Chapter 4: Shocking Relevations!
Izuku took a trembling breath, his exhale loud and echoing in the vast chamber of his soul.
"Why-" His breath caught, cursing himself in his head, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Why didn't you answer me when I called, Soul?"
You needed to overcome that trial yourself. Soul's voice was infuriatingly calm. Why did it get to be so calm when it had made him so anxious just a few hours ago?
"No." Izuku channelled his anger, remembering the panic he had been in, wondering why a part of him had gone missing, whether it would ever return. "No, there were other ways to DO THAT!" His voice rose at the end, his anger forcing its way into his voice. "You could've just-just told me I had to figure it out! I wasn't dealing with the panic of fighting her when I couldn't hear you, Soul! I was dealing with wondering if you were gone, if I was going to be worthless again! You-your little lesson didn't work. If it wasn't for Itsuka telling me her problems, I would've just gotten beat up!"
You needed to learn to work around and fight others, you can't fight villains if you're too scared to-
"I wasn't scared about fighting her, Soul, I just said that! I was scared about losing you!" Izuku was near incandescent with rage. His Quirk had left him to dry, causing all sorts of mental issues to rise to the surface without a care in the world! "I was scared that I would be DEKU again, Soul! I just needed some sort of-of confirmation that I wasn't aloneagain!" He was panting now, his anger rushing out of him with each breath. It was replaced with a new feeling, one he couldn't quite put a name to. He felt like a part of him had been ripped away, and there was a void in his chest, a hollow spot that stretched over a part of him that had been whole and warm earlier. 'Oh,' Izuku realized, tears building in his eyes. 'This is loss.'
"I can't trust you like I used to, Soul." He rasped, wiping tears from his eyes with the heels of his palms. "I thought you had the best for me in mind, but you left me hanging, Soul. I just needed some reassurance, reassurance from someone I thought would always be there, someone I trusted to always be there."
I do, child, I just… Soul hesitated, the fire dimming down. It was the first time Izuku had heard Soul sound anything other than certain. I made a mistake. Soul admitted. I thought that, if you could fight without me, then it was a guarantee we could fight better together. I didn't-I didn't want any of what happened in the beginning to happen. Soul paused again, his voice unsure and soft. I understand you've lost trust, but please, I-I'm sorry, child. I didn't think you would have a flashback like that, I thought you'd take a hit and realize the situation, not get whaled on for nearly five minutes.
Izuku could feel the hole in his chest mending at the apology. He knew Soul had only had the best intentions for his training, but still…
"Just," He sighed, folding his head into his hands. "Just tell me from now on, okay?"
I will, child. Soul's voice was solemn, and Izuku hated that, despite everything, he couldn't help but trust it.
Year 2214, Izuku age 16, Time until U.A. Entrance Exams: 10 Months.
Soul had been more forthcoming since their confrontation in the chamber of his soul, not hiding details about why he was learning things or why he had to do things a certain way. Izuku appreciated the insight, especially as he learned more about the Quirk.
"What do you mean my hand-to-hand training was just going to be me kicking a tree until my legs stopped hurting and then trying to challenge a gym?" Izuku asked incredulously. Something that he had learned about Soul once the Quirk opened up more was how much, or how little, in this case, the Quirk actually knew. Sure, he knew the basics, how to throw a punch without breaking your thumb, or kicking without breaking either you or your opponent's leg, but the Quirk didn't actually know much about fighting. It wasn't omnipotent, Izuku supposed, but why had it tried to hide so much when it knew so little? Either way, Quirk and user had gotten closer after they cleared the air, so much so that Izuku felt he trusted him more now than he had before the incident. So, when Soul shouted Duck! While he was on his way to the gym, Izuku didn't hesitate like he once might have, immediately throwing himself into a forward roll and shooting up, turning around and taking in the sight of a boy stumbling forward, his fist still outstretched.
"How dare you dodge my punch, Deku?"Izuku raised his eyebrow at the boy before him. He looked vaguely familiar, but no one he knew off the top of his head.
"Who're you?" Izuku asked bluntly, his hands settling into his pockets. He watched as the boy pulled himself back up from his near fall, before rubbing underneath his nose as if trying to act confident.
"You must have a death wish, Deku! We told you not to apply to U.A., but it looks like you haven't given up!" Izuku cocked his head to the side at that. He had no idea where this guy had come from, but he didn't seem like any of his past bullies. 'Probably someone trying to get in favour with Bakugo.' He reasoned. There were always people in the past who helped hold him down or trip him when he was trying to run from Bakugo. They always wanted the same thing, for the kid with the powerful Quirk to hang out with them, like they could leech off of his strength. He sighed, dismissing his wannabe-bully.
"Look, man, you can barely throw a punch. Bakugo won't help you or anything even if you do manage to beat me up, so let's just leave it be, yeah?"
Izuku couldn't have imagined speaking like this to his classmates five months ago, but training with Itsuka and her relentless confidence really forced a guy to get with it or get beaten up. He winced at the reminder, checking his watch to see how much time he had left before his usual gym time. His…assailant? Izuku guessed that would be the word, lunged towards him as he looked down at his wrist, Izuku dodging effortlessly to the side, unimpressed as he watched him fall to the floor. The tackle had been much slower than even one of Renji-sensei's demonstrations, the guy had no chance of hitting him. Izuku sighed again, aggravated.
"Look, dude, I really gotta get going, I got some people waiting for me and they'll kick my ass if I'm late. Let's just let this go, and there won't be any problems, alright?"
He stood up, foaming at the mouth.
"Yeah? What a joke! No one would be waiting for a Deku like you!" Izuku rolled his eyes, but he could feel the name getting to him, his annoyance rising. First, this guy got in his way, trying to punch him, then he had the nerve to call him Deku twice, and now, he was just insulting him to his face! He squeezed out what little patience he had left as the idiot ran towards him again to the same result.
"Right, I'm a liar, now can we please get this over with? My mom's gonna be upset if I get in trouble for a fight." Izuku's stomach turned as the boy grinned.
"Lying again, huh, Deku? Everyone knows your parents hate you!" Izuku felt his patience thin even further, his control hanging by the thinnest of margins as the creature in front of him belittled his relationship with his Mom.
Izuku… Soul warned. Keep control, Izuku. A fight here could end your chances at getting into U.A.I
Izuku took a deep breath and tightened the reins he kept on his patience, his Quirk acting rationally as always. He turned around and walked away, no reason to entertain this clown anymore, he reasoned. Still, his anger was simmering under the brief veneer of control he kept, and if the kid opened his mouth one more time-
"Coward!" He cried out. Izuku continued to walk; that wasn't enough of an insult to someone like him. "I wonder if your Mom will leave like your Dad did!" Izuku stopped. His heart was thumping in his chest; he could feel the blood thrumming through his veins, and anger was climbing up and up, trying to breach his barrier of self-control. Calm down, Izuku. Soul's voice was calm, as usual, it helped, but only a little, and, unfortunately, that would not be enough for what the poor boy said next.
"Honestly, your Mom is so unlucky! It's a miracle she hasn't killed herself yet!" He kept talking, but Izuku was far past the point of listening. He marched forward, the buzz of the anger ringing in his ears drowning out Soul's panicked voice as he grabbed the idiot by the collar of his uniform.
"What'd you just say?" His voice was soft, but edged with the sharpness of steel. The boy sputtered in his grasp, trying to squirm out of his grip. He threw punches at Izuku's face, but he didn't react. Itsuka punched harder than that in her sleep, and even without that, Muay Thai fighters had to be tough. This fool couldn't hurt him more than a pillow could. "I asked you what you just said, you fucking bastard!" He was yelling now, the buzzing in his ears reaching a fever pitch. He dimly noticed his body burning. It felt like magma was running through his veins. "I'll fucking kill you if you say that shit again, you hear me? I'll kill you!" He shook the boy around, his grip tightening around his collar, cutting off his airways. He kept the boy there, uncaring of the multitude of hands that suddenly tried to pull his hands away from the boy's throat, or of the multiple voices screaming at him to let go, until an explosion rocked his ears enough for him to slightly loosen his grip on the maggot, the hands managing to pull him away. He swung his head around, looking at the insect that had escaped his grasp, and roared, the sound tearing its way through his throat, lunging forward to finish the job. An arm wrapped around his neck and he flailed, fighting for purchase.
"Tell my Mom to kill hersel again, you little shit! I'll crush your vocal cords, how about that?! That way you won't be able to say shit like that again! Let me go, I'm gonna kill him!" He screamed, first at the target of his ire, then at the people holding him back, reinforcements coming after the first set of hands had proven lacking. A slap rocketed across his face, bringing him to his senses as he blinked up at whoever had hit him. A familiar face was in his vision, orange hair and teal eyes.
"Itsuka?" He questioned, shock momentarily overwriting his anger before it came shooting back. "Itsuka, let me go or I swear to god-" She slapped him again, clearly unimpressed with his words.
"Look at yourself." She shook her head. "I thought you wanted to be a Hero." He lunged forward, stopped by the hands still wrapped around his torso and throat, ready to argue. His words stuck in his throat when he took in the scene around him. There was the thing that had instigated this, crying on the floor and heaving out breaths, his face slowly turning back to a normal colour instead of the blue tinge it had taken on. Noticeable was a burn around his neck, shaped like a handprint. 'My handprint.' Izuku realized in horror. Around him, there were several people, his friends, probably, all glaring at him. Anger and fear were almost dripping out of their eyes, like the tears that were falling from their faces as they checked over their friend. His mind caught up to the situation at hand, and he froze, finally understanding what his anger had made him do.
'No.' Izuku looked down at his hand, it was shaking. 'No, what I allowed my anger to make me do.' He cursed himself in his mind. He was supposed to be helping people, not-not shoving them into walls and trying to kill them! Tears appeared in his vision, his body trembling nonstop as his actions caught up to him. He didn't resist being told to go to the office, staggering there numbly as he considered what he had done. The looks directed at him were familiar and yet not at the same time, like he had seen them before, but not directed at him. Just what was it, he wondered, before realization came to mind. It was the same look they all gave Bakugo, without any of the respect. This was just fear. Izuku felt his sense of self collapse as he realized it. He was just like Bakugo, just like his tormentor of 16 years.
Izuku still felt numb by the time his Mom walked into the office. It looked like she had come straight from work, he noticed, guilt now joining the negative emotions in his chest, taking in her rushed and dishevelled appearance. He zoned out as the principal and his Mom began talking about what had happened. Why had he done that? Why had he let his anger control him, and in such a-a vicious way! He couldn't be a Hero like this!
"Izuku?" He was cut out of his thoughts by his Mom's voice. He looked towards her, his heart breaking at the look in her eyes. "Is-is it true, honey? Did you really almost kill that boy?" Izuku could see the hope in her eyes, he knew she was praying he would refute the statement, say something about how Heroes wouldn't do that, but he couldn't answer her prayers. Unable to look her in the eyes anymore, he turned away, shattering her hopes.
"I see." Her tone changed, hopefulness fading and replaced by what seemed like resignation. "What are the next steps, principal?"
The man, a literal walrus due to his Quirk, twirled the whiskers on his face. Izuku knew he was happy about this, knew he had been waiting for a reason to kick the Quirkless kid out of his "top-level" school, and he had still delivered him that reason on a silver platter.
"Well, Mrs. Midoriya." He leaned forward, hands covering what was no doubt a gleeful expression. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do here. The only option is expulsi-"
"Hold it!" A familiar voice rang out. "Stop right there!"
Itsuka barged into the room, panting for breath and holding a phone out towards them.
The principal stood, whiskers straightening in outrage.
"Young lady, I don't know where you think you are, but-"
"You can't expel Izuku." She said triumphantly. Izuku wondered what made her so confident, especially when she had been so disappointed earlier. The principal chuckled at that.
"Oh? I can't you say?" He walked towards her. "And what makes you think that, dear?" Itsuka pointed at the phone, everyone looking at it as she hit play. Izuku's heart stuttered. It was the beginning of the altercation he had had with the other boy. The video showed the boy trying to sneak-attack him, before trying to tackle him, and finally captured the moment the boy opened his mouth and said the words that had caused Izuku to snap.
"If you expel him, I'll release this video," Itsuka said, her voice awash with pride. "I'll send it to every news company this side of Japan! Who do you think the media will think is the bad guy? The guy who tried to hit someone in the back of the head, tackle him multiple times, and who told that person's mom to kill herself, or the guy who snapped after all of that and fought back?"
The walrus had started to deflate noticeably as the video played, his whiskers drooping as he realized the magnitude of the statement. He sat back in his desk, the seat creaking as he did, before seeming to think.
"I can't keep him in the school." The principal replied, his tone serious. "The other students will never be able to learn with him around." And oh, if Izuku could've hit him then and there, he would've. HE was the problem? What about Bakugo, who regularly launched explosions through the halls, or burned people he thought did better than him! He managed to keep his anger in check this time, the memories of his fight a mere few moments ago calming him down.
"My son will withdraw from your school," Inko stated, her voice stiff. "I'll enroll him in an online curriculum for the remaining few months of school. In exchange, nothing goes on his record."
The principal considered it for a few seconds before agreeing, and, just like that, the trio were released. Inko turned to Itsuka.
"I'm incredibly grateful for your help." She said to the girl with a smile, before her expression turned apologetic. "But I need to talk with my son about this. You guys can catch up tomorrow." Itsuka looked like she wanted to protest, but gave in, nodding to Izuku as she walked away. Izuku followed his Mom to the car. He wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand, he had acted against how a Hero should, and had almost killed a boy, but on the other, the boy had said something truly irredeemable, and he wouldn't be facing any massive consequences for his actions. He fretted as his Mom began driving home. He wished she would just yell at him already, get it over with so he could stop feeling so anxious about it. Contrary to his wishes, the car was silent until they reached their home and entered the living room.
"I'm not angry, Izuku." Izuku felt equal amounts of confusion and relief rush through him. "I'm not angry you what you did, that boy had it coming." Ok, Izuku was definitely more confused than relieved now. He had done something completely unheroic, why wasn't she mad at him for it?
"I am upset, however." This was it. Izuku squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the words he would hear. "That you didn't tell me about any of this before." His eyes flicked open, and he felt his Mom's hands on his cheeks. Tears rose to his eyes as he looked into his Mom's compassionate eyes, and as she embraced him, his head buried in her hair, he bawled like a baby as he realized the depth of his Mother's love.
He could feel her tears soaking his shirt, but he couldn't have cared less, nothing could make him pull away from the warmth his Mom emanated. It was much gentler than the fire that burned through him when he got angry, Izuku thought. This was a protective fire, one shaped by love and care, not anger and hatred. 'This is the fire I need.' Izuku realized. 'This is the fire I can use to help, not harm.' Izuku ignored the sense of wrongness that the thought had brought to him, it made him feel queasy just thinking about it.
He eventually backed away. He had so many questions to ask, why wasn't she upset? What were they going to do now that he didn't have a school to go to? Other questions zoomed around in his head, but his mother seemed to notice and put her hand across his mouth.
"I have to go back to work, sweetie." She said gently. "Why don't you go take a shower and cool off. There's some food in the fridge like usual, so make yourself comfy and we can talk when I get back."
Izuku's brief bout of joy burst. Here was his mother, working as a single mother, putting food on the table, cooking for him, and how had he repaid her? By getting into a fight and nearly killing someone over words. Sure, the words were harsh, but he should have controlled himself, especially because of the way his Quirk seemed to have leaked out of him in the moment.
Come to the mindscape tonight. Soul's voice was, surprisingly, not full of anger. Izuku had half-expected the Quirk to be upset at him; he had almost ended their dreams before they could even begin, after all.
"You aren't angry?" He asked.
We will talk about it tonight. Soul's voice was still calm, but now it was stern. Rest, boy.
Izuku shrugged. There wasn't much he could do to change Soul's mind, so he might as well listen.
In the shower, Izuku recalled how it had felt to wrap his hands around the boy's throat. His body trembled as he slowly accepted the feelings that came with it. Even now, if the boy were put in front of him again, Izuku was worried he would try to kill him again. Even more worrying was the fact that Izuku had liked the feeling of holding a life in his hands. He liked how it had felt to feel the pulse slowly dwindle, the rush of blood slow, and breath run short. Confusing, however, was the fact that he didn't want to actually kill the boy; he just wanted that power over him. Izuku wanted power; he wanted strength, and it scared him. He wasn't that kind of person, he just wanted to save people! How was he supposed to be a Hero when all he wanted was-was strength! He went through the rest of his shower robotically, unwilling to accept the conflicting feelings that ran through him, before sitting at his table and staring at the plate of food. The note was similar to what his Mom normally wrote, she was proud of him, and wished him luck in training, calling him her little Hero. As he raised a spoonful of food to his mouth, his vision blurred, tears gathering in his eyes. This meal wasn't meant for him. He wasn't her little Hero.
By the time his Mom had come home, Izuku hadn't resolved any of his issues. He waited, anxious, for his Mom to start the conversation, but also wishing it wouldn't happen.
She sat next to him.
"Izuku," Her voice was soft. "How long have people been talking to you like that in school?" That was it. He couldn't hold it back anymore, couldn't keep Bakugo's actions hidden anymore. He had wanted Kacchan to be a Hero alongside him, but it looked like that person was strictly buried in the past.
He told his Mom everything, from the burned notebooks and clothes, to the beatings for whatever slight he had committed, and finally, he told her about the day in Middle School, when Bakugo had said the words that had finally started to fade from his mind. She teared up halfway through, and Izuku could feel his eyes doing the same, but he had to keep going. He had to tell her everything now, or he would never be able to tell her anything. By the time he stopped talking about the past and started talking about the present, she was sobbing, large, heaving gulps escaping her as she heard him talk.
"It-it hasn't been that bad recently." He said. "They've been ignoring me since High School started, mostly just calling me names and stuff. I think it's because now is where they can't afford to mess up, but even if they kept going, I don't think any of the teachers would care." He stared glumly at the floor. He had to tell her what he had felt, had to tell her what a monster her son was.
"Mom I-" He almost stopped, before steeling himself. "Mom, I enjoyed hurting that kid." He heard her gasp but soldiered forward. "I enjoyed having control over him, Mom. I-I don't think I would've killed him, but I just felt so good having power like that over him. It felt like I was on top of the world,Mom." He squeezed his eyes shut and looked in her general direction. "Am I-Am I a monster, Mom?" He waited for…something. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was waiting for. Her to agree with his words, say he was a monster, or to-to kick him out. He just wasn't sure. He flinched as her hands came to rest on his shoulder.
"Open your eyes, Izuku." Her voice was still gentle. Why was it gentle? She should hate something like him, someone who enjoyed causing pain! "I said, open your eyes."
He let out a mix between a groan and a whimper through his mouth, shaking his head as fear set in. "Let me see my baby's eyes?" She asked. Izuku nearly sobbed. He was still her's, even after this? He opened his eyes, slowly, blinking tears out of his vision as he did, and saw his Mom, smiling down at him. "You aren't a monster, Izuku." She said it like it was a fact, and that surety, that confidence in him, was what broke him down in the end. He lunged forwards, wrapping his arms around her and sobbing, deep, guttural sobs that shook his body as he did. "You aren't a monster." She continued, her hand stroking his hair gently, combing through his curls. "You're just a boy, Izuku. A boy who was tormented and lonely for most of his life." His sobs redoubled. How could she be defending him?! "What you're feeling is just the result of what they did to you. Oh, my poor boy, look at what they did to you." Her voice cracked at the end, tears finally falling from her eyes once more as she looked down at her sobbing son. "Anger is what should be expected of you, Izuku. The joy you took out of hurting him is the result of years of hatred, you didn't enjoy hurting them so much as you did having control of the situation." Something about that sentence gave Izuku hope. He clung to it desperately. As his Mom continued to console him, Izuku's sobs slowly stopped, exhaustion overtaking him from the day.
"Thank you." His voice shuddered. "Thank you so, so much, Mom." She put her hand on his cheek and smiled again.
"The day you were born, I promised to love you no matter what, Izuku, and you haven't given me much reason to question that love." He nearly broke down again. How could she have so much trust in him? He mustered up a smile to match hers.
"And I'll try my best to keep doing that." He yawned, his tiredness making itself known again. "I think I'm going to go to sleep, Mom." She hesitated, but nodded.
"We're going to keep talking about this tomorrow." She warned. "Don't think you can get out of it so easily!"
He laughed as he made his way to bed, washing his face of the tears that streaked it before burying himself in his covers, falling asleep almost instantly.
His eyes opened as he felt a drop of burning liquid fall on his forehead. He stood up quickly, and began making his way to the chamber. What did Soul want to talk about? Was he angry? Izuku asked himself. As he crossed the threshold into the chamber, he noticed that the fire had grown again, but this time it seemed to have grown hotter too, its core a slight blue.
"Soul?" He called out, walking further into the chamber. "What's going on here, why did you call me? Are you upset with me?" Why was his soul burning so brightly? He thought it would've diminished if anything, due to how upset he had been, but it was stronger than he had ever seen it.
Child. Soul's voice was heavy, Izuku noticed, filling with dread. I seem to have…overlooked something. Something important.
Izuku was pale despite the roaring fire inches away from him, nervous sweat joining the sweat from the heat.
"What do you mean, Soul? You're kinda scaring me here!" He tried for a joke at the end, but his voice wouldn't reach the tone needed for it, coming out concerned instead. Soul was quiet for a moment, collecting its thoughts.
Do you remember, Soul began. When I told you that I was singing your fear, just to give you a confidence boost?
Izuku was confused, what did that have to do with what was going on now?
"Yeah, you said you were getting rid of it temporarily so that I could feel a bit braver. What about it?"
Well, it turns out that my burning away the fear, it wasn't as temporary as we thought.
"What does that mean, Soul?" Izuku was struggling to stay calm, his mind running at the possibilities.
Think of lighting a paper on fire, then blowing it out.
"Soul, I swear to god, if you don't get to the point-" Izuku was definitely panicking now, what was the Quirk trying to say?
I'm getting there, just let me finish. Izuku nodded, rolling his wrist in a "go on" gesture.
When you burn a piece of paper, even for a second, you lose some material in the form of ash, or smoke. The same principle is applied to your fear, when I 'singed' it, some was still irreversibly lost. Izuku understood that, but what did that have to do with the events of the day? Before he could vocalize that thought, Soul continued.
Now, the first thing you need to understand is this; the fire magnifies emotions, all of them, but magnifies whatever you're feeling the strongest the most. It continues down the line like that, so let's say you feel mostly fear, then anger, and then joy. The fire amplifies fear by a factor of 10, anger by a factor of 8, and joy by a factor of 6, and so on and so forth. When you fought Kendou, you overcame your fear, and as a result, you've been more confident recently. The fire is now, instead of buffing your fear the most, has been buffing your anger the most, followed by your excitement.
Izuku understood the implications, the fire's magnifying effect had been what allowed him to snap against the boy in the hallway, but there was one thing he didn't understand.
"What joy are you talking about?" He didn't get what the Quirk was trying to say about his excitement, what had he even been joyful about? The only things he'd been excited for recently were the U.A. entrance exams, seeing his Mom and sparring with-
His jaw dropped in realization.
That's right, child. Soul had apparently noticed his recognition. The joy that you take from fighting, that specific feeling has been amplified by a factor of 8.
"So," Izuku said, his tongue numb. "The reason I felt…happy with that kid's life in my hand, that's because of you?"
Not because of me. There is one more thing that I was unable to realize. Izuku groaned, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyelids.
"What next?" He asked sarcastically. "Am I gonna explode or something?"
I don't think so?
Izuku blinked, his attitude gone.
"What."
Do you remember when I said the fire was mine?
"Yep."
Well, what I didn't realize was, as time progresses and the fire blazes away at your emotions in your soul, it's slowly becoming yours, adapting to you.
Izuku could feel a headache coming on.
"Please, try to explain a little better."
Fine. The fire was under my control because I was the only presence that acknowledged it while you ignored it. I mistook this as it being mine, as I said when we met. The truth is, the 'fire' isn't really fire. It's an energy that runs through your body and takes the form OF fire.
Izuku was having a hard time wrapping his head around this, but tried his best.
"So…for all intents and purposes, it's fire?"
Soul was clearly exasperated now, as it let out a sharp sigh.
Yeah, sure, whatever. Now, the reason that's important is because the energy couldn't run through your body until you opened your soul chamber, meaning it was stuck in here with me, which led me to believe it was mine. Now that the energy is running through YOUR body and adapting to YOU, it's amplifying YOUR emotions, I can no longer fully control it. The energy seems to have some form of awareness, nothing like me, but it can tell when your emotions spike, and it reacts accordingly, hoping to get a little snack from it. That's why you burned that boy, because the energy ran through you and heated up your whole body.
"What does this have to do with me killing people if I explode?"
The energy running through you is literally in your veins, it has a physical and mental presence in your body. I don't know what it could do to you.
Izuku let out a weak groan, his mind running circles as he tried to understand.
"Alright, sure, maybe I explode, what are the chances of that happening?"
Slim. The fire seems to want to keep you alive.
Izuku steepled his hands together over his nose. "What do we call this energy? Does it have a name like you do?"
No. Soul replied. I haven't come up with one, and it hasn't told me one, so it looks like you can come up with one.
Izuku hummed, considering a name. 'Liquid flame? No, too boring. Magma blood? Ugh, too dramatic.' He thought a bit more, before a name came to mind.
"How about Reiryoku?"
Spiritual Power, huh? Izuku nodded energetically.
"Yep! It's produced by my soul, and it's basically raw power, so, Spiritual Power!"
I like it! Soul seemed happy about the name at least. Thinking of names bought Izuku to another question.
"What about the whole "learn your name and I can use your full power" thing? Is that also wrong? Can I use the full power right now?"
No. The energy becomes yours at the pace you can handle it, for now, you've reached the maximum amount of energy you can hold, and I'm still in charge of the rest. Once you can hear my name, then you'll be able to use more.
"What does your name have to do with the amount of energy I can handle?" Izuku felt the whine in his voice, but he thought it was justified given the amount of life-changing info dumped onto him.
Because until I decide you're worthy of it, you can't have that amount of power. Soul ditched the exasperated tone, switching to a deadly serious one. Your Quirk is actually the energy within you, it created me as a guardian of the power you possess.
Izuku couldn't tell if the sword was being serious.
"That's crazy! I mean, how much power can I really have?"
Enough to deter nations.
Izuku was shocked into silence, what did Soul mean? There was no way Izuku was that strong!
I thought that I was your Quirk, and I apologize for misleading you, but now that you've opened your soul chamber and started unconsciously using it, the energy has revealed itself as the true Quirk. I was given life by that energy. My sword form is a solidification of that energy, I exist as a part of that energy. Until I decide you are able and worthy to use the power, my name will stay locked to you, along with the massive amount of power that I keep from you.
Izuku's chest burned. His Quirk wasn't Soul? Soul had been created by his Quirk?
"I-I'm sorry." He rasped. "If I'd listened sooner, maybe-maybe you would've known sooner. You've been sitting here, alone, and your entire life has been turned around!"
There is nothing to forgive, child. Soul's voice was soothing. You were a boy, barely able to form your own thoughts. You listened to those who were wiser than you, there is no harm in that.
Izuku nodded, stifling tears as he bowed to the fire in thanks.
Now, there is one last thing we need to talk about. Izuku snapped to attention, ready for another life-altering statement.
You need to learn how to use a sword. Izuku faceplanted.
Zanjutsu, the art of swordwielding, is what you're gonna learn. The sooner you learn how to wield me in sword form, the sooner you get to use your energy. Once you can use me reliably without any extra powers, we can get into how and when to use it.
Izuku nodded, his attention back on Soul as he thought about what to do next.
"How am I gonna learn how to use a sword? Are you going to teach me?"
Nope.
"...Then how?"
No clue. Izuku faceplanted again. Ask Renji if he knows anyone who uses a sword, he said he used to run with a vigilante gang, right? He might be able to help.
Izuku nodded with determination.
"Right!"
"Sorry, but I can't help you, kid." Izuku slumped, his hopes dashed.
"Right, shouldn't have assumed you would know someone who can use a sword just because you're an ex-vigilante."
Renji-sensei laughed good-naturedly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Now, I didn't say that! I can't help you until you apologize to Itsuka. She came back in a real slump yesterday, said something about you and then stormed off. She didn't even train!"
His hand tightened on Izuku's shoulder.
"I don't know what happened, but if you hurt Itsuka by doing something stupid…"
"That's not it at all, sensei!" Izuku shouted out, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. "Itsuka, she saw something that…something that probably really freaked her out. I'll explain to you later, I promise, but where is she? I needed to talk to her anyway!"
Renji raised an eyebrow, his grip loosening, much to Izuku's relief.
"Well, good thing you won't have to explain later." Izuku was confused until he connected the dots. Turning around slowly, he was met with Itsuka standing behind him, arms crossed and glaring at him. She marched towards him, her eyes alight with anger comparable to the first time they had met. Izuku gulped and tried to step back, just to bump into Renji-sensei.
"Why don't you get to explaining?" Renji-sensei was smiling at him, eyes closed as he bared his teeth. Izuku got to explaining.
Once he had finished and everyone had recomposed themselves (with no shortage of tears), Renji-sensei cleared his throat, drawing Izuku and Itsuka's attention. His face was unusually serious.
"Izuku, if what you're saying is true and you need help controlling your emotions, I know who can teach you."
Izuku was confused at why that was something Renji-sensei needed to be so serious about, wasn't it just a teacher? Itsuka had no such confusion.
"Grandpa, you can't!" She gasped. "He'll kill him!"
Now Izuku was confused and scared.
"What do you mean he'll kill me?!" His voice squeaked out.
He felt a bit offended when they both ignored him. This was his life they were talking about! Hello?
"He won't kill him, Itsuka. He trained me, your grandmother, and your granduncle, and none of us died!"
Itsuka glared back at him, ready to continue arguing before Izuku decided it was probably time for him to weigh in.
"Can this guy help me learn how to use a sword, and control my anger?" Itsuka opened her mouth, but Renji-sensei beat her to the punch.
"He can. He helped me learn how to fight, and taught Itsuka's granduncle how to use a sword. He helped both of us with our anger."
"But he put you both in the hospital!" Itsuka couldn't handle it anymore. "You guys both had more broken bones than not!"
Renji-sensei sighed and massaged his temple, like this was a fight they rehashed often.
"I told you, that was our fault! If Izuku follows his rules, there won't be any issues!"
"Then, I'll go." Itsuka's glare swung to Izuku, but he could see the panic behind them, the worry. He moved closer, wrapping her in a hug. "I have to go, Itsuka. If I make another mistake like that, I'll never be a Hero."
She stiffened at first, before relaxing and eventually wrapping her arms back around him.
"You'd better come back." She muttered. He pulled away and smiled at her, making sure to infuse it with reassurance, just like All Might.
"I promise!"
"Not that this isn't adorable." Renji-sensei coughed. "But you still don't know who this guy is, so maybe figure that out before you try making out with my granddaughter.
Izuku expected to feel a rush of embarrassment at that, but he honestly just felt a bit weirded out. Looking at Itsuka, he saw the same feelings mirrored on her face, which relieved him a bit.
"I don't think," He started slowly. "That either of us think of the other like that." He was gratified when Itsuka nodded vehemently.
"It's like thinking of dating my brother." She shuddered. "It just feels…wrong." Izuku nodded enthusiastically. Renji-sensei looked a bit surprised, before he shrugged and grinned.
"Well, at least I don't have to worry about great-grandchildren just yet!" That did cause Izuku to light up like a strawberry and Itsuka to start sputtering about boundaries.
Renji-sensei laughed as Izuku and Itsuka recollected themselves before turning back to Izuku.
"Now, you're real lucky I know this guy. He has a teaching license, meaning he can teach you instead of you going to online school, and he can help you with your swordsmanship and Quirk. He is, literally, an all-in-one package." Izuku was about to celebrate his luck but Renji-sensei continued before he could.
"The problem is, he lives in a different city, Karakura town." Izuku's enthusiasm faded. Karakura town was a long train ride away, there was no way he could go there and back while having time for school and Quirk training!
"Your only option," Renji-sensei said, his voice sad. "Is to go live with him until the U.A. exams, like me and Itsuka's granduncle did. You would have to stay there until you gain control too, no visits home until he deems you worthy of it."
There was no way Izuku's Mom would accept that. She would be happier if he burned another kid if it meant keeping him home!...But he had to convince her. Somehow, he had to convince her that this was for the best. He waved distracted goodbye's to Itsuka and Renji-sensei, his mind going over ways to convince his Mom to let him go. He continued thinking as he walked home, his brow furrowed and eyes pointed downward as he pondered what his options were. He could either ask her straight-out, or sneak out and deal with her wrath later. He was still considering it by the time he reached his home, and continued until he saw his food on the table, the usual note attached. His mind was made up instantly. He couldn't hide something this big from his Mom again, or cause her to worry when she discovered his departure. His choice made, he waited for her to come home, determined to ask her face-to-face, and to convince her that this was the right choice. He couldn't take no for an answer.
"I'll allow it." Izuku blinked. That needed way less convincing than he thought it did.
"I thought that you would need more convincing." He cursed his mouth for moving before he finished thinking. It wasn't supposed to talk unless he wanted it to!
His Mom turned to her, amusement and sadness dancing equally in her eyes.
"Izuku, this solves almost all of the problems you have right now. I'd be a fool not to let you." The amusement faded, overtaken completely by sadness. "That isn't to say I won't miss you, because I will, but I realize that this is what you need Izuku." Izuku could only watch as his Mother wiped tears from her face, the idea of losing her son, even if it was only for less than a year, overwhelmed her. "I-you've lived here your whole life, Son, and it hasn't been going too well for you." She let out a wet giggle. "This is a chance for you to discover yourself, away from outside influences like Bakugo or anyone else at school. Take the chance to really find out what you want to be, ok, my little Hero?" And if any of their neighbours heard the Midoriya family have another crying fest so soon after the last, none of them said anything.
Renji-sensei had called the mysterious man immediately after Izuku gave him the affirmative, and had been told to send Izuku down in a week. The time moved faster than he had expected, his time spent between packing up his whole life and spending time with his Mom and Kendou and Renji-sensei. There was only a day left until he left, and he wanted to leave with a bang, so he had invited his Mom to watch his last spar with Kendou, and, despite his better judgement, promised he would win. Now that he was in the ring with her, he was much less confident. 'Still,' He thought, pounding his fists together and hopping from side to side as he prepared himself. 'I think I can do it today!'
As Renji-sensei commenced the match, he immediately ducked underneath a jab, feeling the wind rush over his head as Itsuka's fist whisked by, he felt at home, reveling in the adrenaline that poured into him. He clenched his fist and threw it at her stomach, satisfaction rushing in as he felt his fist sink into her guts, before her elbow came down at the side of his face. He took the hit, grinning at the pain, before charging in. 'Hook' He could see her preparing a cross, but that was way too obvious, she wouldn't telegraph such a predictable move. His gaze flickered over her body, cataloguing every possible attack and calculating the odds of each one being thrown, before settling on her left leg, she had slid it behind her slightly, just enough to prepare a feint. Izuku's grin sharpened, that was the real attack! He drew his arm back, an obvious feint, or so she would think! 'Line.' He saw her eyes flicker to his arm, and took his chance, coming to an abrupt stop just out of her range and watched in glee as she swung out her leg, surprise filling her face as she felt the lack of contact. 'Sinker!'
He jumped forward, fast and low, before catching himself on his arms and scything his left leg out, sweeping her remaining leg off the ground and sending her tumbling to the ground. This was it, his one chance to finish her off! He regained his footing quickly and threw his leg perfectly vertically into the air. 'Thank you for the flexibility training, Soul!' He swung his leg down in a vicious axe kick, outright laughing as she rolled out of the way and onto a knee.
"Let's keep it up, Itsuka!" He couldn't hold his joy back anymore. "I'm having so much fun!" She grunted, standing up again.
"I'm glad one of us is." She grumbled out, betrayed by the smile on her face, as she lunged forwards, the two continuing to fight. As Izuku felt bruises form on his skin, he couldn't help but smile even wider, his body overflowing with excitement and joy. He leaned away from a jab, lifting his right leg off the ground and twisting his left sharply until he was on her other side. He let his leg fly, aiming at the leg he had swept earlier, shuddering as the 'thwack' of his leg connecting filled his ears like music. She stumbled back, favouring her other leg, but Izuku wouldn't let her go so easily! He chased after her, only to be met by her fist connecting solidly with his jaw, she had faked her injury, he realized. 'But!' He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a clothesline. "That won't be enough!" He finished aloud, his voice a roar of delight as he followed Itsuka to the floor. He grappled with her on the ring floor, trying to get a grip on her as she squirmed away. 'Thank you, Renji-sensei, for teaching me how to fight!' He slipped, his foot sliding out and Itsuka took advantage immediately, straddling his chest as she prepared a hammer-fist to knock him out. He growled and, in a show of his core strength and flexibility, bucked up and lifted his legs until they were high enough, and wrapped them around her throat before snapping them back down, her head connecting solidly with the ring. 'And thank you, Itsuka,' He thought fondly, rolling until he was lying on her back and tightening the grip of his legs around her throat. 'For being my first real friend.' Izuku let his legs relax as he felt Itsuka tap out. He rolled off of her, and stared at the roof before laughing in disbelief.
"I did it!" He cried out. "I beat you! For the first time ever, I beat you!" He laughed even louder, turning to Itsuka in glee, before it faded as she tried smiling back at him, unable to cover her sadness.
"What's wrong?!" He asked, panicking. "Did-did I celebrate too much? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" He was cut off by her lunging at him and wrapping him in a hug.
"I'm sad because I won't get a rematch for so long." She said, her words muffled by his shoulder. "You did great." He looked at her, shocked before he laughed again, amplified excitement still running through him.
"Don't worry, you'll get your chance at U.A.!" Izuku said, his smile contagious. "After all, we are both going to be Hero's, right?"
Itsuka pulled away from him, tears beginning to form in her eyes before she wiped them away. She held out her fist and smiled back at him. "Right!" He connected his fist to hers, and then turned and ran to his Mom, unable to stop hollering at his (first ever!) win.
The rest of the day went by smoothly, and all too suddenly Izuku was at the train station, and all too soon he was waving goodbye to his crying Mother, and to Itsuka and Renji-sensei, and all too quickly he found himself standing outside of what looked to be a convenience store, a large sign hanging off the front labeled
URAHARA SHOP.
Izuku's observation was cut off by a hand slapping his back. He looked up, ready to tear a new one into whoever had just hit him, before he was cut off by their voice.
"Hey there!" The man said brightly. He was dressed somewhat similarly to Renji-sensei in that he was wearing a kimono, but that was where the similarities stopped. The man's kimono was green, and incredibly loose, showing off the upper half of his chest and sloping down to show his defined abdomen. He wore a black robe on top of it, embroidered with a white diamond pattern at the bottom. He was wearing a green and white striped bucket hat, along with geta sandals. His face was shadowed slightly by the bucket hat, but strands of sand blonde hair poked through, along with some stubble on his chin. Most noticeably, he was carrying a cane, despite the fact that he seemed perfectly fine walking without it. It also looked slightly…thicker than a usual cane? Before Izuku could look too much into it, the man spoke up again. "You must be the kid Renji sent me, Midoriya Izuku right?" Izuku nodded slowly. He couldn't quite put a name to it, but the aura the man gave off was…disquieting. It wasn't of pure danger like Renji-sensei, or of fear like Bakugo, no, instead it was slightly sickening, like someone was watching every inch of him. The hairs on his arms rose as he nodded, unable to voice his agreement.
"Good!" The man said brightly. If he found Izuku's lack of speech odd, he didn't show it. "My name is Urahara Kisuke, but you can call me Urahara-sensei. I'll be taking care of you for the next nine and a half months, welcome to my shop, and your new home!" Izuku's feeling of discomfort only grew at the man-Urahara's words, but nodded his head anyways, taking a deep breath.
"I'll be in your care, Urahara-sensei!"