How can you ever repay someone for their kindness and love? I wonder…
Everything started swirling again. The next image to stabilize was of a cave in Fociaugh Hollow.
[This is it. Time to find out what happened to you Leon in that cave?]
"I feel weak because of the covenant," slurred her words as her eyes closed. "I am so sorr-" her eyes were shut close even before she could finish that sentence. Her body went completely numb. Leon gently tapped on her cheeks, but she was unresponsive. Her body felt cold. He sprinkled some water on her face, but elicited no response from her. He quickly checked her pulse and his heart sank. She had a very low pulse.
"Oh no. Last time she collapsed after the covenant, it took her weeks to recover. What do I do now?" he wrecked his brain for a solution.
'She would need to be in the care of a doctor. However, the closest clinic from here is back at Lestallum, which might still be occupied by the Imperials. We would travel all the way there just to be captured by the Imperials. Even if Imperials are not there, it will take a while to arrange for a car and get to Lestallum. I need something immediate to help her. What can I do?'
As he was wondering suddenly, a radical idea sparked in his head, 'What if she gets captured by Imperials? They would immediately take her back to Gralea. Judging by the quality of their airships, they are bound to have state-of-the-art medical facilities. I can infiltrate Gralea and break her free once she has recovered. I'd rather her be captured than be dead.'
It was a risky plan, but that was the most pragmatic solution he had at this point. It would give Luna her best chance to survive. With his heart set on turning over Luna to the Imperials, he kneeled next to her and carried her in his arms. It was then he saw her trident; he had a eureka moment. An instinctive smile came on his face. "This has to work," he said with a new hope.
He placed Luna back on the ground and pick up her trident. He closed his eyes to clear his mind and focused his energy.
He kneeled next to Luna and gently took her head in his hands, making sure that the trident in his hand does not hurt her. He leaned closer to her until their forehead touched.
A golden light begins emanating from where their foreheads meet.
"Blessed Stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness' blight," he spoke, hoping for a miracle.
It felt strange and unreal. He felt the energy from his body leaving. He slowly backed away and opened his eyes, hoping that Luna would do the same.
Much to his dismay, Luna still remained unconscious.
He had seen Luna cure people of their ailment with her blessing. He rationalized that he should be able to do the same since he shared some of Luna's essence.
"This was supposed to work. Since I have Ramuh's divine energy in me, this should have surely worked. Did I say it right? Was it blessed stars of life and light or was it light and life? No, I am sure it was life and light." He looked like a madman just talking to himself. "Maybe I should try it again."
Once again, he held Luna in his arms and touched his forehead. "Blessed Stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness' blight." A golden light emanates from where their foreheads meet, this time with stronger intensity.
He felt a wave of dizziness and let go of her. She did not wake up, which frustrated Leon.
"What am I doing wrong? Is my healing power not transferable? It must be doing something because every time I do it, I feel weaker. Also, every time I touch our forehead, the golden energy radiates between us, so something must be happening. Am I not doing it long enough?" he wondered endlessly.
While wondering his mind even went back to Dr. K's suggestion. 'No, I am not kissing her, that's a stupid idea,' he shut down that thought even before it materialized. He was all out of ideas now.
"Maybe the third time is the charm. If it doesn't work now, I am turning her over to the Empire."
He took Luna into his arms again and once again the golden light immediately started emanating around them. "Blessed Stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness' blight."
The golden light around them burned bright like fire. Leon was battling waves of dizziness with each second he held on. Determined to wake her up, he held on to her for two minutes.
[No! You are not supposed to heal for so long. Anything beyond one minute could be fatal.]
He felt as if his very consciousness was quickly shutting down. By the time he decided to let go of her, he felt his body go numb. His consciousness faded as he collapsed next to Luna.
'No, no, no. This is not good,' was his last thought before everything blacked out.
For a brief moment, both Luna and Leon lay unconscious in this cave.
Luna bolted up with a sharp deep breath. Her heartbeat was racing, and she was sweating profusely. Her eyes were still dazed, and she felt like the room itself was swirling.
"Are you okay?" someone asked, holding her from her shoulders.
Once the dizziness subsided, she became more aware of her surroundings.
"Luna?" asked the same voice again.
She looked in the voice's direction and within seconds the blurriness in her eyes disappeared, revealing Aranea supporting her.
"Arae?" Luna said, weakly.
"Yes?" she said. Aranea grabbed a bottle of water and offered it to Luna, "Here, have some water, it might help you feel better."
She drank the water and sat quietly. Her breathing was slowly getting normal .
"Arae, I know what happened. I know how to save him," she spoke softly.
"I am glad you found the answers you were looking for," Aranea said rubbing her back. "What did you see?"
"I saw his love, pain, devotion, and sacrifice for me," she intoned, pausing after each word.
"Hmm."
"Arae, I need some time alone. There is a lot to process."
"Are you sure you will be okay on your own?" She asked with concern.
"Yes. I am just a bit overwhelmed with everything that I saw." Luna reassured.
"What did you see?"
"I'll tell you later. But for now, I need to be alone." Luna requested.
Respecting Luna's wish, Aranea got up and made her way towards the door. She stopped when Luna called out for her. "Arae, could you do me a favor, please?"
"Yes?"
"Can you please arrange for a different cabin for me?"
"What?"
"Once he wakes up, I shouldn't be with him," she said, looking down.
Not wanting to probe any further right now, Aranea decides to comply, "I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks, Arae."
"I will be next door. Call me if you need something," Aranea stated while sliding the door shut.
Luna made her way to Leon's berth and sat beside him.
In an empty cabin, it was only Leon and Luna now. Though she sat next to him, she felt light-years away from him. She was looking at a person who had loved unconditionally and all she did in return was to abandon him at the time of his need.
No coherent sentence formulated in the head. Her heartfelt tears screamed everything she could not voice. The music on the overhead speaker masked the sound of her wailing. She hugged Leon and cried to her heart's content. The music faded away and a new song picked up: Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips.
The lyrics of the song resonated with the pain in her heart. As the song played the memories of their time together flashed in her mind. She recalled all the times they had fought, loved, cared and sacrificed for each other. She realized that in every instance he had always done more for her than she did for him.
According to Luna, her abandoning Leon for a covenant with Ramuh was the defining moment in their relationship. He had every right to hate her after that. But even after that, he gave up his own health to heal her. That is not love. That is devotion. For once in her life, she wasn't sure she could have such devotion.
Through her tear-filled eyes, she was looking at one person who had loved her more than anyone else in the world.
She started in a broken voice. "Though the fates may not allow us, my heart will always beat for you. You showed me what love is, how wonderful it feels and how easy it is to lose it. When confronted with a choice between love and duty, I am sorry I choose my duty. Words may never express how sorry I am for abandoning you. I pray that you forgive me. No, that won't be fair, I hope I get to suffer the pain I have caused you. If I cannot even stand for the one I love, then I am not worthy of such love. Although I'll never say this again in person, for whatever it's worth, I love you, Leon."
She caressed his face gently as if he was made of glass and would shatter with the slightest pressure. "I know this is wrong, but this is the only chance I'll ever have. So just add this one more thing to the list of things I shouldn't be forgiven for."
She leaned closer and kissed him as if her life depended on it. Her brain and body experienced euphoria and pain simultaneously.
She slowly and reluctantly got and grieved, "I wish I had freedom to love you."
She wiped away her stubborn tears, who refused to stop flowing. She moved close to him and touched her forehead to his. A divine golden light started shimmering from the point of contact.
"Blessed Stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness' blight."
She stayed in that position until she felt Leon stir. It gave her heart immense relief to know that he was conscious again.
Knowing that he will be awake soon, she got up and made her way to the exit. She held on to the door as a wave of dizziness hit her. Before stepping out of the door when she turned around to look at him one last time. As she slid the door close, she quietly said, "Goodbye. Leon."
As soon as Luna closed the door to Squall's cabin, she called for one person who had some answering to do.
"Shiva!" Luna growled in anger. She rarely referred to Gentiana as Shiva.
"The Lady called?" asked Gentiana, appearing next to her. Her eyes were closed as usual.
"We need to talk."
"What is it that the lady wishes to discuss?"
"I believe you have something that belongs to Squall, Stiria," Luna uttered with unmatched fury.
"How does the lady know about that?" Gentiana asked, clearly taken aback. Her eyes were now fully open.
"He might not recognize all forms of you, but I do," Luna revealed, staring straight into her eyes.
"How does the lady know about that?" she repeated. "Squall never told you of that."
Luna knew that one way or the other, Gentiana would find out her means to get this information so she revealed the truth. "I used Umbra's powers to look at Leon's past."
"Isn't that a breach of his privacy?" Gentiana calmly pointed out.
"You no longer have a moral high ground to tell me what's right or wrong, Stiria," Luna retorted with hostility unbeknownst to her. "You deceived him."
"So, have you," Gentiana shot back with a coldness worthy of only Shiva.
"I-I...," Luna was at the loss of words. "I am sorry. I shouldn't be hostile towards you without knowing the truth," she remarked, shaking her head.
"It's okay. The lady has nothing to apologize for. Her fury is merely a reflection of her care for the visitor. I am aware of how it might look like a betrayal without proper context."
"Then please help me understand what is going on? Why did you do it?" she pleaded.
"Rest assured, I want the same as you. To safeguard the future for the visitor."
"And how is taking away his Griever doing that?"
"Though my actions may seem devious, my intent was to ensure that history does not repeat itself. Last time he summoned Griever and along with the Usurper waged a war against the Astrals. I am simply taking away his means to summon Griever so he does not repeat the same mistake."
"What happened during Omen? I beg of you to please tell me," she pleaded. "I ask you not as an Oracle but as a friend."
"Friend, you said?" Gentiana clarified. "Why must you be so concerned with the past for you cannot change it?"
"Past may not be changed, but it can be learned from. You had said that our fates have been intertwined for eons. Which means the last time I must have been there too. Since Squall rebelled against the Gods and fell from their grace, it means I wasn't able to guide him to the right path. I need to know what I must do to protect him this time."
"I have been telling you the means to save him rather constantly. Have I not?"
"What do you mean?" Luna had a vague idea of what she meant but wanted further clarification.
"Walk on the chosen path and fulfill your duty, that shall serve as his redemption too. Walking on your path would give him the strength to fulfill his trial as well."
"What trial does he have to go through?"
"The one which he failed last time: accepting the will of God. He was entrusted by the Astrals to lead the fight against the impending darkness. He was the chosen one. However, when his beloved Oracle Stella was drawing her last breath in his arms, he prayed to the Astrals to grant her a new life. Unfortunately, we could not grant his wish. To him she was his world, but to us the world was a lot bigger than just them. If we grant her life then how can we deny someone else of the same privilege? He could not accept her death as part of her fate."
Luna could tell that there was more to this story than what she was letting on.
"His choice to try to protect the one he loved over his providence plunged the whole planet into eternal darkness."
Luna recalled Ramuh's words, "His heart desires not for the protection of the star but for only one. That makes sense now."
"If you have seen his memories, then you must know how he feels about you. Should you fall, do you think he will accept it as God's will or challenge it?"
"The history will repeat itself," she drawled, as the gravity of the situation dawned on her. "Which also means that he loved me last time too and he couldn't let me go?"
"Yes, he loved you dearly the last time and for many lives before that," Gentiana revealed. Luna wasn't sure why, but she felt a hit of sadness in Shiva's tone. "So long his heart is bound to you, he won't be able to move on. You must release his heart."
"You mean to say break his heart further than I already have?"
"If that is what it takes to save him, then yes," she replied with coldness befitting Shiva. "Make him hate you."
"I think he already does," she remarked as sadness clouded her features.
"He wouldn't have tried to heal you in Fociaugh Hollow if he did. I have seen his thoughts and feelings. He still loves you."
Her words were supposed to bring her comfort but it brought a stabbing pain for she could not love the one who loved her unconditionally.
"You would do well to keep your distance from him. Push him away. Show no emotions." Gentiana suggested stoically.
"I've hurt him enough. I can't do that." Tears shimmered in her eyes.
"Sometime you have to become a villain to protect the one you love."
She squeezed her eyes shut to stop her tears.
"The choice is yours. The closer you are to him, the more chances of him turning against the Gods when the time comes."
"Why even give me a choice when I have none," she lamented with a sigh of resignation as tears stained her cheeks.
Gentiana remained silent.
"Why did you bring him here, Gentiana? Wasn't my life hard enough already? Why make me go through this pain?" Luna broke down in tears.
Gentiana moved close to Luna and hugged her. "I've learned that when someone is distressed, hugging them ease their pain."
Luna cried on her shoulder while Gentiana stroked her head gently like a mother would do to console a child. This was the most human-like behavior Luna had seen from Gentiana so far.
'Oh Luna, how can I tell you that it was you who brought him here, not I.' Gentiana closed her eyes and recalled the events of that fateful day.
Luna was tending to her garden as with Umbra in tow when Gentiana approached her.
"Lady Lunafreya," she called.
"Gentiana, it is great to see you," Luna greeted her.
"Happy birthday, my lady," she said with her eyes closed as usual. A small smile played on her lips.
"Thank you," she replied with a radiant smile. It was her 24th birthday.
"I've come to learn that it is a human tradition to offer a gift to someone on their birthday. I bear no materialistic objects, but I can grant you a boon. What might my lady wish?" she offered.
"Oh, that is very kind of you Gentiana. I have everything I need."
"Perhaps you do, but what is it that you want? What does your heart desire?"
Luna picked a sylleblossom flower from nearby and spoke longingly, "My heart desires only to be united with my one true love."
A strong squall blew through the area. Lunafreya let go of the sylleblossom flower in the wind and its pestles were scattered in all directions. Umbra ran after one of the pestles and disappeared from the sight.
"When the time is right, you will be united with your love," Gentiana declared, finally opening her eyes. 'Fate always unites you before ripping you apart.'
Author's Notes:
In my 230k+ words of writing various stories this is the FIRST time I've let the protagonist kiss in my story lol
*Happy Valentines day*
Now back to torturing my characters. In next chapter we go to beautiful Tenebrae.
The answers from the last chapter:
1) Which game is Stiria from? (I had mentioned about her in chapter 17. I am surprised no one picked up on it.) - FFXIII
2) Which game is the book Durai Papers from? - Final Fantasy Tactics (one of my favorite games)
3) Which game is the book LOVELESS from? (This one is super easy) - FFVII
4) Which game is the book The Song of the Savior from? - FFXIII-2
5) What is significance of number 41,269 in FFVIII? - This is Squall's student ID number in FFVIII
6) What is significance of 1,370,000 Gil? (If you can answer this one, without googling, then you should be crowned as FFVIII Champion. This is a hard one.) - If you go to Dollet after passing SeeD exam. You encounter NPC at Dollet-Beach Stairs. When you talk to him he recognizes Squall as one who ran away from the huge robot and demands 1,370,000 Gil for the repairs to the city.
Please leave a comment and brighten my day. Thanks :)
Author's corner: I wanted to give a shout out to YuukiAsuna-Chan, Anonymous person on tumblr, vifame, and Animefan09 for your constant support in this journey. I sincerely appreciate your comments and feedback on this story. Thank you :)
