The Secret Garden
Based on: Final Fantasy Record Keeper
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. The OCs featured in this fic belong to various friends. Note that while the characters belong to friends, I am the one writing the fic itself. Thank you to my friends for allowing me to borrow your characters. If you wish to appear, please send me a message and we can work something out.
Notes: This is the sequel to Records of Keeper Canti. It's wibby-wobbly, timey-whimy in its execution. I care not. If you care, shut the fuck up and go away. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Warnings: Cursing, potential OOC, OC x Canon, stupid fluffy romance, sex, angst, self-insert author avatar
FIC START!
Chapter Seven
Reveal
Canti attended Chorus after lunch, where neither of her two new friends were. An elective class open to all ages of Garden students. The only person she recognized was actually Mateus, but since he was a baritone, he was made to sit with others of a similar voice. All of the first years were made to demonstrate their ability in little solos, and Canti managed to have one that didn't seem to make everyone gasp in surprise. This was probably due to the fact that everyone was allowed in the Chorus due to their test results. All who were given the placement had the ability to sing and this class was made to give those who had potential and wished to learn how to train at it. Canti liked hiding in the crowd. Here she wasn't noticed while she was grouped with her sopranos, at least not by most people. Only by that mysterious by with the purple eyes who would not stop watching her. It didn't help that the boys were placed on stands right across from the girls' stand, either.
It wasn't until the Chorus broke apart for a moment to let their voices rest and have them all drink water that Mateus approached Canti.
"Your voice is lovely," he said to her as she sat peacefully with her little paper cone cup with water on the stands. "I would love to hear more of it."
"What is with you?" Canti asked. "You watched me eat and now you're watching me sing? Hikari was right, you are creepy."
"First off, I didn't think I would be so lucky as to have a class with you, Miss Canti," Mateus said smoothly. "It is not often a third year and first year have that opportunity." He bent down to look right into her eyes. "Secondly, my lovely, I was wondering… if perhaps, you have your eyes on someone?"
Eyes… on someone? Canti was confused as hell from that question. She took another drink of her water. "My eyes are in their sockets," she said, blinking at him. "See? They're blue."
"Yes, just as blue as any other Highwind I've met," Mateus said, shrugging as if to laugh off her retort. He couldn't tell if she was being hilarious, or if she simply didn't understand metaphors. "No, I was wondering if… you have a boyfriend."
Canti had no real idea what that meant either. "I have boys who are my friends," she replied. "My cousin, Kain, and the second year with the darker skin, Minwu… and Tidus, the boy obsessed with Blitzball, and-"
"So you aren't in love with any of them?"
"In… in love?" Canti shook her head. "But I'm only ten! Papa Cid said love comes when you're older. Much much older. He said, like… thirty!"
"...oh, oh, I see…" Mateus said. She had not become wise to these things yet. Canti still seemed to have the heart of a child. This was getting nowhere fast. As much as he liked her and wished to call her his own, she wouldn't have understood that. Instead, he reasoned the best way to foster a relationship where he could eventually have her was to simply befriend her now. "Then how about we start by just being friends?"
"You wanna be friends? With me?"
"I would love to. I did give you that rose, after all. Did you like it?"
Canti reached into her vest pocket to pull it out. The rose was the same color as Mateus' eyes. A very deep, enchanting purple. It reminded her of something, though she wasn't quite sure what. Maybe she saw this color in a faraway dream she couldn't remember, but it was familiar. She found herself drawn to it, taking safety in it. "I… really do like this rose," she confessed quietly. "I don't know where, but… I've seen this before. I've… felt it… somewhere…" She ran the soft petal along the line of her cheek. "Have… we met before, Mateus?"
The blonde boy shook his head. "I can't say we have, Canti. But I would like to know you more."
She nodded, putting the flower back in her pocket to prevent it from being a distraction. "Okay, new friend!"
The instructor, a woman wearing a very showy blue dress named Starlet, called everyone back to the places on the stands. "That's enough break time. Now, we're going to work on our scales before we even attempt at putting together a song." She put her fingers on the keyboard of a piano in the center of the room. "Sing with me!" The rest of the class passed with no events to pass, all of the students together singing on key with the piano, letting their voices flow together across campus.
…
Canti gathered her bag and her school-issued spear to head over to the classroom where she was supposed to start taking the Advanced Placement Mysidian class, but when she got there, the room was locked and no one was there. Instead she found a piece of paper taped to the door with a "SORRY. CLASS CANCELLED. -BISMARK."
She crossed her arms. Of course she was nervous about taking a whole other class she'd never taken before, but it seemed incredibly improper for a teacher to cancel a class on the first day. She was hoping to get some answers, but the more she stood at the door and stared up at that letter, she just grew more frustrated with it.
"...oh, if it isn't Canti!" Minwu's voice greeted her as he approached her. "So. Why are you not inside the classroom?"
Canti pointed up at he letter. "I don't get it. Where is the teacher?" she asked. "Why would he not be there for the first day?"
"It's lazy," Minwu grunted. "What kind of teacher are you, Bismark?" The two of them stood there for a bit, and Canti grew fidgety. She had a very hard time staying still, and Minwu noticed that she was uncomfortable. He put his hand on her shoulder, but all she did was back away from him suddenly. "I'm sorry, Canti. I didn't mean to scare you. I just… I know you're having a hard time just waiting…"
"Can we go do something else? Other than just stand here?" Canti asked, finding it impossible to stand still as she was. "I don't care what, so long as it's… on the quiet side. Please, I can't do this!"
"How would you like to go to the library? I have a textbook on Mysidian in my bag, and I can get you started."
"If Bismark won't be here to teach us, then we might as well," she said, standing closer to Minwu. She found him to be so polite and understanding, which made it easier to be around him. He wasn't easily excitable like Tidus, and he wasn't overly proud like Kain, and he sure didn't seem to give off that creepy vibe that Mateus carried about him. He was relaxing to be around. His voice was soft, even if he was annoyed. "Thank you, Minwu."
"Any time," he said, motioning for him to follow her. "The library is over here."
"Wait, you two," a voice said behind them. The duo turned around to see Headmaster Leviathan standing there. "Why if it isn't Cantirena Highwind and Ming Wu! Why are you not in class?"
Canti pointed at the door to show Leviathan the note.
"Cosmos damn it, Bismark…" Leviathan sighed. "…well, fine, then. I must thank you, Mr. Wu, for looking after our Miss Highwind. Taking her to the library is a responsible decision. However, I came to collect her. Come along, Miss Highwind."
"I don't understand," Canti said, looking up at the headmaster. "I thought my test said I was supposed to study Mysidian. Why would you come to collect me? Have I done something wrong? I've attended every class on my schedule, and I even… I even…" She started to tear up. "I even made friends like Papa Cid told me to."
Leviathan said, patting her head, "You are not in trouble. You are a good child. But because your current class is canceled, I believe it is time to bring you into the office for something important."
Minwu nodded. "Then I will be on my way. I will see you again soon, Canti."
"I'll scold Bismark for not being here," Leviathan said. "The two of you absolutely need this. It is imperative. The placement test is never wrong."
"Are we the only two to learn Mysidian?" Minwu asked. "Seems a bit… small to have our own class."
"At present, you two are the only qualified," the headmaster said as he scooped Canti up into his arms and started to carry her away. "Don't worry. You will be studying tomorrow. I'll see to it."
Canti had no idea why the headmaster had come to carry her away, but she was afraid to fight back against him even though he held her extremely uncomfortably. He carried her to the office, past the place where she waited for him the day before, past his own office, to a place where no more students or aides were around. It was much darker here. She watched him press a few buttons on a keypad and walked into a door that was much thicker than other doors. What was this place? Why would this sort of place be in a school? Leviathan quickly shut the door behind him, pressing to lock it with his free hand.
Inside the room he took her to was a huge apparatus unlike anything Canti had ever seen before. There was a four-post bed connected to it through huge wires, and large metal bowls of some sort along the floor of the room big enough for a person to sit in. She had no idea where she was now.
Leviathan placed her on the bed. "Do not be afraid," he said to her. "This is a health scan. All students have to be scanned. Make sure you don't have any diseases to pass along to other students."
"...is-is that why Kain and Minwu weren't around at lunchtime?" Canti asked, shaking.
"That's right," he said, smiling. "Lie back. Be comfortable. Just… imagine the most peaceful place you could be in…"
Canti did as she was told. She lied back on the pillow provided, and tried to relax. The things she imagined to be peaceful were being close to her Papa Cid, cuddled underneath her favorite patchwork quilt, on the couch back at their little house. She took a deep breath, waiting for the scan to begin.
Leviathan turned on the apparatus, and the posts of the bed let out energy waves which caused her to fall into a very deep sleep. At that point, he reached under the bed to pull out some sort of helmet and placed it on her head, strapping it in place. Then, he flipped a few switches and the bowls along the floor lit up to show columns of different colored light. He went to the touch screen in the center of the panel, keying in a few commands.
COMMAND: REVEAL.
REVEAL: ALL DREAMS.
The pillars of light across the room began to show scenes, one by one, of different things. Leviathan inspected each. The first was flying on an airship with Cid, both of them clad in matching jackets. He was teaching her how to be a pilot of it. He figured this was a dream from her current mind and let it be. The second pillar of light showed a scene of Canti being older, in a ballroom dance with a man in a mask that completely hid every aspect of his face. It was hard to tell if this was from the present, so it was hard to tell if he should do something about that dream or not. The third showed Canti tied in chains in the center of a hurricane, forlorn in mind and spirit. He gasped. This was exactly what she had herself die to be rid of. She still saw it in her dreams? Was her soul to be so tortured? The last revealed her standing in front of a phoenix, petting it, even though it was made of billowing fire and contained darkness within. What kind phoenix ever carried darkness inside it? He had no idea what this was supposed to mean at all, but he made a few notes on the touchscreen file and closed it. It was ready to submit to Cosmos for inspection.
He sighed, gazing upon the girl who slept deeply there. Leviathan was assigned to be her guardian, to see to her raising as a secret weapon in hiding. How they had rebuilt her memory from the ground up, piece by piece, to fit within the realm. So she could have a peaceful life. And yet, the events of her past still existed in her dreams. Was her soul still doomed? He walked over to her, pulling the brain scanner off of her head to put it away. She would wake within a few moments now that the waves that forced her to sleep were shut off.
"Nn…" Canti groaned upon waking up. She sat up very slowly. "…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep during the scan, headmaster!"
Leviathan only helped her off the bed and let her stand on her feet. "No, no, I can tell you've had a very long day," he said. "It's fine. Since your last class has been canceled, why don't you head over to the library to study? Minwu did say he would help you with his Mysidian textbook."
"Oh. Sure…" she started like she wanted to walk off, but then she turned to look right up at him. "…sir, I don't have any diseases, do I?"
"Heavens no, you are just as healthy as you've always been," he said, turning to unlock the door. "Here. Do you remember how to get back to the library?"
"...No, I've never been there."
Leviathan snapped his fingers and a moogle wearing a black and white checkered bandanna floated about overhead. "Take the lovely Miss Highwind to the library, if you please," he commanded.
The moogle nodded and motioned for Canti to follow him. "This way, kupo!"
