It was still morning. The perfect streets were filled with the quiet buzz of business, its pathways strewn with life while the sun continued on with its mission, scorching its dwellers from above.

A dark-haired girl cursed inwardly at it, fanning herself every now and then with a weary hand that flopped uselessly against the heat. Her dark fringe fell over one eye as she travelled, her smattered freckles visible over the bridge of her nose. Brown, grey-flecked eyes glittered in admiration, staring longingly at the buildings and few people that passed her by.

Another perfect anime landscape. Candice thought almost resignedly, glancing around in reluctant awe.

Smooth white pavement unfolded before her at every step, its surface a dusty hue that shone in the sun. Neat lines of housing stood like guards in strict formations while various shops and stalls sold their wares along the street, some yelling out their sales enthusiastically. The few people that passed her by bustled quietly in their own busy way, some with welcoming smiles and large grins that seemed too large for their faces. Like most unimportant characters of the anime, they were plain and ordinary, dressed in shaded colours. Nothing about them stood out.

Candice couldn't help but smile widely as she noted them. Really, it was contagious.

Everything seemed so perfect. Along the streets was everything that would complete the perfect stereotypical town. From what she had noted so far, there had been a lady hanging out her washing; happy families and friends were greeting each other in the streets and men kissing their wives goodbye. Heck, even the ants seemed happy as they scurried about franticly, their bodies distinguishable against the white pavement.

She glanced around again, trying hard not to be impressed. It was honestly the most flawless town she had ever encountered. Everything and everyone pedantically placed in their unnaturally perfect roles. Oh wait… She backtracked. Maybe it could be considered unnatural.

A trickle of sweat rolled down her neck as she continued on forward, her steps in tandem with the male beside her. Inwardly, she once again cursed the sun above, flicking away the strands of hair that hindered her view. A disgusted scowl made its way across her face when she swept a palm quickly over her neck, cringing at the layer of sweat that fell away with it.

Candice breathed out another unconvincing sigh as she suppressed the urge to roll up her long sleeves. It was hot. It was completely uncomfortable to be walking in the heat, yet she forced herself to continue on, her pride overtaking her natural urges to rest. A coat of sweat had already soaked the back of her singlet, yet she refused to take off her long –yet thankfully rather thin- coat. Instead, she left it open at the front, displaying a grey long-sleeved shirt underneath, its middle splashed with a crimson pattern.

Her jeans stretched uncomfortably as she walked, its sweat absorbent material clinging unpleasantly to her skin. Its tightness was a bother, restricting her movements and prohibiting her urges to stretch. Her legs had long since adjusted to the long hours of walking; their straining protests no longer forefront in her mind, but regardless, they still ached intensely. She desperately wanted to sit down, but resting was not an option; they were almost there anyways. The port was just on the other side of town. They would be there in no time.

Another neat row of housing met her curious gazes as she and the blonde teenager rounded another corner, turning into yet another street that seemed identical to the last. It was in this particular street that Candice noticed a little girl run pass her, her giggles melodious in the light breeze. Her pigtails bounced merrily as she laughed, their ends bunched together into twin pink ribbons, streaming along. A joyous smile was present on her face.

Candice sighed at the landscape, her heart fluttering at the sight of the little girl in her frontal view. She appeared so innocent and carefree, so naïve and honest. She couldn't help the smile that unfurled over her face when the child leapt into the arms of a bulky man, who Candice presumed to be her father. Her smile was wide, giggling happily as she was lifted up into the air and spun around with strong arms.

It seemed so perfect, no. It was perfect. Her smile dropped slightly as she reluctantly tore her stare away, reminding herself that it was rude to stare. The weight in her stomach seemed to grow while her distress reappeared once again to hang heavily upon her heart. The lump of distress and frustration only grew larger, its emotional density so complex that she couldn't describe properly in words. It was so painful to watch someone relish something that she had just lost, stolen from her in a strange twist of fate. Presumably lost, anyway.

It was painful. It felt so painful yet she didn't know where it was originating from. She wanted so much to distract her mind from the emotional pain that she had considered physical pain. But then that would be considered insanity on her part. So the only option left was to ignore it and force it away somehow. She had to take it from her heart and seal it away somewhere else. She knew. If she ever gave in to her raging emotions then she would fall off the brink of sanity and into a furious chaos. So she had to ignore it. Ignore the despair and focus on the excitement that lay ahead. Ignore all questions and focus on the answered. There was no point in past emotions, there was no point at all.

She was an lazy person by nature. It was so much easier to just ignore and forget than to worry over something so pointless. After all, which anime fan wouldn't be happy to fall in an anime?

Yes. She thought incredulously and somewhat reluctantly. This is an anime.

This was the HunterxHunter anime- or at least it resembled it in some way. There was no other explanation for it. But as much as she tried, she still couldn't wrap her mind around it. There was just no such thing. A perfectly sane, average teenager at her age would never believe such nonsense, but again, she wouldn't settle her title to be an average teenager. No. She considered herself to be an anime fan; a super obsessed one in training. Regardless of her age, it would be perfectly natural for her to believe in such things.

But as she debated, she couldn't help but think at the other options that lay lifelessly in her mind. Maybe she was dreaming? Or hallucinating? Her hand clenched unconsciously. No, she wasn't dreaming, and there was little to no chance she was hallucinating.

No. She thought determinedly and pushed them to the back of her mind.

But despite her fears and worries, she didn't completely hate her situation. After all, who could deny her bounding joy of living and experiencing a shounen anime first hand? Her insides grew giddy at the thoughts of adventures and the escapes from her boring life. How she would be able to let go of school work and grades, stress and last-minute assignments, and focus the adventure beyond her wildest dreams. It would be so great to just forget everything, to forget the endless continuity of unchanging routines, to do what she enjoys. It would be so fun, almost like an escape from all her troubles, to live a new life of adventure and excitement.

But it wouldn't feel right. Not without her friends and family beside her, egging her on. She missed them. Even though, it had only been a few short hours, she missed them so much. Maybe it was because she knew that she would never see them again. Heck if she knew this was going to happen, she would have at least bear-hugged her family before she had gone to sleep that night. She missed her goldfish. She missed her friends. Heck, she even missed the really annoying one.

And she didn't know exactly how she had managed to arrive to this world. Maybe a wormhole had opened up and sucked her in. Maybe some fairies kidnapped her in the middle of the night. Or maybe, she had died in her sleep and was transported to this world by default. The last option scared her slightly, sending small shivers down her sweat-drenched spine, but she didn't care how she arrived. She just wanted to find a way back.

All the worries and fears that plagued her mind were pushed away by her determination to ignore. She just didn't want to care anymore. No, she shouldn't care. In this world, the only mission she had was to find a way home. She needed to ignore all her current emotions and focus on her goal. As long as she did that, there should be no chance of her falling insane.

There was just one oh-so-tiny little problem. How? How was she going to find her way home? She didn't know. Maybe a portal would just suddenly open up somewhere and swallow her up? Candice shook her head abruptly, ignoring the brown eyes that gazed questioningly at her.

How would she get back home? Was she just going to follow Kurapika around for the rest of her life? But how? She'd die so very easily. She was only but human, a weak one at that. Though she considered her strength average, she had no fighting experience. She had quick reflexes but was inattentive. How was she going to follow him around and how, was she going to keep up with him in the Hunter Exam?

Wait. She paused briefly, rewinding through her thoughts. Was she even going to do the Hunter Exam with him? She had neither the stamina nor the fighting skills to even attempt the first round. What was she to do? Candice frowned in contemplation. Maybe she could wait for him to finish the Exam and then stick to him like glue again. Or maybe…

"Fresh fruit! Come get yer fruit!"

Candice startled silently, her gaze whipping to the offending voice emanating from a gruff man. With an apple in one hand, he gave a large wave with the other, standing proudly behind a fruit stall. Curiously, she watched as he took a large bite from it before yelling out once again.

"Fresh fruit! Come get yer apples! Fresh today!"

The few people walking pass only glanced once in his direction. Candice however, cringed as a sudden growl resounded from her stomach, cramping up painfully. The insides of her mouth flooded with saliva to which she swallowed back rather hungrily. It was then she realised. Throughout the whole morning, she hadn't eaten at all; or rather she had forgotten to eat. Her stomach growled again after a short interval, its vibrations resonating through her body.

Cringing, she glanced at Kurapika, wondering if he had noticed her dilemma. The only reaction she received was a curious look and a slight raise of an eyebrow. Wincing, she looked away, some part of her wondering about his thoughts on her sanity. Her tongue instinctively swept out to wet her lips.

"Kurapika." Once again, she noticed the slight accent that marred her speech. "Are you hungry?"

He didn't even spare her a glance. "If you're hungry then just say so."

Candice glared at her sneakers. "Fine." She pronounced deliberately after some delay. "I'm hungry. When can we eat?"

"Not now. Time is running short."

Her stomach grumbled unhappily at his answer, a part of her moody at the fact that she needed permission from a fellow teenager. "Can't we get some apples though?" Her voice lingered at his silence. "It won't take long." She added, almost as a precaution.

There was another short pause. "Fine."

Almost immediately at his response, Candice strode forward lengthening the distance between them. Her stomach cramped again as she made her way towards the small fruit stand, her teeth itching to sink into some apple flesh. Briefly, she wondered how the apples would taste like in comparison to the ones at her world. Would they be sweeter? Juicier maybe? Her stomach only growled in response. Within half a minute she stood in front of the stall, her grey-tinted eyes flashing hungrily across the gleaming red apples piled in her view.

"Excuse me!" She pasted a cheery tone to her voice. "Can I get some apples?"

Her voice lingered and was met with silence. It was only after several moments that she realised there was no money for her to exchange with.

With an embarrassed smile, she dismissed his silence with a flick of her fringe. "Um… I don't have the money on me at the moment but…" Her voice trailed off at his lack of attentiveness. "Can I still get some apples first?" A frown etched itself onto her forehead when he still didn't respond. Tentatively, she tapped the man gently on the shoulder.

The man didn't answer. Instead, he scratched his shoulder, frowning slightly before biting into his apple in one healthy chomp that sent saliva piling into her mouth.

By then, Candice began to scowl, placing herself directly in his view. Her confusion only grew when his gaze seemed unfocused. "Excuse me sir." She voiced deliberately.

To her surprise, he finally reacted, a large smile unfurling onto his lips.

"Ah!" He smiled in her direction. "What can I do for yer, young man?"

Candice felt a smile blossom across her face in relief. For a second then, she had thought him to be blind or deaf. "Could I-" Then she froze.

Wait… Her mouth gaped open loosely like a fish. Young man? As far as she remembered, she was a girl. She had not undergone a gender change any time recently. There was definitely nothing extra hanging between her legs. Nor were there any hints of stubble on her chin. Her hand instinctively rose to her jaw.

It was only then that she noticed the extra presence lingering behind her. Without another thought, she turned around, only to gaze directly at brown orbs. Strands of perfect blonde hair framed his face, swaying softly in the slight breeze. It was startling, to be honest. She hadn't even felt him come up behind her. She smiled sheepishly at him, inwardly cursing her inattentiveness.

But as she observed, her smile dropped. The blonde's brown eyes seemed to glance at her with a sort of wisdom that she couldn't describe. At the slightest contact of their eyes, she felt the sudden urge to look away. And she did, focusing her diverted gaze to the man behind the piles of fruit.

"A small bag of apples please." Kurapika spoke calmly, his effeminate tone directed at the buffy shopkeeper.

"Right up!" The salesman proclaimed before bustling about for a small bag.

Candice, on the other hand only scowled in confusion, scanning the shopkeeper for any signs of acknowledgement. There were none. As he worked, he chatted conversationally to Kurapika, ignoring her completely. At once, her history lessons flew into her mind. Feminism, she remembered her history teacher saying. Did it not happen in this world or something? Did women not have their rights? She thought wildly, clenching her right hand into a small fist.

She didn't even realise the unintentional glare on her face. She was drenched in confusion and mild indignation. Why was the man ignoring her? Why?

"That will be nine hundred Jenny!"

Candice watched with a stony gaze as Kurapika handed over the strange notes.

"Thank you! Come again!"

With that line, Kurapika made to leave the small stall, hesitating when the dark-haired girl still stood there as if she refused to leave. A glare was eerily present over her freckled features, her right hand fisted.

"Candice." He murmured softly, tugging once at her sleeve. "Come. Let's go."

Candice looked back as they retreated, frowning and glaring confusedly at the man selling fruit. It was only several minutes later that her grumbling stomach decided to remind her of her hunger, hence pushing her thoughts and confusion to the back of her mind in favour for food. "Apple please." She drawled, holding out one arm expectantly.

He tossed the small bag at her.

"Thanks."

Frowning, she drew an apple from the bag, inspecting it cautiously before rubbing it against her coat. She peered at it, noting the few callouses that dotted it and the unnatural gleam. It didn't seem to be any different from the ones she was used to.

Apples for breakfast… She thought lamely. Who knew I would become so healthy? Wiping it once more over her coat, she then bit into it, cringing when her taste buds were introduced to a sweet but somewhat unnatural sensation. But she didn't care as she scarfed it down in five bites. In another two seconds, she had thrown away the core and bitten into another, ignoring the sticky residues on her fingers. She was never a picky eater.

"Candice."

She looked over with an unintentional glare, noting a small crease of a frown. "Yeah?"

The blonde ignored her look. "I have been thinking about this for a while."

"Go on." Candice spoke irritably, taking another bite into the apple. It took her a few seconds to register his next phrase.

"You have no reflection."

"Huh-?" She choked, inhaling a rather large bite of apple. Coughing and spluttering, she hacked violently like an old hag, her eyes tearing up. Pain clouded her mind as she tried desperately to clear her throat, panicking when something went down the wrong tube.

For several minutes, she had stopped in her tracks, coughing and spluttering wildly. Swallowing deeply, she attempted to rid the ghastly sensation, licking off the bits of saliva that lingered on her lips. It was only after another short while that it passed.

With robotic movements, she wiped her mouth and turned to the blonde beside her. A scowl etched itself onto her face when his somewhat amused expression caught her attention. But as much as she hated it, she didn't bother analysing. Her mind was just too flooded with the shock of his words.

"Y-you're kidding me right?" She cursed at her small stutter.

"No. It's quite interesting really." He jerked his head. "Look to your left."

Out of the corners of her eye, she knew there was a pane of glass leaning against the wall. She licked her lips, hesitance in her movements. She didn't want to know. She really didn't want to know. But she had to. Slowly, her head turned, a small part in her wishing almost desperately to see dark hair and a freckled face. Her eyes twitched frantically, scanning the pane of reflective material for a familiar face, a pudgy nose. Anything.

She saw the houses behind her. She saw the blonde head of Kurapika beside her. She saw the few people walking behind her. But as much as she tilted her head, angling her view, there was no reflection of her. None. None at all. She took a deep breath, her fingers reached out to ghost across the smooth cold surface of the glass, wincing when her sweaty fingers left visible fingerprints.

So it was true. She really had no reflection. Candice froze quite literally. Fear… it was the feeling that clambered over her back, sinking into her bones. A shiver ran down her back. It was creepy- no. It was beyond creepy. To have no reflection was supernatural. It was down-right scary.

Her fringe slid down to cover her left eye. She felt like a tinman, her movements short and stiff. Shakily, she took a deep breath, blinking several times as if her reflection would appear the next time she blinked. It didn't.

Her senses felt as sharp as a blunt pencil. It felt as though she was swimming through molasses. Through her temporary shock, she almost missed the familiar tone of the blonde behind her.

"From your reaction alone, I'm guessing you didn't know." Kurapika paused slightly, a curious edge lingering in his tone. "No one can see you. No one can hear you, yet you still exist physically. It's as if they cannot notice your presence."

Candice could only nod stiffly.

"Why is that?" He concluded sharply, a hint of suspicion concealed in his voice.

Her mind whirred fruitlessly. "I don't know."

"Why am I apparently the only being to notice you? Why is that?" He pressed firmly.

"I. Don't. Know." She punctuated each word with deliberate emphasis, her annoyance drifting into her tone. "Do you really think I know?"

"You know a lot of things."

She glared, her fear trickling away slowly. Irritation began to replace her fear. "I don't know." She repeated again, focusing her glare at his brown eyes. "Will you please drop it?" Her teeth gritted through her words.

Kurapika flicked his eyes across hers as if searching for any signs of deceit. The dark-haired girl only continued to hold her breath, feeling distinctly like a smuggler passing under the security check. It seemed like ages that the blonde finally pulled away, the blue cloth of his outfit swishing with an emperor-like air.

"Fine. I'll drop it." He stated, somewhat defeated before turning away. "We should go now."

To her annoyance, she found herself gaping as he strode away, gently excusing himself to pass through the small crowd of people who were no doubt curious about him talking to himself.

...

As the sun continued to scorch down upon her, Candice glanced around at the passing villagers and sent them small gestures. It was only when the tenth try failed to attract attention that she had gritted her teeth, accepting the now-known fact that she was invisible to the world.

She didn't bother questioning it. Thinking about its origin would only bring about a severe headache and a fruitless internal debate. For now, she would just let it slide. It wasn't that important anyways, well, not to her.

But it wasn't as bad as she thought it would have been. Regardless though, it was still unbelievably creepy. Every now and then, she would find herself peering curiously at panes of reflective panels as she passed, in her attempt to prove it wrong. She failed each and every time.

So yes, it was no doubt creepy but other than that, she found that she didn't mind all that much. After all, it wasn't as if there was absolutely no one that could see her. She had Kurapika. As long as there was at least one person to talk to, Candice knew her sanity would survive.

In fact, being invisible actually made it possible to go through the Hunter Exam with Kurapika without doing the actual exam itself. It would actually be possible to follow him without a cost. She would just have to deal with the role of a bystander and she was fine with that. Candice smiled at this, praising herself internally.

But then she realised something as she walked. What if she was deliberately made invisible? Was it to ensure that the plot will not be changed? Was it set out for her already or was this world just rejecting her in general?

Candice licked her lips before directing her attention onto the blonde beside her. "Hey."

He flicked her a small glance in acknowledgement.

She paused briefly, planning out the conservation in her head. "Don't tell anyone that I exist. No one. Okay?"

He shot her a look of suspicion and wariness. "Why?"

"Your world will become doomed."

Her response was a disbelieving face.

"Okay." She backtracked, her arms flying into a whir of gestures. "Maybe the world won't be doomed, but everything would change." At his unchanging expression, she forced herself to find an analogy. "Look. I'm like… the food colouring in water."

"Food colouring?"

"Yep! The water is your world. So far, it is clear, the colour that it's supposed to be. But depending on the food colouring, that is me; your world will change according to my actions." Her hand gestures continued.

He raised one eyebrow.

"Look." Her gestures grew unconsciously. "I'm from a different world. Our worlds aren't supposed to mingle. They're supposed to go on with their lives without any disturbances. That's the natural order."

He nodded.

"And… I'm the unnatural thing here. I'm not supposed to be here. In fact, being here by itself is already messing up your world's order." She grinned at her own explanation. "And then fate will be changed, you know? Er. Well, back to the food colouring analogy, I'm basically saying-"

He cut her off, waving an arm at her. "I get it already."

Candice froze in mid-gesture, relief flooding into her features, outlining her eyes and smile. She couldn't help but grin sheepishly. "Really? So you won't tell?"

"And what do I get in exchange?"

She frowned at this unexpected turn. "My… company? A world of natural order?" A glare formed across her features when her eyes detected a small smirk.

"Fine. It's not like it really matters to me. "

At his final phrase, Candice's glare melted into a sheepish grin. "Thanks then."

The blonde didn't respond. Nor did he speak again for the duration of their journey across town.

...

It seemed all too soon that they were finally on the ship. Once again, Candice was stunned at the massive structure, at its perfectness and at its stereotypical portrayal. It loomed over her as they approached, its wooden planks creaking as they boarded it.

Candice couldn't believe the beauty of the water; it literally sparkled and ebbed in soft waves. To the discomfort of Kurapika, she rushed towards it, dipping her fingers into the cold sea before boarding. She just couldn't help it. The opportunity was just too perfect to pass up.

But her giddiness had disappeared the moment her right foot stepped warily onto the creaking wood, trailing behind Kurapika as she made her way onto the deck of the ship.

It was a strange feeling, knowing that one self was practically invisible. A strange feeling indeed, Candice thought as she cautiously made her way behind Kurapika, careful not to bump into anyone as she walked. After all, wouldn't it be strange for other people to bump into an invisible wall?

Stereotypical thugs and bulky men glared in their direction as they made their way towards the opposite side of the large ship. She glared back half-heartedly, some sad part of her knowing it was useless. The thugs sat cross-legged on the wooden deck, some sharpening blades, some punching their fists into open palms. They whispered like gossiping girls, a fact that Candice couldn't help but laugh at.

She tried to resist the smile that unfurled onto her face when she heard a badly concealed whisper from one of them. It was a remark about the Hunter Exam allowing premature girls to participate. A smirk graced her features in the few seconds that she realised they were talking about Kurapika, the blonde who was currently gazing stonily out to the waves, one arm held loosely over the rails. The smirk on her face grew and before she knew it, she was sniggering uncontrollably along with the thugs on the ships.

She knew that herself, that she had mistaken Kurapika for a girl at first glance, but oh, it was still priceless to hear it from a character within the anime. Not only did they say he was girl, he was a premature one at that. At the recount of the comment, her sniggering had dissolved into a full blown chuckle where she tried- and failed- to cover with one hand. The glare that Kurapika threw her wasn't enough to throw her off.

It was only when she had gotten over the hilarity of the comment that she sank onto the wooden planks, her legs spread out comfortably. Her sore feet buzzed numbly. Smiling at nothing in particular, she hoped that they wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Heck, she couldn't even lift one toe, let alone stand up again on two legs. Her aching back leant against the wood in relief, her head hitting the wood gently as her fringe fell over her face. Without her permission, her senses began to seemingly shut down one by one.

Slowly, she could feel her vision dimming, her eyelids closing over her glassy eyes. Tilting her head slightly, she enjoyed the soft breeze that blew across her face and the rather pleasing sounds of water. The swaying of the ship beneath her seemed hardly noticeable. The strong stench of salt water only seemed to relax her as she breathed deeply, trying to absorb as much of it as she could. She blinked constantly, in her attempt to fight against the fatigue that struggled to overwhelm her. But overwhelm her it did, and she was pulled into the warm blankness of her mind.

…..

She was Professor Oak. Three pokeballs and a kid stood before her.

"Choose your starter Pokémon." She found herself saying, indicating to the kid with a white sleeved arm.

The kid only shook his head, his smile wide across his face. "I'm going to become the best Hunter in the world! " He only yelled to her in a childish voice.

Then everything faded away before she could question his choice.

There was the tang of salty air, hitting against her skin. There was a cramp on her neck. Sounds became distinguished. There were the gentle laps of water, the distinct murmurings of chatter and the piercing cries of seagulls from above. She ignored them all, her only goal being to drift back into unconsciousness once more. She wanted to see the kid in her dreams again... she wanted to question him, and ask why he didn't want a Pokémon...

"ONCE I'M THE BEST HUNTER IN THE WORLD…!"

She stirred, one hand reaching out for her non-existent pillow to muffle the loud childish yell that kept her from her well-deserved sleep. A small frown formed briefly upon her forehead.

"I'LL COME BACK!"

By then, she had realized with a grumble that it was near impossible to fall asleep again. Breathing in the soothing stench of ocean, she took notice of the heavy swaying under her and the hard wood that she rested upon. Her coal eyes snapped open with silent grace, squinting slightly at the sun that raged at her from above.

It took a while to glance around, taking in her settings. Blue skies, fluffy clouds, wood, thugs and water met her quick gazes as she stood abruptly, ignoring the searing pains of her sore legs. One quick gaze of blonde hair told her she wasn't alone.

Dizzily, her gaze was drawn to a source of bright green, a colour that stood out from the dull and shaded colours of the ship. The noises around her dimmed as she focused her stare on the bright green jacket of a little boy.

He was short: A fact that she took obvious delight in, even though she was probably six or seven years his senior. His hair was an unusual black, tinted green which was spiked up stiffly on top of his head. But as much as Candice observed, she couldn't find any visible traces of hairspray or gel. It seemed completely natural.

Unashamedly, she continued to stare openly as the little boy turned around. For a long while, everything around her seemed to blur. She couldn't help it. At the first glance of his face, she had gasped mentally.

He was cute, that she couldn't deny. With wide dark brown eyes and soft spiked hair, Candice couldn't help but gape slightly. Oh how she wanted to pat his spiked strands. They seemed so soft, gleaming in the sunlight. Her head turned instinctively as the boy turned away, bounding down a set of steps and out of her view.

It was only when he disappeared that her focus returned. It was as if the spell was broken. Her eyes widened in realisation.

Was that… supposed to be Gon?

At her realisation, she almost smacked herself across her head. How could she not have realised? She smiled briefly. The Gon here seemed so much cuter than the anime Gon, and she meant cute as in the 'little brother' cute. When she sees him again, regardless of her invisibleness, she was going to pat his spiky hair. No one was going to stop her! She chuckled manically.

It was only then that a soft 'ahem' drew her from her thoughts. She startled silently as she realised she was still gazing at the place where the little boy had disappeared. She cringed mentally at herself for staring after a little boy. No. There was no way in hell she was a lolicon. Kurapika's repulsed expression didn't help her case.

"He had cool hair." She stated, rather unnecessarily in defence.

"I didn't say anything." As if concluding the exchange, he turned his attention back out to sea, his golden tresses swaying in the breeze.

There was then a silence between the two, something that Candice felt very conscious about. With stiff movements, she forced herself to look out the sea, taking in the jewelled waters and blue sky. The clouds passed leisurely, occasionally forming into strange shapes.

It was only after the tenth dolphin she saw, that dread flooded her senses. She froze.

Wasn't there… supposed to be a storm? A big storm? She thought, almost frantically.

Shit. Her heart plummeted. If she remembered correctly, wasn't the ship meant to literally fly? Wasn't there supposed to be chaos?

Candice licked her lips nervously, blinking once when the seagulls above gave a rather piercing cry. She reacted instantly, craning her neck to the clouds above, searching for the tell-tale signs of a storm. But as she looked about, the sky seemed clear, with the few white clouds that passed by.

The choruses of cries grew steadily from above, clashing with her rather sensitive ears. One minute melted into ten as she continued to gaze out to sea, her eyes still scanning for the rolling black clouds. Her heart weighed heavily.

And then it came. Like a flood broken from a dam, the blackness rolled swiftly across the blue sky, consuming everything in its wake. Candice could only gape as small droplets began pelting at her exposed skin, vaguely registering the small tug on her sleeve.

"Come. We'll need to go underdeck."

Lightning flashed as the ship bounded dangerously among the tousling waves. Warily, Candice followed the blonde down a set of wooden steps and into a wide aisle, lit warmly with the glow of small lamps. But she could hardly move.

Bulky men and sailors alike were rushing to and fro, bumping into her occasionally. A high pitched curse flew from her mouth when the ground beneath her tilted suddenly, almost causing her to lose her balance. The floor continued to sway dizzily as they entered a small door and into a vast space, already crowded with vomiting sailors and exam participants alike.

Instinctively, her hand reached out to clamp onto a meaty arm when the floor tilted steeply yet again. Things rattled, the boards creaked. It seemed like a nightmare yet so real at the same time: it felt like standing on an uncontrollable bus with nothing to grip on. It was complete chaos.

Her heart pounded when a sudden crate of wood missed her narrowly as it slid around. With sweaty fingers, she clutched the back of Kurapika's outfit, ignoring the fact that she was wrinkling it. Everything was chaotic. She didn't know what direction she was in. Men, crates, barrels and pieces of equipment were flying everywhere, some missing narrowly by millimetres. Thankfully, she was still on her feet as she tried to find a nice corner, free from the turmoil.

She was failing miserably. Somewhere during the confusion, she had lost sight of Kurapika, her grip torn from his outfit. Her head hurt terribly and there was an incredible urge to puke as the floor continued to slope to and fro from under her. Her stomach coiled and tangled; her mind hazed and blurred.

The floor wouldn't stop swaying, the things wouldn't stop flying and her heart wouldn't stop racing. Things continued to fly around as the ship rocked and tousled along the wild waves. It was completely horrible. More than once, she had fallen to the ground and had struggled up again, desperate with the need to survive. She knew that –well, hoped – the ship wouldn't sink, but that didn't stop her fear of death. Through the chaos, short-lived plans flew through her mind of how she could escape.

In the midst of the chaos, a bulky arm elbowed her roughly in her stomach, causing her to knee another. Vaguely, she could register the deep voice that boomed from the guy she had been pushed onto. Her rather sensitive ears hurt from the distinct shouts of two men.

"OI BRUTE! YOU DARE ELBOW ME?"

"GOTTA PROBLEM?"

Candice wasn't sure if a brawl had broken out or not. At once she was jostled away again by the horde of chaos. As the floor tilted steeply yet again, she was thrown off her feet and flown across to the other side of the room. Through her hazed vision, she thought she saw a flash of blonde and blue.

She slammed heavily onto two skinny guys, knocking them both to the wooden floor. Her eyes widened as she fell, instinctively sticking out her right arm to divert her fall as a face came up dangerously close to her own. With fluke grace that she didn't know she possessed, she swivelled her body with one arm, twisting it in the process. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she fell hard on the wood, her heart pounding at the otherwise consequences.

Without missing a beat, she crawled along the masses of legs, wincing in pain when something fell onto her back. To her relief, it was only a bag, heavy enough to hurt but light enough to not break her back. In the middle of the confusion, she paused momentarily for someone to claim it back. When there was none, she gripped it in one hand and stood up again, having decided that crawling was too dangerous.

The floor tilted steeply yet again. Wincing, she tripped and fell onto the cold wood as the floor tilted in another completely random direction. Desperately, her hand reached up weakly to grasp onto a stray ledge.

It was then that everything tilted vertically. Her stomach was pumped into the chest cavity. At once, she was lifted off her feet and pulled in by gravity as she slammed painfully into a wall. Her back ached horribly, littered with bruises while her head kept buzzing a strange tune.

A loud scraping noise resounded towards her, catching her attention. With wide eyes, she could only watch as a large crate sped towards her. She couldn't react, nothing she could do.

All at once, she was consumed by a surging wave of white hot pain that lingered agonisingly as everything faded to black, her vision drenched in darkness.


Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: Quite obviously. Pokémon, HunterxHunter and any other random mentions. I don't own.

Editors: PechaPichu, Judy.

Now click onto the next chapter please!