ꕥ

The group had finally arrived at a very dry and deserted land after having boarded the ship, setting off. It had a large and widespread crack through the land and it seemed to be very deep.

Soft roaring wind caressed the applicants' skin, raising their hairs as they peered over the abyss.

'This is it',Menchi advised,'Take a good look at what's down there'

Everyone peeped over the edge of the split in the mountain in wonder and curiosity; albeit some with more chills than anticipation. As the powdery, foggy mist cleared up, spider webs shaped in certain patterns could be seen. Like freshly fallen snow, these webs gave off a sort of majestic atmosphere due to the sunlight beaming beauty upon them from above.

Yet at the same time, a deadly atmosphere lingered at the bottom of the ravine; as if a deadly beast was waiting in the shadows to fulfill it's insatiable hunger.

'Now, look below the webs',Menchi instructed and everyone did so.

A confident beam was stretched on her face and her hands were on her hips with preparation to show these examinees just what a Gourmet Hunter could do.

'Those are...-'

'Those are Spider Eagle eggs'

'Spider Eagles build their webs in deep ravines, to protect their eggs from any kind of harm and predators. This makes their eggs one of the most difficult ingredients to obtain',Chairman Netero briefly explained, slowly straightening his beard with a curled end,'They are also known as Dream Eggs'

'W-Wait.. you don't mean we have to—',The wrestling man wondered, taken aback and his eyes were wide with fear.

'I sure do',Menchi smiled in return, inhaling and exhaling, taking a leap down into the ravine.

Once she did, she gripped onto the web and swung over it a few times to stabilize herself. Watching as the green-haired woman let go, Valentine's eyes lit up as she watched her grab one of the gigantic eggs.

However, as she did, she continued to fall until a large gust of wind escaped from the ravine and she flew back up; unscathed.

Golden eyes shined with amazement and blonde hair tickled her skin as the wind flowed past her.

"Cool",Valentine commented, her eyes bright and a gentle smile spread on her lips.

'That looks fun..',Killua muttered, a smile gracing his lips.

'The ravine has an updraft that help the hatched chicks fly up to the web',Chairman Netero informed, his hands formally behind his back.

Landing safely on the rocky ground, Menchi balanced the large egg in one hand and smiled at the crowd of applicants.

'There. Now I just need to boil the egg'

'Are you insane?!',The wrestler from earlier gasped out, his face full of fear,'No sane person would-'

As the man was going to go on a rant, a voice cut him off and everyone turned towards the source.

"That looked awesome!",Valentine squealed to herself and was the first to jump down into the ravine without a second thought and of course, she didn't think about how insane her actions had appeared to everyone.

Soon, Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio followed after the young girl; along with a bunch of other applicants, and all of them had yet to realize that Menchi didn't finish explaining yet. Impatience and determination controlled their bodies like a parasite.

Therefore, all of them were gripping onto the threads of web tightly and waited for the right moment to drop down.

'Alright, let's go',Leorio urged.

'Not yet',Killua stopped him,'There's no wind'

"There's not always an updraft",Valentine added, watching as someone had let go and was now falling to their unfortunate death,"So, we have to wait for the right moment"

'She's right',Gon agreed, shutting his eyes in concentration.

Everyone waited in anticipation for him to send the signal, but due to the amount of people and weight weighing down the web, the fragile string was close to snapping and ending their destinies then and there.

'Now, Gon?',Killua asked, but he didn't get a response.

Silence.

'Now!'

Immediately, everyone released their hold on the web and thankfully, the string didn't break and everyone who had remained patient, successfully grabbed an egg.

After that, they were lifted by the strong burst of wind and safely landed back on the ground where the earth sweetly welcomed them, a warm gust of wind gently caressing the blonde's cheek.

The golden eyed beauty couldn't contain the joyous grin that was glued onto her lips, relieved that she's passed and could continue on her journey.

After cooking the Dream Eggs, it was almost as if her soul had been projected out of her body and a light hum of content left Valentine's lips as the flavorful taste touched the blonde's tastebuds.

"Hey Killua",Valentine called out as she stared out into the night sky, her voice was soft and airy, as if she had drew her breath from the calm night air itself,"Your eyes kind of remind me of ice"

Pausing in his eating, Killua was confused at the fact that she hadn't said anything about his comment and curiously stared at her.

'Really?',Killua questioned, having never heard anyone compare his eyes to something so beautiful,'How so?'

"They're the same color and look beautiful when the light hits them",Valentine stated, her gaze melting into his. Rich gold melting into icy blue and when she smiled at him. Her smile was so kind to Killua and it took him by surprise.

Had anyone in his life ever look at him in that way?

Silence momentarily buzzed within the air and a nervous look filled icy blue eyes, before quickly disappearing as if it were never there.

'Is that a good thing?'

A gentle giggle brimmed the air with warmth and light, eyes lighting up like the summer's sun and teeth glistening like a pearl; golden irises glistening with a beauty that couldn't be described.

"Of course",Valentine spoke softly, a gentle undertone to her words and it was as if an angel's light filled her smile,"Ice is the most beautiful form of water"

Lips parting in surprise, icy blue eyes widened in surprise and color slowly formed on his cheeks as if fire had burned them.

But, it had sadly ended just as quickly as it had come.

Shaking himself out of it, his lips quirked down into a confused frown and his eyes iced over once more; hiding the beauty of happiness that had once been there.

'Did you damage anything when taking that last phase or is it just me?',Killua questioned rudely, thoughts about why she would speak about something unusual flood through his brain.

She had compared the shade of his eyes to ice?

A giggle full of light and happiness filled his ears and his eyes snapped towards her, confusion filling his cold eyes.

"It's just you",Valentine commented, unfazed by the comment and looked towards the boy once more; gold and ice becoming one as they connected,"That's just how I am. I realize the beauty in things and call it out as it is, beautiful. Everyone has a side to them that they protect, protecting it with a hard shell so they don't get hurt by the darkness of the world. And I guess, this is mine"

ꕥ

'Let me introduce myself to the forty-two remaining candidates',Netero spoke.

Currently, the applicants were in the airship which slowly drifted through the air, reaching the site for the Third Phase. The Chairman had been generous enough to invite them all there as an easier method of reaching their new destination.

'I am Netero, Chairman of this year's Hunter Exam Selection committee'

'And I am his secretary, Beans',The tiny green creature from beside him greeted.

He radiated such cheerful energy that it was enough to actively challenge Gon's.

'Originally, I had planned to make my appearance during the exam's final phase, but as I'm already here..'

The tension in the air suddenly thickened and it was as if most of the applicants were expecting him to reveal the unexpected, the air becoming dense.

Seeming to notice, Netero let out a low chuckle and his eyes roamed over the applicants.

'I love this tension in the air! Well, I might as well stick around for the rest of the trip',Netero concluded in a cheerful tone.

'We will be scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning at 8 a.m',Beans happily added,'You'll find dinner waiting in the dining hall. You are also welcome to get some rest; in other words, you are free to do as you please until you are contacted'

Eyes lighting up at the idea, Killua turned towards Gon and Valentine.

'Gon, Val, let's go explore this airship!'

Perking up, a small smile formed on Valentine's lips and she eagerly nodded.

"You don't have to ask me twice",Valentine said, having an eager look on her face.

'Let's go!',Gon cheered, agreeing with his two friend's.

Rushing off, the trio ran around and despite them having completed two phases, the kid's still had tons of energy left in their tiny bodies. They explored the rooms where there were bunk beds, the first floor and their next destination was the kitchen; to search for any food they could get their hands on.

'Kids! If you want to eat, go to the dining hall!',The chef yelled, grabbing Gon and Killua by the collars of their shirts, throwing them out of the kitchen.

Biting on her lip, Valentine held in her giggles and popped a grape into her mouth as she watched the boy's huff in defeat; neither of them noticing the girl leaning against the wall behind them, holding a plate of food in her hands; two other plates of food placed on the windowsill behind her.

"Well, this got awkward",The girl commented with a light chuckle, before a blush settled on her cheeks as the two boys turned towards her, blinking in surprise.

Slowly her chewing came to a stop, her fingers around a grape and she froze at the shocked look in their eyes, causing her to tilt her head; confused as her eyes blinked innocently. The only sound in the silent hallway was the small chirps that were leaving Zeus's beak as he stole crumbs from the bread on her plate.

"What?"

ꕥ

As the trio were walking through the airship, Valentine noticed the beauty of the scenery as she looked out of the corner of her eyes, before a beautiful and bright smile spread across her lips. Immediately, she rushed over to the windows and gasped in awe; sights like these never failed to amaze her.

Looking through the glass, the stars shone like balls of light trapped within tar and black collided with blue, washing over the ocean that was the sky.

'Amazing!',Gon gaped in wonder and pressed his face up against the glass,'It's like a city of jewels!'

'Yeah!',Killua exclaimed, nodding in agreement and his eyes shined with disbelief.

Silence passed through the calm atmosphere surrounding the children.

'Hey, I was wondering..',Gon trailed off after a period of silence passed by and he received hums from his friends,'..Where are your mom and dad, Killua?'

Even though the question wasn't directed towards her, Valentine froze and her eyes widened, clenching her fists together, tightly as her shoulders went stiff.

'Hmm.. they're alive. Probably',Killua shrugged without a care, caring less about the topic.

'What do they do?'

'They're assassins'

Blinking in surprise, Valentine turned towards Killua and tilted her head; curious.

"Really?",Valentine questioned, before lighting up with a kind smile and bright eyes,"That's so cool!"

Her reply was very energetic.

She knew that he was being honest, since Killua didn't seem like the type of person to lie or joke around about his family's profession.

She had noticed how silent his footsteps were.

'Really?',Gon asked seriously, a slight undertone of shock in his voice,'The both of them?'

He, too, didn't seem to hold an expression of repulse towards his new friend and it intrigued the snowy-haired boy.

Hence causing Killua to burst out laughing, before taking a seat.

'Those are your reactions?',Killua asked, chuckling lightly before he rested his arm on the table and looked out into the distance,'Actually, you guys are the first to take it seriously. People only like me because they can't tell whether I'm serious'

Keeping silent, Valentine's eyes darkened with sadness and listened to what he had to say. The girl wanted to get to know him better, so, she was prepared to listen intensely to what Killua had to say as she relaxed into her seat.

'I'm from a family of assassins, so they're all assassins. And my family has extremely high expectations for me.. but I can't stand it. Who wants their whole life planned out for them? When I told them that I wanted to decide my own future, they went all crazy! My mother had tears streaming down her face as she told me that I had the potential to be a top assassin'

Gon released a laugh and Valentine lightly chuckled.

'Horrible parents, right? Of course, they're going to have a rebellious child. So, I stabbed my mother in the face, my brother in the side and ran away from home'

Blinking in surprise, Valentine's mouth dropped and she let out a light gasp.

'Anyway, I'm sure they're out for blood now',Killua casually added as he rested his chin in the space between his thumb and index finger,'When I become a Hunter, I'll start by capturing my family. I'm sure they're worth some hefty bounty'

A bubbly aura suddenly shrouded him, causing Gon to chuckle weakly and Valentine sweat-dropped, blinking with wide eyes.

'Hey, Valentine',Gon called out this time, turning around to face her,'What about you? Where are your parents'

Silence fell over the trio as a sad and distant look formed on Valentine's face, her once bright and lively golden hues darkening with grief as the bright gold faded into a dull rusted color, the once bright aura around her darkening.

Whack!

Hearing a small yelp of pain, Valentine quickly looked up and saw Gon holding the top of his head, lightly rubbing his head as he stared at Killua; who had a frown of anger on his face.

Looking towards Valentine, Gon rubbed his head and smiled lightly.

'Sorry'

Blinking in surprise, a drop of sweat fell down her forehead and she nervously laughed, looking between the two.

"I-It's okay, Gon",Valentine stated, nodding slowly and gave him a gentle smile,"They, um.. they died when I was younger"

Silence fell over the group as Gon looked at the girl with sadness in his eyes and went to say something when Killua and Valentine sensed an overwhelming amount of animosity coming at them.

Lifting her head, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Gon and Killua stood up, the three looking towards the entrance causing the golden-eyed female to knit her eyebrows together.

Suddenly, the sound of wooden sandals clanked throughout the empty hallway and the trio turned their heads towards the sound; the footsteps coming from the Chairman, who was casually walking towards them.

'Hello children',Netero greeted calmly, making his way towards the trio from the opposite source of the strange aura and noticed the tense stances they presented,'Hm? What seems to be the matter?'

Once he took a good look at the three children, Netero's eyes lingered on her; as if knowing something she didn't, eyes seemingly friendly.

After blinking, Netero looked away from the girl and retained a smile on his face.

'Ah, Netero-san... did you see anyone pass by?',Gon inquired curiously, pointing towards the direction opposite of where the man had entered.

Typically, the bright boy was oblivious to the truth.

'Nope',Netero shook his head and let out a small titter.

The silver-haired boy narrowed his eyes at the older man and let out a small tsk, his lips pulled down into a scowl.

'You're pretty fast for an old man',Killua stated and it seemed that he had also caught the older man's act, finding him suspicious.

'Oh, that? It was just a little trick',Netero waved it off lightly, dismissing it as if it were insignificant.

An intense staring contest emerged between the two, electrical blue piercing through calm and elderly eyes and slowly, Gon began to grow puzzled as to why there was a sudden rise of tension in the air and glanced towards Valentine, hoping for help in understanding what was happening.

He looked between the three, hoping for answers.

Finally, she decided to speak up and break off the intense staring contest.

"So, Netero-san, what do you need?",Valentine questioned.

The older man hummed in confusion and stroked his beard.

He was playing dumb.

'I got bored so I was just looking to be entertained',Netero stated,'By the way, I meant to ask the three of you.. any thoughts on your first attempt of the Hunter Exam?'

'Uh-huh!',Gon exclaimed, nodding cheerfully and his eyes were like sunlight shining through a fresh glass of root beer,'It was fun! There hasn't been any dreading written exams so far!'

A light smile formed on Valentine's face as she remembered the events in the last phase and felt her hair move as the tiny bird upon her shoulder settled down, trying to get some rest.

"The last exam phase was fun",Valentine stated, her eyes lighting up as she remembered the heavenly taste of the Dream Eggs.

'It was boring',Killua spoke bluntly, unconvinced by the elder's acting,'I expected it to be more fun. I trust that the next phase will be more entertaining?'

'Well, now...',Netero trailed off, shoulders rising and dropping in a single, quick motion,'I don't have a clue'

Rolling his eyes in tetchiness, Killua pivoted on his heel and tucked his hands into his pockets.

'Let's go, Gon, Valentine',He called out for his new friends.

'Now, hold on a minute',Netero spoke up,'Would you like to play a game with me?'

There was a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes like a broken lightbulb and his aura began to spike.

Stopping in their tracks, the three pre-teens looked towards Netero; quizzically.