"There's a chance she could be the key to restoring Calli and the other people who have turned to stone." Aizawa explained as he, Deku and the Skelebros stood in the principal's office later that evening.

"But it's risky..." the mouse continued.

"Eri's power can be unpredictable due to her young age. We also don't know if it's possible to return everyone back as her quirk only works on people and..." he said the next part very carefully, "well, what with them being stone..."

Sam nodded. He understood what the principal was getting at, even if he didn't use the word 'object.'

"Not only that-" Aizawa added, "if she does successfully manage to reverse Calliope's quirk, there's a high possibility that each victim, including Calliope, will suffer from memory loss, depending on how far back Eri's quirk takes them."

The principal nodded slowly over his arched fingertips.

"Yes, when she wakes up, Calliope may not remember what happened. She may even forget the two of you."

Deku glanced over at the brothers as they exchanged troubled looks.

It was a gamble. The thought of bringing Calli back was overwhelming, but the idea of her not remembering anything about her life with them even more so.

"And of course..." Aizawa continued, his tone steady, "there's also the risk that Eri could erase Calliope's existence entirely.

He then retold the Skelebros the tragic story of how Eri had accidentally wiped her father from the face of the earth. Her mother had then disowned her in her grief. Sam's heart skipped a beat. The story sounded hauntingly familiar to one Calli had told him in confidence one time in his room back in America. He remembered how he'd gently brushed the hair from her face, his fingers gliding softly over the thin scar across her eye...

"I know it's a big decision. Therefore, you should think on it long and hard. Eri needs time to recover also, so we mustn't rush."

The principal then bid them goodnight.

Sam and Russ had both lain awake in their bed that night. For a while they simply shared the silence, listening to their own thoughts and the chirp of the crickets outside their open window. It had been Sam who spoke first.

"We have to try." His said firmly into the darkness.

Russ sighed, sitting up to look over at his brother.

"And what if it goes wrong? What happens if she's wiped from existence?"

Sam turned his head to face him, his features barely visible in the gloom. The moon was full outside.

"Then nothing with have changed. She's already gone."

Russ knew it was a hard thing for Sam to admit. For a long time, they had treated Calli's statue as if she were still alive, Sam especially. But the time he had spent trapped in his sphere with her had clearly opened his eyes to the reality of the situation.

"But if it works, then we can get her back."

"And if she doesn't remember us?"

Sam swallowed. Though the thought broke his heart, he couldn't let himself think to selfishly.

"Then so be it. But she deserves a second chance at life."

Russ exhaled into the dark.

"I agree."

Then after a short pause.

"But we still have to wait for Eri to make a full recovery."

Sam nodded even though Russ couldn't see him for the dark.

"And in the meantime, you should focus on getting better too."

This time, Sam made himself heard.

"Of course."

With hope spurring him on, Sam committed himself to his training. He had lost a lot of weight over the last few weeks, and his strength along with it. His last battle defending Calli's statue had almost killed him.

Though he was almost 10 years older than the students of Class 1A, he took to training along side them in the afternoons, then again with his brother late into the night. During the day, he made sure to eat well and eat often. Slowly, but surely, his strength came back to him. His face regained it's boyish roundness and his eyes their brightness. He still had a long way to go to achieve the strong build he had once had in his upper body, but the progress was steady.

And all the while, little Eri got better. Deku kept the Skelebros informed of her development. He had even asked Aizawa if it were possible to arrange a meeting between her and the brothers.

She was still so young, so they kept the details to a minimum when they explained their request to her.

"So..." she began in a small voice as she sat before them in her room, "you want me to try to bring back your friend?"

Sam nodded.

"And some other people too."

The other victims Calliope had accidentally turned to stone where still being kept in a safe house. Their families had been alerted to the news that Eri may be able to reverse the effects of the petrification. All but two had accepted. It was the families of the elderly victims that had declined. The families had both stated that they were sickly and that this had been a somewhat peaceful and painless way to go.

"I-I can try..." Eri mumbled, wringing her tiny fingers anxiously.

"We'd appreciate that very much, Eri." Sam smiled.

Deku knelt beside her and spoke in his kind, encouraging voice.

"Just do your best, Eri. That's all we ask."

The doctors suggested they wait a little longer before attempting the reversals. Eri was still a little unstable.

During this time, the students of UA were planning their summer festival. Between the preparations, many of the students still took the time to visit Calli's statue. The brothers would occasionally accompany them and together they would sit and talk to the silent statue about everything that was happening. It was an unspoken rule, however, to never mention Eri and the possibility of Calliope returning to them.

As the planning for the festival continued, The Skelebros continued with Sam's training. Russ had never been prouder of his older sibling's determination. Sam was usually so adverse to training any more than necessary. Kirishima even mentioned one afternoon while sparring that Sam looked fitter than he had done upon meeting them for the first time.

"You flatter me," was Sam's smiling response.

Bakugo certainly didn't hold back when he trained with Sam on occasions.

"C'mon, ya damn nerd! You still need me to carry you?"

Soon enough, the day they had all been waiting for arrived. The summer festival was already over and Eri had been given the all clear by the doctors weeks ago. Due to the nature of her quirk, she had had to use her powers sparingly meaning that the reversals had to be staggered. The first few victims had been restored without a single hitch. The suffered no memory loss nor lasting after effects. The rest however, all had trouble recalling the events of many months leading up to their petrification. Still, non had vanished nor completely forgotten their families.

But now it was time for Calli.

Though the other petrification victims had been returned to their formers selves without many unwanted side effects, the brother's still feared that Calliope's reversal may not go as smoothly.

They gathered at the fountain with Aizawa, Eri and Deku. Every face housed the same expression of apprehension. They arrived early Sunday morning so that the square was empty of people. Russ made sure the scarf around Calliope's eyes was secure, just in case Eri's reversal only took her back to the moment of her trauma. Sam shuffled nervously. Deku had never seen him look so on edge. He was usually always the relaxed one. But this morning, his hands noticeably twisted inside his jacket pockets while his jaw worked anxiously. And when Eri approached Calliope's stony silhouette, his eyes began to glisten. Russ stepped back to join him at his side and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

All eyes were on Eri as she activated her quirk. Only Aizawa had seen her use it on the other petrification victims so only he knew what to expect. The reversal was simple, quick, a strange sight to behold. Calliope's body shuddered as her stony, grey skin and hair seeped back into their previous colours of bronze and green. Sam's body tensed beneath his brother's firm grip as Calliope's gasp cut through the still silence. The sudden sound caused Eri to stumble and retreat behind Deku who looked on with wide eyes.

Calliope instinctively reached up to touch the fabric concealing her eyes. Her body felt unnaturally cold, her limbs uncomfortably heavy as she lifted her arms.

"Calli..." she heard a voice call softly.

Where was she? She could hear the faint sound of running water, the cold surface of stone beneath her. A fountain? She didn't remember there being a fountain on campus at Juggernaut. Had she fallen asleep studying again?

"Calli..." the voice called again.

Calli? No one called her Calli.

Her fingers gripped the fabric at her eyes. She wanted to tear it away but, for some reason, some part of her told her not to.

"Y-Yes?" She called back, her voice small and cautious. She lifted the fabric at her eyes just a fraction. The bright glare of sunlight made her wince.

"Are you..." the voice began. It was a man's voice. It didn't sound familiar. Though, her mind was still groggy.

The man tried again.

"Can you...remember anything?"

It was a peculiar question. Had she been drugged? Had she passed out on campus? She remembered she'd been working hard. She had been studying late into the night in preparation for her final exams.

"I-I don't understand?" She replied, and slipped the fabric off her eyes completely. She blinked away the glare of the sunlight as her vision came into focus. She kept her eyes down. She saw her hands. They were dirty. Her fingers nails were painted gold, the varnish was chipped in places. But she never painted her nails...

"Where am I?" She asked. A headache was beginning to creep in. Turning her head, she counted four bodies stood around her. No, five bodies? One was that of a child who cowered behind what looked like a teenage boy. How she wished she could just raise her head and look at them properly. But her quirk...

"Calli..." a new voice piped up. Another male. Though, this time, it stirred a vague memory.

"You need to come with us."

Yes. She had heard this voice before. But from where?

"We can explain once we're back inside."

A hand came into her line of vision. Her head began to pound. The pain threatened to push her into unconsciousness. She took the hand in spite of herself. When it pulled her gently to her feet, she slipped into darkness, but not before she felt two pairs of hands catch her.

When she woke up, the warmth had returned to her body. Someone had placed her in a bed. She smelt fresh linen and flowers. There were roses on the bedside table beside her. The room was white and brightly lit. It must have been a hospital room. Perhaps the ward at Juggernaut? Although, she remembered that those walls were pastel blue, not white.

Someone else was in the room with her. She heard them stir as she made to sit up.

"Heya, Calli" that same, unfamiliar voice from earlier said.

"How are you feeling?" Said the other vaguely familiar one.

She went to rub her eyes only to find that she was wearing some sort of eyewear.

"A student made them for you." One of the men said.

"They block your quirk." Said the other.

"So you can look at us...if you want."

She did so, slowly. It was a strange thing to do. She was so used to keeping her eyes lowered. When they locked onto the two young men sat beside her, she'd instinctively averted her gaze straight after.

"Do you remember us?" One of the men asked. His voice was low and tinged with sadness.

She attempted a second look at them.

They were around her age. One was tall and lean, dressed in a tight t-shirt. The other was shorter with broad shoulders, noticeable even beneath his oversized jacket. Their eyes were black where white should have been, but their irises differed. As she took the time to really study their eyes, something she'd never had the privilege to do before without the person tensing up, she noted how one set was warm like honey while the other was cold like ice chips. They both had white hair and fair skin. Perhaps they were brothers? There was something vaguely familiar about them but her mind was still hazy from whatever had happened to her. Enough so, that she strangely hadn't begun to panic despite her memory being fuzzy.

"I-I'm not sure..." she eventually answered. She saw them both deflate slightly.

"I'm sorry. My memory is..." she rubbed her temple and tried to recall the last thing she could remember. She had been in her dorm back at Juggernaut, revising for her finals. She had passed the physical exams but she was worried about the written tests.

"Have I missed the theory exam?" She asked all of a sudden. She couldn't afford to fail. She was meant to graduate this year.

The two young men exchanged sad glances. Her stomach dropped.

"Oh no!" She whimpered.

"Please don't tell me I've missed the exam! What happened?"

Panic began to set in now. She had worked so hard this year. Perhaps too hard. Had she worked herself sick? How long was she out for?

"Calli..." the taller man murmured, leaning towards her. His gentle eyes bore into hers. It was a strange sensation to be able to speak to someone while maintaining eye contact. Whoever made her glasses was a genius.

"Calli, we all graduated years ago."

She glanced from one sad face to the other. The light-eyed brother looked like he was about to cry. Frowning, she sat up straighter.

"What are you talking about?"

Another shared look of sadness. They seemed to be silently debating who should speak next. It was the taller of the two who answered. The other cast his eyes to the floor. She saw one tear roll down his cheek.

"It happened again, Calli..." he said, his voice low.

Calliope furrowed her brow. Saying nothing, she willed him to continue. But he stalled and began to naw the inside of his cheek as his eyes searched hers. It still felt so alien to her to look someone in the eye like this and not have them succumb to her quirk. But the joy that this would have brought her, had it been under any other circumstance, was swiftly washed away as the many questions began to flood her mind. What had happened to her? Who were these men? What did they mean? What had happened again?

"Calli, you must remember us. Even a little. We went to school together. It's Russ and Sam Gaster."

The names did indeed ring a bell. Yes. They were students from the years above her. The Gaster brothers were actually quite famous at their school, though she hadn't really seen nor spoken to them. So why, then, were they talking to her as if they were her friends? Why did they keep calling her 'Calli.' No one called her that.

"What do you mean by 'went to school'?" She asked, frustration building. "And what happened again?"

This, time it was the one she knew to be Sam Gaster that spoke. Now when she looked at him, she vaguely remembered seeing his face on the wall of fame at Juggernaut. He'd graduated two years before her and was looking up to be ranked among the world's top 10 heroes.

"Your quirk, Calli." He said softly as another tear rolled down his pale cheek.

"Just like what happened when you were a kid."

His words took her completely by surprise. Though they were vague, she knew exactly what he meant but couldn't quite believe it. She had never spoken to anyone about what had happened all those years ago, especially not the Gaster brothers. Still in disbelief, she tried to play coy. No one was supposed to know her secret.

"I-I don't know what you-"

But Sam cut across her.

"Yeah you do, Calli." And his light eyes held hers steadily.

"When you were 6 years old..." he began, leaning forwards, "you overheard your parents arguing..."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He couldn't possibly know. How could he possibly know?

"You went downstairs and saw your dad start to hit your mum."

Impossible. This was impossible. She had never shared this information with anyone before. Yet, he spoke with sympathy in his voice and sadness in his eyes. His younger brother, Russ, was staring sadly at the floor.

"He wouldn't stop, even when you asked him to and then..."

His eyes held hers, her quirk rendered useless behind the eyewear she wore. His hand twitched as he made to take hers but decided against it.

"Calli, you turned your father to stone. And then your mother tried to cut out your eyes. You..."

He eyed her look of utter disbelief with his own look of despair. When he tried to reach for her face, she flinched causing him to retract it just after.

"You showed me your scar one day after we went to the beach. Your scales- your scales have spread since then. You were so happy that you couldn't see it anymore..."

Calliope was shaking her head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How on earth did this man she had only glimpsed on occasions know all about her deepest, darkest secret?

"I don't understand," she whimpered, hugging her arms as fear and confusion began to set in.

"What happened to me? Why can't I remember any of this? Why can't I remember you?"

Her words made Sam wince and his brother finally raised his head.

"Calli, we don't know why or how but..."

Russ paused and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Something about the gesture made Calliope feel as though he had done this many times before though, she recalled no memory of the sort.

"Something caused your quirk to react the same way again."

Calliope felt her stomach drop. Her breath caught in her throat and her fingers clenched.

"You accidentally turned 8 people to stone, followed by yourself."

She could hear his every word but could barely process them. She could feel his hand on her shoulder but at the same time felt numb.

"You saw your own reflection..." Sam croaked, he was crying openly now.

"You were gone for months. We thought we'd lost you."

He kept saying 'we.' But the word had no significance to her. Who were these two men to her, other than former students of her school? They spoke to her as if...as if she had been like family. Had she truly shared her biggest secret with them?

"But we found someone who reversed what happened. Their quirk is to rewind. But it seems..." Russ began, pausing to exchange a sorrowful look with his older sibling, "it seems that you've lost almost a years worth of memories."

Shaken, Calliope felt the exhaustion flood back into her body. Head spinning, she slumped back against the pillows behind her.

Just then, the door to her room opened and in walked in a short, elderly woman she didn't recognise.

"Boys...perhaps it's best if you left dear Calliope rest for a while." She suggested kindly.

But as the men nodded their heads and rose to leave, Calliope grabbed for their arms.

"Wait!" She blurted, ignoring the dull ache of her limbs.

"You can't go! You have to tell me everything!"

The old lady insisted that they leave but Calliope tightened her grip. How could she possibly let them go after what she had just heard. She still didn't even know who these two men meant to her. Why were the Gaster brothers, of all people, the ones to sit by her hospital bed? Why were the Gaster brothers the ones who knew all about her tragic past? What else did they know? What exactly had happened in the year she now knew nothing about?

"Stay. Please," she begged.

And, despite the old lady's grumbling's, Sam and Russ Gaster sat back down and began their long story.