Sakura petals fluttered in the warm breeze of the afternoon, mixing with the fat snowflakes that fell within a perfect radius off to the side of the Sakura tree. In the center of the snowfall, four children were playing with abandon. Playing was a cute way of saying they were slaughtering animated snowmen that had the appearance of mannequins with orbs of blue ice for eyes. The snowmen totaled only four in but were reforming nearly as fast as they were destroyed. Mika was in her red dragon form spewing gouts of fire from her mouth as she buzzed the snowmen. Mika's twin, Rin, was in her white dragon form, blowing a cone of frost into a snowman's face, encasing it in ice before whipping her tail out and cracking the head off its shoulders. Yuki was laying low, blending in with the snow, her tail wagging slowly behind her before pouncing and tackling her snowman to the ground with claws digging in as she savaged the thing's throat. Eri? She was throwing snowballs at the snowmen and apologizing every time she managed a hit.
Izuku, his girlfriends, and Fuyumi were sitting on blankets and eating what was intended to be a light lunch (The kids 'weren't hungry'). The 'light lunch' was in fact five watermelons, four dozen finger sandwiches, three gallons of lemonade, two dozen rice balls, more mochi than sense, and a partridge in a pear tree. Ok, not that last thing, but Izuku wouldn't have been surprised.
"So," Fuyumi said, drawing their attention. "As you can see, Eri is integrating very well into a social group of her peers. She is very considerate of the people around her and quick to offer compromises when others are having a hard time deciding what to play. She is very good at sharing, though I would like to see her set more boundaries when it comes to that. If Eri is playing with something she really, really likes and someone asks for a turn she gives it up immediately, with no fuss at all. I even had Mika try and cut Eri's turn short on her favorite toy, a rocking unicorn, and Eri still gave it up immediately. She is very well mannered, I wish she would act out a little more, to be honest. I'm worried she's holding back in fear of reprisal, Overhaul really did a number on her regarding that. On a lighter note, her fine motor and gross motor skills are developing well. She can write her name and even keep up with Yuki in running about. As a side note, giving Yuki and Eri the responsibility of collecting for the swear jar was a genius idea. It both gives them a sense of responsibility and power."
Izuku was scribbling in his notebook fast enough that he could smell the paper smolder.
"Ok, so boundaries on what she should view as rightfully hers, even if only at the moment. I'm not sure what to do about her feeling comfortable enough to act out…"
Mei was tapping away on a tablet faster than an airport receptionist.
"The 'Raising a traumatized child' book that I read said that the only real way for a skittish child to feel safe enough to act out was to cultivate a home that feels unconditionally safe for them. The instructions aren't very clear, but I think it means just keep doing what we're doing until then." Mei said, grousing a bit over the abstractness.
"Can I borrow that book?" Ochako asked, trying to read over Mei's shoulder.
"Yup!" Mei replied, smacking a kiss on Ochako's cheek.
"That's right, Mei," Fuyumi said with a smile. "The main thing I want you all to work on with Eri is boundaries for herself and her things. Maybe get her a gift and specify that it is hers and only hers, she doesn't have to share it, even with any of you."
"I'm all over it!" Rumi said with a smirk.
"Punching people isn't setting boundaries, ribbit," Tsu said, patting Rumi on a muscular thigh.
"Agree to disagree," Rumi retorted, never losing her smirk.
"Was there anything else?" Himiko asked as she slowly as if to be sneaky, lay across Izuku's lap. He just repositioned his notebook as he continued to write, used to Himiko's more cat-like tendencies.
"All that's left is the elephant in the room; Eri's Quirk," Fuyumi said, gesturing to where the kids were still carrying out a one sided slaughter. Eri was still tossing snowballs while everyone else was using their Quirks. "I understand that she has issues controlling her Quirk because of how strong it has become due to Overhaul developing its strength through, shall I say 'artificial', methods. Her Quirk becoming so strong without any training has robbed Eri of the ability to control it. More than that though, Eri is terrified of her Quirk. Even the mention of training scares her. I propose that her first time training should be in the presence of her core support group, all of you, right here, right now."
Izuku looked from girlfriend to girlfriend, reading their emotions in turn.
"Ok," He said.
Fuyumi cupped her hands around her mouth and called Eri's name, waving the child over when she looked.
Nejire clapped her hands together, getting everyone's attention.
"Let's not be disappointed if Eri refuses or is unable to use her Quirk, the trauma she has isn't going to just go away no matter the amount of love and support she's been given, time and patience are also needed."
Eri ran, red faced from the cold and exertion. Mei unfolded a portable heated blanket and held it wide as Eri closed in.
"Mama!" She cried as she threw herself into the warmth.
Mei wrapped Eri up into the coziness of the blanket, Eri shivering from the temperature difference.
"How's my Baby!? Are your hands cold!? I saw you throwing those snowballs! I'll make you some self warming mittens for next time!" Mei fussed as she rubbed Eri's already swaddled form down in a redundant attempt to warm her, Eri giggling the whole while.
Fuyumi cleared her throat after a minute.
"Eri, dear," She said, getting the child's attention. "I would like you to use your Quirk."
It was a simple request, one that most kids wouldn't even hesitate to fulfill. All the same, it made Eri's face drain of blood and her body began shaking.
"B-But what if I c-c-can't?"
Nejire was quick to speak.
"We just want you to try." She didn't finish with 'if you want'. She didn't say 'We'll love you even if you don't want to'. She didn't placate, she said exactly what she meant.
Mei kissed Eri on top of the head.
"You can only truly fail if you give up! Just try, learn from every failure, and keep trying! I failed thousands of times to make a working miniaturized fusion reactor, but I kept trying until I got it right!"
Eri tried to bury herself deeper into Mei.
"B-But what if I lose control? Eri asked, her speech clearing a little.
Izuku placed a hand across her back and began to rub circles.
"I'll be right here. If you lose control, I can calm you down."
"But what if…what if it makes someone go away again? What if I really am cursed like Mom said?" Eri asked, and the steady melancholy of her voice was more heartbreaking.
He had been naive to think that the short time she had spent with him and her Mamas was enough to overcome a lifetime of reinforcement that Quirks are bad, her's in particular. Eri might intellectually understand that her Quirk is a blessing, but her subconscious told her that her Quirk was just the opposite; a curse. His little girl…she was still struggling and he didn't know how to fix it.
Himiko rolled off of Izuku and pulled Eri into her lap. She ran a thumb across Eri's cheek and began to purr soothingly.
"I never told you this, Kit, but my mother believed I was something similar. She called me a…monster." Himiko said in low tones as she began to rock Eri.
"She did?" Eri asked in disbelief with wide eyes.
"She did, but you know the worst part?" Himiko asked as she rubbed the tip of her nose against Eri's. "There was a time that I believed her."
Eri's eyes went even wider as the meaning of what Himiko had said sunk in. They could tell Eri that she wasn't cursed all they wanted, but that wouldn't do anything in the end. Eri was the one who had to believe in herself.
"I'll do it."
A minute or two later, Eri was standing alone, palm against the trunk of the Sakura tree, her eyes closed tightly as she concentrated.
A safe distance away, everyone held their breaths.
Almost everyone, that is.
"SISSY! SISSY! SISSY!" Yuki chanted again and again at the top of her lungs, fists pumping in the air.
Fuyumi was one step closer than anyone else, her hands cupped to her mouth.
"Remember! Imagine pinching a balloon close with your fingers and focusing on only letting out a small stream of air!" Fuyumi didn't just have a degree in early childhood education. No, she also had a degree in Quirk counseling. Nezu demanded the best and there was a reason she was employed at UA.
Gold. It was the first thing they noticed, it was a heavenly gold aura that started at Eri's horn and slowly grew to encompass her whole body as her Quirk activated. Her hair began to float as if underwater as the intensity of the light increased. The aura flowed upwards and swayed with the wind like the flickering of a flame. Eri became the embodiment of the candle used to describe a life that burned brightly. The first change to the tree was the branch that Fuyumi had Izuku snap off, it appeared back in its place while the branch that was broken off remained on the ground. The Sakura blossoms began to close before disappearing altogether, the branches began to shrink, and the tree grew shorter. As the tree rewound, they could see the changing of the seasons happen in reverse. Pink blossoms appeared only to close and retreat into the branches over and over again.
"Ok, stop!" Fuyumi instructed.
Eri's face scrunched up as she tried, but Izuku could feel her panic rising as her Quirk continued to shrink the tree. Using Empathy, Izuku's eyes glowed as he soothed Eri's panic.
A few seconds later, the golden aura encompassing Eri retreated and her hair conceded to gravity's suggestions once more.
Eri turned and smiled brighter than the sun overhead.
Fuyumi turned to Izuku, but she wasn't smiling like he expected, her eyes were wide in shock, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words.
"Her Quirk…it's labeled as capable of rewinding a biological matter to its previous states. That's wrong, the branch reappearing proves it. Eri's Quirk rewinds the target's time ITSELF."