My Hero Academia Untold: The Knights of Fafnir

I

Welcome back dear readers!

I was floored by huge amount of support I have received from old readers who have decided to follow me into the new version. While only a faction of my old audience, I still maintain it was a sacrifice I was willing to accept for the sake of quality control.

Going forward, I'll be going into new details regarding some ideas that went into each chapter (Both new and old) In the commentary section of the chapters.

That is it for today's update, so for now enjoy the updated version of a chapter Izuocha fans know and love.

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My Hero Academia Untold: The Knights of Fafnir

Saga I: Dusk

Arc I: Origins

Chapter I: The Knight and Princess

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"We do not remember days; we remember moments."

-Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand

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"Mama, is that really how it ends?" Ochako asked sadly as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Even after everything? Why did Jin have to go?"

Tenma looked at her daughter with a sigh as she finished reading an old classic from the twenty-first century, The Labyrinth of the World Trees: The Knights of Fafnir. (*1)

It had been a favorite of Tenma's growing up and was now used as a bedtime story for her daughter Ochako. It was a grandiose tale of adventure, heroism, and sacrifice with a bittersweet ending that was said to be fated to all who bore the title of The Fafnir Knight. The brave and noble heroes who wore the armor made from the Fell Dragon: Fafnir (*2). A monstrous and twisted creature of Darkness whose powers now served justice rather than evil.

"It is, sweetie, but in the end, his sacrifice is what saved them all. As any brave hero would have done to protect the ones they loved."

"Then why do they keep looking for him? If he's really gone?"

Tenma carefully reached out to gently hold her daughter's hand.

"One of the hardest things to do for someone you love is to let them go, but please remember Ochako: he may have disappeared, but it was never said that he truly died when he completed his mission," Ochako looked at her mother with hopeful eyes. "Jin did something that all previous Fafnir Knights had failed to do...I like to think that they found him safe and sound with Arianna by his side happily ever after in the ending beyond the pages."

It was with this that Ochako finally seemed to calm down. Still engrossed in the story, she asked,

"Ma...will I ever find a knight of my own?"

When met with those bright brown, tender eyes, Tenma giggled. Ochako was only four years old and still too young to understand. Nevertheless, it didn't hurt to humor her for a bit.

"Maybe...if you find someone who is kind and helpful, someone who can make you feel safe like the heroes who protect us all today, then yes. Yes, you could find yourself a knight, even if they don't exist as they used to today."

Tenma ended storytime by tucking Ochako under the covers and gently brushing her bangs away to kiss her daughter's forehead.

"Alright, dear, now it's time to sleep."