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platonicone · 5 years

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Devotion - Story of the Oracle and her Shield

Chapter 6 - Sins of the past

Is it a crime to punish someone who does not even remember their crime? I wonder…

“I am delighted to see you again, my dear friend.” He said removing his hat and bowing down slightly.

“Do I know you?” Squall asked skeptically.

“This must be a jest. You don’t remember me?” He said, taken by surprise. After seeing no expression on Squall’s face, he said, “Oh, you are not kidding. I am Ardyn Izunia, your loyal friend and ally, at your service.”

“How do you know me? I have never met you before.”

“Oh, it breaks my heart to hear that after all that we’ve been through.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You, me, Griever and Ifrit waged a war against all the Astrals. You swept in like a hero and plunged your sword into the heart of Bahamut. Because of you, Bahamut is still recovering in the crystal. What a glorious battle that was. And you remember none of it? Pity.”

‘Gentiana never mentioned anything about this,’ he thought. Squall shook his head and said, “I don't remember doing anything like that.”

‘How interesting, did Bahamut remove all the memories of the last time?’ Ardyn wondered

“Squall, does the word Omen mean anything to you?”

He shook his head in response.

“Interesting. How about Stella?”

‘Other than the alias Lunafreya uses, no.’ He thought and shook his head again.

‘Hmm, so he does not remember anything from last time. Not even Stella? I wonder if he even recognizes who Lunafreya is.’ Ardyn thought while twirling his hat in his hands.

“Tell me, do Rinoa, Selphie, Quistis, Zell, Irvine, Laguna, any of these words ring a bell?”

“No,” he said.

‘My my, he remembers no one from his world either.’ Ardyn wondered.

Ardyn looked Squall straight into his eyes and said, “Why are you here, I wonder? Did the Astrals tell you anything?”

“It’s none of your business,” Squall replied.

“Now, now. Is this a way to talk to your dear friend? I am just trying to help you.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because I too am a prisoner of fate, just like you.” He whispered getting close to Squall’s ears. “I can help you find the answers you seek. Now tell me, why are you here?”

“I don’t know. All I am told is that my mission is to protect the Oracle on her journey and reunite her with her king in Altissia.”

“You are to serve as Lady Lunafreya’s champion?” He said aghast.

“I guess so,” Squall replied with a shrug.

‘Have Bahamut gone mad? After what happened the last time, why would he reunite them? It makes no sense.’ Ardyn thought.

“And what do you get for completing your mission?” He asked curiously.

“In return, I will be able to go back to my world.”

‘Go back to his world? That is not even possible. His world was destroyed a long time ago. Why deceive him?’ Ardyn wondered. ‘I need to do some research on all of this.’

“Squall, trust the Astrals at your own peril. They had betrayed you once, and they will do it again.”

“You are not making any sense,” he said with frustration.

Ardyn just waved at him and started walking away towards his car.

“Hey, explain yourself.”

“In due time, all will be clear to you. For now, just play your role,” Ardyn replied from a distance. He gave him a small bow and disappeared among the crowd.

‘What the hell is going on here? I don’t understand anything.’ Squall said, clutching his head.

He made his way towards the hunts. ‘Why am I here? Why don’t I remember anything from the past? How do I go back home? Why do people think that I was here before? Why do people talk about events of which I have no recollection of? Why do they know more about me than I do?’

Killing monsters helped him release all the pent-up frustration. He returned to the city as the Sun began to set. After finishing his chores, he stopped at the apparel shop to grab a new pair of clothes. It was a simple white V-neck t-shirt, black pant, and short-sleeved black jacket.

He grabbed something to eat from the food court and picked up soup for Lunafreya.

He quietly opened the door, not to disturb her. He kept the soup next to the one he brought yesterday and then walked up to her bed to check on her. She was still fast asleep.

Pryna was sitting by Lunafreya’s bedside as expected. Umbra had made himself comfortable in the chair.

By the time he came out of the shower, both Umbra and Pryna were gone.

“I guess it’s you and me again,” he said to the sleeping girl.

He reached her bedside to examine her. “How was your day?”

Not expecting any response, he started narrating his day, “My day was weird. It started with me arguing with the hospital staff as they refused to give me any chores because my arm is injured. I told them I was fine, but they wouldn’t listen. Eventually, they gave me some boring delivery jobs. I was just about to get started on it when a spunky girl literally ran into me. She offered to give me a tour of the town as a form of her apology. I have to admit it is a nice town, and it is bigger than it looks. She even gave me a gift at the end. And then I meet a strange guy named Ardyn. He claimed to know me. He thinks that I fought with the Astrals. Honestly, he wasn’t making much sense. I think he is just crazy,” he said, absentmindedly stroking her head.

“After that, I did a few chores and quests. Got new clothes. Grabbed something to eat. Brought you some soup and here I am now. By the way, the soup is really good, you should try it,” he recommended to the sleeping girl.

He sat down on the visitor’s chair and grabbed the remote. “You want to watch something?”

Before he could indulge in watching TV, he noticed a sudden drop in temperature. He turned around to see Gentiana walking towards him.

“I’ve come to warn you; stay away from Ardyn.”

‘How did she know?’ he thought, narrowing his eyes.

“I am aware of your encounter with Ardyn. I am junctioned to you, so I reside in your mind.”

‘Does that mean you can read all my thoughts?’

“I can only see those thoughts which you let me.”

“And how exactly do I do that?”

“Whenever you think of me is the only time, I have access to your thoughts.”

‘Creepy,’ he thought.

She laughed before apologizing. “I am sorry, I shall be very mindful of your privacy. I promise.”

“Whatever.”

“I can sense the turmoil within you. What is it that you would like to ask?” she said, cutting to the chase.

“I don’t know where to being,” he said honestly. “Let’s start with Ardyn. Who is he?”

“Ardyn is the Usurper. Propagator of chaos and scourge. He is not to be trusted.”

“Apparently, I fought by his side against the Astrals. He also said that the Astrals betrayed me.”

“Lies.”

“All lies stem from some truth,” he challenged.

“The truth is that it was Ardyn who betrayed you, not the Astrals.”

‘If only I could remember, I would know the truth.’ He thought with dismay. “How come I don’t remember any of this?”

“An anomaly lost in a timeless world wandering to find liberation. Neither past nor future has any bearings on you for the only thing that is yours is now.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Gentiana walked towards sleeping Lunafreya and gently placed her hand on her forehead. “She is alone and hurt, yet she puts on a brave face and bares it all. She is reluctant to ask for help, for she feels responsible shall they be hurt. She belongs to all yet she yearns for belonging.”

‘Umm, can we focus on me please?’ he thought.

As if reading her thoughts Gentiana said, “She will lead you to the answers you seek. Rather than worrying about the past or future; Focus on the present. This world differs greatly from yours. There is a lot you would have to learn to survive and succeed. Every step you take will be filled with danger so you would do best to be prepared for anything.”

She turned around and walked away from Squall. “We shall meet again, Squall,” she said and within a blink of an eye, she disappeared, leaving small ice crystals dancing in the air in her place.

‘That was not helpful at all,’ he complained as he placed his hand on his forehead.

Next Night

“Hello Lunafreya, how was your day today?” He asked as he kept another container of soup next to the one he brought yesterday. He emptied the old soup, but kept the Moogle shaped container.

He came closer to her bed to inspect her. “You are looking good today, they removed some of your bandages it seems. I had an eventful day as well. I went out with Iris today to rescue some refugees. Those refugees were so grateful when we arrived. This war has really taken a heavy toll on the lives of civilians.” He absentmindedly strocked her head while giving her his daily briefings.

He took a quick shower and returned to his favorite pass time, watching TV.

He sat down on his usual chair and started flipping through some channels before settling on the news channel.

Tonight, we will look at the history of Tenebrae and their royal family of House Fleuret. We will also take a special look at our endearing Oracle, Lady Lunafreya.

“Wow, you really are famous,” he said, looking in her direction.

Although he would never admit it, he was more interested in learning about Lunafreya than the history of Tenebrae.

After a brief history of Tenebrae the segment he was waiting for started.

Lady Lunafreya is a noble and dutiful woman who talks about her hopes and dreams and acts on her own initiative. She is always cordial and polite to those around her, but is also a political strategist who puts her duties and the well-being of her people above her own needs. Befitting of her duties as Oracle, she possesses unparalleled compassion. Lady Lunafreya can commune with the gods of Eos, the Astrals. The famous trident she wields is said to be a ritual tool bestowed upon the first Oracle by the Astral god Bahamut. As the Oracle, she has the power to heal those affected by the plagues of darkness, and people travel long distances to be seen by her. Lady Lunafreya works tirelessly to help any who seek her out, and she is highly revered by all across Eos. Following is an excerpt from her recent interview:

Lunafreya: Though I am still young, my blood is true. As my mother before me, I'll work to bring peace to one and all.

Interviewer: Is it hard giving blessings?

Lunafreya: It would be selfish of me to complain of my burden, when so many suffer in wait. I hope they trust I will not rest until they all know solace.

Narration: The world watched on with worry and wonder as the young girl grew.

Interviewer: I understand you have a message for us?

Lunafreya: If you know of any who are bedridden, or unable to come to me. Pray, send word, and I shall go to them. I follow my calling. I will not halt my steps for anything else.

Interviewer: Lady Lunafreya, your strength is an inspiration to all. What is your opinion of the treaty?

Lunafreya: When war has ended, so too will suffering subside. The treaty is a momentous step towards a brighter future. Let there be no doubt: we walk the path of true peace.

Once the excerpt from her interview ended, the host came back for the closing of the show.

We are very blessed to have such a pious Oracle in these dark times. Ever since taking up the responsibility of the Oracle she has traveled tirelessly to cure those afflicted by the curse. Her drive to make his world a better place is an inspiration to us all. On top of that, she does that with flair and grace like none other. Both her internal and external beauty is unmatched in all of Eos. I think she is definitely in the running for the most beautiful woman in all of Eos.

‘Hmm, now that you mentioned it, she is exceptionally beautiful,’ he thought still looking at the TV screen.

Once the program was over, he took his medicine and got ready to sleep. He went to her bedside and said barely above a whisper, “I hope you wake up tomorrow.” He slightly lifted her head to adjust her pillow. He pulled over her blanket and tucked it around her gently.

He sat in the visitor’s chair and stretched his legs on a small stool in front of it. The rhythmic beeping sound of machines soon put him to sleep.

Next Night

He emptied the old soup and placed a new container next to the old one in a line. “Dr. K said that you are recovering well. All your reports came out to be normal.”

He walked closer to her bed and examined the monitors measuring her vitals, “Heart rate, normal. Blood pressure, normal. Pulse, normal. Good work, soldier.”

He leaned on the railing of the bed and looked at her closely. “They finally removed Band-Aids from your face. Looking good Lady Lunafreya. I had a fun day as well. Umbra and I finished a lot of hunts today. Hunter HQ even gave me some reward for leveling up as a hunter. I am starting to get the hang of fighting with one hand.”

“I forgot to show you something,” he said, as he reached in his pocket. “I got a new cell phone today. I meet this strange guy named Vyv.” He recollected the events from earlier in the day:

“Thank you so much for coming to our rescue yesterday,” the refugee said, grabbing Squall’s hand in appreciation.

“It’s the least I could have done,” he said, freeing his hand from the man’s grip.

“The name is Lank, by the way,” he said, pointing a thumb to himself.

“Squall,” replied with brevity.

“We had one more caravan behind us. Last I spoke with them, they said they will be at the checkpoint by the nightfall,” he said worried about his friend and family who were in a different caravan. “I hope they make it here in one piece.”

“I am sure your friends will be fine. Few of us are going to the checkpoint to receive and escort them safely,” he said calmly.

“Thank you once again, Squall. You are a godsend,” said Lank as relief washed over his face. “I hope to see you around.” He waved before disappearing in the crowd.

“Ah! So, you are the new hero everyone is talking about,” said a stranger approaching Squall who had overheard the earlier conversation.

“I am no hero. Just helping when I can,” Squall said, downplaying the suggestion.

“Hi, the name is Vyv Dorden,” he said as he stood next to Squall.

“Squall,” he said, before adding. “But I think you already knew that.”

“Sorry to eavesdrop on your conversation, but I couldn’t help it,” he said with a laugh. “You gave him hope. After what happened to the crown city, hope is the best gift anyone can get.”

“Just doing what I can,” Squall replied with a shrug.

“Strong and humble, that is a rare combo,” Vyv said with a smile. “So, I was hoping that you can help me too.”

“Help with what?” Squall eyed him curiously.

“I am the owner of Meteor Publishing. I am writing a weekly article on a bestiary of Eos and this week’s article is about Griffon. I need its picture from up close. I have to submit it for publication tonight,” he summed up his situation.

“That’s a short notice.”

“Ya, I know. The last hunter I had sent failed to even close to the Griffon. I guess he was a noob. Because it’s such short notice, I’ll pay you good. So, what do you say?” He said, clearly hoping for a yes as an answer.

“I guess I have some time before I go to escort the refugees. But I don’t have a camera,” he stated his limitation.

“Hmm, I don’t have a spare camera right now. I gave the last one to that hunter,” he said, looking in deep thought. Suddenly, his emotions changed, and he said with excitement, “I got it. Here, take this,” he said, pulling a cell phone out of his handbag.

“You can take pictures with this. It’s the latest model from Lucis,” he said, handing over the cell phone to Squall.

“Okay,” he said, inspecting the phone.

“You know, I’ll sweeten the deal for you. Since you are out in the field a lot, how about you snap pictures of any beasts you come across? You can keep the phone, but in return, you frequently send me pictures of different beasts. The more dangerous and up close you are to the beast, the better the picture sells. More it sells, more you get paid,” he concluded his sales pitch.

“That is rather reckless,” Squall complained.

“I know,” he said with a laugh. “I was initially thinking about calling my company Lestallum Maniacs but thought that would be too on the nose so I eventually settled for Meteor Publishing.”

‘Travel around the world taking pictures. Hmm... why does this seem familiar?’ he wondered silently.

“Okay, I am in,” he agreed.

“Attaboy,” Vyv said, clapping.

“So that is how I ended up with this camera,” he concluded his story. "I am so tired from fighting with that Griffon today. I guess I’ll rest for now.”

“I hope you wake up tomorrow,” he said, tucking her in.

He fell asleep watching a documentary on Kingsglaive and Crownsguard.

Next Night

“I think I made a mistake by giving out my cell number,” he said, placing a new container of soup in line.

“This whole day the phone just kept on ringing. Squall, refugees need this. Squall, monsters sighted here. Squall, we are running low on medical supplies. Just no end to it,” he said, examining her by her bedside.

“It was a tiring day, but honestly, it felt good that so many people reached out to me for help. It feels nice to be Mr. Reliable. Now, only if Ms. Reliable here would wake up, it would be fantastic. The world needs their Oracle, but you still refuse to wake up. You are so stubborn,” he said, playing with her hair.

“Also, I meet Talco today. He is still a kid, but he knows a lot. He is a history buff. I think you would like talking to him.”

“I hope you wake up tomorrow,” he whispered.

“Let’s see what is on today,” he said, taking his seat. He watched a documentary, ‘A brief history of Accordo,’ before falling asleep.

Next Night

“Hey, I brought you something today,” he said, announcing through the door. “Something besides soup I mean,” as he kept a fresh soup container in line next to the old one.

“I brought two rubber suits. I went to EXINERIS today,” he said, putting the bag down.

He went up to her bed and examined her. “They finally removed the cotton gauze wrapped around her head. You are looking good today. I had an interesting day today. I helped Holly with some monster issue in EXINERIS and in return she let me have her rubber suit they use while repairing their electrical circuits. Since we will be fighting Ramuh next, I thought this would come in handy, don’t you agree? Have you seen their facility from the inside? It is huge. It is truly a marvel how they are extracting energy from the fallen meteor. Genius. We talked at length about how they should plan to spread this meteor-based technology across Eos as an alternate energy source. I will meet with her over the next few days to plan for the logistics of this project.” He said as he absentmindedly stroked her head.

“I hope you wake up tomorrow,” he said, tucking her in.

“Is it just me or does it get really cold in here?” He said as he leaned back on his chair.

Next Night

“I hate Dr. K,” he entered fuming as he placed a new container of soup in the line.

“It’s so stupid. Do you know what she suggested?” He said as he marched to her bedside.

He leaned against the railing and continued his rant. “First, she calls me up to her office, so I went thinking it would be some serious conversation.” He recollected the events from earlier in the day:

“Squall, her new reports came back today and the good news is that everything is normal,” said Dr. K sitting in her chair.

"Then why is she not waking up?” He said folding his arms.

“That is a mystery,” she said with a shrug. “At this point, we just have to wait for her to wake up on her own.”

“Hmm,” he reacted with a frown.

“There is one thing we can try,” she said sounding very thoughtful.

“At this point, I am willing to try anything,” he replied.

“Nah, I don’t think you have guts to do it. Forget it,” she said, brushing off the topic.

“No, tell me. I’ll do it, I promise,” he said reassuringly.

"I read it in a book recently that when a girl falls into a deep sleep, one of the ways to wake her up is with a true love’s kiss.” He could not believe that she delivered that entire line with a straight face.

He facepalmed, and she busted out laughing. “When you said, ‘I read it in a book’ I thought you were talking about some medical journal, not some children’s book.” He heavily emphasized the world children while she just laughed.

“Hey, nothing else has worked so might as well try it,” she said still grinning at her own joke.

“It only works in movies and fairytales,” he said sounding annoyed.

“How do you know it won’t work? Have you tried it?” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“No.”

“Then try it. You promised,” she was having too much fun poking at him.

“No. This is stupid,” he said with another facepalm.

“Oh, you don’t find her attractive?” she said, pushing his buttons.

“I never said that.”

“So, you do find her attractive, but don't want to kiss her without her consent?” She said with a raised eyebrow.

“I cannot confirm or deny that. You are so annoying. I am out of here,” he said, turning around ready to stomp out of her office.

“Wait, at least take his prescription,” she said calling him.

“What prescription?” he asked curiously.

She pulled out a prescription pad from her lab coat and scribbled something on it and handed it to him. “Here. Apply this on your cheeks. It would help reduce your furious blushing.”

“Can you believe it? That woman is insufferable. That was such a terrible joke. I hate her.” Even though he was angry, he could feel that he was blushing already.

To change his train of thoughts, he grabbed a book and made his way towards his chair.

“By the way, I got this book today, Cosmology. Would you like me to read it to you?” He said getting comfortable in his chair.

After finishing the short book about the history and lore of Eos and Astrals, he went back to her bedside. “I hope you wake up tomorrow,” he whispered.

“I’ve gotta tell Dr. K that at night it gets very cold in here, they need to relax with their AC. Actually, no. I’d rather suffer in cold than talk to her again,” he said as he leaned back on his chair.

Next Night

“Hey,” he said after putting soup containers in line as per his self-made ritual.

He walked up to her bedside to examine her. “You are recovering well it seems. All the bandages are taken off now. Only a cast on your arm and leg remains, which will take a while, of course.”

He leaned against the railing, lowering his head in defeat. “I had a bad day today. I helped people, did hunts and all, but mentally I wasn’t there today. I kept thinking a lot about everything that has happened until now. Without my memories, I don’t know what world I left behind and what world I will return to. Is there someone even waiting for me in my world? If Umbra found me from the time void, then doesn't that mean I don’t belong in the world I am trying to go back to? Even in this world, I feel like a stranger who does not belong here. I am constantly surrounded by people, but I feel constantly alone. Would anything change at all if I were to just disappear or die today?”

He shook his head as if to shake off those depressing thoughts. He stood up straight and looked at her once more. “Wake up Oracle, your world needs you.” After a long pause, “No, I need you. I feel at peace when I am around you. I hope you wake up tomorrow.” He made sure she was comfortable before returning to his chair.

He fell asleep cursing Dr. K for keeping the rooms so cold at night.

He could hear birds chirping in the background. Sunlight gently peeked through curtains. He adjusted the blanket and tried to shut all the stimulus out and go back to sleep.

Suddenly something registered in his subconscious brain.

'Wait a minute. I don’t recall sleeping with a blanket.'

He slightly opened his eyes to check if it was indeed a blanket he was covered with.

'Go back to sleep Squall, we can figure out the mystery of your stupid blanket when we wake up.' His mind retorted.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he caught something in his peripheral vision. His perfect line of soup was broken. The container he brought last night was gone and only the lead remained in its place. His brain pieced things together, and he immediately bolted up in his seat.

He looked towards her medical bed, which was now in an upright position. The girl sitting on the bed waved at him.

“Good morning, Squall,” she greeted him with an angelic smile.

Author's notes:

Two new FFVIII characters were revealed in this chapter; Hope you caught them both.

The answer from the last chapter: Phoenix pinion is an item used to summon Guardian Force Phoenix in FF8.

This chapter's question: Who is Lank from FF8?

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