As Alluka continues to bond with Nathaniel, Gon and Sakura visit Whale Island, while Daniel and Killua continue to take on Daniel's cheating father, Vastorie.

Prompt

Siblings

Alluka pressed both of her palms into Daemon, massaging the hell-hound's thick hide. The pet whined in glee, pressing itself constantly into Alluka's hands. It's been a while since Nathaniel laid Daniel, Killua and Vastorie in bed.

She was intrigued watching him clean from out of the corner of her eye, the man checking his watch every so often. She had him all to herself, and while she wanted to ask him so many questions, mainly about Daniel, there was one which she couldn't quite shake off.

If there was one thing she's learnt, is that her brother protected both her and Daniel during their escape from the Zoldyck estate. She had come to an understanding, that as much as she wanted to protect her older brother, the only way she could do so was with Nanika's help.

And while she couldn't exactly bring up Nanika with Nathaniel, she wanted to at least put on some muscles, to be strong like her brother. There will come a time where she'll need to be the one to protect herself, to save her brother the hassle of having to come to save her every-time.

Sure, she could always ask Killua for help, but her best bet was to start now and surprise Killua later. That way, she can leave Killua to help her train herself into perfecting a way to use Nanika, without the need to use Bloodshed. If Nanika was no longer a Wish-Granting entity, maybe with time, she could be trained to use contracts, or something less destructive. Then her family will have no reason to come after her and Killua anymore.

"Nathan…?"

"Yes…?"

"Can you help me get stronger?"

The question lured the man's attention, his eyes casually looking over his shoulder to the young girl. What had sparked this curiosity? And in what way, did she want to become stronger? "It depends… you are strong as the way you are. You ran away from home, going on an adventure, travelling the world with your brother and Daniel. It takes a… strength to do what you're doing…"

Alluka shook her head "No, I want to be able to protect myself, and… be strong enough to protect my big brother."

"What about Daniel…?"

"Well, him too…"

Nathaniel snickered at Alluka's afterthoughts of Daniel; he had a little bit of a sneaking suspicion that she was still coming to terms with accepting Daniel, much like she still struggled to accept herself. Although, her struggles with self-acceptance might have originated from the way she was brought up. Killua, always referred to Alluka as his sister. Their family, however, might have constantly referred to her always as a son or a brother. It kinda explained Killua's reaction, why he looked so displeased when he was about to bring it up.

Then again, he could also be reading to much into it. He wanted to understand, and asking was the only way he'll find out "Alluka, what does your family think about you being a girl?"

He was met with a silent awkwardness, forced to at least change the situation a little "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I'm just… concerned."

"It's ok…" Killua wants her to be more open, expressive, to revel in the world's wonders. So, taking a step out of her comfort zone was going to be one of them at times "They think of me as their son or little brother."

Nathaniel turned off the tap, sighing as he dried his hands before walking over to Alluka. Pulling her into a hug, then he ran his fingers over the top of her head, comforting her in his own way "What they did, was terrible. You're lucky to have a brother like Killua…"

Alluka nodded at the touch, Daemon getting jealous. He rested one paw against her, hoping that she'll instead hug him, massaging his body. But it never came, the girl instead of focusing on what she wanted to say. She was lucky to have Killua, much like her brother was lucky to have Daniel. The two just clicked, and she found that it made her jealous at times.

Daniel was her rival when it came to Killua's attention at times, but none of that really mattered if she couldn't protect Killua "Nathan, please help me become strong like my brother?"

"Like Killua…? Impossible."

Alluka pouted, whining out loud from being denied so quickly without reason "That's not fair!"

"No, he's strong because of what he did for you, just like you're strong for what you do for him. That's not going to change. I can't push your body to become like Killua's, but I can help you start to build your strength. A little at a time. And I'll even throw some weights you can hide under your clothes if you don't want Killua to find out."

"REALLY?!"

The man nodded with a smile "Yes, but if you promise me one thing…"

"Yes?"

"If it gets too tough for you, tell me that you'll be willing to pull back a little. No forcing yourself to be" the man deepened his voice, adding a joking emphasis to his words "some mean, muscle freak like me."

Alluka laughed a little at the joke thrown on the end, but at the same time, she'll also agree to those terms. She'll trust that Nathaniel knows what is best for her at the moment "Ok."

"Good! Now let's find some weighted vest, the ones that go under clothes. I'm, sure you don't want Killua finding out." This is probably going to come back and bite me, but I do want to help her, even if it's a little at a time…

"~"

The gentle breeze blew the boy's clothes, ruffling it ever so gently. He could smell everything, the rough textures of nature, the scent of the flowers being drifted along the gentle breeze, waiting to pollinate another field.

He found himself pressing his nose against a purple leafed flower, picking up on the fauna's fragrance. He could smell something else lingering in the area, meaning what he was tracking, was still here, waiting to be found. It wasn't dangerous to him, going by the animal's marking, and it also showed no signs of it being feral either.

But he wanted to make sure that this wasn't going to be a mistake. Tracking a foxbear in its natural habitat, had its risks, but at the same time, he wanted to show Sakura what his old friend looked like. Gon looked towards his boyfriend, smiling as the boy fumbled around, more entranced with the plantation than what they were tracking.

Gon let his hand linger, fingertips ghosting over Sakura's, guiding him along the field. His father made it clear, that a single mistake can cost you everything, but at the same time, every little detour counts towards the end goal. While he deeply missed Killua, Daniel, and even Alluka, being out here, with Sakura, this was the detour he needed.

What he learns here alongside Sakura, will help in the long run, because the moment the five of them reunite, they'll each have their own stories to tell. And he, along with Sakura, didn't want to be the only one left out.

Against Sakura's better judgement, his fingers encircled around Gon's, taking the boy's hand within his own. Gon briefly froze in surprise from the action, only to then turn, smiling at the boy. His hand returned the gesture in kind, giving it a quick squeeze before he continued along his path, tracking the foxbear.

It was dangerous to do so with Sakura, but he really wanted to show him the majestic animal. The need to show the other side of nature is what he strived to do for Sakura. Sakura knew about fauna and flora, but if there was one thing Gon was good at, it was exploring the uniqueness of its habitats.

Gon took Sakura into his arms, the boy left in a blushing mess "What-?"

Gon curled a finger out, motioning the boy to remain quiet. He sailed through the trees, stopping to hide, a finger drawn to an animal far off in the distance. Sakura drew his attention to the animal, mouth left drawn open "There he is… Kon."

Kon had looked up, ears drifting in the air. The animal then looked down, prodding the cub between his feet with his nose, making it whine in the process.

"We can take a closer look if you like?"

"No, I like it here, far from the supposed aggressive animal."

Gon chuckled, eyes focusing on the animal in question. His smile was weak, wondering if Kon remembers him at all. It's been years since they last seen each other, so it was possible he had already forgotten him.

"Kite killed his parents when he was young, thanks to a mistake I made at the time."

Sakura nodded "You told me. You didn't understand the territorial markings at the time."

"Yeah… but even when Kon scratched and ripped at my skin, I refused to let Kite kill him as well. He is here because of me, and his here without his parents… because of me…"

Sakura tugged at the boy's shirt, Gon forced to look his boyfriend in his eyes once more "You're thinking about your mistake with Killua and Daniel still."

He smiled apologetically, scratching the back of his head as he looked away "I guess I am…"

"Didn't your dad also say to promise to make things differently next time?"

"Yeah…"

"And isn't this new adventure going to help you learn and understand so that when you do meet, you'll have a real reason to stay?"

Gon cracked a smile "You remind me of someone…"

"Well, definitely not Killua! I'm nowhere near good looking as he is. What does he even use for his skin?! Not a single blemish, or even acne…"

Gon fizzled at the ears, the embarrassment of checking out Killua on numerous occasions settling in the pit of his stomach once more. Back then he saw it as a curiosity, but with a little help from the others, he came to understand the real reason to why he was doing it. The pass action still made him feel guilty at times, even when he knew someone else had already fallen for him "I don't know… I don't even think Daniel's had any of those…"

"Or you either…" Sakura poked the boy's ribs "What's your secret?"

"I guess… Ten…" Gon ran his fingers through his hair, really thinking about the scenario. Ten would best describe Sakura's grief, the main reason they held onto their youthful vigour. And probably the main reason they never suffered the so-called puberty issues as Mito describe. Although back on Whale Island once again, this time with Sakura instead of Killua and Daniel, she had a more different talk with him.

He had told Mito, that he was dating Sakura, and the reason why Killua and Daniel were no longer with him, was because he messed up. He had made the worst mistake of his life, and his next trip was going to be about self-reflection, understanding himself better so he could no longer make the same mistake. He also added that even after departing from his friends, he still has a chance to reunite with them in the future.

Mito had a long lengthy discussion; this time talking about protection, consent, feelings and even to an extent, the awkwardness of hammering down the root of Gon's multiple attracts. Although, Gon originally thought it would go sideways with Mito. But she had surprised him but not only accepting it but really bearing down on the whole consent discussion. She even had Sakura join in, the boy constantly diverting his attention during the whole ordeal.

While Gon was curious, Sakura was the polar opposite, seeing it more as long, lengthy awkward sex talk. Not even the one he had with his father was as bad as this one.

Once the embers of the discussion died out, Sakura could finally relax, Mito bringing up something she found more important than 'the talk' "You met your father, Ging…"

Gon rubbed the back of his palm, a frown forming across his features. Mito never liked Ging for abandoning him, but judging by her warm expression, she was willing to listen without argument. So, he decided to tell her the real reason as to why he now wants to travel the world, what Ging told him "Mito-San, what Ging said to me, I still carry it with me. It's the main reason why I want to travel the world, even when I'm like this…"

The boy gestured to his whole body as if she could see the aura. Even when she looked confused at him, the boy only ignored the confusion for the moment "He said: We should enjoy the little detours. To the fullest. Because that's where we'll find the things more important than what we want…"

She was pissed, angry at the words because, in her eyes, that meant Gon wasn't important. He wasn't even considered one of the little detours to that man. He didn't want Gon, and the boy couldn't even see it.

But, even still, there was something wrong with the way the boy said Ging, it seemed… detached. It was as if the man wasn't seen as his father in Gon's eyes. Looking determined in his mother's eyes, he repeated his thoughts out-loud "I want to find those little detours with Sakura, I want to be able to look my best-friends in their eyes once more, not to apologise, but to prove that I have changed… and to say Thank you for everything…"

Mito got teary-eyed at the words, mouth twitching slightly. She was just holding back, almost ready to cry. But she had one more question to ask "Gon, when will I get to see you again?"

The boy was surprised by his mother's words, offering a warm smile "I guess… when I become an adult."

A single tear spills from Mito's right eye as she takes Gon's hand within her own "Only if you promise to write to me at least once a month."

"I promise…" Gon squeezed his mother's hand, smiling ever so softly. It was the least he could do. He wanted to keep her updated, to explain the world of wonders, making sure to leave out all the things that will worry her.

"~"

Daniel curled his finger out, directing his shadows towards his father, the man comfortably avoiding the onslaught of hands, making sure to watch for any faults along the way. While he wasn't tapped out just yet, he knew he was going to be out for a while now. As he avoided the last hand, shifting his movement to slid across the floor, he checked his watch once more. One hour and fifty-three minutes. Twenty-eight minutes to go…

From the corner of his eyes, he saw a spark a bolt of electricity sailing just past his sink, almost touching him. He only caught the entrails of the attack, a tingling sensation running along his skin. He had half a mind to watch out, considering this was Killua that almost landed the first hit.

He was a genius, and considering the blue blur, he was making a move as well. The man clenched his fist, electricity spreading throughout his body, letting Killua's ability be used against him. Defence only, no attacks… He reminded himself, not that he needed to. The ability had no faults, acting without thought, muscles knowing what to do without thinking.

When Killua landed the first strike, so did the man defend.

Daniel saw sparks of electricity fly around the boy, only able to watch, to still his body. The last time he tried to help Killua out, his father stunned him, electricity locking up all his nerves. He won't make the same mistake twice, only watching to see where Killua and Vastorie were within the moment.

It was hard to tell when and where they were, what they were doing, and who was winning. The vestiges of their fight were sparks of electricity, and if he scanned the area quick enough, the only way to tell them apart was the traces of aura left behind.

His father's aura looked like a prism exploding of colours, probably because of the fact that he had multiple abilities swirling around him at all times. But there was one consistent colour always swirling around him. It was pale like a phantom, gelatinous in texture and consistency, and moved like an apparition, ethereal and impossible to spot at times.

It must have been the origins of his power. But because his father's a Specialist, he wondered what would happen if he did a divination test. How would the water react? Wing told them that anything else that happens to the water, is considered a specialist. Actually, now that he thought about it, the same would probably happen with Alluka. While Wish Granting was close enough to be considered Conjuration, it wasn't exactly conjured, nor did it fall under Transmutation, Enhancement, Emission or Manipulation.

Even with that information, there was something about Vastorie's ability he couldn't quite put a finger on it. The ghostly aura felt… unnatural, or maybe it was the other way around. This ability was unnatural… whatever ever was causing his gut-wrenching feeling, he felt like he'll receive an answer soon enough, when his father was ready, to tell the truth, provided he wasn't reading too much into it.

Vastorie cracked his fingers, drawing his hand into a claw-like a shape. While Killua was successful in blocking the attack from the man, he hadn't expected the outcome. His arm felt numb, dropping by his side as he was forced to back away. He had done something to him, he just wasn't sure what exactly.

"Nifty ability… huh?"

Killua tried to crack his arm back into place, but it did nothing. He was left bewildered, wondering what kind of ability would leave his arm num? It had the same effects of the anaesthetic. The affected area seemed to where he was touched, numbing the nerves underneath his skin. It felt so close to when his bother would crack every joint in his arms, forcing him to realign them until he could do it on command "Yeah… you completely numbed my arm."

"An ability designed and perfected by Avlas…"

"Who? What was he a doctor…?"

"No, an Assassin, like you. Although, he no longer of this world…"

Daniel could only look puzzled at his father. He was full of sorrow the moment he mentioned his name. was he a past lover in Vastorie's younger years? Daniel pulled up the search menu, looking the man's name, it was returned with a denied access screen, the action causing even Vastorie to frown "That's private information…"

"I can see that…" the boy whispered under his breath, now more intrigued than before. It the first thing in this world, that has been denied access.

"Past crush…?" Killua smirked at the assumption, but Vastorie only looked him in the eyes, his words coming off as darker than usual, monotoned and broken away from the reality he stood upon "I wish…" his voice was detached, hiding what he was truly feeling "But he was as interested in dating me, as I was with women. He was A-Sexual, or even Non-Sexual… probably because of how he was brought up, or…"

The man opened his mouth, only to close it once more. No, I'm lying to myself… he just didn't want to drag someone into his world. He didn't want to have anyone close to him… to go through what you, Killua went through…

Opening both arms, the man checked his watch once more "Four minutes? Alright, this is where we call it quits."

"Huh? That's it…?" Killua wined as he rubbed his arms "We've only been here for two hours, if a quarter of that time has passed in the real world, that means it's only been thirty minutes out there."

"About that…" The man let out a huge smile, catlike in appearance "I lied. It's actually the reverse. The time on your watch has passed in the real world…"

"What that means…" Daniel did the mental maths before both him and Killua came to the same screaming conclusion "We've been here for eight hours?!"

"Yup, I lied, because it's always fun to hear the people's reaction when they realise how much time has really passed."

"But… how…? That means we've been fighting for almost six hours without fatigue." Killua argued back in disbelief, unable to believe for a second, he was able to fight that long, even in this weird altered world.

"For us in here, but out there… it's only been an hour and a half."

"Then that fight at the start was actually ten minutes long?!"

"Yeah, I know. Time flies when you're having fun. Right?" Vastorie beamed in delight, having fun shocking Killua with the news.

"Fun?! You used Daniel like a baseball bat, to hit me like I was some piñata, or like you were trying to score a home run!"

Daniel groaned out loud "Thanks for reminding me… I was used to abusing my boyfriend."

Killua blushed at the words. There was no doubt in his mind, that with a little twisting the sentence could've come off as more sexual than intended. Killua checked his watch once more three minutes to go, or in their case, thirty. It will be a while before the man can talk to them next. There were a few questions Killua wanted to ask first "So this ability, you said you go into a deep rest? Can you force yourself to wake up mid-nap?"

"Yes, but it's not recommended. Nor would it be ok for me to do this in enemy territory. You probably have run across this at some point, but once my ability finishes, I go into a Zetsu-like state, unable to tap into any of my aura. I need to rest until my time limit is up, which I can't gauge because it varies every time I leave this world. Also, my strength is as strong as getting belted by a handful of custard cakes."

Killua broken down into laughter, getting belted by a handful of custard cakes reminds him of Yorknew, when Gon spat his food into his face and how he snuck up behind the boy to give him a face full of creampie. Ah, the good old times, when the world wasn't full of danger, after danger. Damn, I really miss Gon… Killua immediately froze the thought, looking at Vastorie for confirmation.

The man was not amused at him for laughing "Sorry, just reminded me of an old memory… anyways, one more question. What's with that ghostly aura swarming around you?"

The man raised an eyebrow "Ghostly aura? Oh, that… everyone's aura looks different, mine just happens to be ghostly in nature. Daniel's is thick, navy and gloopy in nature. And Killua's, yours is blue… Cerulean blue to be exact. It's calm in nature; HOWEVER, it rages like a storm whenever you give away your emotions… or attack. Might I suggest you practice on relaxing your aura."

"Noted…" Killua frowned. He thought he was the calmest when it came to controlling his aura, but it seems more experienced fighters can see through his façade.

"Rules apply to yours too Daniel. It's a little harder to notice with yours, only because of you tense when you attack, which is why I suggest you move away from the hand gestures. Learn to control your attacks with your mind, and you too will solve that problem. Other than that, less than a minute. Any more questions?"

The boys shook their head, Vastorie smiling widely with a single clap of his hands "First, I recommend you don't get up once you get kicked out. It's your first time here, so you'll feel groggy, a little out of the body when you wake up. Lay in bed, think about what you learned here. And if you want, you go to the underground library, study a little more. Mostly jot down notes from the books you read in here. Look up by the ability names if you remembered them. And on the final note, I end my ability."

With a snap of his fingers, Killua and Daniel found themselves being jolted awake, panting with beads of sweat dripping down their body. They were covered by a blanket, resting comfortably in Daniel's bed. The man was right, they do feel like they just had an out of body experience.

Killua moved his body, the action aching his nerves. Either the man lied about not feeling pain once the ability ended, or the moment he activated his ability, the boy's stiffness remained the same the entire time. It should pass after a few minutes once he relaxes, so instead, he'll just talk to Daniel "So, that just happened…"

"Yeah… feel a little sore though, like I was a cement block the entire time."

"Same… Although, I wouldn't mind doing that again. It was kinda fun, minus all the damage he inflicted, and how he goofed around while dodging our attacks. Annoying…"

"It felt more… normal? Fun, that way. Nathaniel is so stiff, making sure you can defend yourself… whereas Vastorie looked so… free spirited?"

"Yeah…" Killua knit his eyebrows together "Except during the end. He didn't want to talk about Avalos or his aura… He lied."

"How do you know?" Daniel turned to look at his boyfriend.

"Ohh… So, you can tell when I lie, just not your father?"

"You're easy though. I've gotten used to seeing the signs."

"Pervert!"

Daniel curled one-side of his lip upwards, Killua forced to repeat his last statement "Pervert…" Daniel chuckled before he turned his attention back to the roof "Sorry… I just…"

"I know…" Killua's cheeks flushed red. He didn't know the exact wording Daniel was going to use, be he knew what he was about to state, and his mind didn't feel ready to hear mushy feelings "I feel kinda the same…"

"Killua, I highly doubt you were going to say you feel like a corrupted pervert."

"I definitely didn't see that coming!" Killua's cheek's colour deepened at the words. Yeah, he definitely didn't feel corrupted like Daniel. He was used to the allure of that world, so it was normal. But to hear Daniel was still getting used to it… even calling it corrupted perverted thoughts, meant he had a long way to go.

"What now…?"

"Context Daniel… CONTEXT… I'm going to assume you meant how to spend the rest of the time, and not dealing with your perverted thoughts."

"R- Right…"

"Raid his library… jot down a few notes, relax and then if Vastorie is up for it later, how about a second round? We could keep pushing ourselves in that world, mastering our abilities even quicker. Maybe we can even include Alluka in this. Her ability would work differently in that world, so maybe we can find a way to help her control it… lessen the damage?"

"Yeah, but then Vastorie could read her mind, her thoughts, finding out about Nanika…"

"Oh, shit… yeah… Don't want him to find out about that ability. He might abuse it?"

"What is he going to Wish for a giant-" Daniel stopped his thoughts "Nope, NOPE, not going to say that out loud. It's bad enough I thought perverted thoughts about you. I'm not mixing my father into that equation."

"Daniel…"

The boy turned his head, looking at Killua with a questioning gaze "What…?"

"You truly are a pervert… Sorry for corrupting you…"

Daniel rolled his eyes at Killua before turning his back to the roof "Eh, I'll do it all over again for you…"

"Sure…" Killua's lip curled upwards, a smirk soon forming "Sure…"