Heroes of Light

by Silverbits

Shadows of the Past, Light of the Future Reboot! When shadows threaten to take over the world, and all seemed lost a new hero appears out of nowhere and chases away the darkness. Izuku Midoriya wants to follow this hero, feeling a strange connection to her and her power. Little did he know that he'd become part of something bigger.

5. Exam

Izuku sighed as he looked up at the towering buildings of UA, staring up in awe and excitement.

"Wow, UA. I'm actually here…" He muttered. He was frozen in place before taking a deep breath and walking forward.

I'm actually here, I'm at UA. I'm gonna take the exam, I've worked my way from the bottom to be ready for this.

Izuku grinned to himself.

I'm gonna be a hero!

The thought left as quickly as it came when he tripped over his own foot, seeing the ground rushing up quickly to meet him.

Or I guess I'll die. I suppose that's an option too. I'm sorry Master, I've failed you.

Before he could slam to the floor he was stopped, he made a noise of confusion before looking down to see himself floating.

"Huh? W-Wait what?" He tried to get back to his feet when he heard a girl start to giggle from right beside him.

"Sorry about that." She apologized and righted him. "I probably should have asked before using my Quirk, but I figured you wouldn't have minded." She smiled and pressed the pads of her fingers together.

"O-Oh, uh...thank you." He stammered, turning his gaze to the entrance again.

"It's no problem, really." She shook her head before going quiet. The two stood still for a moment before the girl cleared her throat. "Well uh, I guess I'll see you inside." She gave a small wave before leaving..

"Uh, s-see ya…" He mumbled softly as he watched her run ahead and into the building. He stood still at the entrance for a short time before coughing into his hand and feeling his face grow warm.

She seemed really...really nice. Yeah, really nice!

He stood frozen in place before getting a hard shove that nearly sent him to the ground.

"Woah!" He stumbled forward and righted himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get in the-"

"What the hell are you doing here nerd?"

Izuku flinched at the voice and hesitantly looked over his shoulder. Standing there with small sparks along his palm was none other than Katsuki. Of course it was his luck he'd run into him right before the exam.

"Uh, I-I'm taking the exam…?"

Katsuki scowled and clenched his fists to prevent an explosion. "I thought I told you I didn't want to see you here nerd. Do you not know how to listen, or are you stupid enough to think you'll pass?"

Izuku paled and slowly began to back up, feeling the eyes of spectators on the both of him. "It doesn't hurt to t-try. And you can't really tell me what to do...Katsuki." He continued to back up, putting some space between them.

"What!" He yelled.

Izuku whirled around and ran forward. "See you in the exams good luck!" He sputtered and ran inside, apologizing as he rushed past a few people.

He's gonna kill me for saying that, why couldn't I keep my mouth shut and leave out the second part that would have been the smart thing to do!

Once he was sure there was enough distance between them Izuku slowed down and went with the flow of the crowd. They were all heading to the same spot, a large auditorium. The mere size of the place amazed Izuku, it was hard to think that such a big place was inside the building, the outside almost made it seem smaller than it really was.

"So cool." He whispered to himself. He took a quick glance around before stepping into a random row and walking down the seats until he found a spot where he could see clearly. The seat on one side was empty, but in the next seat was a boy who sat hunched over. His purple hair was wild and went everywhere, his eyes focused on the podium where their instructor would arrive soon.

"Uh, hi." He greeted softly and gave a small wave. "Do you mind if I sit here?" Izuku pointed at the seat beside him.

His questions seemed to startle the boy out of his thoughts and prompted him to look up at the nervous newcomer. He looked over Izuku before shrugging and looking forward again.

"Knock yourself out."

Izuku nodded his thanks and sat next to the boy. He didn't seem like the social type so Izuku kept to himself. He was probably hyping himself up and getting ready for the exam, he reasoned. It'd be rude to interrupt that.

Izuku fiddled with the card in his hands, he had gotten it at the entrance as a way of checking in. There was his information on it, as well as a large letter B in one of the boxes. He wasn't too sure what it meant but he figured he'd find out soon enough.

Before he knew it everyone was seated and the lights of the auditorium were turned off, save for the ones focused on the stage.

"Hey hey hey, welcome UA candidates. Thanks for coming out and tuning in to me, your school DJ! Now let me hear ya shout!" He yelled and put a hand to his ear, only to be met with silence.

"I see, I see, keeping it mellow. Alrighty then, let's go over how the practical exam is gonna go. Ya ready?" He shouted the last part again in an attempt to hype everyone again. Once again he was met with silence.

Izuku couldn't help but vibrate in his seat from sheer excitement.

"It's Present Mic, the Voice Hero!" He whispered. "So cool! I listen to his radio show every day of the week! Oh man it's crazy that all the UA teachers are pro heroes." He muttered, unaware of the light sparks dancing around him.

"I see you're a fanboy." The boy next to him muttered. "Hey, your Quirk is acting up."

"O-Oh, sorry!"

"Like your application says, today you all are gonna perform your exam in some hip urban settings! These mock battles last 10 minutes and after this neat presentation you all are gonna head to your designated battle spots ya hear?"

The screen behind the hero displayed seven different boxes with letters in them, making everyone look to their cards again.

So that's what the letters are for, they're dividing everybody up so no one from the same school can help each other…

"Okay now let's check out your targets everybody! As you can see there are three types of faux villains for you to take on. Each one is worth either 1, 2, or 3 points so choose wisely and try to rack up as many points as you can! But check yourself kiddos, make sure you keep things heroic because attacking other examinees is a big 'ol UA no no!"

"I guess that protects some people from the wrath of other examinees huh?" Izuku muttered to himself, glancing at the head of blonde hair a few rows below. "Hopefully we're in different battle stations…"

"Got someone here that doesn't like you?" The boy beside him raised an eyebrow.

Izuku laughed nervously. "I guess you could say that."

"Excuse me, sir!" One of the students called out a few rows below. "I have a question."

"Go ahead!" Present Mic pointed at the direction of the student, prompting a spotlight to flash on him.

"On the printout you've listed four types of villains, not three. With all due respect if this is an error on UA materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students and we expect the best from the most notable school in Japan. Additionally you up there in the back, with the unkempt hair!"

Izuku looked around before pointing at himself. "M-Me?"

"Yes, you! You have been muttering this entire time, stop that. If you can't bother to take this seriously like the rest of us then you should just leave. You're being a distraction." He glared at Izuku who shrank into his seat and covered his mouth.

"I'm sorry…" He felt his face heat up as a few people around him began to laugh at him. Once again sparks appeared around him, lightly zapping the two sitting next to him. The blonde on his left didn't seem to mind but the purple haired boy grunted.

"Ow, hey cool it."

"I'm sorry!" He apologized again and took a deep breath. He had to get a hold of himself, this was just the introduction. He was getting anxious over nothing, he was going to be fine. A moment later the sparks died down. He could almost hear Master Aqua telling him to stop worrying, her words from this morning echoing in his mind.

He had worked so hard, he could do this, he had come so far.

"Alright examinee number 7111, thanks for calling in. You see the fourth villain type is worth 0 points, that guy is just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. There's one in every battle center, think of it as a hurdle to avoid. It's not that it can't be beat, but let's face it there's no point to it."

"I see, thank you sir. Please continue. The stern boy sat down as a few students began to murmur to themselves.

"Now, you ready to go beyond?" He asked, staring at the entire audience. "Now let's hear it, Plus Ultra!" He shouted. "Good luck!"

-.-

Izuku took a deep breath as he stared at the gates to the mock city. He had to admit it was pretty impressive. He could only imagine the cost of making these things, especially if they were destined to be destroyed at some point.

He looked around and caught sight of the girl from the entrance, the one who caught him. He could see her doing what looked like a breathing exercise and murmuring to herself. Izuku felt his face grow warm as he began to walk over to her.

Maybe I should wish her luck. She was nice enough to do so for me, besides it couldn't hurt to say hi again. Right?

Before he could get very far a hand grabbed his shoulder and kept him from going any farther. Izuku jumped and looked over his shoulder to see the stern boy from the auditorium.

Oh no, he's here too?

"What do you think you're doing?" He narrowed his eyes before looking at the girl he was trying to walk over to. "She looks like she's trying to focus. You were going over to her, do you intend to bother her? Ruin her chances?" He asked.

"W-What? No! Of course not, I just wanted to wish her luck. Why would I wanna ruin her chances?" Izuku waved his hands around.

Izuku laughed nervously and looked down.

"Right, let's start!" A loud voice spoke up from above.

Everyone looked up to see none other than Present Mic standing on top of a large building, waving his arms and pointing at the open gates.

"Come on, get moving! There are no countdowns in a real battle! Run run run listeners, you're wasting airtime!"

Everyone was still for a second before breaking into a run and heading towards the gates. Izuku had almost tripped over himself when trying to pull ahead.

"Okay, 10 minutes, I've 10 minutes." He muttered to himself as he split off from the large group on the first side street he could. Too many people in one place meant all the villains would be taken out in no time. He had to move somewhere else less crowded.

"Okay, just calm down. You've got plenty of time. Just focus on taking down the villains, you'll be fine." He turned another corner and ran forward. Just as he was halfway down the street one of the walls broke down and a robot came rushing out.

Izuku gasped as the villain skidded to a stop and looked up at him. A large 1 was painted on one of the arms.

A 1 pointer!

"Target acquired." A robotic voice spoke as it looked up at the boy. "Commencing attack." It rushed forward and reached a mechanical limb towards him.

Izuku grunted and dodged to the side.

Time to put what I learned into practice, just keep calm!

Izuku held his hands out and shouted as he flung an ice spike towards the robot. It stopped and quickly turned around to try and attack again, only for the spike to drive itself into the glowing red eye. The robot stopped and flailed around a bit before Izuku ran forward and threw another ice spike at the main body. The villain flailed around before collapsing.

"Okay one point!" Izuku nodded to himself. He was about to run forward when he noticed a pipe lying on the ground, part of the wall the robot destroyed. Izuku hurriedly picked it up and moved on.

I have to conserve my magic energy, it's finite and I won't have enough time to recover much while fighting. Gotta save some where I can.

Izuku ran into a mostly empty street where a few robots were waiting.

"Perfect!"

His voice seemed to activate a few of them and made them look up. He thought the one-pointers were big, but the two and three-pointers were a lot bigger. Without warning a group rushed towards him.

Izuku ran forward and dodged to the side, grimacing at the dent in the concrete. He had to be careful. He swung the pipe as hard as he could and caught a two-pointer in the side. He backed up and gathered some fire in his free hand.

They're meant for exams, beginners essentially, so they shouldn't be too tough.

Izuku yelled and threw the fire forward, much to his disappointment it didn't do much other than weaken the metal armor. He frowned and ran up to the two-pointer and dug the metal pipe in. No sooner when he had ripped it out a three-pointer was about to bring a fist down on him.

Block it! Block it!

Izuku threw his hands up and a barrier appeared. The fist slammed into it and shattered the barrier, sending Izuku back a bit.

Stop using so much magic!

He turned on his heel and finished off the two-pointer before stepping back and dodging another swipe from the three-pointer. Izuku moved forward and landed a few good hits on the robot before slamming his hands onto it and freezing it over.

Once it was frozen over enough Izuku stepped back and brought down the pipe as hard as he could. The robot shattered and collapsed to the ground.

"Okay, 6 points…" He muttered, looking at some of the robots now heading towards him.

"You've got 6 minutes and 2 seconds left!" Mic yelled from above.

Izuku swallowed hard and readied himself. He had to get a move on, he wasn't going to fail. He was going to pass! He had plenty of time, he could do this!

A group of faculty members watched the screens lining the walls and looked over the different focuses. One of the screens was focused on a boy standing among a pile of robots, his palms smoking. Another camera followed a young man that sped through the streets, taking down enemies as quickly as he could before speeding off with his engine Quirk again.

"It seems we have quite an interesting bunch this year hm?" One of the teachers eyed a camera focused on a girl splashing acid on robots as she ran.

"Yes, we do." The principal glanced over all the different cameras but kept going back to the one that focused on the boy with green hair. He took down robot after robot, manifesting fire and ice to aid in him taking down the mock villains. Once or twice he had manifested a barrier either for himself or a nearby examinee that was about to be harmed.

A very versatile 'Quirk'.

Nedzu looked to the side to see their new teacher watching the same camera. Looking on in concern. That was something he may look into later.

"You've got 4 minutes remaining listeners!" A loud shout from the roof.

There was a grunt of annoyance from one of the other teachers but they paid no mind, he was always like that.

There was no audio to the cameras but it was clear to them that there was a lot of arguing going on between the examinees. They could see them shouting at each other for taking a robot, or getting in the way.

"They have no way of knowing how many robots there were in an arena or where they may be. So of course everyone will become frantic over time, especially if they have a low number of points." Nedzu observed, it was always the same pattern every year.

"That's true." One of the teachers agreed. "But there's still plenty of time left, and I'd say it's time to bring out the real test, no?"

They all nodded in agreement as the teacher opened a class case and pressed the button. Watching in excitement to see what they'll do.

Izuku panted as he took down another robot, he wiped some of the sweat from his face as he looked around. There were people everywhere now and either fighting over robots or running off to find new enemies.

Once or twice while looking for a target to take down Izuku had used his Barrier spell to protect someone from an incoming hit. Or pull someone out of the way to narrowly avoid injury. He was supposed to be racking up points sure, but that didn't warrant leaving someone to get hurt.

Even so he could feel himself start to panic, he was low on magic and if he had to guess even lower on points. He lost count at about 20 or 22, he wasn't sure how many he had anymore. Either way it probably wasn't enough to pass. Even worse, he was starting to face some of the backlash of his magic Master Aqua warned him about. Frost coated his arms, and he was beginning to feel overheated, not a good combination at all.

"I gotta find some more robots. If I don't I'm gonna fail!" He muttered to himself, about to take off in a random direction when the ground began to rumble. Everyone in the area froze and looked up to the source of the commotion, only to see a giant robot staring down at them.

"No way, is that the zero-pointer?" Izuku asked himself as he began to back away. "Isn't this a little extreme?"

Without warning the robot brought a fist down onto the street, making the ground shake again and kicking up a lot of dust. All around him people began to scream and run away from the menace.

Izuku backed up and tripped over a piece of rubble, falling on his rear. He stared up at the villain while everybody ran past him. Nobody spared him a glance as they ran to save themselves.

Izuku stared up as the villain as it plowed forward, destroying everything in its path. He had to get out of there, he was going to die if he didn't! The thought sent panicked sparks dancing across his skin as he managed to get to his feet.

"You've got less than two minutes remaining!"

"What!" Izuku looked towards the voice in shock. He didn't have enough points, there was no way he did. He was going to fail, everything Master did for him was for nothing!

"Ow!"

Before he could get very far he heard a cry of pain from behind him. Izuku froze in his tracks to look for who was left behind. His eyes widened as he recognized the person trapped beneath the rubble.

It's the girl from earlier!

She was right in the path of the robot. Destined to be crushed if she couldn't get out of there.

Without a second thought Izuku threw his weapon aside and rushed forward. He didn't have time and he had to move fast. He steeled himself as he ran into the cloud of dust and over to the girl.

He skidded to a stop and knelt down to try and get some of the rubble off of her. He didn't falter as the girl gasped in surprise.

"It's you!"

Izuku nodded and got to work as fast as he could. He managed to get a few pieces off when he noticed the robot was getting too close. They were running out of time. He wasn't strong enough to lift all of the rubble by himself.

"You have to get out of here, I don't think that robot is going to stop for anything!" She told him, still trying to get her leg free.

Izuku shook his head as he tried to come up with a plan. He wasn't going to leave her behind, nobody was going to die in this exam!

"I'm not strong enough to lift this." He muttered, forming a plan in his head. "I can't lift it. Any barrier is too weak, it was barely enough for the robots. Is there any way I can destroy it, or at least stop it?"

There had to be a spell that could stop the robot. Something devastating and powerful, but he didn't have that kind of power yet.

But maybe I do...it'd take what magic I have left and a lot of my stamina but…

Izuku didn't debate it any longer, he didn't have time to. He was going to stop this robot right here. Right now.

"I'll be right back." He promised before getting up and putting some distance between them. He ran so he was right in the middle of the robot's path, there was no way he could miss.

Izuku smiled to himself as he gathered up all the energy he could, bright yellow sparks dancing around his body and growing more fervent the more energy he put into it. He had to put everything he could into this.

Master is going to be so mad when she finds out about this.

As the spell built up Izuku thought back to one of the first lessons they had gone over.

"Magic is powerful, very versatile and very useful in a fight. But, there are drawbacks, especially for beginners such as yourself using bare hand casting as opposed to using a Keyblade, which makes backlash much less severe. The backlash of a spell is no joke, you've dealt with it a few times now and you know how painful it can be. It can also be dangerous if pushed too far."

"Does the backlash depend on the spell you're using?"

"Yes. You've dealt with fire and blizzard's backlash. Overheating and burning yourself, and being coated in ice respectively."

"What about Aero and Water?"

"Those two aren't as severe. You'll be a little windswept with Aero, in Water's case you'll just get soaked at the worst. The one spell you need to be the most careful with is Thunder." She warned.

"Why's that?" He asked.

"Thunder is more than useful in any fight, it can cover a wide area or be a single strike. It's all about control and manipulating it. But, those who are inexperienced will face quite a bit of backlash if used too much at a time or too much in one go. You can temporarily paralyze yourself or go numb. Although in the worst, more rare cases, there is the possibility of stopping your heart."

"...What!"

"Yeah, so you have to be careful. Magic is useful, but it must be respected and used carefully. Understand?"

"Understood."

Izuku looked up at the robot that was almost on top of them, it was now or never and he gathered as much energy as he could.

Yup. He thought to himself. Master Aqua is gonna kill me.

Izuku looked up to the robot. Body shaking from the immense power he had gathered for himself.

Green eyes sparked as he raised a hand to the sky, commanding his magic.

"Thundaga!" He screamed.

For a moment there was silence, the sparks had dispersed and the robot kept moving forward. Until a great bolt of lightning shot down and struck down on the giant robot. The sparks went everywhere, narrowly missing the girl that finally managed to get free but hitting the spellcaster directly.

Izuku held back cries of pain as the undisciplined lightning went everywhere and wreaked havoc on the environment. It couldn't have been longer than a minute or two, but to Izuku it felt like an unbearable eternity.

When it finally stopped it was quiet, everybody had gone silent. Even the faculty watching the display. A moment later the robot began to collapse and fall apart, parts of the machinery exploding and falling to the ground in a cascade of metal and wires.

Izuku panted, black dots began to fill the edges of his vision before he began to fall.

Before he could hit the asphalt a pair of arms caught him and lowered him to the ground. He glanced up through his hazy vision to see the girl looking over him in concern.

"Are you okay! Can you move?" She asked while keeping a hand over her mouth.

"Backlash…can't move." He slurred. It was true, he couldn't move, he couldn't feel anything either.

"And that's it folks! Time is up!" Present Mic shouted from the rooftops.

Izuku flinched at the loud siren that signaled the end of the exam. It was finally over, and he didn't know if he had enough points to even be considered for the Hero Course!

Izuku passed shortly after, leaving the kind girl looking over him in worry. As she panicked an old woman walked onto the field.

"Very nice, good work all around! I'm proud of all of you!" The old woman approached the group of examinees. Giving them gummies and moving on. As she passed someone mentioned her name, Recovery Girl. A few people realized that she's the only reason UA can be so reckless with their exams.

She slowly walked over to the panicking girl with an unconscious Izuku in her arms.

"My my, what on earth happened here?" She asked.

"H-His Quirk! He said there was backlash and that he couldn't move! And then he just passed out!" She answered.

She looked over him for a moment before nodding to herself.

"He'll be okay, he's just exhausted. Anybody else injured?" She looked around.

The faculty sat in shock and silence as the robot finished falling apart, Nedzu grinned to himself and clapped his paws together which did not go unnoticed by one of the teachers. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, he had a feeling this one was going to be a problem child, whether he actually made it into his class or not.

Nedzu grinned to himself as the screens began to shut off.

Never did he think he would find a magic user from this world!

-HoL-

"Izuku? Izuku?"

Inko looked worriedly at her son as he stared at the fish head with a blank look on his face. He wasn't responding, making her nervous.

"Snap out of it, Izuku?"

Izuku blinked and looked up to see his mother staring at him with concern.

"Why are you smiling at that fish? Should I be worried about you honey, is everything okay?"

Izuku sputtered and shook his head. "O-Oh! Sorry no, I just spaced out for a second." He stammered and began to shovel food in his mouth.

Inko had taken a few days off from her job at the hospital to spend some time with Izuku, but she couldn't stay forever. Not with more and more people coming by injured every day and night. Whether it be Heartless or villains someone was always getting hurt. Izuku was more than happy to spend time with his mother, even if she couldn't stay very long.

Izuku stared at the text messages on his phone as he sat on the couch, changing positions every few minutes. At the moment he was hanging upside down and talking about the exam. He felt a bit of shame as he mentioned what happened.

He was right about getting in trouble with Master Aqua after that attack. She chewed him out and checked him over again and again to make sure there was no lasting damage. Afterwards she made him run lap after lap for what must have been hours before letting up on the punishment.

Izuku glanced at the conversation before sighing heavily. It had been three days after the exam, and his Master was trying to tell him that he wasn't going to get answers so quickly. She would try to reassure him again and again, and it would work, but of course the thoughts would creep back in. The terrifying 'what if's'.

Izuku shifted his position again so now he was laying across the couch. A moment later a hand found itself in his messy curls, trying to smooth them over.

"I know worrying about the results must be terrible Izuku, but I want you to know that I think you're really cool. And I'm proud of you." Inko smiled down at him and continued to fuss with his hair.

Izuku smiled to himself and relaxed a bit. His mother always found a way to take the stress away, one way or another. Still though, Izuku couldn't help but feel a little bit of guilt. He still hadn't told her about his newfound power, even with his Master encouraging him to do so.

How exactly was he supposed to start that conversation? 'Hey mom, guess what, I've got a Quirk now? Wanna know what it is?'

"Come on, move over, let's watch a movie." She tapped his shoulder and Izuku nodded. He scooted over and sat up so his mother could settle down beside him. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels until she found one that was playing a movie they both liked.

Izuku watched the screen for a bit before leaning against her and letting himself relax. He smiled to himself as he felt Inko's hand in his hair again.

"You should get some rest, you haven't been sleeping well ever since the exam. Don't give me that look, I can see those eyebags mister." She looked at him before looking back to the television.

Izuku made a noise of acknowledgement and made himself more comfortable. "Don't wanna go to sleep." He muttered, trying to keep his eyes open.

"Why's that?" She asked, smiling to herself as she heard him starting to dirft off.

"Weird dreams." He answered. "I keep thinking I'm falling from somewhere and I just, you know wake up."

"Dreams can be pretty weird." Inko murmured. "But they're just dreams, and maybe your weird dreams are because you're so stressed out. I don't want you to get so wound up about this okay? You did great, I know you did."

"Yeah, I guess...Thanks mom." He nodded.

"Get some rest Izuku."

No sooner as she had said that, Izuku had already drifted off. Muttering softly in his sleep, a habit he never grew out of. Inko smiled to herself and continued to play with his hair. She wasn't around as much as she'd like to be, coming home only once or twice a week if she was lucky.

The trip from the hospital and the house was long. Especially in the night, she didn't want to risk getting attacked. Not again, not when her son still needed her. So she would opt to spend the night in the hospital, as many other doctors and nurses would. There was a loud buzzing from the coffee table, coming from her phone. She elected to ignore it for the moment.

This was her time to spend at home, her time to relax and spend time with Izuku. She never missed the looks of excitement he gave her when she said she'd get days off, or the way his voice picked up when she'd call to tell him as such.

Inko leaned back and smiled to herself. Everything was fine as it was now, she just wanted to bask in this quiet time and enjoy it. That was all she needed.

-.-

When he opened his eyes he was in that place again. He's been there a few times now, but every time he woke up the memory of the place would fade. Memories that would slip through his fingers and fade away. This time though, he hadn't woken up in a shock, it looked like he was there to stay for the moment,

He didn't feel real in that place, like he wasn't really there. Like he was going to disappear at any second. His presence in this strange place was fragile, at any moment the ground was going to shatter beneath him and cast him into an unending darkness.

There was a bright light above him, shining down and illuminating everything before him. The platform he stood on had its own light, depicting a young woman with an apple in her hand. He took a step forward and froze when there was a low rumble from the ground.

Three pedestals appeared from the ground, an object appearing on each with a bright flash. A sword, a shield, and a staff.

Izuku didn't move, questions flew around his head as he eyed each object.

What is this place? Why am I here? Am I supposed to choose? What happens if I do, what happens if I don't?

Izuku glanced around before a soft voice spoke to him, it was familiar but at the same time foreign. It sounded like people he knew and interacted with all the time, yet it was still a voice of its own.

"Power sleep within you, if you give it form...it will give you strength."

Quiet and patient, as if it has seen this kind of thing all the time and knew what to expect. Izuku looked around and took a step forward, his footsteps were deafening in the void. He slowly approached the pedestal that held the staff.

A long green handle with a strange design at the top, a large sphere with two smaller spheres on the top, almost making a head of sorts. He reached out and grasped it, holding it up to look it over.

"The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?"

"Wonder and ruin…" He muttered, frowning at the staff. He put it back and stepped away from the staff. Choosing to walk over to the sword.

He grabbed the sword, feeling the heavy weight it carried.

"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction."

Izuku flinched at the last word, destruction. Ruin, chaos, death, villains. He quickly put the sword away and backed up from the pedestal. He swallowed hard and looked to the shield, walking over and gingerly taking it from the stand.

"The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all."

Izuku gripped the shield tightly. A guardian, a hero, someone who protects. That's the kind of hero he wants to be, someone who will be there to save everyone with a smile. Someone who would always be there.

"Is this the power you seek?"

Izuku stared at the shield and nodded. "Yes, this is the power I want." He answered. As soon as he finished speaking the shield disappeared in a flash of light.

"Your path is set. Now, what will you give up in exchange?"

"I have to give something up?" Izuku asked, turning to the two remaining pedestals. The sword and the staff. He stared at the two for a moment, thinking over what the voice had said about them. A sword of terrible destruction, or a staff of wonder and ruin. Warrior or mystic. Invincible courage or inner strength. Which was he willing to lose?

Izuku stepped down from the pedestal and eyed the staff for a moment before turning away and walking to the sword. He hesitantly took the sword again, it felt heavy in his hands.

"You give up this power?"

Izuku nodded. "Yes."

Just like the shield the sword disappeared in a flash of light.

"You have chosen the power of the guardian. You've given up the power of the warrior. Is this the path you want?"

He looked up and nodded. He was sure this was what he wanted.

The pedestal beneath him collapsed and he fell forward.

"What?" He looked around in shock as the rest of the pedestals sank into the ground. "What's going on?" He asked loudly, hoping the voice would respond. Izuku looked down and saw the glass falling away into the void. Izuku gasped and tried to back away, only for the rest of the floor to fall out from beneath him. Sending him falling into the darkness below.

Izuku flailed around, watching the green shards disappear around him as he fell faster and faster. The light far above him grew more and more distant, he looked towards where he was falling to see a blue platform appear. A woman in a dress with her head down.

Izuku managed to right himself as his descent slowed, he sighed as he reached solid ground once again. He tapped the ground with his foot to make sure it was stable, afraid the ground would cave in again. Before he could let himself feel relief the shield reappeared in his hand, his hand gripped the handle tightly. The shield almost felt too big.

"You have gained the power to fight. Use this power to protect yourself and others, there are times you will have to fight. You must keep your light burning strong."

Izuku looked over the shield before noticing a shadow appearing on the ground, it rose up and looked at Izuku with its beady yellow eyes. Another one appeared, and then another. Soon Izuku was surrounded by the erratic monsters.

"What? They're here too?" Izuku asked, feeling a bit of panic rise as he held up a hand. He trembled before throwing his hand forward, thinking he had summoned a well practiced flame. Nothing appeared, leading him to panic even more.

"Where's my magic?" He asked. "Why can't I use it?" Izuku stared at his hand before one of the shadows bounded towards him and leapt at him. He yelped and held up the shield, hearing a loud thud and seeing the small shadow fall to the ground.

The voice said I have to fight…

Izuku yelled as he hit the shadow with the shield, knocking it away as two more came at him. He blocked the swipes at him and knocked them away, only striking when he saw an opening. Izuku shouted as he hit the one closest to him again and saw it fade away with a puff of smoke. The remaining shadows stared at where the shadow died before staring up at Izuku and sinking back into the ground. Slowly disappearing into the pale blue light of the glass. Where the shadows disappeared large pools of darkness came. Growing larger and larger by the tried to stay close to the parts of the platform that weren't overtaken yet. His efforts were in vain though as the rest of it went dark, and he was dragged down. He struggled violently, fighting to get away before he was consumed by the rest of the shadows.

He continued to fight, trying to find a way out of the darkness. It was suffocating as he fell deeper and deeper until the darkness was washed away with a new warm light. He gasped as he sat up and looked around. The platform was pink this time with three large hearts with silhouettes looked around as he got to his feet. The voice was gone and wasn't helping him anymore. Then he'd have to figure it out himself. Izuku continued to glance around until he caught sight of a large door at the other side of the platform.

Is that my way out?

He looked around before running towards the door, he let himself feel relief as he came up to the door. He grabbed the handles and gave them a hard tug, pulling it open. A bright light shone from within, blinding him for a moment.

When he opened his eyes again he saw he was in his house.

"What?" Izuku asked himself. He was in his living room, where he had fallen asleep. Was he home now? Was he awake?

"Mom?" He asked. "Are you here?" He walked out of the living room and into the kitchen to see his mother standing there with a blank smile on her face. She seemed focused on what she was making, but at the same time was completely spaced out.

"Mom?" He asked, going up to her. It unsettled him how slowly she turned to him, a blank smile on her face.

"What's most important to you?" She asked, no emotion in her voice.

"What? What do you...huh?"

"What is most important to you?" She asked again.

Izuku stared at her before looking down. He was still in the dream, none of this was real. He wasn't home, not yet at least. He wasn't going to move forward unless he answered more questions…

What is most important to him? That was easy, the people around him. His mom, Eri, Master Aqua.

Izuku slowly looked up to the stranger that looked like his mother. "My family. They matter the most to me."

"Is your family really that important?" She asked.

"What? Yes, of course they-"

There was bright light that blinded him, a warm glow filling the room before it faded away. He slowly opened his eyes and gasped as he found himself in the field he had trained in. Izuku looked around before a small hand grabbed his own.

Izuku gasped and looked down to see Eri.

"Eri?"

She didn't respond, only giving him a smile before asking him a question.

"What do you want out of life?" She asked.

What do I want out of life?

"I want to be a hero, I want to save and protect people. I want to be the kind of hero that people feel safe around."

"To be a hero? Is that really what you want to do?"

Izuku looked at her in confusion as she let go and stepped away. Another bright light filled his vision and disappeared as quickly as it came.

Izuku looked around, hoping the questions would be over soon. Seeing these strangers, disguised as people he knew made him feel so uneasy. Maybe them looking like people he knew was supposed to make him feel better, but it only did the opposite. He wanted to go home, he wanted to see his real mom, Eri and…

"Master?" He asked. The light faded away to reveal a strange place he had never seen before. It was bright and warm, a large castle-like structure stood behind her. She slowly turned around to face him. He swallowed hard and walked up to her.

"What are you most scared of?" She asked. Just like the others she smiled at him.

Izuku stared at her before looking down. "I'm afraid of being alone." He answered. "Of being weak and left behind, that if I don't work hard enough nobody will see any use for me. I don't want to be alone…"

"Is being alone really that scary?" She asked.

Izuku stared at the imposter before turning away. "Yeah, it really is…"

He closed his eyes as a bright light appeared and washed everything away, bringing him back to the dark place. He opened his eyes to see he wasn't on any platform, he was standing in the darkness all alone.

Now where am I?

Izuku took a deep breath and took a step forward, shouting in surprise as the ground erupted in a flash of light. The darkness began to dissolve and turn into white doves that flew past him. Izuku watched as more and more birds appeared and gave way to a soft green glow.

Izuku watched in awe as they flew around him before taking off into the distance, listening to the cries and flapping wings. He watched them fly into the distance until he couldn't see them anymore. Izuku slowly looked down and gasped at the revealed platform.

It was himself.

Izuku took in the sight. He saw himself on one side of the platform, reaching out for something or maybe someone. Beneath his outreached arm was a large circle with five portraits within it. He recognized most of the people depicted there. There at the top was Master Aqua smiling, below her were two other people. One of them was the girl from the exam, the one he had saved, beside her was Katsuki who glared ahead. Below those two was the boy from the exam, the one who scolded him; beside him was someone he couldn't recognize. Maybe someone he hadn't met yet. An impassive look on his face as he stared into the distance.

He walked over to the portraits, looking over each person and wondering why they were there. Master Aqua he could possibly understand, was it because she was close to him? But these other people, he didn't even know them. And Katsuki, he hated Izuku in general, so why would he be here?

As he thought this over he saw something that caught his attention, where Katsuki's portrait was, was what looked like small cracks starting to form. Izuku walked over, looking over the small fractures.

He hesitantly reached a hand out, gently touching the fractures. They were cold, and a dull ache raced through his chest. As soon as he touched one a loud crack filled the air. Izuku gasped and drew his hand back, getting to his feet as the ground began to shake.

Izuku looked around in fear, watching as the cracks grew wider and wider. A few green shards fell into the swirling darkness that began to overtake the area. Izuku tried to back away, only to find he was frozen in place. The darkness began swirling around him and dragging him down. Izuku shouted in alarm and tried to get free. He was pulled deeper and deeper into the darkness despite his struggles. He tried to drag himself away but to no avail. Darkness creeped up his body and wrapped around him, keeping him where he was. It was suffocating, he couldn't drag any air into his lungs as he was plunged into complete and total darkness.

It hurt.

His hands wrapped around his throat as he tried to breathe in, becoming more and more frantic the longer it went on. His lungs burned and screamed for air he couldn't find. He began to feel faint and grow weaker, his struggles slowing down. He didn't want to die here, he wasn't going to die here. Not in this place, not when he still had so much to do. He continued to fight against the oppressive darkness, feeling it wrap around him tightly. Whispering little things to him, doubts and fears that made him falter for just a moment. He tried to ignore them, but that grew difficult as he grew weaker. His body weighed down by the unyielding shadows that didn't want to let him go.

Before he could pass out a soft light appeared above him, small at first but growing brighter and brighter by the second. In a moment of desperation he reached towards it, feeling its warmth wash over him. The darkness that held him gave way to the light he reached for. He made his way to the light, reaching out his arms and wrapping his hands around the small, but brilliant glow and held it close.

"Keep your light burning strong, and you'll be alright."

Izuku screamed as he was thrown back into the world of waking, flailing around in a panic as he tried to remember where he was and how he got there. He ended up getting tangled up in a blanket before falling off the couch and hitting the coffee table on his way down.

The pain was enough to snap him out of his panic and bring him back to reality. He stopped struggling and untangled himself before getting to his feet. He was sweating up a storm and his heart beat painfully against his ribs. He looked down at his hands to see flames flickering erratically before fizzling out and turning into bright sparks. He watched his magic dance around for a moment before taking a deep breath and calming himself down. He felt his magic fade and he let himself collapse on the couch. He panted as he looked around, trying to remember what happened. He had a strange dream, most of it escaped him but he could remember bits and pieces.

He looked down at the blanket on the floor, then looked to the side to see a pillow on the couch.

That's right, I was with mom and I fell asleep.

His mom.

"Mom?" He called out. "Are you here?" He asked.

He picked up the blanket and began to fold it up, as he did that he noticed a piece of paper fall off of it. He must have knocked that over in his panic. He finished folding and picked up the paper to read it.

Got called into work, I'm sorry Izuku. I left you some food in the fridge for when you wake up. Be good, I love you!

Mom

"Work again…" He mumbled, scratching at his face as he grabbed his phone. There were a lot of missed texts from Master. He glanced up at the time and gasped.

"It's already 1?" He shouted.

-HoL-

Izuku groaned as he laid his head on the table. It had been a week since the exam now, and he was constantly thinking about it.

"Still worried?" Aqua asked as she walked by, sifting through the drawer.

"Yeah…" Izuku mumbled, his voice a bit muffled with his face pressed against the table.

"At least you're not staring at random objects all the time anymore. I mean you stared at the wall for a while, then you stared at your food, and then you stared at one of the Moogles for a while. I was starting to get worried."

"It was only for like, two days." Izuku sat up to argue.

"Actually four." Eri spoke up from beside him. "You almost burned the egg a few days ago too."

Izuku sputtered and looked down. "I mean...listen…"

"I'm listening." Aqua glanced at him.

Izuku stared at her for a moment, unable to come up with any sort of argument. "...Listen." He said again.

Aqua laughed and shook her head. "Okay, okay. I understand though, you were stuck in your head for a while. Knowing you, you were going over the worst case scenario weren't you?"

Izuku looked down and shrugged. "Yeah...kinda. Still kinda thinking about that too though…" He admitted. "I mean, I told what I think happened. Even with how much I studied, I probably barely passed the written part. Then in the mock battle I lost count of how many points I got, but I know it wasn't enough. I used up a lot more energy than I had, if anything that probably looks bad to the judges of the exam huh? They want someone who is efficient and capable, someone who can get around quickly and use their abilities for the best. I don't think they saw that in me, besides I-"

Aqua walked over and tapped his head. "Hey, enough of that." She lightly scolded him. "You gave everything you had in that exam and then some. You did everything you could and put what you learned into practice. Not to mention that you saved someone Izuku, you saved that girl from that robot that would have crushed her. Instead of running away to save yourself, you ran to rescue someone else."

Aqua huffed as she shook her head. "That's what a hero is meant to do right? To save and protect? Honestly if UA doesn't recognize that, then they don't deserve you."

Izuku looked up in surprise, seeing his Master looking a little annoyed. At least he knew it wasn't towards him.

"Hey, Master?" He asked.

"Hm?"

"If I don't get into UA, then what? I mean it's the top hero school, and if I don't get in what else could I really do? I mean, it feels like I'd be losing my one and only chance you know?" Izuku turned his eyes back to the table where his open notebook lay. A sketch of his would-be hero costume. Something simple that isn't too flashy and suits his rather plain looking self.

Aqua sighed and sat next to him. "Well, on the slim chance you don't get into UA, there are always other options. UA may be the top hero school, but that doesn't mean it's the only one out there. There are other schools, can't quite remember the names at the moment, but you could always go for those. They may be a little farther out, but we'd figure something out for your training. Or if you want to stay close by you could go to a normal highschool, and all your training would be with me."

"We have options, but if you ask me those are options we aren't going to have to go into. Because you're going to get into UA."

Izuku scratched at his face, her words bringing a little more comfort to him. Even if he failed, she'd still train him. She'd still keep him around.

"You've worked so hard with me Master, if I don't get into UA...would that mean that everything you've done for me was a waste of time? I couldn't even get into the top school, so…"

Aqua tapped on the head again, a little harder this time.

"Izuku, remember what I told you all those months ago? Training you will never be a waste of time, I never want you to think that about yourself. You've come so far and learned so much in so little time." She lightly ruffled his hair and smiled at him. "No matter what I'm proud of you, okay? Always."

Izuku stared up at her before smiling to himself. Just hearing those words helped ease a great deal of his worries. It didn't matter to her where he ended up, she wasn't going anywhere, no matter what she and Eri would always be there. Aqua hummed and stood up again, going back to rummaging through the drawer for what she was looking for. For the moment Izuku went back to doodling in his notebook, Eri watched him and did the same on her own piece of paper.

"Hey Izuku, how do you know if you got into UA anyway?" Eri asked, looking up from her drawing. A sunset on a beach.

"Huh?" Izuku looked over, taking a minute to process the question. "Oh, uh, well when they're ready to let people know if they got in or not they send letters. They can either be rejection or acceptance letters, UA has a low acceptance rate and that makes it really hard to get into the hero course, as well as the other courses they have. What I'm hoping for is an acceptance letter."

"How long does it take until they let you know?" Eri asked.

"I actually don't know. I've been checking the mail everyday hoping I'd find a letter. It's been a week already so I'm hoping it'll be in soon."

"So, you don't know when you'll get the letter? That must be awful."

"Yeah, waiting for the results suck." Izuku sighed. "But UA is a pretty prestigious school and stuff, so I'm sure they have some kind of effective system for this."

Aqua nodded to herself and gasped as she found what she was looking for, quickly closing the drawer and running into the next room. "Found it!" She called.

Izuku watched her run out in confusion before looking at Eri. "Did she or one of the Moogles lose something?" He asked.

Eri looked at him and shrugged before going back to drawing. "Are you gonna stay over tonight? Or are you gonna go home?"

"Uh, I don't know." Izuku shook his head. "It depends on whether or not my mom is coming home. If she is then I have to head back, I don't want to worry her and she isn't exactly aware of my living situation. Living both here and...well there. Then there's also the fact she isn't aware I have powers."

"And I've told you to tell her, over and over again Izuku." Master Aqua walked back into the room. "It's not healthy to hide this kind of stuff, and it's better to tell her sooner rather than later."

"I know…" He muttered. "Believe me I know, but...well she's not home very often. And even then, I don't wanna make her worry."

"I think she'd worry more if you're hiding something. She'll find out about it at some point, and I think it might be best to hear it from you." Aqua began prepping for dinner.

Izuku hummed and looked down at his notebook before sighing. He did want to tell her, he really did. He was just scared at what she'd say. She would be happy, sure, but would she feel hurt at all? He hid this from her for 10 months, almost a year.

"Aw man…" Eri whined after a moment. "I broke my pencil. I'm gonna go get another one." She put the pencil down and ran out of the room. She was almost done with her drawing and she really wanted to get it done before Izuku left. She ran into the living room and hurried over to one of the small boxes where they kept their pens, markers, and pencils.

"Come on, come on, I just need one sharp one." She rummaged through the box and mumbled to herself. One of the Moogles came up to her and hopped on a stool, looking over the box.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Looking for a pencil." She huffed. "Or a sharpener, that works too."

"Oh, I have a pencil. I'm done with it if you wanna use it." They held up their own pencil and Eri grinned.

"Perfect! Thank you!" She took it and was about to run back to the kitchen when she heard a loud buzz. She made a noise of confusion and looked to the desk off to the side. It was Izuku's phone going off. Eri went over and grabbed his phone, thinking it was an alarm at first and stopping when she saw what it was.

It was a phone call, from who she assumed was Izuku's mother. She looked a lot like him, or rather the other way around. Eri stared at it for a moment before gasping and taking the phone off the charger.

"Izuku! Your mom is calling you!" She ran into the kitchen and held out the phone.

"What?" Izuku stood up and took the phone. He quickly answered and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Izuku!" She had shouted, loud enough for the others to hear. She sounded frantic and excited. "Where are you right now?"

He opened his mouth to answer, then paused before coming up with a good enough lie. "I-I'm at the park. I wanted to go for a walk, why is everything okay?"

"They're here Izuku! I just got home and checked the mail and they're here! Your test results, from UA!"

Izuku froze and went quiet, Eri and Aqua stared at him before he stammered out a response. "Y-Yeah? I'll be right there. I-I'll run over real quick, see you soon." He hung up and stared at the phone in disbelief.

"Th-The results are in…" He mumbled. "They're f-finally here...wow…" He ran a hand through his hair and was about to start pacing when Aqua gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey, calm down. You should start heading home before it gets too dark. They're here, and you're finally going to get your answers. No matter what I'm proud of you okay?" She smiled and patted his shoulder.

Izuku took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, right, yeah okay."

He quickly gathered his things and put them in his bag. Before he left he gave Eri a hug goodbye. "Sorry I can't stay over, are you going to be okay?"

Eri nodded with a smile. "I'll be okay. Good luck, I hope you got in!"

"Yeah, me too…" He mumbled, stepping outside.

"Let me know when you get home." Aqua called after him.

"Will do!"

-.-

Izuku stared at the sealed envelope on the desk. The red wax seal of UA almost taunting him in a way. How long had he been sitting there just staring at it? Certainly felt like hours when it was probably only a few minutes.

How long are you just gonna stare at it? It's not like it's going to magically open itself. Just sitting here and doing nothing isn't going to give you answers.

Izuku watched the unmoving letter a little while longer before mustering up his courage and grabbing it. He grunted and pulled at the letter, struggling for a moment before it finally ripped open.

When he ripped it a small item fell out, clattering against his desk before glowing and turning on.

"Hello, I am here as a projection!"

Izuku shouted in surprise as he saw none other than All Might on the screen.

"All Might? Wait, this is from UA isn't it?" He looked at the seal again to make sure. "All Might and UA...no way…" He muttered, had they called him in for these recordings? Why? Because he's an alumni?

"Greetings, Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to see you again after so long."

Izuku thought back.

Oh yeah, it's been a while since he saved me...and kinda praised and scolded me at the same time.

"You, like many other citizens, have seen me around the city fighting villains and rescuing civilians. The truth is I have not come here just to fight crime, but you are looking at the newest UA faculty member!"

"All Might, at UA?!" He gasped, staring at the screen in disbelief. "All Might is going to be teaching at UA, holy crap that's amazing…" He muttered.

All Might cleared his throat and continued. "Even though you passed the written exam, you only scored 25 combat points in the practical exam, apologies." Izuku paled at that. He thought he had scored a little more than that. He swallowed hard, now he saw it, this was a rejection letter. They were just trying to let the rejects down easy.

"I knew it…" Izuku muttered to himself, gripping his sleeves tightly. Tears began to burn his eyes as he looked down. "I knew I didn't pass…"

I'm a failure.

"Fortunately there were other factors in play! You see young man, the practical exam was not graded on combat alone. How could a hero course reject someone who is committed to saving others no matter the cost? After all that is what makes a hero, and that is what my alma mater is all about. Training those who would risk their lives for the greater good. So we have Rescue Points!"

Izuku gasped.

"A panel of judges watch and award points for heroic actions beyond fighting villains. Izuku Midoriya, 89 Rescue Points!"

The screen changed to show he had placed 1st in the exams with a total of 114 points altogether. His eyes widened in amazement, just below him was Katsuki with 77 Villain Points.

"You have passed the exams."

"No way, is this some kind of joke?" He asked himself, feeling tears stream down his face. He sniffed and wiped them away as best he could. First place, he actually got first place!

"Welcome Izuku Midoriya, you are now part of the hero academia."

Izuku watched as the screen went dark and the projector turned off. He smiled to himself and wicked up his phone, sending a quick text to Master Aqua. He put his phone down and rubbed at his face, he couldn't help the grin on his face as he opened the door to his room.

His mother froze in her tracks and looked up at him.

His smile grew wider as he answered her. "I made it!"

She stared at him before she began crying as well. "Oh, my baby!" She ran over and hugged him tightly. "I knew you would make it, Izuku I am so proud of you!"

Izuku couldn't help it as he started crying again, hugging his mom back. He did it, he really did it!

He made it into UA!

-HoL-

Aqua panted as she got to the rooftop. She leaned against her Keyblade for support as she caught her breath.

That was close, way too close. If the Heartless had gone any further more people could have gotten hurt.

She looked over the minor destruction of the street, thankfully there were little to no injured people. People who shouldn't even be out at this hour, there was a curfew for a reason.

Aqua sighed as she looked over her armor. There were a few good cracks and dents in it, she knew they were there but they were becoming more prominent now. Especially with how hard the Heartless have been hitting lately.

They've been getting stronger, with each day that passed they grew more powerful than last time. She was still able to take them down with ease, but with the amount she had been facing, it was like having to be in at least five places at once. As soon as she got done with one horde at least two more would appear. She was keeping up as best she could, she had to. People's lives were at stake and if she didn't protect them who would?

She leaned back and looked at the night sky, a pit of dread forming in her gut.

The sky looked a little darker than usual, like stars were missing from the sky. They were blinking out, one by one.

Something was coming, and if she had to be honest it terrified her. Whatever was happening was big, and it was taking out worlds one by one. She could only hope she was strong enough to take on the storm that was coming their way. She had to be, she couldn't lose. Not when there was so much on the line.

Eri and Izuku...

Aqua grunted as she stood up straight, turning her gaze back to the world before her. For now she had to focus on what was here right now. She was about to take off when someone cleared their throat.

"Hello, Guardian."

Aqua whirled around and jumped away from the voice, holding up Master Defender. After a moment she saw who it was and sighed.

"Awfully late for you to be out and about All Might, you're usually a day time hero." She lowered her weapon. "You wanna try your hand at apprehending me this time?" She looked over him and noticed he wasn't in his hero costume. Instead a plain white T-shirt and green cargo pants.

"No, that isn't it. I've actually been looking for you for some time, I'm not going to try to turn you in." He pulled a water bottle out of one of his pockets. "Actually I'd like to have a talk with you, if you're willing."

Aqua eyed the man for a moment before hesitantly taking the bottle and looking it over. She noticed he pulled out a second bottle out of another pocket.

"What is it you want to talk about?" She asked. "Especially with me of all people?" She backed away towards the other side of the roof, just in case.

"Quite a bit actually." He walked over and stood at the edge, sighing before taking a sip of water. "I have a few concerns I wish to address with you."

"What kind of concerns?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Guardian, understand that I ask this out of concern, and that it feels too coincidental to be above suspicion. Are you in any way connected to the dark creatures and their source?"

Aqua gripped the bottle tightly and stared at All Might for a moment. She understood where he came from, really she did. The Heartless had to have been plaguing them for a while, then out of nowhere someone can take them down and keep them gone. Anyone who didn't know what she really was might assume she was much closer to the source.

"I see...no. No, I am not connected with them in any way. I can defeat them yes, but I have no control over where they appear and why. They appear at random, and honestly that can make it pretty frustrating when I'm trying to hunt them down." She answered, straight and to the point.

All Might nodded. "Thank you, I apologize if I offended you in any way."

"It's fine. You're right it can come off as coincidental. But I promise I have no connection to them."

"Guardian, I feel you should be aware of recent developments. Especially since they regard you...and your student."

Aqua froze, summoning her weapon again. "Excuse me?"

"I became aware of your student a few months ago, Izuku Midoriya. He applied for UA, I was there for the exam and I saw what he had done. His skills are impressive, especially for 10 months of training. He's done well, and he's passed the exam. As his mentor I'm sure you're proud."

"How do you know he passed?" She asked.

All Might coughed before turning to her. "Well, you are looking at the newest UA faculty member! I gave out the results in the letters that were sent. I saw Young Midoriya's name come up, he has made it to the hero course."

A harsh chill ran through Aqua's body. All Might, the number one hero, knows about Izuku. Her student. He knows Izuku passed and is going to UA, where he's going to be teaching. If All Might knew what could stop him from telling other teachers who Izuku was, other teachers who were heroes. He was in league with a wanted vigilante, if they found out what would they do to him?

"Guardian, if I may-"

"All Might." She cut him off.

The man noted the sudden drop in temperature and the ice that began to creep over the roof.

"You've known about him since the beginning, I take it you spied on us and saw me take him in is that it?"

"...Yes."

"All Might, I want you to listen and listen well." She snapped. "Izuku is my student, he is my pupil. As his master I am supposed to teach and protect him. I will not stop him from chasing after his dreams, that is not my place. I am proud of him for making it into UA, and I'm sure seeing you teach there is a welcome surprise to him. You of all people know who he is, and I'm fairly certain it's easy to guess what he means to me." She began to walk forward, the ice growing thicker.

"I ask that you keep what you know to yourself All Might. Should any of the faculty members find out who he is I have no doubt in my mind harm will come to him. He's had enough harm brought to him already. And should you hurt that boy in any way, I don't care if you are this world's Symbol of Peace I will not hesitate to bring that pain tenfold upon you. Do I make myself clear, All Might?"

She stood right in front of him, Master Defender pointed at his throat. A thin layer of ice began to coat his body, making him shudder. Guardian was usually a calm individual, but seeing her like this; angry and demanding, especially over the well being of her student. It almost reminded him of…

"I have no intention of outing Young Midoriya as your student Guardian. That would mean losing you and him, the only two who can act as a deterrent for these creatures. Not only that, but I don't wish to cause anyone harm. Your secret is safe with me Guardian, you have my word."

"You swear?"

"I swear."

Aqua glared at him for a bit, the temperature dropping more and more until she sighed. The cold dispersed and the air returned to normal, it felt like he could breathe again. Guardian put down her weapon and turned away.

"I think we're done here All Might. It was nice talking to you. Goodbye." She began to walk away, getting ready to jump to another roof.

All Might watched her walk away, letting himself catch his breath. He wasn't in danger anymore, her focus was no longer on him and he could breathe. He wasn't done yet though, he still had more questions. Things he wanted to know, things he had to know. There were things he wasn't sure how to do, and maybe she could help, because he had no idea where to even begin.

"Guardian." He called out, taking a few steps forward. Even in his muscle form he felt fragile, unsure of everything that could happen.

"What?" She asked, not turning around or slowing her gait.

"How did you choose?"

"How did I choose what?"

"How did you choose your successor?"

Aqua stopped at the edge. Successor? She turned around to look at him. "My...My successor?" She asked.

All Might nodded. "Young Midoriya, how did you choose him? For such a heavy decision, how were you able to make that choice?"

Aqua stayed where she was, thinking over what he said. Successor. Izuku wasn't her successor, no he was far from that. She wasn't expecting him to take her place.

"Saying he's my successor implies that he's going to take my place, and that I'll be stepping down. That couldn't be farther from the truth. He's my student, I'm his teacher. I'm going to teach him everything I can, and once I've taught him everything I know he'll go on his own. He'll grow stronger on his own, and I'll still be here, I'll still be here when he needs me. I'm not going anywhere. Why are you asking me this?"

Aqua turned around to look at All Might. He stood there for a long time without saying anything. It didn't take her long to piece it all together.

"You're looking for a…"

All Might nodded. "I've been on a long hunt, looking for someone who's worthy to take my place. As a symbol yourself, I thought you may know how to choose a candidate. How did you choose Young Midoriya?"

Aqua looked down, she chose to teach him. It was her duty as a Keyblade Master to teach the next generation. Not to mention he was chosen as well, he never had a say yet he took it in stride. "Izuku has something that...that makes him special, in more ways than one. He has this light in him, and I swear with each passing day it just gets brighter and brighter. I wasn't sure about taking on a student at first, mostly because I wasn't confident in my own abilities as a teacher. I took a leap of faith and took him in, and I don't regret it. I only fear that I'm not enough sometimes, but I think that's a fear every mentor has."

Aqua sighed and shook her head. "I don't have any advice to help you, I'm sorry. All I can suggest is that...you take in someone that you wholeheartedly believe will carry on what you want. Just understand that this person isn't going to be you, and they're going to need you along the way. You're their teacher, you're not only supposed to pass down what you know but it is also your job to care for them. To be their rock, to keep them safe, to be there when they need you. And you need to be ready for that responsibility. That's all I can really tell you."

All Might stared at her before coughing into his hand. He stared at the crimson stain in his hand before looking up at her.

"Thank you, I'll...I'll keep that in mind."

Aqua nodded. "I should be going, good luck All Might. And remember, I'm trusting you, okay?"

Before he could respond she was already gone.

All Might felt for his phone in his pocket, pulling it out and gripping it tightly as he deflated.

A leap of faith, she had called it. Guardian, who is a pillar of her own without really knowing it, was so unsure of herself. So hesitant to take on a student of her own. Yet she had done so anyway, and she was doing her best.

A leap of faith.

Could he do that? Could he put all his trust not only into this one person but also himself as a mentor? Was he really up to the task?

Toshinori unlocked his phone and looked at the contact he had been looking at last. An old friend, or perhaps acquaintance was a better choice of words. He had to pass on this power, he wanted to. He didn't want One For All to die with him, it couldn't.

Would his Master approve? Would she think he's a good choice? What would she have said?

He stared at the call button, his finger hovering over it. Would he be able to live up to the title as mentor? He had to, he had no other choice.

Toshinori swallowed hard and pressed the call button, putting the phone to his ear. One ring, two, three. It felt like it went on forever. What would he even say to Nighteye when he answered?

As he thought out some kind of script the line picked up, and he choked on his breath. Before he could even greet him, Nighteye spoke first in a frantic voice, gasping for air.

"All Might, old friend, I'm glad you've finally called. I'm afraid we don't have much time."

-HoL-

Updated: 8/4/20

Discord: /UWtM2he