1. Prologue

This fic probably won't be as serious as it seems. Probably.

Warning: Alternate character interpretation all over the damn place. Cursing, but probably only minor like in Dissidia itself…unless a certain tea-loving Dragoon engineer shows up. Also, characters from various AU showing up, even if the AU concept has not yet been written by anyone ever. Oh, and there's probably going to be implied slash, of _both _kinds.

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**Prologue. ?????? – Tell Me a Story**

_So, you awake now? Can you see clearly?_

_Where are you, you ask? Why does this place look like your hometown? Questions like that don't matter here._

_Who am I?_

_That doesn't matter either. What matters is that you have to rest._

_Why rest when you're perfectly fine? Why rest when you've just awoken from sleep?_

_You'll need your energy. You'll have to trust me on this one. You've a long journey ahead of you._

_Spend the night, rest up. I'll even let you stock up on supplies if you need to._

_What's the price? Silly, why would there be a price?_

_Because there always is one, you say. Well, then, I guess I should impose a price upon you then. Don't worry; I'm not some common innkeeper who would charge you three hundred Gil per night per bed. I'm not like that, really, I'm not._

_So, the price?_

_Simple, really. See, I'm a wanderer. I go where the winds and the Fates and the thoughts of the world take me. If it's the way of the world, then that's where I go._

_And I collect stories._

_So, why don't you just tell me a bit about yourself? Tell me your name first, kid, then dive right in with your story._

_What? No, no, doesn't have to be your whole damn story. That's a bit too long; besides, it's likely I already know it._

_No…instead, tell me about yourself during this war that's been going on lately. Tell me your side of the story, what you were doing, why you were doing it… Anything, just tell me about yourself, and how you got involved in this war._

_How can I be certain you were a part of this war? Gee, kid, you sure ask a lot of questions._

_To answer that last one, it doesn't matter, I just do. Everyone who goes through here is a part of this war at some point. You don't have a war between Cosmos and Chaos and not have everyone involved._

_Go on kid, tell me your name._

_Then tell me a story._


	2. I: Cecil

I apologize beforehand if this fic gets...um, confusing. Also, I hope I've got characterizations all right...

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**I. Cecil – A Gathering of Warriors**

Never in all my life did I think I would see such a sight as the one before me. Hundreds of warriors and mages, men and women alike, spread out in the grand courtyard before this unknown castle.

I looked around, moving past a small group of brightly dressed adventurers excitedly talking amongst themselves. As I passed them, I caught a glimpse of a woman with long light purple hair slapping one of the men in their group.

There were other similar groups scattered across the yard, some huddled together, others openly trying to befriend those form other groups. I wondered where my own friends were; I had not seen any of them since arriving in this odd world.

Suddenly, the entire courtyard fell into silence, prompting me to look up and towards where everyone was turning. The castle's grand doors had opened and a woman had taken her place at the top of the castle steps. A young man dressed in blue armor stood just before her, gray eyes stoically scanning the crowd.

She was likely the queen while he, her knight.

"The Lady Cosmos," announced the young man, gesturing to the woman as he moved away to stand at the side of the steps instead. His hand rested upon the hilt of his sword, eyes sending a challenge to all of us.

The woman—Cosmos—stepped forward, bathing those nearest to the steps in golden light. She was literally glowing, from her golden hair to her pale skin wrapped in a white dress. Even her blue eyes shone with her own light. I was quite far from her, and yet, I could sense some sort of holy power in her.

"My dear warriors," she began. Her voice was soft and melodic yet enforced with power so as to fill the courtyard. "I am the goddess Cosmos, maintainer of order and balance in the many worlds that exist."

No one said anything, likely as awed as I was at being addressed by a goddess.

"The god of discord, Chaos, has begun a war against me," she continued, "He has summoned warriors from across the world to fight for him. Thus, I too have done so." Here, she opened her arms, gesturing out at all of us. "I have summoned **you**. All of you, with the hope that you will aid me in this war."

She began to descend the steps, and the crowd parted for her, shrinking away from her. A frown flickered across the knight's face for a moment, before he hurried after her, falling in time behind her.

"My dear warriors," she said, reaching out to touch what looked to be a young Black Mage. He shied away from her, and she only closed her eyes briefly before moving along. "This war that Chaos has begun threatens the existence of every man, woman and child present here today, as well as those who have not been summoned. I implore you, each and every one of you, please, fight for me."

Cosmos stopped, just before me. I gazed at her for a moment from behind my dark armor, and she appeared to be looking me over. I could feel the curious gazes of all those around me, likely wondering why there was a Dark Knight in their midst.

I moved aside with a low bow, and she continued on, offering me no second glance. As I straightened myself, the knight passed by, sending me a sharp look ever so briefly.

"So, what do _we_ get if we _do_ fight for you?" said someone from near the back. Looking over the many, different colored heads, I saw a young man with unkempt brown hair, held back loosely with only a bandana.

"Defeating Chaos may not benefit each of you individually," said Cosmos, turning away from the crowd and moving back towards the stairs, "But know that his warriors are gathered from your own worlds as well. It is likely that Chaos has promised them whatever they so choose if they win this war for him.

"I can make no such promise of riches or power or other rewards," she said as she reached the steps and turned to us once more, "But should these champions of Chaos succeed, then your home-world will likely be in grave danger. Such is also the reason I have chosen each of you—you have each contributed to the protection of your own world at some point in time already."

"Meaning everyone's here a hero or something?" asked someone nearby to me, a man with spiked-back dark hair and bright blue eyes, "That's kinda cool!"

"The Warrior of Light will entertain any further questions you may have," said Cosmos with a soft smile and gesturing towards the knight, who now stood at the foot of the steps, "I must attend to some matters. Once again, I ask of all of you, please fight for me."

And suddenly, she was gone. Disappearing behind the doors as they shut behind her. The knight—the so-called Warrior of Light—hurried to stand before them, a hand still resting on the hilt of his sword. In an instant, the many people around me were rushing forward, shouting questions, yelling. I found myself being pushed away from the Warrior in the confusion, towards the edge of the crowd.

"_Shut up, all of you!_" a woman screeched, her voice somehow amplified over the noise. A low rumble filled the air, and somehow, a sort of rip appeared in the sky, tearing it open to reveal darkness as water came gushing out, and a familiar dragon-like creature burst through the tear.

Leviathan roared, and more water came rushing out, engulfing everyone. I gasped for breath, flailing in the water and knocking into someone. I coughed as the water subsided, leaving everyone soaked in its wake.

…had that been Rydia?

"Clever of that woman," said someone nearby, likely the one I had knocked into. As I pulled myself to my feet, I glanced over, and nearly fell back down when I saw who it was.

The Warrior of Light was looking straight at me, head cocked to one side as he looked me over. I had expected him to be angry about this disturbance, but no, instead, I saw faint amusement in his eyes. Somehow, he had managed to stay dry.

"Cecil Harvey, of Earth?" he asked.

"…yes?"

"I'm afraid I must confess something to you," he said quietly, throwing a glance at the recovering warriors behind him, "There is an extra reason as to your being summoned here. Please, walk with me."

At this, he turned and began walking away, towards the crowd. Not knowing what else to do, I hurried after him, very much aware of the curious looks I was receiving as we made our way through the still very much wet crowd. Several were drying themselves off with whatever they had at hand, including, but not limited to, capes, cloaks, and scarves. Said endeavor was quite useless, due to said materials being soaked along with their owners.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly, when we had reached the steps of the castle. Behind us, I could hear someone casting fire spells, and several screaming. The Warrior of Light twitched.

"What is there to be sorry for?" I asked him, pulling off my helm. From somewhere behind me, I heard an odd squealing sound.

His eyes narrowed at my action, but he said nothing about it. "We have received reports," he said grimly, "that your brother is among those summoned by Chaos. He is, supposedly, the fourth champion."

"What?" My mind slowed, and bits of memory flashed before my eyes. The last time I had seen my brother… We had parted ways, just after our defeating Zeromus. He chose the Lunarians; I had chosen to stay on Earth. Just after finding each other again…now I would have to fight him once more.

We missed years of each other's life and company. Was it possible that our being summoned to such a war had been preordained as a chance for the two of us? Will I be able to spend more time with my brother?

"The _fourth_ champion?" I asked. It was better if I did not give out information about Golbez unless asked. Too many strangers here, and I would rather not give out such…personal information.

_("…oh, yeah, my big brother was on the side of evil. Looks like he's my enemy again. Hey, maybe we can ask him to spy for us…oh, hey did you know? He brainwashed my best friend and kidnapped my girlfriend! But turns out he was just being controlled too and he's really a nice guy after all!")_

…best keep personal information away from prying ears.

"Yes, the fourth champion," said the Warrior, eyes still narrowed at me, "Out of the hundreds Chaos has summoned, he has chosen ten as his champions. They are, presumably the most powerful. As such, Lady Cosmos too, has decided to choose ten champions to serve her personally and to serve as the greatest opponents to the ten."

"What does this have to do with _me_?" I asked.

"You are the only one from your world who could hold your own against your brother," he answered, "We want you to be one of our champions."

"It is…an honor," I said cautiously. Briefly, I thought of my friends and added, "But surely there are others who would better—"

"Kain Highwind is not among those Cosmos has chosen," he snapped, "And neither is Rosa Farrell. There is a reason _you_ are being asked, and that is because you are from the precise same world as your brother."

How did he know about Kain? And Rosa for that matter? Was this Cosmos's doing? Did the Warrior know everything about everyone here? I sighed, replacing my helmet.

"Very well," I said, "I accept your offer."

His eyes gleamed, as though he were amused. "Good," he said, "But that was never just an _offer_." With that, he turned and reentered the castle, cape flying behind him and leaving me to watch after him as the doors shut after him as well.

Somehow, I knew that there was more to this 'war' than what Cosmos had told us.

* * *

"Pass the booze!!" someone hollered as I walked by their table. I was in the large dining hall that the Warrior had taken us to, and already many had begun to eat and start the merrymaking. Considering how everyone was supposedly from different worlds, I suppose such eager mingling was progress.

"There ain't no booze here! No way they'll give you the booze! They're probably keeping it for themselves!" shouted someone from a different table, sending most of the room into laughter. I could only offer a weak smile as I wandered around. I wanted to see if I knew anyone here.

I did not have to search for long.

"_YOU!!!_" screeched a woman from behind me. I turned just in time to see something green barreling towards me—

I groaned, blinking at the woman sitting on me. She was clad entirely in green; even her wild hair and eyes were green. I knew this face far too well.

"Rydia," I said, "It's nice to see you again—"

"Don't you _dare_ act friendly with me!" she snapped, glaring at me with blazing eyes, "You destroyed my town! You murdered my family! _You ruined my life!_"

"Rydia," I said gently, frowning inwardly. The Rydia I knew had long since forgiven both Kain and I. She knew we both regretted that incident, unintentional or otherwise, and she trusted me. And I loved her as a sister (though I would likely have loved her as a daughter had she not grown up so quickly…).

"Oh so _now_ the almighty king of Baron acknowledges me!" She pointed at me threateningly, poking me in the chest. I took a step backwards and breathed in deeply. "I wish Titan finished you off!" she added.

"That's not what you really wish, is it?" I asked, "Have you forgotten all that we've gone through together? Defeating Zeromus—you returned to Mist after, right?"

She blinked, staring at me for a moment.

"You're mad. You've gone mad," she finally declared, "You and I? Defeat Zeromus _together?_ Ha!"

I reached out for her, trying to grasp her shoulder at least. "That _is_ what I remember."

She began to laugh, batting my hands away. Just then, I noticed the many eyes on us, most questioning, some accusing, few indifferent. I wished Rosa were with me.

"Why," she began, "Would Zeromus' right hand man attempt to defeat him with the very rebels he was tasked to quash?"

"…what?" I blinked at her, my mouth open. Me? Zeromus' right hand man? Where had she gotten such a…impossible…idea? Rydia knew how hard we had all fought to defeat him. She knew all that we had gone through. There was no chance I would ever fight for his side.

…he made my brother suffer.

"Stop this nonsense, Rydia" I said, a little too harshly, "You know that I've never been on Zeromus' side."

"You're lying!" she shouted, advancing towards me and sending some people nearby to their feet as they prepared to stop a possible fight.

"There you are!" someone shouted from across the room. Looking to the side, I saw a familiar, thin, face, framed with golden hair. The man approaching us wore orange and green, a single-feathered cap on his head.

…Edward?

When he reached me, he bowed, much to my surprise. Rydia scowled, crossing her arms as those around seemed to settle back down. I took hold of Edward, asking him not to bow any longer. He blinked at me.

"Yes, of course," he murmured softly, "…is it possible that the rumors…"

He stopped when he noticed my curious gaze, instead hastily latching a hand onto Rydia's arm. She snarled at him, trying to jerk away, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

"Prince Harvey," he said, "I beg you, please, ignore the rebel wench. I shall make certain that she can do no harm."

…….._What?_

Did Edward just really…address me by only a title? Did he just…call Rydia a wench? Did he just imply that _Rydia wanted to hurt me_?

Two can play this game. Until I get some answers, it's best if they continue to think I'm whatsoever they think I am.

"Prince Von Muir," I said, "Your aid is not unappreciated. For that, I thank you for restraining the rebel."

Rydia snorted. Edward stared at me for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"So the rumors are true!" he laughed, "The _real_ Cecil Harvey would have been offended that I called him a mere prince…and he would have known that I am no longer a prince either, after his family destroyed mine. And he would certainly know…that I am no ally of Baron."

He sneered and pointed at me, causing me to move back instinctively.

"You've made a grave mistake, you most unfortunate imposter."

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Er, yeah, remember that thing I mentioned in the warning of the Prologue chapter? About how there'll be AU stuff? That was in play from the start of the Prologue. Also, in case you were wondering, this fic is set in one of the previous wars of Dissidia.

So, like it? Hate it? Review please! Concrit is much appreciated!


	3. II: Warrior of Light

Second chapter! So, some things get explained in this chapter, though there'll probably be more questions afterwards, and there aren't really any cameos since it doesn't really deal with the interactions between the warriors. Oh, and remember how I said this fic's not going to be as serious as it seems? Yeah.  
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II. Warrior of Light – That Which We Ask**

I was making my rounds about Lady Cosmos's palace when something unusual occurred. Every night, I was tasked with patrolling certain areas of the palace, and on that particular night, I had just passed the dining hall.

Already, the warriors Lady Cosmos summoned had begun to associate with each other, if the laughter and shouting coming from the dining hall was anything to go by. It pleased me that they were getting along, despite some earlier disputes between some of the more…outspoken warriors.

As I reached the end of that particular corridor, I allowed my thoughts to briefly flicker to that of Cecil Harvey, the Dark Knight I had spoken to that morning after the assembly. Despite his profession, I could sense great light from him. He would be a great champion of Cosmos.

I began to ascend the stairs at the end of the corridor, bringing me back to my task. Thus far, nothing had been out of place and I had seen no one that night, save for the occasional drunk warrior staggering about. Moonlight streaked in through a small window set in the wall by a small landing, and I found myself standing before it, peering out into the night.

Forests surrounded the palace, and, in the distance, the faint outline of a mountain range. I sighed, softly, savoring this brief respite. It was not often I paused to rest.

"…Warrior of Light?"

The soft whisper came out of nowhere, startling me that I spun around to face whoever stood there. I had assumed the merrymaking warriors would take far longer to leave their fun, but instead of a warrior as I had expected to find, I found myself facing a small child.

She had short, brown hair cropped to just reach her shoulders. Large, bright green eyes gazed at me with fierce intensity. She wore a long, loose white robe, and she clutched tightly to herself a long, simple wooden staff with a single jewel set into its upper end. Red lines adorned her robe, and a circular symbol was drawn in red upon her forehead—a White Mage, then.

I bent to see with her eye to eye, something tugging at the back of mind.

"Is something the matter, child?" I asked her, reaching out to hold her shoulder. She flinched at my touch, but I kept my hand steady. She shook her head.

"No, I was only wondering…" she said so quietly that I leant in further to hear, "Do you remember me?"

I blinked, releasing her as I stood up to my full height. She _felt_ familiar, as though I knew her from somewhere, but no, I could not think of anyone such as her. I did not think that I had met her anywhere before.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I don't believe we have ever met before."

"…oh," she replied, frowning. She stood like that for a moment, silent and looking at the floor, before suddenly looking up at me again and her face breaking out into a smile. "I'm sorry for disturbing you! I ought to be going anyway."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "It is not safe for a mere child to be wandering about, be it in this palace or otherwise."

"Don't worry," she said, laughing softly, "I can take care of myself. I've learned some things over the years—that happens when you travel with skilled warriors."

"Yes…of course," I replied, hesitant. I wondered whom she had traveled with as she turned and began to descend the stairs, sending me a brief wave over her shoulder. I watched her descend, staff in one hand, the other gripping the railing tightly. Assured that she would be all right, I turned and continued to ascend the stairs.

The echoes of someone sobbing reached me moments later.

I wondered who else I had cruelly forgotten.

* * *

I had to find a way to talk to the next three chosen after Cecil. It was not going to be an easy task, for I would have to convince them of willingly giving up any semblance of a normal life among their friends. If they were to agree, they would become part of Cosmos's elite, and they would have to command their friends from behind the frontline.

What I told Cecil had been but the partial truth. It is true that Cosmos has chosen ten to counter the ten champions Chaos has, but we ten will also act as commanders in the war that is to come. We will lead these warriors to war. From what I had learned of Cecil, I decided it would be best if he did not know, as he might not want to lead in a war once more.

I made the mistake of explaining everything to the first one I had asked—a young man named Firion. He refused me outright, saying that he would never lead men to their deaths ever again. I had been wrong to assume that a young man like him would have little experience with war (I was proved wrong afterwards, as I became well acquainted with all seven of the weapons he carried), and thus jump at a chance for glory. It is a good thing High Priest Minwu was present.

After that particular encounter, I made certain that I was knowledgeable about the other eight.

I had been on my way to find the fifth champion when a pageboy had rushed up to me and whispered that the warriors were now fighting in the dining hall.

Typical warriors. I felt rather proud of them already.

Thus, I had slammed open the large oak doors, expecting some sort of messy brawl, only to find myself blinking at the odd sight I had before me now.

Food was splattered on every possible surface in the room. Even the ceiling had not been spared. I scanned the room, frowning at those still standing and throwing food. There were many hiding under the tables, though that had not saved any of them either from having a face full of what looked like Lady Arylon's Apple Pie.

I had expected fighting, not…_this_.

I coughed. Loudly.

The ones still standing froze, turning to look at me. One had the nerve to throw what he had been holding—was that the lamb?—before doing such. Had I really said proud?

"And _what_," I said, "In the name of Shinryu is happening here?"

As one, the standing warriors dropped their food and all pointed to the one who had thrown the last.

"He started it," said a man with dark hair and blue eyes, the one who had commented about heroes during the assembly with Cosmos.

Narrowing my eyes at the man, I saw he was with light brown hair, dressed in pale blue clothes. He, unlike the others, was relatively clean, with very little substance staining his appearance. As he looked up, his brown eyes met mine and I frowned as I recognized him.

"You," I said, pointing at him and beckoning, "Come with me. The rest of you—clean this up."

As I turned, knowing full well that the brown-haired man was following me, groaning reached my ears. I stifled a smirk as I heard footsteps behind me, along with accusing shouts and more groaning.

"Get to work, guys! I'll catch up later!" the brown-haired man was saying over his shoulder as he caught up to me. "So, where we going?"

I said nothing in response, not even looking at him. He would find out soon enough, as I led him away from the dining hall. Best keep what I was about to tell him away from sensitive ears.

Oddly, he kept silent as we walked, occasionally making small noises of awe whenever we passed some of the finer works of art hanging about on the walls. This seemed like such unusual behavior for him, as, from what I had learned about him, he was quite the outspoken person.

Soon enough, we reached a small courtyard dotted with trees, illuminated only by the moonlight. From the height of the moon, it looked to be roughly three hours since sunset. This should be sufficient enough to keep our conversation private.

I turned to him, catching him looking around and up at the sky, before turning his curious gaze to me. I eyed him expectantly, and his eyes widened.

"Look, I'm-sorry-about-the-food-fight-really-I-am!" he blurted out, "But-it-was-all-just-an-accident-I-didn't-think-that-Squall-guy-would-dodge-the-pie-and-it-hit-that-Beatrix-woman-and-things-just-kinda-went-downhill-from-the—"

"Enough," I said, grasping his shoulder. When he stopped, and blinked at me confusedly, I added, "I did not bring you here to ask you about that…food fight, was it…?"

"Uh, okay," he said, scratching the back of his head, "I can't think of any other reason you'd ask me out here, cause, um, you don't seem like the type to swing that way."

What was he talking about? Dismissing his nonsensical words as precisely that, I turned away, scanning the empty courtyard.

"Bartz Klauser," I said.

"Well, yeah, that's my name," he said, "…hey, since you know mine, what's yours?"

"I've no name," I answered immediately, accustomed to this line of questioning. Many ask me for my identity, when I have none. All I know is the light, and serving my Lady Cosmos, that it does not matter to me that I have no past.

"_I was only wondering…do you remember me?"_

Pushing away the memory of my encounter with the White Mage earlier, I turned back to Bartz. I was ready now, to ask him that which could doom him forever. Before I could speak though, he surprised me by speaking as soon as I turned back to him.

"Isn't that…kind of lonely?" he asked, gazing at me with an odd expression I could not place, "Not knowing who you are…where you come from…why you're the way you are…Don't you get lonely sometimes?"

"I was born from the light," I said quickly, "And I am who I am in order to serve Lady Cosmos."

He blinked at me. "Oh…but…" he hesitated, then, "Don't you ever wonder who you could have been?"

I closed my eyes, slightly irritated at his pestering and inquiries. I had enough of this daily with General Leo; having them come from someone I was not personally familiar with was simply too…irritating.

"We are not here to discuss myself," I said, pushing myself into the role Cosmos had granted me, "I called you here in order to request something from you."

"Request—"

"Chaos, as you know, has summoned warriors from all the worlds," I said, "However, he has chosen ten to rise above the others. The champion from your world is none other than Exdeath."

Then, before my eyes, I saw his face change. It could have easily been a trick of the moonlight, but no, I swear it, I saw his face suddenly stop being that of someone who had not cared...turning into that of fierce determination…and something else. Something…wild and raw in his eyes.

It could have only been the moonlight.

"Let me fight him when the time comes," he said quietly, and then I knew, this man who loved the world, who would never kill unless pushed to, hated Exdeath with every single bit of his mind, body and soul.

Revenge is a dangerous purpose to fight for.

"And you will," I assured him, "I can promise you that, but only if you are to accept what I am about to offer you. For you see, Cosmos decided that she, too, will have her own champions. You have been chosen as the fifth champion—Exdeath is _their_ fifth—and this is the only way I can guarantee you that you will have the opportunity to fight him."

He blinked, staring at me. Was he the wrong choice? No, I did not think he was.

Indeed, many of our council had been vocally against choosing Bartz—Sir Dorgann, his very own father, included. They had claimed that Faris, his pirate companion, would have been the better choice, being far more experienced with leading and commanding.

Many more had stamped down their argument by simply questioning Faris's motivation to fight Exdeath. It is clear, whom we chose in the end.

"...but what about all the other people? The ones who won't be champions?" he asked.

"They, too, will have their opportunity to fight whom they wish," I said, "but we ten will be Lady Cosmos's elite. We will hold the responsibility of leading the other warriors to victory."

"Sounds like a lot of responsibility," he said, raising his head to look at the sky. I followed his gaze, finding myself looking at the moon as he sighed and lowered his head.

"It is," was all I could say, just as he looked back up again.

We stood in silence, one watching the sky, the other contemplating the words we had exchanged. Bartz was proving to be far more challenging to convince than I had expected. In fact, I had expected him to be one of the easier ones to convince.

If I was having trouble with Bartz, what more later tonight with Terra and Cloud?

…I was not looking forward to speaking with the latter one.

…………_what more tomorrow with __**Squall**__?_

Dear Shinryu, this was far more tiring than I had thought it would be.

"I guess…" he said, breaking the silence and tearing me away from my thoughts, "I guess…Well, there isn't really anything stopping me from saying yes." He grinned at me.

"You can count me in, for sure!" he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing Exdeath again!"

I gave him a soft smile, the most I ever let anyone see. "That is nice to hear," I said, stopping when I noticed that he was staring at me strangely.

"Was that…a smile?"

I turned and walked away as quickly as I could.

* * *

"I assume you are familiar with the insignias of the White Mage sects," I began slowly, as the White Wizard across the small room shelved another book. Sunlight streamed in through the window near me, bathing everything with the bright, early morning light. I took a sip of the odd drink Lady Arylon had recommended, some sort of brown substance called 'coffee'.

Minwu stopped, turning to look at me sharply with those catlike eyes of his. "Well, yes," he said, "It _is_ sort of required among White Mages—and White Wizards by extension—to know what sect another White Mage is from immediately. Why?"

"How many sects are there?" I asked, ignoring his question. His pale brown eyes narrowed further at me, and it felt as though he were frowning behind that white mask he wore.

"Two hundred or so," he said, "Some sects die off quickly and their members enter another or swear off White Magic completely, but it's somewhere around that number—why are you asking?"

"Do these…sects keep records on their members?"

"In general, yes," he answered, before putting both hands on his hips and inhaling deeply. "Why the sudden interest in White Mages, Hikaru?"

I flinched at his use of the name he had given me. Indeed, I had no name, but Minwu had decided to give me one anyway—one I happened to dislike for some reason, despite not having anything against such a name…

"I…I met a White Mage last night," I said, pulling a sheet of parchment towards myself. "She never gave me her name, but her sect's insignia was tattooed onto her forehead…"

"…and you want to find out who she is," said Minwu dryly. He sighed, shaking his head. "Well then, might as well put that good memory of yours to use, eh?" With a single swoop of the hand, he picked up the quill and tossed it towards me.

"Let's just hope her sect keeps records," he added as I began to draw the symbol I had seen on the White Mage's forehead. It was circular, with a number of small spikes protruding from the circle and a line of what looked like squiggles running down its center. Somehow, it also looked like a deformed face of sorts.

He seemed to frown when I pushed the parchment over to him, his eyes scanning the image. They narrowed as he lifted the parchment and pulled it closer to his face.

"Are you…certain? That this was the symbol on her forehead?" he asked, lowering it and placing it back on the table.

"My memory never fails me."

"Funny then, that you don't remember your past," he retorted, before waving a hand over the parchment. "Are you really certain this is her sect symbol?"

"Yes," I said, raising an eyebrow at him and taking another sip of the coffee. "Why? Is something the matter?"

"Because…" he waved a hand over it again, "This doesn't belong to any of the known White Mage sects."

"What?" I blinked, staring at him as I set down the cup. "How can that be?"

"Note that I said known White Mage sects," he said, sighing. "That White Mage you met might not be a White Mage at all—this is the insignia for the Black Mage sect known as Vrishaba—Chaos, in your language. It's possible she was one of those who swore off White Magic."

"You guys really sure about that?" said a voice from the doorway, causing both of us to look up in its direction. A tall, familiar man stood there, mousy hair flat over his dark eyes. He was dressed in simple night robes that hung loosely about him, and he clutched the doorframe tightly as he watched us with an amused gleam in his eyes.

"Dorgann!" gasped Minwu, rushing over to him, "You should _not_ be out of bed!"

"I'm not sick in my legs, Minwu. I can walk fine," said Dorgann, pushing aside the White Wizard as he approached me. Minwu frowned as I stood, pressing my fist to my chest. Dorgann returned the gesture, before looking down at the sheet of parchment lying on the table.

"What did you mean, Sir Dorgann?" I asked, keeping myself from frowning. I looked down at the parchment again, the insignia staring up at me, taunting me. As though it were some sort of key to my past.

"Not sure who you're talking about," he said, "but has it occurred to either of you that the same thing could mean different things in your two different worlds?" The White Wizard behind him came closer, placing a hand on Dorgann's shoulder and trying to push him onto a nearby seat, to no avail. Despite Dorgann's illness, he was simply stronger than Minwu.

"It has," said Minwu, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice, "But Cosmos specifically told us that our two worlds in particular are heavily intertwined—I am, apparently, a few hundred generations after his."

"Then maybe you've got a case of historical inconsistency?" suggested Dorgann with a shrug, "All I know is that you shouldn't write off someone as a Black Mage just 'cause her insignia says she is in _your_ world. Maybe, I don't know, it's a White Mage sign in Warrior's world?"

"A White Mage sect called Chaos?" I said, trying to picture how that would work, "It…seems hard to believe White Mages would devote themselves to Chaos."

Dorgann only shrugged at me, before falling into a coughing fit. He grasped the table, falling onto one knee as he continued to cough, loudly. I remained where I stood, watching as Minwu hurried to him, placing a hand on his back and patting him gently. It was best to let Minwu do what he was good at.

As Dorgann began to recover, pulling himself back up on both legs with the table as support, Minwu wrapped an arm around him and began to pull, holding him close.

"You'd best get back to bed," he said softly as he began to lead the warrior towards the door. He looked over his shoulder, blinking at me. "We'll finish this later, Hikaru. You'd best go out and have some fun with the other warriors. This weather's perfect. And you're young, too."

I gave him no reply, only standing where I was as they passed through the door.

"You shouldn't be wasting your life with things like war."

I remained silent as they disappeared around the corner and out into the corridor. I moved forward, shutting the door behind him before turning back to the now empty room. I sighed, sitting back down and finding myself staring at the cup of now-cold coffee and the lone parchment.

Faint laughter wafted in through the window alongside the sunlight, though it was not enough to fill the entire room. I closed my eyes, leaning back into the chair as the laughter ebbed away, leaving me in a lonely silence.

Minwu was wrong—my life had long since been wasted, in some time and place I could never know. I had only war left. War, and Lady Cosmos.

* * *

Kupos to anyone who recognizes where I got the name for the White Mage sect. If you do, then yes, there shall be some messy continuity-tying here.

Reviews are much appreciated!


	4. III: Kain

Chapter Three~! What a fun chapter to write! Starting this chapter, OCs will start showing up, mostly relevant to the plot. Yes, I have a plot now! :D

Remember that thing about implied slash? I was thinking about this chapter when I wrote that disclaimer, though it shouldn't be too obvious. Oh, and AU Blender (along with blatant bias towards FFIV characters...) at play for the POV character here...who is also now both the first non-Champion character and Chaos Warrior to get a POV chapter!

* * *

**III. Kain – A Brief Dance**

"It doesn't make any _sense_," said Rosa, sitting up in her bed. I glanced at her from the corner I was sitting in, shrugged and went back to checking out the odd cube I'd found earlier.

"It's Theodor," I said, "He never makes sense—yet we stick to him like flies to honey."

"That's _bees_. Bees to honey, flies to vinegar, even though both like honey—never mind," she sighed, before returning to the subject at hand, "I _know_ Theodor never makes sense, but he's…being unusual."

"Why?" I asked, looking up at her, "I kind of like the change. The armor suits him."

"But there's the name!" she said, "I mean, why would he suddenly throw off his mantle of lordship, start wearing dark armor and change his name to some wannabe dark lord thing like…_Golbez_?"

I rolled my eyes. Rosa was making way too much out of this. After all, Lord Theodor was known for his unusual behavior and his sudden…changes…in wardrobe.

I shifted to a more comfortable position, resting my back fully against the wall, and returned to examining the cube. It was multi-colored, and I'd discovered that it was possible to turn each row around to my liking. The question remained though: what was the purpose of something like this? A seal for some great power? A weapon of mass destruction? Maybe it was really just a toy?

"It just doesn't make sense!" said Rosa, falling back onto the bed, "I mean, he's weird and all, but not _this_ weird, and he's never been so formal around us before. I mean, seriously, '_I am afraid there has been some sort of oversight. You two ought to stay here whilst I inquire with those in authority_'? Normally he'd just say something like, '_Someone made a mistake. Stay here, I'm going to go look for whoever's in charge and beat the crap out of him_.' But _no!_ He had to be all long-winded and talk like one of our magic textbooks and—_are you even listening to me!?_"

"No," I replied instinctively, tossing the cube into the air and catching it with one hand. "I wonder who made this…"

She let out a sigh of exasperation. "Kain Highwind, you are utterly unbearable."

"You've known me for twenty years, Rosa; you should be used to me by now. Besides, you're just worrying too much."

She sighed again, and when I next looked up at her, I found that she had pulled all the blankets close to herself. I stood, pocketing the cube and moving to the bed, sitting down at the end.

"I wonder if…" she said softly, "…I wonder if…Prince Cecil is here too…"

We fell into silence, and I found myself watching her. Her golden hair was splayed about, forming a halo around her head. Her blank, pale eyes were directed straight at me, as though expecting me to say something.

I shrugged. Though she could not see the action, I was certain she could sense it.

"The brat prince? Here?" I laughed, "You heard that guy—this is a war. The brat-prince would never last long."

"You're underestimating him," said Rosa, "He's a lot stronger than you think he is. And don't call him that!"

"Since when has the coward prince been strong?" I said, standing to stretch my limbs a bit, "You remember how he ran during Theodor's coup and how he had the Red Wings attack Damcyan just because Lady Anna—"

"Cecil Harvey is many things," she said, "But he is no coward."

"He ordered an attack on Mysidia. _Mysidia_. The city of _mages_. Then he sat on that stupid airship having tea and biscuits while watching them burn and scream."

"Only because he deemed them too dangerous to let go uncontrolled—and it was early, he always has his snack at that time of day—"

"Uncontrolled!? Rosa, you've _been_ there! You know what it's like now!" I shouted. I was not about to forget so easily how our own soldiers had been mistreating the Mysidians. More so how angry I had been upon seeing something like that. The attack on them had been wanton and a complete surprise. Not only had we—that is, Baron—been in a friendly, trading relationship with Mysidia, but we had been _allies_.

What the hell had the brat-prince been thinking?

Rosa sat up, her expression darkening as she faced me. I realized only then what my words had sounded like. She was completely devoted to the brat-prince.

"Be careful of what you say, Captain Highwind of the Dragoon Corps," she said softly, "Prince Cecil is not one for criticism."

I bit my lip; the warning was way too familiar for my liking. Every so often, I would slip the way I had and make some nasty comment about some high-ranking official or lord and I'd receive a warning about what I had said, complete with threat to my rank.

Sometimes, it just really, really sucks working for the monarchy. _Especially_ when said monarchy works for Theodor Harvey.

* * *

"It _still_ doesn't make sense," said Rosa as I led her down the corridor. We had been 'summoned' by some high rankers, and were making our way towards the designated meeting room. The Dark Knight leading us had armor that looked way too much like Cecil's, and when we asked for his name, he had just grunted at us in response.

"And _you're_ still worrying too much," I answered, pulling her around a corner. The Dark Knight—whom we had come to call Darky—suddenly stopped, turning to us, and I pretty much walked right into him.

"Watch it," he growled, before turning to the door nearby. "You two wait here." With that, he was gone, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Describe," ordered Rosa, poking me in the ribs. I jerked away from her, glad that my armor was at least thick enough to absorb some of _that_ impact.

"Well," I said, looking around, "We're in the corridor. There's a door in front of us, and that's where Darky just went. Door looks like wood with paper over it—actually, everything solid looks like wood. The place has this Eblan thing going for it. Paper walls, sliding doors, woven mats…It doesn't really look like a castle at first sight. Actually, it doesn't look like other parts of the castle…" I shrugged. "And you? What are _you_ picking up?"

She moved away from me, closing her pale eyes. After a moment or so, she reopened them and turned to me.

"Three people in that room, not counting Darky," she said quietly, "I've never felt auras this powerful before. One of them is Theo—_Golbez_. There's someone with a magic-less aura, but it's still powerful, not as powerful as Golbez's though."

"And the last?"

She shuddered. "I definitely wouldn't want to face whoever _that_ is in battle. It feels like he could eat an entire planet alive."

"I'm guessing that's a bad thing," I said, just as the door opened and Darky came out. He gestured at us to enter, and as I led Rosa in, he took his place by the door outside, shutting the door behind us.

I looked around the small room. Golbez stood nearby, the tallest among us with his helm just barely grazing the ceiling. A lone desk rested in the center of the room, behind which was a golden haired…man…in gold armor. The, um, _guy_ was watching us with narrowed golden eyes. Leaning against the wall behind him was someone else in armor, this one silver and with a purple cape, also with a horned helm.

I recognized the one leaning in the back as the guy who had announced that he was officially commander of the entire army. He had apparently been filling in for some god we would be fighting for. Honestly? This whole god versus god thing just reeks of bad politics and it feels like we've been screwed over as additions to one god's personal army.

The other one, in gold, looked at me, scowling. Golbez moved to me, placing a large hand on my shoulder. Out of habit, I edged nearer to him, glad that at least some things never changed.

"What is this problem you've spoken of, Golbez?" said the one in gold, "I see a Dragoon and a White Mage—unusual additions, yes, but I see nothing wrong with having them fight for us. It would be useful to have a White Mage. The Dragoon…I'm certain we can find some use for him yet."

"You do not know them as I do, Emperor," said Golbez, letting go of me and moving to Rosa, "They will not want to fight alongside me."

"Then Garland can assign them to someone else, perhaps Kefka," said the Emperor, waving his hand at the guy in the back. Garland shifted, crossing his arms as he cocked his head to one side.

"We've agreed to let those from the same world to work together."

"Yes, but clearly Golbez does not wish to work with these two." The Emperor turned his attention back to me, narrowing his eyes before leaning in. "A Dragoon…might you be familiar with Highwind?"

"Er…_I'm_ a Highwind," I said. Why was he asking? Did he know another Dragoon or something? "My family's been Dragoons for generations…"

He just looked at me weirdly, before turning to Golbez. "And _why_ should we give in to your request, Golbez?" he asked, "Why must we accommodate due to a single man not wanting to fight alongside these two?"

"I only ask that they be removed entirely from this war," said Golbez, "This is not their war. They have nothing to do with all of this. They deserve a life away from this war, after all that they've gone through at my hand."

"So then why don't all of you who don't have anything to do with this just leave?" said Garland, "Only _I_ and Cosmos's first champion are needed here—why not just leave, Golbez?"

Hm…what _is_ it that I've gone through at Theodor's hand? Er…a lot of stuff that's for sure…Wait, damn, I can't think of…_that_ right now…especially not in front of these guys—

"_I could feel you blushing a mile away! Cut it out!_" hissed Rosa into my ear, jabbing me in the ribs with an elbow. I clamped my mouth down on a yelp, just as Golbez turned to me.

"Kain, Rosa," he said, "You have suffered much due to my foolishness. It appears that I cannot save either of you from partaking in this war. I am sorry."

Beside me, Rosa began to laugh and Golbez flinched.

"There's little need to be sorry," she said, smiling. "We don't mind. We never mind, you know that. Right, Kain?"

Golbez stopped, looking at her as if he were scanning her and only taking in her appearance now.

"Rosa, your eyes…" he murmured and she shrugged at him, waving away the question I guessed he was about to ask. Weird—he knew about Rosa's 'condition', it would be _useless_ for him to ask. She nodded at me, and I grinned.

"Come on, Theodor," I said, and he looked like someone had just somehow backhanded him despite the armor, "You know we're loyal only to you. It doesn't matter if we're going to fight some war. So long as you're here, we'll fight whoever the hell you want us to. Even Prince Cecil if you wanted us to! Anything for you, Your Majesty."

He froze, turning his head from my direction, to Rosa's then back again. Okay, I _know_ he loves to screw around with our heads, but he's just being really, really weird now.

Finally, after a moment of silence, with the Emperor standing nearby looking more and more pissed as the seconds passed and Garland looking like he had been frozen or something, Golbez let out a long sigh before pretty much collapsing face flat on the floor.

I blinked. Rosa blinked. The Emperor blinked. Garland straightened himself, and was probably blinking under that helmet too.

"Nice job breaking our king, Kain," said Rosa with just the _slightest_ hint of annoyance.

I shrugged, reaching down and poking Golbez's still form. "Hey, it's not like it's the first time."

* * *

The yard was pretty empty, with a few people hanging around at the edges and scampering around here and there. There were a lot of tough looking guys here, not to mention they all carried some kind of scary looking weapon with them. I looked around…maybe I should not have just left Rosa to look after Golbez alone like that…

Nah, Rosa can handle him if he makes trouble for her. I, for one, would _not_ want to threaten her or anything. I kind of value my life, after all.

That guy I asked for directions from said that everything from this area out, including those mountains all the way out in the distance, made up the training grounds. The place looks like it takes up most of the area around the castle. Looks like whoever made this place has a thing for getting people to smack each other around.

Someone laughed, distracting me. I blinked, looking around and spotting a fairly distinct group made up entirely of men…and one woman. They all carried weapons with them.

The woman began to laugh, catching my attention. She looked…a lot like Rosa, actually. Her hair was brighter though, and she wore gold instead of white. Okay, this is going to sound stupid, but…something was drawing me towards her.

And it definitely was not Mister Happy down there.

"Excuse me?" I said, tapping her on the shoulder. Wait, did I seriously just stroll straight towards her and tap her on the shoulder?

She stopped mid-sentence and turned, one eyebrow raised and gray eyes staring at me. Suddenly, this seemed like a bad idea…

"Well?" she snapped, "I don't have all day, kid."

Dammit, Kain! You are THE freaking Dragoon! Get your act together!

"I was just wondering if you'd honor me with a brief spar," I said, smiling as brightly as I could. Hopefully, the armor would not scare her away—

"'Honor me', he says!" she laughed, before looking me straight in the eye, "Sure, I'll spar with you—but answer this question first: Why, in Chaos's name, would you pick _me_ to spar with out of all the people here? Just _look_ at these guys with me, surely they'd be better matches for _your_ skill level?

I blinked, not sure just how I was going to answer that one. She cocked her head, one eyebrow still raised as she crossed her arms.

"You ought to take her advice, kid!," said the guy nearest to her, a golden-haired man with dark eyes, "You're more suited to fighting one of US—she is WAY out of your league!"

"Stay out of this, General Marcus!" she snapped, lifting a foot and bringing it down on his. He practically screamed as she twisted her foot a bit, crushing his some more. Those…heels…really…look…painful…

"Well!? Spit it out!" she said, turning back to me. On impulse, I moved back, and she followed, leering over me—she was barely taller than Rosa! How was she doing that!?

She laughed, backing down. The guys behind her flinched—except Marcus, who was lying on the ground nursing his foot.

"Let me guess," she said, smirking, "You thought I would be an easy win…well, let me tell you something, kid. Back in my army, _every single new damn recruit came to me_. Every last one of them wanted to make a name for themselves by defeating the general they thought was easiest to fight and making their way up from there. Guess what? Every single last one of them _failed_."

"I'd really listen to her," said one of the other men, "Get your ass out of here before she starts on you and don't get her started on the whole 'just because—'"

"Just because I'm a woman, apparently," she snarled, completely ignoring the other guy. He flinched, moving back to stand alongside the others.

"Er…maybe I should go find someone else to—"

"You're a man right!?" she shouted, "Don't you dare back down now! _You're_ the one who challenged me in the first place! What, don't you have a warrior's code in your world?"

…damn, she was right. I probably should have thought about this more earlier…Come to think of it, why else would a woman be among a bunch of big warrior guys if she was unable to hold her own against them? Okay, I _really_ should have thought about this more.

"All right," I said, drawing my lance, "I'm guessing there's no way out…let's spar."

"More like, let's dance," she said with a smirk as she drew a pair of swords. They were sort of fancy, with a plain gold hilt and a single, colorless gem on each. Engravings adorned both, but from where I stood, those were barely visible.

"I'm Kain," I said, reaching my right hand out to her, she looked at it, one eyebrow raised. I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm guessing you aren't telling me your name 'til we finish this?"

She said nothing, only smirking.

We moved to the field nearby, the other warriors around moving away and finding spots to watch us. As I walked a short distance away, I heard the sound of a whistle and something like a warp spell.

When I turned, she and I weren't the only ones on the field anymore.

There was an armored guy on an armored chocobo, arms crossed and one hell of a gigantic sword slung over his back.

…what the hell?

My opponent was thinking the same thing, apparently, as she strode over to him and jabbed him in the helmet.

"_Who the hell are YOU_!?" she shouted, pointing a sword at him, "_You're getting in the way of our fight!_"

"I've been sent to make sure neither of you play dirty," he said, arms still crossed as he loomed over her, "A Judge, if you will."

"Oh _great_," she said as she stomped back to her place across the field, "Now they're turning spars into entertainment as well!"

The 'Judge' looked around as she took her place. Honestly? I have no idea what this was all about…seriously, a 'Judge'? For a little spar like this? And…how does he get 'Judge' to sound…_important_…even in my head?

"Area clear!" announced the Judge, suddenly. He blew on the whistle again, then—

"Battle Start!"

The woman flung herself toward me, bringing both swords down to slash at me. I blocked her attack, spinning away with the lance in an attempt to hit her. She dodged, somersaulting away and landing a good distance away.

I was _not_ about to let her recover. I leapt after her, thrusting my lance forward just as she jumped…over me. I spun around, swinging my lance around again.

She landed on my lance, somehow keeping balance as she ran its length towards me and stabbed at me with one of the swords. I barely dodged, jumping back just in time—but not in time to avoid the flames that had suddenly been thrown from the sword.

"Wha…what the hell…?" I managed to gasp out, one hand over my stomach where the flames had singed my armor. Honestly, this HURT.

"What, never seen magic before, boy?" she laughed, pointing the flaming sword at me. I grimaced but said nothing in reply, dropping into a crouch instead.

As she began towards me again, I did the one thing that had kept me alive for so long.

I jumped.

"HE'S A DRAGOON?" shouted someone from the sidelines. I grinned as the woman began to curse at me, even shaking a fist.

"What's the matter?" I called out to her as she glared up at me. "Can't fly? Or jump as high as I can?"

She snarled, raising her swords and crossing them over her head. I readied myself as I reached the height of my jump, keeping my lance aimed at her.

I began to fall.

She brought the swords down, sending what looked like shards of ice at me. I held my ground, going through them and letting them bounce off my armor—

Okay, that one hurt.

I bit my lip, knowing that blood was probably running down my cheek at this point. She raised the swords again, this time sending at me…a Thunder spell?

The shock ran along my lance, hitting me full force. I think I screamed, and I missed her when I landed. She dashed towards me, stabbing again and this time nearly piercing my armor as I rolled away.

I leapt back up, thrusting the lance at her feet. She jumped back, almost tripping over herself as I swung the lance around. She snarled, and slashed at me, her swords aflame. As I dodged that one, I noticed the gem on the sword had turned red.

I jumped.

She started cursing; shouting and sending the thunder spell up at me again. This time, I held my ground as she also sent up the ice spell.

I began to fall.

"Heh!" she shouted, crossing her swords over her head again, "I should have known a Dragoon would be troublesome to fight—dirtiest fighters! The whole lot of you!"

What did she mean by that?

I landed, almost impaling her with the lance this time. The lance slammed into her swords and the sound of metal sliding against metal filled the air, hurting my ears as I jumped back from the energy of the impact and, briefly, I heard her bouncing away too. I landed a few feet away.

Hey, procedure was still procedure—I was _not_ about to break my bones by forgetting to work off all that energy.

When I looked over at her, the woman had one knee on the ground, using her swords to support her. Oops, maybe I overdid the strength in that jump attack a bit…

"You…" she said, glaring up at me before casting something and green light surrounded her. When she got back up, I saw that she had completely healed herself.

I held my lance out in front of me. Most guys I sparred with never knew when to stop. I was, by the way, thinking of His Majesty.

She lowered her swords, sheathing them. I blinked, not really sure what to do.

"A good General knows when she's defeated," she said, loudly.

"No, you aren't defeated," I said, shaking my head as I straightened the spear, slamming its end into the ground. "That was a good spar; you had me on my toes back there."

She opened her mouth to say something when the Judge warped between us again, blowing on that damned whistle of his.

"The battle has ended," he said, looking around, "The Dragoon wins."

A sword promptly bounced off his helmet, landing at the Chocobo's feet. The Judge turned his head, with the Chocobo eventually following suit.

"Try telling us something we don't know!" shouted the woman, approaching him. "What the hell are you for anyway? We didn't need any 'mediating' or whatever."

"I actually agree with her," I said, also approaching him. "What was the point of—?"

He warped away. The woman cursed, moving to pick up her sword.

…And that was when I noticed how _painful_ the cut on my cheek actually was. Dammit, adrenaline! Biting my lip, I raised my hand to it, pressing on it. Hopefully Rosa would understand…

Green light surrounded me and the pain went away as I felt the cut, along with any other wounds I failed to notice, close and fade away. I blinked, looking back up at the woman who had a hand raised towards me. She was actually…smiling, instead of that perpetual smirk she had on earlier.

"Feeling better yet?" she asked, before returning to that smirk, "Seeing how you're all alone and actually desperate enough to ask for a _fight_ from a woman…don't have a wife yet, kid?"

"Hey, you just said it. I'm a kid, right?" I said, grinning as I began towards her. The other guys, the ones who had been with her, arrived behind her then, each of them showing amusement in some way or the other.

"Mighty General's been defeated!" laughed the largest among them, "By a _Dragoon_!"

She jabbed him in the side then, with her elbow. He actually doubled over from that, but somehow, he still had a stupid grin on his face.

I held out my hand towards her again.

"Kain," I said.

She looked at my hand for a moment, completely silent as the others began to urge her into taking my hand. Was it really so hard to get her to shake my hand? Geez…

Just as she raised her hand to take mine though, the sound of someone clapping slowly filled the air.

We turned. I heard them—the "Generals"—gasp all together.

The Emperor was walking towards us.

"Well, well," he said, smirking, "I see that my mighty generals refuse to let their reputations as ones who pick fights go to waste."

I looked at the woman, and saw her fall onto one knee, the others behind her following suit. They all kept their heads bowed. Wait, did this mean…

"Your Majesty," said the woman, "The Generals of Palamecia are ready to serve you as always. Wherever you may send us, whomever you may want destroyed, we are ready."

The Emperor only laughed, before gesturing to them to rise. As one, they did, all looking at the Emperor. The Emperor turned to look at me, gold eyes gleaming.

"Highwind, correct?" he said, "I knew a Highwind once…I had him killed."

…I do believe I was now royally screwed.

* * *

**A/N:** So no, she isn't Celes after all :P Based on Celes maybe, but definitely not her.

Also, I've started posting info about this fic on my Livejournal. It's still pretty empty right now, in terms of info, but it'll all be there eventually!

Reviews are much appreciated. More so concrit. _Especially_ on the action scene in this chapter, since I'm by no means an action writer (stupid, now that I think about it...I'm writing for an action-filled fandom, after all!), so hopefully that was all right.


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