Yay, a new arc! I almost considered starting a new fic (maybe called This Silent Kiss 2 or something of the like) since this is going to be COMPLETELY different from everything thus far, but I figured it'd be easier to just keep it to one fic.

The opening quote is from Starry Heavens, by Day After Tomorrow, which everyone would probably know as the opening to Tales of Symphonia. It's an awesome song, so check it sometime if you haven't ever heard it.

And has anyone heard about Dissidia 012? Best. Game (to soon be released). Ever. It will be, because Kuja is a Cosmos Warrior, and Kain Highwind is in it. Dozens of fan girls everywhere are screaming….

Onward to the chapter!

Chapter 25- Itsumo

That promise I made when you left will always remain in my heart…

((((()))))

When Tidus opened his eyes, he saw a blurry blue sky above him. His whole body felt stiff and his head hurt too much to even consider worrying about where the heck he was. Instead, he cautiously sat up, looking around to see an open, wide field. Surrounding the grassy area was a long plateau and a strip of ocean. Somehow, it tugged at the back of his mind, like he had been there before….

Beside him lay Yuna, still unconscious with a tight grip on her guns, and Jecht, who seemed to be waking up too.

Tidus's father let out a groan and rubbed his head, barking out a gruff, "Darn spell! Think I left my brain back in Dissidia!"

He scowled out at the plains, slowly realizing the familiarity of them. "The Calm Lands?" Jecht thought aloud. "Haven't been here in years.

"We're not in Dissidia?" Tidus asked in surprise, looking around again. He realized Jecht was right- these were the Calm Lands. That meant beyond the plateau was Mount Gagazet, and behind them lay the Macalania Woods…. "Sp-Spira?"

Even more to his surprise, he looked across from Jecht to see the Warrior of Light and Mage, looking around in wonder themselves.

Jecht furrowed his dark eyebrows a moment before slowly shaking his head. "This should be Spira, if Kuja's crazy plan actually worked. You remember what happened, kid?" he asked.

"…Cosmos died. Astos came back, and he and Kuja didn't get sucked in like us. They didn't stay to fight by themselves, did they?" he suddenly realized in horror. "They'd be torn apart in a second!"

"Give them some credit," Jecht said, daring to stand to his wobbly feet. He shook his head and said, "They knew what was going to happen."

Light cautiously asked, "And what would that be…?"

Jecht closed his eyes and sighed. Tidus suddenly got an idea of what it was, as did Light and Mage themselves.

"They were going to die fighting for us."

((((()))))

A loud, excited clamor rang through the streets, echoing into the alley where Zidane, Dagger, Terra, and Celes were.

All of a sudden, Zidane's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright, shouting, "KUJA!"

Over the noise, no one outside the alley could even hear him, besides the girls.

They instantly awoke, but were stunned into silence as the sounds of the city registered in their minds. "Do… do you hear that?" Terra quietly asked. She peeked out into the city, eyes growing wide at the masses of people standing by. "We're… not in Dissidia…," she breathed.

Dagger frowned. "No, we aren't. But where…?"

Zidane shook his head, Kuja's last smile still stuck in his mind. "He did it. Kuja… he sent us out of Dissidia. Why would he do that?"

"Kuja said something about restoring power to the crystals," Celes remembered, looking down at the black and red stone. It reminded her so much of magicite- but it couldn't be, because Cosmos wasn't an esper. Still, didn't Tidus and Yuna's crystal look like something from their world, too?

"Welcome, one and all, to this year's Festival of the Hunt!" a familiar voice rang out, quieting the crowds. "Lindblum is proud to once more hold this momentous occasion of bravery and skill!"

"LINDBLUM!" Zidane and Dagger burst, exchanging incredulous looks.

((((()))))

"It's Tifa!"

"Tifa? Like, Marlene and Denzel's Tifa?"

"Yeah! It's her!"

"Then, he must be Cloud!"

"They're back!"

Cloud irritably scowled up at the two children standing over him. The incident in Dissidia came flying back to him. "Where are we?" he quietly asked the two kids, trying to wipe the glare off his face.

One, a little girl carrying a muddy, tattered moogle plushie, cocked her head in confusion. "You're in Midgar."

Cloud's hand shot out to wake Tifa up. Instead, he felt armor. He looked over and found Luneth and Arc, unconscious. The ex-SOLDIER frowned, noticing the other warriors weren't with them. He turned back to the children. "Thanks. Can you lead us back to the Seventh Heaven, then?"

The boy, who had scars from the awful geostigma he obviously once had, nodded and held out his hand to help him to his feet. "Sure!"

((((()))))

Bartz was starting to get annoyed. "Knock it off, Zidane," he mumbled. Still, something kept poking his shoulder. "Fine, fine, I'll get up!"

The wanderer sat up and yawned, then blearily looked around. A bright yellow chocobo suddenly jumped on him, happily letting out a very happy kweh!. Bartz gasped and threw his arms around it. "Boco! You're here!"

He suddenly realized that his beloved chocobo hadn't come to Dissidia. Bartz frowned and asked the bird, "Where are we, Boco?"

The chocobo let out another kweh! and stepped around Bartz to nudge Lenna's shoulder. The princess sat up, her hand instinctively going to pat Boco's beak. Her eyes went wide. "Bartz, do you know where we are?"

"Not in Dissidia?"

Bartz and Lenna turned to see that Firion, Maria, and Leon had tagged along with them. Firion pointed out, "I don't think there's a forest like this in Dissidia anywhere. Where do you think we are?"

"We're in our world. This is Boco, my chocobo," Bartz said, ruffling said chocobo's feathers. "I guess those big, ugly blobs plopped us off in my world."

Leon let out a weary breath. "Then he actually did it. Kuja used Cosmos's power to send us to our original worlds. It must not have been enough to send each of us to our worlds, apparently, though." The dark knight punched the ground. "That fool had to play the hero!"

"What do you mean, Leon?" Maria asked, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Kuja and Astos practically killed themselves to keep Chaos from destroying Dissidia. He threw us back in our worlds to restore power back to the crystals."

Bartz's happy smile faded away. "Then that's why Zidane yelled out. He knew that Kuja was going to die…."

The wanderer stood to his feet and unraveled the red scarf around Boco. He had tied it around the chocobo just before Cosmos came for him in what seemed like ages ago. "If we are really in our world, we need to go back to Tycoon Castle and speak to your father, Lenna."

They set off almost instantly, ignoring the stiffness of their joints and the constant and annoying ringing in their ears. The time to rest would come later.

((((()))))

"Your age has finally driven you mad, Cid."

"Your Highness, I promise you, I saw Kain! He's back! He was with a man carrying an unconscious girl and two dark knights- I swear! Don't you remember what Cosmos told us?"

Rosa sighed, trying to keep her uncharacteristic temper down. "I don't believe that woman for a second about Him, Cid. Besides, Kain banished himself from Baron. He wouldn't go back on his word so soon anyway."

The engineer scowled at Rosa, wanting to pack her up on his airship and make her go see that bunch with Kain so she'd finally belief him.

"Uncle Cid, Rosa," Rydia burst, rushing out onto the balcony. The summoner could barely contain her excitement as she said, "I heard you saw Kain! Is he back? Did he find Cecil? Why aren't they here yet?"

The only reason Cid didn't rub it in Rosa's face was the pained expression she now wore. Rydia's face fell as she looked between their now solemn faces. "…I just want us to find him," she said quietly. "Just to make for sure. I mean… what if someone else found him and is taking care of him? We can't give up hope that Cosmos was telling the truth, you know."

"Rydia… it has been too long," Rosa sighed. "Even if Cecil had been found, he would have recovered and come to Baron long ago."

"But… wh-what if-"

"Princess Rosa!"

The three turned to the gasping guard. "He… he's back. Kain Highwind has returned. He says he must talk with you right away."

Rosa took off running.

Cid shook his head. "She doesn't want to believe it, but she can't forget, either."

Rydia grabbed the engineer's hand and dragged him along. "Well, I do believe! I have to see what he's found out about Cecil!"

Cid eventually let Rydia run off herself. His age really had been affecting him lately; either that, or sitting around without any airships to repair or build had left him out of shape. He walked down to the courtyard at his own pace, musing to himself over Rosa and Rydia's not-so-hidden excitement.

He wondered which one of them would be right about Cecil, and if that goddess had been telling the truth herself.

A scream reached his ears and Cid took off running.

The first thing he saw as he burst open the doors to the courtyard outside was Rosa sobbing and a certain paladin on one knee before her. Kain and the three Cid had saw earlier hung in the back, trying their best not to be noticed so as not to interrupt. "Will you marry me?" Cecil asked. "I don't have the ring right yet, but-"

"Yes!"

Rydia jumped in the air, shouting in glee as Rosa threw her arms around Cecil, making him fall back on the ground.

Cid skirted around the two and walked over to a very silent Kain. "I think this counts as you being forgiven."

"I know."

Then Kain turned and left, Squall shrugging and following after him.

I hope everyone noted my excitement for this new arc with this chapter being written in a day! Please, dear readers, remember to leave a little review. Thanks!