Disclaimer: I do not own HunterxHunter, nor do I profit commercially from these writings.
Lucian's Story Part 17
ONE TO ANOTHER
Most of the time, the Backyard Forest was peaceful.
BOOM!
Today was not 'most of the time'.
"BARA, COME BACK HERE!"
No way! Why should I stay and listen to your God-awful lecturers?!
Right now was the time when Kurapika was supposedly lambasting Bara brutally for following a little boy's whims without parental consent from either Kurapika or Kuroro. Apparently, Bara refused to be lambasted without putting up a fight. So there they were, Kurapika chasing after Bara across the Backyard Forest, scaring the wits out of the poor animals living in the forest but fortunately not knocking any trees down.
"WHY DID YOU TAKE NOAH WHEN YOU KNEW HE WAS GOING TO FIGHT THE ORDER?!" Kurapika screamed as she snatched a fallen branch on the forest floor and hurled it at Bara like a javelin with the speed of bullet. Of course, Bara dodged it perfectly.
Hey, that's what the Young Master wants! I'm just following orders!
"YOU DON'T JUST FOLLOW A—wait what?!" Kurapika halted in her pursue of the equally relentless black unicorn. "Did you just say 'Young Master'?"
Yeah I did. So what? The black unicorn said haughtily as he skidded to a stop and turned around to face Kurapika.
Kurapika threw Bara a nasty glare, before she turned to Una; who was observing from a distance away.
"Since when do unicorns have Masters?"
Unicorns do not have Masters. Una said, as bemused as Kurapika was in this matter. At least, Una is never informed that we unicorns are required to choose a Master. Father, what is this all about?
Eh. I'm not part of the unicorn society anymore, so I can make my own rule. I decided to have a Master, so I do now. Bara said with a gesture equivalent to a shrug.
"And you choose a child as your Master? Is that the indication of your level of maturity?" Kurapika scoffed as she crossed her arms.
You saying that Noah ain't mature, hm?
"He is mature for a child his age, but he's a child still." Kurapika deadpanned, unwilling to be baited by the infuriating unicorn. "But why Noah?"
Why not him? Bara countered back with a smirk.
"Why not the others?"
I can choose whomever I want, and it ain't your business. Bara snorted.
"He is my SON. It is MY business." Kurapika snarled viciously.
Are you suggesting that I've got some ulterior motives behind it? There was no incredulity behind Bara's tone, as he was not offended by Kurapika's suspicion. It was a mother's right to want to protect her young. If a stranger suddenly declared that he wanted to serve Una, Bara himself would throw a hissy fit and investigate the stranger to the end. The thing was, Bara was no stranger. C'mon, girl. Have a bit more faith in me. I watch the brat grow up from a wee babe until now, and I'll continue watching him grow. I ain't gonna feed him to the devils or something.
"….Why so much investment in him?" Kurapika asked, making her suspicions obvious in her tone.
You can also ask why me and Una still stay in this forest although we're not under obligation to do that. Yet we still do.
"Why?"
'Cuz we want to. Simple as that.
The corners of Kurapika's eyes twitched in irritation, but she ignored it.
"So you're saying that you simply want to stay by Noah's side, and nothing else."
Yep. I just want to watch how his life will go.
"I have a hard time believing that."
That's 'cuz you tend to overcomplicate things. Bara huffed. Now, tell me. How's the white-haired little lady? Oh wait, she ain't little anymore. Anyway. She alright?
Kurapika turned to gaze to the general direction of the house.
"I don't know…"
"Oh, she will be alright."
In a fraction of second, Kurapika had her Nen Chain out and ready while Bara and Una got into fighting position, and all three of the whirled around to face the source of that voice. To Una's and Bara's confusion and Kurapika's rage, it was the gypsy woman who had slit Bia's throat.
"YOU!" Kurapika roared as she threw her Nen Chain at the woman clad in purple and black.
"Oh my." Was all the woman said as she snatched a card from the folds of her sleeve and threw it at the Nen Chain, deflecting the Nen Chain away from her.
Kurapika's heart skipped a beat when she saw the woman attacking with cards. Kurapika had had enough bad experience fighting Hisoka and his cards to last a life time, so it was no surprise that this was the first thing that came out of her mouth:
"Are you Hisoka's acquaintance?!" Because Kurapika knew Hisoka didn't have friends. Except for Illumi Zaoldyck.
The woman raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Excuse me?"
At the woman's genuine bemusement, Kurapika faltered.
"Do you know Hisoka?"
"I have no acquaintance that goes by that name." The woman sniffed, as if offended.
"Oh." Kurapika deflated slightly, feeling a bit silly. But she reminded herself that this was the woman who almost killed Bia. "What do you want?" She asked snappishly.
"I am not here to fight." The woman said while lifting both her hands in a surrendering gesture.
"You almost killed Bia." Kurapika hissed angrily, as if finding the woman's placid attitude offensive.
"I saved her." The woman corrected her calmly, tone serene. "Had I not forced Lucian into the circumstance where he had to drink Bia's blood, they both would have died."
Kurapika almost threw an illogical retort in her angry fit, but she swallowed it bitterly. Kuroro had said the same thing. The woman spoke the truth.
"Then you have my gratitude for saving her life. Although I know you did that mainly with the sole purpose of saving Lucian." Kurapika said stiffly.
"Of course." The woman said, still with that serene smile that was nowhere near the sinister one she had when she unleashed inferno unto the safe house. Kurapika wondered which one was the real one. "Any mother would do that."
Kurapika felt her time slowing down as the words fell on her ears and her brains tried to process it. Even Bara and Una also had incredulous expressions on their face.
"Mother? You're Lucian's mother?!" Kurapika exclaimed disbelievingly. Lucian never mentioned anything about a mother!
Una only sees very little resemblance… Una murmured unsurely.
Unless you count 'being pretty' as a resemblance. Bara added, equally dumbfounded.
"Lucian was adopted." Madame Sforza said, clearly entertained by their reactions, before she turned to Kurapika. "Surely he has told you so?"
"Oh." Kurapika blinked, and she recalled that yes Lucian once mentioned that he was also an adopted child. Just like Bia. "Yes he did."
Kurapika observed the woman standing before her. The woman's entire body language was telling Kurapika that she indeed came in peace. But for what purpose?
"So why are you here?" Kurapika decided to ask calmly.
"First, let me introduce myself. I am called Madame Sforza." The woman said with a disarming smile and a polite bow.
"That's not your real name." Kurapika said sharply.
"Oh, sharp, aren't you. As expected of Kuroro Lucifer's chosen."
Kurapika didn't know whether to blush bashfully or to be irritated by the woman's statement. The way she worded it was just… Augh!
"That is indeed not my real name, and I have no intention of telling you my real name."
"I don't need your real name." Kurapika scoffed.
"Good. Now, my purpose of coming here is to talk with you, Kurapika Kuruta."
"About?"
"About your daughter, of course."
Kurapika straightened her back and her gaze sharpened.
"What about her?"
"Your daughter is now a tovarăș. It is my duty and responsibility to educate you on matters regarding tovarăș." Madame Sforza said authoritatively.
"I can ask Kuroro. He knows about tovarăș." Kurapika retorted uneasily. She didn't want to feel like she owed this woman more than she already did.
"He doesn't know enough. And neither does Lucian. They are not tovarăș. They don't know the joys and burdens and duties of living the life of a tovarăș."
"And you do?" Kurapika asked sceptically.
"Of course. I am a tovarăș myself."
At that, Kurapika perked up.
"You're a tovarăș? To who? Lucian's Sire?"
"Correct."
"So… You are his wife?"
"I am The Count's wife, yes."
"So Bia is now Lucian's wife?!" Kurapika shrieked, about ready to hyperventilate and going into undue hysteria.
"Calm down, Kurapika Kuruta." Madame Sforza said in amusement. "I am The Count's wife, and I am also his tovarăș. They are two different and separate roles."
"Oh…" Kurapika visibly deflated.
"Did you think that your daughter has unknowingly entered a marriage?" Madame Sforza asked, clearly very amused and entertained.
Kurapika tried very hard to rein in the blush, but it still came out a little.
"A male strigoi can have a male tovarăș, just as a female strigoi can have a female tovarăș. Gender is irrelevant. And so is the nature of their relationship. They can be siblings; a brother and a sister, a brother and a brother, a sister and a sister. They can be husband and wife. They can simply be best friends. They can be master and servant. It matters little. What matters is the bond between them."
Kurapika nodded once to indicate that she understood everything so far.
"Good. Now, Lucian's case is special, due to the circumstances in which the tovarăș ritual was conducted. Lucian and your daughter will need time to establish and define the nature of their relationship, but they have all the time they need."
"Why tell me?" Kurapika suddenly asked.
"Pardon?" The Madame responded with a raised eyebrow.
"Why tell me all these? Why don't you tell Bia instead? She's the one who needs to know the most."
"Indeed. Firstly, my duty is to educate your daughter regarding the life of a tovarăș. It will be done once your daughter has awakened from the slumber." To Kurapika's further bemusement, Madame Sforza gave her a smile that was almost…benevolent. "But you are a mother, as I am a mother. I do not wish you to suffer the anxiety and worries of not knowing the fate and future of your child."
Kurapika was speechless. For a woman that not so long ago was still a demonised figure in Kurapika's mind, Madame Sforza was a surprisingly thoughtful and empathic person.
"Whatever questions you have regarding the tovarăș, ask and I shall answer to the best of my ability."
"…Thank you." Truly, that was all Kurapika could say. And she really was grateful. Madame Sforza was right; Kurapika had been anxious for the past few days regarding Bia's fate. As much as Kuroro had told her all he knew about tovarăș, they were all very superficial and technical information born out of facts and not experience. Nothing about what 'being a tovarăș' really entailed.
"Before that, Kurapika Kuruta, I am now curious. Are you opposed to your daughter marrying Lucian?"
"…" Kurapika really didn't know how to answer that.
Scheherazade knew that she wasn't supposed to be amused, but she still felt amused anyway.
"Wipe that smirk off your face." Lucian grumbled.
"I am not smirking, Lucian. Why are you being such a grump so early in the afternoon?"
"I'm being grumpy in advance for the things you're going to rub in my face."
"What things?"
"Don't play dumb, Zada." Lucian rolled his eyes. "You know what's been going on for the past few weeks."
"Indeed. Of course I know. I always keep an ear and an eye on you and this family. You people always have very interesting stories."
"Exactly."
"And what is it that I'm going to rub in your face soon?"
"You tell me."
"Such bad attitude, Lucian. Is that how you're going to treat your tovarăș?"
"See? Here it comes."
Scheherazade giggled. Indeed she was itching to tease Lucian about his new tovarăș. Lucian had always been so mulish and adamant about not taking a tovarăș for the past century, and now he had been 'tricked' into getting a tovarăș by the gypsy fortune-teller woman whom he barely knew from the gypsy caravan that he used to travel with.
The saddest thing, in Scheherazade's opinion, was that Lucian didn't even realise that he had forgotten entirely about her. About Madame Sforza. Normally a person in Lucian's position would be trying to find who the woman was and why she did what she had done, but it had simply vanished from Lucian's mind. As if the issue had become so insignificant that he just didn't think about it anymore. As if she was never there to begin with.
Scheherazade knew everything about Lucian, including the history with Madame Sforza and the Council of the Dead. Unfortunately, it was prohibited for her to tell a person of his/her past. Especially a past like Lucian's.
"Zada..."
"Hmm?"
"…Help me?"
"I am the Weaver of Tales, Lucian. Not a miracle worker."
"Not even a hint?" Lucian gave her the puppy eyes. "I want to remember my mother."
Scheherazade had to roll her eyes in order to hide her real sentiment that undoubtedly would show through her eyes despite her stoic expression. She didn't want him to see her expression; the pity and the sadness.
She couldn't help it. She had always been alone, since the very moment she existed—just like the other Weavers of Tales. But Lucian had found her, and he had steadfastly bugged her all the time until she returned the favour. He was a friend, and she really wanted to help him. But as much as she was unbound by most of the world's rules, she was bound by laws even stricter than those mundane laws.
"The Council of the Dead is an Unnatural." She responded at length. "You can only counter it with another Unnatural."
Lucian could only sigh.
"What's more unnatural than The Council of the Dead?" Lucian mourned.
"That is for you to find out." Scheherazade hummed along with her oub.
"Maybe in the Dark Continent?"
"Perhaps."
Lucian turned to gaze at Bia's still sleeping face and; in a gesture that was starting to become a habit in the past few days, he stroke Bia's white hair almost absentmindedly.
"When she's ready…" He murmured to himself.
Powerful as the children were, they were simply powerful for children their age and nowhere near ready to step into the Dark Continent. Those times when they tried to sneak into the Dark Continent, the adults usually managed to catch and drag them back home before they really entered the Dark Continent. Should the children stepped into the Dark Continent, they wouldn't last even half a day there.
Especially Bia. Bia wasn't made for field combat. She was the support type. She was a genius Nen, but her body had been left crippled since the trauma dealt in Bensalem. Lucian had tried to help, but there was only so much he could do short of turning her into a cyborg like Heen, and he didn't want to do that on her.
Lucian remembered the day when Bia had asked him about it, and he had reluctantly answered her questions. That she would never grow to be physically as strong as any of her siblings. Nowhere near. He remembered how crestfallen and devastated the girl had looked back then; it was just some weeks after the fight with Meta about her having neither Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes nor Kuroro's birthmark on her body, unlike her siblings. It was the reason why Aranha was created; to help Bia cope with her feelings of inferiority to her little siblings.
Even now, as Bia's body had finally grown close to its supposed real age, Bia herself was still not ready to tackle the Dark Continent. Kuroro had his first adventure in the Dark Continent with Lucian when Kuroro was about 18-year-old, and he had almost died there. Bia was inferior in terms of combat skills and experience to Kuroro when he was her age. She had no chance of surviving the Dark Continent now.
"Mmm…"
Lucian was immediately taken out of his musings when he heard it. A very soft moan, very much like the noise one made when waking up. And true enough, as Lucian pivoted his line of sight to Bia's face, he found himself eye-to-eye with her pale blue eyes.
Author's Note: A mother understands another mother's problems. Mothers should band together to help each other. Review please! It's coming closer to the end of this arc.