Rebirth of a Holy Dragoon
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. OCs belong to various friends. I think you know the drill by now.
Notes: If you're reading, let me know you are. If you're not, continue doing what you're doing. *salutes both readers and non-readers alike*
Warnings: You don't remember the list of warnings I gave before? Fine. Here. Cursing, potential OOC, OC x Canon, stupid fluffy romance, sex, angst, self-insert author avatar, shitty storytelling.
FIC START!
Chapter Forty-one
Kain looked up from the desk where he'd been writing the letters. Canti had made a few noises in her sleep, but she was still sleeping very soundly. He didn't know how much time had passed since he started writing letters, as there wasn't a time-piece in the room, but he was feeling incredibly tired now. He didn't like staying up all night. It wasn't something he was accustomed to. He walked over to look at her. Her breathing was even, though she slept in this weird sideways position curled around a pillow with the blanket between her legs. He didn't want to leave her alone. He didn't want her to wake up scared. So he placed everything on the desk nicely and blew out one of the candles. The room became that much more dark. Kain yawned loudly. Everything seemed perfect enough to fall asleep.
As he got up, he heard some skritchy-scratch at the window. He grabbed his spear and walked over to it, totally not expecting the moogle he found flapping his wings there.
"Mognet, kupo! Delivery for Kain Highwind!"
Kain had never gotten a reply before. Who could have sent him a message? He took the letter, not even paying attention to the moogle that carried it. He pulled it open.
To my darling Kain,
He immediately knew who wrote that. The handwriting was unmistakable. He hadn't looked at Mateus' handwriting since that unfortunate trip to summer camp, where they passed all sorts of notes back and forth. It was nicer looking than when they were younger, but no one went out of their way that much to make their handwriting look more pompous on purpose other than the son of the oh-so-great Senator Palamecia.
I only did what I had to do. Your cousin is precious, and it would destroy me to see something happen to her, especially if I could prevent it. So cute, I could just eat her up.
I never thought that you of all people would be sending me letters again. My heart is all aflutter over this! It's just like summer camp all over again… tell me your secrets, the way you did then. I would love to hear the inner workings of your heart once again~ I'm always listening for you~
Love always,
-Mateus
Kain grunted as he rolled up the letter and tossed it at the desk. That guy proclaiming love? How could he dare do something like that? Kain was painfully aware of the fact that Mateus didn't love a single thing and saw everything as something to use for his advantage. He was certain beyond all doubts that it wasn't just him that Mateus wanted to use. Clearly he had his eyes on Canti for whatever reason, and Kain wasn't going to have that. He simply just wasn't going to put up with that.
Kain yawned again, even more tired now after reading that insipid letter. He wasn't going to give that an answer, so he decided to finally go lay down. He climbed up onto the bed as easily as he could as to not wake Canti. She murmured a little in her sleep, but she seemed like she was still in a deep sleep. As he laid down, she rolled closer to him instinctively.
"Mmm…" she groaned. "…don't eat my cake…"
He just stared at her. "What cake?"
"...don't eat it… that's my…" she yawned. "…cake."
"I don't want your cake," he said, wondering why he was having a conversation with her while she was still dreaming. He shook his head, pulling a part of the blanket over himself.
Kain lay there for a while. He was tired but he wasn't able to fall asleep. His muscles ached, crying out for rest. His mind just couldn't manage to settle down. All sorts of possibilities were running through his mind at a million miles an hour. He couldn't help but wonder if this is what the future would be like, with Canti curled up to sleep next to him. When they would be older, they'd be closer. He smiled, thinking of that. It gave him comfort. Kain hoped that he dreamed about her, of those days in the future, when their naked skins could rub against each other to express their deep affection. His eyes closed slowly as he watched her sleep in the dim candlelight. Eventually, his breathing grew deeper and deeper, until he had finally joined her in dreamland.
…
Richard had full command of the Warriors of the Water, and they had begun canvassing one area of Dagurreo to search for the criminal at large. The sun was just breaking out, the first few rays of sun streaking across the eastern sky. They were going through every bush, every tree, every building that wasn't a private home. It was a manhunt unlike any this country had ever seen.
Soon a man wearing an MP uniform came running up to him. "Sir! We have a new lead!"
Richard turned to look at the young man. "Very well. Let me hear of it."
"A few hours ago, there was a burglar spotted on Junon Street that fits the description of the suspect," the MP said. "Because of the exact location, I thought you'd want to know about it."
"Junon Street," Richard repeated.
"Sir. The Highwind residence."
Richard's eyes widened. "This is certain?"
"The bodyguard of Senator Braska reported it in the moment it happened," the MP continued. "We figured you might want to send a platoon in that direction to investigate further."
He knew the worst person to send to investigate this would be Cid, because this would only serve to make his blood boil. It would send his brother into a fit of rage. Richard gave the MP a nod and told him to get back to his post now that the message was delivered, and he decided that he himself would take a look at it himself. He left his second in command in charge and jumped out of sight without telling anyone else about it, in case they would go and tell Cid. The Grand Dragoon feared the worst. He knew that Kain had taken Canti back to the Highwind Manor, but if the suspect knew she was a Highwind, it would only be a matter of time before the suspect made his way over there. He would make a few stops before coming back to the main search.
…
Leviathan was pacing back and forth. What kind of evil had made it into his little pocket dimension? First it was that monster that was looking to devour dark energy, and now the people that lived here were starting to corrupt? This place was pure, free of any sort of crime! Had he not secured it well enough? Was the barrier just not enough to keep out the evil? Or had it gotten worse on the outside?! He sighed, finally deciding to head to his private chambers within the Central Administration Building.
Inside he found the device that allowed him access to the outside world without having to cross the barrier. He placed it on his head and dialed a few things into the keypad. He closed his eyes, and when he opened his eyes again, he found a young man standing there, looking down at him.
"How goes the mission?" he asked, helping untie him from the platform he'd been fastened.
"Terribly," Leviathan replied angrily. "Has my wife been around?"
"Lady Asura hasn't been here in quite a while. Not since you last decided to stop by," the young man answered. "How is our… restoration project going?"
"If I don't figure out what to do to set things straight, all of this effort will be for absolutely nothing," the water eidolon sad. He sat up, but he had to let his body settle. He had been in for far too long. "What of the other realms? Have you heard any news? Anything of the front lines?"
"I'm afraid not," the young man said again. "We've been cut off from every other realm since Corneria was sacked by the tainted keepers."
"...Corneria… was… sacked?! By tainted keepers?!" Leviathan didn't care about letting his body settle. He forced himself up off that platform and stood on his own two feet. "What of the Eidolon council? Has the Heavenly Mother said anything?!"
"Her Grace has fallen silent since the Royal City fell. This stronghold may be discovered before too long…"
"Einar, my boy. I'm sorry. I've left you here alone to safeguard this facility…"
"I don't mind being alone," the young man said quietly. "All of my party had gone to fight on the front lines far before I came here. After Sakinah asked me to clear her memory, she left for the fight, too… and a few of the other keepers stopped by once they got word of what was going on, but no one could stay. No one could handle what they were seeing here… It was simply too much." He turned away to go sit at a large computer console and keyed in a few things. "I'm quite amazed none of them have come here. Perhaps they are all still fighting, or the more likely explanation… they're all dead."
"I fear this battle may be lost forever, then."
"If I thought this battle was lost forever, I would have given up by now," Einar muttered. "I have faith in my old mentor. I have to. If you're so convinced that she is the greatest light against the darkness, then I have to believe it. Otherwise, what would I still be doing here?" He looked up at Leviathan. "Tell me of the malfunction within the program and we'll get it all cleaned up."
"There's been darkness inside it," Leviathan answered. "First, a monster from the Seventh Realm showed up, bearing the Ardent's signature swirling darkness. Second, a man has grown crazy - who tried to repeat the same travesty that befell Cantirena when she was child." He didn't know what to do about it. "What's worse is the entire military I've built for this world is on the search for him and I can't figure out who it is… or why it's happening."
"That should be easy. That entire country is constructed through our suggestions combined with the memories of those we've planted into it," Einar explained. "We don't build the entire world ourselves, but we should at least be able to pinpoint what's caused and and find a way to be rid of it."
"Run it, then."
Einar gave a nod. "I can see some of the values in the code are a bit off from what was originally intended. Should I modify those?"
"Those have grown naturally. I've watched over that myself from the inside," Leviathan said. "It looks like Canti won't be with Minwu any longer."
Einar gasped. "You're joking! I thought that was the true love you were banking on! The secret weapon against the Darkness!"
"The circumstances that put Cantirena and Minwu together did not happen within this life, so it makes sense that they wouldn't be lovers now. Relationships are largely due to circumstance… Minwu saved her life because he saw in his vision that she would one day save him, and their love came from that. In this, he is not in danger of being crystallized, and he hasn't once saved her life…" Leviathan shrugged. "But that's fine. The love that's developing now is very natural. If things had happened differently in this world, I know that this would have been how it turned out."
"Oh, so she's fallen in love with Balthier, then?"
"No. Those two are enemies currently. I'm hoping that'll change before she figures out the way out of there…"
"So she's with…" Einar groaned, rolling his eyes. "I suppose we can't argue with the way her brain works, even in worlds that are built out of memory and code, now can we? She's always had a taste for adopted relatives."
"She has, indeed…" Leviathan pointed at the screen. "Find what's causing this trouble in paradise. Enough gossip."
"Yes, sir."
…
One of the maids that worked at the Highwind Manor had begun mixing up the batter to make Kain's pancakes. Since there was no school, he would have all morning to enjoy his favorite breakfast. And there was a guest, so they'd have to make many more to accommodate her. She was whistling as she worked in the kitchen, happy to do it. She looked out the window to see exactly how beautiful the day was going to turn out, despite all the terrible activity that happened yesterday. As the batter got to sizzling on the griddle, she thought she heard a crash of some sort in the distance.
"Young Master?" she asked. "Please do not practice your combat techniques in the main hall! You know your mother does not appreciate that!"
There was no reply. She expected one, as Kain had always been very kind to the hired household staff, but with him having someone to play with, he must have forgotten his manners. She didn't make that big of a deal of it. The maid went back to cooking up her pancakes, until she felt incredibly sick all of a sudden. Her stomach hurt like anything she'd ever felt before. She put her hand on her stomach, noticing it was wet. That was weird, as the batter wasn't getting on her apron. She'd been making pancakes for Kain since he was old enough to ask for them. She looked down at her hand to see what it was.
Red liquid. She was bleeding.
Her eyes widened and she started to turn as if she wanted to warn Kain of the intruder, but she didn't make it very far. She flumped onto the ground, dropping her spatula onto the tiled floor with a large, loud pannnng.
"Y-young m-m-mas…ter…" her lovely hair had fallen out of her uniform bonnet. "…sa-save y-yourself-f…"
