Another Passing Day ＊ REVISED ＊

Chapter Nine ＊ REVISED ＊

REVISED VERSION

Arietta

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Tears threatened to drop from my eyes when I remembered the days with my friend. His short silver-white hair and purple-blue eyes. He was my only friend at the time. I wonder why, he really reminds me of Silva. I mean, I guess they're both oddballs after all, and so am I; and oddballs stick together.

I ruminated on this for a little bit. Then, while Xi-Rim slept, I kept reminiscing about the past.

I had just left the house, and it was getting late. He said he would be waiting for me at the tree at the top of the hill. That was where we had met. The same place that he had explained to me about how and why he was on this island. He said his name, which I can't remember, and continued on to other things. I think it started with a 'K'.

Then I explained a little about myself, keeping it short and simple. Much more positive than his story. Mostly because I was a simple girl, finding happiness in even the simplest of things. Everything was simpler back then. I explained my dream from the last night, something about seaweed and my mother.

Finally, a few months into our friendship, he said something about how he lived with his family. "I live with my 'older brother' and my parents. They taught me everything I know. But my brother is evil, I swear! But then again, so would be my whole family in that case." Then he started explaining some of his experiences with his brother, but avoided the gruesome parts-which I had had no idea that my best friend had been tortured as a child.

"Come away, we don't have to stay here. We can go anywhere!" He spoke to me in a playful sing-song voice-but being rather serious at the same time, not that I realized it.

At that time I had laughed at him, and told him that I couldn't, and that his singing voice was awful. That he was just dreaming of a future too far ahead. We didn't know where we could go. Leaving the island would mean never coming back. I have my mother here. The house. The island.

What is beyond the island?

I was a hopeless child. When he left, I was a mess, and so was his family. They were ready to kill me and chase after him. I hardly remember them though. My mom was enough of a force to reckon with that they wouldn't mess with her. That's what I thought, at least.

That's when I suddenly remembered his first name. It was-my thoughts were cut off by Xi-Rim's movement. He was waking up. Had I been sitting like this for that long?

"Let's go." Slurred a sleepy Xi-Rim, who was obviously still half-asleep.

I laughed a bit and poured a small water skin's contents on his head. He wasn't very happy after that, and a few words that won't be mentioned were said, which I also laughed at. Good times.

Then we started off-at last, and took an hour or so to reach the city.

"Wahh!" I stared in awe.

Xi-Rim looked at me as though I were crazy.

"Come on! I'd only been to the city once, and it was really far away from here!" I exclaimed to Xi-Rim and he laughed a little and pulled me along without much explanation.

I looked all over the city for my friends, not that it was easy. Xi-Rim gave me on-the-run lessons. I ended up not finding them at all the whole week, even though they said they'd be there(in my perspective, at least).

"Your friends didn't come," Commented Xi-Rim, which made me nearly break out in tears, "rain check?"

He wandered off a little as I wallowed in self-pity. Then, I stopped.

"It means I should train more!" I took it as as prophecy that I could barely myself believe.

----------- Five Years Later -----------

Five years passed; I had learned Nen well, found out my type, had my own special move, trained hard, and became a temporary Bounty Hunter. My life seemed to be going pretty smooth.

I never did end up meeting Ging or even Silva for that matter until later in the fifth year since our parting. On my birthday, Silva showed up while I was traveling, and surprised me with a visit. I never could have asked for a better gift. Out of nowhere, he began asking me about my life when I lived in the island, I wondered how he knew about it, but answered calmly. I mean, I am twenty now. Scary, right?

"You see, I had a brother who stayed on the island when he was little. His name is Killua Zoldyck. Do you know his whereabouts?" He questioned me with a content yet frozen face, definitely different than five years ago.

Then I realized it. Silva... My old friend... They were brothers. My old friend is Silva's brother, Killua Zoldyck.

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