Finally finished writhing this chapter. I know I'm late, and I feel sorry about it (╥﹏╥)
Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter
Chapter 10: Falling in Love
(Kuroro)
Being trapped inside your mortal enemy's body is one thing, being trapped inside a woman's body is another, but unfortunately for me Kurapika is both, and this dilemma I am now experiencing and about to experience will definitely make changes of what I am supposed to be... and I am starting to feel that change, especially during the fight against Omokage.
That time when all of my views became red as emotions swirled inside me... it was overwhelming, I almost lost myself. I don't know how it happened. It was so sadden that I cannot comprehend what was really happening. But the strangest thing that happened that time was the feeling of security I had in knowing Kurapika was watching over me. Isn't that amusing?
I sighed at the thought as I followed Kurapika's small band, walking in normal speed while she's explaining to her friends how we ended up trapped in each other's body. Of course, her friends were awed upon hearing that the owl spirit was the one responsible for bringing us in our dilemma, and all the more when they heard that the key to get back in our own body is true love kiss.
"Ehhhh!..." they simultaneously exclaimed with Gon and Leorio both sounded surprised, and Killua with more amusement that anything.
"That's impossible!" Leorio shouted as he stopped for a minute and looked at me.
"We already know that, Leorio," Kurapika said. "That's why we're looking for a different way to get back to our original body."
"How?" Gon asked curiously.
"That is something I cannot discuss with you."
"Why is that?" Killua asked.
"Spirits are something that you don't want to triple with. Although, there are some gentle spirits like pixies, there are more other spirits out there that can do more heinous that what the owl spirit can do."
"So why don't you just try the kiss then?" Gon said as if he just said the most normal thing that a most normal person should say.
All of us stopped in our track and looked at Gon with different expressions.
Leorio looked at him with his mouth wide open.
Kurapika and Killua looked at him with their faces saying 'are you even listening' with their mouths twitching.
I on the other hand looked at him in amusement. "Are you telling us that we should fall in love with each other?"
Gon looked at me as he thought for a while, "I don't think it's impossible."
"He's the murderer of Kurapika's family!" Leorio exclaimed.
"I actually agree with Gon," Killua admitted.
Giving a little smile, I looked at Kurapika who was frowning silently at Gon. "Well, it's actually easy to fall in love with Kurapika," I said, and looked back at Gon.
"Eh!" They all looked at me in surprise.
"After all, she's a desirable woman. I'm sure you all agree with that. But, do you think she will fall in love with me?"
"That's out of the question," Kurapika said as she turned back to her track and resumed walking, but briskly. "That will never happen."
"Oi, Kurapika!" Leorio called out as he followed behind her.
"Be careful of what you say, Kurapika," I shouted, "or you might eat your words someday."
-0-
Finally we arrived at the Nostrade's mansion. I immediately open the door of Kurapika's room and slammed my body on the bed, face first.
"So tired."
"So you're still living here?" Leorio asked.
"Yes," Kurapika answered.
"Why does this room still has its furnishings while all others are empty?" Gon asked.
"That is-."
I swiftly changed my position as I sat at the bed with my legs crossed and cut Kurapika's sentence, "I just want to leave it for the last."
"That's all?" Gon frowned.
"That's all," I confirmed.
"If the two of you are living here," Leorio change the topic, "then where do you sleep?"
"In this bed," I deadpanned.
"And Kurapika?" he continued.
"In this bed."
"Then you're sleeping together?!" he frantically shouted so loud that we have to cover our ears to protect our hearing.
"You're so loud!" Killua complained.
"Calm down, Leorio," Gon followed.
"What's the big deal?" Kurapika finally joined the conversation.
"You're a girl, Kurapika!" Leorio exclaimed, "and he's a guy!" he pointed at me as if it is a sin to be a guy.
"I'm a guy now," Kurapika calmly said. "And I've always been sleeping with Pairo when he was still alive, but you didn't say anything."
I never expect Kurapika to be this slow in this kind of thing.
Killua provably thinks the same as his mouth twitched while looking at Kurapika.
"That's because I thought you'll be marrying each other if ever he survive from his sickness!"
Kurapika's eyes widened at the sentence as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but no words came out.
Finally recovered from the shock, Kurapika shook her head and said, "whether you like it or not, I have no intention of marrying Kuroro, much less, fall in love with him."
"That's too bad," I said as I closed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.
Silence covered the room for a few minutes, until Gon finally spoke up, taking our full attention at him.
"I just remembered, who is Kurumi anyway?" the question is directed at me.
I was a bit shocked at the question, but recovered immediately.
"I just remembered your conversation with Pairo. If you're the one who killed Kurumi, why are you using her name?"
"Indeed," Killua added.
I never thought this kid would ask me something like this. Well, he did ask me how I can kill people who have nothing to do with me. But then again, I did not really give a real answer back then. I don't even understand myself.
I looked at Kurapika and saw her with a surprisingly concerned expression over her face.
I sighed and looked back at Gon to answer his question.
"She's my younger sister."
"Eh!" Gon widened his eyes in shock. "Then you..." he did not finish his sentence.
"I killed my own sibling," I said and looked away.
"It was my fault," Kurapika suddenly spoke up.
I looked at her and saw her covering her eyes with her bangs while she's looking at the floor.
"Everything that happened back then was my fault."
"Why are you saying, it was your fault?" Gon asked in concern.
"Right, it was Kuroro who killed your family and his sister," Leorio joined.
"Can you explain yourself, Kurapika?" Killua also joined the questioning.
"I'm the one who told Kurumi everything about the Kuruta clan. If I did not told her about my family, your friends would never know our location," she looked at me.
"They're not my friends," I told her. "And it's my fault for believing their damned lies!" my voice rose out of my control.
"I was so naive for giving information about my family!" Kurapika continued.
"And I was so naive for not checking things before taking action!" I said.
"I'm sorry," she said, making everyone in the room surprise to the core, with our eyes wide open.
Taking my composure back to normal, I stood up from the bed and stepped in front of Kurapika.
"My sin cannot be compared to what you did," I started. "It's not right for me to bow in front of you right now, but when we return to our original body, I'll ask for a proffer apology. For now, please accept my word... I'm sorry for everything."
Kurapika looked at me without blinking. She's still not saying anything.
"How did this come into this?" I heard Leorio whispering.
"Don't ask me," Killua answered, also in a whisper.
"Shiiiii!" Gon reprimanded.
"Kurapika?" I called out.
Kurapika finally blinked. "Eh?"
"Do you want me to repeat everything that I said?"
"Ah, no!" she shook her head. "It's alright, I just don't know what to say," she whispered as she looked away.
"I see." I guess it's still too early to ask for an apology. I'll leave things as it is for now.
-0-
(Kurapika)
I must be an idiot. Why did I realize my mistake just now? Everything that happened at that time was because of my naivety... and that mistake was followed by many more mistakes. All of their lives are lost because of my doing... and yet, I blamed someone else and took the lives of his comrades. Him... a guy who was a victim of my naivety... turned into something that he doesn't really want... a murderer.
The memory inside his head played in my mind like a sad, old movie... That time when he received a fake message from his colleague, a man who Kuroro thought was his real friend. The message was sent by a small eagle in the form of a bloodied, crumpled paper, telling him that they (him, his companion and Kuroro's sister) were attack by people with red eyes while they are wondering on a secluded area in Rukuso province, and that their lives are in danger.
Thinking that the message was real, Kuroro immediately called for his co-spiders and went ahead to the place stated in the letter as he remembered his sister telling him about the Kuruta clan... she told him... everything that I told her.
As if fate was playing a game on us, Ryuseigai is in the same county as Rukuso. It only took him an hour by plane and bus to get to the province. The other spiders also arrived not long enough.
Knowing exactly where his destination was, Kuroro lead the group to a small village, far away from the society. The village was my home, where the Kuruta clan peacefully live by themselves.
Although there was no sign of ambush or anything as the letter stated, Kuroro immediately ordered to attack the people, interrogate them to gain information about the whereabouts of his sister and his friends, and to kill them if they resist.
More than half of the clan's population were already killed and still he hasn't got any information about his sister so he decided to change his order...
"Incite the older people by killing the children first and pluck their eyes before killing them."
But still, he did not found anything about his sister's whereabouts... the whole clan was murdered without knowing anything.
Kuroro ordered his spiders to sell the eyes to the black market as he stayed behind to contemplate on himself. He was anxious... as if something was off...
"Where are you... Kurumi?" he looked up at the darkening sky as an ominous feeling lingered around him. "Why did this have to happen?"
A sound of a boy crying out loud from the distance reached his ears.
"Mother! Father! Everyone! Please answer me!"
Kuroro went to the source of the sound and found a boy crying before the dead bodies of a man and a woman. It was Pairo.
"They're dead," Kuroro said as he stood behind him, taking a knife out if his sleeve.
The young Pairo turned to face him and asked in fear, "You killed them?"
"Yeah, and you will follow."
Preoccupied with the boy in front of him and the knife on his hand, he did not realize that someone was calling out for him. With the swift movement of his hand, he delivered the final blow to the person right in front of him, but before he knew it, the person that received the blow was not the boy, but his very own sister.
"Kurumi!?"
"Brother," she called as she coughed blood out of her mouth. The knife thrust right through her heart. "Why did you.. do this? These people.. did not do anything.. to deserve this." that was the last word that he heard from his sister.
-0-
(Normal)
Ryuseigai, a junkyard city inhabited by outcast, a city know only to very few people. About 500 years ago, the city was founded by a dictator who wanted to separate the human race. Since then, the population in the city began to grow in number. Variety of people lived together, people with diverse ethnic background, people who wanted to separate themselves among the world, people who run away from the authority, people who wanted to find home...
Among the people who live in the city is Kuroro Lucifer, his sister, his friend and the Phantom Troup. But before the Phantom Troup was created, Kuroro Lucifer was just a child who has no knowledge about the world, a child who was striving to live among the other citizens of the city.
Just like every other children living in the city, Kuroro and his sister began to live independently for themselves the moment they learn how to walk and how to speak. Their parents who never planned to live with each other abandoned them in the junkyard.
Kuroro, who was only three years old back then, began to see how cruel the world is, especially for a child who just started to learn everything. He struggled to live along with his sister who was a year younger than him. They met other children who were just like them and began to make friends.
As the children grow up, the population of the city also continue to grow. Many obstacles surfaced for the children to live: resources of food are declining, competition and crime is increasing. But among the obstacles that the children are desperately trying to avoid is slavery. Unfortunately for Kuroro, his sister, and some of his friends, they became victims of an organization who were selling children as slaves for their greedy desires.
But the seven years old Kuroro, was clever enough to devise a plan of escape. For fear for their lives, only few children joined Kuroro in his plan.
At day, the children are forced to work in an excavation site using violence and fear to make them pick up huge rocks with their bare hands and deliver the rocks to the trucks stationed at the side. And on the night, the children are gathered to their prison.
The prison was an underground tunnel with maze like paths. Wandering in this tunnel without knowing the way is a suicide... that is if you're a normal person. Unfortunately for the slaver, Kuroro and his friends are not ordinary children.
Young as they may be, they almost mastered the use of nen. With the use of en, they located all the guards stationed toward the exit and knocked them down one by one by enhancing their physical strength. And finally, Kuroro, Kurumi, his two friends and some other children redeemed their freedom for the first time.
Kuroro, Kurumi and his friends went back to Ryuseigai, knowing that the slave trading is still ongoing. The excavation site is not the only one that buy slaves... there are many others out there... and Kuroro wanted to stop the slaves traders from taking children out from Rhyseigai. But what they leaned after returning to Ryuseigai devastate the young children and became a source of resentment and anguish.
Before they became victims of slaves, they though Ryuseigai is a paradise for children like them. Their freedom, their happiness, and everything that they have, was in Ryuseigai. They thought they are being protected by the council who put orders in the city. But they were wrong. The council itself is the one that allowed the traders to take children from the city in exchange for resources.
It was for this reason that the Phantom troop was created. To stop the council from allowing slave traders to enter the city, Kuroro gathered other children to join him on his quest. Instead of getting resources from the slave traders, the phantom troop move out in operating various thievery. And most, if not all, of their targets are mafia, the main buyers of slaves.
-0-
(Kuroro)
As soon as my eyes open up, the sight of poorly made graveyard greeted my sight. A lot of dried blood still remains on the ground, indicating that a murder just happened just a few days before it became like this.
And yes, a murder just happened almost a week ago. And the murder is non-other than me. This place... is non-other the remains of what was supposed to be the Kuruta village.
"Everyone, where are you," a faint cry came out from a distance, and I found myself staring at a 12 years old Kurapika, crouching on the ground and trying to dig out the ground with her bare hand while crying heavily on herself. "Why did this happen to you?"
Her figure started to grow nearer and I realised I was walking toward her direction. My body moves on its own as my hand reach out for her shoulder.
The young Kurapika looked at me with her teary eyes.
"Stop crying," I said to her. "You have to stay strong." Why am I saying these things?
"Even the strong people cry when they lose their love ones." Her word shook my heart for a moment and I just realized I was crying myself. I also realized that my words are actually meant for myself, because I am weak. No wonder I let my life go astray all these days.
The young Kurapika looked back on the mound beneath her. "My mother said living is not only for oneself but also for the people you cared for."
"She must be a great mother," I told her.
"If the people you cared for are gone," she continued, "is living still had its meaning to continue?"
I stayed quiet for a while and then said, "I have no idea about the meaning of living. But if you have a reason to live, I guess, that reason can also be the meaning of living."
"Reason for living," Kurapika repeated, "that would be my family." She wiped the tears out of her eyes as she stood up from the ground and looked at me with black expression. "But they all died. That means I no longer have a reason to live."
I don't know what came into me, I just spoke. "Then I'll give you a reason to live."
I am not surprise to see the change in Kurapika's expression from sadness to confusion. But beneath the confusion is something I cannot comprehend. Distrust? Excitement? Expectation? No matter how I try to read her expression, I just cannot get it.
"What reason?" she asked.
"Avenge your people." Her expression then turned into surprise.
"Avenge?! I don't even know who murdered my family!"
I pulled out something on my pocket and gave it to her.
Kurapika looked at the small object on her palm as she whispered. "Spider?" It was a coin with a carving of a spider on it, a curving that symbolises a renowned class S criminal.
"Genei Ryodan," I said the name. "If you are strong enough, you might be able to catch them," I said and started walking away.
"I will be strong for sure," I heard her faint reply, "and I will cut its head. I promise."
"I am looking forward to it."
-0-
I fluttered my eyes open and found myself lying on Kurapika's bed. Her room was dimly lit by the ray of the moon that passes by through the window.
Looking at the other side of the bed, I found an empty space beside me. I sighed. Kurapika always wake up so early. I got off of the bed and walked straight to the exit and outside the mansion. Just a few minutes later, I found Kurapika standing on the middle of front yard, staring at the enigmatic full moon.
"Somehow, the moon looks darker as compared to normal," I thought out loud.
"Something is in disarray," Kurapika said.
"Is that so?" I asked.
"Something bad is happening in the spirit world."
"You can't be joking," I frowned.
Kurapika turned and looked at me. "Can't you hear them? They are crying."
"Huh?"
"Concentrate, Kuroro."
I am still frowning in confusion, but followed as Kurapika said. I concentrate on everything that surrounds me, and then I heard it. My eyes widened in dread and shock as I heard the same sound that I heard during that time in the Kuruta village, the time when I mercilessly massacred every person that live in that place.
The sound stopped after a few minutes.
"What was that?" I asked.
Kurapika shook her head. "I do not know. Something must have distracted the peace in the spirit world. It was only for a few minutes and the sound stopped." She looked at the moon again. "The moon looks normal again."
"What now?"
"We have to check what happened in the spirit world."
"And how would we do that?"
Kurapika looked at me again with her expression in contemplation. "I don't think you can come."
"Huh?" I frowned. This doesn't make any sense. She said we have to check what happened in the spirit world, and now she's saying I cannot come?! What is she thinking? Really?
"Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow," she said and started walking to the mansion.
This is disturbing, but I followed anyway.
"By the way," I said as I walked beside her.
"What?"
"When you learned about your clan's death," I paused as I saw her expression suddenly changed. It was a mix of sadness and concern. "How did you know that it was my troop that was behind it?" I just want to know if that dream was actually not a dream.
"Ah," she faced became calm. "It was from a mysterious man that came out of nowhere and told me to avenge my family... and treat it as a reason for living."
So it was not a dream. I just now realize that I am such a bad human, I'm even worst... teaching revenge to a child...
"That person must be out of his mind for teaching revenge to a child."
"Indeed," I agreed.
"Come to think of it," Kurapika said as she stopped in front of the door and looked at me. "That person actually looks like you."
"Don't tell me-."
"But despite what happened," she cut my words, "I am really grateful he said those words." My eyes widened in disbelief.
"If he did not tell me about those words," she continued, "what kind of life would I have right now?"
Somehow, I lost my ability to speak. How can she say those kinds of things without even knowing what kind of man that person is? And it was actually me.
"Oh, you're blushing," she suddenly said. "Could it be, you already fell in love with me?"
"Are you kidding me?"
She smiled. "Thank you, Kuroro."
"For what?"
"For giving me a reason to live."
My eyes widened once again. "You knew?"
"I just realized when you asked me."
I sighed. "I was hoping it was just a dream."
"But it's true, and I am really grateful." She turned around and opened the door. "It is not right to bow in front of you right now, but when we returned to our original body, I will give you a proper thanks."
"Don't think about it too much," I said as we entered the mansion. "I don't even remember it that well. That was probably the time I got really drunk."
"But still, I want to thank you."
I sighed. I don't want to argue about it anymore. She's just too stubborn.
-0-
The next day I woke up alone in the room, I went straight to the comport room. I was about to push the flash as usual and go out, but my hand stopped and my eyes widened at the sight of blood on the toilet.
"Don't tell me."
And then I remembered Kurapika saying something like, 'I don't think you can come.' Is this the reason?
Am I having... menstruation period?! Suddenly I felt a pain on my stomach, no, is it my lower abdomen?
"Kuroro, are you alright?" as if on cue, I heard Kurapika's voice from the other side of the door.
I immediately opened the door and reached for his arms, side by side. "Kurapika." I called for her, but I have no idea what to say. I don't even have idea why I am acting like this.
"Are you panicking?" she asked with her brows frowning.
"No!" I shouted out of my control. "I just-."
"Don't worry," she smiled, "it will pass." She paused. "I am always here to help you."
Somehow, I felt relieve from her words. And somehow, I can feel how sincere she is with what she said. But somehow, I also feel ashamed for myself. Being older that the two of us, I should be the one doing the help that letting a young woman doing all the necessary things by herself. I'm the worst.
"I'm sorry Kurapika, I'll make all things right when we returned to our original body."
"Don't worry about it," she said. "You're only experiencing this because you're inside my body."
I smiled at her. "You've change."
"Eh?"
"You never really cared about me before. You're only taking care of me because it's your body."
She blushed. "I just-," she cut her sentence. "I think that also applies to you."
"You're right."
-0-
The next day, I can no longer feel the pain on my stomach. Any trace of blood can no longer be found.
"I thought menstruation takes more than a day," I said as soon as I exited the bathroom/comfort room and saw Kurapika sitting on the char beside the bed while reading a book.
"It takes three to seven days for humans," she informed me.
"As if you're not a human."
"I'm not."
"Then, what are you?"
"Kuruta."
I frowned, "Kuruta?"
She sighed as she stood up from the chair, taking her gaze out from the small book and finally looked at me.
"Kuruta is not the name of our clan, but a name of our kind."
"What's the difference?"
"Of all people, you should already know the answer. Stop wasting our time with dilly dallying. We have to go as soon as possible."
Although she doesn't show it, the worried expression on Kurapika's face never really left. She's probably still thinking about the noise we heard that night. And I was right.
As soon as finish preparing myself, Kurapika thought me about a secret technique that only the Kuruta people can do. It was a technique of sending the spirit along with the physical body to the spirit world. And if I can do it right, I can also take another with me.
It took me time to process all the information, but manage to do all the requirements for me and Kurapika to go to the spirit world.
What greeted us in the spirit world is no longer the spirit world that we saw before. It was a disaster. The once pristine lake of Lacus is now full of black mud. And everything around us looks like it was hit by a dreadful whirlwind or a storm, leaving behind ink like substance every where.
-0-
AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know your thoughts.
(•‿•)