And the wait is over. This is one chapter I've been waiting to release since I planned the Kumoko vs. Amai fight. Little fun fact, this is the only chapter so far where I've had a full original version already done, decided I didn't most of it, and rewrote it. Most of the time I'll only be one two maybe three pages in before I scrap something and rewrite it. Another fun fact this is my longest chapter to date in any story, clocking in at nearly 5,000 words. Before we begin I've got one review to reply to.
Guest: Thanks for the feedback. You raise some valid points and I'll do my best to keep them in mind for the future. I personally find constructive criticism incredible important because others will tend to find the flaws that you miss in your own work.
With that out of the way, lets get on with the chapter.
Sports Festival Arc
Chapter 45: A Tale of Two Worlds
15 years ago…
It was early in the morning when an old woman heard the doorbell ring. She stopped what she was doing and made her way to the door. She opened it to see a crying baby girl in a basket at the doorstep of her orphanage, Christ's Light Orphanage. The baby had short black hair, light purple skin, three pairs of arms and two pairs of eyes.
"Oh dear…" She muttered.
She gently picked the baby up and tried to comfort it. She looked around to see if she could spot the person who left the baby at her doorstep, but all she saw was an empty street.
"Poor thing." She muttered as she picked up the basket.
She brought the baby inside. She walked through the halls of the orphanage, doing her best to avoid the children moving about the hall while she tried to calm the crying child. One of the older girls was working to corral the younger ones into the dinning hall for breakfast when she noticed the older woman.
"Ms. Ariel," The older girl began before she noticed the crying baby in the older woman's arms. "I'm guessing someone dropped her off this morning."
"Yep, poor thing was just left outside the front door in the cold." Ariel answered.
"Can we see?" A little boy asked.
"Yes, yes, I'll let you all look at our newest ward. Ah… Haruka, why don't you go and see if we have any more baby formula for the little one." She directed.
With a nod the older girl, Haruka, went off to do this. While she did, Ariel bent down to give the children a better look at the baby girl. Said girl had stopped crying and was now looking around the room with wide, curious eyes. Her irises were a deep blood red while her sclera were bright red. Her upper sets of eyes were red with no visible irises or pupils.
"She's so cute." One girl squealed.
"Really, she looks kind of weird to me." A young boy noted.
"Hey don't say that meanie-face." Another girl scolded.
"What's her name?" A third girl asked.
"She doesn't have one yet. Does anyone have a suggestion?" Ariel asked.
"Hmm… maybe…" The first girl began.
"She could be called…" The second girl continued.
"Kumoko!" The third girl cheered.
"Huh?" The other two questioned.
"Kumoko… because she's a girl and kind of like a spider with her six arms and two legs being like a spider's eight legs. Oh and her eyes." The third girl answered.
"I don't think she'll…" A boy began.
The sounds of laughter stopped him. They all looked at the now laughing happy baby.
"See… she likes it. Right Kumoko?" The third girl asked.
Her answer was the baby laughing again.
"See… Kumoko, Kumoko, Kumoko." The girl continued.
Each saying of her name earned a fit of laughter from the now named Kumoko.
"That's apparently the story of how I got my name. I laughed when Sasumi called me Kumoko. While I like my name… I oftentimes wonder what my parents would have named me if they had raised me…"
Earlier that same year…
A young woman sat in a hospital bed with her husband next to her. The young woman had long straight maroon hair. Her husband had short messy black hair. In the young woman's arms was her new born baby girl sleeping peacefully.
"Look at her Jin. She's so precious." The woman expressed silently, yet with great joy.
"Indeed she is Rin. She's our precious little girl." The man stated. "Our little Mei.
Four years later…
Kumoko grumbled as her stomach rumbled. The orphanage was low on food and she'd been forced to eat only two small meals a day like the other children.
"I hope we get more food soon." She mumbled.
"And here are some of the other children." A familiar voice spoke.
She turned to see Ariel leading a couple through the orphanage, whom Kumoko assumed were looking to adopt someone. She was about to head over when she caught the look in the man and woman's eyes. It was one of contempt and disgust, one she'd seen a few times before. She lowered her head and went away saddened as Ariel sent the couple a disapproving look. Why do people hate me? It's not my fault I was born like this.
That same year…
Mei rushed into her home.
"MOMMA I'm home!" She shouted.
"There's my sweet little girl." Rin greeted as Mei rushed into her arms for a hug. "How was school today."
"It was really cool, a hero stopped by to visit us. I think it was… Best Jeanist." She answered.
"I beat that was cool. Hey guess what?" Rin expressed.
"What?!" Mei replied.
"I baked a fresh batch of cookies just so you can practice your quirk." Rin stated.
Mei's eyes lite up at that. She hugged her mom even tighter.
"OOOHHHHH… thankyouthankyouthankyou. You're the best mom." She expressed.
"And don't you forget it." Rin replied.
Two years later…
Kumoko cried out in pain as she was sent to the ground, a bruise on her face from being punched. She glared up at the three of them. She had been on her way to the orphanage from school when some older boys from her school decided to attack her in a park.
"What's with that look freak, not liking how we deal with villains like you." The boy said.
"Grrrr… SHUT UP!" She shouted.
She got up and charged the boys only to get knocked to the ground again. She quickly got up and charged at him over and over, repeatedly getting knocked down. Eventually her tormentors got bored and just left her laying on the ground. She stared up at the sky, tears forming in her eyes.
"Stupid meanies. I'm not a villain… I'm not…" She muttered.
She stared at the sky, watching the clouds go by. She reached for it. The sky… it's so high up. She wiped the tears from her eyes before picking herself up and slowly trudging back to the orphanage. As she's walking home she hears the sound of people cheering. She looked to see a tall well-built man with the body like a killer whale. He wore a high collar white suit with a pink tie, white pants, and a killer whale-like cape. He was waving to the crowd as a villain was loaded into a police car and was occasionally signing autographs.
"A hero…" She muttered.
"Man Gang Orca sure is something." A middle-aged man pointed out.
"I know what you mean. Who cares how much of a villain he looks like when he's out there protecting us." Another man added.
"Like a villain. Like me…" Kumoko muttered. "But people don't hate him… don't fear him… because… he protects them… he saves them… he's… a hero…"
Tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"Like I can be…" She muttered.
She wiped them away, her eyes filled with fire and her face was marked with determination. She marched back home.
"Like I will be." She muttered.
Two years earlier…
Mei sat on her fathers shoulders looking in awe and wonder as a hero valiantly fought a villain. Her mother was next to her husband. Upon the villain's defeat. She and many in the crowd cheered. After a little bit the little family made their way back home with Mei still animated about the fight.
"That was so cool." She gushed.
"The hero was like, WHAM!" She shouted with an action pose.
"Then the villain was like WAH!" She shouted as she made another pose.
"The hero was like SHAWHAM! And beat the baddy." She expressed with another pose.
"Hahahaha… glad you liked it little sugar cane." Jin replied. "Does that mean you want to become a hero?"
"Mhm!" Mei expressed with a nod. "He was so cool. And he made everyone really happy. I want to be like that someday. Fighting the bad villains and making people smile."
Her mother giggled.
"Well best get you started early then. If you're gonna be a hero, I want my little girl ready for anything that might get thrown at her." She added. "Which means you'll luckily get to eat lots of sweets."
"YAYYY!" Mei cheered.
"Just remember this to help with your quirk. I don't want you getting the wrong idea about this. Normally eating too many sweets is bad." Her father quickly added.
"Okay papa." Mei replied.
Kumoko was focused, her upper hands out. She began to produce threads trying to make it non-sticky. It flowed down and got stuck to her shirt.
"GAH!" She shouted as she pulled on it.
The thread refused to come loose. While she was doing this, she didn't realize she was still producing thread from her other hand. This thread travelled all the way to the floor and got stuck.
"GAH!" She shouted as she realized both threads were now stuck.
She went to try and bite herself loose, since her saliva produces enzymes that can break down her thread, but ended up tripping and getting herself tied up in her own threads.
"Oh come on." She groaned.
She wiggled along the ground to try and get herself into a better position to free herself. She then heard snickering. She looked up glaring and pouting as three boys laughed at her.
Mei, stood before a target and raised both her hands. She started firing several small balls of energy at the target, which did little. After a few seconds she was forced to stop as a sense of dizziness and tiredness took over. She quickly began to eat some of the extra sweet cookies her mom had provided. After a little bit she recovered and began doing the same thing again.
Kumoko let a strand of thread flowed down from the glands on her right wrist. She let it hang freely and pinched it with two fingers before letting go to see her fingers didn't get stuck. She smirked.
"Got it." She whispered.
She moved it to her mouth and cut it free letting it fall into her open mouth for her to swallow.
"Now then, let's see if I can apply the same principle to make my threads stronger." She muttered.
She produced another strand of thread going through the same mental process as she did when she made it non-sticky. She touched her fingers to it and saw it was non-sticky. She brought it up to her mouth and bit on it. She cut the thread free and slurped the rest in.
"Definitely a bit stronger but not by much. Still, it's a start." She noted with a smile.
She felt a cold draft blow through her hole ridden shirt. She looked down at it with an annoyed expression before looking to the glands that produced threads on her right wrist. She looked back to her shirt. She looked to the glands that produce threads on her left wrist. A small smile formed on her face.
"I think I know a good way to practice." She noted. "MISS ARIEL!"
Mei charged up energy balls to fire as she stood before the target. Sent out one after another in rapid succession for several minutes before the effects of low blood sugar started to kick in. She stopped firing and grabbed some cookies and a soda. God I love this quirk sometimes.
"I'm getting better. " She noted as she munched on some cookies. "Still have a long way to go though."
Kumoko stood under a tree. She began to move her arms in different directions trying to do six things at once. With great difficulty she tried to coordinate them all. Her arms bumped into or twisted around one another. She even punched herself in the face. She grumbled but kept going.
Mei took off running and tried to fire her energy balls as she did. She tripped on a rock and face planted into the grass.
"Ow…" She mumbled.
She quickly pushed herself up, wiped away some tears, and tried again. She managed to do a bit better but was inaccurate with her shots and tripped again.
"GAh!" She shouted.
She pushed herself up, wiped away some tears, and tried again.
Kumoko, now age eight, quickly ran down the street towards one of the row homes. In her hands was a well made dress. Once she arrived at the one she was looking for she knocked on the door. After a few seconds an older woman opened the door to see Kumoko standing there.
"Ah… little Kumoko. I take it that the dress I requested is ready?" The older woman inquired.
"Mhm… I have it right her ma'am." Kumoko stated, holding out the dress.
"Ah… let me see here." The older woman replied.
She took the dress from Kumoko and examined it.
"My goodness, this is absolutely beautiful. I can hardly believe you made this. It's so smooth too it might even be smoother than normal silk." The woman noted.
"Thank you. I've had a lot of practice. Though Miss Ariel also says I'm a bit of a prodigy with design." She noted.
"And I believe it. I just know my grand-daughter will love this. Here's you pay dear." The older woman replied, handing her a wade of money.
"Thank you ma'am." She replied with a slight bow.
She quickly rushed down the street, making sure to stow her money away safely as she did. She made her way to the local library. She made her way inside and went to pick out a book on biology and brought it to the front counter. The woman was working away on the computer when she noticed Kumoko walk up.
"Ah… the little hero in training." She greeted her politely. "Here for another book I take it?"
"Mhm." Kumoko replied, placing the book on the counter with some money.
"Alright let's see… hm… moving up a grade. Good on you." The woman replied as she rang Kumoko up. "And… your good to go. Take care, and be sure to bring it back or we'll be keeping this money."
Kumoko pouted.
"I only forgot one time." She grumbled as she grabbed the book and left.
Mei stood her father as he went into lecture mode.
"Now Mei you've done good in the stamina department of your training." Jin stated. "Now however you need to focus on power. You need to get more power with less sugar consumed. Luckily your old man has a few connections that while they couldn't come to help, did give him a few tips on what would be good. You ready."
"I'm not just ready… I'm SUPER ready!" Mei exclaimed.
Her father smiled at her enthusiasm.
"That's what I like to hear. Most kids would have quit by now but you keep marching on." He noted with praise. "Just remember to not forget your school work and hanging out with friends. Those things are important too."
Mei pouted.
"I only forgot it once… twice… … … … mmmm… m-m-m-maybe a few more times than that." She muttered.
Her father chuckled.
"My progress was slow but I was coming along. However life decided to throw me another curve ball…"
Kumoko, now ten, and many of the other children stood with Ariel's husband, Daiki, and the rest of her family around her coffin, which was over the grave it was to be lowered into. The rain pouring down reflected the mood of all of them there. The pastor gave a final send off for Ariel. Once he was finished, everyone was able to say their final goodbyes. Kumoko slowly went up and placed her hand on the coffin. All the precious memories, all the love and care the woman gave to the kids who were left without parents due to the tragedy of life. Tears would not stop pouring down her face. As they did, one particular memory came to mind.
One months ago…
Ariel smiled fondly as she saw Kumoko going about her daily routine. The young girl was engrossed in a book on biology, appropriate for her age level, she bought thanks to the odd jobs she'd been doing.
"I see you're hard at work as usual Kumoko." Ariel commented.
"Mhmm… I have to work hard to be the best hero ever." Kumoko replied without looking up from her book.
She turned the page.
"Indeed you do…" Ariel replied with a light laugh.
She looked away for a second, as if contemplating something.
"Kumoko… … let this old woman, give you some advice." She spoke.
Kumoko looked up from her book curiously.
"In life we all must face struggle and hardship, you know this given what you've gone through yourself." Ariel stated. "Sometime these hardships defeat us and bring us down. For many they give up, they fall into despair and let go of their dreams. Some even turn to villainy in anger at the world for all its cruelty. But for those who continue to struggle, who continue to fight even though they may never win, something greater awaits. It is men like these, both good and ill, who have made their mark throughout history. And though history may never remember some of them, their dreams, both good and ill, have made ripples that we feel even to this day.
"So Kumoko, go and chase your dreams, strive for them, fight for them. There will be times when you will fail, when you will stumble and fall, when it seems your dreams have slipped from your grasp. But so long as you always rise again, your dreams will persist, and you can take hold of them once more. Your dreams will take you to harrowing depth and soaring peaks, through good times and bad times, through happiness and sorrow. But in the end, you will end up in a place far greater than you can imagine. So again Kumoko I say this, no matter what comes your way, chase your dreams."
You knew, didn't you Ms. Ariel, that's why you told me when you did. So that you could give one last piece of advice. Tears continued to stream down her face. I won't forget it, I'll keep it in my heart forever. Life at the orphanage was able to continue on, though the loss of Ariel would be felt for a long time. One of Ariel and Daiki's children, Akihiko, and his wife Hanako, who had helped out at the orphanage in the past, returned to take over for Daiki, who would still stick around and help out. Kumoko continued doing what she had always been doing and continued working towards being a hero.
A twelve year old Kumoko jogged down the street doing her daily morning exercise.
"Hey there's the little spider, a little late today I see." A middle-aged man working in front of a store noted.
Kumoko smiled and stopped, but jogged in place
"Yeah, I stopped to help Mr. Kuro bring in some goods." She replied.
"HAHAHA… I swear youngsters these days could learn a thing or two from you." The man replied. "Get going now, don't want to mess up the rest of your day talking to me."
"Will do… oh… I got those new aprons you asked for done. I'll drop them off a little later today." She replied.
"Good to hear. I'll see ya then." He replied.
She nodded before continuing along her way.
A twelve year old Mei glared down a group of bullies who flinched under her gaze. Behind her was a whimpering kid about her age who had a quirk that made him look like a grasshopper. The bullies quickly left without a word said. Mei sighed before turning back to the young boy who was being bullied.
"Here let me help you up." She expressed kindly holding out her hand.
The boy took it and she pulled him up.
"T-thanks for the save." He expressed. "One or two of those jerks I can deal with but not a group like that."
Mei smiled.
"No problem. Just doing what a hero would do." She replied.
"What a hero should do. Not all of them are like that." He returned.
"True unfortunately, but I won't be like that." She stated.
"Good to know. And thanks again. Hopefully see ya around." He stated before leaving.
A thirteen year old Kumoko controlled two strands of thread to move around her as she read a chemistry book.
"Hmm… I wonder if I can use this in my threads to make them stronger." She muttered.
Mei now fourteen moved around her yard a pink glow coating her body. She did maneuvers and mock fighting. The Entrance Exam is coming up soon. I feel like I'm at a good spot to pass but I better not slack. She fired two balls of energy and controlled them to move around her as she dodged them while moving.
The day of the Entrance Exam…
While Kumoko and Amai didn't know it, they arrived at the same time that day. They were each readied to face the trials ahead. Although as you know only one passed that day.
The second test…
Kumoko's legs burned. Her breaths were laboured. She continued on forward. The finish line of the long distance run was in her sights. She continued forward, despite her body screaming at her to stop. She saw the gate begin to close. She heard a loud boom, but ignored it. I have to get closer… if I can get closer I… I can use my threads and pull myself through… I can… I can… The gate closed. No…
She collapsed to the ground. Tears formed in her eyes.
"DAMMIT!" She screamed as she punched the ground. "I was so close."
She looked up at the closed gates. But I failed in the end. She laid there tears streaming from her eyes.
The fourth test…
Mei easily defeated her opponent netting her fifth victory. That should ensure I pass… even still. It'll be good to face more people. Experience in combat was one thing I wasn't able to get much of. She hopped out of the arena and headed back into the crowd of people.
Meanwhile…
Kumoko made her way down the street towards home. A look of sorrow clear on her face. She stopped near and clenched her fist as more tears threatened to pour out. He fist tightened before she punched a wall.
"I'M NOT DONE YET!" She shouted to herself. "There's still the sports festival, I can make it through that. I'll train. I'll train up and be ready for it. I won't fail again."
I'm not done yet…
…
…
The present…
…
…
"So again Kumoko I say this, no matter what comes your way, chase your dreams."
She grunted and tried to push herself off the ground. She was running out of time.
No…
She continued to struggle.
I've come too far to quit now…
She began to slowly rise.
I'm not done yet! This isn't just about being a hero now, nor about proving everyone wrong, or being the beacon to people like me! She felt her strength returning to her as her time was almost up. This is about proving to myself that all my hardwork wasn't for nothing!
With a scream from the depths of her soul she shot up to her feet. She turned to face a surprised Amai and charged.
"THIS FIGHTS NOT OVER YET!" Kumoko shouted.
"KUMOKO IS STILL IN THIS!" Mic shouted.
Amai smiled.
"I like your SPIRIT!" She shouted as she charged at Kumoko.
I can't just play defensive, I have to fight back as well. Any damage at this point is better than none. Amai was already on her with a punch to the face. Blood flew onto the ground. However, Kumoko gritted her teeth, and retailitated with three punches of her own. Another punch slammed into her side. Kumoko fought through the pain and retaliated with two punches of her own. A fist slammed into her stomach, causing her to cough up blood. She was sent flying away and tumbling on the ground. She quickly got up and charged back into the fray.
Meanwhile…
"YOU CAN DO IT BIG SIS!"
"KEEP GOING!"
"YOU GOT THIS!"
"DON'T LET THE PRETTY LADY SCARE YOU!"
"KEEP FIGHTING SIS!"
These were the many things shouted by many of the children of Christ's Light Orphanage as they watched Kumoko battle. All of the staff and many connected to the orphanage and Kumoko. They were both worried and awe struck by Kumoko's determination. Across the local community, the reactions were the same as they watched the match.
Meanwhile…
"This girl is incredible!" Mic exclaimed as Kumoko and Amai continued to slug it out. "She's taking hit after hit and she's still staying in it."
"It's the only thing she can do. Amai's empowered form can only last for so long. Once she runs low on energy, it'll even things out and might even swing things in Kumoko's favor. Even still, the drive to endure through this, and get up time and time again after being knocked down is impressive, rivaling even Midoriya's." Aizawa expressed.
"At least she's not intentionally breaking her bones." Qrow pointed out.
"Greeny betters takes notes." Splinter added.
"I'M NOT THAT BAD!" Izuku yelled.
"Yours last match says da opposite." Splinter retorted.
They saw Kumoko go down again. Even with this, Amai didn't let up.
"Sorry but I need you to stay DOWN!" She shouted as she went to stomp on her.
Kumoko caught her leg with all six of her arms and threw her aside. She quickly scrambled to her feet.
"SHE'S JUST KEEPS ON GOING!" Mic exclaimed.
Kumoko charged forwards again as Amai returned to her feet and met her charge. Kumoko was the first to attack, throwing two punches from her right side. Amai dodged it and countered with a punch of her own. Kumoko knocked it aside and threw a kick, which was caught by Amai. She then threw Kumoko away from her, closer towards the edge of the arena. Kumoko tumbled across the ground but used the moment to return to her feet. This was just in time to see a beam of energy coming towards her. She rolled out of the way quickly only to be faced with Amai right in front of her. Her palm thrusting forward and a small beam attack fired out from it, slamming Kumoko in her stomach. The blast pushed her back as she struggled through the pain to hold her ground. She sent out two threads, sticking them to the ground to help hold her in place. The held for only a bit before being cut by Amai. She smirked, before an intense bout of dizziness and nausea broke her focus. The beam dissipated and Kumoko fell to her knees coughing and clutching her stomach in pain.
"Finally…" She muttered.
Amai's breaths became labored. She began to sway where she stood as her vision became blurry. She held her head. What's going on, why do I… wait… don't tell me… she has…
"Venom." Qrow noted. "It took a while to activate and she was narrowly forced out of bounds before it did."
"It was a risky move with how long it took. You can't rely on that sort of time frame usually, that's probably why she hasn't used it so far. However, it was her only real option in this scenario." Aizawa added.
"Dammit… so close." Amai muttered.
"It's my turn to say sorry." Kumoko spoke as she returned to her feet.
She began to walk forwards.
"While my venom isn't deadly, especially with the amount I injected into you, it's still not a pleasant experience." She stated. "Now… IT'S TIME TO END THIS!"
She charged forward and slammed her fist into Amai. She then punched her again. Then again. Then again. Then again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again.
"HHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"She cried out as she continued to punch the girl in rapid succession.
She then stepped forward, putting her whole body into the attack, and slammed her fist into Amai's face. She fell to the ground. Kumoko only stood there, breathing heavy. The crowd grew silent. One second passed, then two, then three, then four, then five, then six, then seven, then eight, then nine, then ten.
"M-M-Mei A-Amai… i-is down." Midnight spoke. "The winner is Kumoko!"
The crowd erupted in uproarious cheers and applause. Things were similar at Christ's Light Orphanage and in the surrounding community. Kumoko smiled tiredly as tears streamed down her face.
"I DO NOT BELIEVE IT FOLKS! IN AN INCREDIBLE TURN OF EVENTS, KUMOKO HAS TRIUMPHED OVER MEI AMAI!" Mic exclaimed. "DAVID HAS TRIUMPHED OVER GOLIATH! THE UNDER DOG HAS BESTED THE TOURNAMENT FAVORITE! KUMOKO IS MOVING ONTO THE NEXT ROUND! HER CINDERELLA RUN WILL CONTINUE!"
"I did it…" Kumoko breathed out. "I actually did it."
She fell down on her back. Her breathing was still heavy. Her eyes slowly opened to look up at the sky. I've ascended a peak, but there are still higher mountains to climb… greater heights to reach. She reached her hand unto the sky. The sky, it's still so high… but it feels a bit closer. These were her last thoughts before she passed out.
Ruby: SHE DID IT!
Izuku: I don't believe it she actually won.
Ruby: Looks like all her doubters were proven wrong. I look forward to seeing how far she'll go.
Izuku: Same here but we'll have to wait a bit for her next match.
Ruby: Yeah, I know. Which reminds me in the next chapter isn't Katsuki and Ibara fighting next chapter.
Izuku: Yep, but first is the fallout from Kumoko's upset.
Ruby: Can't other things are being set in motion this chapter.
Izuku: Next time, Chapter 46: The World Keeps Spinning.
Ruby: Catch you guys then.
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