'To take a life is no easy task nor should it ever become easy [It became very easy for us, Dark Shadow]. To take a life is to take away any good that individual may impart upon the world and this cannot be quantified. When one acts with empathy and compassion, comforting a small child is equal in magnitude to ending a war. Karma does not care for the breadth and width of a good act. All that matters is that you do more good on balance to the bad you commit [And what if we commit terrible crimes for great goals?]. Should a time come that you must take a life, consider if you do this act out of empathy for your fellow humans or the lie of necessity [Fumikage, we never considered this further].'

—Excerpt from 'The Pillars of Moral Heroics' by Ryo Asuka and annotated by Fumikage Tokoyami and Dark Shadow.

It is the witching hour for Fumikage Tokoyami, the period between midnight and dawn when the night is darkest. Not that it matters any longer with the moon missing in the sky but for the largest shards which sometimes appear if he observes it long enough.

The ramifications of their powers will be seen with every darkened night. To wield the power of God is to reshape the world on a whim. That power is haunting. In the depths of his soul, he can feel how the abyss was altered by the power they wielded. The barriers between this universe and the abyss are non-existent. It's all just one big jumbled mess.

Worse still, he can't get over the number of people they killed. They made the choice to leave the last Singer in China. A country of two billion originally. Now, it is less than one billion. And yet, despite that, he knows it was the best choice in the long run. At least, that's the only lie that gets him to sleep.

In the weeks since the Singers, chaos has reigned across the world. Instability is the name of the game, countries falling apart and people trying to carve out a kingdom for themselves. Ironically, the countries with the most stability are the ones with a strong villain presence. The Vancouver Island Villain Association have forced peace in their territories encompassing everything south from British Columbia to Oregon and stretching east to Saskatchewan and Montana.

Other countries like Brazil and Morocco, Turkmenistan and Indonesia, Bangladesh and Mexico, all nations who swore fealty to All For One, are going strong. There is a network of connections that Fumikage has mapped out with Izuku's help, knowing that they may be great allies in the future. He would rather entreat with them than fight them because it keeps his loved ones safe.

The children are asleep, those eight kids his father died protecting. Taking care of them is only natural since the Singers. He is all they have left in the world.

The oldest amongst them, the redhead, fails to sleep. Fumikage sits on the edge of the boy's bed.

"You promise you'll stay."

Fumikage nods. "Yes, little tanuki. If you'll have me, then I'll stay with you forever. Now go to sleep."

Later, he's just had an argument with Izuku over what to do now. They've spent weeks here in seclusion, hiding from the world whilst it demands answers. The pillars of morality and ethics demand he stand accountable for his role in events. And Izuku is terrified of that.

There are chains that bind him to Izuku, a debt from a battle trial that seems so long ago, and a friendship that he very doubts will ever end. Just as Izuku will die for Fumikage, there is no length he will not go to repay his debts. We three kings. That promise permeates every iota of their relationship.

More importantly, the world must be ready for the future to come. Jupiter. He has already sent his dragon to scout the gas giant and the report it had provided is worrying. Something is growing in the red spot, an infernal engine of gargantuan proportions and all built in the real. It may be a portal to the depths of the abyss but Fumikage fears it to be something worse. He fears it to be new and uncharted territory.

Everything past the Kuiper Belt is just as unknown.

The final battle ended with destruction. There is no guarantee that the abyssal ejecta is confined to the solar system and that none of it escaped to other suns and worlds. Most importantly, there is no guarantee that the abyss had not already touched other star systems.

I warned you once that the abyss and the real must never touch. It is only by luck that a cataclysm did not completely destroy the world.

"And what were we to do?

Stop playing with forces beyond your comprehension.

Fumikage crosses his arms. "And do what then? Pretend we, pretend I, was not what I am. Three kings to whom the future was open. How could we not explore the reach of our godhood?"

I hope you never forget your humanity.

"As do I, my friend."

He walks through the compound, checking up on the staff. It is a compound in Hokkaido, one under the control of the Lightning Bolts. Fumikage feels awkward giving commands to people who aren't his subordinates, but they listen and don't complain. The perks of being a god, he supposes.

"Inquisitor." Tokoyami looks up and sees Maya, his handler and friend amongst the Royal Guard. She is the last remaining members of the group.

Ryujin had died alongside the Royal Lines he was meant to protect. The Emperor had fallen in battle protecting the Villa with his strength. And his son had been burnt by Endeavour's power in the defence of the Tanegashima Space Centre.

Fumikage inclines his head in greeting. "Agonist. Where have you been hiding?"

She doesn't react to his use of that nickname. That, more than anything, tells him how bad things are.

"Not hiding but completing my final duties. The Chrysanthemum Dynasty is dead with the passing of the Royal Lines. They have all been buried and the necessary rites performed."

"I am sorry."

She smiles, and it is beautiful as always. "Don't be. They died amongst family. Should we all be so lucky."

"What will you all do now?"

"Who knows? The war we fought is ended. My duties as a Royal Guard finally discharged. The Imperial Household has no purpose without an Emperor."

She is honest, not a trace of a lie. Battling the influences of the abyss had been one of their primary responsibilities and with the Singers either dead or sealed beyond existence, that responsibility has died. That candour is how he knows she is manipulating him.

They will have a use in the coming wars, Dark Shadow whispers in his mind. Do not reject a possible resource.

"Anyone of Japanese birth can claim the throne," he says tiredly.

She smiles. "Yes. Without the royal lines, the Guard and their Special Assets are highest in the order of precedence."

Fumikage closes his eyes, bitter. She is the last Japanese member of the Guard, but she abdicated her role. Amongst the Special Assets, he is first amongst equals.

By pure technicality and happenstance, Fumikage Tokoyami is the Emperor of Japan.

"How many of your assets do you still have access to?"

"Perhaps forty percent in total split between individuals, bases, weaponry, and hard currency. Perhaps more than any single group left in Japan. Not as much as we had before."

He extends his hand out. A crow of inky darkness with feathers of glass unshattering forms above it. "Tell Izuku I require All For One's data drives on League assets. Return with them."

The crow flies away, each beat of its wings sounding like breaking glass. He watches it for a moment before returning to Maya.

"You will have your wish of purpose." She nods in gratitude. "There is a war to come and we must prepare. We shall fight in the shadows once more."

"And what of your Special Assets?"

She's talking about Izuku and Shouto. He doesn't own or control either of them. If anything, he is very likely dancing in Shouto's tune. But appearances are just as important.

"There is a plan," he says, true because he guesses Shouto has one. "Asset Susanoo will be at the forefront of it. Asset Amaterasu will play a support role. Consolidate whatever League resources remain with those of the Imperial Household.

"Understood, Inquisitor. And what of our name? Are we to be Royals again? Will you be an Emperor?"

The crow swoops back. In its talons sharp enough to shred deities it holds a container with the data drives. Fumikage takes it and permits the bird to rest on his shoulder.

My prince of crows, it is time you become that in truth.

"The future is uncertain and constantly in flux. The old methods failed. We must be something different," he says. "The crow represents intelligence and insight. It is the changing of ways and the guide of the afterlife. It is the wise messenger and a mark of good luck. We must be all of these things in the future to come."

He lets the crow return to his soul to be reunited with its flock. Agonist observes him without a word.

"Then your Crows we shall become. Excuse me, Lord Inquisitor."

He nods, already assuming the role of their leader. When she is gone, he passes by Izuku's study. His friend is reading, Kouta curled up in slumber beside him. Fumikage chooses not to disturb whatever tentative peace he has. Dawn will come soon, and everything will change then. He can feel it in his bones.

-TDB-

It is two years after they choose their path at dawn. His Crows have moved throughout Japan, stabilising it by removing negative elements. He becomes a spymaster in truth, relaying information to Izuku's fledgeling nation based in Hokkaido. His life is one of darkness. He orders many deaths in the dead of night whilst his peers live in the light—Shouto on the moon and doing necessary work, and Izuku who stands at the forefront of all things.

He rarely takes a break. There are too many threats that must be dealt with. So many must die for a peaceful future. There are people with quirks that can accelerate the reconstruction of their society and Fumikage kills all who will not join their cause. If they exist, then they are a threat to the legend of Izuku, the legend of a god who creates as easily as he destroys.

In the few instances he has a break, he visits his mother. With his father dead, she is his only family and he cherishes his time with her.

Until the day she falls ill.

It is an abyssal illness. Dark Shadow cannot recognise its origin or possible treatment. Izuku is useless. And Shouto on the moon.

"Go to South America," Shouto tells him in a message. "I believe a cure will be found there. Take care, my friend."

That hint is all he has to go on. He sends orders for many of his Crows to head to South America. They can lay the groundwork to take over whilst he searches for a cure. He entrusts Japan to Maya and goes to face Izuku.

"I'm leaving," he says to his friend. "Tonight."

Izuku is about ready to cry. The stress of the last year has been building and he looks like the world has beaten him to a pulp.

"Why? Why the fuck are you leaving me?"

This is exactly why he wished to leave a letter instead. "Because there is work to be done in South America."

The wind picks up, a breeze ruffling his feathers. It is not natural. The windows are all closed in this private chamber.

"So, you're going to leave. Like Shouto. I said I'd follow this plan if we all agreed. You fucking agreed. You said you'd stick through this. Now you're running."

The accusation stings. "South America must be my priority now."

"And if I ordered you to stay?"

"I would still leave."

Izuku takes a deep breath before the shadows do more than just vibrate with his anger. That restraint Is part of why Fumikage believes in him.

"Tell why at least. The real reason."

"This not goodbye," he says instead of answering.

"It feels like it," Izuku says bitterly.

If nothing else, he refuses to leave it like this. He removes his white knife, the last of two, the other with Shouto, and extends it to Izuku. They are his prized possessions, more important than anything he owns. They had been a gift from Maya, a sign of her trust and faith in him.

"Perhaps," he says.

He takes the next flight to Brazil. The monument to Titan's Fall in Sao Luis seems as good a place as any to begin his quest. He may not speak Portuguese but one of his Crows does. There are rumours of people having taken up the names of Incan gods. He very much doubts any of them to be true gods. Most likely humans with powerful quirks, but he will accept any foolish belief if it brings him closer to a cure.

Fumikage learns many things in his quest through South America. He learns that quirks and the abyss are not the only powers of consequence. No, there are strange things he can't explain. He does what everyone does when confronted by the unknown. He fears it.

He rests his hand on the thick mane of one of his hounds. The creature is tense and ready to attack as Fumikage consorts with the ghost of a weather god. When he has completed the silly task the ghost gives him and has the information he needs, he unleashes the entirety of his soul upon this area. Hounds that fed on time and ethereal serpents and crows that feasted on gods hunt chase down these strange powers. He slaughters them all because they hold the possibility of being a threat one day.

His quest takes him further north. Izuku sends messages constantly that Fumikage ignores. He does not need the distraction. Only once does he send a confirmation that he is, in fact, alive and well.

Columbia and Venezuela distract him. They practically have no government but are stuck between many warlords vying for control. He would ignore it if not for the abyssal weapons being employed. He chooses the least bad of the warlords to support and his Crows move in to destabilise the opposing factions. It takes close to a year for the conflict to play out fully.

When it is over, he pays the warlord a visit. He may be riding a dragon when it occurs but that doesn't excuse a hardened general cowering in terror. He gives the general a list of commands, laws and ethics for him to follow them. He won't let this become another region ruled by corruption and decadence, and the threat of a dragon burning his estate down keeps the warlord in check as he makes improvements to the region.

That distraction bears fruit in the form of a compass that points to his greatest desire. It leads him to Cuba where he finds the man who will guide him to his goal. Which happens to be all the way back in Bolivia.

"This is ridiculous."

Your powers were earned easily. You did not suffer near as much as your fellow kings. This is your quest.

"I hate narrative tropes."

Knowing that is perhaps why he doesn't begrudge his guide's betrayal. The man, after all, is playing a role. He does, however, begrudge the guide for destroying the compass. It leaves him having to explore Bolivia alone and by himself. With no choice, he picks up many languages and learns to follow the tiniest clues. Folk stories become forensic evidence. Old carvings might as well be DNA samples.

It all leads him to a hidden crypt filled with traps. He rolls his eyes after the fifth spike trap. He is impervious to such dangers and that makes the trip more annoying than exciting. At the very heart of the temple, he finds a portal to another world.

Time flows slower there.

"Stay here, my friend. Ensure this portal does not come to harm."

Fumikage walks through the portal and enters another world, one where mysterious forces rule. He does not fear them, not with a horde of abyssal creatures and the power of God at his fingertips, but it does worry him. First Jupiter and now this. The world is changing too quickly for his liking. There is a future he isn't sure they are prepared for.

It takes him fifteen years in that world to find what he is searching for. It is a cure born of hope and alien powers, but one that will heal any illness.

Five years have passed, Dark Shadow tells him upon his return. His friend has morphed, becoming more tree-like than usual. The demon's roots have burrowed deep into the temple floor and spread deep.

"Then perhaps there is still time," he says, sheathing his longsword.

He returns to Japan for the first time in nearly a decade, unsure of how the world has changed in his absence. But none of that matters as much as seeing his mother.

"I'm sorry," the doctor says. "She held out as long as she could. But she passed a month ago."

Fumikage closes his eyes. "I see. Thank you for your work."

There was nothing you could have done, Dark Shadow says one they are in private.

"I could have been there for her. And that was my own choice."

He can't speak to Izuku when the spectre of his departure will weigh on the conversation. And it would not be fair. He knows Izuku still grieves the passing of his mother and Fumikage was not there to help him mourn. He cannot expect the same kindness in return.

He drowns himself in his duties. Spinner has managed to stabilise Japan through military force and now their young Federation looks outward. Fumikage takes over his Crows once more and prepares Izuku's young nation for the first wave of expansion.

Korea is the first nation he picks based on Shouto's recommendation. It is the first nation that willingly joins their Federation. The country's loyalty may be bought in blood spilt at night, propaganda, and the threat of violence, but it also bought through aid without condition and protection against the Chinese successor states.

Someone knocks on his door to his office. Fumikage frowns. Everyone knows not to disturb him when he is working.

"Enter."

The door cracks open slowly. A man he doesn't recognise at first enters.

"Fumi."

He blinks. "Little tanuki," he says startled. The boy isn't smaller than him. For that matter, the boy isn't a boy.

He looks up at his surrogate family member. The man has a beard and broad shoulders. It seems just yesterday he was a scared little boy and somehow, he's grown into someone who towers over Fumikage.

"You've grown tall."

His… surrogate family member smiles. "Or maybe you haven't grown."

"I'm at a perfectly acceptable height."

He gestures for the tanuki to sit.

"A long time ago you promised you'd stay with us," the man says. "Was that… was that the truth?"

"I cannot see the future but I will stay with you till the very end," he says sadly, knowing that he will outlive the children now adults. "Why?"

"My wife is pregnant and I need to know someone will stay with my children no matter what happens to me."

"I will."

"Good. We're naming the twins Tetsuo and Kaori."

He stumbles, nearly falling out of his seat. Those are his parents' names.

"What?"

"It's the choice we're making, all of us." The tanuki smiles. "You took care of us. You were the only father a lot of us remember. So, we want the world to know."

"That's…"

"Do you not want this?"

"I do," he says. "I just never thought I would have a family again."

"Well, now you'll have all of us." The tanuki smiles. "We never met them, but they might as well be or grandparents. We visited her. All of us did. She wasn't alone and I promise you that all she wanted was for you to be happy."

He doesn't cry but it is close. Knowing that his mother had been surrounded by people who love her eases something deep in his soul. It makes him feel lighter, knowing that he didn't completely mess up.

"Thank you."

-TDB-

In the decades that have passed since then, their Federation has gobbled up most of Russia and Southeast Asia thanks to Spinner's inexorable army. It has suffered defeats, yes, most notably at the hands of Yang Wen-Li, a general of one of the Chinese successor states. But, no matter how competent of a general you are, Shouto incinerating the entire city or Fumikage unleashing a horde of dragons will defeat even the most stubborn of enemies.

The European Treaty Coalition is smart enough not to antagonise their Federation, and instead accepts their offers of neutrality. They're too busy dealing with the fallout of Grecian Incursion when Fumikage was a child. Without the power to sanitize the entire country, much of the Mediterranean deals with abyssal attacks. They also contend with the destruction caused by chunks of the moon crashing down on Europe.

The North African League ignores them as well. He knows they are stalling to build up their arms, but there can be peace if they choose to accept it. Not that they will if Shouto's predictions are accurate.

In that time, away from the frontlines and the burden of rule, he has done his best to mitigate the influence of the abyss on the human world. His Crows have dismantled many networks smuggling abyssal weapons or any number of cults seeking to summon nightmares. They are usually successful in stopping it before it gets too bad.

Today they have failed.

California has suffered a sudden and violent rift to the abyss stretching from San Diego to Sacramento. The rift is a dark thing pulsing with power and growing larger with each pulse. Already, millions are dead. Millions more infected and corrupted. Millions more at risk of death.

It is why he stands in the bridge of one of the Federation's battleships. The presence of their ships off the coast of America had nearly started a war with the New California Republic and their mostly unified West Coast Alliance. Until the rift appeared and decapitated their government.

Now though, they accept he is here because there is no choice. Planes take off. They will spray a circular area that represents the final kill zone. Anyone inside will die when the rift is cleansed. He wishes Shouto was here instead of on Mars. He might be able to burn away the rift without all the excess deaths. Then again, there is no guarantee of that anyway.

He excuses himself from the bridge and makes a priority call in the admiral's office that he's using. Kouta Midoriya looks old when he answers the call, wrinkled and balding. His eyes are still bright and age has not claimed any of his famed intellect.

It forever makes him happy that Kouta has grown and matured. He is no longer the little boy Fumikage took care of when Izuku was busy nor is he the bratty young adult who thought he knew better. Time has treated him well, and he has matured more than Fumikage.

"You look worn."

Fumikage tilts his head. "Should I not say that to you?"

"I look old, not worn. There is a difference. What bothers you so?"

Kouta is a teacher with many students. Fumikage has sought his advice and mentorship for years. It has never steered him wrong before.

Perhaps one day he will take Kouta's advice and make amends with Izuku. But the anger and resentment there is a decade old, their oaths to each other blackened and curdled with loathing.

You'll get over it, Dark Shadow reassures him.

"California," he says simply.

Kouta nods in understanding. "You've done this before. You've ordered the death of millions many times. Sydney. Lima. Singapore. You cleansed those cities personally. What has changed?"

That is an answer he does not have.

"The number, perhaps," he offers. "Those times we had the chance to evacuate people. Ninety percent of those deaths were people too far gone to save. Now, we're going to mark a line and give people one hour. And anyone inside, even those untainted, will die to plasma fire."

"So, you regret it?"

"Many of the deaths I believed necessary in my youth I have started to doubt."

"That's what we call growing up, old bird. You feel empathy for them."

"Because they are innocent," he says, confused. Why would he not feel empathy?

"No. You feel empathy for even those too far gone. I had worried you had forgotten that pillar in favour of your duties."

"Perhaps I did."

"Do not ever forget them. Immortals must always have a code, a guiding principle they will not compromise."

"This must still be done."

"Then steel your heart to their pain. And when it is done, grieve for those you could not protect. And once your grief fades, become better than the man who failed so you do not feel the same pain again."

He takes that advice and steels his heart. He gives the order personally for the cleansing. No one else will shoulder that burden when it is he that has failed. Dozens of bombers take off, armed with the latest creation of destruction their research teams have designed. Each bomb that will be dropped holds a spark of godflame made such that it will exponentially increase the radius of the matter/anti-matter annihilation that will occur.

Within the hour, half of California is a burning crater two kilometres deep.

Fumikage waits, hoping against hope that Maya will return. She had been deep in California chasing down the cultists. Fumikage had been the one to order her here. As the day progresses and she does not return, he understands that he ordered her death.

"Lord Commander, the rift is closed. What are your orders?"

He wishes the admiral would give him more time to consider his actions. But he is also the highest-ranking person here. In the Federation, only Izuku and Shouto have more authority than him. But for the average person, his words are the words of a god.

There is an opportunity here and he cannot squander. With their capital gone, the West Coast Alliance is vulnerable.

"Given the forces you have available, do you believe victory against the WCA navy is possible?"

The former Russian admiral frowns. "Yes. The simulation was run hours ago. We'll take loses but it can be done. We cannot, however, mount an invasion of any population centre with the soldiers we have here."

"I see. General Iguchi is concluding policing actions in Chile if I remember correctly." An aide confirms that. "He has new orders. Tell him to make all haste to the West Coast. The invasion of America begins today."

The admiral salutes. This is but another war of their bloody Federation. "Yes, sir."

"Give the order to activate the Wyoming Water Hoses. It is time they prove their use."

He walks out the bridge and to the landing deck as the fleet reorganises for the coming battle. The sky is grey from the ash of his actions.

The first shots have yet to be fired. Yet, his heart feels like it is about to break. Without Maya, does anything truly matter?

Close your heart to their pain.

He inhales to steady himself. She would be disappointed if she saw him hesitating.

He walks off the edge. His dragon comes forth from his soul and he lands on its back. His longsword materialises in his hand from the astral plane. It burns with unholy power and the promise of death.

If the first shot is to be fired, let it be by his hand.

-TDB-

"I didn't think this invasion through properly," Fumikage admits two years into the occupation of America.

Shouto chuckles. "No, of course, you didn't."

Things had been easy enough for a while. With no leadership, the West Coast Alliance had fallen to their forces. The VIVA had been receptive enough of an alliance, so he could ignore the pacific Northwest. Even Wyoming had been easy enough to deal with.

Then the realities of suddenly ordering an invasion had become apparent. Their supply chains had faltered and their momentum stalled. It had become worse when some of their South American territories openly revolted, supporting the American states they are fighting ferociously. Worse still, they are being backed by Europe, being supplied planes and tanks and artillery. Europe, thankfully, hasn't committed their quirk battalions, but that's certainly a possibility going forward.

"If you're here to be snide then you may as well leave."

They're in a forward command post in Santa Fe. They've managed to take the city and moved on to Las Vegas, but that's where the advance had stalled. They've failed to move any further than South Dakota and all the way down to Texas.

It's rather embarrassing, quite frankly. After eating up Asia, here they are being stymied by a country that should have been in a civil war. Even with support from Mexico, they're failing. Not least because of Kirishima inciting revolt everywhere.

"You've completely overstretched our military past breaking point. There's no way for a complete military occupation of America. At best, you'll have to erode them economically and culturally until they wish to be our citizens."

Fumikage sighs. He knows all that. The best they can do is hold a defensive line whilst Shuichi deals with the revolts in South America. The other option would involve Fumikage or Shouto doing slaughtering the population and there's no point in that. They want to rule over humanity not a pile of corpses.

"I suppose we'll have to settle for half of the continent for now," Fumikage says, finally giving the order to halt their advances. "Any advice for ruling what we do have?"

"It's simple. You can't run this by yourself. Institute leaders and give them power. Bribe them with wealth and safety. Bribe them with the illusion of power. Most of all, bribe the community by instating their community leaders. You'll figure it out eventually."

"At least give me a checklist."

Shouto smiles his usual ugly smile. "Fine, lazy bird. Ensure your power base and the flow of money. Once that is done, you will have to focus on the industry. Give people jobs and a reason to get up outside of waiting in a queue for a loaf of bread. Grant the most loyal and deserving citizenship. Make federation a mark of status. Eventually, it will fall into place."

"If that doesn't work?"

"Well, raze the country, keep them in total poverty, and in fifty years we'll come around to deal with it."

Shouto's callousness is always chilling. He speaks of slaughter and murder as easily as breathing. He can't fault him too much. Fumikage is much the same, though he prefers subtler means. Perhaps it is a result of their powers.

"Europe and Africa are gobbling up the America's. It'll be split in half by the time I get anything done."

"So long as most of Brazil and Mexico are loyal then it doesn't matter." Shouto shrugs. "What do you think will happen when we deal with Europe? They're doing the hard work for us believing this is to be to our detriment."

Fumikage distrusts Shouto's plan for world domination. It'll be bloodier than anyone deserves. Once they take over India, the Federation will own all of Asia and Russia. They were meant to have moved onto the Middle East or America until Fumikage completely altered the timeline. Now, Africa and Europe will have time to reinforce those regions and wage a proxy war to bleed the Federation.

"It still leaves a sour taste. I managed to completely derail the plan and I have no idea how to fix it."

"I could stay for a few days," Shouto offers hesitantly.

It is, in many ways, a test of their relationship. Both are arguing with Izuku, though Shouto had taken the path of silence instead of Fumikage's acid-laced words. In the decades they've known each other, Fumikage has spent time with Shouto, but never when he's fighting with Izuku's. It's always been unsaid that he is third amongst equals, an addition rather than a core component.

This though is both an apology and a chance to redefine things.

Don't be a fool, Dark Shadow whispers through their private connection. You're projecting your insecurities.

"Won't they need you?" He asks, looking for any excuse to avoid potentially being hurt.

Shouto, though, shrugs indifferently. His smile is still there, a rictus expression of pain on anyone else. On Shouto, it's as warm as he gets.

"I think they can survive a few weeks alone."

"Well, I suppose we can find a spare pillow for you." He reaches over and tugs Shouto's beard tied in a single braid. "Even with this monstrosity."

It's one of their longest-standing arguments. Shouto tries a new beard style every few years and they only seem to get exponentially worse. The main problem being that he can't grow a full beard without patches. And his goatee just makes him look nonsensical.

They work at stabilising their portion of the Americas, using the methods Shuoto outlined. He threatens families and dispenses copious amounts of wealth. Sometimes, he places cities under military curfew and purges a few dissenting local governments.

It is all going well until Izuku fucks things up phenomenally. It's honestly the most surprising fuck up Fumikage's seen in his entire life. It's simultaneously a worse blunder than Fumikage's invasion and so morally wrong it makes leaving the Singer in China reasonable. At least that decision had been made out of necessity.

Committing genocide is the furthest thing from necessary.

In the weeks that pass, things seem to crumble around them. Their nation is breaking from fear and disgust. Shouto and Fumikage barely know what to do. Of the three, Izuku had been the one they expected to keep his hands clean.

Eventually, there comes a time when they must face their friend. It is an influx of darkness and lighting and winds that calls them back to Japan's Kamino Ward. It is there that they listen to Izuku make his promises to be better.

In the deepest parts of his soul, Fumikage knows they can't succeed. He's in bed nursing a bottle of gin. Shouto's sits on the corner, staring into the distance. They both know the futility of Izuku's words.

Their Federation threatens to break because of Izuku Midoriya's Great Sin. Pretty words won't fix things. Only force and violence will stop more people from picking up arms and rebelling.

And yet, his friend needs help. Izuku needs help and Shouto doesn't want to give it. They'd argued for hours and now they're simply emotionally exhausted.

"Don't go," Shouto says.

"He needs us. We made an oath to abide by his ways of rule. Without us, you saw what he did."

"We're not responsible for that."

"Aren't we? We drove home down this path."

"No, he chose it just like we did. Do you think his promises will last more than a few years at best? No. There's going to be rebellion and unrest and none is it will matter. Why can't we be happy for a few days? For a few years?"

"Because there's no one else."

"Tell me honestly if you think it's easy to love someone like Izuku. He demands we be better people when he can't keep the same promises. He didn't have to do it. He's a hypocrite who wants to blame us for everything he chose."

"We pushed him to it."

Shouto shakes his head. "No, he knew what would come. He made the choice just like the two of us." Shouto flops down onto the bed, his arms spread wide. "I don't love him anymore."

Fumikage reaches for him and takes Shouto's hand. It's his cold side and it chills Fumikage to the bone. He only squeezes harder.

"That's a lie and you know it. You just miss how easy it used to be. Back before we spent most of our time fighting." He stares at Shouto's mismatched eyes, seeing everything unsaid. "You wish things were as easy as they were with Momo."

Shouto closes his eyes, pain flashing across his face. "I miss her. What we had was… it was a supernova. Everything between me and Izuku is just cold and empty now."

This is the most honest he has seen Shouto. Raw and exposed, Fumikage finds another facet of Shouto to love.

"I miss Maya," he says, meeting that honesty. "It hurts every time I think of her."

"I know. She would want you to be happy."

She would tell him to punch anyone trying to tie him down. She'd tell him to be free and happy with himself. And he knows deep in his heart that seeing Izuku again will only make him bitter. The years he's spent with Shouto have been so beautiful. They both know the pain of losing a mortal lover and that's something Izuku will never know. Momo may not be dead like Maya, but whatever relationship she had with Shouto has faded.

"On one condition. We stabilise this country in a way that would make Izuku happy."

Shouto rolls his eyes. "Fine."

"One day at a time."

It isn't one day. They take things slowly as they figure out who they really are to each other. They spend their time seeing America with new eyes, trying to find beauty in the mundane. Their afternoons are spent across the solar system and in different realities, cataloguing the oddities. They spend countless nights discussing the laws of power and the Great Game.

It isn't perfect by any means.

"You have a tendency towards eliminating key figures and replacing them," Shouto says scathingly, disappointed at Fumikage's attempt to stabilise Arizona. "You're not very good at willingly binding them to your cause. It stems from your lack of interpersonal skills."

"For someone who can see the future, you tend to be a blunt instrument. Your weakness is that you forget everyone is a player on the board. It's why your schemes always fail unless I'm there, predictable as always, making things right. Stop being a condensing prick."

Shouto glares at him. "And your predictability is why you lost Maya."

For an instant, Shouto realises exactly what he said. Fumikage gives him a split second to apologise. The bastard doesn't.

"How's Fuyumi?" he asks cruelly.

Their fight is violent and destroys a star system.

When the fight is over, he finds himself at the centre of a gas giant, frustrated. He's not sure who won given that he crucified Shouto on an asteroid somewhere.

After a few hours of struggling, he gives up on leaving peacefully. With a thought, he shatters the planet and returns home.

Finding Shouto is as easy as following the traces of his power. It takes him to the arctic circle. There is a massive glacier where before there was none.

He takes a seat on the edge of the glacier next to Shouto. His friend continues his work, rebuilding the icebergs that melted centuries ago.

They don't say anything for hours. After the cruel words they spoke, silence is the best option. They stay like that, trying to deal with their pain without words. It works slowly, their shared hurts melding together in the quiet.

"Kamui Woods spend a long time in Brazil dealing with deforestation," Shouto says softly. "Most of the glaciers melted a long time ago. I don't know why no one ever did something about it."

"You're doing it now."

"A lot of things could have been fixed with quirks. When I was younger, I couldn't have done it this fast. But imagine just three months in a year doing this day in and day out. Maybe after a few decades, it would have fixed something."

"Well, now you're fixing Earth and making the solar system habitable. How goes Venus?"

"A nightmare. I need some rather creative solutions to that problem. You know a lot of creatures in the abyss are reflective in one direction and clear in the other."

Fumikage sighs. "You want me to go slaughter them for you."

"Yes."

"I suppose I can as an apology for what I said."

Shouto offers his usual smile, ugly and awkward and glorious all at once.

"Fuyumi thinks I'm worse than my father," Shouto admits. "I haven't seen them in years and it hurts."

"Must you be defined by him? You're so much more than he could ever hope to be."

"Everything I am, he made."

Fumikage grabs his wrist and pulls him down. Shouto lands in an undignified sprawl. He grunts, flicking Fumikage on the beak.

"No, you aren't," he says, holding Shouto's gaze. "You are you with every fault and imperfection that entails."

Shouto's smile is sardonic. "I like that vote of confidence."

"Those imperfections are the reason I care for you. They suit you perfectly. You, and only you. I would not change them had I the power to do so."

He doesn't know if he would love Shouto without Izuku there, constant as gravity and darkness, bringing them together. He doubts Shouto would love him back enough to spend his time here when he is needed elsewhere, when so many others call for his guidance. If Izuku hadn't infected them with companionship and his endless reserves of loyalty and forgiveness—tempered as it is by his anger and hypocrisy—perhaps they would never be here together.

Izuku had built the rock they stand on together. Nothing will ever weather it. Eternity will end and nothing Fumikage and Shouto do will ever make it crumble.

"I think it's time to forgive him," Fumikage says.

"I suppose it is. But not today."

"Not today, no." He shrugs. "Maybe let's go terraform Venus for a bit."

He takes Shouto's hand. Together, they head to Venus.

-TDB-

Venus happens to be a noxious planet with a dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide and a tiny portion of nitrogen. The atmospheric pressure is crushing for humans. By all metrics, it's an unliveable planet.

Fumikage finds that idea amusing. His first step had been finding lifeforms in the abyss that would suit his plans. He finds massive sky fish that love eating carbon dioxide and release it in the form of highly compressed solid chunks of the substance. Those chunks of carbon dioxide are eaten by the living metal he introduces to the system, their by-products being air approximately the same as Earth's atmosphere.

Other creatures, like the massive serpents with even larger spikes, serve to drop the temperature down to something more reasonable. Children of ash and smoke have a field day directing the volcanoes to their whims. Labouring giant tunnel deep underground, freeing the water reserves to the surface. Which leads to him needing to figure out what to do with the acid clouds.

"Life under disparity," Shouto says, intrigued.

They're in the upper atmosphere, Fumikage sitting cross-legged. He's been altering the laws of physics by altering how darkness and godflame interact. It had been easy to make a shield wall that reflected much of the sun's radiation, instantly cooling the planet greatly.

He can feel the endless possibilities of life itself and knows how to twist and mould them. There are so many ways to alter the universe, all just waiting to be discovered. One of them is increasing the time-flow of the planet, letting it experience ten years for every year on Earth. He'd done the same to a lesser extent to the colonies on Mars and the moon.

"One day," he says, after seeding a vine with a wave of his hand, "I'll be able to do this for entire universes."

The vine will grow to stretch from the core of the planet to outside the reflective shield, serving as the best heat regulator in the universe. He's modified it to create a temperature gradient slightly warmer than the Earth. He will add one to each continent and ocean.

"Can't you already?"

"Not with this level of granular control. I tried doing so in Andromeda when you ditched me in the distant past and, well, let's just say that there is too much avian repetition across that galaxy."

"You're a narcissist, I hope you know that."

"Not as bad as you are."

Shouto leans forward and brushes a ruffled feather out of the way. He looks vulnerable and soft, something Fumikage has rarely associated with him.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to see Momo again."

Fumikage almost rolls his eyes. Instead, he leans forward until their foreheads touch.

"Then go, my friend. I have no wish to take away your happiness." He chuckles. "We will have all of eternity together. What do a few decades apart mean compared to that?"

"Thank you."

He wishes Shouto the best. The years they spend have been great, but they also need time apart. Better they separate now before they get into a massive argument.

Fumikage spends his time alone on Venus happily, learning the minutiae of his power. Terraforming worlds by introducing strange forms of life is soothing. He doesn't completely abandon his duties on Earth, but he has left competent successors in most of his roles. And when Izuku does call him, Fumikage fulfils his order to cleanse the Federation.

He does spend quite a bit of time with Kouta. It's astonishing how much he's grown between one blink and the next, ageing decades as far as Fumikage can tell. It's terrifying enough that he makes it a point to visit every member of his family and is struck by the deaths that occurred whilst he wasn't paying attention.

The twins, Tetsuo and Kaori, are grown adults with lives. Their father is old and that makes Fumikage feel his immortality all the more. The only upside is that he gets to meet dozens of new faces and be introduced to them.

My prince of crows, I believe it is time, Dark Shadow says one day whilst he's walking the oceans of Venus, seeding aquatic life.

"Time for what?"

My people are dead, Fumikage. I am the last of my kind, but I hold their knowledge. With the power you have granted me over the years, I could recreate them in my image.

Fumikage bows his head. "You know I would not stop you, old friend. We would be separated."

Is that truly such a terrible thing? You must be tired of me.

"Never," he says, fiercely, knowing he is being teased but not caring. "You've been with me since the beginning."

Yes, I suppose I have. Still, I must leave.

He considers where to go before it become obvious. Dark Shadow deserves nothing short of the highest peak on Venus. Fumikage climbs it with his own muscles, refusing to use his powers or his divinity. It will be the final journey he makes with his oldest friend.

They talk as Fumikage scales the mountain, talking philosophy and music and the years they spent together. Dark Shadow spends his time wrapped around Fumikage's shoulders like a lazy cat, reminding him of some of his embarrassing moments as a youth.

He laughs deeply even as his stomach churns with anxiety. Dark Shadow politely ignores the feeling, pretending that nothing has changed.

The final ledge is the hardest. His muscles are burning and he's exhausted by the time they make it to the top, a week later. The sun is rising when he finally flops onto the ledge, the rays of the sun warming him.

Dawn on Venus is green and pink, a mesmerising swirl of colours cutting through the thick clouds. It is strange and foreign, but a sight so glorious that Fumikage can't help but weep. For the first time in decades, he remembers what it feels like to be human. To be human is to struggle and be weak, but at the end of that struggle is something beautiful for when the weakness passes, only strength remains.

Dark Shadow leaves his soul for the first time, truly leaves his soul. It isn't the energy drain that he notices, no, the power he holds is so vast that even a fraction of it could run the universe for a few cycles. It is something more profound than that. Dark Shadow has been with him since childhood, one half of the person Fumikage was, and though endless legions reside within his soul now, Dark Shadow took root right in the centre.

Dark Shadow loses its vaguely humanoid appearance, shifting to the more treelike configuration it has used a few times. It is no taller than Fumikage, but he can already see the spectre of the forest that will take over the summit.

He bows his head against Dark Shadow's trunk, feeling the cold wood against his skin for the first time. With a thought, he sends energy to the soil beneath, enriching it with his power and making it more fertile. It will be his last gift to his friend.

"Stay safe, my friend. Make something beautiful."

Come visit. Bring your fellow kings.

The loneliness in his soul drives him towards those he loves. He spends more time with Shouto, finding him at different points in his timeline. His family had grown exponentially. It feels like only yesterday that there were no more than two dozen. Now, however, there are hundreds and they all look to him for guidance.

It takes him a few painful years before he's ready to speak to Izuku.

He finds him in the palace, resplendent in his white uniform and green cloak the lightest shade of green. He's grown a beard which immediately makes Fumikage want to strangle Shouto, but it suits him. His eyes are bright and his gait easy as though unbothered by the events of his life.

Perhaps Izuku has moved on and Fumikage is the one stuck in the past.

The words die on his lips. Ever explanation and complicated apology die as Izuku comes to a stop, eyes wide. He stares at Fumikage in unmitigated shock.

Fumikage takes a breath. "Hey."

Izuku smiles and just like that, Fumikage knows that whatever bad blood between them can be worked through.

"I've been waiting a long time to see you again."

"I guess I got busy."

"Busy? Try running an empire."

"I'll let you bear that weight. You do it far more gracefully than I ever could."

Izuku hugs him suddenly and fiercely. It's like being embraced by the ocean and the sun and gravity all at once, all-encompassing and so warm that it makes his heart skip a beat. This isn't the Izuku that he remembers, broken and bitter. This is like the Izuku from his youth, the one who tried to hold the ocean in the palm of his hand, the one who wanted nothing more than to be a hero. Except more. That kindness tempered by loss, compassion by duty.

"You're an idiot. Take as long as you need, but just make sure you come back."

When he pulls back, Fumikage sees someone to aspire to. The age of heroes may be dead, but Izuku carries their legacy with him. He carries their hopes and dreams, their failings and weaknesses. He's brought those varied feelings into a new era. It may not be perfect, it may be filled with shame and travesty, but he's tried more than Fumikage has.

Maybe, just maybe, it's time to be better.

"I'll to remember that."

-TDB-

Fumikage finds himself walking the branches of Venus' Great Vine network centuries later. It is his favourite of the colonies and the one he visits the most. Just as Luna belongs to Shouto, Venus is Fumikage's planet. He's gone on to terraform other regions like the asteroid cities of Ceres, but this planet holds a special place in his heart.

It is also the planet they discovered the first signs of alien civilisations. Fumikage had been giddy and explored the depths of alien ruins for years, getting lost more often than he wants to admit.

He walks through a field of crystal grass. They sway with the wind just as real grass would but they are hard as diamond once removed from their roots. They change colour depending on how you look at them, sometimes green and sometimes purple and red.

A pack of his quicksilver hounds play in the grass, fighting each other. Though they do hunt some of the wildlife native to the grasslands. Mostly, they wish to play. Any other day he might not indulge them so, but today he feels nostalgic.

It takes an hour of walking till crystal grassland fades to rocky ground and mountain. He climbs the tallest mountain, doing his best to avoid the noxious blue fluid running down in thick rivulets. He doesn't fully remember what effect it has on humans but Fumikage has learnt not to risk it if possible. He rather likes his clothes.

Along one slope of the mountain are alien ruins. The structures are alien, shaped with odd angles and odder materials. They exist in a constant state of flux, and Fumikage nearly falls when a bridge fades out of existence. Thankfully, he has dozens of winged creatures more than happy to fly him past the red rivers.

The summit is flat. Small saplings grow in neat rows and Fumikage takes care not to damage them. He pauses at one that looks infected by white fluid and alien technology. There is nothing he can do to save it.

He summons purple fire in his hand and burns the plant away. He spends a moment to mourn its death before moving on.

The forest grows thicker the further he walks. The trees taller and darker the deeper he heads. The creatures of the forest greet him reverently, some bowing and some kneeling before Fumikage. He offers a bit of wisdom here and there but he is more interested in the tree right in the centre.

It is the tallest and oldest, the first of this forest. It carries with it billions of years of knowledge. Most of all, it carries centuries of friendship.

"Hello, old friend."

Dark Shadow awakens slowly, its consciousness travelling from the expansive root network beneath the planet and rising to this physical vessel. It takes a few minutes that Fumikage patiently waits.

My prince of crows, Dark Shadow says in wonder. You seem happy. And… resigned?

Fumikage lays his forehead against the impossibly dark bark of his first companion and lays bare his soul. Dark Shadow absorbs his memories, experiencing all that Fumikage has seen since Dark Shadow chose to set root on this world centuries ago.

Ah, your journey is coming to an end. There is peace in the solar system. Your duties are nearly over.

"Yes. All that remains is to bridge the expanse of space. I believe it will take another two decades before the Relay Network's Hub is complete. Mankind will reach the rest of the solar system. It will be my last great achievement before we leave. But those years will pass quickly."

Take heart, my friend. Your struggle will end and with it, the chains of your obligation to humanity shall break. I will always admire you for what you accomplished.

"It's hard," Fumikage admits. "I don't want to go. Everything we've strived for over centuries and I'm just… I just have to let it all go."

Will you betray your oaths, my prince? You accepted the shadowking's oath and swore to leave when it was time. To stay is to betray him personally, to betray his sacrifices and resolve. Would you be able to live with yourself?

"You know I wouldn't."

Then why do you hesitate? All things must end. I will die. The sun will fade. Perhaps you will live eternally, but your role in things must come to an end.

"I just don't want to say goodbye. It'll be like I've died."

Ah, you fear the effect of mortality. Fumikage, just as the human spirit transcends form and will be eternal, so too will your legacy. They may forget about you, but every step they take on a new world will be because of you. The reach of your godhood will not fade.

Put like that, it soothes his old soul. They may not remember him or his name, but so long as mankind exists, they will stand as testament that he existed. If only one human exists long after the Earth and sun have faded, even if it is a lonely existence, then Fumikage's actions will matter. It may be cold and dark at the end of everything, but it will be worth it.

That one person at the end of everything is worth all the struggles mankind experienced.

"Thank you, my friend. This is goodbye for good."

His voice cracks and breaks, but Dark Shadow is kind enough to ignore it.

It is never goodbye so long as we remember each other. Hold my memory close to your heart and take care, my prince of crows.

Those are the last words he says to Dark Shadow, his first companion and friend. He walks out the forest and through one of the teleportation gates. It spits him out on the other side of the planet rife with ruins and ghosts of the alien civilisations. He follows the mysteries deeper and deeper into the ruins.

He explores the ruins for days on end, learning more and more. He gets lost in time for a few days and even meets Shouto in the far future of the solar system when the sun is a sickly red colour.

"You get lost?" Shouto asks after they spend a few years observing the phenomena of their sun dying. "Venus?"

They spend a few more years of watching Shuichi awaken from his slumber, larger than the Earth by an order of magnitude and just as grumpy as he was in his final years.

"Yes."

They sit together, watching a star die on the scorching wasteland that might be Pluto, immune to the effects of the universe. They do not need to speak to understand each other.

This isn't the Shouto he knows, not the Shouto who exists in Fumikage's relative present. There is an awkwardness and vulnerability that means he is younger, much younger than the quiet and strong peer Fumikage knows.

Still, Shouto will always be Shouto. And Fumikage will always love him. Just as he loves Izuku, even if how he expresses that affection is different. They spar for years at a time, matching wits and power to the backdrop of their dying star. Sometimes they simply speak of the past and the failings they've suffered through. And sometimes, all that truly matters is being near each other, in knowing that if he touches Shouto, his friend won't disappear in a burst of infernal flames.

"What fate has humanity suffered this far in the future?" Fumikage asks, offering what amounts to a smile.

"Not sure."

Fumikage rubs his beak, surprised. "It's unlike you to not check the future."

"We're done. This far down the line, our story is over."

"The oath we made that day. The oath we accepted from Izuku. What will become of Spinner without us?"

"He'll fulfil mankind's last wish," Shouto explains softly. "If they prosper, they will wish for the wisdom of their past, and he will fly the cosmos to guide them as an elder, imparting wisdom and expanding their empire. If they struggle, they will wish for one of their gods to return and save them from annihilation. Shuichi will be a general once more, and mould whatever slivers of mankind remain into his image of an unstoppable warrior race. And if they are all dead, their spirit will wish for vengeance. Shuichi is the Lance of Mankind and the first King's Wrath. If he must be man's wrath, then he will."

Fumikage sighs. "His loyalty to us was beautiful. It still is," he concedes, watching the Great Dragon awaken fully. "I hope he finds some measure of peace."

"His choice now. There is no destiny for him any longer. Not with us gone."

And so, they sit together millions of years into the future, watching Shuichi leave the comfort of the sun, of the resting place he chose. The dragon sets a course outside their solar system and flies through the vacuum, leaving a trail of green sparks and purple light and embers of dark flame.

It is the ultimate sign of his loyalty, a promise to serve faithfully no matter the future. It makes Fumikage glad that he knew the man who became a dragon.

"You may want to rescue your grandson."

Fumikage nods.

Shouto shoves him through the swirling fires of time, returning him to the same spot he was trapped in. Knowing one of his brood is in danger, Fumikage sets off to looks for him.

He travels the ruins, exploring each nook and cranny for his grandson. He has a suspicion of which one it is. Only one of them causes Fumikage distress regularly. He's exploring an unstable series of teleporters in a region of distorted spacetime, walking the transient bridges cautiously, when he hears the boy.

"Hey, grandpa."

He looks back and sees Shinki hanging precariously on a ledge. Fumikage sighs and walks over. He grabs the boy by one arm and lifts him to safety.

"Hello, Shinki. I thought I told you not to run from home."

Shinki bears his grandsire's racoon features though his fur is pitch black, and he has an extra set of arms, and where his grandsire wielded sand, this one manipulates metal fillings.

Despite all of that, he is perhaps the most human of his generation.

The dark coat he has is an application of his quirk, one that protects him well. It is why no one really worries when the boy goes missing every so often.

"I found something cool in the ruins," the boy says brightly. "I think it leads to another reality."

Fumikage cocks his head. "Really?"

The boy nods energetically, tugging Fumikage forward. He lets the boy lead him further into the ruins. One day he will learn to stop indulging every whim of the children he adopted or the children they later sired. But after so many generations, he doubts that will ever happen.

"How has school been, little tanuki?"

Shinki looks up from the hound he's playing a game of catch with. The quicksilver hound takes the moment to eat the ball made of metal fillings, its maw dripping acid that struggles to erode the alien materials.

"Boring," Shinki says theatrically, gesturing wildly. It dislodges the abyssal crow perched on his shoulder which pecks his ear viciously in annoyance. "Fuck!"

"Language," Fumikage snaps.

"Sorry." He cradles his bleeding ear with one hand, holding back tears. "Won't happen again."

"See to it that it does not."

He may be indulgent of them, but he has warned them time and again the dangers of the abyss. He has taught them the names and natures of each creature bound to his soul and the many more he has written about in bestiaries.

"You know they are not household pets," Fumikage continues. "Simply because they belong to me does not mean—"

"That they'll play nice. I know. I'm sorry."

Fumikage nods and steers the boy clear of a platform that's about to vanish to some unknown point in spacetime. Shinki barely notices, too busy bandaging the wound with the medical supplies in his pouch.

How has he survived this long? Fumikage wonders when he must step behind the boy and take a laser bolt to the back. He doesn't feel any pain from it. Such dangers are no longer a concern for him though they are fatal to mortals like Shinki.

"You never did answer my first question," he prompts once they're walking again.

"Hm? Oh, school? Yeah, it's really boring. They've got us learning the history of the Unification War which sucks because I can just ask you what happened. Oh yeah, who was Maya by the way?"

Fumikage looks up at the swirling orange clouds churning with lightning. This child speaks of the darkest years of Fumikage's life so casually, as though the events are as important as a movie. He doesn't carry the oppressive weight of a dark legacy and has never had to battle for his right to live. He is irreverent of the past, dismissive of it.

He reminds Fumikage that they have succeeded and that the bloodshed was worth it.

"She was a good friend and teacher," he says after a long silence. "She showed me the way of the world and gave me a home when I lost mine. She was my lover for a time as well."

Shinki is used to his silences. All his grandchildren are. They may not be his by blood but they are his in all the ways that matter. It's funny, his entire brood calls him grandpa, regardless of how many generations separate them. It makes for interesting conversations when he's at the kid's table, eating with children a fraction his age.

"One of my uncles is called Maya, right?"

"Yes."

"Can we go visit him?"

He picks the boy up and leaps the chasm separating the two halves of the ruins. Shinki screams joyfully as they plunge into the dark depths. They are caught in a beam of alien technology that regulates their fall.

"Ask your parents."

Shinki sighs, staying still in Fumikage's arms. "They never let me do anything fun. And I'm blacklisted at all the ports."

Fumikage chuckles deeply. "As you should be. You hitched a ride all the way to Ganymede before they found you."

"Come on, it's not my fault I'm good."

"That's not… When is your birthday?" Fumikage is good at many things. Memorising thousands of birthdays for his massive brood of adopted children is not one of them.

"Like two earth months."

"Alright. I'll come to pick you up and we'll go visit your uncle Maya on Luna. And maybe I'll take you to some of the Floating Cities on Saturn."

The boy whirls. "No way. Isn't that where the Disciple is?" Fumikage nods. "Can we get his autograph?"

"He's too big to give autographs. But I think I can convince him to give us a tour of the Kuiper Belt."

Shinki's grin is electrifying. "You're the best, grandpa."

They land gently. The material that makes up the chamber has a soft ethereal glow. The blue light makes it easy to see for him though Shiki squints, perhaps because it is far brighter in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, and the boy has mutated to see that much of the spectrum."

"This is the place," Shinki says, pointing at a circular plate on the wall.

The plate is older than the planet and different from the alien architecture on Venus. In fact, it seems human-based, but it lacks the taste of something coming from their reality.

"That's a… transdimensional communication system," he says in wonder. He's encountered a few on his journeys to other worlds where quirks do not rule supreme.

"I think it might be Morse code but I can't recognise the language. I tried all the solar creoles but it doesn't match up.

Fumikage sets Shinki down and walks towards the plate, placing his hand against the odd metal and letting the message permeate his soul. He listens patiently, absorbing the intent and the structure of the message.

It makes him freeze in shock.

"How… odd."

Fumikage cocks his head, certain that he has heard the code correctly but still shocked.

"Do you recognise it?"

Slowly, he says, "It's Japanese. The same dialect I speak."

A language barely anyone speaks outside of those from the Capitol. Shinki speaks a Belter creole with a thick Venusian accent, though sometimes he falls into his mother's Lunar pidgin. It's an odd mishmash of a dozen languages and centuries of cultural drift across the void of space, unintelligible to most people without the aid of universal translators.

"What's it saying?"

Fumikage swallows. "A simple repeating message: I am the keeper, the lock and key."

"But what does that mean?"

"It's a memorial message," Fumikage says sadly. "It stopped transmitting millions of years ago. This is just a program to repeat that message."

"What's the point of that?"

"Proof that Mikumo Atakani lived."

"Who was he?"

Fumikage listens to the code and imagines those words in the voice of Izuku's twin. He never truly knew him in life, but through the stories Izuku told of him. Haunting tales of a brother Izuku never appreciated enough, a brother who carried Izuku through the depths of madness and supported him when he needed it most. A brother who gave up his life gladly to save Izuku, and by extension, all of mankind.

Everyone that Fumikage loves was saved by that sacrifice. That sacrifice gave meaning to his life.

"One of the greatest heroes to ever live," he says, for there is no other way to describe Mikumo's nobility in the face of death. "Let's go. There's nothing more to find."

And if there is, perhaps it is time to let the past die. The present is the only thing that truly matters. Because in the present are those that live.

People are waiting for them, an entire family to love and rejoice with. A family that will mourn with him and help him grieve. The dead will always remain, but people shouldn't live for them. They should live for their friends and family, their loved ones who know them best.

One day, Fumikage will leave Shinki and all the rest. He doesn't fear it anymore. He'll make every moment count. Every memory will be special. Fumikage will cherish them till the end of eternity, refusing to forget any of his loved ones.

So long as he remembers them, then he will never truly say goodbye.

"Okay, grandpa."

Shinki takes Fumikage's hand. Together, they return home.

Remember that empathy,

Is the long journey

That weighs heavy.

Remember that necessity

Is the death of morality

And the lie that weighs nothing.