Welcome back. This desk is due for some dust-cleaning, wouldn't you say?

I do not own Kingdom Hearts, My Hero Academia, or the music. They each belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 3: Out in the Open

Which are you? The one who lives in blissful ignorance? Or the one who sees every shadow in every corner of life?

Both are dangerous. Be wary of that as the journey goes forward.

(Silence)

It was just right after Izuku's school day had finished, and both he and Sora were now in the debris-filled Takoba Beach. Izuku wore a simple blue shirt, while Sora chose to keep his own clothes on another day, despite the risk of people noticing something off about it. The green-haired boy had always winced at the state of it whenever he passed, with piles of garbage all over the place.

But Sora… he looked as if someone had kicked a puppy, spat on it, and left it to rot. Which was… kind of accurate considering the similar situation the beach was in.

"Er… this can't be the place, right?"

"I-It is…" he replied, "Takoba Beach."

"But why did Toshinori want us here?" Sora asked, "No offense but… this place looks terrible. Has anybody cleaned this place up?"

"It's been a long time since anyone tried…" Izuku muttered.

"What?! Why's that?" he gawked, "Shouldn't something like this be easy for superpowered Heroes?"

"I… I don't know. You seem very interested in this, Sora."

"My home is a series of islands, and the beaches were… well… we took the time to actually take out the trash that gets in the sand."

Oh.

That made some sense. If Sora came from a world of islands, then of course he'd feel strongly about a beach this… filthy.

"Anyways… what now?"

"All Might d-did want us to meet him here," Izuku said, "So let's wait."

"Wait… All Might?" Sora asked, which made the green-haired boy turn into a deer in headlights, "Wasn't it Toshinori who asked us?"

"O-O-Oh, yeah! Mr. Y-Yagi wanted us here! Y-Yeah! Ha ha!" the boy stammered, "I-I guess I mixed him up with All Might!"

"Who is he, anyways? Your mom says he's the top dog of heroes." Sora said, hands behind his head, "I'm guessing guys like him are normal in this world."

"R-Right. They are! And All Might's the Number One Hero out of all of them! The Symbol of Peace!" Izuku gushed, "He always saves everybody with a smile on his face, even when things seem bleak! He's amazing!"

Sora smiled, "Heh. Herc would've loved to meet him."

"Herc?"

"A friend of mine. He's a true hero in his world. The way you talk about All Might reminds me of him."

There was a moment's pause before Izuku's voice rang in his ears.

"Wait a second… Do you mean Hercules?"

(Play: FFXVI OST - Land of Eikons)

Sora's eyes widened. How did he know?

"Wait. Do you know him? Son of Zeus? Trained by a satyr? Has a crush on Megaria?"

"Wait, so the God of Strength is real?! And he's your friend?!" Izuku asked with surprise.

"Yep! He's from Olympus! That's the name of the world he's from." Sora grinned, before looking confused, "But I don't remember him being called 'God of Strength.' He chose not to become a god when I was last there…"

"So… he hasn't gone through his twelve labors yet…"

"What labors?"

"O-Oh! Sorry. I was talking to myself." Izuku said, before asking, "But still, it's amazing how you're friends with a god in another world! So what's Hercules like?"

"Herc? He's a really nice guy, and he's willing to lend a helping hand when he has the power to. I even sparred with him on a few occasions! He lives up to his hype." the Keyblade wielder smiled fondly, while Izuku looked at him with interest. "He's a real hero, and everyone in his world can vouch for that."

"Huh… that's a little different from how he was depicted in myth…"

"Myth?"

"Yeah. Here, Hercules's exploits are fictional tales for us. We didn't consider him to be real, or any of the people in the myths that were depicted."

"...Oh." Sora replied, before crossing his arms with a frown on his face, "I see…"

Izuku was also lost in his thoughts. The Hercules, or Heracles, of Greek legend was indeed a hero, though his tale wasn't completely like the ones he was used to in the modern time. Greek tragedies always had something bad befall the heroes depicted in them. Even if at the end of his story he ascended to godhood and was acknowledged by all of Greece, it had come at a cost, and Megaria had been part of it.

Had the Hercules Sora met been a Hercules that was still early in his journey? Or were their tales of the Greek god of myth the ones that were false?

Most likely the latter, if Sora was a direct witness. It was still baffling to think that there were worlds where gods of myth actually existed.

Ugh, the prospect of other worlds was going to kill him before he made it to U.A.…

"So you're both here. That's good."

All Might's voice made Izuku jump and turn around. "Gah!"

"Oh. Hey, Toshinori." Sora looked up and waved his hand, noticing the skinny man in a white shirt, "Doing alright? You look winded."

"Apologies, Young Sora. I got sidetracked. Had to stop a few robberies along the way."

"Stop a few robberies?"

"Yeah… it's related to what I wanted to talk to the two of you about today."

"Ohh… so the trash is acting like a cover so people won't hear us…"

"Something like that."

Sora sat himself down on the top of a rusting refrigerator resting on its side, while Izuku chose a chair which was missing a leg. Toshinori, however, continued to stand among the rubble. He took a deep breath as he looked towards Midoriya.

"So… what's the secret?" Sora questioned.

Toshinori took a deep breath, directing his question to Izuku. "Young Midoriya… do you remember what I asked of you before our new friend here fell from the sky?"

Sora turned to Izuku with a tilt of his head, and the boy said, "Y-You… you asked if I wanted to accept your Quirk or not, right? It's been nagging at me the whole day… what was that all about? How can you just 'give' me your Quirk?"

Toshinori rubbed his mouth, and said, "There are a few things you should know… and many of which involve the abilities I possess. I suggest you listen in as well, Sora. It could prove helpful in your understanding of our world."

Sora nodded and crossed his arms, his blue eyes now piercing Toshinori's own.

"Though as I am now, I call myself Toshinori Yagi, I am also a Hero here. And not just any hero." Yagi said, "I am considered Japan's Number One Hero. The Symbol of Peace."

Sora's eyes widened, "So you're All Might. Inko mentioned you when she was talking to me. Now that I think about it, Izuku… you kinda let that slip out a few minutes ago." He looked up and down at Yagi, blinking several times before shaking his head, " I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just that…"

He nodded, pointing to himself, "It's hard to process. Especially since I look like… this. We'll get there, young Sora. Wait…" the Number One Hero raised a brow, "Who's Inko?"

"M-My mother! She doesn't know about you and All MIght being the same person if that's what you're worried about!" Izuku jumped in, trying to keep calm. Yagi breathed a sigh, before continuing.

"Anyways… journalists around the world think my power is some strength-based Quirk or some form of invulnerability," he said, "Whenever I'm asked about it in interviews or on television, I make a joke or dodge the question."

Sora closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "But why would you need to do something like that?"

"To reassure the people. So that the world can believe that the Symbol of Peace is a natural-born Hero like the rest of the ones out there. The majority of Quirk users in this world are born with it, developing that power physically when they reach the age of 4 or 5. But my Quirk is special," said Yagi, "There's nothing natural about my abilities at all."

"Wait… so that means…"

"Yes… my powers aren't something I had since birth… it is something that was given to me. A sacred torch entrusted to me by the one who possessed it before." Toshinori raised his arms, "You could say it's similar to how that… Keyblade chose you, Sora."

The boy in question chuckled a bit, "Heh… I guess so." Meanwhile, Izuku was blinking rapidly, eyes twitching at this discovery. It was as if he had been shown that pigs flew and that his dreams were visions of the future.

"That's… that's impossible." Izuku said, though Sora pointed to himself.

"Hey, you've seen stranger. I'm right here, after all." he grinned.

"This is different, Sora! All Might's Quirk has been one of the world's greatest mysteries since, well, forever! It's always debated between people online and no one has ever figured it out!" Midoriya explained, "But it really makes no sense how he can just… grant me his Quirk. It's unheard of! But if this is true, then this would reshape the way we think about Quirks to begin with and the implications it has means that…"

Sora and Yagi exchanged confused glances as the boy rambled on, with the former poking Izuku's cheek to no avail. The latter decided to clap his hands again to snap Izuku out of his muttering, the poor kid yelping in the process.

"I, uh… think you're overthinking this, Izuku," Sora told him with a hand behind his head and a raised brow, "You almost lost the both of us with all that stuff you were spouting."

"B-But…"

"Just think of it the same way we did when Sora told us about there being other worlds out there." Toshinori said, "I can transfer my Quirk to you. Simple as that. And that's only the surface of my abilities."

Now this raised the brows of both boys in the room, er, beach. Only the surface? To Izuku, this was surprising and a bit exciting as he was now going to discover the secret of All Might, while Sora was curious to see just how far Toshinori's powers could reach. If he was going to be here for a longer time than normal, he'd have to figure out how strong his potential opponents would be.

(Play: MHA OST - Plus Ultra)

The skeletal man raised his arm upward in front of him, "The name of my Quirk… is 'One for All.'"

"'One… for All?'" Izuku asked. Sora noted that the name was essentially the second half of the Musketeer motto.

"Yes… One person improves the power, and passes it on to another. It continues to grow as the Quirk goes from one to the other." He clenched his open palm, "It's that very power that allows me to save those in need. This is the truth behind my strength."

"So… as long as it's transferred to others, the power can grow and grow… that's incredible." Sora said, "But I'm guessing there's a catch."

"You're not wrong. One for All can only be transferred to a willing recipient. It cannot be given to one who doesn't want it." Toshinori replied, "And yes, in theory, my Quirk can grow in power endlessly… so long as the user can handle it. It's only thanks to those who had it before that I can save those in need."

The more seasoned boy of the two present hummed at the response. And Toshinori was planning on passing such a power to Izuku, a boy without a power of his own in a world apparently filled with superpowers. He voiced this to Toshinori, who nodded.

"B-But… why me?" Izuku asked, "I-I'm…. Just me. A Quirkless Deku. What if I can't live up to it?"

Yagi's eyes pierced Izuku's own, "I've been looking for a successor for a long time. Ever since that injury which crippled me." He glanced towards his side, his left arm twitching, and Sora eyed the spot a while longer as Yagi continued, "And then, that day… I watched as you jumped in as the rest of us merely watched."

Sora looked back at Izuku, recalling that just before they met, Izuku had been involved in an incident regarding a guy with sludge powers. Of course, it seemed like passing news to some, but for the Keyblade wielder, it spoke volumes, even if he had limited knowledge on how this world worked.

"Yes, you're a Quirkless fanboy. That much is clear," Yagi replied, "But even without a Quirk, you tried to save that kid when the heroes wouldn't. When he needed help the most, no one but you stepped forward without hesitation." He clenched his fist in front of him, "You acted like a Hero, and let nobody tell you otherwise."

Those words nearly made Izuku start to bawl just as he did before, though Sora gave him a comforting thumbs-up. He couldn't believe it. His own idol, who he never thought in a hundred years he would speak face to face, was now encouraging him to follow his dreams. He even told Izuku, a quirkless nobody, a secret that he wouldn't just share with anyone.

After what had transpired… How could he not accept such an offer?

He rubbed his eyes with his free arm before standing up with a determined expression. He knew his decision.

"Alright. I'll accept your power!"

Yagi returned Izuku's determined expression, "No hesitation or reluctance. I figured you'd respond that way." he looked around, before nodding to himself and turning to Sora, "Do you have anything to say about this, young Sora?"

(Silence)

"Not at all. I only just got here, after all." the boy replied, "I might not know the full story, but considering how willing Izuku is to be a superhero, I can't exactly stop him from pursuing that dream. If your power will help him with his dream, that's great. But I have to ask…" he glanced towards the spot Yagi had glanced towards, "What kind of injury did you get to make you like… this?"

"...It's not exactly a story I enjoy talking about, but… I got the injury in a fight with a powerful villain," Yagi lifted his shirt up, and Sora recoiled. He could see dozens of stitches, all of which spiraled into a spot on the Number One Hero's side. From here, it seemed like a very grievous stab wound.

No… not a stab wound. It was as if a drill had plunged into the spot and the body was unable to heal from it. The self-inflicted scar Sora had on his chest seemed like a joke in comparison. If there was an opponent that could do that to Yagi, then he'd have to be really careful, especially in his weakened state.

But he had yet to see Yagi in action to compare notes. He'll have to see it for himself in the days to come.

"I lost my stomach and partial function to my lungs that day. Even with the best medical treatment I barely survived the ordeal." Yagi admitted, "Sometimes I wonder how I'm still able to function."

"I see…" Sora said, frowning, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm just glad to still be of service even as I am now." the man replied, covering his midsection with his shirt, "But enough talk of old war wounds. We need to prepare Young Midoriya for U.A.."

"You mean train him?" Sora asked.

"Exactly. And this beach has given me an idea…"

"Which is?"

"Being a Hero is more than just defeating the bad guy, after all. So why don't we have Young Midoriya do some… community service?"


"I can't do this."

"Sure you can."

"No, no, no, no! Did you see how much trash there is out there?!"

"Yeah, I know. But you've got plenty of time. Ten months shouldn't be too long."

"Sora, if you were Quirkless, you'd get what I mean!"

"Maybe. But it wouldn't stop me from trying." Sora told him as the two were walking back to Izuku's place, "Besides, Toshinori's giving you a couple days to prepare. Mentally. You can do this."

Izuku took several deep breaths, before shaking his head, "No, I can't. There's no way I'll be able to carry all that without a superpower…"

Sora gave him a pat on the back, "Maybe not at first. But we've gotta start somewhere, yeah?"

Izuku merely sighed.

"Hey, take it from me. I told you I could cast magic, right?" Sora said, raising a hand and conjuring a small fire, "I didn't exactly learn how to cast Fire or Blizzard right off the bat. Some of the attempts blew me up or gave me frostbite. But most of the time? I couldn't even release a small spark."

"B-Blew you up?!" Izuku gawked, before looking down. It made sense, when he gave it more thought. People with Quirks sometimes took years to master or even get a smidge of control over it. Growing stronger would likely be a similar process.

But in ten months? With schoolwork to boot?

"Someone catch that thief!"

(Play: KH 2.5 Remix OST - Sinister Sundown)

A blur suddenly whizzed past the duo, nearly causing Izuku to stumble and fall with his thoughts, but Sora was quick to catch him. The two looked up just in time to see the blur turn around a corner.

"A thief? In broad daylight?" Izuku asked. Sora was ready to give chase, but was stopped by the green-haired boy grabbing his hand.

"Wait, Sora! Where are you-?"

"Someone's gotta stop him!" Sora answered.

Izuku paused, before saying, "Sora, you can't use your powers here. Use of them in public is illegal if you're not a Hero."

"But I am one!"

"Not here! Not in this world!" the boy protested, "Sora, the last thing we need is for someone to arrest you right now! Please, just… don't try to use your powers."

Sora growled, before he said, "Fine. We're still going after the thief though."

"Wait, how-?!"

Izuku yelped as Sora raced after the thief, finding himself hanging on to a person for dear life for the second time this week. Sure, it wasn't at inhuman speeds like with All Might, but Izuku was not expecting Sora to simply sprint like his life depended on it. He couldn't even tell if a Quirk was at play, either, and the Keyblade wielder was still racing like a sprinter from the long-forgotten Olympics. Was Sora just this naturally fast?

Wait, what am I thinking? This person said he trained with a Greek god who had endless strength!

It wasn't long before Sora stopped and nearly fell over when Izuku collided with him, making him stumble. He turned and realized what had happened.

"Oh… uh…" Sora looked at him with a sheepish expression, "Oops?"

"It's fine… it isn't my first time hanging in there…" Izuku mumbled as he slid to the ground. Sora hauled him back up, keeping him balanced as he stared at the scene in front of him. "W-Well… what are we looking at?"

"Er… you tell me, Izuku. How'd a superhero get here that fast?"

Once Midoriya regained his bearings, he noticed that the thief, who obviously had a speed-based Quirk, was already on the ground and tied up thanks to the efforts of a very familiar hero. One clad in armor befitting a knight of old.

"Whoa… that's Ingenium!" Izuku gushed.

"In-Genie what-now?" Sora raised a brow.

"Ingenium! The Turbo Hero!" Izuku said with glee, "He's one of the fastest Pros around, so of course he was able to get here quickly to apprehend the villain!"

Upon further study, Sora noted that the Hero had what appeared to be jet engines on the end of his elbows. Was that his power? He watched as the police arrived and took the thief away, while Ingenium went over to return the stolen purse, bowing at the thanks given to him.

"Huh… and there's more of these 'Pros' around too?"

"Yeah! It's why those who aren't Heroes that have Quirks can't use them in public. We have Heroes who can help make sure that the streets are safe. And ever since All Might made his debut, crimes have been at an all-time low!" Midoriya replied, "So you don't have to worry too much about using your powers. With all these Heroes around the world, I don't think you'll have to use them at all."

Sora hummed at the reply, before saying, "Can civilians use their Quirks in self-defense?"

"Only when absolutely necessary." Izuku answered, before looking at his watch. Sora simply watched as Ingenium gave those watching a two finger salute before rushing off and away, apparently to look for more crime. He could just faintly see the traces of the engines going off as the Hero sprinted away.

If there were multiple Heroes like this roaming about, then Sora could see why Izuku seemed so relaxed about this. These "Heroes" seemed to be like an elite force of protectors in comparison to regular police in San Fransokyo and the CDA in Monstropolis. They were pretty much Big Hero 6 if they had more members. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit on edge. What if a new enemy showed up and the numbers advantage didn't matter? Even with the figures' reassurance that Heartless would not show up in a world on the "other side," he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't as simple as it seemed.

(Play: MHA OST - Hero's Shadow)

He looked towards Izuku, who was no longer looking at the watch and was eyeing the spot where Ingenium raced away. There seemed to be a strange glint in his eye.

"Izuku? You okay?" he asked.

"Sora… are you sure All Might made the right choice?"

The Keyblade wielder looked at Izuku, and reminded himself that the boy was an outlier among the people of this world. A boy with no powers in a world with superpowers.

"I keep looking at all these Heroes from the sidelines. They all do so much for the rest of these people, and All Might is the one leading the charge. All my life I wanted to be like them. To be a real Hero and save people with a smile, just like them. Now… I'm being given a chance to become that, by inheriting One for All, and All Might even said I had what it takes. It's just… Now that my dream is closer to me than ever," Izuku sighed, looking at the Keyblade wielder, "I can't help but feel nervous. Will I be ready when the time comes for me to take All Might's power?"

Sora looked back at him with a thoughtful expression, before saying, "I think so."

"Truly?"

"I told you before. I have friends who saved the day without their powers. Herc is one of them. If they can be heroes like that, who's to say you can't be the same? " He placed his hands behind his head, "I think you're already on the right track. Just stay true to yourself and I think everything will turn out fine."

The green-haired teen looked down for a moment, before he gave his companion a watery smile, "Thank you, Sora. That means a lot."

"Anytime. We're friends, after all."

A friend.

That was something people haven't considered him to be for a long time. It wasn't just the fact that Sora had declared him a friend. It was the fact that regardless of whether or not he had a Quirk, he accepted Izuku for who he was, even with the knowledge of the commonality of Quirks in this world. That would've burst the dam had Sora not chimed in.

(Silence)

"Anyways… weren't we supposed to head back to your place?"

Izuku blinked and looked frantically at his watch, "Oh crap, that right! We need to get back home now!"

Sora glanced at the watch and asked, "Are we late?"

"We said we'd be out only 2 hours, and we've been out for almost three!"

"Shoot!" Sora said with wide eyes, before turning back towards the direction they came, "In that case, grab my torso and hang on tight!"

"Hang on?! Sora, wait!" Izuku said, grabbing the hood of his outfit in a futile attempt to stop him.

He regretted doing so when Sora began sprinting again, and poor Izuku once again was hanging for dear life.

This was going to be a long couple of days.


(Play: FFVII Remake OST - Hollow Skies)

"Huh… 'just a myth'…"

Night had fallen in the city of Mustafu. While Izuku and Inko had fallen asleep, Sora had taken the time to sneak out the door and watch the stars while leaning on the railing. His thoughts had drifted towards other things, including what had happened this morning. Toshinori, or… All Might… was planning to pass down his power to Izuku, similar to an inheritance ceremony… or whatever it was called. He had nothing against it, and his talk with Izuku after seeing Ingenium in action only solidified that.

However, what was bothering him more was that this world's people knew Hercules, but to them, he wasn't considered a real person. Sure, it was likely due to the fact that worlds weren't supposed to mingle in each other's affairs, but he had rarely, if at all, seen a world that had tales of people he knew from another world. The only other instance he knew of was Toy Box, where he was mistaken, or looked pretty similar to, a video game character there.

He had to be honest, it was a bit unnerving to see it happen to other people he knew.

But if his secret was out, and he had to tell his story? How was he going to explain without sounding like a lunatic? Toshinori and Izuku were exceptions, since they saw how he arrived here firsthand and were aware that there was something off about him, but what about other people? If his friends he met on other worlds were simply storybook characters here…

Ugh… Riku and Donald were always better with this stuff.

He pulled out a peculiar-looking phone, turning it on and taking a picture of the sky. Even from where he was, he could tell that the stars out there were completely different from the ones he saw on the worlds he had been to. It only made it more clear that his current plight was going to be one of his toughest yet.

Trapped in a world, far from home, with no known means of coming back. And those guys said to rest and regain my strength. Sora thought, Though I wonder…

He raised his hand out in front of him, summoning the Kingdom Key and pointing it in front of him, closing his eyes. Trace the connection… he thought. His brow furrowed as he grunted, his grip tightening in hopes of getting something, anything, from this endeavor.

Nothing. No portal. No voice. Not even a glimmer of light.

He really was alone out here. Perhaps he was more drained than he thought. Or it could be the fact that this world and all the others on this "other side" were unbound by the Realm of Light and Darkness. It was somewhere beyond both of them, and maybe because of that, his magic was weaker here.

But was that really the case?

He opened his eyes and frowned, before sighing and dismissing his Keyblade, "Well… it was worth a shot."

Even if the attempt ended in failure, he wasn't planning on giving up. This wasn't the first time he was sent adrift with no idea of how to return, and unlike before, he wasn't completely clueless about what was going on.

He turned to his right and noted the apartment two doors away. Upon closer inspection he noticed that it was empty, and a sign on the window said that the complex was available. Perhaps once he earned some money here, he would try and take that place or another to reside in. Considering he might be in this world for a while, it was a better option than falling asleep on a tree.

He went back inside, opened the door and was ready to go to sleep, but he noticed someone near the counter with a mug upon entering the residence.

"Sora?" Inko asked, "What were you doing out there?"

The boy froze. Had she seen him using his Keyblade through the window?

"Um…"

"I went to get a cup of tea, but after that, I noticed you weren't on the couch." she replied, "But you came back inside before I could act upon it, thankfully. Did you go out while we were asleep?"

"Yeah. I was just getting air," he said, internally relieved that she didn't seem to be watching him before, "Stargazing before I sleep."

"Stargazing?"

"Yeah." Sora replied, closing the door behind him, "Back home, they say that each star is another world, so I like to look up there every now and then. Can't help but wonder if others are looking at us from there."

If only the stars were like I remembered them to be…

Inko couldn't help but giggle at that, placing her mug on the counter, "I see."

"Is it that funny?"

"No. It's just… you're one of the only people I know who still does things like that." she answered, "The number of people I know who stargaze has become shorter every year."

"Oh…" Sora's smile faded slightly, "That's a shame. You think Izuku would like to stargaze?"

"I'm sure he'd love that. Perhaps both of you could do something like that in the future, once Izuku is done with school." Inko replied, before her expression turned thoughtful, "Speaking of, you said you were homeschooled, right?"

"I was. It's been a while, but I think I remember enough to make me eligible for actual school."

"Will you apply to U.A., then?"

"My power does fall into that line of work. I'm gonna try to do that once Toshinori finds a permanent place for me to stay at. Thanks again for having me here for a bit."

"Of course. Considering your circumstances, after all…" Inko replied, looking downward, "It must be hard to live without your parents."

The boy shrugged, "It's… not all too bad. I get to meet people like you and Izuku, at least. I'm just glad Toshinori was willing to help me out. But I do need to think about what I'll need at the place he finds for me… I'll have to look around the stores here, I guess."

"That's a wonderful place to start, Sora…" she nodded, taking her mug and smiling at the boy, "But even when that does happen and you find a place, you'll always be welcome here if you want to come and visit."

Sora blinked at that, before letting out a soft chuckle, "Thanks, Inko. Goodnight."

"Good night." she replied, before walking to her bedroom. As she closed the door, Sora let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding in. He smiled to himself as he lay down on the couch, hands behind his back as he stared at the ceiling.

Maybe being in this world won't be so bad…


(Silence)

"So what I'm getting here is, that there are three main types of these powers, and by definition, my magic could be considered an 'Emitter' type?"

"Indeed, young Sora. You are learning quickly."

"Thanks." the boy smiled as he put the book down on one of the rusty chairs and looked up to the man, "But the hard part is that my magic ranges from fire to gravity. Not to mention my summoning of the Keyblade. How are we going to explain that?"

Toshinori hummed, and gave him a big grin, "We'll figure it out. We have ten months on our plate, after all! More than enough time to find a name for this 'Quirk' of yours!"

Sora chuckled, "I still can't believe you can change from being skinny to buff. Guess it helps with the whole 'secret identity' thing."

Toshinori laughed, a jolly boisterous one that made Sora join in. He was right, after all. Right in front of him wasn't the skinny man he met in the hospital. But rather a large, muscular well-built superhero that could even give Hercules a run for his money. The Keyblade wielder could better understand why Toshinori was the Number One.

Though the strain it must take to maintain the form he had… it must be very great, considering the injury Toshinori had. Sora was reminded of the Drive Forms he once used a while back.

The sound of grunting made the two of them return to where Izuku was struggling to pull a fridge with some rope attached to him. Which just so happened to have the added weight of Toshinori himself.

That's right. Today's the day. Sora thought. Two days had passed since Toshinori had told them about One for All, and now Izuku was beginning his training to get into U.A.. From what he heard from both of them, this was a school to train rising heroes, and if Izuku wanted to get in, he'd need to work himself to the limit. If he went in as he was now, then he would not last a day.

Still…

"You sure starting with the fridge is a good idea?" Sora asked.

"Of course. People around here carry these things every day, and some of them don't even have enhanced strength." Toshinori replied with a wave of his hand. That made the boy raise a brow. Were normal humans that strong? He remembered that even his uncle back home had trouble lifting one. No… it had to be with a different power

Either way, it wouldn't be fun to just watch.

"Come on, Izuku! Work those muscles!" Sora cheered, hoping to encourage his friend.

"I'm… trying!" Izuku grunted before tripping on himself and falling on his face. Sora walked over to him and offered a hand, "You okay?"

"Yeah… never better." the to-be inheritor sighed, taking it, "But it's like All Might said… I've gotta strengthen my body."

"Exactly! And not just to prepare for U.A.." Toshinori leapt down from the fridge and put a hand on it, "My Quirk has the combined physical abilities of every person who ever used it. An unprepared body wouldn't be able to handle it!"

"Er… what's the worst case scenario if Izuku were to inherit it now?" Sora asked.

"Well… his arms and legs would shoot off if he tried to use it!"

The image made Izuku go paler than a sheet, while Sora winced at the thought. "Okayyyy. I can see why we're starting with a fridge."

"And it doesn't end there." All Might's face became serious, "It's not just the heavy things that you will be carrying out of the beach. This entire section of the coastline…" he suddenly pressed on the fridge Izuku was carrying, and without warning, it began to crumple under the pressure. To the boys' surprise, he flattened the refrigerator and sent the debris behind him flying with the force of the impact, revealing the beach and ocean behind him.

"You, young Midoriya, will be the one to restore its original state. It will be the first step towards your path of being a hero."

Izuku had a brief look of doubt, one that was instantly dispelled and replaced with a hopeful and determined one. "Well… U.A. is the most difficult school to get into. And… if this is going to help me be a better inheritor for One for All, then I'll do it. I'll shoot for the moon."

"That's the spirit!" Sora said with a grin, as Izuku pulled out a few sheets of paper and examined them.

"And all I've got to do is follow this 'American Dream Plan' you made yourself, All Might. I still can't believe that even my sleep schedule's been put into this." he said with a shaky laugh, "So… we shouldn't wait any longer. These ten months will go by fast."

"Then let's get this party started, young Midoriya!" Toshinori said with a thumbs up, before suddenly disappearing in a burst of smoke and reverting back to his skinny form with a cough. While Sora walked over and gave Toshinori a pat on the back, Izuku couldn't help but shudder.

I'm never going to get used to that. he thought.

(Play: MHA OST - HERO A)

And so began the first day of cleanup. Since All Might had crushed the fridge Izuku had tried to pull initially, the next item on the list was a metal file holder. That one was just as difficult for Izuku, even with Sora and Toshinori hyping him up.

Next were a series of tires that the green haired boy had to move towards the outside of the beach, which were easier to manage and haul compared to the previous two items. From there, Izuku made a decent amount of progress in the early morning. Though it did cost him much of his energy and made it hard to focus in class.

While Midoriya was at school, Sora decided to do some minor training himself, in the form of jogging and patrolling the streets for any signs of enemies from his world in the city, something he had done right after Toshinori had explained One for All. He had patrolled for two days since then. Considering that he couldn't exactly insert himself into a middle school class right away, he and Toshinori had agreed to the patrols so long as he made his powers and abilities extremely subtle.

Which unfortunately meant he couldn't scale buildings like he could in San Fransokyo. Not to mention he had lost the ability to glide properly. It wasn't favorable, but he did need to keep his body in shape while resting to restore the strength he had lost. Jogging was the only thing he could really do, though he did indulge himself in some acrobatics white patrolling to make the patrol less dull. Or as Hiro and Go Go had called it, "parkour."

It did get some weird looks from other people, but he didn't care much. When asked if he had a Quirk, he just said that he wasn't using any powers when doing parkour, and they left him alone.

Thankfully, he had not lost his Gummiphone during the trip to Earth, though any attempts to reach his friends from his world were unsuccessful. The least it could do now was check the time and take pictures.

Once school was out, the boys would then meet up with Toshinori again and continue the brutal training until it was late in the afternoon.

It didn't stop at just removing trash. Izuku found himself also lifting weights on that beach and even swimming once a small segment of the beach was clear. To put it simply, it was hell.

And this is only day one, Izuku thought to himself as he lugged a safe up the stairs, Sora and Yagi cheering him on in the distance. If that was day one, then he could only imagine how the rest would go.

But this is what he needed to do to become a Hero, after all. A strong-enough body to handle One for All. And to do that, he had to go beyond!

Plus Ultra!


(Play: KH 2.5 Remix OST - Lazy Afternoons)

"So… tired…" Izuku wheezed as Sora supported him on the way back to his place. It was late afternoon, and they had just gotten off the bus.

"Hang in there, bud. We're almost back home!" The boy encouraged him.

"If… I don't make it…"

"We'll make it, Izuku. This won't be what does you in! Tell me what you see."

The boy squinted through his lidded eyes, "Sora… I… think I see a light…"

"A light?" Sora raised a brow, looking in front of him, before gasping, getting in front of Izuku and shaking him, "Don't walk towards the light!"

"Wait… it was just… light reflecting… off that car over there."

Sora blinked, "Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"...Brain… didn't… fully process…" Izuku mumbled as they got to the stairs, "Just… get me home… I need to shower…"

Sora nodded, lowering his body and hoisting the boy onto his back, before racing up the stairs. In his dazed state, Izuku was once again reminded of how abnormally strong his new friend was.

I wonder… if I will reach his level one day… he thought.

After Izuku had taken a shower, now no longer as exhausted, the two went outside again, leaning forward on the railing of the balcony on their floor. The to-be inheritor drank in the sights and smells, as well as the feeling of the breeze.

After a hard workout at the beach, this moment of peace was, in his mind, well-earned.

"I can't believe that was all just one day…" Izuku said aloud. Sora turned to him and nodded.

"Yeah… Toshinori didn't just dip your toes in the water. He threw you right into the boiling pot." he said, "But you made it. You survived. That's really good."

"It doesn't feel like it yet…"

"It's a start. And that's the good thing." the Keyblade wielder said, before pumping his fist, "And it's gotten me a bit fired up too! Since I can't exactly leave anytime soon, I'll have to do my research on this world and its culture. Can't exactly follow you into U.A. if I don't know my stuff."

Izuku was reminded of the day he learned of One for All. After Yagi's proposal of workout, Sora, having heard of the secret himself, decided to tell more of his story. How he was once a resident of a world known as the Destiny Islands; how he had become a Keyblade wielder when an evil villain named Xehanort started to use creatures called the Heartless to cause chaos around the known worlds. Not only did Sora help thwart Xehanort's designs with his friends and other Keyblade wielders, he also claimed to have participated in a war to decide the fate of all worlds, including their own. A war whose aftermath was an indirect cause to why Sora himself was stranded on their world, aside from battling this Yozora character he mentioned when they first met.

All this, and he was only Izuku's age. Sora wasn't just an alien. He was essentially an important soldier in a very small unit.

And now he was trying to find a way back home, apparently sapped of most of his strength. Though Izuku had considered it far-fetched initially, All Might surprisingly was more convinced, saying that combatting the Heartless probably explained why Sora's body was so scarred. It was only then that day Izuku had noticed the faint marks decorated around Sora's arms. He couldn't imagine what other scars Sora's outfit was hiding.

Afterwards, All Might and Sora had not only discussed what he was going to do while Izuku trained; they also spoke about what Sora would actually do when the inheritor would participate in the entrance exam. He couldn't just wander the earth like a ronin. Izuku had suggested Sora come to U.A. with him as a way to regain his lost strength (thankfully Sora was still 15 and had gone to school before), but Toshinori explained that it would be more difficult compared to Izuku since the Keyblade wielder had pretty much no proper identity in this world. But he would think it over as Izuku's training continued.

"Right. And that's only if you can get past the entrance exam." Izuku said.

"Hey. I survived a fall from the sky more times than I can count. I'm sure I can ace the entrance exam if I wanted to."

"That's assuming there's going to be a practical exam." the boy replied, "I really need to step it up for the next ten months."

Sora hummed, "But on the bright side, by the end of this, you'll have a body strong enough to handle Toshinori's power."

"Yeah…" Izuku muttered, watching the cars down below go by without end, before looking back to Sora, "How's the studying going for you, by the way? With our culture, I mean?"

"Honestly? It's a bit like San Fransokyo's stuff, but also pretty different. I guess your culture is what the movie here is based off of."

"Yeah. Movies here do have settings like that."

Izuku noticed Sora's smile had faded. It seemed like he wasn't completely used to the fact that some of his friends from other worlds were characters in a movie on Izuku's world.

Ever since he had mentioned Hercules, Izuku had done a bit of research himself on the hero of myth and compared the tales of this world to the tale Sora recalled of the Hercules he had met. Turns out it was very similar to one such tale of Hercules, but… it was a movie made by a certain company.

He had told this to Sora the next day, and he had been surprised. Even more so when he compared the movie's Hercules to the one he had met on Olympus. Though there were several different experiences that Sora's Hercules went through that the movie Hercules did not, the two were more or less identical. Sora then asked if Izuku knew more about people like Aladdin, Mulan, and even Tarzan and Jack Skellington. All of their stories were very similar to the the stories a company had made and adapted:

Disney.

Izuku was worried about how this would make Sora feel, but to his surprise, he wasn't as shaken by it as he expected. After all, if there were other worlds, there was always a chance that a fictional tale here would have actually happened elsewhere in a different world. Not too unlike the multiverse theory here on Earth. And that was a can of worms Izuku did not want to open as of right now.

(Silence)

But just because his expectations were subverted didn't mean that Sora wasn't bothered by it at all. At the end of the day, despite being a traveler and a warrior, he was still just a teenager, just like him. Seeing that his smile was still a bit faded, he decided to change the subject, "So about the other worlds you went to? Which one was your favorite?"

(Play: KH 3 OST - A Pirate's Freedom)

At that, Sora's smile instantly shot to eleven. "The Caribbean. There's so much open sea to explore, and you can feel free as the wind there. I've even got my own pirate ship, and I'm friends with one of the most notorious pirates there."

"The Caribbean? Like, a version of the Caribbean Sea?" Izuku asked, restraining himself from thinking about another certain movie. At least it was lightening the mood a bit.

"Is that a location here on Earth?"

"Y-Yeah. It's down where the Americas are. Far from where we're at."

"Huh. I wonder how different it is compared to the Caribbean I visited."

"Probably a lot different… Wait." Izuku's eyes bulged, "Did you say you had your own ship? And did you say there were pirates?!"

"Yep. She's a beauty, that one. I named her The Leviathan." Sora pulled out his Gummiphone and showed Izuku a picture. It showed a picture of Sora in full pirate gear standing at a dock, outfitted as a captain with a gold tooth to boot (though strangely, said gold tooth was nowhere to be seen on the current Sora grinning in front of him). And sure enough, behind him was a ship that Izuku could only describe as ancient, if not for the strange arrows at the bow of the ship. Cannons were outfitted at her sides and front, and red and black sails were seen attached to the masts.

Sora looked at the picture with pride, "She's gotten me through a whole lot. We even fought a kraken together!"

"Amazing…! An actual kraken?" Izuku said.

"I couldn't take a picture, since we were fighting for our lives back then," he laughed, "But yeah. I love that world. Maybe one day, I could take you there."

"Er… no thanks," the boy returned the laugh sheepishly.

"What? Scared of good ol' pirates? Afraid of witnessing firsthand the infamous locker of Davy Jones?"

"Those are real there?!" Izuku stepped back, turning pale.

Sora pointed a finger at him with a grin. "I knew it! You are scared!"

"Well, who wouldn't be?! There's so many dangers to the sea. The kraken. Davy Jones's Locker; whirlpools, and even other pirates! Not to mention your ship is so… old!" Izuku rubbed his temples, "Sorry, it's just… no one's seen a ship like that here in a long time! You'd only see something like this in a museum!"

"In your world, perhaps. There? Ships like the Leviathan are all over the place."

Izuku smiled at Sora, "I admit, I am a bit curious to see how a ship like that works in person. You really think we can visit?"

"Well… you already know about it, so there's not much I can do. But not a word to anyone else, remember? World order." Sora put a finger to his mouth, "Otherwise, Donald'll tear me a new one when I get back."

"Donald?"

"You might know him as Donald Duck."

"...Is there no friend you have that's not from what we know here as Disney property?"

"...There are a few. I'll tell ya later." Sora said, before his brow furrowed, "But the fact that some of my friends from other worlds are merely fairy-tale characters in this one is gonna make convincing people I'm from a different world a lot harder."

Midoriya nodded, before a light bulb popped out of his head. "We could figure out the differences later tonight!"

"Tonight?"

"Yeah! Like we did with Olympus!" he said, an eager smile on his face, "We just need to think more about the worlds you've been too. Surely there might be significant differences to them so that they don't completely connect to the movies we have of them! I mean, there are other worlds you've been to that aren't related to anything Disney at all. L-Like Radiant Garden or Twilight Town!"

"Still, that's… gonna take some doing…"

"We have all night, remember?"

"But what about All Might's trai-"

"SHHH!" Izuku bolted towards Sora and covered his mouth with both hands. The latter's eyes widened both in surprise and realization, before nodding his head.

Right. Inko didn't know the full details of her son's new "workout routine," other than that Sora was doing it with him. Saying any specific details involving All Might aloud, even if there was a door blocking out some of the noise, would only make her worry.

"Sorry." Sora rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

"It's fine… but we still have the rest of today. After homework, that is," Izuku said, "You'll be going out to explore again, Sora?"

Sora paused, looking past Izuku and towards the wall. Even though it has only been a year, the concept of homework and school felt like a decade-old thought. Fighting Heartless on the daily could do that, he guessed. The mere mention of school made him think of Kairi, who had been to school longer than he and Riku; and for good reason. He did have that urge to go and explore again.

But the last thing he needed was to be the odd one out if he was going back to school. Intelligence-wise, at least.

"Nah. I think I'll stay here this time," Sora replied, "Probably have a look at that homework you have too."

Midoriya's eyes widened, "You sure?"

"No time like the present. I'm gonna have to learn if this school stuff is the same as it was back home. Who better to learn it from than from someone already in it?" the boy said while stretching his arms, "I could use the help. Not like I've got anything better to do at the moment."

"O-Oh! I'd love to help! Come on, Sora!" the green-haired boy replied, getting back to a straight position and rushing back inside as if the workout today had never happened. Sora couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Heh… I might have met someone who might give Hiro a run for his money…" he said to himself, "Best not to think how long they'll be talking about things like Baymax and 'microbots,' if they ever meet,"

He stared up into the sky once more, a distant look returning to his face.

"I wonder how everyone's doing…"

"Sora? Are you still out there?"

Izuku's voice made him turn back to the open door and say, "Hold on! I'll be right there!"

With a final look to the sky with a small smile gracing his lips, he walked back into the Midoriya residence. He had homework to look over, after all.

Now that just sounded weird, he thought to himself.


(Play: FFVII Remake OST - Words Left Unheard)

"...You monster…!"

He laid there, and could only watch as the figure in black cut through another civilian in the darkened street. They fell without a sound. He tried to get up, but couldn't. His ears rang as he coughed out, tasting more copper and vomiting out more blood into the ever-growing pool beneath him. Every part of his body burned with a fire that wasn't his own, cuts adorning his whole costume. The only thing that was spared was his vision. Something he wished wasn't.

This person… no… this thing… was too strong. He had thrown everything his Quirk could offer, but it did nothing. A Hero like him… he never stood a chance.

He watched as the figure raised another bloodied figure in front of him. A girl. She was alive, but only just. She didn't deserve this. None of those who lay unmoving on the ground deserved a fate like this!

People who lived happy lives!

People who relied on Heroes like him!

People… he failed to save.

In a few seconds, the figure tightened their grip on her neck. The twist and snap that came after did nothing to faze them, as the girl was surrounded and collapsed with a menacing aura surrounding her. Just like the ones behind her, she was as good as gone.

"You… you killed them…! They were… innocents." the man coughed out more blood, his head now spinning, "What do you have… to gain from this?!"

There was silence. It was deafening, especially with how late at night it was. It was beginning to unnerve him.

"ANSWER ME!" he roared, before collapsing in pain, no longer able to move. No longer able to fight back. He could only watch as the figure's feet stepped closer to his barely breathing form. He felt some strange force lift him up as the figure raised their hand up. He was completely at their mercy.

The figure in black regarded him under the hood, but he could not see anything underneath. Nothing but the void.

Their raised hand turned into a fist, and the hero suddenly felt more pain than he could ever imagine. But he could not let out a scream, no cry of pain. He could only gurgle and choke as an intense pressure came onto him. It was suffocating.

Was this how he was going to fall? He… he didn't want to die like this. Alone… surrounded by the sounds of dripping blood. Not while he had something to…

Something to…

…Something… to…?

WhO… aM… i?

I… i Am…S̶̟̰̀͝u̸̝̬̾̌ń̸͖̖b̴̲͙̂́u̷̳̇̕r̵̖̾͝s̸̩͘t̴̤́̏?

I am…

I am…

I... am...

One of us, now… One… with the shadow.


(Play: Octopath Traveler II OST - Osvald, the Scholar) OR (Play: DBZ Battle of Gods Soundtrack OST - Cha La, Head Cha La - Peaceful Earth)

Before I keep going... I'd like to address that a great man has fallen just weeks before.

Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and essentially, THE pioneer to what we know as anime, has passed away. If it wasn't for him, I doubt we would even be here reading this. Without him... we would not have many of the great franchises we have today, whether created by him or inspired by his work. His creations have left an impact on all of us, readers, writers, and workers alike, and an impact on the world of entertainment.

Work Hard, Study well, and Eat and Sleep plenty. That is the Turtle Hermit way.

Fly high Toriyama-sensei. Say hi to King Kai and King Yemma for us.

...

Anyways... reviews.

Gamelover41592: Thank you.

Arturwho: Glad you enjoyed it.

lzyhllw: Sorry, my friend. I cannot guarantee quick updates. Stories like these take time, especially since this one was inspired by OC's own. Working on making it unique and enjoyable is a long process to undertake. But I hope I don't disappoint in terms of quality.

OmegaDelta: For now? I'll keep my silence on this one.

speedking535: As you can see, this is far from the case, as Izuku has seen that Sora is MUCH faster than the average human. And that's without Flowmotion or Haste.

Guest: The stuff at the bottom was simply a dream Sora had. It's essentially a nightmare depicting what could've happened had he lost, and shows just how much of an impression Yozora left on him.

ZeroOrHero: I'm glad you understand. I just wish I could've handled them better. As you can see, Disney is in fact real in MHA, and Sora, despite not freaking out at that, is a little worried about how he'll be able to convince others he's from another world.

Currently, the nature of his "nerf," as explained by the figures, is that the power he has gained over his adventures is still with him (sans the power of waking, which the RoL stripped from him)... but his heart and body can't handle it all anymore. Using all of it at once can and WILL mortally wound him. So he has the magical power, and is still superhuman in a sense, but lost the strong constitution to handle it for long intervals of time. Think of it as similar to Joshua's plight with his abilities as the Phoenix in FFXVI, but without all the coughing.

Guest: Indeed. All Might can't clutch the top spot simply by rescuing others. Stay safe.

The OC Maniac: I'm glad you feel that way. Let's pace ourselves with each chapter we write for our respective tales, shall we? For the sake of good quality content!

KeybladeMosstar: He does have a habit of that. And thank you.

keybladelight: Hope while you can. We shall see what comes next.

Terkoish: I appreciate that you liked what my old tale was, even if I did not like it in its final stages.

Tiger1301: Yes, initially, they were suppose to be specters of the previous users, but here? The identity of the figures will remain a mystery, and that's planned.

PhantoMaster: I'm glad you're being cautiously optimistic as I am about this new project. Even I'm unsure how it will be received. But at the end of the day, not everybody can be satisfied with what comes out. Either way, I hope to not disappoint you, Phanto.

DJAA: In that case, I'll do what I can. But after that fumble that was A World Beyond, I can't guarantee any fast updates. I may still be in a funk after shutting that project down. Regardless, I will ensure this one endures, regardless of critique.

Juxshoa: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully I don't disappoint.

Shadow Tiger24: Thank you.

Gat3way: I'm glad to see you find this to be better than before. As for pairings... I'll keep my mouth shut.

Feel free to critique this chapter if you wish. I hope this was a good read for you all.

Until we cross paths again, this is A New Pencil, signing off.