Hey Guys.

I'm really sorry that it's taken me so long to get round to this next chapter. I seem to be really lagging with my writing recently. I'm determined to stick this story out though, and regrettably, this is the last chapter before a three-part ending.

It's come around suddenly for me too. I never even imagined that this tale would blossom into such a long story. I've loved every minute of it and you guys have been so loyal in driving me forward and making me really want to write. I think because of it, my writing style has changed so much over the past few years. For the better I hope. I will however, be continuing with my other stories so don't fret there!

Anyway, the journey isn't quite over, you still have three more chapters to look out for! So here's the next instalment.

Enjoy.

XX

Orphans Cradle.

The beginning of the end. Everything they had been through so far, every struggle, every moment shared between them. It had all come down to this moment.

From the minute their feet graced Eden's hall, fate was weaving a path before them. Their entire future would be decided here, for better or worse. It was in the nervous echoes' of their heartbeat's that the small group stepped forward with confidence. Whatever happened here, they were in it together. For Cocoon, for themselves- for Serah.

The citizens of Cocoon stopped for a moment, their heads turning to survey such a strange sight. Whispers flew around them, some of which were said between gritted teeth or clenched hands. Snow looked over to a woman near him, her eyes widened in surprise. They had all seen the news reports, they had all been caught on camera at some point. Her eyes flicked to his forearm, to where he wore his brand so openly. He felt a flicker of self-consciousness at her stare. It was too late to cover it now, he would soon be depending on the sheer power of his l'Cie abilities. He turned his head away from the woman, flashing a brief look in Lightning's direction.

She marched on ahead with her usual swagger. Her stride lengthened just enough for her to be slightly ahead, the soldier fighting for her home planet, for her sister and for her future. Strangely though, he recognised that she had something just as important to fight for by her side. It was the very same reason he was here, fighting for his fiancé. Lightning wasn't just in this for herself.

She was here for love.

Each and everyone of them could see it. It was imprinted through her body, the way that Vanille was a mere foot away from her, almost close enough for Lightning's strange red cape to brush against her side as they walked. The expression of devotion the younger girl wore sent a shiver through Snow. It was what he saw every time he looked in the mirror, at himself.

Reaching into his pocket, Snow gripped the little tear-drop firmly in-between his fingers. Producing it, he studied it for one last time. The time was here and soon he wouldn't have to look at Serah's little tear for support. In fact, he would never have to see another from the love of his life. He had meant every word of what he said, he was closer to Serah than ever.

Hope walked proudly next to Snow.

Every set of eyes that was pinned to him had to squint at his smaller frame. No longer seeing the scared boy that had been broadcast on the news in Palumpolum. In fact, Hope was nothing like he used to be, not in mind anyway. Instead of a tear-drop, Hope's hand curled around his Eidolon crystal. Whenever he felt like giving up, that he was too weak to defend himself and his friends he just had to remember. Alexander was the power he possessed. He had the power to crush any enemy before him, deep inside.

The memory of his mother, the promise of his father, his future. That's what drove him.

Whatever might happen here, he could hold his head up high and say that he fought for his family. Not just his blood relatives, but for the companions that walked beside him. Lightning had shown him the way forward, from the moment he stumbled after her in the Vile Peaks, she had shown him that he needed no help to get to where he needed to be.

Walk he would- with no regrets.

It wasn't just Hope that had a memory to fight for. Sazh did too. Sazh had Dajh, his wonderful little boy to return to. Even though Dajh slumbered along with Serah, he was still alive, simply waiting for his father to return.

Sazh lengthened his stride, hopelessly devoted to his cause. He no longer thought of himself as a bad father, a failure of any kind or being too old to keep up with his companions. Sazh was the glue that held them all together, he was the driving force behind kind words and actions. Vanille's plea still rung around his ears. The way she had looked up at him with teary eyes, the plea of a child. He knew from that very moment that he could never pull the trigger. They were all l'Cie now, and mistakes of the past could be overlooked. He wasn't just here to get Dajh back, he was here to make sure they all made it through with no guilt to speak of.

He couldn't wait to see the young redheaded l'Cie's face when they were re-united with his son.

In response to his thoughts, his constant companion flew upwards our of his hair giving him a small 'Kweh'. The little Chocobo chick hovered for a moment before settling on the older man's shoulder and fluffing up it's feathers, ready to face the future with him. Perhaps when Dajh was freed, he would finally receive the name that he had been waiting so patiently for, the final seal on the end of a long journey.

Fang smiled at the little creature.

He reminded her of Pulse, wild and with a mind of it's own. Even though she strode out to the right of Lightning and Vanille resided on the solders left, she knew the reason she walked along with them. She was here for her family, for the girl that had been with her all her life. She was here for a promise of friendship, eternal company of the one girl she would give her life for.

Even through Lightning's devotion, Fang knew that Vanille was her main driving force. Glancing down at her brand, she admired it's scorched and twisted look. She was in no hurry, there was no danger for her. It would have been simple for her to stop in her tracks and give in, live the rest of her life carefree and independent.

But it would be no life without her. Without Vanille's smile to grace her everyday, life wouldn't be worth fighting for anyway. To hell with Cocoon, she would do whatever it took to see her safe, even if it really did mean tearing the planet to pieces. The power of Ragnarok still ran through her veins, ready and willing to be used. Even if she had to do it by herself. It pained her slightly that the girl she cared for so deeply had passed her heart to another. Even so, she'd rather Vanille be happy, alive and well with someone else but herself, than a Cie'th- She wasn't prepared to let that happen.

Neither was Vanille.

She had so much to fight for. Stepping out next to Lightning, it felt so right. She had to fight the urge to reach over and take the soldier's hand, wanting the contact. Lightning's hand however floated over the top of her gun-blade, without so much as a quiver. Vanille knew it was the soldiers way of preparing for the battle ahead, it was her way of making sure that her head was straight.

Vanille knew why Lightning was so determined. After everything they had been through, she knew that Lightning's feelings for her were just as strong as her own. The soldier's own happiness meant so much to her, that's why she strove forward.

All her past plans had all but dissipated from her head, all thought of running backwards and waiting out her time as a Cie'th now seemed so far away. She would follow Lightning to the ends of the earth and back again if that's what it took. Occasionally, she looked upon her being close to the soldier as a hindrance yet as time went on she could see that it was more of a help. Not only did she feel stronger around the pink-haired soldier, it gave Lightning something to fight for.

Sure, there was Serah, Lightning's one and only member of family. Vanille knew that Lightning would go to any length to see her sister returned, yet it seemed sometimes Lightning was chasing a shadow. A mere hope, a dream that her sister would awaken from crystal slumber. This was a final chance to free her, a final chance for Lightning to be happy. If for a brief moment, Vanille could help be a driving force towards that goal She would fight for it until her last breath.

Lightning paid little heed towards the people following her. Her eyes occasionally locked with the crowd, steady and strong. She was very aware at the sight that they must have been putting forward as they walked, some from Cocoon, some from Gran Pulse. All with a single mission. Now it didn't matter how her strange companions came to be by her side, it didn't matter what had happened between them in the past. They were with her now, stood strong. All ready to potentially give their lives for her and Serah.

That was something she would never forget.

She felt honoured to have her own personal army of l'Cie. What they had been through, it wasn't something that could just be brushed aside. Every single one of them had fought their weight in monsters, soldiers and even fal'Cie. They all had something to fight for, a reason for stepping into Orphan's Cradle. This was the final leg of the journey. Whether they succeeded or not, it would all happen here, under the shadow of Cocoon's provider.

She knew Barthandelus would be waiting, he would have taken refuge in the one place he so desperately wanted the l'Cie to gather. He would be waiting for his prophecy to come true, the l'Cie that destroyed the world. They were bringing the fight to his door, prophecy or not. Cocoon's rule could go to hell for all Lightning cared.

For the first time she allowed her feet to come to an abrupt halt, the rubber of her army-grade boots silently holding her steady. Carefully, she raised a hand to the people behind her, encouraging them to do the same. Before them stood a carefully constructed road of tiles, all blood red in colour. She knew it was a gateway, leading up to Orphans Cradle, centre point of Eden.

It was what surrounded the gateway that had her attention. Her eyes flicked backwards and forwards across little pieces of crystal, suddenly and silently floating up into the sky. She looked down, expecting the strange little snowflakes to hit the ground and remain motionless. She found herself a little puzzled however when they simply continued, gravity no ruling to them.

"What the -?" It was Sazh that spoke behind her, turning around she met everyone else's puzzled faces.

"Is that crystal?" Vanille asked, holding out her hand for a little flake to land on. She whipped it back quickly, seeming as though the strange material didn't rest at all, it simply continued on right through her touch.

"Whoa…" Fang whispered, bemused by the sight. However strange, she had to admit. It was beautiful.

"A sign or a warning?" Lightning whispered to herself, only loud enough for Vanille, who was stood the closest, to hear.

The young girl looked up at her with meaning, was Lightning worried?

"A sign, I'm sure." she whispered, taking a step closer to the soldier. If she didn't know better, she would have believed it was a sign form Serah, Dajh too, telling them to keep on going, keeping them motivated. It felt strange as she stood there, waiting for the crystal pieces to hit her skin and then them running straight through her.

"What ever it means, I've never seen anything like it." Lightning couldn't tear her eyes away from the sky, shimmering light reflecting in her baby blue pools. Vanille couldn't help but smile for just a moment. Right now, Lightning looked perfect. Her soldiers uniform was untidy, the white leather jacket she donned so well was now covered in battle marks and scuffs, her exposed legs boasted battle scars, her gun-blade had lost its shine completely. Yet to Vanille, Lightning couldn't have looked more perfect. Lightning never ceased to amaze the younger girl, every time she looked up at the soldier it was like she was looking at someone different.

There was always a new side to Lightning and when she thought she had finally seen it all, gotten her figured out, another side to her emerged. Even through her untidy clothes, the soldier's pink-hair still floated perfectly away from her face, highlighting just how beautiful the older woman was. Vanille didn't care if the end of the world was upon them now, one last moment with her was worth it all. She couldn't resist the urge to be closer to the soldier any longer, she just wanted a familiar contact with the woman she loved, even if it was just once more.

Walking forwards, she placed a careful hand on the other woman's stomach lightly, her small hand covering the hole in Lightning's coat. Her mind flashed back to when Lightning had saved her from the rogue fal'Cie, to just how close she had come to losing the older woman. She felt Lightning flinch slightly, too drawn in watching the floating crystal to recognise Vanille was there until she touched her. She quickly found Vanille's hand with her own, clasping her fingers around the other's tightly.

She looked down, forgetting the crystal for a minute. Everyone else was too caught up in its majestic quality to pay any heed to them anyway and even if they did, she didn't really mind. If time was to end, she wanted to be able to say she had this moment. No one could ever take that from her.

"Whatever happens…" she whispered, her voice quiet yet full of meaning. Vanille knew what she was about to say, it was words she didn't need to hear, simple words just couldn't express how much. She quickly raised her free hand to Lightning's lips, silencing her.

"I know." she whispered, smiling up at the soldier. "Me too."

Lightning paused for a moment, before removing Vanille's hand. She instantly missed the contact, so instead stooped down a caught a brief kiss from the younger girl. Even though it was fast, it backed up everything she so desperately wanted to say. It spoke a thousand works.

"It will be alright. You'll see." Vanille whispered, pulling herself away reluctantly. They needed to focus, here at the gates of Eden's highest tower, the building that would decide their future.

Lightning looked down for a minute, wanting time to just stand still. Whatever happened now, she would always remember this moment, the moment that Vanille truly held her heart and took it with her wherever she went.

"It will, as long as you're here." she said quietly, tucking a stray red-hair behind Vanille's ear. She then tore herself away, her eyes darting through the crystals to the rest of her companions. Something about them being here with her filled her with a little more strength.

Snow's devotion to Serah, Hope's courage for his father, Sazh's search for his son and even Fang's drive for Vanille. It all resounded in the air around her, it wasn't just her with a lot to lose.

"This is it." she said carefully, her voice half echoing across the space between them. Her tone was held steady and strong, the perfect address of a leader.

Everyone ceased their puzzled expression at the floating crystal to look over at Lightning, Vanille still held before her. Their gazes acknowledged their willingness to comply, their preparation all complete. Here and now, all or nothing, they would march into Orphan's Cradle with their heads held high.

Lightning nodded to them swiftly it was time.

She turned once more, back to the girl before her. She was aware of Vanille's hand resting beneath her own still, now across her heart. It's steady rhythm showing she was calmer than she felt. She looked down at the girl before her in seriousness, one more question unanswered.

"Are you ready?"

It was only at Vanille's answering nod that she felt the confidence to go on. Dropping her hand down, she still kept the red-headed l'Cie's clasped tightly by her side. They would go forward together, towards an uncertain future.

The fight for all things had finally begun- The darkness of Orphan's Cradle beckoned.

A.N/

Now I know some of you might think this little chapter was a little pointless. I now there wasn't much going on but I just wanted a little bit of a lead up to the finale and I feel that this chapter did just that. I wanted a chance for a little bit more romance before all of the action.

Anyway, thanks for reading.