Hunting For Our Dream

[• Question x and x Dread •]

It had been months since they parted ways. In fact, it was nearing a full year's time. The silver-haired boy had still not withdrawn from his duty he sworn himself unto, that of which to protect his dearest sisters. Yes, Alluka and Nanika were doing quite alright, indeed. From the gifts they received to the places they encountered, they couldn't be any more pleased with their lives. On the contrary, the same couldn't be said for their elder brother. Although the boy was content with this newfound, freeing way of life, his mental state was still clouded by the storms brought upon him by darker times. The emotional scars had not then healed anywhere near the point of those beared physically. Even in the mind, those hypothetical knives of trauma still cut a lot deeper than a real one could his flesh.

      "Big brother," Alluka called out, clinging to the boy's sleeve, "what are you looking at?"

      The boy jolted in response, awakening from his zoned-out state with thanks to his curious yet oblivious sister. He then added onto a verbal response to save himself from revealing his deprived mental stability further, "Ah, it's nothing, princess. I'm just...uhh...admiring the scenery! Dont'cha just get so awe-struck by how pretty these different cities are?"

       The girl seemed visibly annoyed by Killua's answer. She rebutted, "You've been staring at the ground. For like five minutes. What's so 'awe-striking' about DIRT?"

      Killua was caught off guard, afraid his sister was gaining too much awareness of his actions and could soon find out what he's been trying to hide so tirelessly all along. It might've been the desperation for an excuse, or maybe his quick thinking that permitted him to come up with a satisfying counter-rebute, "Why, I'm glad you asked, princess! Dirt isn't just...well, dirty, but it's like...soil. Soil lets the things that are...sleeping forever decompose and then that helps flowers grow! All sorts of wonderful plants sprout from the dirt. There's plain and bulbous ones, exotic and tropical ones, and even some carnivorous ones that trap and eat insects and other gross stuff!"

      Killua tried his absolute hardest to sound intelligent and enthusiastic at the same time to keep Alluka on board with his stretch of a pardon, and as always it worked like a charm. Alluka was clearly different from your average little girl, but despite that, she was still a child nonetheless. One who bore much innocence by being blissfully unaware as well as gullible. A wave of worry which had been rapidly increasing its size suddenly crashed down and eased into the now calmed water that was Killua's mind. Although the wave had then for long merged itself with the rest of the water and calmed, that did not change the fact that Killua was still stranded at sea on what remained of his sorry life raft. Not to mention surrounded by deadly fish.

      They had then been walking for quite a while, having made it back to their hotel room. Killua made sure to sign in with a false name so as to not risk being tracked down by his power-hungry, bloodthirsty older brother Illumi. Or anyone else who dared to cross them, for that matter. The siblings laid down on their respective beds to rest their tired bodies.

      Since Alluka had been out for most of the day, she decided it was only fair to give Nanika a turn and take the wheel. "Killua," Nanika began, "why are you sad today? Why is Killua sad?"

       Killua's pupils shrunk in shock. Had they still thought he wasn't okay? Or did she tell Nanika that before she heard Killua's excuses? Panic began to creep in through the back of his head. Something pierced Killua's raft and left a hole behind, allowing some of the sea water to enter.

       "...Sad? Why did she tell you that I'm sad? I'm feeling just fine!" Killua affirmed.

       Nanika stared at him with a puzzled look on her face. Then suddenly, her expression changed from confusion to sorrow. She sobbed gently as her teary-filled eyes pierced those of her brother.