Hunters X and X Heroes

The X Gate in X Between

How come Gon always knew what mattered?

It always seemed like he would dash into her life just in time to pull her out of the hazy maze and back on track where her friends would be waiting for her, smiling and encouraging and teasing her to do the same.

And as she followed them as they hopped out of the taxi and started running for the airport, her thoughts were a bit farther away, as she decided she would chase after them and the hope that one day she could stretch out her hand to them.

-

It was storming. Water soaked her through her clothes, sank through her sneakers, and dimmed her vision. She didn't know where she was. Below her feet stretched a plain, reflective, tile-like surface that seemed to go on for miles; it was the only thing beside herself that filled the empty space around her-

A speck of white appeared in her vision, a familiar speck of white with a plain oversized t-shirt thrown over a dark blue turtle neck and baggy gray shorts.

The dim, gray, empty world seemed to brighten, and she started forward only to find herself frozen in place with no voice. Why couldn't she move? Why couldn't she call out to him?

And the only thing she could do as he walked away, getting smaller and smaller and her world getting bigger and bigger, was think. She had felt this before. And as she stood there in the storm watching him disappear, the eyes of green and blue burned itself into her mind.

Oh. She knew.

Helplessness.

-

Rukei awoke. This was the second time she had a dream, her first time remembering it; if this was what dreams were like she didn't want them anymore.

She adjusted her eyes to the lighting, gathering her surroundings. She had fallen asleep with the cube in her hands, across from Leorio and Kurapika who were currently missing. Gon was sitting next to her-

Gon was sitting next to her, staring out the window with a blank expression, looking down on the night view of cities that looked like gold or jewels scattered across the black ground. Gon was thinking of Killua. The proof was when the boy sadly muttered the boy's name.

Something pulled at her then; ripped would be a better word for it. She looked away and focused her eyes back on the little puzzle at her hand. Oh. She was going to ignore this too. She was going to leave another friend there when he was in trouble.

"Cheer up, Gon!" Leorio chimed, sticking a french fry into Gon's mouth to grab the abstracted boy's attention.

Kurapika gave the boy an encouraging look along with encouraging information, "We'll be at the Republic of Padokea by morning. You'll see Killua soon enough."

She wanted to do something. She didn't want to experience this feeling again!

So the least Rukei could do, was tell the boy to smile and she was happy to see him listen.

"Okay... Thank you for taking the Lamentation Tour today," the curly-haired lady bowed before going on, "We will be visiting Kukuroo Mountain, home to the famous Zoldyck assassins. Everyone, please look to your right."

She shifted so that she could see past Gon as instructed; observing the mountain where a ring of ominous dark clouds had collected near the top.

"That is Kukuroo Mountain, where the Zoldyck family lives. A forest surrounds the 3,722 meter mountain, and the Zoldyck estate is somewhere on that mountain. But no one has actually seen it."