DISCLAIMER: Yoshihiro Togashi owns HxH and all the other characters, including all mentioned here except Ameka.
RECOMMENDED MUSIC TO COME ALONG WITH IT: No boundaries by Kris Allen.
Five years.
Five years has passed since he had promised to himself he will find Ging. He still continues to evade them, but they still continue. He knew they would never give up-not even that thought have ever passed their mind, ever- when they heard Ging's tape from the casette.
Find me, Gon.
Gon's eyes glinted with determination. I will, Ging.
xXx
They've spent a long time trying to find Ging, usually very hot on his trail, but he easily jumps off again. They never really saw any valuable information regarding him, nothing that can help them track him. It was as if Ging really never existed; as if he really was that-a legend.
Only thing is, legends don't leave sons behind.
They've gone a really long way now-they're both 17 now, most of the days spent growing up were in the wilderness, alone, isolated. Looking for clues pointing towards their first goal-Ging.
Gon never lost hope. He never gave up. there was always determination in his chocolate-brown eyes, Never fading.
Killua smiled at his best friend. As long as he's there, he'll be there, too. They'll be together, facing all the problems life and their quest might throw at them. When Gon asked Killua that time, before they even set out for the auctions at York Shin 5 years ago, on what they'll do, and Killua said yes. They set a truce-Killua waill be there as Gon finds Ging, and since Killua didn't really have anything to do in his life, Gon will just be there helping Killua find something to do.
Gon hasn't realized it, but Killua had found out what he'll do.
He will be with Gon, for Gon.
They started this mission togther, and they'll end it together, too.
No plans on giving up on the other.
xXx
Gon had long missed his hometown, so they decided maybe they could have some time off. They were on a ship headed to Whale Island, headed toward the little cottage in the far end of it, where Mito was. He missed his aunt Mito; she could never send letters since they were always on the go, no one singular place to say. They were like nomads. Anyway, he never knew any news. The last time they were with Mito, they forgot to get the Home Number. Again. Typical Gon characteristic.
Besides, there's the fox bear they left behind.
Killua stood beside him, feeling the sea-breeze on their faces. "What do you expect to see, Gon?"
"Surprises," Gon said. Still with the cheery smile of a 12-year-old. "And home, a place we can belong to."
Home, Killua thought. Had he really had a home?
Your vocation is being a killer.
You don't need friends. You don't have qualifications to have friends.
You are just amazed by Gon. You're always together, aren't you? This has nothing to do with being friends. In the future, you'll grow sick of him and would want to kill him. Because you'll ask yourself if you're able to kill him or not; he's just your plaything for the meanwhile.
You will follow what father and I-
Killua shook his head. Whenever he thinks of that, or his mind lingers on that memory, he could always feel that throbbing of immense pain. Heavier and heavier as the time passes. As if the pain was not enough, and just keeps getting stronger. It was a pain he couldn't stand. A pain that wasn't physical, and just continued to eat and gnaw on him inside. Continued to destroy him, to weaken his spirit. Continued to prevent him from reaching his success. Continued, determined even, to make him lose the battle.
But he will not give in.
"Killua?"
He faced Gon, distracted."Yeah?"
"Don't worry about other problems, Killua. We're almost home."
He smiled at the word. We. Yes, it's true.
He had found a new home with Gon.
He will never betray his best friend, even if it's the last thing he'll do.
xXx
He looks like Ging.
That was the first thing Mito thought. And she was right. Gon's wild, zero-gravity hair had tamed down, but not as tame as Killua's. He grew the first signs of a beard, and his face was now harder, more defined, and obviously had surpassed the changing of boy to man.
Mito could feel it, the tears that was about to spill over. Gon's so big already, not the reckless twelve-year-old she's known.
He's a man now, no longer a boy.
(That was one thing they had teased Kurapika about; why, at 17, they looked like an adult male, strong and proud, and he looked like a girl. Well, a smack to the back of their heads was enough for Kurapika, lucky for them. He had spared them of his chains.)
"Mito-san!" Gon called, and came over to hug Mito. He was probably half a head taller than her now, and if he kept growing, he'd be able to tuck her beneath his chin and he won't be able to come in the door without bending.
"Mito san how are you? Oh I've missed you SO much! Mito-san where is grandma, is she-" Gon had to pause, seeing the tiny figure crawling behind Mito. "Mito-san... is she..."
When they left five years ago, there was a neighbor of this who was pregnant. Killua didn't know that though, and if Gon was right, he could actually play a pretty nasty prank...
"Gon, this is Ameka," Mito introduced. "Ameka, this is Gon."
The little girl came out when Mito said that. She had light brown curls that hung to her shoulders, kept by a low ponytail. She had radiant hazel eyes, full pink lips. Tiny hands that clasped tiny thigns. She wore an elegant blue dress that looked like it had just popped out of Alice-In-Wonderland.
In short, she was a very adorable four-year-old.
Gon picked up the child, and the child laughed heartily at the sudden movement. Gon laughed, too. "Ameka-chann!" he used his strong, sure hands to lift her in the air. "Ameka~Ameka~Ameka~Ameka-chann!" The chld giggled.
Killua cocked his head to the side. He was clueless when it came to kids. He had never really been good at them-remember, clueless?-and he had never really handled any. He was the youngest of his family anyway, and he was an assassin, so what was there to care of?
Family, he thought, but he knew it wasn't time to be nostalgic. No, not know.
Something suddenly came up his mind, and he grew pale. "Wait... we have just been trying to run the world for Ging, and you're telling me he left a daughter here? That's not true... is it?" He chewed on his lip nervously as Gon turned with the child still in his hands.
Gon grinned. Everything was playing as planned. "Killua, meet my sis-"
Killua's jaws went slack, and Gon, Ameka, and Mito laughed.
"Aww, c'mon Killua, I don't even look like Ameka," Gon said between laughs.
Killua saw his mistake, but his jaws were still slack.
How could he have fallen for that?
xXx
They lay on the grass that night, watching the stars twinkle like lanterns above them.
"Killua?"
He turned his head to the side to face Gon. "Yeah?"
"I was wondering... you know, I just thought maybe you're bored of chasing Ging around already; we hadn't really done much about my side of the truce, have we? About you finding something to do?" Gon laughed, but with little mirth. Laughing at himself.
Killua's dark eyes looked back at the midnight sky. "Oh, we've had our moments," he said. "Besides, I can just, you know, come around with you chasing after Ging. That's something."
Besides, I had promised my Father I will not betray my friends.
I won't leave you, Gon.
"You think so, Killua?" Gon asked.
"Yeah, sure," Killua said in his still careless tone he never grew out of.
Gon smiled. "I would've done the same. Thanks, Killua."
"Yeah."
xXx
Gon,
thank you for being my friend. Being with you had taught me a lot of lessons Illumi or Father will never be able to teach. You have reached out a hand and helped me stand again. I'm lucky to have you, lucky to have you as my best friend.
Killua,
thank you for being there for me. There were hard times, I'm sure, yet you were still beside me, watching my back, pushing me forward. I wouldn't have gotten this far if not for you. You're the best friend I can ever have.
Friendship isn't measure by the things they have given. It is measured by the things they do, and keep giving, for each other, and will willingly do until forever. It is measured by how long their stretch of patience with each other is. It is measured by how loyal they are to each other.
Friendship, you can never measure it the way you do to other objects. Because it starts here, and ends far behind the stars of our fates.