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Izuku nervously strode up to his teacher after the dismissal to go back to the dorms at the end of the school day. "Aizawa-sensei?"
"What is it, Problem Child?"
"I-um, I'd like to request the next few days off training."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "You. A break from training. Should I get Recovery Girl?"
The running joke of their class made Izuku chuckle a bit, his nerves slightly dying down. "No, sensei. It's a couple days until the new year now and every year my family does a sort of... ritual? Ceremony? To remember our ancestors and keep their memory alive. I haven't missed a year since I was young and first learning it from my ojiisan. Would... would that be alright?"
To his surprise, Aizawa just blinked. "That was not what I was expecting. Yes, you may have the next few days off. May I ask why?"
"I need time to prepare for it and a day or two to recover my strength afterward."
His teacher sighed. "Is this going to be dangerous."
Izuku's eyes bulged. "No! No, of course not! It's, um, it's a ceremonial dance. That lasts a long time. I've mastered it and it's not as bad as it used to be, but by the end of it I probably won't be able to feel my legs or arms. It's kind of... taxing," he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Alright," Aizawa nodded. "I'll let All Might and the other staff know you won't be attending classes for a few days. When will you be performing this and where?"
"On the new year," Izuku told him. "It's an outdoor ritual, so I was thinking I'd just do it outside the dorms. Unless you need me to do it somewhere else, of course! I can always go back to my ojiisan's estate it wouldn't be a problem-!"
"Relax, Problem Child. I was just asking a question. You're welcome to do it here, of course. Is there anything else I should know beforehand to help you prepare?"
Izuku nodded, gripping his backpack straps. "I can't be interrupted during it at any time. Talking and noises won't distract me, but no one can talk to me directly or it will mess it up. There are no breaks."
"Noted," his teacher said. "Thank you for trusting me with this. I know sometimes family traditions are kept private. As long as I'm your teacher for the next two and a half years, I'll make sure you can perform your family's dance every new year."
Grinning, Izuku headed toward the classroom door to head back, presumably to prepare. "Thank you so much, Aizawa-sensei! I owe you!"
"You don't owe me anything, Problem Child," Aizawa shook his head. "Go start your preparations, the new year is in less than two days."
"Right! Thanks again!"
When he'd left, Aizawa hid a smile in his capture weapon and huffed to himself. "Always new things to discover with him. This should be interesting."
When Izuku arrived back at the dorms, he was mid-conversation with his mother on the phone.
He slipped his shoes off in the doorway, switching his phone from one hand to the other. "Yes, Mom, I have everything I need."
"Are you sure? Did you bring the torches with you when you moved in?"
"They're in my closet," Izuku chuckled, walking into the kitchen on the common floor where some of his classmates were.
"Oh, good. Are you going to do the fasting again this year? You know that just because ojiisan does it doesn't mean you have to. It was never written in any of Tanjirou's memoirs that it was necessary."
"I was taught by ojiisan, so I do what he does, Mom," Izuku chuckled, ignoring the questioning looks from his classmates. "Hang on, just a sec," he pulled the phone away from his ear. "Yaomomo-san, what tea do you recommend to drink while fasting?"
"Fasting?" Momo startled. "Um. Ginger is good for helping keep your stomach at bay and keep emotions calm. May I ask why?"
Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Yaomomo-san. I fast during every new year for a couple of days. Mom usually helps out, but she's not here since we live in the dorms now, and you know your teas."
Iida frowned. "Midoriya-kun, are you sure that's wise to do while in the hero course? We do have training tomorrow, and as heroes-in-training━"
"I already got clearance from sensei to have the next few days off," Izuku cut him off. "Thank you for worrying though, Iida-kun."
His mom spoke through his phone again. "You're positive you have everything? The haori and earrings? The blindfold?"
Izuku rolled his eyes fondly. "Yes, Mom. Aizawa-sensei even said I would be fine to do it here, so we don't have to make plans for me to go to up to the mountains like we've done every year. You can stop worrying."
"What about your classmates? Do they know?"
"Not yet, no," Izuku told her. "Aizawa-sensei will make sure they do, though. Nothing's going to go wrong just because we won't be at ojiisan's this year. I promise."
"Alright, if you're sure. Stay safe, baby, okay?"
"I will, Mom. Love you."
"Love you too, sweetheart. Make Tanjirou proud."
"I'll do my best," he smiled. "Bye."
He hung up, going over to the stove to start the kettle and getting out the tea bags. The few classmates at the kitchen table exchanged confused and concerned looks.
The door opened and everyone swiveled to see Katsuki standing there with his trademark scowl. "Nerd, what do you want for dinner tonight? I'm feeling generous so I'm taking requests. You weren't here earlier, I was looking fucking everywhere for you."
"Thank you, Kacchan, but that's not necessary," he smiled. "I'm starting my fasting tonight."
"Hah? The fuck for?"
"Do you remember when we were little and your parents would invite us over for a new year celebration?"
"Yeah, you never ate shit, but you were a skinny ass twig, so what's the problem now?"
Izuku chuckled. "Kacchan, I've always fasted during the days before the new year. Ever since I was six."
Katsuki's face twisted in confusion before it settled back. "It got something to do with whatever the fuck your family does every year? The hag told me once you do some weird ritual shit or something."
Izuku nodded. "We usually go up to my ojiisan's estate in the mountains, but since I live in the dorms now, I can't really do that. I already cleared everything with Aizawa-sensei. I'm taking the next few days off."
"You slacking now? Because of the new year? The fuck?"
"It's not that simple, Kacchan," Izuku sighed, taking the kettle off the stove when it started whistling. He poured the water into a mug and set a ginger bag in the water to sit for a few minutes. "It's something sacred to my family. Of course I'm going to participate. That won't change just because I'm going to be a hero. If U.A. or the Commission when we're pros has a problem with it, that's their issue. It's not something that I can just give up."
"Why is it so important, Midoriya-kun?" Tsu asked from next to Momo. Izuku didn't even know she was there. She's so quiet. "I'm not judging you, kero, I would never do that, but why is this ritual so serious for you?"
"It's been passed down through my family for centuries," Izuku said with a shrug. "It was important to my ancestors, and every man in the family line knows it. I started preparing for it and learning when I was six years old, and I've done it with my ojiisan every year as he taught me and started doing it by myself when I perfected it about three years ago and he couldn't anymore. I wear the clothes they wore, or really one specifically, and afterward I recover for a day or two to replenish strength."
"Why the fuck would you need to recover from a ritual?" Katsuki's eyebrows furrowed. Izuku eyed him and saw no malice, just curiosity. As much as Katsuki could be an ass sometimes, he knew when things were important, things were important. Even he wasn't bad enough to put someone down for an ancient family ritual. It's a sign of the utmost disrespect to someone.
"You'll see," Izuku said cryptically, taking the bag out of his mug and sipping the tea with a content hum. "If you need me, I'll be outside."
"Where the fuck are you going?"
"To meditate? It's part of the preparation, Kacchan."
Iida stood and swung a too-straightened arm downward with a smile. "I'll let our classmates know not to disturb you, then! Rituals are to be taken seriously, and take all the time you need to prepare, Midoriya-kun!"
Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Iida-kun. I appreciate it. Excuse me."
He walked out of the kitchen and then the dorm building, sipping from his tea again when the chill of winter air hit his cheeks. He sat down in the snow and crossed his legs in the familiar full lotus position and set his tea down to balance it on one knee, holding his hands in his lap and closing his eyes.
Meditating was always his favorite part of the days before.
A couple days later, Izuku was outside in the snow again setting up his torches in the ground. The worn haori over his traditional clothing provided an extra layer of warmth that he appreciated, even as his feet burned cold on the ground over the patch of dirt he'd cleared snow from. The familiar tickle of his hanafuda earrings brushing the skin of his neck provided another odd sense of comfort to him and there was a content smile on his face as he stuck another torch pole in the ground.
He looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw his classmates returning from afternoon training with Aizawa and All Might leading them at the front.
Aizawa glanced at his setup before a barely-there look of realization crossed his features. "Do you need any help setting up, Problem Child?"
"No, thank you, Aizawa-sensei," Izuku shook his head. He adjusted the torch and turned to his teacher, bowing low. "Thank you again for letting me━"
He was stopped with a raised palm. "Don't thank me, it's in your right to perform family rituals on school grounds. No one here would deny you that."
"Midoriya, my boy, where are your slippers?" All Might asked. "Will you not get cold?"
Izuku chuckled. "It's fine, All Might, I'm used to it. I'm almost ready, though, I just have to wait for sundown to start."
"Whoa, Midoriya!" Mina gasped. "Your ears are pierced?! Since when?!"
"Since middle school?" he replied hesitantly. "The earrings are ceremonial to my family. They're the only ones I ever wear."
"Your clothes look so cool, bro!" Eijirou pumped his fist. "How old are those?!"
Izuku relaxed. "They're from the Taishō period. They belonged to my ancestor, Tanjirou. My ojiisan has Tanjirou's father's haori, I have his. When I'm older, I'll have Tanjurou's and this one will be passed down."
"You said you start at sunset," All Might said. "Start what, exactly? Aizawa only told me you'd be doing a family ritual."
"It's a ceremonial dance," Izuku grinned proudly. "A dance from sunset to sunrise. That's why I asked for a few days off for prep and recovery, Aizawa-sensei."
Aizawa nodded. "You said it would be taxing. I see why now. Would you like us to head inside?"
Izuku shrugged. "I mean, I don't mind you guys staying outside to watch. As long as I'm not interrupted or distracted. Talking won't bother me, I'm always very focused on the dance and my breathing and steps, but you just can't talk... directly to me? Disruptions can ruin the entire ceremony. I'll probably mutter throughout it, though? Sometimes I unconsciously say the moves to myself as I do them, but ojiisan said that was okay because my ancestor did too when he was first learning from the memories of his father doing it."
"Dude, this is so cool," Denki grinned. "You sure it's cool if we watch?"
Aizawa sighed. "You can all have the day off tomorrow if you'd like to stay up and watch. Problem Child, you take as many days as you need for recovery."
"It won't be any more than two, sensei, I promise," Izuku grinned. "Oh! The sun's going down! I have to light the torches!"
"Would you like me to light them for you, Midoriya?" Shouto offered.
"No, thank you, Todoroki-kun," Izuku shook his head, picking up a piece of flint and a rock from outside his circle of torches and striking them together. "I'm used to doing it on my own."
Class 1-A sat and watched Izuku light each torch around the circle with a rock and some flint, stunned. They never knew any of this about their classmate, and none of their families had anything like this. Even Shouto, whose family was probably the most traditional of all of theirs.
They all sat on the front steps of their dorm building, Aizawa-sensei and All Might standing off to the side. They murmured among themselves, theorizing what Izuku's ritual dance would consist of.
It was definitely surprising to them when Izuku pulled a large blindfold from his pocket and tied it over his face, removing his sense of sight. It was somewhat of an ethereal sight to see: Izuku dressed in garb of his ancestors from the Taishō period, way before quirks existed, in the light of dusk.
Izuku leaned down and picked something up off the ground that none of them had noticed, and even their teachers' eyebrows raised up high when they saw Izuku holding up a wooden blade in the shape of the kanji de, for 'rising of the sun'. It looked old, but well-cared for.
"Remember what he said, you hellions. No interrupting him. Family rituals aren't to be taken lightly. If one of you disrupts him, I will personally be overseeing the months' worth of detention I'll be giving you. Understood?"
"Yes, sensei!"
Izuku breathed in, different than how a person breathes on a regular basis, they noticed, and started moving. They watched, entranced, as Izuku danced like an old warrior. Sword in hand, even if it wasn't a real weapon, and blindfolded to everything surrounding him. Even with the loss of sight, he still moved with perfect fluidity and grace. Practiced movements of years' worth of hard work and learning.
They all heard Izuku's mutters of the movements as well, each time one was completed. They sat there for hours, barely exchanging a word, as Izuku danced.
First Form: Dance
Second Form: Clear Blue Sky
Third Form: Raging Sun
Fourth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun
Fifth Form: Setting Sun Transformation
Sixth Form: Solar Heat Haze
Seventh Form: Beneficent Radiance
Eighth Form: Sunflower Thrust
Ninth Form: Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance
Tenth Form: Fire Wheel
Eleventh Form: Fake Rainbow
Twelfth Form: Flame Dance
It was completely mesmerizing. After Izuku had finished the 'twelfth form' of his dance, he did all twelve all over again in quicker succession before restarting at the first, all the way to the twelfth again, doing all of them quickly in one go, and restarting back at the first again.
Many hours went by. Izuku danced and twirled and swung his wooden ceremonial blade blindfolded and barefoot, surrounded by snow and dirt and torch flames. It was truly beautiful.
None of them went to bed that night, even Katsuki who preferred to go to sleep early every night (even on weekends) so he wouldn't mess up his healthy sleep schedule. Izuku's dance was too beautiful for them to miss out even a second of it. Even Aizawa-sensei and All Might stood, enraptured with his movements.
And when the sun finally came up, Izuku ended his dance with the Thirteenth Form of doing all the other 12 swiftly and dropping to one knee. He gently untied his blindfold and squinted as he adjusted to the rising light of the morning sun and he breathed.
Just as Tanjirou's memoirs instructed his descendants to always do.