It's been 10 years...

since that day.

The day that All Might fell.

A hero stood at the foot of a gravesite. Wilted flowers were scattered around and in vases. Some had nearly turned to dust from age, others were just beginning to wither. Various gifts were piled atop the soil, collecting dust and dirt. Many, many fans had come and gone, leaving flowers and other goodies for the old number one hero, the symbol of peace. All Might.

"All Might, I finally made this power my own." His voice was shaking, as he held back tears that threatened to flow forth from his eyes. He was silent for a long time. No one was around, as dark clouds loomed overhead, no one cared that much anymore about this old symbol of peace, not now that the hero Deku had defeated All for One and ushered in a new era of tranquility, as the new Symbol of Peace.

It was days like this that Izuku could show his weakness: his mourning for his old teacher and father figure. After all, he couldn't afford for anyone to see the Symbol of Peace in this state.

"Kacchan always blamed himself, you know." He choked out. "He won't ever admit it, but he's still mourning, too. He wouldn't be caught dead crying about it, though." He half laughed at the last sentence. Izuku tightly gripped his hero outfit in the chest area over his heart. "I… I just wish you were here. I know you're proud of me, y-you… you always were." He wiped his eyes and straightened himself up, standing taller. "I'm going to keep working hard and make you even prouder, All Might! Just you wait!" He gave his genuinely 'Deku' smile and wiped away the rest of his tears.

He felt invigorated, passionate. He would do All Might proud with the hopes that he would be watching from wherever he was. He walked away from the grave. Left in his wake was but one single unwilted bouquet.

What does it mean to be the Symbol of Peace?

The young hero decided to take a stroll on the beach. It was the same beach where he had trained with his old teacher. The sand still had that same glitter, the ocean its same shimmer. The sky had cleared after all, it had not been rain, just a morning fog. The sun had warmed the earth and caused the fog to dissipate.

The tall young man, now the age of 26, stood strong and well-muscled on the beach where his journey to become a hero had begun.

"Deku?" A small, unfamiliar voice sounded behind the hero. Izuku turned to see a small child. It was a little boy with blonde hair. He appeared very small in stature and quite frail. His blue eyes were shining up in admiration of the Symbol of Peace. "Oh wow, it really is you! You're amazing!" The little boy jumped upward in excitement. He couldn't have been any older than five or six.

"What brings you here, my boy?" Izuku gave the lad a heroic smile as he mirrored his teacher's way of greeting him and his former classmates. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder, a bit roughly that it pushed the boy down a little. The younger one was not fazed by this, only looking up at him with shimmering eyes. The hero Deku was not extremely tall like the Symbol of Peace before him, but he had grown to substantial height, especially when compared to a child.

"Deku, hero, sir, I-I was just exploring around here and then I saw what I thought was you and then it was you and… well… I have a question for you, Deku sir." The little boy was very excited, but was growing timid as the question he had weighed heavy on his mind. Izuku soften his smile a bit and went on one knee to get closer to his height.

"I'm here to listen." Izuku stated as he waited for the child to ask his question.

"Well… you're a great hero and you have a really powerful quirk. I was just wondering if you have to have a quirk to… well, you know… become a hero. The truth is, I don't have a quirk…"

No quirk? Well that brought back memories. It was so rare nowadays. Even back in Izuku's childhood, only about 20% of the world population had no quirk. Now it was somewhere between 1-10%! Quirks were evolving, growing stronger and stronger, and more children were born with at least a minor quirk.

"...b-but I want to become a hero! Like you. Could… could that be possible?"

Izuku blinked at these words. These words were the same as a younger him had said… to All Might. He tightened his grip on the child's shoulder just slightly and his head was bowed. The child blinked at him, bewildered, as he couldn't see his face. "Yes," Izuku lifted his head, he was choking back tears, but these were that of joy, not sorrow. Maybe just a little bit of mourning for his old teacher, but his eyes were definitely filled with joy. The same joy that he felt when All Might told him he could be a hero. "You can be a hero." He echoed the same words.

"Why are you crying, Mr. Deku sir?" The child was definitely surprised and touched by the words, but Izuku's habit of crying was distracting him from the message momentarily. 'You gotta quit being a crybaby!' That's what All Might had said to him.

"I-it's nothing," Izuku wiped his eyes with a sleeve. "Your story moved me, is all. When I was your age, I never dreamed I'd ever be the hero I am today. Just make sure you listen to your heart and do what is best to help the people around you, that is what it truly means to be a hero." He then stood up. "What is your name, my boy?"

"Toshi, but I go by Toshi-kun." The little boy looked up at Izuku. He was amazed by this amazing hero taking the time to talk with a small, quirkless boy.

"Well, Toshi-kun, it was a pleasure meeting you, I'm sure you'll be an amazing hero one day. We might not need heroes to fight villains in this time of peace, but everyone needs someone they can count on in their lives, do you want to be that kind of hero, my boy?" Toshi nodded vigorously, smiling brilliantly. He appeared passionate to be any kind of hero he could be, even if it was just being a good person and supporting others in his life.

There was no need for anyone to succeed Izuku and gain One for All. All for One was already gone, and so no one else would have to carry that burden.

And so the pair waved goodbye as Toshi went back home for lunch. Izuku watched him as he left. Toshi-kun… Toshi… That name sounded familiar. Toshinori… No. The blonde hair, blue eyes, skinny body…

But that's silly, reincarnation isn't real. It couldn't be him.

"All Might, I made this power my own, and become my own type of Symbol of Peace. I couldn't have done it without your guidance. Thank you."