The airship seemed to have finally landed a fair while later than the time Chairman Netero and his secretary Beans had previously suggested.
In fact it seemed quite a few people had noticed and gotten grouchy over this fact, while others were thankful for the extra time to rest.
Everyone filed out of the airship onto a large platform, many looking around in confusion.
"What is this place?"
"There's nothing here."
I took a few steps away from the group, noting that there was a clear edge to the platform we stood upon. Before I could make any more move to investigate, the sound of the small green secretary clearing his throat had me turning to look at him.
"Everyone, this is the site of te Hunter's Exam's third phase. You'll be competing here at the top of the Trick Tower." he stated, a smile on his face.
"D'you say Trick Tower?" One of the examinee's asked.
"In order to pass this phase, you must reach the base of this tower alive. The time limit, is seventy-two hours." the small man explained. "And with that, the exam's third phase will now begin. Good luck to each and every one of you."
As he spoke his last words to us and moved to re-enter the airship, everyone tuned to look at each other with mild confusion. I took my place behind the two twelve year olds, weary of all those surrounding.
"All right everyone, do your best!" the voice of beans echoed loudly as the Zeppelin drifted further and further away. The examinees took a final glance, before we all dispersed into each of our respected groups.
"Well, I guess we should move towards the edge for a way down." Kurapika suggested. With no one having a better idea, we all made our way to the edge of the tower.
I dragged myself a few paces ahead and crouching to peer over the edge of the platform, my hair favouring towards a single side due to the updraft. "Oh wow... wouldn't want to fall down there." I chuckled, turning to the rest of the group as the drew closer.
Gon let out a sound of surprise as he looked over the edge.
"Now what, are we supposed to climb down?" Leorio questioned, looking to Kurapika for answers.
"Well I hope not, that would be suicide." Kurapika looked to the bottom of the tower with wide eyes.
A laugh sounded behind us, causing us to all turn around. "Sure... for most guys." Number 96 said smugly. He was soon already on his way down the side of the Trick Tower. "For an expert rock climber like me," he gruffed, "this is gonna be a piece of cake." with that, the rock climber continued his way down.
"Oh wow..." Killua watched closely.
"Look at how fast he's going!" Gon commended.
"Rock climber or not, he's got a long way to go." I mentioned. "Let's hope he doesn't get too tired and give up." I stood up, and turned to walk away but the others seemed to want to keep watching the rock climber. "Yo, guys? We should probably move to find our own way down..."
The sound of flapping stopped me from pushing them further, looking around, I finally decided on the direction they would be coming from. "This isn't good."
Just as the words left me, four flying beasts flew by the rock climber. "No stop!" he yelled, one of the creatures appearing beneath him and capturing him within their mouth, flying up past us and the taking him away. The words "help me" hitting our ears.
"Uh... so I guess we can't climb down..." Leorio said, voice wobbley. "Not this way atleast." he qickly added, suitcase held up against his chest.
"Ee-yeah..." the blond agreed.
We soon found ourselves walking around the face of the tower. "Oh." I suddenly sounded.
"huh? What's up?" Leorio asked, looking back at me. Kurapika seemed to have noticed aswell, as he turned to Leorio.
"There are fewer people around." he observed.
"What??" Leorio began to frantically look around.
"I count twenty-three. Which means have of the applicants have already found an exit." the blond added.
"No way.. when did that happen?"
Kurapika crossed his arms. "We're missing something here. There must be hidden doors or something that lead into the tower."
"Kurapika, Y/n, Leorio!" Gon called, waving us over.
"What is it Gon?"
"Look at this, we found a trap door, check it out!" he kneeled down to push the ground below us showing that it moved.
"Oh I see. So the only way inside the tower and going down to further levels is by turning over these stones.." Kurapika observed.
I was too preoccupied to notice something so simple-! I felt the vein on my forehead pulse angrily at me.
"Okay, good job. Now what do ya say we head on down?" Leorio smiled.
"K. but I'm sorta confused." I looked to him at the statement.
"What is there to be confused about?" Leorio asked, voicing all our thoughts.
"Just take a look at how many there are in this area, five. Isn't that convenient? Killua and I suspect that one or maybe more of them could be a trap." the young boy explained.
"Not to mention you can only go through a trapdoor once." Killua added.
"How'd you figure, Kil?" I asked.
"We saw a guy fall through one earlier, but when we tried to move it after, it was sealed shut."
"judging by the door's size, only one person can go through at a time." Kurapika observed.
"Which means, only one person can use each door." Kil added. "It's beggining to look like were going to have to split up. We decided that we should each pick a door, and see how it goes." he smiled, hand on hip.
"And no hard feelings if one of 'em's a trap." Gon continued. "How about you guys? what are you gonna do?"
"Works for me, seems like luck is part of the game or something." Leorio mused.
"No objection here." Kurapika piped in. The four turned to me.
"You guys seem to have it all figure out," I shrugged. "let's do it."
We each chose a trap door and stood infront of it, facing eachother. "On the count of three, we all hop in at exactly the same time, okay?"
"I guess that means... goodbye for now guys."
" We'll meet up at the base of the tower."
"Let's do this," Killua said, looking to me, I nodded. "One!" I felt a presence slowly approach me from behind.
"Two!" Gon yelled. They grew closer.
"Three!" They all yelled and jumped on their tiles while I hoped out of the way of my assailant. I got a glimpse of blue clothing and the tag number sixteen before they fell down the hole.
"no... no no no there is no way I was tricked by that pig!" my hand flew to my mouth as I stared down at the hatch I was supposed to go down in amazement.
How... I blinked once, then twice, before I finally shook my head. "Nothing I can do about it now..." I sighed, turning my body around and instead making my way towards an unoccupied area of applicants.
I took a glance at each of the hatches, trying to figure out what ones looked to be closer to each other and which ones looked as though I could go down alone.
After a moment, I finally decided on a hatch closer to the edge and tapped it with my foot. It moved.
"Guess I'll be going with this one then..."
The gradual descent down was only brief, and it wasn't so far that I was forced to land off balance. My feet gently hit the floor and I found myself facing a wall.
Taking a step back and twisting my head, I was met with a pair of deep red eyes. "Y/n! What a surprise! Here I was, thinking I'd be left in this room to rot, but here you are, my knight in shining armour." Akemi grinned playfully to me, standing from his sitting position against the opposing wall.
I felt a smile wanting to tug on my lips, but kept it at bay. It wouldn't help anyone in this situation. "Well I'm happy to find that you are not rotting." I sent back.
Just then, a voice came from over the intercom. "Alright lovebirds, let's get moving." From behind us, a wall pulled itself up into the ceiling, much like when the Hunter's Exam first began.
There were no directions after that, only a dark and yet torch lit hallway practically wishing for us to enter it and with no other options, we took a single glance at each other before walking through the door, the wall closing back behind us.
The hallway almost replicated that of a secret passageway, torches held against the walls with metal and nothing but a hall for as far as either of us could see. It was relatively spacious, but apart from that there was nothing of great interest to note.
"I didn't see you on the Airship, Akemi." I noted. "Where'd you run off to?"
"Oh you know, here and there." He smiled. "Although if I knew you were looking for me I would have stuck around ~" a single corner of his lips twitched upwards.
I simply glanced at him. "Uh huh." I didn't press the matter anymore than that and instead made an attempt to change the subject. "So what made you decide to be a Hunter, Akemi?"
"Hm? Well it was actually recommended to me by a very close friend. I looked into it and realised having a licence would be useful, and thus, here I am." he shrugged casually, walking at an even pace.
"Ahh. I see." I wasn't sure how I was supposed to follow up after that. I didn't generally make much conversation outside of the Zoldyck's before this so I was at a loss.
We walked in a relatively comfortable silence, falling into step with each other. The corridor still continued on and there was no indication of any change.
"So, what's your favorite colour?" Akemi suddenly asked.
"What?"
"You're favourite colour, what is it?" he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling ever so slightly.
I stared at him with widened eyes. My favourite colour? How did I not the the answer to a question that seemed so simple? Was I weird for not knowing what my favourite colour was? Was it even that big of a deal?
My eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not quite sure..." I settled on, after a moment of a stunned silence.
"Hm," he chuckled, "mine is blue, cerulean blue in fact." a smile adorned his face.
"Blue? How come?" I asked, hoping for help to find my own "favourite colour".
"Well it's everywhere, isn't it? The sky which then leads to the ocean, even crystals." Akemi looked up, as though he were lost in his own world. "When I look up at the sky, or towards to ocean - or any body of water, I can't help but feel a sense of freedom. The idea of all that open space just waiting to be ventured through. The fact that everyone looks up an sees the same sky almost gives a feeling of unity between each and every person's brain." I don't think I could ever going into so much detail about something I'm passionate about, let alone a simple colour.
I suppose that's something I found myself jealous of when it came to people like Akemi and Gon. The amount of pleasure and happiness they get due to the simplest of things.
I wonder if I could ever be like that.
"And then there are your eyes." I looked up at him, suddenly feeling my throat close up, he stared right back.
"My eyes?" I managed to ask.
"Yeah. You know, blue is also said to be the colour of loyalty and trust. Maybe that's why I like it so much." Akemi slowly turned back to face forward. A content expression on his face.
I stayed silent after that. A single thought racing though my mind.
I should have listened to Illumi. Akemi is trouble, I don't need trouble.
~
A/n: unedited <3
+Changed this books description to something much more well suited <3