Izuku and Mina explore the Ancient Forest, make some new friends, and take on their first monster.
Notes: Great Jagras tails aren't actually severable, but I felt like it made the fight work a bit better, so I kept it in.
On an unrelated note, the reversing of Mina's eye color is because the character creator won't let you color Palico irises, just the sclera, a fact that annoyed me way more than it should.
Cover art by Wolfy1298
Life in Astera started early. Before the sun even rose, Izuku was awoken by a massive horn being blown somewhere far above him. He bolted to his feet, nearly falling on his face as the sheets tangled around him. Near the foot of his bed, Ashido had leapt to her feet as well, her fur puffed out to nearly twice its usual size.
"Up and at 'em, people," came the voice of the Field Team Leader from the doorway. "You've got work to do!"
Apparently, Izuku had been placed in one of the smaller barracks, a fact which had earned him a few jealous looks from other hunters when he got the assignment. Even knowing that, he still had a hard time adjusting. Between the two-bedroom apartment he and his mother had shared since he was little and the spacious dorms that UA had built for its students, Izuku was used to having his own room. Sleeping in the same room as a half dozen other hunters had lead to him sleeping poorly. He'd been awoken multiple times when someone had snored a bit too loudly or went to relieve themselves in the middle of the night.
It certainly didn't help that the dorms were co-ed. And that casual attire for most hunters consisted of a pair of skin tight shorts and an equally tight crop top-like shirt. He kept catching glimpses of the female hunters out of the corner of his eye and blushing furiously.
Ashido had seemed surprised by the arrangement as well, though she had gotten over it much more quickly. A couple of times while he was getting ready, he had caught her gaze straying away from him to a few of the more attractive hunters.
He couldn't put his finger on exactly why that bothered him so much.
He and Ashido were friends, though they hadn't spent a huge amount of time with each other due to being in different social circles at UA. It made sense that they hadn't discussed romance with each other. He hadn't even discussed it much with Iida and Uraraka, and he had spent nearly every day with them.
Still, he found himself glancing at the same hunters as Ashido, wondering if there was anything they had in common. He couldn't see anything significant. While not as varied as the crowds he was used to, the junior hunters comprised a varied spectrum of skin and hair colors. The only 'unifying' traits were that they were almost universally tall and fit, although he imagined that was more to do with the demands of the job than an underlying set of traits.
He didn't get much time to watch them, however. As disorganized and noisy as they had been, each of the junior hunters had their armor and weapons strapped on in record time, leaving Izuku in the dust. He kept having trouble with the various straps and clasps that kept the leather armor in place.
"Need some help there, pawtner?" Ashido said from behind him.
She had somehow gotten her armor on before Izuku as well, despite her lack of opposable thumbs. It appeared that the transition from human to feline hadn't dulled any of her natural litheness.
"Uh... yeah. That would be great. Thanks Ashido," Izuku said, turning his back to her. There was one strap in particular that was situated awkwardly at the center of his back that was causing most of his problems.
Ashido giggled when she saw it. "Pretty sure you've got this on backwards. There's one like it at the front of my armor.
Izuku flushed with embarrassment. It wasn't like anyone was expecting him to have a lot of experience putting on armor, but he still felt like he was letting people down.
At least he had Ashido to help him. She gripped his shoulder with a paw, then yanked the offending strap around until its buckle rested in the center of his chest. Then she spun him around to tighten it.
As she fixed that buckle, and a few others that seemed to have offended her sensibilities, Izuku marveled yet again at how little she had changed despite her new feline form. Somehow, despite the layer of soft pink fur that now covered her head to toe, her expressions were exactly the same as he remembered. She still brought her brows together in the same way when she was trying to concentrate on a problem. Her nose still wrinkled slightly when she got frustrated, though now her whiskers moved as well.
The only thing that had really changed were her eyes. The colors had reversed, leaving the center of her eyes a deep black, while the outer edges shone a brilliant gold. Izuku wasn't quite sure if he liked the change. It was only a small thing, but it left her feeling just a little bit different to him. He had always liked her eyes. When she looked at him, it always felt like she was really seeing him—unlike the people he had grown up with, who had always seemed to look past him.
"Earth to Midoriya," Ashido said, rapping him sharply on the forehead. "Your armor's ready."
He blinked, then looked down at himself. While he had been reminiscing, Ashido had finished adjusting his armor. It now sat much more comfortably than it had when he had adjusted it.
"Oh. T-thanks Ashido," He said.
"No problem," She replied, smiling broadly. "What were you thinking about?"
He stiffened slightly. Telling Ashido how he'd been thinking about her eyes for the past several minutes was the absolute last thing he wanted to do.
"N-N-Nothing important!"
She grinned wickedly. "Awwww, c'mon! You don't have to hide anything from me! You said it yourself, we've got each other to rely on here. That means you can 'tail' me anything!" She shook her tail to emphasize the pun, and leaned in closer. She might not be as much of a gossip as Hagakure, but Ashido loved a secret as much as the next girl.
Izuku frowned. She made a very good point, and with his own words, no less. He really had no reason not to tell her what he had been thinking. Still, he resisted telling her the whole truth, even if he didn't know why.
"I was just... I was thinking that I got really lucky to have you here. Even after you've been turned into an adorable kitty, you're still helping me do my best. So... I wanted to say thank you." He gave her paw a squeeze.
Ashido's head whipped around, looking anywhere but at him.
Too late, Izuku realized his mistake. He had just assumed that the cat puns she had been making were a sign that she had overcome the shock of her sudden transformation, but she must still have been struggling to come to terms with it, and he had just poked the open wound.
"Ashido, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"
"No, it's ok," She said, facing him once more.
There was an expression on her face that Izuku couldn't quite place. It looked halfway between embarrassment and... excitement? But that couldn't be right. Maybe he wasn't as good at reading her feline expressions as he had first thought.
"I just… got really hungry all of a sudden," Ashido said, patting her stomach. "So I was just thinking that we should go get some food. C'mon!" With that, she scampered out of the room.
Izuku was a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in topic, but he did have to agree with Ashido. Despite the large meal he had eaten the night before, the smell of breakfast that was wafting down from the canteen was making his stomach rumble.
Shaking his head to clear the unnecessary thoughts, Izuku followed Ashido out of the barracks and into the sunshine that was already beginning to warm the planks of Astera's walkways.
Mina shook herself bodily, trying to clear her head.
She wasn't sure what had come over her since waking up in Astera the day before. A part of her wanted to chalk these feelings up to her transformation, but she somehow knew that wasn't right.
Her new feline form came with a few instincts that she wasn't entirely used to, such as running on all fours when she wanted to get places faster, or the extremely pressing desire to consume an entire plate of whatever fish they were grilling up in the canteen. These felt different than the thoughts that she had been battling all morning though.
In the dorms, she had barely been able to keep her eyes of Izuku as he had been getting ready. Maybe it had to do with the uniform. Back home, he almost always wore loose, baggy clothes that did nothing to show off his figure. Mina had always wondered if he was self conscious about the scars he had picked up during what most of the class referred to as his "bone-durability-is just-a-suggestion" phase.
Here though, with only form-fitting shorts and a crop top, Mina had been able to see every one of his impressive set of muscles. She had known he was fit—everyone in the hero program was by now—and she vaguely remembered stealing a peak at the boys when they had been at the pool, but she had been on the opposite side and hadn't been able to get a good look.
She knew she shouldn't stare as much as she did, but she couldn't help it. He'd even caught her staring multiple times. She'd looked away quickly, pretending she was looking at someone or something else, but he had to know she'd been watching him. Even he couldn't be that dense.
And then he had called her adorable. Right to her face, too. Sure, he had couched it in more of his usual uplifting rhetoric, but it had set Mina's heart racing all the same. She had been sure he could see the blush that raced across her cheeks, despite her fur. Heck, you could have probably seen it from space.
She was really glad the smell of food had given her a way out of the situation and some time to process her thoughts.
If she didn't know better, she'd say that she was developing a crush on Izuku. She did know better, though. They were friends, and she thought he was very nice, but she was not interested in him.
Nor was he interested in her. He and Uraraka spent pretty much all their time at school together, after all. Plus, she had seen how flustered Izuku got around the bubbly gravity girl. True, he'd calmed down a lot after the first few months of school, but Mina chalked that up to him mellowing out a bit. He hadn't gotten that flustered around anyone in a while.
Despite her very rational arguments, Mina found herself feeling pleasantly relaxed as she and Izuku sat down next to each other for the frankly enormous breakfast spread that was laid out before them.
"I don't like the way that thing is looking at me." Ashido said, a hint of fear evident in her voice.
The Field Team Leader laughed. "Nothing to worry about. Drakes are mostly harmless. The wild ones will peck you something fierce if you piss 'em off, but the tame ones are safer than oxen."
She still looked dubious, but grabbed onto Izuku's leg anyways.
"Is flying really necessary?" Izuku asked. The Ancient Forest was practically on their doorstep, so taking a drake to the forward camp seemed a bit over the top.
The Field Team Leader shrugged. "Probably not, but it'll help. Assuming it's still kicking, that Jagras won't be coming anywhere near the gate for months. If you're gonna pick up it's trail, you'll have a better chance towards the far side of the Forest. Besides, the flight will help you get the lay of the land a bit better. Maps are all well and good, but a visit's worth a thousand pictures."
Izuku couldn't fault his logic. Still, the idea of being carried by one of the drakes worried him. According to the Handler, the last time he'd hitched a ride had led to him receiving a pretty severe head wound. And that drake hadn't had to carry the weight of the massive iron weapon currently strapped to his back.
"If this thing drops us, I'm going to haunt you," Ashido warned, and for a second, Izuku wondered if she could read his thoughts.
The Field Team Leader didn't respond. Instead, he simply whistled, the piercing call sending the drake rocketing into the air. A moment later, the rope Izuku was gripping for dear life pulled them after it.
The rush of wind that flowed over him was both terrifying and exhilarating. He was higher than he could ever reach while leaping with One For All, completely reliant on the drake that was carrying them. Every time there was a hitch in the drake's wingbeats, Izuku felt his heart leap into his throat.
At the same time, he could see nearly the entire Forest laid out before him. From the ocean at the edge to the deep jungle at its heart, everything was like a playset from this height. He could see Aptonaths, the stegosaurus-like creatures that apparently made for good eating, grazing in the open spaces, keeping the forest from advancing any further across the land by trimming the new growths. At the edge of the forest proper, Izuku could barely catch glimpses of bright yellow hides darting between trees as packs of regular Jagras stalked the smaller creatures that inhabited the jungle.
Despite the height they were flying at, they still hadn't passed the top of the great tree at the heart of the forest. It's branches still cast shadows over them as they soared through the sky. Slowly, the drake circled the tree three times, giving Izuku a perfect overview of the Forest, and letting him square the map in his head with the actual land. It would be some time before he was comfortable with the area's many twists and turns, but he felt reasonably confident he could navigate even in the densest part of the forest.
The drake cried out as it completed its final circuit, then began to descend toward the edge of the forest. Izuku noted in passing that the spot they were coming in to land at was quite near where he had awoken the day before. A part of him wondered if they had chosen the spot so that the initial part of his exploration would be in familiar territory.
"Sweet ground! I am never leaving you again!" Ashido cried, throwing herself to the dirt and spreading her arms in a parody of a snow angel.
"Not a fan of flying?" Izuku asked, a small smile on his face.
She paused to glare at him, then resumed her antics. "Not a fan of dangling by a single rope from a flying lizard hundreds of meters in the air."
"Fair enough," Izuku shrugged. She had been gripping his leg rather tightly as they flew, even sinking her claws into the leather for some extra grip.
As she professed her undying love for the ground beneath them, Izuku checked over the tools and weapons he had been issued for the hunt.
The idea of using lethal weaponry still bothered him. Almost all of his hero training had been devoted to learning to hold back, to use non-lethal force, to cause the least amount of harm. And now, here he was, trying to figure out how to wield the strange weapon they had put in his hands in order to do the most damage he could.
He'd managed to find a manual that someone had left lying on their bed, and had greedily devoured every bit of information he could about it.
It was called a charge blade, a strange combination of sword, shield, and axe that fit together in a way Izuku couldn't even begin to understand. Reading the explanation of the different parts had reminded him of when Mei tried to explain her inventions to him. It left him with a slight headache, and more confused than ever.
At the very least, he had been able to figure out the basics. The sword built power as it attacked, and could store said power in something called phials. The power could then be unleashed later using the axe form as a conduit. He hadn't the faintest clue how that was possible, but at this point the "inexplicable alternate dimension stuff" list was so long that he was forgetting the earlier entries, so Izuku simply accepted the explanation and moved on.
His attempts to learn the weapon in the training yard had been... less than stellar. He couldn't seem to get the timing down for switching between sword slashes and axe attacks. It might just come down to a matter of training, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something obvious. He'd had the same feeling just before he had worked out his shoot style. Something in his gut was telling him that he wasn't using everything in his repertoire.
Still, the best way to work it out would probably be real field experience, which was what today's expedition was all about. He and Ashido had been charged to track the Great Jagras that had attacked them the day before, discover where it made its lair, and eliminate it. Assuming, of course, that it had survived its encounter with the Anjanath yesterday. No one had seen either monster after their tussle, which was apparently uncommon.
He cracked open the guidebook, gazing at the map and trying to work out exactly where to start. They were on the western edge of the forest, a few miles from Aster's main gate. They could either head to where they had encountered the Jagras yesterday and try to pick up the trail from there, or head deeper into the forest and hope to stumble across it there. Picking up the trail seemed like the more reasonable idea, but Izuku wondered how much of the trail was left after it had been torn up by the pursuing Anjanath and then left overnight.
"Ashido, what do you think we should do?"
Instead of answering, she leapt onto his back, then scrambled upwards until she could peak over his shoulder at the map. Her whiskers tickled his cheek, and Izuku had to fight the urge to giggle at the contact, since that would only embarrass her.
She hummed as she stared at the map, then shrugged. "It could be hiding a lot of places, but I would bet it's staying far away from the big T-Rex thing. My money's on it being on the west side of the forest."
It was a pretty reasonable theory, and one Izuku was more than happy to go along with. It meant he got to see a bit more of the forest and the various creatures that lived there. Besides, he was eager to try out a few of the tips and techniques he had seen noted in the guidebook.
"Okay." He said confidently. "West side it is."
"This is... surprisingly tasty." Izuku said, smacking his lips.
He had been issued ten "healing potions" when he had departed from Astera. A quick whiff had told him that they were some sort of herbal concoction that was almost guaranteed to be bitter beyond belief. Thankfully, a note in the guidebook told him that mixing wild honey with the potions would make them more palatable—and more effective. He was skeptical about the second part, but decided to try it anyways.
The result was something that reminded him of a particularly potent green tea, with an underlying hint of sweetness that left him feeling more energized than before. Maybe it was just the placebo effect at work, but he imagined that he actually did feel healthier for drinking the concoction.
"Oooh!" Ashido said, tail flicking back and forth in excitement. "Let me try some!"
Izuku handed her the half empty jar, then watched as she proceeded to upend it and chug the contents in one swift motion. When she had finished she swiped her tongue around her lips curiously, then let loose a loud belch.
Izuku snorted. Ashido was very different from the girls he had known growing up. They had all been interested in fitting in, in matching the people around them so that they never stood out. She, on the other hand, never did anything but stand out.
If he had to be stuck here, he really was glad that it was Ashido he was stuck with. They were very different people, but somehow they worked well together. He never had to feel like he was being too quiet around her, since she was happy to pick up the conversational slack. Even when he started info dumping about something in this new world that he found fascinating, she didn't seem offended, or bored. She listened with apparent fascination, though she did have to stop him to ask for clarification fairly often.
As the day rolled on, though, that happened less and less. As they talked about anything and everything, they began to understand each other even better than before. They picked up on each other's mannerisms, knowing when they need to stop and rest, or when they were getting bored of a particular subject.
Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about running out of new topics to discuss. The Ancient Forest was filled with strange and fantastical sights and sounds. From massive glowing insects unlike anything they had seen before to toads that released a paralyzing toxin when disturbed, much to Ashido's surprise and dismay, to mushroom colonies that came up to Izuku's waist, It was a buffet of new experiences, and one that they were both enjoying immensely.
"Hey Midori, check it out!" Ashido said, pointing to a drawing on a nearby rock. "It's me!"
The painting appeared to be of a stylized Palico. Whoever had created it had obviously taken a few artistic liberties, as the Palico's fur was done in a pinkish hue that gave it a very similar appearance to Ashido. It wasn't meant to be her, obviously, since the tail and ears were both different. Still, the resemblance, however coincidental, was uncanny.
"You're right," Izuku said as he eyed the drawing. "Maybe you have a twin running around?"
She shuddered at the thought. "I hope not. I saw a movie like that once. The clones killed the originals in their sleep, since they had no more use for them."
"What movie was that?" Izuku asked.
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
Now it was Izuku's turn to shudder. He'd never liked watching horror movies. There was something about them that was just too... terrifying for him. Rather than let her get started on the topic, which she looked eager to do, Izuku decided to change the subject.
"So, why do you think someone's going around drawing Palicoes?" He asked.
She shrugged. "No idea. Maybe they just think we're neat?"
"Seems like a lot of dedication for that," Izuku said, running his hand along the drawing.
Someone had obviously put a lot of work into the drawing. The lines were carefully drawn, and almost perfectly straight. It wasn't as technically impressive as the anatomical drawings in the guidebook he carried, but it was lovely all the same.
Suddenly, one of the containers on his belt jumped. From it poured a stream of tiny glowing insects that surged upward to cluster around his hand.
The Field Team Leader had called them scout flies. Supposedly they were used for tracking monsters, though, as per usual, no one had bothered to explain exactly how. Now, it appeared he was getting his answer.
The scout flies hovered around the drawing for a few seconds, then surged as a group, leaving a glowing trail behind them. When the were a few feet away from Izuku and Ashido, they paused, hovering in the air almost expectantly.
The pair glanced at each other, then shrugged in unison. They hadn't found anything resembling a trail so far, and it was getting towards sunset. Chances were, their mystery artist wouldn't be of any help to them, but they might have seen something, and it was better than trying to wander aimlessly in the dark.
They set off after the glowing insects at a comfortable jog, wondering where exactly this new journey would take them.
"Well, I guess we know why our mystery artist was painting Palicoes," Izuku said.
"Yeah," Ashido replied. "Ancient selfie!"
The scout flies had lead them high up into the boughs of the great tree, through hidden passages that wormed their way through the trunk itself. It had been a long, tiring journey, but they had at last found their quarry.
It looked similar to a Palico, but with some very distinct differences. It's ears were longer, and had tufts of fur on the end that made them look even longer and thinner than they were. Its brown and white fur was longer than a Palico's, and was less glossy. It also wasn't wearing any clothing, which was a change from what Izuku had seen in Astera. Most Palicoes wore a shirt, if nothing else, as a nod to civilization.
Based on that, as well as the bone and feather staff that lay at the feline's side, Izuku realized that this must be a Grimalkyne, a sort of feral, tribal species of Palicoes that he had read about in the guidebook.
That suspicion was confirmed a moment later when the Grimalkyne looked up at them from where it had been sunning itself on an exposed tree branch. There was a moment where both parties evaluated each other before the Grimalkyne took off running.
"After him!" Ashido cried, dropping to all fours and following at a dead sprint.
Not knowing what else to do, Izuku followed suit, trying to keep up as best he could. He was used to navigating city scapes though, and quickly found himself left behind as the pair of felines raced through the tree limbs, jumping between boughs and climbing up vines. Izuku idly wondered if Ashido had transformed yet again, becoming some sort of squirrel-creature while he hadn't been looking.
As she chased the fleeing feline in the tree, all Izuku could do was watch and wait.
"Well, that sucked," Mina said, pouting in frustration.
The Grimalkyne had managed to get away when she slipped on a particularly mossy branch. It left her both frustrated at not being able to catch him, and humiliated, since Izuku had needed to help her out of the tree after her misstep. She hated filling a stereotype, even one from another species.
"To be fair, he knows the area much better than we do," Izuku said, trying to console her.
"Shush," Mina said. "I'm allowed to be a little disappointed after a wipe out like that."
He smiled a little at that, and reached out to pat her on the back. Despite her decision to be sullen about the whole ordeal, Mina felt herself relaxing into his touch once more.
Damn my cat-like reflexes She thought, making no move to pull away.
"Feel like trying again?" he asked, after a few minutes had passed, and she had gotten the chance to calm down a bit.
Mina shrugged. "We can try, but I don't think I can keep up if he tries to run again."
He shook his head. "I was thinking we could try a more diplomatic solution this time. He ran away so fast that he forgot his staff." Izuku hefted the stick in question as he spoke. "If we return it, he might be a little more willing to talk to us."
"Problem is, we have no idea where he went. And I doubt he's going to be coming back to say 'Hi' anytime soon," She pointed out. It was a pity. The idea was a good one, aside from the one glaring flaw.
"Actually, I think I might know where he went." Izuku said. "When we were flying around the forest earlier, I caught a glimpse of a fire just above where we are now. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but now I'm wondering if our skittish friend lives up there."
Mina hadn't seen anything in the great tree, but she had been keeping her eyes closed the entire flight, so that made sense.
"Up we go then?" She asked, looking to Izuku.
He nodded. "Up we go."
It was surprisingly easy to find what they were looking for. The cat-shaped mud huts relied on their natural camouflage to stay hidden. Once Izuku and Mina knew where to look, they found them in short order.
A party of four Grimalkynes greeted them, staves at the ready. Izuku and Mina immediately threw their hands up.
"Begone," the lead Grimalkyne hissed. "Outsiders are not welcome here"
Mina stepped forward. Izuku was many things, but he was not overly gifted when it came to people. She could only imagine that lack of social skills extended to Grimalkynes as well.
"We mean you no harm," she said, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible. "We just want to return your staff."
When Izuku didn't hand it over, she elbowed him in the stomach. He winced, then stared at her in confusion.
"Midoriya, give them the staff."
Still looking unsure, Izuku held the object out to the Grimalkynes. One of them, who was probably the youngest, if Mina had to guess, darted forward to grab it out of the boy's hands before retreating back to the line. He and the others looked significantly less hostile now, which was a relief.
"I thank you for returning my son's staff," the lead Grimalkyne said. "Though, I wonder how you came by it…" The look he shot them was telling. He might be willing to hear them out, but he definitely didn't trust them yet.
"Your son ran when he saw us," Mina explained. "He left it behind when he fled."
At this, the Grimalkyne next to the staff-leaver reached out and cuffed him roughly on the head.
"It wasn't my fault! She chased me!" He protested loudly, rubbing at his head with his free hand.
"And whose fault is that?" the lead Grimalkyne asked. "I've told you time and time again to be aware of your surroundings. Besides, if you hadn't slacked in your training so much, she would never have come near you."
"You didn't see her run" The younger one whined. "She's fast. If she hadn't slipped on a patch of Watermoss, she might have caught me."
The older Grimalkyne turned to look at Mina appraisingly. "Is that true?"
Mina wasn't sure almost biting it on a patch of moss was that impressive, but she had never been one to turn down praise when it was offered to her.
"Yep!" she said brightly. "I used to climb a lot of trees when I was younger. If it weren't for that stupid moss, I totally would have kicked your son's butt. Speaking of which, what do you say to a round two?" she grinned at the young Grimalkyne.
At that, the elder Grimalkyne burst out laughing. A moment later, two of the others joined in. The son looked scandalized and embarrassed.
"Dad!" he hissed.
The older Grimalkyne merely waved him off, attempting to recover from his fit. Finally, he managed to reign himself in, though his voice still held traces of his mirth.
"Boy, if you had half this one's fire, I would have made you chief ages ago," he said, shaking his head. "She has the heart of a Bugtrapper, and then some."
Mina grinned. She had no idea what a Bugtrapper was, but the way the chief said it left no doubt that it was a high complement.
"Thank you," she said, bowing slightly to the chief.
"No need to be bashful. You've earned that praise. Although, if you are willing, I would enjoy hearing how you came to chase my son though the boughs of the Mother Tree. There's space at our fire for you to stay with us for supper. Your,er, tall friend as well."
Mina glanced at Izuku, who still looked deeply confused and uncomfortable. It didn't seem like he had any idea what to do about the offer, so Mina would have to decide for them.
The sun was sinking fast, so if they were going to return to Astera before nightfall, they would have to go now. Mina didn't relish the idea. Trekking through the forest had been tough enough when she could see where she was going. And while the Bugtrappers hadn't been friendly at first, her gut told her that they were nice people once you got past the initial suspicion.
"Thank you, sir. We would love to join you this evening," she said, addressing the chief once more.
"Wait, so you couldn't understand any of that?" Mina asked in surprise.
Izuku shook his head. "Sounded like a lot of growling and hissing, then a bunch of meows. I almost dropped the spear the first time you responded to them."
Mina leaned back, puzzling over the exchange. In yet another bizarre twist to this world, Mina had apparently gained the ability to speak whatever feline language the Grimalkynes used. More to the point, she had started speaking it without even realizing, which was a little disturbing. It did explain why Izuku hadn't had any input on the conversation, though. He hadn't been able to follow a single word.
She wondered if this was another side effect of being a Palico, or whether this was unique to her. The way the Bugtrappers spoke about Palicoes, it didn't sound like they had interacted with a lot of them. They seemed to think of the Palicoes as sheep, living fat and tucked away in the human cities instead of in the wild like they "should be".
Mina couldn't deny that she had seen a few Palicoes who had looked particularly... domestic, but she had seen many more who were gearing up to venture into the wild, to fight monsters at their partner's side, or to explore as yet unseen lands at the edge of the Commission's maps. She guessed the misunderstanding was due to biases on both sides. She had no doubt the Commission Palicoes shook their heads at the "savage" Bugtrappers who lived in the forest.
"Okay, so, summary. The Bugtrappers, which are the Grimalkynes who live here, were pretty skeptical about the Commission, but I apparently impressed them with my pawsome tree climbing skills." She paused a moment as Izuku clapped, basking in the adoration before continuing, "So they're gonna try approaching Astera again. Maybe even trade with them. In the meantime, they're letting us stay in their camp overnight. Plus, they're going to show us where the Jagras has it's den in the morning!" she finished proudly.
Izuku smiled. "That's awesome, Mina! Although... I guess I'm, uh, sleeping outside." He indicated the huts the Bugtrappers slept in, which had definitely not been constructed with human inhabitants in mind.
She scratched her head awkwardly, a trait she was rapidly picking up from Izuku. "Yeah, I kiiiiiinda didn't think about that before agreeing. Sorry."
Izuku shook his head. "It's fine. My mom and I went camping sometimes when I was younger, before she had to take a second job, so I'll be okay. Besides, it's pretty warm out here anyways."
He fanned himself a little, though Mina could tell it was a bluff. Now that the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, the air was rapidly cooling. At this rate, Izuku was in for a chilly night.
"Sorry Midori." Mina said, patting his hand with her paw.
He smiled softly. "I'll be fine. Promise. You just keep wooing our hosts. Maybe they have a blanket I could borrow."
Mina chuckled at the image of Izuku trying to curl up under a Palico sized blanket, but resolved to ask after dinner. After all, the worst they could say was no.
The Bugtrappers, as it turned out, were very accommodating to guests who met their approval. Each of them donated one of their blankets to Izuku, so he had a loose covering to keep him warm for the night. The embers from the banked fire would help out as well.
Still, Mina felt bad for her friend. If he shifted too much in his sleep he would let all the cool air in. Even if he didn't, the blankets were pretty thin. With their warm fur covering, the Grimalkynes didn't really need blankets most of the time.
They offered to clear a space for her in one of the huts, but Mina declined. If Izuku was going to be stuck outside, then she was going to stay with him. She was the one who had chosen this option for them, after all.
As everyone turned in for the night, Mina curled up against Izuku's back. She could see the looks the Grimalkynes shot her and her partner as they prepared for bed. They ranged from confused to surprised to knowing. The last look came from the chief, who even wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Mina flushed, and scooted a little bit away from Izuku. It wasn't like that. She was just staying close for warmth. To keep him warm, not because she enjoyed being curled up against him in the slightest!
Sighing, Mina settled in for a long night of mentally debating herself. She'd been okay last night, but only because the strangeness of their situation had been front and center in her mind. Now, she'd had a bit more time to come to terms with things, and such thoughts had taken a bit of a backseat to her rapidly growing crush on her green-haired friend.
Instead of spending hours ruminating, however, Mina fell asleep within a few short minutes, Izuku's warmth doing more for her than any blanket ever could.
Sometimes it felt like the weight of the world rested on Izuku's shoulders. He'd only just begun to unlock the power of One For All before All Might retired, and even now he still couldn't use more than a quarter of its strength without hurting himself. He needed to get stronger faster. The world needed him to get stronger faster. The villains wouldn't wait for him to graduate, as they'd already proved multiple times.
It was a heavy, cloying feeling, as though a great weight was pressing down on his chest. It made it hard to breath, hard to think. Even in his dreams, he couldn't escape it. Izuku tried to inhale, but found that he couldn't. Something was blocking his nose, keeping him from drawing in precious oxygen.
His eyes shot open, any remnants of sleep blasted away by the adrenaline surging through his veins. He tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't. He was being pressed down by the heavy weight on his chest.
The furry, pink weight.
With a surge of relief, Izuku realized what had happened. Sometime during the night, Ashido had crawled on top of him, and curled up on his chest. Her tail, which was twitching while she slept, had covered his nose.
He let his head fall back with a sigh of relief. There wasn't a villain attack to thwart, or a civilian to rescue. They were safe, at least for the moment.
Slowly, the events of the previous day filtered back to him. He remembered the delicious feast that the Bugtrappers had shared with them: tender roast meat, grilled vegetables, and fruit juice. The meal had filled him completely, leaving him feeling heavy and sluggish. Lying down to sleep had come as a relief, particularly with Ashido's gentle warmth against his back to help insulate him from the chill.
That was one thing that this world had going for it. The inhabitants were extremely accommodating and friendly. Even the Bugtrappers, who had started off suspicious and practically hostile, had warmed to them almost immediately. It was a nice change of pace from their original world.
Izuku had grown up feeling unwelcome and unwanted by everyone except his mother, just because he was Quirkless. When he hadn't been able to call on One For All the day before, a deep part of Izuku had been prepared for things to return to how they had been before he had inherited All Might's power. Instead, the people here had welcomed him with open arms. They didn't think it was strange that he didn't have superhuman abilities. All they cared about was that he pitched in to the best of his very human abilities.
And Ashido had accepted it as well. True, she didn't really understand the meaning of him losing access to his Quirk, but she hadn't treated him any differently than before.
No, that was wrong. She had treated him differently. She had been even nicer than ever before. She'd listened to his rants, had comforted him when he'd been feeling stressed out by the inexplicable events, and had ventured into an unfamiliar forest to help him hunt a dangerous monster, all without complaint or second guessing herself.
Smiling, Izuku gazed at the sleeping cat-girl. She looked so peaceful like this. All her bubbly energy seemed to have died away as she slept, leaving her looking more serene than he'd ever seen before.
He reached up and gently ran a finger through her fur. Despite the light chill in the air, she was still warm, fur keeping her well insulated. It was no wonder Izuku hadn't felt cold during the night, with such an excellent fuzzy blanket covering him.
A chuckle broke Izuku from his thoughts, and he craned his head to see where it had come from. The elder Grimalkyne, the one Ashido had identified as the chief, was sitting a few feet away, watching the two intently. As Izuku watched, he held one of his paws up, and extended a single claw, in what could only be the feline equivalent of a thumbs up.
Izuku immediately flushed at the implication. Ashido was a great person, but he didn't think of her that way. She was funny, and talented, and beautiful, and so far out of his league that he could never entertain any thoughts of being together with her, in this world or any other.
The girl in question, of course, chose that moment to wake up, flexing her spine to work out the kinks.
"Mornin' Midori," she said, yawning broadly.
"Oh, uh, yeah. G-good morning Ashido!" he said, a little too quickly.
She frowned, then looked down at her where she was sitting. Her eye immediately grew as wide as saucers and she hopped off his chest, knocking the breath out of him with the force of her leap.
"S-sorry," she said, twisting away from him to run her tongue over her fur. It was hard to tell from this angle, but it seemed to Izuku that Ashido was almost as embarrassed as he was. He doubted she had meant to sleep like that, and was probably trying to figure out how exactly it had happened.
"You are awake. Good" The voice was high pitched, with an accent Izuku couldn't place. With a start, he realized that it had come from one of the Bugtrappers that had shown up after their initial confrontation. "We eat soon. Then, I take you to the Jagras." He spoke haltingly, as if he had to search for every word, but he did make his intent clear.
In less than an hour, they were ready to go.
Izuku hadn't bothered to remove his armor the night before. He'd been too tired to do a proper job, and had been thankful for what warmth it provided. Because of this, all he needed to do was rearrange the items in his toolbelt and pull his charge blade onto his back.
The Bugtrapper set a swift pace as he lead them back down the tree. They stuck to back routes and hidden pathways that Izuku would never have noticed if they hadn't been shown to him.
A few times, their guide made for a small tunnel or narrow path between trees, only to glance back at Izuku in frustration and choose a different route. Like their homes, Grimalkyne paths apparently weren't built for anyone over four feet tall.
Finally, they made it back to the ground. They exited into a small clearing towards the southern edge of the forest. The trees were still dense enough to block most of the sun's rays, but not dense enough to keep the area in permanent shadow. Because of this, the ground was covered in foliage, from short grasses to waist high bushes everywhere.
Maybe it was just because Izuku knew they were approaching the Jagras's lair, but having that much cover around set his teeth on edge. Anything could be hiding in there, and he wouldn't know until it was too late.
Their guide held up a paw to stop them, then sniffed the air for several seconds. Apparently satisfied, he turned to the pair.
"The Jagras is there." He pointed to a rather conspicuous cave entrance at the far end of the clearing. "It sleeps under the ground. To heal. You can surprise it. But look out for its pack."
"Thank you for your help," Izuku said, bowing to the Grimalkyne. Ashido followed suit a second later.
"No need for thanks. The Jagras causes us many problems while hunting. It will be good to have it gone." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Be careful. A wounded beast is all the more dangerous." With a final nod, he disappeared back into the trees, leaving Izuku and Ashido alone.
"Shall we?" Izuku said, indicating the cave.
"Let's," she replied, a feral smile gracing her lips.
They could hear it snoring well before they could see it. The sound bounced off the walls of the cave, amplified into a throbbing beat that Izuku could feel in his chest. He was slightly impressed that the sound didn't wake the monster, though he assumed it must be used to the noise at this point.
It looked different than Izuku remembered, almost like it was bloated. Then he remembered that Great Jagras liked to swallow their prey whole. It was probably digesting its latest meal.
There were deep cuts on its back that were already beginning to heal over, remnants from its tussle with the Anjanath. Izuku was impressed at the speed with which it was healing. Wounds like that would have taken him weeks, if not months to recover from without the help of Recovery Girl. Now more than ever, he understood why the Commission wanted to track it before it finished healing.
The beast shifted in its sleep, and Izuku felt his breath catch in his chest. Beside him, he could hear Ashido do the same. They had surprise on their side right now, and it was not an advantage they wanted to lose.
He held up a hand to signal to Ashido, and the pair crept forward towards the monster.
They had worked out a rough plan before heading into the cave. Once they woke the beast, Izuku would bear the brunt of its assault, slashing at its head and blocking its attacks with his shield. While he distracted it, Ashido would attack from the rear and exploit any vulnerabilities she saw.
Now, it was time to see how well their plans would go.
Izuku made his way carefully around the Jagras's lair, doing his best to not step on any of the discarded bones that littered the area. Their quarry might sleep through it, but Izuku saw no reason not to be cautious.
Finally, he reached the Jagras's head, and nodded to Ashido. She was poised behind the monster, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku unlimbered his charge blade. The well-oiled metal hissed as it came apart, nearly whisper silent and almost perfectly balanced in his hands. He may not understand all the craftsmanship that had gone into the weapon, but he could still admire it.
As silently as he could, he slotted the sword's blade into the shield's center, the internal mechanisms causing it to shift into its axe mode. Now he was wielding a weapon that was longer than he was tall, ready to deliver a crushing blow to the monster.
It seemed a bit unsporting to attack while the monster slept, but given how dangerous the Jagras had shown itself to be, he wasn't willing to take any chances, particularly with Ashido so close at hand.
He raised the weapon above his head, ready to bring it down in a single, heavy strike, when all hell broke loose.
A cry came from behind him, fierce and guttural. The pack of smaller Jagras had returned, dragging a fresh Aptonath corpse behind them, likely more tribute for their recovering leader.
The Great Jagras's eye blinked open, slit pupil dancing wildly for a moment before locking onto Izuku.
He brought his blade down with all his strength, but the Jagras was surprisingly fast for how bloated it was. It managed to roll out of the way, so Izuku's attack only left a slight gash on its front leg. The attack left both of them off balance, with the Jagras reeling from the surprise and pain and Izuku trying to get the heavy iron weapon back into position while he got his back to a wall so none of the smaller Jagras could get behind him.
Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about them. Ashido bounded up along the Great Jagras's spine and leapt over Izuku, shrieking like a banshee as she tore into the lesser Jagras, leaving Izuku free to engage the leader.
He smiled as he finally managed to set his feet into a better stance, freeing the short blade from the shield and gripping both tightly. He and Ashido hadn't even needed to discuss the shift in strategy. They had simply done what they thought was necessary, and known the other would pick up on any slack they left.
The Jagras lunged towards him, slashing with its claws, but Izuku simply raised his shield and let the talons glance off the wall of metal. Izuku was surprised to see sparks fly as they scraped along his defense. The talons must be extremely dense to survive contact with the shield.
Izuku backed up a little, trying to keep a little space between the two of them. The sword and shield form of the charge blade lacked the range of the axe form, but Izuku felt a bit more comfortable when the bloated monster couldn't roll on him.
As he stepped back, the monster began to convulse, great heaves passing through its body in waves. Izuku realized what it was doing a second before it happened. He flung himself out of the way as a glob of half digested ooze came hurtling directly towards where his head had been a moment ago.
Coming to his feet, Izuku surveyed the situation. The Great Jagras seemed to have deflated slightly, though it was still more than twice as large as Izuku. It glared angrily at him, but was making no move to approach. Behind it, Ashido was still engaging the pack of lesser Jagras. She had managed to eliminate three of their number, but four still remained. Each was sporting a few cuts across their face or sides, but they didn't seem to be slowing down.
Time for plan B, then.
The Great Jagras took a step forward, and Izuku responded by taking a few steps back, maintaining the distance between them. This seemed to make the Jagras more confident. It must think he was afraid of engaging it in close range. So they continued their dance, the Jagras slowly inching forward while Izuku shuffled back.
Finally, Izuku could feel what he had been waiting for. The buzzing of insect wings filled his ears, and he could feel a steady stream of air on the back of his neck. One of the flash flies that lit the cave was almost directly behind him.
"Mina! Close your eyes!" he shouted a moment before spinning around and giving the insect a smack with the flat of his sword.
The effect was instantaneous. A blast of light filled the room, blinding anyone who had been looking anywhere near the bug. Thanks to Izuku's shout, that had been most of the Jagras pack, as well as their leader. Even Izuku had a few spots in his vision, despite closing his eyes and using his shield to block some of the light.
The Jagras cried out in pain, then began to swing its head around wildly, searching desperately for Izuku using its ears instead of its eyes. The cave made this much more difficult though, since sounds bounced off of the walls around them and made it impossible to identify the direction of any noise.
Izuku seized on the monster's confusion and charged forward, slashing at its exposed and vulnerable stomach. The monster's thick hide made it difficult for his blade to cut deep, but he covered its chest in small nicks. It tried to retaliate, throwing out a few slashes of its claws, but in its blinded state they were simple to deflect or dodge.
As he cut, Izuku could see his blade begin to glow, first a soft yellow, then a bright cherry red. He paused his assault, slotting the blade into the shield and letting the power bleed away into whatever internal mechanism stored the energy. The manual had been very clear that letting too much power build up in the sword could have detrimental effects. Izuku definitely didn't want that. He was more than familiar with the dangers of putting too much power in an inadequate vessel.
The pause gave him some time to collect himself and fix his stance, but it also gave the Jagras a recovery period. It blinked away the last of the flash, locked eyes with Izuku, and roared.
When he had heard it before, the force of the roar had stunned Izuku. This time, thanks to the echo chamber of the cave, it was so much worse. His legs instantly turned to jelly, barely able to hold his weight. His arms fell to his sides, unable to keep them up as his head throbbed tremendously. Even after the roar ended, he couldn't do more than stand dumbly as the Jagras loomed over him.
It reared up onto its hind legs, preparing to use it's massive bulk to crush him utterly. Izuku tried to force himself to do something, anything, but his body refused to obey him.
Then, a high screech filled the air as the pink streak that was Ashido launched itself at the Jagras's face. She clawed at its still-sensitive eyes, causing the monster to roar in pain. Instead of falling forward as it had intended, it fell to the side, slamming into the cave wall in an attempt to dislodge the furious feline attached to its face. She refused to be moved though, striking at it again and again as it shook.
With the Jagras distracted, Izuku had a few moments to collect himself. He shook his head, and the fog that surrounded him finally cleared. With his limbs back under his control, he set his stance, lifted the sword and shield back into position, and faced the monster once more.
Ashido was proving to be an excellent distraction, but she couldn't keep it up forever. Sooner or later, it would manage to dislodge her. Izuku needed to be a bigger threat to the monster by that point to keep it from going after her.
He spotted his opportunity a moment later. The monster was thrashing its upper body furiously, but it's hind legs were firmly planted, as was its tail. With a feral grin, Izuku shifted his weapon into axe form and brought it down on the appendage with all the force he could muster.
The Jagras screamed as its tail was severed. As it did, Ashido went flying off of it, barely managing to spring off the wall and land on her feet. She was panting heavily, and her fur was matted in several places by a combination of blood and sweat. Izuku dearly hoped that none of the blood was hers.
Despite the pain it must be in, the Jagras was still standing, though it was swaying from side to side. It stared at the duo, evaluating them for the first time in this fight. Up until this point, it had mostly been on the back foot since they had awoken it. Now it seemed to be questioning whether defending it's home was really worth fighting them.
A moment later, it reached its answer. The great lizard spun around and waddled away as fast as it could go.
Izuku and Ashido both blinked in surprise. Given how aggressive it had been, the possibility of a retreat hadn't even occurred to them. Their surprise quickly dissipated, but it allowed the monster to slip into the tunnel that lead out of the cave.
The pair took off after it, sprinting as fast as they could. Both of them were winded and sore, but they pressed on, not wanting to lose the momentum they had gained.
The Jagras was fast and had a head start, but it was wounded, and they were faster. They caught it just as it entered the wetland area Izuku had stumbled through when he had first awoken. The Jagras was menacing a group of Aptonath, but quickly shifted its attention back to Izuku and Ashido. Danger took precedence over food, apparently.
It charged them, barreling forward without any sort of grace or strategy. They had proved to be more skilled and maneuverable than the Jagras, so its last hope was that it could overwhelm them with sheer strength.
The monster never stood a chance.
Ashido moved with a terrible grace, dancing between its blows and landing three strikes of her own for every one the Jagras sent her way. They weren't much more than papercuts to the giant lizard, but they proved enough to keep it distracted and off balance, which was the intention.
Izuku met strength for strength, blocking the Jagras rather than dodging it whenever he could. If a strike that he couldn't block came, he simply rolled around or beneath it. His own strikes never missed, drawing a line of blood with each swing.
Slowly, they pushed the Jagras back away from the Aptonath until it was pinned between them and a small pool of water behind it. The moment that happened, Izuku knew the fight was over.
The Jagras hadn't noticed the danger it was in, too intent on the hunters in front of it. It took one step back, then another, and finally it placed a foot over the edge of the pond. With a cry of surprise, its back legs slipped over the edge and it was left scabbling at the ground with its front legs.
Izuku seized the opportunity. He shifted his weapon into axe mode, and swung wide. As he attacked, he pulled a small trigger inside of the guard, prompting the weapon to unleash its stored energy. It crackled with lightning, a comforting sound for Izuku, as it whipped toward its target. The axe blade lashed the monster twice, scoring deep gashes on its legs and head. The monster roared in pain, but it wasn't done yet.
Neither was Izuku, however. He pulled the weapon close to him, smiling as he watched it shift and change as it moved, elegant design in motion. With all of his strength, he spun the blade around himself to build up momentum, then brought it straight down on the monster's head.
The crushing, lightning-enhanced blow buried the axe deep in the monster's skull. It twitched one, twice, and then lay still.
Izuku and Ashido let out twin sighs of relief, collapsing to the ground as the Jagras finally lay defeated. Neither had realized just how exhausted they were. If the battle had gone on much longer, they might have been in some real trouble.
Ashido was the first to speak.
"I don't know about you, but I am ex-paw-sted."
"That was a reach, even for you," Izuku said with a grin.
"Shhhhh. I'm tired," she said, flopping down onto her back.
A moment later, Izuku mirrored her. They lay like that for several minutes, simply staring up at the sky and enjoying being alive.
"Ashido, we should probably—" Izuku started to say
"Mina," she said, cutting him off.
"What?"
"You called me Mina earlier. When we were fighting in the cave" she said. "I want you to keep doing that."
"I, uh…" Izuku started to object, then stopped.
They had been friends for a while now, but over the last two days they had grown closer more rapidly than he would have ever thought possible. They'd laughed, fought, ate, and slept next to each other. If he was honest, she had become closer to him than probably any other person he had ever known.
And if he were brutally honest, he was quickly falling in love with her.
"M-Mina." He said, trying the name out on his tongue. It was nice, short, sweet, and full of energy, just like the girl it represented. He liked it.
"Yep!" she said, raising a paw towards the sky. "Mina and Izuku, hunters extraordinaire!"
It was a bit of an unorthodox declaration, but it matched the pair. Two mismatched parts of a much greater whole.
Smiling to himself, Izuku raised his own fist as well.
"Hunters extraordinaire!"
Thank you very much for reading! Your enjoyment means the world to me.
I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter. It's got fluff, it's got action, it has dorks in denial. All the things I like!
My plan for this fic is to have maybe one more chapter, skipping over most of the story to end either with a confrontation with Nergigante or Xeno'jiva and the resolution to Izuku and Mina's feelings/inner turmoil. Let me know what you guys think about that.
Thank you once again for reading, and I hope you have an excellent day!