Chapter Two: Stowaways
"What do you mean don't hurt him?! It's a Heartless!" the boy cried angrily.
The Wyvern gave out a cry, wanting to be let go, but Masako just ducked her head, whispering it to her softly. A dark aura surrounded the creature and a light surrounded the girl. The dark aura, a deep purple, dissipated, turning into mist that floated away into the night.
The Wyvern chirped again, this time happily and rubbed its head against the girl's chest as the light aura faded.
"What was that?" the boy asked bluntly.
Masako stood, petting the little Heartless on top of the head. "Sorry I didn't get time to introduce myself before. I'm Masako. And this is Junichiro."
"That still doesn't explain what you just did." He said softly.
She ducked her head again, paying attention to the small Wyvern. "I just…take the anger and hate that Wyvern builds up and get rid of it." She let him go and watched him fly off into the sky before he came back to nuzzle her against his cheek. "Chiro never got really big because he's not real strong. I didn't give him the chance to build up a strong hate or distrust. That's all."
"So you can control Heartless?" he swallowed, still looking at her like she was half-crazy.
"I don't control them. I just control their dark feelings. They're creatures too, and that's why I didn't like it when you killed those ones back there in Second District." She smiled at him.
"This-" he sighed again. "This is insane."
"No it isn't. It just…is." She told him. "Oh I think Chiro likes you."
The boy glanced down to see the small Wyvern nuzzling up against his shirt before looking up at him with crimson eyes and squeaking happily. He swallowed. Reaching out a hand above it, he was surprised when the small creature came straight up, rubbing the top of his smooth-armored head against his fingers.
He smiled slightly. "Hey, he is kinda cute."
"Chiro's not a normal Heartless, I can say that. He came to me, wanted to stay with me and didn't care that he had to give up strength and size to do it. I think this one actual has a heart." She told him.
"I guess I should tell you who I am. I'm Blizzard Ravenhart. I'm looking for a man named Leon. Have you seen or heard of him?" he said as the Wyvern quietly hovered in the air beside his owner.
"I dunno. I haven't run into him. But I know someone who might know where he is." Her eyes brightened as she grabbed his hand. "Come on!"
Chiro dove into the backpack as the two ran off back into the plaza to a small store. Masako threw open the door and dashed inside, wanting her new friend to follow.
"Cid!" she called, running over to the counter.
The older blonde-haired man looked over, his hard blue eyes catching sight of the young girl. "Hey there. You done looking around already?"
"I brought my friend in with me. This is Blitz. He wanted to ask you a question." She said, motioning for him to come over.
"Blitz?" Blizzard shook his head. "Sorry to interrupt sir, but I'm looking for a man named-"
"Leon. Do ya know him?" Masako cut in eagerly.
"Yeah I know Leon. He's a good friend of mine." He raised a golden eyebrow.
"Do you know where I can find him?" the boy asked.
"Last I knew he was living in Hollow Bastion, but you'd need a gummi ship to get there and even then it's still a good ways away." He furrowed his brows together. "What's so important that you'd have to see Leonhart anyway?"
"I can't say sir." The boy told him. "But it's important."
"Well, I'd say your best bet is to try and see if you could hitch a ride there. My gummi is in the shop and my best customer hasn't come by in a while. See if someone will help ya, that's all I can say."
"We'll try sir." He nodded, heading for the door. "Thank you."
"Good luck!" he called after him.
"Hey!" Masako cried running after him. "Wait up for me!"
Standing out in the plaza, she ran up to him as he stood there, looking up at the sky and thinking. "So what now?"
"Somehow, I'm getting to Hollow Bastion. I don't have the money for my own gummi ship, so it looks like I'm just going to have to borrow one." He told her.
"You're not stealing a gummi ship!" she hissed at him. "Besides, I know away we can get there with breaking any laws… kind of?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "How?"
"I'll tell ya, but you have to take me with you." She smiled up at him.
"And why should I do that?" he snorted.
"Because I've been here for 24 hrs and I'm already bored. Come on, I wanna see other worlds too!" she explained and then giggled. "And you know you want some company."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine. So how are we getting there?"
"So let me get this straight: we're hiding away on a delivery truck." He told her, his voice bitter with sarcasm.
"Yeah, how do you think I got here?" she smiled over at him, totally ignoring the sourness in his voice.
"That delivery truck." He nodded toward the old beat up one who was currently being loaded.
"Yeah," she blinked. "Is there a problem with that?"
He just shook his head. "Whatever."
"They're done. Come on, are we going or what?" she tugged on his shirtsleeve.
Slipping on to the launch pad they snuck up to the back of the truck. The truckers had left the back open, meaning that sometime they were meaning to come back. Carefully Blizzard snuck into the back and pulled the girl up behind him. At the feel of the engine to roaring to life they hid behind the boxes of tools that the gummi ship was transporting. Wedged in the back in the corner where no one would see them, the two sighed, sitting down next to each other.
"On to the next world." Blizzard sighed.
"On to a new adventure." Masako giggled.