Just a little something before you guys read this chapter: Please do read Izuku's journal entry. Other than it has practically the continuation of the events last chapter but I also put some details about the continent that Izuku and the gang will be travelling on. It's a bit long but please do bear with me because those details are very important in the story. Thank you and I present you Chapter 3~

CHAPTER 3

AMISS

JOURNAL NO. 13

PROPERTY OF AIZAWA IZUKU

Entry #3 Year xxxx, Summer, Day xx

I guess I better start with a status update.

Yesterday, we met two knights from Yamanashi: Kirishima Eijiro and Kaminari Denki. Then we're attacked. Again. The two knights helped us and I earned a wound on my shoulder. I almost fainted. Take note. It was almost. I did not faint this time. The attackers were assassins, by the way and their target was my one and only grumpy companion. Then the knights informed us that Kacchan was the grandson and heir to the Marques of Yamanashi and that his grand-uncle was after his blood. Long story short, Kacchan's practically sucked into an all-out inheritance dispute with his not-so-dear grand uncle.

And I'm not leaving Kacchan to deal with it alone.

Yesterday, I saw another side of Kacchan. The vulnerable side of him. When I first heard about the murder of his clan, I suspected that there was some foul play involved but to confirm and discover that his grand-uncle was behind it wasn't pleasant at all. The family Kacchan cherished was murdered, murdered for a throne he never knew he had the right of until that day. And add the fact that his grandfather's health was failing. It was something that could easily cause people to break down but Kacchan went to the lowest point and he stood up again. He didn't let the hate consume him and I really admire him for that. I doubt that Kacchan's want for revenge was erased though. What Giran did was unforgivable and somehow I could tell that desire for revenge was beginning to simmer quietly within Kacchan and the momen thatt the opportunity comes, that desire would burst out along with all that rage and hate. I fear that Kacchan might lose himself when that time comes. It would be one of the worst things that could happen but also the most likely to happen. I could only hope that Kacchan's grandfather could anchor and stop him from losing himself.

Come to think of it…

What was I thinking hugging him like that?! Gah! My face heats up every time I think about it! Kacchan was crying and I held on to him like a life line when he probably wanted to be alone but still…

But really, it was real awkward after that. I couldn't look at him in the eye after we broke up our… hug… When I sneaked a peek at him, his eyes were reddened and he was sniffing for a bit. It was then and there that I realized that I just hugged a boy all the while feeling his tears falling on my neck. It was awkward. Really awkward. That was until Kacchan broke it in his most Kacchan way imaginable.

He took one look at my feet and exclaimed out these exact words:

"What the fuck, Deku?! Did you come all the way here without any fucking shoes on?!"

He practically manhandled me after that. He scooped me up in his arms and placed me on one of fallen tree trunks. Then he proceeded to inspect my feet. He was surprisingly gentle about it. Then he cursed.

"Fuck it! You're fucking injured! Again! You ain't walking in this shit and you're gonna stay put in that fucking hospital bed till it fucking heals!"

I could really only gape at him at first. Then I laughed. I really laughed. I couldn't help it. After all that happened, it was there again: the peculiar kindness, the unexpected concern and his gruff way of showing it.

He ended up spewing out profanities till I could finally control myself. And then we went back to town with me on his back. We found Kaminari and Kirishima still waiting for us at the clinic. They were quite happy when we informed them that we would be going to Yamanashi with them. Kirishima was particularly ecstatic.

The destination was set to Yamanashi and the four of us- and one Shinku- will be travelling together.

Yamanashi is quite far from Hosu though. I think it will probably take us a few weeks to get there. We need to cross the border to Yuusari to get there, not that I hadn't planned on it in the first place. I need to cross Yuusari to get home anyway.

On that line of thought, I'm really quite far away from home at the moment. I mean if we look at the map, I'm practically on the opposite side of the continent.

Well, the continent of Musutafu is quite huge but it is mainly divided into five countries and three regions. I'll leave the regions for another entry and I'll just concentrate on the countries this time.

The five countries of Musutafu are Hakuryuu (northeast tip of the continent), Seiryuu (east; south of Hakuryuu), Shikyuu (southeast; south of Seiryuu), Yuusari (right in the middle of the continent; west of Seiryuu), and Yuuei (west; west of Yuusari).

Hakuryuu is the northern-most nation in Musutafu. I've never been there but my mentor described it as a snowy and mountainous region that can't support farming very well. Most people become mercenaries to survive while some become scholars. Pegasi are also native there.

South of Hakuryuu is Seiryuu where we currently are (specifically in the town of Hosu). Seiryuu is a vast open country of nomads. There are three main tribes living here and one of them is the mountain tribe. Tribes are further divided into clans and one of them is Kacchan's clan.

And then south of Seiryuu is Shikyuu. Shikyuu is ruled by a monarch and is one of the most powerful military nations with its large military force. It is also Mama's home country and Papa said that I've been there a few times when I was a toddler back when my grandparents are still alive. I don't really remember it though. Wyverns are native in Shikyuu too.

In the center of the continent is Yuusari, where we are generally heading. It's just practically beside Seiryuu and Shikyuu really. Yuusari is made up of fourteen federations of territories, each ruled by a powerful Marques and those leaders form a council which governs the country. Yamanashi is one of the territories of Yuusari and Kacchan's grandfather is its Marques which makes Kacchan a noble and an heir, a future Marques if he's grand-uncle doesn't get his way. And he won't. I'll make sure of it. I've been to Yuusari for a few times but I've never stepped foot in Yamanashi. Unlike my visits in Shikyuu, I particularly remember my visits in Yuusari specially that one visit I made a few years ago. It was a visit to Shizuoka, another territory in Yuusari, but it wasn't a very happy visit though and I never got to see the one that I wanted to see the most.

I'll be gloomy the whole day if I try to recall that 'visit' so I'll just stop there and proceed to my home country.

Yuuei is my home country and I'm a proud citizen of it so pardon me if I do seem to be a bit biased. Yuuei is one of the largest nations in Mustafu and the most advanced civilization too. It is also rumored to rival Shikyuu in military strength. Well, that rumor does have some truth in it. My country has a prestigious military school which brushes up our military force and a tactician school for intensive learning in battle tactics and strategies. Yuuei has also produced some renowned knights over the years too like Papa and Uncle Hizashi. And of course, Yuuei's king, Yagi Toshinori is also hailed as one of the strongest generals of all time which gained him the alias of All Might.

I've called the king Mr. Toshi in my younger years. I didn't know he was the king then but he was a very kind man who used to play and laugh with me in the castle greenhouses. The queen, however, died of childbirth a few years ago. I remember how my family and the kingdom mourned for her death. She was Papa's second cousin and a distant relative of mine. She was a very kind woman that would gently braid my hair during my visits in the castle. She was the main reason why I kept my hair long. She left us with a very cute crown princess though. Crown princess Eri is the royal family's miracle and the cutest little munchkin that I practically dote on. She was six the last time I saw her. The queen had a few miscarriages before she gave birth to the crown princess and the queen became sickly through the years. The royal family almost gave up till Eri came along and she became the miracle that the royal family and the kingdom hoped for.

Just thinking about her makes me miss her a lot more. I really miss my folks back home but I've already sent them a letter so I guess its fine.

I just sent my letters the moment the post office opened earlier in the morning. One letter was for Uncle Hizashi and one letter for my family. The post office had always amazed me, by the way. It was headed by the Kouda family, a family of merchants, and they have branches all over the continent mainly on large towns. The Kouda family has a very unique quirk that lets them have an easy way with animals. I don't know how they actually do it but they can get hawks and different kinds of birds to deliver letters to different people and different places. The sender needs to provide some details, of course, but it's still amazing.

And…I just realized I've written too much. I really got carried away this time. Why did I write about the continent's geography in the first place? I'd probably fill this whole journal before I even get to Yamanashi at this rate. Really. I've got to control this ranting habit this is really-

I'll just stop now. I might just fill another page if I continue.

And I need to get down anyway. It's almost time to go. Kirishima and Kaminari might just have prepared the horses already.

Red and white

Turquoise and gray

Warmth and chill

A smile and a voice

"Instead of a thousand fragile promises, I'll give you this one curse, Izuku…"

Deku!

Since when did-

DEKU!

I groaned as the light hit my eyes.

"Deku, you fucking awake already?"

"Kacchan?"

"Yeah, it's me. Why? Who the fuck did you think I was?"

I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

I dreamt of him again. It's been years since I last saw him but I still remember him as strongly as I did when I was younger. Why do I still want to see him so badly even after all these years?

I leaned back and I immediately felt the warm body behind me. I turned my gaze up and I saw Kacchan's red eyes looking questioningly at me. Right. How on earth did I just miss it? I'm riding on a horse with Kacchan and we're currently heading to Yuusari, to Yamanashi since we can't possibly reach there on foot. Kirishima and Kaminari already had a horse so we bought another one in Hosu. I could ride on my own but I've always felt better if someone was riding with me. The possibility of being painfully thrown off the horse considerably lessens when I have a companion. I don't really mind riding horses but my clumsiness can cause a lot of painful accidents so I tend to avoid riding alone and the one who taught me how to ride a horse was…him.

Damn. I remembered my dream again and as always it brought out the feelings of uneasiness within me.

"What's wrong with you, Deku?"

"Nothing, really…"

I glanced up at Kacchan again. He raised an eyebrow. I turned my head forward again.

"If it's bothering you that much then just fucking say it, Deku."

I hesitated for a bit but then again, there's no real harm to it if I just spill it out.

"Kacchan, have you ever felt like you've wanted to see someone again for so long but at the same time you're dreading it just as much? Like a lot of things happened and that things might not be the same anymore and that maybe that person's changed a lot and that-"

"Stop mumbling, Deku. You're sound like a fucking retard. It's stupid."

"Don't call me stupid, Kacchan!" I exclaimed. "And here I was, pouring my heart out to you…"

"It's still stu-"

"Don't say it, Kacchan." I pointed a finger at him warningly. But instead of being intimidated, Kacchan just slyly grinned and opened his mouth going in for a bite. My eyes widened and I immediately withdrew my finger. That was close. "Control your animal instincts, Kacchan."

Kacchan snickered and I glared at him.

"I just don't fucking get what you are so worried about, Deku. It's either you want to see the shit or not. If you want to see that shit, then fucking do it. If you don't want to, then just fucking avoid the fucker for the rest of your life. And then if you meet whoever the fuck it is when you don't want to, then just punch the fucker in the face."

I snorted. Typical Kacchan. Him and his blunt ways. "That's violent, Kacchan."

"Just fucking punch the fucker in the face and it will make you feel a lot better. Make the nose bleed if you can too."

"Geez. Really violent. Are you sure that's just not you, Kacchan?"

"Trust me on this one, Deku." He really sounded so confident.

"But what if it doesn't make me feel better or that he doesn't exactly deserve it, Kacchan? What do I do then?"

"Then fucking apologize and just kick the fucker hard when he doesn't accept it."

I gaped at him. Unbelievable. Then I suddenly felt laughter bubbling up inside me. It was totally ridiculous. I laughed and then I leaned back comfortably on Kacchan.

"I don't know if I'll ever follow your advice but I feel a lot better now, Kacchan. Thanks."

"Whatever, Deku."

I chuckled in reply.

"So you're finally awake, Izuku-sama? Did you sleep well?" Kirishima asked as he galloped his horse besides me and Kacchan.

"As well as I could on a horse, anyway." I smiled.

"She snored and drooled shit while she's sleeping." Kacchan said, snickering.

"I did not!" I immediately denied. No way. Wait- "Did I?"

Kacchan sniggered.

"You're so mean, Kacchan!"

"You doubted it, Deku." Kacchan smirked and Kirishima laughed.

I huffed and crossed my arms. Really. Men. But just to be clear, I so did not pout.

"Kirishima, you boor!" Kaminari came up on our other side. "Gentlemen don't upset the ladies!"

I chuckled. "I don't really mind it that much, Kaminari-san. It's all in good time." I really prefer this light and jesting atmosphere any day than the tense and stuffy settings of formal hierarchy.

"Sorry about that, milady." Kirishima apologized.

"It's fine, Kiri- Shinku!" My jaw-dropped in disbelief as I spotted Shinku chewing Kirishima's arm. No wonder I haven't seen him anywhere since I woke up.

"Oh, the shit's doing it again." Kacchan said nonchalantly as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Since when did he- Are you ok, Kirishima?" I asked the red-head worriedly. Shinku's teeth were sharp.

"I'm alright, Izuku-sama." Kirishima assured. "I can harden my skin so it doesn't really hurt. He's been chewing my skin since last night. I think this little…wyvern…I think he's teething?"

"I guess…" To be honest, I really have no idea. Wyverns like to chew things when they're young but I've never seen a wyvern act like this. Well, Shinku doesn't seem to be a typical wyvern or if he actually was one so I guess it's…abnormally normal.

Then suddenly Kacchan's gruff voice interjected. "Oi Deku, what's that on your neck?"

I traced the chain on my neck with my finger. I almost forgot I'm wearing it again. The chain got broken before so I had to keep it in my bag. I managed to have it fixed in Hosu after I sent my letters. I turned to Kacchan and saw that he was quite curious.

I took the necklace out of my shirt and showed it to him. It was a locket with an embedded symbol of a crest with a raven on it. "It's a family heirloom, Kacchan and it also identifies me as a member of the House of Aizawa. That symbol there is our family's crest."

Kacchan looked apprehensive. "So you need this shit so people would know you're an Aizawa?"

"Introductions work well enough but in times when your identity is in question then it helps." I answered.

"That sounds fucking stupid. You know that piece of shit can be stolen, right?" Kacchan said, unimpressed. Leave it to Kacchan to call a priceless jewelry, a piece of shit.

"It can be stolen, yes, but its ownership can't be changed."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a little bit more special than you think, Kacchan. The metal that this locket is made of recognizes blood, specifically the blood of the family. This trinket has been passed down on my family for centuries and every time it passes hands it receives a little bit of blood from its owners. When my father gave it to me on my fourth birthday, I gave it one drop of my blood and it glowed. The last owner of this locket was my grandmother, an Aizawa's daughter."

"I've heard about that kind of jewelry before, Lady Aizawa. It matches your blood with its previous owner or more accurately the first owner of it, right? It glows when matched and blackens when it doesn't." Kaminari said.

"That's the gist of it."

"But didn't it go out of fashion years ago?" Kirishima asked.

"It was centuries ago actually and it didn't exactly went out of a fashion. It's just that no one can make them anymore." I replied. "This kind of jewelry was a fad within nobility centuries ago. A family of artisans made and introduced it. It became quite popular but it was pricey so mostly nobles and rich merchants could only afford it. With its rise in fame, that family of artisans became a target for thieves. Rumors said that they were killed and that they took the secrets of their craft with them to the grave."

"That's quite a story, Lady Aizawa." Kaminari commented.

I nodded. Then I noticed Kacchan's quiet demeanor. Strange. He was quite talkative a few minutes ago.

"Kacchan?"

He jolted a bit and he looked at me then to my necklace.

"I think my mother has one."

It took me a few seconds to figure out he meant by it.

"Oh. I guess it's not really that much of a surprise. Your family is noble, Kacchan. Do you have it?"

Kacchan stiffened and in a moment his eyes was clouded with anger.

"Those fucking bastards ransacked the place. I thought they were looking for random pieces of shit they could take but they were looking for it. Those fuck ups took it!" Kacchan seethed.

"Calm down, Kacchan." I wasn't really that convincing though. Even I could understand his anger. Those murderers not only took his mother's life but something that she cherished too, probably under the orders of another member of his family.

"Fuck!" Kacchan lashed out.

Then something occurred to me. A particular line of thought that I didn't really like.

"Kaminari-san, Kirishima-san, if ever we do reach Yamanashi can Giran spin a lie and disprove Kacchan's identity? Does he have enough support in the court to do that? Will people believe him?"

"Giran has a few allies, Lady Aizawa. He might use them to sway the court." Kaminari responded.

This was bad. This was really bad. Other than Kacchan's word and his appearance, we don't really have any other ways to prove his identity. If his granduncle would claim that Kacchan's an imposter out of the bat then people might question Kacchan's identity and we would be stopped at the gate before we could even see his grandfather.

"I don't think you have to worry about it that much, Izuku-sama. Before Kaminari and I left Yamanashi to look for Katsuki-sama, the Marques said that the proof of Katsuki-sama's identity will come to us after we find him." Kirishima said.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Beats me-" Kirishima stopped as he realized he slipped into informal language. I don't really mind them being informal to me but I haven't really told them about it either. Kirishima cleared his throat. "I mean, I don't know, Izuku-sama. It's just that he instructed us to send a letter to someone when we finally find Katsuki-sama. I don't really know who the receiver is but the Marques assured us that it was someone he trusted. I sent the letter this morning with the faster messenger the post office has."

Then Kaminari added. "Let me also lighten up your worries, Lady Aizawa. Kirishima and I vowed to bring Katsuki-sama to our lord and we will succeed even if we have to storm the castle to do it."

"Let's just put that suggestion as a last resort for now." I'm not really keen on the idea of storming a castle and causing a lot of property damage. "I think we better put our trust on Marques first before we decide to actually do something drastic." I turned to the gruff boy behind me to ask for his opinion. "Kacchan?"

"I'll leave that shit up to you, Deku. I'll just do what I need to do."

"Alright."

Kacchan's eyes looked more determined than ever.

"Kirishima-san, we're supposed to pass a series of villages, right?" I asked as I squinted trying to get a clearer picture of the structures up ahead.

"Yes, Izuku-sama, I think we are quite near to it already." Kirishima answered.

The structures became clearer as our horses galloped nearer. "Then what are those ruins up ahead?"

"Ruins?" Kirishima's face visibly scrunched up and I heard Kaminari gasp.

"Fucking bandits…" Kacchan seethed.

Our little group was finally close enough to the said series of villages and it wasn't a pretty sight. There were ruins everywhere. The homes were reduced to burned out, crumbling unlivable pieces of structure and the place was devoid of human life. This place was evidently recently attacked and as Kacchan have surmised, the most probable culprits were bandits. It certainly looked like their handiwork.

Then suddenly, a distressed voice of an animal echoed. It was a horse's neigh. I immediately looked around and saw that it wasn't exactly from a horse but a pegasus. Its female rider looked like she's trying to fight off two shady looking men and behind her was a scared little girl. The rider was obviously defending the little girl from those men and those men didn't exactly look friendly, in fact, they looked like bandits.

"Kirishima-san! Kaminari-san!" I alerted them both. The both of them could reach and help the pegasus rider faster. "Please help the rider. I think those two men are bandits!"

"As you wish, Lady Aizawa!"

"As you command, Izuku-sama!"

It only took a minute for Kirishima and Kaminari to reach the rider and rend the two bandits immobilized on the ground. The female rider calmed her pegasus as we neared.

"Are you alright?" I asked as we finally got near enough.

"Yes, thank you very much for your help."

The rider looked evidently grateful if her smile was anything to go by. She looked to be a girl my age with big round brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. She also had a pink aura around her signaling her identity as a quirk user.

"What the fuck happened here?" Kacchan asked in his usually gruff manner.

"Oh, right." The rider dismounted her pegasus and approached the girl behind her. She said a few words to the little girl and carried her up in her arms then she turned to us. "I saw this little girl trying to escape from those two bandits when I was flying by. I think she came from another village nearby. I couldn't really leave her alone so I-"

The sound of a signaling horn filled the air. I felt dread settling on my stomach when I turned around and saw that one of the bandits was actually behind it. Then, as I feared, another sound of a horn in the distance replied.

"Fuck!" Kacchan cursed.

Kaminari immediately moved to rend the bandit unconscious with his electric spear but the damage has been done. That bandit had managed to call out reinforcements and they would be coming any minute now.

There's not much time to lose. I need to come up with a plan now.

I turned to the rider. "Miss, you said she came from a nearby village, right?"

"Yes, I saw another village when I was on air. The little girl looked she was heading towards there."

I snapped my head and looked around. This time I spotted the village she was talking about. It was a bit of a distance but the horses could reach them in no time. It could be easily reached on foot too, meaning, if we don't hold those incoming bandits here they might eventually attack the village and the damage and casualties will be devastating. I need to at least warn that village so they could prepare their defenses. I really don't want to deal with civilian casualties. I don't want any casualties. Period.

"Izuku-sama?" Kirishima's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. There was tension in his voice and he seemed to be on edge. Everyone was on edge.

"If you're thinking of a fucking plan then spit it out now, Deku."

My eyes immediately turned to Kacchan. There was a feral grin on his face as if he absolutely knew that I would definitely come up with a sound plan in this situation. It was both pressuring and flattering. Pressuring, because I was only an apprentice tactician at the moment with only months of experience on my back and flattering, because of the trust he placed on my capabilities. Frankly, it almost made me flush.

I took a deep breath. Apprentice or not, I was this group's tactician and it was my job to think of a plan that involved preventing anyone from killing themselves.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do. We have a lot of walls here so we'll be tunneling them. Rather than advancing, we take up our defense here and use the walls here to reduce the number of bandits we have to face at once. This way they won't be able to crowd and overwhelm us with their numbers which is likely a lot more numerous than ours." I turned to Kaminari and Kirishima. "I need you two to hold the space between the falling walls over there." I pointed to make sure they knew what I was talking about. "But don't be too reckless though. Take note of your injuries and fall back if necessary." They both nodded and went to take up their positions.

I turned to Kacchan next but before I could make a word out, Kacchan already dismounted our shared horse. It was a bit scary how Kacchan could guess what I was thinking about sometimes despite the short amount of time we knew each other.

"You want to warn that village, right?" Kacchan asked and I nodded in reply. "Then it'll be faster for you to ride alone. Just don't fall off the damn horse and if I fucking see you with another injury, I fucking swear- what's so funny, Deku?"

I really couldn't help but laugh at his unique way of expressing of concern. I playfully grinned at him. "No promises, Kacchan."

Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. My clumsiness was a level high enough to encompass those kinds of incidents but he doesn't have to know that, right?

Kacchan growled in response. "Just don't fucking die while I keep these two dipshits alive, Deku."

"I'm not sure about the injuries but I think I could keep myself alive on a little errand, Kacchan."

"Make sure of it, Deku. And you ain't fighting this time around. You can use your erasure quirk but stay out of the damn fight. I'm not letting you fuck up your injuries this time." Well, that was unexpected. Kacchan seemed quite serious about it though. Then he turned to the pegasus rider and glared. "Oi roundface, if she fucking dies in your company I'm holding you responsible and I'll slam that fucking face of yours to the ground no matter how fucking high you might be."

I gaped at Kacchan. "Kacchan, that's rude! It's not nice to threaten people!"

"Whatever, Deku."

Then he left.

Geez. That Kacchan.

"I'm really sorry about him, miss." I sincerely apologized.

"No, it's fine… I guess…" The female rider uneasily answered. "So I'm coming with you to the village?"

"Yes. I know that we've only known each other for a few minutes but I do insist. Judging on that little girl's grip, she won't be too keen to be separated from the heroine that saved her." I smiled and the rider's visibly brightened.

"I will come with you to the village then after that let me help you with the bandits. I was the one who got you involved with them in the first place. I'm only a trainee for now but I'm an aspiring pegasus knight so I can help you fight them off. " The rider said determinedly.

"Then your help will be much appreciated." I answered with a grin.

Having a pegasus knight on our side would be a great boon for us. I don't know what her quirk was but she looked like she could handle herself in a fight and she was well equipped with a slim lance.

"Alright. Let's go."

When we got to the village, it was strangely silent. The pegasus rider gracefully landed beside me. We got here within a few minutes, I almost fell off the horse once but it's not that important. The important thing now, was the reason for eerie silence.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I called out.

"Leave us alone, you thugs!" Someone finally shouted though it was quite upsetting to be confused for those vile bandits.

"Go away! Go away! We've got no more gold for you!" Another shouted. I'm guessing this was the reason why this village wasn't practically burnt down to the ground like the other one. Never underestimate the power of bribery.

"No, wait! Please! We're not bandits!" I yelled back. "And I believe, we also have one of yours' to return."

"Remain inside, everyone." I heard an authoritative voice though it was surprisingly belonging to a woman. "I'll go see what's happening."

A woman with pink locks and yellow eyes emerged from one of the houses. She looked to be around my age or maybe a year or two older than me. Noticeably, she had a bow and a quiver full of arrows swung across her torso. She also had some strange device strapped on her waist.

"So you're not bandits? Who are you then?"

Well, that was direct to the point. Saves time then.

"My name is Izuku and I'm just travelling through here with a few companions…" I said deciding to leave my last name out since it might cause some commotion. "And this is…" I turned to the female rider. It just occurred to me that I never knew her name.

"I'm Ochako. Uraraka Ochako, pegasus knight in training." The rider said. "I was flying by when I found this little girl trying to get away from two bandits. Is she a resident here?" Uraraka gestured at the little girl on her arms who seemed to have cried herself to sleep.

The pink haired woman turned to the villagers at the back and gestured. A woman uneasily approached us and gasped as she saw the little girl.

"She's my daughter!" The woman took the daughter from Uraraka in glee. "I was quite worried when she took too long to come back from her errand. Thank you! Thank you very much!"

"Think nothing of it, ma'am but please do watch her more carefully from now on." Uraraka said.

"I will. Thank you so much for helping her!" The woman replied gratefully and with that she left.

"That was a good thing for you to do guys, I mean, girls but is that all you came here for?" The pink haired girl asked.

"Oh, right." I really shouldn't get myself too distracted now. "I'm sorry to spring this on you but there are some bandits heading towards here. My travelling companions are probably fighting them off by now but we needed to warn the village so…"

"That's villages, actually."

"There's another village?" I asked.

"Yeah, there's another village up north though you'll have a harder time getting there with all the wreckage."

Now, that's troubling but conveniently, I have Uraraka here. The wreckage won't be much of a problem on air. "Uraraka-san, can I please count on you to warn that village up north?"

"Sure, no problem." She answered cheerfully. "Leave it to me, Deku-sa-? Wait, I mean, Izuku-san?" Her face twisted into confusion.

I chuckled. I guess it can't be helped. Kacchan did call me Deku earlier. "I really don't mind it but Izuku is my actual name. Deku is just a nickname of sorts."

"Oh. I'll call you Izuku-san then. My offer still stands though. I want to help you with the bandits." It looks like she's still determined to help.

"And it will be much appreciated, Uraraka-san. Come find after you warn the villagers." I smiled. I'm liking her cheerful personality more and more by the minute.

She grinned. "Expect me later then, Izuku-san."

Uraraka mounted her pegasus gracefully took off into the air towards the said village.

Then I heard an impressed whistle beside me. "Now, that's a problem solved fast." I turned to the pink haired girl.

"I guess…" I scratched my cheek uneasily. "And I guess I should really go back to my companions now."

But before I could go and mount my horse, the girl stopped me. "Wait! You're a traveler, right? I'm a traveler of sorts, too."

Ok, so this place must be popular place to pass through…

"The name's Hatsume Mei." That's good to know. She won't only be the pink haired girl in my mind now. "Listen, these villagers have been kind to me. Mind if I lend you a hand on that fight? My babies and I could take down a few of those trash for you." She grinned.

Am I actually hearing things right? Did this pink haired woman just volunteer herself into this mess? More importantly… what the heck did she mean by babies?!

"Um…ok…"

I so did not hesitate because I thought she was weird. Really.

A few minutes after that conversation, I found myself riding with the pink haired girl on my back.

"So, what's an Aizawa's daughter doing out here this far from Yuuei?" She suddenly asked.

I stiffened. How on earth did she know? "Eh?"

"I thought it was suspicious that you didn't mention your last name when your companion readily gave out hers."

Oh. I guess that's understandable.

"How did you find out that I'm an Aizawa though?"

"I saw the locket around your neck." I guess I must have forgotten to tuck it back on my shirt. "Saw the symbol on it. I traveled through Yuuei once and saw your family's crest."

"I'm surprised you saw the symbol on my locket clearly since it's quite tiny. I don't recall you going for a closer look."

"I'm pretty confident about my eyesight."

"Does it have to do with your quirk?"

She gave out that impressed whistle again. "You're quite sharp, Aizawa-sama. A quirk of yours?"

I chuckled. "Yes. You're sharp, Hatsume-san and Izuku will be fine though."

"Well, Izuku-sama, it will be my pleasure to let you call me Mei then." I could hear the mirth on her tone.

She may be weird but she was far from unlikeable. "Noted, Mei-san."

When I was close enough to see the fight, the situation didn't look bad but it didn't look good either. There were a lot of unconscious and immobilized bandits around and Kacchan, Kirishima and Kaminari were holding out but I've noticed they fell a few paces back. And the main cause was probably that quirk user on the rear. Barriers kept popping up every time the guys would attack and disappearing when the bandits would attack. The guys were facing two quirkless bandit at once or in the case of Kirishima, three. The quirkless bandits seemed to be a bit more skilled than they actually look. My companions looked like they had their hands full dealing with them. Fortunately, my companions were skilled enough to dodge them but this situation can't go on for long or we'll be at a disadvantage.

"It's quite abrupt, but would you terribly mind if I ask you to hit that quirk user at the back the moment you find yourself a vantage point, Mei-san?"

"Not at all, Izuku-sama. It will be my pleasure." I could practically feel her eagerness.

Suddenly, I heard a strange sound behind me then some hook tied to a rope shot out towards a tree and the next moment Mei came flying out from behind me towards the tree. So that's what the strange device on her waist was for. Impressive. Too bad I can't whistle so this will have to do:

"Hyuu~"

Mei immediately positioned herself and pointed her arrow at the target I told her about. She took the first shot towards the quirk user. It didn't reach the target though. The bandit was smart enough to put up a barrier around him. I can easily remedy the situation though.

"Do it again, Mei-san!"

This time I used my quirk and the barriers immediately disappeared. And this time, the arrow finally hit their target.

"Nice job! No particular target now, Mei-san! Shoot any of the bandits as you will! Immobilize or weaken them! The two knights and the blonde mountain tribe are on our side!"

Mei gave me a thumbs up and then she proceeded as she was told.

Wait a minute… Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?

"AHHH!" That was definitely a man's shout.

I snapped and turned around. I immediately saw the source. I don't know if I should be impressed or terrified. It was Shinku happily chasing down a bandit who was running for his life. It wasn't too soon when Shinku finally caught up. Caught up, meaning, the bandit was tackled from the back and blasted off towards the wreckage. I cringed. I swear I could hear some bones break.

"Izuku-san!"

"Uraraka-san!"

Uraraka landed next to me and then she put out a money pouch towards me gesturing for me to take it.

"I managed to warn the village up north. They gave this to me when I said we're fighting off the bandits."

Well, I guess it won't be bad to receive it. We could always use the gold for supplies and weaponry for the journey. I really doubt this will be the last time we'll be fighting on our travel.

"Good job, Uraraka-san." I took the pouch from her hands with a grateful smile.

"It wasn't much, Izuku-san. Oh, and I took the pleasure of seeing the enemies from above. There are eleven of them left. Two are going around the wreckage to sneak an attack from behind. The rest are fighting with your companions."

I smiled. Pegasus knights were one of the best scouts in a party. They were also good for advance forces and surprise attacks.

"Can I leave those two bandits to you, Uraraka-san? Attack from the air. Surprise and immobilize them with one strike if you can. Don't push yourself though. Fall back if you can't handle them."

"Count on me, Izuku-san!" And with that Uraraka took off.

It only took a few more minutes after that and the fight was finished. As Kacchan fiercely requested, I stayed at the rear and I stayed out of the fight, not that I really needed to join them though. They already had the fight under control. It was a relatively easy victory anyway with Mei and Uraraka's help.

However, there was one unforeseen accident…

"My beloved spear!"

"Hahahaha! Suck it up, Kaminari!"

"Shut up, Kirishima!"

Well, Kaminari's spear broke. Unsurprising result with how many of the bandits he used it against today.

I am so glad I actually accepted the money now.

After the fight, I went and asked Mei if we could stay in the village for a few hours to eat and rest up. Mei happily responded that the villagers would be glad to have us. I almost asked if we could stay for the night but there were still a few more hours till sun down so we can still do some travelling before the day ends. We'll probably end up camping out but it could definitely speed up our travel.

The villagers did, in fact, welcome us happily. We ended up at the village's inn which also served as a tavern. The villagers offered to treat us a meal and refusing the offer was far from my mind.

"Uraraka-san, Kirishima-san, having a pleasant conversation?" I greeted them with a smile as I sat across them. Uraraka and Kirishima were the only people at our table at the moment. Mei was chatting with the villagers, Kaminari was flirting with some village girl, Kacchan wanted to walk around before our food arrives and Shinku followed him around.

"Izuku-san!" Uraraka greeted.

"We were just talking about our travels, Izuku-sama." Kirishima said.

"I see. By the way, you're a pegasus knight in training, right, Uraraka-san?"

"Yes, Izuku-san. The truth is that I needed to join a band of freelance soldiers or mercenaries to further my training so I'm heading to Yuusari to try my luck and find some group to join in. I'm not very sure if I could find one though." Uraraka said weakly.

She's like me then. I already finished mine recently though. Hmmm… I guess I could recommend her to Uncle Hiza-

"Well then, Uraraka-san, your lovely face doesn't have to worry anymore! I just had the most brilliant beyond brilliant idea!"

Kaminari? He seemed very enthusiastic all of sudden. And since when did he get here? Mei's with him too.

"Why don't join up with our merry little band?! With the lovely Hatsume-san here, we're a fine group of soldiers and freelance to boot!"

Eh? What the- Did Kaminari just seriously, spontaneously, randomly recruited people to join us? Now, I'm just spectacularly speechless.

"Wait, did you just include me?" Mei asked as she pointed to herself in confusion.

"Of course! We were destined to meet here. It's fate!" Kaminari exclaimed. "Come now, Katsuki-sama's band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere!"

"This is no joking matter, Kaminari!" Yes, Kirishima, be the voice of reason and straighten this insanity out. I wholeheartedly support you! "Don't go forcing people to join us! They have to agree to it first!"

Now, that hope escalated and dropped just as quickly.

"So I'm part of this shindig now too?" Mei-san, why on earth do you sound so happy? "Hahaha, no problem. This looks interesting. I'll join up! I could probably use my babies a lot more if I travel with you!"

I give up. And what on earth did she mean by babies?!

"Is this really ok, Izuku-san?" Uraraka's meek voice asked. At least someone still seems sane but then again it might not actually be bad if they join us. We could fight off assassins more efficiently this way. Uraraka and Mei don't seem bad too.

"It's fine, Uraraka-san. I'm sure Kacchan won't mind." Unless you annoy him that is, but, for some reason, I do feel quite confident that I could convince him if needed.

"Well then, please take care of me from now on." Uraraka bowed politely.

"Us too then, Uraraka-san."

"Well, that's decided then! We now have two more lovely flowers in our party!" Oi Kaminari-san, you didn't just recruit the two of them to flirt with them, right? "With our lovely tactician Lady Aizawa here, we will be a force to reckon with! It was almost too bad that Lady Aizawa was already taken by Katsuki-sama or I would really have made my move by now."

Wait- Did Kaminari just-

Kirishima grinned. "You shouldn't flirt with anyone in the first place, Kaminari. But I do agree that Katsuki-sama lucked out having you as his wife, Izuku-sama!"

No, no, no! Does this mean that all this time… Kaminari and Kirishima thought I was married to… I swear I could feel the heat overwhelming my cheeks. For goodness sake-

"EH?! You're already married, Izuku-san?!"

No, I'm not, Uraraka-san!

"I'm surprised too, Izuku-sama. You looked so innocent that I never really thought you had it in you to be married to a guy like that!"

Please don't include innocence in this conversation, Mei-san!

"WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE MARRIED, DEKU?!"

I wanna die.

My face flushed and I could hear a lot of confused "Eh?" in the background. Then suddenly, Kacchan took hold of both of my wrists and held my hands up to his face as if looking for something.

"Fucking bastard can't even get you a ring." Kacchan's angry? "Break up with the asshole and ditch him on a trash heap somewhere, Deku."

Wha-

"Eto…Katsuki-sama?" Kaminari-san? "Weren't you the asshole, Katsuki-sama?"

"Huh?"

Kacchan blinked.

"HUH?!"

"Calm down, Katsuki-sama. I think me and Kaminari just made a mistake here. We kinda thought… well, we really thought… we thought that you and Izuku-sama…are married…I mean you were with her when we met you and…you two kinda act like you were one so…"

I think I just exploded.

I glanced up at Kacchan but the expression on his face was unreadable covered by the shadows of his hair. Then my eyes turned to his ears. They were red.

Oh god.

Kacchan's actually embarrassed.

"Oh no…" A troubled voice snapped me up and it was surprisingly from Kirishima. "I think we may have a bit of a problem, Izuku-sama."

"Eh?"

"Remember the letter that the Marques instructed me to send to someone? Well…I may or may not have written that Katsuki-sama is travelling with his wife…meaning…you, Izuku-sama."

I'm doomed.

"Ah! But don't worry too much, Izuku-sama! I didn't really write your name just that you are from a high-ranking noble family in Yuuei and besides we don't really know who the receiver is so it might not even matter that much!"

Doomsday has got nothing on this whirlpool of insanity.

(A lot of miles away. Yuuei. Aizawa Manor. Aizawa Shouta's office.)

Aizawa Shouta relaxed in his chair as his wife, Aizawa Inko, poured the tea for him. For once, he wasn't working in the castle swamped with paperwork. He still has a lot of paperwork regarding some matters of the family left to work on but at least, he could take the afternoon off with his wife.

That was until a bulky blonde man known as King Yagi Toshinori opened the office doors and strolled inside with a letter on his hand.

"King All Might? This is a sudden a visit. What brings you here?" Shouta inquired.

"I'm afraid it's a very urgent matter that can't wait, Aizawa-kun." The king put a hand on Inko's shoulder when he saw the woman stand up to leave. "I think you should also hear this Inko-san. It involves a rather close friend of yours."

"Is something wrong, Toshinori-sama?" Inko asked worriedly.

"I think you'll find it as good news, Inko-san."

The king showed the letter to the couple.

Bakugou Katsuki is found and secured. Heading to Yamanashi from Hosu with Katsuki-sama's consort, a daughter from a high-ranking noble family in Yuuei.

It was a very brief message but one that weighed heavily.

Shouta heard a sob from his wife but he knew the tears were not from sadness but from relief. That Katsuki boy's mother, Mitsuki, had been a very close friend to his wife along with another woman called Rei. Her friend Rei had died a few years ago so Inko was practically devastated when she heard that another friend of hers' died.

Shouta went over to his wife and lightly offered her comfort.

"Thank you for sharing this, Toshinori-sama. I really appreciate it." Inko said gratefully finally composing herself.

"No worries, Inko-san. I know you were very close with the boy's mother." The king responded.

"I believe you still have the items that Gran Torino-sama sent you, King All Might?" Shouta asked remembering the letters and the two items that the Marques sent months ago for safekeeping. One of the letters was actually for his wife bringing the news of her friend's tragedy.

"I have the crest and the ring, Aizawa-kun." The king replied. "I believe you have someone in mind that's fast and trustworthy enough to deliver these items?"

Inko straightened up and gently broke away from her husband's hold. "Let me call Shinsou Hitoshi for you, Shouta, Toshinori-sama."

With that, Inko left the room leaving the two men. It really amazed the raven haired man just how fast his wife could figure out his plans sometimes.

But something's nagging at the back of his mind though. The letter said that the boy was married to a noble's daughter from Yuuei. His beloved daughter's face popped into his mind. Impossible. That would take one hell of a coincidence for that to happen.

Besides, he would definitely hear it if any scu- man dared to marry his daughter, right?

OMAKE

(Aizawa Izuku's unread letter to Aizawa Shouta and Aizawa Inko in transit)

Dear Papa, Mama,

How are you two doing back home? I hope this letter finds you both in good health.

I know my letter is a bit late than usual but a lot of things happened in the last few days. I have completed the required fieldwork and I have split with Uncle Hizashi and his group a few days ago favoring to travel on my own. A lot happened on those last few days and it really kept me on my toes. Nothing really, really bad happened. It was nothing I couldn't handle. I'm quite alright. No major injuries to worry about. Really. I mean I still have both of my eyes, my nose isn't broken, my fingers and toes are all intact and nothing's wrong with my head so I'm in good health.

I actually met someone. Well, a someone and his pet. I was actually scared of him at first but later he proved to be quite kind and he became my friend. He was a member of the mountain tribe. His pet is adorable too. It's a baby wyvern, well it looks a bit different from a normal one but it's still adorable. We've named it Shinku after the color of his scales. Those two actually became my new travelling companions. It was unexpected but it was something I wholeheartedly welcomed as well. I feel safer with them.

When we reached Hosu, we met two knights who said some very important things especially to my companion. As facts came to light, I gained a new destination in mind. I want to accompany my friend to Yamanashi. I know it's a bit of detour but it's still on our home's general direction so I hope you forgive me if my return would be delayed a little but I really want to do this. I want to be there for my friend and I want support him. I feel like I would regret it for life if I won't.

Papa, you've always said that some things are best decided by the heart and I'm listening to it. I'm listening to what my heart tells me.

And the two knights are also travelling with us so I will be quite safe. You and Mama don't have to worry too much. I may a bit clumsy but I did also manage to complete my training so I'll be an official tactician soon enough. I know you two are quite protective of me but I can take care of myself and I won't be alone. I have trustworthy companions with me.

Say hi to King Toshi and give princess Eri a kiss for me. Tell her I miss her so much. And tell Hii-kun not to stay up so late at night. I got the feeling that he went back to that bad habit of his while I'm gone.

By the way, that goes for you too, Papa. I know you have a bit of insomnia but I heard from someone I met in my travels that chamomile tea before bed would be good for you. I know Mama will be happy to make you one.

I love you both and give my regards to everyone in the manor. I miss you both so much.

Your daughter,

Izuku

PS. The friend I was talking about, his name is Bakugou Katsuki. He nicknamed me Deku the moment I introduced myself so now I call him Kacchan. He's a bit rough around the edges but he's kind and he's someone I could trust with my life.

Another long chapter and another posted-later-than-intended chapter. I was unexpectedly dragged with the rest of my family to my grandparent's place for a few weeks and I had no access to my computer or even the internet during that duration so this chapter was late.

I'm really sorry for the delay but I hope that the length and the content of this chapter could make up for all the waiting.

And also pardon me if you find some mistakes or skipped words. I checked this chapter twice but since it's quite long I may have missed some mistakes.

Now, I'd like to give my thanks to the users who followed and put this fic on their favorite list! It made me happy to see that a lot of people are actually reading this fic. And, of course, I'd like to give special thanks to the reviewers! I was very happy to read your positive reviews and it made writing this long chapters a lot more worth it. Arigatou!

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