Everything is fair in love and war, but can you really be satisfied with something obtained by unfair means? I wonder…
"There is only one being who can save Squall now," Gentiana broke the uncomfortable silence after a few minutes.
"Who?" Luna asked with renewed hope.
"Bahamut."
"Bahamut? What does the Draconian have to do with this?" Luna probed.
"He is the enforcer of fate. Only he can change Squall's fate," Gentiana concluded.
"What does the Draconian want in return? He is not known for charities," she questioned.
"You don't pull any punches," Gentiana replied with a wry smile. "He wants an affirmation that you are still committed to your cause."
"He doubts my commitment?" Luna took an offense at her statement.
"How can you fault him when you doubt it yourself?" Gentiana retorted in a cold voice.
"I have never let my heart come in the way of my duty," she avowed.
"Not yet, but the Draconian frets that a compromised heart leaves the possibility of failure. He does not accept failures."
"Regardless of the fantasies of the heart, my intentions have always been to serve Eos." She defended.
"People don't see intentions; they only see actions," came the cold, blunt reply from Gentiana.
"What must I do to prove it?" Luna asked.
"Hope and sacrifice."
Luna waited for her to continue.
"People of Eos need hope. Make a public declaration that you are committed to bring an end to this darkness and renew their hope in the Six." She dictated.
"And sacrifice?" Luna asked.
"Your union with the King of light is ordained. Wed to Noctis and usher in the era of peace in all of Eos. Do not deviate from your fate." She took a pause to give time to Luna to absorb. "If you prove your loyalty to Bahamut, he will save Squall from his fate. Should you fail to do that, Squall's death is all but certain."
"I see," was all she could muster in response.
"The Draconian wants to see your commitment to Noctis as it once was. Hence, erase Squall from your heart or erase him from this world. The choice is yours."
Once again, an illusion of choice was given to her, when in reality a choice was already made for her.
"One final piece of advice. It would be wise if Squall does not learn of this deal. After all, it is in his nature to rebel. We do not want to repeat Omen." With that, Gentiana faded into the background, leaving behind small ice crystals suspended in the air.
It was dawn, and Squall was training as usual. Without Aranea to spar with, he was left to do shadow practice.
Squall closed his eyes and imagined a battlefield. He readied his sword and charged, swinging his sword at his imaginary foes. He swirled left, then right, as if avoiding an incoming blow. His rhythmic swing of the sword cut through the wind, making an unrefined melody.
Once he had slain all of his imaginary foes, he took a break to regain his breath. After a couple of minutes, he readied himself for another round of practice. As he closed his eyes to imagine a battlefield, he felt a sudden shift in the wind. He could sense something coming at him at great speed, cutting through the wind.
He swirled around just in time to see many projectiles zeroing in on him. He deflected it by his gunblade out of sheer reflexes.
Before he had time to process anything, a sudden bold of lightning knocked him off his feet. Another lightning attack stuck him even before he hit the ground. Someone rushed at him and brought down a sword with tremendous might. He barely defended the attack with his gunblade, first time coming face to face with his assailant.
The assailant had an imposing physical build. His lighter blond hair extended in front of his forehead. He had heterochromatic eyes with the right eye being blue and the left eye being purple.
Squall suddenly tilted his gunblade to his right and parried, causing his assailant to lose his balance. Squall rolled away in the opposite direction to create some distance between them.
Both Squall and his attacker got back on their feet as they scanned each other's every movement. Squall noticed his attacker wore a white frock with black lining with a large collar that has a purple trim and armored boots. Black downward-pointing sword symbols were on the hem and sleeves of his coat. His left arm comprised of a magitek prosthetic with the symbol of a white wolf on its shoulder. Squall noticed a large crest similar to the one Luna wears.
Based on everything he had heard from Luna; he knew who he was. "Ravus!"
"Hmph," he grunted and lunged at Squall like a ferocious beast.
With the element of surprise gone, Squall was up to the task as he matched him move for move. The two warriors fought intently, trying to gain an upper hand.
Squall quickly noticed Ravus' superhuman strength.
After a lot of back and forth, neither seemed to gain an advantage.
Ravus backed away slowly. Squall was unsure of his motives, but seeing him back away, he lowered his gunblade. It was a mistake. Ravus dashed across in a blink of an eye, releasing a massive amount of energy on his path, severely hurting Squall.
Squall fell for this attack once, but quickly learned to avoid it. He realized that creating distance between them just allowed Ravus to charge in with momentum. Hence, close quarter combat might be advantageous in this situation.
During their next standoff, he noticed that Ravus predominantly attacked with his left hand to generate more power using his prosthetic. He further observed that Ravus' prosthetic arm seemed to be made of metal and some other alloys. A small smile played on his face as an idea crossed his mind.
He waited for Ravus' next attack and once he was close enough; he blasted him with a lightning attack aimed directly at the joint between his shoulder and prosthetic arm. Ravus stumbled back, clutching his hand in agony.
"Metal is a good conductor of electricity," he silently whispered underneath his breath.
With his weakness exposed, Squall now had a plan to tackle Ravus.
Ravus was enraged from the last attack, so he charged at Squall. Squall defended and parried most of the attacks and only attacked at an opportune time for maximizing damage.
After parrying Ravus' another volley of attacks, Squall quickly landed a few blows and staggered him. To prevent any further damage from the onslaught, Ravus jumped back to create some distance. Squall sends out a stream of bullets, causing him further damage. In response, Ravus held his weapon above his head before slamming it down harshly. This sword-smash attack had an incredible range which caught Squall in its radius. Before Squall could get back on his feet, Ravus sinks his sword into the floor to summon dark tentacles to impale Squall from the ground up, momentarily stopping him.
Squall, in response, activated his limitbreak Renzokuken and landed eight straight hits on Ravus. He capped it off by his finishing move Rough Divide, causing a massive amount of damage.
Ravus's arm begins to glow as it released a massive wave of dark energy, which at first exploded around him in a circle and then expanding the shockwaves outward. Squall tried to jump away but was caught mid-air by the blast of energy. Ravus charged up for a moment and then released a long-reaching white shockwave to deal further damage to Squall.
Squall lost the grip on his gunblade and fell to the ground. Seeing Squall without a weapon, and his victory all but assured, Ravus dashed at him to capitalize this vulnerability.
Before he could get in striking distance, Squall blasted him with a bold of lightning aimed square at his shoulder joint. In a flash, Squall was on top of Ravus. He took the dagger hidden in his boots and plunged it through the slight gap between the strap of his shoulder pads in to the ground. As if to say, I could have easily plunged this into your prosthetic arm and breaking it off.
Both warriors looked at each other and knew that the fight was over. Squall had won this round.
Squall got up and pulled out the dagger from the ground and through Ravus's shoulder straps and concealed it in his boots.
"I've heard a lot about you from Aranea and I have to say I am not disappointed. My sister chose her shield well," Ravus complimented while getting up. Squall simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"You are certainly more competent than those four clowns."
Squall wasn't sure what he was referring to, but chose not to inquire further about it.
"Follow me," Ravus instructed as he started walking towards the Fenestala manor. Squall for the lack of better choice tagged along.
"Norg is one of our great soldiers and what you did to him was quite impressive."
"I did what I had to do," Squall shrugged.
"I am surprised that you let him live."
"Luna stopped me," he complained.
"She still hasn't changed, it seems. She can be so idealistic sometimes. Leaving your enemy alive is risking your own existence," Ravus noted.
"She is different from us. We think with a ruthless mind, she thinks with the heart," he pointed.
"That mentality works in peace, not during the war. That is where you come in. You provide a counterbalance to her innocence," Ravus acknowledged.
"Not sure if that is something I should be proud of," he shook his head.
They made a few small talks as they entered the Fenestala manor.
Luna's eyes lit up with joy upon seeing Ravus. She ran into his arms, "Ravus."
"Luna," he said, hugging her tightly. "It has been far too long."
After what felt like an eternity, Ravus pulled away from the hug and held her at arm's length. He observed Luna from top to bottom, as if checking to make sure she was unharmed.
"You had me so worried. Ever since you ran away at Insomnia, I've had trouble getting a good night's sleep," Ravus confessed.
"I am sorry, brother. I had to break away from the Empire's shadow to fulfill my duty."
"But I cannot protect you if I don't know where you are. You understand that, right?" He chided.
"Yes, I do, Brother. I am sorry for worrying you." She apologized humbly, with eyes cast down.
"There is a lot we need to catch up on. Let me get cleaned up first," he suggested.
"Yes, we can talk at leisure now," she echoed with a smile.
They meet up after a few minutes in the Situation room. The room was locked, and it was only them, away from any prying eyes.
"It's been such a long time since we've talked privately." She couldn't hide her smile.
"Yes, the Empire follows us like a shadow so we both have to play our part."
"Brother, why didn't you tell me that the peace treaty was a ruse and the Empire had a plan to attack Insomnia?" She inquired.
"Because I wasn't allowed to. I was under constant surveillance. My enemies are many and they are waiting for me to slip even once so they can capitalize on it and get rid of me."
"Is it true that it was your plan to attack Insomnia?" She probed further.
"Yes, and no. It was Ardyn's plan, but I had to deliver it to the Emperor Aldercapt to prove my loyalty to him. As long as General Glauca was alive, I was a pawn in their game. I had to abide by their rules," he explained.
"Then why did you try to put on the ring of Lucii?" She sought an explanation.
"I thought if I could command the power of Lucii, I could free you from your cruel fate." He confessed.
"You did it for me?" She spoke out of shock.
"I did it for both of us. With that power, I thought, I could also free Tenebrae from the Empire's control and gain our independence." He revealed.
"That was reckless, Ravus. You could have died!" She scolded him out of concern for his safety.
"I could have died, but you are dying," came the painful reply.
"That's not…" She struggled to formulate a proper response.
"As fate would have it, General Glauca died, and I became the next general. After licking Empire's boots for 12 years, I finally have power from within their ranks. With their army at my disposal, I could reduce the surveillance and soldier's occupation of our land and our manor. And more importantly, with their resources at my disposal, I could protect you now in any corner of the world." He surmised.
"Brother, you are living by a sword. The moment someone discovers that you are not loyal to the Empire, you will be killed." She raised a concern.
"Dying is part of life, Luna. Even those who live within the confines of the four walls die too." He coldly rationalized.
"That doesn't mean you should just throw your life away," Luna retorted.
"Says the one who is throwing away her own life to chase a fantasy." Looking at her expression, he knew he had struck a nerve, so he decided to back off, "I am sorry."
"It's okay," she said, casting away her eyes.
"How is your health, Sister?" He asked that one question, which weighed heavily on his heart.
"I am getting weaker," she confessed. No bravado. No façade.
"Then you don't have to keep walking on this path," he pleaded.
"I must. It is my duty and my destiny," she urged.
"Luna, listen to me. The path that you walk on leads to your death. I have Empire's power at my disposal. With their power and technology, we can kill all Astrals. I have the Crystal under my control. We can destroy the crystal too. Without Astral or Crystal, no one can force your destiny on you. You can forge your own destiny." He tried to sway her opinion.
"This is blasphemy. You speak of madness, Brother. Astrals and the crystal are the lifeblood of this planet. If you destroy them, then you are essentially destroying this planet itself." She retorted.
"If that's the price I have to pay to save you, then I am willing to pay it," he spoke with conviction.
"If the entire planet has to be sacrificed so I could live, then I couldn't wait to die sooner."
"Luna!" he screamed.
"I am sorry, brother. I know you love me dearly, and you would do anything to save me. Just knowing this is enough for me. You don't have to hurt others to save me." She beseeched.
"Luna, you are all I have. I can't lose you." His voice faltered.
"Ravus, didn't you say that death is part of life? Instead of being scared of it, be proud that I would die for a worthy cause." She pointed.
"There is no cause worth enough for your death." He disagreed.
"Yes, there is. If my sacrifice can lead the King of the kings to his destiny and lead our Star to eternal light, then it is all worth it. I may not live to see the future, but millions will get a chance to live, hope and dream."
"What hope is there in a future that my sister will never see?" He lamented.
"Ravus, our mom sacrificed herself so we could live and see a future she couldn't. Shouldn't we do the same for others? I know that what I am doing is right, but having your support would mean the world to me." She begged.
"I am sorry sister, try as I might, I cannot assist you in your suicide," he said, getting up from the table. "As long as I live, I will keep searching for a way to save you. I refuse to give up."
"I shall wait till tomorrow to hear your final decision. Please consider all the options at your disposal. We can end this with the Empire's power and technology," he offered. "I pray you get insight to think beyond the needs of Astrals," he concluded, before walking out of the door.
Luna sighed in resignation and laid her head on the table in defeat.
Going for strolls with Gentiana in the evening had become a new ritual for Squall.
In her quest to understand human emotions, Gentiana was always full of questions. However, today, she was exceptionally quiet.
"Everything okay?" Squall checked.
"I… I don't know," she hesitated in her response.
"You seemed bothered," he noted.
"I did something which I wanted to do. But, now that I have done it, I feel so bad about it," she confided.
"That's ironic. Usually, people feel good about doing what they were intended to do," he pointed out.
"That's what I thought. But why do I feel so conflicted now?" She urged.
"Care to elaborate on what happened?" He said as he tucked his hands in his pockets.
"No, I am not at a liberty to share anything about it." She shook her head.
"I don't know what to tell you without knowing the specifics. But if you feel as if you did something wrong, then you can always try to fix it."
"But… I don't want to. Everything is as it's supposed to be, so why is my heart not at peace?" She wondered.
Squall did not know how to respond, so he just shrugged.
"I… need to go. I need some time alone to reflect," she announced before making an unceremonious exit.
'Why is she acting so strange today? It did not feel as if I was talking to a divine Astral, but with a human.'
Suddenly, his stomach growled, breaking his train of thoughts. He looked around and he saw the stall where he and Aranea used to eat often.
"Well, time for some street food."
Sleep eluded Luna that night. Her earlier conversation with Gentiana kept repeating in her head.
'He wants an affirmation that you are still committed to your cause.'
"I have walked on this perilous path, unwavering. I have cried, bleed, sacrificed, and suffered hardship after hardship, but I've endured it all with a smile on my face. How much more do I have to endure to prove my loyalty to you, Bahamut?" She screamed in frustration in the confines of her room.
'How can you fault him when you doubt it yourself?'
"Yes, sometimes I doubt if this is the right path. Sometimes, I doubt if I can see this till the end. Sometimes, I doubt if I want to marry Noctis. Sometimes all I want to do is to run away and live a normal life. But, regardless of my feeling, I've always done the right thing, have I not?" Try as she might, her tears refused to stop flowing.
'People don't see intentions; they only see actions.'
"People judge each other based on their actions, but shouldn't Gods be able to judge us on our intentions? If not, then what is the difference between God and men? My intentions have always been to do what's best for Eos. How come Gods can't see that?" she continued to wail.
'The Draconian wants to see your commitment to Noctis as it once was. Hence, erase Squall from your heart or erase him from this world. The choice is yours.'
"As it once was? Oh, how I long for simpler times when my desired were buried and my heart was bound. The Astrals do not understand the intricacies of a human heart. How can I erase Leon when he is a part of my heart now? Why must the Gods torment me with such an ordeal?" She bawled.
"The Gods have put me through many ordeals, but this is the hardest of them all. Maybe this is an ordeal to test my faith and resolve? Maybe the reward for going through this ordeal is Leon's life?" Even in her emotional delirium, her unshakable faith shined through.
"I let Leon die once, for the sake of my duty, never again. I will save him, even if it means being a perfect little pawn of Bahamut. I will save him," she resolved, wiping her tears.
Exhausted from her inner turmoil, Luna succumbed to alluring sleep. Little did she know that this ordeal was not by fate, but by design.
Author's Notes:
Sorry for my prolonged absence for anyone who is still reading this. On the same note, if you are still reading this, you have my heartfelt thanks.
A very special thanks to KimmyGhoul, darkpaladin89, p6lishb6kser, and YuukiAsuna-Chan for their support and encouragement.
It's been a while since I posted anything so let me know what you think about this chapter in your reviews or just say 'Hi'. Thanks :)