18 years later
Day of gratitude
Brown hair with hints of grey, a bit of wrinkles here and there, and the blissfull hands of heaven as she made the brew. Those were the results of years of being a witch, learning like a witch, casting spells like a witch and more over... raising a witch.
The pot floated a top of a high flame as the main witch of the town made preparations for the annual night of gratitude held for the last eighteen years. The night where everything was thanked for with the kindest gesture of lanterns, dance and music. The night to secure the fate of the children of day and night.
The child she couldn't save from the wrath of it's mother.
"Uraraka!" she called towards the back of the cabin while whisking the contents in her pot. Not a single soul appeared through the hall.
"sigh.. Uraraka!" the middle aged woman called a second time.
"I'm coming, mother!"
As the woman was about to make another call for her daughter, the young witch appeared by her side with a gasp. The mother could only stare at her daughter with a small smirk. "Transporting from your bedroom to the living room with a gasp of breath, I seem to guess that you were practicing spells in your bedroom when you are supposed to help your dear mother for preparations."
Uraraka stared at her mother with a sort of annoyance, she got tired of the constant help and almost no lessons of spells. The young witch kneeled beside her mother and placed her palms together in front of her face. "Forgive me mother, for I shall not do it again..."
"You are forgiven..." The woman stared at her daughter, seeing the urge in her face as the girl's eyes diverted away from her. "Do you wish to say anything else?"
The young witch opened her mouth but sat up right before doing so. "With all due respect... I must ask when are you going to give me more lessons in magic? As the daughter of the grand witch of this town I must learn all there is to this magic and how I can use it for good! And-"
"Darling, you must be patient... You have learned enough to survive on this very land and yet... you wish to learn more than you are due?"
Uraraka stared dumbfoundedly at her mother and stood from her place. "I must be patient? I have been patient for seventeen years! I want- No- I need to learn more in order to maintain your lineage and ruling over this town's magic!"
The older witch kept stirring at her pot. "You are still young... You will have your time of learning as soon as your powers are ripe for harvesting. There is still a longer road to walk..."
The young girl stomped her way across the living room and to the kitchen. "UGH!"
"Ochako… Do not remark your anger in front of your piers, they deserve respect over all", the woman waited for another groan from the teenager and gladly heard non. "Now, if you are willing to do me a favor? I would like to ask for some fresh fruit from the market, it is needed for the fire festivities!"
The wooden cabin was filled with silence. Another sigh was emitted from the elder woman.
Uraraka ventured to the cabinets of the kitchen, trying to make one of them float, until she heard heavy footsteps behind her.
"Ochako Uraraka you must listen to your mother."
The girl turned around to find her father around the corner. "But father-"
"Now. Stop the whining and go get your mother's things, lessons in magic are for those who are responsible and you know that clearly."
The girl sigh deeply, letting her anger out in a heavy puff, and walked towards the door of the house with her pink dress. "I will then do what I am commanded to do... Ill be right back!"
Her parents awaited for her to close the door behind her before looking at each other and sighing deeply.
Uraraka walked towards the town, making her way through the arch of trees and the hug of nature.
It was a beautiful day and yet she had to go out and about with anger on her heels. It was common for arguments to surge between her and her parents now and then but she was tired of waiting for improvement. She was tired of staying on such a low level of magic considering her status. She wanted to be as strong as Iida, as cool as Denki or as impressive as Deku, but none of those things could be accomplished if her mother was reluctant to teach her more magic apart from the books.
The town made it way to her view and also an unlikely pair of heroes who wandered a few steps into the woods and then suddenly jumped back. They looked like fools but Uraraka found her friends too funny.
"Deku! Iida!" The brunette smiled at both of the boys that were once fooling with the woods, catching their attention.
"U-Uraraka!" Deku jumped on the spot, watching as the witch approached them, a blush on his face.
"Miss. Ochako!" Iida nodded formally towards the witch unsure of her tired appearance. "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to get ready for the ceremony?"
Uraraka raised the basket in her hands and showed it to both of the boys. "Well I am running errands for my mother, so that counts." Her eyes wondered on the spot they stepped on. 'Now, what were you doing exactly?"
Deku nervously placed a hand over his head, staring at the ground in front of him. "Well we were.. uh.. wondering of the forest and it's creatures! he he he..."
"Creatures?"
"Well, of the beast of course! The towns people are saying that a beast with horrid fangs and blonde hair is wondering the grounds of the forest, so we were curious to find it."
The young witch stared at Iida as if he had grown a third eye. "A beast? I have heard of pretty frogs, nice hawks and young witches but never a beast. It is impossible for such a thing to exist!"
The pair of friends stared dumbfoundedly at the girl, surprised by her words.
"You don't believe in other dangerous creatures, Ochako?" Deku remained still in his place.
"Well I believe that there are bad creatures but I don't believe there is a beast in our grounds of the forest! My mother has protected the woods for decades!"
Iida shifted in his place and crossed his arms over his chest. "How are you so certain? Have you wondered into the woods?"
The young witch was caught off guard but composed herself quickly with her head up high. "I have not, but if the situation call for it I will venture the woods now!"
Suddenly the girl made her way towards the entrance of the woods stepping on the first stone in the road. But before she could continue a large hand was placed on her shoulder.
"Not so fast."
Uraraka didn't comprehend the matter on her shoulder but turned around to find a famous face. "Hero All Might!"
"Miss. Ochako if I didn't know any better it seems that you were wondering off to the woods."
The boys behind the hero's back stared at each other with certain fright. They were afrid of getting scorned by their teacher.
"Well I was... Just to see if the rumored Beast walks these grounds."
All might grabbed the short girl by her waist and lifted her out of the woods. "Well I can tell you that there is a beast... and the cursed tree of a thousand hands."
Uraraka stared curiously at the hero, while the boys trembled in their shoes thinking of the horrid creatures.
"A beast? A tree of a thousand hands? But how-?"The hero's smile never faded or even trembled. "Just don't venture into the woods young one. You must not face such creatures."
The young witch nodded disappointedly.
"Good, now go do what you must do and we will see you at the ceremony of gratitude." The hero turned towards the boys and slightly scowled, "You two should return as well, your parents are looking for you."
Both boys quickly bided farewell to the witch and made their ways fearfully back toward their homes. Uraraka made her way to the market, wondering back to watch the trees move with the wind .
As if it were calling her name.
"3, 2, 1! Let the lanterns free!"
The night sky was adorned in bright specks of light surrounded by a cylinder of rice paper and wood. It was like a path to heaven and the moon which was lit brightly against the surface of the earth. The townspeople were dressed in white watching the spectacle unfold above their heads.
"Mother, Father look! The lanterns are reaching the moon!" Uraraka smiled at the scene unfolding above her, taking a mental picture.
"Why yes it is. We are thanking the heavens for our blessings in life" her mother made way to place a hand over her daughter's hand, her father followed after.
"And since when are we celebrating this? I lost count." The young witch asked.
"We have celebrated the ceremony of gratitude for eighteen years." Her father answered, smiling at his curious daughter.
For some reason that couldn't feed Uraraka's curiosity. "But why do we-?"
All Might made his way towards the family before the daughter could ask another question. "Oh the Grand Witch and her family! What a wonderful ceremony you have organized!"
"Why thank you All Might!"
And before her parents could notice, the young girl slipped from their grasp and towards the small crowd in an effort to find her friends. It had been the only chance she found to try spending time with friends, yet she couldn't see a hint of green hair or dark blue in the crowd, considering the white wardrobe.
But something distant called her with a sweet melody, a pressure in her chest. As if knowing something was on its way.
Her eyes wandered into the distance and to the dark woods. She knew the melody that called her, the melody of curiosity and she wouldn't deny it this time.
She couldn't hold herself back.
Watching for anyone following her track she held her breath for a second and closed her eyes, remembering the spell she had cast that morning. In a simple gasp she was right at the entrance of the forest, remembering All Might's words.
But she wanted to follow her own words.
Slowly she made her way through the dark forest, remaining on guard for any negative magic or hungry enemy. She wasn't going to be eaten alive by a mear creature.
The trees engulfed her in pure darkness, the only light being that of the moon. Uraraka grew a bit tired but jumped back up when she heard a small crackling of sticks behind her.
She ran.
She ran and ran and ran until the air ran out of her lungs. Her hands rest a top of her knees trying to recuperate herself. Then her eyes looked around and that's when she realized she was in the middle of nowhere.
"Oh no... no no no!" The young witch looked back trying to find her track but saw that nothing was there for her to follow.
Suddenly a figure was present in the shadows. A human figure.
"Hello?" Uraraka stared, frightened.
"Are you lost?" A deep male voice sneered.
For some reason, she felt relieved.
"Why yes I am.. I need to find my way back to the town..."
The young witch walked towards the figure getting surprised by red fabric and white fur adorning a broad back, a head full of spiky blonde hair on top.
"I'm sorry sir.. are you from around here?"
The man turned around to reveal a young attractive face attached to a strong and impressive body. Uraraka could even say he was the most handsome man she had ever seen...
"Umm... do you know of a rumored beast roaming these woods?" She kept on going, trying to ease her nerves.
The attractive man diverted his red gaze towards the girls body. "Do you know who I am?"
"No but let me introduce myself first..." she curtsied, lifting the sides of her white dress. "I am Ochako Uraraka, daughter of the Grand Witch of the town... and you are."
The handsome man smirked, showing wide fangs from his mouth. "Bakugou... the beast you are looking for."
Uraraka remained still for a moment, remembering the words of Iida: "The towns people are saying that a beast with horrid fangs and blonde hair is wondering the grounds of the forest."
She stared once again at the aspects of the man that caught the most attention.
Then, suddenly ran for her life again.