Scarlet Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own HxH

Reminiscence 08 – Meeting

Deep inside the mountainous province of Rukuso, in the lush forest that surround most of the land, a young male clad in black, bringing with him a small bag on his shoulder, was wondering alone, walking down to the path of nowhere.

'I am lost, am I?' he thought as he looked above him, seeing only tree branches and leaves, and the darkening sky between the apertures of the leaves. More than that, he did not able to find anything to eat or drink.

Shrugging the thought away, the young man continued on wondering the woods, hoping that he will find something on the way. And soon enough a sound of running water was heard as he moved deeper in to the forest. As soon as he found the stream, he immediately went over and gets himself a drink with his hands.

Preoccupied on satisfying his thirst, he did not notice a figure watching him above the tree not far away from the stream until that figure called his attention.

"Onii-san," he heard the small voice coming from his back. The young man stopped drinking as he turned his head to the direction where he heard the voice and found a golden haired, little girl, wearing an unusual blue dress jumping down from a tree branch.

"What are you doing alone in this forest?" the little girl asked as she landed perfectly with her feet on the ground.

The young man smiled at the question, seeing that the girl is alone herself. "I should be asking the same question," he said.

"I don't think you are familiar with this forest, I've never seen you around before," the girl stated.

"Indeed, I was actually lost," the young man admitted. "And judging from your statement, you seem to know this forest a lot."

"I know this forest like the back of my hand," the girl answered. "So, what are you doing here alone?" She repeated her question a while ago.

Pushing himself up, the young man stood on his ground and completely faced the girl. "I am a traveler and I am looking for -," he trailed off, hesitant to continue his sentence, "never mind, I'm just a mere traveler."

The girl frowned at that, but she did not push the topic. "I see," she said, "anyway, are you-," her sentence was stopped by the sudden growl of stomach.

The young man looked away with a tinge of redness on his face as he massaged the bridge of his nose. It can't be help; he did not eat anything since morning.

"I guess I don't have to ask it anymore," the girl said, smiling at the young man. "Come," she said as she turned and started walking, entering the field of tall grasses, creating her own way with her wooded twin swords(if they are actually wooded at all) that came out of nowhere.

Without a single hesitation, the young man followed the little. In fact, he was actually interested about her.

They continued running the grass field and he was losing his direction again. It's not that he know anything about the forest, he just don't know where did they came from anymore and the girl is leading his to the path of nowhere.

After the few minutes of running, they finally got out off the grass field and the girl stopped running and walked in front of some sort bushes, bearing some kind of small red fruits just like strawberries, but smaller.

"Here they are," the girl said, kneeling at the bushes and started plucking the red fruits, "the wild berries."

"Wild berries?" the young man repeated in question. He doesn't know them.

"Right," the girl answered as she stood up and turned to face the young man again. "They are nutritious and sweet, here," she said as she lifted her hands full of wild berries to the young man.

Looking intently at the fruits, the young man picked a single berry from the little girl's small hands and took a bite on it. And at once, his eyes widened in great appreciation.

"Sweet, no, it is more that sweet," he said as he looked at the bitten fruit on his hand.

"Of course. They are my favorite," the girl said, smiling warmly at the young man.

"I never tasted something like this before," he said, looking at the girl, interestingly, "I cannot actually explain the taste, but they are great… Who are you, anyway?

"I won't tell you," she answered. "That's why I would not also ask for your name as well."

"And why would you not tell me?"

"Because you are a stranger and a stranger should better not know about us."

"Are you protecting something?"

"My family."

"Are you -?" he trailed off, hesitating if he should ask her or not. "I will tell you something," he said, changing his mind.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Will you tell me something about you after that?"

"That depends on what you are going to tell me."

The young man smiled at the girl's attitude, she is a smart kid. "Do you remember when you asked me what I am doing here alone?"

"Yes, what's about it?" the girl answered with her round eyes, full of curiosity, but then she remembered the hesitation of the man on answering her. "About that you are looking for? You don't really have to tell me if you don't want to," she said.

"No, it's alright," he answered. "Actually," he started, "I was looking for a group of people. I do not know much about them, but I know what they are. Since I was a child, I was hoping to find them again."

Blinking at the man's sentence, the girl kind of understands what he is talking about. "You are looking for your family," she said with wide eyes and the young man nodded to her in confirmation.

Feeling sorry for the young man in front of her, she closed her eyes for a while, took a deep breath and opened her eyes again, looking back at the man's dark eyes.

"Pale skin," she started, "light colored hair, blue eyes. That is how we are described in the normal circumstances. But, when we are having a deep emotion, the color of our eyes turns scarlet. That is what we are, the Kuruta family."

His eyes widened for a moment, but recovered immediately as he looked at her intently with a face shows the look something that she cannot pin point. "Telling this to you is not just a risk for me, but for the whole clan of the Kuruta, but I will thrust you to keep everything you heard to yourself," she said in a serious tone.

"No one will ever find," he assured her, smiling gently at the little girl.

What do you think?

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