Third person POV
Within the humid and dark weather, Killua was walking along the railway. It was suffocating. The dark clouds pressing in as if to crush him into pieces, pressing the point with a sudden flash of lightning, followed by the thunder rumbling like a hungry monster.
The pitter patter of the rain created a shield around him, exposing him to the cold weather. However, Killua seemed to be oblivious of the cold-- or was it that his soul was already frozen he couldn't even feel the dreariness of the rain.
Just then, his hand slipped into his pockets when he could feel something familiar. Removing the item from his pocket, Killua set his gaze on it for a long while.
'Gon's Hunter License...'
His feet stopped moving.
'That reminds me... I first met Gon and Rin at the Hunter Exam.'
An image from when he first met them flashed in his mind recalling the earliest memory he had with them.
'I started talking to them just 'cause they were my age, but they turned out to be as physically capable as me.'
Gon seems to be a laid-back kid, but he always sticks to his principles. We're polar opposites.'
'And Rin... You seemed hot-headed and reckless at first, but you were always one step ahead of us.'
'If only you know, your smile is what saved me...'
.
"It's amazing, isn't it? I never thought entering the Hunter Exam can bring me such joy. But you know, meeting you guys, are the greatest!" Rin smiled brightly.
.
'Rin... did you know? It was the same for me too, meeting you guys are the greatest thing that ever happened to me. You guys are the best friends I could ever wish for.'
'Yet I...'
The ground suddenly rumbled followed by an ear-splitting screech. The train was gaining closer but Killua made no intention to move. He only gripped the Hunter License with his trembling hand.
The future Killua had dreamed of had vanished to black, like they were never there at all.
'I betrayed them!'
The bonds he had, the ones that keep his heart beating, felt so thin. Killua then realized, to love is to care for their futures and for them to care for his-- yet how could he love them despite being the terrible person he is?
And that's when he came into a conclusion.
"I hate myself..."
WAAAAANNNNKKKKKK.
His body flashed white as the train's gaining closer. Killua dropped his hand to his side and closed his eyes ready for his impending doom.
"I don't care anymore..."
"KILLUAAAA!!!"
The voice brought Killua back from whatever trance he was in as he jerked his head aside to find the person he never thought he would ever see again.
WAAAAANNNNKKKKKK.
"Ugh!--"
The incoming force from the side was too fast that Killua was shoved to the side as his feet loses its balance. Because of that, Killua's back hit the ground with a loud thud but it didn't just end there. The slope at the side caused them to rolled down the grassy field with thud after thud until finally, Killua landed on his back with a loud thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
FA-THUD!
"O-Ouch..." Killua winced the moment his head landed on the ground. That's when he noticed the weight on top of him.
He tilted his head up to see wet black hair resting on his chest. Killua's eyes widened.
"Ri-Rin...?"
Rin had landed on top of Killua. Instead of propping herself up with her hands, her head was buried within his chest while her hands were clutching his forearms tight. Not to mention that their legs were tangled up together. Simply put, their position was a tad bit awkward.
Killua thought he was being delusional for a second there when a sudden jolt on his chest brought him back to reality.
Bomp.
Bomp.
Bomp.
Rin was knocking on his chest weakly with her shaking hands.
"Baka! You, idiot! You blockhead! Pea-brain!" Rin muttered every single cuss words her brain could muster as her hands kept on hitting Killua's hard chest when suddenly he grabbed a hold of her balled fist leaving it hanging midway.
With her lips still quivering and her head still buried on his chest, Rin continued. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack back there, you selfish prick!?"
This time, Rin removed herself from Killua and kneeled in front of him with anger visible on her face.
"What in the world were you trying to do? Cuz it better not be what I think it is!" Rin ended up panting hard after her outburst.
Killua could only stare at her with his mouth ajar. He was definitely lost in words. But the sight of the girl glaring at him caused him to avert his eyes in shame.
"... Y-You shouldn't be here." Killua muttered.
Rin's eyebrow ceased to crease at his words.
"What are you talking about? If I hadn't been here, God knows what would've happened to you." Rin replied.
Killua shrugged at her answer and shifted his head aside.
"Why would you go so far for someone like me? After all those horrible things I did... I mean-- I'm the one who killed--" Before he could finish his sentence, Rin placed her index finger on top of his lips, silencing him in the process.
"Shh... Don't say that. I know exactly what happened and I know it's not entirely your fault. Besides, I'm sorry for the way I acted before. I shouldn't say all those horrible words at you." Rin apologized.
"No. I deserve that. I betrayed you and that fact wouldn't change. It never will..." His white bang shadowed his eyes.
That was when Killua could feel the warm feeling around his hand. Despite the cold weather, Rin's touch was able to warm his hand and what's more-- igniting a flame to thaw his frozen soul.
Clasping his hand around hers, intertwining her fingers with his, Rin looked at Killua straight in the eyes. Admiring his sapphire blue orbs as she said the next words with sincerity.
"If it's you, I don't mind getting betrayed. I'd still believe in you. After all, you're one of my best friends!"
Rin gave him a smile that just seemed so genuinely sweet that unexpected warmth rushes through him.
'Rin... you--'
Just the sight of her smiling face brought something back to life within him. Without him realizing it, a single tear slid down from his warm sapphire eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until a steady stream of salty tears flowed it's way down his pale cheek, releasing the sadness and sorrow that has been held inside of him for all this time. But still, Killua did not make a sound.
Just then, a hand wrapped around his hand head pulling him closer to her chest. Rin caressed his hair gently and rested her chin on top of his head.
"That is why I want you to live... Like I said before, right; how am I going to live if you were to die."
Just like a small child, Killua continued to sob into her chest unceasingly while she held him in silence, rocking him slowly as his tears soaked her chest.
**************************
"Killua! Rin!"
The two of them shifted their attention to the source of the voice and found Gon running towards them.
"Gon?"
Upon reaching where Killua and Rin stood, Gon was already panting hard.
"Looks like both of you had already made up." He said in between his breath. A bright smile was not left unnoticed by the two of them.
Rin and Killua looked at each other cluelessly before turning their attention back to Gon.
"Gon, how'd you find us?" Killua asked.
"I followed your scent. The rain made that a little difficult though." To prove a point, Gon tried sniffing the air.
That's when Rin noticed the bandages around his eyes.
"Your eyes..." Gon turned his head to the sound of Rin's voice and smiled assuringly.
"It's okay, I'm not really bothered by it. I have my other senses I can depend on." Gon assured.
"Yeah, like your super sense of smell. Anyway, where's Retz?" Killua asked looking around to find that the blonde girl was nowhere in sight.
"I was only focusing on finding you guys, so I'm not sure. She's probably back with Omokage now." Gon stated.
"She's what?!" Rin exclaimed.
"When I met her, I came to notice one thing. Retz's eyes didn't seem to be her own." Gon explained.
"Then, Retz's eyes originally belong to--"
"... Omokage, probably." Gon finished. "Only he could create a puppet of Illumi from your heart. Well, the same goes for your dad, Rin."
"Gon, you figured that out so much, but you still..." Rin trailed.
"Not really, there are things I have no idea about. But I did figure out where Omokage is!" Gon said leaving Killua and Rin with their eyes widened. "We'll get to Omokage if we follow his Nen in my eyes."
"Is that why you let him take your eyes?!" Killua yelled.
"Yup!"
"Why'd you do something so crazy like that?!" Now, it was Rin's turn to yell.
"Yeah man."
The three of them turned their head to the new voice revealing Leorio and Kurapika under an umbrella.
"Gon, you sure you're alright?" Leorio added.
"Leorio! Kurapika!"
"How did you get here?" Rin asked.
"I used the GPS tracker on Gon's phone." Leorio had a smug look on his face as he waved his mobile phone in pride.
The next thing they knew, Kurapika was lecturing Gon about how reckless he was.
"Gon, you didn't have to go that far!"
"Don't worry about it. We're friends, you know!" Gon smiled causing the rest of them to smile in return.
"I'm glad I have great friends like you." Hearing that from Kurapika Rin and Killua stole a glance and chuckled at each other.
"It's too early to thank us, right guys?" Killua turned his head to Rin and Gon.
"Yeah, there's still someone's ass that needs to be whooped." Rin pounded her fist against her palm.
"All right, guys. Follow me." Gon stood up from the ground ready to lead the way.
"Okay!"
"This is where the real game begins!" Leorio noted as he stared at the clearing sky.
"That's right." Killua agreed.
"Yup."
"Let's go and settle this one and for all!"
"Yeah!"
************************
Somewhere under the starry night sky where the moonlight illuminated a certain old mansion, the sound of someone being punched echoed throughout the hallway.
PUNCH!
"Why didn't you take the girl's eyes?" Omokage's nose flared up in anger as the man he just punched nonchalantly stare back at him with a blank look.
"I had ordered you to take the girl's eyes. They would've been perfect for Retz!" Omokage lashed out in anger.
"Brother, you should stop doing this." Retz pleaded to her brother.
Omokage turned his head towards his little sister with closed eyes "Retz, what's wrong? I'm doing this for you."
"I never asked you to!" Retz could only breathe in helplessly as her brother cupped her cheeks with his palms.
"It's only thanks to you that I became the Divine Puppeteer." As he said that, flashes of memory from his past came rushing in as he continued. "Humans eyes are necessary to make a doll come alive, as I'm sure you know. I could perfect this technique because you had become my first sacrifice. Back then, I hadn't quite perfected the process, so your eyes were lost. I feel really sorry for that."
"Retz, that is why I revived you as a doll and started looking for eyes that fit you." Omokage caressed Retz's cheek when she suddenly shook her head.
"I don't need any. Please give Gon his eyes back and leave the three of them alone." Retz said as she gazed at her brother's face but the later only responded with a cold chuckled.
"You've gotten attached to them, huh? That's no surprise. After all, it wasn't just my orders that made you spend time with those three." Omokage smirked.
Behind them, Gozu had his eyes set on Omokage but made no intention to move--Not that he can. But he has others way to irritate him.
"Jeez, what a sick bastard you are, using your own sister as your personal guinea pig. I know I didn't raise Chrollo to be someone as crazy as you. But then again, I didn't actually raise him, I just thought him everything I know. And taking care of a younger sibling is included in that package." Gozu snickered as Omokage let out an irritated sigh.
This was definitely not the first time for puppet Gozu to disrespect Omokage even though he was one of his finest creation. It was just ever since Omokage obtained Gozu's eyes, he'd been talking back to him rather often.
Omokage turned his heel to face Gozu who already had a smug look on his face. The corner of his lips twitched.
"You are my puppet and as such, you should obey my every order." Omokage stood face to face with Gozu as his eyes reached the same level as his. "Make no mistake, Son Gozu. The next time you meet your child, Rin, you. Will. Obtain. Her eyes. And hand it over to me."
Gozu gave him a piercing glare as his chest heaved up and down trying to control the boiling rage within him. He was just disappointed that Omokage couldn't witness his wrath now that he had lent his own eyes to his sister.
But that rage soon subsides as a playful smirk made its way across his lips.
"That's where you're wrong, boy."
Omokage looked rather flustered with the way his puppet was calling him.
"You copied the most messed up soul in the entire universe. My heart and soul are not that easy to be controlled. I may have to go against my will at some point. But this soul you're fooling around with is a soul of a Saiyan. The soul of a warrior that doesn't like to be controlled even if it's just a cheap copy."
Tilting his head so that he was inches from Omokage's ear, Gozu said his words dripping with venom.
"So heed my warning, boy. Don't you ever mess with a Saiyan or you're just gonna get your ass whooped."
*********************
Love,
Pink.