everywhere she turned thick chaos simply swirled around her, clinging to her clothes and dragging her down. It took little energy to shake it off, but she could only stand so much time being underwater. Years ago in her admission to the Bodhum Security Regiment she had been timed for her amount of time underwater...three minutes and thirty-six seconds as a human. She recently discovered as l'Cie that she could stay submerged in a pond on the Archylte Steppe for six minutes exactly.

Human.

L'Cie.

Who could tell the difference anymore? As far as Lightning was concerned, wielding l'Cie-type powers certified her as evolving into something above the level of a human, yet not restrained by the brand of a Pulse or Cocoon l'Cie. The strange power Etro had granted from either had come from within her, not just some random "light" element.

Etro has granted me powers beyond reckoning...to combat the chaos?

She curled into a ball with her knees tucked in and her palms forming the outline of an invisible sphere within the palms of her hands. She felt the gesture was similar to summoning Odin, but this was stronger...as if the goddess herself were feeding this power into the palm of her hands.

Intense light covered in a golden sheen exploded from her hands into a sphere of otherworldly magic, blinding the waters around her in pure white. In a matter of milliseconds the chaos disintegrated, snaking away from the spell and into the very abyss of the pond, leaving only small globs of a black substance floating in the water, which was now clear. Above the pond Monty zoomed above the surface anxiously, but whizzed back when rays of light burst from beneath, easily reaching out above the roof and piercing the skies.

Beneath the water the world had seemed to morph into the very edge of a mirror. Reflections of herself followed her everywhere as bubbles, and even the waters around her seemed to distort into images of herself. Lightning struggled to contain the light, clutching it to her chest as her pink hair moved freely. Pressure built until it was impossible to contain; muscles straining, she released it, covering her face when it exploded. All she knew was golden rays streaking through the water. For a brief moment she spotted the time gate ten feet below her, scorched black and flickering slightly. The chaos that had been leaking from it immediately dispersed, though not back into the Historia Crux. Instead, it only retreated into the very bottom of the fathomless depths, unseen by her eyes anymore.

I did it...I actually did it...

Suddenly she felt a sharp, painful sting in her head, like a serrated knife dipped in fire and piercing through her brain...she curled in pain, clamping her hands tightly over her ears and gritting her teeth so hard she heard them grinding against each other painfully. Blinding flashes appeared behind her eyes before fading into nothing more than imprints.

Her mouth opened to utter a cry of pain, but water quickly flowed into her mouth.

Moments later she had gone limp, her body aimlessly floating. Yet she didn't float to the surface...

The chaos was fighting back.

["Ithavoll Building – Lower Floors" – Bayonetta OST]

Cloud would never forget the image of gold shooting out from the darkness of the church, swirling in elegant spirals. It wasn't fighting the chaos... or rather, its presence alone was enough to drive the chaos back into the pond. Later he would describe it as "heaven exploding inside of her church."

Soon enough the chaos had cleared enough to where he could spot the moogle flitting nervously back and forth by a pile of someone's belongings. He cautiously stepped forward and arrived at the pond's edge, trying to peer through the blinding light.

"What happened?" he asked, alarmed.

The moogle spun around, scared witless.

"I-I don't know, kupo!" The moogle made to dive down, but his wings lifted him back into the air as if repelled by something ghastly. "I can't stand the cold!"

The blonde dipped his head down to get level with the flying critter, bright eyes peering anxiously into the moogle's squints. "What's wrong? Did she do it?"

"Yes, but...darn that wench, kupokupo! I knew this was going to happen, kupo, I knew it! What am I going to do, kupo? What will she say when I return, kupokupo…kupo!"

Monty's anxiety levels raised with every "kupo" he added; his wings were flitting so fast they were now almost a blur. He twisted to the ex-soldier, zooming in close to his face so the former had to lean back uncomfortably.

"Lightning's not back yet...if I don't bring her back to alive the goddess will kill me, kupo! You have to do something now, kupo!"

Before Cloud could respond the light began to fade, dwindling into the pond where somewhere, Lightning was. Both were able to look over the edge without hurting their eyes, but nothing but a clear reflection of their anxious faces met them. Cloud strained his eyes but saw his own bright blue orbs staring back at him.

"I'll get her."

Mont Blanc's head whipped around. "Then hurry, kupo!"

"Those men in black outside...can you tell them what's happened? Tell them you're with me – they won't hurt you and they can help," Cloud said softly, strapping his sword tightly onto the magnets hanging from his shoulder. Yet unlike Lightning he didn't have time to lighten the weight on his back.

"But the chaos could kill you, kupo!" Monty protested.

Cloud didn't even flinch.

"That's a risk I'll have to take," he said softly before jumping in after Lightning.

His black outfit soon became engulfed in the water, leaving Monty behind with erratic nerves.

"Kupoooo!" With a quick huff he zoomed off.

["Angel Advent" – Bayonetta OST]

Upon entering the pond – which Cloud had previously thought to be shallow – he immediately spotted Lightning, her body a faint glow directly beneath him. Ignoring the extra weight his sword brought, he dove further down, kicking his legs hard even as he was pushed upwards. As he swam he looked around, Mako eyes quickly adjusting to the water around him. He was shocked to find the pond extremely deep; even as he swam straight down the bottom seemed endless. He also spotted the chaos lurking at the bottom, but Cloud ignored the earlier warnings the moogle had given him, making his way to Lightning.

He swam in front of her, checking for consciousness and then a pulse. The former proved false, yet when he pressed a thumb to her wrist he could feel a strong pulse pounding beneath his finger. Her body floated, eyes shut and hair gently waving around her face. Cloud could begin to feel the draw of the chaos, a sort of evil force pulling him downwards. For a brief moment his eyes stopped on her face and for the first time since their meeting he once again felt as if he knew her from some other time, some other place...her slender face and spiked hair were startling similar to his own...as if...he shook his head, banishing any further thought.

He didn't waste a moment longer.

The easiest way to get her back to the surface was to tow her along by the hand and use his free one to carve a path through, but the chaos seemed to have a mind of its own and could easily wrap around any dangling limbs – he remembered that from his first encounter with the otherworldly substance yesterday. Wrapping an arm around her waist and throwing one over his shoulder so he could keep a hold on her hand barred any interference from the chaos below.

But it made swimming all the more harder.

It seemed ages before he finally kicked his way to the surface, struggling to keep Lightning at his side and slipping from his grasp while trying to break the edge of the water before his own oxygen supply ran out. The surface was like a mirror, perfectly still yet reflecting the outside world. That image was violently distorted as he burst through, coughing excess water out. He heaved Lightning out and laid her safely on the edge near her gunblade, but instead of exiting the freezing water he dove down again, taking one last mental picture before surfacing again. Chaos lurked about thirty feet below him, converging together on the bottom. Without a further glance he turned and gripped the church's floorboards, hauling his wet form out.

Wiping the water from his face and blinking furiously he heard the telltale obnoxious voice of Reno and the sound of footsteps near as he crawled out, absolutely dripping with water.

"What the hell happened here, man?" the Turk exclaimed, kneeling next to Lightning's limp body.

Cloud shook the water from his hair, water droplets dotting his spiky hair. "It's a long story. Look, I don't have a lot of time," he responded quickly before turning to the anxious moogle that buzzed near his ear.

"Is she okay, kupo?"

"I don't know. I can take her back somewhere where she'll be safe, though."

Suddenly Rufus Shinra pushed through his mob of agents. Cloud regarded him with cold eyes.

"What is the meaning of this, Cloud?" Rufus asked.

"I don't have time to explain. I'll be out to Kalm tomorrow," Cloud said before turning to the only female agent in the bunch. He knew she wouldn't ask questions and they had an unspoken trust in each other. "Elena, can you put those other clothes on her? That gunblade goes into her holster I think," he asked softly. "I need to talk to the moogle."

Elena – though surprised at the mention of a moogle – didn't ask questions, as expected. Rufus gathered his men outside of the church as Elena dragged Lightning out, followed by Cloud and Monty. The last two talked quickly.

"Is she dead, kupo?" he asked, alarmed.

Cloud shook his head as he swung his leg over Fenrir's seat. Elena lifted Lightning behind the driver of the bike as her head sagged into the back of Cloud's back. The agent shrugged, but leaned in close to Cloud.

"I don't have any idea what's going on, but the boss is expecting you to be in Kalm tomorrow. Don't disappoint him. You know how he is," she whispered, before giving a parting nod and rejoining the group of Turks.

"Barrett."

The burly man took his cue and climbed into his monstrous truck, revving it to life. Without a backward glance the man had already driven off ahead to tell Tifa of the situation. Cloud did the same, hardly giving Rufus a nod before Fenrir shot off. He was surprised to find the moogle still around as he hung on to the back of Lightning's red cape, strangely silent.

So many things had just happened in the last thirty minutes that even a hardened warrior like Cloud found his mind reeling – along with his freezing body – as Midgar came into sight. Dust kicked up from the wheels of Fenrir, sticking to his black arm covering.

He still didn't understand what was so dangerous about the "chaos" or why Lightning – who had somehow dragged him into this mess – was knocked out cold. Why the pond in the church was suddenly an underground lake. Why some "goddess" he never knew existed was somehow giving power to her. Why a moogle suddenly appeared and seemed to have come along with Lightning. Why their two worlds seemed to have startling similarities.

Why, why, why.

As he entered the very edge of Midgar, winding around passerby, his blue eyes hardened.

He was getting some answers.

["Paradox" – Final Fantasy XIII-2 OST]

When Cloud pulled into the alleyway behind 7th Heaven, Barrett's truck was already stationed near the entrance, exhaust pipe still exuding thick, black smoke. Civilians of Edge were already pouring into the bar, laughing and talking merrily at the prospect of Edge's best food and service. Avoiding the crowd would be the best option, so Cloud pulled Fenrir up behind Barrett's truck, rolling the bike steadily into the one-car garage situated on the side until they were out of sight. Standing at the door was Tifa, donned in her usual black leather outfit and sporting her trademark waitress smile, which diminished quickly as she took in the new arrivals. The sound of laughter and obnoxious jokes drifted in from the kitchen, coming to an abrupt halt as Tifa shut the door quickly behind her, bounding down the steps to Cloud.

"Cloud, what – " Her eyes took in Lightning's limp form, eyes closed and moogle at her shoulder. When Mont Blanc's squinted eyes regarded her carefully, announcing his presence Tifa gawked, taken aback. "A...moogle? Who's this?"

Cloud sighed, tired. "Please, Tifa, I'll tell you everything later. Lightning needs healing. Can you do that?"

Mouth still agape she nodded, sensing the slight stress that always downturned Cloud's eyebrows. She wrapped an arm around the pink-haired woman's waist and another around her shoulder, towing her towards the separate door that led directly to the foot of the stairs where they wouldn't be spotted by the diners. "Man the bar for me, will you? Barrett and the kids are already out there," she said without a backward glance.

The moogle, unsure of whom to accompany, followed Cloud, casting one anxious look backwards before they disappeared around the corner.

Tifa's strength as a martial artist allowed her to easily transport the fallen woman into Cloud's bedroom where she laid her down on a thick pile of three bathroom towels. She dished out a heater from the bathroom and placed it so that it blew upwards onto the bed; Tifa hoped it would help dry her faster and warm her. When Lightning was situated Tifa pulled up a chair near the side of the bed and held her hands above Lightning's body, closing her eyes and concentrating deeply. It had been years since her last long healing session like this, but she was pleasantly surprised to open her eyes and witness soft, cerulean bouts of magic flow from her palms and into Lightning.

Sweat formed on her brow and Tifa's hand began to shake. On Lightning's body from the creases of her outfit exuded a black substance in a gaseous state, dissipating when it seemed to come in contact with the cure Tifa was performing.

"What...?"

A large breath heaved in Lightning's chest.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was more of an "action"-packed sequence as Lightning begins to realize that she is now more than a l'Cie. Her ability to combat the chaos is a blessing from Etro...but will that gift turn into a curse if she continues to use it in rapid succession? And will did Cloud survive the chaos of Aerith's church? Find out in the next chapter! Ever wondered where I draw inspiration to create WC? From the games below:

-Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, Bayonetta, and The Walking Dead: The Game.

-WriteFF13