Ethereal ◆ Shoto Todoroki x Reader

57 | Life by Lightning

"Oh my god."

His face is covered in ash, and you didn't recognize him until a maid wiped it off. That's why you didn't see him before.

It's Takahashi. He's dead.

His clothes are torn and his hair is a mess, but the worst part is his right arm. It's twisted and mangled, and bruises paint his skin like stars. The maid beside you sighs.

"It must have been awful," she says, "I'm sorry for your loss, Your Highness."

You can't say anything. Your eyes are dry and so is your throat. You quickly get up and run outside of the tent, emptying your stomach contents on the grass. 

He's in the tent that's temporarily serving as a morgue of sorts; they say his heart stopped right after Hiro brought him from the castle, which was no more than fifteen minutes ago. 

His heart stopped. 

He's dead.

His heart stopped.

He's dead.

Takahashi's dead, Hiro broke his ankle, and Shoto still hasn't returned with the Brigade. 

And here you are, puking your guts out and falling apart. 

That's when the tears come, and you fall to your knees. They fall unceasingly, and you cry for what you've lost. You cry for your best friend, who will never smile again. You cry for your brother, who's pain is immeasurable. And you cry for the kingdom; it will never be the same again.

"Your Highness?"

A small voice interrupts your tears, and you look up and see a blond guard. His eyes are full of hope. 

You resent him for that. 

You quickly stand up, wiping your cheeks. "Y-yes?" You sniff.

"I-" He looks down. "I think I can help."

You tilt your head. "Who are you?"

Who could possibly help at a time like this? 

"My name's Kaminari," he smiles, despite the horrid situation, "I'm a royal guard in training. You see, I don't know much about medical stuff, but my quirk . . . "

He stops talking, instead lifting his hand. Sparks ignite the darkening sky. Your eyes light up along with it, but you're still skeptical. "How will that h-?"

"This is the morgue tent, right?" the guard asks. You nod, and he smiles.

"I was sent here by Commander Aizawa," he explains, leading you inside the tent, "and I think he knows what he's doing."

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At first you want to slap Kaminari for placing his hands on Takahashi's bare chest. Is this some sort of joke? 

But when Kaminari gives you a thumbs up, all your worries melt away. Almost, anyways. You try not to look at your dead friend's eyes. His hollow face. You can't bear it.

"His heart's stopped," Kaminari says, "but he's not dead."

You perk up at the statement, but it can't be possible. But maybe, just maybe. 

"Let's hope this works," Kaminari whispers to himself.

Then, the room erupts in lightning, and the guard's quirk fills the tent. You cover your ears and clench your eyes shut.

When the light dies down and the guard brings his hands away from Takahashi, you wait for the blond to say something. 

He just falls to the ground, probably exhausted. 

You move over to Takahashi, who looks the exact same. And then you check his pulse . . .

. . . and a steady beating meets your hand.

You start to sob right then and there, calling for a maid.

◆

"He'll make it."

You realize that's all you wanted to hear. "Thank you," you cry to Neena, "thank you so much."

"Now, now, I'm glad he's alive," Neena tsks, "but you should really be thanking that guard and the Commander. He would've died had they not intervened."

"I plan on it," you reply, your hands shaking, "I just . . . how is it possible?"

Neena puts a hand on her hip. "Well," she starts, "his heart stopped, we were right about that, but he didn't die yet. That's one hella strong guy if you ask me; must've had something to hold on for. The way I see it, the guard's quirk sent shocks to his heart and restarted it. Can't believe I didn't think of it first."

"Oh my god," you say, "oh my god."

That's all you can say. Takahashi isn't dead. He's alive. 

He's alive.

It's like someone just lifted a weight off of your shoulders, but yet one still remains. You have to find your fiancé. 

You stand up, wiping off your face and gathering your wits. "Take care of him for me," you smile at Neena. She nods.

"I promise."

And then you leave the tent, your hands still shaking, but your heart full of hope.

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