Lightning crawled towards her sword, reaching out with a weary arm as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. They had fallen, at the final hurdle. Strewn around her were the unconscious bodies of her comrades, littering Orphan's Cradle amongst a series of blast craters and fires.

"It is over." Came the voice from behind her. "You are defeated."

Stubbornly she clawed on, reaching the hilt of her blade and uneasily using its weight to help her back to one knee. She breathed deeply with anger and resentment, trying to summon one last decisive charge to turn the tide of this catastrophic battle. Her armour was shredded and burnt, but still she rose to face the enemy…with a last shout she turned to attack once more…but failed. Her blade flew from her hand as a concussive force propelled her from her newly regained footing and backwards towards the unforgiving stone of the Cradle's wall.

"Foolish child, your fate was inevitable. You cannot fight it."

Bitterly she looked up, her eyes adjusting from the impact of her head hitting the wall. She watched as the fal'Cie re-assimilated into human form and stepped forward, Barthandelus; voice of the Sanctum, and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie met her eyes with scathing superiority. The elderly figure lifted his staff and thrust it forward at her, forcing Lightning to wince as concussive force again pinned her to the wall. Barthandelus held her there as he slowly made his way to the throne atop the golden platform, taunting her;

"You see my child, you humans are given the allusion of free will, but is a freedom deigned by us. One to ensure you are protected from yourselves and the terror of uncertainty. This is best for you, you must trust that fact…for we know all, and we experience all."

Lightning struggled against the magic but felt her entire body submit to its force, locking her in place while the false preacher continued his sermon.

"Look at your friends, do not think of them as failures, for they have complied with their destinies…as have you. L'Cie are servants to a Fal'Cie's cause, we strive to improve both ourselves and this world, and those like you facilitate this end. You have all performed admirably, but it is time to let go."

"…I'll never…stop fighting you." Lightning replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh I think you will, you will submit. As is your nature." Came the curt response.

Lightning knew he was right, all her fighting and attempts to forge her own destiny had been for nought, Serah was lost…and Cocoon would fall to Ragnarok. Despair filled her heart as she sank in body and soul at the revelation of humanity's weakness. She watched as Barthandelus' eyes burned into her, and she recoiled as she felt him savour every moment of her loss. He lowered his staff, ending the pinning spell, and rested it to one side of the throne.

"I must say I admire your spirit. That you, a humble soldier came this far…it fascinates me. Tell me, why? What drove you to these lengths?" He rested his head on his hand as he looked at her with scientific questioning.

"I fight for what I love." Came her answer.

"I see, human nature at its finest. Desire, unthinking passion and commitment, a trait I greatly admire. Correct me though child, but is it not your sister you strive to release?"

Lightning recoiled.

"Yes, I see it in your heart, captive inside crystal. Such a terrible fate…" he paused before looking down at her with a newfound expression of inquiry. "Many Fal'Cie are short sighted, mindless in their existence…stagnant in their routine. I stand apart. I believe in evolution and progression, study and development…only then can we reach the goals set by those who came before…your passion is something we do not experience…"

"What are you talking about!?" Lightning barked back with half-hearted conviction.

"I wish to learn of human passion, what it is to be unthinking and reactive, I must know before we leave this world. Assist me in this venture my l'Cie, and I will spare your sister the rapture…"

The young woman looked up at the figure with desperate concern.

"Serah, you can save her?" she begged.

"I can, and will. Step forward." He responded, slowly rising from his throne to stand at the top of the platform. "Come to me my l'Cie, and share with me humanity's defining nature on this final day. Teach me of lust, desire, and carnal passion…"

Lightning froze, her inner turmoil swirled further as she questioned the nature of his request and the truth of her existence. She refused the notion as madness and felt her wounds throb as her mind clouded with conflict. Through it all she imagined Serah, free from this all. Given the chance Lightning had fought for, thanks to one final act of submission on humanity's part to save her life. With an unsteady step, Lightning rose. She moved slowly towards the steps and ascended, completely defeated but determined to go out with everything she had. She reached the top of the steps and knelt before the elderly figure's feet.

"I accept."

"Of course you do."

Lightning lifted a weary hand and moved it up towards to figure's waist, moving inside his white robes to push for his body. She met the inside of his thigh with her fingers and was surprised at the feeling returned, Barthandelus was for all purposes a man in this form, she felt the heat of his body as her hand reached further up to find his manhood. She rubbed her palm over him in a circular motion before undoing the loose rope tie around his waist and slowly pulling his bottoms down. She pulled his robe aside once more to face his desire, which she took into her hand and massaged gently. The Fal'Cie's body was mimicked perfectly, as his flaccid member was consistent of a man in his later years, and slowly expanded with her touch.

Lightning ran her long fingers underneath his undercarriage as she rested his shaft along her palm and wrist, moving her mouth down to meet its tip with her lips. The elderly figure shuddered with the flickering of her tongue against his flesh as she held his scrotum tightly as he entered her mouth. She bobbed her head slowly in rhythm with gently squeezing as she felt his member grow and harden in her, as his hand reached down to grasp her hair with vigour.

Barthandelus threw his robe aside and watched the pink haired soldier move in and out towards him, listening to the sounds of her labour as he savoured every sensation that coursed through his artificial nerve endings. With a wave of his hand her tattered armour fell to the ground, plates clattering down the stairs with only her boots remaining to accompany her snowy white body to the chill of the Cradle. He held her head and motioned towards her, enjoying his dominance over her. He allowed himself to release a grunt of approval, and noted the value this had to his experience.

Lightning continued unthinkingly, she was lost in the moment…likely fulfilling the Fal'Cie's words on human nature, but she was past such concerns. Serah would be safe and if this was to be her last experience before Ragnarok she would enjoy every second.

The elderly figure raised his hand to her chin and gestured her to stand, she complied and he looked down at her toned figure. His hands fondled her sculpted chest as his member caressed the inside of her thighs, feeling the heat from her own sex. He gently guided her round to his throne, and positioned her with her back to him. Lightning smiled and raised one of her legs over an arm of the chair, resting her knee on it and guiding him with her hand to enter her. Barthandelus complied, and gasped with pleasure as he felt himself encompassed by her heat and lubricant. He desired the sensation again, and thrust hard into her, repeating his action in rapid succession to the erogenous approval of his partner. His hand gripped her shoulders tightly as she pushed back against his chest, feeling their bodies collide in furious passion. Barthandelus continued is pace, much beyond his mimicked age and again she felt him grow inside of her. He grinned as he watched her outstretched foot's toes scrunch with each inward thrust, holding himself in longer with each stroke.

The two continued with zeal as the Cradle itself began to shake around them…

"It's starting…" he championed.

"What?" She gasped between thrusts, noticing Fang has disappeared from the room below.

"Ragnarok."

She looked up as the Cradle's roof began to crumble and walls slowly contorted unnaturally…but was snapped back to her lust as Barthandelus pulled her backwards by the hair with a particularly vigorous thrust. Her head craned back as their eyes met and she gasped to feel him again increase in size inside of her, to the point of encompassing her fully. Her body shuddered with pleasure as every nerve ending responded to his girth, causing her to rock back onto him oblivious to the first crash of the roof on the room below. The world began to crumble as the two continued their pursuit of carnal desire. Barthandelus gripped he body tightly with unnatural strength, one hand around her waist and the other cupping her chest. He pushed into her with a mechanic consistency that caused her to convulse with multiple orgasms within minutes, clutching the arm of the throne as a huge slab of masonry crashed through the room below, leaving the platform they were on alone in the structure. Wind and fire raged below in cocoon but she remained encapsulated in his embrace as she felt her weary body surge with unfathomable pleasure.

He continued his actions for a further minute as she rode his furious vigour with delight until he finally grasped her back to him and grunted with almighty volume as his desire flooded inside her. He held her close as the two slumped to the throne, and the world burned around them…