A/N: Everyone seems to really be enjoying this fic! I swear I have more followers on this story alone than my all my other ones combined. Which makes me really happy… And really sad that I will be ending it soon. I don't want to drag it out like Hollow Target (where I have no idea where that plot is going).
Haruka: *pats back* Everyone understands. All good things must come to an end.
A/N: That ain't helping me feel any better. *sigh* At least I still have a couple more chapters to write…
Hisoka: *opens mouth to speak*
A/N: *stuffs Hisoka's mouth with pie* Clowny no talky.
Haruka: *snort*
Illumi: *smirk*
A/N: *covers Illumi's face in pie* Assassin no smirky.
Haruka: *doubles over laughing* Oh my god Ria! *gasps for air* That's too funny!
A/N: *runs like hell from ticked off psychopath and assassin*
XXX
"You keep that up Haruka and you'll be chopping right through the cutting board." Bekah's teasing tone cut through my thoughts and returned me to what I was doing.
"Huh… right. Cutting through cutting board, bad. Can't do that. Shouldn't do that." I muttered as I began to dice another carrot. Dinner for tonight was Shepard's Pie, a universal favourite in this house.
It has been a week since the haunted mansion and Bekah was leaving tomorrow, she had to go back to Heaven's Arena. Apparently she had an old grudge match to settle or something. I was going to miss her. Maybe I should go to the Heaven's Arena and give it a shot. It couldn't be harder than the Hunter Exam… could it?
"Earth to Haruka. Girl you're going to cut yourself if you keep that up." I placed my hands on my hips as I stared at the distracted blue headed woman. Ever since she had discovered what Illumi had done during the haunted mansion her mood has been alternating between seething rage and depression.
The only times I have ever seen Haruka like this is when something, and more specifically when someone, is bothering her.
"A little cut won't bug me." She replied absently, still acknowledging my presence like you would a fly on the wall. You knew it was there but you were too lazy to get up and do anything about it.
"Put the knife down and go sit in the living room with the kids. I'll finish up dinner." I shooed her out of the kitchen, calling for the kids to make sure she stayed in the living room.
I returned to the diced carrots, my own thoughts turning inward as I tried to reason out what was wrong with her. The person who came to mind was Illumi Zoldyck. He wouldn't have known about Haruka's respect for the dead. But it had still hurt her to see people's bodies being used like that.
Ever since she was little, since she showed up on the front steps when I was nine and her merely six, she has always been… peculiar, when it came to corpses.
We had first discovered it when a little boy… Carter, who was always getting sick, passed away. Haruka had gone right up to the corpse, kissed the backs of both hands and told us we had to bury him before the sun went down. She didn't explain why it had to be done like that, and had thrown herself into a fit when we told her that was impossible.
In the end though, we had no choice but to bury Carter as Haruka had demanded. Once his service was concluded she had sat beside his unmarked grave all night, we couldn't move her unless we physically picked her up. She kept repeating this same line too: I am here as you wake, and your soul moves on beyond the gate.
None of us had understood it. Mimi and I (being the oldest at the time around the age of eleven) concluded that it may have been a ritual from wherever Haruka was from…
"DINNER!" I called as I filled the last plate and set them all out on the table. The kids came running, and Mimi trotted in from raking the leaves.
Dania… Seiji holding Miki's hand… Natsu… Manny and Amy…
"Haruka?!" I called into the hallway once everyone else had taken a seat. "Has anyone seen her?"
"She was with us just a minute ago." Dania answered, a fork paused halfway to her mouth.
"Tsk, tsk. She's probably started up the mountain again. That girl never stays away from that place for long." I gave Mimi a questioning look.
"What place?"
"Kukuroo Mountain."
…Meanwhile on Kukuroo Mountain…
I paused in my run to just stand and stare up at the peak of Kukuroo Mountain. Why was I coming here? I mean, there wasn't really a reason for me to do so. I should have stayed at Mimi's and eaten dinner with everyone.
But instead, here I am.
Maybe riding Mike was exactly the distraction I needed from a certain Zoldyck… who I had the possibility of running into considering I was on their property. Facepalm. Yeah, so didn't think this through… so didn't think about this at all.
Kinda too late to turn back now though. I hadn't ridden Mike in… I couldn't remember the last time I had ridden him actually. Which translated into: it's been too bloody long since I relaxed.
Sigh… This wasn't a good idea. My brain was so jumbled. I mean, yeah it was wrong of Illumi… but he had a different upbringing. It didn't totally excuse him, but maybe I had been a little too harsh? I was prone to overreacting…
Had I over reacted? Or was I completely within my rights to have been wishing Illumi to the seven realms of hell?
"ARRROOOO!" Mike's howl jolted my eyes open and I realized I was standing in front of the Testing Gates, also called the Gates of Hades by Coco the tour guide.
In all the years I had been coming here, I had never once tried my hand at the Testing Gates. Was I strong enough to open them?
Now was the perfect opportunity to find out.
I stepped up to the intimidating and familiar gates and placed one hand on either side of the center seam.
Let's see how strong I am. Each door is supposed to weigh two tonnes each right? So that's four tonnes for the first door…
Eight tonnes for the second door…
I began to push with all my strength. And it was hard (wow, did I just whine in my head?)! But as much as I was sweating and gritting my teeth from the effort, I was pushing the door open. And not just the first one!
I was opening the THIRD GATE!
I jumped for joy as the doors sprung shut behind me. I was awesome! I had opened the Third Gate! That was sixteen effing tonnes of weight! Woo-hoo! Go me! It's my birthday!
Clap… clap… clap…
I slowly applauded as I watched Haruka dance at her victory. She wasn't a very good dancer, but I didn't believe the point of this dance was to show skill level. And it was quite entertaining to watch… I barely kept a smile from appearing on my face.
She froze, like a rabbit scenting the prey of a wolf. I stepped out from the shadows of the trees, hands still held in front of me from my final clap.
"I'm impressed." I tilted my head towards the gates, implying I had witnessed her feat.
She still hadn't moved, so I took a step closer which caused her to shrink back. How odd… I took two steps this time, she retained the distance between us by stepping back twice more.
Haruka had yet to say anything to me as well…
I was wide eyed and paralyzed as Illumi continued to stare at me with his large unblinking eyes. Why? Was I afraid of him? After all this time was my self-preservation instinct kicking in?
But Illumi wouldn't hurt me…
Of course he would, he's as assassin…
He could have killed you the first time you met…
But he hadn't…
Maybe you amused him…
Then what about now? Have I outlived my entertainment value?
My sight became misty and I hastily wiped at my eyes to clear away the onslaught of tears before Illumi saw them. What would he think? I was suddenly crying for no reason. Why the f was I crying? There was no… hiccup… reason… hiccup… to cry… hiccup…
I sprinted into the forest; I couldn't stand to look at Illumi right now. Hell, I probably couldn't even stand to look at myself right now. But you can't outrun yourself. No matter how fast or how far you travel, you can never lose your shadow.
"ARRROOOO!" Mike.
I stopped to listen a moment before taking off in his direction. That was what I needed. I could never outrun my shadow… but riding Mike gave me the feeling that time was standing still. That maybe, for a second, I could outrun my shadow. Outrun myself and just let go for a moment.
ARRRRRRROOOOOOO!" He was closer… I jumped from the ground onto the lowest branch of a tree, my breathing heavy as I listened once more.
SNAP…
CRASH…
"ARRRROOOOOO!"
THERE! Mike came running at full speed, I crouched low and studied the rapidly shrinking distance between the silver wolf and I.
90ft away…
75ft away…
34ft away…
JUMP!
My arms stretched out, my sweater lifting to show off the smallest slit of my belly, as my jean-clad legs straightened so I resembled a starfish. My tinted blue hair was cut short in the back, but my bangs hung to my shoulders. The wind whipped them out of my eyes. I was smiling through my tears. The landing would be purr~fect. Just like always…
I watched in stupefied awe as Haruka jumped without hesitation onto Mike's back. The girl was reckless. She had suddenly bolted into the forest, and I followed her. Only for her to suddenly halt, change direction… and now this.
She had looked similar to the first time I had seen her. She had been doing the same thing that night… was that night just under two months ago?
I blinked. Had I really known her for such a short period of time?
Now as I looked at Mike's blurry form, Haruka seeming to cling for dear life to the scruff of his neck, it had felt like a much longer time.
Yet the number of times I had actually spoken to her was infinitely small…
Why had I become so close to her? And why did I feel…
"Aniki?"
"Kil." I acknowledged, turning so one eye looked at my little brother who was leaning casually against the tree trunk. When had he appeared next to me? I was half way up a tree, had I really been so absorbed in my thoughts abo…
"Doesn't Haruka-nee-chan look like she's having fun?" He asked dreamily, possibly trying to envision himself in her position.
I did not answer as I refocused my attention to where she was still clinging to Mike's scruff, who was now bucking trying to dislodge her. A ghostly laugh echoed over the wind to reach my ears and send a shiver down my spine.
It was a new moon tonight. The only light was casted by the millions of stars overhead. I watched through the silent night with Kil as Haruka rode Mike.
They rode all across the mountain, sprinting beneath our perch on several occasions. I saw Kil scrunch up his face each time they did that, was he thinking he could jump onto Mike's back too? I was semi-surprised he didn't attempt it. Not even once.
I had briefly entertained the thought of attempting it myself, but refrained from doing so.
It was near dawn when I brought my thumb and index up to my mouth…
Hweu-weh!
The shrill whistle pierced the morning air. The nesting birds took off it a huge cloud, outlined by the first dip of the sun cresting the horizon just behind Kukuroo Mountain.
The sight was magical.
XXX
A/N: Another chapter done and very few remain. *cries*
Haruka: *pats back while sniffling*
Illumi: *looks mystified*
Killua: Don't even try to understand girls Aniki, they're just weird. *rolls eyes*
*Ria and Haruka start whispering to each other*
Hisoka: Illu~chan *throws arms around Illumi's neck*
Killua: *pretends to gag*
Razorblade Mistress: *tackles Illumi to the ground*
Killua: Wha-?
Gon: *tackles Killua to the ground*
Hisoka: *looks to Ria and Haruka, throwing arms wide*
Haruka: Not on your life clown.
A/N: Thanks Razor (a.k.a Razorblade Mistress) for beta-ing this chapter! Now I gotta run before a certain clown tackles me! *Hisoka chases Ria out of room*