A few things are explained in here, but again, I'm afraid a few more questions are also going to pop up. Sorry... The opening quote is by Magus, from Chrono Trigger. Now that I think about it, it sort of fits Kuja a little, too. Until the incident in Terra, of course. Anyway, please R&R!

Chapter 14- Dokyou

If my fate is to be destroyed… I must simply laugh!

((((()))))

The Warrior of Light stopped once he arrived at Pandaemonium. Edea's crazy plan had probably already started, but the other warriors weren't that stupid to fall for such an elementary trick, so he hadn't bothered to turn back for them.

Light drew his sword and stabbed it into the red tiles of the Emperor's castle. "Come out!" he shouted, laying down his shield as well.

Even though the other's weren't completely hopeless fools, it didn't mean they couldn't make mistakes. Light was here for reinforcements- ones who he was sure could go to the good side if only for a little while.

Leon walked out from behind a red wall, his arms crossed and sword sheathed on his back. "The Pansy of Light?" he smirked.

"Your sister and adoptive brother are on our side," he started, "and I doubt you'd want anything to happen to them because of Chaos's actions. What exactly is Edea and Kefka trying to pull by transforming into me and taking control of Rinoa?"

The dark knight burst out laughing. "You think that just because those low-lifes are my family that I'm willing to share all of our grand plans with you? Well, here's a little piece of advice: I don't care what happens to either one of them."

"But why?"

Leon pursed his lips and turned away. "Not all secrets are meant to be kept, as well as not every truth is meant to be spoken. You should turn back now before the others notice I'm gone."

The Warrior of Light didn't say anything and reclaimed his sword and shield. Both stopped mid-stride as the sound of rain pelted the outside of Pandaemonium. Leon cursed, taking off running. "I knew they were up to no good!" he muttered, rushing away.

Light turned to the wall, eyes wide. "I have never seen rain in Pandaemonium… nor any where else in Dissidia…."

Slowly, a thought dawned on him. Bikke had sworn to the good side after he, Mage, and the others had defeated him. Surely the pirate wouldn't go back into so much evil Chaos would choose him over others like Lich, Kary, Astos, and countless others they had faced….

"Oh no," he groaned, turning to run off himself. How did Mage and I not catch that!

((((()))))

"It must have been Edea or Ultimecia, then…," Rinoa explained, staring at the cut necklace. "She looked like Squall when she gave it to me, and…. Oh, I can't believe I fell for that!"

She palmed herself and started muttering things like, "Just like when I thought Seifer was going to be a prince charming" and "Exactly like when I thought Quistis could get a life…."

Squall frowned. "You thought Seifer was a prince charming?"

The sorceress straightened up immediately. "Ah n-no, well, um, maybe… but that was before he turned evil, and I really started to know you, and-"

"I'm kidding, Rinoa, calm down."

"Oh."

The SeeD rolled his eyes. "So I take we're never splitting up again?" he asked sarcastically.

"You've got that right," Firion said with a nod.

Cloud miserably nodded. "I've got a crick in my neck from being frozen like that…. Besides, when did you get power of time too, Rinoa?"

Both Rinoa and Squall paled. "U-um…-"

"OH BARTZ I FORGOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!" Lenna suddenly shouted, shirking their attention from Rinoa to her momentarily. Rinoa got the hint and, giving the princess a thankful smile, slid away unnoticed.

Bartz zoomed up to her, grinning. "Yeah?"

She tapped her chin. "Hmm… seems like I forgot. Oh well."

Turning around with a smile on her face, she ignored the weird looks Squall, Cloud, and Firion gave her and skipped away.

Squall, too confused to even bother about thinking of what had just occurred, said, "What a catch you've got, Bartz," and went off in search of Rinoa.

((((()))))

The Warrior of Light blamed the arrival of the twenty new warriors on his becoming lost.

With the new locations popping up so suddenly, it was hard to navigate through Dissidia to get back to Zanarkand where, hopefully, he would find one group. He had left before the other groups' explorations would take place were decided, and the ruinous city would be a good hiding spot even if the warriors weren't there.

But now he wandered through a decimated rural town, more foliage than actual buildings. A sign near what Light figured was the entrance had its name written, but he couldn't discern it from the sign's age and the damage to it.

Eventually he made out "Mobliz".

That was from Terra's world, he remembered, from one of her stories of children she used to care for in the town. But why would this place be in Dissidia? As far as he had known, it was just a town fallen victim to Kefka.

"Ghosts are here, programmed by some sort of machine old man Garland and Kefka came up with. I doubt you'll be able to see any of them, but I don't think it's wise to bring Terra or Celes here any time soon."

The Warrior of Light turned slightly to see Gilgamesh. The warrior carried two swords- Excalipur and a nameless bronze sword, but didn't seem like he was here for a battle. He pointed to the ruins of a burnt house behind him. "Those kids she looked after lived in that house in her world. I think the Cloud of Darkness and Exdeath were planning something there earlier. Hopefully it's not a spell Kuja gave them- he's out to kill us all, I think."

"Kuja is planning to get rid of the Chaos warriors?" Light asked incredulously.

The swordsman nodded. "Everyone in contact with him thus far, besides Bikke, Jecht, Golbez, and Kefka, have kicked the bucket. Except for Edea, but think your guys are going to take care of her shortly. Seymour, Xande, and Kadaj are already gone."

Light suddenly asked, "And what about you? Why are you warning me of this?"

Gilgamesh shrugged. "I figure that you guys will be the winning side. I like to stray over to whoever's strongest. Besides, I once gave Terra and those others a summon of myself. I don't actually want to fight here. I think Chaos grabbed me accident, actually. I was looking for this-" he held up Excalipur "-around a bunch of guys from Gestahl's army…. Besides, I'm not sure, but I think I may have seen… that boy before…. Bartz, I think it was?"

Light nodded. He had heard about a man named Gilgamesh fighting along side Exdeath many times from Bartz. "Perhaps it's possible that our worlds are connected in more ways than one, then. Such as how every world has a man named Cid in it, and how, apparently, the Highwind's are all dragoons or closely related to one. Now that I think about it, almost everyone has a crystal, or magicite, or materia…."

The two thought about this for a moment.

"So… it's cool if I hang out with you?" Gilgamesh finally asked.

The Warrior of Light shrugged. "Why not."

((((()))))

Cecil stopped as he walked past Tidus, staring off into the mouth of the destroyed Zanarkand blitz ball stadium. "Is something wrong, Tidus?" he asked, coming over.

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm just remembering some stuff. Zanarkand used to be my home until I went a thousand or so years into the future. It's just, I never expected to see it in Dissidia either," he said, peering into the building. "Star of the Zanarkand Abes…. And it was all just a dream of some Fayth."

Much to the paladin's surprise, Tidus burst out laughing. "All of us are too mopey! Let's head out and go find Light already. Yo!" he called back to Zidane and Dagger, sitting by and tending to the fire (well, Dagger was, and Zidane poked others passing by with a stick). "Think you're ready to go if we head out?"

Zidane jumped up and punched the air. "It's about time we've got moving!"

Cecil slightly gaped at the thief and asked Tidus, "When did he get that healed that fast?"

"Well… I'm not sure, but I'm sure the seven or so white mages we've got had something to do with it."

The paladin palmed himself. "Right. I forgot about them."

((((()))))

After spending so much time with Gilgamesh, a self-proclaimed "master swordsman", the Warrior of Light was ready to kill the man with Excalipur and all of those other stupid swords!

Still, since was supposed to be the leader of the Light Warriors, he kept his mouth shut, tried to tune out the many pointless and irritating conversations, and strode straight ahead until he finally reached a new destination: a mansion, poor and lacking many needed reparations. After exploring a bit around the area, the two warriors stumbled across a vast library in the basement. Books were strewn everywhere, and the lack of dust on the tomes told them that someone had been by here recently. Further into the basement was a laboratory, fine dust there to tell them that this, thankfully, had not been recently used.

"…want this to do more than cripple that rotten liar!"

Light and Gilgamesh turned to the library. Nodding, they dashed behind the cluttered junk filling the laboratory.

"And so it shall. But I cannot help you- not while he has Cecil captive. If Kuja really did kill Xande and Kadaj so easily, I cannot risk the same fate for my brother."

That's Golbez… Light thought.

"Something in this library must have given Sephiroth some idea of how to acquire ultimate destruction of a planet, so I must be able to find something I can use against Kuja."

And… Seymour? But didn't Gilgamesh say earlier that Kuja had killed him and Xande?

Light stole a glance at Gilgamesh, hiding behind a tube-like structure draped with a blanket. The swordsman had his eyebrows furrowed, absorbing everything.

His eyes suddenly went wide. Leon! That's why he wouldn't help me before- he thinks that Kuja has Maria and Firion! That would explain why Jecht is following him too, if thinks Tidus is there too. Ultimecia must have transformed into each of them at separate times to make them wary. It all makes sense… And if Zidane and Dagger's Garland helped Kefka in Mobliz, he must think that Kuja has Zidane or something. He is technically his father in a way.

Finally, the two Chaos warriors left the library, going back to the upper floor, Light and Gilgamesh let out a sigh and silently, and carefully, followed after them.

Seymour and Golbez were already gone by time they exited the mansion, arriving at the edge of Zanarkand at last. "Everyone!" Light called out, seeing them readying to leave.

Nineteen weapons pointed at them. Gilgamesh gulped and dropped his swords, raising his hands above his head. The Mage of Light parted through the crowd and asked, "What happened to Red Mage and Black Mage when we fought Kary?"

Light answered, "They both came up with a stupid plan of encasing her in ice so Thief could successfully steal the fire orb while I fought off fiends, and you healed Black Belt's injuries."

She grinned. "Alright. That's the real Fi- er, Light."

Bartz let out a deep breath. "Oh, good. I'm not sure I could have taken another fight against Ultimecia."

Tifa stomped on his foot. "YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE!" she raged.

The wanderer shrank back behind Lenna, peering out at her fearfully.

Terra cocked her head at Gilgamesh as he reclaimed his swords. "Gil?"

He looked up and smiled. "Ah, Terra and Lady Celes. Long time no see, ladies. I formed a bit of treaty with Light here, so I'm on your side!"

The warriors went silent.

Terra forced a smile. "Th… that's great."

"…Really," Celes added, a faux smile on her face too. Neither could help their twitching eyes.

Gilgamesh ignored the look and happily cried, "Thanks for welcoming me into the family!"

Light finally turned to the swordsman. "May have a word with you?"

((((()))))

"Brilliant thinking, Light," Mage mused, giggling at the tied up and silenced Gilgamesh trailing behind them. It's a good thing to have mages on your side, to say the least.