Some could call her foolish for trusting a pair of questionable people while her son laid sick, and bedridden, in the hospital. Inko knew her dear friend Mitsuki would have smacked her right upside the head had she been there, yelling to and fro about being too trusting. But Inko understood more of the matter than she let on. So, she sat with the red-haired woman that had approached her with the too-dark-shadow, and listened attentively. Green eyes stared into mirrors of her own, and Inko saw the sincerity reflected in them; the absolute want to help, and the understanding of the situation at hand, and Inko allowed hope to well in her chest, blooming like a flower blossom in the middle of spring in her heart.

The red haired woman, Hatori, explained how she used to be like her son: sick and weak. She explains carefully how it can be treated with the right amount of care and patience, that it is a trial and error type of situation.

Inko nodded, understanding that the betterment of the body took time, but she was worried that they were out of time already, and that patience would get them nowhere seeing as her son was coughing up blood. Her heart pounded something awful, like the beat of a drum heralding death, and Inko could do little to stop it. It pounded and pounded, reverberating in her chest and up through her ears until it made it difficult to hear.

Hatori stopped talking long enough for Inko to gain her bearings. It was embarrassing to have a panic like that in front of people, but her son's life was balanced on a fine thread and one could not fault a mother in panicking at the thought of it.

"What do you think of magic?" Hatori asked.

Inko snapped her eyes open to stare at the woman. "Magic?"

Hatori smiled pleasantly. "Yes."

What did Inko think of magic? She thought back on the tales her granny Amaya told. Of fae and Neighbors, of mushroom rings and the rites of magic, the do's and dont's and faux-passes when dealing with their Neighbors. Inko had always thought of her granny as a bit fantastical with her stories as she grew older. But, deep within her, Inko had always thought of magic as real, with her just not having the Sight to See beyond what one usually saw. After having Izuku, she told those stories to him when he was just a baby cradled in her arms. Hisashi had looked at her, pleased for some odd reason and added bits of Japanese lore to her stories, but that was before he became absent in her and her son's life. Afterwards, Inko firmly refused to tell more tales, worried that her son would gain Hisashi's fantastical gleam in his eye as well and venture off into the unknown, just as his father.

But as Izuku grew older, with the ability to talk, came talk about Neighbors. Inko despaired, for how had he remembered all those stories from when he was young? And older and older he grew, and it became apparent he understood more than he let on. He grew quiet about the subject of Neighbors, often staring into space. However, the weaved flowers in his hair continued their stay there, so much so that people believed that to be his quirk.

And so Inko swallowed, "Magic is—" what was magic, anyways? "—I'm not sure."

"What do you think of magic?" Hatori repeated again.

Inko looked away, "Magic and its users, alongside Neighbors and the fae, have been present in my life in just stories. My wayward husband had always been more knowledgeable on the matter of Japanese lore, and sometimes I like to believe it was magic that took him and not him deciding he no longer wanted us." She choked out the last two words, covering her mouth with her hands as she bent over in her chair. Softly, she whispered to herself, "Would he have stayed? Had he been given the choice between magic and his family?"

Hatori looked on the verge of tears herself, but instead she offered Inko a handkerchief. As Inko wiped away her tears, Hatori softly said, "Sometimes the love of a wedded pair can take twists and turns. But if you are both strong, then your bond will deepen."

"I fear it's too late," Inko said in a hoarse kind of voice. "He's already been gone for so long."

"We can help you look for him, if you wish, but your son and his health is our priority."

"Yes, you're right," she said, "I think the past is best left in the past. Explain to me again how you'll help my son?"

Hatori did so.

↞ « o » ↠

"So you're saying magic is real? That it'll help my son?"

"Yes, Midoriya-san."

"I need a moment to collect my thoughts."

"Of course, just call my name and I'll be there."

↞ « o » ↠

Izuku smiled widely as she opened the door to his room, adorned in his hair was a crown made of the lavender she had brought him yesterday. His smile visibly fell when her eyes welled with tears and she rushed in to hug him.

"Mom?"

Inko sniffed. "Just give me a second of this, sweetheart."

Her son hugged her back. It took Inko a while before she was composed enough to ask her son the same question that Hatori had asked her.

"Izuku, what do you think of magic?"

↞ « o » ↠

Three words, that's all it took.

"Dear to me."

↞ « o » ↠

Everything happened fast, too fast; Inko had thought she would have had more time. She thought she would be able to gather her thoughts more, to erase the doctor's disapproving stares from her mind as she signed Izuku out from under their care and to pack her belongings for a long flight to England. But no, as soon as they arrived home they scurried out to pack their immediate belongings before their departure. She didn't have time to think about calling Mitsuki, and assure her that she and Izuku would be fine, before she was whisked away by magic to the countryside of England. If she had any doubts in her mind about magic being real, then they were wiped away that instant that they appeared in front of a stone home surrounded by nature.

She was a bit nervous, but her nerves calmed when she saw Izuku twirl in delight, giggling softly.

"Welcome home," Hatori said with a smile.

↞ « o » ↠

Inko and Izuku are back in Musutafu for a week to get their affairs in order. It's early June and so the sun shines merrily upon their arrival. Izuku hasn't had any more episodes since he started wearing the magatama and his silver ring back in May. There were a few close calls but nothing came out of it, just bouts of vertigo and nausea that made Izuku have to sit down. Inko didn't want to start counting her lucky stars just yet, but she was extremely grateful that her son was getting better. That she didn't have to see him spewing blood every so often, and that his face was no longer sallow and dull. Instead, he's gained color back to his face, and it's as vibrant as always. He's started mumbling to himself again, and now she more so wonders if he's talking to his Neighbors rather than just himself.

As the days wean on, their house starts to look more and more barren with all the boxes piling up and taking place of where personal belongings once were. Izuku goes over his English conjugations aloud with her, and so they studiously go over what they know as they pack. They rent out a truck to take what they don't need to storage, and keep what they want at the apartment.

Inko finally finishes all the paperwork needed to make their move official, and so she acquires their permanent residence visa for England and their passports to finally take a plane to the country. She suspects Elias had pulled a few favors or that magic was on their side to make things as fast and smooth going as they have.

Their final destination is Izuku's Elementary school to pull him from his class and make sure he could transition into homeschooling with little to no complications. Everything is going smoothly up until they stumble upon Bakugou Mitsuki and her son, Katsuki.

"Auntie Mitsuki!" Izuku greets joyously.

"Izu-chan!" Mitsuki greats with enthusiasm, hugging her son with a gentleness Inko hasn't seen in a while. "How are you feeling, sweet pea?"

"Better!" He says with a wide grin, he slaps a fist into an open palm to show emphasis. "I'm getting the treatment that I need to get better."

"That's good, sweetheart." Mitsuki turns towards Inko, "We need to talk."

Inko swallows the dread she feels, and instead tries her best to imitate Elias' way of speaking and Chise's approachable demeanor. So, she smiles and says, "It appears so."

Mitsuki side glances her, and Izuku, her sweet and perceptible son, grabs ahold of her hand and squeezes it in reassurance.

"I have some friends I want to say goodbye to," her son says with little to no room to question it. "They'll be sad if I leave for a while without at least saying goodbye."

"The twins?" she questions, asking about the twin kitsune.

"Hm," Izuku nods. "Them and Yua-chan, mostly, and then some of the others, the children of Titania."

Meaning the fae.

"Alright, then. Will someone accompany you?"

"I'll have Iris with me."

The Protector.

"Okay, have fun sweetheart."

He grins at her and waves as he walks away, mumbling imperceptibly to his right shoulder where she can only assume Iris sits. Today his hair is weaved with suitopi flowers, otherwise known as sweet pea flowers. With his green hair, the flowers stand out like one would against a green pasture. As he goes his way, Inko can see some people pause and coo at him. She smiles.

She turns towards her dearest friend and inclines her head towards the left, opposite of where her son has gone. "Let's go to the park," she says, and is hit by a moment of nostalgia just then. "There are a lot of good memories there."

Mitsuki's eyes soften, and Katsuki scoffs before saying a gruff goodbye and leaving. It's a testament to Mitsuki's want to talk if she doesn't reprimand her son for his rough disposition.

When they arrive at the park they sit in silence for a while, just taking in the serenity of children's joyous laughter reverberating throughout the park. Inko allows for Mitsuki to break the silence, content on allowing her friend to think she's leading the conversation, when truly Inko will be the one directing the conversation. She'll be the orchestrator of this song; she'll guide it to stay at a pianissimo, and not fall into a fortissimo that is Mitsuki's temper.

"So, Izuku—"

"He's getting the treatment he needs." Inko reassures. She folds her hands on her lap, "It's just that the treatment that he needs isn't here."

"So, what? Were you going to move and not tell me?" Mitsuki sounds hurt, though Inko can't blame her for feeling so. "Where? Tokyo?" It's a good assumption that she would have to move to the grander city, with the best medical assistance one could offer. But of course she wouldn't know.

She takes in a deep breath instead, and says, "The English countryside." She then hurries to add on as she sees Mitsuki begin to flare up in anger, "we have family there, and we're only a forty minute train ride from London." Quietly, she murmurs, "It's doing Izuku good, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki deflates, "Is it?"

Inko smiles, if it's for reassurance for herself or her friend, she has not a clue. Maybe, perhaps, it's for both. "Yes, it is. He's getting better and the fresh air of the countryside is doing him good, Mitsuki," she grabs ahold of her friend's hands, and makes her face Inko. "I will call and keep you updated, and I'm sorry I haven't told you what's been going on, but it's all happened so quick."

"Hey, shh, it's okay Inko," Mitsuki grins in spite of her tears, "I'll be here, okay? Waiting for you guys to come back. Who knows, maybe we'll visit you, yeah?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." Inko sniffs.

Mitsuki nods before bringing their foreheads together, and Inko smiles through her tears as they whisper their goodbyes.

Izuku is at the edge of the park once the two friends part ways, and he smiles tentatively at her. She wipes away her tears and smiles back, holding her hand out for him to hold. He does so gladly, with him never one to shy away from affection.

"Let's go home," he says.

Inko looks back towards the park, before nodding with a smile. "Let's go home, Izukkun."