Coco: Hey, guys, it's me Coco again. Back with another HxH chapter. I actually redid this chapter a lot. I just wasn't liking how it was going. But I think I finally got it where I want it XD And I hope you enjoy!
"Man, I can't see a thing." Leorio grumbled as he walked several paces behind the others. "'You'll reach the top in two hours,' she said. Well, it was two hours two hours ago!"
Britzany looked back to give the man a sympathetic look as Sephie, Gon, and Kurapika ignored his grumbling. Leorio frowned at being ignored before blinking when he noticed a sign. He read it with his frown deepening.
"Another 'Beware of Magical Beasts' sign." He said with a sigh. "I'm starting to think we're never going to find this stupid exam site."
"We won't with that attitude, Leorio!" Britzany called back to him. "Now come on, before we really leave you behind."
Leorio snorted at her words as the other three paused to look back at the man. His stomach then growled, which reminded him of another problem he was having.
"Guys, I'm so hungry!" Leorio whined as he flailed his arms. "I need to take a dump too! And I think I need to pee! Hey, guys!"
"Try to keep up, Leorio!" Gon told him while ignoring his complaints about being hungry.
Sephie shook her head at the older teen as Britzany moved back to Leorio's side. She handed him some of her snacks then herded him along to where the others stood.
"I wouldn't just share with anyone, ya know," Britzany said as she puffed up her cheeks. "So, consider yourself special. Can't help you with your other…uh…issues though."
Kurapika chuckled at the two before turning back around with his eyes landing on what looked like a small cabin underneath a large cedar tree.
"I think I see it." Kurapika said with a small smile.
Sephie let out a sigh of relief because she wasn't sure how much longer she could have dealt with Leorio's whining. She liked the guy, but she was getting a headache at this point.
"Really?" Britzany asked with a smile. "Let's go then!"
She then took off running with Gon hurrying after her with a laugh leaving between his lips.
"And she's supposed to be the older one," Sephie scoffed though she did jog after the pair.
Leorio and Kurapika followed at more subdued pace, but soon reached the cabin just as the rest of them did. Leorio went up to the door first and knocked as the others stood behind him.
"Hey, anybody home?" Leorio called when no one came to the door.
Again, no answer was given, but Sephie frowned as she felt as if something was off.
"I guess not," Gon murmured.
Leorio hummed before reaching forward to push the door open. The others followed after him, and the sight waiting for them inside had them all stiffening. Sephie quickly took in the damage done to the room along with the injured man on the floor and the Kiriko looming over him. The magical beast also seemed to have someone in his grasp and as he turned, the person in question turned out to be a woman.
"A magical beast!" Leorio exclaimed as they all shifted into defensive stances.
"A what?" Gon asked as he held his fishing pole out in front of him.
"It appears to be a Kiriko." Kurapika explained. "It can take on human form. They're extremely intelligent."
Said Kiriko grinned wickedly at the humans in front of him as he held on tightly to his prey. Despite the situation, the corners of Sephie's lips turned up slightly.
'Finally, an opportunity to test myself against someone who isn't Brizzy,' Sephie thought as she dropped her bag to her side.
She and Britzany have been training since they were children and even when their master left, they continued their training. However, when you only have one opponent for six years straight, it's really hard to gauge your actual skill.
"Looks like this Kiriko has itself a hostage." Britzany commented as she noticed Sephie getting ready to move.
"The man on the floor looks like he needs a doctor bad." Leorio added as he looked to the injured man.
The Kiriko suddenly launched himself out the back window in the cabin while taking the woman with him. Sephie didn't hesitate to shoot herself forward after the creature.
"Sephie!" Kurapika called after her as she disappeared out the window to pursue.
He and Gon hurried to the window and watched as Sephie and the creature disappeared into the forest.
"And there she goes." Britzany sighed as she knelt down next to the injured man to help Leorio.
She carefully turned the man over as Leorio was quickly digging into his suitcase for the medical supplies he needed.
"Please, help," the man begged as he gripped Britzany's hand. "Save her. You have to save my wife."
"You don't need to worry," Britzany assured the man with a smile. "Sephie is already after them. Kurapika, Gon, I'll stay here with Leorio in case anymore Kiriko are lurking around. Please, help Sephie."
She trusts in Sephie's abilities, but that Kiriko might not be the only one out there. She'll need some kind of backup.
"Of course, we'll take care of it," Kurapika said as he removed his bag. "Leorio, see to his injuries."
"Right, I'm on it!" Leorio called back as Kurapika and Gon jumped from the window.
Kurapika and Gon hurried into the forest to try and search for the Kiriko and their friend. All they could really make out were the shadows of the creature and Sephie moving around through the foliage, but even so, Gon kept pace while also making sure not to lose sight of those shadows.
"Hehe, looks like I'm going to get away." The Kiriko, who glanced down at his pursuers, chuckled as he swung from branch to branch.
He then gasped as Sephie, who managed to get in front of him, jumped out from one of the trees beside him.
"I don't think so." She said then whirled around and brought her foot down.
Surprisingly, the Kiriko managed to dodge the girl and a good thing for him too as the kick she had launched managed to cleanly snap the thick branch he had used to swing from off its tree. The Kiriko's eyes widened as he stared at Sephie who had to regain her bearings from missing that kick. She frowned watching him flee as she landed on a tree branch a little farther down.
"Gotta be quicker than that, huh?" She murmured to herself as she scratched the back of her head.
She then blinked as Gon, who also took to swinging and jumping through the trees, jumped by her. She watched him quickly pursue the Kiriko while quite impressed by how agile he was. She wasn't about to be left behind though, which is why she was quick to follow after the two. Down below Kurapika, who was running by the branch she had snapped off the tree, looked up at her with wide eyes.
'How did someone so small manage such a feat?' He had to wonder.
He continued to watch from below as Sephie managed to quickly catch up with Gon. Both of them closing in on their target.
"Hey, Kiriko, let the lady go!" Gon ordered.
"Why don't you try to take her from me?" The Kiriko taunted.
Gon, who wasn't expecting the Kiriko to reply, gapped in shock while also missing the branch he was reaching for. Sephie, who continued moving forward, watched him fall wondering if she needed to turn back. Though when she saw Gon landed safely on his feet, she decided to keeping following the Kiriko.
"You hear that?" Gon asked Kurapika as he easily caught up with the blonde. "It talked! That's amazing."
"The Kiriko is a Magical Beast capable of human speech." Kurapika explained to him.
"Really?" Gon asked. "Well, that out to make this a lot easier."
He then launched himself back into the trees to catch up with Sephie who was closing in on the Kiriko. She looked as if she was about to cut off his escape route again, and Gon moved in to help her out.
"Hey, come here, you dumb Kiriko!" Gon shouted.
His name calling got the Kiriko to look back in annoyance as a growl left his muzzle.
"What?" It snarled.
Though falling for Gon's distraction proved to be a mistake as the two teens were soon right on top of him. Sephie kicked out her leg and nailed the beast in the gut, which caused him to gag and loosen his grip on his hostage. And the strong strike from Gon's fishing pole to his arm, forced the Kiriko to drop the woman all together.
"Kurapika!" Gon called out to the boy.
Kurapika quickly reacted as he jumped forward to catch the falling woman before she could hit the ground. He landed in a crouch while letting out a sigh.
"Damn, that was reckless." Kurapika murmured.
He kind of expected it from Gon, but he didn't think Sephie was the type to pull such a move. He thought she was the more levelheaded one between her and Britzany. Maybe he was wrong. As he looked over the woman, Gon and Sephie kept their eyes on the Kiriko who was rubbing his sore gut.
"Ugh, stupid kids, you're gonna pay!" The Kiriko growled.
He then took off with Sephie and Gon being swift to follow after the creature.
Britzany frowned as she stood beside Leorio who was patching up the husband's injuries.
"Something doesn't feel right here." Britzany said as she crouched down to look at Leorio.
The older teen, who didn't take his eyes from his patient, hummed in reply to show Britzany he was listening.
"Can't you feel it?" Britzany asked Leorio. "The wrongness in the air?"
Leorio finally looked away from the husband, which meant he missed the bead of sweat that rolled down the husband's face as he eyed Britzany warily.
"Wrongness?" Leorio repeated. "Can you be any vaguer? Besides, what do you mean?"
"Hmmm, I don't know." Britzany replied honestly as she crossed her arms over her chest and remained in her crouched position. "Gut instinct telling me something just isn't matching up here."
"I think you're just being paranoid," Leorio told her.
He then went back to tending the husband while reassuring him that his wife would be okay and not to worry. He was actually being quite kind and professional. Britzany was honestly impressed.
"It just doesn't make sense," She continued to mull over their current situation. "Kiriko might be known for being tricksters, but they aren't violent creatures. They're more evolved than that, so why would one just randomly attack a married couple?"
Britzany looked back to the husband while noticing how uneasy he looked. He looked paler than before and covered in a thin sheen of sweat.
"You don't think you could have done anything to anger the Kiriko, do you, sir?" Britzany asked.
"No," The husband said shaking his head. "My wife and I have lived here for a long time, and we've never had trouble with the Kiriko before."
Britzany narrowed her eyes at the husband as she stood back up and looked around the wrecked house. She moved away from Leorio and the husband to shift through some of the mess. She picked up a jagged piece of broken wood and twirled it between her fingers for a few seconds. Then as quick as a snake she threw the jagged piece of wood at the husband.
"Britzany, no!" Leorio, who also noticed the attack, shouted.
Leorio then gasped as the husband, who was supposed to be injured, swiftly jumped out of the way. As he moved, his body shifted and he landed in his true form…the body of a Kiriko.
"How did you figure it out?" The husband—revealed to be Kiriko—questioned.
"My gut," Britzany replied as Leorio looked between her and the Kiriko in utter shock. "And the other little things that just didn't seem to add up. I just felt like you were hiding something. Didn't know you were a Kiriko though, to be honest."
The Kiriko chuckled while not sure if he should be impressed or concerned with this girl's reasoning behind her actions. Attacking him with such little to go on took guts though…he could give her that.
"Then why did you attack him?" Leorio asked. "What if he was just an injured man?"
"I hadn't really thought that far ahead." Britzany said with a careless shrug. "I guess he would have had another injury if he had actually been who he claimed to be, huh? Better safe than sorry though, am I right? Besides, it wasn't like I aimed for anything vital."
Leorio's brow twitched in annoyance as Britzany stood there not seeming too concerned that she could have seriously hurt someone.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Leorio demanded.
"Huh…wrong? Nothing, I feel fine." Britzany said.
"That's not what I meant!" Leorio snapped then whirled on the Kiriko. "And you! What is going on here?"
The Kiriko, who sweat-dropped at the two's interaction, cleared his throat and shifted back into his human disguise.
"I can explain everything." The Kiriko assured the pair. "Shall we wait outside for your friends? I'm sure they'll be joining us soon."
"Where could he have gone?" Sephie wondered as she and Gon stopped on a branch.
They had lost slight of the Kiriko during their pursuit, and now had to wondered where he disappeared off to.
"We didn't lose him, did we?" Gon asked.
Sephie wasn't sure, but before she could reply, they both caught sight of the Kiriko. Though he was quick to move on once their eyes landed on him.
"Hey, wait!" Gon called as he immediately followed after the Kiriko.
Sephie held back for a second though as she frowned. The Kiriko could have gotten away. He had no reason to stop and stick around. They were smart creatures, which means this one was most likely setting a trap. Sephie looked up while deciding to get a better view. She jumped up to the highest point of the tree and looked out of the forest to see the Kiriko sitting on top of a tree as well. Sephie narrowed her eyes as she judged the distance between her and her target.
"Hehehe, you're pretty fast for a kid, you know?" The Kiriko said as it looked to someone—most definitely Gon—below it. "You really hit me. You and—Hey, hold on! One of you is missing. Where did your little friend go?"
The Kiriko went to look around for Sephie, but it was too late. Sephie had already launched herself forward using the top of her tree as a spring board. She shot forward like a rocket and hit the Kiriko head on. The Kiriko cried out in shock as Sephie restrained its arms and sent it falling to the ground with her feet planted firmly in its back. She and the Kiriko hit the ground in front of Gon with a loud cracking noise entering the air as the ground beneath almost seemed to shake.
"You brat, get off me!" The Kiriko hissed.
"Sorry, that's not happening," Sephie as she tightened her hold on the Kiriko's arm. "Maybe you should have been—hey, wait…something seems different about you."
The Kiriko stiffened in surprised while glancing over her shoulder to look at Sephie who was giving her a look of confusion.
"That's because this Kiriko isn't the one we hit." Gon said shocking the Kiriko further. "Are you a friend of his?"
Gon asked this while crouching down to look at the stunned Kiriko who Sephie let go. The girl moved to stand beside Gon as the Kiriko stood up slowly.
"How can you tell that I'm not the same one as before?" The Kiriko asked.
"Huh? Oh, well you look completely different." Gon said. "Your voice is different too. It's higher and kind of thinner."
"Hmm, now that you mention it, I hear the difference in pitch." Sephie said as she scratched the back of her head. "Maybe that's what threw me off? Because physically I don't see a difference. I don't know how, but I could just tell something was different."
The Kiriko looked between them in shock as Gon tried to explain to the older teen how the two Kiriko looked different. Sephie just blinked at the boy since she didn't see any differences in the Kiriko. Though their conversation was cut short when the Kiriko started laughing and quite loudly too boot, which had both teens turning their attention back to the Kiriko.
"What's up?" Gon asked curiously. "Wy are you laughing? Is it something we said?"
"…Maybe I hit her too hard…" Sephie mumbled.
The Kiriko finally calmed down after a few more minutes and smiled at the two in front of her.
"Sorry, I know this all might be a bit confusing." She said. "How about we go back to the cabin and my husband and I will explain everything?"
Gon and Sephie exchanged a glance before shrugging in unison. They weren't sure what was going on, but it didn't seem as if the Kiriko was going to be hostile, so they'd follow her for now.
"Hey, hey, Honey," The Mother Kiriko called out once she led Gon and Sephie back to the cabin. "Come here, you'll get a kick out of this."
As the Mother Kiriko explained what happened to her husband—the Kiriko that Sephie and Gon had hit the first time—she and the boy rejoined their friends at the front of the cabin. Leorio was looking particularly annoyed as he was giving the Son Kiriko a look of irritation. Though overall he nor Britzany had any injuries. The same went for Kurapika as well.
"Heh heh, how many years has it been since someone was able to tell the two of us apart?" The Husband Kiriko asked. "And now we have two at once?"
"I'm so happy." Mother Kiriko said with a giggle.
Leorio exchanged a glance with Kurapika and Britzany behind said two who could tell the magical beasts apart.
"Can you two tell them apart, seriously?" Leorio asked with a frown.
"No," Kurapika replied. "No, not at all."
"Same here." Britzany said with a shrug.
Even when they were standing side by side like that, the trio couldn't see any differences between them.
"Don't you see?" Gon asked. "The Kiriko Kurapika, Sephie, and I hit is actually the husband."
"And the one I took down is the wife." Sephie added. "Still sorry about that rough treatment, Ma'am."
Mother Kiriko just smiled at Sephie as the girl scratched the back of her head sheepishly. She could admit she did go a little too hard when she restrained the female Kiriko. The three behind Sephie and Gon still looked confused, but Father Kiriko moved the conversation along as he and his wife stood to their full heights.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves," he said. "We are the navigators. We are the Navigators. Our family provides support for the Hunters Exam."
"I'm their daughter," Daughter Kiriko introduced herself.
"I'm their son," Son Kiriko, who shifted back into his human form earlier, added.
"Eh, great job," Leorio said. "You sure had us fooled."
"Well, some of us anyway," Britzany teased as she grinned up at Leorio.
Leorio through a look of annoyance at the dark-skinned woman who seemed pleased with getting a rise out of him.
"The exam site moves around," Father Kiriko began explaining. "Keeps it interesting. But that's exactly why they relocate it every year, understand?"
"They hire navigators like us to help by guiding worthy applicants to the examination site." Mother Kiriko added.
"Oh, so that's how it works," Gon said.
It was just another test. Britzany had to wonder how man more of these they'd have to go through before finally being allowed to actually take the exam. She's been having fun, but she's itching for the real test.
"But don't get the wrong idea," Daughter Kiriko spoke up. "We don't help every candidate."
"First we test them to see if they're even qualified to take the exam," Son Kiriko added thus confirming Britzany's thoughts. "Make sure they have what it takes."
Leorio frowned as he nervously straightened up his posture. He felt unease when hearing this was another test as he felt as if he hasn't done anything worthy of passing.
"Mr. Kurapika," Daughter Kiriko addressed the blonde.
"Yes?" Kurapika responded.
"We made certain to give you only the vaguest of hints, but you were still able to pick up on them and determine that we weren't actually a married couple," Daughter Kiriko said while raising her arm to show the tattoos on it. "You only caught a glimpse of my tattoos, but you knew that in this region these tattoos are only worn by women who have taken a vow of chastity."
She rubbed said temporary tattoos from her arm before lowering her arm to her side again.
"Mr. Kurapika demonstrated that's he incredibly knowledgeable." Daughter Kiriko added. "Therefore, he passes."
Kurapika let out a sigh of relief at the news before exchanging a fist bump with Gon when the boy held his fist up. Britzany pat him on the shoulder as well with a grin on her face.
"Mr. Leorio," Son Kiriko spoke up getting Leorio to stiffen up all over again. "You, Sir, unfortunately never realized I wasn't who I claimed to be. Not on your own anyway."
Leorio flinched knowing the Kiriko was right. If it wasn't for Britzany figuring things out, he never would have known.
"However, you dressed my wounds faster and more thoroughly than any doctor," Son Kiriko continued. "More importantly, you demonstrated admirable empathy and kindness by continuing to reassure me that my wife would be okay."
Leorio's eyes widened at the praise before he looked away with a blush spreading across his cheeks. He adjusted his glasses with a frown forming on his face.
"Knock it off, okay?" Leorio said. "It's embarrassing."
"It's clear to me that your compassion makes you worthy of taking the Hunter Exam," Son Kiriko told him. "And so, you pass."
Leorio exclaimed his shock before falling onto his butt on the ground out of relief. His friends congratulated him as he was just glad that he was still in the running to take the exam.
"Ms. Britzany," Son Kiriko addressed the brunette. "Unlike Mr. Leorio, you were able to determine I was an imposter, and with very little to go on. Even with your knowledge on the behavior of us Kiriko, there wasn't enough proof to show I wasn't who I claimed to be. Following your instincts alone, you managed to discover my secret. Therefore, you pass."
His words had Gon, Kurapika, and Sephie giving Britzany a curious look since they had no idea what happened while they were away. Though Sephie was certain about one thing.
"You attacked him without even knowing if you were right, didn't you?" Sephie asked.
"My gut hasn't led me wrong before," Britzany reasoned with a shrug.
Sephie rolled her eyes at the taller girl before looking back to the Kiriko when Mother Kiriko cleared her throat.
"Ms. Sephie, your amazing agility and strength—not to mention quick thinking—shows real talent." Mother Kiriko told her. "You easily managed to subdue me in the matter of seconds and by using such a risky move no less. And you didn't hesitate to pursue my husband when he fled. Your bravery to jump in despite the danger of the situation is commendable. So, you pass."
Sephie thanked Mother Kiriko with a smile forming on her face. As Britzany congratulated the smaller girl, Father Kiriko turned to Gon.
"Finally, Mr. Gon," Father Kiriko began. "Your superhuman physical ability and your powers of observation defy logic. You too are worthy of taking the Hunter Exam. So, you pass."
Gon grinned broadly before giving a laugh when Britzany ruffled his hair. Sephie smiled. Next step would finally be the one. The one…to take them to the Hunter Exam.