Erased Blood: A MHA fantasy AU

CHAPTER 6: MUDDY WATERS

The lake by the old house of Aizawa in the Kingdom of All Might used to be sparkling clean once, glittering in the sunlight, and looking too cheerful for its own good.

"It's probably totally dirty now," the man himself mused as he walked by the banks of the village pond, "No one would bother to keep it clean, especially not after the last fiasco." It wasn't squeaky clean, but instead a muddy colour, owing to the unsanitary conditions in which it was kept in. Weed covered the banks and half its surface was hidden by aquatic growth and algae. 

It was to be cleaned sometime probably, even if it had fallen victim to pollution. 

He usually never took this roundabout route to his palace residence, preferring the short and rational route, which expended less energy, however, today this was the rational route for he felt that he was being watched. He wanted to observe the person in serenity. He ignored the other part of his mind saying that if he was attacked in these deserted parts of the Kingdom, then he had a good luck of dying. 

However, the stalker didn't move to attack, just kept observing from afar, far away from Aizawa's sight, and everytime he chanced a glance back, the feeling would disappear, only to reappear the moment he turned back to the road. It was frustrating, not knowing his potential enemy. 

The sun shone down harshly on his back, making him sweat and his head buzz. He really hadn't slept much the previous night, and only God knew what he had eaten. When he worked, all thoughts of sleep and food exited his "rational" brain. 

The path was half over and the pursuer still hadn't given up. 

Aizawa grimly wondered whether his goal was to tire him out before he swooped in to kill him. 

Feeling slightly reckless he called out, "Who is there?" 

He kept a hand on the hilt of his sword, waiting for a reply.

There was none.

A cat meawed and walked off. 

He felt like the universe was mocking him. 

He turned around, burying his head in his ever present scarf in frustration, ignoring the fact that this just made him sweat more. 

The prickling feeling had vanished.

He would be damned to believe that he had been paranoid of a mere cat though.

The memory of the eyes of the man at the grocer's flashed in his mind and he swallowed.

He would have to always be on guard.

For no place was safe anymore evidently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group of "misfits" huddled together as the wailing refused to stop. 

"Evidently," Tomura began, "There are ghosts here." 

"Ghosts which seem to totally detest your explanations, yes," Dabi bit back, trying desperately to light a flame and failing. 

"I don't see how fighting will help now…..," Twice said warily, feeling his magic locked.

"We have got to brave our way through this," Mr. Compress said in his ever present flamboyant tone.

"These ghosts can suck it," Toga grumbled, taking out both of her knives. 

The wailing seemed to grow higher and higher in pitch until Tomura felt that his head was about to split apart. 

He tried to listen, trying to remember if he had come across anything about ghost language.

The wailing seemed to take the shape of indistinct words which sounded like, "Too weak", to his ears. 

Swallowing, he rubbed at his throbbing temples,

"Who is it?"

Some voices seemed to come out, mocking him in an echo.

"Who is it? Who is it? Who is it?" 

Tomura glared, red eyes blazing. The leaves of the trees fluttered slightly before he too felt the inevitable lock on his magic. 

The wind seemed to laugh.

"Too weak."

"Are you mocking me?" He sounded dead furious.

Giggling it returned his words to him.

"Are you mocking me? Are you mocking me? Are you mocking me?" 

"WHO IS THERE? I, TOMURA SHIGARAKI, PRINCE OF THIS KINGDOM COMMAND YOU TO REVEAL YOURSELF." 

"Too weak, Mr. Prince," it said, "Your magic is too weak." 

The wailing had stopped, but they could still feel the throbbing pain in their ears. Spinner was clinging onto Dabi for dear life, who, for once refrained from mocking him.

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME WEAK??" Tomura yelled back, starting to fight against the restraints, "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELVES, HUH???"

"....Shigaraki, I don't see how fighting with ghosts will—," Dabi began only to be cut off.

"SHUT UP." 

Again the leaves fluttered, but barely.

The wind laughed, a terrible cackle which would haunt them forever.

"Too weak." 

And the forest screamed.