The crackling of a burning fire.

Rain pitter pattering against the hard glass as the storm outside raged in solemn.

Foreign voices speaking, eyes staring at her. Gazes lacking life.

"..."

She couldn't understand what was being said, in and out she heard noises come out of their mouths, vocal chords constricting, tongues battling to form the syllables.

She desperately clutched onto her stuffed animal, keeping her gaze low, wanting to go home already. Wanting to be with her brothers and sister.

Something inside of her was aching. Hurting her, warping her field of vision, as if someone was firing something off in her brain to prevent her from understanding. Blocking.

Sadly, the girl of seven months shy to being five years in age, was curious and stubborn. Ignoring all warnings to whomever was preventing her to understand.

---

Sachiko left Shoto's room in the dead of the night, unable to find herself drifting off in peaceful sleep.

She held the book in hand as she headed off to the main area, the lounge in easily silent and empty. No joyous laughter or bright smiles present. No one else was awake after all.

Moving to the front door- She eyed the surveillance camera shooting down at the front entrance into the dorms. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, heading outside. She wasn't going to be for long. She would be immensely stupid to leave UA.

Walking away from the building, she headed away as discreetly and quietly as possible, her bare feet patting against the cold ground. Sachiko involuntarily shivered at the becking wind of winter, silently reprimanding herself for not grabbing a jacket.

With a sigh, she let small heat flare across her body to keep her warm as she continued to walk away, far enough to deal with the abomination in her hand.

Distaste lingering in her eyes when she stole a glance down at it- The teenager arrived at a formidable place. Far enough away from the dorms, far enough way incase Aizawa decided to take a midnight stroll and see her outside. She was a fair distance away, it would be a rather challenging feat to make out her figure. 'Thank you dark clothing...' Sachiko thought to herself.

She moved down onto the ground, sitting down on the semi-wet grass. She didn't care if her pajama pants were getting soiled right now, she can just as easily dry herself off.

The book was placed onto the ground in front of her, the back cover already getting ruined. She didn't care enough.

She lit her right index finger on fire, silently glad that since beginning to live in the dorms, she didn't have to wear those god awful bracelets anymore. They were so tight around her wrists, and were barely ever taken off when she was in the hospital, especially in the first month. She was pleasantly surprised that she didn't have permanent marks from them on her wrists from rubbing her skin raw.

Individually- Each finger lit themselves on fire, leaving her to stare at the semi-bright flames. It held a bit of a calming effect on her regrettably.

No matter how much she hated this quirk of hers, it was still apart of her. She couldn't exactly just rip the flames and ice out of her body.

With a small mild shrug, a sudden memory crossed her thoughts. Remembering just a year ago... Was it a year? Has it been a year? She couldn't remember distinctively, just knowing that it was still during the time her and Touya were thought to be dead by everyone that ever knew them.

"Touya..." His name escaped her lips sadly. Even after all this time, an itch at the back of her mind was still denying it. Denying all of it... Wasn't denial one of the stages of grief? You would think that she wouldn't be denying it after almost four months of him being gone now. She would be accepting that he was gone. She would never seen him again, alive. Never hug him, never being able to freely be herself around him like how she was in the beginning. Eat another shitty meal with him.

A small smile played on her lips as her whole hand was engulfed in flames, silently thanking Shoto for telling her to sleep with a T-shirt instead of a long sleeve. As the dorms got rather warm during the night.

She picked up the language book, watching her flames brighten as they transfer over to the very burnable item.

"I won't need to speak you ever again." Sachiko uttered out, the smell of the burning leather and paper wafting into her nose and out into the cold air of the night.

---

Tuesday morning started with Sachiko exiting Shoto's room rather late than usual, having not gotten the best sleep.

She could already smell breakfast being made as she walked down the hall, making her way down to the first floor. The voices grew louder, the sounds of Kaminari and Seto hurriedly rushing each other to finish a homework assignment they should have had finished a week ago.

"Ah good morning Miss Sachiko!" Iida greeted her with a kind smile once she was spotted. "Morning, Iida." She greeted the sonic rip off- Her tone a dead giveaway that she was not in the mood for a cheerful morning.

"What is this!?"

"I don't know!" She could hear the two numb skulls whine, practicully pulling eachother's hairs out. Sachiko arched a brow at them, wondering what was so baffling to the two.

"What's wrong with them?" She questioned when she felt arms wrap around her, a yawn escaping the person hugging her from behind.

"Aaaaahhhhh." He whined, tired from staying up late to finish his own homework assignment that should have been done already. Sachiko rolled her eyes, briefly glancing at Eijirou.

"You should have had it done a week ago, Rockhead."

"I knowww~" He further whined, but made no move to release the girl he cared about from his arms.

"Very irresponsible the lot of you!" Iida scolded them, bringing his hand down curtly. The three collectively whined in response, Kaminari looking about ready to smack his head on the coffee table.

"Elle, Elle, Elle!" Came a chipper voice before she was strongly pulled out of Eijirou's arms. Leaving the red head to whine from losing his pillow to catch a nap on. "Oh sorry, I heard you are going by Sachiko now?" Mina asked, not wanting to offend her. "Oh! Or Todoroki?"

"Either Elle or Sachiko is fine. I don't care." Mina nodded feverently in response, clicking her tongue before speaking again.

"I asked Mr. Aizawa about us taking you out to get clothes! He said he will talk to the Principal and the detective- Uh what was his name?" She furrowed her thin brows in concentration.

"Detective Tsukauchi?" Mina snapped her fingers, "Yeah him!" Speaking his name reminded Sachiko that she herself needed to speak with the detective. About the epiphany she discovered when she spoke with Eijirou two days ago...

Sachiko shrugged, a soft sigh escaping her. "I seriously doubt they would let me go off of school grounds within the first week of me being here."

"That is no problem! I am, after all, very~ very~ very, very, stubborn and will pester and annoy them until they agree!"

"Oi extras! Breakfast is done so get your asses in here!" Sachiko heard the aggressive voice call out to them from the kitchen. Mina sent her a grin before she left her to skip to the kitchen area, the others in the room already making their way to grab their plates.

"What is up with Bakugo cooking lately?" Ojiro grumbled to himself as he passed Sachiko.

"And for everybody too!" Hagakure added, also curious.

"Maybe Kachaan is just in a cooking mood-? Oh good morning Sachiko!" She was greeted by Izuku as he sat at the table, his scarred up hands holding a glass of ice water.

"Morning, Midoriya." Replied Sachiko, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Where is Shoto?" She didn't see him anywhere in the room, nor was he in his room when she woke up and got ready.

"He got a phone call. It seemed urgent so I guess he took it outside." Izuku informed her with a confused shrug. 'Huh.' The three-toned girl thought when suddenly the seat in front of her was pushed out and she was pushed onto it, a plate of a egg omelette, toast, a small bowl of natto (fermented beans), and a bowl of rice in front of her in one fall swoop.

"Eat dumbass before the food gets cold." She stared up at the blond quizzically, wondering how the hell he managed to swiftly do three things at once, and was actually worrying about her eating breakfast.

Narrowing her eyes up at him, knowing that he was waiting for an answer from her- But just to mess with him, she ignored his waiting frame and began cutting into her omelette. "Hey! Don't ignore me!" Continuing to ignore him, Sachiko listened to everyone speaking as they gathered around the table, having grabbed their own plates Bakugo made for them.

"Thanks Bakubro for the fuel!" Eijirou thanked his best friend as he took a seat next to Izuku, opposite of where Sachiko sat.

The next ten minutes went by, everyone shovelling food in their mouths when Momo non-chalantly pointed out what time it was. It was amusing to watch them hurry, even more amusing when Mineta about died from choking on a piece of bacon he shoved into his mouth. That's what you get, little creep.

The plates piled up easily in the sink as everyone rushed back to their rooms to finish getting ready and grab their things for the school day ahead. Until the last one left at the table was Sachiko, brows furrowed as she stared at her half-eaten breakfast. Where was Shoto still?

Her worries were answered when he entered the kitchen, already dressed in his school uniform and bag in hand.

"You okay?" Sachiko asked him, subtly feeling the uneasiness the boy was feeling. It wasn't strong enough to raise panic within her, but still worrying nonetheless.

"Yeah I'm fine, don't worry. Finish eating." He leant down, placing an affectionate sibling kiss to the top of her head.

"But you haven't eaten yet-" Just to prove her wrong and ease his twin's worries, he walked over to the only filled plate- That was supposed to be his, and grabbed a piece of buttered toast, taking a bite out of it. "I will be fine. I will make sure to eat more for lunch to make up for it." He informed her when Izuku rushed into the kitchen to grab Shoto for the two, along with Uraraka and Iida- To walk to school together.

"The bell rings in 8 minutes!" Izuku stated, hopping on his heels, anxious to get to school on time. "Okay, I will see you after school is over." Izuku waved at Sachiko before the two left her alone in the kitchen.

Frown on her face, and her appetite no longer in this world, she got up from her seat, grabbing her unfinished breakfast to join the empty plates either in the sink or around it.

She walked into the lounge, seeing the last few students making their leave out the front door, hurrying out to make sure they aren't late.

"See you soon, Elsa!" Eijirou shouted, his red hair now gelled up unlike before. He even seemed to be bursting out with tons of energy after eating the first meal of the day.

"See you, Ei." She waved at him as he made his way to the door, ready to join the others but stopped, bright smile on his face.

"Can I please get a goodbye kiss~?" He asked her, his cheeks already a subtle pink. Sachiko sighed with a small nod. "Fine." 'Since he asked me so nicely.' She thought, walking up to him with long strides.

Planting a quick chaste kiss to his lips before she pushed the poor blushing boy out of the door, closing it behind him, her own cheeks flaring warmth.

Eijirou blinked for a few seconds, honestly not expecting how quick and easy she agreed to give him a kiss. It led him to wonder if he could ask her to do it more often...

"Shittysima! We are going to be late because of you!" He snapped out of his thoughts, remembering that he was supposed to be in the school in 3 minutes. "Ah sorry!" He replied before joining his classmates in running to school.

Sachiko pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily before she pushed herself off of the door. Deciding to clean up the mess Bakugo left her with.

Once she reentered the kitchen, she had to do a quick double take at the sight of Aizawa just casually drinking coffee, another cup sat in front of him.

"Uh, aren't you...?" Confused? She was more than confused, frazzled. Aizawa was their homeroom teacher, so shouldn't he have been the first one to be at the school?

"I give them a few minutes ahead to gather themselves."

"Oh." She walked over to the sink, cringing internally on how carelessly some of the teenagers had thrown their dirty dishes into the sink.

"How did you sleep last night?" He questioned her after a few minutes of watching her carefully move each dirty dish to be stacked and laid out properly for her to easily grab and wash.

"I slept fine."

"Then tell me why you left the dorms at 3:43 this morning?" He watched her body seize up, knowing that she had been caught. She couldn't lie to the teacher to get out of it. He knew the fucking time of when she left! He sighed tiredly at her reaction.

"I didn't have patrol last night, or else I wouldn't have known. If you are going to sneak out, learn when your guardian is home. And awake." He gave her pointers. Sachiko began filling up one side of the double sink, the lukewarm water running over her left hand as she tested the temperature.

"Are you going to scold me, Eraserhead?" She questioned, using his hero name.

"If you were any of my other students, I would. However- I am more curious on why you left." Switching off the tap water faucet- She grabbed a hold of the first dish to wash, sinking it into the bubbly water.

"Why is that?" She asked him, curious to know why her head wasn't being blown off right now.

"I don't take you as someone to sneak out when she isn't supposed to." The tired pro-hero replied, drinking the last bit of his coffee before standing, grabbing the other empty mug in his free hand. He walked over to the sink, standing next to her. He sat the mugs down onto the counter. He grabbed a hanging drying towel before going to the other side of her, helping her deal with the mess that was created from breakfast.

"I thought you said you were only giving them a few minutes headstart?" Sachiko ignored his previous statement, switching the subject. "I can give them more time. They won't notice that I'm a few minutes late." He replied as he dried off a plate. Sachiko rolled her eyes, silently wanting the dark haired man to leave.

"Besides- Right now I am to give you some advice. As both a teacher, your current guardian, and from someone who only wants to see you succeed." Sachiko stopped her scrubbing with a small groan.

"Please tell me you aren't about to break out into a flurry of song about responsibilities and being an adult." He couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"I will not, dont worry... But you do hold a responsibility. Just not as an adult, Miss Sachiko." At the corner of his eye he could see the Todoroki scrunch her nose up and sucking in her cheek in confusion.

"Not as an adult?"

"You are still a kid. No matter what age of consent this countries age is. You are still figuring yourself out, your personality, likes and dislikes... And well- I don't believe you had much of a childhood anyway. So instead of me scolding you, I am going to be the good cop for once. You hold the reigns of the horse, you choose where this horse takes you. However, you will never always have control on what happens to the horse from things on the outside. The rough terrain, obstacles in your way, the weather-"

"Huh, nice philosophical analogy there." She interrupted him with a smug smirk. He glanced down at her, not minding that he was interrupted. She had responded to him in her own way, she involuntarily told him that she was listening to what he was saying.

"So, tell me why you left the dorms last night."

"For some fresh air. I couldn't sleep, and I wasn't about to continue listening to the boys' loud ass snoring." He rose a brow, an image flickering in his head.

"That isn't the whole truth, is it?" Narrowed heterochromic eyes looked up at him, staring him down. "I know all about how you stop people from knowing the full truth. I apologize that you can't fool me." Sachiko sighed heavily, removing her gaze off of him to breathe in and out a few times deeply.

"It isn't meant to fool you or anyone, Aizawa. At least not now, or anymore... I guess old habits are still present."

"Your defense mechanism?" He needed the clarification, and was given it when she nodded.

"Yep. It's much easier to jump around the full truth rather than give it."

"I take it that habit developed when you were with Touya?" He was happy to see she didn't flinch at the mention of him.

"Nope. It was developed before we left. I was taught by the best after all." Her tone turned sour at the memories. Remembering what she bore witness to and was taught.

"Back at the subject at hand-" It was Aizawa's turn to change the subject, noticing that Sachiko was getting worked up, steam beginning to rise out of the sink from the water her hands were still submerged in. "Why did you really sneak out?"

"Couldn't exactly burn a distasteful book inside now could I?" Was her reply before the subject was dropped altogether when Aizawa felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Continuously.

He placed the pot down on the counter before he fished his small phone out of his pocket, answering the call.

"Aizawa Shota, Eraserhead here." He answered the call, leaving the almost 16 year old to sigh in relief when he was no longer paying attention to her.

To Be continued

The new cover was created by my good friend, SjdmArts on Twitter! And she recently made an Instagram, fie_chn. She has a lot more of her art posted there, go and give her a follow! She is amazing! -Golden