Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond the End ❯ Do I have to drive? ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

Livi couldn't wait. Tomorrow his parents were going to take him and his younger sister Katiana to Scouto, which had the greatest running plains in the entire galaxy. Running was Livi's favorite thing in the entire world, and he was very good at it.

“Poke,” a soft voice with a slight lisp to it whispered in his ear as a thin finger pressed into his arm.

“Hey Katiana, are you excited for tomorrow?”

“Yes! And mum just told me to tell you that daddy says that you're old enough to drive there without his help! So, you get to be responsible for getting us there safely. Oh! And daddy needs to talk to you,” Katiana said, ignoring Livi's sudden paling face as she prattled on about her excitement over their vacation and Livi's driving them.

“Livi, dear, you look pale as a ghost. Are you all right?” a kind voice said from directly in front of Livi. He jumped slightly and came face-to-face with his mother, Alaine.

“Yeah, mum, I'm…” he couldn't bring himself to say the word `fine,' “Just a bit nervous about driving tomorrow.”

“Well dear, you don't have to dri—”

“Yes he does, Alaine! How else will the boy learn?” Livi's father's voice boomed from the door, cutting off Alaine.

“Crisztopf, if Livi isn't ready to drive alone, why force him to?”

“Because, Alaine, the boy won't learn otherwise. Livius, you'll be fine. Stop worrying like a little old woman.”

Turning on his heel, Crisztopf turned and went back in the house, slamming the door behind him. Alaine looked sadly after her husband before turning back to her two children.

“Well, Livi, your father has spoken. I suppose you're driving tomorrow,” she said sympathetically, and then she followed Crisztopf inside, hoping to calm her volatile husband.

“Don't worry Livi; I know you're a good driver! You haven't damaged anything more than the paint job and, come on, that meteor came outta nowhere!” Katiana said, laying a comforting hand on her older brother's shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess you're right. But what if something goes wrong? I mean, I don't technically even have the government's permission to drive dad's ship.”

Katiana's small hand went from Livi's shoulder to smack the back of his head sharply, causing him to wince slightly. Katiana had learned from the master—their cousin Raien—how to hit people painfully.

“Livius, if you don't quit worrying, I won't let you win any of the races. And you know that you need me to be a bit slower than usual for you to have a dream of winning,” Katiana said, smugness evident in her tone.

“Brat! You know that I'm way faster than you! Don't you try to pull that trick on me,” Livi said with mock indignation as he started chasing the eight-year-old around the courtyard, Katiana always still slightly ahead.

“Ha! See, I'm way faster than you!” Katiana said, looking back over her shoulder to stick her tongue out at Livius. In this action, she missed noticing the branch on the ground. Her small bare foot caught on it, and down went Katiana, giving out a gasp of surprise as she fell to the dirt ground.

Pulling up short next to her, Livi knelt down beside her and took her hand.

“Are you okay, Katiana? That was quite a tumble you just took. Here, let me help you up,” Livi said kindly, picking his sister up gently. She gasped sharply as she put pressure on her ankle, which was swelling rapidly. Livi noticed and, looking down at Katiana's leg, sighed and shook his head.

“Only you, Katiana, can find a way to hurt yourself on a completely flat surface.”

“There was a branch!”

“Only one. And you found it. Congratulations,” Livi said, unable to keep the laughter from his voice. Katiana smiled weakly, before smirking broadly. She looked up at her brother, a mischievous gleam in her dark green eyes.

“Well Livi, it looks like you're in the clear for the first couple of races in Scouto, since I'm gonna be out of commission for a couple days. Stupid branch!” Katiana said, kicking at it with her good foot and nearly falling over again.

“Don't hurt yourself any more, Katiana. I don't want to be cleaning up goo again, and I do want at least one race against you,” Livi said, practically roaring with laughter now. Katiana glared up at him, her small blue-tinged face turning slightly purple from embarrassment.

“You're going down, Livius!” She said, her high voice turning somewhat shrill as she leapt from her good foot onto her brother's back and pulled his head back.

“Waagh! Katiana, those are nails! Ow, ow, ow!” Livi shouted, running around and around in an attempt to dislodge his younger sister, who was now pulling his chin-length black hair back and digging her claw-like nails into his scalp.

“Never!” Katiana yelled, beginning to laugh maniacally.

“Agh!” Livi shouted, though since Katiana had released her nails, it was rather good-natured.

Finally, Livi fell to his knees, helping Katiana off his back. She hopped on her good foot until her brother stood up again and put his arm under her shoulders to help her walk back to the house.

“Oh god, Katiana! What happened to your foot?” Alaine asked, her face turning the palest blue either child had seen in weeks, when Katiana had scraped the entire side of her face after falling on the stone walkway outside Raien's house.

“Special here tripped on a branch while we were racing on the path,” Livi said, nudging Katiana softly with his elbow, “We think she may have badly twisted her ankle.”

“Oh, sweetie! Are you all right? Here, sit on this stool and let me have a look. Hopefully we won't have to call Yvonne, but I will if necessary,” Alaine picked Katiana up and sat her down on the small round chair. Sitting in front of her now rather annoyed eight-year-old daughter, she took the girl's right ankle and winced in sympathy as she saw he swollen joint.

“Oh dear, this looks bad, Katiana. I'm going to go call Yvonne and have her look at this,” Alaine said, moving towards the kitchen.

“Actually, mum, this looks much better than it did before,” Katiana said, a bit too quickly.

“Really?” Alaine asked, her kind voice rather skeptical.

“Yeah, the bone was nearly poking out and everything. But since I'm such a fast healer, it's much better than it was ten minutes ago,” Katiana said, her green eyes wide in an innocent would-I-lie-to-you? look.

“Alright,” Alaine said slowly, beginning to walk back into the room, “We'll just wrap it in a bandage. I don't want you walking on it until it's completely healed, in other words no swelling, Katiana. Livi, would you be a dear and carry Katiana to her room? I need to let your father know that she hurt herself again.”

“Okay mum. Could you check with dad to see if I can make sure she doesn't try to walk on the ship tomorrow? Please?” Livi asked, his grey-green eyes pleading.

“We'll see what he says, Livi,” Alaine said, though her tone of voice stated what Crisztopf's answer would most likely be. Livi nodded, and his mother walked through the beaded curtain and into the kitchen.

“Well, Katiana, lets get you up to your room and wrap up your ankle,” Livi said, picking up his sister.

“OK, Livi. But you get to carry me all the way now. Mum's orders!” Katiana said, smirking as she curled her small face in to Livi's shoulder.

“You always know how to twist things to your advantage, don't you?” Livi said, smiling slightly and rolling his eyes.

“Naturally; I'm a girl,” Katiana replied, yawning.

--

By the time Livi reached Katiana's room on the sixth floor of their mansion of a house, Katiana was fast asleep and Livi felt as though his arms were about to fall off from carrying her.

I really gotta work on my upper body strength at some point…he thought, shifting his sister onto one arm (and nearly dropping her) as he went to open her door.

Walking in, he placed the sleeping eight-year-old on the small, purple-sheeted bed. Picking up the ever-present gauze wrappings from her dresser table, he began wrapping up her much less swollen ankle.

Katiana's right, she is a quick healer, he thought as he finished. Standing up, he walked back towards the door.

“Livi?” a small voice said from the bed.

“Yeah, Katiana?”

“Thanks for not telling mum to call Grammy earlier. She scares me.”

“Ah, she ain't all that bad, just a little crazy, is all. There's nothing to be scared of with her.”

“But she's mean to Raien.”

“Because Raien never shows respect to anyone but Jak, and that's only because he's her martial arts mentor.”

“Will they get married, Livi? I want Jak to be my cousin too.”

“You never know, Katiana. Jak is quite a bit older than Raien, and that could come between them.”

“But Raien said she'd only marry someone she respects, and Jak is the only one she respects.”

“Well, she's only my age, definitely not old enough to decide who she'll marry.”

“But isn't there anyone you love, Livi?”

“Not at the moment, Katiana. But when I find her, you'll be the first to know, okay?”

“Okay Livi. You promise?”

“On my honor as your older brother.”

“Then we have ourselves a deal. And you'll be the first to know when I find someone I love.”

“Agreed,” Livi said, smiling as he walked out of Katiana's room.

Walking down the hall, he nearly crashed into his mother, who was watering a hanging plant. She turned to him.

“Oh, Livius, you startled me! How's your sister?”

“She's fine. Her ankle's all wrapped up and she's sleeping now. What'd dad say?”

“You're, erm, still driving us to Scouto. He's very adamant about you learning how to drive,” Alaine said, looking apologetic. Livi sighed.

“It was worth a shot, I guess. Well,” Livi said, clapping his hands together once, “I'm going to my room to write out my last will and testament. Call me if you need me.”

Alaine chuckled at her son's antics, “Don't worry, dear, you'll be fine. You're a much better driver than I am, after all.”

Given the fact that the last time Alaine had been behind the controls of a ship it had nearly crashed into a sheer cliff face, this really didn't say much for Livi's driving abilities. Nevertheless, Livi grinned at his mom.

“Thanks mum. I guess I'll just write a testament about how neither of us should be allowed behind the wheel of any vehicle, aye?”

“Your father says that you're still driving no matter what, though,” Alaine said, waving to Livi as he walked towards his room.

“Should've known that one was coming,” he muttered in response as he stepped into his room and flopped down on his bed. He was asleep within minutes.

--

The next morning dawned with a somewhat overcast sky, the clouds painted pink, purple, and gold as the sun made its attempt to shine through them as it rose over the horizon. The mountains surrounding the small valley cast dancing shadows over the Mymick mansion, which was currently bursting with the action of realizing that you overslept on the day you were supposed to leave for vacation.

“Livius, did you pack your running shoes?”

“Mummy, I can't find my bear!”

“Eat breakfast on the ship; we don't have time now.”

“Do I still have to drive?”

“Yes.”

“Aw man…”

“Katiana, what did I say about not walking on that foot?”

“But Livi's arms are full!”

“A little help here?”

Miraculously, they managed to pack the ship in just under twenty-seven minutes of chaos. Livi, his dark blue sweatshirt on inside out, was helping Katiana hop her way to the ship.

“I'll take her from here, Livi dear. You need to get to the control room before your father loses his temper.”

“Alright mum. But if dad's temper runs off much more, the shelter may take it in as a stray animal,” Livi said, passing Katiana off to Alaine. Both girls chuckled. Crisztopf, who hadn't heard the comment, simply looked quizzically at the trio.

“Good luck, dear. I'm certain you'll do fine,” Alaine said, smiling as she waved Livi off.

“Yeah…fine. Right then.”

Walking into the control room, Livi sat at the swiveling chair that was situated in front of the main control panel. Picking up the microphone on his left, he turned it on and addressed his family.

“Alright everyone, we'll be taking off very shortly. I ask that you all fasten your seatbelts and check to make sure they are secure. We should be arriving at our destination in six hours time if all goes well. If it doesn't, well, it was Dad's idea that I had to drive. See you all in six hours!”

Pulling the lever on the right side of the main board, Livi started the ship and began sending it skyward on its journey through the skies.

--

Four hours had passed and Livi was frantic. He'd forgotten all about the waterway they were supposed to go through and had thus not prepared the ship properly. A small smattering of water had landed on the controls, which were making electrical popping noises and were now completely useless. The only thing left working was the microphone, which Livi picked up with shaking hands.

“Well everyone. I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that the controls got a bit damp and aren't functioning anymore. The good news is that there's a small chance I can fix them. That will be all for this friendly pilot broadcast,” he said, pulling at the main lever with his free hand. It broke off in his grip. He stared at it for a good ten seconds before walking out of the control room and into the passenger quarters.

“Livius? What's going on?” Alaine asked over her husband's snores. Crisztopf could sleep through just about anything. Livi chuckled darkly, running his blue fingers through his black hair.

“Well, we're gonna die a horrible fiery death. At least we have each other! Just one question though, mum. Am I grounded?”

“Livi! That's the least of our worries!” Alaine shrieked, waking her husband when his head fell from her shoulder to the metal armrest as she stood up.

“What happened? Livius, why are you not in front of the controls?”

“BECAUSE THEY'RE FREAKIN' USELESS!!” Livi roared, rounding on Crisztopf.

“WHAT?!”

“The waterway that we passed through leaked into the cockpit, soaking the controls. When I tried to fix them, the main lever broke. Now we're going to crash, burn, and die on that planet directly ahead. Are you happy now? If you hadn't made me drive, this probably never would have happened!”

“Don't you use that tone with me, young man!”

“I'll use whatever goddamned tone I want with you, because neither of us will be alive long enough to regret our words!”

Crisztopf purpled with rage as Livi glared at him. A soft voice tore his gaze away, however.

“You mean I'm never going to fall in love?” Katiana whispered to him, her eyes filled with tears. Alaine, who was closer, wrapped her arms around her daughter and whispered comfortingly into her thick black hair. Crisztopf harrumphed and stomped over to the door leading to the ship's bathroom.

“Come get me when we die,” he said before slamming the door shut. Katiana burst into fresh tears as Alaine rocked her back and forth, now singing softly. Livi walked over, placing a hand on Katiana's shoulder.

The impact happened then, and Livi's world went black.