Heyooo!
Sorry for not updating for a long time. I was really busy with summer work. Thanks to those who are following and favoriting(? Is that a word? IDK , you guys know what I mean XD). I also want to thank HaruChan for being the first one to review and encouraging me to write the first chapter. Hehe~ This chapter is kinda weird and rushed so please bear with me. Please continue to support me by reviewing! Oh and I tried to make a better summary and my friends all liked the new one so I changed it. Okay. That's all for now. Enjoy~
Killua: Who would enjoy your stories anyways?
Me: Normal people unlike you.
Killua: You're just jealous 'cause people like me better than you. Bleh!
Me: Whatever. Hmph.
Gon: Author-san does not own HunterxHunter, its plot, nor the characters.
Me: I want tooooooooooo –cries-
~Edited- Please reread the prologue and this chappie.~
Previously on To Be Free…
But it's not just the personalities that mark me as cursed. It's actually the appearance I take on during my phases. It all started when I was born…
The woman and the man looked at each other and smiled softly. "We'll do anything to keep you safe," they told the little sleeping baby…
"Sora…It's okay to tell us the truth. We're your parents after all. We care for you." Her mom said smiling gently. She looked at the ground. Her eyes blurred. Her shoulders shook. Tears dropped on the ground. Suddenly, she felt arms around her, soft, warm, and protective. She never felt so safe in her life…
"It's all your fault! You made Manami and Haru die!" villagers screamed at her…
She walked calmly into the forest and out of sight."I'm going to join the Hunter's Exam." She said to herself…
Chapter 1- On the Ship
A month after escaping from my horrid village, I walked through many cities, towns, and other places. I bought clothes using the money in the wallet that I had stole from the guy that I killed. Remember? That one who tied the ropes too loose? I didn't feel guilty. Not one bit. After all, he was already dead. He's not gonna need his money. I'm just going to borrow a bit and return his empty wallet when I'm done. But then again, his wallet is made of leather. Expensive leather. I could pawn it. Heh.
Back to the topic. In the first city, I bought clothes, a black backpack, a phone, earphones, and other useful stuff. Oh, I also bought two shiny silver daggers. I don't know why but I just couldn't tear my eyes away from it. It was slowly drawing me in. They were expensive. I used up more than half of my money buying those. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I used up more than half of his money.
The daggers were worth it though. They were extremely useful. For killing. Hey, I needed to get to the Hunter's exam right? I needed lots on information. The process was simple, and efficient. Ask people. They get on your nerves? They don't give you info? They ignore you? Kill 'em.
I found killing satisfying. It just takes away my frustration and stress. It was really easy too. Just slit their throats and walk away. After going through few places. I had everything that I needed. Clothing? Check. Phone and headphones? Check. Daggers? Check. Information? Check. Now I just need to get on a ship to go to Zaban City.
I sighed. I looked at my reflection in the water before getting on board. My long black hair is still there. My ruby red eyes stared back at me. I touched my pale face that was once full of color. I stuffed my long hair down my black sweater and put my hoodie on. Now I look like a guy. My sneakers were on and the laces were tied. Perfect. The whistle blew so I walked on. I leaned against the rails and pulled out my headphones, and started tapping on my phone for music.
Before I knew it, we stopped again at an island called, Whale Island. A boy got on the ship and started waving good-bye at the crowd. The crowd was shouting encouragements and telling him to "come back soon". Then he yelled back to them, "I'm going to become the best Hunter in the world." I don't think they can hear you anymore. They were so far away.
"Best Hunter in the world?" One of the passengers scoffed.
"Kid doesn't respect us." Another one laughed.
"Every year, there are millions of skilled applicants in the Hunter exam. But only a handful are selected. Don't say stuff you can't back up, boy." A guy that looked like a raisin said. The rest laughed at the boy. "Tch, you won't even survive a millisecond in the exam before I slit your throat." I snickered.
"Whatcha' laughing at, boy?" The raisin scowled at me.
"I'm laughing at you, duh. Why are you so stupid? Ojii-san?" I smirked.
"You stupid kid! I'll kill you!" Mr. Raisin rushed at me with a sword-thingy. Putting on a poker face, I dodged his attack and with my two daggers, knocked his sword out of his hand. Then I quickly went behind him, holding a dagger to his neck. He trembled and pleaded. "Please don't kill me!"
Pathetic.
"Insult me again, and I'll definitely kill you."I looked at the rest of the group. "Anyone else?" I glared. They all shook their head. I released my hold on Mr. Raisin. The boy walked up to me.
"Wow! That was really cool. Thanks for standing up for me! My name is Gon!" He said. He had spikey dark green hair and innocent, warm, brown eyes. He had a green outfit on (Sorry don't know how to describe it)with green boots.
"Sora." I said with an emotionless face. I wasn't standing up for him. Raisin was just annoying. Right?
"Sora, how old are you?" He asked.
"I'm twelve." I replied.
"Yay! Me too!" He laughed. I smiled a little, then corrected myself into a poker face. What? His laugh and smile is contagious.
Suddenly, there is a crash. "What are you doing, Katsuo? At this rate, you'll never make a good sailor." The guy kicked "Katsuo" into the box of Granny Smith apples and laughed. Few apples dropped out. Gon looked at them and walked down the stairs. I just stood there watching him. The captain walked out.
"Hey, don't slack off!" He yelled at them drinking from his canteen then turned to Katsuo who was picking up the remaining apples off the ground. "Hey, didn't you hear me? Move that box!"
"A-aye, C-captain!" He stammered.
"Wait!" Gon smiled and tossed the apple to Katsuo. The guy thanked him and scampered off. I looked at Gon. He's a good guy. Gon looked at the sky where the seagulls are screaming.
"A storm is coming." He said. My eyes widened. How can he tell?
"Eh? How do you know?" The captain asked him.
"That's what the seagulls are saying." He said pointing. "Plus…"He trailed off climbing on top of the ship and sniffed the air. "It's a big one."
After 5 minutes the waves tossed the ship around like a beach ball. Many people were seasick. Cross that out. Almost all were seasick and throwing their lunch up. The odor lingered in the air but I ignored it, sitting on two men who passed out. I took out my headphones again. I put them on and looked around the room. Gon was distributing water and herbs for the sea sick men. A blond boy? Or is it a girl? Fine. Blondie was lying on a hammock reading a book. I looked below him. An old man sat below him spitting out a bit of apple.
"This is one sour apple." No shit Sherlock. It's a Granny Smith apple. What do you expect? I looked at the door. The captain was staring at us and smiled. Definitely a stalker.
"First, tell me your names." The captain said.
"I'm Gon!" Gon yelled raising his hand.
"I'm Kurapika." Blondie said.
"It's Leorio." The old man mumbled with a frown.
I stood silently. They all turned to me. I sighed.
"Sora." I said.
"Why do you want to become a Hunter?" the captain asked again.
"Hey! If you're not an examiner, you can't order us around!" Old man said.
"Just answer the question!" The captain grumbled.
"My dad's a Hunter. I left Whale Island because I wanted to know why my dad desired so much to be a Hunter." Gon grinned. Leorio didn't look too happy.
"Hey kid! You're not supposed to answer his question." He scowled.
"Why can't I tell him why I'm here?" Gon asked.
"Not a team player, huh? I don't want to reveal why I'm here." Leorio poked Gon on the forehead.
"I agree with Leorio." Blondie said. Leorio looked pissed.
"Hey, aren't you younger than me? Show some respect!" He yelled. Blondie ignored him. Go Blondie.
"It's quite simple to avoid the question, by offering a lie." He continued.
Cue the giant tick mark. "Hey! Are you listening to me?!" Leorio looked like a volcano ready to erupt. How childish. Blondie continued to ignore him.
"However it is shameful to rely upon deceit." Blondie looked up. "That said, if I were to tell you the truth I would be unveiling my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot answer your question."
Leorio pointed at the blond, "Hey you…don't ignore me!"
The captain looked at me. I stared at him. He looked away and said, "In other words, you refuse to answer my question." Nobody spoke.
"Hey Katsuo," the captain said "Tell the examiners that we have three more dropouts." Leorio and Blondie looked shocked. Leorio asked quietly, "What do you mean?" Of course. He was a semi-examiner. Should I just kill him? Nah, I still want to see what's gonna happen next.
"You still haven't figured it out yet? The Hunter's exam already started." He grinned. Leorio and Blondie gasped, "What?"
"There are many who want to be a Hunter. The examiners don't have time to see them all. So they hired people like us, to "trim the fat". I already notified the board. Everyone else in the ship had to withdraw. If they can't handle the storm, they stand no chance in the Hunter exam's later stages. In other words, you only can proceed to the main exam if I pass you." The captain took a puff from his smoke pipe. "So think carefully before answering."
Leorio grumbled. "Should have told us earlier," he muttered under his breath. Blondie sighed and opened his mouth to speak.
"I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan. Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I want to become a Hunter and hunt down those criminals, the Phantom Troupe." He said. Oh. So it was the Clan with the scarlet eyes. I looked at Blondie. His/her face looked determined.
"So you want to become a bounty Hunter?" The captain said after a while. "The Phantom Troupe is a Class-A bounty. Even the experienced Hunters can't touch them. You'd be throwing away your life."
"I do not fear death. I only fear my rage will fade over time." His eyes turned scarlet for a moment, and then resumed its original color. I wish my eyes were normal like the others.
"So you want revenge. Does that require you to become a Hunter?" Leorio laughed.
"That may be the most stupid question I've ever heard, Leorio." Blondie shot back.
He was shocked for a moment and then screamed. "That's Leorio-san to you." Blondie cut him off and sighed. "Places accessible only to Hunters…have information that is unobtainable from other places. There are more reasons but your brain probably can't handle." By that time, Leorio already had smoke coming out of his nose and ears. Like a bull. He would have killed our ears if Gon hadn't stopped him.
"Hey, why do you want to be a Hunter?" Gon asked him.
He calmed down and smiled. "Me? I'll make it short. I WANT MONEY! MONEY CAN GET YOU EVERYTHING," He started floating and dancing around. Someone stop his nonsense before I kill him. "A BIG HOUSE! A NICE CAR! GOOD LIQUOR!" He laughed.
"You can't buy a cure for a curse." I said surprising myself. I'm sure my other personality does not have control, yet. They looked at me. I stared back. Gon broke the silence, "What do you mean, Sora-san?"
"It's nothing." I looked away. Gon cocked his head to one side, his eyes worried.
"Tell us." Blondie said.
"It's none of your business. Stop asking." I glared at the blond.
"Fine." Blondie sighed.
"But what is wrong with your eyes? Why is it-..." Blondie covered Leorio's mouth. He probably sensed something was wrong. My eyes were glowing. If he had finished his sentence, I wouldn't have enough self control to not kill him. Right there and then.
"Leorio. Shut up, will you?" Blondie hissed.
Leorio slowly turned back, extremely pissed. "That's three times now. Plus, he was talking to you, not the rest of us. Why can't I ask him? Let's go outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now." Oh dear.
"Take that back, Leorio!" Blondie lost his cool. Leorio turned back.
"Take that back," Blondie glared.
"That's Leorio-san to you." Leorio glared back walking out. Blondie followed him.
"Hey boys!" The captain yelled at them. "I'm not finished yet."
"Let them go." Gon said. They stared at him. "Mito-san once told me…'If you want to know someone, you need to make an effort to know why they are angry.' It's important for them to understand why they are mad. So we should let them settle this by themselves." But I wasn't listening to him. Instead I focused on the expression that one of the sailors made. He looked distressed.
"Look C-captain!" He pointed. I followed his index finger to a swirling waterspout. "If we get caught by that waterspout, the ship will sink!" Katsuo said anxiously.
The captain told Katsuo to tell the rest of the sailors to lower the sails. He and Gon rushed out. Well. I don't want to be here with the stalker captain anymore so I walked out. As I reached the door, he called out to me. "Why do you want to be a Hunter, eh?" Tch. I turned back and said, " 'Cause it looks fun."
Without another word, I walked out. By the time I got out, people were pulling the ropes. I just stood there not wanting to get involved although a voice deep inside nagged me. 'You should at least do something. Geez lazy pants.' I heard a scream. I looked up and saw Katsuo flying on a rope. Looks fun. He flew towards the sea. Well, the shark's gonna have a wonderful meal tonight. ' Go help him! Go! Sora!' I ignored the voice but my body, without my approval ran towards his flying body and my hand was trying to hold onto his.
It was too late. His hand slipped through mine. His hand also slipped through both of Leorio's and Blondie's hand. Then I saw a flash of green. Gon. What is he doing? Getting himself killed? Why am I worrying so much? This never happened before. Wait. I know. It's my opposite personality. Damn. I got to get it into control. If I let 'her' take over, we'll both die. Gon caught Katsuo's hand and Blondie and Leorio caught his feet. Then they pulled him and Katsuo up. I rushed towards Gon.
"Are you alright?" I hear myself ask. I face-palmed in my mind. Ugh.
"Yeah. Thanks for worrying, Sora-san," He flashed me a heart-warming smile. Heart-warming?! What am I thinking? Few moments later, I heard Blondie and Leorio scolding Gon. I didn't hear most of it because I was standing away trying hard to convince my other half not to let her guard down. But did she listen? No. I rubbed my temple. I looked over and saw Katsuo thanking Leorio and Blondie. Gon then pointed at me. Katsuo came running over to me.
"Thank you Sora-san!" He bowed.
"Eh?" I stared at him.
"For trying to save me." He smiled.
"Oh. Yeah. You're welcome?" I ended awkwardly. 'See told ya so!' I looked at Gon. He winked and flashed me a thumbs up. I smiled a little…okay…maybe a lot…
Suddenly the captain roared with laughter. "EHAHAHHAHEHEHAHA! I like you guys! Okay! I'll take responsibility for bringing you three to the port closest to the exam site. HA!"
"Really?" Gon asked smiling. "then what about your test?"
The captain turned back, "Like I said…it's my decision to make. And all four of you passed!"
We all smiled and Gon leapt up shouting, "YAY!" Maybe…just maybe…it's okay to let my guard down…just a tiny bit.
YAY! That took me a long time. I was watching the first episode to make sure what they say is accurate. What do ya think of Sora? She's warming up to them. Just a little. Hehe~ Tbh. I think the captain is a relative of Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer.
Killua: I know who your ancestors are.
Me: Pfft. Okay then. Who?
Killua: No one! 'Cause there is no one on this world that is ugly and dumb as you.
Me: -tick mark and twitching eyes- Aww...Don't talk about yourself like that. Oh and also, you forgot a something. You're annoying. But then again, you're too dumb to notice that. -sticks tongue out-
Killua: You're so immature.
