Disclaimer: HunterxHunter is not mine! I do not own it in any way.
Reflections of the Moon
The climate in the NGL was more or less like she had expected. The dry desert air of where Ponzu and her group were currently resting was brutal. Just because she expected such a climate does not mean she was experienced in dealing with such conditions. Her throat was screaming for some kind of moisture yet the call remained unanswered.
Ponzu sighed and leaned against the large boulder at the campsite. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined her life to be the way it is now. Of course, she always dreamed of becoming a hunter and specialize in beast hunting, but the adventure she was on now was more than she could have ever wished for.
Her delicate fingers reached up and grabbed a small section of her turquoise hair and twisted it thoughtfully as she looked over to where her travelling partner, Pokkle, was currently resting. The sun's unforgiving rays bore down on the two as she reminisced about the events that got her into this situation.
Her first memories of Pokkle were from the Hunter Exam a few years back. He was one of the few candidates who got their license at the end of that trying year. She, on the other hand, was unfortunate in not passing the fourth trial. During that specific part of the exam is when she first took notice of him.
The clear, blue water around the boat was calm as she stepped onto the island. There was no lack of greeneries for hiding in. The trees swayed in the delicate breeze that drifted through the island. The first thing she planned to do was follow her target, Bourbon. Instead of finding Bourbon, however, she stumbled across a man hidden in the grass. She stopped in her tracks and watched him from a distance. Something was mesmerizing about how he used the tall, green grass as cover. Up ahead she could clearly see another man, who she assumed was his target. Ponzu's attention snapped back to the hidden man, however, when he began to draw his bow.
The man's peach colored hair blew gently as the warm breeze caressed the soft grasses around him. The sun traveled across the sky as she waited for him to make his move. With incredible ease he grabbed an arrow from his quiver and pulled back the string on his bow in a heartbeat. Up ahead, his target was blissfully oblivious of the fate he was soon to suffer. Again the wind blew, rustling the branches. Ponzu's eyes widened as the man took aim and released the string.
A single arrow cut through the clear air and headed straight for its target ahead. However, Ponzu observed that at the last second possible; he sensed the arrow and tried to dodge. As fast as his instincts were, he had not managed to dodge it completely. The arrow grazed his shoulder. The peach haired man emerged from the grass with a victorious smile on his smooth face. The sun reflected in his soft brown eyes as he approached his target. Ponzu remained transfixed on the archer, her eyes wide and curious. Who was this man?
She was disqualified later in the trial and remembered briefly how disappointed she was upon thinking about the prospect of not being able to see more of the man. There was something unforgettable about him, that's for sure. There was a grace in his movement that caught her eye and he lingered in the back of her mind as an unanswered question. He was a mystery.
The next year, Ponzu tried to earn her Hunter licence, but failed. The white haired boy she remembered from the year before knocked out all of the contestants, therefore nobody except that boy got to achieve the title of "Hunter" that year. After this experience, she realized that she needed to be physically stronger. She planned on seeing President Netero for opportunities for her to train for the exam next year. Of course, she was nervous about the prospect of him declining her any such jobs, but she had to do something. As she sat down in the blimp where Netero currently was, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw a figure turning the corner to head to President Netero's office. A certain figure with peach hair and a pink hat. She jumped from her seat and turned white as if she had suddenly seen a ghost. Thoughts raced through her head, competing for importance and attention. Was it really him? After all this time wondering how on Earth she could ever find him and he's here. Was this a gift? Fate? Destiny?
Ponzu rushed down the hall and peeked around the corner where she was the peach haired man and President Netero conversing.
"…Perhaps." Netero finished his sentence. After a short pause he suddenly faced the direction of where she was hiding. Crap, she thought, he must know I'm here. What will I do?
"Speaking of which," Netero said with a grin on his face, "she's here right now."
"Really?" The man asked, turning towards the hallway. Ponzu slowly edged forward and made her way down the hall towards the two with a blush on her pale face. Her footsteps barely made a sound on the wooden floors.
"H-Hello" She stuttered and bowed after she reached her destination. Her face was slowly turning a darker shade of pink as she rose to look at the men.
"Just in time" Said Netero. "If you two have not already met, please feel free to acquaint yourselves."
The archer offered his hand to her and said, "Hello, I'm Pokkle. I believe we both took the Hunter Exam last year didn't we?"
Ponzu's face flushed even more. How embarrassing. "Yes, we did. My name is Ponzu, by the way" she said quietly as she shook his hand. Her mind was carrying out the act of taking in his presence completely for the first time. He was youthful, about the same age as she was. His skin was slightly tanned from working out in the sun. His trademark peach hair was hanging down from under his pink hat. The setting sun in the window reflected in his soft brown eyes as he looked at her.
"What great timing actually," he began after shaking her delicate hand, "President Netero was just telling me about you."
If Ponzu's face could have turned a deeper pink, it would have. "He was?" She asked in a small voice. The design of the wallpaper was suddenly very interesting. Pull it together! She thought. Can't you have a normal conversation with people? There's absolutely nothing to be afraid about. With that thought she tried to swallow the lump in her throat and think clearly.
"Yes" Pokkle confirmed with a smile. "I was looking for some new recruits to help me on my missions. The president told me you were also interested in exotic beasts."
"I am" Ponzu stated awkwardly. "I was going to start looking for a job when I got home, but I guess this opportunity is better than anything I could have come across on my own."
"So are you interested?" He asked. Netero smiled in his mysterious way and looked at the both of them.
Ponzu smiled with relief. This wasn't too hard now, was it? "I am."
"Well now," Netero began, "You two should be able to get along well on your journey together. Good luck." With that he turned and opened the door to his office. The door shut leaving Pokkle and Ponzu in the hallway together to discuss further details about the job. They soon began their training and Pokkle admitted new people into their small group.
Ponzu's thoughts drifted back to the present. The sun was low in the blood orange sky. The clouds were drifting away, leaving the heavens open for all to admire. She looked over at the leader of this group and smiled. There was no denying it any more. From the moment she laid eyes on him she was captivated by his essence. It was pointless to think anything other than the beautiful truth. Pokkle suddenly turned his head towards her and their eyes locked. He gave her an easy smile and her face flushed pink. He couldn't help but continue to look at her as the sun continued to sink beneath the shadowy horizon. Was it her smile? Was it the easy going laugh that made him want to be near her? Pokkle tried to dismiss these thoughts and looked somewhere else quickly. He has duties to attend to.
With that he got up and turned to everyone around the small fire. "Night will soon be upon us. We should set up the tents." Everyone got to their feet as the chilly night air of the desert began to set in. The group set up their tents and ate their dinner quickly before heading off to bed as the moon rose. The only people remaining around the remnants of the evening fire were Pokkle and Ponzu.
He got up and sat down next to her. There was no point in trying to have a conversation with someone if he was sitting at the farthest point away from her. Ponzu was looking into the embers of the fire with a pensive look in her eyes. "A jenny for your thoughts?" he asked her. She suddenly straightened in her seat on the smooth stone as if startled. The sun had completely sunken into the horizon and left the moon to converse with the stars in the sky.
"Perhaps," she said, "if my thoughts were worth a jenny." She turned towards him. The only source of light came from the dying embers and the moon above.
"I'm sure they are" he said softly. "What were you thinking about? It seemed important." A gentle breeze lightly trifled Ponzu's turquoise hair as he awaited her response.
"Well," she began slowly, "I was remembering the first time I had met you. During the Hunter Exam. That led me to remember the day when you offered me to come along with you." As she finished, she looked into his brown eyes.
Pokkle smiled and gave a short laugh, "What made you think about that?"
She looked away at the sky. The stars glistened and formed a veil over the inky blackness above. A panicked thought crossed Pokkle's mind, what if he had offended her?
"If I said anything wrong, it wasn't intentional" he said, as his face turned a hue darker. What was going on with him? So what if he slipped up, she is just a friend.
She had still not responded so he took her hand in his. This broke her out of her reverie. Ponzu turned towards him with wide eyes. His hand was warm. Pokkle was yet again taken aback by her lack of response. He leaned in closer as if prompting her to say something. He realized that he had never been this close to her before. He looked deeply into her eyes and saw the lone moon reflected in them. He had never noticed how gorgeous her eyes looked up close. They were framed with long eyelashes, which he noticed were glistening with a few tears. What on Earth did he say?!
Ponzu parted her lips to speak, "The moon isn't alone in the sky, is it." She stated.
These words took him by surprise. Why did he suddenly care so much about her thoughts? Conflict raged in his head as he let her continue speaking.
"I always looked up in the sky and thought the moon was lonely." She said softly. "The moon was surrounded by all the stars it could ever want but always looked down in despair at the land. I always wondered why the moon was that way."
Pokkle took her cold hands in his and inched closer. The air carried a biting chilliness that blew out the remaining embers of the fire. His actions occurred naturally and he spoke without thinking first, "Perhaps the moon is searching."
Ponzu directed her soft gaze towards him. She wiped the remaining tears away and let him take her hands again. She hadn't actually expected him to respond to her odd statement. She didn't even know why she was telling him her thoughts so openly in the first place. Never had they done this before. There was always working to be done and training to do. Never had she dared to open up to Pokkle. She was always afraid. But if there were any traces of fear on this night, they had all disappeared.
"What do you think it's searching for?" She asked him, curiosity and some other indescribable emotion gleaming in her eyes.
Pokkle did not hesitate to respond. It was if there were no longer any barriers. There was nothing to stop him from saying what he wanted to say any more. "I think the moon is searching for company." He murmured. "It's looking for a companion to complete its family of stars in the sky."
"No wonder the moon looks so lonely" She answered. "It will never find a companion."
Pokkle leaned in even closer. Their faces were mere inches apart as her statement hung in the air. He responded in a low voice, "It already has."
Ponzu's breath was shallow as she responded, "How?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth she understood what he meant. Why hadn't she seen it before?
Pokkle saw the understanding as he smiled and gazed into her large blue eyes. "So you see it?" He asked. Ponzu nodded her head as she looked at the reflection of the moon in his eyes.
The reflections mirrored each other as the moon found its partner. The night no longer seemed desolate. Perhaps it was pure luck that all of this had suddenly happened. In Ponzu's mind that was the only explanation she could come up with. What were the chances of this happening? All these thoughts raced through her mind but only one thought came through as a winner. She simple could not deny the fact that she was truly happy in this moment.
As if acting on their own accord, their lips found each other under the light of the moon. Pokkle marveled at the feel of her soft lips against his own as he cupped her delicate face in his hands. The cold air reclaimed the space between them all too soon as the stars shone brighter overhead. Above all he realized that this made him happy. Why should he question anything in this moment? He knew that despite the odd circumstances that got them into this situation he could not push away the true and complete feeling he had with her.
The stars were the only witnesses of such a sweet unification and they were also the only ones who knew the future. As the two humans found their happiness below the stars wished for once that they did not know what fate would bring them. The two had fused their futures together under the very stars they would soon join. However, they could be happy for now. They could be happy before finding each other and joining the stars in their eternal dance around the radiant moon in the night sky.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading this. This is my first fanfiction so reviews are welcome. I hope you enjoyed. :)