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Gon woke up in heaven.
Or at least, he thought it was heaven. One moment, he'd been in the middle of a forest in East Gorteau; the next, he was opening his eyes in his room in Whale Island. Gone was the smell of blood and decay. Instead, he could smell petrichor through the open window, mixed with a hint of Aunt Mito's walnut loaf and something else he couldn't quite put a finger on.
Like the smell of the air right after a thunderstorm, he thought.
"Gon," said a voice as deep and calm as the summer ocean. Gon recognized it immediately—it belonged to a hunter named Kite. He had once saved Gon from a mother foxbear, and was now sitting at the kitchen table, nursing what smelled like a mug of mugwort tea.
At that, Gon pinched himself. He pinched again, just a bit harder.
Nothing.
A dream, then. Or heaven. He didn't know if there was a difference.
Gon raised his gaze and stared into Kite's face, his eyes beginning to widen at its significance: "Wow."
"Wow?" Kite echoed, his brow scrunching in bemusement. The clear contrast from how Gon had last seen him raised a lump in the back of his throat.
Swallowing it back, Gon instead let out a loud whoop before throwing himself on him. "I missed you!"
"But I never left," Kite protested weakly, just barely managing to hold on to his tea.
Only a few hours ago, Kite had been beyond all help, and now he was here, in front of him. Gon hadn't realized he could hold so much hatred inside of him, and as he thought back on the thing he had become, he suppressed a shudder. It was a wonder he had managed to return to his senses.
"You seem different," Kite remarked, his eyes sharply raking over Gon.
"You think so?"
It looked sunny outside the windows, though you wouldn't have guessed it from how warmly Kite was dressed. In fact, Gon didn't think he'd ever seen Kite indoors before, but it seemed that here, Kite regularly visited their place for some tea.
Gon thought about it a little, before deciding, "You must be good friends with Mito-san."
"Oh, we talk here and there," Kite replied mysteriously.
They didn't speak much after that — while there was plenty Gon wanted to say, he was thinking and feeling too many things to coherently put them into words. And besides, there would be plenty of time ahead for all of those conversations.
This was heaven, after all.
Once Kite had left, Gon found Aunt Mito flapping bed sheets behind the cottage, just like the way he'd last seen her. It hadn't been very long ago, but it felt like a lifetime to Gon, who ran to hug her. He could smell detergent, walnut loaf, and a hint of ocean water, and he squeezed just a little harder.
"Did something happen, Gon?" asked Aunt Mito, her normally sharp voice softening in his hold.
Gon thought of all the times Aunt Mito had warned him about becoming a hunter. She had been right, in the end. For the first time, he wondered how she would feel when she heard the news about him. Who would go on dates with Aunt Mito in his place from now on?
"I'm sorry, Mito-san," he said, his voice muffled in her clothes. "I'm here, now."
"Oh, Gon," she sighed. "Is it about adopting another foxbear?" When he didn't respond, she stepped back and cupped his face with her hands. She smiled. "What do you think about going back to school? Maybe you could make a friend your age."
Gon sniffled. "I have a friend my age."
"You do?" For some reason, Aunt Mito sounded surprised. "What's their name?"
Immediately, he opened his mouth—and then, he stilled.
What was their name? He couldn't remember.
Heaven, it turned out, didn't care much whether things made sense or not. People that Gon would never have expected to run into on the small island, seemed to have all settled in their vicinity:
Wing and his apprentice Zushi ran a convenience store in the center of town, while Zepile could be found near the docks, taking reference pictures for his sculptures. Knuckle spent his days roaring around on a motorcycle, and the island's jewelry store appeared to be profiting solely off of Bisky's generous patronage. As time passed, Gon settled into a daily routine of visiting friends and fishing in the lake.
Sometimes, these two things overlapped.
"Someone your age?" echoed Leorio, one eye closed shut as he threaded his fishing line through the hook. "There's Zushi, isn't there?"
Gon looked down, his brow furrowed in though. "Yeah, but I don't know. He's always busy, and I feel like there was someone else. You really don't know who I'm talking about?"
Leorio thoughtfully tapped his chin. "I can't say I do. Do you remember anything about them?"
Gon looked out at the lake. The water surface was calm and glassy—it was a perfect day for fishing, just like all the previous days they'd decided to come out here. No matter how much time passed, it seemed like it would be a beautiful summer day.
"That's the problem. I know there was someone. Their name's at the tip of my tongue and I feel like if I turn around, I'll see him. But when I do, there's no one there."
"Aha," said Leorio triumphantly. "You said him. So it's a boy."
Gon blinked, processing his words. Slowly, his lips curved upwards, and he beamed. "Leorio, you're amazing!"
Leorio preened. "All in a day's work. Just have patience. I'm sure you'll figure the rest out eventually... Now, if my eyes don't fail me, I think you've got a bite there…"
True enough, Gon felt something tugging on his line. Immediately, he planted a foot in the ground and yanked back. A hint of resistance, and then something burst out of the water —
Dangling from his line, was a red and yellow board with four wheels attached to it.
A skateboard.
The word for it came to Gon immediately, though he was quite sure he'd never seen one before.
"Hm," said Leorio. "Junk, I guess. You'll have to try again."
Every now and then, Gon went up the mountain to hunt wild game for Aunt Mito. They frequently hosted dinners for the diverse population now settled on the island, and the cottage seemed to always smell of walnut loaf, spices, grilled fish and smoked meats.
One day, he was coming down from a successful hunt when he sensed an all too familiar aura creeping up on him. In a flash, Gon looked up into the face of none other than Hisoka. Perched atop a tree branch, his painted clown's face smirked down at Gon, who wasn't scared, exactly — he was in heaven already, after all — but perplexed.
How had Hisoka of all people turned up in heaven? While Gon had never concerned himself too much with the ethics of their actions, Hisoka's blatant disregard for the lives of others was a difficult quality to ignore.
"You could swallow a bug like that if you're not careful," said Hisoka in his sleek voice.
Gon's mouth only dropped further. "Hisoka! Have you always been here?"
Hisoka's eyes turned into amused slits. "I wonder. I'm quite hurt you haven't invited me to one of your famed dinners yet. I thought we were friends."
While they had been many things — fellow examinees, opponents, uneasy allies — friends were the one thing Gon was quite certain they had never been.
"Um, maybe next time."
"Your voice gets louder when you lie," Hisoka observed.
"Anyways." Gon cleared his throat. "Hisoka, have you seen a boy around my age here?"
Hisoka raised a painted finger. "I do remember seeing one around that convenience store. He makes quite good onigiri."
"That would be Zushi. Anyone else?"
"That depends…" Hisoka fanned out his fingers, and leered at Gon over them. "On what you have to offer me."
Gon began to walk away.
"Alright, I don't know," Hisoka's voice admitted at his back. "But I have been hearing some rumors about some, let's say, unusual weather."
That stopped Gon in his tracks. He turned around. "What do you mean?"
Kurapika didn't look impressed. "That doesn't seem to make much sense. There are no thunderstorms around here."
"That's what I said," Gon sighed. "Still, I don't think Hisoka was lying."
With a frown — even in heaven, Kurapika wasn't fond of anyone related to the Spiders — he suggested, "Perhaps you could wish for one then. The way you caused this nightfall."
It was nighttime, one of the few times it happened in heaven. It tended to happen right around when Gon wished for something different, and lasted for as long as his mood. He had been feeling frustrated ever since his talk with Hisoka, and Kurapika had suddenly appeared with an invitation to go on a walk, as though summoned for the express purpose of providing counsel to Gon.
Then again, this was heaven, so that may very well have been the case.
Gon shook his head. "I've tried. Nothing happened."
"Ah." A pause. "Perhaps, then, you are going about it the wrong way. This boy you're searching for so desperately — what if he's looking for you too?"
"But I'm right here!"
"Yes," said Kurapika in a strange voice. "Exactly. You're here."
Trying to process his words, Gon fell silent; his head was starting to hurt.
A summer breeze passed, nudging the two of them forward. However, the trail they had been following ended at the top of a cliff, and they came to a stop. A cloud passed in front of the moon, turning everything pitch black. Gon had always prided himself on his night vision, but even he couldn't make out anything, and in the darkness, it almost felt as though he was alone.
As though sensing his momentary weakness, the summer breeze pushed just a bit more insistently at him. His body felt immaterial, like he would be carried away if he didn't resist.
Gon heard the ocean lapping at the rocks below them; a shiver ran through his spine.
"Kurapika? Are you there?"
But there was no response.
When the cloud passed and moonlight shone down on him, Gon found himself indeed, alone. His eyes widening, something cold and wet landed on his cheek. He raised a finger to it, wiping it away.
And then, it began to rain in heaven.
By the time Gon managed to find his way back to the cottage, it was pouring. The skies brimmed with clouds, and black waves pounded at the sides of the island. Aunt Mito was running around in a panic, bringing inside bundles of clothes from the clotheslines. When she saw Gon, however, she came to an immediate stop.
"Oh, Gon! You're sopping wet!"
"Mito-san," he said. "I have to go."
"Go? Go where?"
"I'm not sure," Gon replied miserably. "But I have to."
He thought he must have been the first person to try and leave heaven, and he wasn't sure what kind of reaction he had been expecting from Aunt Mito — but a sudden, gentle smile had not been it. "I see. Are you ready to leave?"
"I think so."
She nodded. "It was nice having you here for a while. But you are your father's son, after all." A thought seemed to have struck her; dropping the laundry on the floor, she began to bustle around the house.
"Maybe you can go on dates with Kite," said Gon, following her around. "He's really nice."
"Hmm… Aha, here we go." Yanking open a closet door, Aunt Mito pulled out a worn raincoat. "I won't have you getting sick while you're still under my watch."
Letting her dress him, Gon gave her a hug before he left. "Mito-san," was all he could say.
She squeezed back, and then let go. "Go on."
Gon didn't know where he was going, but his feet seemed to know the way. As the rain continued to pelt him, they took him down the long winding path from Aunt Mito's cottage to the harbor, and then to the town. He stepped past Wing and Zushi's convenience store, and Knuckle zoomed past on his motorcycle, the tail lights swerving around the corner. Zepile hurried inside a cafe with arms laden with carving tools, and he thought he glimpsed Bisky sitting at a table further inside.
Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky, and a few seconds later, he heard the answering clap of thunder: Kaboom.
It told Gon he was going the right way, and he continued onwards. Soon, he found himself walking down an unfamiliar alleyway. He'd thought he knew every nook and cranny on the island, but he'd never been here before. There was a broken down gate, and his feet stopped in front of it.
Before he could enter the gate, a figure emerged from the shadows besides it — Kite. The rain had plastered his long hair to his face, and somehow, his expression seemed very distant.
"You're leaving, then. I thought we would have more time to talk."
"I'm sorry," Gon nodded. "There were so many things I wanted to tell you."
He'd thought they would have plenty of time ahead of them, but it seemed that even in heaven, you couldn't take anything for granted.
"Sorry? What for?"
He hung his head. "For not being able to fight by your side."
The answer came surprisingly quickly: "And yet, you defeated that ant in the end, did you not?"
"But... I was too late to save you, and..."
"The only thing you should be apologizing for, is hurting my ego," Kite broke in sharply.
Gon swallowed hard. "I had to give up my entire potential to do it. That's, well, that's how I ended up here."
Kite turned to look at the gate. "And yet, I have a feeling this won't be the last time that we have this conversation."
Gon followed his gaze: The gate looked forebodingly tall, and he couldn't see what lay beyond it. The rain was picking up. His whole body was cold, and suddenly, he thought of Aunt Mito's warm walnut loaf.
"I have to go, don't I?"
It was a question this time, but Kite accepted it just the same.
"Yes. But don't worry. No matter where you go, we'll always be friends." He paused — and then, to Gon's surprise, he smiled. "Give your friend my regards."
Lightning flashed, filling his surroundings. Everything around him disappeared, leaving behind only the broken down gate. Gon hesitated — when he felt two hands pushing at the small of his back.
Leorio and Kurapika, he thought.
He took a step forward into the darkness. And then, immediately, he could smell it: Something crisp, something singed — the smell of the air in a thunderstorm.
Lightning pierced the air, and thunder clapped. Then, he appeared: A boy with white hair and blue eyes. He should have been a stranger, but Gon knew who he was.
"Killua…" he said at last, feeling a lump rise in the back of his throat at the sound of the name.
He could remember him now. He could remember everything.
The memories were rushing back to Gon — the day they had met in the underground site of the Hunter exam; the time Gon had opened the testing gates of the Zoldyck manor; the way they had learned nen together in Heavens Arena, and escaped the Phantom Troupe in Yorknew City; the fun they had had exploring Greed Island together…
And of course, their final memory together: Right before the explosion had blown Gon away, Killua had screamed his name. That was probably what had finally brought Gon back to his senses. Only, it had been too late.
"Killua," Gon repeated. "I'm... I'm sorry." With that, his eyes filled with tears, because there was nothing else he could say. No matter what he said, he knew that something had changed between them. Something had disappeared between them.
But then, Killua held out his hand.
Gon blinked down at it, questioningly. Did it mean what he thought it meant? It couldn't be.
"Come on, Gon," Killua's voice prompted him. "Let's go."
Lightning flashed again, brilliant and blinding. It was so bright, Gon had to avert his gaze.
Was it really okay?
Kaboom.
Finally, without looking, Gon reached out and took the offered hand. He squeezed it, and feeling Killua squeeze back, he took in a deep breath.
He would miss this place, he thought. But heaven wasn't quite heaven without your best friend in it.
"Where are we going, Killua?"
"Back home, of course. Idiot."