A/n- shout out to the.apple.seed! I always look forward to your comments and the make my day!

While she noticed the stout, older man approaching them, she ignored him completely, trusting that Iquella won't let himself be tricked after her warning.

Tonpa's voice hurt her ears as he did his little speal, eyes looking through the crowd trying to pinpoint a spot that they can hide away and disappear into the crowd.

"-een you somewhere before?"

Carlene froze when she thought she caught a flash of pink in the crowd, not noticing that the conversation before her had stopped, only looking down when Iquella's hand tugged on her's.

Iquella and Tonpa's eyes were on her, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Tonpa laughed a little.

"Ah ha ha, it's all good, I was just asking if I've seen you somewhere before, you just look a bit familiar is all- wait a minute! I remember now! You were in the upstairs part when I first got here! I thought you were just a normal customer, who knew that you were a examinee!"

Carlene's eye twitches as she fakes a pleasant smile, the want to scream 'fuck the plot!' and dump a can of his laxatives over his head-

She shooed the dangerously impulsive thoughts out of her head, hand gripping her needles tightly to ground herself.

"Anyway, how about a toast to friendship!" Tonpa said as he offered two cans, she tensed up, waiting to see what Iquella would do.

"Ah- sorry, but I'm allergic to oranges…" Iquella rubbed the back of his head and Tonpa looked stunned before smiling again.

"That's no problem! I also have grape and-" his attention was taken by two examinee's fighting. As he looked away Iquella dragged the two of them through the crowd, shouting apologies as they bumped into people as they went.

"Ah… there's always so much tension between applicants so occasionally fights break out, now then. As I was saying, I also have grape and peach flavors-" Tonpa said as he turned back around, ready to trick the newbies, only for him to see someone else.

Tonpa gulped when he looked up and saw purplish skin covered in needles, lifeless eyes staring down at him. The new figure tilted his head and clicks rang out, Tonpa felt dread as they made eye contact.

'This guy's a newcomer, but he gives off such a creepy aura… I don't want to mess with this guy…!'

"Eh ha, sorry about that…! I think I mistook you for someone else!"

Despite the criticism, Carlene found herself leaning against a wall with her eyes closed, Iquella sitting at her feet playing with supplies. The clamor of mingling voices rising above all else. It was hard to make out what the center of the attention was and they were a little too far to hear much of anything, either way, so she just focused on where Iquella sat.

A loud scream causes her head to shoot up violently, small pinkish red flowers filling the air.

"My~ how unusual~ Seems this poor mans arms have turned into flower petals~ now you see them, now you don't." Standing right in the middle of the commotion was a familiar clown that Carlene wanted nothing else but to avoid.

"You should be more careful~ And do apologize if you bump into someone~" everyone in the room started whispering to themselves or whoever was beside them.

Carlene and Iquella just looked away. The clown started walking away and deeper into the tunnel.

"Hey, big sis? You know when you used to say that you'd sell me to the circus if I was bad?" Iquella started, looking up nervously.

"What of it?" Carlene raised a brow at him.

"I don't care what circus you sell me to… just don't sell me to the circus he's from." Iquella stated and she let out a little chuckle.

"Too late, why else do you think we're here?" She laughed a little more, before a sudden realization hit. She quickly turned her head to the elevator and saw them standing there.

Leorio with his dark blues, Gon with his warm greens, and Kurapika…

She saw him and time stood still for a long moment-

-one day, her heart would stop, freeze mid-beat at the sight of her eyes; her hands would shake and her tongue would grow heavy in her mouth; she would see her face reflected in the shiny silver and the memory would make her sick to her stomach-

-before starting once more with a shuddering tick.

Her words caught in her throat and though she didn't see it, Carlene felt the way her face twisted in grief, how her eyes widened until they took up most of the room on her ashen face. But her eyes didn't move away from where he stood.

Kurapika in his warm gold like the sun beaming down on your back, his blue like the river that ran by their home, his scarlet- he looked like home and Carlene's mind went racing, eyes red behind black contacts because-

I want to go home, I want to go home, I WANT TO GO HOME, I WANT TO GO HOME-!

A sharp tug on her arm broke her out of her mind, tears lounged in her throat in guilt as she looked down to Iquella. Her cousin, her brother, her purpose to keep going.

"Carlene… are you okay…? You look pale." Iquella questions and she has no answer, she couldn't even manage a smile to make him feel better, but she squeezed his hands.

"It's alright, I'll be fine soon."

A part of her wonders if devotion to the point of self destruction was a curse that they shared, him to the dead and her to the living.

And Iquella shall be left in the middle of his brethren's devotions. To decide: this or that side.

Tonpa eventually left the group of three, and she knew it was any minute now before the test would start. She picked up her bag and motioned Iquella to do the same, leading them to the point where the tunnel should open and waited.

Everyone started to pay attention as a ringing and squeaking sound went off, and many jerked back in surprise when the wall at the end of the tunnel started to lift up.

A tall, thin man was revealed standing on the other side. "I apologize for the wait. The entry for Hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin. A final caution. If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept those risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you."

Despite this warning, no one moved a muscle. "Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One." The man then proceeded to walk into the tunnel and everyone moved to follow.

The people in the front had started running and were slowly getting faster and faster.

"I neglected to introduce myself," echoed from the front of the group. "I am Satotz, the Phase One examiner. I shall lead you to the exam's Second Phase."

"Second Phase? What about Phase One?" someone asked.

"It has already commenced." Satotz glanced over his shoulder. "You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the exam's First Phase."