Chapter 8

Unravel

Inko Midoriya came home soon after Ochako had fed Dakota to find the trio casually talking an eating snacks in the living room, lounging on the sofas and relaxing. She felt a wave of relief wash over her at the sight of her son looking so calm and loved watching how warmly he conversed with his friends. She offered to have them stay for dinner but as they had school the next morning, they decided to head home and get some sleep. Once they left, Izuku and his mother ate at the dinner table in comfortable silence, Izuku's relaxing mood continuing even after his friends had gone. Inko sighed and her son looked up, his eyes shining with color and his face brightened with emotion for the first time in several days.

"What's wrong, mom?"

"Oh, nothing is wrong sweetie, nothing at all. I am just feeling relaxed right now."

"That's good to hear, you sound less tired than usual."

"As do you."

"How was your trip into town today? Find any veterinarians who would be willing to drive out here?" Izuku asked, stabbing a piece of pasta with his fork and bringing it to his lips.

Inko sighed with a little more defeat this time. "Unfortunately, Izuku, I only found two vet places that were even remotely close to this city and the first one said that our address was too far for one of their staff to drive all the way out to, and the other said that they could send out a guy but that they were busy for the next few weeks so I wouldn't be able to book anything for at least a month!"

"Oh no, that doesn't help us at all…" Some of the grey exhaustion seemed to come back into Izuku's features and Inko immediately rushed to change the subject, her mind panicking at the dark shadow that seemed to be trying to hard to take over her normally genuinely happy son.

"Oh, but on the bright side, I managed to get ahold of Haruka again and she is willing to come by our house to take a look at the mark on your hand again! She said that it may have something to do with that evil dragon's quirk, so she is coming around tomorrow afternoon to check it out!"

Izuku brightened a little at that. He had come to learn how to live with the mark but he was really tired of feeling all of these confusing emotions and the almost non-stop flow of pain that seemed to always be nipping at his nerves, his only reprieve was the medication from Haruka. The pair finished dinner as the tensions in the room settled a little bit more and then the two got up and brought their dishes to the sink.

"Alright, why don't you go hang out for a while and start getting ready for bed, I can do these dishes," Inko said, picking up a plate and the sink brush.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"Alright…"

Izuku walked to the fridge and found some more ground beef in one of the drawers to take to Dakota. Balancing the meat on a new plate from the cabinet, Izuku made his way to his room to feed the beast. Izuku reached his bedroom door and decided not to overthink it too much and so he did not pause and take a deep breath or peer nervously through the cracked door like he usually did. Still avoiding being loud or obnoxious, Izuku pushed his bedroom door open with confidence and shut it behind him until he heard it click. Usually, he would opt to keep the door cracked open slightly so as to have an escape route but today, he decided to take Ochako's advice. Treat Dakota as if she were a person going through a rough time with nobody to believe in. He was still one hundred percent sure that she could kill him in under two seconds and he knew she would if she was threatened so he didn't want to appear overconfident but he was also tired of dancing around her as if she were toxic.

Dakota lifted her head from where it had been resting on her paws and looked at him up and down, sniffing once. She could feel that he was trying to be as brave and confident as possible so she did not growl, she just watched him. Izuku now didn't know what else to do, he could feel his shield of false confidence start to waver as he fought with his brain for the next step. That was when his thoughts wandered back to the scene from earlier that day when Ochako had given Dakota her meal.

"Talk to her…" Izuku whispered to himself. Dakota leaned forward just barely, to the point where Izuku almost missed it but he caught it out of the corner of his eye. That was when Ochako's words rang true. She was just lonely, all she wants is a companion, someone who will listen and understand. He had understood Ochako back when she had originally told him this but now he could feel it, just in the way she had leaned forward ever so slightly to catch what he was saying, whether she understood his language or not, she was desperate to have him speak to her. He cleared his throat a little and swallowed his tingling nerves.

"H-Hello, Dakota. How are you d-doing this e-evening?" Izuku mentally slapped himself as he stuttered. He needed to keep his voice steady. He knew that he couldn't let his guard down completely and he knew that he shouldn't lose his fear of her completely as he still needed to respect the fact that she was one of the most dangerous animals on the planet. But he did know that he needed to stop treating her like a disgusting monster.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stutter. To be honest, I've never spoken to a dragon before and I'm a little nervous," Izuku felt more confidence seep into his body little by little. Being honest, even with the daughter of death, was kind of refreshing and gave him a starting place to build trust between them. "Are you feeling any better? We are trying to find the right person to heal you because as you know, veterinary science isn't a real skill of mine."

Dakota thumped her tail twice and swiped her pink tongue over her lips a little. Izuku took this as a good thing and took a tentative step forward, holding the plate of meat out in front of him.

"Is it alright if I come closer to you? I know you want your food and I want to give it to you but I also want to avoid the fear of losing my arm whenever I get near you."

Dakota tilted her head slightly, her eyes glittering. Izuku did not expect an answer but just as she had done in that strange vision Izuku had had, she dipped her head ever so slightly with closed eyes. After a few seconds, she raised her head once more and opened her eyes to peer at him curiously. Izuku took another deep breath, this was good, really good. This was the longest amount of time in which she had not growled or bared her teeth at him. She was showing real positive emotion for the first time since he had carried her half-dead into his home.

"Thank you," Izuku whispered before taking a few more slow steps until he was right in front of her. Fear still electrified his nerves but he was able to overpower that feeling with that of pride and curiosity. Kneeling down slowly, he reached an arm out and placed the plate of food in front of her with a nervous smile. Dakota watched him for a moment before leaning forward and gently scooping some of the meat into her mouth. Izuku released a soft sigh of relief that she had not launched for her food like she normally did. Baby steps, just more baby steps.

"You are a good dragon, Dakota," Izuku whispered and Dakota paused her eating to look right into his eyes. "I am sorry, for everything. I don't know anything about your past but I do know that no matter what you've done, no matter who you've harmed or killed if you have done so, you don't deserve the abuse you have undergone. I am so sorry."

Izuku lifted his hand up, he could feel his fingers trembling but he couldn't stop them, his heart was trying to burst through his chest and his mind was trying as hard as it could to convince him to move his hand out of danger but he forced his muscles to move his arm forward. While Ochako had reached for Dakota's shoulder, Izuku threw caution to the wind and aimed for her head. His throat was dry and his body was breaking out in a cold sweat but he did not try to hide it. He was not going to hide from her, he was not going to deceive her. Izuku closed his eyes and turned his head away, his whole body shaking with fear and anticipation.

Dakota hesitated, her eyes roving over his held out palm, her brain mulling over her decision choices. She could almost feel the tension dripping from his body, but she knew that he was trying as hard as he possibly could to make an effort. She almost turned away, he was a human after all and she had learned very early on that all humans are evil. But then she remembered his soft apology, the genuine guilt, and sadness that had flowed throughout his entire being. She also remembered his fear of her, his wariness of her in a way that mirrored her own fears. Maybe not all people were that bad. Swallowing the last of her doubts, she leaned forward, her meat forgotten, and placed her head on the outstretched palm in front of her that couldn't quite reach her on its own.

Izuku sucked in a breath and opened his eyes, his head turning to peer at Dakota hesitantly. Her eyes were closed and her ears were folded back onto her head but he could immediately tell that it was in a relaxed way rather than the way she would pin her ears when she was angry. He released the breath he had sucked in so violently and began to twitch his fingers gently. His hand tingled and his palm began to glow faintly as she opened her eyes in slight surprise at the feeling of his gentle fingers carving little pathways in her fur. Izuku made eye contact with her as he began to pet her more properly, remaining wary of her just in case he overstepped any boundaries but grew a little more confident with each passing second as she relaxed into his actions. Dakota closed her eyes again and Izuku was shocked to the core to see a tear slide down her face. It was barely visiblexw4ecr5v6t7y9l0o] ed4bfrngynhumji, /;['sd and he almost missed it but he saw it and he felt his entire heart constrict with sadness for the poor creature.

"Good girl, Dakota. You are safe now."

Izuku woke up the next morning feeling a lot better, actually having slept through the night without waking up in a cold sweat. His alarm clock went off early but when he got out of bed to get ready for school he didn't feel as groggy and depressed as he had in the past few days. Dakota was even in a better mood. She still watched him warily constantly but she actually wagged her tail twice when he said goodbye to her for the day. Ochako and Iida immediately felt a difference in his behavior and they were both thrilled when he told them quietly about the progression he had managed to move through with the aggressive dog in his room. He made it through the day feeling focused and refreshed. He made it through hero training feeling so energized that he was able to fight his fellow classmates for almost an hour before he wore himself out in their combat training sessions for the day. He finally ended home with Ochako and Iida, talking to them for the entire train ride.

Inko also immediately noticed her son's changed behavior and beamed when he suggested they play a board game in the living room before Haruka was scheduled to show up. They played together on the floor of their living room for a while before Izuku excused himself to go check on Dakota's wounds. He walked to his bedroom and opened his door, holding a roll of gauze, cotton balls, and water. For the first time since Dakota had arrived, when Izuku pushed open the door, Dakota wagged her tail, thumping it on the floor three times rather than the usual two. Izuku felt his heart flutter a little at the sight and even though he knew he still had to be careful, he felt more comfortable around her.

"Hey girl, how are you doing today? I promise I won't hurt you, but if you allow me, I'd like to take a look at your injuries, alright?"

Dakota lowered her head and lost the warm spark in her eyes, her ears rotating around to flatten across her head, but she thumped her tail once. Izuku inhaled a little and made his way over to her, holding the medical materials out so that she could see all of them clearly. He finally kneeled down beside her and placed the supplies beside him, his eyes never straying from hers as he reached a tentative hand over to pet her head once. Ever since he had broken the glacier that had been blocking her personality, their relationship had been less icy. He was aware that he still had to pay mind to the fact that she was still a dangerous dragon, but her refreshed attitude gave him hope. He kept his eyes open this time and managed to keep his hand at least a little more steady than the first time he had touched her. He hadn't even gotten very close to her when she leaned forward, almost eagerly, and placed her forehead against his palm so that the markings on their flesh lined up. The marking on her head began to glow first, and then his palm lit up warmly.

Her desperation to be loved made Izuku's heart twinge in sadness and he wished he could just pull her into a hug and hold her forever, but he knew that her wounds would not heal themselves, and so after waiting for a few more seconds, Izuku smiled and pulled his hand away softly. Dakota looked up into his eyes and wagged her tail four times. Izuku's heart burst with happiness at each thump of her soft tail and he was sure he felt a distant feeling of relief as if he were feeling it from outside of his own body. His eyes drifted out of focus for a moment, and he suddenly felt that relieving feeling flow through his entire body, calming him. This sensation only lasted for a moment, and when he shook his head and blinked a few times to clear the strange foggy feeling from his head, he glanced at Dakota to see her eyes closed and her mouth hanging slightly open. Izuku watched her for a little longer before shaking his head once more and moving to work on her front leg.

Dakota opened her eyes and returned to more of a cold demeanor as he neared her injuries, but she remained stiffly silent and still, closing her eyes and ignoring him. Izuku, on the other hand, ignored all other thoughts and distractions and focused whole-heartedly on healing the dog, his hands moving efficiently but gently over her injured leg and side. He wanted to help heal her wings, as he knew that they had been torn to pieces by the strange men who had cornered them in that forest clearing, but he knew that even if she could change back, she wouldn't let him anywhere near her wings. He brewed over the subject, his mind wandering over to her damaged wings, the thoughts burying fear deep within him. Was it healthy for her to keep them hidden for so long when they were as injured as they were? Would she ever be able to fly again? That question shot a spear of sadness through him so suddenly that his hands froze and he gasped softly. Dakota opened her eyes and looked over at Izuku. Izuku clenched a hand into his shirt over his heart and made eye contact with the black dog. Finally, he managed to slow his breathing and he leaned forward to continue wrapping her broken leg with two sticks and the bandages. His hands moved swiftly over her wounds, the soft bandage curling over the leg like fresh snow falling on the sidewalk. He was so focused that when Dakota very suddenly and aggressively snarled at him, he audibly yelped and leaped away from her, just having pinned the bandage into place. For the second time in less than a minute, his breathing and heart rate were through the roof and his confusion had spiked. That is until he scrambled back into something solid behind him. Izuku looked up slowly and rolled away from the solid thing behind him, suddenly realizing that the thing he had hit was Haruka's legs. He realized that he had been so busy with Dakota that she had walked in and he hadn't even heard her. That explained Dakota's sudden aggression.

"Oh! Hello, Haruka! I didn't see you there! What can I help you with?"

"Well, I am here to check up on the mark on your hand. Your mother told me, the medication hasn't caused any kind of fading, correct?"

"Oh yeah, right! I am sorry, I was busy with-"

"Oh my…" Haruka sighed softly, her eyes widening a little as she peered behind Izuku at the large black dog on the floor beside Izuku's bed. Haruka took one step forward and Dakota let out a vicious snarl that caused Izuku to blanch a little.

"Sorry, she is a little aggressive as you can see, it is probably in the best interest of both of you to stay away from her."

Haruka did not answer, she just kept staring at the dog, who had somehow managed to force herself to move so that she was cowering in the back corner of the bedroom, her back pressed flat against the wall and her teeth bared.

Haruka took a tiny step forward and Dakota snarled again, the throaty sounds bouncing around the room wildly. That was when Izuku felt it. It was the strangest sensation, a feeling of some of the worst fear he had ever felt. It jolted down his body and electrified his limbs to the point where he actually jerked a little in place. A split second after he felt this blinding fear, he felt as if he was being thrown through a tunnel in time, as his vision changed from that of his bedroom to the clearing where he had met Dakota. He saw Haruka and Dakota along with a woman he did not know and a huge white dragon covered in bones. The images flashed through his mind, where he saw Dakota attack the bone dragon, he saw Haruka jerk her head as she activated her quirk, breaking Dakota's leg. He saw the proud Night Fury fall, her eyes wide with fear as the other woman touched Dakota's flank and used her quirk. He saw her change into a dog. He saw her gallop off into the woods with an arrow flying after her. He saw the arrow strike home before she ran off through the brush. He saw himself, kneeling down on the road to pick up the fallen black dog.

Suddenly, his eyes readjusted and he was once again able to see his bedroom. He blinked and turned his head to look at Haruka, who was not even looking at him and had not moved from her place before his vision. That was when he realized that the vision he had just witnessed had lasted for less than ten seconds and that nothing had changed. Nothing except for Dakota, who kept glancing at him from her corner of the room and the fact that he now knew. His heart hammered in his chest and his mind scrambled for a plan. He had no idea if she was a villain, or if he was just misreading the vision he had seen, or if the vision had been a skewed perspective in some way. He glanced between the dog and Haruka just as she took another step closer, a larger step this time. Dakota's growl faltered a bit as a fearful whimper slipped past her jaws and Izuku made up his mind.

Haruka took another step towards the dog and Izuku set his plan into motion, ignoring all of his instincts to turn the other way and let the dragon live the consequences of her actions. He knew that she was dangerous. He knew that she was a killer. He knew she probably didn't deserve saving, but Izuku knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of ridicule. The sight of Haruka advancing on Dakota as she cowered helplessly against the wall just made him think about all of those times when he was like Dakota and Bakugo was like Haruka. Izuku had always been so scared during those times, his mind going through all of the possible things that Bakugo could do to him with his cool quirk and better strength. The only difference in this situation was that when it was Bakugo who was bullying Izuku, Izuku never feared for his life. Izuku knew now that this interaction could result in the decision for life or death… for either one of them.

Haruka was now close enough to try to lean down to touch Dakota, the poor dog leaning as far back against the wall as possible, her teeth bared only half-heartedly as the panic set into her eyes. Haruka leaned down ever so slightly, just to have her view obscured by two strong legs. Haruka blinked a few times and looked up to see Izuku, facing her with his legs positioned in a half-lunge while his fists were raised in a loose fighting stance. Haruka stood all the way up and Izuku moved one leg back so that it could be lifted over Dakota's back so that he was standing completely above her. Dakota blinked a few times in shock, her mouth was even hanging open slightly. After a second, the shock faded and Izuku felt an intense mixed feeling of relief and gratitude wash through him like hot chocolate does on a freezing winter day.

"Haruka, I am sorry but I thought I made it very clear earlier that Dakota is not feeling well and should be left alone. I would appreciate it if you would please give her some space and maybe we can get back to figuring out what is wrong with my hand."

Haruka was silent for a moment, she took a step back and then tilted her head with a small smile tugging at her lips.

"You named her."

"What?"

"You named her. You two are farther along than I thought."

Izuku was worried about what this could possibly mean. He knew that Haruka knew that Dakota was a dragon, that much was obvious from the vision he had had but he did not know what she meant by 'being farther along'. Haruka frowned a little and brought her hand up to her chin for a minute, thinking carefully to herself. After a little while, though, she looked back up at Izuku and sighed.

"I guess I probably shouldn't keep you in the dark anymore, how comfortable would you be if I invited you back to my cabin for some tea and a talk? I think you have figured out by now that I know about this dog being a dragon, Dakota was it?"

Izuku was a little dumbfounded but he fought to keep his face neutral. He didn't want to give away anything yet as he still wasn't clear on her intentions.

"Yes, her name is Dakota, but why should I trust you? Why should I come to your cabin?"

Haruka smiled genuinely then, her eyes brightening a little and her various bone jewelry jangling as she lifted up her arm and held out her hand, fingers stretched wide to reveal her palm. Izuku gasped and Dakota perked her ears as they both gazed down at the large swirly symbol that was engraved into the raised ridge of her palm.