Chapter 12
Hisoka stared at the eunuch his age with wide eyes of shock and disbelief. He held onto Koran's hands and looked deeply. The fine light blue strands, parted to one side, and the rest of the thin long strands loosely tied into a long ponytail behind him with a silver clasp. His green eyes reminded him of the leaves and shoots in spring time, set on a face very similar to his own with slanted eyes, high cheekbones, pale features and thin lips that were polished with pink lipstick.
Koran, apprentice to Master Echlan, likewise studied Hisoka's features and felt himself ready to burst into tears.
"You're alive!" they both cried out joyously and hugged each other so tightly that nothing could separate them ever again…except for one person.
"Koran! What's all the fuss about? You're supposed to be…"
Hisoka gave a frightened squeak when he saw Echlan standing in the doorway. "Why aren't you dead!" he exclaimed.
The master of all eunuchs in the Forbidden Palace looked long and hard into Hisoka's face before his own expression darkened to that of a thunder cloud.
"Hisoka-chan! So you've finally returned to accept your punishment for raiding the wine cellar!" he declared sinisterly that made everyone's hairs stand on end. Hisoka gulped.
"How can you remember that! It was 16 years ago!"
"I remember everything." Echlan stressed testily.
"Koran was in it too! He was the one who broke the lock!" Hisoka quickly blurted out. The young eunuch looked at the clown in shock.
"Hisoka! How could you betray me thus!"
"Ah ha! So you WERE involved."
"Eek!" both shrieked and dashed off in opposite directions.
"Oh no you don't!" the master Eunuch unleashed his silks and they danced around the unfortunate victims, finally entangling them tightly and were pulled back towards the menacing old man, whose strange aura was flicking violently around him.
"You two are in trouble! You'll spend the next two weeks washing out the latrines!"
"What!" Koran objected. "I'm the second in command of the Eunuchs! I can't be reduced to cleaning toilets!"
"And I'm not even an eunuch! Damnit you old fart! Get this ridiculous silk off me!"
"Of fart heh? Well let me remind you that there hasn't been an extra wrinkle on my face since twenty years ago! You were a brat, and always a brat! It was all because Princess Kim accepted you without requiring that you be castrated! Come to think of it, now would be a good time to finish what we didn't get done." He turned to Karen. "My lady, if you will lend me a scalpel and some blood stopping medicine."
Hisoka's face turned various shades of blue and his struggles increased a hundred fold.
"Oh my god! Let me go! I happen to LIKE being a real man! Koran! Help!" he yelped in utter fear as Echlan tested the edge of a scalpel on his thumb.
"That's ok Hisoka-chan. It will be quick and painless. Then I'll teach you all my skills and arts too. What's your manhood compared to all the power that you can lay your hands on, short of being a natural nen user?" Echlan closed in with the sharp instrument. Hisoka could only look on with appealing eyes to the group of rather amused people sitting around the dining table happily sipping their morning tea.
"My manhood is everything. Please, please, I don't want this power."
"Nonsense Hisoka-chan. You'll make a good eunuch and help us protect the Emperor. You were once an Arcadian, and now that you have voluntarily returned, I'll pass on all my secrets to you as a reward."
"No, really, I have been doing quite well all these years. Where is hime- sama! She'll set this straight."
Everyone feel uncomfortably silent at this request. Hisoka, along with Koran had been the two eunuchs in training under Princess Kimone sixteen years ago. All that time, he did not know that his hime-sama had passed away, but he quietly guessed at what happened by everyone's solemn silence. Koran's eyes were red when he spoke.
"She died Hisoka, not long after you fled."
"I see." He said simply, eyes downcast in mourning. He gave a little sad laugh. "It's been so long ago that I don't even remember her face anymore."
Echlan sighed and retrieved his silk which somehow fitted snugly in his wide sleeves. "We saved a picture of her Hisoka-chan, the one with you two sitting by her side. It's in the mausoleum in the back courtyard. You may pay your respects to her there while you're at it."
"Can I go too?" Kikyou spoke up. She never knew what her sister grew up to look like. At least with her picture, she could visage the old Kastro family in her mind at last. Kamus nodded and offered her his arm.
"I haven't been for a long time myself. Let me accompany you then." Kikyou took her brother's arm after receiving Silva's permission, but frowned slightly as Killua and Gon also began to follow them.
"Um…we're curious to see how much big bro looks like Aunty Kim."
"Ah, that reminds me. Karen-chan, come along as well. We'll need to borrow your aunt's ceremonial headdress and robe as well." Kamus ordered. His daughter's eyes widened.
"Is it really necessary? Illumi-san has a really nice dress to wear already and – "
"Please don't argue with me Karen." Kamus cut her off abruptly. "If my plan is to work, that man who has been following you must suffer so much shock that he will fumble with his plans so we can finally catch him."
"But father," Karen walked quickly to keep up with her father's large strides through the halls "how could aunt Kim's old clothes shock anyone?"
"The man's name is Liam. Do you remember him?"
Karen's face was blank for she had no recollection, being only four when Aunt Kim passed away. Hisoka and Koran on the other hand, had grim expressions. They remembered a man with golden brown hair parted in the middle, a man who always sported a pair of trendy tan coloured glasses and a roughly shaven face. They remembered a strong man of good nature and a friendly grin who taught them the intricacies of fighting whenever he visited Kastro Court.
"Liam…hime-sama's lover. I thought he was also an officer of the Imperial Court. Why do you need to catch him, like you're talking about a criminal?" Hisoka murmured.
"Because he blames the Kalinnan emperor for Kimone's death. He avoided his duties during the war, and we suspect that he might have been working with the enemy, but that is not proven. However, since the declaration of peace, Liam and his brood have made their vengeful hatred of the Emperor quite clear with several acts and attempts of assassination, trying to stir up dissent amongst the general population and instances of rebellion in the far reaches of the Empire. For the foolish, petty reason of Kim's death." Kamus shook his head regretfully. "He doesn't even truly understand why Kim killed herself…all that struggle for almost two decades…what for?"
"So he's here in this city somewhere?"
"Yes. Informants first warned us of a conspiracy during the Coronation Festival where crowds will be larger than normal with a great variety of people from all over the world. In order to be certain, we had to find a way to lure one of them out into the open. That was when I hired Illumi. It was actually more of a coincidence that I met him wandering about in the Market Square. But he gave me the incentive to start this beauty competition, and we put the publicity into making sure that each wall of every building in Arcadia Central had his face plastered on it." Kamus' gaze hardened. "Sure enough, young Illumi did cause a stir in the city and guards spotted sightings of a man them hanging around in the crowd pits during the open trials, a man whose features were very similar to the picture that we gave. As you well know, the finals are staged indoors at the Auditorium, tickets are required for entry and guards will be placed at every possible exit."
"He won't go, even if he doesn't suspect that there's a trap." Killua failed to see any logic Kamus' idea. But his uncle laughed out loud, a harsh and terrible laugh.
"Exactly, but he's going to go mad wishing that he had, especially after what I'm going to get Illumi to wear tonight. Liam knows that I hired your son Kikyou, but he'll become frustrated, mightily disorientated at how on earth I managed to find someone that looks so alike to Kim. He knows it's a trap, but he can't help it. He'll either track down Illumi or confront me. Either way, he'll be caught."
"Aren't you going to allow for the possibility that he will come prepared when he confronts you ni-chan?"
"Of course not! What's he going to say to his rebel friends? Help me confront the General because I'm interested in this woman that he hired? No, he'll have to act alone and without consulting the other rebels."
The mausoleum came into view. It was nothing as the spooky image that Killua had conjured in his mind when Echlan talked about the tomb. It was standing in the broad daylight, a fine, graceful piece of architecture of columns allowing maximum light to high the altar in the small building.
"Nee-san's body…."
"There is no coffin. Kim…self immolated." Kamus had difficulty uttering those last words, but pain was so common to him these days that it didn't affect him like it used to.
Koran took Hisoka's hand, and like two little boys, they cautiously made their way to the small shrine across the cobbled courtyard, through the still miniature forest of bonsai plants, towards the place of utter oppressiveness.
"Hime-sama's nen…."
"All these plants around here don't need watering or managing. They sit here for all four seasons without changing. It's all around us Hisoka…" Koran murmured sadly and took him up those shallow steps and to the altar, placing a fresh bunch of peony's in his hand. Hisoka thought that he heard the faint sound of a melodious hymn echoing around him, a song of requiem, yet the voices sung higher and higher, reaching for the glorious heavens. He laid the flowers on the dusty altar and whispered a simple prayer, then raised his head to look into the large portrait of Princess Kimon Kalinnan Kastro.
Everyone suddenly felt something around them, almost a fear that grasped their stomachs in a cold iron grip.
"Hisoka-chan!" Koran cried out in alarm. The others, alerted, rushed to see what had happened, only to see Hisoka collapsed in a heap at the altar.
Bright flashes of repressed, long forgotten memory hammered in Hisoka's mind when he saw her face again. A regal and beautiful face with a flowing river of raven hair, eyes of coal, a slim nose and a small mouth, all set on a glowing pale skin. In truth, he freaked at the very similarities between Princess Kim and Illumi, so much that his patchy memory became a violently jumbled mess. And then suddenly, he felt the effects of fate and destiny pulling at him, and he struggled aggressively against the pull, yet could not deny it. It seemed like everything was arranged for him long ago…
He could only mutter Illumi's name before he passed out.
"Oh my god. Killua! That's your brother there in the picture!" Gon exclaimed, nudging Killua to get his attention off the fallen clown to his surroundings instead. Killua stood there, jaws open, hung wide with astonishment. Even Kikyou gave a terrified gasp and rushed forward to examine the portrait closely.
"He looks like nee-chan…exactly." Kikyou stammered in wonder. How could two people look so alike when they lived worlds, thousands of miles apart?
"General, Hisoka must have been hit by a tidal-wave. I'll take him to the rest rooms." Koran hung Hisoka on his shoulder and bowed.
"Killua, follow Koran, or return to your father. I just have a few more things to discuss with your uncle." Kikyou commanded. The kids ran after the eunuch.
==========
"Hey Koran, what's a tidal-wave?"
The young eunuch regarded the boys with slight curiosity, but answered their questions dutifully. "You felt something before? A sickening feeling?" seeing Gon and Killua nod prompted him to continue.
"That was the nen around us, rising up like a big wave and hitting against us. That's why we call it a tidal-wave."
"Why do you get these waves?"
"Only one person can take this fabric of nen around us and use it. That's the Emperor. Something must have happened to upset the Emperor." He sighed and pushed open a pair of light wooden carved doors. Inside were elaborate pieces of tapestry and embroidery hanging on the walls, a small round table in the center of the room with several wooden round seats, and a hard bed at the other side of room. Koran laid Hisoka down gently on the bed and went to fetch a basin of water and a towel. He indicated to a large oak drawer on the right end of the room.
"Could you just take out a uniform for me? The dark blue one in the second drawer." Gon pulled out the bureau and found identical sets of clothes neatly folded into squares, all lying on top of the other.
"Any one will do?" he asked.
Koran nodded and set the bowl aside and drenched the towel. Wringing it dry, he began to dab it gently on Hisoka's face with a strange look in his eyes.
"You envy him don't you." Killua noted.
Koran flicked back aside his long aqua hair and breathed in deeply.
"Us eunuchs hardly ever get to leave the Forbidden Palace. I entered into service when I was only five, and it was only last year did I really get a chance to walk along the streets of Arcadia Central when the Emperor went on a parade. Hisoka on the other hand…he must have seen the world out there, met all sorts of people, done anything that he wanted. Here, hand me those clothes."
"What for?"
Koran rolled his eyes as if it was painfully obvious. "Can't you just see the hideous quality of Hisoka's clothes? I'll lend him these for now, then I'll probably make him something decent…geez…"
Whilst halfway through removing the clown's costume, Hisoka awoke and looked at Koran steadily.
"Put these on Hisoka-chan, and we'll rush out of Kastro Court without Mentor knowing and drink out of any pub that we want!"
Hisoka's smile widened, but then faded when he remembered his duties and groaned. "Shucks, I can't Koran. I've got to fix Illu's hair for tonight and…well…we haven't even decided which style he wants."
"Karen-sama is taking Kimone-hime's headpiece to him. If you don't remember how to fix it on, I certainly do."
"Oh no you don't! I own all exclusive rights to brush Illu's hair!"
Koran's sparkling emerald eyes flashed in challenge and narrowed. He spoke softly. "Oh really? We'll see who's skill is better then."
Hisoka deftly fumbled with his buttons and patted the long robe down. "Hey, perfect fit." He commented. Then he glanced at Koran. "You know, we could probably pass off as twins."
Koran nodded in agreement and started to part Hisoka's hair to one side. "Now, we'll just need to give you a ponytail too…and you'll be a genuine eunuch once more." He shambled to the drawer and from another bureau pulled out a length of hair similar to Hisoka's hair colour. Clasping it on to the tips of Hisoka's hair and applying a bit of nen to make it stick, Hisoka had suddenly sprouted a ponytail.
"Lets go find Karen-sama so we can escort her to the Auditorium."
"We'll say that the General ordered us to for the protection of his daughter." Hisoka added. Koran stared at him with wide eyes.
"Brilliant and very plausible lie Hisoka-chan. You have improved."
"More than you think." The clown responded arrogantly. "I'm a henka type, so it's only natural that I can lie so…fluently."
"After we fix Illumi-san's hair, you will show me the city?"
"Of course Koran-chan." Hisoka glanced at the two kids. "Places where no children are allowed of course…or unless Master Echlan decides to tail us and catch us before sunset."
Killua humphed. "Now you know what it's like to be stalked." He muttered.
Killua and Gon decided to return to the dining hall to finish off their breakfast and noted that Alluka was already missing. Silva informed them that Dr. Faust and his cousin Karen had already begun his operation on Killua's younger brother. Seeing nothing to do after finishing their breakfast, both boys decided to scour the Market Square again for bargains and rarities.
Hisoka stared at the eunuch his age with wide eyes of shock and disbelief. He held onto Koran's hands and looked deeply. The fine light blue strands, parted to one side, and the rest of the thin long strands loosely tied into a long ponytail behind him with a silver clasp. His green eyes reminded him of the leaves and shoots in spring time, set on a face very similar to his own with slanted eyes, high cheekbones, pale features and thin lips that were polished with pink lipstick.
Koran, apprentice to Master Echlan, likewise studied Hisoka's features and felt himself ready to burst into tears.
"You're alive!" they both cried out joyously and hugged each other so tightly that nothing could separate them ever again…except for one person.
"Koran! What's all the fuss about? You're supposed to be…"
Hisoka gave a frightened squeak when he saw Echlan standing in the doorway. "Why aren't you dead!" he exclaimed.
The master of all eunuchs in the Forbidden Palace looked long and hard into Hisoka's face before his own expression darkened to that of a thunder cloud.
"Hisoka-chan! So you've finally returned to accept your punishment for raiding the wine cellar!" he declared sinisterly that made everyone's hairs stand on end. Hisoka gulped.
"How can you remember that! It was 16 years ago!"
"I remember everything." Echlan stressed testily.
"Koran was in it too! He was the one who broke the lock!" Hisoka quickly blurted out. The young eunuch looked at the clown in shock.
"Hisoka! How could you betray me thus!"
"Ah ha! So you WERE involved."
"Eek!" both shrieked and dashed off in opposite directions.
"Oh no you don't!" the master Eunuch unleashed his silks and they danced around the unfortunate victims, finally entangling them tightly and were pulled back towards the menacing old man, whose strange aura was flicking violently around him.
"You two are in trouble! You'll spend the next two weeks washing out the latrines!"
"What!" Koran objected. "I'm the second in command of the Eunuchs! I can't be reduced to cleaning toilets!"
"And I'm not even an eunuch! Damnit you old fart! Get this ridiculous silk off me!"
"Of fart heh? Well let me remind you that there hasn't been an extra wrinkle on my face since twenty years ago! You were a brat, and always a brat! It was all because Princess Kim accepted you without requiring that you be castrated! Come to think of it, now would be a good time to finish what we didn't get done." He turned to Karen. "My lady, if you will lend me a scalpel and some blood stopping medicine."
Hisoka's face turned various shades of blue and his struggles increased a hundred fold.
"Oh my god! Let me go! I happen to LIKE being a real man! Koran! Help!" he yelped in utter fear as Echlan tested the edge of a scalpel on his thumb.
"That's ok Hisoka-chan. It will be quick and painless. Then I'll teach you all my skills and arts too. What's your manhood compared to all the power that you can lay your hands on, short of being a natural nen user?" Echlan closed in with the sharp instrument. Hisoka could only look on with appealing eyes to the group of rather amused people sitting around the dining table happily sipping their morning tea.
"My manhood is everything. Please, please, I don't want this power."
"Nonsense Hisoka-chan. You'll make a good eunuch and help us protect the Emperor. You were once an Arcadian, and now that you have voluntarily returned, I'll pass on all my secrets to you as a reward."
"No, really, I have been doing quite well all these years. Where is hime- sama! She'll set this straight."
Everyone feel uncomfortably silent at this request. Hisoka, along with Koran had been the two eunuchs in training under Princess Kimone sixteen years ago. All that time, he did not know that his hime-sama had passed away, but he quietly guessed at what happened by everyone's solemn silence. Koran's eyes were red when he spoke.
"She died Hisoka, not long after you fled."
"I see." He said simply, eyes downcast in mourning. He gave a little sad laugh. "It's been so long ago that I don't even remember her face anymore."
Echlan sighed and retrieved his silk which somehow fitted snugly in his wide sleeves. "We saved a picture of her Hisoka-chan, the one with you two sitting by her side. It's in the mausoleum in the back courtyard. You may pay your respects to her there while you're at it."
"Can I go too?" Kikyou spoke up. She never knew what her sister grew up to look like. At least with her picture, she could visage the old Kastro family in her mind at last. Kamus nodded and offered her his arm.
"I haven't been for a long time myself. Let me accompany you then." Kikyou took her brother's arm after receiving Silva's permission, but frowned slightly as Killua and Gon also began to follow them.
"Um…we're curious to see how much big bro looks like Aunty Kim."
"Ah, that reminds me. Karen-chan, come along as well. We'll need to borrow your aunt's ceremonial headdress and robe as well." Kamus ordered. His daughter's eyes widened.
"Is it really necessary? Illumi-san has a really nice dress to wear already and – "
"Please don't argue with me Karen." Kamus cut her off abruptly. "If my plan is to work, that man who has been following you must suffer so much shock that he will fumble with his plans so we can finally catch him."
"But father," Karen walked quickly to keep up with her father's large strides through the halls "how could aunt Kim's old clothes shock anyone?"
"The man's name is Liam. Do you remember him?"
Karen's face was blank for she had no recollection, being only four when Aunt Kim passed away. Hisoka and Koran on the other hand, had grim expressions. They remembered a man with golden brown hair parted in the middle, a man who always sported a pair of trendy tan coloured glasses and a roughly shaven face. They remembered a strong man of good nature and a friendly grin who taught them the intricacies of fighting whenever he visited Kastro Court.
"Liam…hime-sama's lover. I thought he was also an officer of the Imperial Court. Why do you need to catch him, like you're talking about a criminal?" Hisoka murmured.
"Because he blames the Kalinnan emperor for Kimone's death. He avoided his duties during the war, and we suspect that he might have been working with the enemy, but that is not proven. However, since the declaration of peace, Liam and his brood have made their vengeful hatred of the Emperor quite clear with several acts and attempts of assassination, trying to stir up dissent amongst the general population and instances of rebellion in the far reaches of the Empire. For the foolish, petty reason of Kim's death." Kamus shook his head regretfully. "He doesn't even truly understand why Kim killed herself…all that struggle for almost two decades…what for?"
"So he's here in this city somewhere?"
"Yes. Informants first warned us of a conspiracy during the Coronation Festival where crowds will be larger than normal with a great variety of people from all over the world. In order to be certain, we had to find a way to lure one of them out into the open. That was when I hired Illumi. It was actually more of a coincidence that I met him wandering about in the Market Square. But he gave me the incentive to start this beauty competition, and we put the publicity into making sure that each wall of every building in Arcadia Central had his face plastered on it." Kamus' gaze hardened. "Sure enough, young Illumi did cause a stir in the city and guards spotted sightings of a man them hanging around in the crowd pits during the open trials, a man whose features were very similar to the picture that we gave. As you well know, the finals are staged indoors at the Auditorium, tickets are required for entry and guards will be placed at every possible exit."
"He won't go, even if he doesn't suspect that there's a trap." Killua failed to see any logic Kamus' idea. But his uncle laughed out loud, a harsh and terrible laugh.
"Exactly, but he's going to go mad wishing that he had, especially after what I'm going to get Illumi to wear tonight. Liam knows that I hired your son Kikyou, but he'll become frustrated, mightily disorientated at how on earth I managed to find someone that looks so alike to Kim. He knows it's a trap, but he can't help it. He'll either track down Illumi or confront me. Either way, he'll be caught."
"Aren't you going to allow for the possibility that he will come prepared when he confronts you ni-chan?"
"Of course not! What's he going to say to his rebel friends? Help me confront the General because I'm interested in this woman that he hired? No, he'll have to act alone and without consulting the other rebels."
The mausoleum came into view. It was nothing as the spooky image that Killua had conjured in his mind when Echlan talked about the tomb. It was standing in the broad daylight, a fine, graceful piece of architecture of columns allowing maximum light to high the altar in the small building.
"Nee-san's body…."
"There is no coffin. Kim…self immolated." Kamus had difficulty uttering those last words, but pain was so common to him these days that it didn't affect him like it used to.
Koran took Hisoka's hand, and like two little boys, they cautiously made their way to the small shrine across the cobbled courtyard, through the still miniature forest of bonsai plants, towards the place of utter oppressiveness.
"Hime-sama's nen…."
"All these plants around here don't need watering or managing. They sit here for all four seasons without changing. It's all around us Hisoka…" Koran murmured sadly and took him up those shallow steps and to the altar, placing a fresh bunch of peony's in his hand. Hisoka thought that he heard the faint sound of a melodious hymn echoing around him, a song of requiem, yet the voices sung higher and higher, reaching for the glorious heavens. He laid the flowers on the dusty altar and whispered a simple prayer, then raised his head to look into the large portrait of Princess Kimon Kalinnan Kastro.
Everyone suddenly felt something around them, almost a fear that grasped their stomachs in a cold iron grip.
"Hisoka-chan!" Koran cried out in alarm. The others, alerted, rushed to see what had happened, only to see Hisoka collapsed in a heap at the altar.
Bright flashes of repressed, long forgotten memory hammered in Hisoka's mind when he saw her face again. A regal and beautiful face with a flowing river of raven hair, eyes of coal, a slim nose and a small mouth, all set on a glowing pale skin. In truth, he freaked at the very similarities between Princess Kim and Illumi, so much that his patchy memory became a violently jumbled mess. And then suddenly, he felt the effects of fate and destiny pulling at him, and he struggled aggressively against the pull, yet could not deny it. It seemed like everything was arranged for him long ago…
He could only mutter Illumi's name before he passed out.
"Oh my god. Killua! That's your brother there in the picture!" Gon exclaimed, nudging Killua to get his attention off the fallen clown to his surroundings instead. Killua stood there, jaws open, hung wide with astonishment. Even Kikyou gave a terrified gasp and rushed forward to examine the portrait closely.
"He looks like nee-chan…exactly." Kikyou stammered in wonder. How could two people look so alike when they lived worlds, thousands of miles apart?
"General, Hisoka must have been hit by a tidal-wave. I'll take him to the rest rooms." Koran hung Hisoka on his shoulder and bowed.
"Killua, follow Koran, or return to your father. I just have a few more things to discuss with your uncle." Kikyou commanded. The kids ran after the eunuch.
==========
"Hey Koran, what's a tidal-wave?"
The young eunuch regarded the boys with slight curiosity, but answered their questions dutifully. "You felt something before? A sickening feeling?" seeing Gon and Killua nod prompted him to continue.
"That was the nen around us, rising up like a big wave and hitting against us. That's why we call it a tidal-wave."
"Why do you get these waves?"
"Only one person can take this fabric of nen around us and use it. That's the Emperor. Something must have happened to upset the Emperor." He sighed and pushed open a pair of light wooden carved doors. Inside were elaborate pieces of tapestry and embroidery hanging on the walls, a small round table in the center of the room with several wooden round seats, and a hard bed at the other side of room. Koran laid Hisoka down gently on the bed and went to fetch a basin of water and a towel. He indicated to a large oak drawer on the right end of the room.
"Could you just take out a uniform for me? The dark blue one in the second drawer." Gon pulled out the bureau and found identical sets of clothes neatly folded into squares, all lying on top of the other.
"Any one will do?" he asked.
Koran nodded and set the bowl aside and drenched the towel. Wringing it dry, he began to dab it gently on Hisoka's face with a strange look in his eyes.
"You envy him don't you." Killua noted.
Koran flicked back aside his long aqua hair and breathed in deeply.
"Us eunuchs hardly ever get to leave the Forbidden Palace. I entered into service when I was only five, and it was only last year did I really get a chance to walk along the streets of Arcadia Central when the Emperor went on a parade. Hisoka on the other hand…he must have seen the world out there, met all sorts of people, done anything that he wanted. Here, hand me those clothes."
"What for?"
Koran rolled his eyes as if it was painfully obvious. "Can't you just see the hideous quality of Hisoka's clothes? I'll lend him these for now, then I'll probably make him something decent…geez…"
Whilst halfway through removing the clown's costume, Hisoka awoke and looked at Koran steadily.
"Put these on Hisoka-chan, and we'll rush out of Kastro Court without Mentor knowing and drink out of any pub that we want!"
Hisoka's smile widened, but then faded when he remembered his duties and groaned. "Shucks, I can't Koran. I've got to fix Illu's hair for tonight and…well…we haven't even decided which style he wants."
"Karen-sama is taking Kimone-hime's headpiece to him. If you don't remember how to fix it on, I certainly do."
"Oh no you don't! I own all exclusive rights to brush Illu's hair!"
Koran's sparkling emerald eyes flashed in challenge and narrowed. He spoke softly. "Oh really? We'll see who's skill is better then."
Hisoka deftly fumbled with his buttons and patted the long robe down. "Hey, perfect fit." He commented. Then he glanced at Koran. "You know, we could probably pass off as twins."
Koran nodded in agreement and started to part Hisoka's hair to one side. "Now, we'll just need to give you a ponytail too…and you'll be a genuine eunuch once more." He shambled to the drawer and from another bureau pulled out a length of hair similar to Hisoka's hair colour. Clasping it on to the tips of Hisoka's hair and applying a bit of nen to make it stick, Hisoka had suddenly sprouted a ponytail.
"Lets go find Karen-sama so we can escort her to the Auditorium."
"We'll say that the General ordered us to for the protection of his daughter." Hisoka added. Koran stared at him with wide eyes.
"Brilliant and very plausible lie Hisoka-chan. You have improved."
"More than you think." The clown responded arrogantly. "I'm a henka type, so it's only natural that I can lie so…fluently."
"After we fix Illumi-san's hair, you will show me the city?"
"Of course Koran-chan." Hisoka glanced at the two kids. "Places where no children are allowed of course…or unless Master Echlan decides to tail us and catch us before sunset."
Killua humphed. "Now you know what it's like to be stalked." He muttered.
Killua and Gon decided to return to the dining hall to finish off their breakfast and noted that Alluka was already missing. Silva informed them that Dr. Faust and his cousin Karen had already begun his operation on Killua's younger brother. Seeing nothing to do after finishing their breakfast, both boys decided to scour the Market Square again for bargains and rarities.