Disclaimer: I don't own HunterxHunter (too bad…)

Story so far: Kurapika decided to start her life anew, while Kuroro resumed life as it had been before he was bound to Kurapika by Hassamunnin's magic—with the exception of Ishtar's absence and some other issues. A few years had passed since their last meeting in Lutetia, and things were going to be merrier.

Author's (apologetic) note: I know some of you—if not most of you—were somewhat disappointed with how Chapter 30 turned out (despite me indicating that everything would be explained in the sequel). Sorry if I disappointed you. To make up for it, I've done an extra story 'Half Empty Glass'. It's about the missing chapter of the one-year gap between chapter 29 and 30. Rated M for 'something'. Read it and after that tell me in your reviews if I've downgraded into a crappy author or not, or if I've ruined the whole 1001 Nights fic or not T_T

EPILOGUE

It was a peaceful morning in the Hunters Association Headquarter building. The entrance hall was quiet and tranquil. The light penetrated through the glass wall of the building, giving a heavenly atmosphere to the hall. The air felt sterile, though it was rather chilly for most people's taste. The hall was deserted, with the exception of the receptionist—who was already dozing off—and two more Hunters who appeared to just about to leave the place.

One was a lean man with dark tanned skin and coal black hair. His dreadlock hair was pulled into a ponytail, making him looked wilder than normal people. While his face was relatively clean of battle scars, his bare chest—which was poorly covered by his tattered leather vest—carried those scars with pride. His companion was a golden-haired girl who was tall for someone her age, and she looked so delicate that nobody would expect her to be a Hunter at all.

"Who's your target this time?" The girl asked her fellow Hunter friend casually.

"An elusive group of criminals, all of them S-rank criminals." He answered with excited tone that reminded her so much of Killua and Gon when they were faced with challenge, but Kurapika interrupted him before he could elaborate any further.

"Are you, by any chance, referring to the Genei Ryodan?"

"Why, yes!" The man blinked at her accurate guess.

Kurapika frowned at him.

"I strongly suggest that you don't hunt them if you value your life."

"Why? Because they are too strong?"

Kurapika rolled her eyes heavenwards and sighed. Sometimes, some people simply overestimated their own capabilities.

"They are beyond your league, Cash. Ask Bashou about it, he will know how to describe it. He had seen one of them in flesh years ago, though he didn't confront him directly."

Cash clearly looked offended and displeased by Kurapika's opinion about him. Kurapika sighed again.

"Look, Cash. It's not like I underestimate your capabilities as a blacklist Hunter, but I have had my own fair share of encounters with them when I was still working as a blacklist Hunter. From those experiences, I can recommend any of my colleagues or confrere not to accept any hunts related to them. I suggest you drop this mission at all, otherwise you'll only be delivering your life to death."

"How did you manage to escape them alive, then?" He countered heatedly, still unwilling to believe in Kurapika's testimony.

Kurapika gave him a lopsided smirk of irony.

"Only by the grace of the God."

Kurapika then walked away from his towards the entrance-cum-exit door of the Hunter Headquarter building.

"I have given you my advice, Cash. Whether or not you accept it and take it into consideration, it's entirely up to you. Your fate lies in your hands and decision." Kurapika said over her shoulder.

Yes, it's only by God's grace that I am still here... Kurapika smiled to herself as she pondered about her own words. Though not necessarily despite the dangerous encounters with the Spiders. On the contrary, even. I'm alive because of them.

Five years ago, the moment she stepped into the premise of the Prancing Pony Inn, she was rewarded with a bone-crushing embrace by a tearfully jubilant Fino. She refused to let go of her even as Kurapika was saying: "Can't...breathe..." She then insisted that Kurapika told her everything that happened while she held captive by the mafia. The Kuruta told her of what she did know of from the point of her abduction to Lucian's meddling with the whole affair. She had omitted one part of the story though—she was most reluctant to tell it to anybody else. It would be her secret.

Then, to her immense surprise, Fino shoved a newspaper to her face and made her read it. Kurapika's eyes widened exponentially as she read the article. It was about the mysterious death of the whole Nostrad clan. The people had seemed to be brutally murdered but there was no further elaboration on whether the authority was doing anything to track down the murderers or not.

In her heart, Kurapika knew that it was the Genei Ryodan's doing. And if the Lutetia government was as sensible as the Yorkshin government, they might have closed the case once they knew the culprit was Ryuusei-gai's Genei Ryodan. All reasons of murder pushed aside, the government would not want avoidable clash with the infamous group of S-rank criminals.

Kurapika had laughed dryly then. She knew that she was the reason of the elimination of the Nostrad clan. No doubt that Kuroro deemed it necessary enough to wipe out the people with knowledge that she was the last Kuruta alive from the face of the Earth. It was downright inhumane and sadistic, but what she could do? What had been done was done. There was nothing that could change that fact. Deciding to let the matters slipped without unnecessarily fussing about it too much, Kurapika never mentioned about it anymore.

If anything, she ought to be grateful to Kuroro's prudent decision. After all, he had spared her from a fugitive's lifestyle.

The bright orangey red light of the sunset washed over the vast area that contained nothing but unwanted items from all over the world. Machinery, clothes, food, tools, and even babies, were cast away to this place; making a mountain of them.

The Scavenger Ground in Ryuusei-gai was akin to a harvest ground for the people of the Ryuusei-gai. It was the place where the citizen made their earnings—gathering the leftovers of the outside world and utilising them for whatever they might be useful for. Because of this, the people of Ryuusei-gai were exceptionally creative in their survival skills, but more often than not their methods were see as abnormal by the outside people.

An abnormal land that produces abnormal people, as often quoted by people who knew of the Shooting Star City.

In truth, there was no other statement more accurate than that quote, as the city was really led by a Medusa who once had been a Goddess. The citizens themselves were none the wiser of this face, except for some special people who were allowed the dark secrets of the city. This abnormal city also gave birth to the abnormal group of S-rank criminals; the Genei Ryodan.

At this very moment, the leader of that infamous Genei Ryodan was sitting on top of a fallen structure in the Scavenger Ground, in the most remote part of the area. He sat facing the falling sun, watching it like a hawk observing its prey. His jet-black coat billowed around him as the strong gust of wind of the Scavenger Ground danced around him.

He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as he watched the sky tinted deep red by the sunset. He remembered that hue of colour.

Just like six years ago, in the Kuruta Village... He told himself.

"Did Hatsubaba harass you again with her naggings?"

Another figure leapt to the top of the structure where Kuroro was sitting on, but he did not sit down. He merely gazed at the sunset, admiring it as his companion did. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for any answer from the raven-haired man. His black shoulder-length hair danced along with the strong wind. His glassy grey eyes reflected the bright orangey-red colour of the sunset, those undead eyes giving off a very eerie light.

"The same argument, over and over again." Kuroro admitted, accompanied with a tired sigh, without looking at his vampire companion.

Lucian chuckled darkly and said nothing further about that matter. He came all the way to Ryuusei-gai to make life harder for his friend, but not by pestering him about Ryuusei-gai matter. No, he was there to bug him about other things.

The finer things in life... He smirked to himself. Ah, how he liked the sound of it.

"I'm surprised that you even gave your Solomon Ring to Kurapika," he started. "Isn't that Ishtar's last memento for you?"

Kuroro did not respond at first, his gaze still fixed on the sun drowning into the horizon. There was a long interval of silence before he finally answered:

"She would have approved of my decision."

"What makes you say that?" Lucian challenged him.

"I am not obliged to disclose my reasoning to you, Lucian." Kuroro said with dangerously edgy voice.

Lucian gulped. Whenever Kuroro used that kind of tone, it meant his decision was final. He was not going to tell him anything, not for the lifetime of his. Even if the vampire was to prostrate before him, begging him to tell him even a little bit of his thought regarding the matter, Kuroro would not spill a word to him.

Stingy, he tsk-ed inwardly but did not dare to utter it out loud. However, he was not going to give up, not yet. There were still some questions that he had to ask him.

"You know, you haven't told anyone about your reason of keeping Kurapika alive since the beginning of your journey with her."

One second passed. Then two seconds. Three. Four. Five...

"Kurapika did ask that question before, but I never gave her the answer." Kuroro finally responded with a low chuckle, as if it was anything amusing at all.

Lucian breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Kuroro was going to answer him! Mamă-mamă! (Romanian exclamation to express something cool or extraordinary) He felt like throwing confetti but instead he pulled a serious expression.

"Are you going to let me know?"

Kuroro did not answer him, nor did he grace him with an annoyed look he usually gave the vampire whenever he was pushing his luck. Instead, he straight-forwardly 'confessed' his reason of keeping Kurapika alive by all means.

"When I first saw her Scarlet Eyes, I simply thought 'Ah, such rare beauty, and it is the last one. It will be such a waste if it is lost to death'."

Lucian raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Feeling responsible for massacring her people? Or regret perhaps?" That's so unlike him, he secretly thought. "That's why you feel obliged to protect her and to not let her die? That's why you coax her not to sacrifice her life in her vendetta?"

Kuroro gave a low, humorous chuckle.

"No such thing. I have no regrets in what I have done. Besides, if I had not undertaken that mission…"

"Things won't be as complicated as they are now."

"Definitely."

"And you wouldn't have met her."

"Perhaps."

"So you keep her alive because of her Scarlet Eyes?"

"Initially that was the case."

Lucian frowned. He was getting lost. Was he the dumb one or was Kuroro the complicated one? Definitely the latter.

"Over time, what happened?"

Kuroro stayed silent for a while, sifting through his words to find the most suitable explanation for the change of circumstances that had occurred six years ago.

"She is simple yet complex. I wanted to study her, to know more about her."

Lucian gave a soft laugh.

"Apparently, too much of knowledge isn't too good, either. Your curiosity brought about your own eventual demise."

"Demise? I hardly perceive so."

That simple word made Lucian frowned deeply. He then sat down next to Kuroro and gave him a critical eye. He tried to search for some kind of answer or revelation from his visage, but neither his expression nor his eyes betrayed anything that he kept hidden within the personal sanctuary of his mind and heart.

La naiba cu tine (Damn you), Isthar. Because of you, Lucifer is very hard to read.

"If you are so fond of her, they why did you leave her?" Lucian asked carefully while articulating his words slowly.

Kuroro gave a mirthless, dry laugh. He then looked up and gazed at the twilight sky. The sunset had completely drowned beneath the horizon and now all that was left of the surrounding was pale darkness that would darken sooner than later. Kuroro lifted his hands and covered his mouth with it, an old habit that probably might never get cured for the lifetime of his.

"If I stay with her, she might break apart. Karma is such a fearsome force." He finally answered, his voice low and almost solemn.

Lucian regarded him with a dumbstruck, astounded look.

I don't see the logic in that, he thought. Psychologically unsound, you really are.

"After all these long years of knowing you, I still don't know whether you are a compassionate or a ruthless person, a genius or a madman." Lucian shook his head in disbelief.

"Is that a compliment?"

"NU ESTE! (is not)" He felt like pulling his hair now. He jumped to his feet and looked down to Kuroro with intense eyes. "Seriously, ever since you left fată (girl), you are kind of screwed up in the head, do you know that?"

Kuroro only smiled.

"Be a bit responsible, will you? Have mercy on her."

"Since when do you start spouting words of wisdom?"

"Well, forgive me for my usual lack of content and weight in my daily conversation." Lucian said with dead voice. "Anyway…I really think you should pay a visit to Kurapika. No. I strongly urge you to do so."

Kuroro gave him a questioning look.

"Reason being?"

Lucian gave him a toothy grin.

"That is for you to find out."

A lone figure was walking down the deserted corridors of a harbour. Her spiky dark blue hair danced along as the wind ruffled it. She ignored her surroundings; nice and tranquil as they were, focusing only on the turbulence she had in her mind and heart.

Machi of the Genei Ryodan was troubled. So was Shalnark. And so was—very surprisingly—Nobunaga. They had often rendezvoused to discuss about certain issue regarding their Danchou, but every time they attempted to bring up the subject to the man in question, Kuroro would simply indicate painfully clearly that he had no wish to be bothered with whatever concerns they had over him. It was unnervingly troubling.

The fact that the subject of their discussions was a certain Kuruta did not help or bring any consolation at all. The three of them knew very well that their Danchou had somehow changed—for better and for worse—since he left the Kuruta in her village five years ago. He had been more docile and less ruthless—that was for the better part—but he had grown somewhat distant as well—that was for the worse part. He still did conduct several missions over the years with the same, unrivalled perfection and brilliance, but that did not change the fact that these three loyal Spiders of him did notice the lost look that he would sometimes show when his guards were down for some fleeting moment of occasions.

The other Spiders did notice the subtle change, but they had not bothered to make such a big fuss over it. Those big oaf of Spiders were simply brushing aside the issue, calling it a 'withdrawal symptoms'—notably a term by Phinx—and they ungratefully assumed that their Danchou would get over it sooner or later and everything would go back to normal before the appearance of the chain-assassin.

Like hell things will go back to normal, Machi had thought at that time, and she still thought the same.

Machi sighed heavily. She jumped on top of the tallest container in the vicinity and sat cross-legged on it. Her cold gaze landed on the vast dark ocean that bordered the harbour.

For five excruciating years they had put up with it. Something had to be done. As she had noticed since long time ago, there was a bond forged between the chain-assassin and their Danchou, and her gut feelings told her that the bond was far from being broken. If anything, she found herself anticipating that something was bound to happen soon—be it good or bad.

Distance makes the hearts grow fonder, huh? She thought with dry amusement.

It was always awkward to relate their cold, expressionless Danchou to anything that had to do with emotions. If anything, she suspected that it had become a more severe case since he parted ways with the Kuruta.

The bane of relationship and bonds. She snorted lightly. Not that she despised it, though. She had to admit that there was a certain bond between the Spiders as well. She had nothing against relationship and bonds, but the romantic ones? They were definitely out of her league.

Just as Machi let out another sigh, her keen eyes caught something. There were movements at one side of the harbour. Curious and had nothing better to do, Machi went to inspect it.

There were some muscular men holding a cage of some sort, transporting it from a measly boat to the most obscured part of the harbour. They did it most hurriedly and stealthily, which made Machi concludes that they were doing something illegal. Even more curious than ever, for a reason she had yet to find out—she had never given a damn about other things except for the Genei Ryodan matters—Machi tried to inch closer to the suspicious group while avoiding their watchful eyes.

Aside from her curiosity, all truth to be told, her gut feeling was telling her that she had to inspect that surreptitious operation. When she was close enough and was in a very strategic position for spying the operation, she managed to get a clear view of what was inside the cage.

It was children. Children of all ages and races; presumably kidnapped from all over the world. They most likely would be sold as child-slaves, or child-soldiers. Being a Spider and raised in the harsh environment of Ryuusei-gai, Machi only felt a tiny-wee-bit of sympathy for those children. The only difference it would make for them was that they simply had to learn their survival skills the hard way. If they survived the ordeals, they would emerge stronger and more cunning than they would ever be.

Machi was about to shrug off the child-smuggling matter and went away when her eyes caught yet another interesting thing among the children. Among those children was a boy—despite his effeminate appeareance, Machi was sure it was a boy—with golden hair.

Golden hair... Machi narrowed her eyes, and a suspicion dawned to her.

There were other children with blond hair, but that particular boy caught her attention the most. She knew that face. She knew that shade of blonde hair. When she narrowed her eyes to observe the boy further, she could see his dark eyes—in the darkness of the alley of the harbour they seemed black in colour.

Suddenly, the whole clandestine operation became her concern.

Leorio was barely awake. He was still in his pyjama and was skimming through the news paper with a cup of hot coffee in his hand. Life had been good, terrific even. He was now pursuing his Master degree while working part-time as a doctor. Gon and Killua would often go for a long-term trip, still in search of Gon's crazy father. Despite the apartment housing three bachelors only, it was kept in a very tidy fashion that one would wonder how bachelors like them could maintain such neatness.

The secret lied within the fact that there was a Mother Hen who would pay a visit to the apartment once a month. She would order them around to tidy up the place, and she would often bring along an extra guest.

"Aaah..." Leorio slumped contently in his chair. "This is life..."

He was content. No more adrenaline-rush adventures that threatened to ruin his heart and internal organs. No more meddling with the underworld since Kurapika was now living a relatively normal life as a Hunter. She was pursuing a new goal as a Hunter: she wanted to do researches about other tribes around the world that were in danger of extinction like her own. She wanted to help them out if possible. While Gon's father area of focus was archaeology, Kurapika's was more of the ethnics and tribes.

Ah, talking about Hunters, all three of them had received their Single Star for their respective area—or was it Double Star for Kurapika? Gon, with his unnatural affinity with animals, had his Single Star for protecting the wildlife or something along that line. Killua, with his mad obsession for chocolates, had his Single Star by contributing something to the international confectionery industry—it had sounded so ridiculous that Kurapika and Leorio could not help but to laugh their assess off. As for Kurapika, naturally she got her Single Star—or was it Double Star again?—from helping a certain tribe from extinction. How noble of her. He guessed that she did not want any other clans to end up like hers.

Leorio himself? He was content enough with living as a doctor. After all, his goal of being a Hunter was purely because of the money to subsidise his medical studies. Nothing more nothing less.

According to Kurapika, Una the Unicorn had taken a somewhat permanent residence in the forest surrounding the remote town where the Prancing Pony Inn was. Whenever Kurapika was going off for her Hunter duty, the Unicorn would accompany her. Leorio often wondered how the Unicorn could be so loyal to Kurapika. She reminded him of some breeds of dogs that were famous for their undying loyalty to their masters.

Leorio sipped his coffee slowly, enjoying the pleasant bitter taste in his mouth but the TV news suddenly caught his attention. There, on the screen, was a reporter saying that a ragtag group of children was spotted in the city and they were scouring the forest for food and shelter. When offered help, they denied them and instead ran deeper into the forest. It seemed that the leader was one of the boys; who was barely four-years-old. They flashed the hazy picture of the boy, and Leorio could not help but to chocked on his coffee and spilled them all over the place.

"Meta?"

And then his phone rang.

Author's Note: Yes, this is the real end of 1001 Nights *throw confetti* This is the first long story I ever finished. Phew... Quite an achievement for me. Don't worry guys, a sequel is in order and I'm already drafting it. Give me two weeks at most, and I'll start uploading it. I know you may not be satisfied with such short chapter, after many outrageously long chapters in the last few updates, but hey, it is an epilogue, after all. Epilogues are usually short, aren't they? Besides, it's only a stepping stone to introduce the sequel to you guys.

And don't forget to read AND review the 'Half Empty Glass', people! It's rated M, for your information.

I know chapter 30 was rather crappy, and I don't want to repeat the same thing so I'll be relying on your constructive reviews to help me improve with the story for the sequel, ok? The title of the sequel will be 'Angel's Prayer'. Why is the title like that? You will find out if you read it =D

Oh, and for mio7, sorry but I can't fulfil all your wishes. The story's been drafted and planned since the beginning, sorry... But I hope you'll keep reading coz there'll be lots of humour in the sequel (at least that's in my opinion)

And for MARYLOVER, thanks a lot for all your insightful reviews throughout this fanfic. You are one of the greatest reviewers out there! XD And also thank you for Florallover, liza lucifer, Ongaku no Usagi, silinde-kun, ThisIsMe09, angelofdeath1119, xXxblacklilyxXx, -X-Takoyaki-X-, KuroPika X and many others I can't remember, for your constant supports for me through your reviews. You guys rock! XD

Sequel: Angel's Prayer – Five years had passed and Machi found herself staring at the exact duplicate of Kurapika Kuruta, with only dark colour for his eyes. The little boy named Meta seemed to be related to Leorio and friends. So what kind of story did this little boy called Meta have?