Chapter Two
BurgeoningSo as you can imagine, upon leaving the hospital and waking up at home the next day, I went off to meet with the man who crushed my dreams, then reawakened them. Y'know, an everyday occurrence. I totally wasn't nervous as shit- sorry, Momo, nervous as all get-out. Of course, I wasn't told where to go, so I called first.
"Hello, this is Toshinori Yagi, may I ask whom I'm speaking to?"
"Um… Mr. Yagi, this is Izuku Midoriya… I was told All Might wanted to talk to me?"
"Oh! Young Midoriya! Of course, please meet him at the Taboka Municipal Beach Park in an hour, if you're able of course."
"Oh, I can get there soon enough! Thank you, Mr. Yagi!"
"Anytime, Young Midoriya. See you soon." Then he hung up. Small Might is a lot more of a gremlin than All Might. Absolute troll. Anyways, so there I was, little 14 year old Izuku Midoriya, a quirky extraordinaire! Off to meet a fifty year old man by myself! He would never do anything to me, he's a hero! Obviously, he didn't do anything, but c'mon, couldn't little me have been a little more… nevermind, considering my situation I probably was hoping for a miracle.
Anyways, an hour after that conversation with Mr. Yagi, AKA Small Might, I arrived at the first circle of hell, my own personal Limbo for the next eight months. Taboka Municipal Beach Park, the grave of anything forgotten and trashed. Basically, it was a dump. Standing in the rising sun like some kind of Greek god, the sun shining against his back, the Lord of the Trash, was All Might, standing righteously before the trashlands. Honestly, his most inspiring visage yet.
"Young Midoriya!" he called out, and I remember my face splitting into a hesitant grin as I strolled towards him with some minor hesitance. Just because he changed his mind, doesn't mean I would forget the fact it was him who was the linchpin for my… first death. Luckily he made up for it eventually, but c'mon. All Might isn't the smartest hero out there. Genius at combat intelligence, common sense less so. Small Might? That's a different story. If All Might is the sun, blinding with hope, innocence, and naivety, the Small Might is the grizzled war hero, who's seen hundreds, if not thousands of deaths, who's had to stare into the eyes of a grieving mother and tell her that he wasn't fast enough. The man who had to deal with the reality that, as he declined, so did the failures of his incline against him. Small Might is the new moon, a black void of cynicism and an exhaustion deep in his soul.
As for me? I made that new moon a full moon. Just as harrowed, just as hollow, but with a spark of something new, a light that wasn't there before. I made Small Might remember his roots as a hero, remember what he was doing all of this for. It was a quirkless, insignificant Izuku that inspired the Number One Hero: All Might, to move forward. Maybe it was why he chose me. For it a quirkless, weak boy could inspire such confidence in such an icon of bravery and strength, then what could the same boy, except a strong, trained, and quirked do?
"I'd like to train you, Young Midoriya. I believe that you will become a splendid hero, one day! I'd like to bring out that potential!" All Might exclaimed, before poofing into Small Might, coughing into a handkerchief. I froze in shock. I mean, what else was I supposed to do? Breathe? Ha! No. Anyways, I'm pretty sure my face turned purple before I remembered how lungs were supposed to work.
"You want to train me? W-why? I- you barely know me! A-a-a-and there's probably many other people out there who would be better! W-why?" All Might cut me off at that point, likely wanting to prevent a breakdown. Understandable, have a nice day. What? Kaminari introduced me to some old memes- Momo, stop laughing!
"When I first saw you, I only saw a small, quirkless boy whose arms were as limp as a noodle and just as thin. Now, I see a small, quirked boy whose arms are as limp as a noodle and just as thin, but with the heart of a hero. Someone who can inspire those around him, bring hope into their lives and ignite a spark inside them. It is that quality that I see within you, Young Midoriya, that makes me believe you're worth it. You're worth training, Young Midoriya. And I believe that you will be a hero. Which is why I'd like to make you an offer."
"My quirk is called One For All. One quirk that can be passed to All people. It's a stockpile quirk that can be transferred through the ingestion of DNA. I am the eighth user. You, if willing, would be the ninth. Izuku Midoriya, I would like you to be my successor."
"Oh." has shut down. "Okay." is rebooting. "I-" is now running. "I- I accept… All Might… I will be the next Symbol of Peace."
"No. I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be a hero like Izuku. I inspired people by being a pillar of strength and scared villains into compliance with my indomitable will. No, the world doesn't need another All Might. I'm getting weaker, and villains are getting bolder. As a single pillar holding up society, if I crumble so does it, and thus make me a target. What I want from you is for you to find your own path, Young Midoriya."
"What are you saying?"
"You don't have to be a Symbol of Peace. Or even a symbol at all. You just need to be you. Because it wasn't All Might that kicked me into gear and inspired me to go past my limits, it was you." And thus, I began to cry. After a long period of trying to calm me down, I accepted his offer. Then, he moved on to other business, namely why we were at the trash dump of Musutafu.
"So, why are we here?"
"Your body needs to be trained to handle the power of One For All. So, you're going to clean this beach over the next ten months. We're also going to train your quirk. Tell me, what have you discovered about it so far?"
"Aboslutely nothing."
"What?"
"I- I mean I was just so overwhelmed from yesterday, I didn't think to train or experiment yet- and so- I mean, I know that I can manipulate my bones…" Small Might smiled at me and ruffled my hair. Yes, Momo, you can fluff the fluff too. Kacchan, not like that! Momo don't giggle like that! I'm surrounded by perverts.
"Well, that's a start. Tell me, what feels different?" I sighed to myself and decided to finally devote myself to my quirk, which, in hindsight, I have no idea how I didn't do so earlier. I mean, I was a huge quirk nerd! Yes, Kacchan, I know I still am. Anyways, I focused around me with my eyes closed, and, how I didn't notice earlier, I realized I could sense things around me.
To my mind's eye, shut up Kacchan it doesn't sound that nerdy, I could sense… auras. I could sense the blood flowing through my body and my bones shifting beneath my skin- ugh, that's a weird thought. Finally, I could sense the aura of people around me. The man walking down the street. The infant boy crying in his cradle with his mother attempting to sooth him. The… oh god, the man bleeding out in Saitama. The girl stabbing her parents in a blood frenzy in Jaku. I could feel her despair and madness… poor Toga. I wish I could've helped her sooner…
I felt all these things. I felt almost all of Japan. I quickly got overwhelmed, and brought my focus closer to my own body, and felt Small Might in front of me, and focused on him instead. Instead of the single color that makes up most auras, his was a kaleidoscope. White, blue, red, dark green, orange, purple, pink, and finally the most vibrant of them, yellow. I recognized them as separate entities, but they seemed… dormant. They didn't have the vibrancy of the other aura's I sensed, but Small Might's aura was comforting.
I vaguely registered myself crying. I vaguely registered Small Might's concerned voice asking if I was alright, before drawing me into a hug. I just focused on his aura, blocking out the suffering- oh god, someone's aura just left their body. Someone… someone died. Another one. Another one. Another one. Another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one,another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one another one, another one another one another one another one another one, another one, another one another one, another one another one, another one another one, another one, another one, another one another one, another one, another one, another one, another one, another one another one, another one, another one.
"Young Midoriya!" I was snapped out of whatever trance I was in. I felt something run down my face and touched it. I was crying. I looked up at All Might.
"There's so… so many people dying. I- I can't do anything to stop it! Oh god… another one! And there too!"
"Young Midoriya… what are you sensing?"
"I- I think I can sense people's souls… I- I can interact with them too. I can feel them dying…"
"Young Midoriya, can you do me a favor?"
"O-Okay? W-what is it?"
"I want you to focus on the… souls… but this time, focus on the ones that are appearing." I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to ignore the stinging in my eyes.
Midoriya wiped away his tears, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He closed his eyes once more, blocking out the overwhelming sense of death and despair around him. Instead, he reached out with his newfound ability and honed in on the souls that were entering the world.
Amidst the chaos of fading life forces, he felt the gentle flickers of new souls igniting with pure potential. Babies being born, each one a beacon of hope, innocence, and possibilities. They were fragile yet resilient, facing a world filled with both darkness and light. Each new life represented a chance for change, for growth, and for love.
As he focused on these newborn souls, Izuku felt a spark of warmth within himself. It was as if the very essence of hope was surging through him, pushing back against the overwhelming darkness. He realized that life was indeed precious, and even in the face of countless deaths, it was the birth of new souls that truly defined the beauty of existence.
"All Might," he whispered, his voice shaky but determined. "I can feel it... the hope and potential of these newborn souls. It's like a bright light in the darkness."
All Might nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. "That's it, Young Midoriya. Life is a delicate balance of joy and sorrow, but it's the spark of life that keeps us going. As a hero, you must protect and cherish these precious souls, for they are the ones who will shape the future."
Encouraged by All Might's words, Izuku took another step forward. The weight of the world's suffering was still heavy on his shoulders, but now he knew he had the power to make a difference, even in the smallest of ways.
He thought of the countless lives he could save, the hope he could inspire, and the impact he could have on the world. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, but he was no longer alone. With All Might as his mentor and the souls of the newborn guiding him, Izuku felt a newfound sense of purpose.
"I promise, All Might," Izuku said, his voice steady with determination. "I will become a hero who protects and saves lives. I will honor the legacy of One For All and make a difference in this world, no matter how small."
All Might's eyes shone with pride as he placed a reassuring hand on Izuku's shoulder. "I have no doubt that you will, Young Midoriya. Your heart is already that of a hero."
And so, as the sun rose over the Taboka Municipal Beach Park, a new hero was born. Izuku Midoriya, once a quirkless boy deemed unworthy of heroism, now carried the weight of the world on his shoulders as the successor of One For All. But with the souls of the newborn guiding his way, he embraced the path before him, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.