Author's notes: I know that has been a long... and I am not kiding... a long time. But between my writting struggle, my other stories, my personal life... not to mention my tendency to get distracted with other things... it has been hard for me to make a chapter sooner. But I will do my best to continue this story.
On the next Saturday, at afternoon, Rei was taking Izuku to Dr. Tokoyami's, where they had planned for a playdate between him and the lattest's son, Fumikage. They were now at the train, with Rei reading, while Izuku was sitting while fidgeting, nervously.
"Aunt Rei... I don't know if I want to go..." he said.
"But you agreed with this playdate, Izuku" Rei told.
"I know..." the boy said. "But... what if we don't get along? He didn't seem to like me very much."
Rei noticed how nervous Izuku was and she couldn't really blame him. After everything he had endured... from the bullying he suffered and the death of his mother... of course he would feel uneasy with trying to make a new friend. That was clear for how he isolated himself at pre-school.
"He just looked to be a little shy, much like you" Rei replied, while leaning her nephew towards her. "Don't worry, sweety, Dr. Tamashi and I will be there in case you two need anything."
Izuku nodded with his head, even if still uncertain.
"I wish Shoto would come with me..." Izuku sighed. "I would feel far less nervous..."
"I know... but... your uncle wanted to have some training with him, as today is his day off..." Rei said.
Bringing Shoto would have been a good idea. Dr. Tokoyami had even encouraged Rei to bring him, as a way to make Izuku more comfortable. Not just that, but it would make Shoto feel more relieved and have fun. However, Enji was unbending on his decision.
Soon after, they arrived to the address that Dr. Tokoyami had given to her: a modern three-stored house with a garden. They headed to the entrance door and Rei rang the bell. Soon enough, the door opened, revealing Tamashi, who was with her usual comforting smile.
"Hello, Izuku... Mrs. Todoroki..." she said. "Please, come in. Welcome to my home."
"Thank you for having us, Dr. Tokoyami" Rei thanked, with a small bow, as she and Izuku entered. "It was very kind of you."
"It was the least I could do" she replied. "After all, I was the one to suggest this playdate."
Izuku observed the hall and the first thing he noticed was that it was less illuminated as he would expect. Possibly that was due to some kind of special lamps that were giving that impression, as their light was less intense. He could perceive some family photos, where he was able to see Dr. Tokoyami, her husband and her son, with some including other people.
"Sorry, for the lights... but my husband and son actually enjoy a place with a little less light" Tamashi explained.
"Oh, it's all right" Rei replied.
Rei and Izuku traded their shoes for guest slippers and they followed Tamashi inside. As they advanced, Izuku noticed someone by the stairway, looking at them. For a moment, he thought that was Fumikage, but then he noticed the one spying was a creature made of shadows and with yellow eyes.
"What is that?!" he asked, nervously.
The creature disappeared quickly, before Rei and Tamashi turned to look. However, the latter, being able to sense him previously, said:
"You don't have to worry, Izuku. That is just my son's quirk. I guess one of the two is quite curious about you."
"One of the two?" Izuku asked.
"You'll get it" Tamashi replied. "Let me take you to Fumi's room. Mrs. Todoroki, can you wait here, while...?"
"Of course..." Rei replied, giving then an encouraging look to her nephew.
Izuku then followed Tamashi up the stairs. Reaching the second floor, she guided him to a door, where there was a sign with Fumikage's name. Tamashi knocked and said:
"Fumi, Izuku is here."
She opened the door and they entered the room. Entering, Izuku found that it was even darker there, despite the soft bluish light existing there from a ceiling lamp. The walls had some drawings that were colored with dark colors, some having Fumikage with a creature that resembled the one Izuku had just seen, while some toys were spread on the floor.
Fumikage was sitting on his bed, while reading, lowing the book to look at them. The two boys shared looks. Izuku had to confess that his nervousness increased even more, now that he was in the same room as Fumikage. He had always had troubles interacting with new kids. He had known the kids from his previous pre-school since he could remember, as they lived on the same neighborhood. However, due to hiding his quirk and the kids started to be mean to him, Izuku started to avoid them altogether. Even if he now was on a new school and had his cousin with him, he still didn't know how to act around new people.
"Come on, Fumi, don't be rude" Tamashi said. "Don't you have anything to say to Izuku?"
Fumikage looked to his mother for a moment and then he turned to Izuku, saying:
"Hello..."
"Hello..." Izuku replied, shyly.
"I know that there must be a little tension now, but I am certain you two will get along" Tamashi ensured the two boys. "Now, play nice... the three of you."
And she closed the door, while Izuku continued to make a confused look, as he heard the three of them. That caused him to remember what Dr. Tokoyami said moments earlier about one of the two being curious about him. He really wanted to know what she meant... and maybe he should ask Fumikage about it. But... he didn't know how to take the first step...
He approached Fumikage who went back to his book.
"Uh... That looks like a nice book..." Izuku said, nervously.
But Fumikage just responded with a nod. That left Izuku to feel even more unsure about this, as he seemed to not be having too much success to get along with him. But then he turned to his drawings and noticed the theme on some of them.
"You like Heroes?" Izuku asked, as he approached one. "I also love Heroes!"
"Everyone likes Heroes..." Fumikage told, with a low voice and without taking his eyes off his book. "Only bad guys don't like them."
"Is this Knight Crow?" Izuku asked, referring to the drawing he was seeing. "It looks so cool!"
That caused Fumikage to look over his book to Izuku and then ask:
"You like my drawing?"
"Sure! Endeavor is my favorite Hero, but I love all Heroes! I have seen Knight Crow a few times on the TV, but he hardly stays long enough. But your drawing really is great!"
Fumikage got a little embarrassed for being complimented with him making a slight smile.
"Thank you... Actually... Knight Crow is... my dad."
Fumikage got surprised for saying something like that. He never shared that with anyone, as he knew that would draw too much attention to him. Hearing that, Izuku got surprised as asked:
"Really?! That's so cool!"
"It's not really that cool..." Fumikage said. "My father is the cool one, but that doesn't mean I am like him. I am just a chick when in comparison to the full-grown bird that flies in the shadows."
Hearing that, Izuku got a little sad. In some ways, he could relate to Fumikage. So he decided to cheer him up.
"Then that makes us two" he said. "Endeavor is my uncle... We have the same quirk... and I would love to be a Hero like him, but... I don't even know how to turn on my Quirk and... when I do... I barely can turn it off."
"Sometimes, I wish I could turn off mine..." Fumikage burped out.
"What do you..." Izuku started.
"Hey, I heard that!" a voice said, before Dark Shadow immerged.
The sudden immergence of Dark Shadow surprised Izuku that couldn't help but get startled.
In the living room, Rei and Tamashi were taking a cup of tea the latter prepared. Upon taking a sip, Rei commented:
"This tea is amazing, Dra. Tokoyami! It's nothing like I have tasted before."
"It's one of my specialties" Tamashi told. "I love to try new types of teas and this one is both delicious and calming. I love to serve them to my guests."
After taking a bit more of her tea, Rei couldn't stop worrying about how Izuku was doing.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Todoroki" Tamashi said, while holding her cup of tea. "Everything is fine."
"Sorry... You must be a little uncomfortable with my anxiety" Rei said, remembering Tamashi was an empath.
"Not at all, I have great control over my Quirk" Tamashi replied. "Besides, your anxiety is nothing I am not already used to."
"I see..."
"Truth be told, I think we couldn't ask for a better match when it comes to the boys."
"What do you mean?" Rei asked.
"Let's just call it... a hunch" Tamashi told.
Back at Fumikage's room, Izuku was still processing the sudden appearance of Dark Shadow.
"But... what... who is this?"
"Yeah, Fumikage, tell him who I am" Dark Shadow said, in a teasing way.
Fumikage sighed and then said:
"This is... my Quirk... Dark Shadow."
"You have a living Quirk?" Izuku asked, to which Fumikage nodded. "That is... so cool!"
The latter got quite surprised to hear Izuku say that in such enthusiastic way.
"I have never met someone with a living Quirk!" Izuku said, turning then to Dark Shadow. "You must have been the one to watch me downstairs."
"You bet" Dark Shadow said. "I had to know how our new friend was like."
"Our new friend?" Fumikage asked. "I'm sorry, but mother said he was my friend."
"Same thing" Dark Shadow replied. "Don't forget, we are stuck together."
"Trust me, you make sure I never forget" Fumikage replied.
"Wow..." Izuku said, enthusiastically. "You are so lucky, Fumikage!"
"I guess..." Fumikage said. "That's what my parents are always saying... But that doesn't mean it's not unpleasant sometimes. Many of my classmates are afraid of being close to me because of Dark Shadow."
"And that's for the best" Dark Shadow said, crossing his arms. "They are so whiny."
"He always criticizes everything I do..." Fumikage continued.
"Someone has to do it, so you can do better" Dark Shadow replied. "Do you think mommy and daddy will do it?"
"And he is also taking all my sweets and other of my things when I am not looking at them" Fumikage added.
"Hey, it's not my fault you don't pay attention to them" Dark Shadow told.
"Can you stop that?!" Fumikage shouted at Dark Shadow. "Can't you see I am talking with Izuku?"
"Yeah... talking about me!" Dark Shadow replied.
Seeing the tension between Fumikage and Dark Shadow raising up, what was making Izuku quite uncomfortable. Not only that, but he noticed the more they argued, the bigger Dark Shadow was getting. Noticing that, Izuku tried to intervene.
"Maybe... we should calm down and..." he tried to say.
"You really are annoying!" Fumikage exclaimed, ignoring Izuku. "I am the one in charge, remember? So, you can't do whatever you want!"
"Oh, you think that, do you?!" Dark Shadow asked, as he was raising up and increasing. "Then let's test that theory!"
With that, Dark Shadow hit the celling lamp that gave most of dimmed light to the room, causing it to get almost completely dark. This caused Dark Shadow to rapidly grow, much to both Fumikage and Izuku's shock.
At the living room, Tamashi and Rei were drinking tea while talking when suddenly the former felt it... Dark Shadow getting out of control.
"Oh no..." she said.
"Is something wrong, Dr. Tokoyami?" Rei asked.
Tamashi then quickly rose up and headed towards the stairs in a hasted pace. Rei, feeling quite worried, followed her. As she followed her, she noticed as a firefly-like creature suddenly appeared. It was then that, as they approached Fumikage's room, Tamashi suddenly stopped, as she started to feel Dark Shadow's hostility decreasing. Wondering what that was about, Tamashi, reaching the door of her son's room, opened it and both her and Rei got surprised to what they were seeing.
Both boys were on the floor, with a shocked looked. Dark Shadow was there, but he was in a decreased stated, as he cowered and went behind Fumikage. He did that because of the light that was coming off a flame that Izuku had summoned between his hands.
"Boys... are you okay?" Tamashi asked, as she and Rei entered to look at their respective children.
"I... think so" Fumikage said, as Dark Shadow returned inside of him. "I'm sorry, mother... I let Dark Shadow get the best of my emotions... and I lost control..."
"That's okay, sweety" Tamashi replied, while caressing her son's cheek. "I know you didn't mean it... And look, there's already light enough to keep Dark Shadow at bay."
She made a gesture towards the firefly-like creature that was now hoovering at the place where the ceiling lamp was.
"But you know... that was one of the reasons why I brought Izuku here. So that both of you could help each other."
When Rei saw her nephew summoning a flame, she got quite surprised.
"Izuku..." she said. "You... You summoned a flame."
"I... did..." Izuku said, surprised, but making a slight smile. "I'm really doing it..."
"That's very good, Izuku" Tamashi replied, approaching the boy. "I knew you had it in you."
"But... I don't understand what happened..." he said.
"Well... my son's Quirk can get a little out of control whenever he is upset or when he is in darkness" Tamashi explained. "Dark Shadow has a mind of its own, so it's important that Fumikage has a good relationship with it, something that can be tricky sometimes. But it also feeds on darkness to grow and get strong... but it also gets harder to control. That's why light causes it to get smaller and weaker, but also easier to control."
Izuku turned to Fumikage, seeing then Dark Shadow immerging again, but hiding behind the latter. He understood... Dark Shadow suddenly stopped because he summoned a flame. But that was a reflect... one that Izuku couldn't even understand. Did it do it because he wanted to protect himself... or because he wanted to help Fumikage?
"I understand you are uncertain about what happened..." Tamashi said. "But I like to think it was your kind heart that drove you to unlock your Quirk."
That comment from Tamashi made Izuku actually be filled with confidence. Putting out the flame he had summoned, he went to Fumikage and Dark Shadow (that grew a little but was still cowing because of the light existing in the room) then he extended his hand to him, saying with a big smile:
"Thank you, Fumikage. It's because of you that I managed to unblock my fire."
Fumikage got surprised for all that, as he didn't actually do anything to help Izuku besides arguing with Dark Shadow. Not just that, but he had put him in danger and it was his fire that allowed him to regain control over Dark Shadow. And yet... he was thanking him.
"You're... welcome" Fumikage said, shaking Izuku's hand. "And... I thank you too... for helping me with Dark Shadow..."
"Yeah... I guess I got a little overboard there..." Dark Shadow said, while with a hand behind its head. "Sorry about that..."
Izuku just responded with a big smile that also caused Fumikage to drop a smile as well.
Rei couldn't be happier for her nephew. Not only he finally managed to unlock his fire, but he also managed to get a friend and that gave a great deal of relief...