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 Fourteen
Reverb
The moment that Crystal and Hikari found their friends gathering up at the Garden around the statue of Cosmos, they immediately knew the information that Canti was sick would put a damper on everyone's day. Kain was excited when he turned to see the two who had come with Canti in the morning usually, but when she was not with them, his expression turned to worry and concern. As did Minwu's. Tidus and Vivi stood there, too, waiting for Hikari, and when they noticed that she seemed a bit down, they were unsure of what to expect.
"Hi, everyone," Crystal said a bit sadly.
"Where is my cousin?" Kain asked, crossing his arms. "She is always with you two."
"Oh we stopped by to get her, but…" Hikari looked down at the ground. "Apparently she's sick."
"...that sucks," Tidus said. "Sorry to hear that."
"That is very worrisome," Minwu said. "I take it her father has seen her to the hospital, yes?"
"He said so, yes. She's been told to just rest," Hikari replied. "Just to wait it out."
Minwu put his hand to his chin. "Forgive me, I must go. Come, Kain. We both have class together, and you are not the type to be late."
Kain nodded, following his classmate. "Yeah, I know…"
Tidus and Vivi ran up ahead on their own, but the two girls stood up there watching the statue for a few minutes, both of them wondering if praying to Cosmos would help Canti feel better at all.
"Is it true?"
Hikari turned her head to the side for a moment. "Mateus…"
The senator's son appeared more than upset by this news. "...her father would not permit me to see her, even if I wished to..."
"I have an idea!" Crystal said, smiling. "Today, when you have a moment, write her a letter. We'll take it to her for you."
"Actually, that doesn't sound half bad," Hikari agreed. "Give it to one of us at the end of the day. We can make sure she gets it."
"You would… help me?" Mateus asked.
"Of course. If Canti believes in you, then there's no reason to distrust you," Crystal said. "She's afraid around most people, but you don't make her scared… I'm sure if Mr. Highwind knew that you had that effect on her, then he wouldn't push you away so much."
Mateus smiled. "Very well. I shall write her a letter today and it will be in your hands before the day is over." He bowed his head to the two girls before climbing up the stairs on his own.
"...Mr. Highwind wouldn't appreciate it," Hikari said. "But… I would still deliver his letter to Canti anyway."
…
"The way you hang your head like that, I would not be surprised to hear you are in love with your cousin, Kain," Minwu said as he pulled at his sack's shoulder strap. It had become more heavier with the start of the school year again, when he was not used to carrying so many textbooks in this bag. He was going to need a new one. "I highly doubt your prestigious family would approve."
"I am not in love with my cousin," Kain mumbled. "I am concerned for her! I am to look after those weaker than I, Minwu. It is my duty as training to be a Warrior of the Water."
"You see your cousin as weak?" Minwu asked. "Oh, I get the feeling she would not like to hear that… given how she has exploded at you for simply insinuating a sexist comment towards her." He teased his friend, though his words were not untrue.
The worst part of it was Kain knew he was right, but how could Kain see her as anything else? Kain always saw Canti cowering in fear and very unable to take care of herself. She might have been able to hold a spear, but she wasn't going to be fighting when she got older. Even his father said so. Richard was never wrong about this kind of thing. His mother, Elina, was a warrior in her days at Garden, too, but she never became a real warrior when she grew up. Obviously, this was just how things were going to go. Kain could see no other option here.
Minwu, however, couldn't get other thoughts out of his head. On their first day, when Bismark did not show, Leviathan took Canti to get a health scan… and here she was, sick all ready. Of course, it could be a coincidence, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something else was afoot here. He sighed, knowing he would have to go through yet another long class of Combat Basics. This was his least favorite part of the day, but he also knew it was necessity. Good thing it was first thing in the morning, so it could be done and over with. The day could only get better from here.
…
Canti slept very deeply. Cid had been up a bit, and he made breakfast for her, but she showed no signs of waking now. He came back and forth, checking up on her every now and then. She was no longer feverish, and she seemed to be perfectly fine except for the fact that she did not wake. Though there were a few times where she flinched, where she looked as if she wanted to scream, and Cid could only sit there and worry about whatever it was that she saw. He put his hand on her forehead gently, trying to soothe her. It seemed there was nothing he could really do about it.
"What are you seein' in there?" Cid asked. "You're such a little girl. What demons could be chasing you?"
Canti only rolled over, crying out in her sleep. A high pitched, painful cry.
…
Canti had been running for as long as she could remember. She kept trying to avoid something that existed beyond the barrier, and yet, still so very close to her. A swirling darkness, like shadows taken physical form, followed her everywhere she went. To the Garden. To her home. To lands she had never seen before. She kept running, and even though she tried to use her school issued lance to defend herself, she still didn't have the combat experience to deal with this kind of enemy. It seemed as if the weapon slipped right through the shadows themselves. Eventually, it cornered her against a gigantic wall, one that not even a dragoon could jump over. She tried to fight back, but could not land a blow. Something came out of the shadows, shaped like hands, caressing her skin, and leaving her covered in goosebumps. Feeling dirty. Feeling like she was wrong, everything was wrong. She cried out for anyone who would listen, anyone that could be nearby, but the shadows absorbed her cries. The hands cupped her face before one went straight up her uniform skirt. She now screamed as loud as she could, but no one heard her screams. Fear crept into every fiber of her being. Where was her Papa as this hand touched her in places no one had ever touched her before? Where were her friends as she felt helpless and forlorn? Where was the Headmaster Leviathan, who said he would always protect her? Would no one help her? Was she all alone?
…
Cid put all the breakfast things away only to come and check on his daughter again, finding her this time with her eyes awake and full of abject fear. He rushed to her, and when he tried to hug her, she did not respond to his affection at all.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
"Papa… I… had a nightmare…" she answered.
"Obviously. I heard you cry in your sleep."
"...I was crying for your help…"
Cid gripped around her tighter. "Oh, baby girl, I'm sorry. What kind of nightmare was it? Did you have another nightmare of the Malboro from that horror movie? I remember that one had you shaken up for a while."
"...no, Papa Cid…" Canti breathed out, sinking back into her pillows. "…I was chased by a shadow… a huge shadow… that was bigger than anything I've ever seen before. And it… had hands, you see. Hands that… touched me…" Tears filled her eyes. "I was all alone…" She sniffled loudly and soon her feelings came out in a large, overwhelming sob that consumed all of her tiny ten year old frame.
Cid wanted to cry after hearing her describe the experience. But, because he did not wish to frighten her further, he only held to her that much tighter. How… terrifying… he thought. To see such images at so young an age… Dreams can be just as traumatic as the real thing, to an impressionable mind…
Canti didn't want to hug around him, as she felt betrayed since he did not come to her aid in her nightmare, but she felt as if she needed someone to cling to. She wailed into his chest, and Cid just rocked her back and forth. She had nothing to say, but she was just full of feelings she didn't understand.
Cid had his hand on her head, and the other hugging around her. He didn't know what to say, either. Though, based on what she described seeing, all he could imagine was the force that all within the country protected by the barrier spoke of as 'the enemy'. It never took a form, from what all the details provided said. It was just an enemy of immense power. "I know it was scary," he said, "but you don't have anything to worry about. I'm here, and I'll always be here."
"Why didn't you come for me…?" she asked. "Why weren't you there?!"
"I don't know, pumpkin…"
"You said you'd always protect me, Papa Cid."
"You are absolutely right. I did say that," Cid said with a nod. "I don't know a lot about magic, and I don't know a lot about how dreams work. But one thing I read is that you can control your dreams if you really put your mind to it. We can go to the library and look something up about it…"
"...okay…"
"You'll be fine… we'll figure out how to handle this," he reassured her. "But, right now, orders from the Doctors are for you to stay at home in bed."
"Doctors?!"
"...don't worry, baby girl," Cid said. "You got very feverish last night. I had to take you up to the hospital. Both white mages and doctors looked over you." He hated having to lie to her, but what else could he do? "You're going to make a full recovery."
Canti wiped her face, still sniffling, but her tears had stopped falling. "Can we sit on the couch instead? Maybe… watch something on the Sphere? There isn't much to do here in my bed."
"I know My Little Chocobo is coming on soon… I bet you miss your Feathershy, huh?"
"...I was thinking of watching the Training Channel…" she said, looking up at him. "…I really want to learn about dragoons…"
"I was not expecting that."
Canti shrugged. "Unless we can watch more of the airships on the Science Channel."
"Cantirena."
"Yes, Papa?"
"Don't be in such a rush to grow up… you should be a kid while you are one. Being an adult isn't very fun. We just work, work, work."
