Author's Notes: Admittedly, the last chapter may have been rather boring, as may be the nature of introductory sections of stories, so I'll do my best to make this last prelude chapter as entertaining as possible!
Review Responses
Grudd: In truth, Ishiro's character would have never existed had I never considered going through with the idea of making a character that would be comically broody and introverted as a parody of the trope. Eventually, I opted to make him an actual character.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"First, as we send off the graduating class, it is most important that we declare the two valedictorians first!" The principle stated, holding up two letters, "These two were recommended, ahead of other outstanding students, directly to UA! And even if one of the recommendations were not accepted, we are still proud of the two of them."
"Ooh! Ishiro-nii! You have a chance!" Amaterasu giggled, smiling up at Ishiro as the latter sighed.
"No, I do not... You overestimate my chances, Kagura..." Ishiro mumbled as he placed a hand on her head gently, petting her through the beret. "Even if my grades are somewhat above average, they are nowhere near enough to make me a valedictorian."
"First, the one who was accepted into UA via recommendation, based off not only her remarkable results, achieving a near-perfect score in all subjects, as well as her role of being the Student Council President and overall contribution to school life..." The principal, reading the letter, began to say, "Please welcome to the stage... Yaoyorozu Momo! Our first valedictorian!"
Dressed in her graduation robes, Momo stood up from her seat, before walking towards the stage, waving back to those who waved to her as she soon took the stage.
"Well done, Momo, you make our school proud." The principal stated, shaking Momo's hand after passing her a certificate and a letter.
Momo nodded, shaking the principal's hand before stepping aside, waiting on stage for the inevitable group photo that would have to be taken. 'I wonder who is the other valedictorian...'
"Now, for the second valedictorian. Many teachers consider him an oddity, but regardless of such, we must not judge. He, despite a rejection of the recommendation by the UA board, was recommended based on his perfect scores in Biology and History, alongside the high grades in the rest of his subjects..." The principal began to say.
"I wonder..." Momo whispered to herself as the principal cleared his throat.
"Please welcome to the stage..." The principal began to say, as Amaterasu grinned widely. "Tachibana Ishiro! Our second valedictorian!" He announced, leading to several surprised gasps in the assembly.
"I... Well..." Ishiro mumbled, his eyes widened as he hadn't expected this either, hastily putting on the graduation robes and hat as he stood up, a hundred pairs of eyes falling upon him as he slowly walked up to the stage.
"Congratulations on your achievements," The principal began to say, shaking Ishiro's hand as he handed over a certificate, "I apologize deeply for the rejection of the recommendation... But I wish you the best of luck for any of your future endeavours."
"Well, thank you," Ishiro assured, bowing for a moment and receiving his certificate before going to stand next to Momo.
"Congratulations, Tachibana-san..." Momo whispered, having already known that Ishiro was going to be the second valedictorian.
"Well, à vous aussi..." Ishiro mumbled, still puzzled as he noticed Amaterasu waving happily in the crowd.
"Ummm... I assume you're congratulating me in return...?" Momo asked back, not understanding what he had said.
"Yes, that is what I did..." Ishiro whispered, sighing as he did so.
"Hey, no need to be sarcastic now..." Momo whispered back, "Plus, I've got to tell you why you shouldn't sigh that much..."
'Oh God, this is going to be..." Ishiro thought to himself, cutting himself off as he looked downwards, only to see Amaterasu now hanging onto his hand. "Seriously?"
"Awww... Hello again, Kagura..." Momo whispered, petting Amaterasu on the head as they walked off the stage, "Did you have fun at our graduation today?"
"Mhmm! Lots and lots of fun! Hehe..." Amaterasu giggled, still clinging close to Ishiro's hand even if she nuzzled into Momo's, "Mmm... Can we go have lunch now...?"
"Of course!" Momo assured, "Just hold on a moment, Kagura... Alright? We'll need to wait for my driver to arrive..."
"Driver?! Ooh! Ishiro-nii! We should get a driver too!" Amaterasu exclaimed.
"A driver? No, Kagura, we are not getting a driver," Ishiro stated, wanting to sigh but stopping himself upon realizing that Momo was still there, "Is your driver going to be taking us there as well, Yaoyorozu-san?"
"Well, unless you'd like to walk again..." Momo began to say, removing her graduation robes and tossing them aside, "You should take that off, it's rather stuffy."
Before Ishiro could respond to the offer, Amaterasu immediately piped up.
"Ooh! Of course! We'd love the ride!" Amaterasu exclaimed, "Hehe... Ishiro-nii may not express it well... But he's super grateful as well!"
"I..." Ishiro began to say, only to stop short due to being unable to find the right words as he removed his graduation robes as well, whilst a limo eventually pulled up to the school's gates.
"Yep, he's here now! Don't worry, I told him about you joining us, Tachibana-san... And I'm sure you can come along too, Kagura," Momo assured as she opened the door and entered the car.
'Now... How do I pull this off without being spotted...?' Ishiro thought to himself, before opening the door and letting Amaterasu in first before entering and shutting it soon after, with many of their peers seeing it nonetheless.
"Woah! I didn't know they were dating?!" One of the graduates asked in shock.
"I know, right? Who would've thought he'd be able to court Yaoyorozu-san?" Another asked as well.
"If you think about it... Tachibana-san is pretty cute if I'm being honest... It's quite interesting that he never had a girlfriend that we knew of..." A third chimed in as the limo drove off.
"Please tell me you're able to explain to them otherwise..." Ishiro mumbled, sitting rather uncomfortably in the limo with Amaterasu next to him, both of them being opposite Momo.
"Well, c'mon, Tachibana-san... You won't be seeing them again, so it's not all bad if you think about it..." Momo assured with a kind smile, even though her mind was running a thousand miles per hour upon hearing some of the statements from their classmates. 'C'mon... Why am I getting so worked up... We just met... I mean... He is pretty cute... But still!'
Being able to hear what Momo was thinking, Ishiro faintly blushed as well, whilst Amaterasu hopped up onto his lap and leaned against him.
"... Seriously... Not now..." Ishiro whispered, trying to shake Amaterasu off but to no avail as the Goddess soon fell asleep. "Say... You don't have siblings, do you?"
"Eh- N-No! Not at all!" Momo assured, scratching the back of her head as Ishiro had effectively snapped her out of her thoughts, a faint blush still on her face. "Why'd you ask?"
"Well... I wanted to know if you knew how to deal with this sort of situation...?" Ishiro joked as he poked Amaterasu on the cheek, "Trust me, I've been unable to find a solution even after six years."
"Well, I'm sure you'll find a solution eventually..." Momo assured, scratching the back of her head nervously as she watched Ishiro care for Amaterasu and pet her on the head, blushing even more than before as she looked down, 'Damn it, he is pretty cute...' She thought to herself.
Hearing her thoughts once again, Ishiro blushed as well, leaving the two of them in an awkward impasse as Momo looked around.
"So... Ummm... I didn't get much of a chance to ask the other day... But... Do you have any hobbies? And don't you say that I won't like any of them..." Momo stated, looking away to try and hide her blush.
"Well... I fence quite a bit..." Ishiro explained, doing his best not to exchange eye contact as well, "I am participating in the World Cadet Fencing Championship..."
"I... What?!" Momo asked in surprise, turning back to Ishiro again, "Really?! Can I come to watch?!"
"Well... I... I can't exactly stop you..." Ishiro admitted, still considerably nervous about the prospect, "But do know that, I'm not the best at fencing..."
"That's not important now, is it? If you're participating, you deserve props for even doing so..." Momo assured with a soft smile, having managed to subdue her blush as she thought about other conversations she could start. "Umm... You ever let your hair down...?"
"My... Hair?" Ishiro asked, slightly puzzled as he reached around the back of his head before his hand returned with the tip of his ponytail.
"Yeah, do you ever not have it tied?" Momo asked again.
"Well, when I'm not at school..." Ishiro explained.
"Ummm... May I see? Please? I... I promise I won't make fun of you!" Momo assured as she waited for a response.
"Well... I suppose if you want to..." Ishiro mumbled, before pulling the hairband from his ponytail and letting his long, raven-black hair fall into its natural, unkempt state.
"Woah... I... Heh... That's an interesting look..." Momo mumbled, looking away soon after as she showed a soft blush, 'Stop thinking about him in short hair, stop thinking about him in short hair... Damn it, I... I'm getting too worked up...'
"Well, I find it rather messy..." Ishiro mumbled, tying his hair back to its usual state as he blushed in response to hearing her thoughts, "Well... We're almost there, right?" He asked, looking out of the window to not share eye contact.
"I... Yeah! Yeah... We're almost there, hehe..." Momo chuckled nervously, realising how silly she probably looked, not knowing that Ishiro was currently suffering from an equal issue as he was blushing heavily as well.
"Well... Should've asked this earlier, but... What are we having?" Ishiro assured, looking down at the ground whilst gently stroking Amaterasu's hair as she clung to him.
"There's this nice sushi place I found the other day... And you look like someone who'd like some sushi, and I'm sure Kagura can find something she likes too!" Momo explained with a smile.
Ishiro pondered a possible response, deciding not to give any response whatsoever, only for Amaterasu to pinch him on the cheek and look up at him as if wanting him to say something.
"Ummm... Right..." Ishiro whispered to Amaterasu, before looking back up at Momo and smirking. "Heh... Didn't notice this yesterday... But... You're asking me on a date?" He asked teasingly, immediately sending Momo into a deep shade of red.
"E-Eh?! W-What?! N-No! I... I... I just wanted to... I..." Momo stammered, shaking her head as she tried her best to come up with a response, "I just thought it'd be a nice sentiment..."
"Well, don't worry, I was just joking..." Ishiro assured, his heart racing as he looked down at Amaterasu and shook his head, trying to get her to stop prompting him from speaking in such a manner. "Umm... You alright?"
"I... Yeah, yeah... One second..." Momo mumbled, the car coming to a stop moments after as both took some time to recover from their stupor, as Amaterasu hopped onto a seat.
"Yay! We're here!" Amaterasu cheered, as if she hadn't just prompted Ishiro to flirt openly with Momo.
"Y-yeah! We're here..." Momo assured, taking a few deep breaths, before turning to her driver, "We'll be here for an hour or so! Actually... I'll let you know when you can come and get us!"
The driver nodded, as Ishiro, Momo and Amaterasu all stepped off the car to be met by a mall's front door.
"It's right this way," Momo explained as she led the way to this supposed sushi restaurant, the three of them arriving at the front of a traditional-looking restaurant soon after. "And... Here we are!"
"Woah..." Amaterasu mumbled, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at the restaurant's sign, "I wanna ask if they have Dango!"
Before she would be able to run off, however, Ishiro would hold onto her right arm, struggling as he made sure she didn't run off.
"No, Kagura, not right now," Ishiro stated, still playing up the act that Amaterasu was his younger sister.
"Eh? But... But..." Amaterasu began to say.
"No buts, Kagura... You have to be polite and behave, remember?" Ishiro asked as he leaned forwards and pet her gently on the head. "Yaoyoruzu-san is taking us out for lunch, so let's try to be polite in front of her, alright?"
"Awww, alright..." Amaterasu agreed with a pout, holding onto Ishiro's hand once again before hanging off it like earlier, pulling down his sleeve and biting onto his arm.
"... You're both just too cute together..." Momo commented with a soft smile, watching as Ishiro tried to shake Amaterasu off before she walked towards the front counter, "A reservation under the name Yaoyorozu?"
"Yaoyorozu... Yaoyorozu... Here it is," The person at the counter said as Ishiro, with Amaterasu still biting down on his arm, stepped forward soon after. "Follow me, you three..."
Before long, the three of them were seated at a private table that had been reserved as per Momo's instructions.
"Thank you, we'll order in a moment," Momo assured, looking over at the server who nodded and walked off soon after. "So... What would you like to have? It's my treat, so please don't feel restricted."
"Well... I... That's... Very nice of you, Yaoyoruzu-san..." Ishiro assured, looking through the menu briefly before looking over at Amaterasu, determining that she already had the food she wanted in mind. "What would you like to have, Kagura?"
"Hmmm... I want Dango!" Amaterasu exclaimed, smiling up at Ishiro and Momo as she did so, "Hmm... But... I... I think I'll have some ramen first!"
"I... I wasn't expecting that... But alright..." Ishiro stated, shutting the menu soon after as he began to pet Amaterasu on the head, "I'll have some ramen too."
"Wow, ramen seems pretty popular today..." Momo mumbled, writing down two orders for Tonkatsu Ramen on the service sheet, "Hmmm... In that case, I'll have a bowl too!" Momo stated, before writing down a third order of the ramen on the sheet.
"Don't forget my Dango!" Amaterasu stated, noticing Ishiro's glare soon after, "Ummm... I mean... Please don't forget my Dango..."
"Awww, don't worry, Kagura... How could I ever forget about your order?" Momo asked with a smile as she wrote that down before passing it to the server, "Tachibana-san... Perhaps you shouldn't be that harsh with Kagura... No?"
"Perhaps, but how else will she ever learn?" Ishiro asked, pinching Amaterasu on the cheek as he did so. "So... What did you want to talk about?"
"Ah, yes, why sighing too much isn't good," Momo began to say, looking over at Amaterasu before turning back towards Ishiro, "You see... I've been reading a lot of books regarding medical conditions recently, and from what I've read... Sighing too much can be a sign of underlying health conditions, usually a respiratory condition."
"I see... That makes sense," Ishiro replied, "I suppose it does, anyhow."
"And here I thought you were the one who was good at biology," Momo joked as the table was served their green tea. "But, there are other potential implications."
"Are there? Well, what may these implications be?" Ishiro asked back, placing a hand on Amaterasu's as he noticed her moving to pick up her cup. "Don't drink it right away, you'll scald your tongue."
"Well... You see, from what I have read..." Momo began to say, looking at her phone to read the notes she had prepared, "It can signify high levels of stress that someone's facing, that someone has uncontrolled levels of anxiety, and, well... Depression."
"Oh... I... See?" Ishiro asked, slightly interested as he tilted his head.
"I doubt you suffer from any of those..." Momo mumbled, not realizing as Ishiro rubbed the several self-inflicted wounds that were hidden under his gloves and long sleeves, "But, do let me know if you need someone to talk to, alright?"
"Very well, I'll let you know if there is anything I'd like to speak about," Ishiro assured, taking the hand off his other arm as their bowls of ramen were served.
"Yay! Ramen!" Amaterasu cheered, grabbing her pair of chopsticks only to be stopped by a sudden glare from Ishiro. "Oh, umm... I mean..." Amaterasu mumbled, forgetting that she was, in fact, a goddess as she set her chopsticks down and clapped her hands together, "Itadakimasu!"
"Itadakimasu," Ishiro stated, holding his hands together as Momo soon did the same before they would begin eating from their bowls. "Well, to be fair, it is quite good..." He admitted as he continued to eat.
"Mmm! It's super tasty!" Amaterasu cheered, devouring the contents of her bowl in record time.
"Woah... Make sure you don't choke, Kagura..." Momo mumbled, somewhat in awe at the speed at which Amaterasu ate as she continued at her own steady pace.
"Hehe... I won't!" Amaterasu exclaimed, finishing her bowl of ramen soon after as she looked around, before moving closer to Ishiro and beginning to pick off parts of the contents of his bowl as well.
"Seriously...?" Ishiro asked, slightly confused at what she was doing as he continued to eat regardless until his phone would begin to ring. "Excuse me for a moment."
Momo nodded, continuing to eat from her bowl whilst staring at Ishiro with a side-eye, watching as he narrowed his eyes at the phone, potentially suggesting that he may recognize the number calling him as he placed the phone to his ear.
"This is Tachibana Ishiro speaking," Ishiro stated, his heart beating at a slightly increased pace, "Who is this?"
"This is JR Tokyo General Hospital calling..." The man on the other end began to say, as a sigh could be heard, "I regret to inform you that your mother has passed away peacefully whilst under our care."
Ishiro paused for a moment, his eyes widening as the call fell into silence for a moment.
"Tachibana-san? You there?" The man asked again, slight concern in his town.
"... I see..." Ishiro mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment as Momo and Amaterasu both stared at him.
"I'm very sorry... I don't have all the details at the moment, but our medical team did everything they could to save her... She was ultimately declared dead an hour ago." The hospital staff continued, "I understand this is very difficult for you. Our staff will do everything we can to assist you during this time-"
Ishiro sighed, hanging up the call before setting his phone down, and going back to his bowl of ramen soon after.
"Well, I hope it wasn't anything too bad, Tachibana-san..." Momo mumbled as Amaterasu stared up at Ishiro.
"I'm sure it's alright! Ishiro-nii never does anything bad... So he wouldn't have gotten into trouble!" Amaterasu cheered.
"Heh... Well, I see..." Momo assured, getting an idea as she looked at Amaterasu whilst Ishiro continued to eat silently, "Say... Do you know anyone good at Bojutsu, Kagura? I'd like to learn a little during the break..."
"Bojutsu?" Amaterasu asked, thinking it through for a moment, "Aha! Ishiro-nii can teach you!"
"He can?!" Momo asked, her eyes lighting up as Ishiro continued to eat as if everything was falling upon deaf ears, "Would he be willing to?"
"Of course! I'll convince him!" Amaterasu exclaimed, before quieting down slightly upon noticing Ishiro's relative silence.
The raven-haired teenager sighed, his phone ringing once again as he placed it to his ear.
"Sorry, Tachibana-san, we've lost you there for a second..." The man on the other end began to say once again.
"I've heard you loud and clear..." Ishiro stated, "I'll be there as soon as I can."
Ishiro set his phone down once again, staring at his bowl for a moment before withdrawing his wallet.
"My apologies, Yaoyorozu-san... I've got something urgent to attend to," Ishiro stated, placing the exact amount required for their food on the table before standing up.
"W-Wait! I... What?" Momo asked, very much confused as Ishiro had given no context.
"I'll see you soon," Ishiro stated, dashing out soon after.
"At least take Kagura with you!" Momo exclaimed, only to be too late to get Ishiro's attention as he had gone out of view before she turned towards Amaterasu. "I... Okay, okay... Don't you worry, I'll take you to your brother at once!"
"Aww... But then you wouldn't have finished! Ishiro would yell at me if I didn't finish my food!" Amaterasu protested.
"Well, he's not my brother!" Momo argued back.
"Hmm... Well... Can I at least have some Dango first...?" Amaterasu pleaded, looking up at Momo with puppy eyes.
"I... Alright, we'll get you some Dango first..." Momo assured, calling for the waiter soon after.
-JR Toyko General Hospital, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-
Having rushed there as fast as he could, Ishiro slowly stepped towards his mother's room, his heart feeling as if it were in his hands as it beat with the rhythm of a calvary charge. Down the long hallway, only his heartbeat and steady footsteps would break the silence. The air in the hospital was heavy and suffocating, with Ishiro being unable to keep himself from shaking.
As if still wanting to be respectful towards his mother, Ishiro silently opened the door and stepped inside the room, a serene tone flowing through the almost-choking air as he looked around, walking about and looking at the various personal belongings stacked around the room, all surrounding an empty and neatly cleaned-up hospital bed.
The raven-haired teen slowly stepped towards a chair next to the bed, placing his hand on it gently as he looked down at the ground, his eyes lacking any emotion as he remained silent throughout, a single tear eventually finding its way onto the sterilised ground, another following suit soon after. Hearing a slow set of footsteps behind him, Ishiro raised his hand, shaking his head as he closed his eyes, the sound of the footsteps slowly drowning out a few moments after.
'Please... Be a bad dream...' Ishiro prayed silently to himself, begging in vain that his mother would be alright, even if the truth was as clear as day to him - His mother was gone, and nothing could ever change that.
As Ishiro's eyes slowly opened once again, a black and red scarf was placed on the bed, with a note accompanying it, one that was written in the handwriting of his late mother, the somewhat messy kanji reading: "Thank you, Shiro... I'll love you forever, my son."
Reading this, Ishiro remained silent, sighing as he looked down at the scarf, holding it close to him soon after and closing his eyes, having come to a conclusion a while ago in his head.
Nothing will ever be the same.
-Random Street, Shinjuku-ku-
"Huff... Well... Kagura... I'm not mad, but... Wanna explain why we had to get to Shinjuku to have some Dango...?" Momo asked, panting as they had run all the way over and had taken a train instead of waiting for her driver to arrive.
"Well... This is where Ishiro got me Dango from!" Amaterasu cheered as they turned towards a somewhat busy Dango Stand.
"I... See..." Momo replied, standing in line with Amaterasu soon after. "You know... It's a little disrespectful to call your older brother by his name without an honorific, you know..."
"Hehe... Ishiro isn't here right now!" Amaterasu exclaimed.
"Still, it's still kinda rude, Kagura..." Momo explained, "It's only respectful to acknowledge that Tachibana-san is older than you-"
"Truthfully, Ishiro isn't even my brother!" Amaterasu exclaimed once again, throwing the whole plan of her acting as Ishiro's younger sister out of the window as it was soon their turn to order.
"... What?!" Momo asked in shock, completely flabbergasted by the news as she pondered what to say for a moment, before turning to the counter, "Yeah... Two servings of Mitarashi Dango, please... Thank you..." She mumbled as she paid the required fee and took Amaterasu to a table, "You've got a lot of explaining to do... I'm very confused..."
"Hehe... I'll answer questions... But can I have Dango first?" Amaterasu requested, looking up with a small smile.
"I... Well... If... If I let you have some Dango... You'll answer my questions, right?" Momo asked, even though Dango was already ordered. "And please, do tell me about your actual relationship with Tachibana-san... He worries me a lot already, I don't need to hear that he's kidnapped a kid..."
"Hehe... Of course! I was going to answer your questions regardless... But I'm more honest when there's Dango involved!" Amaterasu cheered, smiling up at Momo still, "And don't worry! Ishiro didn't kidnap me!"
-Half an Hour Later-
"Mmm, hehe... The Dango from this place still tastes really good..." Amaterasu giggled, eating happily from the Dango that they were served.
"Yeah, it is pretty good, would you look at that?" Momo admitted, eating from the Dango serving as well, "Now, ready to answer my questions?"
"Mhmm!" Amaterasu cheered, continuing to eat her skewer of Dango, "Any question you'd like to ask!"
"Well, first off... Who are you to Tachibana-san, actually?" Momo asked, "You said you weren't actually his sister, so who are you?"
"That is a complicated question to ask," Amaterasu replied, putting down her skewer as she looked up and began to speak in a more eloquent tone befitting of someone much older than she looked. "My name is Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun."
"... Okay, that was a good one..." Momo admitted after a few moments of laughter, looking forward and seeing Amaterasu's innocent yet serious smile, "Oh my, you're not kidding..."
"Of course, I was not kidding," Amaterasu stated with a soft chuckle, "What Goddess would lie to those whom they seek to oversee? Such usage of my omnipresence over mortals would be very much full of fallacies."
"I... Apologize, I was unaware of your intentions..." Momo explained, bowing her head slightly, "If... You don't mind me asking... Why are you, like... A kid?"
"Hmm? Well... You see, I do not exist, not in the literal sense..." Amaterasu began to explain, "As a Goddess, I exist only in a different realm of existence from mortals such as yourself, where other Gods and I oversee all that goes on in the mortal realm. In this realm, however... I simply do not exist, for I am a physical manifestation of Ishiro's quirk."
"His... Quirk? Ah, yes... I remember him saying something about his quirk only working when it feels like working..." Momo explained, only for Amaterasu to shake her head.
"Such is only the most surface-level understanding of the implications of such a quirk," Amaterasu explained in turn, "Ishiro merely has no idea how to use any of the abilities granted by his quirk."
"Really?" Momo asked again, placing a hand on her chin, "If you don't mind... Could you explain Tachibana-san's quirk?"
"Of course... There isn't too much to explain..." Amaterasu began to explain, chewing on another Dango from the skewer, "Ishiro's quirk entails a potential to possess all the abilities that Izanami, my mother, once possessed."
"I... Excuse me?!" Momo asked in shock, unable to believe what was just told to her. "Wow... I... I was not ready for this day..."
"Indeed," Amaterasu replied, eating more from her skewer, "The abilities from his quirk grant him control over all life and death; light and dark; creation and destruction... But, only to the limit of his morality and knowledge of how to do so... And, well... His pain tolerance."
"So... Basically, besides the pain thing... It's limited by his imagination and his knowledge of how to use his abilities?" Momo asked again.
"Basically what I said, but yes, that is just about what I meant," Amaterasu stated, smiling softly as she put down the skewer, "Although... That's not the only revelation you can learn about Ishiro..."
Momo shuddered for a moment, feeling an ominous sense of dread go right down her spine.
"... What revelations?" Momo asked, now slightly worried about Ishiro's actual situation.
-Two Hours Later-
In the midst of the dark skies of the evening, the automatic doors of the hospital slowly opened once again like they usually did, carrying out their same, regular routine despite how irregular the teenager walking through it was. His eyes red from the silent tears shed, Ishiro slowly walked out of the hospital, holding tightly onto the black and red scarf as he took a deep breath from the cool, crisp air in an attempt to try and compose himself.
"Hey," A familiar voice stated, breaking him out of the temporary sense of tranquillity granted by the moment, "We've been looking all over the place for you... Are you alright?"
"... I'm alright, Yaoyorozu-san..." Ishiro began to say, noticing Amaterasu run over to him as he crouched down to hug her, "I'm sorry... Now's really not a good time..."
Ishiro stepped forward, still gently holding Amaterasu as if still keeping up the act of her being his little sister, crying silently as he did so, only to jerk his head right back to her.
"I said it's not a good time... Please... Just..." Ishiro began to say, breaking down more and more as the conversation went on, "Just let me be... For today..."
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude..." Momo explained, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright..."
Ishiro gave no reply, unable to react much as he continued to hug Amaterasu, beginning to cry silently with his back turned to Momo.
"Tachibana-san...? You alright?" Momo asked again as she stepped closer.
"Please, stop... I..." Ishiro requested, trying his best to walk away as he did so, "Just leave us alone for today..."
"... At least let me help however I can..." Momo began to say, "I... I'm not able to relate much, but-"
"Damn it, just leave me alone!" Ishiro yelled, shooting up to his feet as he did so, his nerves finally breaking as he lashed out, "My mother's gone, and I swear, I'll-"
Ishiro paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing at Momo's shocked expression, prompting him to quickly try to salvage the situation, looking down at the ground for a moment.
"I... I'm sorry..." Ishiro mumbled, letting go of Amaterasu before looking away, "I shouldn't have..."
"I... Look, Ishiro..." Momo began to say after a few moments, calling Ishiro directly by his name as she overcame her hesitation, holding onto his wrist and beginning to roll up his sleeve. "Please don't hide anything... Anymore... You need help... Please... Just, let me help you..."
Ishiro sighed in reluctance, silently nodding as his sleeves were rolled up, revealing the scars and bruises on his arm and wrist.
"Ishiro... I offered my help that very same day you walked me home from the station..." Momo began to say, a small, compassionate smile forming on her face. "I'll help you in whatever way I can... Trust me... Just ask, and we can meet to speak or whatnot... Alright?"
"... Why do you care so much...?" Ishiro asked, slightly confused by her offer as he slowly moved his arm back and loosely wrapped the scarf he held around his neck. "I very much appreciate the sentiment, but... We barely even spoke before graduation... Why would you, Yaoyorozu-san... Why would you even give my issues the time of day?"
"Well..." Momo began to say, her smile widening slightly as she helped fix the scarf slightly. "It's what a hero would do... And a hero won't just let someone suffer in silence, or in solitude... In summary, I want to help you, because... Well, it feels like the right thing to do."
Ishiro paused for a moment, a pang of guilt coming over his mind as he recalled the moments prior to this, from his outburst minutes prior, to sitting bedside of his late mother's hospital bed, to him walking out on Momo and Amaterasu earlier, and even to what All Might had told him about heroism a few days prior.
"Amaterasu told me everything, Ishiro..." Momo explained as Amaterasu let out a few nervous giggles, "I won't judge you... You very much deserve more than that, just... Please don't be quiet about it, please let us help you..."
"... Thank you, Yaoyorozu-san..." Ishiro mumbled, wiping some tears as he gently leaned down to pick up Amaterasu once again. "Thank you for everything..."
"It's fine, Ishiro..." Momo assured, watching as Ishiro slowly stepped away from her sight with Amaterasu, "It's alright..."
-Two Weeks Later-
"Alright, I see... Thank you for telling me, Aunt Kagura..." Ishiro mumbled into his phone, tidying his necktie's appearance before he hung up the call.
Sighing softly, the raven-haired teenager put on his black outer suit, before stepping out of his room and to the ever narrower hallway, the whispers of a thousand generations on his shoulders, ringing in his ears as he stepped towards the altar in his house. Looking up at the miniature statues of Izanagi and Izanami, Ishiro whispered a soft prayer, before placing his right hand on the altar's door, the final memories of his parents flooding back into his head, before they, like the altar, would be closed off by his closing of the altar's doors.
Ishiro slowly stepped towards the door, taking hold of the sunglasses on the table, walking out but not before he made sure that Amaterasu was doing okay, even if she was currently asleep.
Stepping outside soon after, Ishiro reached into his suit's inner pockets, pulling out the black-and-red scarf he had been bestowed with before wrapping it loosely around his neck, the cold, choking air slowly fading into the back of his mind as he looked ahead, an nearly emotionless look on his face only forsaken by the sparse tears that fell to the ground. Before long, even these would be obscured by the sheer darkness of his sunglasses. Before he would be able to delve back into his thoughts, however, a familiar limo would come to a slow halt next to him, as the window rolled down.
"Ummm... Good morning, Ishiro... I..." Momo began to say, herself dressed in a formal black dress as she tried her best to find the right words to say, "Well, I understand this isn't the optimal timing... But... I thought I could offer you a ride..."
Ishiro stared at the open window for a moment, before nodding silently, stepping forward as the door slowly opened up in front of him, closing soon after as he took a seat opposite Momo. Within the silence of the limo, Momo looked down at the ground, recalling Ishiro's outburst from yesterday, the anger expressed in his voice, which was only coupled with the hurt and sorrow within his eyes, in contrast to the state he was in today before a word from the teenager sat opposite him would break her out of these thoughts.
"Why did you insist on coming today... Yaoyorozu-san?" Ishiro asked quietly, still wearing his sunglasses despite being sat in a car.
Momo remained silent for a moment, merely looking over at Ishiro for a moment.
"I... I'm sure you'd have something else that you'd rather do...?" Ishiro asked again, still unsure of why she'd even be interested. "Surely you'd rather not burden yourself with my problems...?"
Momo looked over for a few more moments, sighing soon after as she reached over, removing Ishiro's sunglasses before wiping his tears with a tissue, smiling softly at him soon after.
"Ishiro, I offered you my help, and whether you'd like to admit it or not..." Momo began to say, "Who else would be there to make sure you don't do anything stupid or reckless? Trust me, Ishiro... I'm here for you. I'll help you in whatever way I can. I promise."
"... Thank you, Yaoyorozu-san... Thank you very much," Ishiro replied, sighing softly as he eventually lifted his head, a sad smile on it, "I'm glad to be your friend."
"I... Well..." Momo began to say, looking out of the window as she scratched her head in slight embarrassment, "You're very welcome..."
-Twenty Minutes Later-
Ishiro slowly stepped out of the car as it came to a somewhat quiet, yet screeching halt, his hair and ponytail flowing alongside the wind, as did the arms of his scarf that hung over his tidy suit before the pitch-black lens of his sunglasses came over his eyes once again.
The raven-haired teenager slowly approached the altar, Momo following silently behind as he looked around, seeing no one else there. Ishiro sighed, surprised that she would even be willing to be where she was at the moment, but grateful regardless, as he slowly placed a hand on the coffin that laid on the altar. His mother's coffin.
Momo stared ahead in silence, as Ishiro fell to his knees, placing both hands on the coffin and leaning his head against the coffin, still remaining silent as Momo's hand fell upon his shoulder, whilst a priestess soon stepped forward, prompting both of them to stand up and look towards the priestess.
The priestess waited a moment longer, before holding up her prayer beads, beginning to speak soon after in a voice filled with solemnity.
"O great Izanami... Merciful and compassionate..." She began to say, as Ishiro placed his hands together, with Momo joining him in prayer soon after. "We beseech you on this sombre occasion. We request of you, please, hear our prayers and accept our offerings as we honour this departed and honourable soul."
Ishiro's eyes fell slowly to the ground before they wound shut as he continued to pray silently to himself.
"O, gentle and compassionate Goddess, you who hold the key to the realm of the dead. With your nurturing embrace, guide forth the departed soul of our beloved through the veil that separates the world of mortals from the realm of the divine," The priestess continued, "We offer our gratitude for the life this soul has been given, we offer our gratitude for the life this soul has been allowed to live, we offer our gratitude for the lessons this soul has allowed us to learn through the life she has been given. May the soul of our beloved departed find tranquillity, solace and peace within your realm, within your divine presence and under your protection."
Ishiro shook slightly, tearing up a little as teardrops would soon fall upon the ground, the air circulating around the funeral room becoming thick and suffocating.
"O Izanami, grant solace to those who have been left behind; To those whose hearts ache with anguish; To those lost from the path they had once been destined on," The priestess stated, putting on the funeral beads as she lit several sticks of incense, "Illuminate their paths and heal their pain as they traverse the uncharted waters of grief. O benevolent and graceful Goddess, guide us through the cycles of existence, and remind us of the eternal nature of our souls. As destruction must come before all creation, we beg of you... Like the changing seasons, life blooms and fades, and through your serene grace, we find solace in the impermanence of all things."
Ishiro and Momo slowly lifted their heads, as Ishiro removed his sunglasses to wipe his tears, the priestess' voice taking on a tone of peace and acceptance.
"We offer these prayers with sincerity and humility. We trust in your eternal wisdom and compassion..." The priestess stated as Momo placed a hand on Ishiro's shoulder, "May the departed soul be welcomed into your loving embrace, finding eternal rest and serenity."
As the footsteps of the priestess were slowly drowned out by the symphony formed by the dance of the raindrops on the windowpane, Ishiro slowly stepped forward, placing a hand on his mother's casket.
"Thank you for everything, Kaa-san," Ishiro whispered, leaning against the casket as Momo stepped outside, the raindrops' ballad being the last sound filling his ears.
Character Notes: Ishiro Tachibana, Age: 16
Birthday: 10/21
Height: 169cm
Favourite Thing(s): Dango and Romantic Music
Initially, Ishiro, and this entire story as a whole, was, admittedly, written as a parody of the typical broody silent badass. As it went on, however, I decided on trying my best to make Ishiro a more nuanced character, adding more emotion and depth beyond the whole "Ugh, I'm so sad kill me but I'd still kick your ass." trope. And thus, the Ishiro who is linked intrinsically to Japan's traditions and to Izanami in particular was born.
Author's Notes 2: This chapter, admittedly... Took a very long time to write. Hopefully, it still holds up to be as good as the others. This will be the last of the setup chapters, we'll be delving right into the UA entrance exam next chapter. See you all soon.
And as usual, I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. Do leave any comments or suggestions down in the reviews or in PMs, I'd love to see your input.