The steady rhythm of running lulled my mind. The air was filled with the sound of pounding feet and loud breathing as I thought back to the reason of taking this test. Sumi. I was only a convenient replacement. I can still remember the first time I met Tae. She was frantic, voice bordering on hysterical.
"Sumi?" A woman shouted. "Sumi! Is that you?" She ran towards me with her arms outstretched, a small boy in tow. I just sat there on the fallen leaves, too tired and hungry to even attempt to run from this crazy woman. She threw her arms around me and sobbed into my hair.
"Mama, she's not Sumi." Nicky snapped. He was older than me. "Her eyes are all wrong."
Sumi had brown eyes, like the rest of her family. Mine were the darkest black, like my hair. They all had honey coloured hair, Sumi being the exception, until Del dyed hers purple when I was eleven. I was so excited. I begged Tae and Ben to let me dye mine, too, but they were adamant.
"You won't even be able to see the colour, Sweetie, your hair is too dark." Ben said, diplomatically.
"It's called bleach, Ben!" I whined as I slouched all over the chair. I perked up after a moment and leaned across the table. "Hey, how 'bout a piercing?" I whispered conspiratorially.
"No!" Tae said from the garden. I had jerked away. She must be psychic, I'd thought, and bolted to find Del for protection.
I laughed as I exhaled. My problems when I was eleven paled in comparison to my current ones.
Two months before Sumi was taken, she had almost died. A wolf was stalking her when she wandered off into the forest and it had almost gotten her when something set fire to the tree behind her. The wolf had bolted. The family charted up the incident to fate and scolded Sumi till she cried. I knew that because Tae still feels guilty about it. Not that she ever told me, sometimes I get thirsty at night. She always said to Ben that the worst part was not knowing whether their daughter was dead or alive.
So when I came along, bruised, lost and hungry, the Kanatas took me in. Tae and Ben with four children. Delphi was fourteen, then. Nicky was two years my senior at ten, and never let me forget it. Sumi was seven. Then came Roger, six and the world's happiest supplier fart noises. Last was cute, raspberry-blowing Ellie at two years old. It's been eight years.
A stitch stabbed at my side as I jumped over the prone body of a former-applicant. I huffed to catch my breath.
It's true I had Sumi's features; same button nose, high cheek bones, black hair. She was a sweet, quiet girl. There were many pictures on the mantle. It was kind of them to include me too, documenting my growth from eight years old. Picking up from where Sumi left off.
Tae had leaned back and held me at arms' length, studying my face. She'd asked me for my name.
"Re-." I responded automatically before clamping my mouth shut. Who knew how many people were coming after me for those stupid rocks?
"Re?" She repeated. She pronounced it with an accent, 'Ri', not like Mother Teresa. "Is that a nickname?"
I nodded hesitantly.
"Mama, let's go, she's just some girl." The boy tugged at her sleeve. His eyes were cold when they met mine.
"Nicky, that's hurtful. Ri needs help." She scolded. She turned back to me. "How about you come home with us? We'll take care of you until you find your parents."
I stared at her for a long time.
"Okay."
"Risumi," Kurapika said, "What are you thinking so hard about?"
"Nothing, just my family." Something in his expression shifted and I instantly felt guilty. Oh sugar lollipops. I screwed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.
"My adoptive family." I amended. "They gave me this name."
"Adoptive?" He said, surprised.
"Yeah." I concentrated on keeping my pace. "My biological parents got our driver to take me to the edge of the estate and leave me in the forest."
"They abandoned you?" Kurapika coughed.
"Yes." I said shortly.
Before he could reply, thankfully a small figure skirted between me and Kurapika on a skateboard.
"Hey, Kid! That's cheating!" Leorio roared. The boy skidded to a stop. He had a mop of white, fluffy hair that curled up at the ends. Why does everyone have better hair than I do?
"Why?" His eyes were calculating.
"'Why?'" Leorio said. "It's an endurance test, that's why!"
"No, it's not." Gon interjected. "The examiner only told us to follow him." The older man rounded on him.
"Gon, which side are you on?" Leorio demanded.
"You should conserve your energy, you're just being noisy." Kurapika reprimanded. I could hear Leorio grinding his teeth and breathing sharply through his nose.
"Tell me," the boy turned to Gon, Leorio forgotten. "How old are you?"
"Almost twelve." Gon chirped.
"Same as me." He kicked his skateboard off the ground and tucked it under his arm. "Guess I'll run, too."
"Show off." I murmured at the same time Gon said:
"Cool!"
"I'm Killua."
"And I'm Gon!"
Aww, look at these boys introducing themselves.
"And you, Mister?" Killua asked Leorio.
"'Mister?'" Leorio was enraged. "Hey, I'm from the same generation as you are!"
"Are you sure?" Gon exclaimed loudly.
Leorio growled. "It's finished! I'm never talking to you again!" He shook his fist at Gon. I snickered at his childishness. Oh, Leorio, loveable simpleton.
My vision narrowed to see only the ground in front of me. My mouth was so dry I could feel dust sticking to the back of my throat. When I tried to swallow, something got stuck and I started coughing. My breath tasted of blood which was not good, I'm nearing my limit. We must have been running for four or five hours.
Footsteps suddenly picked up in a different rhythm. Stairs. Stairs. Oh god. I can't believe it. These sadistic, examiners just loved to see people cry. With a grunt, I adjusted my rhythm and refocused my energy to the balls of my feet. I kept my feet light, bouncing off just as my foot touched the step. Shaking the hair out of my face, I tugged at the collar of my shirt, for once grateful for the split down the back that widened the neckline down to my non-existent cleavage. My breath was lasting shorter and shorter. Kurapika pulled up beside me and we kept up the pace solidly.
A cool breeze suddenly brushed past us. Leorio overtook us huffing and puffing enough to power a train. He'd tied his suit jacket around his waist and pinned his number to his bare chest. His striped tie fluttered in the breeze of his slipstream. I batted it out of my face with a huff.
"Are you okay, Leorio?" Kurapika asked.
"As you can see I'm really fine." Leorio grunted. "I'm not the best but it doesn't matter – I know I'm going to make it. Even if I have to run naked!"
That was pretty inspirational. And it seemed Kurapika thought so too, because he untied his tabard and stuffed it in his bag, revealing a white training suit. He caught up with Leorio.
"Can I ask you something?" He asked.
"To discuss is to consume energy!" Leorio said. Well isn't he just full of wisdom today. Kurapika ignored him.
"Is it really because of the money that you want to become a hunter? I'm sure that it's not. We only met each other a few days ago, but I've understood this at least. You certainly don't have a rigorous attitude, and you're not especially cleaver but –"
Wow, Blondie. Insulting people usually does the trick of getting them to open up to you, huh?
"But I don't think you have a bad heart. I've seen a lot of people who lived only for money but you're not that kind of person."
"You," Leorio panted, "you're the king of logic, aren't you."
There was a pause before Kurapika spoke again. His voice was subdued as he explained the reason for his clan's massacre. Scarlet eyes.
"If we die in this state, our eyes will never return to their normal colour and will stay bright forever. Some consider the colour one of the seven most beautiful in the world."
I blanched. That is sick and disgusting. Things that were once alive should never, ever, be kept after death. Least of all for display.
"Whatever happens I'll definitely capture the Phantom Troupe. And I'll give my brothers and sisters back their eyes."
Leorio glanced at him. "Unfortunately, they're sure sold on the black market. The clients are all multi-millionaires. It's impossible for a normal person to reach that status." Leorio's voice was gruff.
"But that isn't the case for a hunter. If I choose to become a hunter under contract I'll have access to many societies." Kurapika said.
"Under contract?" Leorio echoed. "You're willing to sell your soul and dignity?"
"What is my dignity," Kurapika panted, "in comparison to the pain of my family?" His face was serious, eyes overshadowed by pain.
"I'm sorry." Leorio grunted. "I don't have a reason as noble as yours to tell. I can only say that my goal really is money."
I think they may have forgotten about me.
"Don't tell me you really think you can buy everything in this world!"
"Yes! Things for sure, but also dreams! Everything can be bought, even lives!"
"Stop this, Leorio. Take back what you said!"
"Why? It's the truth. If I had the money my friend wouldn't have died!"
I inhaled sharply. Blood pounded harder in my ears.
"An illness?" Kurapika asked, cautiously.
"It wasn't incurable. But to operate we needed so much money. I was a little naïve so I thought I'd become a doctor so that I could tell the parents of all those children in the same situation as my friend 'I don't charge'. But I was too naïve! As it turns out, medical studies are really expensive!" Leorio cried. "You see? Money, money, money. I want money!"
Kurapika turned to me, smiling. "So, Risumi. What's your reason?"
The question took me by surprise. I flinched as my foot caught on a step. I yelped. I threw my hands out, hit the ground, and flipped my legs over my head. I kept running.
"Don't surprise people like that." I warned.
"Hey," Leorio said, "that was really impressive."
"Oh, yeah. I live with a psychopath of an older brother." I said, darkly. I felt Kurapika's gaze on me.
"Didn't you say you were adopted?"
It wouldn't hurt to tell them. They've already told me everything about themselves. What damage would it be? Kurapika's after revenge and the Kurta eyes, Leorio's after money and a doctorate. I doubt they have ties to my goal. They've trusted me. Kurapika's even saved my butt once.
So I told them. And when I started, I couldn't stop.
"Alright, kiddies. Hold on tight, because it's gonna be one hell of a ride.
"My father's a rich dude. There's a huge jewel collection that's been in our family so long, that's it's named after us. Tell me, what would an eight year old girl want with coloured rocks when there was a fake poop and a cat? Either way, he accused me of making off with it when it disappeared the day of my eighth birthday. Locked me in the basement. Tried to make me own up to it, in various ways. How do you own up to something you don't even understand? He got pissed. Told our driver to take to the edge of the estate and leave me outside the fence. The fence was electrified. Bloody nightmare.
"Hang on to your seat belts, boys and girls, because there's more! I wandered into the forest for food after a few hours. A lady and her kid found me some days later. They'd just lost a daughter that I looked similar to and took me in. So, I've got a mission in three parts: Find out the fate of the little sister I never met for the sake of my family, find the Lisbon Collection, and go home to beat up my parents and make off with some of their money. Rich ass bastards. Here's the thing – there was a rumour the Phantom Troupe made off with the happy collection, that's my lead."
I was breathing laboriously when I finished. I feel I said too much. People have loved ones dead, what's a girl's reputation compared?
"So, psychotic older brother, where does he come in?" Leorio asked. I glanced at him in surprise.
"Right. So, Tae and Ben took me in, they have five children, one of which is missing. Nicky's the second oldest, 17. The strawberry loving freak likes to 'train me'. I think he has mixed feelings about me. I developed a sixth sense just for him."
"Sounds like a fun family." Kurapika smiled.
"Your old man's a piece of work, huh." Leorio said.
"You said it." I murmured.
These two guys who I met not three days ago know more about me than my family. All they've known about me this while time was my name, and even that was a lie. I'm not Risumi. Not really. But my real name is not mine to claim at this point in time.
Kurapika and Leorio listened to all that and still think I'm an okay person. They didn't even demand it of me. They'd already bared their souls. They trusted me, I suppose. It's not like I would have told them out of the blue. Oh, hey, my father thinks I'm dead and I'm taking the place of someone else's daughter. I don't think they forgot about me back there.
I met good people.
