Chapter 18: Who's looking back?

"That's it for now folks! Will have a lunch break so take the chance to stretch your legs! C'mon Shouta, let's get some grub." Present Mic's announcement quickly caused people on the stands to disperse, hunting something to eat while waiting for the next event.

At the arena of the just finished Calvary Battle, Izuku hugged the stuffing out of his group. The others were quick to get closer to congratulate them, except Todoroki and Katsuki, the latter who was still on the ground.

Eijiro poked him, "You okay bro?"

"I was so fucking close!" Katsuki's shouts were muffled by the concrete his face was in, but the rage behind them was not. He needed only another minute to get those points!

"Don't be like that, we're in third, we passed so we just have to win the next event!" Eijiro's enthusiasm was enough to stop Katsuki's tirade.

Izuku put down his friends, they all started to talk excitedly about what just transpired.

"I can't believe you had such a cool special move under your sleeve all that time Tenya!"

The speedster chopped his arm, "That was a little surprise I came up with to try catching you off guard, in the end it was not enough but next time I will not fall short of victory!"

"That's the spirit!" Izuku cheered while pulling Tenya by the neck in a half hug with his arm, the taller boy bending down to the deceptive strength of his friend.

"Goddammit, Izuku! How can you use weapons with your mouth?!" Denki got on his face, awe and annoyance in equal measures in his tone.

"That was unhygienic Izuku-san!" Tenya berated Izuku while he tried to explain that one time he got turned into a green bunny when visiting a lion friend in his visions and had to make do.

Ochaco pouted at Momo, "Did you really have to throw that shield on me?"

Momo apologized with a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I panicked a little bit and did the first thing that came to mind."

Hanta and Mina both drowned Fumikage and Dark Shadow in questions, the bird headed boy explaining most of what they did was thanks to Izuku powering them up.

"We have to try getting buffed by Izuku someday, I bet it would be awesome." Hanta grinned, thinking of what crazy stunts they could pull.

"Dips! I'm going first! I really wanna try Midori's moves while powered up!" Mina hopped in place imagining much the same.

"Midoriya." The cold voice once more that day destroyed the merry atmosphere, Todoroki glared at Izuku before indicating a side tunnel with his head, "We need to talk. Alone." Without waiting for an answer he marched away.

Izuku felt it again, why was Todoroki hurting so much? Untangling himself from his friends he gave an apologetic smile before running after the heterochromatic boy. Izuku didn't know what caused the shadow over Todoroki's heart, but he would find out and he would get rid of it!

The group left behind traded unsure glances, not knowing what to do of the situation. Katsuki glared at the retreating figure of Todoroki with half lidded eyes, there was something wrong and Katsuki would find out what.

—

Eri was so happy she couldn't stop smiling. Izuku was amazing! He kept away from everyone until the end when that boy with the two-colored hair and the heavy heart trapped him. The moment Izuku lost his points gave them all a scare but then Ochaco got them back and everything ended well and Izuku won! Eri jumped from her seat and pulled Cotton in a hug, her excitement too strong to remain in place.

Eri got an idea and turned to Inko, "Can we go see Izuku? Please, please, please?!"

Inko chuckled, "I don't know sweetie, he's going to be busy with his friends."

Toshinori nodded, "And he has to get ready for the next event."

Eri pouted, she wanted to see Izuku. Cotton noticed and gave her a soft headbutt, with a little cry and a conspiratory chuckle the Dream Eater prepared a plan.

—

Izuku continued his stare match with Todoroki, the boy had pulled him to an out-of-the-way corridor and then proceeded to look fixedly at him for the last few minutes. The silence was about to become unbearable when Todoroki spoke, "I broke my promise."

"What?" That wasn't what Izuku was expecting to hear.

"His fire, I promised to never use it but when your weapon came at me the flames came out as a reflex." Todoroki balled his left hand, "Your power, it was too much, I couldn't think of a way to stop it so my body reacted on its own. That overwhelming power was just like… All Might's"

Izuku's mind blanked for a second and panic began to rise quickly. Nana's ghostly touch on his head tried to soothe his worries, "Don't worry, that's no way he figured it out with just that. I bet he's about to say something that's not even close to the mark and we will laugh about it."

"Midoriya, are you All Might's secret lovechild?"

For a deafening second, there was silence, then Nana started to laugh, "See! Nothing to worry about hahaha. That was priceless! Hey, guys come here, you have to hear this one!" Izuku deadpanned, both at Todoroki's words and at Nana's reaction.

"That's not it, at all. My dad was a fisherman and he was not even close to being as strong as All Might, he was actually kinda skinny, like…" Izuku trailed off, who was he talking about? Were those the parents his botched memories that kept surfacing as visions showed? Who else couldn't he remember?

Todoroki broke Izuku from his thoughts with a huff, "You said 'that's not it', so that means that there's still a connection between you two."

Izuku couldn't even let the second of panic rise up this time, he smiled and answered with certainty, "Of course, he's my friend."

"You said that like anyone could simply be 'friends' with the number one hero."

"And you said that like if they couldn't, All Might is still a person. He doesn't treat people differently because of who he is, why shouldn't we do the same?" Izuku offered a shrug, a small grin forming on his face, "If you give him the chance you too would realize he's a great person to hang out with."

Todoroki shook his head, his glare coming back, "I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to be the next number one."

Izuku pouted, "And I'm here to do both! Why are you so closed off? No one here has anything against you."

Todoroki didn't answer for a long second, when he did his voice was heavy, "Midoriya, do you know about quirk marriages?"

Izuku got blindsided by the change of subject but responded anyway, even if a pit was slowly forming in his gut, "They're an old practice of marrying someone because of their quirk, that way the kids would have more powerful ones, but they're illegal now. Why do you… don't tell me that…" He couldn't bring himself to finish in fear of being right.

Todoroki confirmed his fears, "My mother was forced into a quirk marriage. My father is the number two hero, Endeavor, he was stuck in that position for a long time. When he saw that he would never surpass All Might he settled with the next best thing, my father bought my mother from her family thanks to his influence and power, and then he tried to create a child with both of their quirks."

Izuku felt his body go cold, a weird static in the edge of his mind growing.

Who would use children as tools?

"I'm sorry." Izuku offered weakly.

"For what? There was nothing you could do about it."

"Because there was nothing I could do about it. For that, I'm sorry."

Todoroki glanced away from Izuku's sincerely sorrowful eyes. Against his better judgment, the boy spoke, "I can only remember my mother crying, she couldn't take what that bastard put her through." He brought his hand over the scar on his face, "One day she snapped and spilled boiling water on my left side, saying it reminded her too much of him." Todoroki spat the last word, making clear who he was talking about.

Izuku himself felt his anger burning inside his veins, all that suffering oozing from Todoroki like tar was caused by a man that dared call himself a hero even after everything he's done. The static grew louder.

Why did innocent children have to suffer for the goals of cruel men?

Taking a deep breath, Todoroki finished his piece, "I promised that I would reach the top with only my right side, with only my mother's power. Midoriya, this time I'll defeat you without using his curse."

Izuku felt the words clinging to him like oil, that wasn't what Todoroki wanted to say, that wasn't what he wanted to do, Izuku would help Todoroki realize that. He had to save the boy. The static reached a deafening point.

He had to save them.

Izuku felt the world snap into focus, everything becoming clearer than ever and his goal set.

Todoroki turned and started to walk away, "That's all I have to say."

"But I'm not finished yet." Izuku's voice alone stopped Todoroki in his tracks, the will behind them almost palpable, "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help then, but I can do something now. Todoroki, there's a lot I want to say but I know you won't listen, then just know that I don't want to be the number one." The elemental quirk user turned back, shock visible in his eyes, Izuku smiled, his own emerald ones softening, "I want to be the greatest hero, for that, I'll save everyone! That includes you."

They stared at each other for a long minute, "You're weird, Midoriya."

Izuku chuckled, "I know." Todoroki walked away again, this time Izuku not stopping him. After he was sure the boy was out of earshot, Izuku spoke seemingly to the wind, "Kacchan, not a word."

Katsuki, who had followed them and eavesdropped on the conversation, nodded even if Izuku couldn't see it and walked away. He had much to think about, especially when the acts of a certain flame hero hit a little too close to home. Would he have been like that if things were different? He couldn't say, and that frightened him.

Giving a sigh, Izuku spoke to the other person that heard what Todoroki had to say, "Nana, being angry like that won't solve anything."

"Oh look who's talking! You would smash that flaming trash can into the stratosphere if you could!"

"But I can't. What I can do is help those who need it."

Nana snickered, even if it sounded more like a choked sob, "Why do kids always end up in the middle of the grown-ups' messes?"

Izuku glanced down, "I wish I knew." He sighed heavily, a tear gathering at the corner of his eye.

"Izuku!" A voice the boy could never mistake called out before a unicorn-shaped missile crashed into him. Eri latched into him, physically trying to squish aways his troubled thoughts with a hug.

"Eri?! What are you doing here?" Izuku kneeled down to be at eye level with the girl.

"I wanted to see you, Cotton helped me get away with a distraction. I was following your heart like you taught me, but then you started to get sad." She held both his cheeks and cleaned the tear that spilled, "Don't be sad."

Izuku and Nana both gave out relieved laughs, the concern radiating from Eri too much to not comply. The Vestige looked down at the glowing glass image of Eri "You are just like your Master, a real piece of work."

Izuku stood up and put Eri over his shoulders, "I'm fine now. Let's go out and get something to eat, all the running left me starving."

"Yeah! You did amazing! And the others too! Ochaco flew and Tenya was fast and, and…" Izuku laughed softly as Eri started her own fangirl spree, her's with less mumbling than his, over their friends and him. The soft feeling of her Light soothed Izuku's heart but his mind was still sharply focused, he had much to do and for it, he had to face Todoroki in a way that would make him listen, luckily the next event was just around the corner and it would give Izuku his chance.

He sent his mother a quick message to let her know Eri was with him and there's nothing to worry about, that is, if Cotton didn't come up with another way to cause chaos.

They left the stadium to reach the stalls that used the festival and the movement it caused to make a good profit. There were various food stalls spread around, Izuku picked one at random and approached.

To his surprise, there were three heroes in the line in front of him, Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods and Death Arms, the first trying to get something to eat for free. Izuku chuckled and said to the man in the stall, "Get two servings, mister, I'm paying."

The man gave him a nod, now that he was getting paid he didn't care much for the rest, and quickly started to prepare two boxes of taiyaki.

"Thanks for… wait, you're that crazy kid!" Mt. Lady started to thank Izuku only to recognize him.

"Izuku isn't crazy!" Eri protested, defending her Master.

"Good going." Kamui Woods shook his head, "Sorry about her kid, you did well in there, just be careful when blowing yourself up, okay?"

Izuku smiled, "Sure." He picked his taiyaki and passed it to Eri, who happily started to munch on it while still shooting Mt. Lady a look.

The heroine in question huffed, "You say that like it's normal."

Giving a shrug Izuku said, "It's not as weird as it looks, you just have to make sure you can take the hit and land relatively safely."

Eri perked up from her spot over Izuku's shoulders, "You're going to teach me how to do that right? Please?"

Izuku hummed while considering it, "Let me teach you Flowmotion first."

"Okay!" The duo didn't realize their conversation got increasingly worried stares from the heroes.

"We should be going, bye, thanks for your help with the festival." Izuku waved while walking away, going back to the stadium so he could join his friends for the next event.

"Should we be worried?" Mt. Lady asked, only to be met with her coworker's blank faces, "Thought so."

—

"What the hell? First Todoroki kidnaps Izuku, then Katsuki vanishes too, now he's sulking in freaking silence and our class rep is still MIA, when a festival turned into a soap opera? What's next, someone is going to abandon this because a relative is in the hospital or something?" Denki ranted to the class, who after realizing that yes, friendship was inevitable, joined in a single group for lunch, minus Todoroki of course.

"You shouldn't say that type of thing, and I'm sure Izuchan is fine, or we would have heard the sounds of mass destruction already." The class stopped a second to consider Tsuyu's words and nodded in agreement. Izuku's style wasn't exactly subtle most of the time.

"Hey, guys!"

"See, he's fine." Tsuyu waved him over. She saw Eri with him, "Hi Erichan."

The others noticed the girl, those who knew her greeting Eri excitedly, the others that didn't were just polite about it. Izuku sat beside Katsuki, who remained quiet, and Ochaco, who scrunched to the side so he could have a spot. Eri, now on Izuku's lap, noticed how the blonde was feeling and offered him a taiyaki.

"Here, don't feel sad Kacchan."

Katsuki glanced at the offered treat and accepted it, he took a bite before noticing the smiles on the rest of the class, "What are you looking at?" He barked back, some of the fire back in him.

"The little princess conquered even the most ferocious of us with her pure light, it is quite the sight," Fumikage said, a smile on his beak while Dark Shadow cackled over his shoulder, even if he was barely the size of a chick now. After the power rush faded he ended up like that.

Izuku laughed before the words truly registered and the pieces clicked into place.

Princess.

Pure Light.

That meant-

"The seven pure Lights."

"With them, the last Keyhole will be opened."

"And the Door to Darkness will be in my reach!"

"Ansem, you're not getting away with this!"

Izuku got broken out of his vision by a bonk on the back of the head. Cotton had headbutted him, did a twist in the air, and landed on the table. The Dream Eater turned to Izuku and started to say things that Izuku simply knew what they meant. even if he heard only the sound Spirits usually did.

"Wow, what was that for?" Ochaco stopped her complaints when she saw Izuku's face, "Deku, what's wrong?"

"Eri's a Princess of Heart." He said, the words making it painfully obvious now. Her Light was stronger than any he felt before, excluding the other Princess in his visions, and didn't have a single smudge of Darkness. It was in front of his eyes the whole time but he didn't see it, Eri was a Princess of Heart and Vanitas was somewhere in that world, was that why? Was he after Eri this whole time?

Izuku only realized he had pulled Eri in a crushing and protective hug and activated Full Cowling when Katsuki gave him another bonk on the back of the head.

"Take a deep breath, calm down then explain."

The curt and direct words helped Izuku to recenter himself, and notice the worried stares of his friends and the concern and confusion in Eri's eyes, "Sorry, I didn't want to freak out like that."

"It's okay, but what caused it? You said something about Eri being a princess?" Momo tried to reassure Izuku and understand what caused such a strong reaction.

"A Princess of Heart, they're, what did Merlin call them again? Maidens with hearts of pure Light." He snapped his fingers before pulling his journal from the aether and started noting down, "A Princess of Heart can't have Darkness in her heart, it's literally impossible, and if the seven of them are together they can…" Izuku trailed off, trying to shake the image of a titanical set of doors that seemed seared in his mind out of the back of his eyes, "Eri is one, and if Vanitas is here, then maybe he's after her."

"Vanitas? That crazy guy on the USJ?" Mina asked, remembering only briefly what Izuku told them about the masked boy.

"Yeah."

"Doesn't matter, if that guy comes we kill him the same way." Katsuki snapped and took an angry bite of his taiyaki, chewing on it like it was responsible for his rage.

"Yeah, if some villain thinks he can go after our princess he has another thing coming!" Eijiro shared the blonde's sentiment, no way he would let a villain go after a kid and do nothing.

"Yeah!" The rest of the table's occupants made their opinion known.

"Is official, the Pact of Protection of 1-A's Princess is a go!" Mina cheered, hyping everyone even more.

Izuku couldn't help but smile, even more so when he saw the wonder in Eri's eyes. They're right, it didn't matter what the future had in store for them, it wouldn't be enough to stop class 1-A. They would protect their little princess.

—

"It's him?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, I remember that weapon."

"... We'll keep an eye on him, if he's really who we're looking for, then we're getting her back."

—

"Cotton, keep an eye on Eri. Shiryu, keep an eye on Cotton. Tesla, please don't let them get into too much trouble before I get back." He got a nod from Tesla and a hug from Eri while Shiryu and Cotton bickered at the side. Izuku then left his Spirit friends guarding his apprentice, running from the class bleachers back to the stadium proper where the last event was about to be announced.

Izuku rejoined his friends just in time for the big reveal. Midnight snapped her whip and grinned, "Now that all participants are here, let's see what you're going to do next!"

The wheel on the jumbotron started to spin for a moment before it exploded and a tournament bracket appeared on the screen, "What else could it be? The sixteen finalists will face each other in a tournament to decide the champion of the first year's festival!"

"Wait!" A voice sounded over the cheer of the crowds, "I would like to step down."

"What?! Mashirao you can't!" Toru tried to reason with her friend only for another person to step up.

"I would like to do the same." Another boy, from 1-B, stepped ahead.

"Can I ask why?" Midnight let the boys make their point before coming to a decision.

"In the last event I did nothing for my team, I don't think I deserve the spot when I didn't do anything for it." Mashirao sighed, he was one of the horses carrying the rider but in the end, he was ironically the one carried to victory.

"It's the same for me, there are other people that fought a lot more for our spots, they deserve to continue on the festival." The boy from 1-B said, trading a look with Mashirao, he nodded back, maybe later they could talk properly.

"Such innocence, I'll allow it!" Midnight exclaimed. Talking quickly in her earpoint she turned back to the students, "Your places will go for the two students in the fifth place group then, more luck next year kids."

"Are you really sure about this?" Izuku asked his friend.

"Yes, it's a matter of honor, I can't challenge you for the top in the future if I don't." Mashirao grinned and offered Izuku a fist, "Just do me a favor and win this for me too." The green-haired boy responded in kind.

Kyoko turned to Yuga, "Wasn't you also in their team?"

The boy huffed, "I used my magnifique quirk to keep other teams away."

"Now for the first battle of the day, it will be…" The jumbotron zoomed in on the leftmost bracket, "Midoriya Izuku against Shinshou Hitoshi! You have ten minutes to prepare while we get the arena ready, better use them well."

Izuku turned to Hitoshi, both trading a determined glance and a final nod. They walked out knowing the next time they would see each other would be in the hopes of taking the other down.

—

Katsuki was the first to reach the class bleachers and the first to see who was already there. Eri was sitting in the perfect center seat while to the side on the stairway the three Dream Eaters that made Izuku's main team sat, a bucket of popcorn no one was courageous enough to ask about between them.

"Yo, Round Face, I take left, you take right." With the simple order, Katsuki marched to Eri's left and plopped down.

Ochaco followed behind, she was slightly nervous about the bomber now, Katsuki and her were the last battle of the first matches, reason for her not small amount of panic.

Eri greeted Ochaco when she sat at her right and offered a bite from her infinite apple.

"Izuku is going to win." The girl said, completely sure of her words.

"Of course he is. Deku will only lose to me and that's in the last match."

"No, Izuku is going to win."

"You think Deku can beat me?!"

"Izuku is going to win," Eri repeated again, her soft red eyes locking with Katsuki's smoldering ones.

"That's one of the manliest things I've ever seen in my life!" Eijiro was about to cry manly tears when Kyoko gave him a flat stare.

"She's a six-year-old girl."

"Being manly is a state of spirit!" Eijiro defended his philosophy, causing the rest of his friends to laugh.

—

"I'm worried." Inko sighed.

Toshinori patted her shoulder, "Don't be, I'm sure Young Eri is fine, she's with the rest of the class."

"It's not that, well, not only that." Inko looked up, gazing at the blue and cloudless sky, "I just have a bad feeling."

The hero knew better than to argue with a mother concerned for her children, "If anything happens, I am here."

Inko looked into Toshinori's eyes for a long second before smiling softly, "Thank you."

—

Izuku sat in silence inside the prep room reserved for him, his glare piercing through the walls and into the infinite.

"You're not going to get laser vision kiddo, stop that."

Izuku sighed at Nana's words, "It's just that, it was so obvious! I never felt any Darkness from Eri, at all, of course, she is a Princess of Heart." He stood up and started to pace around, "I should've realized it sooner! I'm her Master but I didn't see it, she could be in danger and I wouldn't know until it was too late!" Izuku let his back hit the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the ground.

He felt ghostly fingers running soothingly through his scalp, "Kid, nothing bad happened. I don't know how that stuff of 'feeling other people's hearts' works but you shouldn't beat yourself over it. You made an oversight but realized it before anything happened and that's more than enough."

Izuku sighed, "I know, I just… I can't lose her for not paying enough attention."

"Is this about Xion and Roxas?"

"I saw myself losing them, letting them slip between my fingers, I felt it." Izuku hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face in them, "It hurt so much." He sobbed the words out.

What Nana wouldn't give for a chance to hug her boy to give him some real comfort right now, words would have to do, "You're not losing anyone Izuku. Now you have your friends with you, you have Toshi and you have us. Izuku, you are never alone, One For All is a part of you as much as you're part of it. It doesn't matter what happens, we will be there for you."

"You'll help keep my friends safe?"

"Of course, all of us will, we're together in this, your fight is our fight."

"Thanks, Nana." Izuku relaxed and looked up, almost seeing the soft smile Nana was giving him.

"You're welcome, kid. Now, get up, you have a festival to win."

"Yeah!" Izuku got on his feet and looked at the clock, he had one minute so it was best to make his way to the arena.

—

Hitoshi was freaking out, no he had passed the point of freaking out a long time ago, he was a second away from a full breakdown.

He had come so far, clearing all the tests UA threw at him in that festival for his chance. For a moment he thought he would really do it, then he was put against Midoriya in the first match. The boy was friendliness incarnated in the brief interactions they had, on the other hand, he was also one of the strongest hero students in their year.

Hitoshi saw Midoriya cleave through a giant robot's head like it was butter. All in all, Hitoshi didn't fancy his chances in a fight with the other boy.

His saving grace was his quirk, if he could get one word out of Midoriya Hitoshi won, then why did the idea leave him feeling hollow? It was an empty victory that's why. He was robbing the chance of the only person that believed he could be a hero, of a person that honestly wanted to be his friend.

Hitoshi slapped his cheeks and took in a sharp breath. He silently promised himself to make up for Midoriya if, no, when, for what he was about to do he needed to get in one of the hero classes, when he got into the hero course Hitoshi would get even with Izuku for what he was about to do.

But Hitoshi first needed to make Midoriya talk to him, that would be something so easy it left his mouth tasting like ash from the words already at the tip of his tongue.

Hitoshi walked to the arena, barely giving the construction and Cementos at the raised concrete chair a second glance.

Present Mic's voice filled the stadium, "ARE YOU READY? On the right side, he, who already won two events and assured his spot as the favorite to win, Midoriya Izuku! On the left, we have the underdog, who sneakily made his way to stand with the best while not revealing his cards, Shinshou Hitoshi!"

Midnight snapped her whip to get the two boys' attention, "Okay listen up! If you can't continue fighting or touch the ground out of the marked area, you lose! Cementos and I will stop the fight if things get too far, am I clear?!"

"Yes sensei!" Midoriya straightened himself from the glare Midnight shot at them while Hitoshi only gave a nod.

"Good, then start!"

The moment Midnight finished speaking Hitoshi started, throwing a silent apology Midoriya's way, "Hey Midoriya, wanna be friends?"

The green eyes that lighted up and the equally bright smile felt like a punch on the gut to Hitoshi, "Of course!" And just like that, the light vanished and Midoriya's head tilted down.

"Sorry, turn back and walk out of the arena." Hitoshi said, the joy of victory snuffed out by the regret of what it cost, he really wanted to have "fought" anyone else.

Midoriya stayed still, not moving at all. Hitoshi frowned, didn't he hear? "I said walk out." His words got a reaction.

Midoriya looked up, the eyes that had lost their light bright again and a soft smile on his face. A blade appeared in his hand, the strange one that Hitoshi normally saw him using, and then, Midoriya was gone. In a second his form blurred before leaving nothing behind.

Hitoshi's eyes were dragged down, Midoriya was right there! Crouched down and blade winded up, they locked their eyes in a fraction of a second that seemed like hours, then Midoriya moved.

Hitoshi felt like a truck had crashed into him, the air was forced out of his lungs, and he had gone flying. When he realized it, Hitoshi was sprawled in the grass away from the arena.

For a second where Hitoshi's brain couldn't process what just happened he looked at the sky, then a shadow fell over him.

"That was a good idea, it would've worked with anyone else." Midoriya still had that soft smile on his face, as if everything was right in the world and that was enough reason to smile. He offered Hitoshi a hand and pulled the downed boy to his feet when he accepted.

"How…?" Hitoshi didn't even know what to ask at that point.

"That would take too long to explain." Midoriya laughed while putting his weapon over his shoulder, "But that's not important, you did amazing!"

Hitoshi snorted, "Yeah, I lost in a second."

"That's also not important." Midoriya shrugged off his comment, "You didn't give up and reached here, farther than a lot of others, so chin up!" He gave Hitoshi a soft punch on the chest, "You did it, if you can't see it then look around."

Hitoshi did, and saw it. At the bleachers his classmates were all cheering for him, heroes were talking and pointing to him, he could hear Eraserhead praising his quirk and how well he used it. He turned away and rubbed the tears slowly forming on his eyes with the back of his arm.

"I meant it," Hitoshi said without turning back.

"What?"

"Can we be friends? You… you're a pretty okay guy."

Midoriya's smile grew, "Aren't we already?" His answer made Hitoshi look at him, the boy cracked his own grin.

"Yeah, I think we are. Good luck with the rest of this thing."

"Thanks, now I have to go, your quirk didn't buy me that much time."

"What?" Before Hitoshi could ask what he meant by that, Midoriya turned away and once more vanished in a blur. Did Hitoshi's quirk work? But Midoriya didn't get brainwashed, right?

—

He stopped in a random hallway, turning to the window he looked in the reflection's eyes, "You're doing great, but don't stop now." He pulled the lucky charm from the same place he hid all his treasures, the golden frame of the star glinting in the sunlight, "You have to protect them, don't let the Darkness take away your Light."

With his part said, he put the charm back and with a last smile clapped his cheeks.

Izuku opened his eyes.

Staring fixedly at the reflection in the window, Izuku asked himself, who's looking back?

AAAAAAAAAAAAA

Done! I made this thing and am extremely proud of it! Also of Silverbits (aka Beribits) for editing this chapter.

Also, merry Christmas!

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