Note: Medieval/Fantasy/Fairy tale Alternate Universe.
Warnings: Violence, discrimination of varies forms, animal fights, experimental writing, social issues, sexism, dark themes
Note: I'll read through this again later to fix up grammar/spelling errors.
Keepers Up The Hill
SevenRenny
A Halloween special, illustrated by artist aeonsx (Please visit artist's Tumblr for artwork)
I
The wooden carriage smelled like horse. Appropriate, considering the hairy horse pulling it across dirt paths; the long tufts of feathery hair dancing around its hooves like neat skirts. Sitting by the cargo, Ochaco gazed back at the village she once called home. It was far away now, down the hill and unrecognizable from this distance. Her thin clothes – covered in stitches to repair tears to not waste money on buying new clothing – did little to protect her from the chilly air. She blew into her cupped hands, her brown gloves absorbing the heat of her mouth.
"You okay back there?" Hanta - the boy who'd offered her a ride up the hill - asked; though he didn't sound too concerned. Her dad had given him coins in exchange he sneak his daughter out of the village. The boy hadn't asked questions, and had accepted the task, fetching the family horse right away.
"Oh – yeah, I'm fine!" she assured him, grateful he was willing to help transport her, even though it meant he could get dragged down with her if they were caught. Unlike the villagers who had caused a commotion, he didn't seem to mind having a so called Witch in his carriage.
Then again, the ride hadn't been free.
"Almost there. And don't worry too much – the Midoriyas won't judge ya'," he let her know with his country boy accent.
She really hoped they wouldn't. She wondered how her parents were fixing things back there. Witch or not, they still loved her, at least. She knew there were Witches on her mother's side of the family. Her own mother hadn't shown any Witchy tendencies. It seemed like it had skipped a generation, landing on Ochaco instead. It had been an accident, and she still wasn't sure how her... spell worked. Floating things wasn't anything life threatening, really, but the villagers didn't understand that. 'Burn the Witch' was all they knew. That, and throwing stones at the door.
Her powers had activated upon touch, and she hadn't realized why her father's wooden carvings were floating after she'd touched them until it was too late. Her parents had tried to help her learn how to manage this strange ability, but her own mother didn't know much, and with people getting feisty and feeding off each others words, things got out of hand fast. She did what seemed right: she sent her daughter off to live with her friend just out the village, where Ochaco was told her mother's friend, Inko, lived.
Her parents meant well, she understood. She would be safer out here. Ochaco still couldn't stop blaming herself for the rally that had gathered in front of her parents' wooden home. If she hadn't accidentally activated her powers with her father's buddies around around, this wouldn't have happened.
Stupid girl.
"Welp, here we are!" Hanta declared happily; his hands tightening around the rope, ready to pull the horse to a stop.
Peeking out the front of the carriage, she saw the mushroom shaped cottage, surrounded by tall but thin trees. It looked very different from the small, mass-produced timber houses back at the village, but she guessed they weren't breaking any rules by building this tall home way out here.
A chubby woman kept passing back and forth outside, wringing her fingers nervously. By her was a boy of similar facial features standing rigidly like a badly trained swordsman, clearly nervous as well. As soon as the woman saw the carriage, she stumbled forward.
Hanta stopped the horse. "Evening!"
"Oh dear," Inko breathed. "I was so worried. I was beginning to think something might've happened on your way here."
Hanta grinned widely. "Nah, it's all good."
Inko came around the back just as Ochaco climbed off. Before the teenager could introduce herself personally, Inko grabbed her face, inspecting her.
"Oh, you poor thing. You're freezing. Come insider, hurry."
"Oh, o – okay, ma'am, but, eh–" Ochaco pointed at the back of the carriage.
"I'll get your things. It's okay!" the boy, presumably the woman's son, assured her. He grabbed the side of the carriage and heaved himself up. Aside from her messenger bag and the leather pouch attached to her belt, her father's backpack wasn't as sturdy, so she'd left in in the carriage. The leather straps were weak and weathered out. Thankfully, the boy seemed to notice that and decided to hold the bag pressed to his chest before hopping off.
Izuku later helped unload the bags of goods from the back of the carriage before replacing them with cloth wrapped breads and wooden boxes. Hanta was known for trading goods with the Midoriyas; one of the reasons why Hiroyuki Uraraka had decided to let this boy lead his daughter out. If someone were to ask of his disappearance, the boy had an alibi ready.
"I better go," Hanta informed, removing his hat to scratch at his head. "Mr. Uraraka might send me back to check on things later, so…"
"Oh, you're welcome anytime, dear." Inko pressed the cold girl to her side for warmth. "Tell her parents she'll be just fine with us."
"Gotcha'!" With that, the plain-faced boy turned the house around and drove off, back down the hill.
…
"Wait right here – I'll get you something warmer to wear."
"Thank you, ma'am," Ochaco said politely. This woman was so nice, and Ochaco felt ashamed for not greeting her properly.
"Please, just Inko," Inko informed. "I'm a friend of your mother's, if Hiroko hasn't told you."
"Oh, she did," Ochaco nodded, hugging herself. The house was much warmer inside.
Izuku climbed down the tight spiral stairs with a clap-clap-clap of his shoes hitting wood, his arms full of blanket. "Here you go!" He fluffed out the blanket before carefully covering her shoulders, smiling sweetly.
"Thank you!" Ochaco cuddled into the fabric.
Bless this family. Their overall friendliness made her wish she'd met them earlier. She'd heard from her mother about Inko Up The Hill; she just never thought of going all the way out here to pay the kind woman a visit. Ochaco's mother had told her she'd used to be close to Inko, until the rumors and astigmatism against her reached a dangerous point and the woman packed her things and left. Inko seemed like a kind woman, so far. Whoever, people liked to talk nasty; nasty words of her spread, Witchy words, and the woman fled. Ochaco couldn't blame her. Being framed for Witchcraft over rumors would've ended badly for poor Inko and her son.
"Here, Miss," the boy offered, placing a cut of braided bread wrapped in cloth in front of her. "I'm still moving some of my things out of my room. Mom said you can sleep in my bed, if that's alright with you. It's not polite to make a girl sleep on the floor." He kept his eyes downcast the whole time, afraid even just looking at her might seem disrespectful of him. Noticing the pink tint over his cheeks, it was clear he didn't have much experience talking to the other sex.
He seemed like a kind boy so far. From what she understood from her mother, Inko's son – Izuku – was a bastard. His father, according to word of mouth, had been an outsider – a traveler, and Inko never married.
The man had left without knowing he had left a son behind. He left them with nothing to inherit.
Inko came back with clothes draped over her arm. "Here you go, sweetie. I'm not thin enough for this anymore, but I'm sure it'll fit you just fine."
"Thank you so much," Ochaco said sincerely.
As soon as Izuku trotted back upstairs to prepare his room for the new guest, Ochaco saw the older woman waved her hand in a 'come here' motion and the stool a few feet away seemed to drag itself over to her, its wooden legs skidding across the floor.
Ochaco jumped back in surprise. It was as if the chair had decided to come to life right before her eyes, yet, Inko act like it was normal for inanimate objects to move by themselves.
Inko took a seat on the chair she ordered to come forth. "Now, sweetie. Did you figure out your power, yet? I'm sorry – Hiroko wasn't very detailed in her letter," she said kindly.
It was then that Ochaco realized what Inko was… It was bizarre to see another Witch in action. It was a nice feeling, knowing she wasn't alone.
"Oh, I, eh…" Ochaco stuttered, still shocked by the revelation, and looked down at her gloved hands that hid the pink pads on her fingertips. "I'm… not sure how it works. I made a few things float… I think?"
Inko smiled at her, gently placing a calming hand over hers. "It's alright, dear. Our powers aren't the same, but they're similar. You just need some practice, is all."
Ochaco had questions. So many questions. Was this why here parents sent her here? How much did they know? Would she be able to go home? Would her parents be in trouble because of her? Would her mother be seen as a potential Witch as well? Instead, the girl nodded. This woman was too nice. Ochaco had no right to complain.
"And if you're worried about your parents, please don't," Inko advised her kindly. "I've known them for years. Whatever it is happening down there, they can handle it. Now, eat up, get some rest, and we'll sort things out later today. Does that sound alright with you?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Inko, please," the chubby woman insisted.
"Ah, yes, Inko. Thank you again for everything." Ochaco managed to sound more enthusiastic this time, because she really did mean it.
II
"Izuku, honey, can you put one over there?"
"Got it!"
Behind the house, Ochaco watched as the Witch's son rolled a wooden barrel across the green field, leaving a line of flattened grass behind. He had laid out different items: a flask, a discarded wagon wheel, a hand-sized wooden chicken, a book, a pocket watch and so on. Ochaco wasn't sure how to use her power, so practicing outside was best. She'd abandoned her gloves, see how they weren't needed out here. Neither Inko nor Izuku seemed to care for the pink finger pads.
"All set, mom," Izuku grinned, giving the two ladies a thumb's-up. She'd just met him, and so far, she could see he was helpful, positive, and a little bashful. The boy's green over white clothes still managed to highlight his rather nicely built frame. Ochaco wasn't an expert in this field, but from what she understood, boys who weren't assigned into basic warrior training – let it be swordsmanship, archery, fencing, or such – never had bodies like that.
According to Inko, her son hadn't set foot in the village since they'd moved away; which was about seven years ago or so. Was he getting training elsewhere? If so, what for? He was – in the eyes of those who had never got to meet him – an outsider; someone who had no connections to the land down the hill. He wasn't tied down to the laws of noble bloodlines: the laws which forced the boys in the village to be trained and molded into defenders.
But then, he lived out here, alone with just his mother. Ochaco should've thought of that. While a community had safety in numbers, the Midoriyas were out in the open. Ochaco then noticed the short sword case strapped to his belt, confirming her suspicions. This smiley boy knew, or at least, was learning to fight. With those wide eyes and many freckles on his face, it was hard to imagine this gentle lad being aggressive in any way.
"Okay, dear," Inko guided her to one of the items on the floor: the wooden chicken. "Do you remember how you did it last time?"
"I… I think I grabbed it…?"
"It's okay, dear. Take your time to figure this out."
And she did, kneeling down and messing with the object, turning it to the side, tilting it. Nothing happened, until she held the wooden chicken with one full hand. It slowly started to float out of her hand.
"Ahh!" she gasped and clumsily grabbed it.
Inko clapped. "There you go!"
Turned out her pink finger pads were there for a reason. She'd thought they were some sort of deformity. It took her some time to figure out she had to touch with all five fingers, and even longer to understand how to release, which she had figured out how by accident.
And… there were the effects of it as well… she'd realized that hours too late.
"I think that's enough for today," Inko said sympathetically, rubbing the girl's back as Ochaco held her stomach, feeling ready to vomit. It looked like Izuku was about to rub her shoulder worriedly, but then remembered it might not seem appropriate to touch her, stopping with his hand awkwardly hovering over her shoulder instead.
"Izuku, sweetie, why don't you fetch her some of those herbs?" Inko told him, helping Ochaco up.
…
Izuku's room was small, messy, but comfortable. The circular window was a cute touch, and Ochaco noted the many thick books the boy possessed. Many of them were of the Legendary All Might. She'd seen a statue of the god on his eight legged horse in the village, a muscular man capable of destroying a mighty dragon with one swing of his sword. He was the pillar of hope; however, that pillar failed to show itself for years now.
"I'm sorry about the mess," Izuku said sheepishly, grabbing a few of his notes and hiding them in the drawers.
Ochaco dropped back against the bed. "Hmm." She shook her head no. "Thanks for letting me stay here."
Flattered, he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's nothing, really."
She then realized something. "Wait, where are you sleeping, then?"
"Oh, I'll be downstairs. Don't worry, I've done it before," he reassured her quickly, not wanting her to worry about him.
"Are… Are you sure? I don't want to take your bed if–"
"It's fine! It's fine!" He turned to the collection of leather books and picked out the one with a feather sticking out from between the pages. He flipped through the pages and Ochaco caught a glimpse of a few sketches.
"Oh, you can draw?" she asked in amazement.
He flinched, caught off guard. "Ah… just… sketches of… you know… things I've seen. I'm not that good at it, really…"
"Can I see?" She excitedly scooted to the side, making room for him to sit next to her.
He looked surprised, like no one had ever asked him that before. "Oh, yeah. Sure…. if you want. They're nothing special, so…" He carefully sat next to her, making sure to keep a good distance between them.
Ochaco, however, was having none of it, and scooted closer to open the book on his lap. The parchment papers had different sketches, each one done in different styles and using different materials, from red rock powders and mixtures of oils, to tree extracted pastes. It was obvious he was using materials from the close woods to see what worked best.
He had sketches of buildings and his own designs of armor and weapons. He also drew a few animals: a fox, a bird, and a duck with its chicks.
"Izuku, these are amazing!" she stared at the brownish paper with bright eyes.
"Oh… umm… thanks." He blushed at the complement.
She kept going, flipping through paintings of scenery: tree sized mushrooms, a unicorn, dragons flying in a V formation, trees with glowing fruit (he'd used sparkling powder for that affect), and a house shaped like a snail's shell.
"Where did you see all these?" she asked in astonishment.
"I wander a lot." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "The forest has really nice things to see."
"The forest?" Ochaco gasped. "But… isn't that dangerous? I mean, aren't you afraid of bears or wolves?"
"Oh, I used to, but I don't think they care about me," he said simply.
Ochaco blinked. "Don't care…?"
He froze and seemed to think of an excuse. "Ah… they just walk by and leave me alone. I've never really had any problems with them."
Ochaco stared at him, processing his words. He talked like those animals were nothing to fear. She was told many stories of bear attacks and wolves ripping children apart.
As if readying her mind, he chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I used to think they are like monsters but… okay, look, if I… kind of… see one regularly…?" he whispered the last part, even though they were miles away from another house. "But he's not dangerous – I promise!"
"Eh?"
"It's fine. Really. The forest's really safe, actually," he said with a sudden burst of excitement. His eyes seemed to sparkle with joy. He fiddled with his thumbs, deep in thought. "I like exploring. I want to know what's out there. I know staying here is safer, but… for how long? There's a whole other world out there. I don't want to just sit here. Do you know what AllMight used to do? He would travel around and help anyone who needed helping. He was a real hero." He seemed to be in his own little word.
Ochaco saw the drive in his eyes, the will to pursue what seemed too dangerous by many. She could tell the dream was embedded into his soul. The books in his room made more sense now. He admired this legend, and strived to be like him. While the idea of it seemed out of reach and somewhat childish, she had a feeling he wouldn't rest until he got to it.
She thought back to his words. A whole other world… He had gone into the forest and had seen such wonderful things. What else was out there?
She smiled brightly at him. "Can you show me sometime?" Her hands tightened into fists in anticipation.
He blinked in surprise. Never in his life had he ever thought he'd meet someone willing to risk for wonders. "Sure!"
…
He couldn't believe this.
Fuck this dust. Fuck this place. Fuck these bugs. Fuck everything. Nothing seemed to go right. It was like the gods wanted to curse him all at once. Well, fuck those gods! No god was taking their anger out on him. Heck, he should be the god, not them, then maybe things can stop being so shitty.
"You want inhuman strength? Got just the thing!" He remembered that girl's word's before she'd sold him that wolf pelt. He should've known this Mei and that bucket headed teacher of hers were located in a carriage out of village lines for a reason: they sold prohibited stuff. "Put this on and wah-lah! Inhuman strength. Give it a day to recharge and its ready for another use! What do you say?" That bitch forgot to mention a number of things!
She never mentioned the wolf pelt would stretch and consume him and merge with him in a matter of seconds. She never mentioned he probably wouldn't be able to take the pelt off. She never mentioned it would turn him into a four legged animal until his heavy body slumped to one side and started having hot and cold flashes. Greedy bitch must've had been waiting for him to lose his consciousness and opposable thumbs just to get to his bag of coins.
In the shed at the back of a strange house, he stared with blurry vision at the mouse that drank from his water dish. Rage bubbled within his chest, up his throat. The rodent scurried on quick feet before the dish cluttered, avoiding the wolf's massive jaws just in time.
Katsuki Bakugo was not about to drink from the fucking dish on the floor!
He heard the familiar foots steps of that boy just outside the shed. He could kill him. He could clamp his mouth down at his softer, weaker throat.
"Hey boy!"
He could pull his tender pink skin apart oh so easily.
"Sorry I'm late. We had a guest over and I kinda had to show her around. She's really nice!"
The happy-go-lucky pipsqueak was all bright smiles and cheerful talk and Katsuki wouldn't mind ripping those right off, because what the hell was so funny? What was oh so hilarious in this situation?
"She's in trouble, though. She's going to stay with us for a little bit, so try not to scare her, okay?"
He could end him, right here, right now.
"Oh! You knocked your water again. It's okay! Hold on, I'll get you more!"
So why didn't he…?
Why did he sound so familiar? He knew this boy… He'd seen him – known him before. His disoriented mind couldn't pinpoint who, though. His fever-like state had lessened in the past… – how long has it been since his transformation? Katsuki's mind had been almost useless then, hearing only the boy's voice at the time and not registering what words meant. But now, he was conscious enough to determine that, yes, he knew, or must've known this boy at some point.
Just… just where…?
…
"Here we go!" Izuku twisted the crank and grabbed the wet, now heavily filled bucket as it emerged from the well's depth, dripping and swinging by the rope it hung by.
It amazed him how such a fierce looking creature could be so… human? It seemed like he could understand him somewhat. Or maybe that was just Izuku's human brain reading too much into things again. That blond wolf was bigger than any wolf he'd ever seen. He was bigger than the ones he'd accidentally come across feeding on dead antelope in the woods. He looked much different, too. For one, he was gigantic, maybe about the size of a medium horse. He was also saber-toothed, red-eyed and long clawed. Izuku had had to ask Hanta to bring him books from Teacher Aizawa's library back at the village in exchange for rare herbs from the woods.
It had taken a few trips and multiple books, but he eventually got to a conclusion. The closest looking creature similar to the wolf in the shed behind their house was most likely a direwolf; though, the physical descriptions varied according to areas.
He'd brought over a creature that was near mythical.
He understood nature was nature, and he shouldn't interfere. But when he'd found the wolf that day in the forest, it seemed like human interference had been involved even before he got there.
He'd been in the forest collecting items to trade when too many things happened all at once:
A horse driven carriage drove by in a hurry.
He heard someone yelling and shouting from a distance.
The wolf came running blindly, drooling and slamming into trees tripping over his own feet, almost like he'd never learned how to walk on all fours before. Izuku clearly remembered the horrified look on the animal's face. What did you do to me? Fix me, damn it! – his face read. Izuku wasn't sure if he'd imagined that. He'd managed to guide the beast by the muzzle away from where the voices were coming from. The wolf kept stumbling and walking on wobbly feet. He'd never seen a four legged animal walk in such an uncoordinated manner. Inko was hysteric when she saw what he'd brought home.
"He's really sick, mom," he'd told her sadly.
"Izuku, what is that? Sweetie, please, let that animal go!"
"Mom, please… just until he feels better."
He didn't know when that would be. He was just glad his mother had a heart as big as his. Who else would let him keep a monstrous wolf behind their house? The animal didn't look hurt. He assumed he was sick, and feared he wouldn't make it through the night. To his relief, the wolf seemed healthier the next day, he even gobbled up the leftover dinner Izuku had provided him. Hopefully, he would be able to walk without falling later.
Izuku folded up his sleeves and dunked the dish into the filled bucket, pulling it out filled to the top.
III
"Katsuki!"
"Come out here, brat!"
"Katsuki! Son!"
"Katsuki Bakugo!"
The two parents, along with the small search team, stayed close together, holding onto the horses' ropes as to not lose them in the mess of greenery.
"Mrs. Bakugo, please don't go any further."
"And why not?" she dared the one in armor to answer her.
Tensei sighed. He hoped his calm approach would work with this stubborn mother. "Please. We're all here to look for Katsuki. Stick together. It's very easy to lose someone in this forest."
"Ma'am, we've already past the protected zone," Masaki, another armored fella, informed her in a pleading manner. "Predatory animals live around here."
"More of a reason to find my son right now," Mitsuki insisted angrily.
"Ah – Ma'am, hold on!" Before Masaki could stop this crazy woman who seemed to have zero respect for government authority, she simply reached down and took his sword like it was the easiest job she'd done and turned away, leaving him stunned. With the item in hand, it was her way of saying any wolf, or man, to come at me will be headless.
Used to his wife's personality, Masaru turned to the only witness who could help them locate their son. "You said he went in a carriage?"
Eijiro rubbed the back of his neck. "He said he was going to meet someone." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Told me to wait back cause it wasn't my business. I don't know what happened. I heard him yell so I ran after him." He glanced at Shota. The man in black was crouched near the ground, examining the faint carriage wheel marks over flattened grass. "Just saw the carriage zoom by. Didn't get what happened." Eijiro bit his lip in shame. "I'm sorry. My mind went blank."
Masaru clapped the boy on the shoulder. "I don't expect you to keep up with a horse, boy." The man sighed. "This isn't the first time Katsuki's gotten himself tangled up in a mess."
"I swear that kid gives me more grey hairs by the minute!" Mitsuki swore from a distance.
Shota stood up with a grunt. "Hey kid," he called lamely without turning to look the boy in the eyes. "You didn't see anyone around after it drove off?"
Confused, Eijiro thought. "Umm… no? Sorry, I'm not sure. Wasn't really focusing on anythin' else."
Shota's only response was a hum. His tired but trained eyes remained focused on the blond patches of fuzz clinging to the branches of nearby bushes.
Masaru approached the man carefully. "Is something the matter?"
Shota had a gut feeling, but no evidence to go off of. He had nothing to link his farfetched theory with. There was animal fur a few feet from the carriage marks. Had the carriage been stalked? Did Eijiro's fail to see a creature? But Shota couldn't depend on a random guess. There was nothing to confirm the two events happened at the same time, and while the place was known for being a heaven for wolves, the fur could've belonged to any animal.
"Get on your horses. We'll need to head back."
"Wait, hold on! You can't give up now!" Eijiro panicked. "What about–!"
"We need to inform the council where we need to go before heading out," Shota informed him nonchalantly. "It's for safety precautions. In case we don't come back, they'll know where to look for us."
…
It turned out she just needed to get used to it. Once it became clear the item was easy enough to float, Izuku would add a little more water into the cask to add weight. They made sure to keep a flask of soaked herbs nearby for when she needed to replenish. Inko was inside the house by the window, chopping up soft purple stones and wrapping them up for later transport. She had no use of them, but knew many would need them as an ingredient for other things. Living next to the forest, it was easy to find such things. These stones were free to them while those downhill would need to buy them.
"You did it! It's floating"
"It's going too high! Is it really okay if I let it go now?"
"Umm... maybe if you step back a let then drop it?"
The cask dropped suddenly on command and water splashed on both of them. Izuku yelped and comically landed on his back. Inko had to take a break from stone chipping and giggled lightly at the scene.
"Gahhh… Are you alright?"
"I'm so sorry! I did that too soon…"
It was nice to see her boy having fun with someone else. He'd been picked on a lot back at the village. It had been one of the main reasons why she'd moved her tiny family out here. The Witchy rumors had had her panicking, and thoughts of her baby getting targeted… she wouldn't have it. Not her baby. Not her Izuku.
He was a sweetheart, a soul like no other. The village wanted their image of an ideal man: rough and loud and proud. Izuku just wasn't meant to be any of those things. She didn't see him as a category like how the village saw him as. The people had already molded ideas: men should be rough; women didn't know any better; different is wrong – Did you hear what whatshername did? –My kid should marry you kid. What's the bridal price?
'Your son cries a lot. Even my daughter doesn't cry that much. Is he alright?' He would've cred less, if your kids would stop attacking him.
'Izuku doesn't play like other boys'. And that's perfectly alright. He knew he'd get hurt if he tried to play with the other kids. He was a delicate boy. The boys back there played rough.
'Your son's very skinny, Inko. Did you at least try to be more forceful when feeding him?' Oh, no. She could never force her boy to do anything. He was a good kid, why couldn't they see that? Why couldn't they see past their ideals and just see him as a person than a symbol? Izuku was Izuku.
When the village only had molds for blocks, but they were given a more complex shape to work with, of course they'd decided to just force it in rather than work with it.
'Are you sure he's a boy, Inko?'
'You'll have a hard time getting him married.'
'You should've eaten more meat when pregnant."
'Did you ever look for a husband? Maybe he just needs a dad.'
Izuku was just Izuku.
To Inko, he was perfect.
…
'You're so weak! Stop crying!'
'He's no fun to play with.'
'My ma' said his ma's a wicked evil lady!'
'She's… she's not! Mom's… Mom's a gre – great mom!'
'You're so weak. You cry all the time. You can't protect anyone – you're just a scaredy cat!'
'St – Stop sa – saying mean things, Katchan…'
'Weak, scaredy cat, De–'
–Ku! The wolf's eye snapped wide open.
Why had he not realized it earlier? How had he been so fucking blind? That was him. That was definitely him! The boy was the kid from his childhood. The boy was Izuku up the hill. That was Deku!
Katsuki heaved himself up on wobbly legs and almost flopped back down. It felt like he was on one of those medicines his mom used to give him for coughs that made him feel sleepy. He shook his head and took a shaky step forward. He still had no clue how to walk on four legs properly. Those long things were hard to coordinate.
A string of light shone through the half open door of the shed. The boy always left it that way in case the animal wanted to leave. Huh. With his snout and big head, Katsuki push the door open. Sunlight stabbed his sensitive eyes. His head spun and he had to steel himself from collapsing. How long had he been resting?
"Are you sure you want to keep going? You don't feel sick?"
"I'm good! I'll just rest a bit."
"Alright. Oh, here! Drink some of this. Mom takes it sometimes to work overnight."
"Thanks!"
He could hear him with someone. Over there. He could make it. Katsuki staggered like a sick horse, stopping momentarily to vomit. It hadn't occurred to him how yellow the world was. The unusual canine vision was giving him the worst migraine. A wet snarl bubbled out his throat and – at this point – he didn't care that he stepped over his own gunk because damn those big paws were hard to move around with.
There! There was a person! He couldn't see shit with all those black spots around the corners of his eyes. He was too grumpy to think about it. He made out the salute of a figure drinking out of a gourd canteen. That… was not Deku. That person was a girl. Damn it… damn it all! He'd made it all the way here, only to find the wrong person.
A frustrated growl rumbled out his chest; the behavior done without his control. His world swayed.
The girl dropped the flask.
…
Izuku came back to scene that almost gave him a heart attack. The animal had gotten out of the shed and was growling at the petrified guest. Izuku stumbled forward and, as he reached for his sword, the wolf tilted and collapsed on his own.
Ochaco crawled back in fear, away from the giant thing that had appeared behind her. She'd heard steps and had assumed it was Izuku or his mother… not this.
"Izuku! Ochaco!" Inko stepped out of the house and called fearfully. "Kids, come inside, hurry!"
Ochaco wasted no time hurrying over, tripping twice in her haste. Izuku lingered, hand releasing his sword when it became apparent the wolf wasn't attacking their guest. The animal gave a heavy grunt, his shoulders and sides flexing with the movement. The boy moved to take a look at the animal's face, and saw the closed eye, half open mouth, and heard the rumbling of the beast's chest. He caught a glimpse of the eye snapping open; gaze – too human – glaring back at him, examining him.
"Izuku!" his mother worriedly called again.
The boy ran back.
…
"Inside – hurry! Hurry!" Inko slammed the door and moved the iron deadbolt to barricade them in. "Are you two okay? My goodness… I turn my back for a second and come back to this… Oh dear." She checked them over, her hands going over their faces, shoulders, necks.
"Miss Inko, We're okay!"
"We're fine, honest!"
She had to stop fretting over them and sighed. "Thank goodness…"
Ochaco, still shaken from what she'd seen, looked at the door as if the monster would come crashing through any minute. "What… What was that…? Was that a wolf?" She'd never thought them to be that big. They were much scarier than she first imagined. She'd been told they were like big, nasty dogs. The size of that thing astonished her more than anything.
Izuku ran up to the small window Inko had been using to watch on them and took a look outside. The wolf had gotten up and was sniffing the ground; the spot Izuku had been standing in. The two Witches joined him by the window. The wolf looked up, straight at them, and began strolling forward.
Inko immediately lowered the curtains, panicking. "Oh dear, oh dear. Honey, why did you have to bring it home with you?"
"He wasn't feeling well, mom." That didn't answer her question very well.
Inko hoped it would wander back into the forest on its own. However, it seemed like the wolf had other ideas. Everyone was silenced by the sound of heavy breathing and snarling by the door. It sounded like her son's rescue was out to get them.
"Do you want me to start a fire?" Izuku asked. Animals didn't know what a sword was, but they feared the light of fire. They could scare the beast off and into the woods without risking any physical fights. Inko wondered if that was worth the risk, or if they could simply wait for it to give up and leave.
"It's alright. Just make sure it can't get in. Can you check if all doors and windows are locked? Let's just wait for it to head home own on its own, okay?"
When Ochaco lifted the curtains, she couldn't find the creature. She also found it suspiciously quiet by the door. Unsure of the animal's whereabouts, she was left standing there like a useless houseplant as the Midoriyas ran here and there, checking every house opening.
Surprisingly, from the front door, they heard a rhythmic knock-knock-knock on the door.
Everyone froze. That… hadn't been expected…
"Miss Midoriya? Miss Midoriya, please, don't fear. It's, me, Tensei, you're old friend. I've come with permission from the council. May I please come in?"
Izuku and Inko looked at each other, perplexed.
The door was knocked again.
"Inko Midoriya. This is Shota Aizawa. Let's make this quick."
"Great Teacher Aizawa?" Izuku whispered. They had members of the council at their front door. "Why are they here?" Aizawa had never come to their home before. What could possibly drive him to ride a horse all the way out here? The only recent event that could explain his visit was–
"Are they here for me?" Ochaco asked anxiously.
Why else would members of the council be here? What had King Endeavor done with her parents? What would they do to her if they brought her back?
Sensing her panic, Inko cupped the younger girl's face. "They won't have you, sweetie. Izuku, can you–" sneak her out the back? No. They weren't sure if the animal was still lurking there.
They were trapped in their own house.
…
Tall trees with long fingers and plenty of deformities were perfect homes for other animals, from the mighty wolves gnawing on bone, to the wild squirrel ripping nuts off brunches. There was one, however, that did not belong. The inhuman grunts sent even the greatest of beasts running. Tearing down trees with careless shoves here and there with its oversized hands, the beaked monster stepped through the woods, barefoot; beaked mouth full of human teeth; brain, uncovered and exposed. Its purple body – mapped with stitches to hold it together – was almost naked with only a shredded pair of pants; the only thing that seemed human.
Wolves abandoned their carcasses. Squirrels scattered up trees and into leaves for safety. The Frankenstein monster didn't seem interested in animals, though. It had a clear path of where to go. It was no bloodhound, nevertheless, the smell of sweat and hair and clothes and campfires and everything non-forest was enough of a trail.
TBC
- A big thanks to the talented artist for the wonderful artwork!
- The size of the wolf has been exaggerated here.
- This has been posted earlier on AO3
- I apologize for posting this in chapters rather than the whole thing.
- I'm hoping to be able to explain a few things of the story at the end of the second chapter.