Disclaimer: I do not own HunterxHunter, nor do I profit commercially from these writings.

Author's Note: This story happens decades in the future. This is the result of me imagining what would happen if the kids have grown up and everyone else (like Fino) has grown old.

ABC Series

Y IS FOR YOUNG

Senri was curious.

But he was also nervous as hell.

He wrung his hands anxiously as he stood in the shadow of the Prancing Pony Inn and stared at that house at the edge of the town; one that was conveniently obscured from attention because of the shadows cast by the forest that stood just behind the house. It they didn't know where to look, they would've easily missed the house.

It had many names. Some folks called it the Keep, while others called it the Warden's House. They all had reasons for such names, though. The older folks called it the Keep because they said that place housed the most powerful people they had ever had the pleasure of encountering, and was probably the safest place one could ever be in times of danger.

"If you are ever in danger, kids, and we are not around or able to help—God forbids that—be sure to run to the Keep and seek refuge there. You will never be denied, and it's the safest sanctuary here."

That, and they basically solved every problems in town—both by the virtue of raw power, Nen, and brain power. The Warden's House was a name garnered for the reputation of the house's inhabitants of knowing the nooks and crannies of the forest near it like their own backyard, and hence also the Backyard Forest's name.

"If you are ever lost in the Backyard Forest, make sure you yell and scream. Make a lot of noise, but NEVER hurt the animals. If you're lucky, The Keepers will notice the disturbance and come to investigate. When they do, they WILL find you."

In short, The Keep and its seemingly awesome inhabitants—whom they all called The Keepers—were nothing short of a legend. The adults in town would disagree, though. They had seen and interact with the Keepers; some at regular basis, and they would say that they were normal enough folks, if not a bit eccentric. However, in the eyes of the highly impressionable kids like Senri, they seemed too awesome to be like them humble townsfolk.

"They aren't legend, Senri. How many times do I have to tell you this? They are still alive, which don't make them legends."

"But they don't sound humans. How can they live for so long and be so awesome?"

"They are just like us, but it's just that they've practiced Nen for so long and so intensely that their growth gets suspended. Just like that President Netero from the Hunters Association. And they don't like it when you treat them like monsters or gods or legends. Especially The Lady."

Oh, the older kids knew about them. It was an unspoken rule in town that only those who had come of age may be introduced to them. Even then, the older kids didn't know the names of the original Keepers; the first Keepers to come and settle down in town. The adults knew, but they didn't mention names. They merely called them The Lady and The Gentleman.

Senri had only seen The Keep from distance with the other kids, but never really daring to get close to it. This was probably the closest he had ever been to the Keep. Senri thought the house looked like a pretty nice place. It wasn't dilapidated or looking like a haunted manor—like how kids his age tended to imagine the dwelling of a 'legendary' figure—and was that an herb garden he spotted just around the corner of the house? He also saw laundries hung to dry outside, but unfortunately it was only plain white bed sheets. No articles of clothing to tell him what kind of people the Keepers were.

It had been many decades since the first of the Keepers came and settled down in town, and most of the older folks who were there when the original Keepers first came to town had passed away in peace. Nobody remembered why The Lady and The Gentleman had come into town. For most townsfolk, The Keepers seemed to have been there since forever. They were part of the community, and nobody really bothered to dig about their pasts. The townsfolk was simply happy to have a houseful of guardians. Now only old Granny Fino of the Prancing Pony Inn who knew the Keepers intimately. The folks said she had been The Lady's best friend, and that her eldest daughter Madam Sherry had grown up with The Keeper children.

"When I was your age, sometimes they took me along when they went on adventures. Usually because their children smuggled me, though." Madam Sherry would giggle. "Those adventures are like something out of a fairytale. I miss those days dearly. Now they are all busy with their own lives, as I am."

At this point, Madam Sherry would look at the distance and had a wistful look on her face.

"We don't really go on adventures together anymore. Too dangerous, they say. The adventures they go to now are beyond what a simple ordinary town woman like me can cope with. So now what I can do is to always welcome them when they are back in town."

Senri's goal today was to infiltrate the Keep and investigated, but he was starting to have second thoughts…

"Well, you aren't going to chicken out, are you?"

Senri made the most girlish squeak he ever made in his entire life, and spun around while clutching his chest. There, leaning over the window, was a mischievous looking Madam Sherry. She looked very amused, and by the looks of it she had been observing him from there for a very long time.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am." He said while bowing politely, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Between Granny Fino's children, Madam Sherry was the one who inherited the inn. The rest of the children had gone to the world to seek their fortunes, with the promise to one day settle down in the town where they grew up. Granny Fino was really really old—she had just celebrated her 100th birthday last month—but she was quite young when she had Madam Sherry. So that meant Madam Sherry was actually quite old too. But Madam Sherry looked like she was still in her mid-thirties. Folks were saying that that was the result of her close dealing with the children of the Keepers and having received Nen training from The Gentleman when she was young. She was lucky, they said. The Gentleman of the Keepers was a hard person to please, and he didn't just teach everyone.

"Good afternoon to you too, boy. So what is it? Are you going there or not?" Madam Sherry asked, spunky as ever.

"But…"

"You're not going to die if you go there." She rolled her eyes. "Really! The things the folks tell you kids these days."

"So they aren't…dangerous?" Senri turned to stare at the flapping laundry and the quaint little herb garden.

Madam Sherry broke into a strangely lady-like guffaw.

"Dear Lord, no! They are really nice people. A bit on the weird side, but very entertaining. Especially when Uncle Lucian comes over." She said with a fond smile.

"Oh…" Senri didn't know who this Uncle Lucian was, but from Madam Sherry's tone, he seemed like a genuinely interesting guy. "But I'm not allowed to go there, Ma'am. I'm not of age yet."

"…I think you can stop calling me Ma'am. It makes me feel really old." She said with a grimace.

"Then how should I call you?"

"Well, you can call me Miss. That makes me feel young." She winked at him, and he blushed.

"But you're married—"

"Details, details." Madam Sherry waved a dismissive hand.

"So… Miss Sherry?"

"Sounds better." She said with a grin, which then faltered a bit. "And you're right. I forgot. You can only go there when you're of age."

Senri tried to hide his disappointment. He planned to sneak there, but now that Miss Sherry had spotted him, he couldn't possibly sneak there anymore.

Miss Sherry had a thoughtful glance for a moment, before saying, "regardless, come in. Let's talk about it with Mother."

Senri gave her his best smile and entered from the backdoor at her instruction.

"How old are you this year, Senri?"

That was the first thing that Granny Fino asked him when they had all sat down. Everybody in town knew Granny Fino, but that didn't mean Granny Fino knew everyone in town. True the inn was the gathering place and basically the rumour mill, but Senri doubted that Granny kept track of all the rumours and the names of everyone who came into the inn, least of all children. The only children that everyone knew were the troublemaker ones, and Senri was not one. So he was reasonably surprised that Granny Fino knew his name at first glance.

"Umm… Eight." He answered timidly. "And if you don't mind me asking…"

"What is it, boy?" She asked kindly, the wrinkles around her eyes creasing in a strangely friendly way. Even when she was 100-years-old, Granny Fino looked young for that age. She looked even a tad younger than the folks in their 80s back in town.

"How do you know my name?"

Granny Fino gave him a benevolent smile while Miss Sherry smiled indulgently while sipping her tea.

"Your family's business is fruit trading, yes?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then of course I know you and everyone in your family. Your late great-grandfather used to give me free fruits when I was young. We used to call him Mr. Fruity." She said with a small easy laugh.

"Dad told me that." Senri grinned.

"Sherry said you want to know about my old friends in that lone house by the forest?" Granny suddenly asked.

"Yes…" He said, for some reasons nervous and embarrassed again.

"Hmm…" Granny turned to Miss Sherry. "If he has come of age, it would've been easier…"

"I know, but surely it's okay?" Miss Sherry replied, a bit unsure but also hopeful.

"I guess it won't hurt. Meta was even younger when he started getting into troubles because he was curious. Besides, they haven't had guests aside from us in a long, long time…" Granny Fino let out a gusty sigh.

"Well, it's not like they're always home…" Miss Sherry murmured.

"What do you mean if I've come of age? What would happen? And who's Meta?" Senri asked eagerly.

He had overheard his parents talking about it too, but they were vague and Senri was too young to care about it. Now it seemed so relevant and he regretted not bugging his parents more about it.

"Fruit trading is not your family's only business. Do you know that?" Granny Fino asked Senri kindly.

Senri blinked. He had never heard of that before…

"I take it you don't know then." Granny Fino sipped her tea solemnly. "Your parents would've told you when you've come of age. Your family has a duty to my old friends' family."

Senri's eyes bugged.

"What duty?"

"My old friends have a duty of protecting this town, and in turn certain families in town have a duty to protect their secrets from the world. Yours is one of those families."

Senri's mouth was hanging open most ungracefully, but he didn't care. This revelation was just…just…

"Cool!" He beamed excitedly. "Can I meet them, then?"

"Yes, you can…" Granny said slowly, almost cautiously. "But you must swear secrecy in order to meet them."

"Of course!" Senri immediately sat back up and crossed his heart while saying his oath of secrecy. "I, Senri, swear by my great-grandfather's moustache that I will never talk about the Keepers."

"The Keepers?" Granny turned to Miss Sherry; who was snickering in glee at Senri's oath.

"That's what the folks back in town called them." Miss Sherry shrugged.

Granny made a loud guffaw.

"Fitting! I like it."

"So when can I meet them?" Senri asked eagerly, jumping in his seat in bubbling excitement.

"When they are home, of course." Granny said patiently.

"But they are home! There are fresh laundries hanging outside the house!"

Granny turned to Miss Sherry, and Miss Sherry nodded.

"Sharp eyes there." Granny winked at Senri, and he blushed. The ladies here had very pretty winks. "Well, let's go then."

"I'll drop by later. Someone has to look after the Inn." Miss Sherry said as she collected the dishes and went to the kitchen.

"Where's that husband of yours?" Granny asked while she rose from her seat with a spring that was unbefitting of her age. Senri could hardly believe that she was 100-years-old.

"With Dad, doing maintenance. The kids are with them, too." Miss Sherry called out from the kitchen.

"Huh. About time that your father teaches your kids his trade."

"Well, he isn't getting any younger." Miss Sherry said with a chuckle as she emerged from the kitchen with an apron.

"Not getting older as fast as I do, either." Granny grumbled.

"Aaaw… You're still pretty, Mom." Miss Sherry danced out of the kitchen and kissed Granny on the cheek. "And Dad still loves you, too."

"He better does." Granny grinned, and suddenly she looked a decade younger.

Senri never met Granny's husband, but he must be a wonderful person if Granny loves him so much. And if Senri was guessing right, then Granny's husband looked even younger than Granny was.

….Scary.

"Kuroro, get that thing away from me!"

"It's just a bug, Kurapika. What is so scary about it?"

"It's a goddamn SPIDER! And I'm not scared of it!"

"No?"

"NO AND FOR CHRIST'S SAKE GET IT AWAY FROM ME BEFORE I ATTACK IT AND YOU!"

That was what greeted Senri when he and Granny Fino stepped past the front door of the Keep. Senri had his mouth hanging open in amazement, while Granny Fino was cackling madly.

"My, my. Lively as ever."

Both man and woman—undoubtedly The Gentleman and The Lady respectively—in the house stopped their childish fight and turned to Granny Fino. Their expressions rapidly changed and the woman rushed to Granny with open arms.

"Fino! How are you?" The woman called Kurapika cried out joyfully as she hugged Granny enthusiastically while being careful enough not to break Granny's more fragile bones.

"Good, good. A bit sore on the back but that's the usual. And you don't look a day older from the last time I saw you! And that was…"

"Four months ago." The man in black suddenly said as he sauntered towards Granny. "Hi Fino. Good to see you again."

"Kuroro! Looking as handsome as ever!" Granny laughed and patted the man on the cheek affectionately. "And release the poor critter in your hand, will you?"

"Get rid of it outside the house!"

Senri had been staring at the spectacle for some time, unable to process the situation entirely. He had thought he was going to meet some really intimidatingly regal people that looked plain awesome, so he was a tad disappointed when he saw that the legendary Keepers looked just like the average people. Behaving childishly, no less!

"How did you know we're back?" The woman asked as she gently ushered Granny to the couch.

Senri followed Granny silently, but he was aware of the man staring at him. Okay, he retracted his statement. The Gentleman might look like a normal average man, but he definitely had an extraordinary aura about him. His stare carried some serious weight there!

"Boy saw your laundries, so he figured somebody is home. Sharp eyes, this one has." Granny patted Senri's head and he blushed at the compliment. It wasn't every day that he got compliments.

Kurapika then turned her attention from Granny to him, and Senri fidgeted uneasily. The Lady also carried some weight in her stare, just like The Gentleman did.

"Senri, this is Kurapika and Kuroro. Say hi to them." Granny said with a gentle nudge.

He looked up and smiled at them shyly.

"Hello." He squeaked.

The woman's eyes widened and the look of curiosity then turned into one of pleasant surprise.

"Senri? Mr. Fruity's Senri?" She exclaimed eagerly as she dropped to her knees to be on his eyelevel.

Senri gawked again. Why was it that suddenly everybody knew his name?

"How do you—"

"I named you!" Kurapika said gleefully as she reached out to touch his cheeks. "You're so big now!"

"Y—you named me?" His head was spinning now. The legendary Keeper was the one who named him?

"As they always do for every firstborn of the duty-sworn families." Granny said languidly. "You just so love making traditions, Kurapika."

"Well we have to start making traditions, don't we?" Kurapika grinned at Granny like they were old friends. "After all, this is the new home for the tribe."

Tribe? What tribe?

"So troublesome." Kuroro murmured, and was rewarded with an elbow to the ribs.

Senri gawked even more. Could it be that these were the original Keepers? The first Keepers to settle down in this town? Granny's old friends? They looked only slightly older than his own parents! If they were Granny's old friends, then they should be as old as Granny, right? They didn't look like they were a century old! No! If Senri was any lesser human being, he would have hyperventilated due to immense disbelief. Fortunately, he had a rather strong nerve of steel.

As Senri was busy gawking and trying not to get his brain into overdrive, Kurapika started frowning as she inspected him.

"But he's not of age yet…" She muttered.

"Eight." Kuroro supplied confidently.

Kurapika turned to Kuroro with a sly grin.

"For someone who keeps complaining and claiming that he has no vested interest in the naming tradition, you sure remember the year he was born into."

"It's always memorable when you drag me to the very house where childbirth is taking place." The man said dryly.

"Well, keep it up." She patted his cheek with a broad grin.

"Insufferable." Kuroro muttered, but he had a small smile too.

Granny waited for them to finish bantering before speaking up again. To Senri, Granny had a blissful expression as she watched their interaction.

"Boy was very curious about you. Sherry found him lurking around the inn, staring at your house and looking torn between coming over here or running back to town. Did you know that they called this place the Keep and you guys as the Keepers?" Granny started cackling, for some reasons finding it very hilarious.

"Keepers? I thought they called us the Wardens, last time I heard?" Kurapika turned to Kuroro, lips curled up into a smile.

"Different generation, different name." The man shrugged, although he looked quite amused himself.

"But why bring him here now?" Kurapika turned to Granny again.

"Well, he'd find out when he's come of age anyway. He already showed some interest, so might as well introduce him to you guys earlier. He even swore secrecy before coming here. Right, Senri?"

"Yes!" Senri beamed, and repeated his oath of secrecy with amendment: "I, Senri, swear by my name and by my great-grandfather's moustache that I will never talk about the Keepers." He swore that he was going to wear his name with pride for now on.

Kurapika broke into laughter with abandon as soon as he finished his oath, and even Kuroro was chuckling with great amusement. Senri grinned at them. He liked the way she laughed, and he admired the man's coolness.

"Mr. Fruity did have a rather impressive set of moustache." Granny said with mirth as she laughed along.

"Most magnificent moustache I have ever had the pleasure of seeing." Kurapika said with a grin.

"Where's everyone else?" Granny asked as she looked around the rather empty house.

"Well, they—"

"MOM! DAD! YOU'RE BACK!"

Senri only heard that yell and saw a blur of yellow and blue. He didn't know what had happened, but the next thing he knew he saw a young man in a weapon lock with The Lady and The Gentleman. On one hand the young man had his short sword in lock with Kurapika's own short sword, while in his other hand he had a weird-looking dagger in lock with Kuroro's similar-looking dagger (the Benz knife).

Senri did the only thing an eight-year-old could do under this circumstance. He froze in fear.

"Just as recent as you just got back here." Kurapika said as they all broke from the lock. "Where have you been?"

"Around. With Gon and Killua and Alluka." The young man grinned like a loon.

"Figures." Kurapika rolled her eyes while Kuroro smirked indulgently.

"Pssh. Show off as ever, Meta?" Granny said while shaking her head. "You never grow up."

"Fino!" The young man called Meta quickly whirled around and embraced Granny enthusiastically, just like Kurapika did.

When the young man drew back, Senri found himself gawking yet again. He was the exact replica of both Kurapika and Kuroro combined! It was like he had Kuroro's body but Kurapika's colouring. Fascinating!

"Gee, you're getting old!" Meta said with a grin. "But you age so gracefully!"

"I don't know whether to take that as an insult or compliment."

"Take it as compliment! Better for your health." He winked at Granny, and turned his attention to Senri while sheathing his weapons. "And who's the little man here?"

"I'm Senri." Senri said quickly, trying not to look intimidated.

"Senri? Mr. Fruity's Senri?" He immediately grabbed Senri by his armpits and hauled him up. Senri almost died from embarrassment when he heard himself squeaking. "Aw, man! You're so big now!"

"I heard voices!" Another new voice joined in, which soon turned into a screech of delight. "Mama! Papa! Oh, and Meta."

"Don't call me like an afterthought!"

Senri gawked. Again. He knew that voice!

"Senri!" Expectedly, the owner of the voice snatched him from Meta's hands and twirled him in the air. "Senri, you're here! But why are you here?"

"Big Sis?" Senri was absolutely reeling now.

"Big Sis?" Kurapika and Kuroro raised a questioning eyebrow at the crazy girl (in Senri's humble opinion). Meta, meanwhile, was cackling like mad and rolling on the couch.

"Big Sis? You?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Shut up!" Big Sis Sarai shot a kick at Meta, which was avoided easily.

"Why are you here, Sarai? You're supposed to be in the Academy." Kurapika said with crossed arms and a frown.

The Academy was the only school in town, and all children enrolled to the Academy when they were seven-years-old. Senri was enrolled there, too. One might think that it was such a fancy place for a backwater town in the middle of nowhere like this town, but it had the right to be called The Academy because it covered just about everything under the sky because of its library.

The Academy had curriculums that—to Senri's limited knowledge—covered more than a normal school had the right to teach. For sure it covered the basics such as maths, physics, chemistry, histories, and general languages. But it also covered practical things like monster hunting, weapon mastery, martial arts and Nen (both of which were compulsory, but none of the kids in town complained about it. They thought it was the coolest thing ever), and herbology. Even more strange, The Academy also catered to very specific things like archaeology, ancient languages, lost civilisation and histories, mythologies, etc by providing a very extensive library full of books covering the aforementioned topics.

For that reason, the Academy was a huge compound because it was also fitted with a dojo, workshops, and THE library. He also heard rumours that the Headmaster—or Headmistress, nobody knew for sure except for the Board Members of the Academy but they weren't talking—was someone from The Keep. Now Senri was beginning to suspect that the Headmaster and Headmistress were Kuroro and Kurapika respectively. They sure looked like it.

"My students can use a day off." She grinned, without letting go of Senri. In fact, she was hugging Senri like one would hug a doll.

"You're a teacher?!" Meta began laughing uproariously again.

"Hey, I'm a respected teacher, okay!"

"What do you teach? Tree-climbing?"

"I teach Nen, you moron!"

Off to the side, Senri could see Kurapika rubbing the bridge of her nose while Kuroro was looking absolutely indulgent as he watched Meta and Sarai fighting. Granny looked vastly amused, too.

Meta might be laughing at Sarai and the fact that she was a teacher (of all things!), but Meta was also aware that Sarai was probably the most eligible in town to teach Nen; what with her being one of their father's personal students and the only one who actually stayed in town instead of gallivanting around the world like the rest of the siblings. Sherry probably could teach as well, but she already had her hands full with her family and the inn.

"So why is he calling you Big Sis? You're the biggest crybaby ever!"

"I don't want to be called Teacher by the kids. It's so formal and old!"

After thinking for a while, Senri found himself unsurprised that Big Sis Sarai was a Keeper too if the definition of a Keeper was 'nice but eccentric'. She was one of the nicest people he knew, but she was just insane.

"And Noah said everyone's coming back here today. So of course I just have to check." Sarai turned around and beamed and everyone.

"And I assume he's on his way here?" Kuroro said indolently.

"Yep! We're going to have a reunion!"

Suddenly, Kuroro's phone rang. He swiftly answered it with a small smile.

"Are you on your way, too?"

[You bet I am! Heard from Bia that you're all coming back. What's the occasion?] A voice with foreign accent replied from the phone.

"Nothing special. Just a nice coincidence."

[Care este doar înfiorător (that is just creepy).]

"Is Bia coming?" Kurapika asked loudly.

[Desigur! (Of course!) She's right here.]

Senri turned to Granny with wide eyes.

"Who's that?" He whispered in wonder.

"That's Lucian. You'll love him." Granny winked at him. "And Senri, you are one lucky guy. You'll get to see all of your legendary Keepers."

Senri's grin was so wide it split his face from ear to ear.

"Awesome!"

Senri remembered that day as the best day of his childhood. It was only many many years later that he learned that they were called The Kuruta.

Author's Note: I need feedback from you guys: WHO SHOULD I PAIR WITH LUCIAN? Because our favourite vampire needs some loving! And tell me the reason why you choose whoever you think is most suitable to be Lucian's Fair Lady.