Kiyomi's amazing pageant dress was drawn by @wattpearl (wattpad) / Junetoonarts (instagram). She's doing some amazing kick butt artwork!! 

We're going to get through this.

Beta: emplatinum

◟(◕◡◕❀)

The preparation for the school festival required a surprising amount of hard work, and was rather delightful, too. All the students were really putting their best foot forward to try to make their exhibitions succeed. There were multiple times when dance practice ran on after midnight for my classmates.

Thankfully my class had been understanding about my abrupt decision. Since the pageant required the students to be available right from the get-go, I wouldn't be able to partake in the actual show with 1A. That being said, I did still promise to make meals and snacks for them during practice (which was greatly appreciated when practice ran well on into the night and the sweaty, exhausted students became famished). There had even been a few who expressed their excitement in attending the pageant to support me!

Eri had been a near constant factor in our class getting ready. When regular classes were done, I collected her from Nezu—she loved spending time in his office—and she would watch each group practice with sparkling eyes.

It wouldn't be a lie to say the entire class had fallen in love with her.

I couldn't blame them. She was hecka-becka adorable.

As time marched on, the weather gradually drifted to that perfect warm-cool temperature that only early fall/late summer could provide. In the evening I got together with Nemuri to discuss the pageant and Eri.

Someone was going to have to keep an eye on our little angel while I attended the pageant. Aizawa had to oversee his class, so Nezu brightly suggested Nemuri. I brought Eri over to Nemuri's office to make sure she would be okay with that—I didn't see any reason for her not to be, but it was always better to ask.

Nemuri's office, contrary to her risqué appearance, was pristine and ordinary. Nemuri in her off time had a preference for bookworm aesthetics. At a glance in her normal-day clothes, one might've thought she was a librarian. She wore her dark hair up in a bun, had fake glasses, an overly large sweater, and a book she was reading tucked away in her messenger bag.

It was an excellent cover up. No one would suspect that the R-Rated heroine, Midnight, would take on such a demure appearance.

That wasn't to say her "cover up" was a lie, so much as both parts of her were true.

She wasn't a simple pervert, but a book-loving pervert.

Her office reflected her love of books and library aesthetic. Those rare students that were allowed into her office—she preferred to do her counseling outside or in a spare room—were so surprised to see the wall-to-wall bookcases filled with an assortment of old, cracked, novels. And if they looked behind those books they'd find some erotic novels that she hid for the simple pleasure of seeing their faces when someone found them.

Eri, having been to Nemuri's office several times by that point, confidently entered the room with me behind her. She greeted Nemuri with a loud, "Hello!"

"Hi, Eri-chan," Nemuri greeted, "are you here to help Kiyo-chan with the pageant?"

"Uh-huh!" Eri boldly answered, the small child hopping onto the maroon couch in front of Nemuri's desk.

Nemuri flipped her hair up into a bun as she shoved aside her paperwork. "Well then! Have you thought about your talent, Kiyo-chan?"

"There's really only one talent I can think of that would be suited for something like this," I admitted shyly, scratching my cheek. I took a seat on the couch beside Eri."It's—it's something I'd perform for Baba and Papa on the first day of spring."

Nemuri leaned forward, eyes glistening. "Oh?"

"I don't have the equipment for it anymore, though," I said, the sting in my chest causing me to lower my gaze.

"Don't worry about that, I'm sure Nezu would be delighted to spoil you a little."

I laughed at that. "Oh I couldn't ask—it's far too expensive!"

"Why don't you let us be the judge of that?" Nemuri pressed, grinning widely. "If you're referring to what I think you're talking about then it's definitely worth the price."

My cheeks reddened, and I sheepishly scratched at my cheek again. I had performed for Nemuri, Nezu, and Aizawa when they had visited the farm on my twelfth birthday at Baba's insistence.

"What is it?" Eri eagerly asked.

"Foxhunter, right?" Nemuri guessed, and I nodded.

"What's that?" Eri further inquired, large red eyes peering up at me with bursting curiosity.

(For the grumpy fox.)

"Something I learned for a friend," I told her with a small smile. I couldn't give specifics because I no longer had them. It was something I had performed so often it was ingrained into my very soul. For the sake of a smile and amused chuckle of a friend I could no longer remember.

"Tell you what, Kiyo-chan," Nemuri said flippantly, "why don't you stop by Nezu's office tomorrow? We'll postpone the talent talk until then, and meanwhile it's time to narrow down the twenty dresses I picked out to ten!"

I groaned as Eri joyfully clapped. "Yay!"

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Per instructed, I stopped by Nezu's office to pick up Eri the following day. To my surprise Nemuri was already there, holding Eri in her lap while she read to her. I double-checked that the book she was reading to the angel was appropriate.

'Phew, it is.'

"Good day," I greeted the three of them, stepping into the office before I closed the door. Nezu sat atop a black case on his desk, eagerly waving me over to him. Curious, I stepped closer. As I moved in, I realized the case was actually a violin case.

Not terribly surprising. Nezu was well known for his joy of collecting violins and playing them during work hours. I vaguely recalled that he even played one while acting as a villain in one of the exams. He had laughed maniacally while outwitting the students and playing the violin.

"A gift," he said with infectious cheer.

"Oh, no. If this costs more than the outfit—"

"It did—"

"Oh my God, please no!"

"I'm kidding!" Nezu laughed at my flustered state. "It's one of the violins I've had in my collection for a while. I haven't used it much, and I feel it would have a better home in your hands. It'd be such a shame if you couldn't perform your spring dance again."

My cheeks reddened, both from cautious joy at being able to play again, and from having been successfully teased by Nezu again. Still—

"You've already given me so much, Shishō," I hesitantly began, but was abruptly cut off by Nezu swatting at my nose.

"No, no. None of that talk. Kiyo-chan, you've lost a lot. Helping you regain something as small as a musical instrument and some clothes pale in comparison to what you've lost. If the situations were reversed, you'd give the clothes off your back for your friends. If you're prepared to give that kindness, you need to be able to receive it as well."

His words struck a chord inside my chest. My breath hitched, getting caught on a heavy lump in my throat. I folded my fingers together, resisting the urge to fidget with them.

"It's okay to be helped. There's nothing shameful about receiving the good will of others. Everyone falls down. Everyone gets hurt. Everyone loses something. When that happens, you shouldn't feel anything wrong about accepting kindness. It's okay to lean on your friends, Kiyo-chan. If you're hurting, upset, or you need something, please come talk to us. We care about you, and we want to help you."

Nezu's voice was firm, but gentle. His sincerity came through clearly, his eyes warm and kind. Returning his gaze, I felt a change in me. A subtle deviation to my own thought process. Nothing so grand or earth-shattering like a revelation, or epiphany, but a change in direction. A doorway had been unlocked in my mind. I wasn't quite sure if his words hit hard, or if I was just having an emotional day.

Or maybe he had said exactly what I needed to hear.

I felt like something cold and heavy had fallen off my shoulders. The tears of relief and bittersweet happiness rolled out of my eyes.

'Is that okay?'

'Is it really okay?'

'Can I lean on you?'

I understood the importance of having friends help me through it, but—

Knowing it, and actually believing it were separate things.

I missed them. I missed my Baba and Papa. It hurt to wake up in the morning and remember every day that they were gone. No more baking together on Saturday. No more working on the gardens with them. No more—

Nothing.

The end.

When someone died everything stops. What could have been will never be, and what had been will never come again.

I did my best to move forward, to push past everything and focus on the happy parts but it was hard. It was hard, some days, to smile. It was hard to get out of bed, let alone be sociable. Moving on was healthy and it was the right thing to do, but—

Sometimes I didn't want to.

Sometimes I wanted to curl up in bed and cry.

I wiped furiously at my eyes, sniffling and doing what I could to regain my composure.

I offered Nezu a wobbly smile. "Okay."

(Thank you.)

◟(◕◡◕❀)

(Later that night)

I stood atop a black sea, the cool water lapping at my toes. My gaze was fixated high above me where "stars" shimmered. They were beautiful, brightly shining with calm serenity as they twitched and fluttered in place.

They were not stars, not truly, but the kaleidoscope.

A s-h-i-f-t in the air.

She stood beside me, her hair a shade lighter than my own and her eyes green instead of red. At a glance you wouldn't have thought she was a day older than sixteen, but we both knew that was terribly wrong.

Once upon a time she was innocent.

She could not claim such a thing anymore.

Blood had soaked her hands so thoroughly the stench could never be cleaned out. She had lived in violence for so long it was second nature to her. Even so, there was a spark of warmth that lingered in her gaze.

No matter the years, traumas, or deaths she endured, that warmth would never fade.

Hope.

"Quite the battles ahead of you," she commented, her emerald eyes raised to admire the kaleidoscope of swarming butterflies. They danced for her, their movements graceful and serene.

"Yes," I admitted. "It will be hard to fight as I am."

"A single soul added into the story is all that's needed to rewrite the ending," Blessed reminded me. "But only if that soul has the power to transform it. As only a Magi, you lack that raw power to deal with what is to come; to keep our promise to Nana-chan."

(sorry Nana)

I let out a soft sigh, resignation in my heart. "I know."

She reached forward and placed a warm hand on my shoulder. "Alone this would be impossible. How fortunate for us that you aren't alone."

The water stirred beneath us and Blessed extended her other hand, slowly opening her palm to reveal a small... black... wand...

My hand reached out, as my eyes drifted down to the black sea. Beneath the water, faces of our past stared back up at us and each life stretched out a hand to reveal different wands. Hundreds of thousands of hands were held out to me, each promising support.

"Stay strong, Kiyomi," Blessed whispered. "Have faith in us—in you."

◟(◕◡◕❀)

I shot up with a gasp, cold sweat clinging onto my skin as my chest tightened and burned. I trembled, the sound of the black ocean still ringing in my ears and the taste of salt hanging on my tongue.

'No...'

With a shaky hand I opened my right palm.

I stared at the tiny black wand inside it.

With my left hand, I summoned my normal white wand.

'That was... real...'

Swallowing roughly, I returned my wands to my heart, wincing when the black one also returned. It throbbed inside me, echoes of vague information tickling the back of my head. The dream I had only just awoken from was already slipping out of my mind, disappearing into a fog. The important bits remained—the things she wanted me to keep.

'What do I do? How do I explain this?' I thought, nerves shooting through me like jolts of electricity. 'Hey, by the way: I've been hearing voices in my head for a while and one of them is real and gave me a second wand!'

With a groan, I rubbed my forehead.

'That's insane. That's literally insane. I—I need to move.'

Sitting in bed was not going to calm down my anxiety. I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep with any bit of ease at this rate, so I threw off the covers and put on some slippers. I headed down to the kitchen, thinking that maybe some peanut butter chocolate-chip cookies would help settle my heart.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

'Please.'

Moving my hands and focusing on a small task certainly assisted in putting my thoughts in better order. They were still jumbled and shots of fear would make me jump, but I pressed on.

I didn't know what else to do.

Although I very nearly screamed when someone entered the kitchen.

"The fuck you doin' up, bubblegum?" Katsuki asked, rubbing at his eyes and blearily staring at me. "Are you baking?"

"C-Cookies," I stammered out, placing a hand over my chest to try to get my heart to settle down.

"Are you—were you crying?" he asked next, moving closer to peer at my face.

'Was I?' I reflexively wiped at my eyes, surprised to find that my hands came back wet. I was trembling, all of my insides quivering and shrinking in on themselves as thoughts of 'I'm insane. I'm insane. They're going to think I'm insane. What is wrong with me?' echoed and reverberated in me. Each resonating word felt like a hammer being slammed into my chest.

Katsuki wasn't the best at comforting. He had learned the basics from the psychology texts I had given him, so he knew how not to further traumatize victims, but he was certainly not the type to offer hugs of condolence, or provide a tissue. His comfort focused on action, on improving and bettering oneself to prevent the same mistake. Spars were ideal for him as they offered a way to vent emotions he couldn't handle himself.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Katsuki grimaced and grabbed a napkin before roughly wiping at my face. "You're getting snot on your apron, idiot."

"S-Sorry," I said, sniffling.

"Stop shaking. You scared or somethin'?

'Yes.'

Biting hard on my bottom lip, I couldn't bring myself to admit that. Katsuki tossed out the napkin he had used, his eyes narrowed as he focused on me. It would be easy to interpret it as a glare, but there was no malice or heat behind his gaze. Perhaps closer to cautious assessment.

"Bad dream?" he asked next.

"Kind of," I softly confessed. My eyes burned again, I quickly wiped at them.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go spar."

"Okay," I said, because anything, anything, was better than going back to sleep.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

In the quiet early morning hours there was nothing but silence. The snow was cold against our sweaty skins, and it soaked through our pajamas. Out of breath, tired, and sore, we could only lay in the winter-touched field and stare up at the brightening sky.

For so long I had kept the secret to myself.

"... We care about you, and we want to help you."

The echoes of Nezu's words rang in my head, and the warmth of Blessed's gaze gave me just enough courage to confess.

"I hear voices," I whispered, a tremble in my throat and an instant rush of fear for finally verbalizing something I had dreaded my entire life.

Katsuki didn't respond right away, didn't react in any sort of manner. I was too terrified to turn my head and look at him. I steadfastly kept my gaze up at the sky, ignoring the fearful tears that slipped out and rolled down into the snow.

"How long?" he finally asked.

"Always," I said. "I dream of faceless beings, and I feel their pain and joy. They whisper things to me, things I shouldn't know. Things of the future. Things of the past. They told me about All Might—about One for All—and Izu-chan. They told me you know about the truth of One for All. They told me about Sho-chan, and about—about a lot of stuff."

Katsuki asked next, "Do they always come true—what they tell you?"

"Yeah."

"What else?" Katsuki asked, his tone neutral.

Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I turned my head to find my old friend staring intently at me. There was no judgment in his gaze, no disgust or pity. My bottom lip trembled as I asked, "You don't think I'm insane?"

"No," he said. "I don't."

Like a dam bursting free, a sob caught itself in my throat. I told him about the faceless dreams. I told him they would tell me things I needed to remember, but always forgot when I woke up. I told him how I heard whispers in my head, sometimes as they called me things. I told him I could feel them inside me. I told him I could catch echoes of their memories, of their emotions and sometimes I confused them with my own. I told him—I told him how there were moments I think they took control, like when I was kidnapped by the villains.

He listened. He didn't ridicule any of what I said.

He just... listened.

And at the end of it, when I finally came to the last dream, I summoned forth both wands and presented them to him.

He sat up slowly, picking up the black wand and examining it. He took a deep breath in, then let it out before giving the wand back to me.

"Will you... will you come with me?" I asked him next. "I—I want to tell Nezu, but I—"

He reached across and pinched my cheek hard enough that it brought more tears to my eyes. "Idiot. Go get cleaned up, we'll go to Nezu's office."

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Getting cleaned up was an autopilot blur. Shower. Brush teeth. Comb hair. Get dressed. Stumble to the front door where Katsuki was waiting. Teleport to Nezu's office. Mutely hold up the black wand with doe-wide eyes and a fearful look on my face.

Nezu, being the brilliant principal he was, correctly guessed I was having some sort of panic attack over a black stick. So he got started on some tea while Katsuki directed me into one of the chairs in front of Nezu. Once tea was served—I had gulped down two cups full—my nerves had receded enough that I could recite what I had told Katsuki.

Nezu was a polite listener, soaking in every word I said with only a nod to show he was paying attention. At the end he tenderly asked, "Do you know what the wand does?"

"Two," I answered meekly, fiddling with the smooth black wand. "I-I know I have two abilities with it."

Like with my first wand, I vaguely knew what to do to activate the abilities. With my first wand I had to wait for my body to mature enough to use them, but with the black wand I knew right away I could use both of them.

"S-Shiori and Owari," I said, stumbling over Shiori's name. "Th-That's their names."

"Shiori—that means poem weaver? Owari means The End, though," Nezu murmured.

(Time to play?)

"Last resort, I think," I said, ignoring the whisper. "Shiori—Shiori I can summon now, I think."

"Would you please?" Nezu asked. I nodded, my instincts guiding me to calling her.

It was as natural as breathing. From one exhale to an inhale she appeared above us.

Shiori.

(詩織)

She was a butterfly with a snow-white belly and translucent wings. With each flap small snow dust fell off them. I stretched out my right index finger, and she gracefully landed atop it.

A warm tear slipped out of my right eye as I stared at her.

"Dear friend," I whispered, my voice cracking.

~I am here.~ Shiori's antennae twitched, her sweet voice filled with genuine love. ~Again, and again, I will come when you call. We are bound together for all eternity, and we will always be friends.~

I bent my head down, my hair falling around her like a curtain. She raised her two front legs and presented me with a small white egg.

~It is time to build another kaleidoscope,~ she said. ~One made for Kiyomi.~

As I accepted the egg in my other hand, Shiori dissolved in a small flurry of snow.

~Think carefully on what you wish. We will make it happen.~

Although she was gone, I could feel her presence with me—inside me. In that black wand that rested in my heart and beat in tune with it, I felt her.

Like finding a loved one you thought long gone.

Nezu handed me a handkerchief and I wiped at my eyes. Katsuki stared intently at the egg in my hand and asked, "What's that?"

The kaleidoscope.

"An egg for now, but—" My brow furrowed as I considered how to verbally explain what Shiori and the kaleidoscope were.

They were neither Here nor There, but In Between. Even I could not remember the appropriate words needed to describe them. It was only a feeling, a fleeting thought barely coherent in the back of my head.

"Level one familiar," I settled on, knowing Katsuki could relate to gaming terminology. "I have to level it up to use it in battle."

"How do you get EXP?" he asked next.

"A donation of the Here," I said, then winced. "Um. I mean—something physical and tangible that belongs to me. Blood."

"Is it dangerous?" Nezu inquired.

"Small amount. Um... Shishō, would you mind helping me draw the blood? I need about 6mL a day for a week," I explained.

Nezu gave a small nod. "Of course, Kiyo-chan. How can I refuse when you asked so nicely?"

I smiled tiredly at his teasing, suddenly emotionally and mentally drained. The egg was tucked in my heart beside the wand, and I rubbed at my eyes.

"Perhaps you should take a day off from classes," Nezu kindly advised. "Unlocking a new Quirk can't be easy, and... sharing your troubles must be emotionally exhausting. Get some rest, Kiyo-chan. Bakugō-kun, would you please escort her back to her dorm room?"

Too tired to protest, I only nodded. Katsuki offered me a hand out of the chair, bumping his shoulder into mine as we left the office.

"New Quirk or not I'm still going to be the number one hero," he nonchalantly told me.

I could only laugh in response.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Taking a nap when I got back did wonders to put my mind in the right state. There was still a heavy lethargy that clung onto me, but I felt great compared to last night when I first woke up. I knew I would want to tell my friends as soon as possible—I had already sent texts to Shōto and the others—but I also knew it would be taxing to explain the entire thing over and over again.

I decided to ask Shōto, Izuku, and Ochaco to come into my room for one final repeat of the story. I would then ask them at the end to pass on the fact that I had a new ability to the rest of my classmates.

And to, you know, please don't tell others I hear voices in my head.

I trusted them to—to not react any worse than Nezu or Katsuki. I also knew they could keep a secret if I asked. They had already been so kind and caring to me while I have been grieving. They had more than proved themselves dear friends.

While I waited for classes to end, I worked on organizing my dorm room. I cleaned the white violin Nezu had given me, and did some mindless crocheting on a scarf I was making for Shōto. I had already finished the gloves, and afterward I would crochet the sweater.

My mind wandered as I worked, processing the new abilities I had been given, and going over everything I had told Katsuki and Nezu. It was difficult to believe that I had finally admitted to someone about the voices in my head—even harder to trust that they accepted it and didn't call me crazy. I pinched my cheek several times to tell myself I wasn't dreaming.

There was no going back now that the cat was out of the bag, so to speak.

After school Shōto, Izuku, and Ochaco came to my room to find a tray of croissants and a pot of tea waiting for them.

Then I repeated the story a final time.

Ochaco was the most visibly shocked by what I said. Izuku listened with rapt attention, covering his mouth as he muttered questions I didn't always have the answer to. Shōto was like Nezu, composed and focused only on how I was telling the story. At the end, he was the first one to reach out to me and place a hand over my own. I hadn't realized I had been shaking until he touched me.

It was easier the third time, but still painful. Picking at an old wound that wouldn't stop bleeding.

Then came the questions.

Lots of questions.

90% of them coming from Izuku. I knew he meant well—and was curious—so I did the best I could to answer them.

The ones I could not were related to Owari.

After three and a half hours they agreed to keep the voices-in-my-head thing quiet, and let the other students know I had a new ability and to please not ask me to explain it right away.

It was a long day.

When they left—Shōto lingering a bit longer to give me a comforting hug—I changed into pajamas and passed out in my bed.

I really wished for some normalcy again.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

For the rest of the week, my wish was granted. Aside from the whole donating my blood to an egg once a day thing. For one whole week I got to focus on classwork, goof around with my friends, and prepare for the beauty pageant.

And at the end of the week...

It was time!

U.A. Beauty Pageant was a touch chaotic. Each contestant was given a room to prepare in. Nemuri was kind enough to help me with my hair and make up, so Eri took a seat in my room while Nemuri began the two and half hour long process of braiding my hair with flowers in it. My bangs were pulled back and slowly, methodically weaved to shape a flower at the back of my hair with actual flowers woven into the side. Most of my hair would have to be down and long to "go with the flow" of the dance.

The dress Nemuri settled on for me was short and flowy. It was a blush pink with embroidered flowers scattered about it. It had a white hemmed bottom that curved and waved, giving it a breezy effect. The shoulders fell down to my upper arms, leaving my upper back and top shoulders completely bare. The top was a strapless bustier with a large lace ruffle that enveloped my arms, and hung wide and loosely.

Each movement in the dress was unrestrained.

Accompanying it was a pair of pointe shoes and ribbons that would tie up my legs. I had to pinch my toes closed and tie some compression wrap around them before slipping them into the shoes since they weren't things I wore often.

That being said, the moment I slipped them on I felt a rush of warm cha—energy inside me. The voices hummed and giggled in joy at the fond memories out of my reach. It was hard not to smile stupidly as I looked down at the shoes. A childhood nostalgia so sweet and fierce a bubbling of joy popped and grew inside me.

The barest touch of makeup was brushed over me—a little concealer to hide the bags under my eyes, and some gloss to help with my lips.

Once Nemuri deemed me ready, I stood out of the chair and gave a graceful curtsy.

"You're like a fairy," Eri whispered in awe, her eyes sparkling. "A flower fairy!"

My cheeks warmed pleasantly at the compliment and I gave her sincerest and warmest smile I could. "Thank you, Eri-chan. Thank you, Nemuri-sensei."

"Doing these little makeovers from time to time can be very satisfying," Nemuri responded, her vibrant blue eyes glimmering with mirth. "Now get out there and win!"

Winning wasn't a guarantee, but I'd certainly do my best to perform.

Stepping out of my room, I moved down the long hallway to the stage up front. The other contestants were gathered behind the curtains, each looking composed. Their confidence was inspiring, I straightened my back and pulled my shoulders back. My hands clutched tightly at the violin I lovingly held as I waited for my turn. As the last contestant to sign up, I was the last one to perform.

Kendo from 1B was the first to perform. The copper-haired girl boldly strutted out onto the stage with self-assurance that would make most girls envious. In a long, elegant, sky-blue dress, she deftly chopped stone planks in half. She split her dress in half in the process, though, which I felt was a shame since it looked like such a lovely dress.

The narrator oo'd at her, though, and said, "She tears her gorgeous dress for this martial arts demonstration. The perfect coexistence of strength and beauty. What a wonderful performance!"

The crowd cheered their enthusiasm at her martial arts demonstration, and on came the next performer. I hadn't met her previously, so I didn't know her name, but her entrance onto the stage was a show stopper.

"How dull! You don't know anything, do you? To try to compete with me with that!" she exclaimed, proudly standing atop a giant golden robot shaped like her head.

"Support course third year and beauty pageant queen! She uses advanced techniques to show off her face. A stunning performance."

Next came Hado and oh, her performance was so lovely.

The third year student stepped out on the air with a flowing pale blue dress and a serene smile on her face. She danced in on the breeze, her Quirk leaving trails of golden light behind her. Tranquil, soothing, and playful. Watching her gracefully move felt like watching a sky nymph dance before me.

I squeezed my violin as I watched her, entranced and mesmerized by her beauty.

So ensnared by her, I couldn't believe I wasn't dreaming. She had such an ethereal and otherworldly presence in her performance.

Then her performance was over, and I was supposed to somehow follow up on that.

There was the usual jitters of nerves as I walked onto the stage, but then I held the violin up, and I was gone.

The first note played out on the strings, and the nostalgia enveloped me. I was swept away by reverberations of laughter, and the ghostly reflections of joyful faces. The dance began as I played. I leapt, sprung, spun, and twirled in the air to the beat of Foxhunter. My bubbles gave me steps to leap from in the air as I danced. My body and heart moved in sync, the song so deeply ingrained into me.

There was nothing but the sound of the violin's enthusiastic music, and my body matching it.

("Why bother?")

("Why not bother?")

("It's a waste of time, brat.")

("It's not if it makes you happy.")

We could not stop the bright, shining smile on our face. For only a moment we thought we felt his gaze on us again, and we thought we could hear our dear friend's voice.

We danced like we danced when we were younger, happier, and more innocent. We danced with all of our heart and joy, all the energy and enthusiasm we could spare. So fervent in our dancing, we became breathless as our heart pounded harshly inside our chest.

The song ended, and we bowed to thunderous applause, roars and whistles of approval. The crowds' face matched my own: flushed with spirited glee. At the moment I felt like I could boldly claim that I had energized them and gave them some happiness.

(Did it make you happy?)

"The results will be announced at 5 PM, so come back at the closing event for the winner~!"

I stepped off the stage to my right, surprised to find Katsuki. He was leaning against the wall of the stage, a small smile on his face as his head was bowed.

In a murmur so quiet I wasn't even sure I heard it he said:

"Congratulations, kit."

We smiled.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Past Katsuki was Eri and Nemuri. Erin sprinted up to me, her arms outstretched as I accepted her running hug. Her tiny arms wrapped tightly around me with ease that only came from comfortable experience.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Eri asked me, her eyes wide with electrified wonder. Her face was flushed, and upon closer inspection she looked out of breath. "That was amazing—it made my heart beat super fast! It went boom-boom."

"It's hard not to get pumped up when listening to Foxhunter and watching Kiyo-chan dance," Nemuri agreed, her tone laced with fond amusement as she looked over the two of us.

"Something I picked up," I answered Eri, kissing her nose. "Now I believe I promised you a grand tour of the festival when I was done?"

Eri grinned at me. "Yep."

"Have fun," Nemuri cooed, snapping a picture of the two of us. Eri made a sour face at having her picture taken. I couldn't resist nuzzling her one more time before setting her back down. "Ah, looks like your escort arrived."

Shōto awkwardly shuffled around the corner of the hallway to the stage, holding a pot of lilies in his hands. "Hello."

"Hello," I said, amused by his shy smile. 'Ahhh, so cute.' "What's that?"

He held it out to me. The motion stiff, conveying a sense of sheepish embarrassment. "You're going to win. An early congratulation."

It was hard not to smile at that kind of confidence. I gratefully accepted the pot of red lilies, a little surprised Shōto had managed to procure them so late in the year. They were clearly well tended to. It was even more surprising he had thought to get me flowers. He had never shown much interest in botany or floral arrangement.

I lightly sniffed at the flowers, pleasantly surprised by their subtle aroma. 'I wonder if someone helped pick these out?'

"Let me put these up in my dorm room. Want to walk around the festival with Eri and me?" I asked, adjusting my grip on the violin and pot of flowers to better hold them.

"Yeah."

Teleporting quickly to my room, I carefully placed the pot of lilies on the end table by my bed and near the glass doors, then I set my violin on my pillow. I teleported back, reaching out to Shōto's outreached hand and intertwining my fingers with his.

With a sweet smile I asked, "Ready?"

◟(◕◡◕❀)

The school festival was as delightful as anticipated. It reminded me of when Shōto and I had gone to the Endou Festival. Shōto won several little game corners, handing prizes to both Eri and I. We munched on snacks, wandered around, and talked about unimportant things. Eri was always holding one of our hands to make sure she never got lost. If she wanted to spend an extra minute or two at a booth, we were both happy to indulge her.

It was essential to give her as many happy memories as we could. Healing could only really begin once the good memories outweighed the bad. How could anyone look forward to a future, if only their past and present was filled with sorrow?

It was endearing to see Shōto try his best to awkwardly accommodate her. He was painfully literal in her questions, and at times appeared flustered when she got too hyper. But he was earnest and genuinely tried. I was lucky enough to even get a picture of Eri riding on his shoulders.

'Yeah. That's so my new background.'

Hopefully I could convince Shōto to change his background from me sleep eating fried chicken to something with him and Eri.

Or literally anything but me sleep eating fried chicken.

Actually—

"What are the chances of you changing your phone background to anything but that?" I point-blank asked Shōto at one of the food stalls. I looked him straight in the eye while I loaded my arms with greasy goodness.

"Close to zero," he honestly responded.

"What picture?" Eri curiously asked, her own arms carrying a bundle of packaged candies.

Shōto immediately pulled out his phone to present the embarrassing picture, ignoring my blushing protests.

"That should be framed," Eri pointed out, a touch incredulous. As if she were surprised it hadn't already been framed.

"That's a great idea—"

"Please no."

A light chuckle popped out of Shōto. The sound rare and precious. Eri appeared surprised by it, even letting out a little gasp.

We ran into our classmates several times while we wandered, each one saying they loved my performance. Their praise always elicited a pleased blush from me, and if Shōto was holding my hand at the time he would squeeze my hand as encouragement.

Come 5 when it was time to announce the winner, all the contestants got up on stage and then—

"First place belongs to... Kiyomi from Class 1A!"

My eyes bulged and my hands flew up to my mouth to cover my gasp of surprise. Incredulous joy filled me as they placed the crown on top of my head and handed me the bouquet of roses.

"We hope everyone has enjoyed this year's pageant, come again next year!"

◟(◕◡◕❀)

LOOK AT THAT NEW COVER ART. Technically posted after the last chapter and before this one, so I just wanna make sure everyone gets to see the super duper amazing cover made by Junetoonarts / Wattpearl!

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Quirk: Reincarnation.

The ability to call upon the unique skills and abilities owned by previous lives.

I was going to have Hado win, but I've tortured Kiyomi enough for now. She deserves at least one win. :)

Foxhunter was the first performance I saw by the Celtic Women and it blew my friggin mind. That's one of my get-pumped songs now. Miwa learned it for Kurama since Kurama likes the sound of the violin. But at the time of this chapter posting that chapter hasn't been out published yet in Apex Predators, haha. Oh the joy of having a multiverse going on simultaneously.

Answer: Izuku, Shōto, and Ochaco (and Kiyomi if I can add my own OC). I feel like they would be able to work well with anyone, and their Quirks are pretty versatile. I would have liked to add Katsuki, but at the current stage of his characterization he's too much of a lone wolf / competitor to work well in a team.

Question: What makes your heart go boom-boom (in a good way)?

Reviews are love!