Sorry, sorry, sorry this took so long!
I had several thousand pages to check through in my job, not fun, and for obvious reasons that kept me away from this. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
The finale is...close. Very close.
Enjoy!

Dajh appeared with a flash just above Fang and Vanille. The duo had just enough time to try and cover themselves up with their clothes, before Dajh ducked down. "Head for the lake. Fifteen minutes," he muttered.

The Gran Pulsians stumbled forwards, falling onto the empty floor within some warehouse. Quickly getting into their clothes, glad they'd kept sandals on, the two got to their feet, unable to see Dajh.

"What was that?" Fang muttered to herself, brushing her clothes down

"Practice run?" Vanille squeaked

"I hope so," Fang mumbled, "Or it could be the real thing."

"But that's meant to be a week!"

"Meant to be. I don't trust these Sylph," with that, Fang's spear, and Vanille's binding rod, clanged onto the floor in the distance, apparently dropped by Cid the Sylph.

"It's real," Vanille sighed, "That answers it."

"Less time to worry," Fang chuckled, "Didn't Dajh say something about a lake?"

"And fifteen minutes. Why couldn't we just go the old routes we'd planned? I knew my way around those."

"Maybe the Sylph know," Fang shrugged, leading the way out the warehouse. A moment later, she ducked back in, pinning Vanille to the wall. "Scratch that, they definitely know."

Swarms of Sylph were cascading through the sky, literal waves pouring past.

"Are they…looking for us?" Vanille whispered a squeak.

Fang didn't dare respond.

The duo kept their eyes focused on the fiasco outside, tense. There didn't seem to be any way through; the minutes were ticking by, and they only had fifteen to start with.

The tides changed in that instant. The Sylph resistance. A wall of more Sylph flashed into the air, darting towards the waves of Maker-possessed Sylph, and vanishing. After several similar manoeuvres, the sky was almost clear, save for momentary pulses of light in the distance.

"We'd better get going," Fang spoke, grabbing Vanille's hand and running out into the street, out past the people, still looking, awed at the spectacle in the sky, and out, hoping, praying she could find this 'lake' in her allotted time.

The redhead followed the elder Gran Pulsian, running and swerving down the street. Occasionally, Fang pulled Vanille into an alleyway, as Sylph barrelled past, though they both doubted they were actually noticed: the Sylph seemed too occupied, mostly with the other Sylph.

"This is definitely real," Fang rolled her eyes, "We only ever get lost on the real run through."

"You never do anything the easy way," Vanille giggled, "Watch!"

The redhead hopped over to a bystander, one standing, frozen, in the street. Apparently she'd once been walking somewhere, but since the wave of Sylph, most of the people were just standing there, awed at the spectacle, especially the fireworks of Sylph in the sky, visible even though it was day.

"Hey there!" Vanille waved. The woman tore her eyes away from the sky, eyes widening as she saw Vanille

"Oh, I-" her eyes widened further as she saw Fang, "Both of you!" the woman gave a shy curtsy, "I n-"

"Thanks," Vanille interjected. Lightning had told her of their idol-status, but it was always disconcerting to actually experience it. "Do you know if there's a lake around here?"

"A l- sure, would you like me to take you there?"

"Um," Vanille shared a look with Fang, both thinking the same, "No thanks, could you tell us where it is though?"

"Sure," the woman nodded hastily, "Down there, left, right at Clasko's, and go up the steps. Why?"

"Doesn't matter," Vanille giggled, nodding in thanks

"Oh, I didn't mean- forgive me,"

"Nothing to forgive," Vanille chirped, hopping away to rejoin Fang. "See, there is an easy way," the redhead giggled

"You remember that?"

"Sure! Left, right at Clasko's, up the steps," Vanille recited.

Without waiting, the redhead skipped ahead, going down the road until her first left turn. A little way down this street was a reddish shop with a sign, made of wood painted red, with gold letters on, labelling the building 'Clasko's'. Several chocobo supplies seemed to line the windows, along with pet food.

"It's them!"

"I can't believe it…"

"Thought they'd be in that house of theirs?"

"Oh my- oh my-"

"Never thought…"

"Holy-"

The whispers started up the instant the duo entered the next, busier street. Fang mumbled something about killing Dajh, again, if they got through this.

The two Gran Pulsians trailed down the street, attempting to feign indifference, rather than their frank nervousness at all the people all-but worshipping for the event they couldn't even remember.

"You remember the old plan?" Fang whispered back to Vanille, the raven haired Pulsian taking the lead

"Planning doesn't feel like a major part of this bit," Vanille squeaked back

"I meant where we were meant to go,"

"Of course! Into a building, one of NORA will be there to trick the Sylph."

"Who were we looking for again?"

"Lebreau! As long as there's a place by the lake."

"I hope Dajh thought about this," Fang mused, sighing.

"Me too," Vanille giggled, darting down the alley beside Clasko's. As promised, a flight of stairs zigzagged up a stone hill, and a few quacks and whooshes of waves caught up to them.

"Sounds about right," Fang noted

"I guess it is!" Vanille gave Fang a peck on the cheek, before sprinting all the way to the top of the stairs.

"Hey! Don't tire yourself out yet!" Fang called, briskly moving up, though slower than Vanille

"Let me guess," Vanille looked down at Fang, "You'll do it for me?"

"Actually, I was going to say save it for the Sylph," Fang smiled roguishly, "But that too," the elder Gran Pulsian caught up with the redhead.

Vanille hopped, perky as always, despite the situation, across the land. It was mostly stone and mud, with sparse, bare pockets of grass peering up, leading the way to a small, wood-and-metal hut by the edge of the lake.

"Hey!" Lebreau stepped out of the hut, "Get in! There's just a couple of minutes left!"

"I guess Dajh did tell them," Fang shrugged, running along the ground, hands joined with Vanille.

"I guess so," Vanille giggled, stopping just outside the hut, "So, the Sylph will see us go in there, and…Lebreau will keep them occupied, make them think we're there, while we're on Cocoon,"

"Yeah," Fang nodded gravely, voice serious now rather than its previous, casual, half-flirting tones. "You ready?"

"I guess I have to be." Vanille looked up bravely, smiling

"No, if you're not ready, we won't go,"

"Oh…" Vanille looked down, "Really?"

"Of course. What would be the point in saving anything, if you weren't happy?"

"Thanks," Vanille smiled, sadly, resigned, "But I guess I'm ready."

"You sure?"

"Almost," Vanille hopped on the spot, momentarily giggling, once again perky. She pushed herself up on one leg, before pressing her lips to Fang's.

The two stayed like that for a minute. Vanille had both hands running through Fang's raven hair, feeling the soft locks while also keeping the woman close, as Fang simply embraced the younger redhead.

"I'm ready now," Vanille reluctantly sank back down, breathless

"I should hope so, after all that," Lebreau commented, amused, staring out of the hut, "Now get in here, he'll be here any second."

Hurrying, hands still holding each other, the two Gran Pulsians entered the hut. Lebreau shut the door, preventing any of the sparkling Sylph outside from seeing within. A moment later, Dajh appeared, he looked up at the duo, smiling.

"Glad you could make it," he panted, before reaching down on them and taking them far, far way.

X

"The shop, fifteen minutes!" Dajh hurried the words out, but before she could react, Lightning was taken away. Moments later, she found herself stumbling forwards, in some downtown street.

She mumbled a curse, making sure her gun-blade was still strapped to her side. The Dajh-Sylph had gone, though she wasn't sure whether or not that was a good sign; well, he'd taken her here, very rushed, so that probably wasn't good. Had the endgame already begun? To Lightning, it felt like it.

The pink haired soldier lifted a hand to her neck in a practised gesture, before muttering another curse; she wasn't wearing her hood. Her famous features were now on view to the whole world; she just hoped no one would recognize them.

With a loud thump, two other people appeared on the street just opposite her. Dajh vanished with a twinkle, once again giving them the destination "the shop, fifteen minutes."

"Serah?" Lightning called, trying to keep her voice quieter, "Snow?"

She sighed; no way were they going to keep their identities quiet now. All three of them, plus the fact she, Lightning, was one of the more famous members of the group-GC officer against the Sanctum etc-well, it would take an idiot not to suspect something.

"Hey sis!" Snow waved, "This doesn't look good."

"Understatement of the century," Lightning muttered, striding over to Snow, "Get up, or didn't you hear Dajh? We've got fifteen minutes."

"Claire," Serah quickly piped up, "Don't get annoyed, we're all a little on edge. I thought this was meant to be a week away."

"Thinking about what never happened won't achieve much," Lightning's words were harsh, but her features and voice softened.

"Do you know what shop Dajh was talking about, the shop?" Snow quickly steered the subject away from anything that could frustrate Lightning

"I-I think so," Lightning didn't so much stutter, as pause during her speech, to look around. "I know this street. Came here when I was investigating." She paused to look at Serah, "Do you have your weapon?"

"Yeah," Serah nodded, taking a small, sleek pistol from her pocket, "Gadot gave it to me, apparently it was 'too small for his tastes'."

She held the tiny twirl of metal out in her palm; it was very small. Perfectly smooth, made out of a whitish metal carrying a blue sheen, the weapon curved halfway, ending in a tapered point. Only two imperfections marred the otherwise level surface: one oval of pale purple instead of a trigger, and a tiny cuboid catch on the opposite side of the tube to that.

Serah clicked the switch, and pressed the trigger button, while pointing it at the ground. The pointed tip glimmered slightly, and though no bullet was visible, the road beneath it became charred.

"PSICOM prototype," Serah explained, "Gadot also said it was a little too flashy, but I like flashy."

"Serah will dazzle any Sylph we come across," Snow patted his wife on the back, chuckling.

"We'll need more than dazzling," Lightning replied, before marching off.

The married couple floundered behind few a few moments, before they made their way to follow Lightning. They only had a few minutes, and Lightning was the only one who seemed to know where they had to go.

As the trio entered the main street, the whispers were inevitable. Sylph were flying like lightning through the sky, seeming insane, and now three people with an uncanny resemblance to the almost-legendary l'Cie of long ago, were walking forward. Was it an omen? A dream? A nightmare?

Whatever it was, it was enough for the normally heaving crowd to part before them, letting the trio easily go past.

"Do you think Alexi will be okay?" Serah whispered

"Should be," Snow muttered back, "If Dajh paid attention to the plan, Yuj and Asura should be with her."

"I hope so," Serah whispered

"We're here," Lightning announced, breaking up the duo's conversation.

A scattering of people hastily stepped out of Lightning's way, letting her walk into a shop just past them. A line of Sylph appeared for a split second in the middle of the street, before another Sylph rocketed past, making the line flash away. The crowd stepped away from this also, moving as one, thoughts paralyzed by the oddities of the events.

Lightning was the first to enter the shop, followed hastily by Snow and Serah. As they entered, they took in the interior. Most of the shelves were filled with general items, while the back few shelves were filled with rows and rows of cuddly dolls, most of the ex-l'Cie and their friends of years ago.

"And you are?" the brunette shopkeeper spoke from behind the counter. As the trio turned, she stifled a small gasp.

"Freya," Lightning replied, a little too quickly, "We're waiting for someone here."

"Y-yeah, right," the shopkeeper nodded, understandably surprised. She could compare the trio in front of her with the dolls just behind them; they looked eerily similar.

"You find out anything about that Sylph you were investigating?" the shopkeeper attempted to strike up conversation

"Yes," Lightning nodded curtly

"Right…want me to try and find out what it bought again?"

"No, it was Raines."

"Oh yeah!" the shopkeeper gasped, "So…you know, you look just like her."

"Who?"

"Her, Lightning," the shopkeeper pointed to the dolls

"I do huh?" Lightning responded with a noncommittal grunt.

A moment later, Dajh-Sylph appeared with a flash, carrying Gadot, Fang and Vanille.

The shopkeeper fell back onto a chair, amazed.

"Is Alexi alright?" Serah anxiously asked

"Naturally," Dajh replied, "I stuck to the plan. Coming?" it extended a leaf.

Lightning took hold of the leaf, while also holding Serah's hand, and she held Snow's hand. Fang held the other leaf, whose hand was tightly gripped by Vanille. Smiling, Gadot stepped away.

With that, the group vanished in a flash, an almost tangible diamond appearing in the air, glimmering, before the shining ebbed away, leaving a glittering mist, which soon dissipated. Where almost the whole part of ex-l'Cie had stood, there was now nothing.

X

"Sorry dad!" Dajh cried, barrelling past. He brushed over Sazh's shoulder, taking his father away in a flash. Sazh reappeared in the old, old, ruined chocobo race tracks.

"The starting stables!" Dajh spoke, "Fifteen minutes," he finished, before again vanishing.

Sazh took a moment to look around, taking in the nostalgic scenery. It had been quite a while since he was last here. Sighing, he started to move forwards, before Hope appeared just in front of him, accompanied by two Sylph.

"We will alert the Sylph and NORA," Cid's Sylph spoke, hovering next to Dajh, "Things start and end now."

With that, the two Sylph vanished, leaving Sazh and Hope standing around, in between collapsed hurdles, ivy, bracken, and fallen trees.

"Do you know where to go?" Hope asked, looking around

"Think so," Sazh looked around, still nostalgic. "I helped train Dajh in the races, ooh, feels like a month ago."

"Do you know which bit to go to?"

"Of course, Dajh said the start, which is," Sazh paused, looking around, "This is the jumpy bit so it's that way," Sazh turned, to face down a long stretched of crumbled stone and wood, littered with fallen hurdles and plants.

"Do you know why this is happening?" Hope struck up a conversation as they made their way down the track

"Yeah," Sazh nodded, "A Sylph…killed Choco, made Dajh lose control."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too," Sazh tried to make light of the situation, "Dajh got back in control, but too late, Sylph heard him. That's why we gotta rush."

As Sazh stepped over a hurdle, a swarm of Sylph tore through the air. He pointed up to it, catching Hope's attention, making the silver haired man peer up also. A pair of the creatures darted forwards, before a lone Sylph caught up with both, touched them with two of its leaves, and took them flashing elsewhere.

"Looks like Dajh kept his word," Hope murmured, "The resistance is definitely keeping the Sylph busy."

"Good," Sazh smiled up, proud of his son, wherever Dajh was, "Because now we have to run. There's an open space coming up."

"Right," Hope nodded, hopping over to a spot just by the edge of a tree's shade. Ahead of him lay a long, winding, clear path. Several Sylph swam through the air above it. Silently, Sazh pointed across the uneven stone track, towards a set of stables, constructed of rotten, almost fallen wood. By the side of it was a metal cabin, presumably used by the judges of the chocobo races. From within the cabin, they saw Maqui of NORA wave eagerly at them.

Shrugging and chuckling, Sazh was the first to take off, sprinting across the floor. Sure, he wasn't as fast as a chocobo, but he was so used to the ground, the land, even when it was this old, that it was little trouble.

He felt sad at running along the tracks normally reserved for Choco, especially considering the bird's recent fate. However, while it might not be the noblest of motives, that served to push him onwards: revenge. Like his anger as the Sanctum when Dajh had been taken, he felt the same now. The Sylph had taken his son as well as Choco. It was hard not to be vindictive.

Sazh opened the door and ran into the judge's cabin, sitting on a deck chair just next to Maqui. A few moments later, Hope stumbled in.

"Did they see you?" Maqui eagerly spoke up

"No," Hope shook his head, panting, "Don't think so."

"Good," Maqui laughed, "That's always good."

"Will you be ok when we've gone?" Sazh urgently asked, "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"I'll be fine," Maqui rolled his eyes, "Sylph are no match for NORA!" he chuckled the old slogan out, clapping his hands together.

Before either of the two could respond, Cid flashed into sight, just beside Maqui. Without any warning, he touched both Sazh and Hope, and in the next instant, they were engulfed in a flash of light.

At their various places over Cocoon, the whole of NORA was on guard. Gadot made small talk with the shopkeeper, keeping an eye out for Sylph. Lebreau kicked back, relaxing in the hut, while also watching out for Sylph, and Maqui just looked out onto the chocobo tracks, waiting, tensing as each Sylph flashed past. Yuj and Asura resided in Snow and Serah's house, with the young Alexi.

Far, far away, Dajh appeared, carrying Fang, Vanille, Snow, Serah and Lightning. Seconds after, Cid, Sazh and Hope appeared. They were standing under a translucent arch, beneath a crimson sky.

Orphan's Cradle.

It had taken several warps; some as they span through the air, one to the side of the crystallized Cocoon, and one to conclude, into the Cradle. Exciting would've been putting it mildly, terrifying would be closer, the freefalls on the way. But now…they were here.

Things had changed. The sky was still the vivid crimson it was so many years ago, though it seemed, somehow, less energetic. There was no travelling blocks or platforms floating past; just emptiness. Even the platform they stood on seemed weaker; with a little effort, they could see through it, to the dulled amethyst void beyond.

In the centre of the main platform stood the main change; instead of just an altar, there were two, solid, curved metal rods, like pincers. The ground around it was the most opaque anywhere in the Cradle; and not surprising. The two pillars were new; but between them was something both new to the Cradle, and yet immeasurably ancient. The door of souls; a physical manifestation of the boundary between life and death, a circle of the purest white light.

Each of the arrivals experienced something new upon looking upon the swirling white. Dajh and Cid saw just the light, an ordinary light, as they had passed beyond it themselves. However, the humans beheld special sights.

Lightning restrained herself, forcing herself not to react as she saw a reflection of Serah's face appear, as if in a mirror, over the light. She looked melancholy, gently, heartbreakingly sad. Lightning blinked, closing her eyes tightly. Once she reopened them, the vision had faded; instead she could just see the swirling circle of lights as it was, and in the centre… Lightning bit back a gasp.

As Snow watched, he saw his own hallucination: Alexi and Serah, both reflected somehow of the gateway. The image was slowly fading, as if being washed away, Snow found himself struggling to even remember how their faces used to look. He quickly turned away, catching sight of Serah's pink locks, remembering her face in that instant. As he turned to look back at the door, the image had gone, to be replaced by something he almost wished was another dream, even though he knew it wasn't.

Serah beheld another hallucination. A moving one; she recognized Lightning's hand, her gloves, tightly gripping her Saber. In a fluid motion, it was thrust silently across the screen, into Snow's chest. There was no blood, only a sudden wash of fear emanating from the hallucination: the one she couldn't hate, taking the life of the one she couldn't live without. Serah felt Snow stumbled beside her, quickly, she looked around, making sure her husband was fine. After a breathless moment, she looked back at the door of souls, the shimmering cloud, beyond which, lay death. In the centre was a figure, a shadow against the light.

Dajh waved out of the door, towards Sazh, astride a silently chirping, happy Choco. Sazh blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the illusion, an image which soon faded. Upon seeing what was truly there, he fervently wished he could call back the illusion.

Smiling, waving, Nora Estheim looked serenely out of the portal, visible only to her son. The thought alone was enough to tear open age old wounds within Hope, and, as the image faded, he fought back the urge to collapse. The alluring door to death stood there, resolute, contained somehow, but in the middle, a silhouette was visible, a human figure, upper body standing straight up, with its lower body on the other side of the door. He caught sight of the newcomers, and opened his mouth to say something, before his words failed him.

Fang and Vanille, hands still joined, watched the same illusion together: it wasn't anything they'd seriously thought about, and yet, the sight played out over the door of souls. Night, the air glimmering, as the duo joined hands, moving closer to each other, shining brightly. They morphed together into the fearsome, yet somehow beautiful, figure of Ragnarok. The flash of light from the transformation shattered the almost-memory, sending ripples across the screen, instead leaving them facing the almost empty circle, empty save for the one man.

"Illusions," Cid spoke, "All illusions."

"That's not," Lightning replied, quiet, unmoving, watching the door of souls.

A memory stirred within Fang and Vanille, one they couldn't focus on; it was like trying to catch smoke. They just kept their eyes focused on the pitiful figure, half in death, half out. No one spoke after the brief exchange between Lightning and Cid until, moments later, Hope took a disbelieving step forward. He looked at the man within the door of souls. He spoke hesitantly.

"Dad?"