Ice Cold

Words

You had never felt so positive about something that you were about to do.

Ever year, month, day, hour, minute, down to each second of your life, you felt like something was wrong.

Someone, a ghost of a voice always breathing down your neck, telling you what to do. Nonexistent strings attached to your limbs, telling you when to lift your hands.

Not anymore.

But not because you felt free.

You felt like every one of those strings attached to your limbs were finally put down by your puppeteer and you could turn around and attack.

It was always him.

That one person, always coming back again and again, his voice echoing in your head like a shitty song.

You didn't want to listen to it anymore.

For once, your voice was louder. It wasn't stronger, but it was louder. It was powered by the grief, hurt, pain, anger, and anguish that finally burst despite your efforts to keep them contained in your little ball you wanted to call sanity.

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

Your heart that was only beating now because of those that were gone.

Your mind that was only intact because of a promise you made to those who couldn't even keep theirs.

Your hands and feet only moved like they did now because they were the only tangible proof you felt like you had of their existence.

Your mother, who held your hand. The Water Gun heroes, who took your hands when your mother couldn't. Nighteye, who guided your steps. Twice, who told you where your fist should punch.

The last one that came to your mind, you couldn't accept. You couldn't accept that Shouto was dead.

You thought about that little girl that dreamt of being just like her mother and made a promise to her, that you would be just like your mother.

The strong, kind, loving protector.

You didn't accept the words your father said to you.

That you couldn't have friends. That you couldn't be a hero. That you would be alone.

Not once were you alone. You realized it now. You were just blind to the people that were there.

Well, now it's time to light the candle. Time to get out of the dark. Time to stop fearing the flame. You could tolerate the burn.

Not only tolerate it.

You could feel it.

Yes, that's the word. That's the one you hated, you feared, like it was some spell that would make you vanish.

No, it was even better than that.

It would make you seen.

"There you are."

Without anyone catching a glimpse of the before, a flame ignited beneath All For One's figure and you finally appeared.

You finally appeared.

Heroes that were already stationed there truly saw you for the first time.

The glowing eyes didn't radiate from a blank expression, but rather one painted with the colours of rage. However, you weren't controlled by it, and that was the most beautiful part.

The wind convulsing around you, the earth cracking beneath your feet, the flames that had ignited, they were not under your command anymore.

They were you.