Chapter Text
For the first time in possibly an eternity, Shimura Nana could properly describe herself as awake.
It was as if she had been asleep for a lifetime, nestled in a deep slumber after meeting a truly painful end at the hands of All for One. Despite being submerged in an ocean-like void, she could feel the other souls of the past users, all the way back to the one that started it all: Yoichi. He was the bright light that started off the powerful, tragic legacy One for All possessed.
She could feel whispers, bumps in the night of events far beyond their world. Nana knew in her heart that Toshinori somehow allowed her and the past users to feel hints of events from the land of the living. He couldn't let them feel everything, for he wasn't strong enough to do so. But he still cultivated the generational power, letting it blossom into a truly powerful force to be reckoned with, a sword to slay evil and a shield to protect the just.
Oh, how she wished she could tell him how proud she was of him– how proud she is.
Yet as the stars would have it, every user was led back to a practically immortal tyrant, a dragon with a hoard of stolen Quirks in its veins and a trail of blood in its wake. Toshinori was no exception. There was nothing she could have done as he fought All for One tooth and claw.
That night produced the biggest vibration she had felt since she entered One for All.
There were faint pulses within the strange void after that, possibly daily. There was no real way to measure time, even if she was awake then. Yet the pulses were frequent enough that looking back on them, she felt confident in her assumption. Something had happened during that fight, and it was a miracle that Toshinori had made it out alive.
But now she was awake, and there was no denying that fact.
It was an odd feeling, waking up in this space. It was like she was poured from one goblet into another, the process filling her soul with energy. One for All fit perfectly into this new vessel, the blessed-yet-cursed Quirk taking up the empty room. It did not need to fight against an existing power, did not need to push its user to the breaking point just to work.
She was glad the ninth user wouldn't slowly be destroyed from the inside out.
Nana opened her eyes wide open, gasping as she could once again feel. She was still within the heart of One for All, but she could now see it. Slowly she turned around, looking all around her as she took note of the inky black darkness. Carefully she descended to the ground as if she was coming back down from the sky, landing on ground invisible to the eye.
The darkness gave way to her, revealing a rocky floor. A soft vibration rang out, forcing more of the darkness to fade away, turning into smoke before disappearing entirely. One for All never ceased to amaze her, despite once wielding the Quirk herself. Not even residing inside of it could take away from its mysticism.
"But where are the others?"
She wandered around the endless abyss, looking for souls she knew should have been here with her. Her footsteps echoed while she searched; They were her only company in this void, as the seemingly endless darkness gave no clues if anyone was nearby. During her search, she couldn't help but notice a feeling hanging in the air. It was a strange presence, nothing like the vibrations she felt while Toshinori used One for All. In fact, it didn't feel like anything linked to their shared Quirk at all. It felt almost foreign, as if it was a power source all of its own, with its own will. And that will seemed bright and whimsical, like someone had condensed impossibility into a force.
"What could have entered One for All?" She wondered out loud. "And why is it so different from everything else in here?"
"I was wondering the same." Another voice chimed in.
Wait. Another voice?
"It's nice to see a familiar face, isn't it?”
That voice. It sounded just like–
Nana whipped around, meeting eyes with the sixth user, the one who was robbed of the chance to train her.
"En?"
"It's good to see you again, despite our strange circumstances."
A wave of overwhelming relief and sadness burst inside of her. She rushed up to him, wrapping him up in a hug. To her surprise, she had surpassed him in height, his head nestled into her shoulder.
"I see you’ve taken to One for All well?" He asked, his voice soft yet proud.
"You told me I needed to be strong to properly use it. So I kept training."
"I'm glad you did. I'm sorry I couldn't watch you become a Hero.”
"You didn't choose to die," she replied, her voice cracking a little. "I don't blame you at all."
"It makes me happy to hear that.”
"Smash!"
Nana and En couldn’t help but stare at each other as they let go of their interrupted reunion hug. She could feel her surprise jolting through her veins, her master’s normally calm and collected expression had given way to one of shock. Nana noticed a rare trace of fear present in En’s eyes.
The same fear that came when All for One stormed into her last training mission with En.
If she hadn’t taken the voice seriously before, she definitely did now.
Just what was that voice? And what did it mean?
She automatically shifted into a fighting stance, shaking off her long sleep. She wasn’t about to lose her master again, not when she just got him back.
“What was that?” En had also slipped back into a fighting stance, the fear in his eyes now replaced with determination. “Or should we be asking who that was?”
“Do you think he found a way in?”
“I doubt we’re dealing with you-know-who. This voice sounds too young to belong to him. Besides, I doubt he would announce his attacks like that. He’s always fighting dirty, trying to sneak around and attack when it’s least expected.” He paused for a bit, letting out a ‘tch’ sound. “Except when he’s fighting one of us. Helovesto pull out all the stops when trying to destroy us.”
“You are right about that…” She let herself relax some, but she could not stand down completely. There was just too much they didn’t know about this strange voice. Not to mention there was still the question of that mysterious presence from before.
“Could that have been the Eighth?” En asked. “Have they joined us here?”
“No, that definitely wasn’t the Eighth.” Nana shook her head. “Toshinori doesn’t sound anything like that. And like you said, this voice sounds young. I’m not sure exactly how long I was asleep, but I’m sure it’s been long enough that he would be older than that by now...”
En’s last question sat at the front of her mind. Oh, she desperately wanted to see Toshinori again and what a wonderful hero he grew into. Yet at the same time… she didn’t. Not knowing what it would mean to see him here. The sting from the loss of her mentor was woven deep into her soul, and she didn’t want the Ninth to have to know that same pain so soon.
Wait a minute…
The Ninth.
It was very likely that the Ninth user would be on the younger side of the spectrum. Not to mention she just woke up because Toshinori passed on One for All to them.
Was it possible that the unknown voice belonged to–
‘I didn’t train hard enough! I only had ten months and worked so hard, but that wasn’t enough to learn how to use One for All!’
“The Ninth?!”
Nana and En found themselves staring at each other again, their overlapping statements echoing in the abyss. Shock ran through Nana’s veins like lightning, and En’s face was uncharacteristically emotional, to say the least.
“The answer seems so obvious now,” she stated, her voice shaking some.
“I can’t believe this has happened,” En gasped. “One for All has finally gained enough power to allow the current user to speak with us?!”
“I’m not sure I’d call this speaking just yet…” Still, she couldn’t ignore how huge this was. She knew One for All’s increased strength already strengthened the chances for All for One to finally be defeated, yet to possibly communicate with the current user? She couldn’t help but smile at that idea.
Her joy was cut short as the Ninth’s word echoed again. ‘Shit, shit, shit! I blew out both my legs! Not to mention my right arm! There’s no way I can land on the ground without splattering everywhere!’
The shock from before turned to outright fear. “What’s going on with the Ninth? Did he hurt himself from bursting into the sky and punching something with the power of One for All?”
“Could One for All have become too powerful to use now?” En wondered. “Whatever the Eighth– I mean Toshinori did to train and enhance One for All, he must have pushed it to its fullest extent and then some.”
“It certainly sounds like something Toshinori would do. He’d always try to shoot for the moon and then go for the stars afterward. Anything to be able to save as many people as possible...”
“I look forward to meeting him, Nana. It sounds like you chose a wonderful successor.”
She felt something hot and wet run down her cheeks. When did she start crying?
En flashed a soft smile at her before clearing his throat. “Though, addressing the subject at hand, it’s very well possible One for All is too powerful for this child to use right out the gate. I can feel it among us. Power is flowing everywhere.”
“I think you might be onto something, En.”
‘Though,’ she internally added, ‘that doesn’t exactly explain this unnatural presence now in One for All. It certainly doesn’t explain why it feels so exhilarating and childlike.’
‘I have to aim my next move at just the right time,’ The Ninth continued. ‘It will cost me my only good limb left, but I’ll likely die if I don’t do anything! Though that’s also likely to happen if I’m too early or too late… Come on, Izuku! Focus! You can’t mess this up!’
“Shit, is he about to die?!”
“Well, this is an interesting way to go out,” En remarked. “We finally wake up from our long nap, only to enter a permanent slumber so quickly.”
“Master!” Nana slapped his arm. “I know your humor is dark, but this isn’t the time for such a joke!” Especially when neither of them couldn’t do a single thing to try to save this child from such a painful death.
Izuku’s thought process was deafening, repeated statements of “come on” and “you have to make this” echoing in his head– and in Nana’s. She didn’t even know his face yet she was forced to listen to him die. What would falling from such a height even feel like? She had dealt with her fair share of people falling barefoot off from rooftop rails, but she was always there to float up to catch them and help calm them down. Yet despite being surrounded by power, she was utterly useless to help a child in need.
Something wet and hot ran down her cheeks. She could feel En’s hand rest on her shoulder, but otherwise she felt numb.
‘Almost at the ground, Izuku.’
Nana closed her eyes.
‘Release in three, two, one–’
Silence.
But she could still breathe.
Her eyes burst open as she sharply inhaled. She could hear En gasp as well, his voice ringing with shock.
“We’re… alive…” she muttered.
“But how? That’s impossible.”
Impossible? Did that mean the strange force swimming inside One for All saved Izuku? Did that condensed feeling of impossibility and wonder keep him from meeting death’s door? But how could it–
A new voice joined Izuku, this one sounding more feminine. At least, that’s what Nana could decipher. The voice was so unclear, as if Nana was listening to it while still under the water. It was fuzzy and garbled, and the most she could make out was that the voice sounded strained.
“So that’s how we’re alive,” En stated, his hand falling off of Nana’s shoulder. “We owe this mystery girl Izuku’s life. All our lives.”
“I hope that someday we can send her our combined thanks. At the very least, I hope Izuku will get to meet her again.”
“If only we knew what her voice sounded like without any static clogging it up…” En paused for a moment. “Nana, tell me something. Do you think we’ll be able to hear the outside world better as Izuku develops One for All, or is this about as good as it’s going to get?” He gently nudged her, and she could tell from his eyes he was flashing her a smile.
“Well,” Nana clicked her tongue, still trying to process nearly dying after getting a second chance at life. “I would hope we’ll be able to hear more eventually. If I had to guess, that seems like the path we’re on. After all, if Izuku receiving One for All woke us up, then his development should strengthen our connection with him.” Now it was her turn to pause as more of the gears in her brain began to turn. “Who knows? Maybe as he cultivates One for All, we’ll be able to communicate with him ourselves! Maybe we’d be able to give him some of our own guidance!”
En’s shoulders fell a little, and he let out a longing sigh. “What I would have done to have done that with you.”
She flashed him a sympathetic smile as she felt her eyes water up again. “I would have loved that so much. But I’m also very grateful we got to meet up again in One for All.”
There was a small twinkle in En’s eyes. “As am I.”
'She... saved me,' Izuku stated. 'She saved me from falling. But is she alright? She doesn't look like she's hurt, but she did just throw up what had to be a whole meal. Not to mention getting crushed by the rumble from the robots...'
"Robots?" Both past users said at the same time. Just what had changed in the years they were dead?
'Ah, there goes the bell,' Izuku depressingly sighed. 'I didn't even get a single point in the entrance exam. I hope All Might isn't too mad at me...' He let out a moan as it felt like he passed out from exhaustion.
Nana and En looked back at each other, neither of them able to find the right words for what they just heard.
"Looks like he has a long way to go in order to use One for All." En shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I trust that Toshinori will train him well." At least, that's what she hoped.
"Still, they're starting off on different power levels. It may be that Izuku will need to find his own way to properly use the power he's been given."
"I suppose you have a point. Regardless, I look forward to getting to know our Ninth user and seeing him develop. Especially since this is the first time in a long time all the users get to witness a new generation.”
“Huh, I hadn’t thought about that yet,” En clicked his tongue. “You are right. I suppose the last time that happened was with the Second user. Quite a lot of time has passed since then.”
“That’s part of what makes it exciting, isn’t it, En?”
“If you look at it that way, then yes. Though, speaking of the others, it’s for the best we go try to find them. After all, we don’t know if they’ve all gathered in one location, and we won’t find each other if both parties are sitting around waiting for the other.”
“Should you lead the way, or should I?”
“We’re equals now, Nana. I might have come before you and trained you, but within One for All we stand on the same ground. We can both lead the way.”
A wave of warmth washed over her, her arms and legs tingling with happiness. “I would really like that.”
“Then shall we get moving?”
“We shall.”
Their footsteps echoed in the void, but unlike when Nana was originally walking alone, the road ahead didn’t seem like a completely endless abyss. The treasured company by her side made the unknown seem less daunting, that there was now a guarantee that she would find the others. It was amazing how secure another face could make you feel.
Izuku’s name was on the tip of her tongue, his recent thoughts looping in her mind as she thought about how she and the other users technically resided inside of his soul. She couldn’t help but notice how one could hear the number nine in his name, as if the universe had wanted him to become the Ninth User. Though, it wasn’t like her own name was immune from the number seven. Her gaze drifted over towards En, who too had a name linked with his placement in One for All. And that wasn’t even touching on Toshinori’s family name aligning with the number eight…
Perhaps it was best to leave this mystery unsolved. After all, it could be just a very funny coincidence and nothing worth obsessing over.
She shook her head, as if doing so would shake that rabbit hole’s of a thought experiment out of her mind. While her mind looked for new topics, Nana naturally found herself drifting back to the strange presence living in the air around them. New questions lined the tip of her tongue as she tried to take the feeling in to better understand it. Did En feel the impossibility in the air too? Was he aware that something otherworldly resided in One for All with them? She was sure he said something about feeling it earlier. Maybe he would have ideas about what it was. At least, she hoped so. This presence felt so limitless that trying to pinpoint what is was felt like trying to find a needle inside a hay-filed Tokyo dome.
“Something’s on your mind,” he stated. “At least, if I’m assuming you’ve still kept up those habits from long ago.”
She didn’t even realize she had been clicking her tongue as she was walking. En looked over his shoulder and down at her hands where she was twiddling her thumbs together.
Clicking tongues and twiddling thumbs: her tells that she was deep in thought.
Both of them stopped walking, and En turned his body around to face her.
“It’s the force in here,” she admitted. “Do you know what could have come in?”
“I don’t know,” En replied, shaking his head. “It obviously isn’t an existing quirk, unless their aura in a person’s body has changed since we were alive.”
“I doubt that’s the case.” She brought her thumb up and under her chin. “Quirks might be strange, but this energy is foreign enough that it might not be related to Quirks at all.”
“If this were fiction, I’d claim there’s magic in his soul. But we need to be realistic.”
“Let’s not rule it out entirely,” Nana countered. “Who knows what has changed since we were gone.”
En let out a long, exhausted sigh. “You were always quite the dreamer, weren’t you?”
“I suppose I was. I suppose I still am.” She smiled at her mentor, hoping to share the same mindset with him.
En’s jacket covered a large part of his face, but she only needed to see his eyes to know he was smiling. She knew there were– and still are– tells hidden in the eyes that are revealed by a smile. They sparkle just a bit more than normal, and the colors are a bit brighter.
He pulled down his jacket, showing off the soft smile that graced his face. “I bet you were a great hero, Nana. I’m positive you made people smile.”
“It’s the first step to saving them.”
They picked up their pace, the question of what was inside Izuku and One for All falling to the wayside. Later she'd ask him some more. For now, they had to gather their makeshift family. Further questions about mysterious forces could wait until then.