Hey! Chapter 12 is here! Yay! Okay, I hope this will be better than the last one. This took so long to update, I am so sorry! But you know, it was Christmas!

Disclaimer time-I am not doing this!

Kurapika: Come on Rhia, you know you have to.

Me: Shut up Blondie.

Killua: How hard is it to say you don't have anything?

Gon: Yeah, why can't you do it? I can do it, see? Rhia doesn't own anything except herself!

Me: *sweat-drops* Gon, it's easy to say about someone else, but it's not so easy to say about your self.

Gon: Huh?

Kurapika: Oh boy…

Chapter 12: Cliff-Diving

RHIA'S P.O.V

To make things short and sweet, the Chairman, Netero, discussed the problem with Menchi. The problem that no one had passed this phase. He didn't seem mad at her…he seemed…amused.

Menchi apologized for her behavior and Netero laughed happily, saying what a remarkable young woman she was. It was then decided: all of the examinees were going to have another chance!

I felt so joyous at that moment. So happy. I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes. That's how important this exam was to me.

"Why don't you give them another chance Menchi?" Netero suggested.

"Okay." Menchi said, thinking. Then she looked up. "Chairman, can you take us to that big rock over there?" she asked, pointing at a giant plateau far away.

Netero chuckled. "I think I can arrange that." He said.

LATER…

My face was plastered to the giant window. We were all in the giant blimp that Netero had come in, and I was so…ecstatic.

I loved flying! It made me feel so free! Like I had nothing to worry about; not a care in the world! And who doesn't love to feel free?

"That's where we're going?" Gon asked aloud, coming to join me at the window. Below us was the plateau. But I now saw that it was really a deep canyon, with a raging river running through. What could we possibly do there?

Gon noticed the grin on my face.

"You like this Rhia?" he asked.

I looked at him. "Oh yeah. I love flying!"

It wasn't long until the blimp landed, and my little aviation experience ended. We all filed out and onto the top of the gorge.

"What are we doing now?" Leorio asked.

"The challenge this time is…" Menchi announced. "A boiled egg!"

"A what?" I repeated with my hands on my hips.

"What do you mean?" asked a random guy.

Menchi strutted over to the side of the cliff. She took off her shoes and then turned her head to grin at us. "Watch and learn."

Then…SHE JUMPED!

Everyone, including myself gasped in surprise, and some horror as Menchi disappeared over the cliff.

I ran forward, despite Gon yelling at me. I had to find where she went! I looked over the side and saw her swinging on what looked like…

My eyes widened and I backed off instantly.

"Rhia?" Gon asked as he and the others came over. "What's wrong?"

'Someone just jumped off a cliff, what do you think?' my mind retorted hotly.

"This is home to the Spider Eagle." Netero explained. "The Spider Eagle makes a substance very similar to spider webs to protect its young from the predators in the area. She's gone down to retrieve one of the eggs."

At this point, Menchi came back up, with an egg that was dark gray in color, and had dark brown spots all over it.

"This is the egg you'll be cooking for the task." She announced cheerfully.

A lot of people stepped back.

"This is insane." One of them mumbled.

"Who'd actually be crazy enough to jump down there for an egg?" Todo wondered.

He got his answer.

"This'll be a piece of cake." Killua said lightly.

"I've been waiting for something like this!" Gon cried, looking down into the gorge.

"Yeah, it's a lot better than having to cook some dish I've never heard of." Leorio said.

Kurapika nodded with his eyes closed. "I hear ya."

"Now this is more like it." I added.

One by one, we jumped. I was fine with doing it now that I knew what we had to do.

Gon and Killua jumped off together, and as Leorio jumped, I got a sneaky idea, and sauntered over to Kurapika.

"This is for making fun of me." I giggled.

"What?" he turned half way when I 'accidentally' shoved him a little.

Yeah, I kinda pushed him off a cliff.

"Rhia!" he yelled, grabbing my wrist. "If I'm going then you're coming with me!"

"What-BLONDIE!" I nearly screamed as both of us fell down the cliff-face.

We each caught a separate string. Kurapika seemed fine, but I wasn't the most acrobatic girl in the world. Nothing like Menchi.

I hung onto the string for dear life. I didn't dare look below me as I heard other contestants scream as they fell to a watery grave.

"Rhia, come on!" Kurapika yelled.

"I can't!" I retorted.

"Try opening your eyes." he said in exasperation.

"No!"

"Rhia, I'm right here."

Now I slowly opened my eyes, and I saw Kurapika standing on a string right in front of me. He looked like a tight-rope walker the way his arms were crossed.

"See, you're fine." He said.

"But I can't stand like that." I said gesturing to his feet.

"Rhia, right above your head is a Spider Eagle nest. I've already gotten my egg, so you need to get one for yourself."

"What!" I yelled.

"Just look up." He sighed.

I did look up, and I saw what appeared to be a bulgy gray sack hanging from a string above me.

"Now just reach in and grab one."

I gave him a look.

"I'm not doing it for you." he said with a smirk. "Now come on Rhia, it's not that hard."

"Easy for you to say Blondie." I snapped. I glanced up at the gray sack above me and gingerly put my hand in it. I felt around and grasped one of the eggs, pulling it out as I went.

"See?" Kurapika smirked. "How hard was that?"

"Terrible." I said sarcastically. "Now how do we-" I was cut off at this point by someone crying out for help.

Kurapika and I looked over and saw the big guy-Todo- falling. My eyes widened while Kurapika's expression didn't change. But it did when Gon jumped after him!

"Gon!" Kurapika cried when he saw Gon free-falling. Gon caught Todo by grasping his hand, and flung his fishing line away, catching it on a rock. It held them so they didn't fall.

"Gon! Are you alright?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Gon answered.

I sighed in relief. "That was close."

"I'll say." Kurapika agreed. "Now just follow me."

"I'm not handi-capped." I growled, although I was secretly grateful for him putting up with me.

"Well with the way you claim not to be able to do anything I never would have noticed." Kurapika teased.

I was about to retort when I realized that it was kind of true. I did say that a lot.

"Come on. I suppose you need some help getting up?" Kurapika smirked.

I growled. He was enjoying this way too much. "No thanks Blondie, I think I can climb by myself."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

I didn't bother to watch him as he made his way over to the cliff-face. I made my way as well, and soon I was standing next to the wall of rock. I had to put the egg in my shirt like Menchi did, so I wouldn't break it. I climbed and climbed. It wasn't too hard getting back up. I reached the top and pulled myself up. The others were already there. I pouted slightly. Why was I always so slow?

"Now for the second part of the test!" Menchi announced. "Time to boil your eggs!"

We all put ours in and took these little nets. These were to be used when the eggs were done. I stood next to Kurapika as we waited.

"Do you think it's time?" Gon asked.

"No, a little longer." Kurapika answered, his net ready.

Killua was using his net almost like a walking stick. "I don't even know how long you're supposed to boil a regular egg."

"I'm with you on that one." I said. Then I noticed Buhara next to Gon. He looked kind of antsy about something.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Gon asked.

Buhara didn't answer him. He just looked at Gon, and then at the eggs. I looked at them too. They were starting to…bounce.

"I guess it's time." Leorio said, dipping his net in. We all did the same, as did the other contestants.

I heard Menchi growl to Buhara. "Could you be any more obvious Buhara?"

I giggled slightly. I took the egg out of the net and held it. It didn't look any different…besides the fact that it was gray and spotty instead of brown or white.

"This is a chicken egg," Menchi spoke, holding two eggs. "and this is a Spider Eagle egg. Now taste them and compare the flavors."

Everyone bit into their egg. I did too.

I can't even describe the flavor. It was amazing, I'd never tasted anything similar in my life.

"Hey this is really good!" Leorio cried, chomping on his.

"It has a profoundly rich and creamy texture that almost melts in your mouth. It's almost as if it's infused with the life-force of the Spider Eagle itself." Kurapika said.

I rolled my eyes and messed with his hair.

"Must you always sound like some freaky scholar Blondie?"

"Rhia!" he retorted, pushing my hand away.

I saw Gon offer Todo some of his egg and I smiled. 'He's such a good kid.'

"Okay, 42 of the participants have passed!" Menchi announced. "The second phase is over!"

A roar of cheers went through the crowd. The second phase was over, and now we were moving on. But what was next?

GAHHH! That took WAY TOO LONG! I'm so sorry for you guys, but I've just been extremely busy. I hope you guys like this chapter. Please leave some nice reviews for me! Till next time!

By the way, what do you think it was that spooked Rhia when she looked over the cliff?