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Chapter Four: Quirks and Quirk Theories
Midoriya's training starts a little later than usual, and that's only because he's too shellshocked at your presence to start straight away.
Eventually, of course, he snaps out of his stupor when you explain to him the change of plans; and so, almost an hour and a half into exercises and hauling junk, you find yourself patting the spot next to you as the kid stumbles to sit down, finally finished. Exhausted, Midoriya's descent onto the ground isn't exactly graceful, and the blush that explodes across his freckled cheeks only makes you chuckle as he straightens up.
Dagobah beach is coming along nicely, you note, watching the sky beginning to change before you. The beach is still filled with large piles of junk and bits of scrap metal, but it is evident that Midoriya's work is paying off because there are certain areas of garbage that look lighter than the rest, and that's only near a month of work. So to say that you were excited to see the end result was an understatement. Once time brought you unto Yueei's entrance exams, you were certain the beach would look as it had many years ago.
"Morning is my favorite part of the day," you comment idly, handing Midoriya a bottle of water. Coyly smiling, the middle-schooler accepts the bottle with an appreciative nod, uncapping the lid quickly before drinking away. "It might be because of my Quirk, but I find when the sun rises, so do I."
At that, Midoriya pauses. "Your Quirk?" He asks, suddenly intrigued.
Noting the excited look in his gaze, one that rivals David whenever he's researching something, you nod. Absentmindedly, you lift your hand up for him to see, palm faced upwards, and let the familiar warmth of your Quirk envelop you. Heat rushes through your veins, starting from the palm of your hand as it spreads out until, finally, a golden hue blankets your hand.
It's a minor display of your Quirk, but Midoriya marvels at your actions as though it's the greatest thing you've ever seen and all too suddenly you're reminded of the boy's Quirklessness. Something in your chest softens at the fact.
"My Quirk is called Solar," you explain, lowering your palm. "The short summary of it is that it allows me to absorb light from the sun and convert it into energy."
Midoriya nods, biting his lip before: "And the long summary?" he blurts, slapping his hands across his mouth.
For a moment, the poor boy looks as though he wants to cave in on himself so naturally, you laugh.
"There's a lot that can be said about what my Quirk can do," you settle with saying, before shooting Midroyiya a comforting smile. "But my Quirk isn't what I want to talk to you about."
Midoriya's lip thin, and funnily enough, even with your comforting smile, it seems as though the life's left his body with how pale his face becomes.
"You're overexerting yourself, Young Midoriya," you state simply, (e/c) eyes flicking up and down at his body as though to make a point. And it's true. In the few weeks that's passed since Toshinori started training the boy, as much as his body has become evidently more lean and toned; the circles beneath his eyes have also become much more prominent well. "The meal plans I gave you won't do anything in the long run if you continue to overwork your body."
Deflating, Midoriya's shoulders sag.
"I'm not reprimanding you, Midoriya," you say, patting his shoulder as he relaxes. "I'm just going to remind you to take it easy because your body needs to be both physically and mentally ready when you inherit the Quirk. Not sleeping enough, not getting enough rest, will only make you fatigued and exhausted in the long run. And I know this because that's something even your mentor struggles with," you wrinkle your nose, making the young boy next to you grin. "Hence why I'm here today."
Midoriya rubs his neck at that, though he does offer you a small smile. "I'll stop overworking myself then," is all he says, before an eyebrow arches up.
"You must have learned a lot about One for All being All-Might's wife, " he says idly, fingers digging into the sand. "Will it really make my body explode with the way I am?" he asks, the genuine curiosity in his tone making you hum. With how concerned and earnest he looks, it's almost impossible not to smile.
"Well," you drawl, thinking of what to say, "in a sense, yes - One for All does have the potential to harm your body if you're not physically ready for it. And that has to do with the fact that it's a stockpiling Quirk. It's passed through eight generations of people so far, culminating power more and more each time it's passed down so of course whoever wields it next would need to build their own natural body strength to become a suitable vessel for it. More importantly, your training now is a pre-emptive measure, I guess you could say, especially when we consider Quirk singularity."
"Quirk singularity?" Midoriya asks, green eyes meeting (e/c).
Pressing your lips together, you nod.
"Yes," you nod. "Quirk singularity is a theory relating to Quirk evolution. It's the idea that with every generation, Quirks become much more potent, much more diverse and powerful as it merges with another and is passed along."
"What does this have to do with One for All?" Midoriya finally asks, seemingly on-track with your train of thought.
"As I said, One for All has passed through eight generations of people. All-Might, as you've seen by now, is able to physically transform between two selves. That hasn't happened before with all the other wielders of One for All, which is why it's better to assume that your body will take One for All in a way we've never seen; kinda like how One for All took to All-Might. If it's now, theoretically, at its peak; then for your own safety you have to train your body to physically keep up with it, just in case it 'makes you explode' from sheer power alone. It's also why you need to make sure your mental wellbeing is okay, because who knows how it will mentally affect you."
Midoriya absorbs your explanation with wide eyes and a thoughtful expression. And surprisingly, though most of what you've said would be frightening to any fourteen year old, Midoriya's eyes seem to steel as he exhales. Just as Toshinori's told you plenty of times before, it's like the kid becomes infinitely larger as he squares his shoulders.
"I see," he says strongly, raising his fists in front of him, "then I'll just have to keep working hard."
Sweat-dropping, you shoot him a deadpan look.
"Ah," Midoriya blushes, his freckles drowning beneath a red hue."I'll keep working hard whilst not overworking myself," he amends, visibly deflating as you smile. And just like that, the two of you settle back into a peaceful silence; both watching orange bleed into the morning sky before Midoriya shifts where he sits.
"Hey, Mrs.All-Might?" he asks, green eyes twinkling when they turn to you. All soft-featured and wide-eyed, if he had blonde hair and (e/c) eyes, it'd be so easy to -
"Yes?" you ask, turning back to face the ocean.
Inhaling softly, Midoriya nudges your shoulder gently before he exhales.
"Thanks," is all he says, smiling so wide that you can practically hear it. Warmth blooms beneath your skin, and this time, not because of your Quirk.
Side by side, you and Midoriya continue to watch the sunrise together. And when his head falls onto your shoulder, eyes fluttering shut from exhaustion; it becomes so easy to pretend that you're on some distant shore instead of Dagobah, that sitting next to you is your child with Toshinori and that for once, all is right with the world.
