Thank you for bearing with me until now! xD Special thanks to those who gave me even more of their time by reviewing/faving/following/C2ing/and even liking my facebook page(s) xD
More Killua next chapter! He only makes a brief appearance here.
Also, THIS is where the major changes from the previous version occurs. You have been warned!
Disclaimer: I do not own HxH
…
In the world of Maharlika, three continents existed. One was primarily of snow, one was of sand, and the other was of water.
They were large land masses and collections of islands, once together, now isolated from one another.
It was a world of monarchy, despite its age, as it could not go further for any more progress would destroy that world. It was a world that controlled people—constantly attacking it with storms and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions—to ensure they do not take beyond what they deserve.
It was a world that was alive, and well, and striving; But at the same time it was stingy. It only selected few to be born with power to hold it close.
These people were gifted individuals, albeit not always of good heart.
They were very rare.
And all were destined for greatness.
CHAPTER 3: The Capital Cities
PADIOKA CITY
The capital city of Padioka was a bustling metropolis over two hundred acres in size. It had a temperate climate, lush lands, and perennially good weather—all attributed to the greatness of the royal family.
At the center of this City was the panoptic predominantly-marble castle characterized by five tiers, each one with portcullis bigger and heavier than the one in front of it. The lowest layer had the highest walls—covering until well into the second tier, though the highest ones—where the high royals resided—was most ornate.
Beyond the drawbridge and the moat was the city center itself, booming with business as usual. Merchants occupied both sides of the streets, people shopping as they chatted, and vendors advertised their products with energies that matched their needs.
All cogs in a single machine they called a country, everyone had their own predetermined parts to play, very very few times anyone even attempted to make an exception of themselves. Nearly no one dared to commit a crime. The people were safe, and everyone had a purpose—and that was admirable. The exemptions were few and far in between; they were all extremely minor cases, though met with harsh consequences, instilling rightful fear in the hearts of everyone in the city.
The kingdom was stable, as it always had been.
And that is how people want it, and would continue to want, Canary believed. This proud thought echoed in her head as she walked across the town in her uniform—attracting stares from all sides. Some were surprised to see a Royal Servant walking around town, as rarely there was a need for them to go out of the Bailey. And if they had, it was usually inconspicuous—apparently, if rumors were to be believed, usually when 'clean-ups' were in order.
But she was not on a surprise watch, Canary was on her way to recruit someone. Or rather, to invite the kid to the annual recruitments. However, it was rare that people actually pass. The last ones were a set of maids, three years ago.
The problem was there were only eleven royal guards of the Zoldyck family, and two of them were getting quite old. They were still extremely strong—with strength that people from this town wouldn't be able to comprehend—but they were not immortal, and the Miss's intuition was telling her something big was coming. They needed some force, just to be certain.
They didn't want to be surprised again—another attack like several years ago, cannot happen again. Canary was still a little child at the time, and the Miss lost her face then, now having to wear odd contraptions to show her emotions.
Eventually Canary arrived at her destination and paused in front of the house. It was small, but recalling Seaquant's dislike for extraneousness, a small house suited his style. Seaquant was one of the few guards who actually had a family, but he hadn't taken them to live with him to the bailey. But then Seaquant only wore his uniform when he was in the castle, (perhaps a sign of pride—after what he's been through with her and the royal family). Canary mused that most of his family's neighbors probably don't even know he was a royal guard.
She raised her hand to give three precise knocks, using her sharp hearing to catch the shuffling inside the house and footsteps that was approaching the door.
A pretty blonde woman peered through, immediately looking shocked at the sight of her. "W—" She paused, composing herself and fully opening the door. "How may I help you?"
"Is your son here?"
"What?"
"I am here to ask. No, require, him to apply for the annual recruitment."
"E-Eh? But—"
"Are you not planning on showing him to me?" Canary cut her off with the question, a little surprised. This woman should know that her husband was once hired to be a spy. Canary defeated him easily, and he begged for forgiveness. He still became a guard, but of a different type of sworn loyalty than the rest of them.
That included the service of his son.
"N-No, Miss." She stuttered, whipping her head to the interior of the house. She tentatively turned her gaze back to the younger woman. "Would you like to go in?"
"No need." Canary said primly. "I simply need to extend my invitation personally."
She nodded and hurried into the house. Soon, a young boy no more than twelve emerged and gingerly stood beside his mother. He was tall for his age—almost as tall as Canary herself. He also had a half-bald hairstyle, something expected for a boy probably trained to fight. After all, punishment awaited him if he didn't pass, as his life was already offered in exchange for his father's. The boy still has large innocent eyes, but there was something in his eyes that told Canary that the owner was raised into discipline and obedience. It was an attitude they preferred. Sequant raised him well.
"Hello, Ms. Canary."
"Hello." She nodded. "I'm here to invite you to be a servant in the castle." She smiled. "Would you like to serve with your dad?"
There was a pause, albeit he was unsurprised. "But what about mother?"
"She'll be taken care of, you know that right?" Indeed, the families of the servants were given enough sustenance to last a lifetime, and more. It Was why many aimed to serve, though very few pass. Even fewer people who can actually serve as Royal Guards. She had been the last one before Sequant, and that was over a decade ago.
That was why they need someone with Nen. And this boy, it seemed, managed to inherit from his father. "What do you say?"
The boy looked at his mother who nodded reluctantly, and was forcing a smile. The boy turned to Canary. "I will be honored, Ms. Canary!"
"I'll see you soon then." She said, stoically, before turning away.
As she walked to the center, Canary looked at the sky. It was time some of the Princes are returning home. That meant, everyone would soon gather in the palace—including the Royal Guards. She smiled.
She needed to get back.
…
Deep cerulean eyes slowly opened to the intricately-designed ceiling above him, staring blankly at each pattern as minutes passed. He felt his body protest at any sort of movement, still sore from the 16-hour daily training he was being subject to the past few months. Today it was minimally soothed by the three hours of sleep he had just taken.
He heaved out a sigh before forcing himself to sit up, dragging himself out the bed to stretch even with the pain in his leg and lower back. He still felt the pain, but it rarely bothered him now. He trudged to his desk, closer to the window, and passed his upholstered chair, opting to seat on the dragonwood desk as a seat instead.
He watched how the guards and maids scurried increasingly frantic pace, reminding him that what made the morning decidedly worse was that his brothers are returning from their respective diplomatic meetings outside the country (and, Killua knew, some handling of rebellions at the borders).
He frowned at the thought, just as he raised his eyes upwards to look at the clouds, wondering—not for the first time—what it was like to travel outside these walls.
It's annoying how he's never allowed to leave the castle when everyone else can. Heck, even one of his sisters Kalluto can leave.
"It is because you are the heir. You must be protected at all times." Killua recalled his father's repetitive speech, letting a leg rest on the sill so his elbow rest on it. The movement displaced a small lock of hair that covered his eye, making him frown immediately at its sight.
This—his silver hair, the sign of his right to the throne. The reason why he was never been allowed to leave.
There was a reason their hair was silver, and it apparently wasn't the mere lack of melanin. But surely staying within the capital city wouldn't cause much trouble? The lay lines were regions-wide and traversed the globe. And it wasn't like he would be missing the whole day. He didn't really care about the attack in the palace when he was a child, resulting in his mother's disfigured face as she got too close to his father's and the intruder's fight.
He was over sixteen now, yet he had never been beyond the palace walls.
Or, at least, never succeeded. He certainly wasn't confined for the lack of trying.
In fact, his trainings lasted only 12 hours a few months before, increased as punishment for his latest 'problematic' act, his grandfather Zeno saying his mind was probably 'too idle as of late' so he apparently 'had too much time to hatch up useless escape plans').
The (more-than-a-few) times he tried, Gotoh and his other guards became stricter—along with his training regimen and correspondingly the voltage his body was subjected to—every time. Still, Killua couldn't help it. He kept doing it, though sometimes more for the thrill than the actual goal. What can he say? He was bored. He believed he'd really die at this rate. Escaping meant doing the kingdom a favor. He'd be saving their prince!
He swore that his next attempt would be a success, and he needed a very very good plan for it to even have a chance.
And he stoically looks at the sky, perhaps hoping for an inspiration.
…
ANTIKOBA
They arrived at the borders of the Ukure Kingdom's Capital. Gon's eyes widened in delight at the atmosphere—the land was still bright and alive, just as she remembered. She happily inhaled the cool sea breeze that wisped her senses, twirling around with the birds that had been circling the ship as if welcoming their entrance.
Kurapika, on the other hand, chuckled at his friends' antics before taking in the breathtaking sight itself. It has been a while, Antikoba, he thought and pondered what interesting will happen this time.
Kaito meanwhile looked around at the new country. He joined the crew a little over a year prior, up until then having little adventures of his own, soon hunting for his old master after finding out the limit of what he can learn about Nen from other sources.
He quickly watched the outgoing ships with a sharp eye. The ships had a very familiar form. But before he could dwell on that thought, he wondered why they were there in the first place. Silently, he watched as Ging maneuvered the ship away from the docks, which surprised him. Soon enough, they reached an isolated part of the shore following the outline of tall cliffs that had probably made a huge part of the country's defenses.
Eventually he saw a well-hidden cave and this made his eyebrows furrow. He tentatively walked to the captain, debating himself, though asking anyway. "Why are we here?" A pause. "You're not going to get us banned from another country are you?" Kaito added, seeing how they're sneaking in. Ging sighed, the man's anxiety—to Kaito's surprise—slowly becoming more and more obvious. Not the terrified nervous (that would be highly uncharacteristic), but rather an excited nervous. At this Kaito felt even more apprehensive, if not just a bit amused. What was this all about, anyway?
"Oh, right, you've never been here before have you?" The older man said, and Kaito slowly shook his head in affirmation. "I never told you this but Antikoba's our base city."
Interesting. "Is that why the official ships of the country have a striking resemblance with ours?" Kaito asked and Hanzo blinked and looked more closely at the ship, apparently trying to figure out the resemblances. Ging nodded. Only the body's form was the same, with the colors and ornaments leading away from that fact, but Kaito had sharp observation skills. This time though, it was Kurapika who answered.
"The country provided us with the ship." The younger blonde explained. "Considering their activities…, letting other countries know about our connection was basically the same as declaring war." He paused, allowing Kaito to absorb the new information. "So we hide."
"Ah…" He uttered, quite curious. "Why wasn't this ever brought up?"
Both Kurapika and Gon flinched at this, turning their heads to Ging, who shrugged as if uncaring. Gon walked closer to him and raised her hand to whisper. "We have never been away for over a year before..." She mumbled with a fond smile. "Ging tends to get a bit dramatic when the princess is concerned."
"The princess?"
"Uhn." She said, followed by a noncommittal shrug, and Kurapika—being graciously helpful of the newbies—decided to expound on the statement. Kaito and Hanzo's eyes widened like saucers at what he said next.
Kurapika smiled. "She's kind of Gon's mum."
…
"WHAT?!"
A flock of birds made a full circle around their ship before being frightened by the embarrassingly feminine screeches coming from two grown men. The two aforementioned men were still gaping at the young girl in front of them, when Kurapika's loud sigh brought them back to reality. Unsurprisingly, a barrage of questions followed the silence.
"Why don't you ever call him your dad?" The ninja asked, eyebrows furrowed. "And you call your mother the princess?"
"Well she is."
"Doesn't that make you…like…" Hanzo was blubbering now. It was Kaito who continued.
"A princess, as well?"
Her nose scrunched a little at this, making a face. "Not really."
"Oi."
It was then that they felt a rumbling of the sea's surface, the ship increasingly rocking as it did so. The newcomers immediately raised their guards, while the rest flinched in surprise, though one of pleasantries. "A Seasqueak!" Gon yelled, just before skipping to the balustrades facing the sea.
"A what?"
"What the—" Hanzo cussed as he felt the floating chunk of wood move. The rocking soon intensified and culminated to a massive vertical splash than made them gape at the creature that appeared.
It was a huge chubby rodent—one nearly as tall as the ship's mast—and the two flinched in shock, then hostility, ready to to fight it off.
This earned them smacks from Kurapika and Gon. "Oi stop that you're scaring him!" The girl said. "They're harmless!"
Kaito's eyes twitched as he caught sight of the massive frontal teeth of the nautical rodent and eventually just grunted in assent as his eyes met theirs. Hanzo, however, was not so eloquent.
"It's a giant RAT. A Rat! Those annoying squeaky things with whiskers!"
"But it's cute…" Gon mumbled.
"It's harmless." Kurapika added. "You're in an Antikoban ship, after all."
And Kaito smirked. "Ninja's afraid of rats." As if he didn't have reservations himself. Though he made a mental note to ask Kurapika how merchants entered, if the seasqueaks were non-hostile to Antikoban ships alone.
"And you wanted to be my protegee.." Ging pseudo-tsked. This made the ninja pale and the rat just dived again and ignored the weird group of humans that entered its territory.
...
"For being so closely associated with royalty..." Hanzo started as they trekked the rocky mountain where the Antikoban Palace was embedded. Hanzo might not have travelled as much as they had, but he knew palaces had grand entrances, not single-file pathways edging off a cliff. "We sure are taking the long way to their house."
Not that he minded, of course, growing up in the mountains himself.
Ging shrugged in response. "I was the princess' youthful indiscretion, so to speak."
They wait for him to continue, but he didn't. Gon blinked at this. "Thirty-six isn't exactly youthful, though…:" She said referring to the latest 'indiscretion'.
"I was referring to was the time you were born."
Gon shrugged and instead looked behind her to check on Aunt Mito and Baa-chan, who were being carried by Kurapika and Kaito, respectively. She saw Kaito sneaking glances at the other pair though, and Gon blinked when she saw him frown.
Hanzo caught up and walked side-by-side with Ging, very very curious about his (future, hopefully) master.
"In this country, the princess, the second child and first daughter of the King and symbolic ruler of the land, can never marry." He tells him patiently. "She serves as a priestess."
"Symbolic?"
"Monarchy are mostly symbols here. The parliament formally rule the country now, though the King still had ample amounts of power." He said.
'"I've never heard of that."
"It's one of the reasons why Gon can travel around like she has instead of being confined in the palace as a royal. As far as I know, she's the only descendant as of now." Then his nonchalant face morphed to a rather annoyed one. "They're hoping Shiny-prince procreates soon, the annoying that he is." His eyes momentarily stayed on Mito, and no one missed it, even her. She blushed, but she wisely kept her mouth shut.
"What is the priestess for, then?"
Ging hummed, annoyance temporarily banished, and for a while there was quiet. "Hanzo, you want to be my apprentice, right?"
The ninja nodded. Enthusiastically.
"First lesson."
At this Hanzo perked up even more and even conjured a scroll and pen to take notes. "This world is alive, as we all know. The life and energy are concentrated in the ley lines, particularly in the nodes." Ging said as he pushes away a branch blocking his path. "Some countries build on these nodes. These countries sire humans capable of, somehow, aligning their souls with the world."
The ninja nodded as he trudged, eyes alternating on Ging and his notes, the cliff an inch away notwithstanding. "Nen."
"That's right. All nen users are born along ley lines, though not very likely if they are far from the nodes and intersections." Ging paused as he jumped over a particularly tall outcrop. "The world's spirit attaches itself to the souls closest to it, and blesses all its descendants."
"It shows itself and nourishes itself differently. If the blessed family fails to do this, the entire country would cease to produce nen users, and not just for their country, it will affect the other countries that feeds on the same ley lines—it could even be cut off, so to speak."
"Different families maintain this connection in different ways. This one through the rituals of the priestess." He paused, and for a moment looks far away. "Some ensure descendants with blessed traits hold the throne."
Hanzo nodded as they passed through a passage narrowed by a small landslide, using the trees growing at the side of the mountains instead. "I see how that's a problem…"
"That's not all though." Ging said. "The earth will weaken in these areas, some will even become barren."
Hanzo blinked at this, unaware of the extent of the intricacies between the relationship between the world and its inhabitants.
"There's a worldwide movement taking down monarchies of countries, particularly the tyrants." "Some of the times, this is progress, because certain countries survived for centuries, without Nen. Monarchies are obsolete in those countries."
"In case of Antikoba, it is the royals themselves who let go of the responsibility, choosing to serve and be symbols, to keep the country's power to harness the world's energy."
"That's why the Padioka situation is dire, isn't it?" Kaito asked from behind them, and Ging nodded.
"That is why we are here." He stopped at a plateau, with the palace now only a hundred meters away. "Antikoba will agree to us helping Padioka, simply because the same major ley line passes them both." He looked at Gon, who blinked.
"They wouldn't allow Gon going on a mission like this otherwise."
He frowned, and Kaito would feel Mito flinching soonafter. "Even Pariston would fight me on this, and not just because I'm doing the argument. That jerk." He shook his head in apparent distaste, then glared at the sky. "I feel annoyed already!"
"Eh?" Gon mumbled, surprised. "Uncle Pariston's back?"
Ging made a face. "Just last year, apparently. That tosser sent me a letter with golden ink to rub it in my face."
"Rub what?"
"That he's here when I couldn't."
Kurapika shook his head. "Who says repeat the youthful indiscretion in public anyway?"
Ging flushed. "It wasn't on purpose! And It's not public!" he corrected, aghast. "It was one person who saw! One!"
"Her father." Kurapika said pointedly, and Gon chuckled at this, as if the memory was amusing rather than embarrassing.
"So we're already banned in this country, then." Kaito, massaging his temple, sighed. "That explains everything."
…
They stood outside the stone walls of the massive palace, and stared up at its imposing height. It was very surreal, a palace etched into the face of the mountain itself, its columns and balustrades carved up directly from the mountain. It must've taken decades, even with Nen, to construct such a marvel—and there was a lot of Nen residue, thousands of years old, Kaito felt it in his bones.
He had always felt most comfortable in nodes, powers metaphysically closer to him in them. And this was the center of the center, and Kaito stared for a long time before Mito tapped his shoulder wearing the kind smile that always made him warm. "It is magnificent, isn't it?"
"An understatement." He said with a smile.
It was then that an instantaneous burst of aura shook their cores and they barely even managed to raise their guards when they saw someone fall—or jump—from a few hundred meters above them creating a wave of dust.
Both Hanzo and Kaito immediately released their weapons, eyes stilted in genuine suspicion, surprise, and fear.
They did not even register that the newcomer already jumped to a direction and hit it with such force that they had to cover their eyes from the dust. It was happening so fast that they have had to strain their eyes to follow the fight between the newcomer and their captain.
It lasted for a minute, but they must have exchanged about a hundred blows.
Eventually the two reached a standstill with the captain's arms defensively blocking the old man's strong kick.
An old man? They gaped.
"I told you not to show your lecherous face for a while." He said, annoyed, just before letting both feet down the ground. "Though I didn't say my granddaughter couldn't come, you libidinous idiot!"
"Grandpa…" Gon mumbled in amusement. The newcomers whipped their heads to the girl's direction. Grandpa?
.
.
The King?!
"Gon!" The old man beamed, skipping past them to Gon. They did not even notice he was only wearing slippers. After giving his granddaughter a hug, and quite literally rubbed his face on her, he turned his head to them. "Oh, new faces?"
Cheek still attached to her grandfather's, Gon nodded. "This is Kaito, a student of Ging's. And Hanzo, the bald ninja."
"Oi."
"It's been sooo longggg—"
"Er, well.."
"Anyway, old man." Ging intervened. "To the point, there's something to discuss."
The newcomers stared at him. Is he supposed to be talking to the king (and father-in-law) like that?
"As much as I love babies, my princess should be stopping at Gon."
Ging flushed wildly—which was a sight for everyone, really—but the man managed to clear his throat and school a somewhat-less embarrassing expression. "I know you kicked us ou—"
"Only you."
"—kicked us out and all," Ging pushed. "There is a matter of international security I'd like to put forward." He paused, taking in the King's now-interested expression. "And it very much affects this country."
The king stared at him for a moment, still hugging his only granddaughter, before his stance softened and stood properly—a stern stance fit for royals—and for the first time the newcomers realized he really was a King.
"Very well." The old man said, finally, before giving the captain a pointed look. "I don't want you a meter from my daughter though." And then he jumped up—all the way to a balcony about two hundred meters above—not hearing Ging's disagreement with that.
…
"Your family is full of interesting characters, Gon." Kaito told her as they sat in a waiting room as large as all of their living quarters put together. Hanzo was then enthusiastically wandering about and admiring the intricacies of the room, even the cornice at the ceiling a half-a-dozen meters above them, which he was currently marveling like a spider.
"Everyone is interesting." Gon said sincerely. "Mine is just a bit weird."
"By the way Gon, you said you weren't a princess? Aren't you technically one?" He asked, half of his attention on excitable Hanzo who hit a golden vase, barely managing to catch it. His eyes twitched at the probable price of the thing.
"Princess tells me I shouldn't be one, and it's not like I want to be." Gon answered, expression telling him that she believed she had already answered his question. It didn't, so with a curious eyebrow raised he turned to Kurapika, who was historically more helpful when it came to these things. The other blond caught his eyes.
"I'm not sure about that, either." He answered truthfully. "I suppose it has to do with the priestess not wanting to pass on her responsibility to Gon, who is the only female in her generation." He paused. "Technically, the only child as of the moment."
"Your uncle really should procreate soon, to lift whatever pressure would eventually be placed on you."
Gon seemed contemplative at this, then at a memory she raised her head to meet Kurapika's again, just before turning her head to Mito and Kaito's direction. "I thought aunt Mito and my uncle were gonna get married, actually."
Everyone's—including Kurapika—gaped and whipped their head to the direction of said woman, who was then flushing crimson herself.
"T-That is not true, Gon!" She squeaked, her hands flying all over the place. "We didn't even d-date!"
The younger girl blinked, genuinely confused. "But you kissed, though…" She tilted her head. "And uncle Pariston said—"
"GON!"
The men furrowed their eyebrows in intrigue—sans Kaito, who looked ill—and open their mouth to shower them with questions, but before anyone could do any clarification and interrogate, a burst of light appeared within the room, not too far from them.
The hairs at the back of their necks rose and everyone stood up.
The burst of light seemed to coagulate to form a much larger form—a human—before disappearing with a small burst, reminiscent of water splashing.
"Your highness!" Kurapika and Mito yelled, bowing their heads. At least this time, they were given enough time to show curtseys unlike with the king, who had a much too explosive entrance.
Not to mention that in this world ruled by Nen, the priestess holding it closest was esteemed more than a humanely king.
Kaito and Hanzo gaped at the ethereal woman, who had a presence and looks that they didn't know could exist. The woman smiled at them before waving her hand and the bowing members raise their head and look at her admiringly, before turning to Gon.
"I told you to call me Celeste." She smiled and stared at Gon, then Kurapika, then back at to her daughter. "So when's the wedding?"
Gon tilted her head in puzzlement. "Huh?"
Kurapika only face-palmed. He really should stop being surprised.
.
.
END OF CHAPTER 3
Coming Soon:
CHAPTER 4: Padioka City
…
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