Killua hid his cat-with-milk-like smirk behind his glass as he took a long drag of water. Oito cut her eggs as if she were none-the-wiser, sly old hag. It had taken quite a bit of work and time, but Killua had managed to get himself sat next to Oito for meals, and Gon next to Wobble. He had informed Oito of their findings from the previous day, and the princess had divulged that she once again knew exactly where to go and what to do. She and Momoze had already located where the information would be in the library and once again all Gon and Killua had to do was show up and execute.

It makes sense. They've been sitting here suffering for 8 years now, painfully waiting for someone to come and change their circumstances. It's such an incredibly frustrating situation, and it's no wonder that they went ahead and figured everything out.

Killua kicked Gon's foot under the table to get his attention, and iridescent amber eyes turned to his own. The Valkyrie flicked his ear, and the faintest of smiles crossed Gon's features. Message received. After brunch, they would be slipped a sheet of paper from Momoze and follow the exact route on it, just like for sneaking into Domonique's quarters the day before. They would follow the route, lose Isolde, and then find the location of the door where it was recorded in the library.

Child's play.

…

The two boys traversed the shelves and shelves of books making up the royal library. This library was less of an architectural feat - like the other one - and more of a maze. It was a mess of winding shelves, nooks, cranies, and hidden passageways. If not for the map from Momoze, Killua would have been completely lost.

All that training for my impeccable sense of direction is rendered useless in this damned Neko-Hell.

Gon seemed to be enjoying himself, though so Killua enjoyed himself as well. He found that whenever Gon was happy, he was happy. And with that happiness came a certain warmth and fluffiness in his chest. It was paired with slight blushes and secret glances at Gon's face.

The fact that this phantom feeling was unknown - and getting stronger by the day at that - was driving Killua batty. However, he was all too aware of the wall Illumi had placed in his mind. Based on its imposing presence on his psyche, this bout of conditioning would require some serious effort to dispel.

Effort that Killua did not have time for at the moment.

Later, I'll figure this out later. I'll probably have time once we make it to Yorknew City.

Killua and his horned companion arrived at the end of their allotted path, and came face to face with Oito and Momoze. The two Neko-Women swished their tails in greeting, and Killua did the same.

"Let us not waste any time," Oito said. The four of them were standing in a small nook in between two of the many shelves. It was shadowy inside and rather cramped. Oito was standing before a seemingly normal section of the bookshelf.

"The key?" Momoze asked, and Killua handed it over. The Lordess passed the metal trinket to Oito, who proceeded to feel up the bookshelf until she found what she was looking for, and inserted the key. The raven haired woman twisted the key and the grinding of metal lock work tickled Killua's sensitive ears. The Neko-Princess pushed the bookshelf in, and it swung open in a hidden door.

"Woah!" Gon ogled, always quick to be impressed.

Killua, on the other hand, had grown up surrounded by hidden doors… all of which led to someone he had been tasked with killing. "This door is in such a random place, how did the two of you find it?" The Valkyrie inquired, pushing the cobwebs from his mind.

"It took years of investigation and searching. Yet we were unable to act on our discovery without the key," Momoze answered with a sigh, before motioning for the two boys to enter the hidden doorway. The four of them walked into a closet-tight space, Oito and Momoze practically squirming in anticipation.

I don't blame them. They are finally able to see this through.

Killua looked around the tight space, ignoring Gon's arm brushing against his. It was completely dark, and without his Valkyrie eyes he would be completely blind. The walls were uncharacteristically unadorned for the Neko-Village, and the only object in the space was a small lectern. The group crowded around it, and read the sheet of paper laid out across it.

"It's a map!" Gon declared.

"Ya don't say?" Killua teased, throwing a playful expression Gon's way. He was met with a stuck-out-tongue from his friend.

"Hidden cavern, deep beneath the palace," Momze read aloud, voice thick with emotion. Oito placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder, the two of them sharing a moment. Killua felt a little out of place, so he stepped closer to Gon. With shoulders flush against each other, the two boys inspected the map.

It depicted another secret passageway, this one located in an indistinguishable hallway, just another expanse of this labyrinth of a palace. The good thing about its location though, was that it would take quite the trek to reach, with plenty of time to lose Isolde and the hags. Getting to the actual door was the hard part, from there they just had to unlock it and walk down into the mountain through a tunnel shown on the map. In the heart of the mountain and miles beneath the Neko-Village the map revealed a cavern to be located.

The cavern was marked on the map with an x.

That x and the script Momoze had written were the only context given, but were more than enough to communicate that this was where the secret lay. Killua grinned at Gon and Gon grinned at Killua. They triumphantly exchanged their intricate handshake.

"The time for celebration has not quite arrived," Oito murmured reverently. "We still must arrange for the two of you to enter that passageway."

"Shouldn't be that difficult, right?" Killua said with a quirked eyebrow, everything had been a breeze so far, what with Oito's newly acquired help that was.

"Not quite," Momoze stated.

"Is it Isolde?" Gon asked in a dark tone.

"Yes," Oito responded with a solemn nod. "Though it is impossible for the two of you to tell, Isolde and her ilk are becoming restless. The two of you disappearing so often is wearing them thin. Soon they will push Camilla to take action. We must hurry and get into this passageway, lest my sister destroy the final clue."

"Final clue?" Killua grumbled. "I assume that it will be a key to open whatever the secret is."

Momze and Oito nodded.

The Dragonite prince rolled his eyes, "You people are too much, ya know that? Hasn't this mystery bullshit gone on long enough?"

"Believe me, we are just as impatient as you are," Oito reassured. "We are closer than ever. All we must do is lay out the plan, we can get the two of you to the passageway with no problem. We will distract Isolde and her coven as well. For now, the two of you reenter the palace and continue about your day as if everything is normal. Do not provoke Isolde in any way, we must keep her compliant for as long as possible."

"Alright," Killua grumbled.

"Will do!" Gon exclaimed.