Chapter 1

A familiar scenario is displayed in front of them. A boy who's world just fell apart and a chimera ant with cat DNA staring at said boy. In Neferpitou's sight there was a human boy who's fallen into a deep sadness. Tears streamed down his face displaying evidence to Neferpitou that she hurt the boy with her words. The words she declared to him "he's already dead" echoed in his mind as his internal conflict has worsened.

It started when his mortal enemy the very same Chimera Ant who told him the heartbreaking news was the one who killed Kite. Gon went through several stages of grief before getting a chance to recuperate. Gon dreaded how weak he was, not being able to accomplish anything he tried to do right. Failure after failure, mistake after mistake, heart break after heart break, it all culminated into the feeling of despair he has surrendered to, Neferpitou was the target of his anger but now she was the cause of his despair. Gon's psyche was on the verge of collapse until Pitou's next words awoke something in him.

As she was using her medical ability to repair any internal damages to her arm, Gon wondered why she wouldn't heal Kite, still holding out some small hope in his heart that Kite is still alive...however to his dismay, Gon saw Pitou heal her arm that she broke prior in order to make a deal with him, further proving the fact that any previous leverage he had on her is now gone.

After healing her arm Pitou says "Gon. I'm sorry I have to say this...but I have to kill you now." In response the tears flowing down Gon's face stream even further. "For the King." Pitou says. In order to assure him that his final moments were near Pitou made a battle pose with her right arm being the focal point of her offensive position. Gon thought to himself "Kill me? Pitou's not going to heal Kite?" The internal conflict within his psyche had finally hit it's peak. An insidious aura slowly started to form inside the boy. This aura was evidently pure darkness. A corruption that resembled his hatred towards Neferpitou.

When a powerful nen user loses their will to live, an opportunity of even greater power becomes possible. Gon was going to use that opportunity to activate 'Covenant' a powerful nen ability that grants almost unlimited power to the user. However there is a condition for this power to be activated, in order to cast covenant one must enable a 'restriction' unto themselves in order to maintain the spirit of "give and take" of this powerful nen ability. An eternal curse that he'd have to live with for the rest of his days, this restriction needs to be equal to the amount of power he needs. Gon was willing to go through with the process of activating Covenant in order to defeat Pitou.

In this particular case; Gon Freecs' "Covenant" was to rapidly age into his future body within a matter of seconds allowing him to have the power of years worth of nen training. His restriction would be to never be able to use nen again. Ultimately while under the immense emotional stress he concluded it was worth it. The tension surrounding Gon and Pitou suddenly grew. Gon's body was wrapped in a red cloak symbolizing the the intense emotional pain he was in. Pitou sensed Gon's will perfectly, thus making her fear that he would be able to unleash a power greater than the king himself.

While flinching from the wind pressure that was building up, Pitou decided she needed to act before something bad happened. However before she could act, her consciousness faded and her entire world became pitch black.

Many would assume that a story's linear path is the the one truth that they've come to know and it can't be altered in any way. If an individual were to read a book over and over again, they would eventually find something new in the gaps of its paragraphs. Something new in between the lines. Something, "different", almost as if everything they thought they knew...was a lie.

In a mysterious astral plain a lone cat girl was floating through it's space, barely conscious she asked herself; "where am I". Neferpitou was floating a eerie space with no explanation of how she arrived there. Soon the entire area became clouded in mist and suddenly a silhouette of the boy who posed a threat to the king's life appeared. The very same Gon Freecs appeared before her with a menacing aura. The shadow reached out to Pitou and slowly gripped her neck with both of his hands. Pitou tried to fight back but she couldn't move. The hands of the boy were crushing her throat, tears started flowing down her face as she was suffocating she knew her life force was fading away.

She thought of her king one last time. The king who gave her a purpose, the king who she pledged her life too, the king who's name she never found out.

Pitou thought to herself "if it's me...then I guess that's okay. This way, the king will be safe."

A voice called out to Pitou as she was choking: "ma'am, can you hear me? Neferpitou-sama! Please wake up, you're having a bad dream!"

"A...dream?" She pondered.

"Neferpitou-sama please calm down! It's going to be all right." The voice said.

Pitou opened her eyes to be greeted by a new setting. She was laying in a hospital bed with with a very expensive looking setting. Many thoughts swirled in her head as she was trying to process what could have possibly happened to her. The person standing next to her bed smiled at her. Pitou looked at the individual confused. He was a chimera ant just like her, except his appearance showed evidence of him having DNA taken from a hippopotamus with noticeable big hands that contradict what a hippo's foot would look like. Thankfully she noticed that he had a rather gentle yet dignified vibe about him.

The hippo chimera ant looked at Pitou and broke the ice with "Good morning Pitou-sama. Welcome back to the land of the living!"

Pitou looked at the chimera ant with a justified, confused look on her face and asked "Where am I? What's going on here?" He replied with "You're in the palace ma'am."

Unfamiliar with her current surroundings, Pitou responded "I've never visited this part of the Palace."

The hippo chimera ant replied: "I understand. This is actually the medical ward of the palace. I assume you never had time to be here because you were busy with security for the palace by using your En. By the way my name is Doctor Hippotsu, but you can just call me Hippotsu ma'am. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Pitou-sama. Anyway, I understand you might have over a dozen questions for me. But before I can answer anything I'm going to have to ask you a couple of things first. Is that all right?"

Pitou was too exhausted to disregard what this person was saying. Although she wanted to leave and return to her king as quickly as possible but she's smart enough to know it's best to comply for now especially if she wants to find out what happened to her. "Fine Hippotsu, ask away...the sooner I can get out of here, the better."

"Good, let's get started." he replied. "The first thing I want to ask is, what is the last thing you remember?"

Neferpitou recalls the events of the palace invasion and Gon escorting her to a hideout somewhere in the country of the NGL. She recites the events asbest as she can until the point where she fainted.

"I then declared to him that I'd kill him but after that...the rest is a blur" she said.

Hippotsu looked at Pitou and asked her. "So...you don't remember actually killing this...Gon person? Hmmm..." Hippotsu questioned. Neferpitou couldn't recall what happened after she told Gon she would kill him. She remembers that the boy was in deep distress after he found out that she killed his mentor, but what happened after?

She than looks at the doctor and notices he has a heavy look of worry on his face as he writes something down on his notepad. "What's wrong?" she asks. "Hm? Oh it's nothing. Next question, "Do you know who rescued you and brought you hear?"

Pitou responded "Of course not and why would I need saving? He was just a kid." Pitou may have said that however she knew that she was denying how she felt about Gon's potential and how it made her dread the thought of him getting anywhere close to the king. She complied with his requests in order to keep his rage at bay and as far away from the king as possible. She just didn't want to admit it to this low ranking soldier ant.

Hippotsu looked at Pitou with a rather concerned look on his face and said "I-I see...well Neferpitou-sama someone did in fact save your life. The truth is you were on the brink of death after you lost to him" he continued while writing more notes on his notepad. He then attempted to ask the next question but-

Pitou cuts him off "What do you mean 'lost'? What are writing down there? And why do you look so worried?" Pitou's concern grew heavier and heavier.

Hippotsu responds with a nervous and slightly high pitch tone. "W-well it's just notes for me to reference to later on. I just want to make sure you're recovery is as smooth as possible."

Pitou was bit annoyed by that on obviously vague answer thus she was tired of listening to him and said "Okay, I'm leaving, I'm sure the king is waiting for me anyway." "Pitou-sama please wait!" The doctor exclaimed.

As Pitou tried to get up she felt a considerable amount of pressure on her legs, waist and forearms. Something was holding her down. "What are these things?" Get them off of me now!" Pitou commanded.

"Neferpitou-sama, I assure you it's for the best! Please, I know you're confused right now, but it's best if you just listen to me for now." The doctor pleaded. Pitou took this as an act of insubordination from the suspicious doctor. The thought of being held down by these straps was mortifying for her especially since she outranks the commoner soldier ant who she has no respect for in the first place. Her confusion, her fear and anger all combined into one strong emotion prompting her to use her strength in order to break out of the straps that were holding her down, and then lunged at the doctor.

Within seconds Pitou had her claws at the doctor's throat "You shouldn't piss me off doctor! Don't ever try to restrain me again! I don't care what questions you may have now, I'm leaving to find the king!" she declared.

Despite being terrified of Pitou's power Hippotsu begged her to stay "Neferpitou-sama, you won't like what you'll find...please let me explain!" he said rather nervously.

Pitou responded with "I don't have time for this." Pitou began walking towards the door to make her exit walking rather confidently with her tail twitching constantly, emphasizing her annoyance.

Hippotsu called to her "Neferpitou-sama I beg you! Please, the situation as you know it has changed. Please allow me to explain what happened to you!"

Pitou stopped walking and said "make it quick" and then turned around swiftly to look at the doctor who was still on the floor and scared due her threat a minute earlier.

Hippotsu answered her "Th-thank you." Hippotsu got up and and dustrd himself off before telling Pitou what he knows. "Neferpitou-sama...i'm sorry I have to tell you this but..."

There was a pause in his sentence, which only increased Pitou's concern even more, he then stated "you are the the only member of the royal guard left." "What are you talking about?" Pitou asked while her eyes widened.

Hippotsu repeated himself but made himself clearer "Neferpitou of the royal guard, i'm afraid the king is dead and you are the only member of the royal family left."

End of chapter 1