Chapter Text
Ochako Uraraka found herself on the threshold of the apartment she would inhabit for the next year - her last year of highschool before she enrolled in U.A University. As she stepped towards the building, she couldn't help but get swept by her thoughts, indulging in a fond memory tainted by her current feelings.
The memory was a clear as day, Ochako remembers it as if she had just lived it, and indulged herself in remembrance once more as she took an intimidating first step into a new chapter of her life.
It was a sunny afternoon in a place she had never seen, light was bearing down upon her as she gazed at an impressive house - by her standards anyways. Her parents had taken her along on what she recalls as a business trip with some relatively well-off clients since they could not find anyone to look after her during that time.
She could hear her mom and dad speaking with two strangers - presumably their clients - about some renovation for their house. Most of the talk flew over her head - her memory of that day may be pristine, yet her then four year-old mind did have its limitations. Though what she does remember of them is that they seemed quite unpleasant to speak to.
The way her father's voice took her mind away from its wanderings was etched into her memory in a way that truly cemented how special that day was to her.
"Chako isn't this great? It seems they have a daughter about your age! Why don't you two go and play while me and your mom finish up here, alright?" He smiled at her, ruffling her hair gently.
Letting out a happy giggle, she headed for the house's garden after looking back at her parents who gave her one final nod as she went to look for her would-be playmate.
Upon arriving at the back of the house, which had a surprisingly large garden - in retrospect a likely sign that her parents's clients were fairly well-off - she found a girl who seemed to be her age partaking in bird-watching.
The girl's blonde hair was coupled with eyes which were a beautiful golden shade, her slitted pupils giving her a cuteness that Ochako felt was oddly reminiscent of a cat. She harbored a small smile while watching the birds - even her young mind had noticed that it looked off somehow, as if it did not fit her face. Now she understands that it was meant to be more pronounced, filled with joy and life in equal measure.
She approached the girl with a smile, and eagerly introduced herself.
"Hi! I'm Uraraka! You wanna play?" Her voice was full of joy, the prospect of making a new friend bringing her a great deal of happiness, she loved Mie, but there weren't that many kids her age around back there.
The girl turned towards her, slitted pupils dilating at the sight of Ochako, a big, better-fitting smile blooming upon her face before receding into a smaller one as her expression died down a few seconds later. It was such a shame, her big smile had felt so genuine and cute!
"You want to play? With me?" The blonde girl asked, her voice full of what Ochako could only understand as insecurity the more she thought back to that day, which hurt more and more as time passed. Her confusion in the moment had mostly been due to how almost… sad the other girl sounded as her question reached Ochako's ears.
She wore her own smile in a way that she hoped would comfort her new friend, extending a hand towards her.
"Yeah, obviously! Sounds like we'd have fun!" Her reply was accompanied by a grin adorning her face and crinkling her eyes.
For a moment, it seemed like the other girl blinked some tears away, before a smile more closely resembling the one she wore earlier grew upon her face.
"Of course I want to! I'm Toga! But you're cute so you can call me Himiko!" The unique grin upon her face made Ochako smile back at her, her dream of making people smile starting with the most beautiful one she had yet seen as Himiko's hand grasped hers.
They started joyfully playing, the song of birds filling the air as their laughter joined it in carving one of the most precious memories of her life. Himiko looked so happy to be playing with her - they had started with a small game of hide and seek, before deciding that the garden, while big, was a fair bit too devoid of good hiding spots.
Settling on playing tag instead, Ochako found herself running after Himiko as she giggled, playfully taunting her.
"You'll never catch meeeeee!" As her laughter continued to resonate unabated, Ochako reached out to her back, and tagged her with all five fingers.
She saw Himiko rise up from the floor slowly, her own giggles escaping her before her proud declaration did.
"Gotcha!" She watched with eyes full of mischief as Himiko found herself looking puzzled within the hold of Zero Gravity. Ochako's quirk had only manifested a few days prior, yet she found it incredibly fun to use and was more than glad to share the feeling of freedom that it gave with others.
As Himiko seemed to finally stabilize herself - she was only a few centimeters off the ground really, her eyes filled themselves with something akin to wonder as she spun herself to face Ochako.
"Is this your quirk? It's so cute! I wish mine was like yours!" The compliment only made Ochako's laughter intensify, happy that her little trick pried more smiles from Himiko. Yet she could hear a nigh imperceptible trace of sadness in her voice as she finished her sentence, noticing that her smile shrank just enough for it to be noticeable.
"I'm sure yours is cute too! What is it?" Her question was innocent, a simple spark of curiosity that came to the surface from Himiko's reaction - perhaps Ochako's young mind was overthinking it, but her parents always told her she was really good at reading expressions. She also honestly believed that Himiko's quirk would be as cool as she found her, which was at least half of the reason why she asked that question.
Himiko's expression went through many subtle shifts as she heard Ochako's question, Zero Gravity coming undone with a press of her fingerpads as she helped her find her footing.
"I-it's a secret!" Himiko stuttered while taking a few steps back, her manic response betraying an amount of fear that would be hard to miss even to children their age, her eyes gluing themselves to the floor.
Ochako felt bad, had her question upset Himiko this much? Whatever the reason, she found herself deciding that her curiosity wasn't worth making her feel this sad over.
"It's okay Himi, you don't hafta tell me!" A bit of distress colored her voice, prying her accent out of her as she hastily replied in hopes to comfort Himiko.
She approached the blonde, once more extending her hand towards her.
"We can just keep playing! You're very fun to play with!" She smiled at Himiko - not with her big grin from earlier, but a softer, gentler smile that shone upon her face, hoping to find it reflected upon her new friend's face.
Himiko trembled lightly, looking at Ochako's sincere expression and extended warmth with uncertainty before deciding to reach out and accept Ochako's hand in hers.
"Okay, let's! Thanks 'raka!" Himiko slowly started to smile in much the same way Ochako had - unknowingly fulfilling her wish. Ochako found herself bothered by a small detail and broke the small silence that had been sitting between them while slowly letting go of her hand.
"Actually, call me Ochako! Since I get to call you Himiko!"
She watched as Himiko's pupils dilated ever-so-slightly in the time it took for her to take in Ochako's words as her smile grew.
"O-cha-ko! That sounds so cute! I love it!" She let out a small laugh, before grabbing Ochako's hand and pulling her along. "Come on, let's keep going! I wanna keep playing tag and show you my favourite birds!"
With an enthusiastic nod, Ochako followed after Himiko, resuming their game of tag - and according to Himiko, her grabbing Ochako's hand had totally counted as a tag. Himiko then showed her the multiple bird houses they had in their garden - she remembers being told that it was her parents's hobby, but Himiko really liked birdwatching as well.
On their way to the last birdhouse, in the furthest corner of the garden, Ochako ran along as Himiko pulled her by the hand enthusiastically - their joined giggles animating the garden with more life than all of the birds that visited it ever could.
As they ran, Ochako found herself tripping over a small rock before falling forward, her hand leaving Himiko's as she did. Ochako quickly sat up as Himiko came over to her, looking concerned.
"'Chako! Are you okay? Do you-" Ochako felt like there was supposed to be more Himiko meant to say, yet she found herself drawn to where Himiko's stare landed. Following her golden gaze, she realized that she scraped her knee, small amounts of blood showing itself as a small, dull throb and itch overtook it.
Yet her concerns lied with Himiko, whose eyes were not leaving the wound, before she found her friend approaching her, leaning over her knee as she inspected it. Ochako found the behavior a bit strange, but found no reason to think Himiko was trying to do anything other than help her.
Himiko then started kissing her knee, reminding her of her parents as they sometimes lightly kissed where she was hurt in hopes to comfort her. Himiko seemed to be smiling, and Ochako found that it stung a little, but she had been fine! She was always a strong girl! Glad that Himiko was this happy to help her even! She simply found it odd how long Himiko continued to do this, since she felt fine, so she found herself calling out to her.
"Hey Himi-" Before she even had the opportunity to finish her sentence, Himiko quickly backed away, looking at Ochako with more fear than before, with a small amount of blood around her mouth which she quickly wiped before tears filled her eyes.
"S-sorry! I- I wanted to kiss it better b- but I don't know what happened, y-your blood just-"
She stood up before she could even think, and wrapped Himiko in her arms, hugging her.
"'C-Chako?" The question came with a choked sob, coated in layers of both confusion and surprise.
"Himi! Thanks!" She could feel Himiko tremble against her, even now she vividly remembers feeling hurt seeing how Himiko perceived her actions back then.
"B-But I-" A protest formed itself upon Himiko's lips , but Ochako wouldn't let that slide.
"It doesn't hurt anymore, thanks so much Himi!" She felt Himiko go still, before a big sob overtook her - the genuine declaration of gratitude from Ochako ringing true, it didn't hurt anymore! The wound was still a bit itchy, but no longer bloody and she felt fine, all thanks to Himiko!
"B-but Chako, I'm a m-monster…" More sobbing, and Ochako finding herself at a loss simply chose to hold Himiko tighter.
"You're not a monster, you're my friend! And you're cute!" Her defiant statement cut through the air - intense enough to make Himiko's trembling subside ever so slightly, yet gentle in tone enough for it to not be a shout. The pink light of Zero Gravity overtook them both, as they started floating without realization striking either of them, a part of the memory that felt odd to Ochako as she had only touched Himiko with her five fingers, not herself.
Himiko seemed to relent for an instant - hesitantly returning the hug - yet her words came back with a flood of denial that to this day saddened Ochako greatly.
"I-I have these c-creepy fangs… and they told me I'm a d-deviant! I don't want you to get hurt 'Chako!" The words hit her mind as an absolute certainty from Himiko, as if she honestly believed her act - and her entire self - to be monstrous and deranged in a way she didn't even understand. Her frantic warning coated in sorrow and insecurity.
"Your fangs are super adorable, and your smile is cute! I don't get it but you actually helped me, thanks so much Himi!" The affirmation came with her own smile, as she lightly pulled back from the embrace and looked at Himiko with an expression of genuine care for her new friend.
"Y-you think my smile is cute?" Himiko looked at her wide-eyed, cat-like pupils dilating slightly with a hint of disbelief upon her face.
"The cutest smile in the world!" Ochako replied, not a shred of doubt or hesitation in her voice - she had not seen a smile shine brighter than Himiko's in her then fours years of life, and even now, she could think of none that even came close to eclipsing its light.
At those words, Himiko's entire face lit up so brightly, Ochako could swear its brightness overshone that of the sun itself, that moment permanently carved upon the canvas of her mind as the instant she witnessed the radiance of the cutest smile in the world. Himiko smiled widely, tears at the edges of her eyes, her adorable fangs on full display as she then embraced Ochako tightly.
"You really mean it…?" She once more asked, desperation filling her voice as her tears made themselves audible, the strain in her voice still very much present.
"Of course! You could never be a monster Himi! You're a normal girl the same as me! And you're super fast and good at tag!" A light giggle had followed her words, the memory of their antics a few minutes prior brightening that day for her once more.
"'No one ever told me that before… 'Chako, you're my hero!" She never understood what Himiko fully meant by this, but she was incredibly happy to hear that Himiko was happy and found herself being able to believe her.
The words filled Ochako with warmth, one she felt all around her as they hugged, as she witnessed Himiko change, her body being overtaken by what she could have only then described as goop. She found herself pulling away once more, looking upon Himiko only to find her wearing her own face.
"Himi! You look just like me now! Is this your-" Quirk went unsaid as she caught herself and stammered some nonsense out of panic. She wasn't about to repeat her mistake from earlier, yet she could see that Himiko understood what she meant to ask.
Caught in the moment, she only then realized that they were both floating, the fact surprising them both, especially Ochako, who let them both down with a press of her fingerpads as the recited the word she had always associated with the feeling that would return gravity back to her and her surroundings.
"Release!"
They landed gently, and the first thing she did was look at Himiko. She witnessed her staring at her own hands, the pads covering them the exact same as Ochako's, yet fear didn't cloud her features, instead her bright smile remained in its rightful place upon her face. Or rather upon Ochako's, and if Himiko had minded what she was about to ask her, she never showed it - she did not acknowledge the question either.
"'Chako! I'm just like you! I feel so strong!" She laughed lightly while doing a silly little flex, Ochako's voice escaping her lips instead of hew own. "And so cute! I even sound like you!" She let Himiko take her by the hand as they enthusiastically looked for a window, finding their joined reflection in it as Himiko delighted in the fact that she looked like Ochako. They quickly found out however that Himiko could not use Ochako's quirk.
That particular brand of fun ended rather quickly, as goop dripped from her face and hands mere minutes afterwards. Himiko's form once again took its rightful place, the entire experience filling their minds with wonder - and as far as Ochako could imagine from her expression - filling Himiko with happiness about her own ability, the newfound sight cementing itself as one her young heroic mind wished to protect.
She then chose to steel her resolve, and speak up about something that bothered her when they spoke prior.
"Hey Himi?" The words came out with more timidity than she had meant, her resolve may have been stronger than steel, yet she could not quell the hesitant voice in her young mind telling her that she could risk making Himiko cry once more.
"Hmm? What's up 'Chako?" Himiko tilted her head to the side slightly, an inquisitive look upon her face as she looked at Ochako's likely perceived shyness with all of the adoration in the world.
"Y-you mentionned… I mean you-" The words died in her throat with each attempt, the subject a less scary prospect than letting her new friend down.
Himiko gently grasped her hands, looking at her with a smile, the smile she found herself able to witness thanks to her genuine words, and an understanding of how much she had touched Himiko's heart prior blossomed in her mind.
"'Chako, you can ask me anything!" Himiko's expression was steadfast, yet gentle, she had probably felt the distress that Ochako was going through, and - bless her young heart - tried to soothe her as best as she could.
"D-do you… need blood?" Apprehension filled her to the point of pooling in her gut, as she watched for any shifts in Himiko's expression.
"'C-Chako I-" Ochako saw it, like clouds dimming the light in the sky, something took over Himiko's eyes, rendering their prior glow faint, and before she knew it, she reacted without thinking and interrupted Himiko, the want to convey her words now becoming a need.
"Because if ya do, I-I'll give ya some anytime ya need!" In her haste, her accent came forth once more, yet she gave herself no time to dwell on it, and to make good on her words she pulled back her sleeve and offered Himiko her arm, a determined look filling her every feature.
Silence lingered impossibly long, Himiko simply silently staring at Ochako, was it disbelief? Fear? She felt dread at the though of her words bringing Himiko discomfort, what if she didn't even like blood and Ochako got it all wrong-
"Y-you mean it…?" Ochako didn't know how long she was staring at her feet - she didn't even realize it was happening - until Himiko brought her back to reality, a hint of tears at the corners of her eyes as her face painted a struggle that she could hardly comprehend, even today.
"Of course! I'll be fine, I'm super strong and one day I'll help mama and papa and lift all their troubles, this is nothing!" The bravado came to her naturally, to soothe Himiko, yet also to give herself strength, a conviction - her very first mask, though laced with truth. When she thought about it, Uravity may have been born there and then.
"Ochako you… t-thank you…" Himiko couldn't hold back the tears, wiping them shortly after however. She had seemed happy, so Ochako was glad that those seemed to be good tears, though at the time the concept was a fair bit more complicated for her to understand.
Himiko stared at Ochako's extended arm, giving her glances as if to subtly confirm that she was still okay with it, she remembers Himiko trembling as she held her arm. Ochako gave her a firm nod, grinning all the while to show her that she was still okay with this.
After steeling herself, Himiko brought up the arm and hesitantly pricked it with her tiny fangs, Ochako felt a bit of a sting, yet she could tell Himiko had been careful. She watched as Himiko drank some of her blood slowly, in a gentle manner that eased any small discomforts she could have felt.
After a small moment, Himiko let go of her arm and licked at the bite a little, which admittedly tickled more than anything and made her resemble a cat even more. But somehow, she found herself not bleeding anymore, she thought there would still be some for a bit like with most wounds but surprisingly, there wasn't.
"'Chako, thanks sooooo much, you really are my hero!" Himiko smiled at her, her smile wide, toothy and right. And it was all Ochako needed to be sure that her decision had been the right one. She witnessed Himiko transform into her once more, and they marvelled at the sight as they then theorized that Himiko could transform into people with their blood.
Seeing Himiko go from her quirk making her cry at the mention to happily talking about it filled her with joy, yet now all she can think of is how much she let her down. Letting her rot in that terrible place.
They played together until the sky began to be filled with more and more hues of orange joining the clear blue in warm union painting the background of the end of their playdate.
"I had so much fun with you today 'Chako! I hope I see you again!" Himiko's voice was full of joy, mischief and gratitude, the memory of those words now filling Ochako with profound sadness.
"Same Himi! This was the best day ever! I had so much fun!" Ochako meant that wholeheartedly, she felt lonely in Mie, in spite of how busy her parents's company could be at times. Himiko was the first kid her age she established a brief yet meaningful connection with.
"Say 'Chako, what do you wanna be when you grow up? I wanna be a doctor for birdies! Maybe other animals too!" Her enthusiasm was plain to see, and Ochako could understand, she saw how much Himiko loves birds and finds them cute, and she was sure that Himiko would take great care of them.
"I think you'll be great! You already helped me earlier, I'm sure it'll work out!"
Her and Himiko had fetched a proper bandage for Ochako's scrape and the small bite Himiko took in spite of her insisting she was fine and "super tough", and Himiko applied it with all of the care a 5 year old could muster.
Himiko's face lit up once more, eliciting a smile in return from Ochako. She saw Himiko looking at her with anticipation, she felt a bit shy about her ambition but decided to eagerly announce it to her new best friend.
"I wanna be a hero! I wanna make people smile… and help my mama and papa!" Ochako's determination shone as she spoke those words, and Himiko had never looked more giddy in the few hours they spent together.
"A hero! You'll be the best one ever 'Chako! You're already my hero!" The words came so naturally to her, Ochako felt herself emboldened by the validation from Himiko, her dream feeling more tangible than it ever had in her as-of-then short life. She would become a hero, make people smile, help her parents, and live up to Himiko's image of her. This she swore to herself on that day.
"Then I'll be your hero, now and forever!" Finding renewed faith in herself as Himiko's words emboldened her,she proudly exclaimed those words with all of the volume a four year old can produce. Extending her pinky finger towards Himiko as she spoke, she tilted her head - expecting her to know the gesture's meaning and return it.
"You promise?" Her blonde friend asked, traces of a shadow still looming her visible in her bright amber eyes remained fixed on Ochako with what looked like admiration and appreciation in equal measure.
"Of course! If you ever need help, call and I'll save you! I can go super far with my quirk!" A giggle escaped Ochako as she spoke, her declaration asserting itself as a certainty in her mind in that moment as she proudly smiled at Himiko once more.
Himiko's face lit up, she eagerly intertwined her pinky with Ochako's, smiling softly before swearing an oath of her own.
"Then I promise I'll get super good at healing birdies! If I get good at it, I can probably heal you if you get hurt! I'll never let anyone hurt you 'Chako!"
Ochako let out a small chuckle at her words, and they slowly fell into soft laughter, their hopes carried by the gentle rays of the setting sun illuminating the scene and immortalizing their oath in her mind. She only hoped that it had been immortalized in Himiko's mind as well.
After a few more moments of sharing laughter and games, Ochako's parents came to pick her up, and she found herself having to reluctantly part with her new best friend.
"I'll see you around Himi! We can play a lot next time! I'll miss you!" She reached out and grabbed Himiko's hands in her, illiciting a joined "awww" from her parents.
"I'll miss you too 'Chako! You're my best friend and hero forever!" Blinking away some tears, she pulled Ochako into a clumsy hug, which was gently returned. Himiko eventually parted with what seemed like reluctance, smiling one last time at Ochako with all of the warmth of the sun.
The time to depart was upon them, so Ochako's parents bid one final goodbye to Himiko and her parents, who seemed nonplussed yet returned the pleasantries nonetheless.
She waved at Himiko as she walked alongside her parents to the car, Himiko waved back, before her parents walked back inside the house, seemingly telling her to join them.
Her parents had been ecstatic, Ochako seemed to have made such a great friend! She recounter her day to them with fondness in her voice, they eagerly listened and promises to bring her back here again to play with her new best friend. This was the last promise made that day, as dawn's hues faded from the sky.
Thirteen years. It had been thirteen long years since then, and Ochako had never gotten to see Himiko again.
Her parents had told her that apparently Himiko's family did not need the renovations after all, and had added that they did not want them to show up again.
Ochako cried so much that day, her first friend, her first connection - the first person the aspiring hero had sworn to save - and she wouldn't be able to see her again.
The comfort from her parents had eventually soothed her, as they hugged her and told her such reassurances as "You're still going to be a great hero!" and "Maybe you'll see her in one of the schools you go to!"
Yet all she felt about it was bitterness. Her life as a would-be hero beginning with an abject failure that deprived her of a friend and much of her morale.
She had spent years thinking of their meeting, of that day, Himiko's fears, her words, her tears. And most of all the source of her pain, she agonized over it each day.
Of course, it all made sense now, who "they" were, the ones who dared tell a girl as cute as Himiko that she was a deviant. And she couldn't do anything. So what if she had only been four? Himiko needed her help, she had been right there.
And Ochako had naively thought she could ease her burdens with words and a promise. Not a day went by without her thinking about her own naivety.
Her mind may have romanticized some aspects of the memory over the years, yet the sincerity of her feelings back then still rang true within her.
She dared to hope that somehow, Himiko managed to break out from the cage her parents had imposed upon her, that she could smile and be free wherever she now was.
Now seventeen, Ochako stepped into the apartment her parents had somehow managed to rent for her final year of high school. In reality it was more the size of a small studio, but she was more than grateful for her parents extending such generosity to her.
Grateful and guilty, she would make it worth it for them, she had wanted to enroll in U.A university, to become the best hero she could ever be. Musutafu was quite far from Mie, and her parents had stated that perhaps if she moved there before enrollment, it could make her life easier.
She agreed after much reluctance, promising to make sure her parents could have their vacation in Hawaï and then some once she graduates.
She had made some friends in her high school, yet never got too close to them - all too focused on her studies and physical training when she found the time for it. This at least made the decision to move easier, if nothing else - and she agreed with her parents, it would be better for her to move to Musutafu for this year.
Her last year of high school would happen in Aldera high, she had not heard of it before, yet felt enthusiastic about the encounters she would make and this new beginning.
Her hopes, her promise to Himiko now had a name: Uravity. She would graduate U.A, save others, bring smiles to those she saved - and most of all - find Himiko again, and grant her the helping hand she would need, to make sure she could smile as genuinely as she wanted for the rest of her days.
She gazed out of the window, the school year started tomorrow, and she would make the most of it.
Just you wait Himiko, I'll save you like I promised, and we'll be able to smile together again.
This she swore to her best friend, wherever she may now be - and first and foremost, to herself.