Midori The Rabbit

I am...

There was no school in the following two days after the sports festival. Todoroki had initially planned to spend some time with Izumi... but his last talk with her had reminded him he had some baggage of his own to deal with. Izumi was the light in his life now, but there was the constant dark shadow of his mother that threatened to dull it. In order to move past it, he had to face the shadow head on.

He hadn't seen his mother since the day she was admitted, afraid that his presence would be a burden to her, and prevent her mental state from stabilizing. It was time though, time for them to have a heart to heart and clear the past.

He stood outside the door, his eyes staring at the name plate with the words "Mrs. Todoroki" written in bold black ink. His fingers touched the door, and he felt the stir of nerves and nausea in his belly.

He opened the door, and stepped into the room and felt the reversal of time. She'd barely changed... the same silver hair, the same thin frame... 

"Mom." 

When she turned and looked at him, he saw the familiar grey eyes. For too long he'd seen those eyes in his memories tensed and sharpened with fear and hatred. Now they were calm, and sad.

"Shoto?" She whispered his name in disbelief. "Is that you?"

He stepped to closer to her, surprised that she didn't flinch away or even blink at his approach. 

"I'm sorry... I should have come to see you sooner, but I wasn't sure that you wanted me to." He clenched his fists. "I need... I need to talk to you... about the past, about who I am... I can't hide it or run from it anymore."

She stayed still, her eyes staring owlishly at her boy. She hadn't seen him since he was five.. The last memory she had of him, was on screaming in agony, crying in pain and confusion. Tears spilled over from the memory. 

"Do I frighten you?"

His head lifted up at her question and he stood straight again. 

"You... I thought you were afraid of me."

"No... my poor Shoto." She squeezed her hands together in her lap. "I've caused you so much pain... marred your face. You were just a child, an innocent child and all I saw was the incarnation of the man who-" she choked on the words and lifted her hands to her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Shoto!"

"Mom..." he shouldn't have come. Seeing his mother break down like this he bowed again. "I'm sorry, I'm causing you grief. I'll just-"

"Don't go... please Shoto." She reached out, took his hand surprising him. The hand was cold and shook like a leaf but her eyes stared into his. "You came... that's all that matters now. You need to talk... to tell me something, ask me something. I'm ready, Shoto."

He looked at his mother's hand in his, and gripped it gently. He pulled up a seat sitting across from her... and let it all flood out.

He told her everything, from the day she left, his brutal training with his father, and finally joining U.A. He wanted to tell her that everything that had happened, he was trying to better himself, and tear away from his dark past.

"I see... so you're on your way Shoto." His mother smiled and touched his hand again. "You're making your dream come true."

"I'm trying... but I feel something holding me back. Keeping me from moving forward, and focusing on the future. That's why I wanted to see you, to confront the past... and also." He lifted his eyes to her. "I want to save you from this place... as penance for my sins against you."

"Sins?" Her eyes widen and then sobered in realization. "Shoto, you've done nothing to apologize or atone for. I'm the one who let my unhappiness break me. I took out my anger, my frustration out on you... I'm the one who should ask your forgiveness."