Scarlet Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own HxH

Reminiscence 03 – Back to Rukuso

"Why don't you take a vacation for a while, Kurapika?" Senritsu asked to the Kuruta beside her.

"Eh?" Kurapika asked, a little bit taken aback. He didn't get the question clearly as he was not paying attention. He had been spacing out before Senritsu cut his thoughts.

They are now inside a mall, accompanying Neon on her shopping spree. It has been a while since they last did this kind of activity, and now that the Nostrade recovered from their loss (thanks to Kurapika), they got back to their usual routine which includes the thing they are doing right now as Neon also got back to her usual hobby (shopping).

"Why don't you take a vacation?" She repeated for her friend.

"Oh." Kurapika made out as he thought for a while. "Actually, I had been thinking about that. And it's not just a vacation I am planning to take."

"Eh?" Senritsu asked, not understanding Kurapika's point.

"The truth is, I am planning to resign," Kurapika said.

"Really?!" Senritsu asked in surprise. She didn't expect that to Kurapika. As she knows, Kurapika is using the Nostrade's influence for his mission on collecting the scarlet eyes.

Kurapika nodded." I am planning to talk about it to the boss later."

Senritsu felt a little sadness because of the thought that Kurapika will be leaving them since she had become close to him through the months they have been together. But other than that, although Senritsu only wanted Kurapika to take a vacation and at least to free him from stress even just for a while, she is also glad for her friend's decision.

"Good luck then," She said, smiling at him.

"Thanks."

And they continued to their activity.

000

"Please forgive me," Kurapika said to his boss who was sitting on his chair before his table at his office, "but I really can't accept your proposal. And one more thing, I am planning to resign on my job."

"Is that-? Light Nostrade suddenly stood up from his chair.

"This is not because of your proposal." Kurapika cut in before his boss can finish his question. "It's a different matter. So please accept my resignation letter," he added as he handed over his letter of resignation to his boss.

"When are you going to leave then?" Light asked after he seated back in his position while trying to calm himself, thinking that he had no right to stop Kurapika from leaving.

"I have to leave immediately."

"I really wanted you to become the hair of my business," Light said as he put his elbows at the top of his table and rested his forehead on his clasped hands, feeling a slight headache. "But if you really want to leave, then I cannot stop you."

"Thank you for everything," Kurapika said, bowing his head. "If you'll excuse me then," and he left the room of his boss.

000

"Be careful Kurapika," Senritsu said to her friend who was about to leave them for his own journey. They are now outside the Nostrade's mansion.

Kurapika, who is wearing his red garment that he used when he, Gon and Leorio fetched Killua from Kukuru Mountain, nodded his head to his fried.

"I'm taking off," he said as he tucked his usual brown bag on his shoulder.

"Have a nice trip."

Kurapika nodded again and turned his back to take his leave. When he got out from the gate of the mansion, a thought suddenly entered in his mind.

'I guess I should bring them with me.' He stopped for a while to contemplate then decided to do as how he thought and continued on his way. But fist, he needs to stop at a mall to buy some supplies and other things.

After buying everything he needs, Kurapika immediately set off and went to a certain place where he would get the 'things' that he wanted to bring. As he arrives at his destination, which is an old mansion, he fist looked around the surrounding to see if it's safe for him to continue.

When he confirmed that it's all clear, he walked over a corner of the mansion then top something on the wall with his nen. As he did that, a secret passageway was revealed. Kurapika entered the passage way, and upon entering, the entrance immediately closed.

Inside the passageway is a pitch dark hallway. Kurapika closed his eyes for a while then opened them again as he used gyo to see the nen illumination. The hallway is not like any other hallway that has a single straight path or two, it is like a maze, but Kurapika knows where all the paths will lead so he just walked the maze without encountering any problem until he reached a certain room.

The room is empty, but it is not as simple as it may seem. Kurapika entered and stopped at the center of the room. He bent down and did the same thing that he did to the wall a while ago. After that a part of the floor moves, revealing another secret passageway going down.

Kurapika stood up and entered the passageway. He walked down the stairway which is attached to the wall in a circular manner, until he reached the final step. And another hallway greeted him. He continued on his tract until he reached his final destination: a large door leading to a room.

Reaching the knob of the large door, Kurapika closed his eyes for a while, sighing. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again, turning the knob of the door and entered the room. With the torches attached at each corner to illuminate the spacious room Kurapika stopped from using his gyo and looked at the objects in front of him which are the reason why he is in that room.

In front of him are the scarlet eyes that he managed to collect over the time. He hid them in that place because that mansion is the safest place to hide them. The mansion was abandoned for a long time and no one dared to get into or to even get near it. It is like a haunted mansion. Kurapika found the mansion a few months ago and decided to study its structure. And that is how he found the passageways and every secret inside the mansion.

Kurapika stared at the eyes for a while before walking the space between him and them. He reached them one by one and put them on a suitcase that he bought from the mall a while ago. When Kurapika finished storing the scarlet eyes inside the suitcase, he immediately got out of the mansion, repeating the same process that he did on entering until he reached the last secret door leading to the outside.

It's already late afternoon when Kurapika reached the last door as he looked at the setting sun with his left hand slightly coving his eyes to prevent himself from being dazzled. 'I guess I have to hurry up a little.' He thought as he left the church and went to the nearest train station.

Arriving at the station, Kurapika bought a ticket without using his hunter license and waited for a while for the train to come. And finally, after a few seconds of waiting the sound an arriving train was heard. He entered the train when it stopped and went to a private room.

'This would be a long trip,' he thought, taking his sit as he closed his eyes.

'It's been five years,' Kurapika remembered. It's been five years since the last time he saw that place and he will be going to visit it now. It was the place where he was born and the place where he grew up. But it was also the place where all the nightmares have started, the place where the bloody massacre of his clan had occurred.

Kurapika shook his head to clear the thoughts off. Instead of being caught by such memory, Kurapika tried to remember the good ones. But then, he felt as if there is something wrong. Why can't he remember clearly? As if some part of his memories were taken away from him.

After the massacre occurred, Kurapika never really thought about the past. All he can remember is the sound of the wooden swords, the running horses and the fire that burned everything. He can remember the people of his clan, yes. But, what about his own self? Something is really wrong with him. His memory about his own self is not clear.

'What could be the reason for it?' Kurapika asked himself as he contemplated on a certain happening. 'Could it be him?' In his mind was a man of about 45 to 50 years old, having a long raven hair and a pair of dark obsidian eye that looks so familiar.

Kurapika met the man two years ago, but that's all he can remember. He knows some basic information about that man. He was a blacklisted criminal which Kurapika learned while he was searching for any information that might have a connection to the spider.

That man is also the reason why Kurapika is searching for the Ryodan. It was from that man he got to learn the name of the said group of bandits. 'I guess this is a good chance to clear everything,' he thought.

It's already around 6:00 in the evening when the train arrived at his destination, but he decided to continue on his journey. He can eat and sleep anywhere anyway. But of course, he still needs to ride a taxi to go to the airport.

It is a long way travel to go to his homeland. After the airplane, he will be riding another train and then a bus. And after that, he has to walk to a long path; he will be walking to the farthest part of the province, enter a forest, climb some mountain, cross a river and reach the end of the forest. And finally he will arrive in his long lost village.

00000

Again, Please review! Many thanks!