"Gon, find your dream, but enjoy the detours to the fullest." Ging said with finality in his voice. He gave his son a thumbs up and smiled brightly. Gon returned the smile ten fold and gave back an equally enthusiastic thumbs up. Gon stood with his father, at the top of thier world, and all he could think of was what it took to get there, standing there, being there with Ging. Gon was feeling bliss, joy, peace, happiness, but mainly hope. There was a whole new journey waiting for him out there now that he had finally met his dad. He wasn't buzzing with excitement, just the calm after the storm. He couldn't hope to describe what completing his goal meant to him and most definitely how it made him feel. It was hitting him in waves and he couldn't stop himself from smiling, practically on the edge of tears of happiness.

Ging didn't show on the outside how he felt, a mix of surprise and exasperation, but it was only overwhelmed by his sense of pride. Not pride because of what his son had become, but what he had done to become this way. He would never regret leaving his son, he would never regret giving his son a reason to experiencce what he had done. Still. it was only a small taste of what was to come in his lifetime. Gon stared off into the distance, the distance before him and ahead of him, brimming with hope of the future.

"Thank you Ging...Here, kite told me to give this to you." Gon handed his father the Hunters card and smiled brightly. Ging couldn't help but catch slight wind of the bright boy's contagious smile. He put the license in his pocket and looked down and his son. He put his hand on Gon's shoulder and looked him directly in his eyes, holding his gaze with a serious tone. The hand tightened on the boys shoulder and the boy meet his gaze with equal seriousness.

"Gon, now that you have found me, that doesn't mean your journey is over, in fact, it has only begun. I want you to go out and experience everything. Never be afraid of the unknown and meet it with equal passion when you feel tested. But even though you will be faced with many more challenges in the future, keep facing forward with your goal in front of you, and never face away from what you want. You will find things that bring you away from your path, and that's alright, like I said, the detours are just as fun as the paths that take you to your goal. Remain steadfast and you will eventually make it to whatever you want in life. Remember that your friends will be with you even when you're apart. Go Gon. Become a Hunter that you believe deserves the title, become the best Hunter you can be, but don't forget that you don't have to do this alone." Ging said his tone matching the glint in his eyes. He held strong on Gon's shoulder and Gon smiled and put up his thumb one more time, holding it high and proudly.

"Ging, you got it. I'll become someone who you'll have no choice but to acknowledge, and you'll be proud. I promise that I will try my best Ging. You can count on it. I have all my friends and I know I can count on them. So trust me Ging, I wont make you regret it!" Ging kneeled down and patted Gon's shoulder. The light from the moon shone on one side of his face, shadows clinging to the other side. Gon stood up straight, barely containing the pure happiness inside himself.

"Okay Gon. If our paths cross again in the future, I will be waiting for you to fulfill your promise," He held out his pinkie to his son. Gon grasped is with his own, " I will be waiting Gon, so don't disappoint." Gon and Ging stood together and Gon was overwhelmed with not only the past, but also the future and how brightly it shone.

They parted ways, Gon barely going forward, his legs heavy with reluctance. He longed for a few more minutes but Ging, but understood how unlike Ging that would be after the hours they had spent together. So after climbing down, Gon started walking, all he knew was that he couldn't look back or he wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Ging to easily or readily, but he had no choice but to keep walking. Gon did just that, he kept walking.

"Hey Kurapika! Long time no talk. How's your search going. I wanted to help you find what you're looking for, I want to help Kurapika, just call me back whenever you get his message. Later!" Kurapika listened to the message and listened to Gon's words. He was aware that recently he had met his father, and he was happy for Gon, but too busy with his own goal to help or intervene. Gon was one of the few people he considered a friend, but he still couldn't completely understand him even after the time they spent together. While he had been hunting the spiders down, Gon had been having his own adventure, his most recent escapade putting him in the hospital, barely clinging to life. Somehow he had miraculously recovered, many were suspicious of how his sudden return to health was possible, but considering who had recovered, many ignored it and were simply happy to accept Gon's healthy state.

After a few hours of pondering the possibilities, Kurapika finally decided what his course of action would be. He leaned against one of the pillars in the candlelit room, his display of red eyes sitting atop a concrete table on a red satin tablecloth, floating in formaldehyde and preservatives. He stared at his phone, quickly thinking over what he would say to the boy and making sure he was resolute in his recent decision. He was not very eager to allow someone to join him on his solo mission, his revenge; But the smallest, tiniest fragment inside himself craved for company, and Gon was the first person he thought of who he wouldn't be taking up thier time with his own revenge.

"Gon, it's Kurapika."

"Kurapika! I wasn't sure if you'd respond, I know you're busy with what you're doing." Gon sounded happy enough.

"I decided to take you up on your offer," Kurapika said straightly, making sure there was no sugarcoating on his words. He leaned into the phone and stared at the eyes in the tubes.

"Where are you, I'll try and get there as fast as possible." Kurapika couldn't tell him any information that could let others know where he was, so he decided that it would be the best to simply have a meeting place, that way he could bring Gon with him and make sure no one was following him. He had made some enemies over the past few months, dangerous people who will not stop until they get what they want, by any means necessary.

"I'll meet you at the Yorknew airport, I'll be by they F entryway, call me again when you are getting on your plane."

"Okay, I'll talk to you soon then."Gon said happily into the phone. It had been too long since he had talked to Kurapika. He hadn't seen him in months and he had a feeling that Kurapika was who he needed to help out now. He had to help out Kurapika so his friend could be a little happier.

"Goodbye Gon."

"Bye Kurapika." Kurapika pressed end call and sighed in relief. He was still doubting about whether or not it was wise to include Gon, even if it wouldn't be permenant, on his mission. He didn't know if the young boy would be able to take this as serious as he hoped, but then again he hadn't talked to Gon at all recently and didn't know how much he had changed in thier time apart. He still was unaware of the extent that Gon had suffered in his own adventures and the trials he had overcome. Yet he still knew that having Gon with him wouldn't be terrible and that he could trust the kid.

His eyes continued to drift to the eyes on the table, he still had a few more to collect. He had about half of the eyes in his possesion, but he needed to get the rest. He needed to reunite them, after all, it was his fault that his clan was massacred, so it was his duty to at least make sure that no one else would use them as decorations, especially when they were the eyes of his people. He couldn't tell which eyes belonged to who, and this saddened him, but only conitnued to fuel his revenge. It made him realize just how objectified his people had become, how thier eyes were thier only worth and the eyes were more important that the individual themselves. None of the containers were marked with names, ages, or birth dates. There was no way to tell the difference between the eyes and this former beholders.

So Gon joined up with Kurapika, and they stayed at Kurapika's place for a few days before heading off to follow the most recent lead he had caught wind of, and Gon followed him with the utmost seriousness, while retaining his upbeat attitude.

Kurapika made sure Gon had a proper outfit for thier search that night. Gon was fitted for a black suit, which Gon felt incredibly confining but still wore it for Kurapika's sake because he had made him. Gon wasn't completely aware of what they were doing that night and was slightly worried about thier plans.

"So Kurapika, where are we going again?"

"We're going to an auction, for the underworld. So I need you to take this seriously. This is a very dangerous situation. We'll be wearing masks. Not everyone does, but most do, usually they smaller gang members, or powerful people who aren't completely apart of the underground and hold influence above, like politicians and celebrities. I just need you to not act suspicious and keep an eye out for the Kurta eyes. That is the only reason we are going to be there, but if you see any spiders that you remember, tap my shoulder, but don't say anything out loud." Kurapika informed Gon, fixing his sleeve and meeting the boys eyes.

"I know, Kurapika. I'll be careful. I remember what happened last time with the spiders." Gon said trying to look down at his tie and fix it, but miserably failed to improve the fabric mess. Kurapika kneeled down and took the tie out of Gon's hands.

"Gon, I don't think I can say this enough. This is a very dangerous thing we're about to do. It cannot be taken lightly. I just need you to understand, really understand," He put one end of the tie over the other, not removing his stare from the accessory, "I need to make sure you're safe. You almost died recently because... you were reckless, I heard from Leorio. You cannot be a compulsive as you usually are." He finished up the job and stood up, putting his hand on Gon's shoulder.

"Kurapika... you can trust me. I know what happens when I lose sight of what I need to do...I hurt Killua, and I promised I would make sure I never did that again. So, you can believe me when I say I will be there for you. I understand the consequences." Gon said, his expression not changing as he met Kurapika's eyes with equal seriousness.

Kurapika nodded to him and took out his phone, making one last call before they were to head out. Kurapika filled Gon in on what they would do and the steps they would take to make sure they got what they were looking for. So Gon finished fiddling with his suit and followed Kurapika as they headed up the stairs and out into the streets.

It was chilly and the sun had already set beneath the horizon, the in between period of no moon and sun which darkened everything was upon them. They headed to the underground auction, putting on thier masks in an alleyway just outside the venue. Kurapika handled all the official stuff and Gon kept quiet, his eyes only ever resting on Kurapika's back, well that was only until they entered the theater. Gon couldn't help but look around at all of the masks, and more importantly, the faces of those who knew that they didn't have to wear masks in this place. Their faces revealed the trials they had gone through to earn the right to no longer need to hide thier faces. Gon almost stopped walking just to look around, but quickly caught up with Kurapika and headed to thier seats.

They weren't too far from the stage and had a pretty decent view, Kurapika must've had some pretty deep connections to secure such a clear view. Gon was still in the dark of what Kurapika had been up to, only vaguely knowing of what he actually been doing, but not what he had done to reach his goal. His hands were not unlike the color of his eyes, but he hid it well in front of Gon. He hadn't used his nen on anyone but the spiders, but with his abilities he didn't need to use it anyway.

The lights dimmed and a man wearing a mask made it to the center of the stage. He was wearing a black suit and holding a mic in his hand. He looked extremely fitting on the stage and the crowd instantly hushed when he held the mic up the the bottom of his mask. Gon stared at him for a few seconds then took this opportunity when everyone was distracted to take a look around the venue. He craned his neck and looked behind him, to the higher seats, the people with the true connection, up in the balcony seats. You could sense thier power, and most people didn't dare to glance in thier direction.

Gon surveyed the intimidating bunch. There were about ten people up there, but he couldn't clearly make out any of thier faces in the shadow of the veranda. He couldn't hold back his curiosity and continued to stare. Each one had two people posted behind them, framing the menace between them. Gon was excited, no longer about the auction, but about the thrill of the auction. He was terrified, yet he was extremely excited. Gon turned away when he felt for a fraction of a second that eyes were on him and returned to laying low, making sure he was inconspicuous beside the blond boy.

His eyes returned to the stage just as one of the items was being wheeled on stage. It was a crown on a table with a red velvet table cloth, instantly hushed whispers infected the crowd and contagion spread it, but just as fast as it arose, it died. Gon glanced at Kurapika, and saw from the side, his face did not change and he did not even move, he was too focused on what would come later to worry about some lavish accessory. Gon didn't really care about the crown either, but he was interested in how certain people instantly shot up thier ballots the moment the announcer commenced the auction.

It was easy to tell which kind of person would choose certain items after a few were rolled out. There were different types of people with different types of wants, but it became obvious what thier goals were when they eagerly shot up thier hands for impractical jewelry stolen from the graves of royalty who lived hundreds of years ago. Gon found is fascinating to see all kinds of people with selfish wants which caused them to turn to the underworld to fulfill their desires.

The room was almost pitch black, aside from the stage, but with Gon's keen sense he could decently make out his surroundings. The walls had burgundy curtains draping from them, and sconces that were waiting to be lit at the end of the event. The atmosphere was tense, not because everyone wanted what was being auctioned, but because everyone, or at least most of them, understood the danger of the situation they were in, yet somehow relished in the fact, to far gone to even regret become a member of this heinous crowd.

Eventually Gon sensed Kurapika slightly tense up beside him, it was incredibly faint, and could only be felt because Gon was gently leaning against him on his arm rest. Kurapika kept his blood lust under control and shot up his ballot after a few other guests had done so themselves. He continued in a battle over the Kurta eyes with one other man until the man conceded to Kurapika's seemingly endless wealth. But it was not because he had unlimited money, but rather because it was the only thing he would spend his money on. Kurapika was given a ticket by one of the audience attendees so he could pick up his purchase at the end of the night.

After that, Gon sat silent next to Kurapika, continuing to do once-overs of the crowd and keep and eye out for anyone who looked to be a threat specifically to the two young men. There were no spiders in sight and his eyes once again drifted up to the balcony seats just in time to see one of the figures place a winning bid on a seemingly worthless skull. Gon once again felt eyes on himself and turned away to avoid any suspicion.

The night went on and the auction came to a close, the auctioneer saying a final good night to the guests and turning the lights back on to thier former dimness. Kurapika and Gon filled out and followed the man waiting at the door to individually guide each buyer to thier item. Gon went to follow Kurapika but was denied, for security reasons and to make sure that the items were delivered to the buyer safely and without interference, making sure no theft or violence occurred over the expensive valuables. Kurapika tried to convince the official, but his requests went unfulfilled.

"I'll just wait here for you Kurapika, don't worry about me, I can protect myself," He put his thumb up to the young man.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes, don't leave your spot Gon," Kurapika followed the escort and Gon was left to stand in silence. Gon kept his eyes to the ground, but couldn't help sneaking peaks every few seconds at the guests leaving the auditorium. Gon wasn't really interested in the normal guests as much as he was in the ten people who stood on the veranda. He sighed due to the fact that he wouldn't get to see them, they had most likely left first.

He started playing with his tie out of boredom, rubbing the smooth satin between his fingers and playing with the knot. Before he knew it, the tie was a mess and Gon looked at it, slightly embarrassed. He tried to recreate what Kurapika had done earlier that night, but he hadn't been paying a lot of attention so it was impossible.

"Hmm..."Gon sighed and tried, but failed, once more to fix the tie.

"Are you having trouble with your tie, it took me a few tries to learn to do it when I was your age." The old man looking down at Gon smiled and held out his hands as if to offer to help him in his troubles. "May I?" Gon stared up at him and instantly could tell he had been sitting in a balcony seat. He slowly nodded.

"Thanks..." The elderly man took both ends in his aging hands and held them in front of Gon.

"Okay, pay attention, it's hard to tie a nice solid knot. But practice makes perfect right." He continued to tie it and slowly explained the steps to Gon, who happily listened to the friendly old man who was a lot less scarier than he initially thought. Quickly Gon decided he liked the old man. "How does that look to you?"

"Thanks Mister!"

"You're welcome. Aren't you a little young to be at a place like this alone?"

"Oh, my friend just went to do something else for a moment, he'll be back soon."

"Well that's good, there are some pretty scary people around here, but I feel like you're tough enough to protect yourself. Well I can't stay kneeling like this for too long, what with my bones being as old as they are," The man stood up slowly, his hand resting on the head of his cane, it was a goat's head carved out of wood with curled horns that acted as rest for his hand.

"Don't worry about me." Gon smiled behind his mask.

"Well, have a good night," The old man said putting his hat on his head of greying hair.

"My names Gon, it was nice to meet you. Bye-bye." He waved enthusiastically to the man and received a small chuckle in return. He waved back and walked out, followed by the two guards that each other veranda guest had been accompanied by, one of them carrying a large case. Kurapika showed up with a briefcase just as the old man parted ways with Gon. Gon felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to Kurapika who was looking warily at the old man leaving the building.

"Did you know that man, Gon?"

"No, but he helped me fix my tie."

"Gon, were you careful?"

"Don't worry about me Kurapika, it was okay."

"...Let's go now Gon..." Kurapika started walking out and Gon followed after him. Gon could tell Kurapika was not too happy about what had happened in the few moments he had been gone for. Gon talked about what had happened and asked Kurapika questions pertaining to the balcony people, but most of them went unanswered, and when they were it was vague at best, only telling Gon about the fact that they were dangerous, a fact he had figured out easily enough by himself.

After that night, Gon followed and assisted Kurapika in many different things to help him retrieve more Kurta eyes. It was a dangerous road, but Gon didn't bump into that old man again. They had been close to failure many times, nearing the end of thier rope on many occasions, yet they continued on together. Just like promised, Gon made sure Kurapika would not regret receiving help from him. In thier travels, they fought two of the spiders, Kurapika revoking thier nen abilities on both accounts, and eventually, they had collected the final pair of Kurta eyes. Kurapika had a room, lined wall to wall with display cases. On these display cases were tubes, and they cases were full of these tubes which contained the scarlet eyes. Kurapika gazed at what was before him and stood in silence. Gon stood next to him and held his hand, for comfort but also for strength. After that night, Kurapika asked Gon to leave, and he did.

In thier time together Gon had grown and became stronger in the process, none of his battle could compare to that of the ants, but he still felt danger and fear. Gon fought on Kurapika's side, making sure he was never in the way and could protect himself when they encountered an enemy that was stronger than the average goon. When Gon wasn't searching or fighting, he was training, increasing the power and amount of his nen little by little every chance he had. Gon had taken up meditating, to learn how to expand and concentrate his nen by getting more in touch with how it flowed inside his own body. His nen did feel a little different after he had been released from the hospital, but that was only to be expected considering how he had almost completely used up all the nen his body could muster.

Gon continued to train relentlessly, making sure he crammed as much as possible but not overdoing it in case they had to move out at a moments notice, and it happened pretty frequently. They mainly stayed in Yorknew, most of the owners of the eyes lived in the rich and luxurious city, overflowing with wealth and leisure. Yet the seemingly extravagant city had a foul underbelly, full of parasites and snakes, polluting the edge but never daring to openly interact with each other. So to stay prepared for any possible threats, Gon learned how to spread his nen out around thier stead, hiding themselves with zetsu, and eventually, after a few weeks, Gon could keep it up while he was asleep, only sensing those with even the slightest blood lust or mal intent. Gon hadn't established any new techniques, thinking it would be wiser to just improve his basics and the moves he already had in his arsenal.

Now that Kurapika had asked Gon to leave, he was on his own once more. He didn't want to get in the way of Killua and Alluka, respecting thier first time together in a very long time. He did miss Killua, and leaving him was harder than saying good-bye to Ging. Kurapika had become close with Gon in the year they had spent together, yet Kurapika kept a safe distance, and it was a slow process even getting to open up as much as he had with Gon. Gon learned a lot about his blonde friend, about his past and his family, even learning the reason behind the massacre of his clan. Kurapika had opened up to Gon with memories he hadn't shared with anyone, deepening thier bond, but with a safe distance at the same time.

So they parted ways and Gon once again wanted to find his goal in life, his path, and so he decided in order to even meet a goal he wanted, he would need to travel and become strong. He needed to be able to support himself, but more importantly, the friends he had and would come to meet in the future. So Gon headed off, with a few destinations in mind, he would go where he ended up, but he trusted too easily and ended up in a more terrible situation than he could have imagined.