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When they arrived at the top of the mountain, it was surprisingly windy, Kamine frowned as she held the flower crown down to her head. It wasn't often she received gifts so she planned to hold onto the crown for a while.
"Down there," Menchi pointed to the ravine which was littered with lines of webbing. At the very bottom were groups of spider eagle eggs dangling from the line.
"That's our ingredient." Menchi determined as some of the applicants winced in shock. A large breeze updrafted from the ravine as Kamine instantly crouched down realizing an immediate problem with this challenge.
She was wearing a skirt, granted it almost reached her ankles but still... a little wind and she was sure she'd flash somebody. And suddenly her anxiety from earlier made sense.
Without warning Menchi jumped from the cliff slide, hanging onto the webbing as she waited.
She was waiting for a breeze, Kamine noticed as the woman suddenly dropped, grabbing an egg.
"Is she committing suicide?!" Leorio gasped as a big breeze suddenly updrafted again, lifting the girl up as she landed with a smile, egg in toll.
"There. That's how it's done." Menchi grinned as the applicants stared at her in shock.
"That looks fun!" Killua smiled before jumping into the ravine. Gon had jumped alongside him while Leorio and Kurapika followed. Kamine hesistated as a few other applicants jumped.
She couldn't go down there in a skirt! She blushed gripping the black material as she watched the white-haired boy hang lifelessly from the webbing.
Than an even bigger anxiety filled her. What if he fell? How could she protect him. Biting her finger she pulled out a black chained crossbow from her bag. It was a weapon specifically designed by the Zoldyck family so it packed quite the punch, she was positive it would have enough force to reach Killua if he fell, regardless of how far down he was.
"Hey, no weapons are allowed to retrieve the eggs, you might crack it before it gets here." Menchi explained as Kamine just eyed her in annoyance. She continued staring at Killua, the boy was watching as Gon as he concentrated. Kamine sighed in relief understanding Killua wasn't going to fall, Gon would let him know when a breeze was coming.
A sudden scream snapped the female out of her thoughts as a one of the webbings ripped under the weight of the applicants. Thankfully, Killua wasn't holding onto that one as about a dozen applicants fell to their doom.
"Kurapika!" Gon screamed as the blonde male tried to hang on for dear life, only to fail miserably as the string ripped again.
Kamine glanced at the boy before glancing back at Killua. She frowned, she really hoped Killua would be able to manage on his own.
Aiming down at the blonde she shot the crossbow which released with explosive power. It only took a matter of seconds before the arrow pierced the blonde's ankle, halting his fall as he stared up as the girl. She simply held onto the chain as the blonde winced in shock, pain shooting up his leg.
Nevertheless he was alive, thanks to the female. He glanced at his ankle which had become red with blood as a sharp black arrow pierced through it.
"Kurapika!" Leorio and Gon called relieved that the male was safe and alive. Killua just looked up at the female whose violet eyes pierced into his.
They dangled for a few more minutes before Gon gasped, "Right now!" He cried as dozens of applicants dropped from their webbing, grabbing the eggs as they began to fall forward. Even Kurapika had ripped out the arrow in his leg to grab the egg, everyone falling out of sight until a large breeze swept Kamine's vision.
Soon all the applicants began floating in the air holding proudly onto their eggs as they landed.
Kurapika winced, falling to the ground as Kamine walked over to the group.
"Kurapika are you alright?!" Leorio examined his ankle with worry as he instantly began treating it.
"I'm alright, it doesn't hurt that much anymore." Kurapika winced as the man poured disinfectant on the wound, cringing as it stung the boy.
The blonde looked up at the girl. "You saved me." He commented as he looked up to the girl, she had already put the crossbow away and was holding the bloody arrow as he sighed.
"You have good aim!" Gon commented earnestly as he glanced over the ledge, realizing how far away the shot really was.
"All applicants who failed to retrieve an egg now fail." Menchi declared as Killua gasped in shock.
"Wait Kamine! You never grabbed an egg, you're gonna fail the exam!" Killua gasped grabbing onto the female's shoulders as she frowned.
"No it's okay, she can take mine." Kurapika commented as the pair looked at the male in shock, "It's only fair, I wouldn't have been able to retrieve the egg without her help. Besides, I don't know how well I'll do in the other exams with this injury." Kurapika explained as Gon frowned, conflicted by the situation.
"I'll just take it again next year." Kurapika determined with a sad smile as Leorio gasped, "No way! You've worked so hard for this. Don't give it up just because you're injured!" Leorio urged as Kurapika sighed.
"I'm not giving it up because I'm injured, this is the right thing to do." Kurapika mentioned as Kamine frowned, she didn't like getting her win through the sacrifice of someone else, "Here. Take it." Kurapika handed her the egg as another presence suddenly butted in.
"No can do!" Menchi determined as she observed the group. "Kurapika was the one that had chosen to take the plummet and retrieve the egg, granted he was helped along the way. Hunters need to have a certain level of courage and willingness to throw themselves into danger in order to be successful." Menchi explained.
"A certain level of courage that you failed to possess." She lectured pointing at the female as Killua growled, stepping in front of the girl.
"That's not true! Kamine saved me during the first exam! She possesses plenty of courage." Gon interjected frowning as Menchi sighed.
"This is at a different level than the first exam. If she had the courage you think she does, than she wouldn't have hesitated to jump." Menchi sighed as she showed the female the big red 'X'. It appears the examiner was still bitter over the stew Kamine prepared from her first exam.
"I..." Kamine muttered feeling incredibly nervous as she struggled to speak.
"Look she can't even defend herself!" Menchi commented as the group frowned.
"Hey can't you see she's just nervous!" Leorio hissed as he glared at the examiner.
"Just give her a chance to get the words out!" Gon pleaded as he glanced at the girl who was struggling to articulate sentences properly.
"I- I didn't... because..." She mumbled avoiding eye contact with the female.
"C'mon now we don't have all day." Menchi yawned, scratching her ear as she looked away in annoyance.
"Shut up!" Killua hissed, standing in front of Kamine protectively as a murderous aura began to omit from the boy.
"I didn't jump because.... I was-... I am..." She fumbled her words as she gripped the fabric of her clothing.
"I couldn't do it in a skirt!" She squeaked her faxed flushed as she looked away, the boys staring at her in shock as they suddenly processed the situation.
"Oh..." Menchi commented, flabbergasted as the bright red female refused to look at her.
She coughed as she looked toward Netero who gave her an encouraging nod.
"Okay well, I'll give you a place to change and some clothes to change into and give you one more opportunity to grab the egg. If you fail to do so then you fail the exam." Menchi determined as the group brightened up.
"Alright!" Gon cheered as he smiled at the girl, "And don't worry, I'll go again so I can tell you the timing." He encouraged before he was interrupted.
"Applicants who already passed the exam are unable to participate again," Menchi explained as Gon sighed as he looked at the girl.
"That's unfair! Everyone else used Gon's abilities to jump why shouldn't she!?" Leorio defended the female as the girl in question simply just shook her head.
"It's okay. I can manage on my own." Kamine whispered, still jittery with nerves as she headed towards the blimp.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Killua questioned grabbing the girl's shoulder as she gave a solemn nod.
Kamine nodded as Killua begrudgingly let her go. Even if she wasn't, Killua was sure Menchi wasn't going to change her mind. He simply watched as she followed Menchi onto the airship.
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The female didn't really need clothing, rather she just needed a place to change, she informed the examiner as the girl nodded showing her the bathroom.
She carefully stripped off her unique butler uniform. It wasn't even considered a uniform since it was just a cutesy outfit that Lady Kikyo dressed her up in. She always would tell the girl how much she desired to have a daughter like her.
Slipping into a simple black blazer and matching black leggings. She opted out her usual mary-janes for sneakers. She shifted around uncomfortably as she shifted into white sneakers instead of the flats she normally wears, the shoes were more comfortable but she is so used to wearing flats that the feeling was foreign to her. She looked in the mirror, realizing the flower crown was still on her head.
She gave a soft smile before exiting the bathroom.
"Do you have any articles of clothing that aren't in black and white?" Menchi sighed as she directed the female out of the ship. Kamine was too nervous to respond. "Well, at least the weeds you're wearing on your head give you some color."
Kamine felt slightly offended by that comment, but she didn't say anything. When she excited the blimp she was greeted by a bright smile, "Kamine! You're back!" Gon laughed as he approached the girl followed by the rest of the group.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Kurapika glanced at the female worriedly, leaning on Leorio since he was unable to put full pressure on his skewered ankle. She glanced at the boy before giving a small nod, walking towards the edge of the cliff as she looked down.
"That Menchi girl must really have it out for you." Leorio groaned, shooting the female a dirty look as he looked at Kamine in worry. "The task was scary enough with Gon and the others helping me, I can't imagine what it's like doing it alone."
"Just be careful, alright?" He placed a comforting hand on the female's head as she looked at the man in shock.
"And I'll do my best to help you!" Gon declared, butting in as the girl gave the boy a soft smile, patting him on the shoulder.
"Kamine." Killua grabbed the girl's attention as he stripped the backpack off her bag, "I'll hold onto this for you." He said simply before turning away, blushing slightly as he bit his lip.
"Y-You..." He paused, growing more embarrassed as he struggled to compose himself. "Nail this exam and shove it in that old lady's face." Killua growled with anger as Kamine smiled.
"I'll hold onto this for you as well, don't want to lose it now, do we?" Leorio grinned flicking the flower crown off the girls head as she held the spot where it once was.
She frowned, she was sure she could manage the task without losing the crown yet she didn't have the courage to tell the man that. She decided to let him hold onto it as she looked back down, Menchi urging her to move as she took a deep breath.
As silent as a breath Kamine descended, grabbing a string as she let herself dangle loosely from the webbing. She was about a meter above a cluster of eggs, with plenty of room to grab one if she let go. The bigger question was, when.
Unlike Gon, she didn't have superhuman senses that allowed her to dictate when a breeze was coming.
She stared down, realizing just how far the drop really was. She gulped, she should've thought this through before jumping for the egg.
She sighed, it was too late to be fretting about that now.
A muffled call grabbed her attention as she looked up, Gon appeared to be yelling to her for something but she wasn't sure what. All she heard was a muffled noise as she realized how hard it truly was to hear from inside the ravine.
Her head craned back, she felt herself go of the string. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as the fear of free falling rushed through her body. Within minutes a large gust of win lifted her up as she felt herself begin to ascend...
The girl gasped as her head snapped back and her hands weakened, causing her grip to falter as she struggled to hold onto the rope.
A vision. She determined as she steadied herself once again, looking down as her heart pounded in her chest, still rushing from the vision she just experienced.
Unfortunately, the vision gave her no insight into how long or when to know how far into the future it was. She grit her teeth trying to find a solution.
It was then she sensed it. The looming feeling of anxiety that always overcame her after every vision.
Prognostication Trauma.
Even if the wind wasn't coming just yet, that feeling of being pushed upwards should still occur due to her vision foreseeing it.
The girl almost laughed at the irony, for once she was relying on the ability that she viewed as a curse.
So for real this time, she let go of the string, grabbing an egg as she descended.
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-* notes *-
#27 - Kamine carries an arsenal of dangerous weapons, just like the crossbow she used to save Kurapika, in her briefcase.
#28 - Killua learned not to question it, but the contents of Kamine's bag seem limitless to what they can carry.
#29 - Kamine felt fear for the first time in a while whilst dangling from the webbing.
#30 - From so far away Kamine still managed to shoot the falling Kurapika at an angle where she would pierce the area between the tendons in his ankle. The blonde doesn't know if it was by luck or by chance but the female had undeniably saved his life.
#31 - While Kurapika is one to hold grudges, he is also one to hold favors. He is determined to pay Kamine back for saving his life.
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