𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚂𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚣𝚎, 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝙻𝚘𝚜𝚎 (𝙱𝙽𝙷𝙰 𝚇 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚁)

Chapter 12

Here you were, almost nine months later, standing at the U.A gates. You had been training your ass off for months, trying to perfect the one Influence you had unlocked. And let's just say, just because you were Royalty didn't mean Erkin went easy on you.

You were kneeling on the mats in the Training Hall, sweat trickling into your eyes. The sweatbands you had around your wrist were making your arms heavy due to the amount of perspiration that was coming from you. Your sports bra was soaked as were the socks that you were wearing.

You were panting and using a towel that Pheonix had given you to wipe the sweat off of your forehead. You picked up a water bottle off of the ground and took a large gulp.

"Your Highness, you need to control the flames. I understand that it is uncomfortable but if you can't control it, you can become a danger to yourself or others." Erkin's voice echoed off of the pristine white walls. Pheonix stood up from a bench in the corner and approached you.

"Sir Erkin, I think it would be best if you let her take a break," Pheonix suggested. You chuckled tiredly and patted the boy on the shoulder, who was kneeling beside you and had his hand on your waist. "I'm alright, Pheonix. I need to get stronger." Erkin smiled at your determination.

You stood up and felt Pheonix's hand leave your side. He walked off of the mats and back to his bench, his eyes never leaving you. Erkin tapped his staff twice on the ground, getting your attention.

"Remember, to get your Influence to activate, you need to have a target in mind." He said as five candles appeared on the mat out of thin air. "Try lighting only the middle candle. This will be the start."

The amount of irritation that had stirred in you that afternoon was unimaginable. You kept light one to the left or one to the right or all of them. There was even a point where you set the mats on fire and your flames didn't hit a single wick.

You groaned at the thought of your first day of training. Over the course of months, you've changed both physically and mentally. You gained some muscles, mostly in your arms from the amount of training you did. But you also started feeling more confident in yourself and happier in general.

You weren't depressed before or anything. You didn't need to take medication or go to a therapist or anything like that. But you just weren't... there. Like your mind was in one place while your body was in other. In other words... you were just an abandoned shell. A vessel for something that wasn't deserving of anything.

There were occasions where you attempted in following your sister's advice but that was when you were younger. Weaker. You weren't as strong mentally as you'd like but you had come a long way from where you started. You were proud.

Maybe it was because you were in a less toxic atmosphere while in Zariya. The weight of problems felt less and the air just felt fresher. You had asked Pheonix if he could take you to the other kingdoms and he said he'd organize a coach to escort you there.

Maybe it was because you had people to keep you company. You had Midoriya while you were in Japan, yes. But while you were Zariya, it felt like you had a large friend group in a sense. Kids would come up to you and ask you to dance with them in Town's Square. Store owners would always give you small treats after you helped them out with daily duties. Creatures would approach you, begging for your awareness, making you feel like Snow White. You weren't in a kingdom. You were in a family.

One thing you hated while in Zariya, on the other hand, was sparring. With Pheonix.

Pheonix jabbed his right hand in your direction but you manage to dodge it with ease. Flames overwhelmed your right arm as the veins in your arms turned a fiery red. You grunted as you thrust your arm forward, flames spewing into the direction of Pheonix.