Himiko leads Emily to her room, closing the door behind them before she confronts her friend. Emily had already sat down on her bed, nervously fiddling with a tan cat plush that was left out.

"So." Himiko started.

"I screwed up!" Emily exclaimed.

Himiko groaned. "Way to state the obvious."

Emily crossed her arms, hugging the plush to her chest as she looked away. "I just - I let my emotions get the better of me. Half of us were at zero points anyways, so it didn't seem like a big deal! But then Tomoe had to sacrifice her spot in the third round, followed by Atsuko hurting herself - how was I supposed to feel after that?"

Himiko felt hurt. "And what about how I felt?"

Emily snapped her head around to stare at Himiko, a dumbfounded expression on her face. "How you felt?"

"Yes! You're talking about yourself, and how you hurt Tomoe and Atsuko, but then you hurt me by throwing your match!"

"What…?"

Himiko wanted to scream. It took all of her control to keep her voice low. "Do I seriously have to spell it out? I wanted to fight you! Didn't you even care? You, Miss 'self-proclaimed quirk enthusiast,' didn't want to help one of your best friends see what she could do when her quirk awakened!"

Emily's eyes went wide as Himiko continued.

"Yes, I refuse to be your rival, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy our sparring!" Himiko felt herself blushing as she admitted that out loud.

"But Ryo is literally your designated sparring partner?" Emily's expression morphed to one of confusion.

"Yes! For my knife fighting skills! But now that my quirk is super cool? He didn't stand a chance! And you want to know why? Because of you and Izu! As much as your quirk analysis annoys me, I still learned a lot, and used it today!"

Emily blinked.

"Izu told me how they stopped the Nomu. I knew Uraraka would be perfect to deal with Ryo. At least, facing you, it would have been exciting! I would have had to think about what to do, and you would have had to adapt!"

"But, can't we spar at school?"

Himiko rolled her eyes. "By the time we spar at school you and Izu will have dissected my quirk. Today it was new and exciting! Just like how fighting Fuwa was exciting!"

Himiko stood there and waited. Her therapist was right, letting it out made her feel better. She didn't realize how complicated her own feelings towards Emily had become until that very moment.

"You had to settle with Fuwa instead of me?" Emily asked.

Himiko rolled her eyes. "Of course that's what you would focus on. Yes! Because you abandoned me over your stupid pride, I had to settle on Fuwa."

Emily sat there and stared at Himiko, before she fell onto her side, a stunned look on her face. "I'm a bad friend."

Feeling guilty, Himiko sits down. "Now do you get why I'm upset?"

"Yeah."

They sat in heavy silence, until Emily finally spoke. "I think it would have been fun, but then I would have won the event and we would have both felt bad."

Himiko couldn't help but laugh. Grabbing her pillow, she hit Emily with it. "Says you! My quirk is the best now!"

"Ow!"

"See? No chance." Himiko couldn't help but grin.

Emily sat up, some of her defiance coming back. "Fine, maybe you would have won and it would have turned out ok. But only because you had the element of surprise!"

Himiko stuck her tongue out at the other girl.

Emily turns away from Himiko. "I'm sorry I was such a disaster today."

This surprised Himiko. Even though Emily is getting better, she still rarely apologized. "You remember how much of a mess I am, right?"

"But you hide it so well!"

Himiko laughed. "That's because I have Izu and mom. They help a lot."

Thankfully Emily was still looking away from Himiko, so she didn't have to hide her rising blush. "And I have you to help me."

"H-hey now! You have our other friends too!"

"B-but they aren't here right now! You're still the one who called me out."

Himiko sighed. "You probably should apologize to Tomoe and 'Suko as well, you know."

"Don't worry, I will."

Suddenly, Emily turned and grabbed Himiko, pulling her into a hug. Himiko felt her face heating up from the sudden contact, before she hugged the other girl back.

"And just so you know I am still going to kick your ass the next time we spar in Heroics. It's not fair to take out my aggression on Ryo all the time."

She could feel Emily shudder as she was laughing. "I'd like to see you try!"

Pulling away, Emily smiled at Himiko. "We should get going, hopefully everything is set up and waiting for the appearance of the winner and her guest of honor?"

Himiko laughed and shoved Emily off the bed. She was glad they had the conversation, and felt like she was ready to enjoy the evening.

Returning to the living room, the pair saw that everyone had arranged themselves around the living room, with Izuku and Ochako being forced to sit on the floor. Himiko snickered as she plopped down on the couch next to Inko, while Emily sat on the other side of the couch next to her mom.

When Izuku started the recording, Himiko felt Inko wrap her arms around her shoulder, and she leaned into her mom. She knew she wasn't going to be escaping for the next two hours, and she was perfectly happy with that.

The commentary began in the second round, as the students were able to see the quirkball match from different angles. They were actually surprised to see a dramatic shot of the finale, showing viewers a scene of Tomoe forcefully transferring points to Atsuko. That made her happy, from where she was sitting Himiko could see the relief on Atsuko's face.

When the third round began, the commentary grew even louder. It was mostly from Izuku and Emily, of course, but the rest of her friends chimed in as well. When her match with Habiki began, Himiko felt her mom tighten her grip as the room fell silent, only for everyone to break out in cheers at the exact moment of her quirk awakening.

"I need a permanent copy of that video."

"Speak for yourself! That was super embarrassing! Imagine getting hit with your own quirk!" Habiki fired back.

Himiko stuck her tongue out at her friend while Inko patted her arm.

"Don't worry, I'm never going to delete this recording."

Himiko couldn't even be annoyed by Izuku and Emily spending the rest of the time theorizing about her quirk. Instead she just enjoyed her mom's warmth, and the company of her friends cheering each other on.

After they had finished watching the festival, the Songs invited everyone to a local barbeque place, much to Himiko's delight. When they arrived, a member of the staff recognized Himiko immediately, causing her to blush profusely as practically the entire staff of the restaurant visited their table to congratulate her.

The unexpected attention reinforced her desire to become an underground hero. However, she did have to admit that it felt nice getting this much attention once in a while. And a small part of her hoped that, due to all of the attention she was getting, the Togas found out what she did today. Not only did she want her parents to know she is thriving now, but she also wanted Hifumi to be proud of her big sister.

Ochako was thankful that there was nobody participating in the sports festival today. After the last two nights of celebration, she was looking forward to a less eventful evening before their 3-day break began.

Arriving back at the Midoriyas' apartment, they arranged themselves on the couch, with Himiko making sure that Ochako was sitting next to Izuku. She felt her face heating up as Himiko gave her a predatory look. There was something different about it, something else behind the older girl's usual teasing, that she was unable to decipher.

After they watched the final day of the event, Inko prepared a meal of blood sausage for dinner. It was a new experience for Ochako, but Himiko explained it was one of her favorites, for obvious reasons. After sitting down for dinner, everyone began talking about their plans for the rest of the week.

Eventually, Inko turned to Ochako. "Uraraka, dear, what are you planning on doing for your break?"

Ochako paused to look at Inko, noticing a gleam in her eyes. She remembered that look and shuddered. The last time she saw that look was when she was pulled into the current arrangement, after all. She wondered what the woman had in store for her this time.

"I just want to relax! School has been super busy ever since we started. It will be nice to just have a couple days to myself."

Inko chuckled. "I can imagine. I know these two are planning on enjoying themselves."

Izuku and Himiko both looked at their mom and nodded vigorously.

"Do you plan on coming over at all?"

There it was. Ochako wasn't going to back down this time! As much as she enjoyed spending time with them, she was still capable of being independent!

Ochako shook her head. "No! I think I just want a few days by myself to relax!"

She was surprised when Inko didn't look disappointed. Rather, she simply smiled as if she knew something, which was somehow worse.

"That's understandable. Well, if you change your mind, just let us know."

Ochako felt mixed emotions. While she appears to have evaded whatever Inko was planning, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. That was almost too easy.

The next morning Ochako was walking home, bag of groceries in hand. Looking down, she couldn't help but smile at the bag of fresh mochi tucked on top. Thanks to Inko, the few meals she ate by herself were much better than they would have been, and she was even able to indulge a little.

When she returned to her apartment, she noticed that the door was unlocked, putting her on edge. She was sure she had locked it before she left. Cautiously opening the door, she peered inside to see that there were two pairs of shoes already there. She didn't have any time to think about whose they were before she heard two familiar voices down the hallway.

"Ochako!"

"Surprise!"

Ochako gasped as her parents rushed towards her. Although she was disappointed when they stopped and didn't envelope her in a hug, the way Inko usually did.

"Mom, dad?"

"After I talked to you on the phone, I just knew we had to come and visit you!" Her father, Katashi Uraraka, explained.

"Don't you have to work?"

Her mom, Miu Uraraka, shook her head. "We can afford to let our employees handle things for a couple days, and we wanted to see our little girl!"

Ochako felt her eyes watering before she rushed forward and pulled both of her parents into a hug, startling them. It was a habit she had picked up from the Midoriyas, one she was a fan of.

Once the three untangled themselves, her mother continued. "Besides, we also want to meet Mrs. Midoriya, and her children. I want to thank her personally for taking care of you."

Ochako felt her face turning red as she realized that Inko and her parents had planned this.

As it turns out, Miu had been on the phone with Inko almost immediately after the first year's competition ended. She told her that they wanted to surprise Ochako with a visit, and while they were in Mustafu they would love to meet her as well. Inko was also interested in meeting them, and they arranged a lunchtime meetup at a local cafe that was a favorite of hers.

As they were walking there, Miu noticed how nervous her daughter was.

"Honey, why are you so nervous?"

"It's not like we're meeting your boyfriend or anything." Her father added.

Ochako squeaked in embarrassment and felt her face heating up, causing her parents to laugh. She should have known that her little crush would get back to her parents. Of course, if she confronted Himiko about it, the girl would just laugh in her face and try to goad her into doing something.

"I just hope that you like them!" Ochako tried to defend herself. "After all, they've done so much for me. It would be awkward if you guys didn't get along!"

"Oh honey, I think it'll be ok." Her mother tried to reassure her. "I have talked with Mrs. Midoriya on the phone several times over the past few weeks, and she seems like a wonderful person."

"Y-you have?"

"Of course! I have to check up on my daughter, and I know you're busy with school."

Ochako didn't believe that for a second, but she felt better as they approached the cafe. If they've already been talking, that means that hopefully they both have some idea what to expect, and it won't be a complete surprise.

Now if only that was the only thing she was worried about.

She didn't have time to dwell on that further as they turned the corner and saw the cafe, with Izuku and his family standing out front. Smiling, Ochako began waving to get their attention.

Inko smiled and waved back. "Oh, you must be Miu and Katashi Uraraka! It's so nice to meet you finally!"

Ochako's dad spoke first. "No, the pleasure is all ours. It's nice to finally meet the woman who has been taking care of our little girl. I hope she hasn't been giving you any trouble."

Inko shook her head. "No, not at all! She fits right in with our family."

"Is that so?" Ochako's dad asked, before giving Izuku a hard stare.

Ochako felt her face heating as she watched the silent confrontation. Somehow, Izuku was able to hold out longer, shifting uncomfortably for a bit before his face started turning red as well. Fortunately they were both saved when Himiko burst out laughing, destroying the mood.

Of course, Himiko was going to enjoy every minute of this.

"Well, I think we should go inside!" Ochako announced. "We can't eat while we're standing around out here!"

Izuku nodded vigorously in agreement, and their parents took pity on them, letting the two lead the way. Izuku chose a table that could accommodate all six of them, and they sat down.

Just like with the barbeque place, one of the waitstaff recognized Himiko, and congratulated her. Himiko's response was to sutter and blush, before she composed herself enough to thank the girl. It was actually kind of cute, and would be disarming if Ochako wasn't fully aware of how terrifying Himiko Midoriya could actually be when she wanted to.

After they settled in and placed their orders, the conversation resumed.

"Oh, and before I forget! Congratulations on winning! And congratulations on taking 4th place! You must be proud of your kids." Ochako's dad said.

"I am!" Inko smiled.

"I was originally going to be happy with top 16, but then my quirk awakened!" Himiko was beaming.

"A quirk awakening? Is that why you could use Chako's quirk in the final match?"

"Yep! My quirk is the best!"

"That is an impressive quirk, letting you copy other quirks like that!"

"How long can you stay transformed like that?"

Himiko looked at Izuku to answer.

"It depends on how much blood she ingests. While we know exactly how long she can stay transformed based on how much blood she drinks, we still don't know if copying someone's quirk changes that. The matches at the sports festival were too short for us to figure it out."

"Wait, so that means you had to drink Chako's blood for your match?"

When Ochako heard her dad ask the question, she felt her blood freeze. Looking over, she saw that they were clearly uncomfortable with the idea.

"Dad, it's ok!" Ochako was waving her arms frantically, trying to play damage control. "She was really good about it, she asked permission and used a syringe and she even gave me a bandage afterwards!"

"Apologize to my daughter." Inko said.

Looking across the table, Ochako saw that it was too late, and Himiko was clearly hurt by their response. She knew that her childhood was not great, but to see the pain on her face was something new. The fact that it was caused by her parents just made it worse.

Miu turned towards Inko. "We're sorry, we just were taken back by the fact that your daughter drinks blood to use her quirk."

"As you said yourself, my daughter has a wonderful quirk. So what if she has a rare activation condition and needs blood to use it? It's not like Himi forced your daughter to do anything. She willingly helped."

Ochako looked at her parents and silently pleaded with them. They turned to each other and quietly deliberated amongst themselves, and after a few awkward moments of silence they both turned towards Himiko.

"We're sorry, young lady. Neither of us has met anyone with a blood-based quirk before and it just caught us off guard."

The tension seemed to leave Himiko, being replaced with determination. "I shouldn't be ashamed of my quirk."

Himiko pulled out her phone and showed them her lock screen, a picture of her kneeling next to a little girl, both of them proudly displaying fanged smiles.

"And little girls like her, she shouldn't have to feel ashamed of her quirk either. That's why I'm going to become a great hero! To show people that there's nothing wrong with blood-based quirks."

Ochako's dad looked away. "No wonder you won yesterday. You're a strong young woman."

"You're right, we shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about you."

Inko looked at Himiko, before turning back to Ochako's parents, her expression softening. "Thank you."

"You really care about your kids." Ochako's mom observed.

Inko simply wore a smile of pride as she looked at Izuku and Himiko, and nodded. She knew what they both went through, and she was proud of how strong they had become in spite of that.

Meanwhile, Ochako felt relief wash over her. "Anyways! Since her opponent had super-regeneration, Himiko couldn't just use a combat quirk to stop him. But she remembered what I did at the USJ, so she asked for my help!"

"Yep!" Himiko jumped in as she started smiling again. "Uraraka's quirk was perfect! It was my first win against Ryo ever! It felt great!"

"Well, I'm glad Chako was able to help you, then!" Her father said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Ochako couldn't help but listen as Izuku began gushing about her quirk to her parents. She still had trouble following his quirk analysis, but she was getting better. And for his part, Izuku was also getting better with his explanations. Sure, when he was with Emily those two operated on a different level, but now that he had classmates who were actually interested in learning more about their quirks, he was learning to slow down, and explain his ideas in simpler terms.

After that, the conversation became more pleasant, as the topic shifted to the safer realm of heroics and school. Ochako was proud to inform her parents that having Izuku as a study partner has been helping keep her grades up. Because everyone at UA was already at the top of their class in middle school, she was worried that she would fall behind because she was going to a more competitive high school. But thanks to Izuku, she was able to stay in the top half of the class.

They were thankfully able to avoid any more incidents as they sat in the cafe and talked for hours. They would have stayed longer, but were forced to stop when they realized what time it was, and Ochako's parents had to leave so they wouldn't miss their train.

"It was nice meeting you! I'm glad knowing my Chako is in good hands."

Inko smiled. "Barring initial unpleasantness, it was good meeting you. I can see where your daughter gets it from."

Ochako's father looked embarrassed. "I'm real sorry about that."

While her parents were apologizing again, Himiko grabbed Ochako and pulled her close, whispering to her. "Don't worry, mom still likes the future in-laws."

Ochako turned bright red and squeaked at that, trying to form a sentence in protest but failing. Her embarrassed flailing caused all three parents to turn, laughing when they saw her flustered condition. At least Izuku was nice enough to give her a sympathetic smile.

After they parted ways, Ochako sighed in relief. She had suffered enough embarrassment to last a lifetime, and wanted to crawl in a hole and hide for a few years until everyone forgot about her. Thankfully her parents took pity on her, and didn't subject her to any more teasing.

"It's only been a few weeks, but we're proud of you." Her father said as they were walking towards the platform.

"You're growing into a fine young woman." Her mother agreed.

Ochako smiled at her parents, tears building in her eyes. "Thanks! With my friends, I know I can keep my promise, and I'm going to become a great hero!"

Both of her parents smiled warmly at her and the three shared a hug, before her parents walked to the train, waving goodbye to their daughter

She waved back, before watching her parents board their train. She stayed on the platform and watched the train pull out of the station before she finally turned around and left. Her parents were only able to stay for one night, but even the short time with them was enough to lift her spirits, and she walked home with a smile on her face.

Next year, I'm going to beat Bakugo and show everyone how awesome my quirk is!

When she returned to her apartment she collapsed onto her bed. While she normally appreciated the silence after a long day, she didn't think she was ready for it to be over yet. Pulling out her cell phone, she selected a number and began dialing, a smile forming on her lips when she heard him pick up.

"Hey Deku!"

In his agency, Hawks was going through a stack of folders, reviewing potential candidates from the many hero schools across Japan. While it was a holiday for many people, for a professional hero like himself, this week was the time to seek out new talent for his agency. From watching the sports festivals, to reviewing students files, and writing internship offers.

His focus was interrupted when he heard his phone ringing, the ringtone one he chose specifically to identify the caller. On instinct, he picked up his phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

He heard the voice on the other line. "You want me to take a look at Midoriya? UA's second year winner?"

He remembered seeing her in action, and was impressed by her flexibility, but she wasn't someone he was personally interested in. He was hoping for someone who could use their quirk for flight, and was able to keep up with him. She, on the other hand, seemed more suited for underground heroics.

"I see. You think she would be a good recruit, and want me to gauge her interest?"

As he was listening, he turned to his computer and entered her name into the system, bringing up her file.

"I agree, she has a lot of potential, but that ain't my area of expertise. Don't you have someone more suitable for recruiting her?"

He heard the argument, and frowned. Of course, as the winner, she would be flooded with offers, and they would need someone high profile, such as himself, to attract her attention.

"Alright. I'll prepare the offer. I can't make any promises though. Is there anything else?"

The voice on the other line didn't have anything else to add, and said their goodbyes.

"Have a good afternoon, Madam President."

Hawks hung up his phone and added the name 'Himiko Midoriya' to the list of students to send an offer to, before returning to the stack of folders in front of him.

AN: Alt dialogue from the first half of the chapter:

Himiko: "Don't you get it? We are shonen characters! One of the ways we express our emotions is through fighting each other!"
Emily: "...Shit"

Also this week I properly launched my second multi-chapter story, Back to the Beginning, if you are interested in seeing my take on a time travel story, please check it out!