Cosmos watched Kain go, a sad frown marring her beautiful face.

"Good riddance," muttered Warrior. His aquamarine eyes were glued to the spot where Kain disappeared in defiant malice, like Chaos himself were off in the distance. Cosmos shook her head.

"No," she said plainly. "Do not be angry with them. They care for Cecil, as all of us should care for a comrade. I am sorry. I give them my blessing, and I hope they recover him soon . . ." Too late she realized that she let her melancholy and guilt and fear seep into her voice.

Warrior picked up on it instantly. "Cosmos, is something wrong?" Firion looked up sharply, his gaze flicking curiously from Warrior to Cosmos. She tried to keep her face blank, shaking her head slowly.

"No."

"But you are uneasy?" She shook her head, harder that time. By then the other warriors were listening in.

"Come on, Cosmos," Vaan said, stepping up to the goddess. "If this is about Cecil, you need to tell us. Is something bad happening to him?"

"They should know the truth . . . they'll hate me for it, but they should know." She sighed, preparing herself for their reactions. "Kain was right. I am probably able to leave Sanctuary and travel the worlds for a short period of time." A collective sound of alarm went throughout he crowd, but before they could say anything she pressed on, "I am able to leave, but I was hesitant to say so because I just summoned three warriors. I may not be strong enough to last out there, and I know not how weak an absence would leave me. This world could suffer for it."

"So you mean to tell me that you lied to Kain, further endangering Cecil, just to save your own skin?" Onion cried. "Cosmos why? He's YOUR warrior-"

"What I said to Kain was not a lie, dear knight!" Cosmos tried quickly to recover the situation, raising both hands palms out as if to ward them off. "The balance is indeed fragile, as I told Kain. I, and I alone, am keeping the world from tumbling. This is the seat of my power, this place, and I am much stronger here. It is much easier to-"

"You're saying it wouldn't destroy the world if you left for a while," Light finished for her. "You're just not willing to sacrifice some power for a warrior! You're not willing to do a little extra work-"

"Lightning, do you not understand?" Warrior quipped, coming to Cosmos' defense. "She is saying that her power keeps the balance. But she is weakened right now after a summoning. If she leaves Sanctuary, where she is her strongest, and her power leaves her, she cannot uphold the balance any longer! The worlds would collapse into Discord. Not to mention the danger she'd be putting herself in, being out there unprotected!"

"Are you sure that is what would happen?" Firion asked. "I thought that the way it worked was that we fight for the protection of the world! Not that she's 'holding it up'!"

"H-how does it work?!" Vivi yelled. "Somebody tell me!"

"Yeah, I think we ALL deserve an explanation!" Bartz said.

Cosmos took a deep breath. "Most of you are aware that we battle against Chaos. Chaos is the god of Discord, for the new warriors," she said to Garnet, Zack, and Vivi. "Chaos, if he is victorious, will sink the world in Discord. He will destroy everything, including me and you. Well, lately, we've been winning. Our recent 'victories' to Chaos, and I said 'victories' because we've just been outlasting them, not beating them, both increase my powers, and strengthen the world. So, with the power I've been biding, I summoned new warriors, using most of my powers to call three more. But it left me weak. Now that I am weaker again, the world is once again in peril. I must maintain the balance as well as I can myself until our new additions enter the fray to contribute. That is the gamble we both take, Chaos and I. This couldn't have come at a worse time, is all. Does everyone understand?"

"So, why can't you leave and 'hold up the world' from somewhere else?" Light asked, crossing her arms.

Warrior faced her fully. "Because, she-"

"Warrior," Cosmos interrupted, "please, let me. I can do that, but it would be much harder to do anywhere else besides Sanctuary, especially with my strength now."

"Ok, that's fine, and that makes sense, I guess, but why did you lie to Kain?" Zidane asked.

Cosmos swallowed. "Because I didn't want to leave Sanctuary and jeopardize my power, and the world-"

"Cecil wasn't WORTH losing power," Light translated.

"How DARE you?" Warrior cried, placing himself between Cosmos and Lightning. "You scold Cosmos and rebuke her for not helping Cecil, yet less than a moment ago none of you ran to help him in his hour of need!"

An awkward silence fell over the warriors, until a splashing from the back of the group made everyone turn. Cloud had his sword on his back and was walking away from them.

"Cloud?" Firion asked.

"You know, Warrior, you're right," Cloud said, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't know about the rest of you, but this changes my decision. I'm gonna go catch up with Kain."

"Cloud-" Warrior cut in, but Cosmos silenced him with a shake of her head.

"I want you all to go," she said quietly. "I am ashamed of the way I treated Cecil, and the way I was dishonest with Kain and Rosa. I am willing to hide away until you all return him safely to us."

"Cosmos . . . "

"Hush, Warrior. My choice is made. All of you are to help Kain." She disappeared in a dim flash of light, ending the argument.

Warrior turned to them all. "Very well. Come, then. We are to go with Kain and the others."