I don't own My Hero Academia or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
Please enjoy this story to your heart's content and Happy New Year!
Chapter 20: Sweet Dreams
Don Giorno Giovanna of the criminal empire, Passione, was a young man, perhaps a couple years older than Shigaraki. Despite resting his face on his fist, there was an unmistakable air of power about him. Even the blank expression he wore oozed a calm and collective demeanor despite the fact he was in a rival's hideout. It wasn't challenging per say, but a show of strength when in the presence of another emperor of the underworld. However it was his eyes that cemented his strong image.
They pierced Shigaraki to the bone—to his very soul even—and carefully noted every little detail about him before dismissing him for the static-filled monitor. "It has been sometime, All For One…" he said politely. "Although I wish I could add 'face to face', but I'm sure your health still leaving you bedridden."
"My apologizes, Giovanna, but it is as you say," apologized All For One. "Some of my old scars are aching pretty badly today, so I can't really leave my current location without a bunch of medical tubes and blood packs. A needless hassle I didn't want to bother you with."
Shigaraki knew his master very well enough to know that what he said was technically true, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he was making it out to be. Yet Giovanna's blank expression hadn't budged an inch, making it impossible to figure out what was going on in his head. It was irritating to say the least, but Shigaraki remembered his master's words and continued on a show of politeness. Even despite the little crawl of skin that made him want to relief the itch.
"I understand completely," said Giovanna. "It would be rude of me to force my senior to get out of bed if he's not feeling well. Still… I'm curious as to why you decided to allow a greenhorn like this one to attend this meeting." Nodding his head back to the messy light-blue haired boy, Shigaraki felt that soul-piercing gaze latch onto him once more. "I knew he was one of yours the moment he appeared on the news, but I didn't think he stood so high already, unless I'm mistaken."
Gritting his teeth, Shigaraki didn't allow a single sound escape his lips. He knew what Giovanna was doing. Just like in his villain-themed videogames—which were a rarity due to the current social climate—he was being goaded to make a mistake. An error that would ridicule not himself, but also lower himself in the eyes of Giovanna and his master. While he couldn't really give a damn about this stoned faced Italian, even if he was an important underworld figure, he didn't want to disappoint his master. So he endured for now and kept his mouth firmly shut… though his fingers twitched towards an exposed wrist.
"Tomura is a valuable member of the League of Villains," assured All For One. "It's true that he's still young to our game compared to the likes of you or I, but there is great potential in him. Hence why I place my trust in him and allow him to attend this meeting as my surrogate."
"Master…" The itching that was building up stilled.
Giovanna raised a single eyebrow at that; the first real expression he gave since he arrived. "Really? From what my sources tell me, his raid on U.A.'s U.S.J. was a complete failure that took out a number of your men. I doubt that such an operation was one of your design, so it must've been his and acting on his own rather than as your surrogate, as you conveniently named him… Honestly, I don't see this potential you see in him. Especially if he thought attacking a bunch of kids to grab All Might's attention was a good idea."
Not bothering to hold back the anxious itch at the back of his neck, Shigaraki clawed at it with sudden fury. That was it! He wouldn't allow this foreign bastard badmouth him any longer; consequences be damned!
"I'm sorry, Master…" he whisper, slowly getting up out of his seat, both hands low and held out wide.
"Don't do it, Tomura Shigaraki!" exclaimed Kurogiri. He kept quiet up to that point, but he wasn't going to allow the young master to throw his life away. All For One himself, however, remained strangely silent.
"Stay out of this, Kurogiri!" It was too late for the foggy villain to interfere. Without a word, the messy light-blue haired youth lunged forward, a hand raised to slam right into the Mafioso's calm face. It whizzed forth low and fast and was mere inches away from its target… only to stop just a few centimeters short.
Narrowing his gaze, Shigaraki only had a moment to ponder why Giovanna wasn't a pile of Ash. Suddenly his palm started to retract backwards. Slowly at first, but moved it did. Feeling a chill run down his spine, Shigaraki tried to shoved himself forward, but quickly found that it was impossible. It wasn't just his hand that was moving backwards, everything was moving back.
"What the hell is this!?" he yelled. Or at least that's what he tried to say anyway. Instead the words that came out of his mouth were, "Stay out of this, Kurogiri!" Feeling every nerve stand on end at the sudden repetition of those words, Shigaraki's horror only grew when he heard Kurogiri repeat the same sentence he uttered before this mess started.
Turning his head to the side he notice something that slowly made him very suspicious. Despite already being too slow for him, Kurogiri had move to stop him, even getting a gateway ready… only to move back into a upright waiting position he had assumed the moment Giovanna had entered the bar. It suddenly clicked into place that Shigaraki too was also returning to his seat at the bar, his fingers digging at his neck.
"I'm sorry, Mas…" he started to repeat the same line, but suddenly found that whatever was rewinding his movements had stopped. Trembling he drew his hand away from neck to stare at it, before turning his gaze back to Giovanna. The blank expression on his face was still there, but there was a new intensity to it now. For a moment—just a moment—Shigaraki thought he saw something behind the Mafia boss. But it was gone like lightning the moment his eyes wandered for a mere second.
Shigaraki suddenly knew why his Master both respected and was wary of this man.
"That's enough, Shigaraki," All For One said calmly. "While his criticism of you is harsh, it is valid. It's best not to stir up a hornet's nest of trouble, especially with invited company. Now apologize for being rude and thank him for pointing out your flaws."
"…Yes, Master." Standing up out of his chair, Shigaraki bowed deeply to Giovanna. "I'm sorry for my behavior… and thank you for words." The gesture was as sincere as the youth could make it, even managing keep anyway hint of wariness out of his expression. Which was thankfully helped by his father covering much of his face already.
"You'll have to forgive, Shigaraki, Giovanna. It's as you say, he's new to the criminal underworld and how to be a proper villain, as the media would lovingly put it. But I still stand by my words and like elaborate on them: while he may be young and inexperienced, as well impulsive and brash, he's smart and adaptive. He learns things rather quickly and I find that the best way he learns things is from experience it itself. That's Shigaraki's best quality. He adapts and overcomes anything with time. Of course, like a child, he'll make mistakes along the way, but like any child he'll learn from them. Especially if it ends with them getting hurt or faced with threats they weren't initially prepared for. And I'll be here to help pick him up every time he gets knocked down. Not holding his hand mind you—I personally detest such clingy methods—but merely waiting to lend a helping hand whenever he fails and give encouraging advice to help him forge his own path of maturity."
The intense aura around Giovanna wavered for a moment before receding entirely as his eyes flickered to the static-filled T.V. He stared it for a second or two before turning then back to Shigaraki. For a long time he said nothing, merely lingering on the boy's bowed head before straightening up in his chair for the first time. Daring to look up from where he bowed, Shigaraki noticed a new emotion cross the mafia boss's features: interest.
"…It would appear I judged you too harshly, Tomura Shigaraki," Giovanna said finally. "There was a time where I made mistakes as well in my youth… so I'll overlook your stunt at the USJ for now. But we'll see if you can overcome your childish behavior, as your master put it, or disappoint me in the end…"
While Giovanna's words partly rubbed him the wrong way, Shigaraki's wariness suppressed that irritation down hard. After what just happened, he wasn't taking any chances. Giovanna was that one super ultra-rare hidden final boss that could only be fought on max difficulty. He would need to have the most top level gear, party, and levels if wanted to have the mere slim chance to beat whatever the hell Giovanna's power was.
"Thank you for your confidence in me…" Straightening up, Shigaraki returned to this seat where Kurogiri carefully placed a drink next to him. With such a calm attitude, it was impossible to tell if he was simply playing it cool or if he had noticed he'd been affected by the strange rewind effect just now. The mere thought made him forget to touch his drink as his fingers dug into his neck again.
"Now that is out of the way, let us move onto why I invited you here, Giovanna," offered All For One.
Gracefully accepting a drink from Kurogiri, Giovanna leaned back in his seat. "Yes, let's cut to chase then."
"I'm glad we're on the same page. Now, I understand you are currently looking for some information on a certain individual, yes?"
"Depends on how accurate the information is."
"I can assure you that it's the highest of quality. In fact I can confirm the location of said individual and currently have agents watching his movements as we speak."
Giovanna swirled his alcohol for a moment, letting gleam in the dim light of the bar before taking a sip. "I see… and how much would this cost me?"
"Oh, having your friendship would be more than enough for me, Giovanna. But as the leader of the League of Villains, I need to look out for my people. So I would like a few agreements regarding trade and territory in Europe. Oh! In addition, I would to request a small contribution of cash to help fund the League."
"Anything else?" asked Giorno, not the least worried by the vague demands as he took another sip from his glass.
"None. Are these terms acceptable to you?"
"Very well… I'll accept them.
"Excellent. I'll have Kurogiri provide the information to you as soon you get back to your hotel. I'm sure you want to rest before concluding your business in Japan."
"No need," said Giovanna, taking one last sip from his glass before getting out of his seat. "I'll be leaving immediately. I rather not have my target start running the moment he realizes that I'm in Japan."
"Of course. Speed is prudent when dealing with a character such as him. At the very least, I wish you good luck with your venture, Don Giorno Giovanna… Kurogiri."
"Yes, Master," complied Kurogiri. Grabbing a thin black suitcase from underneath the bar, he handed it over to the golden headed mafia boss.
Without a word or even a moment to look inside, Giovanna took it before turning to bow politely to the static-filled screen. "It has been a pleasure, All For One." Turning to the side, he also nodded to Shigaraki. Careful not to let the wariness leak onto his features, the young villain bowed his head back. "I look forward to hearing of your progress, Tomura Shigaraki…"
Without another word, the boss of Passione left the League of Villains.
Feeling a weight lift off his shoulders the moment the door closed behind Giovanna, Shigaraki scratched his neck hard before finally grabbing his drink, carefully extending one finger to make sure his Quirk didn't activate. "Just what the hell is up with that guy…?!" he demanded before carefully gulping a large volume of burning liquid fire around his father.
"So you did experience it, Tomura," noted All For One. "I was certain, but it's good to have confirmation."
"What exactly was that, Master?" Turning his head around to quirk an eyebrow at his Master's cryptic response, Shigaraki's glass cracked under the pressure of his grip. "It sounds like you didn't know he used… whatever the hell that was? Was that his Quirk? Can someone have a power like that?"
"You were always perspective, Tomura. Yes… I didn't know he used it… at first anyway. Only when you made that slip of the tongue did I knew that Giovanna had used his ability. Thankfully I managed to defuse the situation and made Giovanna interested in your growth."
"But what is his power?"
"I can't say precisely, but I have a pretty good idea about it. One, I'm sure, you came to the same conclusion just now when dealing with him. In fact, you could say my theory is a certainty, but I need one last test to confirm it… and that's where our bait comes in."
"Bait?" Shigaraki didn't know of anything like this before hand. What was his Master planning?
The leader of the League of Villains gave a small chuckle at his protégé's ignorance. "Let's just say that Giovanna's business is going be to our… guinea pig."
The wind roared out in the streets while heavy rain pounded just as loudly against the window to the apartment bedroom. But for Midoriya, it was little more than a droning murmur. Sitting at his desk, he stared blankly at his computer screen in silence. His thoughts, however, were just as gloomy as the storm raging outside. All of which were centered on a certain paraplegic.
Despite their best efforts, Midoriya and his classmates failed to break the harden shell that Johnny had formed earlier that day. After his outburst in class, he thought that his friend would be willing to at least open up about what's upsetting him after he cooled down a bit, but he underestimated Johnny's stubborn tenacity. As soon as any of their conversation took even the slightest turn to the elephant in the room, he would clamp his mouth shut and glare balefully at the one who even uttered the first syllable. Even Kirishima's optimism and persistence and Gyro's own firmness came to a crashing halt with one dark look from him.
To say it was daunting experience would be an understatement, but what made it worse was the open hurt that lingered on the cripple's face. A delicate wound that Johnny desperately tried to cover up, but it was now impossible. Especially now that Midoriya knew what he was looking at. But since he had no idea how to really approach the tense subject, he was left stuck watching his friend suffer in silence. Even when the subject ultimately changed back to the jarring discovery of a legendary figure that had passed them by earlier.
That was a whole different can of worms that Midoriya didn't even know where to begin with. After Gyro tactfully informed his classmates of Giorno Giovanna's identity, Midoriya felt numb from the shock. Such a dreadful discovery of how casually they met one of the most powerful criminals in all of Europe absolutely mystified everyone. Especially Johnny since he was the one who actually talked to him—though the shock momentarily brushed away his black mood before it swiftly returned later. A thousand questions welled up in Midoriya's head about the Mafia Boss's presence—nearly rivaling the amount he had about Johnny's disposition—but he had zero answers to them. And any speculation or budding theory he had only added more fuel to the fire rather than give him anything concrete to work with. The only thing he could think of was calling the police, but Gyro bluntly pointed out that it would've been useless. While Giovanna was well known as a mafia boss, there was no evidence to prove himself of any crime, especially in Japan. It only added to the frustration he felt. Adding to the helplessness over failing to help his friend, it left him to brood in his room till nearly bedtime.
Thankfully he had enough sense to let All Might know of Giovanna earlier. It was the least he could do and if anyone could think of something to deal with the mafia boss, it would be him.
Rubbing a hand throw his mess of green hair, Midoriya let out a sigh before slapping his cheeks. "There's no point agonizing over it the whole night," he declared, bright light replacing the dullness in his eyes. "If I can't help him tonight, that doesn't mean I can't help him tomorrow!" Feeling reinvigorated, Midoriya started to set about planning what he could do to help Johnny… only to pause when he finally noticed the current time. "Oh my gosh! I didn't realize it was that late!"
Spurred by his revelation, his body quickly felt heavy and weary as the day's events finally caught up with him. Feeling a yawn try to claw out his lips, Midoriya slipped a hand over it before getting up from his chair to perform the last bit of his nightly routine. Yet before taking a single step, he turned back around to search through some news outlets on the internet for some hero articles. Even at this late hour, Midoriya couldn't resist learning about anything new about heroes or their exploits. It helped him sleep and dream easier during his childhood and still held true to this day.
Pushing passed more than a few articles from his preferred news sites regarding heroes, he came across his desired targets. Several new stories of the top heroes and their marvelous feats were on full display. From Kamui Woods and his team cleaning up the streets—both figuratively and literally—to Endeavor crushing whole gangs worth of villains. Until finally he reached the essays of All Might and his ability to clear out a whole city's worth of trouble in a spam of an hour. Of course, it was troublesome to see All Might pushing his limits yet again, but it also made Midoriya happy to see his idol doing so much good. It reminded him of his goal and of the giddiness he felt as a kid.
As he skimmed across each article, Midoriya noticed that there were also several stories not entirely related to heroes. Some were about sports, both old traditional and new ones formed in the wake of Quirks, others were about recent events around his city. There were even more than a few regarding the Sports Festival and how Stands have made a splash internationally. This was cemented by a trending article by Shoowaysha Publishing that went into great detail about it and those who made it to the final round. With special highlights focusing on Stand Users like Johnny and Hotei. There were even obscure articles regarding people having issues with sleep and dreams over the last few days.
Just reading the titles of those last few stories forced another yawn out of Midoriya. Blinking tiredly, he turned off his computer before quickly getting ready for bed. In less than five minutes, he had brushed his teeth, cleaned his room, and made his bed before slipping on his favorite All Might themed pajamas. Taking a sip of water he prepared earlier before placing it on his night stand, Midoriya slipped into bed before turning off the lights.
As his consciousness slowly drifted off, the green haired youth made a one last vow that he was going to be super busy helping his friend with his issues. With that idea firmly stuck in his head, he let him fall into a deep slumber…
"Help! There's a villain on the loose!"
"Never fear for I am here!"
Midoriya could never forget that iconic booming voice, beaming with hope and heroism that could only be described as the icon of the golden age of heroes. Turning his head down the street, he saw All Might, standing tall and with his signature shining smile on his face, charging to face yet another terrible villain on a rampage. But instead of staying on the sidelines, as he often did as a kid, Midoriya instead chased after his hero. He wasn't powerless anymore. He was a hero! Smiling brightly he took his first step to follow in the footsteps of his mentor and become the next Symbol of Peace.
Or so he thought…
The moment he took his first step, pain exploded across his legs. A scream bubbled out his mouth as he stumbled before crashing to the floor with a thud. Gritting his teeth, Midoriya sat up and examined his legs. They were obviously broken, but the sight of his flesh and bone twisted in such uneven angles made him blanch. Combined with the immeasurable feeling coming from his legs, the sight was unbearable… but also immediately familiar. He knew the feeling all too well of his power, One For All, breaking him down when he over it did it. However, he could've sworn he hadn't even used his gift just now. Not yet anyway.
Before he could contemplate what just happened, a terrified scream filled the street. Snapping his head around, his eyes widen at the sight of several people lying on the ground with blood everywhere and bodies mangled. But what really caused him freeze up was All Might, his heroic figure gone and replaced with his skeletal true form, amongst the bodies. The villain he fought stood triumphant over him with a blood fist raised to finish off the legendary hero.
"Nooooooooooooooo!" cried Midoriya, desperately raising a hand, pulling back a finger to unleash everything he had of One For All. But when he snapped his fingers… nothing happened. Staring incredulously, he tried again, but like before, only a sharp snap echoed in the street. What was happening?! Why couldn't he use his Quirk?!
"I knew you would be a terrible successor…" Blinking, Midoriya looked up to see the All Might, blood leaking out his mouth, staring directly at him. "I wanted to believe you would be the one… but you turned out to be a failure… You couldn't save a single person, especially not me..."
"All Might…" Midoriya couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was no way his hero would say such a thing to him. But he couldn't deny what he just heard… It stung and twisted into his heart worse than a rusty knife ever could. But before he could process his grief, the villain slammed a foot over All Might, making him puke out more blood.
"Say goodbye, All Might!" Without any hesitation, he swiftly dropped his fist onto All Might's face with a resounding bone-scraping crack.
Feeling his whole world shatter, the inheritor of One For All felt a scream clawing out his throat… only to pause when felt a hand clap his shoulder.
Turning around, Midoriya felt everything around him still as he was met with eight imposing figures looming over them. Shadows shrouded every inch of them, but he could make out their outlines clearly along with the unsettling gleam from their eyes as they stared down at him. He knew them. Spurred on by the faint echo from All Might, Midoriya recognized the previous wielders of One For All.
They didn't say a single word, merely continuing to stare at him. Finally, they all raised their hands before reaching out to grab their successor. Stiffening under their touch, Midoriya's mind raced with all kinds of thoughts of what they were going to do to him before a sudden crack filled the air. Blinking, he looked around and noticed that the street was cracking apart like glass. Not just the street, but everything around him! From buildings to the asphalt underneath him to even the bodies that lay haphazardly, everything seemed to break down and crumble into dust.
So shocked by the sudden change, Midoriya gaped like a fish out of water before he was pulled to his feet by one of the shadowy predecessors. Fearing that his broken legs would give out, he was surprised to find that he could stand perfectly and without a hint of previous agony. Before he could process what was going on, the ground gave underneath with the crumbling reality. A surprised yelp escaped his lips as he fell, but strangely enough he felt no fear. Instead he felt sincerely at ease.
As he drifted further down the dark pit below, Midoriya caught one last glimpse of his predecessors. For a moment, he thought one of them was trying to say something to him. Whatever it was, he couldn't make it out as he continued to fall into the abyss...
Midoriya didn't know how long he fell—for all he knew it could've been days—but eventually he finally found the ground… before proceeding to smash it apart like wet paper. Letting out a gruff cough at the impact, he only had a moment to blink before noticing that there was suddenly a sky around him… a rainbow sky filled with clouds that rained sparkling stars and a sun that had a literal face on it. It smiled distortedly at him as he continued to fall like a meteor. But the strangeness continued to get weirder as the ground below him was anything but normal. It shaped and angled at such odd geometry that it was almost impossible to keep up with it. Buildings sloped into crescent moons; skyscrapers zig-zagging before curling towards the ground; one landscape was shaped like a fishbowl with a waterfall in the middle but the water was heading up towards the sky.
And that was only the beginning of such madness.
"What… What's going on!?" he cried out wildly at the strange sights, before remembering that he was still falling. Putting everything else out of his mind, Midoriya flailed around in the air for a moment as the ground got closer and closer to him. Suddenly he noticed some kind of giant white fluff jutting out the ground nearby. Making a split decision he tried to glide his way to what may be his salvation. Not pausing to moment to think that whatever this white fluff was could potentially kill him, Midoriya swam through the air as he continued to fall faster and faster. Letting out one final defiant scream, he was swallowed into the fluff with a soft thud. The air immediately left his lungs at the impact, but he didn't feel any pain. If anything, the soft fluff felt rather nice and tickled his nose. It was a pleasant feeling amongst the storm of confusion that swelled in his head.
Suddenly the fluff lurched, sending him tumbling further into the white softness. Shaking his head, Midoriya quickly stood up, but stumbled as he couldn't get any good footing. Just as he was starting to get the hang of it and stand on his own two feet, the ground gave another lurch, more powerful than the last, and sent him tumbling downward. Letting out a yelp, he continued to stumble downward until he quickly realized that he was sliding off a steeper side of the fluff. Not knowing what lay beyond the slope, Midoriya grabbed as much as fluff that could fill his hands and held on for dear life. The soft whiteness strained under his grip and for a moment it looked like it was going to hold until a sharp rip echoed in the air.
Feeling his eyes threating to pop out of his head, Midoriya didn't have a chance to even scream as the rest of the white strand tore apart, sending him flying down once more. The freefall was short, but thankfully wasn't as painful as Midoriya thought as he dove into a body of water. Flailing around for a moment, he quickly managed to figure out which way was up before swimming as he fast as he could. It didn't take long before he reached the surface and gulped down fresh oxygen like a man starved for three days. Coughing hoarsely, Midoriya floated in the pool for a moment… before his mouth dropped open as he realized what he previously landed on.
Staring down at him was a giant sheep.
Its golden eyes lingered on the gaping boy for a moment before letting out a lazy bleat then quickly turning around to graze on a patch of pink colored grass nearby the pool.
It was quite the sight, even though Midoriya had seen several people with giant related Quirks before. But after everything that just happened, everything he seen in the past several minutes alone, there was no way that this was normal. Furthermore he had no idea where he was! One moment he was facing the worse of his nightmares, then he was in some kind of strange city that barely looked like Musutafu. If anything it looked like something out of Alice and Wonderland.
"Is this is a result of a hallucinogenic Quirk?" he thought out loud as he continued to float aimlessly in the pond. "Am I being attacked and force to go through a really crazy trip…!? But if that was the case, then why leave me like this? What kind of motive could be behind it? Or… or is this all a dream?"
"Oh? That's a surprise… I didn't expect someone to realize the truth so quickly," said a gruff voice that made Midoriya stiffen in the water. "Or more accurately guess it, but still, nice job there, bucko! Especially one with a hint of a nightmare lingering on them… That's quite a feat for a newbie! You deserve a reward for making it this far then!"
Swiftly splashing around, Midoriya's eyes scanned the beach line of the pool until he spotted the voice's owner… and he had to do a double take to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.
Laying on his side and patting his fat, grey-spotted stomach was a human-sized walrus. It had human-like limbs, thick and lined with muscle, but much of his skin was covered by a great big white fur coat. While his stomach was exposed, his waist was covered by some oversized pants with a gold chain attached to one pocket and connected to a dented watch that jingled along the side. Around his thick neck was another gold chain, but attached to it was an emblem in the shape of a peace sign. Underneath his massive bushy mustache and clenched between his teeth and tusks was a thick cigar. Lifting one hand he pushed back his mop-like brown hair while the other waved lazily to Midoriya.
Needless to say Midoriya's mouth dropped even further and threatened to dislocate entirely from his mouth.
"Least you want to swallow the whole Caspian Sea, I would suggest you close your mouth," said the walrus. "You never know what might drink up if you leave it open like that."
No sooner than he said it, did Midoriya felt the pool's water try to rush into his mouth. Startled, he slapped a hand over his mouth, warily eyeing at the seemingly living water before turning back to the walrus. "Who… What are you…?!" he demanded, though his words were muffled by his hand. "And did you do that with your Quirk?!"
The walrus huffed at him before pulling back his cigar to puff out a perfect smoke ring. "It's rather rude to ask such a question to someone you just met. Especially to one who's willing to give you a prize for surviving something that is dangerous to even we who live in this world of pure imagination. It almost hurts my feelings…"
Shrinking back as the words struck deep in him, Midoriya bashfully pushed back some wet strands of hair. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean—!"
"Hah! Relax, kid!" The Walrus bellowed out a mighty laugh before slapping his stomach loudly. "I'm just messing with you. You have to forgive me, but I couldn't resist a good jest after meeting a real human after so long. Been, oh… probably since Carrol came to play last time I suspect. But enough about fond memories, why don't you get out of there already before you catch a cold… If you can catch it here anyway! It's a fast little devil, let me tell you!"
Although confused by the strange walrus's joke and a great deal of other things, Midoriya took his advice to heart and immediately swam to beach. Crawling onto the rough sand, he quickly stood up and shook himself like a wet dog before walking over to the walrus. Once he was a feet few away from him, he decided to introduce himself properly. "Uh… I'm Izuku Midoriya!"
"That's better," said the walrus before sitting up to eye him up and down. "Name's Lenny. Hmm… you're definitely a fit young lad, now that I get a good look at you. Although, looking the part of a green rabbit sure is strange for a human. Unless that is part of your dream I wonder."
Quirking an eyebrow at him, Midoriya looked down before blinking at the sight of his hero costume adorning him. When did get he put it on? He could've sworn he wore his regular clothes before all this mess happened. Suddenly Lenny's words finally registered in his brain and he quickly snapped his head up as a dreadful suspicion grew in him. "What do you mean by 'dream'? You mentioned that before."
Lenny lifted a bushy eyebrow at the question the green haired youth. "Oh…? You really don't know then? My goodness, you escaped a nightmare without even know where you are? You're really are lucky, kid. But to answer your question, well… you already guessed it—albeit by accident—but you're not in reality right now. More accurately, you're not even awake!" He suddenly grinned widely, puffing out another perfect smoke ring that suddenly turned into sparkling diamonds that flew into the air before smashing together to form a shower of snowflakes. "Well then, allow me to be the first to introduce you to the World of Dreams!"
Midoriya felt his eyes trying to escape their sockets while his body froze up as the truth came crashing down. "The world of… dreams?" he repeated in disbelief. It was a ridiculous. There was no way such a thing could exist. Yet the longer he thought about it, the more things started to make a bizarre amount of sense. Despite the sometimes bizarre nature of Quirks and Stands in the waking world, there was no way anything like this could exist in reality! At least he hope so anyway. Even so just thinking about the fantastical surroundings was still a difficult pill to swallow.
"Now you're catching on, kid," said the Lenny before standing up to be hover over the boy. "Though judging by how you look like you ate a whole lemon tree, I take it you're having some reservations. Well, take my advice kid: you don't have to like it, but you can't deny truth the situation you're in."
"I… I… I don't know what to think… it's just…" Suddenly a thought occurred and Midoriya felt his confusion only grow from it. "Wait… if I'm in a dream, but I know that I'm in it… then why I'm not waking up?"
Lenny paused at his question, his brow furrowing as he let out a thoughtful puff. "Hmm? Now that you mentioned it… that is odd. Normally whenever a dreamer like yourself realizes they are in a dream, or at least when they suffer a good scare or something painful, they snap awake real quick. Especially those having a nightmare!" Suddenly a dark look overcame his wrinkly face as he let out another smoky puff. "Although… maybe that's why you can't leave…"
"What are you talking about?"
Lenny eyed Midoriya critically for a moment before leaning his back toward to gaze up at the outlandish sky above. "…The World of Dreams is a vast place. With both wonders to dazzle and inspire the soul… and horrors that would scar the most hardboiled of eggs! Nightmares, kid… they are very dangerous in the world of dreams. The worst fears and most twisted imaginations that humanity can think up. You name it and you won't be surprised to find it in cigar throwing distance… That said, in someone's nightmare, it's just that. A nightmare. It only lasts until the horror eventually forces its dreamer kicking and screaming awake! Then they usually blow away like an angry cloud caught in a breeze.
"At least… that's what they normally do. Over the last week, something strange has been happening. Nightmares are starting to pop up left, right, up, down, forwards, backwards, sideways, zigzag, and in spirals! And they don't leave even when their dreamers wake up now…" He suddenly leaned forward, his bulk towering over Midoriya as smoke trailed out his mouth. "But now the dreamers aren't waking up either. Stuck in their worst nightmares with no place to go and force to relieve it over and over… I've been around a long time and seen a lot of bizarre things conjured up by human imagination, but this is unnatural as they come."
Not since the first time since his own nightmare did Midoriya feel such growing sense of dread. Only now he was faced with something horrific and sickening. "That explains the news articles back in the real world…" he muttered out loud to himself before stroking his chin in thought. "But what's keeping the nightmares and their dreamers here? Going by what Lenny suggested and these aren't natural nightmares, then something, or maybe even someone, must be effecting them in some way… but why and how? Maybe—"
"Uh… I didn't know you were quite the chatterbox when you got your mind pumping, kid," observed Lenny as leaned back from Midoriya.
Midoriya blinked at his words before flushing as he realized he was mumbling hard again. "Sorry! It's a habit of mine and—!"
"Relax, kid. No harm done. If anything it's kinda refreshing, if a little off putting, how you're already thinking about the how and the why things are going to hell here. If you were any other dreamer who realized they were in a dream world, then they would either be screaming out their minds at how crazy everything was or simply treat it like a really bad trip."
"Y-Yeah, that would be the most likely reaction." The green haired youth sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
Without any warning, the sky above abruptly darkened. Blinking at the sudden shift, Midoriya looked up to see the once beautiful, if surreal, colors above blackened. The clouds twisted and turned, some disappearing outright while the rest changed into darker and fleshy versions of themselves. The happy sun plummeted and in its place rose a crescent moon with a grimace that mock's its counterpart, being crooked and having jagged teeth and a dark black stain leaking down corner of its mouth.
"It's a nightmare!" declared Lenny, his cigar falling out of his mouth as he stared in absolute horror at what was happening around him. "Run, kid! Before you get swept up in it! You escaped once, but getting out a second time is no easy picnic! Especially when it has you!"
With the memory of his own horrific fantasy still fresh in his mind, Midoriya quickly heeded the walrus's advice and proceeded to follow after him… only to pause when a sudden scream echoed throughout the beach around them. Feeling his entire body grind to a halt, he quickly snapped back towards the direction of the growing nightmare. He knew that voice… it belonged to Uraraka and it horrified him that hear her in such a fearful panic!
"What's the hold up, kid?!" demanded Lenny the moment he realized Midoriya had yet to move a single step. "Got rocks stuck in his shoes?! Get a move on!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't!"
"What you mean 'you can't'?! Just run in the opposite direction of the encroaching whirlwind of terror!"
"That scream just now… belongs to one of my friends." Without any thought for his own safety or of the terror that grew before him, Midoriya found himself running head long towards it!
"What the hell are you doing, Midoriya?! Stop! Come back while you still have a head on your shoulders!"
But Midoriya wouldn't stop. If anything, he ran faster! Racing over the bowl-like hills, he was dead set on finding Uraraka and saving her from the growing nightmare that threatened to swallow him whole.
There was no hint to the change fully taking over when it happened. One moment twisted landscapes flowed around him, the next, concrete and steel rose up in a twisted uniform fashion. Startled, Midoriya skidded to a halt, nearly colliding with a half-finished building that sprang up in front of him. Looking around, he noted that all other buildings also were incomplete. Some even had signs of structural flaws or even rust. If anything it looked like an abandoned construction site.
"This is… Uraraka's nightmare?" muttered Midoriya, continuing to eye the new environment.
While he had no idea what kind of horror Uraraka would dream up, there was an intense ominous air around him. Not helped by the fact that he had yet to see a single soul since he arrived. Shoving down a slimmer of dread that tried to creep up his spine, Midoriya started to head deeper into the construction site. It was a hunch, but with the way the environment steadily got more twisted and menacing the deeper he went, then there was a good chance he'll find Uraraka at the center of it. At least he hoped so anyway and not simply running around in circles.
Heading further into the construction site, Midoriya started to notice more signs of something wrong. Heavy equipment lay haphazardly around with more signs of rust and lack of maintenance. Dirty signs were plastered across steel beams or half-finished walls. They were barely legible, but Midoriya was able to make out one particular word: "FAILURE".
Narrowing his gaze at the sign, a dreadful suspicion started to bloom, fueled by a faint memory that tickled at the edge of Midoriya's mind. Steeling his resolve, he pushed on forward, ignoring the increasingly twisted scenery in favor of solely finding his friend.
It didn't take him long till he finally came across what he sought.
Sitting in a circle of garbage and badly dented metal beams was Uraraka. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair a complete mess. Her hands covered her face, but Midoriya couldn't mistake the muffled sobs escaping her lips nor the glistening tears that slipped past her palms. Compassion quickly welling up inside him, the curly haired youth didn't hesitate to walk over to his friend… only to stop when a sudden beam slammed down in front of him. Stumbling backwards on reflex, he paused quickly when noticed that it wasn't just the single beam. Several more fell down around Uraraka, adding to the growing pile with a great metal clang.
Startled, the young rosy cheek girl looked up around, leaving Midoriya to get a good look at the tears staining her cheeks. She stopped suddenly as her eyes landed on a particular beam in front of her before starting to tremble violently. Sensing a sudden intensity filling the air, Midoriya peered forward to try to get a good look what made her hesitate. He soon regretted his decision as what he saw made him freeze up in horror.
Underneath the beam was two adults, a man with honey blonde hair and a woman with a distinct brown and both looked to be about in their middle ages. They also had very noticeably similar features to Uraraka. Though it was hard to tell due to the copious amount of blood staining the now dented portions of their bodies.
"Mom… Dad…" whimpered Uraraka, confirming Midoriya's greatest fears.
"Why…" cough her Dad in a hoarse voice. "Why did this have happen…?"
"We didn't do anything wrong…" hacked her Mom. "So why… why did it all fail?"
Both coughed out a wad of blood that made their daughter let out a pained sob before crawling to the both them. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry!" she cried out. "I didn't… I don't—!"
"This is your fault!" They suddenly cried, both angling their heads with an unnerving crack of their necks to glare hatefully at their daughter. Uraraka froze in place, shock etched in every line of her face.
"You said you were going to take care of us, Uraraka!" growled the Dad, blood dripping out of his mouth as his eyes suddenly turned a dark black. "But you were too late! We lost everything!"
"Our business! Our Home! Our livelihood! Gone!" added the mother. Like the father, her eyes started to turn black as midnight while crimson tears leaked out the corners.
"While you out playing hero, everything went downhill for work… without you, we lost the man power to keep up with our competitors!"
"If you were still back at home you could've saved us from poverty!" The mother then stabbed a finger at the beam that was crushing both her and her husband. "Saved us from this mess!"
Great big tears welled in the corner of Uraraka's eyes and she quailed under her parents dark accusations. "No… I tried to become a hero… I wanted to make it big to help you both!"
"And look at where that got us!" demanded the father, his features increasingly becoming more demonic and rotten. "Oh you could have made it big, but you didn't! Now we're ruined! Completely, utterly, irreparably ruined!"
"And it's all because of you!" added the mother, what little resemble she had with her child was gone. All that remained was a horrific mockery. "If only you hadn't gone to that accursed school… we would still be alive! You're the worst… the absolute worst child any parent could ever ask for!"
Uraraka's lip tremble violently before she cried out in pure despair, fresh tears staining her cheeks once more.
Midoriya gaped in pure horror at what he was hearing. This was beyond cruel! There was no way these two monsters could be Uraraka's true parents. He remembered her giving glowing praise about them back in the real world and how they supported her dream to become a hero wholeheartedly. There was no doubt in Midoriya's mind that this was the true nightmare that Uraraka held deep in her heart.
"There's only one thing you do to make up for your failure, Ochako…" croaked the father, causing Uraraka still her weeping for a moment. However, her father let out a twisted smile that made Midoriya shiver. "Yes… only one thing that clean this stain off our family's legacy… Ochako… kill yourself."
Midoriya felt every single nerve inside him freeze up at the horrid suggestion… before a passionate inferno sparked to life within him. Without anything further hesitation, he rushed forward, his eyes burning with righteous fire as made a beeline for his friend. "Don't listen to them, Uraraka!"
The brown haired girl jolted at his voice, before turning to stare wide eyed at the sight of Midoriya. "Deku?!"
Even the nightmare versions of her parents looked up in disbelief at the sudden intruder before their expressions swiftly turned into hate and spite.
"Don't listen to a word they say, Uraraka," repeated Midoriya swiftly moving to stand in between his friend and the foul creatures before him. "Those aren't your parents! They aren't even real!"
"W-What?! What are—!?"
"Silence, Ochako!" cried the vile mother. "We're your parents and you have to do what we say and kill—!
"Shut up!" roared Midoriya, his eyes burning as with renewed loathing for both nightmarish creatures before jutting a finger at the two of them. "Don't you dare say that to her! She's not a failure or worthless and she most certainly didn't ruin her parents' lives! You're nothing but fakes conjured up by the nightmare!"
"Nightmare…?" repeated Uraraka as she stared at the back of the simmering youth in front of her.
"And how would you know?!" demanded the father. "How you can tell this is not real and the horrors that child inflicted upon us are fake?!"
Midoriya didn't even need a second to think up a response. "Because Uraraka is one of the kindest and most selfless people I know! She gives it her all in anything she does and goes the extra mile to help those in need! She won't stop in her goals to become a great hero, one that her parents can be proud of…. No, they are proud her! Right now! I'm sure of it! There is no way they wouldn't be proud of their daughter after everything she's done so far to make it into U.A. and continue to push on forward!"
Uraraka went still at her friend's words. The uncertainty slowly drained away from her expression and the tears that stained her eyes no longer glistened. "Deku…"
Turning his back on the hateful couple, Midoriya faced Uraraka, a beaming smile adorning his face, similar to his idol's signature trademark. "Isn't that right, Uraraka? You're going to be a great hero someday! And I'm sure your parent's—your real parents—are rooting for you every step of the way! I know I am… So let's prove these phonies wrong and beat this nightmare together!"
Basking in the warmth of that smile, Uraraka said nothing but stared at him in awe. She then blinked when she saw her parents move before suddenly jolting back. It was if she was seeing the true form of the demonic creatures masquerading as her parents for the first time and it revolted her. Shock etched across her features for a moment before swiftly turning into bright resolve, mirroring Midoriya's own. Without a word, she stood up to stand side by side with her friend.
"Yeah… let's do this, Deku!" she declared confidently. "I won't lose to these wannabe fakers who don't hold a candle to my parents!"
The nightmarish fakes quivered at Uraraka's rejection of them, trembling violently as their appearances grew more disoriented. Suddenly they bellowed out horrible screeches that force both students to cover their ears, but even then they rang horribly. Thrashing violently the parents' skin pulsed and rippled, black ooze rupturing out at random like rotten, nightmarish puss as their limbs grew in size and twisted into unnatural shape. Letting out another chilling scream, they grabbed the steel beam that had trapped them before casually throwing it away like it was cardboard. Without further restraint, they both lunged at their prey with claw-like hands.
But Midoriya and Uraraka proved to be no easy mark.
Grasping a hold of her messy haired savior, Uraraka immediately activated her Quirk and force them high in the air. Great claw marks sliced into the ground where they once stood, but Midoriya didn't waste any time on them before coming up with a plan. With one quick look to Uraraka, her eyes brimming as brightly as his head, he let go of her to plummet towards the nightmarish Dad.
Raising a hand and pulling a finger back, he flicked a powerful air shot at it. The Dad didn't have a chance to look up before being crushed into the ground, concrete flying everywhere while large cracks weaved around its crushed body. The recoil from his attack sent Midoriya flying back up high, but oddly enough he felt no pain from his finger. Staring in wonder at his unbroken digit, Midoriya pondered how this could be before noticing a dark flicker appearing below him. Peering back down, he saw the nightmarish mother jumping up with claws raised and her mouth literally splitting apart to reveal row after row of jagged teeth.
Cursing himself for his distraction, Midoriya scrambled to raise another finger just as he started to fall back down. Yet before he could unleash another powerful air blast, a steal beam slammed across the mother's stomach. Dark ooze spewed out her mother as she sailed across the construction site before colliding with a heavy crash into one of the half-finished projects, causing it to crumble apart.
Blinking at the crushed nightmare, Midoriya turned his head back down and saw Uraraka casually hold the steel beam in both hands. Casting it aside with a neglectful toss, she quickly floated up to catch Midoriya before he could smash into the ground.
"Great job, Uraraka!" he congratulated.
"You did great too, Deku!" she cheered happily. However her eyes suddenly widened when she realized just how he clung to her person and vice versa. Crimson quickly flooded her cheeks before she suddenly floundered around in midair, causing Midoriya to cling harder least he fall off.
"U-Uraraka! What's the matter?!"
"Too close!" She then wiggled harder and slapped her hands to her face to hide her blooming blush.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what she meant and the messy green haired youth's own face flushed as a result. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean—!"
A sharp crack cut off whatever Midoriya was about to say. Both teens blinked before snapping their heads all around them. Great crevices started to appear all across the construction site, breaking apart everything with their slightest touch. As if a rock had been thrown a series of windows, everything fell apart, leaving a void in its wake. It was similar to how Midoriya's own nightmare crumbled away.
Unfortunately for Uraraka, she didn't have that prior knowledge and as a result started to panic. "What… What's happening?! Why is everything shattering!?"
"It's ok, Uraraka!" Midoriya assured her. "The nightmare's going to be over soon." Of course, that did little to appease Uraraka, but what else could he say? It wasn't the best answer, he knew, but it was the only thing he could reasonably give at the moment. Especially since he didn't know where to begin explaining what was going on without coming off as a lunatic. So it was best to go with little as possible and simply show her the World of Dreams after getting out of the nightmare.
The nightmare continued to steadily fade away, leaving behind nothing in its wake as if it never existed in the first place. Yet before the last of it faded into nothingness, something flickered at the corner of Midoriya's eye. Turning his head to side, he spotted a shadowy outline standing atop a crumbling beam. He couldn't make out what it was or if it was anything at all and not simply a random piece of debris. But for just a moment, he could've swore it moved. However, the crumbling beam and the shadow faded away like dust on the wind a mere moment later, leaving only the void in its wake.
Midoriya didn't know what to make of what he saw. Was it simply his eyes playing tricks on him or perhaps one last attempt by the nightmare to conjure up something horrible to preserve itself? He couldn't say for certain, but one thing was for sure. Whatever that shadow was… it sent a chill to his very core.
Cracking through the collapsing nightmare, both Midoriya and Uraraka descended back into the World of Dreams. Although the environment had changed considerably since the green haired youth saw it last. No longer was there curving spherical landscapes and rainbow sky above. Rather the twisted city from before had grown in size, both expanding outward and higher than ever, and became more disoriented. Streets curved upwards into the now purple sky; buildings merged into other buildings to create shapes that resembled animals or even people; some stairways started one way before shifting into a retrospective pathway. It was bizarre to say the least and it reminded Midoriya of an M.C. Escher painting.
"W-What the heck is going on?!" cried Uraraka, her eyes bulging as she tried to take everything at once before blinking at the sight of her clothes. "When did I change into my hero costume?! And where are we?! Why is everything twisted and just… just crazy!?" Now that they were out of her nightmare and her adrenaline wearing off, she finally registered that they had yet to wake up. And with such a sudden shift in environment—one that didn't help matters with its mind bending imagery—her freak out was quite reasonable.
Letting go of Uraraka as they landed, Midoriya took a moment to take a deep breath and collect his thoughts. He knew explaining the current situation to Uraraka was going to be a trial, but what choice did he have? It was best to get it over and done with as best he could without coming off a total lunatic.
Just as he opened his mouth, a door burst open from a nearby building before a flood of crystal blue water gushed out. Yet it didn't spread across the streets, instead it snaked upward before slamming into a window nearby. Out of the stream came Lenny, riding atop what looked like a cross between a giant egg and an octopus as they squeezed, with some difficulty, through the doorway. Once passed, the walrus quickly jumped off the strange creature and landed onto the street with a heavy thud. Shaking off the excess water from his person, he turned and waved goodbye to the egg-octopus hybrid.
"Thanks for the lift, Starrkey!" he called out.
"Any time, Lenny!" it replied with a wave of a tentacle before swimming along with the rapid stream.
"Is… that a Walrus…?" asked Uraraka, her face gone blank with stun disbelief.
"I see that your friend has eyes in her head after all, kid," Lenny noted sarcastically as he walked over to the two teens. "Wonderful! Perhaps she can help me count sheep later after dealing with this messy business."
A rosy blush quickly spread across Uraraka's cheeks as the walrus's remark shook herself out of her shock. All the while Midoriya was relieved to see Lenny again. "Lenny," he said, "I'm glad you're ok! I was worried that the nightmare might've got you when I went in."
"Worried about me?" asked Lenny before puffing out his thick whiskers in disbelief. "Kid, you should've been worried about yourself! Escaping your own nightmare is all fine and dandy, but running into another's is like walking into the lion's dead dressed in smelly old meat! You're extremely lucky to be alive!" He then let out a sigh before fishing out a cigar from his coat pocket. "But… thanks for the concern, even if it was foolishly misplaced."
"Excuse me, Mr. Walrus… but what do you mean by that?" asked Uraraka, finally recovering from her bout of embarrassment. "For that matter… where exactly are we?"
"Hmm? You haven't told her yet, kid? It's bad manners to leave a pretty young thing like her clueless." He then clamped his mouth around the cigar before lighting it. All the while a fresh shade of red rushed back into Uraraka's cheeks.
She wasn't the only feeling a bit sheepish, as Midoriya rubbed his neck for a second before explaining the situation to Uraraka in full, with Lenny giving a few inputs from time to time. When he was finished, much of the confusion that riddle his friend's face was gone. Not all of it, he was the same way after all, but enough to be comfortable with the fact that she was literally in world made of every imagination conjured up by humanity.
"So… I got trapped in my own nightmare and Deku saved me…" summarized Uraraka, before beaming a smile at her classmate. "Thank you so much, Deku! Just imagining being stuck in… that forever makes my skin crawl… So thanks for saving me."
"N-No problem, Uraraka," mumbled Midoriya, scratching the back of his head as he tried keep his gaze on her beaming smile without blushing in embarrassment.
"This is sweet and all, but like I was saying, you two are lucky to still be breathing after dealing with a nightmare," said Lenny, puffing out a fluffy ball of smoke as the two teens turned to him. "Especially you, Midoriya. Dealing with your own nightmare is bad enough, but dealing with another is entirely different business."
"You mentioned that before… what do you mean by that?"
"Entering another's nightmare, or even a dream, is risky business. In a dream, the dreamer normally can't be truly harmed by whatever their dream or nightmare conjured up. At least that's how it should before all this happened… Anyway, if someone else, however, entered a nightmare that wasn't their own, then they would be part of it."
"I'm not sure I'm following, Mr. Lenny," admitted Uraraka.
"What I'm trying to get, lass, is that if someone else becomes part of your dream or nightmare then they are subjected to its rules. Get what I'm saying now? A steel pipe to the gut feels real to them. Or a bullet to the head. Or getting thrown in the bone-crunching maw of your worse fears! Simply put… they can die… And that's only the kindest fate they can get if their lucky."
Midoriya felt every hair on his body stand on end as the full weight of Lenny's words hit him hard. He didn't realize the danger he got himself into, but at the same time, he knew he would do it again in a heartbeat. After all, if he hadn't rushed in like he did, then Uraraka would've been trapped in a fate no one should suffer.
"Honestly…" continued Lenny with another puff of smoke, "You're a reckless, kid, you know that? But it's a miracle alone that you managed to break two nightmares. With more nightmares showing up after you ran in, I thought for sure—."
"Wait… more nightmares showed up?" asked Midoriya, growing tense as he scanned the area around him.
"Easy, kid, they ain't anywhere near here. Looks like this place is safe, for now anyway. But to answer your question, it looks like a two dozen or so came whirling in like hurricanes! They all over the place now and growing! I thought it was bad before with the other bastards lingering and growing for a few days now, but this is ridiculous!"
Cupping his chin, Midoriya digested the walrus's words. It couldn't be a coincidence that so many nightmares spawned after he saved Uraraka. There was definitely something causing the worst dreams to trap their dreamers and expanding rabidly. He didn't know what, but as long as the source of the nightmares was around, there was no point in waking back into reality. Even if he did managed to wake up, there was no guarantee that any hero can fix this situation. At least awake anyway. Steeling his resolve, Midoriya knew what he had to do.
"Lenny… can you show me where these nightmares are?"
The walrus lifted a hairy eyebrow at him, suspicion gleaming in his eye. "Wait a moment, kid… don't tell me you're—!"
"I am. I can't leave the World of Dreams with so many people trapped by the nightmares."
"Bloody hell, kid! You really are mad! Did everything I say bounce off your ears like rubber?! There are things worse things than death in this world, kid!"
"Even so… I can't leave. If I did… it would be turning back on everything I stand for. Everything a hero would do! I will stop this endless nightmare and save everyone" His eyes burned with passionate fire as he stared at the towering walrus, his resolve unflinching to do the right thing.
"Count me in, Deku!" said Uraraka, admiration and determination mingling together as they radiated over her face. "I don't want anyone else to go through what I did! So let's save everyone!"
"Uraraka…" Midoriya couldn't help but admire the cheerful, brown haired girl's resolve. It helped reinforce his purpose and invigorated him to continue onward.
"Oh boy…" groaned Lenny, pulling out his cigar to pinch the bridge between his eyes. He look up and stared at the two teens for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh. "Alright… I'll help you two out, though I'm sure it's going to cost me my own hide… Just try not to get yourselves killed, alright?"
"You can count on us, Lenny!" declared Uraraka.
"We won't let anything stop us, Lenny…" echoed Midoriya. "We will save everyone here and stop the corruption of your home."
"Thanks, kid, but like I said, it's not me you should be worrying about…" Suddenly he grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "But I see you're not going to change your minds, so what the hell? Who knows… with the way you crushed two nightmares already, maybe you can pull this mad quest off." With a puff from his cigar, he turned around and started to lead both students down the twisting streets of the World of Dreams.
Little did they notice the leering glare of a tall shadow following their every move. Watching. Waiting. And more importantly, curious on what they would do next… and what kind of role would they play in its plans and, of course, what kind of tragic end would await them…
Author's Note: I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! I've risen from the grave that was 2019 and I'm ready for 2020... Or at least I hope I'm ready for it!
Now before I get into anything, I would like to first address why I was so late with this chapter and why I was silent for so long. Well, I mentioned it last time, but college grabbed me by the throat and decided to say, SCREW YOU AND YOUR SCHEDULE! Then proceeded to dumb a ton of work on me. To give context, I had to write around 60-70 pages of total work last semester for difficult classes and also had to do a couple of presentations, (which I'm not really good at since I'm shy and an introvert with dealing with talking for so long). So by the time I was finished my last chapter, I was forced into a grueling slog of work that left me tired to say the least. I wanted to do another chapter, but at the same time, I didn't. I didn't want to be overloaded with writing and I was running on fumes so much that I worried I was heading towards a burn out. So I needed a much needed break. Thankfully winter break gave me a month to relax, but it wasn't really enough for me. By the time I started to plan out this chapter, I kept getting distracted by other things like playing video games... WHICH I NEED TO GET INTO MORE OFTEN SINCE I HAVE SO MANY NEWS ONE I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS BUT HAVEN"T TOUCHED SINCE THEN! *Slams head against a wall in frustrations*
So yeah, that was annoying, but I did get started on working on this chapter earlier in January... but just then I caught the god damn FLU! I was so sick that I could barely do anything but lay in bed and plead for sweet release from that awfulness! I feel so much better now, but man, I don't wish sickness on anyone!
But yeah, managed to get this chapter done after that craziness, even with distractions that kept popping up, but I'm glad it's finished! Despite everything I wanted to make sure this chapter wasn't rushed and still had some quality to it before putting it out for you guys to enjoy. So I'm so sorry about making you all wait for this chapter! However I should mention that this semester is gearing up to be like the last, so I don't know what my schedule will be like when the next chapter will be or when the next arc will happen. And I understand if some of you will be impatient by that and I apologize in advance because of it.
With that out of the way, I really liked this chapter since dream arcs always are fun for me. It allows the imagination to run wild and be surreal in a world of dreams and nightmares. I will admit though that I don't want to get too wild as it would distract the focus on the arc rather than improve it. So I'm going to strike a balance with it. Speaking of which, while I want to go through most of Class A's nightmares, but I feel like that will bog down pacing quite a bit. I will reference a lot of their nightmares, but I feel like I'm going to focus on a few or so people's nightmares and dreams while exploring the World of Dreams and the wackiness that it can provide. I hope that makes sense, but again, I don't want this arc to be bloated since I'm already behind with my original, not obsolete, schedule. Other that, I do hope you enjoy the horror and drippy nightmares I have planned for this arc. And what lays at the heart of darkness and the terror that lurks within while being stalked by even worse predator~
I also tried to hint to the arc as best I could without coming on too strong. From last chapter to this, I hope that worked out nicely.
Also, there are many references in this chapter that I enjoyed putting in. Of course there is Alice and Wonderland easter eggs, but the main references, and inspiration for this chapter in particular, has been the Beatle's "I am the Walrus" song. Seriously, the dream-like tones, the surreal imagery, and John and Paul dressed up as the Walrus, how could I not make that reference in a world of dreams? Also there is another Beatles reference in this chapter. Two in fact. Can you guess what they are?
Also, since it's been so long, I decided not to do a review response again cause it's late and I don't want to delay this chapter any further than it already is. I'm sorry about this, but with so many reviews to go through and be so late as it is right now, (Sleep already trying to claim my soul), I don't have much time for them at the moment. One day we'll get back into it and I apologize sincerely for not including them again, but I hope you guys understand my situation and I will try to get something done next time. Hopefully... no promises since I don't want to be like Bethesda or Activision Blizzard at the moment.
Lastly, title's song reference is "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. I wanted to go with a dream theme for the titles of this arc and this song was the perfect choice to kick off the arc. It's a song that basically talks about "Sweet Dreams" and how someone can have them, how they try to obtain them, and how others will try use them to obtain their OWN dreams.
Well, that pretty much wraps everything that I can of at the moment while I'm still awake... But now my bed is calling me. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all look forward to the insane and trippy dreams and nightmares that await Deku, Uraraka, and everyone else trapped in the World of Dreams.
Until then, I hope you all had a nice start to this new year and have a nice day!
Sincerely, Count Chaos
