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:

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 Fifty-four

Canti waited. She didn't know how long she was in there, as in mostly darkness it was hard to determine what time it was or how much time had passed. There was sunlight out in the main area of this mostly collapsed building, which indicated that it was during the daytime. But pushed under a mattress to hide like that only made it harder to keep an eye on her surroundings. As she was told, she kept her breathing as quiet as possible. Who knows if someone could have heard her breathing? She couldn't stop thinking about what Balthier told her about how there are no Sphere terminals in Fisherman's Horizon. Why would that be? Wouldn't Leviathan want to keep a constant eye and communication with all of the area within his domain? And, if the families of Palamecia and Bunansa had an alliance, why would their heirs be in a house that had no electricity or easy communication back to the main city? She couldn't figure out what was going on, and while it frustrated her, she could only sit there and wait. It was her only option.

The door opened and only one pair of feet stepped in. The door closed behind, and she could hear a click. He must have locked the door.

"...Canti," Balthier's voice said quietly. "It's me. Come out."

She crawled out from under the bed, noticing that he was holding a purple velvet bag. He placed it in her hands. She opened the bag and pulled out the ceramic flute. It was in the shape of a moogle, just as soft pink as they were, complete with wings and a pompom.

"Moogle's Flute. Write your letter quickly."

"Yes."

He gave her a piece of paper and an envelope, standing against the door to prevent anyone from unlocking it from the outside and opening it. Balthier watched her as she penned out her letter detailing what she'd been through and what she knew of her location. She wrapped it in the envelope and sealed it, writing To Cid Highwind on the front.

"I'll send it and then we'll work on getting you out of here," Balthier whispered, taking back the flute and the letter. "Go back to hiding."

"It's… addressed to my father."

"Yes, I see that."

"That won't get you in trouble?"

"It's not a problem. I'll step out onto the balcony and send the letter with no issues. I'm going to give it back to Mateus, and he won't suspect a thing since I asked to send a message to my own father about my current status as I can't call and let him know," he explained as he watched her go back to hiding under the mattress. "I'll do all I can to help you, Princess."

"...Balthier."

"What is it?"

"...why do you call me princess? I'm not royalty."

Balthier smiled as he thought about it. "It feels… natural to call you that. I don't understand why, but if my dreams are to be believed, then that's what I'll be calling you." He bent down to look at her in her tiny little hiding spot. "I'll be right back. Trust me."

"I've no choice but to trust you."

He got back up and headed out of the room, only to lock it again. Canti listened to his footsteps as he walked away. Her ear to the floor, she could hear many different movements. Lots of footsteps. The moving of furniture in the next room over. She tried to listen for more, but there was so much movement going on nearby that it was very hard to listen for anything further away. She thought about what he said. How it felt natural to address her as a royal title. Was he seeing Mateus' vision of the future, or the one she had been seeing? If she was going to become Mateus' bride, and he was supposed to take over a land named after his family line, that would make her royalty. But if that were the case, he wouldn't be helping her try to get out of this, now would he?

Cid wasn't used to this position of authority, but he wasn't going to let that get in the way of leading the search to find his daughter or his nephew. He wore a replica of the badge he'd always seen on his brother's chest ever since they reached adulthood. His brother knew what was going on at all times, he always had himself together. He always had a plan. Meanwhile, after retiring from being a pilot, Cid was a bit more of a drifter. He went from one thing to another, not really caring about anything until Leviathan approached him with an idea to adopt someone from the Westside Orphanage. Cid never thought of having children. He once loved a woman, but after going on his flying adventures, he never crossed paths with her again. She just never was around. But Canti came into his life, and he finally understood a lot about life that just never made any sense to him before. He felt complete having become a father.

There were thousands of troops lined up, all standing at attention, right in front of him. From what he understood, this was every member of the Warriors of the Water remaining alive. During the Senator's rise to power, quite a few of their ranks were obliterated with powerful magics, and there weren't many mages in the ranks of the Warriors. Cid looked at all of them, trying to emulate the attitude that his brother Richard would have had while in that same spot.

Now that they were all battle prepped, he had no idea of what to do now. What part of Fisherman's Horizon were they to march upon? He turned around nervously.

"Mognet, kupo! Delivery for Cid Highwind!"

He was a bit startled by that, but there was a moogle holding a letter in its little paws. He dropped it right into his hands before fluttering away with its tiny purple wings.

"...Mognet?" he asked, looking at the envelope. "No one's used that for years…" He opened it to read the letter inside.

To my Papa Cid,

I have no idea where I am or how long I've been here. I've been told that I am in Fisherman's Horizon, but I do not know where. Know that while I have suffered immensely at the hands of my captors, I'm alive and I'm doing my best to escape. I've been told there is a place in Fisherman's that allows the wandering sick to leave the city near a beach, and that is where I am headed right after this letter is sent. Also all Warriors of the Water who have come near here have been shot on sight by mercenaries. Do not come here wearing the armor, please, Papa! Uncle Richard has all ready been put on display in the place where my captors have held me and Kain. We've been separated due to circumstances. Once we meet, we must find and save him! I love you, Papa Cid. May Cosmos allow us to meet again.

-Cantirena Highwind

Cid felt tears well up in his eyes as he read the letter over and over again. She would be smart enough to figure out to use Mognet while in a place where there is no way to connect to the Sphere. He couldn't allow his troops to see him be an emotional mess like this, so he folded up the letter.

"Change of plans. I've received intel from the inside of Fisherman's Horizon. We cannot go like this. They're waiting for us," Cid said loudly, addressing his men. "There is a mercenary force waiting for us. We have to come up with a completely different plan."

"I have an idea," a young man approached him with glasses big enough to cover his eyes entirely. "Grand Dragoon, sir, I propose we do this a little more covertly than with a full scale military operation."

"Mid?" Cid asked. "Let's hear it."

"We'll need help from the ship-yards. May I send a request to Setzer for him to join us?"

"Yes. Do what you need to do," Cid said with a nod. "I will address Leviathan about our current status."

"Very well then, Grand Dragoon."

It didn't feel right for anyone to be calling him by that title. All it did was remind him of Richard. But he didn't say anything. He headed over to a Sphere terminal and put in the code to speak with Leviathan directly.

Jecht paced back and forth in the kitchen of the Murasaki household. He kept looking at Braska, then back to Auron, and then back at Braska again. He couldn't believe they were here, when all of the trouble was going on back at the Senator's Meeting Hall. All of their children were gathered in the family room, trying to hide the fact that they were listening into everything being discussed. Tidus, Yuna, and Hikari peeked through the open crack of the door, hanging on every word.

"This is insanity," Jecht said. "Having to hide here-"

"This is not just for the safety of Braska, but also for the kids," Auron answered him quietly. He was sitting at the kitchen table. "Last thing you want is to have those kids put back in an orphanage."

"Well then we could leave Braska here, and we go kick some traitor ass!" Jecht exclaimed. "I'm sure that Leviathan would take any backup they could get."

"No," Braska said calmly. "You will stay with me. I know that the Highwind children were stolen to try to manipulate the Grand Dragoon into siding with the Senate. I'd rather not have our children put in the same situation." He sighed, shaking his head. "Anyone that stood up to them has been warned that they would be treated just like the Highwinds if they didn't agree to vote in their favor to oust Leviathan. Other Senators have said they saw the slaughter of Richard Highwind broadcast over the Sphere…"

Hikari gasped. She pulled away from the door, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Hard to believe that anyone could kidnap Kain and Canti," Tidus said, noticing how Hikari kept stepping back from the door like she couldn't handle what she just heard. "Hey. C'mon. Maybe if we listen in, we can find a way to help!"

"If they were so easily kidnapped, then what chance do we have?" Hikari asked, feeling her eyes burn with tears. "Canti's uncle, Kain's dad - he was the greatest of all the Dragoons."

"Kain wouldn't let us forget it," Tidus agreed.

"And if the Grand Dragoon couldn't stand up to them, then there's nothing we can do!" Hikari felt helpless as she cried. She always had that feeling like Canti was going to leave her, and that hadn't changed. It was like her fear was coming true. "All I want to do is help, but we're just kids…"

"There has to be something we can do," Yuna spoke just as softly and calmly as her father. "Even if we don't go into battle, maybe we can help with something."

Tidus leaned in against the door again to eavesdrop.

"That's what I'm sayin'," Jecht groaned. "Those Senators are traitors! We have every right to put them down!"

"It's not that easy," Auron scolded him.

"Calm down, Jecht. I understand why you're anxious, but I need you to remain sane. I'll try to contact the Warriors of the Water or Leviathan. I want to help stabilize the country, but I fear there's only so much we can do. We will help in the effort. But we will do it in a way that means our children absolutely cannot be placed in further danger."

"Being in Dagurreo right now is dangerous," Jecht snapped. "The fact that we're here is dangerous."

"You're right."

"So they're in no more danger hiding here than they are if we were to help out somewhere where we can be of service, then!" he shouted, causing all of the children to turn towards the door. "We're only letting the danger become worse. Living in fear destroys a mind from the inside out!"

"Where would you suggest we go?" Auron asked. "We need a plan before we act."

"Then at least put a damn plan together instead of just sitting there with those looks on your faces!"