"What the fuck was that!"
Izuku sprinted away from the others. He was desperate to get to a quiet place. He needed to process this, he needed to think.
"Hey, answer me when I'm talking to you!" Katsuki swatted at him. "What the hell was that? I thought you used gravity magic!"
"I-I don't know. I don't know! I have no idea how I-" He was cut off as he rammed into a tree. He stumbled back and fell down with a groan.
"See, that's what you get for lying. Now answer the question!"
Izuku sat up and hissed as he held his face. His nose wasn't broken, thankfully. Once the pain subsided, he looked up to see Katsuki glaring down at him with his fur standing up.
"Kacchan, honest, I don't know how I did that. I didn't even think I could use magic!"
"Bullshit! You knew what you were doing back with the-"
"No, I didn't! And I'm still sure it wasn't me because I don't know how to use magic! I didn't think I could. I thought it was impossible. But even then, why ice magic? I never learned how to do that. It doesn't make sense because-"
"Alright, shut up!" Katsuki swatted at him. "Give me a real explanation before I kick your ass."
"That is a real explanation!" Izuku gripped his hair. "I-I really don't know how I did that. I was panicking. I thought I was back…I was panicking. Then the next thing I know, that happens."
He had begun to pace. He had no idea what to think of this, any of it. So he could use magic…that was good, right? Did that mean he was in the clear? That he didn't have to worry about being magicless?
That still gave him the question of how.
Magic isn't a genetic lottery, not like back home. It's something that's studied and trained. But then you have to be able to use it, which seems natural in this world. I didn't think someone from another world could use magic. It doesn't…it doesn't make sense. Right?
"Quit muttering, asshole!"
Izuku managed to bite his tongue and silence himself. Right…speculating wasn't going to help in this situation. He needed concrete answers, something definite and reliable.
Unfortunately, speculation was all he had going for him.
"Sorry, right. I just…I just don't know how I did that. I had never studied ice magic before. Let alone whatever Erza called it…Ice Make Magic?"
Katsuki scoffed. "What, you don't know what Maker Magic is?"
Izuku looked up. "I uh…I read about it before. In the library, but that's all I really know. It's a Caster type, right?"
Katsuki stared at him before snorting. "What kind of backwater shitshow did you grow up in? Yes, it's a Caster type! Maker magic is like basic shit to know about, I grew up in a shithole, and even I know that!"
"Uh, right. I just…"
Katsuki growled and started swatting at him again. "Seriously, what kind of dumbass are you not to know this shit? You live and work in a guild full of fucking wizards; you should know some of this stuff."
Izuku frowned. "So, can you name everything that everyone uses? And not be confused or have questions?"
"We're talking about you right now, dipshit, not me!"
"Right."
Izuku rubbed his eyes as Katsuki continued to pummel him. It didn't bother him, as his fists were relatively tiny and ineffectual.
I'm sure he'd try to kill me if I ever said that to him.
Izuku stared ahead to think. There had to be more to it. It couldn't just have…magically appeared. By his own theory, he shouldn't even be able to use magic. He was from another world, one where Quirks were the main power. His body had no Quirk factor, therefore no Quirk to channel. There was no reason he should be able to channel magic.
He had an ongoing theory that humans from his world and humans from this world were fundamentally different. This seemed to be true so far, with the existence of magic and being able to use it as opposed to genetics. But in that case, where exactly did he fit in?
He couldn't present a Quirk, and he figured he wouldn't be able to do the same for magic. He was from another world, after all. He was the piece that didn't make sense, an anomaly.
Something that didn't fit.
"I just…I really don't know how I did that. I've never used any magic like that so…yeah."
"What, did you just have some kind of dumb luck?"
"Maybe? I don't know." He rubbed his eyes. "I was honest when I said I didn't know how to use magic. That I couldn't, I really thought I couldn't."
"How in the hell do you use shit like gravity magic, then ice magic and not know if you could use magic at all. Are you stupid?"
"No!" He looked up. "I just…l uhm…c-can we talk about it later? Please?"
He needed time to come up with some kind of lie, anything better than 'I came from another world where magic doesn't exist.'
He was sure anything was more believable than the truth.
Katsuki scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, dumbass. So what do you want to do now? Seeing you ran away from Armor Lady, you technically have the rest of the day off."
Izuku shrugged. "I guess…I want to see what this magic can do. I was able to use it then. I should be able to use it now."
"Do you even know how?"
"I can try my best."
He smiled until the cat flapped his wings and flew up into the air. "Go ahead and try to do something, but I ain't getting caught in whatever shit you pull. If you turn yourself into an ice cube, then that's on you."
"Glad to see a vote of confidence." He muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He turned away and held out his hands, He tried to remember what exactly he had read on Maker Magic. Something about creativity, and molding an element of choice into something. Anything.
He took a deep breath and felt the cool weight in his chest rattle, before ice spread through his veins. He kept himself from shuddering and felt his hands move together, with his fist in an open palm. Some invisible force guided his hands into the proper casting position. It felt like an instinct that wasn't his; even though he'd never done anything like this, it felt wrong to do it any other way.
The air around him chilled with cold magic energy.
Now I just make something, right? Okay…
The cold energy surged around him as a magic circle appeared on the ground. A moment later, he felt the magic energy around him condense and flow away from him.
When he looked up, he was met with a statue. It was crude, a bit unrefined, but he recognized it immediately.
"Well, you didn't turn into an ice cube." Katsuki floated down and looked over the statue. "What the hell is that supposed to be?"
Izuku looked up at the sculpture that towered over him. A sad feeling filled his chest. Even a world away, he couldn't forget the hero that he looked up to. The one that saved him and even gave him this second chance.
"All Might…" He muttered.
"Who?"
Izuku smiled for a moment. "He's a hero where I'm from. He saved me, but I'm not sure where he is now."
Katsuki raised an eyebrow before looking back at the statue. "Never heard of him."
"Well, he usually stayed on the island I'm from. He…he's saved a lot of people. When I was little, I really looked up to him. I guess I still kinda do."
Would there be an alternate All Might here too?
"Was he part of a guild?" Katsuki sat on his backpack.
"Not really, no. He usually worked on his own. I think he teamed up with someone once. But they ended up splitting after a while."
After a moment, the statue shattered, and Katsuki huffed before looking at Izuku. "So what now, loser? You wanna play with your ice magic a bit more?"
Izuku rubbed his hands together and shook his head. "I'd feel a bit better about reading more on it, and like Erza said, I should probably talk to Gray."
"You really wanna ask the stripper for advice?"
Izuku looked away. "Well…maybe he can give some insight?"
"I doubt it." Katsuki shook his head. "If the idiot can't keep his clothes on, he probably isn't capable of teaching."
He rubbed his eyes and looked over his shoulder at the cat. "Then what do you suggest? I don't want to risk hurting someone or being careless."
Katsuki growled before swatting at him again. "There's a fucking forest, go fuck around in there or something!"
Izuku hummed before nodding to himself. He needed some more practice and to figure out some of the base mechanics on his own. If he didn't know how to use his own magic, how suspicious would that be?
"Alright, I guess we can practice for a bit."
Katsuki grinned and flew beside him as they made their way into the forest. "It's about time you took my advice, nerd."
-.-
Lucy hung her head as Natsu glared at the door. Erza was somewhere behind them, pacing back and forth. She would pause every now and again and stare at the door, only to resume.
Happy looked between everyone but stayed beside Natsu, lightly patting his arm.
"Do you think he's going to be alright?" Lucy asked.
"It's Gray. I'm sure he'll be fine." Natsu muttered. "He'll bounce back from this in no time."
"But it just happened out of nowhere. All his magic disappeared just like that. Do you think it's some kind of sickness?"
"We don't know that." Erza cut in. "We shouldn't be speculating either. We'll only make ourselves worry. Porlyusica will find out what's wrong. If anyone can figure it out, it's her."
The others stared up at her before nodding and muttering their agreements.
Before they could settle into their worried silence, the door to the house opened. Everyone straightened up and gathered near the door as Makarov and Porlyusica walked out.
"How is he?"
"Is he going to be okay?"
"He's back on his feet yet?"
Porlyuscia looked between the three, then looked down at Makarov who nodded. She sighed and shook her head.
"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to heal him. Normally, a few elixirs would be able to restore one's magic enough for them to recover but…"
"But what?" Natsu stepped forward. "What is it?"
"It seems that he's developed Magic Deficiency Disease. Despite giving him the medicine, it doesn't seem to work. It's as if his body can't hold any magic energy."
"What do you mean by that? That's a bad thing, right?" Lucy asked.
"Lucy, everybody's got some magic energy, even if they aren't a wizard!" Happy flew up next to her. "But if they lose it entirely, they get really sick."
"But it affects mages the worst." Makarov sighed.
"Right…"
"What do you mean he can't hold magic energy?" Erza looked at them. "Are you saying he can't take in any?"
"Yes, unfortunately, I'm not sure how to treat such a condition."
"There has to be something, right? Some kind of cure?" Natsu asked. "If you tell us, we'll get it. No questions asked!"
"Natsu, she doesn't know any cure to this."
They looked down at their master.
"She knows how to cure Magic Deficiency at its normal state, but those cures do nothing if he cannot absorb magical energy. Do you understand?"
The team went silent.
"So…there's no way to help him?"
"None that we know of."
Lucy looked up. "Can we see him?"
Porlyusica nodded and stepped to the side. "He's been in and out of consciousness, so don't expect him to say much."
The group rushed in and made their way to Gray. They all froze when they saw him at first. He was deathly pale with dark bags beneath his eyes. He was drenched in sweat yet shivered violently. Each breath he took seemed to take great effort.
He looked awful.
"Gray…"
They gathered around and sat beside him. Neither of them was sure what to say or do. There wasn't much they could do to comfort him.
"He's not looking too good." Happy muttered.
"There has to be something we can do, right?" Lucy looked at the others. "Porlyusica might not have a cure, but someone else might. Someone else might know how to deal with this!"
"Who would know how to treat this?" Erza glanced over at her. "Magic Deficiency Disease isn't unheard of, but someone being unable to absorb magic energy is a whole other issue. I've never heard of anything like that before."
"It might just be a rare condition, but someone has to know about it. Maybe it's a bug? One that'll pass? It just came out of nowhere, but there must be some explanation. We can't just do nothing."
Natsu was silent as he stared at Gray. While Lucy and Erza talked over what they could do, Natsu stepped closer and shook his shoulder.
"Hey," he raised his voice, "You'd better hang in there. We're gonna find some way to fix this, and when you get better, I'm gonna kick your butt for making us worry. You got that?"
Erza watched him before noticing a slight movement from Gray. He shifted and cracked open an eye to look at them.
"Oh, so you wake up when I'm talking smack about you." Natsu grinned. "Maybe I should do that more often then."
"Shut up…Natsu." He muttered. Shortly after, Gray slipped back into unconsciousness, and the mood grew somber again.
But he was still there. He was still alive. There was still time to help him, they just needed a place to start.
"I can hit the library," Lucy offered. "I have some glasses that speed up my reading. I'm sure I can get through a shelf or two."
"I could join you," Erza offered. "That seems to be our best bet for now unless any leads come up."
Happy flapped his wings and landed on the bed. "Should someone stay with him to keep an eye on him? What if he wakes up again?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine, little buddy." Natsu patted his head. "He's tough, so he'll be okay. He ain't gonna give up. And the more of us are looking for a fix for this, the better our chances are of finding one."
"Natsu's right," Erza agreed. "Porlyuscia won't let anything happen to him. If something changes, I'm sure she'll find us. Besides, I don't think she'd be too pleased with us taking up space if we're not needed here."
"You're right. I wouldn't."
The door opened, and they all turned around to see the healer step inside.
"But you are also right in that I'd watch over him. Now I suggest you go, he needs his rest, and all this racket isn't going to help him." She pointed towards the door, where Makarov waited outside.
They looked hesitant to go, glancing at Gray before filing out. They didn't have much else to do other than put their faith in Porlyusica and do everything they could to help.
"We'll be back to check on him." Happy waved as he flew out.
"Thank you for this." Erza bowed her head.
-.-
What is this place?
He trudged through the barren fields of the void. He had been walking for…how long had he been here?
Too long.
No matter how far he went, he made no progress. There was nothing to be found in this wasteland but darkness and loneliness.
How do I get back? I was there, for just a second. I heard them!
It had been like coming up for fresh air, feeling whole again before getting dragged under. He had seen his friends, and they looked worried. But whatever this place was, it was keeping him tethered there.
He looked ahead and, for a moment, thought he spotted someone— a figure in the distance.
Wait! Stop!
He raced after them and called out. His voice went unheard by the figure as they got further and further away. Before he could reach them, they disappeared from the void and left him alone again.
Come back!
-FH-
Izuku panted as he stared out at the messy clearing. There was frost and remains of ice sculptures scattered around. Hours had passed since he and Katsuki settled down there to practice.
"'You out of magic?"
Izuku groaned as he leaned against a tree. He could feel the low temperature around him, but he was surprisingly unaffected. He could see Katsuki shudder every now and again, but he refused to voice any complaints.
"Yes or no dumbass, I don't speak stupid."
"Yeah, I think I'm out."
He felt drained and lightheaded.
Is this what Quirk Exhaustion feels like? Or…no, it's Magic Exhaustion, right?
"Can you walk?"
"Yeah, I-I just need to catch my breath."
"Good, because I'm not carrying you."
Izuku smiled to himself. "Of course, I wasn't expecting you to."
"Good!" He flew down and landed on Izuku's backpack. "So, how did it feel? Actually using your magic for once instead of hiding it?"
"It uh…" Izuku shrugged. "It felt…good? I think? It was satisfying, and I think I learned a lot about it."
"Learned a lot?" The cat raised an eyebrow.
"Ah! I mean, it's just been a while since I've used my magic. You know?"
"Uh huh."
"R-Really!"
Katsuki stared at him before rolling his eyes. "Whatever idiot, let's go. I'm starving, and we ain't getting food out here."
"Right, of course. You want the same thing once we get to the guild? The curry?"
"Damn right. I'm half tempted to go and make the damn thing myself. Waiter Girl wusses out on the spices."
"You know, if you ask, I'm sure she'd add more to it."
Izuku grabbed his bag and began his walk to the guild. Considering the time, he figured he'd either be greeted by a fight or rowdy discussions. He preferred the latter to the former. The fights got out of hand quickly, and he was usually left to hide behind the bar. Funny enough, Lucy claimed that as her hiding spot too.
They never talked too much other than exchanging pleasantries. Sometimes she told him about the most recent mission they went on, or she asked how he was doing.
The last time they hid back there, he wanted to ask about her magic, but he found himself unable to. He hadn't gotten a chance to draw her yet, and he'd rather die than the person he was questioning see him draw them.
He's pretty sure he would die.
The last time I tried to ask Mira, she just told me to talk to Lucy…Master Makarov too.
Mira insisted that he should go and talk to more of the members if he wanted to know about their magic. That it'd be better to get to know everyone and ask his questions directly. The only real entries he had were on Mirajane and the Master. Which was fine, he supposed. What he learned about their magic took up a couple pages each, and he still had questions about it.
It was enough to keep him busy.
Though now he actually had to talk to someone. He was only able to do so much on his own. He liked having to figure out magic. It was fascinating.
Katsuki swatted at Izuku to grab his attention. "So, are you going to start using your magic in training? Or are you gonna keep letting her kick your ass?"
Izuku glanced at him before shaking his head. "I shouldn't."
"What? Why not?"
"Because I'm still practicing and if I'm going to use it, I have to do it properly. I think I should talk to Gray before I do any real combat."
Izuku withheld a laugh as the cat sputtered.
"Are you serious!" He hopped off the backpack and flew in front of Izuku. "Are you really going to talk to the pervert!"
"Well, yeah. He specializes in ice magic, so by all means, I should talk to him. It's one thing to learn on my own but another to get proper guidance, you know?"
Katsuki stared at Izuku before growling and smacking his head.
"Are you serious? What kind of 'guidance' can that idiot give you?"
Izuku shook his head. "Like I said, he's an ice mage so he-"
"He's an idiot who can't keep his clothes on!"
The teen sighed. "Okay, yes, I know. Him stripping so often is weird, but I don't exactly see any other person who can help me. Besides, if Erza recommends talking to him, I think it's sound advice. I mean, she's known him longer than either of us. I'm sure she knows what he's capable of."
Katsuki glared at Izuku before groaning. "Fine, but if you get sick of his shit don't come complaining to me."
Izuku smiled. "Don't worry, I won't."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
He laughed to himself as the cat went on an angry rant. He couldn't sense any real venom from it, just mindless shouting. He looked ahead to see the guild hall far ahead.
Izuku was…happy.
Yeah, that was the right word for it. It wasn't being content.
He was happy.
Things seemed to be falling into place slowly but surely. He had a place to stay, he was happy and safe for the first time in forever. Somehow, in some way, he could use magic. He was still confused over it, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He had his own theories, but he was sure he'd figure that out later.
He wasn't useless anymore, he didn't have to worry about getting kicked out. Maybe he could be an actual member now.
He was okay in this place. It was starting to feel like he could actually start moving forward. The thoughts of leaving for another guild weren't as prevalent anymore. He was still awkward around everyone, but maybe he could work through that.
He felt himself reach for the wound the Nomu gave him, now scarred over and painless.
I'm going to be okay.
He reached the doors of the guild and pushed them open.
He had been expecting a fight or loud talking. Instead, he was met with a solemn atmosphere.
-.-
"You can't use your cards to track down…I dunno, something?"
"My magic doesn't work like that Elfman, you know that. I can't just throw them and expect them to give us an answer." Cana took a sip of her beer with a huff.
"Well we just gotta know what to look for, or ask, right? Then you can use a tracking spell."
"Still no."
Mira watched them go back and forth about it. Elfman had asked Cana if she could pin down the cause of what made Gray collapse. After all, someone didn't just lose their magic out of nowhere. There had to be a reason this happened.
Mira hummed to herself as she filled up mugs. It didn't add up. Sure it was common for wizards to collapse when their magic energy is low and they need to rest. But Gray hadn't used his magic all day, at least as far as she knew. And even then, when someone was out of power, you could still feel their magic to some extent.
But what happened to Gray?
It just disappeared completely. Gone without a trace.
It nagged at her. It didn't seem right. Someone had to have done something. Was it another wizard? Some magic item that he touched while he was on a mission?
It just didn't make sense.
She was taken from her thoughts when she heard the doors to the guild open. She looked up to see Izuku wandering in, looking confused. Katsuki was with him and looked equally confused.
She could understand why, whenever he came back home, he was usually greeted by a fight or a small chorus of hellos from those who took a break in their conversations to greet him.
"Izuku." She waved him over.
"What's going on?" He asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Why the hell is everyone so gloomy? Isn't being loud and drunk kinda your thing?" Katsuki raised an eyebrow.
"Charming as ever, I see."
Katsuki glared at Cana. "What is that supposed to mean, you wino?"
"Kacchan, be nice."
Elfman crossed his arms. "Real men know when to read the room."
"Well, it's a good thing I'm a cat then you-"
"Kacchan!" Izuku dragged him back. "I'm sorry-"
"Don't apologize!"
"But, back to the first question. Is everything okay?"
Cana took another swig of her drink. "Weren't you with Erza? I thought you'd already know. Lucy went out to get her and Natsu."
Izuku began to fidget with his hands. "I was, but Natsu had to talk to Erza, so I left them alone. It seemed kinda personal."
"Oh, so you two don't know."
"Obviously!"
The three guild members looked at each other before glancing back at the teen and his cat.
Cana sighed and shook her head. "It's about Gray. He ended up collapsing a while ago. He wasn't looking so good."
"Collapsed? From what? Is he sick?"
Mira shook her head. "We're not sure, but it was like a switch flipped. One moment he was fine, and the next, he was on the ground. Nobody could sense any magic from him. It was like it disappeared."
Izuku tilted his head. "No magic? Did he use a big spell that left him drained or something?"
"No kid, we mean his magic just disappeared. There one minute, gone the next. No spells were used. That's something that doesn't just happen."
Izuku looked down. "But, if you're out of magic, doesn't it come back over time?"
"Oh my god, I thought you were supposed to be smart or something!" Katsuki yelled at him. "His magic went poof, and he got sick. You know what that's called? Magic Deficiency Disease, idiot! But that shit isn't supposed to just happen. Didn't you learn this stuff back from wherever you're from? Or is it really that fucking bad that they didn't even teach you what that is?"
Izuku laughed nervously and felt his face heat up.
"Oh my god, they didn't. No wonder you're stupid!"
"You should be a little nicer to the guy whose room you share, Kacchan." Cana tapped his head.
Katsuki bristled and actually hissed at her. "Don't you ever fucking call me that ever again, I'll kill you!"
"Cana, stop riling him up." Mirajane scolded.
Izuku sighed and continued as he pulled Katsuki away from Cana. "Is Gray going to be okay?"
Mira looked down. "We don't know yet. He's at Porlyusica's right now, but I'm sure he'll be alright. She knows how to handle things like this."
She watched Izuku look down, his brow furrowed in worry.
"I'm sure she'll figure it out. He's going to be fine, Porlyusica knows what she's doing. She's the best."
"Yeah. Are…Are we allowed to visit? To see how he's doing?"
"I'm not sure she'd like that." Elfman said. "She doesn't like too many people coming by."
Izuku stared at him before nodding. "True. And to be fair, she might not be happy about seeing me again so soon."
"You really think she'd still be upset at you for that?"
Katsuki snorted. "What, did you piss her off or something?"
Izuku cringed and tugged at his sleeves. "Well…kinda? I mean, the first time she met me, I was stealing from her, so…"
The cat stared at him before laughing at him. "Really? You? Stealing? From some lady? An idiot and a thief! Damn you just keep racking up negatives, don't you?"
"Those are some bold words coming from someone who was accused of being a thief, and apparently left little bombs around your village."
"Hey!" Katsuki swatted at Izuku. "I was accused. You actually did it!"
"I…okay, fair point."
Elfman stopped before looking at the cat. "Bombs?"
Mira couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. It was nice to see Izuku starting to talk back, and get a little bite to himself. He was coming out of his shell, even if it was just with Katsuki right now. It was still progress. It was nice to see a little bit of light in the unfortunate situation.
"Maybe it would do some good to visit." Mira passed him and began to walk to the tables. "I'm sure he'd appreciate visitors if he's feeling sick. And an update wouldn't hurt."
"It feels like you're telling me to go just so you can know what's going on."
Mira gave a sly smile and continued on her way.
"Uh huh…"
"You know that actually would be appreciated," Cana smirked and waved him off. "Go on, get going."
Izuku was about to make a remark about how he wasn't a delivery boy, but…well…technically…
He sighed and turned to leave.
"Be careful!"
"I will."
-.-
It didn't take too long to get to the forest where the hermit lived. Izuku was tempted to start lagging in order to prolong the meeting with her. He was almost worried she'd turn him away just on principle. Honestly, he wouldn't blame her.
He did steal from her…
Am I overthinking this? Yeah, I probably am. I haven't seen her since I left, maybe she won't be bothered by me?
He shuddered as he spotted the house up ahead. He could see her in the distance, looking down and talking to the Master.
"The place looks surprisingly nice for someone living in the woods."
"Yeah, I guess it does."
As he walked up, he could hear bits of the conversation between the adults.
"Do you think he'll recover?"
"It's too soon to say, but I don't want to give anyone false hope. He's beginning to decline."
Makarov opened his mouth to answer until he spotted Izuku. He shut his mouth and switched gears.
"Izuku, what are you doing out here?"
Porlyusica turned around to see the boy, and a cat in tow. Similar to Happy.
"The cat's new." She muttered.
"Um, I heard about what happened to Gray. I wanted to come and see him, everyone is worried."
Makarov watched him before shaking his head. "Did Mira send you?"
"Sort of, her and Cana in a way. But I wanted to come anyway, it felt like I should." He pulled at the hem of his shirt. He looked up every now and again, but as soon as he caught Porlyusica's eye he looked down.
"Did the others get back to the guild yet? If they did, everyone should know the news by now."
Izuku shook his head. "No, I got there, and Mira told me about Gray collapsing. How all his magic just disappeared. Nothing else."
Makarov sighed, and the old woman hummed.
"Seems they got right to work."
"Yes, they did." The guild master muttered. "It's fine, I can update everyone once we're done here."
Izuku looked between them until Katsuki spoke up.
"So, can we see the stripper or not? If not, then I'm leaving."
Porlyusica scowled at the cat, who scowled back.
Izuku stepped in front of him and looked at the old woman. "I'm sorry, can we please see him? I promise we won't bother him too much. We just want to check on him."
The healer looked at the two before glancing at Makarov, who nodded.
"Go ahead. He's inside and resting. So don't go making too much noise. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Izuku made his way over to the house. He could feel their gaze until they went back to their discussion.
As soon as he stepped inside, something felt wrong. The air was heavy and suffocating. There was a strange absence there, despite the room being occupied. It was too quiet, the only sounds heard were of Gray taking one rattling breath after the other.
The two glanced at each other and slowly approached the bed. That's when they saw him.
If Izuku didn't know any better, he would think Gray was half dead. He looked awful, as if one gust of wind could finish him off.
"He looks like shit." Katsuki flapped his wings and hovered at his bedside. "Damn, no wonder those idiots back there were worried."
"He looks really bad, but how bad is it? I've never seen a case of Magic Deficiency before."
"Like I said, nerd, he looks like shit. I've seen like, a case or two back at the shithole I used to live in. Even they didn't look this bad."
So it's a severe case…
The more Izuku looked at Gray, the more unsettled he felt. Just this morning, he was fine, healthy, and full of life. And now…it was like he was on his deathbed.
He was supposed to talk to him and learn more about his new magic. Maybe Izuku could have gotten to know him better if he had been brave enough. Start trying to build bridges with the people around him now that he had a home, a starting line.
And now, the peace he managed to find was starting to crack.
While he watched Gray, Izuku felt something in his chest lurch. That strange, cool sensation strained inside of him. He shuddered as the temperature dropped, and looked down to see his hands had begun to develop a frost over them.
What's going on?
He took in a deep breath, but it didn't fill his lungs.
Why am I panicking?
He gasped as the edges of his vision began to blur.
What is this?
His eyes darted around as he tried to ground himself. He was still in the room, but there was something wrong. Something that wanted to drag him under.
I'm fine. Stop panicking. Stop-
"Wait! Don't go!"
He jolted as something flickered at the edges of his vision. A figure reached out to him and tried to step closer.
Izuku stumbled back as the figure advanced toward him.
"Don't leave!"
Izuku shook his head as the familiar voice rattled around his head. The ice continued to climb from his hands to his arms. The closer the figure got, the colder it got. The strange feeling continued to struggle within him.
Just as the figure was about to grab him he felt something hit the side of his head.
"-ay attention! Hey, can you hear me, nerd? Snap out of it!"
Izuku blinked and shook his head, his vision cleared as he realized the room was unbearably cold now. He looked down to see his arms were covered in ice. He shuddered and looked around.
Whatever that thing was, it was gone. Even so, he didn't feel safe yet. As if it was still lurking about.
"Hey!"
Izuku felt a small paw smack the side of his head and looked up to see Katsuki glaring at him.
"Hey, you in there, Bush Boy?"
"Y-Yeah." His voice cracked. He coughed to clear his throat and looked back at Gray. He was still asleep. "Ho-How long was I out for?"
"A couple of minutes, you just started freaking out. What the hell was that?"
"I don't know. I just…I don't know."
Izuku averted his eyes, refusing to look at Gray. That feeling in his chest never left, struggling and writhing against him.
Kastuski scowled at him with a huff. "Well, whatever it was, don't do it again. We saw the stripper, and he looks bad. We can tell the others when we get back. Now let's get out of this dump."
"Okay, sure." Izuku followed the cat to the door, until he heard what sounded like a whisper crescendoing into a shout.
"Wait, come back!"
Izuku jumped and looked around, his eyes landed back on Gray. He was still unconscious.
That voice…it wasn't…was it?
He shook his head and turned to open the door. He was hearing things, he was just worried about Gray. Then again, he hadn't been sleeping much; lately, so it was probably in his head. He was freaking himself out for nothing.
Before he could open the door, it swung open to reveal Makarov.
"Ah, there you are. I was about to go in and check on you all. How is Gray doing?"
"He looks like shit old man." Katsuki was quick to answer.
Izuku nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's not looking too good."
Makarov hummed to himself. "I'm going to check on him myself one last time. Then I'll head back to the guild."
"Do you want me to wait for you?" Izuku offered.
The guild master laughed to himself as he stepped around the teen. "No need boy. Go ahead and head back, you can let the others know that I'll be back soon."
"I can tell them about Gray's condition if you want, Mira and the others are pretty worried."
"Go ahead and leave that to me. Now go on, get going." Makarov shooed him off and went inside.
Izuku sighed and looked over to Porlyusica. She looked worried, but as soon as she noticed him, she shifted her expression.
"It's been a while since I've seen you, young man. You haven't been causing trouble now, have you?"
"No ma'am."
"Not stealing anything else, are you?"
He blushed and shook his head. "No ma'am!"
"Good. I was pleased to see that you didn't need to come back after your first stay. It's all healed by now, yes? Any strain on it? Does it hurt to move?"
"No, it's completely healed now. No pain at all!" He stretched his once-injured side to prove it.
She nodded. "Good. Try to keep out of trouble, I'm not fond of humans. I've had too many visitors in such a short time."
"Aren't you human?" Katsuki asked. "'You just bitter or something?"
"Kacchan! You don't say stuff like that!"
"What? It's just a question! And I have a point, what kinda human hates other humans?"
"I find I'm becoming less fond of talking cats."
"I'm sorry about him!" Izuku tugged his friend away from her. "This is Kacchan he-"
"Katsuki! My name is Katsuki, and if you call me anything else, you old bat, I will make your life a living hell!"
"Right…anyway, this is Kacchan. He's new around here too. Kacchan, this is Miss Porlyusica."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. She's the old lady you stole from."
Izuku groaned and put his head in his hands. "You're going to hold that over my head for a while, aren't you?"
Katsuki grinned at him.
"I see you've got your hands full with this one. I wish you the best of luck." Porlyusica walked away as the door to her home opened. Makarov walked out and nodded to his old friend. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Izuku was still there.
"You're still here? 'Thought I told you to head home, boy."
"Ah, I was introducing Miss Porlyusica to Kacchan. Thought maybe she should know who he is if he ends up stopping by sometime."
"Why the hell would I stop by?"
"I see, fair enough. Come on then, let's go. I'm sure the others at the guild are wondering why you haven't come back yet."
-.-
Makarov hummed to himself as they walked through the forest. The peaceful air brought some kind of ease to him. Just a moment of serenity in a situation full of chaos. The crushing weight of fear and worry kept creeping up, threatening to drag him down into a world of dreadful thoughts.
Terrifying 'what ifs'.
"As I asked before, will he recover?"
"I don't know. He's barely hanging by a thread, you know mages can't survive if they can't absorb magic. Nobody can."
"I'm aware of that."
"Still, he's held out longer than most would. I believe he may have a chance depending on how quickly your children can find a solution."
"How long would you say we have?"
"My best estimate is a day or two. Perhaps a week at most, if he's lucky."
A day or two.
That wasn't a lot of time to find a way to fix this. It seemed like an impossible task, and to most it probably was. But he knew his children, they would find a way. Not to say he wouldn't help out. He'd do what he could. Asking his fellow guild masters if they knew anything about a situation like that, and if they had any leads.
Anything would help.
He would not lose another one of his children.
"So what Bush Boy, are you gonna go on jobs now or not?"
"I think I'll stick to my mail job."
"You gotta be fucking kidding me!"
"Hey, it pays pretty well!"
Makarov let out a deep sigh and looked at the two affiliates of the guild. A strange boy that ran away from home, and a temperamental cat. The two were like night and day, yet they got along rather well. Or at least Katsuki had a better attitude toward Izuku compared to everyone else.
Looking at him compared to the first day, it was easy to see progress. He looked healthier, he didn't look like a gust of wind would knock him over. His anxiety around others seemed to ease up. Ever so slowly he was starting to step out of his comfort zone, especially around Natsu's team.
Overall, he looked happy.
He still had problems socializing with the others, a problem he and Mirajane tried to solve by encouraging him to talk to the other members. Especially since he seemed to be starting a journal and writing about different magics.
Everytime they suggested it, he refused and said he'd do it some other time.
By far the most people he had interacted with so far were Natsu and the others. Natsu insisted on trying to befriend him and invite him on missions. He and Lucy used the counter as a hiding spot when fights broke out, they'd usually talk for a bit. Gray was usually in passing, but even he greeted and tried to talk with him.
Erza was, so far, the one he interacted with most. She dragged him out and insisted on training him, which was a wise decision in hindsight. None of them would want a repeat of the Vulcan incident.
Even so, he seemed to take the training in stride. Especially since he was given no choice on the matter.
"Listen, all I'm saying is that you could be making extra cash."
"I don't have a lot of expenses. I'm saving right now."
"Is that why you hide your fucking money from me?"
"The last time you wanted to go into a shop, I'm pretty sure you were looking for materials for bombs."
"Shut the hell up!"
The two stopped when they heard Makarov laughing to himself.
"What are you laughing at, old man?"
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking to myself."
Katsuki scowled at him and went back to pestering Izuku.
"Say, Izuku, I've got a question for you." Makarov said.
"Huh? What is it?"
The man looked up at the boy. "You've been with Fairy Tail for a while now. How do you like it?"
"Fairy Tail? Well…it's nice." Izuku smiled. "It's a good place, and I think I'm getting used to the chaos there."
"Are you still thinking of leaving?"
"Huh?"
"You're gonna leave the place?" Katsuki shouted. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Izuku waved his hands and shook his head. "I-I'm not…well, I don't know. I was so focused on other stuff, and then more stuff happened. And after a while, I didn't really think about it anymore."
"You aren't even a real member."
"Technically, you aren't either, Kacchan. Yet you still live there with me."
"Shut up."
"Would you like to be an official member?" Makarov asked. "The offer still stands. I won't lie. At this point, it's become rather difficult to imagine the guild without you in it."
He couldn't help the amusement he felt when Izuku nearly tripped over himself. The boy looked at him in surprise before looking down.
"I'm not sure…since-"
Makarov tsked. "It doesn't matter to me if you can use magic or not. One's worth is not defined by their abilities. Some people can do things that others cannot, but even they have their limitations. Even if you can't use magic, I'm sure you have plenty of other talents you could put to use."
Izuku stared at him, then looked down. He bit his lip and shook his head. "I uh…well…"
"Wait, did the loser tell you he has no magic?" Katsuki chimed in. "Really? And you fell for it old man?"
"Kacchan!" Izuku hissed.
Makarov raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"This idiot tries to say he can't use magic, but that's bull. When I first met him, he used a gravity spell-"
"That wasn't me. That was Ochako!"
"And then earlier today, he used ice magic. Armor Lady freaked him out to the point where he panicked and used it. Which, yeah, pretty fucking weird!"
"I didn't know I could use it!"
Makarov stared at the flustered boy before sighing. "Katsuki, leave him alone. I'm sure there's a reason he said what he did. Though I am curious, why did you say you didn't have any magic? Unless you've been practicing in secret to learn spells."
Izuku's face turned red, and he looked away. Katsuki didn't help by glaring the poor boy down.
"I…I really thought I couldn't. Honest."
"Now, why would you think that?"
Izuku stopped walking, prompting the others to stop as well. He kept his head down and began to wring his hands. Makarov narrowed his eyes as he saw Izuku look away.
He sighed. "It's alright Izuku, you don't-"
"B-Back home, uh, in Mustafu, there was a kind of…quota to hit." He muttered.
"Quota?"
"The hell does that mean?"
"Uh…well…what would you say the average age everyone gets their magic? O-Or starts practicing it is?"
Makarov hummed to himself. "There's no real set age. Most people begin their craft when they're young, especially when they're passionate about it. A little younger than yourself. Especially guild mages, but there's nothing wrong with beginning the practice later in life. Why?"
"So, in Mustafu, my home, I…there's a sort of expectation. A majority of the population uses Qu-Magic there. If I had to put a number to it, it'd be a little over 80%."
The old man looked up at that. "That's an awfully high concentration of mages in one spot. Do you have guild systems there?"
"Sort of, it's not necessarily the same as here. There are a lot of differences, b-but that's beside the point. The thing is, where I used to live, there was a certain age you were supposed to…get your magic. Have it manifest."
The guild master watched him fidget and pull at his hands. He wanted an answer to the age, but he was already dreading the answer. As if the boy had read his mind, he continued.
"For most, their magic appears at the age of 4, or 6 at the oldest. If you didn't actively manifest anything after that, you're uh…you're a dud. So yeah."
Even Katsuki was quiet. He looked Izuku up and down as if to find any trace of a lie.
Makarov let the words roll around in his head, and oh, oh. A few things clicked together. Why Izuku was so eager to leave when he was healed, his initial hesitance to be anywhere near the other members. Why he wanted to run away and never look back.
He lived in a system based on power, where the worth of a person was based on how strong their abilities were. The strong were praised, while the weak were left at the bottom and ridiculed.
No wonder the boy was a nervous wreck in the beginning.
He was terrified of rejection.
Makarov grit his teeth. It almost sounded like some sort of dark guild agenda. Making children use magic at such a young age out of fear of societal ridicule.
It certainly shined a light on why Izuku ran away.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious to know more. Especially about the monster Izuku said chased him and hurt him.
Something called a Nomu. Thinking back then, even saying the thing's name seemed to scare him. Meanwhile, Makarov had never heard of such a thing.
Only more questions arose concerning the boy.
He hummed to himself as the other two spoke.
"So what, because you didn't have magic, they didn't teach you shit over there?" Katsuki asked.
"Essentially."
"...So I was right, it really is a shithole." Katsuki paused before grinning. "You should go back, show you can use magic now, and shove it in their faces."
Izuku shook his head. "No, I'd rather not. I can't go back."
"Why the hell not?"
"Reasons."
"Elaborate idiot!"
"I can't."
"Wh-"
"That's enough. Let's change the subject now, shall we?" Makarov interrupted him. "Thank you, Izuku, for sharing that. I apologize if that upset you."
"It's fine."
Makarov eyed him before looking forward again. They were almost back in town by now. He had his own feelings about what Izuku had told him, but those could be sorted out later. For now, it would go in a box, and he would put it away.
"Fine, if you want a subject change, I gotta question for you, old man." Katsuki perched on top of Izuku's bag.
"Alright."
"The hell is up with the pervert? He looks like shit. There's no way that's a normal form of Magic Deficiency. Is it?"
Makarov sucked in air and let out a deep breath. He would have preferred to talk about anything else until they returned to the guild. It was inevitable, he supposed. Then again, Izuku was from a different place. And this was certainly a different issue. There was a chance he may know something.
While he hummed, Izuku looked over at the cat.
"Kacchan, maybe we should save it for the guild. He's going to tell everyone anyway, it wouldn't hurt to wait."
"He's the one who wanted to change the subject."
"It's fine," he sighed. "So, as you're aware, Gray is suffering from Magic Deficiency. However, Katsuki, you're correct in that this isn't normal. Usually, one of Porlyusica's elixirs can help and get someone all fixed up."
Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "But?"
"But, Gray currently cannot absorb magic energy. He can't recover."
The three were silent. The thought puzzled Izuku while Katsuki stared at him.
"Oh fuck."
"That's bad, right? Since you need magic energy to use magic, and if you can't get it then you can't cast spells. Is it like withdrawal? You're so used to having the energy, but when you go without it, you have a negative reaction. The body has to adjust to not having it anymore."
Makarov stared at him before shaking his head. "No, that's not how it works. Magical Energy, Ethernano, is within all living things. It's vital to everyone, even if you don't use magic, it's necessary. Think of it as important as the air we breathe. However, I would say that something like this affects mages more severely."
"How?"
"One's magic and their spirit are intertwined. If you remove their magic, you remove a vital piece of them. Something that cannot be replaced."
Izuku stared at him, not quite understanding. "It's…"
"If a magic user loses their magic and can't replenish it, it's basically a death sentence." Katsuki swatted at him. "If you can't get magic energy, you're fucked."
Makarov looked over to see Izuku jolt at the response. He looked down to see the beginnings of a magic circle forming around his hands until he clenched his fists and stopped himself.
"Oh…b-but there's a way to fix it, right?"
"That's what Natsu and the others are working on, and I'm sure as soon as the others know, they'll do what they can."
Izuku looked up and hummed. "Is there any sort of draining magic that can do something like that?"
"Not that I know of." Makarov shook his head. "There are draining spells, but they don't inhibit the ability to absorb magic energy. They just weaken you."
"So the ability to absorb magic itself is left intact." He muttered. "It's just the energy you have that's taken away. Like emptying a cup."
He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I suppose you could phrase it like that."
He watched Izuku put a hand to his chin, looking around as if he was trying to work a problem out.
"So the Magic Factor-"
"The hell is that?"
"The…ability to absorb and use magic…anyway, the Magic Factor should be left alone, but something had to have damaged it. It shouldn't be possible to take it or have it drained like the energy itself. Then would that mean it could come down as a chronic condition? Or some kind of illness? If it's natural for the Magic Factor to take in magic, there has to be something suppressing it. Which makes you think, what if-"
"Izuku."
Izuku jumped and covered his mouth.
"You were muttering again idiot,"
"Ah, sorry."
"It's fine." Makarov waved him off. "It sounded like you had some good ideas in there."
"Not really, mostly just thinking out loud."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with that."
They all stopped in front of the guild hall. It was unusually quiet. Normally there'd be some kind of fight, or loud drunken conversations that could be heard from outside. There was some noise, but it wasn't enough.
Makarov sighed and dusted himself off, steeling himself for the upcoming announcement. And, of course, the inevitable panic and worry that would come after.
-FH-
He was drifting along in a dark place. Caught between waking and sleep. He was faintly aware of the snoring from somewhere else. It sounded muted in that place, and faded as he sunk deeper and deeper.
He wanted to shake himself awake, but it was futile. His exhaustion had finally caught up with him. He didn't want to dream, not again. He would be fine floating in this space of half-sleep.
His peace didn't last long.
Slowly, he started to sink into a familiar place. He felt himself become more solid and grounded. He didn't even have to look up to know where he was.
He was in his field again.
He sighed and looked around, it was as empty as ever. Quiet, barren, and lonely.
"This place again." He muttered. His voice echoed around him, traveling endlessly through the void. As much as he would have liked to have written off the place as its usual self, but there was something different. He could feel it.
There had been a shift some time ago, something that changed. But now, he could feel something else. Something that didn't belong there. Or maybe it did…he wasn't sure.
It reminded him of the wispy figure he had seen before she disappeared. But she didn't linger. She was gone almost as quickly as she came.
"Hey!" A voice called out from afar.
It sent chills racing up and down his spine as he thought it over. Even in his own dreams, he wasn't safe. There was still something there, something that didn't belong. He looked around, searching for who or what said that.
Then he saw it. A blue aura from afar, a bright light in the darkness. It flickered every now and again, but stood strong against the dark of the void.
What is that?
He tried to will himself to turn away, and run from the strange invader. Instead, he felt drawn to it. Curiosity taking over reason.
As he walked toward it, the voice grew louder, and he saw the light begin to take form. Shaping into a familiar silhouette.
Izuku narrowed his eyes as he got closer. The air began to chill as he neared them, reminding him of someone.
"Is that…?"
Izuku slowed his gait as the figure solidified. Unlike the girl, he was solid. He wasn't made of mist. He was rooted in this place, just like Izuku.
He was behind the figure, watching them shiver and curl into themselves. He looked around desperately, and whenever he breathed, he released warm steam.
He reached out to touch the figure, only for the stranger to whirl around and grab Izuku's arm.
"Finally, I got you!"
Izuku yelled in surprise as he was thrown forward and pinned to the ground.
"Now that I've got you, you're gonna tell what this place is, you jerk!"
That's…
"G-Gray?" Izuku looked up to see Gray.
"Oh, so you know who I am then? Then that should make it-"
"W-Wait! Wait! G-Gray it's me, it's me!"
Izuku watched him hesitate before a dark mist seemed to lift away from himself. Once it cleared, Gray's eyes widened.
"Izuku?"
Izuku scrambled to his feet once freed, and he stumbled away from him. When he looked back, Gray looked even more confused yet concerned at the same time.
"You ended up here too, huh?" Gray frowned. "'You have any idea what this place is? Or how we got here?"
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I've been stuck in here for…I have no idea. I don't know who or what got me, but I think I managed to escape once."
"Escape..?"
He nodded. "I saw the others, That bonehead Natsu, Erza, and Lucy for a second. They looked worried. Until I got dragged back here."
"What?"
"Then there's some creep wandering around here. I see him every now and again, and I try to catch him but he always disappears every time I get close. At this point he's probably just playing with me."
He looked around and huffed. "I thought you were him, sorry for scaring you. But that means whoever that guy is, he caught you too. And then you got thrown in this place."
Izuku looked around his usually empty field. Only now, there was a visitor…intruder? Guest?
This is a dream, right? I'm just dreaming…
Izuku shuffled away from Gray and looked around. Maybe someone else would appear there, someone else he was worried about.
"Hey." Gray grabbed his shoulder. "You just got here, so that means you know more about what's happening out there. Did someone attack the guild?"
Izuku stepped away and shook his head. "N-No, there was no attack. Everything is okay."
"Then how did you get here? I figured some guy trapped you in here too."
Izuku stared at him before giving a nervous laugh. "T-This…I'm dreaming. You're not really here."
The ice wizard stared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Izuku backed away from him. "Like I said, this is a dream. You're not really here. I'm asleep, back at the guild. And you…or your real self is at Porlyusica's home. This place is my field. I'm only dreaming about you because…I'm worried about you."
Gray continued to stare at him before shaking his head. "No. No, Izuku, that's not…no." He stepped closer. "This isn't a dream. This place is real, and what do you mean it's your field?"
Izuku continued to back away, and cold energy began to crackle at his hands.
It was a dream, so why was he afraid?
"Izuku, do you know this place?"
"I-It's my field. I'm dreaming. Y-You're not-"
"I am. I am here! If you know how to get out of here, you have to tell me. Or help me out, whatever works. Izuku, this isn't a dream."
Dread began to pool in his gut as Gray got closer. This wasn't real, right? He was just dreaming. This was all just a bad dream!
Magic circles appeared over his hands, and frost began to coat them. Gray flinched and stumbled back, the blue aura around him flickered and shifted. Izuku looked down to see the same aura surrounding his hands.
Magic.
Gray caught sight of the magic circles and was taken aback.
"You can use magic here?" Gray asked. "How? I can't use mine here. Wait, is that…Ice Make magic?"
Izuku flinched away and brought his hands close to himself. He tried to press the magic down and put it away. Yet it rebelled against him the closer Gray got. He felt something in him writhe and struggle. Trying to get away from him and get back to where it belonged.
"I…yes?"
Gray shook his head. "That's not right. That's…that's mine."
"What do you-"
"I don't know how to explain, but I know that that's my magic. I can feel it, how are you using it?"
Izuku stepped away from him and looked for an exit. "I don't know. I don't know I swear!"
He was about to run away from him, and go as far as he could until Gray grabbed his arm.
"Izuku, you said this was your field? This is your place."
He didn't answer, and refused to look at him. The silence was enough, but Gray was putting the pieces together.
"I felt sick after helping you up. Like all my magic just up and left me, it was after I helped you. And then you end up in this place, and you said you're dreaming? What, like you can come and go as you please?"
He didn't answer, instead he shook his head and stayed silent. He didn't want to put the pieces together, it couldn't be possible. Could it?
The grip tightened on his arm, and Izuku hesitantly looked up to see a horrified expression mirroring his own.
"Did you do this?"
Izuku yelled as he woke up, he was drenched in sweat and he could feel his head pounding from pain. He looked around frantically and saw he was back in his room, he was safe again.
While he looked around, he caught sight of his notebook, which had fallen down with him. It was still on the page he left off on.
A small sketch of a person with a sphere in the middle, something he labeled as the magic factor. Beside it were the words the Master had said to him.
"One's magic and their spirit are intertwined. If you remove their magic, you remove a vital piece of them."
The words rolled around in his head before he kicked the book away from himself and backed up. He only stopped when he hit the wall.
This can't be happening…no. No! This can't-
"What the fuck are you doing making so much noise in the middle of the fucking night?"
He looked up to see Katsuki glaring at him.
"You better be dying or something because you fucking woke me up!"
"I…I uh…" He couldn't form words.
"You've got three seconds to give me a good excuse for this bullshit."
Izuku sniffed and looked up.
"K-Kacchan…"
"What nerd?"
"You know how Gray is…dying? How he can't take in magic energy?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Izuku, this is why I tell you to not take off your gloves!"
"One's magic and spirit is intertwined."
"Did you do this?"
"I…I think I know what happened…"
-.-
"So, let me get this straight. You had a dream, or what you thought was a dream. You saw the stripper in this weird place, and you freaked out. Especially when, what, you used magic there and he said it was his? So now, you in your infinite wisdom, the one who decided to wake me up…think you stole it?"
Izuku stared at the cat as he paced along the counter and nodded. "I mean…yeah?"
The cat glared at him before taking a deep breath. "Are you on something?"
"Excuse me?"
"Did I fucking stutter? Are you on something?" Katsuku raised his voice. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Oh, I stole ice boy's magic, and that's why I can use magic now, bullshit!"
"It's not that wild of a theory when you think about it."
"Oh sure it isn't. Please, explain it to me. How does it make sense in that stupid head of yours?" He looked close to grabbing the nearest object and chucking it at Izuku.
Izuku groaned and rubbed his eyes. "I hadn't been able to use magic at all before. Then I'm able to use Ice Maker magic on the same day that Gray collapses and his magic disappears. That's not too much of a stretch when you think about it."
"Yes it fucking is! Haven't you ever heard of…fucking what's the phrase- correlation doesn't equal causation?"
"Yes, I have. And I'm pretty sure I'm the causation!"
Izuku listened to him groan in frustration, before he could voice any more rebuttals he continued.
"Even if you don't believe that, let's try looking at Ochako. I don't remember using gravity magic, but you said I did."
"Yeah, because you did!"
Izuku stared at him before looking away. "Before I used it we had been running from the Vulcan. Remember that?"
"Of course."
Izuku stared down at his hands. "While we were running, she was holding one of my hands. And while we were running she started to get tired and weaker the further we went. The longer she held my hand. Then I was able to use her magic."
Katsuki opened his mouth to protest, only to shut it.
"Then…" He sighed. "Before I got here, even when I was little, my mom had this thing around me."
Katsuki snorted.
"She would always insist that I wore gloves, that I never touched her…or anyone else for that matter. If I forgot to put them on she'd yell at me, and say that I had to wear them all the time." He frowned. "I thought that, maybe back then it was because she didn't like me. That she didn't want me to touch her at all but now…"
Katsuki stared at Izuku's hands. Looking at them now, he swore there was a small indent in the middle of his palms. Something he never paid attention to. Thinking about it even more now…he was the one that tore up his glove when he scratched at him.
He did that.
So did that mean…this was partially his fault?
"...You think she knew?"
"I…I'm starting to think so." He said.
Katsuki continued to stare at his hands, aware of a danger he hadn't known before. It sounded insane, stealing someone's magic, a vital piece of someone like that. It sounded impossible.
"Wait." Katsuki said. "If you steal people's magic n' shit by touching them. What the hell happened to Gravity Girl? Is she sick and dying too? And me! Holy shit you always pull me away from something, how the fuck have you not stolen my magic?"
Izuku paused before giving a small shrug. "I…honestly have no idea. Maybe it's because you're a cat?"
"Bullshit."
"But I see what you mean about Ochako."
"Don't change the subject asshole!"
"But the thing is…she was different. In my field, I had seen her but she wasn't solid. It was like she was made of mist and then she disappeared. So, maybe I stole it but gave it back? Or did I just take some of her magic?"
"What do you mean she was different? Solid, mist, whatever the hell you're talking about?"
"I mean she was different." Izuku collapsed onto one of the bar stools. "She wasn't rooted in that place. Nothing was keeping her there."
"Like the stripper?"
"Like the stri- Gray. Gray. Like Gray."
"Ha!"
Izuku sighed and put his head down on the bar counter.
He took a moment to let it all sink in and feel the appropriate horror at himself for what he did. He was a monster. An awful, awful person. He had felt like things were falling into place for him, and maybe they were. But at the expense of someone else.
Someone who didn't deserve any of what happened to him. He didn't deserve to pay for Izuku's ignorance at his own ability. He didn't deserve to die such a slow, and horrible death.
It somehow felt even worse knowing that his mother somehow knew. But the issue was if it worked on Quirks or just on magic. Or somehow both.
Before he could dig himself into a darker place, Katsuki lightly smacked his head.
"So what now, nerd? We're gonna go with you having stolen the popsicle's magic. You took it, sure, but can you give it back?"
"I…I don't know."
He heard the cat mutter a series of swears under his breath.
"Well, listen here asshole, you don't get to wallow in self-pity. You did this shit, and now you need to fix it. So figure out if you can give his magic back."
Izuku was quiet before nodding. Right, he was right. Of course he was right, even an alternate version of Kacchan still made sense. Izuku couldn't go into the darker corners of his mind, at least not yet. Right now he had to box up those feelings and put them away.
"Okay. Okay, okay." He sat up. "You're right. That's priority number one, give Gray back his magic. If I had been touching him when I took it, I probably need to make contact again to give it back."
"Yeah, that's probably the easy part. But can you actually do it?"
"I think so. Maybe. I sometimes feel the magic sort of…fighting against me." He put a hand over his chest. That's where he felt it, the magic caged up inside him. "It probably knows it's not where it's supposed to be so it fights back. That might also explain me seeing Gray's shadow in the corner of my eye sometimes. Like when I panicked back at Porlyusica's home."
"His what?"
"Don't worry about it. But…I think I should be able to do it. So that takes care of number one."
"There's more to it? Really?" Katsuki asked.
He nodded. "Yes! For one, I need new gloves. I can't risk this happening again, so what better way than to just use the same old method. I mean…my mom's solution worked out for a good decade or so?"
The cat groaned and shook his head. "Okay, fine. New gloves. Anything else?"
Izuku looked down and Katsuki's tail twitched in annoyance.
"What. Else?"
"I think, after this, we- o-or maybe just me. Maybe, I should leave Fairy Tail."
"What? Why?"
Izuku turned away and frowned. "I did this to one of them, how likely are the chances anybody is going to want me around? Let alone get revenge for what I've done. I mean I put one of their friends on what could be his deathbed. Everyone is worried because of that, and they have no idea how to deal with it so even when they go looking for an answer it'd be a wild goose chase. There's no way they wouldn't be angry at me."
Katsuki was silent, he only looked up when the nerd turned towards him.
"And one more thing, please keep this a secret? This stays between us, and we'll take this to our graves. Sounds fair?"
He stared at Izuku before huffing. "Only if you let me go with you to get out of this dump. If so, then you've got a deal, Bush Boy."
-FH-
"So, you think you can do it?"
"It's not really a matter of if I think I can, it's more like I have to."
They stood before Porlyusica's home. The forest was mostly quiet, the silence was only cut through with the occasional birdsong or rustle in the bushes far away. Above them orange, pink shades began to bleed into the dark night sky and brighten it up.
"She's gonna be pretty pissed that you're waking her up."
Izuku sighed. "I know. But unfortunately her wrath is kinda inevitable."
The cat scoffed. "Well, may as well get it over with."
Izuku sighed and walked toward the house. He felt dread as he lifted a hand to knock on the door. He gave a few soft taps and stepped away from the door to wait.
"Are you serious? You hardly even knocked." Katsuki flew up to the door. "Lemme-wah!"
The door opened to reveal a rather irritated Porlyusica. She looked exhausted, and her already bad mood seemed to sour when she laid eyes on the visitors.
"Isn't it early for you to be out here?"
Izuku gave a nervous laugh while Katsuki answered her.
"Yeah? Maybe it is, the nerd over here wanted to check on Ice Boy so we came by."
Izuku shot him a look before sighing. "I-I'm sorry, Miss Porlyuscia, I-"
She held up a hand to stop him. She paused before rubbing her temples. "It's fine, honestly I would have expected his team to be the first ones here so early in the morning."
Izuku hummed.
"You can see him, I'm afraid there's been no improvement. Even so, try not to disturb him." She gave them a wary look before going around them.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"Someone has to tend to these plants, and I doubt you'd be willing to." She snapped back at him.
"Leave her alone Kacchan."
"Tch, whatever."
They were quick to slip inside, but Izuku couldn't help the nervous energy that creeped into his chest when he caught Porlyusica watching him. He was quick to shut the door behind him and sigh.
Wordlessly, he shuffled over to Gray's side. His heart sank at the sight of him. He looked worse than before. His skin was ashen, and his lungs faltered with each breath he took.
"Holy shit. No improvement is an understatement."
Izuku grit his teeth and sat down at his bedside.
"So what now, nerd?"
"Now…I give it back. I just don't know how. But I'll figure it out."
Katsuki eyed him before huffing and settling down in a chair nearby. "Then figure it out."
Izuku nodded and looked back at Gray. He took a deep breath and reached a hand out. He shuddered when he felt his clammy palm in his hand.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He muttered.
He tried to focus and find it in himself. He knew Gray's magic was in there; he just had to find it. It had been so easy to feel it before, and now it was hiding. He sighed and shook his head.
"Come on, you took his magic and now you need to give it back." He hissed at himself. "Figure it out."
Izuku huffed and closed his eyes again, he tried to feel out for Gray's magic again. He knew the feeling, ice and cold. Chills running up and down his spine. The surge of cold magic energy whenever he mustered it up.
He could feel it and he pulled it towards him. It felt solid, like a heavy weight in his chest. Despite it being internal, it felt like he could hold it in his hands. He tugged at it and flinched. It was tethered to him. Whatever was holding it back didn't want to let go.
Like a parasite desperately clinging to life.
He stopped tugging at the magic for the moment and let himself settle.
Magic is intertwined with someone's soul, so…
Instead of forcibly pulling at the magic he gently pulled at it, and coaxed it forward. He could feel something tying it down and keeping it tethered to him. He sighed and reached out, pulling away the strings and untangling Gray's magic from himself. Slowly, and gently.
It was much easier to take, instead of give.
He supposed that was the rule of life.
With the last tie severed, the icy magic seemed to float freely before Izuku gave it a light push. He could feel it flowing out of him in a hurry, eager to get back to where it belonged. As soon as he felt it click back to where it belonged he opened his eyes and let go of Gray.
"Are you-woah!"
Izuku stumbled back and fell over with a loud thud. He panted and looked up to see Katsuki floating over him. He tried to blink away the blurry vision and slowly pulled himself up to sitting position.
"You look like shit."
"That was exhausting." He muttered. "H-How long-"
"Not that long. So, did it work?"
Izuku looked up at Gray. His breathing wasn't labored, and some color returned to his skin. He seemed more at ease now, which was a relief.
"I-I think so." Izuku rubbed his eyes. "Let me check." He held up a hand and tried to call upon that foreign magic. There was a mixture of relief and disappointment when nothing happened, and all he could feel was an aching hollowness inside.
"Nothing's showing up…holy shit it actually worked!" Katsuki looked down at him. "So the stripper's got his magic back. Now what, nerd?"
"Now…" Izuku grabbed the nearest object and pulled himself up. "Now we should get back to the guild and-"
The world tilted and Izuku was back on the ground.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
He felt his face pressed against the cold wood floor. "I'm sorry, but that whole thing was draining. Everything's spinning right now, I just need a second."
A second turned into agonizingly long minutes that he spent pulling himself up to sitting position. He panted and leaned forward.
"Give me a minute, I can get up."
He felt a paw swat at him. "Save it idiot, take a breather or something. This is pathetic, get your shit together."
Izuku nodded. "I will, just give me a minute."
He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, he just needed to muster up the energy to get up. It wasn't that hard. He felt himself start to drift off, and felt something shudder inside. An emptiness that left him cold inside, despite that he couldn't bring himself to care.
He had no dreams.
-FH-
Thank you to my beta-readers KeeperofHounds and Bola!