A/N: Flashback fun in italics, as usual.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts & Final Fantasy VIII
Pairing: SeiferHayner (with mention of others)
Notes: story 3 of 3. Sequel to "For What It's Worth"
Standard Disclaimers Apply.
In So Many Words
Chapter 6: Materia Possessions
Seifer didn't waste time. Hayner had to give him credit for that much at least. When Seifer set his mind on something, come hell or high water, he was going to make it happen. Of course, that was only a compliment in theory—when it involved dragging Hayner out of bed at 2:45 AM to launch Ehrgeiz, Hayner really didn't think it was much of a virtue.
"Hurry up before they regain consciousness!" Seifer bit out.
"They?" Hayner blinked groggily, tripping over a vine in the jungle they'd landed in. He rubbed his eyes and yelped slightly as Seifer turned his chin and therefore his attention to a few strands of Red hair peeking out from beneath a pile of rocks. Hayner knew it instantly and tensed, but only for an instant, he didn't have time as Seifer soon was dragging him back on board the Ehrgeiz.
"What about that guy you're looking for?" Hayner asked.
"Not here," Seifer stated.
"You sure."
"Yeah. Ape-boy told me, and he's too dumb to lie. Wake up, dumbass, we've gotta fly."
Hayner found himself unceremoniously tossed into the gunman's seat. How Seifer actually trusted him to shoot at—and hit!—moving objects when he'd never even SEEN a gummi ship from this side before very recently was beyond him, but Seifer was a cranky bastard that it was easier not to argue with if you could help it…especially when you were only half conscious…and especially, when the blonde was now rather lethally armed.
"I think this belongs to you," the King said, releasing some kind of magical seal that caused the cabinet doors to creak open, emitting the stereotypical strange light with just as stereotypical a dying down to reveal—gasp—a weapon. A BIG weapon.
Hayner watched as Seifer, stunned, took an instinctive step back before stepping forward. He didn't think he'd ever see it again. "Where did you get this?"
For once it was awe on his voice rather than the usual arrogant demand. Hayner found it bizarre that Seifer might think anything was that precious. He just couldn't get his mind around it. Seifer didn't seem the type for getting attached—but that just shows how little Hayner really knew about Seifer. It all felt somehow wrong, but he couldn't place what about his own line of thought seemed so off to him.
Seifer picked up the gunblade and gave it a good swipe. It cut a path of gold flame through the air above Hayner and the King's heads. Hayner could almost feel Seifer get stronger just by having this object back in his possession. He seemed to glow with a sort of 'king of the jungle' pride. Hayner felt insignificant by comparison, like he was being left behind somehow. He'd always known that Seifer claimed to have slacked off and gotten weaker, but now that he could see a hint of what the older male once was, he couldn't help but feel like excess baggage. How was he ever going to keep up now?! All he had to work with was his bare hands, damn it! Even a foam bat had to be better than this, right?
Hayner had never felt like more of a kid in his life. The feeling had yet to fade. He still had such a long way to go. He just didn't know where it was he was supposed to be going or if he was going to figure it out any time soon. "I'm not cut out for thiiisss," the teenager complained, shooting rather randomly at heartless ships as Seifer barreled through a maze of pathways between worlds. He knew Seifer didn't really know where he was going, but at least the older blonde faked it well.
"Yeah, well, you're all I've got so suck it up and stop whining," Seifer returned. The words were oddly comforting. It meant that in some bizarre way, Seifer needed him, even if most of the time he did a whole lot of getting in the way and he couldn't shoot worth crap, and he was just getting dragged along after the larger blonde…Seifer needed him there. It made him feel slightly less useless. He appreciated the backhanded compliment, not that he'd admit it—he knew the entire line of thinking was a little too strange for words.
Hayner was dragged out of his thoughts by Seifer cursing under his breath though. "What more do those bastards want from me?" A complaint. Reno and his group had been trailing after them for three different worlds now. Hayner paled a little as he remembered their first meeting.
"Er…don't kill me but…I think I might have an idea…"
Seifer blinked, then glared daggers through the teen. "And I think you'd better tell me before I decide you're not worth the trouble of keeping around."
"Hey! Come on, a lot's been going on, I forgot!"
"You forgot what exactly?"
"Er, those shiny orb things they had in the crates…I still have a couple of 'em in my pocket."
Seifer almost barreled into a metal ring as he stared at Hayner in shock. "Let me see 'em."
Hayner winced as Seifer clipped another ring and the ship jerked a bit. "Can we maybe…you know…LAND first? My life is flashing before my eyes here and let me tell you right now, hasn't been much of a life."
Seifer scoffed. "Chicken."
"Jerkwad."
---
Hayner poked at the mound of ice that was once a heartless. "How'd I do that?"
"Who cares," Seifer replied. "Figure out how to do it again." He grimaced running forward to slash through one of those adorable little pains in the ass. Couldn't he have a mostly civil conversation just once without being interrupted? Apparently not.
"Easy for you to say! You're the one who has a sword!" Hayner protested kicking at the nearest heartless—it just goes to show—right when you think things can't possibly get any worse someone comes along to prove you wrong.
"Bitch, bitch. Moan, moan. Whine," Hack. Slash. "…whine."
Hayner punched again and a frozen heartless crashed into another frozen heartless, shattering both into a bunch of tiny pieces. "Hey! I think it's this thingy!"
"Can't you do better than 'thingy'?" Seifer complained, not looking his direction and therefore having no idea what he was talking about.
"The shiny blue orb thing, Dick," Hayner retorted. He'd had it in his hand when the heartless suddenly began to attack. It just now dawned on him that he was still holding it in his clenched fist. …almost twenty minutes later. He was getting tired. Thank god for Struggle battles and skateboarding. Hayner found himself in decent shape—though he never thought he'd actually have to struggle against real, live heartless. That was something for keybladers, wasn't it?
"Oh," Seifer answered, hacking away at another. For the first time they had a notable advantage. Thank Hyne for that!
"Oh! That's all you've got to say? 'Oh'?" Hayner griped "I'll have you know this is freakin' cool!" No pun intended.
Their advantage wasn't meant to last long. The remaining heartless made a terrible screeching noise, slowly collecting and forming a much larger body, a man. No. A man with wings, no…what the hell…? Hayner blinked and rubbed his eyes fighting a deathly chill that ran down his spine.
"SEPHIROTH!" Seifer declared and lunged.
The man looked at them, gave a smile like they'd missed a terribly amusing joke, turned, and disappeared through a black vortex. Seifer, mid lunge, disappeared behind him.
"Seifer!!" Hayner didn't get the option, the heartless returned at full force only this time he was all alone. How the hell was he going to get out of this one??!
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To Reviewers:
Popthetarts: yep, and here's another one. Sorry for slowing down so much. It's not that I'm sick of the story or anything. There just…aren't enough hours in the day.
Leaf the invisible: Thanks, I've been hearing that a lot since I started this story, and here I'd thought I was the only one who got that vibe. Well, it works out then. Thanks. I feel like after six chapters of meandering along I'm finally getting towards the actual plot. Amazing, right?
