Starry Night

Based on Records of Keeper Canti, which is in turn based on FFRK

FIC START!

"What do you mean, Balthier is going with a different party?" Minwu asked Canti as she sat at her desk, making notes about her latest research project regarding memory crystals. He was taking the time to help her organize everything in her office while she worked, making himself useful. "Has he decided to distance himself from you?"

"No. Another keeper asked if he could go with her, for those mysterious Realm Synergy powers," Canti answered. She flipped a few pages in her textbook. "I told her that was fine, because I'm staying in from the realms to do more of this. Sakinah knows well enough that Balthier is a part of my main party, she wouldn't have asked otherwise." Canti pushed her hair from her face. "If he was here, he wouldn't be letting me do this."

"Aye," Minwu agreed. He climbed up next to her telescope. He used a rag to clean the dust from the lenses carefully. Then he took a peek through it. He was able to see many constellations as he moved it around. Then he also noticed hand-written pages full of notes about the positions of astral bodies right next to it. "Have you been tracking the stars?"

"Before I became a keeper, I was interested in astronomy. I used to sneak in here all the time to look through that telescope." Canti said quietly. "Dr. Mog decided to give it to me once I became a keeper so I could have work space other than just my room since I liked it in here. No one else was using it." She sighed before putting her pen down on her desk and looking up at him. "Why? Do you know how to do that?"

"Yes. It was one of the things I did while training in Mysidia," Minwu said. "Your notes are well done. I can see you made observations every night for years worth of time. I'm delighted at your dedication."

"It was no big deal," she said, blushing. "It was just a hobby."

"Hobby or not," Minwu stated as he put the books down, "I adore it." He climbed back down to approach her. "It's special. We should do something together. Go and see the stars, since it's just us tonight."

Canti nodded. "That really does sound wonderful."

"I'll go prepare for it," Minwu said, leaning in to land a quick kiss on her cheek before he left. Perhaps it was because tonight was the first night he had her to himself, without Balthier taking charge during almost every possible moment he could, but he wanted to celebrate at the chance to have time alone.

Canti made the mental note that he seemed in very high spirits, almost elated, to find out that she spent many a sleepless night doing nothing but watching the starry skies. What he didn't know was why she did it. She was a nervous wreck, crying almost all the time. The only thing that gave her comfort at the time was distraction, and this particular one seemed positively endless. She shrugged. Even if she had a shit ton of work to get done, she wanted to have time with Minwu.

"I've never been... Like this," she whispered to the empty office. I've never... Wanted things like this from anyone. Just being close and talking is enough.

...

Canti hardly ever left the university for anything. She had lived there for most her life, and it was home. But tonight was a rare occasion. Minwu had done some research of the surrounding area and found a local area a distance from the city where the lights of the buildings would not be as bright. It was a flat grassy place, full of nothing and no one. It was a perfect place to be completely alone and bask in each other's company.

She wore civilian clothes as she climbed into the chocobo drawn carriage Minwu had asked someone at the university to order. Minwu also had some casual clothes, but Canti had no idea where they had come from. Canti figured they were loaned to him by someone, probably whoever it was who arranged for them to have a carriage. She was nervous as hell as she sat with him in the seat. Her hand on his knee, and his hand on top of hers the entire way to their destination. Canti couldn't help but wonder if this was going to go in another direction than stargazing. It's not like he packed the telescope or any of the star charts from the observatory in the basket he brought with him.

The city was lovely. The street lanterns glowed against the darkness of night, and further behind them were the stars above. People shuffled from place to place, all of them unaware of the exact purpose of the Keepers who stayed at the university in the very center of the city. It was customary to never allow those who were not a member of the student body or the Keepers the knowledge of the creeping darkness that was slowly devouring the time line.

"I hope this isn't too much," Minwu said, catching her attention immediately. "I went to your classmates and told them of what I planned to do. They handled everything else."

"My classmates?" Canti asked, cocking her head to the side. "They know that I never leave, ever. It's been years since I've stepped off the campus to go anywhere other than through the gates." She frowned a bit.

"No, they were happy to make it happen. I have no idea how things work here, and I certainly am not aware of this city's laws regarding those from within the normal flow of time," Minwu answered as he looked straight into her lovely dark blue eyes. "I did not wish to violate any rules, so I had to change out of clothes that were not native of this place. It would draw attention to me, which is something we do not want."

Canti knew about that. Typically the heroes from other realms weren't even allowed to leave the campus grounds. She wondered why they would help her break a rule like this, but she didn't make much of it after the chocobo started its trotting.

They sat together in the fluffy seat. She leaned against his side, wishing that this could be the way they were forever. Minwu lifted his arm to allow her to be closer, nesting his chin in her curly hair. He looked at it for a moment, ruffling the strands a bit. She seemed to like that affection. Minwu noticed that the roots of her hair were a different color - a lovely dark blue that matched her eyes, and it made him most curious. Just like she kept her true name hidden from most everyone, she also hid her hair color? Why would she do that?

"Canti."

"Yes, my love?"

"Might I ask you something a bit personal?"

"You can ask me anything. I trust you."

Minwu put his finger against her scalp. "Tell me why the roots of your hair are blue."

She instantly pulled away from him, pushing him back. "You can't tell anyone about this!" she shouted at him. "This is my secret. I can't go around... Not with blue hair..."

"Goodness, that set you off," he said bashfully. "Forgive me, I did not mean to offend. It... It's a beautiful color. Why would you just hide it beneath such a cold shade of black like this?" Minwu tried to reach for her again, but she scooted to the opposite end of the seat. "Why hide who you are?"

"...my mother had blue hair."

"And you inherited it. That is basic genetics."

"I hate it," Canti said. "I don't care how beautiful the color is. I'm not going around with her hair hanging off my head." She grunted. "I refuse to give her the honor of being any part of me."

"Oh. Even if no one sees his features in you physically, you cannot deny the fact that your mother is a part of you," Minwu said. He stopped trying to reach for her, feeling terrible for bringing it up at all. "I am sorry, my dearest. I did not intend to trigger such a reaction. I will only tell you that I love you regardless of how you look, and I am thankful your mother had you. If he hadn't, I would not be here. I would still be lost, imprisoned. Forgotten."

"Some other would have come along to save you if I had not."

"Who among your colleagues actually cared about my home?" Minwu asked. "From what I understand, no one studied it like you did. Your classmates even told me such. No one would have come looking for me, Cantirena." He smiled as he turned to look at her again. "Don't you understand? Even if your mother is a wastrel for abandoning you, she still gave you to the world and blessed everyone who has come to know you." He felt his eyes tear up. How could she torture herself the way she had?

Canti sighed. "Don't cry for me. Please. You will break my heart. I couldn't bear to see you in tears."

It was too late. For the first time in his life, he let his emotions be on display. He started to sob into his hands, unable to control himself. All of his years of stoicism culminated in that one moment of emotional release. The one thing that set him off was seeing his treasured love hate herself so much.

Canti got up and hurried herself to his side. She pulled his chin up so he'd look at her, and used her other hand to wipe away his tears. At the same time, she cried, too. "I can't believe you feel so strongly about me... I've felt so insignificant my entire existence."

"You may not mean much to the world around you," Minwu said, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face, "But you are my world."

She suddenly grasped around him, only wishing to hold his heart against her own. He only returned the favor, pulling her back onto the seat with him. The chocobo drawn carriage stopped as they had come outside the city border and to the grassy plains that Minwu spoke of before.

"We're here," Minwu said. "Come on. I want to show you something." He took the basket he had been keeping under the seat out and stepped off the carriage.

"Other than the stars, what else is out here?" she asked, following him.

"You will see," he answered slyly. He took her hand to keep her close, and they walked quite a way away from the carriage.

At the top of a hill, he stopped and sat down on the fluffy grass. Minwu pulled out a few wrapped sandwiches from the basket, offering one to Canti. She sat right up against him, taking the sandwich, and waited for whatever it was he wanted to show her. The wind blew against them, causing Canti to want to be closer, as she was so easy to feel cold.

"Oh," Minwu said, "You're cold? Poor dear." He rubbed her back a little, causing her to giggle. "Was that a ploy just to get me to rub on you? For shame."

"No, I really am cold."

"You should eat," he made the suggestion. "It might take a while. And you skipped lunch today."

"What might take a while?" Canti took a bite of her sandwich and was overjoyed. Of course her friends knew to tell him that there was nothing better than a BLT! It was even prepared the exact way she liked it, with fresh leafbunny's lettuce and chocobo-skin bacon on toasted sourdough. Minwu really did put a lot into this, didn't he?

"Watch the sky. I'd hate for you to miss what we came out here to see," Minwu said, pointing upward.

They night sky was filled with the same stars it always had. Constellations glimmered in the blackness, depicting pictures of all sorts of things from the legends of the world. Canti pointed out the constellation of the malboro, and told him about the misunderstood creature in the old folk tale. Minwu told her about the constellation of the princess, who stood up to evil even though she did not have the strength to pick up a sword or a staff. They both laughed at the tale of the tonberry taking on a cactuar for a crown, and cuddled together when they made note of the constellation of the dragons who fell in love when their caves crumbled and had to relocate to the sky to find homes. The pictures created by the stars held such majesty and mystery, with each star shining like a brilliant crystal holding their own memories.

"How do you know about our constellations, Minwu?" Canti asked.

"The sky over my home is the same as the sky over yours... And the legends are in tact, as you know of them," he said. "Is this also due to the hard work of the Keepers?"

"I don't think so."

"I do. So thank you for helping keep one of my favorite things alive even now."

Canti smiled widely at that. She kept her eyes on the sky, wondering exactly what it was that he brought her out for. She loved the company and the conversation. It had been so long since she felt like a normal person. All her time, for years, was being a keeper and sticking to the duties and responsibilities of being a keeper. Of course, that meant that this perfect romance she shared for this night was doomed to end. Thinking of that, her heart sank. Why'd she have to think of that, when everything was so amazing?

"What's that expression for, my dearest? You smiled, but..."

"I just thought of something and..."

"And?"

"I realized that I'm a keeper. I live here."

"Of course you do."

"When everything is set right, when all of the darkness is gone and the realms are safe again..." Canti said, finding it hard to hold her tears back, "...you'll all be sent back, too. Papa Cid, Balthier... And you. Even though I know that you can't stay, even though I know it's forbidden because of this exact reason, I... I still..." She wailed out, letting him fell the full force of her internal agony. "I don't want to lose you! I love you!"

"There's... There's no way for me to stay?" Minwu asked.

"If you did, you'd disrupt the time line." She seized up, knowing that it was against every rule imaginable to reveal the fate of one from within the flow of time, but she couldn't hold herself back. "…White Mage Minwu of Mysidia is very important to the history of the Second Realm, you see. His death is how Firion is able to obtain the ultimate spell to defeat the evil rampaging across the land… and his spirit must cleanse the palace of heaven after his sacrifice so those who died in conflict must move on to the afterlife…" She figured she was all ready breaking laws well enough being in love with him, she might as well tell him why there was no way he could ever be allowed to remain.

"Oh..." he frowned for a second, until he had an idea. Minwu reached into his pocket. "Here. I want you to have this." He pulled out a red jewel hanging from a tiny chain. It looked just like the same jewel Minwu always wore on his turban and to keep his cape around his shoulders. "This is a Mysidian ruby. It can only be found in the caves of Mysidia. This gem in my homeland is a symbol of love and adoration. No matter what happens to me, or where I go, you can always have a piece of me here with you."

"I... Can have it? You don't need it?"

"I have five of these within my satchel back home from when I went to find things within the mines… I not only was able to find ingredients to make potions and things of that nature, but I would collect these to sell if I needed extra money," he said. Minwu placed the gem in her hand, pressing it against her palm. "This is now yours. Keep it with you, and I will never leave you. No matter how many years separate us, I know that if I find a new constellation and use it to tell the generations of you, that you will know exactly who did it." He had a very peaceful grin on his face. "I will never marry another back in my home world…"

"According to what I read, you never had a love during your life in the Second Realm." Canti looked into the jewel in her hand. It was filled with Minwu's kind energy, the same power he used to heal her body when it was broken during all of those battles. Holding it, she felt stronger, just sharing that energy she knew came from him.

"That's because she is not in the Second Realm. My love is here in this one."

"Minwu..."

"Even if I can't be with you after all this is over, I will wait for you in the pathway to the palace of Heaven, once I help purify it of the evil you mentioned," he said. "All souls no matter where they are in time, they all come to the palace of Heaven before they are allowed their eternal rest. And when you come through, I will be there to guide you home." Minwu pulled her closer. "So don't cry now. We have time now... And we shouldn't waste a single minute of that time."

Their lips touched for a brief moment, before the sky became alight with a massive meteor shower. Streams of light streaked across, as if illuminating the whole world below, and those two shared a front seat to the whole show.

"There it is!" Minwu said. "That's why I brought you out here."

Canti had never seen a meteor shower like this. She had seen them through her telescope, and through her window in the dormitory, but this was something else. Atop that hill, it was like she could reach out and touch them as they were falling. "Do you wish upon shooting stars back home?"

"I thought that was fireworks."

"Right. Fireworks grant wishes."

Minwu leaned in again and whispered, "What more is there to wish for?"

"I suppose if I have you waiting to be with me for an eternity, there can't be much more," she whispered in return, returning the kiss he gave her just a few minutes ago. It was much deeper, their tongues rubbing against the other, their hands only wanting to hold each other that much closer.

Minwu pushed her down into the grass, climbing atop her body to search for a way to open her clothes. He was unfamiliar with her current clothing, but it did not stop him from searching. Once he did, the two shared a gentle love-making on that hill, both aglow with the light of the shooting stars.

Piece end