Fly Away

Based on: Final Fantasy Record Keeper

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy.

Notes: This is set in the same universe as "Records of the Keeper Canti". This is set far before that series, and is the earliest point in Canti's timeline written as of the publication of this piece.

Warnings:

Summary: Canti has gone through something terrible, and as a result, she can't cope with living in the Royal Archives any longer. She longs to fly away so she can escape the trauma... So she runs to the Seventh Realm and finds a very emotionally wounded Cid Highwind, also looking to fly away from his own traumatic experiences.

FIC START!

Canti wasn't a very strong child. She was rather awkward and bony, standing with knobby knees. Her posture was absolute terrible, not that she cared about how much she slouched over all the time. But she was a smart one, by most people's standards. Emotionally vulnerable and lonely, but smart. Some would even say she was talented in her chosen field of study. Even if the classroom results weren't ideal, she proved time and time again that she could act on instinct. It was a valuable ability to have. She didn't have many friends. Hell, she didn't really have any friends at all since her sister up and left one day. Not friends that were people, anyhow. Canti had a secret friend - a baby lagomorph - that she kept within the Garden at the Royal Archives. There were many times when she was more lonely than she could bear that she would slip off by herself to visit her fluffy bunny companion.

Except that day, when she went to the Garden, she was not met with only the bunny as she expected. She met a man, a grownup, who said Professor Ramuh mentioned she needed someone to look after her and mentor her. The man was an Archivist. His name was Borghen. He sounded nice at first. He treated her nicely and spoke to her like an adult, which was something many others did not. Canti trusted him enough to show him her bunny friend that she kept hidden among the hedges... And that's when Borghen broke that sacred trust. He held her so tightly that she was frightened, and he whispered to her that if she struggled or made a single sound, he would kill her bunny and anyone she ever told about what he was about to do. Borghen had his hands up her uniform skirt and inside her favorite chocobo-print panties, touching in places that no one had any rights to touch with one hand, and had his other hand down his pants. After rubbing a bit, he let her go, and she scampered away as quickly as she could manage, tears filling her eyes and streaming down her face.

Canti avoided absolutely everyone. She darted to hide behind things to prevent anyone from asking questions, ultimately just wishing she had a pair of wings so she could fly away from everyone and everything. She crawled under a chair within one of the lounging areas for students, putting her hands over her ears and closing her eyes. Maybe if she hid there until everyone went to dinnertime or to wind down after all the classes, she wouldn't have to deal with anybody. She tried to imagine places in her mind that she could escape to.

Her history class had been all about the Seventh Realm that week. Canti thought about the places within that realm that might be viable to escape to, as that was what was fresh on her mind. There was the huge city of Midgar, but that wasn't a very pleasant place. And Junon didn't seem like a relaxing place either. Knowing the history of Nibelheim, all she did was fear getting burned. Costa del Sol seemed like a very nice place, but it was a tourist trap and very full of people almost all the time. Golden Saucer was also too full, too loud. Canti wanted to be in calmness and mostly be alone. The Ancient City seemed remote enough to hide in so she could just be alone, as it was reported to be empty for centuries, but that was also a place where a girl with healing powers was murdered for having such powers, and as Canti was in training to become a white mage, she feared having a sword ram through her tummy, too.

That's when she thought of Rocket Town. It had become more of a remote village ever since the failing of the launch of Shinra No. 26. She could certainly live there and no one be the wiser, right? Canti nodded at that, peeking her head out from under the chair she had been hidden under when she could see no one around. Then she came back out and headed straight for the galleries.

Now, as she had not gotten her keeper's badge yet, she was not considered qualified enough to head into the realms. She knew it was taboo. But... Well, as far as she was concerned, almost anywhere would be better than staying at the Archives, especially if Professor Ramuh expected her to take lessons from Borghen. When she crept into the Seventh Gallery, she looked around to make sure that no one was in there. There could be no chances of getting caught. Canti walked right up to the Rocket Town painting, looking up at the depiction of the Rocket emblazoned with the number 26 on the side. She put her hand up to it, and without knowing what she was doing, activated the painting. It became a swirling vortex, pulling her in, arm first. Canti used her other arm to support her body, climbing onto the frame. Within a few minutes, the portal painting had taken her in completely, and the activated magic faded away.

Rocket Town just wasn't the same ever since the launch of the Shinra No. 26 had been canceled right before it was slated to launch. The townsfolk seemed to adapt rather well, sort of. Many had given up on the dreams of being known as the Space City. All except the young scientist Shera and the captain of the failed launch, Cid Highwind. The two were often seen fixing all sorts of things, though Cid was not the kindest boss to work for. Eventually, this had mellowed out, and the two grew fonder and fonder of each other. After growing that much closer together, Cid fathered Shera's child - a big blonde haired, blue eyed girl they named Cindy. Unfortunately, due to health complications, Cindy died when she was still a toddler, and Cid had never been the same. His anger was much more harsh. Towards Shera, towards the townsfolk, towards his failed dreams. Both of them. The loss of his dreams of outer space, and the loss of his daughter.

At least once a week, Cid made a stroll out of the town to the beach nearby. That was where he set up the grave for Cindy, as it not only had a beautiful view of the sunset on the ocean, but also a lovely view of the rocket. When Cid had his baby, he forgot all about outer space, as there was much more to explore in being a father and a husband. That's all Cid wanted to do in life. Explore new places no one had ever gone, experience things he had never gone through.

He kneeled in front of the grave, placing on it a beautiful yellow flower - the same color as his hair. It was engraved in lovely letters that read:

Cindy Highwind
May her spirit soar in the sky forever

"Hey, baby girl..." Cid said as he stood back up, sniffling once. "I came to tell ya all about this week. Ya see, I've been tunin' up the little bi-plane again. Thought maybe if I could get my feet off the damn ground for once, I might... Be able to find some enjoyment in life again... I was thinkin' ... Maybe I should give it a name." He sniffled again, tears streaming down his face. "…you remember what I called ya right after ya came out of your mama? Tiny Bronco. That's what I'm gonna name it, after ya." He wiped his cheeks with his gloved hands, the leather leaving a scratching sensation upon his cheek. "…paint it all up pink. Little girls like pink, right? Well. I'm givin' this little plane to you."

Suddenly he heard something nearby. Cid looked around quickly, reaching for his spear with his right hand and checking the materia in the Golden Armlet around his left arm. There could easily be monsters out this way. But Cid was fully capable of fending off any of the monsters out in this area. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary at first, until he looked up.

He heard high-pitched screaming as what appeared to be something- no, someone falling from the sky. Whoever it was was not comfortable at all in this. Cid was confused. How did people fall out of the sky like that? He knew they would land on the sand a bit away, so he started to head in that direction.

The whoever that was fell to into the sand, causing much of it to fluff up around them. Cid watched as it stirred up Beach Plugs around the area. They had become vicious and territorial. He picked up his pace, not knowing if the fallen person would be able to defend themselves from the monsters that surrounded them. He saw the figure sit up and with a flash of bright red light was able to deflect the attacks. He recognized the ability as a limit break - something that did not happen often unless someone was emotionally charged.

"...what... In the hell...?" Cid asked as he came closer. He found what seemed to be a little girl sitting in the middle of the sand crater she made. Her hair was as blue as the sky, and she wore something that looked like one of those fancy school uniforms he saw in the magazines Shera showed him. "…are you alright, little girl?"

She turned to look up at Cid, her big blue eyes full of all sorts of emotion. She seemed frightened, which made much sense, considering she had just fallen out of the sky and was attacked by a hoard of monsters. As he came closer, she started to pull away from him. Canti crawled backwards, never once taking her eyes off of him as a manner of safety.

"...I ain't gonna hurt ya none," Cid said. "I know you're scared, but... I won't let a single critter touch a hair on your little head." He stopped trying to get closer eventually. But she didn't say anything to him. He wondered if perhaps she didn't speak his language. Maybe that's why she was so scared of him? "Do ya... Understand my words? I ain't gonna hurt ya. I promise."

"...I understand you..." the little girl said. She stopped trying to back away from him when he stopped trying to get closer. "…but I... Is, is that Rocket Town?"

"Don't ya see the big ass rocket over there? Of course it's Rocket Town."

"...that's... Good..." she said before passing out from sheer exhaustion right where she sat. The sand puffed up around her just a little.

Cid was confused, but there was no way he was going to let a little girl who looked barely over ten be out here by herself. He picked her up into his arms, carrying her back to his house back in Rocket Town.

When Canti awoke, she was tucked into a very warm bed in a house she'd never seen before. She didn't move, though. She had no idea where she was or who had brought her here. But it didn't matter. Being here, there was no way anyone would force her to go to classes she didn't want to attend or deal with fat ugly mentors who put their hands in places that were not appropriate. She let out a very content sigh. Canti could lay in that bed, under that blanket, in this weird house strangely full of machines all over the place. Whatever. No longer in the Archives. Far, far away from them and everything about them. She smiled.

"Oh? You're awake?" it was a lady who wore silver-rimmed glasses who stood at her side. "You gave the captain a good fright earlier."

"The captain... The man in the blue jacket, wearing the scarf?" Canti asked, sitting up.

"That would be him. Everyone in Rocket Town calls him the captain. Suits him better than being called a mayor anyhow," the lady said with a gentle giggle. "So. What's your name?"

"I'm Canti," Canti said hesitantly. This lady seemed so very nice, very motherly. Canti didn't remember her birth mother at all. She grew up an orphan. Maybe this nice lady could... Be a mother for her? She grinned from ear to ear thinking about having a real mother, and not having to deal with demanding instructors and living in a dormitory forever. Ugh. Living her whole life at a glorified school was just too much, as far as she was concerned.

"That's a nice name," the lady replied. "My name is Shera. Are you hungry, Canti? I can make you anything you'd like."

"My favorite food are donuts and cake!" Canti said. She was being honest.

"...of course a little girl would prefer sweets, but I think it's a better idea to eat dinner first. How about something like that before we get to dessert?" Shera said wisely. "Do you have a favorite dinner kind of food?"

"I like all food... Except strawberries. Those make me feel yucky!"

"Duly noted," Shera said. "I was thinking of making alfredo. The captain likes it quite a bit..."

Canti nodded vigorously, suddenly overcome with excitement. That was one of her favorites. Noodles in a white cheesy sauce. Ever since she could remember, that was a dish that reminded her of the feeling of home. This proved it, as far as she was concerned. This place was meant to be her home! How could this Shera lady have known that her favorite homely food was alfredo?! Either she had magic powers, or this was fate!

"Would you like to help me make it?"

"No one's ever let me help cook before... I'll help as much as I can!"

"That's great. Come on then. We can't have our captain come home without there being food on the table."

Canti helped with everything she could in the kitchen, following Shera's exact instructions to the letter. She asked all the right questions, helped in all the right moments, and generally was just curious. Shera laughed softly through the entire scenario. Her heart had been empty for quite some time, and she didn't enjoy life all that much since she lost her daughter. But Canti only made Shera reflect that much more. Was this what it was like to have a daughter? Would Cindy have been as energetic as Canti was?

After putting the sauce on the noodles and tossing them with wooden spoons until evenly coated, Shera placed the big bowl of pasta on the center of the dining table. Canti helped her with setting the table. Everything was ready for the Captain's arrival home, but he still wasn't there yet.

Canti looked out the window from the living room, noticing that it was almost dark. "Is the captain not going to come home for dinner?" she asked, somewhat sadly. "I wanted to thank him... For saving me."

"From what I understand, you fought off a bunch of Beach Plugs on your own," Shera said, pushing up her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. "You saved yourself."

"But I fell asleep out there..." Canti said, turning back to look at her. "…he brought me here."

"He refused to let a girl like you be out there by yourself. Perhaps it's just his fatherly instinct..." Shera's voice turned very sad quickly, causing Canti to notice the sudden shift in tone.

The door then burst open with Cid there, looking both exasperated and annoyed at absolutely everything in life. His shoulders seemed to weigh more than the entire world itself as they sagged. He looked to Shera, and then to Canti, both of them having their eyes locked right on him. Cid tried to force a smile when he sat down to serve himself some pasta, but it didn't really come out right. It seemed to be twisted and devoid of happiness, like a formal smile shared at a funeral as opposed to keep a surviving loved one from breaking down into an overwhelmingly chaotic emotional state again.

"Captain," Shera said, "Our little guest told me her name is Canti. She helped me make dinner for you."

"Did ya now, little'un?" Cid asked as Canti sat down at the table next to him. "That's an awful big help. Shera's not that big a cook when it's just us."

Canti nodded up at him as Shera gave her a bowl of pasta. "Thank you for saving me, Captain."

"I wasn't just gonna leave a little girl out there to fend for herself..." Cid said quietly. "It betrays a very deep part of who I am." He ate at a slow pace. Each bite was a joy and he savored it. "I like this, little miss Canti."

"...I liked to eat this a lot back home, too..." Canti muttered as she started to eat. "…it reminds me of home."

"Oh? Does your mother make it for you a lot?" Shera asked. She sat down on Canti's opposite side.

"I... I don't remember my real mother or father. I'm an orphan." Canti said. She knew that being inside the realms, she could never speak of the existence of the Archives or the keepers. She was in training to be a keeper, after all. The rules were quite clear when it came to that. "I was taken into a fancy school with a lot of other orphans."

"Is that so?" Shera asked again. "You poor dear."

"If that's the case... How the hell did you get here?" Cid asked, eyeing her suspiciously as he ate.

Canti shrugged. "I don't know," she lied. "One moment, I was back in one of the halls of the school, and the next moment, I was falling through the sky here! I might have touched something magical on display... But... I don't want to go back to the school... I hated it there."

"Why did you hate it?"

Canti looked down into her bowl, losing her appetite as she spoke of it. "I... One man, assigned to be my mentor, he..." Soon her eyes were overcome with tears. "…I didn't want him to touch me, but..."

"That's terrible!" Shera exclaimed, hugging her close. "Captain, we cannot send her back to a school where a pedophile walks the halls!" She had become so protective of Canti in such a short time. Or, perhaps, it was that motherly instinct that had grown in her while pregnant, and was just now manifesting within her, now that there was a vulnerable and hurt child within her reach. "I could not condemn you to such a fate, Canti."

"...I wouldn't either," Cid said. "You liven up our house quite a bit. You can stay with us, young'un." He reached over to put his hand on her curly hair and ruffle it. "Ain't no one gonna hurt you. I won't let 'em."

"...really?!" Canti said, smiling through her tears.

"Really," Cid repeated it. "Let's eat up. Tomorrow, if ya want, I'll take ya with me to see the rocket. You like that idea?"

"Yes! I'd love to see it!"

"That sounds like so much fun!"

Canti had never known a feeling like this one before. She felt accepted in all ways, despite her shortcomings. She felt loved and wanted. Was this what it was like to have a family, to have a real family? As the three of them shared dinner, Canti thought about her sister. The only thing that was missing from this whole thing was her twin sister. She wanted to share this warm feeling with her more than anything. As far as she was concerned, deciding to run away from the Archives was the best decision she'd ever made. There was no reason to want to return.

Canti curled up that night between Cid and Shera, as there was only one bed in the house. She slept between them, content about absolutely everything about the situation. As she laid between them, she felt safe. Both of them were asleep, and she cried happy tears, thanking Cosmos for this moment. No one would ever think to look for her in the Seventh Realm, not when everyone knew she was obsessed with a second. Finally. Home.

Canti followed Cid around everywhere he went the next day. Tuning up the Tiny Bronco? She sat there and watched him, talking about all sorts of things. He painted it that morning. Going inside the Rocket to fix whatever in there needed to be fixed? She would listen to him go on and on about how all he ever wanted in life was to go to outer space, to see the moon up close, to be able to see what the stars really looked like instead of just as pretty dots in the night sky. Canti told him about her passion regarding astronomy, and how she loved researching the mythology behind every constellation and star name. They made each other laugh and smile, even though all Cid was doing was working and Canti just kept him company. When lunchtime came around, they both had lunch boxes Shera had made for them with sandwiches and leftovers of the pasta from the night before. They sat inside the cockpit of the rocket, both on the hard metal floor.

"I been wonderin'," Cid said as he took a bit of his ham and cheese sandwich. "Where is that school you were goin' to, missy?"

"Far away," Canti replied, slurping down her noodles.

"Far away, as in Midgar? Mideel?" Cid asked. "The other side of the world? What's the name of the city where yer school is?"

Canti thought about it, but she didn't know the name of the city that was around the University. All she knew is that the place was known as the Royal Archives. She kept eating, but the way Cid looked at her right now, he was demanding an answer. Once her pasta was all eaten, she wiped her face and said honestly, "I'd never left it, so I don't know where the school itself is. Until I gained the right rank, I wouldn't be allowed outside of the campus. I came to live there from before I could remember."

"So that's a military school. Ya have ranks, dormitories to live in... And the outfit I saw ya wearing sure looks like one of those fancy military school uniforms," Cid said with a nod. "The biggest military school on Gaia is in Junon. Maybe I should make some calls."

She turned to him, frowning. "But... I don't want to go back there! Captain Cid..."

"Even if ya wanna stay, I still gotta let 'em know there's a bad person workin' for 'em," Cid said. He finished his lunch, satisfied with it. "Can't let any more of your friends get hurt, now can ya?"

"I don't have any friends!" Canti said, crossing her arms defiantly. "No one wants me there anyway! I'm just annoying and a bother to them."

"I don't think that's anywhere close to the truth," Cid replied, reaching over to ruffle her hair again. "You've proven to me that you are sharp... And I saw you use a limit break when those monsters came at you. It was on pure instinct." He put his hand to his chin as he thought. "Ya might be one of them... What did Hojo call 'em? …something like a prodigy, training for Shinra's SOLDIER program? I forget what that numbskull called 'em, but. If you belong to one of those, they are bound to come lookin' for ya."

Canti knew that's not what it was, but the idea of being sent to a program like that filled her with dread. Her eyes watered. She wasn't some military tool, and the idea of being one was very scary.

"Don't you worry none," Cid said. "I won't let them take ya if they come lookin'. No one is gonna hurt ya, I told ya before. Yer safe." He got off his chair and reached to pick Canti up into his arms. "Ya like it here, doncha?"

"Much better than being at the school," she said, reaching around his neck. "…so you don't mind if I stay?"

"...I could use a Cadet Captain to help me with all my star-charting needs."

"I'd love to be your Cadet Captain!" Canti gripped to him tighter.

Cid put one arm under her rump and legs, giving her support as he held her to him. He smiled at her and said, "All right then. I'm gonna adopt ya for real. What do ya think about me being yer Papa Cid? I'll have a new rank for you to call me, but..."

Papa Cid? Something about it made perfect sense. The way it sounded, it just clicked in her heart. It was something she wanted to say over and over again. For the first time, that she could remember, she had something like a father-figure in her life. Yes, Canti thought happily. Yes over and over again, yes forever and ever, yes eternal.

"I... Love it..." she said, sniffling as she turned to cry into his chest. "Papa Cid..."

"All right! I was just promoted from Captain to Papa!" he said, hugging her tighter. "From this day on, I'll be yer Papa. Nothin' in the whole world will ever change that. I'll teach ya everything I know about planes and the rocket."

Maybe if I die fixin' this piece of junk... My little Canti can carry on my dreams. Cid thought as he cried happy tears along with her. I wasn't able to raise my Cindy... But maybe I've been forgiven enough to have a second chance at this...

Canti lived as the adopted daughter of Shera and Cid for weeks. She became so lost in this new life that she slowly began to forget her life as a keeper-in-training. Her classmates didn't matter, and now that her sister was gone, she decided to make a new family some other way. Even though she knew the laws against changing the flow of the timeline of the realms, she didn't care, and if she had been here this long, obviously no one back at her old 'home' cared enough to come look for her anyway.

When monsters tried to attack the annual Rocket Festival, Canti helped fend off the creatures with her magical powers and the lance Cid let her borrow. The weapon felt comfortable in her hands, and as she watched him practice with it, she tried to imitate him. She never thought she'd use a weapon, as she was so magically inclined, but with a lance in hand, she was able to dance like the wind. Shera complimented her on her ability to move with the wind like an airplane uses lift to stay afloat. It seemed that everyone in Rocket Town felt like she belonged there. It didn't matter where she came from or who she was, Canti made people smile, and living there made her happy, too.

But, one day, when Cid and Canti were out behind their house, practicing with their lances, something happened that threw a wrench into Canti's entire plan.

"So, darlin', keep yer hands spread far apart," Cid gave her careful instruction, making sure that she understood by showing an example. "Put the hands too close together, and, well, it'll be that much harder to move with it." He lifted up his spear to show her. "Y'see what I mean?"

"I get it, Papa Cid!" Canti said, demonstrating with her own lance that she understood what he meant. "To fight with the spear is to become one with it - like you are one big arrow."

"That's right. Very good."

See, I understand just fine when someone takes their time to explain to me, she thought. No need for the teachers to get all upset at me and treat me like I'm less because I misunderstand...

Cid noticed the troubled look in her eyes. "Oh, what's wrong, missy?"

"Nothing, Papa Cid. I was just thinking about how much better of a teacher you are than the ones who were back at that school," she answered honestly. "Maybe you should teach."

"No, baby girl, that just ain't really my thing," Cid said, shrugging. "I can teach you, that's different, but teachin' a whole class, well, the idea of it makes me feel kinda nervous." He put his lance up against the wall, and motioned for her to do the same.

That's when they heard many footsteps in the fluffy grass, causing a very delicate swish-swoosh with their steps. At first, they thought monsters had come back, but no. It was a team of people wearing a similar uniform to Canti's in a bright emerald green with gold trim. She instantly moved to hide behind Cid, clutching to him tightly. How could they come now when everything had just become so damn perfect?!

"Keeper-in-Training Canti," one of them said, stepping out where both Cid and Canti could see him. "It is time to come home. Professor Ramuh is willing to discuss with you what occurred. No charges have been brought against you." He reached to her with his hand, and she only held onto Cid that much tighter. "No one believes this is your fault."

Canti peeked out for a second before she clung to Cid again. "I'm not going back! This is my home now!"

"You know that you cannot stay here," the Archivist said, his voice very solemn. "That is against the laws of all those who are enrolled in your program."

Cid sighed, wishing he still had his lance in his hand. He put his hand on Canti's head to calm her. "Cadet Captain," he said. "Your superior officer has an order for you."

"Yes, sir?" Canti asked. She stood at attention, looking right at him.

"It's time to put your training to the test," he said, winking at her. "Jump, Cadet! Jump!"

Canti gave him a salute and dashed off faster than any of the Archivists who came to collect her, jumping onto the side of the Shinra No. 26 rocket.

The Archivist groaned. "That is very typical of our Canti..." he said. "Go, bring her back."

Cid shook his head, putting up his hand to stop them. Once he had their attention on him completely, he reached up to his headband and pulled out one of his favorite cigarettes. He lit it with the lighter from his coat pocket. "Sorry... I don't like to smoke around young'uns," he said, letting out a long sigh. "Why don't ya'll just tell me what the hell you're doing here?"

"Bring Canti back. The headmaster demands her return," the Archivist said, waving his hand.

Cid used his jump technique to retrieve his lance, and then jumped again, landing on the terrace that led up into the rocket. "I'm not moving," he said. "Until I get some fuckin' explanation."

One of the people wearing the uniform stepped out of the crowd, different from the leader who spoke to him before. "…Sir Cid, please understand," he said. "I know not what caused Canti to run away to this place, but I do know what will happen to her if she does not return."

Cid pointed the head of his lance right at the young man who had approached him. "Sir Cid? I'm not some knight. I don't fight for anyone except my family. Ya'll come up here into my town and frightening my daughter. I don't take kindly to that even if you want to be overly polite about it!" Of course, Cid had no idea of the destiny that awaited him as a hero of the realm. All he knew was this particular time, and the team knew that letting things stay the way they were meant that the timeline could easily be changed. "Get out of Rocket Town and back to your stuffy military school where ya'll belong!"

"Even if she stays with you, if she breaks the sacred law, she will be sentenced to death," he said. "She will die, even all the way out here. The headmaster has a hold on her soul. We are all under a contract, you see. Do not make me do this, Cid Highwind. You cannot protect her from this."

Cid felt his head sink. Not another one. Not another daughter being ripped from his arms, that he could not protect. His heartbeat echoed his internal sadness as he looked up into the mostly cloudy sky, knowing full well it would rain again very soon. He hated the rain, as it always brought rust to all his machines. But this rain did not just affect his plane and his inoperable rocket...

His heart rusted in the deluge that followed in that very moment.

Cid put his lance down as the rain soaked his blonde hair and through his favorite blue denim jacket. The shower was so heavy it even put out the fire at the end of his cigarette, which is promptly threw out off the terrace when he noticed it had become too wet to smoke. "I'd have her safe from all harm, than have her die because of our... I mean... my selfishness," he said sadly. "Do not enter my rocket. I will bring her to you, one way or another. If... If ya can promise that she will be safe where she will be goin'."

"You have my word," the young man said, putting his sword away when he notice that Cid lost the will to put up a fight. "Canti will be safe."

He turned around to walk into the one entrance the rocket had. He and Canti had shared so much time there together that he was pretty sure he knew where she had gone to hide. There was nothing he could do at this point, it seemed. Cid was going to have to give up on his dreams of raising a daughter to carry on his lifelong dreams. He knew he was getting old and rickety, even if he kept himself in shape, and eventually, he would be no more. If he passed along his knowledge and passion, he hoped that one day, a Highwind would be able to go into space. Fly around the world in a bi-plane. Explore vast reaches of the planet no one had ever seen before.

Canti hid inside the Shinra No. 26's escape pod. Even if it was fastened inside the rocket, there were still layers of security that had to be passed before anyone could make it that far inside. Only two people in the entire town could do that - Shera and Cid. She knew without a doubt that she would be safe here, in this place. She sank into that leather seat with all her weight as she listened to the heavy rain that was falling outside the rocket.

Soon the door began to slide open, and Canti took a defensive stance before she saw who it was. If anyone other than the person she wanted to see was coming through that door, they were going to have to deal with her magic firsthand. With that heavy metallic sound, it revealed Cid standing there, having taken off his jacket. He was mostly wet, probably from the rain.

"Papa Cid?" Canti asked, putting her hands down. She didn't want to blast him with her magic powers. "Did... Did you kick them all out of town?! I know my Papa is the strongest guy in all of Rocket Town, he could kick them all so hard, they'd kiss the moon!"

"...no," he said, sitting down right next to her. "I didn't."

"...what?"

Cid shook his head. "I'm not goin' to have ya put to death because I want to keep you as my own. That's what those guys in the uniforms told me would happen. Are ya under some sort of... contract? Look, I don't really understand magic all that well, I'm a man of science, so I have no idea how they could kill you even if ya were here, but I don't... I can't..." He felt tears well up in his eyes. "…you were a gift from the heavens, falling from the sky. I couldn't..." Cid put his head in his hands.

"I don't care about their threats, Papa Cid!" Canti shouted. "I'd rather die than go back!"

"I can't let ya die because of your damn stubbornness," Cid said sternly.

"You said you were gonna adopt me for real!" she shouted at him again. "That you were gonna be my papa forever!"

"Oh, darlin', I will always be your Papa. Ain't nothing in this entire world that can ever change that. You my baby girl, just like Cindy." He pulled her close as if to hug her, but she ended up climbing up on his lap instead. She didn't even care that he was wet from the rain. "And if ya go back to yer fancy school, I know those places have breaks. I mean, I was in the Shinra military for quite a while, and even they had time off for pilots in trainin'. Summer vacations, winter holidays, you know, that sort of thing, right? Well when ya have those breaks, ya can arrange to come and stay here with me and Shera. How's that sound? That way you keep up yer contract, and we're still yer family. Hell, ya get me an address, and I will even send ya things. Letters, gil, materia, whatever ya might need to make life a little easier."

Canti wished it was that simple. But, being a keeper in training, she knew that could never be. She had a feeling that his memory was going to be wiped, and he would not even remember her after this day was over. She clung to him to listen to his heartbeat, weeping openly. All she ever wanted was a real family, and now that was being taken from her, too. She prayed to Cosmos to understand, she could stay in the Seventh Realm forever if she needed. She'd let the memories of being a keeper and everyone else be erased from her memory. She didn't need to remember her classmates or the Archives. She didn't need to remember her sister who had been gone for far too long. She didn't need to remember any of the history of the realms. None of that was important as far as she was concerned. Especially of Borghen and what he put her through. Canti was willing to give up everything she was, simply because she was that lonely. She craved understanding company, and the only person she had come across in years to give her what she needed was her Papa Cid. It was just too much for her to bear.

"I am sorry..." Cid said, holding her tighter. He made sure the Seal materia was in his armlet, and channeled energy from it to cast the sleep spell, Steeple, right on her. She felt the magic sweep through her body as the star from the spell effect surrounded her body, and she wanted to get up to try to shake it off. He held her in place to force the spell to sink in as the star faded away entirely. Canti would not be awake for long. "…Canti. I love you. I always will."

No, Papa Cid, no! She thought as the spell's coursed through her body. Canti sank against Cid within a few moments, her body unable to fight off the power any longer. She fell limp in his arms.

With her in his arms, he carried her out of the rocket. The walk was longer than he had ever taken exiting that rocket. It seems that no matter what he did, that was the place where his dreams all fell apart, all because he loved other people too much. He couldn't let Shera die for his dreams of outer space, and he couldn't let Canti die for his dreams of having an heir to pass along his passions to. Cid thought over absolutely everything he'd ever done in life, and how most of it didn't matter in the least right now. What he wanted most now was to be able to have his happy little family all close to him. He was just as lonely as Canti, though he didn't truly understand the extent of her loneliness.

Outside Cid and Shera's house, the group of Archivists waited in the rain for Cid to bring out the wayward Canti. He did so, but he moved so slowly, they thought he was just biding time to prevent having to hand her over. It took him longer than it normally would have to get there, but he did do as he said he would.

"Here," Cid said. "I told you I'd bring her one way or another."

A few of the group brought out a stretcher to carry her on. Cid did not want to let her go. It was like giving up his heart, his soul, and sending it away. But he held onto the idea that he'd see her again when she was on break. He'd fly over to where her school was and whisk her away on the Tiny Bronco or whatever flying machine he had by then, and everything would be great. A happy family soaring across the skies, forever. He kissed her forehead, whispering how much he loved her and how much he wished to see her again, before they began to carry her away.

"Before ya'll go," Cid said again, "She has a few things here. She brought with her a leather sack. She might be wantin' that back."

"Yes," the Archivist who spoke to him earlier agreed. "Gather her things and we will make sure she gets them. Canti will be sent home straight away, but I will stay for a little while longer."

"Alright..." Cid turned to go back in his house. The exact moment that the door closed behind him, he wailed out in despair. He fell to his knees, overcome with sadness deeper than he had known his entire life. Not even failing to launch the rocket hit him this hard. He didn't want to give them back her things. But he forced himself back up, finding pieces of her uniform and other small things around that belonged in her satchel.

Before he took it out, though, he reached into his nightstand, pulling out a small box with a sky-blue ribbon on the top that he had been saving away to give to Canti for her birthday, but he had no idea if he'd be able to see her again before then, so there was no time like the present. He picked up pen and paper to scribble a few things down in his messy handwriting and stuffed it into the box. Then, Cid hid the box within her things. At least that way, she'd have a memento of her time spent here. He sighed. This hit him much harder than he had ever anticipated it. Cid knew he did not father her, and while she refused to speak on the matter of who her real father was, Cid still felt in his heart that she was indeed his baby girl. Even if he did not get to hold her when she was a baby. He would always, always be her Papa Cid, as he promised.

Cid turned to give her bag back to the guy who said she would get it returned to her as soon as possible, only hoping that he wouldn't take away the gift he was sending her. It would suck to have something like that denied her. But when he handed over the satchel to the Archivist, not a bad word was exchanged at all. …although there was something he felt absolutely needed to be said before the whole thing was said and done.

"Hey," Cid said before he turned around to leave. "Since ya'll ain't givin' the girl a choice, I figure there's something you need to know before ya'll go."

"Oh? Is there something wrong?" the Archivist asked curiously.

"There is something very wrong. I know schools ain't probably got the funding for background checks and all that," Suddenly, Cid's tone turned much more serious and the look in his eyes became that much more dangerous. This was his daughter that he was talking about, and she deserved no less but that amount of parental seriousness. "But the reason why Canti said she came here was to get away from someone who was putting their hands where they don't belong. You catch my drift?"

"...Is that right?" the Archivist asked, worried. "That would be a reason why a child would run away... I will report this matter to the Headmaster at once. We do not need any more children in danger."

"...if you will do something about that... Then I won't put up any more fuss about Canti having to go back," Cid said honestly. "I love her dearly. She's my daughter. I only want the best for her." He smiled about it as he did an about-face and was ready to forward-march on with his life. "Let her write to me... We get mail even out here in the boonies."

"Yes, of course," the Archivist said, his tone being very cordial. "Please, worry no further. Canti is a very special child. We treasure her and her abilities."

"Even if she is one'a them prodigies, you gotta still let her be a kid from time to time. Remind her that I love her very much and that she will always and forever be welcome back in Rocket Town, would you?" Cid said, forcing himself to laugh. As he walked away from the Archivist back to his empty little house, tears once again streamed down his face even though he was forcing a smile.

Thank you, Canti... he thought. …for lighting up this old grizzled bastard's life. Even if it was a short bit. I love you, baby girl. Come home to me soon and tell me all about your adventures, my little cadet captain.

The Archivist moved to stand in the center of the village once Cid was inside, casting a memory spell upon the entire populace. To them, Canti was never there. They didn't even remember the fact that she existed at all. Then he picked up Canti's things and cast the spell to return back to the Seventh Realm galleries in the Royal Archives, sealing the portal.

When Canti awoke, she found herself lying atop her dormitory bed. Her head was against her favorite Fat Chocobo plush, and her lovely curly hair was in one hell of a mess. How long had she been sleeping? Was... Was going to the Seventh Realm all just a dream?! Papa Cid, Shera, and all the townspeople who lived in Rocket Town had all been wonderful and accepting of her, even though she was strange and awkward. She learned so much about using the stars to navigate, how to wield a lance and jump like a dragoon, and about the science of how things flew. With the right teacher, it was easy for Canti to learn practically anything. Why was she in her bed? She tried to think about it. She rolled over a few times. Canti was rather confused.

She sat up eventually, immediately greeted by Professor Ramuh, who was standing at the foot of her bed.

"Hello, my child," Ramuh said, stroking his long beard which trailed the ground.

"...hello, professor..." she replied, respectfully but also very quietly.

"I'm surprised at you," Ramuh said, trying so hard not to scold her for her actions, but her tone sounded so much like scolding all the same. "Running away from home isn't something I thought you had in you. I know things are difficult for you right now, my child, but things will get better. This I promise you."

"...I don't want to be here..."

"My child, you have no choice. You have no home but this one."

"The people of Rocket Town accepted me," Canti said. "They wanted me there. Papa Ci... I mean.… The hero, Cid Highwind, he said he was willing to adopt me as his own. Professor, can't you let me go back? Clear my memory and I'll live there as a part of the Seventh Realm!" She pleaded with him, tears streaming down her face. "Please, let me go back. I'll do anything!"

"I understand the depths of your sorrow, Canti," Ramuh said as he came around the bed to sit on it next to her. "But history must be preserved. This is the way. You going back to the Seventh Realm could cause ripples in the timeline, forever altering the way the realm works. What if you being there would cause the hero, Cid, to no longer help in the fight against Sephiroth and Jenova? Cid is paramount to it all. His destiny must be preserved, because without Gaia being saved, our realm here is placed in that much more danger. The Ardent will see the hole and come through it. You must understand, my child." He put his long, bony fingers on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "As a Keeper-in-training, you know exactly how important this is. You are in training to preserve the memories and the timeline, exactly as it is supposed to be. This is why you study the histories as vigorously as you do." He sighed. "I will forgive your running away this once, my child. Next time, there will be punishment. I know you have not adjusted well... So, even if I must take you out of a few courses and have you make them up later, we must get you involved with some extra curricular activities. Have you make some friends."

"No one here cares about me at all, professor. No one wants to be friends with me."

"Now that is not true, my child. Not in the least." Ramuh said kindly, with a gentle smile. He pulled her close for a moment, hugging her to him. "You have a greater destiny than to just live in the Seventh Realm, you know. It may seem hard, but we here at the Archives all need you. The future of this world needs you. If you miss Cid and the rest of Rocket Town as much as you do, I will give you the greatest compendium on the Seventh Realm ever written, and you can learn all about his adventures in saving the world of Gaia."

"...more studying..."

"Well. I do know the Seventh Realm history unit will conclude with a presentation... Perhaps, something in honor of your adopted father is in order?" Ramuh asked, standing up. "My child... I do not like seeing any of the children of the Archives as lonely as you have grown. It pains me, as I am like a parent for all of you." He turned to leave. "I plan to ask someone to look after you. You are considered at high risk right now. This is for your protection."

"I will do all I can to annoy the everlasting shit out of them, simply out of spite, because that idea sounds fucking horrendous."

"Canti... You will never change, will you?"

"Nope."

Ramuh chuckled. "I count on that. You may be uncouth... Perhaps a sign that your adopted father has rubbed off on you quite a lot... But you are a free spirit. Always remain a free spirit, my child. This world needs you to be." He walked over to and opened her door. "I will grant you a few days rest before you return back to class. I know you have been through a lot, and you need the time to recharge. I hope to see your report about Cid Highwind at the end of the week." After that, the professor was gone.

Canti crossed her arms before flopping back on her bed. She wasn't ready to go back to class. She simply just wasn't. She noticed that the satchel she left back at Cid's house was sitting on her desk. She didn't remember taking it with her to the rocket, which was the last place she went to before waking up here. Perhaps Cid had it sent back to her? She got up to go through it.

Her uniform was all balled up in there, along with healing items and collected orbs for spellcrafting, and her cute moogle-head shaped purse that she carried all her earned gil in. But as she unraveled her uniform, she found a box that she did not recognize at all. It was a rectangular shaped box adorned in a bright blue sky blue ribbon. She pulled the ribbon to untie it, and pulled open the box very carefully. Inside was a crumpled up piece of paper with a message written in the crudest handwriting Canti had ever seen in her entire life.

To my cadet captain, Canti:
I know I wasn't able to keep you around as I promised, and I am sorry that I had to break a promise to you of all people. I was saving this for your birthday or the holidays, whichever came first, but since I don't know when I will see you again, now is probably the best time to give you this. You mentioned to me once that you liked mine, so I got you one just like it.
Even though I broke my promise to you, baby girl, I want you to know that no matter what, I am your Papa. Ain't nothing in this world that can ever chance that. Nothing. And it would be the greatest thing if you could come and visit me and Shera on your school breaks. Just make the proper arrangements. We will be more than happy to have you home again.
You are our daughter. Don't forget that.
Ever.
Love you always,
-Papa Cid

With tears in her eyes yet again, Canti looked back into the box. She found a set of specialty brand pilot's goggles, shiny in the light. They looked exactly like Cid's. She lifted them out of the box and hugged them close to her heart. She knew the laws meant that he would never remember her again, she could not forget her Papa Cid's kindness and generosity. Sure, he was rough around the edges and had a very foul way of speaking, but that didn't matter. Her Papa had a heart of gold, and she was going to aspire to be like him from this point on. She went over to her vanity where she always did her hair every morning before setting out to strap on the goggles. Her curly hair peeked out around them.

"Cadet Captain Cantirena Highwind, sir," she said at the mirror, giving a salute. "Always here to stick to her duty and uphold her honor, just like you... Papa Cid."