Finally, my fic's starting to get a lot more serious! Thanks to a lot (haha, my foot) of people who backed me up ^_^
Review Replies:
Cherry13 ~ Your reviews really fire me up! Lol! I take pride in being a cliffhanger ^_^ I'm glad to see you're enjoying it. So you know who I'm talking about? He's here now, btw, so go see if your guess is correct. Kurapika's kind of an OOC? *reads the fic again* Lol, that's true. But there's this scene in the manga wherein Kurapika yelled Killua (or was it Gon's???) ear off in the cell phone and blew a fuse at them. According to a source in the web anyway. I guess I sorta patterned mine from it. If it makes you feel any better, I'll try harder not to be OOC—although I don't know how Togashi-sensei's mind works and this IS a fan fiction, right? ^^
Masami ~ You've been a great help to me! Thanks! Good luck with your fics too, although I'm sure you don't need it! ^_~
Hareta ~ Ok, added your vote to the Kurapika column ^_^ Thanx for reviewing!
And the little triangle poll is OVER!—a long time ago ^^;;; And who will get Terra? Well, I have to say it's pretty close, but guess who won:
Killua: 12
Kurapika: 10 (Masami-san, happy now? ^______^ Yup, u r!)
It's sorta not fair, though, since some of them voted over and over again through e-mail and even threatened me O_o Lol, don't worry, I didn't repeat the voting. But there will still be a love triangle, just to torture Kurapika *hides from the Kurapika fans* Just kidding! ^^
A little mistake: I put Yuki having the power of darkness from the first chappie a long time ago, but decided that element should go rightfully to Hiei. Besides, in the game, she's a snow warrior, so I'll edit it as soon as possible. Gomen! ^^
And will the Phantom Brigade (Genei Ryodan) go to Yorkshin? Yes, they'll be coming in the later chaps, but they won't be in Yorkshin. By the way, I need opinions for this q: will they be enemies or allies of the HXH boys? Hurry before I add the next chap!
And is Cloud's group gonna be the baddies or the good guys? Hehehe, do I have to spill the beans to you guys everytime you're asking? Just read on, ok!
Itadakimasu!
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Crossing Paths
"Oh my God!" The man bowed frantically to the person he just bumped into. "I'm so sorry, Cloud-sama!" His hands were practically shaking in tremendous fear, his head touching the floor several times with his apologetic gesture. "I should have been more careful with where I'm going. I didn't mean to—"
The seventeen-year-old teen waved his hand quizzically. "Hey, just calm down, okay? It's not like I'm gonna roast you out of the house."
Well, that was exactly what the butler thought of him doing, especially when it was someone else like the black warrior who would slash anything to pieces if it merely cast a shadow. But after hearing those words he almost fainted in relief. Cloud stared at him blankly before glanced around the shimmering walls of the hallway, not in the mood for being a therapist then. "Say, have you seen Riharu-chan?"
"Riharu-sama?" The middle-aged staffer straightened his rumpled black tie as he tried to make out a coherent sentence. "Uh…no…but aren't you supposed to hold an urgent meeting today?"
"We were supposed to before it was cancelled," a melodious voice answered, as the blue-haired woman emerged in the hall in a single wisp, her navy halter top hiding behind a thick cape bearing the crest of the Romanova element, Physic Purple. Cloud smiled at her direction that appeared more of an exasperated smirk. "Riharu-chan! You should know that I've been looking for you for twenty minutes straight! What happened to your mind-reading thing?"
The shorter woman returned his greeting with a lazy arm wave. It was the butler's cue to disappear before she does it for him. "Well, I almost wanted to get it over with quickly, but I decided you need to use your brain for a short while."
"Gee, thanks. How kind of you."
"You're welcome."
Cloud sighed, trying to rest his weary eyes, and then noticed the insignia in her clothing. "Big news. So what's the catch?" Wearing the uniform in their clan meant having an important mission to accomplish. Riharu shrugged, as if it wasn't a hard deal, although the expression in her pale eyes weren't a good imitation. "Yuki-sama went out."
The simplicity of it had Cloud puzzled. "Come on! Okasama spends her time outside the estate twenty hours a day. What's the big deal?"
"She took her spear," Riharu informed.
The blond warrior's easiness flew out of the window. He narrowed his eyes as he finally got down to business. "Okay, I get your point. Continue."
"There's no continuation, Cloud. We go out and see what she's up to, simple as that."
"Did Okasama order you to do this?"
Riharu didn't meet his eyes and fiddled with the pendant that hung around her neck. "Er…no?"
Cloud could barely keep himself from hitting the floor. His eyebrows were so high it was practically above his hairline. "And you want to spy on her?! Did you even stop to consider that my mother is the best among us and she can identify our presence the second we step out?" he spewed out in comical frustration. It was usually Riharu who gave logical reasoning, not the other way around.
Riharu ignored his eruption, her composure unfazed. "We can use my element block, can't we? I still know that spell, you know, even after that incident with the Genei Ryodan. Yuki-sama won't detect us then."
Reliving what happened a few years back when they encountered the group of nen-using thieves, Cloud could taste a metallic flavor in his tongue. Now he didn't want that to happen again. But she did have a point. "Okay…but why are you so gung-ho on seeing what she's up to anyway? What if she's only making sure my sister's okay or something?"
The woman shook her head. "Then she would have sent us instead. You know your mother—she doesn't even know her own daughter's alive! But to head out bringing the weapon she hasn't used for years…" she let it hang for him to ponder.
Riharu was blunt, as usual. As much as Cloud hated to admit it, but it was apparent in the family that she couldn't care less for Terra. She had no use for people with zero significance. Whenever Terra was reported to be lost, it was usually them who were looking around. He doubted that his mother considers Terra more important than the documents she lives with all day.
And she was right. It was downright serious, so this could be granted as a special case. Besides, he couldn't help being intrigued at what would take place anyway. But if they were to found out sneaking around and disturbing her business, a death sentence or even an open execution would be much more pleasurable than what they would have to face as consequence.
"Fine! I give up." Cloud held up his hands, giving in to his adolescent inquisitiveness. "I'm going. But you better make sure you get that spell right, or we're worse than dead meat!"
Riharu grinned triumphantly. "Of course. You should trust me once in a while."
"I don't know about that…"
The Physic warrior reached out and pulled Cloud's ear, stretching it to nearly twice its original size. "Okay, okay! I trust you! I believe you! I have faith in you! So please keep your hands away from my ear before you pluck it right off!" he half-pleaded, half-whined.
She finally released her grip on him. Rubbing the sore spot, Cloud mumbled, "Jeez, you should learn how not to take jokes seriously." Now he knew where Terra got her uptight personality from. He made a mental note to keep his sister away from her as soon as Kurapika brings the girl home. "So it's you, me, and Kurama and Hiei," he said, ticking them off with his fingers. "I guess that's more than enough for a small expedition."
"Didn't you know? Hiei just left a few hours ago." Riharu let her sea-colored hair fall to her shoulders. "And don't ask me why. I'm just as clueless as the next person."
"Oh." Cloud wasn't obviously concerned of it. "He's really training these past few weeks, so I wouldn't be too surprised." The youkai was so intense in his sword practice lately that he didn't take notice of anything else. And he kept muttering about something the others couldn't comprehend. Even Kurama had no idea. But he'd get over this sooner or later—he isn't the type to dwell on stuff for long, or is he? "So that leaves three of us then."
Riharu nodded. "That wraps up our little meeting. We should leave immediately." Taking out a small wand of a purple eye—just as big as her hand—from inside her cloak, she flicked her wrist. And the next second, the hall was silent.
Killua spun around as soon as he felt the cold touch. "Who's there!?" he said hoarsely, a chill running down his spine. The way he recalled the contact, it certainly didn't come from any living being. His eyes traveled around the damp road. Nothing.
Then the assassin could feel an arctic blow and followed its path, sending him to the darkest corner of the street, white mist surrounding the boy. "Well, I'll be…!" he stretched out his hand, letting the freezing wind breeze through his fingers. Then the wintry air collected before him, so intense it gave out a glow in the darkness. It formed a shape almost like human to Killua's amazement, about his height. Slowly its head lifted up to face him. "I need…" it whispered.
"Well?" Killua couldn't believe he was having a conversation with a ghost. It wasn't only scary—much creepier than what he had seen in the past—it was so unreal. But what else can he do—run screaming throughout the night? "Need what?"
"Freedom," it hissed. Now that its "human" form was complete, Killua could completely see the image: a girl of his age, in a flowing dress. She was all white, except for the slightly fleshy color in her face. "Why? Are you…locked up?" Killua asked, choosing his words carefully.
The hovering phantom gave a small nod. "All of us have this destiny, and so will you someday."
"What are you talking about?"
She paused. Lifting a hand, she created an image by the frosty wind. "A chain?" Killua observed. Soon after he knew it went back to being an imaginary hand. "The chain…separates us. You and we have our own worlds. But we do not desire to stay in our place. I managed to come here, however this form isn't my own. I only recovered it from a soul who just experienced her demise." Letting out an icy breath, she continued. "We used to live our dreams, as what you do now. But our destiny didn't want us to stay. Therefore we spirits are restless."
Killua took a step backwards. His toes underneath his boots were already frozen, and he could feel the skin inside his summer sweater turning to ice. The temperature of the atmosphere was becoming lower and lower each second, he could barely stand it. The corner they were in was foggy and the ground covered in snow. It was one of those things his father didn't pay utmost attention during trainings, as it rarely turns winter in their home. "So? Where do I fit in in all this?" he tried to ask through his chattering teeth.
"There is only one way to severe these bindings." He noticed the corners of the spirit's lips smile softy. "You can save us by helping the girl."
"Terra?" Killua said incredulously, right then forgetting about his body heat going zero. "What does she have to do with this?" He knew Terra wasn't exactly the most ordinary girl around, but he didn't realize something as serious as this would happen to her! So she's more than just a spoiled princess running away from home, huh? Did she know, or is she just as clueless as I am right now?
"She holds a power inside even she doesn't know. But if she realizes it, nothing in the whole world can compare to its magnificence. You must protect her before she fully grasps it, for the people will stop at nothing to rob her of the power and use it for their own selfish whims."
Killua could think of about a hundred folks he met in the past who would want to have that power. Most of them greedy pigs who bathed themselves in money. But then, he already finished them, so no need to even give a damn about those self-proclaimed saviors who covet to rule the world. Time to think of the present. Was he going to do whatever this ghost asked of him? "Why should I trust you?" he demanded, staring into the cold grey eyes of the specter. It's useless to read the motives of a ghost, he thought, noting the transparent, yet hard depths of its vision. So why bother?
"I see you have taken a liking to this girl." To this Killua's already pale cheeks burned despite the present weather of the spot. "And you wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would you not?"
The platinum-haired teen hadn't had one thought of denial. Amazing it is how they know what you're doing without your notice. It wasn't time to complain about that, however. "Well…no…"
"And I happen to know plenty of souls you have put to death, young assassin. You brought them their downfall without even a shred of guilt, doubt, nor mercy. You haven't even considered what is right or wrong." She observed his features carefully, as if wanting to sense an uncomfortable presence. "You can say you may have your own selfish reasons if you wish, but you should at least provide them peace of mind by having to spend one more time in here."
Killua narrowed his eyes, interrupting her little have-a-heart speech off before she could say anything more about the importance of conscience that made him puke. "Cut that garbage. I don't care about them and you, period. And that goes for anything else or what will happen to me in the end. But," he added, his eyes turning to slits. "If anyone lays a hand on Terra, he's going down!"
The spirit smiled once more, more genuinely this time. "I am pleased to hear of your determination." After that she turned to the misty air once more and soon joined in the night sky. The snow and fog, as well as the bitter cold were nowhere in sight. Killua stood motionless for a moment. I guess this means our vacation is over, he contemplated half-jokingly, then strutted back to the apartment.
The plains and beyond the horizon were dead, with only a few howling of wolves and the tiny sounds of the critters wandering about. The only one that didn't belong strode without having to perturb a single crumb on the ground with feather light steps. Golden hair waved to the current of air, the beams of the ascending sunshine playing with the tresses, with a blue bandana firmly placed around the top. Stopping, the stranger took time to investigate for any aura or power that is not of balance with her deep blue eyes.
"My, fancy meeting you here out in the open." Another outsider appeared from the shadows, "Yuki-sama," adding a very lacy tone to the name he greeted. The tall retired warrior didn't reply for a long time, only gazed upon the arrival of the man, resting her eyes to the hair of red blood.
"Hisoka."
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I promise starting from the next addition, it'll be longer, ok? This is sorta just an unveiling.
The next chapters are gonna be more on ACTION! YAY! Those who love magic and sword-clashing scenes shouldn't dare miss this ^_^
Review pleeaaasssseee?
PS As part of the Kanago-Romanova clan, Terra needs a really good element! Give me a good name and the description you want. Just put it on the review. Thanks! If no one won't give me a good one, I'll be stuck on using my original one…I don't know whether you guys will like it ^^;;;
