Dissidia: Shadowgate

This was a crossover fanfic written by TheIkranRider, which was a continuation from someone with a dead account on FanFiction.net. This takes place soon after the events of the original Dissidia: Final Fantasy, aka the 13th cycle, as she wonders what would really happen to the warriors that perished during the last cycle.

Prologue Chaos, the God of Discord, had lost to the chosen 10 surviving warriors of Cosmos. The Edge of Madness was falling apart all around, signaling the end of the everlasting war of the Gods. As he bid the fighters farewell, the group dissipated while their Crystals' powers had run out, and they wound up at the Cornelia Isles. The Warrior of Light announced the battle has come to an end, at last, but before each warrior returned home, they just remembered there were more of them they hadn't seen. Terra Bradford asked the Manikin on what has happened, and his head was bent in sorrow when he revealed that 6 other warriors had perished in the previous cycle. This put the team in grief as they remembered each one before they disappeared.

Just then, they heard the fallen Manikin, Cosmos, implore them to conquer the dark castle known as Shadowgate and prevent the warlock from raising the Behemoth from Hell's depths. They, excepting the Warrior, had wound up at a dense woods. By the time they reached a clearing, there they were. A jester that was the complete opposite of Kefka welcomed them there, at the castle of Stormhaven. 6 warriors were awaiting them (Kain Highwind, Tifa Lockhart, Vaan, Laguna Loire, Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII, and Yuna).

The 9 warriors reunited, and the sextet revealed that as they were sealing the Rift, they were also given a second chance and were brought here by Cosmos. The jester announced the warriors had gathered and summoned them to meet King Lakmir where Shantotto and Prishe welcomed them. They were sent on their way, and if they're successful, they can return to their homelands without incident of the Behemoth demolishing everything they held dear.

Chapter 1 After Bartz Klauser found a key, the team marched in led by Firion. The warlock boomed as he trapped them inside that he'll raise the Behemoth to destroy all of existence, and Shantotto challenged him that he was full of it. They traversed thru it as they collected some Crystal Shards and found a room with a black book; Zidane Tribal went to grab it, only to be a death trap as the floor gave away. With the help of Prishe's Float, they stopped falling and Firion brought them up with his grappling hook. They went till they reached a fork in a chasm. Knowing the bridge was weak, they took the stone path and met a wraith. Tidus went in for the kill only to be cursed by it, till Shantotto scorched it seamlessly, saying it's far too easy.

Chapter 2 Luneth just learned the spell, Epor, from a scroll; never noticing it was rope spelt backwards. They went up the rope and wound up in a room of mirrors, and Zidane and Bartz began to goof around.

They also came across a hall of coffins: one had a sack of coins in it, another had slime which irritated Luneth, another released a startling banshee, and the last one released a mummy which entangled Tidus. Luneth pitched in and wiped him out no problem.

In a cold chamber, Terra, Firion, and Luneth headed to a room that was being terrorized by a menacing, fire-breathing dragon which seemed to have melted the weapon master's Ice Shield. He and the Onion Knight unleashed their Blizzagas but it wasn't enough to keep the volley at bay. He forced Terra to be brave and use her own abilities, then she turned into her Esper form which increased her stamina; she was able to make the dragon explode with the walls of flame backing up to it! They congratulated her and she just remembered that her abilities were exploited by Kefka as well as the War of the Magi, and how he assimilated all the Espers into the God of Magic. She soon went with the group.

Chapter 3 Shantotto and Prishe were still in the freezing chamber, and the Black Mage nearly got killed by her curiosity going down a slippery ladder. Meanwhile, Tidus, Yuna, Vaan, and Lightning arrived at a river bank while the water was infested by sharks, and it had a slime-covered skeleton. Vaan ventured further and was ecstatic when he found some hidden spheres, thinking it was a sky pirate's dream.

He went to the cold room and used the white gem to freeze it. Then, he churned the water into ice using the sphere. He treaded across and took a key from the corpse before he removed the sphere.

At the mirror room, Vaan met up with the young thieves, then Zidane stole the red gem and shattered two mirrors. One of them revealed a door, while the other led to a dimension and a monstrous arm reached out and grabbed Zidane! Squall Leonhart came to his aide and Laguna went with him, and together they went thru the door in the center. They arrived in a room filled with intense heat and fire. Suddenly a fire drake confronted the team who was immune to their weapons, and using the ice sphere, Vaan disabled the flames putting out the monster as well, much to Laguna's impression. They all figured it was such a bad idea to rekindle the ashen ground.

Chapter 4 In the next room, Bartz remembered his past life involving Boko and Galuf, there was a pit and Firion was confronted by a massive, towering troll demanding Gold Coins. Unfortunately, he only had copper coins. Enraged, the abomination raised the bridge casuing Firion to fall! But luckily he was saved by Cecil Harvey who just learned his White Magic spell, Teleport. He and Bartz defeated the troll using their Soul Eater move, with the former being a Dark Knight, and pressed on as Kain and Firion made safe passage across the pit.

Prishe arrived at the courtyard and confronted a cyclops utilizing her monk arts as well as White Magic to cure herself. She went to a well with a bucket of Gauntlets, even better than food.

Chapter 5 Luneth was quite a bookworm as he unveiled many secrets, even in a library. He wore some old spectacles and read an ancient book called The Prophecy as he saw pics of their homelands, even an unfinished sketch of the Cornelia Isles. He learned a new spell, Motari Riseth, which made it dissipate. He then went to a fireplace which hadn't been used in centuries then he came across a globe and noticed it was filled with familiar landmarks, even his home the Floating Continent. He opened one of the scrolls and read Terra Terrakk. He thought it meant crack, which opened the sealed globe and took out a key. He then read another scroll which read Instantum Illumina as a way to blind enemies. Then he pressed on.

He went to a lab of sorts, till a caged mutated dog startled him away. The knight went to a garden with an ever-flowing fountain, but was too corrosive to the touch. With the help of Blizzard, he attained a flute, played it, and received a ring from a hole in a tree, then went to the banquet hall's top floor.

He received a key from beneath the rug and unlocked the middle door, where he was immersed in a thunderstorm. He took a detour and grabbed a sack with Gold Coins needed for the antagonizing troll, but when he grabbed the pot, the floor caved in. Fortunately, he was saved by Firion and together they went into another room before they should be human lightning rods.

There was a silver horn between two torches and out popped a Hellhound; they used their Ice spells to extinguish it. Later, they came across a sphinx, as they must solve a riddle in order to progress further. He stated that it's a fire's friend, swells by the wind, and its nose it blows and the embers glow. Remembering the fireplace, Luneth showed it the bellows he found, and the sphinx allowed them passage.

They went to an observatory, and Luneth observed another scroll, "Observing the stars: The throne constellation appears once every five summers. Legend says that it's a portal to a foreign land." There was a star and a rod on a poster and thru a seam. At a hole thru the roof, there was Cecil, Cloud, Tifa, and Kain.

Chapter 6 The Paladin was enchanted by the slow dancer who was covered in the moonlight. Mesmerized by her, he barely noticed her transformation into a wolf! He was attacked and the others came to his aide. They fought off her and her duplicate Lobos, and they defeated her first.

They heard cries, and Firion and Luneth were fighting a wyvern! They gave it everything they had, but Kain was a better match for it. Cloud Strife casted Meteorain, Luneth also used his Comet move, as Firion tossed the Star. They prevailed and Luneth took his reward, the talisman.

Firion used the rod which made the sky spark like the 4th of July, and revealed a wand. Back at the chasm with the 2 bridges, Luneth drank a lustrous bottle he found and made him weightless to help cross the unstable bridge and meet up with Prishe hollering at a fake snake. Luneth waved the wand which turned into a staff.

When they arrived back at the Epor room, they detoured and saw a deck with a hole in it. Using Vaan's blue gem, there was a projection of King Lakmir giving them a riddle, to find the Staff and Ages and,

"Remember, five to find. Three for the staff, one to be the key, and one to be the pathway."

Luneth found a scroll with the spell, Humana.

They arrived back at the troll's chasm, and they were ready for it! Instead of offering it the Gold Coins to meet certain death, Luneth casted Humana instead, blinding it! Firion gave the scepter to the skeleton throne, then borrowed the ring from Luneth revealing a passage. They didn't want to risk disturbing the gargoyles, so they went right where there was a lava pool and a metal broken bridge. Luneth connected the dots and used his spell, Motari, and went across.

Luneth played around with three wooden switches next to a large pit that could be home to a monster. With the middle switch down, he grabbed the silver orb, then casted Illumina at the statues to progress passed.

Then there was a massive well in which Luneth dropped a copper coin in, much to Prishe's disgust since to her it was babyish. After a whoosh, the way was clear, and they descended a wind lift to a ferry. He hit the gong, and an unfriendly specter asked for a fare; Prishe was impressed those Gold Coins were good for something. But their friends arrived, knocking it out of its misery. Together, they took the raft to the final chamber before the warlock!

A massive skull maw was awaiting them, and they knew it was a trap. Remembering the King's riddle, they got to work. Luneth opened the scroll and they got all the keys they needed! With the bladed sun, Firion placed the talisman in the 1st slot. Luneth played the horn, which was deafening to his ears and the passageway opened. Before they went in, the team decided to rest.

Chapter 7 This was a breather chapter as each warrior reflected on the times before they were dragged into Dissidia: from Zidane's dream of a blue light and being entrapped in the Tree of Death with Kuja, to Cecil wishing to see Golbez as his long, lost brother, to Kain finding a way to redeem himself, to Tidus remembering Yuna and her pilgrimage against Sin. Even when Lightning remembered the vision of rose petals as her marriage to Snow, and Firion remembering that wild rose was a password to the resistance in Altair. Even when Cloud and Tifa remembered their first mission as he was a SOLDIER aspiring to be like Sephiroth while she was in AVALANCHE. Squall and Laguna remembered their battle with Ultimecia at the Lunatic Paradox, even their friends: Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Rinoa and Laguna's comrades, Ward and Kiros, even Raine. Shantotto wishes to retire and Prishe dreading she can't be immortal anymore. Then, Luneth longed for his friends at the orphanage, Bartz yearned for his homeland and Boko, and Vaan wanted to go to Dalamasca to become a sky pirate, as well as Terra longing for a world without war and death.

Finally, they were ready and they marched in pairs.

Chapter 8 Unfortunately, they came too late since the warlock already summoned the Behemoth in Latin. It looked like a mix between the Gods of Discord and Magic, then Firion led the fight. As he ran out of strength, he summoned Luneth as an Assist, then it was his turn. He switched to Cecil, then Kain, Bartz, Terra, etc.

By the time Lightning was weary, the warlock casted the fatal spell, Quasar, putting everyone in Death's door. Each one passed on, then Firion reached out for Lightning's hand. He wound up in Heaven and reunited with Cosmos within and endless field of roses in all colors. She said he has a choice, to stay or finish the mission. Being that his dream was a reality, he hesitated. After much thought, he decided to live again since he can't afford to lose his friends, and accomplish his dream by his own hands after defeating the Behemoth.

With renewed strength, he had a plan in mind. Remembering the wizard's words:

"Five to find. Three for the staff, one to be the key, and one to be the pathway."

He combined the Staff with the Blade and the silver orb, making it a golden staff. Cosmos coaxed to finish him, and with his EX Burst, he unleashed all his weapons with the staff in the center, piercing the Behemoth's chest! He grabbed the warlock and sunk into the abyss!

The warriors woke up, and they soon reunited with Jecht and Golbez! With Cecil's, Terra's, and Prishe's recalled spells, they teleported everyone outside the collapsing castle! In Stormhaven, the King offered them a kingdom to run; however, they were just returning home. Everyone said their goodbyes and vanished to their home worlds, even Lightning to hopefully see Firion in her dreams.

Epilogue Luneth returned to the Crater where it started his journey then went to the orphanage at Urr on the Floating Continent with his old friends Arc, Refia, and Ingus, the elder, Topapa, his surrogate mom, Nina.

Cecil and Kain went to Castle Baron and reunited with the Paladin's son, Ceodore, his wife, Rosa, and Cid. He wondered if he'll see Golbez again who was sailing in the Lunar Whale.

Bartz arrived at the Forest of Moore where Exdeath's tree stood, then Boko, Lenna, Faris, and Krile with her wind drake!

Terra woke up in Mobliz and wished she can see Vaan again once he becomes a sky pirate. The kids heard from Ramuh that she may not survive as she'd sacrifice herself as an Esper. But since she showed her humanly qualities, she was revived here.

Cloud and Tifa woke up at The Planet's Core and their friends unburied them. Barrett, Red XII and Cait, Cid, the kids Denzel and Marlene, Vincent, Yuffie, and even the Shinra, Reno, were happy to see them alive and well.

Laguna actually went back in time, to the period when he first became a father as he met Ellone at the cemetery, holding baby Squall (to which he named) in her arms.

Zidane was inside the tree in the dying world, regretting to not see Kuja there. Cosmos led him out, since someone was awaiting him. He went to Alexandria and joined the Theatre Troupe, reenacting as an old man who unveiled himself, desperately calling for Princess Garnet! They reunited in their arms!

Yuna woke up in her hut at Besaid, and Rikku urged her on the edge of the coast were Tidus emerged from the ocean! Paine dragged her away while the couple reunited. Tidus figured that The Fayth and Cosmos are what brought him back, and she helped to restore their memories of him instead of being in the Farplane with Jecht as punishment. Wakka and Lulu were eager to see them.

Shantotto returned to the home of the Tarutaru Black Mages and drank a toxic burgundy that made her age rapidly and wither, hoping she won't be jested in roasts, especially by the troubled people of Vana'diel. And Prishe appeared as a ghost overlooking the Adventurer at Abyssea.

Vaan wound up where the airship Strahl once stood. And his friend, Penelo, urged him too give it a test run, thus starting his dreams of being a sky pirate and visit Mobliz to see Terra.

Lightning woke up from her crystallization next to Snow, Dajih, Sazh, and Hope below Cocoon at the foreboding surface, Pulse. She silently thanked Cosmos and for giving her the chance to see her sis, Serah. The l'Cie curse disappeared and with the Fal'Cie gone, they don't have to worry on fulfilling their Focus and crystalize.

Finally, Firion woke up at the Castle of Fynn, not at Salamand where he expected. Princess Hilda was emotional to see him since she took him in after he collapsed. He remembered going to Salamand after he defeated Mateus for good to pay his respects, sink to depression, and went into a forest befriending some deer. They arrived at Fynn finally, then Firion passed out and arrived at Dissidia. Maria and Guy were just as ecstatic to see him, with her bursting into tears. He thanked Cosmos for everything: for his friends, for the motivation he needed to fulfill his dream and reunite at his home world; he wishes to meet his distant comrades again someday. And a new dream was about to begin.