The rising sun did nothing to block out the bitter cold.

Rain continued to pour throughout the night and you were helpless to do anything but watch. Huddled under the wooden shelter the bulletin board provided, knees tucked against your chest , this night was longer than any other you had experienced. Even as the stalls packed up and the locals headed home for the evening not one of them came to check up on you, no matter how many pitiful glances or hushed whispers were spared in your direction.

You realised how you must look, hair dried in a tangled frenzy, skin pallid from the cold and heavy dark circles under your eyes from the sleepless night. If a child looked at you and screamed you probably wouldn't blame them, in fact, if you saw yourself you might just scream too. This wasn't the person you remembered, where were the rosy cheeks and doe eyes? Where were the crinkles at the corners of your eyes and the wrinkle on your nose?

All of that died along with your parents.

Maybe, if your humour were up to scratch, you might remark that this was just the tragic backstory to your epic character arc. But it didn't matter how great of a person you might turn out to be in the end, it didn't matter how many good deeds you might do along the way, you would take it all back for a chance to be with your parents again.

No, no don't think about that, don't think about them. Your body was too exhausted to cry any longer.

Your eyes never closed longer than a second, you refused to give yourself even a moment of rest. Maybe it was a way of punishing yourself, for what? You didn't know.

For a while your mind was blank, even as the ship appeared like a speck on the horizon your body didn't move. What were you even getting yourself into? It's not as though you were some sort of karate master, you had never fought a day in your life. Wasn't that what being a Hunter entailed? The stories the old ladies down the block used to tell you always included the violence that came along with the profession, they spoke of how they fought, how they plundered and overtook cities by the handful.

Were you really up for that?

Deliberation was useless to you. What other choice did you have? You had no home to return to, certainly not the one you had left behind, you couldn't imagine stepping foot back into that building ever again.

It was with a heavy shiver that you snapped back into reality, the blaring horn of the approaching ship sending prickles of anxiety through your skin. The ship would be docked for a few hours at least, you had time to think about your choice logically, but what was there left to question?

Pushing yourself to your feet a shock of pain shot up your spine, crouched in that position for so long wasn't a good move for your fatigued body. But you pushed through the pain, eyes set on the approaching ship with a flurrying mix of determination and rage seeping through your veins. You couldn't say where this amalgamation of fury had come from, when you thought back to the events of the previous day, when you pondered on the feelings that you had so eagerly pushed down - there you found it.

Pure, unadulterated anger simmered beneath the layers of sadness and grief. Anger at yourself for not protecting them, anger at the people that had done this, but more than anything- anger at the fact you knew nothing that you could've done would've been enough to save them. You were weak, you had always been weak and if you didn't go for this then weak was all you were ever going to be.

Through the pain of your creaking bones and your stiffened muscles you continued to walk, through the tourists that glanced at you warily, through the shame of the pity that was thrown at you all over again.

Ignore it. Raise your chin and bear it. Don't smear your family name.

Face impassive to the obvious stares thrown your way, you made your way to the pier silently and marched all the way to the end of the dock. Unmoving, you stared as the ship approached, unflinching even as ropes were thrown to the floor at your feet and sailors were spilling over the edge to tie the ship into place. They stared at you in a mix of confusion and wariness but continued on their business, a sloping plank dropping onto the wooden pier with a loud 'clank' so passengers could board and exit the ship as they pleased.

This was it, this was your ticket out of this place.

For a moment a heavy weight settled in your chest, this was the only home you had ever known. The memories, both treasured and forsaken, were all that was left to tie you to this place. You weren't so sure whether those memories were enough to keep you here anymore. Deep in your gut you wished, oh how you wished, that wherever your parents were now - whether there was an afterlife or not - that they were looking at you in pride, that the decision to leave was a right one, that you had nothing to fear going forward.

"That's a strange little look you've got on your face there, kid"

A low, raspy voice tore you from the melancholy thoughts of the life you once had, you turned to the speaker with a surprised raise of the brows. He stood at the end of the plank that stemmed from the ship, one hand adjusting the wooden pipe caught between his lips and the other stuffed into the pocket of his Captain's jacket.

Not a tall man, he still stood taller than your young frame, fluffy white beard nearly obscuring the hint of a smile curling at his lips. His bushy eyebrows seemed to be caught in a perpetual furrow but his eyes were the feature that caught your attention. A warm shade of brown, blocked slightly by the sheer volume of his eyebrows, despite the disconcerting lilt of his smile, his eyes were what spoke of his soul.

Kind. That was the best way to describe it.

He looked at you in a way that was different from the kindness of the stall owners that turned you away the night before, there was no pity, not questioning look in his eyes as to why you were soaked to the bone. The expression almost made you want to cry, a deep-rooted feeling of weakness swirling in your head. You had only been out overnight, it wasn't as though you were stuck out here for years at a time, how could others handle it so easily where you could not?

You blinked the tears away and simply raised your head higher, his eyebrows rose and his smile grew in return at the sight of your steeling nerves.

"I want to partake in the Hunter Exam, is this the ship that will take me there?"

"Aye, it is,"

"May I board?"

"Do you have a ticket, little one?"

"I-I do not,"

"Well then, I suppose you can't board now can ye?"

For a moment you were stunned, how could you not have thought of that? A ticket? Where would you even purchase a ticket? Where would you even find the money to purchase a ticket? It wasn't as though you thought of rummaging through your parents pockets before absconding. Rubbing your thumbs against the inside of your index fingers nervously, you turned your gaze to the ground below with a furrow of the brows and a pursing of the lips.

It was at your troubled expression that the man before you threw his head back with a loud bellowing laugh, pipe clutched between his fingers as he chortled at your expense.

"Wha-what's so funny?!" you exclaimed, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

The bellyful laughter subdued to a quiet chuckle and he lowered his head to level you with his stare once more, those kind eyes softening just a fraction further.

"You looked so troubled," he snorted, "I was just joshing around kid, you want to get to where you want to go? Get on board then."

"Really?" you whispered, almost worried that this was just another one of his jokes.

"Really, we've got a few islands to stop at first, if you want to get to where you want to go that badly then a little wait won't be too much of an issue will it?"

"No, no it won't. I'll wait as long as I have to just so long as I get there in the end."

The grin on his lips widened and he took another long drag of his pipe before stepping aside leaving the ramp wide open for you to ascend. A nervous bubble tickled at the pit of your stomach, maybe you could blame it on sea sickness, even if you hadn't boarded the boat yet. Stepping on this ship meant that the person you were, the person that grew up on this island would be left behind, whoever you would become from here on out would be a development of the experiences you've been through. Heart clenching in your chest, you gulped past the lump in your throat and took one step forward.

--

It was warmer here, warmer than it was outside in the rain at least, but somehow it was still cold.

Huddled in the corner of the passenger cabin, surrounded by a sea of angry men claiming to be the next best hunter was hardly the most comfortable of experiences. You knew these kind of men, no different from the boys in the village that would puff out their chests and boast about how much stronger they were than everyone else. It was all talk, all for show, a pointless bravado to strike fear into the hearts of those weaker than them. And quite frankly? It was rather pathetic.

The knowledge that they were all bark and no bite didn't help how positively terrifying it was to be stuffed in a room filled to the brim with them. Loud, brash and flexing their muscles without rest, it was unnerving, and you had to sleep around these muscle brains?

Grimacing at the idea, you rose to your feet silently, stumbling in the slightest as you got used to the feeling of rocking waves beneath you. With a shake of the head you made your way to the door, pressing as close to the wall as possible and working your way around slowly, you really didn't want to chance it by walking through all of them. By some stroke of luck you were able to skirt you way around the outskirts of the room and through the open door out into the hall way. As the ship veered to the side you braced your hand against the wall, stomach turning with a quiet whimper, if you wanted to be strong then a little sea sickness should be the last of your worries.

Huffing quietly to yourself, you took a deep breath and made your way up the wooden staircase leading to the deck. The smell of saltwater and rain was the first thing you picked up on, the fast paced rocking of the ship was the second, and as you finally reached the surface of the deck, the darkened sky was the second.

"A storm?" you whispered quietly to yourself curiously.

"Looks like it, we'll be veering away from the storm as we head to the next island. From there, however, we'll be cutting straight through"

Seriously, what was up with people sneaking up on you?

You turned to look at your left swiftly to the source of the soft voice, leaning against the wall just beside the opening of the stair case was a boy. Arms crossed against his chest and head tilted back to stare up at the darkening sky, there was a peaceful look in those ashy brown eyes of his, peaceful and yet troubled all the same. Blonde hair brushing against the apples of his cheeks, he cast a glance in your direction when he noticed your stare.

"You look young to be travelling on your own," he pointed out though not unkindly.

"I could say the same to you," you retorted somewhat defensively.

A sheepish smile twitched onto his lips at your words and he sighed deeply in return, shoulders rising and falling with the volume of the breath he took. It was in somber agreement that he nodded, the troubled look in his eyes amplified before retreating just as quickly. Everyone on this ship was here for a reason, all of you had your tragic backstory, a motivating factor that lead to this moment. And as you met eye to eye you had an unspoken, mutual agreement.

I won't ask if you won't.

"You're heading for the hunter exam, I presume?" he questioned quietly.

"You are too? I really didn't realise just how many people were trying out for this thing," you mumbled quietly as you leaned against the wall on the other side of the open stair way.

"Many people see the benefits in being a Hunter, usually for selfish reasons, but we all have selfish reasons at the heart of it all, do we not?"

"I guess you're right..." you sighed quietly, "you sound like you've done your research."

He responded with a quiet chuckle, glancing down at his feet and taking a deep breath, "information is your best friend when you're searching for someone"

"I'm searching for someone too," you admitted quietly, you would say no more than that on your motives, and thankfully he didn't seem to want to ask.

"We should be arriving at the next island soon," he chirped, a peppier tone in his voice as he pushed off of the wall and turned to face you with a gentle smile. "You should rest while you can."

"Ah, yes, you're right"

With another gentle chuckle, he dipped his head in polite greeting your way before turning to the steps and beginning his descent. He only made it a few steps before pausing, raising his head and turning to face you once again.

"Ah, that's right! I never got your name?"

"Oh uh, (Y/n), my name is (Y/n)?"

The gentle, distant smile on his face arose once again and he dipped his head towards you slowly, seemingly satisfied with the reply.

"(Y/n)," he repeated quietly, "it's nice to meet you (Y/n),"

"What's yours?" you questioned quietly, teetering back and forth from heel to toe. It was strange to be acting so friendly after everything that had transpired, but it was a relief to see a kind face amongst all the pompous meat brains.

"Ah, Kurapika, my name is Kurapika."

He said nothing else, simply offering another one of his polite nods before disappearing down the steps, leaving you staring in his wake. What a strange guy. With a sigh through the nose and a shake of the head, you cleared your throat and stood up straight, this wasn't the time nor place to make friends. You couldn't fall to your knees and clutch onto every kind gesture thrown your way, should someone notice what would happen if they used it against you?

You couldn't afford to be anyone's charity case, you couldn't afford to let something as simple as your own naivety affect your chances of victory. You wouldn't allow anyone nor anything to cloud your judgement.

At least it was peaceful here, the crisp smell of rain carried upon the ocean winds were calming in a way you had never known. For a long time you had neglected the niceties that came with island life, standing from the outside looking in you had missed out on so much. The simple life had been taken for granted, as a child you're never taught to appreciate what you have, never to taught the prospect of losing it all. Now you pay the price.

For a moment, you simply stood there to breathe. Shut your eyes tight and blocked out the outside world with only the comfort of the wind against your cheeks. And for that moment you could simply be. Without the weight of the world on your shoulders and the depth of the dark staining the inner workings of your brain, and just for a second you were a kid again.

--

You spent most of your time out on the deck, listening to the sound of the water crashing against the side of the ship, watching the passing islands fading into the distance. It was a feeling of weightlessness to see your own home disappear behind the horizon, and though there was the lingering feeling of grief, hidden beneath all of that was the spark of hope. A sprout of renewal growing through the cracks of a broken soul hardened with loss.

You wouldn't let those hopes get out of hand, you would keep a tight grip and reign them in should they reach any higher. You had lost so much, you had suffered so much damage, should your hopes rise and fall you don't know how you would recover. With a shake of the head and a deep shuddering sigh, you dropped your chin onto the deck's bannister and stared out over the passing waves.

Coming so far on your own was nerve-wracking, with no means to support yourself, no idea where you were going and no clue what the outside world was like, you were basically screwed from the get go. This didn't mean you were going to simply lay back and let the world pass you by for the fear of what could come, your young eyes had already witnessed so much, what was a bit more?

Casting a glance up at the sky overhead, the darkened clouds were far behind you, just like Kurapika said you had avoided the storm for now. The next island was already in sight and you couldn't deny the slightest twinge of excitement, staring out into the open ocean (as beautiful as it was) was getting incredibly boring. You still had a long ways to go until you reached your final destination, having new faces on board might be one way to block out some of the boredom.

Pushing away from the bannister with a low groan, you stretched your arms above your head, joints popping as you did so. With a hum, you turned away from the water and headed towards the nose of the ship, the Captain stood right at the tip, infamous pipe still clutched between his teeth.

The captain was a complicated character, his mood always seemed to fluctuate throughout the day, from laughing joyously to shouting within less than a second. Despite his mood swings and rough disposition, he was still the same kind man that granted you passage so you couldn't find it in yourself to be afraid of him. Climbing the steps to the upper deck the man was standing on, you tucked your hands behind your back and stepped up at his side. Following his gaze you stared out at the water with a curious hum, you wondered what he saw when he looked out like this, what did his trained eye pick up on that you did not?

"You'll do yourself in if you don't rest before the exam, you know?" he grumbled quietly.

"I know, its hard to sleep when they're being so rowdy, I'll make sure to get some rest before we arrive," you assured with a small smile, he showed his concern in his own grumpy sort of way.

"You do that," he huffed with a puff of smoke.

You hazard a glance in his direction when he speaks, biting down on your lower lip curiously and watched as his eyes focused on a singular spot on the horizon. When you looked, when you squinted, you could see it too. The shadowy outline of an island in the distance, far enough that you would completely dismiss it if he hadn't been paying such close attention to it.

"What is that?" you asked.

"Our next stop, kid."

"We won't reach the exam for a while, will we?"

"Nay, we have a few more travellers to pick up along the way before we head off on our real journey"

You hummed curiously at his words and turned to stare at the distant island once again. Absently you hoped that you would find more people like Kurapika. You hoped they would be kind, interesting, understanding in the way that Kurapika was and not more of those big and burly types still boasting in the cabin. Perhaps you could find someone you would be comfortable sharing the rest of the journey with, maybe even someone that would make you feel safe enough to sleep around compared to the men below the deck.

"Do you think there's anyone else that we'll pick up that are like me?" you whispered thoughtfully.

"Like you?" he questioned.

"I don't know...young? Lost? Just-- less like the others you've picked up and more like me," you tried to explain.

The captain was silent for a moment, those overgrown brows of his furrowing further as he pondered your question. He didn't know you, not truly, not enough to know the in's and outs of who you were and what his answer might mean to you. But he knew enough, his eyes were as well trained as any captain's could be.

Without turning his gaze away from the island they were approaching, he gave a low hum of confirmation, he didn't have to know who was boarding his ship to give you his answer. There was always an exciting group of individuals he would encounter doing this line of work, you couldn't be the only one, he was sure of that.

"There are more like you, I'm sure of it, you'll find them and maybe that'll help that little troubled expression you always have on,"

"You think so?" you whispered quietly, unconvinced.

"Kids like you are hard to find, but you always seem to find one another, it'll happen and you'll know it when you see them."

"You sound confident,"

"'Course I am, I've been doing this too long not to know what I'm dealin' with. In fact, I bet you'll find a buddy on the very next island we come across."

Your brows rose in surprise at his bold claim, eyes narrowing slowly in scrutiny. It was nice to hope, nice to think that maybe he was right and you would find a friend, but you knew better than to expect to come across one so quickly.

"And which island is that?" you mumbled curiously.

You watched as the captain grinned around the pipe balanced between his lips, his unwavering stare locked onto the island you were steadily approaching. Hand raised and head cocked slightly, he pointed straight at it, amusement heavy in his features as a sailor's voice chimed loud from above.

"Land Ho!"

So this was it, the next island on your stop. All this time he had been staring out at the speck on the horizon that was sure to be your next destination. You wondered for a moment how many times he had travelled this path? How many people had he met along the way? How many had he forgotten? Would he forget you too?

"There you have it kid, this isn't our last stop, nor our first, but maybe it'll be the most important to you,"

"And why do you say that?"

"Call it a Captain's instinct!" he tipped his head back with another one of his famous boisterous laughs and clutched his belly.

"Maybe you've been hitting a bit too much of that ale, Captain, I've never even heard of this place before!"

"Agh, don't be such a spoil sport! This is a place I've written in my memories for the rest of my days, a place a great Hunter I once knew comes from," he breathed out nostalgically.

"And that's how you know it'll be important to me?"

"Aye, every time I come back here I have this little feeling within me that sometime soon someone great will board my ship just like that day."

"And have they?"

"Not yet, but soon, and now that you're here I have an inkling that today's that day."

At the breathless, expectant sound in his voice, you turned to look at the island once again. Close enough now that you could see the shape of the trees that took up nearly the island's entirety, your scepticism only doubled, could someone so special really emerge from such a tiny little island?

You weren't sure if you believed him, but for you, you would at least entertain his expectations.

"What is this place called anyway?" you mumbled curiously.

"This, kid, is Whale Island."