The Path to Happiness
"Holy shit, we've been flying for-fucking-ever!" Katsuki shouted as they climbed off of the airship; cracking his neck as the wind swept through his hair.
"Three days of none stop flying really does take it out of you," Ochaco commented, exhaustion clear in her voice and in her features.
"And we still have to take a boat to the actual island," Denki stated as he stretched his arms above his head.
"Might as well go and get this over with." Hitoshi yawned.
"C'mon guys, look alive!! Isn't this exciting!?" Eijirou exclaimed as they walked out of the building.
"You have way too much energy," Hitoshi stated, something akin to a glare directed at the enthusiastic redhead.
Kirishima laughed almost nervously before his eyes caught something and his attention was directed elsewhere.
Shoto adjusted the strap of his backpack. "It certainly is interesting, though; a new place, those airships it's all a unique experience in it's own," he mentioned.
"I just need a nap in a bed," Hitoshi grumbled to himself.
"Ugh, same." Denki agreed, stifling a yawn.
"Let's just fucking go already!" Katsuki snapped from where he stood feet ahead of them.
The blond alpha turned and started walking again, gaining an even further distance from them. The other seven started to jog in order to catch up with their grumpy alpha.
Izuku couldn't help but gawk at everything he saw, feeling such intense excitement that it nearly threatened to stop him in his tracks, he just couldn't believe it.
He was on his way to his first clue as to his real parents' whereabouts, and he couldn't help but smile, with eyes twinkling as he walked. He wondered what Aunt Mito was like, she had to be an incredible woman if she could raise someone like his dad on her own.
From what he could see on the video, she seemed kind, patient and loving, yet stern. Traits one would need in order to deal with someone like his dad, it would seem. Most people got exaggerated with Gon quite easily, some could hold out a little longer, but in the end, none could really handle him.
Unless you were Killua, of course. Killua was rational, reasonable, a sturdy pillar or rock, someone who could ground Gon, and keep his recklessness in tact. Well, that's what Izuku could tell, anyway; from the video.
"We're here," Tenya stated as they came to a halt.
In the water, was a large ship; with many passengers and workers bustling about.
Ochaco seemed to sigh in relief . "At least now we get to rest for a little while,"
Katsuki grunted in agreement and started to walk forward.
"I'm freaking starving," Denki complained as they boarded the ship.
"We should get something to eat once we dock at Whale Island," Hitoshi told as they all came to rest at a railing.
"Are you excited, Izuku? You're one step closer to finding your parents," Eijirou questioned curiously.
Izuku smiled down at the water. "I am; a little nervous but mostly excited and eager to see what they're like,"
"Would your aunt mind that we're about to barge in on her?" Shoto asked, also gazing down at the ocean.
Izuku frowned suddenly, and shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I don't think so. Mom said that she wouldn't, so I assume it'll be okay,"
They remained quiet most of the time, Hitoshi and Denki actually falling asleep leaned on each other in a corner.
Izuku spent most of his time in his thoughts, only breaking from it to laugh at Katsuki and Shoto; who were having an argument about something, well, it was more Katsuki yelling in Shoto's ear while the omega stood there, blank faced. Some things never change.
Eijirou tried placating the blond, and eventually succeeded, sighing in relief when Katsuki turned away, a scowl on his face. Shoto moved over to his side, and stared wistfully into the water as Ochaco and Tenya talked.
"Look!" Ochaco called suddenly, pointing into the distance. "There it is!"
Sounds of awe escaped the six awake teens.
"It actually looks like a whale from the distance," Eijirou commented in disbelief.
After that, the excitement and eagerness were palpable, and once the ship docked, the teenagers climbed off, occasionally bumping into other passengers.
"Wow!" Ochaco exclaimed, eyes wide as she took in their new surroundings.
"It's crowded," Denki stated as someone tried to shove passed him.
They walked a little further away, eyes trailing as vendors called out to them about special prices, the smell of fish nearly overwhelming.
"Okay, so where is your aunt's house?" Denki asked, hands shoved in his pockets as they walked.
"My mom gave me directions, so I guess we should just follow that," Izuku answered, and started to lead the group.
It took a while, but soon, they reached the house on the hill. Izuku suddenly felt really nervous, his hands sweating and shaking as they neared.
"Should we have brought a gift?" Tenya asked as they walked up to the door.
"Too late to worry about that now," Denki stated.
They stood in front of the house, Izuku staring intensely at the wooden door. It was quiet, and he could feel his friends' gazes on him, spurring him on; encouraging.
"Take your time," Shoto murmured behind him.
Izuku then realised that Shoto probably had at least an inkling of an idea how he felt, having just recently been reunited with his mother after years of separation.
The fact that Katsuki hadn't blown up on him yet spoke volumes of how visibly torn he was. He still felt doubt; was this even the right thing to do? An image of his loving parents flashed in his mind, and it was enough to spur him into action.
Izuku took a deep breath, raised his right hand--the left hung at his side, fist clenched tight--and knocked on the wooden door. It was quiet for a moment, and then they could hear footsteps rush to the door.
"Coming!" A female voice called.
The door flung open, and Izuku felt his eyes widen. He did not expect this.
"Hello, can I help you?" Alluka asked.
She had changed quite a bit from her appearance in the photograph and video. She seemed older, more mature, obviously taller; but not too tall.
She had lost any residual baby fat in her face, though her eyes were still wide, innocent and happy; and her hair had grown out quite a bit. In short, Alluka had grown into a beautiful woman.
She gave Izuku a questioning look, and suddenly, the young alpha remembered she had asked him a question.
"Uhm! I-yes, we-" he stammered, and Katsuki let out a strange hissing noise behind him. "You're-I mean-! I'm your- You're my- My name is- uhm!" He panicked.
Alluka giggled at his flustered appearance as he stuttered and stammered over his words.
"Damnit Deku," Katsuki snarled under his breath through clenched teeth.
"I-!" Izuku squeaked at hearing Katsuki's annoyance, the other teenagers sweat dropped behind him.
Alluka laughed softly again, before a strange look crossed her features and she seemed to start to focus more on Izuku's features.
"My name is-"
"Izuku!?" Alluka yelled, blue eyes wide in shock as her mouth hung agape.
"Yes?" Izuku answered, unsure.
Alluka stared in astonishment for a moment longer before she lunged at Deku, pulling the taller into a bone crushing hug.
"You finally came!!" She exclaimed as she hugged him.
Izuku was quick to wrap his arms around her, afraid he'd let her fall from the sudden hug. Alluka pulled back quickly, holding Izuku at arms length, eyes roaming over his face.
"You look just like them! I-I can't believe you're finally here-!" Her last word was cut off by a sudden sob.
Izuku felt panic rise in his chest as Alluka suddenly started to cry, blue eyes glimmering in the sunlight as tears rolled down her red cheeks; she pulled him back into another hug.
Izuku hugged back, feeling a little emotional himself. Alluka looked very similar to Killua, though her hair colour was different, and she wasn't quite as pale; her eyes were nearly the same shade as her brother's.
Alluka pulled back eventually, wiping at her cheeks with a soft chuckle. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
Izuku shook his head and wiped at his own cheeks. "There's no reason to apologize," he murmured.
Alluka smiled at him as she sniffed, before her eyes trailed behind him. Eijirou subtly wiped at his eyes, Katsuki merely stared at the exchange, feigning disinterest. Ochaco seemed really excited, yet a little emotional, too.
Tenya was much the same, as Hitoshi also merely watched the exchange; as well as Shoto. Denki was smiling almost proudly at them.
"Are these your friends?" Alluka asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Oh!" Izuku turned to look behind him, nearly having forgotten about his friends. "Yeah, they are,"
Alluka smiled as she moved passed Izuku, extending her hand to Shoto first, who was closest. "My name's Alluka, I'm Izuku's aunt!"
Shoto gently took her hand and shook it. "I'm Shoto,"
Alluka smiled widely as she introduced herself to all of Izuku's friends, getting a wide variety of greetings in return.
"Please, come inside." She gestured to the door as she led them into the house. "Aunt Mito went to go buy some things for the house, she should be back soon," she explained as they walked into the house.
The walls held quite a few photos; which they examined as they walked passed.
"That's Ging, Gon-kun's dad," Alluka mentioned as they paused at a particular photo.
As they moved on, Izuku's eye caught a particular photo, and he walked to it.
"Oh, hey it's Leorio and Kurapika," Eijirou said, grinning as he, too, looked at the photo.
The photo was of Kurapika, Leorio, Gon and Killua. Gon was in front, with Kurapika behind him to his right, and next to the blond was Leorio, and Killua in front of him.
Leorio had his arms thrown around both Kurapika and Killua's shoulders. Kurapika looked a little shocked at the man, and Killua looked less then happy, mouth wide with protest as he gripped the man's arm.
Leorio was bent forward slightly, eyes closed as he grinned; and Gon looked up at his friends, mouth wide in a happy grin.
"Wow, they look really young in this," Denki commented.
"Gon and brother were twelve years old," Alluka stated, smiling fondly at the photo.
"Just twelve, huh?" Denki mumbled.
"They look really carefree," Hitoshi noted as he stood at the back of the group, being the tallest.
"No joke," Denki mumbled, before turning and making himself comfortable on the sofa.
As they all sat down, Alluka opened her mouth to say something, when the front door suddenly opened.
"I'm home," another female voice called.
Alluka turned around with a look of surprise, before smiling. "Aunt Mito! Come here, quick!"
They could hear footsteps make their way toward them.
Aunt Mito walked into the room, looking a little tired and quite a bit older as she briefly rummaged through the plastic bag in her hand.
"What's so urgent-?" She cut herself off once her eyes landed on Izuku; the plastic bag slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, the contents spilling as she moved her hands to cover her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes. "Gon?" She whispered, voice wavering.
Izuku seemed a little uncomfortable; until Mito swallowed, and shook her head. "No," she said. "Izuku,"
She said his name so softly, they nearly couldn't hear it, but she was already on her way to embrace him with tears spilling down her cheeks.
"I didn't think we'd ever get to see you again," she stated as they hugged, gently rubbing his back.
"I'm sorry," Izuku apologized.
Mito shook her head as she pulled back from the hug, cupping his cheeks in her hands.
She smiled softly at him. "I thought for a moment that I could only see Gon in you, but now, I can see a lot of Killua, too,"
Izuku blushed lightly at this as she pulled back.
"If you're here, then that must mean you're looking for them?" She asked.
Izuku nodded. "That's right, they told me I would find my first clue here in the video they left me,"
Mito smiled at this, laughing lightly. "Those boys," she muttered to herself as she moved to pick up her shopping which had fallen, only to have the bag presented to her.
"Here," Katsuki grumbled as he held out the bag.
Mito smiled appreciably at him, taking the bag. "Thank you, sweetie,"
Denki stifled a laugh into Hitoshi's shoulder as a light blush dusted over Katsuki's cheeks.
Mito led them into the kitchen, Alluka already there making tea. As they sat down, Izuku quickly introduced his friends to Mito; Alluka smiling as she placed the tea down, nodding happily at the varied 'thank you's' she got.
Mito and Alluka smiled as they sipped on their tea, eyes bright and ears eager as they were told the story of how all eight of them met, and became friends.
Alluka eagerly asked questions; what was a professional hero, who was All Might, what was UA like? The group answered eagerly, enjoying the conversation. And after a while, when it grew a bit quiet, Mito shifted the conversation.
"I can't say whether Gon or Killua actually left anything behind, because I don't really know. Maybe looking around in Gon's room would help?" Mito suggested as she gently placed her now empty tea cup on the table.
Izuku felt a little reluctant, but agreed nonetheless, and was led upstairs to his father's old room. Aunt Mito quietly left them there after wishing them luck, she closed the door behind her as she turned away.
"This room is kinda bare," Denki stated as they all started to gingerly rummage around.
Izuku's eyes caught sight of a few picture frames, and picked one up.
This one was of Killua, Alluka and Gon, standing together while they posed and smiled. Izuku felt a small smile tug at his lips as he placed the frame back down. There was the one from downstairs of Killua, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio.
The other was of Gon and Killua; they seemed a little older, maybe sixteen? They were standing close together, Gon's right arm thrown across Killua's shoulders; grin wide and happy. Killua had a more controlled smile on his lips, though his eyes were bright and happy.
"Deku, look!" Ochaco called suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence.
Izuku turned to look at her, as well as the other males in the room; and saw that the beta female held an envelope in her hand. "It has your name on it," she stated as she held it out for him.
Izuku blinked in surprise before he took the letter which had his name written on in neat writing. He hesitated a moment, well aware of his friends' eager stares on him; he opened the letter.
Inside, he saw two folded pieces of paper, and pulled out the first. It was folded three times, and held very neat and beautiful handwriting, though it wasn't very long.
Dear Izuku,
If you found this letter, then that means you don't completely hate us, and you're on your way to find the first clue.
Inside the envelope, you'll find another paper; this one is a map that will lead you to your first real clue. Follow it well, and don't get lost in the forest, and it would be preferable to avoid the animals.
Good luck, Izuku
Izuku blinked, before smiling and gently took out the other paper, which was indeed a map; hand drawn, it would seem. The map was extremely detailed, and was drawn by his dad, which he could tell because of the notes that were written on the side.
'Killua and I found a new species of plant here'
Was the first he saw, and he couldn't help but smile widely. Looks like they were going to explore the island tomorrow.
A sudden knock on the door grabbed their attention, and only then did Izuku notice that his friends were reading over his shoulder.
Alluka poked her head into the room, smiling. "Dinner's ready!" She mentioned.
The group stared briefly at her.
"Oh! Right, thank you very much," Izuku replied with a sheepish look.
Alluka nodded, still smiling as she vanished from the door.
"So," Denki began, stretching the word. "Are we exploring the island tomorrow?"
Hitoshi rubbed the back of his neck, a tired look on his face. "This trip is already so exhausting,"
"We should get some rest, then, if we're going to do some exploring," Shoto stated, and started to walk to the door.
Izuku nodded and turned to follow as Tenya said, arms chopping the air. "First! A balanced meal would be most important!"
Mito's cooking was really good, similar in taste to Inko's, Izuku noted as he smiled around his bite of food. Briefly, he wonders when last Inko and Mito had spoken, since his mom told him they talked a lot. Did Mito suspect that they were coming?
"Hey, Aunt Mito?" Denki asked, breaking the silence, not seeming bothered that he had just called the woman aunt.
Mito looked up at him and raised a questioning brow, choosing not to say anything about his choice of words.
"Yes?" She asked, curious.
"I've been wondering, everyone's been talking about it, but I don't actually know what it means to be a Hunter, or what it is, actually," he stated.
Both of Mito's brows rose at this, before smiling at him. "Well, Hunters are people who have proven themselves to be elite individuals, through taking the Hunter Exam. If you pass this Exam, you receive a license that allows you to go almost anywhere in the world, and do almost anything you want,"
"Most Hunters devote themselves to finding priceless items, mystical places or unseen wonders of the world. A Hunter's job is not just the above mentioned, true Hunters dedicate themselves to protecting knowledge, people and nature," Mito explained wisely.
"There are a lot of different things included in being a hunter," Alluka added, giggling a little at the awed looks on their faces.
"That sounds freaking awesome!" Eijirou said enthusiastically.
Mito smiled as she watched the other nine people around her converse, feeling happy, yet a little sadness as well at knowing that Gon and Killua couldn't be a part of this right now.
She couldn't help but want to laugh at how similar this was to when Gon went looking for Ging, and yet, at the same time, it was entirely different. Ging willingly gave up a life with Gon, while Killua and Gon had little other choice but to give up a future with their child.
Mito frowned. She could still clearly remember their devastated faces when they came here after leaving Izuku with Inko. Mito had never seen either of the two cry so much or so hard, and for a small while, she had feared that the anguish would tear their relationship apart.
Her fears were put to rest, though, as the two persevered, and become even closer. Still though, that heartache, having to say goodbye to a young Izuku without being able to tell him why and then leaving on a life threatening hunt; must have been hard.
They would be proud of Izuku, though. He made a lot of good friends, he's happy and thriving; and now, all he needs is his real parents to make him whole.
