Light tickled the backs of Killua's eyelids. He woke up with a start, hands morphing to claws as he scanned his surroundings. Always be alert as you wake, you never know when the enemy may be lying in wait for their chance to strike, the voice in Killua's mind said.

Killua glanced to his side, expecting to find Gon.

But once again was met with a sort of empty sadness when his friend wasn't there.

Not waking up in a pile is kinda… cold.

The Valkyrie missed Gon's warmth at his side.

The hell? Where are all these sappy thoughts coming from?

Killua grumbled as he dragged himself out of bed. The second his feet hit the ground, Circe and Eirisse breezed into the room followed by two more seamstress Neko-Girls.

"Lord Killua! Good Morning!" Eirisse called out happily.

Usually it's Gon who is the first to tell me good morning…

"We have the first of your personal outfits prepared for you, My Lord," one of the seamstresses said with a sparkling smile. The two Neko-Girls then held up an intricate looking mess made of silver and white.

That damned aesthetic again.

Killua sighed as he was pulled into his personal dressing room and stuffed into layers and layers of Neko-Clothing. He blushed as the straps were tightened, and stiffened up as leggings were pulled onto him. Finally the deed was done, and Killua glared at his reflection.

It was an unnecessarily frilly spin-off of his favorite outfit with the blue turtleneck and white shirt. The overlayer was a v-neck, just like his favorite white t-shirt. However, it was lined with silver fur and was stitched with an intricate pattern of thorns. Thorns that matched his tattoos. Speaking of his tattoos, they were completely covered up by a high-collared tight undershirt made of some sort of sparkling silver fabric. He looked down at his pants: a pair of leggings with some tight shorts over them. All lined with more annoying silver fur. He had on white leather boots which were HEELED- oh HELL no.

"What's with the heels?" Killua complained as he inspected his shoes.

"It's the hottest style at the moment!" One of the seamstresses declared, and Eirisse nodded happily along with her. Killua fixed Circe - who was hiding a giggle behind her hand - with a glare.

"Come now," Circe addressed him. "They're not heels, Lord Killua. They are just like any other dress shoe you would wear."

"Any other dress shoe I would wear doesn't have two inch heels!" Killua retorted.

"Ah, you'll get used to them, My Lord!" Eirisse said as she got all up in his face and lined his eyes with silver glitter. Killua tried to get away, but Circe held him in place.

"You know I hate you, right?" Killua mumbled.

"I am aware," Circe responded with a rare grin.

Once the hags had finished dotting all over him, Killua was led to their dining room for breakfast. A shadow had been following him all morning, and had only been enhanced by the glitter eyeliner, but it was blown away the second he entered the room.

"Killua!"

Gon.

He was practically glowing, Killua's heart skipped a beat, he had never been so happy in his life. His face split into what he was sure looked like a stupid, lopsided grin, but he couldn't contain it.

"Hey, Gon," he said. Trying and failing to keep the happiness out of his voice.

The hybrid was dressed in black and gold. His clothes were a spin off of his usual green get up: a high collared cropped jacket lined in golden fur, over a black undershirt stitched in a plaid pattern, all over a pair of black trousers. He had knee high boots like usual, but these were far more high-class (and far more heeled). He had sparkly golden eyeliner, and his hair had been messed with to the point that it didn't stand up as much as it normally did. His horns had been capped with little golden rings, and his sharp teeth were split open into the most glorious grin.

"I know it was only one night, but I missed you so much for some reason!" Gon declared as he slung his arm around Killua's shoulders.

"How can you just say that," Killua mumbled, hiding his eyes behind his hair. Eyes that were softened and glowing with emotion. He read my mind.

And so for the next three days they fell into a pattern.

They would get up each day, eat breakfast, either go to brunch or the gym (depending on the day), then up until dinner wander around the village with Circe as their escort. Isolde, Nix, and Zephyr would tail them everywhere they went, but it was becoming increasingly easy to lose the three of them in the crowds.

Speaking of crowds, Gon and Killua were becoming incredibly popular with the Neko-Girls. There were always crowds approaching them when they came out to wander the streets, and although they never gathered any useful information, it was progress nonetheless.

They would spend at least two hours searching around the forbidden zone each day, hunting for some sort of clue about Domonique. Other than learning a lot about the serpent's weak points and the fighting style of the warriors of eight years past, they found no important information.

Each night they would eat dinner with the court. And each day Killua would be stuck with Tyson. Gon would sit with Wobble, and the Princess was coming further to their side with each meal. Hopefully she would spill some important information soon.

The two boys became more accustomed to the culture of the Neko-Village, and were slowly getting used to the fast paced lives the Neko-Girls led. They also became more and more aware of Camilla's presence each passing day. Whenever they would bring up anything to do with the serpents or the warriors, a hush would fall whoever they were with. The shadow of the High Priestess loomed over everything, and with each dinner the air between the two Lords and the High Priestess got ever thicker.

She knew they were nosing around, and she didn't like it.

But her hands were tied down by her own dedication to tradition.

There was nothing she could do.

Gon and Killua hid their tracks with skill, and knew that Camilla only had a vague idea of what they had been doing. All she knew is that they spent hours with the villagers and would disappear periodically throughout the day, and by the time Isolde found them again they would be innocently interacting with the villagers as if nothing was amiss. For all Camilla knew, they had discovered all there was to know about the warriors, and it was that lack of knowledge that made the animosity between the three tenser by the hour.

But the truth of the situation was that they had gotten zero headway in their investigation.

Killua yelled in frustration into one of Gon's fluffy black pillows.

"It's been three days now and we haven't learned ANYTHING!" He complained.

Gon tossed a pillow into the air and caught it, as he had been doing for the past five minutes. "Yeah, it is annoying. We've been searching every day, and what we have accomplished is helpful but doesn't get us any closer to solving Domonique's mystery."

Killua flipped over and crossed his arms. His hair was all staticy and stuck out in every direction. "Knowing these stupid ass Neko-Girls and their stupid ass tendencies, we won't be able to find anything out unless we talk to the right person."

"Then I'd say we're getting pretty close!" Gon declared optimistically as he caught and threw the pillow once again.

Killua peeked up at Gon from under silver lashes. He always thinks so positively.. the complete opposite of me. How are you so light? Are you not frustrated by the situation at all?

The silver-haired boy watched Gon's face. His amber eyes were bright and happy as ever. The muscles in his arms flexed beneath this ruddy-tan skin as he caught and threw the pillow over and over again. The speckles across his cheeks made him look so sweet and innocent… in heavy contrast with the horns and sharp teeth.

No. He's not frustrated in any way. He's just having fun. Just enjoying this little adventure. He's so bright, such a happy person. Rather than getting frustrated and sick of all this court drama like I am, he's focusing on the good rather than the bad and enjoying himself. He's so light.

Killua's chest fluttered.

"Why do you say that?" Killua finally responded.

Gon fixed him with a radiant smile, amber eyes glowing. "We've spent the past three days talking with so many people! Since we haven't found the right one yet, then that must mean we're getting really close!"

Killua's heart skipped a beat. "You're always so optimistic."

"Yeah! Looking on the bright side is way better than being negative all the time!

The Valkyrie hid his eyes behind his hair and sat up. His tail fidgeted on the sheets beside him. "How do you do it?"

"Stay positive? That's easy! I just stay positive!" Gon declared as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"You just 'stay positive?' Wow, such detailed instructions." Killua said it with sarcasm, but in reality he was touched by the words. They made his chest warm, it was such a Gon thing to say. Such a Gon way to look at things. As if it's the easiest thing in the world… It's amazing. It's amazing how you always shine so brightly. I would be lost without you. I've been lost my whole life, I owe you everything.

Killua sighed, his thoughts kept going in sappy directions recently. "I really hope I won't be stuck next to Tyson at dinner again," the Valkyrie commented, changing the subject.

"You probably will be!" Gon said in a voice that was way too happy. "Camilla's doing everything she can to prevent us from moving any further."

"Asshole," Killua retorted as he snatched the pillow from Gon's hands and crushed it against his chest. It smells like him… wait what? The hell? Why am I think about stuff like that all of a sudden-

Killua gasped as Gon pinned him to the bed, sitting on his hips. The hybrid grabbed the Valkyrie by the wrists and pried them away from the pillow. With a wicked grin he lifted Killua's hands over his head and held them down. He then leaned in-

What?! Killua's heart was going a million miles an hour.

-And grabbed the pillow with his teeth, effectively taking it away from the other boy.

Gon cackled around the pillow as he leaned over Killua. The silver haired boy couldn't think straight, his face was on fire and he couldn't stop thinking about how Gon was sitting on his waist-

The hybrid got off of Killua, and returned to laying on his back and tossing the pillow up in the air. The Valkyrie sat up. Panting. Hyperventilating? What! Had! That! Been!

"All that trouble," Killua paused to swallow, his throat dry as ever. "Just to get the pillow from me?"

Gon only giggled.

Killua's heart gave another lurch.

"How much does that damned pillow mean to you?!" Killua demanded, face flaming and just getting back his ability to move.

"Victory~~" Gon taunted in a playful voice.

Killua scoffed, and dragged his hands down his face. What was that all of a sudden? Where did that come from? I mean, we rough house all the time but something about that was different- he was sitting on my waist and hovering over me and- Gods, my heart is beating like crazy what the hell- Ya know what? I refuse to acknowledge it! It was nothing, just roughhousing like we always do. No need to overthink anything.

I just wish my stomach would stop twisting this way…

Gon suddenly tensed up. Killua glanced over at him, and a split second later a blood curdling roar shook the entire village.

The two boys both shot to their feet.

"The serpent!" Gon exclaimed with a fire in his eyes.

"It's back." For once with perfect timing.