Training and Bad Dreams

The billowing smoke painted the sky, a hellish inferno that had engulfed the apartment building. Amidst the chaos, Himari stood, scanning the panicked crowd frantically. Familiar faces, neighbors in distress, and the deafening cacophony of ringing phones heightened her anxiety. Her heart raced as she searched desperately, but her family was nowhere in sight.

Amidst the chaos, memories of earlier in the day echoed in Himari's mind. "Once you come home from school, we'll celebrate your birthday, the whole family!" her mom's cheerful voice rang in her ears. The urgency in the air snapped her back to the present as someone nearby yelled, "There are still people inside! Call a hero!" The urgency in their voice was palpable.

Ignoring the surrounding panic, Himari's instincts took over, propelling her forward. Her heart raced as she moved through the burning apartment building, navigating through the billowing smoke and searing heat, driven by the singular goal of finding her family.

As she tore the door open with trembling hands, the scene inside was nothing short of chaos. The room was a battleground between flames and collapsing structures. She had to act fast. Determination fueled her actions as she strained against the weight of the debris, her body leaving faint traces of scratches as she worked to clear a path.

Every movement felt like an eternity in the midst of the pandemonium. The acrid scent of smoke filled her senses, making each breath a challenge. Yet, fueled by concern and a deep sense of responsibility, she pushed herself forward, intent on finding her family amidst the turmoil.

 As she advanced further, the faint sound of whimpering guided her. With a mix of caution and urgency, she moved faster, finally reaching the source—a figure lying on the ground, legs trapped under the debris. It was her cousin, struggling to free herself amidst the wreckage.

As she cleared the debris, Himari's heart sank at the sight of her cousin trapped beneath, clearly injured. "Lisa! Hold on, I'll get you out," she reassured, her voice trembling with concern. The struggle was immense, but she managed to free Lisa, only to find her unable to move due to her injured legs.

"I-i can't m-move... my legs," Lisa gasped, her voice strained with pain. With an undeterred determination, Himari carefully lifted her cousin, despite the noticeable contrast in their sizes. It was an image of resilience and desperation, a young child striving to carry a much older relative to safety.

In the dimly lit corridor, Lisa's words struck Himari like a bolt of lightning. "A-auntie and... uncle are s-still trapped in there," Lisa urgently conveyed, her grip tightening around Himari's small form.

Without a moment's hesitation, Himari turned, Lisa still on her back, and dashed back into the wreckage, her small frame darting through the chaos to find her mom and dad. She pushed debris aside with all her might, moving through the hazardous surroundings with a determination that belied her age.

It was a heart-wrenching scene that greeted them as they ventured deeper. The sight of their lifeless bodies amidst a pool of blood sent shivers down their spines. Himari's mother managed to utter, "L...l-lisa," her voice faint and eyes losing their light. "t-take c-care... of my sunny..." she whispered, her voice fading away, leaving both girls in tears as they stood in silent shock.

*Crack!* *Boom!* The ceiling started to cave in, and in a swift motion, Himari pushed Lisa to safety, shielding her from the incoming debris. As the dust settled, Lisa saw Himari buried under the rubble, not being able to move, only able to scream her name. 

"Um, Charlotte-san," Izuku said, hovering over the golden-haired girl. She instantly shot up, her face a blank slate. "Oh, so you're up now," she replied, brushing the sand from her backside. As she lifted her gaze, the sun descended over the ocean, painting the sky with a breathtaking array of colors. As she shifted her gaze to Izuku he rubbed his stomach, wincing slightly. "I know you said you wanted to spar to see what I was capable of," he said, still nursing his stomach, "But did you have to hit me so hard I passed out?" he chuckled, trying to mask the discomfort.

"Hehe," she said, her smile brightening. "You didn't even use your quirk, though, and expected not to get hurt," she teased. Izuku looked away, admitting, "But if I use my quirk, I'd hurt you and me," a hint of concern in his voice as he didn't fully grasp her point.

"Okay, let's do this," she started, fixing her gaze on him. "Tell me how your quirk works and how you're currently using it," she prompted. Izuku seemed a bit nervous at first, but he soon began explaining. "My quirk lets me power up any body part, but I can't control it," he began, his words coming out in a bit of a rush. "To control it, I've been thinking of it like an egg in a microwave. I'm the egg, and I don't want it to explode, so I..." He continued rambling for a few minutes, and Himari patiently listened, waiting for him to finish.

"After hearing you, it seems like you're treating your quirk as something foreign, like it's not truly a part of you," Himari explained gently. "Your quirk is an extension of yourself, just like your limbs. You've got to own it, think of it as an extra arm or leg. It's yours to command, not something separate from you."

"At least that's how it looks to me." she said as she turned and started to walk to the parking lot. talking over her shoulder she said, "be back here at the same time, and you better have a new way of using your quirk or ill make the training more painful~" With that, she walked off toward the parking lot, leaving Izuku to contemplate his training for the next session.

As he headed home, Izuku pondered over Himari's advice, repeating it in his mind. "An extra limb... but not a separate power." He massaged his stomach, still feeling the remnants of the impact from their practice session. "I need to find a way, a new approach that doesn't hurt me." Determined, he walked on, focusing on discovering a safer method to control his quirk.

...

As she walked, her thoughts drifted back to the vivid dream she had earlier, and a peculiar sensation crawled over her. She instinctively placed a hand over the left side of her stomach, a twinge of phantom pain reminding her of that day.

As her eyes opened, she found herself amidst the debris, confined from all directions. She attempted to move, but her strength failed her, and the lack of sunlight made escape seem impossible. A warm sensation caught her attention, drawing her focus to her stomach. A sudden surge of pain, unlike anything she had experienced before, indicated that something had pierced through her abdomen.

In a surge of adrenaline and with her mind clearing from the pain, she called out for her cousin with fervor from beneath the rubble. Harnessing the last remnants of her superhuman strength, her eyes glowed she pushed with all her might, finally freeing herself from the debris. As she emerged, her eyes fell upon her unconscious cousin lying on the ground.

Struggling, she hoisted her cousin onto her shoulder and staggered toward the entrance. As she pushed the door open, her vision blurred and she leaned heavily to one side. Veins protruded on her forehead, her teeth clenched so tightly they might shatter, and her usual cheerful expression vanished, replaced by a determined frown.

...

As ambulances and heroes finally arrived at the scene, delayed by a massive villain attack downtown, they noticed a figure emerging from the burning apartment complex. Moving closer to offer aid, they observed a child carrying what seemed to be a woman. What halted them in their tracks was the expression on the young girl's face and the metal rod protruding from her side.

As she ominously approached, she uttered one word before collapsing and dropping the woman she was carrying.

"Sun...light." 

Taking out her key as she made way into her home she muttered as she opened the door. 

"I don't like...that dream."

...

"Okay, ready to go, greenie!" Himari grinned as she and Izuku stood on the beach the next day. "Could you please stop with the nicknames?" he responded, preparing for their sparring session.

"Nope!" she exclaimed, charging toward him, ready to strike.

Izuku, noticing her approach, subtly channeled a bit of One for All into both his legs, dodging her attack skillfully. He swiftly switched gears, now focusing the power into his arms, preparing to counterstrike against his golden-eyed classmate.

Before he could fully extend his arms, Himari closed the distance astonishingly fast, landing a punch squarely in his stomach. This time, though, Izuku managed to huddle over in pain, avoiding unconsciousness but still feeling the impact.

"Hey! Not bad," she exclaimed as Izuku knelt, hands clasped over his stomach. "You used your quirk without hurting yourself," she praised, offering a nod of approval.

"Yeah... I thought a lot about it last night and did some training myself," Izuku replied as he pushed himself back up to a standing position

"Mhm mhm, you're getting there, but you're making it harder on yourself. Your movements are too stiff, and you're overthinking too much," she remarked, observing him closely. 'Come on, Izuku, I can't just hand you the answer,' she thought, wanting him to figure it out for himself.

He gazed at her, a perplexed look on his face, not fully grasping her point. 'Guess ill spoon feed a bit more' she thought to herself before saying "Think about me and how I use my power," she suggested, hoping he'd recall their encounter during the USJ incident.

With a spark of realization, Izuku's eyes lit up. Swiftly, notebook and pen appearing in his hands, scribbling down the thoughts that dawned on him.

"Good," she replied, noticing the newfound determination in Izuku's expression. "Let's go again. You ready?" she asked as Izuku swiftly packed away his things, his determined grin firmly in place. "I'm ready!"

She didn't hesitate and immediately lunged forward with a swift punch. Stumbling back, Izuku tripped but managed to evade the attack, seizing the opportunity to channel One for All throughout his entire body.

Creating distance between them, Izuku attempted to create space, but Himari stayed on the move. She launched a side kick, yet Izuku swiftly leaped upward and aimed a punch at her face. As his fist closed in, Himari's expression brightened, a smile creeping onto her lips as she murmured an intrigued "oh?" as the punch landed. However, it was Izuku who reeled back with a gasp, wincing and holding his hand in pain.

"Ow ow ow, are you made of steel?" he muttered, nursing his hand. Himari laughed out loud. "Hahaha! That's it, green!" she said, a big smile lighting up her face. "All you need now is to up the power!"

Looking up at her, Izuku gained a smile, tears forming in his eyes. "You're right, but I still can't control that much yet," he said, contemplating, 'I have to tell All Might about this!'

Looking down at the green boy in front of her, Himari felt a sense of pride and a hint of anticipation. "Well, that's all I can teach you," she said, collapsing to the ground with her arms spread wide. "You should work on increasing the power and your combat skills," she advised him. "I can't really help with the combat skills," she added a little sheepishly, scratching her cheek.

"Are we done already?" he questioned, puzzled, as she closed her eyes. "Aw, wanted to spend more time with me?" she teased, resting her head on top of her arms. "W-well, it's just... I thought we would train more for the festival," he stammered as he settled down in the sand.

"Like I said, you should work on strengthening your body," she remarked, her eyes still closed as she shielded them from the sun with her hand. "But you've made a lot of progress in just two days. You should take a breather." Her voice softened as she began to drift off, the warmth of the sun reminding her of the comforting embrace of her mother.

"I-i see," he murmured, gaze shifting between her and the vast expanse of the ocean. Determination flashed in his eyes. 'I'll do it, All Might. I'll show everyone who I am!' he vowed silently. With a grateful nod towards his golden-haired classmate, he whispered, "Thank you," before returning his gaze to the serene beauty of the ocean.