The Orignal Work was written by Op Taipan.
Announcement at the end, by Cyber-RK18.
土
BOOK ONE:
EARTH
CHAPTER EIGHT:
A WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET
Izuku let out an audible gulp and fell on his rear as the group of massive beasts approached him. Kicking up dust with every step they took, the Badgermole paced around the terrified boy, sniffing at him and brushing their whiskers against his face.
The boy did everything in his power to hold back the fear that bubbled inside him. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from shaking like a Chihuahua. Cold sweat ran down his face and spine as damp hands clutched nervously at the ground.
Even though he couldn't see anything, Izuku could practically feel the attention of the massive beasts that scrutinized him. Inspecting everything about him that they could while making sure he couldn't do anything without them noticing.
Chima was one thing. He knew him for more than a year now and he was the best friend he ever had. He could read Chima like a book just like Chima could read him, so he knew Chima would never hurt him.
But this was different.
They might've been from Chima's kind, but that's all he knew. What was to stop them from deciding he was an enemy and attack him? Chima was afraid of other humans. Who's to say the rest of his species didn't have the same kind of aggression?
Speaking of whom, it appeared Chima was the only one in the group who seemed to take everything in stride. His relaxed demeanor was a stark contrast to that of the apprehensive Badgermoles and the terrified Izuku.
Something that was soon noticed by the others.
*Huuuuummm? *
Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as he felt that the pressure the animal produced was lifted away, their attention now on Chima.
Chima had let out a dismissive snort and gestured towards the boy, causing the other Badgermoles to hum again in response.
"Chima, what are you doing?" Izuku decided to speak and got the attention of the others again. Thankfully, this time the pressure they excluded was much lighter than it was before.
The greenette got no answer other than the sound of the adult Badgermoles turning around and walking off. 'What was that about? Why come here and just leave?'
Before Izuku got a chance to go along with his train of thought, he was pulled out of it by a gentle nudging from Chima.
Izuku tilted his head "What is it, Chima?" The only response he got was another nudge.
"You want to follow them?"
Chima let out a hum of confirmation and Izuku's faced morphed into a strained smile. He was still kind of afraid of the other Badermoles. A big part of him wanted to turn tail and return to the park.
But that wasn't about him right now. Even if he was afraid, he still owed it to Chima. The poor cub was probably terrified every day when a human got too close to the area he lived in in the park. He was horror-stricken on the day they moved him to the park, having been forced to be smuggled through the streets of Musutafu.
Chima dealt with this kind of fear daily by being in a proximity to other humans. So it would be the least of things Izuku could do for Chima in return.
"All right, Chima!" He called and planted a determined foot forward, "Let's go!"
*Trip! *
*Splat! *
Unfortunately, before he got very far, the poor boy tripped in the darkness and found himself face first in the dirt.
"Ow…"
*Snort! *
An amused snort grabbed Izuku's attention away from his whining and he turned around to glare at its source. Sure, he couldn't see anything in the cave and the target of the glare was blind, but that wasn't the point.
"That's not funny, Chima…" The boy pouted in annoyance.
Chima merely shook his head before crouching near the forest-haired kid on all four of his legs. Izuku, who couldn't see anything, merely stared at empty hair before yelping in surprise when he felt Chima's tail curl up around his waist.
"C-Chima! W-what are you doing?!" The boy got his answer when he felt Chima directing him towards him using his tail. Being pushed slightly up, Izuku followed the instruction and found himself crouching on Chima's back.
Realization made its way to Izuku, "You want me to ride you?". Feeling Chima nod in confirmation from his position on top of him, the boy righted himself so he would be sitting upright on the Badgermole's back.
Now with Izuku secure in his spot, Chima got up and joined the other Badgermoles who were waiting for them a little further ahead.
The cub couldn't avoid the pep in his step as the group made their way deeper into the tunnel, the familiar place bringing him a sense of nostalgia.
Izuku, on the other hand, was left staring at the complete darkness in silence as he felt Chima walking on the cave floor, swaying left and right. Left and right.
He kind of liked it, riding Chima like this.
Maybe they should do this more?
Or maybe not.
Well, at least not for, THREE HOURS!
That's was how much time Izuku spent sitting on top of the Badgermole's back, the only sound keeping him company was that of paws hitting the ground.
Needless to say that Izuku wasn't feeling at the top of the world right now. He was tired; His eyes were dry from keeping them open for so long, (he couldn't tell the difference in this darkness) AND, he was sore in places he didn't even know could be sore.
"Are we there yet?" The small whine echoed through the cave, disturbing the relative quite for a few seconds.
To his surprise, Chima let out a snort of similar tone to his whine at the adult Badgermoles, showing he was just as frustrated as his partner was.
The two only got an exasperated grunt in return, which did nothing to better their mood.
Frustrated, Izuku let himself lay down on Chima's back, planting face first into it. They stayed in silence for a few more minutes before the boy lifted his head again, a surprising sight meeting his eyes.
For the first time in hours, Izuku could see light.
Green radiance illuminated the far reaches of his line of sight, appearing like a small flare of emerald light in the end of the tunnel. The boy could do nothing but smile as the flare appeared to get bigger with each step Chima took, and with it, their destination.
"We're here!" Chima wasted no time and ran ahead of the group of Badgermoles, Izuku clinging to his back as to not fall all the while.
With every pounce, the small flare's size and strength was magnified. Precious Light seeped through, allowing the boy to finally get a real view at the tunnel's true proportions.
But that didn't matter right now, all that did was right in front of the duo.
When they finally emerged from the tunnel Izuku closed his eyes, the light hurting them after spending hours in darkness. Cool and damp air filled Izuku's lungs as he took deep breaths, savoring the refreshing air that reminded him of the forest he met Chima.
Izuku's eyes quickly adjusted into the new light, his pupils shrunk. Opening his eyes, he was greeted to a sight he would never forget.
The dark tunnel the two had just left had expanded into a massive open cavern, its sheer scale dwarfing anything Izuku had ever seen. The place they stood on served as observatory, allowing the boy to take the magnificent sight in.
From their vantage point, Izuku could see sparkling waterfalls emerging from tunnels near the cave's ceiling. The water gently flowed into a large lake at the center of the cave through various streams, the liquid unblemished. Giant pillars of stone and rock were doted across the open space, emerging from the floor all the way up to the ceiling and supporting the weight of the natural structure. Green moss and crystals covered just about every square centimeter of the space. Engulfing the walls, pillars, floor, and ceiling as well as illuminating the entire subterranean area in majestic emerald color.
It was absolutely breathtaking.
The adult Badgermoles that have caught up to them weren't even registered in Izuku's mind as he gaped at the scene in awe, trying to take it all in.
Chima fared a little better. The youngling wasn't as awestruck as Izuku, but he too stopped in order to take it in. He took in a deep breath, letting the familiar damply air fill his lungs as he listened to all the different sounds he remembered from this place.
"Wow…" Izuku's awestruck expression soon morphed into a gleeful smile as the light of curiosity shined brightly within his eyes "Let's go! We gotta get down there!"
Izuku could barely contain his excitement as he and Chima walked through the cavern side by side, he was practically like a kid in a candy store!
Well… The kid part was accurate, you just needed to replace the 'store' with 'cave' and 'candy' with 'the-most-mindboggling-cavalcade-of-quirked-animals-anyone-has-ever-seen'!
Creatures Izuku didn't even know existed inhabited the cave and the boy couldn't avert his gave from them for the life of him as he and Chima passed by.
Other Badgermoles like Chima where everywhere in sight. Most of which were the same size as the adults that came here with them; Massive beasts the size of bilevel train cars that could easily cause grown men to faint from the fear of being near them.
Smaller cubs; some younger than Chima, some older; and some about the same age; Appeared here and there amongst the adults, most of which were taking a nap.
'Is this Chima's home?' Izuku asked himself. 'He's real home…?'
Besides the Badgermoles, multiple species Izuku had never seen before were scattered around the cavern, each more captivating and unique than the last.
A small group of large, mammal-like creatures with star-shaped noses and no eyes were currently drinking water from the lake. Beside them were what could only be described as mustached alligators who were swimming peacefully in the water.
Wolf-like creatures with a somewhat scary face and wings dotted the cave's upper levels, keeping a clear distance from any Badgermole at the cave's floor. Turning his head, Izuku smiled as he watched what looked like small prairie dogs popping out of little holes in the cave's floor and being chased by Badgermole cubs as part of a game, singing a little note every time one of them popped out.
Fireflies illuminated the air around Izuku, their light reflected in his eyes in the form of sparkles. On the ground, little white grasshoppers with four legs were bouncing about aimlessly, sometimes getting the attention of a what looked like a cross between a frog and a possum. Little rabbits with impossibly long ears doted from place to place, entering and exiting burrows in the blink of an eye.
Izuku was left with nothing to do but gape in awe at every new animal he saw, the mere thought of doing anything else wasn't even being processed. "This is amazing, Chima!" The boy managed to mutter under his breath, causing his companion to smirk as if saying 'Yep! I Know places!'
The two continued to explore for a while, walking around and meeting other animals. Most stayed clear of Izuku, which saddened the boy. But he figured that if a stranger walked up to him, he would be wary as well.
It was probably the first time any of them had ever seen a human before. As someone who's first encounter with an animal ever almost ended up being his last, he could understand.
Though the Badgermoles didn't seem to mind, for some reason. Maybe it was because he was there with Chima, but still, the sheer nonchalance the Badgermoles held for his presence was astounding.
That was why Izuku and Chima found themselves mingling with the creatures. All around them, dozens upon dozens of Badgermoles were busy doing their thing. Some were eating; Others sleeping; The youngest ones were playing, and the adolescent ones appeared to be training.
It was the latter-most group that Chima and Izuku found the most interesting, opting to sit on a nearby boulder and watch.
It was quite the spectacle.
On the farthest reaches of the 'training ground', three adolescents appeared to be raising and collapsing giant walls of earth and crystal, competing amongst themselves on who could make the largest wall. A little to the right, an adult constructed earthen targets for the younger ones to shoot down, showing remarkable aiming skills. Occasionally, the boy saw a hole pop out into reality and out came a jumping Badgermole like a dolphin, only to dive back into the tunnel he made a second later.
"Wow…" Izuku gaped in wonder as he watched the younglings perform moves he was nowhere near skilled enough to perform.
"Think we can join, Chima?" The boy practically begged his companion to join the lesson.
Unfortunately for him, Chima shook his head in denial. Izuku was simply not at the level to learn something like this. Chima could relate, he too was very eager when it came to learning something new.
"Awwww…" The boy slumped in disappointment, before perking up as a thought crossed his head "Can I still learn something with our quirk?". This place was filled with Chima's kind, all of whom seemed to possess the same quirk he and Izuku had, it would be a waste to come here and have nothing to show for it.
Chima hummed in thought and tilted his head, contemplating on Izuku's request.
Now, what was a thing Izuku needed to know but didn't yet?
Just then a small group of Badgermole cubs, even younger and smaller than Chima, walked by them in a straight line, following an adult female. The cubs showed a clear lack of spatial awareness as they collided with one another and left their position in the line, causing it to resemble more of a zigzag.
Izuku raised a questionable brow. This was the first time he ever saw someone of Chima's kind this disoriented. Up until now the Badgermoles demonstrated better spatial awareness than anyone he had ever met.
Chima, on the other hand, appeared as though there was a light bulb above his head, as if saying 'Bingo'.
"Whoa! Hey! What are you doing, Chima?!" Izuku yelped in surprise as he felt Chima nudging him towards the marching cubs with his snout. Turning around, Izuku eyed Chima, silently asking for an explanation.
Chima only pointed with his head at the cubs and gestured to the boy 'Go on.'
Izuku quickly caught on to Chima's massage "You want me to follow them, right?" As the end of the line finally passed by them, the boy got up from his sitting position and joined the march himself, eager to start his lesson like always.
But when he looked behind him, he saw that Chima remained in his spot, keeping track of him as he got further and further. "You're coming, Chima, right?" Izuku asked with slight panic.
Chima shook his head in denial. While he wanted to go with his friend this was something he needed to figure out on his own. What the boy needed to learn now couldn't be taught. Besides, just because Izuku couldn't join the 'advance training' didn't mean Chima couldn't. He had room for improvement too.
Izuku slumped his shoulders in disappointment and apprehension. To be honest, he was scared to part from his friend, the only familiar being in this place. But he still had faith in Chima. If the Badgermole wasn't wary about sending Izuku off with the other Badgermoles, than he would be safe, no doubt about that.
Clenching his fist in determination, Izuku faced the dark tunnel the group was about to enter with a steeled gaze. Whatever it was he was being sent to learn, Izuku would make sure he masters it.
It turns out it was easier said than done.
As Izuku and the group of young cubs made their way blindly in the dark tunnels, ramming into each other randomly, the boy still struggled to do anything.
At least he figured out what he was supposed to learn. It didn't take Izuku long to notice the lack of spatial awareness the cubs had in contrast to the older ones, seeing as they kept ramming into him. The boy figured that this was a lesson on how to gain that awareness. And since he was told to follow them by Chima, he figured it had something to do with their quirk.
But that's all he had, honestly. The boy had no idea how his earth manipulation abilities were supposed to help him 'see' anything in this place!
All he could do for now was keep walking in the dark. Hoping that in a moment of inspiration he would figure it out.
He didn't really expect any help from the adult leading their little march. Not only the boy probably wasn't able to read her as well as he could Chima, but as far as he knew, the older Badgermole didn't involve herself in the teaching of any of the cubs.
He was on his own, left to figure it all out for himself. The adult was probably here just to make sure no one got into trouble.
With nothing to do, Izuku decided that activating his quirk was better than do nothing and had let the familiar chaotic tremors course into his feet and through his body.
Who knows? Maybe his answer was there?
A fond smile formed on the boy's face at the familiar feeling, he would never get tired of it. The vibrations tickled his feet and toes like they always did and Izuku let himself become lost in the sensation as he made his track in his cave.
It was almost hard to believe that a year ago he couldn't even tap into his quirk properly. Never mind being capable of maintaining his connection to the earth while moving.
But practice did make perfect.
So, that's what he did. For a good hour, Izuku walked through the dark tunnels with only his thoughts (and the occasional bumping into a Badgermole cub) keeping him company.
That was when he made his breakthrough.
*Ba-dump Ba-dump*
'Weird…' The boy hummed to himself. The usual random turmoil of vibrations that he felt was accompanied by a rhythmic beating that almost overpowered everything else. But while it certainly was new, Izuku couldn't shake the feeling he felt it before…
'Wait… that's it! I felt it when I looked for Chima!' The boy's interest peaked. Prior to today, the tremors he felt whenever he used his quirk had no order to them and seemed to vibrate without cause. Never had Izuku felt any sort of frequency through the earth, and the child would lie if he said that he wasn't curious about it.
And like any curious child, Izuku wanted to figure it out. So, it was only natural he decided to focus on it, quickly coming to an interesting revelation.
*thump - ba-dump *
Izuku heard one of the cubs plant their paw into the ground a few meters behind him, a soft and gentle quivering passed by the balls of his feet at the exact same moment.
*Thump - Ba-dump*
Another cub took a step only a couple of meters in front of the boy, accompanied by a weak tremor that the boy felt wiggle his way through his toes.
Unknowingly, Izuku quickened his pace with each tremor he felt, cutting through other Badgermoles as his excitement grew with each new vibration.
*thump - ba-dump*
This time, the boy barely caught the sound of a cub on his far right, all the while what could barely count as a tickle was registered on his right foot.
The greenette was full-on sprinting now, unable to contain all the giddy energy that was built within him. He almost had it! He was sure of it!
He ran by more and more Badgermoles, making his way to the front of the group and when he reached it, all the pieces were put into place.
*TTTHHHUUUMMMPPP! – BA-DUUUUUUUMMMPPPP!*
Izuku heard the loud stomping of the adult Badgermole's foot mere centimeters away from him, but that wasn't what fazed him.
What did was the practical earthquake that Izuku felt when the beast's foot went down, shaking him to the core and knocking him to the ground from its' sheer strength.
Now, he finally had an answer.
Whenever Izuku felt the rhythmic tremors pass by his feet, he also heard the stomping of the other Badgermoles' paws on the ground at the exact moment. Not only that, but it felt like the tremor themselves came from the same direction as the sound.
He could feel the stomp of paws against the hard ground. Visualize the vibrations coursing through the earth until the entire tunnel was enveloped in it. He could tell roughly where the Badgermoles were: Behind, in front, to the right, to the left…
'I'm feeling them through the earth!'
It all made sense now. How Chima could see so well even when he was blind; Why every single one of Chima's species could do it; Why Chima thought… No, he KNEW, that he could do it too!
The ability to sense the world around oneself with the vibrations of the ground.
THAT was the skill Chima sent him here to master.
'This is SO COOL!' Izuku couldn't help but to gush in his mind. A whole new application to his quirk, he was going to have a field day analyzing it when he got home!
Leaning on his hands in preparation to get up, Izuku stopped himself as he felt vibrations course through his arms. The boy stopped what he was doing and contemplated. 'My quirk's stronger when I'm walking on all four…'
It was a no brainier for the boy. Placing both of his hands on the ground, Izuku began walking forward on all four, just like his badger-y entourage.
The vibrations immediately intensified in their fervor. Suddenly, what was once only a vague understanding of his surrounding got into a focus. It was like putting on glasses for the first time.
Vague direction got pinpointed. Behind turned to five and seven o'clock; right into two and a half; left into ten, and in front into one.
It felt amazing. To feel so many rhythms singing together at once and being able to distinguish them from one another and read their meaning. It was almost surreal, after all, logic dictated that he should only feel senseless vibrations…
"!" Izuku almost stumbled in his walk as the thought crossed his mind.
Could it be? Could the senseless and chaotic tremors that he felt whenever he used his quirk be used to sense his surroundings? Were the disordered tremors just like the tremors the cubs generated? An assortment of different vibrations, all coursing through the ground in harmony and giving it voice?
All this time, it was just under his nose and he didn't even realize it.
Izuku was sure of one thing now, more than ever. The journey to master his quirk had only just began. He still had a long way ahead of him.
"Chima! Chima! I'm back!" As soon as Izuku was back into the crystal cave, the boy hurried over to where he last saw his friend, not even minding the bright light of the cavern that stung his eyes a bit.
The Badgermole in question was currently smudged on the hard ground, not even lifting his head in greeting. Chima huffed and puffed in exhaustion as his muscles ached and his head was spinning. Whatever he did while Izuku was gone, it wasn't easy.
"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" The boy leaned on his knees and took a closer look at Chima. The Badgermole was covered head to tail with dirt and grime from whatever he was doing here. He's fur was a mess, disheveled and unruly while mud covered up his snout, clearly agitating him.
Izuku extended a hand to pet Chima, only to get a closer look at it for the first time in a while. Now that the boy could see, it was obvious he was in no better shape than Chima was. Izuku's already messy hair appeared to be defying all the rules of physics by becoming even messier. The boy's clothes, much like his arms and feet, had gotten dirty with dust and mud that was accumulated through his track in the tunnel, the fabric's original color masked by lairs of dust.
"We need a bath…" Izuku dreaded the look his mother was going to give him. No doubt she was going to banish him to the bathroom for the rest of the week once he got home.
Chima, who was still slumped on the ground, perked his ears suddenly and started to get up, as if he remembered something important.
"Oh! You're up!" Chima managed to bring himself to a stand and shook of some of the lairs of dirt he had on him before warping his tail around Izuku's waist and dragging him off somewhere.
"C-Chima! Not Again!"
The Badgermole simply continued to drag the flabbergasted boy deeper into the cave, eventually coming to face a smaller tunnel that appeared to lead deeper underground. Unlike the other tunnels that seemed to converge on this cavern, green crystals illuminated the tunnel's walls with emerald light.
"You want to go down there?" Izuku, who by this point stopped resisting, questioned Chima's choice with a raised eyebrow.
All he got in response was Chima heading down the tunnel in silence. And with him still tied to Chima, it was obvious he followed.
Eventually, Chima's uncoiled his tail and the two found themselves walking through the tunnel in silence as the cave turned downwards, deeper into the earth.
At some point, the air around Izuku became hot and humid, so that even with how sweaty he was, his body wasn't getting colder*. Inhaling deeply, hot air filled the boy's lungs, warming up Izuku's insides in a way that would be comforting if not for how winded he was.
The boy's curiosity was picked, "Where are we going?". Though Chima preferred to be enigmatic about the destination and remained quiet, Izuku's question would be answered soon enough.
The sound of rippling water soon overtook every other sound so that even their footsteps were muffled. Steam began to form around the two, clouding Izuku's field of vision as the tunnel finally opened up into a larger cave.
"Where are we?" Izuku's head darted to left and right in an attempt to grasp their location. Unfortunately, it was to no avail as the large amount of steam clouded his vision to the point he couldn't tell how big was the cave was.
Taking a few cautions steps, the boy wondered around the entrance and tried to swat some of the steam that fogged the area "Chima? Whe- WHOA!"
*Splash! *
Before the boy knew what happened, his feet found no ground to step on and he fell forward. Instead of feeling the hard ground hitting him, Izuku's eyes widened in surprise as hot water enveloped his body and he found himself submerged underwater.
Luckily, the boy could swim, and after reorienting himself he made his way to the surface "Bwaaa! *Cough! * *Cough! * *Cough! *" Coughing out some water, Izuku rubbed his eyes and turned to look around himself.
The boy was in a middle of a rather deep pool (good thing too, considering he fell headfirst into it). The Slightly green water rippled gently in ring patterns and produced the steam that enveloped the place. The rocks on the pool's edge were slippery, not even covered in moss as the soft light that came from the crystal stalactites got reflected off them.
Chima was standing at the pool's edge, taking in the humid air with deep breaths.
"You knew about this place, didn't you?" The forest-haired boy asked as he climbed out of the pool and looked over himself.
Luckily, he was uninjured, but he was now soaked from head to toe, his drenched clothes sticking to his skin.
"Ughhh… Now I have to wait until my clothes dry up!" Izuku whined. He took off his drenched clothes and placed them on a nearby dry stone, hopefully they would dry out quickly.
In response to his whine, however, Chima only playfully nudged the boy and gestured with his head to the hot spring he just got out of.
A gleeful smile developed on the boy's face as he realized what Chima was proposing. "Well, if we need to wait here, we can have fun at least!"
With that, Izuku wasted no time and left his clothes to dry as he ran towards the spring.
"CANNON BBAAAAALLLL!"
*Splash! *
The boy splashed down into the spring, emerging form the water a few seconds later giggling "Hehehehe! Chima! You coming?" Izuku waved the Badgermole over.
*Splash! *
"Whoa!" The boy shielded himself as Chima jumped in and sent water flying everywhere with a massive splash.
"Hey!" Izuku protested in annoyance as Chima was smirking in victory. "How about this!" The boy pushed against the water, aiming at the Badgermole.
*Splash! *
"Hehehehe…" The greenette chuckled as Chima donned an unamused expression, his eyes shielded by a coat of wet fur. "You had it coming, Chima!"
And so, the two spent the next few hours having a water fight and enjoying themselves in the springs. The sound of the boy's laugher echoing through the cave and the tunnels that led to it.
Time flew by quickly and before he knew it, Izuku was walking out of the hot-springs tunnel with Chima in toe, both sporting damp hair like a fashion trend.
"That was so fun!" The boy laughed joyfully. This has been the most fun he had in a very long time, had he known this place existed he would've helped Chima's digging every day.
Chima himself seemed satisfied as well. The Badgermole really missed taking baths in the hot springs, having Izuku with him only made it more enjoyable.
"So, what do we do now, Chima?" Izuku asked out of the blue as he struggled to stifle a yawn. It was only now that it really caught up to him how much had happened during the day: The trip to get here; Their exploring of the cave; Izuku's training session; and finally, the hot springs.
It was only then and there when the boy realized something important. "Wait! What time is it?! I need to go back home!" Izuku panicked. With no clock or daylight to tell him the hour, it could've been midnight for all he knew. His mother was going to kill him!
"We need to go back!"
Hearing the urgency in the boy's voice, Chima lowered himself to allow the boy to climb up.
"Thanks!" With a little grunt of effort, the boy was now seated securely on the Badgermole's back and without further ado: they took off.
Casting one final look behind him, Izuku let out a small smile as he watched the emerald light of the cave becoming dimmer with the distance growing. Patting the Badgermole's head as he ran forward, the boy involuntary let out one statement before turning back, "We'll be back…"
Luckily, the trip back took a lot less time than before. In less than an hour, the due found themselves in the park they left just that morning, Chima panting and struggling to catch his breath.
"You were amazing, Chima." The boy petted his companion's head as he got off him and took a look around.
It was late dusk. The orange dim of the sky was almost completely faded, giving rise to the dark of night, "Just made it…"
Stiffing a yawn, Chima turned around and made his way back to the cave, as he always did at the end of a day.
"Are you going back there?"
The question left Izuku's mouth without his consent.
Chima stopped.
Now that Chima had a way to return to the rest of his kind, would he have a reason to stay? So far, Chima was here in the park because it was the safest place for him. But that was no longer the case.
Izuku closed his eyes, tears threating to spill out at the mere notion. He wasn't Chima, even if he did master the Badgermole's navigation abilities, he would never be able to come visit him on a daily basis anymore. The journey would cost too much time.
Is it a goodbye? The last time he would see his best friend before he would enter that cave of his and never come out?
*Pppppuurrrrrrr…*
'Eh?'
Izuku felt something soft and warm nuzzling against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he found it was Chima, rubbing his snout against his face and purring. One look at Chima face was all he needed to have his worries lifted. With a mere expression he knew exactly what message Chima hoped to convey: 'I'm not going anywhere without you.'
Rubbing his eyes dry and grinning a shaky smile, the boy warped his arms around Chima's snout.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Chima…"
With that, the duo parted ways for the day.
"Izuku, did you remember to take your lunch with you?"
"Yes, mom!"
"What about your notebooks?!"
"I never forget them!"
"And your handkerchief? What about your hanky?"
"MMooooom, I didn't forget anything. I'll be fine!"
Inko and Izuku stood in front of a rather large building that was fenced off from the outside world. The frantic mother looked over her son, searching for anything that could be missing from what might be one of the most important days of his young life.
"Just remember, Izuku. Mommy's so proud of you right now!" Inko couldn't' hold it in anymore as she hugged her son and let out a waterfall of tears flow out of her eyes.
"M-mom!" The boy blushed when he heard the snickers of other kids around him, some the same age as him while others older.
"OHH! My baby grows up so faaaaaast!"
Managing to get out of the bone crushing hug, the boy made his way into the building and passed the metal gate that served as the entrance to the place. Turning around and looking one last time, he spotted his mother still waving at him.
"Have a great first day of school, sweetie!" The mother managed to yell while not tearing up again.
Flashing her a smile only he can, Izuku waved back at her "I will!"
And so, clad with his trusty yellow backpack and his new uniform of white shirt and blue shorts, the boy entered the building he will spend the next couple of years in.
Not even ten minutes in, and Izuku already decided that he hated school.
It was nothing like kindergarten.
In kindergarten, there was only a handful of kids and adults; there was plenty of fun stuff to do; he could've wear whatever he wanted; and there was always the looming hope that he would be picked up early, letting him spend more time with Chima.
Here, however, none of that could ever happen.
The place was absolutely stuffed! Just being here and watching the number of people walking about was enough to make his head spin! The halls of the place may have been colorful, but that's it. Not a piece of puzzle or a part of a toy was in sight. And the uniform! That shirt was so stuffy! He felt like someone was tying him up when he wore that thing!
But worst of all, was the timetable. He had to spend a set number of hours here EVERY day, for SIX days of the week! Not to mention that he would need to spend more time on something called 'homework' after school, if what those upperclassmen said was true. That meant less time to play with Chima, and that was UNACCEPTABLE!
And now, the boy found himself sitting among other first graders on the floor of the school's basketball court, half listening to the dull speech the principal was giving to the school.
"And now, to close things off, I'd like to introduce to you all to the new members of our family. Please welcome our first graders!"
The sound of half-efforted clapping was heard through the court as the older students and teachers greeted the new addition to the school.
"I hope you all have a great time here in our school. Please remember to be diligent on your studies, as well as kind to each other! We all expect great things from you!"
"Tch-! "While it was barely noticeable, Izuku managed to hear the silent scoff that came from Bakugou's mouth. The boy signed silently to himself 'Kacchan hadn't changed one bit…'
"With that, I like to proclaim this entrance ceremony a wild success!" The principal joked, not earning a lot of chuckles in return.
"In any case…" The jovial tone left the principle "First graders, remain here, your homeroom teachers will come and pick you up. Everyone else, please exit in an orderly fashion."
As soon as he said that, a man and three women made their way and stood in front of the group of first graders. One of the women stepped forward, she had short black hair with bangs that reached her brown eyes and a rather slim build. Although she did have rather large… Assets…
The most distinct feature about here, however, was the one thing that was on all the kids' minds.
'What's with that shirt?!'
The woman wore the most bizarre shirt any of them had ever seen. A green shirt with a picture of a chicken leg with the message ' 8/10th portion' written on it with blue lettering.
"Good morning, students!" Oblivious to what was going through her students' minds, the woman wasted no time and introduced herself with a wide smile on her face. "I'm Aguri Yukimura and I'm the homeroom teacher of class 1-1! Nice to meet you all!"
Bowing in politeness, a small smile reached her face when she watched Izuku do the same while still sitting from the corner of her eye 'Guuuush, he's so adorable!'
"I will now read out the names of the student in my class! Anyone who hears their name, please stand behind me and I'll take you to our classroom!"
"Murasa Shisu!"
A girl with a burgundy ponytail that Izuku had less than pleasant memories of, stood up and walked behind Yukimura.
" Sato Yubi!"
Now here's a more familiar name. Bakugou's lacky with stretching fingers wasted no time and walked behind his new teacher.
And so, it went for a couple minutes. Yukimura continued calling out names, and each time a student walked behind her and joined the ever-enlarging group. Some of the kids, Izuku knew from kindergarten. Others he didn't. School was much bigger than kindergarten, after all.
" Bakugou Katsuki!"
A small scoff could be heard as the ash-blonde himself stood up and arrogantly made his way behind the young teacher.
" Midoriya Izuku!"
The greenette jumped in place once he heard his name being called, causing a few of the other kids to snicker and Bakugou to cast him a murderous glare.
It would appear they would be classmates.
What were the odds?
"…And here's our classroom!" Yukimura proclaimed in enthusiasm as she opened the door and showed the room to her students like she was a host on a game show.
The new class of 1-1 had spent the last forty-five minutes getting to know every nook and cranny in Kunugigaoka elementary school. Be it the library; the school gyms and courts; or the cafeteria; no stone was left unturned by their bubbly homeroom teacher.
All in all, their new classroom was rather nice. The walls, while blank now, held plenty of space for customization. Something Yukimura had already planned on doing.
Along the walls of the classroom stood a rather large bookshelf, holding a rather wide assortment of reading material if what Izuku was seeing was true.
There was a total of 5 square tables set up throughout the room, each one having four chairs on its' sides for the students. In the front, a blackboard that held the writing 'Welcome! Class 1-1!" in colorful chalk faced their young eyes, even if only a few of them could actually understand it.
"Why don't we all take our seats and get to know one another?" Yukimura was the first to enter, soon followed by the rest of the kids. Standing tall in front of the blackboard, she watched over the kids with a smile as they all chose a place to sit in.
Naturally, once Bakugou chose his seat, accompanied by his usual lacky and the burgundy haired girl in the back of the classroom, Izuku chose where to sit as well.
In the front.
As far away from the blonde as possible.
"Alright class!" Clapping her hands together to get their attention, Yukimura decided to start today's activities "Since we are all seated now, why don't we get to know each other? We'll take turns and everyone will tell us about themselves."
The young woman placed a hand on her chest, "Why don't I start? My name is Aguri Yukimra. I like to eat Takoyaki with my boyfriend, and my quirk is…" The teacher cupped both her hands in each other, and the class watched in awe as strands of her hair began to lengthen and float in the air like tentacles. "I can lengthen my hair strands and control their movements."
To demonstrate, the teacher let her hair wrap around a textbook she had on the teacher's desk and tossed it in the air, catching it with her hand as it fell.
"Woah… So cool!" Izuku murmured with stars in his eyes. His classmates with similar expressions of wonder at the sight of the quirk.
"Hehe…" Giggling at her students' expression, Yukimura let her hair return to its' short length. "Now that I'm done, who wants to go next?"
As soon as she said that, almost all the kids in class raised their hands as high as they could. Some even yelling "Me! Pick me!"
"My, my…" The teacher sweat dropped in the face of all the enthusiasm, " Let's all relax, shall we? Everyone is going to get their turn."
The teacher opened up her notebook and looked at a paper none of the kids could see, "Let's see… How about we start with you Murasa-chan!"
The introductory session began. Each student that was called stood up to the front of the class and presented themselves. Some were shy, others confident or funny and one… was Bakugou…
Nevertheless, it proved to be a great time for all of them. Especially for a quirk enthusiast like Izuku.
"And, now… We have Midoriya-kun. Can you come here please?" Nodding faintly, the boy stood up and walked to stand at the front of the class, a mere ten steps to his right.
"H-hello…" He waved at his new classmates "My name's Izuku Midoriya. I like heroes and my quirk is…" Tapping his toes on the ground once, the teacher (and some of the kids) was startled when one of the stone tiles was blasted vertically into the air.
Catching it in midair, the boy flashed a sheepish smile "My quirk is Earthbending. I can control earth and stone by moving around."
"My… that's quite a quirk Midoriya-kun. Although…", Yukimura sweat-dropped as she gazed at the hole in the floor, "In the future, try not to damage school property."
Izuku eyes went wide in alarm when he heard that 'Not again!' "S-sorry…" Placing the tile on the hole he made, the boy moved his hand over it and just like that, the floor was back to normal.
'That's quite handy…' The teacher hummed to herself 'At least I don't have to call the landlord…'
Bowing in apology one last time, Izuku sat down at his desk and watched as the student next to him got called out.
"Alright. Next, we have… You Kyoka-!"
"It's Jiro." The student interrupted Yukimura. They blushed as the attention was directed at them "M-my dad must've written my first name b-before my last name; he does that sometimes.". Standing up and walking to the front of the class, the student bowed in greeting. They wore the standard boy's uniform: white shirt and blue shorts.
They were quite petite, barely fitting into the larger uniform they wore. Dark purple hair with an asymmetrical fringe almost covered equally dark purple eyes. They shuffled their feet nervously, like they didn't want to stand there as they played with the most prominent feature they had with their fingers.
Flexible, plug-like cords dangled from their earlobes, ending with two earphone jacks.
"M-my name is Jiro K-kyoka." They told the rest of the class. "I-I like rock-k music and my q-quirk is 'Earphone jack-k!'" To emphasize they lifted the jacks in the air to show the class, "I have a p-pair of Earphone jacks hanging from my earlobes. I c-can use them to ch-channel my heartbeat into a vibration attack-k or to amplify my hearing."
Having said their piece, Jiro turned to leave and sat next to Izuku again, sighing in relief that it was over. It appears they weren't much of a social butterfly.
Something that Izuku couldn't help but think they had in common.
It was the end of the day and Izuku found himself at the halls of his new school, trying to find the exit.
Unfortunately, the tour was more focused on the different land marks of the school rather than how to get from one place to the other. So, as one would expect, the boy found himself wandering aimlessly in the halls, trying in vain to find the way out.
"Hey, do you know how to get out of here?" A voice called out and Izuku turned his head, finding himself staring at a familiar face.
It was the boy that sat next to him in class, Jiro, if he remembered correctly. Now that he got a chance to stand next to him, Izuku realized that he was even shorter than him.
"Oh!" Izuku exclaimed, "No, I'm lost too."
The boy slumped his head in disappointment. "Figures," He grumbled "It wouldn't hurt them to put up sighs, though. We only been here one day."
Izuku could only nod in agreement, "I'm with you on that… I guess we could just go and ask an upper-classman…"
"Look around, fuzzy-head." The purple head gestured to the hallway.
'Fuzzy-head?!'
"We are the only ones here, everyone else already left."
One look around confirmed it and Izuku slumped his head as well before he suddenly perked up, a figurative light-bulb above his head, "I got it! I can use my quirk to find a way out!"
The greenette sat down and began to take off his shoes, much to the confusion of the purple-headed boy that was there with him, "What do you mean 'you can use your quirk'? AND WHY ARE YOU TAKING OFF YOUR SHOES?!"
Izuku explained himself as he stashed his shoes into his backpack, "A part of my quirk lets me sense the vibrations in the ground and use them to navigate, kind of like bats. I couldn't really use it before because the school was so full of students and I would get overwhelmed if I tried. But since its' just the two of us I can manage!"
The purple-head's eyes shot wide, "Oh! That's pretty smart! But why take off your shoes?"
Izuku gained a sheepish smile, "I need to be in direct contact with the ground for it to work. Wearing shoes just makes everything feel all muffled, its' like trying to listen to music with sound-canceling headphones."
"Nice analogy…" Jiro complimented before raising his earphone jacks, "I can help too. I have amplified hearing. Between the two of us I think we can find the exit without a problem."
"That's so cool!" Izuku gushed at the quirk and its' owner had to take a step back in surprise. "You said earlier that you can also attack with your quirk, right?! Your quirk is so versatile!"
Jiro's face blushed crimson, "Its' not that impressive," he muttered, "Besides, you can do all that stuff with your quirk too…"
"I guess you're right…" Izuku replied, his face gaining a slight shade of red himself before a sheepish expression takes over, "Our quirks are more similar than I thought…"
Jiro raised a brow before chuckling, "You're right. I guess they are…"
The two made their way through the halls of the school, concentrating on their quirks. In no time at all, the two found the exit and were now ready to say their goodbye and head off home in different directions.
"Thanks for helping me find the way out" Izuku bowed.
"No, no!" Jiro's flabbergasted face flushed as he nervously played with his jacks, "You helped me as much as I helped you, its' on the both of us."
"If you say so…" Izuku scratched his nape before extending a hand to Jiro, "Then I guess it's' goodbye for the day, Jiro-kun!"
.
.
.
.
Silence permeated through the air around them as Jiro seemed frozen in his spot. His eyes were covered by his fringe and his mouth formed an expressionless line across his face.
"Jiro-kun?"
*Fwooooooooooosh…"
Jiro's earphone jacks floated ominously in the air and slithered like a pair of snakes as towards Izuku. The boy felt a sense of dread fill his heart as he watched the two metallic points of the jacks getting closer to his head.
"J-jiro-kun…?'
Faster then he could register, the jacks flew upwards and into both of his ears.
*BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!*
"!"
Two shockwaves vibrated through Izuku's body simultaneously. His hair stood up straight as the vibrations coursed violently through his body, rattling the lungs in his ribcage and attacking his diaphragm. "GGGGAAAAHHHHHHH!"
After ten seconds of agonizing pain the shockwaves stopped, and the jacks left Izuku's ears.
The boy then collapsed on the ground, swirly patterns dancing in his eyes.
"I'M! A GIRL, YOU DOUCHEBAG!"
And with that, she stomped off, leaving an unconscious Izuku on the ground.
Jiro Kyoka
Quirk: Earphone jack
Description: Kyoka has a pair of headphone jacks hanging from her earlobes. When the plugs are connected to something, she can channel her heartbeat into the jacks, creating a vibration attack. In addition, she has enhanced hearing allowing her to pick up in minuscule sounds in vibrations from her vicinity.
It important to notice that she perceives those vibrations as sounds in contrast to Chima and Izuku who perceive it through Earthbending.
Appearance: Kyoka is a short girl of a petite build. Her dark purple hair is on the shorter sides, reaching her chin in only a few places like the back of her jawbone. She often hides her purple eyes behind her fringe, not liking to make eye contact.
Affiliation: Kunigigaoka Elementary school student.
Age: 6.
Birthday: 8/1 .
Height: 91.2 cm.
Favorite food: Dango.
Favorite thing: Rock.
Tidbit:
Despite her age, Jiro is a talented musician, capable of playing on multiple instruments. Guitar is her favorite though.
Hi there, Cyber-RK18 talking. I think it is a good time to address this, just like in the original fanfic by Op Taipan. It's a good time to mention that Izuku isn't going to have One For All.
The quirk and all of the drama that comes with it goes to someone else. Izuku is the Avatar he has his own responsibilities, just like the 9th holder is busy with their own journey being All Might's successor.
In the original, there were no plans for Izuku to have a love interest, and I decided to keep it that way. I think this story would just focus on friendship, not who would Izuku be with... cause, in all honesty, I normally write BL.
If I did end up writing romance, I think I should give that to Kyoka Jiro.
No, it won't be with Denki, I'm team ShinKami!
Happy Gay Pride Month!
The fanfic would be available on Wattpad, it won't be uploaded until tomorrow.
As for the rest of the chapters of Books One and Two, it would be out on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Why Wednesday you ask?
In All Honestly, because of uploading, I'm excited for the next season of Overwatch 2, From Twitter, I hear that Tracer is getting her Mystic Skin. I wonder when will Sombra would have one... also please bring back Demon Hunter Skin, I didn't have Overwatch at the time, and I want that skin!
Like I would normally say at the end, of my channel.
Til Next Time.
Mabuhay!
