A/n: First of all, shout out to the awesome SilverStar56 for helping me out with so so so many things with this story's plot! They really did help me a lot and without them, I don't think some of these would work out haha
Thank you so much~
And thank you guys so much for your continuous support!
Guest: I'm not really interested in the series haha sorry...
Lulu9814: thank you! Haha we'll see ;)
Shiro Usagi Dobutsu: Aerith's too nice for that haha
SwanGirl24: It's on hiatus at the moment. I'm not sure when
The Mail Carrier Mixael: thank you!
AmericanNidiot: lol
SomeOne Random:
First of all, thank you so much for pointing that out! I did make Hikari hold back, but I never realized that I was holding her back to the point that it made her super weak. I should be more careful when writing things out (I'm not good with words and my vocabulary is limited, but I'll work on that). I did plan on someone confronting her about it in this chapter.
I will try to write from other's perspective since writing from Hikari's is not enough to fully grasp what I'm trying to write. I will also try to improve on my writings.
Guest 2: Yup! I am haha! And thank you!
SilverStar56: Thank you so much!
Guest 3: here's the update!
Engineer4Ever: we'll see in this chapter!
See the bottom for an important note!
Chapter 9
resolve
"Is that really your mom?" Ashido shook Hikari side to side, all the while staring at the woman in the pink and white dress. "She so pretty!" she whispered, a smile gracing her lips.
Mineta hummed, rubbing his chin as he squinted his eyes. "Must've gotten her looks from her dad then."
The brunette cleared her throat. "Uh y—yeah. I'm gonna... go and see her..." she shifted awkwardly, crab-walking towards where Aerith and Ienzo are. She almost tripped over the rope, but quickly recovered and gave her classmates a sheepish grin before making a quick dash to reach her friends. She jumped over the rope separating them and closed the distance. "What are you guys doing here?!" she whispered in surprise, glancing back and forth between Aerith and Ienzo.
Aerith gave her a smile. "I'm taking videos of course! The others wanted to know how you were doing." she held up the video camera and showed the girl one of the videos she filmed. She gave the video camera to the younger brunette and placed her hand on her shoulder, ushering her to follow the two adults to the food stalls. "How about we go and eat? You deserve something after all that hard-work." she offered, pointing her finger to the yakisoba stand.
Hikari turned to look at Ienzo, a grin on her face. "So, does this mean you finally got out of your illness for traveling phase?" she joked, lightly poking her elbow on the man's arm.
Ienzo scoffed with his arms crossed. "I dislike the thought of it, really." he replied as the two followed after the woman, walking right behind her. "But I'll make an exception just this once." he smiled just a little.
"Aw c'mon, Ienzo! You need to be more honest with your feelings!" Hikari slapped the researcher's back and he stumbled a little before turning to look at her with a half-hearted glare.
The steel-blue haired man cleared his throat. "Furthermore, we're here to clear a few suspicions." he added and stepped out of the line, motioning his hand for the girl to follow.
"Suspicions?" Hikari parroted, staring at her friend with a raised eyebrow. They stood in the sidelines and watch people come and passed by them. She remembered that time when Principal Nezu brought Tsukauchi to U.A. to question her about the events that occurred in USJ. She told them everything they wanted to know. Till now, they never bothered her about it ever again. "I thought I cleared the whole USJ attack weeks ago... They never ask anything about you again." she shoved one hand to her pocket.
"That might be true." Ienzo replied, his eyes glancing left and right. He was looking for any signs of U.A. teacher coming by. There were a few that glanced over to their way because of the brunette, but they choose not to approach them. A few pro-heroes even took a few seconds to look at them before resuming their job to patrol. "However, not once did they ever see your parents. I'm sure they have been asking where your parents are, correct?"
"Well... yeah..." Hikari rubbed the back of her neck. Sure, sometimes her teachers questioned where her parents are and she just answered that they were busy with work. But she never expected them to be suspicious of her parents.
Ienzo then walked to one of the empty tables when Aerith brought a tray full of food. "Can't hurt to show up once in a while and show our face to make them stop thinking that you're lying." he continued as he took the tray off of Aerith's hands.
"True..." Hikari pulled out the chair for Aerith to sit before pulling one out for herself. She placed the video camera down as Aerith gave her a plate of yakisoba. "Thanks for coming, guys."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Aizawa stood in the second floor with an overview of the first floor. His eyes scanned the cafeteria, looking for a specific brunette. There were many U.A. students from various departments and years. Despite the girl's plain appearance, she seemed to stood out so much from a large crowd. It shouldn't be hard to look for a loudmouth like her.
"Ah, Mr. Aizawa!"
Said man turned around to see Kaminari and Mineta.
"Kaminari. Mineta." Aizawa addressed his two pupils. All students were counted for when they exited the stadium. It was a safety precaution that Principal Nezu suggested. Leonhart's name showed up in the list, but her name didn't show up in the second list. The list of students that were accounted for went into the teacher's PDA and when Leonhart's name didn't show up in the second list, he took it his responsibility to find her. "Where's Leonhart?" he asked, straightly to the point.
Kaminari blinked, pulling out the straw from his lips. "Uhhh... she's with her mom." he answered and glanced over to look at the table Class A were seated at. The table was still full with his friends and neither of them were the foreign student.
Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Her mother?"
Kaminari gave a nod. "Yeah, we didn't see her around the cafeteria." he said to his teacher, exchanging looks with Mineta before turning to look at the man. The whole class saw Hikari's mother took her to the food stalls. They decided not to bother her family and went to the cafeteria without her. "I guess she's eating out with her family." he continued, rubbing the back of his neck.
The black-haired man stayed quiet.
"Is it not allowed?" Mineta asked, a little shocked. "Does this mean we can't visit the food stalls too?"
The man averted his gaze to look at the short boy. "No... You're allowed as long as you tell a teacher." he clarified. There was a couple of teachers on standby in the cafeteria. Both Vlad and Ectoplasm were around the cafeteria and they noticed him in the second floor. He gave a nod and they returned it. "Good job on the battle." he praised the two before walking away.
"Thank you, sir!" Kaminari and Mineta exclaimed in unison, smiles on their faces.
After almost a month of Leonhart's parents being anonymous, they finally showed up. He exited the cafeteria building through the second floor. He reached U.A.'s main building and quickly made his way down to go to the festival. It was located at the back of the H-shaped building—the H-shaped building itself was guarded by a few pros to keep nosy reporters and civilians out.
He pulled out his phone, opening a messenger app.
Aizawa:
Keep on a look out for Leonhart's parents in the festival.
Present Mic responded right away.
Mic:
ya got it!
"Make it to-go, please!" Present Mic grinned, giving a pose to the clerk behind the stall. He pocketed his phone back into his pocket as the clerk packed the meals he ordered in a plastic container. "Thank you, wonderful listener!" he took the plastic bag and went on his way to look for the Leonharts.
Leonhart's parents were a mystery to the U.A. staff. They were always busy—even when their child was directly involved in a villain attack. The principal tried to contact them, but the number he reached always went into voicemail. Leonhart herself admitted that they were pretty busy, but what kind of parents were still busy after their child's safety was in jeopardy? Though, Leonhart always reassured that they were home—they were just busy, she said.
It didn't take him long to find her.
The brunette was there, sitting alone in one of the tables.
She looked so deep in thought.
"Heeeeey there, young listener!" Present Mic greeted loudly, startling the brunette. He waved his hand at her when she turned to look at him. She returned the gesture as he approached her table. "Wha'cha doing here, girl?" he asked, striking a pose.
Hikari closed the display window of the handycam. "I'm just waiting for my mom to come back." she answered with a grin on her face.
"Sounds rockin'! Mind if I join you?" Present Mic asked as he pointed his finger to the empty seat beside her. Aizawa was nowhere around and it seemed like she could use some company until either her family or homeroom teacher comes. The girl shook her head and gestured her hand for him to sit down. He thanked her loudly and placed the plastic bag on the table as he took a seat. "You did great in the festival! The moves you did were awesome!" he gave her a thumbs up.
The brunette laughed. "Thanks!" though she seemed happy he complimented her, her smile didn't actually reach her eyes. He might not be good at acting, but he could easily tell that her smile wasn't a real one. Some people might be convinced by her positiveness, but to a pro like him, it was obvious. "We lost, but it was fun!" she propped her chin up on the table, giving her honest opinion.
Present Mic leaned his elbow on the table. "But are you happy with the results?" he asked, dropping his radio host persona.
"Well..." Hikari blinked, staring at the blond man before she averted her gaze to the handycam.
The brunette opened the handycam and the video played, resuming where it was paused. She had promised herself to give it her all in the sports festival, but she couldn't actually do it since it meant a whole lot to her classmates to shine in the public's eyes. She had taken a lot of attention during the first ten minutes of the obstacle race—that she decided that it was time for her friends to take the limelight.
She didn't make it either to the final stage, but at least Shinsou did. Her priority was different than the rest of her classmates. She did enough with her flow motion and Spirits to gain the pro heroes' attention. It was time she stepped back.
"Yeah." she answered.
Present Mic stared at the girl.
"Oh, we seem to have a guest!" a feminine voice greeted. Both Present Mic and Hikari turned to look at the source. A beautiful woman—who looked to be in her early twenties was walking towards them with a young man accompanying her.
"Hey, Ma!" Hikari grinned as she stood up the same time as her teacher. "Ma, this is my English teacher, Mr. Yamada. He's also pro hero Present Mic." she gestured her hand to the tall blond beside her, introducing him.
Present Mic gave a pose. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Leonhart! You got an awesome kid right here!" he said dramatically as he pointed his finger at the brunette standing beside him. The woman smiled and bowed her head—to which he returned. He observed the woman's face, aside from the mother-daughter having brown hair, they both looked nothing alike. If he has to say, Leonhart's mother looked young for someone who has a fifteen-year-old daughter. 'Must've gotten her looks from her father, but...' he glanced over to the young man beside the woman. '...they both look nothing alike either.'
Ienzo nothing the stare. He gave one of the drinks in his hand to Hikari. "Ienzo—a close friend of the Leonharts." he introduced, taking a step forward to shake hands with the pro hero. The man gladly accepted the gesture, giving a firm shake. "It is an honor to meet you, Present Mic. Your radio shows are entertaining." he smiled, giving a nod.
The blond rubbed the back of his neck. "It's always a pleasure to meet a fan!"
Hikari gave Ienzo a deadpan look. 'What a kiss-up...' she bit her straw, taking a long slurp from her drink. The Put Your Hands Up radio on Hero FM is always aired on a Friday night from 1 to 5 in the morning. She listened to Present Mic's radio twice, but she always dozed off because of how late it was. 'Always the smooth talker...' she smiled to herself.
"Oh, Shouta! Over here!" Present Mic waved his hand at the black-haired man.
"You must be Hikari's homeroom teacher. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Aizawa." Aerith greeted, giving a warm smile at the man. When Ienzo asked both Leon and herself for permission to fill Hikari's profile as her 'parents', the two agreed. The committee was one big family and they already acted like parents towards the youngest. "I'm Hikari's mother, Aerith."
Ienzo came to introduce himself next. "I'm Ienzo, pleasure to meet you as well, sir."
'So, he's Ienzo...' Aizawa nodded his head, giving a bow. "It's a pleasure."
The Erasure hero observed.
The man with steel-blue hair looked like a smart man and he probably is. The man is the one who made Leonhart's phone. The young Leonhart didn't really do a good explanation on how her phone works. To him, what she explained seem like sloppy one. Though, he understood because it wasn't her that made it.
Her mother, he was sure Present Mic noticed it too. Leonhart doesn't look like her mother at all. Though, this might be because Leonhart took after her father instead. But the woman looked so young—too young to be a mother of a fifteen-year old.
All five of them sat around the table.
Aerith placed her hands on Hikari's shoulders, "I can't thank you enough for keeping an eye out for my daughter—especially when we weren't able to." she said and Hikari turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "We weren't there after the USJ attack, but to know that the teachers in U.A. are looking out for our daughter... we are truly grateful." she bowed her head, folding her hands neatly.
Aizawa shook his head. "It's nothing... Your daughter is very capable on her own." his eyes glanced over to the girl and she gave him a sheepish look. "As teachers, it's our duty to keep a close eye on our students' safety. What happened in the USJ shall not be repeated, we'll make sure of that." he said, sitting a little straighter than usual.
"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa." Aerith smiled.
Hikari sat awkwardly in the middle of the adults. 'When did it turn to a parent-teacher conference?' she turned to look at Present Mic who gave her a shrug and a huge grin.
Present Mic coughed into his hand. "Heeeey! I'm sorry to be rude, but the first-years have to gather in the prep room!" he announced loudly and took the plastic bag he left on the table. He exchanged looks with Aizawa before turning to look at the young Leonhart. "C'mon, young listener! Let's waltz back right into the stadium!" he laughed.
"Sure." Hikari laughed. She turned to give Aerith a hug. To be honest, she wasn't used to calling Aerith her mother or Leon as her father. Sure, she has mistakenly called Leon her father, but calling him father twice and so on was something that she wasn't used to. "See you later, Ma! Ienzo!" she gave a pat on the shoulder to the man before turning to bow at her homeroom teacher.
The three adults watched both Present Mic and Hikari walk away, disappearing in the crowd.
"I'm... sure you have noticed." Ienzo began, making Aizawa turn his head to look at him eyebrows raised and eyes narrowed slightly. The steel-blue haired man held the handycam, opening the display window. "That Hikari is hesitant in her actions."
'This... is sudden...' Aizawa hummed in reply. "Yes."
If he has to be honest, Leonhart did very poorly compared to the rest of her classmates. She put no effort in winning the obstacle race and shown hesitance when confronting her opponents in the cavalry battle. He was sure that with her quirk, her team would've placed one of the ranks in the top four teams. He was disappointed.
Aerith sighed, giving a small frown. "She's always like this..." she was speaking the truth to the homeroom teacher. It was something the committee has been worried about the young keyblade wielder. "Always holding back against her friends."
Both Ienzo and Aerith knew that using the keyblade in this world is a bit dangerous from Hikari's story. But from the obstacle race and the cavalry battle, it was obvious that Hikari was taking this mission too seriously. They told her to hold back, but she was holding back too much.
It should've been clear—that the teachers will soon confront Hikari on why she keeps on hesitating. They both told her about it and she panicked a little and the two of them reassured her that they will handle it. Though, sometimes, Hikari herself does hold back against the committee during a spar, but only a little once she sees that the person couldn't dodge her attack.
Hikari didn't say it out loud, but her actions spoke.
She was afraid to use the keyblade and hurt them accidentally.
The reason was simple. She didn't want her friends to feel how painful it is to get hit with the keyblade. She knew they're strong and has plenty of skills to dodge her attack, but she couldn't help but feel that she might accidentally hurt them.
Aizawa furrowed his eyebrows. "Has there been an accident that led her to have that sort of thought?" he asked, folding his hands on the table. Might as well ask her parent of his student's abilities. His eyes looked around. They were in the food court, but no one seemed to pay attention to them. 'But that time during the USJ...'
Aerith shook her head. "No, not really... Hikari has a great control of her quirk, but..."
The quirk she was referring to was of course the keyblade and not the Spirits.
"The Nightmares... correct?" Aizawa prodded.
"No. Hikari doesn't have control over Nightmares." Ienzo continued. He was twisting words for the whole story to fit in the City of Heroes. He can't tell Aizawa all the details of the keyblade, the war and Xehanort, but he could at least tell him the base of Hikari's problems and a basic summary. "There was a similar type of quirk, in contrast to hers."
Aizawa stayed quiet and listened to the man's explanation.
"It's not my place to tell, but he was the cause why Hikari is restraining herself." Ienzo placed the handycam on the table, facing the display window to Aizawa—who watched the video of Hikari's performance in the obstacle race. "She isn't afraid to use her quirk against someone who threatens, but she is afraid of hurting her family and friends—just like how he did."
'He?' The pro hero's finger twitched.
"That man is in custody, but it struck a toll on Hikari." Aerith added, a small frown on her lips. "She needs to trust others more—to stop taking things on her own." she said truthfully.
Compared to her brother and Riku—Hikari wasn't always open like them. She would keep things to herself and always try to figure things out on her own. But she was like a book—so easy to read. She prefer to do things on her own rather than trouble those around her.
A chuckle escaped Ienzo lips. "That and she's being too considerate of others. She cares too much of putting other's dreams come true rather than her own." he gave a small smile at the black-haired man. "It's very nice of her, but it's not right to always do that."
"She wanted to become a hero to help others." Aerith gave a nod, the frown replaced with a smile. Hikari became a keyblade wielder because she wanted to help others and protect them. She folded her hands on her lap and look at her teacher straight in the eye. U.A. isn't an ordinary school like Destiny High or any other schools. "Which is why we choose to enroll her in U.A. We believe that U.A. is able to help her overcome her problems and shape her into a great hero."
Aizawa stayed silent, his eyes closed.
"I understand. Thank you for sharing." The pro hero finally said. He inhaled from his nose, looking up to stare at the mother. "Leonhart is strong. She has potential to become a great hero in the future. Her resolve to help others is her strong point. I believe I can push her further, but her fear of causing harm is her downfall."
The situation between USJ and the sports festival were different.
"Your daughter... she's unique. She has a different mindset compared to others and is well aware of her situation when push comes to shove."
He understood his student better. Leonhart was an oddball in his class. She doesn't like taking advantage of others. When she trapped Vlad with her Spirit, she still has time to get a higher score, but she chooses not to in order to be fair. She didn't want to rely on her quirk—because she fears it would be her downfall. She fought the villains to ensure his and the other students' safety. She encouraged a student to take her place in the hero course because she doesn't want to crush his dreams.
"It's not bad for her to have those problems. It's a part of her growing up." Aizawa continued. He has to remember that he's dealing with a growing teen. There was a time when he and his classmates have those problems as well. "U.A. will make sure she gets the education and guidance she needs to grow. As her homeroom teacher, it's my responsibility to make sure she overcomes her own insecurities."
Aerith and Ienzo exchanged smiles, nodding their head.
Signing Hikari up to U.A. was their best idea yet.
"We'll leave her in your care."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Before we get to the final event, I've got good news for all those out of the running!"
"This is still a sports festival, so we've prepared a recreational activity for all participants!"
"We even have cheerleaders from America to get you pumped up!"
When Hikari stepped out to the field, she couldn't help but stare. She gave a deadpan look and turned to look at Kaminari who was giggling with Mineta. She had arrived a little later than her classmates. The prep-room was filled her male classmates, but her female classmates were nowhere to be seen. She offered to look for the girls, but Kaminari and Mineta stopped her and distracted her from leaving the room.
The brunette never expected this kind of prank.
"What's this? Class A why are you dressed like that?!"
The class A girls were wearing identical cheerleading outfit to the cheerleaders. Judging from the looks on their face, they weren't happy in the slightest to be tricked by the two mischievous boys.
"Kaminari! Mineta! You tricked us!" Yaoyorozu shouted at the two boys, her face flushed bright red from embarrassment.
Hikari shook her head, her arms crossed.
Yaoyorozu crouched down, covering her face with the yellow pom-poms. "How'd I let myself get fooled by Mineta's stupid prank..."
The brunette gave the girls an awkward smile. "Do you want me to wear the same thing too? To make it even?" she offered, pointing at herself. She felt guilty that she was the only girl in class who wasn't roped into Kaminari's and Mineta's prank. Though, she was glad that she wasn't roped into it, but being embarrassed in front of live TV was something too much. "I'm wearing a shirt so it's okay. I'd give my jacket to all of you if I could, but I only have one..." she took off her jacket, offering it to anyone who wants to take it.
Uraraka stared at Hikari. "You're too kind, Hikari."
"You're such a killjoy, Leonhart!"
"Shut it!" Jirou's jacks were plugged into Kaminari's and Mineta's ears, sending a loud vibration to knock some senses into the boys.
"Well, there's still time before the finals, it's fine! Let's do it!" Hagakure waved her pom-poms in the air, jumping happily in place.
Asui croaked. "You like this sort of things, huh, Tooru?"
"Alright, everyone! Let's have fun competing in the recreational games!" As Present Mic announced the upcoming events, the girls of 1-A regrouped with the others. Hikari gave her jacket to Jirou—since she thought the girl needed it the most. "When that's over, the sixteen from the four teams that made it to the final round will duke it out tournament style, a one-on-one battle royal!"
"The last round is a tournament, where we fight one-on-one!" Kirishima looked excited than the most.
"Was it a tournament last year too?"
Sero grinned. "The format's always different, but most years involves some kind of head-to-head battle! Last year, it was foam sword fighting!"
Hikari turned her head to look at Sero at the mention of foam sword fighting.
Midnight stood on the stage. "The matchups will be decided by drawing lots. Once that's settled, we'll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself!" she held up a yellow box, giving it a few shakes. "It's up to each of the 16 finalists whether or not you participate in the fun. I expect some of you would rather take a breather and save your strength." she flashed all of them a smile.
"Now, let's start with the first-place team—"
"E—Excuse me." everyone turned their attention to the student raising his hand. The tail-boy from class A. "I'm withdrawing."
To say that it wasn't a surprise was an understatement.
It was almost like dropping a bomb among the U.A. students.
Murmurs also could be heard from all around the stadium.
"But why, Ojiro?" Izuku asked confusedly, his eyes wide in shock.
Iida turned to look at his classmate. "This is a rare chance for pros to see you, Ojiro!"
Hikari nodded her head in agreement.
The blond looked down. "I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until almost the end..." he lowered his hand down, his eyebrows furrowed. "I think... it was that guy's quirk."
Hikari saw Ojiro's eyes flickered over to the left. She instinctively followed and averted her gaze to look at one of Ojiro's team members. The purple-haired boy seemed to notice someone was looking at him and he too looked over to the girl staring at him. As soon as he knew that it was Hikari staring at him, he turned to look away, his hands shoved inside his pockets.
"I know this is a great opportunity. And I know how stupid it must seem to throw it away..." Ojiro raised his hand, curling his fingers into a fist. "But this final tournament... Everyone else made it here by their own strength. Yet I'm standing here and I don't even know why. I just can't take it."
Hagakure took a few steps closer. "You're thinking about it too hard! Just show what you're made of in the tournament!" she encouraged, moving her pom-poms.
Ashido nodded her head in agreement. "By that logic, I shouldn't really be here either."
"No... I'm taking about my pride here... I don't think it's right."
Hikari sighed, placing her hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Um... I'm Shouda Nirengeki, from class B. I want to withdraw too!" the boy in the same team as Shinsou stepped forward. "This is a contest of skill. Letting someone who didn't do anything advance... Doesn't it defeat the whole point of the sports festival?"
"What with these guys?! They're so manly!"
"This is an unusual turn of events."
"We'll have to see what the coordinator, Midnight, decide."
Midnight looked down at the two students who withdraws. "How naïve and green..." she raised her flogger whip and cracked it loudly. A large smile appeared across her lips, a glint was seen in her eyes. "I like it! Shouda and Ojiro have officially withdrawn!"
Hikari turned to look at Aoyama—the third member in Shinsou's team. 'Will he withdraw too?' she stared at the flamboyant blond, waiting for his response.
"I'll win it for you!"
'Never mind...' Hikari sighed a little, giving one last pat on Ojiro's shoulder.
"Replacing those two will be members of Team Kodai! Please decide who will step up and take their place!"
Hikari glanced over to look at her team. The three girls regrouped in the middle as their classmates circled them to wait for their decision.
"You two can move on. I don't mind at all." Hikari was the first one to offer, giving a reassuring smile at the two of them.
Both Kendou and Kodai exchanged looks.
"For the first spot, we decided that Leonhart will take the spot!" Kendou raised her hand, cupping her mouth as she informed Midnight of the group's decision.
Hikari stared at the girl in shock. "What? That's not what I said!" she tried to raised her hand, but Kendou stopped her. "But it's not fair—"
"This is fair." Kodai cuts in, taking a step closer. "You're the one who does all the work. It's only fair for you to move up."
"Just accept it, okay?" Kendou smiled, letting Hikari's hand go.
The brunette sighed. "Alright..."
"For the second spot... if it's going to be like that, don't you think it should be given to Team Tetsutetsu?" The orange-haired girl turned to look at the gray-haired teen's team. "Don't worry. We're not colluding or anything. This just feels right."
"Y—You guys!"
"So be it! Tetsutetsu and Leonhart brings up back to 16 competitors!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Leonhart VS Aoyama
"Aoyama, huh?" Hikari stared at the board. Her match was the fifth one and against her classmate at that. During her weeks in U.A. she rarely converses with the blond who claimed to be from France, the only conversation she exchanged with him were a few good mornings.
"Oui!"
The brunette turned around to meet face to face with the blond himself.
"Too bad you got me as your opponent, mademoiselle." Aoyama winked, giving a pose.
"Uh...Yeah." Hikari laughed and turned around to look at him, but stopped when there was no one around. She rubbed the back of her neck wondering where Aoyama is. The brunette opted to sit out from the recreational games, per Kendou's and Kodai's wishes. She looked back to the tournament list. If she wins, she would have to go against her classmate again. 'Tokoyami or Mina...'
"Leonhart!" said brunette turned around to see a familiar blond and green-haired teen jogging towards her. "If it's no problem... can we ask you something?" Ojiro gave a smile and the brunette nodded.
The three of them continued their walk towards the exit with Ojiro leading the way. Hikari kept glancing at Izuku who seemed to be nervous for some reason. The guy was muttering under his breath to the point where Hikari couldn't understand a single thing that he was sputtering out.
Hikari placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from muttering. "Midoriya, you okay?"
Izuku turned his head. "Y—Yeah... S—Sorry." he stuttered out. "I guess—I'm just nervous about facing Shinsou..."
The brunette's lips shaped into an O.
"You seemed to know him, Leonhart." Ojiro said as he opened the door to class A's waiting room.
The keyblade wielder shrugged. "I suppose... We sorta met on my first day." she laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "We're not really on good terms right now." she admitted as she took three of the water bottles from the table.
Izuku gulped, shakily taking one of the bottles Hikari offered. "Then you know of his quirk, right?"
Hikari hummed in reply. "Stealing other people's voice, right?"
"Eh?"
"He used it on me twice actually."
Ojiro sweat-dropped. "Leonhart... his quirk, I don't think it's stealing other people's voice." he gave the girl an awkward smile when the girl turned to look at him. "His quirk... I think it's a mind-controlling quirk."
"Mind control?" Hikari placed a hand on her chin, thinking back to the time Shinsou used his quirk on her. It wasn't exactly mind-control when his quirk doesn't fully control her. She has to admit, it's a really impressive quirk. "He said 'shut up!' and I instantly shut up." she copied Shinsou's expression when he placed her under his quirk.
Ojiro nodded. "My loss might be your gain, Midoriya. My memories cut out from the instant I replied to him. That's the trick, right Leonhart?" he turned his head to look at the girl sitting across from him.
"I... actually have full control of my own body and mind. I just stopped talking when he said so." Hikari explained and there was a surprised look across Ojiro's face. She doesn't really understand it well—how Shinsou's quirk work. The teen never really explained it, let alone told her what it is. "But I believe you. Maybe it just works depending on how much in control Shinsou wants?" she suggested.
"Either way, it's all over if I slip up and say anything to him..." Izuku let out a shuddering breath, paling slightly.
"Hey, c'mon Midoriya, there's always a way." Hikari reassured.
Ojiro nodded. "Leonhart's right. Remember when I said I didn't remember anything up until the end? I think I bumped into Tetsutetsu's formation when he snatched their headbands."
"Huh?"
"That's when I snapped out of it. I was suddenly aware of what was happening."
A sudden realization hits the freckled boy. "So, it was undone by physical contact?" he tried to confirmed and Ojiro gave another nod.
Ojiro leaned back against his chair. "That's all that I can tell you. Sorry if it isn't much."
Izuku shook his head. "No, no! It was plenty of help! Thank you, Ojiro, Leonhart!" he thanked each of his classmates, giving them smiles.
"Win this for me, okay?" Ojiro bumped his fist against Izuku's shoulder, to which was returned with a determined nod. He looked over to the brunette who was smiling at them both. "I'm sorry for dragging you here, Leonhart." he apologized.
Hikari propped her chin on the table, a grin across her face. "No, no, it's okay! I'm happy I could share a few things to help." on one side, she wanted Shinsou to win, but she also wanted Izuku to win. At this point, she thought that Izuku has a better chance at winning the match since he has the upper hand by knowing what Shinsou could do. She was rooting for Izuku since someone has to knock a little sense into the boy. "Break a leg, Midoriya—Not literally, of course!" she quickly added, remembering Izuku's quirk.
Izuku laughed, "Thank you, Leonhart." he rubbed the back of his neck as Hikari stood up. He might only know the new student for around three weeks—a week less than the rest of his classmates, but that doesn't really make a difference. He knew so little of her compared to his other classmates. She doesn't really tell much about herself—she kept the conversation going by asking others rather than fill it with her story. "Uh... um... it's a bit personal and if it's not a bother... can I—uh ask about what happened between you and Shinsou?" he stuttered out.
"Not at all..." The brunette sighed. "Well... there isn't much to begin with actually. We barely know each other too. We just met and after finding out I'm in the hero course, things got... a bit bad."
"It doesn't sound like a bit..." Ojiro frowned.
Hikari shrugged. "It's expected..." she crossed her arms with her eyes closed, but she could hear the gasps from the two boys. "I entered late. Our quirks are different and because I have a more offensive quirk than him, I got accepted into the hero course."
Ojiro crossed his arms, his tail flicking behind him. "That seems a bit petty of him."
The brunette shook her head. "It's my fault anyway...I offered him to take my place in the hero course—"
A loud gasp escaped Izuku's lips. "You offered your seat?! Why?!" as far as he knows, everyone is trying to keep their place in the hero course.
"He wanted to become a hero."
Izuku blinked.
Ojiro tilted his head, a frown on his lips. "But don't you want to become a hero too, Leonhart?"
Hikari turned to look at him. "I do, his dreams just seemed more important. I guess I wasn't really considering his feelings at that time." she's already a junior hero and a keyblade master. She was only taking this course because of the hero provisional license exam. She could get it in September—because she doubts U.A would just enter their first-year in June. When she thinks about it, she realized she choose the wrong words to talk to the general studies student. "After all that speech you and Shouda did today, I realized that everyone wanted to be here because of their own hard-work." she laughed, smiling at Ojiro.
"Leonhart..."
The keyblade wielder rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Maybe, Shinsou also wanted to earn his spot in the hero course fair and square."
Izuku nodded his head with a small smile. "Yeah."
Hikari pointed a finger-gun at the freckled boy. "Don't lose, Midoriya."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
He tried his best.
"You can brainwash people? You could get away with all sorts of trouble!"
To win. To be seen differently.
"Just don't try controlling us, okay?"
Not as someone who has a villainous quirk.
He made it this far.
"Midoriya Izuku moved on to the second round!"
And he lost.
Shinsou gritted his teeth as he felt a rush of emotions going through him. He couldn't really describe it. His heart felt heavy as his mind went blank. Anger. Disappointment. Sadness. Jealousy. He didn't even make it pass the first round—against the plain looking boy who was blessed with a powerful quirk. Who falls over something silly like friendship.
If it was him, he wouldn't fall for something so ridiculous.
Friendship.
"Good luck, Shinsou! Prove them wrong for putting you in general studies!"
He clicked his tongue, pushing himself up when Midnight called them both to stand in the middle. He really wasn't in the mood to face that Midoriya kid at the moment. He dragged his feet across the field and stood face to face with the shorter boy. The boy bowed his head in respect while he didn't return it.
"Goodness gracious! We're off to an uneventful start!" Present Mic's voice was louder than the crowds' cheers. But to Shinsou, he chooses to block all those out. "But we should praise them both for a bravely fought match! Everybody, clap your hands!"
There was a round of applause.
"Shinsou..." He heard the freckled boy called his name. "Why do you want to be a hero?"
The purple-haired boy turned around. "You can't help the things you long for." he answered, not sparing another glance to him. He began to walk away. Each step to him felt heavy as he left the stage. Midoriya's win was prove that anyone with a quirk like him, couldn't make it to the hero course.
"You were awesome out there, Shinsou!"
Shinsou stopped and looked up to the audience. It was his classmates.
"You had us on the edge of our seats!" a classmate of his laughed.
Another nodded his head in agreement. "You're the shining star of us general studies guys!"
A girl in his class gave him a smile and tilted her head to the left.
Shinsou did as told, averting his gaze to the audience.
"That quirk would be great against villains. I wish I had it..."
That was from a pro.
"What the hell was U.A. thinking? Putting him in general studies..."
And another.
"If only he's in the hero course."
And another.
His classmate grinned. "Hear that, Shinsou? You're awesome!"
The purple-haired boy couldn't help but smile. He lowered his head to hide his smile. Just as fast as his smile appeared, a frown replaced it.
"They'll consider transfer to the hero course depending on the results here." Shinsou said, breaking the silence between Izuku and himself. His thoughts lingered to a specific brunette. She was just like this Midoriya kid—the difference was many, but both cares for those around them. "Maybe I failed this time, but... I'm not giving up." he curled his fingers into a fist, his arms tensing on each of his sides.
"I'll show them I've got what it takes to make the hero course, and I'll become a greater hero than all of you."
Izuku gave a nod. "Right—!" he jolted when Shinsou trapped him under his quirk yet again.
The corner of Shinsou's lips twitched up. "People who respond to me tend to stiffen up like that." all except one. His eyes traveled up to the audience—to class A's section. A certain brunette who he came to misunderstood sat among her classmates, staring down at him. Their eyes met and she gave him a grin and a thumbs up, cheering him up from the distance. He looked away, ignoring the girl's attempts to cheer him up.
How Leonhart was immune to his quirk is still a mystery to him.
Izuku blinked, regaining full control of his body again. "Ah! Shinsou—wait!" he ran after the teen, careful not to slip on the set of stairs that separated them both. he closed the distance between them, fidgeting under Shinsou's cold gaze. "About Leonhart... it's not my business to pry, but y—you see, she's just looking out for you! S—She didn't want to upset you and—!" he stiffened yet again as he fell under Shinsou's brainwashing yet again.
Shinsou clicked his tongue—slightly annoyed at the nosy teen. "Your stuttering is giving me a headache." he rubbed his temple as he stared down at the shorter boy who was still under his quirk's influence. "It'd be easy to mess everything up for you now... So just promise me, you won't lose in a sorry way." he looked over his shoulder, releasing Izuku from his quirk.
Izuku blinked.
A sigh escaped Shinsou's lips. "It's neither of your business about what happened between Leonhart and I. I'll handle it myself." he grumbles under his breath as he rubbed the back of his neck.
He realized it now. That Leonhart was the only one who supported him even after he acted like a jerk to her.
The boy continued his way to the exit, leaving the freckled teen dumbfounded.
"R—Right..."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Hatsume is out of the ring! Iida moves to the second round!"
Without realizing it, it was already time for the fifth match.
"We'll take a short ten-minute break! Coming up next, it's another battle against classmates! You'll love this round, folks!"
Hikari stood up after hearing Present Mic's announcement from the speakers inside the room. After Shinsou VS Midoriya, every other fight seemed to go by in a flash. Todoroki's and Sero's match ended in the first minute with Todoroki's extravagant ice attack that covered half of the stadium. It took a while to clear out his ice, but the next battle—a battle between Yaoyorozu and Kaminari, also ended so quickly with Kaminari short-circuiting his brain. The only battle that lasted more than ten minutes was that Support girl—Hatsume against Iida.
"Better prepare!" the brunette stretched her arms above her head, exhaling deeply. She had been down in the prep room since the beginning of Hatsume's and Iida's match. She had been playing with her phone the whole time, texting Ienzo and her friends. She even had time to send a picture to Kairi and Sora, since they asked for her to reply with a picture.
The door creaked open.
"Oh, class rep! Congrats on passing to the next round!" Hikari looked over her shoulder to find the bespectacled boy.
"I was deceived!" Iida shouted.
The brunette pursed her lips. "Uh... you did your best then?" she walked over towards him and gave a pat on his shoulder. "Hey, can I ask you to keep my phone for me?" she asked sheepishly, holding her phone to the class rep.
Iida instantly straighten up. "Of course! Leave it to me, Leonhart!" he pushed his glassed up to the bridge of his nose. He took the phone and gave a smile at the girl. "Good luck on your match! I'll be watching!"
Hikari laughed. 'They're brothers alright.' she waved her hand goodbye to the class rep as she exited the prep room.
The walk towards the field was a short one. She waited inside the tunnel and leaned against the wall to wait for Present Mic to introduce her. She knew little about Aoyama's fancy navel laser. If she remembers correctly, Ashido mentioned that Aoyama's quirk can cause stomachaches as a drawback.
"Even though he's wearing a belt, he won't transform! It's Aoyama Yuuga from the hero course!
Versus
The new promising student who entered late and yet manages to catch up! She's a total wildcard who has tricks up her sleeves! It's Leonhart Hikari, also from the hero course!"
Hikari sweat-dropped at the introduction. She took a deep breath and raised her chin up, walking forward to enter the field. 'Just like Ienzo said... No holding back.' she exhaled loudly.
When she entered the field, she could hear all those cheers and whistles from the crowd. Both her and Aoyama were the stars of the stage now—anything they do would determine whether the pro heroes wanted to pick them as interns or not.
"No hard feelings, Oui?" Aoyama winked, crossing his hands behind his neck.
"Oui." Hikari replied, she doesn't understand French, but she picked up a few words from Lumiere.
"Ready?" Midnight cracked her whip. "START!"
Aoyama with his hands crossed behind his head, a beam of laser shot out from his belt. "The early bird gets the worm!"
The keyblade wielder easily avoided his attack, stepping to the side.
Izuku held his book and pen tightly. His eyes were staring at the brunette facing Aoyama. So far, his notes about Hikari has been very vague. This was his chance to know what her quirk really is. The names of abilities Hikari has kept growing in his list. He's a great observer, he would notice new things that Hikari showed—even though she only uses it once—like that sword thing and guns.
Aoyama's laser was shot directly at Hikari and she quickly moved to the side—avoiding the sparkly laser.
"C'mon, Hikari! This is an easy win!" Ashido cheered loudly from behind the green-haired teen.
"Ashido." Yaoyorozu chided.
Ashido pouted and sat back down.
Izuku turned to look at the match again. "Judging by quirks, Leonhart has the upper-hand against Aoyama. But Aoyama's navel laser is strong as well. Leonhart also can create shields, but would that shield be able to handle Aoyama's laser? Then again, Leonhart's pretty flexible and she has her Dream quirk as well. Would she summon a new type of Dream? Or would she summon an old one? But that would mean Aoyama having the upper-hand—"
"Deku, you're muttering again." Uraraka placed her hand on Izuku's shoulder, snapping him away from his trail of thoughts.
Izuku's cheeks flushed bright red. "A—Ah! I'm sorry!" he apologized, ducking his head down in embarrassment.
"Oh! Leonhart is finally countering Aoyama's attacks! Finally!"
"She was trying to worn Aoyama to the point his stomachache acts up..." Izuku muttered, placing a hand on his chin.
Hikari rushed towards Aoyama when his laser attack became weaker.
She opted to just push him out of the ring instead of punching him in the face.
When Aoyama's knees buckled and his whole body began to quiver, the brunette stopped on her tracks taking a step back. To her—it looked more worse than a regular stomachache. "Are you oka—?!"
"Me—rci...!"
With every little power Aoyama has, he blasted a ray of sparkly laser at Hikari.
"An unexpected direct hit!"
The keyblade wielder raised her arms, shielding herself from the laser. She did casted a shield around her arms, but the laser had hit her forearms first—sending her flying back to the other side of the ring. She landed on her back and skidded to a stop, just in time before she stepped out of bounds.
"Hooooo! That was a close call! Leonhart managed to stop herself before she flew out of the ring!" Present Mic gave a loud dramatic sigh.
Hikari pushed herself up, looking down at the burn Aoyama caused on her forearms. It wasn't bad—just a first-degree burn.
"C'mon, Hikari! Go! Go! You can do it!" Ashido cheered loudly.
The brunette somersaulted when Aoyama shot another of his laser at her. She kneeled on the ground, counting the time on how many does it take for Aoyama to recharge, but it almost looked like he was about to pass out any second. A familiar glow appeared beside the girl—this time it wasn't a cat-dog or a bat, it was a large colorful bunny with long ears.
"A... bunny?" Izuku blinked, pausing for a moment before writing it on his book. He had never seen the bunny before.
The bunny sticks its ears on the ground and hopped two steps back. The bunny shot itself at Aoyama's direction, kicking him back a few feet. Aoyama landed on his back with a loud thud and the bunny jumped back, hopping in place with a stance.
Uraraka's jaw dropped as her eyes widened. "It kicks!"
"Nice work, Mimi." Hikari praised the Me Me Bunny, who chirped happily at her.
A cheer came from the commentator box. "Another fierce competitor appears! It's... Leonhart's Pet Bunny! Just look at that stance, folks! Don't underestimate these cute looks or else they'll punch you in the face!" Present Mic excitedly announced.
Just when Aoyama stood up—in a blink of an eye, Hikari was in front of him using teleport to close the distance between them. She had taken Aoyama and the crowd completely by surprise. Her whole body was covered in a light purple aura before it disappeared in a few seconds after she teleported. She held onto his arm and threw him over her shoulder—pinning him to the ground. She twists his wrist, trapping it in a wristlock.
After trapping Aoyama in the same position, Midnight deemed it was time to end the match.
"Aoyama, can you move?" Midnight asked, staring at the blond under the brunette.
"N—Non... I surrender..."
Midnight cracked her whip. "Aoyama admit defeat! Leonhart moves on to the second round!"
A loud cheer erupts from the crowd, clapping their hands for the brunette's victory.
Hikari released her hold on Aoyama's hand, kneeling down to the blond as a pair of medic-bots came towards them with a stretcher. "Nice work, Aoyama."
"Oui..." Aoyama wheezed out as Hikari helped him onto the stretcher.
The brunette watched as the robots took Aoyama away. She heard a chirp from Me Me Bunny and she turned around, just in time to catch the bunny as it jumped into her arms. She gave Me Me Bunny a hug and it whines, looking up to the summoner as its ears dropped—covering her forearms.
"Ah, I'm okay." Hikari patted Me Me Bunny's head with a smile. "Thanks for your hard work." the bunny gave a chirp before it disappeared in a puff.
"Leonhart," Midnight called out, making the brunette turned towards her. The woman stopped a few steps away from the brunette, a hand on her hip as she looked over the brunette's forearms. "You should head on over to Recovery Girl too." she instructed.
Hikari shook her head. "It's okay. I can heal it on my way." she bowed her head at Midnight before turning to leave the field. She continued to make her way towards the exit, deciding to heal her burns inside rather than outside where the whole world could see her 'healing' quirk. It was revealed right after the USJ attack by the media. They somehow figured it out and connected the news from the Toxic Haze to the USJ attack, all because they heard some colorful animal were helping out.
"Can't believe such quirk existed!"
"But is that even okay? Like it's two against one, right?"
"I know it's her quirk, but..."
"It's a bit unfair, isn't it?"
The brunette's eye twitched. "Yeesh—haters gonna hate..." she mumbled under her breath as she continued making her way towards the exit. The hallways inside the stadium were confusing. There was just so many twists and turns, and every hallway is the exact dull gray color. She could hear the cheers from a distance, but that didn't help her go back to class A's booth.
"Good match there, Hikari!"
Hikari looked up to see Ashido skipping towards her. "Thanks, Mina." she flashed the pink-haired girl a grin.
Ashido grabbed Hikari's hands, giving a squeeze. "I was supposed to be in the prep room, but I was just so excited to see what you can do!" she laughed, shaking the brunette's hands up and down. Her classmates were all surprised when Hikari knew some martial arts. It was Ojiro who pointed out to the whole class that the moves Hikari pulled to lock Aoyama in place was Aikido. "And I didn't know you can do martial art! Ojiro was so excited to know you can do it!" she giggled.
The corner of the brunette's lips twitched up to a lopsided grin. "Nah, I just picked up a few things from my pops." her mind wonders to both Leon and Cloud—who kept pestering her to work on her self-defense. She basically followed their throws, but that was all that she could copy.
Ashido frowned. "Are you okay though?" she asked when she saw the burn on the brunette's forearms.
"Yeah. This is nothing." Hikari reassured. She casted cure over her forearms. A light palette of flowers and petals swirls around her forearms, healing the burned skin back to normal. "See? Good as new!" she flashed the girl a grin.
"Alright everybody, let's continue with our next match—"
Ashido tilted her chin up when she heard Present Mic introduced her. "Ah! That's my cue! Gotta go, Hikari! Watch me win, okay?" she ran up to the exit, waving her hand goodbye to the girl.
"Good luck, Mina!" Hikari cupped her mouth, watching the pink-haired girl skipping the last few steps on the stairs.
The brunette turned around and continued on her way back to the booth. She quickened her pace since she promised to watch Ashido's match against Tokoyami. She had a couple of minutes before the match starts—it should give her enough time to reach class A's booth. She turned around to a corner and almost bumped into someone. She stopped on reflex, taking step back to prevent her from running into the stranger.
"Oh, uh, sorry!" Hikari apologized, a sheepish grin across her face.
The man stared down at her.
The keyblade wielder cringed at the look the man was giving her. 'Yeesh! What an intense look!' she averted her gaze, a strained smile on her lips. His appearance means business. The hair, the look, the suit. Everything about this man screams business, but she couldn't help but stare at his tie. Red with yellow polka dots. It definitely threw off the serious image. "So... uh... I gotta go? I promised to watch my friend's match. Sorry for almost running into you, Mister!" she apologized again as she pointed her finger to the opposite direction.
"No problem." The business man gave a curt nod.
Hikari crab-walked around the man and took long strides to reach the end of the hallway.
The man watched the brunette's retreating form.
"Leonhart Hikari..."
He pushed his glasses up, the same intense look in his eyes.
The girl who changed the future.
A/n:
I have to admit. This is one of the hardest chapters I ever write. I'm sorry if it seemed a little rushed.
I have nothing against the bnha characters haha. I love them all—even the bad guys. I replaced Shiozaki Ibara with Hikari in the tournament and mixed up the matches a little because I think it would develop the story further.
The longer this story continues, the more canon-divergence it'll get. But don't worry! There are still parts that Hikari can't change!