Akira POV
We're woken up the next day by loud knocking on the front door, groaning I bundle farther into the blanket- and consequently closer to Aniya who groans and shoots me a half-asleep glare. Maiko stumbles up and answers the front door, and I can practically hear her mental squeal when she greets Mezou.
"Oh! Mezou... How're you this morning?"
"Uh- I'm quite well. I thought I'd escort Akira to school today, as I know it's your usual ritual to spend the night here after any big event." That's true, Maiko's living room is the largest of all of ours, and her house has central heating and air for the summer... Ah, such luxury. Of course, Mezou probably just wanted to say hi to Maiko- cause he has a *crush* on her and I find it adorable. And hilarious as well. Stumbling up from the floor myself I grab my bag from the corner, thankfully at some point I thought to change out of my hero costume- unlike some people in the room. I wish I didn't even have to go today, though I am sure I could just say I wasn't feeling well after the exams and Aizawa wouldn't be too angry... But I promised I'd tell Mei Hatsume how her design performed in a more real situation, and considering my leg doesn't hurt the more I use her brace and get used to it- after yesterday I'd give the overall design a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10.
"That's okay Mezou, I need to stop at home right away. I'm not exactly presentable for school, and I wouldn't want to make you late by having to wait on me." Mezou stumbles over his words, attempting to explain that he doesn't mind at all, but I wave him off.
"It's all right, why don't you just walk Maiko to the station? She'll be ready in a couple of minutes, and I'm pretty sure no one else is going to school today." Maiko begins to protest, she probably wasn't going to go either, but then she blushes and stops. Excusing herself quickly to go get ready. Wait... Does she like him back? Note to self... Investigate these developments further, usually, the only one with a love life is Holly. I head home, reminiscing on the past as I do. Thinking about the day Holly became my friend, has me thinking about the days the others- and a few old friends, decide to be heroes.
Akira POV; Flashback, age 5
Mama was taking me to meet a friend of hers today, she says she's my godmother- but I don't really know what that means yet. The woman is really nice, and her older daughter is super mega pretty, and like fourteen, and the little girl who's a little younger than me is kind of grumpy. Emi likes dancing and she's trying to show me and Fumi what she's been learning. I clap my hands loudly every time she does the pretty twirl that makes her dress extra sparkly looking.
"Wow! You're s-super cool Emi! Like a princess or a hero!" She stops and looks at me.
"A hero? You think I'm cool like a hero?" Tilting my head a little I shrug.
"Y-yeah. You're su-super cool like a superhero! You'd be the b-best one ever!" Emi beams, and her father speaks up.
"Oh that's ridiculous, she's far too soft and nice for that! She'll make a great nurse or a teacher someday though." No one says anything to him, but that's mean. Later when we go outside I tug on Emi's arm.
"S-sometimes, heroes need to be nice and soft ca-cause it makes people f-feel safe. You'd make people f-feel really safe." With tears in her eyes, she knelt down and hugged me, then leaned back, hands still on my shoulders.
"Then I'll be the best hero ever because you believe in me! Everyone always says that I'm too nice and innocent when I tell them I want to be a hero. A side effect of my quirk is that I'm not very strong, and my body isn't that resilient. But... If just one person believes in me, then I'll try. No one's ever believed in my dream before." I smiled really big and hugged her back.
"I like to believe, it's how I make things." Emi makes me show her what I mean, and all afternoon we make pictures and she talks about big kid things that I don't really understand yet. Like 'school applications' and 'persuading mom and dad'. I'm pretty smart, but dad says sometimes things don't make sense until they do. Whatever that means, I don't get that thing either.
Fast forward; 4 years later
Today was the day Fumi graduated, I was super excited, and in a few weeks I have a quirk assessment test in the city- she said if she's not busy her boss said we can tour the agency before we go! That's super exciting. She already has dozens of rescues from when she got her provisional license, and I'm sure she'll get tons more.
-A few days after the accident.
Emi came to visit me today, with her boss along, and I told her I thought I'd become a hero too. She smiled and told me she believed in me, no matter what. She's transferring to an agency that specializes in neutralization and rescue, and it's farther away. For the next few months, we write letters back and forth and her mother posts them for me. Two years ago she divorced her mean husband, I was glad. About six months into her job, Emi beat the rookie rescue record previously held by All Might
-Eight months later
Fumi was sobbing into my chest in the lobby of the hotel, and I could hear Bonju sobbing into the phone in the background. There was a massive disaster, a huge tsunami caused by two separate earthquakes. Right in the middle of Emi's work zone. She got free, and the reporters were documenting everything she was doing, as the only active pro-hero on the scene. There had been no precursors to any of this, and we soon had found out why. She'd just finished loading another individual into a helicopter, an entire sector cleared by her easily, in part by directing civilians on how to use their quirks to help her. Perfectly legal in a disaster, it's not like she was having them fight villains or anything. Plus, she was just doing it so she could more easily evacuate them. When suddenly, a roundhouse kick knocked her clear off her feet. Five villains were on the scene, and the storm that had been hanging over the horizon was right overhead. A feared group of villains had gathered, trying to destroy the city. Raucous thunder made it difficult for Emi to use her quirk, even though she had connected her earpiece to the broadcast to be able to talk to the media directly. She defended the city from them causing more damage, as much as a single non-combat hero can do against five fearsome villains. I know their names and their quirks from the broadcast. Apparently, they've been individually causing trouble for a long time.
'Tumultuous; Quirk: Earth Shaker.'
'Cyclone; Quirk: Hurricane.'
'Shattershock; Quirk: Lightning.'
'Groundfall; Quirk: Earth Break.'
'Razor; Quirk: Quick Wind.'
Alone, they were natural disasters. Together? They were THE natural disaster, and a devastating force. Emi managed to take Cyclone out by sending her tune into the winds protecting her body, and Tumultuous and Groundfall out by channeling into the ground they hid in. However, Razor's winds worked father away from her body, and Shattershock used his lightning to flash around like a bolt of it himself. Emi is bleeding and shaking heavily, still waiting on reinforcements, where are they? The next time a bolt of lightning arches near her, she reaches her hand right into it. Her body convulsing with it. However, shortly thereafter it stops, and Shattershock falls to the ground. Trapped listening to a lullaby, did she route sound through the lightning itself? How did she know that he was in that particular blast? She explains it as Razor slowly approaches. Looking for an easy opening.
"He was popping out of his blasts in the same pattern, every fifth flash that hit the ground, he'd reappear for a few moments after. I'm guessing that's how many blasts he can do from inside the electricity. But, there's a brief moment where there's no sound and he's not out yet. So, I took a hit to take him out. What's your next move?" Razor lunges forward, wind cutting deep into Emi as her winds gain speed, and suddenly Emi is gripping a sword buried in her shoulder. Within seconds, Razor is knocked out. Emi applies some bandages and quickly cuffs the villains, and proceeds to rescue people for another hour until more help arrives from other pros. No explanation ever came for why help took so long, but a phone call did come later that night. Emi's injuries had been too great. She died in surgery.
A few days later, a final letter came for me, and Bonju gave it to me while she was still sobbing. I don't think she's stopped. Inside the letter is Emi's favorite charm from her necklace, and it reads.
'To the one who believed in me most of all, and who I believe in more than anything. Keep your head up through these dark times, and remember that being a hero is more than being strong. Be kind, listen, and have a heart that is open to all. You have the gift of turning people's bad reasons into good ones, these things will take you far.' I look over to where Fumi sits on the couch, curled up in a ball in the corner. Slowly I walk over to her and hold out the charm.
"I-I think you should have this. She was your big sister after all." Fumi's eyes snap up, filled with unbridled rage.
"This is all your fault! You just go around believing in people all the time, telling them they can do things that everyone else knows they can't! My sister never should have been a hero! She wasn't strong enough, she never would have been strong enough! And now she's dead because of you!" Fumi's fist snaps out, connecting hard with my cheek and knocking me nearly off my feet. I touch my busted lip tenderly.
"Who said she wasn't strong enough? Your dad? The other kids at school? Well, I can give you a few thousand people who would disagree. Actually, I can give you entire cities that would disagree on how strong she was. She beat out ALL MIGHT'S rescue record for crying out loud, and the man is a human tank. She was smart, kind, brave, selfless and so much more. So maybe it is my fault she became a hero, but don't you dare blame her dying on me! She knew that risk when she took up her title, and she'd be proud that she saved many people by giving her life! It's never a happy occasion when someone dies, but it is a happy occasion when someone gets to live their dream." Fumi collapsed back onto the couch, the fight leaving her shoulder as I spoke. Her voice came out quiet, softer than I'd ever heard.
"No wonder she's always believed in you too. How do you do that? Talk to me, tell me why I'm wrong, yet never make me feel bad? It's like... You've got a second quirk, and maybe it's just that you believe in people and want what's best for them. I don't know. Mom uses a word to describe you sometimes, but I don't know what it means. She says that if your life was easier you never would have started getting nervous all the time, that you'd be even more kind and outgoing. But I don't think so, people with easy lives sometimes forget... How difficult some have it in this world, they're not cruel, they just don't have all the information. You stutter sometimes sure, but a lot of the time, you get that sparkle in your eyes and it's like your lighting up the whole world with it..." A quiet sob escapes her, "Emi believed in me too. Who's going to believe in me now?"
Sitting down next to her, I place a hand on her shoulder.
"You can believe in yourself, and I've always believed in you. So, when it's hard for you to believe... I'll believe in you even more." Fumi blinks at me quietly.
"Who... Who believes in you?" Smiling softly I peer up at the clock.
"Your sister believed I could be a hero no matter what. My friend Holly believes in me too, but she told me one day she's worried about my leg. That she'll make sure to help me keep myself safe. My family believes, but they have that same worry. That I have the potential, the drive, but... How can the horizon climb over the sunrise?"
"Maybe it should just wait for the sun to set. I believe in you. If my sister believed in you, then I can too. I know you don't really believe, you just want to be good and help people and show the world how to be good again too. Right? I'll help you, since my sister won't be able to. I'll help you believe in yourself, and be a hero, and... I'll make sure no one ever forgets my sister. I'll be a hero too, I'll be strong and amazing just like you two."