Life…Life was different now.

Everything felt darker, the world passing by with nary the blink of an eye, Izuku's heart feeling heavy, a wave of loneliness washing over him as soon as the morning sun woke him from his dreamless slumber. Something was missing, a spark of life that made every day a joy, that would brighten every color in a field of flowers, adding extra beauty to a bird's song. Izuku felt a hollow emptiness in his chest where something important once fit perfectly, a fading phantom that ghosted faintly over his heart, one that was completely out of his reach.

Himiko was gone.

Several weeks had passed now since Himiko changed the world, altered to where she never existed, her very existence having been stricken from time and space. Izuku's whole world had grown cold after awakening in this new world, his heart plummeting when he laid eyes upon a certain spikey, haired blonde with explosive tendencies, Katsuki sitting back in the spot that had once rightfully been his. Staring into those hateful, red eyes, his childhood 'friend' shooting him a quick rage-filled glare before averting his gaze in disgust, made Izuku feel like he was going to throw up.

'Where was she? Where was Himiko?' Izuku's mind screamed frantically as he stiffly walked to his seat, emerald eyes desperately scanning the classroom for any sign of the blonde-haired girl, the wielder of One For All too shook up to notice the worried look his friends were giving him. Taking a seat at his desk, Izuku nervously placed his hand upon his sweat-soaked forehead, a tremble running through his body as he absently stared at the top of the table, his mind running a mile a minute to try and figure out what was happening.

Pushing through the oppressive fog that was settling over his frazzled mind, Izuku's emerald orbs grew wide, tears burning at the corner of his eyes as Himiko's final words came back to him, a dark sickness coiling painfully in the young hero's stomach. She was gone. The godlike girl, one who could shape reality to anything she desired, was gone, erased from existence by her own hand.

She had left him all alone.

Grasping the edge of his desk tight, wood groaning under his intense grip, Izuku shook his head frantically, the green-haired hero refusing to believe it. She couldn't be gone! Everything was going to be ok! He finally got to make things right, got to tell her just how much he loved her, to save her from the darkness ensnaring her heart! What was the point of everything if she was just gone?!

Loosening his grip, fingers aching, a small, sorrowful smile curled on the corner of Izuku's lips, an errant tear splashing soundlessly upon the table's surface. She had done it. She had done exactly what she had promised to do, her final words echoing in his mind like a faint wind blowing through the leaves, Izuku lightly shaking his head in dismay at what she had said.

"I have to be a hero and defeat the villain."

He understood why Himiko believed she had to do this, that her very presence, a god among humans, may be harmful, that a single moment, a minute break, could lead to her repeating the same mistake again. But, what she got wrong, was that there was never a villain. There was only Himiko. She was something the world, that 'he', needed. A presence deserving of life. Now she was gone, never to be seen again, a lost voice in the universe.

The world had forgotten her. But Izuku still remembered her. Even till the very end, with her existence soon to be lost forever, Himiko had kept her promise. She had kept Izuku completely unchanged, his mind and memories left untouched, free to remember her and the times they spent together. Free to bear this heartache all alone.

In the following days, Izuku had drawn himself away from the rest of the class, the green-haired boy desperately, frantically searching for any sign, any evidence that could help him find Himiko again. But it was as if she had never existed, all the events, every last trace of her having been wiped clean. Izuku had searched the net, scoured every article and online forum, for any mention or photographic evidence of the League of Villains. He had even asked All Might whether there had been any recent news on Shigaraki and his villainous partners, framing it as concern for the upcoming school festival, the former number 1 hero giving him a skeptical look but, after seeing the distressed look on his young successors face, informed him on all he knew.

There was no mention, no trace to be found at all, of a girl with blonde hair and golden eyes.

With every passing day, with every failed attempt at finding her, the young hero endlessly searching for Himiko within a crowd of people, Izuku grew more despondent and isolated. His classmates and friends tried to reach out to him, having noticed his odd behavior, everyone trying in their own ways to help pull him out of this unexpected funk. All he could manage was a fractured smile and hollow chuckle as he waved off their worries and fears, none of his classmates buying it for a minute, the green-haired hero fanatic's emotions too easy to read, but if he wasn't willing to reach out there wasn't much they could do.

Despite it all, with the loss of Himiko weighing heavily upon his soul, Izuku still managed to excel at his classes, passing every written and physical exam with ease. It was all thanks to Himiko, everything he had learned from the godlike girl, the intense training they had undergone together, helped the green-haired hero climb to a new level. All this experience helped him immensely when the school festival was threatened by the pair of Gentle Criminal and La Brava, the duo planning on sneaking into U.A., which would have surely disrupted Class 1-A's performance and their hopes of ridding Eri of the shadow ensnaring her.

After a harrowing chase, Gentle's Elasticity quirk able to keep the wielder of One For All on his toes, Izuku was able to restrain the pair with relative ease, his powered-up Full Cowling able to overwhelm the sophisticated criminal even with La Brava's Love quirk infused strength. But, despite their obviously ill intentions, harmless as they may be, Izuku begged for lenience for the criminal duo, telling Hound Dog and Ectoplasm that they were merely misguided and that all they needed was trust.

Himiko had taught him that.

Days passed like a blur for him after the festival, with all the hectic planning and rehearsing behind them, with no more distractions to keep her face from invading his mind, Izuku decided to take a risk. Sitting in Class 1-A's dorm living room, Eri resting comfortably in his lap, the green-haired wielder of One For All took a shuddering breath, fingers trembling slightly as they held the young girl tight.

"Eri?" Pulling her gaze away from the television, red eyes stared up at her savior with a worried gleam, Eri noticing the hopeful yet terrified look in the Izuku's emerald orbs. "Do…do you remember a girl named Toga Himiko?"

A tense silence filled the room after the young hero's question, Izuku's heart beating a mile a minute as Eri lifted her head to the ceiling in thought, lightly nibbling on her bottom lip in contemplation. Turning to face the green-haired boy, Izuku felt his heart drop to his stomach as Eri shook her head, sorrow etched painfully on his face as he lowered his head in despair.

"I don't know anybody named Toga." Eri responded, a look of worry passing over the red-eyed girl's face when she noticed her hero's downcast expression. "Was she somebody important to you, Izuku?"

Lifting his head gently, a small smile, full of heartache and pain, curled on the corner of Izuku's lips as he held the young girl tighter, his voice soft and broken, wisps of forlorn love evident in his words.

"She was the most important person in the world."

A soft, tired exhale passed Izuku's lips as he lethargically stumbled through the locker room door, eyes closed as he cracked his neck, a wave of exhaustion washing over the young hero after a hard day of training. Izuku had spent some time after school in one of U.A.'s many training spots, the tireless monotony of trying to perfect Full Cowling, of learning new moves, helping keep his mind from wandering back to the godlike girl. Due to this extra training session, Izuku found himself alone in the boy's change room, the soft creaking of his locker door swinging open echoing softly in the vast, empty room.

Plopping his change of clothes on the nearby bench, Izuku slowly went about changing into his casual clothes, the green-haired hero trying to draw it out as much as possible, the future number 1 hero not wanting to deal with his classmate's worried stares at the moment. Slipping on the last of his ensemble, tossing his PE uniform into the locker, Izuku went to close the door when he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye.

Pulling the locker door back open, emerald eyes grew wide with shock as they spotted a small trinket resting on the top shelf, as if it had deliberately been placed there. Inhaling a shuddering breath, Izuku carefully, almost fearfully, plucked the object from the shelf, the hero's heart stopping dead in his chest as he held it gently in his palm.

It was the knife phone charm he had bought for Himiko on their last date.

Holding the charm in his hand, emerald eyes staring unblinkingly at its cutesy design, Izuku felt a strong pull in his heart, a gentle whisper that grew into a roaring crescendo. Clenching his fist tight, pressing it against his chest, Izuku's emerald eyes shone with determination as he slammed his locker door shut, the wielder of One For All dashing out of the change room and toward U.A.'s front gate. He could feel it, she was still here, he was sure of it! She was still alive!

Himiko!

Tapping his foot nervously as the subway train rattled toward the city center, Izuku continued to hold onto the charm like a lifeline, afraid to lose the only connection he had to her. Rushing out of the subway as quickly as possible, Izuku's heartbeat roaring like thunder in his ears, the green-haired boy stormed through the busy streets with a singular focus, destination clear in his mind. The scent of freshly brewed drinks, a deep confession of her past, the feeling of her in his arms as they danced, the moment he found out he loved her.

It could only be that place.

Finally arriving at his destination, momentarily stopping to catch his breath, Izuku felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him like a warm blanket, his heart feeling light in his chest as he slowly walked over to it. It was the cafe where they had their second, and so far final, date, the large windows revealing the large group of customers inside, students and office workers filling the building to the brim as they wound down from their long, stressful days.

Watching the people mill about inside, couples sharing drinks as students laughed and talked with bright grins on their faces, Izuku felt a small smile of his own curl on his lips as he thought back on all the times he and Himiko spent together. How harrowing and frightening their first meeting was after she changed the world, his nerves pulled to the breaking point with her reality-bending shenanigans, pretty much every waking moment Izuku spent was in complete and utter fear of just what Himiko would do.

And yet, slowly but surely, this crazed godly girl managed to worm her way into his heart. With her seemingly boundless optimism, always going above and beyond to make sure he was happy, Himiko showed him time and time again that she would do anything for him. Even if that meant bodily harm to someone else.

But, with every moment spent together, the more he learned about her, and she about him, the more they changed. Every day was so much brighter with her, her words motivated him to be better, her smile made him believe anything was possible. His kindness helped her open up, his smile made her believe she could be something more, his heroism inspired her to take those steps out of the shadow of her past.

They pushed each other forward, they were hurt by their secrecy and words, but most of all they loved each other.

Good or bad, these memories were ones he shared with her, and he wouldn't change them for the world. He would cherish them forever, keep them safe within his heart until the very end, for she was what was most important to him. That would never change.

"Hey Toga, wait up!"

A bolt ran down Izuku's spine, his heart stopping dead in his chest as he slowly turned his head toward the sound of the voice he just heard. Emerald eyes, glistening with unshed tears, grew wide as he caught sight of a group of high school students, bright smiles on their faces as they rushed toward their friend, roughly pulling a girl with blonde hair in for a hug as they giggled brightly.

Time seemed to slow down as Izuku watched the girls laugh and chat animatedly, their words falling on deaf ears, everything around him being washed out as all he could focus on was the girl situated in the middle of her group of friends. Donning a new school uniform, the black clothing modified slightly to fit a more playful style, her blonde hair done up in familiar buns. Izuku's heart hammered loudly in his chest as she let out a bright, joyful laugh at one of her friend's jokes, her face radiating nothing but pure happiness, a wide, beaming smile curled on her lips.

It was unmistakably Toga Himiko.

"Is your blood smoothie good?" One of the girls asked, Himiko merely letting out a content coo in response as she noisily slurped up another big gulp of her drink, her classmates giggling at their adorable friend. Watching her interact with her classmates, how freely she was laughing with them, how open she was being about her quirk, a fear she held on to for a long time, Izuku felt a well of joy in his heart at the glittering shine in her eyes, the golden orbs radiating with genuine happiness.

"Hey, Toga, do you know that guy? He's been staring at you." Noticing the green-haired boy's stare, one of Himiko's friends leaned down to point him out to her, raising her voice to make sure Izuku heard it as well. Lifting her head from her drink, gold met emerald as they locked eyes, the world around them falling away, the pair feeling as if it were just two of them. Staring into those shimmering pools of molten gold, Izuku briefly wondered if she even remembered him, the young hero searching for any sign of recollection within their depths.

"You guys go ahead. I'll text you later."

Waving her friends off with a reassuring smile, the girls giving her one last worried look before heading off, Himiko turned to face the wielder of One For All. Slowly walking up to Izuku, his heart beating in perfect rhythm with each of her footsteps, Himiko came to stand before him, a soft blush coloring their cheeks as they silently stared at each other in silence. Fiddling nervously with the strap of her school bag slung over her shoulder, Himiko briefly glanced up into his eyes before quickly averting her gaze, her feet bashfully kicking at the ground as she tried to muster up something to say.

"I know what I said back then, but I just couldn't stay away from you." Scratching her cheek, Himiko shyly stared up into Izuku's beautiful emerald eyes, an embarrassed giggle passing her lips. "Guess I'm not much of a hero after all, huh?"

The blush on Himiko's cheek only grew darker as Izuku merely smiled at her, her heart beating loudly in her chest at just how warm and comforting it was to see it again, the gentle kindness in his eyes as he looked at her with ceaseless adoration letting her she didn't make a mistake in coming back. Izuku chuckled softly at her words, a flutter bubbling up in her stomach at such a wonderful sound, Himiko's eyes lighting up as he held out his hand to her, her knife phone charm, the one he got for her on their date, resting gently in his palm.

Taking it carefully from his outstretched hand, brief electricity passing between them as their skin lightly grazed one another, Himiko gently cradled the charm to her chest as if it was the most precious gift in the world. Smiling brightly, Himiko, raising up on the tips of her toes, slowly leaned toward Izuku as she captured the green-haired hero in a soft, loving kiss. A shiver ran down the blonde schoolgirl's back as Izuku's arms slowly wrapped around her waist, gently pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss, his loving warmth enveloping her like a comforting blanket. Himiko had only gotten a brief taste of this wonderful feeling before, their joyful reunion and loving confession having been oh so brief, but the Transformation quirk user had grown immediately addicted to it, a well of endless happiness bubbling up inside her as her lips danced gently with her beloveds.

How could she have ever left him?

Holding Himiko close, his lips pressed softly against her own, errant strands of blonde hair lightly tickling his cheek, Izuku felt the missing piece, the one he had searched for so long, finally return to its rightful place. He never wanted to let this go, to lose this feeling, to love Himiko, ever again. He was going to be true to his promise, he was going to love and cherish her every day, he was going to make her happy.

Slowly pulling out of their kiss, the tender warmth still lingering on their lips, the pair stared at each other with loving adoration shining in each other's eyes, Himiko giggling softly at the dopey grin plastered on the green-haired boy's lips. Joining in with her laughter, Izuku chuckled softly before gently pressing their foreheads together, his nose briefly grazing across the soft skin of her cheek, the young hero letting out a breathy sigh.

"I missed you." Whispering softly, his voice heavy with emotion, Himiko let out a hiccuping laugh at his sweet words as she nuzzled her face into his chest, her ear pressed gently over his heart, the soothing sound of his heartbeat filling her with content happiness. She never wanted to leave his side ever again. This is where she wanted to be, where she truly belonged.

In her beloved Izuku's arms.

"I missed you too, my sweet Izu-kun."

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, but, in reality, it had only been a couple of minutes, the reunited pair too happy to finally be together again to care about anything around them. Finally breaking apart, though not with a great bit of reluctance from both of them and an exaggerated whine from Himiko, Izuku took a brief look around, worried that they may have gathered a crowd with their dramatic reunion, his eyes growing wide as a jolt of surprise ran down his spine.

Instead of the bustling streets, jam-packed with people hurriedly making their way to their destination, the city was now completely empty, leaving the pair of lovers alone. The towering buildings surrounding them, once casting an immense shadow over the area, were now twisted and bent into geometric nightmares as they curved up and around each other, the ground meeting the sky as it blotted out the sun.

Pulling his gaze away from the twisted landscape, Izuku whipped his head around to stare incredulously at the girl standing before him, Himiko shooting the shocked hero a sheepish smile, an amused giggle passing her lips. While definitely shocking, which was a massive understatement, it did prove one thing to the wielder of One For All.

Himiko still had her godlike powers to change reality.

Looking around himself, taking in the city's twisted geometry, Izuku merely let out a soft chuckle as he held his hand out to the godly blonde in a silent gesture, one of love and acceptance, a gentle smile curled on his lips. Grinning brightly, a big and truly happy smile plastered on her lips, Himiko placed her hand in his as he held it gently, his thumb briefly ghosting over her knuckles.

Wrapping herself around his arm, Himiko snuggled her cheek affectionately against his shoulder as they walked through the abandoned city, the world slowly untangling and reforming itself until it resembled its original state. One by one, the population slowly reappeared until everything was back to normal, the pair walking through the streets as if they were just a normal couple, lost within a sea of thousands.

Pressing herself tightly against Izuku's side, the green-haired hero instinctively wrapping his arm around her, Himiko felt like the world was perfect just the way it was. There was nothing she could do to make it better, no alternation she could make that could ever hope to top this feeling. The world was flawed, and people even more so, but these emotions, this gentle warmth radiating from Izuku's body, were real. There was no reason for her to bend and reshape the universe to her whims anymore.

'After all,' Himiko sighed happily as she rested her cheek gently against Izuku's shoulder, 'I have everything I will ever want or need right here.'

'I have my Izuku.'

A/N: The End.

After much heartache and hardship, Izuku was able to find Himiko again, her heroic sacrifice undone by her own selfish wish. But, this in turn led to both of them finding their happy ending together. So, as Himiko said, she wasn't really a hero. She was a girl in love, a love she couldn't let go of, nor could Izuku.

It was a love they both deserved to share.

Well, here we are, the end of it all. And I finally was able to keep my promise of not having a long delay between chapters, so it is a double win. This is the first story I've completed and I couldn't be happier to see it finally completely written out. It'll be sad to see it go, but I'm happy knowing I was able to see it to the end and share it with everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed it and I plan on someday coming back and writing a new My Hero Academia story in the future!

So, one last time, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to every single one of you for your continued support! It was a joy, stumbles and all, to share this journey with you and I hope to see you all in the next one! But, for now, this is goodbye! Thank you all!