Haiiii-
I got momentarily stuck on this, so I'm sorry if you ever checked back and got frustrated. :(
I will try not to get stuck again. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter
The Garden part 2
The gardener sat by the pond, looking at his reflection with a forlorn expression. "Seven years," he muttered, picking at the moss near the banks. "The red bridge needs paint, the lilies need to be weeded out, the flowers need to be planted all over again. Ivy is everywhere...oh, where has my youth gone?"
Gon and Killua stood to one side, watching him carefully. He was, no doubt, a game character. And yet his sadness seemed so real.
"Don't fall for it, Gon." Killua nudged his partner and edged toward the gate. "No real person can survive underwater for seven years. He's been programmed to say that."
"Then what is he talking to himself for?" Gon wondered.
"The garden is a mess, no doubt." The gardener rubbed the dirt and frowned at his blackened fingers. "And yet, if only the Tree of Plenty was here, everything would be alright again."
Gon looked sympathetic, but Killua straightened visibly. A sharp, startled look came into his eyes. Could it be?
The gardener looked up at them, his face lined with tiredness and worry. "Could you please help this old gardener named Hiso?"
"Of course." Killua snapped. "Now we finally get a clue. No wonder the Tree of Plenty card hasn't shown up in a while – the gardener with the directions was stuck in the pond the entire time!"
The old man ignored him. The Tree of Plenty…now that was something he had not thought about for quite a while. Ever since that first disastrous attempt…
.
.
.
Arcs of fire hiss overhead, molten gold and blazing red, searing the hairs on the back of his neck. Coughing, choking, the smoke in his eyes and ears and mouth burned him just as badly as a real fire would have. This was the other garden.
A white and terrible creature flew up before him, barring his way with flaring wings. He jerked back, shocked and speechless. The sky above him was blackened and burned, and the fire pit directly above him frightened him. 'I have to go back through there?' he despaired at the thought.
Desperately, he reached forward. Perhaps the white creature would show some mercy. "Help me…I need a fruit from the Tree of Plenty, please! It's important, more so than you could ever - "
"Sinners are not allowed in the garden."
He begged, pleaded. Just one seed, to save the world. But the creature was cold and unmerciful.
"Do not try my patience. Return from whence you came, foul human. I will not have you polluting my garden."
He went on, gibberish coming out of his mouth now. His own garden was being destroyed, slowly, but the drips of time that kept on wearing away at the rules. He was tired, he wanted an easy way out. The Tree of Plenty could provide that.
And yet, this world was so hostile to his needs. Slowly, the more he looked around, the more his fear intensified. What a strange place, the sky the earth, the earth the sky. The white creature's voice bore into his head like nails...
.
.
.
"I never want to go back there again." The old man stared down into the pond. The fish inside flicked their tails lazily as they sped away into the murky darkness.
He looked up, "So I would warn you two to keep away from the other garden. It's dangerous -"
But he was speaking to an empty space.
.
.
.
Gon and Killua ducked under the flaming swords, dodging the fireballs that came with it. This was more than a war zone. This was a set of barriers truly meant to keep intruders out.
Nothing worked on the flaming wall of swords. No nen attacks, no water, nothing. They just had to pick their way through, carefully timing their movements. It reminded Gon of a game he had often seen young children play - the ones where a child tried to jump through a jump rope that other people were moving in a pattern. Except this time the pattern changed every few moments, and getting hit could cost you a life...
Eventually they made it past the flaming swords, but then suddenly - a white figure loomed in front of them.
SINNERS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE GARDEN.
Killua's eyes darkened. "Really, now?" He said in a drawl. Gon stopped him, and stepped forward.
HALT. YOU ARE A SINNER. YOU LEFT YOUR AUNT ALL BY HERSELF TO CHASE YOUR OWN DREAMS. YOU HAVE FAILED YOUR FILIAL DUTY.
Killua caught a slight tightening around the eyes, but Gon sounded calm and even when he replied: "I am looking for my father, and I write to my aunt every month. That isn't a sin."
YOU HAVE HARMED OTHERS, SOMETIMES WITH INTENT TO KILL. YOU PLAN TO HURT PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE, AND YOU HARBOR FEELINGS OF HATRED. YOU ARE A SINNER.
Killua flinched, because these crimes applied to him as well, but Gon shouted back: "I AM HUMAN! I will make friends or enemies if I choose! I will fight and hurt others to protect what I care about! I will fight and hurt others to achieve my goals. That isn't a sin."
YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH A MURDERER.
At this, Killua felt the weight of a thousand eyes on him. He felt his fists clench, guilt and self-hatred filling him. The white angel was right. Killua didn't deserve to be by Gon's side...
"KILLUA IS MY FRIEND!" Gon lost his temper and shouted with all the volume he could muster. The shout rustled the trees in the garden, even seemed to make the crackle of the flames die down a bit.
The angel was silent for what seemed like an eternity.
It seems as though I cannot judge one such as yourself. The angel's voice finally stopped booming. You may pass.
So how did they get to the garden? Hint: In some cultures mirrors are said to be portals to another world. Where in the garden can you find a mirror?
YAAAAY! I finally managed to end one on a mystery note~!
Cybercookies to those who guess it right!
