Dissidia Final Fantasy: Unus Mundus

Prologue ~ A Changing Current

I could feel it in the wind. The second things went wrong, I felt a changing current, like the wind was calling to me for help. Much like it did before. This time, however, it was different. I thought everything was fine. We stopped Exdeath. The world was saved. 

But it wasn't my world.

Everything around me started to transform. People I had never seen before began appearing all over the place, monsters unlike any I'd ever laid my eyes on roamed the open fields. Airships populated the skies, and even fought against one another in explosive battles. Nothing like that ever happened. Not in my world, anyway. 

My friends seemed to disappear entirely. I couldn't even find Boko. I no longer felt the power of the Crystals, either. What happened to the world to cause all of this...?

"Look at all the people, Mateus. They're so afraid."

Ultimecia's familiar voice came from behind Emperor Mateus. The two of them resided in the fallen ruins of Palamecia Castle, watching the chaos unfold. A grin spread across Mateus's face as he looked ahead. Families had been torn apart as people randomly disappeared. Airship wars seemed never ending in the skies above. The empire was in absolute chaos, and Mateus simply could not be happier. "Give it time, my dear," Mateus spoke calmly. He turned around and started walking past her. "Soon, they'll look for rulers on their own. As of now, we have no need to force it down their throats." He sat down on his throne, his rightful place, and crossed his legs as his golden scepter seemed to materialize in his hand. "Let them suffer. Give it enough time, and they'll practically be begging for us to take control."

"I assume you enjoy the chaos?" Ultimecia chuckled a little as she crossed her arms. "Watching those people crumble over a situation they have no control over?"

"It's not the chaos I enjoy," Mateus replied with a smirk. "It's the knowledge that these people will simply be falling into our arms. They'll have no choice, if they wish to live."

Ultimecia smiled and watched the fighting and the chaos unfold outside the castle. "And once we control Palamecia, we're one step to controlling this whole world, isn't that right?"

"You mean worlds, my dear." Mateus smiled with absolute content. "Some bumbling fool went and connected my world to yours and so on. I wish I could thank the poor fool who did such a thing. At least you should have an idea of what this means."

"I absolutely do," Ultimecia said. "There will be others who seek the same thing we do."

"Yes, precisely. And instead of killing them... perhaps we could form a temporary alliance with those who wish for control." Mateus lifted his golden scepter up and watched its surface glimmer in the sunlight. "Though I am not afraid to dispatch those who sense they should have more than we have."

"Oh?" Ultimecia turned his way with a hand on her hip. "You mean you would kill someone within our alliance if they went a little too far?"

Mateus grinned again. "Exactly. If they tried so much as to take my throne, I'll remind them that this is an empire, and I am its Emperor. No matter what position they held in their world, they're simply pawns in our little game to help our empire grow."

"I can appreciate that." Ultimecia felt a little doubtful about helping Mateus, but she knew that, given enough time, she herself could overthrow him. Let Mateus handle the hard part, she thought to herself before speaking aloud. "For the time being, let us simply stay here and wait for them to come to us."