AN: Thanks for all the interest and reviews everyone!

Ricardo Valencia - about half of your suggestions are on the list, actually! There are some things that won't change, but with good reason.

"Good morning Himichan!" The warm voice of a green-haired woman called out as Himiko left her bedroom.

"Morning mom!" Himiko called back, a fanged smile on her face.

The woman set a plate of food out for Himiko, along with a glassful of blood. It looked vaguely like hospital food, but Himiko didn't care. "What are your plans today?"

"I'm going to meet up with my friends!" Himiko replied happily.

She had been so scared of revealing who she really was to them, but it turned out it was ok! Her friends accepted her immediately and even chided her for waiting for so long to tell them about her real nature.

Friends…

Family…

As Himiko sat there looking at her food, she felt an emptiness filling her chest. A longing that she didn't understand…

Himiko woke up in the hospital, feeling wet stains on her face. Gently reaching up, she touched her cheek.

Tears…?

She sighed and prepared herself to reassert her mask and act Normal, just like her parents wanted, until she froze, the sound of a heart rate monitor reminding her where she was.

"Right," Himiko let out a long sigh as she relaxed back into her bed. "Of course, it's just a dream."

At least I'm not with the Togas anymore. I wonder what will happen to me.

Does it even matter? As long as I'm not with them.

Even then, Himiko knew she was lying to herself.

Ever since she saw the way Inko treated Izuku, she selfishly wanted a life like that for herself.

Eventually, a nurse came in, handing her a menu. But she had more important things on her mind.

"The Midoriyas - do you know if they're coming today?"

The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, but I don't know if you'll be receiving guests today."

Himiko swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "Thanks," She picked up the menu and began looking it over while the nurse changed the bags on her IVs. "I hope they do."

After ordering her breakfast, Himiko once again found herself alone in the room. With nothing better to do, she turned on cartoons. They were mindless, but they reminded her of the few happy moments she had, watching cartoons with her little sister.

After all, she didn't have anything else to distract her.

When she got her breakfast, she was disappointed when she didn't have a glass of blood on her tray. Rather, the nurse handed her a small tube of blood with a rubber stopper.

"As the doctor explained yesterday, we need to start getting you used to drinking a regular dose of blood with your meals. It may take some time for you to get used to this, so make sure to drink it slowly."

Himiko simply nodded and cradled the vial in her hands. She felt her cheeks heat up as she realized the nurse was waiting patiently for her to drink the blood and found tears once again threatening to spill.

To them, my need for blood is just a normal thing.

Where were these people all of my life?

Why did they have to wait until now to show up?

Taking a deep breath, Himiko unstopped the tube and slowly raised it to her lips, taking a sip of the precious liquid. It tasted just as wonderful as the blood from the day before.

"How are you feeling?" The nurse asked.

Himiko looked up and smiled. "This is… nice."

"Excellent," The nurse smiled back before writing down a note on her chart. "I'll let the doctor know." After finishing, the nurse turned toward Himiko. "Do you need anything else?"

"No," Himiko said, looking up at the nurse." Thank you."

"If you need anything, you can use the call button," The nurse reminded her before leaving.

Once the nurse left Himiko turned the television back on and busied herself with her breakfast while a random cartoon played in the background.

After a time, Himiko heard a gentle knock on the door before the door to her room opened revealing an elderly woman with a snake head.

"Good morning Miss Toga. I am Mrs. Mamushi, and I'm here to act as your temporary quirk counselor," She crossed the room and grabbed the edge of a chair, dragging it along the room so it sat next to the bed. "I know you won't be with us long, but part of your recovery process involves starting a new file for you." The woman frowned. "After all, your old one is completely worthless."

"Good morning Mrs. Mamushi," Himiko pushed the cart containing her empty breakfast away. "Please, call me Himiko. I don't like my other name right now." She admitted.

With a sad look on her face, the woman gave a single nod, before she sat down and pulled out a notebook.

"Now then Himiko, please tell me about your quirk."

Himiko's brow furrowed as she looked down at her lap. "I- my quirk makes me want to drink blood."

The woman began taking notes. "And what happens when you drink someone's blood?"

"I… become them."

"Oh?"

Himiko looked up at the counselor. Her face was filled with curiosity, not fear or disdain, and Himiko felt the knot in her stomach easing ever so slightly. She bobbed her head in affirmation. "I look and sound just like them."

"How does your body do that?"

The back and forth continued as Mamushi continued to ask Himiko basic questions about her quirk as she tried to build up a basic profile. Himiko felt frustrated at how inadequate so many of her answers turned out to be, but the woman didn't blame her. Rather, she laid the blame squarely on her parents and her old counselor, frequently commenting about how they should be ashamed of themselves.

Once they were through the basic questions, Mamushi began asking harder ones - how her parents viewed her quirk, what they told her previous quirk counselor. Finally, she began asking the worst questions - the activities and recommendations her previous counselor gave to help her suppress her quirk. As she was being questioned, Himiko didn't even realize she was crying until Mamushi handed her some tissues, which she gratefully accepted.

As she blew her nose, she saw the woman scowling as harsh pen strokes hit the paper.

Was my life really that bad?

When they were finally done, Mamushi reviewed her notes. "This is even worse than I could possibly imagine. No wonder you suffered a quirk backlash." She looked up at Himiko and gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know I won't be able to undo ten years of damage in the short time we're together, but I'll certainly try. From what you've told me, there's nothing wrong with your quirk. While it may be a rare combination of traits, that doesn't make it inherently bad. It's simply a part of you - no different than your eye or skin color."

"But what about the fact that it's not harmless? What about the fact that someone needs to bleed for me to use it? Doesn't that make it bad?"

Please, tell me why it's not a curse. Himiko silently begged.

The woman sighed, setting her pen down as her brows furrowed deep in thought. Himiko fidgeted anxiously while waiting until the woman spoke again. "Do you know much about the flame hero, Endeavor?"

"No. My parents don't really like heroes. Unless it was a major story in the news, we didn't hear much about them."

"I see," Mamushi had a thoughtful look as she gathered her thoughts. "Well, his quirk allows him to produce and control fire. And, while there are many things said about him, he has managed to become the number two hero in Japan and has held that position for over two decades, unchallenged by any number of heroes. Now Himiko, tell me: when he shows up to a villain attack, do you think people are scared of him?"

"No…" Himiko responded carefully, wondering where Mamushi was going with this.

"Now then, let me tell you about another man. Around twenty-three years ago, there was an A-Rank villain who went by the name 'Matchbook.' He had a contact-based quirk that allowed him to ignite anything he touched, lighting it on fire. He used his quirk to terrorize, abusing it for money and power. Over six months, he gathered together like-minded individuals and formed a powerful gang that stretched across much of northern Japan. They traveled around and forced people to pay them 'protection fees.'"

"And if they didn't pay?"

"Then their property would burn. Or, if Matchbook was in a particularly bad mood that day, sometimes the unfortunate souls were lit on fire."

Himiko swallowed the lump in her throat. "He sounds scary."

"He was indeed terrifying. Ironically, it was Endeavor who took him down. It was one of his earliest successes, and helped propel him to the number two spot, which he has held ever since." The woman returned her focus to Himiko. "Now tell me. What makes Endeavor's quirk different from Matchbook's quirk?"

The woman patiently sat there as Himiko thought about the two, turning their quirks over in her head and trying to think about why Endeavors was good while Matchbook's was evil. Finally, her face lit up as if she had made some great revelation.

"There isn't any?"

"That's correct." The woman smiled warmly. "The real difference is the people themselves - If Matchbook wanted to, he could have easily become a hero with his quirk, and Endeavor could have used his strength to become a terrifying villain just as easily."

Himiko's eyes went wide as she began to understand the lesson. "And because I've spent so long associating my quirk with negative things, that's why I see it as villainous?"

"Yes, exactly."

"I-" Himiko felt tears threatening to fall. "-don't want to see myself as a villain. They always sound mean and scary and I just- I just want to be me."

"Well," Mamushi placed her hand on top of Himiko's, trying to comfort her. "That's a very important first step. Now then, I have an assignment for you."

"What's that?" Himiko asked, using her free hand to wipe her eyes.

Mamushi wrapped her hand around Himiko's wrist and lifted it. "Every time those intrusive thoughts come into your head, I want you to stop, and look at your hand."

Himiko looked at her hand, then back to Mamushi in confusion. "Then what?"

"Then I want you to ask yourself 'is my hand bad?'"

"Why would my hand be bad?"

"An excellent question!" Mamushi laughed. "The answer is it isn't. Your hand is simply a tool - a part of you. It doesn't control you, and it doesn't act without your guidance. It's up to you to decide if your hands do good things or bad. And you know what? Your quirk isn't any different."

Himiko continued to look between her hand and the lady with confusion. "My hand isn't any different than my quirk…"

Mamushi let go of her hand and patted her on the knee. "Precisely. If you keep repeating it, you'll eventually start to believe it. And then you can start thinking of yourself in a better light."

Himiko looked at her hand again.

My hand isn't villainous. Because that would make me a villain.

But what about Saito? You attacked him.

That- the doctors told me that wasn't my fault!

Do you believe them?

I- I want to!

The counselor spoke up, interrupting her internal debate. "It's okay if you need time and practice. I don't expect you to change overnight."

"Thanks," Himiko said softly as she felt herself blushing. "I- it's hard."

"I know it's hard dear," Mamushi held up her notes. "But now that I'm here, we'll put together a plan - a good one, not whatever horrible nonsense your last so-called counselor had you do. And we'll make sure you get better."

"Thank you," Himiko said gratefully.

Mamushi looked at the clock on the wall. "Now, I must get going. You keep working on what we talked about, and tomorrow we'll start working on a more detailed plan, one tailored specifically to you and your unique quirk."

Himiko quietly nodded and watched as the woman stood up and quietly left the room before she collapsed back on her bed. She raised her hand so that it was covering a light and looked at it, watching as the light seeped out through her fingers.

You're not evil, are you, Ms. Hand?

She closed her eyes and dropped her hand to the bed with a groan. She felt exhausted, and everything they talked about was jumbled up in her mind.

Maybe a short nap will help…

As the afternoon stretched on, Himiko found herself filled with anxiety. She wanted to do something, anything besides sit here in bed and stare at the TV.

Fortunately, her wishes were answered when she heard a gentle knock on her door. It began to open and Izuku's head appeared.

"Can we come in?"

"Yes!" She grinned at the boy. "Thanks for coming again!"

"It's nothing," Inko assured the girl as she followed her son into the room. "We can't stay long today, but Izu insisted that we come and see how you were doing."

"We also got you this!" Izuku pulled his hands out from behind his back to reveal a stuffed green rabbit. "I saw this at the department store this morning!" He offered it to her. "That way you'll always have company, even when we're not here!"

Himiko broke into a genuine smile as she took the offered plushie. Cute stuffed animals were normal, but something about this one felt different from the ones her parents bought her.

She carefully examined it before she hugged it to her chest. "I love it!"

"Are you feeling better today?" Inko asked as she took the chair previously occupied by her counselor.

"Yeah," Himiko admitted, burying her face in the plush rabbit to hide her spreading blush. "Drinking blood feels so good. And they haven't locked me in a room for doing it."

She didn't realize she spoke the last part out loud, nor did she see the horrified look on Izuku and Inko's faces as they registered what she said. It wasn't until she felt Inko's hand on her shoulder that she dared to look up. "It must be hard, after everything you've been through."

Himiko nodded. "I- yeah. I don't even know who I am anymore, or what normal is supposed to look like…"

Inko sighed and Himiko winced, afraid that she disappointed the woman. "I'll let you in on a secret - most people don't know what's normal."

Himiko gasped and looked up, just in time to see Inko staring fondly at her son before she returned her attention to the blonde-haired girl. "It's all about what you want, what makes you happy."

Himiko sat there and mouthed the words 'what I want,' the words feeling foreign to her after the last ten years. She looked down at her hands, curling and uncurling as she tried to find an answer.

After what felt like an eternity, she looked up. "I just want to be myself. I want to surround myself with cute things, and be happy! And I- I don't want to hide who I am."

Inko gave her a warm smile. "That sounds like a wonderful goal."

Inko lifted her hand and Himiko felt a pang of disappointment as her shoulder grew cold, the warmth retreating as the woman sat down in her chair, only for Izuku to appear next to her bed.

"I did a bunch of research on Vlad King last night, just like you wanted!" Izuku said proudly as he held up a notebook.

"Really?" Himiko asked in surprise.

"Mhm! He hasn't been active as much since he began teaching at UA, but I read up on what he did before then!"

"Tell me!"

Izuku opened the notebook to a page with a sketch of Vlad King, which he proudly showed off before he began rattling off stats and information.

The next few hours just flew by as Himiko talked with the Midoriyas, the two offering her a brief glimpse into their world. As she sat there, she found herself grateful for the family, going out of their way to spend time with her. At the same time, she felt a familiar pair of emotions growing inside of her - jealousy and envy.

Even though Izuku was crippled and quirkless, it was easy to see how much his mom loved him, and was trying her best to make him happy.

She selfishly wanted to know what it was like, to be loved like that.

Once again the nurse brought Himiko dinner, and once again the family had to leave. After Inko managed to convince Izuku that they had to go, she stood up and turned toward Himiko.

"Since tomorrow is a Sunday, we can come by earlier and stay for longer. Although we won't be the only ones here," She frowned. "Vlad King has already warned us that he'll be visiting as well. Izuku goes back to school on Monday, so next week we won't be able to visit as much."

Himiko felt her face fall when she heard that. "I understand. Thanks for telling me."

"Don't worry!" Izuku tried to assure her. "I'll visit as much as I can!"

She forced herself to smile as she nodded at Izuku. As she looked at him, she realized one thing that would make her happy, and she opened her arms, silently asking him for a hug.

Without hesitation Izuku, and then Inko, both gently hugged her. It felt warm… nice… genuine.

It definitely didn't help her growing sense of longing at all.

After the two left, she saw the green rabbit sitting there on the table. Pushing her dinner tray aside, she walked over to it and grabbed it, pulling it into a hug.

It didn't quite match the warmth of the Midoriyas, but deep down, she felt a spark of warmth.

It's almost like how I felt about Saito, but it's different somehow.

The next morning Izuku was filled with excited energy to go back to the hospital, and Inko couldn't blame him.

After being ignored for so long, he found a certain kinship with the poor girl he found on the street. Someone who was abused simply because her quirks didn't line up with her parents' ideals and expectations.

The thought made Inko's blood boil. And she couldn't help but feel for the poor girl.

She deserved better.

If the simple act of taking Izuku to the hospital to spend the day with the girl was enough to help both of them, who was she to deny them that?

As the pair arrived at the hospital they saw Sekijiro Kan standing in the lobby waiting for them, as well as a small bear-like creature in a suit.

"Good morning! Am I a mouse, a dog, or a bear? It doesn't matter, for I am Nezu, better known as the Principle of UA!"

"Wait, you are the principal of UA? That's so cool!" Izuku became excited. "I want to go there when I'm older, just like All Might did!" He punctuated his excitement by punching the air, earning a chuckle from the pro hero, while Inko smiled at her son's antics.

"Please forgive my son's excitement. It's his dream to be a hero, after all."

"No need for forgiveness! It's always good to see such excitement in children. However, his future plans aren't why we are here today!"

"I figured. What brings someone such as yourself to a hospital?" Inko asked curiously.

"One of my teachers." Nezu said, indicating Kan. "Has brought to my attention the fact that there has been a grave injustice brought against a young girl. When he provided me with the details, I immediately understood why he had brought her case to me. You see, what he described is a bit of a personal sore spot. So, of course, I decided to assist her in any way possible. You see, the Togas are well off, and it's likely they have good lawyers on hand." He suddenly flashed a predatory smile that made both mother and son flinch. "I can guarantee that mine are better. Once we're done with them, they will never touch her again."

"That's great news!" Inko said

Izuku spoke next. "But what about Himiko? Is she going to be ok? She-" Izuku looked at Kan, waiting for his approval before continuing. "-did a pretty bad thing."

"Fortunately, she has several key facts that will help in her defense," Nezu began. "First, she is still a minor. Since the boy she attacked survived, and because she didn't use her quirk, this can be argued to be a simple case of assault. In addition, there is clear evidence, between the statements of the hospital staff and their quirk counselor, that she was suffering from a case of quirk backlash."

"Quirk backlash?" Izuku asked.

A serious look appeared on Kan's face as he looked down at Izuku. "I'm not surprised you don't know what those are. It's thankfully rare, and only happens in extreme circumstances, but there are cases when a person loses control of their quirk. The best way to describe what happens is the quirk takes over, acting out on instinct until the source of the backlash is dealt with. In little Himiko's case, being forced to suppress her quirk caused it to 'act out,' and seek out blood in an attempt to satiate herself."

Izuku shuddered at the thought. "That sounds scary."

"Given the evidence available, it should be easy enough for our lawyers to keep Miss Toga from suffering serious consequences," Nezu paused momentarily as his demeanor darkened. "Her parents on the other hand… There are laws and regulations in place to prevent quirk suppression, and for good reason. Those laws exist to prevent exactly the kind of incident that occurred. If Miss Toga had the proper care from the start, then this would have never happened."

Izuku sighed in relief. "I'm glad. She deserves better than what her parents did to her."

The three adults shared an awkward glance. Knowing that it would be best if Izuku didn't hear the next part, he looked down at the teenager. "Come on little Midoriya, let's go see how little Toga is doing today."

"Ok!"

Inko watched as Kan escorted her son further into the hospital, waiting until they disappeared down the hallway and out of sight before she returned her attention to Nezu. "So, what's going to happen to Himiko after your lawyers are done tearing the Togas apart?"

"An excellent question! Unfortunately, it isn't one that I have an answer for. Because the Togas are well off, we should be able to ensure that there will be a healthy monthly stipend for whoever takes her in, but there is the matter of finding a home for her."

"What do you mean?"

"From what the doctors have told me, you've been here every day since she arrived. Surely you know about her troubled past. She's going to need regular therapy sessions, on top of seeing a quirk counselor, likely a specialized one. There is also the potential scenario that, despite my lawyer's best efforts, she will be forced into a period of probation, and will have to regularly meet with the police or a hero. On top of all of that, we need to find a middle school that will take her in after this incident. I suspect she will also need remedial education, given her living conditions. Taken together, finding the right family to take her in will be difficult."

Inko felt something breaking inside of her. That poor girl. It's worse than I feared.

"Fortunately I have considerable resources! Given enough time, I am sure I'll be able to find someone willing and capable of taking her in, it's just a matter of time."

"The poor girl has already suffered for over ten years, and now she'll have to wait even longer…"

Nezu examined Inko. "Unfortunately there is nothing else that can be done. Unless you happen to know someone who would take her in, given her circumstances."

Inko responded without thinking. "I can."

"Are you sure about this? It must be hard enough raising your son alone."

"I won't claim that raising Izu is easy," Her face fell. "Especially given his issues."

"You mean his quirklessness?"

"Yes," Inko began fighting back tears. "It's hard for me to admit it, but I failed him when he needed me the most, and it fills me with regret almost every day. To see Himiko suffering, knowing I can do something about it?" She rubbed her eyes as she steeled herself, before looking at Nezu. "Well, I'm not a hero, but maybe being a mom is enough."