Disclaimer: I don't own mha
Warning: Rated M for Mature themes
The next day Midoriya was walking through the halls of UA looking worse for wear. Many students gave him a passing glance and seemed to be getting a little unsettled by how distraught he currently was.
'The heroes are going to need the next few days to investigate all of those Hassaikai facilities, and I can't talk about it with anyone at all.'
As he turned down the hallway with a look of frustration his anger got the better of him and he slammed his fist against the wall.
"Midoriya? Whats wrong? Is everything alright?"
The boy looked up in surprise at the voice he'd heard only to see Itsuka Kendo from Class B looking at him with concern.
Shame filled the boy at his lack of emotional control in public and he let out a sad chuckle while rubbing the back of his head and offering the orange haired girl an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, everything is fine Kendo. Please forgive my dumb little outburst, I am just... frustrated with things that have been happening lately."
A tinge of fear shot through Midoriya as he looked directly into the girls gentle eyes and he recalled the importance of keeping a certain secret.
'Shes... too good at this. I feel like I could talk to her about anything... but I can't tell her about whats coming up.'
Knowing the threat in front of him Midoriya endeavored to get out of there quickly and proceeded to walk past the girl.
As he did though, horror coursed through the boy as he felt a firm yet gentle grip on his shoulder. He looked behind him only to see a saddened and empathetic expression on the girls face.
"If you want to talk... I am a good listener... you just look so upset right now... it hurts to see one of my fellow students in such a depressing state."
For reasons he couldn't understand his emotions started to spiral out of control. Now shaking in pure stress he sat down as tears of frustration fell from his eyes and he averted his gaze doing his best not to devolve into more of an emotional mess.
"I-I'm... so sorry... Kendo I can't tell you... why I'm like this... it's classified information. I didn't want anyone to see me like this."
The green haired boy wiped away his tears and took a few deep breathes trying his best to regain his composure.
Kendo sat down beside him and quietly reached out grabbing his hand much to his surprise.
"It'll be ok... you don't need to force yourself to tell me anything you shouldn't."
Midoriya looked down in surprise as she gently rubbed his hand in a consoling manner while looking at him with an understanding smile.
'Forget too good at this... She's WAY too good at this emotional support stuff.'
Feeling much calmer now Midoriya couldn't help but chuckle as he looked back at the girl with an appreciative smile.
"Well... do you have some time... to talk...by any chance. There is something else you might be able to help me make sense of." The boy nervously asked.
Kendo nodded while standing up and offering a hand to the boy.
"Of course, I have a really nice spot I like to go to and relax. We can converse to our hearts content there."
Midoriya accepted the girls hand and proceeded to follow her as he recalled the other matter that had been bothering him besides everything going on with Eri and Chisaki.
Sometime later Midoriya found himself past a small grassy hill and some bushes where a lone table sat under a bright beautifully green tree at the edge of UAs property line.
Kendo sat across from him patiently offering her undivided attention.
Midoriya sat nervously as he thought of how to approach the conversation he was about to initiate. Many doubts and uncertainties existed within him at that moment.
'Well, Its not my style but I might as well just be upfront about this.'
Taking another deep breath Midoriya wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead and faced the girl while trying his best not to say something he'd regret for one reason or another.
"Well... um... Can you tell me what kind of person Pony is... at least what you think of her maybe?"
Kendo was slightly caught off guard by the question but could see the conflict in the boys eyes.
"You have been spending a lot of time helping her study haven't you? I must thank you for that too... even though our classes have that silly rivalry you never hesitated to help her out."
The orange girl pondered the question for the longest time leaving Midoriya a little anxious as he awaited her response.
As Kendo recalled her time with the older blonde she couldn't help but smile as she thought of Pony.
"Earlier this year... I was feeling really burnt out from the responsibilities that I had opted to take upon myself. No matter what I did I couldn't shake this feeling of exhaustion... and my class seems to rely on me a lot as well... Guilt weighed on my conscious heavily because I didn't feel like I was acting like the person they could turn to."
Midoriya looked at the girl anxiously, those words seemed a bit relatable and he couldn't help but feel bad for her.
"It progressively worsened too... but I fought it... and fought it... and fought it. Continuing to pretend like nothing was wrong I would gradually wear myself down as I helped the others as the big sister of Class B."
Kendo paused for a moment as she recalled what happened next.
"And nobody really suspected anything was wrong. I thought I'd managed to pull the wool over everyone's eyes and keep this silly and meaningless problem hidden... Yes, I had everyone fooled... everyone... except for Pony."
Midoriya grew even more intrigued, now on the edge of his seat at the mention of the object of his uncertainties.
"One day she confronted me... told me she could tell I was not my usual self... told me it hurt her to see me pushing myself so hard to be there for people and never taking the time for myself."
As he heard this the boy couldn't help but think back to one of the nights where she'd had him helping her study. The night where she'd challenged his ideology about heroes and insisted he hang out with her.
"Honestly...I couldn't tell if I was more shocked or touched... but she helped me recover from my burn out... took it upon herself to help those I couldn't and insisted I take it easy for as long as I needed... and of course... we've spent countless hours just... talking and being together... and that really made the world for me."
Kendo grew teary eyed as she recalled her time with perhaps one of her best friends in their entire class. A loving and nostalgic smile grazed the girls lips as her gaze returned towards Midoriya's curious eyes.
"Pony is a really loving and forward person... I have no doubt she must've broken down some barriers between you two that most others wouldn't be able to... made it possible for you to form one hell of a friendship with her... but... now it's time for me to ask of your perspective. Why did you want to know what I think of her?"
Midoriya was caught off guard as the doting and nostalgic look on Kendo's face was replaced by an intense and curious gaze that wouldn't be satiated until she'd been given her answer.
It took some time for him to cycle out his thoughts and think of how to approach the question. Kendo continued to stare in curiosity as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well... she's been really... affectionate lately... Um... one day... she even... errhhh... s-she... s-she...uhh... She Slept With Me!!!"
Kendo's face turned beat red at the sudden bomb drop Midoriya thrust upon her but even he was blushing in embarrassment and felt as though he just wanted to die after admitting it.
"W-when... you say slept... you mean like... you guys... well... um... y'know..."
"What! No! No! No! I mean slept like in the most literal and nothing more to it than that type of way! I swear we didn't do anything pervy!" Midoriya yelled out defensively while waving his arms in a sporadic manner as his face turned redder than it already was.
Kendo remained silent after he elaborated and felt her heart resting at ease as she tried to process the situation.
"Well... anyways... as I was saying I guess..."
The orange girl looked at the embarrassed boy who seemed to opt for continuing to explain before he died of shame.
"Basically... she's been really affectionate... not afraid to touch me even in public... and I have never had a friend this open and supportive... but I'm kinda uncomfortable with it and don't really know how to interpret her behavior... That's why I asked you about her... to help me understand what kind of person she is."
Kendo looked at the boy with a sense of partial realization, although her own lack of clarity inhibited her from fully connecting the dots.
For this reason she refrained from giving him a conclusive response for a little while longer.
"There's something you should know..."
Midoriya looked back as he finally heard her speak up again. However he was a little unnerved by the conflicted look in her eye.
"Everything that I have told you about Pony is completely and inarguably true... and I do genuinely love and care for her as a close friend... but I often feel... like there's more to her than she let's on... something deeper than this kind, caring, and emotionally intuitive person."
Kendo's face turned to one of confusion and uncertainty and for once she'd actually mirrored the boys nervousness.
"But... the thing is... I couldn't begin to fathom what she could be hiding... if there even is anything deeper to her than she seems... Maybe that is the real Pony Tsunotori... just a doting and kind girl with an endless supply of love to spare."
Midoriya was now more intrigued and unsure than he'd ever been but he couldn't pry his ears away from what he was hearing.
Kendo then seemed to feel a tinge of guilt as she continued to speak.
"I... don't mean to speak ill of a friend... but... I always found that aspect about Pony... to be a little creepy."
The boy seemed as troubled as Kendo now as he soaked in the knowledge that he just heard. From there he would only become more contemplative and thoughtful about what she just said.
Kendo let out an exasperated sigh as she leaned forward taking the boys hands in her own and giving him a supportive look.
"Don't let what I told you influence your decision on how to progress with Pony further. I urge you to think of everything you two have been through so far and weigh the experiences against each other. Then and only then should you decide on whether or not you want to remain friends... or go down a different path."
Midoriya nodded in understanding and pulled away before standing up and offering an appreciative smile.
"I will... you've given me so much to think about Kendo... Thankyou for that."
Feeling as though an oppressive weight had been lifted from his shoulder Midoriya took his leave feeling as though things are finally clear regarding his friendship with Pony.
Kendo watched the boy leave with a hopeful smile across her face.
'I wanted him to understand exactly how I feel about Pony... so I told him and did my best not to mislead... Midoriya... please... don't push her away... She really is a good person.'
After having made it about half way back to his dorm the boy suddenly got a text and promptly checked it out.
'Its from Kirishima... Hey Midoriya some of us from class a and b have gathered in the gym for a little extra training. Wanna join us?'
Never aversed to getting in some training the boy couldn't help but feel flattered as he immediately responded and changed course to go join his fellow heroes in training.
Sometime later Midoriya made it to the gym and stared at the large building in wonder as he opened the doors.
Upon gaining visage of the interior Midoriya could only make out about a dozen of the other hero course students having attending the extra training session.
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were sparring in the center of the room. Ochaco, Pony, and Tsuyu were off on the side seemingly working on their team coordination.
As he closed the doors behind him and looked to the right Midoriya could see Ojiro and Iida having a two on two sparring match against Kaibara and Shishida.
And then finally there was Yui, Shoji, and Yanagi who were simply spectating the match between Tetsutetsu and Kirishima.
Midoriya quietly approached the center and stood beside Shoji around the ring where the two were fighting.
"Your going down Kirishima!" Tetsutetsu yelled as he thrust his metal encased fist straight towards his rivals jaw.
The boy sent his Class A counterpark reeling backwards a few feet and even cracked the hardened exterior of the boys jaw.
Kirishima smirked while being far from out he recomposed himself and moved to counterattack next.
"Not bad! It almost seemed like you were actually trying!" The haired boy taunted as he shot a straightforward fist right for the chest.
Tetsutetsu blocked it but couldn't quite move as Kirishima didn't stop at one punch and continued to offer a brutal barrage.
The grey haired boy waited patiently until he finally got the timing between each strike as he dropped his guard and instead chose to deflect Kirishima's fist while preparing to go back on the offensive.
Kirishima looked slightly surprised but as he saw Tetsutetsu winding back his fist again he couldn't help but smirk.
Just inches away from taking another blow the red haired boy ducked down only narrowly dodging as he took a knee. He then placed his hands on the ground to gain some leverage and twisted his body with an outstretched leg effectively sweeping out the other boys knee from beneath him.
A small tinge of satisfaction flowed through the boy upon seeing Tetsutetsu lose his balance and of course he didn't relent, while now at eye level from the kneeling position he tackled the boy to the ground grabbing his face and resting his knee on his right arm.
Tetsutetsu looks up in anger as Kirishima maintained a firm grip on his face while quickly using his free hand to hold down his other arm and immobilize the boys last effective means of offering a substantial resistance.
Everyone looked on as the grey haired boy continued to resist, but Kirishima didn't get cocky as he knew full the tables could turn if he let his guard down against someone so equal to himself in combative prowess.
Eventually his patience would pay off though as his fallen foe tired out and slumped to the ground deactivating his quirk with a dejected sigh.
"And thats a wrap. Kirishima is the victor." Shoji said while holding up a blue card.
Kirishima promptly got off of his friend and rival while offering a hand up similarly to how he did in the sports festival after their first match.
Tetsutetsu let out an amused smirk as he graciously accepted the chivalrous gesture and got back to his feet.
"That was amazing! You've really been working on your combat skills haven't you Kirishima!" Midoriya yelled in praise as he ran up to his red haired classmate.
Kirishima turned his attention towards his green haired friend and looked to the side with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Ehh... I don't know. I just saw that move on an old action cartoon the other day and thought it'd be cool to try in a fight... Definitely gets me pumped up just thinking about using more cool moves like that though." The boy responded getting more excited near the end.
The other three spectators of the match soon followed Midoriya's lead and approached the group of boys.
"Um... H-hi... Midoriya."
Midoriya turned his head towards the quiet voice he just barely heard and was faced with a meek looking grey haired girl who seemed to have a slight blush on her face.
"Oh hello... It's Yanagi right?"
The girl squeaked in embarrassment and hid behind one of her friends causing Midoriya to feel some sense of confusion and bewilderment.
Yui tilted her head and silently glared at the girl over her shoulder while Yanagi submissively peaked out from behind her stone faced and emotionless classmate.
'Hes so spooky... I love it!' She internally squealed while staring at the boy.
Midoriya shrugged it off only feeling more confused he decided to pay it no mind.
"Izuku! I'm so glad you came to join us!"
The boy turned hearing a familiar stomping like run he steeled his resolve and turned towards the voice with a look of determination.
'Not this time! I'm prepared!'
A gleeful Pony was charging at him as she had many times in the past with an affectionate and blindingly optimistic smile across her face she jumped at her friend violently hugging him.
Though believing he could initially stave off the force of her tackle his will and balance were immediately challenged as the sheer power of Pony's charge caused him to fall back only barely managing to regain his footing.
"Hehe let's do some super intense quirk training together Izuku!'
Pony put just a little more weight against the boys top half finally toppling her friend to the ground as she landed on him yet again.
Midoriya scratched his head as he stared at the deceptively powerful girl in bewilderment.
'Is her quirk really a horse mutation, it seems more like a bull with those charges of hers.'
Everyone just chuckled at the sight of the horn user tackling Midoriya to the ground while he just stared at her.
'I urge you to think of everything you two have been through so far...'
Kendo's words echoed in the boys mind as he started to look back on all the time they'd spent together since their encounter at the library.
An awkward silence filled the air as Midoriya's thought filled eyes were unintentionally fixated on Pony. The girl only stared vacantly with a clueless smile.
Nearly everyone seemed confused as the two just stared at each other, neither one moving an inch.
As the boy remembered it all one particular thing came to the forefront of his mind.
'She saved my life when I myself needed a hero most...'
The boy grew slightly teary eyed as he stared at the blonde on top of him.
Pony noticed and her happiness was immediately replaced with worry and concern as he looked to be on the verge of crying.
Before she could speak up the horn user yelped in shock as he suddenly grabbed her bringing the girl into a very much unexpected embrace.
'How could I have taken that for granted... How could I have failed to realize how lucky I am to have such a friend?'
Everyone seemed to look down at the two sharing Pony's concern as they saw the pain in the boys tear stained eyes.
"Midoriya... are you ok man?" Kirishima asked in concern.
The green haired boy only tightened his grip on the girl in his arms as a sad smile formed across his face and he wiped the tears from his eyes.
"I am now."
In time he eventually let go much to Pony's dissapointment and looked at the girl with a rather emotional expression.
"That sounds like a great idea. We should get started with training immediately."
Pony gasped in surprise as she stared into Midoriya's eyes and saw a burning passion and determination within them.
Seeing his own drive to succeed she simply smiled ever so confidently as she got off of the boy with a renewed sense of determination.
"Yeah! Let's do it!"
As the heroes looked over to where Ochaco and Tsuyu were they proceeded to head towards their friends and see how they could work together to improve their abilities.
"Hey now, I hope you ain't forgetting about us Midoriya. We're all in this together!"
The boy looked back towards Kirishima and Tetsutetsu both of which were looking pumped up and ready for an intense workout.
"Let's do it!" Midoriya said with full confidence and looked back at his other friends.
Ochaco and Tsuyu we're combining the attributes of their quirks to form team attacks. The brunette would disable the gravity around small objects as her frog like friend hit them with her tongue and Ochaco would try to time the deactivation of her quirk to create the effect of a high speed projectile attack.
So far results had been mixed at best but they seemed as determined as ever.
As the four students watched Tsuyu's progress from afar Midoriya looked over at Pony and then at Kirishima and Tetsutetsu and recalled their intended task. The one he could speak nothing about in public.
And for once he didn't feel too terribly anxious to face the future.
'I have all these amazing friends by my side. I can't entertain the idea of failure with those kinds of odds.'
And that's the chapter, hope everyone enjoyed it.