Ah, here we are! Ready for these two to start on their adventure?
Have fun!
I don't own Kingdom Hearts, worlds or Gummi Ships.
I couldn't stop grinning as Cid explained the controls over my shoulder, pointing out levers and buttons as I sat in the drivers' seat, my hands on the steering wheel while Seifer sat on my far right, obviously bored with this entire experience already.
"So ya got all that?" Cid finished off.
"I think so, yeah." I touched the largest button, one he had skipped. "But what does this one do?"
He smacked my hand away. "That button is for emergencies only. Don't mess with that, got it?"
I pouted slightly, but then smiled when Aerith and Yuffie walked up on my left, both smiling. I had a feeling that these four had become my first new, off-world friends; the thought was welcoming and exciting.
"Thanks for everything. I can't wait to see what's out there." I was almost ready to bounce around in my seat. "This is so…different from what I'm used to."
"And there'll be more to come, Hayner." Aerith told me, her eyes glittering. "This will be an unforgettable adventure. For both of you."
"And just think of all the friends you two will make along the way!" Yuffie threw her hands into the air. "You're going to love it, Hayner. Sora and Riku have told us so many stories…"
I laughed as she sighed, trailing off and becoming dazed in memory. Aerith giggled at her friend's antics, then gave me a knowing look.
"Just know that this will be a growing encounter that will be taped into your memory." Her face took on a teasing manner as she leaned in, whispering the next words under her breath. "And I'm sure you can get closer to Seifer along the way, too."
Taken aback, my cheeks heated up as she smiled and said farewell, Yuffie doing the same before both women made their way off the ship. Cid nudged me, smirking.
"So you and Seif', huh? Gotta say, you make an interesting match. Not much different from Riku and Sora, but hey." He turned and put his hand on his hip. "Leon, get in here. The least you could do is pretend to be a little friendly, eh?"
"Fine." He stepped in between Seifer and me, arms crossed in clear annoyance. "But don't expect a heartfelt goodbye."
"We aren't." my companion snapped out of nowhere.
"Good."
Cid and I rolled our eyes at each other. I rather liked the old man's attitude and hoped to see him and the gang in the distant future, if at all possible. Standing to my feet, I smugly went and faced Leon, who looked me over.
"Maybe we'll be courteous and drop by some time, get to know each other. I'm sure the least you can do is agree to that, Leon." I joked.
"…sure." He held out his hand, surprising me with the less snappy tone and kind gesture. "Make it back in one piece."
"Will do." I nodded, shaking his hand.
"Alright, let's get this baby running." Cid clapped his hands and headed out. "Chip! Dale! Get 'er ready!"
"Better get seated, Hayner." Leon suggested to me, then turned to Seifer, who was still sitting. "Take care of him and don't try anything to stupid."
"Wow, you truly know how to bid a guy adieu, don't you?" Seifer sneered. "Hayner knows how to handle himself and he's got me to fall back on, so he'll be fine. Quit worrying about him."
Leon's fingers twitched, slowly curling into fists, but said nothing to the comeback. Instead, he spun around on his heel and exited the ship without another word, but I could tell that Seifer was going to be on the top of his 'People I don't like' list. Perfect.
"Did you really have to be such an ass to him?" I huffed.
"The least he could have done was say something nice, but he couldn't even do that much. The guy is a civil as a Heartless." Apparently he knew how to use the name to his advantage. "At least they admit they have no heart."
"Seifer…shut the hell up before I decide to kick you out for that comment alone." I sat down and buckled myself in, gingerly touching the wheel. "Alright, let's do this.
"You ready, Hayner?" A high-pitched voice spoke through the intercom. "We'll be helping you blast off, so be prepared for a real kick!"
I looked around before spotting the button I needed to press to be able to respond. "Uh…yeah, I guess so."
"Should we change seats before you shit yourself, lamer?"
I just shot him a look. "Anything else we should know before we do this?"
"Don't forget the main rule: no interfering with anything once you enter." Leon's voice came over the intercom this time. "And try to be discreet while you're both at it."
"…er…roger?"
A snicker came through. "I think you'll be fine, Hayner."
"Thanks, jackass." I muttered, feeling embarrassed.
"Good luck." It was Cid now. "Don't go crashing into anything, either! Sora always had a habit of doing that…"
"I'll try not to, Cid." I chuckled. "But don't expect any promises."
"Alright, hang tight! Dale's all set for takeoff!"
I took a deep breath, settling into my chair. The ship's engine roared to life of its own accord and I could feel the ship beginning to turn around, though the windshield was dark as can be. Suddenly, a long row of lights flickered on in front of us, showing a long road and ending with an opening of nothingness. My stomach turned into knots at the sight at the end of the tunnel, reminding me all too well of a certain realm.
"Um…Seifer…? Can I change my mind about driving?" I gulped.
"Too late now, lamer."
"But…I…you su-"
"Countdown starting now!" Chip (my guess) squeaked out. "Five!"
"Oh god, why did I agree to this again?"
"Four!"
"Seifer…I think I'm going to be sick." I squeezed my eyes shut. "Yeah, definitely. Definitely gonna be sick."
"Don't you dare." he warned.
"Three!"
"Fine, just tell me when this part is over."
"Two!"
"You'll be fine." Seifer insisted.
"One!" Chip cried. "Blastoff!"
My body lurched as we shot forward, leaving my insides churning and spinning around inside me. The uncomfortable feeling was short-lived, thankfully.
"Whoa…now that's amazing." I heard my crush whisper in wonder.
I hesitated before opening one eye and then the other. I was immediately drawn to what the windshield was displaying to us, giving us a full view of a large, endless expanse of sky, dotted with stars by the trillions. The sight alone was breathtaking as we both silently absorbed the moment.
"Whoa…we never would have seen this at Twilight Town." I spoke softly.
"Hence the name, idiot." Seifer muttered, eyes still glued to the outside. "It had to come from somewhere."
I didn't retaliate, my mind wandering to what this open universe held for us. For me. Giddy as can be, I gripped the wheel with renewed force and guided the ship forward, grinning as we sailed on through the stars.
The two of us were quiet, staring out into space and saying nothing. It was when a giant rock floated into view that Seifer said anything at all.
"Jesus-! Hayner, pay attention on where you're driving, damnit!"
I snapped to attention, looking to see a huge obstacle coming our way. My mind instantly reacted and I yanked the ship to the right, avoiding a collision. Breathing a sigh of relief, I decided it was best to just focus on driving.
"You moron! You nearly got us killed!"
I set my eyes on what was in front of me, but my body prickled up in agitation. How I wished I could get up, just to shut him up.
"Hayner, you're not driving next time, got that?"
"Shut up. I was temporarily distracted, alright? It won't happen again." My hands tightened on the wheel. "Besides, you were just as distracted, so shut up and get off your high horse."
I heard him snort in retaliation, but I was just thankful he actually managed to keep his big mouth shut this time. The last thing we needed was to start brawling on a Gummi Ship in the middle of space.
I directed us deeper into the unknown, wondering how far another world really was and silently wishing I had some sort of map to guide us around. A sudden beeping erupted from the intercom, followed by Cid's voice.
"Hey, nearly forgot. We don't need you two running around with your heads chopped off, so I'm gonna give you a map to read off of. Seifer, mind being the navigator for Mr. Royalty here?"
"Fine." he sneered.
"Alright, I'll leave it up to you. Good luck!" he signed off.
There was another click and then there was only the sound of the engine. Seifer hummed in acknowledgement, apparently having gotten the map.
"So where to?" I asked after a few minutes.
"We're actually about to pass a world right now. Turn left and we can stop there first." he informed me.
I nodded and did as he said, turning us in the direction he had said. Immediately, a large mass came into our view, bright and vibrant. My eyes went wide.
"Seifer…look."
"Not now. Focus on driving, moron."
"Seifer." I said with a bit more force. "It's right in front of us."
I knew he had finally glanced up by the sound of him inhaling sharply. The Gummi Ship went forward, the world closing in and becoming larger with every passing second. I couldn't even begin to imagine what was going to occur once we stepped foot on this new place.
"It's…whoa." Seifer said quietly. "Not exactly what I anticipated."
I gulped. "Yeah…"
"…Lamer?"
I rolled my eyes. "I thought we talked about that, you bastard."
"Hayner." He insisted. "How the hell are we going to land this thing?"
My brain took the information and came up with nothing for an answer. My hands tightened as we got closer.
"Cid never told us, did he?" my crush asked.
"…no."
"Then we'd better hold on tight and expect a rough landing."
And as more details came into view, I shut my eyes and waited for the ship to crash into this new world, silently hoping we would live through this together.
Welp! That wasn't the best way to enter an unknown land, but hey, it's not exactly their fault. Stupid Cid.
You'll have to wait until the next chapter to see about the new world they're on~
Until next time, my readers!
