The princess took a step back from him, holding her sword up. Snow kept falling onto her skin and causing goosebumps to form. Momo ignored the cold to focus on the man in front of her. He looked a bit delusional from the way his eyes met her own. They were distracted as if the prince couldn't find her. He unsheathed his own sword. It had excellent craftsmanship etched into every inch of it, but there was a slight tilt to it. An intentional tilt that made it off balance. She cast her eyes onto the man for one last moment.

Prince Shoto Todoroki, a royal with the blood of a dishonorable king and absent queen, stood before her. She had to let him win in that duel, but how he won was something she would decide on her own. There were no more people in the stands. All had left from the so called Nomus earlier, so the princess had free reign of her future.

The prince was different from what she imagined. She expected someone to be more like a claymore. Someone who was rough, destructive, and almost impossible to control. However, Prince Shoto wasn't like that at all. He was someone of elegance, prestige, and with an unpredictable strategy. Maybe it was his eyes or the way he held himself, but he felt so unreal to what Momo knew a man to be.

"Then let us begin."

"Mother! I don't want the dress, it's so uncomfortable!" she groaned, tugging at the braid her hair was in.

"Momo, don't you dare. The Snow Festival is beginning soon and you must be presentable. Goodness, I should have never let your father have free reigns on dressing you!"

The princess, age nine, was scowling in front of the mirror. Momo looked at herself. The dark blue dress on her body was a tight fit that suffocated every inch of her skin. She could barely move, let alone fight in the outfit. The princess could hide all the knives and weapons she wanted in the dress skirt, but she wouldn't ever be able to use them. The braid that her hair was in was pulled so tight that it made her head hurt. The queen's lady in waiting stood at the door, holding a pile of even more dresses to try on.

"Why can't I wear my ceremonial armor? It's basically the same thing as this dress!" Momo whined.

"Because you are a lady." the queen stated.

"But father said I'm a warrior!" the princess pulled an arrow from her shoulder to prove her point.

"Enough of this, Momo! You will wear that dress and that is final."

"Oh Michiko, you couldn't do that to her."

King Mareo walked through the door to his family. He held a helmet to his hip as his black fur cape swished with his movements. The king lifted his princess into the air. She giggled.

"Momo is a fierce warrior! She is the heart of this kingdom, my love Michiko!" he grinned towards the queen.

"Mareo, she cannot be like this. If another kingdom were to come to us with a betrothing request, they would be appalled by our daughter." she sighed.

"Then let them be! My daughter will fight against the seas and sky. She will fulfill everything great!"

"She's my daughter as well and if you want her to keep training with you, she better shape up in her tutoring lessons." the queen stood upon a stood and reached up towards the princess. King Mareo rolled his eyes playfully at the queen and handed Momo off to her. The queen placed Momo onto the ground and fumbled with her hair.

"Mother, I don't like the tutoring. Training with father is more fun!"

"Momo, you must work hard in tutoring as well as training. You are a princess and you must lead your people with pride!" her father placed an arm over the queen's shoulders. She rolled her eyes at her overconfident husband. "Isn't that right, my beautiful morning violet?"

"Mareo, you're sickening." the queen huffed.

"I don't know how holding a teacup a certain way is going to help me lead my people." she pouted.

"Oh, Momo. There's so much more to being a lady than the teacup holding. We discussed this before." the queen scolded.

"Michiko, let's let her wear the ceremonial armor, just this once." the king patted the top of Momo's head.

"Please!" she grasped Queen Michiko's hands.

"You two are too like-minded!" the queen frowned.

"The young princess should wear whatever she wishes. She is a princess, after all." a voice from the door rang true.

Momo turned her head to the man at the door. He had a scruffy beard and wispy blonde hair. It was such a pale color that she almost forgot it was there sometimes. He wore a knight's armor on his body. It was shined to perfection with the Yaoyorozu insignia on his shoulder. The man winked at the princess.

"Luther! I knew you would have my back on this!" Mareo hooked his arm around the knight's shoulders and swung him into a sort of half hug.

"Why must everyone be against me? I just want my daughter to look presentable." Queen Michiko groaned.

"Come on, mother! Please let me wear the ceremonial armor! I'll wear the dress another time." Momo tugged on your mother's hand.

"A good compromise, princess. You both taught her well." Luther smirked at the dirty look the queen gave him.

"Then promise me you will wear the dress next time, Momo?"

"I promise!"

Momo striked. Prince Shoto held his sword with his right hand and had his left side turned away from her. He blocked her blow from above, stumbling backwards. The snow fell delicately onto the two. She brushed a flake off of her cheek.

"On the defensive, aren't you?"

"It's the best option I have against you, isn't it?" he retaliated, keeping his distance from her.

"No. There's more you haven't discovered yet." the princess charged at him once again.

The prince readied his sword to block, but he was mistaken. Momo darted for his legs. In a split second, a wall of ice jutted from the ground in front of her face. She kept running straight for it. The princess threw her sword up over the wall. Her arms came up into the sky as she did a cartwheel, but before her legs could touch the ground, she propelled herself upward.

As she went over the wall, she grasped onto her sword's hilt and watched the prince. He exhaled, a cloud of his warm breath forming from his mouth. She was coming straight towards him. His left hand came out in front. The flames danced across his arm. Momo held her breath as she saw the falter in his body. He was growing weaker.

"Momo, my dear, come here."

"What is it mother?"

Momo, age 10, sat down next to Queen Michiko near the fireplace. It was winter. Cold was beginning to settle into the Yaoyorozu islands with plenty of snow that would not let up. The queen wrapped a furry blanket around the two. It enveloped them in warmth, comfort, and safety. The young princess raised a hand up to touch the queen's cheek. Her hand was so small back then.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Her dark eyes widened at the soft smile on Michiko's face. Michiko had freckles that dotted every inch of her cheeks and bright blue eyes that entranced anyone who looked into them. Momo inherited none of those things from her.

"No, nothing is wrong, my sweet child." Michiko grabbed onto her hand. "You're beginning to train with your father more and more each day and…"

"And what, mother?"

"I think it's time you know something about the Yaoyorozu people."

"Mother, I'm not a child anymore. I know we can heal and we don't die from injuries. People have survived drowning before!" the little girl chimed.

"I know, Momo, but like all the other races, we have weaknesses."

"We do?" Momo pouted.

"Yes, we do." Michiko tapped her nose.

"What are they, mother?"

"The two extremes of nature."

Momo landed onto the ground. She looked up to the prince, his flames dwindling. Let's end this quickly. She swung her sword at him, but he dodged back once again. His flames heightened in the matters of an instant and blasted towards her. Her eyes widened. He was holding back!

"You make too many assumptions." he growled.

She pulled a metal shield from her stomach to block the flames. They skyrocketed towards the sky and plummeted towards the ground. Her feet dug into the dirt to keep herself from being knocked back. Momo's body broke out into a sweat as the heat enveloped her. Her stomach was churning. She hadn't eaten much that morning and creating weapon after weapon was draining her. In addition with the Nomu attack, every bit of her felt exhausted.

"I've been doubting myself for all this time…" he began. The flames were intensifying with him walking towards her. She heard the clunk of metal onto the ground. He dropped his sword. "I thought that keeping you at a distance would work best, but I was mistaken. You're at a disadvantage against my powers."

The shield's metal began melting. Momo could see the hot blobs of iron drip onto the dirt beneath her. Her right leg was shaking as it came off the ground to the back of the shield.

"You seem to be forgetting about yourself, Prince Shoto."

Momo threw the shield at him and rolled to the right to avoid his flames. She felt the heat leave the area around her. The chill returned as her body lied on the ground. Snow still fell from the sky. It was oddly calm. She lifted herself onto her elbows to look behind her. The shield was on the ground, the metal still red from the heat. Her eyes trailed to the left, where Prince Shoto was beginning to stand. He had dodged out of the shield's direction without another scratch on his body. His extinguished flames left smoke floating off from his left side. A majority of his shirt was gone now, even on his icy right side. Her sword lied on the ground nearby him. She had flung it away when she rolled. His head turned to the princess lying on the ground.

"I never forget about myself, Princess Momo."

He exhaled a breath of warm air as he sheathed his own sword. His hand went down to pick up her sword. It looked almost too perfect in his hands. The dark hilt of it contrasted with his pale skin and the bright metal practically matched his white hair.

"Though, I think you may be forgetting about yourself." The prince tapped the sword's blade against his other hand, testing it in some sort of way.

The princess knew he was right. She couldn't lift herself up beyond her elbows and even they were shaking. She had used more of her power than anticipated. Pulling out a bow, then a sword, then a sizable shield on a day where she chose to opt out of eating so much was a mistake on her part. Momo felt the prince's eyes on her as she struggled to rise. She plopped herself onto the ground with her knees close to her chest. The princess looked up towards the falling snow. She exhaled, creating another cloud.

"On the first day of snow in the Yaoyorozu Kingdom, we were always meant to rest." Momo sighed.

"On the first day of snow in the Todoroki Kingdom, we were always meant to work." the prince began walking towards her. He was slow, taking his time.

"You make your kingdom sound horrible."

"As long as my father is in power, then it is."

"So, you wish to take the crown by marrying me?" she chimed, giving a playful look up to him.

"I've never wished to take the crown nor did I come here with the intent of marrying you formally." he threw the sword down next to her feet.

"Then, why come here?" the princess nudged the sword away from her towards him once again.

"My father forced me here. You ask a lot of questions for someone who looked like they were about to kill me a few moments earlier." Prince Shoto frowned at her.

"I never wished to kill you. I only wished that you were a bit easier to take down so I can continue having the freedom I have." her hands and knees began to shake more.

The princess clenched her fists. She let her legs lower onto the ground. How vulnerable of a position she was in during those moments. Momo had overextended to a point where her body no longer agreed with her mind. She risked the possibility of death if she were to create another weapon. Her body wouldn't be able to handle it.

"You're shaking." he got down onto one knee next to her. His hand reached out. She pushed it away.

"You're being strangely kind to a woman you only met a few days ago."

"That's because I," he paused, taking a quick glance behind her to the dead Nomus." Have a proposal for you. Something that could benefit both of us in this situation."

"Go on."

"Marry me or," he hesitated. "let us marry to fulfill the obligations we have to our people. It does not have to be out of love or anything else of that matter. Once we are married, you may return to your home and stay there for the rest of your life. You would not have to see me again after our vows. We will be married in name only and that is it."

"The importance of marriage for royals is to have insurance on the crown. If you were to take the crown th-"

"I have already said that I have no intention of taking the crown, princess."

"Jirou!"

Bakugou's hand clutched her forearm. He yanked her out of the doorway. Her arms were wrapped around the woman's body as he slammed the door shut. Every inch of him was screaming with panic. He couldn't fight well right now. They needed to run and run quickly.

"Out the back door, let's go!" Bakugo pointed to a door leading to outside of the castle.

She started towards it with the woman's body in her arms. He stumbled after her and pulled the knife out of the woman's back. She sharply inhaled. Thank god for these fucking Yaoyorozus. The wound began closing up. He wrapped one of the woman's arms around his shoulders. The three went for the door. As Jirou's hand wrapped around the door knob, the other door was crashed in. Wooden pieces from it and dust flew into the air. Jirou turned the door knob. Bakugo immediately kicked it open.

The air outside was crisp cold. Snowflakes fell from the sky so softly that one could compare it to heaven. A courtyard that seemed lost in its own time. Bakugo felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. In the courtyard were two creatures like the one from the hall. They turned to face the three of them. All the blood drained from his face. He was unprepared to face the creatures. Jirou and the woman had healing powers, but he didn't. They were stuck, so stuck in between two major threats. His hands were sweating and teeth gritted together. We have to fight.

"Miss, can you walk now?" he turned to the maid in their arms.

"Y-Yes." she allowed herself to stand without their support.

"Good. Jirou, you okay?"

"As of right now, yeah." she scoffed.

"Remember that day in the rain?" Bakugo murmured, meeting her eyes.

"When King Mareo saved us?"

"Yeah."

"Bakugo, what are you suggesting?"

"We gotta be like King Mareo."

His hands sparked as he lifted it to the two opposing sides. Time seemed to slow when his hands ignited with their explosions towards the enemies. Jirou and the woman grasped onto each other. Their breaths created small clouds in the cold air. The creatures all stared blankly at him like dead men. The woman, someone who he could look at and only think of pain, had a frown. Life gives people many options. There's never one or two or even just three. There are many, so, so many in this world. If you could just take a moment and consider the possibilities.

"Are you surprised?"

The eldest prince crooked his head towards the messenger. Midoriya could only look toward the ground. In the time span of a few days, all he had seen were the lies and truths of the Todoroki family unfold before him. He knew that things weren't perfect for the royals from Shoto, but he never knew how extreme it went. His eyes trailed to glance at the queen.

She sat in a rocking chair with the blankest of stares. Her eyes focused on everything and nothing at the same time. Frost had a permanent home on her hands. Every now and again, she would begin muttering under her breath. He only ever caught the words, "Enji" and "Shoto".

In the courtyard, there had been creatures. Prince Dabi referred to them as Nomus, which confused Izuku since they seemed more like demons than anything else. A man who resembled the abyss created portal after portal and soon enough a man with a red scarf joined them. He argued with Prince Dabi for a few moments, before he want eventually thrown into another portal. Izuku didn't question where it went.

"Yes." was the only reply he could muster up.

"You're so young, Midoriya. There is still much you have to learn." the prince turned to the abyss man. "Kurogiri, I think it's time."

"Where to, my king?"

"I don't think he should see Shoto just yet. The castle, maybe?"

"As you wish."

A dark portal formed in front of Midoriya. It had the strangest of contents in it with swirling smoke and unfamiliar images appearing before him.

"Say hello to my brother for me."

He was pushed into the portal.

A green blur appeared from the direction of the hall. It had lightning surrounding it, making Bakugo's hair frizz up at the feeling. The blur dashed straight into the dark creature next to the woman. As time slowed, Bakugo saw what the blur truly was. A man, no much older or younger than himself, had his fist square into the creature's beak. It dislocated, flying off of the creature's front body and snapped to the side. The man was sure, firm, and someone Bakugo did not recognize at all.

A/N:It's been a struggle to write lately. I just want things to work out story wise and I feel like I have a TON to learn until I'm happy with my writing.

I'm really excited for this next story arc to begin. I just want to wrap things up with the duel and have the mini arc commence. I think you all will like it because it's a lot of fluff.

This story was meant to be one where I'm happy creating it and I am, but updates are going to be slower due to school starting back up and just me trying to figure out writing. I'm working on a lot of short stories right now. One's about Dabi and Toga, another's a multiship story. It'll be fun once they're out. Btw, I will be going back and editing past chapters. I'll update you all on the changes in next chapter's end notes.