Chapter XVI

It was a warm day at Dagobah Municipal Beach. Rays of sun illuminated the golden sand as the blue waves washed the shore. A long pier boldly stood over the waters, its wooden planks battered by time and wind. The picturesque area might have been called peaceful… were it not for the two teenagers wreaking havoc across the beach.

The explosions shook the area with the thunder of crashing kicks on the sand or burrowing tentacle-like tails, hardened as steel drills. A white blur dashed around like a bullet, competing against a mass of green fur. To anyone looking, it was but a chaotic mess instead of a fight. Minutes passed, and the beach remained a battleground. Clouds of dust rose high with the action and the echoes of battle overcame the crash of the waves.

At last, the tide of the battle changed as the dark-green mass of fox tails paused, panting, to reveal a teenager. With gashes on his white sweatshirt and long dark green gym pants, Nine-Tailed Izuku bore many bruises from his current fight. He glared ahead, where none other than Rumi paused to catch a breath. With a sweatshirt of her own and a pair of shorts, she was covered in perspiration. However, differently from him, she was almost intact.

The Fox Boy squinted at the Rabbit Girl. She, in turn, smirked. The wind picked up and a blissful breeze offered a modicum of respite to the sweating fighters. As the air stilled, the two fighters crouched down, ready to leap into the next round. Rabbit Girl shot off like a cannonball, leaving behind a pillar of sand rising into the air. The Fox Boy, propelled by his tails, flew towards his opponent.

Izuku swung his arm back, ready to punch the girl. He had seen his opening. He had seen his chance. However, just as he delivered what would have been a final blow, Rumi twisted her body mid-air and dodged the fist. Before he knew what was going on, a pair of hands had grabbed the punching arm. Izuku had little time to react as he saw the world turn upside down and he found his face burying into the sand.

"Surrender, Fox Boy!" Rumi Usagiyama demanded, straddling his back.

Izuku took a while to realize he had a hand locked behind him, under rabbit girl's grasp. That wasn't good, especially when she started to pull the hand in a painful angle.

"Argh – ouch, ouch, ouch!" Izuku cried out, repeatedly slapping his free hand on the sand. However, even in that precarious situation, he glared back at her. "Never, Rabbit Girl!" He exclaimed.

Rumi only smirked at that before pulling Izuku's hand even harder.

"ARGH – fine! I surrender!" Izuku squawked desperately.

"Thought so" Rumi chuckled, releasing Izuku's hand. She dropped to a side, panting.

Izuku spat sand from his mouth and rolled over, equally exhausted. For a few seconds, the pair remained like that, their backs on the ground, and stared at the blue heaven above. There wasn't a single cloud to be seen, leaving the sky a vast blue sea of its own. The only sounds across the now peaceful beach came from the waves and their heavy breathing.

"Now this… this is the good life…" Rumi wheezed. "Helping the community, training and fighting till you drop… could this get any better?"

Izuku snickered but said nothing. He was beat. Rumi, though, clearly had enough energy left in her. She glanced at him, and a smirk formed on her face as an idea popped in her mind.

"Actually…" Rumi hummed.

Izuku went stiff as a certain Rabbit Girl decided to sit on his chest. He stared at her, wide-eyed.

"This is makes even better…" and with that, Rabbit Girl dropped onto his chest, lying her head on his shoulder.

Utterly confused, Izuku looked at the Rabbit Girl on his chest. Surprisingly, he didn't feel ready to faint even if, indeed, he had an attractive girl laying on his chest. True, he was blushing to the point he worried all blood was rushing to his face. Other than that, though, he felt… excellent. And tired. Very tired. Thus, he dropped his head back, closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment.

Tentatively, Izuku wrapped his arms around Rumi. She didn't protest or complain. Instead, she just hummed, eyes closed. Had she fallen asleep? They had worked themselves to the core to finish cleaning the beach that morning and once again Rumi had beaten him with a larger pile. Of course, neither was satisfied with their morning workout, so they decided to spar. At the very least, Izuku had been able to stand his own for a while, although it was a pity he just couldn't beat Rumi or even land a punch. In any case, that was in the past. Now he was with Rabbit Girl in his arms.

She isn't wrong, Izuku thought. It is nice to help around, work towards something and… well... this is enjoyable too.

Of course, nothing lasted forever. Just as Izuku was about to fall asleep, someone's stomach grumbled. He blinked with visible confusion at the mere loudness of that sound. Baffled, he looked at Rumi.

"I might be a bit hungry" Rumi admitted with a chuckle. Slowly, she pushed herself up. With half-lidded eyes and a groggy smile, she looked down at Izuku. "How about lunch?"

"We could… ehm… go to a fast food restaurant if you want" Izuku suggested.

"Nah, too greasy" Rumi huffed. "And I didn't bring any money".

Izuku beat his lip. He would have offered to pay... were it not for the fact he too hadn't brought any money with him. Still, would it be right if…?

"H-how about… ehm… coming to my house?" Izuku proposed. "I d-don't live that far from here, after all".

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow.

"F-for lunch" Izuku clarified.

"Uh, already inviting me to your house?" Teased the rabbit girl. "What a naughty fox".

Izuku just grumbled, flustered, much to Rumi's amusement.

"Hmmm… you know I don't mind, don't you?" Rumi purred, a venturous finger circling around his chest, making Izuku blush even harder. Now he felt ready to faint.

"J-just… let me tell mom first" he grunted.

And that he did. Untangled and on their feet, it was decided that they would walk over to Izuku's home. Without much of a hurry, they enjoyed the beach a bit more, just taking in the result of their hard work. The beach was absolutely spotless, and all thanks to them. To think they had achieved less than two days before the Sports Festival.

Hence, with high spirits and empty stomachs, the pair strolled out of the beach. They didn't say anything. Each other's company was more than enough to keep them smiling. Truly, they were too exhausted to speak or joke around. The way to Izuku's home was tranquil and peaceful. The sun was bright and people all minded their own business. It sure would have been a pleasant walk, were it not for how hot it was, how sweaty they were and the fact they were absolutely starving.

The Midoriya Burrow, as Rumi thought of it, so happened to be an apartment located on tall grey buildings that were far from inviting. There was something distinctively dull about such a lack of colors. It felt lackluster, particularly if that was the same place a personality like Fox Boy's so happened to live in. Then again, when compared to Fox Boy's personalities, everything felt lackluster.

Izuku led Rumi up the stairs towards one of the apartments' door and, with a nervous sigh, unlocked it. Soon after, Rumi was venturing into the burrow of Fox Boy… and she was disappointed by what she saw. The one thing that surprised her the most was the lack of fox imagery or themes. Her family had gone out of their way to make sure no one missed the fact their house was home to rabbit-quirk users. Then again, perhaps her family were a tad too proud about their own quirk.

"Mom, we are here!" Izuku nervously called.

Rumi smirked at him, nudging the poor Fox Boy.

"Dontcha worry, Fox Boy" Rumi teased. "I won't bite".

"Just… behave, alright?" Izuku said with half-hearted glare. "No violence here" he hesitantly added.

"No promises" Rumi chuckled.

They both heard steps coming from within the confines of the burrow. From around the corner, Rumi saw a rather short woman lean over the corner. Rumi blinked, somewhat surprised. That was Fox Boy's mother? She shook her head. Knowing Fox Boy, she should expect a few surprises… right?

Rather petite, and chubby, she looked a bit the average housewife, with a simple house dress. With long dark-green hair and round emerald eyes, Rumi could easily see the similarities with Fox Boy. She didn't have freckles though, and her hair was silky straight meaning Izuku took after his father in that regard. Both mother and son, however, clearly shared the same glimmer of kindness in their eyes.

"Hello there!" The woman cheerfully greeted them, smiling widely. "Please, come in and make yourself comfortable! I am almost done with the casserole".

"Smells good, miss" Rumi said, sniffing the air. She chuckled when she saw Izuku already drooling next to her.

"Oh dear, call me Inko" the woman said with a bright smile.

She disappeared soon after. By the sounds of it, she was hurrying back to the kitchen.

"She looks nice" Rumi commented with a nudge to Fox Boy.

Izuku and Rumi went towards the living room, where Rumi was greeted by the sight of a rather large flat screen. Her eyes jumped around as she took in the rest of her surroundings. It was clear by the bookshelves covered in hero videos and decorations, as well as the sofa and table for four people that the Midoriya's, whilst not exactly rich, weren't faring badly. There was also a strange sense of vastness and space that Rumi found almost disturbing. Her home, after all, was constricting in that regard, with so many siblings and all.

There were few family pictures, something Rumi was quick to notice. Of course, that was because her own home was filled with them. Still, it was strange to see mostly pictures of a certain green-haired woman with a green-haired boy. Whilst there was always a smile, regardless the year and age, Rumi could see that the Fox Boy's smile in the most recent pictures was forced, and joy never reached his eyes. Just where was Fox Boy's father anyway?

The table was already set for three, instead of four, while Inko huffed and puffed as she carried a heavy pot. Before they could help, Inko plopped the pot on the table and sighed, before turning towards the teenagers. She looked extremely happy, almost like Rumi's own mother. Differently from her own mother, however, Inko Midoriya had a hint of fear and trepidation in her eyes.

"So this is the friend you talk so much about Izuku?" Inko excitedly asked. "Rabbit Girl, right?"

Izuku tried not to nervously shift at that knowing look on her face. The way those green eyes of hers twinkled with glee was far from encouraging. He could probably guess what she was thinking: my little boy has a girlfriend! If his mother wasn't bad enough, Rabbit Girl wagged her eyebrows at him with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Yep, that's me: Rumi Usagiyama, Rabbit Girl extraordinaire" she replied with a wide grin. "And why wouldn't he talk about me? I'm pretty awesome, right Fox Boy?"

She nudged Izuku, who blushed. He grinned nonetheless and nudged her back. So far so good, right? Inko smiled at them with what Rumi could only describe as relief.

"I hope you bring your other friends! It is so nice you finally brought someone home" Inko added with a kind oblivious smile. She clapped her hands. "Lunch then?"

"Yes, please" Rumi said, licking her lips.

They sat at the table, and Izuku couldn't stop grimacing by the way her mother kept that grin of hers. He had never seen her that happy before. He should have been happy for her… and yet why did he feel so awkward and embarrassed? Perhaps it was because his mother was making assumptions of his relationship with Rumi. Before long, they all had a plate full of delicious casserole each and they were digging in with gusto.

"So, Rumi, Izuku told me you went to Jaku Middle School?" Inko casually asked. "I once thought about transferring him there".

Izuku paused halfway a bite, staring at her. She had?

"Let me guess, it was a bit too rundown a place, right? Yeah, it is a poor people's school, after all" Rumi guessed with a smile.

"I-I didn't – ehm…" Inko nervously spluttered.

"Hey, really, it is fine" Rumi insisted with a genuine smile. "I am not about to deny my family couldn't afford anything better. Still, why would you move Fox Boy there? Aldera wasn't that bad, right?"

"Oh, I don't know if Izuku has told you, but for some while he was considered quirkless so… well… children can be rather cruel, can't they? I thought maybe some change would help" Inko said with a sad smile. "It is a good thing he manifested his quirk, right? Better late than never".

Izuku scowled at that, something Rumi noticed. Inko, though, seemed oblivious to her son's discomfort on that topic, something Rumi could not quite understand.

"And what a quirk, isn't it?" Inko eagerly shared with a proud smile. "He has a mutational combination between my mother's Fox Quirk and my husband's father Multi-People Quirk. I am so amazed by the odds! The doctor said that was one in a billion chance to happen!"

"Your grandfather can change into different people?" Rumi asked, raising an eyebrow at Izuku.

"I should introduce Hiro to you one day. That man is the soul of any party he attends, with his twenty different personas" Inko huffed, blushing. "A pity Hisashi's parents live so far. We only get to meet up with them for Christmas and New Year".

"Twenty?!" Rumi gasped, amazed.

"Yes, and half of them have their own quirks" Inko nodded. "I was just as surprised when I learned all about it. Of course, those quirks were… well… like mine". She added, embarrassed. "They aren't that flashy and definitely nothing like Izuku's". Demonstrating, Inko lifted a fork to her hand with repeated flicks of her wrist. "I am so happy Izuku got such an amazing quirk... a Hero's quirk".

Izuku's face darkened at that, gaze lowered as he angrily munched on his meal.

"Bah, a hero doesn't need a quirk to be a hero" Rumi scoffed. "Besides, it is the hero that makes the quirk, not the other way round."

Inko offered a strained smile at that, one ridden with pain and guilt. Izuku morosely focused on his own plate.

"I- I suppose so" she murmured. "In- in any case how are you two preparing for the Sports Festival? Izuku told me of the wonderful job you've been doing at Dagobah and you were close to done".

"We actually finished today" Izuku said with a lopsided and forced smile. "It looks beautiful… I can't believe no one ever did anything".

"Sadly, the government tends to be more concerned about public safety these days" Inko sighed.

"Pffft, as if" Rumi scoffed. "They are just a lazy bums, just like most people. Everyone needs to stop praying for big daddy government to correct your problems and try to deal with them".

"Easier said than done" Izuku chuckled. "But let us not bring politics into the table, please?"

"So what are you going to do now that you are finished?" Inko curiously asked. Her eyes glimmered with joy at that for reasons Izuku rather ignore.

"Well…" Izuku and Rumi traded faces. "We aren't sure…" he said with a shrug.

"Just hang out, I guess. No point in starting anything else and it would really suck to get some injury before the main event, right?" Rumi added. She nudged Izuku. "Maybe we could just walk around, Fox Boy?"

"Sounds fine by me" Izuku replied.

"Maybe you could watch replays of the Sports Festival?" Inko proposed with a happy smile.

"That sounds like an awesome idea!" Rumi's eyes shot wide open, shining brightly. "Maybe we could get some hero fights in between".

"You enjoy watching heroes fights?" Inko asked. For some reason, Izuku was not comfortable with that mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Oh, I love them. I have thousands of recordings back home" Rumi boasted.

"I suppose you share that with Izuku then" Inko commented.

"Hell yeah! It is awesome to finally have someone to talk to about heroes and stuff" Rumi eagerly nodded. "He's more of a nerd, though. He sure loves quirks and heroes special movies. He even has heroes' quirks all written down in his notebooks. I am in for the violence".

Inko just chuckled. "I am glad Izuku found someone who shares his interest. You don't know just how many times he got into trouble because of his obse- I mean, his love for heroes".

"Pffft, I can sympathize" Rumi chuckled. "I had my fair share of issues. We actually have the same Hero Watcher App to locate fighting heroes to watch live".

That seemed to catch Inko by surprise. She snapped her head towards Izuku, who was sweating bullets.

"I thought you told me you didn't go searching for those fights!" She gasped, shocked.

Izuku slammed his face on the table while Rumi sheepishly smiled. Maybe she shouldn't have said that last bit. Thankfully, the rest of the conversation went rather well, although Inko couldn't help but say something to embarrass poor Izuku in front of Rumi. Rumi, on her part, loved the new teasing material. They talked about their families, a bit about their interests and, above all, kept it rather light-hearted. Rumi did not miss the fact that there appeared to be some underlying tension around the table, as two people keeping an important secret from pouring out. Once their bellies were full and they all had their fill, Inko gave a surprising proposition.

"Izuku, dear, why don't you go and buy some ice-cream for us?" She suggested.

Izuku blinked, surprised, only to frown in confusion. Rumi, on her part, raised an eyebrow. However, she quickly caught onto Inko's intentions.

"Yeah, I'd sure love some. Why don't you go while I stay and help your mom clean here" Rumi agreed.

"Ehm…" Izuku, suspicious, warily glanced at the two. Was it a good idea to leave the two females to talk about him behind his back? Well, it wasn't like there was much to talk about… right? He could trust his mother with Rumi and the other way round… right?

"Ehm… fine?" He dubiously replied.

And thus, while poor Izuku left towards the nearest ice cream shop, Rumi helped take the plates over to the kitchen's sink while Inko started cleaning. The two women didn't speak, at first, enjoying the silence and, perhaps, unsure where to start. However, after a couple of minutes, it seemed clear Rumi was not about to wait any longer.

"So… you wanted to talk to me, right?" Rumi guessed, sitting down.

Inko paused on the dishes and, slowly, lowered the plate she was cleaning. Her once bright motherly face had turned sad and distraught. Her green eyes were filled with sadness, and trepidation. Apparently, this was not a talk she was looking forward to.

"I just… wanted to know you better… without Izuku" Inko said, drying her hands.

"It's your right, ma'am" Rumi agreed with a nod. "I know my mom will interrogate Fox Boy the first chance she gets and dad will probably take out his shotgun".

"Did you say shotgun?" Inko blinked at Rumi.

"What? Shotgun? Nah" Rumi quickly amended. "S-so, anyway, I know what you are going to tell me and, don't worry, I care about Fox Boy. He might be a nerd, and he really has self-confidence issues, but he is pretty nice and I like him".

Inko walked back to the table and, plopping on a seat opposite Rumi, sighed.

"Look, Rumi… you are nice and- and probably the best thing to ever happen to Izuku. However…" Inko sighed yet again, looking miserable. "My son has gone through so much and I… I just don't want him to suffer any more".

Rumi worriedly stared, unsure what to do, as the woman in front started sniffing.

Oh God, please don't tell me she is about to cry, Rumi mentally pleaded.

"Has… has he told you a-about himself?" Inko asked.

"A bit" Rumi nodded. "That he was diagnosed quirkless and only figured he had a quirk recently so he is still a work in progress…" she scratched her back. She remembered the mention of the school transfer. "…and I get the feeling he had a rough childhood, like… a really messed up childhood".

"Has he told you about what he went through after he manifested his quirk?" Inko tentatively queried.

"Ehm…" Rumi trailed off. "I don't think it is any of my business. I kind of want to respect his privacy". She was, however, extremely curious now. How could she be otherwise after hinting at something else? "What happened? I guess he had some issues adjusting… and I guess given how he discovered he was a mutant type all along-"

"It was a disaster" Inko said, starting to sob.

Rumi immediately panicked. She didn't like crying people, mostly because it made her feel so helpless. Tentatively, she grabbed a handkerchief and desperately waved it in front of the sobbing mother. Thankfully, that seemed to bring a smile to Inko, who proceeded to blow her nose.

"How bad… how bad are we talking about here?" Rumi wasn't sure she wanted to know anymore. Her ears dropped, already feeling awful for Fox Boy.

"Izuku m-managed to hold his own rather well… at first. H-he was k-kind of happy h-he had a quirk and- and he was g-glad p-people s-started to believe in him more" Inko said with a sad smile, only for it to falter. "But then he started losing himself…"

And then the dams broke and Rumi found herself in a terrifying position: a crying mother with little to no way of finding consolation. What in the world was she supposed to do? She already had a handkerchief!

Shit, shit, shit, shit, Rumi, panicking, frantically thought as she looked around. There must be something I can do! Alright, what would Mom do in this situation? An image came into mind. I can't do that, can I?

As if reading her mind, Inko's crying grew louder, making Rumi feel a newfound sense of urgency.

Fine! Guess there is no other way! Rumi thought. Tentatively, she stepped forward and, awkwardly, stretched her arms to offer a hug to the poor woman.

Before she knew it, Rumi had a crying woman wetting her chest with tears as she squeezed the life out of her. Maybe a hug was the wrong move… not that she could pry the woman from her now.

"I am bad mother!" She cried.

Rumi wasn't sure she was the correct person to be there at the moment. Sadly, it wasn't like she could escape. However, Rumi was not about to abandon a poor woman in time of need. Thus, she swallowed her pride and patted the woman in the back.

"Don't say that, Mama Fox" Rumi said. "Fox Boy is a great guy. I bet he took a lot after you, right?"

"I am awful!" Inko insisted, doubling down on the crying.

Rumi felt an eye twitch with annoyance. However, she abstained from any action. By the sounds of it, Mama Fox had been holding onto her woes for some time now and she needed some release…

"I-I ruined my son!" Inko cried.

Rumi took a deep breath. Don't lose your shit, Rumi, she told herself, this is Fox Boy's mother…

"I should have been better!"

That was it. Rumi forcibly broke the hug and held the woman by the shoulders.

"Alright, lady, listen here and listen well!" Rumi angrily exclaimed. Inko, on her part, stared at her, dumbfounded. "Fox Boy doesn't need this shit right now. He is giving his all to be the best of the best, and pushing himself. He needs you to be strong, too, so you can support him. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. You can't change that! You can only go to the future and go Plus Ultra! Am I clear?"

Inko stared at her still, perplexed. Slowly, a wet smile crept on her face.

"Y-you really are something…" Inko said, only to look sad and depressed yet again "…if-if only I had-"

"Oh no! I had enough of that with Fox Boy" Rumi interrupted Inko's bout of sorrow. "Who gives a crap about the what ifs? Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. I mean, we all screw up, right? And we generally do it for a reason. It happens. What we can't do, however, is just wallow in self-pity and not move on".

Inko, scrunching her face, nodded.

"Y-you are right" Inko weakly stated. She forced a smile on her face. "Th-thank y-you, for that".

"You aren't going to start crying again, are you?" Rumi worriedly wondered.

"I-I hope not" Inko sheepishly sniffed. "I am sorry about that. I-I haven't have anyone to talk to in a while and..."

"It's fine" Rumi awkwardly said. She looked around, letting go of Fox Boy's mom, before heading over to the sink and filling a glass with water. "Fox Boy went through some rough times, huh?"

"Y-yes" Inko solemnly nodded, still sniffing, as she returned to her seat. Rumi handed her the glass of water before sitting opposite her. "Thanks…"

Inko took long gulps of water, before she sat there, staring at nothing.

"H-he used to be bullied... a lot. For the most part I was unaware of it although now..." she sniffed a bit, only shaking her head and continuing. "His own teachers l-looked the other way m-most of the time for one reason or another. Izuku hid it well but a part of me worries I just d-didn't want to see it".

Inko took a moment to recompose herself. She took a deep breath, only to sigh, despondent.

"I-I didn't want to believe the son of my best friend was his worst tormentor. I should have known better... knowing Mitsuki's attitude and behavior I shouldn't have been surprised" the woman murmured. "I guess it was made w-worse by Izuku's stubbornness..."

Rumi found herself smiling alongside Fox Boy's mother. Yeah, whilst whiny and wimpy, Fox Boy sure could get his head onto anything he wanted.

"A quirkless boy aspiring to be a Pro-Hero... th-that alone must have made all the children laugh. But also U.A.? Of all the Hero schools, he just had to- to aspire to that school. Why? Because of All Might?" Inko said with a forlorn look on her face.

Rumi got the impression the woman was asking herself more than anything. Still, it irked her how Inko dismissed her own child's dream. Rumi gritted her teeth, holding her tongue.

"W-why... why did you want to become a hero?" Inko suddenly asked, staring at Rumi.

"Me? Well..." Rumi was a bit taken aback by the question. "I always kind of wanted to protect my siblings and beat any son of- I mean, anyone who wanted to bully others. It was the next logical step". A confident smile stretched on her face. "I want to be the strongest out there and protect the most people I can".

"That's admirable" Inko cooed with a smile, making the rabbit girl smile. "Izuku was never like that..." her face dropped, pained. "Before he was four he- he obsessed with being a hero".

Rumi blinked. That was natural... wasn't it? Still, it took the definition of being stubborn to an entire new level.

"And not just any hero. Oh no, Izuku had to dream big" why did Inko sound so agonizing about that? "He wanted to be the next All Might, to smile and make others feel safe".

"What's wrong with that?" Rumi blurted out, reining back her frustration.

Inko gave her a very sad smile at that.

"There is nothing wrong with a childhood fantasy. I-I thought it was nice... at the time. The problem was... even after being diagnosed as quirkless, he insisted with that dream" Inko sighed. "And children can be less than sympathetic. Sadly I... I didn't know what I could do to help. What comfort could I offer?" Inko sniffed again, and for a moment, Rumi feared she was about to start crying again. "He just... closed himself around his hero analysis..."

"You mean those notebooks of his? I think they are cool" Rumi nonchalantly commented with a shrug.

"You do?" Inko asked, perplexed. She look unsure for a moment. "That's... strange. They were the reason he was picked on the most".

Rumi frowned, baffled.

"Izuku... Izuku's obsession with heroes was never healthy and- and it probably made matters worse with his peers. He grew convinced that- that maybe if- if he learned enough about heroes, maybe he could be like them- like finding the secret to being a hero. Izuku clung to an impossible dream... and his classmates made him suffer for it" Inko sniffed.

"It wasn't an impossible dream" Rumi interceded with a grunt, glaring at the woman.

Inko winced but, instead of answering, looked down in shame. Rumi felt guilty by that... but not much.

"M-maybe" Inko stammered. "I suppose your parents encouraged you to be a hero".

"Well yeah. Mom was no fan of it, of course, but she wasn't about to deny me the chance to at least try" Rumi stated.

Inko winced again, her entire body ridden with shame.

"I-I wish Hisashi had been around more often" Inko sighed. "At least for Izuku..."

Rumi grimaced.

"Are you two... eh..." Rumi wasn't sure how to ask about it.

"Oh no, we are still married" Inko said with a strained smile. "He- he works overseas but- but he does come from time to time".

Rumi wasn't sure what it would have been like without siblings or her father. She scratched the back of her neck, sympathizing with Fox Boy's plight. To think he only got his mother for comfort, and even then Rumi knew first-hand mothers tended to lean heavily over the overprotective side.

"You know, people used to pick on me too" Rumi said. "I was the cute little bunny, tons of siblings, poor family and... well..." Rumi scowled at the memories, before she swallow a lump of saliva "...I used to really like princesses..."

"P-princesses?" Inko, dumbfounded, inquired. "Oh-oh, s-so you liked swords and dragons and-"

"No" Rumi, blushing, interrupted. "I mean... I-I liked dresses and ponies and- and... y-you know... used to want to be one of those pop-singers for teenagers? The sort that always end up prostituting themselves and suffering from drug overdose?"

Inko looked mortified by that.

"Hey! I was young and stupid and- and- they are really good at brainwashing you!" Rumi hastily stammered. "I grew out of it, of course, but everyone knew me as that little bunny who was in a cute little dress for the school play".

Inko actually found herself giggling, much to Rumi's consternation.

"Don't you DARE tell that to Fox Boy, alright?" Rumi muttered. Who was she kidding? If Fox Boy ever met her mother that would be the first thing he would learn about.

"You must have been cute" Inko giggled.

"I was the most adorable and fluffiest princess to date!" Rumi boasted, puffing her chest with pride.

"But..." Inko frowned. "How did you...? Don't take it the wrong way, Rumi, but you do not look like someone who liked that".

"Like I said, I grew out of it. I blame dad, though. And my siblings..." Rumi sighed, glaring at her lap. "When you get little siblings you kind of- you know - take the role of the protector, right? And you don't get to be weak. So... I grew protective of the little brats and- well - I wanted to be more. I didn't want to be that little cute princess bunny... so yeah".

"At least you had a supportive family" Inko pointed out. "I... I truly failed Izuku. I wasn't aware of it... maybe I even tried to ignore it... but the fact was he was suffering. As you might have guessed his- his quirkless form is… it rationalizes a lot of things. It… it rationalized his own suffering and- and that allowed him to keep moving…"

Rumi saw an ugly face of anger rear the mother's face before receding back to sadness.

"…but his real form… the Nine-Tails… h-he was… he was so angry… and rightfully so" Inko said, starting to sob again.

An image of a growling Izuku flashed across Rumi's mind. Yeah, the Nine-Tailed form had some anger issues but had it been worse back then? Just how bad? Rumi took hold of a hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Thankfully, that did the trick and Inko didn't break into tears.

"Angry at… what?" Rumi asked.

"At everything" Inko replied. "The world, heroes, his old school… me… h-he was so furious. Over a decade worth of resentment and anger, repressed deep in his being… it- it all came out at once and he has been- been wary of using his quirk ever since. H-he has done s-some progress b-but… it has been hard. You see, Izuku suffers from a psychological syndrome called Mental Repression".

"Mental Repression?" Rumi repeated. There was something utterly wrong with that word. "Let me guess, he unknowingly suppressed his quirk".

"It- it is more complicated than that. D-do you know how- how some quirks related to the users psychology? Like enhancing or emitter quirks that stop working when th-the users lacks confidence? This… this is like that but worse" Inko explained.

"Worse?" Rumi asked. How could it possibly be worse than suppressing your own quirk?

"Th-the doctors s-said that Izuku had- had some kind of severe r-repression… when… when the person actually internalizes his own lack of self-worth, their anger, their jealousy... themselves… and they actually come to believe that that remaining shell is who they truly are" Inko shakily explained. "The problem is when- when the person can manifest that form b-because then the world believes that that is how he is and- and that reduces his self-worth even more and… and…"

"It becomes a down spiraling cycle of self-destruction" Rumi hummed. "Well, but Fox Boy is alright now. He is a lot better".

"Y-yes, h-he is… but he still has so far to go" Inko nodded with a sign of happiness. "He is so brave at times…" she absentmindedly stared at the table, a faint smile on her face. "E-even with all that fear about losing himself in his emotions and personalities… h-how difficult it must be to let go of the person he thought he was… h-he manage to pull through. I-I mean, he made it to U.A.! I still can't believe it" She grinned, and Rumi smiled alongside her.

Rumi had always known Fox Boy was a fighter, like her. He was also a bit of a whiner, though, but that could be worked on. However, Inko's smile faltered and tears returned to her eyes.

"But it is my fault… h-hadn't he been attacked… hadn't he…"

It suddenly occurred to Rumi that this Mental Repression thing had more going on to it than just quirk suppression. In fact, her heart dropped as she imagined what could have happened had Izuku not actually manifested his quirk. Nothing good could have come from repressing your entire self, right?

"What would have happened…" Rumi tentatively asked with morbid curiosity "…hadn't Fox Boy manifested his quirk?"

"What happens to most people with Mental Repression… they blow up or self-destruct. The endless loop of misery continues until… until they can go no more so- so they either become villains with a thirst for vengeance or- or…" Inko paused, sniffing "-they end their own suffering. They…" Inko sobbed. "They told me he would have committed suicide in a few years… and it was all my fault!"

Rumi's eyes widened.

"They didn't say that, did they?" Rumi said.

"They didn't need to. I knew it! They probably suspected as much" Inko cried. "How could I have been so oblivious? Why couldn't I see that- that Mitsuki's kid was so awful? Why couldn't I figure out Izuku was suffering? How could I have been so blind?!"

Not this again, Rumi mentally muttered.

"Oy, oy, oy!" Rumi sighed, exasperated. "Look, Mama Fox, yeah, it slipped your notice, but you can't change that! No one wants to see their children suffering! I bet Izuku made it hard himself, right? And it must be really hard to figure out. I mean, how were you supposed to read him mind?"

"B-but I should have done something!" Inko cried. "I-I probably caused it all! I-I never could bring myself to tell him- t-to believe in him!"

"What do you mean?" Rumi asked with a pause.

A spark of anger ignited in her gut. As much as she wanted to be sympathetic, she didn't like what she had heard. She must have heard wrong.

"A-after he was diagnosed as quirkless, h-he… he was so broken and I-I… he asked if he could be a hero and I…" Inko crying turned into wailing.

Fury spread across Rumi's entire body.

"Oh God, don't tell me you said he couldn't" Rumi begged, seething.

"I-I didn't know what to tell him! I told him I was sorry!" Inko cried. "I wanted to tell him yes b-but… I-I didn't want him to be a hero!"

Rumi stared at the woman. Truly, as furious as she felt, she was shocked.

"I see the news all about the dangerous things that happen out there, everything heroes go through and- and then he was diagnosed quirkless… I-I couldn't bring myself to encourage him to do be like that! I didn't want him to even be a police officer or a firefighter if possible!" Inko cried.

Rumi gritted her teeth. Who was this woman to tell her son who or what he could be? She should have encouraged him regardless! To tell him to fight for his dreams! She was ready to explode. Fox Boy deserved a thousand times better than what Inko did. However, instead of going off on Inko, she did something… different. Instead, she thought about Inko's situation.

Rumi found himself wryly smiling, thinking of Fox Boy, always analyzing and overthinking things. However, perhaps it was time she took a page out of his book and calmed herself. Fox Boy would not appreciate it otherwise, and Rumi was not about to upset him. Thus, she took a deep breath and tried to put herself in Inko's shoes.

There she was, a woman all alone, without her husband, with a quirkless son that wanted to be a hero. She was the kind to worry about heroes and villains and she might perhaps be overprotective… wouldn't Rumi had thought the same as her in her place? Wouldn't Rumi, if she was a mother, want to keep her own children safe if she could even if it mean stepping on his children's dreams?

A part of Rumi wanted to believe she would have told Fox Boy that yes, he could be a hero, maybe even make it to U.A. if he put his all into his dreams. However, she knew that was a bit disingenuous. It was easy to imagine being better on someone's shoes without fully understanding said person's circumstances and environment. Thus, as much as she disagreed with Inko, she decided that now was not the time to pass judgement.

"I'm an awful mother" Inko sobbed. "I-I should encourage h-him to achieve his dreams! B-b-but I couldn't! I-I can't stop seeing news about the villains and the risks and- and everything and… I am a terrible mother!"

Maybe you are but this crying helps no one, Rumi reluctantly thought, patting the woman's back.

"Look, Mama Fox, Fox Boy is doing much better now, right?" Rumi asked. "Let us focus on that, alright? We can think about what you did later".

"He still needs to overcome it" Inko said.

"Huh?" Rumi, dumbfounded, replied.

"He- he has gotten better b-but… he needs to rebuild his own identity. E-even now h-he still thinks he is that quirkless boy he has been for most of his life. I worry… I truly fear h-he might have a relapse and…" Inko sobbed, only to burst out crying.

Rumi, though, remained flabbergasted. She had absolutely no idea Fox Boy had been going through all of that. So he had some type of destructive identity crisis? Well, he didn't show it. Did that mean he was doing better than his mother believed… or was he just that good at hiding his problems?

"Don't you worry, Mama Fox" Rumi reassuringly said with a wide grin. "I'll help Fox Boy get over this Mental Repression".

"Y-you will?" Inko sniffed.

Rumi was growing a bit tired of all the crying and wallowing and... well, she needed to lighten the mood.

"Of course! I want to have his children after all" Rumi teased.

"YOU WHAT?!" Inko gasped, falling backwards.

Rumi just started laughing, slapping a hand on the table while tears of mirth rolled down her cheeks. So that was where Fox Boy got it.

"Just kidding, just kidding" Rumi sniffed. "Look, I like him alright, and he has become a… well… a good friend". She offered a confident smile. "Have no fear, Mama Fox, because this Rabbit Girl is on the case. I won't let Fox Boy lose himself. You have my word".

"Thank you" Inko said with a smile and teary eyes.

"Heck, just you wait! Next week, you'll see Fox Boy beating everyone at the Sports Festival" Rumi declared.

"That's nice, Rumi, but-"

"No, I mean it. I know Fox Boy can - and will - win the Sports Festival" Rumi proclaimed. "And you better start believing it too, Mama Fox! Your son is a winner. I mean, he got me. What else could he ask for?"

Inko beamed at the rabbit girl and, for the first time in a long while, Inko found herself laughing. Rumi just grinned. Maybe Inko really needed someone to talk to just as much as Fox Boy, in the end.

Needless to add, when Izuku returned he was a bit curious to know what had happened, and how much they had gossiped behind his back. He was thankful his mother hadn't taken the family photo album out (that would have been embarrassing), but he was disturbed to notice that his mother appeared to have been crying. In the end, Inko decided to go take a nap and leave the two teenagers to sit on the sofa with their ice cream. The screen before them had the entire selection of recorded Sports Festival.

"So… what did you talk about with mom?" Izuku tentatively asked.

"Oh, you know, girl stuff" Rumi teased.

"That's why mom looked like she had been crying?" Izuku wondered, concerned. "Alright, Rabbit Girl, what did you say to her?"

"Me? I didn't do anything!" Rumi exclaimed. "She just – ehm – broke into tears because of this and that".

"That does sound like mom…" Izuku muttered, only to sigh. "Fine. I won't pry. So… what year should we pick?"

"How about the Sports Festival before mine?" Rumi suggested.

"Whatever my lady wishes" Izuku said, fighting a smirk, as he searched the correct video with his remote control.

"Atta boy" Rumi shot back, nudging the boy.

The two fell silent for a moment as Izuku kept searching. There sure was a long repertoire of videos available. In the suffocating silence, Rumi glanced at the concentrated Fox Boy, thoughts of her conversation with his mother flooding into her mind. Could he really have such a shattered identity, one he was trying to rebuild?

Rumi was not Inko Midoriya, after all. Rumi Usagiyama saw a strong boy with a lot of potential, one who could be a great Pro-Hero. Heck, to her he could be a lot more than that. He might have been a work in progress, but Izuku Midoriya was up to the challenge… and yet, Rumi couldn't help but feel fear grip her heart at the thought of Izuku just losing himself.

"Hey, Fox Boy?"

"Yes, Rabbit Girl?"

Rumi paused, carefully picking his words.

"You do know that if you need help with anything, I am right here?" Rumi said. "Except math… and hero laws… and geography… and maybe other subjects… but you get the drift, right?"

Izuku stared at Rumi.

"That's… a bit random… especially from you" Izuku commented with a frown. However, he couldn't help but smile at her. "But… alright, I guess? The same goes the other way round".

"Oh?" Rumi raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"I don't want to brag… but I AM good at math… and hero laws… and geography… and maybe other subjects" Izuku teased.

"You smug son of a bitch" Rumi chuckled, nudging an amused Fox Boy. "Just… remember I'm here for you".

Izuku stared at the screen in front, a sad smile on his face.

"I know that already, Rabbit Girl" Izuku softly said, turning towards Rumi.

"Good. Just don't forget about it, Fox Boy" Rumi said, snuggling into his chest. "Now, can you get the stupid replays playing?"

Izuku, taken aback by the closeness with the rabbit girl, was momentarily surprised. However, after a few seconds of staring at Rumi, he smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She didn't protest and, with that, Izuku pressed the play button on the control remote, and the couple lost themselves in Sports Festivals of previous years, side by side.

The toughest days may have been just around the corner, and maybe there was reason to despair. U.A. had a lot in store for them, as well as their own peers. However, as they remained like that, there was no reason to fear. Let the future bring whatever horror and challenge it had planned. They were up for the challenge. They could fend off the machinations of fate, couldn't they?

Author Notes: and there goes another chapter. Boy, is it me or are the chapters getting longer? And there is still an entire arc left. I'm really glad a lot of people keep reading the story after it got to long. Don't you worry, we are about to start the final trek, when Izuku's mettle shall be tested.

I hope Rumi and Inko didn't come off-character in this chapter. I know, it was a bit cheap the whole childhood of Rumi and way too much of a trope... but hey, what can I say? I am a sucker for character growth. Would have been boring for me if toddler-Rumi was identical to teenage-Rumi.

I am loving the reviews you are posting guys, and you've really got me improving the story, believe it or not. It is funny the chapters you can come up with thanks to a comment here or there.

Next Chapter: the Sports Festival begins! (Might take a bit longer to update that usual as I am revising a lot of things).

Thanks to you, the reader!