Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Phoenix
The weather was warm and the skies were dotted with fluffy white clouds with a soft breeze, perfect for sailing. Two young teens were looking out over the ocean as their ship was about to depart from Whale Island to go to the Hunter Exam.
The two relaxed, watching the ocean together with the black haired-girl swinging her legs calmly over the side of the boat.
The black-haired girl was wearing a deep maroon sleeveless shirt with black bike shorts. She was wearing black ankle boots with black thigh high socks. Around her neck was a red scarf that was a gift from the boy standing next to her.
There was a commotion behind them as a young boy around the age of twelve, wearing green with a fishing rod shouted to the people of Whale Island; his home the two decided mentally, about coming back as the worlds' best hunter.
The men on the boat mocked him as the two friends ignored everyone around them, a man in a blue suit was doing the same as he continued to read his book.
The boy didn't look to be bothered as he walked past the two with his hands holding his backpack's straps. The blonde of the duo watched the young boy walk passed out the corner of his eye. The carefree air around the boy interested him, he was definitely going to keep his eye on the boy.
The girl next to him turned to him as if she heard his thoughts, "Hey Kurapika, that boy seems interesting, doesn't he?" She asked softly with a gently smile on her pale face, she had to admit she the boy had caught her eye as well.
The boy, Kurapika, nodded and smiled back with his free hand on her head. "I must admit he does; he seems very innocent. He reminds me a little of you Phoenix," Kurapika added as he rubbed her head before dropping his hand to his side again.
Phoenix only blinked curiously before turning her head to observe the boy again, trying to understand what her friend was talking about. Beside her Kurapika chuckled.
She looked around a bit before finding the boy in the crow's nest, looking down at the captain with a look of certainty, the birds going crazy in the air, "It's a huge storm that's coming!"
The captain looked doubtful, leading the boy to add, "It's true, I can tell from the smell!" The captain seemed to be searching the boy for something, finally finding what he was looking for he ordered everyone below deck and telling his sailors to get to work.
Later that night the ship was swaying violently in the hectic waves, all the men who were making fun of the young boy were all groaning and moaning from the seasickness.
'Karma!' Phoenix thought, smirking to herself as she sat at the end of the hammock, she was sharing with Kurapika. Phoenix absent mildly played with some loose threads on his pants as she watched the people in the room roll around with the waves amused.
Looking around Phoenix noticed the boy wasn't affected by the roughness of the sea and was even helping people with their seasickness. The man in the blue suit was sitting in the corner eating an apple, also not bothered by the roughness. Turning to Kurapika next she watched him read, his eyes showing his interests in the book he was reading.
Feeling someone staring at him Kurapika looked up and found Phoenix staring him with a distant look in her eyes. Kurapika knew the look was just her getting lost in thought and smiled secretly behind his book. Nudge her with his foot gently so he could snap her out of her thoughts.
Phoenix focused back on Kurapika when she felt his foot nudging her. Kurapika had an eyebrow raised, silently asking what she was thinking about but Phoenix only smiled cheekily back at him making him chuckle under his breath before going back to his book.
Before Phoenix cause go back to observing the males in the room, being the only female on board, the door open to reveal the captain. She seemed to be the only one who noticed but she knew better after being with Kurapika for so many years that he was always aware of what was going on around him.
Her eyes locked with the captains for a second as he looked around the room. Once the captain had a good look around the room, he called for Kurapika, the boy, the man in the blue suit and her to follow him.
The four were quick to follow the captain to the wheelhouse, the room on a boat that houses the steering wheel. Together the four stood in a line before the captain.
Looking out the window next to her, Phoenix observed as the sky lit up with lightning as rumbles of thunder caused the windows to vibrate. She had always loved storms.
"First tell me your names!" The captain demanded.
The boy was quick to raise his hand, "I'm Gon!" he said with a smile.
Kurapika and Leorio were the next to introduce themselves.
"I'm Phoenix," Phoenix said with a small smile.
"Why do you want to become Hunters?" The captain asked.
She could feel Kurapika tense slightly from beside her. looking at him from the corner of her eye, she let Kurapika know that everything was okay, getting a nod in return.
Leorio rudely pointing a finger at the captain as starting to shout, "Hey! If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!"
Phoenix rolled her eyes at the tall man but didn't say anything.
The captain didn't bat an eye as he said, "Just answer the question."
Gon answered before Leorio could open his mouth to make another rude remark, "My dad's a Hunter. I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad desired so much to be a hunter."
Phoenix looked past Kurapika and at Gon curiously. Not resenting your parent for abandoning you and going off to live the life they wanted was a very rare thing. It was either Gon was very self-assured, or he was very naïve.
"Hey, kid!" Leorio but in, cause Gon turning to him, curious. "You're not supposed to answer his question!"
Before Gon could protest Phoenix interrupted, "That's fine that you don't want to answer him Leorio-san but that doesn't mean that Gon is going to do the same," Phoenix spoke calmly, continuing when it looked like Leorio was about to start yelling at her. "I want to become a Hunter because I want to discover unexplored lands and travel the world," Phoenix finished with an excited smile.
"That sounds like so much fun!" Gon shouted with enthusiasm his brown eyes sparkling.
Phoenix smiled sweetly at him, "Thank you."
Leorio grumbled about two not being team players, which earned himself a look from Kurapika. Phoenix smiled to herself Kurapika had always been quite protective of her. It never failed to make her feel special that someone cared so much about her.
"I don't wish to reveal why I'm here" Leorio said obnoxiously while poking Gon's forehead, not bothering notice the look he was getting from Kurapika despite everyone else in the room noticing.
"I agree with Leorio," Kurapika spoke up for the first time since introducing himself.
Phoenix noticed the rude way Kurapika addressed Leorio and smirked, amused at his ways of telling Leorio that the blonde didn't like the way he spoke to Phoenix.
"What?" Leorio asked dumbstruck as he looked over up at Kurapika, noticing the disrespectful way he was addressed, "Hey! Aren't you younger than I am? Show some respect!"
Kurapika continued as if he hadn't heard Leorio, amusing Phoenix, she rarely saw Kurapika acting rude, "It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie."
Leorio seemed to be getting madder every second he was ignored, "Hey! Are you listening to me?" He questions angrily.
"However, it is quite shameful to rely upon deceit. That said, if I were to tell you the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer." Kurapika had started to clench his chest, as if to ward off pain from the past.
Gon was looking at Kurapika curiously. Phoenix looked back out the window knowing what Kurapika was talking about, she didn't want Kurapika to see the sadness that she knew was in her eyes. Kurapika knowing this was grateful for Phoenix not showing him pity.
"Hey, you… Don't ignore me!" Leorio continued to shout at the blonde.
"In other words, you refuse to answer my question," The captain said, stopping Leorio before from continuing his yelling. "Hey, Katsuo," The captain addressed the sailor with a clipboard that Phoenix just noticed.
"Aye, captain," Katsuo answered.
"Tell the examination board that we have two more dropouts," The captain said seriously. Kurapika and Leorio looked at the captain in shock, Phoenix and Gon stared in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Leorio asked unsure.
"You still haven't figured it out? The Hunter Examination has already begun!" The captain explained.
"What?" The two older teens asked in shock.
"There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky. The examiners don't have the time or resources to review them all. So, they hire people like me to trim the fat. I've already notified the board that everyone else on this ship had to withdraw." Leorio made an annoyed noise and Kurapika hummed in realization. "If they can't handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Examination's later stages. In other words, you can only proceed to the main exam if I pass you. So, think carefully before you answer my question," He finished, giving them one more chance.
Gon turned to Leorio, "So he says," he said making Phoenix giggle into her hand.
There was a suffocating moment of silence before Kurapika took a deep breath to calm himself before he started speaking in a calm voice, "I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan." The information gained the attention of everyone in the room. Phoenix stepped closer to Kurapika in hopes of giving him some comfort even if it is only a little. "Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I wish to become a hunter and hunt down that band, the Phantom Troup."
The captain started at Kurapika blankly for a second, "So you want to be a bounty hunter? The Phantom Troupe is an A-class bounty. Not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them. You'd be throwing your life away!" The captain warned.
Kurapika closed his eyes, "I don't fear death. I fear only that my rage will fade over time." Once Kurapika finished Phoenix noticed the red tint in his eyes and placed a hand on his arm to calm him a little. She smiled a little when he subconsciously let go of some the tension in his body.
"So, in other words you want revenge," Leorio stated in a snobby voice. "Does that require that you become a hunter?"
"That may be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio," Kurapika answered indifferent.
"That's Leorio-san to you!" The taller man yelled at the blonde.
"Places accessible only to Hunters," Kurapika continued ignoring the interruption with a hint of anger in his voice. "Information otherwise unobtainable… Actions otherwise impossible." At this point Leorio was ready to blow a fuse from being ignored, Phoenix look a step back in case the situation started to become violent. "There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle."
"Hey," Gon cut in stopping Leorio from yelling, "Why do you want to become a Hunter Leorio-san?" He asked.
"Me?" Leorio answered now calm again. "I'll make it simple. I want money" He said happily, not noticing the two friends exchange an eye roll with each other. "Money can get you everything! A big house! A nice car! Good liquor!"
"You can't buy class with money, Leorio," Kurapika interjected while Phoenix bit the inside of her cheek to hold in her laughter knowing it wouldn't help the situation.
Leorio's face got red from the anger that was surging through him, turning his head slightly so he could look at the blonde through the corner of his eye he said simply, a sudden calm look taking over his features. "That's three times now," he said calmly as he straightening up. "Step outside, I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now."
Once he said that Kurapika's face became dark. Phoenix's eyes widened as she looked at Kurapika for his next move, knowing that this was his fight and she shouldn't get involved.
"Take that back, Leorio!" The angry blonde shouted at the taller male. Said male stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at the boy, "Take it back!" Kurapika demanded with a deadly tone.
All Leorio said was, "That's Leorio-san to you." He left the room with Kurapika following shortly after and Phoenix going to follow but stopped halfway unsure if she should stop them or not.
"Hey, boys!" The captain called, "I'm not finished yet!"
"Just let them go," Gon spoke up calmly, laying a hand on Phoenix's shoulder. "Mito-san once told me 'If you want to get to know someone, you need to make an effort to learn why their angry.' It's important for them to understand why they're mad. So, we should let them settle it themselves."
Once he was finished Phoenix relaxed and sent Gon a thankful smile while everyone in the room let Gon's words sink in.
The silence was only broken when the sailor driving called for the captain's attention, "L-look!" He stuttered.
Everyone looked out and saw a waterspout close to the ship.
"If we get caught by that waterspout, the ship with sink," Katsuo pointed out.
The captain began barking out orders to take the sail down and all hands-on deck as he took the wheel. Gon said he'd help and Phoenix said that she'd help as well. The crew in the room were thankful that the two were willing to help and everyone but the captain ran to the deck trying to lower the sails.
They saw Kurapika and Leorio on the other side of the boat about to face off but they ignored them for the time being. They were putting their all into pulling the ropes until an extremely strong wind blew everyone to the floor, only Katsuo was able to hold on but because the wind was so strong, he was being whipped around when he accidently let go and was thrown overboard.
Katsuo flew between Kurapika and Leorio as he fell overboard. The two made a run to grab the sailor and jumped overboard, grabbing the railings to keep from landing in the water but only just missed his hands.
Before Katsuo could hit the water two blurs jumped past them, a green one and red one. It took the two holding onto the railing half a second to realize it was Gon and Phoenix. The two each grabbed one of Katsuo's wrist before they began falling down but they each felt a hand on their ankles.
The two fell toward the side of boat, hitting it with Katsuo in their arms. The two secured their hold around Katsuo's chest before they looked over their shoulders to see that Kurapika and Leorio were the ones holding their ankles.
Looking to her left Phoenix gave Gon a bright smile, the boy was happy to return it as the two older males holding them helped them back onto the deck of the boat some help from the crew.
The storm quickly calmed down after that. Gon was sitting against the railing letting the sun dry him off. Kurapika held Phoenix in a tight hug, trying to calm him still racing heart, while Leorio stood next to them with his hands in his pockets.
When Kurapika finally let go of Phoenix, the girl sat next to Gon with her hands in her lap, not looking at the two standing above them, waiting for the scolding they were about to receive.
Leorio started it with his shouting, "You two idiots! If we hadn't grabbed your legs, you'd both be shark bait right now!"
Kurapika took that moment to join in, "Honestly, how reckless are you two."
"But you did catch us!" Gon said, the three look at him surprised, "You both caught us."
"Well, I guess so…" Leorio trailed off.
"Gon, Phoenix," The four heard and turn to Katsuo running towards them, as he reached them, he bowed to the two young teens. Gon stood up as Phoenix looked up at him from her seated position, "Thank you Gon, Phoenix, you two saved my life."
"We couldn't have done it alone. These two helped us save you," Gon said looking at the older duo.
The two looked at Gon a little shocked he had given them credit, Phoenix smiled and stood up moving to stand next to Gon.
"Thank you very much!" Katsuo thanked the two and bowed again.
Kurapika being humble looked away, "No, you don't need to thank me," he said modestly, Phoenix giggled at him, a small smile form on the blonde's face, even if he didn't look at her.
Leorio looked surprised before waving his thanks away, a slight blush dusting his cheeks, "Yeah, I'm glad you're okay."
Katsuo announced that he was going back to his station as Kurapika watched Leorio curiously, before changing it to a content smile and looked away when Leorio looked up and noticed him staring.
Leorio looked a little embarrassed and ready for a smartass comment from the blonde, "What?" He grumbled.
"I apologize for my rude behaviour. Sorry Leorio-san," The blonde said.
Leorio only looked embarrassed now, "W-what's with the sudden change? We sound like strangers… Just call me Leorio... Leorio works," he said his blush darkening. "I'm also sorry," he added surprising the blonde, "I take back everything I said. I was wrong," He admitted.
"No, it's okay." Kurapika forgave as Phoenix came and stood next to him and smiled at the two.
Before anyone could say anything else the captain's laughter cut through the air, the group turned and saw the captain leaning against the doorway. "I like you guys! Okay, I'll take responsibility for bringing you four to the closest to the exam site," He announced.
"Really?" Gon and Phoenix asked in excitement. "What about your tests?" Gon added.
The captain stopped and looked back at four sternly, "Like I said… It's my decision to make. And all four of you pass!" He said happily before walking up the stairs.
Leorio gave a big grin, Kurapika shared a relieved smile with Phoenix as Gon jumped into the air yelling 'yay' in his excitement.
The four of them were going to become hunters together, Phoenix just knew it.
Notes: This is the first chapter rewrite, for my original readers you will noticed that not a lot has changed but there are so many mistakes that have been fixed. I also took out the part where I describe the clothing for Phoenix because that is just a waste of time and I'm leaving it up to your imagination.