For a long time, neither Izuku nor Nana knew what to say. They just stared at the impossible sight in front of them, jaws hanging, hearts beating in unison.

Izuku was the first to recover; in disbelief, he asked, "You…you're serious, aren't you? You're actually…"

He trailed off, but the First picked up where Izuku had finished, his voice soft and strong as he agreed, "The man who created One For All, yes. Or…more accurately, my brother created it, but using me. But yes, I'm real."

He finished with a slightly bemused expression on his face, as though he couldn't quite believe that fact himself. That slight bitter twist of his lips seemed to trigger something in Nana, who asked, "So…are you actually alive, like me?"

The First responded with a shrug and a distant look in his eye. "It's…complicated," he admitted.

Nana's expression was hard and determined as she snapped, "Try me."

The First nodded gently. After a moment of thought, he explained, "When I first died, all those years ago, I found myself in…well, in a sort of limbo, where I could think, but couldn't see, couldn't feel, couldn't do much of anything, really. Something about One For All acts like a place between life and death, somehow. I did die, but I never fully died, I guess. I definitely wasn't alive. I was more like…a ghost, halfway between the sides, never crossing over. As the power of One For All has grown, so too has my ability to affect things in this world."

Izuku, his voice barely above a whisper, asked, "So…you did all this?"

The First nodded. "We did," he confirmed, "half by accident, half by mistake…but all with good intentions. I'm afraid they weren't enough, though."

Izuku looked thoughtful, but suddenly, Nana's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"We?" she repeated, glaring at the First, who gave a soft grin in response.

"Drat," he said, "I appear to have ruined the surprise."

Nana squinted at him for a moment longer, still not sure if she should believe her eyes. Her mind was telling her that this was impossible, that the first wielder of One For All couldn't possibly have-

"Uh, Nana?" Izuku said nervously, drawing close to her, tugging her sleeve to draw her attention to something. Slowly, Nana turned her head, words forming on her lips as she saw-

Figures, moving in the mist. Five of them, not counting the First, eerie remnants of lives lived and lost, beacons in the fog.

They emerged slowly, from places that shouldn't have been able to hide them. It was as if they weren't moving through the fog, but forming out of the water vapor itself, forms of mist and shadow with piercing eyes. But for all that, they were real, physical in a way that no apparition could ever be.

The First smiled as Nana and Izuku's jaws dropped; they moved instinctively, putting themselves back-to-back as they were surrounded by those who had gone before. In unison, they turned slowly, eyes tracking unfamiliar forms that seemed to tug on gaps in their memories, like holograms projected onto history.

Nana's mind was still racing, and she could only pick out odd details from the impossible, miraculous apparitions in front of her. They came with memories, coming from the phantom gaps in her mind like flashes of light. Their names came back to her, in fits and starts; she didn't know where she knew them from, but she knew them all the same.

"I can remember them," she might have whispered, "why can I remember?"

She saw the cocky grin on Daigoro's face, his ever-present pair of goggles resting on his bald forehead. Jagged tendrils of black smoke wound around his forearms, a reminder of his quirk, the only other one Izuku had learned.

She recognized the stern, mildly disapproving look Kenji bore, the angry-looking twin scars over one eye lending him an air of seriousness and danger he lived up to. Like a sea monster rising from the deep, a memory appeared in Nana's mind, one she knew wasn't hers; Kenji, two-pronged blades emerging from each wrist, in a final, deadly dance with All For One himself, dying with his swords deep in the monster's heart and a smile on his perpetually-grim face.

Meanwhile, the somber, wistful look on Hana's face made Nana's heart ache; the slim, willowy woman's eyes were like deep pools of understanding, and Nana thought she could sink into them forever. The air around her hung with the faintest, most ethereal suggestion of music, as though the hum of the universe itself clung to Hana.

The friendly smile Fuji wore like a second skin took her back to…somewhere, while his spiky blonde hair oddly reminded her of Bakugo. Strange markings on his cheeks, like rivers of liquid fire coursing down over his jaw, were the only visible sign of his quirk; he'd lived so long ago, Nana didn't even know what that quirk actually was.

The sight was humbling and terrifying and impossible all at once. And then her eyes landed on the last figure, and a wordless sob fell from her lips as her knees wobbled underneath her.

Suzuki, her mentor, the man who had sacrificed himself so she could live, regarded her with the erect, unflappable air he had worn until the very end palpable around him. A smile, filled with pride and grief and tears, tugged at his lips and eyes; not even the hero costume he wore could conceal it.

It took every ounce of Nana's will not to run to him and cry for decades of unsaid words when he said with fond formality, "Hello, Miss Shimura. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

With visible effort, the First stood up from the grand oak stump he had been resting on; though he was small and slight, shorter than Nana and skinnier than either of them, his eyes were alive with life, and his presence seemed to fill the world. In that moment, he was not the skinny, weak, sickly man he had been in life; he was the equal and opposite of his brother, the man who had founded a dynasty of heroes that had lasted for nine generations . He was the greatest of them, and his arms were spread wide in welcome.

He smiled at them kindly, almost teasingly, and asked, "Did you think you were the only one to come back?"

For a long moment, Nana and Izuku were silent, their shock and awe plain on their faces. All around them, the wielders of One For All stood quietly, hovering between life and death, specters who looked just barely incorporeal. Nana's eyes never shifted from the face of her long-dead mentor, who looked as if he was seeing her not surrounded by fog and graves, but by rubble and fire.

Then, Izuku, wonder and awe hushing his voice to barely above a whisper, asked, "How?"

The First answered, "One For All. What else?"

The others nodded, but Izuku responded, "No, I realized that…but how did a stockpiling quirk do this?"

The First smiled again, the tiny smile of a man who was explaining a miracle. He said, "We don't know, not exactly. But…this power has never been merely a stockpiling quirk. I didn't realize that myself until I woke up again after I died, in a place I've never quite understood…but it doesn't just stockpile power."

The First's voice softened again, and he trailed off. Without missing a beat, Hana picked up the reins. Her voice was soft and melodic, like a singer's, as she continued, "One For All is willpower. The desire to fight evil, to shape your own destiny…to save others. It remembers all of it, and bends it all to the will of the user. And when we die, we join it, as sort of…a final gift. A chance to continue the battles we fought, after we fall."

"One For All is more than a quirk," Suzuki finished, his voice steady and ringing, "it is power in the purest sense, power to change the world for the better. We are its bearers, its custodians…but it is bigger than us. It always has been."

The other wielders nodded, and Izuku fell silent, finally beginning to understand just what kind of burden he held, what kind of power he could call upon.

Nana, though, shattered the serenity of the foggy graveyard by taking an angry step forward, jabbing her finger at the First. In a voice choked with helpless fury, her body shaking with emotion, she snapped, "Okay, fine, you're here. That just means you better have some fucking answers for me!"

Nana's voice broke for a second, and she struggled to regain control. Once she managed it, she whispered, "Why? Why did I come back? How did I come back?"

The First's eyes were filled with sorrow when he looked at her. He told her, "I…don't know if the answers will be what you're looking for."

Nana crossed her arms, fighting back the sensation of her heart feeling like broken glass in her chest. She replied, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Nana was forced to turn when Fuji said in a quiet voice, "You're angry, Nana. You're grieving. You…you're looking for a reason behind it all, something you can blame."

"So what?" Nana nearly yelled, rage coursing through her veins, "of course I'm looking for someone to blame! Everything…everything's gone wrong! My family is dead!"

The First had a strange look in his eyes as Nana spoke, but he wasn't the one who spoke. Instead, Daigoro asked bluntly in a deep, gruff voice, "Do you wish you never came back?"

Nana opened her mouth to reply yes, but she found the words wouldn't come. All she could think of at first was the pain she'd suffered in the last day, all the things she'd learned that haunted her, all the failures who pulled her down with their weight, all the nightmares and fear. But…that wasn't all she'd experienced, was it? That was just the clouds hiding the sun.

Without even realizing it, Nana cast out her senses, searching for that sun. She found it a few feet behind her, its presence steady and resolute, caring and warm. Izuku whispered things into her ear, but Nana barely heard them; all she could make out was "I love you."

Nana took a deep breath, and shakily admitted, "I…don't know anymore."

Daigoro nodded at that, burly arms crossed over his chest. "It's hard, confronting your own humanity," he told her soothingly, "and it's natural to want answers…even when they'll never be good enough."

Nana raised her head once more, slowly letting her gaze drift over the six wielders. Each of them met her eyes in turn, steady and caring, sometimes apologetic, sometimes inscrutable.

Eventually, Kenji said, "Fine. If all of you are going to dodge her questions, I'll give her a straight answer."

The Fourth User's piercing eyes bored into Nana as he told her, "When we realized One For All's growth was unlocking new abilities, we decided to experiment with it. You were…one of the results."

Nana's eyes widened, and in a voice teetering on the edge of collapse, she asked, "Is…is that all I was? An experiment?"

Nana's impending collapse at such a betrayal froze in place when the First's eyes darkened; it was as if a storm had rolled in, ominous and foreboding.

The First glared at Kenji for a second, then turned back to Nana, his gaze softening again. He said, "Forgive him. Kenji was…opposed to what happened. Not to mention he has a habit of…oversimplifying."

"I was against what happened, true," Kenji agreed, "but the girl deserves the truth, without sugarcoating or softening it. We had no idea what was going to happen when we began to test how far One For All's capabilities extended. And when gaps appeared, she paid the price for it."

Nana was too confused to make sense of that. She clung desperately to the First's words when he said, "Perhaps…but you overlook the truth of what happened."

The First looked Nana in the eyes, and she saw regret and apology there. He explained, "It's true that we realized the possibility of resurrection with One For All's growing power some time ago…though we also realized that it would only work once, at its current strength, anyway. And…when we realized that, it resulted in your return, from One For All itself."

Nana's thoughts were still too jumbled as she absorbed the new information to quickly respond, but Izuku, though his heart ached as he felt Nana's distress, couldn't help but ask, "But…what about the link? Why can we read each other's minds, and…and share all of those things?"

Daigoro looked like he was about to snicker as Izuku's face turned slightly red at the implications of some of those things, but Hana shot him a dirty look, and he swiftly controlled himself. Hana nodded in satisfaction, then said soothingly, "It's quite simple, Izuku. That link wasn't created by One For All. It is One For All."

Izuku's eyes widened, and he began, "Wait, you mean…"

Hana grinned slightly as she explained, "It's…a little complicated, but more or less, the realm of One For All, where we reside most of the time, is created of pure willpower-and therefore, pure emotions. Feelings, thoughts…all of those things, they infuse the very structure of the quirk. As a result, when we're there, we share all of them freely; we are creations of that place on some level, so we can't even turn it off. And while this is the first time that there have ever been two active holders of One For All at the same time, it makes perfect sense that you both have a connection to the deeper parts of the quirk, and can share things via that connection, even One For All's power itself."

Izuku nodded at that. Behind him, though, Daigoro had apparently been on his best behavior for as long as possible, and snickered, "Oh, you sure are sharing in bed, too."

Izuku and Nana froze; a blush rapidly covered Izuku's face. Before he could start stammering, though, Daigoro laughed, "I'm just messing with you guys. We don't actually pick up any of that stuff; we've got metaphysical earplugs for that."

Izuku frowned. "Metaphysical…earplugs?" he repeated, confused.

Daigoro waved him off, saying, "Don't worry about it. You'll understand eventually."

With Izuku deeply confused, Nana fought off the brief bright spot in her mood and continued to wrestle with her desperate need for answers.

Her voice weak and vulnerable, she asked, "Why did I come back, though? Why not any of you?"

The First responded softly, "Because, of all of us, you always had the most…powerful ties to the world of the living. Things that drew you back, work left unfinished, legacies to watch over."

Nana reeled a little. The deep ocean of pain she could still feel in her chest welled up again, making her snap, "What are you talking about? My legacy has been destroyed by the monster you call your brother!"

This time, it was Kenji who answered. "Has it?" he asked cryptically, "Is your legacy only in your blood?"

Nana froze, a heated retort dying on her lips as she tried to understand the question. She couldn't; it just seemed so…backwards.

Seeing her confusion, Fuji spoke again, saying, "Nana, look at it this way: you inspired Toshinori to become All Might, the greatest hero in the history of Japan, an inspiration to millions. How many of the people he saved or inspired have gone on to become heroes themselves?"

Nana's eyes began to widen as she understood. Still, though, the dark knot in her chest held her back.

"How much good will they do?" Hana asked, her voice nearly ringing with the poetry of it as she picked up the torch, "How many children will they inspire, in turn?"

Nana couldn't answer the question; she didn't know how to answer. It was as if the world was unfolding before her, the fog lifting as she finally began to understand.

The First threw his arms wide, as if to encompass the whole world, in all its grandeur and light. His smile was bright as he finished, "And all of that, all of that good and light and beauty worth protecting, it all leads back to you, to the day you met a lonely quirkless middle schooler, and offered him love and acceptance and hope. You're dating living proof of your own legacy!"

Without even having to look, Nana could sense Izuku get swept up in the tide, his heart swelling with hope as he understood the things that held them together, as he saw the past and the future all at once. She couldn't blame him; the light of their words was piercing her, too, chipping at the crystallized center of her own pain and fear. She could feel it weakening, could feel the claws around her heart loosening, just a little.

"I...never thought about it like that," she admitted softly, "I never thought of my legacy as…as something more than who I was to the people that knew me."

"Most of us died young," Daigoro said, kindness shining in his eyes, "None of us have descendants in this world any longer, or really anything else. We are content to watch and guide where we can, without interfering."

At last, Nana heard Suzuki cough softly. Once she turned to face him, he finished proudly, "But when we realized that the growth of One For All had brought all these new abilities into play...you pushed for this. You wanted to go back to the work you left unfinished."

The First nodded and echoed, "That's why you came back, Nana. You chose to. You knew the risks, and the dangers, and everything it would mean. You weighed it all, took stock of your life, good and bad…and chose to try again. For Toshinori, and Sorahiko, and Izuku…you tried again."

Nana staggered a little, trying to wrap her mind around it all. She, or her…ghost, or echo, or whatever the wielders were…had willingly come back? Put herself through all that she'd experienced?

"If I really came back on purpose," she whispered, "then…why don't I have my memories? Why have I forgotten…everything?"

The First's eyes were filled with regret as he answered, "I…we don't know for sure, Nana. None of the experiments we tried suggested it would happen. Our best guess is that…you did it on purpose. While you were coming back, you chose to let go of most of those memories. We don't know why; nothing you did gave away your plan, if it was your plan."

Nana asked, "But…why would I do that?"

Daigoro's expression was stony, but not unkind, as he countered, "If, a few hours ago, someone came to you and offered to erase the knowledge of what happened to your husband, what you did to your son…take away that guilt and pain…would you have taken it?"

Nana hesitated; she couldn't say it out loud, but she knew what her answer would have been. It was then that she knew the truth; she was the same person now that she was before, that she had always been.

"I think you saw an opportunity to start over, on some level," Kenji said, "it may have been stupid, may have been cowardly…but it was human. A chance to wash away a lifetime of guilt and regret at your mistakes was worth it to you, I suppose. Even at risk of being hurt all over again."

Nana slowly sank to her knees, trying hopelessly to control the tide of emotions that threatened to overcome her completely. Rage and hope and shame and sorrow warred within her, and she didn't know which would win.

Some part of her, still stinging with helpless anger at the betrayal of One For All, bubbled to the surface. She raised her head again, and asked, "What about the nightmares? And…and leading me here? Did you do that, too?"

A moment passed with no reply, as the wielders exchanged unreadable glances. At last, the First replied, "The nightmares were…not our doing. In fact, we were badly affected by them, too. It was all we could do to help protect you from them, and encourage Izuku to help where he could."

"You were protecting me?" Nana laughed bitterly, remembering the last four days of suffering, sleepless nights blending into hazy days, all that time spent in fear of what pain would surface next.

"We tried to," Fuji acknowledged, "but…we failed you. As for why they happened…our best guess has to do with how much One For All's power is affected by emotions and desires."

Nana and Izuku's confusion must have been obvious, because Hana added, "Simply put, when you came back, you must have wanted to forget your past-save for a few happy memories-and One For All obliged you, as best it could. But then, after you began to establish yourself and confront situations where you were hampered by your lack of memories, some part of you…well, wanted them back; you wanted to know what you were missing. But because you were conflicted, with part of you wanting them back and part of you, even subconsciously, wanting to build a new life instead, free of old pains…you were in limbo. One For All tried to respond to both desires at once…and failed, creating the nightmares."

Nana nodded, managing to wrap her head around at least part of the explanation. "You're saying that because I didn't know what I wanted, One For All was in conflict too?" she said, her voice a little hollow, thick with held-back tears.

Hana nodded, and Nana felt Izuku's warm, reassuring presence wrap around her, too, trying to boost her spirits.

Daigoro added, "And as for leading you here…we were trying to prompt you to resolve that conflict, in some way, by making you see what you were trying to remember. It was a stupid and ham-handed way to do it, and it did more harm than good…but we hated seeing you in pain, and we were trying desperately to find some way, any way, to fix it."

"We aren't gods," the First added somberly, perhaps recognizing the struggle Nana and Izuku were having, trying to reconcile such a mistake, "we're only human. Some of us may have been alive for hundreds of years…but that doesn't make us wise. In the face of things we don't entirely understand-and we don't always understand One For All and how it works-we're no better than children, playing in the dark. Maybe we always are."

"We failed you," Suzuki agreed, sounding deeply sorry and ashamed, "and we failed you badly. We didn't want to interfere, because you deserve a chance to live and love without all these burdens on you. But…it led us here, because we failed to recognize just how deep your pain went, and how all the human mistakes added up. Can you forgive us?"

Nana took deep, shuddering breaths, as she weighed up all that she knew, all that she was. She had been hurt, again and again…but none of the people around her wished her harm. They all cared about her, and wanted her to be happy. That…wasn't something she was used to. But it was a beautiful feeling.

Slowly, heavily, Nana pulled herself to her feet, her strength returning bit by bit. She looked around the circle of impossible sights, and a soft, weak smile played across her face.

"You guys…did hurt me," she acknowledged, "and it sucks. I'm still hurting from it. But…but I know you didn't mean to do it. You were trying to do the right thing, and that…that's hard. But you tried, and…I don't think I can blame you for what happened. God knows that most of the pain is from things I did to myself."

The First smiled gently. "The worst evils are the ones we do to ourselves," he agreed, "but…thank you, for forgiving us."

A feeling of peace settled over the clearing, and for a moment, all was well. Nana felt Izuku come up to her, and she didn't pull away. She just…leaned against him, basking in the solidity of his presence. He was never leaving her side; she knew that now.

Then, Kenji said, "I suppose there is one other thing we should talk about. Your memories, Nana."

Nana stiffened. "My…memories?" she repeated, confused.

Hana nodded. "You may have chosen to lose them when you were reborn," she said in that same gentle, understanding voice she'd been using, "but…well, I think that that decision wasn't made in the best state of mind. And even if it was, you're allowed to change your mind. I think that it's possible to give them all back to you, in one form or another."

Nana stood stock-still for a long moment, her mind racing wildly. What could she say to that? Everything she'd been wishing for was right there…but was it what she wanted?

Beside her, Izuku nudged her gently. "Nana?" he whispered, "what are you thinking?"

Slowly, she answered, "I'm thinking…that I don't know what to think. On the one hand, I don't want to carry the pain of everything that happened thirty years ago for my whole life, not when I have a chance to do better this time…but I don't want to completely forget the people I left behind, either. That just feels like running away."

Izuku nodded, but his brow was scrunched in thought, and it was clear he didn't have a good answer, either.

Then, the First said, "I…might have an idea."

Nana was perfectly happy to accept some help in such a tricky situation, so she replied, "Go ahead."

The First nodded, and stepped forwards, closer to Nana; she noticed that his feet touched the ground as he walked, but didn't leave footprints, making her even more confused about what exactly he was. His hand came up to her forehead, white lightning sparking from his palm.

"What exactly are you-" Nana began to ask, only to get cut off as purple lightning erupted across her body, and she gasped loudly. A moment later, the energy flowing out of her began to coalesce, forming into a familiar shape in front of her, fading until the outline was clear.

Nana heard Izuku gasp somewhere behind her, but she couldn't tear her mind away from the sight in front of her enough to acknowledge it; she was too busy staring into the face of another ghost.

A ghost with her face.

Nana's jaw hung open as she tried to take in the details of what she was seeing; the figure in front of her was much like the other wielders, except almost wholly see-through. It was Nana, sure enough, but somehow, she knew it was the old Nana, the one who had been a hero. She wore her hero costume, and was unmistakably older; this was Nana as she had existed in One For All, before she had been reborn.

Nana, the new one, struggled to find her voice for a few seconds; once she found it, she asked, "W-what are you?"

The figure, ethereal and ghostly, smiled in response. Without moving its lips, Nana's voice-older, more mature, with a hint of sorrow underneath the ever-present laugh, but still unmistakably hers-replied, "I'm you, obviously."

Nana couldn't help the snort that escaped her; she wondered how she could hear the past-Nana's voice so clearly when she wasn't speaking.

The figure rolled her eyes-Nana was struck by a sudden and odd feeling of looking in a mirror, the gesture was so familiar-and continued, "No, but seriously, I'm…well, just think of me as a backup copy of you, or a memory. I'm only here for a little while; I'm an echo of an echo, and I won't last long. But I remember what you've forgotten."

Nana's eyes went wide. "So…so you know everything?" she asked, stupidly; of course she would know everything about herself.

The echo snorted-an odd gesture, when she made no noise. "That was a stupid question," it told her helpfully.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Nana grumbled, before gathering herself to continue, "so…did I really choose to forget everything when I came back to life?"

The echo hung her head, and Nana could see the shame she knew so well. "Yes," it answered, "you did. You were ashamed of it, and you knew it might only cause more problems, but…"

"But" what?" Nana demanded her voice cracking, "why would-why would I willingly forget the people I loved?"

The echo met her gaze, and Nana recognized her own tears. It responded, "You'd carried that burden for so long. Even after you died, too, you remembered them, and it always made you cry. Even the strongest human is still only human. You…you decided that you had had enough. That you couldn't carry the burden anymore. So you…gave it up. Let it all wash away. You thought you would be free."

"And I wasn't, was I?" Nana murmured. The echo shook its head, a sad smile on its face.

Nana took a deep breath, letting her thoughts play out. She asked, "What should I do? If I ask for my memories back, I might end up just like I was back then, crushed by their weight, unable to live with myself and what I've done. If I don't…I'm a coward, running from responsibility for my own actions, letting the people I loved be forgotten because I wasn't strong enough. I'm stuck either way."

The echo's smile never changed as it replied, "Since when have you been stuck in two dimensions, only able to choose between two ways?"

Nana blinked, confused for a moment. Then, she asked, "Wait, what are you saying?"
The echo shrugged. "I don't know," it admitted, "I only know what you once knew, and you never found another way. But…there are options available to you that you've never had before."

Nana raised her eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

In response, the echo simply pointed; Nana followed the gesture, turning to see that the target was one Izuku Midoriya.

Even though she wasn't quite sure what the echo meant, Nana had a pretty good idea. She turned fully, getting Izuku's attention. Though he was visibly confused, his smile was wide and tender, filling her heart with love.

Nana asked softly, "Izuku, what do you think?"

Izuku looked surprised that Nana was asking for his opinion, but he recovered quickly. Stroking his chin, he replied eventually, "I think…I think it doesn't matter."

Nana blinked in surprise. "Izuku?" she asked softly.

Izuku met her eyes, and the smile there could have chased away the deepest darkness. "I said it doesn't matter," he repeated, "because, no matter what you choose, I'll still love you. No matter what you choose, you're still you, the most incredible woman in the world. But…I want you to know that you're not alone. You'll never be alone again. Whatever burdens you choose to bear, you'll never have to bear them by yourself. I'll be there; I'll always be there."

Nana's heart felt like it would burst, she was so full of love at that moment. She nodded once, and said, "Thank you, Izuku."

And then, she turned back, to where the echo of her past self was watching with knowing eyes, and the rest of the wielders stood waiting for her answer.

Nana stood tall, and her voice was full of strength as she announced, "I've made my decision. I can't hide from what happened in my past; I won't hide from it. I will look it in the eye, and make peace with it, and vow to do better this time. I can't repeat the mistakes of the past, so I have to know them. I want my memories back; I'll figure out the rest from there."

The First smiled, and Nana thought she saw pride there. He clapped his hands, and replied, "Very well. Here goes nothing."

Then, from nowhere, there was light; half a dozen colors of lightning erupted, dancing through the fog. Black from Daigoro, red from Kenji, smoldering orange from Fuji, a beautiful teal from Hana, deep blue from Suzuki, and of course, brilliant, bright white from the First, wrapping around and amplifying every other color. Nana's skin sparked purple in response, and she felt rather than saw the thundering power of Izuku's green lightning join the maelstrom. It descended on her, feeling like pure electricity poured into her veins; for a second, she thought her heart was going to stop.

Then, it was over, and the lightning died away. Nana hunched over, panting as her skin steamed lightly. She noticed that the echo of her old self was gone, too; it must have disappeared back into One For All…or maybe it was in her now, the source of her regained memories.

When she had her breath back, Nana said, "That…that's it? I don't feel any different."

The First smiled as he replied, "We didn't want to overwhelm you with all your memories at once. They'll come in slowly, over the next couple of days…a week at most."

Nana nodded in understanding. "Thank you," she said softly, "for…helping me come back."

The First nodded. "Of course, Nana," he said, "you can always call on us. We'll answer."

Then, he bowed deeply, and dissolved into mist once again, fading like an old photograph until there was nothing where he had stood.

The rest of the past holders soon followed; Daigoro flashed them a thumbs up, then collapsed as if he was made of dust, causing a puff of mist to sink where he had been. Hana smiled and waved at them as she faded slowly and gently into the night, and Fuji did the same. Kenji, grim and harsh as always, regarded Izuku and Nana icily for a long moment, his piercing eyes seeming to go right through them. Then, the corner of his lip twitched upwards into the tiniest of smiles, and he nodded once to them, before turning and disappearing into the mist. Within seconds, his shadow was gone, and there was only one left.

Nana turned back to Suzuki, and she could no longer hold in the emotion, now that the awe and fear were gone. She sobbed openly as she suddenly sprinted forwards, throwing her arms around his shimmering form. He seemed to stiffen for a moment, but relaxed and hugged her back. Nana found it to be a bit like hugging particularly dense smoke; she couldn't really feel anything solid, and she could have closed her arms entirely and passed through without resistance, but there was still a warmth and a density to it that was most definitely different to the surrounding air, showing that there was something there.

Tears streamed freely down Nana's face as she embraced her teacher for the first time in well over thirty years. She whispered, "I never forgot what you told me. I always tried to be the kind of hero you were."
"I know," Suzuki replied gently, soothingly, "but you were a better hero than me by far, in the end. I'm so proud of you.

"I died in the end anyway. What does it matter?" Nana muttered, a tiny bit of lingering bitterness creeping into her voice.

Suzuki countered, "Everyone dies, Nana. It doesn't matter. Are we born to die?"

Nana tilted her head in confusion, standing up straighter as she continued to hug her long-dead teacher. She asked, "Excuse me?"

Suzuki, always of the school of cryptic and long-winded teaching, apparently decided it was time for one last lesson. "Do you start reading a book just to finish it?" he asked, "Do you listen to a song waiting for it to end? No. You can't outrun death…and why would you try? Living life to the fullest, finding people to share our precious time with…carrying the memories of the people who went on ahead. That's what life is about…what second chances are about."

Nana's voice trembled with emotion as she wondered, "What…what do I do now?"

"Live well," Suzuki told her with a gentle voice, "Live well, and smile, and kiss your boyfriend whenever you feel like it. Be a hero. Maybe we didn't bring you back for any grand reason or vital purpose…but why should life have to have a purpose? Leave the world better than you found it; that's all I ask. I can't think of any better way to honor the memory of your family, or to spite the man who killed you."

"And what happens when my time is up?" Nana asked, so softly it was almost a whisper.

"You come back to us…just not alone this time," Suzuki replied, tilting his head meaningfully to indicate Izuku, who was watching with a fond, somber smile on his face, "just don't be in any rush, you hear? We can wait decades, until you're ready."

Nana could feel and see Suzuki starting to fade away, too; it suddenly filled her with terror. "Will I be able to see you again?" she asked desperately, "Or is…is this goodbye?"

Suzuki's smile was wide and tender as he whispered, "This isn't goodbye, Nana. We're with you, always. All you need to do is… ask."

And then he was gone, too, fading into mist that sparkled in the rising sun.

Izuku watched Nana turn to face him, tears in her eyes, a hopeful half-smile on her face, and for the first time in nearly a day, a familiar strength and confidence in the lines of her body. He recognized the signs, and tears streamed freely down his cheeks, too, as Nana came back to him and pulled him into a gentle, simple kiss as the sun rose and filled the world with light once again.

Nana Shimura was back, and the first words she said when the kiss ended were, "Let's get the fuck outta here."