Chapter 5: It began with a letter

In a small Island, four kids watch the sunset from a curved tree. Three boys and a girl, no older than fourteen.

"When we go, it'll be the beginning of our adventure!" One boy said, standing on the tree, the others smiled at him.

"Yeah, we'll have whole new worlds to explore." The boy standing in front of the tree calmly said, hyping the others.

"And we'll always be together! The four of us" The girl exclaimed.

"This'll be a journey to remember!" The last boy, the one with green hair shouted, getting the other three to follow.

"Izuku, are you okay, sweetie? You're staring at the fish." Inko asked worried, Eri gave Izuku concerned looks.

Izuku looked up, "Huh? Yeah, just thinking about something." Izuku reassured them with a smile, trying his best to bury the longing bubbling in his chest. He couldn't get over the feeling though, but at the very least he would not worry his mother.

"Is it about that thing you and Eri did today?" Inko didn't really know what the children did earlier, but it seemed very important for them.

The question brought Izuku to think about the decision he made earlier that day. Since the day he spent at the beach with his friends, he brought Eri to the beach every day to watch the sunset. He felt there was something special about the activity.

A couple hours earlier

Izuku and Eri were sitting in Dagoba beach, eating ice cream and watching the sunset. Izuku got closer to Eri every day, the girl was basically family for him now, which brought him to question, "Eri, do you still want me to teach you?"

The girl tilted her head for a second before nodding, "Yes! I want to do amazing things like you!" She said with certainty, Izuku in turn nodded and got up, gesturing for her to stand too.

Eri followed the instruction, jumping to her feet.

Taking a deep breath Izuku summoned his Keyblade, holding it by the blade, he kneeled and offered the girl the handle, and said the words marked in his heart forever.

"In your hand take this key..." he began, looking straight at Eri's mesmerized eyes. "So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking…its wielder you shall one day be."

Eri slowly raised her hand, and took the handle, the moment she touched it, she felt the light of Izuku's heart, the feelings washing over her. The keyblade made no action to return to Izuku as it had done when Inko tried to hold it. The ceremony was a success.

They spent the moment in a peaceful silence, no words were necessary, because their hearts told them everything that needed to be said.

Back at the present

Izuku gave Eri a small smile, "Yeah that too, and one day we'll go on adventures together!" That got the girl beaming, she couldn't wait for it. Izuku smiled, "...But I'm more worried about my acceptance letter.

Ding! The doorbell echoed along the hallway.

Inko stood up from the table, "I'll get it, you two finish your dinner" Inko said while walking to the door, not knowing what awaited her at the door.

As Izuku finished cleaning the table, Inko came running, frantically waving an envelope in her hands, "Izuku! It's here! Your letter is here!"

He took the letter from Inko's hands, and for a moment he just stood in silence while staring at it. In this letter is all his hopes and dreams, but it could as easily be full of despair and nightmares. He gulped audibly, it was now or never.

Eri felt the distress emanating from Izuku, she wasn't sure why a paper made him so nervous, but she wouldn't stand by and do nothing when Izuku did so much for her. She enveloped him in a hug, hoping that this simple act would help with the situation.

Izuku tore his eyes off the letter, he looked down. Eri squeezed him, her eyes met his and she gave a smile, and with it his fears melted away.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku walked to the couch, he motioned towards the furniture, "Let's sit down and open it, all of us" He gave a bright smile, as long as he had his family he could do anything.

They got on the couch, Inko and Eri hugged Izuku's sides, reassuring him that they will be by his side all the way. Izuku took a second to relish in the feeling of being literally surrounded by people who love him, before opening the letter.

From it, a small metal disk fell, landing on the table, they looked at it confused for a moment, before they could voice said confusion, the disk lit up projecting an image of a man everyone knew.

"I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!"

"All Might?!" They jumped in shock, "wasn't this from UA?!" Izuku asked, checking the letter to make sure it's from UA, why is his mentor on a UA letter? Could it be that there was more to his recent relocation than simply training him? Izuku's questions was answered right after.

"SORRY FOR NOT CONTACTING YOU SOONER YOUNG MIDORIYA, BUT WITH GREAT POWERS COME A GREAT AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK" All Mightsaid while scratching his neck.

Izuku could sense Inko's confusion as to why the number one hero seemed to know her son, and he felt that that would be a long night, for various reasons, but for now he simply listened to the recording.

"THE TRUTH IS THAT I DIDN'T COME TO TOWN ONLY TO CATCH BAD GUYS, YOU ARE LOOKING TO THE NEWEST UA FACULTY MEMBER!" That threw Izuku for a loop, All Might will teach in UA? The greatest hero in the world will teach in the greatest hero school in the world! If that was a dream Izuku really hoped Cotton didn't show up to wake him.

"BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME! LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU YOUNG MIDORIYA, YOU DID GREAT IN THE WRITTEN PORTION OF THE EXAM, LANDING IN THE UPPER END OF THE RANKS!" Inko tightened the hug, her baby was on the top of one of the hardest academic tests in the world, just that made her beam with pride.

"AND NOW FOR THE PRACTICAL PART, YOU SCORED FIFTY POINTS! WHICH IS ALREADY IS A GOOD SCORE, BUT THERE IS MORE TO IT!" Izuku wasn't sure he could take more, his heart was already almost bursting from his chest from how fast it was beating.

"YOU TOOK THE EXAM ALONG WITH SOMEONE, AND BOTH SHOWED THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY OF A HERO! NOW LOOK HERE!" All Might pointed to a side screen that appeared. It showed the moment the zero pointer appeared.

Izuku felt Eri and his mom's arms tightly holding him, and he was almost crushed by them when the screen showed Ochaco pushing him out of the way of falling debris.

Next it showed him traveling up the arm of the robot, jumping to it's head, conjuring a blade of light and destroying it.

Eri and Inko cheered seeing him saving the girl and destroying the bad guy like a hero in a cartoon. Luckily, the recording ended before showing the state Izuku ended up, he didn't want to even imagine how the other two would have reacted.

"THAT WAS A SHOW OF HEROISM IF I EVER SAW ONE! AND THAT IS WHERE THESE COME INTO PLAY!" All Might pointed to a space where 'Rescue Points' appeared, "RESCUE POINTS! A GROUP OF JUDGES CALCULATED HOW THE APPLICANTS ACTED DURING THE TEST, AND GAVE RESCUE POINTS TO THOSE THAT SHOWED THEIR HEROIC SPIRIT!"

"AND YOU YOUNG MIDORIYA, HAVE THE GREATEST HEROIC SPIRIT THAT THE JUDGES SAW THAT DAY! AND FOR THAT YOU GOT SIXTY RESCUE POINTS! AND OF COURSE YOUNG URARAKA GOT A FAIR SCORE TOO, SHE GOT FORTY-FIVE POINTS!" The screen showed a list with all the approved applicants, their name and score. In the very top, standing proudly in the number one spot, was Izuku's name.

"YOU, YOUNG MIDORIYA, GOT THE AMAZING TOTAL OF A HUNDRED AND TEN POINTS! EVEN BEATING UT MY OLD SCORE BY TWO POINTS!" All Might laughed while raising two fingers in a peace sign. Izuku could feel that laugh was more genuine than usual, his mentor was really happy for him, but not as much as the people currently hugging the life out of him.

Inko is already crying rivers and Eri is giving a smile capable of melting ice in space. But they couldn't compare with what Izuku was feeling, the happiness of his achievements, the freedom from all the pressure he suffered his whole life being quirkless, and the pride for making all the people he cared for proud of him.

That day would forever be remembered in his heart, for more than one reason. After the commotion the news brought by the letter subsided, the occupants of the Midoriya household retired for the night.

But the day still wasn't over for Izuku, while almost drifting to sleep, he received a message from All Might. The drowsiness evaporated from his body, quickly reading over it, All Might asked him to meet now in Dagoba beach.

Izuku quietly escaped Eri's sleeping arms, doing his best to change to his usual clothes without waking her. Quickly getting ready, he left his house.

Izuku started to jog in the direction of the beach, in the silence of the night, thoughts of his achievements flooded his head, his light jog turning into full blow running, and then the aura of Full Cowling covered him.

Izuku crossed the streets in seconds, jumping over buildings, sliding in power cables, all the while doing flips and tricks. With a last jump from a three story building, he crossed the final stretch, flying through the air and crossing the sky like a lightning, the moon and stars shining as long as he could see.

Toshinori had a front row seat to the scene, seeing his successor, jumping into the night before landing right in front of him. He could feel the familiar power of One For All emanating from Izuku, and it brought a smile as brilliant as the lightning arcs dancing over his protege.

"I can't believe it, a week and you already get the hang of it! And I thought I couldn't get surprised by you anymore!" Toshinori gave one of his signature boisterous laughs.

Izuku joined his master, "It's actually not that hard once you realize what it really is".

That gave Toshinori pause, "What do you mean by that?" He asked the boy with a confused look, he already had explained One For All to him, at least the basics.

"One For All is not only power, it's also hope, the hope of the previous wielders connect our hearts," Izuku said while putting a hand in his chest, "That connection is it's true power, because with it we are never alone".

Toshinori felt his heart clenching, for those were the same words his master gave when she explained the nature of their shared quirk. That normally brought unpleasant memories of him, but now it made him remember the rest of her words, words he hold dearly in his heart to this day and to his last.

"Never fear young one, for I'll always stay by your side, as do all that came before us, and you will to those that will succeed our legacy" That simple memory made him smile brighter than he ever could in his muscle form, he knew his master couldn't come with something so poetic even in a million years, that came from another, maybe the one that preceded her, maybe the one before, he didn't know, but those words were proof that his successor was right.

"That means that you will always be there to guide me, right?" Izuku could feel the weight that those words held, and the bound they represented, no matter what happens, they would face it together, one way or another.

Toshinori was once more taken aback, that was the same words he said, when he still believed that there was no darkness in the world he could not face. On that day the only answer he got was a smile that hid the fear his master had in her heart, she simply couldn't make a promise she knew she couldn't keep.

He looked Izuku in the eyes, and saw the same light in them, but there was more, while Toshinori believed he could face the whole world alone, Izuku knew that he could face anything tougher with those that stood by him. That single difference took the weight off Toshinori's shoulders, and gave him the peace to say the words he always wanted to hear.

"Of course, I'll always be there when you need me"

"Always?"

"Yes" That simple word was said with all the conviction of the Symbol of Peace. And Toshinori promised, both to himself and to Izuku, he wouldn't come back on his word.

Izuku too felt how serious his master was, so he stopped for a second and thought of all the things he still didn't tell him, and all the things he was still struggling with. For a second he hesitated, but the smile of the man in front of him, the smile that dispelled his fears and of countless others, the smile of All Might, gave him the final push he needed.

"I think is time I tell you something, something that started the day we met"

Toshinori felt the sudden shift in the boy's tone, he perceived how serious he was and how much he was struggling with it, so looked like he would have to uphold his promise earlier than he thought, with an encouraging nod, Toshinori waited for the boy to continue.

"Since that day, I've been having these weird visions, they didn't make sense in the beginning, but as more time passes, I question myself…Is any of this for real or not?" And that was the moment that would forever change their lives, for from there on, they were not only master and disciple, they were friends, and friends were always there for each other.

Izuku and Katsuki stood in front of the principal of Aldera Middle High. While the blonde bomber looked like he would prefer being anywhere else Izuku was still vibrating with excitement, no matter how others tried to dismiss it as a fluke, he got the first place and was so happy about it he almost lit up the room with his smile.

After a long speech from the principal that both didn't pay much attention to, they were released to go.

Walking in the hallway, Katsuki was about to question the greennet, but Izuku beat him to the punch, throwing his arm over his friend's shoulder. He brought Katsuki in a half hug, "We pass! We are going to UA! We are going to be heroes!" Izuku was almost shouting in the end, bringing his free hand up, he started to laugh while dragging Katsuki with him, the bomber fighting to keep from smiling himself.

Katsuki would never admit it, but the idea of going to the school of his dreams with his friend made him happy. Just the fact that he and Izuku were hanging out again made him happy, but he wouldn't ever tell him that. Although he couldn't help but worry, Katsuki knew the type of person Izuku is, now that he had a quirk for himself there would be nothing stopping him from getting involved into trouble. Not that the lack of quirk stopped him before.

The boys exited the school and walked together chatting about trivial things, the type of things friends usually do normally, but that small thing meant a lot more to them, it meant that they were in the path to restore the bond they had long ago.

The days passed by, in a blink of an eye, the day that marked the beginning of it all arrived.

Izuku stumbled over the house, getting his stuff while trying to put his uniform at the same time. He didn't get much sleep last night, the excitement of his first day kept him awake for the most part of it.

"Izuku, did you pick your handkerchief?"

"Yes mom."

"And your books?"

"Yes mom."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes mom!"

Izuku said, exasperated while trying (and failing) to tie his tie, his mother's concerns are a little overbearing in his opinion. Giving up, he ended up with something that vaguely resembled a tie, making a last check in his stuff, just to be sure, he saw that he forgot his notebook, but before he could even get up, Eri was at his side with it.

She was still in her pajamas and sleepy, but she would not let Izuku go without saying goodbye.

Izuku put his notebook in the backpack and gave Eri a tight hug, noticing the reason for the early rise, "Don't worry little unicorn, I will be back before you realize".

The girl returned the hug and said in a still drowsy voice, "Promise?"

"Promise." Izuku gave a last squeeze, getting up and rushing to the door, but his mother called before he could leave.

"Izuku."

"What?" Izuku turned to his mother. Inko's eyes telling a million things, things she could not put in words, but they aren't needed, as with that look Izuku knew everything he needed.

That was no way to tell him what he needed to hear on that fateded night in that his dreams were shattered, so Inko simply said what felt right, as she should have from the very start, "You look really cool".

Izuku gave her a smile, and that was everything she needed. With a final glance, Izuku turned to the door, "I'm off."

And that marked how his journey began.

This amazing chapter was brought to you by the Bola8 crew, me, keeperofhounds and Silverbits.

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