No one else seemed to notice the light mood enveloping the famed haunted house standing proudly on the hill except for the fair glow of the risen sun and the birds chirping to each other... and the four pairs of eyes trying to regulate their zetsu on a tree nearby.

"Killua, I can't see anything inside," whispered a tanned brunet.

"Climb higher, Gon," replied the silver-haired one.

"I see a table! Haha!" shouted the other brunet, his glasses dropping to his nosetip.

"SHH!"

"Oh, sorry."

They climbed higher and higher till they finally got a view of the living room.

"Why, it's so nice and pretty inside," Gon said. "It doesn't look like a haunted house at all."

"The interior appearance is inverse to its external features," agreed the blue-eyed blonde.

"How about the ghosts? The old woman said that there are evil souls lurking on those walls. Every night, the house rumbles from the inside and evil spirits scream curses and languishes so badly that it echoes into the dense depths of the dark forest."

"How could believe that hag, Killua? Our sources told us that your brother is inside that house and the thick forest southwest is his property." There was no answer. Leorio rubbed his chin. "Hm.. The design and the landscape of this creepy place resembles your house so much. Therefore, I conclude that your brother is missing your home now."

"Right," Gon agreed.

"Wow. I never thought that your also a psychologist Leorio," Kurapika commented.

"Well, it's part of my job as a doctor. To understand the emotional phase of my patients by means of studying their overt behavior. At any rate -"

"Wait! I think the branch is breaking!" Killua interrupted.

"BREAKING?!"

A loud scream of their voices sent the birds flying as four loud, alternate thuds ended their supposed-to be-hiding strategy.

"Get off me, Gon!"

"Aww! My butt!"

"Darn!"

"Don't step on me, Killua!"

"Where are my glasses?"

"Hey! That's my shoe, Leorio!"

"How could you sit on my head, Kurapika?!"

"Are you blind?"

The presence of other auras stopped their bickering. "What are you doing here?" a cold, ghastly voice asked.

"AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

An amused laughter stopped their screaming. A passing wind blew the long black hair as a King of Diamonds went tossed into the air.

"Illumi?" "Hisoka?!!"

"I heard the news, Killua," Illumi spoke. "I myself was surprised when father ordered me to take him home. Where is Alluka?"

"I don't know," Killua replied. "The villagers told us that two young men lived inside that building."

"Men?" Hisoka interrupted. "Who's the other one?"

"Probably, it was Feitan," Kurapka answered. "I saw them on the public market last night."

"The blown-off market?" the joker asked somewhat interested.

"Whatever," Illumi said. "We can't verify such information unless we go inside." He blinked. "But it seems like there's nobody inside. I can't feel any aura."

"Hm.. Zetsu. I know very well that Feitan is very good at hiding." He gave off an amused laugh. "Now, my dear, I guess we need to fry them in their own...cooking oil."

"We will hide too?" Illumi asked slightly tilting his head.

Hisoka laughed harder than ever. "Exactly. That other fellow inside deserves such. Well, he might be a nice plaything. What do you think?"

"I don't care," Illumi replied facing the door. "Father ordered me to bring my little brother back home. That's what I must do immediately. Come on, Hisoka."

"Hey! What about us?" Leorio complained.

Killua ran his fingers to his face. "Shocks! It's all so terrible."

Gon looked into him. "Terrible?"

"Why did father ever summon for Illumi? Ergh! I can smell trouble."

Illumi ignored them and went straight to the door only to stop.

"What is it?" Hisoka asked.

Illumi motioned him to keep quiet.

Hisoka nodded listening to that sweet music which held his friend's ears captivated.

"Wow. Such lovely voice," Killua whispered.

"Who's there?" Leorio shouted.

"SHH!" All five men motioned him to keep quiet.

The song stopped.

"Damn! You cut it off, Leorio!" Killua said angrily.

"And it's all my fault now, huh!"

Illumi knocked the door. There was silence.

"Wha! So silent. Seems like there's nobody inside," Gon whispered.

"How about the song? Don't tell me it's a ghost," Killua said shrugging.

The door flew open.

"AAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Leorio screamed.

Illumi tilted his head a little as he perceived a dainty figure clad in black standing at the entrance. The wind blew the long bluish-black hair aback.

"There aren't any ghosts in here, yo," said a cold voice, those golden eyes greeting the tall, expressionless face with a sharp glare. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Kurapika's eyes turned red. "Why you!"

The guy in black threw the Kuruta an insulting look. "You're here too. Peace talks?"

Chains went rushing towards the doorway when a tall figure blocked its way. "How many times will I tell you not to hurt nii-san?"

Killua's eyes widened, staring at the newcomer with eyes as purple-gray as his own. "Alluka..?"

"Killua nii-san! And Illumi nii-san is here too. Why, it's a surprise to have you here. Could you stay away please. I just have some unfinished business to attend to," he said looking at Kurapika.

"No, my brother," Killua said. "Kurapika is a friend of mine."

"But he attempted to kill nii-san!" Alluka shouted albeit in a childlike manner.

"Nii-san who?" Illumi interrupted.

"Ahm," the Ryodan spoke, "I guess it's better for us all to come inside first."

"But that red-eyed monster-"

Feitan laughed. "He's not a monster, my dear. In fact we're friends. Fighting is our way of greeting each other. Ne, Kurapika?"

Those red eyes grew redder than ever. "Yes. We're friends," Kurapika said seething with rage.

"Oh," Alluka said in surprise. "I'm sorry, Mr. Red Eyes. Come in too."

"Killua, how could this little brother of yours be so naïve? I want to kill him!" Leorio whispered as they walked inside the elegant living room.

Gon smiled innocently. "Why do you want to kill him, Leorio? He's too kind and too nice to die. And his face looked really like Killua but his hair and his build is like Illumi. It was like two different appearances be combined in one person. Right, Leorio?"

"That is attributable to the science of Genetics, Gon," Leorio explained smiling, his irked feeling suddenly disappearing as they sat on the big sofa. "The Law of Heredity states that the traits of.."

Killua seemed not to mind those scientific babbles. What he saw is his brother's fingers clasped so tightly with Feitan's palms like one who would not let go.

"I'm so sorry I don't have enough snacks for you," Feitan said. "I never thought that we will have many visitors today. Sit down for a while and I'll prepare something for you." He tried to pull his hand from Alluka, but the latter won't let him go.

"Where are you going, nii-san?"

"To the kitchen, my child. I need to prepare food for our guests."

"I'm gonna help you."

"Ah, no. Stay with them."

Alluka scratched his head. "Ai oi. Will you be okay there?"

Feitan smiled. "I'll be perfectly alright, my child. Now sit back there, dear, hm?"

Kurapika's eyes turned blue. He was stunned. How could this ruthless criminal be so tender to this young man? For all he knew, Feitan was the most cunning member of the Spider next to Hisoka. A heartless one at that. How could he...?

"We don't need anything to eat," Illumi interrupted once more. "Alluka, father orders you to go home."

Those brows raised. "When?"

"As soon as possible," came the stern reply. "And one more thing." Those black eyes looked at those hands tightly holding each other. "He orders you to come home ALONE."

"NO! I won't go home unless nii-san comes with me!" Alluka replied.

Those golden eyes seemed to brim with a pang of loneliness. "Na, you won't need me there, my child. Your family can take care of you more than I do. Well, I guess it's time for us to part our ways once more. Promise me that you will be good in there, ne?"

"Okay. Seems like it's all settled,Alluka," Illumi said emotionlessly. "Now pack your bags and I will accompany you to the airport."

"I said I won't!" Alluka shouted as loud as ever.

"I don't care. I will follow father's orders. You must go home whether you like it or not."

"Calm down, my child," Feitan said. "You can't go if you don't want to."

"I won't go home," Alluka said firmly.

"You have changed indeed, my dear brother," Illumi said standing impatiently. "You have grown stubborn. Well, I guess I need to use some nen on you." A bluish white energy emerged from him and whipped the floor till it cracked open.

Alluka's eyes grew wide with fear. But Feitan walked towards Illumi. "I won't let anybody harm my dear child. Not even his brother." And he released his own aura completely destroying the entire flooring.