Trials and Tribulations - A Kurapika x FEM!O.C. Fanfiction (HUNTER X HUNTER)

22. Strange x Rituals

The next day I watched Gon's grueling match with Mitsuki at my side. I grinned and cheered as Gon punched the clown and grimaced in pain when Hisoka pummeled my cousin. Thankfully the referee had ended the match early in an attempt to keep Gon safe. I sighed with relief when my little cousin left the stage, injured but overall alright. Mitsuki looked at me with a puzzled expression as I held out my hand. Then they sighed and took ten thousand jenny out of their pocket and slammed it into my palm. I grinned and stuck my tongue out at Mitsuki, causing them to furrow their eyebrows and kick my shin. I winced and stumbled back as Gon and Killua approached.
"Hey," Killua said. I smiled.
"Hey. You did amazing, Gon!" I exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder. He smiled while Mitsuki took out their notepad.
" i still think it was very stupid to fight him." Gon scratched the back of his neck and laughed.
"Yeah... anyway! Now that I've given Hisoka back his badge I can use my Hunter's License!" I smiled.
"And we can go home!" He grinned and nodded. Mitsuki put a finger up and we waited as they wrote.
" home?" I looked at them and smiled.
"Yeah! Gon grew up on this place called Whale Island. I didn't grow up there but I did live there for a few months before we left home for the Hunter Exam! We were going to go visit our family, will you come with me?" I asked, smiling at my new friend. They seemed withdrawn into themselves.
" i do not know if that is a good idea" I tilted my head in confusion.
"Of course it is! Mito and grandma will love you and Killua, right?" I asked Gon. He grinned and nodded.
" i guess if you want me too..."

Soon we found ourselves back on that tiny boat that we had taken when we left Whale Island all those months ago. I texted Kurapika what we were up to with no response. I sighed and looked out onto the water when Killua walked up beside me.
"No luck with your boyfriend?" My face flushed red as I looked at Killua smacking his arm.
"He's not my boyfriend!" My face fell as I sighed. "And no. I haven't heard from him in a couple weeks... I'm worried about him." Killua just looked at me.
"I'm sure he's fine. It's Kurapika. He can handle himself," I nodded and sighed as I looked out onto the glistening waters. Had he broken our promise?

"Mito!" I exclaimed, running up to my older cousin and my grandma. I enveloping them both in a tight hug before letting go and turning to Mitsuki.
"This is my friend Mitsuki!" Mito smiled widely at them and bowed to them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you! Any friend of Akasuki or Gon is a friend of mine. I hope you enjoy your visit!" Mitsuki looked actually off guard as they wrote in response.
" thank you. i will try." I smiled and lead my friend into my second home, taking them to my old room. Mito had already put out a cot in anticipation as well as multiple blankets at pillow. Mitsuki looked at it and just stared before taking off their backpack and throwing it down. Part of me wondered what was in it as I placed my own bag onto my bed, checking my drawers to see my old clothes still remained, even if they were collecting dust. I smiled. Tonight was the new moon. Now that I was finally home I had something I needed to do.

Aunt Mito has started furiously cleaning around the house.
"My goodness, I wish you would have let me know you were coming home! I didn't have time to prepare!" I blushed and smiled, holding my arm.
"It's fine, no big deal," Gon said innocently, taking a seat at the table.
"Yeah. Mito I promise we don't mind..." I said, smiling at her. Her face turned somewhat stern.
"Maybe not to you two, but your friends came all this way!" She huffed, still cleaning. I blushed as Mitsuki held up a finger.
" it is ok. this is a much warmer welcome then i have ever got. " I frowned at what they wrote. I knew they probably had baggage but still... I understood where they were coming from.
"Yeah, it's fine! You don't need to worry about me," Killua exclaimed, holding up a hand in reassurance.
"Honestly, you should have called at least! I've been worried sick!" Mito said while still dusting and cleaning everything. I stepped up behind her and enveloped her in a hug. She froze before setting everything down and turning to hug me back. The hug was warm and kind. It was so much like the ones my own mother used to give. Like the one Kurapika gave me in the third phase... She let go and ruffled my hair.
"I'm so glad you're both alright..." I gave her a warm smile.
"I told you I would protect him," She nodded and smiled back at me, patting my shoulder before returning to her cleaning.
"I know,"

After dinner I looked at Mitsuki. "There's something I want to show you... if it's okay?" They looked at me and nodded. We left the house and started into the woods. We walked for about a half hour before coming to a huge, gorgeous tree. It was the one Gon had caught that giant fish in... Mitsuki and I climbed it until coming to a espically large branch. From it I could see the entire island. Mitsukis eyes widened as we stared at the sun falling on the horizon.
"Hey Mitsuki?" I said softly still looking out. I saw them look at me from the corner of my eye.
"Thank you. I know we haven't been friends for long. And that you beat the shit out of me at Heavens Arena but... thank you. For coming home with me. For deciding to be my friend..." Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Before I came to live with Gon, I lived with my parents. My mom was a Hunter. She was killed by the Phantom Troupe in a raid on a clan five years ago. Only a year ago my dad took his own life. Even when I had my parents I was alone. I never had friends my age until I met Kurapika and Leorio. And then... you. So... thank you." I watched the sun set for a few moments before they tapped my arm to catch my attention. I turned to them as they handed me what they wrote.
" you are so stupid. you do not have to thank friends for being friends. i like you. i do not like people often. that is all. " After I finished reading I looked up at them. I wanted to hug them but I knew they most likely wouldn't like it so I just smiled instead.
"Thank you- er no thank you? Wait what should I say I don't know what I should say no-" I was cut off by Mitsuki stepping on my toe.
"Ouch!!" I lifted up my foot and hopped around in pain. "What was that for?"
" for being a idiot. "

THIRD PERSON PERSPECTIVE

That night Mitsuki followed Akasuki as she went into the woods. Akasuki wandered until she found a nice clearing where she gathered firewood before going back to the house and grabbing a pack she had filled with what she needed. Tonight was a turning point in her life and she could feel it as the absence of the moon in the sky shined down upon her.
From her bag she took a small bundle of herbs that she had grown with her parents years ago and set it on the ground. Mitsuki watched curiously as Akasuki lit the fire and took the bundle of herbs, lighting the edges then covering herself in the smoke. Her movements were precise yet fluid, like a dance or like water. Mitsuki could tell that whatever she was doing meant a lot to her, even it it was strange.
After she finished her strange dance, she placed the remainder of the stick into the fire and let it burn. Mitsuki took a seat in the forest and watched in absolute wonder as Akasuki opened her pack, taking out her clothes that she had worn during the Hunter Exam and the first few weeks she spent at Heavens Arena. She set them in the fire one by one and watched them burn, allowing the old to burn away for the new.
For the next few hours Mitsuki watched as Akasuki watched the fire slowly smolder and die. She watched the red haired girl lean over the fire and pray, a tear falling down her face as she did. Then Akasuki looked up.
"Hey.." Her voice cracked and Mitsuki jumped. Had she know they were here all along? They stepped out of the forest and put a hand up in greeting.
"It's okay.. I knew you were there the whole time. To be honest I could tell you had good intentions so I didn't say anything.." When Mitsuki looked at the girl she saw something different. A different side of the bold red head she knew. This girl was filled with sadness and grief. Mitsuki couldn't do anything but look.
"That was just me cleansing myself and burning the old to give into the new... I know it's weird and stuff but it's part of my religion. When I was young I would watch my parents do the same thing. My moms family has practiced my religion for generations while my dad converted after meeting my mom... sorry. I'll shut up now.." The girl scratched the back of her neck and wiped her tears, easily making it look like she had never cried in the first place. Mitsuki put a finger up.
" it is not weird. it is beautiful." Akasuki looked up and read, new tears in her eyes. She looked like she wanted nothing more then to hug her friend but she held back, knowing that Mitsuki wouldn't want her too.
"Thank you... let's head back, alright?" Mitsuki nodded and the two walked back to the house, a new chapter beginning in their journeys as the ever present spirits of the forest watched over them.