"Aniki!" a harsh scream tore from Killua's throat as he ran to Illumi's side, skidding on his knees beside the prone, unconscious figure on the floor.

Alluka and Kalluto remained huddled in the doorway, their beady, round eyes wide with fright. Neither of them had seen so much blood before. In fact, they hadn't even known the human body could hold that much blood.

Killua was absolutely frantic with panic, his head pounding and chest aching with a horrible sense of dread, of regret. This never would have happened if I had stayed with them. My siblings had to suffer needlessly because of me. His thoughts were like a broken record playing the same phrases over and over again as he tentatively pressed two fingers to Illumi's throat, searching for the pulse point.

Illumi's long, shiny black hair was strewn out around his head in a tangled mess, giving the appearance of spilt ink. His skin was paper-pale and alarmingly cold to the touch. Killua noticed the numerous bruises forming along the soft skin lining Illumi's throat and collarbone, which was completely exposed thanks to the V-neck shirt he wore. But those bruises weren't the reason for all the blood. Killua dared not look down any further than his brother's bruised neck, because if he did, he would see Illumi's hands.

His hands were a mangled, broken mess, fingers slit open and bent at odd angles, palms bruised, swollen and covered with gashes. Some of the longer, deeper gashes ran all the way up from the back of his hands to his forearms. The skin along his wrists was torn in some areas, revealing the bleeding pink flesh beneath. It was a truly horrible sight, and if Killua looked at what used to be soft, gentle hands that had held him and reassured him so many times, he knew he would throw up. So, he didn't look, instead remaining entirely focused on finding Illumi's pulse.

"I-Is Aniki...?" Alluka started to ask, but Killua immediately interjected.

"No, he isn't dead. He can't be dead." as if on cue, he found a weak, fluttery pulse point throbbing beneath Illumi's skin. It was extremely faint, but it was there. Killua heaved a silent sigh of relief. "He's just unconscious. We need something to bind his hands with. Quickly."

Alluka and Kalluto nodded tersely and ran down the hallway hand-in-hand, footsteps clicking loudly against the marble floor and echoing off the beautiful crystalline walls.

Once they were gone, Killua finally allowed himself to break. "Oh, Aniki, what have they done to you?" he whispered, feeling tears pricking at his eyes, threatening to come tumbling down his cheeks. He choked them down, trying to swallow the aching sense of remorse tearing at his heart with icy talons.

As if on cue, Illumi suddenly stirred and let out a soft, almost inaudible sound that might have been a low groan of pain. Suddenly Killua found himself staring into a pair of familiar, snake-like black eyes.

"Killu...?"

Killua tried to offer his brother a reassuring smile, but it probably looked more like a pained grimace. "Yeah, it's me. I'm here." his middle and forefinger remained pressed against Illumi's throat, the pulse there a constant reassurance that the ravenet was alive.

"Oh..." a weak, shuddering sigh escaped Illumi's lips. "I thought you forgot about me..."

Killua's heart shattered. "No, Aniki, I would never. I came back for you and Alluka and Kalluto. I'm here now." he wished he could undo his decision to leave his siblings behind, wished he could have found a way to keep them with him. "I'm sorry I've been gone for so long."

Illumi blinked a couple times, taking a moment to process what he was hearing. "It's okay." he said, after a long pause. "Mother a-and Father never told me you were coming, otherwise I would have tried to make myself l-look more presentable." his thin, weak voice wavered, making it obvious he was in a lot of pain.

"Only you could be worried about your appearance even as you're bleeding out on the floor." Killua shook his head sadly, reaching out to brush a few loose strands of black hair out of Illumi's face. He noticed how those abysmal black eyes were beginning to drift shut and quickly added, "I need you to stay awake, okay? Don't close your eyes."

"I'm so tired, Killu..."

"Look at me, it's okay. Just focus on me. Don't close your eyes." Killua noticed how the thick crimson fluid on the floor had gotten into Illumi's hair, matting it. He figured it would be best to keep Illumi talking so he wouldn't fall unconscious again. "What happened to your hands, Aniki? Who did this to you?"

"M-My hands?" Illumi paused for a moment, as if confused. Realization dawned on him a moment later and he asked, "Is that why everything hurts so badly?"

"You don't remember?" Killua's eyes widened slightly. The guilt gnawing away at his insides was making him feel nauseous.

"No... s-sorry... I think I hit my head on something the first time I fell..."

"Don't apologize, it's alright. What happened before you fell for the first time? Do you remember where you were?"

"N-No... But... I think Father pushed me and I slipped on the blood on the floor. I was right by... a table, I-I think... and must've hit my head on the corner of it." Illumi shifted slightly, a tiny whimper of pain managing to escape his throat.

Killua's heart tore a little more. He couldn't believe so much had happened while he was away. He was able to piece together on his own that Illumi had hit his head after something mutilated his hands. "Do you remember what happened after that?"

"I... I didn't want Alluka and Kalluto to see the blood, i-it would scare them. S-So, I made my way here. But I couldn't stay awake for some reason. I think I passed out."

"I see. Well, you have nothing to worry about. I'm gonna get you out of here." Killua promised, gently lifting Illumi's head from the floor and placing it in his lap so he could examine it for injuries. There was a nasty bruise forming along the side of Illumi's scalp, beneath his tangled mess of hair.

Illumi winced as Killua's deft fingers tentatively brushed strands of long, black hair aside to reveal the bruise. "I-I really missed you..."

"I missed you too, Aniki. But it's alright now. I'm not going anywhere without you. Gon and I are taking you back home with us." Killua reassured, trying to keep his voice as soft and soothing as possible. "You'll be safe there."

"A-Alluka and Kalluto?"

"Yeah, they're coming with us. I'm not gonna leave them all alone."

"Okay..."

A moment later, Alluka and Kalluto slipped into the room. Kalluto had a roll of gauze bandage clenched in one tiny fist, clinging tightly to his sister's hand with the other. Their eyes were wide with shock, and their steps were soft and cautious.

"Is Aniki okay?" Kalluto squeaked out.

"He will be." Killua reached out and took the roll of bandage from his brother, offering him a reassuring smile as he did. "Can one of you run and get Gon and Kurapika? I'm gonna need their help with this, I can't carry Aniki by myself."

"N-No, don't." Illumi rasped, making an effort to lift his head from Killua's lap. "I can walk a short distance with help."

"Absolutely not. You're letting us carry you. I know isn't ideal, but you've lost a lot of blood. Let us help you."

"I'm f-fine. I can do it."

Killua considered this for a moment as he began wrapping one of Illumi's badly damaged hands with the roll of gauze Kalluto had given him. "Alright. Let me finish wrapping your injuries and we'll see how you're doing then."

Illumi flinched and let out a tiny whimper of agony when Killua pulled the bandage tight. "I know what you're doing here, K-Killu. We'll get out a lot faster if you let me try and walk." he reasoned, as a means of covering up the pained sound he made. "I'm not as weak as you think I am."

"You hit your head and fainted upon coming in here. Hell, you can't even remember what happened to your hands. I don't think you realize how much blood you're lying in right now." Killua shot back, giving his brother a look that implied he was both not amused and extremely concerned. "A high pain tolerance does not make you capable of walking after so much blood loss, Aniki."

"I can do it." Illumi repeated, as if he were a broken record stuck on loop. His breathing sounded more like agonized wheezing at this point than it did actual breath, almost as if his lungs were too exhausted to keep pulling air in.

Killua grimaced, shaking his head in disbelief. He's obviously not okay, I don't know who he thinks he's fooling. But he's also right. We'll cause a lot less commotion on our way out if he's walking, which will give us more time to get away before Mother and Father realize what's going on. The wheels in Killua's head were spinning as fast as possible, desperate to find a solution that worked for everyone. Alas, it seemed that wasn't possible, because he let out a defeated sigh a few moments later.

"Alright, fine. But at least let me support you. I don't want you to faint again."

Illumi managed the weakest, tiniest ghost of a smile. "D-Deal."

A few moments later, his hands had been completely wrapped up, the bandages wound around everything from his fingers to his elbows. He almost immediately sat up and set about trying to get his feet underneath him, but because he had lost so much blood and was in a lot of pain, he couldn't manage much of anything until Killua helped him out.

He may never be able to properly use his hands ever again. Those wounds he had were so deep, so terrifyingly gruesome that I doubt he'll fully recover. And what about the mental anguish? He may act as calm as a sleeping angel but that doesn't change the fact he's probably screaming inside right now. Killua thought, a troubled frown crossing his face. He guided Illumi's arm so it was looped through his own, linking them at the elbow.

"If walking around gets too difficult, lean against me. No exceptions." the snowy-haired boy said, firmly.

"N-No seriously, Killu, I'm fine." Illumi said, giving a slight shake of his head. He was so pale that if he laid back down and closed his eyes, he'd look dead. "I can't feel it anymore. My hands went numb a few minutes ago. In fact, I-I can't feel anything at all right now. I'm just... c-cold."

"Oh god." Killua's eyes widened slightly. "You're going into shock. We need to go. We need to go right now." he immediately started walking as quickly as possible with a very shaky, off-balance Illumi in tow.

Alluka and Kalluto exchanged worried glances before following their older brothers out, hand-in-hand. They had been watching everything unfold in stunned silence, unable to process what was happening because it was so surreal to them, like a horrible nightmare they couldn't wake up from. Even though they'd been abused all their lives too, they weren't used to seeing so much blood.

Gon had been standing around just inside the palace gates, waiting with Kurapika and the carriage driver. He wasn't sure what was taking Killua so long, and was beginning to worry.

The Southern Prince kept his head on a constant swivel, eyes scanning over the dwindling crowd of people in the large room. Most of the people that had been present earlier had disappeared, and the rest looked to be wrapping up whatever business they had there. It was obvious how heavy the Japanese culture was in the Northern Kingdom. The women wore kimonos of varying colors and patterns beneath their coats, tied off at the waist with pastel-colored sashes. Some of the men had sheathed katanas hanging off their belts, while others were completely unarmed.

Gon glanced over at Kurapika, whom was standing beside him with his hands clasped neatly behind his back, concealing the chains wound around his fingers. Kurapika was such a mysterious person, despite how calm and soft he usually was. After all, he'd never explicitly stated why he'd taken such a strong interest in becoming part of the royal guard in the Southern Palace.

"Kurapika?" Gon called out.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Call me Gon. Anyway, what inspired you to become a bodyguard?"

Kurapika frowned slightly. "What makes you ask such a thing?"

"I'm really worried about my Killua, he's taking a lot longer than I thought he would. I figured I'd talk to you to pass the time." the tan boy shrugged, shuffling his feet anxiously.

The blonde sighed and looked down at the floor, taking a moment to consider the question. "Well..." he said, after a long pause. "Let's just say I had some unfinished business with someone. I think that's all you need to know for the time being. I'll tell you everything when the time comes, I promise."

"Oh? I thought you just didn't have anywhere else to go after the Phantom Troupe plundered your village and killed your clan." Gon remarked, voice soft and tentative. He knew he was bringing up a sensitive topic, so he didn't want to push anything. "The Kurta Clan, right? I remember hearing about that massacre. It was such a bloodbath."

"That's part of the reason, yes. It's not like I could stay in the East with the knowledge that there's a dangerous group of criminals after me, the last Kurta in existence. Working for a royal family provides protection from things like that. The Troupe is bold, but they'd never storm an entire Palace, especially not without their leader."

"Huh. There's only eleven of them, then."

"Nine if you count the fact I killed two of their members. Pakunoda and Uvogan were their names." a slight smile touched Kurapika's face. "Though that little piece of vengeance was nice, their blood was not enough to pay for my entire Clan. I'll feel much better once the entire Troupe is dead."

Gon laughed nervously, feeling a knot of anxiety tie itself into his stomach. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid just for the sake of getting revenge, okay?"

Kurapika made a face, but didn't reply. Gon took the hint and also fell silent, choosing instead to survey the crowd once more, which had shrunk again and was now only half its previous size. People kept filing out of the room in clusters, talking quietly amongst themselves and shooting wary glances over their shoulders at Gon. They recognized him as royalty, and they were extremely intimidated by the fact he was just standing around watching them. Perhaps they were afraid of what he might be thinking of them.

A moment later, Kurapika suddenly stiffened. "Is that them?" he asked, softly.

Gon followed the blonde's eyes to a small group of what appeared to be two young adults and two children making their way across the room. Three of them had shimmering, jet-black hair, and one of them had familiar white hair the color of freshly fallen snow. The tallest of the four was obviously in a lot of pain, he kept stumbling and wobbling on his feet, as if he were about to fall over.

Gon's eyes widened and he nodded. "Yeah, that's them. Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to Illumi?" he started forward to meet the four Zoldycks, wringing his hands anxiously.

"Don't swear, you're in a public place. It isn't polite." Kurapika scolded, following the young Prince closely.

"What happened?" Gon called out, raising his voice so as to be heard over the dull buzzing of the crowd, ignoring the blonde entirely. "Is everyone okay?"

Killua shook his head. "The rest of us are, but Aniki isn't. He's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him back to the South as quickly as possible." he replied, guiding Illumi over to the carriage and helping him get inside. "Do we have any extra blankets? We have to keep him warm."

"Yeah, let me grab them." with a newfound sense of purpose, Gon went around to the back end of the carriage where a little storage compartment filled with various luggage was located. He popped it open and grabbed two thick, fluffy blankets that were folded neatly; one for Illumi and one for Alluka and Kalluto to share.

When he climbed into the carriage with the blankets in hand, he was startled to find Killua in tears. The young Zoldyck sniffled pitifully and wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to clean away the blotchy mess of tears staining his cheeks.

"Onii-chan?" Alluka whispered, her voice soft and laced with concern.

"Hey, are you alright?" Gon asked, setting the blankets aside so he could wind his arms around Killua's lithe, trembling body, pulling him close. "What's wrong, Snowflake?"

"This is all my fault. I never should've left them." Killua choked out, shaking his head and burying his face in his hands.

"No, baby, no. This isn't your fault. You had no idea something like this would happen." Gon noticed for the first time the bandages wound tightly around Illumi's hands, concealing them entirely from view. Already, there were little splotches of crimson beginning to seep through the bandages. "We're gonna make sure this never happens again, okay?"

"O-Okay..." Killua nodded shakily, removing his hands from his face and reaching over to grab the blankets. "Why'd you grab two?" he asked, trying to get his wavering voice under control.

"I figured Alluka and Kalluto would like having one, too." Gon smiled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to Killua's temple.

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Killua managed a small smile as he passed a blanket over to his two younger siblings. He took the last one and unfolded it, tucking it around Illumi's shoulders as gently as possible, avoiding touching his injured hands. "Here, Aniki. This'll help with the cold. Just take it easy and try to relax, okay?"

Illumi nodded silently and tipped his head back, trying to regulate his uneven, ragged breathing. "I'm s-so tired..."

"I know, Aniki. It's gonna be okay." Killua choked back another sob, brushing loose strands of long black hair out of Illumi's pale face. "Everything's gonna be fine, I promise." he sounded like he was trying to reassure both himself and his brother at the same time.

"Onii-chan?" Alluka reached out and put her hand over Killua's. "Don't cry, okay? Because if you cry, I'm gonna cry."

Killua dipped his head and wiped his eyes with one hand, bringing his other hand up to rest on Illumi's shoulder. "Alright. I'm doing my best."

Kalluto nodded enthusiastically. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Onii-chan." he chimed in. "The important thing to remember is that we're all together again."

As they were talking, the carriage had begun to move. By this point, they were already outside of the palace gates and on their way down the side of the mountain. The temperature had dropped significantly, causing Gon to shiver involuntarily. He pulled his coat closer around himself and reached out to gather Killua into his arms, pulling the young Zoldyck into his lap.

"I'm cold. You should help me warm up." Gon murmured, nuzzling his face into Killua's soft hair. "You are so beautiful, you know that?"

Killua blushed, leaning back against Gon's chest. "Yeah, I know. You tell me all the time. And no, it isn't that cold. You're just unused to it. Stupid Southerner."

Gon rolled his eyes and slipped his hands under Killua's thick white shirt, pressing them against his abdomen. "If you're so used to it, you won't mind helping me warm my hands up, then."

Killua immediately began squirming around, grimacing and trying to push Gon's hands away. "O-Oy, stop that. Your hands are cold." he hissed, voice thick with discomfort and irritation.

"That's what you get for calling me names." Gon snickered, lightly stroking Killua's sides. "Maybe you shouldn't insult people unless you can handle the repercussions. Silly, silly Killua."

The snowy-haired boy scoffed, returning his attention to his older brother. It took him a full minute to realize that Illumi had passed out again because he was distracted by the familiar feeling of Gon's hands pressed against his bare skin, caressing the soft flesh between his ribs and his hips. Killua's eyes widened and he slapped Gon away, sitting bolt upright.

"Aniki? Can you hear me? Aniki?" Killua reached out and lightly shook Illumi's shoulders. No response. "O-Oh my god... He's fainted again..."

"Is that bad? He said he was tired, why can't he sleep?" Kalluto asked, voice adopting an uneasy, frightened tone. He clutched the blanket spread over him and his sister to his chest, glassy eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"Because it's so cold here, Kal." Gon said, seeing as Killua was much too busy trying to wake Illumi to answer. "If Illumi's body temperature drops too low, he might... um... yeah. So, it's important he stays awake because being conscious and moving around generates a lot more natural heat than unconsciousness does." he didn't really know how to explain to someone so young and innocent like Kalluto that his older brother might never wake up.

Kalluto shook his head in disbelief. "N-No, that's not true. Aniki's gonna be okay, he's just sleeping. It can't be true. Right? Onii-chan?"

"Sorry, Kalluto." Killua mumbled, lightly smacking Illumi's face in an attempt to wake him up. Fortunately, that seemed to work. The ravenet stirred, letting out a soft keening sound that was so full of pain and anguish that it made Killua's heart ache. "Aniki? Can you hear me now?" he asked, tentatively.

"W-What happened? Where am I?" Illumi's eyes fluttered halfway open and he blinked a couple times, completely and utterly confused. "Where a-are we going? What's happening? K-Killu?"

"It's okay, it's okay." Killua rushed to reassure him, spreading his hands in a harmless gesture. "We got you out of the Crystal Palace and we're taking you back to the South. We'll take good care of you, Alluka and Kalluto. Everyone's safe, you have nothing to worry about. I just need you to try and stay awake for me, okay? Please."

Illumi looked like he couldn't really comprehend what Killua was saying all that well. "W-Why does it l-look like there are t-two of you?" he asked, after a long moment of silence.

"Shit." Killua slapped one hand to his forehead. "He's seeing double. How far away is the Southern Kingdom, again?"

"About two more hours from where we're at right now." Gon replied, brow furrowing with concern. He wasn't all that sure if Illumi would last another hour, let alone two. But he didn't voice his thoughts because he didn't want to scare Killua.

"I just wanna sleep." Illumi declared, his words slurring ever so slightly. "I'm s-so tired... I thought I could... k-keep everything together without you around, but... I c-couldn't... I'm a terrible Aniki..."

Killua looked like he was about to start crying all over again. "Illumi, please, don't say things like that. You aren't terrible, you're the best Aniki ever. I'm sure you did a wonderful job taking care of our little siblings while I was away, and I'm really sorry for being gone so long. I didn't think things would get this bad after just one month. But really, I'm sure Alluka and Kalluto think you did great, too!" he tried to offer his brother an encouraging smile, but the smile itself probably looked more like a pained grimace.

Alluka and Kalluto nodded their agreement from where they were sitting.

"Yeah!" Alluka piped up, nodding enthusiastically. "We think so! Right, Kal?"

"Of course!" Kalluto agreed, managing a small smile for the first time that day.

Illumi tilted his head to one side, looked Killua dead in the eyes, and said, "But I couldn't protect them."

"Aniki." Killua looped his arm through Illumi's, lightly squeezing the inside of his elbow. "You don't have to be everything for them. You've done enough."

"Can I sleep now, then?"

"I'm sorry, not yet. Just a little longer. When it warms up a little, you can sleep."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The rest of the ride back to the Southern Palace was extremely tense and tedious because Illumi absolutely could not stay conscious for longer than five or ten minutes at a time. Once the weather began to warm and the snowy foothills outside the carriage window gave way to fields of lime-green grass and vibrant, colorful wildflowers, Killua gave up trying to keep his brother conscious and instead let him sleep, exactly as he promised he would.

Everyone remained silent for the remainder of the trip, mostly because nobody could think of anything to say. Killua obviously wasn't in a talking mood; his focus was riveted on his unconscious brother. Gon wished he could think of something that might reassure his husband, but in the end, silence was the best course of action.

Upon arriving at the Southern Palace, Kurapika went running to get a doctor while Gon and Killua worked together to maneuver Illumi's limp body out of the carriage and lower him gently to the ground. The bandages around his hands were completely soaked through with blood by this time, and his skin was so pale and clammy that Gon wouldn't have been able to tell if he was still alive if it weren't for the steady rising and falling of his chest. Killua was internally panicking because he had no doubt there were countless bruises and minor injuries mottling his siblings' skin beneath their clothes, no matter how much Alluka and Kalluto insisted they were fine.

"Just how badly did my parents hurt them?" Killua wondered, as he watched Illumi's still face for any sign of life. "And how do I fix it?"

"That's the problem, Killua. There's nothing we can do except take care of them now. We can't undo a month of abuse." Gon said, reaching out and rubbing Killua's back in an attempt to comfort him. "It's alright. We'll make sure this never happens again, okay? They're safe now."

Killua nodded shakily. "But this... I wish I could fix this..." he gestured weakly to the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around Illumi's mangled, broken hands.

"Do you think he'll be able to use them again? Or is that too much to hope for?" Gon asked. He noticed the flash of pain in Killua's sapphire eyes and quickly added, "I'm only asking because I didn't see for myself how bad it was. His hands have been bandaged from the moment I first laid eyes on him. I'm assuming you wrapped the wounds yourself based on your reaction, though."

The snowy-haired boy took a deep breath and nodded again. "Yes, that's right. And I'd really, really like to say that it's not that bad, but... Oh, Gon, I don't know. He might not recover from this."

"I see..." Gon tilted his head to one side, frowning sympathetically. "There's still Hisoka, though."

"Huh?" Killua's head shot up, one eyebrow raising in an obvious question. "The hell does Hisoka have to do with anything?"

"Illumi likes him, right? And I know for a fact that Hisoka likes Illumi too because Jesus Christ. Have you seen the way that man looks at your brother?" Gon shook his head and clicked his tongue before continuing, "Anyway, if that's the case, then reuniting them should help Illumi's emotional state at least a little bit. Right?"

Killua's eyes lit up. "Gon, you are a genius!" he declared, sitting bolt upright and smiling broadly.

Gon puffed out his chest a bit. "Yes, yes I am. Thank you for noticing."

"Don't let it get to your head. But yes, I completely agree with you. I want my Aniki to be happy, and I feel like nudging him and Hisoka together might just do exactly that. Thank you so much for remembering that clown." Killua gave Gon a grateful kiss on the cheek.

"He's a magician."

"Same difference."

Naturally, Hisoka was extremely excited when he learned Illumi had returned to the Southern Palace. He was even more excited when he found out that Kikyo and Silva hadn't come along this time. That meant Illumi was free to do whatever he wanted in their absences.

But the redheaded magician had absolutely no idea that things were absolutely not okay until he was told that he could find Illumi in the palace infirmary.

Naturally, Hisoka finished up his work as fast as possible so he could make his way over there. He didn't know what had happened, but he was certain it couldn't be good. After all, he'd heard some interesting rumors about Illumi threatening his parents in order to get their blessing. Gon and Killua never would've been married if it weren't for Illumi's actions.

Hisoka smirked as he made his way down one of the numerous long, crowded hallways making up the Southern Palace. The walls were a pleasant, shimmering golden color, and there were several tall windows spaced apart evenly that allowed filtered sunlight to shine through and spill out onto the expensive wooden floor. The people present were all smiling brightly, as if none of them had a single care in the world. Most of them wore light, thin clothing with short sleeves and bright colors, made of a certain silky, waterproof material that protected them from both the humidity and the heat. Most of them had flowers on their person, whether it be a rose pinned to a breast pocket, a chain of orchids around the wrist, neck or ankle, or a blossom tucked behind an ear. Almost everyone had darker skin like Gon's, but there were a few fair-skinned folks here and there.

Hisoka was one of those fair-skinned people. He was naturally pale, seeing as he'd actually been born in the Northern Kingdom. He left soon after he came to realize the Zoldycks were awful, tyranical people that lived for the glory and bloodshed of violent, merciless warfare. Their constant battling resulted in their armies dwindling, so they began conscripting anyone old enough to fight when Hisoka was only fifteen years old. He ran away to the South because a life spent fighting for a violent kingdom was not one he cared to live. Hisoka only ever killed those he wanted to. Anything else could be considered pointless bloodshed.

It was extremely ironic that Hisoka found himself chasing after a Zoldyck, almost eight years later. He had sworn he'd never have anything to do with those horrible people ever again, but Illumi was so very interesting that Hisoka simply couldn't stay away.

How unfair, Hisoka thought to himself, licking his lips as an image of abysmal eyes, porcelain skin and waist-length, shiny black hair filled his mind. I almost wish I had a choice in this matter. For I would've loved to keep the promise I made to myself all those years ago. It's the most ridiculous thing.

He finally found the right door leading to the infirmary and pushed it open, ducking inside without hesitation. He was extremely curious and eager to find out what had happened to Illumi. The Zoldyck was so stubborn and oblivious to his own needs that Hisoka doubted It was possible to convince him to see a doctor and get himself taken care of. Naturally, Illumi wouldn't have gone without a fight, or so Hisoka thought.

The magician was shocked out of his wits for the first time in years when he found Illumi unconscious and alarmingly pale, lying face-up on one of the cots in the infirmary. His usually perfect black hair was strewn out around his head in a tangled mess, and there were unsightly dark circles forming under his eyes, contrasting heavily with his paper-pale skin.

"Oh, dear." Hisoka said, softly. He had to admit, he was taken aback. He'd never seen Illumi so broken before. "What happened? Who did this to him?"

Killua was sitting on the floor beside the cot. He blinked at the magician a couple times before replying, "We don't know for sure exactly what happened to him, but we do know my parents did it."

"Ah. I must say that doesn't surprise me. How bad is it?" Hisoka took two cautious steps into the room, grimacing when he noticed the tight, thick layers of bandaging wrapped around Illumi's forearms. His hands were concealed beneath the blanket tucked around his slim waist, but Hisoka had no doubt that was where the true problem lay.

"I don't have an answer for that, either. There's a chance he might never be able to use his hands again, or his ability to use them might be impaired. A permanent disability is highly probable." Killua shook his head sadly, a shadow passing over his face. "Even if he does recover, he won't be able to use his hands for at least three months. The damage done to them was immense."

"How tragic." Hisoka reached Illumi's beside and reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind his ear, touch as light and tender as possible. "What all has been done to help him at this point?"

"Well, for starters, they're gonna keep him sedated for a couple days. They said that if they didn't, he'd be in excruciating pain. Otherwise, they tried to stitch things back together but some of it is so bad they aren't sure what to do." Killua sighed through his nose, folding his hands neatly in his lap. His beautiful, slanted blue eyes were abnormally dark and filled with concern.

Hisoka winced, tentatively combing his fingers through Illumi's hair. It was matted with dried blood in some places, he noticed. He wished he had something to brush it out with, because he knew Illumi would not be happy to wake up with such tangled, messy hair.

"Hmm... Well, if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"Actually, there is one thing." Killua sat up straight and looked Hisoka dead in the face. "Because my Aniki won't be able to use his hands for awhile, he will need someone to look after him and help him with things on a daily, consistent basis. You don't have to do this, but just know I think you're perfect for the job. You make Illumi happy, and he needs that kind of person in his life right now." he explained.

Hisoka smiled. "Naturally, I would love to do something like that. Thank you for the opportunity."

"And thank you for accepting. It means a lot to me."

"I know what else you're doing, by the way. You're trying to push him and I together romantically, aren't you?" the magician raised one eyebrow curiously and Killua scoffed.

"Alright, I already regret asking you for help. Go fiddle with your cards, or something." the snowy-haired Zoldyck said, waving a hand dismissively.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Hisoka dipped into a low, heavily exaggerated bow.

Killua sighed and rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long three months, but if everything went ccording to plan, Illumi would soon come to realize that it was okay to follow his own desires rather than trying to do everything for his siblings. Hopefully Hisoka could give him that freedom.

If not, Killua feared Illumi would wind up destroying himself.

To be continued...

Oh Lord children, what have I done? It's 1:40 in the morning and I have online classes starting at 7:30am. Why do I do this to myself? I dunno. Anyways, I am proud to announce that the major plots and themes I have planned for this sequel are officially underway.We're off to a very angsty start, but if you're familiar with me and my work, you know that's pretty normal.

I hope you're enjoying this sequel so far! Please remember to leave a review on your way out, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you just read. As always, take care of yourselves. Love yall!!

-UltimatexAdmin