A Father

At first, it was but curiosity...

The fox stood on the traffic light pole, her nine tails whipping with the wind behind her as she stared off at the horizon where snowflakes dropped from the sky slowly, performing a synchronized dance among themselves.

The moment she looked down at the people passing right beneath her, their eyes met. She glimpsed those purple large eyes staring right at her, as though they could see her. But that was far from possible, humans could never see them, that was the way they were made.

However, when their eyes met, the kid looked away from her nervously as though caught doing something offending. " Hurry up!" The woman she presumed was his mother took his hand and dragged him along as they crossed the street. And for a moment, she thought he had looked back at her.

Kyubi then wondered for a while, was it her imagination, or was the kid able to see her for real? Her curiosity got the best of her and, she spent the whole week searching for him. Only to find him one day in daycare, crouching right at the far-away corner of the playground while the rest of the kids were laughing and cackling as they played tag together.

Kyubi landed beside him and the kid looked back at her. He jolted in fear and hid his head between his arms as if that was going to help him hide from her.

At that moment, it became clear to her, that the boy could see her without any doubt.

" Look, he's doing it again..."

" Does that mean something is there..."

" That's freaking scary, maybe we shouldn't go near him..."

She looked at the caretakers whispering about him. And the boy merely kept trembling.

" Relax, I'm not here to harm you." But it didn't seem her words got through to him for he lowered his head even more, not wanting to face her even by mistake. And when the bell rang, he rushed back to the building.

Kyubi however couldn't overcome her curiosity. She kept watching over him both at daycare and the nearby playground. And at both, he was always the outcast who sat down at the corner, doodling on the ground.

One day, she approached him as he sat down to a tree and used a twig to draw something on the sand. He flinched when Kyubi's shadow fell upon him.

The fox looked down at the drawing, it was of her, though poorly drawn, but the nine tails were a given sign. " You definitely can see me. How astonishing."

Yuu hugged his knees tighter and lowered his head. " Mom says I shouldn't be talking to you... my parents don't like it when I see you... "

" I see. So that's why everyone else is avoiding you too." The boy nodded. " Then why come here if you don't have someone to play around with?"

Yuu clutched the twig tightly in his hand. " Because it's better than home."

Kyubi didn't know why, maybe it was out of pity at that point, but she frequented that park ever since.

" It would be better if you spend as much time with people as you spend with me." She told the boy as he came to her hiding spot as per usual. The boy merely shrugged as he looked away. Back then, Kyubi couldn't wish for anything more than for Yuu to make friends.

A year passed by. And the boy grew. And so did their bond...

...

" You will catch your death here." She told him once finding him huddled in her cave on a snowy day.

" I don't want to go home..." He didn't raise his head from his arms.

" Your family being mean again?" The boy shook his head. " Then what happened..."

" My uncle... is gone..."

Kyubi knew the man, even met him once, he was the only caring family Yuu ever had. And he lost that.

Walking to him, she sat down on the ground, keeping close to the boy. " It's alright. Your uncle is in a better place now."...

...

" A friend?" Kyubi looked him up and down as he fumbled with his fingers and gave a small smile.

" She... helped me out and... said we could be friends..."

" Helped you out? How?"

" She kicked a kid who was bullying me."

" I love this girl already. Wish I could meet her."

" I wonder..." Yuu's smile wavered. " Will she freak out too, if I tell her about my Quirk?"

" Hey." Kyubi closed their faces as if to nuzzle his. " Listen, your Quirk isn't something you should feel ashamed of. It's amazing. Give her a chance, maybe she would think so too. And if she doesn't, I will haunt her for a month."

The kid laughed at that. " Please don't...I..." He tried to gather his resolve. " I will tell her..."...

...

" Are you sure about this..." Kyubi didn't know if she even liked the idea.

" I've been practicing on weak spirits. If I ever want to become a hero, I need to be able to materialize strong ones. Please..."

" Give him a chance Kyubi," Whisper interjected. " He's been doing a great job. I assure you he will be able to materialize you too."

" Fine. But if he ever gets hurt you will take the full responsibility, Whisper." The ghost shrank under her intense gaze.

With that, the fox morphed into a small blue flame and Yuu walked over to it, gently taking it in his small hands and fueling it with his own energy. The blue flame enlarged, shaping a solidified Kyubi. The fox looked down at herself as though expecting to find a pat missing before sitting down and looking at him. " I'm astonished."

" You've done it! Told you! He's awesome!"

" I did...? I really did..." Yuu's lips pulled into a smile as he walked over to Kyubi and put his hands on her back. " You're really touchable now." He set his head down and closed his eyes. " You're warm and fluffy..." as he spoke, drowsiness was apparent in his voice.

" Hm, it seems it takes a toll on him, I don't think he could keep it up for long." Whisper rubbed his head. " Maybe he wasn't ready to summon you after all."

Kyubi looked down at the yawning boy she flung all her nine tails around him as though to cover him and lull him to sleep. " It's a start. He is getting slowly closer to fulfilling his dream... Well done, Yuu." 

The kid then gave her a beaming smile as he nudged closer to her. He felt safe.

...

Kyubi recalled all of that as she kept dancing around the Nomu, avoiding its attacks and trying to land hers within the inferno of fire. With every moment, her body was steadily disappearing into the blue flames as if it were consuming her.

It was the first time I've ever felt like that. Having something... someone worth protecting.

" Kitsune are guardians! We will fight to the very end for what we swore to protect!" Kyubi's last roar was heard over the storm of fire burning and cutting at the Nomu.

" That idiot is already fading away!" Whisper cried when he saw the flames dying out.

The fire dissipated away in a dull glow. They were as weak as dying embers as the spirit controlling them was no longer but an echo of what she was.

" Kyubi!" Yuu called with a broken voice, but the fox was long since gone. Her presence felt no more, and she would no longer answer to his call. 

Kyubi faded away. 

" ... This can't be true..." His eye glazed over as that revelation hit him hard, his lips quivered and his voice caught in his own throat. 

Whisper lowered his head and gritted his teeth, furious at his comrade's loss before his own eyes.

Kyubi, the first ever friend Yuu had, the one who cared for and looked after him almost his whole life, was forever gone. All that was left was her slowly shrinking whirlpool of fire.

Was.

Suddenly there was a strong blast of wind that put the fire out. Yuu and the other two flung their eyes up and they widened in horror at what they saw." You've gotta be kidding me... it was you..." murmured Yuu.

Hovering before them was none other than the Nomu who calmly put down the flames burning on his arms. " That... was... hot..." Despite being seriously burning and most of his muscles exposed, the Nomu seemed fine.

" Even with Kyubi's most powerful attack..." Whisper blanched even more than he was when he saw the great wings flapping before him. " ... What..."

" I'll take... the boy... then..." His hand extended towards Yuu, but his eyes twitched and he pulled back when a blur of white descended from the sky.

" Don't dare to lay a finger on my friend!" Two pairs of snowy white wings flung wide open before them.

" Sora!" Whisper cheered at her sight. Yuu couldn't share the same feelings though.

" Are you alright?" She took one glance at Yuu's state, missing an arm, drowned in blood, and needed to be supported by his brother to sit up, it was far from fine. That made her grit her teeth in frustration. She couldn't be there for her best friend when he was putting his life on the line.

She faced off against the black creature rising from the dust, glaring sharply at him." A giant villain is heading this way! The heroes already pulled back as Iida told them! You should do so too! I will hold this thing off!"

" No Sora! Wait-"

" Angel...?" The Nomu muttered as he looked back at her, tapping the side of his brain. " I know her... I know her too..."

Sora's eyes widened as she took in his appearance, and it was then she realized how strong the familiar feeling she was getting from him. " It can't be..." Yuu clicked his tongue when Sora realized it too.

" Ah... I remember now..." The Nomu smirked broadly at her. "... Daughter..."

"Papa...!"...

________________

The ground shook roughly as the giant rushed by. Debris of all kinds was flung away as he cut his way through. " Yuu! Yuusuke-san!" Sora hurried back to the two of them, hauling them and flying further away from the falling rubble.

When the giant villain was a good distance away, she dropped them to the ground and turned back to the Nomu who stopped to glance at the back of the gigantic man.

" Papa..."

" Wait, Sora..." Yuu's eye squinted at her. " Listen... it's just the body... it bears no soul at all..." He is dead. He didn't have the heart to say it aloud. After all, he was the one who promised to reunite them, and he didn't want to bluntly state that harsh truth.

" But he's still Papa, right..." Her look softened as she took a step towards him. " He still remembers me, didn't he?! Papa!"

" With... that giant... we'll be leaving... soon... I better... secure the target..." The Nomu span around and with a single flip of his wings, he was holding the girl by the neck, raising her off the ground while she groped at his arm.

" Sora!" Yuu winced in pain as he attempted to move, he felt like a sharp knife had run across his chest.

" You still have broken ribs, you can't move so abruptly!" Yelled Yuusuke.

The boy bit on his lip as all he could do was lie down and watch his friend writhing in her captor's grasp.

" Meteor Favorokies!" An onslaught of debris was rained upon the Nomu so suddenly he had to take a step back and Sora kicked hard, freeing herself.

" We were in the area and saw the Nomu!" Asui stated from her position on a wall behind them.

" There are still people being evacuated nearby, we can't allow the Nomu to get there!" Uraraka ran ahead and touched the tips of her fingers together as she kicked the ground hard.

Sora coughed, scratching at her burning throat before yelling at the two girls who joined them. " Ochaco-chan, Tsuyu-chan, stop! Wait!"

But they didn't hear her. Asui flung Uraraka up in the air as she let her wires loose and captured the Nomu.

" Wait!"

" Now, Pixiebob!" Uraraka shouted and the blond jumped down to join in the fray.

" Once your brain is crashed it's all over right!" She touched the ground and a spike shot toward the Nomu.

" NO!" Sora kicked it hard with her feather-covered leg, causing it to break.

" What are you doing, Sora-chan!" Asui asked just as the Nomu's muscles flexed and doubled in volume. He freed himself of Uraraka's wires and tugged at them, swinging both girls at Pixiebob and knocking them away.

" Must get... Angel..." He lunged at Sora who used her hardened wings as shields against his blades.

" Stop! Look at me!" She begged him. " You know who I am! Recall who you're too!"

" Must follow... orders..."

" Please!" There were a lot of emotions pent up in her chest, a whole lot of them she couldn't clear. She was panicking and couldn't get her thoughts straight. " You're not the type of person to raise your hand at anyone! Please!"

" Papa! Papa!" She spun around as to show him the small fluffy wings protruding from her back. " Wings! My wings are appearing!"

" That's cool sweetheart!" He said patting her head lovingly. " Those wings will grow to be strong and faithful to you."

" Papa's wings are large and strong!" She held her hands wide apart to showcase how large they were.

" They're." The man smiled as picked her up and sat her on his thigh. " Listen Sora, our Quirk is strong and special, it must be used wisely to help others and make them happy."

" Like a hero!"

" Like a hero."

" Papa, you don't use it for other people."

The man gave a nervous laugh at that. " I don't like these kinds of stuff. I can't bear to hurt anyone in any way. That's why I chose to help in another way. But you..." He gently tapped her nose. " You're free to choose your own way, Sora."

The girl gave a wide grin. " I want to be like you!" And she threw her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly he laughed and returned the hug.

Sora's eyes swam with tears as she stared into the Nomu's. " You can't bear to harm anyone! That's who you are! Remember it!"

The Nomu backed for a moment. " So... Ra..."

" Papa!" The girl beamed, but that was her mistake, for when she loosened up for that moment, he cut her wing with his blade.

" Get back!" Tiger wound his arm around her and pulled her away. " Mandalay! Check on the injured!"

" Are you alright?" The auburn-haired woman rushed to Yuu and the rest.

" Yuu needs immediate treatment!" Whisper cried and the woman nodded, reaching to her comm.

" I'll get the medical team here!"

Pixiebob, Uraraka, and Asui moved ahead to attack the Nomu again.

" No!" Sora struggled against the man's grasp, threshing her bloodied wing. She didn't realize it, she lost her calm and panicked and so, with how much she had been holding it back since the operation started, her transformation began.

" Mandalay, we may need support! This one can talk!" Pixiebob shouted as she tried to hold him in a hard sphere of earth.

" Useless..." He mumbled as he broke free of it and soared up. " We don't need ... anyone to bother us..." He held his hand up and clenched it into a fist and then something happened to their surroundings. It seemed as though they were looking at everything through some kind of jagged glass dome.

" What... I can't use my telepathy anymore!" Mandalay shouted.

" What did he do?" Tiger glared at him.

" Prism... Dimension... it's like a prism prison... no one leaves... until I decide so..."

" So he trapped us." Yuusuke groaned.

The Nomu flipped his large wings and aimed at Tiger but Pixiebob unleashed a dragon made of mud at him to hold him back. " Uravity, Froppy!" She said creating boulders behind her which Uraraka hurriedly touched and attached to her wires.

" Zero satellites!" She cried as Asui flung her up. " It's time you take a nap!" She swung her projectiles at the Nomu but he easily dodged them and the dragon's head that chased after him with nimble swift moves.

" Those moves..." Asui squinted. " They're the same as Sora-chan..."

" I said stop it!" The girl wrenched herself free from Tiger's clasp and fluttered to the trio. Using her feather blades she broke apart both Uraraka's boulders and Pixiebob's dragon golem.

" Sora-chan, why?!" Uraraka questioned as the girl landed down covered in feathers from head to toe, pupils turning into vertical slits and fangs bared, she held her arms apart as though to protect the Nomu.

" Don't hurt him! Please!"

" Ribbit..." Asui couldn't gloss over the tears welling in her red eyes.

" He just doesn't know what he's doing!" The feathers thickened, her halo faded, and her whole face stretched as tears brimmed her now sharp eyes and overflooded. " Please... Don't hurt Papa..."

Whether they were shocked by the ongoing transformation or her words it wasn't clear yet.

" Sora..." The ghost understood just how much hard it was for the girl. Finally found her long-lost father, but he was a Nomu going after her life.

Yuu clicked his tongue, even as Yuusuke didn't spare any effort performing his healing on him, he couldn't yet move. He watched heartbroken as Sora tried to fend off the heroes of her father, unable to do anything for her. I should be comforting her. I should be the one helping her sort her thoughts right now... but... Seeing her tears as she begged Uraraka and the rest to keep away made him want to kick himself up.

" Yuu-kun..." His eyes widened as he heard that voice.

" Nii-san..." Yuusuke looked down as Yuu called out in a shaky breath. " I beg of you... Just for this once..." He struggled to lift his left hand. " Lend me your strength..."

The Nomu landed behind Sora and Tiger rushed over to her, pushing her away from him and directing a punch at his head but it was blocked easily before he grabbed onto his head, almost crushing it in his hand if it wasn't for Pixiebob who pushed him away with a wave of rock thorns.

" Don't!" Sora cried as she climbed up to her feet, attempting to stop them again when.

" Sora."

She froze there, the color drained from her face. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she twirled around. There, behind her, with his ever so radiant gentle smile, was none other than her father. "Papa...?"

He seemed young, he wore the same white shirt and black trousers he last wore and his long white hair was groomed into a low ponytail slinging off his right shoulder. His blue eyes bore the same gentle and kind look in them, one Sora could never forget." It's been a while, sweetheart. You've grown up."...