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I Hear A Symphony
Inside One For All
If someone were to tell Yoichi that Toshinori did not have the brightest soul out of all the users, he wouldn't have believed you. Eighth's soul was a brilliant gold, burning like a raging inferno. Nothing could outshine it. Or so he thought. So to his surprise, he was met with a soul that made Toshinori's look like a car's headlights compared to the sun. It was startling. He was intrigued. He leaned forward at the edge of the void, peeking out at this... masterpiece of a soul. It made Eighth's soul look so... dull, boring. He could stare at this soul for hours on end. It truly captured his full attention.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice jolted him from his enraptured state, "What are you doing, First?"
He glanced back, sighing heavily, "Oh, Sixth, it's just you. Come here and take a look at the soul of this boy that Eighth just saved."
En titled his head as he stepped closer to the edge of the void, taking in the scene with interest. He hummed, "Bright. Actually, that's an understatement. Holy sh-"
"Language," First scolded lightheartedly, "But seriously. If Toshinori doesn't pick that kid as his successor, I swear I will find out how to resurrect myself and I'll fight him personally."
"Talk big game for someone who got locked in a vault. And since when do you care about cursing?" Sixth chuckled, elbowing Yoichi playfully.
"What can I say? Seventh is rubbing off on me. And only I can joke about my trauma, alright. Joke about your own trauma."
I used to hear a simple song.
The day slowly drags by and Yoichi is getting more annoyed with Eighth by the minute. Guilt burns heavily in his chest but he can't help but long for his power to collide with that supernova of a soul. He nearly beat the vestige version of Toshinori over the head after the stunt he pulled on the rooftop. It's been so long since a soul has made him this eager to meld with. Toshinori's in the beginning was fantastic, stunning even. But he became weakened after fighting with Yoichi's brother and Yoichi had been bored ever since.
That was until you came along.
But now, as Toshinori presents the offer of One For All to this boy, he feels alive again. He feels excited. This had to be the end of the line for his power, nothing could top the sheer beauty of this soul. As Eighth explained the logistics of his power to the boy, Yoichi got a good look at the details of this soul and the boy along with it. The boy wasn't really something to look at, unspeakably plain. He had wild green hair and matching green eyes, his face splashed with freckles. But his soul. Oh, his soul. It flared like electricity, a blinding array of greens that shimmered and swayed like waves in the ocean. The first thing that came to mind was malachite, the deep viridian slashed with spirals of bright green was eerily similar. Yoichi found that he had lost his breath.
"What are you looking at?" Seventh asked as she sidled up next to him, "Oh." Seems she was at a loss for words, too. Completely taken aback by the soul's splendor.
"Stunning, isn't it?" He whispered.
"Ye-Yeah. Is that the next holder?"
He nodded, "Mhm."
Now in its place is something new.
"Why are you three constantly over here staring at shit?" Fifth asked loudly, waltzing up to where First, Sixth, and Seventh were sitting at the edge of the void.
Yoichi and Nana mumbled halfheartedly, "Language."
"Okay, but seriously, why are you guys over here? You don't join in on our Uno games anymore. So what is up?" Daigorou shook En by his shoulders as his gaze flickered between the three of them.
En glanced up at him, "The next holder has the most amazing soul. You don't even understand."
First sighed happily, "Just look at his soul."
Daigorou hesitantly glanced over the edge, blinking a few times as he studied the intricate soul that was currently failing at moving a hunk of trash. He grinned as he sat down with the three other users, "My, my. I think I might just stick around here."
Over on the other side of the void, Second, Third, and Fourth were mingling about, confused as to why the others refused to move from their perch at the edge of their field of existence. Hikage asked mostly to himself as he set a blue 3 onto the pile, "I wonder what has them so distracted."
Second huffed as he tossed a blue 1 onto the pile, "Probably getting a new user soon. Usually it's just Yoichi that gets distracted by it so it is concerning to see all of them get distracted."
Third hummed, slapping a +4 onto the pile which earned him a glare from Hikage, "The next user better be a fuckin saint with the way they're acting. Yellow."
Fourth began to draw 4 cards, putting a yellow 2 down, "After this game, I'm going to see what the hype is about."
"Sounds like a plan." Second said as he went to draw for a yellow card or a 2, he ended up setting a yellow 8 down.
Third grinned and sent a mischievous glance Hikage's way, slowly pulling a card from his hand. Hikage gave him a deadpan stare, "You do that again and I swear I'm gonna-"
Third set another +4 down and burst out laughing. Fourth sighed and threw his cards down, "Alright. I'm done."
I hear it when I look at you.
Hikage made his way over to the others, silently standing behind them to assess the situation. A boy was celebrating a small victory, he had successfully moved a piece of trash that was easily twice his size. Fourth gasped slightly, the soul of this boy had startled him. He dropped down to his knees, staring in awe. "Oh, wow. Yeah, I get why you guys haven't left this spot."
"Even if my power tries to tear his limbs off, we're staying with him. I don't even care if he tries to pass it onto someone else, we are not moving." First announced to the others, eyes not leaving the boy. They all nodded, barely even thinking.
Third glanced over to where Hikage had went, sighing as he saw that the fourth user had also fallen victim to the next user. "Damn, now they really gotta be a saint if they got Fourth, too." Second only stared at the others through narrowed eyes, his scar rippling as he scrunched his face.
With simple songs, I wanted more.
Over the span of ten months, five of the users had gotten comfortable at the edge, never straying far. They watched the boy train and train as he prepared to take on their power. One fateful morning, Toshinori presented the boy with a single strand of hair. First launched himself to his feet, "Guys, it's happening!"
The other four users scrambled closer, each trying to get a good view of the transferring process. They all grimaced as the boy choked on the hair, desperately trying to get it down his throat. Nana gagged, "That's disgusting."
Daigorou wheezed, "That's hilarious."
Three hours pass by and there's a sudden shudder through the void. The users braced themselves as a more violent shudder raced along the void. Second and Third came trotting over to the others, Second spoke up, "So it's happening? One For All has been transferred?"
"Yes." Yoichi squeaked fearfully as another shudder rippled along the ground, though his excitement was still clearly visible. This was something he had been waiting for for a while.
Toshinori's vestige casually walked up to them, staring at them curiously. Seventh grinned at him, holding onto a cloud wall for dear life, "Toshi, you've been upstaged. This kid is now baby. Not you. Ninth is baby."
Perfection is so quick to bore.
"No hard feelings, Eighth," En cackled from where he was crouching, "You just got kinda boring. Finally, we get someone closer to my age."
"No offence, Eighth, but your soul is just dull compared to his. And OFA has been with you for so long, it gets unbearable sometimes." Daigorou said as he attempted to pat the vestige on the back.
"We needed something to spice it up a bit." Hikage nodded as he added his own two cents to the conversation, "And a new user is just what we needed."
"High praise, I hope this kid lives up to all you've said." Third smirked, crossing his arms.
"I sincerely doubt he will." Second sighed from Third's side.
"Trust me, you're in for a shocker." Yoichi smiled, his hands shaking absently to dispel some of his excitement.
You are my beautiful, by far.
The shaking of the void stopped after a while, it was starting to settle down. Only to be swathed in a huge explosion of light, layered with the innermost workings of a teenage boy. Thoughts interweave into their perception, introducing the past users to how the new user operates. First drops to his knees with a strained gasp as his Quirk welds into the kid's being. He thought looking at the soul was a lot, but feeling it was a whole different experience. His eyes well up with tears as his face cracks into the biggest smile he'd ever made.
He's at a loss for words once more. He can't think straight so he does what first comes to mind, he pulls the soul in close and absolutely drowns it in love. Around him, the other users blink at him. They don't quite know what to do. Yoichi is just crushing the pretty soul in a bone shattering hug as he cries happily. The first to move is Fifth, he joins the hug with a big grin. Sixth, Seventh, and Fourth are quick to follow. Third hesitantly joins with a faint look of surprise marring his features. Second scoffs before joining in as well.
Our flaws are who we really are.
Outside One For All
Izuku didn't have time to prepare for the exam, he had to wing it. He was falling behind quickly, panic was coursing through him as he heard the number of points other participants had already. He raced between buildings, desperate to find a robot that wasn't already fighting someone. But he tripped suddenly, having to brace himself against the side of a building. The panic and desperation felt like it had just been swatted away, replaced by overwhelming love and adoration. It felt like multiple people were hugging him at the same time.
He would've liked it, he rarely got physical affection after all, but he was trying to pass an exam. He shook himself and raced off again. By the time he found a robot all alone, he readied himself to attack but was held down again by the sheer force of love being thrown his way. He thought, what is this? His eyes actually began to tear up as he clutched at his chest. Faintly, along the edges of his senses, were voices. So faint that if he hadn't been paying attention, he would've missed them.
Ninth... Izuku... Beautiful...
I used to hear a simple song.
He was prepared for things like bruises, maybe even broken bones when it came to his new Quirk. He was not expecting voices in his head that apparently were way too clingy for their own good. He hadn't gotten this much physical affection since he was a kid and he'd grown so used to hostile contact that this sensation completely overwhelmed him. He was left trembling where he stood, unable to move.
That was until you came along.
Izuku finally managed to move. Only to be frozen in fear as a giant robot announced its presence. But that kind girl that stopped his fall earlier was trapped under rubble. He couldn't freeze up now. He had to help her. He had to be a hero. He pulled his Quirk forth, shivering as he felt hands run up his back, pushing him forward in support. Love pressed at the edges of his mind, whispers of encouragement faded in and out of perception.
He zipped through the air, effectively demolishing the robot but the recoil snapped back just as harsh. His arm snapped like a matchstick along with his legs. The ground came up quickly as he fell back down. But just as he was about to hit the pavement, the girl he saved slapped him, using her Quirk to stop his fall yet again.
You took my broken melody.
He crumpled on the ground in a heap of tattered limbs, breathing lowly. I still need to earn at least one point, he thought. A voice whispered in his ear, a hand threaded itself through his hair, It'll be okay. Just rest, Ninth. A different voice whispered in his other ear, a hand pressed against his shoulder blades, We'll take good care of you.
He smiled, overcome with joy. He barely even registered Recovery Girl healing him. He was so focused on the voices, he no longer cared about the outside world. He just wanted to be held by these people, given all the affection he deserved. He was lifted onto a gurney and hauled off, still smiling even as he drifted into unconsciousness.
And now, I hear a symphony.
Seven people that he didn't recognize all tackled him in a bone crushing hug as Izuku opened his eyes to a void. He fell back, letting the people drop all their combined weight on top of him. He found himself laughing lightly, smiling bigger than any smile All Might could muster. We love you, Ninth.
He blinked his eyes open to see All Might leaning over him, a confused look on his face. He nervously laughed, "Why were you smiling in your sleep, Young Midoriya?"
"All Might, I think this Quirk loves me."
All Might snorted, "Don't be silly, Kiddo. The Quirk doesn't have feelings."
"Not the Quirk. I mean the people inside it."
All Might's gaze suddenly softened, "Oh. Well, I'm glad to hear that. Seems I chose the right successor after all."
Izuku placed his hands on his heart, feeling the thrum of absolute devotion at the inner core of his soul. He hummed, "They seem to agree."
And now, I hear a symphony...