The chain had reverted to a normal length, no bigger than handcuffs as they glistened on the ground between them. Kurapika touched his wrist lightly with the tip of his thumb; though the chain was no longer there, the shadow of it still hung around his arm.
"Congratulations," a voice said.
Kurapika looked up at the tree canopy to see the riddler? Clapping slowly and grinning down at them like a hyena.
Instinctively, he summoned his own chains. Kuroro seemed to have had a similar thought as he was flipping, somewhat rapidly, through his book.
"Still feisty I see. Both of you. But you really shouldn't be. I've come in peace for the most part." The riddler hopped to the ground and put a hand in the air. "You remembered everything, which somehow I'm surprised. Though I figured I'd picked good ones when I saw you two. My riddles are anything but easy and they're often nonsensical, leading to nothing or sometimes something. But lest you get too excited, you're not free just yet."
"Yes, we are," Kuroro said, coming to stand by Kurapika. "We're leaving now."
"Ah, don't get testy with me, Spider. I chained you together once, I can do it again in the blink of an eye." The riddler held up a finger. "What goes up and never comes down? You have five minutes to confer with one another about the answer and then you will present that answer to me."
Kurapika frowned. Isn't that the same riddle he told us earlier? "Why do we have to answer the same riddle again? Can't you give us a different one at least?"
"You don't have to answer anything at all. Nobody will ever make you do anything you don't want to do," the riddler replied, flashing his teeth at them. "But if you get the wrong answer, you most certainly will be chained together again for a very long time. And maybe you'll be the one to lose your memory this time, Kurta."
"Pardon me?" Kurapika took a step forward.
"Come on," Kuroro said, snapping his book shut. The older man placed a hand on Kurapika's shoulder. "Let's just think about an answer for a minute, because I think he's serious."
Kurapika flicked his arm away. "We're not thinking about anything, we can take him down together!"
"I don't know about that." Kuroro glanced over at the riddler, who gave them a wry smile. "I don't sense any Nen from him or around him, or anywhere really. That's usually a sign he's hiding his true nature and to conceal that so well from both of us means he won't be an easy foe. Not to mention, we don't have any idea what his Nen ability is, nor the scope of it. More than likely, we already met whatever condition was needed to chain us together again though so running is probably out of the question. And frankly, as much as I don't mind being around you, I do not want to get chained to you again."
Kurapika gave him a look, but he has a point. "Okay, well what's the answer?"
"It's not age, it's not the sun, and it's not inflation," Kuroro said. "Beyond that, I'm not sure."
"What else is there?" Kurapika reached up and pinched his nose, in an effort to help himself think. He figured they had a minute or two remaining. "Time? Greed? High-tide?"
"I don't know," Kuroro said, punctuating each word with an edge. "Yes, all of those things could be correct answers. But that's clearly not the kind of answer he's looking for. It's probably some sort of trick… question."
"One minute remains!" the riddler said. "Tick-tock!"
Grinding his teeth together, what is the answer to this shitty riddle? He shut his eyes, then opened them. There are so many possible answers… could the answer be… "Wait, I think I know the answer," Kurapika said.
"Which is?"
Kurapika leaned forward and lowered his voice. "He said if we answer incorrectly we'll be chained together and that we don't have to answer at all. So maybe the correct answer is no answer."
This time, Kuroro gave him a look, but then his gaze narrowed. "That actually does make sense."
"Times up!" The riddler took a step forward. "Which of you is going to answer?"
"I will," Kurapika said.
"Again? You sure you want to let him answer?" the riddler said, crossing his arms. "He got it wrong the last time."
"I trust him," Kuroro replied and he sounded surprisingly more confident than Kurapika felt at the moment. He wasn't actually sure he knew what the answer was and the more he thought about it, the more it seems too simple.
"Alright, what goes up and never goes down?" the riddler asked. "You get one answer."
Kurapika bit down on his lower lip, trying to ignore the pressure growing between his temples.
The riddler quirked an eyebrow and began tapping his foot along the ground. "Is that your final answer?"
Kurapika nodded.
"Wrong!"
"Are you kidding me?" Kurapika said, his heart rate doubling.
The riddler chortled and held up both his hands. "Of course I'm kidding. Relax, kid. No answer is indeed the correct answer. You see, a simple riddle like that has many answers, all of which could be correct depending on my mood or your mood, so the right answer is always no answer when someone asks you something that doesn't make sense."
Kurapika opened his mouth, because what the hell is he talking about? But before he could formulate a response, the wizened, old riddler turned and jumped up into the tree. He seemed to vanish somewhere in the tree canopy, because when Kurapika went over to inspect the area, no one was up there.
"Good job," Kuroro said.
Kurapika let out a sigh. "I'm just glad this is all over."
The wind picked up, blowing through his hair. When he finally managed to glance at the elder man, Kuroro was standing a few feet away from him, hands tucked away in his jacket and looking less intimidating than he figured he would. Although it was silly, Kurapika assumed he would return to his earlier feelings of hatred once the chains fell off.
"Well…" Kuroro said, clearing his throat. "I have to say, I feel quite unlike myself despite recalling all of my memories. All because of you of course, so thank you."
"You're welcome… I guess," Kurapika replied, looking down at his shoes for some reason. He hadn't thought of it that way, actually. But the Spider would be without his memories and a lot less dangerous if he'd just walked away in the beginning. It's far too late for that, but still… did I make the wrong choice by helping him? But it felt like he'd made the right choice, somehow.
"Well our options at the moment are to either fight one another to death, or walk way." Kuroro grinned.
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "You would really fight me right now?"
"Don't get me wrong, I don't desire to fight you but I'm never one to walk away from a challenge. And you are a challenge in every sense of the way."
"What does that even mean?"
Kuroro shrugged. "Whatever you want it to mean."
"That sounds just like you. But no thanks. I'll pass for today." Kurapika shook his head and let out a sigh. His next words were said with far less conviction than he wanted them to have. "But if we meet again, I'll definitely kill you."
"Looking forward to it," Kuroro replied, smirking slightly. He flipped open his book. "Goodbye, Kurapika."
Somehow, when Kuroro vanished Kurapika felt more relieved than he figured he would. But he also felt another, stranger sensation he didn't recognize until he boarded the train station. Because there was something very solitary about riding the train to the airport on his own.
But he didn't want to dwell on whatever feelings he had for the Spider, because they seemed too complex to be explored on a train ride. Parting like this was likely for the best.
Still, he couldn't shake that feeling of loneliness as he looked out the window and watched the grassy plains roll by slowly.
Kurapika frowned. That feeling of loneliness was very strange indeed.
But he supposed stranger things had happened.
FIN.
AN: Thanks to anyone who read this and left a review. I'm thinking I might write a different version of this where Kurapika loses his memories (jk lol). Stay blessed and covid-free.
