Title: Hunting Destiny (狩猟天命)
Author: Takaocchi (previously Kasamatsu-senpai)
Rating: T
Pairing: Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck
Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter. All rights belong to Yoshihiro Togashi-sensei, also to Nippon Animation and Madhouse.
NOTE: Shounen-ai/BL/boyxboy

CHAPTER TWO: WHEN DESTINY INTERWINES

Hahahaha! Oh, wow. This must be some cruel trick destiny was playing on me. Who knew there was someone whose name was exactly the same as my fiancée's? Maybe he was possibly a twin of hers she forgot or didn't actually want to mention to me about in her letters? I guess this was why her family was considered eccentric. It was kind of unfair though. This guy managed to take the exam while she didn't. Why was she still stuck inside her huge mansion back in Kukuroo Mountain? She was more than capable enough to do stuff on her own…

I heard a small cough beside me. Crap! I was lost in my thoughts I almost forgot someone was still talking to me. Why was it that whenever I thought of Killua, I would tend to space out?

"S-Sorry," I said and rubbed the back of my neck. "It's nice to meet you, Killua-san." I noticed he was giving me a peculiar look. What did I do now? Was he thinking I'm weird because I was in a daze? It wasn't like I do it all the time.

Killua-san narrowed his eyes and observed me for what felt like forever. I couldn't even move a single inch with his eyes icily staring. Wait! Was he staring because I haven't introduced myself yet? That must be it! I wasn't allowed to reveal my true identity to anyone though. It was part of being the examiner disguised-as-an-examinee.

"My name is—" Darn. I wasn't able to prepare myself for this kind of worst case scenario. I would just make one up as I go and hope I wouldn't screw it up! "Jin." I smiled widely and bowed. Nailed it! I almost blurted Ging's name. Lying definitely wasn't my forte. I felt bad now.

I watched Killua-san closely for his reaction. He looked indifferent. Did he know I was lying through my fangs? Was I that bad of a liar?

"Is this your first time taking the exam?" he asked, digging his hands into the pockets of his shorts. His legs sure were flawless for a guy. Observing his features closely, he really did look a lot more feminine than most guys. Maybe it was how his family raised him? How would I know? We barely met.

I nodded as my smile thankfully remained intact. Keep it together, Gon! This was merely her twin with the exact same name. "I want to test my strength and abilities in the exam. I want to see how far I can go." I wonder how difficult the exam would be this year. It was one of the things I was definitely looking forward to.

"I didn't really ask why you wanted to take the exam," he uttered, the tone of boredom clearly visible in his voice. As much as he needed an attitude adjustment, he did have a point in his first statement. "But since you already told me yours, I'll tell you mine." He gave me this intent stare before he explained his reason for taking the exam. "I wanted to take the exam because I wanted to meet someone."

What?

I blinked twice, unable to comprehend what he said. Did my heart stop just now? No, no, no. My mind must be playing its tricks on me again. "Who? Your father? A friend? A relative?"

Killua-san cocked his eyebrow in response to my suggestions. Why was he looking at me like I'm some kind of criminal? Did he find something in me that he could have possibly disliked?

"None of the above," he sighed, brushing his ponytail to the back of his shoulder. His hair was past the shoulder length, making him even more effeminate. "He's someone… really important."

My heart began racing real fast. Why was he talking about something I was so familiar with? To top it all off, he referred to another 'he' and not some girl. I felt terrified. What if she really was him? Killua-san was the Killua I knew and loved?

But why? Why now? She—He didn't even tell me he was going to take the… Wait a second. The letter! I should have a received a letter a few days ago. Mito-san must have read it. It was all coming together now. But right now, I was assuming everything. I didn't know if fact was fiction and vice versa.

"K—" My throat felt dry just when I felt desperate to ask and clarify him about everything. I wanted to know. Was he really her? "Killua—"

His eyes widened when he heard me say his name, but before I was able to say anything else, we all heard a siren ring. It looked like the exam was about to begin. When my eyes darted to Killua, he was already focused on the steel roller door of some kind opening on its own. His eyes looked strained. He didn't look like that a minute ago though.

The examiner in charge of the first phase is Pokkle-san. Uh… What were we going to do again? I was only able to hear my task because listening to too much information could make my brain explode. They sure were surprised to see steam coming out of my ears.

"What's up? The name's Pokkle. I'm your examiner for the first phase of this year's Hunter Exam!" Everyone in the room responded in silence. Sheesh. The candidates this year were far too serious than the candidates I met when I took the exam. I guess not everything could stay the same. Beans-san, on the other hand, was giving out other badges to the other candidates. Killua got the number ninety-nine earlier when he arrived. "Hunters are able to go places an ordinary man can't. A hunter encounters difficult terrain and will go to great lengths just to be able to reach his destination."

We all saw light at the end of this tunnel behind Pokkle-san. That must be where the first phase shall commence!

I saw this huge grin on Pokkle-san's face as he turned around. I bet he has noticed me already. This was like the good old times, after all. Now that I'm thinking about it, I felt the very same excitement back then surge through me all over again.

"Follow me!" he yelled and took off running. Without missing a single heartbeat, we followed Pokkle-san. This shouldn't be the same test of endurance where we ran for miles... maybe even kilometers, right? Wait, what was farther again? I swear I could never be good friends with Math in this lifetime.

Running beside me was Killua who remained silent. Was he deep in thought? Was there something wrong with what I said earlier? Why couldn't I read what he was thinking? It was all very frustrating.

"I think you were going to say something earlier," Killua blurted, his face deadpan. "What was it again?" His eyes bored into mine, as if he was staring right through my soul. My peripheral vision saw that we were running ahead of the other candidates and right behind Pokkle-san now.

So he was preoccupied because of me? Was that supposed to be a good or bad thing? I felt my cheeks grow warm thinking about it. W-W-W-Wait! I couldn't be flustered because of him. A big no. More importantly, I have a question that I needed to answer.

"I, uh…" Should I ask him now? "I wanted to wish you the best of luck." Of course, I can't. I agreed to never reveal my identity to anyone, even if that someone was possibly my fiancé.

I didn't precisely feel uncomfortable the moment I met Killua, just really surprised. I wouldn't mind if he was the one I was engaged to. I've loved him back then and I always would. I didn't know if he felt the same way though… How would he react if he found out I was the one he was looking for? Haha. He would kill me, which was for sure.

And for the first time, I saw a small smile across his visage. Somehow, I felt the awkwardness between us finally vanish. "Thanks. You too."

I smiled back and thought up of a great idea. There was nothing wrong with spicing up the exam with a little childish fun and excitement, right? "Hey, how about we race to see who gets outside first?" I suggested.

His smile grew a little wider. "You're on." No, Heart. Stop fluttering. This could be or not be the person you have been looking for all this time.

We chortled as we ran ahead of Pokkle-san. He blinked twice in surprise when he saw us running a lot faster this time. We were already neck-and-neck in first place. I could see the end of the tunnel clearly, but why did it look like we weren't making any progress at all? Was it an optic—op— an illusion?

Still, we kept on running, enjoying ourselves to a great extent. We were merely running together, but it has been a while since I've had this much fun! Killua was obviously relishing each and every moment too. This time, he was grinning wider than before. Ah, it was such a pleasant sight to see.

"What are you looking at?" Killua chuckled, raising an eyebrow. Was I staring at him for too long? Geez. Sometimes, I just couldn't control what I'm doing. "Can't you let a guy have his fun once in a while?"

I found myself smiling back widely at him. I felt completely elated that our relationship was off to a great start. This would mean I've already accepted the inevitable, huh (if ever Killua was him)? He might look different from the photograph Ging gave me, but maturity took its toll. The same goes for me. Killua was always going to be Killua though. It wouldn't change the feelings that have always lingered within my heart. "I'm just glad we're on the same page."

Killua blinked twice and strayed away from my gaze, his eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, please. You look like the type who can always have fun," he snarled. "This might be the first time in my life I've had real fun." No way. He was bluffing, wasn't he? Now that he mentioned it, I remembered Killua wrote that she—he hardly ever had fun back in his place because it was nothing but training, and that our exchange of letters was his sole source of warmth and comfort. I was trying really hard to resist myself from swooning that moment.

"I feel privileged to have made you have real fun for the first time then, Killua," I said. Oops. I forgot to address Killua with the formalities. Surely, he wouldn't mind. Besides, saying his name had never felt so right. Killua, Killua, Killua, I hummed in my mind. Killua, I love you!

"Jin? You okay there?" he asked. "Earth to Jin!" I saw him wave his hand over my face and I immediately snap back to reality. My face felt hotter than ever with my heart pounding like a bass drum. Not a good sign. He must think I'm some weirdo now. Goodbye, progress.

"Sorry. I spaced out for a moment there." I rubbed the back of my head and stuck my tongue out. "I was too focused thinking about you— er, I mean beating you in the race!" Darn, I almost slipped. If I wasn't required to hide my identity, I would have confessed to Killua straight away. But resistance was almost futile for me… No, I should remember I'm doing for this for Netero-san and the rest of the Hunter Association! Mind your priorities, Gon Freecs!

Killua made a face at me before rolling his eyes. "Isn't it obvious I'm going to win?" he sneered. And without warning, he ran ahead of me. My eyes widened in surprise, but that surprise changed into motivation. Nothing felt more refreshing than a challenge.

"There's no way I'm letting you win!" I yelled, quickly catching up to him. One core trait of mine was I hated losing with a burning passion. And it never ceased to help me overcome most obstacles and challenges in life. Even though this guy beside me might be the love of my life, I still wouldn't let him win. Losing wasn't an option. I would learn absolutely nothing from losing. Thus, I would always and forever strive for gold!

"Hey!" I heard a voice call behind us. "Not fair, you guys! The examinees are supposed to follow the examiner!" I turned my head around and saw Pokkle-san catching up to us, quite infuriated with our recklessness, while the candidates behind him were panting heavily. I could assume they were almost out of breath. It had only been what? A few meters? How long have we been running anyway? I lost track.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, clasping my hands together and bowing in apology. I knew we were foolish to run ahead of Pokkle-san, especially since he was the examiner for this phase, but I wouldn't want to lose against Killua. Not now, not ever.

I looked over back to my alleged fiancé and he continued running as swiftly as ever. Something was off here. I could barely hear his footsteps. They were so silent it was as if he was running like a cat. It was amazing at the same time, disturbing.

Hold on a second…

"Isn't she from the Zoldyck family, the family full of professional assassins?"

I had to remember this tidbit from my memory of all things, though it did explain Killua's exceptional concealment of his presence and movement.

With all these notions and clues at hand, I felt like I was doing a puzzle, putting all those puzzle pieces one by one. It was tiring, but I know it would all be worth it in the end.

"We're almost there!" Killua stated. I was about to ask how he knew when I saw my skin exposed to the rays of faint light from outside. His smile was so excited and bright; I think the sun would be envious of him.

"Heh. See you at the finish line, Killua." I smirked playfully; it was time to give it all I got. The very next moment, I blinked twice. Surprisingly, Killua wasn't beside me anymore. Where was he? I whirled my head here and there. He wasn't behind me or anyone for that matter. What the heck?

"Killua?" I called. No response. I narrowed my eyes and pouted. He was definitely using his assassin tricks or something. Darn, I should have imposed the 'no tricks allowed' rule. Too bad it was a little too late for that. I would have to use special tricks off my sleeve too then.

I used Gyo (an advance technique of Ren where I have to concentrate all my Nen to my eyes to be able to see one's aura or other things obscured, most likely by Zetsu or In). When I least expected it, my peripheral vision noticed feeble aura above me. When I looked up, it was Killua running. I bet he was going to time the exact moment to leap towards the exit to win the race. Nice try, Killua. But I'm way ahead of your league, assassin or no assassin!

"You're good," Killua articulated, smiling. Maybe he was impressed with my skill. I could teach him about Nen if he asked, but only if he would be able to finish this year's exam. I didn't know we had this schedule of teaching Nen until Kurapika told me about it. I guess my timing with Wing-san (my first mentor about Nen) was purely coincidental.

"You're not bad yourself," I said.

"I bet you weren't expecting this!" he shouted, grinning deviously. What he did next was not part of the game plan: he pounced on me. We were now rolling in dirt and I tried pushing Killua away, but his grip was crazy tight. One way or another, I imagined the sequence of events like this: he was going to leap towards the exit with me lying on the ground as base. That way, I wouldn't be able to stand up and get to the goal on time. What a clever fellow…

Cunning, a master of stealth and speed and a quick-thinker (maybe possibly raised in a family full of assassins too)… I would have to observe the other candidates later, but Netero-san would be more than happy to hear about a next possible Hunter in the association.

We were a couple of feet from the exit and we were still both struggling. I then thought of this simple yet ingenious idea of making his plan backfire on him. Instead of shoving him off like earlier, I was going to hold onto him tight until we both reach the exit together.

I didn't care if Pokkle-san or the others might see us like this. It was all a matter of winning! All my training and efforts wouldn't have been worth it if a newbie would beat me in some race.

The goal was already within our reach. We could see it with our very own eyes. And Killua was now the one struggling to break free from my grasp. How amusing, for the tables have turned. I heard him curse under his breath and he began clawing me with his hands without hesitation to zero success. I dodged every single one of his attempts to attack. But I have to admit, his movements were wicked fast.

We continued rolling around to the point we haven't noticed we were outside already. We both reached the exit at the very same time. And the moment I realized that, I loosened my grip on Killua and he quickly pushed himself away from me. Now both of us were lying on the dirty ground and gazing at the scorching hot sun. I felt a little-headed from all the rolling and spinning, but I was definitely still in one piece.

We then exchanged glances and smiles, which later converted into small chuckles and laughter. And a few seconds later, Pokkle-san and the others were able to catch up to us. They gave us confused looks as to why we were lying on the ground while laughing.

"Now that was fun," Killua said, panting, but smiling widely in satisfaction.

"Ditto." I grinned and sat upright. When I looked back at the tunnel, there were still people running towards the exit. And when I looked up, it was a different story. There was this huge… no, humungous wall of rock surrounding all of us. I couldn't see the top because of the mist encompassing it. So this was the so-called 'terrain' Pokkle-san was talking about!

Pokkle-san did a quick headcount. I simply stared at this one guy out of breath and sweating like mad trying to reach the exit, but the steel roller door closed by itself before he was able to step foot outside. Poor guy. At least, there was always next year's exam.

"I'm surprised there are already three candidates out of four hundred five candidates evicted from the exam," Pokkle-san announced, sounding a bit disappointed. "I mean, the first phase is just beginning."

Those guys lacked endurance and willpower, which was the only explanation for their eviction. I remembered Leorio on the brink of giving up in our endurance test, but he was able to continue running thanks to his sheer resolve. Nothing was going to hinder him from reaching his dream of becoming a doctor to treat all patients for free. I frowned a bit with my trip to Nostalgia Lane. I miss Leorio a lot.

I then looked at this hand suddenly being offered to me. As I snapped my head up, it was Killua, smiling like an angel who fell from Heaven. What? Blame my lovestruck heart for all these sappy lines. "Do you want to stay sitting there or what?" he asked. I smiled back and held his hand as helped me stand on my two feet again.

"Okay, listen up!" Pokkle-san clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "There is no other way but up, up and up." He smiled widely or rather, nefariously. Apparently, he was enjoying every minute of this. Was he some kind of sadist? I wouldn't really think that was the case. We've went through a lot back in our own exam too. It must be that feeling where one would encounter the same suffering the other has been though. "Welcome to the real first phase!"

And in no time at all, people began climbing frantically, and so did Pokkle-san, but he was as relaxed and cheerful as ever. Killua was calm and composed as well as he followed Pokkle-san's lead, even he though he didn't order everyone to follow him. It was clearly the right idea to follow the examiner as much as there were other paths to take. The other paths might lead to danger or even worse, death.

"Race you to the top?" I suggested fearlessly to Killua yet again the moment I grabbed onto a ledge. Killua chortled lightly and was most probably about to agree when—

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Pokkle-san chimed in, who was already a few feet above us. Killua and I exchanged glances of bewilderment. What could he have possibly meant by that? And as we began climbing, we understood what he meant. There were many deep holes and crevices, and some of them contained treasure while some of them had carnivorous man-eating beasts residing inside. And the ledges kept crumbling and one misstep could lead to one's demise. And if one stayed too long down below, enormous vultures of various sizes might eat them alive. Scary.

Nope, I wouldn't ever want to race here because this part of the phase reeked of nothing but jeopardy.

I didn't want to lose sight of Pokkle-san and Killua for the reason that I couldn't see a single thing in this thick fog. Maybe we were nearing the top. I hoped so. So far, I grazed my hands due to the sharp edges of the rocks and ledges. Talk about ouch. I could still hold on for hours though. Complaining about pain wouldn't get me anywhere.

When I managed to hold onto a hole of some sort, I felt something had spring towards me. It made these monkey-like sounds. I hit the jackpot for I have an encounter with a beast out of all the people making their way to the top. It was trying to peel off the skin from my head. I winced in pain and felt blood trickling down my forehead, but that didn't stop me from using my other hand to punch it off me while I was still hanging on for dear life. The mist distracted my other senses that I didn't notice that thing jump towards me from out of nowhere. And after that, I heard people below me screaming. It looked like everyone has it rough.

"Jin!" Killua called out to me from who knows where. Stupid fog. And I still wasn't used to be called by my fake name. It sounded more like Killua calling my old man. "You alright there?"

"Uh-huh. A surprise attack can't hurt me. I'm stronger than that!" The bleeding would stop sooner or later so I wouldn't worry about it. I think it was only able to cut rather than tear apart. Oh, how lucky of me. This was totally my day.

I didn't hear another word from Killua. It seemed he didn't need to worry anymore. Haha, yeah, like I could be able to read his thoughts. But for some reason, he could read mine. That was downright unfair. Then again, I was the only one he conversed with the moment we saw each other. I haven't seen him talk to anyone else if I recalled correctly. Did he have favoritism or something? Or was he too shy to talk to others? Maybe I was the only one looking friendly enough? All this thinking would make my head spin. If the Hunter Exam had a written exam included in it, then I wouldn't be able to become a Hunter now.

And after a few more meters up, what I thought was never going to end finally ended. There wasn't any mist or fog or whatever in the top. It was exclusively around the canyon. Hooray for sunshine again! Pokkle-san was already waiting for us, sitting in a foldable chair. Huh? There was an airship behind him? Where were we going? Or was that airship for him?

Someone then tapped my shoulder and I turned around, beaming at that someone like there was no tomorrow. Why? It was because I was happy beyond relief to see Killua again, safe and sound. "Yo," he casually greeted with one wave of his hand.

"You look well… and unscathed," I commented as I folded my arms against my chest and gave him a once-over. Not a scratch on him. I guess he was the real lucky guy between us. Could I get a share of his good fortune at the very least?

"And you need to get bandaged up," Killua remarked. I still felt my forehead bleeding but I didn't give it too much attention. I healed from my injuries faster than ordinary people. He walked towards me and ripped the right sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt. Was he doing what I think he was doing? "This will do for the meantime. You are stronger than that, right?" He gave another of his small yet killer smiles as he wrapped the piece of cloth around my forehead. I never knew he was this caring even though he tried to claw my face out a few hours ago (not as a bad intention, mind you).

"Thanks. I owe you one." I didn't really need to be patched up because I could handle myself pretty well even with injuries in the first place, but sometimes, I didn't, mostly for forgetting my current age. Time flew too fast I didn't even notice I was taller than Mito-san. My appearance might have changed drastically, but a few things changed in my personality, maybe because at some point I realized I wasn't what I used to be. Just ask Mito-san and Kurapika.

"That was one heck of a first phase, huh?" I said as I stretched my arms. We were currently waiting for others to arrive. Plenty were injured while others were as fine as Killua. I bet some candidates fell to their demise as well, either because of those darn annoying creatures or they lost grip on the edges of those rocks or they were too tired to hold on. All in all, this was the most extreme mountain climbing experience ever. It had that fear factor because even I could have died there if I wasn't experienced enough. "And what's with the airship?"

Killua shrugged. "Beats me." He eyed the vehicle and studied it for a whole minute before fixing back his gaze at me. "Perhaps we're going to go on a trip?" His eyes showed signs of suspicion. I wonder why. He always looked like he was mistrusting everything around him. It was understandable though, since the exam was full of deception and mind games that messed one up.

On the other hand, the other candidates who arrived earlier weren't showing the least amount of doubt. They were relieved to have been able to reach the top and seeing the airship was nothing but a tsunami wave of relief. I then continued looking around for potential candidates to report to Netero-san. I blinked twice. There was this guy with purple hair standing up on his with these yellow acupuncture things pierce right through his skin also had potential… He was smiling, but it was like a smile of a puppet; you couldn't see any life or emotion there. There was also a magician… a clown… a joker… jester? I have no idea what to refer him as. They were… Wait. Why haven't I noticed them before? Their power was off the charts. They were dangerous. I wouldn't want to deal with them… not during the exam.

I shot a glance at Pokkle-san. He was holding and looking some gadget. I assumed it was a timer of some sort, so even this part had a time limit too. It was impossible for the airship to wait for every candidate to arrive. I was most curious as to what the next phase would be.

We all heard a ring coming from Pokkle-san's device. "Time's up!" he announced and grinned widely afterwards. "Any candidate to arrive henceforth eliminated from the exam. Please try again next year." I heard groans and cries from behind me. They must have been the ones who recently reached the top. Better try harder next year, yeah?

"All aboard the airship now, yes?" he asked and then ushered us to enter the vehicle. "From four hundred two, we now have two hundred seventy five candidates left. Congratulations for passing the first phase everyone! I wish the best of luck to you all for the second phase." And cue a little snicker. Whoa. This year's exam sure packed more punch for Hunter aspirants.

As we boarded the airship, Pokkle-san and I exchanged glances. I didn't want anyone to get suspicious of us so I smiled and bowed at him. "Thank you for guiding us in the first phase, Pokkle-san. I hope we can see each other again in the future." It was fun tagging with an old friend. But alas, it was time to part ways again.

"Same here," Pokkle-san said, smiling back. "You'll make a great Hunter someday, I just know it." I almost burst out into laughter because playing this charade was too entertaining. I noticed Pokkle-san pretended he was having a coughing fit as he was hitting his chest to prevent himself for actually laughing as well.

As we bid our farewells, I turned my head and searched around for Killua. He wasn't anywhere here outside. I guess he entered the airship on his own. Geez, couldn't he at least wait for one second? Oh, right. I didn't ask him to wait for me.

I ran inside, totally not searching frantically for Killua. My heart skipped a beat when I spotted him gazing out the window. Was he waiting for me?

"What took you so long?"

He was waiting for me!

"You sure took your time talking to Pokkle," he scowled.

Eh? How did he know I was—?

"Were you watching us from the window?" I asked as I tilted my head. I didn't want to jump to that conclusion but he was glowering the moment I saw him when I entered the airship. I really didn't want to think he was… jealous. I didn't even know if he was the real thing yet but I was feeling all these weird emotions and my mind keep making up these delusions. My subconscious must be some kind of masochist.

I noticed a hint of red across Killua's cheeks as he averted his gaze from mine. It was kind of strange that we hardly have eye contact with each other. "You're just imagining things," he scoffed. "I was only looking at the scenery, mind you. I guess my hunch was right, after all."

Killua furrowed his eyebrows. "You're too friendly for your own good, you know that?" Eh? Where did this come from? "You can be easily deceived by people… or maybe…" He stared at me intently before he shook his head. "Never mind." Huh? What was with him trailing off? Was the last part something I didn't want to hear? How was he so sure about that?

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't 'never mind' me, Killua," I said sternly. His eyes widened in surprise but they quickly softened. He could handle his emotions and reactions pretty well. I applauded him for that. He didn't expect me to reach this way, huh? "What did you want to say?"

He chuckled bitterly and dug his hands into the pockets of his shorts. He was gave me this jeering kind of look. "I said, you can easily be deceived by people… or maybe you can deceive them effortlessly yourself."

My eyes widened as I saw him walk away without another word. What the heck? I was about to chase after him and ask what this was all about when my cellphone rang in the worst time. It was Netero-san calling.

Damn it!

Author's Note: Holy motherfrickin jeebus! I updated! Thank you all for waiting. The demand was too much and so I was motivated to finally write a new chapter. It's not as long as the first chapter, but you guys did say you didn't mind a shorter one, yeah? I have already ideas for the third chapter and I hope to write the third one soon. I've made obvious changes with the tenses and flow of the story. I hope you guys noticed it. Heehee. I hope you also enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Toodles for now!