Chapter 13

A Whole New World of Challenges

Izuku woke up the next morning with a groan as the rising sun forced him from his deep slumber. Sighing and sitting up, the boy rubbed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened the night before. He looked around him as soon as his eyes adjusted to the morning rays to find a sodden forest valley that still dripped with cold water. Izuku shivered as a harsh breeze whipped across his skin like sandpaper and howled off into the distance, rattling the tree leaves which just dumped more water onto Izuku's head. Izuku shook his head with an annoyed cry and stood up, moving away from beneath the large tree that towered above him. The whole valley was silent except for a few forlorn sounding birds and the howl of the wind, his ears ringing from the lack of noise.

That was when Izuku realized it. Dakota was gone. Izuku suddenly spun on his heel and twirled around in circles, searching desperately for his friend.

"Dakota?" He called out, his voice bouncing off of the tree trunks. Silence met his call and worry began to creep into his mind with its cold fingers, making him shiver again. "Dakota are you here?"

A low growl suddenly sounded behind him, causing Izuku to whirl around to find the beautiful female Night Fury hanging from the huge branch of a nearby tree by her tail, her claws sinking into the bark to balance herself. Her piercing blue eyes watched him carefully and she tilted her head, her ears flopping to the side like a cute puppy. Izuku's face broke into a bright smile as he laid eyes on the dragon, his dragon. Dakota squinted her eyes a little and started to unravel her tail from the branch, using her claws to climb carefully down the tree trunk. Izuku's first thought was to run, but he forced himself to stand still as Dakota approached him, her wings raised slightly. She finally stopped a few feet away from him and sat down, her tail curling neatly over her front paws. The pair watched each other for a moment, dragon against boy, waiting for the other to move.

Izuku was about to say something when Dakota's upper lip twitched and started to raise, showing her gleaming white teeth. At first, he thought that she was snarling at him and flinched ever so slightly. Dakota's eyes flickered with something Izuku could not read, but she kept raising her upper lip and opening her mouth slowly. That was when he realized she was trying to smile. This thought just made Izuku smile even wider and he reached out with his hand slowly, careful not to startle her.

Dakota growled a little, her smile disappearing, but she did not move away from his outstretched palm. Her eyes widened as Izuku allowed his hand to drift closer, reaching for her muzzle. Izuku paused, looking right at Dakota, and realized that she probably saw this as a challenge. Taking a deep breath, Izuku closed his eyes and looked away, his arm stretching all the way out. Dakota's eyes widened in happy surprise, her tail twitching just slightly with pride. Izuku felt through the bond Dakota's pride and allowed his own happiness to travel down the bond, but he remained standing with his eyes closed. Finally, the feeling that he was waiting for gently touched his palm. Izuku let out a shaky breath and looked up to see Dakota with her nose pressed into his hand, her eyes closed and her ears relaxed. The Night Fury hummed softly and then opened her eyes, moving away from the boy. Izuku stared at her in awe, his mouth parted slightly. Dakota glanced at the ground bashfully, she had never been looked at with fondness before, and this new feeling made her feel like soaring through the air and flipping through clouds.

"Wow, that didn't take long," a voice called out to the pair. Dakota's pupils sharpened into slits and her claws flexed instinctively, her whole body moving into a defensive stance with her wing blocking Izuku from view and her teeth bared in unrestrained fury in less than a second.

"Haruka? What the hell!?" Izuku said without thinking, adrenaline pumping through his veins and electrifying his heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I only came around to see how the two of you are holding up to find you two practically flying together. I knew it wouldn't take more than a little push," Haruka beamed with pride, her smug smile lighting up the clearing.

"Yeah, last night was terrible though, the rain nearly gave me hypothermia!"

"I always knew that Dakota would come around. I wasn't worried!"

"I was!" Izuku said angrily. He was not usually one to be negative but he had a bone to pick with the pro-hero. Haruka's eyes softened and she sauntered over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I am sorry for putting you through that, but I hope you understand that it was necessary," Haruka said in a soft whisper. Izuku knew she was being genuine and could see the logic behind her words, and so he forced himself to relax.

"It's okay, thanks for trying to help, it did work even if it was miserable last night."

"I know it was bad, but don't worry, we are going to be able to move onto the fun part now that you have broken the initial barrier of trust with your dragon. She saved your life and allowed you to sleep on her wing, the most sensitive part of her body, in order to keep you comfortable at the expense of her own good night of sleep. She cares about you, so if you are still willing to put your faith and effort into her, then we can move on until you both understand everything."

Izuku turned and glanced back at Dakota. She stared right back at him, her eyes filled with that inspiring intelligence he had started to notice in her gaze as of late.

"I am more than willing to move forward. What's the next step?" Izuku responded.

Dakota's heart fluttered slightly at Izuku's response and she wagged her tail, her rough scales ruffling the grass around her paws. Izuku glanced at her and gave her a half-smile before turning back to Haruka.

"The next step is getting you out of this dump," Haruka waved a hand around her head to indicate the dead valley around them. "Then, I want to introduce you to another friend of mine, someone who has offered up his home for us to use as a training ground for you and your dragon."

"A training ground?"

"Yep! Unfortunately, dragons and humans do not just click with one another, you need to be able to understand her and she needs to be able to understand you. After that, I will have you trained until you two can dance in the sky together despite speaking different languages," Haruka beamed, her eyes twinkling with suppressed excitement.

Dakota tilted her head a little, her eyes watching Haruka warily. Izuku cleared his throat and Haruka settled down, a small blush blooming over her cheeks.

"Sorry Dakota, I get a little carried away sometimes," Haruka smiled and wrung and her hands together nervously. Dakota sighed and relaxed, raising her wings gently and launching into the sky. Izuku and Haruka watched her go, the wall of rocks having lowered back into their normal state as soon as Haruka had stepped foot onto the valley floor. Izuku kept his eyes trained on Dakota until she was nothing more than a black dot, his worry building with each pump of her wings, shooting her farther and farther away from him. He flinched as the weight of a hand suddenly rested itself on his shoulder.

"Don't worry so much about her, she may be being hunted, but she is not stupid. She has survived for a very long time without human help," Haruka murmured.

"I know," Izuku sighed. "I don't even know why I feel so worried, I still really don't know her that well and I know she lived in the wild before she met me. But I still worry, I can't help it."

"I understand how you feel, young Midoriya. Things will all start to make sense very soon, I promise," Haruka patted his shoulder once and then walked forward towards the hill, making her way to where Izuku saw Cassian waiting, his large wings raised a little in anticipation. Izuku sighed and followed behind her. He crested the hill and looked around, his eyes scanning for some kind of vehicle to take him home. When he didn't see anything, he turned to face Haruka, who was waiting patiently on Cassian's back.

"Haruka? How am I supposed to get home? I don't see your truck here," Izuku asked.

"That is because I wanted to give you the chance to get a little taste of what having a dragon is like! I didn't expect Dakota to do this yet as she is still getting used to the whole situation, but in the future, you two will go flying every day! Trust me, you will want to, but you can't even begin to fly a dragon until you've been in the air," Haruka smiled and leaned down with an outstretched hand, waiting for Izuku to grasp it. Izuku stood there, frozen for a moment, before he shook his head, clearing away all of the doubts that had automatically sprung to the front of his brain.

Taking a step forward, Izuku reached out and took her small soft hand, and allowed her to help him up onto Cassian's back. It took Izuku a moment to get situated in the large saddle, moving his legs around to try to get comfortable amongst the sharp bones that stuck up along Cassian's back and neck.

"Ready?" Haruka asked once Izuku had situated himself into a position that gave him security on the dragon's back.

"Y-Yeah…" Izuku said, trying to sound confident but cringing at the stutter in his voice.

"Don't worry about it too much, young Midoriya. I know it's nerve-wracking the first time but I promise you will love this," Haruka leaned down and patted Cassian's neck, signaling for him to move. Cassian glanced at the two riders out of the corner of his eye before raising his wings until they were at full mast. With a loud roar, Cassian shot into the sky, his wings forcing the group into the sky so that the wind screamed around them and all sense of direction was lost in a whirl of blue sky.

Izuku managed not to scream but he did cry out a little and clutched the large bone in front of him like a cat, his fingers latching onto the rough surface so hard the tips of them began to callous. Izuku couldn't calm himself down until Cassian shot through the cloudline and smoothed out, his body moving into a more natural horizontal position and his wings steadying them into an easier pace. Taking a shaky deep breath, Izuku relaxed his cramping hand and looked up and around them slowly, taking in the sight of the bright sunlight and the fluffy clouds. Immediately, all of Izuku's nerves were dashed. His body still shook from the sudden adrenaline rush but Izuku managed to pull himself together, sitting up taller and relaxing his legs so that they were no longer crushed against the saddle.

"Haruka… this is… this is…"

Haruka glanced back at him and laughed at the sight of his awe-stricken face.

"It's pretty cool, right? When you get more connected with Dakota you will be able to learn how to manage her in the sky. You will get used to her specific mannerisms and flying habits and she will get used to having a human on her back. When a dragon allows their bonded rider to fly with them, it is a sign of the utmost trust and must not be violated for ANY reason at all. Understand?"

Izuku only nodded, sitting up a little higher to look around at the gorgeous sun-soaked clouds and crystal blue sky. His hair blew wildly around his head as the warm wind teased at it with playful fingers and his skin seemed to glow with the warmth of the sun.

Cassian flew gently for the entire time, only making little dips and the occasional loop every once in a while when Haruka gave him a little pat on the neck. His wings flapped heavily on either side of Izuku, their weight forcing them through the air like an arrow. They flew for a little over an hour, but to Izuku it felt like five minutes. Using a long telescope looking thing, Haruka glanced down below the clouds before they landed to make sure nobody was around, and then Cassian dove below the cloudline, his wings folding until they were flush against his sides and his nose aiming for a large meadow. Izuku clutched at the bone in front of him with sore fingers until they had landed softly on the sweet grass of the meadow and Cassian had once again folded his wings to his side. Haruka helped Izuku climb down and then beckoned to Cassian. Cassian lifted his head, sniffed the air, and then roared aloud. Emiko soon parted through the tall grass to their left, her small bearded lizard sitting on her shoulder.

"Alright young Midoriya," Haruka said, turning to face the boy. "Go on home, thank you for trusting me and I am sorry for the condition of the forest from last night but I hope you can use the skills you learned while you were out there to not only become closer to Dakota, but also to develop your skills as a hero in training," Haruka dipped her head in a curt nod and Emiko turned Cassian into an eagle, who flew over to sit on the bone hero's shoulder. "Meet me tomorrow at my house and we can move onto the next step."

Haruka made her way through the field with Emiko and Cassian, leaving Izuku to go back home.


The next day was mostly normal for Izuku and Dakota. Izuku went to school as if he hadn't just spent the coldest night of his life out in the middle of nowhere the night before and Dakota stayed at home with Inko. Inko was still very wary of Dakota but was warming up to her just as slowly as Dakota was warming up to Inko. Dakota knew that Inko was a kind woman, and she trusted Izuku, at least a little, but the feeling of fear that she saw wash over the woman's features when she laid eyes on the black dog made her feel solemn and unwanted. She pushed these feelings away though as Izuku left for school, just waiting for the moment when they would leave that afternoon to meet Haruka's friend.

Izuku's day was surprisingly uneventful, well, as uneventful as being at the most prestigious hero school of all time can get. His classes were a lot harder than usual and training had been as draining as usual but it was otherwise surprisingly relaxed. Izuku felt calm and collected for the first time in a long time, finally able to just be a teenager for a day. Even despite the less busy schedule for that day, the end of the school day was there faster than Izuku could blink and soon, he was packing up to prepare for his meeting with this new dragon trainer of sorts. Dakota was not in the house when he walked through the door, so Izuku ran to his room to set down his yellow backpack and grab a jacket before running out again, leaving a note on the kitchen counter for his mother just in case he wasn't home before she got back from work.

A light breeze tousled his hair as Izuku jogged along his street making his way to a subway that would take him towards Haruka's house. He found Dakota at the end of his street, sitting and waiting patiently for him in her dog form with her tail wrapped around her body and her eyes trained on his with her unwavering gaze. He smiled when he saw her and picked up his pace so as to avoid keeping her waiting too long. She stood as he approached her and began to trot beside him towards the train station. They made it to Haruka's home in just under an hour and were soon on their way to this mysterious friend's house, Haruka driving the pair in her large truck with Cassian sitting sleepily on her shoulder.

Both Izuku and Dakota watched the scenery pass outside of their windows, the buildings and people flashing by as they swung through the countryside and back towards civilization. Izuku was starting to get a little sleepy when they suddenly passed a building that he recognized.

"Hey! Haruka, what are we doing at U.A?"

"Well, we aren't stopping here but my friend lives right around here so we are just taking the main route around the school to reach our destination. I'm excited because this will be a convenient set up for you with the proximity to your school," Haruka said brightly.

Izuku continued to watch out the window as they skirted the edge of the hero school campus and made their way back around to enter a new forest. Beautiful pine trees that grew larger and more impressive as they moved further into the forest, lined the road and swayed calmly in the gentle breeze that teased their needled branches. They drove for only a few more minutes before pulling to a stop in front of the tiniest stone cottage Izuku had ever seen. The home was nothing like the modern and contemporary homes that he was used to. This home looked as if it had been pulled directly from Scotland in the 1700s.

"Alright! Here we are!" Haruka exclaimed as she got out of her truck to stretch. The sun was warm and soft on Izuku's skin and the light bounced off of Haruka's white cloak causing it to glitter almost blindingly. Izuku followed just behind Haruka, Dakota padding at his side, up to the front door and waited patiently as she knocked three times with a huge silver knocker that was in the shape of a Chinese dragon. The door swung open immediately after the third knock to reveal a stocky young man with cropped brown hair, golden eyes, and tan skin. He was wearing a strong pair of jeans and a thin white t-shirt. Even from behind Haruka, Izuku could see the burns and scars lacing the man's arm and neck.

"HARUKA!" the young man boomed excitedly, reaching in and wrapping his large, bear-like arms around her in a gentle but firm hug. "Oh man, it's been so long since I last saw you! How have you been?"

"I've been really busy but doing well!" Haruka responded, giving his bicep a light pat. Cassian squawked happily from the air just above Haruka's shoulder where he had moved to so as to avoid the man's strong grasp and swooped down to land on the new man's shoulder, affectionately nibbling his ear.

"Ah yes, hello to you too Cassian!" The man said, reaching a large finger to tickle under the eagle's chin gently. "So, what can I do you for?" The man asked, leaning against the door frame to his house as soon as Cassian left his shoulder to perch back on Haruka's.

"Actually, Jack I'd like for you to meet a new client of mine! This is Izuku Midoriya and we are here to see your father. This boy has just very recently been bonded to a dragon and needs to learn more of the basics."

Jack's powerful gaze shifted over to Izuku, those brown eyes, soft but calculating as they evaluated him. Izuku felt Dakota just barely tense beside him so he laced his fingers into the tips of her neck fur, stroking her softly to keep her calm.

"Alright, Haruka," Jack said, his gaze returning warmly to his friend. "Why don't you two come inside the house? Father is in the back."

Haruka nodded enthusiastically and smiled before stepping in after her friend, leaving Izuku and Dakota to trot in awkwardly after her. The house was just as small on the inside as it was on the outside but the living space was neatly organized so that the place felt cozy rather than cramped. The group made their way through a homey living room, weaved through an awkwardly winding hallway and finally filed into a kind of hidden room in the back of the cottage. Jack stopped in front of a gorgeous cobblestone wall, his eyes roving over the surface. Finally, he turned back to the group with a smile.

"Ready?"

Haruka nodded before Izuku even had the chance to ask what he meant by 'ready'. Jack turned back to the wall and closed his eyes, taking a slow deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they were a flashy red, each one looking like that of a camera lens on the inside. Jack stepped back and looked at the top of the wall until a ray of red light beamed out from his eyes. He lowered his head, looking down the wall until the lasers from his eyes had completely washed over the wall. In an instant, as if by magic, the stone wall peeled downwards and shuffled the bricks around until a huge hole was opened up in what remained of the wall. What they saw made Izuku's jaw drop.

Dragons were everywhere. They ate the fish that leaped up from a roaring river, flew high above them with their wings soaking up the sun's ray, and perched on the obviously enlarged pine trees, probably the result of someone's quirk. A glittering waterfall rushed over the lip of a nearby cliff so that it cascaded like a silver ribbon into a shimmering pool of water in the far left corner of the area. Jack smirked at Izuku's awed face before bringing two fingers up to his lips and letting out a loud, sharp whistle. Less than a minute went by before a huge Triple Strike dragon swerved around a rock formation and landed heavily in front of them, its three scorpion-like tails clacking together with the impact. Jack reached up lovingly, his large hand massaging the dragon's horns.

"Heya big fella! Have a good nap?" Jack asked.

The dragon yawned as if to emphasize this point and gently rubbed against Jack affectionately. Jack chuckled softly and turned back to Haruka and Izuku, motioning the dragon with his hands.

"This is Sasori. Named after his scorpion resembling tail-heads, he is a very sweet dragon. He likes to act tough but everyone here knows that he is just a big old softy. I am not actually bonded to him like my father is to his dragon but we have connected in other ways and he has been my best friend since I was a little boy," Jack said, his eyes shining with love and adoration for the reptile standing before him with his wings neatly folded.

"He's beautiful…" Izuku whispered without even meaning to. Jack smiled at him and gave his dragon a pat. "Thanks, Midoriya! One thing you should know about Triple Strikes is that they are very proud creatures. They love compliments and will respect you forever if you do it correctly but insulting them may be the last thing you ever do so hold your tongue around these beasts whether they are wild or more trained."

"Oh! Thank you, sir!" Izuku responded with a bow.

"So, while we wait for my father to show up, as I am sure he is on his way back from helping a sick Gronkle that we have, let's get to know each other a little bit! What kind of dragon are you bonded to?" Jack asked, his warm brown eyes drifting to look at Dakota. She shifted uncomfortably but didn't visibly flinch away from his gaze. Izuku paused. He was unsure as to whether it was safe to answer him truthfully or not. He glanced at Haruka in a slight panic, fighting his own tongue for words.

"It's alright, Izuku. You can tell him. He will need to find out anyway, he will help his father teach you on some days so he will see both of you a lot," Haruka comforted. Izuku was still nervous and Dakota was even tenser than before but Izuku trusted Haruka. Taking a deep breath and placing a hand firmly on her head, Izuku looked Jack right in the eyes and opened his mouth.

"She is a Night Fury," a voice from the shadows suddenly said, causing Izuku, Haruka, and Dakota to jump slightly. Dakota spun to the left with her teeth bared, watching the place where the voice had come from with narrowed eyes. A tall, lanky man with dark grey hair and his arms crossed behind his back stepped slowly from his hiding spot, his eyes narrowed just as fiercely in Dakota's direction.

"H-How did you know that!?" Izuku stuttered.

"Fumihiro!" Haruka exclaimed, her face breaking into a gleeful smile at the sight of the man. The newcomer looked to be about sixty years old, and his worn gray hair and scar laced skin seemed to tell a story of both tough and enjoyable adventure. The man glanced over to Haruka and Izuku saw his eyes light up slightly.

"I knew it, boy, because I've seen one before. She may be in a different form, but she still carries the same mannerisms," Fumihiro said. His gravelly voice sent a chill down Dakota's spine and made Izuku feel like clearing his throat. The man glanced at Haruka and kneeled down to peer at Dakota. The female Night Fury growled and moved back so that she was half-hidden behind Izuku's legs.

"You've seen a Night Fury before?" Izuku asked in awe. "But I thought they were almost extinct!"

"Well, you found one didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess… on accident," Izuku mumbled.

Fumihiro didn't elaborate on how he had seen a Night Fury but merely held out one of his large hands towards Dakota. His hands really seemed to be one of the few traits he had in common with his son Jack. While Jack was large and burly, Fumihiro was tall and lean, his scowl much harsher than his son's warm gaze. Dakota watched his hand warily but sniffed it from a distance, her ears pinned to her head.

"Dad, be careful please," Jack murmured.

Fumihiro ignored him and kept his hand perfectly still, his gaze never leaving the black dog's face in front of him. Dakota finally seemed to trust him at least a little and allowed her nose to touch his palm very briefly. After just about one second of her nose touching his flesh, she stepped back and huddled behind Izuku's legs again, peering at Fumihiro in the space between Izuku's pant legs. Fumihiro stood with a snort and turned to face Haruka.

"It is good to see you Haruka, how have you been?"

Haruka smiled and began telling him about her journey with finding Dakota along with Izuku who was bonded to her despite their short original meeting. Izuku shuffled from foot to foot awkwardly as he waited to be acknowledged. Jack flashed both him and Dakota a comforting smile once he caught sight of Izuku's nervous look. Izuku smiled back just as Fumihiro faced him again.

"What are you smiling at, boy? Do you think this is all some big joke?" Fumihiro snapped. Izuku's mouth dropped open in surprise before he snapped it shut and shook his head frantically, his hands waving in front of him.

"No, no, sir of course not! I didn't mean to come across as disrespectful, I promise!"

Fumihiro leaned down and placed one of his fingers under Izuku's chin, lifting the boy's head and looking him right in the eyes. Izuku felt the blood drain from his face and his palms began to sweat but he held his ground and did not break eye contact with the man. Fumihiro stared at him for an uncomfortable amount of time but Izuku stayed put, waiting for the older man to make a move. Finally, he released the hero in training from his grasp and backed away to a more acceptable distance.

"I am busy today, Haruka and I am not even taking on this boy. I am retired as a trainer and I want nothing, and I mean nothing to do with his dragon," Fumihiro scowled at Dakota who perked her ears forward and widened her eyes in slight surprise. "Get out of my sight."

"Fumihiro! Don't be that way! I know you are retired but I haven't bothered you in years with anything but support and dragon care. I have come here for years to help you with all of your dragon wellness work and now I think it is about time you return the favor. Cash in your debt, Fumihiro, you don't have to like the dragon, I will let your private matters remain private but don't turn down this promising prospect because of personal prejudice."

"Volunteerism does not elicit a debt, Haruka," Fumihiro growled back.

"No, I guess not, but you are my friend Fumihiro. Think about all we have been through together! Won't you help me just this once? Can we go on just one more adventure? Together?"

Fumihiro was facing away from Izuku but he saw his shoulders hunch as he thought about what Haruka said. He ran a hand through his thinning gray hair and closed his eyes with an annoyed sigh.

"Fine," The man said.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Haruka with suppressed excitement. That is why Izuku barely even registered the flying metal object that shot towards his face and had no time to react when a huge black wing suddenly obscured his view. Izuku heard Dakota cry out and whipped around to face Fumihiro again to find the old man with one arm stretched out and his face scrunched up with complete concentration. Izuku then turned to look at Dakota and felt his breath catch in his throat. Dakota had somehow changed back into her dragon form without the help of Emiko and had one wing raised. Protruding from that wing was a small dagger, the handle carved to look like a tiger leaping away from the blade.

Izuku rushed to his dragon, a strange heat spreading down his back, and placed a gentle hand on her surprisingly soft wing. Dakota snarled at the man, her teeth bared, and her claws gleaming in the dying sun.

"What did you do that for!?" Izuku yelled furiously at Fumihiro as he tried to stifle the bleeding with a small cloth he had in his jacket pocket.

Fumihiro looked from the wound in her wing to the determined look in her eyes. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers, the sound echoing throughout the entire valley. All of the nearby dragons seemed to stop what they were doing and look towards the man. Izuku suddenly felt a cooling sensation down his back, negating the original heat filled one that had washed over his skin just a moment prior. Looking at Dakota's wing, his jaw dropped as he found her wound fully healed without even a scar, and the dagger sitting innocently on the forest floor.

"You start tomorrow. 6:00 am sharp."

Fumihiro spun on his heel and marched out, Jack and Sasori following close behind, leaving Haruka smirking and Izuku dumbfounded.