The next chapter is the Arc I finale. For returning readers, I hope you approve of my efforts to improve the older chapters based on reviews I have received from all of you. This has taken a long time, but I hope that it will be worth it in the long run. To assure the story's quality and fix a few issues occurring in the background that made newer chapters harder to write.
My Hero Academia Untold: The Fafnir Knight (Remastered Edition)
Saga I: Dusk
Arc I: Origins
Chapter XI: Bonds
"We define family in many different ways: not just by blood but by people with whom we find a common ground and a common bond."
-Adrienne C. Moore
Ochako giggled from Izuku's hilarious retelling of today's events as Eri sat on his lap, helping with his story. Since Ochako left to go back to Mie, they started doing nightly video chats. This was mainly at Eri's request, which Ochako was more than happy to oblige.
"Did Eri really do that to Bakugou?" She asked, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes. Izuku couldn't help but keep on laughing as well.
"She did! Took the apple right from under him when he wasn't looking."
Earlier that day, Katsuki had arrived at the Midoriya household to finally meet Eri since she began living with them.
"So much for a bribe." Ochako giggled again from the other side of the screen.
"Maybe I should've been more forward in letting Kacchan know how much Eri really loves apples. But I have to admit, him pulling out the candied apple did surprise me!" Izuku looked down on the child who sat on his lap.
"Now I know that Eri really likes those treats, too. Isn't that right, Eri?" Eri timidly nodded. She still found it challenging to speak up at times and was still skittish around strangers.
"Anything else new?" Ochako asked with genuine interest.
Izuku thought for a moment.
"Well, we started Eri's new diet to try and get her back to a healthy weight."
"That's good."
Ochako sighed with relief, glad that they had been following up on getting Eri proper treatment after seeing how badly her condition was at the start. Though it had only been a week since she left, she could see Eri's face was fuller and looked livelier. There were still a few things that worried Ochako, such as Izuku mentioning that Eri had yet to smile. It didn't help that Eri was plagued with horrible night terrors that caused her to wake up screaming whenever she tried to sleep alone in her own bed.
"Hey, Ochako?" She heard Izuku ask, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"Have you gotten your letter from UA yet?" He asked nervously.
"Nothing yet...But I haven't checked today, so for all I know, it could be here right now..." Ochako suddenly realized that she, in fact, hadn't checked the mail today. "Umm...Izuku, I'll be right back!" She said in a panic, running out of view from her laptop camera.
"O-oh! Okay!" Izuku blinked, surprised by Ochako's sudden departure.
"Is 'Chako okay?" Eri asked, clearly worried.
"She's fine! She's just checking the mail...which reminds me...I should check, too..."
Right on cue, there was a knock on the door.
"Izuku?" He heard his mother call out to him.
He turned to look at the door, Eri looking puzzled as well.
"Is something wrong, mom?" Izuku asked before hearing Ochako cheer from outside the camera view.
"Your test results…They're here!" Inko nervously told him as she held out an envelope. The poor boy's eyes looked ready to pop out of his head upon realizing that his letter from UA, which his future as a pro-hero hinged upon, had finally arrived. Quickly getting over his shocked reaction, he turned to Eri as calmly as possible.
"We'll come back to chatting with Ochako after this. Is that okay, Eri?"
The young girl nodded as Izuku ended the video chat and sent Ochako a text message. Letting her know that they would call right back after seeing his test results from UA. He then picked up Eri and went to the door, meeting his mother and cousin in the hallway.
The Midoriya household would usually be filled with shouting and stammering with emotion at the news on any other day. But with Eri as the newest member of their home, the family had to learn to readjust and mellow down their reactions so as not to cause further distress to the child. Nevertheless, Izuku couldn't help but shake with excitement and nervousness, eagerly anticipating the envelope in his mother's hands.
Ryūko motioned everyone to the living room so Izuku could show the results to all. She already knew the results of her cousin's exam. But she had sworn not to say a word to him, and Katsuki though the latter, had really tried to get something out of the Dragoon Hero. Unfortunately for him, Ryūko often shot him down with crocodile tears. Izuku sat Eri down next to him. While his mother and cousin took a seat on the couch in front of them.
"No matter what, Izuku, just know that I am very proud of you," Inko reassured her son. "This doesn't diminish all the hard work you've put in to get to this point."
"Yep! Now, hurry up and open it, Izu!" Ryūko laughed. "The suspense is killing me here!"
With a firm nod, Izuku opened up the sealed envelope, and a small, round metal device fell into his hand inside, along with the remainder of his paperwork. He looked at the object in his hand.
"What is this?" He curiously inspected the flat device, no bigger than a poker chip.
"Put it down facing up this way." Ryūko, with a smile, motioned what to do with her hands. Izuku did as his cousin suggested, and the moment he set it down on the coffee table in front of him, the device instantly came to life.
"BOO-YAH! I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION NOW!" The booming voice of All Might called out, startling everyone in the room. Ryūko nearly transformed out of surprise, and Inko's heart raced upon seeing her new employer come out of nowhere.
While not afraid of All Might now that she knew was a friendly face, Eri had not been ready for his sudden appearance or loud voice. She instantly tackled Izuku, clinging to him like a monkey. Izuku couldn't even speak, both out of shock and because Eri had accidentally knocked the wind out of him. All Might's projection continued while triumphant music played in the background.
"I know it's been a while, but I have been completely swamped this whole week! You know how the old saying goes! 'With great power; comes a great amount of paperwork!'" Projection Might waited for a moment for a reaction, then coughed and continued when met with everyone's silence.
"My apologies, young man! The truth is, I didn't come to this city just to fight villains!" Projection Might proclaimed, "You're looking at the newest UA faculty member!"
"No way! You're seriously going to be working at UA?"Izuku exclaimed in excitement, while Ryūko and Inko remained shocked at the news. As the Midoriya family all processed his announcement. All Might was then being clearly told off-camera to hurry it up by someone in the background. A hilarious moment for Ryūko would never let him live down.
"So, moving on! Ahem!" Projection Might cleared his throat as if to get everyone's attention. "Young Midoriya! On behalf of the UA staff. I am pleased to announce your admission to our prestigious academy under UA's hero course! In addition to making it into the hero course, not only did you pass the written exam with flying colors! But you've also achieved the top of your class in the practical exam with a whopping 98 points! Congratulations, young Midoriya!"
Behind All Might, he pointed to a display that listed the total exam scores of the top rankings, with everyone paying extra attention to the top three.
Name: Villains | Rescue | Total
1st Izuku Midoriya
58 | 40 | 98
2nd Katsuki Bakugou
81 | 11 | 92
3rd Ochako Uraraka
38 | 50 | 88
"During the practical exam, your actions in moving quickly to protect others in need were very notable," Projection Might continued. "However! We do recommend planning ahead instead of running into battle headfirst, young man!"
A recorded clip then played, showing Izuku's incredible assault against the zero-pointer; Inko nearly fainted upon seeing Izuku plummet to the Earth until the very last second. Where he was saved by Ochako grabbing onto him and slowing their fall.
'I need to thank her for that later,' Inko thought to herself. She fought the urge to reprimand her son for his reckless actions but allowed it to slide once she saw why he had done it.
"I must add that you please keep the public displays of affection more discreet next time," Projection Might sheepishly coughed and looked away. The clip playing before them showed the aftermath of the exam. It Showed the two holding onto each other on the floor of the battle center, visibly unconscious. "Others may…how should I put it – take your situation the wrong way, young Midoriya."
The silence that followed this moment was deafening, to the point one could hear a pin drop.
"That being said!" Thankfully, Projection Might spoke past the awkwardness. "In receiving the highest score, you will be awarded the honor of being this year's freshman representative at the UA Sports Festival."
With one last wind of gusto, All Might gave a thumbs up to the camera. "We look forward to seeing your bright future here at UA! And so I say, welcome Izuku Midoriya! You have made it to your Hero Academia!"
And with that, the presentation turned off.
Eri sat looking around, puzzled by everyone's current expressions. Izuku and Inko both had very red, embarrassed faces. While Ryūko appeared to be trying and failing to keep a straight face, smirking with glee. Meanwhile, Eri sat confused by Izuku's embarrassment, still too young to comprehend why the display made him react like that. If anything, Eri thought it looked comfortable.
"Well!" Ryūko snapped mother and son out of their daze. "I'm all for having one more extra member in the family, next to Eri!"
"Izuku..."Inko said softly, her saddened face clearly still very red. "If you're dating, you don't have to hide it from me..."
"Mom! It's not like that! Ochako –" Izuku started but was suddenly interrupted by Ryūko's uproarious laughter.
"Oh my god! Izu, come on! Do you hear yourself? O-cha-ko!" She continued laughing, clutching her stomach as she got up from the couch, "I'm gonna pee my pants at this rate! I need to use the bathroom!"
"I meant Ura-ra-ra-ka!" Izuku sputtered out, looking away from his cousin, who simply waved him off as she headed to the restroom, laughing all the while.
Izuku just couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh.
"Izuku, did you ever get the talk?" Inko suddenly asked.
Once Izuku heard those words, he buried his face in his hands with a groan. He wanted to dig himself the biggest hole he could make and hide in it forever.
"In…in school!" Izuku managed to say, hoping that his mother would drop the subject matter now.
Meanwhile, Ochako Uraraka was currently in a similar situation in the Mie prefecture. As both her parents jabbed and joked at their only daughter's expense over this new boy she had yet to tell them about. Blushing bright red, she prayed their reaction wouldn't be as bad when she finally had the chance to inform them about Eri.
Elsewhere, Katsuki Bakugou sat in his darkly lit bedroom. While proud of his achievements in the entrance exams, his victory felt hollow when he heard All Might's last words on his UA projection letter.
"Young Bakugou, your top-ranking scores in both the written and practical entrance exams, combined with your prior behavioral history and recent approval in part of the personal counseling you've completed. I am pleased to welcome you to your Hero Academia, starting as a probationary student under UA's Hero Course. You'll need to report to the Head of the Department of Heroics during your first week of schooling for a more detailed rundown of the paperwork you will need to review and complete. Further details will be assigned to you shortly."
"Damn it." He growled to himself, his fists clenched on his lap.
He had kept the news of his anger management out of the ears of the Midoriya family. It was partly out of shame, partly out to protect his pride, and finally to keep Izuku from inevitably placing the blame on himself. After all, most of the fights Katsuki had gotten into at school were because he had defended his friend. He looked at his dim PC screen and saw the chat app he often kept open. Looking at the online icons on the side, Izuku was currently chatting with someone else.
Ochako Uraraka, no doubt.
This had become a double-edged sword for Katsuki. The girl had clearly brought that extra spark back into Izuku. And for that, he was grateful as much as he may stubbornly deny it. But it was more difficult for the two boys to hang out like they used to since Izuku had his hands full with Ochako and Eri. Being shoved off to the side as the third wheel now that the girls were in the picture made him, in turn, feel isolated and a bit more spiteful than usual.
"Katsuki."
His eyes narrowed when he heard his mother's voice from behind the door.
"What?" There was a bit of bite in his voice.
"Can I come in?"
Katsuki paused. It wasn't normal for her to approach him and talk to him alone. Then again, the events from the last year have been far from the norm.
"Yeah..." Katsuki finally answered with a long sigh. His mother slowly walked in as his bedroom door swung open with a slight creak.
"You okay?" She asked as she stood right behind his chair.
"Shouldn't you be checking up on the old man?" Katsuki asked in return, knowing his father was still recovering from a back injury the same afternoon as the UA exam. He was still thankful that his father wasn't caught in one of the buildings that had burnt down.
"Yū's got it covered," Mitsuki answered while remaining composed. "Right now, I'm more worried about you,"
"I'm fine," Katsuki snapped, his temper slowly reaching its boiling point.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not!" Katsuki finally stood from his chair and yelled. "I said I'm fine!"
"Katsuki Bakugou!" His mother roared back. "If that's true, then look at me in the eyes and tell me that!"
Katsuki sharply turned around and looked at his mother's face but was caught off guard by what he saw. The mother-son relationship was unique as he had inherited her aggressive temperament. Perhaps it was seen like magnetic poles of the same charge, often repelling each other and seeing the other as the hardheaded "know-it-all."
And yet, at this moment, Katsuki was compelled by something rarely given by his mother.
Understanding.
Mitsuki drew her son into a hug.
"You've been kicking a lot of ass lately. And I wanted to let you know that I'm proud of you," She said calmly, feeling her son's tenseness slowly fade. "I know you don't feel like celebrating it as a win right now, but that all will change once you get started at UA and when you get in your costume and start showing off your stuff."
"Now...take it easy on the saltiness," She brightened up the mood with gentle ribbing. "Just because Izu has a girlfriend and a sweetie for a daughter."
Katsuki clicked his tongue with a mixture of frustration and, oddly enough, some amusement.
"I'm shocked that you haven't thrown your weight in. And here I thought you would dash at the chance to be the fun-loving uncle! Don't you know how much Ryūko loves kids?"
"Shut up!" Katsuki's face quickly turned cherry red, breaking off their hug, and making Mitsuki laugh harder.
"Such a tsundere for a son!" Mitsuki dramatically showed a mocking sense of scandal.
"And stop calling the Unicorn that!" He added with a growl, remembering how much his mother had teased Izuku for bringing home a "love child" so soon, to Katsuki's revulsion. "It was funny the first time, but now it's getting old!"
"I don't know…the way Eri clings onto Izu! Reminds me more of a child and parent instead of a brother and sister, don't you agree?" Mitsuki bantered on off-handedly. "And if that's the case, you being Izu's 'big brother' would make you her uncle, wouldn't it?"
"Gah!" Katsuki raised his hands, giving up fighting against his mother's antics.
Eri sat with a picture book in her hands from her favorite TV show, Animal Buddies! With Anima and Comicman! She was fascinated by all the different kinds of animals worldwide. Despite her strong aversion to birds and bird-like people, even the tiny colorful birds caught her eye.
Izuku sat a few feet away, catching up with Ochako on video chat again. They were going over their entrance exam results with a touch of red still on their faces.
"So, now that it's official, I'll be returning to Musutafu by the end of the week!" Ochako clapped her hands together enthusiastically.
"Excited?" Izuku grinned.
"I am! But...I'd be lying if I didn't feel a little sad, too..." Ochako answered while looking a bit downcast. "After everything...my parents started crying. They were so happy for me, but it also meant that I would be leaving home for a long time. And now that I really think about it...I'm really going to miss them. Maybe I'm just feeling a bit scared…since I'm going to UA all on my own."
Izuku frowned and felt a wave of sympathy for Ochako, knowing that this was a life-changing event.
'She plans to do it all by herself so far away from home...' Izuku thought as he studied Ochako's face. He didn't want the call to end on such a sad note.
"But you won't do it alone!" Izuku offered, causing Ochako to look up at the screen. "I – um...what I mean is, you're not going to be in this alone. I'm gonna be there with you, and my mom says you can come by and visit us whenever you want! We're far from a substitute, but we're here! From training to studying...to just having fun."
Ochako was shocked by the sudden invitation to basically be a part of his family. She gazed at the green-haired boy through the camera and the white-haired little girl who sat on his bed behind him with the picture book. A comforting feeling settled warmly in her heart.
"Thank you, Izuku." Ochako thanked him graciously.
"Oh! Actually, speaking of which..."Izuku began before typing something into the text chat.
AllKnight! (Izuku): I was wondering if you wanted to do something to surprise Eri when you come back?
Ochako silently read his text message before looking at the little girl again and smiling.
GravityQueen (Ochako): I think I got something in mind!
As the two teenagers chatted away through text, Eri continued to flip through the picture book and stumbled upon a page on animal families. Each photo in this chapter had been expertly shot and featured pictures of a small family of rabbits. The rabbits all had different fur colors and even had ones with quirks. One image, in particular, caught her eye. A tiny snow-white rabbit was being groomed by a brown-furred mother. At the same time, a moss-colored camouflaged father brought vegetation into their nestled home.
Her eyes scanned over the large simple text that allowed even someone of her skill level to read and understand without too much effort.
"A lovely bunny family!" The simplified hiragana is said in the form of a speech bubble from Comicman. While Anima pointed out each member of the bunny family. "Papa," "Mama," and "Daughter," followed by the appropriate kanji for each word.
Eri looked at the picture with many thoughts running through her head, finally focusing on one word.
Family
It was a strange word to her, given the nightmares of how she grew up with them.
With him…
Those who terrified and hurt her once called themselves her...family.
And yet, here in this home, she felt a strange, warm feeling deep within her whenever she sat with Izuku or talked with Ochako. This feeling felt foreign and confusing to young Eri, making her heart feel light and free. While she didn't know what to do with this feeling, she knew one thing. Eri desperately yearned to be just like the small, white bunny in the picture.
If this was a real family, Eri sensed a deep longing for it.
The only thing that stood in the way of her desire, the one fear that shook Eri to the core, was him.
As long as he was still out there, no one was safe. Eri had long accepted that she had been cursed from birth, and it was only a matter of time before he would find her and end any hopes she had of having a real family. When the Demon named Overhaul would return to claim her.
Author's commentary
I love the dynamic of the Izuocha plus Eri. I'm aware that some people aren't big fans of it. But this is my story, and therefore I will do as I please. At the very least, I hope to make it believable and within reason. This dynamic will serve more than being a dose of sweet fluff. Still, it will also serve as an exciting dichotomy between Izuku and a few other characters with family dynamics.
ZX