Hi, everyone! After three years of beginning this passion project, I've decided to go back and do some serious editing! I took a year off for my pregnancy, and now that I'm back, I realize my story really needed it! Lol. I revised some plot holes in the earlier chapters and separated the dialogue from the paragraph form I had going on in the earlier chapters, so now they are much easier to read. I also corrected the dialogue punctuation and changed/rearranged some awkward sentences. When I began, I was still in school and had no clue I'd have so many people invested in the story, so I would post a barely edited draft and just keep going lol. I know better than to do that now. I'm going to try to make this story very fun and very easy to read for you. (: Since I've started, I've noticed I've really grown as a writer and as a person and I'm just really excited to see what comes next! Thank you for reading! (:


Chapter 1

The Dutiful Guard

It was cold and drizzling as Canary stood guard at one of the far posts of the estate. Winter had reached its peak in Padokia which meant the cold was brisk enough to leave frostbite and the rain only made it worse. However, this did not disappoint Canary; she enjoyed the winter on the mountain that was so different from her old home. Her Ken* did well to protect her from the wetness, and she could only be grateful that her harsh training had prepared her for the freezing weather. Her En stayed activated as well, searching for intruders who would mistakenly believe she was just lollygagging.

Canary had become a thoroughly experienced Nen user during her time on Kukuroo mountain. In fact, if you asked any butler there they would say she was the strongest apprentice they had. However, even though Canary received constant praise from her fellow butlers, she remained humble and trained relentlessly day and night, for she knew for certain that she could not have gotten this far without Gotoh's help. Her En suddenly staggered and Canary found herself Nen-less in the dark. She gripped her cane tightly and huffed out a few ragged breaths in the freezing rain as she tried and failed to recollect herself. It never failed that whenever she thought of Gotoh, a pang of sadness would leave her totally defenseless.

Her mind began to race and she began to think of how long it's been without him. Two years was surely much too long in her case. Canary was only seven years old when he scooped her up from that godawful pile of trash in Meteor City and now it's been eleven years she's served on this mountain. He practically raised her, and for that she kept pushing herself.

'Snap out of it, Canary!' She scolded herself as extended her En to its limits again.

It was always the worst when she let herself get distracted like this during night watch. She glanced down at the lacquered cane gripped tightly in her hands and tried to think of something to calm her. It wasn't long before a gentle smile was placed on her face. 'White Day.'

It seemed Killua had developed a habit of gifting his favorite female butler. The first gift was more of a "thank you" for helping Alluka escape. She almost laughed at the thought of the large teddy bear stuffed in her room that was almost too big to fit through her doorway and became sentimental of the scribbled thank you note from Alluka tucked into its large ribbon. The second gift was more of a "yes I am still alive now stop worrying" consolation. It was a small photo of him and Alluka grinning from ear to ear in front of a large Buddha statue. On the back, there was a quick scribble that read "See you soon!" She kept it safe in one of her bedside drawers. She knew if his timing was right she'd be hearing from him sometime next month. That made her feel slightly calmer.

Thunder then began rolling gently through the night sky. 'No chance of lightning yet?' She thought.

She couldn't even begin to answer how many times she's looked up at a stormy sky like tonight and waited for Killua to pass through. She sighed and let go of her whimsical thoughts. She noticed the other butlers on night watch were just beginning to roam towards the far east estate, signaling for her to begin patrolling her area, so she began to move.

'It won't be too long befo - ' Canary paused mid-step. There was suddenly lightening, but one strike was not like the others..

Canary began moving swiftly through the trees. It wasn't too long before she realized something odd. 'I can't sense an aura at all' she admitted as she paused between some muddy trails. Canary could hear the water pattering down relentlessly on the tree leaves and sense a lone rabbit wiping the wetness from its whiskers beneath a bush, but not much of anything else. She relaxed her entire body and closed her eyes. If she was dealing with whom she thought, she would have to stop playing around. Having grown up in Meteor City, Canary was well attuned to the area surrounding her and could sense the smallest of changes. It developed from having to defend herself constantly, even in her sleep, in that place she once called home. Gotoh would often say she could spot a person quicker than even his Nen could.

Canary hadn't been walking very far when she sensed someone nearby. She stilled, sensing the area once more. Before long she pinpointed the suspect a few steps back and to the right in the foliage.

"If you belonged here, you wouldn't need a reason to hide" she spoke calmly.

"You're right" someone replied "too bad I don't."

Canary turned towards the voice to be greeted by a boy with long white hair. She smiled politely "Welcome home, Killua sama." she greeted. She took a short bow and collected what little memory she could from her young master.

From a small child in pigtails, Canary was now an eighteen-year-old with those familiar braids now curling down her back. She wore her usual butler attire in the biting cold along with a black coat and gloves. Her cane never leaving her side as always. Killua was now sixteen with his usually messy hair now past his shoulders, and surprising to them both, he was now taller than her. He wore a very dark winter coat and black ear muffs, even though he didn't really need them. Killua knew their fun times together when they were young were very few and far in between due to their clashing responsibilities, but what little memory he could bring up, he remembered being very precious to him.

"It's very nice to see you again, Canary." He spoke. The smile he left her was enough to send palpitations through her chest, but she quickly recovered.

"As it is to see you." She replied.

That's when she saw it, the pained expression on her master's face that resulted when two people were forbidden from ever becoming friends. Canary made sure to hide that expression long ago. 'This is the life of a butler' Canary thought, 'your purpose is not to be his friend, but his servant. Try again.'

"Kil-"

"Cana-"

The two both stumbled over each other's words as they tried to break the silence.

Killua silently signaled for her to have the first word. "Killua sama," she spoke carefully whilst her eyes sized him up in the darkness, noticing that his Nen was still hidden, "May I ask what brings you here so suddenly?" she asked.

Canary's aura was noticeably cautious which immediately caught Killua's attention as the two old friends became serious.

"I need your help." He responded simply.

"Go on."

A gush of cold wind blew passed them which slightly interrupted their conversation.

"It's about Alluka."

Canary tensed under the idea that they were both being watched. 'Lie through your teeth' She warned through her eyes. 'As per usual' he responded.

Killua then passed a halfhearted laugh. "She's just getting lonely traveling around with her older brother all the time, you know, so I thought she may need more female company. I was wondering if you would join us."

Canary was speechless as she silently wondered what he was actually getting to but decided to play along. "I apologize, Killua sama, but my butler duties remain on Kukuroo Mountain, I would have to get permission first."

"Permission would have to come later." He added sternly which coincidentally threw the conversation off. Canary and Killua were both surprised at the urgency in his voice. He quickly covered it with a laugh, "it's just that I promised I'd take Alluka to the coast sometime soon."

"How early would we be moving?"

"As soon as possible."

Canary eyed the boy in the now slow moving drizzle. 'You're hiding something, and I'll be sure to find out.'

'Fine by me.'

"Understood. Just make it clear to Master Zeno the first chance you get."

Killua grinned at the idea of his plan pulling through. "Right this way then." He stated as he gestured towards the Testing Gates.

The two traveled in silence. When they arrived there, Mike was blocking their path. "Move, Mike." Killua easily commanded, but the large guard dog did not budge. Instead, Mike's dark beady eyes stared intently into Canary's.

Over the years, Mike and Canary had grown a silent respect for the other just if one thing was understood: the minute you rebel against the family, you die. It seemed to her that he was trying to correctly assess the situation; Killua was a known rebel of the family and though he would never harm a hair on Killua's head, Canary was now his accomplice. He sized them up carefully before giving them a parting glance and walking away. He would have surely ended her life had the understanding not involved a member of the family he was sworn to protect. When he disappeared into the darkness, that chilling realization would not let Canary be.

"Master Killua, it's quite the surprise to see you here and gone so quickly, but then again you never do stay long nowadays." Zebro chuckled. "I'm sure you realize I will have to report this to the mistress."

"No problem, Zebro, you're just doing your job." Killua replied.

Zebro then simply tipped his head to Canary and gave some slight adherence: "You make sure to keep them safe."

Canary quickly replied, "Understood."

Canary and Zebro also had an understanding: It didn't matter which Zoldyck it was, you served them all.

"Alright, well let's go, Canary. I'll see you soon, Mike and Zebro." Killua stated.

He then placed a single hand on the smallest Testing Gate, and with an effortless shove, all seven released.


*Ken (堅, Fortify) is the advanced version of the basic Ren and Ten techniques. Ken is a defensive technique where a Nen-user maintains a state of Ko over their entire body, allowing them to defend against attacks from any direction without the need to use Ryu.

*From Hunterpdia*


Please feel free to review! I'd really appreciate it!