Hello, Hello. I have once again returned from the dephs of real life to present another chapter for you my readers. This chapter has been the longest one to write so far, and not because of the nature of its contents. But becuase of the fact that I was not able to sit down for more than ten mintes to write it. There was always something that popped up and took my attention away. But enough complaining, time to get into the rundown. So with this chapter, we offical end the USJ arc and can move onto a brief interarc period in which I can do about two chapters of requests and that sort of thing before moving onto the UA festival Arc. That arc will be brief, maybe a chapter or two, and after that we will drop straight into the Hero Killer Arc. So some exciting times are ahead of us my dear readers, so buckle up. Also, due to popular demand, I will offically add romance between Hagakure and Izuku. It will not be a priotity in this fic, but it does mean you guys get to enjoy a bit of fluff before the big moment comes. Anyways, I want to thank you guys for all the follows and favorites along with breaking over 50k words. I really appeciate the support, as well as the reviews you all leave. Anyways, enough chit chat, go enjoy this week's chapter.
The two teens remained conjoined to each other, and after what seemed like hours, the invisible girl did finally let go of Midoriya. Her posture was rigid as her face was hidden by the brown bangs of her hair. Her pointed ears were red as a slight shiver reverberated through her body. Her eyes were wet and her mouth was contorted into an angry frown that had its ends twitch. It was clear that the girl was so angry that she had temporarily lost the ability to speak or was trying hard not to explode into a volcano of anger.
She finally decided to speak up once again after a minute or two of silent fuming, "S-So tell me...why? Why are you a vigilante? Why didn't you tell me? I want to know the truth or so help me Midoriya Izuku!". With that declaration, the invisible girl looked up at him with a stern but expectant face, her brown eyes keenly focused on him while waiting for him to respond.
Izuku felt his own insides begin to fester at the mention of the question, and the memories it brought up within him. For a moment he thought about not telling her the truth about what made him a vigilante, he didn't want to know about his failure to save her. Would she hate him for it? Or would she decide she doesn't want to be friends with someone who was as useless as he was. However, Izuku spotted a shadowy figure hiding in the periphery of his vision. A quick glance revealed that the figure was Marris, who was hiding among a cluster of trees, spying on the two teenagers. The fish lady's hair squirmed in irritation as an invisible frown was slowly carved on her lower face. Izuku could feel her disappointment at his mention of hiding the truth from Tooru, and Izuku looked back down on his best was once again looking expectantly at him for his explanation, but he could see signs of a shattering frustration growing in her face the longer she waited. No, she deserved to know, even if it cost them their friendship. Izuku swallowed the apple sized lump in his throat before he began to speak.
"T-The t-truth is...is...is t-that I-I am a-a-a f-failure.", Izuku painfully stuttered out, "E-everything t-that y-you s-saw w-was be-be-because I w-w-was n-never good e-enough."
Hagkure's coffee colored eyes grew wide with disbelief at Izuku's explanation. She opened her mouth as if to interject but closed it and let Izuku continue speaking.
"My..My quirk was essentially dormant for most of my life and I didn't even realize I even had one until a year ago. And even then it wasn't anything like as it was now, and it took a lot of h-hard work and...special requirements for me to even begin to understand its potential. So until last year, I was a q-quirkless kid with the pipe d-dream of being a hero.", Izuku hoarsely stuttered and looked away from Hagakure, "I had n-no friends and my childhood friend t-turned on me and became my w-worst bully. My grades were average at best and my teachers had written me off as a lost cause. The o-only thing I could do was to be a b-burden to my family, I-I was nothing but d-dead weight to the only ones that loved me. I was...was...a deku...useless."
Midoriya stuttered a breather of air as he steadied himself, "My quirk e-emerged after...after an accident. Even then, the accident was because I-I was unable to stand up for myself. But I finally had a quirk! I thought I could finally be a hero, but…", Midoriya paused.
Hagkure suddenly realized she stopped breathing.
"B-But I-I f-failed t-the p-practical e-exam.", Midoriya said with anguish in his voice, "After working so hard for long, it made me so sad and angry that I disappointed the one person who believed in me and helped me. I just wanted to g-give up...because deep down, I knew e-everyone was r-right. Quirk or no quirk, I was n-nothing but a kid with i-impossible d-dreams.", The blue haired boy's face visibly flinched as he uttered those painful words.
For a brief moment, Izuku's face hardened up with an iron resolve,"But that was until I saw someone in danger with no rescue in sight and something stirred inside me. I dove headfirst into danger without even thinking about it, and I became a vigilante after saving that boy. I didn't want to stop, I wanted to continue because I decided to make a promise."
"A promise?", Hagakure parroted.
"Yes, it was a promise that I would never fail to rescue someone again. Because I failed someone before at the entrance exam, and I refuse to do so again, even if I never became a hero.", The blue haired teen croaked his resolve leaving, "Because the truth about the exam is...you were the one in danger and I failed you, Hagkure."
Tooru froze as still as a statue.
"My quirk allowed me to see you trapped in the rubble in the path of that giant robot, and I tried to go in and save you. But…", Izuku dropped to his knees unable to hold himself up anymore, "But some of the other kids stopped me from going in because they thought I was lying about someone in danger. They thought I was too desperate for points and was acting irrationally. No matter how hard I fought back and tried to break free, it wasn't enough...I wasn't enough."
Izuku closed his eyes and tears began to leak out from his eyelids, "I know you hate me for lying to you Hagkure, but the truth is that I wasn't lying to hide it from you. I was lying about everything because I don't deserve to have someone like you as a friend! You did the thing that I could only dream of doing with a bright future ahead of you. And me? I am just the nobody that couldn't even do one thing right in his entire my future?! The only thing I have waiting for me is a cold cell in prison for all the laws I broke.", Izuku took a choked breath and clenched his fists while closing his eyes, "So if you don't want to be friends with me anymore, I understand. I will not stop you if you are going to report me to heroes or the police, I understand that someone like deserves as much. But I just want to say one last thing before you do...I am sorry. I am sorry I couldn't save you from danger! I am sorry I was too weak to tell you the truth! I am sor-"
Izuku was suddenly tackled as he was still speaking, and this was in due part of the invisible girl.
All Hagakure could see was Midoriya, but not the same blue colored fish boy that she had met at UA all those months ago. Instead, Midoriya was smaller and somehow meeker than even the tiniest of mice. His thin and scrawny frame contrasted with his lean athletic build that he had now. His hair and eyes were colored like a pine tree and pair of emeralds, but their color seemed to be fading like he was older than he looked. His skin had more color in it than it does now, and his sharp teeth were nowhere to be found. But the worst of it all was the expression that this Midoriya carried because it was the look of someone who carried no happiness or hope in their being. Hagakure subconsciously reached out to touch the green colored boy, but before her hand made contact with Midoriya, a bright flash of light overwhelmed her senses. When the flash left her system, she looked back at where Midoriya once was. The boy was on the floor of an empty world, his eyes empty of all life staring towards oblivion. His chest was blackened and marred, as if he had been hit there by a molten piece of metal, while the stench of burnt human flesh lingered in the air. Hagakure gasped in shock as she stared at the body of Midoriya. She somehow knew that he was dead, and that nothing could've been done to save the life of the boy she called her friend. Hot tears flowed down her cheeks as she reached out to touch the body of Midoriya, that sound of a dripping liquid grew loud in her ears as she drew closer. The moment her flesh met the corpse, a pair of lengthy blue arms reached out and grabbed Midoriya.
Tooru held onto Izuku even tighter than before all the while she was sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. A swirling vortex of emotions bubbled inside the invisible girl as she held onto Midoriya on the ground of that abandoned playground. Izuku, the only one in the world that could see her, was the only one who knew she was in danger. Her friend, her remberer, her hero. The realization that on one of the worst days of her life, there was someone who knew she was in danger, and tried to save her. A great weight seemed to lift on Hagakure's shoulders, and a bonfire of flame was alite inside her chest. She didn't care that he wasn't able to save her that day, the mere fact that there was someone who didn't forget about her was enough to make the curse of quirk easier to bear. The fact that he was tearing himself apart over that he believed he wasn't enough teared a hole inside her heart. He needed to know that he was not a failure, because even though he failed to save that day, he saved her two times after. Once from the villains of the USJ, and by being the friend that she long sought after she got her quirk.
"Midori, don't say that about me or yourself. I could never hate you, nor would I ever even think about ending our friendship or ever turning you in.", Tooru choked out in his chest, "I don't care that you weren't able to save me that day because you saved me today, you are a hero to me Midori!"
Midoriya's eyes widened out in surprise at what the invisible girl was saying.
Yet, the invisible girl wasn't done yet, "But not just to me, everyone in my class is grateful for your actions today. You saved me and my class today, and because of you, we survived. I don't think I or any of them will ever be able to repay you for are a hero, whether you think so or not!"
All Izuku could was cry in the face of it all.
It took a long while before Midoriya was able to calm down enough to continue the talk. Hagakure found out firsthand what years of being told by everyone that you will never amount to anything does to a person. Midoriya went his whole life without anyone believing in him, or anyone reliable to lean on throughout it all. It made the fire in her chest throb in sympathy for him as someone as kind as him being given that type of treatment. He was a diamond in the rough, a person seen only once in a lifetime. She just wanted to latch onto him and never let go, and her heart fluttered like a butterfly at the idea. But there was one thing that she couldn't help but place her finger upon, and that was Ris. When she voiced this particular question...well...the subject was clearly a taboo one. Midoriya simply looked like she had uncovered a secret that had buried deep.
"W-Well? U-Um...Ris is...um.", Midoriya mumbled.
"I am his quirk, and that is all there is too it.", the familiar voice of Ris echoed.
Hagakure looked around frantically for Ris, but as far as she saw she and Midoriya were all alone.
"Do not try to find me, unseen one, your eyes are not keen enough. Very few are capable of such a feat.", Ris continued in a strained tone, "Though, I do ask if you and Izuku are certain about this? After all, you two are still quite young to sire some hatchlings."
It suddenly became apparent to Hagakure that she was still on top of Midoriya. And it became apparent to Izuku that Hagakure was still on top of him. The fact that both teens were so close basically meant that both were feeling each other in a rather intimate way. A pregnant pause happened as the two digested this realization along with the implication of the words of Ris. Izuku's face turned completely red as his mouth was agape in shock. Hagakure's face was also red, but not as red as her pointed ears were, along with the fact that her eyes were as wide as dinner plates.
Among the silence that descended between the two, a light snickering could be heard from the main instigator of the entire situation. She clearly took a page from a certain pink haired girl when it came to entertainment. And like a pair of speeding bullets, the two teens quickly separated from each other, both clearly flustered.
"Now just because I know the truth that doesn't mean you are off the hook, Midori.", Hagakure said rather quickly while keeping her gaze away from him. "I still want an apology for the lying and nearly scaring me to death. And you are going to do some things for me to make up for it."
Izuku gulped and said nervously as he too looked away from her, "U-Um, that's understandable. What do you want, Hagkure-san?"
Somehow the fishboy knew the invisible girl was grinning like a wolf while she was speaking. "First, I want you to teach me that peculiar fighting style you have. I saw the way you fought all those villains and I want to be able to do that. Besides, I need to keep an 'eye' on you more often so you don't get into trouble like you did today."
Izuku restrained himself from sighing at the vision pun; clearly Hagkure was back to her usual self. "Fine, I can show you a thing or two. I just don't expect to be 'seeing' any progress with you."
The invisible girl let out a bout of contagious laughter, and he couldn't help but laugh with his friend as well.
After the jovial chuckles died out the invisible girl was quick to continue,"Well, 'see' about that Midori, but only if you can meet my second demand."
"And what would that be, Hagkure-san?", Midoriya asked with curiosity.
"It's a simple thing really.",Hagakure said with a strange meekness in her tone, "I just want you to call me by my first name and I call you by yours."
Izuku gulped as his own face got a scarlet hue, again. Calling a girl by her first name! It was something that Izuku was certainly not expecting, especially not from Tooru. A look at the invisible showed that her face was contorted in a nervous expression, as if she was expecting rejection. He didn't know why, but his heart tingled with a desire to bring a smile to her face. He respected the fact that Tooru should be given respect that should be given to his best friend, but at the same time, he was hard pressed to respect the wishes of her as well.
"I-I think I can d-do that, Haga-I mean T-Tooru-san", Izuku said with a slight stutter.
A moment of silence passed before a sigh of relief could be heard, "Thank you, Izuku-san.", the invisible girl with happiness in her voice, "Now, can you do one last thing for me and use that one quirk of yours to take me back home. I think I missed the last train ride home."
Izuku silently walked through the door of the little apartment he called home. Today was certainly a taxing day, both physically and emotionally. But he guessed it was all for the best between him and Hagakure. It was a relief that Hagakure wasn't going to turn him into the police, but at the same time he couldn't help but have this nagging feeling that he should be at UA with Hagakure. And not patrolling the late nights as a vigilante. Was it even possible to go legit or was there no hope for him at all?
"Izuku! Izuku!", the frantic voice of his mother reached his ears, "Where have you been? I was worried something might have happened?"
All thoughts of his legal situation disappeared, "Oh, I was out looking for some work, mom. I didn't find anything today, but I did manage to make a friend today?"
His mother seemed to have perked up at that, "A friend?"
"Yes, I made a friend. Her name is Tooru Hagakure…"
With those words, the blue haired teen finally told his mother of the first friend he had made in years. However, absent from the Midoriya apartment was the invisible mermaid that also called this place home. Where she went or why she wasn't there, was yet to be revealed.
Hagakure let out a yawn as the excitement of the day finally caught up with her. Today was quite taxing indeed. Between nearly getting murder by villains, all of Izuku's hidden bagage, and her parent's smothering her with questions on her wellbeing. Well, it was safe to say that she tired to say the least, and because school was cancelled tomorrow, it meant she could sleep in changing into her favorite pair of pajamas, the elf girl laid her head down onto a soft pillow and pulled her blanket over her frame. Within a few seconds, the Hagakure was set adrift into a sea of dreams.
Hagakure's eyes shot open as she was suddenly overcome with a sensation of falling, and found that she was not falling at all. Instead she was standing on a pool of water that was so still that she mistook it for the surface of a mirror. She looked down at the reflective water and saw a swirling galaxy of stars and dust spinning endlessly in a circle. But the beauty of that celestial nova paled in comparison to the other thing in the reflection. It was her, but without her quirk. She could see herself in not just the reflection, but also physically as she gazed upon her arms for the first time in years. Hagakure was overcomed with so many emotions that it would be nigh impossible for her or anyone to say what she was feeling. Instead, the elf girl opted to take in her appearance as long as possible. She was speechless at a sight that she only dreamed of before, and only made possible by the eyes of Izuku.
"Vanak Ma'ru! Atu Na, Am'ma Ris!,", a soothing and femine voice drifted out,"Icu Kuvi Tam Mi'ka Vum An'paka Irupp Atarka Ka Na Un'kalu Oru Pari Kai Vala Ma'ken Ris."
The voice sounded like the crashing waves of the ocean upon a sandy shore while the language it spoke sounded muffled and alien to any language she had heard about. Hagakure turned towards the source of the sound and gazed upon someone else who was a stranger and a familiar face to Hagakure. Cloaked in the same shadow that makes up Tokoyami's quirk was Ris. Much like Dark Shadow, Ris was little more than an outline with the only discernible feature being her almond shaped eyes, whose black coloring was darker than her shadowy body. Hagakure's unseen pools of coffee met the brightly shining stones of obsidian that were Ris' eyes. The two invisible women stared at each other like they were the reflections of a two-sided mirror. That was until the hair of Ris squirmed in excitement while the lengthy arms of Ris reached out and gently caressed her face. The touch of Ris reminded her of a chilly autumn wind, but one that still had dregs of summer within them. An accompanying sound of a squee emerged from the mouthless lips of the shadow Ris.
"Inn'oru Var En Kut'tiy Il Cern Tul'lar!", Ris cheerfully continued in the strange language,"En Ak'ku Ipp'otu Iran Tu Api Mana Kul'Anta Ikal Ullan'ar!"
Ris then let go of Hagakure as she raised one of her hands while squeezing her fist tightly, and after a moment or two, a viscous black liquid began to drop from her closed hand. With her other hand, Ris pointed at the liquid with her index finger, and a faint purple light outlined the black liquid. The liquid lost its hold on gravity as drops of it began to float in the air towards Hagakure. The now visible teen, unsure what to do, stood motionless at the incoming ink-like liquid.
"Ukaal Kai'Yai Iye Pi'tuk Lun'kal, Atu Oru Ka'an Mu'ume Yaatu.", Ris spoke with an authoritative tone.
As if her body was not her own, Hagakure found herself compelled to expose her left arm towards Ris. With a swipe of spindly witch-like hands, the black liquid shot out onto the exposed arm of Hagakure. A white hot pain shot up Hagakure's arm when the liquid made contact with her skin. Her mind kicked into overdrive as she tried to forcefully pull her arm away from Ris, but her body would not listen to her at all, in fact her body wouldn't move at it. It was as if she had been imprisoned in one of Todoroki's glaciers of ice, helpless and at the mercy of the supernatural creature. Hagakure screamed out in pain as each passing second felt like hours of agonizing torture as the black liquid stung into her skin. But her cries of pain dissipated in the black pond of the cosmos.
The sound of dripping echoed in Hagakure's ears as she found herself taking a gulp of air into her lungs as the pain vanished without warning from her system. The sensation of falling returned to Hagakure as her body lost all its strength from Ris' torture. Before she could fall into oblivion, Hagakure felt a needle like pain enter her limbs and back, as if her skin had been pierced by fish hooks. She let out a faint groan as her weary mind prayed for some kind of relief from this nightmare. And that relief did come when a four fingered hand interlaced with her own, and like a magic spell all the pain vanished from her form. As she stared up at the starry night sky, Ris returned to dominate her vision, but was completely devoid of the shadow that entombed her. She appeared to Hagakure as an actual creature made of flesh and blood.
"Manni Ka'vum, I know it hurts but with this pain comes a great gift. It may not seem like it and only appears to be that I am just hurting you like a savage beast. But I am neither a savage nor a beast. So do not worry, Oarfish, I wouldn't dream of ever hurting anyone so important to my little minnow, but that doesn't mean you aren't important to me now.", Ris soothed in a mother-like tone," The gift I gave you should allow you and Ma'ken Ris should be able to enjoy more of each other's companionship beyond what the blue island allows and without the curse of your blood. And Since you are now part of my kin, it is only fair that I give a new hatchling a name. Henceforth, I shall name you... Ma'Kal Ris!"
With that final proclamation, Ris touched the center of her forehead, and the hooks holding Hagakure finally let go of her body. Everything was swallowed in the void as Hagakure fell from the stars.
Hagakure Tooru would wake up in the morning completely unsure of what she experienced was real or a dream. But hidden away from the eyes of the world was a mark on the skin of her arm. It was a faded purple tattoo depicting an Oarfish in a tribalistic fashion that was roughly the size of a quarter. This new marking would go unnoticed by the invisible girl, but not by the fish boy with the sharp eyes, who was more than eager to point out its existance.
So what did you think of all that? Did you like the early fluff or do you think I can do better? Or maybe you have several questions concerning this chapter, be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews. I hope you guys have a nice day, and I'll see you in the next update.