Chapter Text
All Might was with Mirai and Mirio.
They've been at a training center in All Might Enterprise- his hero agency- for a while now. While Mirio works on increasing his muscle mass while using One for All, Mirai and Yagi discuss about the quirks all together.
More importantly, why Mirio seems to be weakening ever so slightly and why One for All doesn't seem to be settling.
His body is rejecting it, bones seem to shatter, and the progress of his original quirk seems to be new all over again.
It's hell and illogical.
Sir was in a deep discussion on possible ways to overcome this, not bothering to check on his pupil or his former partner. He knows they'll both be alright in the future. He didn't need to check with his quirk anyway.
Too focused on the future, he doesn't seem to hear his student's gasp of air and screams of plea.
All Might, ever so caring, reaches out to his boy and helps him. Before he could ask what happened, he too is being scorched by the pain inside of him.
We do not belong to you and we do not live within you.
Both blondes can feel a fury so old it's traumatizing. It's as if an ancient power is full of disappointment and anger at them- no just the skeleton man- and this is a mere heads-up.
All Might feels a new awakening and mistakes it for a calling from All for One. Why would his own power feel so hot? So threatening? So alive?
Mirio understands what these voices seem to be telling him. It confirms his suspicion from a day ago but he's told them this and they won't listen. He felt it in the middle of the day too. There's a pull within him and he just knows that yes, this quirk is alive and it's not his and won't ever be his.
And that's okay too.
"One for All is alive" He whispers out.
"All for one is alive" Yagi croaks past.
"No."
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Izuku fell unconscious afterwards.
Still levitating through the air, but it wasn't him who was controlling the quirk anymore, there was a soft glow of a purple light around him.
Katsuki's wrists hurt but he still grabbed onto Izuku, fearing that if he let him go- he wouldn't come back. He didn't want that, not then or now, not ever. To even think that he may have suggested that in the first place? Oh Kami he felt disgusting.
When the mysterious quirk pulled them to a safe landing on the ground, the light became brighter and brighter until it engulfed them both.
Now they're in an unconscious state of mind not really knowing what is happening around their world. The two boys who pushed Izuku has well run off when Katsuki jumped after Izuku. There wasn't anyone but them- not even the crappy security system had been able to capture it all.
Truly, they were alone.
In the presence of One for All.
Of six past users.
But together.
To say the least, the world was a strange thing. It was a void if it was anything. Izuku is sure that it has to be something.
Slowly he began to regain consciousness and sees the world he's meant to be in. Taking in the galaxy like sky and a rocky surface, he turns to see five other people to his right. Taking a look to the left are two blurry figures and a Katsuki lulled to a sleep but aware of everything.
The two blurry figures are yellow and gold. So fitting and so imposter like-was it supposed to be? All the rest had nothing in common so why did these two follow suit of each other?
He's getting ahead of himself.
"Izuku Midoriya?"
A soft voice met his ears and his attention immediately fell to a white like figure.
He opened his mouth only to find it covered along with the rest of his body, all except for his eyes. Eyes so vivid, filled with a young mischief, eyes in which the color compared to his own, staring straight at him. Even if he could talk, nothing would surely come out.
"Ah, I guess that's my bad. Let me introduce myself to you, I am Yoichi Shigaraki, the first wielder of One for All and you will be the ninth. The true ninth holder of our quirk. The people on your right will guide you to greatness, as will I. The blonde by your feet will also help. Though he hasn't exactly opened his eyes, he is aware as my friend is telling him the exact thing. Under different circumstances, we wouldn't have met this early on and you would have a different guide but this is a nice shake of things.
"As for the two on your left, they look quite similar, no? We thought so as well. While I shouldn't be outing others, the yellow one is Yagi Toshinori-alias; All Might. The golden retriever besides him is Mirio Togata-alias Lemillion. The 'ninth' user of One for All."
Ninth? But didn't you say I was the ninth? And what's this about All Might-
He hears the man chuckle and if his face wasn't covered in a milky black fog, he would turn pink.
"Don't be ashamed, you are correct, Izuku. You are the true ninth. First let me explain the origin of this world and us as a whole. We are the vestiges of One for All, a quirk made to defeat All for One, also known as my brother..."
The white haired man shares the story that has been passed down from the beginning. A story he didn't have to share with the second or third but the rest that came. His eyes sadden at the mention of his lost brother. A power he had been blessed with had been tarnished with selfish desire.
He tells him of his own sickness, a reason why he's so frail but healthy in spirit. He explains how powerful this quirk is but to not panic as they will guide him through it all. Tells him it's a great burden but shares advice he's gain over the centuries.
"Great power is always a burden. Having people you trust and love who will support you in your lowest, making you stronger will ease it. Sharing burdens is hard, but I know you'll have the strongest with you."
Izuku doesn't know if he's ready but that's just last minute second guessing. Deep down he knows he can become the greatest. Izuku Midoriya doesn't refuse, instead he listens to the advice Yoichi gives him and memorizes it like he would with any hero knowledge.
But what about All Might and this Mirio guy? and Kacchan?
"See, I knew I was forgetting something. Right, we'll had I been another I wouldn't really share this much with you...but pettiness is just so flavorful. All Might, he was quirkless once too-now before you get angry, trust me we raised hell with him- he isn't going to be around very long. His power has been decreasing ever since he gave it to Mirio. But it's been decreasing before that, All Might fought with my brother five or six years ago and it left him very frail. As for Mirio, he's a nice guy with a great heart but we just don't... history will only repeat itself. My brother is still alive despite what the donkey says. Mirio would die young too and we can't have that. Too many had to have such fate because of this. This quirk has been rejecting him and we have too. We are alive, Izuku. "
Because of that, you all don't want him either. That only raises my question even more, why am I so special? I'm quirkless and I've only ever gotten in people's way...
"That's where you are wrong. When you jumped into action to save Kacchan over here, you had more heroism than everyone there combined. Saving people is what matters the most and technically yes, that's what they were doing too but it wasn't enough. Kacchan here would've been gone had you not save him. You had no plan, sure, but once you sprung your backpack at that liquid fellow, it was clear that you did have one. A little shaken, perhaps, but you are young. We all admire your courage which is why we want you and chose you to be with us. We will live within you and belong to you so long as you will have us."
As conflicting as this all was, there wasn't anything more that Izuku wanted to do than to save people. He accepted it with grace and potential.
"Welcome, Izuku Midoriya, this is your hero path."
Tears sprung into his eyes. He shook with excitement and happiness. His smile might've been wobbly-but Kami, had it been beautiful.
"Before we leave, you will be training under Nana Shimura's quirk-float. Change the name if you want or keep it. To Nana she doesn't mind but would prefer you to keep it-she's very furious with Yagi. One last thing, you are free to tell anyone you trust and love, so don't be scared. Besides there's this bozo who will know about it too. For now, until we meet again Izuku Midoriya."
The bright light returned.
The purple was fierce.
But it was the other colors that had left him with hope.
White so pure
Reds so strong
Yellow so bright
Blue so calming
Purples so determined
and Green so hopeful.
Yes, Izuku Midoriya is true holder of One For All; he is the ninth.
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They returned in Izuku's room with a small thud.
On Izuku's part, he landed on Katsuki. Katsuki had an ungraceful fall and Izuku landed right where it winded him. If the second user chuckled than that was only for him to know. To him it was a mere coincidence. Course, the others knew all too well.
Izuku scrambled to get off and straighten himself out, wheezing for air. He couldn't get enough of it.
What had happened to him in the past day and today had all caught up to it and he doesn't know how to handle it. It was the worst and best day all combined but now he might not even get to experience more great days because he's not getting enough oxygen!
"Hey, hey Izuku, I need you to follow my breaths okay?" Katsuki began to hold his breaths for long periods of time and then releasing it slowly. Repeating it however long it takes to get Izuku to be okay again.
It wasn't long 'til then, "T-thanks Kacchan."
"Don't mention it, nerd."
The atmosphere turned stale then. Neither not really knowing what to say or even how to say it. Millions of thoughts running through their heads but nothing out through their mouths.
Was Izuku supposed to apologize that because of him, they might've died? Been dead? Got pulled into another world? What was he supposed to do? Was Kacchan holding back yells? Punches? Explosions? Would he actually die now? What was to happen? Would hate follow them as it had in passing years? Did he blame him?
"Hey, hey, no stop it right there. Look, Izuku, slow down your breaths again, okay? There you go... fuck. Okay listen here nerd, because I'm only going to say it once.... fuck it shouldn't be this damn hard!" The ashen blond shook himself right and prepared to tell his friend words he shouldn't even have to say, "Deku-no, Izuku, I'm sorry. For everything, all the hell I've put you through since we were four, from yesterday when I sis those kami-awful words to you, and or now when those extras had that type of thinking. It's all my fault and you shouldn't have ever go through this bullshit."
Throughout his speech of regret, Katsuki hadn't once look into Izuku's eyes. Too fearful that it would be too late. That Izuku's eyes wouldn't glisten anymore. Too afraid to lose his friend.
Are they even friends?
For the longest time, Izuku didn't respond. Not because of how angry or annoyed he was at the blonde but because he was too shocked.
Eventually, he knew Katsuki would learn what he did to him was unforgivable. Because, truly, it is. Izuku just never expected it to be so soon.
"I...look, Katsuki, what you did to me is truly unforgivable. The abuse I've put up all these years? I have scars! Kami, I honestly shouldn't be forgiving you with all that you've done...but I do. Kacchan, I've always told you you'll be a great hero and I still believe that. I forgive you, Kacchan."
"Why? You know all of this yet you choose to forgive me? Even I'm not asking for your forgiveness!"
"Because you regret and you save. Not to mention how others encouraged you and never told you it was wrong. Others I wouldn't forgive because they still don't know or even recognize the harm but you do. What happened today was not your fault, no matter what our classmates said or do. They chose to push me off the roof, what you choose to save me. For that, I'm thankful to you." I'm not ready to die yet- Was painfully left unsaid but not forgotten.
"Please, as if you have to thank me. After yesterday, I think we're equal."
Equal...
O-oh.
He had forgotten how nice that word feels.
"I guess we are."
They settled into a deep silence, both looked around the room. Having All Might posters almost everywhere... kami.
"What now?" Izuku asks.
"For one, we take down this shit from your walls. Fucking All Might? I still can't believe how much of a shit person he is. A fucking hypocrite at that too."
"You heard?"
"The second user told me about him too. All of them are pissed but that's not how I found out. When I left, I didn't get far so I heard you cry out his name. Couldn't believe it but heard your conversation. When I saw him not be a skeleton, that's when I knew he's a fucking bitch." Katsuki growled as he began to tear down the posters-carefully though. These were worth a hefty amount of money and they might as well get some bank out of this.
"O-oh yeah. You know, it's not even the first time he said something like that. I was also suffocated by the slime monster not too long after what.. anyways, he saves me and gave me his autograph and everything. I had to ask him if being quirkless I can become a hero so I latched onto his pants... the slime fell out-sorry by the way-and he said some...words. Left me on a roof too but he didn't know." Izuku was taking down the merch from his side of the room, not paying any attention to Katsuki.
He only stopped what he was doing when there was a sizzling sound with tiny pops. "K-kacchan?"
"He left you where? After he said what? That's it-"
Before he could say anymore two vestiges appeared in front of them, Yoichi and the second.
Yoichi had a hair tie in hand, pulling his shoulder length hair up, "That's it! I'm turning to the dark side real quick-hold me back Second or the blonde donkey will catch these hands!"
The second looked slightly amused but more concerned when he saw where they were, "Yoichi, now is not the time."
"Like hell it's not-oh hey Izuku, Kacchan...oh fuck."
"Fuck indeed, not let's get your unstable ass back into the void."
"Wait-no!"
Izuku and Katsuki turned to each other and for the umpteenth time that day, they stood still, not knowing what the hell they were going to do.
"What the fuck, Deku?"
"I-I don't know, Kacchan."