Hi again! A New Pencil returns to the desk!
Underline is for English this time!
Italics is either thoughts, a flashback, or a song/poem.
I do not own Kingdom Hearts, My Hero Academia, OMORI, Final Fantasy, or any of its characters or music. They all belong to their respective companies and owners.
Chapter 26: Kindred Spirits
(Play: KH Union X OST - Dearly Beloved)
Eventually, after going over his first journey when he first got the Keyblade, Sora and Strelitzia made their way back to the bleachers, shaking hands as a show of sportsmanship in front of their classmates.
"Wow, Sora-kun. Such a great demonstration of respect and dignity," Iida said to him after he took a seat, "You did magnificent out there."
"Thanks… whew!" Sora laughed as he slumped in his seat, the exhaustion of the battle having taken its toll on him at last, "I'm beat. Does anybody have water?"
"Sorry, none of us do." Eijiro shrugged, "But seriously, you're that exhausted?"
"Yeah. Heh heh." Sora winked, "She's super strong."
"Considering that Zinnia-san might have the same Quirk as you do, she must have been a challenge," Momo told him. He nodded. Hanabi… no… Strelitzia… did technically have the same power. But it was clear she was much more versed in magic than he was.
"But that was such an epic battle! Pow! Wham! All those movements and clashes were amazing!" Ochaco cheered, "Deku-kun really missed out on it!"
"Well, he probably would've fainted by the fact the fight was going from one side to the other." Sora smiled, "I'm glad you guys liked it."
"Yeah. Not sure if there's gonna be others that'll match up to it." Denki grinned, "Maybe Midoriya and Todoroki's fight, but I have never seen a fight that was this intense!"
"That's one way of putting it." Sora laughed. He then noticed that Shoto was eyeing him with a… strange glint. Sora remembered then that he was facing Shoto in the semifinal, since he had bested Izuku and was in the same branch as he was.
Looks like he'll have to mentally prepare himself this time. Again.
Meanwhile, Hanabi, or rather Strelitzia, was returning to her classmates with a smile on her face.
"Wow, Hanabi. Even though you lost you're smiling? That's some real sportsmanship there," Yotetsu smiled.
"Thanks. Sora put up quite a fight," Strelitzia smiled, "Honestly, I actually didn't expect to summon that weapon late into the round,"
"You seem to be able to wield it just fine, using it with as much grace as you would that blade of energy," Ibara observed, "I assume this hasn't happened before?"
"Nope." She lied. Of course she knew how to summon it, but they didn't need to know why it took this long to show it yet.
"Well, don't just stand there." Setsuna grinned eagerly, "Show us, show us!"
"Okay, okay, don't rush me!" she huffed. She closed her eyes, and raised her hand forward, taking a deep breath. Come on… come on out… In a flash, she summoned her Keyblade and showed it to everyone.
"Ooooh…" Komori looked awed at it, "It's so pretty."
"It looks pretty identical to Nakajima's if you remove the star decorations." Shoda said, "Do you know why that is?"
"I don't really know…" she admitted, "Probably because he was using that particular weapon when we were fighting that I decided to summon something similar."
"I… guess that makes sense." Kendo put her finger on her chin.
As she said that, Neito finally regained consciousness.
"Huh? What happened? Did Zinnia put Nakajima in his place?" he asked.
Strelitzia smiled, "Whaddya think?"
Neito looked to his classmates, and then to the bracket. Seeing that Sora had advanced, his arrogant demeanor faded a bit, "Oh… what a shame. But I am certain you gave him the fight of his life, am I not wrong, Zinnia?"
"We'll keep it at that."
(Play: KH DDD OST - The Nightmare)
How fascinating. The figure thought, Who would've thought that yet another worthy of the Keyblade would show their face here…
"Oh for…" Shigaraki said, less than pleased that yet another prodigy was about, "There's more than one of them?!"
"Indeed, this would prove to make our plans more difficult when they get their licenses." the voice mused, "All the more reason to eliminate them beforehand."
"Leave that… to me… once the mask… is broken." the figure said.
"Very well… by chance… I do wonder… what do you mean by 'mask?'"
"Just watch… In time… you will see…"
(Play: MHA OST - Cavalry Battle)
Back in the arena, Sora watched the next match. Well, if you would call it one. Tokoyami was taking on Mina, and was quick and efficient in using Dark Shadow to force her out of the ring much faster than he did against Momo.
"Ashido is out of bounds." Midnight announced, "Tokoyami will advance!"
As the crowd cheered, 1-A watched Tokoyami walk away after bowing to Mina.
"He won that battle pretty quickly, huh?" Minoru noted.
"Tokoyami-chan's Dark Shadow is… so amazing," Asui said, before turning to a concerned Ochaco, "Kero? What's wrong? Are you still worried about Midoriya-chan?"
"She said she had to perform surgery…" Uraraka muttered.
"Recovery Girl's the best." Mineta replied, "You've got nothing to worry about."
"He's right, ribbit,"
That made Ochaco feel at ease. At least for now.
(Silence)
Sora looked towards an empty seat where Tenya once was. He remembered the class rep saying that he was going to call his brother, so maybe he had gone somewhere private to do so.
Strange… Why was he getting the feeling that something terrible was going to happen?
Forget about it, Sora. The next match is coming up! Sora clapped his cheeks to keep the happy face up as the next match began. This time, it was Kirishima and Bakugo going head to head. The former was now forcing the latter on the defensive, and to Sora's surprise, he was actually making Katsuki struggle a bit.
(Play: MHA OST - Go Seize It!)
The red-haired boy went for a hook, and it grazed Katsuki's cheek as he retaliated with an explosion, which didn't even harm Eijiro at all.
"HA!" he grinned, "Nice try, but that's not gonna work on me Explosion Boy!" He jumped back to offense and swung at Katsuki's face, forcing him to dodge again.
"Go on, Kirishima!" Tetsutetsu cheered, "Go for the chin! THE CHIN!"
"What? You're rooting for him now?" Juzo asked.
"He was respectful to him after he lost. I can see why he's cheering him on." Strelitzia said, "Besides, it looks like Tetstutetsu's got himself a friendly rival outta that match."
Sora had to agree there. He watched as Katsuki tried again and again to blast Kirishima, only for it to have no effect at all as he is forced again on defense, dodging the strikes to the best of his ability.
"Wow. Kacchan's on the defensive now?"
Izuku's voice made Sora perk up as he muttered, "I guess Kirishima's Quirk is simple on the surface, but it's effective nonetheless."
Iida was the first to notice and walked to him, "Midoriya-kun. I take it your surgery must have gone well. I'm glad."
"Hai. Thank you." Izuku nodded, "Looks like Sora-kun beat Zinnia-san, huh? And Tokoyami-kun beat Ashido-san."
"Yes." Tenya said, "If the bracket holds true, Sora-kun will be up against Todoroki-kun after this match and the break."
The reminder that he lost against Shoto made Izuku feel down, "Yeah. B-But did Ingenium watch your match with Sora-kun? He must've been proud of his little brother fighting to the end like that."
"I'm not sure." Iida admitted, "I tried calling him earlier, but he was working."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"No. It's for the best. When we do talk, maybe I'll get to tell him that I almost took out the tournament's winner early in the game."
Midoriya actually smiled. It looked like Tenya was in the boat for Sora taking the whole tournament by himself, and he had nothing against losing to Sora at all. That was relieving.
An explosion shook them back into reality, as Mic commented, "WHOA! Bakugo's countering again, but what's this? It seems to be having an effect!"
He was right. Eijiro was faltering from that previous attack. "You've been straining to keep your whole body rock hard this whole fight, huh? But that means you're overusing your Quirk. Sooner or later, you'll fall apart!" Bakugo then launched a barrage of blasts towards his opponent, letting out a war cry as his explosions continued to batter Kirishima.
"Gh! Too much!" Eijiro grunted, as the explosions ripped off parts of his gym outfit.
"The finishing blow! DIE!" Bakugo roared as he swung his arm and let one final explosion out, sending Kirishima away and knocking him out cold. "There… now I can see why you were trying to avoid a drawn out match with me."
"Kirishima is KO'ed." Midnight said, "Bakugo wins!"
(Silence)
"What are you doing idiot?!" Tetsutetsu shouted, "I thought you had more guts than that, Kirishima!"
"With that vicious carpet-bombing, Bakugo will advance to the semifinals!" Mic announced, "Ladies and gents, we have our final four!"
The screen then showed the contestants: Shoto, Sora, Fumikage, and Katsuki in that order.
"Now sit back and relax folks! We're taking a break before the semifinals. And who knows… there might even be something new added to the pile!"
The crowd cheered happily as Sora got to his feet and began to walk to the exit, noticing Izuku and Iida there. "Hey, guys!" he smiled, "Seems like you're back in almost 100%."
Midoriya chuckled, "Yeah. Surgery went well, so I should be okay for now."
"And hey, you did do what you said you would." Sora noted, "That's all that matters, and I'm really proud. For both you and Shoto."
Tenya looked at the two confused, but decided not to pry further, as he said, "While I can understand you wanting to see how your friend is doing, your next fight is coming up after this break, right? Considering that your opponent is Todoroki-kun, you should at least have a strategy ready."
Sora nodded, his face becoming a tad bit more serious, "Yeah. I know." he replied, "Honestly, I'm a little nervous about that."
"About fighting Todoroki-kun?" Izuku looked surprised, "But you've never been that nervous in fighting anybody so far."
"It's not that." Sora shook his head, "It's-"
"Nakajima."
Speak of the devil. Sora turned around to see Shoto standing behind him, looking at him with a strange glint in his eye, "We need to talk."
"Oh?" Sora tilted his head. Shoto was speaking English this time. That was new. "You sure?"
The boy nodded. Izuku looked between them nervously, but Sora smiled at him, "Don't worry, Izuku. I'm sure it's nothing serious."
Izuku still didn't look convinced, but decided to let his friend go. Sora turned back to Todoroki, "Okay, Shoto. Lead the way."
The icy boy nodded, and turned around and walked away, Sora following suit and wondering what exactly Shoto wanted to talk to him about.
(Play: OMORI OST - See You Tomorrow)
Back in their school, Kel, Sunny, Basil, and Aubrey were talking amongst themselves once again.
"That. Was. Awesome." Kel grinned, "Those fights were even more epic than the last ones! And Sora's match with Hanabi was cool, too!"
"There's no denying that." Aubrey nodded, "But I am a little surprised about Hanabi. How did she summon a weapon nearly identical to Sora's Keyblade?"
"Who knows. Similar Quirk maybe." Sunny said.
"It's possible." Basil agreed, "I mean, Shiozaki's Quirk lets her control vines on her head, similar to my Quirk, except I control plants."
"Hm." Aubrey remained skeptical, before saying, "Changing the topic, I'm a little concerned about Midoriya. Doesn't seem like he's found the answer to Hero's advice yet."
"Yeah… dude broke three of his limbs in one match." Kel said, "I really hope he doesn't get crippled for life if this keeps up."
"That's the worst case." Sunny said, "But he's smart. He'll find the answer."
"Words of optimism? From Sunny Hidaka?" Kel grinned, "Now I've seen everything."
Sunny glares at him, but Aubrey puts a hand on his shoulder, "He's just joking. You know that."
"Uh-huh…" he sighed, "I wonder how Hero and Mari are doing though."
At the hospital…
"That was a very dramatic fight. It nearly gave me a heart attack," Shimizu said, "Not to mention that the girl Hanabi's got a Keyblade like he does. At this rate this year's starting to feel more like a dream than reality..."
"Tell me about it," Hero chuckled, "Sora might have lost there a couple of times."
"But he didn't. That's all that matters." Mari smiled, before turning to Shimizu, who was coughing again, "Are you alright, Ms. Nakajima?"
"I-I'm fine. I just need water…" she sighed, "But heavens above… Watching these matches is so tiring."
"You should rest. You've been up since the start of the festival." Hero advised, "Better to recover before we see Sora perform again. Probably for about 10-15 minutes. Please get some shut-eye, Ms. Nakajima."
"You're the doctor, so I'll follow your advice. Thank you, Hero." Shimizu yawned, before closing her eyes and moving her head to the side, "Wake me up… when his match starts…"
"Got it." he smiled, as the mother of Sora relaxed and let sleep take over.
(Silence)
Sora and Shoto finally make their way to a hallway that's near the exit. It was here the taller boy stopped and Sora leaned on the wall across from him.
"So…" Sora said, "Is there something wrong, Shoto?"
Todoroki looked down, before looking back up, "It's… about you and Fenrir."
"Cloud?"
He nods, "Your powers… both are very similar to one another. But it's clear Fenrir has more mastery over it than you do."
Sora grumbled at that. Of course he did. Only because Sora had gone and lost his powers for what, the fourth time in a row.
"You say that Fenrir is your mentor, but… I think there's more to it than that." Shoto said, snapping Sora out of his thoughts. He looked at Sora with the most serious face as he asked him.
"Nakajima… are you… Fenrir and Starshower's secret love child or something like that?"
(Play: KH 1 OST - Oopsie Daisy!)
Sora blinked several times, before tilting his head in confusion, "I hate to be dumb but… what are you talking about? What's a 'secret love child?'"
"It's where a kid is born to two adults that aren't married."
Ten seconds.
That was how long it took for Sora's brain to process that. When the ten seconds were up, he jumped in the air. Literally.
"WH-WHAAAAAT?!" he shouted, his face bright red, "Wh-Where did you get that idea? Cloud and Tifa are just really good friends! They're NOT my parents! No way in Hades's left foot!"
Shoto remained unconvinced, but Sora said, "You heard about what happened to my real mom, right?"
"No."
That response made Sora take a step back. Seems like the icy-hot kid didn't even bother to listen in. A bit inconsiderate, but very Shoto.
(Silence)
"Well… she got attacked… she's injured and… she's in the hospital… I don't know if she's gonna be out of there anytime soon…"
Sora looked down dejectedly after that, remembering how badly his mom was hurt by that dark doppelganger. He could only hope she was still doing okay, and cheering him on from within her hospital room.
(Play: KH3 OST - Scala Ad Caelum)
"I see… I… apologize for not knowing that." Shoto sighed, before looking up, "But that doesn't change the fact the three of you are hiding something. You and Fenrir have a deeper connection than just master and student."
Sora looked concerned for a second. Shoto was really, really perceptive when he wanted to be. He actually might figure out Sora's big secret before anybody else without having to look through his Gummiphone. He only hoped it didn't come to that.
"But… that isn't the reason I called you here, Nakajima."
Sora looked up to Shoto, who was staring back intensely. "It isn't?"
Shoto shook his head, and continued, "Even if Fenrir is your superior, it doesn't change the fact that you are powerful in your own right, since on both the Battle Trial facing Ojiro and Hagakure and the Rescue Training where you faced Fenrir, you were holding back." He raised his hand up, clenching it, "Your match with Zinnia gave me a glimpse of your true strength. You have power that rivals that of Midoriya's. All the more reason for me to defeat you."
Oh. That's what it was for. Shoto was telling him just how determined he was to win this. Sora had nothing against that, and was about to say something before Todoroki said more.
"You probably know this already… but my father is Endeavor."
"The Number Two Hero, right?" Sora asked, saving his response for later.
"Yes." Shoto nodded with a bitter look, "My father has a great wish to thrive in this world. He's earned renown for being a destructive force as a Hero."
"If that's the case, I'm guessing he's aiming for Number One?" Sora asked.
"Exactly. I've never seen Fenrir on the top 10 Heroes, but if he was, then my old man would see him as a big threat to his goal. He's already mad about staying Number Two because of All Might. If your 'mentor' takes that spot from him…"
"He wouldn't take it well, would he?"
"No."
Sora sighs, "Well… Cloud was never one for spotlights… From what I've seen, he's just there to get the job done."
Shoto hums at this, and Sora decides to press further.
"Shoto… where are you going with this?"
Shoto scowls, "If Fenrir does surpass him, my father will simply move to his so-called 'Plan B'." The scowl on his face then makes something click in Sora's mind.
"He… He's turned to you. He's training you to become Number One in his stead."
Shoto scoffs, "That's putting it lightly."
"It is… I'm guessing there's more to it, considering that Endeavor… doesn't seem all that pleasant to be a caring dad."
"Because that bastard is a sorry excuse of one."
(Play: MHA OST - I Absolutely Won't Use the Heat)
Sora raised an eyebrow, signaling for Shoto to continue. "Nakajima… have you ever heard of Quirk Marriages?"
The Keyblade wielder looked down in thought, trying to see if it rang a bell. Then he remembered it being mentioned in the first book he read about Quirks in Faraway Library, the day he crash-landed into this world.
"I… I think so. It's like… some sort of arranged marriage with a focus on Quirks, isn't it?"
Shoto nodded, "I'm the result of that. My father wanted to make me so that I could surpass All Might. After I was born and my Quirk manifested, my father began to train me. But it quickly became more akin to abuse than training." he clenched his fists, "My mother tried to stop him, but if she got in the way, she would get abused too."
"That's… that's horrible…" Sora said, his eyes widening and his mouth slightly agape. He had heard of abuse before… but this was… another level.
"It gets worse. I became isolated from my siblings while my old man was 'training' me, so my mother became my only comfort." he sighed, "That is, until she got so traumatized by the bastard, that by just seeing my left side once, she poured boiling water down my face."
"I see… that explains the scar…"
"I never blamed her for that… but when she did that, my father sent her to a psychiatric ward… just because she hurt his 'greatest masterpiece,'" Shoto's tone became more fierce as Sora remained silent, a frown visible on his face, "I've always viewed my left side as an extension of him, and because of that, I refused to use it in combat, just to spite him."
As he finished his story, everything began to fall into place for Sora. It explained why Shoto only used his ice power, and not his fire power. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Riku at least didn't have abusive parents, but still.
"I…" Sora said after several moments of silence, "I don't blame you for seeing it like that… but… why are you telling me this?"
For the first time since Sora knew him, Shoto actually paused. Hesitating on his words. His eyes darted across the floor, before it hardened and he looked up at Sora.
"…The reason I'm telling you this… is because you and I are facing each other in the semi-final. I'm going to prove to my father that I can beat you without his power."
Sora looked at him for a few moments, before replying, "I don't think that's the real reason, Shoto. Your heart is speaking differently."
"...What?"
Sora continued, though not unkindly, "If that was really the case, you wouldn't have listened to Izuku at all during your match. But he said something down there… something that made you trigger your fire. Not your father's. Your's."
Todoroki remained silent, looking away.
"Shoto." Sora told him, "Whatever hatred you have towards your father… you have to let it go."
"'Let go?'" Shoto looked up with a renewed glare at Sora's words, "Let go? After what that bastard did to me and to my mom?!"
"NO! That's not what I'm saying!"
The fact that he shouted making the ice user stop talking in surprise. Nakajima never yelled at anybody as far as he could tell, and now he sounded frustrated. This was different. His brows were furrowed and his teeth were visible in his frown.
Like he was actually taking this seriously.
"You have every right to hate him for what he's done, but you've become obsessed with that hatred. That's bad, Shoto, because if you keep on obsessing over that hate, it'll eventually consume you and make you something you don't want to be! You'll be hurting because of this choice. Friends, loved ones, and even yourself!"
"How do you know that?"
"Because that's exactly what happened with my best friend!"
Shoto stopped, stunned. Another friend? Besides Midoriya? He tried to question how this was possible, but the words died in his throat, as Sora took deep breaths to slow his heart rate. Eventually, he felt calm enough to continue.
"Look... I'm not saying to stop hating him. Nobody's expecting you to just let it go in a single day, but when you're on the field as a Hero, you have to learn to stop thinking about him, and focus on the moment, on the people you're trying to save." he said, "You have to… for the sake of the ones you promised to save and protect as a Hero. If you don't, you'll be distracted and lose sight of your goal. Lose sight of the light."
"What are you talking about?" Shoto asked, voice no longer raised.
"Tell me... had there ever been a single moment during your fight with Izuku where you weren't thinking about your dad?"
"...I…"
Shoto paused, looking down at the floor again, as Sora waited for his response. Slowly, he looked back up.
"There was. When I used my fire against Midoriya…" he answered, though with a slight bit of hesitancy in his voice, "In that moment… I forgot about my father… I was only focused on the fight itself… and what was in front of me."
"And that's the key," Sora said, "Don't think about Endeavor when you use your flames."
"...It's not that simple." Shoto shook his head.
"Yeah. I can imagine." the boy nodded, "But remember what Izuku told you during your fight? It's your Quirk. Not his." He pointed towards Shoto's chest, "Endeavor may want you to use your Quirk to surpass All Might, but you don't have to use it for that reason. Instead, use it for those you want to protect. Nobody, not even your dad, has the power to change why you use your Quirk. That fire is yours, and yours alone to shape. Remember that." He smiled at Shoto as a light bulb appeared on his head, "Here's an idea. During the next match, think about the ones you care about most, and put them in the front of your mind instead of your dad. Hopefully, they'll be enough to keep him out of your head."
(Silence)
Shoto looked at him, before shaking his head, "I can't believe this. You're just as crazy as Midoriya. No wonder you two are friends."
"Great minds think alike."
"...But you're not as smart as him."
Ouch. Sora thought as he chuckled, "I mean that we both think the same way about this."
"...Oh."
Sora smiled. Looks like Momo wasn't the only one who took things a bit too seriously sometimes. He wondered how she and Todoroki weren't already friends.
"So… I don't think you wanted to tell me this just to prove you can win with only your ice." Sora said, "There's another reason, isn't there?"
Shoto was silent for a very long time after this, and Sora waited patiently for him to get his thoughts together. After at least a minute, the ice user looked up.
(Play: KH DDD OST - Distant From You)
"It's…" he began, "Your scars."
"...My scars?"
"The burns, specifically…" Shoto told him, "I noticed them when Yaoyorozu went over to give your top back to you before the Cavalry Battle."
"Oh…" Sora remembered, "So then I guess you saw those burns around my body, didn't you?"
"They weren't normal or randomly placed." Shoto said, "They were focused. Targeted towards weak points. Someone intentionally did that to you, and gave you those burns."
The Keyblade wielder looked to the side, "Yeah…"
"So… I thought that… with those burn scars you had, you'd be able to relate to me better than most people… at least by a small amount. That's why."
Sora nodded, "I can. It's only fair that I tell you the story behind them, since you told me the story behind yours."
Shoto looked at him amazed as Sora began his tale, "A long time ago before I came here… I was searching for my best friend, Riku, who had gone missing for a year. But there were people like Endeavor… who wanted to use my power for their own ends. And to force me to do what they said… They kidnapped my other friend Kairi, while sending the Heartless wherever I went, attacking me and other bystanders randomly, and toying with my emotions so I would be motivated to go after them."
Todoroki narrowed his eyes. So there were more people like his father? How messed up could this world get?
"Eventually I found out where they were holding Kairi, and I worked together with Cloud, Tifa, and several other Heroes to rescue her. But when we got there, it turned out that Riku beat us to it and managed to break her out. When we found one another, we were then attacked by the leader of the people who wanted to use my Quirk. Xemnas." Sora pointed to the burns around his neck, "He was the one who did this to me. Those burns you saw… were no thanks to him using his Quirk."
"This 'Xemnas'... was his Quirk related to fire?"
"Not exactly. His Quirk allowed him to manipulate light, to an extent. He used it to make two super-heated rods on his palms to attack me while my guard was down, and… you can see the result of that."
"I see…" Shoto said, "So you do understand."
"A little bit, yeah." Sora nodded, "But also not."
"Why's that?"
"Well… I don't have my dad with me anymore, so I don't know how it feels to get hurt by him all my life… but I can understand being hurt by those we look up to. And forced to be used as a tool for someone else's goals."
Sora smiled a bit as his expression brightened, "Actually, maybe my friend Riku might relate to you better than I can."
"Riku? Is that the best friend you said that hurt you because of actions similar to mine?"
"Yeah. You remind me of him, in a way."
"How so?"
"He was just like you once." Sora said, the bright expression dimming slightly, "Used as a means to an end by a mad scientist named Ansem. He began to make bad choices because of that man's influence, and it ended up hurting the ones he cared about. At one point, he almost killed me, his best friend, by accident." he laughed. A sound that lacked the usual flair of joy it had, "When he realized what he had done, he became ashamed and remorseful, and was left with a power that he believed wasn't his to begin with."
Sounds familiar… Shoto thought.
"He did everything he could to atone for what happened, and that's why he went missing for a year, to find a way to atone. And he did, not just by rescuing our friend Kairi, but also by making that power Ansem 'gave' him his own, because it belonged to him now, and not the person who made him harm the people he cared about. When he no longer saw it as a curse... he became stronger, and in a good way. That's why I think Riku would be a better person to talk to about this, not that our talk wasn't… helpful."
Sora's eyes met the ice user's, and for the first time, Shoto saw sadness in the boy's eyes, "Shoto, I... I don't want you going down the same path Riku did when he was influenced by Ansem, and do something you'll regret. I don't want you to end up hurting the ones that are precious to you. If you want to keep using just your ice... I won't stop you. But please... think about what Izuku said to you before you make your decision... okay?"
Shoto looked down as he said that, before he sighed, and looked up to him again, "I... will do what I can… Thank you… for understanding me." He stood tall as he moved from his spot on the wall, "I think I know what I need to do to become the Hero I want to be. I just… need some time."
"Got it. Take all the time you need, Riku."
Shoto looked at him confused. Did he just call him by someone else's name? Nakajima didn't seem to be aware of it as he was simply smiling fondly at the ice and fire user. That is, until Shoto spoke up, looking confused.
"Nakajima… why are you crying?" he asked him. Sora blinked, snapping out of what seemed to be a trance, before raising his left arm and wiping that stray tear away.
"Oh. Oops. Sorry about that Shoto." Sora chuckled, "Wow... You really do remind me of him."
Shoto looked down as Sora said that, before asking, "…This Riku… Do you think you could introduce him to me sometime in the future?"
"I'd love to. But… he's super busy right now." Sora said, averting his gaze, "Maybe another time."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. We're friends now, right? Any friend of mine is a friend of Riku's, too."
(Silence)
Friends.
Shoto looked down at those words. What did it really mean? He couldn't remember what having a friend was like, no thanks to the bastard he had of a father. He never really had any to begin with.
But to be a friend… was it the same as how his mother comforted him in the past? It seemed so. Midoriya was willing to cripple himself to not only make Shoto use his fire, but also to… well… try and save him from whatever dark memories he'd been experiencing during the fight. Whatever thoughts he had about his fire now, were now wavering no thanks to Midoriya's words.
Nakajima was similar here. Except instead of through a fight, he was trying to tell him using words, before their fight even started. They mirrored Midoriya's, but also had an extra amount of meaning to them. Because this person could relate to him more than most.
Was this what it meant to be a friend? To care about them in the same manner as his mother did for him in the past?
He'd have to think about it later.
Shoto grunts in response to Sora's words, and the Keyblade wielder nods, "So… should we head back?"
"We should. It would be a waste of both of our time to just keep standing here."
"Attention! Would all the semifinalists come into the arena immediately?"
That was Midnight's voice. Sora and Shoto glanced at one another, before the former shrugged good-naturedly and walked back, Shoto following suit.
(Play: FF7 Remake OST - The Shinra Building)
While Shoto and Sora were having their conversation, Cloud had chosen to go out on his patrol shift, Tifa following suit. The two had once again gone different paths, and Cloud had decided to take a small break, leaning on the wall in one of the hallways to relax as several students walked by, glancing at him as he closed his eyes before they scurried off.
Then, his ears caught wind of another pair of footsteps heading towards him. They were much louder than most, so this must be a large person. Suddenly, the air around him began to get hotter, and he could only guess who was coming.
"There you are. I've been looking for you." a voice said in English.
Cloud opened his eyes and looked up. Standing in his line of sight was the Number Two Hero himself, Endeavor. What does he want? Cloud thought.
"You must be Fenrir. The Mercenary Hero from overseas." Endeavor began.
"So what if I am?"
"I heard that you were Nakajima's mentor. That you were the one who taught him how to wield a blade."
"...Is there a problem?"
"There is. I'm not convinced that you are his mentor."
Cloud stared at him with a blank expression, while on the inside he was the slightest bit concerned. He narrowed his eyes, "And what makes you think that?"
"Students normally take after their teachers," Endeavor explained, "But I don't see that between you and Nakajima. The two of you are complete opposites. Nakajima is a lot more laid-back and childish compared to you. If you were training him properly, he would act just like you would."
"Teachers have different ways of training their students," Cloud answered, "You of all people should know this."
Endeavor narrows his own eyes at that, while Cloud simply closes his own as he continues, "Sora may be like you say, but there's more to the kid than what you see on the surface. For an ordinary kid, he's got a lot of potential. That's why I took him under my wing all those years ago, just as my teacher did for me."
"Your teacher?"
"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"
"Tch. Your mentor's ways confuse me."
"Does it matter right now?"
"As a matter of fact, it does," Endeavor said, regarding Cloud with a frown, "In just a few minutes, your pupil and my son will face off in the semifinal. Perhaps the victor of that battle will show us whose teaching method is superior."
Cloud scoffed, "I don't give a damn of comparing our methods."
Endeavor appeared to not even hear Cloud as he continued, "And considering how Nakajima has proven to be a capable fighter in close and long range, this will be the perfect test of my son's capabilities, now that he's finally accepting who he is."
Immediately, Cloud opens his eyes at this, narrowing them instantly, "Accepting who he is?" He turned to face the Flame Hero, "As what? Your lab rat?"
"...What did you say?" Endeavor asked, glaring at the SOLDIER. Cloud simply walked away from his spot on the wall to face the Number Two with a glare of his own.
"Tell me this, Endeavor. Who is your son to you?" Cloud questioned.
"Who is Shoto to me?" Endeavor repeated, "What kind of question is this?"
"Answer the question."
"And why is that any of your business?"
"Everyone heard what you said out there. Present Mic might have said you were encouraging your son, but I'm not buying it." the former SOLDIER replied, "You seemed more happy that he was living up to the reason you wanted him to live. 'You will live up to the reason I created you?'" He scoffed, using every ounce of restraint to not spit on the floor between them, "'Words of encouragement' my ass. Sounds like something a scientist would tell his experiment rather than what a father would say to his son."
Endeavor's glare became more fierce as the flames around his body grew brighter and hotter, "Be careful what you say, Fenrir. My son is no lab rat. He's my greatest masterpiece, who will surpass All Might with my power flowing in his veins. If you know who I am, and where I stand, you had better watch your tongue."
Cloud seemed unaffected by this intimidation tactic, as his own eyes glowed unusually as the pupils became slits, and a blue fiery aura flowed around him to challenge Endeavor's flames, "And you had better watch yours, Endeavor. Because one day, all that venom you spit out will come back to poison you tenfold. Don't go crying to me when that happens."
"You're speaking nonsense now, Fenrir. I am beginning to think it's foolish to talk to you about this further."
"It's not nonsense when it's the goddamn truth," Cloud snarled, "You and I are guilty of a multitude of mistakes, just like anybody else here. Whether you realize it or not, what I said will happen. And when it does, know that you deserve every last drop of it."
With that, Cloud stormed off, his aura dispersing, leaving Endeavor to stare off after him, that glare of ambition never leaving his face.
(Silence)
Once Cloud was out of the Flame Hero's sight, he sighed. Endeavor was no Hojo, but the fact that he had called Shoto his "greatest masterpiece" instead of his own son… didn't sit well with him. It brought back bad memories, especially when he discovered the truth about what happened all those years ago...
"Damn…" he thought aloud, "To think that I'd start caring about these kids now…"
"Cloud?"
He looked up, finding himself face-to-face with Tifa as she ran up to him, looking concerned.
"Are you alright? I heard… raised voices."
"I'm fine now." he said, "Just had a little chat with the Number Two."
"With Endeavor?"
"Yeah."
Tifa frowned at this and sighed, "Who blew up first? You or him?"
"Nobody 'blew up.' He just wanted to talk about my 'teaching methods'." Cloud shrugged, "Didn't approve of them,"
"Figures…" Tifa crossed her arms, "But there's not much we can do about it. At least until we start internships." Cloud hummed in response, and Tifa looked at him, "Speaking of… have you figured out how you were gonna do it? We don't even have the place fully set up."
"Remember that Moogle?" Cloud said, "He's got it covered."
"Attention! Would all the semifinalists come into the arena immediately?"
The duo looked at a nearby speaker. "Looks like time's up."
"Might as well head back then." Cloud said.
(Play: KH 2.5 Remix OST - Courage)
Back in the arena, Sora and Shoto were the first ones to arrive on the ring, where Midnight was waiting for them. Fumikage came in next, and Bakugo right after.
"And there's our final four contestants, who've fought tooth and nail to get to this point!" Mic announced, "Now, you would be expecting that the first match would be based off our brackets, right? Well, this year, we've decided to add in a twist!"
"Wait, WHAT?!" Nearly everyone yelled at the same time in the arena. Nobody told them about this!
"With our four semi finalists now revealed, we've decided to make the matches completely random!" Mic said, "Who knows who will be fighting whom now! The stakes have changed!"
Sora and Shoto looked to one another surprised. "Wow. Wasn't expecting that." Sora said. Shoto grunted.
On the big screen, the four contestants were shown, but this time in no form of order. And then, they began to change portraits. Where Sora's portrait once was, Shoto's took its place, before immediately switching to Katsuki's.
"Alright, now." Midnight said, "When I say the word, those portraits will stop moving, and wherever they stop, will be the next matches for the semifinals! Are you ready?"
The crowd roared in anticipation. The four of the semifinalists looked at one another. Any one of them could be up against each other at this rate. Now it was up to whatever happens next.
"STOP!"
(Silence)
The results came in.
Shoto Todoroki vs. Fumikage Tokoyami
Sora Nakajima vs. Katsuki Bakugo
(Play: FF7 Remake OST - Arbiter of Fate - Advent)
Fumikage turned to Shoto, "I will make sure to give it all I've got, Todoroki,"
Shoto nodded, "Fine."
Bakugo glared at Sora, "You're so dead, Spiky."
Sora looked at Bakugo, and said, "Save that for when you actually kill me."
"And there we have it folks! The matches for our grand semifinals have been decided!" Mic announced, "Now let's get excited, cos in about 5 minutes, the matches will begin again!"
Well, well...
The gears of fate have turned yet again. Now we've found ourselves in a timeline completely different than the one before.
Jokes aside, Chapter 26 is complete! Here we've got Sora and Shoto having the closest thing to a heart-to-heart as you can get, and we also have Endeavor and Cloud butting heads. Cloud's definitely showing his softer side in his own way now, showing sympathy for Shoto based on the conversation he overheard. Makes ya wonder what happened between KH2 and now.
Don't worry. It'll be explained in due time.
Also, we've got a big change! Shoto's actually facing Tokoyami, and Sora's clashing with Katsuki early! What will change, I wonder?
Onto Reviews!
Jaded671: Glad to see I caught you by surprise! You'll find out her reactions soon!
the mysterious Mr.E: Thank you!
PUBLISH: True. Gameplay-wise for a mobile game, it was very entertaining. I didn't mind the story being covered like that, and Missing Link will definitely be a step-up from that. Maybe so maybe not on those predictions. I see why you're frustrated. It's the same as Zach Flare's irritation with Sora having no control over his Darkness in multiple fanfics.
KookieMan20: Ain't it indeed?
keybladelight: Questions upon questions. Answers will come soon.
blueassassin996: We'll have to see. He needs to overcome Katsuki first.
Gamelover41592: Thank you. I'm not saying anything else about this route, as it may spoil what's ahead.
MBS41: I'm glad you're enjoying this story and this chapter!
Xerayn: It kinda felt like I dragged this battle a bit too long, honestly, so I'm surprised you didn't see it that way. And glad to see you enjoy the inclusion of Strelitzia. Imagine if Todoroki in this chapter wondered if she and Sora were half-siblings. And thanks for saying that about this arc.
Guest: Perhaps she will... depending on whether or not she has the courage to do so.
The OC Maniac: Wow, I'm surprised you almost reacted that way, and in a good sense. In regards to using Yates's music, it was coincidence. I had already planned out this battle before you threw in THAT fight for your recent chapter, so I was shocked to see you use Unlocking Heaven for your fight as well. I don't mind it a bit!
And that is a very interesting theory on my questions at the end. Who knows. You might be right on the spot. And yeah, I saved their reactions for this chapter.
I guess so! Thanks for inspiring me in the first place, OC!
ZeroOrHero: Based on the Union X cutscenes, she has been to places like Castle of Dreams, Agrabah, Wonderland, and Dwarf Woodlands, so it is possible she has been to those worlds before (even if back then they were united as one). Her reactions to these characters will be displayed very soon, and don't worry. Yozora's not out of this yet.
Shadowmwape: Yes. Yes she is.
Guest: Thanks. I'm glad the foreshadowing worked on some of you guys! Stay safe out there!
Tiger1301: Welp. I'm glad you were able to figure it out then!
Volatile: YEAAAAHHH!
Shadow Tiger24: Oh ho ho ho ho... you haven't seen nothing yet.
DaniBoy15000: Wait and see!
Publish: Well, that's if he knows.
Thanos Cradik: Indeed.
What are your thoughts on this chapter? I'm glad if you enjoyed it, and if not, I'm sorry for not meeting expectations.
Alright. Pencil's down. I'm out.
Thanks for reading my story, and until our paths cross again!
(Silence)