5: She is his life line

She didn't know how long she held her hand to his chest, drawing the latent mana from the air and channelling it through his body. It was simple healing magic, a basic course she was required to take every year. She needed it more these days than she ever thought she would. Infusing mana into something wasn't a hard task, especially on living things. The pathways were clear and already flowing, all it took was someone to bridge the gap.

She kept her eyes on his face, holding back tears. Dried blood layered his skin, either his own or his enemy's, it was hard to tell. His eyes were sunken and closed, dark against his pale skin. It was only the rhythm of his heartbeat and the pulsing of his energy that kept her from falling to pieces.

Please, Izu. Please come back to me.

She looked to the sword sunk in the ground. One for All. It was stained with blood, but didn't have a single chip or scratch on the blade. Looking closer, she noticed it had changed slightly, the wrapping on the grip now a deep red and perfectly wound. The guard had also increased by half an inch and the blade had become slightly serrated.

Ochako knew of the blade's legacy: it had been handed down through a long line of elite warriors, each one carving their name into legend. The last to hold it was 'The All Might'. When the blade was in his possession it was a gleaming silver and gold greatsword that could cut through entire armies in a single stroke. When Izuku held the blade, however, it shrank into a short sword, with a quality worse than what the guards carried.

It seemed it was bonding with its new wielder now.

She would have removed it from the ground if she could. There were rumours it made the wielder immortal. In the past she would have dismissed the idea, such enchantment impossible to do, even for the Grand Mages themselves. Now, though, after all that had happened, she was willing to believe anything.

His energy suddenly pulsed and she was drawn back to his face. His brow scrunched up and his lips twitched. His hand grasped the air, not strong enough to lift itself. Ochako took his hand and guided it to the pommel of his sword, where he gripped it gently. He stilled.

It would be a long time until he woke up.

A gentle wind blew through the clearing, carrying a stench that made her retch. The bodies were starting to bake in the midday sun, the hauntingly familiar smell of death hanging in the air.

The wind died and she breathed in. It still clung to her nose.

Her ear twitched as something bounced around the trees. She frowned and listened closer. It was constant and rhythmic, almost to the pace of footsteps…

Her heart stopped. She could hear the clinking of plate and the rustle of chainmail growing closer.

Her staff. Where was her staff? She couldn't leave Izuku. Separating the connection now would put his body into shock.

They were getting closer.

Izuku, please wake up!

She tried to push more mana into his system, but his body rejected it with a violent jerk. She tried again, crying as she caused him pain.

Please!

"Sir, over here!"

Another push.

"What the bloody hell happened here?"

Ochako looked behind her and locked eyes with a soldier. His eyes widened and he ran back into the forest. "Sir, sir! There's a mage over here!"

More soldiers emerged from the treeline. Was this it? Was this how they were going to end after surviving such a bloody encounter?

The soldier returned, pulling a robed man along with him. "Are you su - " He paused, scanning the battleground. Ochako couldn't see his face, but the way his hood tilted she knew he was looking at her. His hands came up to his hood, pulling it back to reveal shocking white and red hair. "Ochako?"

His voice quelled her fear. It was something she didn't think she would hear again. "Shoto?"

He smiled widely and strode towards her, heedless of the bodies littering the floor. His joy died when he noticed who she was holding. "Is that Izuku?" She nodded. He looked to the soldiers, waving them over. "Bring a stretcher, now! We have an injured man here!"

Two men jogged their way over, a woman with a bag following behind. A herbalist, Ochako guessed from the pouches along her belt.

"Izuku, he's… I can't…"

"It's okay, Ochako, I've got him."

Shoto placed his hand next to hers and she felt him connect his own bridge, much stronger and refined than her own. He was a prodigy, after all. Still, she didn't want to let go, instead holding his hand as he was guided down onto the stretcher, the herbalist working at washing his cuts.

With her other hand, she guided the sword out of the earth and made sure his grip was tight as she lay it over his chest. Looking down at him made her tear up again.

"What happened?" Shoto asked.

"We - " She swallowed to clear the thickness in her voice. "We were found out. We've been using tunnels to escape so far, but… they must have finally caught on."

He nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, you're safe now. We have a hideout not too far from here with healers and some supplies. He'll make it."

"Thank you, Shoto."

"It's what friends are for." They started moving, the company of soldiers going back into rank. Now that she looked, their armour was tattered and mismatched, and some were dressed more as hunters than fighters. There were even a few women in the ranks. "Momo's there too."

Relief took her breath. "She made it?"

"We met up after the burnings started. It was hard, finding her in all that chaos, but we made it out."

The orange glow and screams of that night never left her mind. "I'm glad."

"I'm happy you two made it as well. I don't know how many friends we've already lost." His voice dropped off. "Of course, that means that we can't let you go after this." It was strange, hearing him tease. A far cry from the person he used to be. It did wonders for her spirits, though. "Besides, I doubt you'll leave when you see what the Resistance has planned."

"Resistance?"

"You'll be surprised with how many people are willing to go against the tyrant. Whole villages have joined our cause."

"How long has this been around?"

"A few months. The plans have been there since the beginning, but we've only recently had the numbers to start causing some disruption." Her looked at her with hope. "But, with you and Izuku with us, we can finally start hitting them where it hurts."

It was strange, thinking they could fight back. Until now, they had been on the run, people either dismissive of their presence or going straight to the authorities. The land was gripped in fear, and rightly so. All those who dissented were punished severely.

At night, when they held each other, Izuku would blame himself for their turmoil. He was the wielder of One for All, the next hero of the land, and he could do nothing but watch as everything crumbled. Sometimes he would entertain the idea of charging the castle himself to bring an end to it all. That was before she would slap him. She wouldn't let his misplaced guilt kill him.

But now they weren't alone; there was a resistance, and their friends were ready to fight too. If the fall of the kingdom taught Ochako anything, it was that one man could not save them all.

A/N: Thank you for reading!

Just a quick chapter for you all which I hope you enjoy. I think I might stick with the present/past/present formula right now, but it may change in the future, depending on what the past or present segments entail. In the future the past will disappear, leaving us with the end of the story.

Thanks to all who have faved, followed and reviewed! I'm glad you're enjoying the collection!

See you next time,
Naowt.