Author's Note: Hunter x Hunter characters belong to the amazing Yoshihiro Togashi. .

Amira Arphaxad walked with her guide Naida though Zaban city.

"I was surprised that you made it. You don't look like someone who could be a hunter." Naida said while pushing her black hair away from her face.

Amira laughed. "I get that a lot. No one expects me to be powerful."

Many men and women stared as the woman walked by. If only they knew that the woman they were staring at was a water nymph. The nymph was not the only one who was getting attention. Her companion was attracting a lot of attention as well.

At 16-years-old, Amira was often called a fairy in human form by those who did not know her. At 4 foot 10 inches, the teen was the shortest person in her age range on Sapphire Island. With her slender body, pale albino skin, crystal blue eyes and blond Curley hair, some of the island folks thought she was a changeling. The girl attracted attention wherever she went. Her blue halter top showed enough skin without looking slutty while her black knee length shorts were bejeweled on the pockets. Her black boots had a 1-inch heel with a zipper on the side.

"Who taught you to use nen?" Naida asked in wonder.

Amira smiled, "My father. He used to be a traveling hunter who looked for plants and herbs to make medication. He met my mother and fell in love with her when he came to Saphire Island looking for a plant to treat burns. They got married and he started working with the town doctor. He became a doctor. I was always at the office where he worked and fell in love with helping people. He trained me for the hunter's exam and worked with me on my nen healing ability so I would be prepared for it."

"That's really cool. Most applicants don't know nen." Nadia said with a huge smile. "What can your healing ability do?"

"My dad warned me to not show any of the other applicants my nen ability unless I could confirm they already knew about it, but he highly recommended I not show it at all unless it's an emergency." Amira said with a sigh. "I can heal my own wounds as well as others wounds by a simple touch. Nothing life threatening or diseases but broken bones, if they are set right, cuts and bruises are my specialty."

"That will be helpful on this." Nadia said before motioning with her hand to a restaurant in front of her. "This is it."

Amira smiled as she adjusted her backpack. "Let's do this."

The two walked in and Amira looked around. It didn't look like any of the people in front of her would be taking the hunter's exam.

"Is the back room available?" Nadia asked with a huge smile.

The cook's head jerked up to look at them in shock. "What are you having?"

Nadia motioned to Amira, "One order of the steak combo, please. The one that'll make us see the light."

The man frowned as he stared at Amira. "How do you want it cooked?"

"Grilled slowly over a low flame 'till done, please." Nadia said while giggling at Amira's face.

The man nodded his head, "Got it. See yourselves to the back room. Got three others waiting as well."

Nadia nodded and motioned Amira to follow her. The two women went to the back and down a hallway where a man was standing at a door talking to people inside.

"Excuse me but I have one." Nadia said with a smile.

"Of course, ma'am." The man said while moving out of the way.

"Good luck dear. Hopefully I won't see you next year." Nadia said with a smile.

"Thank you, Nadia." Amira said while walking in the room looking at the two boys and a man wearing glasses who was there in the room.

The door shut and a few minutes later the whole room shook.

"It seems this room is actually an elevator." The blond said in confusion.

Amira sighed and walked over taking a seat in the chair. She closed her eyes and slowly breathed.

"Hi. I'm Gon." A voice said.

Amira opened her eyes to see the younger boy in green standing there with his hand held out.

"Hello, I'm Amira" she said with a smile.

Gon smirked before pointing out his two comrades. "This is Leorio, and this is Kurapika."

Both greeted her.

Amira closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing, but it was hard when Leorio and Kurapika started yelling trying to convince their friend, Gon, about why people become hunters.

Opening her eyes, Amira and Gon's heads went back and forth between the two fighters. They turned to Gon asking what he would be but, before he could answer, the elevator stopped.

Amira watched as Gon sighed in relief as the doors started opening. The four stood and went to the door.

Walking in, it was crowded with people in a tunnel. All eyes were on the new commers. It unnerved Amira.

"Is it me or is the mood here pretty grim?" Leorio asked.

"We saw plenty of other applicants in the city but these guys are different. Each one is a master in their own right." Kurapika said.

"Excuse me." Gon said.

The other applicants turned away as Gon tried to say something.

"Looks like everybody's really on edge down here." Gon said confused.

"We are in an exam where only a dozen or less pass. A lot of people also die from this." Amira said with a smile. "Only a fool would not be on edge here…or they are super dangerous. This should be fun."

Leorio and Kurapika looked at her like she was crazy. Gon only smirked.

"Hello." A voice said. They looked down to see what looked like a green bean in a suit.

"Please take your number badge. Thank you." Green bean said with a smile. "Be sure to wear this on your chest at all times please. Be careful not to lose it, okay?"

The green bean handed Amira the badge number, 406. He walked off.

"Don't think I've seen you boys or girl before?" A voice said.

Looking up a fat man sat on a pipe. Gon and the other boys walked over to speak with him. Amira reluctantly followed them.

"You can tell it's our first time here?" Gon asked confused.

The man hopped down. "More or less. It's getting easier. It's my thirty-fifth time to take the hunters exam."

The others seemed shocked, but Amira's eyes narrowed.

'there's only one reason to try that many times.' She thought clutching her bag closer to her while also scanning the crowd around them to see if anyone was getting too close.

She turned back to the man as he started talking about other contestants. She listened in as he described some who looked dangerous while others looked less frightening.

A scream had everyone staring at a man who started screaming in horror. Amira took a step forward as the man's arms started changing into flower petals. She didn't need to use nen to realize what happened. The red-headed man who was standing there smug had used nen to hurt the man.

"Seems this poor man's arms have turned into flower petals. Maybe he will learn to apologize for bumping into people." The man said with a tilt of his head.

Amira shuddered. The evil vibe he was giving out was strong.

"Just perfect. The psychopath is back again." Tonpa said in annoyance.

"You know him?" Gon asked.

"He tried last year? And failed it?" Kurapika asked.

Tonpa nodded his head. "Number 44, Hisoka, the Magician. He was a sure pass until he got angry at one of the examiners and attacked him. He was disqualified from that year's exam."

"Why is he here? They are letting him retake the exam?" Leorio asked in anger.

"Different examiners and test for every hunter's exam." Amira said with a frown watching the man walk by.

"That's correct. The examiners choose the exam. No one likes him so keep your distance." Tonpa said.

"He looks dangerous. That's for sure." Leorio said with a sigh.

"He is." Amira said tensely when Hisoka looked at her with a smile and winked. "We should avoid him for our own sake."

The man disappeared into the crowd.

"Oh, I almost forgot. How about a toast before the exams start." Tonpa said pulling out cans of soda and handing it to the boys. He turned to Amira holding out a can.

Amira frowned at the can before glancing at the boys. "Word of advice, trust no one especially if they are being friendly. Everyone is out for themselves, and sabotage others is a way to ensure they are one step closer to their goal."

Her eyes went to Tonpa with a frown. "Or they get their kicks by coming here just to try and knock others out of the competition for their own entertainment."

The man froze with a shocked look.

Amira turned and walked away through the crowd.

"I'll find you three once the exam starts. I'm going to look around." Amira said walking away from the four.

Amira heard others snickering around her as she walked.

"She's not as dumb as those three." One contestant whispered.

"Tonpa, the rookie crusher, at it again." Another said with a smile and shake of his head.

Amira frowned. 'so, he is only here to stop rookies from passing. Better to avoid him in future rounds.'

The girl jumped as a wall moved and a man in a black suit with purple hair and mustache.

"Hello. Sorry for the late start. The hunter exam is about to begin. The hunter exam is very dangerous and there is a chance that you will die if you continue. Any who do not wish to continue, please leave now." The man said while glancing around at those who waited.

Amira sighed and crossed her arms watching the man. 'How does he talk with no mouth?'

The man glanced at her as if hearing her thoughts.

"Please follow me." He said before turning and walking. The girl tried to not laugh at the way the man walked. It was so odd.

Amira followed behind a dozen applicants before her with tons of contestants behind her. The people in front of her suddenly picked up their pace.

"How rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Satotz. I am the examiner for the first phase of the exam. It's my job to lead you to the first phase." He said.

"What happened to the first?" a male applicant said in confusion.

Amira rolled her eyes and said out loud where he could hear her. "What a moron."

"The first phase is already underway." He said.

Around her people started grumbling.

"The first phase is simple. Just follow me to the second phase. You need to only follow me." Satotz said.

Amira sighed and started to run faster to get to the front.

Two hours later

Amira sighed as another applicant fail to the ground in pain and exhaustion. It wasn't hard to keep up with the group, but it was annoying trying to keep running without stopping for a water break or anything.

Satotz suddenly started running up the steps and went faster.

"Come on. Really?" Amira said with a huff. She took a breath and started running up the stairs as quickly as possible.

Two blurs ran past the girl who stared in shock.

"Gon?" she said in confusion.

Coming up she saw a few people already up there and Gon with another boy speaking to Mr. Satotz.

"Your fast, Gon." Amira said.

"Thanks, Amira. This is Killua." Gon said pointing at the boy.

"Hello, Killua." Amira said with a smile.

"Hey." Killua said with a blank look.

Amira pulled out a couple of water bottles. "Here. Drink some water but give me back the bottles when you're done."

"Thanks, Amira." Gon said while drinking from the plastic bottle.

Amira held out a bottle to Killua. "Here you go, kiddo. Make sure you drink."

Killua stared at it with a frown.

"Aww…don't be afraid. It doesn't bite." Amira said shaking the bottle with a hopeful smile.

Killua frowned before taking it. "Thanks, I guess."

Amira smiled and ruffled his hair. "Even powerful people need to stop and take a drink of water every once in a while."

She looked away not noticing the blush on KIllua's face as he took a sip of the water to see if it was poisoned.

The three sat down and drank the drinks as Leorio and Kurapika appeared.

"Are we there yet?" Kurapika asked in confusion while looking around.

Amira rolled her eyes.

"Not yet." Gon said.

Around them, people were talking and looking around.

"Gather around everyone and listen." Satotz called out.

Amira stood and took the empty bottles from the two younger boys placing them in her bag as she moved closer to the guide.

"This is Milsy wetlands, also known as swindler's swamp. Phase two of the exam is on the other side of it. There are many animals who are crafty and vicious but love the taste of human flesh. They will try to trick you, so you need to be careful." Satotz said while looking around at the group noting Amira's smirk while looking at the forest.

Amira's eyes watched the forest looking for creatures.

The man walked over and bent forward to stare in Amira's eyes. "If you are deceived, you will die."

Amira took a breath, and her smirk grew while her eyes hardened staring into his eyes.

Satotz hummed before rising and looking toward the stairwell.

Everyone turned to see the gate start to close as an applicant just made it to the top. Amira noticed Gon frown at the man and take a step forward. She quickly reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't." she said. "They would never have made it any further."

Gon frowned before nodding his head.

"These wetland creatures will use every trick to fool their prey. This ecosystem allows creatures to hunt by deception so you must stay close to me, so you won't be deceived." Satotz said.

Amira quickly pushed to the front to appear by the man's side. He glanced at her with what she believed was an amused glint in his eyes.

"What better way to not get lost than to become your shadow." Amira said with a smirk.

Behind her, others grumbled and glared at the girl.

"Don't fall for it." A voice shouted.

Everyone turned to see a man appear. He looked scuffed up and beaten.

"he's a fraud. I'm the real examiner." The man yelled.

He pulled out a body that looked similar to Satotz. The others started gasping and whispering in confusion.

Amira glanced between the two with a raised eyebrow.

Something was fishy about this. Closing her eyes, Amira forced Gyo into her eyes and looked toward the man. She blinked and let it go. Unknowingly, Satotz and two others were watching her. Staring at the body of the ape, her eyes widened as the chest moved very slowly. If she had not been paying attention, Amira would have never seen it.

"Is the man speaking a human working for the apes or a man faced ape who shaved his skin and stole clothes from a victim to appear human?" Amira whispered quietly to Satotz.

The man glanced at her before whispering quietly. "I will let you ponder that. Nice to see some figured it out."

The girl glanced around as Leorio and others started speaking against Satotz.

Amira's eyes widened as she glanced up to look in front of her as something headed straight for her. Satotz's hand shot out and he caught a card that was heading for her forehead. In his other hand was two other cards. Everyone turned to stare at the magician who was shuffling cards.

"I see." He said quietly before speaking louder. "That settles it, then. You're the real examiner."

Satotz frowned and tossed the cards down while Amira glared at the magician.

"Rude. At least take me to dinner first before trying to kill me." She huffed while crossing her arms.

Hisoka smirked in amusement at the girl. "I'll remember that, pixie."

"The examiners are hunters. Highly skilled masters in their own rights." He turned to face the examiner. "They could have easily deflected that attack."

"Doesn't explain why you threw a card at me?" Amira said with a frown.

Hisoka turned his eyes to Amira with amusement. "Just a test to see if he was the true examiner. You were never in any real danger."

Amira huffed and turned away. "Still a jerk."

"I shall take that as a compliment. Thank you. However, if you attack me again, you will be disqualified." Satotz said with his eyes closed before opening them to stare hard at the man. "Again. Is that clear?"

Hisoka smiled, "of course. Won't happen again."

Satotz sighed before walking through the crowd.

Amira followed him on his left side to the amusement of the man who ignored her.

He stopped and turned around to face Amira and the others. "He was trying to lure you away. You will encounter such things. Understand if any of you lose me than there is little hope you will survive to make it to the second phase of the exam."

Satotz started to run through the forest and Amira followed the man with others around her. The girl took a breath and pushed herself forward until she was at his left. He glanced at her before looking straight.

"Why are you wanting to be a hunter, number 406?" He asked.

Amira breathed quickly before speaking. "I want to help people. My dream is to go to poor impoverished places to heal people."

She glanced behind her at the other contestants before moving closer to the man whispering, "My father is 2-star medical hunter, Abram Arphaxad, and he taught me nen. My nen ability is healing. I want to help people who can't afford those stupid hospitals who charge too much for treatment."

Satotz was silent for a few minutes before speaking, "That is a good gift. I'm sure your father told you not to share information about nen with any contestant correct?"

"Yes, sir. He did." Amira said.

"Good. If you pass the hunter exam, a meeting will happen with the examiners to confirm you have a decent knowledge of nen. If you do than your final test will be completed, and you will be a full hunter." Satotz said.

Amira nodded her head. "Understood."

Screams were heard from behind. Amira tensed and glanced backward.

"Will you all go back to look for bodies?" She asked with a frown.

"Hunters will go behind to check on who's alive and who's deceased." Satotz said with a nod of his head.

Amira nodded.

The group ran for another hour before they came out of the fog and onto a path. It leads to a clear path with trees on either side. In the distance was a stone wall with a gate in the center.

Satotz stopped turning to Amira and the other applicants with him. "Get some rest while we wait for the time limit for phase one to run out. We have another forty-five minutes until time to complete phase one ends."

Amira walked over and sat down under a tree. She opened her bag pulling out a packaged meat pie from her bag. Opening it up, she ate her food while waiting.

"Killua?" Amira called seeing the boy walk by her.

He walked over and plopped down. "Hey."

"Where's Gon? You two seemed attached at the hip." she asked in concern as she pulled a second meat pie out of her bag.

"He went back for Leorio and Kurapika. What a moron? Why would he do that?" Killua asked in confusion as Amira handed the meat pie to the boy.

He frowned looking at it with a wrinkled nose.

"Eat. You will need the strength." Amira said with a look at him.

"Fine, mom." He said with a huff.

Amira smirked and reached out ruffling his hair. "Good boy."

He pulled away with a frown.

As for Gon, he considers Leorio and Kurapika as his friends. He wants his friends to succeed with him. That's why he went looking for them." Amira said with a smile. "He cares for his friends."

"But he might not pass the hunter exam." Killua said in annoyance while taking another huge bite of the meat pie.

Amira smiled pulling a bottle of water from her bag as Killua stuffed the last of the meat pie in his mouth. "That's what you do for friends. You go after them when you are worried about them. He would do the same for you if it was you."

Killua frowned as he took the bottle of water from Amira and opened it taking a drink. "I see."

He suddenly jumped up and tossed the bottle to Amira. "I'm going to look for him."

Amira shook her head in amusement. "Have fun."

The boy walked off without looking back at the older girl. "He is such a cute kid. It's almost like he has never had a friend before."

A few feet away, a person watched the scene before him with a tilt of his head. He would need to keep an eye on 406.