Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy.

Xethear: It's been a while everyone. Sorry for the long absence, rather than going into details, here's the next chapter! Only about one or two chapters left before the conclusion. Thanks for the continuous support!

Chapter 52: Awakening

"You all are beginning to annoy me." A vein pulsed across Caius's forehead as he shoved a piece of rumble off of his body.

"Oh? Looks like the little pup still has some bark left in him." Cor flashed the man a toothy grin. Noctis felt like he was watching a proud dragon and a bloodthirsty wolf face off against one another. "Come on then, let's take this outside." Cor quickly acted without his opponents approval and shoved the palm of his hand against Caius's face and burst through the castle wall with Caius in tow. Noctis began to have flashbacks of the time he watched Cor on live video feed from the castle as a child and see the man smash through enemy vehicles with his Guardian Release striking fear into those against Tenebrae as he was like a one man army.

Noctis trusted Caius to Cor, his Guardian's words still echoing in his head. 'Nephew huh?' Don't belittle me old man.' Noctis rose from the ground and dusted off his pants before materializing Durandal in his hand once again. "Just you and me again." He pointed his blade towards a shaking Aldercapt.

"Not necessarily!" The scheming old man snapped. "Hurry and rescue me you buffoon!" He shouted into his collar which Noctis assumed housed a microphone.

"As you wish." A voice sounded behind the door Noctis had blocked off. A flash of bluish white light began to shine around the borders of the door signaling Noctis to leap out of the way in time to avoid the blast burning a hole through the door. Noctis winced as the harsh light shined over his eyes and suddenly doubled over coughing as a sudden impact against his stomach momentarily crippled him. "I've always wanted to do that." A familiar voice confessed smugly causing the prince's blood to boil.

It was enough to give him a spike of energy and kick his combatant in the same place knocking the man back several paces. "Raines. How have you fallen."

Cid chuckled and dusted his pants off as he rose back to his feet. He then rolled his neck several times and fitted the white gloves hugging his hands before taking a brawling stance. "I don't want to hear that from such a sorry excuse for a prince." Noctis scoffed and mirrored his opponents stance, taking up the hand to hand challenge. "Pick up your sword. I don't want to fight with a handicap. I don't know how to hold back."

Noctis shook his head and flashed Cid a confident grin, "I think all the hand to hand combat practice I had with Gladio, and Light…" Noctis noted Cid's brow twitch with the mention of Lightning's nickname causing his grin to grow wider, "…will be more than enough to take you down." 'Those strategic lectures from Ignis and…' Noctis bit his lip as memories of Prompto and himself creating mischief in the castle replayed in his head, '…those times of espionage with Prompto will come in handy as well.'

"Pretty snobbish from someone who nearly collapsed from one of my punches."

"Your punches feel like a moogle's pompom compared to Light's punches."

Noctis's last comment pushed Cid over the edge. "Don't you dare say her name in front of me!" The man roared indignantly and stampeded towards Noctis with his right hand clenched into a fist. The moment Cid stepped into Noctis's hitbox he thrust his fist forward targeting the left side of Noctis's cheek.

Noctis watched as time suddenly seemed to move in slow motion. He recalled a similar time Gladiolus performed a similar attack when they sparred as kids. 'Go for a cross counter.' His Guardian's voice echoed in his head. Noctis nodded and twisted his body and thrust his left arm forward connecting with Cid's face before the man's jab made contact with him. As soon as Noctis made contact, the slow motion reverie ended allowing Noctis to revel in the aftermath of his counterattack. Cid staggered back several paces with his hand over his face; blood trickled down between his fingers staining the man's white gloves. All the while Aldercapt stood baffled at the far end of the room.

"Guh… kch…" Cid wiped his mouth with the back of his glove and spat out any remnants of blood lingering on his tongue onto the floor earning a disapproving grimace from Noctis. In the next instant, Cid's disposition quickly changed from annoyed and bitter to condescending and smug. "Not bad… not bad at all." The man slowly discarded the blood stained gloves onto the floor and took a deep breath. "I was afraid I was going to have to hold back. You should be honored to face me in this next form."

"Form..?" Noctis muttered in disbelief, wondering if his opponent was crafting excuses; however Noctis soon discovered Cid's words to hold truth in a surprising way.

"Haaaaaah!" Cid stomped on the floor causing the area beneath his feet to form a white circle encompassing the man. Noctis watched in slight awe as light began to emanate from the circle and completely engulf Cid.

"Excellent! Yes, use that! Utilize your curse to the fullest!" Aldercapt cried out hysterically.

The harsh light threatened to blind all in the room, yet Noctis stood steadfast and still. His crimson gaze never faltered as he saw Cid's aura shift from blue to a spiraling white and black. In addition to the change in aura, his appearance was also altered—the upper half of his body was gilded in a pale, icy blue root like veins which made him appear bulkier as they encompassed his torso, right arm and even sprouted wing like appendages. His eyes were glazed over, glowing an eerie white and when he spoke, it was as if something else spoke with him. "What do you think Prince Caelum? Quite the transformation isn't it? This is what it means to be on the fighting level of a god. Curse? Aldercapt you speak nonsense by calling this a curse. It's a gift from the gods, from Etro herself. And now…" Cid grinned at the bewildered prince and extended his altered claw like hand out before forming a fist with it, "…I will crush you with this newfound power."

'Do not be afraid.'

Noctis jolted up at the sound of the familiar voice which began to mute Cid's in his mind. It was the same voice which asked him whether or not he wanted more power back when he and Lightning fought Caius. 'You again… who are you?'

'Your reservoir of strength. Now focus on the task at hand, your life is precious and this pawn means to take it away.'

Noctis placed a hand over his head as his gaze began to grow blurry as time seemed to slow down. 'Are you the one responsible for my unique power gain opposed to being branded with the mark of a l'Cie?'

'L'Cie… so that is the brand name the humans have labeled it with. Interesting. Yes I am. I have graced you with such power, because you are an exceptional being graced with sacred blood. With growth, you can nurture this power and become an unstoppable force. It grows with powerful emotion. Your anger towards this man whom wishes to take things precious away from you… that anger can is a great outlet for power.'

Noctis shook himself out of the dreamlike trance the voice had over him and shifted his gaze back at Cid who now began to gather up light essence into an enclosed fist. The display of power however, failed to faze the prince as he himself began to feel a burst of power build in his body. His eyes flashed red and he saw an aura begin to emit from his own body, an aura much more intense than the one emanating from the partially Cieth transformed Cid. 'This is amazing! With this I can—!"

"Now then, with this I take Ms. Farron away from—!" A sudden thunderous boom resounded in the room cutting Cid's sentence short as the man's eyes rolled back, glazed over, mouth slightly agape. He fell over Noctis's shoulder limply as the sudden impact of the prince's fist against his stomach forced him unconscious.

Aldercapt stood stiff at the back of the room in awe. "E-Etro's power is indeed great. Have you finally awaken… my grace?" Aldercapt slowly scuffled to his feet as he stared at Noctis as he tossed Cid's unconscious frame to the floor. The prince looked at his hand and touched his thumb to each finger before forming it into a fist which began to swirl with a mystifying purple air.

Noctis grinned at Aldercapt as his eyes pulsed an ominous violet and his hair slowly began to grow white in color. "You've done well old one. However I do not go by that masquerade any longer. That sleeping goddess's name was merely a way to deceive those who believed in her. I am the supreme god Bhunivelze." His voice was no longer a semblance to the prince alone, but as if another voice spoke over the prince's in unison.

Aldercapt held a smile of unease on his wrinkled face as he stood up with shaky legs. "B-Bhunivelze?! T-Then I trust the takeover was a success? The pampered prince is the perfect host?"

Bhunivelze held out his hand and summoned Noctis's blade Durandal to his side, however the once silver blade was now beginning to become stained black and red. A crease formed on the prince's now possessed face and his brow twitched in frustration. "Though I simply used her name, she still was able to have some blessing given to him." He took the blade in hand and swung it down causing a mighty gust of wind to whirl around the room sending all furniture colliding against the walls. "Once this blade is completely blessed with my presence I will have full control and will be able to establish a utopia."

"One which, I will be granted great rule your grace?" Aldercapt asked with a clap of his hands.

Bhunivelze tilted his hand and gave the man a cold stare before a chilling smile appeared on his face. "Of course. A fair reward for all that you've done to this point." Bhunivelze turned to the closed door and with a wave of his hand, blew the fixture of its hinges sending the blockade of weaponry Noctis had established before to scatter haphazardly across the hallway. "Tch… normally all that would have taken would've been a wave of my finger. I still need practice with this host. Now then old one— ngh!" Suddenly Bhunivelze dropped down to one knee clutching his head.

"Your grace!" Aldercapt quickly ran up to the so called god but stopped several meters away as he felt the air around him quickly grow cold.

"I've spent millennia waiting for this opportunity, watching over the corruption of mankind. You will not have this body back. I have seen your actions too, you ignorant, feeble human. I know what gives you strength, the ties that hold you down to continue fighting. I'll simply destroy these, especially the one you call Lightning. She has no place in my utopia oh foolish prince."

"I'll end you." Noctis voice suddenly spoke out in the lonely hallway causing Aldercapt to shudder. He saw Noctis's hair slowly turning back to its original shade as the voice grew in volume. "If you lay even one finger on a hair on her head, I won't hesitate to destroy my own body. Now then, why don't you just return what's rightfully mine you tyrannical piece of—"

Noctis's voice was abruptly interrupted by Bhunivelze taking over once again, his hair going completely white. "Who do you think you're talking to fool?!" Bhunivelze rose up and staggered towards the wall before summoning up another sword with a blade colored a blinding white. He tossed it to Aldercapt who almost dropped the weapon as he stared up to Bhunivelze's pale, sweaty and sickly face. "Y-Your grace, are you alri—"

"Silence. Drive that blade through the chest of this physical form… ngh—! Now!" Bhunivelze dug his fingers into the chest of the prince's form and violently shook about colliding into the walls of the hallway. Aldercapt then noticed one of the prince's eyes was crimson red and the other was violet.

Aldercapt took a gulp and ran towards the writhing individual with the white blade held out and pierced the prince's body directly through the chest. Two voices immediately rung out resounding through the castle, howling in pained agony—one voice Bhunivelze's and the other, the prince's. Aldercapt watched in awe as on the point of the blade was a hazy, ethereal image of Noctis struggling to pry the sword out of his chest. It was as if the sword extracted the prince's soul out of his body. The once white blade grew silver and azure in color as Noctis's image began to fade. "You—! What is this?!"

Bhunivelze suddenly vanished and reappeared out of the sword's impalement and gradually began to gain color back in his face as his hair grew white once again and his eyes returned violet as he collected himself through labored breaths. "That should suffice as a leash for such a dog until my desire is fulfilled." Bhunivelze chuckled. "But just as a countermeasure, shall we visit this Lightning?!"

"YOU BASTA—!" Noctis's cry of indignation was postponed as his figure suddenly vanished along with the azure blade.

"The fool was more troublesome than I first anticipated. But no matter."

"Yes. Let us visit that wretched woman. She after all killed my most trusted advisor. I would like to pay her back your grace." Aldercapt said with a sneer.

Paradigm Shift

Cauis grunted as he was sent flying back several meters away from a battered Cor who stood on one knee clutching his bleeding side. Fresh blood streaked down the man's rugged face as recollection of what had just happened angered him to no end.

"Is that all you've got?" Caius boasted confidently as he stopped Caius's face on the ground.

"Hey old man! Need any help?!" Gladiolus called out from the airship.

"Stand your ground Amicitia. I'm just getting warmed up."

"Chaos… bend to my will." Caius muttered in a low voice, barely picked up by Cor.

"What's that your blabbing on abo—" Just then, a streak of red appeared over Cor's face in an instant before he found himself on the ground clutching his torn chest. "W-What the…" In one instant he had been standing over Caius and in the next instant, the scene had switched the two men's roles as Caius leered over the injured Guardian.

"Is that all you've got?" Caius said coldly as his eyes began to glow red.

"Heh… so that's it huh? Looks like you had to resort to relying on someone else's power so I say I'm pretty honored to have backed you into a corner like that. But like you, I was holding back!" Cor slowly rose up, a white aura collecting around him as he prepared for Guardian Release, but the power he was gathering, suddenly dissipated.

"That power from a sleeping Goddess is rendered useless towards the power of an awakened god." Caius said as he lifted his sword up over Cor.

Cor grit his teeth and fell back down as fatigue settled in his body. "Well ain't this something…" He grinned at Caius without faltering his gaze. "Take your best shot."

"You won't be smiling after this!" Caius brought his sword down with killing intent as he met Cor's steeling eyes and was suddenly sent flying back.

"Why are you here woman?" Cor growled. "Leave me with my pride."

Lightning spun around and glared at Cor before picking him up by the shirt and punching him across the face sending him back down to the ground. "There's more where that came from." Lightning said venomously, still feeling a great deal of anger at the man who took Noctis away. "So just sit tight and keep your mouth shut."

"I don't take orders from y— ack!" Before Cor could protest anymore Lightning drove her foot into the downed man's stomach causing him to clutch the area and groan.

"Now then…" Lightning turned to Caius once again and summoned Gagnrad in her right hand and Ullr's Shield in her left, finally able to get a solid grasp on her l'Cie powers.

Caius growled, the upper part of his mouth twitching in frustration like an aggravated feral animal. He sprinted forward and swung his greatsword at Lightning who defended against the attack by shoving her shield against the man's weapon generating enough force to knock the man off balance. The soldier utilized the moment to swing Gagnrad into Caius's stomach making a solid hit connect as her opponent growled with pain.

Caius draped his free arm around his abdomen and quickly stopped the blood flow somehow much to Lightning's astonishment. "What the…"

As she was left to speculation, Caius charged yet again and met Lightning in an exchange of fervent blows which shook the air around them. Utilizing a combination of well-timed shielding, sword parries and kicks, Lightning was able to get an edge on Caius. After taking another powerful kick to the chest, Caius stomped his foot on the ground and snarled at Lightning.

"I have no time for you! Chaos, bend to my will!" Everything around Caius began to grow still as he muttered his incantation. The howling of the wind, the sounds of firearms, the shouting of voices, everything fell silent after the man's sentence. "Hmph." He glared at Lightning's still form; even halted in time she managed to keep a stoic expression. Caius raised his free hand into the air and manifested flames colored black and purple in the palm of his hand. His arm shook and trembled with the collection of elemental power and with a mighty grunt, unleashed it towards Lightning finding purchase directly against her chest.

Lightning watched Caius vanished one second and found herself crying out in pain as a searing hot touch raked at her chest in the next second. She was completely bewildered at how in a blinding instant, there were dark flames scalding her torso. Using the medical treatment she practiced with Vanille and Aerith the sharp witted soldier manifested a comforting pale aqua light in her hand and touched her palm to her chest dispelling the wicked flames. The flames had seared off parts of her Class Zero uniform revealing a small upper portion of her chest which displayed the mark of the l'Cie, however what would have been a foreboding red eye signaling the progression of the "sickness" was now pale aqua as if the mark had been frozen over.

"What's this?" Caius fixed his gaze on the mark curiously before Lightning unleashed several bolts of electricity raining down on the man with a crack of her dual blades. Taken by surprise, Caius was a second too late to dodge and grunted as a painful shock jolted through his body bringing him down to his knees as bright white sparks outlined blue snaked around his limbs. "Guh—!" He looked up in time to see the sole of Lightning's boot before it collided with his face sending him into the air and before the pain could settle, Lightning swung Gagnrad creating a mighty gale soaring towards Caius. The razor sharp pockets of condensed wind raked the exposed parts of Caius's body with thin red streaks causing blood to trinkle down his face, neck and fingers, whilst his armor became scarred in the process. Once the gale subsided, Caius fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Lightning glared at her opponent waiting to see if he would make any sudden movements. She had just blinked when again Caius vanished only to reappear a second later a mere step away from her, distance which he quickly closed with a thrust of his fiery fist into her stomach immediately combusting upon impact. "Augh!" Lightning was blown back, skidding on the rough gravel upon landing. 'How is he doing that?!' Again she healed herself, but felt a greater sense of fatigue knowing full well using l'Cie powers puts strain on the body.

"It's about time I end thi—"

"Caius!"

A familiar voice hit Lightning's ears as a young man dressed primarily in blue came rushing to her side. "Noel! What're you doing here?! I thought I told you to stay at the ship!"

Without turning towards Lightning, Noel unsheathed his swords and took a fighting stance against Caius. "I'm sorry Lightning, but I've been looking for this guy. Leave him to me! We've got unfinished business."

"Wait, he's using some sort of weird power, it—"

"Seems to stop time?" The man finished the sentence with a nod. "I know. And I can fight back. After all, I have Yeul's blessing."

"Noel you fool. Where is Yeul?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know! You abandoned us!"

"You know nothing!" Caius quickly vanished after his venomous retort raising alarm bells for Lightning.

"Noel look ou—" Clang! The ringing of metal weapons colliding against one another drowned out Lightning's words as well as rendered her momentarily speechless as she stared at Noel who had perfectly parried Caius's attack.

"Go Lightning! Get to Noctis! He needs you right now, Yeul told me so! I'll explain later, so get going!"

If she hadn't seen Noel combat Caius himself on an even playing field, she may not have consented, but seeing as how the young man was able to defend the blindingly swift attack from Caius she trusted the battle to him. Lightning walked up to Cor and picked him up and helped him to his feet. He released a hoarse cough causing several drops of blood to stain the ground as he turned to meet Lightning's steely glare. "You know… heheh… your one nasty woman."

"Watch what you say." Lightning threatened with an electrically charged fist.

Cor chuckled, "I approve."

Lightning raised her brow, "You what?"

"Get going, I can take it from here." Cor said as he shrugged out of Lightning's support. "I… apologize for what I said. It seems like that brat found himself a good fiancée after all."

Cor's words struck a note in Lightning's mind as a small blush painted her cheeks. "What're you—"

"Go! I can already tell he needs you right now, so get going!"

Lightning decided she would ask the man more questions later, even if she had to fight him for them. With a quick nod of agreement, she spun around and dashed towards the palace entrance.

Paradigm Shift

"Noct!" Lightning shouted as she burst through the doors of the throne room creating a loud bash to resound throughout the large interior space. In the distance she spotted Aldercapt standing by the onyx and gold gilded throne causing her to instinctively hold Ullr's Shield out in front of her body. Her eyes narrowed and darted to the throne, only to grow wide as she stared at the figure seated on the ornate chair. The man sat with one leg crossed over the other whilst he rested his head against his fist supported by the arm of the throne. He held a pensive gaze, but it was quickly replaced by a sly grin when he met Lightning's stare. He did indeed look like Noctis, but something more than his hair color and eyes were off kilter.

"Hello Lightning." The man said in a completely foreign voice unbeknownst to the soldier.

End Chapter

Xethear: As an end note to the chapter, I just want to say FF XV Duscae demo, Final Fantasy VII remake and Kingdom Hearts III trailer are amazing! 'Til next chapter you all. Stay awesome.