Ad Astra-23:
The Seven Days Resume 6:
All Might reveals to Izuku after ending his story that a private funeral was held for Professor Caterwaul in turn for those whom dearly remembered him and still thought of him as their cherished mentor, not the monster cat that went on a rampage. Also...an official funeral was held...for Hisuie. All her collegues from college were able to attend, except for Nanjo...having ended up in a coma that lasted for a whole year's worth of time. Due to both the injuries that he received and the massive toll that his new move had placed upon his body, creating such a large magnetic sphere that nearly covered the entire sky over the city...
The only people asides Nanjo that weren't able to attend...were Hisuie's parents. All Might would find out a short while later on...that they were deceased, having being caught within a runaway train accident. In the end...All Might was never able to fulfil what Hisuie wanted to do for their time together with one another. But...if he had to make a guess...then. Most probably...she had planned on bringing All Might with her...to visit the graves of her parents. Having been allowed to be buried on American soil, a very unnatural procedure. All Might had learned that Hisuie's parents apparently loved America and thus, they wanted to be buried there rather then back home here in Japan...supposedly showing a love of a different culture.
All Might was jealous in the sense that although all of his moves were named after USA states...he could have never lived there, still having a fond attachment to Japan and it's own culture. All Might surmises that maybe Hisuie's parents wanted to be buried in the US...because they wanted to start a new life. Not for themselves personally...but for Hisuie instead. Wanting to help her forget having been betrayed by others and hoping that one day she could learn to move past her psychological barriers involving the matter of trust itself. They probably would have never even guessed All Might entering the scene and having a decent relationship with Hisuie for the very short amount of time-half a whole day and a quarter that they shared...
Yet...All Might failed them. Especially...he had failed their beloved daughter, Hisuie. He could not protect the one person whom he felt that he had to protect above all else at the current time...marking the moment to be one of his absolute greatest faliures. Even if he was starting to be widely known as the Symbol of Peace due to the incident with the monster cat and received tremendous glory for it...a heavy toll was extracted from All Might's heart. A piece of it broke...and he was never able to recover said piece. Fearing that falling in love all over again would mean experiencing the same kind of painful heartache as then...All Might has refused to find companionship for himself. Even when fellow Heroes pester him about the matter, he would just shrug it off...saying that he would "prefer" to remain an eternal bachelor. Though...not by choice per say...
Izuku had never realised, he never even dared to consider...the fact that All Might had a loved one. Only then to lose her...towards the cruel world of Quirks, Heroes and Villains they live in. Blinded by his idol's smile...the youth could not see...that there was a small hint of sadness behind it. Having lost so many of those closest to him, his mentor Nana Shimura, the Professor Arkc Caterwaul...and the woman named Hisuie Madarame. With the recent loss of Sir Nighteye...the total now unfortunately made four. Izuku starts to tear up, shocking All Might. The youth begs for his role model's forgiveness, not having taken into account the feelings of the former number 1 Pro Hero that he aspires after all others. Having only seen him as the Hero All Might...but not as the ordinary man named Toshinori Yagi. At a time of whom was Quirkless, the very same as Izuku once was...
Izuku clutches his heart, feeling intense pain and sadness from having heard All Might's story and realising that he has lost so many loved ones. Seeing the empathy that his apprentice was displaying for him, All Might lets out both a small sigh and smile at the same time. He chops Izuku's head before then patting it. Saying that All Might hasn't completely lost everything and everyone...he still had Izuku. Although All Might would probably never say it towards the youth...the former pro considers the aspiring young Hero to be like his very own flesh and blood son. However, All Might keeps this hidden out of respect for both Inko Midoriya and...Hisashi Midoriya, Izuku's father.
All Might reveals to Izuku that Nighteye was pretty much the same when he also heard this story. In fact, Sir was severely adamant on finding his mentor a good partner so that he would never have to spend his life alone in "ignorance". A pity that Sir Nighteye wasn't able to follow his own words, electing to remain single whereas not being able to stand the idea of All Might having already made that same choice. Digressing however...All Might wishes to inform Izuku of something that he must become aware about at all times.
Heroes...are humans too. They can only do so much before their bodies give out on them. Whether that means fighing Villains or dying from natural causes...makes no difference. All Heroes and Villains alike are human at their most basic structures. Even the accursed All-For-One too, whom has already long forgotten what being human is truly all about. What exactly does it mean...for a single person to be human, both the joys and fears of being one.
All Might recalls having told David this similar conversation...before then saying something else to Izuku. In fact, everything that All Might has been telling his apprentice...has all been leading up towards the following words that were about to be said. Concerning...Izuku himself...and Ochaco. All Might doesn't claim to know the exact relationship between the pair of friends...but knows one certain thing about it. It is a strong and healthy bond that drives the recipients of it towards their very best efforts both inside and out of U.A.
Since starting his first year at the school, Izuku has already formed many close ties with his fellows. But...the one that shall always remain with him the most...is the first bond that he ever formed here. All Might remembers a faculty office conversation from one time not long ago. Where Midnight talked with Mic, Ectoplasm and Cementoss about Class 1-A choosing their Hero names. Whilst sorting out his paperwork, All Might overhears what Izuku chose to be as his very own Hero codename...Deku.
Midnight reveals that apparently, Izuku was inspired by someone to choose Deku, even when he didn't necessarily have to choose that as his Hero name. Judging from how he talked fondly behind the meaning of choosing the name Deku...it was obvious towards only Midnight that someone close to him had helped Izuku make his final decision. Midnight called it the female intuition into the matter of love. Whereas the other teachers of Mic, Ectoplasm and Cementoss had joked and laughed that it was a very normal high school student thing that Izuku did at the time. By hearing their words and piecing a few facts together...All Might was able to realise that it was Ochaco whom helped inspire Izuku.
Since the year started, Izuku was hanging out with Ochaco on a daily basis. Although Izuku was also hanging out with Iida...All Might just knew that Ochaco was the one. The practice entry exam, the mock Hero and Villain matchups. The U.A. Sports Festival and the latest Joint Training with Class 1-B...it was clearly evident. Ochaco Uraraka...was Izuku "Deku" Midoriya's source of inspiration. Even now, when they had what could be considered their very 1st argument as friends...the two still support and think of one another.
(Music Cue-Nightfall in Central City -Fin- from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.)
Here are the following words that All Might had been leading up towards in order for Izuku to hopefully understand. Even though Young Midoriya is indeed the inheritor to All Might's will of One-For-All...Izuku is still his own person. He must still live his own life and not to let the duties of Heroism blind him to everything and especially everyone else all around. To banter, to laugh, to argue and to cry with friends and family...that is the essence of the human life that one must cherish towards the utmost.
If they forget how they got here and whom are the people that they are most indebted towards...any single person could have the potential of becoming another All-For-One. In this case, the closest person being just that would be...Tomura Shigaraki. The grandson of All Might's former mentor Shimura...deciding not to reflect mainly though, All Might moves on with his words. He reminds Izuku to never let the powers, nor the wills of the past users of One-For-All take away his own identity...otherwise. He would no longer be either Izuku Midoriya or Deku...just an empty shell with no identity and only full of power...
Like a small ember within darkness that has no other lights in order to help said ember grow and become a massive flame. Izuku must retain having hobbies, interests and etc of his very own persona...for the powers of One-For-All are not filled with the ideals of being Heroes. But...the ideal...to share a love for mankind. Love for peace loving citizens, love for friends and love for family. Even...a certain special kind of love...one that Izuku will hopefully discover for himself as he lives his life towards the fullest. All Might had planned on saying all this to Izuku during either his 2nd or 3rd year at U.A. However, given the cirumstances with not only both All-For-One and Tomura. But now these new Villains called the Seven Darks...of whom are after Ochaco...All Might felt this would be the only time his message could reach Izuku.
Surprised, shocked...everything that could cause Izuku to gulp and his body to shake in grand nervousness. Izuku realises that All Might was trying to hint a subliminal message amidst his words...without consciously thinking. Once more...just like when his journey had first begun...Izuku's feet run without him commanding them to. He just gets up off his chair...and heads somewhere. Leaving the office behind in order to find something...rather, someone. To "save" the someone that his mind is telling him to find, that was the command being issued by Izuku's mind without him even realising. Knowing this to be the case...All Might applauds Izuku's sense of Character.
He is overemotional...but cares deeply for others. He has always rushed in head first to save them...and that will never change. All Might smiles...as he knew where Izuku was going, even if Izuku himself didn't fully realise the extent, nor nature of his actions. Just to clarify, this was all a flashback sequence...and we are now brought up back to the present. Back to Ochaco's side of things, as she is still shown to be at the park where she was last seen. Where an unknown person's footstep approaches her...
To be Continued.