Ezio, Tifa, Aerith & Yuna

[Tifa Lockhart]

Sighing loudly Zack gently lead Aerith through the portal. Time to meet this 'cosmos'. Boy was Zack gonna give her a piece of his mind. Couldn't gods keep their wars to themselves instead of dragging innocent people out of their homes and away from their families to do her dirty work for her.

Tifa offered Cloud her hand, indicating she would follow him in.

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud put on a slight smile... for Tifa as he took up her hand gently. He held his breath as he went through the portal.

Yuna more pushed herself through the portal clinging to Tidus with her hand. With her eyes closed she stepped to the other side.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith followed Zack obediently, holding back tears, holding his hand tightly.
"I'm scared..." she whispered to him quietly.

Tidus squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light on the other side of the portal. Reality was yet to set in, but he had a sick feeling in his stomach. What was going to happen to them all?...

[Elario Luminus]

The portal opened up into an area that seemed to extend as far as the horizon. The floor looked like it was made of white marble, with an inch of water covering the ground at everyone's feet. Here and there were little mounds of what appeared to be ceramic carvings. The area they were in seemed to be brighter than everywhere else around them, and in the centre was a shallow seat-looking structure.

Squall and Rinoa headed towards this structure, gesturing to the others to follow. As they neared the seat, there was a bright, shimmering light, and Cosmos appeared. Wearing a slim white gown, her blonde hair blew around in the non-existent breeze. She looked up at the Knight and his Sorceress, a weakened look in her eyes. Besides this, she was happy to see that Squall and Rinoa had done what she'd sent them to do.
'Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly, it's good to see you survived and did what I asked...'
Squall nodded, though he didn't look pleased. Cosmos saw this and frowned.
'What troubles you..?'
Squall looked back to everyone else, then faced Cosmos again.
'Cosmos, I have here Zack Fair, Aerith Gainsborough, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, Tidus and Summoner Yuna, as you asked. However, four of these people have families, and they'll want to discuss all this with you. They want to hear things from you.'
'Very well. Zack, and Tidus, speak up. Let me hear you.'

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack squeezed Aerith's hand reassuringly as she whispered to him her fears. He pulled her closer to him, kissing her forehead.
"I wont let anything happen." He whispered to her, "We can do this together."
Soon they were through the portal and the air was much cooler, the ground was like white marble and before them a woman of unnatural beauty sat upon a throne. Zack tried to wipe the glare from his face as he listened to her and Squall talk. So this was Cosmos...
When her attention turned to him his frown deepened and he held Aerith to his chest a little tighter.
"I... Care nothing for this war." He said stiffly, "I couldn't give less of a damn about the affairs of Gods. My whole life i've done well enough without them, there was never any mighty god to protect Gaia, we mere mortals had to do it ourselves. I do not see why after all this time, i should run to help a God who never helped us." His eyes were locked on Cosmos, dark and deadly serious. "I do this for my family and my friends, and i refuse to die for any cause, no matter how righteous you claim. I WILL be going home at the end of this, and i will not have my hand forced like this ever again." His expression could not have become any darker as he stared Cosmos down for a time, still tightly holding on to his beloved. "I control my own destiny, I am no ones puppet."

Tifa clung close to Cloud, choosing to remain silent. She agreed with Zack's words. There'd never been any Divine aid all those years that the people of Gaia suffered. It seemed the Gods only appeared when they needed something from them.

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud took hold of Tifa's hand and squeezed it tightly to comfort her. Zack was right, they had no reason to be here apart from the will of this God. Even though her presence seemed so calming, Cloud couldn't help but be angry like the most of them. " We have just come from many war's already" Cloud thought to himself.

Yuna looked up towards the beautiful God Cosmos, and couldn't move her eyes away. It was like the first time she made contact with the Fayth. Though how weakened she looked placed a frown on Yuna's face, she knew that she was in dyer need of their help. Yuna was slowly deciding to fight, cause if she didn't, Spira and her dear children may be in trouble once again.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith didn't look up from Zack's chest as he spoke to Cosmos, shrinking into his arms, finding herself concentrating hard on trying not to cry again.

Tidus looked up to Cosmos, squeezing Yuna's hand gently. He didn't feel quite as aggressive as Zack... rather like he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
"How long will this take?" Tidus asked a little helplessly.
"Can you even promise we'll see our children again?"

[Elario Luminus]

Cosmos sighed and closed her eyes.
'I can't promise those things to you, Tidus. Your battles, should you survive them, will take you home afterwards. But whether or not you see them again lies entirely in your strength and will. And Zack...' she turned to the SOLDIER.
How strong you are. You will prove in valuable in the time to come.
'You must realise that destiny, however much in your grasp it is, is always in the hands of a higher power. You think that it was your strength that enabled you to survive the Shin-ra Army? You think it was your will that brought you safely away from the Heartless? That it was just you and Cloud that banished Sephiroth after you found him? Though I hate to be the bearer of bad news, the reality is this; that all your life, all of you, have been guided into the path of good and justice. Just as Genesis, Sephiroth, Jecht, Ultimecia, and countless others have been guided down a path of evil and a promise of ultimate power.'
She looked up at the sky, where her most recent battle with Chaos had occured just hours earlier.
'I've called upon you today not to do my dirty work, Zack, but to aid me in my last battle. Chaos, the God of Discord, has damaged me greatly in our last struggle. The only way to restore me to strength, and finally defeat Chaos, is to obtain the Crystals. Each of you will obtain yours in different ways, but they are necessary.'

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack's expression did not become any more passive as Cosmos spoke. He was not willing to believe that any Goddess guided his hand anywhere. He escaped the Shinra army on his own, it was his will to return to Aerith that gave him the strength he needed. It was his own will that saved him from the heartless, for it was the strength of his heart that pushed back the darkness that threatened to envelope him.
He'd seen what had become of men who believed in the fancies of Gods. Genesis had lost his common sense desperately searching for his ridiculous 'Gift of the Goddess' and Sephiroth had completely lost his mind when he learned of his birth, believing Jenova to be a Goddess and he a God, the rightful owner of the planet.
Gods brought nothing but trouble, and as far as Zack was concerned, he didn't want anything to do with them.
"These crystals will take us home?" He demanded firmly, still making it obvious through voice, expression and body language, that he cared nothing for this Goddess, her battles or fate. He just wanted to go home to his children.

"I dont want to fight anymore." Tifa whispered, her words intended primarily for Cloud's ears as she hugged in close to her husband.

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud allowed Tifa to cling to him, wiping a piece of hair from her face and wrapping ti behind her ear. "Neither do i... though i believe we both have the strength within us to survive." Cloud whispered back showing a soft smile.

Yuna cringed when Tidus mentioned the children. She tried to shake them from her thoughts but it was not working. This God needed her... but her children needed their parents.

[The Painted Lady]

((ZOMG YUNIE POSTED))

Tidus looked to Yuna when she cringed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

Aerith brought her eyes up from Zack's chest to finally look up at Cosmos for her reply.

[Elario Luminus]

Cosmos sighed sadly.
'They will grant you the power to go home...eventually.'
Squall nodded.
'I get the feeling we might not be able to fight all together at once.'
'Yes, that is true. But remember this; you don't need to be together to fight together.'
There was a bright light, and several portals opened up around them. Cosmos smiled gently to her, mostly unwilling, warriors.
'Choose a portal. Start your journey. Good luck, Warriors of Light.'

[Tifa Lockhart]

She's separating us!? Zack thought angrilly, his hand subconsciously tightening around Aerith's. There was no way in heaven or earth or wherever the hell they were that he was letting Aerith out of his sight. His eyes traveled nervously over to Cloud and Tifa, they both seemed as keen on separating as he was.
Zack had long learned that Cloud could look after himself, but the idea of the blonde charging off into potential trouble without him there to watch his back still made him nervous.
"Keep safe huh, Cloud?" He said firmly to the blonde, he then turned his eyes to Squall, "You too."

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud looked over to Zack, his best friend, and nodded with a warm smile. " of course". His hand slowly coiled around Tifa's, his glove just thin enough to feel her warmth.

Yuna placed her hand on her chest, and watched as everyone began to say their goodbyes. Who knows when they will catch up again.. if they ever do. Yuna shook her head to get the negative thoughts out of her head. "I wish you all luck" Yuna spoke to them all letting a smile grow.

[The Painted Lady]

Tidus moved to take Yuna's free hand, holding it tightly.
"We'll see you all soon?" he offered.

Aerith's hold tightened fearfully on Zack's.
"Soon..." she repeated with a small nod.