Archive of Our Own ^beta

Izuku burns. 

Fire crackles beneath him, sending sparks flying past his face, and golden flames ripple across his skin. However, he lies helpless in it, unable to move or call for help. Like a discarded doll with no power over its body, his limbs remain limp, despite his mental urging. All the while, the fire burns. 

Izuku is well acquainted with the pop and sting of explosions against his skin. Burns and blisters have formed and healed thousands of times. Huddled within the grasp of flames, his skin should be melting, yet all he feels is a comforting warmth. 

Could he be dying? Trapped in a burning building that will become his coffin? Finally, dying after one too many of Kacchan's explosions? The victim of an anti-quirkless hate crime? 

Flames flicker over his body, bringing a pleasant tingling sensation and warmth that relaxes his tense muscles. The fire burns a happy golden color, tousling his hair as it crackles.

Izuku should be panicking.

Unable to move his body, Izuku can only glimpse the darkness outside the dancing flames. The vast void is consuming, and Izuku feels briefly like an astronaut lost in space, floating amid the stars.

However, between the gaps in the flames, colors spirals. A kaleidoscope of purple, orange, green, blue, red, and pink swirls around him, never moving past the barrier of the fire, yet moving ever closer. 

"So you're the next,"  a voice whispers, and Izuku shivers. Yet something in the whisper calls for him, and Izuku's eyes turn to see a flash of brilliant white outside the fire, brighter than a burning sun, and then…

Izuku wakes up. 

Izuku's heart is thundering in his chest, and his breath comes in desperate wheezes, but something from the dream lingers, numbing his limbs or at least exhausting him because all he can do is lay on his bed and stare at his bedroom ceiling.

Then like a precious collectible dropped from several stories, Izuku jerks up, flailing in his fluffy 10th Anniversary All Might blanket. He grabs his blanket and rips it off to look at his unblemished legs. Slowly his hands trail up his legs and down his arms, searching for burns.

However, no blisters are forming, and there is no reddened skin, nothing he will need to hide in bandages and long sleeve shirts. 

That, at least, is a relief, and Izuku collapses gratefully onto his pillow. 

His All Might collectible figurines and posters watch over him, but it feels different this morning. As if the universe has been tilted several degrees off course. 

"What was that?" he whispers to himself. 

He's never had a dream like that before. Usually, his nighttimes are filled with stress; classmates laughing at him, missing assignments, Kacchan yelling…not whatever that was. 

The dream is already fading, but Izuku can still feel the heat from the flames against his skin. 

His phone buzzes, and mindlessly, Izuku reaches for it and swipes up to unlock it. 

All Might!!!: Are you coming to training this morning?

Izuku scrambles upright, panic chasing away any lingering sleepiness. Flailing, he rolls out of bed, discarding his pajamas and hopping into his workout clothes. He's only been training for a month. He can't be late. 

As his bedroom door slams closed behind him, all thoughts of the dream are gone.

The next night, Izuku burns again. 

As before, his body remains limp and motionless, resting on large logs as the fire flickers over and around him. The heat is intense, radiating to Izuku's core. He should be ashes, no more than smoke. 

Izuku remembers learning about the firebombing of Japan in his history classes. Pictures showed cities decimated to charred remains, and the humans who lived there hadn't fared much better. 

Fire hurts. Fire burns. 

Izuku has the scars from Kacchan to prove it. 

However, despite those lingering facts, Izuku feels completely calm. He could be dying and the world ending, but nothing would phase him. Instead, he watches the lights flash outside the flames, closer this time and brighter. 

A turn echoes in the fire and darkness around him, catching Izuku's attention. Bright and cheery, the fire crackles in turns with the crescendos and decrescendos. Flames flicker and flare as if they are the instruments playing the tune. 

Izuku knows the melody, but its origin remains on the tip of his tongue. 

If he were awake, he'd know it instantly, and the realization would cause his mind to whirl in shock.

However, as relaxed, warm, and safe as Izuku feels, he does not chase after the song's name. Resting contented, he allows the music and fire to ripple over him.

A third, then fourth, then fifth dream… Izuku knows he should tell All Might. 

Izuku has never dreamed like this before training to receive One for All. He'd have the typical dreams of meeting All Might that leave him beaming in the morning or a nightmare where his classmates laugh at him, and Kacchan burns his things.

Researching on his laptop, Izuku knows that dreams are supposed to reflect inner thoughts and experiences. Still, despite hours spent thinking, Izuku can not determine what would cause him to dream of consuming darkness and a burning fire. 

When he writes about the dreams on paper, they appear horrifying, but in reality, they're not unpleasant. And when Izuku climbs into bed at night, he secretly hopes they will return. The heat from the fire warms him from the world's cold reception; even when his classmates throw paper balls at his hair or his teacher makes a snide comment, the lingering warmth melts their icy barbs. 

However, the part of Izuku that checks his school shoes for tacks and knows the convenience store on the corner always charges him more than Kacchan is suspicious. Once is a surprise. Twice a coincidence. Three and more is a pattern. 

Before, Izuku had nothing to offer the world, but now he spends every morning and evening training with Japan's number one hero and arguably the best hero in the world. There are plenty who would take advantage of that connection. 

Researching villains with dream quirks reveals nothing, but Izuku knows that however wonderful and terrifying the internet is, it does not hold all the secrets in the world. One for All is proof of that. 

While struggling over the beach, Izuku's resolve hardens. Dropping a rotting bundle of net he had been dragging to the front stairs, he wanders over to the surface where All Might is sitting, feet out of reach of the hungry waves. 

A large pile of garbage teeters behind All Might, including a dented sheet of metal reflecting a dark purple-pink. The color surprises him, reminding him of ripe berries hanging from bushes and blooming flowers, but he tears his eyes away from it and back to his mentor. 

"All Might," Izuku begins, ready to confess to the dreams of burning and colors swirling in darkness.

"Yes?" his mentor asks, turning to face him with a raised eyebrow and smile. 

"I've been having these dreams…"

Behind All Might, the color distorts, turning from a blob of color into an almost humanoid shape. 

All Might is saying something, but for once, Izuku's attention is not on his idol but locked on the color. The same color, he realizes with growing surprise that he's been seeing in his dreams through the flickers of the flames. 

As if recognizing his attention, the pink turns brighter, like happy, flushed cheeks, the same color Izuku's face is slowly turning. 

From far in the distance, Izuku hears the cheerful melody ringing in his ears and feels the phantom warmth of caressing flames. The darkness of the void creeps into the corner of his eyes and behind the swirling Pink. 

Watching in rapt attention, Izuku could swear the pink reforms itself into the outline of a person, waving their hand in greeting. 

In a trance, Izuku's hand raises, and his fingers twitch in a wave back. 

"My boy?" All Might calls. 

The warmth of the flames and the echoing music disappear instantly, like an abrupt dunk in an icy motion. 

Izuku whips around, disoriented, stumbling over his feet, and nearly tumbles into the sea. 

Strong arms wrap around Izuku's stomach, lifting him up with a startled gasp and saving him from a saltwater dip. 

"You alright?" All Might asks as he adjusts his grip on Izuku, allowing him to stand on wobbling feet. 

"I'm fine!" Izuku squeaks, his face flushed in embarrassment. 

All Might looks at him, still in his skinny form, a smirk tugging at his lips. He hadn't even needed to transform to grab Izuku, and Izuku is unsure if that means he is very small or All Might super strong. 

"Be careful next time. Don't want to take a surprise bath!" 

Izuku winces in shame, but at All Might's smile and pat on the shoulder, he straightens. 

"It's alright," All Might says. "Let's get you back to work."

Later that day, Izuku realizes he never told All Might about the dream. 

The next time Izuku awakes to flames, something is different. 

The colors that consistently linger outside the fire are now closer. Murmured voices echo from them, and Izuku watches as one of the colors, Pink, reaches out towards him and pulls him from the fire and into her arms. 

Izuku lets out a surprised squeak, and Pink startles, her aura settling into something more human. Izuku glimpses glossy back hair and a mole next to a happy smile. Then the vision fades back to the pink blur. 

Gently, she brushes her hand through his curls, the sensation bringing a fluttering sense of pride. "Oh, Toshi," she seems to whisper, "he's perfect!"

This time, Izuku is sure the burning he feels is not from the lingering fire but from the embarrassment coloring his cheeks.

Another color pushes in, a bright, bold red, and pulls Izuku from her arms. Energy crackles around him and through Izuku.

 "He's a crazy one!" Red laughs loudly, then tosses Izuku high into the dark void. 

Despite the lack of ground, the law of gravity plays an effect, and Izuku begins to fall. All Might's lessons on correctly falling run through Izuku's mind, but his body remains limp as he plummets. Will he break anything if he hits the ground? Will that then impact him outside of the dream? 

"Careful," a new voice chides and plucks the falling Izuku out of the darkness. Orange like a slowly setting sun, and the solemn robes of monks envelopes Izuku. Through the hazy Orange, Izuku sees a stern face and a jagged scar. "His form is new, and we do not know the consequences of injuries here," his words echo oddly, and Izuku strains to hear. 

"He's right," yet another voice says. Blue, the color of a rippling sea and dripping sky, slowly lifts Izuku out of Orange's arms. "We must be careful. All of this is new." His voice is like rolling mist on the morning ground, there but gone in an instant. 

Pink floats over, sending happy sparks off her. One lands on Izuku's arm, and he is filled with the same bursting joy Pink feels. 

Blue smile softly, and Izuku thinks he can see the faint outline of a jacket and a smile peeking over it before Pink pulls Izuku into her arms again. 

Like a newborn child presented to family, Izuku is passed from color to color, each cooing and remarking on how perfect he is. In the dream, Izuku cannot speak or move, so with blushing cheeks, he can do nothing as they each hold and cuddle him close. 

Their happiness blooms from them, like ink dropped into water, spreading until it fills Izuku. 

Each is gentle, and despite teasing tosses in the air, Izuku is confident they will not hurt him. He feels precious in their arms, like he's a treasure they never want to lose. Only his Mom treats Izuku that way; most ignore or are annoyed by his presence.

Unbidden tears creep into his eyes, and a sob catches in his throat. 

Pink instantly floats to his side and cards a hand through his hair. Her color flashes, momentarily revealing a brow creased in worry. 

The genuine care hits Izuku's heart, and the tears pour faster. 

The colors swirl around, their voice blurring between anxious whispering and murmured comfort. 

"He's alright," a voice says, interrupting their panicking. Brilliant white, like the core of an exploding star, steps into view. Serenity emanates from him, a calmness that settles the other colors, soothing their worried pigments into gentle pastels. 

Izuku can't help but stare, transfixed by the quiet power radiating out. White holds out his hands, and Izuku glimpses skinny but strong arms before he is placed into them. 

"Hello," White whispers, his voice so quiet Izuku thinks it might not be there. "I'm sure this is a lot for you, but I promise you are safe." 

At the word safe, a feeling of peace settles over Izuku like a blanket after a long day. His tears slip away, and his tumultuous feelings ease. 

With a nod to the others, White begins walking, the other colors falling in line behind him in a swirling rainbow. 

To the side, Izuku notices two other colors, a muted red and dark purple. They trail close, but not with the others, and Izuku can see how they watch White. 

White chuckles but doesn't say anything to them as he walks back to the fire Izuku began the dream in. 

However, now, Izuku can see that it's not an ordinary fire but a person perpetually burning a bright golden color, like a phoenix caught mid-transformation. What Izuk had supposed were logs were muscular arms that White lifts Izuku into again. 

Instantly, the arms circle around him, tucking him close against a broad chest. Flames from the person leap to Izuku eagerly as if he had been missed in his brief absence. 

Outside the flames, the colors watch, and Izuku's last sight is White, his form fluctuating long enough to reveal piercing green eyes. 

Izuku wakes up with a gasp and stares up at the ceiling. 

What was that?

He scrambles from bed and grabs his notebook, frantically writing down the experience. However, the colors, which appear so vivid in his mind, feel dull on paper. Eight pages are spent transcribing the experience, but when Izuku leans back in his chair to look at it, he knows it is incomplete. 

The words to describe the feelings and colors in the darkness of the dream are woefully inadequate.

Izuku stares at the words until his Mom yells at him to get ready for school, and he scrambles to leave. 

Izuku should tell someone about what is going on. 

He really, really should. 

But Mom would panic, and today is his rest day, which means no All Might. 

Tomorrow, Izuku decides. He'll tell All Might tomorrow. 

Again in the burning fire, Izuku can see the colors (the people) swirling around him, talking to each other as they watch him. The darkness of the void distorts their voices, turning them loud, then soft, then echoing. He can hear his name whispered, and the attention would make him squirm, but it feels innocent, and Izuku is busy watching the fire. 

He needs to remember every detail to relay it back to All Might when he wakes up. 

A flame brushes across his head like a caress, and Izuku's mind whirls, analyzing how he could be wrapped in fire and not injured and what it all means. Yet, when the arms gently fold around him, cradling Izuku like he's something precious, he looks up at the fire's face. 

The flames burn an unusual golden color, except for around the face, where two brilliant blue flames occasionally flicker. Fire drips from the forehead in long strands, and a cloak of flame billows past him. 

Izuku's brow knits together as recognition slowly dawns. 

A joyful melody flickers across the flames, resonating in Izuku's soul. Bright and swooping, all at once, denoting power and comfort. 

Izuku knows this tune. He knows this fiery being. 

However, it is the two brilliant blue flames where the eyes should be that clue Izuku in. Piercing and powerful in their intensity—they are the same shade of blue as the eyes of the hero training Izuku. 

All Might, or some form of him, has been whose fiery arms Izuku had been resting in. 

As if waiting for Izuku to connect the dots, the music—All Might's theme song—swoops into its climax. Heart pounding but body motionless, Izuku can only watch as All Might leans down and presses a kiss against his forehead. The sensation blazes against his skin. 

Laying in his bed, Izuku's cheeks burn. Around him, figurines and posters of All Might watch on, smiling. With a shriek, Izuku grabs his blanket and pulls it over his head to hide his embarrassment. 

Izuku cannot tell anyone. 

"Good job, my boy!" All Might calls as Izuku collapses on the ground. 

His legs are numb and worryingly unsteady after the exhausting run, and his chest heaves for air, but Izuku allows All Might to drag his arms over his head. 

"Remember your recovery position!"

Izuku stumbles to his feet. His lungs burn, but he forces himself to take slow, consistent breaths while trying not to fall. 

The park is blessedly empty. All Might is the sole witness to Izuku's red face and the sweat dripping down. His curls dangle in his eyes, heavy from perspiration, and with an annoyed grunt, Izuku pushes them back. 

All Might proudly pats Izuku on the back. "Remember when you could barely run a mile? You've grown so much!"

"It took me over an hour!" Izuku protests. "You've been clocked running at over 400 m/hr!"

All Might laughs. "My prince of nonsense! Do consider that I have more than four months of training under my belt. I would be a little put out if you reached my level in that short of time! Besides, you did all of that with no quirk. One for All will change things."

Izuku's eyebrows knit together in thought, but he allows All Might to prod him to keep walking as part of their cool-down.

The seven-mile run has left his legs like jelly, but Izuku strongly suspects that it isn't the only reason for his wobbly legs. The question has been weighing on his mind since he realized who, not what, the fire was in his dreams. 

"I had an odd question?" Izuku asks, hating the nervous waver in his voice. 

"Yes?"

"Do you…" Izuku's cheeks burn, but he continues, "Do you ever have dreams? About me, I mean? Where I'm in them?"

All Might stops and looks oddly at Izuku, "What brings up this question?"

"Nothing," Izuku squeaks. He walks faster, hoping to put the question behind them. 

However, after several minutes of walking, All Might says, "I don't dream often. The medication I take for my injury tends to prevent that. That said, I did have a dream about you the other day."

Izuku trips over his feet in shock, and All Might lunges forward, grabbing him by the back of his collar and righting him. 

Feet back under him, Izuku asks, "Really?!"

"Mmhmm. It was a couple of weeks ago. I don't normally remember my dreams, but it was very vivid one. I was recalling the day we first met. I was in the tunnel, the villain splattered around me, and then I saw you lying limp on the ground. Even though I had already lived it, I felt my heart lurch at that."

"At what?" Izuku asks. 

All Might rubs the back of his neck, "Seeing you laying there, lifeless, and fearing I had been too late. I would have never met you if I had been a minute slower."

A chill runs up Izuku's back, but he shakes it off. 

"In the dream, I picked you up, and as I was carrying you in my arms—" All Might pauses, a wistful look on his face, "I heard my master's voice."

Izuku's eyes widen. 

"It's been years, but I'll never forget the sound of it."

A cool breeze flows through the park, tousling their hair and carrying the smell of tulips. Pink tinges the clouds above like an excited toddler had splashed watercolors on them. 

Izuku's voice is a whisper. "What did she say?"

All Might stops and looks Izuku in the eye. "She said, 'he's perfect.' That I had picked the perfect successor."

A lump builds in Izuku's throat, and he struggles to say anything around it. But All Might places his large hand on Izuku's sweaty head, giving it a ruffle. "Master always knew best; in this instance, I agree with her."

The dreams become a daily occurrence. Often Izuku can rest in All Might's arms and enjoy the soothing fire. Sometimes, the other colors drift closer, pluck Izuku's from All Might's arms, and carry him around. 

Pink is the most common. She cradles Izuku in her arms and pinches his cheeks, repeatedly murmuring how Toshi made the right choice and how excited they are for Izuku to join him. Orange occasionally joins, standing off to the side and watching Pink mother Izuku. However, whenever he reaches for Izuku, his hold is solid and careful. 

Red and Blue are rambunctious. They toss Izuku in the air and spin him around. They ruffle his hair and laugh like friends who have known each other for years. Wild and free, they remind Izuku of a paper boat, pushed into a burbling stream while friends race along, whooping as it sails over the rapids. 

White is more subdued, but Izuku can feel it when those piercing green eyes fix on him. He slips over when the other colors are gone and holds Izuku in his arms without speaking. His grip is gentle as if expecting Izuku to squirm away, but in this dreamy realm, Izuku is only ever an observer. 

"You can call me First," White once whispers in Izuku's ear. It's one of the few times he speaks. "The others are Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh," he says, pointing to each color. 

The numbers settle on Izuku like a heavy blanket, pressing into him and wrapping him tighter to them. They feel special. To be treasured as valued gifts and not carelessly given away. White smiles when Izuku thinks that, as if he could glimpse into the workings of Izuku's mind. 

White—no, First—feels different from the rest, at once brighter and softer than the others. When his body flashes through, revealing glimpses of a skinny, lanky form, Izuku wonders if he knows him. 

However, the muted Red and dark Purple, Second and Third, always appear when First holds Izuku. They watch from a distance, glowering until Izuku returns to the safety of fiery All Might's arms.

Second radiates an angry red like leftover coals as he storms over and rips Izuku from the comfort of All Might's arms. His grip is uncomfortable, and for once, Izuku longs to squirm away and escape. 

However, Second moves quickly, leaving All Might far behind, a flickering candle in the dark. The void swirls around them, inky darkness that presses down save for the brooding red of Second. 

Izuku wants the others. Seventh's happy Pink, Sixth's soothing blue, First's familiar White—anyone but Second whose color feels closer to burning Izuku than All Might's ever did. 

"The others are ready," Second growls. His color ripples, and Izuku sees a stocky form covered in scars. "They would have you take it now. I'm not so convinced, so kid, let's take a see." His voice reverberates painfully in Izuku's ears, every syllable demanding Izuku's attention. 

With no landmarks, the darkness is unrecognizable to Izuku. He could be miles away from All Might and never know. The calm he has always felt here cracks under Second's angry aura, and tendrils of fear slip through. 

Izuku wants to ask what is going on, but then the void shudders, and a small Izuku runs out. Izuku stares in shock at the younger version of himself. He must be around 6. Dressed in an oversized All Might shirt, he giggles, his chubby cheeks stretched in a smile as he runs after unseen people. "Kacchan, wait up!"

Izuku tries to pull away. He knows what comes next. His body holds scars from countless similar exchanges, but despite his desperate desire to leave, his body remains motionless. Trapped in his unmoving body, he cries internally at the angry words followed by the pop of explosions. His younger self's cry of pain ignites the pain of past scars. 

Second's angry red flickers but then he growls, "Show me more."

And another Izuku runs out, a little older this time, his face streaked with dirt and his pants torn. "Why do you have to be so mean?" little Izuku cries, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. "You're hurting him and me."

Let it be over, Izuku begs in his mind, but Second appears unsatisfied. 

Glaring at the void, Second plunges them through memory after memory.

Disgust claws at Izuku's stomach as he watches his younger self stumble around after Kacchan, raise his hand in class to participate, and question why his meal was more expensive in restaurants—all things he had learned the hard way. 

Hurts he had buried deep in the corners of his mind dragged to the surface to wound anew. 

Tears begin to form in his eyes and overflow, rolling down his cheeks and plopping into the void below. A soft chime rings as it hits, a solitary bell ringing over an empty town. Another tear falls, followed by another chime. Soon, the darkness is filled with the chiming of Izuku's tears, a haunting orchestra of a lifetime's hurts. 

Second's color wavers, the red turning softer, and his eyes widen. He looks like he will say something, but Izuku wants to be gone. 

The chiming grows louder, drowning out the phantom Izuku crying in his bed over an assignment he failed for "plagiarizing," along with Second's unsure voice. 

"I–" Second starts to say, but then fire roars to life around them like a match dropped in a dry field, consuming everything in its path.  

Second stumbles back in surprise but quickly rights himself, adjusting his grip on Izuku. 

The fire creates a wall of heat, flaring hotter and higher every time Second takes a step away. 

The phantom image of a younger Izuku runs along, ignorant of the fire that reaches out and grabs him, pulling him into the flames. 

Flickering blue eyes blink out of the fire, locking onto Izuku. 

All Might steps through the wall of flames, white smoke trailing after. His fire flares hotter and brighter than before, making Izuku's eyes burn from the brightness. Angry sparks crackle and pop off of him as he stomps closer. 

Second hesitates, eyes darting to the flame wall surrounding them, but All Might is quicker, grabbing Izuku from Seconds' arms. Instantly, his fire cocoons Izuku, rising to cover Second from view. 

Gently, he cradles Izuku against his chest as fingers of flames wipe the tears away with a kindness that makes Izuku cry harder. Shhhh, the fire seems to whisper, soothing his tears. The calm of the void slips back over him, stronger than before, and Izuku's evaporate under All Might's tender gaze. 

If only his younger self could have felt this safety. 

When he wakes up, Izuku wraps his arms around himself and cries. His door is locked, but he still presses a pillow against his mouth to muffle his sobs so that his sleeping Mom won't hear. 

"Why?" he cries, his face wet from tears, "why can't I have something nice? Please give me something nice."

A ding of a text message interrupts him, and Izuku grabs his phone, wiping away tears to peer at the screen. 

All Might: Wanted to check in with you. Hope you have a GREAT day today! :D 

Emotion rises in Izuku's throat, and his chest burns with an unknown feeling. Izuku can barely reply through the tears. 

At school, Izuku feels more on edge than usual. He huddles forward, tucking his head low and wrapping his arms protectively over his neck. 

Underneath his desk, Izuku's leg bounces uncontrollably until, "Midoriya!" his teacher snaps, "stop fidgeting." 

Izuku freezes and mumbles, "Yes, sir," to his classmates' amusement. 

Unable to look at his teacher without his eyes watering, Izuku looks out the window, trying to absorb his spiraling thoughts with the swaying branches. However, the glass pane shimmers with the mid-morning light, tinging it a solemn red. 

It's the flower bushes outside, Izuku tells himself. He wants to ignore the red that mirrors Second's angry glow from last night's dream. 

"I'm sorry,"  a voice whispers, a low rumble in Izuku's ear. 

Izuku flinches, bumping into the desk behind him. Kacchan snarls, letting off his quirk too close to Izuku's skin. Memories of the phantom Izuku being burned flash before him. 

"I have to go to the bathroom!" Izuku announces and flees the classroom before anyone can say otherwise. His classmates snigger, but Izuku is already running, slamming the classroom door behind. 

Izuku's shoes slip on the tile floor, and the halls of Aldera stretch on, but in a blessed stroke of luck, Izuku makes it to the bathroom without seeing anyone. 

Fumbling with the door, Izuku locks the bathroom stall and sinks to the floor on trembling legs. Tears fill his eyes and pour out, and his hands shake. 

A feeling of regret fills the tiny stall, foreign to Izuku, gently touching on his mind. He gasps, spinning as the ghost of a hand rests on his shoulder. He paws at his shoulder, but nothing is there. 

"I'm sorry,"  Second says again. 

All Might does not allow Izuku to leave his fiery hold for weeks. Only Seventh and First are allowed to peer through the flames. All others are kept back by roaring heat that warps the darkness. 

That doesn't stop Second from apologizing every night, his dull red color tinged with sorrowful blue. 

The first couple of times, Izuku looks away and seeks comfort from the flames that burn away the painful memories. But despite himself, the sincerity of the apology moves him. No one ever apologizes to the quirkless kid. Dekus don't deserve it. 

Maybe that's why, after several weeks, Izuku quietly whispers in his mind, "I forgive you."

Izuku's body doesn't function in the dream, including his voice, but at the thought, Second's color stutters like a candle doused by water, then it surges back, brighter than before. 

Hesitantly, he reaches through the fire for Izuku, fingers faltering outside the flames. 

All Might's brilliant blue eyes look questioning at Izuku, and then with a resigned sigh like hissing steam, he lets Second through. 

Second's grip is fragile and firm, an artist holding a precious work of art, drastically different from the last time he carried Izuku.  

"I'm sorry, kid," he says again. His color swirls, and Izuku sees a remorseful face cut through by jagged scars. 

Dark purple appears, Third, and wordlessly, he observes Izuku in Second's arms. After a moment, he reaches out and brushes the curls from Izuku's face. 

Izuku stays with them, All Might watching on until he wakes up. 

With Second's and Third's acceptance, the colors begin appearing regularly outside his dreams. 

Walking home from school with the remnants of a thunderstorm on the ground, Izuku nearly trips when he sees swirls of Pink in a puddle. 

It's gone when he blinks, but Izuku watches the puddles the rest of the way home. 

Another day, after school, Orange appears in the corner of his eye, and instinctively, Izuku turns to see the delicate wings of an orange butterfly fluttering in the wind. In doing so, a projectile sails past, barely missing the intended target of his head. The half-eaten apple core thumps to the ground, leaving a sticky residue. 

"Hey! Deku!" a classmate yells, "Stay still."

Izuku needs no encouragement to run after the butterfly. Its course appears erratic, but every random swerve to the right or left allows Izuku to dodge further attacks and leads Izuku farther away from the chasing boys.

Once alone at the beach, Izuku watches with bated breath as the butterfly lands on his hand. 

"Young Midoriya!" All Might calls. 

When Izuku looks back, the butterfly is gone. 

Once, late at night, when Izuku's eyes are glazing over from staring at his laptop screen despite the late hour, the monitor reflects blue and purple. And despite Izuku rubbing his eyes and dragging his sleeve across the screen, the colors refuse to leave until Izuku closes his laptop with a huff and stomps to bed. 

"I think it's time," All Might says after another long day of training. 

Sweat drips from Izuku's brow as he hauls the last trash bag of the day into All Might's truck. 

"Wha?" Izuku says, trying to catch his breath. 

All Might smiles—not like he does for the viewers on TV—but a small, proud smile directed solely at Izuku. It's enough to make Izuku's knees wobble. 

"Come here, my boy," All Might says, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder and guiding him forward. "Look at the beach."

Blinking, Izuku looks out over the sand. Had he missed something? Forgotten a trash bag? 

But then he looks again and realizes what All Might means. The beach, which had once been covered in mountains of trash, is now empty, the white sand sparkling in the sunset. Azure waves lap against the surf, depositing seashells like mini treasures. 

"Look what you've accomplished. All of this! I'm so proud of you."

Emotion chokes Izuku's throat, and he knows he will start bawling if he tries to say something. 

"You are all I could ever want in a successor. And I know the past users would feel the same." All Might's smile feels knowing, and Izuku can't help but wonder what his teacher knows.

And when Izuku looks into the sky, he sees how the clouds are tinted pink, orange, red, blue, purple, and green. 

"Now then," All Might says, "Your reward." Smiling cheekily, he plucks a hair from his head and hands it to Izuku. "Eat this!"

"It's time?"

"So soon? I can't believe it."

Peering through the flames, Izuku sees all of the colors swirling about, talking excitedly over each other. They collide and separate, spinning together like a child's top. 

Fifth peeks his head through the fire, grinning madly. "This is going to be great!"

Izuku expects to be pulled from All Might's arms, but instead, Seventh, pink popping excitedly off her, floats closer and pushes against All Might's shoulder. 

"Come on, Toshi," she says. 

Slowly, All Might starts walking, leaving behind fiery footsteps and trails of white smoke. 

For the months that Izuku has visited the void in his dreams. All he has seen is warm darkness and fragments of memories. 

Now, Izuku sees a platform with jagged edges, looking as if it were hanging over a cliff, and one step off could spell your doom. However, the colors float mid-air, ignoring the laws of gravity until their feet land on the platform. All Might's fire sizzles at the contact, but he continues walking, carrying Izuku.  

The platform stretches on before it widens towards the end, creating an expansive room; without walls or ceilings save for a heavy metal door embedded in stone. 

The colors pass, each sitting at one of nine thrones arranged in a half-circle. Silently, they watch as All Might walks toward the last throne. 

His fire flares, wrapping Izuku in a hug before he carefully sits Izuku on the throne. 

First walks closer, an orb of swirling colors in his arms. Raising it, First takes Izuku's hands and places the orb in them before cupping Izuku's hands around it. 

"We have always watched those who succeed us," First whispers, his electric green eyes locked on Izuku. "And it is only with our permission that we can be passed on."

The orb begins to glow like coals in a fire. Izuku's hands, which have always remained limp in this realm, twitch, and the orb explodes into flames of pink, orange, red, blue, purple, gold, and green.  

For once, the fire is not from All Might but belongs to Izuku. Thick and jagged, like lightning strikes, it spreads across his body. 

With a final, explosive crack of lightning, the energy penetrates Izuku's heart, settling within. Vision-tinged green, he can see the colors watching him, faces hopeful, and then Izuku's eyes roll to the back of his head, and he succumbs to the energy. 

Izuku blinks awake, his body unusually exhausted. Lifting his hand and stretching his fingers, he sees faint streaks of green rippling over it. 

As he turns, eight figures stand waiting from the side of the bed, their faces spread in smiles. Colors tinge their outlines, but Izuku can see them perfectly for once. 

First steps forward, a wry smile on his face. 

"Hello, ninth." First says as Izuku gapes at him. "Welcome to One for All."