"Prince Noctis!" A young man busted into the grand home. A young man turned around to him after signing a few more documents. His gentle blue eyes eyed the young man suspiciously ruffling his jet black hair with his free hand.

"What?" He turned away and proceeded to sign more documents.

"We found it… We found another crystal… Only…" The young man stopped, shifted all of his weight to one hip and took his helmet off revealing a young red headed man.

Noctis let out a sigh of frustration, slammed his pen on the table and stood up turning around to look at him., "Spit it out already!"

"There's a body!" The man flinched at the raising of Noctis' tone.

Noctis closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers over his lids irritatedly. "What do you mean a body? Did someone get hurt?"

The young man shivered, "No, my Prince… Inside it."

Noctis narrowed his eyes, "Show me…"

A little while later the black sedan pulled up to the remote dig site. The back door of the vehicle opened and Noctis emerged. Scanning the area he started walking towards the large glowing, blue crystal. "Has it done that since you discovered that?"

"No, Sir. It just started." A man said.

Noctis reached out and touched the crystal. "It's warm. Remove it and have it hauled to the palace, please."

The diggers bowed and began preparations. Noctis' father walked past him. "It's a wonderful specimen. Come, Noctis, whatever emerges from that crystal will no doubt be older than this city as a whole."

Noctis stopped and turned around, "Emerges?" Noctis followed his father.

"Touch it, Son. It seems to react to your touch and your presence." His father playfully shoved him onto the crystal and let out a loud full laugh.

Noctis smiled faintly, the crystal began to tremble, Noctis' eyes widened, "Holy shit! There is a body!" The crystal began to clarify itself and stared glowing brighter. Noctis closed his eyes as the crystal gave way.

Noctis braced himself to hit the ground, but never made contact with the hard surface instead was being cradled in someone's arms. He nervously opened his eyes slowly and trailed up a mans arm to make eye contact with a bright blue pair of eyes and golden blonde hair.

Sounds of gun fire rang out as men started screaming one man fell into the crater that once held the crystal. The blonde man flinched and put his back against the wall of dirt at the edge of the crater, still holding Noctis.

"Find the crystal!" An unknown voice called out.

"You'll never find it now!" Noctis's father yelled to his attackers. His father closed his eyes, "Whoever you are… Please, keep my son safe! He's their only hope now." A single shot rang out followed by deafening silence.

Noctis squirmed as the set of arms held him tighter. The man closed his eyes that seemed to glow dully. He wore a high collar sleeveless black shirt, black pants and boots, and black coat that covered his left leg and arm. He held Noctis tightly in his left arm and held out his right, "Ultima…" A sword appeared from the bowels of the remaining crystal that melted away as the sword was pulled.

Noctis looked up at the spiky blonde hair. "Who…" He whispered.

"Hang on, please." The man leaped with Noctis in his arm darting though opponents leaving a trail of bodies behind him. He stopped when he found the last of them and dispatched them. He set Noctis down and whispered shakily, "Cloud."

Noctis looked up, "What are you—"

He narrowed his lightly glowing eyes, "It is my name."

Noctis looked at him, "Oh."

Cloud slid his sword into the hilt that hugged his waist and hips and kneeled down to the man who previously called to him, "He was your father?" Cloud gently touched the man's face and closed his eyelids.

Noctis leaned up against the car, "He was more than that… He was the King."

"I will honor his dying request." Cloud took a few steps looking around at the scenery. "I sense the lifestream. I assume this is where I died. However, I am unsure when I am."

Noctis eyed Cloud, "2468."

Cloud looked down. "I see… 462 years."

Noctis took a step closer, "Are you trying to tell me you're 462 years old?"

Cloud turned to him, "I died 462 years ago… So, if age really matters at this point, I would be 487 years old. Or, I assume I died, how else would this be possible?" Cloud placed his hand over his heart, "Yet... It continues to beat."

Noctis folded his arms. "Right. Well. This officially is a shitty day." More vehicles made their way towards them. Noctis looked up, "They aren't with me."

Cloud placed his hand on Ultima's handle. "At your command."

Noctis arched an eyebrow and smirked, "Alright then, but this time I want to play." The air around him began to glow blue as a sword came out of thin air.

The two nodded at each other drawing their blades and charged the vehicles.