My second attempt on writing a chapter fic, and first on writing sum romance. I try to write wat my readers ask for so yea. some ppl ask me 2 write romance and suicidal stuf, so im having a go at it. I'm a romance newbie, so dont expect much from me. special thnx 2 hyuuu for suggesting the name haruno!! ^___^ Cheers!!

my goal is to create a moving picture on my readers head, pretty much like watching an anime episode, wif music and all dat. and i hope for those who reads it will be enjoying another hxh ep!! Story takes place after 1st OVA. Gon and Killua are still in GI, but they might make an appearance!

"Nice to meet you!"

"O-Oi!"

Twelve year old Kurapica had not expected this, it was all too sudden. He was enjoying his peaceful moment relaxing by a tree trunk when suddenly a boy with short, black hair, wearing a similar Kurutan tunic dropped down from the branches above, and landed neatly by his side. He grinned mischievously. "Hey!"

"W-What? Who are you?"

"Sousuke! And you are…?"

"I-I'm Kurapica."

Well that was a bit too sudden. The boy cocked his head, and then laughed away heartily. Poor Kurapica did not get his joke as he sat gawping at this new boy, still traumatised by the shocking event.

Finally, the boy took calm breaths, and smiled, "I wonder how long it would take for you to realise that I'm under disguise?" He grasped a tuft of black hair and slowly took it off, revealing silky, white hair that tumbled to the shoulders. "Idiot!"

"Princess!"

"It's Ha-ru-no!" the girl snapped back frustratingly, making sure she pronounced each syllable clearly. "I hate being a 'Princess'. 'Do this, do that' they say. Act like one. Hmph, it's so annoying!" She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked back and forth.

"It's for your own good, being the next heir."

She pouted. "You don't understand. There's no freedom to it. I love my parents, but everyday they keep me confined inside the house until I'm 'ready to see the outside world'. It's so unfair. I want to learn how to ride a horse. I want to learn swordcraft. I want to learn to defend myself. Just like you! At least you get to sit by a tree!" Haruno stood up fiercely, pretending to be a great warrior. Kurapica watched by amused.

"And thou shalt be one!" the boy stood up and played along. "Thou shalt be the glorious Mistress of Disguise!"

"Master…Master of Disguise!" the girl corrected him. The two fell down laughing and laid back as the breeze ruffled their hair.

"Well, I better get going, Ku-ra-pi-ca." Haruno placed her wig back on her head and gave him a playful tap on the nose before she dashed of towards home. The boy waved her good-bye before going back to his peaceful business.

A few minutes later, screams echoed through the forest. That was how it began…

xXx

That was then.

But now is now.

Midnight has fallen and the streets were deserted. Deserted, as in no people, no transports aligned near the roads. Slowly, the lights in the city switched off until only the street lights remained as the only light source.

Everyone knew that…

Everyone, knew that the treacherous episode was about to begin. The glow of the full moon glowed eerily over the silent York Shin. The city clock began striking the twelve chimes.

One…

Two…

Three...

Four…

For extra precaution, the people pulled down their blinds and curtains. They locked and chained their doors. No-one should be able to penetrate through.

Five…

Six…

Seven…

Eight…

Even the creatures of the night knew their places. The possums disappeared into the trees. The birds glued their beaks.

Nine…

Ten…

Eleven…

A soft breeze fluttered through the trees, their leaves beckoning to the long awaited event.

Twelve…

Suddenly, a black figure darted across the roof of the skyscrapers. Ten others followed behind. However, the last one was not keen on running away. He was more determined on catching them. The action has begun.

After months of regular training, the blonde had ensured that his speed would match the Spiders', since his previous attempts were a failure. True to his promise, it appears that luck was on his side tonight. As he ran, the same question was nagging his head again. Who was the eleventh?

Wherever the cloaked person went, the others followed. But he was sure that over the tedious months of training, his sensitivity has grown. The Spiders usually emit a deadly aura, but the last one, did not. Instead, it was so bright, he could tell that this person was much stronger beyond compare. The cloaked person suddenly dropped down and landed with great accuracy, then dashed down the road. The others followed in hot pursuit. The largest of them all shot bullets out of his fingers, aiming at the mysterious person, who just managed to swerve around a corner. Another tried casting needles on threads, but was simply knocked off by an invisible barrier.

Strange…that person isn't a Spider. Kurapica managed to release his chain jail, but before he could hurl the tiny, sharp end, a samurai bounded upon his unawareness and sliced a deep cut on his left arm. Clutching his arm and grunting in pain, he kept on running nevertheless. The cloaked person was growing more and more desperate, and so turned a corner into a dark alleyway. The Spiders decided to use this opportunity to disappear.

Unfortunately, the person has arrived at a dead end, and swivelled around to face a confused blonde. Kurapica froze for a few seconds, before slowly advancing on his mysterious victim. Little by little, the person's head lifted up. It was a boy, at least, that was what Kurapica thought for the time being. His eyes were an amazing reflection of his, a deep, liquid azure. Similar to Killua's, his mop hair was coloured with an unnatural white, except much neater. His gaze finally averted Kurapica's, and turned to look at his side. Kurapica followed his gaze, and landed on what he dreaded to see. The Spiders were blocking their pathway.

The samurai leapt up unexpectedly and brought his sword down to Kurapica's heart. The blonde widened his eyes in surprise as blood splattered over his blue tunic. Momentarily paralysed with astonishment, he looked down to see the end of the sword protruding from the waist of the other boy. But why…?

The boy grunted in agony, his hands trying to stop the gushing wound. The Spiders sniggered at their weak victims, and gradually stepped closer, their weapons raised in a fighting stance.

The scene that unfolded next happened in a flash. The white-haired boy standing in front released a powerful force, so powerful, it swept the Spiders away, and flung them kilometres into the sky. Kurapica could only stare in awe. He knew he shouldn't underestimate people, but his particular one had so much power contained in such a frail body. Groaning, the boy tried dragging himself out the alleyway. "Wait…you're hurt. You should rest…" Kurapica suggested softly. He felt strangely respectful towards this mysterious person. The boy, giving him one last quick glance, disappeared around the corner.

Remembering that he too, should also rest, he gripped his bleeding arm and heaved himself to a certain place where his old friend lived.

xXx

Locked in his own apartment, Leorio shivered at the thought of those strange people knocking on his door. He snuggled deeper into his blankets.

Ding dong…

His heart missed a beat. Panicking, he whimpered like a child, hoping whoever was outside would go away.

Ding dong…knock knock knock.

The person was stubborn, he figured out. He got up reluctantly from his cosy bed, and tiptoed out to the living room, snatching up a knife from the kitchen along the way.

Knock knock. Ding dong.

How in the world did I end up renting an apartment in York Shin? I should move out soon… Leorio thought unbelievably to himself. "Wh-Who's there?" he muttered softly.

The person replied in a raspy voice, "It's me…Kurapica."

Now that was unusual. Kurapica visiting him after midnight was a chance scaled down to zero. Leorio was being extra-cautious. This could be a trap. On the other hand, if it was that know-it-all blonde, he would feel guilty for not trusting his old friend. His hands shaking violently on the door knob, he slowly eased the door open…

The instant the door opened, Kurapica fell exhausted into Leorio's arms. Shocked at his friend's current state, he dragged him to the nearest couch, switched on the lights, then hurried off to fetch his medical box. Kurapica groaned as he returned with a clean bandage.

"O-Oi! You're scaring me. What happened?" Leorio started to clean and apply antiseptic on his wound. The younger boy flinched at the after-effects.

"Thanks…" Kurapica mumbled. He glanced around the room. A certificate carefully framed that hung from the wall caught his attention. "A Master Degree of Medicine, huh?" he smiled.

Obviously, the boy was trying to avoid his question. "Well…uh, thanks. Hey! Now's not the time to talk about this. You're not answering my question, what happened?"

The blonde looked away from the older man and sighed, "I…was tracking the Spiders."

The bandage neatly wrapped around Kurapica's arm, Leorio stood up impatiently and shook his head at the thick-headed boy, "How many time's have I told you…to forget about the Spiders and to perhaps, look up more into life? Even Gon and Killua thinks so!"

"Do you mind if I sleep over at your place for the night?" Kurapica was too tired to walk all the way to the Nostrad's mansion. And he couldn't be bothered to ask Leorio to drive him there in the middle of the night.

Leorio sighed, "Very well."

"I'll sleep here," the blonde added in.

The man brought back a spare quilt and they were soon settled, lights switched off. Leorio was fast asleep, but the boy was having a restless time. He twisted and turned on the couch. Who was that guy? Why did he save me? A thousand questions were whirling around his head, but eventually, he snuggled in his blanket, and his eyes drooped down as he entered into a deep slumber.