Musutafu Suburbs: Four days later

Life had been calmer after the fact. He took a few days off for himself. Laying in bed, he let the ceiling fan cool himself down. It had been a staunchly humid day, one where the temperature did not yield or offer mercy when faced with the humidex. There was just nothing to do. He had texted Kazane, but she had been busy with something. He was worried, somewhat anyway. Deku still wasn't sure if he trusted her. The more he thought about it, the more he doubted her response to his prior question. Why had she been out around those people, and why hadn't she told him? Deku flipped a page in his manga. He couldn't force it out of her. When he brought it up to his mother, she had only laughed somewhat before prattling off about hormones this and hormones that. Even though his prior message didn't get a result, he decided to send another.

Izuku 12:43 PM: My entrance exam results should be sent by mail to me sometime soon. Mind if I swing by your place afterward? I'll either need emotional support or a celebration.

The response wasn't instant. Deku had to wait.

Kazane 12:58 PM: Come if you want. It doesn't matter.

Deku rolled his eyes. He didn't want to deal with that today. Today was the day in which hopefully his dream would come true. His acceptance would come by mail. Deku checked his all-might wall clock. About an hour or just under that. Rubbing his eyes, sleep still hung from his eyelids. Staying up late had been a mistake, but he didn't try to honestly sleep early when thoughts of U.A fueled his anxiousness. Instead, he had browsed online hero boards. Not much activity, although there had been a few rumblings over the U.A entrance exams. A few people had mentioned his name, but nothing specific. Most of the commentators had not been surprised by the results, although he and a few others had obviously been outliers. Deku wondered why this information was available. He chalked it up to information leaks or something of the sort.

For the most part, he knew that his anxiety was misplaced. Self-evaluation told him that he had definitely scored a large sum of points. If he recalled correctly, over thirty. That was probably enough to get on the leaderboards, Deku didn't remember seeing many other students taking out that many robots. He wondered briefly though if he would've scored more points if not for that girl. Even though he didn't like to think about it, knew that he shouldn't as a hero, the thought still bothered him. Deku didn't want to hate the girl if his U.A rejection letter had been decided by one or two points. It was undoubtedly worth it though, unpreventable too. There could have been no denying the way his legs acted before his mind, how his magic reacted as if passively. He needed to save that girl. Kyubey hadn't been around recently, and neither had any witches. Deku was thankful for that, he really needed a few days of recovery after that examination.

Pacing his room, he debated waiting outside for the mail truck. That would be weird, just sitting outside waiting. Deku didn't want to seem like a people-watcher, he wasn't that kind of person. Instead, his excess energy brought him downstairs and talking to his mother. From the smell wafting up from the kitchen, she had cooked them sashimi for lunch. His mouth salivated. That hint of sauce was carried with the scent of cooking alerted him that it would be really damn good.

"Izuku dear, supper!"

Inko didn't have to call him down twice.

He knew what kind of meal it was. It had a similar meaning between the two as their hot chocolate. It was a comfort meal. Inko wanted her son to be comfortable and happy regardless of the outcome.

"Mmm smells great. Thanks for making it!"

Before sitting, he hugged his mother. Still wearing an apron, he couldn't help but notice the fish odour. Knowing that he had done so, she released herself from his hold and laughed. Untying it from her neck, she placed a few dishes in the sink. Taking a seat in her normal spot, she motioned for him to sit next to her.

"No problem. I just want to let you know that I'm so proud of you and happy that it doesn't matter to me if you get in or not. There are plenty of other schools that'd be so lucky to have you. If you get rejected, don't take it as an end, take it as an opportunity to see what else is out there and to broaden your horizons. You wouldn't want to make a hasty choice and regret it in hindsight when there's nothing else you can do about it."

Deku pushed his rice around with a chopstick awkwardly.

"Are you talking from experience, or?"

He waited for her to answer, taking a bite of the excellently cooked lunch.

"Yes, specifically about my profession. I don't think it was the right choice for me, but there's no use dwelling on the past. It'll only make me sad. Something I've learned in life is that no matter what happens, I have to keep moving forward and to never doubt my decisions once I make them. It'll only slow me down. We're happy enough now, aren't we? I could think and think about what my life would have been like if I listened to my muse, but then I probably wouldn't have you, now would I?"

Inko got like this sometimes. Whenever she knew something big was about to happen in his life, she'd give off a huge speech over maturity or some related topic. The last one had been about the birds and the bees. Apparently, she had given it to him too late, considering he had already started 'dating' Kazane. In his eyes though, that speech could have never been late enough. He shivered.

"That's good advice. I- I know I've wanted to get into U.A even after being quirkless. I can't help but feel as if I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't get in despite actually having a quirk. That mailman can't come soon enough. I'm about to die from anticipation."

She took a sip of lemon water.

Deku tapped the table.

"Have you seen the news? It's not every day a plane crashes. I can't help but imagine what it would be like, falling from the sky. They had audio recordings published online, I couldn't stomach to watch them, especially after finding out there were no survivors."

It wasn't a great conversation starter. He didn't know what to respond. At most, he'd just look it up later on his laptop. These things didn't hold his interest though, they were a bit too macabre for his interests.

"That's sad. Stuff like that always makes me hesitant about getting on a plane. Oh well."

She took another sip of water.

"The last bit of advice I'll give to you today is to branch out. You're not just a hero, you can be so much more than that too. Not in a bad way of course, but when you eventually retire from it as most people do, you'll need something to keep you occupied. Try to join a club or something at whatever school you get into, something you're genuinely interested in. It'll look great on a resume."

Deku would have responded, but his mother added somewhat quickly.

"Don't ever lose yourself, Izuku. You're kind, caring, sympathetic, genuine. Don't ever change even if the world makes you feel like you should. Just because you have a quirk now doesn't mean you're a different person. I'm kinda worried- now I know that it's silly- that the quirk will go to your head."

He didn't know how to feel about that. Part of him wanted to crack a joke, but the other wanted to take it seriously. Honestly, another part of him wanted to be offended too. It was truthfully a good piece of seemingly-sound advice. His mother was almost definitely talking from experience, from the pained expressions on her face to the way moisture gathered in the corner of her eyes. Though, he knew that it likely wasn't exactly the same circumstances.

Deku loved his mother for that, loved how she always compelled him to be the best person even at his lowest of times, or highest too. He could understand why she'd worry about the quirk going to his head as well, Bakugou's personality shift playing back in his mind. It had been jarring how quick a quirk had come between two childhood friends.

Just before Izuku could finish his plate, a familiar truck engine rattled the streets. The mail truck had stopped at his house. Running to his front door, the glass window was barely big enough for him to see clearly. Frosted sections obscured completely while glass-work distorted the image. Regardless, he could get a picture of what was happening. A uniformed man stepped out and placed a few things in their mailboxes. The worker was gone astonishingly fast. Mail services were more efficient than he thought they'd be. Almost catching the exhaust as it dissipated into the air, he hastily opened the mailbox. Hands shaking, it was a bit slower than he would have liked. Taking a deep breath, he stuck one tongue out from the corner of his mouth and undid the latches and pins that prevented it from being broken into by animals or blown open by wind.

The other packages were easy to ignore. Deku took the thick cream-colored envelope in hand. Fancied up with swirls of handwriting and elegant borders, it was pretty to look at. Carefully, he undid the red wax seal stamped with U.A's logo. Sure, the wax seal was a bit archaic but it definitely was charming. Charming enough that he'd want to keep both the envelope and letter as a keepsake regardless of what was actually written in the letter.

A stir of movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Inko stood with the curtain pushed to its side, watching her son with a warm smile.

Glancing down back at the letter's header, he read.

Dear, Izuki Midoriya.

We would like to thank you for taking the time to complete both our practical exam alongside the lengthily written portion. Through our practical exam, you have shown yourself not only to have a strong understanding of tactical strategy but control over your quirk as well. Not only did you score in the top five, but you also managed to discover a somewhat hidden aspect to the exam. While most heroes would have focused on solely scoring points, you did what a hero does. You saved somebody. For that, alongside the dedication, you evidently posses to have reached that level of quirk control, U.A Academy will be accepting you into class 1-A. Class will begin this Monday. Transportation and supplies are fully covered and paid for. We look forward to seeing what you will bring our school

Signed and approved, All Might & Headmaster Nezu.

Deku's hands shook. This tremble reached his body, now humming with glee. He had done it, he had entered U.A. All Might had signed the letter too, things couldn't get any better. Sounds of glass thumping brought his attention to his ecstatic mother. While not able to hear her muffled cries, he could tell that her slapping on the windows was from excitement and joy. Deku had never doubted her ability to read expressions. At the moment, his was likely as easy to read as a blinking neon sign. The door burst open. As he had been so many times as a child, he was brought up in a bear hug. Barely managing to lift him, she let out a delighted huff.

"Izuku! I'm so happy for you, I'm so happy that you can do exactly what you've wanted for all these years. You don't understand how proud of I am. Mark my words, you'll go far. Never doubt that. You'll make an impact."

Nodding frantically, he buried his head in her shirt. Deku didn't want his nosy neighbors to see him crying tears of joy. Heroes didn't cry, but yet, he wept. Seeing the wet spot he had left on her shirt, he sniffled.

"Mom. I just- I just never thought something like this could happen. It's all happening so fast. First I discovered my quirk, and now I got into U.A. I just- love you so much for always encouraging me and pushing me forward. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that. I love you."

She patted his back. Wiping a lone tear from her eye, she laughed with joy. Deku beamed, retrieving his phone from his pocket.

Deku darted around the yard, searching for something he soon found hanging from a post. His bicycle helmet. It reflected the sunlight shining down hard from above. Its shell had a wax coating, giving it that reflective quality. Unchaining his bike from the fence, he added quickly.

"I gotta tell Kazane, she told me to meet with her afterward and reveal the news. I can't keep her waiting. Bye!"

He knew he was speaking too fast, but he honestly didn't care right now.

"Wait, dear. Before you go, hand me the letter for safekeeping."

Deku paused, face-palming.

"Oh yeah, duh. Of course, here."

She took it gingerly seemingly afraid it'd turn to dust with the slightest amount of pressure. It didn't. Especially after being placed back in the thick envelope. Thanking her, Deku hopped back onto his bike. The bike itself wasn't top-quality by any means, but his pure ecstasy at having been accepted into the school was enough to drive him forward. It was enough to prevent him from developing that burning soreness or weird disrupted breathing. Deku had magic to thank for that too, the whole magical boy thing definitely playing a part in his lack of exertion.

"Bye, Izuku! Have fun, but not too much now!"

Musutafu Suburbs:

His bike ride to her apartment complex had been swift. Swift with the excitement of his acceptance, he found himself at the glass doors in no time. He had to pay a few coins to lock his bike, but his wallet had change to spare. On his first visit here he had noticed the peculiar system and had taken a mental note for future reference. It came in handy. The elevator's up button flashed as he pressed it multiple times. He knew that doing so wouldn't make it come faster, but it helped relieve his excitement. Moments of waiting inspired him to take the stairs.

Knocking, Deku tapped his foot. No response. He glanced down at his phone and sent a quick text.

Izuku 1:25 PM: I'm here at your door.

No response.

The longer he waited in the hallway's silence, the more his nervousness grew. Maybe she wasn't even home, or perhaps her phone died and she didn't hear the first knock. He reached out to jiggle the knob and hopefully gain her attention, but he withdrew it quickly as it gave way and opened. Not what he expected. His soul gem thrummed in warning. The shoe rack near the door was astray, knocked over and its contents scattered across the carpet. Swiftly, he sprang into action and searched the premises. Kazane's living room was an equally devastated area. The glass coffee table had shattered, leaving only its metal skeleton standing. Liquid dripped from a splash on the wall, around which shards of glass were embedded. Pale with fear, he crept around the corner and gasped.

Kazane. Hunched over and laying against the floor cabinets, she groaned upon seeing his face. Hesitantly, he waved. A cord swung over the countertop, landline phone dangling like a pendulum.

"W-What happened? D-did someone break in? I'll help-"

He reached out to her, but she swatted his hand away.

"You've done enough. No thank you."

Deku flinched, stepping back. Had somebody done something to her? Reaching back into his pocket, he held out his phone.

"I'm going to call your parents and tell them they need help."

Kazane glared at him.

"You CAN"T call them NOW. Who d'ya think WAS ON THAT PLANE?"

He froze. Mind whirring at miles per minute, his brain struggled to find something to say. It defaulted to condolences.

"I'm sorry, that must hurt. I can't imagine losi-"

Kazane yelled.

"I'M GLAD THAT FUCKER'S DEAD! SORRY doesn't mean ANYTHING. SORRY didn't mean NOTHING after he got behind the wheel drunk and PARALYZED ME FROM THE WAIST DOWN. Give me that DAMN GRIEF SEED IF YOU'RE SORRY."

Deku didn't handle anger well, and this wasn't it. This was despair. Yelling instantly reminded him of Bakugou. His body poured sweat. There were no grief seeds left. It had been used after the entrance exam. He gasped, nervously transforming and searching around his sweater pocket for a grief seed

"I-I used it a-after the e-ent-trance e-exam. I'm s-sorry, I'll g-get you a new one r-right n-now."

Her look of pure fury sent a shiver down his spine. Lips distorted into a harsh snarl, she spat.

"OF COURSE YOU WILL! Of course, you used the grief seed, and you probably fucking got into U.A too, huh? What the fuck did you think I was trying to do for the past three days without your presence? There are no witches in my territory. Some STUPID BITCH STOLE MY KILL and I couldn't even defend myself. I couldn't even kill that stupid rat witch either, couldn't get into U.A, COULDN'T SAVE THAT GIRL EITHER?"

Her fist unfurled, her soul gem rolling out by her side. Pure black stars spotted the outside, and a dark fog gathered at the center. Barely any yellow shined through. Deku gasped.

"K-Kazane! I- your soul gem!"

Stepping forward, he flinched as she threw a glass at his shoulder. Blood dribbled down his shoulder. The pain was not felt.

"BACK THE FUCK OFF! Don't want my cooties, remember?"

The warm liquid stained his outfit. He couldn't move, trembling in fear.

"I didn't mean to-"

She swirled a finger around the floor, eyes dull.

"Of course you didn't mean to. OF COURSE, YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO! Of course, you didn't mean to, you're a big hero, right? HEROES don't do bad things, DO THEY?"

Instantly, he shook his head, not wanting to be scolded further. Kazane laughed and added.

"Well, I'm no hero then."

Deku went into autopilot. Kazane needed medical attention.

"I'll call 9-1-1, now."

Kazane rolled her eyes. More dark stars spotted her soul gem.

"NOPE. I can't even call 9-1-1 myself, can I? It's no different than that damn wheelchair. I'm still so weak, even after years of experience a newbie like you up-staged me. I hate you, you know that? I absolutely loathe your powers, it's just not fair. You don't deserve to get into U.A, I did. I TRAINED AND TRAINED AND TRAINED FOR TWO YEARS AND EVEN WITH MY MAGICAL POWERS IT STILL WASN"T FUCKING ENOUGH. But you, Izuku Midoriya, contracted and were at a default stronger than me. I could never be like you, no matter my experience. You got into U.A with at most two months of magical girl training. You didn't have to work for a thing in your life, you're lucky, that's it. There's just no use for me here, no use for a weak magical girl who's fire isn't even strong enough to take down a witch while giving my all."

Tears ran down his cheeks. She was right. He hadn't had to work for anything. Even people with strong quirks had to work at it, work at their control and strengthening its potency. He was an imposter. Bakugou deserved to be a hero more than he did, he had evidently trained. Deku hadn't required any of that, all he did was make a wish. This had been given to him. Wallowing in pain, he cried out as hot tears slid down his cheek.

"You're right, I hate myself. I'm so afraid of everything, I can't even stand up to my bully. I don't deserve this power."

Kazane's expression neutralized.

"I'm sorry, Deku. I didn't mean that. I'm so stupid, so, so stupid. I was better off paralyzed and stuck in that damn chair. Even my power was handicapped."

Deku smiled, things would be okay. Her sobs stilled and her breath evened out. Dark stars almost completely blotted out her soul gem.

"How can I help?"

That was the wrong choice of words.

"How do I stop being obsolete? I get rid of what's replacing me. JUST DIE ALREADY, IZUKU MIDORIYA. I'm so sorry."

Grabbing her soul gem, she threw the completely blackened gem towards him. Holding his hands up, it didn't strike him. Instead, it burst open in a wave of energy that shattered furniture and sent him crashing into the drywall. It crumbled around him, dust hung in the air. Her soul gem reformed into a grief seed, one that instantly hatched. Reality wobbled away. Deku cried as his soul gem resonated with the witch's energy.

Eyes blurred by tears, the scenery was unfamiliar. Eldritch chanting filled his ears. It was some sort of religious hymn, sung with eerily low voices. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Deku willed himself to calm. There was no use dying. He had to save Kazane, but he knew deep down that there was no saving her. He had to be a real hero.

Deku stood on a stone pathway, one that was ornate yet rested in ruin. Faded artwork painted the stone arches rising up from the kitchen. Planks of wood and bits of drywall floated through the inky void. Most of the witch's labyrinth had been doused in utter black. The only thing that remained illuminated was the crumbling stone path that seemingly disappeared into the void. Small light bulbs hunt above the bridge, flickering randomly.

That was the way he had to go. Holding back a sob, Deku retrieved his journal and equipped the explosion quirk. Maximum destruction. Walking down the stone bridge out into the void, he couldn't help his wobbling legs. Heights. The pit was seemingly bottomless. The dark fog cleared as he came upon a crossroads in the path. Yellow hooded figures shuffled towards him. Familiars. Deku couldn't see past their yellow robes, and he didn't need to.

Holding his gauntlets behind his body, Deku released an explosion and rocketed towards them. The ominous chanting grew louder. A loud pained wail rocked his body. She knew he was here. His green explosion easily shred through their robes. Pain seared his body as his eyes caught fire. Momentarily blinded, he flooded magic back into his burned sockets. Beneath their robes, the familiars shined as if staring at the sun. He couldn't kill them.

Passing a set of cutlery floating in the void, his footsteps slammed rhythmically against the finely-engraved stone bricks. The chanting grew louder. His soul gem resonated stronger. The witch was closer. Instead of fighting the wave of yellow-hooded figures, Deku jumped over them. A bolt of pure darkness shot past his face. It nipped his nose, enough for him to bleed. The pain was easy to ignore, just like his now-mended eyes. Instead of a crossroad of pathways, Deku came upon an upwards stairwell.

The steps were ornate, marble and other precious stones layered on top of each other randomly. Pillars rose up from the void as he ascended the stairs. Their movements were loud, rumbling with each of his steps. A fridge floated in the void. Deku came upon a chapel and shivered.

Another tortured wail.

A large statue stood before him. Almost as large as the decrepit and crumbling cathedral, it stood with open arms, as if ready to embrace. Ancient robes draped along her feminine form. It looked like one of those ancient Greek statues he had seen on his school trip. A blindingly white fire burned at her eye's, flowing back behind her face. It was the only thing that just barely managed to cut through the overbearing darkness. This was the witch.

Movement and color caught his attention. There was a bloody altar at the statue's base. Yellow hoods brought a sole flailing green hood upon the altar. Chanting in unison, they formed a large knife of darkness above the green hooded figure. As the knife was slammed down into the green body, Deku swore he could feel the pain himself. Watching as the blood slowly dripped over the altar, it pooled at the gigantic statue's feet.

Glancing up, Deku wasn't sure if the statue had always been smiling. The fire at her eyes was burning brighter. He could feel its heat from all the way at her feet.

A golden glow was cast upon the green figure, and its bleeding stopped. Part of the yellow crowd turned to face Deku. The chanting stopped.

Throwing up a green shield, the bolts of darkness thudded and dissipated. He couldn't get close to them when they were all bunched together, he didn't know what they'd do as a group. Instead, he held the shield in place as he flipped through his journal. His magic strained against the black bolts of darkness. Equipping the super soaker, he devised a plan. Almost instantly after he dropped the shield, golden flames were blasted his way from the statue's eyes. Even without contacting him, the heat burned at his skin. The pain didn't matter. The beams of fire burned through the cathedral's tile floor with ease.

Dodging more bolts of darkness, he saw the remaining hooded figures raising another large black knife. Once again, it plunged into the green figure. Fresh blood spilled down at the statue's feet. Her fiery eyes grew brighter. The witch grew stronger. Deku could feel it. Dodging another beam of fire, he fired large globs of rancid slime towards the attacking familiars. It stained and covered their yellow robes. They died, light only managing to sear through the few spots uncovered by sludge. It worked. Aiming again, he pulled back the trigger and watched the other familiars stumble and explode in a now-muted burst of light.

A ball of golden fire was sent his way and another beam of light after he dodged the first. Barely keeping up with the witch, he panted and groaned. The witch had destroyed much of the floor, rubble fell into the void. A familiar but disconnect searing pain caught his attention. Left leg gone. Instead of healing it, he formed another with sludge. He limped with each step, sludge slowing him down considerably. More familiars remained at the altar. Deku wouldn't let the witch get any stronger. One by one he shot them with way too much slime. It did its job, but the light that escaped still pained his eyes considerably. Deku could feel himself losing blood. He needed to heal himself. Willing the green magic to his leg, he groaned in pain as it quickly grew back. Bone first, flesh later. The green familiar died too, he didn't care if it wasn't hostile. It was still a familiar.

Glancing back up at the statue upon dodging another blast of fire, she was frowning. Now that the familiars were out of the way, it was time for the witch to die. Flipping through his book as he dodged another beam of golden fire, he reached into the pages. The cold sensation was calming when face with the scorching-hot light assaulting him. Gauntlets equipped, he clinked them together and let off a small explosion. Smoke curled from his fists as he yelled out in anger.

Using his explosion for momentum, his velocity increased drastically towards the statue. Wind whipped at his hair. His yell was savage, his voice echoing and wobbling with emotion. Green energy gathered in his palms as he charged explosions in them both. Deku's eardrums instantly ruptured upon detonating the blasts but were healed moments later. The two green explosions chipped at the statue's stone, cracking her significantly. Impossibly bright light shined through the cracks, searing everything in its path. The green shockwave following his explosions was the last nail in the coffin. The statue crumbled, cracked completely in half and fell into the void. Brilliant golden light illuminated all of the darkness until none remained. The sun shined as the labyrinth wobbled away, letting him see Kazane's corpse fall down into the void.

It was too cruel. Deku curled in on himself against the cool tile floor. He was back in her kitchen, but that blinding light remained in his eyes as an after-image. Deku flooded himself with healing magic but gave it no direction. He just wanted the pain to stop. A familiar clink caught his attention. A grief seed. Crawling along the floor, his hands dug into the tile and shattered it. Using the broken tile as a handhold, he eased his way over to it pathetically across the kitchen floor. He held the seed in his hand, gazing down hopelessly at the solar symbol crowning the silver spindle. This was Kazane's grief seed. There was no denying it anymore, there was no turning back. Deku hated himself. How could he have been so stupid? This had been one big fantasy, one that was now biting him in the ass. He should have seen it sooner. Deku wanted to die already.

Holding the grief seed to his almost-black soul gem, he sobbed as the black mist was sucked out in waves. From black-riddled to brilliant pine green, but Deku still felt relief. It was an artificial relief, the knowledge stuck in his mind. He felt great on the surface, but he knew it wasn't true. There was no turning back now, he couldn't purge the knowledge from his mind what had happened to Kazane and would likely happen to him. Placing his head back down on the kitchen tile, he entered the fetal position and cried and cried and cried.

Witch Data: The Sun Witch

Name: Jude

Nature: Obsolete

The Sun Witch, with an obsolete nature. She was once the omnipotent goddess of the sun, tasked with the responsibility of turning day from night. Her followers have almost entirely disregarded her, flocking to alternate sources of light. Her shrine withers with each day forgotten in darkness. Her name is ancient to all but few, they only know of modern light. Spiteful, she will burn any pilgrim who visits her shrine. Many come to her for last-resort healing, but she is unyielding. Her acolytes have failed her, and so she casts the world in darkness. Few priests remain, barely sustaining her with human sacrifice upon her altar. Each sacrifice slowly returns her glory. One can easily beat her by bringing light back into her world.

Name: Johnathan

Duty: Honoring

Minion of the Sun Witch. Their duty is to honor the Sun Witch. The last of their kind, they are cherished for sustaining her with human sacrifices. They often wander out into the human world in search of unfortunate souls requiring divine intervention. These Familiars will do anything to bring light to their goddess, but unfortunately are only capable of wielding darkness.

Name: Usagi

Duty: Innovation

Minion of the Sun Witch. Their duty is to innovate new sources of light. They are nocturnal creatures, the sun is irrelevant to them. Without knowing it, their attempts at helping their mistress only serve to plunge her further into darkness. Jude cannot help smiting them, their bright green robes providing excellent targets in the dark.