The ride back to UA was a quiet one. Several didn't make the trip, Izuku opting to go to the hospital along with Mirio and Shouta. The freckled successor of All Might was overall fine as was his fellow intern but Eri had been taken to the hospital to rest as well as be observed and both boys wanted to be near her when she woke.

Michiru continued to have an aversion to hospitals and with only minor injuries, declined to go. Zelgadis had been healed entirely and didn't see the need to go at all. Being from a world where magic could heal you, his recovery seemed less a big deal than it did to the EMT's. Emeralda steadfastly refused to be looked at or go to the hospital despite her younger state, going so far as to have a tantrum on the subject when medics pressed the issue. Her fellow lighters knew the real reason she didn't want them looking too closely at her but it didn't help their hopes of finding a solution if no one could even look at the nanomachine girl.

Then there was Terra. Easily the most injured of the returning students, she too had refused to go to the hospital on the promise that she would go see Recovery Girl in the morning. So it was that, after saying good night to Ochaco, Tsu, Eijiro, Tamaki and Nejire the four lighters trudged into their dorm ready to collapse.

What they got were the looks of relief, surprise and disapproval from their fellow roommates and mentor who were waiting for them. "Its true…Emeralda you look like a kid!" Hina exclaimed as she jumped up and rushed over.

Michiru stepped in front of her friend, paws out defensively "Back off Yoshifumi!"

Crossing her arms indignantly, the bluette huffed "I'm just concerned, you damn trash panada! And here I was going to loan her some of my old cloths too!"

The tanuki girl deflated at that and lowered her arms as she said weakly "Oh…right. Well just remember that just because she's younger, she's still Emmy! So just…take it easy, ok?"

Rolling her eyes as she side-stepped the fur-covered lighter, Hina leaned forward to look the tan girl in the eye and said "Oh come on! Unlike you, Kasim and I get along fine. Here, come with me, you're a bit taller than I was but I think the uniform I arrived here in will fit you well enough until we can get you more to wear tomorrow."

As Hina took the nanomachine girl's hand and led her upstairs, Shinra addressed Terra with unrestrained concern "You ok, Terra? That Xellos bastard hurt you bad? Damn Endeavor keeping me from going, if I'd been there, I would of kicked his smug face in!"

Terra was cut and bruised all over and walked with a limp but offered a reassuring smile which appeared more strained when Xellos was mentioned before replying "I appreciate it Kusukabe-kun but now that I'm here I can use my magic to heal myself. Plus, I'll get healing tomorrow. I…just need to rest."

Having had his concern gently rebuffed, Shinra backed off, replying with a stutter "R-right. I knew that! Still though, if I see that Xellos again, I'm giving him a good thrashing! Or I'm not Righteous Flame-footed Man!" the former fireforce member finished, puffing out his chest and pointing to himself with his thumb bombastically.

The routine was enough to get a giggle from the half-esper, exactly what Shinra was hoping for as his smile widened from a practiced grin to a genuine one.

"Is that your newest hero name, Kusukabe-kun? How many is that? Your twentieth?" Mobb blandly, if earnestly asked, now only being noticed by anyone in the room.

Shinra's confidence wavered slightly as he answered "Twenty first! What, you think Midnight-sensei won't like it?"

As she passed by him to take her leave, Terra patted the sharp-toothed fire soldier on the shoulder and said with a hint of exacerbation "I don't think that's the problem she has with your names, Kusukabe-kun."

"Yeah? Then why does she always look so frustrated every time I give her a new one then?" Shinra asked innocently.

Terra glanced over at Jun, who smiled and shook his head to let the greenette let it go. Raising her hand and waving it, she replied "Don't worry about it, you'll figure it out eventually. As for me, I have a date with a warm bath and my healing magic. Good night, everyone." With that, Terra took her leave as well.

That just left Jun, Zelgadis, Michiru and Mobb. The mild-mannered telekinetic quickly excused himself as well, pointing out there were leftovers for them in the refrigerator. With just the three of them, Jun finally spoke, him voice even but laced with an undercurrent of restrained frustration "Michiru…I have some words I wish to share with Zelgadis. You are free to go if you want to avoid what will likely be an…uncomfortable conversation."

To the surprise of both men, Michiru quickly and steadfastly said "No. I know what's about to go down here and I refuse to let it happen!"

Zelgadis couldn't help but smile, hiding it behind his hand as he briefly looked away. Jun's reaction was more restrained, a simple raised eyebrow. After a moment, the head of the lighters program nodded and said "I see. Suit yourself. I don't plan to modify what I say just because you are here."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Michiru replied, crossing her arms.

"Right." Jun started as he raised himself to his full height, his already serious demeanor suddenly edging into foreboding as his eyes narrowed and he continued, his voice low and deliberate "Is it true, Zelgadis? Are Celty's reports of you restraining the very girl you were sent to rescue solely so you could cure yourself true? Is it true that by doing it allowed for far more bodily harm and property damage then would have otherwise been avoided if you had just retreated as instructed?"

"Sanada-sensei, I am well aware what I did-"

"I'm not done!" Jun nearly roared before bringing his voice back down and continued "Then…then when you finally realized your error, Emeralda suffered age reversal trying to save you from the same fate after which you decided to atone for it all by trying to throw your life away to save Terra. Is. This. True?"

Michiru, stunned by the accusation, wheeled on her rock-encrusted friend and impulsively cried "That's not true, is it Zel?"

Zelgadis didn't even seem to register Michiru's question, instead staring back at the older former hero as though Jun had grown a third head. After a pause too long for Michiru's liking, Zelgadis finally replied, his voice low and soft, as though he was ashamed of what he was saying "How? How could you possibly know that?"

A loud smacking sound was heard just a second later as Michiru, fueled by righteous indignation, socked the chimera hard in the face with an enlarged fist, sending him sprawling to the floor. Michiru's fist was screaming in pain but at that moment she didn't register any of it as she loomed over Zelgadis, as she bellowed "YOU IDIOT! You planned to die there? What the hell is wrong with you? You…you were going to leave us here? After everything we've been through? You damned asshole!"

Zelgadis laid there, stunned as he held his chin where Michiru had struck him. There was nothing he could say at this point to excuse himself or make what he did right. In truth, he didn't want to. Jun was right, he HAD thought he was atoning, redeeming himself in Terra's eyes for being so completely foolish. It would be better if he was saving someone who was committed to saving others and getting the other lighters home after all.

When Michiru paused to take a breath between insults, Jun stepped up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn as she breathed hard. "I know how you feel Michiru. I know I don't show it very well but I care for all of you and I can't tell you how deeply upset I am right now. But we won't get to hear it from Zelgadis if you kill him, now will we?"

That last part was delivered with a wry smile and the rare sight was enough to defuse Michiru's anger enough for her to return her fist to normal and relax, if only slightly as she answered "I guess…"

"Now then, as to how I knew, Zelgadis. Well, its simple. I've been there. In my career as a hero I wasn't able to save everyone and I always took it very hard and when I lost my family…I was ready to throw my life away any way I could. You're serious and responsible and when you came around to your mistake, you felt bound to right it. Given how bad you felt, in that moment, the only way to do that was to give yourself up. We're a lot alike, honestly. It wasn't too hard to piece it together with what I knew." Jun explained gently, as though to comfort the chimera.

Zelgadis and Michiru both stood impressed and at a loss for words as Jun continued "We can make mistakes, Zelgadis. Even selfish ones, as long as you recognize them as such there is the opportunity to learn and grow." Then, the silver-haired former hero's face hardened as his eyes bore into the sorcerer before him "But not if you're dead! I can't abide or let pass you thinking that atonement with your life is anything less than giving up. I'll have you stripped of your license and you can stay here in this house watching from the sidelines if you ever think that way again."

Zelgadis' eyebrows raised at that last declaration, daring to ask "Wait. Does that mean I still do have my license even after what I did?"

"Yes." Jun simply stated, allowing the two lighters to look briefly hopeful before Jun quickly added "But not without consequence. I have commissioned you for remedial training. You'll be taking the same classes those who failed the second part of the license exam."

It only took a moment for the chimera to realize what that meant, his shoulders sagging and a grown escaping his lips. Michiru instantly looked worried and asked "What? What's wrong with that Zel?"

"It means I'll be stuck with that bomb-throwing blow-hard and purple-haired pervert." Zelgadis answered despondently.

"Ooohhhh. Yeah, that absolutely sucks." Michiru confirmed before trying to defend her friend, "Sanada-sensei, I don't know everything Shadow Rider told you but if it wasn't for Zel figuring out that Deku could use Eri's quirk to use his power to the fullest, we'd all be dead!"

Jun quirked an eyebrow before answering as he crossed his arms "That detail was missing from the report, likely not something she witnessed herself, if I were to guess."

Michiru's eyes gleamed with hopeful excitement as she said "Really!? So does that mean-"

"The decision still stands, Michiru. The fact still remains he failed to follow orders and actively impeded a mission for personal gain. Frankly, he is getting off easy. But I will pass on that detail when I next talk to the commission." Jun answered sternly.

Turning to the sorcerer-swordsmen, Michiru apologized "Sorry, Zel. Try not to knock out Bakugo if you can, ok?"

"I'll see what I can do." Zelgadis drawled before adding "And what about Mineta?"

"Oh, beat the shit out of that little creep." Came the tanuki girl's instant reply.

That was enough to get Zelgadis to crack a smile with Jun even struggling to keep a straight face despite himself. Having said his piece, Jun moved to leave as he said "That's all for today, you two. I'm glad your safe and the raid was a success. Get some rest."

Before their mentor could leave, though, Zelgadis called after the older man "Sanada! Jun, I…I wanted to say…to say I'm sorry. For the way I've acted till now toward you and this whole hero world of yours. The truth is, when I was younger, I wanted to be a hero more than anything. To help people as much as I could…but I was weak. Or at least I thought I was. That's how I ended up this way, because my grandfather saw that as an opening to change me. At first, I was fine with it, but then the very people I wished to save grew afraid of me. I even had self-proclaimed heroes hunt me, based in part on the way I look. I grew to loathe the term and more than that, myself. I told myself that even though this body wasn't my choice, it was still because of something I wanted…a mistake that I wanted and needed to fix. I…I was wrong and I took it out on you as much as anyone. I'm sorry."

By the time Zelgadis had finished speaking he had his head downcast, no longer able to look the former hero in the face. That meant the chimera was caught completely off guard when he suddenly found himself in an embrace. Jun had closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms over Zelgadis' shoulders, the sorcerer at first too stunned to react.

After a moment, Jun spoke softly "You're a good man, Zelgadis. I know you hate being here but…I am glad we met. My…my son would be about your age if he were still alive and…and if he had grown to be anything like you, I'd be proud to be his father."

Zelgadis, someone who had lost his parents at a relatively young age, was awed by Jun's words. Despite himself, tears began to well up in his eyes. The way Jun had spoken left no doubt they were deeply sincere and hearing them were as painful as they were cathartic. Struggling to speak, Zelgadis was able to get out "You…you stupid old man. Do…don't try to replace my parents. Just, just keep teaching and I'll keep listening. Got it?"

Still holding on, Jun nodded and offered a sly smile as he said "Fair enough. As long as you don't go looking to get killed. Deal?"

His composure regained, Zelgadis replied "Yeah, I think I can manage that…Michiru, what are you doing?"

The two men glanced down to see what they already felt. The furry tanuki girl had joined in their embrace, wrapping her arms around them both, a feat made possible by her ability to stretch her arms around both men. With Zelgadis and Jun eyeing her in mild annoyance, Michiru answered without looking up "What? This was a moment to be shared, so I did! Besides, this hasn't exactly been a stress free day for me either. I did almost watch you die today Zel. So shut up and let me share this."

From up on the stairwell, Hina whispered to the now shorter greenette beside her in a middle school uniform "You sure you don't want to join in?"

"No" Emeralda replied, any hint of her new childish mannerisms gone, "Angels are meant to have two wings, not three."

Raising an eyebrow, the telekinetic asked, confused "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Almost too quickly, Emeralda answered "Nothing. Never mind. Just a fleeting memory is all."

(X)

The next day Terra, Michiru, Zelgadis and Emeralda were called to the hospital where all the heroes from the raid had been taken for a debrief. Before that though, Hitomi took the de-aged nanomachine girl in town to get her some new cloths to fit her smaller frame. When the two returned to campus to pick up the other three, Michiru couldn't help but notice the concern on consoler's face. The tanuki girl didn't have time to say anything because Emeralda, who upon entering looked like her normal stoic self, seemed to flip a switch when she saw Michiru and flung herself at the girl.

"Michi! I missed you!" Emeralda exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Michiru's waist.

Michiru almost recoiled at the contact. How could this be the same girl who only a day before had been so calm and collected about pretty much everything? And Michi? No one had ever called her that! "Uh…hi Emi…did you, um, have a good time?"

The tan girl didn't seem to notice her furry friend's discomfort as she looked up at her and excitedly replied "Yes! Aunty Hitomi let me pick out whatever I wanted!"

"Oh, that's…that's great, Emi!" Michiru replied as she briefly looked up at Hitomi, her eyes betraying her growing concern. Hitomi responded with a frown and a slight tip of her head to indicate she was as confused as Michiru was. With no help coming from the older brunette, Michiru smiled back down at her afflicted friend and said, "Are you ready to go to the hospital and see how everyone is doing?"

Emeralda's smile slipped briefly before she let go and hopped backwards, her new outfit a cute light pink blouse and red skirt in full view to Michiru for the first time. Her smile returned, Emeralda cheerily answered "As long as I'm with you, Michi!"

Terra, who now looked much better, had been quiet since the group gathered and remained so even in the face of the new, younger Emeralda. The older greenette remained silent during the exchange. Then, Hitomi signaled it was time and the group moved to head to the hospital With Emeralda's back turned, Michiru saw Zelgadis mouth "Michi?"

Michiru shrugged and shook her head, a confused look on her face as they left to head to the hospital. Things just seemed to be getting weirder and weirder and it worried the tanuki girl the whole trip.

(X)

The lighters were greeted by Izuku at the hospital entrance, having just been discharged himself, the freckled hero-in-training had decided to greet them. Mirio had likewise been released from care but had declined to wait knowing that Zelgadis would be among those arriving. The inheritor of One for All had a hard time not starring at the now pre-teen nanomachine girl. The once composed girl seemed to fidget and dance about them as she looked at all the people they passed, drawing more attention to the group than any of them wanted. At least she calmed down once they got into the elevator.

At the request of the patients, all of the heroes that required anything beyond basic care or monitoring were placed in the same room together. It was there that the five lighters and one hero intern found Shouta, Taishiro, Ken Takagi or Rock Lock and Sakon, who had taken a nasty hit from Rikiya after he had weakened her with his quirk and she had taken a hit for Ochaco. Mirai, Ryuko, Celty and Mirio were also in the room but it was the ant girl that spoke first to the new arrivals "Well if it isn't the crazy assholes who pulled it off yesterday! Bout time you got here, its so boring just sitting here!"

Michiru sighed but smiled still, glad her newest friend had come out of the raid without any permanent injuries, relying "Good to see you too, Sakon."

It took the confident third year a moment to get a good luck at Emeralda before she blurted out in response "Woah! I didn't believe it when Sir Nighteye explained earlier but its true! The serious one got younger!"

Clearly exasperated, Mirai cut Sakon off "Yes, thank you, Yoshimura-san. That is one of the subjects we need to touch on today but for now could you please restrain yourself?"

The ant girl had enough sense to look ashamed as she replied "Yes, sir." Doing everything she could not to pout.

"Right" Mirai spoke again as he pressed his glasses up the ridge of his nose "I'll repeat this one more time for the newcomers before we move on but I thought you should know that Overhaul's transport was attacked on his way to the hospital last night."

"You can't be serious!" Zelgadis exclaimed

"What happened?" Michiru added right after.

"That's horrible!" said Terra.

Emeralda remained silent, her aloof demeanor returning as her eyes hardened at the news.

"Several officers and a hero were killed in the attack but Kai Chisaki himself neither escaped nor was he harmed. He was found thrown from his ambulance but still restrained. He claims it was the League of Villains, there to lord his defeat over him. I have my doubts but without any other evidence, his word is all we have to go by for now."

Knowing the bastard they had struggled so hard to catch hadn't gotten away was a relief but none of the lighters really knew how to take the news and remained silent because of it. That gave Mirai the chance to continue, saying "With that out of the way, I suppose you'll want to hear about the girl?"

"I'll take it from here, Sir Nighteye." Souta said from his bed, several parts of his body wrapped in bandages. "Eri exhausted herself yesterday and remains asleep but is otherwise ok. Her quirk…is very dangerous. However, she showed the capacity to control it yesterday, so the doctors feel she isn't far off."

"Far off from what, Aizawa-sensei?" Izuku asked breathlessly, having been hanging on his dower teacher's every word.

"Far off from being allowed to interact with other people, Midoriya." Shouta finished, slightly annoyed at having been interrupted.

"When will we be able to see her, Aizawa-sensei?" Mirio inquired with his trademark enthusiasm.

"That's something that'll be determined once she wakes up. What is already clear is she will need more training to safely interact with other people. That will be tricky if her quirk only works on organic life as reports would seem to indicate." The underground hero explained.

"For now, we'd like to hear in your own words what happened, especially before Sir Nighteye and the rest of the veteran heroes arrived to battle Overhaul." Said a tall thin man with dirty blonde hair.

"Of course, Fatgum!" Mirio answered, causing Zelgadis to raise an eyebrow and Michiru to outright do a double take.

It was only after Michiru reacted with confusion did Emeralda go from calm to exclaiming excitedly "You're the big fat one?!"

That got a chuckle out of Sakon but Ryuko, Mirai nor Shouta looked amused at all. Celty, still wearing her helmet, managed to look displeased regardless just by the way she stood, arms crossed.

Taishiro though, took it in stride, long since used to the reaction whenever he really went all out with his quirk. Letting out a jolly laugh to help dispel the tension, the BMI hero followed up by saying "Yep! That was me! Don't worry, its just part of my quirk, I'll be back to my egg-shaped self before long!"

"We're getting side-tracked. Could we please get back to the matter at hand?" Ryuko chimed in, apparently not in the mood for such silliness if her tone was anything to go by.

Without further distraction, the group explained their fight when they first entered the yakuza stronghold all the way to when Overhaul absorbed Rikiya, each member of the team taking their turn explaining what they were doing as things happened. Izuku grew much more nervous when it came time to recount his encounter with the League members, for several reasons. As he spoke, he noted that Shouta's face looked even more sour than normal.

As awkward as that part of the account was, it paled compared to when Zelgadis had his turn explaining his holding of Eri captive. When he was done, Mirai cut in before anyone else could take up the tale and move on. "I could hardly believe it when Mirio told me earlier but to hear it from a licensed hero-in-training themselves. I'm appalled to know one of our own would jeopardize a mission for something so…vain. I have half a mind to march to the commission right now and demand you be barred from serving as a hero for the rest of your life."

Zelgadis didn't shy away from that assessment, remaining calm and standing tall, regret in his eyes as he replied "That…would be understandable. I…I thought at the time that if I didn't act then, when we took her to the proper authorities, I would never see her again and I would see yet another chance to look normal slip away. It was selfish. It was foolish. I could have gotten her killed along with so many others here. I would rather atone for my mistake as Sanada-sensei wishes but I understand if you want to push for my explosion."

"Don't forget what Zel did after that, Sir Nighteye!" Michiru pleaded as she had with Jun the night before, "His quick thinking not only protected us but it was his idea to have Deku and Eri pair up to defeat Overhaul!"

Mirai perched his lips as he seemed to be considering the tanuki girl's words. With no response from the raid leader, Michiru added, "He was even willing to sacrifice his life to save another hero! If that's not a sign of his commitment, I don't know what is!"

At that last part, Terra glanced over at the chimera, a frown set on her features that went un-noticed by all but the other green-haired girl in the room.

A silence fell on the room as Michiru's words hung in the air. After a pause that felt far longer than it actually was, the bright-eyed intern Mirio, of all people, spoke "I believe him! Magus and I disagreed quite a bit on this mission and he ignored my orders but you know what? I look into his eyes and I think he earnestly wants to do better. I know he'll do better!"

That seemed to strike a chord in the stern-looking former sidekick. Walking over to stand directly in front of Zelgadis, Mirai regarding the sorcerer for a long moment. Zelgadis didn't waver under the older man's scrutiny, the chimera's eyes filled with grim determination. Finally, Mirai turned away and said "I am still speaking to the commission…but I suppose I may reconsider what exactly I have to report to them." His voice subdued.

It wasn't much but it was a win that Zelgadis would take as he bowed and replied "Any consideration of me when you speak to the commission is much appreciated and more than I deserve. Thank you."

"With All Might retired, we're going to need as many heroes as we can get, that's all. Now, work on yourself, Magus and maybe learn a joke or two." Was all that Mirai said on the subject before turning everyone's attention to the one that got away. "So it would seem this Xellos may be working with the League now, having conspired to betray Overhaul, is that right?"

"That was definitely our impression, sir!" Izuku answered as the rest of the rescue team nodded their heads.

"The League went into hiding after All for One was captured and I've had a hell of a time keeping tabs on them. After this mess with the Shie Hassaikai it could be that they may try to build their reach in the underworld, especially if they've added someone as conniving as Xellos to their ranks" Celty outlined.

"They are at the very least trying to make up for what they lost." Mirai replied, "I got word from Gran Torino that he and Detective Naomasa followed the League's teleporter to some remote mountains. They captured their target but discovered a villain far larger and stronger than they could have ever imagined."

"So, what are our next steps?" Ryuko asked

Mirai frowned as he glanced out the window and said "Hard to tell at this point. Gran Torino plans to follow up on that giant."

"I can help with that." Celty volunteered, "I don't have any other cases I'm following and this sounds serious."

"Can I help?" Michiru blurted out as soon as the dulahan finished speaking.

"I'm against it." Shouta answered quickly. Before adding "I'm not even sure if work studies will continue after this. Besides, you've been through a lot lately."

Celty, though, caught the sharp look in the tanuki girl's eye and asked "There's something else, isn't there Michiru?"

Embarrassed at having been seen through so easily, Michiru's face was a bit red as she explained "During the licensing exam, I ran into a group of people with heteromorphic quirks from the countryside of Japan and they talked about the discrimination and threats they've had to endure. I was thinking…if you're going out to the mountains, I'd like to see this CRC up close if I can."

The request seemed to come out of left field for the veterans in the room, even the ever-cynical Shouta looked surprised. When no one responded right away, Michiru grew concerned as she looked about the room and said with concern on her face "What? What's wrong?"

"It's...just not what we were expecting to hear." Celty said, her tone betraying a hint of shame at the admission.

"It would be a distraction, honestly. You should really focus on looking for this monster." Mirai answered rationally.

"At the very least." Said Shouta as he eyed All Might's former sidekick "It would make for a good cover story while they look around. Truth is, this country has been willing to let such activity go on as long as it's out of sight and away from too many people out of convenience. Something should be done."

"I don't know. We're talking about people aiming to destroy our whole society here. Shouldn't we stay focused on that?" Taishiro countered.

"Girl's gotta point" Ken said, speaking up for the first time the entire conversation. In truth, Ken was content to be happy they had succeeded and that he had come out alive and able embrace his family again. Until he was healed though, the hero Rock Lock was content to let others continue the fight. This, though, was a different matter and he felt that he could contribute at least a little bit, continuing, "Whose to say those racist assholes couldn't be co-opted to join the fight, huh? Seems like hiding out in the countryside is a perfect place to lick your wounds and rebuild. Don't give them or the League that chance."

The added weight from another respected pro seemed to sway Celty, who crossed her arms and grudgingly said "Ok, Animalia. We'll keep an eye out while we're searching but know our priority is the League."

Michiru pumped her fist in front of her and turned to her friends and exclaimed "You guys ready? I know neither one of you have left the city since, well, you know…."

All at once the pro heroes responded with a jumble of negative responses that Michiru couldn't sort as her eyes went wide and she frantically looked back at them. Mirai was the first to speak again once everyone realized they had spoken over each other, his tone stern "Magus and Crescens going with you is completely out of the question."

A bit louder than was acceptable in a hospital, Michiru protested "What? Why not! We're a team!"

"Michiru," Celty started, her use of the tanuki girl's name underscoring that she felt she was talking down to an upset child "We were just talking about what Magus did yesterday. He's lucky he wasn't stripped of his license entirely, he isn't going anywhere."

Zelgadis offered Michiru a apologetic look but didn't protest, fully aware and accepting that he was at their mercy. Michiru frowned as she looked past the chimera and over at Emeralda, who seemed to be as neutral as ever until she noted her furry friend was looking at her. Once she realized the attention being placed on her, a pout sprang to Emeralda's lips as she looked about to cry and whined "I can still fight, even if I am smaller!"

"There is much more to being a hero than simply combat, Kasim-san." Shouta admonished before adding "Clearly your mental state has been affected and until we know more about what has happened to you, you aren't going anywhere either. Do you understand?"

The tan girl's shoulders slumped, causing her now oversized scarf to slide, which forced her to grab it with her hand and distracted her from reacting any more than the sour face she offered. When Shouta remained starring at the girl still waiting for a verbal response, Emeralda sighed and looked away before forcing a low "Yes…I understand." Before adding too soft for anyone but Michiru to hear "…meanie."

With a gentle smile the only acknowledgement of her friends whispered insult, Michiru then asked "So, what, just the two of us? Seems like a lot of real estate to cover for two people. What about Gargoyle?"

Celty shook her head "His quirk is much better suited to places with taller buildings and it would be much harder to guarantee his safety during the day. I'll reach out to some colleagues to see if I can expand our net."

"I'll do it!" Sakon blurted out, her right arms raised and waving excitedly. When the room's attention fell upon her, she added unfazed by the attention "If there's a chance to knock some hater skulls, you can count me in!"

"Eraserhead? She's another one of yours, right?" Celty asked, a hint of skepticism in her artificial voice.

"Yes." Shouta drawled, turning back to look at the ant girl and adding, "Sakon Yoshimura, third year. Middling test scores, high combat aptitude but she has had problems working with others due in no small part to a highly competitive attitude that has kept her from reaching her full potential."

U.A. doesn't coddle it's students so similar words were not foreign to Sakon but it did still hurt to have one of her teachers be so blunt in front of so many respected pros. The ant girl at least was gracious enough not to protest, instead looking to the headless hero that would make the call, her eyes pleading.

"For what its worth." Ryuko said, "She performed well against the giant yakuza yesterday."

An appreciative smile spread across Sakon's face hearing a top ten hero praise her and instantly wiped away the gloom of hearing the same critiques she'd gotten so use to in her time at U.A. With a raised eyebrow, Shouta replied "Is that so? Interesting. As I recall, you were a last-minute addition to the team. How did you even become aware of the raid?"

Rasing her hand meekly, Michiru said "That…was me, Aizawa-sensei. I promised her if any chances came up, I would recommend her and Sir Nighteye had said he could use more manpower, sooo…"

"So I did my best! I didn't want to let my friend down, after all!" Sakon finished, giving Michiru four thumbs up. The tanuki girl responded with a crooked smile and a less enthusiastic single raised thumb, not entirely sure what she was about to get herself into.

That seemed to surprise the dower underground hero who replied with what may have been a smirk "A friend you say? Well, isn't that interesting." Then closing his eyes and crossing his arms, Shouta added "I don't see a problem with her tagging along if you'll have her, Shadow Rider."

"Ok then, you're on the team, Yoshimura-san. I'll reach out to you and Animalia in a day or two with the details. Take it easy until then, got it?" Celty instructed.

"YES! Oh! I mean…yes, ma'am. I won't let you down!" Sakon celebrated nearly bouncing out of her bed as she pumped her arms. Michiru though was much less excited about the mission now. The tanuki girl had never been afraid to go it alone in the past but not having Zel or Emmy there with her just didn't feel right. And now the nutty ant girl was along for the ride? A creeping feeling of dread began to settle in Michiru's stomach as the pros decided there wasn't anything else to talk about and let them head back to U.A.

(X)

The ride back was a quiet one with a cloud of tension hanging over it the whole way back. It was only after the group returned and Hitomi had taken her leave that Michiru groaned and lamented "I can't believe it! We're being separated and you two seem to be fine with it? Come on! We're a team! We-we shouldn't be broken up!"

Zelgadis, who had gone to make some tea, came back into the common area aware that Terra had taken a seat on the couch and was just sitting there. He starred at the back of her head for a moment before turning his attention back to the aggrieved tanuki girl "You were there Michiru. The pros raised good points. The way we are right now, I don't know how good a team we would make. I know that Sakon girl annoys you but the two of you do seem to have a report. Maybe it won't be so bad?"

"When did you become such an optimist, hmm?" Michiru huffed, crossing her arms.

Zelgadis frowned as he pointed out "I'm just pointing out the facts and a possible, even likely outcome. For what it's worth, I do wish I was going. All I can do is make sure I can be there next time. Just try not to mess it up while you're out there, ok?"

"Ah, there's the grump I know! Also, I don't mess everything up! I seem to recall you're the one that blew it the last couple of times" Michiru shot back playfully.

"What about me? Will you miss me, Michi?" Emeralda asked, her eyes glistening with all the pitiable charm of a sad puppy.

Michiru reached out and ruffled the now shorter girl's pale green hair. However, there was no joy in the act, the tanuki girl instead looking down at her friend with concern. Emeralda picked up on it immediately. Her hands now fidgeting with her scarf, Emeralda looked down and said "You…don't like Emeralda…I mean, me this way?"

Michiru's heart sank at the nanomachine girl's words, especially the return of her nervous verbal tick. Bending down and placing her hands on Emeralda's shoulders, Michiru looked her friend in the eye firmly and said gently "Emmy, I could never not like you. I never want you to think that way, your wonderful no matter what. You do have to understand though…this is a pretty big change and it'll take time to get use to you like this, that's all. Hopefully Eri can reverse what she did to you soon though."

Emeralda listened intently to her furry friend and at first looked comforted, only to cringe a little at that last line, which confused Michiru. That confusion was lost though when Emeralda closed the space between them and hugged the now older girl as she exclaimed "Thank you, Michi! You're, you're my bestest friend! Please, please be careful!"

"We've still got a day or two together, Emmy. Lets make them count, ok?" Michiru said as she returned her friend's embrace. Then, as she saw that Zelgadis had moved closer to Terra, whispered "Come on, lets go to our rooms and rest for a bit. I think those two could use some time."

Emeralda pulled back, and glanced at the other two lighters before nodding silently. The two both watched Zelgadis and Terra but said nothing before turning and heading up stairs to retire.

With Michiru and Emeralda gone, Terra finally spoke, though she kept starring at the wall beyond the TV, refusing to look at the chimera beside her "Michiru said you attempted to sacrifice yourself to save me. Did you forget what I told you before the raid?"

Zelgadis wasn't moved by the icy tone the half-esper had taken asking her question, instead countering "You can't bring everyone home if you're dead, now can you? If it was one life to allow eleven others to go home, that seemed logical."

Terra's eyes narrowed as she shot up and faced the rock-encrusted man, snapping "I don't think logic had anything to do with it! As much as you like to learn Zelgadis, its clear to me you're a man of deep passions. You want to be human again so bad that it drove you to do a horrible thing. You want me to believe that having seen your error that you didn't feel in equal measure regret for having done it?"

Zelgadis opened his mouth for a rebuttal but nothing came out, allowing Terra to continue "You're a hero, Zelgadis. We can all see you want to help others. You just need to be as rational as you project yourself to be. You can't make rash, selfish decisions and you can't throw your life away just to end the shame. I…I'm glad you're alright but the way you acted, its going to be hard to let that go."

Each word Terra spoke seemed to cut into Zelgadis deeper and deeper. If he knew a spell that would open a hole in the earth and swallow him whole, he'd have cast it right then and there. Terra had been someone he could go to when he wanted to share some quiet time and she'd been so helpful in his learning to read Japanese. Having her dress him down like this produced an ache in his heart he had scarcely felt in his life. Clenching his fists, Zelgadis looked down and away, ready to just turn around and walk out the door and never come back.

Before he could act on that impulsive attempt to deal with such a flood of emotions, Terra spoke once more, this time her tone much more unsure, "That being said, I have something I need to ask you."

The sudden change in tone and subject seemed to snap the chimera out of the spiral he was quickly spinning down as he looked back up, his expression betraying how her words had affected him. The torn look on Zelgadis' face caused Terra to herself look away as she asked her question "It's about...Xellos, or I guess mazuku in general. Is-is it possible for someone to be turned into a mazuku?"

Instantly, Zelgadis' expression went from shame induced agony to shock, his eyes wide as he managed to get out a soft "…What did you say?"

It was Terra' turn to look pained as she seemed to shrink under the sorcerer's glaze, a mix of curiosity and horror. Despite herself, Terra answered "When the two of us were fighting yesterday, it was the last thing he said to me before I passed out. He wanted to know if I wanted to be like him. Is that even possible? Or was he just trying to mess with me?"

"Well…" Zelgadis started, pushing everything they had just talked about as far to the side in his mind as he could, "Mazuku usually create other mazuku by forming them out of parts of themselves. That's why Xellos is as strong as he is, his creator created just one subordinate instead of two, unlike the other four demon generals, making him twice as strong as the others at his level."

That explanation seemed to put Terra at ease, but Zelgadis wasn't done and when he added "but…" dread filled Terra once more as Zelgadis continued, "One of Demon Dragon Gaav's two subordinates, Valgaav, had once been a dragon in the service of the shinzuku. The way it was explained to me, I got the impression that Valgaav had been a willing participant. It does, however, mean that there has been at least one instance of a being becoming a mazuku. I doubt it would work on humans though, they can make pacts with mazuku but that's it. You'd need to have some sort of…magical…oh, right. You're not entirely human."

"No…I'm not" Terra answered, her voice breaking as she spoke the words. Then, her voice carrying a hint of panic, the greenette added, "And I only regained my esper form when he arrived here. I'm literally absorbing the magic he generates!"

"Which means you're compatible." Zelgadis spoke softly, almost to himself. Straightening up to try and project confidence and reassure his friend, the chimera said "All that being said, I've known Xellos a long time, for better and worse. I've never known him to ever want to create another mazuku. If I were betting, he was likely trying to prey on any insecurities you may have about yourself."

Terra did start to look less overwhelmed, but concern still riddled her face as she replied "Maybe, but why? He already had me beat."

"He's a schemer, pure and simple. Chances are, we won't know what he was thinking until its almost too late to stop him." Zelgadis answered, doing little to assuage Terra's worries.

To Zelgadis' surprise, Terra lightly slapped her cheeks and stood tall, forcing a smile on her face as she declared "Well, nothing we can do about it now! All we can do is try and find that Nomu before he does. As for the other thing we talked about, please think on it, Zelgadis and hopefully one day I see you as I did just a day ago. See you later."

With that, Terra left for her room, leaving the chimera to his thoughts. There was much to think on but the text he got from Jun while he was talking with Terra reminded him that he would be attending remedial classes with easily the two most unsavory members of 1-A the next day. Self-reflective peace and quiet would have to wait.

(X)

The night had not been restful for Zelgadis. Without the exhaustion of the previous day to force the issue, the rock-encrusted sorcerer found it much harder to get to sleep as his mind bounced from guilt for his actions, to shame for how he had made his friends feel and then to dread at the afternoon training he would be attending before trying to wrap his mind around Xellos' offer to Terra.

Daybreak came all too soon and just when the chimera thought he could get away with holing up in his room for the morning, Hina's voice rang through the corridor "Hey you lazy bums! Jun and Sakura are downstairs, and we have something important to discuss! So get your asses downstairs before I drag you down!"

Zelgadis groaned, then froze briefly, terrified that the telekinetic heard him. After a few seconds without being smashed by a piece of his wall crashing into him, the chimera took it to mean he was safe and began to wonder what the zombie girl could possibly be here for.

Not expecting classes from Jun or joining 1-A, Zelgadis quickly changed into a pair of dark pants, grey shirt and the hooded jacket he had become fond of and went downstairs. It turned out he had been the most considerate of his fellow new arrivals as Michiru and Emeralda were still very much in their pajamas. The tanuki girl, thanks to the darker fur around her eyes, could usually hide when she hadn't gotten much sleep, which was often, but by this point, Zelgadis could see the bags under her eyes as Michiru stood weakly in her shorts and tank-top.

Emeralda was sporting her new pj's she had just got the day before to accommodate her smaller form and the outfit definitely…played to her now younger perspective. The nanomachine girl was wearing a matching set of red top and pants with what looked like giant robots printed all over them. If Zelgadis had been better acquitted with the culture of his new world, he'd have immediately thought she was wearing boys pajamas. As it was, the chimera could only continue to think that his follow lighter was now but a child, far less concerned with her situation than she had been a day earlier.

Mobb and Shinra were there as well but neither of them seemed particularly concerned about what Jun or Sakura had to say. If anything, Shinra looked more resigned than anything, something that put Zelgadis' mind at ease even if he was still curious as to what this was all about. To that end, he was the first to speak "So, what's so important that required the threat of violence, hmm?"

Now Zelgadis hadn't thought his question was out of line. It was a perfectly logical question to ask why they were just standing there, forced out of bed so early in the morning. The way that Shinra and Mobb cringed though was, however, setting off red flags in the chimera's head and his eyes darted back to the blue-haired telekinetic.

Sure enough, the sight that greeted him shook him to his core as he took an unconscious step back. If the sorcerer didn't know better, he'd swear that Hina's eyes were burning as she bore into him with a death stare that made Lina Inverse look like a lost puppy. Her arms set firmly on her hips, Hina leaned forward and spoke, her voice dipping with venom, "For someone who nearly died yesterday, you sure sound eager to be murdered, Zelgadis."

Emeralda began chuckling, clearly trying not to lose her composure entirely and Michiru just looked like she wanted to get on with whatever stupid thing they were here for as Zelgadis let out an unmanly squeak as he took another step back.

Satisfied she had the rude rock man cowed, Hina straightened up confidently and spoke again triumphantly "Now then, if there aren't any other interruptions, I wanted to bring to your attention that the UA Fall Festival is just around the corner!"

Zelgadis' fear turned to confusion. A festival? What was so special about a festival? Unfortunately, after that last exchange, he'd be damned if he asked another question. Luckily, at the mention of a festival, Michiru seemed to snapp out of her morning haze and asked with a hint of excitement "Oh, so you have festivals in this world too? Heh, I guess this is still Japan, after all!"

"Is a festival like a party or something?" Emeralda followed up, her confusion mirroring Zelgadis' own.

"Kind of." Michiru began to explain as a sense of nostalgia washed over her, "Different classes could put on various forms of entertainment or business for other students and the community coming to visit. There could be stalls selling delicious food, haunted houses for a good scare or maid cafes to cater to you! I remember one year-"

"Yes, they get the point, badger!" Hina snapped, clearly annoyed Michiru had stolen her thunder.

Trying her luck, the tanuki girl choose to ignore her senior's growing ire and instead asked "So why is Sakura here then? If she's not a student anymore, what would she have to do with the festival?"

That perfectly logical question brought Hina up short, defusing her building anger as she sputtered "Oh, um, well that's because…"

"I was the lighters big attraction when I was a student!" Sakura cheerfully answered, stepping forward and raising her hand above her head, beaming a smile.

"That's right." Jun said calmly, stepping forward and gently bringing Sakura's hand down to let her know to tone it down a bit. The zombie red head blushed in embarrassment as Jun continued "Usually there are only a handful of lighters here any given year so they would usually tag along with other classes for the festival."

"But when Sakura was here, we had the talent and would recruit a class to handle the logistics of holding a concert that featured one of us! It was great!" Hina added with no small amount of pride.

"Even last year we got special depensation from the principal to do it one more time even after Sakura graduated as a coming out concert to jumpstart her career." Said Jun before adding "But that won't be the case this year, so Sakura is here to help with ideas for you all, especially since it means so much to Hina-chan here."

"Hina-san thought that since there is six of us this year that we might have enough to do something on our own this year." Mobb added helpfully, only to get Hina's evil eye for his efforts.

"Oh." Michiru started as her shoulders slumped and a guilty look came across her face, "I just became apart of a search mission with Shadow Rider to look in the countryside for the League. I'm supposed to leave in a couple days. I…don't think I can be of any help. I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah, and what's up with Emeralda? Wasn't she, you know, older last time I saw her?" Sakura asked, as if just noticing for the first time.

"But you can still pitch in before you leave, right Michiru?" Hina asked, now suddenly desperate. "And Emeralda may have had an accident on the raid but she can still contribute, right? And…and she could be fixed, right Sanada-sensei?" The blue-haired telekinetic finished, her tone now pleading.

Jun looked down at the child that had been in his care longest with pity, an expression that Hina noticed immediately as a frown crept onto her face. "Hina-chan, I'm sorry but it looks like you may have to go back to helping a class this year. I'm not sure four and a half of you is enough to pull anything off for the festival that you could be proud of." Jun explained, trying his best to sound comforting as he spoke.

It didn't help. Hina all but crumbled, tears streaming down her face as she turned away and declared between sobs "I…I didn't want to do anything anyway! The festival is stupid! Just a way for all these brats to show off how great they are!" With that, the poor girl ran off and out the door, leaving the new lighters shocked to see the confident and often overbearing young woman brought to tears.

"I'll see to her. Mobb and Shinra, I suggest you go to your classes and see if you want to join them. Michiru, Zelgadis and Emeralda, you can sit in with 1-A if you want if Aizawa agrees but you can sit the whole thing out if you want." Jun offered as he turned and headed out the door after Hina.

"I feel sorry for Hina but I'm kind of excited to do something different." Shinra said as he moved to go get ready for the day.

"Wait!" Michiru called as she rushed over to her two senior lighters, "What was all that about, anyway? Why was Hina so broken up over the festival?"

Mobb and Shinra looked at each other and an unspoken decision was made between them. Shinra continued back to his room and Mobb stayed to answer the tanuki girl's question. "Hina-san has been here for seven years now. When she first got here, she was just ten and the U.A. festival was one of the things that really reminded her of home. At least that's what Sanada-sensei told me. As soon as she was old enough and got permission, she's participated in the festival. Its one of the things that has kept her going all these years, just like planning the welcome party for each new lighter."

For once, Michiru actually felt a pang of sympathy for the blue-haired thorn in her side. "I…see. I kind of feel like I ruined it for her then, not being here and all."

Mobb offered a gentle smile and replied "That's kind of you to think that but it's not your fault. You didn't know. Besides, you're going off to help Celty-san try and find our ticket home, right? I think…I think that's what Hina needs more than anything so try to think of it as a good thing!"

"Wow, that's a great way to look at it! Thanks Mobb, you're a great guy, you know that!" Michiru exclaimed, patting the plain-looking boy on the back, harder than he was expecting.

As he tumbled forward, a blush creeped onto Mobb's face as he nervously rubbed the back of his head "No, it was nothing, just trying to help. You…you take care Michiru-san." With that, the bowl-haired young man quickly retreated to his room as well.

Michiru and Emeralda decided to head up and change and think about what they wanted to do. Zelgadis, meanwhile, stepped outside to wait and to think himself, since he'd been interrupted earlier. Much to his surprise, though, after just a few minutes, the zombie idol Sakura stepped through the door and came to stand beside him.

"Can we talk, Zelgadis?" the undead redhead asked, her tone serious.

(X)

And that's where we're going to have to leave it, I'm so sorry! I had wanted to finish the scene as planned but you're just going to have to blame Hurricane Idalia. With the storm starring my part of Florida in the face, I have had to focus on other things the last few days. The storm moved north and west of me enough that the impacts ended up being minor but much time was lost prepping for what could have been devastating.

That being said, we can now begin the next phase of the story where our main trio separates for the first time. Given how long its taken me to get to this point, it very much feels like the main three are very much always together. Part of me dreaded breaking them up but part of me is also excited for them each to branch out a little bit more. Each has been helping to support each other, even if they don't realize it. Now, though, each will have some truths they're going to have to face. Anyway, I hope you look forward to it. Hopefully mother nature will give me the chance to catch up and write the next chapter to a proper stopping point. No reviews this month so I will leave things off here. Take care out there, thank you as always and I'll see you in a month!