"Good luck, young heroes." All Might watched the two young men walk away and smiled. He had chosen his champion well. Though how Young Midoriya had gotten to Hyrule was another question. He would have to ask him when they returned from the temple.

In the meantime, he had a task to accomplish. He turned back to face the old traveler, whose stern gaze hadn't left the glowing flames. "Now, friend," All Might started, changing into his Hero form. "I would like you to explain to me what you didn't tell those two young men."

"What is that?" Izuku breathed, crouching down in some grass. He and Link hadn't wandered too far down the old, worn path—Izuku was surprised at just how much of the stonework was still intact—when they had spotted something red moving off to their left. Link had motioned for him to follow quietly before the two had snuck up for a closer look.

The creature could only be described as a little red goblin. It had a spike on its head and large, bat-like ears. At the moment, it was snuffling around near the base of a tree, poking the trunk with a branch it had picked up from somewhere. Honestly, if it wasn't for the pig snout, Izuku thought it could have been kind of cute.

"It's a bokoblin," Link said quietly, eyes never leaving the creature. "They're monsters. They've attacked Hylian villages and travelers for years." He paused. "I'm... not sure how I know that."

Okay, so not cute. "We can't leave it here; All Might and that older gentleman don't know it's here. It might attack them if they wander down."

The blond studied the monster for a few more moments before speaking. "We'll have to kill it."

"K-kill it?!" Izuku exclaimed. He immediately clapped his hands over his mouth, but the damage had been done. The bokoblin whirled around and spotted the two crouching in the grass. It squealed and brandished its improvised club angrily.

Link muttered something under his breath. "All right, stealth isn't an option anymore. Do you have any weapons?"

"No! Why would I have weapons? I'm a hero-in-training!"

"Even trainees have weapons! All right, we'll have to fall back and find something," Link said grimly, slowly backing away. "I can't fight it empty-handed. Even a branch is better than my fists."

Fists! Izuku didn't wait for the creature to get closer; he lunged sideways, placing himself in between Link and the bokoblin. It halted its advance and stared at him curiously for a moment, blue eyes glittering menacingly. Izuku was sure it was looking to see if he was armed. He was also sure that it wasn't scared when it screeched and jumped at him, swinging its makeshift at his head.

It's okay. I can do this. It's just like in training! He activated his Full Cowling and easily dodged the bokoblin's attack. It looked shocked that such small prey had avoided it so easily. It turned to strike again, but this time, Izuku was waiting for it. As it swung its branch, he ducked around it and threw a fist into the creature's stomach

He was rewarded with the creature's sharp exhale as he drove all of the air out of its lungs. He didn't wait for it to recover; he grabbed its arm with his free hand and, using both arms to lift the bokoblin, spun and threw it as far as 5% of One For All would allow him. The monster flew several meters before crashing into a large tree, where it slumped to the ground and didn't move.

He breathed a sigh of relief and sank back down to the ground. "That went far better than I expected." He glanced behind him. "See Link, you don't need we—Uh, are you okay?"

"Farore's Breath!" Link exclaimed, wide-eyed. "How did you do that? What were those lights?"

Lights? Oh, he meant Full Cowling. "That was just my Quirk. It enhances my physical traits."

Link watched him warily for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds incredibly useful. At the very least, we may not need to worry about finding a weapon for a little while."

"What do you mean?"

In response, he gestured toward the tree the bokoblin had crashed into. Izuku sighed and moved to investigate; Link could stand to be a bit more verbal at times. When he got to the tree, he frowned. The bokoblin was gone. Did it run off? He looked around, but couldn't see any sign of where it had gone. "Hey Link, did you see where the bokoblin went?"

"It didn't go anywhere."

"What do you mean it didn't go anywhere..." Izuku's voice trailed off as he spotted something in the grass. He rooted around for a moment before coming up with a couple of strange, bone-like objects. They looked terribly, horribly familiar.

"Odd, isn't it?"

Izuku looked up to see Link watching him. There was a look in the man's eyes that he couldn't quite identify. The blond nodded at the items in his hands. "When monsters die, their essence disperses. Sometimes, they'll leave horns or claws—something bone-like, usually. Looks like you've got a couple of fangs there."

Izuku shuddered and dropped the teeth, backing away from them. "No. No no nononono, this isn't right. I didn't hit it that hard. I couldn't have. I wasn't using full strength."

"Most common bokoblins aren't too hardy." He could feel Link's eyes on him as the blond asked, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?! Link, I-I'm training to be a hero! We're supposed to protect life, not—not take it. Even w-when I went all out against my opponents in the past, something in me w-w-was always careful not to cause t-too much damage. I-I didn't use much more force than I normally do."

Izuku stood by the tree, trying to steady his breath, for several long moments before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Link.

"I think I understand. First kills are always difficult." The slumberer paused, searching Izuku's face for a moment. "I... may not be the right person to talk to, as I don't remember much of my life. Let's finish looking around, and then you can talk with your mentor when we get back."

All Might! If anyone would know what to do, All Might would. He took a deep breath and steeled himself before nodding, though the tears didn't stop flowing. "Y-you're right."

Link watched for a moment longer before nodding. "Tell you what: I saw an axe back up the hill. Why don't I go grab it while you take a moment to collect yourself? That way, I can take point if there are any other monsters out here."

Izuku nodded again and sank down to the ground. "T-thanks, L-link. I'll w-wait here." He didn't watch as Link walked away and instead focused on his breathing. Logically, he knew, there were times when heroes had to take lives. Sometimes, it was just unavoidable. But it shouldn't have to be. He clutched his head in his hands as he felt the tears start to trickle down his face. He could still feel the bokoblin's stomach giving way under his fist. It had crumpled, but not any more than when he had sparred against the others. All the therapy in the world wouldn't be able to help him to forget that feeling. He remembered what Thirteen had said back at the USJ: "Don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers could be deadly—even if you're trying to do something virtuous, like rescue someone." He hadn't really understood what she had meant until now.

He leaned his head back and scrubbed at his eyes. Hopefully, All Might would have some ideas.

A few minutes later, Izuku spotted Link returning with a massive axe strapped to his back and scrubbed at his eyes again. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to will himself to be calm. He could deal with this later. For now, he needed to focus.

Link waved at Izuku when he saw that he'd been noticed. "I've got the axe. You ready? Good, let's go check this temple out."

Izuku got up, and together, the two cut down across the hill path toward the nearest portion of the ruins. The structure appeared to have been a small house of some kind, possibly for monks or temple attendants. All that was left were the lower walls of the structure; everything else appeared to have toppled or eroded away.

The two entered through the rear of the structure. The ruined building didn't hold much; just a few old barrels. Through the front door of the ruined building, Izuku spotted another bokoblin pacing along what looked like a paved walkway. It was facing away from them, much to Izuku's relief. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to fight this one.

Link had seen it too. "I know you're probably still not on board with killing these things, but it's got to be done. If we don't, the old man might be in trouble." He put his hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Like I said earlier, I'll take this one and any others. All you need to do is watch my back, okay?"

Izuku gulped and nodded. He watched as Link crept up the creature, one hand on the haft of the axe. The bokoblin, despite having massive ears, didn't appear to hear him; it was examining its club, which Izuku noted was a step above the tree branch the one he had... taken care of... had been using.

After a few tense moments, Link was in position. He had managed—how, Izuku didn't understand—to sneak up right behind the monster without gaining its attention. In a single movement, he unslung the axe and swung it at the creature, letting the momentum from the swing carry the axe around for a second blow. Izuku shuddered as the newly-freed head rolled away from its former body before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Link picked up the horn that had remained behind and pocketed it before gesturing for Izuku to follow him. "Looks like there's one more up there," he said, pointing.

Izuku looked. A stairway made out of the same worn stone rose in front of him, leading up to another ruined building—which was where Link was pointing—and walkway leading up to the temple proper. Izuku couldn't see the bokoblin that Link had spotted, but he trusted the man. "All right. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's fine. I'll come get you when it's over."

Link crept up the stairs and out of sight. A moment or two later, Izuku heard a high-pitched squeal he assumed had come from the bokoblin. Another few moments and Link reappeared at the top of the stairs, holding his axe and, oddly enough, a pair of pants. "It's all clear now. Let's go."

The rest of their journey up to the temple was much less eventful. While Izuku could see several more bokoblins off in the distance, they did not encounter any more. That left him much more time to wonder what on earth had happened here.

The old man had said that the temple had been abandoned for a hundred years. While there was some wear-and-tear on the stonework, that would not account for the state of ruin that the once-proud structure and its surroundings had fallen in to. There was a level of destruction present that he hadn't expected; old scorch marks, pillars and walls that had been knocked over, that sort of thing.

And then there were the machines. There had been one back by the first building they had entered, but Izuku had been more concerned with the little red monsters at the time and had barely paid it any attention. Now, as he and Link were climbing the final flight of stairs to the temple, there were a bunch that had captured his attention.

They looked like they had, at one point, been walkers of some kind. There were several of them in the hall below the main building and several more on the hillside, so clearly they had played a role here, but Izuku couldn't tell exactly what that had been. All he knew was that, with their odd, bell-shaped body structures and spindly legs, Hatsume would love to get her hands on them. He might have to see if he could bring some pieces back for her.

And then there was the temple itself. Izuku couldn't believe it was still standing, seeing as how most of the left wall had been knocked over. Even still, the structure was beautiful. The ceiling—still mostly intact, amazingly—soared far over his head. The old tile floors had long since given way to grass and weeds, but there were still bits and pieces of old mosaics visible through the turf. At the end of the room there was a massive statue of a winged woman that looked like she was presiding over nature's reclaimed cathedral. The whole place exuded an air of quiet reverence, as if it defied any attempts to make noise or disrupt it.

Link whistled quietly. "There's something you don't see every day." He looked around briefly before turning to Izuku. "Do we just want to split up again? It's not like there's much here to find."

Izuku thought for a moment before nodding. "I'll check around here and work toward the back."

"Okay. Let's see if we can figure out why that old man pointed out the temple, of all places."

Link left to investigate the rear of the cathedral, leaving Izuku standing next to the entrance. He started poking around, but didn't really find anything. At least, not until he reached the one remaining tower.

While there were no stairs, he did find a large chest nestled in among some rubble. "I wonder what's in here," he muttered, idly tugging on the lid. Much to his surprise, the chest opened with little effort.

Lodged inside was a wooden short bow with steel inlays around the grip, resting in a quiver of the same design. He picked them up and frowned. The bow looked like it had been newly made. With the state the temple was in, he sorely doubted that. Still, they had a bow now! Izuku looked around, searching for any arrows. While he didn't see any, he did spot a couple of small pots sitting at the entrance to the tower. He found several worn arrows nestled inside. Apparently, chests were better protection from the elements than simple pottery.

Excited from his find, Izuku went to tell Link, and quickly located him standing toward the rear of the hall. The man was standing in front of a small block with a slot in the top. "Something important used to be here," he said, not looking up as Izuku approached. "For the life of me though, I can't figure out what."

Izuku looked at the block, but couldn't see anything special about it. "Well, maybe you'll remember what it was later. In the meantime, I found something."

That got Link's attention. "Oh? What'd you find."

"This." Izuku held out the bow.

Link picked it up and turned it around. He plucked the string and nodded. "This'll do. Where'd you find it?"

Izuku pointed. "In a chest over in that tower."

Link raised an eyebrow and gave the bow back. "That's... a little weird. Well, you found this, so it's yours to use. We might need it later, so take care of it."

Izuku nodded and stowed it back in its quiver. He didn't know how to use a bow, really, and One For All might make it difficult to use without snapping it. Still, it wouldn't hurt to learn. If there were as many bokoblins as he thought there might be, it might be nice to have something that one of them could use to keep the little monsters at a distance.

Link took one last glance at the block before turning. "I don't think there's anything else here. Let's get back to the others."

The journey back to the cliffside camp was uneventful. They found the old man and All Might by the fire where they had left them. All Might was roasting meat over the flames while his companion watched and occasionally made suggestions. All Might looked up as they approached and smiled. "Welcome back, Young Heroes! Come take a seat; food's just about ready."

Izuku sat next to his mentor and sighed. It was good to be back with a familiar face. He glanced over at Link, who nodded at him before very pointedly walking a small distance away. Izuku took a deep breath. He might as well ask now. "Hey, All Might? Have you ever had—have you ever killed anyone as a hero?"

All Might stopped turning the spit. "That's a heavy question, Young Midoriya. What's got that on your mind?"

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes again. All Might took a look at his face before turning to his companion. "Could you watch this for a minute?"

The old man nodded and took over the spit. All Might took Izuku off to the side. "Why don't you tell me what this is about?"

So he did. For the next several minutes, Izuku relayed the encounters with the bokoblins. He stammered through how it had felt to crush the creature, his frustration with Link at not taking him seriously at first, and the conflicted feelings he'd had as they explored the temple. All Might, for his part, didn't stir the entire time; he just watched Izuku through sunken eyes. Once Izuku was finished, he remained quiet for a few more moments before speaking.

"I'm sorry you had to face such a dilemma so young. You're right in your observation that sometimes heroes have to kill. You may recall that I thought I had killed All For One in our encounter five years ago." He paused, thinking, before continuing. "In our world—and yes, I believe that we are no longer on Earth—heroes try to avoid taking lives whenever they can. Life is sacred and to be protected and nourished, no matter how corrupt that life might be.

"That may not be the case here. I've spoken with our enigmatic guide, and he's made it clear to me that the monsters you encountered are not exactly living. They're flesh and bone animated by... dark magic." All Might paused. "I'm still not sure how that works. The point is, I don't think you have much to worry about with them."

Izuku sniffed and wiped away his tears. "R-really?"

His mentor placed a hand on his shoulder. "Really. You're a great hero, Young Midoriya, even though you're still in training. Understanding the value of life is the greatest strength a hero can have." He smiled at Izuku, who slowly smiled back. "You'll be all right. Now, I have a question for you."

Izuku's smile drooped a little as he stared at the hero in confusion. "You do? W-what is it?"

All Might's smile disappeared as he bulked up into his Hero form. "Tell me, Young Midoriya, how did you come to be here?"

Izuku gulped. "W-well, some of the others and I decided that we wanted to try to help rescue Kacchan. We were being careful," he added, as he saw All Might grow more stern-looking. "Kirishima, Todoroki, Ashido, and I were angry that we had failed and wanted to make things right. Iida and Yaoyorozu came along specifically to make sure that we didn't get in trouble and stayed out of combat. We had found the Nomu plant and were about to go back when the heroes showed up to contain the Nomu. We didn't think there was anything else left to do. And then... he attacked."

Izuku shuddered, no longer looking at All Might. "All For One. He wiped out the heroes almost instantly. We heard him talking, and then there was this splashing sound, and then Kacchan and the League of Villains were there, All For One talked with Shigaraki... and then you were there, and then the air warped, and I saw a light, and then I woke up in that cave over there, and—"

"Slow down there, young man. You're rambling again," All Might said, cutting Izuku off. "So let me get this straight. You had come to help with the intention of not fighting a criminal organization, correct?"

Izuku nodded, and then winced as All Might bopped him on the head. "That was for being foolish. You were ill-equipped for such an operation. But—" Izuku looked up at All Might and saw that the pro was smiling at him again. "—your intentions were good. You have a good heart, and I've no doubt that you and your friends would have pulled it off if All For One hadn't done whatever he had done that sent us here.

"Your story explains a few things, but I still have one very important question." All Might shifted from foot to foot, his face suddenly lined with concern. "You said that there were five others who went with you to rescue Young Bakugo. Where are they now?"

And there's chapter 2! I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter, and hope this one's up to snuff. Next chapter we're going to visit a one or two of the other 1-A kids, so get ready. :D

Also, shout out to my fellow editors who ran over this for me and helped fix some issues.

I've been editing fanfiction for a while over on Epsilon110's Total Command Discord server, and finally decided to give writing fanfiction a go myself. Wanted to keep it mostly true to the plot of BotW while exploring what it would mean to have Quirks in Hyrule and working on my own writing. I've got some fun ideas of where to go with this, so we'll see how it turns out.

If you want in on the server, here's a link: /XCk97mk We're friendly, chaotic, and happy to greet new people.