Up until Gon spoke, a comfortable silence blanketed their travels, aside from a comment from Leorio here and there, oftentimes followed with a sharp, smart reply from the blonde.

   "Hey, Rukei?"

   "Yes?"

   The way Rukei talked, her questions hardly even sounded like questions; they sounded so much more like statements due to the almost non-existent rise in her inquires. Gon had already adapted to this. "Why do you want to become a Hunter?"

   Her response was immediate. "I want to help Shichi-oneesan."

   The boy hummed with interest, thinking over the information and for a new question before returning, "What kind of Hunter is Shichi?"

   "A Crime Hunter," Rukei replied shortly. She felt like it was a bit rude to leave the boy hanging, but she was afraid if she detailed anymore, she would end up rambling, bragging, and looking like an idiot.

   Gon was a curious person, Rukei thought to herself, as he pressed on with his interrogations. "What do Crime Hunters do?"

   "They investigate and reveal mysterious cases in the Crime World," Kurapika dropped into the conversation, deciding to explain it to the boy since Rukei didn't look like she wanted to. She actually did.

   Everything seemed ten times more amazing when Gon commented on it. She didn't know what it was, but it was certain that a very big part of it was the way he beamed like the sun. "So they're like detectives!"

   Rukei didn't think it was that simple. "Essentially, yes."

   "So you want to become a Crime Hunter?"

   A part of Rukei wanted to answer 'yes!' straight away. It was the part of her that had become oddly quiet since it had stopped in Dolor Harbor. "Maybe. Why do you want to become a Hunter?"

   The spiky-haired boy did not lose his smile as he looked ahead. She wondered why as she listened to him. "I'm going to find out more about my dad."

   "Your dad?"

   "Yeah! He left me while I was young, so I don't know much about him," Gon explained as he turned his head back to face her. She could not find spite or bitterness. "But everyone says he's an amazing Hunter! He left his kid to become one, so it must really be something else."

   Gon was... Rukei tried not to think too much about it. In any case, he was weird. "I see. How about you? Why do you want to become a Hunter?" She asked, turning the conversation to the two older travelers listening quietly.

   Leorio let out a proud huff- he was waiting for her to ask, she was sure. "Money! That license can get you about anywhere in this world!"

   "I see." He was right. Rukei had seen it for herself where that piece of plastic could bring people. To towering heights full of adventure, riches and excitement- almost like it was straight out of some sort of novel!

   It also brought death.

   "And you?" The brunette switched her gaze towards the blonde.

   He only gave her an apologetic smile. "I would rather not say. It stands as a personal matter."

   "I understand." Rukei felt dumb for asking. Of course, it was a personal matter. Rukei had gotten carried away with curiosity. Taking such a difficult test often came with difficult reasons. She had also seen that for herself.

   They encountered their first obstacle. In a rather worn and old town, a desolate wind would howl through cracks and open windows. A crow cried as it passed closely over their heads. It seemed like a warning.

   Not for her and her companions, Rukei noted as a loud rumble preceded the whirring of a giant cart being rolled out. For the figures dressed in long robes of white, and with their faces obscured by unusual masks.

   The only individual whose face was visible was an old, stooped over woman, standing with the assistance of an equally old cane; it was made of wood and beaten by time. She muttered something, and Leorio repeated it tensely, carefully hanging onto every word she said, like it were a matter of life and death. There was no reason to assume that it wasn't.

   "Exciting two choice quiz!" The woman yelled- it almost sounded like the elder was straining herself by the ragged way her voice came out. It was hardly covered up by the sound of unprofessional clashing symbols and the squeak of a bicycle horn.

   Rukei searched for a correct description of the situation. "How...," She finally chose a word as the four gaped at the ridiculous set up. "...Anticlimactic."

   The elder went on to explain the rules of the quiz. All four of them had to share one question, and only one question- immediately interruptions and objections were placed against this rule! The second was that the applicants could only say two things; one or two. Anything else would be considered incorrect and therefore, they would be disqualified from the Hunter Exam.

   The man following them from the harbor had finally revealed himself, offering- insisting that he'd take it first since they were fighting anyways. Nobody had any objections to that. Rukei told himself he could "knock himself out" a phrase that Shichi always used.

   The woman said he could pass after giving a ridiculous answer to a ridiculous question. Between his mother and his lover, he chose to save his mother. He could always get another lover, he reasoned, before running ahead.

   Leorio wasn't going to stand for it. He was enraged, but before he could really nail his statements into the old lady's head, the woman gave him a question; his son or his daughter- which one would he save?

   The man was on the edge of losing it, as he quietly picked up the longest and sturdiest stick he could find. Rukei was too busy lost in her own thoughts, trying to pick out a correct answer through a blur of theories, to see him give it a few angry test swings.

   Somehow they managed to get the answer- but when she finally got it, Leorio ran towards the woman, brandishing the makeshift bat, quickly stopped by the blonde. The blonde was the one who then explained the answer to the question. There wasn't one. Like how "no solution" was a valid answer to put when solving functions.

   Leorio was apologized to the old woman after she gave them directions and advice. Her was genuinely sorry for making a rash assumption in a blur of rage. Rukei would argue for justifiable rage.

   Her thoughts came to a halt as she heard a big sigh. Gon sank to the ground, tired from racking his brain. "It's no good! I can't come up with an answer,"

   She suppressed a smile, walking over to help him up. They didn't need to answer it anymore. Was he so lost in his thoughts that he wasn't paying attention?

   "You were still trying to come up with an answer?" Leorio questioned after a short chuckle, "You can stop now,"

   "Huh? Why?"

   Kurapika's huff was an amused one, "The quiz is over,"

   "I know," he mentioned, baffling her, "But... But you know, what if I run into that situation and I can only save one person? What should I do then?" His words sank- ran through her. What should she do? What was she supposed to do? "It wouldn't be right to choose one, but one day, I might have to make that choice,"

   A quietude settled over the group, no doubt each person evaluating the question for themselves. Gon made her ashamed of herself, for tossing away the lesson and purpose of the question right after she had achieved the answer. When he grasped her extended hand she put forward, she noticed how cold her fingers were in comparison.

   She knew what she would do. In the end, it was all up to one thing.

   Her orders.

-

   They had walked for hours, almost twice the amount that the old lady had estimated. Leorio's complaining was starting to really grate her nerves, already worn down by the long trek and scraped away by the uncomfortable chill that trailed after the disappearing sun.

   But they were almost there! They finally caught sight of something that was not a tree or a "BEWARE OF MAGICAL BEASTS" sign. A cabin at the very top, right next to the tree that Shichi had told her to head to, stood with its lights off. Understandable at this hour if it were a normal home, but Rukei was quite sure that Navigator hours worked a bit differently.

   "Do you think they're out?" Gon questioned after getting no response from his knock.

   Rukei doubted the idea, giving a short glance towards the windows. She couldn't see inside. "At this hour? Navigators are supposed to guide Hunter Exam applicants to the exam site. They wouldn't leave their post so easily."

   "Unless other applicants beat us to it!" Leorio corrected her irritably, giving the the door a short kick in a fit of anger. To the four's surprise, Leorio's kick was more destructive than he had meant it to be or the doors were unlocked.

   They were not out, Rukei learned that quickly with a look inside. Inside a giant beast with long ears and gangly arms that would have brushed the ground, had they not been occupied with the kicking woman. Slowly, she lost that fight in her while the beast's grip tightened. The source of the blood spilling over wood floor and shattered glass was a man; wether he was dead or alive, she could not tell from that distance in that darkness.

   Immediately, she reached for a familiar form strapped to her leg; the frame was comfortable in her palm and she could relax a little as her fingers wrapped around the well-known structure- the base, the grip, the trigger...

   This was familiar to her.

  Leorio was the first to break the tense silence, yelling what had been plastered all over the signs they had seen along the way, "A magical beast!"

  "Transforming magical beast, Kiriko!" Kurapika informed, giving further knowledge on the brown, furry, slanted-eyed creature in front of them, "They can take on human form. It is a highly intelligent creature!"

  Within the short moments they used to exchange information, the Kiriko bounded away with its chilling grin from where the window had already broken, most likely when the creature made its entrance.

   Gon was the first one to follow; his movements could closely be compared to the animal before him with a natural ease and grace. The blonde nimbly jumped through the space after him, giving some final instructions to the two, "Leorio, attend to the injured man! Rukei, guard him!"

   "Understood," the girl stated. Kurapika didn't have to tell Leorio to look after the man- he was already quite ahead. She scanned over the professional way the bespectacled man analyzed the wounded, and she was surprised to find out that nearly all the contents of his checkered briefcase were in some way medical related.

   The air was generally quiet after her two other companions left, aside from the quiet whimpering of the man, pleading and praying for his wife's safety. Leorio assured him all the while, with full confidence, that she would be alright. This air was broken by short, sharp snap ringing near the shattered window.

   In an instant, Rukei no longer stood by the man, but by the glass- what disturbed the hush no longer attempted to hide its presence when it scampered away. The unrefined rustling leaves showed its wild haste. Judging by the sound, it was a heavy creature.

   "Should I dispose of it?" Rukei asked the companion left, who gave her a confused look and shook his head.

   "It's too dark out there," Leorio rejected her offer while returning to his job, "We don't need another injury. "

   Agitation tinted the brunette's voice. She would not be the one getting injured. "Gon and Kurapika don't need another opponent. I can-"

   "Didn't you agree to stay here? Gon and Kurapika said they would return with the man's wife." The man interrupted her harshly, reminding her what she had accepted not moments before, "Guard the wounded, Rukei."

   Oh. Her constructed argument vanished; it was replaced by only her current mission: guard the wounded.

   She patrolled the perimeters of the cabin steadily. She could find herself at an ease again. It was so simple. She only needed to guard the-

   the piercing crack of glass underneath her foot almost had her flinching; she was more ready to act against those outside than those inside, and that threw her off.

   Broken glass? The cold reflection of the moon in the scarce, shattered mirrors glared at her against the wood floor.  Why was so little of the glass inside?

   Presuming that the beast entered through the window, the majority of the glass should have been on the inside of the house. She looked over the ledge- it was scattered across the grass in a much higher number.

   The Kiriko didn't have a single cut on its body. Odd, not only taking account of the glass, but also the Navigators. They were supposed to be skilled, strong, intelligent- for a person of those qualifications, shouldn't they have prepared countermeasures against the magical beasts in the area?

   She looked behind her carefully- the wounded man had been staring intently at her and immediately looked away when she made eye contact. He uncomfortably turned his head from her when she spoke. "How long have you been living here?"

   He dodged her question in another fit of pain. She would discover the answer for herself- from the look of the cabin and the furniture in it, they resided there for a long time. Her eyes trailed down from the ceiling to the walls with worn frames holding old pictures and paintings. The floor appeared to be worn too, and the wood floor changed color in certain areas due to sun or other factors, the rug-

   Underneath her foot, almost unnoticed underneath the gleam of glass, was a long gash. An old gash, it seemed not to be intentional, slightly covered by the crooked rug- someone tried a little too hard to hide it.

   He tried to get (divert) her attention; she could tell as he once again screamed for his wife. It came out very forced as she kicked up the end of the carpet and rolled it back with her foot. It matched the claws of the Kiriko.

   Leorio had not noticed her inspection yet- he was too focused on his job, which he was doing an excellent job at, to look over or to relent when she told him to step aside.

   "What is it, Rukei?" The bespectacled man demanded, sparing her an aggravated glance with one hand still rummaging through his briefcase.

   The brunette did not answer him. Instead, she directed a question towards the wounded. "When did the Kiriko enter? How did he enter?"

   He seemed like he was about to reply to her, but his response was lost in a cringe of pain. Leorio clicked his tongue in annoyance and tried to shoo her away from his patient, "Rukei, don't bother him with questions! Gon and Kurapika will save the lady and beat up the Kiriko!"

   Rukei ignored him, setting her hand underneath the injured's neck to force him to look at her (something he didn't do since she first questioned him) and quickly found his pulse.

   "What are you hiding?"

-

   Gon was weird.

   He tried to introduce the father Kiriko and the mother Kiriko (they looked identical) and the two that acted like the couple were really just cheerful siblings. If they transformed, they too would have looked exactly the same, though perhaps a little smaller.

   "The one Kurapika and I beat up is the dad!" Gon pointed out in the general direction of both, "And the other one is the mother."

   His three companions nodded slowly and feigned a look of comprehension.

   She listened on the tips of her toes, leaning forward a little as she heard her friends pass one by one. A bubbly feeling jumped through her veins, and she excitedly gripped her hands behind her back. She wanted to jump for some reason, and she just barely let out a 'good work' to both of them. The bubbly feeling only grew stronger when they honestly thanked her for short statement.

   "Rukei!"

   The girl tensely turned on her heels, switching her gaze from her friends to the man in front of her.

   The son smiled at her obvious anxiousness- he noted earlier that she had impeccable posture, but he could see her leaning a little forward now, waiting for an answer, "You stayed calm and wary and carefully evaluated the situation while guarding the cabin. You have an excellent attention to detail, and you did not abandon your post. Another pass!"

   "Thank you," Rukei mentioned gratefully, earnestly. She would be getting to the exam site! She hoped that Shichi would be proud of her, because Rukei certainly felt proud of herself. She smiled at the thought. Rukei had-

   "Ah!" Gon pointed at her, surprising her with his out of the blue exclamation. Giving her cheeky grin, he told her "Your expression changed!"

   Rukei immediately put the neutral, blank expression back on after a short freeze-up and nervous jolt, facing forward. But everyone laughed at her, because they could tell she was flustered.

   "You should smile more!" Gon suggested merrily, and her cold, stoic huff told him that she disagreed with his statement.

   Leorio laughed at her, and she did her best to keep her glance a glance, and not a glare, "It wouldn't kill you, y'know? At this rate, you'll never get a guy."

   "Rukei, take what Leorio says with a grain of salt," Kurapika brushed the older man's comments aside which got him an annoyed 'hey!', "But, you need not restrain yourself in front of us."

   The Navigator was the one who thankfully drew the attention away from her and to Gon, declaring that he passed. They were now, practically, official Hunter Exam applicants.

   The Kiriko lifted off with the Hunter Exam applicants hanging onto their legs. The tree they had been targeting to get to for the past six or seven hours, was growing smaller and smaller, the higher they ascended, leaving it to a small little speck of green left on the ground. The moon was full, casting a silvery light, and its glow was somehow not as cold as it seemed before.

   "Isn't it great we passed?" Gon cheered, still audible over the flapping of wings and wind.

   Kurapika responded with a realistic and down to earth statement- but the sound of it was very different! "It is too early to celebrate. We have merely earned the right to take the exam."

   "What's wrong with celebrating a little?" Leorio questioned with a grin, telling the blonde to loosen up, "We're making progress!"

   "Honestly," the blonde sighed, though she could tell, he was just having a little fun poking at the doctor, "You should really try to think ahead!"

   "Hey!" The elder man snapped, angrily swinging back and forth, "Why must you always be such a smart-?!" the man's question faded into worried hollering, as the man directed his full attention to regaining his grip on the magical beast.

   "Stop moving!" the Kiriko warned irritably, struggling to keep the man in the air, "If you fall, blame yourself!"

   They were all so weird. Them and her who was feeling inexplicably good since she took off with them, fought with them, met them.

   "You should smile more!"

   It'd be okay, she told herself while looking towards her friends. For a little bit, just for a little bit, she'd be weird too. Rukei smiled to herself.