I felt fairly confident that I would pass the First Phase, but then I felt unsure of my success in the Second Phase. Even though no one had stated it, the exam might very well get more difficult as each Phase passes. If that were the case, would I be as lucky in Phase Two?

When I asked Diarra about this she suggested that I should just focus on what was ahead of me. As irritating as that answer was, I think she was right, because I wouldn't even have to worry about the Second Phase if I can't see the First to the end. We were near the middle of the group, trying to stay inconspicuous, like Zeno had suggested.

"Aris," Diarra began after many minutes into the running. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye in response, not letting my pace slow. "I was thinking that, since our biggest threats are the other apprentices, we should keep an eye on them, yes?" I nodded, agreeing fully. She hadn't mentioned it, but our other biggest threats were the Magician and the large purple man. Zeno had warned us that every year, there were one or two examinees who were freakishly powerful and strong, and the vibe I received from those two were eerily so. They were very similar, too...

I kept thinking about how Hisoka had somehow turned that poor man's arms into flower petals, and how Gittarackur looked like he would do the same. Even if they weren't especially talented or skillful, they gave off an aura that could kill alone. They liked killing. I felt like shivering, but decided to hold it in. Knowing Diarra, she would notice it and ask me if I were cold.

"I think if we want to keep close tabs on them... we should split up," she stated. I actually looked at her this time, not in offensive but in surprise.

"Zeno said our biggest asset was being a team," I reminded her, gradually widening the distance between us. Already, examinees had begun to fail, and some collapsed on the hard ground. We had to take evasive actions or risk tripping.

"Yes, he did," Diarra admitted, leaping over an arm. "But I don't plan to go far. Maybe I could try and subtly make more allies like Tonpa-san? That could be helpful, yes?" I shrugged, internally impressed by Diarra's ideas. For a twelve year-old, she was pretty smart and strategic; way more than I was at her age, anyway.

"Suit yourself," I said, not unkindly. With a small nod of acknowledgement, the blonde sped up and eluded another falling man. Within seconds, Diarra was hidden behind a group of plain, ordinary men whom I don't recall ever seeing, even when I scoped out my competition before the Exam began. I sighed, feeling very lonely, and nervous, for the both of us.

Despite all of my training, I was dog tired by the time I finished the stone steps. A few minutes earlier, my eyes were joyfully blinded temporarily by a glaring light from the tunnel. When my sight had adjusted, I could clearly see that the light was an opening, a doorway, atop a frightening flight of stairs. A little less than half of the examinees had failed, even though the constant bodies (no, they weren't really dead) I had to avoid made those statistics seem much larger. Since we had split up, I only saw small glimpses of Diarra's bouncing ponytail as she ran, admittedly much further ahead of me. She always had more speed and stamina than I did, and the training had only increased the gap, even though my speed and stamina increased too, because she learned at a much faster rate than me.

My sight whitened again when I finally stepped out of the dark tunnel, and I spent several moments squinting. I was also breathing pretty hard, and a thin layer of sweat coated my skin. I took the ponytail my hair was in and redid it into a bun so that its weight no longer bothered me. When I had recovered (slightly), I saw a vast forest - no, a vast jungle - stretch out to the horizon before me. Birds and other animals I'd never heard before chattered eerily, creating a dark atmosphere. Something definitely was off about this jungle, and the feeling of dread overpowered my usual curiosity. Not all of the people behind me had arrived through the door yet, but all of the examinees who were ahead of me were scattered about in the opening clearing, which lacked all of the strange trees. The Examiner, Satotz, appeared perfectly fine. He wasn't even winded in his tuxedo. Even Zeno would have found this insane, and he had passed the exam before.

Before I even though about it, I was scanning the clearing for Diarra. Even if she wasn't ready to stay glued to my side yet, I figured being somewhat closer would be a good idea. Just as I thought she would be, Diarra was occupied conversing with other examinees. I contemplated approaching her, but just decided against it.

As I grew nearer, I saw she had been speaking to two boys her age. I blinked to make sure my sight wasn't still messed up; there seemed to be a lot of little kids here, didn't there? One seemed slightly familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I'd seen him. The other I had never seen in my life.

The first thing I noticed about the first boy's appearance with the fishing pole strapped to his back (if we had a survival test, I reminded myself to attempt an alliance with him). His black hair was spiked up to almost impossible heights, and it made him much taller than Diarra. His brown eyes were large and kind, and his grin was contagious. I decided that I liked him right away, but the boy next to him I didn't much care for. His hair was odd silver, like Amaranta's except lighter. He seemed bored and arrogant, like he didn't really want to be there, but he was because he was doing everyone else a favor. His clothes were ordinary, but (other than his hair) he stood out because he casually gripped a skateboard under his arm. Why anyone would bring that was beyond me. I've spent my whole life being taught to never judge a book by its cover, and yet... Jakarran would call me a name.

Other than their similar age, I couldn't think of a reason why Diarra would pick these two out of a crowd, but I decided to trust her judgment.

Scanning the crowd once more, I finally saw Theron and Amaranta laying low behind a small crowd of men. No one seemed to notice them. Reut was very visible with her red hair, but she didn't seem to be causing any trouble. It was Tatiana and Keoni I was worried about. After their entrance, a group of five men, all dressed in similar green outfits, shadowed them where ever they wandered. Every once in a while they would pretend to make kissing noises and tease them, as if they were actually original and funny jokes. I thought they got old very fast.

After several moments of standing around, my attention was immediately caught by Satotz, who was placed at the front of the pack of examinees. His hands were folded neatly and his spine was straighter than a tree, and I wondered how he did it. I guess the Second Phase should be starting right about now, although I didn't see another examiner.

"The Numere Wetlands," he introduced, "Also known as the Swindler's Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exams." I gasped in surprise; along with sever of those who were near me. The First Phase wasn't over? I returned my eyes upon the 'wetlands', gulping in intimidation. The trees and fog mixture looked like an ocean, not an ending in sight. They stretched far beyond the horizon. Just how many examinees were they planning on eliminating in the first Phase alone? It didn't even seem like I would make.

Thinking negatively will give you a negative answer. I shook my head to clear it.

"This place is home to many bizarre animals; many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them," Satotz resumed, his voice remaining ever steady and monotone. "Be very careful. If you let them fool you, you're as good as dead."

Many of the remaining examinees displayed shock and nervousness, me included. Focusing on running and deadly beasts would defiantly prove to be a challenge.

Without warning, a whirring sound sputtered to life as the exit's lid began to roll shut; much like the wall from the original cavern had rolled open. A deep feeling in my gut gnawed at my stomach when a poor man, crawling on his hands and stomach, reached out for assistance from behind the rapidly closing door. He begged the examinees on the other side to help him, and then he pleaded to the Examiner to hold the door. My hands itched to reach out and grab him quickly, even though I had never met him, because his cries were so desperate and despairing. When the door finally clanked shut and silenced his wails, I closed my eyes for a brief prayer before doing my best to forget about him, just as everyone else seemed to have done.

Satotz didn't miss a beat. "These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit; Hence the name Swindler's Swamp. Stay close to me if you don't want to be deceived," he finished, allowing everyone who had been sitting on the ground to gather themselves and rise.

"Don't let them fool you!" A loud, desperate voice exclaimed. Everyone - and I mean that - whipped around. Emerging from behind the sealed mouth of the tunnel was a haggard man in tattered clothing. He was breathing heavily, and he appeared as if he couldn't walk correctly. "D-don't fall for it," he gasped, staggering forward. No one moved due to their uncertainty. "He's lying to you! He isn't an examiner, I am!" He accused with a strength I didn't believe he could muster. Murmuring rippled through the crowd, revealing everyone's confusion and uneasiness.

"Take a look at this," the man ordered, dragging something large and heavy into my field of sight. My eyes widened. In his clutches was a tall, pink haired, mustache wearing... monkey? Yes, a monkey with brown fur and body, and a human face, which looked almost identical to Satotz, save for the wide open mouth, pointed fangs, and lolling tongue. I tensed up and narrowed my eyes, glaring between our 'examiner' and our 'imposter'. What in the name of Hell is going on here?

More and more accusing shouts erupted from the crowd, uncertainty clear in everyone's faces. "It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwell within the Numere Wetlands!" The newcomer elaborated further. "They love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak." Realization hit me, because for some unknown reason, that particular sentence stood out to me. "That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" The man finished boldly, pointing an accusing finger at Satotz.

The next moment, in a very odd coincidence, I find my gaze directly straight into a pair of caramel brown eyes. Theron... We share a knowing look and I no longer have any doubts.

"However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak."

If Satotz were weak because his limbs, his legs, how could he possibly have ran ahead of every single examinee without so much as even quickening his breathing? And if he were really attempting to lead us into the Swamp to eat us, why would he warn us of deceitful creatures beforehand? It would be a hundred times easier to just lead everyone into their layer and not have them suspect a thing. No one would be able to fight back, and no one would stand a chance.

This must have been part of the exam. I noticed several people remain collected and cool, and others turned completely furious. Examinees shouted and threatened Satotz, drawing nearer and nearer to him with each second.

"Bastard," one man hissed, a dagger ready in his fist.

"We'll teach you to try and trick us!"

Admittedly, I jumped and gasped in the next moment. My stomach churned and I began to feel ill. It was similar to the feeling I had back in the cavern, when Hisoka had transformed that applicant's arms into flowers. Hisoka...

No different than a soft breeze of wind, three playing cards lodged themselves into the newcomer's chest. I hadn't seen them coming. He collapsed with a thud, no longer responsive. Time seemed to freeze. What just happened?

I found my disbelieving eyes on Hisoka. Chuckling like he had won a prize, he shuffled a deck of playing cards rather skillfully.

"I see, I see," he murmured, smirking. "That settles it... You're the real one," he deduced, referring to and staring at Satotz. I hadn't noticed it, so it came as quite a shock to learn that Hisoka had launched some cards at him as well. The difference, however, was that the cards were snatched up between Satotz's fingers when he caught them.

When our examiner, the real one, threatened Hisoka that he would fail him if he attacked him again, the Jester responded that he was just doing so to determine which man had been telling the truth, and that he knew such a weak attack wouldn't really kill a hunter.

'That's bullshit. He just wanted to kill that creature,' I thought, staring at the dead body. I was horrified, for that 'weak' attack would have killed me ninety-nine times out of one hundred.

I continued on in the front of the pack so that there was no way I would lose track of Satotz. I didn't want to end up like any old Man-Faced Ape. I only ran into trouble once, when I slipped on the dewy grass and rolled a few meter down a hill. I found myself face to face with a dead carcass, and immediately leapt to my feet and rushed to catch up with the examiner. Behind me, all I heard was a bussing sound and tortured screams of fear and agony.

Just when I thought I couldn't go on any longer, the dense foliage and fog gradually began to vanish. Normally, when my spirits are lifted, some of my previous vigor returns and I gain a sudden burst of energy, but now this was not humanly possible. Satotz finally stopped in front of a large, secluded gate. The bricks were formed from sandstone, and shrubbery decorated the base. I instantly lowered myself on my bottom to lean against a tree in the soft grass, and the cooling shade. I felt concern for Diarra because I could not find her, even though I figured she may have just fallen behind a little. She had been handing around those two kids, after all, and they probably didn't have a lot of stamina. I sighed and rolled my shoulders, noting how stiff they felt. Tatiana, Keoni, and Reut were scattered about for sure, but I hadn't yet noticed Amaranta and Theron. I began to watch the pathway for Diarra in case she happened to run up any second, but this ended up causing more worry. Easily trotting up the dirt pathway was the silver haired boy, his skateboard still tucked under his arm. Diarra was nowhere to be seen, nor was the other boy with black hair clad in green. Before I realized it, I had risen to my feet hurriedly and shamelessly approached him. I didn't think about what would happen if I accidently tore down whatever alliance or deal he had made with Diarra earlier, for all I thought of was learning what had become of my blonde companion.

"Excuse me," I started, stopping behind him. He tilted his head and gazed at me before fully turning around.

"Huh? What is it?" He questioned, as bored as could be. I resisted my ever-growing urge to give him a scolding (specifically about respecting your elders) and attempted to be as polite as possible.

"Er, earlier you were with a blonde girl, about your age..." He blinked at me for a moment.

"Eh? You mean Diarra?" He asked, his face lighting up in recognition. I nodded and bit my lip nervously, wondering if something bad had happened.

"I was wondering... if you know where she is," I finished lamely, feeling very awkward, much like a fish out of water. I wasn't very social, considering I had never left any of the Temples before. But I was willing to risk my reputation among possible enemies if it meant Diarra's safety. I'm such a nice person (note the sarcasm. I was really feeling guilty). The silver haired boy shrugged, but he didn't appear as disinterested as before.

"I have no idea where she went. We got separated," he admitted. Without warning, his gaze turned hard and calculating. "Who wants to know?" I tensed, feeling his threatening presence grow denser.
"I'm a friend," I assured him, making sure I made eye-contact. I was afraid that if I didn't he would think me to be lying. He relaxed his shoulders and lowered his eyes in disinterest.

"Nope. Don't know where she went. Later," he gave a blunt response, raising his hand slightly in a wave before disappearing in the crowd. I let out a breath and returned to my watch post, nervously awaiting my friend.

What if she got lost? What if she was killed? What if she's like one of those corpses I ran into? What if-

A warm hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump. I rolled up to my feet in a defensive stance, only to relax when I found myself face-to-face with Theron. Amaranta was directly behind her, silent. I saw a stony expression shared between the two of them.

What were they thinking? Weren't we going to ignore each other as long as possible? Even though she had stayed quiet for about half a second, I thought I would never hear what she'd have to say. I somehow managed to memorize every detail in her face - a narrow nose, a tiny mole under her left eye, her single, stud earring in her right ear, the way the light reflected in her irises- before she even opened her mouth. Time seems to stop when you expect the worse. I knew, just as I had been keeping an eye on her, she had been keeping tabs on Diarra and me. She knew where my friend was, and she knew was about to tell me.

"Diarra is dead," she said at last.

Actually, that wasn't what she said. At first my ears and eyes had tricked me because that was what I had expected to hear. What she really said could have been considered worse, depending on how you looked at it.

"Diarra ran into Hisoka."

An: Sorry for the little trick.

Okay, there are a few things I want to mention. 1) If you haven't noticed already, I'm purposely trying to avoid the name of Aris's religion. 2) No, Theron didn't actually say Diarra was dead. 3) I'm really sorry about this chapter being so short. I didn't really want to write about how much they were running because they ran a lot and running is boring to write and read about because it's running. Track? Not boring. This? Boring. Plus, you already know what happened. They ran. Coolio. Anyway, I kind of skimmed that part on purpose because no one wants to read that. 4) Aris, for the most part, played the role of an extra in this chapter, while Diarra got to hand with the Canon Characters. Aris's strategy was to remain inconspicuous, so running around and making friends wasn't her game plan. 5) I really didn't think the running was all that boring; I was just trying to be funny. Unfortunately I don't really have a talent for that. Sorry if you didn't laugh.

Special thanks to Neko G, who was so awesome that she not only reviewed once, but twice. But do you see why I want reviews? Because Neko G asked me how Aris's hair was tied back, I was able to mention that earlier it had been in a ponytail, and now it is in a bun. Not only was I able to answer the question for her, but I could answer it for anyone who didn't know and wanted to. So give her a round of applause.

Please review! It means so much!

Thanks for reading!

~MaoIsSleepy