I do not own My Hero Academia.

This story was written with the help of another writer who wishes to remain anonymous, but has done most of the work and wishes for it to be posted here on fanfiction.

Inko Midoriya knew she would be lonely when her son decided to attend U.A., but she hadn't known just how bad it would get. An entire week had gone by, and it was the longest time mother and son had been separated. Truly, it was hard to adapt. There was no one else to cook, no one to share a meal or talk in the evening…

Thankfully, Inko had managed to fend off the agonizing loneliness and heart-wrenching separation from her son, at least partially. She had dived straight into her new mission: to find out where in the world did Izuku's quirk come from. The mystery itself had taken most of Inko's time and attention, but even after a week, there was little progress done.

It wasn't that entirely new quirks couldn't appear down a bloodline, but generally there was at least a hint or two of their ancestry. Only those with quirkless ancestry could still show up with brand new powers. There were still weird cases… but could Izuku truly be such unlikely scenario?

To solve the mystery of her son's quirk, Inko had decided to build a family tree for her son. Having nothing else to do that Saturday morning, Inko busied herself with that, the kitchen table filled with pictures and papers.

Izuku's father, Hisashi, had a Fire Breath quirk (not much to say about it), which had been passed down in his family twice over, by Hisashi's mother and then Hizashi's grandfather. Hizashi's father had the quirk Bright Sweat (self-explanatory quirk), inherited from Hizashi's grandfather. The rest of the quirks in Hizashi's family were completely unrelated, being a quirk that allowed Hizashi's paternal grandmother to produce sounds by just thinking about them. Lastly, Hizashi's grandmother from his mother's side had Smoke Breath as a quirk.

The truth of the matter was that Inko had little doubts about her husband's side of the family. They were all hardworking rather average people who had spent their lives without much excitement. Her side of the family, on the other hand…

Inko sighed, hiding her face.

"The rabbit quirk must come from there," Inko knew.

Why? Well, that was simple: her parents had been very, very adventurous in their youth. So adventurous, Inko was hesitant to ask them anything regarding their past. For all she knew, her parents would regale her with their misadventures, and that was something she did not want to hear about! Additionally, Inko wasn't sure if she wanted to suddenly learn her parentage was not as set in stone as she had believed. Worse, though, was that Inko would have to inform Izuku about that side of his family at some point. Her parents had only visited Izuku when he was very young, and hadn't showed up ever since, and tracking them down was a quest of its own.

She timidly looked at that side of Izuku's family tree.

Inko had developed Telekinetic Attraction, a derivate from her father's mother Telekinetic Touch. It had skipped over her father, who had the quirk called Phased Hermaphrodite. Her mother, on the other hand, had the quirk Plasticity, which pretty much allowed to change her body as if she was made of clay whenever she wanted. She could mold her nose, torso, eyes… any body part she wanted.

"Mom and dad always bragged about their… ehm… more open relationship," Inko slowly said.

However, even when they had boasted about being rather "free-spirited", as they liked to consider themselves, they had always been monogamous and loving parents as far as she could remember. They never married and ranted about so called "hetero-normative" whenever they could but, as far as Inko remembered, they acted no differently from the married couples at Inko's school. Perhaps age had calmed them, or maybe their first child had finally matured the couple.

In any case, Inko cringed as she recalled what her days dating Hizashi had been like. Her parents had made it a point to embarrass her, sometimes on purpose, and sometimes unconsciously. The wedding itself had been rather fun… if only her parents had been a bit less rowdy. Inko might have been accepted and even cared for by Hizashi's parents, but her own parents? Geez, the less was said about both sides of the family, the better.

"What if the rabbit form is a result of mom's quirk?" Inko pondered, scratching her chin. "Maybe it is a mixture with dad's quirk…"

In any case, Inko could have to hunt down her parents and get answers… If only it was so easy.

"Hey, Inko, you there?"

Inko jumped on her seat, before looking towards the entrance hallway. Calming her breath and her beating heart, she got up. Now that she thought about it, both Izuku and she had always been rather jittery and jumpy. Could that be something inherited from their rabbit-quirk ancestry? The earlier she forced answers out of her parents, the better. Still, the mere thought of confronting them and learning dark secrets and forgotten truths…

For Izuku, Inko, do it for your son! She berated herself.

"C-Coming!" Inko got up and rushed to the door.

There, waiting for her, was a grinning disheveled Mitsuki. Given her wide smile and cheerful demeanor, Inko had a strong feeling Mitsuki had just been with Masaru. Speaking of adventurous parents…

"M-Mitsuki, good to see you!" And indeed, Inko was happy to see her friend.

The explosive blonde didn't even hesitate. She stepped forward, smothered Inko with a hug and guided her friend inside her own apartment.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, girl?" Laughed Mitsuki. "You should visit more often, y'know? Katsuki would rather die than admit it, but he misses you."

"Oh, maybe I will" stammered Inko with a chuckle. "S-so what brings you around here?"

"You know, same old. Masaru and I went Takoba beach today. Really romantic and all. Found a few spots to-" Mitsuki excitedly recounted.

"I-I rather not know!" Squeaked a red-faced Inko.

"Oh come on, girl, and here I wanted to share all the juicy bits!" Laughed Mitsuki. "Seriously though, I am amazed with what the mayor achieved. That place was a dump, and now it is all clear and beautiful."

"Wait, did you say T-Takoba?" wondered Inko.

"Yep! Remember that old dump? It's now a gorgeous beach" said Mitsuki.

Inko opened her mouth to tell Mitsuki that, no, the local government hadn't lifted a single finger to clean the beach. Instead, it had been Izuku with his personal trainer, Mr. Toshinori Yagi. However, she stopped herself. Should she say anything? Should she keep quiet? Inko wasn't sure if Izuku's year-long work was part of the Secret Identity Program. Still, just to be safe, she decided to keep it a secret.

"M-Maybe I-I should visit the place," mumbled Inko.

"Definitely" Mitsuki said.

The two went to the living room and sat on the sofa.

"So where's little Izu-kun?" Mitsuki asked, looking around. "Stuck in his room watching hero fighting and whatnot?"

"Oh no, he's- he's away."

"Away?"

"D-don't tell anyone but he is on I-Island," Inko said conspiratorially with a smile.

At least, that had been the cover story decided with Principal Nezu and Mr. Yagi. How they had managed to get David Shield, one of if not THE most important engineer of their era to sign all the necessary papers was a mystery to her.

"Really? Damn! Good for Izuku!" Cheered Mitsuki. "I was really worried that he would be depressed… y'know, not making it to UA and all that crap. He always clung to that impossible dream…"

"I know," sighed Inko, feeling extremely guilty.

At times Inko felt awful for being so passive regarding her son's dreams. However, what was she supposed to do? On the one hand she could have been supportive, but she knew deep down that there was no way Izuku could make it to UA. She wanted to share Izuku's enthusiasm, to be able to tell herself that he could make it… but she couldn't. On the other hand, Inko couldn't bring herself to dissuade Izuku. He held onto that dream of his so tightly that Inko feared that something awful would happen if he was ever pried from it.

A smile stretched across Inko's face. Things, though, had changed. Izuku had manifested a quirk worthy of a hero and was on his way to becoming a great hero. Moreover, it was a fresh start for all of them.

When Izuku returned from his exam, Inko was ready to comfort him any way she could. She had prepared all of Izuku's favorite All Might movies, Izuku's favorite food and even talked to Hisashi to put aside some money to buy Izuku any of his usual hero stuff, perhaps something exclusive and flashy. Imagine her surprise when Izuku revealed he had manifested a quirk.

Inko knew right then and there that she could not repeat her previous passiveness and, instead, did her best to support Izuku. Inko's first fear had been Izuku feeling awkward around changing his sex, but with her own experience around her father, Inko felt she knew what she had to do. She made sure to make Izuku feel comfortable with changing into his other form if he felt like it and even encouraged it. His own father had always admitted the most difficult part had been the first years, until he finally got used to it.

Things only got better from there. Well, there were high and lows, like discovering her son had yet another power, one capable of trashing her baby's arm! Of course she was going to go along the Principal's plan if it meant it would reduce the chance of her baby ever returning home with a limb in such a sorry state. That and Inko had long decided to support Izuku's hero dream, now that it was more than achievable.

"Hello? Inko? You there?" Mitsuki asked, waving a hand in front of her friend's face.

"Oh, sorry, just… lost in thought" Inko mumbled.

"Hey, girl, it isn't your fault," Mitsuki reassured Inko. "Really, I blame this freaking society that is obsessed with heroes."

"Right" Inko nodded. "H-how is Katsuki?"

"Ha, the little idiot is making a mess!" Mitsuki huffed exasperated, leaning back.

As all things related to her son, Inko could feel a special Mitsuki rant coming a mile away.

"Seriously, I tell him to tone down the attitude, to try and for the love of God make friends… and what does he do? He sticks up his nose and keeps on being a real ass!" Mitsuki groaned, hands hiding her face. "What am I supposed to do with that brat? He's as stubborn as Masaru!"

Yes, right, Masaru is the stubborn one, Inko sarcastically thought while she rolled her eyes with a smile.

Both Inko and Masaru knew who Katsuki was more alike to.

"I blame that stupid school, Alderra. Should have taken him out of that shitty school" muttered Mitsuki. "They just fanned the flames of his god-damned ego."

"It can't be helped" Inko said. It felt as if the tables had turned regarding the conversation. "With a quirk like his, it was bound to go to his head."

"Yes, his head, but what about everyone else? The psychopaths that hanged with him sure didn't help. Seriously, if it hadn't been that Izu-kun went to Alderra, I would have dragged Katsuki away from that school" muttered Mitsuki.

"I am sure Izuku appreciated having a friend with him. It was already difficult for him as it was, being picked on by his peers for being quirkless," Inko said.

"You should have asked for names, Inko" Mitsuki told her. "Seriously, whoever bullied Izu-kun needs a good beat down. Just who goes around picking on a quirkless kid? Insecure little shits, that's who!"

"Mitsuki" Inko said, unable to fight a smile. Her friend really cared for her son.

"What? It's the truth. Izu-kun's entire class was made of weak pathetic quirks. I don't remember their names, but there were some really freaky ones," Mitsuki huffed.

"Oh yes, there were quite a few odd ones. Remember the one that could pull his eyes from its sockets?" inko chuckled.

"Ha, I do!" Laughed Mitsuki. "Or the one that would stretch his neck."

The two mothers shared a good laugh at the ridiculous abilities. To think such people would then proceed and pick on Izuku of all things was both infuriating and hilarious.

For a while, they spent their time trading memories about the days when their sons were in Middle School. Inko made tea for the two and allowed mostly for Mitsuki to go on and on about this kid's quirk or that other kid's quirk. Differently from Inko, Mitsuki had gotten to know some of the other mothers… and almost came to blows with a few of them.

"Oh right, forgot to tell you" Mitsuki said. "So Katsuki is in the Hero Course, right? In 1-A."

Inko's eyes widened and her smile stretched. She nodded.

"Well, apparently there's this rabbit girl in Katsuki's class" Mitsuki started, only to pause in order to giggle.

"A rabbit girl?" Inko found herself grinning and slowly nodding.

Oh, maybe Izuku and Katsuki can finally achieve their dreams together, like when they were little, Inko thought taking a sip of her tea.

Really, his son's quirk had been kind of a godsend, a new opportunity to start all over.

"Yep, and I think little Katsuki has a crush on her!" Laughed Mitsuki.

Inko spew her tea, wide-eyed and shocked, before violently coughing.

"Wow, wow, easy there!" Exclaimed a surprised Mitsuki. "Geez, easy does it!"

The blonde helped her friend, patting her on the back.

"Yeah, I know, shocking am I right? Katsuki finally discovering the wonderful world of women!" Mitsuki laughed.

Inko wasn't sure how to feel about that. She had a strong feeling that while Izuku might eventually get used to changing forms, Izuku was not exactly ready to deal with such things as dating boys.

"I- ehm… that's a surprise," slowly replied Inko, clearing her throat. "Are you sure you aren't reading too much into things? Katsuki has always been a bit… more passionate about becoming a hero."

"Mah, it's inevitable. Kid might be as stubborn as Masaru, but he still has hormones and red blood in his veins. Wait and see. I am going to get Katsuki to ask the little rabbit girl out," promised Mitsuki.

Inko had a bad feeling about that. She made a mental note to tell Izuku about it once they talked later that evening. Hopefully she wouldn't forget…

"Y-you shouldn't pressure him," Inko said.

"You are right," hummed Mitsuki, stroking her chin in thought. "If I tell him to do something he'll do the complete opposite."

Mitsuki's eyes widened and a devious grin stretched on her face. Inko gulped.

Whatever Mitsuki is thinking, it can't be good, Inko thought.

-‐-‐-

Izuku felt ready to die. He laid on his bed, glumly staring at the ceiling, and feeling like his stomach was tied with the most gut-wrenching knots he had ever felt. Over and over, there was only one thing he could think about:

Why did he end up clinging to Ochaco while he slept? Why? What had possessed him to be in such a compromising position?

The embarrassment of it all was gnawing at him, just as much as the memories. Feeling herself safely wrapped in Ochaco's arms, feeling her body pressed against his… it had been such a bliss and Izuku, as much as he hated to admit it, wanted to repeat the experience. Yep, he was crushing on Ochaco and hard.

Was it surprising? He was a hormonal teenager, damn it, and he had never been so close or intimate with anyone else. Ochaco was the first girl to ever smile at him, heck to even enjoy hanging out with him. Forgive Izuku's naïve heart for crushing on such a girl! Thus, Izuku did the only thing he knew what to do: wallow in self-pity and mutter to himself.

Midnight (who somehow got wind of the sleepover) had thankfully found the whole thing amusing, but she did land a few threats not to do any "exploring" or the kind. The school had a very stringent policy to discourage any nightly activities, after all, no matter the sex. Izumi nor Ochaco had remained beat-red during the whole thing. It sure didn't help that throughout the whole dressing down the other girls kept shooting glances at them with knowing smiles.

After that, Izumi (and Ochaco) had to hide in their bedrooms. How could they not? Everyone in the dorms would give them teasing looks. None of the girls meant to bother them or was mean-spirited, but Izumi was dying of embarrassment as it was without others reminding her of that morning's little event.

"Oh man, how could I be so stupid?" moaned Izuku for the umpteenth time. "Everything was going fine and I just had to go and ruin my friendship with Ochaco!"

But was their friendship really ruined? Ochaco hadn't appeared to protest. In fact, if Izuku wasn't imagining things, she seemed just as flustered by it all as he was. Could that mean…

No, why would Ochaco feeling anything other than friendship towards me? Izuku morosely thought.

A little voice in his head, however, reminded him that although Ochaco might not have feelings towards Izuku, she might towards Izumi.

But as Izumi I'm a girl, a god-damn rabbit girl at that, thought Izuku with frown. What are the odds that Ochaco is into girls AND animal people?

The pessimist in Izuku could only believe one truth: Ochaco would never, ever have feelings towards Izumi other than those of friendship, much less Izuku. Izuku was already used to failure in regards to the opposite sex…

But what if I have better luck as Izumi? I'm better liked as Izumi, after all, so maybe… Izuku thought with a hopeful pang.

His hopes were dashed away, replaced by Izuku's usual cynicism.

Again, Izumi is a rabbit girl. What manner of person has a crush on a talking rabbit? He grimly thought.

Still, didn't Ochaco like to hang out with Izumi? Wasn't the petite brunette bubbly and cheerful around Izumi? Maybe Izumi did stand a chance…

"Until she learns the truth," Izuku groaned.

He rolled on his bed from side to side, all while muttering about how stupid he had been and how he would never be accepted now if he didn't tell Ochaco the truth.

If Ochaco did have feelings for Izumi, there was no way then that she would feel comfortable with a human boy as well. That was leaving aside that Ochaco might feel betrayed when she learned that Izumi hadn't always been what she was. People, after all, didn't like being lied to, Secret Identity Program or not.

"Go figure that the first person who might have feelings for me does so to my rabbit form," muttered Izuku. "Will anyone ever like me in this form?"

He looked down at himself and, sadly, even he felt disappointed by what he saw.

Did anyone actually want or liked Izuku? Even his parents seemed far happier about Izumi, the rabbit girl, than the plain human Izuku. It wasn't really their fault, was it? Izuku was pathetic and useless, while Izumi was a small ball of fluff and cuteness.

Izuku slapped his cheeks and dismissed such horrid thoughts. His parents did care for him, in both his forms, right? They were just a bit more enthusiastic about Izuku having a quirk. That's all, right?

Unable to dismiss his unease, Izuku reached for his cell phone on the bedside table. He checked the time and sighed.

He got out of bed and prepared to leave the bedroom. He grimaced at the thought of enduring his dorm-mates, especially Ashido. However, he had an important meeting he needed to attend, and he had enough wallowing in pity. He put a change of clothes for his human form, meant for training, into a bag before changing forms.

As Izumi, she grinned and puffed up her chest. She was going to act as if she wasn't at all affected by the morning's mishap. No sir, Izumi could handle the pressure! At least, Izuku hoped she could.

Without thinking about it, Izumi marched out of her room and into the corridor. Her heart raced as she kept her smile and composure. A swift glance around told her she was alone. Regardless, she kept her happy demeanor and went to the elevator. Once inside, Izumi started to fret a bit. There were bound to be people at the lobby, weren't there?

At last, Izumi reached the entrance hall, her bag a bit oversized for her rabbit form. She heard voices, but she ignored them entirely. The first girls who saw her glanced her way but didn't comment or do anything. Instead, they went back to whatever they were doing, be it homework, playing card or, in one case, reading a book.

Izumi's spirit rose. Perhaps she had overestimated and taken the whole snuggling into Ochaco out of proportion. Heck, in hindsight, maybe she had.

As she neared the door, Izumi frowned and stopped dead on her feet. Her ears perked up, searching for a sound. Why did she feel like she was suddenly in danger and needed to flee?

I really need to work out all this sensory input and instincts, mentally muttered Izumi. There couldn't possibly be any danger inside a dorm, could there?

That was when a pair of arms wrapped around her and Izumi felt herself being pulled into a rather ample bosom, one she was starting to get familiar with.

"Yaorozu!" Squeaked Izumi, her head buried in the girl's chest.

"Izumi!" Squealed Yaoyorozu.

"Momo, let go of the poor rabbit girl," Jiro snickered. "She isn't a plushy, remember?"

"So only Ochaco gets to hug her?" said a pouting Yaoyorozu. Thankfully, she decided to release Izumi and offer an apologetic bow. "Sorry, Izumi, but you are so cu- I mean, adorable. I can't help myself."

"I'd lock my door if I were you, Izumi," teased Jiro. "Some people…" she glanced at a flustered Yaoyorozu "…might want to have their own rabbit to snuggle with."

"I'd never!" Gasped a scandalized Yaoyorozu.

Jiro merely hummed, clearly not believing the tall girl.

"Hey, Izumi, I don't know if you were told, but by any chance did you hear anything weird last night?" Jiro asked.

Izumi blinked, dumbfounded by the question.

"Apparently, Mineta heard about the girl sleepover and sneaked out of the boys' dorm last night," sighed Yaoyorozu, shaking her head. "We all suspect he tried to spy on us or do something perverted, but thus far no one noticed anything suspicious or weird last night."

"Are you sure he did anything?" Izumi asked.

"Mineta? Hear about a sleepover and try not to be a creep about it? Ha, in your dreams," scoffed Jiro. "Kirishima told Mina this morning that Mineta gave the boys the slip for an hour and when he showed up he was acting weird."

"Weird?" Izumi wondered.

"Apparently, from what Iida informed me, Mineta has been acting suspicions," Momo said. "He hasn't confessed to anything… yet. Sadly, we have no evidence of wrongdoing."

"Yet," huffed Jiro.

Izumi scratched her head, before checking her cell phone.

"Oh, sorry but I am running out of time. I've got somewhere to go," Izumi said.

"Really?" Momo and Jiro chorused, surprised.

"Yes, the school arranged for a video-call with my family. Y'know, Secret Identity Program and all that," Izumi explained.

Jiro and Yaoyorozu glanced at the bag handing from Izumi's shoulder. If they were curious about it, they apparently decided to respect the rabbit girl's privacy.

"Oh, right, that," Jiro grumbled.

"Sorry for bothering you then," Yaoyorozu said with a guilty face.

"Alright, see you!" Izumi said, hopping away.

She was near the exit, right by the door and straight towards her freedom, when the rabbit girl was called by her classmates behind her.

"Hey, Izumi!" Called Jiro.

Izumi paused by the door and turned to Jiro and Yaoyorozu.

"Sorry if we teased you a bit much," Jiro said, only to smirk. "You just make it too easy."

"Yes, I also want to apologize for being improper around you," reluctantly mumbled a guilty Yaoyorozu. "However, I do demand at least one night of snuggling."

"Momo," chastised Jiro.

Yaoyorozu, on her part, remained unrepentant, with her chin raised high and exuding rich girl vibes. Izumi decided it was best to leave.

Once outside, Izumi tried to process what had just happened. From the revelation that Mineta had run amok the night before to the fact Yaoyorozu insisted on invading her personal space, not that Izumi minded the latter that much. Call her a pervert, but Izumi was starting to enjoy the attention and physical contact.

She wouldn't treat me like that if she knew that I can turn into a boy, Izumi thought. They wouldn't find me that adorable if they knew, now would they?

Izumi sighed. Considering what the girls had said the night before, perhaps it was for the best to come clean, at least with them. They deserved to know the truth. Another part of her, however, remained reluctant. She really didn't want to change the way she was treated. She kind of… well… liked it. Was it wrong? Maybe.

The rabbit girl hopped out of the dorms and towards the main building of UA. She saw other people, all of different courses and grades, going on about their own business. A few glanced their way, intrigued, others ignored her entirely. All in all, Izumi was just another student at the campus.

Perhaps I should just stick to being Izumi, like All Might, suddenly thought the rabbit girl.

Izumi stopped walking.

Where did that idea come from? She wondered, only to frown.

As much as she hated to admit it, there was some merit to it. For starters, she no longer found her female form that uncomfortable. In fact, Izumi was starting to like it. Secondly, if she stuck to her Izumi form, she really wouldn't need to confess anything to the other girls. Thirdly, Izumi could focus on training that form and forget all about using the human one. Last but not least, hadn't All Might done the same? Maybe it was for the best.

It wasn't like anyone will miss Izuku, morosely thought Izumi.

The thought alone hurt a lot, mostly because she knew it was true. Who actually wanted Izuku around?

It was with those thoughts that Izumi met with Midnight, who guided her to a special communications room. There, Izumi was greeted with a comfy chair and a large screen. She sat down and awkwardly waited.

The call started, the screen revealing a blipping phone, as it tried to establish the connection. Then, Izumi saw only blackness before a face appeared. Izumi's spirits rose and she grinned.

"Mom!" Izumi called.

"Izuku – I mean, Izumi!" replied a cheerful Inko Midoriya.

To Izumi's horror, Inko started sniffing and looking tearful.

"I missed you so much! My baby…" and just like that, Inko needed a few tissues.

"I missed you too," said Izumi.

She glanced down at her arms. She wished she could have changed to Izuku to talk to her mother.

"S-so, how is it going? Are you adapting? Are you eating well? You aren't hungry, are you?" Inko worriedly asked.

"I'm fine, mom, really," sighed Izumi with a small smile. "What about you? How are things over there?"

"Quite… and lonely," sniffed Inko. "I have busied myself with the little project of ours, to find the root of your quirk."

"If it has any," pointed out Izumi.

"Right, that," Inko chuckled. "I-I just need to contact my parents… find them at least… and I think the mystery will be solved." She sighed, grimacing. "I-I was planning on meeting them tomorrow. I will take a bus tonight. With any luck I'll be able to track them down and speak with them."

"Why are grampa and gramda so hard to find?" Wondered Izumi.

"You probably don't remember them but… well… they don't like sticking around one place for long," Inko said with a strained smile. "And now that they are both retired, they've decided to run around the country before, and I quote, 'they are too old and crippled to move'. I believe they don't really wish to bother me…"

"Bother you?" Izumi asked, wide-eyed.

"I am a grown up, and in their eyes they are more nuisances to me than anything," sighed Inko. "That or that's their excuse to visit as little as possible."

"Do you think there really is someone in the family with something similar to my rabbit form?" Izumi asked.

Izumi was starting to believe she was one of those extremely weird cases that a quirk was completely unrelated to the rest of her family.

"I don't really know…" Inko said, shoulders slumped. "Maybe. I have a hunch this visit to your grandparents will tell us for sure."

The two remained quiet, unsure what else to say.

"So how is it going with Izumi?" Happily asked her mother.

"Oh, fine," she said.

Would she ask Izuku? Wondered the rabbit girl.

"Really? And are the girls giving you a hard time?" Inko wondered. "I bet they love your fluffy form, right? You can be really adorable, especially with those pretty violet eyes."

Izumi made it a point to avoid mentioning those classmates that actually wanted to either pet her or snuggle with her as some sort of pet.

"Oh yes, they like Izumi alright. I even made a friend," said Izumi.

"That's great! See? I told you! And you were worried" chuckled her mother. "Seriously, with that form of yours you never had a thing to worry about."

I wasn't worried, Izumi thought. I just didn't want to be someone else!

"You are working hard, aren't you? Oh Izumi, with a quirk like yours, and your spirit, I am sure you'll be great! I can't wait to see you at the Sports Festival!" Happily said Inko.

Izumi smiled, even though inside she felt fury swell in her chest. Why? Why was her mother more supportive of her stupid rabbit form than any time when she was younger? Because her mother preferred Izumi? Right, why not? Izumi was better at everything! She was cuter too. What was Izuku instead? Plain, pathetic, a creep…

Izumi's heart ached and his anger was replaced by a deep sense of resignation. Her shoulders slumped as he unconsciously admitted defeat.

Not even mom likes Izuku, she despondently thought. She probably is just happy she can have a daughter, a better child, than Izuku…

"I-Izumi, are you alright?" asked her mother.

Perhaps it was how practiced she was but somehow Izumi managed to pull a smile and nod.

"Yeah, just… tired" she lied.

I'm pathetic, Izumi told herself. She couldn't even confront her own mother for the truth.

"You sure?" Inko insisted. "Because your ears are droopy…"

"Y-yeah!" Izumi insisted, forcing her false smile to stretch wider.

Come on, just ask her! You deserve to know! She screamed in his mind.

But no matter how much she insisted, Izumi couldn't bring herself to utter the question. She just couldn't. A part of her wanted to believe that she rather not make her mother break into tears, but the truth was that Izumi understood all too well.

Maybe being Izumi from now on won't be that bad, Izumi grimly thought with an air of defeat.

They managed to talk a bit longer. Izumi just wanted to leave and return to her room, before burrowing into her bed and hide from the world. She felt more than depressed. Yet, she soldiered on, keeping a happy smile and nodding energetically while her mother kept asking about this and that, always about Izumi and never about Izuku.

Finally, the chat was over and, with the pitch black screen in front, Izumi allowed for her expression to drop. She could make out her reflection opposite her, amethyst eyes dull and emotionless. No, not emotionless. She was ridden with a deep sense of hopelessness.

Izumi sat there, staring at her depressed reflection.

What's the point? A dismal Izumi thought. You know why nobody likes your real form… because it is plain and pathetic, because you can't speak straight… because you mutter creepily under your breath… because you are weak…

She looked at her hands.

Why do I even bother with the human form? I could be like All Might and just be Izumi all the time. Really, why do I cling to that pathetic self? She wondered.

She knew, however, that Izumi wouldn't just dismiss a part of him. She wasn't All Might. As much as she learned to enjoy being Izumi, the green-haired boy part of her being would, and could not, be dismissed.

With a weary sigh, Izumi stood up, grabbed her bag and headed out. Speaking of All Might, she had a meeting with him.

-‐-‐-

The room was undoubtedly large. Had Izuku been in his rabbit form, he was certain everything would look even bigger. For a dueling area, Izuku was surprised by just how big the place was. He stood awkwardly by a side, right next to the padded area meant for one-on-one fights. Izuku understood the point of a padded floor… but why were the walls and ceiling covered in blue padding too?

"Alright, kid, you ready for some training?" All Might, or rather Toshinori Yagi, asked.

"Training?" Asked Izuku, confused.

"Yes! Didn't you want to get that form into shape?" Toshinori asked with a smile.

"I don't know…" sighed Izuku with a shy smile. "Maybe I should just forget about being Izuku and stick to Izumi."

He looked down, hiding his saddened face. He knew what All Might would say. He could already predict All Might giving a laugh and agreeing. He would then say-

"Nonsense, kid!" Laughed the husk of the Number One Hero, patting Izuku on the back. "You get to be Izumi most of the week. I think it is time you trained as Izuku."

Izuku blinked, confused. He snapped his head at the Number One hero, baffled.

"But what's the point?" He said. "I will never master One for All in this form… Izumi is light-years more advanced in its mastery. I would just be wasting my time…"

"True. In fact, I would sleep much easier knowing you have mastered One for All with one of your forms. It is of the essence that you control your new Quirk as soon as possible," said All Might. "That being said…"

All Might placed a comforting hand over Izuku, who stared at the Number One Hero, or at least the skeletal shell of that hero.

"…I remember offering a young man named Izuku to be my successor," he said with a kind smile.

Izuku opened his mouth and closed it. He felt tears prickling on his eyes and a myriad of emotions threatening to make his chest burst. All Might, being his usual oblivious self, chuckled and patted Izuku.

"Worry not! Now, let's work on your Izuku form so that you might one day be able to use it as well, or wasn't that what you wanted?" All Might asked, frowning.

Izuku felt happy and, yet, he still couldn't believe it.

"Y-you sure you rather I train this form? I am… ehm… pathetic in comparison to Izumi," Izuku tentatively asked.

He needed to know. He had to. Did All Might really think Izuku was as worthy as Izumi?

"Ha! Yes, you are quite pathetic!" Boisterously said All Might.

Izuku's shoulder slumped and he grimaced. He knew it. There was no way-

"And yet, it was in that very pathetic form that you boldly tried to save your friend. Against impossible odds, even with most of the world telling you against it, you dived into danger. Even when…" All Might paused, a grimace of his own in his face "…even when I told you to forget it… you tried to save someone and be a hero."

Izuku now couldn't stop tears from streaming down his cheeks.

"Be it a plain-looking boy or a tiny fluffy bunny, there's a great hero in there" All Might said, placing both hands on his shoulders. "I am sure – no, I am One-Hundred-Percent certain – that you will be an exceptional Symbol of Peace."

Izuku, being Izuku, could only do one thing: he burst out crying.

"Wow! Careful with the waterworks!" An alarmed (and panicking) All Might exclaimed. "Did I say something wrong? I apologize, young Midoriya! I didn't mean to offend you if that is what I did!"

Izuku, even with his face wet with tears, laughed at All Might's obliviousness.

"S-sorry, All Might I just… needed to hear that" he sniffed.

"Well, let's go, kid" Toshinori said. "We are wasting sunlight!"

And with a genuine smile and newfound determination, Izuku nodded.

"However, before that…"

POOF.

"Announcements!" Proclaimed All Might, in all of his glory, exclaimed.

Izuku frowned, staring at the muscular form of the Number One Hero. Was it necessary for him to waste time like that?

"Because of the difference in your two forms, I've decided that you needed another teacher better suited for Izumi," All Might proclaimed. "You see, I am far more of a puncher than a kicker, and I've always relayed on my strength, on brawn, than speed."

As if to make a point, All Might flexed his admittedly massive arms.

"There is much I could teach you as Izumi, but I think I am better suited for your current form!"

Izuku nodded. That made sense and he kind of agreed.

"So, in a moment of enlightenment I've decided that we'll organize our training in this manner!" All Might said, all smiles and energy. "You and I will work on improving your control of One for All in your human form, you know, trying to draw the power and moderate the influx that goes across your body. It will help both your forms, after all, since mastering control in your human form will translate better on Izumi. Other than that, we'll work on your punches and upper body strength."

Huh, All Might really put thought into the training, thought Izuku. Then again, for all his goofiness, he isn't that bad a personal teacher. He did come up with the… what was it called? Right, that American Dream plan of his.

"On Sundays, you'll work with your new teacher solely as Izumi. You'll train on speed, reflexes, and the such," All Might said.

"Right," Izuku nodded, only to frown. "Eh… who's this new teacher, by the way?"

"And where's the surprise in telling? Worry not, young Midoriya, you'll meet that… individual… tomorrow," chuckled All Might.

Really? He isn't even telling me if it is a he or a she! thought Izuku.

He sighed but smiled nonetheless. Leave it to All Might to try and be overly dramatic about introducing a hero.

"This new teacher has no knowledge on One for All, so be careful what you say, young Midoriya," All Might said.

There was a poof and the muscular symbol of peace was replaced by a coughing Toshinori Yagi.

"Shouldn't overwork myself like that," coughed Toshinori.

"How long will I be training?" Wondered Izuku.

"Tomorrow? From five in the morning to midday," said Toshinori.

"F-Five? On Sunday?!" Izuku's eyes widened.

"Yes, your teacher… well…" Toshinori chuckled, uneasy. "Let's just say this person can be a bit extreme. Worry not. You won't be having this new teacher for long."

"I won't?" Asked Izuku.

"Indeed, for I am planning on including a second teacher along the way! Am I not great?" Toshinori laughed at that, while Izuku's eyes widened. "Of course, that will require getting in contact with that person…"

Izuku's jaw dropped as All Might started shuddering. Just who was that second guy he mentioned? And more importantly, was All Might trying to kill him or what?

No. Izuku clenched his fists and frowned with determination. This was it, the price of having an amazing power such as One for All. If he wanted to be the Next all Might, he was going to need all the guidance he could get…

"…and after that teacher, there is a third person I want you to train with," Toshinori continued. "But that will be better suited for next year, after you have a better grasp of One for All."

Izuku's determination flew out the window at that. Just how many personal teachers was he going to get?

"C-Can't I get a name? A hint at least?" Spluttered a worried Izuku.

"A hint?" Toshinori smirked as he hummed in thought. "Alright, one of your future teachers is a master strategist and really clever more so than powerful, another of your future teachers is a fearsome individual, and lastly the third person is absolutely insane."

"You call those hints?" Izuku mumbled.

Toshinori just laughed, probably enjoying the look on Izuku's face.

"What is it, kid? Afraid?" Toshinori asked.

Izuku scowled and shook his head. With a smile of defiance, Izuku smirked at his mentor.

"No. No matter what you throw at me, I will grow stronger… I will muster this quirk and become the next Symbol of Peace," Izuku promised.

Once again, lost in his antics, All Might burst into a cloud of smoke and flashed his trademarked grin in his muscular form.

"That's the spirit, young Midoriya!" Exclaimed All Might. "Now let's get this training started. There's no time to waste! Evil doesn't wait, and neither do we!"

"R-Right!" said Izuku.

And so, Izuku started what would be his first gruesome training with All Might. He had hoped it would be better than Takoba beach… but apparently, All Might had other thoughts. Izuku was starting to fear what the future had in store for him, especially those new teachers All Might wanted for him. Above all, Izuku was curious to know just who had All Might contacted to train him in his rabbit form.

Guess I'll know tomorrow… he thought.

First, though, he had to survive All Might.

-‐-‐-

Ochaco felt utterly lost. No, not lost but rather conflicted.

For starters, Ochaco felt bad for ignoring Izumi after what had happened early in the morning. Sadly, Ochaco was too embarrassed, especially with so many feelings and emotions in her gut. She needed space to process it all. Sadly, now that Izumi was out on her own, doing god-knows-what, Ochaco felt terrible. Was Izumi sad about Ochaco ignoring her? Finally, Ochaco felt lost, given how she still had to understand what exactly was wrong with her emotions.

Locked in her room, Ochaco tried, and failed, to get her homework done. She sat there, facing a paper and with a pen in one hand, ready to get the task done, yet she hadn't managed to make one single exercise. Thoughts of Izumi plagued her mind and the turmoil of emotions hadn't subdued in her chest. If anything, the storm was only growing stronger within.

Izumi's eyes, in particular, couldn't stop flashing across her mind, conjuring all sorts of emotions in her gut.

Those damned eyes of hers, the shade and the intensity… there was something about them that Ochaco found mesmerizing. However, thinking about them brought about an entire series of questions to her mind. There was one memory that still confused her.

Her eye color changed during the Battle Trial, Ochaco recalled.

What the brunette found stranger still, though, was the fact that Izumi's eyes changed into a beautiful emerald color, one that Ochaco remembered seeing somewhere. The question was where. That and when had Ochaco seen such eyes before. Ochaco knew she would remember someone with those eyes.

In the end, Ochaco sighed.

"Come on, Ochaco, it was just an accident," she told herself.

With a grin, she nodded to herself and tried to focus on the empty page in front of her.

"How silly me! Just because I woke up hugging a friend doesn't mean there's more to it, right? All friends can accidently want to hug someone, and hold them close to them and- and…" Ochaco trailed off, only to frown.

Much to her dismay, Ochaco forgot all about her assignment, dropped the pen and leaned back. Then, she hid her face behind her palms, embarrassed. It wasn't the fact that she had woken up to Izumi that had been troubling her; it was the whole experience. Feeling the soft grey fur in her hands, the warmth of the tiny rabbit girl pressed against her, the intimacy of the moment, even Izumi's smell… it all made Ochaco's heart flutter. The memory alone conjured weird sensations in her gut.

"Makes sense, right? This never happened with my friends back home so… maybe it's because it is all new?" Ochaco proposed, as if trying to convince herself.

Sadly, she was failing to agree with herself.

"Nah, I can't possibly be falling for Izumi," she told herself.

Ochaco closed her eyes, smiling as she reassured herself of the fact. She relaxed for a brief moment.

"She's a girl, what is weird enough, but she looks too much of a rabbit!" She chuckled. "I mean, what does it make me if I fall for what could very well be a talking rabbit…"

She immediately panicked, correcting herself.

"There's nothing wrong with lesbians! Of course not!" She said, as if worried someone was listening to her. "It's just… I am not into girls…"

She grimaced.

"Much less animal girls…" she mumbled half-heartedly.

The problem remained. A part of her mind gnawed at her, taunting her with one simple question: what if. What if Ochaco was falling for Izumi?

She stared at the ceiling, troubled by her thoughts. It couldn't be right. Ochaco knew herself enough to know she wasn't falling for Izumi. Then again, she had never actually had a crush on anyone before, be it a guy or a girl.

Tentatively, Ochaco slowly reached for her cell phone and stared at the screen. An internal battle raged in her, visible in her eyes, before she hesitantly started typing:

How do you know if you are falling for your best friend?