What is a cure for longing? I wonder…

The Sun was beating down brightly, peeking through the curtains. All the birds, who wakes people up with their melodies, had retreated to their nest. Aranea impatiently knocked at the door to Squall's room.

A relentless banging on the door finally woke up Squall from his slumber.

He groggily got up and made his way towards the door to stop the annoying banging. He opened the door, still half asleep.

"Come on, wake up sleepyhead. It's way past noon," she announced, irritated.

"Already?" he whined, rubbing his eyes.

"You know, it's not nice to keep a lady waiting. We had a date this morning," Aranea teased, leaning against the door.

"Sorry, I overslept," he confessed, sheepishly.

"It's alright. I have an errand to run, but I'll be back in a couple of hours. We can go sightseeing then," she suggested.

"No. He does not step outside of this manor until our medics have checked him," Luna contested, approaching from behind. "Squall, are you sure you are okay? It is unlike you to sleep so much."

"I am fine," he reassured.

"I am worried about you. I know what kind of toll it takes to heal someone," she raised her concern.

"How did you know?"

"I can sense when Oracle's powers are used," she lied, and he bought it. "I'll have our best medics check on you immediately," she spoke with urgency, still not making eye contact with Squall.

"I am okay," he tried to reassure. "I was just tired, that's all."

"And you were unconscious for a long time before that. You are getting checked by our medics and that's final. No more argument." Her authoritative voice which left no room for disagreement.

"You are not even married and she scolds you like a wife," Aranea added in a mischievous voice.

"Whatever," Squall remarked, getting annoyed.

"Squall, you should go freshen up. I'll have Maria set up the lunch and our medics will come to check on you after that," Luna proposed.

"Fine," he resigned.

"I guess we'll take our tour in the evening," Aranea said with a shrug.

Squall nodded and retreated to his room.

After getting ready, he went straight to the dining room and found Luna waiting on the table. He looked at the huge standing clock in the room it showed 2 p.m.

"You should have eaten already. It's 2 p.m., you didn't have to wait," he noted, sitting down on the chair.

"I was busy, I just got free," she spoke, staring at her empty dish.

The retainer quickly brought out food and served them. Maria brought out a special soup for Squall and served him.

After taking just one spoon of it, Squall immediately recognized that taste. He asked, "Did you make it?"

Even though Luna was not looking at Squall, she knew this question was intended for her. Luna glared at Maria, and she responded, "I-I m-made it, Master Squall. Is it not to your liking?"

"It is perfect," he admitted.

The the corners of her eyes crinkled, and a tiny smile of satisfaction formed on Luna's lips, which she tried to conceal quickly. Noticing that, Squall said, looking at Luna, "Thank you, Maria."

"Y-You are most welcome master Squall," Maria replied nervously.

The rest of the lunch was quiet and uneventful. As soon as the lunch was over, Luna quickly left, giving no chance to Squall to strike any conversation.

Squall retreated to his room where medics were waiting for him.

His medical checkup lasted a lot longer than he would have liked. By the time they were finished, Aranea was already waiting for him.

"Ready to go scar-face?"

"Yeah, can't get out of this manor soon enough," he complained.

"Lucky for you, Aranea is here for your rescue," she declared, giving a thumbs up. "We really need to get you some new clothes. You've been wearing that ever since Fociaugh Hollow and it's starting to stink." She said jokingly, pinching her nose.

"Whatever," he shook his head, brushing off her criticism.

Together they made their way out of the manor and into the streets. Upon closer inspection, he found that what appeared to be a floating island were mostly supporting by a column of naturally formed rocks. This whole structure seemed to defy gravity as the top of the column was wide enough to support an entire town, and it got narrower as it reached the ground. This oddity alone made for a spectacular view. The entire town was connected via bridges.

The town looked even more beautiful than what he saw from the balcony of his room. The streets were full of street vendors selling a variety of products such as household items, food, clothes, and herbal medicines. Like rivers merge into the sea, all the bridges converged at the center square.

It was a huge open area with a gigantic fountain in the center and lush green grass surrounding it. The kids played around the fountain, splashing each other with water. The teenager played various games in whatever open space they found. Youth can be seen strolled around with hand in hand. Families huddled together in a picnic. The spectrum of whole life was visible in this area.

There was one bridge to the north which leads to a temple. Hymns from there could be heard in the center square, in spite of all the ambient noise. All these elements combined to create a serene environment.

"To think that war could destroy all this peace," he commented with a heavy heart.

"A few people's lust for power can destroy so many lives. War promises the everlasting peace for the victor, but in reality, the only thing war leaves behind is chaos."

"How ironic that we destroy peace with the promise to create more peace in the future," he summed up his thoughts, as they moved through the crowd.

He noticed an elevated platform at the far end of the fountain, which he figured must be used to address the congruent mass.

As they moved through the town, Squall couldn't help but notice the intimidating presence of the Empire soldiers on every juncture.

"Do you normally have so many Neiflhem troops here?"

"Tenebrae is a sacred ground where pilgrims from all over the world get together. The Empire had agreed to have minimum surveillance and occupation here. However, under the pretense of protecting the Oracle due to recent events, the Empire has deployed a whole regiment here. As long as they can keep the Oracle confined to Tenebrae, she is not a threat to them."

"But Luna's next covenant is in Altissia. If they block off all the points of exit, that might be a problem."

"Yes, we are aware of it and we are trying to find a solution for it," she revealed, getting in a line at one of the food stalls.

Squall gave her a quizzical look.

"This right here is the best street food in Tenebrae."

They grabbed a bite and then proceeded to an apparel store to get a new wardrobe for Squall.

After sightseeing the town, they finally returned to the manor.

"So...should we?" she asked with a playful wink.

"W-What?"

"You know. I picked you up from your home. I took you on this wonderful date. And now that we are back, do I get a kiss? Or do we go straight to your room? I am sure Luna won't mind," she teased.

Squall was shell-shocked to hear that. His face turned beet red in an instant. Looking at his reaction, Aranea broke into a burst of uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh God! You should have seen your face," she managed to say that between her laughs. "If I knew that's all it takes to embarrass you, I would have done it sooner."

Squall was enraged, but he masked his emotions. He stepped forward and took both of her hands in his hand gently. He looked straight into her eyes and said, "Aranea, I have a confession to make."

Aranea's laughter disappeared in an instance.

"Ever since I saw the first time, I knew you were special."

"Oh no," she mumbled, as dread filled her eyes, but Squall was reluctant to let go of her hands.

"The way you look, the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you smile, and your sense of humor, it all," he paused for dramatic effect as he saw the color drain from Aranea's face. "It all makes my blood boil and I hate you so much."

"Oh, thank God!" she exhaled loudly. "Hate is good. For a while, I thought you were going to say something stupid. It scared the crap out of me."

"Revenge is a dish best served cold," he replied with a smirk.

"You son of a-," instead of finishing her sentence, she kicked him hard in his shins.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"I don't know, but it felt like you deserved it."

"What kind of logic is that?" he complained, hobbling on one leg.

"Whatever!"

"Hey, that's my line," he protested.

"Whatever," she repeated slowly.

Once Squall and Aranea parted ways, he went inside the castle. He took a peek at the chamber room and Luna was busy dealing with various delegates. She looked tired. Their eyes briefly meet and she smiled before quickly attending the guests.

He got changed into new cloth, which for the most part was very similar to what he already had. There was still some time till dinner, so Squall decided to explore the manor.

He could oversee a huge garden in the back of the manor, but the door leading to it was locked. That garden looked very familiar to him.

He ventured further into the manor and eventually discovered the royal library. He decided to take a look inside. From the looks of it, half of the library seems to be renovated, perhaps from the fire 12 years ago, he thought. The royal library seemed to contain every book imaginable. Perhaps the only book Squall could use right now was 'how to understand women.' Even since waking up on the train, Luna had been avoiding him, and he did not have the slightest idea why. He spends the rest of his evening browsing through various books.

One of the retainers came looking for him when it was time for dinner. Upon entering the dining room, he saw that there were many people already sitting at the table.

'Great, another awkward dinner.' He thought.

As expected, the dinner was rather dull with the royals talking among themselves about topics he was least interested in. Without Luna to talk to, he was starting to feel like an outsider. 'No wonder Aranea never stays here.'

As soon as he finished the meal, the medic from earlier came over and gave him two pills. Not wanting to make a scene, he took the medicine and quickly exited the room.

He stood on the balcony of his room, looking around absentmindedly. In matter of a few days he went from being an integral part of Luna's life to an observer. He felt that Luna needed him before, but now he was not sure if she even want him around. They were drifting apart and he wanted to know why. He needed to know why she was distancing herself from him. His mind was confused and his heart was in pain.

The surrounding temperature dropped suddenly as Gentiana walked from behind him and joined him in the stargazing.

"What are you doing here?" Squall asked, surprised to see her.

"I felt your loneliness, so I came to be with you."

"How did you know?"

"Squall, I am always with you," she chuckled. "Since I am still junctioned to you, a form of me lives in your mind. I feel all your pain, joy, sadness, and love. I experience it all with you."

"When you say it like that it sounds very creepy," he remarked.

"Such is the nature of junctioning. We get to experience what it is like to be human and in return, you get to use our powers," she spoke with her eyes closed.

"Hmm."

There was silence once again.

"Squall, I was worried about you."

"Why?"

"After a very long time, I experienced what fear felt like. When you were suffering at the hands of Ramuh, I was afraid that you might die. I felt your pain and anguish. I wanted to help, I did. But I couldn't. My duty is to observe and guide humanity and not to interfere with it directly," she confessed, her internal turmoil was evident in her voice.

"Unable to act on your feelings because you are bound by your duty, I think I can relate to that."

"How do you find courage when facing your own mortality? You knew that you could have died, so why go through it? Are you not afraid of death?"

"I am afraid of death, just like everyone else. But sometimes you have to ask yourself, is my cause worth dying for?" He stated.

"I do not understand."

"The thing with mortality is that there is no escaping it. You know someday you are going to die, but you try to make the best out of the limited time you have. You try to give some meaning to your life. Some people find meaning in wealth, accomplishments, friends and family, spirituality, or helping others. At that moment I just had to find my own calling."

"And what was yours?"

"We all live for ourselves but to live for the betterment of others is a noble cause. One small sacrifice to the betterment of the world. That was my calling."

"For you, it was more than just that, was it not?" she probed.

"When you care for someone deeply, you find the courage to overcome your fears."

"You have changed, Squall. You have changed so much. Last time you said, 'the hell with the world. If she is not with me then what does the world mean to me?' And now you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the same world. That is admirable."

"Speaking of that, what exactly happened 'last time'? Why do Astrals want me dead? Who is Arydran, and why does he think we fought together? Why did Ramuh say that I escaped from Bahamut's exile? What is going on here?" He had asked all these questions before, but Gentiana had avoided answering them every time. He was hoping it would be different this time.

"What is with humans and their fascination with the past?" she wondered.

"I don't know much about humanity, but if someone is out there to kill me, I'd like to know why."

"The 'last time' as you call it, we refer to it as the Omen," Gentiana revealed. "Omen was a failed timeline where the prophecy failed and the world was plunged into the darkness."

"And the Astrals thinks that the prophecy failed because of me?" he questioned.

"You played a key role, one could say."

"The hell with the world. If she is not with me then what does the world mean to me?" he repeated her line from earlier. "Who is she?"

"She is someone with whom your destiny has been intertwined for eons."

"That still does not answer who is it?"

"That is for you to figure out," she replied with slight hostility in her voice. Her tone took Squall by surprised, and he decided not to push this topic any further.

"From what I can gather, Astrals assigned me a mission, and I failed, which plunged the world into the darkness. So now they want revenge. That much makes sense. But you are an Astral too, how come you don't want to hurt me?"

"Because I," she seemed to at a loss of words. "Because I am different," she said, looking at him.

"How? Why?"

"Why the sudden interest in me? I thought we were talking about you?" she tactfully dodged the question.

They must have chatted for at least half an hour before Squall said, "Hey, thanks for coming. It felt great to just let it all out."

"Anything to put your heart at ease," she replied with a smile.

"We should do this often," he proposed.

"I've waited millennia to hear that," she replied joyfully.

"You are very cryptic and strange sometimes," he noted, shaking his head.

She smiled and disappeared, leaving behind spectral ice particles suspended in the air.

Squall went back inside the room and lay flat on his bed. "Why can't anything ever be simple in my life," he thought as he stared at the ceiling. He fell asleep shortly after.

The next day, he met up with Aranea at their designated training ground. He was still recovering from Ramuh's attack, but he figured the best way to get back in shape would be by training.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you," Aranea warned as she readied her spear.

"I wouldn't expect anything else," he replied, drawing out his gunblade.

She embodies the classic Dragoon class, able to fight airborne, uses jump attacks, wears black armor and wields a lance.

As their duel began, he quickly realized that she was very agile and powerful. Her signature attack is Highwind.

"Did you know that your girlfriend is setting up a healing camp?" she informed him during sparring.

"No way, she is not fit enough for that," he remarked, as their weapons clashed.

"Tell that to her. We all tried, but she wouldn't listen. She gave us the same long speech about looking to ease the suffering of others rather than protecting ourselves," she spoke, deflecting Squall's attack.

"She can be so unreasonable sometimes," he stated, blocking her attack.

"You should talk to her," she suggested.

"I would if she let me. She would do anything to avoid me, it seems," he revealed.

"What did you do?" she asked, as their weapons clashed again.

"I wish I knew," he admitted. "I saved her life, and now she is mad at me. I don't understand women."

"Ha ha ha," she laughed mockingly before launching another volley of attacks.

Once his training was done, he returned to the castle around noon. Their meals were quickly becoming a public affair as dignitaries from many provinces joined them frequently. Luna seemed preoccupied with arranging everything for the healing camp.

Squall was once again alone in his room. With nothing to do and no one to hang out with, he was bored out of his mind. Luckily, the atmosphere suddenly got cold around him.

"Gentiana," he uttered. "I was starting to think that you would not come."

"I did not know you were waiting for me," she remarked as a small smile played on her lips.

"Do you want to go for a walk? I feel like a prisoner in this castle," he proposed.

"Sure, anything to ease your heart."

Their walk was a perfect calibration of silently accompanying someone and infrequent chat. Even though they did not speak much, they both seemed to enjoy each other's company.

The next day was the start of a week-long healing camp. He'd hoped that he could talk some sense into her as blessings can take a severe toll on her health, but she had avoided him successfully.

Pilgrims from all over the world flocked to get her blessings. Her day started early with a healing session followed by rest to recover her strength. She would have her lunch at the campsite, and it was followed by another healing session and rest. Their dinner was followed by the same pattern. She only came back to the castle to sleep at night.

At least he used to see Luna at their meals, but even that had stopped now. Even since he woke up, not once did he have a proper conversation with Luna. He needed to know why she was avoiding him, but he would have to wait for the right moment as they were constantly surrounded by people.

Since Luna was always busy, Leon's day was divided into two halves. Training with Aranea in morning and evening strolls with Gentiana.

His conversation with Gentiana was often very philosophical in nature. Gentiana would often talk about topics such as immortality, karma, spirituality, morality, the meaning of life, etc. While Squall would often talk about duty, dedication, seeking happiness, processing emotions, etc.

One day while returning from their evening stroll, Gentiana suddenly said, "Thank you, for being such a great teacher."

"What did I teach you?" he asked confused.

"I find it very difficult to understand human emotions. When I try to follow other humans, I get overwhelmed by their emotions. With you, it's easier to follow since you suppress your emotions so much. It's like you only process one emotion at a time, which makes it easier for me to learn."

"Hey! I am more complicated than that," he protested.

"I believe an appropriate response to that is," she paused. "Whatever," she said, imitating Squall.

Squall gave out a sigh, "Looks like I did teach you something after all."

Gentiana couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. This was the first time he had heard her laugh. Her divine laugh was nothing short of a melody.

He just shook his head, and they continued their evening stroll.

It was morning. The Sun peeked through the sky provided gentle warmth. The sky was different shades of orange. The birds were singing their melodies. A distant hymn echoed through Tenebrae. It was a serene morning, but it was ruined by the frequent clanging of metal.

Squall and Aranea were sparring as per their morning routine.

Aranea had knocked down Squall, which infuriated him. He launched a volley of relentless attacks, forcing Aranea to go on defense.

"Good. Looks like you are recovering your strength," she praised, blocking his attack.

"Still a long way to go," he admitted, thrusting his gunblade forward.

"There are still two more days left for the healing camp. How about we take a field trip tomorrow," she asked, deflecting his attack.

His eyes lit up upon hearing that.

"I am rather bored here, let's do it," he affirmed, as their weapons clashed again. "Where are we going?"

"We'll go treasure hunting for Frozen Tear of Shiva. Tomorrow at 7 a.m.," she stated, pushing him back.

"Can't wait."

During his evening stroll with Genitana he asked her about something Aranea had mentioned in the morning. "Gentiana, what is Frozen tear?"

"Where did you hear that?" she asked, with her eyes closed.

"Aranea told me about it."

She chuckled in response. "When Shiva's heart was filled with pain, she cried. Human calls her tears Frozen tear."

"I did not know that Astrals cried," he stated bluntly.

"Although we don't experience the range of emotions that humans do, we do feel some basic emotions like love, hate, anger and kindness to name a few."

"Why would you cry? You are an Astral," he asked, still not grasping the concept of mighty Astrals crying like humans.

"Just as humans, when the pain becomes unbearable, tears escape from my eyes," she said looking at him.

"When were you in such pain?"

"First was when I saw Hyne die in front of my eyes. Next, was when Niflheim attacked me."

"I wonder how does it—" he was about to say something when Gentiana raised her hand, indicating him to stop.

"We are being watched," she proclaimed. Her eyes were scanning their surroundings.

"We are in the center square, surrounded by hundreds of pilgrims. Of course, we are being watched," Squall dismissed her caution.

"No, its him. He is here, I can sense him."

"Who?"

"The Usurper is watching us."

Author's Notes:

So, what do you think about this chapter? Let me know in your comments below. If you don't have much to say then at least say 'Hi' so I know someone is reading this. It would really brighten my day. Thanks :)

PS: I was wondering if someone can make me an image of Squall x Luna for this story. I would be very grateful for that. Thanks in advance.