Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter, only the made up pasts of these people.
Story so far: They were done with revisiting their pasts, but they were given an assignment by Phoenix. What kind of conclusions would they reach after seeing each other's pasts?
WARNING: This chapter contains a lot of self-retrospect and thoughts.
Chapter 15
CONCLUSIONS of THE PASTS
Kuroro groaned as he tried to move his sore body. It felt as if he had been lying in one position for God-knows-how-long and now his body was aching all over. He pried open his eyes and the first thing he saw was Kurapika's sleeping face right next to him. Out of reflex, he got up, ignoring the protests of his muscles and joints.
He realized then that they were stranded on the shore where they had been before they crossed the gulf on Una's back. He looked up and found that the floating isle had disappeared, along with Phoenix. He glanced at the sleeping figure of Kurapika. From the way he had been lying down earlier, and the way she was sleeping, he could imagine that from outsider's point of view they looked more like a cuddling couple than stranded travellers. He was thankful that he was the one who woke up first. Who knows that the girl would do if she found herself yet in another compromising position with him? All hell would break lose.
He felt a nudge on his shoulder, and when he turned around, he was face to face with Una, their Unicorn foal.
"You've been waiting for us? Good girl." He patted her head gently.
The breeze around him was chilly, and dusk was already falling. He needed to wake the girl up and evacuated to the nearest woods. He had no wish to spend the night there in the open shore, vulnerable to bad night wind and everything else.
"Kurapika, wake up." He nudged her shoulder lightly.
Kurapika, being the light sleeper she was, responded quickly. She groaned sleepily and rolled over. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a few times. Her head was in a daze, and her minds were all muddled, as if they had just swam through thick mud. She looked around, and when her eyes fell on Kuroro, a voice rang in her head.
When the child is born, bring it to Ishtar.
"Child? What child?" She suddenly screamed and regained an unexpected strength, considering that she had just woken up. She jolted up into a sitting position.
Kurapika turned to Kuroro with wrathful, accusing glare. Kuroro himself was having a shock of his life, since the girl just out of the blue screeched and sprung from the sand as if she had been electrocuted. Kurapika grabbed the lapel of his shirt and shook him violently.
"What did you do to me? When did you—"
"I did not lay a finger on you!" He protested, as soon as he understood what she was panicking about. "Much less impregnate you! Think logically, Kurapika! We've been out from the cave just for a few hours and do you really think you can get pregnant, cross my fingers, in such a short time?"
"Hell, Kuroro. Ever since I started travelling with you, things have never been logical anymore!"
"For once I agree with you with all my heart." He grumbled as he peeled Kurapika's stubborn fists off his shirt. "See, Una still allows you to touch her, which obviously means you are still innocent. So stop taking everything out on me."
True enough, as soon as Kurapika went into a screaming hysteria, Una approached her and nudged her repeatedly, as if trying to console her. When Kurapika looked into her beady eyes, suddenly her panic evaporated and her hips turned into jelly. She sighed out of relief and hugged the Unicorn's head, as if trying to convince herself more. Kuroro then adjusted his now-messed-up-from-Kurapika's-abuse shirt. After a few minutes, when Kurapika seemed to have completely calmed down, Kuroro stood up and dusted the sands from his pants.
"I'm tired." She suddenly said.
"Yes, surprisingly so." He admitted.
"Should we call it a day?"
Kuroro raised an eyebrow. "Being very civil, aren't we?"
"Like I said, I'm too worn out to even argue with you for today. Under normal circumstances, I'll take you on."
"…You don't seem that tired to me. You are already arguing."
"Shut up." She openly scowled at him.
"Come on, let's get into the woods first." He said as he hauled his backpack over his shoulder. "We can't camp out in such an open place like this. Not to mention the night wind. We'll catch a cold if we sleep here."
"Agree."
We…Since when does that word sound so normal between us? Kurapika mused in her mind as she brought her own backpack and trailed after Kuroro towards the woods not far away from them. Once they reached the woods, however, she gave it no further thought.
They set out a fire-camp to keep themselves warm. They sat facing each other across the small fire; the bind had extended yet again that they were able to sit in such fashion. Previously, such luxury was out of question due to the restricted space. Kurapika still felt uneasy with the fact that the bind did extend, due to the implication it brought. Still, she was grateful for the extra personal space she could get. Una sat near Kurapika, who still seemed somewhat distraught. She leaned against the Unicorn foal's flank, as if it was her pillow. The Unicorn foal was already asleep, and so was Kuroro, although she knew better that even as he slept, he was ever aware of his surroundings.
Kurapika gazed at the crackling fire; the colour reminded her of the colour of her comrade's eyes. She gritted her teeth and buried her head between her knees. She wanted to cry, she really did and more so after she was forced to see the nightmares of her past. If the child issue had not distracted her, the first thing she did when she woke up might have probably been to cry her heads off. But she had promised to be strong, and she tried so hard to keep that promise.
The past is worth to learn…was what Phoenix said before she kicked them into their pasts.
What is there to learn from my past? There are only bitterness and hatred, and the loss…Kurapika dryly thought.
"Aniki…" She mumbled with sad voice.
Her brother had been the one closest to her. Even if the world crumbled into nothing, as long as her brother was with her, she would be okay. Oh, she did love her parents, of course, but not as much as she loved her brother. They had been literally inseparable, and she had always aspired to be like him. She dreamed of travelling the world together with her brother, but the dream was cruelly crushed and trampled on…by that man.
Kurapika looked up just enough for her to gaze at the sleeping figure of that man. The man with raven hair and coal black eyes; the devil who levelled down her entire village and robbed the lives of her people, together with their pride: their Scarlet Eyes. Her eyes burned fiery red, the brightness almost exceeding that of the campfire. The crackling sound of the fire concealed the subtle rattles of her chain, while In concealed the surge of her Nen chains. They hovered dangerously around her, like a cobra ready to strike.
I can do it now. She whispered to her mind. I can kill him now. The bloodlust started to engulf her, and her Scarlet Eyes blazed with the hatred that she had carefully groomed over the years of her solitary journey from Rukuso Mountain.
If he dies, you will die as well. Tonight is not new moon. A small voice spoke in her mind; a very tiny voice at the back of her mind.
No matter. She widened her eyes and the Chain Jail hovered higher, ready to strike at any moment.
You will never earn salvation from revenge. Phoenix's voice rang smoothly in her head, reminding her.
I don't need salvation. She shook off the voice from her mind. My life has been dedicated for the revenge of my tribe.
Survive and live on. Kurapika blinked. The voice of her Martial Arts master chimed in her head like a church bell.
Preserve our proud Kuruta blood.
You'll die if he dies.
Kurapika dropped her hand and the chain vanished into thin air. She leaned back against Una's flank again. As her shoulder sagged, she felt the previous determination to kill the Spider Head vaporising. The bloodlust was then replaced by confusion.
What am I supposed to do now? What should I do? She pondered with a look of consternation on her face. Suddenly, everything came down to two simple choices: to live, or to die. If she killed him now, assuming she succeeded, she would fulfil one of her vows at the cost of her own life while her tribe's priced Eyes would be lost forever. If she chose not to kill him now, she could live on to collect those Eyes and fulfil her Master's dying wish, but she might lose the once-in-a-lifetime chance of killing that elusive man.
I promised that I will help you collect all your people's eyes, didn't I? Kuroro's voice rang in her head.
Like he will keep his promise. He's a criminal, for God's sake. Kurapika scoffed mentally.
I keep my words, Kurapika. Again, that voice made its way to her head.
Why should I trust him? She tried to convince herself.
I am a human first, a Spider second. The voice spoke again.
Humans do not always keep their promises! She almost screamed in her mind, hoping that the nagging voice would go away. People break their promises…
He has never lied to you, up to this very moment. Another tiny voice spoke in her mind; the tiny voice at the back of her mind.
It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! She clutched her head in desperation. I live solely for this purpose. I must avenge my comrades or otherwise—
Don't waste your life for revenge.
She held her breath. Am I…wasting my life?
Once you get your revenge, you are left only with cold emptiness. His Nen Master's voice rang in her head.
You will never earn salvation from revenge. Phoenix's voice once again invaded her mind.
Do I really need salvation? Kurapika curled herself into a tight ball. I don't understand. I don't get it…
Kurapika shrunk as she started to drown in her own confusion. What…am I supposed to do?
The dead leaves crunched underneath her feet, and the canopy was still thick above them. They knew that they were still deep in the heart of the forest, and they would probably need some more nights until they reached the nearest civilisation. Kurapika looked up and gazed at Kuroro's back, who was walking in front of her. During the day, they did not talk much. It appeared that both were just equally busy with their own thoughts. They allowed Una to blindly guide them out of the forest, since they were totally unfamiliar with the forest anyway.
"You didn't get proper sleep." It was more of a question than a statement from Kuroro.
Kurapika snapped out of her reverie and looked up just to stare straight into those obsidian orbs of his. There was something in there, but she could not catch it. It was true that last night she could barely sleep because of those unanswered questions in her minds, and she did not realise that it was showing from her pale face and the dark rings under her eyes.
"Mind your own business." She pointedly said as she looked away.
Kuroro stared at her for a few brief seconds, before he looked away and continued traversing the forest floor. He really had his own problems to think about. All the facts that he had just discovered from the cinematic record of his pasts; they were disturbing.
By nightfall, they were still not out of the woods yet and so they had to camp out in the open again. They set out the campsite exactly like the previous night, and they sat down in front of the warm fire in silence.
"Salad days… When I was still green in my judgement..." Kurapika suddenly muttered absent-mindedly. Her voice was like a whisper amidst the crackling sound of the fire. Seeing greens and leaves all day long, salad was the first thing that came up in her mind, and thinking of salad; that phrase was the first thing that popped in her mind.
"A quote by Cleopatra? What's with that?" Kuroro asked, intrigued by her sudden whimsical remarks. Kurapika had rarely ever been whimsical. He knew that she was just like him; thoughtful and a strategist.
She shrugged. "After revisiting our pasts, that's what comes to my mind."
"It applies to me, but not for you. You are still in your salad days." He chuckled in amusement. "Honestly, you are such a precocious kid."
"Whose fault?" She snapped in irritation, yet she could feel her face burning from the embarrassment.
Kuroro chuckled at her childish reaction, but said nothing further. Silence filled the emptiness between them. Kurapika was right in a way, of course. Kuroro was the one who unknowingly set up the situation whereby Kurapika was conditioned to grow up prematurely in order to survive and take her revenge. Kuroro, for once, did not spend his free time reading some books and instead he gazed at the fire with a faraway look on his handsome face. Kurapika stole a glance, and upon seeing that look on Kuroro's face, she could not help but to have her curiosity get piqued.
"How do you feel, after all those?" She finally asked.
"Why with the sudden concern?" He asked as he gazed into her eyes, truly suspicious. Kurapika had never asked about his condition whatsoever.
"Call this curiosity." She shrugged. Truthfully, she just wanted to compare it with her feelings. If she had felt confused, then what would he feel?
"Disoriented." He admitted frankly while he averted his gaze to the fire. "It is vexing…to discover that there are so many things around me that I wasn't aware of. No, it wasn't as if I didn't know. I just didn't want to know."
Kurapika was surprised, truth to be told, that Kuroro was answering her at all. Knowing him (begrudgingly, since it could not be helped as they had travelled together for so long), he was the type who kept his own counsel to himself, and rarely told anyone else of his feelings whatsoever. It alarmed her mildly, but despite so, Kurapika said nothing about it and proceeded further with her questions.
"Are you regretting it?"
He shrugged. "No idea." He was honest about it. One would expect him to shrug it off and went on with the routine of his life, but he just couldn't; and this confused him.
"…Which one is worse; revisiting the nightmares of your pasts, or discovering that there are crucial parts of your pasts that you don't know about?" She asked again.
"Who knows? But if you ask me, both are equally unpleasant…" He paused for a while, before adding: "…Kairi."
"Don't start calling me that." Kurapika abruptly said. "I have abandoned that name 6 years ago." She said as she looked away.
"Don't fret about it. The name doesn't suit you anymore. No matter what, you'll always be Kurapika to me. I don't know any other Kurapika." He flatly said, still not looking at her in the eyes.
Am I…justifying myself? For the crime I have done…He paused in his train of thoughts. Crime? Feh…I'm getting strange.
Kurapika, on the other hand, felt very strange to hear such things from Kuroro Lucifer. Interpreted in the wrong way, that sentence could have many implications. Unwilling to add more things to her to-think list, she discarded the thoughts. If possible, she did not want to assume things that had to do with what the Spider Head said or did around and regarding her. That was just bad for her health.
Silence occupied the space again. Only the songs of the insects around them were heard. Out of the blue, this time Kurapika spoke up; or rather, whispered.
"All this time, I've been grooming my hatred towards you and your Spiders. Now that I've revisited my past…I remember…"
She paused, as if hesitant to continue. Kuroro patiently waited until she felt ready to finish her sentences, but the words never left her mouth. Instead, she just hugged her knees and rested her temple on her knees.
"…Nevermind…" She said with small voice as she closed her eyes. Kuroro raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner, but seeing as Kurapika had no desire whatsoever to continue with her random rambling, he decided not to push her. She completely ignored Kuroro for the rest of the night.
It was just to fulfil my lust for revenge. It wasn't purely out of my respect to the deceased in my village. It was just my personal feelings, after all. I just wanted to get even with the one who wronged me…
That was the conclusion that she could come up with. But she added with an afterthought,
But that isn't what I'm supposed to do. My first priority is to collect my people's Eyes…and to live on.
The fire crackled soothingly in the middle of their humble campsite. Kurapika gazed at the fire absentmindedly.
I will not tolerate it. We are not born to be the black sheep of those greedy bastards. You need funds? Fine, I will fund you.
Kurapika narrowed her eyes. So that was the reason why the Genei Ryodan went around stealing and robbing other people of their treasures; to fund the whole city. Still, that was not a good enough reason for them to kill people. Killing was unnecessary in their job description to reach that objective, right? She snorted softly and shook her head. If that was the aim of Phoenix; to convince her that she should forgive Kuroro of his wrongdoing against her 6 years ago by showing his past, then she had failed.
No matter what, his crime against me is unforgivable. But…
The scenes of Kuroro's past flashed in her mind. Of all the nightmarish moments in Kuroro's past, she could not forget the moment when his parents killed each other. She remembered Kuroro telling her that his psychological skill developed all too late.
So is it his nature to disregard death so easily?
She cocked her head sideways and rested it on her shoulder.
Am I supposed to pardon him for being who he is?
Kurapika shifted and fished out the Scarlet Eyes from her backpack. She gazed at those floating eyeballs in silence. She had to admit that it was eerie, to look into those supposedly dead eyes, yet they were blazing as if they were alive. She had no idea on whose eyes she was looking at. Without her noticing it, a warm precipitate trickled down her cheek. It seemed to her that those dead eyes were telling her that they were lonely; that they wanted to be reunited with the other lost pairs.
"I promise…" She whispered in almost an inaudible voice as she pressed her eyelids tight, trying to hold back the tears. "I promise that I will collect all of you without fail."
I promised that I will help you collect all your people's eyes, didn't I? Kuroro's words rang smoothly in her head yet again. She suppressed the urge to sob. She would not cry, not in front of that man. She would be strong, but still she nodded at those words.
"You'd better keep your words." She whispered in a sob-like voice.
I keep my words, Kurapika.
"…Jerk." She buried her face between her knees.
Unbeknownst to her, Kuroro had been observing her furtively all the time as he leaned against the trunk of a giant tree behind him. He knew that she had been fighting the demons within her; her lust for revenge, her hatred, and all the negative emotions that she had been 'breeding'; as how she put it, for the past 6 years. It was almost too simple to guess what she was brooding about. Then again, his problem might be even simpler than hers.
He had been ignorant all this time. His contempt towards Isthar; the woman who had willingly brought him up, had been based on his unwillingness to learn the truth. What was he thinking at that time? He closed his ears and refused to hear any explanation. No, he did not even give them any chances to explain themselves; both Hatsubaba and Ishtar. He left them before they could defend themselves against his accusation. How shameful of him.
Kuroro stared into the warm fire of their campsite. Despite all his guilt and incredulity towards his foolishness in his teenage days, he still had no wish to go back and see Ishtar right at that moment. Typically that was what normal people would do; go back to their parents and reconcile with them. No, he would not do that. There were more pressing matters at that moment, and the issue between him and Ishtar could wait for a little while longer. After all, Ishtar had been waiting for 10 years. A little while more would not hurt.
He stopped his train of thoughts and snorted in bitter amusement.
Still the selfish brat I have always been, am I not? He thought.
I can't accept how you are so ungrateful towards your foster mother. Kurapika's irritated voice from long time ago berated him. Kuroro closed his eyes and thought of it.
I guess I did take her for granted. He mentally shrugged.
His heart…is beyond repair. Ishtar's sad voice rang in his head. Kuroro, eyes still closed, frowned ever so slightly as he remembered those words. She said it as if it was really impossible and final. When he heard it, it gave off the impression that he was an irreparable broken toy. He did not like it. He would prove to her that that was not the case.
Suddenly, he felt a gaze directed towards him. He did not even need to look up to check who was staring at him. Not only that he knew that Kurapika was the only human in the area, he was already familiar with her gazes and stares, not to mention glares.
"Yes, Kurapika?" He asked, having no desire to look into her questioning eyes. He unconsciously did not wish to look at her faintly bloodshot eyes; which was the tell-tale sign that she had been crying silently. He felt bad whenever he looked into that kind of eyes of hers; but he never realised it.
Kurapika was silent for a moment, still hesitant whether she should proceed with her question or not. For the past few days, they had been somewhat awkward when the topic was concerning the pasts that they had just revisited. Kuroro seemed to be willing to listen to her, though, and so she asked away.
"So you never know until now?" She asked with quiet voice.
"No." was his only answer. He knew that she was asking about the fact that Ishtar had never had any intention of raising him to be an elite soldier.
"I bet you never wanted to find out, too."
He never answered; which she took as a no.
"Jumping into conclusions. Even Kuroro Lucifer made that kind of mistakes." She said mockingly just to spite him. "And it takes 10 years to fix, on top of that."
"People make mistakes, Kurapika." He replied with monotonous voice.
"That's what we call as 'kindness repaid by contempt', and you'll pay for it." Kurapika commented blatantly.
I'm already paying for it, having you as my personal tormentor. Kuroro thought bitterly as he mentally rolled his eyes heavenward.
"Now that you know about the truth, will you change your attitude towards her?"
"Honestly, stop sticking your nose to where it doesn't belong." Kuroro did not even bother to conceal his tiredness of her stubbornness by openly massaging the bridge of his nose. "This matter does not concern you at all."
"True, but it bothers me. I…feel sorry for her."
Her voice trailed away as she noticed his irritation. They then fell into a deep silence. Kurapika shrank further into the embrace of the warmth that Una emitted. Kuroro, on the other hand, sat still in his spot.
"I think you should apologise to her." She said out of the blue.
"…I'll think about it."
Kurapika turned to him and rewarded him with her most shocked and unceremoniously caught-off-guard expression. She had expected him to ignore her or glared at her with warnings to stay out of his business. She had never expected him to say something so humble (considering it was coming from Kuroro Lucifer).
"Will you admit her as your mother, then?" She questioned him further.
"Don't push your luck, kid." He said with an annoyed 'tsk'. This time he opened his eyes to glare at her mildly.
"Stop calling me a kid! I'm already 17, going to 18!" She protested with a slight pout.
"Right, I forgot. You are a precocious kid, after all." He smirked sarcastically as he tossed a dry twig into the fire. "Time to go to bed, kid."
"Oh, you are impossibly infuriating!" Kurapika exclaimed as she yanked her blanket from her backpack violently, still obeying him despite her fury. Without further argument or bickering, the two decided to rest for the day and sleep.
He had only slept for a few meagre hours, when a presence tugged him out of his slumber. With alert, Kuroro woke up and instinctively went into Zetsu state. He scanned the surrounding, but there was nothing suspicious. The campfire had been reduced to glowing embers, and the night was dead silence, except for the sounds of the crickets and other insects.
Kurapika was still deep in her sleep, but Kuroro saw that Una was wide awake. She was just as restless as he was, but she dared not to move in case she accidentally woke Kurapika up, considering that she was sleeping really close to the Unicorn foal.
Just when Kuroro decided that it was just a fleeting paranoia, he felt it. The growing pressure from one direction, and it was heading straight towards them. He felt familiar with that particular presence, and the murderous intent it bore. Quickly, he cast one glance at Una, and the foal was already gearing herself for complete defence. Kuroro could feel her power emanating and blanketing around the campfire, making a protective barrier around them.
Must not breathe…nor speak… Una told him.
Kuroro looked at Kurapika, who had been blissfully unaware but was already waking up. Apparently, Una's voice stirred her up from her slumber. Just as she fluttered open her eyes, Kuroro jumped to her side and covered her mouth and nose with one hand. Shocked, Kurapika attempted to retaliate but Kuroro already had his other arm on top of her to pin her down. His strength exceeded hers, and so her retaliation was close to futile.
"Don't breathe." He whispered to her ears, his face a mere inch away from hers.
Not understanding the situation, yet sensing Kuroro's and Una's tension, she tried to relax yet stayed vigilant. It was somewhat difficult, because Kuroro's husky voice suddenly sounded so pleasing in her ears, despite the tension in it. Realising what she was thinking, Kurapika berated herself for the sudden uncouth thought. She obediently kept her breath, but still Kuroro did not remove his hand from her face. Soon enough, they heard the rustles of the bushes and a figure emerged from the pitch black darkness of the forest. Oh, by golly, how Kurapika was shocked to her core when she looked at the figure.
Hisoka! She screamed in her minds.
The said man encountering them was already a bad thing, but added with a circumstance where that jester was deep in his bloodlust, murderous mood, it just spelled big DOOM. Kurapika now willingly held her breath to the best of her ability. She did not even dare to twitch. Kuroro looked on as he observed Hisoka looking around the place with his madly hungry eyes. Those eyes looked as if he was immersed in drug-induced hallucination; typical of Hisoka when he was in his killing spree.
"Strange…" The demented clown muttered with his slurry voice. "…I swear I sensed them just a few seconds ago here…"
He paced around the place, as if trying to ascertain himself. His posture was eerie; he hunched in a beastly manner and his face was so twisted that Kurapika could not help but to shiver when she looked at it. He looked like a predator ready to pounce at any possible preys that he laid his eyes on.
"It was…here…" He muttered as he stood exactly in front of the trio.
Hisoka's feet were just next to Kurapika's golden hair, and his gaze seemed to have met with Kuroro's. In Hisoka's version, however, he was just staring at the empty ground beneath him. For a few excruciatingly long seconds, Hisoka finally took off from the place, muttering to himself in utter disappointment.
"And I thought that I've found an entertainment…" He mumbled as he walked away.
The three stayed in their position for a few more seconds until they were certain that Hisoka's presence had left the surroundings and that he was out of earshot.
Gone… Una finally whispered and drew back her barrier.
"What is Hisoka doing here?" Kurapika whispered, still afraid that Hisoka might hear her and came back charging at them.
"I'd like to know it myself." Kuroro replied as he took his hand away from her face.
Even without them speaking it out loud, both knew what kind of disaster would befall them once they encountered Hisoka in such mood. He would ignore their explanations and would only insist to fight. Given their circumstances, they were definitely at disadvantage. Hisoka was the type of opponent whom one had to fight with all one's might, if one wanted to survive. Even Kuroro knew that.
"Hands off!" Kurapika hissed.
Obediently, Kuroro got up and let Kurapika to sit up straight. She relaxed her sore muscles, since he was literally on top of her the whole time Hisoka was loitering around their campsite.
"I'll get bruises." She muttered as she massaged her bruised shoulders and arms.
As Kuroro relaxed himself, he noticed Una still trembling a bit from the stress due to Hisoka's overwhelmingly murderous aura from earlier. He leaned towards her and patted her shoulder. She neighed softly and shuffled her nose close to him.
"Hisoka must have scared the wits out of her." Kurapika commented as she saw Una's nervousness and restlessness.
"Any children would've wetted their pants when they saw Hisoka in such state." Kuroro said casually as he continued stroking Una's mane.
"Even I have to admit that Hisoka frightens me from time to time." Kurapika involuntarily shuddered as she remembered those hungry eyes directed at her at occasions.
"I won't comfort you like I do to Una." Kuroro said with mischievous grin as he leaned towards the foal that was enjoying his affection.
"Save it for her. I don't need it!" She snapped crudely at him.
"Really?" He continued to tease her with a smirk on his outrageously-good-looking face.
Finding nothing good to make the older man shut up, Kurapika decided to just zip her mouth shut and cursed him in her mind. That would save her from some humiliation, as she had learned from numerous past experiences. Suddenly, a thought popped in her mind.
"Speaking of Hisoka…" She started. "Gon and Killua told me something about Hisoka being in Greed Island looking for a Nen remover for you. I take it that he finally got his chance to fight you?"
"He did." He answered amiably.
"Who lost?" She asked straightforwardly.
Inwardly she knew who the victor was. Hisoka would kill his opponents when he was finished playing with them, and so if Kuroro was alive and kicking, well... That could only mean one thing. However, it was just logical for Kuroro to finish Hisoka off, too, since that demented clown had repeatedly plunged him into unfavourable conditions. For one, he betrayed the Genei Ryodan to Kurapika and he would have lost his life if only Gon and Killua were not captured by his Spiders. Then again, Kuroro could be unpredictable at times as well. Who knows what he was thinking?
"Need you ask?" He said in a smug way.
Kurapika scowled at him for his irritating smugness. Suddenly, she became disinterested about that particular issue.
"I think I'll just sleep now." She said with a sigh. Really, arguing with Kuroro Lucifer just served to tire her down.
"Fine by me." He shrugged, but he did not go back to his original position. Instead, Kuroro lay down next to Una after stroking her silver mane several times; as if reassuring her once more.
Sleep near me. The Unicorn foal pleaded, her voice small and weak.
Truthfully, Kurapika was ready to shift her place and slept somewhere further away from the man, but hearing Una's plea, she did not have the heart to reject her. After all, it was Una's magic that had saved them from a deep trouble. And so Kurapika tolerated Kuroro's near presence as she slept and thus they spent the rest of the night huddling close to Una to comfort her, since she was still traumatised by Hisoka's threatening presence.
"It still bothers me…" Kurapika started with small voice. "…about the child…" She said with even quieter voice.
They were still walking across the forest, but as the canopy thinned out, they knew that they were near the exit of the forest, and close to civilization.
"…I'm pretty sure you are not pregnant." Kuroro responded somewhat awkwardly as he glanced at Una. She was still behaving normally around Kurapika, which meant he had to be correct.
"…Still…" Kurapika ducked her head in attempt to hide the blush that was threatening to burn her whole face.
"She said 'when the child is born' without saying how or when it will happen. Relax a bit, Kurapika. You are NOT pregnant." He sighed. "She didn't even say that you will be the one to give birth."
But what else did she have to think of? How could a child be born without a mother to bear it? If anything, she would be the one to bear since she was the only female there…Wait a minute.
"Could it be Una…?"
"She is just a foal, don't hope too much."
"Ok, maybe I will be the one to give birth to the child, cross my fingers, but who'll be the father? I am not Virgin Mary." Kurapika exclaimed as she threw her arms heavenwards in exasperation.
Kuroro turned to look at her, and then he gave her a lopsided smirk. It was a smirk that sent a chill down her spine, not because of anything evil or menacing from it, but because of something else.
"Not you." She said in a voice barely a whisper, full of pure horror.
"Nobody said that." He replied as he turned his back towards her again, the smirk still plastered on his pale face.
"I'd rather die than bearing your child." She hissed belligerently.
"Really? Be careful with what you say. It may just backfire." He evilly taunted her.
Oh, how she really was tempted to summon her chains and plunged the blade right through his heart and finished him off right there, right then. Instead, she inhaled deeply and exhaled soundly. She repeated it until she felt that her head had cooled down. Kuroro, on the other hand, kept his amused smile plastered on his normally stoic face.
Exit. Una suddenly announced.
True to her word, as Kurapika looked up she could see the end of the forest just a few metres away from them. They could even see the outskirt of the city that lay just out of the forest. They then increased their pace towards the exit, with renewed strength coming from the thought that they would be reunited with civilisation once more.
"Kurapika." Kuroro suddenly said, as they walked towards the exit.
She looked at him straight in the eyes. With such seriousness in his voice, she knew that she had to pay attention.
"When we are done with all these…binding matters, you are free to solicit your revenge from me."
"What?" Kurapika had instinctively halted upon hearing and so Kuroro was forced to stop as well. He turned and looked at her. Kurapika was looking at him with her most incredulous and I-can't-believe-my-hearing-for-the-moment-although-I'm-pretty-sure-that-it-is-still-perfect look.
"It is your right." He said without faltering. "After all, I might have done the same, if I were you."
Kurapika looked at him with a frown. The man had been behaving oddly and saying strange things lately, more specifically after they left Phoenix cave. For one, he was becoming more and more honest to her, especially about his thoughts and feelings. That made her uneasy, because it meant that he was opening up to her. She did not want it. It frightened her; Kurapika was afraid that she would come to accept that man. Was revisiting his pasts had some sort of effects on him?
"But when the time comes, don't think that I'll go easy on you." He gave her a lopsided grin and turned to walk away.
"Hmph! Be my guest." She huffed as they marched towards the city.
Honestly speaking, though, she preferred this new Kuroro better. At least she knew what that unpredictable man was thinking.
The hustle-bustle of the city was getting somewhat alien to Kurapika. She had spent months with Kuroro travelling across unfamiliar terrains and secluded areas in order to meet some mythological creatures. This time, they had to fill their supplies, as it was running thin. Una stays in the forest, since she could not go into the city where there were full of impurities. She would wait for them patiently there.
"I've been thinking." Kurapika suddenly said.
"Of what?" He casually asked. As of late, the atmosphere around them had eased and they had talked more frequently in a much civilised manner.
"If we are to collect the Scarlet Eyes, shouldn't we find a storage place or something? There are 36 pairs of them, after all."
"Right." Kuroro nodded. He had been thinking of that as well. "There are a few options to that. It's either we leave them with the other Spiders—"
"No. Cross that." Kurapika interjected pointedly.
"Or we find our own place to store them, but the safety is questionable so we may want to cross that out. Or we can store them in Ryuusei-gai."
"I don't want to frequently go back and forth to that secluded place." She shook her head. "It's too much a pain."
"Neither do I. The last option is…we put them in the Prancing Pony Inn."
"At Fino's place? We already imposed on her so much, we can't trouble her more than we already did." Kurapika started to protest.
"Then what options do you have?" He asked back.
Kurapika fell silence, since she knew that she did not have any better options than the ones he offered anyway. Of all those available options, Fino's place seemed to be the best choice.
"Well…" She started, but a familiar voice intercepted her.
"Kurapika?"
She looked around, trying to find the owner of that voice. Strange, she felt that she had heard that voice before, but it seemed so long ago.
"Kurapika, is that really you?" The voice was now closer.
When Kurapika spun around and finally laid her eyes on the owner of the voice, she could not help but to turn pale. Kuroro noticed this and raised a curious eyebrow.
"Ha—Hanzo?"
Of all people, now the loose-mouthed Hanzo Hattori had to show up before them.
"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here of all places! How're you doing? I've been trying to contact you since long time ago but you line is dead. What happened? You alright? You look pale." He showered her with torrents of questions and sentences as he approached her with the grin plastered on his youthful face.
"I—I'm okay." She stuttered, failing to show that she was okay as she claimed to be.
"Hmmm…You look kind of different…Your voice is rather…" His eyebrows were knitted as he started to think. He observed Kurapika for details, before finally realizing: "You are wearing girl's clothes!"
"I am a girl, Hanzo. I was under obligation to disguise myself as a boy during the Hunter Exam, and under no circumstances that I am to disclose to you the reasons behind it. So, you said you were looking for me, right? What's the occasion?" She quickly briefed him.
"Huh? Oh yeah! Almost forgot. You see, there's this new National Museum in my country. It's really awesome, you know. You gotta come and see it for yourself. Knowing you, I thought that you'd want to look around. So I want to give you an Invitation." He seemed to have forgotten all over about Kurapika being a girl and started to blabber about the National Museum.
He rummaged through his pocket and fished out a piece of invitation card. He handed it to Kurapika, who was still somewhat wary but had relaxed a tiny-wee-bit.
"Is an Invitation really necessary? Is the event really prestigious?" Kurapika scanned the invitation card briefly.
"Of course! It'll be one of the best Museum in the whole world! There are many antiquities and rare artefacts in store; those that you will never find anywhere else but there. You gotta see it for yourself, really!" He said enthusiastically.
"Then, can I have one as well?" Kuroro suddenly spoke up.
Kurapika spun her head to give the older man a questioning look. Hanzo, on the other hand, looked as if he had just seen the man standing close-by behind Kurapika for the first time.
"You are…your friend, Kurapika?" He asked her.
"Erhm…You can say so?" She answered reluctantly with gritted teeth, since she could literally feel Kuroro grinning amusedly behind her.
"I'm interested in rare objects and artefacts. If you don't mind, I want to admire those treasures of your country as well. It will be my pleasure." Kuroro said good-naturedly.
"Oh, the pleasure is mine! Here, have one!" Hanzo hastily fished out another Invitation and gave it to Kuroro.
"The date and place is there. If you need any help with the accommodation, you can just leave it to me. Then, I gotta go now. I have other matters to attend to. See you around, Kurapika." Hanzo had already turned around to walk away, but he stopped halfway and added. "Oh, by the way, I think Gon, Killua, and Leorio are coming, too. I guess we'll have a nice reunion, eh? Bye then."
With that, he waved a goodbye at them and disappeared among the crowds. Kurapika stood rooted to the ground, at loss on what to do next.
"You don't seem very happy to see him." Kuroro commented.
"Hanzo is talkative; his lips are amazingly loose. I don't want him to get a wind of anything that has to do with our circumstances." Kurapika said dryly. "It'll spell doom if Hanzo spread the news about us."
"I guess so." Kuroro shrugged, and they continued walking among the crowds. Personally, he was the type who would want to avoid any unnecessary hassles or gossips. He valued privacy very much, and he was sure that Kurapika was the same.
"I was right. Nostrad didn't announce my death." She muttered.
"No wonder he didn't seem surprised to find you here, alive and kicking." Kuroro nodded. It had been bugging him since the beginning.
"I don't think…" She said with small voice. "It's a good idea to go there, invited or not."
"Why not? I think it's a nice change to go to another country." Kuroro said easily.
"You heard him. Gon, Killua, and LEORIO will be there as well. They'll make a big fuss over it, when we bump into them. AGAIN."
"You are still thinking of the incident back then in the Prancing Pony Inn?" He asked.
"…Yes… Besides, this is not the time for some sightseeing. We have more urgent matters to attend to." She firmly said with a degree of determination.
"True. Then, will it make any difference if I am to tell you that our next destination is exactly his country?"
Kurapika snapped her head to stare at the older, taller man with intense glare. Even without her asking it verbally, he knew what she was questioning through her oceanic eyes.
"The National Museum that your friend was boasting about," Kuroro explained casually, "hosts the object of your desire."
Kurapika's eyes widened. Her lips parted slightly, only to let three words escaped her mouth in a faint yet intense whisper.
"The Scarlet Eyes."
Author's Note: Many thanks all reviewers for your priceless supports; they helped boost my morale tremendously *deep bows* For rin_4869, please not that I can't reply to you since you have no account. If you wish, you can email me (check my updated profile again) A lot of conversation here, and a lot of thoughts from our two main characters. Any objections of their thoughts and feelings? Hehehe… Somehow, Kuroro seems to resemble Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho; so I thought he might love animals as well. Kuroro's conclusion is somewhat simple, but regarding his thoughts in relation with Kurapika, that'll be in the next chapter. I don't want to squish everything in one chapter. As for Kuroro's memory about hands, it refers to his thoughts at the end of the chapter where Kurapika nursed the tetanus-stricken Kuroro. I guess the first part is really a shock to the readers, eh? Kurapika gets impregnated by Kuroro, who wants to see that? Hands up! XD
Next: So, decidedly, they were going to attend the opening of the National Museum in Hanzo's country. They did ask the ninja to help them with accommodation, but who would expect that he would deposit them in an onsen (Hot Spring)?
