A/N: Woo-hoo! First chapter of 2023!
So just a heads up, this chapter is gonna be a little exposition heavy, but bear with me. Also, brace yourself for an earth shattering reveal at the end!
Review Responses at the end, as usual.
Opening Song:
"Vandalize," by One OK Rock
"So that's the story, more or less," All Might said, finishing his tale of One for All and its role within the Son Family. "In the end, my master, your grandmother Son Gine, sacrificed her life so that Goku and I could live and cultivate One for All's power, and someday, pass on this sacred torch on to the next generation. With the power of One for All, I was able to defeat All for One and his Army of Villains, and helped usher in a new era of peace. And now, it is Young Midoriya's turn to bear the torch."
Izuku glanced over nervously at Gohan, who was staring down at the near empty cup of tea in his hands as the spiky-haired boy mulled over everything that All Might had just revealed. All Might paused for a moment to allow Gohan to assimilate the information he had just dumped on him. After a few moments of silence, he leaned in, fingers interlaced.
"Gohan," Toshinori said. "And you too, Young Midoriya… you boys may be on separate paths, but ultimately, these paths will intersect, and when they do, you two are going to change the world for the better; I know you will!"
Toshinori stood up and walked over to the large window to look out into the distance.
"To be sincerely honest, I don't have much time left as the Symbol of Peace," he sighed. "Pretty soon, I'll have to put that title to rest…"
"No way," Izuku gasped quietly and his gaze dropped down at his tea sadly.
"Are you serious?" Gohan asked, straightening up. "You're retiring?"
"Yeah," All Might laughed. "I surrendered my power to Young Midoriya. Ever since then, my strength has been slowly diminishing, and now, I can barely keep my muscle form for an hour at a time, especially after my fight with…"
All Might paused, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
Gohan picked up on his hesitation.
"With Nomu, right?" Gohan asked. "You don't have to be ashamed, Mister Toshinori. I had to fight him, too. He was a terrifying opponent with multiple Quirks. He wiped the floor with me, to be honest, and showed me just how much more training I need."
Toshinori's eyes glimmered as he kept his gaze over Gohan sadly, but he blinked his emotions away and cleared his throat. Izuku noticed it, but bit his tongue and didn't say anything.
"Yes, that Nomu guy was one tough customer," Toshinori finally said. "Now, my time in my muscle form is limited. Eventually, I won't be able to transform at all, and I'll be forced to retire. When that happens, someone will have to step in and keep everyone safe. Gohan, Young Midoriya, I've witnessed first-hand on multiple occasions how both of you charged head-first into danger to keep others safe. You two are more than worthy of becoming my successors, and we will guide you every step of the way. But I must ask, are you two willing to step up and become the next symbols of peace and justice for this world?"
Gohan and Izuku rose from their chairs.
"We are!" Gohan declared firmly.
"Absolutely," Izuku agreed.
"Excellent!" All Might said, folding his arms behind his back. "Then the time has come for you to prove it. This sports festival is something that the entire world will be watching very closely. This will be your debut, your origin story, as the next Symbol of Peace," he said, eyeing Midoriya, then turning to stare at Gohan. "And the next All Might! I want you boys to introduce yourselves to this world and proudly say 'I AM HERE!'"
Gohan and Izuku glanced at each other and their eyes steeled with determination.
"Yes sir!" The two boys said in unison.
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE – EPISODE OF CHI-CHI
As the Sports Festival drew near, the students of Class 1A worked hard to prepare themselves for the grueling challenges they would be facing. Some focused their time on weight training, like Midoriya and Shoji, while others focused on endurance training, such as Tokoyami and Kirishima.
Others still, trained their team chemistry skills, like Uraraka, Melissa, Tsu and Mina, while others focused on enhancing the strength of their Quirks, like Bakugo and Todoroki.
Gohan trained his body, of course, but he chose to prioritize his mental training overall. He sat cross-legged under a raging waterfall in the mountains of Namek, focusing his mind in an attempt to bring out that golden power he had experienced briefly while he was recovering in the Rejuvenation Chamber, but to no avail.
In the end, all he could do was raise his power level, but he still couldn't transform into a Super Saiyan.
Don't give up, Gohan. Keep trying! The power comes in response to a need, not a desire, Goku's voice echoed in Gohan's mind. His eyes remained tightly shut as Gohan endured the constant weight of the waterfall splashing over his head. You can do it! You just have to create that need…
Yes, father, Gohan thought. I'm not giving up just yet!
The rest of the students continued to train in earnest in their own quirky ways, but they weren't the only ones preparing for the Sports Festival…
…
Two figures dashed across the grassy green fields that lead to the first steps of a mountain. The two martial artists, a mother and her child, had traveled from Master Roshi's island all the way across Sagami Bay and traversed through the Kanagawa prefecture, delivering fresh bottles of milk. Now they were facing the most daunting part of the route – the four thousand foot tall Mount Oyama, where the last houses were located.
At last, they reached the foot of the mountain and paused to catch their breath. The mother wore a silky orange cheongsam adorned with the scarlet outline of the Eternal Dragon Shenron and seven red stars. Two long slits cut across either side of the dress, exposing her well toned, muscular upper thighs and bare naked legs. A dark blue sash held the dress together at her waist. Weighted pink tai chi boots and matching wrist-weights finished off the outfit.
Son Chi-Chi glared at the mountain's rocky summit and sucked in a breath of fresh air, steeling herself for the steep climb. She turned to the spiky haired child that was standing behind her carrying his own tray of milk jars. His outfit was a simple orange gi with the first kanji of his name on the upper left corner and the symbol of the Turtle Hermit on the back.
"The last three houses are on top of that mountain, and we've got less than an hour to get to them all before breakfast time. We have to hurry, Goten," Chi-Chi panted, swiping the streams of sweat from her brow with her free arm and balancing the tray holding her last two milk bottles inside the elbow of her other arm. Her silky black hair was untied, and reached down to her waist now, and she swiped at the long bangs that hung over the top of her eyes.
It was a look that she had lost many, many years ago. A look she had discarded after she became a mother and focused her life on raising her future family with Goku, rather than on Martial Arts. For a while there, poverty and hardship had made her soft, had made her fall into a depressive, fragile state – a woman who had been easily taken advantage of by unscrupulous men who had no pity for a widow and her starving children. She had become a husk of the fierce woman she once was.
But now, after five weeks of intense training, her fighting spirit was starting to return, and with it, her fiery spirit. Part of what motivated her to pick up martial arts again was to better herself and her mental health, but also to prepare young Goten, her last remaining family, to face not just the Junior League of the Martial Arts Tournament, but beyond that, the dangers of this world.
It was a good thing that she did, because over the course of their hellish training, the two of them had bonded like never before, helping each other break past their limits to go beyond.
"Just a little further, honey. We're almost there," Chi-Chi said.
"Don't worry about me. I'm good to go, Mom!" Goten gasped behind her, breathing in gulps of air. The wind ruffled his spiky hair and his tongue was sticking out comically. His chubby cheeks were flushed red with exhaustion. Still, Goten held his tray full of empty milk bottles and one last full bottle firmly in his tiny hands, trembling under the weighted blue wrist weights. "I'll be strong like Mister Deku. Even if you leave me behind a little, keep going, okay? I can keep up."
Chi-Chi shot her youngest son a proud smile.
"That's my boy," she said with a nod. "No giving up, okay? Even if your body feels like it's reached it's limit, keep going! That's how you'll break past your limits! There's only a little more than a mile standing between you and greatness. Let's do this, Goten!"
"Yeah!"
Turning back to face the daunting mountain pass in front of her, Chi-Chi's teeth clenched and she leaped upward into mighty bounds, skipping up seven steps at a time, ignoring the burn and tear on her calf muscles and her thick, muscular thighs. Her pink weighted Tai Chi boots pulled down on her aching feet, but Chi-Chi pressed onward.
Inspired by his mother's words of encouragement and strength, Goten gave a determined smile, feeling a surge of adrenaline and energy in him, and he shot forward into a skip right behind her.
"Skip! Two-Three-Four. Skip! Two-Three-Four," they counted together as they skipped up the mountain steps towards the final houses. "Skip! Two-Three-Four. Skip! Two-Three-Four. Skip! Two-Three-Four."
…
Chi-Chi reached forward and shakily opened the wooden box, withdrawing the empty milk bottle as Goten slipped in the fresh bottle. With that, their labor was complete at last, and well ahead of breakfast time.
"That's… my boy!" Chi-Chi said proudly, leaning over and supporting her hands on her knees. "I'm so proud of you… Goten!"
Goten huffed and puffed, but remained upright on his shaky legs.
"Yay! We did it, Mom!" He cheered.
"We sure did!"
"That was totally Plus Ultra, wasn't it?!"
"Yes, honey," Chi-Chi giggled. "It sure was!"
Chi-Chi glanced around the top of mountain and found a shady spot with a spring where she and Goten could freshen up and rest before making their way back home to Master Roshi's island. She leaned over and picked up her tray of empty milk bottles and motioned over to the spot with a jerk of her chin.
"How about some breakfast?" She asked.
Suddenly, Goten was up and bouncing again with energy.
"Breakfast, yeah! I'm starving!" he groaned.
"Okay," Chi-Chi nodded. "Follow me."
Chi-Chi and Goten headed over to the long, grassy meadow and sat under the cool shade of one of the trees. Reaching into her belt, Chi-Chi pulled out a capsule and tossed it in front of them. It unsealed with a hiss, revealing a picnic spread with a dozen bento boxes that Chi-Chi had packed for them. Goten's eyes widened and glossed over as he saw various different dishes – meats, fishes, soups, breads, grains, rice, cereals, and so much more.
"Itadakimasu!" Chi-Chi and Goten prayed, clasping their hands together before digging in. As she ate, Chi-Chi allowed herself to watch her hungry son, devouring plate after plate with that voracious Saiyan appetite and she smiled.
Not too long ago, they were barely scraping by, saving leftovers for the next meal, adding water to the juice to make it last longer, having to invent strange soups out of one vegetable for lack of ingredients… how everything had changed, and it was all thanks to Bulma's generosity.
Chi-Chi thought back to everything that had happened to them ever since they had lost Gohan.
After months of searching, the police returned with nothing but an ocean-soaked shoe. The part of Dagoba Sea where Gohan's shoe had been found was deep, and no land masses were nearby. On top of that, a record setting blizzard had hammered Musutafu for weeks. When the police found Gohan's ripped shirt floating in the water, they had called back the search and the investigation. All of the cctv footage showed Gohan crawling into the ocean waters, never to submerge again.
With that, the investigators concluded that Gohan had either drowned, got devoured by some oceanic beast, or froze in the sea's merciless waves.
The news and the guilt had tormented Chi-Chi, and she fell into a deep state of depression. Unable to find work, she and Goten were unable to keep their home, and got evicted from their apartment.
It had eaten at Chi-Chi to the core, but she had to swallow her pride, for Goten's sake. Although she had sworn never to see Bulma or Toshinori's face again because of their role in getting Goku back into the fight that ultimately ended his life, Chi-Chi humbled herself and used the very last of her money to get on the train to West City and come crawling to Capsule Corporation's doorstep, begging for help.
To her surprise, Bulma Briefs harbored no resentment, and instantly took them in with open arms. She gave Chi-Chi a job – a real job. One that paid enough to finally lift her and her son out of poverty. There, working as the head lead of Capsule Corporation's Event staff, she had made really good friends: Inko Midoriya, Mitsuki Bakugo, and Miruko Uraraka. Bulma had helped them get their children enrolled in the prestigious Hero course at UA High, and Chi-Chi had seen first-hand the positive effect that the school had on their children.
Shy little Izuku was beginning to gain confidence in himself and Ochaco had gone from a vulnerable, bubbly girl to a young woman who could take care of herself. Even rebellious Bakugo was becoming more disciplined and respectful. All of these things encouraged Chi-Chi to help her son reach his dreams of becoming a hero, too.
Yes, ever since arriving at Capsule Corporation, their lives had changed dramatically. They weren't rich by any means, but thanks to Bulma, they were slowly starting to climb out of the financial hole they'd been in their entire lives.
Now, they would never have to wonder if tomorrow they'd had a roof over their heads.
Goten would never have miss another meal, or go to bed hungry again.
There would never be another Christmas, where all Goten got was a warm hug and a kiss.
Like the rapidly warming weather, things were changing.
Everything was changing.
Chi-Chi was pondering over all of these things as she watched her child happily eating away, filling up for their trip back to Master Roshi's Island. Goten was staring back at her and he gulped down a mouthful of food.
"What's wrong, mama?" he asked.
Chi-Chi smiled and caressed his cheek.
"Nothing, honey," she said with a smile, and for the first time in her life, meant it. "Absolutely nothing."
After they finished their lunch, Chi-Chi bundled the picnic blanket into a makeshift pillow and placed it over one of the tree's soft roots. Goten laid his head on it and immediately fell asleep, snoring comically with his mouth wide open.
Chi-Chi brushed her sleeping son's bangs away and kissed him on the forehead, then stood to her feet to walk over to the edge of the cliff they were resting on. From here, so far up high in the sky, Chi-Chi got a flashback of the first time she had met the man who would become her husband and later, the father of her children.
When Chi-Chi was a little girl, her father, the Axe villain – Gyumao, the Ox King of the Fire Mountain Kingdom, had kept her locked inside one of the castle's highest tower and had challenged all of the mightiest warriors in the world to come and try to bring her down. If a warrior were to free her from the tower, he would lay claim to the Ox King's greatest treasure.
The castle itself was surrounded by a wall of flames. Many heroes and mercenaries had tried to breach through the castle walls in attempt to either rescue Chi-Chi or claim the famous treasure that her father had accumulated, but very few made it out of the walls of endless flames that protected the castle.
Those that did make it through the flames alive only fell to her father's axe blade.
Years passed and from her tower, Chi-Chi would watch as hero after hero failed to get past the castle courtyard. That was, until a spiky haired Saiyan and a blonde superhero burst through their compound and defeated her father's army. While All Might fought toe to toe with the Ox King, Goku fought his way up the tower to rescue Chi-Chi.
As soon as he burst through the iron doors that kept her trapped in her room, and she lay her eyes on the handsome monkey-tailed teen with wide innocent eyes and a gorgeously chiseled physique, Chi-Chi had immediately fallen in love with him.
"Hi! It's me, Goku!" Goku had told her cheerfully as he swept her off her feet and into his arms. He then proceeded to jump out of the tower to land on his feet in the middle of the courtyard.
With that, the fighting stopped, and Ox King deemed Goku worthy of inheriting his most valuable treasure – his daughter's hand in marriage. Just like that, she belonged to him and he belonged to her. Husband and wife, at the ripe age of thirteen.
The Ox King was arrested for endangering his daughter and for killing hundreds of mercenaries and heroes, and Chi-Chi was taken away to stay with distant relatives. But despite not seeing Kakarot for several years again, she always thought about her young husband and dreamed of running away with him to a life filled with romance and adventure…
The delusional musings of a child bride, of course.
But eventually, she did meet Goku again, much later when they were both eighteen. Toshinori, now the Super Hero known as All Might, and Goku were preparing to return to Japan, but they were staying in California for two more weeks for the American Martial Arts Tournament. Chi-Chi surprised Goku and Toshi by joining the tournament, and then revealing herself to be Goku's long-lost bride.
Finally, she was reunited with her beloved Goku, who, even though he didn't recognize her at first, became ecstatic at seeing her again, so much so that by the end of the two weeks, to everybody's surprise, Chi-Chi was pregnant.
Toshinori absolutely refused to leave her behind now that she was carrying Kakarot's child, so she left with them for Japan, where they settled down in the Son Farm.
There, just a few months later, Gohan was born…
Chi-Chi breathed in a long sigh and hugged her shoulders.
Those were beautiful memories, despite what anyone might say.
What she wouldn't give to see her beloved Goku and Gohan one more time… but sometimes, no matter how hard you hold onto a memory, nothing can keep time from moving on…
…
Dagoba Beach
Five Days Later…
Ochaco and Izuku jogged together along Dagoba Beach's shoreline, side by side. Their breaths were ragged and heavy perspiration poured down their faces, but they pressed on. The Rock of Dagoba, their finish line was just ahead. They just needed to push on a little more…
Suddenly Midoriya slowed to a stop, leaning back and clutching at his aching sides, gasping for air. Ochaco saw him and slid to a stop, kicking up sand.
"Calling it in already?" Ochaco asked, wiping beads of perspiration from her forehead with the rolled towel hanging around her neck. "The Sports Fest is tomorrow, you know. This is the last chance we get to train for it."
"Yeah, I know," Izuku said. "I was kinda hoping Melissa and Gohan would be here by now. My mom's making Melissa's favorite dish tonight, so I thought she might like to join us. You're welcome to come too, Uraraka."
"Thanks!" Ochaco chirped. "Don't hold your breath for Gohan, though. I tried to get him to come, but he's meditating up in the mountains of Namek. And Melissa might be a bit busy, too. She said she was going out on a date with that guy from the Support Class. Fu, or something? Well, at least, that's what she told me when I texted her."
"Ohhh," Izuku said, letting his gaze fall to the sand below his bare feet. "Really? Melissa and Fu, huh…?"
Ochaco noticed Izuku's change in demeanor and let out a scoffed sigh.
"Oh, come on!" Ochaco teased, throwing up her hands in the air and then placing her fists on her hips.
"What?!" Izuku stammered.
"Don't 'what' me, Deku!" Ochaco pressed, shoving a finger in Izuku's face. "What did you expect if all you do is giggle and tag along behind her like a little puppy."
"Isn't that what you do?" Izuku asked, rubbing his chin.
"Not forever!" Ochaco said. "Eventually, you have to step it up a notch."
"What, so suddenly you're the love expert?" Midoriya said, dryly. He froze as soon as he said it. Ochaco shot him a victorious grin. "Wait, I didn't mean-"
"Ha! I knew it!" Ochaco cried cheerfully. "So you do love her!"
"Oh come on, Uraraka!" Izuku begged, covering his reddening face with his wildly swinging arms.
"Oh alright, I'm sorry. But seriously Deku, as a friend, just hear me out… you're a really sweet guy with a huge heart, and I think she sees that, too. I think you should just tell her how you feel. You never know, right? She might feel the same way."
Izuku sighed.
"Thanks, Uraraka." Izuku smiled. "You little jerk!"
"No prob!" Ochaco chirped happily, punching him playfully in the arm.
The two teens decided to walk the rest of the way back to the Rock of Dagoba, and as they neared it, they caught sight of a lone figure standing by the shore, staring off into the roaring ocean waves. The woman was wearing a purple dress with an orange cloth tied over her shoulders. Her black hair was untied and reached down to her hips, and a straight fringe of bangs outlined the top of her eyebrows and spilled over, framing her cheeks. Those bangs were unmistakable.
"Miss Chi-Chi?!" Ochaco shouted happily, running over to her side.
Chi-Chi turned towards her and after a brief pause, her eyebrows lifted up in recognition.
"Oh, Ochaco and Izuku?" she said, turning to face the two teens. "Well isn't this a pleasant surprise! What are you two doing here? Don't tell me you're on a secret date or something?"
"A secret WHAT?!" Izuku shrieked, his face flushing over with red.
"Hahaha eww!" Ochaco teased. "No way! We're not dating, we're training for the Sports Festival tomorrow."
"Yeah, besides," Izuku said, rubbing his hair shyly and shoving a finger in Ochaco's face. "She's already got a boyfriend."
"He is not my – SHUT UP!" Ochaco shouted playfully, poking at Izuku's ribs, her face turning bright red.
Chi-Chi laughed tenderly at the two young teens' banter.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start a civil war here," she giggled. "But it really is so good to see you both alive and well. I heard about the USJ Incident on the news – how the League of Villains attacked the school, and I had been so worried that maybe something awful had happened to you."
"I'm happy to see you, too!" Ochaco said, taking Chi-Chi's hand in hers. "It was definitely scary, but our school trained us for this. It's what heroes do, right Deku?"
"That's right," Izuku nodded. "Keeping others safe is a hero's priority, especially when they're our classmates. And it didn't take long for All Might and the others to show up and save us all."
"By the way, how is cute little Goten doing?" Ochaco asked.
"Ugh, that little ball of energy," Chi-Chi laughed and shook her head. "He made it into the Junior League of the Martial Arts Tournament this year. He says he wants to make Mister Deku proud of him, so he's been training like crazy! You really left a good impression on my kid, Izuku."
"Wow! That's so awesome!" Ochaco squealed, glancing over at Izuku with an open-mouthed smile.
"Yeah, thank you so much for telling me. I'm so happy to hear that," Izuku said, beaming with joy. "So he's gonna be competing in the Sports Festival with us! I bet you're excited to see him, huh?"
"Yeah, more like scared to death!" Chi-Chi chortled. "It's the first time he'll be competing in a martial arts tournament with other children."
"Yeah, I understand. But there are referees and judges and nurses with healing Quirks in place to keep it all safe, so you don't have to worry about him getting hurt too badly."
"Oh, it's not him I'm worried about, trust me," Chi-Chi responded. "Anyway, his best friend made it into the Junior League, as well, and I might just ask his mother to take Goten along with them. I'm not sure my heart can take the stress! Besides, the tickets are way too expensive, so I may not be able to make it, but at least Goten will get to enjoy the experience. Anyway, it's getting late. I really should get going now. Say hi to your mothers for me, will you? Tell them I'll be returning to Capsule Corp as soon as the tournament ends."
"I need to head back home, too," Izuku said, turning to Ochaco. "Mom should be done cooking soon, if you wanna come over, Uraraka."
"Yeah, sounds great! I'm gonna take another lap around the beach and then head up to your place," Ochaco promised. "Oh! Tell your mom I'll bring over some clementines from the market."
"Sure thing. She'll love that!" Izuku said happily. "Okay, I'll see you later then. Miss Chi-Chi, have a wonderful afternoon!"
"Be careful on your way home!" Chi-Chi called after Izuku as the green haired teen started jogging down the street. After Midoriya disappeared around the corner, Chi-Chi reached out to pick up her things and among them, Ochaco eyed a little red children's cap.
"Hey, cute hat!" She commented, pointing at it. "I used to have one just like it when I was a little girl. Is that Goten's?"
"This… oh no, this belonged to my eldest son," Chi-Chi said, running her thumb over the red fabric.
"Ah! I didn't know you had more children," Ochaco said.
"Just the eldest… but last year, we… we lost him."
"Oh no!" Ochaco gasped, "Ohhh Miss Chi-Chi, I'm so sorry to hear that!"
Chi-Chi gave Ochaco a tired smile and turned to face the sea.
"He'd be turning sixteen in two weeks. May 18th was his birthday. Now that he's gone, from time to time, I like to come to this beach and remember him. He was always a sweet, happy boy like Goten. It had always been his dream to go off and become a hero – of course, with heroes like All Might, Hawks and Mirko, what child doesn't want that nowadays?" Chi-Chi said, staring off across the beach. The afternoon sun was setting now and it's scarlet red rays tinted the shine in Chi-Chi's poignant gaze.
Ochaco walked over to stand close to Chi-Chi, feeling the cool, salty breeze wafting in from the ocean waves.
"As a mother, of course you want your children to reach their dreams," Chi-Chi continued. "But his powerful Quirk made him the target of some really bad people. Some villains kidnapped him and used his Quirk to do terrible things. All Might rescued him, but my husband went with him and was killed by the villains. After all of that happened, I just couldn't stand the thought of having my boy grow up to live a life of constant danger. I wanted him to focus on getting a good education so that he could get a secure, high paying professional job, so that one day, when he had children of his own, he could give them a better life than the one we had given him.
So I made the worst decision that a mother could do to her child – I stole his dream away from him. He underwent some therapy sessions that erased all of the memories of his Quirk, and the terrible things he had been forced to do with it. Without my husband's support, we lost the farm, so we left our lives behind and moved here to start fresh – a brand new life, or rather, a brand new lie. My kid grew up thinking he was Quirkless. But he was half Saiyan. That untamable Saiyan Quirk was growing inside of him, bursting at the seams until one night, he found out the truth about himself… and he lost control over his powers.
I was afraid, for myself and for Goten so I…" Chi-Chi paused, her grip tightening on the red cap. Ochaco had been listening intently to her story. She stepped forward and placed a loving hand on Chi-Chi's muscular arm. The warmth of her touch seemed to pull Chi-Chi back from her reminiscent trance.
"I, uh," she stammered and looked up at Ochaco. "I kicked him out of the house. It's not that I wanted to throw my little boy out to the streets like that, it's just that I had seen firsthand what that blind Saiyan rage could do… how destructive it was. At the time, all I could think about was protecting Goten. After he left the house, I ran out after him, but there was no sign of him. I searched for days and days and days, but nobody had seen or heard from him. Eventually, the police tracked him down to this beach. And after searching for months, all they could find was one of his shoes. They say that because of where they found it, deep in the middle of the ocean… that it's very likely that my boy drowned, or froze to death in the waters."
"Ohh Miss Chi-Chi. I can't even begin to imagine what that was like," Ochaco said, lowering her head sadly. "What was his name?"
Chi-Chi stared down at the red cap sadly, her eyes spilling over with tears.
"His name was Gohan. Son Gohan."
"Gohan…?" Ochaco whispered. As realization dawned on her, Ochaco's head slowly lifted and she covered her mouth in shock. Her thoughts traveled back many months earlier when she and Gohan had been training here at this very beach.
That had been the day that he had taught Ochaco how to fly using her Quirk. They sat together in front of the Rock of Dagoba, and he had told her the story of how he had hurt his mother and his little brother in an uncontrollable fit of rage… and now, she realized that the stories were one and the same! Gohan was Chi-Chi's son! He wasn't dead, he hadn't drowned! He was alive and well and stronger than ever.
And now, Ochaco had an opportunity to reunite mother and son. Slowly, a plan began to formulate in her mind.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Chi-Chi asked, turning to her and tilting her head in concern. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bombard you with such a depressing story…"
"Oh no," Ochaco said quickly with a smile.
"It's not that at all, it's just… um, Miss Chi-Chi?" Ochaco said, her eyes sparkling with joy. "I would love it very much if you came to watch me at the Sports Festival. And you wouldn't have to worry about the tickets at all. I've got two extra with me, since my parents are working in Osaka and can't make it. I promise, you won't regret it."
"Well…" Chi-Chi said, turning back to the ocean in thought. "I don't know…"
"Pleeeeease?" Ochaco said, jumping on Chi-Chi from behind and hugging her tightly. She placed her chin on Chi-Chi's shoulder and stared at her with puppy eyes. "It would mean the world to me!"
"Ohhh alright, you win," Chi-Chi said, patting Ochaco's clasped hands on her belly. "But if I do go, you get to introduce me to this boyfriend of yours, deal?"
Ochaco giggled and nodded.
"Okay, deal!"
…
After much anticipation, finally, the Day has come.
Today was the day of the Sports Festival.
An assortment of colorful banners that lined the walls and street signs announced the special event, and the roads were quickly becoming congested with the endless stream of cars and buses. Thousands of tourists, families, members of the Press, heroes and celebrities filled the street around the entrance of UA High, all clamoring for a spot inside the giant Sports Festival Stadium, the historic structure that had stood for generations of hero alumni.
But not all of the students who would be participating in the Sports Fest were at the school. Though the Festival was a mere two hours from kicking off, Shoto Todoroki wasn't even on his way to school yet.
He and his older brother Natsu were walking down along the park where they were to going to meet up with their big sister Fuyumi. Together, the three would gather at this beautiful park once a month to visit their mother, Rei Todoroki.
The day was as beautiful as it always was every time the Todoroki children came to visit her. The trees and flowers were blooming with life, and the pleasant chirps of birds and the soft, wafting scent of flowers filled the air. Light chatter of other visitors in the park filled the air, some of them laughing, others crying and embracing, reminiscing over good memories and pondering over the future.
In some way he couldn't explain, places like this always gave Shoto a deep sense of calm and peace.
There was a small river up ahead that streamed steadily, quietly, under an arched bridge adorned with golden flowers. As Shoto and Natsu crossed over the stone bridge, Shoto caught sight of Fuyumi.
Hearing their approaching footsteps, Fuyumi turned and gave off a visible sigh, relaxing her tensed shoulders. The morning light glinted off of her glasses, and she held her elbows together in that light pink cardigan she loved to wear so much.
"There you are, you guys!" Fuyumi said in a relieved tone. "You're late! Come over here and say hi to mom. Shoto's got to leave for school soon!"
"Hey, don't blame me, sis!" Natsu said, pointing his hands at his chest defensively. He jerked a thumb in Shoto's direction. "He's the one who insisted on coming here before the Festival, not afterwards like I suggested."
"I can't come afterwards," Shoto responded. "The Sports Festival won't end until sometime in the evening."
"Well, then you should've came yesterday!" Natsu shrugged.
"I did," Shoto shot back, icily. "Who do you think replaced Mom's flowers, even though it was your turn – again?"
"Hey! I've been busy with school, little bro. Give me a break!"
"So have I, and I'm not making excuses. Perhaps if you weren't so busy wasting your time on that strange gym teacher, you'd be able to visit more often."
"Oh, come on, you guys! Cut it out!" Fuyumi scolded her two younger siblings. "You're not seriously fighting in front of mom, are you?"
"…sorry, Mom," Natsu and Shoto said in unison, bowing their heads apologetically.
"Ugh! I'm sorry about them, Mom," Fuyumi blew out an exasperated sigh, brushing her stark white bangs away from her glasses. "You know how your boys can be!"
Silence.
The siblings exchanged a glance after a brief pause.
"…So anyway," Fuyumi continued. "Natsu's doing really well in college. Oh, you know what?! His professor says that if he keeps it up, he's gonna graduate top ten in his class at the end of this year. Then it's off to Hero Law School, right Natsu?"
"Yup! That's right!" Natsu said happily. "It's not easy, but I'm doing my best-"
"Although, he could probably be in the top three if he would just ignore that Ranfan lady who's been chasing him around," Fuyumi said, cutting him off and eliciting a nervous reaction from Natsu. Fuyumi placed the back of her hand against her mouth and pouted her lips. "She's his gym teacher! Talk about robbing the cradle, huh, mom?"
"She's robbing cradles?!" Shoto gasped innocently. "How bizarre! They give them out for free down at Woman's clinic. I knew she was strange!"
"Aw, c'mon, Sis!" Natsu exploded, his face turning bright red. "Why would you tell mom about that?!"
"She isn't wrong, though," Shoto added, rubbing his chin. "I've only met her once and I can already sense it – that girl's bad news."
"Nononono you see, Shoto, maybe you're into girls," Natsu growled. "Miss Ranfan is a WOMAN! And she's as sweet as they come!"
More silence. No response…
After another silent pause, Natsu cleared his throat.
"We should, uh, probably stop talking about awkward stuff like that," he muttered.
"Anyway," Fuyumi continued with a smile. "It's Shoto's big day today! It's the day of the Sports Festival, and he's planning on going the distance. I know he'll make you proud."
"Yeah, our little bro is one-hundred percent Todoroki-tough!" Natsu laughed, patting Shoto proudly on the shoulder. "He's the strongest, most intelligent student in his school! I know he's got what it takes to bring home the gold! Just you watch, Mom!"
"Two of my boys made it into the Junior League, as well," Fuyumi said, bouncing with bubbly joy. "Goten and our little stepbrother, Trunks. Ahh, trying to get them to pay attention in class has been a real nightmare, but it's nice to see that those little rowdy rascals are finally putting that energy to good use."
More silence.
An unending moment of silence fell between them and the siblings exchanged rueful glances with each other.
"…So yeah…" Fuyumi said, her voice dropping to a sad whisper. "That's the official Todoroki Sibling update for May. There's a lot more we want to tell you about, but since it's a short visit, it'll have to wait for another time. More importantly, we wanted to come see you to say that we love you so much, Mom and that we… well…"
She trailed off, unable to utter another word. Her face reddened and she brought her hand up to cover her eyes. Seeing her reaction elicited an emotional response from Natsu. His jaw trembled and he stepped back to cover his quivering lips, unable to contain his tears from flowing out freely. Light sobs escaped in blubbering gasps from between his hands.
"Aw, Sis..."
"We, um…" Fuyumi gasped, her voice distorted by emotion as she fought to regain her composure in front of her brothers. "We…"
Shoto sighed.
"We miss you, Mom," he finished for her. "We miss you so very much."
A cool summer breeze blew in from the east and caressed each of the Todoroki children lovingly – Shoto, Natsu, Fuyumi…
As it departed to the west, it blew lightly against the beautiful blue flowers that Shoto had placed on top of Rei Todoroki's tomb – a beautiful dark blue marble stone that commemorated her life and death. Shoto had only been eight years old…
The three children bowed reverently in front of their mother's tomb, and after a few moments of silence, Shoto pulled out two sticks of sweet blue sage incense from a tiny box and lit them with the tip of his left fingers, setting them upright beside the smiling picture of his mother.
Shoto knelt down and placed his hand on Rei's tomb for a moment, and leaning forward, he pressed his forehead against it. His eyes watered and he closed them tightly, refusing to allow his tears to fall. There would be time for that later. Right now, he had to be strong. He had work to do.
After a moment, he steeled himself and rose to his feet. Without another word, Shoto took two steps back and swiveled on his heel, marching back across the cemetery park.
"Shoto!" Fuyumi called after him.
"Hey, hang on a minute, little bro!" Natsu added, running behind him. "I'll drive you to the school!"
I wasn't strong enough to save you mom.I was just a kid. I just wasn't strong enough, Shoto prayed silently as he marched across the Tokyo Cemetery Park for Heroes' Wives. His eyebrows narrowed and his dual colored blue/onyx eyes opened with a fiery, icy ferocity in them.
But I promise, someday I am going to make that bastard pay for what he did to you. I swear it!On this day, Iwillhonor your memory. Wherever you are now, please, watch over me and give me your strength, so that I canreject this cursed Saiyan blood running through my veins, and defeat Gohan using only your Quirk.
…
As Bakugo sat alone in one of the school's waiting rooms, wrapping boxing tape around his wrists, he continued watching the TV screen in front of him replaying CCTV footage of the USJ Incident. In one of the videos, a massive golden dragon emerged from out of the Squall Zone, completely destroying the roof of the zone and taking out a gigantic Ape villain.
The footage blurred out the face of the student performing the attack, but Bakugo didn't have to guess twice to figure out that it was that damned Ricebowl, especially after the student placed his hands together and summoned a huge blue wave of energy that finished off the villain.
That damned Ricebowl, Bakugo growled to himself. I've been itchin' to get a shot at him.
He clutched at the tape around his wrists and for a moment, he got a flashback of his encounter with Gohan the day of the Maze Exam, months ago.
(Flashback)
"Hey, Pink Cheeks!" Bakugo laughed. "You better hope you don't end up facing me in the Combat Trials. Because if you do, I'm not holding back. I'm gonna put you in a wheel chair-"
Gohan's hand shot forward and grabbed Bakugo's arm at the wrist, pulling him forward violently, bringing him within inches of his face. The move was so fast that Bakugo was still talking before he even realized what was going on.
"What the hell!?" he yelped.
"Take. It. Back. Now!" Gohan growled through gritted teeth. Bakugo tried to pull back, but his arm wouldn't budge under Gohan's iron grip. "I swear to you on my father's grave, if you so much as lay a finger on her…"
Katsuki's teeth gritted in irritation from the humiliating memory. Smoke began to rise from his fist.
That bastard. Who the hell does he think he is? He better come at me with everything he's got. Or else, I'm gonna make him regret ever underestimating me.
…
In the courtyard, just outside of the school, Gohan was stretching. His heart was pumping with the booms and crackles of the fireworks and loud music going off in the background. This was the day – his debut. Today, the world would finally get to know who Son Gohan was.
Beside him, a tall Namekian with one arm approached him, wearing his purple gi and white cape.
"P-Piccolo," Gohan gasped, then glanced around to make sure nobody had heard him. "Uh, I mean, Uncle Majunior! What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like?" Piccolo asked with a crooked smile. "We came here to support you."
"'We'?" Gohan asked. From around the corner, Dende, Nail, Grand Elder Moori and three other members of their Clan – Xylo, Orugan and Drum.
"WHAT?! NO WAY!" Gohan cried, his eyes welling up with happy tears. "You all came to watch me?!"
"Of course we did, you little snot-nosed punk!" Nail said with a smile. "You don't think we'd miss out one watching you making an ass out of yourself live and in person in front of a quarter of a million people, did you?"
"Gee, thanks!" Gohan said with a feigned expression of defeat.
"You look so cool, man!" Dende squealed, running his hands over Gohan's blue UA jacket. "Hey, see if they let you bring one home, for me!"
"HAHAHA!" Gohan gave off a hearty laugh. "Okay, but no promises, Dende."
"Here," Dende said, handing Gohan two brown boxes.
"Chocolates?" Gohan asked. "Thanks! I'm already starving!"
"They're not for you, you glutton, they're for the girls!" Dende shouted. "One for Ochaco and one for… uh, you know… Tsu."
Gohan looked up and stared at Dende.
"Don't look at me like that!" Dende shouted.
"Tsu, huh?" Gohan teased with a devilish grin. "WiTh LoVe, FrOm DeNdE-"
Dende reached out and smacked Gohan playfully over the head.
"Ah!" Gohan laughed, rubbing his head. "Okay, okay, I got it. No prob! Thanks so much man!"
"This is your big moment, son," Grand Elder Moori said with a proud smile. "We've talked it over, and have all agreed that it's only appropriate for you to inherit this."
Moori's eldest son, Xylo, a muscular Namekian with antennae that faced upwards, moved forward with a purple velvet case in his hands. He knelt in front of Gohan and opened it, revealing a white fabric inside.
"Take this, and wear it with honor," Piccolo said, motioning for his brother to take the weighted white hachimaki from the box. Gohan nodded and bowed reverently, and Nail gently wrapped the legendary white fabric around Gohan's forehead, tying it into a two-legged knot behind Gohan's head.
The symbol of the Dragon Clan was stitched on the centuries old headband that had once belonged to the legendary Namekian warrior Guru. Afterwards, all of the Namekians, including Moori, bowed in front of Gohan.
"Today, you are the Dragon Clan, Gohan," Piccolo said proudly. "Now go out there, and show the world what a Dragon is capable of!"
And now, the preview:
The Sports Festival kicks off with an obstacle course race!
Gohan discovers a bitter rival in Shoto Todoroki, who seems to have it out for him for some reason. To top it off, Todoroki has discovered one of Gohan's major weaknesses, and is willing to exploit it. What will happen when the two Saiyanhybridsfinally clash on the obstacle course?
Next time!
Chapter Thirty-Eight – Jet Set Run!
Witness Ochaco's hilarious first fit of jealous rage when a certain redhead enters the stage!
You won't wanna miss this!
Go Beyond – PLUUUUS ULTRAAAA!
A/N: Sorry for the emotional trauma, you guys! It's true, in this universe, Rei Todoroki has died. Details of the manner of her death will come in the chapter Forty-Three, but yeah, it wasn't a happy ending, as you could probably tell. In chapter 19 (coincidentally, the first chapter I wrote in 2022), I wrote that Shoto doesn't have a scar on his face in this universe, and that's because he wears that scar on his heart.
His mother's death is his scar, one that he will be forced to grapple with during the course of this and the next arc (Endeavor/Internship Arc).
And as for Chi-Chi's backstory, I know it seemed a bit rushed, but I plan on fleshing it out entirely in the Goku/All Might spinoff, and that's why I didn't dive into too much detail. But I still wanted to get referenced because it will soon have a small impact in the story (mainly for Gohan and Goten).
And as for the lovable giant Ox King, he was a crazy axe villain that killed many people, like in Dragon ball canon, but unlike in canon, where he got a slap on the wrist by Roshi, here he actually went to jail, but don't worry, we may see our lovable grandfather of Ox-in-the-Box soon! Of course, having been reformed into the sweet grandpa we know and love.
Anyways, with this charged moment, we are ready to kickoff the Sports Festival in the next chapter. Hope to see you guys there! Now, for the Review Responses!
X3runner chapter 36 . Dec 26, 2022
If you have gohan get hit with that mind control to cause a scene like vegitas quote "You may have invaded my mind and my body... but there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps his pride!" Since gohan has had time to interact with his grandpa and possibly gain some pride in his people. Was fuu trying somthing underhanded to beat gohan during the sports festival or is it like fu is sometimes depicted becoming hyper obsessively driven by his interests. Like when he became Interested in broly to the point of potentially suffering damege. Or is this whole time line one of his experiments? Hell I could see him activly trying to see how strong he could get gohan to be just out of curiosity. Legitimately going so far as to try and take up most gohans time. It would be funny to see somthing like fu and ochako fighting for gohans time for different reasons and in different ways like how DJ and Carla would fight for Turks time in scrubs. (Sorry for the scrubs reference it was my family's comfort show back some time ago and it worked its way into my hart). I enjoyed the chapter and the whole ochako getting a bit tense there I also enjoyed the Dabi reference hope. Good chapter can't wait to see the next one
Hi X3! Yesss! That it one of my all time favorite quotes and I've got just the spot for it!
As for Fu's true motives, you're on the right track. Of course, Fu doesn't see how nefarious his actions are because they serve his own ego and interests… but they are nefarious, indeed! He definitely does not have Gohan's best interests in mind. There's a bit of a macabre twist to his designs, as you will soon see.
And as for the Scrubs reference, unfortunately, I never got to see the show when it was airing, though I've heard good things about it. I'll have to check it out once I get the chance, to see the dynamic between DJ, Carla and Turk. And no worries, my cousins and I used to bond over Jerry Springer and Pimp My Ride! Good times lmao XD
Thanks so much for your review, as always! I'm always looking forward to them! ^-^
Brandon Dupere chapter 36 . Dec 26, 2022
Bon chapitre, calme et reposant. Ne vous inquiétez pas pour le manque d'action, ça ne fait que commencer après tout. Aussi, est-ce que c'était bien le même fu que dans super dragon ball heros ? Parce que, si c'est le cas, alors c'est facile de deviner de quelle menace le wild sense de Gohan à tenté de le prévenir. Hâte au prochain chapitre.
Merci beaucoup pour votre commentaire Brandon ! Je suis si heureux que vous ayez aimé le chapitre et je vous remercie également pour votre soutien. Pour répondre à votre question, oui, c'est le même Fu de Heroes et Xenoverse 2, seulement la version plus jeune et d'âge scolaire de lui-même. Et oui, avec l'introduction du demi-démon, maintenant on peut dire que Gohan n'est plus en sécurité même dans sa propre école.
Les véritables intentions de Fu seront bientôt précisées, mais je suis sûr que vous pouvez deviner ce qu'il a fait à huis clos. Merci beaucoup pour votre soutien et vos commentaires ! Et comme toujours, c'est si bon d'avoir de vos nouvelles, mon ami !
Elchico 64 chapter 36 . Dec 27, 2022
Hey, Eclipse! Woah, what a premiere. Already into some action against a giant octopus and testing the Oozaru Mode, which is was so coo! That blue beam reminds me a Godzilla, like a true beast!
The Sports Festival is coming up, I'm sure with ypur style you will surpass our expectations. I want to see some Gohan and Kendo drama hahahah! Ochako will be like a hawk on them. And Midoriya caught some jealousy, weird in him but it still suits him well.
Oh, and verbal conflict about what truly means to be a hero, especially in a society full of superhumans it got my total attention. Those topics must be studied in depth methodically and with good judgment, not everyone will be able to agree, even so, explaining the ideologies of each character is what synthesizes their own way of thinking, ¡And its not easy, you made a great job on that!
Oh, and FUUUUU. Man, didn't see that coming. I remember like the spy undercover from the League of Villains, but you surprise me with him. I wonder if he will change his heart, or if gonna stay like a villain. In Xenoverse he just did things for his own entertainment, not because it was right or wrong, he didn't give a damn about the time itself, which I respect.
So, this is for now! I hope you spend a loving holiday these days! By the way, I'm glad you like my Christmas Special on Expelled from Misery, it wasn't much but some laughs never gets old. Take care, pal! See you next time!
Hey Chico! Yesss! Ironically, I had the Godzilla vs Kong trailer music playing on loop in the background as I wrote that sequence out. I wanted to experiment with the Kaijuu side of Gohan's Oozaru power, such as fighting giant monsters, as I've got some fights coming up with giant villains. Oozaru Gohan's mouth beam is one hundred percent inspired by Godzilla's atomic breath! Good eye on that one!
And yes, I think you will like what I have in store for the love triangle. Kendo's obviously the love "villain" but she's not a bad person, though as seen in the anime, she's not above cheating to get what she wants. Everything is fair in love and war, after all. There'll be a lot of drama coming soon, some of it hilarious, other not so much, but I hope it will all pay off in the end.
A lot of hilarious misunderstandings, too.
And what you said about Hero Society is true. With institutions like Tartarus in existence, where criminals are treated like subhuman trash and thrown in to rot away, it's hard to say that the Heroes are completely morally in the right. How could they hope to reform dangerous criminals if they toss them in a cage, torture them and throw away the key? It's definitely a gray area, one of many, but if this fic deals with anything, it's changing the world.
Everyone wants to change the world. The heroes, the villains, everyone. But what will that world look like? And would it be a better world?
Sorry, I'm rambling. It's just such a fascinating topic to study, as in some ways, it can pertain to our society, as well. So I'm glad you liked the scene, and if anything, as you said, it offers different perspectives from the different students, which is something I plan on doing more of.
Thanks again for your reviews! I'm always looking forward to them and of course, looking forward to the fourth chapter of EfM! Until next time!
Blackscar2k chapter 36 . Jan 1
To 2023, Happy New Years
HEYYYY! Blackscar! Thank you soooo so much! I hope you were able to enjoy good times with family and friends. Let's make the best of this new year!
Thanks so much for your review!
That's all for review responses. Until next time, fam! Peace!