A/N: Hey guys. This is my first story over here in the HxH section of the website. I'm normally over in the DBZ portion and that's where my biggest focus lies at with my story Ascent and Heritage. However, there are times when I get writer's block and I'll need something to work on the side when that happens. Without further ado, I present to you, Journey!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunter x Hunter characters or the franchise. I only own the characters that I create.
Chapter 1
Walk X Your X Own X Way
A single hooded individual walked through the streets of Yorknew City at a brisk pace as the rain fell from the sky above. The street lights hovering above the sidewalks served as guides to prevent the person from tripping over small obstacles and to help watch for potential threats in the alleyways as they journeyed to their upcoming destination. Due to the rainfall and the coloring choice of the lonely individual, no distinguishable features could be made out in the physical appearance, except for the apparent 5'4 height. However, if one would see this type of person walking the streets alone at night, they would assume the individual was a traveling male with no real destination in mind, meaning they would be left alone for the most part.
As the rain proceeded to pick up, sounds of thunder boomed in the sky, followed by white flashes of light streaking in the distance which signaled the presence of lightening entering the area. Since there was not a sound heard afterwards, it meant that there was still time until the weather turned severe for the particular area. Even though the individual knew this key fact, it did not stop them from speeding up in their tracks, breaking out into a full blown sprint. The figure was determined not to waste any more time than necessary to reach the intended destination. However, there was a consequence of the increasingly rapid pace that included a slight loss of balance and slipping face forward into the concrete.
A pair of glasses landed on the ground a bit ahead of the pedestrian who was now holding themselves up with their face a mere inch or so from the concrete. The hood had fallen off, revealing the person's facial features. The lone individual was a female with dark colored hair tied back into a pony tail that reached above the neck. Her eyes were of an amber color that displayed insecurities about her, a bit of shyness, but also a desire to know more about the world around her. Hanging from her earlobes were earrings in the shape of golden hearts.
"That was a close one," she said in a relieved yet soft voice. She had narrowly avoided getting a scar on her face and did not need to add anymore to the collection she had already. The stinging she felt in each of her bandaged hands reminded her of the previous incident that she did not want to relive no time soon. "It's best that I get home as soon as possible, but first…"
She began to reach around the sidewalk for her glasses as she sat up on all fours, but her vision was too impaired at the moment to locate them quick enough. Without the glasses or her contacts, when she decided to wear the latter, she was as blind as a bat. She only hoped that someone would not accidentally step on them, but who else would be crazy enough to walk around in this type of weather in the first place? After what seemed like five minutes, her small hands landed on the rim of her glasses. A large smile appeared on her lips as she hurriedly placed it on her face. The previous hazy vision had become crystal clear despite the small droplets of water rolling down the lenses. "I don't know what I would do if these broke again."
"BOOM!"
"Ahh!" the young maiden shrieked in fear.
The sudden eruption alarmed her greatly, causing her to immediately jump to her feet and scurried off into the distance. Just as she had done previously, she ran as quickly as she possibly could and in a matter of time, arrived at a large two-story building. She breathed heavily as she dragged her body up the steps, tired from her rapid movement, and slowly entered the home. The moment she opened the door, the bright lights shined directly into her face as she walked in and closed the door behind her.
Almost immediately, she removed the dripping wet coat from her body and placed it on the coat rack next to the door. The removal of the outerwear allowed her normal clothing to be shown. The young woman had a petite figure, an uncommon sight for those her age. Her clothing consisted of a burgundy long-sleeved shirt that reached past her wrist; obviously two sizes too big for one her size, a pair of blue loose-fitting jeans, and white tennis shoes. Now that she was in the light, her hair color could be distinguished as a silky black with a few strands of silver in the mix.
Her amber eyes glanced over the coat rack in which she saw an additional two coats hanging upon it, causing a sad smile to appear on her lips. "I'm surprised they're actually here today."
She began to examine the immediate surroundings. The interior of the house was painted in a sky blue coloring with the walls donned with pictures and paintings. Against the walls were black stand tables holding small vases filled with flowers. The floor tiles were colored in the same sky blue and a darker blue in a checkerboard fashion. In the middle point of the room on each sides were two open walkways; the one on the left leading to the kitchen while the one on the right led to the living room. At the end opposite end of the room was a staircase leading up to the next floor and on each side at the bottom were two more doors leading elsewhere.
This was the home of Shiraishi Ayumu, a 20-year old young woman. She was the daughter of two business owners who are always too drawn up into their work to pay attention to those involved with their personal life, including their daughter. They spent most of their time at the offices or traveling to visit their partners rather than spend even one quiet evening at home, unless it was a special event.
When that time did arrive, they would push her into pursuing the same goal as they did, but that was not the type of lifestyle she desired. She wanted to see the world, free of the restraint of having to do the same set schedule for the remainder of her life and the only way to do that was to take the upcoming Hunter exam. So tonight had to be one of those nights.
A sigh escaped her lips as she proceeded to head towards the staircase, but she came to an immediate halt at the call of her name.
"Shira! Is that you darling?" a female's voice questioned from the left.
The young woman turned her attention to an older looking woman with long, curly blonde hair. She stood a few inches taller than the 20 year old Shira with eyes of the same amber color. She wore a sleeveless black dress that clung to his body, fitting her just the right places, stopping at her ankles along with a pair of high heeled shoes. This was Mayuri Ayumu; the mother of Shira. The older woman came running to the young maiden with a warm smile on her face and pulled her into a hug.
"H-Hello mother," Shira responded in a soft voice, nearly unable to speak. "I-It's good to see you."
"Where have you been?" Mayuri questioned in worry. "When your father and I didn't see you in your room, I got so worried."
Shira hesitated slightly as she shifted her gaze to the side, unable to meet her mother's gaze, "I was getting something prepared for tomorrow."
Her mother gave her a questioning glance then it turned into a smile, "Oh do tell me more about this, but it'll have to wait until after the dinner. In fact, get out of those clothes and put on that cute little dress I bought for you recently."
The young maiden shook her head, "I'd think I'll pass mother. I had a long day so I want to head straight to bed."
Mayuri gave a slight nod of her head. She knew her only daughter had always found something to do during
She paid little mind to her surroundings as she walked through the long hallway that led to her room. Even though there were pictures lined across the wall, they were only meant for show and did not reflect the true life her family lived. Shira could not say she was neglected, but her parents were too wrapped up into their work to really focus on family life. However, she had grown accustomed to being by herself most of the time, and as she grew over the years, any type of concern about the situation faded away.
She was now at the age where her life could really start and make all the choices for herself. Besides, when they were around, due to her small size, they treated her like a child so it was time to remove herself from that type of atmosphere.
She came to the end of the hall and walked into her bedroom. The room was simple, to say the least. The walls were colored in a peach color with numerous posters on all of the walls, each pertaining to a different topic she wanted to look into. There were a few pictures of her in her youth, but in most cases, the smiles she reflected were sad because her parents were not in them. To the right was a set of double doors, leading into her walk-in closet with another door beside it leading to the bathroom.
Next to that door was a dresser drawer with a flat-screen television sitting on top of it. On the far left, towards the center, was her bed with pink coverings and white railings along with headboards of the same color. Next to the bed on one side was a night stand with a small lamp, her phone as it charged, and jewelry box sitting on top of it. On the other side was large black trunk in which she kept her most valuable possessions.
Finally, sitting on top of the bed was a small black bag that she would need for tomorrow. She approached the bed and allowed her body to fall forward. With a small thump, she felt comfort enter her system. Shira remained in her position as she stared into the wall that she faced, lost in a deep train of thought. "Tomorrow is the day where I begin my journey. I'll be able to make the decisions for myself and not have to worry about my parents dictating my every move. I just hope I do well enough to pass. I haven't been doing all this training for nothing, but I feel like I missed some areas, but I'll see how it goes when everything begins."
A small sigh escaped the black haired maiden's lips as she pushed her body up from the position and stood to her feet once more. She reached for the small bag and looked inside to double check that everything she needed was in place. There was a small bundle of changing clothes at the bottom with a small wallet, a book, and a map on top. "This is all that I'll need for tomorrow."
She turned her attention to the corner the room next to the door, where a simple blue pole and a special pair of white shoes with red stripes leaned against the wall: her weapon of choice and her means of transportation when in a hurry. She had to be sure that she could not leave them tomorrow because the world was a dangerous place and the exam would be the first step into that type of environment. She knew quite well that it would not be easy and that she could very well die in the first part of the exam, but it was what she wanted and nothing would stop her from achieving her goal.
Shira walked over to the dresser and opened it, pulling out a set of clothes to sleep in for the night before stepping into the bathroom. The young maiden remained in the room for several minutes, washing her body of all the dirt and sweat that built up over the course of the day, making sure to never miss a spot. The door opened, revealing a refreshed Shira dressed in only white T-shirt and black shorts.
The black haired girl did not waste any time to hop into her bed and get under the covers. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall into a deep slumber, excitedly waiting for the next day to come.
The Next Morning
Shira walked down the stairs dressed in a short sleeved red shirt that fitted loosely on the small woman's body and a pair of cargo shorts reaching to her knees with her black bag on her back. She wore her special pair of white and red shoes which contained wheels at the bottom which would pop out when she pressed a button on the side. In her right hand was her blue pole that she gripped tightly onto.
Shira stepped into the living area where her parents were sitting down watching the television. She walked in front of the television, catching their full undivided attention. "Mother, Father, I'm leaving."
Her father, a middle-aged male with black hair and wearing a brown suit stared at his daughter with widened eyes. "What are you talking about? You did not give us any notice of your departure. Where are you going?"
"I'm going take the Hunter Exam," she responded calmly with a determined gaze in her eye. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about last night, but you were both too busy with that dinner."
"I don't approve of this," Mayuri said as she stood to her feet. "Why would you choose such a dangerous job? You could get yourself killed out there! We settled that you would take over the business once the time arrived."
Shira's gaze saddened as she stared at her parents. They cared for her well-being, but when it came to life choices, they were a bit overprotective. "I know the risks, but it's something I want to do. Just because I'm small, it doesn't mean that I can't handle myself. It just motivates me to do a better job of defending myself. I'll be fine, so you don't have anything to worry about."
"Are you sure this is the path you wish to follow?" her father, Inori, questioned with a narrowed gaze.
The young maiden felt a bit intimidated by her dad's piercing eyes, but she swallowed her fear and nodded her head, "Yes, I do."
"I guess I can't deny you of your own choices," Inori said giving in.
"Wow, that was easier than I thought," she thought with a sweat drop clinging to the back of her head.
"My little girl is finally growing up," Mayuri commented as a single tear rolled down her face. "Please be careful out there and make sure you visit."
"I will be sure to," Shira answered with a smile. She gave each of her parents a hug and a kiss goodbye before running out of the door to begin her journey. The moment the door shut behind Shira, Mayuri and Inori frowned darkly in the direction she had gone.
"There's no way she'll make it out there on her own," the woman stated in a matter of fact tone. "There has to be some way that we can make her regret that silly little decision of hers so she'll come back home where she belongs to the future we have set her up for."
By the time she had finished her statement, the older man had pulled out his phone, "Don't worry, I will have it handled accordingly."
A/N: And that's it for now. I'm not very good when it comes to beginning chapters, but I had to show a little bit of where my character comes from. The next chapter is where the real stuff begins as Shira goes on to take the Hunter exam. I'm not sure how often this will be updated, but doubt it will be very often. I hoped you guys enjoy it and make sure to review so I can hear your thoughts about the story so far.