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 Twenty

Richard had to practically drag his brother away from making a scene at the Palamecian Monster Farm. It wasn't easy, either, even for a Grand Dragoon. But as the sun's rays were streaking across the sky, the Highwind brothers were finally making their way back through the city towards their part of town. Morning was about half-way over, both of them knowing that their children had gone off to school by then, and with that monster threat out of the way, it was time to file some reports and get back to their day jobs.

"I swear, little brother, I can't take you anywhere!" Richard scolded Cid harshly, glaring at him with that same glare he'd been using on him since their parents passed away sometime during prehistoria. "I know you don't like 'em, but at least do it when the Warriors of the Water aren't being followed by the media. You'll be lucky if this doesn't end up on the evening news broadcast this evening."

"I've wanted to speak to that man about his son harassing my daughter… you have no right to interfere!"

"I do when it might negatively affect the Warriors of the Water, Cid! Discuss that on your own time, not when we're on the clock."

"When does it look like a rather poor ship mechanic will have a word with a rich senator?" Cid retorted. "As a Warrior, I am reputable and can be asked to do these missions where I might cross paths with a man that has a higher status like him. Fuckin' politicians make no time at all for people like me."

"Then that's just going to be how it is, Cid. Canti's a bright girl. She can handle herself against the forces of an evil thirteen year old. No need to be overprotective."

"You don't have a daughter!"

"...Now who's being sexist?"

"Fuck you, asshole."

"Back at you, fuckwit."

Kain and Canti made their way to school, with Mateus following a few paces behind them. The last thing Mateus wanted was to set Kain off. That boy overreacted to absolutely everything and it was simply not worth the time to mess with him. He did notice that Canti was irritated at her cousin, which was something he hadn't ever seen before. Typically those two were very familial, perhaps even closer than that, and it made him wonder exactly what kind of relationship they shared.

"I'm just saying that you can't trust anyone that isn't in the family," Kain said insistently. "Especially not Bunansas!"

"You're just repeating whatever your father says because you think that if you don't, you won't be able to be the Grand Dragoon someday," Canti grunted at him, pushing his hand off of her shoulder and walking ahead of him in a huff.

"Canti!" Kain said, suddenly frightened at having made her angry. Oh, now he wasn't even allowed to touch her? But he was only looking out for her safety! "Please don't!" he stopped walking, watching her with a sense of hopelessness.

"You're never yourself, and it's really annoying," she said, continuing to walk even after he stopped following her.

"...I never thought I'd ever see that," Mateus said behind him. "The two of you… having an argument?"

"What are you doing here?!" Kain asked, noticing who approached him.

"I'm sorry, you've been walking through my neighborhood," Mateus shrugged, continuing to walk past Kain. "I'm heading to Garden. I should have asked you what the two of you were doing in the North District when I first saw you, but I figured it was none of my business." He stifled a laugh. "Will you answer me honestly if I were to ask you a sensitive question?"

"Probably not."

"As I suspected. I suppose I'll ask your sweet little cousin instead."

"Leave Canti alone, you-!"

Mateus cocked his head to the side as he approached Kain, slowly reaching to touch his face. "I'm honestly quite mystified at how you treat me, Kain. We were once very close. You once even thought of me affectionately."

Kain froze. "How dare you say that… after… what you did to me…"

"You released, too. It wasn't just me."

The dragoon in training pulled away the moment those well groomed fingers landed on his chin, grasping at his spear to defend himself as he felt nothing short of threatened. "I won't hesitate," he said forcefully. "If I have to use force to defend myself, I will. And you know that I might be a year younger than you, I am damn good at this."

"And, as I might recall, your lovely little cousin happens to be a prodigy just as much as you are," Mateus said with a grin. "You Highwinds… always so talented." He then unhooked the black magic staff he had clinging to his back, ready to unleash a flurry of spells just to put that boy in his place. He didn't know why he had the hunger to be respected and feared, but when it came up, he couldn't fight against it. It was something that his innermost core desired, and the more powerful the submissive, the more he enjoyed it. "I wish I could show you that I do love you and your cousin quite fiercely, Kain."

"What you have in you isn't love," Kain replied.

"Neither is what you have in you," Mateus retorted, his grin growing that much more. "Oh, Kain, you're adorable. You should see how cute you look when you're pissed off. It makes me want another go at you. Quiver. Mmm, I have to wonder if I'd give your cousin a passing glance if I knew it didn't have such an effect on you. Even if I can see when she grows up, she'll not only be incredibly powerful, but the most beautiful woman ever seen this side of the barrier. Captain Highwind will have a field day trying to keep the boys away from her, but… so will you, right? You don't just like her, no… you want her. You crave her. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

"FUCK! YOU!" Kain launched himself into the air, preparing to let loose a jump attack. He had more than enough of Mateus' supple, manipulative voice. All the things he said about their family was enough to drive the young dragoon into a fit of rage. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Mateus raised his staff, erecting a barrier to hold Kain's attack off. The dragoon bounced off it, landing on the ground in front of the mage. He shrugged, using the tip of his staff to bring forth a fireball and shooting it at Kain, which was relatively easy to dodge. Kain made another attack from the air, as that was how he was trained, but Mateus was able to fend him off. Then their weapons clashed loudly, letting off sparks. Kain was a sweaty, enraged mess, and Mateus, while he showed a bit of weariness, didn't let it show as obviously as his opponent. The two were locked in a staring match, defiant until Kain broke away again and tried to use the Lancet ability. It struck him hard, knocking him off his feet, but not before he placed a trap made of lightning on the ground to prevent Kain from leaving their duel. Kain got his left foot ensnared, causing the electricity from the trap to seize up the muscles in his whole left leg, and he tumbled over.

"Let me go!" Kain shouted.

"Ha, as if I'd let you out of my trap… after I've waited so long to catch you again…"

"I'll fight you as long as I draw breath. When you become a corrupt senator like your father, I'll do everything I can to stop any of your evil schemes from passing… I won't let you destroy this country or have anything to do with my cousin…" Kain breathed out, doing all he could to fight against the trap that was sapping every bit of energy that coursed through his body through his leg. "Gah! I hate you!"

"I would not have raised magic or weapon against you, had you not decided to strike me," Mateus said, slowly managing to pick himself back up after being knocked back on his rump. "I only defended myself."

Another voice interrupted them. "Turn it off, Mateus…" it said scoldingly.

Mateus looked behind him to see another black mage in training standing there, a vibrant pink-haired girl named Vanille. She was accompanied by her constant companion, a woman with black hair and an accent of a far away country named Fang. "Why should I do as you say?" he asked. "You two don't matter to me."

"Your whole duel was utter nonsense," Fang said angrily. "Kill it!" She pointed one of the bladed ends of her red lance at Mateus' face. "Emotional manipulation is trickery only the weak would use."

Kain found himself immediately liking this new young woman he had yet to meet. It was clear that she was the older of the two. Clearly the loud girl with pink hair knew Mateus, probably from class. She held a staff in her hand that looked highly adept with black magic. But this woman with black hair held a pole arm, which was very rare these days. The zapping sound of the trap faded away, which allowed Kain to stand again. "Thank you, ladies," he said bashfully, not quite adjusted to the idea of being saved by women. He then looked on, trying to see if he could find his cousin, and when he couldn't, he jumped up into a tree to get a better view. Canti was with Minwu for the moment, which made him sigh in relief. He knew that Minwu would do nothing to hurt her or manipulate her. This morning, that's all she was met with, and damn it, he was going to do everything he could to make sure that nothing would come to pass! He jumped from tree to tree, before landing next to the two of them.

"Canti, please," Kain said. "I'm sorry."

Minwu had his arm around Canti, and the color of her cheeks indicated that tears had been traveling down them. She didn't even say a word to Kain, but leaned into Minwu instead.

"Now, now, at least let your cousin apologize," Minwu said softly.

"I don't want to talk to him. He thinks it's okay to put down members of his own family…"

"I don't believe that," Minwu answered. "Kain has done all he can to look after you. He understands you more than most people do. Give him credit for that, at the very least." He chanted a few words in Mysidian, which caused Canti to relax, and then let her go so he could go about his morning routine. "Take care of yourselves. I won't always be around to soothe you, Canti."

She looked down at the ground. "Kain, I forgive you but..."

"I've been forceful on you, in the name of protection. That's not really how protection works, and it wasn't until just a few moments ago that I realized how much I was forcing my beliefs on you because I thought it would protect you," Kain said. "I'm so sorry, Canti."

"I don't believe you'd do it to hurt me, but honestly… it did hurt."

"I know. I see that. I can't tell you who to be friends with, or who not to be. Just know that if you need someone to talk to, I'll always be here for you. I swear. I love you, Canti. Sometimes, we have to let the things we love go, right?"

"I think that's how it works," she shrugged, finally looking back up at him. "But I'm not quite sure. I don't understand love that well. I'm sorry."

They shared an embrace. Kain wiped away what tears there were on her face. "Well, class starts soon… we should head on…"

Suddenly, they were interrupted.

"Where have you been? We've been so worried!"

Canti groaned. This morning had been too eventful for her tastes. Hikari ran up to both Highwind cousins and Crystal came lagging behind. She wondered how Hikari got so damn fast for a split second before the other two girls snatched Canti by both of her arms and drug her off to class. Kain just stared in amazement before shrugging. Canti was a strange girl, and her friends were just as strange as she.

And that was a good thing, as far as he was concerned.