Lucy woke up to some mumbling. It was just enough to rouse her from her sleep but quiet enough that it didn't bother her. She sighed and turned her head to drift back to sleep.

And then she felt something poke at her shoulder.

"Hello? Wakey, wakey."

"Eggs and bakey."

She groaned and opened her eyes to see Natsu and Happy grinning in front of her. She stared for a moment before yelling and hitting Natsu with a nearby book.

"What are you doing in my room? Don't you two know that that's trespassing?"

Happy stepped to the side as Natsu fell. "But we didn't just come in, Lucy. Don't you remember? We stayed the night."

"Huh?"

Happy pointed at the rest of her apartment for reference. Indeed there was a folded blanket on the couch and a messy bed left behind.

Now she remembered. They had stayed at the library as long as they could before it closed for the night. It didn't stop her from taking as many books as she could to continue their research. She looked down at the desk she had fallen asleep at. There was an open book where she had been resting and a blanket on the floor from where she stood up.

"Well, if you two are here, where's Erza?"

"Erza woke up a little while ago. She said she was gonna go grab some grub." Natsu sat up and rubbed his face. "Dunno from where, though."

She sighed and began to pick up around the apartment. "Well, that's nice of her. What time is it? How long did you let me sleep for?"

"Well, you were still awake when we went to sleep, so we figured you should sleep in a bit." Natsu put the book back on the desk.

"But it's still the morning!" Happy said.

"Well, that's good."

Lucy went over to make her bed, and opened the window to let some air in. She sighed as a cool breeze blew into her room. She heard a few pages rustling from the open books lying around.

She almost expected a certain someone to comment on the nice morning weather, perfectly content with the chilled breeze. Only there was no one there to say that and no snarky comment to annoy Natsu. No fight to start in her apartment that she'd yell to break up and try to keep stuff from being broken.

She looked around at the other two and noticed the silence they worked in. It just wasn't the same without Gray.

She couldn't think about it for too long when her door opened to reveal Erza. "I'm back you two. Would you mind- ah, you're already awake."

"Yeah, just got up. Good morning to you too, Erza."

"Indeed. Now I've picked us up some breakfast, something quick and easy." She placed the bag down on the coffee table. "I already made sure to label the boxes, so have at it."

"Thank you Erza!" Happy cheered as he dove into the bag and flew out with a small box.

"Yeah, thank you." Lucy nodded as she reached for her own. "You didn't have to."

"It only felt right. Thank you for letting us stay the night."

"No problem, these two seem to do it whenever they want anyway."

"Aye!"

While they dug in Erza was quick to get to the point.

"Once we're finished here, we should go check on Gray." She said.

Almost instantly, the others stopped eating. Natsu stopped stuffing his face and nearly dropped the container.

Happy stared at his half-eaten food and sighed.

Lucy watched them all and cleared her throat. "Do you think Porlyusica will be awake by now? I don't want to wake her up and make her angry."

"She'll be awake. She has a garden to tend to and prefers to do it before the sun gets too high." She answered. "She'll let us see him. And hopefully, he's improved overnight."

Natsu huffed and shoved the rest of the food into his mouth. "He better have. If not, I'm gonna kick his butt. That'll probably make him better."

"I doubt violence is the solution to all this."

"In Natsu's case, violence is the only option."

Lucy groaned and rubbed her eyes. "I'm pretty sure beating up sick people is frowned upon, Natsu."

She saw Erza smile to herself and sighed. "Alright, so we go check on Gray, and then we get back to work. That sound good?"

"Yes." Erza agreed. "Though I'm not sure what we have here has our answers."

"Why don't we go talk to some doctors or something?" Natsu asked. "I'm pretty sure someone's gotta know something. Besides, if they don't wanna talk, I can fix that."

"You are not going to a bunch of doctors and beating them up!"

"Who said anything about that? What if they just need…a little encouragement?"

"Not you too Happy."

"Alright, that's enough. If we're done, we should get going now." Erza stood up. "Come on you two. We'll meet you outside Lucy."

Lucy thanked Erza as she grabbed the other two and dragged them out. She was quick to change, she had no time to waste. As she was changing and grabbing her things, she caught sight of the book she had been reading when she dozed off.

She remembered what she had been reading and leaned down to flip through a few pages. Unfortunately, there wasn't an answer waiting for her at the end of the section. She sighed and shut the book before hurrying out the door.

As promised, the others were waiting outside, and as soon as she arrived, they went off. They hurried through the town to get to the forest where their friend was. While they walked Happy couldn't help but voice his curiosity.

"Hey Lucy, since you stayed up longer than any of us, did you find anything? Or was it a bust like everything else?"

She sighed. "Not really, well…sort of. It's nothing that can really help now, but it was pretty interesting."

"Yeah? Anything to do with what's happening to Gray?"

"Well, it's a book on history around certain regions. Apparently, someone losing their magic was common back then."

"Wait, what?" Natsu stopped.

"Yeah, but the thing was that it happened to so many people almost all at once. A lot of people died from Magic Deficiency Disease, so I figured it had to be some kind of disease, right?"

"But?" Erza prompted.

"Well, that's where it gets weird. To me, at least. Well, it had been going on for a while until it just stopped. If it was a disease or a plague, you think there would have been a cure or a treatment listed, right?"

"One would think so."

"Well, I skimmed a few pages ahead, and it didn't say anything like that- just that it all stopped one day. As if the whole problem disappeared."

"So it just came and went?" Happy asked.

"Pretty much."

Erza hummed. "And when did this happen?"

"Not recently," Lucy shook her head. "There were a couple of cases before, but the most prominent ones were over 200 years ago, give or take."

Natsu frowned. "So, if it probably wasn't some kind of sickness, does that mean a person did that?"

"Does a power like that even exist?" Lucy asked. "Being able to take someone's magic where it leaves them dying?"

"Perhaps it was a draining spell, one more powerful than ones known today." Erza cut in. "If so, it's likely listed as forbidden magic."

"Okay, but if it is that, how did someone get a hold of that spell? And when would they have used it on Gray, and why?"

"If it was a person, maybe it was from the last job we went on. Those guys were kinda shady."

Erza looked over them before sighing. "I suppose that's something we can look into later."

As they walked up, Porlyuscia, who had been working in her garden, caught sight of them. She sighed to herself and stood up to make her way over to them.

"Good morning Miss Porlyusica." Lucy waved.

"I take it you're here to check on your friend?"

They all nodded, and she shook her head. "Honestly, I would have expected you lot to come in earlier. Izuku has already been here for some time. It wasn't even-"

"Izuku's here?" Natsu asked.

"Geez, what's he doing up so early in the morning?" Happy asked.

"He seemed to be worried about Gray." She passed them. "Speaking of your friend, it's about time to check on him."

They followed her to her house. All were anxious to see their friend. She opened the door to a dimly lit room. As soon as they stepped inside, something felt different. The air wasn't as heavy as it used to be, and the sounds of labored breathing no longer filled the room.

They all looked toward Gray's bed and saw he was no longer in distress. He wasn't drenched in sweat or shivering uncontrollably. Color had returned to his skin.

Porlyuscia walked over and began to look over him while the others watched or looked for the other visitor. They spotted him on the floor across the room, slumped over and not responding to their entrance.

Natsu spotted him and walked over with a raised eyebrow. He knelt down and nudged the sleeping boy.

"Izuku. Izuku? Hey buddy, it's time to wake up." He frowned when he got no response. He shook him, but it didn't rouse him.

Lucy looked between Izuku and Gray, and she couldn't help but fear the worst. Gray had been suffering from this mysterious illness, and now Izuku wasn't waking up. He couldn't have caught it, could he?

Erza looked at Porlyusica. "How is he?"

The woman was silent until she shook her head. "He's in a much better condition now, although this morning he was in worse shape. I don't know how he changed so drastically so quickly."

"Wait, so he's all better?" Natsu looked up.

"He still needs rest and perhaps an elixir or two, but he should wake up soon."

The team was stunned by the news, and Natsu stood up quickly. "Wait, so, did that frozen jerk just get sick to get better again? Just like that?"

"It seems so."

Natsu was quiet before he nodded and slowly walked over to Gray's bedside. He hummed and stared at the ice mage before grabbing him and shaking him.

"You stupid jerk! You got sick out of nowhere and scared the crap out of everyone. And then all of a sudden, you get better just like that? You better wake up because I owe you a-"

He was cut off with a punch to the face.

"Shut up, Natsu!"

"Oh, well look who's awake, snow princess."

"Of course, I'm gonna wake up when some stupid lizard is shaking me!"

"Gray!" Lucy beamed.

The ice wizard paused his yelling to look at the others until he groaned and laid back down to hold his head.

"Are you okay?"

"Ugh, it's just a headache…that idiot isn't helping."

"You are still rather low on magic energy," Porlyusica muttered. "Let me get something, and you, keep quiet in my home!"

Erza smacked Natsu to stop his ranting. "I apologize for that."

"Cause another disturbance like that, and I'll kick you out, am I understood?"

Erza forced him to bow his head and nodded. "It won't happen again."

"Good. This is why I don't like humans coming around. You lot are too loud."

Natsu grumbled to himself as she walked around the room, then looked back at Izuku.

"How long has he been here?"

"A few hours. The sun wasn't even up when he came to visit."

"What in the world was he doing awake so early in the morning?" Lucy looked over at him. She didn't miss the way Natsu frowned.

"He wanted to check on him, and I assume he fell asleep after some time." She handed the ice mage a bottle. "Drink that, small sips for now."

Natsu shuffled away from Erza and went back to Izuku to nudge him again. "Yeah, but he's not waking up. Wait, is he sick too?"

"No, he's fine." The woman waved off his concern. "If I had to guess, it's exhaustion. He'll be fine after some rest."

"Sounds about right." Natsu sighed and ruffled Izuku's hair. "You gotta get more sleep. You can't keep falling asleep in weird places."

Lucy smiled to herself as Natsu pulled Izuku on his back and grabbed his bag. He held it for a minute and nodded to himself. It looked like Katsuki was in there and just as dead to the world as Izuku was. She saw Erza shaking her head with a smile, then at Gray. He watched Izuku like a hawk, looking him up and down as if he'd move at any second.

He caught her staring and looked away.

"Are you taking him back to the guild?" Erza asked.

"Yeah, and I'll tell everyone that the pervy popsicle over here is alright. Happy, mind carrying his bag for me?"

"Aye sir!"

"I'm sure everyone will be relieved."

"Be sure not to drop him on your way back."

"I won't." He rolled his eyes and headed out.

As soon as he was gone, Lucy turned towards the old woman. "Excuse me, since Gray is doing a lot better now, can he go home?"

The woman sighed. "I would like to keep him here a little longer, just to be sure."

Erza nodded. "Of course. Gray?"

The ice mage took a sip of the elixir he was given and shuddered. It was bitter. "I'm fine. I'll probably catch some more shuteye since that idiot is gone."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked. "You look a little shaken up, not that we can blame you. We can stay if you want."

Gray looked at them before turning his gaze to the wall.

"It's fine…I just had a weird dream."

-.-

"You really think Izuku is okay?" Happy asked. "He looks really tired."

"I don't think he's been sleeping," Natsu admitted. "It's like last time. He probably stays awake all night keeping watch or something. He's afraid of monsters coming in and stuff."

The cat frowned. "He gets scared at night, right? I bet being alone in the guild hall doesn't make it any better."

Natsu blinked. He hadn't thought about that. To him, the guild hall was just home, even at night. Even if he were there alone at night, it'd feel like the safest place in the world. It was hard to think of it as anything intimidating.

"What if we have a sleepover there, you think that'd make him feel better?"

"Maybe, but then we'd have to get the Master's permission. Not to mention if Gray was there, you guys would wreck the place. And then Master would get mad. Oh, what if we brought him to Lucy's house!"

Natsu grinned. "Heck yeah! I bet he'd have a great time over there. Lucy would probably like having him over too."

"Aye."

The two smiled at each other before turning their attention ahead. It hadn't taken them too long to get back to the guild, he had been eager to tell everyone the good news after all. And get Izuku back home.

Still gonna beat him to a pulp for worrying everyone like that.

Natsu looked over his shoulder at Izuku. He had been planning on asking him to help them with the Gray issue. He spent a lot of time in the library. Surely he would have been able to help. Lucy had been planning on asking Levy for help. Those two could have gotten to know each other. Maybe help Izuku get to know more guild members.

At least they didn't have to worry about that anymore.

Now, he supposed, he could focus on other stuff, like talking to Izuku like he was supposed to.

He sighed, then looked up with a grin. He would focus on that later. Right now, he just had to get him back home.

Natsu grinned as he kicked open the doors and walked in. "I'm back!"

He heard a few groans from inside the guild.

"It's too early for this Natsu."

"Do you ever talk at a normal volume?"

"Hey, I wasn't that loud." He looked over his shoulder. Izuku was still asleep. "Yeah, it was pretty normal!"

He rolled his eyes at the protests and went over to the bar where Gramps and Mira were.

"Good morning Natsu," Mira greeted him.

"Natsu, you're here earlier than usual." The old man went to light his pipe. "Erza and Lucy aren't here yet if-"

"Nah, I know that." He stopped him. "They're with Gray right now. But you don't have to worry about him anymore."

Makarov looked up. "What?"

Happy gasped when he saw Mira's face.

"Natsu, you have to word it better than that!"

"Oh! Uh, he's alright! I mean, he's gonna be alright. He woke up a while ago, but he's not bad anymore."

Mira let out a shuddering sigh. "So, is he okay?"

Happy nodded. "Yeah, he'll be fine. Porlyusica said she was going to keep him around just to make sure. We wanted to come by and tell everyone the good news!"

Makarov wheezed after a moment and shook his head. "You should have led with that boy! You nearly scared the daylights out of me. I almost thought the worst had happened!"

"Sorry, Gramps."

Mira looked relieved and leaned to the side when she realized Natsu was carrying someone.

"Uh, Natsu, why is Izuku on your back?"

"Oh yeah, he was there when we went to visit. Apparently, he went there really early. When we saw him, he was already passed out."

"Completely dead to the world!"

Mira sighed and went around to look at him. "He looks so tired. He must be if your yelling didn't wake him up."

"I wasn't that loud."

"I thought he had been sleeping in for once since he's usually awake by now. I guess not, though."

"Yeah, but he seems alright. I'm sure he'll be up later."

"This is the second time you've had to do this now." Gramps raised an eyebrow.

"Izuku has a tendency to fall asleep in weird places." Happy said. "Also, Natsu doesn't think he sleeps much."

"He probably doesn't. Anyway, I'm taking him back to his room. You gonna tell everyone the good news, Gramps?"

"Yes, yes, I will."

Natsu nodded and left for Izuku's room. He shut the door behind him once he was inside and put Izuku down before pulling the covers over him.

"Where should I put the bag?"

"Probably on the desk. I'm not sure where he usually keeps it since that's where Katsuki sleeps."

Happy shrugged and put the bag down as gently as he could.

"Think they'll be alright?"

"Yup. I'm sure they'll be up later. Izuku will probably be out for the day like last time."

"Right. I feel kinda bad that they woke up so early to check on Gray. They were probably really worried…Izuku, at least."

"I'm sure they'll be happy to know he's alright. We can tell them when they're up."

"Aye sir."

Natsu turned to leave when he stepped on something. He looked down and saw a notebook on the ground. He leaned down to pick it up and looked at the page it was left on.

"Oh hey, it's that journal he's always writing in." Happy looked over his shoulder. "He must have been in a hurry if he just left it like that."

"Probably."

Natsu looked around before reading through the page.

He was confused about what it was supposed to be. It looked like a bunch of notes that were written in a hurry. It took him a moment to realize it was about Magic Deficiency and what had been happening with Gray.

"Oh wow, he was already getting to work." Happy muttered. "He must have seen Gray after we left."

"Definitely." He looked to the next page and saw a few drawings. There was a person with a circle in their chest, something labeled the Magic Factor.

"I have…no idea what I'm reading."

"Yeah, me neither." Happy frowned. "His handwriting gets kinda messy there."

Natsu stared at it for a bit longer before looking around and flipping through a couple pages. On each page, there was a drawing of someone and a long list of info on the person. Some pages were more empty than others. All he had was the drawing and scarce info on the person.

"Oh look, he drew Lucy!"

Indeed he did, but there wasn't much writing about her. Mostly questions about her magic.

"I wonder if he did me." Natsu grinned as he continued to flip through the pages. After a moment he found Izuku had drawn him, but like with Lucy there wasn't a lot to read on.

"You know, maybe Reedus would like to see these. They're pretty good." Happy said. "I think he'd like to know someone else who's good at drawing."

"Maybe."

He continued to skim through the pages until he reached the beginning of the book. On the front pages were just his name and the title of the notebook. He set it down and caught sight of Izuku's old notebook off to the side of the desk. The poor thing looked like it was barely holding itself together. He was surprised Izuku hadn't tossed it already.

Natsu and Happy looked at each other, then grinned as they opened the book. They always wondered what Izuku had in the first one before he got the new notebooks. Honestly, Natsu wished he had looked through it when they first found him. He could have learned more about him earlier and had a reason to talk to him sooner.

What they found was…unexpected.

The first couple of pages started off normally. There were drawings and text of different people. Then it had gone in a different direction. Some of the pages were filled with drawings of monsters, and others were like journal entries. On some of the pages were lists of what looked like places that were crossed off.

An uneasy feeling filled Natsu every time he saw a messy sketch of a monster. He could see why Izuku would be unsettled by something like that. To see one of those and be hunted down by one?

Awful.

The further he went, the more he wanted to put the book down. He almost did until he reached where Izuku had left off.

On one page was a list of expenses. Train tickets, food, what looked like an estimate of rent, and other costs.

The next page was a list.

A list of different guilds. A lot of them were crossed off, mainly wizard guilds and other big names.

"Some of those are Mercenary and Treasure Hunting guilds." Happy said. "But those are crossed out too." The cat looked up to see Natsu glaring at the page. "Natsu?"

"Let's go little buddy. We should let him rest. We can ask him about it later."

-.-

Gray stared at the ceiling as he listened to talking outside. Porlyusica demanded that they leave him to rest, but they still had concerns, of course. He didn't blame them.

He was in pretty bad shape. He scared them so much that they all dragged themselves out so early to see him. They were all relieved now, he was going to be okay, and it seemed like that nightmare was over.

Even though he was back in the real world, no longer in that endless void, he still wasn't at ease.

He had a dream; that was true. It got fuzzy in some parts, but other parts had a painful clarity to them. So clear that it couldn't be a dream. The things he remembered most in there were the loneliness and the other residents in that place.

He gripped the sheets tightly as he thought back to earlier when Natsu had picked Izuku up. He had watched him closely, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking for, but he felt like he needed to watch him. Nothing happened, but he still felt better once he was gone.

One of the painfully clear parts of the dream was Izuku.

He was there.

He was in that awful place, but unlike Gray he seemed perfectly content. He was more unsettled to see him in there. As if he was invading the place.

"Did you do this?"

As soon as he asked that, Izuku began to panic and eventually dissolved into the shadows. He disappeared and left him alone again.

He took another deep breath and listened to his own heartbeat. He wasn't in that place anymore. He was free and back in the real world. He held up a hand and channeled his magic, despite still being low on energy. It set him at ease to see a small crystal of ice forming in his palm.

His magic was still his—no one else's. Strangely enough, he could feel it now. Before all this happened, it never felt like anything. It was just something he knew he had. His magic was just that, magic. He could feel it when he was low on energy. Now though, he could feel the magic itself. It sat lightly in his chest. Back where it belonged, and hopefully never to be torn away again.

Gray stopped using his magic and stared at the wall now. He knew he should rest, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw that field again, like a nightmare that wouldn't stop haunting him.

Being in there alone was bad enough, but he preferred that to…whatever it was he saw. Other than Izuku, there was something else in that place. Twisted and wrong. Yet it roamed the void freely and without distress.

He had seen that figure in the distance and tried to chase it down, despite his unease, thinking it was the one who brought him to that place. Now…he wasn't sure what it was.

Only that it was wrong and didn't belong anywhere.

If that place belonged to Izuku, does he know about it? Does he know who it is? Or what?

He shuddered.

Right now, he wasn't sure how to feel. For one, the person he, and everyone, trusted took his magic and nearly killed him. On the other hand, he also gave it back, seemingly without complaint.

"Why'd you do it in the first place?"

He stared ahead and tried to think. Izuku was just some random kid that Gramps picked up, like a majority of the other members. He was skittish and jumpy for a while. Especially around people he hadn't met yet.

He didn't seem malicious. He was just some kid finding his footing in a new situation.

"Did he even know he could do that?"

Even thinking about it made him feel uneasy. Someone that could take a vital piece of someone and keep them in a void, a prison, and just…leaving them there. With whatever else was in there.

His mind was going in circles now, looping over again and again. Why did he do it? Did he mean to? Did he know what would happen? What even was that place? Some prison made by Izuku? Was that what his magic looked like?

Then he thought maybe it all was just some nightmare and maybe he was overreacting. But something rang in the back of his head, saying that it was wrong. It wasn't a dream. It felt too real.

He was forced from his thoughts when the door opened again. Erza poked her head in, and when she saw he was awake, she stepped inside.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"I'll get to sleep in a minute. What's up? You need something?"

"No, just wanted to see if you were awake before we left. Porlyusica said you should be set to go home later today or tomorrow, depending on how much magic energy you recover. I'll leave you alone now. Get some rest."

"Hold on, Erza."

She stopped and turned towards him.

He stared at her before looking back to the ceiling. "Do me a favor, and keep an eye on Izuku. Will you?"

"I can do that. Why though? Are you worried about him as well?"

"...You could say something like that."

-FH-

Consciousness to him came slowly.

His body was made of lead, even lying still, it dragged him down. It was an effort to even open his eyes.

He was met with a dark room. Only a little sunlight streamed in, and the rest was hidden behind a curtain.

He slowly shifted and moved to sit up. His body was stiff and hard to move. He groaned as he pushed himself up and looked around with blurry vision.

He knew he wasn't in Porlyusica's home; he was back in his room. His small haven from the outside world.

He looked around to see if Kacchan was there. On his desk was his backpack, which had fallen over with its usual items inside. His friend was nowhere to be seen.

What time is it?

He slowly got to his feet and stumbled over to the door, and opened it with a yawn. As soon as the door opened, a few heads turned toward him. Some gave him a wave of hello before turning back to their conversations or food.

"Well, well, well, it's about fucking time, sleeping beauty!"

Izuku smiled as Katsuki hopped off the bar and flew over to him. "Hi Kacchan."

"Don't you 'Hi Kacchan' me! You were asleep forever."

"Sorry about that." He walked over to the bar where Mirajane was wiping down the counter. "How long was I out?"

The cat scowled. "A week."

"What?!"

"Don't mess with him like that Katsuki," Cana spoke up from her usual seat. "It was actually a month."

"No, I wasn't!"

"Stop teasing him, both of you." Mirajane stopped them. "It was just a little over a day."

"Ah, okay."

"You really thought you slept for a week, dumbass?"

"I mean, it felt like I did."

Mirajane smiled as she walked up to them. "Well, I'm glad you got some rest. You looked like you needed it."

"I guess I did…wait." He looked around. "Wait! Wait, how did I get here? I-I was at Porlyusica's when I…Gray! Wait, h-how is he? Is he-"

"Easy, shortstack, he's fine." Cana stopped him. "Natsu gave us the good news when he brought you back. Gray's gonna be just fine."

"So he's…his magic is back?"

"Yup, and he's bounced back really well. Master is making him take it easy, though."

He sighed and put his head down. "That's a relief."

"Yeah, he's lucky, that's for sure."

The two affiliates shared a glance before looking away.

"W-Where is Gray anyway?" Izuku asked. "Is he still resting?"

"He's at home, but he'll probably stop by today."

"Right." He nodded. "A-And Natsu and the others? Are they visiting him?"

"Maybe, just to make sure he gets to the guild okay."

"Okay."

Izuku began to tune out when the girls started to talk to each other again. That was one part of his plan done, the most important part in his opinion. Get Gray his magic back. Now he just had to get through the rest of his list.

Getting the gloves would be easy enough. Leaving the guildhall and leaving them no way of tracking him was the hard part.

If I just up and leave right now, it'll look suspicious. Gray gets his magic back, and I disappear? They'll trace it back to me. They'd have to. Then what would happen?

He shuddered and clasped his hands together.

Just knock out one thing at a time. It'll be fine. Just act normal. They don't know that it was your fault…but if Gray remembers…

There was a clock hanging over his head like a guillotine. If he didn't leave soon enough, Gray would probably tell everyone, and Izuku would be dead. If he left too soon, they'd think it was suspicious. Then if he left when everyone was in town, at least Natsu's team, they'd probably be able to track him down.

Izuku bit back bile as nerves ate away at his composure, and the hollow feeling from before reared its ugly head and swarmed in his chest. An empty void that would consume anything around it.

"Izuku."

He flinched and looked up. Mira was staring at him in concern.

"Are you okay? You're looking-"

"I'm okay!" He answered as soon as the concern registered. "R-Really, I'm fine. I was just worried about the mail. I missed yesterday, and it's probably piled up a bunch, which really sucks because I'm supposed to keep that from happening. And look at that I've missed a day and-"

"I swear, every day I forget how much of a motormouth you are. Then again, you're not always that talkative."

Izuku yelped and spun around in his chair to see Makarov standing behind him. A stack of letters in his hands.

"Oh, Master. Hi."

"Good morning. I thought you'd sleep for another day or so, but it's nice to see you back on your feet boy." He walked over and jumped onto the bar counter. "I forgot how quickly the mail can stack up."

"I'm sorry about that."

Makarov waved him off. "It's fine. It's not the first time, and I doubt it'll be the last." He pushed the mail towards Izuku and asked Mirajane for a drink.

Izuku looked around and grabbed the letters. His nerves were on fire, screaming danger everywhere he looked. He was surrounded. Makarov, Cana, and Mira were all nearby. He had the entire guild hall at his back, and he had no idea what they were thinking. If they knew, or if they suspected anything.

He had Katsuki at his side, giving him a death glare. He didn't need any words to understand what he was thinking.

"I guess I'll take these then." He stood up. "I'll uh, see you all later?"

"See ya kid."

"Be careful."

"Don't rush, boy, you don't want to lose anything on the way."

Izuku gave a small wave and went to grab his backpack before rushing out of the guildhall.

-.-

"You need to chill the fuck out! What is the matter with you?"

When Izuku was far away enough from the post office, Katsuki began to yell at him.

He had run in there and practically threw the letters at the poor guy manning the counter, then snatched the mail for the guild before sprinting out. Izuku was sure he looked like a mess with how the guy looked at him.

"I-I just…hold on!" Izuku ran through the streets and looked around for a quiet spot. Anywhere without people to listen in. He could sense Katsuki's frustration as he turned corners and ran around people.

Izuku only began to slow down when he reached a familiar spot. It was the same spot he ran to when he ran away from Erza in the library. Where he broke down at the realization of a new world.

Like last time there were no people around this part of the canal. It was a quiet area, enough to give him space to think.

Izuku sighed and dropped his bag near the stone bridge, and leaned against it. He didn't get a moment of rest as Katsuki got in his face.

"Seriously, what is your fucking problem, you idiot? It's like you want to get caught or something!"

"I-I'm sorry! Really. I-I just-"

"Just what? Just what? You're acting like you're guilty of something! Sure keep acting like that. No way you're not gonna get caught! Dumbass!"

Izuku looked away and tried to catch his breath. His heart hammered against his ribcage as his mind raced.

"You need to get your shit together!"

"I know! I will! I-I just…I just need to get a handle on this."

"Then do it!"

Izuku took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. Let me just…okay."

He rubbed his eyes and sank to the ground. "Okay, I gave Gray his magic back. That was the big thing."

"Yeah, and the other part of your grand plan was to leave the guild. Wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but I can't just up and leave Kacchan."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Well, for one, it would be suspicious, wouldn't it?" He asked. "Gray getting his magic back and me disappearing. Not to mention we need to be able to pay for stuff, we can't just run away with no funds."

"Tch, we could. Didn't whats-her-face take jobs on a community board or something? You could always do that."

"I don't have magic of my own, remember? And I'm mediocre at best with a sword, I can't exactly just drop everything and hope for the best. Some of the jobs on the boards might call for magic, and obviously I'm not qualified for that."

Katsuki groaned and kicked Izuku, not that it did much.

"You get paid like what, every two weeks or something? How long do you plan on staying here? Especially since you're so worried about the stripper opening his mouth."

"If he remembers. I don't know for certain if he does or doesn't, but I don't think it's a risk we should take."

"So what bright idea do you have then?"

Izuku watched the cat stomp over and sit on top of his bag. He glared at Izuku the entire time.

He rubbed his hands together. "Well, I can probably start taking side jobs around town. Even if it doesn't pay much, it'd be extra money. And it would keep me out of the guild hall and away from the others. Not to mention it would kill time. I can't leave if Natsu and the others are in town. By the next day they'd know I was gone and track me down. I don't know how much ground we could cover in…6 hours, maybe 8 tops."

"So you'd want to leave at night."

"Yeah."

"I thought you hated the dark, you wimp."

Izuku sighed. "I mean, it's either deal with that or an entire guild of wizards being angry at me. I'll take being paranoid all night over…everyone's anger."

Katsuki hummed. "Well, that plan sounds all fine, but what if they come after you anyway? Even if you have a headstart from that flame brain and his stupid friends, they'll probably catch up."

"I…" Izuku stopped himself. "Well, I figure if I have at least a full day or two, I can disappear easily. I doubt they'll go too far or look too long. We're not real members of the guild, and it'd be a waste of resources."

"So you're banking on them giving up?"

Izuku gave a nervous laugh.

"...That is the stupidest fucking idea I have heard."

"No offense, Kacchan, but I don't see you coming up with any ideas."

"It's stupid, but it's better than nothing. Besides, what if the ice princess opens his mouth before we can leave, huh? What then?"

Izuku frowned. "Not sure. I guess we'd just have to get out of there as quickly as possible."

"They'd catch up to you, dumbass."

Izuku groaned. "We're on a time limit, and it's all dependent on Gray. It's a balancing act."

"...So you're fucked either way?"

"Technically, you're planning this with me, so you get some of the blame too."

"I didn't steal magic, and I'm not a threat to society."

Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up!"

Izuku sighed. "We'll just keep an eye on the situation. We'll be careful. And…And I'll start to distance myself." He looked at his hands. "I'll get some gloves, and I won't let this happen again."

Katsuki stared at him before he hopped off the backpack and sprouted his wings. "Alright. Well, you may as well get those things now, Bush Boy. I don't feel like dealing with this shit again."

"Yeah…"

-.-

"He seemed a little off, didn't he?" Cana sipped at her drink, then set it aside.

"He did, but you know Izuku's always been a ball of nerves." Mirajane smiled at her.

"Yeah, but this seemed different. He looked scared of something."

Mira was about to leave to serve a table when she paused. She took a moment and sighed, then put the tray down.

"I think he's okay. He just woke up, you know, and maybe…he may have had a nightmare. You know, one of the bad ones that just leaves you feeling unsettled for a while?" She stopped until Cana slowly nodded. "Elfman used to have nights like that, and sometimes he needed some time before he felt alright again."

"...You really sure he's okay?"

"I think so."

-FH-

Erza tapped her foot and looked around for any sign of Izuku.

She usually allowed a grace period regarding time. No one was perfect, there were times you may be held up by something. She knew this.

However, there was a limit to her patience. Especially when she had been waiting for 10 minutes.

"This is getting ridiculous, where is he?"

She knew he was up. She had stopped by the guild, and Mira had told her he was doing his mail run. It never took him that long to go to make the run and get to their training grounds.

She had told him they would be training unless she stated otherwise, but that still hadn't changed. Then again…she stopped all of a sudden when Gray got sick. Even if it was for a day, it was without warning.

She sighed to herself. He may be trying to give her a day or so to make sure he was doing okay, but she knew Gray was doing well. She had already stopped by to see him, and he looked good as new. Though still under orders to take it easy.

"Do me a favor, and keep an eye on Izuku. Will you?"

She frowned. That was right, Gray had asked her to watch him. She wasn't sure why. Then again, it was Izuku. What wasn't there to worry about when it came to him? Though he seemed to be growing more comfortable with them, there was still a wall he kept up.

Not to mention she had shaken him up the last time they sparred. Enough to make him use his magic in a panic. She had seen how scared he had gotten, but he brushed it off and didn't even mention it.

Erza began to walk away and head into town. She had a good idea of where Izuku would be. He always went to hide in the library and pour over books. If he wasn't there, she was sure he'd be lurking around somewhere.

-.-

Much to her surprise, it didn't take that long to find Izuku. She hadn't even made it to the library when she spotted him.

He was in one of the shops on the main road, she saw him through the front window. Katsuki was with him, as he always was, and Izuku was looking through a couple of shelves.

Erza went in there as calmly as she could and slowly made her way to Izuku. Neither him nor Katsuki spotted her as she made her way over. She stood behind them as she watched them look over the shelves, they were looking at gloves. At least Izuku was, Katsuki was voicing his opinion on whatever Izuku picked up.

It was only when Izuku was about to put away the pair he was looking at did she speak up.

"I rather like those ones."

The two jumped, and Izuku spun around to look at her.

"O-Oh! Hi Erza." Izuku said. "What- What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, afterall we had training today."

Izuku paled at the mention of that, and Katsuki swore under his breath.

"Oh, that. Right. I-I just…I had figured, since Gray had been sick and all, that you might want some time. Or something."

"He's fine now, which means we can resume without worry."

"Ah, well, I'm not feeling too well. So I figured I'd just-"

"Just abandon training entirely? You could have at least let me know. I had been waiting for you at the grounds."

Izuku flushed and turned back to the gloves. "I'm…sorry for assuming."

Erza watched him as he fiddled with the pair he had, tugging and stretching them as he avoided her gaze. Katsuki refused to look at her as well.

"Is everything alright? You said you weren't feeling well. We did find you at Porlyusica's. You were asleep but still. Was checking on Gray the only reason you went over there?"

"Yeah, it was. I was…I didn't sleep too well that night. I was too worried and all…so yeah."

Erza eyed him and noticed the faint tremble of his hands.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I-I am. I'm sorry I missed training."

She sighed. "It's fine. Though next time you have to miss training, at least tell me."

"Right, will do."

Erza watched him before turning away. Before she could walk away she stopped herself and looked at Izuku again. Despite sleeping for a whole day, he still looked exhausted. On top of that, he looked nervous. Just as he was putting his walls down, they were back up. And she didn't know why.

"Izuku."

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Izuku didn't look at her. He nodded after a moment. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"Alright then. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. You have training tomorrow, understand?"

"Of course."

-FH-

Like most things, it started off slow.

Slowly, Izuku began to separate himself. Maybe it would be considered fast to others, a sudden turn, but to him, it was an agonizingly long process.

He cut away small snippets at a time. Trying to separate himself as best he could.

He refused to acknowledge any of the questioning stares he got when he came back with a new pair of gloves. White, with green material on the palms that made it easier to grip things. As suffocating as they felt, it alleviated some of the stress. He didn't have to worry about taking magic again. Everyone was safe from him.

Every morning he woke up early to get ready for the day. As soon as Mirajane and the Master came in, he insisted on getting the mail delivery done as soon as possible. It was also a good excuse to leave the guild hall so early. He could get out and stay out.

He'd stop by for something to eat if he could manage it. Attempt to make conversation. He tried to spend enough time there so the others weren't suspicious. He would stay until he couldn't- until the anxiety of being found out was too much, and he fled to go train with Erza.

Every moment he spent with her was agony. It would always set him on edge, and he counted the minutes until training was over. Once she called it off, he was quick to run away into town.

Every time Katsuki would give him a side eye but say nothing. Somehow he was perfectly calm under all this pressure. Izuku was jealous. What he wouldn't give to be able to keep it together as easily as Katsuki could.

It was during the initial separation that he sought out different jobs. He would take it even if they were simple one-off jobs that only paid a few Jewel. He needed as much money as he could get just to have a decent cushion for when he went on the run.

Sometimes he'd unload carts for shopkeepers or climb up to wash shop windows. One time he got paid to take letters from one shopkeeper to another and go back and forth between the two. Apparently, there was some kind of rivalry there. He didn't necessarily care, but it helped pass the time. And both shopkeepers paid pretty well for the trouble.

Whenever he ran out of tasks to do, he'd usually hide away at the library or some quiet corner of the town where he hoped he wouldn't be found.

Oh yeah, he was avoiding Gray too.

If he even so much as saw him wherever he went, he would turn around and walk away.

Katsuki never said anything about it.

He was avoiding Lucy too. Whenever a fight broke out, and he happened to be at the guild, he would make his way outside as fast as possible. He didn't hide with her behind the bar counter anymore if he could help it. Like with everyone else, he tried not to look at her.

He was staying away from Natsu, who had been trying to approach him ever since Gray got better. If he knew somehow, he was very good at keeping a lid on his anger. Or at least pretending he wasn't angry.

Izuku didn't know, and he didn't want to find out.

He was avoiding Mirajane, Cana, and Makarov as well. The usual faces he'd see when sitting at the bar. He practically shoved down any food he got if he decided, or remembered, to eat and then left as soon as he could.

He was becoming a ghost in the guild again. A quiet presence that never took up too much space. As soon as you looked away, he was gone again.

He was destroying bridges and digging holes for the people around him. Creating an empty void around himself where people used to be.

A void that perfectly matched the one inside him.

Similar to his plan, it started off slow, then crashed into him like a tidal wave.

There was an emptiness inside him where Gray's magic used to be, but now it was a starving abyss that slowly ate him up. As he cut himself loose, little by little, that ugly void grew larger in tandem.

It was bearable at first, just a weird ache in his chest. Until it became a ringing in the back of his head. Until it made him shudder and made his hands shake when he was around other people. Other magic.

Magic that did not belong to him, and never would.

It was just another reason to stay away from everyone. Another justification for what he was doing. He was helping them, he was saving them. From a threat they never realized was there.

Izuku knew his happiness couldn't come at the expense of others. That was wrong on many levels. There was this huge divide between them. They were on one side, everyone, who had power. Who was strong. They knew each other. They were close to each other. Their happiness and joy were not something to be bargained for.

But Izuku?

He was fair game. Especially considering what kind of…person-thing he was.

If everyone's happi- no safety came at his expense. If this starved void was what he had to suffer through, then by all means, it was fine. Because of what he could do, because of what he did- this was a fair price.

-.-

Erza watched he stumble back as the sword was knocked out of his hands. He fell down with his sword and flinched as her blade was pointed at his throat. She was the winner.

"Your form was sloppy, and you're not focusing. Izuku, I know you can do better than this."

The boy nodded and panted as he got to his feet. He picked up his sword and looked over it. The blade shook in his hands, so much that it nearly slipped from them. He tried to steady his hold but instead the weapon slipped.

It fell to the ground with a clatter and Izuku huffed in frustration.

Erza was silent as he took a breath and tried to pick it up again.

Something was wrong.

Something had been wrong, and she was hoping the boy would say something about it. She had waited for him to do something about it, to ask for a day off or even some kind of help.

He had developed a tremor. It started off minor, but as the days went by it got more severe. Not just that, he would come by looking more worn down than the day before. He grew another shade paler and the bags beneath his eyes were darker.

She had began to ease up on the intensity of her training to make it easy on him. He had been able to keep up for a while, but now he could hardly keep his sword in hand.

She could see Katsuki watching him too. She supposed that was him expressing concern in his own way.

Just as Izuku finally had a solid grip on his sword, Erza dispelled the sword she held.

"Izuku, that's enough for today."

The boy looked up. "What? I-I can keep going, you don't have to-"

"It would be unwise to continue training in your current state." She stopped him. "Sheath your sword, and sit down. Take a moment to rest."

Izuku watched her before doing as she said. He put his sword away and hesitantly sat down. He shifted away when she sat beside him.

"There's no need to worry, I'm not going to bite. I promise."

He nodded to himself and relaxed a bit.

"I suppose I should cut to the chase. I'm concerned, Izuku."

"Why?"

"Your performance in training has declined lately. At first I paid no mind to it, I thought you just needed a moment to get back into the rhythm of things. Instead, you began declining."

She reached for his hand and he flinched away from her. She paused and looked at him. He practically cowered away from her. She glanced to the side and saw Katsuki already on his feet and watching them.

She sighed and held out her hand. "May I?"

Izuku slowly reached a gloved hand out, but before it could reach hers he jolted and pulled his hand back.

She nodded and continued. "You've developed a tremor. I've also learned from Natsu that likely have a habit of not sleeping."

The way he flinched practically confirmed it.

"My point is, you don't look well. If you've fallen ill you need to tell me and we can put a pause to training until you're recovered. If it's something serious you should visit a doctor, or at least Porlyusica. I'm sure whatever is wrong, they can help."

"I don't have to visit anyone!" Izuku said. "I-I just…it's nothing. Really. I just get the shakes sometimes. It happens. I-It tends to get worse before it gets better. But I'm fine. Really! Soon enough it'll go away."

"That doesn't sound healthy. How often does this happen?"

"N-Not too often. Really, I'm fine. Honest."

Izuku gave her a strained smile and shifted away from her again.

"Izuku, are you o-"

"I'm fine!" He jumped to his feet. "B-But if you're really worried I'll just take the rest of the day easy. Maybe take a few days off of training. You don't have to worry about me." He tried to walk away but she grabbed his arm.

"Izuku. Be honest with me. Are you alright? If you're not, you should tell someone, before it gets worse. It doesn't have to be me, but it should be someone."

Izuku went still, and turned to look at the hand that grabbed his arm. She narrowed her eyes as his eyes watered and he pulled his arm back.

He wouldn't even look at her. "It's…I'll be okay." He muttered. "You don't have to worry about me."

Before she could object, he took off running. He grabbed his bag and left the grounds with Katsuki in tow.

She watched him run away and frowned.

"You're lying."

-FH-

For some reason, the nights were always worse.

Izuku shivered as he stared at the wall in front of him. Tremors wracked his body as the void inside him churned and took up more space in his chest. It was eating away at him more and more, but it was always worse at night. When he was trying to sleep and recover from the day.

He would have preferred his nightmares over…this.

He wrapped his arms around his torso and curled into himself.

There was nothing to distract him from the emptiness inside. There was no physical labor to distract him, he couldn't focus long enough to even think of an entry into his notebook. His hands were shaking so badly that he wasn't sure if he could hold a pencil.

It had gotten so bad that Erza noticed, and she tried to confront him on it. He was supposed to be acting normal, but he couldn't even hold it together.

His mind replayed the moment when she grabbed his arm. It wasn't harsh or cruel, she had been surprisingly gentle about it. It was warm.

His eyes watered at the thought, until it was interrupted by another spike in his chest. His mind once again turned toward the abyss inside him.

Is this what Magic Deficiency feels like? No… withdrawal?

He felt sick.

Izuku glanced down at his hands, even when he had to sleep, he insisted on wearing the gloves. He couldn't risk hurting Katsuki at night. Or anyone.

Tears pricked at his eyes as he tried to will himself to sleep. To catch just a little bit of rest. Surely some sleep would be a relief from what he was feeling now. He just needed some time to not feel anything. To be a blank existence that felt nothing.

I have to get used to it. I have to get used to this if I'm going to leave. I can't take any more magic, so I have to deal with this.

Maybe it would go away. Maybe he would get used to it in time. This was just a new feeling for him, but in time he would adjust. He had to. He's been able to adapt well enough to this new world, this was just another thing to deal with.

He was fine.

Izuku stiffened up when he heard shuffling from the desk where his backpack was. There was a light thud, then a shift on the bed as a new weight was added to part of it. He didn't turn to look at the cat.

"Why the fuck are you still awake, Bush Boy?"

Izuku shook his head. "C-Can't…I-I can't sleep." He stuttered.

"Why the hell not? What, the work you did today not make you tired enough?"

"I-I just can't," Izuku said.

He heard Katsuki go quiet and thought he returned to the bag until he felt a light kick in his side.

"Why not? I know you wanna say something, nerd. I'm not stupid."

Izuku continued to stare at the wall. He couldn't even bring himself to lie about it, to give some excuse that Katsuki shouldn't worry about him. Maybe if he talked about it, it would ease? Just a little?

"Well, nerd? I'm waiting and losing sleep over this. Answer me, or I'll beat it out of you."

Izuku swallowed hard and tried to find his voice. Tried to focus long enough to string words together properly.

"I…K-Kacchan, I feel like I'm losing it."

"Didn't you already?"

"I'm not…It's not a joke. I'm not trying to be funny!" He pulled his hands close to himself. "It feels like I'm…like it's eating me from the inside out. It's so empty, it feels like it's killing me. I-I think I'm dying. Because what else could this be, right?"

He gave the wall a bitter smile as tears streamed down his face. "A-And there's nothing I can do about it. Not without hurting someone, and I can't do that! I can't hurt anyone else. I can't make them go through what Gray did. I won't do it. I can't!"

He expected some kind of response from Katsuki. Some sarcastic remark or him telling him to get over it. That it was no big deal, that he could handle it.

Izuku dared a glance behind him and saw the room was empty. There was no cat on his bed. The door was open though, which meant the cat must have slipped out during his short rant. Izuku looked around a little more to see his backpack had gone missing.

Izuku bit his lip and buried his face in a pillow. Yeah, that made sense.

He was a parasite suffering from withdrawal. Katsuki probably figured it was safer to get away from him, and Izuku didn't blame him. Not to mention that he was keeping him awake. That was fair.

He was going to try sleeping again when he felt something heavy crash into him. He shouted in surprise and got up to see his backpack had been thrown at him. He groaned and looked up to see Katsuki floating above him.

"Kacchan…wha-"

"Shut up and open your bag." He snapped.

Izuku hesitantly opened it and saw three spherical crystals inside. He picked one up and looked it over.

"What…what are these? W-What are they supposed to do?"

"They're Lacrimas, dumbass." Katsuki said. He landed on the bed as his wings disappeared and took one from the bag. "I did some snooping the other night because you were making so much fucking noise."

"Sorry."

"And I found these." He gave a dark chuckle. "I was gonna snag some when we left-"

"You were going to steal from the guild?"

"Shut up, you stole from an old lady! Anyway, they have a bunch more. Not like it's gonna hurt them."

Izuku looked over the crystal in his hands with a frown. "I'm not sure I get what the point is?"

Katsuki growled and threw the crystal at him. Izuku cried out as it beamed him in the face.

"The point is idiot, that it's a Lacrima!"

Izuku rubbed the sore spot and gave a blank stare.

"You know what a Lacrima is, right?"

"A crystal…charged with magic energy."

"Exactly, dumbass!" He huffed. "You said you feel empty, right? Is it because you gave the stripper back his magic?"

"I…think so. I-I had been fine before so-"

"So you need magic, dipshit. Big whoop, we all do. If you don't wanna steal it from people, fine. Then steal it from Lacrimas."

Izuku stared at the Lacrima in his hands. He had heard of them but hadn't seen one in person. It had a strange shimmer around it and a warmth he could feel through his gloves. Knowing there was magic right in front of him, something he could latch onto, he felt the tremor in his hands get worse.

"What kind of Lacrima is it? Do you know?"

Katsuki grinned. "A bomb Lacrima."

"You threw a bomb Lacrima at me?"

"Shut up, I knew it wasn't going to go off. It's sturdy and pretty good quality. Smacking you in the face with it isn't enough to make it go off."

Izuku gave him a look before returning his attention to the crystal. Izuku sighed and put it down to take off a glove. He shuddered as his hand was freed. It was refreshing and that suffocating feeling was gone. Mostly, it still lingered on the other hand.

He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the crystal. He could feel the hot explosive energy that lay dormant for the time being. It was warm and comforting. He felt that ugly thing inside him latch onto the energy and drain it from the crystal.

He sighed in relief as the void inside him settled down. He saw the Lacrima had lost its shimmer and was blank now. Just an empty shell with no purpose.

He bit his lip before grabbing the other one and drained it of its magic.

Katsuki held up the last one, and Izuku took it gratefully.

He nearly fainted from the relief.

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you."

Katsuki was quiet as he gathered the now empty Lacrimas. He rolled them under the bed and got back up. He got the bag back and settled it on the desk.

Izuku was about to lie back down. His shaking had stopped, and his mind felt clear again. There was a weight in his chest that warmed him from the inside out.

Just before he settled back down, Katsuki spoke up.

"Hey, nerd."

"Hm?"

"Does a Lacrima's magic feel different from people's magic?"

"Oh. Uh…"

Izuku stared at the ceiling and thought about it. "It kinda does. It…It isn't alive, if that makes sense. Like, with Gray's magic, I could feel it struggling against me sometimes, and it felt heavier. But the Lacrima magic is lighter, and it's just kinda there. At the same time, I can feel it's…is limit the right word? Maybe, it doesn't feel infinite like when I took Gray's Magic Factor. I guess if I use magic, I can only use so much."

"Is it enough?"

"...I think so. The emptiness isn't gone, but it feels satisfied. That kinda worries me, it feels managed for now, but what if I need more in the future? What if I feel like that again? Like, what magic I absorbed isn't enough, and that abyss just gets bigger?"

"Then we'll deal with it. We can take more of those Lacrima when we leave whenever you get the magic munchies."

"Magic munchies?"

"Shut up. You're a fucking weirdo who needs to eat magic for some reason. You get weird terms attached to you."

Izuku smiled. "Fair enough."

"You're gonna have to get a pretty good paying job. Lacrimas are fucking expensive, especially the ones with a lot of magic in them. I don't think cheap ones are gonna do much."

"Right. Thank you, Kacchan. I mean it. I'd probably be going insane right now."

"Tch, whatever dumbass. You clearly can't take care of yourself, so someone else has to. Useless nerd."

-.-

He woke up to feeling a hand on his forehead. He cracked open an eye to see Mirajane standing above him, looking concerned.

When she saw him wake up, she quietly shushed him and brushed his hair out of his face.

"You're feeling a little warm. Go ahead and go back to sleep Izuku. You're okay."

Izuku didn't think twice about it and fell back to sleep.

Mirajane smiled to herself and tucked him in. She had come to check in with him since he hadn't woken up. He was just sleeping off a little sick spell, which she was glad for. He had been looking ill the past few days.

As she tucked him in, she couldn't help but notice something strange. In his dark green hair were strands of white hair. It was hard to spot if you weren't close, but from where she was, she could see it with ease

She sighed and lightly tousled his hair.

"You're a little too young to be going gray from stress, Izuku." She murmured.

-.-

Izuku sighed as he walked through the town. He slept in. He wasn't supposed to and he didn't wake up until well into the afternoon. By all means he was late with everything. He preferred to get his mail job done early, then go train.

Then again it looked like training was cancelled for the time being.

Then he had to go look for more side jobs. Which was starting to get hard. It looked like all the favors that people needed were starting to dwindle.

He glanced at Katsuki who was talking about something, he wasn't quite sure when he stopped listening. The cat was ranting about lacrimas and the best thing to do with each type. At some point he got into the subject of potential bombs and what he'd like to create.

Izuku couldn't even think of a decent way to respond to his ranting when he felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and pull him back.

He struggled for a moment and froze when he looked behind him.

Natsu was frowning as he gave Izuku's shirt another tug.

"Hey, we need to talk."