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Thirty-six years have passed since the last war in Japan. A lot of things have changed and evolved.
Himiko Toga, the 17-years-old teenager girl who stabbed a classmate to drink his blood and gone down the path of villainy when she was fifteen, was filmed live how she almost sacrificed her life to save the heroine Uravity. Fortunately, both managed to be rescued in time.
Tomura Shigaraki, the ancient symbol of fear, was filmed as he was defeated and rescued by Izuku Midoriya and the other heroes.
Dabi, Endeavor's eldest lost son, Touya Todoroki, was stopped and rescued by his family and the well-known Pro hero in the present, AirCon Hero: Shoto Todoroki, from cremating all the fighters and civilians in the war.
Many people were inspired by the courage and the dedication of these young heroes in the battles, and because they listened to the villains' stories about the causes that made them to go on the evil path, the society took an effective turn and started to change. Then followed the days when punishments were chosen for Japan's terrorists. Toga Himiko received 8 years, Touya Todoroki 32 years, and Shuichi Iguchi with Atsuhiro Sako 14 years old. Tomura's case lasted a very long time with many trials, evidence, statements, news, lawyers etc. AFO and his influence on the existence of Shigaraki Tomura and the Shimura family have been brought up many times. Many abandoned documents were opened again and again. The case became one of the most complex in history due to the widespread influence that AFO had with so many people involved in his past, and even Ujiko related to the hospitals he owned in which thousands of people were held and who he stole important information about them, and the facilities in which they brought children with different powerful quirks, the law clearly stating that it was human trafficking. Tomura Shigaraki ended up receiving 36 years as punishment, even though many remained displeased and others thoughtful. However, the former villains during these years began to help and atone for their past crimes. They could not resurrect the dead and escape the damage they had done to the citizens, but they were able to help build the buildings they had destroyed and talk to every family from their victims. These and other things that helped for the community. Obviously, they were not often well received, instead they were cursed, threatened, spat on, sometimes even beaten by some members, and the police let them be, but the former villains knew they deserved it and couldn't argue.
Toga was now 53 years old. She wasn't the 17 years old teenager who wanted to just suck blood from the people she loved. After she got out of prison, she was 25 years old. Ochako helped her and invited her to stay at her mansion until Himiko could afford an apartment. Toga tried all kinds of jobs for that, such as saleswoman at different stores, waitress and after she took private medical school with the help of Ochako so she could become a haematologist. A job which policies relate to blood transfusion including blood conservation and transfusion safety, supporting the blood bank laboratory and provide clinical transfusion advice.
After 6 years, she managed to get her license and get a job at a hospital. She later became the most skilled of haematologists from there who helped many people. The blond eventually left the heroine's mansion because she didn't want to be a burden on the woman's shoulders more than she had been these years, even though Uraraka told her that she had never been a burden to her ever. Both still kept in touch and met almost every day. Himiko visiting Ochako or vice versa. Toga also kept in touch with the others from the league because they were always like family to her. Before she got hired, she often visited them in prison, but after she got hired, it became more difficult to visit them as she did. In the end, she managed to arrange her schedule in such a way that she would have time for them as well.
Toga and Sako encouraged Shuichi to publish his book about their lives when the league still existed, and Deku read the book and began teaching the students about the past corruptions that should not be repeated, taking into account that villains are the result of the environment itself. The book became popular after some time. Atsuhiro after he got out he open a shala, yoga space, for relaxation and spiritual tranquility. There he met his wife. A pretty school teacher at Masegaki Primary School with navy blue eyes and short black hair, a very gentle person. They have twin boys, now both adults.
Himiko was around 36 years old when she made the choice to adopt a 6-year-old girl and a 7-years-old boy. They participated in Uravity's new Quirk Counseling program and this is how Himiko found out about their problems with their quirks. Her children are currently 22 and 23 years old.
Tomura, who is now called Tenko cause he switched to his old name, because he had appropriate behavior and helped with activities for the community for years, was released 5 months early, and Spinner welcomed him into his apartment. Dabi stayed with Rei and Shoto at the new house that Enji gave to the family's members. Natsuo has long since moved in with his girlfriend at her home, Fuyumi got married and she and her husband decided to live in the countryside because they like that they have much more freedom. Because of this, only Rei, Dabi and Shoto remained in the new house, which was a good factor for Rei and Touya to made their bond stronger for the years they lost as son and mom. Shoto was not always at home because of his hero service, but he came home very often, as did Natsuo and Fuyumi after the years.
The first two years after Touya got out of prison and came home were filled with more stress, melancholy, nostalgia, hidden memories and other things, but with time it was resolved. After some time, Natsuo and his wife began to visit with their children, the same began Fuyumi and her husband with also their kids. They started to trust Touya to be around his grandchildren.
Today is December 25. The holiday awaited by everyone, Christmas. Even though it isn't that special in Japan, this year is not just any Christmas. It's the Christmas where all the remained members can celebrate it together after Shigaraki has been released this year. It will be the second Christmas celebrated together after so long, unfortunately without Twice and Big Sis Mag. The first Christmas they celebrated together was after they won the battle with the Liberation Army from Deika City, wished Magne could've been alive to celebrate it with them in that year. Such a long time ago.
Toga was on the train, heading to one of Tokyo's special wards, the downtown Shinjuku. This is where she and the others will meet. They will walk through the neighborhoods here and buy KFC and Christmas cakes to eat in the park, and after they would take the train again because it'll take 15 minutes on the JR Chuo Line to Tokyo Station so they could go to Tokyo Christmas Market. She was dressed in a fuzzy white and red anewsta special for autumn or winter, similar to a cape poncho, in red and black plaid skirt which was knee-length, red turtleneck blouse, thick stockings of skin color, black boots, yellow chain with a star around her neck and a pair of star-shaped earrings. Her blonde hair wasn't tied in two messy buns up like it was in her youth, it was tied in two braided buns down. Even though she was no longer as young as she was once, she loved to dress cutely and elegantly, and she was free to do so.
Half an hour passed before the train stopped in the subway. Himiko came out of it and the others were already waiting for her. Atsuhiro was dressed in a traditional vintage handcrafted red kimono, a golden monocle over his left eye, black pants, a Japanese obi belt and a Christmas mask on the right side of his head with the shape of a cat with red and white, with also two little golden bells and his cane. His gray hair and wrinkles showing his age of 67, but still having the same elegant tastes as in his youth.
Tenko and Iguchi were casually dressed. Tenko was in a pair of black jeans that were slightly ripped at the knees, with a purple sweatshirt that was written "Everything Is Bullshit" on the front, red sneakers and a black jacket over. His black hair started to have white hairs like when he was in the league. In the old war when he was face to face with Deku and let him pull his last punch because he lost his own will, Tenko's body summoned an absurd power in that crisis like Dabi did with his mom's quirk coming out. This phenomenon occurs only when it's a do-or-die situation and is the power that only manifests as the reaper draws near. It seemed that the ability AFO half-stripped from the quirk 'Overhaul' and left it as an incomplete copy engineering to just destruction, has developed its reassemble part, like Chisaki's, making Shigaraki's pieces unify and reassembled him back, but in Tenko's form. Without his old scars and white hair.
Now he wears glasses and has short black hair.
Spinner was dressed in a black sweatshirt with a skeleton on it, a jacket over it, a small dark green backpack with a skull foreside, dark blue jeans, and black sneakers. He was left with some scars on his face from the scales that fell off after the operations he had to do so that he would not become a real nomu after the war.
Both were dressed like delinquents who usually smoked 5 packs of cigarettes a day and drank 10 coffees. Which is not a very far description to the way they actually are if you remove the word delinquents and replace it with emo grandpas. Both were with their dog in a leash. It was a cardigan welsh corgi, the colors of his fur being white and black. After the therapy that Tenko had in rehabilitation, he and Iguchi decided to adopt a dog. Tenko chose which one. Both agreed to name him Kuro. Shimura very much wanted to call him that in the name of Kurogiri who unfortunately could not survive the war. Kuro meaning "black".
Touya was dressed in a black casual cloak coat that had one flying crane on the back, white simple sweater, black mask, black glasses that hid his eyes, 5-pocket denim black jeans and black boots. Even though a lot has passed since the drama of the Todoroki family in public, after Dabi's release many journalists came with cameras to ask him questions and even followed him. He knows people don't want to accept that he's walking free and they're scared.
Touya suffered a lot, especially related to his physical condition. After the old war, he was put in a machine that kept him awake for a few minutes a day and his heart was very unstable, the doctors said he was dying slowly. However, Touya's stubbornness always brought him where he wanted to be. First, he continued to live on the streets alone at 16 years old despite his unhealthy body out of spite to take revenge on his father and family, and he did, even though he didn't succed in killing Endeavor and himself like he planned. He managed to live in that machine even though the doctors told him it was impossible until they managed to improve it to prolong his life, and his father paid a person with a powerful healing quirk to bring him back into a human body like before. The person managed to get Dabi back on his feet, but without his left arm and with some scars left as they were when he first woke up from the coma. When he was locked up in prison, his hair was cut to zero, but over time it grew again, even longer than his mother's. After he got out, he cut his hair to be a little over his shoulders and managed to put on piercings again.
He first got his piercings when he was still a teenager on the streets with a bitter heart and sick mind. It was a childish wish, but it was the first modification to his body that he chose to make. It wasn't something that simply happened from birth, like the fact that he inherited his mother's weak condition and started getting burned. It wasn't something that changed without his consent when he wasn't conscious, like the people who put him in that facility and changed his body so he could recover. He didn't even know what kind of things they did to him when he was asleep for 3 years and it was better that way. Piercings were something that seemed cool to him since he was a child and they suited him with the surgical staples that he had to apply then only on his face, specifically on the cheeks so that his jaw would not fall off.
It was something he chose because he liked it, not caring that it didn't help him with anything. The first thing after so long that he did to his body and wasn't out of his control. Choosing to put something permanent on his body was more to gain some control over it after everything that he was put through. That's why he encouraged Shimura to do it after he got out of prison. Touya thought that it would help Tenko a lot to do something to look like he is in control of his body again. Even though it's been a long time since AFO stole his body, sometimes he may still have a disturbing feeling about it. So Touya convinced him to get two percings in his lobes at least.
The former arsonist has now in his ears two industrial piercings, two helixes in each ear, and one earring in each earlobe. He has some anti-eyebrow piercings that are placed above the cheek bones, close to the small scars under his eyes like in adolescence. This one has the nicknames "teardrop" or "butterfly kiss". He has two dimples in each cheek where his staples were, a labret which is below bottom lip and above chin, this one reffered as also "soul patch piercing". He has three piercings in his nose like in the old days and a wrist piercing on his right hand because the other one is robotic.
"Toga-chan!" Mister exclaimed, using the honorific 'chan' like he did when she was just a cheerful teenager girl, ignoring her old bloody tendencies. Even though she isn't as young as she was to still use that honorific for her, Sako will always remember her as that happy girl who he met in the league despite that she is now an wonderful grow woman in her 50s. He drew the attention of the others at the fact that Toga had finally appeared. "Oh my God, guys! I was so excited to finally see you all!" She said this as she ran towards them and tried to catch them all in a big hug. "I missed you all so muuuch!!" Tears began to flow from the corners of her eyes.
"Decades have passed and she's still behaving like a teenager" Touya rolled his eyes, but he didn't get out of the group hug. "Ooh, let's not act like you're not as grumpy as you were in your twenties" Spinner reproached him while he also elbowing him a little in the shoulder in a friendly way.
"I am so glad that I finally got to see you again, old comrades. Friends." Tenko said with the most genuine smile, and Kuro twirled his tail and barked twice as if he understood his statement and agreed.
They all smiled at each other, grateful that they had come to live until that moment.
"Let's stop wasting time and go!" Himiko reminded them and they began to move. They passed through the Kabuchiko neighborhood and admired the illuminations that were everywhere. Trees with installations of all colors, lights in all kinds of shapes like stars or hearts. Young lovers, children with their parents, people with a gift in their arm passed by. It was a wonderful atmosphere even though it wasn't snowing like it should be in this season.
They all went to KFC and got 2 big Christmas buckets because it was enough for them to eat. Shimura left Kuro outside to wait because dogs are not allowed in. They sat down at a table in the corner and before eating and talking about their new lifes, they began to pray in honor of their dead friends who deserved to be with them now, Jin and Magne, and for their past victims.
"Delicios~! I really like those fried chickens. Kentucky is Christmas!" giggled Toga while she ate. "Yeah, me too." Spinner stammered with food in his mouth. "I am so glad that even though we aged, we still have the same spirit that we had when we first meet. Despite everything, we still haven't lost our unique sparkle! Such a wonderful magic that we have!" Atsuhiro said joyful and everyone agreed. "We should now go and buy some shortcakes after that, Christmas cakes are usually too expensive" suggested Tenko. "It's okay, I'll buy them for you all. Shoto-kun gave me enough money for this day because he knew today is special." Touya reassured them. The big buckets also contained two special dishes for the holiday, two small lasagna that need to be heated and two small chocolate cakes with a tree drawn on them. These were put by Spinner in his backpack.
They went to buy some slices of Christmas cake and then stopped in the middle of Shinjuku outside the station to stay and eat. Christmas cake is a simple sponge cake decorated with strawberries and whipped cream. Shuichi and Toga also went to a convenience store to buy some more sweets for them, Tenko went to buy some dog snacks for Kuro as a reward for being a good dog. Toga got a Christmas shortcake in form of Santa and Shuichi some milk whipped cream rice cakes mochi in form of snowmen which looked adorable.
"So, Touya-kun, what do you do know?" Mister tried to start a conversation while they were eating.
"Well, like usual, I stay with my mom and my younger brother at a mansion. I cannot really find a job that easy because of my.. history, you know? So my little brother help me and my mom with the money because both of us cannot work and didn't have a job." he said while putting another piece of cake in his mouth.
"So what are you doing all this time?" asked Tenko.
"I spend a lot of time with my mom and do my exercises. I had time to practice many activities with her. We planted many flowers in our yard this spring and I realized that I like gardening. My mom favorite kind of flowers are Rindous. Rindou commonly means "to love someone who is sorrowful", "justice", "faithful" and others things. She said that things can have more meanings than we know because people finds ways to perceive them or describe them differently. When she was little, her grandmother told her that it meant "I love you who is sad" which resembles the quote before. She was pretty thoughtful and sad when she was younger, but she wished someone will see through her sorrowful and love her anyway. She knew one day she will marry with someone her father chose, not someone that she loves, but she still hoped to find someone who would really love her and be happy in the marriage. Unfortunately, she didn't get that." He had a harder time swallowing a piece of cake after that. "She said that I, myself, resemble the flower too. However, one flower that she would really associate with me would be Suisen. That flower is a symbol of hope and rebirth. It also means strength, resistance and others. She had a book related to flowers when she was hospitalized, and when she read about this flower, she said she saw me. Suisen daffodils bloom in the cold season from late December to the end of February in Japan. I was born in the cold season, on January 18th. Suisen is also called 'Secchuko' which literally means 'flower in snow' because of the season it flourishing. That season was the one I had the accident. I was already declared dead at the time when she read the book so she prayed that I would be reborn as this beautiful flower and that she will plant more than half of the garden only these on my behalf after she would came out from the hospital." Suddenly tears come out of the corners of his eyes. "Forgive me for making the atmosphere depressing, guys."
Everyone looked at Touya with a mixture of understanding and concern for the sudden tears, giving him warm smiles. Sako stroked his back to comfort him. "No need for apologizes, my dear friend. We all are glad that you had the time to have such a peaceful conversation with your mom after so long. We can imagine how much it means to you."
"Thank you.." he tried to wipe away his tears with his sleeve.
"Guys, we should go right now if we want to go to Tokyo Market." Tenko reminded them as he looked at his watch. They all finished eating and headed to the train station which was very near them. They waited some minutes until it arrived and entered in then began to move. The sun was already setting.
They all arrived and were heading towards the park. It was a large wall drawn specifically for Christmas as if it were made of gingerbread, it was written on it "Tokyo Christmas Market". They went in and started looking around the charming stalls. Japanese Christmas markets typically feature traditional German foods, and the unforgettable 26-foot carousel-like structure is a Christmas pyramid which has German roots. The kiosks were selling crafts and food from all around the world too.
The gang of individuals were looking curiously at the stalls. There was churros, butter pretzels, stollen, grilled sausages and other food that they never tasted and wanted to try. Also many snowmen, reindeers, Santa Claus decorations were there to make the atmosphere even more Christmassy.
There was a stall selling roasted almonds of different flavors and they had sample so Shuichi and Atshuiro jumped on them. Tenko bought himself some churros and was eating while walking Kuro. Touya was deciding what sweets to buy to give to his mother and siblings, as well as to his grandchildren. He bought a box of mint chocolate made from Armenia and looked around the kiosks until he saw one with sweets made from Romania. He never heard of that country until now, but he hasn't been to school since he was 13 so it's understandable. There was sweets like Poiana, Africana, Rom, Kandia etc. He bought a box of wafers wrapped in Poiana chocolate called "Chokotoff", an Africana with hazelnut and then he went to see other things.
Toga comes in a hurry and calls him from behind "Touya-kun!! I bought some cute hats with movable ears. Look!!" She put on a deer hat to show him how its ears move. "I bought enough for everyone! Let's wear them to match!!"
"You're really behaving like a teenager in her adolescence." Touya reproached her "But I'm kind of grateful for that" and he gave her a smile even though she couldn't see behind his mask. Anyway, it seems that Toga realized and smiled back with her teeth. Touya took a hat and placed it on his head. "Let's go find the others! Oh, look!! It's Tenko-kun right there!"
Tenko heard someone calling him while he walked Koru around. "Tenko-kuun! Put this hat on your head so we can all be matching! Look, I bought a hat for little Koru too!" she took out a red hat like Santa's and place it on the corgi's head and also pated him. The puppy barked back and came closer to Toga to pet him.
"He really likes you" chuckled the man with glasses. "Who doesn't like me anyway?" The vampire joked.
"There you are guys!" Sako and Iguchi were approaching them, the magician having a bag in his hand with things he most likely bought. "You two take those hats too! I bought them so we could take a cute photo group!" The blonde gave them the silly hats and the two put them on their heads. Touya also came to them after he finished observing the stalls. "Let's go and drink something. What do you all say?" he suggested and everyone agreed.
Evening has fallen. The illuminated decorations looked even more gorgeous. The gang went to order something and then sat down at a table from the corner, isolated from the others. There was a small stage where the children dressed in red as for Christmas sang Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and its final act the "Ode to Joy". The songs were very listened in Japan at Christmas.
Himiko bought herself a creamy hot cholocate with marshmallows, Atshuiro bought a Gluhwein, in other words a hot spiced wine, with a red mug that he can take home. The other three bought a pint of beer each and some food. Tenko had an Esbein, a cured pig knuckle, and he would tear some of the meat and secretly give it to Kuro so that he could enjoy it too. Shuichi had a Bratwurst which is a German sausage. Touya got one more drink that he wanted to try for a long time, an Eggnog. It tastes custardy, rich, creamy and sweet, reminiscent of melted ice cream spiced with nutmeg. Think of it as a custard drink in a mug, enhanced with a splash of alcohol like bourbon or rum. It is Fuyumi's favorite drink, she told him about it and that made Touya curious.
"Hey, Sako-san, what did you buy?" asked the former arsonist.
"Well, I bought some sweets and little gifts for my wife and my adorable niece! I bought a cute wooden music box with reindeers spinning in a circle for my wife and a polar bear plush with Santa's hat for my niece."
And suddenly everyone went numb with the food and the drinks in their throats. "You have a niece!?" They all said in chorus.
The magician's eyes widened. "Oh. Didn't I tell you? One of my boys is married and my daughter-in-law gave birth 4 months ago. Her name is Choko Sako! Wanna see photos?" he smiled. The old man took out his phone and started showing them pictures of the little girl.
"Awh! She's adorable, Atsuhiro-san!" Himiko uttered. "Congratulations!" Everyone began to congratulate the former thief. "Thank you everyone! I am really a blessed man!" he began to wipe away the tears that appeared in the corners of his eyes. "I'm sincerely so, so happy that I've got to be alive today with all of you. I loved the league, it was like a family for me. I'm a lucky man for meeting such kind people like you. Even though we weren't good people and we were some selfish individuals because of our past experiences that haunted us even to this day, we still got some humanity in us despite everything that we've been put through! Our voices have finally been heard, we received the help we deserved, and we'll still keep working to atone for our sins until at the end of our lifes! Our pain wasn't in vain after all! I hope that our good friends, Jin and Big Sis Mag, received the good lifes that they deserved after they got reincarnated after suffering those cruel deaths they had. Or to keep watching over us while they're in Yomi and having their peace finally earned after so long. We are alive! We earned our justice a long time ago because we fought hard for it! Dear old friends, let's have a toast because we won and that we did it together!"
"Together!!" They clinked their drinks and took a sip.
"You were always good with words, Mister." Shimura confessed. "We've been through hell before and even after we met each other. We got our complicated and tragic backgrounds that shaped us in the most horrible versions of ourselves, but despite that, we still found a.. home in each other." He stopped talking to gather his thoughts, and the others let him continue quietly. "In the past, I labeled you all as just comrades. I didn't like how my master viewed his so called 'friends' that he spoke about. He used the people he called that as just pawns for his plans. He didn't see anything more in them than just what they could give to him, what they could help him with. Just replaceble puppets. No, I didn't like that. I viewed you all as worthy individuals. You all stayed by my side even though I couldn’t help you with anything after my sensey was imprisoned. That day was like a new era that began and I was not even half ready for the responsibilities that were placed on my shoulders, and I crawled for my family's dead hands for comfort because I had no one else. But you all stayed. You all kept seeing me as your leader despite it. You still believed in me and did not leave. And that gave me another reason to keep going, to become a better a leader. At first, all I wanted was for people to hear my words and listen to me, something that Stain achieved easily and I was horribly jealous of that, but I've got that in the end. Villains deserve a hero of their own. I tried to be your hero after all, and I know I've made many mistakes, and that I still failed and I didn't destroy everything like I promised, but I am hoping that you all have in your hearts to forgive me for that, friends. I was ready to die in the war as your hero that you all craved for so many years." Tenko broke down sobbing. "Thank you for believing in me and for staying by my side when no one did." Kuro started licking the former villain's hand when he noticed that he was sad.
"Tomu- Tenko.." Toga stopped and jumped up to hug him, so did the others. "Don't be too harsh on yourself. Like Atsuhiro said, we won. You didn't fail. You still became a hero for us, boss." Touya winked jokely at him to ease up the mood.
"You're a hero, Tenko. We would have never been where we are now if you weren't there for us as our leader. We fought together, ate together, stayed together. The league gave us a place where we belong, you gave us that. And we thank you for that, our dear hero." Shuichi told him.
"Thank you.. Thank you.. I love you, guys." Shimura said through tears. They all stayed in the hug, not wanting to ruin it. However, Koru began to bark.
"Hey.. guys.. It's snowing!"
Everyone looked around and saw snowflakes falling from the sky.
"So beautiful.." they were captivated.
"Guys, let's take pictures! Look at the camera!" Toga pulled out her phone and stood up to catch everyone in the selfie. They were all wearing the hats she bought. After they finished their drinks, they left. Toga found a girl to help them take a picture in front of the Christmas pyramid.
"Say : 'Merry Christmas!' and smile!" The girl encouraged them.
"Merry Christmas!" The members of the group said while smiling. Tenko was in the middle with Kuro in his arms, Toga with Shuichi in the left, and Dabi with Atsuhiro in the right.
"Thank you very much!!" Himiko thanked the girl and showed the others the pictures. "I'm going to put one of them in a frame!"
"Send us the pictures too" Iguchi reminded her.
"Let's go home, friends." Touya told them. "The train will go without us." The others agreed and started to leave for the station. Obviously, they lingered on the way telling stories from their daily lives.