Chapter 31
Crux
"Sorry Tiger, she's always had a good quirk. Akatsuki as well. It was the perfect opportunity, so I brought them here."
Rei shuddered in Gang Orca's arms, squeezing her eyes shut. She wished that she could stay in his arms, tucked away in safety. She wished that the pro hero would run away with her in his grasp, taking her away from the scene of the crime and back to safety. But instead the hero remained rooted to his position, clearly confused and taking in the new scene before him.
They had attacked the building with little resistance, save for what the nomu had given. Now a new player had revealed himself, and there was no telling just what he was going to do.
Gang Orca stood with the rest of the group, staring into the darkness. "Are you with the league?"
Tiger called for a light, but it was in vain. Rei wanted to scream, to tell them to run as fast as possible. Could they not sense the danger that they were in?
"After my body turned into this, I'd depleted a lot of what I'd stocked up…"
"Stop! Don't move!"
But the newest player would not listen. Jeanist immediately moved to detain the villain, and Rei let out a small sigh of relief at the sound of fabric tearing and rending in the distance. She was still wrapped in Gang Orca's arms, tucked away with her face smothered against his chest, unseeing. Perhaps it was for the best, if anything, for her nerves.
Mount Lady protested their leader's actions, but Jeanist immediately reprimanded her line of thinking, pulling the threads tighter instead. But the moment that Rei heard a sparking sound coming from All For One, she knew it was over.
All of a sudden, Rei found herself flying through the air.
The building exploded once more.
Rei couldn't help the yelp that sounded from her as she was yanked from Gang Orca's arms, sailing through the air amidst the debris and concrete remnants that scattered along with her. But the force of the explosion was faster than Rei found herself flying, and chunks of stone and metal embedded themselves into her body. She raised her hands to her face, trying to cover herself and protect her as best as possible, but nothing could prepare her for the sensation of collision.
The moment she collided with the cement wall, her head smacked against the building, and it was lights out.
"Rei, you can't give up yet. … Hey! Rei!"
Haru?
"Oh, thank god."
… I'm dead again, aren't I.
"Don't give up! You can't!"
I know. But… what's the point? It's over. And I…
"You're here, and you're going to survive. You'll figure something out."
But what if I can't? I don't think I have it in me. The pain… What if-
"What if, what if, what if? So you failed to escape one time, failed to outwit this villain. How many other times have you outwitted your opponents and defeated them in times of crisis?"
That's different-
"I beg to differ. You're preparing to be a hero. Haven't all these experiences added up to make you who you are? What does it matter if it was practice? Practice prepares you for the real thing. Have you forgotten that?"
Sorry, it's just that it's all too real, all so suddenly.
"So was USJ. So was Hosu City. And now, you have a choice to make."
I know. You're right, as always.
"Of course I am. Someone has to keep you in line."
But what if-no, sorry.
"Hm?"
I have to do this. I will do this. No more 'what ifs' now."
"That's right. That's better."
Haru, thank you.
"It's nothing. I'm here for you."
You've never left my side, have you?
"Never. Never in a thousand years, and a thousand times a thousand more. I'll be here until the end."
Thank you.
"Now go. And remember, I'm right here with you. You're not alone."
I was never alone.
"You're damn right."
"Midoriya, how are things on your end?"
The green haired boy looked to his comrades, who were all appearing to catch their breath save for Bakugou. Even Midoriya himself was panting slightly, though he tried to calm his wildly beating heart and level his breathing for the sake of the call and for appearances. How in the world had they managed to get away with a plan that risky?
But they did. "Yeah, we're fine. How are you guys? Were you able to make a clean escape?"
"I think so. We escaped from behind. The pros are giving us evacuation instructions."
Midoriya breathed a sigh of relief. From what it sounded like, every one of them was accounted for and safe. At least for the time being. "Good! We're in front of the station. Looks like we're out of range of that shockwave. Our recovery was successful!"
"Oi! Listen! You didn't rescue me, okay? You all just happened to be the best escape route!" Bakugou frowned as Midoriya said a few final words to Todoroki and slid his phone back into his pocket. "I didn't want to get in All Might's way," he finally added for good measure.
"Oh, Bakugou, speaking of which…"
The group turned to Kirishima, who looked slightly sheepish.
"Where's Akatsuki?"
If Bakugou had been pissed, he looked absolutely livid. But Midoriya had known his childhood friend for long enough, and saw tinges of regret lining his face simultaneously. To top things off, much to everyone's surprise, Bakugou only scoffed at the question.
"She got taken away. Hell if I know where she is."
"Oi, don't say that. She's our classmate, you know…"
But the explosive boy's fists were clenched tightly, and there was no hiding the fact that he looked just as disappointed as the rest of them.
A few minutes later the television at the front of the station flickered to life, the news channel turned on and honed in on the epicenter of the mess. All they could do from her was watch, pray that they made the right decision, and hope that Akatsuki would be found in the mess of this.
The sensation of returning to the real world was like trying to cram toothpaste back into its tube. It was like her soul had departed halfway and was trying to be shoved back into a body that was two sizes too small, uncomfortable and making her want to tear her hair out from the struggle. Hell, it was even worse than that moment of teleportation that had been used on her to drag her away from Bakugou and that League of Villains secret hide out, from what she could guess. But second by second, moment by moment, as she was forced to endure the discomfort, she slowly began to regain feeling. Her fingers came first as her spirit almost slid in like gloves, finger tips twitching and regaining sensation. Then the rest of her body began to follow; arms and legs, then her torso, then finally, her head and mind. Like slime being forced to take on the shape of its container she began to coalesce and return to the present.
Sharply gasping for air, Rei inhaled deeply as she coughed, bits of blood coming up as she tried to swallow it down. Her eyes flew open but shut tightly once again after seeing a blinding light being pointed in her face. It was then that she began to take in her physical surroundings, slowly coming to terms with everything.
She felt like she had just been slammed into by a freight train, the worst of which was her chest. It felt like her chest was caving in on her, like a horse had kicked her rib cage in on itself.
Strange. She could have sworn that she landed on her back, not her front.
The blood continued to come up, Rei coughing one final time and spitting to clear her mouth of the vile sensation. Her head pounded. And yet, she was very much alive.
What was going on?
"Young Akatsuki!"
It was a voice that was all too familiar. She had grown accustomed to hearing it almost every day during school. Cracking a golden eye open, she looked forward at her teacher, who was looking incredibly mortified and shaking his steaming hand out as though…
As though… he had just punched something.
"I only came to save Tomura, but if you say you're going to fight, then I will too."
It was the voice she had never wanted to hear again. And here she had been hoping that somehow, a miracle had been pulled. She had been safe with Gang Orca. Or had she imagined all that? Was everything a dream? No, this certainly didn't seem like a dream any longer.
She was so close to rescue, but with All For One standing at her back she was so far.
She was a doll hanging limply in his grasp.
Coughing again, Rei hung her head. "S-sensei…"
She didn't want to watch the disappointment on All Might's face, even if it was at his own mistake. She couldn't bear to witness it. Instead she remained silent, trying not to scream from the pain as All For One continued to talk.
"In the past, your fist crushed one after another of my comrades. You were extolled as the Symbol of Peace. The view you had from atop our sacrifices… it must have been a great one."
Rei could hear All For One's quirk powering up again, the same one that had exploded the building before. Head bowed in resignation, Rei slumped over. This was it. This was truly it. She had been so close.
"How does it feel, All Might? To have one of your own taken away from you? This is only the beginning, starting with young Akatsuki."
"Detroit-"
"This is only the beginning!"
"SMASH!"
A fist grabbed Rei by the front of her hoodie, causing her to open her eyes in surprise. They were quickly closed once more as she was swung around like a ragdoll, being stowed behind All Might as he countered All For One's attack with a blow of his own. The wind shrieked around her ears, the currents sailing violently and swirling around All Might's body, thankfully blocking and shielding Rei from most of the surge.
But they were far from being in the clear.
The two of them were sliding backwards, and Rei could hear the grunts of strain coming from All Might himself. Was All For One this powerful in a one on one situation? Clearly Rei had underestimated his overall strength if the villain was able to push back the Symbol of Peace himself.
Eventually they came to a halt, and Rei was dropped back onto the ground. She cried out in pain as she rolled over. Something was definitely broken, though at this point she was in too much pain physically and emotionally to begin pinpointing what was wrong. There was so much going on, the world swirling around her in a haze of panic and rising emotions that drowned everything out.
"Young Akatsuki… are you alright?"
Before Rei could even answer, All For One was speaking again. "I won't let you fight without reserve, All Might! Heroes have many things they need to protect, don't they?"
Even through the pain, Rei scowled. "Sensei… fight!"
"Young Akatsuki…"
"Fight!"
All Might grimaced and turned back to the villain at hand. "Shut up, you… You always toy with people like this! You break them, steal them, take advantage of them at every turn! I…"
In the blink of an eye he was flying forward, tackling All For One and driving him into the ground. Rei startled at the sound of breaking pavement and dirt as the air and ground reverberated from the impact, but sighed in relief.
The villain was subdued.
She needed to get out of here.
Hauling herself to her feet, Rei grit her teeth from the pain. She refused to worry her teacher any longer, not while he was performing hero duties. He needed to focus on subduing the villain anyway. All Might didn't need any more distractions.
Through the pain, Rei began to stagger away toward the messy perimeter of the fight. In the distance she could hear sirens and shouting voices, most likely first responders helping civilians escape from the area.
"Oi! You!"
A flash of yellow suddenly appeared at her side, hands flying out to support Rei. She hissed in pain, but looked up in surprise at the pro hero that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. No, not just any pro hero. Rei wracked her brain, confusion clearly on her face before the name came to her.
"Gran Torino?"
He looked the young girl up and down, a scowl deepening on his face. "We need to get you to the medics. Hurry!"
Rei nodded, accepted his help marginally. It was hard to rely on him when so much of her hurt. But perhaps things were looking up once more. She noted duly that the pro hero had turned his head to look behind them at the struggling hero and villain, his eyes watching the grapple intently. Did he know All Might personally?
"What's wrong?"
All progress halted at All For One's leering voice, Rei stopping dead in her tracks. Even if his comment hadn't been directed at her, simply hearing the steely tone of voice was enough to make her freeze.
"You seem to be very worked up about something, All Might."
"Akatsuki, isn't it?"
Gran Torino's voice at her side pulled her from her musings. He urged her own, trying to drag her behind him. "We have to get out of here quick. Don't mind them. Haul yourself out!"
"R-right."
They had only made it a few more steps before All Might screamed in agitation, drawing Rei's attention. She had been slow, unable to fully turn in a quick enough manner, but it was enough to see what was coming once more.
Another explosion rocked the ground, knocking Rei off her feet once more and sending her through the air for the second time that night. But this time, there was no bracing herself. Her body was broken enough, unable to twist and save herself.
This was truly the end.
It was surprising, how final it felt. It was even more surprising how much Rei had simply accepted it from the moment she was airborne. But this time, she was somehow at peace. No matter what happened, there was a sensation of satisfaction, of calm.
If this was the end, then she would accept it.
She hit the ground.
Her consciousness peeled away from her body, like every other time it had happened. Like USJ, like Hosu City. Eyes closed, she didn't need to open them. The darkness was all around, and she was certain that she would drive herself mad if she attempted to stare into the abyss any longer. If she kept her eyes closed, she could convince herself that she was simply dreaming, floating away in a moment's respite that would eventually come undone.
But this time, she was uncertain if she wanted to return. Her face scrunched in pain and agony before smoothing out as she thought of all the pain she had lived through. Did she want to return to that reality, where her body was broken in numerous ways that she didn't want to even think about ever again?
She hoped that Haru wouldn't send her back this time. Brows furrowing, she suddenly began to wonder. Where was Haru anyway? At this point, she normally would have spoken up and said something. But instead she was still here in this lonely place, devoid of any other person.
"Rei!"
There. Haru's voice. But this time, it was strangely clear. Every other time they had spoken, it was like hearing her voice underwater or behind a waterfall, with some sort of barrier partially muffling her words. But now Haru's voice rang out clear as day, as though she was standing mere feet away from her.
It was curious enough to make Rei open her eyes slowly. A warm light like the afternoon sun filtered in, making her eyes wince as they adjusted to the brightness.
But as soon as they could see clear enough, they shot open.
In front of her stood Haru, her hand outstretched and beckoning her friend to grab it.
She looked older now, comparable to any other teenager had she still been alive. Fair blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders in waves, blue eyes shining brilliantly though in a bit of panic and fear. She was still wearing their middle school uniform, making Rei's chest swirl with a sense of nostalgia as she took the entire image in.
She was alive. They were both alive.
How were they alive? Were they actually?
Hand still outstretched, Haru leaned forward a little more. "Rei! Take my hand!"
For a moment Rei simply froze, so shocked at Haru's sudden appearance that she nearly missed what she had said. But snapping out of her stupor she stretched her own hand forward, meeting her halfway. With a surprisingly solid tug Rei found herself floating down to the ground, landing on a sort of wooden dock that was placed in the middle of a lake that stretched out in all directions. Taking a moment she looked around in wonder, confusion on her face as she tried to make sense of what had happened.
The two girls now stood near the end of a pier, a wooden dock that extended off into the distance, it other end indiscernible. Blue skies and fluffy white clouds looked more like a painting than reality over head, reflected by the crystal clear and still waters all around them. Rei's lips parted in wonder as she looked around, before golden eyes finally turned back to Haru.
Her hands were clasped behind her back, a small smile on her face though concern was in her eyes still. Even still, Rei could feel the genuine warmth radiating from her friend as she smiled.
Haru was here.
"Hey, Rei."
.
.
.
Chapter 31.5
Haru
In this short Life that only lasts an hour
How much - how little - is within our power
[-Emily Dickinson]
Life was not like the movies where a pair of defibrillators could shock someone's heart back into motion, sending electric currents into their body that would overcome the boundaries between life and death. Life wasn't like those medical television shows where the heroics of a select few in a hospital ward could deliver sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, back to their teary eyed families. Life wasn't like a story where the hero would overcome the shadows of death and return to the world of the living in triumph, bringing with them some critical knowledge of how to solve their problems and bring peace and harmony to all.
In shows and films, writers sought to conquer death with the pen, directors with their lens, lulling audiences into the fragmented peace of believing that death could be overcome and rewritten. It was something to be defeated, a dull creature whose gaping jaw and terrible talons were sent back into the abyss of darkness, to be subjugated by a word, a feeling, an idea.
But life was not like a film, or a novel, or a television show. In the end, death came for everyone, without exception. Death did not discriminate between the wealthy and the poor, the famous and the outcasts, human or otherwise.
There had been rumors, stories about people who had claimed to see the other side. Individuals who had quite literally died, their final breath leaving their chest as the paramedics and other professionals called out times and taking their notes before resigning themselves to the fact that there was nothing more they could do to massage a deadened heart back to its regular cadence. Then, perhaps a few minutes, or even a half an hour later, they would return. Eyes that claimed to have seen the eyes of god, to have reached a land that somehow suggested that heaven existed and that a second life wasn't so far out of reach. An astral plane, a wondrous place where the dead were not so dead, were instead remade perfectly and living in harmony with neighbors young and old.
Haru had never believed it, not for a second.
Life was not a fairytale. It was dark and destructive, and sought to consume all those who were not careful or lucky.
But frankly she wasn't sure what she believed when it came to death.. The afterlife wasn't a common topic that an elementary school student seriously considered unless for some unlucky reason they were confronted with their mortality. But when middle school came she couldn't deny that she was aware of human mortality and the fact that no one could live forever. Not even those with quirks that claimed to regenerate faster than their bodies could devolve.
Quirks were physical abilities, and physics had determined that everything would return to dust somehow, some way.
But none of that was on her mind in the beginning. She was busy with school work, running around the streets of Kumo City with her best friend, calculating the probability of their survival in their current fight and their success in the next. With each sunset came the simple satisfaction that they had survived another day. No one happened to think about the converse.
In the end, death came for everyone.
Haru was no exception.
She remembered a hazy fog coming over her mind with such serenity that she didn't even question it. It was in the next moment that she realized that she was standing on the edge of the bridge, water rushing and churning far below her feet. So suddenly had her mental cognitive properties been returned to her that she had been left in a stupor, save for the resignation that she had been about to fall down into the depths below and that a pair of golden eyes were looking back at her in fear.
Fear. People feared death, didn't they?
In the end, death came for everyone.
Did Rei fear death? Cocky, bold, and outspoken Rei, who would dive into a fight no matter what Haru told her about their odds of winning? She who seemed to shape and mould the future to her will, even without Haru's assistance? In that split second, Haru saw a fragment of truth; Rei did not fear death itself, but feared what death would take from her.
But while Haru could not speak for others, she could speak for herself.
Haru couldn't swim. The shocking cold that surrounded her after her body had fallen into the water had made her gasp, inhaling water as a consequence. That was when the fear took over, the panic, the raw and primal urge to stay alive. But it was inevitable.
In the end, death came for everyone.
Her mind wasn't even functioning when a pair of hands had reached her. Haru knew she was dying. She was panicking. What was on the other side?
It was only time until she found out, time that seemed to rush forward toward her too quickly with jaws that snapped at her neck. Her eyes closed, heart unsteady as everything hit her in an instant.
In the end, death came for everyone.
I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air—
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath—
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.
-Alan Seeger
I Have a Rendezvous With Death
In one moment, she was drowning in darkness.
In the next, she simply was.
Everything vanished. The frigid chill, the cold that was all consuming inside and out, the heaviness in her lungs. The black that had covered her vision like a kerchief had slowly lowered over her eyes until she was convinced that she had entered some new abyss, and now all of it was suddenly yanked away. Her arms wrapped around herself as she shuddered, inhaling deeply and surprised to find that she could breathe the free air once again, a ghost of a feeling traveling up her spine at the suddenness in which she found herself isolated in some new land. Eyes opened slowly to look around herself, head turning left and right as she took it all in.
She was lying in some shallows, back pressed against a sandy bottom while tiny waves soothingly washed over her and lapped at her body. The sun was shining brilliantly above her head, blue skies with puffy white clouds floating high in the cerulean canvas. Paradise, like one of those films about a tropical island where cares did not exist.
She frowned. This was not where she was. Hadn't she been in the river, in the afternoon? From the position of the sun, it couldn't have been later than noon. It was impossible.
Sitting up was much more difficult than she had originally imagined it would be. It was like her back had been suction cupped to the ground, head lolling backward for a moment even though she tried to pull herself up. Her muscles strained, fought, and screamed before she finally managed to sit on her bottom, head upright and looking about herself in confusion. For miles around all she could see was water, sparkling blue and crystal clear. To her left and to her right was a shoreline that extended as far her eyes could see, pristine and like some travel brochure for a tropical island instead of her native Kumo City. She was still dressed in her school uniform, the only thing she could recognize as her skirt floated around in the water and her top pressed to her chest.
What in the world was going on?
"Hey there."
Surprised, Haru turned her head as best as she could, lips parting as she stared at a woman that had suddenly appeared behind her. Grey eyes and an amused face beamed down at her, a yellow gloved hand outstretched as she offered her help. "Need a hand getting up?"
Blinking slowly, Haru finally rolled over to her knees, grasping the woman's hand as strong arms hefted the young girl to her feet. "Who are you?"
"Call me Nana." The woman was all confidence and smiles, placing her hands on her hips as she looked down at the youngster. She had to have been in her early or late thirties, at least, though it was impossible to tell exactly how old she was. But there was something about her, a feeling that Haru got, that made her feel as though she had lived through more years than that. "I'm sure you're wondering where you are?"
A frown crossed Haru's face as she looked down. "I was in the river, drowning."
"Yeah. I saw that."
Haru's head whipped up to stare into grey eyes. "What… do you mean?"
At this Nana's look turned sympathetic, soft. It was filled with pity, and Haru wasn't certain that she liked that look. "You were so young. I'm sorry."
It hit her like a ton of bricks. She staggered, hands clutching her chest, as though feeling for a heartbeat. Mind swirling, she felt as though she would fall to her knees if not for the steadying hands of the woman in front of her.
"I'm… dead?" Turning swiftly, she looked back out to the sea. "Rei! Where-"
No one was there.
With her face looking out to the sea, back turned toward her savior, she missed the frown that crossed Nana's face. But when she began to hear footsteps sloshing away in the water she turned back to look at the older woman, watching warily as Nana briefly turned her head back to the younger. Her voice was lowly and urgent, beckoning Haru to hurry. "Come with me."
Confused, Haru hesitated for a moment before hastily scrambling after her guide, tripping over herself as she tried to run as fast as possible through the water that rose just above her ankle. It wasn't for long as they finally made their way to dry land, trekking a ways away down the shoreline. With the ocean on her left, Haru looked to the right, surprised at what she saw. "Nana-san, what's over there?"
"The afterlife," she answered breezily, as though it was the most obvious and commonplace answer she could give. "That's where everyone goes after they die. There's no pain, no grief. The world as it should be, as some have said."
It was strange. The vision of what she saw continued to shift, as though she were looking through a multifaceted diamond whose surfaces each contained a different picture. In one she saw someone running through a forest with a friend, chasing after a deer that bounded away, all before it shifted to a modern house and a family working in the front yard, chattering away. Skyscrapers, villages, electricity, fire, the old world and the new clashing and collaborating with one another in scenes that Haru could barely comprehend. Even though Nana had stated that it was as the world was supposed to be, there were a million different interpretations and events, juxtaposed over and under one another in a dazzling dimension beyond comprehension. Shaking her head, Haru turned her attention back to the woman leading her, surprised at where their feet had taken them.
They were now standing at the edge of a pier that jutted out from the land far into the sea, a small wooden dock that was wide enough for maybe three or four people. It was completely empty, and Haru wondered how she hadn't seen it before. They hadn't been walking for that long; shouldn't she have seen it when she was sitting in the water? But there was no time for questions as Nana strode purposefully down the dock, her boots thudding against solid wood and bringing Haru out of her musings as she chased the older woman down.
It was then as they began to walk down the dock that they came into view; it started with one or two projections, like television screens that floated in the sky, then a handful. As they progressed further and further down the dock they began to multiply exponentially, layering over and behind one another as various scenes played out. Haru stared in wonder at the newest change in the scenery. What was the purpose of all this?
"This place here," Nana began, "is what some people might call the waiting room. The middle ground, the crossing point. Purgatory, even. Choose what you will."
"So the afterlife and this are separate?"
"Right!" She flashed a thumbs up, tossing a smile over her shoulder briefly before looking forward at their path. They were making their way toward the end of the dock, a platform at the end that could probably fit twenty people comfortably. Still it was empty, but Nana continued. "This is where people come right when they die. From earth to these waters, they float to the shoreline of the afterlife, much like you did."
"Then, what are these images?"
Nana merely pointed a finger toward one image close to them. "Watch."
It was a sorry scene, an image of a hospital room and an elderly man who lay on his deathbed. Haru could see the people around him with astonishing clarity, their grief tangible. Suddenly something shifted in the image, a ghostly version of the elderly man lifting and separating from his body and ascending toward Haru rapidly. He emerged from the projection, peeling himself from the other dimension like a sticker off of a piece of fruit as he bowed over slowly, tipping over the edge. Then with sudden grace the ghostly body began to fall, down and down, into the ocean until he hit the water with a splash. Haru's eyes were wide as she watched the corpse float back up to the surface and slowly make its way to the shore, drifting with the tide.
A shudder ran down her spine at the unnaturalness of the scene. "This is…"
"These are portals into the real world. From here, we can see everything on earth." Nana's eyes flashed dangerously. "I wouldn't recommend going through them. You'll be trapped there forever as a ghost."
Nodding her head furiously at the warning, Haru walked a little quicker to catch up. "Nana-san, why are we here?"
"You mentioned you had a friend with you, right? One you expected to die as well?" When the woman put it that way, it almost sounded as though Haru wanted Rei to die, a rather evil thought. But Nana seemed to think nothing of it, instead pointing into the sky. "There."
Haru's eyes lifted, and any guilt she might have had vanished. "Rei!"
Suspended in the air, Rei's body had folded itself into a fetal position, her eyes closed as though dreaming. But the most strange part was that the longer Haru watched, the more she realized that Rei was not moving. Unlike the older gentleman who had fallen out of his earthly portal and into the ocean, Rei seemed to hover in between this realm and the other, balanced and hanging in suspense as though she were unable to tip in either direction. But as Haru looked closer, she noticed a strange feature that was hanging around Rei's neck, something that she was certain hadn't been in the real world.
Pointing a finger of her own, Haru's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Nana-san, what is going on? And what is that?"
"You mean that red scarf around her neck?" Nana crossed her arms over her chest. "That is Rei's life force. Some call it the red string of fate. Everyone has one, though you can't see it as a living human." Grey eyes crossed, as though considering something. "Normally, they aren't that big though. Whatever the reason, it's keeping her from fully crossing into this realm."
Hand fluttered to her own neck, eyes turning downward as she felt something on her skin. Similarly, Haru had a red string of her own, although it was no thicker than the width of a pen. From her neck a piece about one foot in length draped down over her chest, causing Haru to panic as she lifted it up. "My string, it's-"
"Ah, don't worry, that's normal. Once you die, it gets cut off from the real world." She pointed again back to Rei, the two of them turning their attention back into the sky. "Do you see how hers is still connected with her body back in the real world?"
Sure enough, Haru could see that while Rei was lingering in the air, the thick red scarf that was tied around her neck in this ghostly realm was extending back into her body back on earth, where the other end was similarly tied around her neck. Haru sighed in relief. "So then, Rei can still return."
"Yes, although for some reason, she's hanging in limbo." Nana frowned at this. "I've never seen anything like this, not in all my time being in this place. Something is both keeping her from entering this place, yet preventing her from returning."
It took a moment for Haru to think of reasons why this was, but once she thought about it, things began to fall into place. "Regeneration." This time it was Nana's turn to look surprised as she stared down at the young girl next to her. Haru's eyes were trained fully on her friend, watching to see if anything changed. "Her quirk is called Nine Lives. She heals faster than anyone I know."
"I see. Perhaps then her body is trying to heal itself and bring her back to life in that world."
"But then why isn't she going back? Why is she stuck?"
"A lingering will." The frown on Nana's face deepened, concern coming to the forefront. "Unfinished business. If something doesn't happen soon, she might die in the real world but continue on as a ghost."
"But then, that means…"
"She'll never make it to the afterlife. She'll be stuck there forever."
Haru was never one to pray. She had never thought anything of any particular god, only once in a while shooting a prayer to her lucky stars above her head on the occasion. But in this place, a place that she had never imagined that could exist, she found herself bowing her head and placing her hands over her heart.
Please. Let Rei return back to earth. Let her live. Please, I call on every lucky star, on all the luck that life had given me.
Haru?
With a gasp, her head jolted up. Nana looked surprised at her outburst, jumping slightly at the suddenness. But Haru knew she had heard Rei's voice. "... Rei?"
Haru, where are you?
"I can hear her." Haru's words came out rushed, still unbelieving at what was happening. Turning her head to Nana, she looked to the woman for guidance. "I can hear her! She's speaking to me!"
"Then perhaps she's lingering because of you."
"Me?" But it was clear. If Rei was dying, that meant that she had jumped in to save Haru herself. That was how her best friend operated, the two of them with one another to the very end. To the brink. And now, to the shores beyond death itself, so it seemed. Turning her eyes back to Rei for a moment before closing them tightly, she wished with all her heart and all her willpower, speaking in her mind and hoping that Rei could hear her. Rei, I'm okay. Go back.
But what about you?
I'm safe now. Go back. Live.
Haru…
Go, Rei! I'm okay! Go back, before you can't!
Are you sure?
Yes. I've never been more certain.
Haru, you're slipping away.
A sound of surprise came from Nana as she sucked in a sharp breath, shocked at something that was happening. "She's moving back in." Eyes opening, Haru looked to see that Nana was right. Slowly, the red scarf around Rei's neck was dragging her back into the portal. She could see Rei's finger twitch, arm extended toward Haru in an unconscious gesture.
Haru, where are you?
I'm with you, Rei. I always am.
Haru, I can't hear you. Haru-
As soon as her head passed back into the portal, the connection broke. Haru wasn't really sure how she hadn't noticed it come in in the first place, but all she knew was that she couldn't talk to Rei any longer, and neither could Rei hear her. Back in the image Rei's ghostly form fell back into her body, chest seizing as paramedics stood around her in shock. The scene seemed to pause for a moment, everyone frozen as they took everything in before movements erupted in a swirl of chaos, medics yelling and giving orders while they worked to stabilize the now living girl that was once thought to be dead.
Haru sighed shakily, tears in her eyes. She was still alive. Rei had made it back.
But now what would happen?
Turning back to Nana, Haru was surprised to see the woman with an astonished look plastered across her face. Slowly she turned her head back down to look at Haru, looking at the girl as though appraising her and trying to see something that she hadn't seen before. "Never have I ever…" She trailed off, still looking curiously at Haru.
"Nana-san, now what?"
Her question seemed to break the woman out of her stupor, returning to the present moment. "The afterlife. That's where everyone goes, once they make it to these shores."
A frown covered Haru's face. "But what about you?"
"See this?" Nana tugged on a red strand that extended from her neck, looking rather tattered and thread bare in some places. But now that she had brought attention to it, Haru could see that it was still connected to something, no matter how thin the line got at times. It weaved through the air before splitting into multiple ties, a web of red lines shooting across the sky as far as Haru's eyes could see and even further than that. "I'm dead too, but I've still got a connection. It's important for a lot of reasons, so I've got to keep watching from this pier back to earth. It's not time for me to completely pass on yet."
Haru turned her gaze to look back down the pier, over into where the afterlife was. Shimmering, dazzling, hopeful. Yet Haru couldn't help but shudder at being a part of that. A piece of her clamped onto the feeling that her path led her elsewhere. Perhaps someday, but not yet.
"I think," she began carefully, "that it's not time for me either." Nodding her head, she looked to Nana with determination. "I need to find out exactly why Rei hasn't passed on yet. All I know was that I was able to get her to go back. What if she needs me again?"
There were many questions, too many that Haru didn't even understand how to articulate yet, let alone find answers. But Nana simply seemed to accept her answer with a nod and a grin. "Are you sure?"
Haru simply smiled. "Rei is the most important person to me. The afterlife-no," she shook her head, hand placed over her heart, "I can wait until we can both see it together. Until then, she needs my help."
A yellow gloved hand suddenly extended between the two, Haru looking at it in confusion before her gaze lifted to Nana's face. The older woman simply grinned widely, eyes sparkling with some unnamed emotion. "Shimura Nana. If you're going to be here in the waiting room with me, we might as well start on the right foot. Let's be friends and work together."
For a moment Haru simply stared before a smile slowly crept onto her face as well. Placing her smaller hand into Nana's, she shook it firmly. "Chisaki Haru. Please take care of me."
"Right! You can count on me, Haru-chan!"
"The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague.
Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?"
-Edgar Allan Poe
Time in this space, surprisingly, was not terribly difficult to comprehend.
If someone were to describe the realm after death, Haru most likely would have theorized that such a space existed outside the fourth dimension, with time becoming irrelevant. It wasn't so difficult to consider a world where, unlike the world of the living that was defined by seconds, days, and millenia, there existed a separate universe where time did not exist. Perhaps the land of the dead was such a place, an infinitely large place in which time meant nothing.
Perhaps being in the realm of afterlife was like that. Haru's eyes often drifted to that iridescent gem that lay beyond the beach, a swirling vibrant community that was just beyond her reach. If she wanted, she could reach out and become a part of it. Happy, content, and amused to the rest of her days. But every time such thoughts would come to her mind and linger for just a while too long, regret would step in. No, she would wait. She would wait a thousand years for Rei to join her. They would take those steps together.
Here in the realm in between, or the waiting room as both she and Nana like to call it, time was still relevant, though still just beyond their grasp. It was there when they looked into the portals to earth, as they watched time progress. Thousands of windows, all proceeding at the pace at which the earth ran, a common metric that was still familiar and comprehensible. Even though Haru now existed in a world where time did not necessarily rule her any longer, she was able to order her thoughts and make sense of her world by staring into those portals. Days, weeks, years. They would all pass before her eyes, as she struggled to understand her latest tribulation.
Being dead was a concept that Haru continued to struggle with. Some days she would simply sit on the docks, placidly watching the human world continue to spin. Other days she would despair, the grief of being separate from that world and in particular from Rei too much to bear. She grieved that she couldn't touch her friend, tell her how much she missed her or when she was taking risks that were beyond Haru's probability manipulation, to keep her in line and keep her winning. The days that Haru watched were ending more and more often in losses, and all she could do was helplessly follow Rei through her days as she struggled.
Why did she have to die? Why couldn't she still live, instead of being chained to this unfeeling and empty space?
It wasn't entirely true, since Nana was there. But even the older woman couldn't be around all the time, so busy with watching her own side of things and talking with the others with whom she held connections with and were also in this realm. Nana was still busy, which left Haru to sit and stew in her thoughts, often darkly. No, Haru was not alone, but at times the hole in her chest ate away at her until she wanted to scream and tear her hair out from the despair that threatened to tear her apart from within.
She was lonely, and sad.
It didn't help that Rei was barely coping as well. On more than a few instances she had willingly thrown herself from the bridge again, had put herself through a variety of gruesome ways to die, in order to see if her survival had been a fluke. Each time, Haru watched as her body ascended through the portal, but still refusing to fully come through into the undead realm, wavering on the border.
Each time, Haru pushed her back through into the world of the living, tears running down her own face as she did so.
The first few times, Haru had sternly told Rei to return to the world of the living. But soon it became clear that Rei was becoming dependent on her - addicted to her latest gruesome indulgence, even - desperate to hear Haru's voice. So she fell silent, instead using the shred of her quirk and what remained of it in this lonely realm to push her best friend back and force her to continue living. She didn't want Rei to continue her horrifying scheme of pushing herself to the brink just to hear Haru's voice. So instead, she put an end to it.
Eventually, Rei got the idea. She gave up, convinced that Haru's voice was a hallucination. She resigned herself to the world of the living. That, at least, gave Haru some reassurance. Rei's willingness to throw herself into the realm of the dead had been terrifying and bone chilling.
That, and the fact that her red ribbon, which had been thicker than a winter scarf, was beginning to thin.
It hadn't been so clear at first. But on the last few times that Rei had killed herself, Haru had started to notice the change. She had brought it up to Nana out of concern, worried for Rei's health. The woman had simply frowned, shaking her head.
"This is news to me as much as it is to you," she spoke solemnly. "But if I had to wager a guess, it would be a sign of her mortality."
"Quirks are physical abilities," Haru mused, thinking about what Nana had told her many months prior.
"That's right. Rei might see it as her quirk giving her immortality, but there's no such thing. Her life force is simply multiple times larger than a normal person's. But even that isn't limitless."
It was the final, deciding factor in why Haru had stopped talking with Rei, instead sending her back to the world of the living in silence. She couldn't let Rei continue crossing that border so recklessly, especially since her friend didn't realize that her life was literally being whittled down. Thankfully, the red line was still thick, more than four times the size of the normal person if she had to wager, but the unexpected could always happen.
Haru had to protect Rei, especially if the latter didn't realize the truth about herself and the nature of her quirk.
Time passed. Rei continued to tumble through life with Haru watching on in anxiety. She watched the world pass by, occasionally turning to watch historical events in the making, but she always had one eye on her childhood friend.
Then came the day where Reina stepped into Rei's life.
Haru had to be honest; she was jealous at first. Jealous that someone could walk into Rei's life and make the best out of everything, pulling the moody teenager out of her dark place and putting her on the road to success. Haru should have been the one to do that. From the beginning it had been the two of them, Haru and Rei, Rei and Haru. And now a stranger had simply waltzed in? Haru had seethed for days on end. That was supposed to be her place, if she was still alive. Then more than ever she grieved the fact that she had died.
But more time passed, and the jealousy waned as it transformed into thankfulness. Rei never forgot Haru, all throughout. If anything, Rei had been turned onto a path of honoring Haru's memory, a path that her new mentor had set her upon. The dark rebel now had focus and a drive, a desire to become a hero that would stand up for the outcasts like she and Haru had been. How could Haru feel anger and bitterness towards this woman, who clearly had no intention of taking Haru's place? She who had turned Rei from a certain path of destruction to one that spoke of restoration?
The realization came, one day, that Reina had not taken Haru's place. It was simply that Rei's heart had opened up to accept another person in her life, someone that would make her a better person.
It was the reason why, when Reina's body had threatened to fall into the realm of the dead, Haru had quietly pushed her back into the world of the living.
It was a difficult task, considering that other than a common friend, the two women had no relationship at all. But with gritted teeth and a will harder than tungsten thrown into fire, Haru pulled her quirk together to push Reina back into the world of the living. She hadn't survived completely, forced into a coma. But it was enough that she was given a second chance.
Haru knew that it was not her place to be an arbiter of fate, to determine who got to live and who would pass on into the afterlife. But just this one time, she promised herself, she would twist the little bit of fate that she could. For Rei. She would not let her friend teeter off the edge, not when she had been so lucky.
Perhaps it was Rei that had been the lucky one, and not her after all.
When You Wish. That was what they had named her quirk. At first it seemed to be that whatever Haru wished for would come true. It wasn't until she got older that the finer details grew more firm; probability manipulation wasn't a terribly common quirk, but neither was it completely unseen. By the time she reached the first grade it was clear what her quirk did, allowing her to tweak statistical probabilities in her favor, like the likelihood of a snow day in February when the weather was on the verge of a downpour or that a bully would slide on a small puddle in the hallway and knock the wind out of themselves. Sometimes Haru would get lost in statistical probabilities, combing through realistic options for so long that Rei would be forced to shake her arm in order to get her to come back down to earth. But sometimes, it was as easy as it sounded, like throwing a wish out to a shooting star.
She was always told growing up that she was lucky to have such a strong quirk. Surely it was a quirk suited for a strong hero, and her future seemed to be solidified in an instant. But she kept quiet, kept her head down, to ensure that she would never leave Rei behind. Thicker than thieves, many people had called them.
But then Haru was robbed of life herself. And now, she felt as though she had to figure out her quirk all over again. Quirks in the afterlife were strange. It was as though they were shadows of their former selves, still near and dear and within grasp, but fraying at the edges every time Haru tried to grasp it firmly. She had managed to use her probability and luck to force Rei and Reina back into the world of the living, but she had a feeling that, had she still been on earth, it would not have been as large as a struggle as she now felt it being. Haru was more conscious that her quirk now felt like a burden rather than an extension, a weight she had to carry responsibly instead of something she summoned with barely a thought. It made her think about her every move, making her more conscious of her being in this undead world.
It mattered little. Slowly but surely, Rei began to surpass every expectation, even those that had been placed upon Haru's shoulders. She had been accepted to U.A., something that Haru had celebrated and prattled on about to Nana as soon as she watched it happen, so excited and proud at her friend. Rei had come so far, fulfilling Haru's dream of becoming a hero.
Now, she was making it her own.
Rei was finally standing on her own two feet. It was as though the training wheels had finally been taken off the bicycle, teetering precariously every so often but managing to balance herself out in the end. Sooner than later, she wouldn't need Haru's watchful eye anymore.
She continued to watch on anyway.
It was a good thing she did.
Not one week into Rei's first school year at U.A., the villains had rained chaos down on Class 1-A during what was supposed to be a practice in rescue training.
Ironic, that Haru ended up being the one doing the rescuing.
The moment that Rei had been tossed into the lake Haru's heart froze. With every passing moment that the golden eyed girl was unable to rise, Haru's hopes began to sink. For years she had been doing so well. Then the inevitable had happened; Rei's soul had arisen from the portal into the real world, partially passing into the land of the dead before hovering on the border as always, the scarlet ribbon fluttering in an invisible wind with vibrance that made Haru's heart heavy in her chest. With a sigh Haru had stood up from the dock, standing at the edge and looking up at her friend's figure as she appeared in a sleep-like state.
She was meters away, almost within reach. For a moment Haru simply stared up. It had been years since Rei had appeared before Haru like this, and though it was something that she had prayed would never happen again, Haru couldn't help but feel a bit warm at the familiarity of the situation. In this place Rei was both so close, yet so far. Without her fully realizing it, Haru's hand had subconsciously began drifting up, as though reaching for her friend.
Haru, have you finally come to take me too?
Hearing Rei's voice loud and clear for the first time in years had Haru jolting back into reality, pulling her hand back in shock and shame. No, she couldn't be selfish. Rei had to return. But her eyes remained trained on Rei's figure. Suddenly, she gasped in shock.
It was so slight, she had almost missed it. Rei's eyes were half lidded, half open in a dreamlike state. Haru was convinced that she had been hallucinating it for a moment, so entranced and shocked at the situation that she imagined that she was overthinking things.
But for a long moment, golden irises blearily stared back into Haru's blue.
Hands shaking, Haru slowly began to push Rei back into the portal. She had heard Rei's voice, speaking to her. After all these years of remaining and working in silence, she couldn't help but reply as she pushed Rei's body back into the other realm.
Rei, wake up.
As her quirk began to work her magic Rei's eyes fully closed once again as her spirit fell back into the real world, merging just in time with her body as a red haired boy pulled her to the surface. Alive. She was alive once more.
Haru simply stared.
In all the years that had passed, Rei had never been able to actually see Haru. Perhaps she was overthinking things, and that Rei was simply dreaming. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Rei had truly seen her in that liminal space, golden eyes peering into the intermediary zone between life and death. From what Haru could remember, no one had ever really done such a thing. Was this another side effect of her quirk?
For the first time in years, Haru felt unsettled. It was why she renewed her vigor in watching over Rei as the weeks passed by, her eyes scrutinizing the scenes before her as her mind ran on overload. What did this mean? What could anything mean? There was too much going on, with no sign of answers any time soon. So instead Haru returned to watching, waiting for any signs that she could glean.
She had quickly become furious with herself. It quickly became apparent that Rei had not moved on as much as Haru had convinced herself that she had. She was foolish for speaking out to Rei, revealing herself once more. Immediately after returning to life after school, the black haired girl made her way to bridge over a river, stepping up to the ledge. Haru couldn't help it; she had screamed at Rei, yelling as loud as she could for her to stop, to turn back.
She hadn't been protecting her all this time for Rei to return to her bad habits and fixes.
Haru was furious that her best friend would throw everything away for a dream she couldn't ever catch.
But a hand caught her before she could take the fall. Black hair and silver eyes appeared in the scene, reminiscent of Nana Shimura herself. Haru breathed a sigh of relief, no matter how angry Rei had seemed at first. A blessing, a miracle that Haru hadn't even had to conjure on her own. She found herself cheering for this Yaoyorozu, who fearlessly burst past Rei's walls.
Another person to add to Rei's arsenal.
Another person to tether her to the real world, to keep her grounded.
This time, there was no bitterness, no jealousy. The only thing that Haru felt was confidence, for the first time that she could remember in this space inbetween. Confidence that Rei would find her way.
"Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation"
-Rumi
The days and weeks began to pass, and Haru watched with pride and Rei began to slowly grow stronger and stronger. Not just physically, but her connections with her classmates were beginning to manifest, small tethers that could be easily broken, but slowly grew in tenacity and strength with each passing day and interaction. She became more open, breaking through her shell in pieces on her own volition while a few others worked to crack her open from the outside, carefully, but intentionally.
Haru was thankful for Class 1-A. They had begun to form a support system for the still living girl, a web of connections that believed in one another and had begun to move cohesively as a unit, trusting one another's judgements as they met each task to the best of their ability. It was then that Rei began to stand out as a stellar tactician and planner, as well as a flexible and creative mind that relished in outwitting her opponents instead of strictly relying on her quirk to punch her way through her missions. Everyone else was beginning to see it too.
But more than that, some people were beginning to draw closer and closer to Haru's core, like moths to a flame.
Yaoyorozu had truly been the first to break through. But Haru watched with joy and amusement as a particularly moody boy began to begrudgingly share space with Rei. The two of them ruffled one another's feathers, neither willing to tolerate the other's bullshit. They were more similar than they realized, and as Haru watched them orbit one another like comets around a planet's gravitational pull she felt her heart both soften and leap in excitement.
They melded together like pieces of a puzzle. No one was ever perfect, but Haru had never been more convinced that two people could work together as well as they did.
But hero training was dangerous. The USJ incident was proof, and as time progressed more and more tribulations began to fill Haru's chest with concern. It was one thing for a sudden villain attack to happen, where Rei had actually been killed and revived, but when the sports festival came Haru was reminded once again how dangerous quirks could be.
When Rei had fallen and impaled herself on an ice spear, Haru had quite literally gasped.
It was a sports festival. Wasn't it supposed to be a little less high risk? But nonetheless the accident had happened, and Haru had reached out with shaky hands to push Rei back into the real world.
So shaken and angry, she hadn't realized at first that she had begun to talk with Rei.
"This is the second time you didn't try to come here."
… Haru?
Haru smiled, exhaling sharply through her nose as she looked up to Rei's body as it lingered in between the two worlds. She couldn't help it, not this time. She had to speak her mind. She only hoped that Rei was strong enough to not be tempted by death again.
"Still, I'm proud of you." She frowned, looking away for a moment down at the water in thought. "Though, I didn't realize it'd be this dangerous to become a hero."
Haru, wait.
The smile returned, though more wistful this time as she looked up to Rei. She was still floating with her eyes closed, looking like she was in a dreaming state. "I'll always wait for you, Rei. But you shouldn't be here. Not yet."
There's so much I want to tell you.
"You have to go back, Rei."
Haru, I don't know what to do.
"You'd better hurry, otherwise you'll get stuck here too."
This time, Rei's voice was much softer, as though uncertain that Haru could actually hear her. The doubt and self consciousness returned, making her look even smaller as she huddled in a ball. I don't know what to do.
But Haru was on a rant, shaking her head. "And stop coming to this place, okay? You make me worried every time…"
Haru, what should I do?
She wasn't sure that she could provide an answer. With a sigh, she lifted her hand, preparing to shove Rei back through the portal and into the real world. The ice was melting, and the paramedics were walking toward the scene. "I miss you, okay?"
I miss you too. Every day.
Smiling at the sentiment, Haru began slowly pushing Rei back. "I believe in you. It's not just our dream anymore, right?"
Referencing their dreams of becoming a hero, even Rei cracked a smile in this timeless space. Yeah. I've got that much figured out.
"That's right. Just keep taking steps forward. It doesn't matter how big or small."
Right. Because-
"It's not just our dream anymore."
It's mine.
Satisfied with Rei's answer, she gave one final push to nudge the black haired girl back into the real world, her spirit falling back down into her body and arriving not a moment too soon. Her chest began to rise and fall just as the paramedics reached her, loading her onto a stretcher and carrying her away without much question. As far as they knew, she had simply passed out from blood loss and pain. Only Haru and Rei knew the truth, and as Haru clasped her hands behind the back and watched the scene moved on she mused on Rei's mental state.
She was growing stronger. Not a few weeks prior she had been ready to give in once again, to give up all the progress she had made over the years in order to achieve her dreams. Now here she was, ready to move on, already growing up in a few weeks. Part of Haru wondered what had been the reason for such a drastic change, but the other part of her already knew.
It was the friendship and camaraderie that she had found.
The rapid developments that had gone for the better was enough for Haru to turn a blind eye to all the strife, all the attacks and harrowing events and villain attacks that had came. Rei was steadily proving herself to be stronger and stronger as the days grew, leaving Haru with little but a sense of peace in her chest. Things were changing for the better.
Then the villains attacked the training camp, and everything shattered into pieces.
It was a testament to how brittle and tentative peace really was. In a matter of minutes mayhem had descended onto the training camp, and Haru could only wait with bated breath to see the outcome. The moment that Rei had been captured and dissolved into a marble Haru had felt her stomach drop, even as she watched Rei's classmates strive to get her and the other two boys back.
In the end, it hadn't been enough.
Never before had Haru wanted so desperately to jump back into the world of the living and rein chaos down upon the villain's heads. But she had to sit back and watch as Rei was cycled through trial after trial, held captive in that pitch black room with fear cementing her to her seat.
Rei had held together for this long. And now, it was Haru's turn to support her.
She knew that something was different the moment that Rei's body had hit the ground one final time. Her spirit had ejected almost too quickly, more unnaturally than usual, flying into Haru's realm and hovering in the air for a moment. Watching with her breath stuck in her chest, Haru watched as Rei slowly began to descend into the water.
No, not the water. If Rei was caught in that current, then she would be washed upon the shores of the afterlife and would have no chance of returning. Haru stood up so quickly she tripped over herself, running to the edge of the dock and screaming out toward her friend in desperation.
"Rei!"
Golden eyes fluttered open, slowly gathering her wits about her before taking in the new scene. Her mouth hung open, agape at the sight of Haru. But there was no time to waste, and Haru stuck her hand out further in an attempt to get the black haired girl to move faster. She couldn't sink into the water, otherwise she would get sucked in by the tide and taken into the realm of the dead, her ribbon severing. And no matter how thick her ribbon may have been, it wouldn't mean anything against the final severing.
Haru couldn't let that happen.
"Rei! Take my hand!"
Speaking for a second time seemed to snap Rei out of her stupor, hand reaching out and grasping Haru's own firmly as the blonde pulled as hard as she could, yanking Rei up onto the pier along with her. She landed on the hard ground and stumbled once, though Haru stabilized her with two hands. Once she was standing on her own two feet and was sure of herself she looked around in confusion and wonder, taking everything in before her eyes rested on Haru once again.
A bit sheepish, Haru smiled. "Hey, Rei."
AN: Oh, look! It's essentially a double update!
I want to thank all of you who have been so loyal to this story so far. Thank you so much for your reviews and your love of this monstrosity I have created. It means so much to me!
So, I realize this chapter probably leaves more questions than answers, so I will try to answer them now:
Yes, Rei has died. But there's a bit more to it than you might think.
Rei has died on multiple occasions (she actually died at USJ and at Hosu City), but in a way it's her quirk that keeps her alive in addition to her will to live. Later on it becomes Haru's role to guide Rei's soul back into the world. It's a play on the concept of the shooting star and luck in a way, that even in the afterlife Haru gets to decide the chances that someone ends up dying or not.
I actually wrote Haru's chapter back when this story was closer to about 200,000 words, so this chapter has been a long time in the making! I hope you all enjoy it.
If you have any questions I'm more than happy to try and answer them. But otherwise, don't think too hard about it! Think of it as Rei's quirk usually keeping her alive and from the brink of death, and Haru is her guardian angel.
Review time!
bearcatmedia: Thank you! I do try sometimes hahaha
dragontamer64: Haha I almost felt bad with how much of a cliffhanger that was! I usually don't like to write cliffhangers (I'm scared that I'll write a cliffhanger and then never come back from it), but I also felt that it was an appropriate ending point. I hope this chapter creates more questions and curiosities that I will be answering soon as well!
voidmarijo: The thought of having AfO stealing Rei's quirk crossed my mind, but I think that it would be more "him" so to speak if he tried to convince her to come to his side. Idk, I'm not like super engrossed in BNHA stuff, and I don't claim to know a super lot about All For One, but I thought him stealing Rei's quirk would be predictable. Also... I'm lazy and I wouldn't know where to take the story from there hahahahaha
TheBlackDagger456: I will definitely be having Rei's friends helping her out after this! That's partially why I wanted the story to start taking this turn; I want more opportunities for Rei to grow closer with her friends. Thanks for the review!
yaoi4adollar: I hope this update delivers! Thanks so much for the constant reviews!
akagami hime chan: There will be plenty of fluffy stuff coming up sooner than later! Please look forward to Rei and Bakugou being adorable humans in the future!
ILikeFoxes828: Thank you for leaving a review! I always appreciate them, no matter the length! I hope you will continue to enjoy future chapters as well.