Disclaimer: Hunter x Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. I just own my OC, Hitomi.

Chapter 4: The Past x The Present x Becoming Insane

They heard steps coming, and didn't last long until they realized that it was Tonpa. He stopped running at the sight of them and backed off.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Hitomi said, grinning.

"Why so scared?" Killua asked coldly, icy blue eyes looking at the man.

"I-I'm not." he stuttered.

"Take a look at yourself. You are awfully pale," she said, before covering her nose, "And take a bath, for goodness sake. You are sweating a lot."

"You must have tricked them." Killua said, serious.

"What?" he said, sweating. "Don't kid with me."

Then, both of them smiled in a scary and twisted way. It startled Tonpa a little bit, even if they were just a couple of little kids.

"Let me tell you something good." Killua said, skating close to him. "Those who use dirty tricks will someday die a dirty death."

She took a couple of steps closer to him.

"Want to find out right now?"

"At this very place?" Killua completed, doing the same.

Freaked out, he backed off before hitting the wall behind him. They looked at his frightened expression for a little. Killua smirked and Hitomi got even closer to him.

She leaned in order to invade his personal space and smirked as well.

"You are saved for now." She stepped back, "But don't go and provoke me, I'm not as good as my brother."

All color drained from Tonpa's face. Her eyes shone in a bright scarlet color, like the blood, making him froze in his spot.

Just what was she?

"Let's go, Hitomi," Killua called her.

Her eyes turned violet again and pouted at him.

"You're such a fun killer," she complained, before waving to Tonpa. "See you later."

She started to run beside him, it didn't last long until Tonpa was out of their sight.

Hitomi smelled something sweet, too sweet to the point to be disgusting. It even made the girl flinch when she sniffed it.

"By the way, I'm intelligent enough to know that something like the Healing Sedar Sap doesn't exist," she said, "But what the hell is that sweet-" She looked up to see Killua, but he began to slowly disappear. She stopped abruptly. "-smell?..."

Hitomi looked around, just to find nothing but darkness. She called Killua, but he didn't answer.

She tried to took a step forward, but she received a hard hit in her face instead. She put a hand in her sore forehead, realizing something.

She was locked in something she didn't knew what it was.

Just great.

Then, Hitomi heard something and her eyes snapped open. A shrill scream could be heard from outside and echoed in her ears, making her cover her ears in pain.

It stopped and she stood motionless there, she hit the door with her hands.

"Is someone out there?!" she yelled, "What happens?! Hey!"

No one answered. Irritated, she kicked the door and it surprisingly flew open. Slowly, she browsed her knife and started to walk cautiously.

All color drained from her face when she saw that. There was a brown-haired boy sprawled in the floor, lifeless. She looked at his face and resisted the urge to puke.

His eye sockets were all empty.

She kneeled down to him, eyes still open in full capacity. She knew who he was.

"Pairo..." she murmured.

Hitomi couldn't understand the situation at all, her mind was in blank. How could be that she was seeing something that she had lived four years ago?

It didn't make any sense.

Hitomi didn't feel like thinking straight anymore. She stood up and her feet moved in her own , dragging her downstairs.

There she found two more bodies, making her froze for a moment. Eyeless, there was the slaughtered bodies from both her parents.

She couldn't stand it anymore. She went out the house and ran through the dead-looking village that used to be her home.

Suddenly, she tripped into a body. She got up, just to see it...

Motionless and without eyes, was the bloody corpse of her brother.

Kurapika was dead as well.

"It can be..." she murmured, letting her tears escape from her red-colored eyes.

Then, she heard footsteps and turned around. Grinning at her, there was a huge and muscular man. He started to walk towards her.

Hitomi quickly stood up and started to run away.

"This can't be happening..." she thought. "It must be a nightmare."

Realization hit her, and for the first time in a while started to think straight. She stopped in her tracks.

It was a nightmare indeed, an illusion.

She faced the man, who was still walking towards her. Determination was now plastered in her violet eyes.

An idea crossed her mind, but it didn't meant that she liked one bit. She bit her lip in annoyment.

She really needed to snap out of it.

"Killua, I know you are out there," she said, "I will say this just once in my life, so listen carefully."

She took a long and deep breath. She gritted her teeth and her fists clenched.

Oh, god. She was going to regret this.

"HIT ME!" she cried at the top of her lungs.

Hitomi felt a huge wave of pain in her face and couldn't help but fell backwards and close her eyes. She slowly opened her them, just to see Killua again in front of her.

"Yo," he greeted, casually."Are you done daydreaming now?"

Her eyebrow twitched.

"You idiot. You were watching me when I was out and doing nothing?" she asked, irritated.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "You spaced out for a second and then asked me for hitting you."

"What?" she asked, confused.

The girl was sure that she had been out for hours. She shook her head and started running again, Killua closely following her in his skateboard.

"But back then, your eyes were different," he said, she flinched. "They were red."

"Yeah," she admitted. "I'm a Kuruta."

"Kuruta, huh?" he repeated, in slight surprise. "I thought that guys were all dead."

"All of them but Kurapika and me," she bitterly chuckled. "A privilege, I guess."

Despite the fact that Hitomi was holding back, Killua could see sorrow in her voice. His curious mind asked him to ask more, but he didn't push her further.

After a long period of silence, Hitomi spoke.

"I was wanting to ask something... What is that sweet smell?"

"It's the Delusion Sedar Sap," he answered. "As you saw, it shows you the most hated memory you have again and again. It ends up destroying your mind," he looked at her, smirking. "Consider yourself lucky."

"Hn," she growled.

Once both boys found a deliring red-eyed Kurapika, Killua kicked him straight on his face and he fell on the ground.

She ran towards him into his aid. He looked at her, his blue eyes glistering in confusion.

"Hitomi?" he asked in recognition.

"You still can recognize your sister," she placed a hand in her heart, in fake happiness, "How touching."

Despite of acting happiness, she was indeed relieved. Her only brother seemed to be in the right state of his mind.

"Kurapika!" Gon shouted, running up at him. "I'm glad you finally snapped out of it." Then, he looked at her and the boy, in surprise.

"There's no such a sap as 'healing cedar'," Killua explained. "This is the Desillusion Cedar Sap that the assassins have been using for a long time. It shows the illusion of the past that a person dreads most and destroys his mind."

"Then, Tonpa..." Kurapika said.

"I told you so," Hitomi muttered. Kurapika clenched his teeth in frustration, realizing the problem they had gotten themselves into.

"We have to go!" Gon said.

"There's a way to save the old man and catch up to the leaders in one shot," Killua told them

Gon grinned at him. "I'm glad that we meet again," he said. "Will you tell me your name?"

He looked at him and smiled.

"Killua," he replied.

Then, he took something from his pocket and showed it to them.

Hitomi eyed those little things, curious. She raised an eyebrow. "Since when normal people carry bombs around?" she asked.

"I never said I was normal."

"Good point," she said, as Killua moved his arm and throw the bombs.

BANG!

Flames from the explosion blurred Hitomi's sight but, as the others did, jumped in the air. She found herself in the other side behind Killua and, turning around, she found Gon, Kurapika and a confused Leorio.

"Gon! Kurapika!... Pietro?" he said.

"Snap out of it already," Hitomi said, annoyed. "I don't know who this Pietro guy is, but is already time to wake up," Leorio noticed and looked up to her. "Also... I told you. It. Was. A. Trap."

"Hitomi, you little...!" he said, as he wanted to hit her.

She only trick her tongue out. Killua looked at them. "Hey, old man," he said. "There's no time for chattering!"

"Old man-?!" he now noticed Killua. "Hey, you're-"

"His name is Killua," Gon introduced him.

Again, Killua threw a couple of bombs. Leorio just watched, cluelessly while the other covered themselves in another side.

"I highly recommend you to move your ass from there," the girl said when...

BANG!

They arrived as they wanted to, but they didn't pass unnoticed. All of the examinee and Satotsu glanced at them.

"What's going on?" Satotsu asked.

"Sorry, we broke the wall," Gon laughed, nervously.

"I never said you couldn't destroy the wall," he said. "You came back alive after wandering into the Tunnel of Hallucination. I'm very impressed."

Then, Leorio found Tonpa in there, and made his way to him. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "How dare you? I'll never forgive you!"

"Stop it, Leorio!" Gon asked the boy.

"Shut up! Doesn't he piss you off?"

"There are always obstacles in the test." Kurapika reasoned.

Hitomi shook her head, crossing her arms. "My, my... I hope I don't regret it," she said, glaring at him.

"Doesn't matter," Killua smirked, "if he does something reckless, we can always kill him mercilessly, right?" he glared at him as well.

Tonpa sweated, laughing nervously.

Hitomi ran in silence beside her brother, a little behind the others. She didn't know what to say to him, after the quarrel they had have.

"Hitomi," Kurapika was the first to break the ice, "About earlier..."

"Yeah?" she didn't even look at him. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, "I would have to believe you before, and I shouldn't have to shout you out after that... I just-"

"-wanted to protect me?" she suggested.

Kurapika stared at his feet and Hitomi started at him. Then she found all the anger she had been holding inside her slowly vanishing, being replaced itself with guilt.

Just remembering the cruel words she had spat to him, her heart ached in anger, this time to herself.

"I'm a terrible brother," he admitted, smiling sadly.

No, he was terribly wrong.

She had said that she wouldn't care if he died. After that strange illusion, she realized how wrong she was back then.

For goodness sake, what had she done?

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm the one who is the terrible sister," she murmured and Kurapika looked at her in surprise, "I yelled at you. I said horrible things to you. And you just meant to protect me. I was blind, but now I see I was the idiot... Sorry."

Kurapika chuckled. She looked up to him, surprised by his actions.

"I was blind too," he admitted, "Saying all this stuff... you've grown up before I realized."

"We were both blind," she snickered, "Maybe it's on the blood."

And both siblings laughed hard. She felt a huge weight out her chest, now that they weren't at odds anymore.

She gave her brother a last smile, before speeding up to reach Killua and Gon. They both moved, to let her in.

"Isn't good?" Gon asked.

Hitomi looked at him in wonder.

"You two are in terms again!" he grinned, "It was sad to watch you arguing to each other."

"Mmm..." she murmured, with a slight smile in her face. "Well, yeah."

They continued running for a while, until they found a light in the end of the way.

"The exit!" Gon exclaimed, happily.

"You look happy," Killua noted.

"Yeah," the girl nodded, uninterested.

"Aren't any of you happy?" the boy asked, slightly impressed at their actions.

Killua just shrugged.

"Not really. It's only an exit," he replied. "What a boring test it is! It's not even a game!"

Hitomi found smiling at herself once again, looking at both of the boys.

"But if you pass, you can be a Hunter," Gon said, excited.

"Why do you want to be a Hunter that bad?" the Killua asked, curiously.

"My dad is a Hunter," he replied. "I bet he's a great Hunter!"

"You bet?" Hitomi asked, as confused as the boy.

"Yup. I was raised at my aunt's house," he explained. "I only know my dad through a photo," they looked at him, in amazement. "But it's okay! I want to be a Hunter like my dad."

Hitomi chuckled.

"You sure trust too much in others. You father could be just an idiot and you got all the trouble to take this exam and maybe die for him," she teased. "Good luck, though."

"You're mean!" he complained.

"But I think she is right," Killua smirked.

"You too, Killua?!"

She snickered, along the boy. It was nice to be with them.

"Why do you want to be a Hunter?" Killua asked Hitomi out of cold. "You want revenge?"

The happiness vanished in the air. She glared at the boy.

"Kurapika wants, I just want to recollect the eyes. There were all taken from the bodies," she replied.

"Why was that?" Gon asked, "Why would they want their eyes?"

Killua looked at him, in disbelief.

"You don't know? The Kuruta Clan is known for the eyes of their people," he explained, "They turn scarlet when they are angry and all that stuff. Now, they are the most valuable jewel in the black market."

Hitomi nodded.

"It's usual for us to burn the body to let the person rest in peace, but I feel that without their eyes, they won't be able to do that," she admitted. "No matter what, I will find all of them."

"I'm sure you'll achieve it," Gon grinned. "You'll be a great Hunter."

Killua smiled to her too, in silent support.

"Yeah, you too," she replied.

Once outside, they reached a swamp.

"It's the Milsy Wetlands. Also known as the 'Swindler's Swamp'," Satotsu explained, while the others looked at the place cautiously. "We must go through this in order to reach the site of Phase Two."

Hitomi sighed. It looked like she was forced to continue running. She was feeling pretty lazy to do so.

"Many strange animals are unique to this marsh. They try to deceive people and turn them into fodder. They are very cunning and greedy creatures," he continued, before looking at them. "You must follow me very carefully. If you get tricked, you die."

The girl rolled her eyes, it was always the same. When would the Exam end? She was positive that the whole Exam would be running, and it made her feel like she was just in the beginning.

Also, she was bored.

But, something caught her attention.

"It's a lie!" they heard someone shouting. "He's fraud!"

All of them looked behind them to see a man, who was holding a strange dead animal, whose face had a little resemblance to Satotsu's.

The person pointed at the proctor.

"He's a fraud! He isn't the proctor!" he shouted. "I am the real one!"

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, when she saw all the applicants tensing, trying to discover which of them is telling the truth, in vain, obviously.

"Hey, mister," Leorio spoke. "Do you have any proof?"

"Take a look at this!" the man threw the monkey to the floor. "That's the Man-Faced Ape that lives in the Milsy Wetlands. It disguises itself as a human and tricks people into traps. He's a Man-Face Ape too! It'll kill all you applicants to devour."

"Now that you mention it, he does look like it..." the ninja guy noticed.

"No wonder! His running ability in the underground wasn't human..." Leorio said.

"Yeah. It explains why this guy doesn't have a mouth too," Hitomi said, sarcastically.

Nearly no one seemed to heard her comment and came closer to Satotsu. Though, she saw her brother shaking his head at her lame joke.

"Is this a part of the Hunter Exam, after all?" Gon asked, suddenly.

The comment seemed to change the mood. They all stopped, and seemed to consider that possibility.

"Gon, can't you tell?" Leorio whispered in his ear. "Using that wild hunch of yours..."

"Nope, not at all," he said.

Hitomi scoffed.

"Are you all idiots? No-mouth is the real one," she suggested.

They all looked at her.

"How do you know?" Leorio asked.

"If he were an animal, he would have eaten us long, long time ago," she explained. "Why would he get in all the trouble to make us run for hours to get us to the place where the so-called proctor is? Even if it were the case, he would be starving right now."

"He is trying to tire you all to make the hunt easier," the so-called examiner replied.

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow, "Prove us you are a Hunter then."

Kurapika put a hand over her sister's shoulder and took a step forward.

"If he is a genuine proctor, he should have a Hunter License," he said.

"He stole my Hunter License!" he shouted. "He took me by surprise and stole everything!"

"That's it, then," the girl thought as she came closer. "Can I see the monkey for a bit, please?" she asked.

All of the examinee looked at her as she came closer to the monkey. She took out her knife and played with it for a while. She finally stabbed the ground, two inches from the monkey's face.

The others looked at her in confusion as she kneeled down next to the monkey.

"You're sweating, dear monkey," she said, giving it a terrifying smile. "Are scared of something?"

The monkey panicked and opened its eyes. It started to run, when a card pierced the animal's body.

She quickly looked at the one who did that, Hisoka. He threw another card towards her, and she avoided it as well as she could.

Instead of Hitomi, it stabbed in the man who had brought the monkey. He couldn't dodge it, and fell in the floor, lifeless.

Another card flew towards Satotsu, but he caught it.

"This way is quicker, isn't it?" Hisoka said.

She glared at him, before going towards their friends.

"Are you okay?" Kurapika asked in worry.

She just nodded.

"I guess this confirms that you're the real one, huh, Mr. Proctor?" Hisoka said to Satotsu. "The Hunter we're all aspiring to become must be capable of dodging a mild attack like that."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Satotsu said, throwing the ace of clovers to the floor. "But from next time, any violence directed at the proctor under any circumstances will be deemed as a rebellious act and you'll be disqualified immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

"I know, I know," he said, before smiling at Hitomi.

She felt a shiver run through her body, giving her an unpleasant bad feeling.

"It stinks," Killua said. Gon looked at him, cluelessly.

"A Hunter would never be deceived by the likes of a Man-Faced Ape," Kurapika said, "I knew he was a fraud when he said his Hunter Licence was stolen."

"I did when Hitomi said that Satotsu was the real one!" Gon said, grinning.

She looked at him, a little surprised. It didn't last long until she let a chuckle escape from her lips. Leorio and Hanzo, on the other hand, laughed nervously.

"I bet you two didn't even notice," the girl murmured.

"Shut up!" they shouted, at the same time.

Then, she realized that Gon was staring at the monkey Hisoka had killed. She and Killua got closer to him.

"Hey, how long are you going to stare at it?" Killua asked.

"You don't need to feel sad about it," Satotsu said. "Risky entrapments like this is an ordinary part of life for them."

The girl watched the ravens stood in front of the corpse, in order to eat it. "The survival of the fittest," she murmured, narrowing her eyes.

That was right. Only the fittest survive in this cruel world.

So was the Exam. The thought of it made her nervous.

That's all for today.

To Arrow-chan3SoulXHunter: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you two liked last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one as well :)

See you!