A/N: Hey everyone! This is one of my first fanfics so I'm not sure how good it is. Please review and no flames.

Keirin Freecs sat underneath the large oak tree overlooking the lake. She sat completely still against the trunk of the tree and stared up at her twin, Gon Freecs. Her long black hair was held in pigtails and she wore a light pink tank top with dark pink shorts and brown leather boots. Her chocolate eyes went from staring at her brother down the almost invisible fish line that disappeared into the water. 'I wonder how long Gon-chan will stay here.'

Suddenly, the fish line went taunt and Keirin jumped up. "Gon get it! It took the bait!"

Gon leapt up and pulled on the fish line. "I got it! I got it!"

With a final pull, Gon yanked the giant fish out from the water and gave a final shout, "I got it!"

Gon picked the fish up and began running back towards the inn with Keirin in hot pursuit. The two ran through the road yelling and laughing, drawing the attention of all the villagers. As soon as they reached the inn, Gon dropped the giant fish at Mito's feet. Gon and Keirin grins broadened.

"Mito-san, I caught the Pond Master just like I promised. Now you've gotta keep your promise and let me and Kei-chan go to the exam."

Mito hesitantly looked between the two twelve year olds and sighed before taking both of their forms. She signed both of them and handed them back to the two grinning kids.

Keirin and Gon looked at their forms before bolting down the dirt road and heading for the post office.

Mito looked at the two children and sighed. "They're just like him…"

Keirin saw her brother walking towards the forest and called out to him. "Hey, Gon-chan, I'm going back home to make sure Mito-san is okay! Say hi to Kon for me!"

Keirin ran back down the road and into the inn. When she saw Mito was nowhere in sight, she walked up to her room and pulled out a small bag. Keirin looked around the room her and Gon shared before packing clothes into the small bag. She smiled to herself. "I hope…we can find dad…"

"Keirin-chan, take this blanket; I'm sure it's extremely damp on the boat."

Gon and Keirin were surrounded by the villagers giving them presents before they left. The two were smiling and then they saw Mito standing off to the side. The two walked over to Mito and smiled at her.

"Gon, Keirin, I'm sorry I lied to you. You're father never abandoned you. I ask the courts to take you away from him." Mito felt tears fall down her face as she looked at Gon and Keirin.

Gon smiled and hugged Mito. "We knew you lied, Mito-san. Because when you lie, you never look us in the face."

Keirin smiled and hugged Mito after Gon. "Don't worry Mito-san. I'll take care of Gon-chan."

The two boarded the boat and waved at Mito one last time. "Don't worry Mito-san! We'll come back and be super hunters!"

"Che, you kids, become super-hunters." A large bulky man scoffed at the two and tilted his head towards the others on the boat. "This is only a tenth of the people that are entering the exam and only a few will pass."

"Oh leave the kid alone, you jerk." A teenage girl walked over and stood between Gon, Keirin and the large man. She had long black hair that was held in a loose ponytail and wore a black trench coat that opened at the bottom and a little at the top. There were white bandages wrapped around her forehead and she wore black leather boots. Her onyx eyes showed annoyance at the man. "For all you know, this kid could beat the crap out of you."

The man narrowed his eyes at the girl and cracked his knuckles. "You want to fight, you little brat?"

A girl that was Gon and Keirin's age stepped in front of the teenage girl. She had shoulder length red hair and bright amber eyes. She wore a blue kimono that cut off just above her knees and brown leather boots. She narrowed her eyes at the man. "If you lay a finger on Tsura-sama, I'll cut you up."

"Kotori-chan, calm down. We don't want to start a big commotion." Tsura placed her hand on Kotori's shoulder and pulled her closer to her.

The captain had been watching the whole display and laughed, catching everyone's attention. "Well, we certainly have a lively bunch this year. It's gonna be a wild ride everyone so try your hardest."

Tsura turned to Gon and Keirin and smiled. "Just ignore him. There are a bunch of jerks like that in the exam. My name is Tsura and this lively little thing is Kotori. What about you two?"

Gon smiled up at Tsura. "My name is Gon Freecs and this is my twin Keirin." He turned his attention to Kotori and smiled. "Hey, how old are you?"

Kotori tensed as the smiling boy approached her. "I'm twelve." Kotori nearly had a heart attack as Gon hugged her tightly.

"Yay! There's someone else our age taking the exam!"

Tsura laughed at how red Kotori's face had become. She smiled down at Keirin. "You seem awfully quiet Keirin-chan. Is something wrong?"

Keirin shook her head and smiled back at Tsura. "No, I'm just glad we've already made some friends."

Tsura seemed taken aback for a moment before taking Keirin's hand. "Alright you three; let's go get something to eat."

The four found a table and sat down. They talked and acted as though they were old friends. Finally, Tsura announced it was time for them to go to bed. The four made their way towards the sleeping quarters and found four hammocks close together. They all fell asleep almost instantly and slept through the raging storm.

The captain sighed as he stared at the unconscious and barfing passengers. "Well, it looks like no one on this ship is going to enter the exam." He glanced up in time to see Gon and Keirin running back towards the sleeping quarters. He followed them and his eyes widened at what he saw.

Gon, Keirin, and Kotori were all going around giving the other passengers water and a type of plant. Tsura was in her hammock laughing at the men that were groaning in pain. The captain saw that two other boys were also sitting in there hammocks. One was sleeping and the other was reading a dirty magazine. There was a girl that looked identical to the sleeping boy; she was sewing a pair of pants.

"Well, maybe we will have some participants this year…"

Later in the morning, Gon and Keirin were on the deck and staring out at the see. Keirin looked at the seagulls before looking at her brother. "Gon-chan…."

The captain approached the two children. "What's wrong? Is she sick?"

Gon shook his head. "No….there's going to be a bigger storm than the one last night."

The captain looked at the two curiously. "How can you tell?"

"The gulls told us."

The captain looked at the two children curiously. His eyes widened as he realized who the two looked like. "You two, what does your father do for a living?"

Gon grinned at the captain. "He's a hunter!"

The captain nodded his head. "When will the storm hit us?"

Keirin thought for a minute before answering. "In three hours."

The captain walked off and then came over the loud speaker. "Attention everyone! We will be entering a storm twice as strong as the last one in three hours! All of you who wish to leave may take life boats back to the island." The captain watched as a majority of the group left the boat. When he walked out, he saw there were only seven people left. "Your names?"

"I'm Gon and this is my twin Keirin!" Gon and Keirin both smiled widely at the captain.

"My name is Leorio." The boy who had been reading the dirty magazine gave a salute to the captain.

"I am Kurapica." The other who had been sleeping in the hammock bowed politely. "This is my little sister, Naru." He inclined his head towards the other girl. She had long blonde hair held in a braid and wore clothes identical to Kurapica's. Her shining blue eyes were downcast as she bowed to the captain.

"My name is Tsura." Tsura stared at the remaining group curiously and nodded her head to the captain.

"…Kotori…" Kotori stood hesitantly behind Tsura.

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

Leorio glared at the captain. "Why should we tell you? You're not an examiner. You ha—"

"Me and Kei-chan want to find our father and he's a hunter!"

Leorio glared down at Gon. "Hey, you shouldn't answer that question. Don't you have any pr—"

"I agree with that guy." Kurapica stepped forward from the group. "My reasons for entering the exam are mine and personal. I do not wish to share them with you."

The captain smirked at the two boys. "In that case, get off my ship. Haven't you realized the exam has already begun? So many people wish to enter the exam that guys like me are used to weed out the failures. All the ones that abandoned ship are now barred from taking the exam this year. So tell me…why do you want to be a hunter?"

Tsura stepped forward and bowed to the captain. "I wish to become a hunter so I can find my brother."

"I want to take it to prove to my brother that I'm not a weakling." Kotori stepped forward and stared straight into the captain's eyes.

Kurapica hesitated before stepping forward and standing next to Tsura. "Naru and I…are the last member of the Kurata clan. Four years ago, our clan was killed by the Genei Ryodan. I wish to track them down and kill them to avenge my clansmen."

The captain noticed how Naru's eyes darkened with sadness. "You wish to become a blacklist hunter to track down the Ryodan? Even the best Hunters will hesitate to help you. You're chasing after sure death."

"I do not fear death. What I fear most is that my anger never leaves."

The captain turned to Naru. "What about you, Naru?"

Naru spoke for the very first time. Her voice was soft and melodious. "I want to help my brother…even if I don't agree with getting revenge."

"So you basically want to avenge yourself and you need to be a hunter to do that?" Leorio directed his attention to Kurapica.

"That's the dumbest question I've ever heard. I cannot access certain information without a Hunter license. It's a detail your little brain would miss."

The captain looked casually at the fuming Leorio. "What about you, Leorio?"

Leorio laughed and threw his arms open. "Well for money of course! With money, I can buy a classy car, a huge house, and the best alcohol!"

"Unfortunately, manners can't be bought, Leorio." Kurapica smirked smugly at the anger on Leorio's face.

"That's the third time you've insulted me. Let's go onto the deck and see if we can't spill some of that 'noble' Kurata blood."

Kurapica's eyes flashed with anger. "Take that back Leorio!"

Leorio ignored him and walked out of the room with Kurapica hot on his trail. Naru ran out of the room nervously, begging her brother to let it go. Tsura followed behind, curious of how the fight would turn out and Kotori chased after her.

"Hey, I'm not done yet!" The captain was about to chase after the group when he felt two small hands on his arm. He looked down into the deep chocolate eyes of Keirin.

"Let them fight." Gon came up beside his sister with a serious expression. "'If you want to know someone, start by knowing what makes him angry'. That's what Mito-san always told me and Kei-chan."

Keirin nodded in agreement. "Both of them have hit very sore spots for the other and so both have a right to be angry with the other."

A sailor ran into the room in a panic. "Captain, the wind is stronger than expected!"

Out on the deck, Leorio and Kurapica were glaring at each other. Naru was pleading with her brother to stop and Tsura was staring at the two curiously.

"Leorio, apologize and I'll forgive you."

"Sorry, but I have no intention of taking back what I said." Leorio pulled out a dagger and watched as Kurapica pulled out twin swords attached with a chain. "So you better hurry up and attack!"

Before the two could attack each other, the mast broke and hit one of the sailors. The group watched in horror as the man flew through the air. Keirin was startled when Gon ran passed her towards the man.

The other three girls watched Leorio run passed the surprised Kurata. Kurapica reacted by running with him and both reached for the man at the same time. They missed him by a fraction of a second and Gon leapt over them to grab the man. Leorio and Kurapica grabbed Gon's legs and held on tightly.

The sailors helped haul the four up and Tsura ran over to help bandage the man. Keirin followed her and ran to go check on Gon.

The girls could hear Leorio and Kurapica scolding Gon for doing something so dangerous and how he could have died. Gon smiled at the two and then Kurapica and Leorio were apologizing to each other.

Keirin ran over and hugged Gon tightly and Tsura checked him for any injuries. Naru sat beside her brother and asked him if he was alright and Kotori stayed close to Tsura.

The captain laughed. "You seven amuse me! I'm going to take you seven to the port closest to the exam. Gon, Kotori, Keirin, come with me. I'll show you how to operate the boat."

Kotori looked hesitantly at Tsura before latching onto Gon and following the captain. The teenagers watched the children walk off with the captain.

"Ah, to be young again." Tsura smiled and checked over Leorio and Kurapica for any injuries.

"Tsura-san, you don't seem that old." Naru looked at the girl curiously.

Tsura smiled at Naru. "It was a joke, Naru. And please, call me Tsura; I hate formalities. And I'm only sixteen by the way."

Naru smiled. "I'm fifteen and Kurapica is sixteen. What about you Leorio? You must at least be in your twenties."

Leorio huffed. "I'll have you know I'm only a couple years older than Kurapica thank you!"

Kurapica laughed as he watched Naru apologize profusely to Leorio. He glanced over at Tsura and saw her staring at him. "Is something wrong, Tsura?"

Tsura quickly shook her head and smiled at Kurapica. Her face was red from being caught staring. "Oh no…it's nothing, Kurapica."

Kotori was holding onto Keirin's hand tightly with one hand and Gon's with the other. Naru was standing next to Leorio trying to convince him she could carry her own luggage. Tsura was standing beside Kurapica and was being continually shoved into him.

After a particularly hard one that had her holding onto the front of his shirt and his arms around her waist to support her, she looked up and blushed. "Sorry…"

Kurapica blushed too and looked away. "It's alright."

Leorio had finally pulled Naru's bags away from her. "So are all these people heading to Zaban for the Hunter exam?"

"Oh yeah, the captain said we should head for that tree over there!" Gon pointed to a tall hill with a single pine tree on top.

Leorio pointed to a large map on the wall. "But we can easily get to Zaban by bus."

"Well Kei-chan and I are going towards the tree. Are you gonna come with us, Kotori-chan?"

Kotori blushed and looked up at Tsura. "If Tsura goes with you, I'll go too."

Tsura grinned at the three children giving her the puppy eyes. "Well I can't possibly separate Kotori from her boyfriend. Let's go Kotori."

She walked behind the three kids and laughed as she heard Gon loudly exclaim that he was Kotori's boyfriend.

Naru looked at her brother for confirmation. "Kurapica…?"

"I'm going with him. It's not just because the captain said it but because Gon is an interesting kid." Kurapica walked after Gon with Naru following close behind.

Leorio sighed before reluctantly following the three. "We could've taken the bus."

After a while, the group came across a seemingly abandoned village. Tsura nervously inched toward Kurapica and blushed when his hand held hers. Kotori was latched tightly onto Gon and Keirin held Naru's hand.

Leorio looked around the deserted street. "I don't like this. There's nobody out here."

Gon looked around the village casually. "But there are lots of people here." He stared at Kotori when he felt her grip tighten.

Kurapica pulled Tsura closer. "Let's keep our guard up."

"Um…Kurapica…why are you holding Tsura's hand?" Naru looked at her brother curiously when he blushed and released Tsura.

"I-I thought it was Naru and that she was scared!"

Tsura flushed and looked away from the blonde. "S-sorry Kurapica."

The group walked into the village before they were confronted by people in what looked like sheets and masks and an old woman. The old woman observed the group and grinned. "Very interesting….the Two Answer Quiz begins now!"

The group looked at the old woman curiously. Naru finally spoke. "Two Answer Quiz…?"

"I will ask you a question with two answers. You have five seconds to consider your answer. You may only answer with 1 or 2. Any other answer will be invalid."

"But I don't want to get disqualified if Leorio screws up!" Tsura pouted and ignored Leorio yelling at her.

"But if one of us knows the answer, then the others will gain. It's pretty cool." Gon grinned at Kotori. "Right Kotori-chan?"

Kotori blushed and nodded her head. "I….I agree with Gon."

"Will you hurry up!" A man with black hair walked up to the group. "I'll answer the question before you if you like."

Leorio glared at the man. "Fine; it will give us a chance to hear the questions."

The old lady smirked. "Your mother and girlfriend are captives of a demon and you can only save one. Which one do you choose?"

Kurapica's eyes widened. He looked around and saw the identical looks of surprise on everyone's face. 'There's no way there can be a correct answer for that!'

The man thought for a moment before finally answering. "1 because I have only one mother but I can get another girlfriend."

The people in sheets and the old woman debated for a moment before parting and allowing the man to pass through. They then came back together and stared at the group before them.

"Is this some kind of trick, baasan!" Kotori looked extremely infuriated. "To ask such questions….how can there be a correct answer for it?"

"I agree with the kid! Are you mocking us or something?" Leorio was tired of all the strange people that were in the exam.

Tsura grabbed onto Kotori's shoulder. "Kotori calm down. The trick to this quiz is really simple."

The old woman held her hand up. "I don't want to hear anymore. Any useless words will be punished with disqualification. 1 you take the quiz or 2 you refuse."

"1!" Kurapica and Tsura yelled in unison.

"Very well, here is the question: Your son and daughter have been kidnapped and you can only save one. Which do you save? 1 the daughter or 2 the son?"

The group remained silent and watched as Leorio walked over and yanked a plank off the side of a houseand made his way over to the old woman.

"Times up!" The old woman watched casually as Leorio attempted to swing at her and Kurapica blocked him.

"Leorio calm down! We won so don't screw up by waving your stick around." Tsura pulled the stick away from Leorio and glared at him. "Honestly, haven't you figured it out?"

When Leorio still looked confused, Kurapica explained. "We can only answer with 1 or 2 but since there is no right answer, you answer with silence."

"But what about that other guy?"

"He's probably dead or up a tree trying to get away from monsters." Kotori had finally let go of Gon and was standing nonchalantly beside Tsura. "Right Tsura-sama?"

"Probably."

"Well since you all passed, here is the right road." Two of the little children pulled aside a wall and revealed a long dark tunnel. "If you go down this way for two hours, you'll reach the hill in no time."

Leorio apologized to the old woman for his actions and the woman waved him off. "It's because of guys like you that I agreed to take this job. Good luck to all of you."

"I still don't really understand…" Gon grinned and began walking toward the tunnel.

"Don't worry Gon. The test is over so you don't need to worry about it anymore." Leorio laughed and followed behind him.

"But what if one day I do have to make that decision…what would I do?"

The entire group paused and thought about it for a moment. Finally Naru spoke very softly. "I think…this test was to show us what reality is going to be like."

The group was silent for a moment before they all walked into the tunnel. Well, everyone except for Tsura. Gon looked back and saw Tsura standing nervously at the entrance. "Ne, Tsura, what's wrong?"

"I'm uh….scared of the dark…" Tsura blushed and looked at the ground.

"That's okay!" Keirin grabbed Kurapica's hand and dragged him over to Tsura. With her free hand, Keirin placed Tsura's hand in Kurapica's. "Now you won't have to be scared 'cause Kurapica will take care of you!"

Kurapica and Tsura blushed. Kurapica held Tsura's hand tighter and led her through the tunnel. Tsura moved closer to him and held onto his sleeve with her free hand. She was glad that the darkness covered her red blush.

Kotori held Gon's arm tightly as she looked around the dark tunnel. She couldn't see anything. She tensed when Gon laced their hands together. "Don't worry Kotori-chan…I won't let anything get you."

Keirin smiled as she walked beside Naru. Naru had one hand on Keirin's shoulder and the other was feeling along the wall. Keirin was sure footed as she led the hesitant Kurata towards the small light in the distance.

"Are we there yet?" Leorio groaned for the millionth time. "I've gotta go to the bathroom!"

"Well thank you for sharing, Leorio. I'll alert the media." After they had gotten out of the tunnel, Tsura had immediately let go of Kurapica. She was now carrying the sleeping Kotori on her back.

"There's the house the old woman was talking about." Naru pointed to a small wooden directly under the tree.

"I don't like this…it's way too quiet…" Tsura readjusted Kotori on her back and walked cautiously towards the house. Naru followed suit, holding Keirin's hand tightly in hers.

Leorio moved quickly so he was ahead of Tsura. "Just incase there's something wrong…" He opened the door and his eyes widened in surprise.

A giant Rat-Fox stood in the middle of the torn up house. He had a woman in a headlock and an injured man lay behind him. The Rat-Fox jumped over the group that was pulling out their weapons.

"Dammit!" Tsura laid Kotori down on the ground and shook her awake. "Wake up, Kotori! We have to go save that woman!" Tsura grabbed the slowly waking Kotori and dragged her out the door.

"Naru you stay here with Leorio and help that man! Keirin, come with me and Gon!" Kurapica, Gon, and Keirin ran out of the house, leaving Naru and Leorio to tend to the injured man.

Kurapica, Gon, and Keirin finally caught up to a very frustrated Tsura and a finally awake Kotori. Tsura noticed the group and ran over to them. "We lost him!"

Gon looked around for a moment before him and Keirin ran off. "He's this way!"

The group of five jumped through the trees, letting Gon lead them. Kotori looked over at Keirin. "H-he's amazing! To be able to find that monster in this dense of a forest…"

Keirin simply grinned. "We spent most of our lives growing up in the forest so we have pretty good senses."

Gon quickly caught up to the monster. "Release her!"

The Rat-Fox smirked. "Come and get her yourself!"

Gon paused for a moment. "Hey cool you can talk!" Gon then pulled out his fishing rod and smacked the monster on the head.

The Rat-Fox howled in pain and released the girl "Y-you brat!"

Kurapica caught the girl and landed gently on the ground. Tsura pulled the girl away from him and checked her over.

Gon, Keirin and Kotori ran after the fleeing monster while Tsura and Kurapica stayed with the woman. Tsura smiled at the woman. "You're alright now."

The woman opened her eyes and looked at the two teenagers. "P-please…my husband is he alright? Please take me to him." She lifted her arm up and revealed intricate tattoo designs.

Kurapica's eyes widened. "You…"

Leorio suddenly appeared out from behind the trees. Tsura glared at him. "What are you doing here? What about this woman's husband?"

Leorio smiled. "Don't worry, his wounds weren't that serious. I gave him a sedative and he's sleeping soundly."

"Oh really?" Kurapica pulled out one of his swords and threw it in Leorio's face.

Tsura's eyes widened as she saw Leorio change into a Rat-Fox and disappear. "H-how did you know it wasn't Leorio?"

"It's not a question of whether or not it was him. I told Leorio to take care of the wounded and he said count on me. I hit him because he left the injured man alone." His gaze fell on the girl. "Now tell me…" He pulled his twin swords out once again and held them in front of him. "…who are you really?"

The girl smirked. "Heh…so you figured it out."

Gon, Keirin, and Kotori stood quietly in the middle of a large field. Gon held his rod in front of him and Keirin pulled out her kendo training sword. Kotori stood between the two and held a kunai out in front of her.

The Rat-Fox growled at the group and appeared before them. "You're a pretty fast kid to be able to hit me…but now you must pay!" The Rat-Fox ran towards the three.

Gon looked at the Rat-Fox curiously even as it got closer. "Hey…who are you?"

The monster paused barely an inch away from Gon's face. Gon remained unfazed. "You're not the one I hit and followed but if you keep bothering me, I'll treat you like an enemy."

"H-how can you tell I'm not the same one?"

Gon looked at the Rat-Fox with a confused face. "You don't look alike at all and your voice is more shrill and powerful."

Kotori stared at Gon in surprise. She could see nor hear any difference in the monster. She looked at Keirin and could see Keirin saw what Gon saw. 'These two…are amazing…'

The Rat-Fox began laughing at patted Gon on the head. "Hey Tochan come here! I have something funny to show you."

Kurapica, Tsura, Naru, and Leorio joined the group and were followed behind by the 'wife' and 'husband'. The group stood in the middle of the field and waited for the monsters to explain.

"We are your navigators for the Hunter exam. Ah, it's been so long since anyone could tell my wife and me apart. It makes me happy."

The girl stepped forward and held out her arm with the tattoos. "Kurapica-san was able to figure out that these were the tattoos of a woman who swore to be married to only a god. Without a deep knowledge of ancient history, he never would of figured it out. And then Tsura-san was able to find herbs to heal my wounds."

The man smiled at Leorio and Naru. "Leorio didn't figure anything out until the end but he gave excellent first aid and stayed confident the whole time. Naru figured it out and kept a close eye on me."

"Gon, Keirin, and Kotori showed excellent observation skills and were able to track us the entire time. Because of this, we have decided to take you to the exam."

The group smiled in relief and was then swept away by the Rat-Foxes to be taken to the exam.

"So…this is where the Hunter exam is…" The group stared in awe at the large building before them.

"We're finally here guys…we're gonna take the Hunter exam." Leorio took a step forward to enter the building.

Their guide looked at them curiously. "That's not the building. This one is."

The group looked over and all their faces dropped. A small restaurant stood before them.

Tsura glared at their guide. "You mean to tell me that there are over a thousand people in that small little shack?"

Their guide smirked. "Nobody would ever suspect it now would they?" The guide led them into the small restaurant. "Sir, I'd like a steak."

The man behind the counter looked at the guide curiously. "How would you like it cooked?"

"Slowly and rare."

A woman came out and led the group into a small room. There was a table with food laid out on it. The woman then left the group.

"1 in 10,000…that's the number of people that make it this far. You have all done well. I would be glad to be your guide next year." Their guide then left the room and closed the door.

The group sat at the table and began eating. Naru ate her food thoughtfully. "Is it that unlikely that we'll pass?"

"A rookie becomes a hunter once every three years. I don't think he meant it as an insult. The odds are simply against us." Tsura chewed her food and looked around at her group. They were all eating and preparing for the task at hand.

The elevator finally dinged and the group stood up. The doors opened and they all walked out of the little room slowly. They were greeted by the sight of many hard faces. Kotori saw one particular face and scurried behind Tsura. Her amber eyes were wide with fear and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Gon looked around curiously. "I wonder how many people are here…"

"With the seven of you…there are 409." A large man with a rectangle nose stood in front of the group. "Hello, my name is Tompa. It's nice to meet all of you. You're new aren't you?"

"How can you tell Mr. Tompa?" Keirin looked at the strange man who handed her a number before turning her attention back to Tompa.

"Well, I've been taking this test since I was 10. This is my 35th try so if you have any questions just ask me."

Tsura glared at the man. She didn't trust him one bit. What she was more concerned about was how badly Kotori was shaking. The only time she ever did that was when he was around.

The group heard a scream and turned around in time to see a man with no arms screaming. Kotori's eyes widened and she clutched tightly to Tsura. "T-Tsura…why's he here?"

A man with blue hair and a strange outfit on stood in front of the man. He had a teardrop tattoo on one cheek and a star on the other. "Next time you shouldn't forget to apologize to someone when you hit them." The man looked over at the group and saw Kotori hiding behind Tsura. He smiled and waved at the little girl.

Tsura glared at him and stood protectively in front of Kotori. "Don't worry Kotori-chan. I won't let the asshole lay a hand on you."

Tompa looked at Tsura curiously. "You know Hisoka?"

Tsura continued glaring at the magician that was now walking away. "He's Kotori's brother. He's the worst."

Gon looked at Kotori. "You never told us your brother was taking the exam."

"I-I didn't know…" Kotori was terrified now. There was no way she would be able to become a Hunter now; her brother would make sure of that.

Tompa pulled out some drinks and handed them to the group. "Well, let's celebrate our meeting." He smirked as he watched Gon and Keirin take huge gulps. 'Ha, those idiots didn't realize I've laced it with a laxative in there. You're all already out of the competition.'

The others in the group watched as Gon and Keirin spit out the drink. Keirin pouted up at Tompa. "Mr. Tompa, this taste gross. Did the date expire?"

The others looked at each other before dumping out the contents of their cans. Tsura glared at Tompa and pointed at him and then her. 'I'm watching you, asshole.'

Kotori scanned the room to see if she saw her brother anywhere. Though she didn't see him, she saw someone else she recognized. Just as she was about to call out to him, a shrill noise was heard and she covered her ears.

A man wearing a suit stood on one of the pipes holding an alarm. He had a mustache and no nose. "The reception is now over. The test begins now." The man hopped down onto the ground. "Follow me."

Everyone began walking slowly behind the man. They noticed that the man was slowly picking up his pace until he was finally running. The group ran to try and keep up with the man.

"I'm the judge for the first round, Satotsu. If you can follow me to the place where the second round will be held, then you will pass the first round. Please keep up."

Tsura groaned and began running faster. "I hate running so much."

Kurapica looked at her and smiled. "Just pace yourself and you'll be fine…where's Naru?"

Naru was in the back trying to catch up with her brother. She was running beside a man with pins sticking out all over his body. She looked at him curiously and when he looked at her she smiled. "Hello, my name is Naru. What's yours?"

The man said nothing and simply clicked. 'This girl is not intimidated by my appearance…she's a strange girl.'

Naru simply continued smiling. "Well until I find out your real name, I'm going to call you Clicky-san."

Back up with the others, Tsura was convincing Kurapica that Naru would be alright and that they needed to keep moving. Gon, Keirin, and Kotori were running along happily, finally able to use up some of their energy.

Suddenly, a boy with silver hair flew by them on a skateboard. He wore a lavender shirt and black shorts.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Leorio glared at the boy.

"No it's not. The judge never said we couldn't use something like a skateboard." Tsura was pulling off her trench coat. She wore a pair of short blue jeans and a white tank top that stopped just above her midriff.

Kurapica quickly looked away and blushed. "S-she's right, Leorio."

Kotori's face lit up at the sight of the boy. "Killua-kun!"

Killua looked at Kotori for a moment before he recognized her. "Ah, it's Kotori-chan! What are you doing here?"

Kotori smiled. "Tsura wanted to take the Hunter exam so I decided to tag along." Kotori glanced over her shoulder at Gon and Keirin. "Oh, Killua, this is Gon and Keirin! They're our age."

Killua looked at the two other kids and smiled. "Finally kids our age are taking this test."

Keirin looked at the skateboard curiously. "That looks really fun. Can you teach me how to ride it?"

Killua thought for a minute before nodding. He held his hand out to Keirin and waited for her to take it. He pulled her onto the skateboard and put his hands on her shoulder. "Just push off with your foot and balance." He then jumped off and watched her shakily skate off.

Gon grinned. "Can I try it out later?"

"Yeah, if you let me try out your fishing rod." The two boys turned there heads in time to see Keirin lose her balance. Killua ran quickly forward and caught the falling girl. He grinned down at her. "I'll teach you more later, 'kay?"

Keirin nodded her head and started running alongside Kotori, Gon, and Killua. Tsura smiled as she ran between Kurapica and Leorio. They were all ready to follow the judge as long as necessary to get to the second round.

They had run nearly 80 km and now Tsura was angry. "We've been running this long and now he wants us to run up a flight of stairs! I swear I'll kill this man."

"Calm down Tsura. We should be there soon." Kurapica looked at the exhaustion that was on Tsura's normally calm face.

Gon, Keirin, Killua, and Kotori were running ahead of them and Leorio was running beside Tsura and Kurapica. Naru was still towards the back with "Clicky-san" and having a "conversation".

Finally, they saw a door of light. "Yes!" Tsura sped up and began running alongside the kids.

Once everyone was outside, they paused to catch their breath before looking around. What they saw made their hearts sink. It was a large marsh that stretched endlessly in all directions.

"Stay close to me or you'll be eaten by the creatures that live here. This is where the second exam will be held." The judge began walking towards the swap a man stepped out from behind the wall.

"Don't listen to him! He's an imposter! I'm the real judge!" The man threw a strange looking creature down on the ground.

Everyone looked around nervously. Keirin looked between Satotsu and the new man. "Mr. Satotsu lied to us?"

"He's a monkey-man! They love human flesh and will do anything to get it!" The new man yelled and pointed an accusing finger at Satotsu. "He's trying to trick all of you!" The man's eyes widened as he was impaled by cards.

Kotori winced and turned away from the view. She knew who had done it and she didn't wish to hear him speak.

Hisoka laughed when he saw the man fall and Satotsu holding the cards. "I see. I see." He threw a card at the "dead" monkey man that was trying to escape. "Now everything is clear."

Kotori shuddered and held onto Gon's hand. She hated her brother with every fiber of her being but she was more afraid of him. Ever since she was a small child, Hisoka had always picked on her and had even killed her pets.

The judge glared at Hisoka. "If you pull something like that again, I'll disqualify you."

All the candidates watched in horror as two giant birds came and carried away the dead body. The birds landed a short ways off and began eating the body. Tsura covered Gon's eyes and Kurapica did the same to Keirin. Kotori was holding on even tighter to Gon's hand and burying her face in his shoulder.

"Well…shall we continue?" Satotsu led them down the hill and they began running again.

"I'm really gonna kill that man." Tsura began jogging with Kurapica and Leorio beside her. Gon, Keirin, Killua, and Kotori were a little ahead of them trying to find Naru.

"We should head to the front. Hisoka wants to kill somebody and he's getting impatient. He'll use the fog as a cover up." Killua looked over his shoulder at the grinning magician.

Kotori shuddered and nodded her head. "Yeah…it's best to avoid my brother."

Gon nodded his head thoughtfully before shouting. "Kurapica, Leorio, Tsura! You should try to head towards the front!"

"We would if we could!" Tsura looked around and saw the fog was spreading rapidly. 'Dammit. At this rate, we won't be able to see anything.' Tsura winced at the screaming that was coming from all around them.

Kurapica suddenly jumped in front of Tsura with his swords out. He blocked the oncoming cards that were flying at them. Leorio screamed as one impaled his arm. Tsura looked around and saw a few men fall down, dead.

Tsura glared at the approaching Hisoka. "What the hell do you think you're doing you bastard!"

Hisoka smirked at the furious girl. "Why, I'm being the judge."