A/N: hahaha you guys are so cruel. Poor Homura-chan lol! I don't want to change Shoto from what he is in the manga – I kind of like his personality and now…I think there's a little more depth to him with everything that's happened. I don't know how I plan to fix everything, but I do know how to break things. Lolol.

In the Brightest Day – I know. But considering their family situation, I think it made more sense for them to end up this way. It's reeeeally complicated

Guest #1: I think we all know how I feel about drama – that little angst tag lol

Kirika o7 – oooh, if you do link me? I'd love to read it 3 As for her reaction….she was separated from Shoto and her mother for a while. She wouldn't notice the bruises like Shoto would, since he saw it happening. I don't want Homura to magically fix everything…that's boring and predictable. She's more or less…. tearing things wider. Making things deeper and, in some cases, worse. I don't think Midoriya really needs a twin to knock some sense in to Shoto though, eh? Lolol. And my English is fine actually – Homura's speaking was broken because she was learning a second language. Her first in English and it makes it harder to pick up Japanese. She improved and got used to it after a few years though!

Guest # 2 – Thank you 3

Guest #3 – I've considered villains…..but I don't know how to work that in just yet. I don't know if I want them to solve their issues before U.A. either. I don't want to take too much away from Izuku and Shoto's drama. We'll see ~

Also, I figured I'd give a little bit of info on the brother's quirks. I explain it a bit below, but I'll explain it here too. If we ever get names and info on them though, I think I'll keep them like this still anyways.

Sora – Soothing Flames; He radiates heat, and occasionally minor flames, form his body that affect the emotional state of a person. His heat warms them and makes them happier; but it doesn't work on the unwilling. If they don't want to feel good, he'll burn them instead by mistake. He requires touch to make it work, and the more of his body touching them, the stronger his quirk.

Kaito – Calming Ice. Pretty much the opposite of Sora. He radiates cool air, and occasionally ice, that affects a person's emotional state. He can calm a person, but if he gets too cold or touches them for too long, can negate any feelings all together and send a person in to a really dangerous emotional state. He can keep a person's emotions frozen for up to five minutes at any given time. This allows them to think logically rather than with emotions. You can tell his quirk is active with ice bit she leaves behind on them.


My past life was like a fog inside my mind, shrouding everything but leaving it visible just enough for me to attempt to make sense of it. I had spent years living this new life, and yet my old self had only knocked at the door once. Granted, it was violently and traumatizing, but I could still see the attempts to help me within. It was strange, but I felt as though I should have known what mother was planning. My subconscious had been trying to show me, and though it could not literally tell me, it found other ways to force its thoughts down my throat. My adult knowledge had not been able to help me so far, but if I could decipher the visions, I might be able to prevent what my subconscious dreaded in the future.

During one of the rare chances that our father was too occupied with work to trust us, I sat quietly in the training hall. I wasn't alone, but I may as well have been considering Shoto's obvious intention of ignoring me. Two could play at that game, I thought rather childishly as I kept to myself in the corner, a safe distance away from where he was training with our ice quirk.

I had heard from Fuyumi that there were monks that preformed some sort of meditation to enter a state of peace – something I was trying to do to make sense of the shattered remains of my subconscious. I probably looked like I was just sleeping, but without father here, I knew I would be left alone to my thoughts for a little.

Green hair. Innocent. Pure. Explosions. Anger. Help.

Not…...very helpful. In fact, I knew absolutely nobody with green hair. I didn't even know anybody outside of my family!

That…was a depressing thought. Our father was so determined to mold us in to super prodigies that I had never really left the household before. I wasn't sure what would happen to me, but I knew I had to try and sneak out at some point. My subconscious apparently thought that a boy with green hair was important – so I might as well try to find him. I knew what happened when I didn't act on my last visions, and while this didn't seem to help Shoto, I could at least try to answer my past life's whims.

"Homura-chan"

I blinked, slightly disorientating from the vision I had seen, glancing in to the mismatched eyes of my twin. I was so surprised by his sudden interest in me that I probably sat there gaping like an idiot for way too long before I recomposed myself. My expression grew wary, unsure of what to make of him. His eyes were somewhat dulled and expressionless, but I knew better than anybody when my twin was uneasy. His hands were twitching slightly by his side, as though he was restraining himself. I wasn't sure if I should be upset or not. I tried diplomacy first.

"What do you want...Shoto-kun?" I kept the hurt and anger out of my tone, though I knew he could see right through me if he reached for the fire. Not that he ever would.

"Train with me" I stared at him.

"Why? Oto-san isn't here"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Oto-san being gone doesn't mean we can't train. I…I need help. Nobody else can help me…" his voice trailed off somewhat uneasily, and while I might have once felt guilty, I only felt indignant.

"Why should I?"

He flinched slightly, bur stared down at me regardless. "Because we…we share our quirk. We're…. we have the same power"

Quirk. Power. He had once accused me of being like our father, yet here he stood before me, talking to me only because of our quirk. I knew he was just a kid. Traumatized and in need of help, but I couldn't stop the blazing anger from wanting to burst out from me.

"That's not right. That's not the answer I want, Shoto-kun" I bit out, tears threatening to burst as I tried to keep my emotions steady. Breath in. Breath out. Shoto stepped back a bit as he expected flames, but all I did was simply stand up slowly. I held on tightly to the fire, not giving it a chance to go anywhere. I caught site of ice forming in the palm of his hand, as if he was expecting to have to cool me down, but I could do this. Control. Restrain. Control it. Don't let it control you.

"Ask me again later when you figure it out, Shoto-kun," I finally spoke after a moment, brushing past the seven-year-old without another word. It was suddenly too stuffy in the house and I found myself wandering outside despite my house restrictions.

I eventually settled down in the grass, in plain sight but too bothered to care. I wasn't a child and yet…. I couldn't stop myself from acting on my emotions. I knew I was expecting more from him than he could possibly give. He was only a child. His mother had hurt him, his father had hurt him…. I had hurt him. How could I expect him to just get over it after all that?

I couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell myself. All I could do was sit in the middle of the courtyard and cry, uncaring of whoever saw me. I was only vaguely aware of the footsteps approaching until I felt a hand on my arm, causing me to look up slowly.

Sora.

God, how long had it been since I had seen my brother? He still looked the same, his red hair growing only wilder and longer in the years. He had a school bag slung over his shoulder and his expression was unreadable, but I knew it to be too foreign for my silly, mischievous brother. It was…wrong to see him so serious. The years had changed him. They changed us all. We were only kids, and yet I felt like we were all adults.

"Homura-chan, Homura-chan, what's wrong? What happened? "Sora pulled me closer to him in to a gentle embrace, giving me a view of Kaito running up a ways away. At least the serious worry seemed normal on him.

I simply shook my head, unable to express my jumbled thoughts in words. I just clung to my brother – the brother who didn't seem to hate me. I felt the warmth of his quirk envelop me and suddenly we were moving across the courtyard, my body held up close to his chest. I could hear Kaito following behind us as we headed for the household – their part of the house.

Shoto and I had been transferred to a blocked off section of the house, Shoto when he displayed our quirks and I when I basically lost my mind. Kaito, Sora, and Fuyumi were in the more public part of the household in the front with Fuyumi being the only one of three allowed to come to the back to help take care of us.

It didn't look much different from where Shoto and I were kept, yet it felt homier. It felt alive and free; it felt like home.

"should we really be taking her back here? If he finds out…"

"We can't take her back there. Besides, he's on a trip remember? He won't be here for a few days. Besides…I…...I missed Homura-chan." he smiled a bit as he looked down at my still form, and I couldn't help but smile back. It could have been from his quirk, but I felt happy and safe. I felt warm.

"Well if we're bringing her here, we better get the good stuff. Before Fuyumi comes and gets us for kidnapping" Kaito smirked slightly, Sora snorting and following behind as Kaito sauntered in to their kitchen. It looked just like our kitchen we ate from, except for various knick-knacks that gave this place personality. A poster caught my eye and I reached for it slowly, catching both boys' attention.

"Ah? I'm surprised you would like HIM of all…considering..." Sora grimaced, laughing a bit awkwardly.

"Just because HE hates him, doesn't mean she has to hate him. You like All Might Homura-chan?" Kaito cocked an eyebrow, glancing at the poster.

"Yeah…Shoto-kun…he wants to be like him…" I mumbled, a little disappointed Sora set me down and the warmth left. I frowned a bit and Sora smiled apologetically.

"Ah, sorry Homura-chan. You've grown a bit and my quirk is limited to people in my arms. You can sit in my lap while we watch T.V., yeah?" I simply nodded, still staring at the All Might poster on the wall. If father had ever saw that, he would be furious. The boys were smart though; they knew he didn't care to check up on them here. They may have lacked powerful quirks or a parent's love, but they had freedom.

"Your quirk?" Sora nodded, pleased with my interest.

"Yes! I can generate a special kind of heat. It warms the heart of others and makes them feel better. Not good for a hero, but that's what life gave me eh? Actually…. I'd like to be a therapist one day," He grinned, running his hand through his hair as he spoke enthusiastically. I wondered if I was the first in the family to show interest in his quirk. No, I knew Kaito had as well, but maybe it felt nice to have somebody other than him show attention.

"I don't know…hugging random kids might feel weird don't you think Sora-kun?"

"Hey, don't underestimate the power of a hug! Besides your quirk works the same, doesn't it?" Kaito scowled a bit, though he sighed reluctantly after noticing my attention on him.

"Homura-chan…mine Is basically…the opposite. I generate cold…I calm people, bring down their excitement. Bring them down in general…" he seemed uneasy talking about it, as though he were ashamed. I could tell what he meant – his quirk could make people feel bad instead of calm if he got too cold. I walked over to him and took his arm, tugging on it insistently.

"Show me"

He cocked an eyebrow, his uneasiness increasing as he backed away slowly.

"No..Homura-chan..my cold won't feel good. Especially with your quirk…"

"I want to feel it. Please, Nii-san?" I gave him the best babydoll eyes I could muster, and to my muted delight, he conceded and pulled me up in to his arms.

It was freezing. I could feel my ability to…well feel anything being to evaporate. I was calm, yet I was empty. It was an odd quirk, but it wasn't useless. I wasn't bad. He wasn't bad. I hugged him tighter, using actions instead of words to let him know how I felt.

Then I had a thought.

"Nii-san….can you…can you hug Shoto-kun too?" I glanced over at Sora, letting go of Kaito carefully. Both boys blinked, confused by my sudden turn of thoughts.

"…Shoto-kun..? Is that why you were…?" I frowned, ignoring the bubbling hurt that threatened to overflow at the thought of my brother. I didn't want to think of our fight. I wanted to help him.

"Can you hug him too? He'll feel better…I know he will…" Sora frowned at my insistence, walking over to where I stood and kneeling down.

"Homura-chan…I don't think he'd want me to touch him…I haven't seen him in a while, but I know…. He hates fire. And, I think…you two need to work this out on your own..."

"You can make him feel happy! You can make him talk to me!"

Kaito and Sora exchanged meaningful looks, looks that I couldn't understand.

"Homura-chan…if he fights my quirk…he could get hurt. I can't help people who don't want to be helped. Neither of us can"

That wasn't fair. We had all these abilities…. but we couldn't make things happen. Shoto…. he just needed to see…he needed to feel!

"If we force our abilities on someone, it doesn't last forever. It's only why they hold us. And when we let go, what do you think they'll feel? Do you think they'd be happy we cored them to be happy?" Kaito had always been the logical of the brothers, his arms folded across his chest.

"But..I only need a moment. I just need a moment. Not forever" I argued, understanding them but at the same time unwilling to accept it. Well, I could accept it, but I only needed Shoto to listen. I couldn't make him feel, but I could make him listen.

"If he listens to me…. just listens…maybe he'll understand. I just need to get to him…" I whimpered, the tears settling in as I let myself give way. Sora and Kaito looked panicked and within seconds I felt that familiar warmth spreading through to me.

"…Father will be gone for a few days…. Homura-chan, if you can get him over here…and get him to want us to help, then we'll help. But he must want help. You understand me, right?" Sora spoke firmly, holding me close to his body. I nodded, feeling the tension in Sora weaken just a bit.

"I think…we should turn on that T.V. now though. Watch something good before we all get a lecture from Fuyumi" Kaito interrupted, Sora snorting. I couldn't suppress the giggle as the three of us headed for their living room.

I had never been good with words. Even without the language barrier, I always had trouble explaining what I meant. Often, I was misunderstood and looked like a complete jerk. I had grown accustomed to explaining myself through action, and that certainly did not change here.


"Shoto-kun"

Our eyes met, the two of us run ragged from our spar. Since my outburst, he had refrained from speaking to me, so I had requested the spar myself. He couldn't hide his surprise, but evaded words through a simple nod. If he weren't a kid, I might have called him something real vulgar.

I had given him a run for his money today, taking my time dodging and using advantages when I could. When he brought out our ice, I brought out my fire with equal intensity. I found my control had strengthened considerably ever since Kaito's hug – I could slide in to that empty state a little easier. I was still unpredictable and rash with my fire, but I could aim better. With my obvious slacking with father gone, Shoto hadn't expected it.

"If I win…will you let Sora-kun hug you?"

A blank stare is what I got in return. I scowled a bit, knowing full well I hadn't explained anything.

"I mean…if Sora-kun hugs you, you'll feel better. You'll listen…and then you'll understand..." I emphasized the last part, Shoto suddenly looking annoyed. It looked unnatural on him, considering my memories of his smile. He seemed to weigh his options, his chances of beating me, and the likely hood that I would go all out whether he accepted or not.

"...Fine…but nothing will change…Homura-chan..." I simply nodded in response, accepting what I could get. Maybe it wasn't exactly what Sora said…. but close enough?

This time, I started the fight, lashing out with a kick before he had a chance to twitch. He dodged my kick easily, but I could tell he was unnerved by my sudden determination. I could feel it within our quirk; he had assumed I was bluffing. Or maybe he had hoped I was, but I had little time to dwell on it. I had to win this.

I kept myself close, hoping to win this without taking out our fire. I brought my fist forward in to his stomach, ignoring his small whimper, and shoved forward with all my might. His hand lashed forward and grabbed my wrist, yanking me forward and sending me stumbling, shoving his foot in my back to send me to the floor. I fell to my knees and immediately rolled out of the way of his next kick, retreating a bit to gain my footing.

I dodged once more when I felt the cold creep up on my feet, unwilling to fall for that same trick. I could pull out our fire, but that was excessively dangerous. Father wasn't here to calm my fire, and one wrong move could send this whole house ablaze.

"Shoto...don't use our ice. I can't use the fire…we could do something really bad…" I cautioned, surprised when I noticed his expression. I knew he was hurting, but to see it visibly expressed…. something was off.

"…don't call it our ice. It's my ice. You only use his fire…. it's not your ice…" he mumbled, ignoring my words and bringing up a medium-sized ice wall flying towards me. I stumbled a bit as I dodged the incoming ice, reaching inside and pulling on the ice as hard as I could. I couldn't use my fire – it was too dangerous. I could, however, hoard our power for the moment to make him stop.

The connection lasted only a second, but I felt everything.

Hurt. Anger. Shame. Determination. Protect. Revenge. Spite. Despair.

We were seven. It was hard to believe such complex thoughts could exist inside a child so young, but we were so damaged. I pulled it all towards me, locking it away in to my core as the ice fell apart without someone so sustain it. Shoto's eyes were wide, his expression a mix between despair and anger. I could feel him trying to tear through me, to take back what I stole, but I held it tightly to me. Suddenly, our fight had dissolved in to chaos.

"Give it back! Give her back!" Shoto lunged at me, and suddenly, we were on the ground wrestling both physically and mentally. There was a desperation to his movements now, no longer the controlled and efficient fighter he had been earlier. His fist connected with my nose and I felt droplets of blood sliding down as I tried to break free; tried to kick him off. I caught his next fist, grunting a bit as I flung us both over in an attempt to gain control.

"Shoto-kun, Shoto-kun stop it! We're done, you win!" I practically pleaded with him – I didn't want to see my brother like this. I grabbed both of his wrists and held them done, trying to force him to concede. He struggled against my grip, thrashing wildly underneath.

"I'll give it back if you stop!"

Our eyes locked briefly, and he seemed to sag underneath me, accepting my offer warily. I was dimly aware that we were both trembling, from both physical and mental exhaustion.

I couldn't take him to Sora – that wouldn't end well at all. We would have to solve this on our own, but I didn't know if we could. Did he even want to make up with me? All I knew was that once I released the ice back to him, he calmed down considerably. I carefully clambered off him, letting myself hit the ground beside him while I caught my breath. The pain from the repeated hits to my face was finally noticeable, the adrenaline and panic earlier muting it temporarily. I touched my face gently, wincing and marveling at the red on my fingers. I glanced over at my left and saw Shoto staring at me intently, as if waiting for me to speak.

"Why do you hate me Shoto-kun?" he flinched at the bluntness, but I was tired of playing around. If he was able to practically break my nose over our power, then he should be able to handle the hard questions. It was too late to try to sugar coat anything.

"I…I don't hate you. I…." he seemed to struggle, and that infuriated me.

"Tell me. I want to know. We're twins, aren't we?" He seemed to curl up slightly at this, glancing away.

"..We are...I don't want to talk about it…" Unacceptable. I reached out and took his hand gently but firmly, pulling him closer to me.

"You have to. This isn't going to get better Nii-san. What's wrong? Why don't you want me?"

He gripped my hand hard at my observation, and I could tell my accusations were wrong. It was so much more complicated than that. It always was.

"No, no! I want you. I miss everything…but..you hurt Ka-san. She…she didn't deserve that…and you're so good at the fire…."

"Good? I'm terrible with it. It's really hard to use"

He laughed a bit at that, sniffling a little as we entangled our hands together softly. It was a momentarily distraction, but it was taken gratefully.

"You think I'm gonna be like Oto-san"

His silence confirmed it and hurt me slightly. At the same time, it was sort of bewildering. I mean, I knew I looked like him more than mother, but I would never turn in to someone like him. I didn't know how to make him understand. I wasn't sure if he would, but if he didn't, we would never get better.

"I'm not…it's our quirk Nii-san…I won't make you use the fire…but somebody has to. Let me hold it for us…let me stay close. Please?"

He seemed to consider. I let him think quietly, simply fiddling with our fingers as he remained still for a moment.

"No"

I stared at him hard, my grip tightening considerably.

"Nii-san-!"

"Wait, Homura-chan wait! I…I know you're my twin. We're always gonna be twins…but I'm going to be a hero. Not like Oto-san…like All might. And I'm going to protect you…but I have to leave you behind to be a hero"

This child…my brother…I could feel my veins pulsing as I sat up angrily. I kept the fire tight, not letting it take advantage of my emotions.

"You don't have to leave me behind! We can be together! We're stronger together! It's our quirk – not yours, not mine! You…you have to stop being like Oto-san!"

There, I said it. I knew I struck a chord, but that was the only way. I had to make him understand, even if I drove a knife through his heart in the process. He withdrew his hand as though he had been burned, clutching it close to him.

"I'm not like Oto-san!" he shouted, scooting a few feet away from me as he turned my words in his head over and over. I didn't relent.

"You will be, if you keep pushing me away! Oto-san is alone, he pushed Ka-san away. So, if you push me away, then you're just like him!" I lashed out, carefully standing up and walking over to him.

"I won't let you leave me behind, even if I have to be better than you. And I won't let you forget this"

Then, I punched him.

He reeled back as I repaid the damage from early, holding his hands to his face as I wiped my own tears. Funny, I hadn't even noticed I was crying until I relaxed a bit.

"I'm going to be the number one hero, just to make sure you can't leave me behind. Even if you hate me for it"

In the seven years since I'd been here, hell even during my entire past life, I had never felt so strongly about something. I knew he knew it too – the way his eyes narrowed slightly as he wiped the blood from his face. He knew I would oppose him every step of the way instead of being the supportive sister and it hurt him in every which way. I couldn't let him isolate himself, however, so my only option was to hurt him.

I couldn't help us. He didn't want it. I couldn't force that even with Sora's quirk. I would adjust and endure, doing whatever I could to keep us from straying too far.

I remembered green hair, and for some reason I knew, everything would be okay.

Eventually.


We were ten years old and I was slipping.

Literally.

I was never one for balance, and with the ice forming beneath my feet, I was literally unable to stay on my feet. There was a way, I knew, to manipulate the ice to not constantly trip me up, but I was new to this part of our quirk. It resonated differently with me than fire – instead of emotion, it was all above resolve. You had to know what you wanted and how to do it, or else it would fail.

The problem with the ice was that it felt abnormal; it didn't quite sync up as well with me as the fire did. Maybe it was because I was an emotional person? Regardless, I needed to know at least the basics of the ice if I wanted to be the top hero. If I could use both of them decently, I would always have an advantage.

"What did I tell you about daydreaming, Homura?"

I brought a weak ice wall up between father's fist and I, ducking back as his flaming first broke easily through the flimsy ice. I knew he would break through, but it put up enough resistance to support my dodge. I slid backwards on the ice I was consistently forming, slipping a bit but able to keep my balance. Father was instantly in my personal space once more, swinging his arm around to knock me aside, kept at bay by my consistent ice walls. I wasn't a particularly aggressive fighter with the ice, but I could work with it.

"Never let your eyes wander. Never let them get the upper hand. Never let them surpass you, Oto-san" I parroted in response, running back a bit to avoid another burst of flames.

"And yet, you're always one step behind. Your brother could easily keep me at bay and get a few attacks in Homura. Even with your flames, you're weaker. Why are you weaker? You are twins, no? You share a power" I flinched a bit at the truth, but didn't let him goad me in to losing my focus.

The truth was, my ice was weaker because of the fire within me. He assumed Shoto and I had switched powers like he asked, but Shoto would not even touch the fire. I didn't know if he did it because the fire was repulsive, or because of the disadvantage it gave me. Father could not know I still had the fire, and Shoto knew this. He knew I wouldn't give him up for the sake of surpassing him. He was my twin and I wouldn't give him up, even if he did so to me.

I brought another ice wall up quickly, pouring all I had in to It as despite how fruitless it would be. Father was smarter, quicker, and more powerful than I would be at this point. With my ice weakened by fire's proximity, the wall was simply shattered, and I took a face full of flame directly, shrieking a bit at the sudden pain. I stumbled back a bit, trembling a bit as my father's blaze died down.

"I…it's harder with the ice. It doesn't feel as right…" I admitted. It wasn't a lie, but it hid the truth of the situation. I was tempted to glare at Shoto, my brother sitting quietly on the edge as he waited for his turn, but I resisted the urge.

"And yet your brother mastered it faster than you did with your fire. You're lucky your brother is going through a rebellious phase. But he will learn" father's eyes flickered over to my silent twin, Shoto's eyes staring daggers at a wall as he avoided eye contact.

"You know your destiny. But you're weaker than him. Go, I will train Shoto without an audience"

I nodded, hiding my enthusiasm as I left the training hall. I felt Shoto's eyes on me, but I ignored him – this was how it had to be.

I had recently learned that I would not be with a tutor my entire schooling – high school was apparently the equivalent of college almost here. Depending on what you wanted to do, you applied to different high schools and took exams. I wanted to be a hero; so naturally, I was being trained and educated for the top school in Japan. The problem was, while both Shoto and I could attend, only one of us would be considered for a scholarship of sorts.

U.A. considered only three students for recommendations each year, and while it was technically possibly both Shoto and I could get recommended, Father would only allow one of us. The other twin would have to prove themselves in the actual entrance exam. I excelled in the academics' portion, as my adult brain finally made itself useful, while Shoto's combat effectiveness surpassed me in every which way. I wasn't necessarily bad per say, but my instinct to not hurt my brother hindering my progress. Shoto was either ignoring that, or taking my words to heart. Only one of us could be the top hero and we would fight and claw our way to the top by whatever means necessary.

I wandered out in to the living room after fishing out my schoolwork, making myself comfortable at the table near the large windows. I glanced out occasionally, sometimes expecting Sora and Kaito to burst out of their part of the household suddenly. It was a stupid thought, considering my brothers had both left for boarding schools as soon as they could. Father seemed more than willing to fund their school choices, though he kept Fuyumi here for Shoto and I. My elder sister was currently out, leaving me to my own devices while Shoto and father squared off below. I felt my brother's prodding at the ice, and while I tempted to ignore him out of spite, I relented and allowed the ice to flow back.

With all our quirk training, it was strange to imagine myself doing normal schoolwork like any other student. Most of it, besides the Japanese, was a breeze for me and thus always at the back of my mind. Yet here I was, doing tedious math homework to ensure my U.A. entrance in the future would not be hindered by my lack of knowledge.

"Ah, Homura-chan, you're done for the day?"

I glanced up at Fuyumi as she entered the room, a small stack of papers in her hand that I was assumed was her own schoolwork.

"For now, I think? Shoto-kun is training with Oto-san"

"And I bet he's still refusing to use your fire?"

"It's like you know him, Ne-san"

Fuyumi giggled, patting the top of my head as she settled down beside me. I smiled, pleased with her attention.

"It's like I've been taking care of you two for years. Strange, isn't it?"

It was meant to be a joke, but memories of mother surfaced, and I found myself wincing a little. Fuyumi was quick to catch on and grimaced a little, gracefully changing the subject. I allowed it.

"I heard you were going to apply for U.A. when you're older Homura-chan" I grinned, rubbing the back of my head.

"Ah, hopefully. My tutor says I'm real smart, but Oto-san says I'm really bad at fighting and using our quirk. I can't be a hero if I can't master my quirk" I admitted, feeling a bit awkward considering Fuyumi's quirkless state. I had always wondered if it bothered her being the only one, but she seemed so strong. People liked to say it was our quirks that made us strong, but I liked to think it was the quirkless who were more so. They lived side by side people who could do practically anything, and still woke up every day with a smile. I could admire that.

"You know Homura-chan…...I think if you and Shoto both want to get stronger, I think…. you both have to work together. With your quirk and yourselves" I sighed at the obvious answer, nodding thoughtfully. I knew what we had to do, but Shoto was so stubborn.

"I figured…but Shoto-kun…He's…" I didn't really know how to explain the situation, but luckily Fuyumi got the hint.

"I think I get it Homura-chan. But you know, sometimes relationships aren't always 50/50. Sometimes it's 75/25, 80/20… you get the idea. Sometimes you need to support them more than they do you. Have you considered?" Fuyumi glanced down at her work, scribbling something on the paper before turning her attention back to me. I snorted.

"That doesn't seem fair. Sora-kun told me that I can't force help on someone unwilling. Said it makes it worse…I think it did…" I thought about that day and twitched, focusing on keeping my breathing even. Yeah, I had messed it up, but it wasn't all my fault. We were both at fault.

"He's right….I think you both need to grow up a little more….maybe it'll get better then"

"I think I'm really grown up Ne-san"

"And yet you're still so small"

"Ne-san!"

Fuyumi laughed at my scowl, ruffling my hair before turning her focus back to a particularly hard problem. I let her return to her work, quietly working on my own as we sat there in a comfortable silence. I paid no attention to Shoto when he eventually stumbled by, turning down a hall without a second glance at either of us. I let him.


A/N: DRAMA. DRAMA. DRAMA.

I love it. Let's make things worse than better, yeah? I know I timeskip a lot, but I don't want to spend twenty chapters of them at seven either. There's not too much to write about in between beyond these big moments.

Thank you for all reviews and comments – I appreciate them! I miiight make some opportunities for a few OCs form other people at some point depending on how I take the story…idk lol.