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 One
Hikari glared at Canti at first, but she sensed something was off about Canti before saying anything. How distant her expression was. It wasn't like her mind was completely out to lunch, as it was when she was sick on the couch, but it was like she was fraught with untold worry. She let out a sigh and said, "Hey. Sorry if I reacted too harshly for you. It's just after we agreed to meet, you weren't there…"
"...and your aunt was in your house, not your dad," Crystal added. "It was really weird."
"Something happened this morning. Ffamran was going to tell me what happened, but Kain decided to snatch me away before he could get any answers, and…" Canti just stared at the ground below her feet. "…Kain gets jealous for no good reason! It's so annoying!"
"Who's Ffamran?" Crystal asked.
"Ffamran Bunansa. Apparently his uncle works with Papa Cid at the shipyard, but I don't know everything about it, because everyone refuses to tell me the entirety of what's going on!" Canti shouted. "Gah! I hate it!"
Other students around them were noticing how upset Canti was and started doing everything they could to avoid her while they were walking. She kicked at the ground and pulled out her spear, lashing out at a nearby tree. Hikari and Crystal were so confused by this, considering Canti had never been anything but peaceful and more on the demure side. She made more and more attacks at it, chipping away at the bark. Whatever was going on was throwing Canti off in such a way that she was having a very hard time managing herself. Tears fell from her eyes even though she was consumed with rage.
"I think now would be the best time to go see the Headmaster," Crystal murmured so Canti would not be able to hear her. "You're faster than I am. Can you go tell him about this? I don't know what else to do."
Fueled by her concern for her friend, Hikari gave a nod and zoomed off.
Canti let her rage guide her, causing her to use an attack she'd never known before. It completely broke the tree, and it fell over, landing nearby and getting a mess of leaves everywhere. She breathed heavily, sweat and tears both gliding down her face, unsure of how to handle what she was feeling.
When Hikari brought Leviathan to see what was going on, he could only stand there with a very confused expression on her face. "Oh my," he said, putting his hand on Canti's shoulder. "Come to my office, Miss Highwind."
"Headmaster…" Canti cried, "…oh… oh no…"
"You aren't in trouble," Leviathan said gently. "I know about the beast that your father went to go hunt. I know you're worried and scared."
"A beast?!" Crystal and Hikari breathed out at the same time, both curious and afraid to know more about this.
"But we can't have you scaring the rest of the students. It's not public knowledge yet," Leviathan said, picking her up into his arms. "You two may come with me, too. She could use your company." He motioned for Hikari and Crystal to come along with them, and the two girls followed.
…
Cid stood at one of the many report kiosks in the office for the Warriors of the Water. He hated having to do everything through the Sphere Communication System, especially when a lot of the automated answers were not what he needed to write down. Because of his duty to the military, he had been excused from working at the shipyards today, which meant he could go home and take care of things there before Canti came home. He worried for her more than anything else, as was a father's duty, but as he keyed in a few more commands upon the touchscreen, he felt a something in his gut. Something wasn't right.
This Schizo monster, a two headed hydra-like dragon, that he had to reign in with his brother's help… it wasn't like the monsters found in the training facility of the Warriors of the Water. It wasn't anything like monsters he remembered fighting, but he still knew what it was called. A Schizo. He still remembered that one head spat fire, and the other spat ice. How did he remember that? He knew he had been a pilot in his younger years, but now that he spent time thinking about he, he had no idea where all he had flown. Where all he had gone and been. If he were such a renowned pilot like all the records say, then why did he not remember everywhere he had gone and all the adventures he had been a part of? The country of Dagurreo wasn't very big. If he was a pilot, didn't he go outside the barrier? What did he do while out there? Why didn't he remember any of the time he was a pilot?!
He scratched his head worriedly. "What in the hell is going on here?" he asked himself.
…
Leviathan had the three girls sitting together on a rather fluffy couch in his office with Canti between Hikari and Crystal. He offered them all tea and cookies, and sat on the other side of the table in his own chair. "Now, what I'm going to tell you is not to be discussed with anyone else in Garden, ladies," Leviathan said formally. "What happened is being kept between the Warriors of the Water and the Senators."
"The Senators?" Hikari asked. "But my dad, he's a bodyguard for-"
"I know all about him, Miss Murasaki," Leviathan said, putting his hand up to silence her. "The three of you are children of powerful figures in the government, which means that it's all right for me to discuss this with you."
"Even me?" Crystal inquired. "My Grandpa's nothing special."
"Actually, Master Tobul is important to our armory. While he doesn't work anymore himself, he is the head manager for our weapons and armor development departments for the Warriors of the Water," Leviathan said. "He used to work as a blacksmith, but now he's just in charge of making sure things go where they need to, really." He smiled at her. "Now, this morning, a man by the name of Otto Bunansa discovered a monster on the shipyards."
Canti recognized the name. Balthier had mentioned it while they were at the restaurant this morning, said it was his uncle who had found the creature. And he wanted to tell her about it, because he knew her father worked there. Kain was wrong! Balthier wasn't lying at all! She thought, chomping angrily on one of the moogle-shaped cookies on the plate in front of her.
"A monster? Like what they have out on the monster farm up north?" Hikari asked. "I've seen the Zemletts and Zus up there… they aren't very scary."
"No. This one was different. It was larger, meaner, and was eating energy from below the ground," Leviathan explained. "A two-headed dragon with the powers of fire and ice, known as a Schizo."
"But if it's a monster," Crystal said, "Why not have the monster farm deal with that? Isn't that their job? What's it got to do with the Warriors and the Senators?"
Leviathan nodded, loving just how sharp these girls were. How they picked up on little things very quickly. "You remember why you all have to practice your combat basics every day, right?"
"There's some kind of enemy out there," Canti said as she finished the cookie she was eating. "Outside the barrier."
"The greatest enemy ever known to existence," Leviathan said as he nodded again. "The barrier protects us from it for now. But it has been foretold that eventually, it will get in, and it will consume us utterly. This is why even if we are all protected by our barrier, we must hone our skills to fight and protect those who are weaker than we are. Your upperclassmen are trained to defend you, and this year, you will be trained to defend children even smaller than yourselves." He looked at Canti. "You feel it, don't you?"
"I have. Minwu told me he's felt something like it, too. The darkness that consumes all." Canti hugged her arms.
"He is quite the special young man, yes," Leviathan said with a gentle smile. He shipped those two so hard, and it made his day knowing those two shared such a connection. "Now, ladies, the story continues. Captain Highwind, Canti's father, went to bring the monster to a place where it can be studied. We don't know what it was eating from below the ground, and we don't know why a monster not native to these lands would be found here. It's been captured and detained. I know you were worried about your father, but he is safe. You can calm your fears."
Canti just nodded.
"I'll walk you three to class so your tardiness won't be counted against you," he said, standing up. "Canti, are you in control of yourself again? Can you handle a normal day?"
She just nodded again, standing up.
"Then let us go."
…
Cid didn't have his own desk. He wasn't a high enough rank for that within the ranks of the warriors. So when he needed a moment, he just sat in his older brother's office. He felt suddenly overwhelmed with all the thoughts that had been going through his head. Richard didn't mind letting him have a moment to process everything, after all, Cid had lost his head out there when faced with Senator Palamecia, and that was very unlike him.
"Commander, might I speak freely for a moment?" Cid asked.
"I'm listening," Richard answered while he keyed things in furiously on the touchscreen built into his desk. The Grand Dragoon always had so many things to do. It was no wonder why Kain was always the same way, now that Cid had a moment to notice it.
Cid continued, "Do you remember when I was a pilot, working for the Administration?"
"I do. You were gone quite a lot. Always making Mother fret over you before she passed, may she rest in peace…"
"Do you remember anything about where all I had gone on my flights?" Cid asked. "Did I ever tell you about the places I was going?"
"Not a lot, no," Richard answered. "You didn't like to talk about work. I never asked, because you never seemed like you wanted to discuss it. One time you mentioned how you hated your cargo, since you still smelled like it, but you never mentioned about where you were going. I figured since you were allowed outside that you'd have enjoyed the trips, but honestly, you acted like you hated everything about it. Always came back extremely worn out."
Cid blinked a few times, only feeling that much more confused. "The truth is, brother, I don't remember a single minute of it."
"...if you hated it so much, perhaps that's a good thing."
"I'm serious, Richard, I don't remember going on these flights! I don't remember going anywhere at all! If I was a pilot, then I would remember something about where I had gone, but I don't!"
"Cid, please. Your life is much happier now since you became a father, right? Perhaps your mind is just trying to put all of this behind you so you can focus on the now. Cantirena needs you to be steady and stable," Richard said, using that tone he always used when he wanted to exert his expert older brother authority. "You don't need to worry about the past."
"But, doesn't it seem strange to you?"
"I don't have time to discuss this sort of thing with you. If you wish to speak to someone about your memory, might I suggest you get yourself a shrink." Richard snapped at him. "Now get out of my office. I have more things to take care of before checking the new recruits."
"Richard, just answer me this one question."
"What now?"
"We've never seen a monster like that here within our barrier. Not even on the farm up north. So how the hell did I know that thing is called a Schizo?! How did I know how to fight it? You didn't know it had a head that spits fire and a head that spits ice, now did you?" Cid couldn't hold back how worried he'd grown over this. "Something is wrong, Richard!"
"...it is," Richard said with a nod. "Go home and rest. You've been through a lot lately. I'll put you on the reserves so you don't have to serve every time something like this comes up. You need the time off. I can see that. Go home… rest… take care of your daughter, Cid. Please, don't make me call anyone about this..."
"You wouldn't dare…"
"If you keep talking like this, you'll give me no choice. Just concentrate on your home life right now, and I'll take care of all the work regarding this monster. Remember, Cantirena's celebration party is this weekend. Tell her to invite a few friends."
Cid stood up and picked up all his things. "Fine…"
"Cid. Be careful."
