Walking up the slope of the hill, the group was talking about who knows what, with the only one choosing to be silent was Kagero. She was listening to her music, she was so glad that her father put it in her bag when she was 'transferred'. Her taste in music vas varied, but she generally liked faster upbeat or intense rhythms. Country was a no-no for her.
Looking around the clearing, she saw a bird flying overhead. A hawk from the looks of it, the bird was circling over them. The weather was really nice and the nice coastal breeze was refreshing. Gon occasionally looked her way wondering why she was so quiet, but brushed it off when Kagero waved to him, letting him know that she was fine. After a while she was getting annoyed because the guy that was trying to follow them wasn't doing a very good job, but he didn't seem like much of a threat so she let it slide. But seriously, he tripped two times already, stepped on a twig and accidentally kicked a rock... nice skills there… Is he playing hopscotch or what? She jabbed at his stalking skills. She wasn't a tracker, or a ninja, but man he sucked at stalking people.
They were quite far from the town but could still see it and the area they were was amazing. The view of the harbor was beautiful and there were flowers everywhere. The air smelt like wet ground and it was very relaxing. Until someone started ranting... Leorio was babbling about how he would stick with them for a while longer since they would 'oh-so-miss-him' and such.
The scenery was slowly turning into a barren wasteland, the vast green field disappearing the closer they got to the top. On the top of the hill they were climbing they saw some buildings in the distance. From the distance they were at they could see that those buildings were from an abandoned village. Kagero, Gon and Kurapika approached with caution when they noticed the people in the shadows. On an unknown signal they suddenly barged through a door on a long wheeled platform.
They all wore masks and robes with the exception of a single old lady who sat in the center. The people had fur coming out from the masks that made Kagero want to feel them. They were also holding some instruments like a trombone, a tambourine and a squeaky horn, the last one of them had a crow.
That's… not an instrument. Weird…
The old lady, who resembled a hippo—not trying to be rude but it's honestly the best way to describe her in the simplest way. Two giant teeth and the short large stature with some fat rolls and a bunch of wrinkles, anyways—started to whisper. She repeated the words 'doki doki' a few times and Leorio, being as weird as he was, repeated her, getting into it apparently. Kagero could feel that the lady was into theatrics with all the weird. There was a pause but the lady followed up with something that surprised the most of them.
"Exciting two-choice quiz!" The old lady yelled at quite an impressive volume with her raspy old voice. Everyone was dumbfounded. The people in the masks had instruments and played a weird tune. Kagero thought that those people were thinking something along the lines of 'get me out of here' or the more plausible, 'please kill me now'. The latter seemed like the best choice.
Yes she's definitely into theatrics. We are one of kin!
After the music stopped the old lady spoke, "You boys are headed for the tree on the hill, correct?" She paused and looked at the group, "To get to that tree you must pass through this town. To do so, I shall administer a single question quiz."
"Oi oi," Leorio interrupted, but the lady ignored him and continued. He did not look amused. Not at all. The tick mark was forming.
"You'll have five seconds to answer. Get the wrong answer and you're disqualified."
"So this is a part of the hunter exam." Kurapika realized that there would be tests like this along the way.
"Excuse me," Kagero interrupted, the lady paid attention, probably because she was polite about it. That would annoy Leorio to no end. "Would I be able to do the quiz separately? I want to test myself a bit." Also if they did it in a group if one of them got it wrong they would all fail. Better safe than sorry. But then again, Kurapika was smart and if she didn't know surely he might.
Aww man, I might have just screwed myself over!
"That's fine as long as it's okay with your group." The lady gave Kagero permission. She looked to the group and they nodded saying that it's alright for her to do so.
"The answer will be either one or two. Any other answer will be incorrect."
Leorio and Kurapika started arguing about how it was unfair to be in a group to answer such a question, but Gon said it would be easier since only one of them would need to know the answer to pass. After Gon's logic the two calmed down in agreement.
Then the guy that was following them came out since he was becoming impatient. "Hey, hurry it up already. Or else I'll answer the question first." He said with an ugly smirk.
"Who is he?" Leorio questioned being as clueless as he was.
"He followed us from the port," Gon pointed out.
"You didn't notice?" Leorio shot Kagero a glare. Well he is really bad at stalking people… she thought looking away from Leorio with a bit of a pout.
The old lady intervened and silenced the group. "What will you do?"
The 'gang' thought that he seemed eager to take it and that they would be able to expect what question to be asked so they let them go first. The old lady looked at Kagero and she nodded in approval.
Everyone moved behind the stalker guy and the questioned was asked. "Evil villains have captured your mother and lover. You could only save one. Select one for your mother and two for your lover. Which one will you save?" Her eyes narrowed at the last comment to add pressure.
The three were shocked. "H-How is this even a quiz?" Leorio was agape. Haha, agape, an ape.
The man had pushed the button right away. "I choose one." The lady replied asking why he chose that answer. "Because I can't replace my mother, but I can replace my lover."
"You may pass," The lady gestured for the man to pass behind the cart with her thumb.
"Heh, you just have to tell the lady what she wants to hear," The man whispered and left.
Leorio snapped and yelled something about there being no right answer. Kurapika figured out the trick to the question, but the lady silenced him before he could tell Leorio. Leorio simmered while waving a stick around.
Anything more and I bet he'll burst a vein, Kagero bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
The time was soon up and Leorio rushed the old woman with the stick, Kurapika stopped him in the nick of time with his hidden weapons. The snapping of the stick echoed against the building walls.
"Don't stop me Kurapika! I won't be satisfied until I've taught this hag a lesson!"
"Calm down, Leorio!"
"How am I supposed to calm down?!"
"You'll waste our correct response!" After Kurapika said this Leorio was shocked. "We gave the right answer. Silence was the correct response." After they settled things the door opened and the lady had passed them. Gon was still sitting on the ground thinking when the two told him the quiz was over.
"I know it's over but, what if it actually happened?" Gon said earning silence from everyone.
Kagero then stepped in. "I guess it's my turn then." She said getting up from the wall she was leaning against, dusting off her shorts. She grinned from under her hood. This would be interesting.
Kurapika and Leorio turned for the tunnel when Gon said something.
"Leorio, Kurapika, we should wait for Mirage!" Gon said being the kind kid that he was. Leorio and Kurapika complied and walked to sit against the wall in the shade.
A second lady then came out and stood beside the first one. They looked exactly the same, but one was wearing white and the other black. "We have a riddle for you." One said. "There are two answers." The other said exchanging sentences, "You have two minutes to figure out the answer. You can ask us to repeat it only once." The two said at the same time, "Are you ready?"
"Yes." Kagero said as she sat down in front of the cart. Crossing her legs she leaned forward propping her head up with her hand.
The lady's proceeded to tell the riddle. "We both have it and it is always near." The two said in sync. "I can't be touched, but can be felt." The black robbed lady said "Yet I can't be touched but I can't be felt." The white lady said right after. "We can't be opened but can be gone into. We are both the same but aren't in one sense and we both move according to the time." There was a pause then they spoke again "You have two minutes to answer."
Kagero sat on the ground pondering as Gon, Kurapika and Leorio were whispering. "Hey why did the question change? She didn't change the question for us when the other guy went before us." Gon whispered.
"Because she would know the answer. They most likely change it every time someone gets it right." Kurapika said earning a 'o' from Gon and Leorio.
Meanwhile Kagero was still thinking. Hmm... They both have it and is always near. They both can't be touched but one can be felt and the other cant. Also they move according to the time. Kagero tried to remember something about the sun. When the sun moves so does it. We all have it. Kagero rocked back to look behind her to see her shadow and thought that shadow was one answer. She put her hand behind her and noticed that she couldn't feel her shadow. Her eyebrow quirked when she looked over to Gon, Kurapika and Leorio who were sitting in the shade of a building, they were clearly trying to find an answer too. That's it! Shade! She jumped up from her position, confusing the others, and walked over to the shade to see that it was indeed cooler in temperature. Also they can't be opened but can be gone in to.
"Thirty seconds left." The lady's said, as Kagero walked back to the button.
Kagero slapped the button and answered. "You are a shadow" She said pointing to the white robbed lady, "And you are shade," She said pointing to the black robbed lady.
"Why do you choose this answer?" The two said in sync once again.
"Shadows and shade move with time, or from where the sun moves. We can't open something that can't be touched but we can go into it, and a shadow can't be felt but shade can. It's the temperature difference," Kagero said confidently.
"You are correct, you may pass." The white old lady said. The black one went back into an abandoned house.
"Yea! You did it Mirage!" Gon exclaimed, jumping up and down.
"You're quite knowledgeable," Kurapika complemented Kagero.
Kagero had a blank look on her face. "Why did you start calling me Mirage?"
"Well, you said that we could call you that or Kage, I think Mirage suits you better!" Gon chirped.
"Thanks..." Kagero smiled internally.
The older lady interrupted them and told them to go down a path that went all the way to the tree.
Kagero was about to enter the tunnel, when a thought irked her. She walked up to one of the masked persons, "Hey, can I touch your mask?"
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. What is he doing?
She had to reach up—because she just happened to ask the tallest person there—and pet the mane of pure fluffyness.
"Woah..." Her eyes sparkled and she smiled, "It's so soft."
Leorio noticed the hold up and whirred around, and raised an eyebrow before a vein bulged, "W-what are you doing? We have to go!"
Kagero huffed and frowned before turning on her heel, "Yes, yes. I'm coming," She started to walk, pouting, before turning to walk backwards, "Bye Oba-san-tachi! And thanks for letting me feel your mask, ma'am, s-sirrrr…? Person!" She grinned and ran off before Leorio yelled again.
"What were you doing Mirage?" Gon asked curiously.
"I asked if I could feel a person's mask... it was very soft." Kagero said while looking at her hand, remembering the fluff her hand had felt. Leorio looked at her weirdly.
"I should have asked too!" Gon exclaimed.
"Hmm, you should have." Kagero said before it was silent for a while.
"How long has it been?" Leorio complained.
"I don't know, ten minutes? You're too impatient, Liorio" She messed his name up just to tease him.
"It's LE-O-RI-O" He yelled each individual syllable. It echoed throughout the tunnel. The three victims of the vocal torture winced, and before Kagero could open her mouth to yell back at the loud imbecile, Gon came in.
"You know, we can have a race! That would be fun!"
Kagero smirked, "That seems..." She looked to Kurapika and Leorio on her respective sides then to Gon, "—like fun!" She bolted off in a sprint.
"Ah! No fair!" Gon ran to catch up.
"Oh, you're fast. But can you match... this?" She accelerated, grinning since she was having fun, and her clothes started to glow.
"Oi!" Leorio yelled, "Kurapika says it's dangerous!" Then both he and Kurapika took on a confused look. Is... Is he... glowing?
She screeched to a stop and blinked, and then Gon was right beside her. "Oh, well that's careless of me."
Gon blinked, taking a breath in before yelling excitedly, "Woah! That's soo cool! You're glowing!"
While Gon was zipping around her to get a closer look Leorio and Kurapika caught up with a jog.
"Why are you glowing?" Kurapika asked.
Kagero was still confused herself, she didn't know it could glow. "I didn't actually know it could do this. But, it's a keepsake."
"Uuuaaah, thats so cool!" Gon said, you could tell that it piqued his interest with all the zipping around that he was doing.
Kurapika ended up making Kagero walk in the front because her clothing could be used as a light source to see ahead.
"So, I guess I'm the leader, huh." She smiled to herself, amused by the situation at hand.
About two hours later Leorio started complaining... again, "When are we going to get there? I have to go for a dump! I have to piss too!"
They had come out of the tunnel roughly an hour ago, more or less, and they were now in a marsh—a very murky ominous looking marsh.
"Shut up Leorio!" Kagero yelled since she could hear him through her headphones. "Can't you see the signs? If you're too loud we'll get attacked." Kagero sighed. "I guess mauled would be a better term if it's an animal..." She contemplated.
"Oh, I can see it." Kurapika commented while Leorio was still complaining. Leorio's thought process was rather slow you see, and it took him a good minute to realise what he said.
"What! We're almost there?!"
Kurapika sighed. "Yes, I said that a minute ago, Leorio."
"Now shut up and walk." Kagero said irritated. Though she smiled, Leorio's reactions were the best.
Walking up the stairs onto the porch, it seemed like no one was home.
Leorio knocked and went to open the door, and what they witnessed was a huge yellow monster, or magical beast as Kurapika defined them, with a woman in its arms. The Kiriko could also take human form, which would be troublesome, and it was even intelligent. Even more troublesome. There was also an injured man on the floor to the side. The Kiriko ran off jumping through a window.
"Kurapika, Gon, you guys go after the Kiriko. Leorio will treat the man, and more might come, I'll stand guard." Kurapika and Gon nodded and went after it while Leorio and Kagero stayed with the injured man.
Kurapika went off to chase the Kiriko in the woods, it was night time so it was extremely hard to see, but Gon managed to see the faint shadows. When Gon found out that they understood human speech he insulted the Magical beast causing it to flinch and turn for a mere second, in which gave Gon an opening for an attack. Gon hit it in the middle of its head with his fishing rod and it dropped its hostage. Gon continued the chase while Kurapika caught the woman.
'Leorio' came to the scene and Kurapika hit him upside the head because he was meant to be with the injured man. Kurapika didn't know until he laughed and transformed, it was actually a Kiriko in disguise. It ran off into the deep dark woods and left the two alone. Kurapika noticed the tattoos around the 'wife's' wrists and threatened her. Those tribal tattoos labeled a woman single for life, yet she was supposedly 'married' to the man.
Back with Leorio and Kagero, the man was patched up and asleep. Leorio sat beside the man checking him every so often, while Kagero meditated on the window sill. While Kagero was meditating she sensed malice, coming closer at a fast pace.
"Leorio, keep your guard up!" She warned. Leorio flinched, reaching for his knife. Just then a Kiriko barged in through the door and Kagero intercepted it, it tried to get through to Leorio. The creature probably deciphered that he was the only one with medical knowledge, and that it was best to remove him first.
Leorio got his knife out and stood by the man while Kagero and the beast fought. The beast rushed Kagero but she blocked and dodged the strong hits effectively. Kagero counter attacked with a swift kick that sent it flying through the house and out the door. It tried to run away, but Kagero caught up to it and tripped it by doing a leg sweep. The Kiriko sharpened its claws and slashed at Kagero only for her to dodge by getting closer, going under its arm. The Kiriko's elbow slammed into Kagero's collar bone. She winced but grabbed its arm as it tried to slash her with it's other, and threw it into the deep woods. She then walked back to the cabin, nursing a sore shoulder, where Leorio was.
When she got back she looked at the injured man, he wasn't asleep, she couldn't believe she missed that, and the wounds on his face were already healed. She walked up to him and unsheathed her hidden blade. She could have brought it out earlier, but she was caught up in the moment and it didn't occur to her, it was attached to her arm and came out from under her sweater sleeve. She pointed the sharp blade towards the man's neck.
"Who. Are. You." She said threateningly with a deep tone that made Leorio flinch.
The 'injured' man got up with both hands up in a sign of peace, though she couldn't trust the gesture. As her blade got closer to his jugular, the others came back.
"Mirage, you can stop now." Kurapika said entering the house, "The test is over." Kagero lowered her hand and sheathed her blade. She straightened out and stretched, that was too much suspense for her tastes.
"Test!?" Leorio was utterly shocked. The Kiriko explained the purpose of the test.
"Hmm, how many years has it been since anyone could tell us apart?" The husband said happily.
"Could you tell them apart?" Leorio whispered.
"No, not at all..." Kurapika replied quietly.
"The husband's eyes are narrower." Kagero commented earning a look from the two and the Kiriko.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves, we are the navigators. Our family provides support for the hunter exam. "
"I'm their son," The man said raising his hand, looking to Kagero nervously. She just smiled from under her hood. The man paled—the shadow from her hood made it look malicious, though the others couldn't see it.
"And I'm their daughter." She said doing the same gesture as her brother.
"The hunter exam changes location every year. It's quite difficult to locate it."
"So we navigators help by guiding the applicants to the sight."
"But we don't help every candidate." The daughter interpreted.
"So we test the applicants to see which ones are worthy to take the hunter exam." The son came in finishing the statement.
"Kurapika-dono. You successfully used the vaguest of hints to determine that we weren't spouses. The hints were these tattoos that mean a woman is marked single for life." She paused as she wiped off the tattoo. It was fake. "Kurapika-dono demonstrated that he is very knowledgeable. Therefore he passes." Gon smiled and fist pounded with Kurapika.
"Leorio-dono," The son said as he came in. "You never realized my true identity. However, you dressed my injures faster and more thoroughly than any doctor, you also kept assuring me that my wife was safe." He paused. "Your kindness makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam." Gon fist pounded Leorio who was on the ground sighing with relief. He was also blushing slightly, embarrassed from what the son said.
"Gon-dono." The husband Kiriko said getting a 'hai' from Gon. "Your super human physical ability and powers of observation makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam."
"Finally, Kagero-dono," This caught Kagero's attention and she was snapped out of her trance. "You were able to sense me when I was coming back to ambush you and successfully fought me off."
Then his son interrupted and continued, "You also discovered that I was not human and revealed my identity. Your ability to sense things and your suburb strength and fighting ability make you worthy to pass."
This didn't really earn any reaction from Kagero but Gon lifted his hand gesturing her to fist pound. Kagero awkwardly fist pounded him earning a huge grin in return. She smiled, and before the others could notice, it vanished. She wasn't sure whether she should open up to them or not yet.
"We will take you to the hunter exam." They said as they spread their wings.
"Wait..."
"What is it Mirage?" Kurapika asked Kagero, now using the nickname Gon started using.
"I don't think you guys would be able to carry me... I'm… too heavy."
"What are you talking about? You're a kid?" Leorio interrupted
"Oh yes, your training weights." Kurapika pointed out.
Leorio yelled, "Oh!" As he remembered.
"Let's see if they could lift you!" Gon jumped in with his optimism.
She sighed, "Okay, but they won't be able too."
Kagero was right, the Kiriko's couldn't lift her, she was too heavy. The weight limit of the aircraft was exceeded. They couldn't fly with over two hundred pounds on them!
"You guys go. I'll run it." Kagero said getting a whaaat from Gon.
Kurapika had an eureka moment, "You guys can shape shift right?" Kurapika asked getting a nod from the Kiriko, "Then are you able to shape shift into wolves or another animal that we could ride on? Then we can travel beside him."
"Oh, that's a good idea!" Gon exclaimed.
"I guess we could do that, but won't you be tired?" Leorio asked, actually worrying.
"I'll be fine." Kagero said, reassuring them. They really were good friends. Many she should start opening up to them.
The Kiriko shape shifted into large wolves and Leorio rode on the largest one, Kurapika on the medium one, and Gon on the smallest one. The last Kiriko couldn't carry Kagero so it just stayed beside her.
"Off we go!" Gon yelled with a grin.
(Omake)
Leorio knocked and went to open the door, and what they witnessed was a huge yellow monster, or magical beast as Kurapika defined them, with a woman in its arms. The Kiriko could also take human form, which would be troublesome, and it was even intelligent. Even more troublesome. There was also an injured man on the floor to the side. The Kiriko ran off jumping through a window.
Kagero immediately shot after it, yelling, "Pikachu!" She heard a slapping sound as she ran.
(Omake End)