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They had long ago lost track of how long they had been traveling.
The journey to the coast had been easy enough -it was getting a sailor to take them to Shigaraki Island that had been the hard part. The island was the birthplace of All for One, the god of the sun. But solar-powers weren’t helpful Inko and Toshinori. They were here for one of All for One’s other powers: healing.
After a week of searching, they had finally met a sailor willing to take them to the island -though not without being paid most of their money first. The past few days had been spent chasing the drifting island before finally managing to dock on its shores.
Toshinori helped Inko down onto the sandy beach before picking up an unconscious Izuku. The boy, about four, was much lighter than he should have been. His face was pale and sweaty and his mouth clenched from pain. But the most disturbing thing about the illness was the green, moss-like matter creeping up his neck.
It had first appeared on Izuku’s stomach a few months ago. They hadn’t thought much of it then, but it had grown larger and larger until Izuku could barely breathe without feeling pain. Every healer and priest they had gone to had said the same thing: the couple had somehow angered the gods and now their child was paying the price.
The sailor of the ship shifted anxiously. “I can only stay until sunset. After that, you’ll have to find your own way back.”
Which would be impossible, seeing as there weren’t any more ships on the island, but Toshinori didn’t argue. If everything went their way, they would get back well before sunset.
And if it didn’t… well, returning would be the least of their problems.
Just beyond the sandy shore was a dense forest. Trees rose up to the sky making Toshinori feel insignificantly small. For the sacred birthplace of the sun-god, the place didn’t feel very bright.
“Maybe you should wait here and keep an eye on the ship,” Toshinori suggested.
Inko shook her head firmly. “I’ve come with you this far. We’re not separating now.”
There would be no arguing with her, Toshinori knew. Inko would rather go with him and risk her life than sit in safety knowing he could be hurt and alone.
Toshinori walked ahead, pushing the trees away, while Inko carried Izuku. As they walked further into the forest, Izuku shifted in Inko’s arms and let out a pained moan.
“Shhh,” Inko murmured, pushing away hair from his damp forehead. “We’re almost there. Everything will be fine…” She started humming a lullaby. Some nonsense song about the moon running away from the sun before the sun trapped it in a laurel tree.
Izuku calmed down a little, but didn’t stop fidgeting.
Suddenly, the trees broke away into a large clearing. The midday sun shone overhead, making the whole place look like it was glowing. In the center, there was a huge stone altar. Intricate carvings of the sun covered the stone. An orange gemstone lay at the top, reflecting the sun so brightly, it hurt to look at it directly.
Inko and Toshinori exchanged apprehensive glances before walking to the altar. They placed Izuku in the middle before kneeling. Toshinori took out a paper they had gotten from the priest.
“O great and mighty All for One. We ask for forgiveness in our time of need…” They continued to read in unison from the scroll, careful not to make any mistakes. By the time they got to the final few lines, their throats were parched and their stomachs aching from hunger. “We will pay any price you ask of us for the health of our son, Izuku.”
For a few moments, there was silence. Then a flash of light so bright that Toshinori was afraid he would be blinded forever.
As his eyesight cleared again, he saw a white-haired man standing in the middle of the altar, holding Izuku. He thrummed with ancient power, and Toshinori knew that this could only be All for One.
All for One didn’t speak for a long time. Then he stepped off the altar and walked towards them, still carrying Izuku.
“Mortals. They always make such big requests, expecting me to fulfill them at their say-so. And yet,” He stopped in front of them, his hand over Izuku’s neck, “They don’t realize that there is nothing of value they can offer me.”
Toshinori tried to get up, but his body was held in place by some unseen force.
All for One looked at Izuku passively. “I could kill this child right now to punish you for trespassing on my island.”
“Not Izuku,” Inko choked out. “Please.”
All for One smiled. It was nothing like the kind ones Toshinori had seen in portrait's of the god. “Very well. I suppose I can appreciate the effort of coming to this island.”
He waved his hand over Izuku’s body and the green faded into the skin. Izuku relaxed in his arms, the boy’s face more at peace than it had been in months.
Toshinori started getting up to grab Izuku, but found himself still frozen. All for One wagged his finger reproachingly.
“I still haven’t named my price,” the god said.
An icy hand gripped Toshinori’s heart. He knew that whatever All for One wanted, it wouldn’t be good.
“My price,” All for One proclaimed. “Is your son.”
“No!” Inko yelled.
But it was too late. There was a blinding flash of light and both All for One and Izuku vanished.
Inko rushed to where they had been standing, Toshinori right behind her. She dropped to the ground and started sobbing. Toshinori could feel tears streaming down his own face.
They stayed there until the sun had gone down. Toshinori was distantly aware that this meant they didn’t have a way off the island, but that didn’t matter to him. How could they have a life without Izuku?
A beam of moonlight hit his face, almost caressing it.
He looked up. The altar had changed. The jewel was a clear silver and the carvings of the sun had been replaced by the moon. As Toshinori watched, the altar started to glow and a man appeared in the middle of it.
He had white hair, similar to All for One, but his was longer and his eyes were the same shade of green as the surrounding trees. As soon as he saw Toshinori and Inko’s wrecked faces, his own dropped.
“Oh no,” he said. “I’m too late aren’t I?”