What is more important? The comfort of the body or the heart? I wonder…

Leon lay there stiff as a tingling sensation ran through his body. The blur in his eye slowly started to take shape. He saw someone peering down at him.

"How are you feeling?" asked a feminine voice.

"My head hurts," he said, placing a hand on his forehead.

"No kidding," she replied. "Looks like your eyes are focusing. You should be fine."

For the first time, Leon was able to make out features of the girl he was talking to. She had fair skin, green eyes, and shoulder-length silver-blond hair. She wore red and black leather armor that had a scaly appearance to it. She had a long white cape with a red symbol. If he had to guess, she must be a dragoon type warrior. A distant memory resurfaced. If only she had blond hair and wore glasses, she would look very similar to someone he used to know from his world.

"Say your name for me," she asked.

"It's Squall."

"Oh boy, it looks like you must have hit your head pretty hard to not even remember your name. I was told that your name was Leon."

"Only Luna calls me that." Suddenly all the alarms started going off in his head. "Where is Luna?" he asked, trying to sit up.

"Relax," she said, pushing his shoulder and making him lie down again. "She is safe with us."

"And who are you?"

"The name is Aranea Highwind. I am a friend," she revealed, putting Leon at ease.

For the first time, he had a look around his surroundings and it looked like he was in some sort of a cabin. He noticed the rhythmic movement of the train and pieced this together. "How did I get here? What happened to me?"

"We found you knocked out in Fociaugh Hollow. We rescued you and Luna just in the nick of time. We are on the way to Tenebrae now."

"How is Luna doing? Last I remember, she lost her consciousness soon after forging a covenant with Ramuh."

"I don't know what happened there, but by the time I got there, she had woken up and you were knocked out."

"Hmm, so it worked, I guess. Can I see her?" he asked.

"No, she is resting right now. You should do the same," she suggested.

"Yeah, my head feels like it is about to explode," he admitted.

"I'll be over there," she informed, pointing at the opposite berth. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks," he mumbled, as his eyes got heavy and he drifted back to sleep.

The rest of their journey was rather uneventful. The train stopped at Fodina Caestino. They used this stop to get out of the train to get some fresh air. However, Luna and Leon's path never crossed even once. After a day of travel, the announcement ringed through the train. "Next stop is Tenebrae."

From what he had heard, Tenebrae was supposed to be a very beautiful place and he was secretly excited to see. He peered out of his window as Tenebrae approached quickly. Tenebrae's beauty was breathtaking and beyond his wildest imagination. The whole city was established on what seemed like floating islands. There were multiple waterfalls cascading from the floating islands, giving it an otherworldly look. The many shades of green covered the entire visible spectrum. The lush green trees, shrubs, vines flourished uninhibited. The beauty of Tenebrae seemed straight from some artist's canvas.

A knock on his door forced him to look away from the window.

"It's time to pack up. We should be at the station shortly," Aranea instructed from the door. They had become good friends in a very short time. She took great care of him ever since he woke up. The fact she was the only person who talked to him also became the catalyst in their budding friendship. For some strange reason, Aranea never felt like a stranger to him. Their conversation often revolved around a military and political strategy and combat. Every time he spoke with her, it felt like he was reconnecting with an old friend.

She waved him goodbye from the door and quickly retreating to her cabin.

"All I have is a backpack. Not much to pack really," he muttered to himself, putting his toiletries in the front zipper of his bag. He inspected around the cabin to make sure he did not forget anything there. He swung his backpack over his back and exited the cabin. He moved close to the door to get a better view of Tenebrae.

As he was admiring the view, the cabin door close to him slid open, but he paid no mind to it.

"How are you feeling now?" asked a familiar voice.

His heart skipped a beat as he knew who it was. He turned around in the direction of the voice and for the first time since Fociaugh Hollow he saw Luna. He noticed that her eyes seemed puffy and bags under her eyes indicated she hadn't slept much.
"I am doing better now," he said. "You don't look so good."

"It will take some time for your wounds to heal so please take it easy," she said ignoring his last comment. "I will inform our medics to take care of you. Please let them know of all your symptoms."

He noticed that she had still not made eye contact with him.

"Luna, I wanted to speak with you about-" before he could finish his sentence the overhead speaker announced, "Welcome to Tenebrae. Please make sure to take all your belongings. Please watch your step as you get out. Thank you for choosing to ride Magna Fortia. We sincerely hope to serve you again on your next journey."

Aranea, Gentiana and a few other passengers had joined them as well in the corridor.

"Squall, we should exit from different compartments. All the attention would be on Luna, so we should be able to get out undetected with all the pilgrims," Aranea advised, opening the door to the connecting compartment.

He looked at Luna one last time before following Aranea. He was disappointed that he was not able to speak much with Luna.

"Why are we existing from a different compartment? It's not like anyone knows me here," he asked, catching up with Aranea.

"Oh, you will be surprised at how good Imperial surveillance is. Any time you engage with any Imperial troops, your image is uploaded to our database. And based on the number of units you have destroyed by now, I can assure you, you are very famous," she explained, cutting through the crowd and moving on to the next connecting compartment.

"Combat and surveillance in the same unit is ingenious. I am impressed," he confessed.

As they entered another compartment, he grabbed Aranea's hand, "Aranea, wait."

"What is it?"

"We are being followed at 6 o'clock," he warned her. He had noticed that a small girl, about 8 or 9 years old, and two middle-aged soldiers had followed them through every compartment so far.

"Oh, they are with us. They are my people," she revealed, putting him at ease. He nodded and they continued their journey.

The train slowed down and came to a complete halt and the doors slid open. All the travelers poured out of the door.

Aranea had told Leon earlier that in the wake of Luna's "passing," thousands flocked to the Fenestala Manor to pay their respects, pilgrims traveling from afar by boat and train. Based on that conversation, Leon was expecting a crowd, but the scene in front of his eyes quite surreal. As far as the eyes could see, the whole station was filled with people.

Leon, Aranea and her crew got out of the train. They blend in with the crowd and made their way towards the only exit from the platform. Even among this crowd, Leon's eyes were searching for Luna.

Luna got out of the train and was followed by Gentiana. Many other passengers got off behind them.

It didn't take long for people to recognize Lunafreya. A quiet murmur spread in the crowd as people were still skeptical of what they saw. Luna was announced to be dead, but here she was in the flesh, standing at the train station. One person started cheering and the whole crowd erupted in cheers. People were clapping, whistling, and screaming Luna's name.

'Wow, she a celebrity wherever she goes,' he thought.

He noticed there was a lady dressed in professional attire accompanied by a few soldiers.

"Welcome home, Lady Lunafreya," greeted the lady dressed in professional attire.

"It is good to see you again, Polisci," Luna greeted her with a hug.

Leon was at some distance from them so he could not hear them. A royal entourage escorted Luna through the crowd, as the crowd cheered Luna's every step.

"Now that these many people have seen Luna wouldn't Empire be alerted of her presence and location?"

"Very perceptive. We want Empire to know that."

"Why?"

"Circa M.E. 359, when Niflheim invaded Tenebrae for the first time, they did not invade Fenestala Manor, where the royal family resides, due to the masses' faith in the Oracle. We are using the same strategy here. As long as Luna is here in Tenebrae, in front of the public's eyes, the Empire would not dare attack her. Did you not see the reception she got just now? Any harm to the Oracle now would cause a huge uproar in Lucis and Niflheim alike. Every faithful in the Eos is now her defender."

"Using public as her protector is a very cunning strategy indeed."

"It was all Ravus's idea," she confessed.

"Couldn't we have done it sooner? Maybe like when we were in Lestallum?"

"No, timing is everything. The Empire used the chaos during the treaty signing to declare the death of Lunafreya. Once the world thought that the Oracle was dead, they could kill her without any consequences. It was a brilliant strategy on their part. Revealing herself in Lucis would have either gotten her killed or captured with little public awareness. We had to wait for public support to build up. You were exceptional in shielding her from public eyes in Lucis. Had her location been revealed, Ravus would have been forced to capture her and bring her to Niflheim. God knows what they would have done with her there."

"Makes sense," he acknowledged the plan.

"Well, here we are at the much revered Fenestala Manor," she announced at the entrance of the famous manor.

Squall looked at the building and it looked like a castle right out of a fairytale. He looked at the barbican flanked by the tower on either side. Multiple towers were built on various tactical spots for an ideal defense and were connected by strengthened, solid walls made of gray stone. Crude windows were scattered generously around the walls in fairly symmetrical patterns, along with overhanging crenelations. It was a multi-layered castle with ramparts on each level. He could see a huge purple dome structure at the center of the castle which he assumed was the great hall. The entire castle was built with ashlar masonry.

The guards saluted them as they entered the building. They came to the main hall, which had a spiral staircase leading to the upper floors.

"We've been expecting you," someone said, descending from the staircase. It was the same lady who had escorted Luna from the train station.

"Hello, Lady Aranea. You must be Squall. Lady Lunafreya spoke very highly of you," she spoke, walking towards them. "My name is Polisci Xuan, but people just call me Xu. I take care of all the administrative duties for Prince Ravus and Princess Lunafreya."

'Xu, somehow that name sounds familiar.' He wondered.

"Follow me, I'll show you your room," Xu stated, leading the way. Aranea and Squall ascended the staircase as they followed Xu to the second floor.

Xu opened a huge mahogany door leading to a large room. "This will be your room."

"Thank you," he said politely.

"Lady A, would you be staying with us?"

"No, royalty is not my style. I'll stay in the town as usual," she respectfully declined.

Xu acknowledged and looked at Squall. "If you need anything, just alert any of the staff. Lady Lunafreya has instructed the staff to attend to all your needs immediately." Xu waved at them and went to attend her other duties.

"Aren't you treated like a prince here?" Aranea playfully jabbed at Squall.

"Whatever." He shook his head and entered the room.

It was a nicely decorated room with teal-colored walls. Sofas and chairs were placed close to the window. There was a lone bookcase on the opposite side of the sofa. A king-size bed was in a secluded corner of the room. Every piece of furniture in the room had intricate carving embossed in it. There were two doors on either side of the bed, which he guessed were for a closet and a bathroom. A crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room tying the appeal of the room nicely. The crystals in the chandelier bounced of soft white light.

"Fancy," Aranea noted, looking at the room. Squall just shrugged in response.

"I am just happy to get a bed here. Ever since I got to this world I have never slept on a bed."

"Beds are overrated. They are only worth it if you have someone to share it with," she remarked with a mischievous wink.

"Where is Luna?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Missing your girlfriend already?" she teased.

"She is not my girlfriend," he said with a facepalm.

"Whatever," she said mocking Squall.

"You are so annoying," he complained.

"Shut it, scar-face," she chastised him playfully. "Alright, I have to go attend to my monster. Why don't you rest up now? I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning. I'll show you around the town. We can even train if you are feeling up to it."

"Sounds good."

"Later." She waved, walking towards the door.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"For?" she stopped and asked without turning.

"For," he started but couldn't come with the right words. "For being there for me."

"Luna asked me to," she replied and exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Luna..." he said to himself.

Ever since she got back, she was bombarded with information. "The number of pilgrims is increasing by the day. At this rate, we would run out of our medical supplies in two weeks' time."

"Can we send out more gatherers to get herbs from the forest of Piztala?" Luna inquired.

"All units are already deployed. Speaking of the forest of Piztala, there was a sighting of a strange white colored alien-like creatures. The report says it kept saying, 'Hiso.' Our medic and research units have set out an expedition to learn more about them," Xu reported.

"Please call them back. Research can wait, we must prioritize healing the faithful first with our medicines," Luna urged.

"I think we should call back just the medic unit and let the research unit continue," Xu suggested.

"I disagree. The forest of Piztala is dangerous at this time of the year. Should something happen to the research team, without medics, they would not survive for long. We cannot risk our brightest minds like this."

"As you wish. Also, there was some unrest because of the Empire in Zoldara Henge province. We tried to defuse the situation as best as we could. But their leader wants to speak with either you or Lord Ravus to share their grievances," Xu informed.

"Call them tomorrow morning."

"Also, some merchants have arrived from Altissia. They want to negotiate the trade agreements with you."

"Let's meet with them tomorrow evening," Luna instructed.

"In the evening you are already scheduled to meet with-" as Xu was reporting further, but Luna cut her off. "Xu, can we please talk about everything in the morning? I am exhausted from our travels."

"My apologies, that was very inconsiderate of me," she apologetically lowered her head.

"No, you have nothing to apologize for. You are just doing your duties. I can't thank you enough for taking care of our kingdom in mine and brother's absence."

"No need for thanks. This is my home too," she replied humbly. Luna nodded appreciatively.

Just as they were wrapping up their conversation someone knocked on the door.

'Who is it now?' Luna thought wearily.

She looked at the door, and her face lit up. She ran and gave a big hug. "Maria! How have you been?"

"I am doing well my lady. But I could hardly say the same for you. Look how much weight you have lost," Maria noted, inspecting her closely.

"Now that I am back, I am sure you will make me eat till my stomach is about to explode," she said cheerfully.

"What would you like to eat my lady?"

"Surprise me. I have missed your cooking so much. I'll eat anything you cook," she asserted with a smile.

"In that case, I'll make your favorite-" Maria was about to say something when Luna interrupted her. "Oh, one more thing. Please make sure in whatever you make there are no olives in it and make it a little spicy."

"I don't understand my lady. You love olives and you don't like spicy food," she asked, confused.

"Let's just say that my taste has evolved since," she replied, scratching her head.

Maria had known her since she was in her crib, it was hard to fool her. Before Maria could ask anything, else Luna changed the subject, "We have a guest staying with us for some time. Why don't you ask him what he wants to eat?"

"But my lady, you have returned home after such a long time. Shouldn't you get to pick what you want to eat?"

"Anything he picks is fine with me."

Maria again eyed her curiously.

Once again Luna pivoted to avoid interrogation, "Matron, can you please deliver this to our guest?" She handed an envelope to Maria.

"Get going. I am very hungry; I can hardly wait. I'll take a shower and freshen up," she urged Maria and Xu to get out of her room.

Once they were gone, she shut the door and exhaled loudly. "Can't catch a break."

Squall stopped by the window and looked outside to admire the beauty of this town radiating in the sunset. It was a bustling town with traders on the street, kids playing in the open square, families taking a stroll, and worshipers singing hymns. It was hard to imagine such a peaceful town in these chaotic times, yet here it stood against all odds. The street lights had started illuminating the town. Even though his body wanted to rest, his eyes refused to move.

He heard a soft knock on the door, forcing him to get out of his trance.

It was an elderly woman with long gray hair in a ponytail and blue eyes. She wore old-fashioned gray and blue dress with a striped pattern.

"My lord, I am one of the retainers of house Fleuret. My name is Maria, but people often call me Matron."

'Matron, that sounds very familiar.' His mind tried to recall the details, but it failed. His memory of the past was like looking at a blurred image. You could make out the shape, but cannot see any details.

"I will be at your service. Please let me know if you need anything," she said with a bow.

"Could you do me a favor, please?"

"Anything my lord," she offered politely.

"Please don't bow to me or call me my lord. My name is Squall and you can call me that."

"That won't be right my lord," she politely refused.

"I thought you were supposed to do what I say?" he tried to trap her.

"Well, but it would be odd to refer to you with your first name," she spoke hesitantly.

"It is odd to see such an elderly lady bow down to me. Please, I insist," he urged.

"As you wish, my lor—umm, Master Squall," she said with her tough in check.

"I give up," he said, shaking his head.

"What would you like to eat tonight?"

"Anything is fine," he replied with a shrug. "If possible, have more olives and make it less spicy," he added as an afterthought.

"Strange, she just said the opposite," she whispered under her breath.

"What?" Squall asked, not being able to hear her.

"Oh, please don't mind me." She reached out in her back pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Here, Lady Luna asked me to deliver it."

"What is it?" he asked curiously taking the envelope.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Is there anything you need my lor—umm, Squall?"

"Yes, can I get a towel please?" he asked, after thinking.

"Of course. I shall have one of our retainers bring it to your room. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, that's all for now," he concluded as he couldn't think of anything else.

"I shall call you when the dinner is ready," she informed before taking her leave.

Squall opened the mysterious envelope and founds lots of gils in it. There was a note along with it which said: Your backpack can carry only so much. Please use this money freely to buy anything you need. We are not on the run anymore, so please make yourself comfortable here. I shall do my best to make you feel at home. - Luna

"How thoughtful," he said with a smile, upon reading the note.

"Sir, your towel," one of the retainers said from the door. Squall took the towel from his hand.

"Is there anything else you need, Sir?" he asked politely.

"I am good for now, thank you," Squall thanked him and closed the door once the retainer left.

He grabbed his essentials and stepped into the bathroom. He turned the faucet to check for hot water, and he was not disappointed.

"A hot shower, first time after leaving Lestallum," he said gleefully. "I am going to shower until the water runs out."

After a hot and relaxing shower, Squall felt like he was born anew.

They had gathered for dinner in their family dining room. Luna sat at the head of the table while Leon sat on the chair next to her. It was only two of them.

Squall waited patiently for her to say something or at least look at him, but she did not.

Even though they were the only two people eating, they were barely alone as her staff constantly kept going in and out of the room bringing warm food.

He waited for the opportune time to talk with her, but every time he started someone entered the room.

Their entire meal was spent in utter silence. This was the first time they had such an awkward meal.

Even though the food was amazing, his mind just wasn't into it.

Ignoring everyone around them, Squall finally asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Mhm," was all she said.

There were no other words in the English dictionary he hated more than 'Mhm.'

Before he could say anything, Maria burst through the door with a container in her hand. "My lady, here is your favorite dessert, Pineapple orange ice cream."

She served one scoop to Luna and two scoops to Squall.

Xu entered the room and announced, "My lady, some nobles have come to visit you. I have them waiting in the audience chamber."

"I'll be right there," she said immediately. She was looking for an escape, and this was it.

"No, you don't have to come at this very minute. I was just informing you that after your dinner you have to meet them."

"It's not polite to keep them waiting," she urged and proceeded to quickly finish her ice cream. She got up and left in a hurry.

Squall's hunger had all but died. He too got up, without even tasting the ice cream. He retreated to his room slightly upset.

He did not have any proper clothes to change into so he had to improvise. He tossed his T-shirt in the corner and lay on the bed.

After all these hardships, he finally got a chance to sleep in a bed. It had just the right amount of softness to it. His body felt like a feather suspended in the wind.

He did not know what heaven was like, but he was sure that sleeping in this bed was the closest thing to it right now.

His mind tried to figure out what was wrong with Luna. Ever since he woke up, she has been acting differently. She was ignoring him and he did not know why. He barely thought for a couple of minutes before he, unknowingly, succumbed to sleep.

Author's Notes:

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

Please leave a comment and brighten my day. Thanks :)

PS: I forgot to mention that I recently wrote a short Harry Porter story about Harry and Hermione called Love is the ultimate risk. Please Check my profile for more details.