RoseBlood. It's a book, and it is freaking amazing. If you're familiar with the Splintered series, it was written by the same author, A.G Howard. I swear that author is another me, the way she seems to read my mind. First she writes a series focused on a punk version of Alice in Wonderland, then she comes out with a modern, gothic retelling of Phantom of the Opera. Dear all things Holy, I adore her writing! How can she know what I want before I do? I DON'T GET IT! Anyway, if you haven't heard of her or her books, please, go read them. I have a little gut feeling you might like them.
But first, read my story. It's what you're here for, after all.
I didn't get the time to write that letter. When Killua dropped me off at my room, Wing was waiting to tell us that the principal wanted to see us. Killua went on ahead, but I decided to change out of my sweaty clothes before heading there. As if outside hadn't been bad enough, the room in the basement that housed that alien body, Meruem, had been sweltering.
So now I'm alone, outside the door to Principal Netero's office. I wring my hands as I stare at the dark wood. Killua should already be in there, but….I don't know. After everything that's gone on today, I'm exhausted. And hungry.
"Gistra!"
I let out a yelp when Gon tackles me, knocking me sideways into the door. He grins, laughing as I struggle to regain my balance using the door as my support. "Gon! What are you thinking? Even when you were twelve, you were bigger than me! After how much you've grown, how can you still think it's okay to charge into me like that?"
"I'm just glad you're safe," he defends, knocking me on the head and causing me to wince.
"You guys found Komugi, too, didn't you?" Oh, Leorio's here, too.
"We did," I confirm, prying myself from Gon. "Were you guys called here, too?"
Gon nods. "Something about the two of you going missing."
"This is Netero we're talking about," Leorio points out. "He probably wanted every loose end tied up. Speaking of which, what were you standing out here for? Let's go in."
He reaches past me and my cousin to push open the doors.
Inside, Komugi stands in the middle of the room with Meruem, Kurapika seated in front of the desk where Netero sits. Killua leans against the left wall, raising his eyes when we enter the room.
"Good, we're all here," Netero declares, taking to his feet. "Leorio, if you'd be so kind as to close the door behind you." I flinch when the door shuts with a thud. My feet don't move far from the door, despite the fact that both Gon and Leorio enter deeper into the room. I haven't been here since the beginning of the month, but standing here, it's like the last month hasn't passed. I'm still clueless, still nervous. Still-
Killua moves to stand next to me, his arm grazing against mine. I bite my cheek to contain a smile. Of course it's different from the beginning of the month. Yes, I'm still the anxious person I've grown to be, but I'm not alone.
Netero begins. "From what Kurapika has told me, a teacher of ours has not only kidnapped two of our students, but took the eyes of one and created a living creature powerful enough to potentially destroy the school, or more."
"You also hired a member of the Phantom Troupe," Killua accuses.
"The jobs of our teachers prior to their employment and of our students is none of our concern, I assure you." Netero's gaze locks on something behind me. Curious, I turn to find Corona leaning against the corner silently. "I was aware of both Omokage's and Corona's affiliations before either of them were enlisted, and this did nothing to effect whether or not they were accepted."
"Wait," Leorio stops him. "What's going on? How much did Gon and I miss, exactly?"
"Only everything," Killua grumbles under his breath.
"Omokage kidnapped Komugi, and was holding Gistra hostage, too, when we found them," Kurapika sums up. "Apparently, Omokage's Nen ability allows him to make dolls using people's eyes, and he used Komugi's to make that," he motions to the green creature, "which Komugi's decided to call Meruem."
"And Corona's a part of this how?"
"Pay attention, retard," the girl growls, speaking for the first time since I entered the room. Jaw tight in exasperation, she uncrosses her arms and stops leaning on the wall. Unwilling to explain with words, she just grabs the hem of her shorts. I jump when she drags one side down, Gon covering his eyes and Leorio whistling. Killua just turns his head away, but Kurapika watches without making a sound.
On the bone of her hip, a small, black shape is tattooed onto her skin. A spider, with a zero on its body and too many legs. Although he'd been leering before, Leorio quickly clams up.
"Kur-Kurapika!" He practically shouts the name, waving a pointed finger like a madman. "She's-!"
"If you understand, shut the hell up," she snarls, adjusting her shorts back into place. Leorio's mouth shuts like a snapping turtle's. She resumes her original position and waves to the principal. "You were saying?"
Netero clears his throat. "Thank you for the...clarification, Ms. Hale."
Her face immediately distorts again. "Call me by my old man's last name again. I dare you."
"Ms. Lucilfer, then," the elderly man corrects himself. "Now, you have yet to tell me the current situation concerning the teacher in question."
"He's in Hisoka's care," Kurapika replies.
Killua snickers. "I doubt he's doing anything along the lines of 'caring'."
"Is Omokage still alive?" Netero asks, seemingly undisturbed by the possibility of a dead teacher.
"Who knows," Killua shrugs.
"Dead," Corona pipes up.
"I'll need to work on finding a replacement, then," Netero mumbles, pressing a button on his desk. "Ms. Yorkshire, please begin looking for a new Biology teacher. It would be preferable if we had a replacement by the end of the festival." He releases the button. "That's one thing taken care of. Now, has anyone been harmed?"
"Komugi….she lost her eyes," I inform him, glancing over to where she stands with one hand on the arm of the creature she calls Meruem.
"I'm alright," she hurries to assure the principal. "I don't mind that Meruem has my eyes. He needs them more than I do."
"Then that's just fine," Netero decides. "No one else?" Apparently, we all escaped unscathed, because no one responds. "Then the next order of business. Komugi, do you plan on keeping Meruem here at this school?"
She stiffens. "I"m sorry! I shouldn't have assumed it was okay!"
He chuckles. "That's not it at all. As long as you can keep him under control, he's welcome to stay. I'll make sure he's allowed to accompany you to your classes and such, so you can keep an eye on him. I'll also transfer you, Gistra, to another room so you won't be bothered."
"No." I shake my head, speaking before even processing my words. "I...like rooming with Komugi." Of course, continuing to do so would land me in the same room as Meruem, but I've gotten used to Komugi. Despite her dirty mannerisms and lack of care for appearance, she's easy for me to get along with. She's easy to live with, and a kind person to boot. If I were to transfer rooms, who knows what kind of person I'd be put with. I...got lucky to be paired with her.
He's really going to allow this, though? I'm sure he can sense the power in Meruem's aura. I mean, I can, and I've only been at this for a month.
The principal blinks. "If you insist. If you ever change your mind, just come tell me or Ms. Yorkshire and we'll place you somewhere else. As for the lab in the basement, we'll get some of our staff to safely clean the area. Other than what we've discussed, is there anything else?"
"Yeah." All eyes return to Corona, who's begun walking up to the desk. A foot away, back facing Kurapika where he sits, she stops and supports herself with a hand atop the desk. "I'm dropping out."
Kurapika jolts to his feet. "What are you-"
"I'll be gone before the sun sets in an hour, so get all the necessary paperwork done."
"Hm…" Netero strokes his beard, eyeing the girl before him. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes."
"Corona!" Her boyfriend grabs her arm to turn her towards him, but she yanks away. "Corona, look at me!"
"Why the sudden decision?" the principal questions her. "From what I've seen since you came, you've been enjoying yourself at this school. You appeared to be comfortable enough."
"I am under no obligation to explain myself to you."
She's dropping out? Is she really leaving? Leaving, as in, she'll never come back? She's going with the way things are between her and Kurapika? Cold? Angry? Unfinished? But….that can't be! She needs to make up with him! The two of them….I don't know….I guess they gave me hope. I guess I thought that if two people who're such opposites could find love in each other, maybe even a coward like me could find someone. If such an unlikely relationship formed, couldn't I have one too? But now….it's over?
A warm hand over mine startles me from my thoughts, and I realize I'm crushing the fingers of one of my hands painfully in the fist of my other. My gaze follows the arm to Killua, who casts a worried look down at me.
In a quiet voice just for me, he whispers, "What's eating you?"
Too comforted by the hand to pull away, I let his hand remain on mine as I mumble, "The two of them...are they really going to break up?"
"HEY!" Both of us jump in unison when Corona whirls around to face us, stomping over. Leaning in uncomfortably close, she scowls. "You might think you're being sneaky, but I can hear you loud and clear, girlie. Don't go digging into my business! Who I go out with and when is up to me, and you are by no means close enough to me for me to excuse your digging. I'm not your friend. Bother me more than this, and don't think I'll just let it lie."
"She's an enhancer, Corona," Killua comments, his tone warning. "Your Cancellation doesn't work against her."
She grins. A malicious, chilling grin. "Oh, I could grind her to a pulp easily without Nen." My blood runs cold and tears begin to well up in my eyes. Whether they're formed out of fear for my life, or the crushing feeling of watching the two of them fall apart, I can't say.
Kurapika tries again. "Corona, please, look at me."
"Fuck off, Kurapika."
At her words, Kurapika jerks as if she's just slapped him, and his eyes that had been wavering in color sink into a bleeding red. Something inside me snaps when I read the agony in his expression.
"How could you say that to him?" My voice wobbles, but clench of her teeth tells me she understood my words perfectly.
"What, do you want to die?"
"Corona," Gon attempts to step in, approaching slowly, "why don't you go back to your room for now and think things over?"
A middle finger stops him from saying any more. Her expression dares me to go farther, to say just one more thing. Despite how I would usually back off and immediately apologize, my mouth seems to run on without my consent.
"Look at how much you're hurting him! How can you stand doing that to him?"
"Gistra," Killua murmurs, trying to reign me in. "I think you should let it go."
I ignore him. "How can you be so cruel to someone you adore so much? You spoke so fondly of him! You love him, don't you?"
"Love?" She scoffs. "What does that even mean? Sorry to disappoint you, but love's a foreign concept to me."
"How can you say that?" I sob.
Although still tense, she takes a step back, shrugging. Her head angles down sideways, her eyes closed so she doesn't face or see anyone. "Don't go plastering your expectations on me. That puffy, snotty, crying face is all you get for doing that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few things I'd like to grab before I leave."
"He was going to propose to you!"
She freezes.
She doesn't move, mouth open and ready to say more, but unable to get out any words. Her eyes, however, spring to life. First they widen, then race about along with her mind. Or maybe I'm wrong, and her mind is frozen, too, and her eyes just don't know where to land. Then a shuddering breath wracks her body, and she lifts her head to look at me. What I see in her violet eyes causes the tears already dripping down my cheeks to pour out in streams.
I can't even come close to describing the depth.
Slowly, she moves her arms to cradle herself and shifts her gaze to the floor. Seeing this, Kurapika hesitantly lifts his foot to step closer to her. When she doesn't react, he approaches.
His voice trembles roughly when he speaks. "Corona." He slips an arm over her shoulder to hug her from behind, but she doesn't budge. "Corona...it's true it shocked me. It angered me, it confused me, it...hurt me. If it were anyone else, I might not ever speak to them again, but it was you. Corona, it's been four years since we've met, more than three since….I fell in love with you. Even….even if you are a spider….even if you're the sister of Chrollo Lucilfer….that doesn't change anything. Before I met you, all I had was my hunger for revenge. You changed that, Corona. I love you. I want to marry you. Please…" His voice cracks. "Please, tell me the past four years haven't been some cruel game to you."
It's the irregular breathing I catch first, but it isn't long before her body begins to shake and the tears start to flow. Her hands fly to his arm, clinging to it desperately, and he immediately reacts by dragging her close and burying his head in her hair.
I hiccup, overwhelmed. A tug at my hand is all the warning I get before I'm pulled to Killua's chest. He cradles my head gently as I bawl, my tears staining his shirt.
"I've never seen such a soap opera," he sighs.
"S-shut up!" Corona threatens, hardly scary with her messy face and whiny tone. And the way she still quivers as she clings to Kurapika.
Even through my own tears, though, I manage a small smile. Despite degrading his words, I swear I could hear in Killua's voice an effort not to cry.
I took this chapter and ran with it. It was so much fun to write a chapter like this after so long! The feels! Ah, it's writing like this that gives me the high I crave for. You know, as much as I love writing fanfictions, sometimes I fear I can't do the original work justice. Especially when the work is a masterpiece like Hunter x Hunter. We'll see how I feel I did with this one when I finish the final chapter. Do you guys think I've done well? It's coming, by the way. The end. It's already gotten longer than I'd planned. I hope the end will leave you satisfied, like I'm sure it will leave me.
Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!