A/N: Ok, so as promised, here's the second part of the other chapter! I hope you guys like it! As always, I love and truly appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and follows! So thank you very much from the bottom of my heart! Also, just wanted to let you guys know that I now have the rest of the story line mapped out, so I shouldn't be running into writer's block too much. Now the only thing that'll get in the way of updates is school -_-().
And one more little thing to point out. Not sure if this is a bit late, but just letting you know that I chose Shizuka's name for a reason :). It means peaceful, calm, quiet, gentle, etc. Just a FYI XP. Some of you probably knew that, some may not have, oh well. Now everyone does XD.
DISCLAIMER: I no own HXH. (Sadly), lol.
A minute later, I added, "But I think some of it also had to do because in the back of my mind, I knew that that was my last name. It was drilled into me as a baby." Everyone nodded as if to say that that explained things.
"Then do you think we should try the front desk again now that we know a last name?" Killua asked and pointed over his shoulder towards the desk. Hisoka and Illumi looked at each other, and I nodded. Writing the name once more on the last band of untouched paper, I folded over the rest and headed over to the front desk with Killua.
Upon seeing out arrival, Gilbert was immediately called out of the back office, and he came to help us. "Here to try again?" he asked playfully. Nodding my head enthusiastically, he couldn't help but give a hearty laugh as he saw the hope in my eyes. "Alrighty, then. What name are you looking for now, young miss?" I slipped the folded paper on the countertop and he read the name. "Dangerous?" He gave me a questioning look, but I just waved it off. My hands rolled over themselves in a "hurry up" gesture. Gilbert laughed again as he turned to his computer.
Killua had to put a hand on my shoulder to keep me from bouncing up and down. He gave me a crooked smile. I gave him a full smile. Teeth and all. I all but gave myself whiplash when I turned back to the man as he made a triumphant hurrah.
"Here it is, Young Miss!" He turned the screen around and down a little so that we could see, and pointed to a highlighted name. It read "Hevatica Kiwadoi. Resident from XXXX-XXXX. Disappeared after fire. Keepsake asked to keep until notified."
Questions started forming in my mind all at once. "The fire? What happened? Why did my mother give Illumi a fake name? And what keepsake?"
"I will be right back," said the man, then he disappeared into the back again. I looked up when he plopped something wooden right in front of me. It was a box. A small box that looked like it was made for carrying with on travels, and it's oak stained wood and beautiful finishing varnish shone beautifully even despite its age. On the front, it displayed a beautiful island in the vast sea. The island was centered on the lid, surrounded by lighter colored wood to represent the sea. A few white colored wood represented seagulls flying both close and far from shore, and a yellow tinted sun shone from the upper left hand corner, making everything on the left hand side brighter than the slightly darker areas to the right. The island seemed to rise up, then drop off quite a ways to a rocky death below. The wood depicting the sea was also arranged to make it look like the waves were crashing violently against the rocky outcrops. Somewhat of a stark contrast between the peaceful left side to a slightly dark and more violent right. I thought it was a beautiful composition. I picked it up gingerly in my hands as though the slightest mishap could cause it to break. "Now that I have been reminded, I actually remember the day that woman first came to check in." I looked up at him with wondering eyes. I was suddenly so focused on the Gilbert's next words that I almost didn't notice the other two creepers in our group walk up behind Killua and me.
He sighed as if remembering the most beautiful dream. "She was a beautiful and stunning woman. Her golden-brown hair shone like marigolds in the sun. Her bright, red-painted lips would always remind me of the most dazzling rubies. Her eyes were the most vibrant shade of violet I have ever seen. They could express or hide her innermost emotions. At the time I worked as this hotel's music manager, so I was utterly surprised when she came up to me one day and asked if she could put on a show for us. I didn't want to, at first, because I had been given strict instructions by the hotel manager not to waste any more money on shows than need be. But when she heard this, she merely laughed and said, 'You seem to misunderstand me, dear sir. I did not ask to sell a show, I asked to put on a show.' After that, she gave me the sweetest of smiles. It took me a while to understand what she had meant." Gilbert rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess I must've looked pretty hopeless to her, since she literally spelt it out to me. 'Silly sir. I merely would like to sing for an audience. I require no stage or equipment other than myself. Not even a microphone if it's not possible. I need not be paid for what I love doing.' I don't think I'll ever forget the expression she gave to me when she spoke of singing. It was so relaxed, so tranquil. As if all the troubles of the world had just faded from her mind. Naturally, after hearing that, I just couldn't refuse her. I told her I would do everything I could to arrange a time for her to perform. She took my hand and shook it so gratefully! My, what a strong grip that lady had!" Gilbert laughed heartily as he remembered.
"After that, she went over to the desk and plopped this box," he gestured to the box now in my hands, "on the counter and said, 'I would like for you guys to keep this box in a very secure place until someone much later comes to pick it up. Will you be able to do it?' At first the people at the front desk seemed hesitant, but I guess I'm not the only one who could refuse a request from her." Another laugh. " 'How should we know who to give this to?' one of the ladies working the front at the time asked. There was a silence for a moment, then Hevatica (or Heva, as we all began to call her) just said, 'Don't worry. They will come bearing my name. Give it to that person.'" Gilbert came out of his flashback, and smiled kindly down at me. "And I am just going to assume that that 'someone' is you, Young Miss."
I looked at him a moment more, then down at the precious keepsake box held delicately within my hands. A question came to mind, and I looked back up. Carefully transferring the box to under one arm, I tapped my throat a few times. Unfortunately, the middle aged man didn't seem to understand, for which he gave me an apologetic smile. "She's asking what Heva sounded like," Killua translated. I smiled thankfully at him, and he gave returned it.
"Ah! Well, let's see. Her voice was as clear and beautiful as an angels'. Even the smallest sound she made rang like a bell."
"What about her singing?" Killua translated once again.
"Oh, her singing was even more impressive than her voice! The waves of emotion she put into her songs as she sang made anyone listening stop what they were doing. If they were drinking, they'd stop. If they were gambling, in the bar, they would stop. If they were just coming back from dinner or a dance, they would stop. She was a real eye turner. And she was right. She needed no electronic corrections. Her voice hit all the right notes all the time. She was a truly talented singer. One that comes along once every thousand years, or so I've heard." Gilbert laughed a little. "And she never once asked to be paid. But then again, looking at some of the fancy jewelry she would wear and her dresses, it was easy to assume that she had a fairly high paying job anyways and that she probably didn't need the extra money." He was doing well until the money. I was about to run his head in for "assuming" anything. If there's one thing I learned, it's don't just a book by its cover. Just because someone looks one way, it doesn't mean that that's true; either about their situation or about them as a person. But he made it up for his next comments.
"But that made her all the more endearing. She didn't sing for money. At least, not singing for fun in the hotel lobby. She did it because she loved it. She was a friendly lady. Kind. Caring. Courteous to all…" he paused for a moment. "But don't even insult her or try to touch her in a bar." His face seemed to pale whiter than a ghost's. "I remember one incident where an intoxicated, heavily muscled guy tried to pull a move on her… it ended with him going to the hospital down the street for a two broken arms and a broken hand." Ok. Now I could see where paling would come from. That seemed just down-right scary, lol. I could imagine people's reaction when they saw a beautiful, perfect mannered lady suddenly break a muscular guy's arms and hand. Haha… I guess no one tried to bother her after that display.
I could hear Illumi slightly chuckle at that and mutter to himself, "Yep. That's defiantly that beast."
"Oh, and one more thing." We looked to the man. "I didn't find out until a few weeks later when I first saw her on TV, but she was apparently a world-class singer! My respect for her sky-rocketed. I had her tell me about it when she came back about a week after I saw her perform on an international stage in America. She told me that she had always been singing, and that she was only 12 when a contractor hooked her up with a manager and began her career as a singer." My respect and awe for my mother grew with every new thing I learned about her. But there was still one thing left unexplained. I walk closer to the desk again and pointed to a word on the screen. "Fire." Gilbert looked around, and a mournful expression replaced his exuberant one. I actually felt bad for bringing him from bissful cloud nine right back down to earth… and possibly further down than that.
"It was a terrible day, indeed. We still don't know exactly what happened that day, but we suspect a kitchen fire had started in a room a floor below hers, and it spread like wild fire. Firefighters tried to put out the fire, but for some reason, it seemed especially hard to put out. Almost as if it wasn't natural. Soon, the whole top of the building- from the roof down to about the 100th floor- collapsed. Luckily, the fire got put out by then, but still. The damage had been done. Search teams came a little while later to search for survivors. A head count was taken. Luckily, it appeared as if no one was killed. A few injuries; about 10 major injuries, and maybe 40 minor. I'm sketchy on the details by this point. It's been 25 years, after all. When the head count results came out, everyone but one was accounted for." Gilbert's eyes turned downcast as he remembered that fateful day.
'My mother," I mouthed. It was sad to hear of this. To hear that my mother seemed to have it all, only to have it taken away. Unconsciously, I gripped the box closer to me.
"If it makes you feel better, Gilbert," cut in Illumi, breaking the depressing silence, "Cleo-, no, Heva- was still alive. She survived."
"How do you know?" snapped Gilbert, surprising us a little.
"Because I met her a few years after the fire. She had gone into hiding. I do not know why." Illumi let that news sink in for a while.
"So… she's alive?" Hope began to fill his voice.
"No." I was going to hit that guy for his insensitive bluntness! Sadly, Killua got to it first. He sent a good, hard punch aimed right at Illumi's face, but as predicted, the older brother stopped the white haired Zoldyck with ease.
"Oh…" the crestfallen look on Gilbert's face made my heart reach out to him. I stood on my tip toes and put my hand over his comfortingly. The man looked up at me gratefully, and put his other hand over mine in thanks. "Well, now that I look closer, you do sort of resemble your mother. Your eyes as the same beautiful violet as hers, and your face shape is the same. Your hair color is almost the same, too, with hers being more golden."
I silently giggle. I've heard those comparisons before, remembering when Illumi had compared me to my mother as well.
Gilbert's eyes accidentally wandered over to his wrist watch, a beautiful silver with a dragon design carved into it, and I swear his eyes almost bugged out! "Oh my! I'm deeply sorry, Young Miss, but I have to go now! It was supposed to be my turn on shift 20 minutes ago! I'm late!" He quickly turned on his heel and made his way to an empty hair further down the row of receptionists.
My hand automatically reach out, but fell midway because he was already gone. My face fell a little as I missed my chance to say, well, write, something. But oh well. I guess I could leave the message there for him to pick up later. So I did. Leaving the note folded on the counter, the group and I walked back to our seats, which surprisingly hadn't been taken yet.
Yosh! Time to open that box!
A/N: So, how was it? Worth it? Please leave a review and let me know what you guys think! Thanks a ton and see you all next time!