Can this be, could this be?

I hope so! I know so.

This is the beginning of change in me.

-P #1-

Do you have that one artist you've listened to since childhood? The one that makes you remember the memories of a six year-old? It flows through your veins and carves a path in your head. Your family knows every word by heart. It's all you ever listened to. It's all you ever sung. Then one day you meet a few people. "What do you listen to?" You ask them. They tell you their songs and you become curious.

That's when your interests stray from your childhood songs. You develop your own taste. The influence that your family had on you changes. You have your own song flowing through your veins. New paths and connections weave through your brain like a maze and you discover that there is more than just that one artist! More than just one type of music! The mass of genre excites you! You feel like you've discovered the world again.

Do you remember that? Do you remember that transition? Now, tell me.

Do you remember how your family was uncertain about that change?

Horrific screams ran chills down Ayano's neck. Instantly she was thrown back to when she was six, the day of her birthday. A hot-cold sensation racked her body and a lump formed in her throat. The group of five that she was standing in glanced around for the source. That's when Ayano saw him. The dread that lingered in her mind grew. 'Of course,' she thought bitterly. 'It was only a matter of time before I ran into my Father's business partner'.

Hisoka Marrow.

The girl watched numbly as a man ( who had offended the clown) wailed in terror and pain. His arms slowly disintegrated into tiny red flowers and it wasn't long before he collapsed to the floor whimpering. Ayano shot a look of distaste at Hisoka. It was obvious that he was enjoying the scene.

Hisoka was (in his own right) an intriguing person to look at. Let alone the fact that he was impossible to understand! The man's appearance was similar to that of a clown or a jester. A tall pale man with fairly toned stature, he towered over most of the applicants. He wore red-T and a white crop top decorated with various suit symbols, as well as white pants and dark blue shoes that curled at the ends. His burning red hair defied gravity (like Gon, Ayano noticed) and curled upwards. His eyes were chips of gold, thin and round. The clown even wore face paint; a maroon star on his right cheek and a turquoise tear-drop on his left.

Ayano couldn't hear what Hisoka was saying but she knew it was something creepy. "That psychopath is back again!" Tonpa mumbled. Gon, Kurapika and Leorio turned to him with nervous looks. It was obvious they were interested to learn more about this 'psychopath'. Ayano didn't need to hear it. Out of all the people in this room she probably knew more about Hisoka.

'I can't believe I've ran into someone familiar so quickly,' Ayano mused, watching the clown prowl through the crowd. 'I wonder if Father told him that I escaped. What if he's searching for me?' Hisoka stalking her was a terrifying thought.

Hisoka Marrow was in a group that had dealings with The Kagami Family. Ayano knew this because her Father would bring her along to his meetings. Her Father, the one that everyone admired, was a Hunter abusing his license. How do you think he got so many relics? Why he held so many 'parties '? Ayano had known the truth for years.

"Sh, Ayano." He would whisper to her, green eyes gleaming in the half-light. "Pretend that you didn't see a thing. You can keep secrets for Father can't you? It's just a game." And because six-year old Ayano never knew any better she complied. When you've been brought up one way, you tend to be blind to everything else.

But now she was learning.

When she was younger, Ayano would talk to her Father's partners. The first time she met Hisoka was when she was five. At that time she understood the concept of good and bad. The only thing that confused her was if Father was naughty or nice. But she knew that her sisters were bad and that she was the good one!

Ayano was toddling around the mansion when she bumped into Hisoka. At that time she was playing with her favourite toy. She could still remember it; a dark blue bird with button eyes and tiny wings. It had wheels instead of legs and the string was stapled to its beak. When she wasn't with Father, Ayano was pulling it around the mansion. She had wandered into one of Side-studies when a tall man blocked the door. Ayano looked up to see a strange sight. A clown! She had gaped at him, completely spellbound by the weirdly-dressed stranger.

The man hadn't said anything at first. He grinned at her with golden-clipped eyes. Thick tension flowed through the room as a heavy weight descended on Ayano. Slowly he took a step towards her, who was still spellbound by him. "Hello there, little one~!"The jester cooed.

This broke the spell and Ayano waddled up to him. "Hello!" She chirped. "Are you one of Father's friends?" The clown crouched down to her height. Tilting his head, he offered a hand. "Yes I am." He purred. "And who might you be?" Ayano was a clever thing but she never learned about the danger of strangers. The Village people were respectful and she never felt discomfort.

His hand dwarfed hers. "I'm Ayano! I'm the youngest!" She introduced. Then Ayano lowered her voice and leaned closer to him. "Can you keep a secret Mister Clown?" She asked seriously. The clown's lips curled into a grin. "But of course, Miss Ayano." He lowered his voice to humour her. "I'm the best at keeping secrets~!"

Her green hues shone with excitement. "I'm Father's favourite. He calls me his little 'progidy'. But don't tell my big sisters, Mister Clown!" Ayano said as she shook her head. "They don't like me." The clown chuckled. He was amused by how she pronounced the word. But Ayano could tell there was a change in his behaviour. The tension vanished and she felt lighter.

"I see~" The clown purred. He lifted his hand in front of her face, smirking. She watched curiously. Suddenly a card appeared in the clown's hand. Ayano gasped in delight! The card danced in and out of the man's fingers, vanishing and reappearing with ease. Another card appeared and danced alongside the other one.

Was it magic?

Of course it was.

Finally the cards vanished. The clown lowered his hand and smiled at Ayano, who beamed back at him. "That was enchanting Mister Clown!" She cheered. The clown chuckled again before tousling her brown locks. "Hisoka~." He corrected. Then he stood up and left the room.

From then on Ayano saw him as a good person. Once every 16 months he would appear at the Mansion to communicate with her Father. She liked Hisoka very much; mainly because of his magic tricks and the way he called her 'Miss Ayano'.

It wasn't until she heard him conversing with one of her sisters that she learned the truth.

Hisoka wasn't a funny clown. He was a murderer.

Since then she had silenced herself around him. He still tried to enchant her with his card tricks but she saw right through him. He was a monster. Just like her sisters. Just like her Father whom she used to adore.

Just like her.

Ayano was dragged from the past when Tonpa put something in her hands. Blinking, she looked up to see everyone holding an orange soda can. "Eh?" She said. Tonpa smiled at her, the action taking filling his chubby face. "A symbol of our friendship!" He offered.

Ayano almost flinched at the word 'friendship'. "O-of course!" She stuttered. Everyone opened their can's of soda and clinked them together. "To the Hunter's Exam!" Tonpa encouraged. "To the Hunter's Exam!" The four repeated. Ayano sloshed her juice around and lifted it to her lips.

Then she stopped.

"Actually, no thanks." She declined. The other three stopped their actions, puzzled. Tonpa seemed put off too because he began to stutter. As he did this, Ayano watched him with narrowed eyes.

"W-well I'm not against you or anything but isn't that a little offensive to your friends?" Tonpa asked her. "You also need to be hydrated for the Exam!" Ayano didn't respond. Instead she stared at him. Tonpa felt fidgety under her unblinking gaze; white milky eyes were really creepy! Especially when they were fixed on you!

She sloshed the can again. "I apologise if I'm being offensive to YOU Tonpa." She half-sneered, dropping the honourifics. "But I don't need a can of soda to show my loyalty to my friends." She glanced at Gon, Kurapika and Leorio. "My dedication to them will be enough. Besides," she added while sloshing the juice once more. "It doesn't sound right."

"E-eh?" Everyone mumbled. Ayano sighed, almost rolling her eyes. Then she remembered that they didn't know of her Sixth Sense. "I mean," she pressed. "The soda is sluggish. It sounds like somethings contaminated it." She shook it again and frowned. "And the weight is off. Is soda supposed to be this heavy?"

"Oh!" Gon chirped. "I get it!" He turned to Kurapika, Leorio and Tonpa. "Ayano has amazing hearing!" He explained to them with shining eyes. "She could hear everyone breathing down here. That's how she knew where the Exam was!" Kurapika and Leorio looked at her in amazement. Ayano felt shy and she ducked her head.

Gon sipped the drink to see if Ayano was correct. Suddenly it poured out of his mouth like a waterfall. "Bleeeeeh. Yup! Ayano-chan was right about it tasting weird. Is this soda out of date Tonpa-san?" He asked. All eyes were on Tonpa and he turned blue.

"I-I don't know!" He stammered. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea it was spoiled!" Everyone poured their drinks onto the ground. Ayano breathed the drink in and let it fill her nose. Familiarity made her lips curl into a frown; Laxatives. She was all too familiar with laxatives. In fact, her sisters forced it into her numerous times out of jealous rage.

"Spoiled." She whispered. Looks like Tonpa's true colours came through. He was spoiled! Just like Hisoka, her sisters, her Father and herself. All of them were spoiled. The only difference between them and Ayano was that she wanted to change. Pouring the soda onto the ground, she glanced at the boys.

All three of them were chatting warmly amongst themselves. It was obvious that they were close. Ayano felt a twinge of nervous jealously. She desperately wanted what they had! The feeling of mutual fondness for another and the knowledge that you had a good friend by your side. But she knew that it would take more than a miracle to become their friend.

Still, a protective feeling erupted in her chest. She really liked these boys, even though she hardly knew them. They had been kind to her so far. And Tonpa had tried to poison them! Ayano gritted her teeth. No way was she going to let him near the boys. Over her dead body! She had lost companions to bad people before and she wasn't going to have it happen again. Ayano carved this commitment into her mind as she watched them converse together.

A few moments later, The 287th Hunter Exam began.