The world was dark. Tomo found himself standing in an endless void of black. Across from him, despite any lack of visible light, was a figure. A dream.
These dreams were getting more and more frequent. Tomo could hardly remember the contents of his strange dreams, but remembered enough to know that they weren't normal. Something important was happening.
The dark figure stared at him, the hints of a facial outline growing more and more clear by the second as an environment started to form around them.
Tomo tested his voice, feeling small in the presence of the figure before him. "Hello?"
The figure reacted by squinting their eyes. A muffle could be heard faintly.
"Come again?" Tomo said as he strained to listen. He inched closer, a sudden gut instinct commanding him to do so.
"—ly. t' -ime."
The beginning of what could nearby be called words were audible.
Tomo tilted his head, the feeling of being able to understand just around the corner.
"Come," said the voice.
Tomo's heart skipped a beat. And then a few more in shock. He took a step back.
The voice was familiar. Frighteningly familiar. He looked at this shadowy figure in a new light. His eyes widened as his heart rate spiked.
"Finally," said the voice with a visible smile showing on its owner's face. "Welcome, child of Darkness. Glad to see you finally give in."
This voice was the exact voice Tomo would hear when the voices of his Quirk would whisper to him.
"What do you want?" Tomo replied, immediately feeling hostile.
The figure bared its teeth in what could barely be described as an amused smile. "Come now, that isn't how you are supposed to greet your elders. Try again, child."
"What. Do. You. Want?" Tomo repeated, enunciating each word to show his distaste for the figure before him.
"Wrong answer, boy," the voice said with a hint of anger. "We are bonded for life. Your life, really, not mine. After you die, I will continue living on in your descendants. I would reconsider how you treat me. We can have a cordial relationship, or I can make the rest of your life a living hell. What would you like?"
Tomo scowled, his distrust for this figure already at high levels. "So what would you call how you already made my life as? Is that you going easy on me?"
"Of course," the voice replied instantly. "You have only caught glimpses of the world of Darkness. This power's potential is endless and you instead cower from your true calling everyday so don't pretend like I haven't been showing you mercy. Would you like to see what a real night of Darkness is like?"
While the figure's words were starting to unnerve Tomo, he didn't let it show on his face. He would not give Darkness any weakness to exploit. "What do you want? You've been trying to contact me in my dreams, right? Start talking."
The figure sighed. "Stubborn like the others. The youth gets ruder and ruder with every generation. Fine, boy, you want to talk? Let's talk. My name is Darkness. We are speaking because you are finally ready to explore the Inner World of what your generation calls Quirks. It will be to both of our benefit that you learn about it and how to exploit it to your advantage."
The words Darkness spoke sounded familiar to Tomo. That monster from before had mentioned something similar to Toru. How he had shown her the Inner World of Quirks as thanks for her help in something. If this was real, Tomo had to know about it.
"Alright, as much as I don't trust you, I'm willing to hear you out. This will help me unlock my potential? Tell me everything you know."
Darkness smiled an ugly smile. It sickened Tomo just to look at.
"Quite demanding now, aren't we? Fine. I will explain this to you once so listen carefully. There are two sides of Quirks. An Outer World and an Inner World. The Outer World is the same as your human world. You humans battle each other using the powers of your essence, or Quirks. This is the limit to what most people can do," Darkness paused and gestured to the space around them.
"This, where we are standing, is the Inner World of Quirks. Only a very select few can ever experience this realm. Those who can manipulate the Inner side are among the strongest people to have Quirks. Think about it, most people can fight back in the Outer World, but in the Inner World, they are completely defenseless. If you can enter the Inner World and your opponent cannot, you will win everytime."
Tomo nodded. He was following so far.
Darkness continued, "I can name a few examples of those blessed with this power for you to make it more clear. For example, that teacher of yours. He can get momentary glimpses into the Inner World and attack a person's essence to disable their Quirk. Very powerful. Multiple steps above that is the monster we just escaped from. He can not only look into the Inner World, but he can also reach into the Inner World and steal your very essence away from you. That is why I told you to run when we met him. I could feel his disgusting, greedy gaze on me and I want nothing to do with him. On the flip side is that one green-haired classmate of yours. He is a special case, but he understands the Inner World more intimately than anyone, even if he doesn't yet know it, and can access things even beyond the scope of what should be possible. I would keep an eye on him if I were you because not even I fully understand what is going on there. Lastly, there is your sister. You may have realized this, but she split herself between the two worlds. An invisible side in the Outer and visible side in the Inner. Her physical body fights in the Outer and when she controls Light, her visible self fights in the Inner. That is how she was able to overpower you so easily - she fights from both worlds at the same time."
Toko's eyes widened, a lot of things making sense with those examples. He realized now why Toru's attacks had been so mind-numbingly painful; she had attacked not only his physical body, but also his very essence. If what Darkness said about her is true, then she was even more powerful than he already thought. He needed to be able to fight back against her in the Inner World. "How can someone fight in the Inner World? Are you just born with that ability or can you train for it?"
Darkness shook his head, "You have to be born with it. No amount of training will allow you to come here. Think about it: no matter how hard you try, a human cannot suddenly grow wings and fly. The only way they can fly is if they were born with the ability to do so. This is similar."
Tomo nodded. "So how do I learn to fight in this world? What should I do to enter it?"
Darkness smirked. It was an evil one that sent a shiver down Tomo's spine. "Well, isn't that an obvious answer. The only way for you to enter is to give yourself up to me. I am your bridge between the worlds and I can fight for you from within here."
Tomo frowned. "I would rather not."
"Child, I am offering myself to be your champion in the Inner World. This is not an offer I make lightly. Together we can accomplish many great things. All you have to do is give me full control over your body."
"I would prefer to not give you full control. Teach me how to enter on my own."
"That's not how it goes, boy. Either you let me do it, or you die trying. The choice is yours."
Tomo frowned. "What's in it for you then? What's your end goal? Why do you want me to give you control so badly?"
"My goal is the same that I have told every other wielder of my power. I will tell you because there is nothing you can do about it. I am Darkness. I want to consume the world in darkness. With each passing generation, my influence grows as does my reach. I teach my children the ways of darkness so that one day, a vessel will be born with a power so strong that I will become unstoppable. You won't live to see that day, so why not indulge in my power while you can? You can achieve any goal you set your eyes on with my help like, for example, retrieving your sister."
"Like hell I will! I don't need your help to enter the Inner World or get Toru back. I'll do it on my own. And while I'm at it, I will also put a stop to your reign. Toru may have gone about it the wrong way, but she was right in one regard. You are dangerous. I cannot let you continue unchecked. Someday, I will be the one to make you yield to me."
Darkness smirked again, a quiet chill in his voice as he spoke, "How many others do you think have told me those words before, boy? Like the others, the end result is always the same. They always come crawling back to me in their time of need and their defiance always comes to bite them back. If you insist on subduing me, fine, have it your way. I shall be waiting for the day you snap, and trust me, that day will come. It always does. Just think about your weak and pathetic father. He thought he had figured out the solution and he snapped anyway before he could see it through. You're just delaying the inevitable."
"I won't snap. Darkness is my Quirk and under my control. I won't let you torment me to your heart's desire. I will be stronger than that." Tomo knew he was being foolish, challenging a being seemingly as old as Quirks itself. There was too much he didn't know, but his pride prevented him from humbling himself for a monster that tormented him his entire life.
"Challenge accepted, boy. Come back here when you are ready to admit defeat." Then, Darkness smiled knowingly, "In the meanwhile, enjoy waking up."
Everything went dark.
Tomo woke up, confused and dazed, like he was missing something. A pit in his stomach filled him with so much sadness that the pain throughout his body was barely an afterthought. He felt like crying but only felt emptiness instead.
A strong pair of arms embraced him tightly. A woman's sobs filled the room. A loving hand ran through his hair.
Tomo couldn't hear, see, or feel any of it.
There was a poison that clouded his mind, preventing him from having any complex thoughts. The source of the poison was a single name. What that name was, he couldn't recall, but his mind told him that the name was important, and unspeakable. His heart ached when he realized that. What was that name?
"M-Mom?" he croaked out eventually. His heart ached again. Mom was a name. It wasn't the name, but it was related to the name. Why did trying to remember the name fill him with so much sorrow and dread?
Mom, or Fuyuko Hagakure, looked at him with a mixture of worry, sadness, and love. "Oh dear baby, I'm here! Everything will be alright! How are you feeling now? Does it hurt anywhere?"
Tomo stared across the room, looking, but not really seeing, hearing, but not really listening, touching, but not really feeling, and hurting, but not really caring.
He raised his left palm to look at it with unseeing eyes. A fragmented part of his brain told him that there was pain coming from it, but Tomo couldn't really feel it. The pain he could feel was in his heart when he tried remembering a memory with his left palm. That name also had something to do with his left palm.
"Does your hand hurt sweetie? I'll go get the doctor. You just stay strong, okay?"
Time moved on.
People came in and out of the room.
Tomo vaguely watched the events unfold. Questions were asked, tests were done, hugs were given, words were said, and eventually, night had fallen.
T&/)#r$* ¡
A voice was speaking in Tomo's head. It was familiar, and yet, he could not figure out where it was coming from. It uttered a word, almost like it was laughing, but his mind shut down before he could comprehend it. His heart felt like a needle had driven straight through it.
Failure.
Abandoned.
Tomo, for the first time, felt a tingle in his right palm. He looked at it and saw Darkness leaking out from it.
T&/)#r$* ¡
The leaking continued, Darkness growing more wild as more and more of it manifested. Tomo stared at it with a frown. He knew that it was his Quirk, but something about the thought of controlling it made him feel incredibly sad. Did that name have something to do with his Quirk?
The end of a needle went in his right arm. All consciousness Tomo had was instantly gone and he fell into a dreamless slumber.
What was that name?
Tomo woke up at the crack of dawn. His heart still ached, but his head felt a lot clearer. He looked around and realized that he was in a hospital bed. Further inspection revealed the sleeping body of his mother in a chair by his bed. And next to her…
A stabbing pain went through Tomo, causing him to choke out air. He clutched his chest as he started heaving.
"Tomo? What's happening? Are you alright?" his mother asked, waking up immediately, as she reached out to him.
"Huh? Oh! You're awake! Good morning! Are you okay?!" Miyu exclaimed next to her.
Tomo finished coughing and looked at his little sister. She looked back at him innocently and with some sadness hidden deep within her mismatched eyes. He leaned over to hug her as tightly as he could.
"Whoa there! Don't move too much or you'll fall over," his mother said as she put a steadying hand on Tomo's shoulder to keep him from falling off the bed.
"Ow! Too tight, too tight!" Miyu yelled as she lightly beat his back to get him to loosen up.
Relief flooded Tomo's veins as he held his little sister in his arms, the urge to never let go. She was here, safe and sound, but Tomo was still unsatisfied. He couldn't figure out why.
My heart hurts again. This is Miyu. That is Mom. Their names are important to me. My name is Tomo. Tomo, Mom, Miyu. There's another name. One that's just as important as those three. But what was it?
Tomo eventually let go and sat back in his bed, silent. Confusion was beginning to overwhelm him.
"How are you feeling sweetie?" Mom asked softly.
Tomo looked at her. She gave him a soft smile. He then glanced at Miyu, who responded with a beaming smile. There was a third smile. One he could never see, but could always feel. It reminded him of the sun. He missed that one the most.
Tomo frowned when his mother repeated the question. Trying to answer the question felt impossible. He fell back onto his pillow to stare up at the ceiling and think.
His mother seemed to realize this as she quickly moved on. "You don't have to answer right now. You've been through a lot. Do you want something to eat? I saw the vending machine selling caramel peanuts. Do you want some?"
Another stab went through his heart. Caramel. That name liked caramel. But he was pretty sure he also liked caramel. Caramel peanuts especially. Were the two related?
His expression must have said something because his mom faltered. "Oh. No food then, that's alright. How about a game? Do you want to play a game?"
"Yes! Please! The hospital is so boring!" Miyu exclaimed.
"Miyu! Don't say things like that. Your brother is here not because he wants to be here, but because he needs to be here. You have to be respectful of the people here who save lives like your brother's," Mom scolded.
The hospital. My life was saved? From what? Did that name save me? Why am I here?
"I'm sorry…" Miyu pouted. "It's just… there's nothing to do here. Whenever we come to the hospital, it's always the same. Just watching and waiting. I miss when Toru was here. At least I could have played with her whenever Tomo was asleep…"
"TORU!" Tomo yelled out suddenly as he shot up in bed. His heart reached unbearable levels of pain as the name sent shockwaves throughout his body. Laughter could be heard from somewhere in the distance. He coughed out more air in pain. He finally remembered how to cry.
His mother hugged him immediately, crying hard into his shoulder. "My dear baby girl! What did they do to her?"
Tomo remembered it all. The training, the attack, the trap, Toru's reveal, the monster, and his choice. His dream, the revelation, his talk, the challenge. The memories flooded into him like the daylight sun through the curtains.
"I… I left her…" Tomo admitted quietly after finding his voice. Even saying the words aloud didn't make it seem real. "I had a choice… and I chose to leave her behind."
His mother sobbed even harder and Miyu began crying as well.
Tomo looked at his left palm. A scar was etched into the inside of his hand. A phantom pain tingled where he remembered being cut.
"She… lied to us. All of us…" he began before releasing himself from the hug to look at his mom, dread slowly creeping up his throat. "All of us. R-Right?"
She choked a sob and nodded. "If… what that Bakugo boy said is true…"
The look in his mother's face was desperate. Her eyes pleaded to Tomo. He knew what she was asking and wished he could have said a different answer - the one she wanted to hear. Denying it, however, would be a lie. A vicious and terrible lie that would only lead to more hurt down the road. He couldn't shield her from the truth, no matter how much he wanted to.
Tomo nodded slowly, then ripped the bandage off the metaphorical wound. "She betrayed all of us. She's decided to work for the villains now."
The pain in his mother's eyes from his statement hurt him to his core. Miyu looked at him in confusion.
"What? Toru is a villain now? But she's so nice! She wouldn't do that!" Miyu cried out. Steady tears were falling down her face. She was apparently missing some context to fully understand the situation, but understood enough to be hurt by it.
Tomo looked down in shame. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop her. And… I had no idea… She… she hid so much from me…"
His mind raced with all the memories he had from the time of the last night of training until he passed out.
"She even hid her true power. I don't know when she learned it, but she has a mastery over Light on a similar level to my Darkness. She completely caught me off guard and overpowered me," he continued in confusion.
"What do you mean? What did she do to you?" Fuyuko asked.
Tomo looked at her, struggling to say the words that would confirm the story to be real. "She… She tricked me. I was looking for her with the full powers of Darkness when I heard we were under attack. She must have known I would and hid her presence from me using her Quirk. It's the only explanation I can think of. When I got close to her, she attacked me to knock me out. I tried to defend myself but she completely nullified Darkness… I still can't believe she could do that."
He choked up again. The nonsense of the Inner World probably had a lot to do with this, but Tomo wasn't ready to share the info with anyone yet. The shame of his defeat attracted his reluctance. He then held up his left palm to show his mom the scar. "She… she stabbed me too."
His mother pulled him into another hug. "Oh my dear baby boy." After a small pause, she then added quietly, "You should get ready to share your story with the police. They definitely want to hear your version of what happened. And… technically, we're all under suspicion now with Toru's… defection. It doesn't really matter but we are being watched at this very moment."
Tomo looked at the camera his mother pointed to and sighed. "I guess I'll gather my thoughts then."
Fuyuko gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her bright, light gray eyes, normally so tired but full of love, looked dark, drained and sad. "I'll go get the doctor then and give you some time. Come, Miyu."
Miyu waved at him silently in a way that painfully reminded Tomo of the way Toru would wave to him. He waved back with a pitiful attempt of a smile.
A/N: Thanks for reading. The Inner World was an idea I thought of myself and I really liked how natural it felt to fit into the world of MHA. See you next week.