CHAPTER 9

Hina: grrrr, the creative gerbils have been on lunch break for a while…come back gerbils! We need you!

I own no one except my oc's

xXx

(Kurapika's pov)

I sat on my bed, reading a thick book that lay in front of me. Blinking, I snagged the edge of it and threw it across the room, generating a satisfying thump! As it made contact, possibly making a small crack in the wall…one could only hope…

I looked up at the ceiling of my small room, falling back onto the bed, sighing as frustration built its way up through my chest, through my throat, and materializing in an aggravated growl.

I glanced at the calendar that sat on my bed-side table.

April 4th…

My twelfth birthday…it had already been two years…two agonizing years of being a normal child…of getting called name after name from ignorant normal people…

Two years of having to act like things didn't bother me, of being strong, of 'not letting them get to me'…

I was about to loose my mind…and no one even suspected a thing…because I wouldn't show them…every day I smiled, I laughed, every painful day was made even more painful by the façade I was forced to put up…

And I was getting good at suppressing my feelings…

I clenched the comforter on my bed, squeezing it so hard I could feel my hand going numb…

I sat up quickly, looking around the room for where my book went, seeing it on the ground beneath a dent in the wall, I smiled.

Getting up, I grabbed the book, and putting it in my normal reading-and-walking position, stepped out of the room.

''G'morning Kurapika!'' Rio said before looking back from the skillet of what smelled like burning pancakes.

'' Mornin' '' I replied, sleepily,

Fake of coarse….

xXx

(Rio's pov)

I dumped a plate in front of the small blonde who was patiently waiting for my newest abomination.

I noted the third blink as he stared at his plate over his novel.

''Thank you.'' He said smiling, though he kept his book where it was.

'' Your welcome, now eat all of it or…'' I grabbed the book out from in front of his face.

''No more reading…'' I said smiling when he lunged for it. ''Na-ah-ah, you need to eat your charcoal…'' I sang, dancing away from his grabs.

''I never agreed to that! Now, give it back!'' he shouted, snatching his book out of my hand.

He glared up at me as he grabbed his plate and carried it back to the sink, dropping it in with a loud clang.

I tilted my head to the side when I heard his door slam.

''What's wrong with him?'' Rezo asked, walking up from the living room with intense bed-head.

I gave a small shrug, then got to work on cleaning up the burnt pancakes…

xXx

(KURAPIKA'S POV)

I let out an aggravated growl as I sat on my bed, tossing the book onto my pillow before covering my face with my hands.

I sighed, dragging my hands down my face and dropping them into my lap, before I heard the click of my door opening.

''Kurapika?'' Rezo asked, walking in cautiously.

''Hello…'' I greeted, looking back at my wall. He closed the door quietly, before making his way almost silently across my room.

''You're not alright, I presume?'' he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I simply shook my head in response, sighing again.

''Happy birthday…'' he whispered, squeezing my shoulder and patting it twice.

''Thanks…'' I looked back up at him.

''Rio doesn't even know does he?'' I asked, getting a shocked expression from the doctor.

''N-no…I don't think that he's realized that we've never celebrated it…'' he laughed quietly.

''It's alright, you know that we didn't celebrate them anyways…'' I said quietly, looking back at the wall.

''Yes…but you're part of our family now, and so, our tradition is yours…'' he offered, ruffling my hair.

''I suppose…'' I said, smiling up at him.

''Okay, are you alright though?'' he asked, his face turning from a smile, to the concerned look that I was used to seeing.

''Yes, I'm fine…'' I lied, giving him another one of my fake reassuring smiles.

''Alright, don't stay in here too long okay? Rio will start to worry again.'' And with that, he was out my door.

I sighed slumping, and putting my elbows on my knees.

''What am I going to do?'' I asked myself, before something warm, and furry brushed against my leg, making me jump into a standing position, wide eyed.

Then two pointed, white ears poked out from under my bed, then followed by the rest of Morrah's head.

I swear, she was smiling up at me as she crawled out from under my bed, inch by inch.

''How did you fit under there, girl?'' I asked, patting her head, and kneeling in front of her.

She tilted her head to the side, and licked my nose, before turning and walking over to the door.

She scratched at it, whimpering slightly.

''Okay, okay, we can go out now.'' I laughed, watching her turn in excited circles, before rushing out the door when I opened it.

xXx

I sat outside, throwing sticks for Morrah to catch, then bring back to me.

After about the billionth time, she walked over to me, putting one of her paws on my knee, and looking into the woods.

''Girl, you know that Rio said we can't go into the woods by ourselves…'' I said, resting my hand on her head.

I can go alone, but you cannot...

I jumped as the thought ran through my head…

''Morrah?'' I asked, my eyes wide.

She tilted her head slightly to the side, tapping my leg twice with her paw and looking back at the woods.

''No, I said no, Morrah.'' I said sternly, making her stomp one of her front paws on the ground.

I blinked, it was like she was a human, frustrated by not getting her way.

''What's wrong with you, girl?'' I asked, putting my hand on her head again, but she ducked under it and ran to the woods.

''Morrah! Come back!'' I shouted. Running to the edge of the forest.

sighing, I sat down with a loud, plump!

I sighed again, before getting back up and looking behind me.

Rio was in the living room, playing chess with Rezo…would he notice if I went into the woods?

I furrowed my eyebrows, before stepping into the woods, then taking off as fast as I could.

xXx

''Morrah!'' I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth.

''Where are you?'' I asked, looking around, and, seeing nothing, sat down on a log.

''Well, look at what we found..'' a gruff voice sounded behind me.

I turned around to see two very rough looking men behind me.

''Do you think he's a Kuruta?'' the second asked, looking at his partner.

''Of course, look at his hair.'' He laughed, making me shutter.

''Kuruta? You think I'm a Kuruta?'' I asked, laughing.

''My parents hate the Kuruta! My dad always brags about beating one to a pulp just because he bumped into him! You men must have the traits mixed up.'' I said, laughing slightly again.

''No, I know what a Kuruta looks like, and that if you are one, you would definitely try and fool your hunters.'' The main man told me, squinting and smiling, before lunging for me.

''No!'' I shouted, kicking my knee up so that it met his nose, with a satisfying crack! Before taking off in the opposite direction.

''Shoot! Terru! Get him!'' the injured man shouted, before I heard shuffling behind me, and what sounded like a sword coming out of it's holster.

''Oh no, this is bad...'' I mutterd, feeling the air move around something that swund just behind my neck.

''Leave him alone!'' a deep female voice shouted, before I felt something smashing into my pursuer, knocking me to the ground.

''What?'' I called, confused, before something white flashed beside me, scooping me up and rushing away from the scene behind us.

''Who are you?'' I asked the woman who was carrying me, her bright white hair flowing behind her, the few strands that still lay across her forehead contrasting the bright red tattoos that danced across her forehead, swirling down her temple all the way down to her shoulder, which was bare, due to the droop of the baggy sleeves of her white robe, which also flowed behind us.

''Kurapika, I'm hurt, you've known me for over a year now, you know...'' she said, laughing and looking down at me with deep black eyes.

''Morrah?'' I asked.

The only answer i got was a small nod, before we heard a loud shot sound behind us.

Morrah ran into a small cave, which i assumed was a den for some animal.

''M-Morrah? you...you're...'' i stuttered, watching the graceful movements of what I realized wasn't a woman, but a teenage girl, probably about 19.

''I've been watching over you for a long time Kurapika...'' she explained, when she'd studied my confused expression for a good three minutes.

''My people are shapeshifters, granted by some force with the powers to change our shape as we wish, and we were very close freinds with the Kuruta. You were too younge to know that when the attack happened...'' she brushed my bangs out from in my eyes, before continuing.

''Each of us was givin a Kuruta to watch after, as their freind, and protecter. I was assigned to you, the ceremony to bring your generation to knoledge of our pact would have been in a month or so from the attack... when I saw what had happened, I slipped into a depression, knowing that I would never meet you, and so I stayed in the forest, shaped as a rabbit, until I could continue daily life as a human. But that was before you found me that night... I was so happy...'' she smiled, showing slightly sharper than normal canines.

''Why did you leave then?'' I asked, remembering the month that she'd been gone.

''I had to tell my people that you had escaped, and that another Kuruta may be somewhere, and we should not give up hope. My people told me not to show my true form to you right away, but show you another form, that was the wolf...I was supposed to wait another month, but I cannot fight in a shifted form...and my body was getting cramped, that is why I wanted to go into the forest, was to stretch, but I put you in danger, i should have known that you would come after me...I am a failure...forgive me please, Kurapika...'' my eyes widened as she bowed, her head touching her hands that were on the dirt.

''N-no, you saved me, thank you...'' I said, placing my hand on her shoulder, making her sit up, touching her hand to mine.

''The men are unconcious, we are safe to go home...'' she said, standing up, and walking out of the den, and offering me a hand that I used to stand up.

As we walked home I realized what would be waiting for me when I got home.

When we stepped out of the brush, my fears were comfirmed, Rio stood, untidy black hair pulled back, as if he'd been running worried hands through his bangs.

''Kurapika! Where have you been? Do you have any idea how...'' he trailed off when he saw Morrah step out of the woods gracefully, before looking up at him and smiling.

''Hello, Rio, I think it's time we had a proper introduction...I'm Morrah...'' she said, smiling, and holding out her hand to a gaping Rio.

xXx

Hina: heheheheheh~ weren't expecting that huh? eh, i think it turned out alright, do you?

Morrah: ahhhh~ it is nice to be able to streatch my arms and legs seperately...

Rio:*0*

Everyone -.-'' he's in shock...

thank you for reading! and please review! but no flames! because flames hurt!