Prologue:

Once upon a time…

A boy fell in love with a girl… in a world where humans have evolved into more complex beings. Some had the speed of a cat. Some had the flight of an eagle. Some had the strength of a bear. These mutated humans were referred to as Hybrids, and often had the physical characteristics of the animals they resembled.

The boy's name was Homura. And the girl's name was Kiri. Homura was a bunny Hybrid, cute and shy. His legs were stronger than most, and his large, fuzzy ears could pick up sounds for miles. Kiri was a badger Hybrid, fearless and bold. She had long, sharp claws on her hands and black and white striped hair on her head. After years of relentless pursuit, Kiri eventually fell for the persistent bunny boy, and the two of them spent all their free time together. And many romantic evenings later, Kiri became pregnant.

It wasn't unusual for two different Hybrids to form a close bond like Homura and Kiri did. What was unusual was when their child was born without any mutations at all. Yui was completely normal—she was born as an ordinary human.

The pair raised their daughter in a lone cottage out in the woods, about a mile from the nearest town. In the northern hemisphere, it was always cold year-round, and there was scarcely a time when you could see the green grass beneath the snow. They would take walks into town to visit friends, buy groceries and stop by the library, which quickly became Yui's favorite place to visit. And when she was a whole nine years old, Homura and Kiri finally decided that she was grown enough to make the trip on her own.

Yui spent most of her childhood holed away in the written adventures of others. She read of tales from southern seas, where all different fish Hybrids swam in the open ocean, feeling the salty breeze through their scales. She knew of the northern mountains, where hawk Hybrids with great red wings soared into the clouds.

Yui didn't mind being an ordinary human in a world of Hybrids. And although she always wondered what it would be like to have some sort of awesome power, she loved her simple life. She loved her parents and her home, and she loved her books.

But then… people in the town started going missing. And Yui's parents forbade her from going into town alone anymore. This went on for weeks, as more and more people were lost. Yui became frustrated as she waited to be able to read of the world's adventures again. And one day… one of the missing townsfolk showed up again… floating upside down in a stream, red water running beside the body as it drifted down from the top of the highest mountain in the forest—the forest where Homura and Kiri lived.

Not long after, the family moved south to warmer weather and a much busier environment. Yui had trouble adjusting to the city life, where it seemed like everyone knew each other and she was just a stranger. And in this particular corner of the world, being an ordinary human was apparently something to poke fun at.

Yui started going to public school in the city and was ignored or harassed during her time there. No one wanted to be friends with a non-Hybrid. The strong ones would push her around. The fast ones would steal her textbooks. And some with loud voices would startle her by cawing in her ears. It was absolute misery, and all Yui could do was dream of her snowy village and the warm library.

About five years later… Homura and Kiri's love story came to an end. Yui was old enough to know what had happened—her father was having an affair with a woman at his work. She remembered her mother's tears at the betrayal. And she remembered her father's words, She's a bunny, like me, Kiri. She's just like me. She feels like home. And you're… you're just… You wouldn't understand…

And although Kiri seemed to understand, Yui didn't. Her parents loved each other for all those years, and even Hybrids were all still fifty-percent human. It didn't matter what was in your genes. It didn't matter the shape of your tail or the fur on your ears. A badger and a bunny fell in love once… So, all that mattered was if you loved each other… right? She couldn't help but think that was how it should be, and for a long time she wondered why her parents couldn't see it like that…

Kiri took Yui and fled. And she fled to the only place she knew—back to the snowy mountains and Yui's warm library. At first, Yui was thrilled to be home. But once it settled in that her father was truly gone, she took to hiding in her room most of the time, cuddled up with her blankets and a box of tissues.

Homura's betrayal changed everything.

Her mother got a new job and left Yui alone most days. Sometimes she would come home late at night, and Yui would hear the clanking of metal or the snapping of wood. But before she could creep out of her room and see what her mother was up to, the old master bedroom door would be slammed shut, and her mother would angrily shoo her back to bed.

Kiri barely spoke to anyone anymore. Even on trips to the village to buy groceries, she never said greetings to old friends. She would always want to rush home to lock herself in the master bedroom, day after day.

Weeks and months went by, and before Yui knew it, it was her eighteenth birthday. As per the past few years, there was no celebration. Her mother had no idea what day it was. The only day of the year her mother noticed was her parents' old anniversary. Her mother would spend the whole day locked away, sobbing. So, Yui made a wish at the night sky, just like the years before. I hope one day, I know what real love is. And when she figured it out, she would tell her mother. And maybe then she wouldn't be so sad all the time.

A few weeks later, her mother came home early from work, and Yui rushed out to meet her, hoping maybe they could spend some time together, for once in a long time.

"Mom! You're home—" she paused.

"Go inside, Yui. Now."

"Mom… your shoulder… you're bleeding… everywhere…" The snow was littered with red splotches where her mother had trailed back home.

"Inside, Yui! Now!" she snarled, her nose scrunching up in a low snarl. Her black and white hair puffed out and her sharp claws were elongated.

"What happened?" Yui asked, running back for the door. Her mother slammed it shut behind them.

"…Nothing," she replied slowly, lowering her head.

"What do you mean, 'nothing'? You're bleeding!"

"Go to bed, Yui."

"No! You always do this! Ever since dad left! You barely talk to me! You never leave that room! —What's even in there, anyway?! What's in there that's so important that you've destroyed your life over it?!"

"Enough of this! Go to bed. Now."

"No! I never see you anymore! When dad left, it's like I lost you both!

"You wouldn't understand." Those same words her father used…

"Then tell me, Mom, please!"

There was silence as Kiri's claws slowly went back to their normal length and her hair flattened on top of her head. She just slowly shook her head at her daughter.

"What do you even do all day?" Yui asked, a pang of sadness taking over her waves of anger. Her eyes lowered to the floor, where one more droplet of her mother's blood lay.

"I provide for this family."

"What family?" Yui murmured under her breath.

"Don't act like a child. I work so I can afford a roof over our heads and food for us. And I keep us safe."

"Safe?" she echoed, looking the badger Hybrid up and down. "Mom, you're covered in blood."

"The other guy looks much worse," she said with a shrug.

"What does that even mean?" she sighed. Although she knew the conversation wasn't going anywhere, Yui was happy just to be talking with her mother. It felt like it had been years since the last time they had a real conversation.

"My claws are sharp as steel. You don't have to worry about me, darling."

"You're not going to tell me what you do for work then?"

"No, Yui."

"What about what's in that room you always hide in?"

Her mother sighed. "Go to bed, Yui. Now."

Without another word, Kiri headed for the master bedroom and locked herself inside, without even turning back to see the tears that ran down Yui's face, as she prayed for her mom to look at her one last time…

A few days later, Kiri never came home.

Yui sat in bed all day, thinking that her mother was simply late, or didn't have time to come home the night before. But after a couple more days of silence, she knew something was wrong. She grabbed a thick coat and headed down the mountain trail towards the village, and when she arrived, a crowd surrounded the old water wheel that provided energy to power the locals' farm equipment.

As she neared the crowd, she saw something floating in the water near the wheel and got a strange sense of déjà vu. She only had to take a few more shaky steps forward before she saw the same thing from years ago. Streams of red ran through the water, as stripes of black and white hair bobbed up and down around the lifeless figure, facedown in the town's water.

No… Please, god, no…

Yui took a few slow steps back from the crowd, her legs too shaky to move any faster… Until a few moments later when the adrenaline finally hit, and she turned and sprinted back up the mile-long trail, ignoring the shouts of the villagers behind her as they finally realized who was in the water.

Yui screamed as she cried. She screamed as she barged through the door of her old family's home. She screamed as she stormed through the kitchen to the small hallway, and she screamed as she banged on the door to the master bedroom. She reached for the doorknob, and for the first time in over a decade, she barged into her parents' old bedroom…

Only to stand quietly at the threshold.

Weapons.

Hybrid pelts.

Sharpening tools.

And at the far end of the room was a lone desk. On top of it was an old photo in a scratched, wooden frame—of Yui as a child, both her parents smiling and laughing as they hugged her from behind. They looked so happy… They were happy once…

She felt the sobs coming on, but looked down to find a sealed envelope, her name written delicately on the outside in cursive—her mother's handwriting.

She ripped it open with her dull, human nails and pulled out a handwritten letter from inside.

My dearest Yui,

If you're reading this, I'm probably dead. I have too many regrets to write down on a single letter, so let me just say that I'm sorry I abandoned you. It's no excuse, but when your father left, I felt alone. I should've realized that I wasn't because you were always right there, but I was too blinded by my own fears and anguish. I did to you what your father did to me, without realizing it, and that alone is worth a thousand lifetimes of regret.

The mortgage on the house has been paid in full, so you can live in it without cost. You'll have to get a job to afford food and water. There is a safe under the desk where I kept all the money I saved over the years, and it should be plenty to get you started. I left it unlocked and the key is in the drawer to your right.

I'm sure you're wondering a lot of things right now, especially after seeing this room I've kept hidden from you all these years. I wanted you to be able to live without fear, but I'm afraid it's time for me to tell you something.

Not all Hybrids are good.

Hybrids take on the physical characteristics of their animal halves, but they also take on personality traits. For example, a Labrador Hybrid is generally playful and loyal. Look around this room. Notice the furs on the walls. —

Yui paused to take another look at the pelts around the room. There was a large pelt, with dark brown fur and two plump, round ears on top. Another was a matching pair—dark red ears and a white-tipped tail to match. And the last was a gorgeous, short blonde pelt, with two sharp-pointed ears on top of its head. A matching long blonde tail hung beneath it.

Bear Hybrids are violent and angry predators. Foxes are sly and natural liars. Wolves are smart and cunning killers. And rabbits are fickle, selfish creatures. The villagers that went missing so many years ago were a result of aggressive Hybrids in the mountains. Those villagers were killed. Their bodies were found mutilated in the mountains. They were the reason your father and I decided to move to the city back then. When we returned, I found and hunted the Hybrids that were a threat to the village, and a threat to you. I am hoping that by the time you read this, the mountains will be a safe place. Maybe they will be a place where you can start reading books again.

Hybrids are the way of the world now, Yui. Being wholly human is a gift, because you know that who you are is who you choose to be. And know that whoever you choose to be, I will always love you.

With all my heart,

-Mom

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Hello all,

I hope my regulars aren't too upset that I'm starting a new fic instead of continuing my older ones. I promise I will get to them as my muses come back. I just really want a romance story about Bakugo. Lmao.

And as for any newcomers…. Welcome! My name is Light and I absolutely love writing and talking to people about writing and everything in between! I love healthy criticism and suggestions for my stories, too, so please feel free to type up a comment or send me a message. I try to respond to them as much as I can.

First and foremost, I do wanna say that I absolutely despise OC characters—LOL—so it's kinda funny that I'm writing a story about one. Ladies and gentleman…. Please welcome Yui to the stage! …No, she doesn't have a last name yet. Feel free to give me some ideas. LOL Besides that, I already outlined this ENTIRE STORY, so besides laziness, there's really no reason I shouldn't be able to finish it. It is a romance between Katsuki Bakugo and Yui the last-name-less OC. And it takes place in an AU, where instead of quirks, people get their abilities based on what their animal halves are. Obviously, Yui is just a regular human, and judging from the title, Bakugo is gonna be a wolf Hybrid. I'm also having such trouble remembering to capitalize HYBRID. Ugh. I cause so many problems for myself sometimes.

Anywhoooooooo, thanks for reading, and I hope you guys are excited to read some of this good shiz as much as I'm excited to write it! I've had this story's idea in my head for like months now and finally put the idea to paper… or to laptop… keyboard… whatever.

Much much much love!

-Light

PS: I wrote this all with long acrylic nails on and it was a lotta work, so yall better appreciate this EFFORT I'm putting in here! Love you all! See you next time! hehe