Having a place with Nezu didn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. Izuku still practised magic with Koui, still trained with Tataka, still studied at the Library. It was only at the end of the day where things were different. He found himself returning to Nezu’s house more and more, his clearing in the woods seeing less use. That would always have a special place in his heart, but something about knowing there was someone else close by that he could talk to was strangely comforting.
Nezu didn’t intrude on his life too much. True to his word, he allowed Izuku his freedom to come and go, so Izuku returned the favour and always shot him a text when he returned from Koui’s realm. They usually had tea in the evenings, and slowly over time, Izuku told him more and more about his new found powers.
“This sounds an awful lot like magic,” Nezu commented one night.
“Because it literally is.”
It was comical the way Nezu had stilled, tea cup tilted to his mouth. They said no more that night, but when Izuku woke up the next morning, he found a quirk registration document on the living room table, with a few notes from Nezu with suggestions. He was now registered with an energy manipulation quirk, because in Nezu’s words, what constituted ‘energy’ and ‘manipulation’ could be defined ridiculously broadly.
A month into being under Nezu’s guardianship, Izuku felt comfortable enough to go back to something he’d neglected in all the adjustments. The interesting passage he’d found in a book about a magical hot spring. He finally showed it to Koui, and he seemed intrigued.
“I see what you mean. Healing water is definitely a thing, but something on this scale? I’m sceptical,” he said.
They were in Izuku’s gazebo, lying side by side as they read through the book.
“It says that the water is supposed to be able to wash away all troubles and soothe even the deepest of pain. Are we sure it’s not just fancy words to make a hot spring look better?”
“Well there are spells that can do that kind of thing, and I wouldn’t put it past a magic region to have something like that,” Koui said, “actually now that I think about it, a magic healing hot spring doesn’t sound so insane.”
“Magic region?” Izuku asked.
“An area in the world so embedded with magic, it’s part of the fabric of its being. They can be simple, like the small domains that mages can create, or they can be really powerful.”
“So there’s a lot of them out there?”
“I don’t think there’s too many, but there’s a fair few.”
“And I can find them all?”
Koui smiled.
“My darling could find them all I’m sure, though some will be very very hard. This Hadayashi hot spring will probably be simple enough, what with your Sight.”
“Are you saying I’m not good enough to find the others?” Izuku teased.
“I’m sure you could, but some of them were hidden in very ancient ways, like the Ancestral Tomb. You’d probably have an easier time finding one of the Great Ones than finding that place.”
Izuku left that day with thoughts of exploration. He had an idea of where to start, but it wasn’t until he went back to Nezu’s that he could talk about it. He tried with Tataka, but the goat man hadn’t been interested.
“The only magic region I’m interested in is the one that lies within these four walls,” he said.
Nezu was already waiting with tea when he arrived, and as Izuku thought, he was very interested. It wasn’t helped when Izuku brought out the book he’d been reading, and he showed it to Nezu.
It was a picture spread across the pages. On the right, a procession of monks approached a Torii gate. Through the gate, naked monks walked along a grass path between stone walls before bowing down low before a great tree with a face on it. On the very left of the pages, the monks were relaxing in the waters. Nezu read the information in the book and listened to what Izuku had found out.
“And a place like this exists?” he asked.
“I think so. My teacher didn’t immediately reject the idea so it’s a strong possibility.”
The principal thought for a moment before pulling his laptop over. His fingers flew over the keys and then he showed Izuku the screen.
“Turns out that Hadayashi refers to an order of monks who had a temple in the forests bordering the Chiba prefecture. The order died out a hundred years before quirks emerged and the temple has fallen into disrepair since, but if this hot spring exists, then the area around the old temple would be a good place to start.”
“You’re ok with it? I thought you’d be pushing me to study more since entrance exams are getting closer.”
“We have four months and you’re actually ahead in your studies. I think you can spare a break. Besides, this is fascinating!” Nezu said, eyes gleaming as they often did when presented with new things to learn.
So with the blessing of his new guardian, Izuku packed a bag and the next morning he set off for the Hadayashi temple.
It was a shame nobody had maintained the place, because he imagined it would look quite nice in its prime. The Hadayashi temple was abandoned, as Nezu had said, though thankfully not completely ruined. Izuku spared it a moment of silent respect before setting off into the surrounding woods.
Since he wasn’t sure where he’d be going, he opted for lighter clothes that were easier to move in. The November air was chilly, but the magic within him welled up enough that he didn’t feel cold. He wore a jinbei style top with a black and white haori over it. His pants were tucked into his socks, fitting comfortably into his zori sandals. Each item was enchanted to the best of his ability for comfort.
The forest was quiet, save for the normal sounds of nature. Izuku walked from the temple for a short while before finding a nice area to sit and meditate. Letting his mind focus, he felt for the magic in the air around him. Something as strong as the Hadayashi hot spring was supposed to be, it would leave a magical signature in its surroundings. If Izuku could find it, then he’d be able to hone in on it in a hotter colder kind of way.
After ten minutes of meditating, he felt something. It wasn’t a trail or a line. It was more like a dim light in the distance, but brighter than the surroundings. That had to be it. Izuku stood and walked in its direction. A few times he crossed trails in the forest, no doubt the official paths that hikers would usually follow. Distantly at the edge of his Sight, he could sense other people, but they were few and far enough away that he didn’t pay them much attention.
After half an hour of walking didn’t seem to make the magic feel any stronger, Izuku risked a portal to get him closer. It put him out a few miles away from where he’d started, but it was worth it. The magical signature was much stronger now. He was definitely in the right area.
“Um, excuse me?”
Izuku jumped out of his skin. In a flash, he was on his feet, body ready to fight, only to find another teenager. He’d stepped back quickly when Izuku moved, hands raised. He was dressed in outdoor clothing, as though prepared for a hike. He had red eyes, and his black hair was long enough to fall in bangs around them. Fear and apprehension was coming off of him strongly.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, “it’s just, I’m a bit lost and wondered if you could help me.”
Izuku relaxed. This was fine, he could handle this.
“Don’t worry about it. How’d you get lost?”
The boy pulled a messy looking map from his pocket. It looked as though it had been dropped in the mud at one point.
“I’m here on a school trip. I thought I could read a map well enough but my walking partner insisted on following his own directions. He ended up getting us lost and we got separated and now I’m really turned around and don’t know where I am,” the boy said, panic rising with each word he spoke.
Izuku stepped forward, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. The boy startled slightly, snapping out of his spiral.
“It’s going to be alright now. I’m afraid I don’t have a map,” the panic came back so Izuku was quick to continue speaking, “but once we get close enough, I should be able to sense where your classmates are. Failing that, I should be able to find someone who could tell you where you are.”
The boys shoulders slumped heavily in relief. He bowed low to Izuku.
“Thank you so much!”
When he stood back up again, he beamed.
“I’m Eijiro Kirishima!”
“Mikumo.”
Wasn’t that weird to say? Luckily he didn’t stutter, otherwise he would have come across as really weird. Kirishima tilted his head in confusion.
“Just Mikumo?”
Oh right, everyone else had surnames. Well, a surname is the family name, and right now Izuku didn’t really have a family. Technically he had Nezu, but Nezu wasn’t really family. Did Nezu even have a family name?
“Yeah, just Mikumo,” Izuku said, “I was going this way, so I’ll keep an eye out for anyone else.”
Kirishima nodded and they walked side by side. The other boy didn’t comment about them not taking the paths, and also seemed willing to let Izuku only having one name go for now. The fear from before was gone, but Izuku could still sense some lingering nerves and apprehension. That seemed more chronic than before, but it didn’t show on his face.
“So you’re here on a school trip. How’s that going?” Izuku asked.
“Besides getting lost? It’s alright I guess, but I feel like we could be a lot more productive. We’re all third years and I know some of my classmates are getting stressed about it.”
“Wait, you’re a third year? But entrance exams are in a few months.”
“Don’t remind me,” Kirishima groaned, “we were all confused about it as well, but our teacher’s a bit weird. She thought it would be a great idea to take us all out into nature to help calm us down. We have times to study but otherwise we’re doing activities like hiking and stuff, only our teacher is terrible at outdoor stuff!”
“That … doesn’t seem like it would end well,” Izuku said.
“I’m lost remember. It’s already not gone well.”
“Oh yeah.”
“What about you?” Kirishima asked, “what brings you out here?”
Izuku considered lying, but there wasn’t really much point. The truth was already weird enough. Besides, Kirishima seemed like a genuine guy. If they found the hot spring before his classmates, maybe he’d like to explore it with him.
“You heard of the Hadayashi monks?”
“The ones who had the ruined temple nearby?”
“Yeah, those ones. Apparently they had something else. A special place known only to them. I’m trying to find that.”
Kirishima’s eyes widened.
“What kind of place?”
Izuku shrugged off his bag and pulled out the book. Opening it to the correct page, he showed Kirishima.
“It looks like a hot spring, but how come I can’t read the writing? I know I’m not that dumb,” Kirishima said.
Izuku frowned, then he realised. The book was written with magic imbued in the lettering. He’d gotten so used to reading books like this he hadn’t even noticed, but of course Kirishima wouldn’t be able to read it. But wait, Nezu could read it? Setting that confusing thought aside, he explained to the other boy as they kept walking.
“It’s supposed to be a magical hot spring that can wash away all the aches and pains you might have, no matter how bad they are.”
“That sounds cool. A good soak in magic water would be great after a hard days training,” Kirishima said.
“Training?”
Kirishima scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish.
“Well, entrance exams are coming up, and I’m trying out for the hero course at UA.”
That was a nice surprise. UA’s hero course was a popular one, and hundreds of applicants tried to get one of the precious few spots. Still, to find one in the middle of nowhere was unexpected but not unwelcome, but why had Kirishima seemed embarrassed?
“That’s awesome. So am I, but why did you sound so unsure about it?”
“Really? Wait, that means you’re a third year too. Why are you wasting time like me when you could be training?”
“My teacher said I’m ahead enough, but don’t change the subject. You’re trying out for UA. You should say it with pride.”
Kirishima’s gaze dropped slightly.
“I know I should. I guess I just can’t help thinking that my quirk isn’t all that good for hero stuff.”
“What's your quirk?” Izuku asked.
Kirishima rolled up one of his sleeves, showing off his forearm. The next moment, the skin firmed up, leaving a hard and craggy, almost rock like texture.
“It’s called hardening. I can make my whole body harder and tougher. It’s not much and not all that flashy. I’m trying to make up for it with my spirit but I’m not sure it’s working.”
Izuku ignored the last part because already his mind was racing with possibilities. Hardening quirks were incredibly versatile. If trained enough, they left the person who had them basically invulnerable. If Kirishima practised, he could be an amazing hero.
“I think it’s the perfect quirk to be a hero with. You’ll be able to save a lot of people with it, I’m sure,” Izuku said.
“But it only protects me?” Kirishima said.
“Exactly, and because you know you’re protected, you can put your all into protecting others. Sure it’s not flashy, but heroics isn’t about that. It’s about saving people, and you can be the ultimate shield,” Izuku said.
He continued walking, but after a few steps he realised Kirishima wasn’t following him. The other boy was staring at him in disbelief.
“You said that so easily,” he said.
“Because it’s easy to tell the truth.”
“But you don’t even know me! We only just met and you didn’t think twice about saying I could be a hero,” Kirishima said.
Oh, now Izuku could place the turblent feelings inside Kirishima. He might not have had his Sight back then, but this had to be what it was like for him growing up.
“For the longest time, everyone around me told me I couldn’t be a hero. It’s only within the last year that I was able to take the opportunity to train for myself, but I wished there had been someone to tell me I could do it. Since you look like you need it too, I’ll gladly be that person for you,” Izuku said.
Kirishima stared at him for a bit longer. Izuku turned when he saw his eyes turn glassy, giving him a little privacy to collect himself. When he heard the crunch of footsteps, he set off again, letting Kirishima fall into step beside him.
“Thanks man,” Kirishima whispered.
Izuku bumped his shoulder and they kept on walking. It was a comfortable silence, allowing him the chance to stretch out his Sight. Ideally he’d get Kirishima back to his class before he found the hot spring, but the only people he could sense were in the direction they were already going. It was difficult to tell whether they were in front or behind the mass of magic he was sensing.
“How come you were going this way?” Kirishima asked.
“Because I was heading this way anyway,” Izuku said, “and there’s people in this direction.”
“How can you tell? Is that your quirk?”
“Part of it,” Izuku lied, “I can manipulate energy to do lots of different things, and through that I can sense the energy that people naturally give off.”
“That’s so cool,” Kirishima said, “and you said you’re going for UA’s hero course as well. Hopefully we can meet up if we both get in.”
“When we both get in, we definitely will,” Izuku said.
As they walked through the trees, a thin mist started to descend on them. It brought Izuku to a halt. The weather, despite being a bit chilly, had been perfect all day. There were no clouds in the sky and the air had been dry. This didn’t feel like an ordinary mist. It was almost charged. They continued a few more paces and the mist grew slightly thicker.
“Aw man, why did it have to get foggy? I was already lost before,” Kirishima said.
“You won’t get lost, don’t worry,” Izuku assured him.
“Can we go around?”
“Probably not. There’s no telling how big this mist is, or if it’ll drift.”
“And you’re sure that people are in his direction?”
“Positive.”
Still seeing Kirishima unsure, Izuku conjured a short rope and handed him one end.
“Here, hold onto this. At the very least we won’t get separated from each other,” he said.
Kirishima took the end offered and held it tight. Izuku led them into the gradually worsening mist. It got so thick that they could barely see two feet in front of them. It was only his Sight that let him find his way through the trees without bumping into anything, and Kirishima had to walk right behind him. The other boy was radiating nerves but held onto the rope.
They crossed a threshold and the mist suddenly vanished. It surprised him enough that he stopped, Kirishima walking into him.
“Hey, why’d you stop?” he asked.
Izuku merely gestured in front of them. Before them was a natural wall made of tall boulders, almost woven together by moss and vines. The mist they’d walked through flowed like a veil over their heads, coming from somewhere past the tops of the rocks. It was impenetrable, save for one opening. Sitting resolutely in the gap in the rocks was an imposing Torii gate.
“Is this?” Kirishima asked.
Izuku nodded. This was it.
They'd found it.