Chapter 6: Sunflowers and Unwelcome Memories
As the week went by, Ari and Toshinori spent most of their time together. Ari taught Toshinori some basic gardening tips, told him what he needed to take care of while she is gone and they spent the last night together on the balcony watching the stars. Ari handed Toshinori a small wrapped rectangle in red strip wrapping paper and a small thin blue bow. "Here, it's not much but…This'll sound super cheesy but…When I saw these in the store…They reminded me of you…And thought you would like them…" Ari said as she handed Toshinori the gift, she was super nervous handing the gift to him and fiddled her hair, blushing super hard.
"Thank you…You didn't have to…" He said while accepting the gift. He undid the blue bow and unfolded the red striped wrapping paper to find Sunflower seeds. "...T-thank you!" Toshinori smiled towards Ari.
"It's not much…You can plant them anywhe-" Ari got cut off by Toshinori suddenly hugging her. She embraced Toshinori, hugging him tightly back, smelling his clothes so she won't forget his scent when she leaves. "Toshinori…" Ari said, still hugging Toshinori tightly. "Please take care of yourself while I'm gone…"
"I will…Don't you worry…Stay safe tomorrow…Ok?" He let go of Ari. "It's getting late and we both need to get up early tomorrow…I should get going…" Toshinori noticed Ari suddenly appeared sad.
She hugged him again before saying "Why…Not stay the night?...I'm not ready to let you go just yet…." Ari said, holding onto him tightly.
"I…Uh…Are…*Sigh* You sure?" Toshinori hesitatingly said as he placed his hands on Ari's shoulders. Ari looked up at him, still clinging to him, her eyes were begging him to stay. He sighed as he placed his hand on her head, pulling it into his chest. "Alright…You win…" He smiled, defeated by this young girl embracing him. Toshinori took her hand as they made their way inside, Ari grabbed some pajamas and went into the bathroom. As he waited for her to finish changing, he took a seat on her bed. Ari came out of the bathroom with a sky blue tank top and matching pajama shorts that had plant designs on it.
"I'm done…If yo-ou nee-d the-e bathroom…" Ari stuttered, gripping her left arm. Toshinori got up from the bed and walked over to the dining room table, taking his suit off and folding it neatly, he removed his tie and his dress shirt next, exposing his scar to Ari. She walked over to him as he was folding his shirt. She examined his scar intensely, placing her hand onto it, before looking up at Toshinori who was looking down at her. The moon light shining through the windows in her room created a glow on their faces. Toshinori grabbed her wrist, his blue eyes shining brightly from the moon light. "Sorry…" Ari pulled back her hand and looked away, rubbing her wrist he grabbed.
"It's fine…I just…Forgot it was there…" Toshinori finished folding his dress shirt and placed it onto the table. "It's a constant reminder…That I'm no longer the symbol of peace…" He said, looking depressed as Ari grabbed his hand.
"All Might…Is still alive…And changing lives everyday. Even if it's not as big of a difference as you used to make, you're still making a difference with the future generation of heroes here at U.A." Ari smiled. Stunned at Ari's words, he did something on impulse, something he never would have imagined doing so soon. He kissed Ari, pulling her towards him. Ari blew a fuse in her head and smoke began to come out of her ears, her body turning into a noodle.
"Ah! Sorry!" Toshinori apologized, holding Ari up who was still recovering from blowing a fuse. He helped her to the bed and as she took a seat, she pulled him onto her, embracing him again as he laid on top of her. Suddenly, Ari flipped him around, now being the one on top. "...H-hi?" He stuttered, just as Ari passionately kissed him. When she sat up after giving Toshinori a deep kiss, Ari's breathing was irregular and she could tell if they kept going, she wouldn't be able to hold herself back. Toshinori kept looking into Ari's eyes as he lifted himself up, with her still on his lap, he placed his hand on one side of her face and looked at her with such a gentle gaze. He put his hands under her butt, lifting her closer to him before kissing her again.
"Aah!" Ari accidentally moaned, immediately covering her mouth, Toshinori and Ari looked at each other in surprise. "So-sorry…" She said, still covering her mouth, her face turning bright red. He removed Ari's hands from her mouth and put them around his neck. As he placed his hands around Ari, he quickly switched positions with her again, she was now on the bed and he was over her. He noticed Ari seemed flustered and overwhelmed, her face was red and she had an uncertain look expressed on her face. He smiled and flopped over next to Ari, both looking up at the ceiling.
"Come here." He said, pulling Ari closer to him, embracing her as they lay on the bed. "Sorry…I went too far…It's hard to keep myself under control when I'm around you…" He said as he kissed her forehead. He got up and took off his pants, he had black boxers on and slid under the covers with Ari, holding her against him. Before either of them knew it, both of them had fallen asleep, laying together until morning. Ari was the last one to wake up, Toshinori was already in the kitchen, making some tea. Ari groggily walked over to him, rubbing her eyes as she grabbed a cup. "Good morning!" Toshinori said happily with a big smile, standing in just his boxers.
"*Yaaawwnnn* Morning…Can you pass me the honey please…" Ari asked half asleep. Toshinori just chuckled and handed her the honey. "Thank you." She said as both of them went over to the dining room table, Ari was struggling to stay awake as she took a seat at the table.
"Did you not sleep well?" Toshinori asked, noticing Ari struggling to stay awake.
"I actually had the best sleep in a long time…*Yawwwn* Just wish I could have slept for 10 more hours…" She grumbles as she takes a sip of her tea. "Hmm?" Ari noticed the tea wasn't Toshinori's normal flavor of tea. "Earl Gray? I didn't know you liked this kind of tea, you usually drink green tea don't you?" Ari asked.
"Yeah, I noticed it in your tea bin in the kitchen and wanted to give it a try. It's pretty good as is but with that little touch of honey makes it so much better." Toshinori smiled after taking a sip. Ari just smiled. "What are you smiling about?" He asked, confused.
"I'm just happy." She said, reaching over across the table and grabbed Toshinori's hand. "This feels like a dream…Where I'm both happy and sad because I have to leave soon." Ari frowned. "I wish you could come with me, but I understand you have responsibilities here at U.A." He gripped Ari's hand tightly. "I'll text you every day so that way you won't feel lonely while I'm gone." Toshinori grinned. Ari got up from her seat, still holding onto Toshinori's hand, walked over to him and she kissed him ever so gently. "You're so sweet, Toshinori. I really am one lucky girl." She smiled. "I'm going to go take a shower and start to gather my things for the trip. You're welcome to use my shower before you head off to work."
"Sure…" He answered, watching Ari walk away into the bathroom. His smile quickly disappeared as the door closed behind her. "I hope Vito didn't mind me not coming home last night…" Toshinori thought to himself before picking up his phone, noticing some text messages from Vito last night.
TO: All Might
FROM: Vito
Vito: Sorry All Might, but I'm leaving a day early. Managed to get a last minute flight to Tokyo. I'll message you later with updates. Take care of yourself!
After doing some thinking at the table, Toshinori put his phone down just as Ari came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her. "I put a towel in there for you." She said, drying her hair with another tower. Toshinori's face went red at the sight, spitting out some blood.
"R-right!" He got up from the table and ran past Ari, going straight into the bathroom with his clothes in his arms.
"..." Ari was surprised by Toshinori's reaction. "Okay?" She said before getting dressed and brushing her hair. When he finally came out of the bathroom, Ari had her bag packed and was in the kitchen. "Feel better?" She asked as she looked towards Toshinori in his suit.
"Yeah, thanks for letting me use your shower. Looks like you're already packed up, you sure you wont' need more for 2 weeks? Will 1 bag be enough?" Toshinori asked, noticing the loaded backpack by the front door.
"Yeah, I have everything I need, plus if I do end up needing something I'll just buy it. Don't want to take the whole house with me." Ari giggles at her own joke.
"Ha ha, I guess that's true." Toshinori walks over to Ari and kisses her on the forehead. "What should we make for breakfast?" He asks.
"I'm…Not much of a breakfast person…And don't have much in the fridge since I'm leaving today. But I think there's some waffles in the freezer." Ari suggested. "But hey. I have to go. Taxi is waiting for me, I'll message you when I can, ok? There's a key on my nightstand for you so you can leave whenever you want." She said, pointing to the nightstand as she walked out with her bag. He quickly grabbed the key from the nightstand, catching up to Ari and walking her to the taxi that was waiting outside of the gates. After saying their goodbyes and the taxi left, Toshinori went to do some paperwork before class started.
After a 30 minute drive around town, the taxi brought Ari back to U.A. high school, bringing her to the back parking lot where Principal Nezu and Doctor Rosa were waiting.
"Good morning, Ari." Principal Nezu said cheerfully.
"Let's hurry this up. I have some equipment that just arrived." Doctor Rosa said, getting right to the point, grumpily.
"Now, now Doctor Rosa. Ari here is already scared enough as it is. Can't you tell? She's shaking." Principal Nezu pointed out to Doctor Rosa. Doctor Rosa looked at Ari who was indeed trembling as she excited the taxi, holding her bag in front of her.
"Ah! Sorry." Doctor Rosa apologized. "I'm just a bit moody this morning, I haven't had my coffee yet." Doctor Rosa laughed.
"It's….O-okay…I-I-I'm just not a f-f-fan of d-d-doctors." She stuttered. Principal Nezu walked over to Ari and took her hand.
"Everything will be ok, Ari. I have personally approved everything that will be done in the next 2 weeks and if something is too much for you, all you have to do is let us know." Principal Nezu said, reassuring Ari as they walked into the building. After entering the elevator and the doors were just closing, Toshinori was coming around the corner just as the elevator doors closed.
"Hmm?" Toshinori saw a bag just as the elevator doors closed shut. "Oh crap! I'm going to be late!" Toshinori said, looking at his watch and running down the hall to his class.
As Principal Nezu, Doctor Rosa and Ari stood quietly in the elevator, the ride down seemed longer than normal to her. She was still holding onto Principal Nezu's paw when she jerked suddenly, surprised by the elevator doors opening. A room was set up across the lab, glass walls surrounded this massive machine. It had 2 tanks on either side, connected with wires, tubs that connected to each other, and large metal supports. Ari let go of Principal Nezu's paw and quickly took her backpack off her shoulder, placing it onto the ground, digging in it frantically, she eventually pulled what looked like a pillowcase out. After putting her backpack back on her shoulder, she put the pillow case against her mouth. Her panicked breathing slowly began to slow down. Both Principal Nezu and Doctor Rosa noticed when they continued to walk towards the massive piece of equipment, Doctor Rosa told Ari to sit at one of the tables.
"I was too hard on you the last time you were down here." Doctor Rosa said as he kneeled down next to Ari. "Does that help you control your nerves?" Doctor Rosa asked, pointing to the pillow case against her mouth.
"Y-yes…It's soft…It brings me comfort." Ari explains, nervous.
"I see, well, let's get you changed and ready for some testing ok. This machine looks scary but it'll help us understand you more. All it does is do readings on your brain waves, pulse, stress levels, etc. So there is nothing to be afraid of." Doctor Rosa explained to Ari and offered his hand to her. She hesitated but did end up taking his hand and followed him to the changing room where she was given a sports bra and underwear to put on. After changing into these new clothes per Doctor Rosa's request, he showed her to the room where this massive piece of equipment was laying and waiting for her. Some doctors were in the room already, going over the equipment and checking if everything was ready while 2 others came over to greet Ari, leading her to where they needed her to be. One of the tanks came down from an up right position to a 180 degree angle and the tank door opened, making it easier for Ari to get in. She hesitated before getting in and laying down as per instructed by the 2 doctors, one of them offered to keep her pillowcase safe, Ari hesitantly handed over the pillowcase. They began to get her ready by placing sticky tabs along her body and then placing wires on them.
"Relax, there is nothing to be afraid of." One said before the tank door closed. Ari started to get extremely anxious, her breathing increased, frantically looking side to side in a panic. All of a sudden a syringe came from under Ari, stabbing her in the back of the neck, injecting her with blue liquid. Within seconds of being injected with this unknown substance, she passed out just as a valve opened above her, starting to fill the tank with a light green clear liquid. An oxygen mask was placed over her mouth by the machine just as the liquid reached her shoulders. Once the tank was filled, it readjusted itself upright again before bubbles began to come from the bottom. Doctor Rosa approached Principal Nezu who was watching all this occur outside the room.
"Are you sure about this? Will your plan actually work?" Principal Nezu asked with his paws behind his back.
"Once the other tank is filled, we'll find out." Doctor Rosa said.
Principal Nezu sighed. "Do you really believe you can separate the 2 safely with this machine?" Principal Nezu asked as he looked up at Doctor Rosa.
"If we can then we will be able to separate all 3 of them. For right now, we will just monitor her for the day. The real testing will begin tomorrow." Doctor Rosa said as he turned and walked away from Principal Nezu. Principal Nezu gazed back up at Ari, frowning at the situation before him.
"Please forgive me Ari…Our hands were tied this time…" Principal Nezu said before leaving the lab. A few days had gone by and Toshinori started to get worried. Neither Ari or Vito replied to any of his messages or calls since they left. As he stared worryingly at his phone, Aizawa was walking down the hallway towards him and noticed his expression.
"What's got you so worried?" Aizawa asked as he approached Toshinori with his hands in his pockets.
"Oh! Aizawa, good morning." Toshinori said, putting his phone away and smiling at Aizawa.
"Everything ok? You seem on edge." Aizawa asked, tilting his head.
"Ah! Yeah, I just got a lot on my mind recently. Haha." Toshinori said as he patted the back of his head while he laughed.
"I see." Aizawa said as he started to pass Toshinori. "I've noticed you seem to be going down to the greenhouse more often than usual." Aizawa pointed out, surprising Toshinori.
"Ari asked me to take care of her plants while she was gone, that's all." Toshinori explained, starting to walk with Aizawa.
"Look All Might. I don't care about your personal life outside of school. But it's starting to affect your job and everyone here has noticed. Not just me." Aizawa said bluntly. "It's only been 2 days since Vito and Ari left. You need to get your priorities straight."
"Ah…Right…" Toshinori took out his phone. "I haven't heard a word from either of them since they left. I'm worried something happened." Toshinori said, looking at the unread texts.
"Hmm? That's unusual, but with hospital regulations and events known for being hectic, I would guess they're just busy. So don't worry too much." Aizawa reassured Toshinori as he entered his class.
"I wonder if Power Loader might have some tech that can track Vito and Ari's phones." Toshinori thought to himself before running down the hall, heading to the support lab where Power Loader is. As Toshinori approached the support lab door, it exploded off its hinges. When the dust cloud cleared, Hatsume was laying on top of one of the doors, covered in oil and dust. "Are you alright, miss?" Toshinori asked as he approached Hatsume.
"*Cough*Cough* Oh yeah! *Cough* Just working on another baby. Guess I still have to do some tweaking with that one." Hatsume said, dusting herself off and smiling at Toshinori.
"Hatsume, for heaven's sake! How many times are you going to explode the lab!" Power Loader yelled as he walked up to Hatsume.
"Sorry Mr. Power Loader Sir." Hatsume apologized before running back into the lab.
"*Deep Sigh* Sorry about that, All Might. What brings you here?" Power Loader asked.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Toshinori said with a concerned look on his face.
"Nope, just another day working with Hatsume." Power Loader said as he lifted up one of the doors, placing it back in place. "So, what can I help you with?"
"Uh…I have a favor to ask…I was wondering…If you could help me…Locate my roommate and Ari…Aizawa thinks I'm overreacting but…Something just doesn't feel right to me…" Toshinori said, looking very distressed. "I just want to make sure they're ok."
"Hmm…What's making you so worried?" Power Loader asked.
"I haven't heard from either of them since they left…" Toshinori said.
"Hmm…Come in. I'll see what I can do." Power Loader said as he placed the last door back into place. Toshinori followed behind Power Loader, walking into the lab while Hatsume was tinkering with her project. "Let's see here..." Power Loader said as he sat down at his computer, typing away. "Hmm? That's strange." He said, intensely looking at his computer screen.
"What is it?" Toshinori leaned over, curious to see what was on the computer screen. "What?!" Toshinori jumped, surprised to see that both phones were being traced back to campus. "I don't understand?"
"Hmm…What day did both of them leave?" Power Loader asked.
"About 2 days ago…" Toshinori answered, still stunned at the results.
"Let me see what route they took that day." Power Loader said as he opened up a tab that showed their movements throughout the day, it was the exact same. "That's odd…Did Ari and Vito leave together?"
"No…Vito left the day before supposedly…And I saw Ari off that morning…" Toshinori said, still very confused. Toshinori suddenly ran out of the lab frantically. "Thanks for your help!" He yelled.
"Uh…No problem…" Power Loader and Hatsume both looked at each other, concerned. Toshinori ran to Principal Nezu's office, bursting through his door.
"Oh, hello All Might. How can I help you?" Principal Nezu said, placing the papers he was reading down onto his desk.
"I think Ari and Vito are still on campus, Power Loader tracked their phones and they never left campus!" Toshinori said, approaching the Principal's desk, panting. "I don't know where on campus…But neither of them left to begin with." Toshinori shouted. Principal Nezu hesitated.
"All Might…I understand you're worried but you need to calm down. There is no need to be so distraught, I assure you. Both are fine and being well taken care of." Principal Nezu said, putting his paws together.
"Y-you…Knew?" Toshinori was astounded by Principal Nezu's explanation.
"I did yes…They asked me to keep it a secret from you and everyone else here at U.A…. And out of respect I did just that." Principal Nezu looked ashamed. "Please understand All Might…Out of respect for them I will not say anymore." Principal Nezu gazed up at Toshinori. "I hope you understand."
"No! I don't understand?!...I…I…They said they would message me when they got to wherever they were supposed to be. But…I never received a single word from them…Even the texts I've sent them, neither of them have even read the messages…I was starting to think something bad happened…" Toshinori slumped over after taking a seat, placing his hands over his face. Toshinori sighed deeply before glancing back at Principal Nezu. "Where are they?"
"..." Principal Nezu hesitated to answer. "...I'm sorry." Principal Nezu's answer did not sit well with him as he reacted by standing up suddenly.
"Fine…I'll be leaving now." Toshinori bowed before turning his back to Principal Nezu. Principal Nezu didn't say a word as Toshinori left his office. "I'm sorry old friend…My hands are tied and there is nothing I can do for you." Toshinori stormed off, passing Aizawa and Midnight in the hallway without saying a word to them, furious.
"What's up with him?…I wonder what's got his panties in a twist." Midnight whispered in Aizawa's ear.
"I have an idea…" Aizawa added.
"Hmm?" Midnight looked back at Aizawa. "Did something not go his way?" She asked.
Aizawa sighed before scratching his head. "I have a feeling it has something to do with his roommate and the new girl that takes care of the greenhouse. But I'm not 100% sure." Aizawa grunted as they continued their walk down the hall.
"So he's missing his crush! So cute! And thrilling! Ah~To be young again." Midnight said, rubbing against Aizawa's arm as she blushed.
"Please stop, I doubt he has a crush on anyone. He's probably just over reacting like he does with everyone else." Aizawa complained as they entered the teachers lounge.
"Even so, that's still super cute!" Midnight licked her lips seductively.
Toshinori was on his way to the greenhouse when he bumped into Midoriya and Todoroki. "Oh, hey you 2. Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Toshinori said, confused.
"It's lunch time, All Might. Haha, we saw you walking by and thought we should ask if you would like to join us." Midoriya suggested.
"We're just eating over by the tree since it's such a nice day out." Todoroki added as he pointed to the group under the tree.
"Yeah!" Midoriya agreed with Todoroki. As Midoriya glanced back at Toshinori, he noticed an angry expression on his face. "Are…You ok All Might?" Midoriya asked, concerned.
"Hmm? Oh yeah! Just…Got something on my mind…I'll have to join you another time. I can't today." Toshinori said.
"Oh…Okay, see you later then." Midoriya said as he waved goodbye.
"We can try again tomorrow, Midoriya. He seemed pretty angry about something." Todoroki commented as they went back to the group.
"Yeah, but….The only time I've ever seen him that angry was when he heard that All For One was still alive." Midoriya said, thinking of reasons why he would be so mad.
Toshinori walked along the walkway he usually jogged until he reached the path that leads down to the greenhouse. He hesitated before convincing himself to go down and at least check on the plants like Ari requested of him. As he reached the bottom of the path, he noticed the garden club was tending to the main greenhouse plants while on their lunch break.
"Oh, good afternoon All Might sir." One of the girls said, noticing Toshinori entering the greenhouse.
"Hey, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." Toshinori said, waving at the group.
"No, not at all, can we help you with anything?" Another girl asked as she approached him.
"Oh, no, no. I'm just here to check on Ari's plant's while she's away." Toshinori casually said to the girls before noticing them blushing in suspense. "Ah! It's not what you think!" He shook his head and waved his hands. The girls surrounding him poked their heads closer towards Toshinori. "….I-I gotta go take care of those plant's for Ari!" Toshinori said, slipping past the girls and running upstairs. "See you later!"
"Hmm…Suspicious." One of the girls said and the others agreed before going back to their club duties. Toshinori unlocked the door and quickly closed it behind him, leaning against it.
"Kids nowadays…Can be scary sometimes." Toshinori said, taking a deep breath before walking over to Ari's bed and taking a seat. "UGH!" He flopped backwards onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling. He placed both of his hands over his eyes. "Why…What's goin on, Ari…Vito…You both had me so worried…" Toshinori let his arms fall to either side of him before noticing something on the dining room table. He lifted himself up and walked over to the table, picking up the sunflower seeds Ari gave him the night before she left. "Oh…I forgot about these…" Toshinori sighed deeply before putting them into his pocket and watered Ari's plants. After his chores were done, Toshinori was about to leave when he reached for the seeds in his back pocket. Turning the package around, reading the instructions on the back, he took off his suit jacket and rolled up his dress shirt sleeves. At this point the kids had left and returned back to class. Toshinori grabbed a few tools from storage and walked to the back of the greenhouse. He looked at the instructions again before putting the seeds back into his pocket and started to dig up the grass, making rows, aerating the soil, removing any large rocks before poking holes in the soil and placing the seeds. Before he knew it, he made 6 rows and planted all of the sunflower seeds. Covered in dirt, as he was watering the seeds, Aizawa creeped up behind him.
"So…This is where you have been all day." Aizawa said, causing him to jump and throw the hose in the air, spraying himself. He looked over at Aizawa, unimpressed and soaking wet.
"Did you really need to sneak up on me like that? I almost had a heart attack." Toshinori said as he wiped his drenched face.
"It's unlike you to have your guard down." Aizawa noticed what he was working on. "Midoriya mentioned that you were acting weird, he's concerned about you."
"Oh…Yeah, I guess I haven't been myself today." Toshinori picked up the hose and continued to water the seeds.
"When you passed me and Midnight in the hall earlier, you looked pretty pissed. Mind if I ask what it was about?" Aizawa asked, approaching him.
"..." Toshinori hesitated to answer. "I asked Power Loader to help me locate Vito and Ari by their phones…I just wanted to make sure they were ok….*Sigh* Instead I found out they never even left the campus…And…Principal Nezu knew." Toshinori explained, looking betrayed as he turned off the water and hung up the hose. Aizawa walked over to Toshinori and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sure Principal Nezu had a good reason for hiding it from you. He wouldn't have done it if there wasn't a good reason." Aizawa said, trying to reassure Toshinori. Toshinori looked at Aizawa before pushing his sleeves up again.
"Yeah…I guess you're right…It's unlike me to storm off without knowing the full story." Toshinori, agreeing with him.
"What were you doing here anyways? I didn't know you like to garden." Aizawa said, looking over at the area Toshinori was working on.
"Ah! I don't…Well I haven't before. Ari taught me some basics about gardening and she gave me some seeds before she left. I just figured they would look best here…" Toshinori explained as he smiled, proud at what he achieved.
"What kind of seeds?" Aizawa asked.
"Sunflowers." Toshinori answered with a big smile. "She said they reminded her of me." Toshinori stopped smiling. "Such a thing to say…" He became frustrated.
"That was nice of her. *Sigh* Look All Might, don't let today's events affect the relationship you and Ari or even Vito have. Don't let it cloud your judgment, I know you were suspicious about Vito for a long time before finally being able to trust the guy. But I don't believe this is a good enough reason to let everything crumble. Everyone has their secrets…Even you." Aizawa turned to leave. "Some secrets should be left alone and some should be shared…Maybe this is one of those times that the secret should stay a secret." Aizawa said before looking back at Toshinori. "...Have you eaten yet? I'm about to go home and whip up something to eat if you want to join me. We can talk more back at my place." Aizawa suggested, pointing with his thumb behind his shoulder.
"Ah…No…I haven't eaten….Since this morning…." Toshinori answered, looking ashamed.
"Alright then it's no longer a request. Come, you need to eat." Aizawa demanded as Toshinori hesitated to follow him. When they got to Aizawa's place, he offered Toshinori a change of clothes since his dress shirt and suit pants were covered in dirt. Toshinori apologized and accepted the clothes, and Aizawa put his dirty clothes into the wash. Toshinori had a black tank top and gray sweatpants on while he sat at the table, watching Aizawa prepare dinner.
"Are you sure you don't need help? Vito and I used to cook together all the time." Toshinori said with his head leaning on his hand.
"It's fine. This won't take long to make." Aizawa said, wearing a black tank top and light gray shorts. Toshinori sighed at Aizawa's response.
"I should apologize to Midoriya. He's probably going to be up all night if I don't." Toshinori said, grabbing his phone from the table. Midoriya already sent him several messages throughout the day, wondering if he was alright. Toshinori sent a text explaining everything is ok and not to worry to Midoriya.
"He couldn't focus most of the day. Your attitude definitely affected him." Aizawa commented as he put the lid on the pot and walked over to join Toshinori at the table. "Look, All Might…" Aizawa looked down at the table and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm probably not supposed to mention any of this to you but…I think you deserve to know." Toshinori listened intently. "I was asked to watch over Ari and Vito while they are absent." Aizawa confessed.
"What? You know where they are?!" Toshinori jumped out of his seat. "Where are they?"
"Shh…Keep it down." Aizawa said with his finger to his lips. "It's difficult to explain…Ari and Vito both have unpredictable quirks and they need me to be there to make sure everyone stays safe, that's the only reason why I'm even involved." Aizawa answered.
"I didn't know Ari had a quirk…But I suppose I never asked her either…Vito told me his quirk but I wouldn't say it's the kind to be unpredictable." Toshinori added.
"Look…I can't tell you everything that's going on…Ari and Vito will have to explain everything when they are ready to. But I just wanted you to know that I'll make sure they stay safe and you don't need to worry so much." Aizawa said, smiling gently at Toshinori.
"Can I ask you for a favor, Aizawa?" Toshinori said, interlocking his fingers. "Just…Keep me updated please…It's all I ask." Toshinori begged Aizawa.
"Ah…Hmm…I'm…not really supposed to talk about any of this to start with…*Deep sigh* Look, if this will ease your worrying, I'll update you if anything happens. But don't expect me to bend over backwards for you everytime you want an update." Aizawa explained aggressively. "That's the best I can do for you."
"That would be much appreciated, thank you." Toshinori smiled happily at Aizawa just as he got up from his seat and went to check on dinner.
"It's ready, come help yourself." Aizawa said, grabbing 2 bowls and some cutlery. As the 2 of them ate and talked about school stuff, down in the laboratory, a breakthrough occurred.
"Doctor Rosa!" A female doctor ran into Doctor Rosa's office while he was reading some papers. "It worked!" She said dramatically, Doctor Rosa put his lab coat on and ran with the female doctor towards the room Ari was in. Since Ari went into the machine, they added another tank, making it 3 tanks in total now. Doctor Rosa adjusted his glasses, looking up at Ari in amazement.
"Wow…" Doctor Rosa said, observing the tanks. Ari in the left tank, Vito's original form on the right, and Artrio in the middle. "We got all 3 of them, finally." Ari, Vito, and Artrio were all connected by a skin colored tail that led back to Ari. "Get in contact with Principal Nezu right away and Aizawa." He demanded as he smiled wildly.
"Right away sir!" The female doctor running off to go call Principal Nezu and Aizawa.
"Now…Onto the next stage." Doctor Rosa said, grinning. "Let's see what this baby can do!" Doctor Rosa walked over to a couple other doctors on the floor and gave them some orders, explaining what they needed to do before they started the next stage of the experiment. He walked into his office, over to his desk, and looked at the papers from before. "Your father was a smart man…Ari."
As Toshinori and Aizawa were finishing dinner, Aizawa received a text from Principal Nezu to meet him in the lab ASAP. He apologized to Toshinori as he put his sweater on.
"I got to go. Are you ok to see yourself out?" Aizawa asked as he put his shoes on.
"Yeah…Sure…" Toshinori said, watching Aizawa leave. "I wonder what's going on…" He wondered as he dried the dishes. Aizawa made his way into the school, heading straight to the elevator where Principal Nezu was waiting for him.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Aizawa." Principal Nezu said.
"What's going on?" Aizawa asked, panting.
"I received a call from the lab, they said there was a breakthrough and asked for you and I to come down immediately." Principal Nezu said as they entered the elevator.
"Breakthrough? In what?" Aizawa asked, following Principal Nezu into the elevator.
"My guess is that the new machine they had installed did what it's supposed to. Maybe we will finally get some answers on why Ari is such an interest to the government." Principal Nezu said as the elevator doors opened to a darkened lab, the only source of light was from the machine Ari was in. Aizawa and Principal Nezu looked at the machine, stunned. Seeing Ari, Vito, and Artrio in the tanks.
"What…The hell is this?" Aizawa said, shocked. "Is this even humane?"
"You're guess is as good as mine, Aizawa." Principal Nezu, unimpressed.
"Ah! Thank you so much for coming!" Doctor Rosa said, approaching Aizawa and Principal Nezu with a big smile. "What do you think? Amazing isn't it?"
"I would disagree, Doctor Rosa. What exactly is going on here?" Principal Nezu snapped. "This isn't what we discussed."
"Ah! Sorry, sorry. When the first stage worked, I just went ahead with stage 2." Doctor Rosa smiled sarcastically. "But look what was achieved!"
"And what would that be?" Aizawa said, giving the doctor a stern look.
"If we're able to separate Vito and Artrio, then Ari will no longer have Vito or Artrio living within her body! We can contain Vito and Artrio in separate tanks and Ari will be able to live a normal life." Doctor Rosa explained.
"What are the risks, Doctor Rosa." Principal Nezu asked, again going straight to the point.
"Ah…Well.." Doctor Rosa scratched his cheek. "We are unsure at this point, we were just about to do some more tests to see if—" Doctor Rosa was cut off by a horrendous scream that sounded both like a girl and a monster yelling in pain. As everyone looked towards the machine, Ari, Vito, Artrio all showed pain on their faces with glowing white eyes as they screamed, struggling in their tanks. A doctor with a scalpel put a small cut into the skin of the tail, causing them to scream.
"You musin't separate us!" They yelled as Doctor Rosa ran into the room.
"What?" Doctor Rosa yelled as he went in front of Ari's tank.
"None will survive, Must stay together…Must stay together…" They replied.
"I don't understand. You're fathers notes said this would work." Doctor Rosa admitted. Their faces got angry and looked at Doctor Rosa, banging their fists onto the glass.
"He made a mistake, He is now dead…I would advise you not to do the same." They warned Doctor Rosa. "We were made to protect and to be used for war. As long as the Airheardt family lives, so will we." They ginned wildly at Doctor Rosa. "We do not harm without reason, we protect no matter family or not." Doctor Rosa slammed his hand onto the tank.
"Then explain to me why Ari is the only one to have Artrio? She's a monster!" Doctor Rosa yelled back at them. They looked surprised at his question and suddenly looked very sad.
"Blame the one who crushed her soul, Shattered her heart. That is when they came into the picture." They explained to Doctor Rosa as they placed their hands where their hearts are. "2 can not separate or both will die, 1 can disappear when one's damage has been repaired." They looked back at Doctor Rosa. "We trust you but this is not the way." They said as their eyes began to close. "Try another way…Doctor…" All 3 shut their eyes, their vitals went back to normal and it appeared they had gone back to sleep. Doctor Rosa was approached by Principal Nezu and Aizawa as he turned away from Ari's tank.
"That was unexpected!" Principal Nezu said, running over to Doctor Rosa with Aizawa behind him.
"So now what?" Aizawa asked, looking up at the tanks.
"I'll have to do a report…After seeing what a small cut will do…And what they just told us…I have to rethink my plan." Doctor Rosa said. "Give me 2 days…I'll wipe up some suppressants for Ari. But while she's taking this she will not be able to transform into Vito or Artrio."
"Hmm…So Vito won't be around while on this medication?" Principal Nezu asked.
"Yes, but due to this being a custom drug, I'm unsure how her body will react to it." Doctor Rosa added. "When we get her out of the tank, it'll be a couple of days until she will be able to function normally and during that time, we will put the drug into her system and we will keep an eye on her. Allow her body to adjust to the drug being in her system." Doctor Rosa said as another doctor approached him.
"I got all the ingredients you asked for, sir. Shall I start making the drugs you requested?" The doctor asked Doctor Rosa.
"Yes, please." Doctor Rosa answered. "Look, Principal Nezu…Aizawa…At this point in time, I would like to place a new device on Ari. It'll have the drug built into it, that way it will prevent her from transforming into Vito or Artrio." Doctor Rosa explained to Principal Nezu and Aizawa who agreed with Doctor Rosa. They said their goodbyes as Ari was being taken out of the tank, Vito and Artrio disappeared along with the tail coming from Ari. Awkward silence between Principal Nezu and Aizawa as they went up the elevator.
"What will you tell All Might?" Aizawa asked Principal Nezu as the doors opened.
"I'm unsure…I already know he's worried about Ari and Vito…And he's a bit mad at me right now due to our previous conversation…." Principal Nezu said as they left the elevator. "I have a few days to figure out a plan before Ari comes back. In the meantime Aizawa, please keep an eye on him for me?" He asked Aizawa.
"Hmm...I'll try my best." Aizawa answered as Principal Nezu and Aizawa went their separate ways for the night. After a few days, Toshinori was brought up to Principal Nezu's office on saturday. There was a lot of tension in the air while Principal Nezu explained what's been going on with Ari and Vito.
"You see, All Might…Ari and Vito have something we don't understand just yet…Due to this unknown, we've been running tests to make sure they're safe and updating their medical records at the same time." Principal Nezu explained.
"Ok…But why did they lie about where they were going?" Toshinori asked.
Principal Nezu sighed. "The government asked them to keep it a secret. That's all I know." Principal Nezu added. "If you have more questions, All Might. It might be best to go ask Ari and Vito themselves…They've been given back their freedom to speak again…But just know that what you find out…Will surely put a strain on your relationship with them." Principal Nezu warned. Toshinori just looked at Principal Nezu with concern before looking down at his shoes. "Why don't you go checkup on them? I believe they're both at the greenhouse right now."
"...Yeah…Maybe I'll go do that…" Toshinori said as he got up. "Thanks…" He said to Principal Nezu before exciting his office.
"..." Principal Nezu just watched his friend leave with a sad and concerned look on his face. "Be prepared All Might…Don't let the truth get to you and cloud your judgment…They need you to accept them for who they are more than you realize." Principal Nezu sighed.
Toshinori made his way to the path that led down to the greenhouse. He stood there for a few minutes, thinking about what he might say to them before he slowly made his way down. He noticed the garden club was hanging outside by the front doors, chatting about something that got them clearly worried.
"Hey." Toshinori said, waving to the girls as he approached them. The girls ran over to Toshinori frantically.
"All Might, Ari came back! But…She won't talk to us…And she locked her door…She isn't acting like herself! We're worried!" One girl explained, starting to tear up.
"Ok, ok, calm down." Toshinori said before kneeling down. "I'll go check on her, see what's going on ok and don't worry about your chores today, I'll do them. I'm sure everything is ok, Ari just came back from a long trip, she's probably just exhausted." Toshinori reassured the girls with a smile. The girls thanked Toshinori before waving goodbye to him as they left. Toshinori entered the greenhouse and noticed it was very humid, so he opened some of the top windows before making his way upstairs to Ari's room. He stood there for a while, hesitating to knock but instead he just put the key in and turned to the door handle, letting himself in. The room was bright, everything looked normal at first before he noticed Ari sitting in a chair, looking out the back windows and Vito standing next to her. Vito turned to see Toshinori standing in the doorway.
"Oh, All Might!" Vito said looking surprised. Toshinori noticed right away how different Vito's appearance is. He gained more muscle and some floppy-like spikes grew on his back, his tail seemed thicker and his horns were longer.
"You look different…" Toshinori said, slowly approaching them, noticing how his tail was bent towards Ari.
"Ah, yes. Being like this changes my appearance a bit. Not quite to my original form but half way." Vito explained rubbing the back of his neck. "Ari here…Has changed too…But…" Vito looks down at Ari with a sad look. "She's stuck…In a loop again…"
"What do you mean? A loop?" Toshinori stopped walking towards them.
"It's…Hard to explain…But basically…When you have someone or in her case multiple people die in front of them…One goes numb…Because their repeating the scenario over and over again in their head…I…I suppressed these memories for years because I was afraid…She wouldn't be able to get out of it if she continued to remember them…" Toshinori ran over to Ari and kneeled down in front of her. Her eyes were emotionless, like a haze was over her eyes. She didn't even notice Toshinori in front of her, trying to talk to her, it was as if she was completely zoned out.
"Ari! Ari!" Toshinori tried to get her attention by grabbing her arms but nothing changed her reaction. "Shit…How long will she be like this?" He asked, noticing Vito's tail going up behind Ari.
"Last time…It took her a month to just be able to eat on her own again…But it took almost a Year—" Vito squeaked, realizing Toshinori had grabbed his tail. "Pl-please le-let go…" Vito pleaded.
"Sorry! I just wanted to know why your tail looks like it's attached to Ar-…" Toshinori said as he looked up at Vito who had an expression he's never seen on him before, fearfully angry mixed with worry. "Ah…." Toshinori lets go of Vito's tail.
"All Might…No, Toshinori. We…Are the same person…I live within her body…And can separate from her body as long as my tail is connected to her tailbone." Toshinori fell back on his butt as he looked up at Vito, shocked at what he was hearing. Vito approached Toshinori and kneeled down. "And at this moment, I can't help her in the condition she's in. All I can do is eat, drink, and use the washroom for her, that's it. I tried everything under the sun to try to get her out of this loop before and the only thing I could do was block those memories. But this time she won't even let me into her head." Vito gets up, looking down at Toshinori. "All we can do is wait…" Vito sighed deeply in frustration.
"Wait…What do you mean? There has to be something we can do, right?!" Toshinori said, picking himself up off the floor. Vito didn't answer, he just looked away with a painful expression on his face. "..." Toshinori knew there had to be something he could do for Ari. "Have…Have you eaten?" He asked Vito.
"No…We just got back about an hour ago." Vito answered as Toshinori walked past him and left the room, going down the stairs. A few minutes went by when footsteps started coming back up the stairs, Toshinori had grabbed some vegetables and herbs from the garden. He brought everything to the sink and began to clean them. "Do you…Would you like some help?" Vito asked hesitantly.
"No…Just…Keep an eye on Ari…" Toshinori said, drying off the vegetables. He chopped everything up and put them into a glass pan before placing the seasoned vegetables into the oven. "It's not much…But it'll have to do for now. I can go buy something more filling later." Toshinori said, drying his hands after washing them.
"Thanks…I'm sure it'll be plenty." Vito said, walking over to Toshinori. "Toshinori…I-"
"Don't…" Toshinori pushed away Vito's hand that was coming towards him.
"Sorry…Y-you know…" Toshinori looked over towards Vito. "You…Did a lot for her…More than you realize." Vito crossed his arms together. "Her heart was shattered…Just a big dark hole was left, but you managed to find the only shard left and helped it to grow….Back into a piece of her heart…" Vito tightened his grip on his arms and looked like he was going to cry. "Look! I've been around for decades serving the AirHeardt family, protecting them, saving them, being used as their weapon...Forgetting who I was…" Toshinori listened. "I…I couldn't achieve what you have with her in such a short period of time…And I've been with her for 18 years…"
"Are…You jealous?" Toshinori boldly asked. Vito, shocked at Toshinori's words.
"...No…Not anymore…I'm…Just extremely worried at this point." Vito said, looking back towards Ari. "Honestly…I'm relying on you…You have become her light…If there's any hope of getting her out of this state she's currently in…You're the one who can do it." Vito looked back at Toshinori and smiled gently.
"I uh…" Toshinori couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say as Vito patted him on the shoulder and walked past him, going into the bathroom. Toshinori noticed the skin coloured tail along the ground, leading all the way to the bathroom from Ari. Toshinori sighed, scratching the back of his head before walking over to Ari who was still sitting silently, looking off into nothingness. "H-hey…Ari…" He placed his hand on Ari's. "Can you…Look at me?" Toshinori asked. Ari lifted her head and looked at Toshinori with motionless eyes. He placed his hand on her cheek, forcing a smile with sad eyes. "Don't give up…Ari…" She just looked at him as if he was empty. He sighed as he got up just as Vito excited the bathroom.
"Hey…Toshinori…" Vito said, walking towards him.
"I'll be back…I got an idea." Toshinori said as he walked towards the front door. "The food will be done in 35 minutes, so don't forget!" Toshinori yelled as he ran down the stairs.
"Uh…Ok...See you later…i guess…" Vito said.
Toshinori ran all the way home and began to work on his grand plan. Vito took care of Ari for a few days while Toshinori was busy and Principal Nezu had food delivered to the greenhouse for Vito. Ari didn't move from the chair the whole time while Toshinori was away. "Hey, Ari…" Vito kneeled down next to her. "Please…Ca–" Vito noticed movement out the window and quickly got up to take a closer look. "Ah! Ari! Look." Vito pointed out the window, Ari got up and walked over to the window. In the area where Toshinori planted the sunflowers, Toshinori was talking to a student, instructing them to do something. They used their quirk as instructed by Toshinori and the sunflowers grew, 10+ feet tall, reaching to the height of the window Ari was looking out of. Her eyes lit up, life beginning to shine in her again, the sunflowers were huge! Toshinori ran up, bursting through the door, huffing and puffing from running up the stairs.
"Did she see it?! Did it work?!" Toshinori asked just as she turned towards him, tears running down her face. He ran over to her just as her knees buckled, catching her before she hit the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I took so long!" He held her head into his shoulder as she cried. "The paperwork took longer than expected." Toshinori said, smiling as he began to tear up. Toshinori embraced Ari as she bawled her eyes out onto his shoulder. After a long while, Ari ended up falling asleep from exhaustion and Vito went back into Ari. Toshinori picked Ari up and brought her to bed. Placing her down, he laid next to her, watching her sleep, still looking so worn out. Just as he was about to fall asleep himself, she snuggled her way into his chest. Surprised, he just smiled and stroked her face before she grabbed his arm, hugging it as she slept. He smirked, grateful that his idea worked and snuggled with Ari as they slept through the night together. But in the back of Toshinori's head, he knew…This was only the start…..Of a very long journey.