First of all I would like to give a shout-out tp the readers/writers of this fandom! After all... based on my observations, this fandom probably has the most supportive group of readers in all of the fandoms I write for! *Cheers*
I would like to thank everyone for reading this far! Esp. those who reviewed, fav'ed, subscribed, and C2 this story. AND finally- on behalf of Hunter X Hunter Fanfiction FB page's admin panel: Many thanks for those who liked!
Ah, special mention to those who reviewed most (that is, half or more than chappies so far) of my chapters. ^^ They are Pure . White. Junction, KuroHana, Phoenix-Thunder, and mai-chan265. Thank you also the others who reviewed so far, particularly those who left multiple. I LOVE YOU GUYS!
DISCLAIMER: I WISH I own Hunter X Hunter
[9/27/12]
CHAPTER 12: Life X Longing X Box
GUMA FOREST
Killua was holding her tightly, but not in the possessive way he used to have anymore. He knew was being selfish, and he was caging Gon. Caging her so that she could not to leave him, even when she might be happier if she did…
He could not help but feel insecure, but what Gon said made him feel better. He just had to try his best to keep Gon without imprisoning her.
Gon, on the other hand, was thinking of how to make him more comfortable. How could she make him believe what she really felt? She would never leave him, and she knew that he would do his best to do the same. But then as she was pondering, momentarily feeling his warmth: a noise was heard.
BANG!
It was a gunshot. Something Gon despised to hear, especially right in her forest. She stood up immediately and went to its direction. Killua could only follow her and it didn't take long to arrive at the spot it emanated from and they saw a fox bear chained on a tree, while the beast's child wounded inside a cage.
Gon looked emphatically at her old friend, before turning to the men and changing her expression- an expression that made Killua flinch. It was very rare to see Gon mad, and he knew immediately what he should do. The old men definitely had no idea what they were up against, though.
"Go away brats! If you want to stay alive, that is." The blonde muscular man said haughtily displaying his gun. His two other accomplices laughed with him at the statement.
"It sounds like you're talking to yourself old man." Killua said pompously stretching his hand in front of Gon. He knew she was mad and hence there was a chance she would hurt them. And after she hurt them, she would probably regret it. He hated seeing her dislike herself most. He could dislike himself, but Gon shouldn't. It simply wasn't right.
He momentarily looked at Gon and spoke. "Go and take the chains off your friend, Gon. I'll take care of them."
The three men sneered simultaneously and the leader tauntingly pointed the gun at him- expecting him to squirm. But, instead, Killua just stared at it as if it was a harmless teddy bear.
The man winced at his lack of preferable reaction. "N-No use acting all tough in front of your girlfriend, kid."
Killua remained stoic. Yes, he couldn't stop getting embarrassed by the word but he was particularly more in the mood of beating the crap out of these men. That young kitten was in the brink of death, he could tell, and he did not want Gon to see that. But its death was inevitable, so he decided to vent all the irritation he felt on the useless men who caused all these trouble.
"I'm going to kill you kid if you d-don't stop staring at me like that." He uttered incoherently and firmed his gun at Killua. He was now gesturing to shoot, but it was so obvious to Killua that he was forcing himself.
Forcing himself not to pee his pants under his terrifying stare, that is.
Killua grabbed the gun with one hand.
He smirked. "Really?"
CRACK
All eyes were where the sound emanated – the gun. The men's eyes widened in terror-
The freaking kid was destroying the gun! With his bare hands!
Shit
Killua smirked, sending even wilder goosebumps to their spines. Their legs were losing strength and they needed to escape. The leader pointed at a random direction.
"Run!"
Killua frowned. "Drop the cage!" he ordered and they did just that. He turned to Gon and the cub's parent. She had just finished unchaining Gonta, and when she saw the cage she took it from his hand and immediately destroyed it. Her actions just made them see the cub's worsening state in HD.
"No…" she mumbled, "NO."
Killua frowned and gently held her shoulders. "It's going to die, Gon. I'm sorry."
"No." She spat back decisively and stood up. She looked at Gonta.
"I'll bring him back to you, alive." She said to it decisively. "I promise."
Killua winced. She couldn't promise that! It wasn't possible-
"Gon!"
"We're going back home Killua." She stated firmly and ran. Killua followed her, anxious.
"Why don't you just give it up, Gon?" he yelled as they sprinted. "I know that its time has come. Don't waste anymore energy. We should end its suffering as soon as we could."
"NO!"
"GON! Stop being so naïve!" he shouted finally, and Gon stopped her tracks. He could barely see her eyes, and he knew he said something she hated.
"I am naïve, yes – But it's how I met you, Killua, remember?" she snapped. Who knew where that came from...? But Gon remained oblivious and focused on saving the kitten.
And so Killua froze, not knowing what he should do anymore.
…
The beautiful house between the two intertwined trees was especially gloomy that night. It was eerily quiet, it didn't have the warm atmosphere it used to have.
Inside a dimly lit bedroom, three people stared at another living being that was barely staying that way. Gon, with Mito-san's help, bandaged the cub as quickly and effectively as they could. She wanted to cry at the fact that the cub's condition was not getting any better.
"I'll go get some water." Mito said and she passed Killua, who was then standing by the door. He was watching the despaired Gon with eyes full of mixed emotions.
"How long will she be like this?"
Mito gave out a deep breath. "For as long as it's alive…"
Killua's eyes widened at her almost apathetic expression at her answer. Was Mito was going to let Gon watch it die?!
"But, she c-"
"Trust her, Killua." She said sternly, and proceeded to the kitchen, ignoring the boy's pleas. Killua frowned and turned his head to Gon. She wasn't moving, and her aura stated how sad she was. Why was she prolonging the cub's suffering and her misery?
Killua walked closer to Gon and the cub which was then lying on the bed.
"Gon… he's just getting worse-"
"I know that, Killua. Can't you see that I know?!" She yelled, but immediately stopped herself. "I'm sorry, I-"
"It's fine, Gon. I know this isn't one of your best moments."
"Tell me about it." she responded satirically, "If only… If only I got there in time-"
"It's not your fault, Gon. You should know that." He cut her off immediately. She was putting too much burden to herself, and he was planning on stopping it.
"Now, Gon… just look at how much it's suffering…"
"I can see that very clearly, Killua."
"You're going to watch it die?"
She stared determinedly. "It's not going to die."
"Yes, it w-"
His speech was halted by the sudden change in the cub's breathing. It was even more intense than before- and he knew what it meant.
He moved reflexively – it was going to die soon, but first it will suffer. And that look of horror when the cub screamed in pain so visible in Gon's eyes was definitely going to get worse.
Hell he will let that happen.
His fingers transformed into knives –and Gon sensed it immediately.
"KILLUA!" she yelled but Killua willed himself not to falter.
"He's in more pain than ever Gon! This will last for a while and he'll be dead soon!"
"You will not kill him, Killua! I want him to live as long as he could."
"Only to suffer?! Are you insane-"
"It doesn't matter – as long as it's alive." She exclaimed.
"You're just prolonging your suffering!" he exclaimed, and Gon did not notice this was about her.
"I don't care!" she answered back. "C-Can't you see it Killua?! He's fighting for his life!"
"You don't have the right to take it away from him!" she gasped- at the height of the intense panic that attacked her whole being.
Killua froze.
"That's right… like all the other people I used to kill…"
It felt like something big just dropped on her from heaven. She paled.
"K-Killua…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"No. It's fine, it's true anyway." He just answered monotonously and Gon could no longer think of a reply.
"So what do you want to do now? Shall I sit back here and watch you and the cub suffer a little longer?"
She looked at him pleadingly. "Killua-"
Time stopped. They were panicking, and it was disconcerting that it turned to their issues when a precious living thing was dying. Simultaneously, they shook the thoughts away for now and willed themselves to do their best to find a solution.
Gon's eyes widened. "I just got an idea."
Nen…
Also known as 'Life Force'.
…
They used their Nen on the kitten and its conditioned improved immensely. After their baptism, Gon let her hands rest on the bed and her head on them. She relaxed and gestured to watch the recovering cub for a little longer.
Killua looked at her with a mix of guilt and relief. He let out a deep sigh before following her. Killua, with his chin resting on the bed, found himself talking to the unconscious fox-bear.
"I'm sorry I tried to kill you." He said passively and the bear flinched as it slept.
"I think he understands you." Gon commented half-jokingly and looked at her best friend's eyes. She just aroused that part of him, didn't she?
"Gomen ne, Killua." She muttered. She was such a hypocrite- after what she told him during camping; she ended up showing him the opposite. Killua smiled sadly at her and apologized.
"I'm sorry for being so selfish and difficult."
"It doesn't matter." She shrugged, it was in the past now and Killua did what he thought was right. But Killua really hated himself.
"Yes it does."
She frowned at him. "How?"
"It feels like… I…Uhmm…" he stuttered. "I don't deserve to be near you."
"Why?"
"I'm darkn-"
"Shut up, Killua."
"What?"
"If you're going to say you're a bad person again then I tell you to shut up."
"How rude…"
She held his head and grinned. "I know. You deserve that one, at least."
And Killua could only stare at her.
"Mou, those two…"
Neither of them noticed the figure outside the door. She was watching the two kids affectionately. Both of them had gone through so much, and yet remain so incredibly pure. She would do anything to protect that.
And that would mean hindering Gon and Ging's meeting…
Or so she says…
She realized a few days later that it was inevitable.
Mito knew she was just being selfish. She simply hated Ging for leaving them like that, and convinced herself that nothing good would come to Antigone if Ging was the one to raise her. Then, one day they tried to set up this abomination called the 'internet' and Gon went and asked questions about him again.
She felt irritated… and to some degree, betrayed. Why would Gon want to look for him so much? To leave her? No, of course not…
Mito shook her head internally, but she could not keep up her composure so long as she was with the kids.
So… she climbed up to her room… and locked herself like a child.
…
Knock Knock
Someone kept knocking on her door, but she managed to muster the strength to ignore it. She was literally punching herself for being so immature, but she couldn't help it. All those years – this was what had haunted her.
"Mito…" her mother called gently.
"Is Gon still there?"
"No. But you can't keep hiding from her forever. She just wants to meet her father."
"And she'll leave me for him."
"That, you do not know. You have to ask her that directly."
Mito stared at the ceiling in comprehension, before standing up. When she turned the knob, though-
"Ask me what, baa-san?"
Twitch
And she could no longer lock the door. Gon had turned it on the outside.
"Mito-san? Please don't lock yourself up again."
"…"
"What do you have to ask me Mito-san?"
She heard her mother lightly chuckle. "I'll leave you two alone." And so she went.
Mito let out a deep sigh before completely opening the door. She stared at her niece who was looking at her with a mix of worry and confusion. Mito thought that she was such a bad woman- to make such a kind girl to worry like this for no good reason. Mito knelled so that their faces would be the same level.
"I wanted to ask if… if you ever find your father, would you come back here?"
Gon batted an eyelid. "Of course I will Mito-san. And I'll bring him back for you to punch him."
Mito's eye widened at the statement and she laughed heartily. Gon wanted to ask what was so funny, but then Mito hugged her tightly rendering her unable to do so.
"I love you so much."
…
Later that day, Gon followed her aunt as she took something inconspicuously hidden inside her room. They, along with Killua, went to the dining room and discuss it. It was a mysterious box Ging left. He, apparently, requested to give it to Gon once she had become a hunter.
Mito honestly never planned to give it to her – first, because for all those years she never really thought she'd want to be a hunter; and second, it was Ging who asked.
How ironic. Ging knew Antigone more than she did.
But Antigone was not her father. She would keep her promises.
"Arigatou, Mito-san." She beamed and the two children stood up. They ran to her room to check it out.
She watched their backs with a mix of emotions. And soon, her mother held her shoulder firmly looking quite proud.
"You did good, child."
…
Crack
"S-Sugoi!" Gon exclaimed as she stared at the box with odd markings. "It really opened."
"Yeah…"
The box could only be opened with Nen. As the markings reminded them of the odd ring Wing gave her in the tower, something imposed with nen and would then only react to it.
Inside were a ring, a tape, and some sort of card. Gon didn't know what it was so she decided to focus on what she did first- the tape. Killua hurriedly went to get the player and they sat seiza in front of it in anticipation.
They listened to the tape's contents and they heard Ging's voice, making them flinch despite actually expecting it. He sounded arrogant, unsurprisingly, and he obviously expected her to do what she was doing. He congratulated her for going that far, and she was somewhat closer to finding him. He even offered for her mother's voice.
But Gon clicked on the stop button. She had to- she believed Mito was her mother after all. She didn't want two mothers in her heart, so she chose the one who was alive.
Afterwards, they attempted to replay it- maybe were some clues on where he was by the sounds in the tape. Nen could be used in a lot of things. But they found out too quickly that Ging was a hundred steps ahead of them again. The tape destroyed its contents by itself.
Gon sighed. Did he not want to see her that much? Or was he just bored…
Despite having his blood, he was truly a person she could not fully understand.
"Gon…" Killua called and they proceeded into staring at the other two items. The ring had similar marking but nothing happened when they used nen on it. The card Gon had no idea about was a 'ROM card', as Killua explained, and it contained data for some Joystation game.
Killua taught her how to buy items over the internet.
"Sugoi… the world is such a modern place…"
Killua sweat-dropped. "Ha…"
It arrived a few days later, and Gon once again marvelled at the wonders of modernity.
They found out that it had data for a game called 'Greed Island' and it could not be found on the internet. Or rather, they didn't have a reliable source. They found that the production had stopped ages ago, and now tens of thousands of people are 'selling' it to them when there were only 100 copies created.
Killua reluctantly asked his brother, Milluki, for there was no other choice. "He was the one I told you about before. The one who adored games."
"The butt?"
Killua cackled. "Yes, the ass."
The game, it turned out, was legendary– and even Milluki, a devoted gamer, did not have it…. even when he seriously wanted to.
In the end, the siblings made a deal. Killua would send a copy of the data card and Milluki, in turn, would try to make a copy of the game. The address for the hunter site would be given, too.
"At least we have a lead now."
"That's right. Now, we can only hope he succeeds in making a copy…"
"You don't sound convinced."
"There's something mysterious about that game. Aniki even muttered something about it being legendary. There's a chance he may not be able to crack it."
"Ah… then what do we do then…?" she asked crossing her arms and attempted to think.
Nothing came.
"Nothing came." She voiced out. Killua smiled and suggested,
"Then we'll just have to go to the hunter site." He blinked when Gon gestured to go to the PC. "No- Not here Gon. It could be traced, we don't want bad people coming to your island right?"
"Oh…"
"We'll have to leave earlier…"
Gon froze. Mito would be sad, but it should be alright… it was not like she wouldn't return soon, anyway.
MAINLAND
On an idyllic village around the mainland, stood a mansion surrounded by the bounties of nature. There was a small stream there, and a certain blonde was feeling the pure water's soft current against the skin of his palm.
It was a rare, relaxing moment for him. Nowadays it was only when he had his mind completely blank, or when he was thinking about them.
He recalled the events these past few days. He had just been hired for his 'dream' job, and it wasn't particularly hard with his innate intellect and new-found power. He recalled the dangling of his chain, following his will. The exam then could also kill, and there was a lot of lying that went on. There were so many moments when his mind just blabbered 'She would not lie to me.'
It was so odd, how it felt like the time he spent with them was the vacation period he never thought he could afford.
And most of those times happened during the infamous hunter exam.
"How lovely." A soft voice from behind him stated. It was Senritsu, unsurprisingly, and he remained impassive.
"Ah. Your heartbeat changed." He said and Kurapika gestured to walk away. Senritsu started speaking about how lovely his heartbeat was before he interrupted, even saying that it was so pure… yet cold in the oddest sense of the word.
Kurapika started feeling annoyed. He was not in the mood for such personal thoughts. "I suggest that you don't speak too much." One may give off unnecessary information, after all.
"That's true," he smiled in understanding. "But… words are unreliable."
He knew that.
"One could easily lie with it. To everyone… ne?" Yes, including oneself.
He knew that, too, but he didn't speak. He turned around and he felt the little man chuckle.
"But… sometimes we need to speak up too, to let go of the tension within us." He said serenely. "One just had to find the right time, the right place… and the right person."
Senritsu's expression lightened up, his darned heartbeat probably changed again. Kurapika could only sigh at human being's involuntary reactions.
"You miss them, don't you?"
"Hm." He smiled. "Very much."
And yet, as he turned around, he put on the strong mask that he needed to wear for his goal. "But… they will now be mere parts of my memory, now."
After all, he already had a mission in life… and it wasn't to be with them.
.
.
END OF CHAPTER 12
Coming Soon:
CHAPTER 13: Auction X Busy X Despair
REPLIES TO ANGELS
chibigokugirl- Hahah. Why do you add a bunny in to this? Now I feel like crying even more for updating so late. XD Thanks for the review~
SupremeRulerJinOfTheWind- Eh? I'm flattered! X) And cool! You're a GB writer as well? It'll be cool if we're friends in DA, too. XD Thx for the review~
Guest [8/5/12]- I wish that's true- I really do. T_T I can't keep it up for more than 2 or 3 chapters though. Sorry... Thank you for your review, btw, and I can only hope this was hope the wait. :D
Aria of the Sky- Thank you for the review~! hehe. And yeah, I dunno how I'll fit that in the plot yet but I'll certainly think it through. ;D I hated those two arcs as well. I'd actually be stopping at the GI arc and swerve away from the canon from there. hehe. Hope that's fine~ XD
TheEbilBunni- *Asks them to hug you back* lol. Thanks for the comment~! :D
kits-hold-their-tears - Thanks for the review~! And yes he does~! Esp. since we all do. XDD
invisible-gurl - Ahahaha. Yeah, but who knows... right? Fufufu~ Thanks for the comment~!
PrincessFuFu- Lol. I totally imagined your review as a meme. XD Thanks for the review! X)
Guest [8/7/12]- Oh wow- thanks! Hope this was worth the wait. ^^ But of course, you can tell me when ur disappointed.
naruke3176- Thank you for the review~ I hope you liked this next installment. XD
Phoenix-Thunder - Ah~ How long has it been since we talked about this on DA? Darn- now I feel how long I haven't updated. haha. Thanks for the review!
Microwaves- Thanks for the review! And I do update as soon as I can. I just hope it was sooner though. =.= haha
mai-chan265- Thanks for the review~ I'll try and fix all those things you pointed out. XD And you should post the pic on FB~ Haven't watched the remake beyond the 1st ep. Hahaha.
crimebaby-chan- Banzaii! haha. Thank you for the comment. XD
AngelofAgony- Naw, you're not being selfish. My teachers are for giving us so much requirements. hahahah! XD Thanks for the review~
KuroHana- I...do? And haha. As for the pairing: Same here! Y'know, we named that pair 'Yin-Yang Pair' pfft-XD Thank you for the review, btw~
Guest [8/16/12]- Yes, yes she is. XD One of the cutest characters ever made~! Haha. And Thx for the comment~
Yumi-nachan- I'm taking that into account~ But don't worry about him, he'll have a happy ending. ^^ Probably. lol. Thanks for the review~
DinoMe-ItsMyUserNameDealWithIt- O.O hahaha. That's really nice! XD I'm glad you liked this and thank you for your review~
Pure . White . Junction. - (ch1)I did! haha. I thought when I wrote it that it would be cuter. But when you're not that familiar with its use? Well... it doesn't work. XD (ch2)I think the GB part's the only thing similar to our stories. XD (ch3) Whoa! Lolicon! But when they get old it's not that big anymore. ahahaha. Too bad she's just 12. (ch4) Yep! I like writing boyish characters. My Pot GB fics are all like that. lol (ch5) hahah. Naaww, Gon doesn't get it yet. XD (ch6) Must be from Atobe, ahn~? aahahahha. And I will never consider Leorio as a love interest! XD He'll look like the biggest lolicon ever. wahaha (ch7)I can't imagine you shipping KuraGon. haha. And yeah, that particular chapter was mostly canon. ^^(ch8) N'aw... they were remade so technically they're 21st century kids, too. hahahah. *Ignore me* (ch9) Indeed~ This is why we ship the stitching Pair. hahaah (ch10) I'll stop at GI. I didn't like the two chapters that came after. ;D (ch11) Ahaha. Killua had tons of those OCs as well. *Recalling the topic on Mainstream* Thank you for the reviews~!
nakku- Thank you for the review and I'm glad you liked it! X)
LunarStar98- Thank you for the review and I'm happy you thought so~ ! Hope you enjoyed this installment~ XD
Hunters lover- Here it is! Sorry it took so long and I hope it didn't disappoint. Warn me if I do though. Thx for the review~!
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