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: Yeah, yeah, excuses include my girls are on fall break and I've started taking commissions on my crafts so I have less time to write. You probably don't care. Hell I doubt anyone's actually reading this anymore, and that doesn't bother me. I write this for myself anyway. I'm tired of writing to make other people happy, because that literally destroys my vision of things.

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 Sixty

Minwu wasn't the type to get so defensively angry. He didn't know what had come over him so suddenly. Once Mateus had left the room, he turned back to check all of Canti's vitals and then double-checked them again. She was in perfect health, save for her eyes. When he started to walk out, still lost in thought about everything regarding the situation, he bumped into someone else with blonde hair. He was ready to give them a proper scolding when he noticed it was Cid Highwind instead of some other random classmate.

"Ah, Captain!" he said. "You must forgive me. I've been quite busy."

"I got a call on the Sphere. Said both the kids were awake," Cid said, standing there with his arms crossed. "But what I can see from here is that Canti's in a deep sleep. Care to explain what's going on here?"

"I can, but not here," Minwu said, leading Cid back to his makeshift office that he shared with other white mage trainees. "I've not had the chance to tidy things. Please have a seat."

Cid didn't bother. "Nah. I don't want to kick over all these documents. Seems like they're important. Just tell me what's going on. I haven't seen either of the kids since before they took off."

"The truth is, Kain is perfectly fine. He's even more energetic than I thought he should be after sustaining all his injuries, but you know how it is when someone you love is in trouble."

"Yeah, none of that matters," Cid let out a half-laugh. "I could be black and blue all over, but I'll be there to look after my daughter."

"Kain's no exception."

"That's a Highwind thing."

"I can see that. Even when adopted, they'll still run head first into whatever trouble there is when someone they love is in trouble," Minwu said, glaring up at him. "I want to put all the blame on Senator Palamecia for what he'd done, but honestly, it's also just as much her fault as it is his."

"How could you say that?!"

"...I'm not given the authority to judge one way or another," Minwu said, still keeping his cool under the pressure. "And it's against the code to take sides."

"You're a friend to both Kain and Canti, though."

"Unless they go and do something so incredibly stupid that they get themselves killed, and then it will be impossible to keep any sort of relationship with either of them."

"...yeah, I get it. Those two probably need more supervision and guidance than they get. I've always been lost in my work, and I'm pretty sure Richard put much more effort into being the Grand Dragoon than being a father," Cid said, his tone making his shame very clear. "I'm not going to deny that. But I don't think that's what drove those two to run off. Obviously they both loved my brother-"

Minwu put his hands up. "I've been Kain's unpaid therapist at school long enough and I told him I'm done with the Highwind family's internal affairs," he said. "As for Canti's diagnosis, she's been hit in the head incredibly hard. She was awake a bit ago but I sent her back to sleep because she was really beginning to panic."

"Panic?!" Cid gasped.

"I'm not sure how much of her vision she has lost. We haven't tested it yet."

"Do... What?"

"I know there's something that can be done about it, I just have to look into it," Minwu continued. "Until then, I'll be keeping her under constant supervision. I know that because of the trials, Leviathan will most likely come to question her, but I won't allow anyone to send her into an anxiety attack. I know from experience that's just as much in the Highwind blood as your innate sense of honor and ability to become dragoons."

"I don't know about Kain, but Richard was like that before he became the Grand Dragoon."

"Like I said, I was Kain's personal therapist for about two years when he started coming to me with all his problems even when I didn't ask for it. Seems like he had no one to talk about his feelings with and I felt bad for him. I know what its like to have no one that understands. And since Canti is studying Mysidian with me, I know for a fact that she does not handle anxiety well."

"Minwu..."

"You may speak to the First White Mage about Kain's release, but Canti will remain in hospital until I can help her with her eyesight."

"I can't disagree with that. Thank you, Minwu."

"Of course."

"And. I'm sorry you're so lonely."

"Huh?"

"Minwu, if... If you don't have anyone, the Highwind manor has plenty of space. I don't think the kids would disagree to having you stay with us."

"No, no, Captain. I couldn't." Minwu said, turning to look at a file sitting on his desk. He started scribbling on something. "That would not be proper."

"I know, but I don't see things as proper or improper. I've never been that sort of guy. You've done so much for everyone in Dagurreo that I don't think it's right to let you suffer."

"No. Go on, now. Focus on what's important. Your family must recover first and foremost." Minwu shooed Cid out of his office and frowned the moment he was out of eyesight. He wished he could live with someone, but... He had things to take care of, and being a part of a family would get in the way of that. He turned to the Sphere terminal on his desk, keying in a few things. It took a moment before anyone picked up the call.

"Hello? ...Minwu?!"

"Ah, yes! Young Master Bunansa! It's nice to see you... I have a favor to ask of you."

"Since when did you have enough clout to ask favors from me?"

"Since there is someone we mutually care about needs both of us to help her, naturally."

"I'm listening."

...

Cid was led into Kain's room, and when he walked over there, the first thing he wanted to do was slap the shit out of his nephew. But he held back, just staring at him. He had minor bruises and scratches, nothing he didn't expect. Of course, it had to be his daughter that got the heavy injuries. He really couldn't decide if that was his rotten luck, or hers. Always had to be hurting in one way or another, that girl.

Kain was still sitting on his hospital bed, expecting to be scolded up, down, and sideways over what happened. He stared at his uncle, who he knew was going to become his new legal guardian until he was the age of adulthood, waiting for it to start. He didn't have a defense for himself, honestly. He hated the fact that he couldn't stop Canti from being hurt. He couldn't avenge his father's murder, either. Kain felt utterly worthless.

"...do you have anything to say?" Kain asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

"I have a lot I could say," Cid said, crossing his arms. "But none of it would be productive. I think you've been through enough and I don't need to add to it."

"Ha..."

"What?"

"My father said you weren't very fatherly at all..." Kain confessed, trying to find something to smile about. "...and here you are, saying things like that."

"I hope his spirit heard me," Cid said, looking around the room. "You hear me, you asshat?" He let out a sigh, holding back tears. "Couldn't even take my side when it came to my parenting? Fuck you, too." His voice began to tremble as he spoke, so he decided to change the subject. "Anyhow. You'll be coming home with me to the manor today, so if you have anything with you, gather it up."

He pulled himself out of the bed and reached for his clothes. The same clothes he wore when he ran off with Canti to try to avenge Richard's murder. He didn't want to put those on, but he didn't have much to choose from now. "...and what of my cousin?"

"She's gotta stay."

"Did you go to see her?"

"She was sleeping. From what I understand, it's a magically induced sleep to keep her from working herself up over it," Cid explained. "Until they do what they're going to do, she isn't leaving."

"Uncle Cid..."

"I was going to punish you for putting my daughter in danger, but I can see it in your eyes that you're punishing yourself pretty damn hard, kid." Cid put his hand on Kain's shoulder. "Don't let it eat you up. Focus on what you can do now, not on what you couldn't do then."

"...what exactly can I do?" Kain asked.

"I wish I knew. C'mon. Let's get you home, and fix the place up a bit. When Canti comes home, she'll need a room all set up for her."

Kain nodded and followed his uncle out of the room, carrying all his stuff over his shoulder. He couldn't hide how morose he was. Even though it was a lovely day, he felt like he was walking through a windstorm and could be blown over at any second. His body was much heavier than usual. Even though he used to get around the city by jumping about like all the other dragoons, he couldn't feel the power of the wind in his step. He didn't think it was possible for him to lift himself off the ground to do a jump.

"Uncle Cid," he said quietly as he walked along with Cid. His uncle signed him out at the front desk and as they were leaving through the main door, he continued. "Did they get him, at the very least? The man who killed my father?"

"Yes," Cid answered. "He's on trial. It's all over the news on the Sphere here lately. You don't have to worry."

"I don't know if Leviathan will give him proper justice," Kain grunted. "He wouldn't kill a popular, powerful senator like Matteo Palamecia."

"If it were just the Grand Dragoon's murder he was on trial for, then probably," Cid said. "But there's more at play here than just that." He remembered reading through the file Leviathan had given him and came to a completely different understanding than he had before. "He also was the leader of a rebellion trying to overthrow all of the current Administration. High Treason is a serious offense."

"He wanted to be the new Headmaster?"

"Worse. The man had sights on turning this into the capital city of an empire, taking down the barrier, and using all of our protective forces to take over other places beyond. Leviathan had taken a sabbatical and the senator thought this was his chance," Cid explained. "Wrong move."

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about it," Kain muttered as they continued walking through the somewhat busy streets of Dagurreo that sunny Tuesday morning. "About anything. I'm... Powerless."

"I wouldn't say that. You have vast potential, and you'll only grow more."

"Uncle Cid, every day I used to make a vow to the statue of the water dragon in our garden. It was my secret," Kain said. "I wanted to be the Grand Dragoon more than anything. I wanted to take on my father's position and lead the family to great prosperity the same way he did."

"You're older now, so I think it's high time I tell you the truth," Cid said, letting out a sigh. "Your father didn't lead us to great prosperity, son. He was a figurehead. He was there to simply do nothing more than act on Leviathan's orders. Nothing he did once he accepted that title was his own decision." He turned his head a little to see Kain's face. The boy's eyes had widened upon hearing that news. "You should not aspire to be the Grand Dragoon."

"Then, what should I aspire to be?" Kain asked. "My whole life, I've been training with this one thing in mind!" He felt his heart race. He was starting to panic, and that was something he'd been wanting to avoid forever. He hated that sensation, that feeling of impending doom creeping along his skin, through his muscles, and settling right into his gut. "Uncle Cid, I-! If I'm not going to be the Grand Dragoon, then I... Don't understand..."

Cid nodded. "I can't tell you what you should aspire for. All I can tell you is to look into your heart and decide what's the most important thing to you. Instead of just being Leviathan's mouthpiece, I'd much rather you make your own decisions about how to live your life." He smiled, putting his arm around Kain's shoulders. "I believe in you, Kain."