You X Are My X Savior

"Gon! Gon, where are you?" Killua ran through the woods, calling to his friend. He cursed as he tripped over a root. He wasn't paying attention to the world around him, he was too focused on finding his missing friend.

Gon had dashed off into the woods an hour ago during a game of hide and seek with Killua. However, he hadn't been seen since, despite Killua having already called off the game.

"GON!" Killua shouted in to the forest. "Damn it! Where could he be? It's not like him to just disappear like that." Even during a game of hide and seek, Killua added to himself. He must really dislike being on his own. "Could he have gone home?" he asked out loud to no one in particular. Killua pondered this for a moment, tucking his hands behind his head. He let out a short laugh. "No way. Perhaps he fell asleep somewhere and lost track of time-". Killua snapped his attention to the trees above him, readying himself in a defensive stance. Something-someone-was following him.

Two seconds later, Gon jumped from a tree, screaming "AHHHHHH!" and fell directly onto Killua. Or, he would have, if Killua hadn't moved, letting Gon fall on his rump on the hard dirt.

"Ow!" moaned Gon, standing up and rubbing his backside. "Killua, you could have caught me."

Killua crossed his arms and glared at the boy in front of him before bursting. "Gon, where have you been for the past hour?! You just disappeared! I have been up and down this forest searching for you, you know!"

Gon laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, Killua, I just-". Gon paused, looking down at the ground. "I found this," he said softly, and held out a small hat that was covered in dirt and bleached in odd places from the sun, as if it had been left in partial sunshine for a long time. Killua took it, examining it. Inside the hat, a name was stitched into the back.

GING FREECSS

Killua gasped. "Gon, this is-!"

Gon nodded, knowing what Killua was going to say. "It's my dad's. And there's more. I found a cave," Gon pointed deeper into the forest, "over there. It was well hidden, but without the use of Nen, so he hid it before becoming a Hunter." Gon smiled up at Killua.

"Want to do some exploring?" Killua laughed, slapping the hat onto Gon's head.

"Yeah!" Gon exclaimed, and Killua grinned at Gon's eagerness. "Let's go."

Together, Gon and Killua dashed deeper into the forest.

- ¤ -

The two boys stood at the entrance to the cave. They'd spent the last half hour retracing Gon's footsteps and clearing the brush and stone from the opening. Gon wiped his hand across his forehead, leaving a streak of dirt. He grinned at Killua. "Ready?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Killua nodded, and both of them stepped into darkness.

They stood for a moment at the entrance, letting their eyes adjust.

"We should've brought a flashlight," Killua muttered, but he didn't seem to mind the dark gloom that surrounded them. It was as if they had been swallowed by the cave, the darkness was so complete. Gon voiced his agreement and stepped forward, moving to explore what he could of the cave. Killua held out an arm to stop him.

"Killua?" Gon turned to his friend, who was holding a finger to his lips in a 'don't speak' motion. Gon, trusting his friend's instincts, stepped back to Killua's side. "Killua, what's wrong?" he whispered softly.

"I sense something," Killua whispered back. "It's coming from over there." Killua pointed to the very back of the cave, where the darkness seemed almost blacker than where they were currently standing.