Yikes when was the last time I updated this story? Almost … 1 … 2 … 3 … FOUR MONTHS AGO! That is like last year.

*Smacks head and slumps in the computer chair.*

Man, I didn't plan for it to take this long. Sorry everyone, I really didn't think that my writer's block would last that long.

*Straightens up and dusts my keyboard off.*

Well, that is the past and this is the present! So, why don't we get started on the next chapter?

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Shifting hearts and healing hearts.

The plan was, to stay away from others. However, just like rain clouds can spoil a nice day, you never are able to keep your plans. Just that same, Hisoka's plan of staying away from others and keeping to himself has stopped by Belle and Riku. Riku is a demon, Belle's demon that had been killed by his own father just because he went against some kind of demon law and saved someone's life.

"You weren't betrayed by Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki was betrayed by you the moment you started avoiding him."

That sentence alone hit Hisoka somewhere inside his body. Was it his heart that hurt? He wasn't sure. Nevertheless, he did know that he isn't the only one with troubles.

"Because she is a Necromancer no families wanted to adopt her and no families wanted to foster her for very long. She became sad and withdrawn from the rest of humanity."

Knowing that about Belle's life made him feel like they had something in common. After all, he was really wanted by anyone either. However, he chose to close his heart off. Closing it off made him feel like he could protect it from being wounded once more.

"The more you explore this ship the more you will find out the truth."

Riku's words echoed in the empath's head. 'What did he mean by the more I explore this ship the more I will find out the truth?' Hisoka stared up at the Masts and noticed a pure white bird perched on one end, looking down at him. 'I don't want to find out any truths do I?' He went in through a door.

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"Pardalia, I don't know what to do." Tsuzuki confessed. He was in the med bay area of the ship talking to a woman in her twenties. This Woman's hair is a light blond almost white looking shade. It's long and pulled back into a ponytail. Her hands glowed a light blue as she was healing up Belle's arm.

"I met the boy yesterday," Belle said. "He seemed to be rather lost or confused I don't know which."

"Boys with Auras like his often are lost and confused," Pardalia commented. "It's an empath's heart that can become a double edge sword, making their Aura stronger or weaker. Hisoka's a little bit of both."

A blue jay flew in and sat on the open window. The woman smiled at the little bird. Riku was staring at the door. It was almost as if he wasn't really seeing a door but seeing someone or something else there in its place.

Tsuzuki seems to get sad whenever he thinks about how lonely Hisoka's been and for how long. "I just wish that there was a way for me to tell him that I know how he feels."

"There you go Belle, try not to come back so soon." Pardalia had successfully healed the other woman's arm for probably the hundredth time. Belle nodded and flexed her arm. Pardalia turned to Tsuzuki. "I don't fully know what he feels. I do know that his Aura glows stronger when he is near you and becomes dimmer when he is not near you."

Confused, purple eyes blinked at Pardalia. "What do you mean by that Pardalia?"

Belle let out a tired breath before answering for her. "Dimwit, she means that Hisoka has began to unlock his heart because of you. By doing that he is starting to feel things about you or because of you."

"I think he rally likes you," Riku said with a huge grin. His demonic eyes motioned to the door. "Right, Hisoka?"

Tsuzuki and Belle seemed to have been the only ones who didn't sense him. Tsuzuki stood; walking to the door, he opened it. However, no one was there. He did see a shadow down the hall going out what must have been the door since a door shut; taking away the only source of light there was in the hall. "HISOKA!"

He was about to leave when Pardalia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Not yet. He's not ready for you yet, Tsuzuki."

Feeling as if they stayed long enough, Belle got up off the bed. "Come on Riku, I think that we did enough here. We came to get me mended and stayed for more then that reason. Excuse me, Tsuzuki." They both exited past the Dream Weaver Male.

Pardalia gently guided the man back in. Closing the door, she motioned for him to lye down. "What should I do?" He asked tears filled his eyes. He felt like by not going after Hisoka that he was betraying him again.

"You should sleep, that is what you should do." Pardalia replied. "Some wounds need healing in another way that my power of Biokinesis cannot do. That is something only you can do. Now go to sleep. You hadn't been sleeping well ever since you got on board and I have a feeling your lack of sleep is longer then that."

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Hisoka was on the deck of the ship again. Out of breath and quite upset, he ran his fist hard against the wooden rail of the ship. He didn't know what upset him more. That they were talking about him, or the fact that what they said is true. On the other hand, it very well might be true. Whatever the reason, the fact that he was upset had upset him more. Letting out a hiss, as it was the same fist he had hurt the day before. His knuckles and part of his Index and middle finger had bruising that was from yesterday's punch.

A white Ferret scampered over to him. The small animal stared up at him. "Why do they have to make me so confused?" Hisoka turned his back on the little creature. Resting his elbows on the rail, he sighed. "I don't know what is going on with me. I thought that Tsuzuki betrayed me. Now, I am not so sure." The boy continued on. "I don't even know if I can trust what I am feeling or if it is really me that is having these feelings and not someone else."

"It is you," A small girl's voice said. Startled, Hisoka looked next to him. Instead of finding a White Ferret, he found a twelve or thirteen year old girl with blue eyes and short white hair sitting on the rail next to him.

"ARGH!" Hisoka actually lost his balance and feel backwards when he jumped away from the railing.

Arien laughed. Her laugh had an almost musical sound to it. "I am Arien and I have been watching you all day Hisoka," Arien started to tap her chin while she stopped to think. "Except when you were behind the Med Bay doors. Then I was a blue jay watching and listening to Belle, Pardalia, Riku, and Tsuzuki talk."

"Watching me…" Soon Hisoka realized whom the bird on the mast, the Ferret was that seemed to have vanished when this girl appeared. Standing up he pointed at her. "A shape-shifter…" He stated in disbelief.

Arien nodded. "And you are an Empath." She said that as if it was nothing new. "And to answer your question, first, they are not making you confused your heart is what's confusing you. Second, I don't know what is going on with you either. Finally, the feelings you are feeling come from you. It's not anyone else feeling what you feel, it is you."

Arien pushed herself off the rail. Standing on her own feet, she stretched. "You need to unlock your heart more if you want to pull your emotions together. Tsuzuki has lost sleep over this and I bet you are starting to as well." Arien began walking in another direction.

"It's easy for you to say such things. You and that Pardalia." Hisoka's tone was flat and yet had many emotions in it.

The little girl stopped just six feet from him. "Actually, since my parents rejected me the moment they found out my powers and Pardalia's parent through her in a boarding school when they found her powers it isn't easy for us to say either." She started walking again. "Everyone has troubles Hisoka. It is how you chose to handle it that matters."

Her sadness hit Hisoka's heart and that told him she is being truthful.

"You know, you are not the only one in the world with problems."

"The more you explore this ship the more you will find out the truth."

Now Hisoka was starting to understand what Belle and Riku were saying. He again was left to his own thoughts. 'Maybe I do need to explore this ship to find out the truth.' "And there are just a few more people to find out the truth from."

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Okay, it wasn't my longest story. At least it's starting to make some sense right.

I hope this raised Hisoka up the totem pole just a little bit.

Has anyone noticed what I am doing with each chapter yet?

If not then you will have to just wait and see how it plays out.