Rising Sun

Chapter 2 - Gon

Authors Note:
Yo!
Here is the second chapter, I hope you like it!
This chapter will mostly be in Gons POV.
Have fun :]
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Gons POV:

Skip, skip, skip, skip, SPLASH!
"Ah forget it!" Gon shouted out across the water, having thrown the last of the flat little stones he had spent an hour collecting. He sat back down into the grass, peering out over the calm and fluid vista splayed out before him. He found himself coming here more often, a secluded patch of shore on Whale Island that no one knew about. It had one of the most spectacular and uninhibited views on the whole island and more importantly, it was a place he could not be disturbed. It was here that Gon had rediscovered his Nen. After much training, meditation and begging with the ocean, it had come roaring back into his life, stronger than ever. He had accomplished recovering his Nen, a near impossible feat after sacrificing it in that fateful battle with Pitou but he couldn't beat his stupid stone-skipping record. It frustrated him to no end.
"Damnit! Ten times that's all I'm asking for, TEN! But no, you just won't give it to me will you, stupid rock!" Gon huffed in frustration, he didn't like giving up, it just wasn't in his nature. His record was nine. An obnoxious number, it was odd, Gon hated odd numbers. Odd numbers were hard to add or subtract and as bad at math as Gon was he liked to give himself every advantage. That meant avoiding odd numbers at all costs. It just seemed like a terrible place to finish anyway, nine? It's just one before ten, ten seems like a level, a plateau that would be comfortable to sit on. But nine reminded him of sitting in a chair that you felt was constantly trying to offload you. At least if Killua was here he'd probably easily beat my record and I could call it a day, Gon thought. But Gon hadn't heard from Killua for a long time. The last he had heard of him was from Leorio and Kurapika who had told him that Alluka was joining them on their next big adventure. Of course Killua had protested but Leorio told him that after Kurapika had arrogantly flashed his aura to prove that no one would lay a finger on Alluka without getting through him, Killua had reluctantly conceded. The last time Gon had spoken to Killua himself was that day they made it to the world tree. He remembered that day so clearly in his mind. It hung to the back of his consciousness like a boat anchor, never letting him move too far away, just enough slack to let him swirl around it, never getting too far.
"This is no good. If we stay here any longer..." Gon had said. What had he meant by that? He still didn't really understand but he remembered that he could not bring himself to look Killua in the eye as he said it. It was as if the weight of the words themselves were drawing his eyes down to the ground. No, not the words themselves, Gon thought, the feeling I had when I said them. The feelings were heavy. But Gon didn't know what those feelings were. He knew it was sad that he and Killua had departed so abruptly but it all made sense at the time, hadn't it? It wasn't just parting ways with a friend though, something else made it that much more significant, he knew. The significance was there, he just didn't know why.
"Yeah..." Killua had said in reply to Gon right after, eyes distant, losing their glittering cobalt sparkle momentarily. Gon couldn't shake the feeling that they had been talking about two separate things, neither of which he understood. Whatever Killua had acknowledged was not what Gon had meant or been feeling, that much was clear.
And then there were Ging's words. "What was truly important came to me before what I wanted."
Gon had ran all of these words through his mind over and over in this place, trying to understand. He knew there was a connection, something about all these words seemed intertwined, like they should mean something together. They should reveal something to him, something important. He knew Ging was telling him that the experiences and friends he had gathered during the detours of his quest to find him were what truly mattered, Gon understood that. Gon's friends meant everything to him, Leorio, Killua, Kurapika, Shoot, Knuckle and even Palm; they were all friends and would be forever. It was that experience that Ging had wanted for Gon. It was why Ging had sent him on a nearly impossible quest to find him, so that Gon would learn the same lessons his father had. But there was something more to it. Something he was missing.
"DAMN! Why can't I understand!" Gon shouted in frustration while jumping up to a kneeling position and driving his fist into the ground creating a deep impression. At the same time his aura flared upwards, pulling shards of grass and particles of earth with it. His whole body trembled, muscles rippling with pressure, eyes burning that golden flame as his power surged through bulging veins. The surrounding rocks shuddered and sweat moss and soil to the ground. The trees nearby recoiled almost as if in fear, branches flexing back against the powerful wind generated, resident birds taking flight realizing their resting place was no longer so safe. The shore erupted, small fissures appearing in the sand, the tide retreating and not returning at its usual pace. Time slowed down and gravity itself seemed to freeze, no longer able hold command over the objects consumed within Gon's aura.
Breathe, Gon. Breathe....Gon reminded himself mentally. He used the technique he had devised in this very place to control his raging aura. It was a simple meditative technique, he would grasp on to a feeling, a blurred image, almost like a fragment of a dream and hold himself there. Something calm and rooted deep within his psyche that brought him comfort. Gon closed his eyes and searched for that moment of blissful peace. It came to him swiftly, flooding over his aura that was boiling around him like thick magma. The heat of his rage gently collided with the calm waves of the memory, turning what was once an undulating inferno into a light mist, steaming up and over Gon's spiked raven black hair and into the sky above.
Gon had managed to calm himself down. He was still prone to the rage, letting his Nen flare up out of control. It was something he had to keep working on or...it... could happen again. Gon's Nen, although returned, was dangerous. It was a balancing act between life and death. If left untethered for a moment it could rip him apart again. As he settled back down some more words popped into his head. Something Ging had said gently as they parted ways at the bottom of the world tree. "Gon, that lesson, it comes with great responsibility. What is truly important to you is also something that gives you great power. Power does not distinguish between right and wrong, that is for you to decide. Remember this." With those words Ging had vanished. Gon had not missed him gravely, he expected their paths would cross again and at the time he had felt like he had the closure he had been looking for. But over the past fourteen months questions grew within him again. What had Ging meant? What power did Gon hold now? Of course Ging was nowhere to be found and Gon figured he wouldn't give him the answer if he could ask for it anyway. Ging wanted Gon to figure this one out for himself. Typical Ging, but Gon would't have it any other way as far as his father was concerned.
Hours passed and the sun began to set. Golden rays encapsulated the little patch of paradise, their long reach warming the edges of the space and framing it with straight blades of light where it cut through the trees. Pale blue lapped lazily against the shore, the sand acting as a cushion silencing any sounds of the impact aside from the gentle fizzle excreted by the oceans water as it retreated back into itself. Crickets chirped enthusiastically, their monotonous drone ricocheting off the scenery. The scents of nature drifted lightly through the air. Fresh grass, sea salt, sticky sweet tree sap and all the mingling aromas of greenery. But to Gon, the most captivating part of this little haven was how the shoreline was tightly courted by a massive array of star magnolia. Their delicate finger like flower pedals peaking out in every direction around the beach, like gentle wisps of smoke. A wall of pinkish white, smelling of sweet and calm. Gon took a deep breath and gazed at the star magnolia. One tree in particular stood out in stark contrast to the grass beneath which was a darker green than normal due to culminating shadows collecting there. It was a large star magnolia, bigger than most and perfectly proportioned. Tall with lean branches sprouting soft white flowers. They seemed to collect in a climax at its peak, a collection of beautiful white silk reaching out chaotically to the stars. Gon suddenly realized how badly he wanted to protect this place, keep it isolated from any harmful forces. Something about staring at that one lone star magnolia stirred a feeling deep within him. It was different from the rest, something about it reflected back at him, like looking at a mirror that reflects memory instead of light. Gon squinted his eyes, the melancholy drifting due to some purpose welling up elsewhere in his mind. There truly was not a more beautiful place in the entire world Gon affirmed as he turned to leave.
The sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon now and Gon realized just how long he had been staring at that tree. It must have been near twenty minutes. He decided it was time to return home and get some food and rest. He kept his mind blank on the way home, thinking about nothing other than where he was going. Jumping from tree to tree, dodging branch after branch. Where was the wind, which way was home, scents flying through his capable nose picking up minuscule details like a hound. He took a different path every day across the island from this place. The journey through the dense forest was part of the experience. The smell of nature, the concentration of life deep in those woods; it all rejuvenated him. This was his real home, after all.
Soon Gon was back at the familiar house on a hill. He prepared and ate a quick meal to replenish his energy before retiring to his room. Gon was home alone as Mito-San was finally taking a vacation. He had insisted upon returning to Whale Island that he owed Mito-San quite a debt, especially since she had sacrificed her youth to take care of him. It was about time he returned the favour and despite Mito's immediate protest to the fact Gon eventually had won her over. He gave Mito-San most of the Jenny he had left from the investment schemes in Yorknew City managed by Zeppile, keeping only a little bit for himself to cover living expenses and any travel. Gon figured he could always go back to Heaven's Arena and earn more quickly if need be now that his Nen was back; although he still had some concerns about...over doing it.
It wasn't long before Gon found himself laying down on his familiar bed, the one he had known his whole life. It was getting smaller by the minute. Gon was nearly fifteen now but he had gone through quite a growth spurt in the last fourteen months. His shoulders had broadened significantly, they were now quite a bit wider than his waist. His torso filled out the space in-between with an upward 'V' pattern ending at the top of his chest. Many of his shirts were tight now, everything had thickened in his upper body. He could feel the striations created by muscular separation throughout his physique. His legs had always been strong for his age, given his propensity for climbing trees and running, but even they were more defined now. His quads appeared out from under the green shorts he always wore leaving barely any space at the hem. He figured he was at least 15 pounds heavier and the groans that came out of the old wooden frame of his bed confirmed it. But nevertheless his bed relented and doused Gon in the usual comfort.
It was only now that he let his mind wander again, thinking back over the last year. After his meeting with Ging, Gon was determined to get his Nen back. He searched the known world for any authority on the matter. Along the way he had run into old friends; Shoot, Knuckle and even Knov-san who was looking a little worse for the wear. He even ran into Leorio and Kurapika briefly before they had taken on Alluka and Gon recalled how he had been surprised by how close they had become. But even after almost a year of searching Gon found no one who knew anything about restoring Nen. It was then that he had resolved that if he was to get his Nen back it would only be through self discovery. This is what had brought him home to Whale Island, where he felt most comfortable. It was here that he could get the peace and quiet he needed to fight an internal battle for his Nen. He had thought about reaching out to Killua but Gon wanted to have his Nen back first. He was sure Killua had gotten much stronger, he remembered a glimpse of Killua's new powers while they were fighting the Chimera Ants. It was very impressive, Gon thought. Killua had been like a god of lightning, hair standing up straight in bolting spikes and his whole body crackling with blue energy. He wanted to see more, he could only imagine what new heights Killua had reached. Gon did not want to disappoint him though with his own lacklustre powers. He had just got his Nen back and had a lot of work to do yet. Sure he had a powerful aura but his Jajanken and other techniques were still a bit uncontrollable. He found himself often trying to simply cut a boulder in half with his scissor technique but instead ended up gouging a canyon out of the earth. Gon always did have a problem with overdoing it he figured but even for him this was a bit much.
Killua, it's been so long. Gon thought, rolling over onto his side, allowing himself to slip pensively into his thinking mode again. When did I become this thoughtful, Gon wondered. The words came back to him again.
"What is truly important to you is always something that also gives you great power. Power does not distinguish between right and wrong, that is for you to decide. Remember this." Ging.
"What was truly important came to me before what I wanted." Ging.
"Yeah....." Killua.
"This is no good, if we stay here any longer...." Gon.
"Killua...", Gon whispered. Killua, I have to see you. Something in these words matters and they're connected to you. What Ging said, it's about you or me, or something to do with us, or something that only you and I could know, otherwise why would I keep thinking of these two moments together? This makes sense, Gon thought. Killua could help him understand. Who cares if his own Nen wasn't up to par, they were friends, Killua could forgive him if he had a little catching up to do!
Gon jumped off the bed heading to his desk and grabbing the beetle phone Leorio had recommended he purchase back in Yorknew City. He checked the time quickly, good still early enough, only 10:32 PM, Killua's a night owl he won't be asleep yet. Gon dialled Killua's number, an excitement building inside him again for the first time since he ascended the world tree.....

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Authors Note:
End of the second chapter, tell me how you liked it! :)
Gotta get some sleep or I'll die lmao
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