Destiny's Game
"To meet again is inevitable…we are, after all, hunters. We'll see each other again in the most unlikely situations and places." - Kurapika, Destiny's Game Prologue: Parting
Chapter 1: When Paths Cross Again
He walked onwards, not knowing where he is, unaware of where his feet is leading him. All he knows of is where he had been and what things he had done. His quest, his fulfilled vow…
~*~
The sun is setting. In a couple of hours its resplendent light will disappear between the two mountains in the distance. Subsequently the moon would have its turn to share its own splendor, its pale white glow washing over the forests with its soothing radiance, reminding all that night has come, that all should rest and worries be left for tomorrow.
The sky is tinted a soft orange, shade that would soon change to spectral purple, followed by the darkest shade of black come nightfall. Beneath it, on earth, a golden-haired boy is kneeling down in front of a tombstone, one amidst so many others in a neat line. With so many marks of death planted deep into the dirt, the place looked like a graveyard, except that it held not the gloomy temperament common to cemeteries. Lush green grass shoots up from the soil in-between the gravestones, the blades gently bending as a slight wind blew across the prairie. Flowers can be seen in mid-bloom here and there, of all colors and varieties. Trees surround the little clearing, extending as far as the eyes can see, up to the sides of the mountain. All in all, it appeared to be a quiet place in the heart of the forests.
Too quiet.
The young man didn't move from his place, sitting on his bent knees in front of the headstones. His eyes were colored a cold blue ice, wintry sapphire hue angst and loneliness has granted him through the years. Unexpectedly, two rivers of sorrow were streaming down his face, tears of grief flowing freely from his eyes, unchecked. A single sob shook his entire body before he realized this, and he quickly wiped the salty beads away.
He looked down at his hands. There he held two orbs, eyes that had crimson irises, the shade of scarlet so beautiful that it was entrancing. Biting back a cry of unsuppressed emotions, he began digging a hole into the hard earth with his bare hands, causing his fingers to start bleeding. He ignored the pain, continuing the grueling task until the small chasm was deep and large enough to hold the eyes. He gently lowered them into it, shoving the loosened earth on top of them and burying them, patting the dirt with his hands.
He smiled in contentment as tears began to leak from his own red eyes again. That was the last pair. He had avenged his tribe against the Spiders as well as retrieved all their eyes. Bringing his knees closer to his chest, he sobbed into his arms, not knowing what to do next.
~*~
Fulfilled… the thought of actually accomplishing what he had set out to do had been so unreal in the past and yet he had been so persistent, making it the sole purpose of his life. And now he has finished it, after much sacrifice and suffering on his part, he has completed it. His ire served as the fuel to keep him going and the shield of ice that wrapped around his heart to prevent him from feeling anything. Events passed by so quickly, almost coming to the point of being dizzying. Without knowing it, he has quenched his thirst for revenge, but lost everything and everyone as well, including himself.
He shook his head, walking onwards dazedly. Now he has a new quest, to gain back everything that he has lost, remember all that has been forgotten. He treads a nameless road, only knowing that at its end his new life is waiting. That past the beautiful land, the enchanting mountains and the giggles of the windflower, lies his peace, the very country emanating serenity that he has long since lost, ever since a certain person left his life, or rather, he left that certain person behind…
A sharp pain pulled him out of his musings, he felt himself in the air, and heard the startled cry of the man as he had not heard the former blares of warning made by his car. The man had expected him to move out of the way then, but he didn't and the vehicle hit him, his limp body knocked from behind, slamming against its windshield, and then flying over its hood…his vision turning dimmer until everything eventually turned to black.
***
"It's okay, ma'am," Leorio said sincerely as he escorted the teary-eyed woman out of the hospital, the poor lady's cries of gratitude ringing in his ears. He smiled as she finally ambled away and turned around only to meet the exasperated gaze one of the nurses at the hospital was giving him, both hands on her hips. He sighed audibly and raised his hands in a kind of mock surrender. "Okay, Miss Leorio-you-are-hopeless Santos, what blunder did hopeless little me make this time?"
The brunette in front of him finally relaxed, laughing at the antics of the doctor. "Leorio, you did it again," she scolded sharply even while the smile on her lips made a cute dimple appear on each of her cheeks. "You treated another patient for free!"
He smiled as well. "She didn't have any money to pay and I think my salary would be more than enough for the free treatments I've been doing," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not like I have anyone else beside myself to sustain and feed…let's just say that I have my reasons."
Miss Santos only shook her head as Leorio walked past, soft brown curls following the movement of her head, knowing that it would do no good to try and press information out of him. Whatever that 'reason' is, he surely won't tell her or he would have already. Being the youngest doctor in the small hospital, he can be so damn secretive about his past at times.
"And where do you think you're going?"
He froze at the question, his hand already on the knob of the door to his rather small office. Was he supposed to be somewhere else? Had he forgotten an appointment of some sort? Racking his mind and finding no answer, he turned around to look at her and grinned impishly, shrugging his shoulders once more. "Uh…inside?"
The woman eyed him in disbelief. "Aren't you going to take your break? Some of us can't wait to have our duties stilled, you know, and here you are forgetting yours. It's way past lunch and you haven't even eaten it yet, young man!"
Leorio looked on with amusement written on his face at the maternal air about the young nurse. He turned on his heels and walked towards the door if only to please her, calling over his shoulder, "Yes, mommy, I'm going to eat my lunch now and then play later!" Her soft velvety laughter followed him outside.
Making his way to the small canteen of the hospital, he had to pass the entryway to the Emergency Room. In front of it he saw a car, the windshield broken and a slight depression on its metal hood that gave the impression of a thing or body smashing against it. "A car accident?" Leorio muttered bewilderedly, such incidents being quite rare. Forgetting his lunch, he strode over to the room.
***
He paced in front of the Emergency Room, both hands shaking, still a bit stunned that the blond youth managed to stay alive until they got here. Now if only the doctors can save his life…
~*~
The man drove like the devil himself was chasing him, the young boy at the back of his car unconscious but breathing steadily. The glass in front of his eyes was cracked but he didn't care, the wheels of his car almost flying off of the dusty road at the speed he is going.
Where is it? Where is it?
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. The thoroughfare seemed endless to him, stretching to forever. Finally he caught glimpse of it, the next town over and the medium-sized hospital.
Thank you…
~*~
Deciding that his pacing isn't doing any good and only helps to tense him more, he strode over to a nearby bench and sat down, his head grasped firmly by his hands. While wishing that the beautiful teenager be all right, he was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of the door to the outside opening. He looked up to see a young man enter, a doctor he seems for he wore the white coat all doctors of this hospital do.
He watched as he walked towards the room the blond lad had been brought into earlier, reaching for the door when it suddenly opened. He too stood up and managed to make his way over to it just when the doctor who is treating his victim stepped out.
***
Leorio saw the man stand beside him. By the look on his face, he must be the one who was driving the car outside. He turned his attention to Dr. Caritas who has just stepped out of the treatment room. The doctor was shaking his head. "What is it, Dr. Caritas?" he asked in a soft voice.
The elderly man looked up, surprise evident in his eyes as they set on Leorio. "What are you doing here, Dr. Leorio?" Leorio gave his standard response of a shrug and a smile before asking him the status of the patient again. "His condition is stable already, but he has lost much blood. Dr. Remsen is running tests on him now to find his blood type. However…"
"What?" Leorio asked hurriedly.
"It seems we don't have any blood in stock," Dr. Caritas replied, shaking his head again. "Restocking is yet to be done tomorrow."
Leorio looked at the man beside whose mouth was parted a bit with disbelief and grief. The man too shook his head. Leorio stepped forward, calling forth the doctor's attention by tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Take mine."
"What?" he asked, head snapping up.
"Take some blood from me," Leorio answered, smiling. "Don't worry about it, my blood type is O[1]…and I'm pretty sure I'm healthy," he added, giving a small light-hearted laugh.
Comprehension dawned on Dr. Caritas' face and he nodded his head, motioning to the small table at the side of the waiting room. Leorio sat on the chair next to it while the other re-entered the room from which he came from. When he came back, he was carrying some equipment and he quickly strode over to Leorio, sat across the table from him, and drew some blood. The procedure was just about finished when Dr. Remsen appeared, announcing that the victim is blood type AB[1]. Dr. Caritas nodded his head, stood and followed him back into the treatment room. Meanwhile, Leorio noticed that the man left with him, though obviously more relaxed than earlier, still looked something akin to being terrified. He sighed and walked over to the bench to sit next to him.
"Are you all right?" he asked gently. "What happened?"
"I'm fine now, I guess," the man answered, his voice hoarse. He raked a hand through his dirty blond hair and turned to Leorio, his eyes still looking pretty shocked. "I was just driving along this road when I saw him walking a little way in front of me. He looked pretty dreamy actually…so I hit my car's horns at him. It was pretty loud, I thought he would have moved out of the way but…he didn't." His hands started to shake, Leorio noticed. "I ran over him…actually, ran under him is more like it. It was pretty bloody. I guess you saw my car outside?" Leorio nodded his head. "Until now I still can't believe that he lived through that…"
Leorio placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Well, let's just be thankful he's all right," he said soothingly, trying to calm the man down. "Listen, you seem pretty shaken up. Why don't you get a drink or something at the canteen first? I'll call you if there's any news."
The man looked up at Leorio gratefully then nodded his head, standing up and making his way outside. Leorio heaved a sigh of relief at being able to pacifiy him. Who was it again that said he was good at comforting? The…ciceroni during the hunter exam, he remembered, then shook his head to chase the thoughts away. Just then, Dr. Caritas returned.
"Dr. Leorio?" he called when he saw the young doctor shaking his head rather violently. "Are you all right?"
"Uh, yes," Leorio replied, rather embarrassed at being caught at such a senseless act.
"Where's the-"
"I sent him over to the canteen," Leorio answered quickly, standing up. "He seemed pretty worked up…how is the patient?"
"He's fine," Dr. Caritas said, though a look of confusion swept over his façade. "I wonder though…with what he went through and the number of cuts and bruises he acquired, he should have died. Definitely."
'So what the man was saying is true then,' Leorio thought, a new notion occurring to him. 'Maybe he's a nen-user? That's unlikely around this area but…' "Dr. Caritas, may I see him?" Leorio asked, thinking that he would be able to at least tell if the person uses nen or not.
"Certainly, Leorio. You just saved his life with your own blood, haven't you?" Dr. Caritas gave him permission, nodding his head. "Go right in. I'll just get myself over to the canteen and check up on that driver." He waved a hand to him as he exited the room.
"Thanks," Leorio said even though the doctor was already gone. He walked towards the swinging door and placed a hand on its surface, opening it with a push. Dr. Remsen pointed to a curtained section of the room when he met Leorio's eyes and nodded his head. Leorio strode towards it, drawing the light blue curtains back carefully and silently.
On the white bed, still unconscious, lay his lost love.
"Kurapika…"
***
[1] There are four blood types: O, A, B, and AB. Type O can be used by all four while AB can use all four. Uh...get it? ^^
Standard Disclaimers applied. The idea for this fic is by pixie-atme (per usual).
Kura Shorter than the prologue. Gomen nasai. Anyway, I'll be on a family trip this next few days so I might - definitely - not be able to update this fic. I'm sorry again. Next chapter would probably be out this Friday - at most - along with next chapter of Mask and the first chapter of our new leopika fic, Only You. Please review that one too when it gets out. Arigatou and Ja. *bows*
"To meet again is inevitable…we are, after all, hunters. We'll see each other again in the most unlikely situations and places." - Kurapika, Destiny's Game Prologue: Parting
Chapter 1: When Paths Cross Again
He walked onwards, not knowing where he is, unaware of where his feet is leading him. All he knows of is where he had been and what things he had done. His quest, his fulfilled vow…
~*~
The sun is setting. In a couple of hours its resplendent light will disappear between the two mountains in the distance. Subsequently the moon would have its turn to share its own splendor, its pale white glow washing over the forests with its soothing radiance, reminding all that night has come, that all should rest and worries be left for tomorrow.
The sky is tinted a soft orange, shade that would soon change to spectral purple, followed by the darkest shade of black come nightfall. Beneath it, on earth, a golden-haired boy is kneeling down in front of a tombstone, one amidst so many others in a neat line. With so many marks of death planted deep into the dirt, the place looked like a graveyard, except that it held not the gloomy temperament common to cemeteries. Lush green grass shoots up from the soil in-between the gravestones, the blades gently bending as a slight wind blew across the prairie. Flowers can be seen in mid-bloom here and there, of all colors and varieties. Trees surround the little clearing, extending as far as the eyes can see, up to the sides of the mountain. All in all, it appeared to be a quiet place in the heart of the forests.
Too quiet.
The young man didn't move from his place, sitting on his bent knees in front of the headstones. His eyes were colored a cold blue ice, wintry sapphire hue angst and loneliness has granted him through the years. Unexpectedly, two rivers of sorrow were streaming down his face, tears of grief flowing freely from his eyes, unchecked. A single sob shook his entire body before he realized this, and he quickly wiped the salty beads away.
He looked down at his hands. There he held two orbs, eyes that had crimson irises, the shade of scarlet so beautiful that it was entrancing. Biting back a cry of unsuppressed emotions, he began digging a hole into the hard earth with his bare hands, causing his fingers to start bleeding. He ignored the pain, continuing the grueling task until the small chasm was deep and large enough to hold the eyes. He gently lowered them into it, shoving the loosened earth on top of them and burying them, patting the dirt with his hands.
He smiled in contentment as tears began to leak from his own red eyes again. That was the last pair. He had avenged his tribe against the Spiders as well as retrieved all their eyes. Bringing his knees closer to his chest, he sobbed into his arms, not knowing what to do next.
~*~
Fulfilled… the thought of actually accomplishing what he had set out to do had been so unreal in the past and yet he had been so persistent, making it the sole purpose of his life. And now he has finished it, after much sacrifice and suffering on his part, he has completed it. His ire served as the fuel to keep him going and the shield of ice that wrapped around his heart to prevent him from feeling anything. Events passed by so quickly, almost coming to the point of being dizzying. Without knowing it, he has quenched his thirst for revenge, but lost everything and everyone as well, including himself.
He shook his head, walking onwards dazedly. Now he has a new quest, to gain back everything that he has lost, remember all that has been forgotten. He treads a nameless road, only knowing that at its end his new life is waiting. That past the beautiful land, the enchanting mountains and the giggles of the windflower, lies his peace, the very country emanating serenity that he has long since lost, ever since a certain person left his life, or rather, he left that certain person behind…
A sharp pain pulled him out of his musings, he felt himself in the air, and heard the startled cry of the man as he had not heard the former blares of warning made by his car. The man had expected him to move out of the way then, but he didn't and the vehicle hit him, his limp body knocked from behind, slamming against its windshield, and then flying over its hood…his vision turning dimmer until everything eventually turned to black.
***
"It's okay, ma'am," Leorio said sincerely as he escorted the teary-eyed woman out of the hospital, the poor lady's cries of gratitude ringing in his ears. He smiled as she finally ambled away and turned around only to meet the exasperated gaze one of the nurses at the hospital was giving him, both hands on her hips. He sighed audibly and raised his hands in a kind of mock surrender. "Okay, Miss Leorio-you-are-hopeless Santos, what blunder did hopeless little me make this time?"
The brunette in front of him finally relaxed, laughing at the antics of the doctor. "Leorio, you did it again," she scolded sharply even while the smile on her lips made a cute dimple appear on each of her cheeks. "You treated another patient for free!"
He smiled as well. "She didn't have any money to pay and I think my salary would be more than enough for the free treatments I've been doing," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not like I have anyone else beside myself to sustain and feed…let's just say that I have my reasons."
Miss Santos only shook her head as Leorio walked past, soft brown curls following the movement of her head, knowing that it would do no good to try and press information out of him. Whatever that 'reason' is, he surely won't tell her or he would have already. Being the youngest doctor in the small hospital, he can be so damn secretive about his past at times.
"And where do you think you're going?"
He froze at the question, his hand already on the knob of the door to his rather small office. Was he supposed to be somewhere else? Had he forgotten an appointment of some sort? Racking his mind and finding no answer, he turned around to look at her and grinned impishly, shrugging his shoulders once more. "Uh…inside?"
The woman eyed him in disbelief. "Aren't you going to take your break? Some of us can't wait to have our duties stilled, you know, and here you are forgetting yours. It's way past lunch and you haven't even eaten it yet, young man!"
Leorio looked on with amusement written on his face at the maternal air about the young nurse. He turned on his heels and walked towards the door if only to please her, calling over his shoulder, "Yes, mommy, I'm going to eat my lunch now and then play later!" Her soft velvety laughter followed him outside.
Making his way to the small canteen of the hospital, he had to pass the entryway to the Emergency Room. In front of it he saw a car, the windshield broken and a slight depression on its metal hood that gave the impression of a thing or body smashing against it. "A car accident?" Leorio muttered bewilderedly, such incidents being quite rare. Forgetting his lunch, he strode over to the room.
***
He paced in front of the Emergency Room, both hands shaking, still a bit stunned that the blond youth managed to stay alive until they got here. Now if only the doctors can save his life…
~*~
The man drove like the devil himself was chasing him, the young boy at the back of his car unconscious but breathing steadily. The glass in front of his eyes was cracked but he didn't care, the wheels of his car almost flying off of the dusty road at the speed he is going.
Where is it? Where is it?
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. The thoroughfare seemed endless to him, stretching to forever. Finally he caught glimpse of it, the next town over and the medium-sized hospital.
Thank you…
~*~
Deciding that his pacing isn't doing any good and only helps to tense him more, he strode over to a nearby bench and sat down, his head grasped firmly by his hands. While wishing that the beautiful teenager be all right, he was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of the door to the outside opening. He looked up to see a young man enter, a doctor he seems for he wore the white coat all doctors of this hospital do.
He watched as he walked towards the room the blond lad had been brought into earlier, reaching for the door when it suddenly opened. He too stood up and managed to make his way over to it just when the doctor who is treating his victim stepped out.
***
Leorio saw the man stand beside him. By the look on his face, he must be the one who was driving the car outside. He turned his attention to Dr. Caritas who has just stepped out of the treatment room. The doctor was shaking his head. "What is it, Dr. Caritas?" he asked in a soft voice.
The elderly man looked up, surprise evident in his eyes as they set on Leorio. "What are you doing here, Dr. Leorio?" Leorio gave his standard response of a shrug and a smile before asking him the status of the patient again. "His condition is stable already, but he has lost much blood. Dr. Remsen is running tests on him now to find his blood type. However…"
"What?" Leorio asked hurriedly.
"It seems we don't have any blood in stock," Dr. Caritas replied, shaking his head again. "Restocking is yet to be done tomorrow."
Leorio looked at the man beside whose mouth was parted a bit with disbelief and grief. The man too shook his head. Leorio stepped forward, calling forth the doctor's attention by tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Take mine."
"What?" he asked, head snapping up.
"Take some blood from me," Leorio answered, smiling. "Don't worry about it, my blood type is O[1]…and I'm pretty sure I'm healthy," he added, giving a small light-hearted laugh.
Comprehension dawned on Dr. Caritas' face and he nodded his head, motioning to the small table at the side of the waiting room. Leorio sat on the chair next to it while the other re-entered the room from which he came from. When he came back, he was carrying some equipment and he quickly strode over to Leorio, sat across the table from him, and drew some blood. The procedure was just about finished when Dr. Remsen appeared, announcing that the victim is blood type AB[1]. Dr. Caritas nodded his head, stood and followed him back into the treatment room. Meanwhile, Leorio noticed that the man left with him, though obviously more relaxed than earlier, still looked something akin to being terrified. He sighed and walked over to the bench to sit next to him.
"Are you all right?" he asked gently. "What happened?"
"I'm fine now, I guess," the man answered, his voice hoarse. He raked a hand through his dirty blond hair and turned to Leorio, his eyes still looking pretty shocked. "I was just driving along this road when I saw him walking a little way in front of me. He looked pretty dreamy actually…so I hit my car's horns at him. It was pretty loud, I thought he would have moved out of the way but…he didn't." His hands started to shake, Leorio noticed. "I ran over him…actually, ran under him is more like it. It was pretty bloody. I guess you saw my car outside?" Leorio nodded his head. "Until now I still can't believe that he lived through that…"
Leorio placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Well, let's just be thankful he's all right," he said soothingly, trying to calm the man down. "Listen, you seem pretty shaken up. Why don't you get a drink or something at the canteen first? I'll call you if there's any news."
The man looked up at Leorio gratefully then nodded his head, standing up and making his way outside. Leorio heaved a sigh of relief at being able to pacifiy him. Who was it again that said he was good at comforting? The…ciceroni during the hunter exam, he remembered, then shook his head to chase the thoughts away. Just then, Dr. Caritas returned.
"Dr. Leorio?" he called when he saw the young doctor shaking his head rather violently. "Are you all right?"
"Uh, yes," Leorio replied, rather embarrassed at being caught at such a senseless act.
"Where's the-"
"I sent him over to the canteen," Leorio answered quickly, standing up. "He seemed pretty worked up…how is the patient?"
"He's fine," Dr. Caritas said, though a look of confusion swept over his façade. "I wonder though…with what he went through and the number of cuts and bruises he acquired, he should have died. Definitely."
'So what the man was saying is true then,' Leorio thought, a new notion occurring to him. 'Maybe he's a nen-user? That's unlikely around this area but…' "Dr. Caritas, may I see him?" Leorio asked, thinking that he would be able to at least tell if the person uses nen or not.
"Certainly, Leorio. You just saved his life with your own blood, haven't you?" Dr. Caritas gave him permission, nodding his head. "Go right in. I'll just get myself over to the canteen and check up on that driver." He waved a hand to him as he exited the room.
"Thanks," Leorio said even though the doctor was already gone. He walked towards the swinging door and placed a hand on its surface, opening it with a push. Dr. Remsen pointed to a curtained section of the room when he met Leorio's eyes and nodded his head. Leorio strode towards it, drawing the light blue curtains back carefully and silently.
On the white bed, still unconscious, lay his lost love.
"Kurapika…"
***
[1] There are four blood types: O, A, B, and AB. Type O can be used by all four while AB can use all four. Uh...get it? ^^
Standard Disclaimers applied. The idea for this fic is by pixie-atme (per usual).
Kura Shorter than the prologue. Gomen nasai. Anyway, I'll be on a family trip this next few days so I might - definitely - not be able to update this fic. I'm sorry again. Next chapter would probably be out this Friday - at most - along with next chapter of Mask and the first chapter of our new leopika fic, Only You. Please review that one too when it gets out. Arigatou and Ja. *bows*