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, incest, stupid fluffy romance, sex, angst, self-insert author avatar
FIC START!
Chapter Nineteen
The cafe was mostly empty. Canti and Kain sat down in one booth, though she insisted several times that she had eaten all ready this morning. Kain didn't care if she only drank a glass of milk, the fact that they were here by themselves was enough for him. He ordered a coffee and a big stack of pancakes. Canti knew him well enough to know pancakes were Kain's favorite food. She liked them too, of course, but she liked them even more when Papa Cid made them with chocolate chips and in the shape of bunnies. The two of them chatted about all kinds of things while there. School, their friends, families, their planned futures… there was so much going on in their lives that things just felt crazy. But at least for this moment, things were peaceful. Stopped. Calm. Every time Canti let out that soft, cute little giggle of hers, Kain felt his heart leap from his chest up to his throat. Why did she have to be adopted by his uncle?
"Good morning," came a voice from behind Canti that spooked her so much she froze for a moment.
"Clear out," Kain barked at the owner of the voice. "Leave us alone!"
Canti turned her head to the side to see someone she had bumped into before, but never really had the opportunity to get to know, thanks to Kain's overprotectiveness on the first day of school. "I've met you before," she said quietly. "Ffamran, right?"
"My friends call me Balthier," Ffamran said smoothly, bowing his head dramatically to her. "And you, princess, may consider me a friend."
"You Bunansas don't know when to quit!" Kain said, almost throwing his fork down on the table. "Go away, Ffamran!"
"Don't be so mean, Kain," Canti said, enchanted by Balthier's very elegant way of carrying himself. "So… Balthier. Why are you here?"
"I come by the Chattering Chocobo every morning for breakfast," Balthier replied, sitting down next to her. This caused Kain to get incredibly jealous, even though he was eating his pancakes in silence across the table. "And to hear that tiny giggle of yours, I had to see just what was so funny. Turns out, your cousin's inability to express his feelings properly is what was so damn hilarious." He glared at Kain from across the table. "My uncle Otto told me some very disturbing news about the ship-yards, I figured you might know about it, since your father works there, too."
"Papa Cid is a mechanic there, yes," Canti said with a nod. "What did your uncle tell you?"
"Otto has been on latrine duty the last while, and to clear his work quota, he has been having to do overtime," Balthier continued. "Turns out he spotted something quite foul. Some kind of beast, he said it was. Two heads. Sucking something from the ground. The creature swirled with some kind of black cloud or some such…" He shrugged, not knowing what to make of it. "Now Uncle Otto likes making stupid pranks, but the look on his face. The man was frightened."
Kain's eyes widened. Canti's eyes watered. Both felt the tinge of fear slide down their spines and settle in their cores.
"Oh, forgive me," Balthier said, gently taking her hand. "I did not mean to frighten you, princess. Last thing I want to see is those beautiful sky blue eyes filled with tears…"
In a sudden movement, Canti wrapped her arms around Balthier, letting her sobbing shake her body. "Papa! …Papa Cid!" she cried out desperately.
Kain was enraged. How dare Ffamran Bunansa hold his cousin while she was locked in such a state of unfathomable sadness!? "Canti, how about we go back, just to check?" Any suggestion to get her away from that manipulative piece of chocobo dung…
"School starts here in an hour, and you two came all the way up here to the wealthier district for breakfast," Balthier said, shrugging. He glared at Kain while he wrapped his arms around her delicate little frame. "I don't think you'll make it in time. But that's all right. I can call my uncle and he can give me a report. Everything will be all right, you'll see."
"Thank you, Balthier…" Canti said through her tears. "…I won't forget your help…" She sniffled loudly.
Balthier let her go, only to get up and head over to the public Sphere station in the corner. Kain immediately stood up and walked around the table. "Cousin… don't you see what he's doing to you?" he whispered. "Uncle Cid and my father are taking care of whatever the problem is. There are no better dragoons within the Warriors of the Water, and even if it is some dark two-headed beast, which I sincerely doubt, it is no match for them!"
She let him wipe her eyes. "They are the best dragoons in the whole country…" Canti said with a nod. "…you are right…"
"Of course I am," Kain said. "Let's get out of here. I will contact my father's desk at the Warriors of the Water office. It will be much more reliable than Ffamran's half-wit Uncle's report."
"But… you haven't finished your pancakes."
"I don't need to. That's not important." He helped her out of the booth and gathered up their things.
By the time Balthier came back to give them the news, Kain had led her outside and carried her away using the Dragoon's Jump technique. He sighed. It was well known that Highwinds didn't trust anyone but those who bore their name, and Ffamran just happened to be born a Bunansa. He stood there for a moment, leaving some gil to pay for Kain's check and a tip for the waitress. "What, Kain? Can't believe some other has eyes for your blue-haired cousin?" he asked as if Kain was standing there. "A princess of the skies… only fitting for a Highwind, right? I would make you more than that, if only you would let me."
…
Mateus Palamecia hated when his father got into one of his political rambling fits, but he hated it even more when there was official government people lurking about the Monster Farm. Matteo stood there with many representatives of the Warriors of the Water, speaking with them in that tone he always used when addressing the masses, telling them all that he would use all his resources to find out exactly what kind of monster it was and why it was sucking energy from underground over in the ship-yards. He leaned up against the wall in his uniform as he listened to that same campaign voice to go on and on about how Palamecia Monster Farm had the safest facilities and there was nothing to fear. This monster would never escape to frighten anyone ever again. All the children and the animals and the…
For the love of Cosmos, Father, shut your mouth, no one believes you give a damn about the children, you just want people to vote for you come next term, Mateus thought. His arms were crossed and eyes rolling so hard they damn near fell out of their sockets. You are the reason why every one believes I have such ill intentions… he didn't hate his father per se, but he hated being attached to him the way he was. He hated being judged for things that had no bearings on him, and he hated being pushed away for having the Palamecia family name stapled to him for the rest of his life. Mateus didn't want to be a politician, he didn't want to take care of monsters, and he certainly didn't want to be a pandering liar like his fake flake of a father.
It didn't take long before two dragoons, both of which were spoken by the others government officials with the same name, were leading a two-headed monster along with lassos tied to long poles. From what he could hear, there was a Commander Highwind and a Captain Highwind. Mateus picked up his things so he could walk around the gathering more. Highwind? As in, related to Cantirena? Both the Commander and the Captain were blonde men. That's when he he heard his father's obnoxious voice again once the beast was locked away in one of the stables within the largest barn on the farm.
"Such grand work to be expected from the Highwind dragoons," Matteo said, clapping for them. "I am pleased to see that Leviathan called our greatest warriors to assist in such troubling events. Your children will sleep safer at night with this Schizo here in our facility."
The taller, older Highwind slipped off the helmet shaped like a dragon's head. The Commander Highwind from what Mateus could gather. "Don't overpraise us. That's not what we do it for," he grumbled as he addressed the Senator.
"You say that, but you should be commended for your efforts," Matteo said again. That tone was grating. As much as Mateus wanted to listen in to what was being discussed, he was more than sick of hearing that Goddess damned tone! "We should hold a party in your honor this weekend for all you have done!"
The younger Highwind shook his head. This one had the rank of Captain, and he did not wear the helmet like his brother, but he wore a similar uniform that seemed to be made of dark purple dragon scales. It reminded Mateus a lot of Kain's battle training clothes, now that he stopped to think about it. "No. This weekend I am having a celebration for my daughter," he said. "Your political nonsense won't prevent me from-"
"Then allow me to at least provide refreshments for your daughter's party," Matteo suggested. "I will send only the greatest foods money can buy. Perhaps I can buy her something nice! This is a birthday party, isn't it?"
Mateus liked the idea of being to attend a party being held in Canti's honor, but he had the feeling that there was no way that was going to fly. He smiled, hoping he could see her today, and wondering if she even read his letter at all. Did Hikari manage to give it to her? He hoped so. He let out a long sigh, and started to walk away when he heard a fight starting to break out.
"You can keep your damn 'good will' to yourself!"
"Easy, Cid. Easy. We have reports to file back at HQ."
"And what's more is I hear your son has been trying to flirt with my daughter! What could a boy his age be thinkin', flirting with a ten year old girl like that?!"
"CID!"
Yeah, there was no way in hell he could attend that party. But, if nothing else, Mateus shared Choir with her, and he could at least speak to her then. She had weird friends and an easily over protective family, but during that little break, it was like none of them existed. He walked out of the Monster Farm and headed down the sidewalk towards the Garden. He looked out at all the chocobo-drawn carriages and the buildings around the cobblestone streets, wondering what it looked like down south where the poorer districts were. He'd never seen them himself. As his eyes traced along the roofs, he noticed something peculiar.
A boy with a long, blonde ponytail was carrying a girl with blue curly hair.
Mateus groaned. Was everything just coming up Highwind today? Perhaps overhearing the discussion, if it could be called that, going on between their parents, it just put those two in the forefront of his mind. There would be no reason for the Highwind cousins to be jumping from roof to roof in this side of town. That's not even something they'd do in the poorer areas, since they were dragoons in training. Of course.
But as he stopped, he watched them land between two buildings.
"Cousin, are you all right?"
"Yes."
That was Canti's voice. Mateus recognized it instantly. But he couldn't say anything. What in blazes were they doing all the way up here to begin with?
"That Ffamran…"
"He prefers to be called Balthier. And he offered to do us a service, Kain. He offered to help! What's wrong with you? No wonder everyone thinks we Highwinds are rude to everyone that isn't in our family… and the way Uncle Richard speaks to Papa Cid sometimes, we're even rude to the people in our family!"
As Canti and Kain came out of the alleyway, Mateus hid himself behind a building, but he watched them closely. What were they doing with one of the Bunansa children this early? How interesting to overhear…
"Father speaks to Uncle Cid like that because they are brothers."
"If I had a brother, I wouldn't disrespect him so much. I don't speak to you like that, Kain. Just like I didn't want to disrespect someone who considers me a friend. Now who knows if he'll ever want to talk to me?"
"Why would you want someone so manipulative to talk to you again?!"
"...I thought he was… kind of dashing…" That sounded like it came with a cute blush. Mateus would have loved to see it.
"You think someone that goes out of their way to frighten you like that is dashing? Come on!"
"His voice was nice, cousin. And he held me very gently, very kindly. It wasn't malicious. He wasn't trying to hurt me. He even said he was concerned because he knows Papa Cid works at the ship-yards and his uncle was the one who found the monster in the first place."
Mateus put his finger to his chin. So it was one of the Bunansas that found that creature… As he walked, more things made sense. Canti seemed to be developing an affection for one Ffamran Bunansa, and Kain just wasn't hearing it. He did his best to keep his laughter internal. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to follow them to Garden.
