We're very close to the end of the first part of this story (the part that follows teenage Shota, Michi, Jaz, and Hizashi). Soon, we'll be going back a bit more in the past to see some stuff with a teenage All Might. That part won't be nearly as long. Maybe one or two chapters? We'll see. The story mainly focuses on Shota and Michi, as well as Jaz and Hizashi, but the stuff with All Might is important too. In the end, this story, as a whole, is going to be rather long, I think. Right now, we're in the past. Then, we'll go a bit further into the past. After that, the present (which I intend to have occur after the whole thing with Shigaraki and All for One), then we will advance into the future. Yup. Long story. And uh...a lot of gay shit later. Again, I'm not sorry.

After returning home, Shota took up Michiru's offer to look over some of the Tora Clan's ancient tomes and writings. "Piqued your curiosity?" she asked as she led him into a room upstairs that he had never been in before.

"Yeah." He looked around at the room. It appeared to be some sort of study or tiny library, filled with shelves of books, scrolls, and papers. In the center of the wall at the other end of the room was a large desk with a lamp.

Michiru flicked on the light switch at the door and stepped inside. "I try to keep it clean, but dust seems to like this room. Anyways, this is where we keep the records of our clan, as well as some other things. Some of this stuff is original and was recovered by our grandfather, but the rest he had to write himself." She went over to a bookcase near the desk and pulled out a thick tome with a gray cover, then brought it over to Shota.

"What's this?" He took the book and examined the odd writing on the cover. It was in no language he recognized.

"If you're curious about the two clans in general, then you should read that book. Tsume translated it, along with others, in Japanese. It also explains the Seishin and several old members of the clans. I already read it, so I'm going to go downstairs and tend to the garden in the sunroom."

He brought the book over to the desk and sat down, opening it. The book consisted of the strange writing all throughout, accompanied by old illustrations. There were also extra pages added that translated everything, and Shota assumed these must have been written and placed by Tsume. He began skimming over and reading parts that caught his eye.

To even our own kind, the beasts we call "Seishin" are a strange mystery. It is yet unbeknownst to us how they first came to be or how long they have existed. We do know, however, that they show no signs of aging, but that they can, in fact, be killed. Only one Seishin has ever perished, and, according to the other Seishin, was reborn into a new form…

…The Seishin were once animals, that somehow gained incredible power, as such, we dubbed them "spirits." Although they share similar abilities, each one is an individual that holds powers relating to varying attributes. For example: Ro appears connected to abilities related to nature such as plants and animals while Hi is connected to heat and fire, but both are capable of communicating to us without actually speaking and appear to have some form of foresight, though it is clearly not on the same level as Sa…

…Both Tamashῑ and Chinō were simple humans until the Seishin appeared and confronted them. The beasts were unlike anything they had ever seen, and at first, they were frightened. However, the Seishin meant no harm and instead went to them with a request. They described a great darkness to come and requested the two young men dedicate their lives and families to protecting the beasts from this darkness. For reasons they did not disclose, they chose those two. Both agreed and the Seishin devoured them.

Shota paused a moment. "Devoured?" He jumped a little when Pan hopped up onto the desk to see what he was doing. A strange illustration in the book displayed a cluster of ethereal beasts, maws gaping, leaning over two small figures. One of them he thought looked a lot like Ro. "Is this literal or some over exaggerated tale?"

Pan mewed and leaned forward to look at the picture. Shota continued to read in silence.

…From the Seishin came two new kinds of man: tigers of light and wolves of shadows. They granted Tamashῑ a new form and the ability to walk as either beast or man. They also granted him the ability of Auras, allowing him to read and understand the auras of all living things and manipulate his own into solid forms. They dubbed him Tora. They granted Chinō a new form and the ability to walk as either beast or man. They also granted him the ability of Mind, allowing him to set his will upon any living thing, forcing them to be calm or to rampage uncontrollably. They dubbed him Ōkami-Kage…

…The Seishin then did the same with the younger siblings of the two men. Granting each of them the form of both beasts and men, as well as other varying abilities. Tora Arashi was given the power of Storms. Fubuki-Kage was given the power of Blizzards. Yasei-Kage was given the power of the Body and untamed beasts. Each of them was granted great power and their lifespans extended so that they may guard the Seishin. Any offspring they bore was born with the same gifts and raised to guard them as well…

…For many years, the rest of humanity believed the Tora and Ōkami-Kage to be myths and legends. This was as it should be…

…when one day, humans outside of the clan began to be born with similar abilities. Many theories exist of how this came to be, but somehow it all connects back to the Seishin. Though they never granted such abilities to anyone outside of the clans, they are still connected to the people and are affected by and affect them…

…There was great strife amongst mankind when these abilities appeared. The clans watched from afar. From these times rose a great darkness, birthed from the hatred and wickedness of people's hearts. It took the shape of a beast to mock the Seishin, slaughtered their eldest sibling, Seishin Yan, and fled from the Tora and Ōkami-Kage. It then hid itself within a man and helped to fuel his most wicked desires, relishing in the vile taste.

It was then that the two clan leaders, Tamashῑ and Chinō, who had once been like brothers, began to argue. Both had noticed that with each birth of a human outside of the clans who held within them an ability, the Seishin related to that particular ability would grow somewhat weaker. They also noticed that with each death of a human with an ability, the Seishin related to them would grow somewhat stronger. Chinō determined that no human outside of the clans was meant to have such abilities. He drove his point by mentioning how the Seishin had not given the other humans these gifts, and how it had not been until those humans gained these abilities that the Seishins' powers began to fluctuate. He insisted that Yan's death was only due to the rest of humanity with their weakening of the Seishin and birthing of the dark beast. He suggested genocide of all humans outside of the clans who held abilities, saying it was the only way to correct the broken balance. His siblings agreed, as did most of his clan.

Tamashῑ, however, did not agree. He argued that they, as the guardians, were to blame for Yan's demise. He told Chinō that his idea was wrong and cruel. They had no right to harm or kill anyone. His siblings and entire clan agreed with him.

Eventually, the two sought council from the Seishin. The Seishin, being mainly neutral creatures, conversed with each other in silence for a while before speaking to the men. Ro, the wisest of the Seishin, spoke first. "We find your solution irrational, Chinō. To fight against the darkness born of humanity's wicked and violent nature with more wicked and violent actions… Would this not only feed the dark beast and make him stronger?"

Seishin Ku spoke next. "You would choose to place your own people in mortal danger simply to heartlessly slaughter innocents?"

Chinō demanded to know what made them innocent.

Seishin Ra silenced him with a snarl. "Not all, but most are innocent! They fight now to survive, grasping and clutching desperately to something that will bring them peace! Something that will give them hope! They do not know of our existence, yet you think they are harming us intentionally?"

But Chinō-Kage was not convinced. He felt betrayed by the Tora and the Seishin. He only desired to fulfill his duty and keep the Seishin safe, for he loved them dearly. However, he too had been corrupted by the darkness in his heart. Chinō rallied his clan, and those who opposed him were forced to obey by his ability. He turned them upon the Tora and slaughtered them. Chinō himself sunk his fangs into the throat of Tamashῑ. Only the grandson of Tamashῑ escaped and fled to a faraway land. The Seishin, angry and frightened by Chinō, fled as well. Ro, Ku, and Sa fled with the grandson while the others fled across the land and sea…

"Still reading?" Michiru's voice pulled Shota's attention away from the book.

"Er, well I was just about to stop actually." He closed the tome and stood up.

"Learn anything new?"

"Yeah. Chinō-Kage's intentions. Or, at least, his original intentions."

She nodded. "It's quite the story, isn't it? Tsume believes that the reason the Ōkami-Kage kidnap people is to amass an unwilling army of sorts. Once they get enough, they'll attack. At least, that's what we think might happen."

"Then he'll kill the people he used," Shota said.

She nodded again. "Here. Come downstairs and eat."

He followed her down to the kitchen just as her phone began to ring. She answered and placed it on speakerphone on the table.

"Hello, niisan."

"Hello Michi! Shota?"

"Hi," he said.

"Hi! What have you two been up to since you got back home?"

"Shota was in the study and reading the old clan tome," Michiru told her brother.

"Oh? You really do have a fascination with us, don't you?" He laughed. "How much did you read?"

Shota swallowed a bite of food. "Up until the Ōkami-Kage attacked the Tora."

"Ah, I see. It answers a bit but leaves you with more questions, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I just wanted to check in, like I said I would. If all goes well, I should be returning home in about a week. You two don't get up to anything too naughty, now."

"Tsume!" Michiru scolded. Shota almost choked on his drink.

Tsume laughed loudly. "I'm just kidding! Goodness! So sensitive… Heh, all right then. Give Pan a pat for me. I'll see you soon. Love you, Michi."

"Yeah, yeah. Love you, too."

…

Three days after the capture of Doku-Kage, Michiru and Jaz received information from the Commission about Doku-Kage having somehow managed to escape the high security prison called Tartarus. Not only did he escape, but he apparently took three other prisoners with him as well. The man who they had encountered with him in the underground passage was oddly not one of them, as that man had suddenly gone insane in his cell and tore into his own flesh so brutally that he cut his own jugular vein and bled to death in a matter of moments. This information was, of course, kept from the public to avoid panic. Three more days later, there were still no signs of Doku-Kage nor any of the three escapees. Another day later, there was a knock at the front door.

Michiru and Shota exchanged glances. It was the afternoon and they had not been expecting anyone. Jaz always texted or called before showing up, Hizashi announced his arrival, and Tsume would simply walk inside. Together, they stood up and answered the door. Shota did not recognize the man at their door, but Michiru did.

"What's a member of the Commission doing here?" she asked him as she stepped outside.

Shota joined her and watched the man curiously.

"Tora Michiru…"

"Why are you being so formal, Mr. Goro?"

Shota looked over at the black car parked on the other side of the koi pond's bridge. The windows were too dark to see if anyone had accompanied the man. The man himself was dressed in a black suit and appeared to be somewhere in his thirties or forties.

Mr. Goro was quiet for a long time, as if he was trying to find the right words. "Michiru… Light Claw – Tsume – is missing."

They both stared at him in shock. "What?" Shota said.

"The last we heard from him was last night, at exactly nine forty-seven. He had spotted one of the escapees from Tartarus and went in pursuit. Shortly after, we completely lost contact. We dispatched heroes and police to the area he was in when we received the transmission, but… the communication device he used and a spot of blood was all we found. We are still searching, but it's likely that he was captured by Doku-Kage or another member of the Ōkami-Kage."

Michiru only stared at him, breathing deeply.

"What about that passage under the shack?" Shota asked. He was feeling panicked inside.

"We sent a team the day you all apprehended Doku-Kage, but the tunnel led to dead ends. Aside from one that led into an underground subway. We're still looking into that one, but we believe the entire thing was simply an Ōkami-Kage trick."

"Tch! Ah, Michi!"

She had suddenly turned into her tiger form and took off somewhere into the woods.

Mr. Goro watched her, looking a bit saddened. He had actually known Michiru and Tsume since they were little. "I'm very sorry," he told Shota. "That's all the information I have right now." He bowed politely and returned to his car.

Shota walked quickly into the woods in the direction he had seen her go, but he stopped and looked around hopelessly. "Michi! Where is she…?" He tried to think of where she might go, but her favorite place on the property was the clearing itself. He decided to head for the giant tree on top of the hill. If she was not there, then perhaps the Forest Ghost was? When he got there, he quickly went up the hill and around the base of the tree. There was no sign of Michiru. He made his way around until he reached the exposed roots that covered a den in the soil. "Ghost? Ku?" He was not entirely sure which one he should be addressing.

There was a rustling from the den and some of the roots began to rise, but it turned out to only be the large rack of antlers atop a snowy white head as it lifted to see who was there. The deer stared at him curiously.

"Do you –" Shota began. "I mean… Can you help me? I just need to find Michi. Is it somehow possible that you know where she is?"

The deer climbed out of his den and shook himself. He then looked around, staring wide-eyed as his large ears moved like radars. A soft breeze passed over them and the deer's ears perked up. He snorted, walked around the tree, then kicked up his hoof and lowered his head to point his prongs towards the east of the property.

Shota stared in the same direction, thinking. "Over there is…the cape. Right. Thank you. Forest Ghost or Ku or both. I don't really know, but thanks."

The Forest Ghost straightened himself and watched him leave in a hurry.

The sun was beginning to set on the other side of the property when Shota reached the cape. As usual in this particular spot, it was windy and the ocean could be heard lapping at the rocks far below. He stopped for a moment and stared at her. Michiru was standing on the cape, the wind blowing her lavender hair to the side, and watching the ocean sparkling in the dusk light.

"Michi!" She did not respond or turn to look at him. Her ears were folded against the wind, so he wondered if maybe she just had not heard him. He approached her, stopping about an arm's length behind her. "Michi," he repeated, a bit quieter now.

She turned her head slightly, just enough that he could see that her face was wet with tears. "He's gone," she said. "Tsume is…"

He wanted to comfort her, to tell her something reassuring, but he had no idea how or what to say. Even he was still reeling over the news, and what could they possibly do? All they could do was exactly what they had been doing all along: waiting. Though Tsume and others searched for the wolves, no one ever seemed to encounter them unless it was on the Ōkami-Kage's terms. But still, he knew, he felt that –

"He's still alive. Somewhere."

Michiru turned now to look at him.

"They're original goal was to kill off anyone outside of their clan," he said. "But they started kidnapping certain people. I don't know what they'll do to him, but I know he's not dead."

She only watched him.

He had no idea what to say. He stepped closer and embraced her tightly. "I'm sorry, Michi. I miss him, too…"

She clung tightly to him and hid her face in his shoulder.

"I'm still here," he said softly. "I'll always be here…"

After she calmed down, they made their way back to the house. Pan was immediately upon them as they walked inside, weaving through their legs and meowing frantically. Michiru picked him up and hugged him, burying her face into his black fur. She carried him over to the sofa and sat down, pulling her legs up to curl herself up and cradle the cat. Shota joined her, sitting so close that they were pressed against each other's sides. They remained this way for the rest of the evening and into the night until Michiru eventually drifted off to sleep, still clinging to Pan who refused to leave her. Shota remained where he was for a while after then quietly stood up and went off to his room. Shortly after, he returned and stopped to check on them before heading for the front door. Pan watched curiously but remained silent and still.

Shota walked off through the forest; it was far darker now that it was night. The sounds of crickets echoed all around and an owl called from somewhere up above. He began to wonder if he would be able to find it in the dark, but he soon came across the tasseled lanterns that stood sentry on either side before the small pool of water. The water was as still as ever, but it was now a dark void filled with the glittering reflections of stars. He stared down at it for a moment before stepping in and disturbing its stillness. He approached the stone statue standing atop its moss-covered pedestal and placed the colorful orb in the round space below the statue's feet. He then returned to the spot between the lanterns to wait.

Almost immediately when he turned to look back at the shrine, the tassels hanging from the lanterns began to sway and the lanterns lit up with soft yellow light. From the orb in the shrine came the shape of the giant deer beast with its reptilian forelimbs and tail. Seishin Ro's summer form was the form Shota typically associated him with, as it had been the first form he had seen. Ro's body was covered in green, leafy fur, and his impressive antlers were covered with green moss. The beast rolled his head, stretching his neck as if he had been stuck in a cramped place for too long, then straightened up and stared down at the boy with his unblinking yellow eyes.

"What does thou request of me?"

For some reason, Shota always felt small and stupid talking to Ro. Still, he looked up at the beast and spoke calmly. "The last time we met, you asked me to look after that orb. You said you could give me what I want in exchange. Right?"

Ro watched him closely. "…I cannot do anything about Tora Tsume."

"I figured, but that's not it. It's… It's about Michi. Erm, Michiru."

"What does thou request of me?"

"I just…" He looked down. "I just want you to make sure, that no matter what, she stays safe. Can you do that?"

Ro seemed to be contemplating something for a while as he tilted his head ever so slightly. Finally, when Shota looked back up at him, he answered. "Yes. I can promise that. I will make sure, that no matter what happens, Tora Michiru will be safe."

He stared up at the beast. He was unsure if he should thank him, or if he should say anything at all. Ro continued to look down at him, as if expecting something else.

"You have questions?" Ro asked suddenly.

"I… Is Tsume…?"

"He is alive, just as you believed. However…" Ro paused, considering something. "You will not meet him again for several years from now. I apologize, but I cannot share anything else on the matter."

"Right…"

Ro watched him for a moment longer, as if wanting to tell him something else, but the Seishin only told him farewell before vanishing in the shadow of a cloud passing over the moon.

After retrieving the orb from the shrine, Shota made his way back to the house. He had mixed feelings about the Seishin, though the only two he had directly interacted with were Ro and Yuki. Pan and the Forest Ghost were animal hosts, but he strongly believed that their actions and behaviors were all their own and not commands from the Seishin. Yuki seemed nice enough, but Ro was always vague when answering any questions. Still, Shota oddly felt a sort of kinship towards Ro. He wondered if it was just because of their connection through the spirit orb. Or perhaps it was because Ro was so close to Tsume and Michiru? Either way, he felt both relieved and incredibly frustrated by the answers he received that night. Shota had noticed that Ro seemed to want to tell him more or help further, but for some reason he did not. He sighed, remembering that even the Tora could not fully understand the ways of those giant beasts, so how could he? At least, whatever happened, Michiru would be safe.

When he returned to the house, Shota found Michiru still sound asleep on the sofa. He held a silent argument with Pan as he tried to remove the cat from her. After a minute or so of the feline stubbornly resisting, he finally got the cat to move. Pan's fur bristled somewhat and he leered at the boy. However, he quickly switched from annoyance to curiosity when Shota carefully lifted Michiru from the couch and carried her away. Pan followed them up the stairs and into Michiru's room, pausing to watch as Shota placed her on the bed and covered her with the blanket. As he did, he noticed a necklace hanging from her neck that must have fallen out of her shirt. The moonlight shining through the window allowed him just enough light to make out the shape of the charm hanging from it; it was a black cat curled up asleep. It was the same necklace Seishin Yuki had given to him for her. Did she always wear it? He was pulled out of his thoughts when Pan leapt onto the bed and curled up behind Michiru, pressing his back to hers. He looked just like the necklace charm. He figured she must like it so much because it reminded her of her precious pet cat.

Shota watched them for a moment before gazing around at the room. He had never been in Michiru's room until now. It was tidy and decorated neatly, aside from some of Pan's cat toys strewn about the floor in one corner. By the window, there was a well-kept bonsai tree resting atop a desk. In front of the miniature tree was a small book like a journal or diary of some kind; the white cover was decorated with golden silhouettes of deer. She really likes deer, he thought. Michiru never struck him as the type to write about her day or anything of the sort, so, for just a moment, he found himself wondering about the journal's contents. Of course, he was not the type to go through someone else's personal belongings, so he left it well alone and turned his attention back to Michiru. After noting that she was sleeping well, he quietly left the room and went downstairs to his own room.

The next day, Michiru awoke before him, as she often did, and had just finished making breakfast by the time he entered the kitchen. Her ears twitched and she looked back at him as he went straight to the refrigerator to grab something from it. "You really like juice, don't you?"

He grunted and went sit at the table with his juice. Shortly after, she placed a plate of food in front of him before taking her own and sitting down as well. "Thanks, but you don't have to keep preparing my meals for me you know."

"Why not?" She did not look up from her plate. "As leader of my tiny clan, it's my job to make sure every member of this household is fed before I sit down to eat."

He did not bother to argue, not that he really minded anyway. She did always serve him and Tsume before herself. She would even feed Pan before herself. If they had guests, such as Jaz or Hizashi, she served them first, too.

He wondered if he should ask her how she was feeling, but he personally would not want to be asked such a thing at this time, so he decided not to. Instead, he ended up asking her, "Have you spoken to Jaz?"

Michiru continued to look only at her food. "Yes, earlier this morning. He will be here later."

"Okay." He watched her closely, greatly disliking how different her behavior was now. Of course, he understood, but seeing her – who was usually happy and smiling sweetly – sitting quietly and looking gloomy, bothered him a great deal. Though, he had to admit that he also was feeling deeply saddened from the news about Tsume, so he could only imagine how she was feeling. It was unfortunate, he thought, that he really had no clue of what to say or do to help her feel even a little better. "Michi…"

"…Yes?" she said after he did not continue.

"Last night, I went talk with Ro."

She stopped and looked at him now. Her expression was somewhat curious but mostly unreadable.

"He said he can't help with the situation, but he told me that Tsume is alive." He prodded his food with his fork. "Unfortunately, according to Ro, we won't see him again for a few years…"

"But… We will?"

He looked at her. "Yeah. One day. That's what Ro said, at least."

She looked down again and tightened her grip on her fork, her ears folding back a bit. After a few seconds, she seemed to relax a little. "One day… I'll look forward to it then."

"Yeah. Me too."

The next night, Michiru had gone back to her routine of playing the piano in the sunroom at night; Shota could hear it as he neared the clearing. When he reached the clearing, he paused a moment to watch her from a distance through the sunroom window screens and listen to the music before heading around to the front door and going inside. Inside, he went straight to the bathroom to wash, lightly scolding Pan as the cat shoved his tiny paws under the door and tried to swipe the boy's shirt from the floor. When Shota had finished, he opened the bathroom door quickly, purposefully startling the cat and causing him to run off down the hall. He then went to his room, climbed into his bed, and turned onto his back to stare up at the ceiling and listen to the muffled sound of the piano. After a short while, it stopped, and he could faintly make out the sounds of Michiru closing the sunroom windows before turning out the light. He expected to hear her scolding Pan as the cat bolted up the stairs through her legs, but was surprised when she came to his door instead. He turned his head to look at her and was even more surprised when she climbed into the bed with him.

"Sorry," she said quietly. She was laying on her side, facing him, but looking down at the sheets. "I just…"

"It's fine," he told her. He figured she must feel lonely lately.

After heavily debating it in his mind, he decided to take the risk and moved closer to her, turning on his side and reaching over with one arm to hold her. His face was already warm, but he felt a wave of heat pass through him from head to toe as she closed the space between them and snuggled up against him. His heart raced for a few moments and he realized that he was holding his breath. Slowly, he exhaled and held her a little tighter, finding a great comfort and pleasure in having her so close. He rested his chin atop her head and breathed in her scent as he steadily dozed off. She's so warm…he thought to himself.

To be continued…

Seishin Hi's name is pronounced "he". Just saying.