Chapter 68: The Muse

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CHAPTER 68: The muse

The festival was officially in full swing, and though it wasn't nearly as boisterous as the Sports Festival, the sound of laughter, chatter, and music gave a wave of excitement. Stalls lined the walkways, offering everything, from games and crafts majority owned by the support course students, to food stalls, and dessert carts. All decorated to attract passers.

Eri didn't know where to start even though Sakura, Mirio, and Izuku told her she could pick wherever she wanted to go first. She clutched Sakura's hand, gazing around with wide eyes, sparkling.

Izuku and Mirio were watching Eri closely to ensure she didn't become overwhelmed by the crowds and raptures of noise, but she seemed more relaxed.

Mirio was the one to keep the enthusiasm, pointing out to the different stalls, and helping Eri navigate through the crowds.

"Do you want some food Eri? We can get takoyaki?" He was beaming looking at her.

Eri titled her head, "What's tok-tokoyaki?"

"It's delicious!" Izuku chimed in, his green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "They're little balls of dough filled with octopus, and they're topped with sauce and bonito flakes."

"We can get those and then head over to the beauty pageant," Sakura said. Mirio's classmate was performing and he wanted to support her. The other classes were also going to be participating, all but theirs as Shouta didn't mention the contest to them. But it was supposed to be another eye-catching performance. Hopefully not as all over the place as the play class B put on. Though it certainly kept Eri questioning.

It didn't long to find a takoyaki stand, the aroma was mouthwatering as it wafted through the air. Eri watched in fascination as the vendor flipped the balls of dough in the sizzling oil. They each gave an order and didn't have to wait too long to receive it.

"Here you go," the vendor said, handing each a piping hot tray of takoyaki. "Enjoy!"

Eri examined the balls like a kitten tilting her head as she examined them. Izuku explained she had to poke the ball with the pick and eat it like that, but Sakura blew on one first to cool it down for her. Eri took a tentative bite, and her face lit up. "Yummy!"

Mirio grinned from ear to ear, "It is right? You're gonna get to taste a lot more delicious foods before the day is done, don't you worry."

"Pace yourselves, don't go stuffing her with junk food all at once," Sakura warned them. Otherwise, Eri was going to get a stomach ache and Sakura would be the one to handle that aftermath.

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By the time they arrived at the stage for the beauty pageant, there was quite a crowd gathered. Many of the students looked to support their classmates who had entered as they would be voting for the winner. That's why various names were being called out over their heads. Eri had to be lifted onto Izuku's shoulder so she could see the stage.

"What's a beauty pageant?" Eri asked.

"It's a competition," said Mirio, "And all the girls competing show off their talents and the one who is liked the most will be the winner."

Sakura was grateful for the simplification of this competition because she also didn't know what this entailed. And honestly, she had a completely different idea of what it was.

When it started, Sakura learned that beauty competitions included showing off, not only for appearance but also talent. Like with class B's Itsuka Kendo, shows off her quirk by blasting away a stack of wood. Then there was a performance that left the audience speechless and baffled. She was the previous year's winner of the pagent, coming in one a golden painted charriot of sorts crafted her likeness, from the long eyelashes to the odd puckered grin.

Finally there was Nejire, she was dressed in a soft teal dress and when she took to the sky, swirls of light followed her in an enchanting dance, twirling around like a ballerina.

Eri muttered softly as if she had come to a great realization. "Fairy…"

"She does look like one huh?"

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When the voting came around, they decided it to time to resume their exploration of the rest of the festival. Especially when the eccentric class B student Monoma got on stage and started raving at everyone to vote for Kendo. Agreeing that Eri didn't need to see that, they left. As there was a lot more to enjoy. A myriad of activities and attractions.

They made their way to the ring toss game, where brightly colored rings were stacked neatly beside rows of bottles.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Sakura suggested.

Izuku told Eri how to play, just throw as many of the rings around the bottles as you can. Eri did try, but her aim and reach were that expected of a six-year-old. And she seemed disappointed she couldn't get just one.

Sakura took her hand for her last toss, directing Eri. "Now swing and, let go,"

Eri followed her instructions and watched as the ring landed over the bottle top. Despite not winning any prize, it did give the girl a sense of accomplishment.

 Mirio stepped up, grinning as he picked up a ring and aimed for the target. Eri watched with wide eyes, her small hands clasped together in anticipation.

"Watch this, Eri," Mirio said with a confident smile.

With a flick of his wrist, Mirio tossed the ring. It sailed through the air in a graceful arc, landing perfectly around the neck of the bottles. He did the same, missing two out of the five. The vendor clapped in approval, and Eri's face lit up with delight as Mirio was handed a fluffy stuffed bear.

"Here you go, Eri," Mirio said, handing her the bear. Eri hugged the bear tightly.

"Thank you,"

Sakura and Izuku also gave the game a go, and unfortunately for the vendor, a kunoichi was not the best match-up for carnival games. Taking four rings in each hand, Sakura crossed her arms and tossed them into the air together, watching all land over the bottlenecks she aimed for.

Eri was awe-struck, but Izuku and Mirio looked stunned.

"What?"

By the end of that, Eri was trying to walk with a stuffed cat doll a size bigger than her. They had to stop by the dorms to drop off some of the toys.

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Another new favorite for Eri was the crepes stand, she had been captivated by the aesthetics of the dessert not to mention the buttery smell that was wafting through the air.

"What are those?" Eri asked, her mouth slightly agape.

"Those are crepes." Izuku explained, "They're think pancakes you can fill with all kinds of things. Like fruit and cream,"

"Or cheese," Added Mirio. "You get to build your own,"

Eri was able to enjoy creating her own little cream and fruit crepe. Izuku, Sakura, and Mirio had to get one of themselves as well.

The day was far from over, however, as the festival continued so did their ventures. Mostly focusing on keeping that smile on Eri's face. They took pictures and explored the different exhibits by the support classes, which they had to pull out from early when things were looking a bit dangerous in the demonstrations. They took her to all the game booths, which Izuku and Mirio learned quickly were less than child's play in Sakura's hands. Sakura found it somewhat amusing to discover that her shinobi training allowed her to best every game that had to do with precision and coordination.

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A new booth was buzzing with a line of students, however, there wasn't any extravagant setup, just a table and a stack of blank canvases and other various art supplies, opened tubes, wet paint brushes, and charcoal. At the centre stage of this, was another U.A student. Sakura, Eri, Izuku, and Mirio were also a part of this line. How exactly?

It started when they were coming back from finishing a game at another booth, and Eri saw a group of students walking away from a nearby stand, smiling at the pictures they were holding and talking animatedly about how much they loved the art.

"What's going on guys, something good to see?" Mirio asked, his curiosity piqued by the enthusiastic chatter. He wanted to ensure that Eri got to experience every bit of fun the cultural festival had to offer today. And she certainly wouldn't accomplish that by being bashful. The sky was already turning a darker shade of orange, and the festival would be over before the sunset.

One of the students turned to answer, a wide grin on her face. "Oh, there's this second-year student, Eisen Higurashi, who has a quirk that lets him draw whatever a person wants. It's really amazing!"

Intrigued, Mirio suggested, "Let's go check it out!"

The group made their way to Eisen's booth, which was adorned with various drawings that showcased his impressive talent. Eisen himself was a lanky boy with tousled brown hair and a calm demeanor, sitting behind a small table with his sketchbook, canvases, and paint at the ready.

"Who's next?" Eisen called, after waving off his previous customer.

Mirio stepped forward eagerly. "I'll go first. So, how does this work?"

"I'll create your ideal commission. Which framework would you like? Acrylic, sketch?"

"How about the A4 painting?"

Eisen explained, showing Mirio to a black board with several questions written. Including, what was your happiest childhood memory? Who is your favorite person? What warms your heart? And many more.

"Pick a theme,"

"Alright," Mirio took a moment to look over the board carefully, and then made his decision. "Number 12."

"Who do you best admire?'" Eisen framed the question as a statement and then held out his hand which Mirio knew to take. Eisen gripped it for a full minute before turning away and going to sit at his easel. Placing down a fresh blank canvas and grabbing his paints. Mirio tried asking more questions but the boy didn't respond and had his eyes fixated on his canvas.

Less than five minutes had passed by before the boy withdrew, and looked to Mirio. He gestured for him to come around to see his finished piece. Mirio's eyes widened as he stared at the image created. He took it off the easel and flipped it over to the three.

"Look at this."

It was of an older man, in a suit, with nearly combed hair, and glasses, looking over at a painted Mirio in his hero suit. The image held a subtle theme of calmness and an air of joy. This was without a doubt Nighteye awakened from his coma.

"I've been dreaming about seeing Sir like this again," Mirio said, his voice tinted in sadness despite his smile.

"Togata.…" Izuku trailed.

Sakura coughed lightly, catching their attention and turning it towards Eri who had her head raised as high as her curiosity and they understood. While she sympathized with the two and acknowledged that they missed their mentor they needed to remember there was still much to avert Eri from.

"But how did you do that?" Izuku asked. Mirio didn't even have to mention Sir Nighteye and yet Eisen had captured the man's appearance so perfectly, he thought the image might come to life.

Eisen pushed up his glasses after rubbing off some of the paint on his fingers, "My quirk is called Beholder. It's not very flashy, but if I ask a person a question and maintain contact for a minute, I can draw out what has come to mind in my style."

"So amazing!" Izuku gasped, his eyes sparkling. "That kind of quirk might not be great for combat, but you could use it in police work, like a detective!"

The artist chuckled at Izuku's enthusiasm. "It's not that simple, my quirk reaches into the subconscious of a person so they don't always get what they expect or think about. I'm not simply peaking into a person's memories, I take their truest answer based on the question and use that as my inspiration to bring that to life. I like to think of it as drawing what's dwelling in your heart."

"Wow," Mirio glanced back at the drawing and smiled. "It's impressive. I feel like you've really captured sir's essence."

Izuku followed after Mirio and chose a question for Eisen's drawings, he wanted a larger portrait as he was hoping the question would get him a giant All Might painting when Sakura reminded him they would have to carry it around for the rest of the afternoon, so he opted for the smaller, fit in a bag A4 canvas. 'Who is your favorite hero? The more straightforward question resulted in a straightforward image. Izuku was given a portrait of All Might, standing tall in his glory days, looking over a cityscape.

Sakura found it awe-inspiring how much Izuku truly admired All Might. Something she involuntarily learned more about when they were training. After the obvious attempts made to imitate the hero, Sakura had to keep reminding Izuku to focus on developing his style rather than taking from Toshinori. While he may have received that power from All Might, it didn't mean he could use it in the same manner. 

Eri was next, she looked at the board, and Sakura read out all of the questions to her slowly when the girl's attempt to read through the entire list made her fidgety.

"The happiest time?"

Looking at the question, Eisen iterated it fully. "What was the happiest time of your life?"

He took Eri's hand and held it for a minute before returning to the canvas to work. Eisen's hand flew across the canvas as he worked on Eri's drawing. His concentration was palpable as the image took shape. When he finished, Eri returned to Sakura, beaming as she held up a drawing of the two of them together, as if they had posed for a portrait.

It was the memory of them on a picnic in the mountains, in the background was the little worn-out house Sakura had taken over and made their home.

"Wow, that's beautiful," Sakura smiled.

"I love that one," said Mirio and Izuku nodded with him.

Eri grinned at the artwork, "I wanted a picture of us together."

Then the young artist turned his attention over to Sakura, "I take it you're next?"

A step of hesitance followed as Sakura looked over the board of questions and back to the group of three. "Um, I'm not sure if I should-

"Why not Sakura?" asked Eri.

"Yeah, don't you want a drawing too?" asked Mirio.

"I think it'll be nice to put on your wall. A painting made specially from your heart,"

She stepped up, her mind swirling with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. It took her a moment longer than the others to choose what she wanted. But she decided to go with the question, what would be your brightest day?

She shook Eisen's hand, and he started painting. His brush moved with a life of its own, his eyes fixed on nothing else, never looking away for a moment to breathe.

It was a guess what might come from that image, Sakura didn't like the thought of her memories being peeked through, but it would be fine as long as nothing unsavory was trudged up from her subconsciousness. But there was a very positive notion behind her chosen question. Perhaps the brightest day would be when she first saw Eri smile, one of her greatest accomplishments as she tagged it.

But when Eisen finished a few minutes later and directed her to the canvas. "Well I have to admit, this one is quite a piece. Even though I'm surprised, I really felt your emotions through this, it was overwhelming. And I wasn't sure how to properly depict it as first, but I hope this is to your satisfaction."

 Sakura felt the entire world become quiet, and her heartbeat as loud as a scream through her ears, her balance swaying, and her vision blurring in the corners as her heart began to squeeze tight, her fingers numbing and veins throbbing in pain.

"Sakura?" Izuku called, but she couldn't hear him. Like her head had been placed underwater, where her senses dulled, nothing could be heard, very little could be seen, and breathing was impossible. Mirio, Eri, and Izuku attempted to pull her head up, but she refused to surface, refusing to stop sinking.

Someone was shaking her, but she couldn't look away from the image painted before her.

The painting depicted two teenage boys, each embodying stark contrasts to one another. On the left stood Naruto, his hair a wild, golden mane that caught the light like rays of the sun. His blue eyes shone with an inner light, full of warmth and unyielding determination, like the dawning day. His expression was vibrant and full of life, capturing the essence of his indomitable spirit.

Beside him stood Sasuke, his hair dark as the night sky, flowing smoothly like an inky river. His eyes were intense, an abyss that seemed to hold countless secrets and untold sorrows. Despite the darkness, his gaze held a subtle glimmer of resolve, as if he were eternally searching for something just out of reach. His expression was calm and composed, a stark contrast to Naruto's exuberance, yet equally compelling.

The background was a striking dichotomy, split down the middle to reflect the boys' opposing yet complementary natures. Behind Naruto, the scene was bathed in the soft, golden hues of daylight. On Sasuke's side, the sky was a deep, velvety black, speckled with twinkling stars and a crescent moon that cast a serene, silver glow. Despite their differences, the two boys stood side by side as if they were walking under the same skies, the day and night blended seamlessly at the center, their shoulders nearly touching, and their expressions content. The image struck a chord deep within her, triggering a flood of memories and emotions.

A conflict rose within her mind and body as she looked at this painting, she wanted to just stand there as she could hold onto a sliver of hope that this was a sign she would be able to see this bright day soon. However, another side told her that this was nothing more than a delusion she had brought forth from her grief and denial as she tried to clutch onto the last remnants of her world. That this would bring her nothing but more pain, and tear open the wounds she had bandaged and pretended not to feel. For that, she wanted to tear her eyes away.

Finally, no longer caught in the twilight of her mind, she ran.

"Sakura, wait!" Izuku called after her, but she was already gone.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

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