Hello! The Merfolk AU train has finally reached AnimeFanGirl2223 station and is going to go full steam ahead! Thanks for reading. The first chapter starts a little slow but quickly picks up!

***Bold print in the text represents people talking in Mermaid language… so… yeah.

Also, I now have 2 jobs, so, FML but I'm going to do my best to post regularly for my ongoing stories.

I will post updates on when chapters will go out on my Twitter account! BUT my link keeps getting tagged as 'NoFollow' so, I apparently can't put the link on here? WTF. Anyway, if you can help me fix this, I'd appreciate it! If not, my Twitter is AGirl2223! Follow me and I'll follow you back!

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Learn to Breathe

Chapter 1

Izuku knew better; He really did. Merfolk had much to fear despite how strong and intelligent they were. So, they had plenty of rules to protect their people from danger and death which were taught from the time they were born.

As such, Midoriya was thoroughly aware and respected that he wasn't supposed to go near shallow areas, surface around large structures humans called 'boats', or travel alone/without a weapon. However, the number one rule was to never go near a human.

They seemed simple enough to follow and logical if Midoriya thought about them. But he couldn't fully believe that humans were that bad. To him, they seemed like fragile creatures that probably needed protection if they happened to be in the vastness of the ocean.

He'd ventured into areas his mother had warned him about plenty of times and nothing terrible had happened. Really, he'd had more luck catching fish and avoiding predators in the shallows because he was small and fast.

So yes, Izuku really did know better than to go near the shore, especially one that showed signs of human habitation. But as he blissfully swam through the water, he started to hear the clatter of sounds that were unusual for the ocean, his curiosity peaking. He stayed below the surface until he was in a rocky area, knowing from experience that he could hide and dodge most attacks from between their rough edges.

This spot was particularly quiet, away from the sounds he'd come to understand came from 'ports' humans used. So, he was surprised when he found he wasn't alone. He peeked out from behind one of the large formations at the other present, certain that he hadn't been discovered yet.

Izuku's breath caught in his throat, taking in the site of a boy around his age with red and white-colored hair, heterochromatic eyes, pale skin, and a distinctly sad look on his face. His first thought was that whoever the child was, he was beautiful. His second thought was that he was human.

He watched with extreme interest as the boy hung his feet off of the ledge and gently kicked them in the sun-warmed water, fascinated by his obvious lack of a tail. This was the closest he'd ever been to one of their kind, and if he was honest, he wanted to be much closer.

Despite that desire, he held back, remembering the stories his mother, and many of the refugees had told him about how cruel and tricky humans were. But this boy, young and defeated looking, didn't seem like he was inherently evil.

Midoriya stayed to watch him a little longer, mentally noting the differences between the two of them, like how his fingers weren't webbed and there wasn't a single scale on his entire visible body. He didn't decide to stop innocently staring until a thunderous voice boomed through the air.

Izuku startled and instinctively hid farther behind his new favorite rock. He was shocked to see that the child simply sagged in misery before stiffening and looking back. He didn't know what the two were saying to each other but it was clearly a one-sided argument that ended with the younger being yanked up by his hair and dragged off by a harsh grip on his arm.

"That was… odd…" Midoriya mused to himself, deciding he'd probably stayed too long already. He couldn't get the ordeal out of his mind though, more specifically, the one he'd been watching.

The human's eyes were the most captivating and distracting thought he had as he swam back, his shimmering green tail flicking behind him gracefully. He wondered if the boy would be there again someday, but doubted it.

It made him a little sad to know that he probably wouldn't see that mysterious human again, and if he did it would be because one was trying to kill the other. "You watched him kick water for fifteen minutes! It's not like he even knew you were there… Jeez…"

Midoriya pushed his intrusive thoughts aside and swam away, deciding it would be best for him to look for someplace to take shelter for the night—a young Mer on its own was an ideal target for larger marine predators.

Shoto was the prized son of the ruler Enji Todoroki, the future heir to the throne of Endeavor. It was a large city that resided near an even more vast shoreline, rich from trade and delicacies. He knew everything there was to know about ruling, etiquette, and all other princely duties.

With a quick wit and an unhealthy amount of pushing from his father, he excelled in all the subjects he needed to learn about, including history. So, he was well aware of the war against the mysterious race of Merfolk that had once populated the seas.

He didn't agree with the genocide of an entire population but had always been taught that it was either his people's survival or theirs. According to the texts handed down through the generations, the fish-like creatures were excellent marine hunters that could easily stay fed in the open ocean but chose to steal all the fish near shores to starve humans. They hoarded all the precious gems and pearls that they found, hurting the seaside economy.

Mostly he read about how they were vicious animals that attacked without warning, dragging sailors and unsuspecting swimmers to their deaths for the thrill of killing larger prey. From research done on those unlucky enough to be caught, Shoto knew quite a bit about their anatomy as well.

Their upper halves were similar to humans, though they had webbed hands, sharp nails and teeth, scattered scales, and gills behind their ears. The lower half of them was a powerful, scale-covered tail that could easily break bone if they felt inclined to do so. In the water, they were extremely fast, able to outswim sharks if necessary.

What fascinated and secretly scared Todoroki the most though, was the reports with evidence of Merfolk growing legs if they became dry enough. Before the massive fallout between their two species, it wasn't unheard of for intermingling.

Sometimes when Shoto was much littler, he'd wonder if anyone around him was secretly a Mer spy, walking around on land to gather intel on them. He always discreetly checked people to see if they had any of the tell-tale signs, especially if they had to 'leave for business' often.

It wasn't until he'd gotten a little older that he realized how foolish that was. No one he knew had seen a Mer for years—since before he was born. That, of course, didn't stop his near-insane father from telling him that the war was still ongoing and that he had to be ready to finish what his forefathers had started.

Todoroki trained hard, ensuring that he could fight on land as well as in the water like all of their guards. The king had called him a natural at it, his athletic ability combined with intelligence making him lethal even if he was still very young.

But he hated the whole idea of being his father's greatest creation' and longed to simply be Shoto. He wanted to sit and watch the sunrise and set across the beautiful edge of the ocean, basking in the soft seawater breeze that would ruffle his hair and make him sigh in contentment.

He knew better than to want it and yet every time he could, he'd slip away and sneak off to more disserted parts of the shoreline, wishing he didn't have to fight a war against a species he'd never laid eyes on, rule a kingdom that thought he was cold and cruel like his father, or marry someone just because it would 'solidify relations' with various other kingdoms when he grew up.

~ Time-Skip: (Both are 16)~

Midoriya had too much on his mind to join his friends as he usually did after a long day of school and training. He'd had to sit through an entire lesson about the potentially many pods that were still scavenging around somewhere in the dark depths of the ocean, knowing full well what they were having to deal with.

Then he'd had to deal with Bakugo—the one who'd brought him to Yuuei—hounding him about how frequently he left the safety of their city. His life had become undeniably better since the blonde had quite literally dragged him there, but sometimes he really just wanted to be alone.

That's how he found himself swimming out into the open waters early the next morning, basking in the slow waves that occasionally passed through. Until he sensed it and froze. It should have been fuzzy, maybe even repressed. But the scent and vibrations that assaulted him were sharp and clear as day. The monster that had orphaned him years ago was there.

He concentrated hard on his surroundings, trying to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from before he dared to move. It was somewhere to his left along with what he now noticed was the creak of wood in water.

"A boat!" he hissed in his mind. "They'll be killed!"

No sooner had he thought about what was going to happen that the soft creaks turned violent, splintering sounds echoing around in his ears with terrible shrieks and the heavy scent of blood. His heart pounded, but his body moved on its own, taking him towards the chaos.

He wondered what in the hell he was trying to accomplish; the creature was massive, easily destroying the small craft. His tail swished quickly anyway, propelling him through the various debris and bodies that were being swept around by its violent movements. His heart fell as he realized that all the humans he touched were already gone.

Just as he was about to turn and head to safety as any reasonable person would, a red-white glint caught his eye.

"THAT BOY!" He panicked, quickly recognizing his distinctive hair despite how long it had been and everything going on. He darted forward when he saw the teen choking in the seawater, adrenaline fueling his actions as he swept him away from the destruction, hoping that his then unconscious form would be okay with just a little longer without air.

Midoriya surfaced a few hundred yards away, just long enough to give the teens unmoving chest a rough squeeze, expelling water from his lungs. Todoroki sputtered and coughed, jerking around as he gasped in air after such a long time.

He didn't register who, or what was holding onto him but didn't really care. His thoughts were garbled from fear, exhaustion, and an extended lack of oxygen. He quickly passed out again before opening his eyes.

Todoroki had been on a vessel several miles from shore when the attack had occurred, but as soon as consciousness started to creep its way back into his mind, he knew he was in the water and wondered how on Earth he'd survived.

The last thing he remembered was being thrown from the deck after an explosion-like gust of wind had hit him, sending him and everything around him barreling towards early morning blackened water. He'd hit something fairly hard if he had to guess from the sharp ache in his head.

But he also became aware of how quickly the water seemed to be moving past him, far too quickly for him to be drifting on a piece of spare wood. His eyes opened to see sunlight starting over a horizon and lifted his head slightly. The water slowed and he felt whatever was keeping him floating move, immediately setting him on the offensive.

Todoroki struck out, just barely missing the form that released him before it dove beneath the water and surfaced a few feet away. He started cursing loudly with shock and anger that one of 'them' had him. His limbs ached as he forced them to keep him treading, his eyes trained on the one who'd caught him.

Shoto could see green orbs hovering just above the choppy surface, watching him intently. He knew that he didn't stand a chance. They were still a good distance from shore, he was injured, and didn't have a weapon. With all of the information he'd absorbed from years of study, this Mer would overpower him within seconds.

Another wave of pain washed through his limbs as he weighed his options, stalling his near frantic movement enough to cause his head to go under with a panicked yelp. He had enough sense to keep his eyes open though, and soon saw the Mer circle him hesitantly, watching him struggle to get back to the air.

Todoroki flinched when the teen got near him and grabbed him firmly, fully believing he was about to get dragged to the crushing ocean floor. Instead, he was lifted up, the Mers' tail plenty strong enough to keep their buoyancy.

He coughed again, shaking his head free of as much water as he could. His breathing was labored, stamina thoroughly depleted after everything that had happened in the last few hours. But when his eyes met those curious green ones again, he lashed out, kneeing Midoriya solidly in the gut despite how his leg screamed in protest.

Izuku let out a grunt, dropping Shoto again as he clutched his stomach. With all the trouble this boy was causing he had half a mind to just leave him there if that's what he really wanted. But he knew he could never do that. Midoriya himself had attacked Bakugo when the angry blonde had saved him too; fear made everyone violent.

So, he waited for the boy's body to start giving out again and then helped him back up to breathe one more time, attempting a reassuring smile when there wasn't a subsequent attack. "I'm sorry you're afraid" he stated, "I'm just trying to help… I promise!"

Todoroki just looked at him though, obviously not understanding anything that had come from his mouth. To him, it sounded like more of a whistle than anything else, with clicks and other noises sprinkled in to irritate him.

His confusion and lack of patience must have shown because one of the arms released him to point in the direction of land. Midoriya swished his tail slightly, just strong enough to make them move forward as he turned his attention back towards Todoroki.

"I'll take you towards land… Just… Stop trying to kill me, okay?"

Todoroki wanted to snarl at him, wanted to repeat all the terrible things that he'd heard his father and so many other people say about their species at the top of his lungs. But he couldn't. From what he could tell, this odd Mer that seemed no older than himself was offering to swim him back to shore—I something he currently couldn't do on his own.

He grit his teeth and lowered his eyes, grinding out a 'fine' as he went limp. Shoto thought it was strange that the creature smiled at him happily, and seemed to nod, but shrugged it off. He figured it was just as likely that he'd be drowned once they were closer to shore, just to show him how weak he actually was.

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