Okay, I sorta lied. Leorio is not in this chapter. But it just doesn't feel right putting him in now. So I continued with Kurapika and Midori. I swear there will be Leorio in the next chapter I mean, now the memories are over...
"Why did you leave me? Leave me for such a foolish reason?"
It was hours before Kurapika woke up from the sharp kick delivered to his head. When he woke up, Kurapika was confused. Then the afternoon's memories came flooding back. But the main thing on his mind was Midori. Crawling out of the hole, nothing seemed out of place just yet. Then he felt something, something like a drop of water fall on his cheek. Impatiently, he wiped it off, thinking it was just a drop of water gathered up in leaves from previous rains. Cautiously, he started down the hill, walking in the thick, overgrown grass.
The village seems dark and endless, just blending in with the surrounding mountains. But the first signs of the attack were obvious from way outside the village. Kurapika's eyes were wide with horror and fear, a bright crimson. Littered on the grass 100 yards from the village were bodies of villagers, some of which Kurapika recognized. He covered his nose and mouth with his hand, trying to block out the nauseous smell of gunpowder and blood. The fumes got a lot worst as he ventured onwards. There was now barely any space between the bodies. Kurapika now vaguely noticed a similarity between the bodies, just hoping he was wrong.
The blonde found himself inside the village walls. He wasn't even aware of his surroundings until he noticed the houses. The walls of mud were splattered with blood, and corresponding bodies laid everywhere. There were fewer corpses now. Apparently the villagers had tried to escape their horrible fate, only to be ambushed outside. The ones in the village were the ones with less physical strength. Kurapika was nervous. His breath was hard and sweat poured off him in torrents, staining his shirt. A single light stood against a house, slowly burning itself down to embers. Using the fire, Kurapika managed to cast a weak light against the bodies. He was right. One every single one of the corpses, their eye sockets laid empty. Kurapika's eyes narrowed. He hasn't yet seen her body yet, and he was sure he had inspected every single one of them. In frustration, he covered his face with his free hand, only to spot something strange.
A stripe of smeared blood stained the Kurata's palm. What? How did that get there? He hadn't touched any bodies, that's for sure. But that wouldn't explain the blood. A horrible memory flashed across his mind, he could only hope he was wrong about it.
Kurapika sprinted as fast as he can back to the tree on top of the hill. He pushed pass the tall grass blocking his way, ignoring the cuts they were giving him. When he reached the top of the hill, the sun began to rise, throwing a bright red light across the plain his town laid. It was obvious now; the changes to the ever so peaceful Kurata Village. The remaining one tried to calm down, dreading what he would see when he turned around. But he knew it was unavoidable. As slowly as possible, he turned towards the tree, his eyes growing redder yet.
"No," Kurapika whispered, his first words since what seemed like forever. Midori was pinned to the tree on a stake through her chest. Dried blood stained the bark of the tree. "No, no, no no NO!" His whisper gradually turned into a shout. Insects and animals had gathered, pecking and biting at the carcass. His hands tightly clenched, Kurapika pulled his friend off the tree. He brushed the insects off impatiently, trying to preserve Midori's body. Then sudden pain sliced through his right shoulder, making him gasp in pain. A familiar growl sounded behind him. It was a leopard, attacking Kurapika to tell him "that's" his. Kurapika turned around to face it. His eyes held no emotion, yet the brilliant red seem to have an effect on the great cat, for it hissed and jumped away. Kurapika turned back slowly, turned towards his best friend who had met the fate of many others in the village. But there was one difference between her and the villagers. The villagers had died running, while Midori had died protecting Kurapika from harm. He couldn't hold them in anymore. Tears of anguish and fury fell from his eyes, dropping onto Midori's body. Then two words came from Kurapika's mouth, covered by the squawks of herons flying towards the horizon.