Izuku’s Turn

“Bunnies. Just… bunnies.”

Izuku smiled as he watched Pal just slowly sink into his pile of undead bunnies. “Just remember to surface to breathe, Pal.”

Izuku stretched out, and went to feed the wolves. They basically had claimed his beach for care of his animals. The side effect was that all the local kids were playing or climbing onto his creatures. So far, no one had been abusive or bad to his Beasts, so he didn’t care.

Pop!

Izuku smirked. “Hey, Unca Blood.”

Blood appeared over the polar bear. Hey, baby boy! Cleaning day?

“Pretty much, as well as feeding day. Dad’s doing the same on the other side of the beach if you want.”

Not in the mood to get sprayed by Garados. Besides, I kinda wanted to see you.

Izuku blinked as he started to feeding said polar bear. “Me?”

Of course! Forest Spirit to Forest Spirit kinda thing.

Aaaaaaaah.

Izuku smiled. “Yeah. Sure.”

He sighed. “But I’m not sure what’s the difference anymore. I mean, we have different specializations, so we’ve evolved differently. I don’t really see the point anymore. Forest Spirits are born, get adopted if they survive long enough to find a parent, and… that’s that. They are grown among their new adopted species.”

Blood smiled. Well, in general, adopted children are like that. But in a way, we are also interconnected by that. We all know where we’ve come from, and it’s our growing up that makes things different.

He frowned. Do you… remember where you were born?

Izuku said, “Yeah. But to be fair, we didn’t leave Yas for quite a while. Dad and I were hunting a lot in those forests. He even found the clearing where we met, and it became a picnic spot for us.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Blood smiled. Cool.

Izuku went to the next pen, the wolves. Blood popped next to it. Izuku asked, “Did you never go back?”

No. Couldn’t. Got burned down by some crazy Fire Mages practicing spells without proper safety.

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

It’s all right. Was more nostalgia than anything. Dad’s Castle was really my forest.

“What was it like, if you don’t mind me asking? Growing up the son of the King of Lightwraiths?”

I don’t know how to answer that. Well… not in a nice way.

Blood instantly waved it off. Hang on, let me modify that. My family was full of love. Yeah, I know, weird. But Dad always made sure he supported me and made time for me. I always had a roof over my head and food at the table… heck, Dad even let me sit at the big table with him.

Izuku giggled. “You know that sounds like a tiny toddler throwing food at asshole adults.”

Blood laughed. I think I did too.

He looked up. I got along well with the staff. I’m not sure I ever had a traditional mother, but I was never without love. And I had friends along the staff’s kids.

He sighed. I was just never accepted among my peers. I was the enemy to them. It’s just no one wanted to cross Dad.

Izuku said, “Not even Ralton?”

OK, you got me there. Ralton was that big, fun uncle a kid always looks forward to seeing. But he was traveling a lot more, Hero-ing more, when I was growing up.

Izuku smiled, finishing up. He said, “Well, you know my life story. Dad has told you so many times.”

He chuckled. “But I also never felt different. I was just Dad’s baby boy, and Sakura the baby girl.”

What’s Kat?

“Baby godling.”

Blood burst into laughter and fell into the pen by accident. A few wolf pups climbed onto him. Izuku chuckled. “Remember to come up to breathe.”

Izuku went to the next pen. Blood had teleported there, though now covered in wolf fur.

This is weird, but still a question. Do you ever have a desire to go back to the forests?

Izuku said, “Uuuuuuuh, no. But maybe that’s because I do plan to go back. There are Beasts out there, after all. Dead to raise and care for.”

Izuku smirked. “If this is a roundabout way of asking to come with, sure. I don’t mind some extra company.”

Blood blushed and chuckled. “Thanks, kiddo. Not quite what I was leading to… but yeah. Maybe after all of this shit is over.”

Izuku looked over the sea. He did wonder if he’d reach the forests before his dad had to reset the world.

Or did it matter? A Forest was a Forest, after all.

Izuku said, “After all of this is over.”