"OH MY GODS! THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE!"
Killua had to admit, he agreed wholeheartedly.
"Would you keep it down?" Kurapika snapped at Leorio, who was still screaming in awe. "You're making a scene!"
The group had made it up and out of the tunnel, Satotz had given an inspiring speech before opening the door and returning to the other side to pick up another group. Killua hadn't heard a word of that speech. He had been too distracted by whispering excitedly with Gon.
They had finally resurfaced, and the four had officially made it to Yorknew City!
They were only standing on the outskirts, but it was incredible nonetheless. From a sea of monotonous grass rose a soaring mountain range of steel and glass. The City was the biggest thing Killua had ever seen! They were a half a mile out, and had an incredible view of the place. It stretched out so far across the horizon line that Killua couldn't see where it ended! And the buildings! They were so tall! He had been expecting them to be tall and made of glass… but they were unlike anything he had ever seen! They looked alien!
"Kurapika, what are they?" Gon asked with wonder in his voice, face slack with wonder.
"They are called skyscrapers," the Elf answered. "The entire city is made up of large rectangular pillars just like those. All of them sport hundreds of rooms, and hundreds of windows. Come, let us enter. The others are already halfway there."
Kurapika led the way and the group of travelers approached the city. The buildings reached up to the sky like the maw of an enormous beast, and Killua felt as if the place would swallow him whole. Such a futuristic place like this, rising out of the grass like a phoenix from the ashes… it was a true sight to behold.
It even appeared to be glowing! The sky was a deep blue, and the sun shone overhead. There was not a cloud in the sky over the grassy expanse, but strangely enough there were many clouds above the city. There were also lights! Killua could barely make them out, but they were unmistakably there. Only thing was, they didn't appear to be from any fire or glowing crystal. The light was jarring and whitish, and reflected off the many windows.
The closer they got, the noisier the air became. Killua heard so many sounds, all of them foreign. As they got closer, he could see that the grass gave way to dirt, and that dirt gave way to a hard surface. The surface was almost like cobblestone… but different? There were no individual stones, it was all one giant surface! That surface was dark and black, and branched off into hundreds of streets that shot in between the buildings.
The Valkyrie noticed that they were approaching one street that seemed to be wider than the others. It was bustling with people of all shapes and sizes, of all colors and species. It was so loud.
Killua looked over at Gon, and Gon looked over at Killua.
Their eyes were wide in amazement, they were both shocked out of their minds!
This place was so foreign and strange!
So THIS is a city.
Leorio, Killua, and Gon followed Kurapika as he walked from the grass, to the dirt, and then to the hard surface. The surface surrounded the city like sand around a lake, and it was so hard! Heat waves rose up off of it, and Killua's shoes tapped against them with an unfamiliar feeling.
"This is called pavement," Kurapika said with a chuckle.
"Pavement?" Gon asked.
"What's it made of?" Leorio demanded.
"A sticky concoction called asphalt. It's sort of like tar… but meant for paving the ground, as you see here."
"Crazy shit," Killua commented.
The four officially entered the city, and Kurapika walked on the right side of the gap in the buildings. He led them across a slightly higher pavement, one in a white color rather than the black one. They walked right up next to the line of enormous buildings, and Killua craned his head to try to see the tops. It was like he was in a jungle! But one made of glass and steel. A sprinkling of people milled about the sidewalks, all of them walked with purpose, as if they knew exactly where they were going and had a million things to get done. No one was walking on the asphalt, though. That was weird.
"Why are we walking all off to the side?" Gon asked.
"The black pavement is called the road, and the white pavement - which we are on - is called a sidewalk. The road is for transportation devices, and the sidewalk is for pedestrian transit."
"What are these pole things?" Leorio asked, pointing to one of the tall poles that stretched up and curved a couple of feet out over the road.
"Those are street lights," the Elf answered.
"What are these red things?!" Gon asked as he poked one of the squat metal objects. They popped up seemingly at random, and were sprinkled about like sentinels throughout the expanse of the city.
"Those are fire hydrants," Kurapika said nonchalantly.
Killua glanced around as he walked, taking all of this nonsensical stuff in. Each building appeared to be residential, as there were no windows on the ground level. Come to think of it, most of the buildings here were made of bricks rather than metal and glass. From far out of the field, Killua had seen that the height of the buildings increased the further in you went, so this must be the outskirts of the city.
But still! This place is freaking incredible! And I thought the Neko-Village was obnoxiously large.
The group spent the next half hour walking, getting deeper and deeper into the village with every city block cleared. They walked at a brisk pace, and as they continued Killua observed the buildings get taller and more refined. Soon they were passing shops, restaurants, and places of business. Anything you could imagine seemed to be sold here!
As they walked Kurapika explained how things worked and what things did. Every building - everything - was lit up by these contraptions called lightbulbs. Everything here ran on the power of electricity, which served to explain any and all strange happenings. Kurapika told them about screens, radios, telephones, and indoor plumbing.
It was incredible!
And quite the shock, especially for Leorio. Killua and Gon took all of this in stride, it was so cool! Kurapika had explained that this was a metropolis unlike any other in the world. It was a jungle of futuristic architecture and technologies that did not reach the rest of their old-era world.
Killua had always been aware that alien species lived among the stars, and that they held fascinating technology that could instantly communicate and travel miles within seconds, he just hadn't expected any to be on the earth! It was like something out of the fantasy novels Alluka read!
"I think I understand why this place is shrouded in mystery," Killua commented. "No one who comes here ever leaves!"
"That is accurate," Kurapika said. "Although there are some who leave. And those who do are not common citizens. They are bounty hunters, gang members, and explorers. People that strive for adventure."
"Like Ging," Gon murmured.
They continued on in silence for a few more minutes, before Kurapika suddenly turned around and grinned at them. "We are about to enter the inner city!"
Gon and Killua cheered and high-fived.
"And that means?" Leorio prompted.
"Things are about to get extreme. Everywhere we have been so far has been a transitioning area of sorts. When we turn that corner up there, we will be in the true city. Once we do so, we will be able to acquire transportation to Heavan's Arena."
Killua met Gon's gaze and the two smirked at each other.
"Race ya?" Killua prompted.
"You're on!"
With that, the two boys were gone in a cloud of dust, sprinting off into the great unknown. Killua laughed in pure joy as he heard Leorio calling out after them. He and Gon sprinted down the sidewalk, dodging confused bystanders and hopping over cracks in the cement. They turned the corner and-
"Woah!" Gon yelled. Everything in sight was made of glass and steel, and the buildings were twice as high as before! There were ten times as many people on top of that, and there were these carriages speeding down the street that moved on their own!
Gon darted over to the edge of the street, and wrapped his arm around a tree to lean out across the asphalt. He laughed excitedly as the whoosh of a passing vehicle rustled his jacket and hair. Killua stood next to him, and the two stood watching the metal beasts rush by like a pair of cats watching fish.
Kurapika and Leorio caught up with them, and the second Kurapika was within ear shot Gon turned around and cried out: "Kurapika! What are those things?!"
The Elf laughed out loud, a complete opposite of Leorio, who looked about ready to have a panic attack. "Those are called cars. They run on gas, a gas like kerosine but a lot more powerful. They are machines, much like light bulbs."
"Sick!" Killua declared, and turned to the cars with a new appreciation.
"Can we get in one?!" Gon asked as he jumped up and down.
"Yes, that is the general goal," Kurapika chuckled.
"Can we just… sit down for a second?" Leorio asked, voice weak and overwhelmed.
Killua sauntered over to him and slapped him across the back, "Sorry old man! You'll just have to keep up! Is your age getting to you?"
"Asshole!" Leorio snapped, and lunged to grab at Killua's shirt, but the mercenary dodged away with ease.
"Guys! Come on!" Gon called in their direction. "Kurapika's gonna tame one!"
"Oo!" Killua exclaimed before darting back to where the other two were. Leorio followed him, but with much less energy.
"I'm not taming them, I'm just calling a taxi. Taxis are cars driven by people called taxi drivers. You pay them to take you places." Kurapika then stood on the edge of the sidewalk and held his hand in the air. Gon and Killua stood on either side of him and waited impatiently. Leorio leaned against the skinny tree and grumbled inaudibly to himself.
Within a couple of minutes, one of the cars pulled up beside them. It was bright yellow with a black checkered stripe down the side. There was a glowing triangular sign on the roof of the car labeled "taxi" in large black lettering. Kurapika pulled on a lever on the side, and opened a door. Within were three rows of seats, just like carriage seats. The first row held the driver, who sat behind a wheel and a dash covered in gauges and buttons. The seat beside him was empty save for a crumpled paper bag stained with food grease. The middle row had an empty row of seats, and was where Kurapika had opened the door two. The back row did not have a door, and was also vacant.
With a wicked smirk, Killua dove into the very back seat. Gon was quick to follow, and the two of them waited impatiently for Kurapika and Leorio to get in. The Elf stepped through the door and climbed through to the middle seat on the opposite side of the open door. Leorio plopped himself down in the seat closest to the open door, and slammed it shut behind him. He settled down with a shuddering sigh, and clutched his briefcase in his lap.
"Where to?" the driver - a Gargoyle - asked.
"Cherrygrave Drive on west side," Kurapika answered.
"Will do," the driver replied before switching gears, turning the wheel, and pulling back out onto the road. "Settle in for a long ride," he warned.
"That's fine, it is quite far after all," Kurapika responded casually.
The Elf pulled a strap across his chest and clicked it into a contraption at his side. "Buckle your seatbelts, everyone," he commanded. Leorio complied with shaking hands, but Killua didn't want to.
"Why?" he asked, not wanting to be confined to one place. He was sitting in between the middle and left seat anyways, the seat belt wouldn't fit over him. The silver haired trouble maker then flicked Gon in the forehead to prevent him from buckling himself into the rightmost seat.
"Because it is a safety precaution," Kurapika said with a stern look over his shoulder.
Killua gave him a cat-faced look, "Seems stupid to me. There aren't any straps in a carriage! I'm not wearing one!"
A golden eyebrow twitched. "Fine then. It's your funeral."
"Are you saying that our driver is incompetent? He seems to be skilled in his craft if you ask me, Kurapika," Killua drawled.
"I'm not saying that we will crash," Kurapika retorted. "I'm only saying that you will be 10 times safer with the belt on! What if someone darts into the road and we are forced to break? I assume you enjoy being thrashed around?"
"This gives me all the balance I need," Killua said while holding his tail up for show. "And besides, I can't switch windows if I have that stupid thing chaining me down."
"Switch windows, what do you mean by-"
With twin snickers, Gon and Killua swapped seats, the Valkyrie moving to the right side and the hybrid moving to the left.
Kurapika gave them looks of utter disbelief. "You're not supposed to do that! It's dangerous!"
"Why is it dangerous?" Killua asked in false innocence.
"Yeah!" Gon added.
Kurapika scoffed and turned back to face the front. "Whatever. It's a lost cause," he grumbled to himself.
Killua and Gon looked at each other, and then concealed giggles. For the next hour, they sat in the car looking out the window and chattering about the sights. Kurapika answered any questions they had, and with each explanation Killua got a greater understanding of this place. He and Gon switched seats several times, and more than once squashed up against a single window to observe something on a specific side of the road.
Kurapika had just finished explaining how the music radio worked, when Leorio finally broke his silence. "How are you two so normal about this?" he complained.
Killua scooted up in his seat and wrapped his arms around the middle headrest. He placed his chin on top of it and gave Leorio a questioning look. "What do you mean?" Gon moved in next to him, and leaned over the seat along with the Valkyrie. He rested his chin on Killua's left arm, and sat almost close enough to be on his lap. Sparks flew wherever Gon's leg brushed his, and the assassin willed himself not to blush.
"You two act as if none of this is strange in any way!" Leorio exclaimed. "Aren't you fazed even in the slightest?! This place is crazy! It's not like anywhere I've ever been! The buildings are weird, the sounds are weird, the lights are weird, even the food is weird! Just look where we're sitting! You've never seen anything like this car thing in your life! Aren't you at least a little bit freaked out?!"
Killua met Gon's amber eyes and they blinked at each other. All feelings about Gon's closeness aside, the silver haired boy turned his attention back to Leorio. Kurapika watched and listened to the conversation with interest. He wasn't weirded out at all either, but he had told them earlier that he had already been to Yorknew City before. So this was all normal for him.
"Leorio," Killua said to the goblin. "We live in a world of fantastical beasts and mind melting natural landscapes. There are dozens of different species, all of them living in different places with wacky cultures and homelands. Why would we be shocked by a place like this? If dragons breathe fire in the skies, and serpents make whirlpools in the seas, then why is any of this surprising?"
"Yeah!" Gon added. "I've been all over the world, and I've seen all kinds of crazy places and people! If you ask me, this place isn't that out of the ordinary on the scale of wild stuff."
"You'd have to be a very sheltered person to be this shocked by a change of scenery," Kurapika said. "I expected the three of you to be shocked upon arrival, but that was only because of the technology, noise, and incredible architecture. I did not, however, expect you to be this drawn aback. I agree with Gon and Killua, mind boggling sights are just a part of our world."
Leorio blinked at them. "I… fine, I admit that I have never been anywhere but my home. My homeland was a village on the other side of this grassy area. I've never seen anything like this before. It's just… strange to see you guys so unphased."
"That's because you're uncultured," Killua taunted.
Leorio glared at the Valkyrie. "Maybe so."
The Goblin retracted from the conversation to pout, and the other three continued enjoying the sights. Hours passed, and once sunset hit the driver broke the silence. "We will be crossing the Gate Golden Bridge," he said in that gruff voice of his. "The Bygone River cuts through Yorknew, and we've gotta cross it to get to the west side. It's one of the famous landmarks 'round here."
"Thank you for letting us know," Kurapika said happily.
Killua snickered, "Should I wake up Leorio?"
"Let him sleep, he'll just cause a fuss if we wake him up," Kurapika sighed.
Too bad, I really wanted to poke his face.
"KILLUA LOOK!" Gon yelled, only to be shushed by Kurapika. "Sorry," he whispered. "Killua look!"
The Valkyrie was looking, the bridge was enormous! They followed the road from their city street onto a ginormous solid gold bridge. It glistened in the light of the setting sun, and stretched out across a river hundreds of feet across. The water was liquid gold as it reflected the sun's dying light, and the sky was a burning orange.
Their car was just one of hundreds in a constant line of vehicles crossing the bridge. The metal machines were reduced to mere ants on the expanse of the bridge, which was several lanes across on either side. Luckily, they were on the far right lane and right next to the water with a flawless view. The skyscrapers were silhouetted in black, and the thousands of lights danced among the steel towers like fireflies.
Gon crushed himself up against Killua to get as close to the window as possible. He was half standing up with one foot on the floor of the car in between Killua's and his other knee leaning on the seat in between Killua's thighs. The silver haired boy suppressed a squeak from his closeness, and forced himself to look out the window instead of at Gon who was hovering over him.
He's so close. He's pretty much on top of me.
Killua's stomach flipped, and his head gave a twinge of pain.
"It's so pretty!" Gon whispered, marveling at the river that was on fire with sunlight. The orange glow from the water reflected in those amber orbs, and Gon's eyes looked like they were glowing. His speckled cheeks were bathed in the light of the setting sun, and his sharp teeth were bared in a winning grin.
Cheeks hot, Killua ripped his eyes away from Gon and focused on the view instead.
Why can't I be normal? It's just Gon!
The sun disappeared behind the buildings, and the river was bathed in the silvery light of the moon and stars. The streetlights came on over the road, and the ethereal glow of the night was drowned out by the never sleeping city. The car exited the bridge and was once again embraced by a sea of steel.
Night meant nothing to Yorknew, for everywhere Killua looked, colorful lights drove off the darkness. Everything was glowing, and the sky had an almost yellow color from all the light pollution. Commercials played on giant tv screens, and neon signs wove tales of exciting events to attend and products to buy.
It was so beautiful.
Gon settled black down on the seat, but didn't leave Killua's side. He sat flush up against the Valkyrie, and leaned against him to join him at the window. The two of them watched the flashing lights in a comfortable silence, and Killua willed his racing heart to calm.
Minutes ticked away, and within a half an hour Gon had nodded off. The hybrid's body went slack against Killua's, and his head fell to rest on the other boy's shoulder. The assassin held his breath, afraid that Gon would stay there, but also that he would wake up and move. With a decisive sigh, the horned boy drifted fully off.
Killua looked down at him in surprise. A blush spread from his face to his neck. He's never fallen asleep on me before… but I.. like it. I like it when he's this close, even though it makes me so flustered… it's easier when he's asleep though. A wave of pain assaulted his mind, but Killua ignored it. Gon was right here, sleeping against him. And that made him inexplicably happy. Warmth grew in his chest, and the crack in the mental barrier widened. Cracks spread out across it like a spider's web, I'm so close to breaking this wall down. And Gon is the key.
The silver haired assassin looked back out the window with a soft expression on his face and allowed himself to relax. Within moments, he had fallen asleep as well. A head of fluffy white falling against a head of course black-green.
Just as he drifted off, Killua shyly wrapped his tail around Gon's waist, wanting to keep him as close as possible. He slipped from consciousness, never realizing that Kurapika had watched this all transpire. Just as I suspected, the blonde thought to himself, and turned back to the window with a small smile on his elven face.
AN: Yorknew City Arc begins! we'll see how long this one ends up *enter skull emoji* hopefully not too horribly long with longer chapters and all!
