Chapter 3 - A False Promise

If our actions are the outcome of our own choices, then is it right to blame fate? Or is it fate that dictates our choices? I wonder.

The car, with a number plate WH-1637551, applied hard brakes and came to a screeching halt just inches before him.

"Are ya out of your mind standing in the middle of the road?" Yelled a spunky girl in a heavy southern accent, rolling down her window.

"I am sorry, we need a ride to Lestallum," he said, looking at the girl with curly blond hair and olive-green eyes. She wore a cropped yellow jacket and a red cap with yellow outlines and a logo with the words "HAMMER HEAD" and "FULL SERVICE STATION" on it.

There was someone in the passenger seat, but he couldn't make out much about him because of the lack of light.

"That be all? Hoop on in the back," she said, pointing at the back of her open-air pick-up truck.

He went back to help Lunafreya. With his support, she limped all the way to the back of the car. He lifted her tenderly as to not hurt her. They both sat on the opposite end, facing each other.

"You two okay back there?" The driver asked from a small window connecting the back of the truck.

"Ya. Thanks for the ride," said Squall.

"No sweat. Where are you two birds eloping to?" She asked.

"Running away from the Imperials and going to Lestallum," Lunafreya replied quickly.

"Ah, so a refugee?" She asked.

"Yes."

"There are lots of refugees now, especially after the fall of Insomia," she added. "The name is Cindy, by the way."

"I am Dave from Hunter HQ," the passenger added. "What are your names?"

"Squall Leonhart," he went first.

"And your name, young lady?" asked Dave.

"Stella Heartilly," said Lunafreya, after a brief pause.

Squall raised an eyebrow questioningly. Lunafreya placed a finger on her lips, indicating him to stay quiet.

'Heartilly? I know I have heard that name before. But where?' He wondered.

The car slowly picked up the pace and they were on their way. He did not know much about this world, but a busy town usually means a hotel and comfortable bed, which would be like a heaven right now.

"I am not feeling well," she said softly. Her words halted Squall from fantasizing about a soft bed.

It took him by a surprise as this was the first time she dropped her 'determined' façade and admitted her shortcoming without probing.

"You should rest, you have been through a lot," he suggested. She nodded before leaning back and closing her eyes.

It was the first time he had the time to carefully look at the girl in front of him. She had long blond hair styled in side-swept bangs with a double braid going across her crown and the rest twisted and pinned up. She wore a necklace with half-moon as the pendant. She wore an elegant long white dress with white heels. Her dress was anything but white at this point after all the battles.

As the car's speed picked up, the wind started blowing hard. They were still drenched from their dip in the river. He saw Lunafreya shivering as the wind got stronger. He took off his jacket and covered her as she peacefully slept.

"Tell us something about yourself. Where are you guys from? What is your story?" asked Dave, from the front seat.

Squall looked at Lunafreya for an answer, but she was fast asleep.

"We are victims of war. Homes torched, and families displaced. The same story as all other refugees," he replied, keeping his answer vague. "So where are you guys from?" Squall asked, diverting the attention from him.

"I am from Hammerhead in Leide. I manage a garage with my paw-paw," Cindy said.

"Must be nice to work with different types of car," Squall added to drag the conversation.

It worked as Cindy went on and on about Hammerhead and her love for cars and hot dogs.

The car ran over a pothole as the back of the car bounced a bit, causing Lunafreya's head to bump against the railing.

"Ouch," she woke up, rubbing the back of her head. She was so exhausted that she quickly falls back asleep.

Once Cindy stopped talking, Squall asked the passenger, "And what about you, Dave?"

"I go wherever hunter HQ needs me. We hunters fight demons, escort citizens, and help in any capacity we can," he too went on and on about Hunter HQ.

This was the first time in his life that Squall wanted people to talk more.

The car ran over a bump and once again Lunafreya banged her head against the side of the car.

Squall moved next to Lunafreya and she instinctively placed her head on his shoulder.

"So, can anyone become a hunter?" Squall asked, as the conversation seemed to die down. He desperately wanted to keep attention away from him. It worked as Dave passionately started talking about Hunter HQ again.

Cindy made a sharp turn which caused Lunafreya's head to slip from Squall's shoulder and slid into Squall's lap. Normally, he hates when people touch him, but for some reason, he was okay with her. Something about her made him feel comfortable and at ease. There was an odd sense of familiarity about her. Something he would definitely need to address once he has more time.

Squall chimed in infrequently to keep the conversation going as he learned a few things about the world he inhabits now.

Without even realizing Squall kept stroking the head of Lunafreya as she slept peacefully.

The car slowed down as the city approached.

He tapped Lunafreya gently to wake her up. After multiple tries, she finally woke up.

"Where are we?" She asked, trying to adjust her eyes to the ambiance light.

"I believe we are in Lestallum," he made an educated guess. "Where do we go now?"

"There is a hotel here called Leville; we can rest there," she said, getting off the pick-up truck with Squall's help. Instead of returning Squall's jack, she wore it properly as if it was the most normal thing to do. Squall just looked at her dumbfounded. He had to admit; his black jacket looked nice on top of her white dress.

Cindy and Dave came out of the car to meet them.

Lunafreya immediately thanked them when she saw them approach. "I can't thank you enough for your kindness."

"These are dark times, we've gotta help each other," Dave said.

"My be, aren't you the Oracle?" Cindy said with awe.

"Ya now that ya mentioned it, I think I saw her on TV during the treaty signing," Dave recalled.

"I am flattered, but I can assure you that I am no Oracle. Any resemblance I might have is purely happenstance. I believe it is disrespectful to compare someone such as I to the late Oracle, as I am no more than a refugee without a home," Lunafreya quickly lied to conceal her identity. She was not here in her official capacity as an Oracle and would like to keep a low profile to not attract Imperial's attention. Squall noticed how she had refused to say that she was the Oracle and wondered why.

'It was announced on the radio that the Oracle died during the fall of Insomnia, so she can't be her.' Cindy justified it in her head and chose not to push the topic any further.

"You two should be safe here. There are many refugee shelters in this town," said Dave.

"Yes, we shall seek them. Thank you for your assistance," Lunafreya said, with a slight bow.

"Well, I'm gonna go get myself some hot dogs. Lestallum's hot dogs are very famous. I love them," she said, with unmatched enthusiasm in her voice.

Squall had another onset of headaches. He clutched his head as he recalled events from the past. He remembered a friend who loved repairing cars, eating hot dogs, punching things and was always full of energy. He did not recall his face or name.

Soon, the headache subsided, and he heard Cindy asking him, "You alright? Do you want some hot dogs?"

Squall was hungry, but before he could say anything Lunafreya replied, "No, we are okay, thank you so much for your offer. You have helped us enough already."

"Hey Cindy," someone yelled from a distance.

They all look in the direction of the sound and saw someone enthusiastically waving.

She looked like a middle-aged woman with middle-parted shoulder-length hair wearing some sort of thermal suit. She quickly made her way to them.

Cindy rushed to her and gave her a big hug. "Holly, I've missed you," she claimed.

"It's been a while, Cindy," Holly replied with a big smile.

"Hi Dave," Holly greeted, and he waved back in response. "Oh my god, what did you do to your hair? Why did you cut off your pigtail?"

"Thought it'd look cool," Dave replied, with a shrug.

"I used to love your pigtail," Cindy said with disappointment.

"You did? I guess I'd better grow it back. It will take a while, though," Dave said, with a laugh.

'A girl who loves hot dogs and cars and a guy with a pigtail. Seems familiar yet very odd,' Squall thought to himself.

Holly noticed the two strangers around them. "And who do we have here?" She asked, looking at two unfamiliar figures.

"Refugees," Lunafreya quickly replied.

"Ah, we are getting a lot of those lately. You should check out Leville hotel, they are housing all the refugees for the time being," she said, pointing in general direction of the hotel. "If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask me, the name is Holly, I am always by the EXINERIS."

"Thank you, Holly, that is very kind of you," Lunafreya replied graciously.

"Shall we go to the hotel now?" Squall asked, not wanting to get involved in another long conversation. Lunafreya looked at Squall and nodded.

"Good luck," Cindy chirped. "See you around," Holly added. Dave waved at them.

"Thank you all once again for all that you have done for us," Lunafreya said once again.

She put her one arm around Squall while he supported her back with his left hand. They made their way towards the hotel slowly as Lunafreya could barely limp.

Once they crossed the road and reached the main city entrance, Lunafreya said disappointingly, "Oh God, these are lots of stairs."

"It's okay, take your time, we'll go slow," he encouraged.

After 10 minutes, they had barely climbed a few steps as she took a break after every few steps to gather strength to climb the next one. Squall was getting impatient but did not want to say anything.

After a few minutes his patience finally ran out, "Hey, I am sorry."

It came out of the blue, so she asked, "Sorry for what?"

"For what I am about to do," he replied.

Even before her brain had time to process or react to what he just said, she was lifted off her feet into his arms.

He effortlessly picked her up in bridal style and marched on the stairs.

Her heart was panicking. "What are you doing? Put me down."

"At the rate at which you were climbing, we would be here till sunrise. It's much more efficient this way," he explained logically with a monotonous voice.

"It's embarrassing. People are watching," she said, blushing.

He shrugged in response. "No one knows me here anyway."

"But lots of people might know me," she said, emphasizing on the word lots.

"If you really insist on walking, then who am I to oppose?" He said, getting to the top of the stairs.

"No, please don't put me down. I don't want to walk," she complained, as she threw her head back in resignation. "The effect of healing spell is wearing off. My entire body hurts. I feel like every bone in my body is broken."

"Who told you to fight that Titan alone?" He retorted.

"I told you already, that was not the plan."

He kept making small talks to keep her mind away from pain and from the fact that he was still carrying her. They reached a big building at the end of the alley with 'Leville Hotel' written on it.

"We are here," he announced, as they walked through the main entrance, with him still carrying her.

He let her down as they approached the front desk.

"Welcome to hotel Leville. I am Francesco DiMarco, how may I be of service to you?" The clerk at the counter asked politely.

"We need rooms," Squall replied briefly.

"I am sorry, Sir, we don't have any honeymoon suite left," Francesco apologized.

Squall was not the one to usually laugh, but even he couldn't help but chuckle at it.

"I wonder where he got that idea from," Lunafreya said, slowly so only Squall could hear, glaring at him. Her cheeks were red as roses now.

"Whatever. It was a practical choice," he said, with a shrug.

"Sir, we have lots of refugees coming in lately, so we are almost full. We only have one room with single bed available," Francesco explained.

"That will do," Squall replied.

"No, it won't. We need two separate rooms," Lunafreya said in a panic, not wanting to promote this misunderstanding any further.

"He just said there is only one room available. Do you want to kick out other refugees, so you can have your own room?" He asked rhetorically.

"No, that's not what I meant," she said, glaring back at him. "You don't understand, I can't be alone in a room with someone. My reputation is at stake here. If the word gets out that I shared a room with a guy, then it would be a tabloid story," she said, in a low voice, so only Squall could hear.

"Don't worry about sharing the room. I am not interested in you," he replied in a whisper.

"Ouch! That was rather mean. You would be lucky to have someone like me," she said, glaring at him.

"Oh, what do you want me to say? That I like you and I would love to share a room with you? Would that make you more comfortable?" He retorted.

"No," she replied, sheepishly while still blushing.

"But—" she was about to say something when she heard the clerk laughing.

They both turned around and looked at him.

"Sorry, but I just remember how my wife and I used to fight when we were newly married too—"

"Shut up," both of them yelled in unison.

Francesco just raised his hands in defense, still chuckling.

Lunafreya felt bad at yelling at the clerk and she immediately apologized. "I am so sorry; I did not mean to—"

She was interrupted when Squall leaned on the counter and said, "keys please."

"Hey, at least apologize to him," she said, condoning his behavior.

"Fine. I am sorry, now give me the keys," he said, getting annoyed.

"Do it properly," she said, glaring at him.

Squall sighed and said to the clerk, "I am sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. It was not your fault. Now can you give me the keys, please?" He said, finishing his sentence looking at Lunafreya.

She smiles and said, "much better."

"Oh, the young love is so much fun to watch," Francesco said, with a smile, handing the keys to Squall.

Squall wanted to say something but choose not to. He just scowled at him instead.

"The room is on the first floor, all the way down the hall to your right," Francesco pointed out, ignoring Squall scowl.

Squall nodded in acknowledgment.

Lunafreya looked around and said with a sigh, "No, it's my enemy again."

Squall quickly got on high alert and scanned the area, but he did not see any threat. "Where? I don't see any Imperials."

"No, not the Imperials," she said, shaking her head. "It's my other enemy; stairs," she said, pointing at them.

Squall placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head slightly.

He picked her up again in his arms, and she did not resist.

"You owe me a big one for this," he said, directly looking into her eye, as he started climbing the stairs.

"After all that you have done for me today, I'll probably end up owing you my life," she said, sincerely.

"You know," he started, "You are very light." He said, as he ascended the second set of stairs.

"Um, thanks, I guess?" She said, blushing.

He walked down the corridor and their room was the last one. There was an ice machine next to it. He let her down and opened the door with the key he got from the front desk. Once the door swung open, they noticed that it was a very small room. The floor was made up of blue tiles. There was a bed in the center of the room. Small table with the TV on it. A chair close to the sliding door and balcony behind it.

He entered and turned on the lights while she hopped on one leg and crashed on the bed.

She lay flat on the bed and claimed, "Oh, this feels like heaven."

Squall looked like a child waiting for his turn on the ride. He too wanted to lay down on the bed, relax, and experience this heaven, but it was one bed and two of them.

He disappointingly walked up to the chair and plopped down. He took off his gloves, socks, and shoes. He leaned back in the chair and stretched his feet. "This feels like heaven-ish, I guess."

She realized that she was occupying the bed and he too should get his share of it. But it would be awkward to share a bed with a complete stranger. She tried to get up from the bed, so he can lie down there for a bit.

He noticed her struggling to get up and understood what she was trying to do. "You take the bed; I call dibs on the shower."

She nodded to the deal and let her body fall back on the soft bed.

He got up and made his way to the bathroom, hoping they would have hot water. He was not disappointed. After a long day, a shower with warm water was bliss like no other. The water cleansed all the dirt, but it also revealed all the bruises and scars he hadn't noticed before. It wasn't just a battle; he fought a war and somehow managed to walk out alive. It was an eventful day, to say the least.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower. He paused at the mirror to examine one of his scars closely. When he looked at the mirror, the reflection staring back at him scared him. His heart skipped a bit, and he wasn't sure he trusted his eyes. He stared intently at the mirror as his reflection looked a lot older now, the late twenties if he had to guess.

'How long was I stuck in the beyond?' He wondered.

Gone was his boyish look as a mature person looked back in the mirror. His hair longer than he remembered. His jaw was more square-shaped, and his complexion was rough now. His beard added to his mature look.

'I've gotta ask Gentiana, this doesn't make any sense. Why do I look older now?' He thought, still staring at the mirror.

He stepped out of the bathroom after getting ready and was surprised to see a dog sitting on the bed next to Lunafreya.

'The room is locked so how the hell did the dog get in?' He wondered.

It was a white dog with blue eyes with subtle gray markings on its face. It had a green bandage around its right front paw.

He noticed a sudden movement to left in his peripheral vision. He turned to look at it and found another unexpected visitor.

"Umbra?" he said out loud, looking at the familiar dog sitting on the chair. Umbra barked happily and started wagging his tail.

He noticed the dog sitting on the bed, had similar green bandages to Umbra but in the opposite direction.

"Friend of yours, I presumed?" he said, looking at the white dog next to Lunafreya. As if replying to his statement, Umbra barked in response.

"Interesting," he said, as he moved closer to the sleeping girl.

"Hey Lunafreya, wake up," he said, gently tapping her. "Hey, wake up now."

From the looks of it, she was completely out cold.

'She went through a lot today. I don't think she is waking up any time soon. Maybe I should let her rest.' He thought to himself.

He noticed a gash on the side of her forehead and her arm.

'That looks nasty. It would get infected if not cleaned.'

He looked around in the room to see if there was any first aid kit available. He checked the table, drawers, bathroom, and closet, but he found nothing.

'Maybe I should get it from the front desk.'

He left the room after making sure he had taken the key with him. He made his way down the stairs and to the front desk.

"How can I help you, Sir?" Francesco asked politely.

"Hey, do you have a first aid kit?" Squall asked.

"Oh, what a strange request. Why might you need a first aid kit on your honeymoon, I wonder," he said, with a wink and a grin plastered on his face.

'I so badly want to punch him and break his teeth.'

"First. Aid. Kit. Now." He said in a tone that would send chills down the spine.

Francesco quickly grabbed a first aid kit and handed it over to Squall.

"Thank you," he said and left quickly.

As he was climbing the stairs, he heard the clerk say in a sing-song voice, "have fun now." As Squall stared at him, the clerk just grinned and then gave a wink.

'One punch, I swear should be enough. Just one.'

He decided to ignore him and go back to his room. He opened the door, and everything was exactly how he left. Neither dog moved from where they were.

He opened the kit and took out all cotton swabs, antiseptic cream, cleansing wipes, crêpe rolled bandages, disposable sterile gloves, scissors, and sterile gauze dressings. He placed everything neatly on the table next to the bed.

The dog next to Lunafreya eyed him curiously.

As soldiers, they get trained in basic medical treatment. He got to work starting with her face and then moved to her arm.

'Poor thing fell asleep even before she could take off her heels.'

He gently removed her heels and placed it next to the bed. He saw her ankle, and it was very swollen.

'We would need a doctor for this one.' He thought placing his hand on his forehead.

'In this unknown town, where would I find a doctor at this hour?' He wondered.

Much to his dismay, he called the only person who could give him this information, the front desk clerk.

"Hello, this is the front desk how may I help you?" Francesco asked in his usual polite manner.

"I need to see a doctor right now, is there a hospital or a clinic open at this hour?"

"You are quick, Sir. Do you need obstetricians or would any doctor do?" Francesco said, clearly chuckling.

Squall clutched the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

'I want to punch this guy so bad.'

"Any doctor is fine," he said, trying his best to control his rage.

"Hold on, let me check," Francesco said, and placed Squall on a brief hold.

After listening to annoying hold music, which felt like forever, Francesco finally spoke again. "Sir, a caravan of refugees was attacked nearby by the daemons. There are many casualties. All our available doctors and nurses are out there treating the injured. The clinic should be open tomorrow by noon," he informed.

"Okay, thank you," Squall said. As he was about to hang up, he heard the clerk say, "However, if you need obstetrician—" Squall slammed the phone down before he could say anything else.

'Calm down. Just ignore him. He is just another troll.'

He saw Lunafreya peacefully sleeping and immediately calmed down.

'Right, I need to do something about her leg. Ice should help with the swelling, but I need something to apply it with.'

After thinking for a bit, he pulled out the cover from a pillow. He stepped out of the room and filled the pillowcase with some ice from the ice machine in the hallway.

He returned and sat on the edge of the bed and started giving cold compression on her ankle.

Even though it was late at night, he could still hear bustling in the street below. He normally likes quiet places, but after all that they had been through today, he appreciated a crowded town because there is a certain safety in numbers.

He was lost in his thoughts, while absentmindedly applying cold compression to her ankle, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a woman clad in black standing in the balcony.

'Gentiana!'

He desperately wanted to talk to her, but at the same time did not want to abandon Lunafreya's treatment. He grabbed another pillow and removed its cover. He used that pillowcase like a string to tie it around her feet so that the previous cover with ice in it would stay in place.

He quickly got out to the balcony and shut the sliding door behind as to not disturb Lunafreya's sleep.

"Congratulations on completing your first trial. You did well," Gentiana said, in her usual demeanor.

"A little heads up would have been nice. You just threw me in the middle of the battle."

"Time waits for none, you had to be there at that precise moment," she said, politely.

His mind had a million questions he wanted to ask. Why was he here? Who is she? Why does he look older? How come he only has limited magic to use? What if he dies in this world?

All of his frustration just came out in one sentence, "Just what the hell is going on here, I don't understand."

"Squall, do you remember your time in the beyond?" She said, avoiding his question.

"Yes, how could I forget?"

"Tell me, what do you remember of that world?" She asked.

"It was a world without light or hope. Dark gray clouds eternally swirled above me and barren land was beneath my feet. No trace of life anywhere. Everywhere I looked I saw gray haze swirling endlessly in the atmosphere—" He narrated.

"That is the fate of this world, should the Oracle fail," She interjected.

Squall was alarmed to hear that. He recalled Gentiana mentioning about it when they first meet, but the gravity of her words did not sink in until now.

"It will be a world filled with eternal darkness, daemons, and despair. By completing the trial of Titan, you held the hand of fate a little longer."

"What am I to do next?" He inquired.

"Wait till the Oracle recovers, and then challenge the trial of Ramuh," she instructed.

"Ramuh, the thunder God?" He clarified. She simply nodded in response.

"Lead her through the trials of Ramuh, and then to Altissia to the Tidemother, in their lies your liberation," she said, with her eyes closed as usual.

"If I complete this mission, you will send me back to my world, correct?" He reiterated their earlier deal.

She had to think long and hard about how to answer his question. She finally said, "Yes, you shall find your home. That is a promise by your familiar,"

They both stood there in silence. Squall stood there like a statue with his arms folded and a frown plastered on his face. Gentiana, on the other hand, leaned against the railing with a small smile gracing her lips.

"How long was I stuck in the beyond?" Squall finally broke the silence.

"The beyond is a realm where the past, present and the future tangle endlessly." She started.

"Time compression?" He asked.

"Yes, it is a realm where space and time are distorted. You were there for 10 years, while the world here moved on for many years."

"That explains why I look older now," he said, shaking his head.

Silence consumed them both, once again, as they stood side by side.

"Meeting Lunafreya, fighting Titan, meeting Cindy, and me talking to you, this all feels like a déjà vu." Squall spoke up.

"Memories perish with the body, but the bonds of soul linger, it seems."

"What do you mean?"

"It matters not, for all shall be revealed in due time."

He hated this cryptic stuff. One question which bothered him more than anything else was in regards to his past. "How come I don't have all the memories from my past?"

"Memories can be a gift or a burden. Knowing what happened in the past would do a great disservice to you on your current mission. It is better this way. It is for your best," she said, with her eyes closed.

"And just who the hell are you to play with my memories and determined what's best for me?" he said raising his voice.

"A friend," she quickly cut him off before he had a chance to say anything else. "I have witnessed your journey from the very beginning. Your joys and pains, your excitement and disappointments, your happiness and suffering, and all your human emotions, I have experienced it all with you. I mean you no harm. Trust me." She said definitively.

Squall was still processing all that when Gentiana pushed herself off the railing she was leaning on.

"I must go now, someone is waiting for me," she announced.

"Wait, I still have many questions I need to ask," he said.

"Not now. We shall meet again soon," she said, and within a blink of an eye, she disappeared, leaving small ice crystals dancing in the air in her place. He stood there motionless for a few minutes.

He entered back in the room and continued tending Lunafreya's wounds. Once he was satisfied, he went to the bathroom and removed his t-shirt and started tending to his wounds. It took him a few minutes to patch it all up.

It had been a really long day and all he wanted now was to sleep. He thought about sleeping on the chair, but he needed to lie down and stretch. He took one of the spare bed sheets and laid it on the tile floor. He grabbed one of the spare pillows and tossed it on his makeshift bed. He shut off the lights and carefully navigated to his bed and lay down. He was so tired that he did not have any strength to move a muscle.

It wasn't until he lied down that he noticed excruciating pain radiating down his left arm. He knew he would have to get it checked as it was not normal pain. But all that can wait, as his priority right now was sleeping. As he lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to wrap his head around everything going on, he noticed Umbra had come down from the chair snuggled next to him.

'What a strange dog.'

He closed his eyes and within minutes he drifted off to one of the best sleeps he ever had.

Author's notes:

Four new FFVIII characters were revealed in this chapter; Hope you caught them all.

The answer from the last chapter: WH-1637551 is the number plate of the car Squall hijacks to attack Edea in FMV.

This chapter's question: What is significance of the name Francesco DiMarco.

Please leave a comment if you've enjoyed the story so far. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks :)