Rising Stronger [Sequel to When the Strong are Weak]

2

The next morning you woke with the crushing realization that it hadn't all been a dream. Asher and Yui were gone. Taken from the world too soon. Too young. Your chest and throat burned with the threat of tears before you could even sit up.

Uraraka was already gone even though your phone showed it was just after six. She and everyone else would be getting ready for school. Mechanically, you changed into jeans and sweater and grabbed Asher's fox before going downstairs.

The first floor buzzed with morning activity but you left without a word or glance in anyone's direction. Your pace to school was slow, you had no reason to rush after all, Aizawa had excused you for the next week. That said, you couldn't sit around and do nothing, especially if it would mean sitting around and doing nothing on your own. With your own thoughts.

Luckily no one followed you so you were able to get to the school without incident. Your legs felt like jell-o on the stairs leading up to the building. The halls were mostly empty but for a few students eager to get the day going. They too left you alone, sparing pitying glances in your direction as you passed them.

You found yourself in front of the administration office. Instead of bursting in unannounced like with the teacher's lounge the day before you hesitated. Maybe you should just go back to your dorm room and cry the day away. That's what you really wanted to do. But you knew deep down, somewhere the pain hadn't quite been able to reach, that you needed to talk to someone. So you knocked. It was a moment before the door opened.

"Oh, good morning, Young Y/N," All Might greeted. He smiled, but it faltered after really looking at you. You weren't able to tell if it was empathy or sympathy you saw light his eyes. Not that either would change what had happened.

"It's a morning," you nodded tears already beginning to spring to your eyes. "I was hoping to speak with Hound Dog or someone else if he's unavailable."

All Might lead you into the room quietly. "He's in with the principal right now but he should be done in a few minutes."

"I'll wait," you decided, taking a seat in a spare chair against a wall. Though he tried not to be obvious, All Might stood nearby keeping an eye on you. After a moment you looked over at him. "Losing family doesn't get any easier the more it happens."

"Unfortunately that's true," he sat a handful of chairs down from you. "Did you want anything while you wait? Tea? Water?"

"I'm having a hard time keeping things down," you admitted, lip warbling. "I keep throwing up because I can't - I can't stop crying."

"You didn't sleep much, did you?"

"Maybe an hour. I tried eating but it just - it just turned my stomach that much more," you added. "I can't even keep water down. I don't remember it being this bad. After Mom died. It wasn't this bad."

"That's most likely because of how young you were. Keep trying to get something into your system though, you need to stay strong for your training."

You scoffed at that, pushing yourself up from the chair. "None of my training prepared me for yesterday. Asher should be in school right now. Yui at her full time job," you scrubbed angrily at your face, drying unwanted tears. "But they're not."

"Let's talk about it in my office," Hound Dog suggested. "Fewer distractions."

Hound Dog

Hound Dog was good at his job as counselor. Great even. He cared about every student at U.A. and their well-being. That said, it surprised him at how soon Y/N brought herself to him. Eraser Head had made the staff aware of what had happened as soon as he'd gotten Y/N back to her dorm. It was for that reason that Hound Dog had anticipated seeing her by the end of the week. He'd already resolved himself to the fact that if she didn't come in herself, he would have her called in.