Chapter 64: Aftermath

"Now, let's move on to...the awards ceremony!"

After the intense battle, it was time to give out the medals.

Midnight announced,"In third place, we have both Tokoyami and Iida, but...Iida was forced to leave early due to a family emergency. We hope you all understand."

"Now for the medals!! Presenting them this year is...you know who!!"

"I am..."

"He's everyone's hero..."

"...here with the medals!"

"ALL MIGHT!!"

The stadium went quiet from the overlapping voices before cheering immediately.

Midnight looked a bit embarrassed as she clasped her hands together and apologised to All Might for cutting him off.

All Might, on the other hand, just trembled from embarrassment as he looked at Midnight.

"HAHAHA! Congratulations, Tokoyami, Kid! You're a strong one!"

As All Might took the medal and helped Fumikage hang it on his neck, he encouraged him at the same time.

"You honour me too highly." Fumikage bowed towards All Might.

"But relying on your quirk alone won't be enough to overcome a bad matchup. Hone your innate strength to open a world of opportunity." All Might advised Fumikage as he went in for a tight hug, squeezing the life out of the poor student.

"Cough cough, understood." Fumikage recovered from the strong hug before looking at his medal.

Going to the next platform, All Might took another medal and hung it on Katsuki's neck. Or at least, he tried to.

"Bakugo, kid. Congratulations."

Katsuki was tied up to a block of cement with a gag on his mouth. The moment All Might took out the gag, he immediately started screaming,"All Might, this second place doesn't mean squat! Doesn't matter what anyone says. If I don't recognise it, then that medal's just garbage!! I only want the first place!!"

Katsuki's face was similar to a demon's. His eyes were enlarged and crescent-shaped, his teeth were sharp and he was howling like a wolf.

"Hmph! It was indeed a close battle. If you were just one step inside, you would have been first place. But there is no time for regret! All you have to do is just work even harder! I believe that you have the talent to reach the peak and become the greatest hero of all time!"

He tried to hang the silver medal on Katsuki's neck, but he refused to let it down. In the end, All Might settled with gagging him with the medal instead.

"And finally, Midoriya!!"

As All Might went forward and hung the medal on Izuku's neck, Izuku was trembling with excitement. It was the first time he was placed first in an event as massive as this.

"In a world that's constantly graded on a curve...there aren't many who can continuously be on top. So accept this! As a wound even! So you don't forget!"

Going in for a tight hug, All Might whispered,"It was a very close match, Midoriya-shounen. If it weren't for a loose piece of concrete from all the destruction you guys did and Bakugo-shounen lost his footing and stepped out, he would have won. So don't let this win get into your head, all right? Lastly, you have come so far in only a year."

All Might released the hug and looked at him seriously,"I'm proud of you. You're a fantastic successor."

Nobody but Izuku heard what All Might said in the midst of all the cheering and Katsuki's howling. No one else needed to hear what he said.

As long as Izuku heard it.

Tears couldn't help but drip down his cheek as he started crying.

"Hiks...t-thank you...hiks...A-All Might!"

All Might smiled before backing off and announcing,"Well! These are your winners!! But hold on, everyone! Everyone here today has the potential to be standing up here!! As you all witnessed! Competition! Encouragement! Pushing each other to climb higher and higher!! The sprouts of today will grow into the heroes of tomorrow!! In that spirit, let's have one final cheer!! Everyone say it with me!! One, two, and...

"Plus..."

"Plus..."

"Plus..."

"Thanks for the hard work!!"

"Plus..."

"Plus..."

"..."

"We're supposed to say 'Plus Ultra', All Might!!"

"Oh, right...it's just that they really did work so hard and..."

And so, the UA Sports Festival is finally over.

*****************

In the classroom, Shota was in his usual mood. He wasn't happy nor was he sad. He was...neutral like always.

Shido always thought that if the world came to an end, he would die with this face. He had one thing that always made his expression change, but that wasn't important now.

"In light of the festival, you'll have tomorrow and the next day off." Shota announced,"Scouting reports and such from the pros will be waiting for you here after the break. So look forward to that as you enjoy your time off."

After which, Shota immediately dismissed the class and went straight to his sleeping bag, but not before calling Shido out,"Itsuka-sensei, please carry me back..."

Shido wondered when he became Shota's personal transporter and grumbled for a while. In the end, he dumped the sleeping bag into his shadow realm and decided to have a stroll around the school for an hour before going back to the staffroom and dumping the sleeping bag there.

After completing his 'task' of delivering Shota to the staffroom, he went home where he had an enjoyable dinner with Eri and Toshinori.

*****************

Two days later, Shido left his house.

It was a rare day where he woke up earlier than Eri. Much, much earlier than Eri.

It was currently only five in the morning. The sun wasn't even up yet, and that was saying something in Japan where it was called the 'Land of the Rising Sun'.

He didn't know why he woke up so early today. He slept quite late the previous day as he was having fun with Eri, playing games and reading various manga.

Outside the house, in the middle of the street, it was all dark.

There were street lamps and traffic lights that lit up the place, but not every place was brightly lit.

The park was one example.

For a big park, the only lights present were those present at the entrance of the park. The rest of the area was cloaked in darkness.

Shido stood in the middle of the park without any umbrellas.

Ever since he had woken up in the alley, his favourite weather wasn't sunny nor hot and humid weather.

It was the opposite.

He preferred the rain. The snow. The cold.

Rain was never warm.

Yet, in the middle of the darkness, Shido existed without any sort of protection, apart from the green, rabbit raincoat he often wore.

It was by far his favourite dress.

It was comfy, snuggly, and cute. The last part wasn't important, but it was still a factor. It looked good.

"Yoshinon."

"Yes, Shido?"

"Nothing. I just feel like calling out your name."

"I see." Yoshinon paused a while before continuing,"Can I ask why are we here?"

"No."

"..."

Shido looked at the puppet on his left hand and smiled.

"I'm kidding. The reason is pretty simple actually. I like the rain. It feels awfully familiar with you." Shido turned to face Yoshinon,"Do you know anything about it?"

"No."

"I see..."

Silence between them appeared once more.

The roads were silent. No cars passed by the road. No pedestrian was walking in this downpour.

"Actually...I think I might have some ideas." Yoshinon spoke.

Shido remained quiet and waited for him to continue.

"I'm originally part of you. As your ability, my true power is to manipulate all three states of water."

"So because of that, I'm attracted to rain?"

Shido skipped here and there, exploring the entirety of the deserted park.

"Yes, and no."

Seeing Yoshinon stop his explanation, Shido asked him to continue.

"You see, you are attracted to rain. But even more so in this particular type of rain, which you have summoned."

Shido stopped skipping and said,"Huh?"

"You had a dream just now?"

"...Yes."

"And it's something different from usual."

"...You really are part of me, huh?"

"Anyways...your fluctuation of emotions, strong emotions, causes your power to run amok. In this case, rain comes. In more severe cases..." Yoshinon thought for a while before continuing,"...the whole city freezes?"

"Why are you saying that as a question?"

Yoshinon just shrugged his tiny paws and gave no reply.

Both of them didn't say anything more and just enjoyed the rain and relaxed in it.

The soft pitter patter of the raindrops when they hit the ground.

The refreshingly cool scent of the damp soil.

The darkness contained a special kind of blackness, the kind that wants only to hold the stars and help them to shine all the brighter.

Shido never felt alienated to the dark.

To him, 'darkness' was a warm black that hugged him no matter what, and within it's safety he could feel his own soul all the more clearly.

Maybe it was due to spending excessive time in the shadow realm instead of outdoors that he had gotten used to the darkness.

Yoshinon was used to this sight. He was always with Shido anyway, except for that one time where Shido ditched him to go on a date with Eri.

"It's not healthy for you to embrace the darkness so fondly like this."

"It's fine...I feel at home."

'That was the whole problem.' Yoshinon wanted to retort, but decided not to in the end.

Soon, an hour passed.

Shido didn't do much. He just continued walking down each and every road of the park.

From the top of a tree, he could see the sun on the horizon.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

For the first time in an hour, Shido spoke.

"Yes."

"The sight of the rising sun...a new beginning everyday. Why do we have sixty seconds in a minute? Sixty minutes in an hour? Twenty four hour in a day?"

"So we're going to the question 'time' now?"

"Time is just an illusion. It is merely just an image."

"Image?"

"Yeah. A moving image of eternity,"

Yoshinon didn't understand what Shido was talking about.

"Why are you always talking in abstract words and complicated terms?"

Shido merely smiled and replied to him,"It's just me."

Silence fell upon them once more.

The rain had already stopped. Shido pulled down his hoodie, revealing his natural light indigo hair and red right eye on his white skin.

"It's time to go. School is starting in two hours."

Shido stared at the sun for a few more minutes in silence before eventually standing up.

"Yes. It's time to go to school."

However, just as they were about to leave, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of them and a figure rose from it.

"Hello original." The figure looked exactly the same as Shido. From the attire, the height, the hair and eye colour to the puppet on their left hands.

"Hello original Shido and Yoshinon." The puppet on the figure waved enthusiastically like it's master.

"Morning!" The original Yoshinon waved back.

Shido however, just went directly to the point,"Hello. What news are there?"

"How cold..." The clone sobbed and acted as if he was really sad, but seeing Shido 'smile' at him, he immediately stopped.

"Ahem...anyways, the place is located in the Pacific ocean. Or, was, anyway. The island has since disappeared and in its place, a huge crater."

"How did you even find out?"

"I just circled around the five oceans for about a year each before arriving at the Pacific ocean. I cross-checked with the most detailed world map I could find and managed to find an island which was crossed off five years ago."

While he was talking, he took out a map and pointed at a specific location.

"Which matches the time you woke up by, give or take, ten days."

Hearing the clone's words, Shido thought for a while before he decided on something. Turning towards the clone, he spoke,"Here's what you need to do..."

*****************

A/N: Hmm...I just finished writing the Christmas celebration...

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