An Amusing Interlude: Part 11: Companions – In which Quoll and
Kurapika discover one of the hazards of their relationship.
By
Deborah
(Kosagi) Brown
Hunter X Hunter is copyright Yoshihiro Togashi. Quoll and Kurapika aren't mine more's the pity.
I hurry up the pathway past well-remembered landmarks. That tree there, a rock over there shaped like a squirrel. That spot, where I last saw my best friend.. It will be so good to get back, to return to the one place where I most belong. The place my soul calls home.
Except there is an odor. A stinking burning scent of overcooked meat. The sound of flies, buzzing so loudly that the noise is practically a vibration in the skin. As I round the corner and step into the meadow just outside the gateway, with its message of kindly welcome, I see why.
The corpses are scattered everywhere. From here all the way up the trail into the village. I run, run past the dead, seeing faces I know and others I should know but for the horrible damage. Each and every one of them are dead. My family. My friends. My entire tribe – wiped out as if they'd never existed.
Some are slashed in half. Others broken. Still others shot to death. One thing, however, is consistent. Each and every one of them are missing their eyes.
***
KURAPIKA:
I sit up fast, gasping for air, the memory of that day
sending shudders through me. As I turn my gaze on the man who caused that
horror I see him sitting up in his bunk with a sharp cry. He's gasping as well,
struggling for breath and looking near ready to scream. I can sense his eyes
trying to turn, the power within him attempting to break free. Sweat dampens
his black hair and his pale face is drawn and exhausted. It is the horror in
his expression that hits hardest though. A horror that cuts off my own anger. I
can forgive what happened to my people but I fear I can never truly forget the
pain. Neither, it seems, can he.
Before I can say anything the sound of someone rushing up the steps to the caravan Quoll and I share and the curtain is thrust sideways. Marva, the leader of the Kal gypsies glares into the tent. "That," she says with quiet anger, "Is quite enough of that. From here on, the two of you will not sleep at the same time."
I think my stare is echoed perfectly by my companion. "What?" he says, sounding a bit more stunned than I suspect he means to.
"The two of you will not sleep at the same time. Your dreams and nightmares are bad enough for yourselves. I refuse to have them shared with the entire camp." She is, I suddenly realize, dressed for sleep – the heavy cotton gown and kerchief rumpled and twisted around her plump body. I realize too that my mind is focusing on the little things because what she has just said isn't something I really want to think about.
Despite this, however, I am still the first to say, "Share? Our dreams our nightmares?"
"Damn." Quoll twists around and puts his head in his hands. "I should have realized." His voice holds a sense of horror at its depths, as if something has been confirmed that he does not want to accept.
I wish I understood. Or rather I don't want to believe what I do understand. I don't want to admit any of this to Marva, however. Instead I bow to her and – in as humble a voice as possible – apologize. "We will do as you ask, ma'am."
"See that you do," she says huffily as she clambers back out of the caravan. Once she's gone I turn to my companion and wait for an explanation.
QUOLL:
My head is aching and the only thing I really want to do
right now is thrust it into a bowl of cold water up to the neck. Possibly not
bothering to come back up. Marva's revelation has hit hard and I'm not at all
sure how Kurapika is going to react. And why does it terrify you that he
will run. That he will reject you entirely? The answer is something I ought
to try and examine, but I can't. Not right now.
In the silence between us, I tense, waiting for anger. Waiting for the rage I'm sure is going to be aimed my way. And since when did it matter so much?
Rather to my surprise, Kurapika merely says, "I don't want to believe what this implies, but. We're linked somehow, aren't we?" His voice is utterly quiet and very calm. A forced calm, I'm certain, but a very real one, none the less. I nod, still not looking at him and he continues, "Then that dream I had when we were in the car. That was yours?"
I have to think hard to even remember the dream. It's one I have so often that it had barely registered past that morning – especially considering that it had been interrupted by our dealings with the police. "Yes," I agree. "If you dreamed that you were being trained that was mine."
"And the day before. Back at the village. The dream where I ripped your eyes out Mine." He sounds sick, as if he hates thinking even his subconscious would be so vicious.
I hurry to reassure him. "Could have been mine, too. You're not the only one whose dreamed of that before."
"The point remains. We've formed some sort of linkage." It startles me to find him so calm about this. I was sure he would be screaming at me, blaming me somehow for what has happened. I nod again, startled at how miserable I'm feeling. It isn't the link that bothers me, but the knowledge that he must loathe it with all his heart.
There's a long silence and I wait for him to get up. Wait for him to leave. He does rise, but only to say, "Of the two of us, I think you may need more sleep right now. We'll have to work out a schedule, of course, but that can wait until we're both clear-headed."
I listen to him walk to the door and can't help but say, "Kurapika."
"It's my fault. I pried too deep. I forced the link. I didn't realize what your eyes could do and now I'm paying the price." He pauses. "I'm sorry, Quoll. The only one to blame for this is myself. You would never have allowed this to happen if it had been up to you." As he leaves the 'van he adds, "Get some rest. We can talk later."
KURAPIKA:
I take a deep breath of cool morning air. The plains
where the Kal live aren't especially like the forests where I grew up, but it's
far more pleasant to me than the hustle and bustle of the city. I almost think
that – when this is over, if it ever can be – I will return to the
woods and stay there.
Seeing Marva standing over the cook fire I go to join her. "I apologize," I tell her quietly. "Neither of us realized that we were sharing dreams. We certainly didn't realize we were projecting."
The old woman eyes me, deep blue eyes of a color that the sky might have bled meeting mine with an intent gaze. "Indeed," she agrees. "Such I realize. None the less – as long as you are among us – you must take adequate precautions. Your friend is a fighter and skilled. He will do well enough on the night watch."
I nod agreement. "We'll never be able to sleep at the same time again," I add. "I don't want to inflict such dreams on anyone and – the two of us have issues that may never be fully resolved."
A strange smile crosses Marva's face as she hands me a bowl of porridge. "I doubt many would have the same problem as the Kal," she notes. "Yet – with issues such as yours – keeping your dreams separate for the while would be wisdom."
I would puzzle out her odd comments, but the sound of children squabbling interrupts my thoughts and causes me to turn. They are young, two small boys that remind me so much of myself and Jurik that I'm lost in memory for a moment. By the time I even remember my questions the camp has woken and is continuing on its way.
"The airfield is a day's travel," one of the men tell me as I help him with the horses. "By noon tomorrow, given no troubles, we will arrive."
"Given no troubles?" I have to ask. "What sort of troubles are likely?"
He grins, a broad, spirited smile that somehow reminds me of Gon. "The authorities do not love us, though they usually leave us alone, in return for the proper bribes," A chuckle escapes him. "And, of course, there are others who roam these hills. Bandits, mostly small and with better sense than to attack a full group of Kal. The only such with equal numbers have learned quite well to respect our abilities."
I look at him. A light skinned man, dark haired, with the same intense blue eyes as Marva's. A kinsman of hers, perhaps, though there is something else about those eyes that make me feel as if I ought to know them. I shake off the thoughts. I know nothing of the Kal. My travels when I left home for training had not taken me so far south. Perhaps I am only seeing something familiar because my mind wants to connect. I like these people, like their lifestyle and their customs. I could, I think, live among them happily if they allowed it.
Don't be nonsensical, Kurapika, I scold myself. The Kal aren't as insular as my own tribe – several of the clan seem to have once been outsiders after all – but they weren't likely to accept some stranger who had just wandered into their midst as one of them. Besides. You aren't one of them. You never can be anything but Kurota.
I climb up onto the caravan and glance through the curtains at Quoll. He's tossing and turning, but doesn't seem aware of my presence. I realize that the link bothers him a lot more than he wanted it to and I think I even know why. It isn't something he wants to admit, I suspect, but he is a man who needs contacts, needs people around him, even if it's just one or two well trusted friends. Somehow, despite everything that ought to say differently, he has formed a peculiar friendship with me and it matters to him if I am angry with him.
I'm not, though. I'm angry at myself. I did this to both of us. He would never have allowed what happened on his own. I have learned a lot about his personality in the last few days and while he may need and want friends, he also needs to keep a part of his Self separate and secure. It has to do with his Eyes. It has to do with how he was trained. I've made him vulnerable in a way that he never thought possible. In a way that I'm certain he can hardly bear. I have to force back the shame I feel for what has happened between us. For what I have done to us in my determination to get answers.
"Are you waiting, perhaps, for the sun to rise high above our heads, that it will cast no shade?" one of our new companions asks me. "We ride. Now." His visible eye, night black and deep, meets mine with a calm consideration that makes me think of the way Quoll, somehow. Its color, no doubt. He is older than Quoll though, with a long, thin and well tanned face, a patch hiding the other eye.
"Now Karik, allow the boy some leeway. He is new to the task and may have trouble remembering that the horses go before the cart," someone says from among the other side. Startled out of my reverie and deeply embarrassed, I cluck at the horses and start the caravan moving.
QUOLL:
Despite my best efforts, it's difficult to fall back asleep
and when I do it's a restless one. It's only when the 'van begins moving that I
finally sink into a deeper sleep. Dreamless, for which I am grateful, since I
think this is the first such sleep I've had in a long while. At last I awake
and if I am not fully refreshed, I am feeling a hell of a lot better than I was
earlier.
The 'van is still moving and I push the curtains aside to find Kurapika in the driver's seat. "You have hidden talents," I comment wryly. "Do you want to nap a while? I think I could take over."
"That's all right. I'll nap some this afternoon." Kurapika's voice is thoughtful as he scoots over to make room for me. "Quoll? I'm not upset with you, if that's your worry."
I glance at him and get a reassuring nod in return. Not a full, friendly smile, but that would be too much to hope for, no doubt. "A bit," I have to admit. "This isn't really a state of affairs I'm prepared to deal with. Having you as an enemy was easier. I knew where I stood. Now I don't know how to deal with you." The admission startles me as much as it obviously does him. "I'm not smart and savvy about everything," I add, a bit exasperated with my own reputation. "And you have to admit, this isn't the usual kind of thing a thief deals with."
After a moment he laughs softly. "Nor a Hunter," he admits. "Did you get a good sleep? You'll be on night watch."
I nod. "Enough for that. Don't suppose there's some food?"
One of the Kal riding beside us, a man with a direct and stubborn look in his remaining eye, makes a gesture behind him. A minute later someone comes riding up with a loaf of bread and some meat. "Until we camp for the night," he says, "That will have to be all."
"T'is enough, T'will do," I answer. "Thank you."
"Mmph. Tonight we will see if you earn your keep. We are close to Maz territory. Those siiteri have a new leader who may need reminding that the Kal bend to no one." He eyes me, as if considering my abilities carefully. "You look like nothing, but appearances are deceiving. I hope – in your case – they are."
I bow slightly and he returns the bow with a similarly mocking edge to it before he rides forward to check something in the next 'van up.
"Karik's job is to protect the caravans," Kurapika says quietly. "I think he's worried about something." A faint frown makes me wonder if Kurapika is as well and I ask him as much, eliciting a wry smile. "Yes. The word he used siiteri is almost like a Kurota word, sitri."
"Viper. Yes, it does sound similar." Considering that for a moment, I note, "Well, the Kurota didn't just descend from the heavens onto their mountain. I'd be deeply surprised if there weren't some linguistic commonalities among your people and others from this region. They dress similar to Kurota too, if a bit more roughly and with more brilliant colors." I have to force myself to speak lightly, not letting myself think too hard about what I'm saying or about the Kurota.
Kurapika looks suddenly terribly sad. "I wish my people hadn't been so insular. I wish they could have formed relations outside the clan. Did you know that Jurik and I were the only children? That there hadn't been any others for over a decade? There are over fifteen kids he Quoll? Are you all right?"
It's with an intense effort that I fight back the moan of pain. "Ku" A boy's voice in my mind. Let's go play, Kura Come back soon, Kura!
"What? Is the food bad? Is there something wrong?"
"Have you forgotten that. I can't think about them?" I close my eyes, struggling to force the memories his question has woken back. They want release but I can't let them. Not yet. Not ever, perhaps. Not when I cannot assimilate all that I have stolen.
Kurapika whispers, "I'm sorry. That was stupid." He reaches out to squeeze my shoulder in a reassuring gesture and I'm rather surprised to find myself calming down. "Very stupid," he continues. "I know what you're carrying up there and I go and ask you a question certain to make you think of it. You better now?"
"For now," I agree. "Kurapika. The answers to your question are in Comet Star City. Until then Please be patient."
KURAPIKA:
The rest of the day – when I'm not napping in the
back – is spent carefully avoiding the subject of our mutual dreams, our
past and our destination. Instead we simply pay attention to the landscape,
Quoll with a bit less appreciation than I, I suspect, and help out where we
can. It is Quoll who points out – to my chagrin – that healing
assistance risks bringing our pursuit down onto the Kal's heads. Fortunately,
there don't seem to be any members of the clan in need of medical assistance.
"Although, if the Nostrad's don't know one of your chains has healing abilities, we may be safe enough. It's too bad my own nen doesn't include such things, since I don't think they can trace us if they don't know the nature of our skill," he adds as we join the rest of the clan around the fire for supper. "Marva? It's up to you. Considering that it was part of our bargain with you, I'll understand if you want to call it off."
"To tell the truth," the old woman says quietly, "Your abilities to heal are not as important to us as your abilities to fight." She considers the two of us as we take our meals and sit beside her. "Karik has mentioned to you that the Maz may cause us problems tonight."
I nod. "But who are the Maz?"
"A gang of thieves," Quoll answers and smiles wryly at my raised brow. "When you're in the business I am, it's always best to know the competition. We've never been in a position to deal with them before – unless my friends helped you with them the last time?"
"No. At that time the Maz chief knew us and knew we were not to be trifled with. This new one – a man named Brilue – believes himself immortal, or would like those who follow him to believe it. We have had signs that they may have been convinced to test themselves against us." She shrugs. "T'is always a risky thing, to listen to the fortunes. We do not seek out trouble. Nor do we assume every word of a possible future is what it seems to be. So – for now – we are simply more wary than we would be ordinarily."
With a nod, Quoll glances at me. "I have had some experience with prophecy," he tells her. "It seems to me that one might just as well do what one is going to do and deal with the consequences, rather than try and work out every possible nuance of a particular phrase." He shakes his head, looking at me. "Every instinct told me I should have gotten the hell out of Dodge – I mean York Shin," he tells me more quietly. "If I'd listened, you might still be on our tail, but I think we would have been safer."
He's probably right, too. I would never have been able to trace them, especially if they did end up in Star City. I turn to Marva, deciding that it would be better to focus on the current situation than on the past. "Quoll is probably the better fighter of the two of us, but I'll do my best." It occurs to me that I'll be operating under a handicap. My healing skills are certainly not known to the Nostrad – I had never used them in any of the Family's presence – but the others aren't quite so secret. Well, except for Chain Jail, which I've only used on Ubo and Quoll.
"If it comes to that," Quoll disagrees, "You'll stay in the back lines and help heal. I mean, I think you should, at least." He looks embarrassed, as he realizes he's trying to boss me around again. I really am going to have to find a way to break him of that, I think, shaking my head at him. "You can't use your nen. You're a good fighter, but you really would be better off staying back."
"I agree," I tell him. On one hand, pride wants me to ignore the sensible path, but I didn't make it this far by allowing my pride to rule me. At the moment it's Quoll who's better equipped to handle a fight without bringing our pursuit down on us. "Just don't use the skill you stole on the plane."
He crosses his arms. "Teach an old woman to suck eggs while you're at it," he suggests, looking mildly offended. Then he grins and I am forced to grin back in return.
QUOLL:
I kneel in the shadows and listen closely to the sounds of
the night. I don't like the wilderness but that doesn't mean I can't operate
there. So far I've heard nothing out of the ordinary. My other senses are
stretched as well, just as are those of the others who share my watch. It
intrigues me, sometimes, to see how many nen users there are in this
world – especially considering how hard the authorities work to keep the
knowledge suppressed.
Never mind that. Something at the edge? I glance over at Karik, who nods. He's caught a whiff of it too. I gesture at myself, then out into the darkness, giving him a questioning look and he shakes his head as he moves out into the shadows himself. It's strange, not to be in charge, but I remind myself that I don't have any position among these people. Though I do enjoy them. Wouldn't necessarily mind being one of them, if it weren't for their damnable fondness for nature.
Karik is good. I can't seem to find him with my gyou. More, there's something odd about the way he's disappeared. I didn't feel any nen power at all. What the hell? Curiosity has me longing to try and follow, to find out what he's doing, but sense says I should stay at my post. I'd be pretty mad at my Spiders if they went off in the middle of a possible attack.
A few minutes pass, then Karik fades into view. "They are there. Many more than I would have expected. It seems their leader has managed to convince them of their superiority. They wait for a sign, I think. I will tell the others, then we will make our way to their leader and demonstrate to him that he is not nearly so immortal as he thinks." He beckons one of the others over and whispers quietly into his ear.
Great. More waiting. I'm beginning to chafe at the inactivity and I realize that I'm almost looking forward to the action. It will, I think, distract me from my other troubles. The realization bothers me. I need to stay cool-headed, need to maintain control of myself. I can't afford to behave like Nobunaga or some of the others by fighting as like a maniac.
"Attention." My thoughts are distracted by the words. The man Karik had called over is speaking aloud, so loudly in fact that I nearly reach out to grab him and shut him up. Except when I turn to look at him, his eyes and his mouth are completely closed and I realize the truth. He's projecting his thoughts!
KURAPIKA:
"Attention."
The voice in my ear is so utterly clear that I think someone is right beside me in my bunk. Except I'm alone. It takes me a moment to realize that it isn't really speech but telepathy. ::The Maz surround us. It is as we expected. Their leader sits to the south. Karik and the stranger will slip past to engage him. The rest of you are to hold the defenses and permit none through.::
The sense of someone's thoughts in mine is startling. The only other time I've felt such a thing is when Quoll mind-spoke me so many days ago, using his eyes. The feeling is similar, though this time I don't feel anything near the rage I'd felt at Quoll's thoughts in my head. The Kal have their own secrets, it seems. Now, however, is not the time to question the situation. I slide out of my bunk and look out into the darkness, watching the adults making their way to their posts and I move to join them, taking the position I'd been told to go to, if we were attacked.
::They go now. Prepare.::
Marva's voice is projected in the same way. ::Tell Karik not be overconfident, I feel that he is expecting this to be easy.::
::He understands and wishes you to know that he knows how to suck eggs as well.:: I suspect Karik must be embarrassed, but I can't exactly blame him, considering the caution has to have been shared with everyone in the camp. I don't know why, or how, it is that I am included in this link, but – in a way – I'm glad. It means I know what's going on.
::The stranger will go last, using his nen as his abilities are not advanced enough to permit him to conceal himself with his other skill.:: I wonder what they mean by his other skill. They can't possibly mean the Eyes, since I can't think of any way the Ruby Eye, or whatever one wants to call what Quoll has, could help in this situation. Something that causes everyone around it to go berserk isn't a thing that could be used for sneaking around, after all.
Silence falls around us and I wait, wondering just what is happening and wishing I'd been permitted to accompany the guards. The danger somehow seems preferable to being one of those who must stand back and wait.
QUOLL:
Using my Skill book and the ability to be invisible, I make
my way past roughly dressed men and women wearing knives and guns. My senses
are spread as far as they can be, but I simply can't find Karik anywhere.
Whatever it is he's doing, it's damned good. I wish I knew what he meant about
my other skill not being advanced enough, because I really could use an
ability like his.
Worst of it is, even if the rules of hospitality didn't deny me a chance at stealing it, whatever it is isn't nen and I can't take it. I shove the thought aside. I'm getting close to my target. Karik has decided I'm to be the distraction, while he comes in behind the Maz chief and attacks, so I seek out the man – a short red-head standing at the center of a group of men – and, once I'm in position, show myself.
"WHAT? Where'd he come from?"
The bandits are pretty well startled and confused by my presence, but they are quick enough to recover as they leap at me. My benz knife flashes in the firelight as I flick one after another and drop them. At the same time I hear Brilue yelling angrily and I see Karik flashing in and out of visibility. Then I have to focus on my own fight.
Dodging one blow gives me a chance to roll nearer. Karik may have asked for a distraction, but he certainly didn't tell me to stay out of his fight. As I appear in his field of view he gives me a sharp nod and switches attack styles. He's staying to one side of the man, allowing me to concentrate on the other side.
Something's not right, though. Something about the way the bandit chief moves isn't quite what I'd expect out of a small timer. It's like he's hiding something. Something familiar. As he dodges and my knife slashes his arm, I realize what it is. I've fought someone like this before.
"Zoldick."
The man swings around and yells, "Attack. Attack the caravan. I can handle these two until you get hostages!"
I swear as I roll out of Brilou's way. Admittedly his orders are an obvious ploy and one the others are ready for, but I still would have preferred to finish this here. Great. Just great. These Zoldicks barely blink at poison and they're bloody good. I'd nearly gotten my ass wiped across the floor by Illumi's father and grandfather that one time. Of course, I was goofing around trying to steal gramps' nen ability but – despite the compliment he'd paid me at the time – I knew it would have been a difficult fight to win even if I hadn't.
Blasts of energy, similar to the one I stole, similar to what old man Zoldick had used on me then are striking the ground, sending me flying and reminding me quite forcefully that this is not the time to go off on a tangent. On Brilou's other side, Karik is spinning out of the way of another blast and he shouts at me, "Can't waste any more time. We have to stop him now."
Brilou says nothing, just keeps blasting at us and dodging and ducking our blows. He's very effective at keeping us back. Can't get him with just fighting skills, I think, drawing out my Skill book and flipping through the pages fast. It's unfortunate that there's no cliff to toss him over, or I'd just teleport him out of the way. Equally unfortunate is the fact that he's keeping his mouth tightly shut about what he's doing. I can't steal his skill if he isn't stupid enough to explain it. Damn. I may have to use those plasma bolts after all.
"Stop fooling around with that silly nen. Open your eyes!" Karik growls at me angrily.
"What?" I leap out of the way of a particularly nasty strike and roll back to a standing position. "My eyes are" My words break off as I catch sight of Karik's face. In the firelight I initially think it's just a reflection, but then I feel the power. The Ruby Eyes. No. Not the Ruby Eyes. Like mine. Exactly like mine.
My thoughts are broken off as a blaze of blue-green light knocks me for a loop and sends me flying.
KURAPIKA:
I gasp, feeling the flow of energy in the distance. It's
far enough away not to be a danger, I think, but for some reason Quoll has
released his Eyes. No. No, damnit! You can't have been that stupid! It's
strange, though, I don't feel upset by it the way I was before. Perhaps the
fact that it isn't nearby, or the fact that it isn't aimed at me, is enough to
keep it from being a problem.
As I start to my feet the sense of strangeness grows. No, that isn't Quoll. There's a different quality to this power. A control to it that Quoll doesn't have.
"Karik must have run into trouble," Marva says grimly. "He wouldn't use the Opal Eye otherwise."
"The Opal Eye?"
She looks at me, surprised expression on her face. "Of course. Like your friend's." When she sees the stunned look on my face, she frowns. "You don't understand. Did your clan forget about that skill entirely?" Shaking her head, she pats me on the shoulder. "Later then. This is not the time to consider such matters. Karik and your friend are fairly strong – even if the lad is less well trained. They should be able to handle the problem and" She points off into the darkness, where the sound of running feet is growing louder, "we have our own."
A minute or so later we are inundated by rough dressed men and women and I am dodging and evading and hitting. I have to avoid using my nen of course, but against most people I have enough skill to do what has to be done.
I am beginning to realize that my impression of kinship with these people is not an accident. I can feel others using the Ruby Eye, though I see only one or two whose eyes glow the way mine do. I grab up a whip, swinging it as I would my chain and using it to bring some of the attackers down. That explains it. They must be some distantly related clan. It's a kind of shock to me, but it pleases me as well. It means that not everyone of my blood is gone. To be the only Ruby Eye in the world was a terrifying thing. Even the fact that Quoll – sort of – shared my nature, was cold comfort.
A part of me is still stunned that the Kal seem to regard Quoll's eye as perfectly natural. I have to wonder what that means. There are a lot of questions to be answered and when this fight is over, given we survive, I intend to ask them.
In the meantime, though, I can only hope that Quoll survives whatever he's doing up there.
QUOLL:
"Boy. Wake up! Snap out of it. I need your help!"
Karik's voice is angry and I feel hands on my shoulder shaking me hard. "What You" I open my eyes and look at him, see the way his one eye is glowing, blazing with shifting colors, flickering reds and blues, greens and yellows. "You're"
"Get up," he says grimly. "Get up and use your Eyes. I can't fight him alone. He has too strong a will, and I'm weaker than I used to be, with only one eye to focus through."
I shake my head. "I can't. Don't you understand? I can not to that!" Energy blasts over our heads and we're forced to roll apart.
"You stupid boy! Why the hell not?" Frustration colors the Kal man's tone and I can't understand how he can be in such control of his Eye when he is so utterly furious. "Do you understand that we are going to get killed if you don't cooperate with me?"
"I can't control it!" I yell angrily back and feel him flinch back from me. Damn. Losing control. I grab onto my ten and hold onto my pulse as tightly as I possibly can. If I lose hold of the Eyes now there's no telling what will happen – not when there's another, just like me – so close at hand. My grip is lost momentarily as I'm forced to dodge. Normally I could handle a situation like this but I've had far too many shocks lately. Kurapika making me relive that day. Discovering our minds our linked. Finding that I'm not nearly as unique as I thought. All is putting me so far off balance that it won't take much more to force me into releasing my power.
Brilou shouts, "Are you two going to fight? Or shall I kill you where you stand? Stupid fools. Did you really think you could beat me?"
He's beginning to boast and under other circumstances I'd use the crack in his armor to work him into talking about his power. I'm too busy trying to fight down my own, though, to worry about anything other than avoiding his strikes and keeping my Eyes from destroying us both. Karik is probably safe. He seems to know how to hold his power in, but when I blow it's going to be bad.
Hands grab me by the shoulders and spin me around to face Brilou. "Open your goddamned EYES!" Karik shouts in my ear. I try to shake my head, but he continues shouting. "I'll keep it under control. Trust me, boy. I know what I'm doing!"
I'm past fighting it. There's been too much to deal with and I'm so very tired. I open the Eyes, fully expecting to be blasted by the thoughts and memories of those around me. Fully expecting to rip their minds free and destroy them. The power flows through me, striking out and I can feel something trying to keep me under control.
::Damn boy. Who the hell trained you?:: I am barely aware of Karik's question, though, as the anger and pain that I contain within me struggles to break free and shred everything in sight. Blasts of nen energy are striking the ground around us, deflected by the energies flowing around me and – recognizing the enemy – my power twists towards him, grabbing at the bolts he's firing at us and reflecting them back with all my strength.
I barely hear Brilou's scream. The power is too much for me. It's taking me down and dragging Karik with it. Knew it. Knew it We're going to die.
KURAPIKA:
The sense of power in the distance shifts and this time I
know it's Quoll's Eyes that have opened. I know to that despite Marva's
lack of worry about what she called the Opal Eyes, that Quoll isn't anything
remotely resembling safe.
I can feel it in him, the confusion and anger and pain that is roiling through his mind, parts of him that he has very carefully locked away in the depths of his subconscious and kept under tight control. Parts that, once freed, are a flood of emotions and memories that he can't deal with and can't fight back down. He's drowning in it this time and I can 'hear' his mental gasps as he goes under.
Panicked, I reach out to him. He's become a friend, not close, but someone whose death would matter to me. We've injured each other but we also have a lot in common and I know I can't leave him to fall into the darkness trying to drag him down. "QUOLL. DAMN YOU DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! YOU STILL OWE ME!"
Distance is meaningless. The fact that we are yards apart equally so. Our minds are linked and I have a feeling we could be on opposite sides of the planet and still be able to reach each other. My Ruby Eyes are flaring as I grasp at him, drag at him, force him back out of the quagmire into which he's descending.
Somehow I do it. Somehow, exhausted nearly to the point of blacking out, I bring him – and Karik – back. As I feel his Eyes fade into nothing, as our link drops into stillness, I know he's fainted.
QUOLL:
The sound of a motor hums in my ears, echoing the ache in my
head. I'm sitting, strapped down and slumped against something hard and rough.
There's something cold and wet on my forehead and I have a feeling that we're
moving. We? Yet I know I'm not alone and I know who is with me. Before I
can say his name, though, Kurapika says, "We're about to land, Quoll. How do
you feel?"
"Do you really, really need an answer?" I ask, lifting my hand to the wet cloth on my forehead and lifting it so I can look at him. He's seated beside me, looking concerned.
"You feel, I'd say, like you've been run over by a herd of elephants and like your eyes have had acid poured in them. Been there. Done that." He hands me a bottle of water and I sip at it gratefully. "The Kal say that you mustn't come back until you're trained. Kirak asked that I apologize to you, that he was foolish to believe you were able to do what he thought you could. He didn't think someone could survive the Opal Eyes to your age without being better trained in their use."
I pull myself upright. "Exactly how am I supposed to train? If they're the only ones like you and I I assume they're somehow related to the Kurota?" Pausing I add, a bit querulously, "And what do you mean, Opal Eye?"
"You'll have to train with me. Our link will keep you from hurting me and you'll learn to block out other minds when you use the Eyes. Yes, they are related, though very distantly." His eyes turn wistful. "Apparently there was a schism. My ancestors followed a prophecy that said a half-blood would destroy the clan. Theirs felt that following prophecy without better understanding risked ending up fulfilling it and they split up."
Forcing back the pain of memories, I shake my head. "Know about the prophecy."
"I won't say anymore about it, then. You need to get past this, but we'll work on it later." Kurapika eyes me. "As for the Opal Eye. That's what they call the form that you have. Both started as a defense mechanism but the Opal Eye operates by reflecting whatever wants to harm it, where the Ruby projects the owner's feelings towards someone." He looks chagrined and adds. "The scolding I got for considering your Eye as being the lesser because you're mixed blood was memorable."
I blink at him. "But"
"It isn't because you're mixed blood that you can't control it. It's because you weren't bloody well taught to control it right." Kurapika sighs. "Not your fault. Not mine. We'll talk about that later, once we've finished what we're doing at Comet Star City."
It occurs to me that the shift in his feelings towards me has gone further than I would have ever expected. Which is, I realize, a relief. I don't really want him as an enemy. I'm not sure why – it's certainly never bothered me when someone has hated me before – but somehow there's something different here. A kinship between the two of us that is barely acknowledged and definitely there. "All right," I agree.
"Speaking of which," the pilot calls back at me. "We shall arrive at the nearest airport in ten minutes."
"Better raise your tray, extinguish all cigarettes and buckle up," Kurapika says.
Intensely amused, I grin at him. "You have been hanging around me too long."
KURAPIKA:
For a change, our trip has nothing further blocking our
way. No terrorists trying to take over the plane. No Mafia chasing us down and
trying to kill us. No police offering us tickets. No bandits. Just a long,
dull, flight with several pauses for refueling and – at last – a
landing on a small seldom used field, followed by a drive through broken and
desolate countryside.
"We'll have to walk the rest of the way. There's no real roads into the city," Quoll tells me, stopping the car at the side of the road and getting out.
There's a hot, dry wind blowing around me. Desert air, but with a peculiar note to its scent that I can't identify and don't care much for. I climb out of the car, however and wait for Quoll to do his little trick with it. "How far?"
"Just over that hill." Quoll raises his head, glancing around as if looking for something. He raises his hand and his fingers flash in a series of gestures. "Ready?"
"Watchers?" I guess and he nods as I walk up the hill beside him. "I see a light flashing up that way."
"Mmmm," he agrees. "They're passing the word that we're entering the city. Paranoia doesn't necessarily mean that no one's out to get you."
"Hmph," I respond. "And someone being out to get you doesn't mean you're not paranoid." He grins at my response and I continue, "What is that odor?" It's getting stronger and nastier. I've smelled similar before, but never so strong and my memory is coming up blank.
"Odor? I'm afraid I Oh Sorry, Kurapika. I'm so used to it I just blanked it out. Don't worry. You'll almost forget it's there after a while." Quoll pauses at the top of the rise and I step up beside him and stare, appalled at the scene beyond.
It's a city, yes. A city of tents and broken buildings. A city shattered. As if some giant had struck it with their fist. Smoke rises from hundreds of spots and the odor – an effluvia that mixes the scent of food with sewage, the scent of machines with far too many people in one place – flows past me, driven by the hot wind.
That alone isn't the worst of it, though. I see the people. Men and women and children. Mostly dressed in rags. Neat, carefully mended, but still rags. These are people who take care of themselves. People with nearly nothing who throw away nothing and use what others throw away until it can't be used anymore. People who stick together because the rest of the world has thrown them away. The unwanted. The despised. The populace of Comet Star City. The birthplace of the Genei Ryodan.
"Welcome to Comet Star City. It's not much, but we like to call it home," Quoll says gently, gazing off into the distance. "Just our little piece of Hell on Earth."
To Be Continued.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Yare yare What a long wait to get this done. I can't even complain a lack of muse. Too much muse in fact. Stories that had been bouncing around on my back burner all decided at once to demand attention (pauses to smack Creed and Heiji around for making Kosagi write about them instead of working on this) and – well – I was sort of at a loss to work out what could make this episode interesting enough to make the trip to Comet Star City worth reading. Hopefully you'll have found the above sufficiently worth the wait. It's certainly the longest segment I've written for this story.
The question about whether the gypsies were related to the Kurota made me wonder if I could use that concept. There've been a lot of stories out there where Kurapika finds out he isn't alone, so I had to angst over that decision as well. Suffice to say that while they are very similar, their abilities aren't at the same level.
Oh, and Karik looks like Patch from Surf Ninjas. There's just something about Ernie Reyes Sr. that I find way cool.
Masami: I really wish Togashi-san would get back to the Genei Ryodan story in the current manga. I just have a feeling that he meant something important with the first arc and I hate having to wait past all the training stuff, no matter how much more interesting it is once toriyama's world translates it.
LynLyn: Yeah, it isn't easy ironing out a friendship between two such people. I've been trying to show – as I go – just how diametrically opposed they are. Devil and Angel, City and Forest and so on.//Kurapika desperately needs a sense of humor, in my opinion. He takes things so blasted solemnly that I almost feel like it's Quoll who's the kid, instead of Kura.//The reason Quoll wanted Kurapika to use the eyes was only as a kind of quick warning that there was trouble. That and he knew there was a mild telepathic component to the ability.//I think I've answered your question about the Alternative Transportation Specialists (Quoll wishes me to tell you "Nice Phrase", btw.)//Thanks for the info on the age difference. I think I can still work my idea in, though I sorta thought Kurapika was a bit older. I'm thinking it doesn't matter, though.//The Wife (hah!) made pretty much the usual deaththreats. I'm too old and cynical to find more than mild amusement in it and don't have the energy to play, so I figured it wasn't worth my time trying to push her into further sillyness. I'm glad it never bothered you, though.
Shinomori No Kami Daiji: Relationships of any sort aren't easy to work through so I'm glad it looks like they're progressing at a reasonable speed.//I dunno that you could manage to sneak up on Quoll asleep. It's only because he considers Kurapika someone he trusts (Quoll: I never admitted anything of the I mean I never said that!) that he didn't wake up until the police showed.//Sleep deprivation isn't the half of it. grin
Kasugai gummie: Thanks! I approve very much of Kurapika and Quoll fics, as long as the characters stay in character. One of the reasons I'm writing this and – hoping very much – trying to stay in character myself. Or at least not so out of character that I end up flamed by more than that silly Wife.//Oh, I definitely like Restraining Order.
Yukitsu: Gosh. I hope the problem with uploading chapters goes away. You're doing a nice job with "Blood of Confusion", btw. (Note to self, remember to review eh heh.)//I hope you'll like the concept I do go with. It won't be obvious for a bit, though. Still have some threads to lay down to foreshadow the conclusion before I reveal it.//Hope your friends are getting past their problems. It's always hard to watch, especially if it's something you can't help them through.//Yes, write more and make that silly woman flail more. Though I think she may be gone. Haven't seen a peep out of her for a while.
Purple Hotagi: Hey, new reader! Coolness.//Quoll wants me to note that considering that Kurapika hadn't exactly told him his dreams, it wasn't like he could even guess that their dreams were the same. I think he's protesting too much, myself.//The 'C' titles may end up biting me in the rear, I agree. I hope not.
Next Episode: We'll be seeing a lot of what's going on in Star City and maybe learn more about what the other members of the Ryodan are up to. Not to mention learning a bit more about the destruction of the Kurota and Quoll's origins.
