Rising Waters

Part 1: Training

             My name is Amena Tamashii, this is my first year attending a public school since I was in kindergarten. My parents once roamed the halls of this school and now I get to follow in their footsteps. Here at UA High, the most prestigious and outstanding school, I get to learn the true value of being a hero and using my quirk for good.

They don't call this school prestigious for no reason. First of all, it has the lowest acceptance rate at a whopping 0.2 percent. Secondly, it's only the first day and our teacher is taking us outside for an exercise. He even had us change into our gym clothes, which were a deep blue with the letters "U" and "A" on the jacket, with the "A" extending down the pants.

A few of the students tried to protest since we'd be missing the coronation, but Mr. Aizawa shot them down when he told us that he's teaching his class however he wants to. I kinda like him. He's not afraid to piss off our generation.

"Tamashii," Aizawa said suddenly. "Your score was the highest in the class. How far could you throw a softball when you were in junior high?" Maybe I don't like him. Why'd he have to pick on me?

"What?!" Katsuki snapped before I had time to say anything. "How did she do better than I did?!"

"Because unlike you, I actually tried to help others," I mumbled quietly, mainly to myself but others here heard it too. Whoops.

"What the hell did you just say to me?!" Baku-Chan yelled.

"Shut up and listen," Aizawa told us with his tired voice. Bakugo sighed with anger as he turned back to face the teacher. I just looked at him. "Well...?" He said.

"Oh uh... right," I spoke quietly, feeling nervous with everyone staring at me. "I'm not sure..." I told him honestly.

Aizawa sighed, "Fine then. Bakugo, you were the second best, so what was your throw?" He sounded so bored, like he didn't want to be there... Or anywhere.

Bakugo answered without hesitation, jumping at the chance to one-up me. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I glanced the other way. Aizawa threw the softball he was holding toward the boy and told him to throw it. Everyone lit up with excitement when they saw how far Katsuki could throw using his quirk.

Their joy came to a quick end when Mr. Aizawa told them that this wasn't something we did for fun. It was to show how much we'd improved ourselves. He also mentioned that we would be competing. Whoever did the worst was going to be expelled.

Now that I think about it, I'm grateful for his teaching tactics. Maybe if he didn't push us so hard, in the beginning, we wouldn't have lasted as long. We probably would have died when they attacked us that fateful day. I think we have Aizawa to thank for everything we've accomplished.

~~~

Backdraft held me tightly, wrapping me in a hug and shielding my eyes. Tears didn't fall, but I knew I was crying. My mind was almost blank. I had seen it all. Even in the shelter Backdraft created, I saw everything.

The warmth of their love, the smiles on their faces, the way they always made sure to tell my younger brother and me that they loved us. Everything was gone in the blink of an eye. I wasn't strong enough to save them, and the other heroes were too late. That was the night I lost everything.

Backdraft held me there, not wanting to let me go. His embrace was the only one I'd be able to hold onto at this moment, and I clung to him like water on a sponge. I sank into him. All of my feelings, my hatred, my sadness. He was the only person at that moment. He was the only one who mattered as my mind withered away into the darkness that I would never return from. But at that moment, Backdraft was the light that held me together, and I've never forgotten what he did for me.