Izuku was getting tired of waking up in strange places—though this time, he was just glad to wake up at all.
He moved slowly, bracing for pain in some part of his body. But to his surprise and relief, nothing felt bruised, let alone broken.
Finally opening his eyes, he found himself in a surprisingly well-lit room. A bed of golden flowers cradled him gently, and sunlight poured through the hole he'd fallen from above.
He blinked. Wait... how is sunlight even reaching down here so well?! A little annoyed, he muttered, "I couldn't even see in that cave."
Sighing, he sat up. A hallway stretched before him, softly lit with glowing white lamps. Gathering himself, he followed the path. At the end was a stylized stone archway that led into another room—also lit by sunlight—and in its center, a lone flower basking in the light.
As he walked closer, he froze.
The flower had a face.
"Howdy!"
Izuku yelped and stumbled back in shock.
"I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower! What's your name?"
"I-Izuku?!" he stammered.
Flowey tilted his head. "Is that a question or an answer?" he asked with a cheerful, almost cute expression.
Izuku gathered his composure. "My name is Izuku. Midoriya Izuku."
Flowey nodded. "I see, Izuku. You're new around here, aren'tcha?"
Izuku nodded vigorously. "Yes! Can you help me? I want to get home."
Flowey smiled. "Sure! What are friends for?" he said brightly. "But there are a few rules down here you'll need to follow. Lucky for you, your new friend Flowey is here to help! Ready?"
Izuku nodded again.
"Then here we go!"
Suddenly, the air shifted. Izuku gasped as he felt something pull at his chest. Looking down, he saw a small red heart hovering in front of him.
"See that heart?" Flowey said. "That's your soul. It's the very culmination of your being."
Panicked, Izuku frantically tried to push the heart back into his body. "What's happening?! Am I going to die?!"
Flowey chuckled. A vine patted Izuku's back. "Relax, bud. This is just what happens when a human confronts a monster down here. All souls show themselves. They start weak, but can grow stronger with lots of LV."
Izuku took a breath, now fascinated. "Is it… like a Quirk?"
Flowey blinked. "I don't know what a Quirk is. This is magic. Monsters use it when they fight. Some attacks hurt the soul, others help it. Some can even heal. Want to get a little stronger?"
Izuku nodded eagerly, fingers twitching from the urge to take notes.
"Alrighty!" Flowey cheered, spinning as white petals burst from his face. "These are my friendliness pellets! If your soul touches them, you'll gain some LV. And what does LV stand for, you ask?"
He grinned. "Why, LOVE, of course!"
Izuku smiled faintly, but a tiny knot of discomfort twisted in his stomach. Something doesn't feel right…
"Okay! Get ready and catch as many as you can!"
Trusting Flowey, Izuku let the petals hit his soul.
Pain exploded through his chest.
He screamed and collapsed, clutching his body as the white pellets burned into him.
Flowey's cheerful giggle morphed into manic laughter.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE A HUMAN COULD BE THIS STUPID!" he shrieked. "WHY WOULD ANYONE PASS UP AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS?!"
Izuku looked up, eyes wide with tears, only to find himself trapped—vines wrapped around his arms and legs, thorns digging into his skin. Blood trickled down his forearms as he was splayed out on the ground, his glowing red soul exposed and surrounded by petals.
"DIE."
"NOOOOO!" Izuku screamed, straining against the pain and bindings, willing himself to fight.
Suddenly—a flash of light.
A white fireball blasted across the room, slamming into Flowey and flinging him into the previous hallway, scorched and yowling.
Izuku scrambled into a corner, trembling. In a panic, he curled in on himself, holding his injured arms over his chest as protection.
"OH MY GOODNESS!" came a soft, feminine voice.
He flinched.
A tall, goat-like woman rushed to his side, her eyes wide with worry.
"Are you alright, little one?"
Izuku peeked through his arms, the pain lessened but his body still trembling. The woman loomed above him—concern etched deep into her face, not the malice he had felt from Flowey.
She knelt. "This is vile... how could anyone do such a thing to a child?" She gently pulled his arms forward, grimacing at the blood and tears on his face.
"Of course you're not alright," she muttered to herself. "Here. If you can hold still for a moment, I'll heal you."
She stepped back and brought her hands together, forming a small green flame with a black core between her palms.
Izuku's eyes widened in awe.
She knelt again and pressed the flame gently to his wounds. Warmth spread through his body as the pain vanished and the cuts closed, leaving no scars behind. He ran a hand over his now-healed skin, blinking in amazement.
Timidly, he looked up at her. "Thank you…"
She smiled warmly. "Are you well enough to stand?"
Izuku wiped his face and slowly stood, only reaching her waist.
"Wonderful, dear. May I know your name? I am Toriel, the caretaker of these ruins."
Izuku straightened. "Yeah, um… my name is Izuku. I fell here a little while ago. Can you help me get out of here?"