Izuku would have never claimed to be a fan of fantasy. He didn't dislike the genre, but he always preferred real life Heroes to the ones on the pages of a novel. Still, he had read some comics and seen some movies, enough to have a grasp on it.

No one had ever mentioned that riding a horse was so torturous. After a day of riding – which surprisingly was easier than he had imagined, though maybe the fact he was trained in balancing himself thanks to UA practical exercises helped – his backside was stiff and his back felt like he had fought Muscular again. He wasn't in pain – he had broken his arms enough time to have learned to ignore a lot of it – but the fact it was continuous made it a lot worse than it might have been otherwise.

He noticed the others were having similar reactions. Itsumi had said it out loud, earning a chuckle from Izo. Ojiro, despite his best effort, was hurting as well. And even Todoroki, usually the most stoic of the four, was trying his best to not flinch every time the horses hit a patch of rougher terrain.

Izo seemed to find it extremely hilarious when they stopped at the end of the day, setting up camp in the middle of a forest. "Ah, the first days of riding, can't say I miss them." He simply commented, helping them set up the fire. "Don't worry about it too much, you'll get used to horse riding in a few days."

Itsumi sighed "Why can't we have a cart…"

"Because this makes us get to the capital in just five more days instead of seven and a half, if we can keep the proper speed. The Outriders use the same horses the army gives to messengers and patrols, and those are bred for stamina and speed, hence why I got them from Eimor."

"Oh." She sighed "So I guess we are just bound to have our backs destroyed. Great…"

"Afraid so. Now, Ojiro asked me something before, and I think if I wait any longer he will start to jump in excitement." Izo commented, and everyone turned to see a large grin spread on the Hero's face.

"A bit of control Ojiro, we are supposed to be the adults here…" Todoroki muttered.

"I know, I know, is just… Come on, magic! How can you not be excited?"

"I don't know, ask Izu." Todoroki replied, pointing to him. Izuku smiled politely.

Ojiro studied him, then laughed "Nah, he is interested, aren't you Izu?"

"Well… I guess I am curious. Magic could help. However, I already have my Quirk to focus on. There is my body, that needs to be trained to handle better the physical part of One for All, and I need to unlock the Quirks inside and learn to control them. Magic isn't really going to be my focus."

Ojiro nodded "Yes, I can respect that. Maybe see it as a Support Item. Don't focus too much on it, but learning some won't hurt."

At that, Izuku nodded. Maybe there was some magic to help handle the recoil from One for All. In that case, he might even be able to make strides in handling his powers.

"Alright, but don't get too excited." Izo commented, walking up to them "I'm going to do what I can, but I'm not a wizard, and One for All doesn't give me all the knowledge of my predecessors. It just passes on some vague recollection and their physical skills and spells."

"I actually wanted to ask" Todoroki chimed in, sitting down on the other side of the fire "Do you have any spells that don't come directly from the sword?"

Izo nodded "As I mentioned, the sword collects your combat skills and magic to pass on to future successors. As the Tenth, I have to learn what I can to aid the Eleventh and further wielders. It's just that, while I do like magic, I don't have much time to learn it myself, with the war being in such a state. Why, if I died now, I fear I'd become a very unused predecessor." He said the last part accompanied by a laugh. "Still, I can at least teach you something. Want to join? Fair warning, I'm not the best teacher."

"I'll pass." Todoroki said "My Quirk is already very versatile. I think I'll cook the dinner."

"Sure." The Knight replied calmly, ignoring Ojiro's disappointed look. "You, Itsumi?"

"Well, I'm not Shiro, but I suppose I might as well. If it works outside of this world…"

"It does, Isaac told us that much."

"Isaac can use magic?" Izuku suddenly asked.

Izo slapped his forehead "Right, I never mentioned that, did I? I thought you would know, considering that you asked to learn."

Ojiro coughed "I kind of assumed…" Izuku noticed Todoroki chuckle as he prepared some meat to roast on the fire.

"Well, your assumption was correct. Far as we can tell, there is no limitation on where you can use magic, so long as you know how to. I think Isaac once said that he was trying to not spread it though. According to him, bringing magic in a world that is still dealing with the Quirks might be a bit much."

Izuku nodded "So we shouldn't try to teach it back home, right?"

"Probably not necessary in your case. I'm not a true magician, as I mentioned, I'm a warrior with some knowledge of the arcane for obvious reasons." He tapped the sword "I can explain to you how to do magic I know or that is in here, but I can't teach you how to do all the boring part of creating new spells, nor can I teach you a spell I don't know in the first place. Even if you went back home, you'd just end up spreading the same two or three spells around, without any theory behind. Moreover, a lot of spells are supposed to be learned at different levels of expertise. You don't just learn to chuck a Fireball at people. I cheat my way through this with One for All, but in the few days we have you shouldn't get excited. One spell or two will be your best."

Izuku noticed Ojiro deflate a bit, but he was actually more interested. After all, he didn't really have an interest in learning so much magic. On the other hand, learning something, maybe from Nana's, could be interesting.

Itsumi raised her hand, to which Izo did his best to try and not look surprised. He failed, but still managed to point at her. "Is there some limitation? Like how in some books you need to have a specific talent to learn a specific spell school."

"Not really? Anyone can learn whatever they want, so long that they train. Usually people just learn what they want to know. Some wizards, the ones that try to be fancy, can style themselves as a pyromancer, a cryomancer or something like that, but those usually just want to sound important. After all, what's the point? A pyromancer is doomed against an opponent immune to fire that would merely inconvenience a less dedicated magician."

"Nice, so it's really just 'learn what you want so long that it's basic'."

"Pretty much."

Itsumi sat down "I'm on board. Teach me."

"Alright. So, what do you want to learn?"

"Aren't you the one supposed to tell us that?"

"I…" Izo thought for a moment "Well as I said, we only have a very limited time. In five days we will be in the capital, and then you will have to meet the king and Atura. If you can at least tell me what you'd like to do, I can narrow it down. Take some minutes to think about it."

The three nodded, and Izuku started to think. What did he need? 'The issue is that I don't know what is considered simple or advanced. Is night vision more advanced than a form of far sight? How do I know if a spell is supposed to be easy to learn or if I will waste the little time we have on one?'

He looked up "What spells did All Might use?" He asked. Izo smiled.

"I knew you'd go there. Excellent idea, and it gives me a reason to break down our fight. So, let me ask. How many spells did I use against you?"

"Uhm, the one that made lights, the one that spoke in my head, the one to jump so high when I tried to pull you with Blackwhip… Three?"

"Five. You guessed right that I used Dancing Lights, Message and Jump. You only missed Quick Step to make myself faster and Echoes to create the sound of a projectile flying your way and distract you. Not bad. Nana's magic set is really purely made for support. We can assume that like you, she also had access to the Quirks inside One for All, and she clearly used those more. A lot of the Nineth spells were completely useless in combat. Tongues to speak the languages she needed, Light and Night Vision to see in the darkness…"

"I think I should do the same." Izuku decided "There is no point in me getting more power, I think. But even Tongues alone is worth it if I have to travel through the Multiverse more before finding a way home. So far somehow we have always been speaking the same language, but for example I couldn't understand the Flind. And if we ever go to Isaac's America it would certainly help. And those Dancing Lights thing. They make for a good distraction."

Itsumi nodded "That's a good idea. I was thinking more of those Quick Step and Jump spells for me. I don't measure up to Izuku in terms of raw power, and my explosions take time, but if I can buff my agility at least I could cause more damage even by just hitting more."

Izo nodded, then turned to Ojiro "And you?"

"What's the strongest spell I can learn in the time we have?" He looked at Shoto "Possibly fire."

"Ohi, that's my territory!" The man shouted, and Ojiro chuckled.

"Ok, fine, I guess… Electricity! What about Electricity! Like the first spell you showed us."

"Uhm… Well I do have the powers of the Third, the Hero of Storm and Thunder. That's probably a good idea."

"Nice!" He turned to Todoroki once more "Hear that?"

"Yep. Hope it burns your brain cells like Kaminari's Electrification. Considering you have none and yet somehow survive, it would make you invincible."

Ojiro shook his head, though Deku noticed he was smiling, and turned back to Izo "Can we start?"

Izo nodded.

-

Izuku focused on the space between his hands, then slammed them back together. Then he opened his arms, keeping the hands parallel to each other, and the result was… absolutely nothing.

"Are you sure this is what it takes to use a spell?" He asked Izo.

"It's a step in the right direction. A spell requires to know the magic words and the gestures. I kinda…"

"Cheat your way through it with One for All?"

"Yep." Itsumi, passing nearby, grumbled something. "But I know what my Spells require. The reason you are doing this exercise is to try to memorize the movement. Considering you are a brawler, you'll find yourself pretty much forced to use the spell and then quickly go back to combat, so you need to do that. Also, if you do the wrong gesture the spell won't fire, and that could cost you the fight."

"Why is the movement for Quick Step tapping your legs three times while crossing your hands?!" Itsumi shouted, running laps around the camp as she repeated the movement "This looks so stupid!"

"Careful, your Bakugo is showing." Shoto commented "Look at Ojiro, he is doing it so calmly."

Izuku and Itsumi looked at Ojiro. The man was looking at his hands like they were his worst enemies while repeating the gestures and murmuring. "Draw a lightning with the index finger of your right hand then a cloud with the middle finger of your left. After that, strike with your left palm open toward the target. Do all in less than two seconds or you have to restart. Draw a lightning with the index finger of your right hand then a cloud with the middle finger of your left. After that, strike with your left palm open towards the target. Do all in less than two seconds or you have to restart. Draw…"

"I think Ojiro isn't calm, he is broken." Itsumi commented.

"Yep. Calm and peaceful." Shoto replied, dead serious. Itsumi snorted.

"Come on, come on, it's annoying but necessary. Once you can do it fast enough, I'll tell you the words and you will try to use them."

Izuku nodded, continuing the exercise. The movement itself wasn't hard, but of course in combat it was a different matter. Stopping to slam his hands together could cost him dearly if his opponent just socked him in the face while he was focusing on his hands.

-

Izuku yawned as he woke up early in the morning. He looked up at the sky, already lighted by the early morning sun. He grumbled as he stood up, cracking his neck and opening and closing his hands. He mechanically repeated the motions he had spent three hours doing the night before, and nodded, before standing up and looking around in silence.

Ojiro was alone on the opposite side of the camp. That was the minimal distance to prevent his snoring to keep everyone awake. Itsumi, Shoto and Izo had their sleeping spots closer to him. Or they had, since Shoto was missing. Izuku looked around, but he couldn't see him anywhere. Deciding he had probably gone to the nearby river to drink or wash his face, he decided to imitate him, starting at a slow run.

'I wonder if learning magic really is a good idea.' He thought as he run on the small passage in the woods, that he had been shown as the way to the river. Mices, squirrels, lizards and other small creatures skittered away at his passage. 'I should ask Izo what he wanted to suggest for Blackwhip. He seems to have forgotten. Maybe I should have brought it up…'

Izuku sighed. There was a lot of stuff he needed to discuss with the others. He could tell Itsumi still needed help, and that tied directly with what Todoroki had done. 'What am I supposed to say to him? 'Hello, I know you convinced a teenage girl to run away from home. Could you please stop?' That sounds ridiculous.' He shook his head 'And the killing… dammit, I know why they do it, but they are so calm about it. But again, how am I supposed to help there? Maybe defeating All for Deku can fix that universe, but can I even do that…'

"Good morning Izu." A voice saluted. Izuku stopped and looked up just in time to see he was about to walk into the rivers. He turned to the side to see Shoto sitting near it, his face covered in droplets of water and his chest bare and sweaty. "Going for a run?"

"Uh, yes. Did you do something?"

"Just some training." He sighed "I don't sleep well in the last two years. Since the Imprisoners… Well, broke apart after half the team died or lost their Quirk. I tend to wake up early."

Izuku realized suddenly that Shoto was almost always awake at night. He had been awake when Itsumi and her parents were having a fight, and had been awake when the Flind showed up in the village. Even back in the car, when Izuku had fallen asleep on their way to Kamino, Todoroki had fallen asleep who knows how long after him. "Are you… ok?"

"Mh?" Todoroki tried to smile, but Izuku could tell it was a sad smile "I suppose I'm not. I have not been for a long time." He splashed some water from the river on his body, cleaning away the sweat. "The battle with All for Deku took something from everyone in a way. Lives, Quirks… Loved ones. Sometimes I wonder if he took away my humanity too."

"Todoroki…"

"Ah, don't worry, I'm not about to crack on you Izu…ku." He shivered "Yeah no, can't do it yet. I'm getting closer though. Progress, right?"

He tried to smile, but Izuku had no idea on how to answer. "I… Guess." He finally stammered. He caught a hint of worry from the man, before his face returned neutral and he went back to wash himself.

"If you want to take a run, the river has a nice, mostly flat bank. Watch out for some of the roots. Also, I think I saw a tree walk after me for a bit. I think ignoring it will make it go away." He suddenly said. Izuku nodded but didn't move. Todoroki noticed and chuckled while shaking his head "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not going to pour my life story on you. What happened to me isn't pretty, and is certainly not something I will drop on a sixteen year old kid."

Deku nodded "I… I understand. However, Todoroki… I want to help you. You and Ojiro, and Itsumi as well. If there is anything I can do…"

"There is." Todoroki replied "But is not something you can give us."

Deku looked away from him "You mean… One for All?"

"Yep. With that, we'd be safe. With One for All inside me or Ojiro, we can go back to our world as soon as Teleport manifests and bring back a fighting chance for ourselves. Without it… Well, we are stuck with hoping another universe will decide they want to deal with him."

"You know I will help you."

"Oh I do." He sighed "But what does that mean to us? Sure, we will thank you if you take down All for Deku. But if it's just the luck of you stumbling in our world that fixes things, what does that say about us? Does that mean all the sacrifices we made were for nothing? Does that mean that everyone that died had no reason to do so, because you would have come around anyway and saved the day like a true Hero?"

Izuku bit his lip. He didn't know what to say, and the man noticed. "Relax Izu, I'm not blaming you. Hell, maybe it's for the best, since we failed to keep One for All safe in the first place. Maybe we don't deserve One for All. I certainly don't think I do."

"But you are a Hero…"

"I am not. At least, I am not what a Hero should be. Ojiro is more of a Hero than I am, and if he ever was in the mood he could tell you that. Some of the stuff I've done…" He shook his head "Let's just say that I was one of the first to sign the Morutisu Agreement."

"The what?"

"A piece of paper that says I and a large number of other Heroes will turn ourselves in once we have dealt with All for Deku and his Hero Suppressors. All the people that signed it agree they have done something that the old world would have defined villainous, and agree they shouldn't just hide under the excuse of necessity."

Deku's eyes widened "You will end up in jail if I…"

"Don't think like that for a second." Todoroki admonished "I am not a good person Izu. If I told you my life story, you would probably leave me right now. I took my decisions, and I will not walk back on them, but don't think, never, that I am proud of what I am. The only thing I am proud of is what I was."

They remained there for a few more moments, before the man picked up his shirt, put it on, and moved towards the camp "Now go doing your run. A One for All user should always take care of their body, that was what Mirio always said." When he passed next to the teen, he put a hand on his shoulder and moved his head closer, whispering rather than talking "Don't worry about me, Izu. I don't deserve it. Why do you think Ojiro had my wife's number but not mine?"

Deku looked at him leave. He wondered if there was anything he could do. After a while, he finally started to run again, more questions swirling in his head.

-

"Hello girl."

Itsumi sighed, looking around in the depth of the darkness she knew well enough. Having inherited One for All when she was a child, she had gotten used to the world inside her mind. And she knew who dwelled in it.

"Sup, old man."

"Ah, so you can hear me." The Vestige says. An elderly man with a long cane and a detective attire that made him look like he had just come out of a Noir movie smiled, gently brushing his grey mustache. Itsumi had no idea how there was an old user of One for All. She knew that All for One was a methodic hunter, and usually the users didn't last five years.

'Did he inherit it when he was already old? But why would a predecessor take the risk?' She wondered, not for the first time. The Vestige was never one made to answer questions like those. Or maybe the elderly just enjoyed leaving her in the dark. She couldn't really tell.

"I see Guide has put you in quite the bad spot." He commented, interrupting her thoughts. She just nodded, and he smiled softly. "Your mother is going to be fine, Itsumi."

"That so? And how can you tell?"

"Why, because I was one of her Vestiges before of course. Doubting her would be like doubting a part of myself. Or maybe like her pancreas doubting her? I never really understood this Quirk ability…"

Itsumi chuckled, and she could see the man's eyes. She never quite figured why, but he was always looking at her with a mix of fondness and sadness when she smiled. "I guess you are right. I suppose you didn't show up to tell me that you can perceive what's happening back home or something."

"I wish. Afraid to say, I'm as in the dark as you are. No, for once I'm here to give you a familiar face to talk to."

"About what?"

"Come on. The situation is eating you. Doubt, fear, uneasiness… You know you need to unload. If you won't do that with the kid, maybe you can do it with me."

"The kid… Oh, you mean Izuku?"

"The bearer of One for All from another world. Life really is full of surprises."

"You are technically dead, you know that right?"

"Yes, thank you for pointing it out. I've been dead for over eight decades, stuck as a Vestige from Hero to Hero, so I don't need the reminder." The man gruffly replied, but she could tell he wasn't actually angry. He never managed to be with her. "But you know what I mean. The kid wants to talk with you more."

"I know, I know. Izuku is a nice person to talk to. He helped me a bit back at the inn, after… After all that happened. Todoroki and Ojiro too. But he can't help, and I don't want him to think I blame him for what is going on."

"Good of you. A lot of people would."

"I would have died against the Noumu at the mall, or more likely the ones that attacked my house, if he didn't happen to be around. Maybe it was just luck, but I owe him my life."

"Now now, you make my portion of One for All sound like a pushover. A Noumu isn't that hard. But yes, the ones that attacked your house were a bit too much. You only wield a piece of it after all." He sighed "Our time is short, so I'll cut this quick for now by giving you some words of advice. Trust the kid. I mingled a bit with his One for All, and the guys in there are good."

"Wait you can do that…"

"You can trust him to help you. He is a good kid, but I know you could tell that yourself. Why, if you were from the same universe…"

"Nope. Nope. He looks like dad. That would be creepy. Eeeew." She cringed, feeling a bit nauseous at the thought.

"Teenagers, always going there. I meant he could have been a good friend and candidate for One for All. I thought the same of your father after all. Well, apart from the good friend thing, I thought he would make for a good partner for Katsumi, but you know what I mean."

"You thought dad could wield One for All?"

"Of course. It was Katsumi's decision to never share it with him. He almost begged her for it once, when she was in the hospital. He said she wanted to relieve her burden or something like that. Very moving, very sad."

"Mom didn't."

The man smiled "So here is my second advice. Stop treating One for All like it's a crutch?"

"…What?"

"You doubt yourself too much Itsumi. One for All is a part of you. It's not something you need, it's something that belongs to you."

"I… I don't think so. It's only thanks to it if I am who I am. Without it, I would be…"

"Useless? Weak? Don't give me that missy."

"It's the truth." She looked down, unable to look up to him. She knew she would find disappointment on his face.

"Well, I can't say I expected you to change your mind so quickly. Your power is unfortunate, yes. But you need to look at what you are, not at what your power is. Itsumi Midoriya is more than just a bomb."

The teen felt pressure on her shoulder and looked up, to see the Vestige touching her. He felt him fading, but caught his last few words before she woke up.

"Use this journey as an opportunity. Find out who Itsumi Midoriya is, and you'll see she is more than a lucky person. She is someone that deserves to be a Hero."

Itsumi woke up.