Yukine unbuckled his seat belt and stood up in the middle of the ship. He started at Hiyori from next to Yato, who looked like he was just slapped across the face. Hiyori was going to ship them off? Back to Earth while she hunted for a missing bottle with crummy dirt in it?
"So, what? You're just gonna wonder around the ship by yourself? With all the Secur-T looking for you?" Yukine took a step off the ship, anger threading his words. Hiyori looked a bit taken back, but remained firm.
"I'll be fine. But Yato has been labeled a real threat to public safety! He can't stay here! And I can't go with you. I have an objective here. A mission for the good of all the passengers. I swore an oath!"
"You said you didn't believe the stuff that jerk said!"
"I don't!" Hiyori shouted. Yukine narrowed his eyes at her, but backed down a bit. Hiyori took a deep breath.
"But for now, everyone on the ship does, including all of the Secur-T. I need to focus on finding out what happened to the plant," she said. Her last words sounded like a plea, a hopeless plea.
"You think someone took it." Yato spoke from the transit. His words weren't a question, but rather, an observation. Yukine looked back at Hiyori, who didn't say anything. Her lip-biting confirming Yato hit the nail on the head. After a moment, Yato walked off the ship, his boots clicking against the hard floor. The Eve looked back at him, pinning him with a serious expression.
"Yato, you know how important this is to me."
"I know. That's why we're going to help you." Yato stated. Yukine nodded in resolve, coming to stand closer to the Wall-E. Desperate frustration bubbled up in Hiyori.
"I can do this, but it's become dangerous for you. I-I can't protect you and find the plant, I can't-"
"-I don't need protecting." Yato's voice was strong with certainty. He spoke with such conviction that the room fell silent, no argument possible.
"You'll need our help," Yukine piped up, "please, we're here for you. We're not going to leave you to do this alone." Hiyori looked up, glancing between them with wet eyes. She settled on Yato, who smiled as he always did. Her chest felt lighter and took a breath to say something. Behind her, the keypad made a couple bleeping noises, and the door unlocked.
Quickly, Hiyori rushed to click the lights off while Yukine shut down the shuttle. They both then shoved Yato behind the rack of space suits. Yukine ducked behind some boxes. Hiyori huddled behind the white oxygen tanks. The door opened and the LED lighting of the hallway streamed through, casting a shadow over the large figure. The trio held their breath, the face of the co-pilot coming to mind. But once the lights switched on, they were shocked to see the Go-4 standing there. The group stayed hidden as his bulge-y eyes suspiciously scanned the room. When he didn't find anything, he made his way to the control pad, one hand coming out from under his poncho to mess with the controls.
Yato made eye contact with Hiyori and Yukine, the latter closest to the door. On cue, Yukine looked towards the door, then turned to his friends with a desperate, pleading eyes. Hiyori shook her head, hold her palm to him, telling him to stay still. She did the same to Yato who became distracted by the whirling of the engines starting back up again.
The Go-4 made his way to the open door of the ship, stopping just where Yato once stood. Bending over, his other hand emerged from under his poncho, holding a small brown object. Hiyori's opened wide like saucers while Yato's narrowed sharply. The Go-4 exited the ship, the plant in the glass bottle, sitting perfectly in the center. Hiyori glared at the cyborg as he made his way back to the control panel and shut the shuttle doors.
"Self destruct sequence: activated." The feminine robotic voice announced to the room. Hiyori sucked in a breath, it took everything not to jump out and reveal their presence. Another sound came from the Go-4 who glanced at the screen on his forearm, the face of the Auto could just be made out.
"Kugaha, is the plant in position?" Kouto asked.
"Yes sir," Kugaha hit a large yellow button, "I just shipped it off." The ship doors slammed shut and the individual ship was fired from Heaven's Sun like a cannon ball. The walls slammed shut behind it, quickly vacuuming shut.
"Good. Come back to my quarters for your next instructions, that Wall-E cannot continue to roam my ship any longer." The Auto cut the feed and Kugaha made his way out, turning the lights off as he went. Once the doors slid shut and the room was silent, Hiyori and Yukine jumped up.
"The plant!" The screamed in unison. Hiyori ran to the control pad, trying to bring it back or stop the destruction sequence.
"Uh, Hiyori?" Yukine chocked out from behind her. She did a double take over her shoulder at his horrified expression. The Eve followed his eyes to the screen above her to see the video feed from inside the shuttle.
"Yato!" She shrieked. The Wall-E was sprawled out on his back, neck bent up against the door. In one hand the glass bottle, the other rubbing his head. At her call, he sat up and blinked rapidly.
Yato scrambled to his feet and looked out the back window to see the ship getting smaller and smaller in the distance. He let out a curse and made his way the transport's control panel, this one seeming much more complicated than necessary. In front of him, a screen turned on and showed the equally panicked expressions of Hiyori and Yukine. Yato hit a small button with a microphone on it.
"Hello! Hello? Can you hear me?" Yato shouted
"Yes, we can hear you! What were you thinking, you idiot?" Yukine leaned in close to the camera and shouted back. Hiyori nudged him aside.
"Yato, listen to me- stop hitting buttons that's not going to help! Yato, behind you is the emergency exit." Hiyori spoke calmly but her voice still shook. Yato doubted her training covered Wall-Es flying in a bomb with a inflatable boat on top and a broken parachute flapping behind him.
"I don't have a helmet! My filter only works if there's oxygen!"
"Under the control panel is a helmet just like Hiyori's." Yukine cut in. He continued giving Yato instructions on how to get it and put it on while Hiyori tried hitting more buttons.
"Self-Destruction set for one minute." Both the ship and the launch room echoed at the same time. Yato's heart soared to new heights, he threw himself against the exit and tried pulling on the curvy red bars.
"Uh, uh, I-I, how do you open this thing!" Yato's eyes darted frantically over the foreign writing, his sensors on overdrive from the stress and lack of knowledge. One thing was familiar, fancy looking boots that matched his helmet.
From the ship, Hiyori clicked a button on her helmet and ran to a garbage shoot. The inside opened up, the pull of space vacuuming out the air.
"Wha-Hiyori! What are you doing?" Yukine shouted in alarm as Hiyori put her hand on the side button.
"I'm going after him. You tell him how to get out."
"But-!" It was too late. The trash door was shut and the vacuum tube ripped Hiyori out of the ship and into the blackness of space. Hiyori flipped her boots on the highest setting, she rocketed faster than her suit could adjust. The frigid atmosphere hit her nervous system causing her teeth to grind.
"Faster Hiyori! You got ten seconds!" Yukine's frantic voice sounded from her helmet. Hiyori couldn't even formulate a response, her mind only on one track. Go faster. Please go faster. Yato was in there and he needed to get out. She needed to get him out. Yato needed to be out here with her.
The indivdual spaceship was starting to look less like a star and more like a moon. The red hazard lights were turned on making it look like a giant baseball. The insides were red too, illuminating the Wall-E swinging his compactor into the thick glass window. Hiyori zoomed closer as the count down started from three.
The pod exploded. Like a dying star, light stretched soundlessly from a ball of fire. Hiyori scrambled to a stop, floating alone in space. Her brown eyes reflected the glare from her helmet, darting over every inch of the scene.
"No." The Eve whispered like a breath. The pieces of the ship floated out in all directions, not one of them the body of a cyborg. Hiyori numbly tapped her helmet and asked Yukine if he had anything different. She didn't receive an answer. The blonde teenager was balled up on the floor behind the control pad, hand trying to contain his hyperventilating, eyes screwed shut.
"No, Yato. No, no, please." Hiyori said a bit louder. She kicked her boots back in high gear, rocketing towards the fire her sensors warned her to avoid. A couple tears leaked from her eyes. She should have kept a better eye on him. Yato was clever, but he followed her out of his element. He was just trying to help her fluff her arrogance so humans could go back to a planet that had no hope of sustaining them! She tried to protect him. To warn him that she wasn't strong enough. Hiyori chocked back a dry sob.
"Yato," Hiyori morned.
"Hiyori!" Yato's voice sounded directly in her head. She stopped, heat of the blast just warming her body. The Eve looked around for the source of the call, trying out his name again. Her helmet crackled again.
"Hiyori! Down here! Or is it maybe up?" Hiyori looked towards her feet to see Yato floating some meters away. His new white spacesuit was stark against the black background and his eyes shown just like the stars that surrounded him. He was floating upside down- from Hiyori's point of view- and had his legs out towards her.
"Yato!" Hiyori cried in joy, flying towards him with a bright smile.
"Hiyori!" Yato laughed, her excitement contagious. He held his hands out to her, then fired on his own boots, sending him further away. Yato's surprised face was priceless. Hiyori laughed and flew past the former ship after him. Yato bent his knees and tried the boots again, this time sending his body forward. Hiyori's face morphed into one of playful fear, she held her arms out and leaned back.
"No, no, no, Yato! Wait!" Hiyori let out a puff of air when Yato crashed into her chest, laughing. They were sent spinning like a wheel, cheering as they clung to each other, helmets clanking together. The spinning slowed, their space shoes off leaving only their laughter and gasps of breath.
Once they calmed down, Hiyori pulled back to look him, smile so wide her cheeks hurt. Yato looked the same, when her hands came to hold the sides of his helmet, he returned the action. Yato's thumb moved against the glass, subconsciously trying to wipe the water filling her eyes.
"You're okay." The Eve's voice was sweet and she blinked away the would-be tears. Yato's smile was still wide and it crinkled his bright, bright eyes. He nodded and held her gaze, that same feeling from their first meeting bubbling back up. It felt the same as it did now, floating in warm nothing, ignoring everything that surrounded him except her.
"Yeah. I'm okay," Yato said like a secret just for her.
Hiyori felt it too. She never felt this before- maybe a brief moment during their movie night on Earth- but not this deep. It was real, she felt heavy and light at the same time, warmth spreading across her cheeks. Her arms moved to wrap around his neck and her smile softened. Yato followed her lead, arms just barely wrapped around her waist, resting on top of the gun. Their hooded eyes dropped close as they leaned in and pressed the glass of their helmets together. Contentment evening out their breaths.
"Yato! Are you okay?" Yukine sounded from both their helmets. Hiyori jumped back from Yato, who tried to do the same but ending up spinning around. They laughed and Hiyori clicked the microphone button over her ear.
"Yes Yukine, Yato is just fine!" Hiyori reassured him. Yukine sighed in relief over the speakers.
"Thank the stars! I'm so sorry, I didn't want to look or-or to hear but I saw you hug him and I thought-"
"Daw," Yato cooed from his own helmet, copying Hiyori's method, "You do care!" Hiyori giggled and listens to Yukine's responding tangent. She agreed with his point on Yato being an idiot and sneaking in a bomb.
"Oh come on! I'm still in one piece! You did a great job with the instructions!" Yato grinned from his now upside-down position. Yukine practically steamed on the other line, pride ruffling his hardy agreement. Yato suddenly jolted, catching Hiyori's attention.
"Speaking of." Yato flew back towards the still-exploding wreckage and plucked his compactor out of the stars and swung it towards Hiyori. The cube opened up and allowed a plant in a bottle to roll out.
"Yato!" Hiyori gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth.
"Ta-da!" Yato presented with wide arms and an even wider smile.
"The plant!" Yukine cheered. Yato folded his tool back and put it away. Hiyori reaches her hands out with wide eyes and grasped the frail object carefully.
"Yep!" Yato crosses his arms, proud. Hiyori squealed again and flew into Yato's arms, which were ready and waiting. All three of them let out breathy laughs and the Eve blinked back tears.
"Quick, bring it here!" Yukine said.
"What? Why?" Yato asked, separating again from Hiyori.
"Cause there's no air in space, idiot!" Yukine chided. The two outside the ship jumped at the realization. After some failed attempts, and a lot of giggling from Hiyori, the two flew back towards the ship.
"I didn't know you knew stuff about plants, Yukine." Yato said, looking towards the speaker. He sounded impressed.
"Well, uh, yeah. I, uh," Yukine stuttered in the speaker, "have a friend in the agriculture department." Yato and Hiyori gave each other a look like someone just told them cats were lethal to elephants.
"A friend! My kiddo has a friend? That's wonderful news! You should invite them over for a sleepover! Did you hear that Hiyori? My prickly peach has a-"
"Shut up idiot! I've been friends with him longer than I've been your kid, so!" Yukine hissed from the transport room. The two reached Heaven's side and the flat door where the individual ship once was. Hiyori put the plant back in the shoot she came from and told Yukine to reverse the pull. When she went to step inside too, Yato held her back.
"We'll catch up with you later, kiddo! No use getting your friend in trouble helping three fugitives." Yato said floating away from the ship, winking at Hiyori who's blush returned full force. Yukine pathetically tried to deny he was a fugitive, then demanded they meet him in the cleaning closet in an hour.
"We will! I'll make sure, I promise." Hiyori said and drifted away from the ship as well.
"Okay. Be careful." Yukine clicked off the control panel. Hiyori turned around to Yato, only to see nothing but empty space. Movement above her to the right caught her eye. She looked up to see Yato twirling across the ship like a ballerina. He stopped when he felt her looking at him, smiling.
"Come on, Hiyori!" Yato pushed off the ship and flew like Superman. The Eve laughed and gently levitated towards him.
"I see you got the hang of those boots." She remarked. Yato was now on his side, like he was about to be drawn as a French girl.
"Yeah, I hooked them up to my computer and tried to update. It was a bit complicated, and my system's a bit out dated, but it's still ones and zeros in the end. I mostly got the settings and commands." Yato scratched the back of his helmet as he rambled. Hiyori was, nonetheless, impressed.
"You hacked a system more advanced and converted it to match yours?"
"Uh, kinda?" Yato made a face like it was hard to explain.
"I couldn't do most of it, I've only been at it for a couple minutes now, but that basically the gist," he puffed out his chest, "but lucky for you I'm a master hacker!" Yato reached up to rub his finger under his nose only to bonk it against the clear glass. Hiyori laughed at his antics, Yato laughing along with her.
"I didn't know you knew programming, Yato?" Hiyori said.
"It was one of the things you had to learn in cyborg academy." Yato explained. He then faced the front of the ship and tucked his legs in, looking to the side at Hiyori.
"In fact," Yato smirked at her, "I bet I can kick these babies up a notch faster than yours." He took off towards the front of the ship in a blur of white. Hiyori cranked up her own boots and clicked on her audio.
"Oh you're on!"