Re(Action): Shattered Memories

by sleppt

There’s a certain brand of chaos Midoriya has gotten used to, especially as a hero student. Villain attacks, harsh training, the list goes on. Above all else though, he did not expect his dreams to be invaded by a stranger who seems to be the embodiment of pure chaos. Said stranger offers to show him the events of an alternate universe that feature his friends and family.

5. It All Began With A New Perspective

Izuku shouldn't be surprised. Since their first meeting (where he apparently fell into Nothing by accident), Bola had messed with him, not out of malice or anything; Izuku could see the man was good-intentioned if nothing else. Even then, Izuku would be the first to admit Bola was weird, eccentric, and a tad crazy.

So it should be evident that the man would force Izuku to face his insecurities in the most literal way possible by somehow locking him in a room with his alternative self. Whom he was jealous of.

The room was primarily bare, being small and only having a table with two chairs on opposite sides, facing each other. It reminded Izuku of an interrogation room for some reason, but maybe it was just the blank aesthetic of the theater making his mind go on strange tangents.

The other him waited patiently; his hand stretched in a silent offer. Izuku, the him, not the other- that was just getting more confusing. Maybe he should start referencing the other him by using SM, as in Shattered Memories, to help tell them apart in his head. Izuku relented and accepted SM Izuku's help.

"Here we go." SM Izuku smiled and pulled Izuku to his feet, a smile plastered on his face all the while, "The floor doesn't look very comfy."

"Y-yes, it wasn't." Izuku scratched the back of his neck, feeling very weird, looking and talking to himself like that.

"Gotta say though, it doesn't matter how many times I do it, talking with someone that's me but is not me never gets any less strange." SM Izuku crossed his arms and pouted, "At least you didn't start to talk in riddles from the get-go."

Izuku chuckled, "T-that sounds like a chore."

"Right? If you want to help, at least give a straight answer!" SM Izuku cracked a grin, "Like this." He grabbed Izuku's shoulders firmly, "Stop being stupid."

"W-what?!"

SM Izuku released his grip and walked to one of the chairs, "You heard me. Bola told me you are being stupid by comparing yourself to others and getting sad that you're not the same as them." He plopped down on the chair and threw his arms up, "Of course, you're not like someone else. You're you!"

Izuku felt something unpleasant rising in his gut, "That's easy for you to say! You are so strong! You passed your exam like it was nothing, and you made friends with Uraraka and Iida right at the start!" Izuku didn't know why he started to let it all out like that, it was like a floodgate opened, and now all his insecurities came pouring out of his mouth, "You rescued Eri the moment you found her. You made her smile on your own!" Izuku looked downwards, the weight of each failure pressing down on him until the thing that honestly felt the pettiest came out, "You're Kacchan's friend, while I barely can look in his direction without him snapping at me for being a useless Deku."

SM Izuku had just sat there and took the shouting, not interrupting to defend himself from Izuku's accusations, until he finally stood up and walked back to Izuku. Stopping in front of him, the other version, the better version of him, stared him in the eyes, "You wish you were like me? Well, I wish I was like you."

That, that single phrase, threw Izuku for a loop, "What?" He asked in shock.

"Unlike me, you know who you really are." SM Izuku gave a pained smile, "You know everything about yourself, while I am honestly grasping at straws." He looked around, running his eyes through the blank room, "Even this place seems familiar, but I never put a foot in a place like this. At least, I don't remember it."

That was a slap of reality on the face. Izuku was so focused on what his counterpart had over him that he didn't think about what he didn't. Izuku knew himself, from where he came, and who had been with him on the harsh road that was his life.

The other him didn't even know his birth parents' names.

Izuku had wished to be in SM Izuku's shoes, but now he had to ask himself if it was everything he made it to be. Both versions of him had problems. They had expectations put on their shoulders and burdens that were more than heavy. As the saying goes, "your neighbor's grass is always greener," but now Izuku realized he would only be trading six for half a dozen.

Both boys had problems, wanted to help people, and tried their best. At the end of the day, they weren't so different.

"Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine."

"Still, I was so preoccupied with myself that I didn't think about you. You are dealing with a lot, and I only kept thinking about how you had things you're better at. Now you got abducted here too just to help me take my head out the sand and see other people have their own-" Izuku's rant/mutter storm was abruptly interrupted by a fist colliding with the top of his head, "Ouch!"

SM Izuku huffed, "What part of stop being stupid you didn't get?" He crossed his arms, "Yeah, you were wallowing in a spiral of bad thoughts, but that doesn't mean you made some unforgivable mistake!" He threw his arms out, then put a finger right at Izuku's face, "You can't let those things drag you down. If you make a mistake, then get up, shake the dust, and fix it! The only thing you shouldn't do is keep moping around like that." SM Izuku put his thumbs on the corner of Izuku's libs and pulled them on an exaggerated smile, "No frowning, no sad faces! Open a smile and say, 'I am here' like a hero!"

Both boys smiled, one naturally and the other rather forcefully by the thumbs on his libs. Even then, they shared the same sentiment.

It was time to start acting like a hero.

Izuku pulled back, freeing himself from SM Izuku's hold, but maintaining the smile on his face, "You're right! I knew it wouldn't be easy, but that never stopped me before. Complaining about it now is stupid."

SM Izuku laughed, "Good of you to finally realize that!" He squared his shoulders, "And if you ever need to remember you are worthy on your own, then here." He flicked his wrist, and in his hand, the weapon Izuku had been coveting for some time manifested.

Heroes Rising was a strange blade, the same way it was a strange key. It was big and bulky, but not in an over-encumbering way. The edge was blunt, but the metal glinted in a way that betrayed the idea it couldn't cut right through you.

SM Izuku flipped his Keyblade, holding it by the body and offering Izuku the handle. He got startled by the gesture but seeing the determined glint in his counterpart's eyes, he knew he wouldn't be able to back down from that.

Izuku gulped, realizing the significance of it. It was like One For All in a way, that wonderful power that meant more than anyone could realize, but that was trusted to those worthy, not the strength of their bodies but of their hearts. Reaching out hesitantly, he grasped the handle.

It was like a shock had run all the way from his fingers to his chest. The other him was right, that moment, Izuku felt worthy in a way he never did before. The Keyblade seemed to hum in a tone between a metal wall being hit by rain and heavy clouds about to be lit up by lightning, and Izuku knew it meant Heroes Rising approved of him.

It believed Izuku was worthy, and unlike with people who he ever doubted, it didn't matter how much he didn't want to. It was different. The feeling was alien, but at the same time, it was absolute. The Keyblade searched all of him for a single reason to disapprove, to escape from his hands if it didn't trust them to wield it.

It found none.

Izuku only realized he was crying when SM Izuku punched his shoulder. "Hey, no sad faces, remember?" The other him grinned, making Izuku open his own wet smile.

"Right!"

"Good." SM Izuku nodded, then perked up, "Here, nothing better to celebrate you getting your head back on the game." SM Izuku pulled a popsicle from… somewhere.

Izuku instantly recognized it as Sea Salt Ice Cream. He would admit he was curious about it, being such an unusual flavor, so Izuku didn't waste time accepting it, "Thanks." He bit down, already expecting the first salty crash on his tongue, but not the sweet goodness that washed it right after.

"How's it?"

"Salty, but sweet. It's delicious!"

"I know." SM Izuku pulled his own popsicle and started to wolf it down, "No better way to end the day."

"Yeah." Izuku scarfed his treat down. When he finished, he saw that written on the stick was "winner" with a little crown on the tip. If that wasn't a sign, then Izuku didn't know what was. He promised himself that instead of wishing to be a better version of himself, he would be the best him he could be, as confusing as that was.

The Keyblade flashed and disappeared from his grasp, startling Izuku. SM Izuku laughed and patted his shoulder, "I should go. You keep your head up, 'kay?"

Izuku nodded, "Yeah." He turned to his counterpart, who was already reaching for the door with a hand, "You too. I-I know that it seems like nothing makes sense anymore; believe me, I'm as confused as you, but don't give up!"

SM Izuku glanced back and grinned, "I don't know what 'give up' means." With that, he opened the door, revealing an almost solid wall of golden Light, tiny fractals gently floating from it and blinking out of existence midair. He stepped into the Light, vanishing into its embrace.

Izuku blinked at the now empty door where SM Izuku had just been. He looked at the stick in his hand again, smiling softly.

He almost missed the light glow it gave off. Almost.

---

A few minutes earlier,

When Izuku was dragged away by Bola, everyone snapped out of their stupor. And then, there was chaos. There were yells and demands on what the hell had just happened. But Izuku's friends were more focused on something else.

"What did you do to Deku?!" Ochako demanded as she glared harshly at the man who had just walked back in.

"Indeed!" Tenya said as he narrowed his eyes at Bola, "You can't just take our friend and leave him there!" He chopped his hands as he reprimanded their host.

Shoto looked as though he was either going to scorch or freeze their host.

Bola, who had just returned to his balcony with utter grace, looked down at her. He pointedly ignored the glares of the rest of the students and teachers shot at him. Inko, the poor mother, remained stunned. "Relax." He waved them off, "I just took the bunny boi somewhere special. He'll be fine."

"RELAX?!" Nearly everyone yelled, enraged.

"Dude, you just straight up kidnapped him." Ejiro said with a frown, "That's not manly at all."

"What isn't manly is that you lot didn't understand his pain," Bola said bluntly.

That threw everyone out of the loop, though Izuku's friends had grimaces on their faces. They knew something was wrong with their friend, but getting confirmation from someone else was an unpleasant reality check.

Ejiro recoiled as though he was physically strucked by a truck. "What do you mean?" He asked, looking wide-eyed.

"The bunny was feeling down, and you all certainly weren't making him feel any better about it." He pointed out the humorous tone was gone. He was talking to them in a serious tone that made them straighten up, "I find it ironic that you guys cheer on your classmate, but you never notice the pain and suffering he's going through. It was becoming more obvious as his mask began to fall apart."He pointed at the Dekusquad and Eri. "These guys noticed right away that something was wrong, no surprise cause their friends. But they didn't approach it properly."He shrugged, "Still, points for trying."

Eri looked devastated, while Izuku's friends had grimaces or merely looked away. Everyone took one look at them, and suddenly they felt uncomfortable as the unpleasant feeling of guilt built up.

It was true that their classmate wasn't nerding as much, and he had been quieter all of a sudden. But they had been cheering on the Izuku on screen to pay attention to their classmate's struggles.

The reality of it was a hard pill to swallow.

Toshinori looked as though he was punched in his wound. He had been distracted by the other universe that he neglected to acknowledge his successor's current feelings. He gritted his teeth and sighed. There was nothing he could do now, but he should speak to Young Midoriya the next time they had time.

Because what kind of hero would he be if he didn't save his own successor?

It was then that Inko snapped out of her shock, and Bola suddenly began making prayers as he noticed her face was slowly turning red with anger. Whatever words he said must've gone over her head.

Or she was too shocked to hear a word he said.

"Please don't go Doña Florinda mode. Please don't go Doña Florinda mode."He prayed silently so no one could hear him.

"Who's Doña Florinda?" Kyoka blinked in confusion, being the only one who heard. She was baffled that their host was showing genuine fear.

Katsuki, taking notice that his aunt in all but blood was getting angry, dove to the ground to avoid the line of fire. He would never admit it -he would blow up someone who says otherwise- but he was scared of auntie getting angry. Even the old hag was afraid of provoking her! He ignored the confusion of the other extras as he made sure to hide underneath the seats.

Thankfully for Bola's and Katsuki's peace of mind, Eri popped up from behind the man. It wasn't the Eri beside Ochako who had come to the theater with them, but the Eri they just watched the other Izuku rescue. The girl hopped up and perched herself comfortably on Bola's armored shoulder, "Heyo! They're done."

"Good. If you guys excuse me, I'll go grab the hero bunny. Later!" He spun on his heels and walked away, the other Eri holding on his helmet and going along for the ride.

They quickly made their way to the room where Bola had dropped Izuku for a bit of heart-to-heart. Huh, Bola liked the sound of that. He would call it the Heart-to-Heart Room from now on.

"So, did it work?"

Eri nodded, "Yep." She popped the 'p' for extra emphasis. "I still think that was cheating."

Bola laughed slightly, "First, my rules to bend, and I say this is fine. Second, the 'no spoilers' clause is to not ruin the surprise, so it's fine as long as they don't know about it."

Eri pouted, "Still, I wanted to make a show of it."

"You can. Just wait until the right episode rolls and everything is permitted."

"But that's gonna take so long!" The girl whined.

"That's rich coming from you." Bola snorted, earning a slap on the helmet.

"Shush." Eri blew at her hand. She wasn't the one in the family built for punching rocks. "You know what I mean."

Bola would have shrugged, but a small unicorn was using his shoulder as a seat, and making her fall would be rude, "Yeah, I do. But you also know that the important isn't the goal but the journey."

"You read that on a fortune cookie?" Her snark sent them both into a laughing fit.

"Here we are." Bola reached the right room and kicked the door open, "Good morning Vietnam!" His entrance made the person in the room leap a meter in the air. The man grabbed Izuku by the scruff of his uniform and brought him close, "You done with your moping."

Izuku blinked, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights, "Huh… yeah?"

"Okay then."

"I still think that was cheating." Eri's jab earned her a poke in the nose from Bola. The girl took that as a declaration of war and started to poke him back for all the good it did. The man also entered the battle and poked the girl, making her giggle.

Izuku watched the scene with growing confusion, "Uh, do you two know each other well?"

"If you call having your house invaded and your stash of chocolates constantly raided, then yes." Bola's tone was flat, even if he didn't stop his assault.

"You love me, and you know it!" Eri yelped between giggles.

Bola put Izuku down and saw the popsicle stick he was holding, "Is that…?"

Eri, or SM Eri, if Izuku committed to the name convention, leaned forward, "Oh! It is!"

"W-what?" Izuku looked down, "After talking with the other me, he offered me some ice cream." He looked from side to side, "But… something weird happened after he was gone."

"Does it involve the stick on your hand glowing by any chance?" SM Eri tilted her head to the side. Izuku was having a hard time seeing someone he knew acting so differently, even if they were not the same people. SM Eri acted so… mature that Izuku was having trouble focusing.

"Y-yes. Do you know why?"

SM Eri nodded, then glanced at Bola from the corner of her eye, "Can I?" The man waved in a 'go ahead' gesture, making the girl's smile widen, "What you have, there is something I like to call a Proof of Heart. It happens when something, something important, happens that really gives you a change of heart."

Izuku looked back at the room where he talked with the other him. That sounded about right. They didn't trade that many words, but it sure put into perspective for Izuku just how everyone had their own battles to face and shortcomings to overcome.

SM Eri continued her explanation, once again showing how different she acted from Izuku's Eri, "They don't do much on their own, but hold onto it. You never know when you'll need a reminder, right?" She winked at him, and Izuku felt that the girl knew more than she was letting own, just like the man she was using as free transport.

"You had your fun. C'mon, we need to go back for the next viewing." He grabbed Izuku again and started to walk back to the theater's main viewing room.

Izuku tried to wiggle his way out, but it was useless. Even then, in that weird situation caused by a weirder man, he needed to say, "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For helping me get my head back on the game." Izuku snickered at the joke only he would get.

"Just doing my job, kiddo." Bola tried to shrug it off, only for SM Eri to poke him again.

"Don't let this dork fool you, he can't handle compliments, but I'm sure he's melting inside his armor from all the fuzzy feelings." The girl laughed.

"Shush!"

Their strange dynamic ended up ripping a laugh out of Izuku. It felt nice to have all this weight off him and feel as though he could finally breathe freely.

Everyone could only stare as Bola came into view with SM Eri and, strangely enough, Izuku in his hand. The three were joyfully talking and joking around, which was a stark remark from Izuku's previous mood.

"I'm telling you, I know dorks, and you're both adorkable!" The other Eri giggled, poking fun at Izuku and Bola.

The man snorted, "Bold of you to assume you're not on the same boat."

"He's right, you know. You're pretty adorable too, and if you know dorks, then you're probably one too!" Izuku, to the other's shock, also traded quips.

"Izuku!" Inko, murderous aura gone, was instantly rushing to her son's side, "Are you okay?!"

The boy flushed but opened a small smile, "Yeah, I'm okay. Bola helped me get over my funk." He turned to the man, who was still holding him like a kitten, "Thanks again."

"It's fine…." Bola trailed off, looking at the screen, "Say, how about you repay the favor?"

Eri poked him some more, "You know that messing around and finding out usually leads to real big messes."

"It's still funny."

The girl raised her finger, probably for another poke, then lowered it, "Fair."

Izuku, having already gotten used to their antics, nodded, "Sure, anything."

Inko tried to intervene, "Now wait a moment-" She was too late.

Bola winded his arm holding Izuku back, then snapped it forward, "YEET!" To the shock of the audience, he threw Izuku with all force…

….right at the screen.

The boy could only let out a startled yelp before he hit the screen, which in turn, did the last thing they expected. Instead of splattering on the wall, Izuku was swallowed by the theater's screen as if it was a lake. It even rippled like one, giving the impression the wall was liquid for a moment.

For an uncomfortable moment, there was silence. It was promptly broken by Inko passing out and being caught by Bola.

"You just had to throw him." The other Eri shook her head disapprovingly at Bola.

"It was for the meme."

"Uh, Mr. Bola, what happened to Izuku?" Eri, the one from the audience, asked.

"We should discover right about… now." He pointed at the screen, which promptly came back to life with a violent glitch.

The flashing colors and exploded audio made all of them jump and turn back to the screen. What they saw made all eyes of the audience widen.

---

Izuku opened his eyes. He was sitting on a curved tree on an island he knew, an island he had lived on for years. But he hadn't, at least, not that him. The black coat he had worn for months but at the same time never put on breathed surprisingly well in the hot weather.

At least the Organization got that right.

The sunset and the crashing waves would have soothed Izuku if not for the weird feeling of being a passenger on his own body and the nasty feeling in his gut. He looked down at the open notebook in his hand and the simple message written across two pages.

I can't give up.

Izuku blankly stared at the words for a long moment. He used the pencil in his other hand to circle the passage again and again, each circle darker and more frantic until the graphite broke.

Izuku stopped, freezing for a second, where his heart thundered in his ears. His grip on the pencil tightened until the wood gave out with a sharp snap. With a wordless roar, Izuku cocked his fist back and threw the two halves of the pencil into the ocean.

He breathed deeply, swallowing mouthfuls of air and trying to calm down.

"What that poor pencil did to you." A voice came from behind him, one he barely knew even if he had heard it for most of his life.

Without turning, Izuku shot back, "I can throw you too if you want."

"Nah. I don't think those things are good for a dive." The person stopped at his side, leaning on the tree Izuku was sitting on and staring at the horizon. Or he would if his eyes weren't covered by a black blindfold.

Like Izuku, he was wearing a black cloak covering most of his body. The only color he sported besides black was the silver of his hair.

Izuku and the other boy watched the sunset in silent companionship. In the end, Izuku broke the ice that had formed from his bad mood, "Hey, Riku. Do you remember when it was just us coming here to play all day?"

"Yes." The other boy, Riku, nodded.

"What changed?"

Riku stayed silent for a long second. When he finally answered, it was with a bittersweet tone of defeat, "We grew up."

Izuku leaned back, holding himself with his hands to maintain his balance. He stared at the warm sky and huffed, "Growing up sucks."

Both boys laughed, even if rather sardonically.

"You can say that again." Riku shook his head and crossed his arms, "What wouldn't I give to have that back? The worst part is that I was the one who threw it all away."

The silence was heavier now, weighing on the boys' spirits.

Izuku punched the bark under him, "Hey! Let's all have a day on the beach, all of us! We'll have fun, mess around, and laugh a lot! Just like before."

Riku looked aside, "You and your new friends?"

Izuku leaned closer and opened his arms defiantly, "You would have some, too, if you stopped being edgy and tried."

Riku hummed as if in thought, then snorted, "Nah."

Izuku pouted violently, once more tempted to throw the other teen into the ocean. They stared at each other's faces for a minute, then cracked, descending on a laughing fit again, but this one was much more joyous.

Izuku had never felt so alien in his own skin. That wasn't him, that wasn't meant for him, and he shouldn't be here. What happened was something between the Izuku that called those islands home and called Riku his friend, and said boy who viewed him as almost family. It felt like an invasion of privacy of the highest order to be in the shoes of his counterpart like that.

That served to hammer home how Izuku didn't know what he was saying when he pointed out how jealous he was of the other him.

He didn't want to feel that burning bitterness in his chest and the heavy helplessness in his stomach just as much as he didn't want to feel his own.

Thankfully, the heavy glitching encroaching on him signified the journey of his counterpart's shoes coming to an end.

---

With a feeling of being ejected out of a plane that was somehow underwater, Izuku came flying out of the screen. Thankfully he was grabbed by a familiar armored figure before he could splat on the ground.

"Huh, would you look at that?" Bola put Izuku on his feet and looked him over, "You melded into the memory… somehow."

"What does that mean…?" Izuku finally glanced down and noticed he was still in the black cloak the other him wore on that day on the beach, where he and Riku talked about the good old day that wouldn't ever come back. Strangely enough, it was very comfortable.

"Deku!" Izuku turned his attention to see Ochako and Eri running up to him. Bola dropped him just as the green-haired teen was tackled to a hug by the two girls. Thankfully he stood his ground, but he almost was tackled to the ground.

Ochako wasn't sure what to make the leather-like black coat feel soft and comfortable when she hugged her friends, but she decided not to worry about it. Instead, she focused on hugging the life out of her friend, who was sputtering and had a blush, just like Eri was doing.

"Are you alright?!"

Tenya and Shoto ran up to catch up to the girls. "Yes, Midoriya, are you alright?!" Tenya said as he chopped his hands, worried.

Shoto grunted, "What he said." He pointed at the Class Representative.

Izuku was still blushing, feeling flustered as a similarly flustered Ochako let go, "Y-yeah." He looked down at his newly acquired coat, "I least I think so…."

"Holy crap!" Blutered out Denki, "What was that?!"

"He's wearing that black coat!" Mina screamed as she pointed at Izuku, who was checking to see if the coat was real.

"That's what you worried about?!" Kyoka looked at the pink girl in disbelief.

"It's a valid point!" Shot Mina with her tongue sticking out to Kyoka's annoyance.

"Ahem!"

Everyone stopped and turned their attention to Bola, "Now then, to answer your question, we just witnessed a memory."

Nezu perked up, "A memory from the other Midoriya?"

"Yes!"

"Fascinating!"

"Indeed!" Cackled Bola, and there was a bit of a light show, and when it was done, the stone-armored host was back in his balcony, the other Eri sitting on the railing now (They still had to talk about how that happened. How was the girl here?), "But now, time is up! So you kiddos can talk about what happened after this!" There were whines and complaints, "Don't worry! This episode is short! And after this, it's lunchtime!" Bola waved. "So you'll have plenty of time to talk about what happened here!"

Nearly everyone perked up at the promise of lunch. So with minimal complaints, they all went to their seats and sat down. Izuku sat down, still wearing the black coat. It wasn't his style, but he liked it.

Maybe he can take it home?

His friends shot him concerned looks, and Eri hugged his side, not wanting to let go. He also noticed his mother and mentor were shooting concerned looks at him. It warmed his heart to know people cared about him. He noticed thathis classmates were either glancing at him with guilty expressions or avoiding looking at him.

As much as he wanted to assure everyone, Bola looked at him expectantly and gestured for him to continue the series. He'll just have to wait until lunchtime, then they all could talk, and he could ask half a million questions in his mind. Even if Izuku were sure, the answer to most of them would just be more mad cackling.

With that, he clicked the start button on the control, and the screen went dark before the scene began.

---

Episode 5: It begins with a letter.

On a small Island, four kids watch the sunset from a curved tree: three boys and a girl no older than fourteen.

"It's the same island Midoriya was earlier in." Tenya hummed thoughtfully.

"Yeah, he looks a little younger here too!" Ochako agreed.

Katsuki looked irritated. "Ok, so we can see Deku, Edgelord number two, and Redhead. But why can't we see that other extra?!"

Bola cackled.

"You should've expected that, dude." Ejiro shrugged while the blond seethed silently in his seat.

"When we go, it'll be the beginning of our adventure!" One boy said, standing on the tree, and the others smiled at him.

"Oh look, it's the other guy." Said Denki, "Riku right?"

Kyoka rolled her eyes, "It's quite obvious, Jamming Yay."

"Just saying…" The blond muttered.

"Still, it's kinda strange that earlier his older self was more on edge than his past self." Remarked Hanta, noting how the younger Riku seemed more aloof and relaxed. A few of his classmates agreed with him.

Momo looked pensive, "I wonder what happened that led Riku and the other Midoriya to be in their current state…."

One of Mezo's arms turned into a mouth and spoke, "Whatever happened, it has to be connected to the other teen." He said as he gestured to the glitched teen.

"Perhaps…" Momo muttered thoughtfully.

"It must've been bad if he went blind." Tsuyu said as she glanced at Riku's cool and collected eyes, remembering how the older teen had them covered with a black cloth.

Bola merely cackled under his breath. If only they knew.

Nezu and Izuku had been writing this down. Izuku's friends couldn't help but to relax a little upon seeing a classic Izuku antic on their friend.

Izuku didn't pay attention to the relieved looks his friends shot him. He remembered the feeling of being on the beach, and it was a slightly different experience from Dagobah Beach Park. The calm waters, the pleasant heat (despite wearing the coat), the beautiful scenery of the sunset, and the winds softly kissing his skin.

It was a nice feeling he wished to experience again.

But that didn't stop it from being an invasion of privacy from his other self.

"Yeah, we'll have whole new worlds to explore." The boy standing in front of the tree calmly said, hyping the others.

Katsuki glared at the glitches preventing them from seeing the teen as though they had offended him.

"A shame we can't see his face," Mina remarked.

Toru nodded in agreement -not that everyone could see- "Yeah, he sounds really cute!"

There were a few sighs of annoyance or exaggeration from the two girls' predicted behavior. However, a few of them couldn't hold their amusement.

"And we'll always be together! The four of us," The girl exclaimed.

"This'll be a journey to remember!" The last boy, the one with green hair, shouted, getting the other three to follow.

"And there's Midoriya." Remarked Shoto.

Eri smiled a little, "Yeah…."

Izuku felt a strange warmth just seeing this scene. But at the same time, he couldn't help but to feel the guilt rising in his gut. His other self couldn't remember his own origins, and there was nothing anyone could do.

---

"Izuku, are you okay, sweetie? You're staring at the fish." Inko asked, worried. Eri gave Izuku a concerned look.

A few of them couldn't help but snort at the funny face Izuku had.

"I'm sorry, Midoriya, but this is just too funny!" Snickered Denki.

Izuku's own lips twitched. It reminded him of the time he was worried about his acceptance letter. "It's fine…."

Izuku looked up, "Huh? Yeah, just thinking about something." Izuku reassured them with a smile, trying his best to bury the longing bubbling in his chest. He couldn't get over the feeling, though, but at the very least, he would not worry his mother.

"Oh, Izuku…" Inko looked sad at her other son.

Toshinori could only comfort her by placing a hand on her shoulder. The older woman appreciated the gesture. Though, she was trembling a little that All Might of all people was doing this.

"Is it about that thing you and Eri did today?" Inko didn't really know what the children had done earlier, but it seemed very important to them.

"What happened?" Wondered Denki.

Katsuki grunted in annoyance, "If you watched, you would find out Dunce Face."

"No need to be mean about it!" He whined.

The question brought Izuku to think about the decision he had made earlier that day. Since the day he spent at the beach with his friends, he brought Eri to the beach every day to watch the sunset. He felt there was something special about the activity.

Eri liked the idea of going to the beach every day. And while watching the sunset? That made it all beautiful.

---

A couple of hours earlier,

Izuku and Eri sat on Dagoba beach, eating ice cream and watching the sunset. Izuku got closer to Eri every day. The girl was basically family to him now, which made him question, "Eri, do you still want me to teach you?"

There was a lot of gushing of the cute brother/sister scene, but everyone paused when they heard Izuku's question.

Eri perked up. Did this mean the other Mr. Deku was going to teach her other self magic?

The girl tilted her head for a second before nodding, "Yes! I want to do amazing things like you!" She said with certainty. Izuku nodded and got up, gesturing for her to stand too.

Eri followed the instruction, jumping to her feet.

"So cute!" Everyone thought but remained silent as they watched what was about to happen.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku summoned his Keyblade. Holding it by the blade, he kneeled, offered the girl the handle, and said the words marked in his heart forever.

"Wait…" Hanta's jaw dropped.

Everyone went silent as they watched what was about to happen. Izuku, on instinct, ensured that he had his notebook with a pencil ready. Nezu likewise had his notepad and pen ready. While the earlier glitches had prevented them from seeing how Aqua gave Izuku his Keyblade, most of them pieced together what happened.

Did this mean…?

"Is he going to give the unicorn a key?!" Shrieked Mina, to Kyoka's annoyance as she winced in pain.

"Shut the hell up, Pinky!" Katsuki growled, "Then maybe we'll know!"

Mina pouted but remained silent.

Kyoka, however, was tempted to get earmuffs from Yaomomo to block off the noise. It was then that a small paper airplane landed on her lap. She blinked in confusion. Where did that come from? She opened it to see what it contained.

[NOPE - Bola]

Kyoka shot a glare at the host, who was cackling on his balcony.

"In your hand, take this key..." he began, looking straight at Eri's mesmerized eyes. "So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking…its wielder, you shall one day be."

Everyone straightened up in their seats when the other Izuku said those familiar words.

Eri slowly raised her hand and took the handle. The moment she touched it, she felt the light of Izuku's heart, the feelings washing over her. The keyblade made no action to return to Izuku as it had done when Inko tried to hold it. The ceremony was a success.

"Wait… That's it?" Asked Mashirao. Personally, he was glad there was no light show or whatever magic nonsense. But he was expecting something flashy while this occurred.

A few of the other teens looked disappointed that the inheritance ceremony was simple, but they were curious if Eri gained a Keyblade.

"It's still very manly!" Grinned Ejiro, ignoring the eye-roll from Katsuki's annoyed face.

Izuku, even while noting everything down, had his mind on the talk he had with his counterpart. It was fitting, in a way, that something so simple meant so much. The others didn't, could never, understand what had happened, but Izuku knew that Heroes Rising had found Eri worthy the same way it did to him.

And that feeling was worth more than anything.

They spent the moment in a peaceful silence. No words were necessary because their hearts told them everything that needed to be said.

"So they became master and protege with the power of a key." Hummed Hanta, "That sounds as though it came out of some manga or something."

Fumikage hummed thoughtfully, "Perhaps. But there are mystical forces that are beyond our understanding."

"No need to tell us twice." Hanta shook his head, "Still can't believe magic is a thing here."

---

Back at the present,

Izuku gave Eri a small smile, "Yeah, that too, and one day we'll go on adventures together!" That got the girl beaming. She couldn't wait for it. Izuku smiled, "...But I'm more worried about my acceptance letter.

On the balcony, both Bola and SM Eri snickered. Izuku looked up only to see them trying to hold back their laughter, glancing at each other, and failing to suppress their mirth.

Yes, they definitely knew more than they let own.

Ding!

The doorbell echoed along the hallway.

Inko stood up from the table, "I'll get it. You two finish your dinner," Inko said while walking to the door, not knowing what awaited her at the door.

As Izuku finished cleaning the table, Inko came running, frantically waving an envelope in her hands, "Izuku! It's here! Your letter is here!"

Inko was blushing a little while a few students chuckled.

He took the letter from Inko's hands, and for a moment, he just stood silently while staring at it. In this letter are all his hopes and dreams, but they could easily be full of despair and nightmares. He gulped audibly. It was now or never.

Izuku sympathized with his counterpart. He remembered how nerve-racking it was when he waited for his own acceptance letter. It wasn't just him. A few of his classmates remembered the week.

"Man," Toru slumped, "I remembered how nervous I was! I didn't get many villain points! I thought for sure I was going to fall! I was lucky that I gained enough rescue points!"

Minoru, still uncomfortable wearing the maid's outfit, nodded in agreement.

Eri felt the distress emanating from Izuku, she wasn't sure why a paper made him so nervous, but she wouldn't stand by and do nothing when Izuku did so much for her. She enveloped him in a hug, hoping that this simple act would help with the situation.

Cue in the gushing from the girls while Eri's lips twitched. She looked at Mr. Deku, and she wanted to hug him as her other self did to the other Mr. Deku. She wasn't sure what he would say, but surely he wouldn't mind.

She hugged him.

Izuku jumped in surprise, but once he got over his surprise, he smiled at her.

Izuku tore his eyes off the letter. He looked down. Eri squeezed him, her eyes met his, and she gave a smile; with it, his fears melted away.

More gushing to the duo's embarrassment.

Ochako pouted, "Mina was right! Being that adorable should be illegal!"

Eri looked at her in confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku walked to the couch. He motioned towards the furniture, "Let's sit down and open it, all of us" He gave a bright smile. As long as he had his family, he could do anything.

Toru abruptly stood up, "Okay! I'm officially proclaiming the Midoriyas as too pure for this world. Everyone in favor?!"

"Aye!" Most of the audience, and Bola, agreed.

SM Eri shot the armored man a glance, "'You sure you're gonna say that considering… you know?"

Bola waved her off, "Don't pretend they're not rays of sunshine too. You just need to squint a little to see."

"Point."

"Also!" Toru took advantage of the paused screen and the general focus on her, "Can you two explain how she's here?!" She pointed at SM Eri.

"No." Bola and SM Eri answered in synch.

Toru pouted, not that her classmates could see her, and sat down with a huff.

They got on the couch, and Inko and Eri hugged Izuku's sides, reassuring him that they would be by his side all the way. Izuku took a second to relish the feeling of being literally surrounded by people who love him before opening the letter.

From it, a small metal disk fell, landing on the table. They looked at it, confused for a moment. Before they could voice said confusion, the disk lit up, projecting an image of a man everyone knew.

"ALL MIGHT?!" Cried everyone.

Ochako looked at her friend with wide eyes, her voice almost high-pitched, making many wince, Kyoka especially. "All Might was in your projector?!"

Izuku scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Uh, yes?"

"Man, Midoriya!" Ejiro grinned, showing his sharp teeth, "I'm jealous!"

"Me too!" Denki said, "I would love to have the number one hero speak to me in a projector telling me I got in!" There were murmurs of agreement.

Katsuki, likewise, was jealous that his idol spoke to Deku while he got the rat. Though he would never voice it, and instead grumbled under his breath and sulked in his seat.

Tenya chopped his hands, "It must be an honor to have All Might to speak to you, Midoriya!"

"Y-yeah…"

"Though it could because Midoriya is All Might's successor." Tsuyu said bluntly, "All Might had always shown favoritism around him."

"Oh yeah!" There were laughs. Denki practically grinned at the blushing teen, "At least it makes sense now!"

Izuku could only blush harder.

Aizawa merely gave a glance at his colleague, who was embarrassed upon hearing the students' conversation. He shook his head. Did the buffoon really think he was subtle? His favoritism was blatantly there, and he didn't bother hiding it.

"I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!"

"No shit Sherlock!" Katsuki snapped.

"All Might?!" They jumped in shock, "Wasn't this from UA?!" Izuku asked, checking the letter to make sure it was from UA. Why is his mentor on a UA letter? Could there be more to his recent relocation than simply training him? Izuku's questions were answered right after.

"SORRY FOR NOT CONTACTING YOU SOONER, YOUNG MIDORIYA, BUT WITH GREAT POWERS, COMES A GREAT AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK!" All Might said while scratching his neck.

There were some giggles. It wasn't often that they saw the former number-one hero nervous and somewhat flustered.

Toshinori also scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.

Izuku could sense Inko's confusion as to why the number one hero seemed to know her son, and he felt that that would be a long night for various reasons, but for now, he simply listened to the recording.

"THE TRUTH IS THAT I DIDN'T COME TO TOWN ONLY TO CATCH BAD GUYS. YOU ARE LOOKING TO THE NEWEST UA FACULTY MEMBER!" That threw Izuku for a loop. All Might will teach in UA? The greatest hero in the world will teach in the greatest hero school in the world?! If that was a dream, Izuku really hoped Cotton didn't show up to wake him.

"Is that a thing?" Shoto asked Izuku.

The boy, who was picking at the gloves that came with their cloak, shrugged, "Possibly? If Dream Eaters can enter someone's dreams, then they could use some of the means people use to wake from lucid ones."

Momo shuddered, "I just imagined Izuku being pushed off a building by Cotton."

Bola snorted, SM Eri laughing at his side, "You should be worried about him dropping a building on the bunny boy." His words made SM Eri laugh even more.

"BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME! LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU, YOUNG MIDORIYA! YOU DID GREAT IN THE WRITTEN PORTION OF THE EXAM, LANDING IN THE UPPER END OF THE RANKS!" Inko tightened the hug. Her baby was on the top of one of the most challenging academic tests in the world, and it just made her beam with pride.

"For the surprise of absolutely no one, Midoriya is smart! Wow, what a shocker." Hanta sass earned some laughs from the class and a blush and stutter from the cloaked boy.

"He did get fourth place on midterms." Koji pointed out.

"Fair."

"AND NOW, FOR THE PRACTICAL PART, YOU SCORED FIFTY POINTS! WHICH ALREADY IS A GOOD SCORE, BUT THERE IS MORE TO IT!" Izuku wasn't sure he could take more. His heart was already almost bursting from his chest from how fast it was beating.

Izuku would have been jealous before, but now, he caught himself wincing in sympathy at the freaked-out expression of his counterpart. Even with his spot guaranteed, just hearing that there was more important news regarding his exam almost sent him into a panic attack. Izuku couldn't say he wouldn't be in the same boat.

"YOU TOOK THE EXAM ALONG WITH SOMEONE, AND BOTH SHOWED THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY OF A HERO! NOW LOOK HERE!" All Might pointed to a side screen that appeared. It showed the moment the zero pointer appeared.

"Oh yeah! Our other selves worked together on the exam!" Ochako perked up. The girl blinked, remembering another thing, "Wait. The other me also got fifty points!"

"To be fair, doing the exam as a team would help in most cases." Nezu gave his professional take on the matter of his test, "Even if the split of points seems bad at first glance, the overall score usually is higher for those that work together, and helping your partner, or team, can score you rescue points."

"That's how I got my rescue points," Mashirao admitted, which earned him some questioning glances. He elaborated, "I teamed up for a part of the test with a guy he could double impacts after seeing them. He's the one in 1-B now."

"Huh. Union really does make strength." Mezo nodded to himself, then got startled as both Bola and SM Eri started to mad cackle.

The audience was understandably scared.

Izuku felt Eri and his mom's arms tightly holding him, and he was almost crushed by them when the screen showed Ochaco pushing him out of the way of falling debris.

Many winced, not wanting to retrieve that memory. Izuku and Tenya, in particular, did not want to picture their friend in such a state again.

Next, it showed him traveling up the arm of the robot, jumping to its head, conjuring a blade of light, and destroying it.

Everyone cheered upon seeing the epic move again. Izuku, no longer burdened by the negative emotions from earlier, couldn't help but smile.

Eri and Inko cheered, seeing him saving the girl and destroying the bad guy like a hero in a cartoon. Luckily, the recording ended before showing the state Izuku ended up in. He didn't even want to imagine how the other two would have reacted.

"Thank the stars for that." Muttered Izuku under his breath before blinking in confusion.

Since when did he talk like that? Though he wouldn't deny that he did like how it sounded.

Bola hummed thoughtfully. His sharp ears had picked up what Izuku said, and he shrugged. It must've bled over when he yeeted the teen on the screen to retrieve the memory. Oh well, at least this makes this much more fun!

Plus, it makes the bunny look cute if he says that. The unicorn next to him also approved.

"THAT WAS A SHOW OF HEROISM IF I EVER SAW ONE! AND THAT IS WHERE THESE COME INTO PLAY!" All Might pointed to a space where 'Rescue Points' appeared, "RESCUE POINTS! A GROUP OF JUDGES CALCULATED HOW THE APPLICANTS ACTED DURING THE TEST AND GAVE RESCUE POINTS TO THOSE THAT SHOWED THEIR HEROIC SPIRIT!"

"Just get to the point!" Barked Katsuki.

"Dude!" Ejiro looked at Katsuki, "C'mon man, this a moment for the other Midoriya!"

"Yeah, no need to ruin it, Bakugo!" Ochako glared at the ash-blond teen.

Hanta grinned in amusement at the explosive teen, "Ah, don't worry too much about it, guys. He's probably jealous that All Might is talking to the other Midoriya."

Katsuki merely grumbled while shooting Hanta a glare.

Both boys laughed, with Mina and Denki joining in.

"AND YOU, YOUNG MIDORIYA, HAVE THE GREATEST HEROIC SPIRIT THAT THE JUDGES SAW THAT DAY! AND FOR THAT, YOU GOT SIXTY RESCUE POINTS! AND, OF COURSE, YOUNG URARAKA GOT A FAIR SCORE, TOO! SHE GOT FORTY-FIVE POINTS!" The screen showed a list of approved applicants, their names, and scores. At the very top, standing proudly in the number one spot, was Izuku's name.

"Whoo!"

"Go, Midoriya!"

"He beat All Might's record!"

"That's manly as hell!"

Suddenly, the cheering and praises came to an abrupt end as they suddenly remembered the conversation with Bola. Everyone sunk to their seats and avoided looking at the green-haired teen, who looked concerned. He didn't want anyone to worry about him anymore. He wasn't upset over it. Not anymore.

Izuku tried to change the subject and cheer his friends, "You ended up with ninety-five points on that universe, Uraraka! That should put the other you in second place, even above Kacchan!"

That snapped the others of their funk. Katsuki instantly leaped on his seat and glared at Ochako, "Round Face got more points than me?!"

"I mean, look at the screen man." Ejiro pointed.

Katsuki looked at the screen and glared, offended at the scores. "Fuck, whatever! I have more points than Round Face and Deku in our universe!"

"Yeah," Denki said with an amused smile, "But that's all there is to it, and besides, the other, you actually gained Rescue Points."

"Even if it was only three." Snickered Hanta.

"So the other you beat you."

Katsuki's eyes flashed at the blond-haired teen, "Want to say that to my face, Dunce face?!"

"It's the truth!"

Katsuki's arms sparked, and the teen roared as he lunged at Denki. The blond-haired teen squealed with a high-pitched scream and, on instinct, started sparking.

CLANK!

However, before a fight could occur, especially with Ejiro and Izuku looking ready to jump in with Aizawa standing up to join them, a kitchen sink came out of nowhere and smacked Katsuki from behind his head, making the teen face-plant halfway to Denki's chair.

"Good throw." SM Eri clapped.

"Thanks." Bola glared down, his helmet casting shadows over his faceplate, "That's strike two. One more strike, and you're out!"

Momo looked baffled at the offending object, "Why do you have a kitchen sink with you?!"

"And why did you hit Bakugo with it?!" Tenya berated, chopping his hands rapidly at their host. "That could have given him brain damage!"

"No, it wouldn't." Bola waved at his concern dismissingly, "And I always have a kitchen sink at hand, just like I always have a towel easy. It comes in handy to deal with beings of the fifteenth dimension."

SM Eri nodded, "Yeah, those guys are no fun."

"Right?" Bola looked down at Katsuki, "Now sit down and chill, kiddo."

The boy slowly lifted his face as he looked up from his spot on the ground. "Fucking Rock Head," Katsuki grunted lowly before he got up and walked back to his seat, pissed off.

Izuku timidly scratched his cheek, "So… what do you think will happen at strike three?" The boy's curiosity got the better of him.

Bola merely raised a plastic fast food cup -where did that come from?!- and said, "There's some stuff that you need to see for yourself, boyo, and one of them is the thing I have planned for Explodey if he gets to strike three." He cackled, "Oh. It will be f̸̛̪͗̋͊ͅũ̷̲̗̬̺̔̏͌͝ͅn̷̪̋͑̀̈̐̓."

Everyone jumped at the unexpected word that somehow came out of Bola's mouth glitched out. They understood it barely, but that only made them more scared.

Katsuki, despite his pain, glared at him.

SM Eri giggled, "That always works."

"Ha! Gotten." Bola laughed before snapping his fingers, "Now, back to the show!"

"YOU, YOUNG MIDORIYA, GOT THE AMAZING TOTAL OF A HUNDRED AND TEN POINTS! EVEN BEATING UP MY OLD SCORE BY TWO POINTS!" All Might laughed while raising two fingers in a peace sign. Izuku could feel that laugh was more genuine than usual. His mentor was really happy for him, but not as much as the people currently hugging the life out of him.

"He SHATTERED the school record?!" There was yelling going on that it nearly made Mezo's and Kyoka's eardrums burst.

"Holy shit! He surpassed All Might's score!" Denki was super hyped.

"But only by two points, though, ribbit." Tsuyu said, but she was ignored.

Nearly everyone was screaming, pointing at the screen, and using their quirks, that they barely registered that the screen was paused. On the balcony, Bola had earmuffs on top of his helmet, and the fact that he wasn't reacting indicated that they somehow blocked the noise. SM Eri also had a pair and was giggling at the chaos.

Strangely enough, Eri also had a pair and was confused as to why everyone was screaming.

Izuku was gaping at what his other self had done, and he felt the jealousy building up before stomping on it. There was no need to be jealous, especially since it was heavily implied that his counterpart had more experience than him.

His short tenure at the beach with Riku also heavily implied that said experience left its scars.

Aizawa had had enough of the shouting and mindless quirk usage. He activated his quirk, which caused all quirks to stop abruptly. "Everyone be quiet!"

Just like that, order came around, and everyone clamped up. They all slowly turned to their irritated teacher.

"I should expel you all for acting so irrationally!" He seethed, thoroughly fed up with everything, putting fear in his students.

The students shrunk in an attempt to become smaller from their homeroom teacher's furious expression.

Inko, for her part, looked just as afraid as the other students. Toshinori and Nezu looked as though they were going to jump in before Aizawa did something unreasonable, but they were beaten to it.

Bola loudly cleared his throat, making the man's glare turn to him. The armored man wasn't impressed, "I was expecting chaos, but please don't light the whole circus on fire."

Aizawa continued to glare, "You are being too lenient for someone that just had a whole mob cause a ruckus in his place."

"Man, I have to deal with planet-sized worms spitting meteors in my backyard. A bunch of kids being loud is so low on my list of problems it doesn't even compute as one." He didn't address the shocked looks of the audience, "This thing was meant as a fun time for everyone, not a military debriefing. They want to mess around? Fine, just don't go overboard."

SM Eri nodded, looking down on everyone with understanding but reprimanding eyes, "It's a matter of common sense. Just think about other people's well-being, and you'll see that revolting every five minutes isn't good for anyone." Her mature words and caring tone contrasted heavily with her childish appearance, but it successfully chastised the teens while driving her point home.

"Tell me again why I didn't hire you?" Bola asked SM Eri, who snorted.

"You know perfectly well why." She winked at him, and the man gained a thousand-yard stare, which was impressive for someone with their head completely covered.

"Yeah, that." Bola shuddered, "Not dealing with that."

SM Eri rolled her eyes, "Drama queen."

"I'm perfectly in the 'casually exaggerated' category."

"Keep telling yourself that." The last jab made both break out laughing.

As everyone stared at the two going back and forth with each other, Izuku, out of the corner of his eye, saw the ground in front of the theater screen open, and a familiar theater worker popped through it off his Cola.

"Ahh, that hit the spot." Sleppt let out before pulling out a trash can from somewhere, throwing the glass bottle away, and putting it away, "Now then, I-"

The man took one look around the theater to see the chaos and confusion that had clearly unfolded as everyone was staring at him, "What did I miss?" He asked before seeing the little dimension hopper on the balcony, "Oh! Hi, Eri. When did you get here?"

"A while back." The little girl shrugged. "Bola brought me here to watch this and help Izuku solve his mood with my Izuku's help."

"Oh, cool."

"I still give it a nine."

Bola huffed and pouted while crossing his arms on his chest, "You're still too biased."

Sleppt shrugged, "Can't win them all, I guess."

After the exchange between the theater members and the girl, Nezu's curiosity got the best of him. "Mr. Sleppt, if you don't mind me asking, where is it that you went?"

Hearing the Principal question, the man answered, "Oh, I was just at the very bottom of the theater doing a little pest control."

Denki couldn't help but laugh a little, "What, you got giant rats down there or something?"

"Or something." Shrugged Sleppt.

He gained a few flat stares, "Are you going to tell us what that is?" Asked Kyoka dryly.

Slept gave her a sly smile, "Nah, you'll figure it out eventually, though."

There were a few grumbles of annoyance, and Koji shivered as he blanched. The mute student silently prayed that they weren't giant insects involved. He can barely work with the smaller counterparts as it is.

"Anyway, best if you kiddies turn your attention to the screen." Bola said, "The sooner you finish this episode, the sooner we head for lunch." He was drooling inside his helmet, "Mmm~ Calabrese Pizza~."

SM Eri was also drooling at the thought of eating striped candied apples, and whatever Dark made in the Kitchen. Maybe she should order Katsudon for herself and her Izuku? With the candied apple and Sea-salt Ice cream for dessert? Humm, decisions, decisions.

There were grumbles and a few looks of confusion shot at the duo, but everyone sat down to watch the rest.

Besides, they were hungry themselves, and lunch sounded nice right about now.

Inko is already crying rivers, and Eri is giving a smile capable of melting ice in space. But they couldn't compare with what Izuku was feeling, the happiness of his achievements, the freedom from all the pressure he suffered his whole life being quirkless, and the pride for making all the people he cared for proud of him.

"So pure!" Everyone thought, never mind the embarrassment of the Midoriyas.

That day would forever be remembered in his heart for more than one reason. After the commotion, the news brought by the letter subsided, the occupants of the Midoriya household retired for the night.

But the day still wasn't over for Izuku. While almost drifting to sleep, he received a message from All Might. The drowsiness evaporated from his body. Quickly reading over it, All Might asked him to meet now at Dagoba beach.

"Wait, All Might wants to talk to Midoriya?" Denki asked with wide eyes.

"Kinda obvious when we saw that text." Kyoka rolled her eyes.

Ochako turned to her friend, "Did you meet up with All Might, Deku?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his head, "Y-yeah… He wanted to congratulate me and tell me that he had no influence on my acceptance."

"While admirable, shouldn't it be wise to wait until morning?" Tenya asked.

"It's fine, Tenya," Izuku said wistfully. The Dekusquad and anyone who heard what came out of the green-haired boy's mouth froze. Izuku started stuttering. "I-I mean-!"

Hearing this, the bellhop gained a knowing look. "Huh, so that's what I missed?!" The man then looked up to the balcony. "So your little experiment worked, huh, Bola?"

"Hehehe."

That was the only answer the man needed as he adjusted his hat. "I see, but still, from only one jump into the screen….fascinating." Sleppt then pulled out a tiny book from… somewhere and wrote something down in it. "Truly fascinating,"

Bola grumbled. It was spreading like a virus. Did people really want to mess with the integrity of space right in the middle of the theater room? They had a hazard experiments room for that, a test room, and a practice room… now stopping to think about it, maybe Bola should just space-tearproof the entire dimension.

A paper airplane suddenly flew to Bola, and he unfolded it to read the message inside. SM Eri also peeked from his shoulder.

[Like that's gonna stop anything - Dark]

"Touché." The man shrugged, with SM Eri giggling at him. At least it would prevent people going for a notebook from pulling a Velociraptor by accident.

[P.S. Lunch is about to be ready, finish up quickly.]

Bola huffed, "So impatient for a Dragon." He muttered as he set the little note in flames and turned them into ashes.

"So you know what's going on with Midoriya?" Shoto asked.

Sleppt shrugged, "Well, the best explanation I can give you all right now is that the mannerisms of the other Izuku have bled over in yours."

While the green-haired boy spluttered at the given explanation, Mina perked up, "Wait, you mean our Midoriya will speak to us by our given names?! And have a better fashion taste?!"

At that, Izuku shot a stink-eye at the pink-haired girl. "My outfits aren't bad…." He muttered.

"Keep telling yourself that!"

Sleppt gave her a shrug, "Eh, it's not impossible, depending on how many times Bola plans to throw him in there." The man wrote more down before closing his notebook and putting it away. "But we can't tell how this will go for sure." He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Bola and Dark would better explain how it works than I could."

Nezu had been writing this down and took a note of asking the dragoness during lunch. Izuku also followed suit. Maybe Dark had some answers on this matter because he knew Bola would just cackle if asked.

"A shame." Mina smirked at Izuku, "Oh well, at least we can still do a wardrobe change until we yeet him there again!"

"No thanks," Izuku said bluntly. "I'm happy with what I have."

"It will happen!" Mina smirked, "You're only delaying it, Midori!"

Izuku sighed. Maybe he should ask Dark to stop the bleeding. If only to prevent Mina from taking advantage of him.

Izuku quietly escaped Eri's sleeping arms, trying to change into his usual clothes without waking her. Quickly getting ready, he left his house.

Izuku started to jog in the direction of the beach. In the silence of the night, thoughts of his achievements flooded his head, his light jog turning into full-blow running, and then the aura of Full Cowling covered him.

Tenya looked scandalized, "Midoriya! You shouldn't use your quirk without permission!"

"It's not really me." Izuku shrugged. His stance was more relaxed, which did not go unnoticed.

"Wow, Deku." Ochako was amused and amazed, "Did you do a one-eighty, or did the other Izuku bleed that in you too?"

"You are more confident and relaxed than before," Tsuyu noted, with Shoto nodding in agreement.

Izuku froze and pondered, "Ah, maybe?" He thought deeply about it and realized that "Not really." He shrugged, then opened a small smile, "I just saw that things are a lot better than I first thought."

"Which means that your inner sassiness can come out now that there's less anxiety on the way." Bola supplied a more coherent explanation, which was a surprise coming from him.

"Yeah. Pretty much." Izuku didn't think himself sassy, but he would admit that sometimes his mind supplied him with some phrases he didn't have the courage to say out loud. But being at ease with his friends? Yes, he could do that, or he could at least try.

He pulled the object his other had gifted him, the Winner Proof. SM Eri was right. It was a good reminder that he was worthy.

Izuku crossed the streets in seconds, jumping over buildings and sliding in power cables while doing flips and tricks. With the last jump from a three-story building, he crossed the final stretch, flying through the air and crossing the sky like lightning, the moon and stars shining as long as he could see.

"Woah!"

Everyone was amazed at the parkour, tricks, and light show they were given. It was almost like they were watching acrobats at a circus.

"Hey, Midoriya," Ejiro grabbed the boy's attention, "Can you do all that?" He hoped that he didn't accidentally upset the boy.

Izuku looked a little sheepish, "Ah, kinda? I don't think I have the same mobility as he does, though." Flowmotion was a serious boost to his counterpart's version of Full Cowling. If he tries to implement more of Gran Torino's moves into his style, then maybe Izuku could get on similar ground in the mobility category? He noted the idea down for later.

Toshinori had a front-row seat to the scene, seeing his successor jumping into the night before landing right in front of him. He could feel the familiar power of One For All emanating from Izuku, which brought a smile as brilliant as the lightning arcs dancing over his protege.

Toshinori couldn't help but smile at the scene. While this wasn't his successor, it was still nice to see how One For All remained something that gave hope.

"I can't believe it, a week, and you already get the hang of it! And I thought I couldn't get surprised by you anymore!" Toshinori gave one of his signature boisterous laughs.

Toshinori faltered a little and eyed the Midoriya sitting next to his friends. Izuku looked unbothered, but he wondered if he was still hiding his emotions. Though, honestly, he had doubts about that.

Though, he still needed to talk to him.

Izuku joined his master, "It's actually not that hard once you realize what it really is."

That gave Toshinori pause, "What do you mean by that?" He asked the boy with a confused look. He had already explained One For All to him, at least the basics.

There were a few giggles.

"Yeah. clenching your butt and yelling SMASH is a perfect explanation." Mina giggled.

Izuku sighed, the teasing will not let down, and he doubted it will. Toshinori scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

"One For All is not only power. It's also hope. The hope of the previous wielders connects our hearts," Izuku said while putting a hand on his chest, "That connection is its true power because, with it, we are never alone."

"That's a manly way of putting it!" Grinned Ejiro.

Ochako beamed at her friend, "It's kinda adorable that the other you said that. Do you believe it?"

Izuku, while a little flustered, looked thoughtfully. "Honestly, I never really thought about it…." He had been too focused on gaining control over One For All that he never really had the time to think about it in a more philosophical sense. "But it does sound accurate…."

Toshinori felt his heart clenching, for those were the exact words his master gave when she explained the nature of their shared quirk. That normally brought unpleasant memories of him, but now it made him remember the rest of her words, words he holds dearly in his heart to this day and to his last.

"Even All Might was touched by this." Toru beamed.

And he was. Not only the man on the screen but also the one in the theater. Toshinori still remembers that day, both him and Nana going from rooftop to rooftop while the woman spoke of their shared power.

She had called it romantic, the way they were fated to meet again in One For All one day, but if Toshinori was honest, he liked this other Izuku's take more. Nana had put her hopes into Toshinori's dream, the same way he had put his into Izuku's.

He knew that hope wasn't misplaced, for every single time he watched the boy go above and beyond to save a person, to help where he could, to make the world better, even if only a little bit, Toshinori was proven right in his choice. Nana was proven right about her choice.

They could one day in the distant future meet again into One For All, but Izuku was already using the power to uphold their ideals in the present.

Toshinori gave his boy a glance, seeing him being teased by his friends and fumbling with the gloves of his new cloak. It was high time he told Izuku just how proud he was.

"Never fear, young one, for I'll always stay by your side, as do all that came before us, and you will to those that will succeed our legacy." That simple memory made him smile brighter than he ever could in his muscle form. He knew his master couldn't come with something so poetic, even in a million years, that came from another, maybe the one that preceded her, maybe the one before, he didn't know, but those words were proof that his successor was right.

Toshinori smiled.

Shoto, however, couldn't help but to gather another bout of Dadmight material. His friend said All Might wasn't his father, but this says otherwise.

"That means that you will always be there to guide me, right?" Izuku could feel the weight that those words held and the bond they represented. No matter what happens, they would face it together, one way or another.

"You know, this kinda makes me think that All Might is your dad Midoriya," Denki remarked.

Shoto gave Izuku a look, "Even he agrees with me."

Izuku was sputtering, "I-it's not like that!"

Katsuki growled, "For fucks sake, All Might isn't the nerd's dad. His shitty dad is in America like the coward he is."

"Family is not bound by flesh and blood, but by bond," Fumikage said solemnly.

"Yeah, and it doesn't help that there are dad vibes coming out of All Might," Mina said teasingly at the two.

Both mentor and protege were blushing with embarrassment. It was pointedly clear that the two were avoiding looking at the eye.

Toshinori was once more taken aback. Those were the exact words he said when he still believed that there was no darkness in the world he could not face. On that day, the only answer he got was a smile that hid the fear his master had in her heart. She simply couldn't make a promise she knew she couldn't keep.

Once his blush died down, Toshinori thought back to the other Midoriya's words. He frowned, remembering how he had asked Nana the same thing. While she did guide him, she was gone too soon.

He had to rely on Gran Torino for guidance. He shivered in fear at the thought of the older hero and what he put him through. It took every ounce of his will to prevent his legs from shaking.

He looked Izuku in the eyes and saw the same light in them, but there was more. While Toshinori believed he could face the whole world alone, Izuku knew he could face anything tougher with those who stood by him. That single difference took the weight off Toshinori's shoulders and gave him the peace to say the words he always wanted to hear.

"Of course, I'll always be there when you need me."

"Always?"

"Yes," That simple word was said with all the conviction of the Symbol of Peace. And Toshinori promised, both to himself and to Izuku, he wouldn't come back on his word.

Toshinori agreed with his counterpart. Even though he no longer had his quirk, he would always be there to guide his successor.

Izuku felt a warmth in his heart. Although this wasn't their All Might, he knew that the former number-one hero would always be there for him.

Izuku, too, felt how serious his master was, so he stopped for a second and thought of all the things he still didn't tell him and all the things he was still struggling with. For a second, he hesitated, but the smile of the man in front of him, the smile that dispelled his fears and of countless others, the smile of All Might, gave him the final push he needed.

"I think this is the time I tell you something. Something that started the day we met."

"Oh shit!" Denki shouted, "Now All Might will know how much Midoriya is messed up!"

"Sit down and be quiet, Dunce Face!" Barked Katsuki.

Toshinori felt the sudden shift in the boy's tone. He perceived how serious he was and how much he was struggling with it, so it looked like he would have to uphold his promise earlier than he thought. With an encouraging nod, Toshinori waited for the boy to continue.

"Since that day, I've been having these weird visions, they didn't make sense in the beginning, but as more time passes, I question myself…Is any of this for real or not?" And that was the moment that would forever change their lives, for from there on, they were not only master and disciple, but they were also friends, and friends were always there for each other.

"And now he knows," Mina said.

"Though this could be a positive." Tenya said as he chopped his hand, "All Might has many connections, and hopefully, he could help the other Midoriya recover what he lost."

Ochako beamed, "Oh yeah!" She turned to her black coat-wearing friend, "Maybe he could find your other self's real family!"

Izuku and Inko winced at the reminder, which Ochako noticed and thoroughly apologized.

"I-it's fine!" Izuku said, waving his hands in front of him, "But maybe…. Though I doubt it would be that easy." He glanced at their host.

Bola merely chuckled, and Sleppt and SM Eri were amused.

Shoto hummed in agreement, "When we have a maniac for a host, things do tend to be anything but simple."

The man's chuckle turned into a mad cackle.

SM Eri snickered, "Hey, at least it will be fun!"

"Famous last words," Denki muttered under his breath.

Sleppt shook his head.

---

Izuku and Katsuki stood in front of the principal of Aldera Middle High. While the blonde bomber looked like he would prefer being anywhere else, Izuku was still vibrating with excitement. No matter how others tried to dismiss it as a fluke, he got the first place and was so happy about it that he almost lit up the room with his smile.

"Now that's a smile!" Mina said.

Though everyone frowned upon hearing a lot of people dismiss Izuku's victory as a fluke. The principal even looked uninterested, instead having his focus on Katsuki. Nezu hummed, and he wrote something on another notepad that he pulled out of…somewhere.

Bola just comically faceplants on his balcony, with comical tears that somehow were coming out of his helmet. He was waving a white flag of defeat while SM Eri was giggling at his dramatics.

"That's fucking favoritism, man," Ejiro said with his arms crossed on his chest. "That isn't manly at all."

Katsuki scoffed, "Those extras were riding my coattails."

Izuku sighed, scratching the back of his head, "He isn't wrong. However, Aldera is most likely to be condemned after we graduate from UA. They were probably hoping that they could prevent that if they have bragging rights by having Kacchan go to UA."

"What were they hoping to get out of this?" Mashirao asked, utterly confused and bewildered by Aldera's actions.

"Probably have Bakugo have the school board consider giving them funs." Shrugged Hanta. "Not that it matters. Both Bakugos clearly don't care for them." He gestured to their Katsuki and the one on screen.

"That… isn't how it works…." Momo had no idea what to say about this. All this manipulation for nothing?

Kyoka sneered, "They're a bunch of idiots if they think they can get away with that and gain favor. Even Jamming-yay is smarter than them."

Denki had no idea if that was meant to be insulting or not.

Katsuki scoffed again. As if he would bother with those extras.

Nezu hummed again, writing something else on the notepad. It would be wise to talk about this to the two teens in private. One glance at Aizawa, it seemed the teacher was willing to agree if the glare to the Aldera principal said anything about it.

Inko herself had her eyes narrowed at the principal. She always disliked the man and his blatant unfair treatment of her baby.

After a long speech from the principal that both didn't pay much attention to. They were eventually released to go.

"About fucking time." Muttered Katsuki.

Walking in the hallway, Katsuki was about to question the greennet, but Izuku beat him to the punch, throwing his arm over his friend's shoulder. He brought Katsuki in a half hug, "We pass! We are going to UA! We are going to be heroes!" Izuku was almost shouting in the end, bringing his free hand up. He started to laugh while dragging Katsuki with him, the bomber fighting to keep from smiling himself.

There was a lot of giggling and mock gasps.

"Was that a smile, Bakugo?!" Mina teased.

Katsuki gritted his teeth at his other self, "Fuck no!"

Denki pointed at the screen with a grin, "That says otherwise, bro!"

Katsuki snarled at his other self.

Katsuki would never admit it, but the idea of going to the school of his dreams with his friend made him happy. Just because he and Izuku were hanging out again made him happy, but he wouldn't ever tell him that. Although he couldn't help but worry, Katsuki knew the type of person Izuku was. Now that he had a quirk for himself, nothing would stop him from getting into trouble. Not that the lack of quirk stopped him before.

"See!" Denki pointed at the screen, "Even he admits it!"

"Fucking shut up, Dunce face!" Snarled Katsuki.

Izuku looked longly at the screen. Sure, he had different circumstances and experiences, but even he couldn't help but to wish for his friendship with Kacchan to be on a similar level as his other self. Their friendship was slowly repairing, and he was thankful for another chance. But seeing the other Kacchan be happy with his other self made him wistful. He was unaware of Katsuki glancing at him before turning his attention to the screen. He tried to stomp the gut-wrenching feeling.

The boys exited the school and walked together, chatting about trivial things, the type of things friends usually do normally, but that small thing meant a lot more to them. It meant that they were on the path to restoring the bond they had long ago.

"Why aren't you like him?" Asked Denki, "Clearly, he cares for Midoriya."

Katsuki grits his teeth, and his hands are cackling with small explosions. Denki decided to remain silent for now. Otherwise, the ashen-blond would try and blow him up again. He would rather live, thank you.

---

The days passed by, and in a blink of an eye, the day that marked the beginning of it all arrived.

Izuku stumbled over to the house, getting his stuff while trying to put on his uniform simultaneously. He didn't get much sleep last night. The excitement of his first day kept him awake for the most part of it.

"Izuku, did you pick your handkerchief?"

"Yes, mom."

"And your books?"

"Yes, mom."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, mom!"

There were a few snorts of amusements.

"Guess your mom wants you to be prepared at all costs." Teased Denki.

"Meh, she deserves some slack." Hanta shrugged, "She is the reason the other Midoriya isn't in danger. Or that the other Eri is safe."

"Oh yeah…."

"Go, Mamadoriya!" Cheered Mina.

Inko flushed a little.

Izuku said, exasperated while trying (and failing) to tie his tie. His mother's concerns are a little overbearing, in his opinion. Giving up, he ended up with something that vaguely resembled a tie. Making a last check in his stuff, just to be sure, he saw that he had forgotten his notebook, but before he could even get up, Eri was at his side with it.

She was still in her pajamas and sleepy but would not let Izuku go without saying goodbye.

SM Eri groaned into her hands, embarrassed that everyone saw her like that. Bola patted her back in support, but he was laughing all the while.

"I didn't come here for that."

"Tough luck."

She just groaned more.

A few of the kids were laughing or cooing at the cuteness, much to SM Eri's mortification. Eri, however, tilted her head in confusion.

Izuku put his notebook in the backpack and gave Eri a tight hug, noticing the reason for the early rise, "Don't worry, little unicorn, I will be back before you realize."

The girl returned the hug and said in a still, drowsy voice, "Promise?"

Another mortified groan from SM Eri.

Just why?

It didn't help that Bola was laughing, and the others were following pursuit or finding that particular scene cute.

She's just thankful the others weren't there. She knew that they would relentlessly tease her while agreeing with the audience.

"Promise." Izuku gave a last squeeze, getting up and rushing to the door, but his mother called before he could leave.

"So adorable!" Gushed Toru.

"I know!" Mina squealed.

Kyoka shot them sour looks, rubbing her ears. Couldn't they get the hint?

"Izuku."

"What?" Izuku turned to his mother. Inko's eyes tell a million things she could not put in words, but they aren't needed. As with that look, Izuku knew everything he needed.

That was no way to tell him what he needed to hear on that faded night in that his dreams were shattered, so Inko simply said what felt right, as she should have from the very start, "You look really cool."

Izuku felt his heart ache for his counterpart's mom. But he also felt his heart flutter upon her words. It reminded him of the time on the day of the Entrance Exam.

Inko was likewise feeling those emotions from the night she gave up Izuku, but she couldn't help but to smile upon seeing the familiar scene. She wasn't proud of her actions back then and was glad she willingly supported her son.

Though she could deal without the heart attacks of her baby being targeted or jumping headfirst in danger multiple times.

Izuku smiled at her, and that was everything she needed. With a final glance, Izuku turned to the door, "I'm off."

And that marked how his journey began.

The screen faded to black. Unlike before, instead of a fifteen minutes counter, the screen had "lunch break" written in the same blocky font as the pause message.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, that's all for now." Bola clapped his hands, "There will be a two-hour break for lunch, where you're free to do whatever. However…" SM Eri snickered at his wordplay, "There are some ground rules. You need to inform the person responsible for you where you are, or just stick to them. Why? Because there are two places, you all are not allowed to go."

"And that would be?" Nezu asked, taking the lead while the students put away the trash from their snacks and stretched their legs.

"The basement and the northwest wing of the second floor." Bola pulled a map from his pocket and raised it over his head, indicating where on the second floor they shouldn't go. "Beyond that, you guys can go and do what you want until the time for the next viewing section."

SM Eri hopped up, standing on the rail of the balcony and giving some of the audience heart attacks, "With that out of the way…." The girl grinned, "Let's eat!"

In the Kitchen, Dark, who had been frying something, suddenly raised her head, a grin forming on her face. "So, they come to my domain at last."

Outside in the dining room, the "staff" eyed the kitchen warily.