A/N: Suuuuuprise again! Fast update! Mainly because this is a "short" chapter, for me anyway. The first several chapters will mostly continue being around this length until the major plot is revealed. I've been so pumped from the new info and trailers that I wanted to keep writing! Hopefully this will last for a while.

Anyway, a note to anyone who hasn't seen the update on chapter one. At this time, with the E3 2013 trailer, some names have been mentioned, aside from the official chang from Versus XIII to XV. Noctis' kingdom is Lucis, not Niflheim (I suspected as much, oh well). Noctis' father is Regis; I had him previously named Duilius. Stella's father, who I introduced as Regius (I laughed when I saw Noct's dad was Regis), is now renamed Viduo, so that there won't be Regis and Regius. Though his name will certainly change again when it's confirmed. My apologies for any confusion this may make, especially to my older readers!

Please, enjoy!


III

The Enemy's Enemy

He hated searching. That was his brother's task. His was to only wait and watch, which was very different from actually going out and seeking for what he sought. And, as he found out through all of his failed attempts, he was not very good at it. It had been such a long time since he acted upon the information that he gathered.

Despite all of his years of silently watching, of remaining deep within the earth and feeling all that transpired on the surface, there was much he did not know. Granted, it was mostly concerning those annoying pests, and that made him frown in disgust more often then not, but information was information.

It amazed him what the annoying pests considered important in their short lives. Amongst the trivial matters, however, he learned of the recent wars that had wrought their pitiful lives. There had been Crystals, as they had been called, but they were not the same as those that had been connected to the others, to those that treated the annoying pests more as pets. These Crystals were a fragment from that horrible time, that time he nearly abandoned his watch from deep within the bowls to lend the assistance that he could muster. And yet, even though the annoying pests had destroyed the others and the creations that they had left behind, those frustrating insects went and destroyed the final shards.

That made him writhe with fury. Part of him had wanted to destroy the city that he had been in at the time of happening upon that information. The annoying pests were not worthy, continually contaminating the world and everything else in it with their cursed end. But he restrained himself, for that was not his task either.

After those events, he learned of the cold war that had enveloped the western continent. Even when not warring, it was fascinating how much the annoying pests could fight without actually starting battle. That cold war, which had manage to drag on for many years, a testament to the stubbornness of those annoying pests, in a way, had come to an end not long ago. In fact, it came to an end just after he had felt the Gates open. It made his searching much easier, now that the annoying pests were not butting heads, and yet he still could not find his sibling.

That took more of the searching that he did not enjoy. Everywhere. He searched everywhere. From the tallest peak to even down to the deepest part of the oceans (such a task was not hard for him). His brother was no where to be found. Since he had been given his task of searching, watching, waiting, from within the earth, he had not seen nor heard from his brother, who was charged with a different task.

Unlike him, his brother was well accustomed to searching, for that was the assigned task. Searching, seeking, discovering. From where he did all of that, the elder brother did not know.

He searched and searched, not his strong point, at all. Until, after far longer than he would have liked, he felt a trace of his brother. Of course. How could he have been so foolish? Much like he could watch from within his sanctuary hidden within the earth, neither did his brother have to be bound to the restrictions of the mortal world. And so it was there, in that unknown realm that lay between that of the living and that of the dead, that his brother searched.

"What is it?" asked a low voice, sounding almost tired. Not tired from not having received enough sleep, but tired from exhaustion from endless toil. He had done it. He had found his younger sibling. Together, they left the middle realm, after a fair amount of persuasion from the elder brother, and returned to that of the living for ease of discussion.

"Have you found anything yet?"

"Not yet," sighed the younger. "Why? What's with that look? Have you found something?" The younger brother's face went through a range of expressions. First it was annoyance for having been drawn from his task, then it was confusion as his gaze narrowed skeptically, but it finally ended on realization of the weight of these events.

"Yes, Lindzei. The Gates... The Gates have opened." An elation of mad delight tingled through his body when he told his brother the news. Lindzei's mouth slowly fell open, as though the muscles holding his jaw closed had simply ceased to work, and his eyes widened to match.

"Are... Are you certain?"

"Positive. Actually, I'm rather surprised that you did not notice."

Lindzei huffed and flicked his wrist. "I'm not like you. I can't feel everything at once. Even in that realm, I can still only see so much at a time. I must have missed it. That is all." He eyes his elder brother with annoyance for a moment before the news sank back in. "This... Do you realize what this means, Pulse? It's time. It's finally time!"

"Exactly." Even Pulse could hardly contain his glee. "It is time to find our father."


The day was a dull, dreary one, acting as a blotch upon the recent streak of good weather. Everything was greyed out from the clouds, and damp from the scattered showers that had fallen throughout the day. From atop the roof, one of his old favourites, Noctis could see just how the city changed during a small storm. Off in the distance, nearing the horizon, he could see the large clouds that had passed over them only a few hours ago. From them clashed down lightning, striking the nearest target within their grasp before disappearing as fast as it had formed. So far away, Noctis barely heard the distant rumble of thunder after several long seconds once the lightning flashed.

A light drizzle reached him again, but he did not care whether or not he got soaked. It was actually relaxing to him. The light rain, which was thankfully warmer rather than colder, helped to ease his troubling thoughts.

"Up here again, huh, Noct?" asked a voice from behind. "Well, at least you're not sitting in front of the Crystal, I guess." At Gladiolus' comment, Noctis felt himself chuckle wryly. That had been the events of just the day before. It was comforting, almost therapeutic, to talk to the Crystal about what doubts that he may be feeling about the possible alliance with Tenebrae. The Prince remained where he was while his scarred friend joined his side by the edge of the roof. The taller man sighed and rested his arms against the ledge. "Say, has the Crystal... Has Niveus ever responded?"

Noctis' eyes glanced down, scanning the city until they fell upon the Temple that housed their ancient guardian. His hand also travelled up to brush the crystal necklace that he still wore hidden under his clothing That was the first time any of his friends had asked that particular question, or even any in the same vein. Ever since the Crystal was restored, they had been dying to ask it, he could see the question glinting behind their eyes and dancing behind their tongues, but, through all the long months, they had restrained themselves. In fact, Noctis was a little surprised it had been Gladiolus to ask first. Prompto had been his mental bet.

"No," answered Noctis, shaking his head. "Now and then, I try talking to her, about different things, but she never answers. Even when I use the power of the Crystal, there's...there's nothing different."

"Odd...don't you think?"

A snort of a laugh escaped Noctis. "I really don't know what to make of it. Until last year, I didn't even know our Crystal was the remnant of a powerful fal'Cie, let alone that it contained a fragmented piece of her soul. I really don't know what to think of as normal or not around it anymore." He pursed his lips in frustrated confusion.

For as long as he could remember, he had thought that he had known their Crystal, had understood it, but now...he really knew nothing at all when it came to their ancient protector. Part of him wanted to travel back to Erebus, to see what else that forgotten fountain of knowledge in that ruined library held. Noctis cocked his head and glanced at the cloud-covered sky, and the moon that lay somewhere on the other side. Even if he were allowed to travel to Velens, would he be able to use the gateway to Erebus? It had only worked since Niveus had been with them. Would his powers alone be strong enough?

"Maybe she's just tired," chuckled Gladiolus, drawing Noctis from his thoughts before they rambled on even more. "It's not like she had that sort of journey every day."

Noctis glanced to his friend and grinned. "If that's the case, then I'm actually rather jealous."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, c'mon, getting to rest for over a year now? That sounds quite nice, don't you think?"

Gladiolus' familiar laugh hung in the air. "Ahh, yeah. There are definitely times when I wish I could rest for a year. But I hope she doesn't keep on sleeping much longer. Make sure to be there when she wakes up, all right?"

The laughter that Noctis had felt slipped away. His eyes darted back to the Temple and the Crystal that lay within. With what his father had told him a year ago, he did not feel that to be possible. "She only showed herself to those she trusts the most during times of great need," was how the King had described it. "You really think that might happen?" questioned the Prince.

"I like to think so, anyway. Have fun explaining that one, though, if it happens."

Noctis grunted in discomfort when his friend clapped him on the back before laughing dryly. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. Looooaaaads of fun explaining that to the Councilmen. I think I'd rather deal with the negotiations with Tenebrae for a year rather than do that."

"Be glad then that you don't have to handle security as well."

At his friend's obvious displeasure, the Prince could not help but smirk. "Having fun with that, are we?"

"Not one bit. Bad enough having to worry about the King and your sorry ass while here all the time, but having two royal families for a weekend is not going to be fun. That, and it's all taking place in the last kingdom with a Crystal. If you ask me, even if things have been improving, it's still a recipe for disaster."

Noctis drummed his fingers against the ledge. When put like that, it did sound rather precarious. Even so, he shot his friend a flat stare. "Always nice to know how much you care about protecting my life," he sniffed disapprovingly in response.

"This coming from Mr. I-Can-Take-Care-of-Myself?" Likewise, Gladiolus stared down at the Prince, his stare also rather flat and unamused.

"Why do something yourself when you can have others do it?" Shrugging nonchalantly, Nocts flicked his collar and brushed off some beading water droplets from his shoulders.

"Okay, that's it!" The scarred man let out a laugh before reaching for Noctis.

"Nope!" Without hesitation, the dark-haired Prince used the power of the Crystal and shifted to a safe distance across the roof. Gladiolus was left there, stumbling forward a few steps like a fool while Noctis laughed.

"Cheater!" Though the scarred man pointed an accusing finger, there was no hiding his amused grin.

"C'mon. You should know better than that by now." Still chuckling, Noctis walked to join his friend who had started back towards the door on the roof.

"Yeah. I should have gotten more out of it when you couldn't use your powers."

A cheeky grin tugged at Noctis' lips and he held his head smugly. "Oh well. Missed your chance."

"Bet you wish you could just teleport away from your duties tomorrow, though."

That shot down Noctis' smug look in one blow. Slouching instead now, he inwardly groaned. "All too much..."

"Well, at least you have a surprise to look forward to tomorrow."

"Wait, what? What sort of surprise?"

"I've said too much already. You'll see."

"Then you shouldn't have said anything! It would have been a surprise either way! Now I'll wondering what it could possibly be."

"Exactly."

Noctis shot his friend a light-hearted glare as he reached for the handle. "Thanks a lot."

Gladiolus grinned again before slipping inside first. "Any time."


"Good luck, Noct!"

"Thanks," muttered the Prince, walking down the halls at a brisk pace to meet his father outside. He nodded his head lightly at the guard before hurrying by, until he did a double-take. "Prompto?"

"Yep!" His blond friend grinned widely before giving a salute.

Noctis had barely recognized his friend in uniform. He was so accustomed to seeing Prompto in everyday clothing, or sometimes the odd suit, that seeing the lanky man in uniform was a shock. It managed to suit him rather well, though. Once done gawking in surprise, Noctis finally grinned and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Congratulations. I didn't think that you'd be in the City Guard so soon!"

"Told you, I got the best aim of anyone here. That, and Gladiolus helped," added Prompto under his breath. "But, surprise! Today's my first day on the job!"

The Prince gave a one-sided smile. So this had been the surprise after all. He really was quite happy and proud for his friend for having made it to rank so soon, even if it was just the starting position. "Don't screw up too badly today, then."

"Oh, c'mon. It's me we're talking about here!"

"Precisely."

"Ah hah. Ah hah. I need to head on out to my position, and so do you, Mr. Prince. I may be protecting you as well no, but even I can't save you if you wind up late."

Eyes going wide, Noctis swallowed. "Good point." With a turn of his heel, and a wave at his old friend, he hurried back on down the hall. Leaving his father waiting was never a good decision

The day was a bright one, having returned to the bout of good weather after the previous day's showers. And, thanks to that rain, it was even cooler now, making for an excellent day to travel. Slowing to a steady walk, Noctis smoothed down his suit and joined his father at the head of the stares. He remembered this event in reverse all too well, even though it had been over a month now since their visit to Tenebrae. Now, it was time for the Caelum family to repay the favour to the Fleuret line.

"Tired?" asked Regis without looking to his son. The elder man kept his eyes on the horizon, looking for sign of the arriving royal family.

"Actually...not really. Surprisingly enough."

"Good. There may be hope after all that we get through this."

Noctis blinked in confusion at his father. So unused to hearing amusement in the King's voice, Noctis was never certain whether or not he was hearing things just then. From his current position, he even thought that he saw a light grin tugging at Regis' lips. Perhaps it was just the angle of the light playing tricks on him. Even so, the King did show his humorous side at odd times, and this certainly fit that profile.

A cheer rose up from the gathered crowd, causing Noctis to shift his gaze back to the horizon. Turning onto the palace's driveway came five white vehicles. From them, once they stopped at the front of the palace, stepped the Fleuret family: Viduo, Avarus, and Stella. Now it was the Caelum family's turn to walk down the steps and greet the guests. To his surprise, Viduo pulled Regis into a hug. And the Prince was not the only one surprised. Royal Guards that had lined the steps tensed in anticipation, having expected the worse. Avarus, much like Noctis, seemed surprised, although slightly more appalled than the dark-haired Prince. On the other hand, Stella only chuckled and covered her mouth politely.

"It is...good to finally have you visit," greeted Regis once the hug ended. Even the King had been caught off-guard by the display, and tried his hardest to casually right his hair and clothes. Dishevelling the King, even that slight amount, was quite a feat. "Do you require rest after your journey?"

"No, no. Let's get this first meeting over with! Why draw out the inevitable."

Noctis blinked in amazement at the King of Tenebrae. It was still such an interesting experience to deal with the King, and a bit more unsettling than he would have liked. For years, he had to deal with the likes of his father and the Councilmen. Dealing with Viduo was a completely different game. His responses were so unlike anything Noctis expected, that the young Prince was already off-put during meetings with the man. It caused him to falter and nearly lose his train of thoughts and composure.

Once the group of royalty arrived at the required building, the two Kings, more precisely, mostly Viduo, conversed on their way to the Council Room. Noctis remained at the front, as a guide, and thus stayed silent until the five of them entered the room where the Councilmen waited.

And so it began.

The meeting consisted largely of the Kings and the Councilmen doing all the talking. Now and then, Avarus and Stella would chime in, adding their thoughts, but it was Noctis who remained most silent. He tried to pay attention, he really did, but he felt his purpose there was largely superficial. Dozing off, or yawning, thankfully did not occur, but he would be glad once the meeting was over. That was, until, one of the topics listed further down on the agenda was brought up. Anything concerning their Crystal brought him to full attention.

"What exactly is this research you're offering us in trade for knowledge of the Crystal?" asked one of the Councilmen, rather bluntly. Noctis glanced up, anticipating the answer. To his surprise, it was not the King of Tenebrae that responded, but rather the Princess.

"We've been looking into a means of alternative power." All eyes settled onto Stella. "We hope to make it as powerful and reliable of your Crystal one day. But, to do that successfully, we will need to learn more of yours. Everything we examine and create with it would of course be shared."

"Do we even need a new source of power? The kingdoms have been managing just fine with what's available," countered another.

Stella sighed and shifted in her seat, a glimpse of frustration breaking through her perfect composure. "Forgive my frankness, but not every kingdom has a Crystal. We don't all hold the same luxury as you of a secondary power. What the rest of us have now is wonderful, yes, but even it has limitations. And as long as one kingdom has something different, be it a Crystal or something else, the cold war, or worse, may return."

"But what is this power you speak of?" asked Morior, eyeing down his long nose at the young Princess. The King's brother had been wearing an unreadable mask for all of the meeting. Though he had never outright opposed to the notion of the alliance with Tenebrae, he was not hesitant to bring up good points of concerns. Now was no different. His questions, while hidden under the guise of respect, managed to probe out information, not resting until he got the information that he sought. And, being quite the master with politics, he knew a hollow answer from a real one. He was persistent, that much Noctis had to admit.

Stella's violet eyes shifted to her father momentarily before sitting in her chair straighter. "It is The Light."

Hushed murmurs fell between the Councilmen. Noctis felt his heart plummet into his stomach. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably before glancing to Stella. The Princess of Tenebrae held herself high and held her ground against the judging gazes of the Councilmen.

"The Light is not something to fear. Our research into it has already shown that it has great potential. It's a practically unlimited source of power. Think of what we can achieve with it! New buildings, new vehicles, new ships, new—"

"Weapons like the Obruo?"

A light gasp of surprise escaped Stella. Even the other members of the royal family and the Councilmen were surprised. The Prince even surprised himself, but he could no longer remain silent on such matters. What Stella spoke of in her plans for the Light sounded far too similar to what led to the Obruo and the destruction of the fal'Cie. People then had used The Light, probably starting off with very similar good intentions, and in the end waged war. Granted, there was only the one Crystal now, but that did not ease his concern remotely. In fact, it only made his feeling of dread worse.

"The Light can easily be used as a weapon just as easily as it can be used to power whatever else you had in mind."

"Just like the Crystal."

A glare flashed across Noctis' visage, directed at the Prince of Tenebrae. How dare someone insult their Crystal in such a manner. He wanted to rebuke, to defend their ancient guardian, but he could come up with nothing that could then be countered again. Avarus was right. Both the Crystal and The Light could be used as weapons. A war had been waged against the fal'Cie by using The Light. A war, thousands of years later, had been waged with Crystal against Crystal. Noctis cast his gaze down, ashamed. What would be the basis of the next war? Light pitted against Light? It sounded inevitable when he thought about it.

"Without anything different, your Crystal will always be seen as a threat," continued Avarus, his words harsh but truthful. "No matter how much the kingdoms speak of peace now, it will always be seen that way. It will be lurking there in the shadows, a linchpin that could initiate a new war anywhere down the road. Having the power of The Light, however, may just help, for then the other kingdoms can feel that they have something of equal value, or perhaps greater, to your Crystal."

Noctis said no more, allowing the others to resume control of the meeting. Let them do what they will: argue, banter, go around in circles, whatever. The Prince no longer cared. No matter what was said, he would always have his doubts.


The weekend was over, and so it was time for the Fleuret family to take their leave. Noctis and Regis saw to their departure. Much like on their arrival, the weather was pleasant, making it easy for the crowd to gather.

As they descended the steps, a tingling sensation prickled at the back of his mind. Shaking his head, Noctis tried to get rid of it, thinking it no more than a passing feeling. Despite his attempts, it would not go away, and instead grew to the point where he realized what it was.

"Get down!" he shouted, dashing in front of the other members of royalty. His father, being as quick to act as the Prince, helped to get the Fleuret family down swiftly and safely. Eyes flashed from their calming blue to a stark red, signalling his connection to the Crystal. Weapons shimmered around him, coming from their state of hiding to answer his call and lend their aid. They acted as a shield, blocking the burst of magic that exploded in front. If not for the shield of weapons, Noctis feared that the worst outcome would have come to pass.

Over the noise from the explosion, he could already here the commotion from the crowd rising, and the hustle of the Royal Guard rushing to lend assistance from the magic attack. But that strike had been no ordinary magic like many people learned. Noctis grimaced as he reached for his nearest weapon, one of the spears in his arsenal, and tried to find the person behind the attack. He had used that power of the attack only once before, he had dealt with it more times than he would have liked during the previous year.

The Light.

Someone had used the power of The Light in an attempt to murder them. Following the trace left behind, Noctis teleported as often as he could, leaving those in the Royal Guard, and City Guard behind. After a number of more jumps, he found the culprit trying to flee. With one more teleportation move, he reached in front of the dark-haired woman. What he had opened to be an easy task was not so simple as she lashed out with another attack, this one being a more common fire spell.

"Agh!" Noctis winced from the heat of the flames that licked threateningly close to his body. The woman shoved him aside before bolting further along. He grunted and scrambled to his feet as fast as he could. Ahead of them, he could see a motorcycle waiting for her. "No you don't!" Throwing a weapon, he used his powers and lodged it right in the motorcycle, stopping the vehicle from being able to function. The woman, caught off-guard, left herself wide open. Taking that chance, Noctis teleported forward and locked her arms behind her body.

Weapons hovered around her, ensuring that she did not escape. She struggled, kicking and trying to free her arms, but it was no use. Using his powers, Noctis teleported himself and the woman back to the Royal Guard. Half a dozen took her from him and led the assassin towards the Kings.

"Noct! You all right?" The Prince looked up to see his two friends in the City Guard nearing him.

"Yeah. Fine." Sniffing, he caught a whiff of smoke. Part of his suit had been singed from her fire attack after all, and he tried to smother it out before it spread any further.

"Who was that?" asked Prompto, craning his head to see past the Royal Guards.

"About to find out." Striding forward, Noctis reached where the woman had been taken, just in front of the other royal family members. Regis eyed her, his gaze more weighing than usual.

"Take her away for questioning later," ordered the King of Lucis. The tall man made a dismissive gesture with his hand, ending the matter.

"My life for my kingdom!" shouted the woman.

"Stop her!"

Confusion ensued. The woman struggled against the guards around her, and some rushed in closer, but then she stopped all movement. The guards, who had been shouting orders at one another became dead silent. Noctis stared on, baffled, trying to get a better view of what was happening. Even returning back to his father's side, he could see nothing else, until the guards laid down the woman and stepped aside.

Noctis grimaced at the sight. Foam bubbled from her mouth, and her eyes were frozen open. All life was gone from her body.

"Poison," spat Regis. "There goes any chance at answers."

"Not so fast, your highness," said Avarus, stepping forward. The older Prince knelt down by the still-warm body and took something off of her clothing. "See? These are the colours of Niflheim."

"And so they send one person to start a war?"

"Perhaps they did wish to start a war, but just to keep us from forming an alliance," reasoned Viduo. "King Regis, I do not think this incident should be allowed to deter our efforts. In fact, I think we should make the best from this, and not allow a bond to be broken from a feeble attempt such as this."

Not fully convinced, Noctis stared at the woman while others came to take her away. Something was not sitting right with him: Why would an assassin wear the colours of their home kingdom? That felt like a stupid mistake, or, perhaps, deceit.


"Noct, there's something I need to tell you before you head to bed."

Nearly tripping over his own legs in the process, the Prince sat back in his chair before completely falling over and hurting himself. Anytime that his father used his nickname felt so unexpected that it always caught him by surprise. Sitting, he tried to right himself, and looked, rather sheepishly, to his father.

"Niflheim of course denies the assassination attempt," continued the King. Noctis felt uneasy, wondering where the discussion was headed. "Even if it wasn't them, someone out there does not wish for our alliance to proceed. But we cannot run and hide any more. We will hold our own and not cower in the shadows. And so, I have decided to move ahead with this allegiance with Tenebrae. This will, however, require something from you."

Sinking into the back of his chair, Noctis wanted to disappear. Perhaps he should teleport away now, and avoid it all. Running, however, would only get him so far before he had to stop. As much as he wanted to, he could not delay the inevitable.

Swallowing, Noctis asked the question that would receive the dreaded answer: "What is it?"

"There would be an arranged marriage between you and Princess Stella."


A/N: Yep. Pulse and Lindzei. Whether or not they're going to keep Etro and all that lore in XV, it's staying in mine (I did read that the Versus/XV story is largely staying the same, so we'll see?)

Wanted to have Noctis joking around with his friends at the start, since things are going to get really dark...really soon...

Omg, I realized, just like Ignis got no real screentime in the new trailer, he didn't get any in this chapter ;A; I'm so sorry, Ignis.

I'm still hyped and want to keep writing, so hopefully another update should be fairly soon!