I only own this fan fiction. May contain Out of Character moments.

Minoru and Izuku had finally finished their training with the other masters by the end of the second week. Now, they're being thrown in more practical situations to hone that training into mastery. In addition to this, Izuku and Minoru secretly worked on the additional Quirks that One for All had locked away. Now, he can stably float off the ground at decent speeds. As for the smoke Quirk, the green haired boy could only emit small puffs of the purple clouds.

It wasn't much, but it was a start in understanding how to fully utilize One for All's true potential.

But other than that, not much else had happened other than the usual Hero work they were sent on. Patrols to ensure the safety of the public, missions where they had to take down a group plotting a crime, and even help in some publicity events like teaching kids safety drills and what to do in an emergency. Today, the 2nd day of their 3rd week, was just another routine patrol with no notable events occurring. At least… That was until Fenghuang, Minoru, and Izuku returned to the Temple that evening.

There was some kind of commotion going on at the front entrance.

"The Hell…?" Minoru muttered. He then climbed up onto his partner's shoulders to get a better view of the scene. That's when he noticed Kamishiro and Soren putting themselves between an angry Ping, an even angrier O'Sullivan, and a slightly disheveled man with graying hair.

"Oh dear… It's that time of the year again…" Fenghuang said with a long frown and an even longer sigh. The two of them looked at their shifu with worried eyes. She never showed that kind of sour expression before. And as they drew closer to the temple, the conversation, actually an argument, became clearer to them.

"I'm not asking for much, just a few minutes with her!" The man said desperately.

"And every time you waste it by saying the same fucking thing! Shifu isn't made of time! So unless you're here to return what you STOLE, you can shove it up your–!" O'Sullivan shouted. Soren placed an arm out in front of her, blocking her advance, and began speaking in her place.

"What she means is, you best leave before we call the police. You're causing a commotion and obstructing our business."

"Yes, please, before our more unreasonable coworkers return." Kamishiro replied, one arm pressed into the soft pudge of Ping to keep him from mauling the man.

"Or worse, Shifu comes back and has to deal with your desperate ass!" Ping shouted.

"A bit late for that, Master Ping." Fenghuang said as she, Izuku, and Minoru approached the group. All eyes went to the Radiant Wing, her masters looking with horror that she came back while the man looked incredibly relieved.

"Chie! I'm so glad to–!" The man said, taking a step towards Fenghuang before she raised a single hand. It stopped him dead in his tracks and Minoru saw their shifu take a long, deep sigh.

"Yoshio, my masters are correct. I don't have time to entertain your nonsense. I'm currently teaching some young pupils with some incredible potential, whose future actions could change our very society. I need to make sure they aren't led astray by empty vows, like I was."

"But Chie! You don't need to be the one who–!" Yoshio replied before Fenghuang simply shook her head.

"Good night Yoshio, and goodbye. Have a safe trip home." She said as she walked past him and the masters, entering the Temple without another word. Yoshio wanted to say something, one last thing… But Minoru and Izuku could see that it was all caught up in his throat. So, hanging his head in defeat, the man began to drag his feet down the street before disappearing amongst the evening crowd.

"What was that about?" Izuku asked.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just head in and warm up… It's quite cold tonight…" Kamishiro replied with a sad smile.

"But I've never seen Shifu act like that before… It must have been something big..." Minoru said, recalling the tired bitterness on their teacher's face.

"If you MUST know about that asshole… Go see if Shifu is up to tell you, it's her story and not ours. I'm going to work out my stress for the rest of tonight. Do any of you guys want to join me?" O'Sullivan replied, looking to Soren, Kamishiro, and Ping. Only the panda raised his paw, causing the redhead to smirk and head back into the Temple while stretching out her arms.

"I know it was an unexpected thing for you two… But seeing that man, even for a moment, brings back somber memories for Shifu. If you wish to talk to her, please give her a moment of peace." Soren said before following Ping and Kamishiro into the Temple. Izuku and Minoru, left out on the streets of the Temple, simply looked at one another in uncertainty. Should they ask and put Fenghuang in a worse mood than she already is in? Or would helping her talk it through be the right call?

"I think we should. We've always blundered into other people's problems and decided to help. Why should we be different now? And it also reminded me of something Uraraka-san once told me… Who protects the Heroes when they need protecting? So I think it's time we repaid Shifu for all the things she's shared with us." Izuku said.

"I agree. I don't think I can sleep knowing Shifu is troubled. She helped me through my issues, I can try to do the same for her." Minoru replied with a nod. The two boys gave one more nod of affirmation to one another and immediately went inside. They had first showered and changed back into their more casual clothes, giving Fenghuang some time to process her feelings from earlier.

So with one last nod to each other…

Izuku and Minoru entered the Taiji Hall.

And there, Fenghuang sat upon the center of the taiji on the floor, serenely meditating with a pot of tea at her side. Gentle must've dropped that off for her before they had arrived. Without a word, Izuku and Minoru sat before her and waited for her to respond first. But despite this relative silence, the Radiant Wing opened her mouth with a single apology.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Whenever I see Yoshio, I lose hold of my emotions."

"Come on Shifu, you don't need to apologize when you've done nothing wrong. Based on what you and the other masters were saying, the guy has been a nuisance for a while." Minoru said.

"Who was he anyway? You two seemed to be very familiar with each other." Izuku asked.

"Tsukanoma Yoshio… He was my husband of 9 years and the father of my two children, Kibo and Mira." Fenghuang replied, sadness lacing her words. She then reached over to the tea pot and poured herself a cup of tea.

"I'm sorry, I've only got one cup."

"Again, you don't need to apologize. You need that tea more than we do." Minoru replied.

"Then I'm thankful, for you and everyone… My masters, my students, my children… They constantly remind me of how far I've come since I came out of retirement… That I wasn't wrong in the path that I've chosen." Fenghuang said, a smile returning to her face.

"You… Retired?" Minoru asked. He's only ever known her as an active Hero and teacher. So it was hard to imagine Fenghaung her retiring while she still had so much fight left in her. And as if sensing the shorter boy's confusion, she posed this question.

"What do you two know about the White Wing Odette?"

Minoru was even more confused. He's never heard of that name before. But luckily for him, his Hero obsessed partner was more than able to cover for him.

"She was a Hero way before we were born. She danced through the battlefield and had a beautiful white cloak that allowed her to transform into a swan. She had to retire and basically disappeared from the Hero world shortly after."

Fenghuang nodded to those facts with a great sense of nostalgia.

"Indeed… She was a Hero who flew into the flames and took the injured and helpless under her wings… Yes… That Hero was me from a long time ago."

Both Minoru and Izuku could only stare at the Radiant Wing in stunned silence, their wide eyes growing by the minute. This was not what they were expecting when they walked into this hall… Fenghuang took another sip of her tea, opened her eyes, and took a look at the Heroes-in-Training before her.

"Let me tell you the story of your shifu, Saisei Chie…"

…

…

…

One day, my mother gave birth to a cygnet.

It was an odd day at the hospital as doctors, nurses, and my father tried to figure out what was happening. Neither of my parents had a Quirk related to birds, so it became quite awkward between my parents until it was proven that the cygnet was their child. It was a simple mutation, unexpected but beautiful. My parents took it in stride and named the cygnet 'Chie' for the blessing they've received.

Then, another miracle occurred just one year later.

In the crib of their precious bundle of feathers, a baby girl was found swaddled in a feathered cloak. Of course, my parents were just as confused as the day they gave birth to their daughter, so once again they arrived at the hospital. And to make a long story short, that's when they discovered that my Quirk is connected to that cloak.

We called it 'Swan Skin' after the numerous folktales of animals shedding their hides to become human.

I then went through life as you two did. Going to school, making friends, having dreams of making a difference, graduating, and officially became the White Wing Odette. It was not only exhilarating… But I felt like I was making a real difference in the world as I took down crime and inspired the people during those Villain filled days before All Might's arrival.

Then I rescued Yoshio.

He was your regular, hapless salary man caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. But when he thanked me for the rescue, something about his smile caused my heart to flutter. We eventually met again and I asked him out. From there, we dated for 3 whole years before he asked me to marry him and made me the happiest woman in the world.

The next 10 years brought us even more joy. My career began to soar, we became financially stable, our children were born… But the fair weather ended and the storm came rolling in. One day, on a rare day off, someone broke into our home. Luckily, we were all out that day.

However, my feathered cloak was gone.

Despite being in a hidden and secured place within our house, the culprit managed to find it after tearing the house apart. I was devastated, my children were terrified, and my husband comforted us however he could. Police suspected it was a retaliating Villain, forcing us to move to a new district. And though they tried, neither the police, nor Heroes, could ever find the one responsible.

Leaving my cloak and my Hero career, to vanish into the dark…

I spent the next 2 years in retirement, longing for the days long past. However, I grew content with just raising my children and ensuring they were happy and safe. Even if I couldn't be everyone's Hero… I could at least be theirs… And helping me was my husband, who did all he could to support me through this harsh time.

That was until he let a terrible truth slip…

One night, he had been out drinking with his co-workers and ended up quite drunk. I had to pick him up in the dead of night. But when I approached them… I overheard them all spilling some rather unsettling secrets, with my husband's being that he orchestrated the break-in of our old home… And the theft of my feathered cloak…

I couldn't believe it. How could I believe it? That didn't sound like my husband at all. I initially thought that he was just too drunk and was making up stories. But as I listened, he began sharing details that were too specific to be the ramblings of a drunkard. And when he mentioned exactly how to get into the place I kept my Hero gear, I felt a cold pain in my heart…

He cost me my hero career. He put fear into our children's minds. And worse yet?

He stole a part of me that I could never replace.

Right then and there, I confronted him with tears in my eyes and fury in my fists. I demanded the truth, but he would not give it to me despite spilling it to people he apparently trusted more than his wife. So I took off, got our children out of bed, and brought them to my parent's house. They would calm me down and ask me to talk to Yoshio again when he was sober. And despite not wanting to…

I relented.

So after dropping off our children at school the next day… I went home, where I found my husband waiting for me. I ask him directly if what he said last night was true. Yoshio… Deflected the question, which told me everything I needed to know. I demanded that he give back what he took from me, lest he loses even more than I did. But again, Yoshio refused and kept insisting he did no wrong. Even when I said I was going to the police, do you know what he said in his frustration?

"I did it to protect you!"

That was as good as a confession for me. So, I left, without saying another word. I notified the police of what I heard and they conducted an investigation. But ultimately, they found nothing that would incriminate him. Despite this, I formally filed for a divorce and gained full custody of my children after a long and difficult trial. It devastated us all, but it needed to be done. And from there we went our separate ways…

For the next 4 years, I've raised Kibo and Mira and done my best to provide for them. One of my old Hero friends managed to get me an admin job, giving us some financial security… But the stress of it all and the lingering pain of the betrayal drove me to an all time low. The only thing keeping me going was my children… But even then, it was hard to stay that way. Many times, I'd just sit on a bench and stare at the clouds rolling through the sky.

It made me long for my wings… Only to be bitterly reminded that I am stuck on the ground.

One day, something different happened. On the bench I usually sat at after work, there was a young man playing with a stray cat. He was dressed in all black and had a strange scarf around his neck. I wondered if he was some new Hero that I have yet to hear about. But what surprised me were the look in his eyes and the sadness that hid behind it. This young man had seen despair, like I had.

So I talked to him.

"Why does someone as young as you have the same look I do?"

He just looked at me, a bit confused at first… But once he met my eyes, he understood.

"I lost something I can never hope to replace." He answered. But despite this answer… The way he looked at the stray told me that there was a fire burning within this despairing soul. I could tell it was giving him strength despite the loss of something irreplaceable.

"Then how is it that you can still fight?"

"Because I can still save others from that pain."

This one sentence from this one Hero changed everything. Why was I spending my time wallowing on what had happened, instead of what could be? I will never get my wings back… But that doesn't mean I'm forever clipped. Not only that, what about those who could still fly? Just like this young man, I could prevent them from losing their wings. And though it's been a while…

I felt like I wanted to be a Hero again.

So, I thanked the young Hero and rushed home feeling freer than I did in years. I meditated on the type of Hero I wanted to be and conducted research. I found a place in China that can help lost souls find their way forward again. It's not a cult as I initially thought. So once I left Kibo and Mira in the care of my parents, I set out on my 5 year journey of self-improvement. I met my shifu and began training my body, mind, and spirit. Pushing them to their absolute limit. In the end…

I was reborn.

And so, I returned to Japan. I reapplied for my Hero license under a new Hero name and founded the Heaven and Earth Temple as the Radiant Wing Fenghuang. I gathered my masters and these last 6 years…

…

…

…

"Is as you know it." Fenghuang said, ending her long story.

"Wow, what a dick. I hope I never see that guy again, I've got some REALLY choice words for him." Minoru commented with an edge to his words. Not since Bakugou, or Monoma, has someone drawn this much ire out of him. No one messes with the people he cares about and gets away with it! And since the first time they got back…

Fenghuang let out an honest laugh.

"I appreciate your loyalty. But I assure you, Yoshio is not worth your time. Instead, dedicate that energy into becoming a better person than he will ever be."

"Yes Shifu!" Minoru shouted, his own smile taking his face.

"Now, before you both turn in for the night… Do you have any other questions?" Fenghuang asked. Izuku raised his hand, causing the Radiant Wing to face the green haired boy.

"Just one… That young Hero you met, who was he? He sounds familiar…"

"As he should, you both know him very well. That young Hero was Aizawa Shouta, UA's Eraserhead and homeroom teacher of Class 1A." Fenghuang said, smile growing wider. Izuku and Minoru could only stare in utter shock and disbelief over this revelation. In fact, the only thought that the shorter boy could vocalize was exactly six words.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!"

And that has been Chapter 135!

I wanted to do a little experimenting with the perspective of another person, though this one leaned too heavily into the exposition angle. Next time I try this, I'll do it in a more exciting manner, especially considering what I have planned for that moment.

But that's still a little far away and I'm still chipping at it, word by word, sentence by sentence. So here's hoping you'll still be with me when I reach that point.

Besides all that, I've got nothing else to talk about. So...

Until Next Time. T1.