Legend:

"Speech"

'thoughts'

Narration

^Flashback^

Disclaimer:

This work of fan-fiction was created out of appreciation towards the source material.

I don't get any sort of monetary gain from writing this fic and it is solely done as a hobby and the want to share my creative vision with others.

I don't own anything except for any characters that I have created.

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Previously on Avatar, Era of Izuku:

Thrusting his hands into the wall one more time, Izuku widened his eyes when instead of digging into the wall, they dug through it. The cold air on the other side of the wall grazed gently against Izuku's fingertips as a wide smile formed on his face "We made it! Chima, we made it!"

Izuku and Chima continued to dig in a new fervor, taking away chunks of earth with each thrust of their limbs. However, confusion soon took its hold on the boy when he noticed the lack of light coming from the ever-widening hole they made, 'It can't be night already…'

Soon enough, the hole was big enough for Chima to go through and the two made their way past it.

What greeted them was something Izuku could've never expected. A cool breeze flowed through the air as Izuku darted his head from right to left. He still couldn't see anything, not a spec of light was visible in the space he was in. Izuku was confused. It felt like he was outside, so there had to be some sort of light, but there was nothing.

The duo was located inside a gargantuan cave. Its' worm-like shape stretching so far that the boy couldn't comprehend how large it truly was while also wide and tall enough that Godzillo would likely be able to walk through it with no problem.

*R-R-R-R-Rumble...*

*BOOM!*

Before another thought could cross Izuku's mind, the deafening smash of blown up earth and stone coursed through the cave and caused his heart to sink. Particles of dust hitched a ride with the natural airflow of the cave, agitating the boy's eyes and forcing him to squeeze them shut.

*Thump! *

*Thump! *

*Thump! *

Clutching on to Chima for dear life, Izuku let out shaky and terrified gasps as he heard thundering footsteps heading their way. Each alone probably belonging to something much larger than Chima himself.

As these footsteps came mere meters away from the duo and Izuku prepared for the inevitable… They stopped.

*Hummmmm...?*

If there was any light, one could see the boy's eyes shine in wonder.

Before Izuku stood more of Chima's kind.

Adult Badgermoles.

土

BOOK ONE:

EARTH

CHAPTER EIGHT:

A WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET

Izuku gulped and fell on his rear as the group of massive beasts approached him. Kicking up dust with every thunderous step they took, the Badgermole paced around the terrified boy, sniffing at him and brushing their whiskers against his face.

The forest-haired kid did everything in his power to hold back the fear that bubbled inside him. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from shaking like a Chihuahua. Cold sweat ran down his face and spine as damp hands clutched nervously at the ground. Even though he couldn't see anything, Izuku could practically feel the attention of the massive beasts that scrutinized him. Inspecting everything about him that they could while making sure he couldn't do anything without them noticing.

Chima was one thing, but this was different.

They might've been from Chima's kind, but that's all he knew. What was to stop them from deciding he was an enemy and attack him? Chima was afraid of other humans. Who's to say the rest of his species didn't hold the same kind of aggression?

Speaking of whom, it appeared Chima was the only one in the group who seemed to take everything in stride. His relaxed demeanor was a stark contrast to that of the apprehensive Badgermoles and the terrified Izuku.

Something that was soon noticed by the others.

*Huuuuummm? *

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as he felt that the pressure the animal produced was being lifted away, their attention now on Chima.

Chima had let out a dismissive snort and gestured towards the boy, causing the other Badgermoles to hum again in response.

"Chima, what are you doing?" Izuku decided to speak and got the attention of the others again. Thankfully, this time the pressure they exuded was much lighter than it was before. The greenette got no answer other than the sound of the adult Badgermoles turning around and walking off. 'What was that about? Why come here and just leave?'

Before Izuku got a chance to go along with his train of thought, he was pulled out of it by a gentle nudging from Chima. Izuku tilted his head "What is it, Chima?" The only response he got was another nudge.

"You want to follow them?"

Chima let out a hum of confirmation and Izuku's face morphed into a strained smile. He was still kind of afraid of the other Badermoles. A big part of him wanted to turn tail and return to the park.

But that wasn't about him right now. Even if he was afraid, he still owed it to Chima. The poor cub was probably terrified every day when a human got too close to the area he lived in in the park. He was horror-stricken on the day they moved him there, having been forced to be smuggled through the streets of Musutafu.

Chima dealt with this kind of fear daily by being in proximity to other humans. So it would be the least of things Izuku could do for Chima in return.

"All right, Chima!" He called and planted a foot forward, "Let's go!"

*Trip! *

Unfortunately, before he got very far, the poor boy tripped in the darkness and found himself face first in the dirt.

"Ow…"

*Snort! *

An amused snort grabbed Izuku's attention away from his whining and he turned around to glare at its source. Sure, he couldn't see anything in the cave and the target of the glare was blind, but that wasn't the point.

"That's not funny, Chima…" The boy pouted in annoyance.

Chima merely shook his head before crouching near the forest-haired kid on all four of his legs. Izuku, who couldn't see anything, merely stared at empty air before yelping in surprise when he felt Chima's tail curl up around his waist. "C-Chima! W-what are you doing?!" The boy got his answer when he felt Chima directing him towards him using his tail. Being pushed slightly up, Izuku followed the instruction and found himself crouching on Chima's back.

The realization made its way to Izuku, "You want me to ride you?". Feeling Chima nod in confirmation from his position on top of him, the boy righted himself and sat upright on the Badgermole's back.

Now with Izuku secure in his spot, Chima got up and joined the other Badgermoles who were waiting for them a little further ahead. The cub couldn't avoid the pep in his step as the group made their way deeper into the tunnel, the familiar place bringing him a sense of nostalgia.

Izuku, on the other hand, was left staring at the complete darkness in silence as he felt Chima walking on the cave floor, swaying left and right. Left and right.

He kind of liked it, riding Chima like this.

Maybe they should do this more?

Or maybe not.

Well, at least not for THREE. HOURS.

That's was how much time Izuku spent in the darkness, sitting on top of Chima's back. The only sound keeping him company was that of paws hitting the ground. Needless to say that Izuku wasn't feeling at the top of the world right now. He was tired; His eyes were dry from keeping them open for so long, (he couldn't tell if they were open or not) AND, he was sore in places he didn't even know could be sore.

"Are we there yet?" The small whine echoed through the tunnel, disturbing the relative quiet for a few seconds.

To his surprise, Chima let out a snort of a similar tone to his whine at the adult Badgermoles, showing he was just as frustrated as his partner was.

The two only got an exasperated grunt in return, which did nothing to better their mood.

Frustrated, Izuku let himself lay down on Chima's back, planting face first into it. They stayed in silence for a few more minutes before the boy lifted his head again, a surprising sight meeting his eyes.

For the first time in hours, Izuku could see light.

Green radiance illuminated the far reaches of his line of sight, appearing like a small flare of emerald light at the end of the tunnel. The boy could do nothing but smile as the flare appeared to get bigger with each step Chima took, and with it, their destination. "We're here!" Chima wasted no time and ran ahead of the group of Badgermoles, Izuku clinging to his back as to not fall all the while.

With every pounce, the small flare's size and strength were magnified. Precious Light seeped through, allowing the boy to finally get a real view at the tunnel's true proportions.

But that didn't matter right now, all that did was right in front of the duo.

When they finally emerged from the tunnel Izuku closed his eyes, the light hurting them after spending hours in darkness. Cool and damp air filled Izuku's lungs as he took deep breaths, savoring the refreshing air that reminded him of the forest he met Chima.

Izuku's eyes quickly adjusted into the new light, his pupils shrunk. Opening them, he was greeted to a sight he would never forget.

The dark tunnel the two had just left had expanded into a massive cavern, its sheer scale dwarfing anything Izuku had ever seen. The place they stood on served as an observation point, allowing the boy to take the magnificent sight in.

From their lookout, Izuku could see giant pillars of stone and rock rising from the cave's unseen floor in the dozens, some reaching all the way up to the ceiling while others stopped midway, creating earthen platforms of various heights so large one could build houses on them.

Archways made of stone connected these platforms to one another, creating a web of connecting pathways that sometimes branched off into a tunnel that led outside of the cavern. Green moss and crystals covered just about every square meter of the space. Engulfing the walls, pillars, and ceiling as well as illuminating the entire subterranean area in majestic emerald color.

Sparkling waterfalls emerged from holes near the cave's ceiling, pushing streams of water through the crevices of a forest of stalagmites that adorned the cavern's floor far below them, appearing as jagged and menacing teeth. The water flowed down through those crevices, pooling at a majestic underground lake, it's waters shimmering in emerald light and it's rocky beaches the only place on the cave's floor that lacked the stalagmites' presence.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

The adult Badgermoles that have caught up to them weren't even registered in Izuku's mind as he gaped at the scene in awe, trying to take it all in.

Chima fared a little better. The youngling wasn't as awestruck as Izuku, but he too stopped to take it in. He took in a deep breath, letting the familiar damply air fill his lungs as he listened to all the different sounds he remembered from this place.

"Wow…" Izuku's awestruck expression soon morphed into a gleeful smile as the light of curiosity shone brightly within his eyes "Let's go! We gotta get down there!"

Izuku could barely contain his excitement as he and Chima walked through the cavern side by side, he was practically like a kid in a candy store!

Well… The kid part was accurate, you just needed to replace the 'store' with 'cave' and 'candy' with 'the-most-mindboggling-cavalcade-of-quirked-animals-anyone-has-ever-seen!'.

Other Badgermoles like Chima were everywhere in sight, taking residence around the lake and some of the lower platforms. Most of which were the same size as the adults that came here with them; Massive beasts the size of bi-level train cars that could easily cause grown men to faint from the fear of being near them. Smaller cubs; some younger than Chima, some older; and some about the same age; Appeared here and there amongst the adults.

'Is this Chima's home?' Izuku asked himself. 'His real home…?'

Besides the Badgermoles, multiple species Izuku had never seen before were scattered around the cavern, each more captivating and unique than the last.

A small group of large, mammal-like creatures with star-shaped noses and no eyes was currently drinking water from the lake. Beside them were what could only be described as mustached alligators who were swimming peacefully in the water.

Wolf-like creatures with a somewhat scary face and wings dotted the cave's upper levels, keeping a clear distance from any Badgermole at the cave's floor. Turning his head, Izuku smiled as he watched what looked like small prairie dogs popping out of little holes in the cave's floor. They were being chased by Badgermole cubs as part of a game, singing a little note every time one of them popped out of the ground.

Fireflies illuminated the air around Izuku, their light reflected in his eyes in the form of sparkles. On the ground, little white grasshoppers with four legs were bouncing about aimlessly, sometimes getting the attention of what looked like a cross between a frog and a badger. Little rabbits with impossibly long ears doted from place to place, entering and exiting burrows in the blink of an eye.

Izuku was left with nothing to do but gape in awe at every new animal he saw, the mere thought of doing anything else wasn't even being processed. "This is amazing, Chima!" The boy managed to mutter under his breath, causing his companion to pump up his chest as if saying 'Yep! I Know places!'

The two continued to explore for a while, walking around and meeting other animals. Most stayed clear of Izuku, which saddened the boy. But he figured that if a stranger walked up to him, he would be wary as well. It was probably the first time any of them had ever seen a human before. As someone who's first encounter with an animal ever almost ended up being his last, he could understand.

Though the Badgermoles didn't seem to mind, for some reason. Maybe it was because he was there with Chima, but still, the sheer nonchalance the Badgermoles held for his presence was astounding.

That was why Izuku and Chima found themselves mingling with the creatures. All around them, dozens upon dozens of Badgermoles were busy doing their thing. Some were eating; Others sleeping; The youngest ones were playing, and the adolescent ones appeared to be training.

It was the latter-most group that Chima and Izuku found the most interesting, opting to sit on a nearby boulder and watch.

It was quite a spectacle.

On the farthest reaches of the 'training ground', an area the size of a stadium on the beach, three adolescents appeared to be raising and collapsing giant walls of earth and crystal(Izuku filed that he could probably use his quirk on crystals for later), competing amongst themselves on who could make the largest wall. A little to the right, an adult constructed earthen targets for the younger ones to shoot down, showing remarkable aiming skills despite being blind. Occasionally, the boy saw a hole being opened out of the ground, and out came a jumping Badgermole like a dolphin; only to dive back into the tunnel he made a second later.

"Wow…" Izuku gaped in wonder as he watched the younglings perform. He was nowhere near skilled enough to do what they can. "Think we can join, Chima?" The boy practically begged his companion, eagerness palpable in his voice and eyes.

Unfortunately for him, Chima shook his head in denial.

"Awwww…" The boy slumped in disappointment, before perking up as a thought crossed his head "Can I still learn something?". This place was filled with Chima's kind, all of whom seemed to possess the same quirk he and Izuku had, it would be a waste to come here and have nothing to show for it.

Chima hummed in thought and tilted his head, contemplating on Izuku's request.

Now, what was a thing Izuku should know but didn't yet?

Just then, a small group of Badgermole cubs, even younger and smaller than Chima, walked by them in a straight line, following an adult female. The cubs showed a clear lack of spatial awareness as they collided with one another and left their position in the line, causing it to resemble more of a zigzag.

Izuku raised a questionable brow. This was the first time he ever saw someone of Chima's kind this disoriented. Up until now, the Badgermoles demonstrated better orientation than everyone and anyone he had ever met.

Chima, on the other hand, appeared as though a lit light bulb appeared above his head as if saying 'Bingo'.

"Whoa! Hey! What are you doing, Chima?!" Izuku yelped in surprise as he felt Chima pushing him towards the marching cubs with his snout. Turning around, Izuku eyed Chima, silently asking for an explanation.

Chima only pointed with his head at the cubs and gestured to the boy 'Go on.'

Izuku quickly caught on to Chima's massage "You want me to follow them, right?" As the end of the line finally passed by them, the boy got up from his sitting position and joined the march himself, eager to start his lesson like always.

But when he looked behind him, he saw that Chima remained in his spot, keeping track of him as he got further and further. "You're coming, Chima, right?" Izuku asked with slight panic.

Chima shook his head in denial. While he wanted to go with his friend, this was something he needed to figure out on his own. What the boy needed to learn now couldn't be taught. Besides, just because Izuku couldn't join the 'advance training' didn't mean Chima couldn't.

Izuku slumped his shoulders in disappointment and apprehension. He was scared to part from his friend, the only familiar being in this place. The sheer thought of not seeing Chima again was definitely his worst fear. But he still had faith in Chima. If the Badgermole wasn't wary about sending Izuku off with the other Badgermoles than he would be safe, he would see Chima again.

Clenching his fist in determination, Izuku faced the dark tunnel the group was about to enter with a steeled gaze. Whatever it was he was being sent to learn, Izuku would make sure he masters it.

It turns out it was easier said than done.

As Izuku and the group of young cubs made their way blindly in the dark tunnels, ramming into each other randomly, the boy still struggled to do anything. He tripped more times than he could count; His knees and palms were scraped, And he was pretty sure he made an enemy for life in the form of a Badgermole he kept ramming into.

At least he figured out what he was supposed to learn. It didn't take Izuku long to notice the lack of spatial awareness the cubs had in contrast to the older ones, seeing as they kept colliding with him. The boy figured that this was a lesson on how to gain that awareness. And since he was told to follow them by Chima, he figured it had something to do with their quirk.

But that's all he had, honestly. The boy had no idea how his earth manipulation abilities were supposed to help him 'see' anything in this place. All he could do for now was keep walking in the dark. Hoping that in a moment of inspiration he would figure it out.

He didn't expect any help from the adult leading their little march. Not only the boy probably wasn't able to read her as well as he could Chima but, as far as he knew, the older Badgermole didn't involve herself in the teaching of any of the cubs.

He was on his own, left to figure it all out for himself. The adult was probably here just to make sure no one got into trouble.

With nothing to do, Izuku decided that activating his quirk was better than do nothing and had let the familiar chaotic tremors course into his feet and through his body.

Who knows? Maybe his answer was there?

A fond smile formed on the boy's face at the familiar feeling, he would never get tired of it. The vibrations tickled his feet and toes like they always did and Izuku let himself become lost in the sensation as he made his track in the tunnel. It was almost hard to believe that a year ago he couldn't even tap into his quirk properly. Never mind being capable of maintaining his connection to the earth while moving.

But practice did make perfect.

So, that's what he did. For a good hour, Izuku walked through the dark tunnels with only his thoughts (and the occasional bumping into a Badgermole cub) keeping him company.

That was when he made his breakthrough.

*Ba-dump Ba-dump*

'Weird…' The boy hummed to himself. The usual random turmoil of vibrations that he felt was accompanied by a rhythmic beating that almost overpowered everything else. But while it certainly was new, Izuku couldn't shake the feeling he felt it before…

'Wait… that's it! I felt it when I looked for Chima!' The boy's interest peaked. Prior to today, the tremors he felt whenever he used his quirk had no order to them and seemed to vibrate without cause. Never had Izuku felt any sort of frequency through the earth, and the child would lie if he said that he wasn't curious about it.

*thump - ba-dump *

Izuku heard one of the cubs plant their paw into the ground a few meters behind him, a soft and gentle quivering passed by the balls of his feet at the exact same moment.

*Thump - Ba-dump*

Another cub took a step only a couple of meters in front of the boy, accompanied by a weak tremor that the boy felt wiggle his way through his toes. Unknowingly, Izuku quickened his pace with each tremor he felt, cutting through other Badgermoles as his excitement grew with each new vibration.

*thump - ba-dump*

This time, the boy barely caught the sound of a cub on his far-right, all the while what could barely count as a tickle was registered on his right foot.

The greenette was full-on sprinting now, unable to contain all the giddy energy that was built within him. He almost had it! He was sure of it! He ran by more and more Badgermoles, making his way to the front of the group and when he reached it, all the pieces were put into place.

*TTTHHHUUUMMMPPP! – BA-DUUUUUUUMMMPPPP!*

Izuku heard the loud stomping of the adult Badgermole's foot mere centimeters away from him, but that wasn't what fazed him. What did was the practical earthquake that Izuku felt when the beast's foot went down, shaking him to the core and knocking him to the ground from its' sheer strength.

Now, he finally had an answer.

Whenever Izuku felt the rhythmic tremors pass by his feet, he also heard the stomping of the other Badgermoles' paws on the ground at the exact moment. Not only that, but it felt like the tremor themselves came from the same direction as the sound. He could feel the stomp of paws against the hard ground. Visualize the vibrations coursing through the earth until the entire tunnel was enveloped in it. He could tell roughly where the Badgermoles were: Behind, in front, to the right, to the left…

'I'm feeling them through the earth!'

It all made sense now. How Chima could see so well even when he was blind; Why every single one of Chima's species could do it; Why Chima thought… No, he knew, that Izuku could do it too!

The ability to sense the world around oneself with the vibrations of the ground. THAT was the skill Chima sent him here to master. 'This is SO COOL!' Izuku gushed in his mind. A whole new application to his quirk; he was going to have a field day analyzing it when he got home!

Leaning on his hands in preparation to get up, Izuku stopped himself as he felt vibrations course through his arms. The boy contemplated. 'My quirk's stronger when I'm walking on all four…'. Placing both of his hands on the ground, Izuku began walking forward on all four, just like his badger-y entourage.

The vibrations immediately intensified in their fervor. Suddenly, what was once only a vague understanding of his surrounding got into a focus, Like putting on glasses for the first time. Vague direction got pinpointed. Behind turned to five and seven o'clock; right into two and a half; left into ten, and in front into one. Figuring out distance wasn't exactly doable at the moment; and he couldn't pinpoint more than five of the Badgermoles at the same time. But a good start was a good start.

And it felt amazing. To feel so many rhythms singing together at once and being able to distinguish them from one another, reading their meaning. It was almost surreal, after all, logic dictated that he should only feel senseless vibrations…

"!" Izuku almost stumbled in his stride as the thought crossed his mind.

Could it be? Could the senseless and chaotic tremors that he felt whenever he used his quirk be used to sense his surroundings? Were the disordered vibrations just like the tremors the cubs generated? An assortment of different quaking echoes, all coursing through the ground in harmony and giving it voice?

All this time, it was just under his nose and he didn't even realize it.

Izuku was sure of one thing now, more than ever. The journey to master his quirk had only just begun. He still had a long way ahead of him.

"Chima! Chima! I'm back!" As soon as Izuku was back into the crystal cave, the boy hurried over to where he last saw his friend, not even minding the bright light of the cavern that stung his eyes a bit.

The Badgermole in question was currently smudged on the hard ground, not even lifting his head in greeting. Chima huffed and puffed in exhaustion as his muscles ached and his head was spinning. Whatever he did while Izuku was gone, it wasn't easy.

"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" The boy leaned on his knees and took a closer look at Chima. The Badgermole was covered head to tail with dirt and grime from whatever he was doing here. His fur was a mess, disheveled and unruly while mud-covered up his snout, clearly agitating him.

Izuku extended a hand to pet Chima, only to get a closer look at it for the first time in a while. Now that the boy could see, it was obvious he was in no better shape than Chima was. Izuku's already messy hair appeared to be defying all the rules of physics by becoming even messier. The boy's clothes, much like his arms and feet, had gotten dirty with dust and mud that was accumulated through his track in the tunnel, the fabric's original color masked by lairs of dust.

"We need a bath…" Izuku dreaded the look his mother was going to give him. No doubt she was going to banish him to the bathroom for the rest of the week once he got home.

Chima, who was still slumped on the ground, perked his ears suddenly and started to get up as if he remembered something important. "Oh! You're up!" Chima managed to bring himself to a stand and shook off some of the lairs of dirt he had on him before warping his tail around Izuku's waist and dragging him off somewhere.

"C-Chima! Not Again!"

The Badgermole simply continued to drag the flabbergasted boy deeper into the cave, taking him from platform to platform via archways of stone and green crystals. The boy let out a small yelp when a flock of insects flew right through them, some tacking into his hair before resuming as if nothing happened. Turning to look at them, his mouth gaped as he saw hundreds of orange and yellow butterflies flying in formation above and below the stone archways; joining with even more butterflies before landing on the copper deposits that dotted some of the pillars there.

Walking above a bridge between two platforms, Izuku looked down and saw a large river coursing below. Dolphin-like creatures with blue backs and white undersides, as well as fins that resembled wings, jumped out of the water every-so-often, staying in the air for an unnatural amount of time before diving back in. For some reason, he felt an unexplained urge to ride them.

Eventually, the duo came face to face with one of the walls of the massive cavern. An entrance to a small tunnel was embedded there, green crystals illuminating it's beggings and continued down with the tunnel itself. "You want to go down there?" Izuku questioned Chima's choice with a raised eyebrow.

All he got in response was Chima heading down the tunnel in silence. And with him still tied to Chima, it was obvious he followed. Eventually, Chima uncoiled his tail and the two found themselves walking through the tunnel in silence as the cave turned downwards, deeper into the earth.

At some point, the air around Izuku became hot and humid, so that even with how sweaty he was, his body wasn't getting colder*. Inhaling deeply, hot air filled the boy's lungs, warming up Izuku's insides in a way that would be comforting if not for how winded he was.

The boy's curiosity was picked, "Where are we going?". Though Chima preferred to be enigmatic about the destination and remained quiet, Izuku's question would be answered soon enough.

The sound of rippling water soon overtook every other sound so that even their footsteps were muffled. Steam began to form around the two, clouding Izuku's field of vision as the tunnel finally opened up into a larger cave.

"Where are we?" Izuku's head darted to left and right in an attempt to grasp their location. Unfortunately, it was to no avail as a large amount of steam clouded his vision to the point he couldn't tell how big the cave was.

Taking a few cautious steps, the boy wandered around the entrance and tried to swat some of the steam that fogged the area "Chima? Whe- WHOA!"

*Splash! *

Before the boy knew what happened, his feet found no ground to step on and he fell forward. Instead of feeling the hard ground hitting him, Izuku's eyes widened in surprise as hot water enveloped his body and he found himself submerged underwater.

Luckily, the boy could swim, and after reorienting himself he made his way to the surface "Bwaaa! *Cough! * *Cough! * *Cough! *" Coughing out some water, Izuku rubbed his eyes and turned to look around himself.

Izuku was in the middle of a rather deep pool (good thing too, considering he fell headfirst into it). The Slightly green water rippled gently in ring patterns and produced the steam that enveloped the place. The rocks on the pool's edge were slippery, not even covered in moss as the soft light that came from the crystal stalactites got reflected off them.

Chima was standing at the pool's edge, taking in the humid air with deep breaths.

"You knew about this place, didn't you?" The forest-haired boy asked as he climbed out of the pool and looked over himself. Luckily, he was uninjured, but he was now soaked from head to toe, his drenched clothes sticking to his skin.

"Ughhh… Now I have to wait until my clothes dry up!" Izuku whined. He took off his drenched shirt and pants, placing them on a nearby dry stone. Hopefully, they would dry out quickly.

In response to his whine, however, Chima only playfully nudged the boy and gestured with his head to the hot spring he just got out of.

A gleeful smile developed on the boy's face as he realized what Chima was proposing. "Well, if we need to wait here, we can have fun at least!" With that, Izuku wasted no time and left his clothes to dry, running towards the spring.

"CANNON BAAAAALLLL!"

*Splash! *

The boy splashed down into the spring, emerging from the water a few seconds later giggling "Hehehehe! Chima! You coming?" Izuku waved the Badgermole over.

*Splash! *

"Whoa!" The greenette shielded himself as Chima jumped in and sent water flying everywhere with a massive splash. "Hey!" Izuku protested in annoyance as Chima was smirking in victory. "How about this!" The boy pushed against the water, aiming at the Badgermole.

*Splash! *

"Hehehehe…" The greenette chuckled as Chima donned an unamused expression, his white eyes shielded by a coat of wet fur. "You had it coming, Chima!"

And so, the two spent the next few hours having a water fight and enjoying themselves in the springs. The sound of the boy's laugher echoing through the cave and the tunnels that led to it.

Time flew by quickly and before he knew it, Izuku was walking out of the hot-springs tunnel with Chima in toe, both sporting damp hair like a fashion trend. "That was so fun!" The boy laughed joyfully. Had he known this place existed he would've helped Chima's digging every day.

Chima himself seemed satisfied as well. The Badgermole missed taking baths in the hot springs, he hasn't felt this clean in ages!

"So, what do we do now, Chima?" Izuku asked out of the blue as he struggled to stifle a yawn. It was only now that it caught up to him how much had happened during the day: The trip to get here; Their exploring of the cave; Izuku's training session; the hot springs...

It was only then and there when the boy realized something important. "Wait! What time is it?! I need to go back home!" Izuku panicked. With no clock or daylight to tell him the hour, it could've been midnight for all he knew. His mother was going to kill him!

"We need to go back!"

Hearing the urgency in the boy's voice, Chima lowered himself to allow the boy to climb up.

"Thanks!" With a little grunt of effort, the boy was now seated securely on the Badgermole's back and without further ado: they took off.

Casting one final look behind him, Izuku let out a small smile as he watched the emerald light of the cave becoming dimmer with the distance growing. Patting the Badgermole's head as he ran forward, the boy involuntary let out one statement before turning back, "We'll be back…"

Luckily, the trip back took a lot less time than before, only about half as long. The duo found themselves in the park they left just that morning, Chima panting and struggling to catch his breath.

"You were amazing, Chima." The boy patted his companion's head as he got off him and took a look around. It was late dusk. The orange dim of the sky was almost completely faded, giving rise to the dark of night, "Just made it…". Stiffing a yawn, Chima turned around and made his way back to the cave, as he always did at the end of a day.

"Are you going back there?"

The question left Izuku's mouth without his consent.

Chima stopped.

Now that Chima had a way to return to the rest of his kind, would he have a reason to stay? So far, Chima was here in the park because it was the safest place for him. But that was no longer the case.

Izuku closed his eyes, tears threatening to spill out at the mere notion. He wasn't Chima, even if he did master the Badgermole's navigation abilities, he would never be able to come to visit him daily anymore. The journey would cost too much time.

Is it goodbye? The last time he would see his best friend before he would enter that cave of his and never come out?

*Puuuuuuuurrrrrrr…*

'Eh?'

Izuku felt something soft and warm nuzzling against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he found it was Chima, rubbing his snout against his face and purring. One look at Chima's face was all he needed to have his worries lifted. With a mere expression, he knew exactly what message Chima hoped to convey: 'I'm not going anywhere without you.'

Rubbing his eyes dry and grinning a shaky smile, the boy warped his arms around Chima's snout.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Chima…"

With that, the duo parted ways for the day.

"Izuku, did you remember to take your lunch with you?"

"Yes, mom!"

"What about your notebooks?!"

"I never forget them!"

"And your handkerchief? What about your hanky?"

"Mooooommm, I didn't forget anything. I'll be fine!"

Inko and Izuku stood in front of a rather large building that was fenced off from the outside world. The frantic mother looked over her son, searching for anything that could be missing from what might be one of the most important days of his young life.

"Just remember, Izuku. Mommy's so proud of you right now!" Inko couldn't' hold it in anymore as she hugged her son and let out a waterfall of tears flow out of her eyes.

"M-mom!" The boy blushed when he heard the snickers of other kids around him, some the same age as him while others were older.

"OHH! My baby grows up so faaaaaast!"

Managing to get out of the bone-crushing hug, the boy made his way into the building and passed the metal gate that served as the entrance to the place. Turning around and looking one last time, he spotted his mother still waving at him. "Have a great first day of school, sweetie!" The mother managed to yell while tearing up again.

Flashing her a smile only he can, Izuku waved back at her "I will!"

And so, clad with his trusty yellow backpack and his new uniform of white shirt and blue shorts, the boy entered the building he will spend the next couple of years in.

Not even ten minutes in, and Izuku already decided that he hated school.

It was nothing like kindergarten.

In kindergarten, there was only a handful of kids and adults; there was plenty of fun stuff to do; Their blue smocks were comfy to wear and allowed for complete freedom of movement; and there was always the looming hope that he would be picked up early, letting him spend more time with Chima.

Here, however, none of that could ever happen.

The place was absolutely stuffed! Just being here and watching the number of people present was enough to make his head spin! The halls of the place may have been colorful, but that's it. Not a piece of a puzzle or a part of a toy was in sight. And the uniform! That shirt was so stuffy! He felt like someone was tying him up when he wore that thing!

But worst of all was the timetable. He had to spend a set number of hours here EVERY day, for SIX days of the week! Not to mention that he would need to spend more time on something called 'homework' after school if what those upperclassmen said was true. That meant less time to play with Chima, and that was UNACCEPTABLE!

Right now, the boy found himself sitting among the other first graders on the floor of the school's in-door basketball court. The wooden floor appeared to be quite clean, though it was obviously worn down from years of use. The white lines that divided the court into sections were far from pristine, with chunks of the paint missing in a few places. The baskets themselves were in no better shape, lacking their nets and their paint peeling off.

Looking behind him Izuku saw the rest of the student body, sitting on the floor and neatly arranged in rows that divided them by class and grade. Behind even them stood the faculty. About thirty to forty men and women, most of which middle-aged but others were younger or older. In the front, on a raised platform, stood who the boy assumed to be the principle: a relatively young man with bright orange hair and purple suit. He seemed rather nice, not bothered at all by the shape his basketball court was in.

"And now, to close things off, I'd like to introduce to you all to the new members of our family. Please welcome our first graders!" The principal presented them with a warm smile.

The sound of half-assed clapping was heard through the court. "I hope you all have a great time here at our school. Please remember to be diligent in your studies, as well as kind to each other! We all expect great things from you!"

"Tch-! " While it was barely noticeable, Izuku managed to hear the silent scoff that came from Bakugou's mouth. The boy signed silently to himself 'Kacchan hadn't changed one bit…'

"With that, I like to proclaim this entrance ceremony a wild success!" The principal joked, not earning a lot of chuckles in return. "In any case…" The principle coughed into his hand. "First graders, please remain here, your homeroom teachers will come and pick you up. Everyone else, please exit in an orderly fashion. Sixth graders will go first and we'll work our way down from there."

As soon as he said that, a man and three women made their way and stood in front of the group of first graders. One of the women stepped forward, she had short black hair with bangs that reached her brown eyes and a rather slim build. Although she did have rather large… Assets…

The most distinct feature about her, however, was the one thing that was on all the kids' minds.

'What's with that shirt?!'

The woman wore the most bizarre shirt any of them had ever seen. A green shirt with a picture of a chicken leg with the message ' 8/10th portion' written on it with blue lettering. "Good morning, students!" Oblivious to what was going through her students' minds, the woman wasted no time and introduced herself with a wide smile on her face. "I'm Aguri Yukimura and I'm the homeroom teacher of class 1-1! Nice to meet you all!"

Bowing in politeness, a small smile reached her face when she watched Izuku do the same instinctively while still sitting from the corner of her eye 'Guuuush, he's so adorable!' "I will now read out the names of the student in my class! Anyone who hears their name, please stand behind me and I'll take you to our classroom!"

"Murasa Shisu!"

A girl with a burgundy ponytail that Izuku had less than pleasant memories of stood up and walked behind Yukimura.

"Sato Yubi!"

Now here's a more familiar name. Bakugou's lackey with stretching fingers stood up and walked behind his new teacher.

And so, it went for a couple of minutes. Yukimura continued calling out names, and each time a student walked behind her and joined the ever-enlarging group. Some of the kids, Izuku knew from kindergarten. Others he didn't. The school was much bigger than kindergarten, after all.

"Bakugou Katsuki!"

A small scoff could be heard as the ash-blonde himself stood up and arrogantly made his way behind the young teacher.

"Midoriya Izuku!"

The greenette jumped in place once he heard his name being called, causing a few of the other kids to snicker and Bakugou to cast him a murderous glare.

It would appear they would be classmates.

What were the odds?

"…And here's our classroom!" Yukimura proclaimed in enthusiasm as she opened the door and showed the room to her students like she was a host on a game show.

The new class of 1-1 had spent the last forty-five minutes getting to know every nook and cranny in Aldera elementary school. Be it the library; the school gyms and courts; or the cafeteria; no stone was left unturned by their bubbly homeroom teacher.

All in all, their new classroom was rather nice. The walls, while blank now, held plenty of space for customization. Something Yukimura had already planned on doing. Along the walls of the classroom stood a rather large bookshelf, holding a rather wide assortment of reading material if what Izuku was seeing was true. There were a total of 5 square tables set up throughout the room, each one having four chairs on its' sides for the students. In the front, a blackboard that held the writing 'Welcome! Class 1-1!" in colorful chalk faced their young eyes, even if only a few of them could understand it.

"Why don't we all take our seats and get to know one another?" Yukimura was the first to enter, soon followed by the rest of the kids. Standing tall in front of the blackboard, she watched over the kids with a smile as they all chose a place to sit in.

Naturally, once Bakugou chose his seat, accompanied by his usual lackey in the back of the classroom, Izuku chose where to sit as well.

In the front.

As far away from the blonde as possible.

"Alright, class!" Clapping her hands together to get their attention, Yukimura decided to start today's activities "Since we are all seated now, why don't we get to know each other? We'll take turns and everyone will tell us about themselves."

The young woman placed a hand on her chest, "Why don't I start? My name is Aguri Yukimura. I like to eat Takoyaki with my boyfriend(In the kids' mind: 'Ewwwww...!'), and my quirk is…" The teacher cupped both her hands in each other and the class watched in awe as strands of her hair began to lengthen and float in the air like tentacles. "I can lengthen my hair strands and control their movements."

To demonstrate, the teacher let her hair wrap around a textbook she had on the teacher's desk and tossed it in the air, catching it with her hand as it fell.

"Woah… So cool!" Izuku murmured with stars in his eyes. His classmates with similar expressions of wonder at the sight of the quirk.

"Hehe…" Giggling at her students' expression, Yukimura let her hair return to its' short length. "Now that I'm done, who wants to go next?"

As soon as she said that, almost all the kids in the class raised their hands as high as they could. Some even yelling "Me! Pick me!"

"My, my…" The teacher sweat dropped in the face of all the enthusiasm, " Let's all relax, shall we? Everyone is going to get their turn."

The teacher opened up her notebook and looked at a paper none of the kids could see, "Let's see… How about we start with you Murasa-chan!"

The introductory session began. Each student that was called stood up to the front and presented themselves. Some were shy, others confident or funny and one… was Bakugou…

Nevertheless, it proved to be a great time for all of them. Especially for a quirk enthusiast like Izuku.

"And, now… We have Midoriya-kun. Can you come here please?" Nodding faintly, the boy stood up and walked to stand at the front of the class, a mere ten steps to his right.

"H-hello…" He waved at his new classmates "M-my name's Izuk-ku Midoriya. I like heroes and my quirk is…" Tapping the front of his shoe on the ground once, the teacher, and some of the kids were startled when one of the stone tiles was blasted vertically into the air. Catching it in midair, the boy flashed a nervous smile "M-my quirk is Earthbending. I c-can control earth and stone by moving around."

"My… that's quite a quirk Midoriya-kun. Although…", Yukimura sweat-dropped as she gazed at the hole in the floor, "In the future, try not to damage school property."

Izuku eyes went wide in alarm when he heard that 'Not again!' "S-sorry…" Placing the tile on the hole he made, the boy moved his hand over it, and just like that, the floor was back to normal.

'That's quite handy…' The teacher hummed to herself 'At least I don't have to call the landlord…'

Bowing in apology one last time, Izuku sat down at his desk and watched as the student next to him got called out.

"Alright. Next, we have… You Kyo-!"

"It's Jiro." The student interrupted Yukimura. They blushed as the attention was directed at them "M-my dad must've written my first name b-before my last name; he does that sometimes.". Standing up and walking to the front of the class, the student bowed in greeting. They wore the standard boy's uniform: a white shirt and blue shorts.

They were quite petite, barely fitting into the larger uniform they wore. Dark purple hair with an asymmetrical fringe almost covered equally dark purple eyes. They shuffled their feet nervously like they didn't want to stand there as they played with the most prominent feature they had with their fingers.

Flexible, plug-like cords that dangled from their earlobes, ending with two earphone jacks.

"M-my name is Jiro K-Kyoka." They told the rest of the class. "I-I like rock-k music and my q-quirk is 'Earphone jack-k!'" To emphasize they lifted the jacks in the air to show the class, "I have a p-pair of Earphone jacks hanging from my earlobes. I c-can use them to ch-channel my heartbeat into a vibration attack-k or to amplify my hearing."

Having said their piece, Jiro turned to leave and sat next to Izuku again, sighing in relief that it was over. It appears they weren't much of a social butterfly.

Something that Izuku couldn't help but think they had in common.

It was the end of the day and Izuku found himself at the halls of his new school, trying to find the exit.

Unfortunately, the tour was more focused on the different landmarks of the school rather than how to get from point A to point B. So, as one would expect, the boy found himself wandering in the halls, trying in vain to find the way out.

"Hey, do you know how to get out of here?" A voice called out and Izuku turned his head, finding himself staring at a familiar face.

It was the boy that sat next to him in class, Jiro, if he remembered correctly. Now that he got a chance to stand next to him, Izuku realized that Jiro was even shorter than him.

"Oh!" Izuku exclaimed, "No, I'm lost too."

The boy slumped his head in disappointment. "Figures," He grumbled "It wouldn't hurt them to put up signs, though. We have only been here one day."

Izuku could only nod in agreement, "I'm with you on that… I guess we could just go and ask an upper-classman…"

"Look around, fuzzy-head." The purple head gestured to the hallway.

'Fuzzy-head?!'

"We are the only ones here, everyone else already left."

One look around confirmed it and Izuku slumped his head as well before he suddenly perked up, a figurative light-bulb above his head, "I got it! I can use my quirk to find a way out!"

The greenette sat down and began to take off his shoes, much to the confusion of the purple-headed boy that was there with him, "What do you mean 'you can use your quirk'? AND WHY ARE YOU TAKING OFF YOUR SHOES?!"

Izuku explained himself as he stashed his shoes into his backpack, "A part of my quirk lets me sense the vibrations in the ground and use them to navigate, kind of like bats. I couldn't use it before because the school was so full of students and I would get overwhelmed if I tried. But since it's just the two of us I can manage!"

The purple-head's eyes shot wide, "Oh! That's pretty smart! But why take off your shoes?"

Izuku gained a sheepish smile, "I need to be in direct contact with the ground for it to work. Wearing shoes just makes everything feel all muffled, its' like trying to listen to music while wearing sound-canceling earplugs."

"Nice analogy…" Jiro complimented before raising his earphone jacks, "I can help too. I have amplified hearing. Between the two of us, I think we can find the exit without a problem."

"That's so cool!" Izuku gushed at the quirk and its' owner had to take a step back in surprise. "You said earlier that you can also attack with your quirk, right?! Your quirk is so versatile!"

Jiro's face blushed crimson, "Its' not that impressive," he muttered, "Besides, you can do all that stuff with your quirk too…"

"I guess you're right…" Izuku replied, his face gaining a slight shade of red himself before a sheepish expression takes over, "Our quirks are more similar than I thought…"

Jiro raised a brow before chuckling, "You're right. I guess they are…"

The two made their way through the halls of the school, concentrating on their quirks. In no time at all, the two found the exit and were now ready to say their goodbye and head off home in different directions.

"Thanks for helping me find the way out" Izuku bowed.

"No, no!" Jiro's flabbergasted face flushed as he nervously played with his jacks, "You helped me as much as I helped you, its' on the both of us."

"If you say so…" Izuku scratched his nape before extending a hand to Jiro, "Then I guess it's' goodbye for the day, Jiro-Bō!"**

.

.

.

.

Silence permeated through the air around them as Jiro seemed frozen in his spot. His eyes were covered by his fringe and his mouth formed an expressionless line across his face.

"Jiro-Bō?"

*Fwooooooooooosh…"

Jiro's earphone jacks floated ominously in the air and slithered like a pair of snakes towards Izuku. The boy felt a sense of dread fill his heart as he watched the two metallic points of the jacks getting closer to his head.

"J-Jiro-Bō…?'

Faster then he could register, the jacks flew upwards and into both of his ears.

*BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!*

"!"

Two shockwaves vibrated through Izuku simultaneously. His hair stood up straight as the vibrations coursed violently through his body, Torturing his ear-drums, rattling the lungs in his ribcage, and attacking his diaphragm. "GGGGAAAAHHHHHHHAAAHHHHAAHHHHH!"

After five seconds of agonizing pain, the shockwaves stopped, and the jacks left Izuku's ears.

The boy then collapsed on the ground, swirly patterns dancing in his eyes.

"I'M! A! GGGIIIIRRRRLLL!"

And with that, she stomped off, leaving an unconscious Izuku on the ground.

Jiro Kyoka

Quirk: Earphone jack

Description: Kyoka has a pair of headphone jacks hanging from her earlobes. When the plugs are connected to something, she can channel her heartbeat into the jacks, creating a vibration attack. In addition, she has enhanced hearing allowing her to pick up in minuscule sounds in vibrations from her vicinity.

It is important to notice that she perceives those vibrations through her hearing in contrast to Chima and Izuku who perceive it through Earthbending.

Appearance: Kyoka is a short girl of a petite build. Her dark purple hair is on the shorter sides, reaching her chin in only a few places like the back of her jawbone. She often hides her purple eyes behind her fringe, not liking to make eye contact.

Affiliation: Aldera Elementary school student.

Age: 6.

Birthday: 8/1.

Height: 91.2 cm.

Favorite food: Dango.

Favorite thing: Rock music.

Tidbit:

Despite her age, Jiro is a talented musician, capable of playing on multiple instruments. The guitar is her favorite though.

*The way sweating works is that the body is cooling off by letting the water evaporate off our skin. But when the humidity is high, the rate of evaporation is slowing down. In other words, the higher the humidity, the more useless our sweat becomes at cooling us off.

** Bō is an honorific reserved solely for male babies and children. In case it wasn't clear enough, Izuku thought Jiro was a boy. Though I'm not really sure if it's used like the way I used it in the story. It did fit the general situation enough so that's why I used it.

Hope you liked the new chapter. I had this little thing planned out since the beginning, so it's nice to finally get that out there. In case it isn't obvious, HTTYD 3 was a HUGE inspiration for the hybrid-animals' cavern, as well as one of the inspirations to Izuku's relationship with Chima.

We finally have another character! Jiro is officially a part of the story! I don't want to reveal too much, but she will play a major role in the story's future. I feel like her character doesn't get that much attention in other fanfics aside from ones that focus on music, and the ones that do put a focus on her focus only on her musical talent.

I hope to remedy that.

Music will still be a part of her character, of course. But I will also focus on other stuff.

Next time: The book's finale will finally begin!

P.S: If you didn't catch the reference in this chapter, go watch Assassination Classroom. NOW.