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-Three

Canti's day continued once lunch concluded and she was in the Chorus once again. She sang and did her part as always, but it was the break that really caught her attention. It was the only time she could talk with Mateus without ever having anyone else listen in, since none of their other chorus members seemed to give a shit about what was going on between them. It became something of a ritual for one to retrieve water for the other during their short break, and Mateus was happy that she didn't once push him away or act as if he was some sort of pariah the way her cousin did.

"...thank you," she was first to break the silence between them, even though he brought her the water cup. "Hikari gave me your letter."

"I was afraid she wouldn't," Mateus said honestly, sitting beside her. He didn't try to reach for her or look for any sort of physical connection between them, but he did turn his head to converse with her, letting her know that she was being heard. "It turns out your girlfriends are far nicer to you than your cousin. It's unfortunate you were not adopted by the Murasakis or Tobuls."

"...funny you should mention that," Canti replied softly. "Kain and I've not gotten along at all today. But I don't think it's unfortunate at all, because I have Papa Cid." She smiled at that, even though she knew that he would not be happy to know of this budding friendship, and hiding it from him did bother her a lot. "I couldn't ask for a better father."

"Still. You Highwinds seem to be hard to connect to in general, to those of us outside your shared family name."

She looked directly into his purple eyes. "I don't want to be like that. Kain is afraid of something, perhaps something in the past? I don't really know. He's defensive because he's afraid. I wish he'd tell me what he is so afraid of, but since he won't, I can't do anything for him. Whatever." Canti shrugged as she said, "I don't want to be afraid all the time. I want to get to know people outside of the family. I want to see the world outside the barrier. I want to explore and go and see things, experience things…"

"Even though you are safe within the barrier, you wish to go outside it?"

"...Mateus, I don't think we're all that safe within the barrier…"

He shook his head. "I'm amazed that the rest of our class does not hear you. No one ever speaks that way."

"If we're so safe here… why was there a dark beast roaming about in the wee hours of the morning?" Canti asked very quietly. She knew she wasn't supposed to tell anyone about it, but it slipped out. It was literally all she could think about the entire day, aside from the argument with her cousin. Things normally weren't so disjointed between them. It felt wrong for them to be in a fight at all. "Oh… whoops. I let that slip…"

"...truth is, I all ready knew about that," he whispered back. "When the beast was caught, they took it up to my family's monster farm. I saw both Commander and Captain Highwind this morning with it." Mateus sighed as he kept staring at her. "You have not forgotten about the monster farm, have you?"

"I haven't forgotten. It's because of your father that my father doesn't want me to be friends with you. Like you'll corrupt me or something."

"I like you the way you are, Canti."

"...thanks, Mateus."

They shared a moment of just looking at each other, feeling connected and as if they understood one another, before the blonde black mage began to speak again. "So. Have you decided on your wish?"

"You mean the thing you mentioned at the end of your letter?"

"Mhm."

"I know what I'd love to ask for, but I don't think you'll be able to make it happen."

"Canti, if there is any way I can make you happy, I will do all in my power to make it happen. Just tell me what it is."

She blushed a little. "I want to get all my friends together for a picnic! Where we can all just sit together and be friends. Talk about stuff, eat snacks, enjoy the outside, all that good stuff."

"A picnic?" Mateus almost forgot who he was talking to. She was gentle and kind, sure, but she was also very innocent. He half expected her to say something extremely grand or lavish, as that was the kind of girls that he was used to being around due to his father's social circles. Jihl Nabaat certainly would have demanded more than that, seeing as she was the daughter of Senator Barthadelus. And then there was those two young ladies, Edea and Adel, who were related to the awful lady Senator Ultimecia. The only girl he remembered remotely liking within the ranks of the other senator's children was Senator Braska's daughter, Yuna, and even she would have wanted more than just a simple picnic. "This is all you wish for?"

"Well… yes!"

"I should not question such a simple request!" he said. "I will give you a picnic!"

She looked up at him, the gratefulness so visible on her face that he felt something within him melt. "You're so nice, Mateus… I hate how so many people get the wrong impression about you…" Her smile was genuine. How happy she was that he said such a thing. It was all he could have asked for.

I never thought someone with such power within could be so innocent… he thought. But it doesn't matter…

Canti and Minwu practiced basic Mysidian together while Professor Bismark slept on the floor behind his desk. He was always able to explain things in ways that made sense to her. He was always able to be patient, correcting her gently. She was bright, her mind absorbing all they went over pretty quickly. He enjoyed teaching her what he knew.

They had a very simple conversation in his family's mother tongue, all the while the promise Minwu made to Kain ringing through his mind. Minwu never intended to marry. He wasn't interested in having a family of his own. He was work-oriented, and his work was all about caring for the wounded and hurt. Canti was kind and pretty, smart and witty, but he couldn't just fall in love with her because Kain demanded him do so. Minwu hoped that promise would fade away from Kain's memory over time, and that was just him trying to find a way to resolve his daily anxiety about someone finding out about his almost obvious crush on his adopted cousin. Not only that, but Minwu wondered if Kain ever thought about Canti's feelings about it. But there was no reason to stir the pot further.

"Minwu," she said suddenly, "…are you really close friends with Kain?"

"Kain doesn't have a lot of friends because of his nature," Minwu said. "But… please, Focus on the lesson, Canti. We don't have much longer before the day ends."

"Sorry."

"No, I realize that's been on your mind all throughout the day, and it's unfair to you to ask you to keep your feelings to yourself when so few people take them into consideration," Minwu answered gently. "But now is not the time to discuss this. If I am going to teach you, then I fully expect your full attention."

She nodded in agreement, going back to the textbook he had been lending to her. She read out a few words, and Minwu complemented on them. It was almost as if she'd been speaking this language her whole life, but it was only coming back over time. He knew she had been adopted, but the thought about who her real parents were didn't escape his mind. Where had she been from and what happened to the people who birthed her? The only other people he'd ever met thus far in his life who could speak this language were his parents, and they had a way about them that made him feel ostracized from the rest of the community. Minwu's family wore different clothing, and no one else had their color skin. No one spoke their language. Last year had been tough on him, even though he had proven his skill in all areas of white magic very quickly, he dealt with a lot of problems from other students for being so radically different. It was only Kain who stopped to help him and their slow, awkward friendship began to take form. Now, Minwu had a few more people in his social circle, but no one he'd consider incredibly important to him. Not until…

The bell rang, and for the straight minute that the sound played, Canti covered her ears. She hated that sound going off all throughout the day as it made her incredibly sensitive ears hurt. Even if it was important for the school day's function.

"It's over now," Minwu said. "Since you need it more than I do, I wish you to take this book back home. I have all of this memorized, since I live in a home that speaks only in Mysidian." He grabbed his glowing staff to attach it to his back and all of his other belongings.

"Wait… Minwu! Can I ask you one more thing?" Canti asked when she noticed he was turning to leave.

"I hope it isn't about Kain."

"No, no it's not!" Canti said, gathering her things to follow him. "It's about… your staff."

"I told you. This is a Stardust Rod, and it is for enhancing white magic-"

She shook her head. "Do you know what mythril shards are?" she asked. "Do you know how your father got that staff?"

He looked at his staff, and then back at her. "Canti…" he whispered. "…how do you know what mythril shards are?"

She whispered in return, "This morning, before all of this craziness happened, I was visited by a moogle outside of the restaurant where we had breakfast. He told me to find five mythril shards, and I could bring them to him to get a weapon that was meant for only me."

Minwu suddenly gripped around her.

"Papa Cid and Uncle Richard both have named weapons, but I know if I asked them, they'd try to tell me it's not important or something like that. But… I know it is!" she said with a sudden insistence. "I'm tired of people telling me what to think!"

"If you were visited by the moogle, then you have a very important destiny and you need a weapon with that strange power that only named weapons seem to possess," he said, letting her go. "Do not tell anyone else about this. Mythril shards are rare, and only appear to those who have faced great danger and prove themselves worthy of having them. If your family knew about this, they would do all they could to keep you from it."

"Kain was there, too…"

"Yes. I had a feeling he also had an incredible destiny."

"But… what do I do? How do I get them?"

"...grow in your skill, Cantirena, and it will come to you. This danger will seek you out." Minwu said, turning to leave. "Now go home and study. Please."