Departure x And x Friends
Fearsome monsters… Exotic creatures…
Vast riches… Hidden treasures…
Evil enclaves… Unexplored lands…
The word "unknown" holds magic.
And some incredible people are drawn to that magic.
They are known…
…as Hunters!
On the quiet and tranquil Whale Island, in the harbour of the small island, everyone helps each other and one of the men carrying boxes of fishes spots a familiar redhead. "Gon and Gigi's still trying to catch the Lord of the Lake?" The man in red asks, startling her.
"H-Huh? Y-Yes…" Mito answers, stopping her actions, look at the men and goes back to work. "They've been at it for a week, non-stop."
"You promised they could take the Hunter Exam if they caught the Lord of the Lake?" The man in red questions.
"What fools! Five adults couldn't manage to reel in that monster. How are children supposed to catch that beast? Mito doesn't want them taking the Hunter Exam," The man in blue argues.
"But Gon and Gigi's old man was the same age when he caught it…." The first man argues back.
"They can't do it…." He laughs as they walk away, and Mito gasps, thinking about it and wonders if Gon and Gigi are doing any better in the forest.
A young boy sits on a large tree, on a platform dressed in leaves to hide as he holds his fishing rod, silently waiting for one specific fish. The young boy known as Gon sits patiently and sees the red float in the water, beginning to dip, creating ripples on the water's surface. Gon's eyes gleam as he keeps waiting till the float drops under the lake, and he jumps to his feet, discarding the leaf cape and hat. "I got him!" He shouts, and a young girl with similar features and coloured hair drops down next to Gon, helping him, taking a grip of the fishing rod. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! We got him good!" The catch begins fighting back as it pulls further into the water, and Gon comes up with an idea as he circles around the tree, using it as a pulley. The young girl named Gigi, Gon's older twin, gets a neon green dart from her sleeve; she stabs it into the tree and ties the slightly lacking fishing wire, looping it to help her twin. Gigi joins her brother, helping to pull the beast of a fish to the surface, but it's still an effort as the two tweens try to remove the fish. The Lord of the Lake swims away, and they hitch their feet onto the trunk of the tree as they pull. Gigi taps her brother on his arm, and he looks at her as she points to her dart. He nods, sharing the same idea as they jump from their little platform and swing around one of the tree branches. They see a fin of the blue fish, growing evermore determined to get that fish out of the lake as the twins swing around the branch, looping the wire around and finally, the Lord of the Lake bursts out of the water. The twins look at the large blue fish in awe, and Gigi jumps on the spot, clapping her hands, and they carry the Lord of the Lake out of the forest, watching to show their Aunt Mito.
Gigi and Gon carry the Lord of the Lake out of the forest to the harbour, with everyone looking in awe as they set the fish down on the ground. "It's huge!"
"This is the Lord of the Lake?"
"It's been twenty years!"
"I know! It was Gigi and Gon's father that time, right?!"
"They're their father's children," The villagers all gossip in awe as they crowd around the beast of a blue fish.
"Gon and Gigi actually caught the Lord! Look, Mito!" One of the fishermen calls to the redhead. Gon beams as he spots his aunt and pokes his sister, who looks over, seeming overjoyed to see her, and they run over to stand in front of her.
"Mito!" Gon exclaims.
"Mito!" Gigi signs.
"We caught the Lord, as promised…." He tells his aunt.
"So we can take the Hunter Exam, right?" She asks her aunt.
"Right?" The younger twin asks again, and Mito looks into their eyes, seeing the determination and she signs, giving in. "We'll do our best!" Gon runs off, grabbing his sister's hand. "We promise to become Hunters!"
Later that day, Mito comes home to her grandmother, explaining what happened, though the news has spread throughout the island. "It must be in the blood…." Grandmother comments as she stands in front of the photo of Ging, the twin's father, on the wall in the dining room. "No one has been able to catch the Lord after Ging pulled it off at the age of twelve. And now his children have accomplished the same feat, at the same age," She says and takes her seat at the table, joining Mito. "Their eyes have the same shine as their father's. We can no longer stop them."
Gigi helps Gon pack his yellow backpack after finishing her packing in his room, and Mito walks inside to see the twins. "Are you sure about this, Gon, Gigi?" Mito asks them.
"Uh-huh," Gon answers.
"Yes," Gigi answers as she faces her aunt as she signs.
"Your father abandoned you both when you were still young to become a Hunter," Mito explains.
"I know," Gon replies as he cleans his fishing rod.
"He chose becoming a Hunter over raising you both!" She argues, and Gigi looks at her brother.
"Isn't that amazing?" He replies, surprising both females as he looks at them with a smile. "Being a Hunter is so great, he was willing to abandon his own kids!"
"It's a dangerous job! You never know when you might lose your life! Don't you understand!" Their aunt argues, growing frustrated.
"I don't," The twins reply. "But I want to know more!"
"I want to become a Hunter and discover why it was so important to our dad!" Gon continues, knowing how his twin feels about their father.
"And I want to find him, and maybe beat him up a little!" Gigi finishes, making Mito giggle a little at the statement.
"You really are Ging's children…." She smiles, accepting them leaving for now, and Gigi leaps, hugging her aunt, who hugs her back; they pull away from their aunt, but Mito doesn't let go of the girl; she looks at her mother figure as she fishes out a bracelet from her dress pocket and places it around the girl's wrist. Gigi looks at the cute green bracelet that has five interlocking pieces. Three of them are shades of green leather with different styles and at the bottom is a metal plate attached with black leather with her name written on it. In addition, a green beaded bracelet above the metal plate helps join the other four bracelets together. Gigi looks at the bracelet in awe and hugs her aunt again with tears.
The next day, Mito walks the twins out of the house for the last time for a long time, and the twins stop to look at their aunt. "I promise we'll pass the exam," Gon tells her. "We'll pass the exam, and we'll become Hunters!"
"Just promise that you'll come back safe," Mito tells them and holds out her hands with just a pinkie held up. "Can you do that?"
"Uh-huh, I promise!" He replies.
"I promise," Gigi replies, and the twins link their pinkie fingers with their aunts.
"Pinky swear made… Whoever breaks their promise has to swallow a thousand needles. Sealed with a kiss!" They sing along, though Gon holds the note for a long time, and Mito pulls the twins into a hug, surprising them.
"Gon…" Mito whispers, and Gigi feels the vibrations in her chest as the twins hug their aunt back. "Gigi…"
"Thank you, Mito," Gon whispers, and they share the moment before the twins run off towards the harbour for the boat that will take them to the Hunter Exam.
The twins step onto the ship with everyone on the island waving goodbye and saying their piece as they sail onto the open sea. "Good luck!"
"Knock 'em dead!"
"We're going to become the best Hunters in the world!" Gon shouts to the islanders as the twins move to the back of the ship and wave goodbye. "Once we're the best Hunters in the world, we'll come back!" The other Hunter applicants chuckle at the two tweens.
"The best Hunter in the world? The kids don't respect us," Applicant one remarks.
"Every year, there are millions of skilled applicants for the Hunter Exam. But only a handful are selected. Don't say stuff that you can't back up, kids," Applicant two tells them, and the other grown men laugh. Gon walks through the crowd of men with Gigi holding onto his hand; she feels a small thud through her feet and walks over to the railing.
"What are you doing, Mr Katsuo?" One of the crew asks, looking at one of the crew members that had fallen; the purple-haired young man carries a crate of green apples as the other two sweep the deck. "At this rate, you'll never make a decent sailor," The two crew members laugh as the younger member tries getting up, but the more significant crew member kicks him back onto the floor. "Why are you bent over?" The twins gasp and rush down the steps to help the helpless crew member.
"Hey, losers!" The Captain calls out to the three crewmates as he opens the door. "Don't slack off!"
"A-Aye, sir!" The two standing crewmates stutter and run away as the Captain walks onto the deck, taking a drink from his bottle. "Hey…" He looks at the young man as he scrambles to pick up the fallen apples. "Didn't you hear me? Move that box!"
"A-Aye, Captain!" Katsuo replies, quickly getting to his feet and running away.
"Hold on!" Gon calls out, holding an apple and throwing it into the box.
"Thanks!" He replies and rushes off; Gigi feels a change in the wind, and Gon hears the cries of the gulls above them, Gigi tugs on his sleeve, alerting him.
"A storm is coming!" Gigi warns him, and he nods, pointing to the gulls, sensing the same thing.
"A storm's coming," Gon announces, surprising the Captain.
"How can you tell, boy?" He asks the younger twin.
"That's what the seagulls are saying," The male tween replies.
"What?" The ship's Captain questions.
"Plus…" Gon replies, holding his nose and taking a deep breath, Gigi having already moved up towards the crow's nest with Gon following her. They hold their noses and take another deep breath, sensing the change in the atmosphere. "It's a huge storm that's coming!" The Captain looks at the little boy in surprise. "It's true! We can tell by the smell!"
"These kids…" The Captain looks into the eyes of the two tweens. "Those eyes… Could they be…" Gigi points at the darkened clouds as the ship sails towards it.
The storm crashes overhead, lightning striking around them, and the sea becomes rough as it sends everyone tumbling below deck as the Captain steers the ship through the terrible storm. "Captain!" One of the crew shouts as he slams the door open. "The mast won't last much longer! We should lower the sails!"
"Don't be stupid! The fun's about to start," The Captain remarks as a massive wave looms over them. "Here we go!" The ship begins to climb the wave. "Full to port!" He steers the helm, moving the vessel to the side of the wave. "Let's fly!" He shouts as they fly over the swell, clearing it safely, but they continue through the storm, though it seems calmer. Still, the applicants below deck and some above all feel queasy from the harsh rocking. "Those waves weren't much…." He says after taking a sip of his drink. "Hey, take the helm."
"A-Aye!" The crewmate replies though he holds back his vomit as the Captain goes below deck to see how the applicants are holding up.
"Damn, this is one lousy crew," The Captain looks into the room the applicants are sheltering from the storm and sees all the grown men lying around groaning. "Not a one of them can stand. Pathetic. And they're supposed to be taking the Hunter Examination. What a laugh!" He chuckles to himself.
"Here are some herbs," Gon tells one of the more sick men as Gigi removes the herbs he asked for from her backpack. "If you chew them, you'll feel a little better."
"W-Water…" The sickly man mumbles.
"It's coming, so hold on," The boy assures him.
"Those kids…" The Captain mutters, and his eyes catch a blond teen in one of the hammocks reading a book, seeming completely relaxed and hears the crunch of someone eating an apple and sees an older teen with glasses and wearing a suit in the corner.
"EW… This is one sour apple…." He complains.
"I see. There are a few tough nuts on board," The Captain ponders.
"Excuse me!" Katsuo rushes past the man, knocking him as he runs into the room towards the twins with a glass of water. "H-Here is your water!"
"Thank you," Gigi signs, but the young man looks at her strangely, not understanding.
"She said thank you," Gon translates.
"Oh, your welcome," Katsuo replies as he hands Gon the cup.
"Now drink your fill," The boy tells the sickly man as the Captain watches along with the two teens. "Thanks. I really appreciate it, Mr Katsuo," Gigi hands him the empty glass, and the Captain calls the four remaining applicants to the helm.
"First, tell me your names," The Captain asks the four applicants.
"I'm Gon!" He answers first, raising his hand in the air.
"I am Gigi!" She answers next.
"I'm Kurapika," The blond answers.
"It's Leorio," The suit and tie answers last.
"Why do you want to become Hunters?" The Captain asks the four applicants.
"Hey!" Leorio yells, pointing a finger at the man. "If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!"
"Just answer the question!" He snaps back.
"Our dad is a Hunter," Gon answers, seeing no problem answering the question; it surprises the Captain. "We left Whale Island because we want to know why our dad desired so much to be a Hunter."
"Whale Island… So these are Ging's children. The day has finally come," The Captain ponders.
"Hey, kid!" Leorio says, and Gon looks at him in confusion. "You're not supposed to answer his question!"
"Why can't I tell him why I'm here?" The boy asks.
"Not a team player, huh?" He sighs and taps the kid on the forehead. "I don't wish to reveal why I'm here."
"I agree with Leorio," Kurapika adds.
"What? Hey! Aren't you younger than I am? Show some respect!" Leorio snaps at the blond.
"It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie," He adds.
"Hey! Are you listening to me?!" The older teen yells.
"However, it is quite shameful to rely upon deceit. That said, if I were to tell the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer," Kurapika explains, clutching at his heart.
"Hey, you… Don't ignore me!" Leorio yells, stepping closer to the blond.
"In other words, you refuse to answer my question," The Captain states. "Hey, Katsuo."
"Aye, Captain," He answers.
"Tell the examination board that we have two more dropouts," The old man orders, surprising the two older teens.
"What do you mean?" Leorio questions in shock.
"You still haven't figured it out? The Hunter Examination has already begun," The Captain announces, surprising the older teens.
"What?" Leorio and Kurapika gasp, and Gigi looks at her brother as she tries to follow the conversation; though she can read lips, it's hard.
"There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky. The examiners don't have the time or resources to review them all. So they hire people like us; to trim the fat. I've already notified the board that everyone else on the ship had to withdraw. If they couldn't handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Examination's later stages. In other words, you only proceed to the main exam if I pass you. So think carefully before you answer my question," He explains, and there's silence for a second.
"So he says…" Gon says, looking at Leorio.
"Should have told us sooner," Leorio grumbles.
"I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan," Kurapika reveals. "Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a hand of criminals. I wish to become a Hunter and hunt down that band, the Phantom Troupe."
"So you want to become a Black List Hunter? The Phantom Troupe is a Class-A bounty. Not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them. You'd be throwing away your life," The Captain remarks as Leorio stares at Gon, who is unaware or even notices.
"I do not fear death," The blond replies. "I fear only that my rage will fade over time," His eyes flash bright red.
"So, in other words, you want revenge. Does that require that you become a Hunter?" Leorio questions.
"That may be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio," Kurpaika replies, wiping the smirk off the older teen's face.
"That's Mr Leorio to you!" He yells
"Places accessible only to Hunters… Information otherwise unobtainable… Actions otherwise impossible… There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle." The blond anger him, and Gigi raises a hand in his face, stopping him from taking any drastic actions.
"Why do you want to become a Hunter, Mr Leorio?" Gigi asks him, and before Gon can translate, the taller teen seems to relax.
"Me?" Leorio answers, surprising everyone. "I'll make it short. I want money. Money can get you everything! A big house! A nice car! Good liquor!"
"You can't buy class with money, Leorio," Kurapika snides, angering him.
"That's three times now. Step outside," He tells the blond. "I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now."
"Take that back, Leorio!" The Kurta survivor shouts as the older teen opens the door. "Take that back!"
"That's Mr Leorio to you," The taller teen replies and walks out with an angry blond behind him.
"Hey, boys! I'm not finished yet!" The Captain shouts after them.
"Just let them go," Gon tells him.
"Huh?" He questions the kid.
"Aunt Mito once told us…." The boy replies.
A young Gon and Gigi stand in front of their aunt Mito, who sits at the dinner table. "If you want to get to know someone, you need to make an effort to learn why they're angry." Mito tells them.
"It's important for them to understand why they're mad," Gon tells the Captain. "So we should let them settle it themselves."
"Captain!" The helmsman shouts, alerting the old man, who looks over his shoulder. "L-Look…" He points out the window, and a waterspout is coming towards them.
"If we get caught by that waterspout, the ship will sink," Katsuo shrieks.
"Lower the sails now," The Captain orders.
"Aye!" He replies.
"We'll help," Gon offers.
"Uh-huh, come with me," Katsuo says, and they rush out of the room.
"I'll take the helm," The Captain demands, pushing the helmsman away from the wheel.
"A-Aye…" He stutters.
"Full to starboard!" The old man shouts.
The crew hurry around the deck in the storm with the heavy rain as they begin lowering the sails. "Hurry!"
"The waterspout is gonna catch us!" The crew pull the ropes together with Gigi and Gon's help as Kurpaika and Leorio standoff after their argument inside.
"Take back what you said!" Kurapika orders him. "Take back your words, and I'll forgive you, Leorio."
"How many times must I repeat myself? You should show me some respect. I won't back down," Leorio replies, getting out his switchblade.
"Then I have no choice…." He grumbles and gets out his two wooden swords as the ship grows closer to the waterspout and the wind rises rougher; the other line of men trying to pull the rope get knocked around, and only Katsuo is holding onto the rope and goes flying into the air.
"Mr Katsuo!" Gon shouts, letting go of the rope as the man flies off the side of the ship in front of Kurapika and Leorio, who race to catch the man, holding onto the side of the boat, but they miss him.
"Damn it!" Leorio curses, and Gon jumps off the ship's side to catch Katsuo. The other two wrap their hands around his ankles, but they begin to lose their grip on the wet wood of the ship's side. Gigi races over, grab their wrists and helps them back onto the boat.
"Pull 'em out, now!" The men shout as they run over to help. Gon helps Katsuo out of the water, hugging him around the waist to keep him out of the salty water, and Gigi pulls Kurapika and Leorio off the side without help from the others.
The ship finally comes out of the storm into calmer waters; Gigi doesn't let go of her brother, hugging him as Leorio scolds him. "You idiot! If we hadn't grabbed your legs, you'd be shark bait now."
"Honestly…" Kurapika sighs. "How reckless can you be?"
"But you did catch me," Gon argues, surprising them. "You both caught me!"
"Well, I guess so…" Leorio agrees.
"Gon!" Katsuo shouts as he runs over to them, having woken up.
"Mr Katsuo!" Gon greets him back.
"Thanks, Gon! You saved my life," He thanks the boy.
"I couldn't have done it alone. These two helped save you along with my sister," The tween replies, looking at the surprised teens at his inclusion of them.
"Thank you very much!" The crewmate bows at them in appreciation.
"No, you don't need to thank me," Kurapika brushes it off.
"Well… Yeah, I'm glad you're okay," Leorio replies.
"Yeah! So I'll be returning to my station!" Katsuo says and runs off; the two teens look at each other.
"What?" The older teen asks.
"I apologise for my rude behaviour. Sorry, Mr Leorio," Kurapika apologises.
"Wh-What's with the sudden change? We sound like strangers… Just call me Leorio… Leorio works. I'm also sorry. I take back everything I said. I was wrong," He apologises too.
"No, it's okay," The blond replies, and the Captain watches from the doorway and can't help but laugh, alerting the others. Gigi looks over, spotting the Captain.
"I like you guys! Okay! I'll take responsibility for bringing you four to the port closest to the exam site," The Captain informs them.
"Really? What about your test?" Gon asks him as the old man walks up the stairs.
"Like I said… It's my decision to make. And all four of you pass!" He replies, making them very happy.
"Yay!" Gon cheers, jumping into the air with Gigi giggling happily.
And so began Gon and Gigi's journey…
To follow thor father's footsteps and become Hunters.
Test x Of x Tests
After winning the Captain's favour, the quartet of Gon, Gigi, Kurapika, and Leorio arrived safely at Dolle Harbour.
Leorio and Kurapika walk ahead as the twins stay behind to say something to the Captain. "Thanks, Captain. We had a great time!" Gon tells him, making the old man laugh.
"I had fun, too. Right! As a token of my appreciation, I'll give you some advice," The Captain tells them.
"Advice?" Gigi asks him.
"Look. See that big cedar tree on the hilltop?" He tells them, pointing to the top of the prominent hilltop far from the city. "You should make your way there first. It's a shortcut to the exam site."
"A shortcut?" Gon asks. "Got it! So, we just need to head for that tree! We'll do that, Captain! Thanks!"
"Best of luck!" The old man tells them, and they run off to join Kurapika and Leorio.
"Yep! Same to you! Take care!" He shouts as they wave goodbye.
"Rest easy, Ging. Your children have grown into respectable young people," The Captain smiles as he watches them, unaware that one of the other applicants overheard him and walks off, heading for the tree.
Gon and Gigi join Kurapika and Leorio on the city map, but it doesn't show much information. "Huh… That's strange," Leorio comments.
"Why?" Gon asks him.
"According to the notice I received," He replies, getting out a piece of paper, "the exam is supposedly being held somewhere in Zaban City. Right now, we're here," He points to the map. "That tree is in the opposite direction."
"Perhaps you misheard him?" Kurapika inquires.
"No, he told us to head toward that cedar tree," Gon replies, pointing at the image.
"I see…" The blond ponders.
"And this notice isn't any help!" Leorio groans. "Where, exactly, in Zaban City are we meant to go?"
"Our task is to find the exam site, using a limited amount of information. Just another test before we'll be allowed to take the Hunter Exam," Kurapika explains.
"I-I knew that…." He stutters. "I already knew that!"
"Anyway, we'll go have a look," Gon tells them. "The Captain must have had a reason to suggest that."
"Hey, hey…" Leorio calls out to him as the twins walk off. "You're serious? The bus to Zaban is about to leave. We should just take it. Hey! Man…" The twins continue to walk off, leaving them behind. "They've gotta learn that you can't trust everyone," Kurapika decides to leave with them. "Hey! Kurapika!"
"The twin's behaviour interests me more than the Captain's advice. I'm going with them," Kurapika explains.
"Oh, is that so? See ya. Wasn't very long… Nice knowing you," Leorio walks off in the other direction. "Guess he's not as independent as I'd thought… I'm just gonna take the bus!" He walks past an alleyway with two men inside.
"So it was a trap…." One of the men questions.
"Seems none of the buses have made it to Zaban City," The other man replies with a laugh.
"Rookies usually fail this part because they're too naive," The first man chuckles, and Leorio runs back to the others.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Leorio shouts as he tries catching up with them. "Wait for me!"
The group of four reunite as Leorio rejoins them, and they begin walking towards the large cedar tree, but there seems to be a large crowd up ahead. The three boys walk through them quickly, but Gigi struggles against the mass of people and gets separated from her brother and their new friends. Gigi moves along with the large crowd that moves in the opposite direction back into town while unaware Gon makes it through the moving mass and looks around for his missing sister. "Gigi!" He exclaims as he looks around, but he can't see her anywhere. "She's gone!"
"She must have gotten taken by the crowd," Kurapika says, seeing the terror on the boy's face for his sister and the crowd moving further away. "We can try to catch up with them."
"No, I believe in Gigi, she'll find her own way," He replies.
"Are you sure?" Leorio asks the kid.
"Yeah, she once found me in the forest back on Whale island; she's really good at finding things," Gon assures them.
"Okay, if you say so," He agrees, and they continue to the cedar tree.
"I bet she beats us to the top of the hill," The younger twin laughs as he runs ahead.
Gigi pushes herself out of the crowd and finds herself back in Dolle Harbour and stops for a second, looking around, and takes a deep breath to calm herself down, hating feeling alone without her twin brother. She looks at the hilltop, but she spots the bus going past full of people, and she walks back to the map board from before. She stands in front of the board for a few minutes, comes up with a plan, and walks further into the city. Gigi sees a bike rental and smiles to herself, checking her bag for some money and her notebook. Gigi walks inside the shop, looking around the bike-filled room with every kind of bike before heading to the counter. The young girl shows the man behind the desk her notebook, which she has filled with phrases written out for any occasion. The man looks at her strangely, and she points to her ears, indicating she is deaf. However, he seems to understand and reads the page. He holds up his hands, showing 8 fingers, and she fishes out the correct amount of money, and he accepts with a smile. She writes in her notebook and shows the man, who smiles at her and asks for the pen; she complies as he gives her directions for the bike rental in Zaban City and thanks him as he helps her pick out a bike.
"Well, I knew you guys would be lonely without me," Leorio says as they walk away from the city. "And it's no fun travelling alone. So I decided to stick with you guys a while longer," He laughs as they walk, Gon and Kurapika ignoring him a little as they continue to walk, and they come across a deserted town.
Gigi happily bikes away from Dolle Harbour, comes across an open grass field, and sees one of the yellow buses zoom past her and soon comes to a fork, but the vehicle doesn't go to the right as the shopkeeper told her but goes to the left. Gigi hits on the brakes and comes to an abrupt stop, looking worried for a second, wondering if the man lied to her, but she goes to the right of the fork and soon comes across a sign that makes her smile. "Zaban City Up Ahead".
"This is a creepy place… I don't see a single person," Leorio comments as they walk through the quiet town.
"No, there are plenty here," Gon corrects him.
"What?" He asks, but before the boy can answer, a door opens to their left, surprising them a little as people walk out, pushing out a stage that blocks their way. "Wh-What's with the freak show?"
"Exciting…" The old woman says.
"E-Exciting?" The older teen questions.
"Exciting…" The woman repeats.
"Exciting," Leorio gulps.
"Exciting two-choice quiz!" She yells, and the strangers in masks begin playing their musical instruments, shocking the three boys. "You boys are headed for that tree on the hill, correct? To reach that tree, you must pass through this town."
"Huh?" They look at her in surprise.
"I shall administer a single-question quiz," The quizzing lady informs them.
"H-Hold on! What's going on here?" Leorio demands.
"You'll have five seconds to state your answer. Give the wrong answer, and you're disqualified. You'll have to give up on taking this year's Hunter Exam," She explains.
"I see…" Kurapika sighs. "Then this is part of the Hunter Exam."
"I see how it is. I happen to be a quiz expert. Wait. Only one question?" Leorio finally catches on.
"Your answer will be either the number 1 or 2. Any other answer will be considered incorrect." The old woman explains.
"Hold on! All three of us share one question? So if one of them answers incorrectly, I'm disqualified, too?" He asks her.
"As if that would happen! What scares me is the high likelihood of the vice versa happening." Kurapika argues.
"What was that?" Leorio growls.
"But you know…." Gon cuts into their argument. "This way's easier, since only one of us needs to know the answer. I'm not good at quizzes,; Gigi's the best though, I wish she was here with us."
"I suppose…" The taller teen agrees.
"Fair point," The blond agrees too.
"Hey, there. Hurry it up," The eavesdropper from the ship walks over, revealing himself to the boys. "Or else I'll answer the question first."
"Who are you?" Leorio asks him.
"He followed us here, all the way from port," Gon informs the older teen,
"Huh? Seriously?" He gasps, having not even noticed, and wonders how he followed, but Gigi didn't.
"Sorry, kid. I happened to overhear your conversation," He fakes an apology.
"What will you do?" The quizzing lady asks them.
"He seems eager to take it," Leorio replies. "We should let him go first. That way, we'll know what kind of question to expect."
"I don't mind," Gon replies as one of the strangely masked people walks over, and they step away, letting the newcomer take a turn.
"I have no objection," Kurapika adds.
"Then I'll get to it," The man says as a podium is set in front of him. "Fools. I'll leave a trail of traps behind me."
"Here is your question…." The quizzing lady starts, and one of the masked people honks a horn and the crow caws. "Evil villains have captured your mother and lover. You can only save one. Select 1 for your mother or 2 for your lover. Which will you save?" The boys gasp in shock at the question as it seems impossible to answer.
"H-How is this even a quiz?" Leorio questions, lowering his voice, but the man seems fine, having an answer.
"The answer is 1," He answers, slapping a hand on the buzzer.
"Oh? Why do you say that?" The old woman asks him.
"Because you can't replace your mother," The man replies with a shrug. "But you can find another lover."
"What?" Leorio exclaims, and the crow on the arm of one of the masked people caws again.
"You may pass," The quizzing lady allows him to continue, showing him to pass to the left.
"What?" He repeats in shock
"You just have to tell the old lady what she wants to hear. Adios," The man tells him and rushes ahead.
"Hey, now! That's all bull!" Leorio shouts in disapproval. "How was that the right answer?! We're supposed to give the answer the old lady wants? And that's considered correct? Hey, say something!" He doesn't get an answer except the crow. "I won't put up with this sham. I'll find a different route," He turns around and is about to walk away.
"It's too late," The old woman informs him, and he stops in his tracks. "Refuse to take the quiz, and you're disqualified."
"Th-That's just ridiculous! Different people would expect different answers! There is no right answer!" The older teen argues, and it strikes a chord with the blond.
"No right answer… I see!" Kurapika gasps and turns to him. "Leorio!"
"Wait!" The old woman orders them. "The cat-eyed boy has figured it out." She thinks to herself. "Not another word from you. Say anything but the answer, and you're immediately disqualified."
"Wake up, Leorio…" The blond teen pleads, seeing the anger on his face. "It's a simple trick…." He looks at the quiet Gon, who seems deep in thought. "Gon…"
"Here is your question…." The quizzing lady starts, and the honk of the horn and caw of the crow sounds. "Your son and daughter have been kidnapped. You can only rescue one. Select 1 for your son or 2 for your daughter. Which will you rescue?"
"She's making fun of us…." Leorio grits his teeth in anger, but the three boys remain silent.
"Five… Four…" She begins counting down, and the older teen grabs a piece of wood.
"Go ahead and count down, you hag," He tells her as he swings the pieces of wood.
"Three… Two… One… Buzz. Time's up," The old woman announces, and Leorio jumps to attack her, but Kurapika steps in the way, using his wooden sword to block the piece of wood.
"Don't stop me, Kurapika! I won't be satisfied until I've taught this hag a lesson!" Leorio yells at him.
"Calm down, Leorio!" Kurapika yells back.
"How am I supposed to calm down!" He fumes at the blond.
"You'll waste our correct response," The Kurta survivor replies.
"Correct response?" Leorio questions, calming down a little.
"We gave the right answer," Kurapika explains. "Silence was the correct response."
"Silence? What do you mean…." The older teen questions.
"You hit the nail on the head. There is no right answer," The blond reminds him of his response to the old woman. "Precisely. This quiz had no right answer. However, we could only state 1 or 2 as the answer. In other words, we weren't meant to respond at all. Silence was the only response."
"But what about that other guy?" Leorio argues, pointing in the direction the man from earlier went after answering the question.
"They never said he gave the right answer. She only said, "You may pass." In other words, this path is the wrong path. Am I right?" Kurapika asks the quizzing lady.
"Precisely," The old woman replies, getting to her feet and walking off the stage. "The correct path is over here," Two masked people open the doors to the side of the stage, showing a long tunnel with a light at the end. "This leads directly to the tree. Walk two hours, and you'll reach the top."
"Oh, so that's what this was about…." Leorio muses as he looks at the tunnel in shock.
"A couple lives in the cabin beneath that tree. They serve as Navigators. If you meet their standards, I believe that they will guide you to the exam site," The woman explains, and the tall teen drops the broken piece of wood to the ground.
"Gran, I'm sorry for my rudeness," Leorio apologises, bowing slightly to the old woman.
"Don't be. I don't mind. I do this job because I enjoy meeting people like you." She replies, surprising him a little. "Do your best to become a good Hunter," She tells him, making him a little bashful, and they look over as they hear Gon let out a loud sigh as he falls to the ground.
"It's no use. I can't think of an answer," Gon says, making Leorio laugh.
"You were still trying to find an answer? You can stop," He tells him.
"Huh? Why?" The kid asks.
"The quiz is over," Kurapika informs him.
"I know," Gon replies. "But… But you know… What if I run into a situation like that and I can only save one person… What should I do then? It wouldn't be right to choose just one… But one day, I might have to make that choice."
"That's right. That is the purpose of this test. You must be prepared to face the worst possible scenarios… Because harsh reality strikes without warning. You must be prepared for the day your paths diverge." The old woman thinks to herself as she watches the three boys enter the tunnel.
Over an hour later, Gigi finally arrives in Zaban City at dark, and she looks around; seeing the city is relatively quiet, she looks at the piece of paper with the directions for the bike rental and looks around for a street sign, but doesn't see anything. Gigi walks with the bike down the street as she tries to find the bike rental shop, but it seems too long. Finally, she looks down one of the side streets to see just the sign she is looking for; she smiles brightly and runs to the shop with the bike.
Gigi opens the door to the shop, and there is a man behind the counter, who smiles as she shows him her notebook, reading it, and he walks around the counter, taking the bike. "Thank you, do you know about the Hunter Exam?" She asks him, but he doesn't seem to understand, and she writes in her notebook.
"Of course, it's being held within the city," He answers, but she doesn't seem pleased with that answer and waves goodbye as she leaves the shop, and the man smiles. "Good luck."
Gigi walks back onto the main street, still displeased with not finding anything to help her find the exam site, and sees people walking around. She looks down at her shoes, taking them off, as she looks at the tall buildings, and she can't help but think it's not that obvious. A woman across the streets watches the young girl with a smile as Gigi closes her eyes, trying to find something, using the wiggling of her toes to help her senses. She uses seismic sense, allowing her to see what others can't. Searching the area, trying to find the exam site, thinking it will be somewhere with many people, Gigi finds something else below her feet. Gigi can't help but frown as she finds a large area below the streets that appears ample and stretches for miles. The woman from across the street smiles at the young girl, deciding to help, seeing the potential, and walks across the street as Gigi opens her eyes, seeing the friendly woman. "Hello? Are you okay?" The woman asks her, and Gigi nods. "Can't you talk?"
"I don't like to," Gigi replies, surprising the woman, but she smiles. "Do you happen to know where the Hunter Exam is taking place?"
"I do, but why would a young girl like you want to be a Hunter?" She asks, testing the girl a little.
"My brother and I want to see why our father abandoned us to become a Hunter. And I want to find him so I can maybe punch him," The girl replies, surprising the woman, but she laughs. "I'd do anything for my brother." The woman looks at her and smiles.
"Would you like me to take you?" She asks Gigi, holding out her hand; the older twin looks at the stranger for a second and nods, grabbing her hand. The woman takes her in the direction of the main square, and Gigi carries her shoes in hand, heading towards a small wooden restaurant. Gigi smiles, glad she trusted the woman as they step inside.
Gigi looks around the inside of the restaurant, like the quaint little place, seeing the cook behind the counter, who doesn't even look up and seems to talk to the woman; she looks between them. A man walks in behind them, bumping into the woman; Gigi stretches out her leg, tripping the man onto the floor, he looks up at the young girl with a glare, but she doesn't care. Finally, the cook looks up, seeing the exchange, then looks at the woman, saying something to her, and she takes Gigi by the hand, leading her through the restaurant to a back room. "Good luck," The woman tells her.
"Gigi," She tells her, making the woman smile, closing the door with a wave. Gigi looks around the room, sitting in one of the chairs and feels it vibrating, making her jump to her feet, feeling the room moving downward.
The door opens to the lift to reveal a dingy stone cavern filled with people; Gigi looks around at the significant ground of people, not liking the look of them as they stare at her, but they soon look away. Then, finally, a green bean-type person walks towards Gigi, and she looks at him with a friendly smile. "Hello. Please take a number," Beans tells her, holding out a badge to the girl, who happily takes it. "Be sure you wear this on your chest at all times. Be careful not to lose it."
"Thank you," She replies, surprising him, and she walks away, looking around.
The three boys walk in the dark on the hill. "It's totally dark out… "Walk two hours," she said? It was two hours, two hours ago! Damn," Leorio complains when they come across a sign. "Another "Beware of Magical Beasts" sign? Are we ever gonna make it to the exam site? I'm hungry! I need to take a dump!"
"Leorio! We'll leave you behind!" Gon yells back to him.
"I've gotta take a leak, too!" He shouts. "Hey!"
"I see it!" Kurapika announces, and they race up the dirt path to find a house by the trunk of the massive cedar tree.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Leorio calls out as he knocks on the door of the quiet house.
"Are they out?" Gon questions.
"We're coming in," The older teen announces as he opens the crickety door, and they find the room trashed and a strange creature standing in front of them, holding a young woman and a man lying injured on the floor by their feet. "It's a Magical Beast!"
"A Magical Beast?" The boy asks, all of them getting ready to attack.
"A Transforming Magical Beast, the Kiriko! They can take human form! That's an extremely intelligent creature!" Kurapika explains.
"There's a woman in his arms!" Gon exclaims.
"And the guy on the floor needs medical attention…." Leorio adds, and the Magical Beast jumps out the side window with Kurapika and Gon racing to the window.
"P-Please…" The injured man stutters. "Please save my wife…." Gon jumps out the window to save the woman, and Kurapika leaves his bag on the floor, planning to help the kid search for the creature.
"Leorio, we'll leave the injured man to you!" Kurapika says and jumps out the window to follow.
"Got it!" Leorio replies as he begins assessing the injuries.
Kurapika and Gon race through the dark forest after the Kiriko, who is holding the young woman; the blond follows the boy as he takes the lead. "He can follow that faint shadow, even through this dark forest," Kurapika marvels at the young tween, who jumps high into the treetops with such ease. "Impressive."
"Kiriko! Let her go!" Gon shouts at the Magical Beast as he jumps from branch to branch, trying to get closer.
"Take her from me, if you can!" The beast replies and continues to swing through the trees, and Gon accidentally misjudges the distance from the surprise of the talking creature and falls back to the ground, but lands on his feet and continues to run.
"Wow! He can talk!" Gon exclaims in glee.
"That Magical Beast, the Kiriko, uses human speech," Kurapika explains.
"Oh. That makes this a lot easier!" He replies and jumps back into the trees, tailing the beast. "Hey! Silly Kiriko!"
"What?" The Kiriko turns to look at the boy, and Gon jumps higher, readying to strike the creature with his fishing rod. "H-He's fast!" Gon hits the Magical Kiriko on the head, knocking the young woman from its hold and falling toward the ground.
"Kurapika!" Gon shouts and the blond jumps into the air, catching the woman safely before landing on the ground.
"He's so reckless…." Kurapika scolds the boy.
"Stupid kid," The Kiriko groans, clutching at his poor, injured head. "You'll pay for this!" He jumps away.
"Wait!" Gon yells as he follows after the Magical Beast.
"Are you okay?" Kurapika asks the young woman. "Are you injured anywhere?"
"I'm okay," She replies. "What about my husband? How is he?"
"Don't worry. Our friend is taking care of him," He assures her.
"Please take me to my husband!" The woman pleads, and the blond sees her tattoos around her wrists and something clocks.
"Those tattoos…" Kurapika mutters, and the young woman shies away, hiding her arms. "You're…"
"Kurapika!" Leorio calls out as he runs towards them. "You okay?"
"Leorio?" He questions.
"Whew… Guess you guys are all right," The tall teen replies.
"How is that man?" Kurapika asks.
"Yeah, no worries. The wound wasn't as deep as it looked. I gave him some painkillers and he's sound asleep in the cabin," Leorio explains.
"I see…" The blond grows angry and slaps the young man behind him with one of his wooden swords, catching it back in his hand.
"How did you know?" The imposter asks as he covers his injured face. "How did you know I was an imposter?" He begins to change into a Kiriko.
"I didn't think that you were. I told Leorio to take care of the injured man, and he consented. Given the Magical Beast is still on the loose, I attacked you for foolishly leaving an injured man on his own. That's all," Kurapika explains, and the beast laughs before jumping away. "Now I need you to answer my question," He turns to the young woman, who looks surprised at him and presses one of his wooden swords to her neck. "Who are you?" The woman smiles at the question.
Gon continues to follow after the Kiriko from earlier and comes to a stop on a tree branch, having lost sight of the beast and hears leaves rustling, spotting the beast. "Wait!" He shouts as he jumps after them from branch to branch, and the creature jumps through a thick bustle of leaves. Gon follows but doesn't see too late that it's on the edge of a cliff, falling off the side, but he quickly thinks up a plan as he uses his fishing rod. The wire wraps around a branch on the tree, catching himself on the cliff before jumping back onto the forest floor.
"For a kid, you're pretty quick," The Kiriko comments with a snicker; Gon looks at the beast at the top of the tree. "Didn't expect you'd land a blow on me," Gon looks over his shoulder, noticing the change in voice as the beast jumps down from the treetop and lands on the ground in front of him. "You're about to discover the high price that accomplishment came with!" Gon looks around, trying to find something.
"Who are you?" He asks, stopping the Kiriko from attacking. "You aren't the one I hit. Are you his friend?"
"How can you tell that I'm not the same one?" The Kiriko asks the human boy.
"Huh? Your face is completely different. And your voice is a little higher and thinner," Gon answers, and the Kiriko looks at him in surprise and begins laughing. "What? Did I say something funny?"
"Hey, sweetheart!" The Kiriko calls out. "Come out here! You're gonna love this!"
The group reunite at the house under the cedar tree, explaining the situation to the three boys. "Hmm… How many years has it been since someone was able to tell us apart?" The male Kiriko questions.
"I'm ecstatic!" The female Kiriko replies.
"Can you tell their faces and voices are different?" Leorio asks Kurapika in a hushed voice.
"No, not at all…." Kurapika replies in the same tone.
"You see, the one Kurapika and I beat up is the husband," Gon explains without really explaining.
"Which one are you talking about?" The teens question.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves," The husband says. "We are the Navigators. Our family provides support for the Hunter Exam."
"I'm their daughter!" The young woman waves.
"I'm their son!" The young man waves.
"Man, you had us fooled," Leorio groans.
"The Hunter Exam changes site every year. It's quite difficult to locate it," The husband explains.
"So we Navigators help by guiding the applicants to the site," The wife explains.
"Oh, that's how it works," Gon beams.
"But we don't help every candidate," The daughter adds.
"We test applicants to see if they're qualified to take the exam," The son informs them, making Leorio stand more to attention.
"Kurapika," The daughter calls the blond.
"Yes," He answers.
"You successfully used the most vague of hints to determine that we weren't spouses," She explains, showing the tattoos around her wrists. The hint was these tattoos which, in this region, mark a woman as single for life," She rubs away the ink. "Kurapika demonstrated that he is very knowledgeable. Therefore, he passes."
"Way to go, Kurapika," Gon congratulations him.
"Thanks," Kurapika replies, the two bumping fists in celebration.
"Leorio," The son calls.
"Yeah…" He replies.
"You never released my true identity," The young man adds, upsetting the tall teen. "However, you dressed my injuries faster and more thoroughly than any doctor. Most importantly, you continued to reassure me that my wife was safe."
"S-Stop it…" Leorio sighs, feeling embarrassed, making the other two snicker. "It's embarrassing…."
"Your kindness makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. Thus, you pass," He informs the teen.
"R-Really?" The older teen exclaims and sighs in relief, his body sagging to the ground. "Thank goodness…"
"You did it!" Gon cheers, raising his fist, and Leorio happily bumps his fist back.
"And finally, Gon," The husband announces.
"Yes!" He answers.
"Your superhuman physical ability and powers of observation make you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. You pass," The husband informs the boy, and he cheerfully bumps fists with both Leorio and Kurapika, smiling big at the good news.
"Did a girl with green hair come up here?" Gon asks, surprising the Navigators.
"No, why is she important to you?" The wife asks him.
"Yeah, she's my sister, she came with us but we got separated," He explains.
"I see. I'm afraid no one like that has come up here," She replies, and he frowns, wondering where she could be.
"We'll find her Gon," Kurapika assures him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I know; I bet she's already there!" Though deep down, Gon replies with a smile, he worries for his sister; he knows she can look after herself.
Gigi walks around the stone cavern and finds a quiet spot to sit and wait for her brother and their friends; placing her backpack down, she gets out her book, not wanting to fall asleep, seeing as she doesn't know anyone here. She feels something terrible would happen if she fell asleep around many strangers without her brother to protect her. As Gigi reads, the girl feels eyes on her, the older twin looks up from the rim of her book to see a pudgy man in a blue top standing in front of her, seeming to speak, but Gigi ignores him and continues to read. The man in blue looks at the girl, angry as she ignores him, and he grumbles under his breath as he walks away, his plan foiled for the little girl.
The Kirikos, in their true forms, spread their wings to fly the three humans to Zaban City, and the boys grab their ankles as they take flight. "We will now take you to the exam site," The husband informs them, and they fly away from the hilltop towards the Hunter Exam site with the three humans.
"Isn't it great that we all passed?" Gon asks the others.
"It's too early to celebrate," Kurapika reminds him. "We've merely earned the right to take the real exam."
"What's wrong with celebrating a little?" Leorio argues. "We're making progress."
"Honestly, you people really should think," The blond sighs.
"Hey! Why must you be such a smart-ass?" He snaps, wiggling around, which makes it difficult for the two younger Kirikos.
"Stop moving around!"
"If you fall, blame yourself!" The son and daughter exclaim as they try to regain themselves, and Gon laughs.
Gon and his friends enjoy a brief journey through the sky.
However, they still haven't reached the starting line.
Rivals x For x Survival
Gon and his friends have arrived in Zaban City, site of the Hunter Exam, aided by the Kiriko Navigators.
"As Navigators our job is to identify worthy Hunter applicants and guide them to the exam site," The son explains as he walks the three humans through the busy marketplace. "In other words, it would be extremely difficult for someone to reach the site without a Navigator's help."
"Hey, wanna try one?" A merchant yells from his little store. "It's Zaban's famous panda-frog-on-a-stick! A true delicacy!"
"This brooch was excavated from Zaban's underground palace." Another merchant tries to sell something to Gon. "I bet that it's a national treasure."
"You know, Zaban City is quite a shady place," Leorio comments as he looks around.
"Prosperous cities tend to attract all sorts of nasty types," Kurapika agrees, but Gon sees the beauty in the city as he moves from one market stall to another, looking around.
"What are you doing, Gon?" He calls the kid.
"Yeah!" The boy catches up with them as they move out of the marketplace into an open square.
"I believe that is the building," The son remarks as he looks at the instructions, and the three boys look at the tall building in front of them.
"It's so tall!" Gon exclaims. "They have a really nice building."
"So this is the exam site… This is what draws…." Leorio thinks aloud.
"Hunter applicants from across the world," Kurapika finishes the thought.
"My first shot at the Hunter Exam… Was this how Dad felt when he first arrived?" Gon wonders.
"Hey, guys!" The son calls them, breaking them from their thoughts. "Over here!"
"What?" They question.
"Here," He corrects them, pointing to a little restaurant next to the tall skyscraper.
"Wait, this isn't funny," Leorio tells him, walking to join him with the others. "Isn't that an ordinary restaurant? You can't possibly mean that Hunter applicants from around the world are meant to assemble here?"
"I do," The son answers, surprising them. "No one would ever expect the Hunter Exam, with its millions of candidates, to be located here, right?"
"That's true," The tall teen grumbles.
The group walk into the restaurant to see a nice-looking place. "Welcome," The cook greets them but doesn't look up from the cooking food.
"Is the back room open?" The son asks him.
"What will you have?" The cook asks.
"The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light," He replies. "For three," This gets the cook to look up.
"For three… How would you like them?" The man asks.
"Grilled over a low flame, until cooked," The son answers cryptically.
"Got it. Let yourself into the back room," The chef tells them, and the Navigator leads the three boys into the back room.
"Wait here," The Kiriko tells them.
"Wait? Where are the others?" Leorio asks him.
"I can't wait for the steak combo," Gon beams.
"Gon, that was just the password to get us inside," Kurapika informs him.
"Oh, we don't get to eat?" He asks downheartedly.
"One in every ten thousand…." The son says. "The number of applicants who make it this far. You've done extremely well for first-timers. Well, good luck."
"Thanks!" Gon exclaims, holding his hand out, and the son looks at it for a second before shaking it.
"I would be happy to serve as your Navigator next year, as well," He tells them and leaves, closing the door behind him, and the room begins to rumble as it moves downward.
"It appears this room is an elevator," Kurapika comments, and they see a box above the door reading the floors as they descend.
"Bastard…" Leorio groans as he sits in one of the chairs in the room. "That meant that he expects us to fail this year."
"Once every three years," He says.
"What's that?" The taller teen questions, seeing the other two have joined him at the table.
"The frequency with which a rookie passes the exam," The blond replies.
"Huh?" Leorio questions.
"It's that unusual?" Gon asks.
"Some cannot endure the exam's physical and mental strain. It's also not unusual for veterans to break the rookies who consequently never retake the test." Kurapika explains.
"So I guess candidates are willing to risk everything to become Hunters," The boy replies.
"But of course, my friend!" Leorio shouts, slamming his hands on the table as he jumps to his feet, surprising the others. "Hunters make the most money in this world!"
"No!" Kurapika argues, slamming his hands on the table and jumping to his feet. "Hunters are the most noble in this world."
"Glory hog…"
"Money grubber!" The pair glare at each other as Gon stares at them.
"Gon! Listen… Every year, over fifty Hunters make the list of the world's hundred richest people!" Leorio explains loudly, and Kurapika moves the middle piece of the table, moving the older teen away.
"Hunters are associated with hunting wild game and treasure, but they are all second-rate. True Hunters work to protect people and the natural order," Kurapika gives his side.
"Now, look here… Once you're a Hunter, most countries will give you a free pass! And no charge to use public facilities. How are those benefits?" Leorio questions and Kurapika moves him away from Gon again.
"Hunters have many difficult and important responsibilities, such as preserving cultural artefacts and endangered species, as well as capturing wanted criminals and unscrupulous Hunters." The blond explains further.
"The fame and money… That's why people wish to become Hunters!" The older teen yells in Gon's face.
"Profound knowledge, a healthy mind and body, and unyielding conviction… Those are the qualities on which Hunters pride themselves!" Kurapika yells, both of them getting in each other's faces.
"Gon! What do you think?" They yell at the boy. "Which kind of Hunter do you hope to become?!"
"Well, when you put it that way…." Gon goes to answer, but before he can, the lift makes it to the bottom with a ding.
"I think we've arrived," Kurapika announces.
"We'll continue this later," Leorio agrees, and the elevator doors open.
The three boys walk out of the lift to see a large, dark, gloomy stone cavern with minimal lights and a crowd of people who watch the three newcomers. "Strange atmosphere down here," Leorio comments.
"They clearly differ from the Hunter applicants we saw at the port and in the city," Kurapika remarks, feeling the aura around them that radiates around the area. "Each is a master, in their own right…."
"Excuse me…" Gon says but stops, seeing their stares, and they return to themselves. "Everyone's really tense."
"Hello. Please take a number," Beans says, walking up to the group and holding out a badge with a number. Leorio takes the white badge with the number 403 written on it. "Here you go," He hands another badge to Kurapika that says 404, and finally, Gon gets one that says 405. "Here. Be sure you wear this on your chest at all times. Be careful not to lose it," He tells them and walks away.
"Haven't seen you guys around before," A strange voice says, and Gon looks over to see a man in a blue shirt sitting on a ledge high up on the side of the cavern. "Yo."
"You can tell we're new?" Gon asks him, walking closer with the others.
"More or less," The man replies, jumping down to greet them. "After all, this will be my thirty-fifth attempt."
"Thirty-five times?!" The boys exclaim in shock.
"Well, you could say I'm an exam veteran," He brags a little.
"That isn't something to brag about," Leorio remarks.
"Indeed," Kurapika agrees.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," The man in blue tells them.
"Thank you," Gon replies.
"My name is Tonpa," He introduces himself, offering his hand.
"I'm Gon," The boy shakes his hand. "These are Kurapika and Leorio," He introduces his friends. "Hey, are there others who have taken the exam a bunch of times like you?"
"Well, I have the most experience here, but there are a few others," Tonpa replies. "For instance, there's him…." He gestures to a large man in a dark blue top and goldish hair. "Number 255, Todo, the wrestler. He's unmatched in strength. And he's smarter than he looks. On the other side, we have number 103, Bourbon, the snake charmer," He points over to a man in a purple scarf seeming to be meditating. "He tends to hold grudges, so you don't want to end up on his bad side. And then… Number 191, Bodoro, the kung fu master," points to another older gentleman with long silver hair in a high ponytail. "He's getting old, but there still isn't a better martial artist around," Points over to three similar-looking men. "Then you have the three brothers, Amori, Imori, and Umori. They perform consistently well, thanks to their excellent teamwork. And number 384, Gerreta, the huntsman," He gestures to the man in a jester costume with dark sunglasses. "He specialises in killing all manner of creatures, by blow dart and club. There are many more, but they haven't taken the test the most times."
"Ah…" Gon marvels as he looks around, and a man in a purple cape walks past them and knocks into the wrong person. Tonpa continues to explain things to the three newcomers when a scream comes from across the other side of the cavern; everyone turns to look, seeing the man in the purple cape screaming, his arms disappearing into tiny red flowers.
"Oh, how peculiar…." The man in a clown costume remarks with a sadistic grin. "His arms seem to have become flower petals. No smoke and mirrors here," Gon watches in shock, and Gigi looks over her book, having felt the ruckus. "Do take care. When you bump into someone you really should apologise," Everyone around him looks at him, unpleased and uneasy.
"That psychopath is back again," Tonpa grimaces.
"Again?" Gon asks him.
"Does that mean he took last year's exam?" Kurapika asks the veteran.
"Number 44. Hisoka, the magician. Last year, he was a virtual lock to pass the test, until he all but killed an examiner he didn't like," Tonpa explains.
"A-And they're still allowing him to retake the exam this year?" Leorio questions.
"Of course. Every year, the examiners and test content change, and the examiners are the ones who choose the new content. The devil himself could pass if that were the examiners' determination. That's just how the Hunter Exam works. Anyway, no one likes him. You should stay away, too," He explains.
"He looks dangerous. That much is for sure," The teen in a suit replies, and a blur of green runs past them and tackles Gon to the ground, making him yelp, which attracts some attention from the others around them. "What the hell!"
"It's Gigi!" Kurapika exclaims, and Gon looks at his sister, who hugs him, and he smiles, returning the hug.
"I got worried about you," Gigi signs, surprising Tonpa.
"We got worried about you too, big sis," Gon replies, and they get to their feet. "Oh, this is my twin sister Gigi."
"Hello. Nice to see you again," Gigi smiles, and Gon translates for her.
"Oh, yeah." Tonpa smiles, though Gigi can see through it.
"What happened to you? I thought you'd meet us at the top of the cedar tree," Kurapika asks her and she begins explaining what happened.
"Well, that certainly is an adventure," Leorio comments with a smile.
"What happened to you guys at the cedar tree?" Gigi asks them.
"Oh, right…" Tonpa says, interrupting the others, rummaging in his bag, and getting something out. "A little something to mark our acquaintance. How about it?" He offers them a soda.
"Oh, appreciated," Leorio replies, taking one of the drink cans. "As it happened, I was thirsty…."
"Thanks!" Gon says, taking the cans for himself and his sister.
"Thank you," Kurapika says, taking a soda, unaware of the others looking their way, chuckling to themselves.
"There he goes," One of the onlookers remarks.
"He always plays the nice guy, despite being nastier than anyone else here," Another onlooker comments.
"Tonpa, the rookie crusher…." The other onlooker snickers.
"Best of luck to all of us!" Tonpa cheers and they clink their cans of drink together before opening them. "The juice I gave you contains an extremely strong laxative. One sip, and for three days, your guts will be a non-stop roller coaster. You'll need diapers to take the exam," The man grins to himself, but when the twins taste the drink for even a second, they spit it back out.
"Mr Tonpa, this juice must have expired," Gon explains. "It tastes funny," Leorio quickly spits the drink out towards Tonpa.
"Seriously?" Leorio groans, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "That was close."
"H-Huh? That's strange…." Tonpa plays it off. "Impossible! That laxative should have practically no taste nor scent," He watches Kurapika pour the drink away. "I'm very sorry! I didn't realise the juice had gone bad."
"It's okay. You don't have to apologise. Is your stomach okay?" Gon asks him.
"Y-Yes… I'm fine," He replies.
"We've sampled all kinds of mountain grasses and plants. So we can usually taste when something's bad." Gigi explains, and Gon translates.
"R-Really… That's amazing…." Tonpa chuckles nervously. "Damn… I had to run into these wind mountain kids." He glares at the twins and gets to his feet from his overdramatic apologies. "Sorry about that again. I'll see you around," He waves them goodbye as he walks away.
"Talkative old man…." Leorio grumbles.
"Still, there's something wrong with this year's rookies. That number 294, Hanzo, too." Tonpa ponders as he looks at the ninja talking animatedly to a group of men. "He seemed gullible when I approached him," He thinks of his run in with the bald man.
"Don't tell anyone else, but I'm actually a ninja," Hanzo informed Tonpa when the man in blue walked over to him to introduce himself.
"Huh? Oh, really?" Tonpa questioned.
"I seek the legendary scroll… Shh…" He covered the man's mouth. "The Ultimate Ninja Scroll. That is why I desire to become a Hunter. I've heard that it's hidden somewhere inaccessible to ordinary people. Anyway, it's boring here…."
"Yeah, I guess… So, how about it?" The man said, offering a can of juice. "Let's toast our new friendship," But Hanzo pushed the can away.
"As a ninja, I make it a point to never drink anything someone else offers. Sorry," He declined.
"I-I see…" Tonpa nervously chuckled.
"I could tell by his eyes that he's no fool," Tonpa thinks as he watches the man. "One false step and I could've been in real danger." He hears clicking behind him and turns to see a man in green with pinks all over his face and chest. "Speaking of danger, there's number 301… That guy just oozes peril, I can't even go near him. Then there's that guy I can't stand," He looks over to the boy with a laptop in front of him, "number 187, Nicolas."
Tonpa walked over to Nicolas, who sat tapping away by the side of the stone cavern on his laptop. "Must've been tough to make it here," Tonpa remarked, and Nicolas looked up from his computer for a second.
"Not really. Everything went as predicted by my data… I used historical data, from past Hunter Exams, to calculate this year's location. Quite simple. Frankly, I was bored senseless," Nicolas replied, smoothing down his hair.
"R-Really… That's amazing. My name is Tonpa. Nice to meet you," He introduced himself and offered a can of juice.
"Mr Tonpa, is it?" The younger male questioned and typed on his laptop. "Oh, there you are. This is your thirty-fifth attempt, the second-highest number by one person. And with thirty, you have the most consecutive appearances. Very impressive."
"Please, it's no big deal. How about it? Let's drink to our new friendship…." Tonpa said, trying to get him to drink.
"But you have yet to actually pass the exam. I assume that's because you're too absorbed by your other objective," Nicolas replied, surprising the man. "Tonpa, the rookie crusher."
"What?" He looked at him in surprise as the younger man closed his laptop and got up.
"Well, I won't share my knowledge with anyone else, seeing as you hold the consecutive appearance record… Goodbye," Nicolas walked away from the angry Tonpa.
Tonpa looks at the back of Nicolas' head with anger. "Bastard… Just you wait. I'll break that snotty nose of yours." Tonpa seethes.
"Hey, Mr Tonpa!" A voice calls out to him, and he looks over to see a silver-haired boy with a skateboard. "Could I have more of that juice? Must be my nerves. I'm really thirsty."
"Eh? Oh, sure…" He agrees but is in shock at the small boy. "What the hell? The laxative he drank earlier should have taken effect by now. What's going on?" He gives the kid another can and happily drinks it, surprising the man in blue. "It's only a laxative, but if he imbibes that much he could die of dehydration."
"Worried?" The kid asks, snapping the older man out of his thoughts. "I'll be fine. I've trained. Poisons won't affect me."
"Poisons?" Tonpa squeaks, watching the kid walk again. "He knew what was in the juice? But he still drank it? Number 99, Killua. This year's rookies are all insane…." He grits his teeth in anger but calms himself down. "Well, it doesn't matter. That just means crushing them will be all the more worthwhile." Moments later, an alarm of sorts rings, alerting everyone to the beginning of the exam and the wall behind them begins to rise, revealing a single man with no mouth and in a purple suit, holding the alarm.
"I apologise for the wait. The entry period for Hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin!" The Examiner announces, and the applicants get pumped up, though Gon has to sign for Gigi as she can't tell what the man is saying. "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 the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you," No one moves towards the lift; everyone is ready to start the exam. "Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One," He announces and turns around, going long arm movements and giant steps with the applicants following closely behind as they begin the test. Still, he begins to go faster, and the others follow suit.
"Of course, no one turned around and left," Leorio remarks as he looks around. "I'd hoped a few might withdraw," The examiner begins to pick up speed, and the applicants also speed up, surprising the three boys and Gigi. "Wh-What?"
"The people in front started running," Gon explains.
"He's picked up the pace," Kurapika adds.
"I neglected to introduce myself. I am Satotz, the Phase One examiner," He introduces himself. "I shall lead you to the exam's Second Phase."
"Second Phase?" Hanzo questions. "What about Phase One?"
"It has already commenced," Satotz announces.
"It's already begun?" The applicants murmur amongst themselves. "This is part of the test?"
"You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the exam's First Phase," The examiner informs them.
"Follow you? That's it?" Hanzo asks.
"Yes," He answers. "I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You need to follow me."
"I see how it is," Kurapika remarks.
"This test is weird," Gon says, and Gigi hums in agreement.
"I expect it's an endurance test. Fine by me," Leorio grins. "I'll be right behind you!"
"But there is the mental stress of not knowing how far we'll have to run. He's also testing our mental fortitude," Kurapika thinks to himself.
The exam's First Phase begins amidst a mix of warriors and knaves.
One candidate is disqualified before it even starts.
The total number of Hunter applicants is 404.