"A-Aizawa?", I stammered.
"Yes!", Guardian smiled. "I saw you during the Sports Festival. I take it Shota told you to come to me."
Shota? I think she means Aizawa-sensei. Shota Aizawa. Of course.
"He did", I answered. "He's my homeroom teacher."
"Ah, how adorable!", Guardian giggly exclaimed. "I never saw Shota as someone who would teach kids."
"If you don't mind me asking...?"
"Ruma", the woman said with a smile.
"Right... Ruma", I mumbled. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your relation to Shota Aizawa?"
"He's my cousin!", Ruma said. "But I haven't seen him in forever."
Sensei's... cousin?
"Right... He said he used to know you a really long time ago."
"Nawh, a really long time ago?", Ruma pouted. "That makes me feel so old. It's only been around 10 years! You know what, let's just forget about that. I take it you're here to learn something from me!"
"I am", I answered. "Aizawa-sensei said you have the same quirk I do. I've been struggling to keep the whispers under control, so he said I should watch to see if you would offer an internship."
"Aizawa-sensei!", Ruma repeated as if she was imagining it. "I still can't believe Shota became a teacher! And after we went to UA ourslves!"
She doesn't seem very... focused.
Suddenly Ruma became dead serious and looked me in the eye.
"Did you just say you're struggling with the whispers?", she asked.
I nodded.
"What's the worst thing that's happened so far?"
"They...", I hesitantly started. "They told me to kill someone. During my match against Shoto Todoroki."
"Ah, but then you're already in the final stage", Ruma purred. "Did you get your quirk from your parents?"
"Yes, my father has the same quirk", I answered. "But he never mentioned anything about whispers."
"Well then that means he has the weak version", Ruma said and she gestured for me to follow her.
"Sensei guessed that the whispers were bothering me when I snapped at him in class", I mumbled as we walked through the halls. "I don't really know how to stop them. Sensei said you told him the only way to silence them is using your quirk, so that's what I did. But then during the Sports Festival, using my quirk only made it worse."
Ruma halted in front of large double doors and looked at me over her shoulder.
"Our quirk is called death manipulation and manifestation for a reason", she stated. "Silencing the whispers is easily done. You just have know how."
"Really?", I said in an amazed tone.
"Yep", Ruma answered. "Now... what do you drink, coffee or tea?"
"Uh, coffee", I answered, a bit thrown off by the random question.
"Good choice", Ruma answered before opening the doors.
We walked into a well decorated kitchen. Ruma started to prepare a pot of coffee and I leaned against the counter.
"I struggled with the whispers for a long time", Ruma said. "I didn't find out how to get rid of them until way after I last had contact with Shota."
She looked at me with an approving look.
"You've done well, getting this far", she said. "Our quirk is rare, but those who do have it often lose their mind before they learn to control the whispers."
"I... I never even thought of that", I admitted. "I can't even remember a time when I didn't hear the whispers. I didn't know any better than living with them. The only thing that freaked me out was when they spoke after being inaudible for 12 years."
"Yes, I know the feeling", Ruma said with a rueful smile. "But they only speak under certain circumstances. I take it you're familiar with the term 'battle frenzy'?"
"I think so, yeah...", I answered. "Isn't that when you get so caught up in a battle that you don't really think too much anymore? Like when your body takes over and your mind goes blank. You just fight."
"I couldn't have explained it better myself!", Ruma said in an excited tone. "To be honest I have no idea if a battle frenzy is a real thing, but I started using the word for that exact feeling you just described."
Is she for real? She sounds so serious one second, and the next she's like a squealing schoolgirl.
"The whispers can't speak unless you let them", Ruma continued in a serious tone. "When you're in a battle frenzy, you're often using your quirk a lot without even realizing it. At least that's what I found out about myself. You'll always have a special connection to the dead, but in a battle frenzy you often allow that connection to become stronger and lift the veil between this world and theirs a bit, allowing them speak to you."
This sounds really dark, but it somehow makes sense to me.
"Now tell me, (y/n)...", Ruma said as she gave me a cup of coffee. "Have you ever felt like you're using the dead? Taking advantage of them? Imposing?"
"Yes", I admitted. "A voice in my head always told me not to use my quirk, because I was disturbing their peace."
"I can assure you, you're not", Ruma said. "They're dead. They have nothing better to do anyway."
"But-"
"I know what you're thinking", Ruma interrupted me. "'Easy to say for someone who has a quirk that uses the dead', right?"
I averted my eyes and nodded.
"You can do more than you think, (y/n). Those whispers in your head? They're actual dead people, and when you learn how, you can talk to them. For real."
My eyes widened in shock as I looked up at the woman in front of me, who was casually sipping at her coffee.
"Talk to them?", I repeated. "How?"
"It's not easy", Ruma admitted. "But I learned, over the years. I felt the same way you did. 'When you die, you're supposed to get eternal peace, right? Who am I to disturb the dead to use their power?' Well, as soon as I learned to control my connection to them, I asked them about it. They really don't have anything to do. They don't mind us lending their power. It's not like they still need it."
"But... How do you do it?", I asked as I furrowed my brows. "How do you control the connection? You can make it so strong you can talk to them, but you can also make it so you can't hear them at all."
Ruma nodded and sipped at her coffee.
"As I said before, the dead whisper in your head because you let them", she said. "If you want them to stop, just tell them to shut up."
"I... Just say it in my head?", I asked, dumbfounded by how easy that sounded.
Ruma nodded again.
"But I've done that plenty of times", I argued. "There were plenty of times where they got loud for no apparent reason and I internally yelled for them to shut up. It never worked."
"That's because you shouldn't yell out of frustration", Ruma retorted. "For them to actually hear you, you have to focus on letting them hear you. Lift the veil, and step into their world."
"That doesn't sound very pleasant", I mumbled.
"Nothing can go wrong", Ruma shrugged. "There's often this irrational fear of getting stuck there, but all that happens when you lose concentration and the veil comes back down, is that you return to your body and the dead remain in their world."
"I have to focus on lifting the veil...", I mumbled to myself. "Break the barrier that I've been trying to fortify."
"Ohh, you're even more like me than I imagined!", Ruma suddenly said. "Back when I first thought of this I was super scared, but what I imagined was similar to what you're saying!"
"What did you visualize?", I asked.
"My mind, within a high wall", Ruma said. "Outside of the wall are the dead. But the gate is opened a tiny bit. The dead people are all at the gate and I tried to close it so they would leave, but they were in the way. I had to open the gate, ask the dead to make room, and then close the gate."
"And it worked?", I asked.
"Visualization is key", Ruma said with a curt nod. "So try it."
"Right now?", I asked.
"No better time than the present", the heroine said. "So take a sip of your coffee and try it."
"Alright", I mumbled.
I took a few big gulps of my coffee before closing my eyes.
Open the gate. Lift the veil. Break the barrier.
I took a deep breath and focused on the whispers in my head. I gasped when I could imagine it. I could perfectly visualize it.
I was standing in front of a gate that was slightly opened. There were all these half-invisible figures with hollow eyes on the other side, trying to claw their way in.
I took a deep breath and walked up to the gate. I gave one firm push against it and both of the wooden doors swung open. The horde of dead people was about to enter when they saw me and froze. I looked around. I took a deep breath and addressed them all when I spoke up.
"I'd like you to stay away from here", I stated. "Please. I need to close this gate. What's behind it is mine, and I can't focus with all of you here."
The see-through figures started to move back until they faded one by one.
"Thank you", I whispered after the last one left.
That was awfully easy.
I took a few steps back until I was withing the walls again. The gate swung shut in front of me.
"Did it work?", Ruma's excited voice ripped me out of my thoughts.
"I...", I mumbled. "I don't know. I did what you asked. I visualized the gate and all."
"Do you still hear them?", Ruma asked as her gray eyes glimmered with curiosity.
I was silent for a second. A smile broke out onto my face when I realized they were gone.
"I don't", I said. "They're gone."
"And can you still use your quirk?"
I tensed.
"There's a chance I can't use it now?!", I asked.
Ruma nodded with a shrug.
"And you couldn't have mentioned that sooner?", I asked.
Ruma shrugged again.
I sighed and focused on my surroundings. My eyes snapped open when I realized something.
"There's nothing", I whispered. "Nothing to absorb..."
"You need to find a balance", Ruma stated as she opened her hand.
Dark blue sand flowed out of her palm and formed into a small wolf that ran over the counter. When Ruma closed her hand the wolf went to dust.
"How?", I asked.
Not being able to absorb anything was stressing me out. I was so used to it, that this felt crazy. I felt like something was missing.
"You need to find a way to make the dead stay out of your head, but close enough to absorb their power."
"How on earth do I do that?", I asked. "How did you do it?"
"Visualizing the gate worked to shut them out", Ruma said. "But it was just the first step. You have to find a balance. The dead can't really stay behind a gate. What you need to do is find a way to open the gate completely, but have the dead stay back anyway."
"How?"
Ruma furrowed her brows.
"I read in your file that you can also teleport", she said. "I take it you do that by somehow using the dead as well."
I nodded.
"Can you still do it?"
I focused on teleporting and immediately felt it work. I teleported to the other side of the counter, making Ruma flinch in surprise. Then she grinned.
"You're almost there already", she said. "A quick learner indeed. It took me years to get to the point where you are now."
"So what do I do?", I asked.
"The power you use to teleport", Ruma said. "You can still use that, but the dead are out of your head. I think you should find a way to absorb the power you use to teleport in the same way you usually absorb death. If that doesn't work, you have no other option than to find a way to keep the dead close enough to absorb their power, but out of your head."
"I will", I mumbled. "One way or another."
"Anyway, it's getting pretty late", Ruma purred. "We should eat some dinner and go to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow."
"We do?", I asked.
"Of course we do", Ruma smirked. "What do you think an internship with a hero means?"
I started to like Ruma more and more. After we had dinner she led me to a luxurious room upstairs. I took a shower and brushed my teeth before climbing into the bed.
I need a way to let the dead in, but keep them out at the same time. How on earth will I do that?
That night, I had the weirdest dream I'd had in ages. I dreamt of a zombie apocalypse, where all these zombies invaded a city. It was very weird and gross, but that dream would help me with my problem.
"Ruma-san!", I called as I ran downstairs the next morning. "I think I might have an idea!"
Not too long after that, I was sitting on the counter in the kitchen with Ruma observing me from a distance.
Could she really have figured it out so quickly?, the heroine thought to herself. If so, those students of yours are even more exemplary than I thought, Shota.
I visualized it again. The city surrounded by walls and one large gate. I walked up to it and opened it slightly. See-through figures immediately started materializing a few feet away. I took a deep breath before opening the gate completely.
I moved to the side and let the figures enter the city. They poured through the gate, all looking at me with their hollow eyes as they passed.
"Visualization is key", I whispered to myself. "They can come in, as long as I can't hear them."
I gasped when I was pulled out of my own mind again. Ruma was leaning on the counter with her elbows, intensely staring at me.
"Do you hear them?", she asked.
I shook my head.
"Can you use your quirk?"
I smirked when the dark purple sand flowed out of my palm.
"Yes!", Ruma yelled like an excited fangirl. "Yours is really purple!"
She touched the sand-like stuff with her finger before she let her own blue darkness flow out of her palm.
"I thought it might have been the TV, but it's really purple!", she excitedly said. "Oh, and you did it!"
Before I could object she jumped forwards and threw her arms around me. It took me a second to register it, but once I did I chuckled and hugged her back.
"All thanks to you", I said. "I never even thought I could do something like this. I thought the whispers were just a part of the quirk."
"What did you visualize?", Ruma asked. "What made it work?"
I let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of my head.
"I realized the city within the wall wasn't my mind", I said. "I was. It wasn't that I couldn't let them through the gates, I couldn't let myself hear them. So I wore earplugs."
"So boring and simple!", Ruma squealed. "But it works!"
"Why, what did you visualize?", I asked.
"Well, first of all it took me years to get the idea", the heroine answered. "But I imagined myself within the wall in full on armor. The dead walked right past me, and every time I moved the chainmail made so much noise that I couldn't hear them."
"Armor?", I repeated and I couldn't stop myself from chuckling. "Very nice."
"Yeah, well it worked for me", Ruma said with a shrug. "So, if the whispers ever return, just revisualize what you did today. First you close the gate. Then you prepare yourself and open it again."
"I will", I said. "Thank you, Ruma-san."
"No problem", she answered with a smile. "Now go put on your costume. We have a city to patrol."
I nodded and quickly got ready.
About 10 minutes later Ruma and I were walking down the streets if Tokyo.
"So, now the whispers have stopped", I mumbled. "And I can still absorb darkness. But what about talking to them? The dead people, I mean."
"Talking to them isn't something that you can just learn in a few minutes like what I taught you yesterday", Ruma answered as she kept scanning the streets. "It's something that you get a feeling for over the years."
I looked at the sky and let out a small sigh.
Over the years, huh? Guess I'll have to wait a while then.
"As you get more control of it, you won't have to visualize anything to control your connection to the dead", Ruma continued. "You can let them in or block the out at will. Eventually you can even select the voices you want to hear. Some talk, some don't, but it can be really helpful in a fight for example. As long as you block the violent ones, like the one who taught you to kill your classmate."
"Can you ever...", I hesitantly said. "Talk to a specific person? Like someone you knew when they were alive?"
Ruma stopped walking and looked at me with a sad smile.
"No", she softly said. "Trust me, I've tried. Our connection to the dead is strong, but not that strong. We can't summon people we want to talk to, or bring them back from the dead. We're not necromancers."
I was about to respond when I saw a familiar figure walking on the other side of the street. I snorted.
"Whyyyyyy are you snorting?", Ruma asked as she followed my gaze.
"The guy walking after Best Jeanist", I said as I tried not to laugh. "He's a friend of mine. But look at his hair!"
I completely failed at containing my laughter at that point.
"Do you mind if I go to him for a second?", I asked Ruma.
"Not at all, but I think Jeanist will", she answered. "He's usually very busy with his interns. Which is why I will distract him for you so you can talk to your friend."
"Thank you", I sincerely said before I crossed the street.
I walked up to Bakugo, who hadn't noticed me yet. I could see from a distance that he was seething. I could imagine why, considering Best Jeanist probably forced him to change his hair and costume.
"Katsu-chan", I said as I tapped on his shoulder.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!", he snapped.
His attitude lessened when he saw it was me.
"Why are you here, you maggot?", he muttered.
"Just patrolling with Guardian", I said as I gestured in Ruma's direction. "But..."
I went to stand in front of Bakugo and moved my hand into his ash blonde locks.
"Look at your hair", I said as I tried to contain my laughter again.
Bakugo got more and more irritated when I ran my fingers through his hair and chuckled.
"STOP IT!", he then snapped, making me burst out laughing.
"But Katsu-chan, you look so cute!", I said as I put my hands on the side of his face.
He glared at me and grabbed my hands, removing them from his face.
"Shut. Up", he said in a low tone.
I knew it was supposed to be threatening, but it only made me smile.
God I love this boy.
Err ,I mean care about him! That's what I meant! Said! As friends of course. I care about Katsuki as a friend.
"Why are you so red all of a sudden?", Bakugo asked.
"No reason!", I quickly answered before pulling my hands from his grip and taking a step back. "But I think I should continue my patrol with Guardian."
"Whatever", Bakugo muttered as I quickly walked back to Ruma.
It was right on time, because Best Jeanist was just calling Bakugo to continue their patrol.
"You seem pretty close to that Bakugo", Ruma noted with smirk.
"No, I most certainly do not!", I answered.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I realize this whole thing about (y/n)'s quirk seems a bit far fetched. While writing it I thought to myself 'is this okay for a bnha fanfic? It's kinda more like fantasy.' And then I just shrugged because I was too lazy to change it anyway.
Sorry if you don't like it. It won't come up much after this chapter.
Thanks for reading!