𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄 ❀ 𝐒. 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐈 !!ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ!!

Chapter Thirty-Six ~ What's Going On?

I wasn't sure if this was part of the rules, but I knew how to do it.

How?

I couldn't remember.

I stood up off his back, and he struggled to stand up, but he could barely move.

"Iida, can you move?" Midnight asked from her podium, and I noticed a suspenseful silence from the audience.

Iida grit his teeth. "N-No, ma'am."

Midnight grinned and flashed her whip. "We have a winner! Akiara Saki advances to the next round!"

I could barely breathe.

I really won!

I winced down in Iida's direction. "Sorry, friendo." I apologized, and he found enough strength to shake his head.

"Don't be sorry, Saki. You did what you had to to win. And I respect you for it." Iida smiled reassuringly.

"Oh! Let me help you." I offered, kneeling next to him and pressing my hands to one of his arms.

"Oooooo! We're about to see the victor's quirk in action everyone!" Present Mic announced excitedly, and I rolled my eyes.

I activated my quirk, and felt my arms becoming very sore, very quickly. I channeled healing energy at the same time, vanishing the soreness as soon as it comes across my body. And in just a few seconds, Iida could move freely again.

"Congrats on the win, Saki." Iida gave me a side hug before we went our separate ways into the tunnels we had entered from.

I squealed in excitement when I approached Todoroki, who was smiling, not softly smiling like he usually does, but SMILING.

That made me even more happy.

"TODO! I WON!" I yelped with happiness, leaping into his arms for a hug. He gratefully hugged me back, before we pulled away and grinned at each other. "Oh my gosh that felt amazing! I forgot how much I could do with my wings."

He squeezed my shoulder. "You did great. I'm very happy you won."

I smiled sheepishly at him, my heart fluttering.

*

A little while later, Todoroki and I were walking to the waiting room, so he could prepare for his next match against Deku. The other battles in the first round had already finished, and right now Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were arm-wrestling to break their draw.

"I think Kirishima's got this in the bag." I commented, when we heard Present Mic announcing the banter. Todoroki nodded, and just then we heard Kirishima proclaimed as the winner. I snapped my fingers. "Told ya so."

My brow furrowed and my smile faltered.

Todoroki noticed, and stopped walking. "What's wrong?"

I hummed. "I don't know... my back is all tingly... and it's starting to hurt."

Todoroki's eyes widened. "Hurting? How?"

"Not sure. It's not the pain I usually feel after overusing my wings... it's like a knife is being pressed to my back." I winced, feeling around on the small of my back, but not feelings anything sharp.

Todoroki placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do you need to see Recovery Girl?"

I shook my head in denial. "Absolutely not. It's just a prickling sensation, it's not like I'm actually getting stabbed." But right as I said that, it felt like I got stabbed. I gasped and doubled over, Todoroki helping me keep my balance. My hand snapped to my back again, and when I pulled it back, there was blood on my fingers. My eyes widened. "What the heck is happening--"

It felt like the knife, even though there wasn't one, was going deeper into my flesh.

I cried out, all my weight falling on a worried Todoroki.

"Are you okay what's--" He saw the blood on my fingers, and quickly examined my back. "Akiara, there's a wound. There's blood seeping into the fabric of your uniform, what's going on?"

My eyes filled with tears. "I... I don't know! But it hurts really bad!" He wrapped an arm around me and began leading me in the direction of the nurse's office. I sucked in a sharp breath when I felt the imaginary knife cut deeper. It felt as if it was in the middle of my torso now. "What the heck... it just keeps spreading!"

My body jostled, and I now spotted blood collecting on the front of my shirt... so that meant...

I screamed, latching onto Todoroki. "Todo--TODO IT WENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH!" I started crying in agony, and Todoroki had never looked so concerned in all the time I had known him.

"What's going on here?!" I heard a voice and the two of us spun around to see All Might hurriedly rushing toward us.

"All Might, sir." Todoroki greeted. "Akiara is experiencing something similar to what happened during the obstacle course. She's bleeding as if she was stabbed straight through the torso."

I smiled through the pain. "Y-Yeah it's just... it hurts so extremely bad, it feels so real."

All Might tensed. "Todoroki. Go get ready for your match. It starts soon. I'll take Young Saki to the infirmary."

"But--"

"No buts." All Might interrupted, sweeping me into his arms. "Don't worry. She'll be fine."

All Might turned around and we disappeared down the hallway, my eyes never leaving that of my best friend's.

Or, possibly more than a friend.

Hee hee heee.... I love knowing everything that happens. I don't want you guys to know though and I think in the past I made it too obvious but I went back and edited a few things so... hopefully it's not obvious. 

Love y'all so much!

~ᕲᖇᘿᗩᘻ~