The next morning after breakfast Killua and Gon walked out beside Oito.
Killua could feel Camilla's prying eyes against the back of his head, but he ignored it.
"Oito-" he started.
"-I know. Go to the front entrance at 11 o'clock. Momoze will be there to take the two of you to the sacred garden."
"Woah! How did you know?" Gon asked, eyes sparkling with wonder.
"As I am sure you already know, I am all in for this plan. Do not doubt my dedication or influence. My sister is not the only one with connections," Oito gave them a pointed look. Then she changed her expression to a lighthearted smile and made a show of waving them goodbye and walking in the other direction.
The two boys watched her go for a couple of seconds, then turned to go to their wing of the palace. Killua sensed the presence of Isolde and her hags trailing them, and he met Gon's gaze knowingly.
Finally sick of this constant babysitting, Killua called over his shoulder: "Learn to conceal your presence! Your aura sticks out so strongly it gives me a headache!" The Valkyrie smirked as he felt a prickle in that presence, he had pissed them off.
Gon giggled, and looked at Killua. They grinned, making a silent decision, and then sprinted down the hall, losing their pursuers with ease. The two boys were a flash of black and white as they darted through the maze of the palace. Maids gasped and pressed themselves against the walls as they rushed by, and Killua laughed out loud as one even screamed. They arrived at their wing within a couple of minutes, and parted ways for the time being so that they could get ready. This was not something they could be late for.
…
Gon and Killua descended the front stairs, Gon's sixth sense was going wild. Isolde had quite the entourage for trailing them today. Momoze and Nerezza were waiting for them in front of that black and white carriage.
"Killua," Gon asked. "Isn't it a bad idea to keep going out the front door? Isolde can see us, and Camilla knows we're leaving because of it."
Killua sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Oddly enough, in this situation it is a better move to go out the front door. It's super suspicious, yes, but if we were to sneak out it would be even more suspicious. Thankfully, we already expressed interest in touring the sacred garden, so this isn't too horribly out of the ordinary."
"Greetings, my Champions! It is wonderful to see you!" Momoze greeted with a voice like honey.
"It's good to see you too, Madame Momoze!" Gon said with a happy little smile.
"Yo," Killua said simply with a peace sign.
"Come, let us enter the carriage! If we are to arrive at 12 then we must leave at once."
The two boys complied, and climbed into the carriage after the curly haired Lordess. The seating arrangement was the same as it had been the previous night, only with Momoze in Circe's spot.
Once Nerezza cracked the reins and the carriage started its journey, Momoze sighed in relief and eyed the two boys. "I understand that the two of you are intending on slaying the final serpent and helping us overthrow the High Priestess?"
Wow, right down to business.
"Yes," Gon and Killua said in unison.
Momoze smiled, a crescent of pearly white. "Simply wonderful! Now, the sacred garden is fully and unconditionally under my control, so the two of you will be able to meet with Kerrin without any fear of intrusion. Isolde may be trailing you for the moment, but as it stands she has no permit to enter the sacred garden."
"Perfect, I'm glad to hear that you have planned for every contingency," Killua said.
"Yes! Now would you like to hear the history of our sacred garden and the religious meaning behind our trees?"
"Yes!" Gon declared, ignoring Killua's annoyed groan.
Killua can hate stuff like this all he wants but I think it's interesting!
…
"And that concludes the history!" Momoze declared as the carriage rolled to a stop.
"Woah! That's so fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!" Gon exclaimed happily. He could tell that Killua was a hair's length away from clawing his eyes out, Gon snickered at the thought. He really had no patience!
The three of them exited the carriage, and Gon took in the scene in awe. They were in some sort of underground tunnel, with dark bricks lining the curved ceiling. Before them was a set of enormous dark oak doors gilded in gold and diamonds. Torches burning with blue flames drove off every shadow, giving the illusion of daylight.
Momoze led them to the door, and grabbed each of the ring-shaped door knobs. She looked at the two of them over her shoulder. "Are you ready to see our prized possession?"
"Yes!" Gon exclaimed.
"Just open the door already," Killua grumbled.
With a dramatic flourish, Momoze flung the doors open, and led the two boys into the largest greenhouse Gon had ever seen. It was an enormous underground dome, with the ceiling built from more dark bricks. The space was enormous, and had to be 500 feet in height! On the roof was a huge skylight surrounded by meticulously arranged crystals that reflected the sunlight in every direction, lighting the space perfectly without the need of any torches. Mist poured from various holes in the walls, and giant dark oak trees shot up towards the ceiling. Their trunks were almost as wide as the ones from the forest Gon and Killua had traveled through, and their leaves were a deep black-green. Mist covered the ground, and whispered in and out of the maze of trunks. The ground was covered in a thick layer of minty-green moss, and the entire place smelled earthy and fresh.
"This place is incredible!" Gon all but yelled as he spun in circles, eating the space up with his eyes. Even Killua looked impressed!
"Thank you, I am touched that you enjoy our garden. This place is a sacred religious ground, as I explained to the two of you. Normally I would explain the history and give a tour now that we are inside, but because the purpose of this visit is a meeting with Kerrin I already told you in the carriage." Momoze gestured to the trees, "Follow that path there, and you will find Kerrin in the center of the sacred forest."
Gon followed Momoze's gaze, and saw a reflective path paved in diamonds that led into the trees. "Thanks so much, Madame Momoze! You're the best!" he said excitedly, before grabbing Killua's hand and running giddily down the path and into the trees. Momoze waved to them as they departed, and soon the two boys were swallowed up by the misty underground forest.
"Woah! Isn't this place amazing?!" Gon asked Killua as he darted from tree to tree, running his hands over each and every moist trunk.
"Yeah, they have a tropical climate in the heart of these freezing mountains. It's pretty cool," Killua responded as he appreciated the flora. The Valkyrie bent down to pick up a fallen leaf, he held it up next to Gon's face as they traversed the path.
"It matches your hair," he said softly.
Gon's eyes widened, and he gazed into Killua's sapphire orbs. "It does!" he said. Killua held his gaze, eyes soft and a slight brush over his cheeks. As Gon stared deeply into his friends eyes, he felt a tiny warmth, little more than a candle flame, start to alight. Killua's eyes were sparkling with an unidentified emotion, and Gon couldn't look away. It was as if their gazes were magnetized together.
Gon felt himself slowly, ever so slightly, leaning forward-
But the moment broke when he sensed Kerrin's presence.
Killua dropped the leaf and stuffed his hands back into his pockets as the tall woman materialized out of the mist. "So you made it," she said with a smirk on her face.
"Yeah," Killua replied, his voice slightly higher than usual. "But you already knew we would."
Kerrin chuckled, "You caught me. Oito, Momoze, and I orchestrated this entire meeting. All for the sake of the village," her tone turned from playful to deathly serious at the end. "Come, walk with me."
The two boys obliged, more than ready to solve this mystery.
After walking in silence for a couple of minutes, Kerrin started to speak. "As I am sure you are already aware, I am a former Warrior. I fought underneath Princess Dominique, and am one of the few survivors of the battle with the serpents. The two of you are searching for the answer to Domonique's secret so you can defeat the final serpent. And I know what that secret is."
Gon looked at Kerrin with wide eyes, and felt Killua doing the same.
"But I cannot tell you what that secret is."
"The hell?" Killua demanded. "Why the fuck not?!"
"Language, boy. We are on sacred grounds," Kerrin scolded. "As I was saying, the two of you are searching for Domonique's secret. And already know that Camilla holds a part of that secret in her grasp. The two of you made the right move in keeping your investigations clandestine, otherwise Camilla would have destroyed it by now."
"Okay, now we've summarized what we already know, what's the new information you have for us?" Killua asked, impatient as always.
"I cannot tell you what Domonique's secret is, but I can tell you where it is."
"Why can't you tell us what it is?" Gon asked.
A glaze crossed Kerrin's face, she opened her mouth, and stuck her tongue far out. The two boys gasped, there was a pitch black tattoo in the shape of a slain serpent across her tongue. "I am bound not to tell," Kerrin stated. "I am quite literally incapable of disclosing any information other than that I have been allowed to."
"This Domonique lady really meant business," Killua said with a whistle.
"Indeed she did," Kerrin said before continuing. "In the late Princess's quarters, a key is hidden. This key unlocks a door deep within the mountain. Past that door is a chamber. In that chamber lies Domonique's secret. Domonique predicted her mother's actions, and knew that Camilla would prevent anyone from fighting, so she knew that the only way to defeat the final serpent and free us from their monstrous grasp would be to do things by the books. And use an outsider to clear the barriers Camilla would without a doubt set."
"Okay…" Gon said, sort of understanding.
"So there's a key in Domonique's quarters in the palace. That unlocks her secret. So what does Camilla have if it isn't the key?" Killua asked.
"You will find out once you discover the secret," Kerrin answered.
"Okay… can you tell us how much Momoze and Oito know?" Killua asked next.
"Yes. Oito and Momoze only know that something of importance lies in Camilla's possession, and something else of importance lies in Domonique's quarters. They were unable to find anything else out, as I am only permitted to tell what I just told you to a worthy outsider."
Killua grumbled, "This is all unnecessarily complicated and dramatic. Classic Neko-Village bullshit."
Kerrin chuckled darkly, "That is the truth if I ever did hear it."
Gon furrowed his brow, thinking. "Can you tell us exactly where the key is hidden?" he asked of the former Warrior.
Kerrin's eyes glinted. "Yes, just the words I was waiting to hear. You just unlocked my tongue regarding that information. The key is hidden under the third floorboard against the wall under the bed."
"Awesome!" Gon cheered.
"Nice job Gon!" Killua congratulated as he slung his arm across Gon's shoulders.
"Yes, the two of you are closer than ever to freeing us from the serpents. Now run along and return to the palace. Inform Momoze of everything I just said, and herself and Oito will make arrangements to get you into Domonique's quarters," Kerrin instructed with a smile.
"Yay! Thank you, Kerrin!" Gon exclaimed. "Come on, Killua! Race you to Momoze!"
"You're on!"
Kerrin chuckled good naturedly as she watched the two boys sprint in the other direction. You were more correct than I could have ever imagined, Domonique. These two will outwit Camilla yet.
…
Killua felt a bit of the building tension in his shoulders release as he finally finished explaining everything to Momoze. He leaned back in his seat, and tuned out Gon and the Lordess' casual chatter.
He had been on edge ever since that moment in the forest-
He had been trying his best to hide it, but that effort only caused him to get all tense.
Gon, Gon was gonna-
The Valkyrie's face flushed as he replayed that moment again and again. He hadn't been able to stop himself from picking up the leaf, the entire sacred forest just reminded him so much of Gon. He had surprised even himself, however, when he had actually voiced his thoughts. The leaves had been the exact color of Gon's hair, and Killua had actually TOLD him that.
I can't believe I did that!
The silver haired boy suppressed the urge to pull strands of that silver hair out. His chest squirmed whenever he thought about it. He had actually told Gon that the leaves matched his hair! The hybrid really loved nature, and something about comparing him to it in that way felt… intimate.
And then, and then there had been this feeling between them. Killua's heart would start racing whenever he thought about it, and he hated it so much. But that feeling was so… was so…
AHGOJOewgoewOIFJKL, my head hurts whenever I think about it. Damned Illumi and his conditioning.
The runaway prince simply did what he always did to overcome the mental training, he thought about it anyways.
I was staring into Gon's eyes, and he was staring right back at me… it felt like our gazes were stuck together. It was so intense, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Then he started leaning forward, it was so slight, so incredibly subtle, but he definitely did!
A sharp twinge of pain shot through Killua's skull, and he barely managed to conceal his wince.
Fuck, that hurts. I'm just gonna have to stop messing with this particular barrier.
Shit, I wish I could think about it without all this pain! I know it means something but I can't process it because of Illumi's conditioning. What could it be? What could it be between Gon and me ("just YOU, there's nothing on Gon's end," Illumi's voice whispered in the recesses of Killua's mind) that Illumi needed to get rid of like this? I hate all this so much. His conditioning is like a needle stuck in my head, controlling my every move.
It would be so much easier if it were just a needle, then I could just rip it out all at once.
But with this conditioning, I have to take down each wall individually.
I can't compute what it is or why it's there… but Gon gives me this bubbly feeling. It's growing every day. And when we were staring into each other's eyes… it got a hell of a lot stronger. What is it? It'll drive me out of my mind but…
Killua looked over at Gon, and watched the happy-go-lucky boy converse with the Neko-Woman. He was so happy, so expressive. He was so light. It was no wonder the sight of him warmed Killua's chest, Gon was the sun. He spread warmth and life wherever he went. Even if he seeped a dangerous and cold aura, that was nothing on his true personality. His blood did not define him, not in any way.
And Killua was coming to accept that mindset more and more with each passing day.
The Valkyrie felt himself calm, and set his mental war aside for now.
Gon makes me so happy.
It comes with baggage, baggage that I can't unpack as I am now. But that doesn't matter, all that matters is Gon. Because as long as he's here with me, that's all I could ever ask for.