Kiri felt an undeniable urge to skip with delight as she followed the blonde Kurta back into the hall. However, no matter much she tried to suppress it, she couldn't stop the skipping of her heart. In the last few moments, little has happened yet she felt like her whole life had been building up to lead to it. If asked to describe the emotions she wouldn't be able to yet she understands it. This feeling was special to her and herself only. She didn't want to share it with anyone, not even her brother. She had noticed, with a slight amusement, that since boarding this journey she had become less and less open with Killua. Maybe less dependent was also a good choice of words. The secrets which she was keeping were accumulating. The fact that she knows that Illumi is here too...She was sure that Killua felt this distance between them growing and but just didn't mention it. They were still close, that still remains but an obvious crack is widening. The distance that grew between them was being covered by the distance that closed between her and Kurapika and perhaps because of that, she was feeling the loneliness a little less. Perhaps the distance between her and her brother wasn't as obvious because he too, had a newfound companion - Gon. Despite this, Kiri couldn't shake the feeling that this happy illusion would break soon.

She resumed her place next to Killua at the side of the arena who raised his eyebrows when he noticed the pair had entered together but said nothing. Stealing a glance over at her elder brother in disguise, Gittarackur, she noticed nothing in particular. Still standing with a frigid posture with his teeth chattering quietly. She turned her attention now to the referee. Her mind was elsewhere, still reminiscing the moment that had just passed. She was so deep in thought she almost missed the announcement of the next match. The announcement which snapped her out of her thoughts and made her blood run cold.

"Killua vs Gittarackur."

Kiri's hands started trembling slightly. She heard her silver-haired brother grin and mutter "well, this'll be interesting at least," as he ascended the side steps towards the platform. She wanted to say something to stop him or at least warn him but she was frozen frigid as though her blood really was running cold and had frozen her insides to ice. It wasn't even her who was against Illumi yet she felt fear as she was reminded of her childhood with the stoic eldest brother. Kiri suddenly remembered the time when she was barely two years old and just starting to walk.

"Tread softer."

It had been four hours. Four hours of continued training had elapsed. Kiri's small toddler legs had already passed the stage of fatigue and she was pushing through via sheer willpower. Even at such a young age she knew Illumi wasn't one to disobey but unfortunately it wasn't drilled into her. At least, not yet. She took another step forward but her leg buckled underneath her and she toppled over onto her hands. Her hands, being small and not yet strong enough to support her weight, also gave away and she fell on her face.

"Stand up."

She blinked away tears which probably formed more from the pain than from the harshness of her brother. It had been hours already. She was tired and it was getting late. She wanted to toddle into her younger brother's room - the newest addition to the family - and peep on him. Maybe touch his soft light hair and poke his rosy big cheeks. Her plans had been ruined when Illumi had led her to the empty hallroom after dinner and made her practise the art of silent walking. Laying flat on her back, she refused to comply to his request.

"Kiri."

Illumi's voice was warning her. He was starting to get impatient and Kiri felt this but she was too tired to even think and so, remained slumped onto the floor. From young, Kiri's senses had always been above average. Mostly due to her genes so she knew something was slithering towards her. Something that was dark, cold, ominous and definitely not alive. She couldn't see it with her eyes but slowly felt it wrap around her body and her legs. It wasn't physically choking her but it was choking her soul and spirit. She gurgled baby-talk and struggled, her tiny fists flailing out. But it no was use - she was fighting an invisible enemy. When Illumi had decided he had taught his sibling a good enough lesson, he released his aura and the hold loosened. Not once had she made a loud sound of protest, sure enough, she cried, but she never wailed. She must've passed out from fatigue or perhaps even terror but Illumi must have carried her to her room as she woke up in her bed alone, later that night. That was the not the first lesson she had from Illumi but it was the first lesson she had received to not disobey him.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for Kiri in her younger days with Illumi, there were sometimes good times. She couldn't recall as many but they definitely were there. Illumi had a strange soft spot for her. The older she got the more lenient he was. There was a special reason why he treated her with special care but he never let up the reason why. Kiri suspected it was something to do with her 'creation', when she was just being made but she never probed enough to find out. He would sometimes be kind but he was still fearsome and Kiri never forgot that. During the period of time where Killua begun to have more and more training, she was somewhat neglected by Illumi. Her training most often than not, was skipped all-together. She would be sent on random missions or assignments that weren't of significant importance, just to get her out of the way. If Illumi noticed she was getting bored of these assignments, he would specifically assign ones slightly more fitting of her caliber and pass the remaining ones to Milluki, (who would accept grudgingly). From the time spent with him, she could feel when his patience was running out. He wasn't particularly angered by this act of defiance (due to them running away and hurting Mother) but she knew that his patience was wearing thin and soon, this would all come to an end.

All this, she had wanted to convey to Killua as he stepped up to meet his match but she could only watch in silence.

"It's been a long time, Killua." Gittarackur lacked its usual mechanical stutter and the voice was clear as day. Killua clearly hadn't made the link between the voice and its owner, as he had a slightly confused look on his face. If Illumi had called him by his nickname 'Kil', he probably would have made the connection quicker. Maybe it had just been too long since he left home or maybe he just would never had thought his older brother to be in a place like this. Nevertheless, it clicked soon enough as Gittarackur - or rather - Illumi, started pulling the needles which held his fake face together, away. The face bubbled and his eccentric hair lengthened and blackened in colour. It fell long and straight past the shoulders. The face stretched and pulled into different directions before settling for cold, expression features. Eyes large, dark and black, just like Kiri's and porcelain skin as pale as the moonlight. Killua had now broken out in a cold sweat. "Illumi...!"

Leorio nudged Kiri. "Who is that?"

"Our older brother." Was her curt reply. Kurapika shot her a quick look before darting he eyes back to the scene.

"Milluki told me you had hit him and Mother." Said Illumi, without a hint of expression.

"Yea..." Replied Killua.

"Mother was crying."

"I would cry too if I had a son like that," tutted Leorio in disbelief.

"You had exceeded her current expectations of you. She was overjoyed." (Leorio almost fell over standing up).

"I never thought to see you here," he continued. "She was worried you left. You aren't ready. She doesn't want you to be a Hunter. I am here to get accredited for my next assignment."

"I don't really want to be a Hunter. I just wanted to have a bit of fun with the test," said Killua, looking visibly uncomfortable.

"Oh, well. That's good. I can tell you now that I don't want you to be a Hunter," said Illumi, still standing rigidity and speaking with his blank expression.

"That brother of yours never took drama lessons did he?" Whispered Leorio to Kiri.

"You are a dark puppet, passionless. You have no feelings, nor do you require them. All you require are the skills that Father and I hve taught you since birth. With those you are equipped to be a killer and nothing more. Your calling is a Hunter, as it is to be born into the Zoldyck family." His eyes flickered briefly over to Kiri for a split second, too fast to be noticed by anyone but Kiri.

Killua shuffled on his feet. "I didn't want to be a Hunter in particular either. But there is something that I want..."

"No, there isn't."

"Yes, there is!" Killua's sudden outburst surprised Kiri. He had never been so defiant in front of Illumi before and this was a first. If Illumi was surprised, he didn't show it.

"Well, what is it? Tell me."

"I am..." Killua wasn't even looking at Illumi now. His eyes were casted down towards the floor as though his floor was his conversing partner. "I am tired of killing. I just want to be friends with Gon. To have fun with him like a normal kid." He looked up at Illumi for second and then looked back down.

"You are just temporarily blinded by Gon because you're fascinationed by him. You can't be friends with him because you cannot make friends. One day, you will want to kill him because you will want to test your own limits. It is in your blood. One day, you will want to kill Gon."

"You're wrong!" Killua shouted.

"I'm not and you know I'm not. Killers can't have friends."

At this point Leorio was shaking with rage and the referee stepped in to stop him from advancing onto the platform. His veins were bulging at his temples when he shouted 'Hey! Listen up to this Killua from your friend who had both an occupation and friends and not your grass-brain brother who clearly can't handle both! You are already friends with Gon and you will stay friends with him! Gon feels the same way you do!"

Illumi cocked his head to a side. "He does?"

"Of course he does you blackened piece of sh-"

"Well that is troublesome," he said whilst seeming to be deep in thought. After a moment something clicked and he replied "I'll just have to kill Gon."

The effect on Killua was apparent. His sweat was now dripping, eyes wide, silly with fear.

"If you don't want that Killua, you'll have to fight me." Illumi stood, facing his younger brother squarely now and reached out a hand. "The moment my hand touches you, the match begins."

Illumi's pale hand reached closer and closer until it was almost touching Killua's fringe. Kiri watched with held breath, not wanting to watch but unable to tear her eyes away. Just obey him, Killua. Just do it, just do it ,just do it!

"I...forfeit."

She almost breathed out a sigh of relief.

Illumi paused, then let his hand drop. He clapped them together in mock relief. "There we go," he said patting KIllua. "I was just testing, I knew you would never fight me. And of course, I would've never killed Gon." He leaned in to whisper. "Not to mention, you don't need friends. Not now, not ever."

He gave Killua one last rub on the head and turned around to walk off.

The next few moments were a blur and all merged into one. Killua silently walked off the stage and out of the room. No one knew where he went. Kiri wanted to go after him but she was aware of Illumi's watchful eyes on her. It wasn't until Leorio and Bodoro's match had begun until Killua had re-appeared. They had just begun to ready their stance on the stage when Killua stepped out behind Bodoro. The hand formed into the sharp claw, the weapon that he commonly used, was now lodged securely into Bodoro's chest. He twisted sharply. Blood spurted from the warrior's mouth and he crumpled lifelessly to the floor. Without speaking, he left the room. No one dared to stop him, not even Kiri. He face was unreadable and she had no idea what was going on his head and this scared her. Never once, had he shown an expression like that and she didn't know how to react.

Illumi didn't react at all. Instead, he too, started to follow Killua out of the room. Before reaching the doors, he turned and addressed Kiri.

"Kiri, let's go."

Kiri didn't want to move. She didn't want to go anywhere but stay next to Kurapika and Leorio and everyone else but her body wasn't listening. It was trained to obey Illumi's words.

She stepped forward but felt a tug on her sleeve. Turning her head to see who was stopping her, her eyes met the warm honey brown colour of the Kurta's. Such a contrast it was to the cold ones of Illumi. These were warm and full of concern. Eyes which almost shouted at her not to go. He didn't need to say a word and she knew he was asking her to stay. No, he was telling her to stay.

She didn't want him to let go of her sleeve but she felt being dragged towards to Illumi. His cold aura was seeping out again and enveloping her as though it was saying 'I have let you had your fun. That's enough now.'

She was almost certain her eyes were just as blank and expression as Illumi's now as she shook her head, turned to face the door again and followed after the eldest Zoldyck.