…They Are Made
Izuku and Catra walked through the crimson colored wasteland, spotting only some semblance of shade to rest up. They had been walking for what felt like days under the intense sun of the desert. They fell against the tall rocky wall that cast the small patch of shade. They wiped the sweat from their brows before rubbing it back in their faces.
"Why is it so hot?" Izuku asked. "How can anyone live in a place like this?"
"Don't know, and I don't think so," Catra replied, pointing to the large bleached skeleton of a large beast. "And to think I was moaning about being soaked in water a few hours ago. Now, I'd give my tail for some water."
Izuku pulled out their canteen. He handed it to Catra, who looked at their remaining water.
"It's okay, you can drink it," Izuku said, giving her a reassured smile. "I can still manage."
Catra looked down before taking a small sip. She handed it to him before looking up at the sky. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of vultures.
"We need to get out of the desert," Catra said, pulling herself back to her feet. "But first, we need somewhere to really rest up. Come on Izuku. Up and at 'em." She said, as the green-haired boy got back to his feet.
The two kids continued walking through the canyon, hoping to find some kind of shelter where they could rest. They kept their eyes open in their new environment. They had never once been in a place with such harsh yet soft surfaces. They couldn't help but wonder what kind of creatures lived in such a place. The sights of the giant skeletal remains made them weary of the creatures that were still amongst the living and the other dangers of this crimson desert.
"Catra, look," Izuku said, pointing to a large cactus. "Those are plants. Real plants, not like in the holopads."
"Hey, you think those things are edible?" Catra asked.
Just then a small bird landed on the plant, before being paralyzed like a statue.
The two kids flinched at the sight before running away from the plants.
"Not edible, definitely not edible," Izuku clarified as they ran.
They continued running until they tripped in the sand. They groaned as they got up, hating the feeling of sand in their mouths.
"I hate this place," Catra groaned, putting a hand on the sand to get up.
Only her hand started to sink. Catra screamed in terror as the sands pulled her down.
Izuku jumped to his feet, grabbing her from behind. He pulled her out of the quicksand pond after one powerful tug from his body.
They landed on their backs with a painful groan.
"Are you alright, Catra?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah, thanks. The sooner we get out of here the better," Catra said, getting back on her feet, helping Izuku up. "Deadly plants, quicksand, and who knows what else. This place is the worst. Things couldn't get any worse."
Just then, an arrow landed between the two kids, causing them to jump back in shock.
Izuku and Catra looked up and saw that they were surrounded by anthropomorphic snakes wearing makeshift leather clothes while carrying a vast variety of weapons on them. The two kids huddled together as the snakes and reptiles hissed at them, getting closer. Izuku and Catra didn't know what to do, they didn't have weapons and they were vastly outnumbered and outgunned. Just then, the two former Horde orphans looked up to see a massive muscular snakeman.
The snake man creature before them was as tall as Force Captain Muscular and sported a similarly vicious look. He had reddish-pink scales all over his body along with a silver belly with yellow snake eyes, and two large fangs accompanied by a forked tongue. He wore a leather vest with a golden curled up snake stitched to the back, a pair of worn bandit pants with a whip hung around his waist and two black combat boots to sell the whole wasteland leader look he had. This was Tongue Lashor!
"Well, well, well, what do we have here boys? A couple of lost runts just treading through our territory," Tongue Lashor pointed out. "Are you two lost?" He added in a mocking tone, getting chuckles from the members of his gang.
Catra hissed back at the snake men. She was tired and angry, but she was not going to let a few thugs intimidate or hurt her and Izuku. She had managed to push back many of the other cadets with her claws and fangs before, but this was the first time she had to do it against people that didn't know her.
"Ooh, feisty one, ain't she boys?" Tongue Lashor taunted.
"Please, we don't want any trouble," Izuku said, hoping to defuse the situation. "We just want to leave, we won't bother you, sir."
"Leave? Do you even know where you are, runt?" Tongue Lashor hissed. "You are in the Crimson Waste, the place where the worst of the worst come to play and it only gets worse from there."
"So, just leave us alone then!" Catra snarled.
This however got everyone in Tongue Lashor's gang to laugh.
"There are only two rules in the Crimson Waste, kids," Tongue Lashor said, glaring at them. "Rule number one: The Strong Make the Rules. Rule number two: Never mess with the Mighty One."
"Who's the Mighty One?" Izuku asked, looking for a way out.
"Oh, he is just a monster that roams the Crimson Waste, with glowing blue eyes and a deep thunderous voice that can crack stone with a single word," Tongue Lashor explained. "But he is far from being your biggest problem. Because you are before one of the strongest gangs in the Crimson Waste and its feared leader, Tongue Lashor!" He declared.
His entire gang cheered for their boss' bold claim and how the two children should be quaking in fear.
"Who?" Catra asked, causing everyone to stop cheering.
"Um, Tongue Lashor! Did you two mini-outsiders not hear me?" Tongue Lashor asked.
"Um, we heard you, it's just that we don't know who you're talking about," Izuku admitted.
"Yeah, like you said, we're not from around here," Catra added, which got a few of the gang members to nod in understanding.
Tongue Lashor gritted his teeth in rage. He should've been clearer on what he meant.
"ME! I'm Tongue Lashor!" Tongue Lashor introduced himself. "And this is my gang, and soon we will rule the Crimson Waste!"
However, instead of hearing two kids scared out of their minds, the gang heard snickers of laughter.
Izuku and Catra were holding back the desire to laugh their heads off. Even in such a dangerous situation for the two kids, they were still smiling. It was the first time they had laughed since they had entered the Crimson Waste as it was called.
"What is so funny?" Tongue Lashor asked with anger in each of his words.
"Sorry, sorry, it's just that. Your name isn't very scary," Izuku giggled.
"Yeah, if anything that name is perfect to make people laugh to death," Catra added amidst her laughter. "I mean, who came up with that name? Did you just wake up one morning and thought; 'Hey, I need a name that strikes fear into the hearts of my enemies. Let's see, Serpent Strike? Nope. Crimson Snake? Too geographical. I know, I'll call myself Tongue Lashor! No one has ever thought of that name before!' Ha ha!"
"Come on, Catra, he must've lost a bet or something," Izuku said, as Tongue Lashor got angrier and angrier. "That name just doesn't help give off the image of a dangerous wasteland boss. If anything it makes him sound like he does something weird with his tongue." The small green-haired boy explained.
Just then one of the gang members snorted at the idea that Izuku was suggesting, causing Tongue Lashor to glare at him. This led to the gang member being kicked into the quicksand to teach him a lesson.
A lesson Izuku and Catra were about to learn the hard way.
Izuku and Catra looked up at Tongue Lashor as he looked like a bull that had woken up on the wrong side of the bed.
Tongue Lashor picked up Izuku with one hand, lifting him up by the neck of his uniform. He glared at the little boy as he frantically looked around for a way to free himself.
"Got something to say about my name, pipsqueak?" Tongue Lashor asked. "Because I eat garbage like you for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. Come on, I dare you."
"You eat garbage?" Catra asked, distracting Tongue Lashor.
"What? No! Big mistake, fur b-!" Tongue Lashor began, only for Izuku to throw sand at his eyes, blinding him.
Tongue Lashor screamed in pain as Izuku pulled himself free.
Izuku and Catra ran away from the awfully named angry blind snake man and his gang.
"Get them!" Tongue Lashor called out, as the sand stung his eyes.
Izuku and Catra ran for their lives just like they had done so the night before. Only difference was that this time, they were out in the open with no place to hide and no quick escape for them to use as a last resort. The only plus side that they could see was that Shadow Weaver wasn't there chasing them. So they pushed on, drawing whatever strength their tired bodies had to put as much distance between them and the snake men gang.
"I can't believe you did that!" Catra commented as she ran like a cat next to Izuku.
"I didn't know what else to do," Izuku replied, ducking under an arrow. "It seemed like the best way to get away from them."
"So what's the plan now?!" Catra asked as a spear passed over their heads. "Because, I don't think we can just outrun these dumbfaces!"
"I didn't think that far ahead!" Izuku replied, freaking out as they kept running.
Up ahead, Izuku spotted more of the strange plants and thought of something.
"I've got an idea, but I need something-!" Izuku began when a spear passed next to his head before landing before him. "That will work!"
Izuku and Catra pulled out the spear before turning it towards the paralyzing cactus.
Izuku plunged the spear into the strange plant, cutting a piece of it. He then flung the piece and its juices at the gang members. He hoped that whatever made these plants so deadly ran through their juices as well as the thorns. He did it over and over again to buy himself and Catra enough time to escape and get far from Tongue Lashor and his goons.
As soon as the plants struck the snake men, they were frozen in place like ugly garden gnomes.
Izuku repeated his action, sending more and more of the cactus at their pursuers.
The snake men that were paralyzed laid on the ground as the others covered themselves to avoid a similar fate.
"Alright, get 'em, Izuku!" Catra cheered before Izuku saw that they were out of cactus.
"Run!" Izuku carried the spear as they ran once more.
The two kids continued running, much to the anger of Tongue Lashor.
"This game has gone on, long enough!" Tongue Lashor whipped out his whip, cracking it like a tail.
Tongue Lashor flung his whip at the two running kids, causing them to jump in fear. He pulled it back before wrapping it around Izuku's leg, tripping the young man to the ground once more.
"Izuku!" Catra shot back to help her friend.
But before she could reach him, a net was wrapped around her, trapping her.
"Catra!" Izuku reached out for her, but was stomped by Tongue Lashor's boot.
"You know, we were just going to take your supplies and leave you to perish by the desert," Tongue Lashor said, pinning Izuku to the ground. "But now, after you disrespected me? I think you two need to be taught a lesson." Tongue Lashor pulled Izuku up by his head, tossing the backpack to his subordinates.
"Izuku! Leave him alone, you dumbface dumbname jerk!" Catra struggled against her bindings.
"Oh, right, the feisty one," Tongue Lashor chuckled as Izuku struggled with his hold. "She'll make a good snack or slave if we find a buyer. But you, runt, maybe we'll throw you in the snake pit. But runners don't last long there. So I guess you'll have to settle for a snack!" Tongue Lashor opened his jaws as he dangled Izuku over it.
Izuku struggled and kicked his legs, trying to free himself. Tears swelled up in his eyes as he looked at Catra, his only friend left in the world. He saw that she also had tears in her eyes. He wanted to tell her that he had a plan to fix everything. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be fine, but he couldn't even muster a lie.
Just then, a thunderous booming explosion shocked the entire area, knocking back the snakes. The shockwave was so strong that it freed the two children, sending Izuku and Catra free from their holdings.
"Izuku, are you alright?" Catra asked, holding her friend.
"I think so," Izuku coughed.
Izuku and Catra looked up and saw a massive mushroom cloud going up into the sky and a lone figure coated in a long dusty brown cloak that covered the figure's face. But through the dust and the darkness of the hood, a glowing pair of electric blue eyes peered at the snakes and the children.
"Who is that?" Catra coughed.
"...I don't know," Izuku muttered as the snake men charged at the figure.
The figure turned his sights at the snake men, glaring at them as it stretched its right arm. In the blink of an eye, the figure struck three snake men with a single punch, sending them flying with broken bones and shattered weapons. The figure's arm was large and muscular with tanned skin and some scars. The figure turned back and backhanded five snake men with a powerful blast of compressed air. With a quick step, the figure appeared before six of the remaining snake men, reeling back its right arm like a pro-boxer before unleashing a powerful punch that sent them flying and shattering the large stone wall behind them.
For Izuku and Catra, it was like looking at a force of nature in human form.
The wind blew, revealing more of the figure's body and its face.
It was a man with tanned sun-kissed skin with short blond hair with two long flicks coming from his forehead. His eyes were an electric blue with a powerful force behind them. He wore a dirty worn blue vest on top of an armored white shirt, a pair of dark green pants and yellow golden boots. His arms had bandages and bits of broken armor after many years of use.
Only one name could come to Izuku's mind when he saw the man.
"...The Mighty One," Izuku whispered.
The Mighty One's eyes shifted to a scurrying Tongue Lashor as he tried to crawl away from the place.
"Leaving so soon?" A booming voice asked.
Tongue Lashor tried to run, but his path was cut off by The Mighty One.
"You had the balls to attack a pair of kids with your whole gang but ran when I showed up?" The Mighty One questioned. "Pathetic."
Tongue Lashor tried to attack the tall man with his whip, but he didn't get a chance.
The Mighty One kicked Tongue Lashor across the face with a roundhouse kick. As the snake man spat out his broken fangs and teeth from his shattered jaw, the strongest man Izuku and Catra had ever seen landed a punch on Tongue Lashor's stomach, sending him flying.
The two kids looked in awe as their tormentor was sent flying like a ragdoll.
"Who are you two?" The Mighty One asked, getting their attention.
Catra jumped between Izuku and The Mighty One, hissing like a feral cat to protect her friend.
Izuku didn't know what to say. He was before someone much stronger than anyone he'd ever seen and to him it was like standing before a powerful flame of justice and hope. His vision became blurry but he engraved that image in his mind. He then passed out.
"Damn it," The Mighty One sighed.
Izuku slowly began to wake up, feeling the cool night breeze hit his body and a warm heat curled up next to him. His eyes blinked awake as a smell roused him from his sleep. He turned and noticed Catra curled up next to him, trying to keep him warm.
"Izuku, you're awake!" Catra cheered, hugging Izuku to her chest.
"I'm okay, Catra. I'm okay," Izuku said, hugging Catra back. "What happened? Where is The Mighty One?"
Catra gestured to where a fire was lit and a large chunk of meat hung over it.
Behind the campfire sat The Mighty One in a crossed legged position. He looked up at the sound of the kids waking up.
"You two sure were exhausted, keeping up with the heat of the Crimson Waste and running for your lives has to be," The Mighty One said, picking up their backpacks. "Now tell me, since when does the Horde send ill-prepared children out as scouts? I thought Hordak had better things to do than try to take over a forsaken desert."
"Hey, those are our supplies!" Catra snapped.
"And we're not with the Horde," Izuku explained. "We left and found ourselves here. Please, that's all the food we've got."
The Mighty One looked at the two kids before sighing. He tossed them their backpacks with ease.
"You won't survive long with that kind of food. Didn't they teach you to hunt or forage?" The Mighty One asked.
"That was… a more advanced subject," Izuku said. "We didn't stay for it."
The Mighty One looked at the large chunk of meat he had over the fire. He picked it up from the bone before splitting it in two. He tossed the first half at the two kids before he sat down to eat his own.
"Eat it," The Mighty One told them. "You'll need energy to get out of the Crimson Waste. After that, you can try to stave off starvation with those things the Horde gives you." He explained before taking a bite out of the meat.
Izuku and Catra looked at the piece of meat in wonder. They'd never seen anything like this before, and it smelled amazing. They hesitantly took a bite out of it. Their eyes lit up as their mouths burned with flavor. They bit and chewed the meat like two starving beasts, even trying to wrestle the bone out of their hands.
Once they had finished eating, Izuku and Catra let out a sigh of satisfaction. They turned their sights to their mysterious savior.
"Mr. Mighty One, sir," Izuku began.
"Toshinori. My name is Toshinori Yagi," Toshinori corrected. "That other title is what people call me because I'm the strongest being here. What do you want?"
"Um, why did you help us? I mean, no one in the Horde would've done what you did," Izuku said. "I mean, thank you, Toshinori." He said, bowing his head in gratitude.
"Yes, thank you," Catra added, bowing her head.
Toshinori didn't react much, but stiffened up a bit. It had been a long time since anyone had ever thanked him like that. It almost made him smile, but he knew that the last thing he needed to do was to give these kids high hopes for something that might never come.
"Don't mention it. Tell me, why did you two desert the Horde?" Toshinori asked. "Usually it's not-so-brainwashed soldiers that desert, not children."
Izuku looked down.
"I saw… I saw what the Horde did to both innocent people and those that stepped out of line," Izuku said with tears in his eyes. "I-I-I couldn't let that happen to me and my friends! I just wished I could have gotten more out." He said as tears rolled down his face.
"It wasn't your fault, Izuku. They just didn't want to listen," Catra said. "Not even Adora."
Izuku dropped to his knees and started to punch the rock under his feet. He kept punching until his knuckles bled, and his tears scattered across the ground. He was letting out all the frustrations that he had out in a cry of rage and powerlessness.
"Izuku, stop it! Stop! Please!" Catra cried out with tears in her eyes, holding back Izuku before he hurt himself even more.
Izuku stopped, but continued crying.
"I'm just so weak. I couldn't do anything before, and it almost got us killed," Izuku teared up. "I'm sorry, Catra. I'm sorry that I'm so weak."
Neither of them realized that Toshinori now stood before them. He knelt down before Izuku, causing him to look up.
"Not all men are born equal. You know that right?" Toshinori asked.
Izuku nodded in understanding.
"What's important is the struggle. The hard work to get to the top is something that all living beings face every day," Toshinori explained, looking up to the star-filled sky. "No one is born the strongest. You might be weak now, but you can choose to become stronger and become someone people can depend on. But that is up to you to make that decision. Now, get some sleep, you two. Tomorrow will be a long day."
Izuku and Catra slept next to the fire, using each other for comfort. Their day of running and trying to survive under the harsh sun of the Crimson Waste had left them utterly exhausted. They slept like a couple of rocks before they were awakened by Toshinori as the sun was rising on the horizon.
The trio walked towards the edge of the Crimson Waste. Not far from the border where sand met grassy meadows with trees and a clear blue sky.
"Wow, those are trees?" Izuku asked.
"The Horde really taught you a lot, didn't they?" Toshinori said with slight sarcasm. "Well, this is as far as I go. Good luck to you two." He said, turning around to leave.
The two kids looked at the only other nice person they had met as he walked back into the Crimson Waste.
"Come on, Izuku, let's go see what the other side is like," Catra urged. "I wanna see how it feels."
Izuku, however, kept his eyes on Toshinori.
Toshinori kept walking back towards the Crimson Waste. This was his home, his own place that he would look after in his exile. Just then, he heard some small rocks sliding behind him. He turned his head and saw the young boy, Izuku, walking after him.
"What are you doing? The way out of the Waste is that way," Toshinori said, pointing behind Izuku.
"You said that I could choose to become stronger," Izuku said, looking at Toshinori with determination. "So teach me!"
This took The Mighty One by surprise; he hadn't expected someone to ask him that.
"What?"
"You're right, we were ill-prepared and now we need to fend for ourselves. I'm not that strong and I can get overwhelmed by others and everything around me," Izuku sobbed. "That's why, I want to become strong. So that I don't become a burden to Catra or anyone else! I wanna be someone they'll look at as a hero that can help save the day! Someone that stands up for others."
Toshinori had heard those words before and knew that the flame behind the eyes of the green haired boy was genuine.
"You're not a burden!" Catra called out, dropping down next to Izuku. "If you weren't there, me and Adora would still be in the Fright Zone, trying to earn Shadow Weavers approval. I always go through the motions and lash out in anger. That's why I need you, Izuku! I'm not losing another friend! So, if you're staying, so am I!" She cried out with tears in her eyes.
The two kids gave Toshinori a determined look as they stood by each other.
Toshinori could already tell that they weren't going to take "no" for an answer. He could easily send them packing but that would make them come back over and over until he changed his mind. He remembered when he was that stubborn to begin with. Their will was strong and a part of his heart told him that this was not going to be easy.
"Two years." Toshinori stated.
The two kids looked at each other in confusion.
"If you can manage to live with me for two whole years, I will train you and choose one of you to pass down my master's teachings," Toshinori explained. "Those are my conditions. Understood?"
Izuku and Catra looked at each other before nodding.
Toshinori was not going to make this easy.
Two Months Later…
Izuku and Catra were climbing up a steep wall, digging their hands into the solid rock.
Catra easily used her claws to make it up.
But Izuku had to struggle through grip after vicious grip. His fingers had to find something to hang onto before pulling himself up. He lost his grip, sliding down the wall before Catra caught his hand.
They shared a smile before Catra lost her grip.
Three Months Later…
Toshinori observed Izuku and Catra running for their lives as a large three headed snake chased after them.
The two kids were each carrying a large egg that was meant to be their meal. After having a taste for real food, they were not going back to ration bars. So instead they learned to hunt and forage for food. They, however, caught the attention of another predator of the Crimson Waste.
"Any ideas?!" Catra asked.
"We could toss one of the eggs and see if it'll leave us alone!" Izuku suggested.
"I don't think it'll be enough!" Catra replied as the snake snapped its jaws behind them.
Izuku thought of what they could do to get away from the snake. He spotted a rock sticking out from the sand just between them.
"Switch with me!" Izuku called out.
Catra and Izuku passed the rock before switching places.
The snake heads followed their movements, getting tangled on the rock before crashing.
The two kids cheered, only to discover that their eggs were broken.
Four Months Later…
Izuku and Catra were doing push ups one next to the other with heavy rocks on top of them. They were sweating bullets thanks to the sun, but it was worth it. They had started to develop a good amount of muscle and strength at a faster rate than they would've hoped.
"This is easy, I could do two hundred more," Catra boasted.
"Me too," Izuku groaned.
Just then, they felt two more rocks land on their backs, sending them to the floor.
"Still think this is easy?" Toshinori asked as the two kids groaned under the rocks.
Six Months Later…
Izuku and Catra were sparring together with two sticks they had found. They clashed over and over, spinning their weapons with great dexterity. They circled each other before engaging in combat once more.
Izuku parried Catra's attack, flipping her back before going on the offensive himself. He spun his staff to the side only to be blocked. He then spun back before blocking Catra's own strike.
"Look at you taking the initiative," Catra taunted in their struggle.
"I learned from the best," Izuku replied before Catra licked his cheek.
Izuku blushed at this, giving Catra her opening.
She swiped her leg under her friend, knocking him down to the ground.
"I win!" Catra poked Izuku in the forehead.
"Only because you cheated," Izuku muttered while still blushing.
Catra, meanwhile, only licked her lips at the sweet taste. She then giggled like a little girl as Izuku asked for another chance.
Seven Months Later…
Izuku was preparing the fire for the dinner as Toshinori approached him.
"Izuku," Toshinori called.
"Yeah, Toshinori?" Izuku asked.
"What would you say if I chose Catra as the one to inherit my teachings?" Toshinori asked.
"Well, then I'd be happy for her. She's so strong and is willing to do everything she needs to win and keep people safe," Izuku replied. "I know she's stronger than me, and I'm okay with it. I'll just have to find another way to be a hero."
Toshinori didn't reply. He just looked at Izuku in thought for a moment, before walking away.
Catra caught dinner by using one of the traps Izuku had made and was getting it ready for dinner. However, Toshinori appeared before her.
"Hey teach, what's up?" Catra asked.
"Catra, I wanted to ask you what would you do if I chose Izuku as the heir to my teachings?" Toshinori asked.
Catra thought about it for a moment before shrugging.
"I would say, what took you so long?" Catra admitted. "As much as I like the idea of being a walking force of nature, that's not really my style. Izuku would be better and I'd follow him through thick and thin. I-I mean, someone has to make sure to toughen him up before he starts crying rivers." She said, hiding her blush.
Toshinori chuckled at Catra's reaction. He patted her head before leaving her.
Two Months Later…
Izuku and Catra sat crossed legged in front of Toshinori after two long years of training and surviving in the Crimson Waste. They had grown up together and had gotten stronger and were able to survive fairly well on their own. But now they looked at each other before turning their sights to their mentor and father figure.
Toshinori sat down crossed legged before the two youngsters with a stern face.
"I want you both to know that this decision was not made lightly and while you both show great promise and you are both great warriors and people, only one of you can learn these teachings," Toshinori explained. "Catra, you have an instinctive fighting spirit but it can easily overwhelm you into not thinking clearly. You have the skills of a leader but need to take things more seriously. Izuku, your mind and analytical skills are very advanced to the point you can see three steps ahead of your opponent but you lack self-esteem and the power to see things through. If you were more outgoing, I have no doubt that you could reach great heights. Which is why I've chosen you to be my successor, Izuku."
Izuku was shocked at the revelation. He was then tackled into a hug by Catra.
"Congratulations, Izuku!" Catra cheered.
"Um, t-thank you, Toshinori!" Izuku thanked, bowing his head.
"Don't thank me yet, Izuku. These past two years were the warm up," Toshinori explained. "Tomorrow, you two will enter a new level of pain and training. And you Izuku, you will learn the power of One For All."
Izuku and Catra nodded in understanding.
"No one is born inherently good or evil. These are things that are taught," Toshinori said. "Now, let's get to work."
Nine Years Later…
Izuku and Catra were once more in front of the border between the Crimson Waste and the rest of Etheria.
"So, you ready this time?" Catra asked, nudging her much taller and more well-built friend.
"Yeah, this time, I'm ready," Izuku said with a smile.
For the past nine years, Izuku and Catra trained under Toshinori. Izuku was meant to be the heir of One For All but Catra was never far behind, keeping up with her own training. They grew together as master and apprentices, but also as something close to a family. Their bond grew so strong that they were a team unlike any other.
And with those nine years came a few noticeable changes.
Izuku was now a young man with longer green hair that reached down to his shoulders. His body was now much more muscular and toned after years of training and a bit of a tan given his time under the sun and a few scars on his arms and legs. He now wore a green gi vest on top of a black t-shirt, a red belt filled with equipment, green pants, and red shoes. On his arms he wore a pair of white braces with matching fingerless gloves. Izuku had become a man that was a far cry from the little boy he was eleven years ago.
Catra, for her part, had become a beauty, with tanned fur and a long brown mane that came down to her back, as well as a curvy body. Years of training under her adoptive father and Izuku had made her develop an equally parts feminine and strong body with all the desirable assets. She wore a red and burgundy short sleeved shirt that hugged her body, a pair of tight brown pants, red open-toed sandals, and a black belt around her waist. She had an armored diadem on her head that resembled a lion's face and a pair of burgundy fingerless gloves that went up to her forearms.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Catra asked, wrapping her arm around Izuku which got him close to her chest. "Let's show Etheria what we're made of! So which way?"
Izuku blushed at the proximity to Catra's chest, as he still had trouble realizing that his friend was now a woman.
"Um, um, um, that way!" Izuku pointed indiscriminately.
"Good enough for me!" Catra said, picking up her bag and dragging Izuku with her. "I've got a good feeling about this!"
Just then, a large three headed snake came out from within the sand, causing Izuku and Catra to jump back. However, they weren't scared.
"You wanna do the honors?" Izuku asked.
"Nah, I like watching you work," Catra replied, leaning against a tree. "Besides, it's the duty of the man to protect the woman, isn't it?"
Izuku smiled as his eyes filled with green light. He balled his fist as energy coursed through his body. A green aura surrounded him as he called forth the power of One For All like he'd done before. With a smile on his face, Izuku stared down at the large three-headed snake as it lunged at him.
"Alright, here goes!" Izuku called out, jumping at high speeds towards the middle head with his arm reeled back. "SMASH!" He called out, decking the giant snake head with his fist.
The large beast was sent flying backwards by Izuku's punch as the green-haired man landed on his feet with a smile.
"Let's go," Izuku said, giving Catra a smile.
Far from where Izuku and Catra were walking, deep inside a mystical forest known only as the Whispering Woods, a bright light of power beat slowly.
Plunged deep into the land and wrapped around by vegetation, a lone sword stood.
The blade was straight but by a small circular chip on the left side. It had a golden crossguard and handle that resembled the wings of a mighty bird. And in the center of the guard laid a cracked blue runestone, beckoning for those that would wield it again.