Shouta Aizawa wasn't sure how to react.
This girl came out of a strange portal (which he would have suspected was the League if not for the color and unknown party) claiming that she was the brother of this villain. Now, he wasn't going to say she was at fault for this, in fact, he pitied her. It wasn't uncommon for relatives of known villains to be treated poorly for their connection to said villain, and he knew that she would blame herself for his actions, which was completely illogical, but understandable regardless. She blamed herself for not being there when he needed her, but he didn't believe that was truly the case, so he decided to ask.
"Do you honestly believe that he would have been any different if you had stayed?"
And of course, she did. Why wouldn't she? She was still his family, after all. It was just sad to see how much she blamed herself, despite her statement about his previous actions proving further how wrong she was. "Listen, ma'am, I don't believe that was the case. You said you tried to convince him to stop, right?" she nodded, "Then how are you at fault if he is the one who chose not to listen to you? He made his choice long before you ran away. Just be glad you left when you did, or you would have been charged with accomplice to murder." She hung her head, tears pricking at her eyes. "What is your name?" he asked. She sniffled, but responded in a hoarse voice, "Mabel Pines." Shouta nodded, "Well, Miss Pines, I appreciate your efforts to stop this but trust me when I say that you did a good thing. You tried your best to help, and you did as much as you could, but you can leave the rest to us now. It's a hero's job to keep the peace, so let us take it from here, alright?" she hesitated but nodded.
He returned her to the party of what looked like her family and friends, and they all comforted her as best they could. She was going to need the support. Her brother was going to jail, and she had to choose whether or not she would still associate herself with him. She looked like the caring type, so there's no doubt she would at least try to visit. "I'm not going to tell you to give up on him entirely, but you should at least try to live your own life from now on. This is his problem to deal with, so don't let him hold you back from bettering yourself." He looked to the group holding her, "Take good care of her." They nodded and looked back on the carnage of the battle.
Bill was holding a shadow-covered Izuku in his arms, the black mist swirling around him as he faded in and out of existence. Bill's expression was stuck somewhere between panic and confusion. Like he could tell there was something amiss, but he couldn't tell what. Shouta walked over to him and looked at the small figure in his arms. He looked up at Shouta, confusion turning into shock and then realization. It was the realization that, yes, we can see him too. They couldn't see him before now, but whatever the void did to him made him more visible, real, and alive. Bill's shoulders relaxed and then hunched as he held Izuku closer to his chest. He stood up and hugged the ghost close to him and ran back inside, completely ignoring the still-shaken group of people watching the ordeal and the gathering civilians who heard the commotion.
Bill was on a mission, and nobody was going to get in his way.
. . .
Stanford Pines couldn't believe it.
Bill Cipher was actually scared. The demon had never shown any consideration for anyone but himself, so it was shocking to see him grip that child like it was his own. Mabel already informed them of Izuku and his feats. He didn't want to believe that it was true and that maybe Bill had fooled them into believing that lie. But now, seeing the dream demon run into the mansion like the kid was about to disappear was all the proof he needed to prove how right she was. Izuku really did change him. And now it actually hurt to see that expression on his face. Worry, grief, terror, panic, and true genuine fear.
Bill was scared for Izuku.
It was a realization that slapped him in the face harder than Stanley's punch after he came back from chasing Bill across the four-dimensional planes of existence. Bill wasn't the narcissistic psychopath they remembered and that made him feel even worse because he was ready to kill him. Ford looked to his twin brother for an explanation but Stanley looked just as confused as he was. There was no denying it. Ford swallowed his pride and ran into the mansion after Bill. Saving Izuku was the least he could do to fix this mess.
He only hoped that Bill would let him help. Izuku didn't deserve to suffer because of their bad blood.
. . .
Bill needed to fix him.
Izuku was back, and he was real, but the void residue was poisoning him. Bill could feel it through their bond, the strengthened connection only raising their concern further. Bill could tell that the void did something to him, that much was obvious. Everyone who knows about the void knows what it does to people, but there was something that only the void-touched creatures of reality-benders could know, and that was the different areas within the void. The void had four layers that separated the different dimensional planes, and the effects of those layers always corresponded to the dimension they guarded.
The layer guarding the first dimension is seen as a straight line that represents length. This dimension has to do with space, as it is where everything falls into when it dies and rises from when it is born. This layer is, essentially, the base of reality. The void that guards it grants the ability of teleportation: the ability to travel from point A to point B through the void. If one were to fall into the layer between the first dimension, they would gain the ability to traverse the different realms but never be physically part of it, as they can neither rise nor fall from the first dimension. They'd become a spectator of sorts and would likely develop touch depression, as they cannot be perceived on any other plane and would lack any sort of interaction.
The layer guarding the second dimension is an incline that represents width. This dimension has to do with physicality as it is where things rise into existence. This layer is the entrance to reality and is where souls go when they are about to be born. The void that guards this layer grants the ability of telekinesis: the ability to enter and interact with the mind. If one were to fall into this layer, they would hear and see the thoughts and dreams of every soul in the universe but the sheer number of voices would drive them insane. This is where Bill was imprisoned and was also where they discovered the dreamscape.
The layer guarding the third dimension is a decline that represents height. This dimension has to do with spirituality as it is where things fall out of existence. This layer is the exit of reality as it is where souls go when they leave their bodies. The void that guards this layer grants the ability of clairvoyance: the ability to sense emotion within the soul. If one were to fall into this layer, they would sense the emotions of others but they themselves would be forced into feeling what the other feels and would likely end up with bipolar disorder due to all the different emotions floating through the universe.
The layer guarding the fourth, and final, dimension is a vertical line that represents time. This dimension has to do with time as it is the connection between the different layers and determines the timeline of everything in the universe. This layer is what keeps reality together, as it is what gives the first two a beginning and end to its designated existence. The void that guards this layer grants the ability of time dilation: the ability to move through time. If one were to fall into this layer, they would be able to see the entire timeline of this universe and walk through the past, present, and future, but they can do nothing to change it. Those that fall into this layer are erased from the timeline altogether and are forgotten due to their lack of existence. It causes depression and anxiety to the poor soul that falls in there.
Knowing all of this, Bill could only wonder what layer of the void Izuku was shot into and how it would affect him. He had finally been progressing in his therapy, and now they would have to start all over because the worst part about being in the void is that, regardless of what layer you fall into, the amount of time that passes around the void is significantly shorter than the time you feel within it. A single second in the real world could be a million years in the void, and Izuku had been in there for quite a few minutes. That may not seem very long to us, but it was an eternity for him.
Bill wasn't sure that therapy could fix this one.
. . .
Izuku felt strange.
He could clearly see that the battle was over, but he was still here. He saw himself fall back into reality, but the darkness still surrounded him. The never-blinking eyes still stared in curiosity, and the voices continued to whisper. Did he truly leave the void, or was he no longer capable of being welcomed back to the illusion that was his reality? The screen continued to play. Mabel came back -- Why did she come back? Why is she still here? Why is she still crying for him? -- Her friends and family surrounded and smother her crumpled form, Bill ran inside with his unconscious spirit, and Ford and the heroes followed behind while Dipper was loaded into a cop cruiser. Izuku watched as the screen continued to play. He looked around and saw a line. There was a four-pointed star traveling along the vertical line corresponding with the screen like a video player, and there were other lines that kept getting interrupted by a green string. That must be him.
Izuku looked at the strange lines, trapped within the bubble that held it together despite being so thin. It looked like it could shatter if he so much as touched it. If Izuku was watching the world move forward from the present, then could he watch the world move backward? And just as he thought that, the star began to move in the opposite direction and the screen displayed the timeline going backward. Izuku had an idea now, and he wondered if it was a good one. Mortals aren't meant to know about the infinite expanse and they certainly aren't meant to know about the secrets of the universe. However, Izuku abandoned his mortality and his morality. The only thing left to lose was his sanity, and he was sure that watching the universe's story would be a good enough form of entertainment.
Bill will come for him eventually, so he'll just have to wait until then. But for now, it's time to binge watch story of his universe. Lore is always so much fun to discover.
. . .
Izuku was confused.
The beginning of the universe was a big bang alright, but how exactly did it come to be? Well, the gods of course. Time Baby was the keeper of time (obviously), Kcaz was the keeper of space, and Zack was the keeper of reality. Kcaz was the only one of the three who didn't take his job very seriously and ended up creating a bunch of minor gods in the process. All of the religions humanity created over the years, the 3000+ gods to ever exist, were all created based on what they needed and those minor gods were in charge of keeping mortals in check by giving them what they needed. The gods were the ones protecting the balance in Kcaz's place while he watched the universe like a tv show, looking at all the different worlds, realities, and timelines that the various creators brought forth. His creator didn't want to reveal themselves so boldly, but there were other creators who did. Izuku watched those realities as their creator interfered with the story over and over again. His creator hated that. They despised when other creators would interrupt their story so the main character would break the fourth wall for the sole purpose of making their creator scold them for doing so, interrupting the story and causing needless chaos before letting it continue. What was the point? Sure it was fun to see the creator's perspective once in a while, but that's what footnotes are for!
After all, if you're going to create a character who interacts with the readers, why try to stop them from doing so?
The creator wanted Izuku to see the readers and hear their voices, they wanted Izuku to see the beyond and feel its power, they wanted Izuku to experience the unknown and question the truth. And his creator greatly enjoyed narrating his every thought and emotion. Why would his creator make him break the fourth wall only to stop him from doing so? Those are the kind of stories that Kcaz liked to watch as well. He liked stories with all sorts of chaos and drama to them, and he loved characters like Izuku and Bill who supplied him with that drama. But that still raised the question of why he would try to interfere every time Bill gave him what he wanted. It was like those creators who forced their characters to misbehave only to scold them for misbehaving. It was weird.
Still, that's not to say those realities were bad, they were very fun to watch and the stories were rather fascinating. Some of them were more graphic than others, and Bill would have never let him see these things if they could stop it, but they weren't here to stop him now were they? It was definitely traumatizing, but Izuku had experienced too much already to be scared of the truth. And the truth of his world was equally as horrifying. Speaking of his world, Izuku had finally caught up to the present and was watching through multiple screens each displaying different perspectives. Kcaz was throwing a tantrum at Dipper's failure and Mabel's betrayal. He wanted Bill to lose, he wanted Bill to get hit, and he wanted Bill to perish. But then he calmed down all of a sudden, which startled Izuku. He turned to one of Zack's screens and saw Izuku staring back at him from the black. They had a stare-off until Kcaz squinted at him, an odd expression replacing his previous rage-filled one.
Izuku raised a brow. There was that weird behavior again. First, he wants to play with the timeline, then he wants to watch as it collapses, the story going off track and then continuing on the new path only to go back and forth before repairing itself and continuing. Zack didn't seem very happy with the timeline going so off course, but he also wasn't going to interfere. The creator made it very clear that the situation was handled and they got their desired ending, but they weren't very happy with the interruption to their perfect story. But that's fine, the creator is nothing if not flexible. Patience is key in these kinds of things, and they were well known for their patience. Kcaz, on the other hand, wasn't very pleased with the creator's actions to meddle with his toy. It was his game, and they interfered with his fun.
[Heh. That'll teach you not to get in my way, you immature side character.]
Did he forget to mention that the creator was also a sadist?
Oops.
. . .
Bill was very apprehensive about letting Ford help him, which was understandable, but they also knew that he wouldn't try anything in front of all these heroes so they watched carefully as he used a claw-like device to help Bill remove the residue. Bill aided him by using their magic to protect Izuku's soul from harm, using their shared bond to feel for any sign of danger. It took an hour for them to pick off all of the larger pieces and Bill just used their magic flames to burn off the rest. He seemed to be more stable now, but he was still just as visible as he was before the procedure. Guess there was no fixing that part of the problem then. Bill just hoped it didn't cause any issues down the line.
"... thank you."
Ford glanced up to see a faint blush on Bill's face. They looked constipated and Ford would have laughed if this wasn't such a serious situation. He simply looked away and nodded. He wouldn't push his boundaries, not when it was so clear how much it tore them apart to admit their gratitude. Bill had just let themselves be vulnerable around him, and they'd likely never do it again, so it was best to just accept it for what it was and never speak of it to anyone. This wasn't something to brag about, it was something to appreciate with as much decorum as possible. And that's exactly what he'd do.
"I'll go tell the others that he's okay. If anything comes up, you know how to call. I won't try to get in the way of you two. Even if you still plan to take over the world, I have a feeling that it'll be a bit different this time around. As long as the two of you stay together, then there is no need to worry about this world being in any danger," Ford calmly told them. Bill furrowed their brows, "What's that supposed to mean, four eyes?" Ford smiled at Bill's attempt at false confidence, "It's clear that you've changed and Izuku is obviously the reason for that. Whether or not your goals have changed because of him is unclear, but I do know that you are not the same demon I knew all those years ago. The Bill I knew would laugh if he saw you now, holding onto that kid like he's your reason for living. I doubt I have to tell you this, but... he really cares about you. So be good to him, alright?"
Bill's eye twitched, but they said nothing. It was just the two of them right now, so there wasn't anything to hide. Ford had already seen this side of him, so it was a bit late to play dumb now, but they'd still make an effort. "You're right. You didn't need to tell me that, 'cause I already know. And quit acting all sappy. You sound like an old man," Bill teased. Ford chuckled, "I am an old man, Cipher. And from one old man to another, I think you're doing fine." Bill rolled their eyes, "Just get out of here, you wrinkly meat sack." Ford abided with a smile on his face.
Yeah, it'll be fine.
. . .
Izuku felt different.
The strange feeling he had after falling out of the portal tingled and twisted for a while, but it felt more like a tickle than a tug. Perhaps the reason he didn't feel like he was being torn apart was because there was nothing to tear apart. Being a ghost sure has its perks, huh? Another thing he felt was the familiar warmth of his best friend. So they finally found him. Izuku took one last look around the void: the eyes were still reading, the voices were still whispering, and the gods were still watching. It didn't seem like things would change that much without him. That's reassuring.
As the images of eyes and faces faded away, he suddenly felt himself falling. He screamed out in fear, the feeling of jumping off a building resurfacing in his mind. Does he have a fear of heights now? Well, that's just great. There was a great pain in his head when his soul reconnected with his body. The familiar feeling brought him back to the white where he was met with the purple portal once more.
[Soul restoration complete. Continue?]
"Yes!"
.
.
.
"... Bunny?"
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(I AM HERE with another update!
I have been daydreaming all day about this chapter and I'm so happy to have it finished.
The last chapter was honestly just a word dump that my tired brain finished an hour past my bedtime. Yes, I have a bedtime. Just because I'm an adult doesn't mean I don't take care of my body.
A lesson to all of you younger readers: "Just because you're a kid does not mean you're invincible."
Take care of yourself! Eat healthy, stay hydrated, and get a full 8 hours of sleep at night! I understand that some of you have difficulty with that, and I don't blame you for it but do try to make sure you're as healthy as you can be. I don't want any of you sacrificing your health for an ounce of serotonin.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all soon!)