Only 5 Chapters left! Sorry to leave you on such a cliffhanger last time

Chapter 37

The sight of Deku's sudden and overwhelming power shocked Bakugou. He knew that the Chief possessed strange magic, but he never could have imagined the boy could do something like this. It was like the very earth, the elements, were bending to his will. The strange markings that covered the boy's skin, like ethereal tattoos, almost seemed to glow with an otherworldly magic. Deku had become the very embodiment of magic, the power of his gods. But what shocked him even more was when Deku plunged the dagger into All For One's chest. Chief Deku had always been gentle, a pacifist. Bakugou never imagined he had it in him to take another life. It was terrifying. When Deku suddenly started writhing on the ground, screaming in agony, all other thoughts and concerns melted away. He was at Deku's side in an instant. He gently pulled the boy close, cradling his head. The Chief convulsed, coughing up more blood.

"Deku?" Seeing so much blood coming from the boy brought back fresh memories of the night he had almost died. What was happening? "Deku! Hey, what's going on?"

"K-Kacchan," Deku gasped. He clutched at the tattered red cape the King wore. "Take me…Recovery Girl…."

"Okay. Okay, hold on." He tried not to panic.

Taking Deku's wrist, he pulled his arm over his shoulder. Bakugou could feel Deku's body trembling as he pulled him onto his back. Holding onto the Chief's legs, he rushed back the way he had come, back to where the rest of the villagers were waiting. Carrying Deku on his back slowed him down. He should have taken one of the red elk or even Seccal, but he had left the dragon behind to help subdue the other villains. He could feel the blood dripping down his back each time Deku coughed up more blood. Finally the camp came into view.

"Hey! Which one of you is Recovery Girl?" Bakugou shouted.

An elderly woman, who was treating another of the wounded stood. "I am called Recovery Girl."

"Deku needs help," he said urgently.

"Shoji!" Recovery Girl called to one of the other men. "Help me with Chief Deku!"

One of the other tribesmen, a tall and muscular man wearing a mask, approached him. He helped lift Chief Deku and together they laid him down carefully. Deku was clutching at his chest, his eyes screwed shut. It looked like he was in intense pain. His hands were covered in blood. Recovery Girl knelt beside the Chief and pressed her palm to his forehead. The color drained from her face. She looked up at Shoji.

"Quickly, we must get him back to my tent in the village!" she said. "I don't have the necessary supplies here."

Secondary limbs sprouted from Shoji's muscular arms and he easily scooped up the Chief. As the two rushed off toward the village, Bakugou started after them. But a hand grabbed his arm. The King rounded on the one who had stopped him. It was Shinso.

"Recovery Girl will take care of him," Shinso said. "We could use your help here."

"But Deku is—"

"Trust in our healer. He will be just fine."

Bakugou yanked his arm free. Though he wanted to follow after them, he knew Shinso was right. Deku would want him to remain here and help his village. And that was exactly what he would do.

V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V

Shoji gently laid Deku down on the sickbed in Recovery Girl's healing tent. She rummaged through her baskets of herbs. He needed medicine, and quickly. When she had mixed together the elixir for him, she had feared this outcome. The power of the gods was too much for any mortal to handle, even the First Chief. The Stellanium, which held the accumulation of the earth's energy and was the culmination of magic, though powerful, was a double-edged sword. It granted unimaginable power but could destroy the user in the process. And if ground into an elixir and ingested, as Chief Deku had done, it was poison. When she had touched his forehead, she could feel the magic pulsing through the boy, eating away at him. It was killing him. The Stellanium was a poison that the waves of powerful magic had kept at bay, but now that it was no longer in use, had come surging back in torrents.

There was no antidote to counteract the effects of the Stellanium, but she could brew a medicine to help ease his suffering. She quickly ground together the herbs and mixed it with cold water. Deku was gasping through the pain, unable to breathe. She could see the agony on his face. Recovery Girl couldn't imagine what he must be feeling, to have his body being ripped apart from the inside.

"Lift his head," she commanded.

Shoji did as he was told, propping the Chief's upper body against him and lifting his head. Recovery Girl raised the wooden bowl to Deku's lips and tipped the medicine into his mouth. Deku coughed, choking on the bitter liquid.

"Swallow," she said.

She held his mouth closed. Everything in him screamed against it. It wanted to reject the medicine. But he forced it down, coughing as it slid down his throat. For a while nothing changed. All he felt was the agonizing pain. But slowly it began to recede. He felt dizzy and his head felt like it was being crushed. He lay there, panting, utterly exhausted.

"Thank the gods." Recovery Girl sighed, relieved.

Now that the pain had begun to recede, Deku was able to focus on his surroundings. He turned to Recovery Girl. "What's happening to me?"

She rested one hand on his forehead and the other hovered over his chest. She closed her eyes, feeling his energy. "The power you consumed is rampaging," she said. "I can feel it swirling about inside you. Your body won't be able to handle it for very long."

As she was explaining her findings, Shinso ducked through the entrance. "How is Chief Deku?"

"Better, for now."

Deku sat up slowly. "The others! Are they alright?"

"No one was killed," Shinso said, sitting beside the bed. "Many of our warriors were seriously injured, but our casualties were few. We have the Dragon King to thank for that."

Chief Deku heaved a sigh of relief.

"Shoji," Recovery Girl said. "Will you give us a moment?"

He nodded and stood. "I will go help the others tend to the wounded."

Once had had gone, Recovery Girl turned to Shinso and Deku. "I fear the Stellanium will be more disastrous upon your body than I anticipated."

"What are you talking about?" Shinso asked.

"I had Recovery Girl brew the same elixir the First Chief had consumed—made of Stellanium. To protect the village," Deku said.

"Isn't that incredibly dangerous?"

"More than I could have imagined," Recovery Girl said. "Chief Deku, those crystals are incredibly powerful. I can feel their magic flowing in you, like poison."

Deku had been prepared for the consequences, had braced himself for the worst. But the news was still a heavy blow. Shinso's mouth hung agape as if he wanted to speak, but the words simply wouldn't come.

"Is he dying?" he finally asked.

"It's hard to say what the long-term results on his body would be. There's no way to know for sure."

"Can't you do something?" Deku asked.

"I can brew a medicine that will help ease the pain and stave off its affects."

Chief Deku nodded. "I supposed that's our best option. Speak of this to no one. I don't want to needlessly spread panic before we know for sure."

"Apart from this company, only the Council will know," Recovery Girl agreed.

"What about King Bakugou?" Shinso asked. "He's important to you, isn't he? Don't you want him to know what happened?"

"Please, don't tell him," Deku begged. "I don't want things to change between us. I…I don't want him to treat me any differently."

Recovery Girl tended to the knife wound in his side before gently lifting the Chief's right arm. When he had first used the crystals to stop the wildfire, the power had ripped through it. Deku winced, the slightest touch bringing excruciating pain. She carefully rolled up the sleeve, bruises were already forming on the skin from his shoulder to his elbow. Patches of dark purple and yellow bruising marred his skin, like the bones had been broken, but she could not feel any fractures. The coloration only seemed to darken, turning an almost black color.

"Chief Deku, squeeze my hand."

Deku did as instructed, but for some reason, he couldn't get a good grip on her hand. Recovery Girl gently applied pressure to his hand and arm in several different places. It seemed as though everything below his elbow was numb.

"I'm afraid you may have permanent damage in your arm."

"I'll never get the feeling back?" He tried clenching his fist, but he couldn't entirely feel it.

"Some of it might, but I don't think it will ever return to what it was. Several of the nerves were severed."

"It would be best if you rest for now," Shinso said. "I'll go back and help the others."

Deku pulled back the blankets and shakily rose. Recovery Girl tried to get him to lie back down, but he refused.

"I can't simply lie here," Deku said. "My people need me."

Shinso sighed. He knew how stubborn Deku could be. Even faced with the such unpleasant news, he was putting others before himself. He was selfless to a fault. It was one of the reasons he was so beloved by the village. It was one of his greatest assets but also one of his greatest weaknesses.

V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V

When Bakugou spotted Deku, he was shocked by the complete change. The overwhelming magic presence around him had dissipated. He was helping others who were wounded in the battle. It frustrated Bakugou, knowing the Chief was injured, yet was ignoring his own pain to aid others. He wished the boy would worry about himself for once. Deku's skin was pale. The King marched toward him. Deku looked up when he approached.

"Kacchan." A relieved smile spread across his face. "Thank you for your help—"

He snatched Deku by the arms. Deku winced. His wounds were still fresh and throbbed when Bakugou touched them. Noticing the splotch of red on Deku's tunic, Bakugou lifted the hem. Deku's cheeks flushed and he quickly tried to hide the injury All For One had inflicted. The knife wound was deep, but Recovery Girl had already tended to it.

"I knew it," Bakugou said. "You should be taking care of yourself before you worry about other people."

"I'll be fine." He tugged the shirt down, hiding the bandages. "My injuries are nothing compared to everyone else."

"Chief Deku!" Uraraka ran toward him. But when she saw Bakugou, she hesitated. It was the first time she had seen the Dragon King face to face.

"It's okay," Deku said. "What is it?"

"A group of outsiders are approaching," she reported. "A man with a scar over his left eye and a knight."

"Prince Todoroki," Bakugou grumbled.

"Shall we chase them away?" she asked.

"No." Deku stood straighter. "Let them come."

She nodded, glancing hesitantly at the Dragon King. Deku started toward one of the other huts, a large, sturdy longhouse. Bakugou followed close behind. But as he walked through the village, he could feel the uneasy eyes watching him. Deku approached a group of men who were gathered close to the longhouse and spoke to them briefly. One of the men, who looked more like a mouse, turned to look at Bakugou. The white mouse-like creature approached him and inclined his head respectfully.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. My name is Nezu, one of the village Elders." Nezu smiled. "Chief Deku has told us about your brave actions for the sake of our village. And for that we would like to express our deepest gratitude."

It was weird hearing the creature speak. He wasn't even sure Nezu was a person. He nodded absently. "You're welcome, I guess."

"Kacchan." Bakugou looked up at the sound of Deku's voice. "I have some things I need to take care of. But when this is all over—"

Bakugou covered Deku's mouth cutting him off. "I'll be right here waiting for you." He caressed the boy's cheek and kissed his forehead.

Deku smiled. "Thank you."

The King watched Deku and the other Elders disappear into the longhouse. He would be glad when all this chaos was over.

V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V

When Prince Todoroki ducked through the longhouse entrance, Deku and the other Elders were waiting for him. Recovery Girl had treated Deku's wounds and he was now dressed in his formal Chieftain robes and headdress. He and the Elders had discussed the future of their tribe and the village's current situation. After everything that had happened—All For One's plot and the conspiracy to bring the kingdoms down—it was obvious that the world was changing. If it hadn't been for Deku and King Bakugou's connection, the outcome would have been drastically different. It was possible none of them would even be here. All For One could have easily achieved his goal. Deku had been pushing to expand their horizons, defying the council and secretly meeting with the Dragon King. It was because of their relationship that the village had survived relatively unscathed. And they had agreed to begin opening up to outsiders.

Todoroki glanced around at the faces looking up at him. Iida was right behind him, the light from the fire in the center of the lodge glinting off his armor. Todoroki sat down on the empty mat closest to the entrance.

"Welcome, Prince Todoroki," Deku said.

"I heard the stories ever since I was young, but I never imagined there was actually a village in this forest," Todoroki admitted. "How have you gone undetected for so many years?"

"An ancient power that has been passed down from Chief to Chief for generations," Deku said.

"You look just like the intruder who stole from our armory and attacked my father."

"Kacchan told me there was a shapeshifter among the villains who were working for All For One," Deku said. "But rest assured, that person was not me."

"Prince Todoroki," Nezu said. "What brings you to our village?"

"I wanted to thank Chief Deku for his assistance and for apprehending my older brother."

"You truly saved us," Iida said, inclining his head respectfully.

"I just wanted to prevent needless bloodshed," Deku admitted, embarrassed. "But I wasn't able to stop it in time. There were still many who lost their lives."

"Why do you concern yourself with the lives of people outside your own village?" Iida asked.

"If I can save others, what would it matter if they were one of my own tribesmen or not?"

Prince Todoroki chuckled. "You're not at all what I expected."

Deku frowned, confused. "What were you expecting?"

"Something more like Bakugou, I guess. Since you two are friends, I thought you might be similar."

"My apologies, Prince Todoroki," Elder Cementoss spoke up. "But to have come all the way from Kasai, you must have some other reason for visiting our humble village other than to express gratitude."

"It's true. I had hoped we might be able to form trade relations, as you have done with Diragonia."

"I am afraid that I cannot relinquish any more of our forest to outsiders," Deku said. "Our gods are connected to this land, and it would only bring misfortune if I were to take more than what was given. Ours is a symbiotic existence, only taking what is necessary and giving back to mother earth when we can. It would be best to pursue your trade with Kacchan, not me."

"Is there really no way you would change your mind?" Iida asked.

"We will offer help when it is needed, but we cannot give more."

Todoroki sighed. "What a waste."

"But we will offer help if you are ever in need of it," Chief Deku said. "We have kept ourselves isolated for far too long. It's about time we opened up more to the outside world."

"Please feel free to rely on us as well, should you ever need assistance," Prince Todoroki said.

"Thank you very much. We greatly appreciate your kindness," Recovery Girl said.

Now that they were slowly opening up to outsiders, it would make it easier for him to meet with Kacchan. After everything that had happened, he would be welcome in the village. But that also meant it would be harder to be alone with him. He had been taking for granted the time they had spent together. And now there was no telling how long that would last. His chest tightened, a sudden pain from the Stellanium coursing though his body. Even if Recovery Girl continued to brew medicine for him to stave off the Stellanium's effects, to could not prevent the inevitable. He couldn't afford to waste his time frivolously. He would have to treasure the time they spent together, for as long as he was able.

Remember to leave a review and check back on Friday for Chapter 38!