Disclaimer: Hunter x Hunter belongs to Togashi.
Note: Kurta, Kurata, Kuruta. I prefer the latter so that's what I used. This is a repost.
There Is No End
10.18.2006
"Sun in the sky
Trees on the ground
Our bodies created from the Earth
Our souls from the heavens
The sun and moon shines on our limbs
And the ground moistens our body
Giving this body to the wind that blows
Thank God for the miracle
And the Kurutabou territories
Wishing for everlasting peace in our souls
I desire to share happiness with my people
And desire to share their sadness
God, please praise eternally -
The Kurutabou people."
The Kuruta sighed and stared at the locked door. A rueful smile tugged at his lips as he wondered if he had ever been that frustrating as a child.
"I'm sure you were." Correctly interpreting the look on his face, a voice laughed softly from the end of the hall. "Now you know how they felt, hmm?"
"I always knew how they felt." He retorted, piqued. "But it wasn't like I could just let go." He leaned weakly on the wall for a few seconds and then slid gracelessly to the floor to slump his chin on a knee.
"You look like a sulking twelve year old."
He gave her a beady eye.
"Okay, a surly seventeen year old then."
He rolled his eyes then shifted to a more dignified position as was possible camping on the floor outside a locked door. "There. Satisfied?"
She patted his head with a smile, fingers lingering to gently smooth the light hair. "What are you going to do?"
"What I have to, I guess. I've said everything I have to say. And then some! He's not going to listen to reason. He's taking what happened too personally!" Red eyes flashed as he spoke heatedly.
"Wouldn't you?"
Silence answered her.
The door opened suddenly and the young boy standing momentarily stunned in the doorway gaped at the sight of his long-winded, stuffed shirt of a father sitting on the floor. The boy looked older than his twelve years, with dark hair, light skin, and the blazing red eyes of the Kuruta.
Standing up, the man eyed the pack on his son's back and remarked mildly. "You're going."
The boy's face hardened and his chin set in a determined line. "Yes."
"Alone?"
"No. They both said they'd go with me."
The Kuruta studied the face that looked so much like his own, then he sighed and placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Listen, you have good friends, heed them once in a while and... try not to give them too much of a headache."
"Y-you're not going to stop me?"
He shook his head. "I'm not saying I agree to it but... this is something you have to do, correct?"
Some hesitation, then a quick nod.
"Well then, go! But come back safely please."
The boy's jaw dropped, eyes changing back to brown-gold he gazed inquiringly at the woman standing behind the man. She held up both hands to say she had nothing to do with it.
"I-I can go?" He put a hand behind his head in an awkward gesture, "Um... I'll be back before you know it... please don't worry." He grinned and gave them a jaunty salute. Then he squared his shoulders and walked out the door.
The father, having half a mind to run after the boy, looked mournfully at the closed door. "Don't worry?" He asked of it. "I know exactly what's going to happen! Hate, pain, confusion, disillusion... coming to grips with the reality that some things have to be let go...
"How... can I not worry?"
There was no answer except for the comforting hand slipped into his.
"He's very much like you." She spoke reassuringly.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Was his serious response.
"Idiot, that's a good thing. I married you didn't I?"
"In spite of the aggravation I caused, not because of."
"Ahh, don't you know? I like being aggravated by you."
"Could have fooled me."
"Pshaw! It's similar to when you worry about him. You like it. You can't help it. So go on, be the worrywart that you are. It's allowed, especially since you're such a prude."
"I am not!"
"But believe me when I say that he'll be okay. He'll get through this and be stronger for it. You did, right? And he is your son."
The couple linked arms and walked down the small hall to the brightly lit kitchen.
"Do you think I should have told him about Nen before I let him go haring off to who knows where?"
"What's this? Regret? For not telling him about the Spiders? He's trained well enough. With the four of you, too well, I think. He'll find out about Nen eventually and he'll pester some poor sensei into teaching it to him and those friends of his." She waved an airy hand. "Then he'll find out about you and about Gon and Killua, about Leorio too, and he'll say; 'No way! My father? Are you sure you've got the right person? Skinny, nose-buried-in-a-book, wears an earring, rather girly?'"
"I. Am not skinny!"
"'Him? Kick some serious Nen ass?' Such mind boggling information he will never believe from us." She was nodding her head sagely. "Yes, details such as those have to come from a third party."
The Kuruta looked insulted. "You sound just like him!" He accused. "Or – does he sound like you?" He glared at his wife, the solution to an old mystery abruptly dawning on him. "It was you! All these years... and it was you who taught him how to swear!"
She looked slightly surprised. "Oh, right. I never did tell you about that, did I?"
"To this day, every Hunter I meet remembers! They are never going to let me live that moment down!" He continued in a huff.
"It's not like I did it on purpose." She replied placidly. "He was six. I was having a bad day. Blame your genes he has such a good memory."
The man pulled at his hair in frustration. What do you say to logic like that? It was a waste of breath to complain; he knew he could never win.
"So he'll learn about the existence of Nen and come back here to find out more from you."
A chilling thought struck the Kuruta as he recalled one minor bit of overlooked fact. "We never told him about Hisoka. What will he feel when he finds out his favorite magician uncle is actually a psychotic killer?"
"Was, dear, was." She corrected primly. "If you still don't trust him why do you allow him here?"
"Because Gon swears, on his life, that being ill is not Hisoka's fault and so we should give him a chance. And you know no one can refuse Gon when he gets like that. I tried. Leorio tried. Not that it helped. Heck, even Killua tried. It simply isn't possible."
"And Leorio says Hisoka is taking his meds?"
A snort. "Faithfully."
"Too bad..."
"Why did I know you were going to say that?"
"Just joking. Touchy touchy! Really, not at all befitting the head of the Kuruta family." She harrumphed and rubbed her swollen belly. "So how do you think he'll feel?" She interrupted her husband's rubbing of her belly.
"What?"
"When he finds out about Hisoka."
The Kuruta pictured how his son would react and tried not to look scandalized.
"Kids these days..." she tsked laughingly, reading his mind.
"He'll be thrilled." He choked.
"Exactly."
Author's Notes: Written for Kimi-chan who just wants Kurapika to be happy. Also, I'd like to make it clear that I am an avid Hisoka fan. The latter part isn't meant in any way to insult Hisoka so it shouldn't be taken too seriously. The way I see it, Hisoka is probably pulling a fast one.