The Shadow Kingdom

A New Beginning

Izumi felt as if she was floating. The pain that went rushing through her entire body was now centered on the intense burn that throbbed in her left arm. Her eyes were closed and yet she could sense the magic battling for dominance around her, light and darkness surrounding her in a tidal wave of power and leaving her at the mercy of its waves. She felt cut off from the rest of the world, unable to move or pull herself up to the surface to breathe.

Was she going to die here? After all she'd been through, and after all she had worked so hard to achieve, was she doomed to just float and die here? She couldn't believe that. She didn't want to believe it. She had so many people who believed in her had faith in her and were waiting for her to come home. She couldn't just die and let them all down

Her mom... Her friends... Shoto and Kacchan... her beautiful Hikari...

"I don't want to die, damn it."

Her eyes snapped open, watching the spinning white and black aura revolve around her. She stretched out her hands taking both powers into her. She screamed as the pain returned and she shook her head.

"I won't die! I REFUSE TO DIE!!! Let...me... LIVE!"

"You will not die here hero..."

She gasped as the torrent halter, black on one side, white on the other. Two figures stood stretching their arms out to grasp hers. She felt herself being lifted upright.

"You are now the protector of the balance. So do as you promised and protect your world. Do not let chaos reign over your world."

"You chose this path, human, now follow it. There will one day be when you have to pass your responsibility to another... but until then it is your duty to see this through. Shun your responsibilities and both you and the rest of your world will suffer the consequences for it."

"Now go... your destiny awaits."

The hands that grasped hers yanked her up and through the sea of power. She shut her eyes again, the rush of it too much to take in... but as she breached the surface she let out one big huge gasp and took in air.

She felt pain again, but it was all over now. Her throat was scorched and dry, her muscles achy and tired, her head throbbing as she tried to take in the voices and visons of the people around her in a panic and crying with relief.

"We got you, it's okay, Izumi, we got you. Iida bring the bandages and elixirs. Let's patch her up, hurry!" Shoto demanded waving his arm dramatically as he gave orders.

"Stay with us Usagi! Damn it don't you dare pass out again. Shitty hair hurry up! Get us a cart, horses, whatever you can!"

"There's so much blood..." Uraraka sobbed. Her hands trembled as she worked trying to bandage and stop the bleeding. "Hold on Midori, just hold on."

"Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?" Izumi panted and screamed out loud as Ochaco poured fluid over her arm to clean the wounds. "Ahhh no not dead! Stop stop stop!!!" She shoved at Ochaco with her good arm and struggled to sit up. Shoto braced her from behind and wiped at the sweat on her brow. "Geez what are you trying to clean that with? Acid?"

"It's just water I got out of your pack. Does it really hurt that bad?" Ochaco explained holding up the flask and Izumi groaned.

"No wonder it burns... That water is meant for purification." she eyed her left arm looking at the black skin already bleeding and pussing. The areas that had been used with holy water now bubbled and boiled inky black ooze. "Just gauze and bandage me up. I've got medicinal herbs back at camp. Those won't eat my skin alive."