What unites two people? Is it, their bodies, thoughts, or heart? I wonder…

The sun was setting and so was their mood. Leon took the wheel as they drove to their last campsite. Neither talked much as they were preoccupied with their own thoughts. Leon couldn't stop thinking about Luna and her relationship with Noctis. Luna was trying to figure out the foretold tragedy alluded by Gentiana.

They arrived at the Ausace Haven. After unloading and unpacking everything, they both got busy doing their assumed duty. Leon set up a tent and fire, while Luna busied herself with cooking.

Leon was sitting there quietly staring at the fire he had started. Seeing Leon lost in his thoughts, Luna grabbed a dish and tapped the spoon on it repeatedly making a ringing noise. "Dinner is ready," she announced cheerfully.

Leon got up and helped himself to a plate full of deliciousness she had made. It certainly looked good and smelled even better. "You start eating, I'll join in a minute," she instructed.

Leon sat by the fire with his plate in his hand and started eating. He took one bite and the flavor in his mouth changed. The curry was extremely salty. It took a lot of courage to take another bit while keeping a straight face.

Luna was busy warming something up so her attention was not on Leon for the time being. After five minutes or so, she joined Leon with a plate in her hand.

She noticed that Leon had finished his curry, "The curry is already gone? You must have liked it. Here have some more." In spite of Leon's resistance, she dumped a scoop full of curry in his plate.

Leon continued eating, trying to be as normal as possible. Luna took one bite, and she immediately spits it out. "Ewww it's awful," she said, making a face. She looked at Leon and he was still eating it. "How can you eat this? It is so salty!"

"It's not that bad. It is still better than anything I could have cooked," he tried to downplay the severity.

"No, it is horrible," she said, yanking his dish from his hand.

"Luna, if you can eat soup you don't like for weeks, I can surely eat salty food for a day," he replied with a smile. "Besides, you put so much effort into it, the last thing I want to do is to criticize it and be ungrateful."

"Leon, you are too sweet," she said, with a radiating smile. "But this is too salty and not eatable at all. Let's cook something that can be made quickly. Come on, help me cut these vegetables."

Together they worked on making the diner. Cooking together turned out to be a rather enjoyable activity.

She fixed a quick meal and this time she made sure it was proper in taste. They enjoyed their dinner in the starry night.

"Should we take on Ramuh tomorrow? Or do you want to wait?" he asked between his bites.

"Let's do it tomorrow. I am ready," she affirmed, giving him a quick thumbs up.

"Which means this would probably our last camp like this," he declared with a hint of disappointment.

"Never thought I would say this, but I am going to miss this," she remarked, looking around.

"We can always camp for fun," he suggested.

"But it won't be the same," she resisted to his idea.

"More reason to do it. The same is boring," he commented, grabbing another bite.

"I guess you are right," she said, after drinking water.

After a couple of minutes, Leon chimed again, "We need to return the car in the morning and then we ride Chocobos to Ramuh's location."

"And once we defeat it, we are off to Altissia to awaken Leviathan," she laid out the plan.

"Do you think this battle would be as tough as Titan?" he asked.

"Not sure. Each Astral has its own personality. Historically, Ramuh has favored mankind. Leviathan, on the other hand, hates mankind with passion," she gave a quick history lesson.

"Interesting," he said, finishing his meal.

"Let's clean up and rest. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow," she suggested, getting off the ground dusting off dirt from her clothes.

"Yup, let me help," he joined her in cleaning up.

Leon looked at his watch and it was 11:45 p.m. Cooking twice took a lot more than expected. Suddenly, he remembered that the meteor shower would be starting in about 75 minutes. He noticed Luna was busy packing all extra groceries, so he found something to keep him busy as well. He grabbed their two sleeping bags and pillows from the tent and laid it out in the open. He laid Luna's sleeping bag close to the fire, so she doesn't feel cold. His sleeping bag was next to hers only one foot apart.

He lay there comfortably and started stargazing.

"What is this?" inquired Luna, coming close to his make-ready bed.

Not wanting to reveal his plan, he said, "I thought we should do something different since this is our last night in a camp like this."

"Your plan is to sleep out in the open, even though we have a tent set up?" she still wasn't convinced of his plan.

"Yes, it will be fun," he proposed, but Luna did not buy it.

"Your definition of fun keeps getting weirder," she commented with a facepalm. The realization that she had started to facepalm a lot more since meeting Leon was not lost on her.

He said two magical words that always melt her. "Trust me."

"Fine," she gave in with a sigh. She sat next to Leon on his spread-out sleeping bag for the time being.

Seeing her disappointment with this plan, Leon offered, "If you don't like it here, then we can always go back in the tent."

"Really?" she was taken by surprise by his offer.

"Yes."

"Okay then, I don't like it, can we go inside now?" she pleaded, joining her hands.

Leon's plan of watching the meteor shower together was quickly falling apart. "Would you be more interested in staying out here tonight if I gave you a gift?"

Her eyes widened upon hearing that, "You got a gift for me?" She couldn't believe her ears so she had to check.

"What if I did?" he asked playfully.

"Then give it to me already. I love gifts." Her heart was already racing from the prospect of getting a gift from Leon. She was extremely curious to find out what it was.

"Not so fast. What do I get in return?" he teased further.

"I don't know. What would you like?" she asked, now getting even more curious.

"Sleep out here tonight?" he proposed.

"Why is sleeping here such a big deal to you?" she eyed him suspiciously.

He just shrugged in response. "No reason. So, do we have a deal?"

"Deal," she agreed, extending her hand. Leon shook her hand in response to lock in the deal.

"Now, gift please," she demanded.

"Close your eyes and put your hand out like this," Leon instructed.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do it," he directed in a commanding tone, and she obliged. He kept something on her hand. She tried to feel what it was and from its texture, she quickly figured it out. She opened her eyes and there was a book in her hand. She brought the book closer to the fire and was stunned to see its cover.

"How did you find it!" she said with utter disbelief.

"Wishing Upon A Star by Lord Avon," he announced proudly with a smile.

"How did you even get this? It must have cost a fortune to get this," she relayed her concerns.

"Do you like it?" he asked, trying to evade her question.

"No. I love it," she said with never seen before enthusiasm and flung herself to him. She gave him three quick pecks on his cheek while still having Leon in her embrace.

'I guess she wasn't kidding when she said I would enamor them with love,' said his mind with joy.

She quickly realized the compromising position they were in and immediately released Leon from her embrace. She sat back straight totally embarrassed. The last thing she wanted was to make eye contact with Leon now.

"I am glad that you liked my gift so much."

She picked up the book and flipped through a few pages as if making sure it was really 'Wishing Upon A Star.' "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much, Leon. Words cannot describe what this means to me."

"You are most welcome," he replied courteously.

"How much did you have to pay for this?" she asked, finally looking at him.

"Let's just say that whatever I paid for it was worth it," he said, smiling at her.

"How will I ever repay for all that you have done for me?"

"Don't worry. I am not keeping tabs."

"Do you mind if I read this book for a bit?" she asked politely.

"Sure, go ahead," he encouraged.

She positioned herself in a way that light from the fire would fall on the book. She read the book with eagerness as if her life depended on it. Leon couldn't help but notice when tears swelled up in her eyes. She would wipe it and continue reading. She was completely immersed in the book.

Leon realized that it was kind of creepy to just watch her read for so long. Since he had nothing to do, he looked around for anything which would cure his boredom. He thought about pulling out his cellphone, but choose against it as he felt that lately he was indulging in his phone lot more than necessary.

After scanning his surroundings multiple times, he found nothing of interest until his eyes settled on Luna's trident. He wondered if he could wield it in battle. He found Luna's ability to create a shield particularly useful in battles and was curious to find out if he could do the same by wielding the Trident of the Oracle. The only way to find out was to try it.

"Luna, can I use your trident?" he asked.

"Ya, sure," she replied, without even looking up. He was certain that she did not even hear his question and just replied autonomously.

He got up and grabbed the trident. It was much lighter than he expected. He inspected the trident closely from top to bottom. The three prongs atop the stem were extremely sharp. The stem itself was strong enough to block off any attack. The stem was so well made that it could be gripped from the top, middle or bottom depending on need. It had a wing ornament at the bottom, ending into a very sharp edge, lethal enough to pierce through even the thickest of armors. It had an extremely fine artistic design embossed in it all over the trident. Looking at the strength and beauty of this weapon, he could conclude that no human could have possibly made it. He couldn't help but wonder if this was actually THE trident of the Oracle from the legend Stiria had told him earlier in the day.

Next, he closed his eyes and let his hand get the feel of the weapon. Once satisfied, he swung the trident with one hand and then again with both hands. After trying multiple grips, he finally settled for a dual hand grip used in a polearm. Each swing accompanied a swooshing sound as if cutting the wind itself. One of the cool features of the trident was that each strike left behind a hologram that stayed for a few seconds damaging enemies who come into its contact. The holograms stack and thus does high damage to stationary targets. Luna primarily used her trident to cast spells and rarely for close combat.

Leon noticed that Trident amplified his magic greatly as well. What he wanted to learn the most was to create a shield. Nothing he tried seemed to create a shield that Luna seemed to do so effortlessly. After trying multiple things, he finally gave up and decided to ask Luna on how to create a shield.

Luna was still eagerly reading the book, so he was hesitant to disturb her. He sat next to Luna, still holding the trident. Luna noticed his presence and looked at him. "What is it?" she asked, figuring he needed something from her.

"How do you create that protective shield?" he asked.

It took her a few seconds to realize what he was referring to as she had no context for that question. "Oh, that's an ability of the Oracle which lets me do that," she replied.

Upon hearing this, his neutral facial expression transformed into one of disappointment. "What happened?" she asked, with concern.

"I thought if I wield the trident, I would be able to create the shield as well," he said, with dejection evident in his voice.

She closes the book and carefully places it next to her, before addressing Leon. "I cannot create the shield without the trident so I can see why you would think that the trident was the source of it. However, it takes both the trident and the Oracle's power to cast that protective barrier," she explained patiently.

"So, I have the trident but no power to use it," he stated, looking at the trident and twirling it around. "Can't you share some of your power to me?" he asked jokingly.

"Now that's an interesting thought," she said, as it sparked her interest. Now she was fully engaged in the conversation. "King Regis could use the crystal's power, but he was also able to share it with his Kingsglaives which enabled them to use magic as well. If Lucii kings can share their power, then in theory, Oracle should be able to do the same. Hmm, I never thought about this before." She was absentmindedly playing with a strand of her hair.

"If possible, then sharing Oracle's power would mean healing more people, blessing move havens and allowing others to create a shield in battle. It would be very beneficial to you and others. I am surprised that you did not think of this before."

"I never had anyone to share it with, until now," she said with a sad smile. "I guess that is why I never thought about it before."

"Wait, there might be a problem," Leon said, realizing something. "I thought only females can be the Oracle."

"Not necessarily. Are you aware of the legend of the Oracle king?" she asked, and he shook his head in response. "A long time ago the king of Lucis and an Oracle of that time set out to fell ferocious beasts that threatened their subjects. Once they reached the Vesperpool, they discovered a flying monster who attacked them with lightning. That attack killed the Oracle and sent the king fleeing. The king sealed the monster underground and took up the Oracle's position and the trident until another from House Fleuret would be ready for the task."

"So, if the king sealed the monster then he must have used Oracle's power to do that," Leon interjected.

"Yes, that would be a safe logical assumption," she admitted.

"Sorry, I interrupted your story, please continue," he requested.

"The king left behind monoliths of this tale in the Steyliff Grove Menace dungeon. The king and the Oracle of his time were in love, and how she protected both him and the world before being killed by a monster. He blamed himself for her death and in lamenting his love for her he called himself the "coward king" who issued orders from the rear rather than valorously leading the attack as his forebears had done. This king known as the Oracle King had his statue in Insomnia as part of the Old Wall."

"The king and the Oracle were in love?" he asked, wanting to make sure he heard it right.

"Yes. Why?"

"It is risky. If the two bloodlines merge, then all it would take is one catastrophe to wipe out both the Oracle and the King's lineage altogether. That would ensure that the providence would never be fulfilled and the world would fall into endless darkness."

"Very perceptive, it is for this very reason that the union between the two has been discouraged. For many generations, no king of Lucii has wedded to anyone in House Fleuret. But it is human nature to desire what is the most forbidden."

"How come you are willing to do the forbidden by marrying Noctis?" he asked, secretly hoping for a change of heart.

"King Noctis is the prophesied true King who will eradicate darkness permanently. Once the prophecy is fulfilled, there is really no need for Lucii or Fleuret bloodlines."

"If everything is prophesied then what's the point of even trying?" he asked skeptically.

"Prophecy or destiny is not something which is set in stone. For me, prophecy simply tells us about our potential, but to work hard to reach that potential is up to the individual. King Noctis is supposed to be the chosen king from the prophesy and it is my job to inspire him to achieve that greatness. That is the reason for undertaking this journey."

"I see," he muttered, at a loss of words. He noticed that both Luna and his mood had changed because of this conversation and he cursed himself for even bringing this topic up when everything was going so well. "I think we deviated from our initial topic of sharing Oracle's powers," he offered, after a few awkward seconds.

"Oh, right, we digressed," she said, appreciating the change of topic. "In theory, the Oracle's powers could be shared and even wielded by males in a limited capacity."

"So, how do you actually share that power?" he asked the obvious next question.

"To be honest, I don't know. I have never read or heard about it before, so your guess is as good as mine on this one."

"If I had to guess, I would think it would be similar to healing," he suggested.

"Good idea, let's think this further. Let's say I bless someone who does not have any starscourge infection, what does my lifeforce do in their body?" she wondered aloud.

"Maybe, that excess energy can manifest itself as magic? Your magic is connected with this trident. With Oracle's power and this trident, in theory, it should enable them to use some of the Oracle's power, right?" he asked.

"Perhaps. But I feel there has to be more than just that," she suggested.

"Like what?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know. Some sort of connection maybe?" she suggested.

"That makes sense. Maybe it is like my Guardian force. I can use the power of the Guardian forces because I am connected to them mentally. A mental or a spiritual connection might be necessary as well," he agreed.

"Oracle and Lucii powers are given to only those whom Astrals deems worthy. So maybe I can share a fragment of my power with someone who I think is worthy of it. After all, King Regis hand-picked soldiers who he thought were worthy to be his glaives," she recollected. "I think you are correct, there must be some sort of connection between the Oracle and her subject."

"Do you think we have such connection?" he asked, looking at her.

She boldly looked into his eye and said, "Yes, I think I am connected to you."

"I think I am connected to you too," he replied, without breaking his gaze.

As the fire next to them flickered with the wind, the fire inside was raging anew. Even though they tried their best to mask their feelings, it often found a way to make itself known. This was the closest they had gotten to confessing their love to each other. Their words might have been different, but their meaning was understood by both.

Eventually, Luna broke the gaze as blush rushed to her cheeks. Leon too had a similar reaction, so he decided to change the subject. "Only one way to find out. Let's try it."

He got up first and offered a hand to Luna. She grabbed onto his hand and he pulled her to her feet. He handed the trident to its rightful owner.

She placed it next to her and asked, "Ready for this experiment?"

"Absolutely," he said instantly. There was a certain sense of excitement in Leon that she had never seen before. Little did he know of the toll it would take on Luna from this. Looking at the joy on Leon's face in anticipation, Luna would gladly suffer for him.

She places her hands on either side of his head and tries to touch her forehead to his. She had to get on her toes to reach his forehead as he was slightly taller than her. Realizing their height difference, he lowered himself, which Luna was thankful for.

A golden-yellow light started emanating from where their foreheads meet. She closed her eyes and said, "Blessed Stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness' blight."

Golden shimmering energy particles engulfed both of them. The energy seemed to be radiating from Luna and was being absorbed by Leon. Their forehead stayed connected for almost a minute before Luna finally broke off as she ran out of energy to sustain it any further.

She grabbed Leon's arm for support and slowly slid down to the ground to sit.

"Are you okay?" Leon asked with concern.

"Yes, I am fine. I sometimes get dizzy when I do this," she tried to play it off.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" he asked, kneeling down to her.

"Just give me a few minutes and I should be back to normal," she tries to assure him.

"Had I known it would affect you like this, then I would have never suggested this," he said with regret.

"Leon, I do this all the time. I am fine. Trust me," she reassured him. "Now go on and see if you can wield some of the Oracle's power," she encouraged him by offering him the trident.

Satisfied with her answer, Leon nodded and grabbed the trident from her. He stepped away from her for safety. With the trident in one hand, he closed his eyes and focused his energy. He felt a drastic increase in his magic and physical strength. Unknown energy coursed through his veins the likes of which he had never experienced before.

He swung trident cutting through the air with unmatched ferocity. He shot a bolt of fire in the distance to check the potency of his spell. He shot bolts of lightning and blizzard spells in either direction as he continues to slashing at this imaginary enemy. His body was moving in an autonomous motion. With a weapon in hand, his body was dancing to an unknown rhythm.

Whenever he is fighting or even practicing, he is in a world of his own. Ironically, the battlefield gave him clarity. His mind shuts out all the thoughts as it focuses only on the task at hand. While practicing, he created a shield even without realizing it. It wasn't until he had finished his routine that he realized that he was able to create the shield now and their experiment had worked.

"I did it!" he exclaimed, after creating another shield around him. He rushed to Luna and embraced her. "We did it!" The excitement was evident in his voice. "Our experiment worked! Now I can use your powers too. You no longer have to carry this burden alone," he offered, still holding her in his embrace.

"Yes, I can't believe it worked," laying her head on his shoulder unconsciously. "With the divine shield now, you won't get hurt so much."

It was a vulnerable yet sweet moment for both of them. Leon suddenly realized that he still had Luna in his embrace so he gently pushed her away. She too, reluctantly, got away from him. He gently grabbed both of her hands and looked straight into her eyes, "Luna, do you realize what this means?"

She was too stunned to talk, so she just shook her head.

"We are one now. Your essence runs through my veins," there was an innocent joy on his face when he said that.

"For better or worse, we are one," she said as a million emotions within her heart were conveyed by a simple smile.

"We are one."

A distant observer couldn't contain his smile after what he had witnessed. "I must admit that she tried valiantly to change the course of fate. But fate has a way of alluring people towards it. You took away his magic; he found another. Now that he has tasted the forbidden fruit of magic when the times comes, he won't be able to resist it. This magic would be his downfall. Little does he know that magic always comes with a price. This time, the price would be his life."

He twirled his hat before putting it on. "And thus, begins his end."

Please leave a comment if you are reading this. It would mean a lot. Thanks :)