"Hey." The man known as Gon's dad only said, looking rather pissed off.

"Ging!" The boy beside me ran down the stairs to the front rows, leaving his slippers behind. I followed him, walking down the stairs and standing one step above him.

"I'm sorry! It's all my fault! Because of me...Kite turned into a little girl!" He cried to him, tears visible in his eyes.

"He'd been captured by the enemy. That's what I heard last time." Ging, untouched by his son's apology, replied.

"Yeah, I was with him when it happened. He told me to run away, and Pitou showed up. After that, Kite lost his arm. I was knocked out, and then we started training! Shoot was able to get Kite out of the Ants' nest, but it wasn't really him anymore. It wasn't Kite at all! What they did to him...it was horrible!" Gon explained through sobs, and his dad sighed. "When I ran into Pitou again, they told me...they told me Kite was already dead!"

"Okay, I get it! Well, maybe I don't get it, but sit down." Ging gestured to the empty seat beside him, sweating nervously. "Uhhhh...let's just try to calm down, okay? You and me."

"It was because...that I insisted...on having my way!" Gon sniffed with each pause, still staring at his dad with those puppy eyes of his.

"A-A-Anyway, let's calm down first. We can talk over this." Ging told him, getting flustered.

"It's not fair! I should have been the one to die!" Gon cried, making me gasp softly in shock.

"Gon. That's not true. He brought you along because he thought you can handle the mission. He underestimated the enemy. That's why he told you to run. If he hadn't thought you capable, he wouldn't have let you accompany him, no matter what you'd say. He just misjudged the enemy, that's all."

"But—"

"I know. You were too weak to help him, so you should feel responsible."

"Mmm-hmmm." Gon nodded.

"Don't make the same mistake. And you should apologize to Kite, not me. From your words, I'm not really sure if he's dead or alive, but either way you should apologize!" Ging demanded, pointing to the exit.

Gon sighed.

"When apologizing to a friend, there's a rule. Do you know it?"

Gon shook his head. "No. Tell me what is it."

"You must make them a promise. Promise them that you will do things differently next time. And you will keep that promise no matter what."

Gon sighed again, then he nodded in agreement.

"Now get going!" Ging urged him.

"Right!" The spiky-haired boy ran back up the stairs and stopped to look back at his dad. "Ging?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we...talk some more later?"

Ging grumbled. "That might be tough. I'm a pretty busy guy, you know?"

"That's crap, Ging!" Someone in the audience complained.

"Aren't you his father?!" Another person shouted.

"How cold can you be?!" Someone else complained.

"I know all about 'Greed Island!' You never went to see Gon after he cleared it! What's the deal?!" Another person from the audience shouted.

"All of you, shut up! It's none of your business!" Ging shouted back at them.

"You're the worst, Ging!" A woman shouted.

"You should apologize to Gon! Promise him you'll act more like a father!" A man shouted.

"You don't even have the right to be his father!" Another man shouted.

"What the hell?! Why don't you go screw yourselves?!" Ging shouted back at them.

"You should let Leorio punch you again!" A third man shouted at him.

"Yeah, just shut up! Fine, then...I'll be waiting right here, so get going!" Ging pointed to the doors, and the audience was super mad at his response.

"You think we're stupid?! Go take him there yourself!"

"Aren't you his father?!"

"Hey! I've heard enough! You wanna fight?!" He took off his hat and got into a fighting stance. "If you have a problem, bring it on!"

I sweatdropped and stared at him with a 'what the heck' expression as Ging grew more angry with the audience.

"So all of you are against me? Fine by me!" He yelled, and the shouting continued.

"Knock it off! Quiet down!" A woman with orange hair wearing bunny ears and a sleeveless dress yelled, and surprisingly, everyone did. The microphone gave feedback.

"Thank you. This election isn't over yet." A woman with medium length green hair wearing glasses, a white dress, and a headdress with a pair of dog ears, announced. She also had a dog nose.

She looks cute like that...

"Now, Gon, Lizzy—" She started, but the blond guy interrupted her.

"Stay right there!" He ordered us. "Due to the circumstances, no one is allowed to leave until the election is over. You guys are in a hurry, aren't you? But these will be the votes that decide who our next chairman will be. You guys can leave after you cast your ballots. If you tell us your choices right now, everyone will accept those as valid votes."

The audience began to applaud and whistle, and I felt surprised at this unexpected announcement.

"Between myself and Mr. Leorio, who do you believe would best fit the position?" He asked. "I should mention that former chairman Netero is on extended leave after defeating the Ant King."

Leorio? Is he...running for chairman? But I thought he...he...

"Chairman? Did Leorio nominate himself?" Gon asked, repeating my thoughts.

"No way! See, some stuff happened—" Leorio was interrupted by the blond guy.

"Please, Gon, Lizzy. You guys can rely on your guts. Be true to yourselves, all right? Pick one of us." He told us.

Hmmm...

"Um, okay." Gon pointed at the blond guy. "Then I pick Mr. Pariston."

Everyone in the audience murmured in confusion. I looked down and thought about my choice for a moment.

"And what about you, Lizzy? Who do you choose?" The guy named Pariston asked me.

"Hmm, let's see...I pick you, Pariston." I said, surprising everyone in the room.

"But isn't Mr. Leorio your friend? You should choose him."

"No, because Leorio wants to be a doctor, so he can't be chairman!" Gon said.

"Yeah, and we can't take away his dream by letting him become the chairman! He wants to help people feel better, and besides, being a chairman of the Hunter Association takes a lot more responsibility than being a doctor. That's why I picked you instead of Leorio." I explained.

I heard the dog woman groan in frustration. Poor her...

"That makes sense." Pariston said, and the dog woman whimpered. "Thank you Gon, Lizzy. Then let's begin the vote."

"Oh, sorry. I'm going with them. You've got my vote, Pariston." Leorio said and walked out the room.

I saw how frustrated the green-haired woman was, and I felt sorry for her.

"Don't feel bad, dog woman. If I could, I would vote for you." I said, and that caused her to look at me in surprise and confusion. The audience murmured, and Pariston gave a slight smirk.

"Ging!" Gon called out to his dad, catching his attention. "I'm going now!"

"Yeah." Ging simply replied, and the audience went all crazy with the complaints again.

"Is that all you have to say, idiot?!"

"At least say, 'See you later!'"

"Hey, Ging! It's nice knowing you!" I yelled and ran up the stairs to catch up with Gon and Leorio.

"I guess Ging's popular in his own way, huh?" Gon laughed, and Leorio chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey, Gon!" We heard Ging shout out from behind, and we saw him strangling two audience members.

"I almost forgot. I'm the one who taught Kite how to use his Nen and techniques. Remember his Crazy Slots? Well, there's a number that comes up when he really doesn't want to die." He told him.

"What?" I whispered.

"I bet that's the reason why he's still alive. But he would never consider dying in your place. Apologize, and do it the right way. Or else he'll kick your ass again!"

My eyes averted to Gon, who fixed Ging with an unwavering stare.

"Okay! Got it!" He replied and started running away, and I followed after.

"Right! I'll be waiting for you!" Ging shouted before going back into the room with the two men in his arms.

Gon gasped and stopped running, and so did I. "'Again?'"

We stared at the doorway to the election room, realizing what he said was true.

"Ohhh..." I said, and I was happy that Kite was still alive. Only in a different way.

"Leorio, where's Killua?" Gon asked as we were riding in a cab, on our way to see Kite.

"And Lynn?" I added.

"Oh, I don't know. I've been calling them, but they're not answering. I heard that they were traveling, looking for a way to save you two. I'm sure they'll come once we contact them." Leorio replied.

"Lizzy, I'm sorry. I was confused when I was fighting the enemy. I said terrible things to you as well as your sister and Killua. I need to apologize to them, too." Gon uttered his apology to me.

I stared at him innocently before replying. "Well, I was well and truly depressed when you said those terrible words to me, and I couldn't help you with anything. But now that I'm seeing you happy when you saw Ging for the first time, I will gladly accept your apology. But you will have to kiss me first."

He did, surprisingly. Only on the nose though. A red hue colored my cheeks, and I felt my heart beating fast.

"Apology accepted." I said, and he smiled at me. I heard Leorio sigh, and I saw him hanging his head low.

"Actually, I'm sorry, too." Leorio apologized, and we were confused.

"Sorry for what?" I asked.

"For not doing anything when you guys were in trouble." He replied.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I don't get it!" Gon exclaimed.

Leorio sighed again. "Just know I'm really sorry."

I was so confused on what he was sorry about. But the only thing I needed to do was to apologize to my sister and make her feel better again. I couldn't let myself feel bad for not speaking to her for a long time.

Killua and I were still in the hospital when Illumi came to our location. I tensed up and raised my guard.

"Those are my conclusions. What do you think?" He asked, and I made a soft grunt of contempt and vexation.

Damn. He figured it out.

"Let me get to the point." He began to move closer to us, causing my brows to furrow in anxiety. "I'm the one who can use Nanika's power, safely and effectively, for the Zoldyck family. As it stands, Alluka is no more than a spirit locked away in a room. But if I can control her with you at her side..." He stopped a few feet before us, a malicious look taking over his face. "I can guarantee some freedom, at the very least."

I could tell he was lying. This son of a bitch was lying through his teeth. I would not let him do whatever he wanted with them.

"Big brother..." Killua muttered.

I really wished Illumi wouldn't do anything cruel to them. The thought of him and Alluka as his puppets made my blood boil.

"Don't worry. I'll protect Alluka."

"Oh, Kil. Know your place." Illumi retorted in his usual emotionless tone.

"Nanika, wake up." Killua commanded, and she complied, releasing dark aura around her.

"'Kay."

Illumi released his bloodlust, filling the space around us. I started shaking with fear upon feeling it.

"All right. This is it. Let me have Nanika—"

"Nanika, take Illumi, and send him back home!" Killua ordered her.

"'Kay." Illumi disappeared, much to my surprise. The bloodlust was gone, and I no longer felt afraid.

I was amazed by the infinite number of things Nanika could do under Killua's orders. She was a powerful being who was sweet and kind, and she could make Killua invincible. But sadly, she had to go, and Alluka would have all the time she wanted to spend with her big brother.

"Tsubone, Amane, can you leave us alone for a moment?" Killua asked. "You too, Lynn. If you don't leave on your own, I'll have to issue another command."

"Killua, tell me I did good." Nanika said.

"Nanika only does this because she wants me to praise her. I don't want to use her by issuing commands. So please..."

"Killua." Nanika said, trying to catch his attention. "Killua!"

I began to walk away from the two as Nanika kept calling Killua's name, him not responding. I turned right and stopped to lean against the wall next to Tsubone. Sighing, I thought about the many things I did for Killua and everything he did for me. To keep me happy. To make me proud of who I was to him. To change some things about myself. I never thought I couldn't be this way if he weren't here by my side every single day. He had been the wise one in every situation, and I should have been more wiser with my actions.

Suddenly, I heard Alluka's voice being raised at Killua, and I peeked from the corner to see her angry at him. I heard her demand Killua to apologize to Nanika for making her cry, which shocked me. Then I heard her crying, saying that if he was going to be nice to her, he had to be nice to Nanika too. What shocked me more was that he had to protect Nanika, too, if he wanted to protect her. If he was mean to Nanika, she would hate him, making him slap his face with both hands.

He thanked her for saying that and asked if she could bring Nanika back out. She went to sleep, and Nanika took over. He apologized to her and admitted he was still afraid of Illumi, and he hated doing what he said. He was afraid that Illumi might force her to do things against her will, and he was so mean to her, convincing himself that it was for Alluka. He would protect her and never leave her, and he told her to not grant people's wishes anymore and he would always be there to praise her whenever she wanted. He asked her to come out again, and she did, releasing dark aura.

My eyes began to water from the touching moment. Killua asked if Nanika could forgive him for being a bad big brother, and she nodded. They both hugged each other and cried. I began to cry as well, thinking of nothing but the love Alluka and Nanika had for Killua, their big brother. I wished I could protect them with him.

After a couple of minutes shedding tears, I came out from the corner along with Tsubone. There were two streaks of clear liquid still visible on my cheeks, and I didn't bother wiping them off.

"Master Killua, you have been released from your precaution level." Tsubone informed him.

"Oh. Okay, that's good." He replied, grinning.

I noticed that Nanika fell asleep in his embrace, as well as Alluka. I smiled and moved closer to them.

"Well, I do hope you will keep your promise no matter what. There's no way you'll let Illumi take control of your actions again. I won't let him take my life to get what he wants for himself." I stopped inches before him, putting on an optimistic look.

There was a brief silence until Killua reluctantly spoke up. "Tsubone, I...need another moment alone. Can you...please leave?"

The old woman showed no surprise and nodded in agreement before disappearing. I was a bit confused of what was going on, until he started speaking.

"Lynn, I want to..." He paused for a moment to gather his words, me waiting to hear them. "I want...to thank you...for everything you did for me."

I gasped, unable to find my next words to reply to his message.

"You helped me free myself from Illumi's control, and you showed me what it's like to have a friend who cares about everything. I think...I owe you one."

I slightly widened my eyes, and I began thinking about our adventures together from the beginning up until this time right now. I looked down and took the time to respond.

"Killua, I...should thank you...for everything you did for me." I said, causing the silver-haired boy to gasp and slightly blush a pink tint. I continued to utter my thoughts of him.

"You made me the person I am today because of you. You helped me achieve my goals and become a better sister to Lizzy. You brought Alluka over here to save her and Gon, and I should thank you very much for keeping them alive for another day. That made me really happy."

His eyes softened as he listened to my message of gratitude. A smile crept up to my face when I realized that my feelings for him had grown. We were silent for a long time, thinking of nothing but a way to reply back.

Killua parted from the dark-haired girl and stood up to set her down on the spot he was sitting at. He then looked at me with those stunning blue orbs of his I couldn't turn away from. I began to warm up, his feelings staring me in the face. I didn't know what to do next, and he placed his hands on my shoulders gently. Suddenly, to my surprise, his lips landed on mine. I could feel my heart beating rapidly upon the gentle touch of his lips on mine. Oh God, this wasn't a dream at all. This boy in front of me was actually kissing me!

I figured this was his way of responding to my message, and it was indeed a good way. It lasted for a while until he pulled away. He gazed into my ocean blue eyes with a tender smile.

"I really like you, Lynn. Ever since I first met you. You are what I need to be happy. You are nothing like my family, and I can't let them choose a path for you. You are special in a way that leaves me dying for your attention. You are the one who lights up my dark world. You are the reason I am who I am right now." He explained everything about me in a smooth, endearing voice. I felt my face heat up. He made the confession first. Saved me from rejection. I didn't know what to say about him. My eyes showed a lot of fondness, and I didn't mind the blush on my face. All I could think of was placing my lips on his to return his feelings, and I carried out that action, feeling my heart jump up and down in joy. I pulled away not long after.

"I really like you, too, Killua. I really do." I replied.

He gave a light chuckle. "I guess Lizzy was right about us being together. I would praise her for that."

"Likewise." I raised my right arm to touch his silver hair with my hand, and he did not flinch at all. It felt like heaven. I could run my hands through it all day, and he would be pleased.

"Shouldn't we go see Gon and Lizzy? You still need to apologize to Lizzy, remember?" He asked, and I hummed in response.

"Oh, yeah. But I want to enjoy this moment with you first, if that's okay with you."

"Sure."

I removed my hand from his hair and placed my head on his chest, the sound of his steady heartbeat filling my right ear. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and I indulged in his warmth for as long as I wanted. I felt him return the hug, and we both shared a sweet, heartwarming moment together, unhindered.

I was glad I met Killua at the Hunter Exam about two years ago. He was so full of wits, courage, and power. He was somewhat like me, thinking cleverly, protecting what was most important, and fighting with determination. I would be by his side at all times, keeping him happy and making sure Illumi never laid a hand on him ever again.

We were meant to be together, and that was what fate had in store for us before we knew ourselves.