Thanks for clicking this link everyone~! :D I promise I will begin writing Two River's sequel after this. This is like a warm-up; A wonderfully fun I-hope-you-liked-it-and-don't-kill-me-warm-up. I can't say when I'll get to publish the first chap tho, for many many reasons, but I will keep writing when I can—especially if I'm lucky enough to get constant inspiration. Anyway, see you soon!
WARNING: They may be inconsistencies with the canon (you know, other than them meeting earlier) but only because I do not know of them. Oh and here, Gon and Killua are born in the same year which means Gon is older by two months.
DISCLAIMER: I wish I own HxH.
SPRING
For every spring, there are always new beginnings
Ten and Eight Months
Some things begin before you can even remember
It was the beginning of Spring some years ago when a mysterious hooded figure entered a large door many many meters in height. He would've been able to open another level or two of the estate's infamous great door, if not for the child—no more than a year old—occupying the space of his other hand.
The door closed behind them, the heaviness of the door apparent in the gust of wind it created as it shut. The man looked down on his child; Huge russet-colored eyes stared brightly back at the ones (his) with the exact same shade, which was also carrying a similar beam—indicating a blood relation between their owners.
It didn't take much effort to arrive at the main house, some kilometres from the gate—something awe-striking for people who feared the family that lived there. But of course, it helped that he was expected to arrive.
It was then the memorable russet-colored eyes met striking cerulean ones, owned by an incredibly pale baby with unusual silver hair. The latter was held by a bespectacled man, a servant apparent from his tuxedo. The man beside her, the master of the house, and the father of the baby, called him Gotoh, and he was ordered to take the baby in the man hand.
The man, called Ging by the intimidating silver-haired master of the house, gave his child to the bespectacled man, who effortlessly held both babies, each one in an arm. He turned and held the other man's shoulder firmly, their eyes meeting, and a silent understanding passed. "Silva", he starts, "I'll be back by autumn." Thanks for doing this. And he disappeared, like he always did.
Silva turned and looked at the child with such similar eyes as his friend. Physically the two children were the opposite, as he was with Ging. He turned to head to his den, instructing Gotoh, but he found himself turning back at a collection of babbles behind him.
It was from the children, who seemed to be in the middle of some dialogue. His son was practically saying only one syllable at a time, but given his extremely soundless persona that was pretty loud. It didn't take long for Ging's daughter to touch the boy's cheeks and pinched it—making his usually stoic son to make a face that resembled one of terrible annoyance.
Silva let out a rare smirk.
The kids would get along just fine.
…
One is for Toddler!
There are firsts in everything
The next spring, large curious eyes—now able to appreciate scale—stared at the large house in front of her in awe. She frowned when she realised her neck was starting to hurt and turned to her father, the man beside her holding her tiny little hands. Only her hands now, she thought proudly, and she was a very good walker now. And she has already uttered a few words. She was no longer a baby.
Ging mentioned this was her second time there, the first sometime before her very lovely Aunt Mito took her in. She did not know why her father brought her there, but she wasn't complaining. Everywhere she looked, you see, she saw adventure.
In any case, they entered the house and then walked across the long painting-filled corridor (a new word to Gon, and she tried to pronounce it, and she failed miserably), soon reaching a door twice the size of her father and, she thought, a thousand times as big as her.
They enter the door meeting three people along the way, two boys and a very fancy and pretty woman (no one's prettier than Mito-san though). They were heading out, it seemed, but Gon couldn't help but stare at the woman in the middle... and pointed at her. "Chummy!" She yelled and the woman only stared. It was one of the boys, the older one, whose face seems to have this inability to alter, who actually said something after looking at her.
"I think she means your stomach, mother."
"Oh." The woman only shrugged and looked past her to someone by the door. "Gotoh!" She yelled before walking past them, the two boys soundlessly following her steps. "Help me prepare the nursery already. I want it very feminine! Put in flowers, tussels—"
"But, madam, what if it's a bo—"
"It's a girl, Gotoh, don't be silly." Kikyo, Silva's wife, you see, simply refused to believe she'd give birth to another boy.
Regardless, Gon and Ging walked deeper into the room reaching what seemed to be a throne of large pillow chairs. There they found the eternally firm Silva, and with one look Ging knew he was troubled. He sighed and looked at the side of the room, uttering 'Killua', and realized there had been someone there. Ging felt a little disturbed at the child's lack of presence. But then again, it fit well with the job he was expected to take.
Ging smiled at the boy and introduced himself, the boy stared but otherwise didn't react. Ging's smile didn't falter, but he still found it hard to imagine such a small, and adorable (not that anyone could get more adorable than Gon), would turn out to take many lives for money, but he did not say anything, and instead turned to his friend. Apparently it was about his son, Killua, and they ended up watching their children interact.
Once again, rich brown eyes met deep blue ones.
Killua noted that the girl in front of him had such huge eyes he wondered what it was like to poke them. But then she smiled so widely with her few tiny teeth (he, too, had grown a few) he forgot about it. "Hewo! Uhm…" She paused for a breath, probably to gather momentum for the new word. "…Kiwua!"
Killua only nodded in acknowledgement and the girl's smile became brighter. Killua almost squinted his eyes. "I'm Gon." She continued and he only stared in response.
"He sure is quiet." Ging noted and Silva remained silent. "He can't talk yet."
"You can't chalk yet?" She asked and he stared. "I'm Gon. Go-n ." Gon says, putting special emphasis on the 'n', being an especially difficult letter to utter. Killua tilted his head lightly, but he didn't make a sound.
"He's already eighteen months now." Silva said, arms crossed, and almost whispering. Below average has never been an option in this family. "How disconcerting."
Ging almost scoffed at that. Did he not think he was just an abnormally quiet child?
Ging diminished the worries with that carefree way of his before heading out, saying a short but sweet goodbye to his child. Gotoh entered the room when Ging exited and looked at Gon before gesturing to take her to her room, thinking she must be tired from her travels.
Killua stared silently at the slowly-closing door, and his feet moved on its own slightly towards it, as if to follow. Silva didn't realize Killua opened his mouth until he was already gaping at him at a sound that came from his mouth.
He said 'Gon'.
…
Like Two Peas in A Pod
More alike than you think
She was a girl, he was a boy. She lived in a small house, he lived in an estate. She had bright russet eyes, he had unfathomable azure ones. Her skin was fair, his was extremely pale. Her hair was dark, his was silver. She was bubbly, and he was stoic.
He also had siblings. Two older ones (Illumi and Milluki, both Gon found very interesting), and a younger sister. Sister. Well, at least she thought Kalluto was a girl because of all the frills and bright colors and the fact that she was always referred to as a 'she'. She didn't really remember when Killua said Kalluto was a boy, but it came as a shock. The Zoldycks sure was an interesting family...
He also had a new pet dog. His name was Mike, and he was very big. Bigger than the two of them together—and he was only 2 months old!
Indeed, they were very very different—no, opposites.
But they got along very well—in a way they didn't experience with anyone else, giving them that feeling of sadness whenever leaves started turning red and begun covering the ground. And it was a time that they could not stop from coming and, with all the fun they have, it always came much too quickly.
"See you soon Gon." Killua whispered as she extended her hand to hold her father's. She smiled at him after a hug.
"See you soon Killua."
They will miss each other very much.
They're not so different after all.
…
Like a Three-Ring Circus
Because Chaos can work… sometimes
Their fourth spring together, Killua begins to show weird bruises, or at least Gon begins to notice them. "Does it hurt?" She asks as she touches one, a mark over his arm, gently. He doesn't flinch, but he won't lie. He said yes, and Gon wonders why he doesn't show it. She does not know that Killua is used to it, after all, and it is all because he can't avoid the attacks he is supposed to, because he is still very very weak—but he doesn't say so.
She kisses his arm and smiles, saying her Aunt Mito does it all the time to blow the pain away. And Killua swears it works much better than the weird chemicals everyone puts in his wounds after training. Maybe it has something to do with what feels like bubbles in his stomach.
Killua almost asks Gon what those bubbles are when they hear a shrill scream inside the house. It is his mother, he knows, and he tells Gon this and, out of curiosity, they run to the house.
"ANAAATAAA!" The yells (screeches) dominated the air again. "ANATA I'M PREGNANT!" And she screams frantically again. With his mother, he never really knows if she's in pain or just shouting because she feels like waking up the whole mountain. And somewhere within the screams, the calls for his dad, and the yells for the servants, she mumbles about how she swears that this one will finally be a girl.
When they arrive at where she is, they hear Milluki's singing (they are soulless wails, really). Kikyo seems to love it, thinking it is bound to make the baby different from the others.
Killua thinks it will work. But, he muses as his eyes twitches at Milluki's wailing—singing, he swears his newest sibling will be cursed.
…
Four Square Behind
I will always be there to support you
It was during their fifth spring, they were both four years of age, when Gon found out about their family business. It was the moment she saw Kikyo's new face—or rather the lack of it—when Killua knew he'd have to explain very soon. His mother was in a job then, when she was seven months pregnant, when she felt what adults called constriction and she suddenly lost all sight. She finished the job, but she somehow got into fire—literally.
And there was also the fact that she was starting to notice their play times becoming shorter and shorter, and he was getting more tired everyday to the point that he still couldn't understand how she could manage to give him so much energy for them to play.
And maybe because he was appearing to be the monster that he was. He already killed someone—a mafia lord—only a few weeks before she arrived.
"What is her job, anyway?" She asked as her little fingers played petted the fast-growing Mike. "And isn't it a family business?" Killua knew he could not lie to her. Having to lie to her really felt harder than hanging in that metal conductor where he was electrocuted every day.
Yet he still hesitated, remembering his father's words when he asked why they did what they do. There's nothing to be ashamed of Killua. Our strength should be the source of your pride, he said, and yet looking at his friend's large, innocent, empathic, kind, pretty, auburn orbs… he couldn't help but disagree. But still, Killua refused to lie.
He took a deep breath. "We kill people." And hoped she wouldn't run away from him.
He must have made a very scared expression because after staring at him, wide-eyed, she held his hand so soothingly he forgot that he wasn't supposed to touch her at all—because he had already killed someone, acted like it never happened, and not supposed to be touching someone so pure.
…
High Five
Success can come in unexpected places
His training intensifies. Everyone keeps saying he is destined to be one of the greatest assassins of all time. He exceeds expectations without even trying, they say, but they all pass through his ears. So many praises, and so much training that is so painful he no longer feels a thing.
Until the ice starts to thaw, that is. Because that means spring is coming again.
But then he recalls the dozens of people he killed in less than a year and realizes just how much darker he has become. Suddenly, the excitement is replaced by dread and he hates himself for feeling that way. Gon deserves a better friend.
When he finally gets a glimpse of her though, he temporarily forgets his troubles and run for a hug.
After a few days though, she begins to notice. She then suggests they do something different. And, seeing his brother lurking around probably finding inspiration for a new robot, he suddenly remembers something he always wants to do (but is often too lazy to try).
They decided to do a practical joke on Milluki, with a little bit of help from Mike, sometime while he was hunting for bees to experiment on. When they were done, he was running (and whining) to the house, full of honey, with bees after him. "I will get you two for this!" He yelled when he caught sight of them laughing.
Killua had never laughed so hard in his life (Gon was just relieved to see him happy), while poor Milluki had muttered more curses than he had ever done that year.
The older boy swore never to get out of the house again.
…
Six Feet Under
There are some things better left buried
The day started simply, really, with them going under the Sakura tree somewhere deep in the estate, a memorable spot they found around two springs prior—the time when Gon found out so much more about Killua's family. For two years they have been making marks on the trunk, using Killua's then new technique of turning his hand into a knife, to mark how tall they were that year. What they found was disconcerting.
They practically didn't grow.
The first person they encountered during their state of panic (since both of them wanted to grow up quickly to do what they want more) was Gotoh, who told them about a phenomenon called 'Growth Gap' and he said it would pass and they would grow drastically in a few years. To comfort them they played a game of coins, which was a little depressing but they improved quickly—with Gotoh marvelling how quickly they improved, and this made them feel very proud of themselves.
But not even halfway through the day they encountered the usually absent Illumi, who was the eldest and one assigned with many, many, missions. He was a little scary sometimes (with his glares always directed at Gon and all), but he was Killua's brother so Gon liked him all the same.
The first thing Gon said was 'welcome back' while Killua gave a nod of recognition. Illumi didn't seem to hear or see either, and pretended not to see Gon—before staring blankly at Killua, muttering how pitiful he was wasting so much time doing such nonsense when he could be training.
Killua felt angry and attacked Illumi just to show him how strong he was. He didn't really want to hurt him, and he couldn't even if he did, and Illumi once again told him how pitiful he was for holding back. "I will teach you what strength is." He said ominously and—without warning—threw a needle to Gon, and the next thing he knew he was shouting for help.
He carried her to the nearest adult, Mitsuba, who was then in a nearby field accompanying his raven-haired brother, Alluka. He wishes to the skies for Gon to be healed and then Alluka's eyes turned black and Gon's hands were suddenly flawless again. They couldn't make sense of it—none of them could—so they didn't say a thing.
That was…, until a day later, the two kids found out that Mitsuba left, some saying with her lover Hasama (but Killua knew that she was dead by the tone of gossip around the house). And too-soon found themselves in front of Illumi again, who was then holding needles between his fingers.
They would no longer know that Alluka ever existed.
…
Seven Day Wonder
Nobody's perfect
When the robot-eyed Kikyo saw her son picking flowers—and not for her, mind you (not that he ever gave her flowers)—she knew it was the last straw.
"She's getting to him! Don't tell me you can't see that, Anata!" "Why are you even allowing that savage to bring his daughter here every single year?!"
"I do not see much harm. He trains everyday—whole days except springs—Killua is not a robot, even if he is destined to be the greatest assassin."
"He has so much potential! Why waste precious time—"
"Pardon my rudeness, Kikyo-san." It was then Ging appeared from the shadows. "Strength isn't something you can get in seven days." He continues. "A man is strongest when he has something to protect." Ging wanted to their son a choice—by showing him more, but he didn't say so outloud.
Silva only shrugged, and Kikyo let out her trademark screech.
"I don't believe this!"
…
Behind the Eight Ball
Troubles never truly disappear forever
It was the year when a hunter, along with a hundred or so followers, dared attack the premises. One of the new recruits, a brilliant little girl with the name of Canary, took care of them but it was disconcerting that people looked down on them to the point that they could afford to think they could be taken by a mere hundred people and a black list hunter.
It was the year where Mike's robot training was at its fullest, the taking of a few more guardian animals, and the year Silva thought Killua had to be trained even more rigorously.
Ging and Silva looked at each other deeply for what seemed like a very tense hour. "We will have to stop them from meeting—Even if it means hurting someone." The latter declared without a hint of hesitation. "You know what we can do."
And Ging, knowing how stubborn his old friend could be, only nodded. "No one can change destiny." Silva added, making Ging scoff a little.
He couldn't agree more, he said.
…
Nine times out of Ten
Always will be a hole to be filled
She doesn't come that Spring, and he waits until winter—thinking that maybe, just maybe, she is just a little late. Then his father takes him to the Heaven's Arena to train and tells him to reach the 200th floor. He tells him Gon will never come again, she is safe for now, but she won't stay like that if he asks any more questions, and so he can take as long as he needs.
It doesn't take him too long to reach dozens of floor up, and by the next spring he has tons and tons of fans, eats tons of chocolate (it's tasty, and sweet, and it reminds him of her eyes). He continues an awe-striking pace and by the next winter—he reaches (well, almost) the 200th floor.
Still, even in a supposedly warmer continent, he still thinks Winter has never been so cold.
…
Ten
A goal to be reached
Ging never returned, after two years of absence. He told her he found the biggest lead to his goal and may not come back for a while. She just didn't think it will take him so long, and her Aunt Mito was already muttering curses (all of which she wasn't allowed to utter herself of course) to the sky and almost always has Ging's name attached to them (with the exception of 'idiot', bastard, and other words that refer to him).
As months pass, she notes how uneventful her life has become. She misses Killua so much. She envies her father for being able to travel around the world so freely. It is then that meets Kaito by chance, he is a student of her father, he says, and he tells her all about the Hunter exam.
It is like his stories brought much light to her pointless daydreams, and it shows brightly in her huge eyes. She beams.
She will see Killua again soon, after all.
…
Up To Eleven
Exceeding expectations is not always the best
After all the torturous training he does every single hour he is not on a mission to kill—Killua slowly, but surely, begins to struggle remembering her face.
And soon, he wonders if she was ever even real.
...
A Thing Or Twelve
More ignorant than you thought
It was sometime during late winter when he found out Ging was a famous hunter and that was only after being sent to an assassination mission to get rid of one. It was a weird old man, with a pony tail and long beard and moustache, sitting at a make-do gazebo on top of a mountain. He didn't know his name—and he wouldn't until a few days later (when he witnessed his stunning feat of jumping from an aircraft). The only thing he knew about the man was that he was in this spot during full moon, and he was not to be underestimated.
He couldn't really remember how it got to Ging—the old man was weird that way, but it did. Somehow it ended up with the number of people who try and become a hunter and how many die in the process. Apparently there was a sort of exam for qualification, because it was the best job in the world.
What actually caught his attention was his description of why it was the best job in the world.
He said because they had the most freedom.
And freedom was something Killua had been wanting for a very long time.
That night he made a very big decision, and it included not killing the old man—who oddly seemed to know he wouldn't dare. Killua had had enough. It was his life—and it was worth nothing if he couldn't make his own decisions, and certainly without his friend.
And now he stands in the middle of some underground tunnel filled with smelly old men who reeked of over-confidence. He is soon approached by a fat man, a look of mischief a tad too obvious in his eyes, and offers him a drink. Killua knew the man is up to no good, but he also knows he can't do damage. And there's also the fact that he is pretty thirsty, so he drinks two, which went up to half-a-dozen, much to the man's shock.
He then rummages his pocket for a snack he bought along the way.
"Are you going to stare at that chocolate forever?" He flinches and opens the chocolate to make his point, and then proceeding to ignore the bald guy with the odd eyebrows who is bored enough to ask. He muses that Gon will probably find them funny thou.
"Killua?"
His eyes widens at the familiar voice, and turns his head without even knowing. And just like that—russet-colored eyes met cerulean ones once again.
They were even bigger than he remembers, and he finds himself swimming in them again.
Killua has never been so glad to have made a choice.
.
END
A/N: The goal of Ging is kept a secret because that is still ambiguous in canon, and I don't wanna use my own theory because that'll spoil Two Rivers for those who haven't read it yet. xD Anyway—
…
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed, and please don't leave
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