During the age of ancient magic and tradition, there lived an ambitious man. His vision was to change the way magic was used and create new crafts to help evolve the human race. As he worked to bring about the most powerful of mages and build up the organisation that will advance humans, his dream began to distort into a corrupt nightmare as he began to gain more and more power. Until one day, he decided that humans can wait. What he wanted most of all was power, power so great that he could make the greatest Eidolons bow to him. Then he shall be able to find the Promised Land and after conquering it, he shall be made a god. And thus began his invasion across the world, destroying kingdoms in order to steal the crystals that would summon the Great Seven Eidolons that only the royal families of the seven kingdoms could use.
Odin, Bahamut, Shiva, Ramuh, Alexander and Leviathan were all snatched from their dead summoners' hands and were enslaved to the corrupt man who once dreamt of a peaceful future. After harnessing their powers, the man's sights turned to the final kingdom, the kingdom where the Valentines ruled over under the ever watching eye of Phoenix. A small kingdom with a small yet powerful force fuelled by magic, it would be as easy as snatching an infant's toy away. Vincent Valentine, the ruling king of the time, knew of the danger his people were in. His kingdom had no defences left, all of them having joined to help the other kingdoms in their fight for their guardians. None of them had returned, leaving Phoenix vulnerable and barely protected. Not wishing the blood of innocents to run through this peaceful land, he ordered for everyone to leave the kingdom and never look back.
The once thriving Kingdom of Phoenix was lifeless as Vincent remained to honour his duty to protect Phoenix. Only his wife and son remained behind, despite his pleas for them to find a safer place to wait out the assault. Lucrecia, a wise and brave woman, had a plan. Perhaps they could trick their enemy and hide Phoenix's crystal away. If they confronted him head on, they would lose their guardian almost immediately for as powerful the Eidolon was, he couldn't simply take on the other six at once.
Mother and son fled the castle as the king greeted the conqueror, hoping that his magic alone would be able to buy enough time for his family to escape. The battle was short and swift, the conqueror blinded by greed and the king becoming increasingly weaker and weaker as Phoenix was taken further and further away from its home. Upon realising that this had simply been a distraction, the enraged conqueror cursed the king. The forbidden magic that Bahamut guarded was unleashed, striking the helpless king and corrupting his body and stripping his humanity away. His roars of pain echoed throughout the kingdom and were heard by the grief-stricken wife and son.
Realising that they didn't have enough time as anticipated, Lucrecia prayed her apologies to Phoenix. Upon hearing them, Phoenix sent a miracle. He sent the queen a vision of hope, that the world will live in peace once more however sacrifices will have to be made. Lucrecia knew what to do. The crystal was whisked away at Lucrecia's command, disappearing into the dark woods where no-one, unless Phoenix himself permitted it, would find it. Then the queen turned to her only son and using all her energy, she sent him into a deep sleep. Her love will protect him, her sacrifice will preserve his body and her magic will ensure that he will be ready for the fight to claim back the peaceful world.
As Sephiroth fell into his slumber, his mother crouching over him as he landed on the dew covered grass, Lucrecia turned to crystal, Phoenix's reward for her loyalty. Her crystallised body was found by the cursed king first. Recognising her instantly, the king fell deeper into despair, even more so as he discovered his comatose son next. The conqueror found the scene of the broken family, his anger growing as he realised that not only was Phoenix's crystal gone but he would need to be rid of the prince in order to harness its power. Realising that this protected slumber could last for thousands of years, the conqueror locked the prince up in a fortress, guarded by his own son until the time came for him to awaken. Infuriated and unfulfilled, the conqueror bestowed the claimed Eidolons to his followers to rule each of the six kingdoms. They will continue to advance the human race as he went into his own slumber, only to be awoken when Phoenix is claimed.
The world began its slow repair, fearful of the immortal rulers and carrying on the story of the conqueror's near complete victory. Phoenix's kingdom became over run with monsters, a wildlife sanctuary where humans were forbidden to enter and a permanent reminder of Vincent's failed efforts. To this day, the king wanders his abandoned kingdom, mourning for his wife and brooding over his failures. Fact became legend, legend became myth and the prince continues to slumber in his prison with no sign of waking up. Phoenix's crystal still remains hidden, biding his time and waiting for the right soul to take up his sword and fight as his champion.