Author's note: I do not own Hunter x Hunter!
Chapter 19 - A long way
~ two weeks later ... ~ (Typical training length of a character ... ^ - ^)
Gon packed a lot of useful things in his backpack, because after all he is now getting ready to make his way to the Himiki Castle, and according to Kurapika it will take a few days ...
He used the last two weeks for training! (off-screen!)
In a funny way, Gon had to remember the moments when he learned Nen with Killua in the Heavens Arena, or when they trained their Nen ability for Greed Island!
'I think I'm ready for anything!' Gon took his backpack on his back. 'Here we go.'
...
In front of him stood Leorio and Kurapika.
"Are we going, Gon?"
"We are ready at any time."
Gon smiles gratefully. "Yes." Then he looked around briefly, with a questioning expression on his face. "What about Tanju-san and the others? Don't you want to come too? "
Leorio shakes his head slightly. "Tanju told us we should go ahead! You will definitely follow! Well, bad luck for them, when they are there we have already solved all problems! "
"Hm…."
"Don't worry, Gon. I think Tanju would like to prepare something that would take some time, so he leaves it to us to go ahead. "The blonde kurta explains.
"Fine, for me." Gon raises his fist in the air. "We are out!"
"Yeah."
~ At Kaori… ~
Kaori was still in the basement of the Himiki Castle, still trapped in chains ...
'How long have I been here? One week? Maybe even ... two? She sighs slightly. 'This time they are even friendly to me ... I get a piece of bread and a glass of water when the time is right. Even if the bread is already dry and sometimes has a bit of mold ... Nevertheless, they don't want me to die quickly ... '
The blue-haired girl thought for a moment. 'Now it's clear to me what Uncle Yahiko's plan is ...'
Then she thought of something else ... her grandfather's words:
"Don't worry about me Kaori. I'll stay here in the castle until this special boy named Gon Freecss comes here to save you. Until then, I'll try to hold the line. Believe me, I won't die that fast ... and neither will you! "
Her green eyes calmly searched the cold, empty room with no particular destination. 'I trust your words… ..but… who knows how long it will be before Gon will really come here? She smiles sadly. 'He doesn't even know where this castle is ... and then Jinsei ... if he finds out that Gon is on his way here, he will ... kill him without hesitation ...'
...
'I should try ... to come up with a plan ... I am sure that I have become stronger in the short time, but ... can I also use this strength?'
...
...
'Am I strong enough at all ...?'
...
~ ... at Naizen (Kaori's grandfather) ... ~
Naizen went outside the castle and looked around. 'No guards ... I actually knew.'
He looked briefly at the lock again. 'Such an incident has never happened here since I can remember. After all, I've lived here since I was a child. ... and now the Himiki family will soon no longer have the title of a royal family ... '
He sighs slightly. 'After all these years ... I like this thought ...' he smiles slightly. 'Yutaru wanted it this way ... I think ... he was right ...'
...
'Besides ... I want my only granddaughter to be happy after all ... she has suffered enough ... she should lead her own life.'
...
~ Flashback - 8 years ago… ~
A four-year-old Kaori was sitting in the garden, looking up at the sky and absent-mindedly looking at the clouds.
"Kaori." A voice called.
The little girl looked at the person who came to her. "Grandfather?"
The older man walked slowly towards her, but stopped a few meters in front of her, he looked at her calmly.
"What are you doing here alone? Didn't you want to visit your mother? "The older man asked in a friendly tone.
"I was with her briefly ..." She said softly. "But… a doctor was also with her… .he sent me out! Really mean! "She pouts slightly.
"Is that so? And he didn't give you a reason why? "He frowns.
"No! No, he didn't! "She complains slightly.
Naizen took a closer look at his granddaughter. "Have you been here in the garden since then?"
"Yes ..." she says sadly. "Grandfather ... will it ... ..mum be fine?"
"It's hard to say." He spoke honestly. "She was always very weak."
...
"Really always?" She asks, her eyes slightly wide. "But it was never bad! After all, Mama always told me that she would be much better soon! "She slowly got up.
He nods slightly. "Believe me, there are many other people who, like your mother, have such a ... let me say tiresome problem."
"And ... there is no cure for it ?"
"… ..I can't answer that for you, unfortunately. I'm sorry. "He pats her head gently.
"…." Kaori lowers her head. "... she was always like this?" She whispers softly.
...
'I'm sorry, Kaori. But ... her condition had gotten worse since a certain point in time ... .but I can't tell you ... you could misinterpret it and maybe ... become even sadder than you are now ... 'he thinks sadly, left but do not notice anything in his gaze so that the blue-haired girl would not notice anything.
...
After both of them were in a long silence and neither wanted to insert a different topic or a word, they heard several people rushing past.
Naizen looked at the people in amazement. "Are they ... ..other doctors?"
Kaori immediately woke up. "Grandfather? Does it have something to do with mom ? "she asks nervously.
The older man did not answer her, but ran to the people who were passing by and stopped one to ask.
"Why the rush? What happened? "He asks calmly, but with a very stern tone.
"We have to go to Mrs. Emiko quickly!" The man answered hurriedly. "Your… condition should have gotten worse! On the orders of the king we are to examine them more closely and treat them thoroughly. "He continued and walked off quickly.
...
"Mom… ..her condition? Her condition has gotten worse? "Kaori, who noticed, asks quietly with small tears in her eyes.
"Everything will be fine." Naizen knelt to her height. "The doctors know what they are doing."
"I ... I want to see her ..." She says softly. "May I? … .Please…. "The blue-haired girl sinks her head.
...
...
~ a little later ... ~
...
Kaori waited impatiently to get permission to visit her mother again. "I want ... to her ..." She pouts. "This time I couldn't even enter the room ..."
Naizen watched his granddaughter and gave her a sympathetic look. 'I have a bad feeling ...'
...
...
After a whole hamlet the doctors who were in the room came out again. Their looks were sad but also apologetic.
Yutaru, Kaori's father came earlier, he talked to the doctors ... his eyes fell.
...
"Grandpa ... everyone looks so sad." Kaori mumbles. "But ... Mom is fine, isn't she?"
"I think ... not." He spoke calmly.
The blue-haired girl went to her mother's room. Her mother had her eyes closed ...
She walked closer to her and wept over her mother's dead body.
"I ... I ..." she sobs. "I couldn't even say goodbye to her ... she said ... she'll be better soon ..."
...
"That seems like a big shock to her ... it will take her to get over it." Naizen told Yutaru.
"I know… but Emiko knew she won't live long. She told me herself quite a while ago when I visited her. "
"Hm…"
"The only thing we can do is give Kaori comfort and tell her that life goes on. I don't want to be cold-hearted, but there is nothing we can do about it… "Yutaru spoke calmly.
"…You're probably right….."
"Anyway, my feeling tells me that this tragedy is just the beginning."
...
...
~~ Flashback end ... ~~
~ back to the present ... ~
Naizen sighed as he remembered that incident 8 years ago. His granddaughter felt so hurt and alone back then ...
Nobody could cheer her up.
The only thing she did was to sit alone in the garden and look at the sky ... at the time, she often left the castle, since Naizen respected that, he of course didn't follow her and forbade the servants to do it.
... and then a few years later her father died ...
The older man sighed again, this time even more sadly. This death made him sad too. Very sad.
... but how did Kaori feel back then?
….he does not know…
...
Still, the only thing left to do now is wait ...
Waiting for that special boy named Gon Freecss!
~ With Gon, Leorio and Kurapika… ~
...
"How long have we been walking ?" Leorio asks out loud. "Three hours?"
"Three and a half, Leorio." Kurapika says with a frown. "And finally stop asking the same question every half hour. According to our information source, we will be there soon. "
Gon smiles at these words. "We're almost there?"
"Yes, we will soon be in a village. The information says that after that it is not far from Himiki Castle. "
"Sounds good!" Leorio grins broadly. "Then we can take a break !"
"... ..."
"..."
"No break?" The man in the suit is sweating. "Really not?"
"Let's talk about it when we're there." The blonde kurta spoke.
"Yes." The spiky-haired boy agrees.
...
...
When the village is reached, half the way will finally be done!
Hopefully the residents will be kind to Gon and his friends…
...
To be continued ...
Neo-Digital: cumbersome writing ...
Gon: Unimaginative?
Neo-Digital: No! No of course not!
Gon: ... ..
Leorio: She is unimaginative.
Kurapika. She just can't lie.