Title: Hunter X/1999
Author: nikki (nikkichan0829@yahoo.com)
Chapter: 1/24
Chapter title: A Reunion
Rating: R, for violence
From what series: Hunter x Hunter crossover with X/1999
Genre: Yaoi
Pairing/s: Kuroro x Kurapika, Killua x Gon, Leorio x Machi (I'm not kidding!), Hisoka x Irumi, OC x Karuto, Shalnark x Shizuku, Zushi x Neon, Wing x Menchi
Description: The members of the Seven Dragons of Heaven and the Seven Dragons of the Earth slowly gather with the appearance of the boy named Kurapika.
Disclaimer: Don't own Hunter x Hunter. Yoshiro Togashi does. Neither do I own X/1999. CLAMP does. Don't attempt to sue coz I don't have any money.
Warning: YAOI, enough said. Character deaths.
Author's notes: I won't tolerate flames that tell me that they don't approve of Yaoi. Well, if you looked at the genre and warning, you'd know what you get. If you don't like yaoi, leave, otherwise feel welcome to continue and please review^^. Assassin for a Lover is almost at the end!
This is also AU. A lot of character deaths are to be expected in this fic. *takes out a sign that says, "THOU SHALL NOT KILL THE AUTHOR"*
Candice must be relieved that Kurapika isn't paired with Leorio. Don't worry I'll try to write more of that in the future, just enough to traumatize you for life. Bwahaha!
Lyn, thanks for beta-ing the chapters and the ideas and the names and the… and the list goes on and on.
This story presents some of the weirdest pairings I've ever encountered. Well, I'm not complaining. Makes this story kind of a challenge eh?
~*~
Earth. The only planet filled with life. Dragons filled the sky and disaster struck. In the midst of the barren remains of a once proud and prestigious city, only a large tower remains unscathed.
Seven robed figures stood within the wired framework, watching at the decadence the world had fallen into. One figure stood apart from the rest, his eyes glowing red and his blonde hair being blown about by the wind as he gazed up at the sky, as if dreaming… dreaming of a different outcome.
~*~
It was way past midnight when Leorio was waxing the front porch. Then, an old man came out.
"It's way too early for you to be cleaning the house, Leorio-san."
Leorio stopped, startled. He hadn't noticed the old man standing by the door. He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Oh? Ojiisan, it's you! I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd start my work early and tire myself out." Then he continued waxing the floor.
"The monks said that someone had stolen some loaves of bread from the pantry again." Leorio scratched his head and laughed. The old man continued, "This place is going to be very peaceful when you're gone."
Leorio sensed sadness laced within the old man's voice so he stopped and looked at the old man intently. "What did you say?"
"This place is going to be very peaceful when you're gone." The old man's face was solemn.
"Then you mean…"
"The brightest star has moved, Leorio-san. Therefore, you must also move. You must go to York Shin City and find 'him.' And become his most loyal comrade."
Leorio's face was serious for a moment. "Ah, I see…" Then his face brightened. "Yosh! I won't stop with this," he placed a hand on the floor, "until you could see your reflection on it!"
The old man smiled. But deep down, he was saddened. This was the last time he was going to see this boy. Destiny had a sad and cruel fate in stored for him.
~*~
Somewhere else, a blue-haired girl watched as the wooden boards outside her house cracked and resonated from an unknown force. Her sixth sense told her that the time had finally come. The end of the world was near.
"So the time has finally come," a middle-aged woman spoke. She was dressed in a dark colored kimono with a sad smile on her face. "Come, Machi. Let me braid your hair before you go on your journey tomorrow. It's been a long time since you've last let me braid it."
~*~
A young boy with wild spiky hair nibbles idly at the end of his pen, as if in deep thought. But his thoughts were drifting. He didn't know why. There was just something strange in the air tonight. He could feel it in his veins.
He tried concentrating on his homework by moving outside the house. Nature always had calming effect on him. His house was secluded from the town. It was located right in the middle of a lush forest.
A large brown bear loomed over him as if menacingly before engulfing him in a literal bear hug. Well, it wasn't a particularly big bear. It was probably as big as a large dog. His bear had been with him since he was small. It had stopped getting bigger after reaching its current size.
The boy laughed into the bear's fur. Then the bear tensed as if sensing something. It growled in one direction.
"What is it, Higuma? What's wrong?" [1]
Higuma did not answer him. He padded over to the other side of the house and sat beside the boy's grandmother. She was calmly gazing at the stars and wasn't even shocked to have a bear sitting right beside her. She was not alarmed. Higuma was no ordinary bear. He was calm, tame and sometimes even wiser than humans.
"Gon, it is time. The stars have started shifting towards the brightest star in the sky."
The boy, Gon, looked at his grandmother in shock at first then let out a whoop. "Yatta! I get to go to York Shin City! Higuma did you hear that?"
His grandmother watched as Gon chatted away excitedly with the brown bear. She gazed at the sky and silently hoped that the innocent boy will not meet the tragic fate that he was foretold to have.
~*~
"Hai, okaasan. I will be back next week," a young man with long black hair said monotonously into the phone in the phone booth. He was wearing a black, sleeveless turtleneck and black fitted pants. He had a long black coat over it. Needles can be seen strapped to the insides of the coat as he shifted his stance. "I'll be visiting Karuto-chan's grave."
"Oh? That would be wonderful, Irumi-san," the woman on the other side said in a dull tone. "It's good you're coming home. Your brother, Killua, is getting out of hand. Miruki doesn't really have the strength to hold him in line, you know. Your father is out on business at the moment."
"Hai. I will get to that as soon as I finish the next assignment. Ja," Irumi ended the call before his mother could say anything more. He sighed. He was tired of living this monotonous half-life. He got out of the booth and started walking down the street.
Blood… A young magician gaving him a feral grin… taunting him… "Irumi-tan…"
Irumi closed his eyes and shook his head. Those images just keep coming back to him. He tried so hard to forget… but…
The wind blew strongly, whipping his long hair about him. He looked about him, sensing a familiar Nen. Something flew by him and landed on the floor in front of him. It was a joker card, depicted by death. Only one person had this trademark. There was no question about it.
Irumi closed his eyes and brought his hands out of his pockets. The Nen reaction of the markings on his hands was strong for they glowed brighter than they've ever glowed in the past. It was the mark of an inverted star.
To most, that was what they saw. To his family, it was a disgrace. To him, it was a constant reminder of his mistake, his loss, his weakness and…
The wind swept up the card but Irumi managed to catch it between two fingers. He gazed longingly at the card before slipping it into his pocket.
~*~
A girl wearing a netted top and short shorts descended the stairs. She was being called down to work. The customers had been waiting. Why not? She was the head chef after all.
She twirled her knives in anticipation. She loved cooking. It wasn't just a something done for people to eat. It's also an art to be perfected and appreciated. Too bad not too many people know that.
Mid-step she stopped by the window and saw "The Eye." It was the dreamer's eye. Ryuen had finally come.
~*~
Wing came to back to the office with a smile on his handsome face after an assignment. The ladies sighed as he passed by. He stopped by the manager's desk and the manager chuckled.
"That's a nice looking tie, Wing-san."
Wing looked at her blankly before smiling back and saying, "Ah. It's a gift from my daughter. It's cute, don't you think so?"
He gave her a closer look at the tie. It had chibi octopuses all over it. It did look out of place with his attire. He was wearing a long sleeved, white polo shirt that was tucked out on one side and black fitted pants. It made him look like he had haphazardly dressed but that wasn't so. His shirt was always tucked out on one side. It was his trademark.
"That's sweet of her. You're really lucky, Wing-san." Then she waved him off to get back to work.
As soon as he sat down, Wing noticed his laptop's monitor had flashed the dreamer's eye. He looked at the now empty screen, dazed. So, it has begun.
Automatically he stood up and prepared himself to leave. "I have to go home early today. I promised my daughter that I would finish reading that story for her," he murmured softly to himself.
~*~
Neon, a very famous dreamer, sat down in her protective circle under the Nostrad Mansion. Even though her father had left York Shin City on urgent business, his clients still kept on coming to see her.
Just to know their fate, they would pay extravagant amounts of money. It was silly to her. Their fates were merely a fraction in gravity compared to "The End of the World."
She closed her eyes and dreamed. She was looking at Earth from the outside. The earth shook as seven red dragons ravaged it. The Earth cried out in pain. Answering to her cries, seven green dragons descended from the heavens and all the dragons collided in a fierce battle.
The end of the world was near.
~*~
A young blonde-haired boy covered in a cloak, easily mistaken for a girl, gazed at the city beneath him. The city was vaguely familiar to him from this view on top of the tallest five-star hotel in the city. But somewhere in the middle of all those buildings is the little district he had once lived in…
"Kurapika! Come on! Let's play!" Two dark-haired smiling children waved at him.
Kurapika shook his head. This isn't the time to think about these things. He had something to do and it was for the best that he get it over quickly and leave. He smirked as his eyes glinted red under the moonlight.
"York Shin City… Mother, I've come back as you told me to."
Then he jumped from the building ledge and disappeared into the shadows below.
~*~
Shogo Mudou was praying in the shrine when he felt the wind come in through the door. He was a man in his late forties yet fate had been kind that he did not look as old as he really was. Despite a few strands of white hair, his hair was still black. His eyes were as dark as night yet wise and knowing. He knew he had closed the sliding doors as he came in. Then he sensed a familiar yet at the same time unfamiliar Nen.
He stood up and took the cloth-covered sword from its place on the wall. A look of pain crossed his features as he remembered a memory from six years ago.
"Kurapika."
A shadow stepped out from behind one of the supporting pillars. "Mudou-san."
"I know why you've come."
"Then you must know that you must give me the Holy Sword right now. I have no intention of staying here long."
"Oh?" Shogo's expression was grave. "I cannot give you the sword."
"What?!" Kurapika's eyes flickered from blue to red and vice-versa.
Shogo set himself into a defensive stance and pulled the knotted cord from the sword. The cloth that covered the sword gracefully floated down at his feet. The sword was impressive. Intricate designs covered the hilt and one large ruby gem stood out in the middle. The blade was thick yet at the same time it looked delicate.
"If you want the sword, you'll have to get through me."
Kurapika sighed and shook his head. "I don't really want to hurt you… but… if this is how it's going to be… so be it." Kurapika's eyes glowed and he attacked.
~*~
A pretty and delicate girl with long, flowing, raven hair sat in class fiddling with her pen. She could have easily been passed off as a super model based on her looks. She absent-mindedly stared outside, feeling that something was going to happen. Then, the girl next to her dropped her eraser. She bent over to pick it up for her.
"Thank you, Kureiko-chan," the girl whispered.
The teacher chose that moment to call her attention. "Mudou-san, please read the second scene of act two, lines 114 to 122 of 'Romeo and Juliet' for the whole class."
Kureiko smiled at the teacher and stood up. "Well, do not swear. Although I enjoy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, too like the lightning, which both cease to be ere one can say, 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night! This bud of love by summer's ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet."
When she finished, some boys sighed while the girls glared at them and the teacher went on to explain the lines in depth for the students. A flock of birds flew by her window, catching Kureiko's attention. She looked down at the gate and saw a blonde-haired boy wearing the school uniform. It was nothing out of the ordinary except that she felt like she knew this boy.
A closer look at him proved it so. Her eyes lit up, her bright amber eyes glowing with happiness. It was Kurapika-kun! He looked all grown up. It had been six years since they've seen each other. Just then, Kurapika looked up. The blue hue of his eyes was so deep that she drowned within its depths.
Then Kureiko woke up. It was just a dream? She smiled, feeling that something good was going to happen today.
"Kureiko, it's time to wake up or we'll be late for school!" She heard her brother shout from downstairs. She giggled. Her brother was always so serious.
"I'm up, oniisan!" She got out of bed and started to get ready for the new day.
~*~
Kuroro Mudou, in truth, was not a very patient man. But when it came to his sister, Kureiko, he found that his temper could go a long way. He had chin-length raven hair that seemed to keep flying away. The girls think it looked sexy while he thought that it was unruly. His eyes, he got from his father, were as dark as sin, as some girls described it. He was tall which is a good thing since he loved playing basketball and sports in general. But that didn't mean that he couldn't read a few good books when he had the time. He sighed. His sister was making some last minute hanging of laundry out back.
He leaned on his bicycle and watched his father sweeping the leaves on the ground, occasionally glancing at his arm. His brows furrowed. He noticed that his father's forearm was bandaged. He would have to ask his father about it later. He glanced at his watch. It was getting late.
"Kureiko! We have to go! Else we're going to be late!"
"Hai, hai, oniisan!"
A delicate, raven-haired girl emerged from the house, went over to their father and kissed him good bye and ran over to him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, oniisan!"
Kuroro smiled at her and shook his head. "It's all right. Let's go."
~*~
Kureiko sighed as she sat behind her brother on their bike as Kuroro pedaled away. "I had a dream last night."
"Oh?"
"It wasn't like the others. It was a good dream. I dreamt that Kurapika came back." Kureiko found herself smiling wistfully.
Kuroro himself smiled at the mention of Kurapika's name. They haven't seen the boy in six years. "If you say so, it must be true."
"Oniisan! You're teasing me! I only dreamt it." Kureiko blushed. "But I hope it comes true."
Kuroro looked straight ahead. "Kurapika ne?" I hope so too.
~*~
Kurapika sighed exasperatedly in the tunnel. Someone had been following him since he arrived and it put him in a really bad mood. He stopped walking, knowing there was no one else around except for the ones following him.
"Why don't you cowards just face me and get this over with? I have no time to play games with you. You're going to make me late for my first day in school."
Suddenly, shadow figures emerged from practically everywhere. They were faceless, merely puppets hiding beneath dark robes. Through his eyes, that was what Kurapika saw. He looked around to see if there were any civilians. There were none. He saw no reason to hold back.
His eyes turned crimson, a beautiful shade had it not been coupled with the murderous look on his handsome face. He clenched his fist and chains materialized out of nowhere. It surrounded him, protecting him from the attacks made by the puppets.
Then Kurapika let the chain loose from his middle finger, hitting most of the puppets in a single swing. The puppets attacked him in earnest, shooting at him with guns and slashing at him with swords. Bullets either fell lifeless to the floor or were deflected back to where they came from. As he attacked and evaded, his eyes never failed to notice that there was something amiss.
In a surprising move, he jumped high and landed right behind a particular puppet, producing a long needle and tipping it at the puppet's throat.
"I'm in a really bad mood today, so I'm giving you three seconds to stop your toys from attacking me. One, two –"
The man beneath the dark robe trembled and said, "O – okay, I understand." And with that, the puppets beneath the robes dissipated, leaving their "skin" behind.
"How could you tell that I was the one controlling them?" the man asked in awe.
"I may not have noticed how you joined the throng of attackers but I did notice that you were the only one always evading and dodging right behind them. It was easy to see which one had a mind of its own and was afraid to die."
"Impressive," the man mused.
Kurapika growled and nipped the man's neck with the needle. "Tell your master, whoever the hell he is, to leave me alone… Or the next time, I'm going to pay him a visit and kill him."
Then he pushed the man away. The man looked at him one more time before leaving him behind, disappearing as soon as he reached the crowded street.
~*~
"Is that really 'him?' I find it hard to believe that such an ill-tempered boy could be 'Ryuen.' He didn't even create a barrier. His technique may be impressive but it doesn't prove his identity," a boy obscured by the shadow provided by the tree he was perched on.
"That's what we're here to find out," a girl with her hair tied in a ponytail, also obscured by the shadow of the tree, said.
The leaves of the tree rustled around them from being blown by the wind. Had anyone looked, the two figures had already disappeared.
~*~
A pretty and delicate girl with long, flowing, raven hair sat in class fiddling with her pen. She could have easily been passed off as a super model based on her looks. She absent-mindedly stared outside, feeling that something was going to happen. Then, the girl next to her dropped her eraser. She bent over to pick it up for her.
"Thank you, Kureiko-chan," the girl whispered.
Kureiko froze and thought that it was strange. Everything was like deja vu to her. The teacher chose that moment to call her attention. "Mudou-san, please read the second scene of act two, lines 114 to 122 of 'Romeo and Juliet' for the whole class."
Kureiko smiled at the teacher and stood up. "Well, do not swear. Although I enjoy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, too like the lightning, which both cease to be ere one can say, 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night! This bud of love by summer's ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet."
When she finished, some boys sighed while the girls glared at them and the teacher went on to explain the lines in depth for the students. A flock of birds flew by her window, catching Kureiko's attention. She looked down at the gate and saw a blonde-haired boy wearing the school uniform. It was nothing out of the ordinary except that she felt like she knew this boy.
A closer look at him proved it so. Her eyes lit up, her bright amber eyes glowing with happiness. It was Kurapika-kun! He looked all grown up. It had been six years since they've seen each other. Just then, Kurapika looked up. The blue hue of his eyes was so deep that she drowned within its depths.
"Ah, Mudou-san. You may sit down now." The teacher's voice broke her reverie.
"Ah… Hai, sensei." She sat down and looked out the window again wistfully. Kurapika was gone.
~*~
"Go, Mudou!"
A soccer ball went flying straight into the goal as the goalie ducked for cover. The ball tore through the net and went even beyond the soccer grounds.
Kuroro said evenly, "I'll get it." Then he left to retrieve the ball.
The other boys rushed over to the goalie. "Phinx-san, are you all right?"
The other boy was shaking. "I thought I was going to die!"
Everybody just laughed and gave him pats on the back. The shortest one of the boys came over and kicked him in the ass literally, sending him sprawled on the ground.
"You're such a wuss, Phinx."
Phinx glared at him. "Feitan! Teme…"
The other boys watched gleefully as Phinx and Feitan made their usual fight, usually ending with both of them in detention.
As if on cue, the coach finally came over and shouted, "Phinx! Feitan! Detention after school!"
~*~
Kuroro was deep in his thoughts when he picked up the soccer ball. He heard footsteps coming closer and he looked up. The sight shocked him to the core. His heart hammered in his chest.
"Kurapika…" Kuroro whispered.
Kurapika just looked at him and brushed past him, entering the school building without as much as a second glance. Kuroro watched him disappear into the building. Was that really Kurapika?
Kuroro smiled to himself and sighed. Kurapika had finally come back. Then he chuckled as he slowly made his way back to the soccer field where the teacher was still raising the detentions Feitan and Phinx were going to take, as the two boys refused to end their fight. [2]
~*~
The bell rang, signaling for recess. Everyone was relieved to be able to get out. Kureiko wasted no time in going through every second year classroom, looking for the familiar blonde.
She sighed disappointedly when she failed to find him. Then she heard some girls gushing.
"Oh he is so cute! You just got to see him!"
"He's got blonde hair and the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen!"
"Too bad he's not that sociable…"
All three girls sighed miserably. But they all started gushing again when they saw a blonde-haired boy going up the stairs.
"Oh there he is!"
"He's so cute!"
"I wish he could be my boyfriend!"
Kureiko ran towards the stairs, shouting, "Chotto matte! Chotto matte kudasai!"
The blonde-haired boy paid her no heed and continued ascending the stairs to the roof. When Kureiko finally reached the roof, she was already out of breath. She glanced around and finally saw what she was looking for.
He was holding onto the wired fence looking far away, the wind blowing through his hair. Kureiko took a deep breath, her heart beating fast. She hoped that she was right. That this boy really is Kurapika-kun.
"Anou… Are you Kurapika, Kurapika Ryuen?" She tentatively stepped forward.
The boy stiffened at the name and looked at her. She was rewarded with the sight of blue eyes looking directly at her but her blood chilled when she saw the indifference etched on his face.
"I was right! You are Kurapika! It's been a long time! Remember me? It's me, Kureiko Mudou. We used to play together with my brother at the Togaku Shrine." She tried to mask her nervousness.
Kurapika leaned onto the fence behind him and said, "Don't come near me."
Kureiko froze, confusion evident on her face. "Huh?"
"I said, 'Don't come near me.' I'm not the boy you knew six years ago. Leave me alone. I don't ever want to see you again." Kurapika's voice was like cold steel. It sent a tremor through her body.
Kureiko didn't know what to do. She was disappointed that the boy she had been waiting to come back for six years now was this indifferent jerk right in front of her.
"Then… I'm sorry to bother you then, Kura – Ryuen-san." She turned around and walked away.
~*~
Kurapika watched her go. He sighed as soon as she was out of sight. Then turned his attention to the sky, glaring with his eyes glowing red.
He jumped to the top of the fence, balancing effortlessly. The wind blew strongly around him.
"How long are you going to keep following me?!"
The wind around him shifted, hitting something in the air. It glowed red for a moment before disappearing completely.
Kurapika calmed down a little and chuckled to himself. He recognized the sign. It was the dreamer's eye. He had just returned to York Shin and things were already happening so fast.
~*~
Neon was concentrating on watching using her Nen. She was muttering a few inarticulate syllables then suddenly a strong wind threw her nearly out of her circle.
She laid, sprawled on the floor dazed. She hadn't expected Ryuen to be that strong.
"Princess, Princess! Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Her twin companions spoke at the same time.
Neon shook her head, saying, "No, I'm fine. My Nen was just reflected back at me, that's all."
Kurapika Ryuen, the future of Earth is in your hands. Please save it from the end that is approaching.
~TBC~
Author's notes: Err… this is awfully weird for me to be writing. Kinda weird ne? Well, I'm not really complaining. I finally got to write this all down. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Notify me of any inconsistencies. Please review!
[1] Well, I'm not really sure of what the bear's name was in the series so I just invented one.
[2] Sounds like an auction eh? Hehehe…
