Chapter 09: Moving Forward

Izuku huffs out a breath when put down the last box. "Last one for the night."

"You're making great progress, despite that one hiccup along the way," Toshinori said.

Izuku knew what Toshinori was referring to. A few of months back, in the autumn, Izuku, desperate to get strong as fast as possible in order to excel, overworked himself. Which earn a well-intended heated scolding from Toshinori.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Izuku said, scratching the back of his head.

Toshinori waves a dismissive hand. "Ah, don't worry about it anymore. To be honest, I actually did the same thing during my training."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was so eager in inheriting One for All that I kinda went overboard too. So, I was very much speaking from experience." Probably not in the similar vein as Izuku, as he was more excited than anxious, but he did get a thorough talking to by Gran Torino. Though, in retrospect, the elder man was harsher on Toshinori.

"Even you could make mistakes, All Might?"

Toshinori laughed. "Of course, Young Midoriya! I am human, after all!"

Izuku smiled at that. For years, he had looked up to Toshinori. He saw him as this god-like being, an entity none can even hope to reach. But now, after spending time with the man for the last 10 months, Izuku realized that the hero he looked up to was merely a figurehead, a front for someone who is a true hero. The real Symbol of Peace.

Izuku then noticed something that brought him out of his thoughts. Toshinori…seems off. The man rarely expresses his emotions, though this could be due to years of hero work. Was it the way the corner of his lips arch down slightly or how his shadowed brows farrowed?

Izuku found himself asking, "Is everything okay, All Might?"

"…It's nothing," was Toshinori's short reply.

"Are you sure?"

The older man rubs his long neck. "…I don't know. Something doesn't seem right. Like a disturbance. Maybe it's because the entrance exam is tomorrow."

Izuku's heart skipped a beat at the reminder. "Tomorrow…it's almost time…I'm a little nervous."

Toshinori rises from his spot on a chair and comes over to pat Izuku on the shoulder. "There's no need to get too high strung. Just continue on with the last bits for today and we'll try to do as much as we can tomorrow morning before the –"

A phone call is here! A phone call is here!

Toshinori digs for his phone from his pocket.

"That's his ring tone?" Izuku wondered. He was also curious of how to get a similar ringtone.

"Qrow? He hardly ever calls." Pushing back a sense of dread, Toshinori answers. "Hey, Qrow what's –" Bright blue eyes widen in horror. "What?"

"All Might? What's wrong?" Izuku asked, alarmed. But, Toshinori was at a loss for words. Yang was in the hospital, undergoing surgery. Toshinori suddenly flashes back to six years ago.

"I…I…" Toshinori lowered his phone to his chest, as he tries to calm down so he could think. "…I need to go to the hospital…but…" He was torn on what to do. Izuku's training was almost done, but…Yang…

Izuku looks around at what is left of the trash. There was still much more left and was unlikely to be finished, even by tomorrow morning. While Izuku has no clue what happened, but it is very likely that it has something to do with Ruby and her family.

He turns to Toshinori. "Go."

Toshinori blinked and looked at his future successor. "Hm? Young Midoriya?"

"I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, I know that it may involve Rose and it's something really important. More important than being here. Hurry."

There was steel in Izuku's eyes. A strong gaze filled with reassurance and hope. Not unlike the fierce eyes of All Might.

"Thank you, Young Midoriya." He brings the phone back to his ear. "I'm on my way."

Tai, Qrow and Ruby sat in the waiting room. No one had spoke since Qrow called Toshinori. Ruby silently worries for her sister, deeply hoping and prayed that she will be okay. After for what feels like years, the operating light finally turns off and everyone stands up. A few minutes later, the surgeon emerges and removes his facemask.

"Would you like the good news first or the bad news?" the surgeon asked.

"We're kinda waiting for another person to get here," Qrow said. "A family friend."

It was at that moment, Toshinori enters the waiting room, winded.

"Here I am!" he wheezed. He coughed as he caught his breath. "How is she?"

Tai turns to the surgeon. "How about telling us the good news. It might put some of us at ease."

"She'll live." Hearing this, the others were relieved. "She'll need some time to recover, but she'll pull through. As for the bad news, the villain that attacked her cut off her right arm, just above the elbow. What ever the villain's Quirk was, we were unable to salvage her arm, making it impossible for a replantation." Ruby's irises shrunk, Toshinori's as well. Yang…lost an arm?

"You think this might affect her hero training?" Qrow asked.

"It's hard to say. Physically, she could return to her hero studies once we equipped her with a prosthetic. That is, if she wishes to and that brings up our next dilemma. As I said, she'll be fine once her wound heals up, but...as for her emotional state, well…" Toshinori get the implications. In his over thirty years of heroism, no villain had ever left behind a terrifying wound.

Except, for All for One. That man hurt Toshinori more than any other villain. It started when All for One killed Nana, robbing Toshinori of his second mother, and ended six years ago, with the price being a giant, flower shaped scar over where his left lung used to be. But, the physical scars and missing organs were nothing compared to the trauma of his mind.

And he still battles with them now.

"Yang…" Ruby's voice was soft, but Toshinori's keen hearing was able to pick it up.

"When can she come home?" Tai asked. Not as a concerned hero, but a worried father wanting to bring his daughter home, where she is safe.

"We'll need to keep her here for a couple of nights to monitor her vitals," the surgeon responded.

That slightly frustrated Tai, but he understood. "I see." He turns to the rest of his family. "I'll stay to keep an eye on her. Qrow, can you take Ruby back to the house?"

"Yeah."

"Wait, why can't I stay?" Ruby asked.

"You have an entrance exam tomorrow," Tai replied. "You need to be well rested."

"But…You…Yang…and Blake…I can't leave any of you alone," Ruby protested.

Toshinori couldn't help but have lopsided smile at that. There is a big test coming tomorrow, an exam that would decide the fate of her dream of becoming hero, but she wants to be here, with her family. As sad as it sounds, it shows how much Ruby cares for her loved ones. And Toshinori admired that.

But then, Toshinori remembered what Izuku said.

"Then, I better get back to work if I plan on meeting her there!"

Ruby still has a friend to reunite with and Toshinori will be damned if he let Ruby forget the things she's been working for.

Just as Toshinori was about to step forwards, Qrow was first, getting to eye level with his niece and putting firm but comforting hands on her shoulders.

"Ruby, listen to me. I know that you want to be at Yang's side right now, but do you think that she'd want you to forgo your dream? Do you want all that training to go to waste?" Qrow inquired.

Ruby stared at him with shimmering eyes from unshed tears, tears that she is trying to hold back. "…Okay."

"I can take her home," Toshinori said, causing the other three to turn to him.

"You sure about that, Toshi?" Qrow asked.

"Just like Ruby, you also need to rest for the exam," Toshinori said, forgoing that he needed to do the same as he's gonna be there too.

"What about this project you've been doing for almost a year?"

"It ended just recently." Kinda. He'll check on Izuku tomorrow morning.

"And what about…" Qrow sneaks a glance at Ruby. "…your thing with All Might?"

"It's fine."

Tai and Qrow exchange glances. Despite his weakened state, Toshinori was still an immovable wall when he sets his mind on something. Realizing that the man won't budge, they complied.

Tai sighed. "All right. We leave Ruby to you, Toshinori."

"You can count on me." Toshinori turns to Ruby. "Are you ready to go, Ruby?" She was hesitant. She didn't want to leave, but she nodded, and they left the waiting room. On their way, Ruby noticed Kali talking to a police officer and doctor before the woman sees them. She finishes her talk with the two to walk closer to the pair. Kali then held out her arms, offering to give Ruby a hug.

Ruby, without hesitation, runs into her arms. The hug was warm, like a mother's hug Ruby thought would be. She felt comfort, she felt warm, and she felt safe. Ruby bites back the tears that threatened to leak. She can't cry now. She needs to be strong. They move apart and Kali holds Ruby's face in her hands.

"Blake had told us what happened." The woman gives her a kind smile. "Don't worry, Ruby. Your sister is strong."

Ruby, feeling grateful, smiles and nodded. "Mm."

Kali rubs her thumbs on Ruby's cheeks motherly and looks up at Toshinori, who was also smiling thankfully.

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Belladonna."

Kali releases Ruby. It's the least I can do, Mr. Yagi. I hope you two have a safe journey. And Ruby, if you ever need someone to talk to, you have our number."

"…Thank you, Mrs. Kali," Ruby thanked. With that, Toshinori and Ruby finally leave the hospital.

They failed to see Kali looking concerned.

The ride back to Patchi was a silent one. Ruby tried to remember the last time she was alone with Toshinori in any given moment. And couldn't. Instead, her memories went straight to All Might. Then again, the hero had worked close to her mother and was such an imposing figure compared to the meek frame of Toshinori, that Ruby remembers more of the former than the latter.

It had also occurred to her how not…talkative she is with Toshinori without other people. Maybe, Yang just brings out her social side.

"So…uh…New truck?"

Toshinori didn't answer immediately. "…Refurbished. Found it in a junkyard and had it fixed." He pats the dashboard. "Works like a charm." Ruby couldn't help but think how funny it is that the man's long legs doesn't exactly fit properly with the knees nearly touching the steering wheel and, even when he's slouching, his head nearly touches the ceiling, his wild mane of hair brushing against it.

It was funny, but Ruby didn't have the energy to even muster up a giggle.

"What were you doing in a junkyard?"

Toshinori widened his eyes slightly. "Ah…uh…mission! The mission All Might and I are participating in! I was meeting with an informant there and noticed this old girl."

"…cool."

They remain silent until they reached the Xiao Long-Rose house. Zwei was at the door, waiting to greet them. He barks at them cheerfully, seemingly unaware of the tense energy coming off the humans. Or, maybe he does and is trying to lightened up the mood.

And maybe it worked, only for a little, as Toshinori greeted the pooch with a smile and a pet to the head. The man heads into the kitchen and starts to look through the cabinets. It's been a while since he was in this household, so he's trying to familiarize himself with it again as he found what he was looking for.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" he asked, placing two mugs on the counter. He takes out a small bag with a picture of a cocoa bean on it. "It could help with stress."

"Is it okay for you to drink that?" Ruby asked.

"Cocoa powder like this is okay, but this isn't about me. This is about you. Do you want any?"

"…Cream and five sugars, please." Her training was over, so why not?

Toshinori felt a little disheartened at the lack of enthusiasm from Ruby's tone. She's clearly still reeling from the news. "…Okay. You can relax in the living room while I get this together."

Ruby nods and goes to wait in the living room. She sat on the warm brown coach, leaning heavily against the back of it. She felt…tired. So tired. Even her workouts in the past ten months didn't make her this tired. Zwei hops on the couch with her and laid his head on her thigh. The dog whined a little. He's probably feeling down now too. Ruby rubs his head.

She then heard a ding from her phone. She quickly pulled it out, thinking it was her father or Qrow.

It was neither of them. Nor Jaune nor Kali.

It was from Blake.

Come to your room.

Ruby raises a brow curiously. Did Blake leave something in Ruby's room? Ruby rises from the couch, leaving Zwei there, and walks near the kitchen entrance.

"Um…Uncle Toshi?" she said, trying to sound neutral. Toshinori looks at her. "I'm heading upstairs to look over my notes for the written exam."

Toshinori stared at her for second. A very long second it felt to Ruby to the point that she feared that the man figured something out. Instead, he turned back to the saucepan. "All right. I'll call for you when the hot chocolate is done."

"Okay." Ruby heads up into her room and closes the door behind her. She hears a knock on her window and sees Blake waving at her. "Blake?" She opens the window and pulls Blake in. "What are you doing here?" Ruby looks down at the gauze still wrapped Blake's waist. "Shouldn't you still be at the hospital? Your wound…"

Blake looks down, her ears bend down and her grasp on a strap – Ruby now noticed Blake carrying a small duffle bag – tightened. "…I know…"

"Then why?"

"…I need to leave."

"What do you mean?"

"What happened to Yang…it was my fault…"

"Blake, what are you talking about? Why do you think you need to leave? What about U.A.? Your parents? Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire? Yang?"

"They will be in danger too. Adam Taurus…is a dangerous man…"

Ruby blinked at the name. "Adam Taurus?" Who's that? That was when she remembered the conversation between Yang and Mirio nearly a year ago.

It was that fucking guy again, wasn't it?

Was Yang talking about Adam Taurus? Who is he? What was he to Blake?

"Ruby," Blake's voice brought Ruby out of her thoughts. "Please do me a favor."

Ruby never liked this tone. It was the same tone when she was told to tell Izuku to abandon his dream. The same tone when it meant that Ruby was going to be upset. "Blake…"

"Attend U.A., get into the hero course—"

"Blake–"

Blake takes Ruby by the shoulders. "–and become an amazing hero. A hero that I failed to be." She pulls Ruby into a hug. The younger girl froze in the hold. Blake slowly let's go and moves back to the window. "It was fun, while it lasted, being the hero. But it's clear that it is a path that I can't take anymore." She moved to leave but Ruby takes her hand. Blake looks back. Ruby looked at her with sad eyes and, for a moment, Blake could see Yang giving her the same look.

"Blake…please, don't go." Blake smiled sadly. She had no doubt that Yang would've said that too.

"…I'm sorry." Blake slips out of Ruby's grasp and leaves through the window.

Ruby stood alone in her room. She bit her lip, so hard that a small drop of blood emerged, as she struggled not to cry.

Unlike many hero course students, Blake was planning to become an underground hero, like the likes of Eraser Head, Mr. Misfortune, and Midnight. In Toshinori's opinion, she needs to work on her stealth a little more. Why? Because he could see the cat girl from the kitchen window, lowering herself to the ground, and after retracting her Capture Ribbon, she runs off into the night.

He closes the blinds when he could no longer see her. He's tempted to form into All Might and go after her, to try and talk her out of whatever it is she's doing with a rousing speech that he'd come up on the fly. But…he can't think of anything. He's got the usual speeches for civilians etched in memory, but this is different…

He feels useless again…

Feeling done with feeling down with himself, takes up the tray containing two steaming mugs of hot cocoa and a plate of sliced strawberries over into the living room. "Ruby, the cocoa is done!"

He starts setting things on the coffee table as Ruby climbs back down. He straightened himself up and turns to face Ruby with a smile. Not a boisterous, confident, All Might smile, just…a smile.

Such smile drops when Toshinori sees Ruby rubbing her eyes. Her eyes are only slightly red, meaning she was close to crying. Toshinori forces back his smile and motions her to sit with him.

"I thought you might like some strawberries, so I washed some that was in the fridge," Toshinori said. Ruby silently picks up a strawberry and stared at it. Toshinori was at a loss.

As Toshinori took a sip of his cocoa, Ruby thinks about when she first met Blake. She was in her second year at middle school, and it was the start of the midterm exam. At this point, Ruby was already acquainted with Mirio (especially him), Amajiki, and Nejire. So, when Yang brought over a new girl, Ruby was taken aback. Blake was similar to Amajiki that she kept to herself and doesn't actively look for conversation, always with a book in her hand. However, unlike Amajiki – who despite his pessimism, doesn't really shut people out – Blake had metaphorical walls around her. Despite this, Ruby could see how Yang changed Blake. In fact, Ruby could honestly say that Yang is to Blake what Mirio is to Amajiki. A ray of sunshine. Soon, Blake started to warm up to Ruby and Ruby felt that she had gained another sister. The two would sometimes have book reading sessions – occasionally Ruby would want Blake to read to her – and other times, Blake would help her study, mostly in Japanese literature. It was thanks to Blake that Ruby got her learner's license from her parents, who owns Kuo Kuana Enterprise, a support company.

The memories eventually became too much, and Ruby didn't bother to keep it in anymore. Tears start to blur her vision, big and fat, as though all the stress she's been bottling up have finally spelt over. Toshinori wraps a hand around her shoulder and Ruby cries in Toshinori's shirt. Toshinori could feel the tears seep into the fabric, but he didn't care. He wraps his other arm around the poor girl. Even Zwei was visibly upset.

"It's okay, Ruby."

Toshinori doesn't move from this spot as Ruby sobbed her heart out. She needed this. She was needing this for a long time. Toshinori kind of saw it coming, because he went through something similar. All the stress, all the dread, all the intrusive thoughts…if left unchecked, it could very much lead to a breakdown. Toshinori was no stranger to this, as he had experienced this twice in his life. The first was after Nana's death. The second was after the battle with All for One and Sir Nighteye's betrayal.

He wished he had acted sooner. He wished he had talked to Ruby when the cracks started to appear. But, all he could do now is say,

"It will be okay. Because…I am here."

At some point, Ruby had cried herself to sleep and found herself in the edge of a clearing of a snowy forest. It was...a surreal sight. Particles of the landscape came off in an ethereal way, almost reminding Ruby of the 'scatter' effect of her Quirk. Ruby noticed that there are one…two…four…eight stone pillars, one on the middle of the clearing and the other seven, several yards away, circling around it. At first, she thought she was alone, that is until she saw something – someone – standing near the stone pillar in the middle of the clearing. The white cloak they wore had them blend into the environment with what looks like snowflakes, really petals, fluttering around the person.

Despite the person's appearance being obscured by the cloak, Ruby knew who it was.

"Mom…something bad happened yesterday. Yang got hurt and Blake ran away…Why does bad stuff keep happening? First, you died, then dad got depressed, then Uncle Toshi got into his accident, then Winchester and now…" The vestige said nothing as Ruby continued. "Why couldn't you have been there to save Yang?" A strong windstorm started to build up as if sensing her anger and frustration. "To stop Blake from leaving? Why couldn't you have been there when I needed you the most? Why did you have to die?!" The petals multiplied and zoomed around like a blizzard. "Why are you so quiet, mom? ANSWER MEEEEEE!"

~ Morning ~

Ruby wakes up on the couch. She gets up, pushing away a throw blanket that was laid over her. She looked around. From the way it looked, she's alone. Toshinori had probably left at some point after she fell asleep. She notices a note next to some apple slices on the coffee table. Judging from the handwriting, it was from Toshinori.

Entrance exam starts at 9:30 am. Don't be late. Good luck!

Ruby stared blankly at it. She didn't feel any sort of excitement. She still felt the effects from yesterday. She didn't want to do anything. She just wants to lay back down and wait for the nightmare to be over. Ruby felt a buzz in her leggings, where her phone is. It was 8:00 am. If memory serves correctly, U.A. is nearly an hour away from the house on foot. If she gets up to do her shower and have breakfast, she'll be there on time, but…

Zwei whines a little as he looked at her. Ruby listlessly gets and heads for the upstairs bathroom to brush her teeth, staring at her reflection as she did so. She looked ragged. Her eyes were puffy and red, dark circles were under her eyes, and her hair was a mangled mess. Ruby wondered again if what she was doing was the right path. If it's all worth it…

She then heard Zwei barking from somewhere in the house. She spits out the toothpaste froth to go look for him. She finds him sitting before a picture of Summer on top of a table. Zwei looks at her, like he was trying to tell her something. Does he…want her to go to her mom's memorial?

Thinking that she's got some time on her hands, she heads on over to the memorial and took a seat on the bench.

"Hey, mom," Ruby started, trying to muster up a smile. "Today's the day, heh. I know that I should be excited. I mean, it's the same school All Might attended. The same school Dad, Uncle Qrow, and…you went to. I guess…I'm having doubts again. That I shouldn't apply for the hero course, that it isn't the place for me to be."

A gust of wind blows through, rustling her hair and the leaves in the trees. Ruby saw a few white petals fluttering in the wind, likely from the white roses in the archway.

She has heard about the urban legend, that white petals flying around means her mother is present.

"I've sometimes seen you in my dreams. Sometimes I was happy, sometimes I was sad. But…" She lowered her head. "The dream I had this morning, I was angry. Angry that you were gone. I'm not sure if it's a sign or what. I want to believe that you are listening to me right now, that you are watching over me and Yang. I want to believe what All Might told me about the stars above years ago, but…it's hard. It's hard to believe."

A soft breeze made a white petal land on the back of her hand. Ruby tears up at the sight of it. She could almost feel a hand over hers. She takes the petal in her hand and holds it close. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for being angry at you." Her text tone chimes. She sniffs and wipes her eyes to see the message.

Be sure to text me, Qrow, or Toshi when you arrive at the school. Good luck!

Then another text came. This time with a picture.

Yang said 'Break a leg'

The picture was of Yang, seating up in the hospital bed, giving the camera a thumbs up and flashing a big grin. She looked tired and the way she positioned herself had her right side out of view.

Ruby looks at the petal in her other hand. "I have to do this. I can't stop now. Not after how far I've gotten, right?" The petal flew out of her hand. Ruby looks at the memorial plaque. Thanks, mom. It was nice talking to you. Wish me luck!" Confidence restored, Ruby leaves to get ready.

The white petal lands on the bench.

Two more chapters plus an epilogue 'til the end of this arc!