It was honestly seen as a blessing among the captives that Stain never entered the two large rooms they used for bedrooms: some strange respect of privacy, they supposed. Over 1 and a half months Izuku, Shoto, Iida, and even Shinso and Dabi slowly learned about the other captives present. They didn't dare move any faster. The last thing anyone wanted was for the Hunter to catch wind that they were making plans.
As the five slowly got to know the others, some notable finds were made.
Toga, the strange girl Izuku found under the piano, was definately not to be trusted. All she ever did was talk about Akaguro. Whenever the five were trying to reach people in the second room (where she slept) they avoided her like a plauge, waited for her to leave, or on occasion distracted her with something or someone outside her room; poor Izu.
Many of the kids in both rooms were sickly and lethargic, continually worn down by repeated charming. Some were so weak they could barely feed themselves. Shoto was pleasantly surprised to learn that more people than he had estimated could fight. A couple present had been petty thieves, nicking purses to survive in the poorer and more barren places of Yuuei, and they knew their way around small knives. A couple more, children of hunters and forest men, knew how to use a short bow.
Two in particular stood out. They were originally from the League of Independant Cities, having travelled through the Midland Forests, and moving into the outskirts of Yuuei. Time and magic in the Forest had changed the half brothers and those who had traveled with them. But those two understood the Forest better than even Shinso. One had an enlarged bird head for his own head: a strange dark spirit chained to his stomach fiddled idly with items strewn on the floor. Together they were called Tokoyami and Dark Shadow.
The other looked far more human in appearance, though still distinctly alien: he had a flat and broad nose, a too-wide smile, sunken features, a thin body but powerful looking legs, exceptionally wide eyes that were missing pupils, and feathery black hair that stood straight up. The magic of the Midland Forests erased much of his memory, including his name. In turn, the Forest had given him a new name: Ostrich. He didn't remember his life before the Forest, but he could never forget his harrowing year in it depths.
"The Forest is dark, and cannot be appealed to," Tokoyami explained, Ostrich by his side, both sitting cross-legged before Izuku and Shoto. "It is impersonal and does not care for your cries or sorrows."
Ostrich nodded vigorously. "It took Toko's mother from him and gave him a Shadow Spirit in turn. It made me forget who I was and gave me a new identity. If you lose your way... well. We're lucky we got out at all." The boy was a ditzy sort, almost always smiling like a fool and gesturing with no meaning. Dark Shadow nuzzled him upon being mentioned: Ostrich scratched the Shadow without thinking. "The Forest is always moving, and it seems as if you take your eyes off of your target you end up in the other side of the Forest entirely."
"Then how do you navigate?" Izuku was keeping perfect track of everything that was being said in a series of mental notes. He'd never heard of anything like this about the Forest: judging by the looks on his friends faces, neither had they. "How do you move through a place that tricks you?"
Tokoyami stayed silent as his excitable half-brother took up the explanation. "You can't sleep. We learned that the hard way."
Dabi frowned. "The Forest is massive. How in the world do you get through it without sleep?"
"Taking turns! You have to travel in turns, and preferably with a mount to ride if you really wish to travel quickly: one sleeps, the other moves with the mount, then they switch. Toko and I didn't have a mount, but we also weren't usually being chased for our lives." That painted a bleak picture. There was no doubt if they sent someone out to alert the Kingdom that Stain would hunt them down. The kids fell silent.
Shoto was the first to speak. "We have to send two out then." There was no debate left as to what the only course of action could be. He spoke over the interjections and comments of his peers. "We can't fight, and there certainly isn't any postal service here." He looked Tokoyami and Ostrich in the eyes. "Two have to go."
Tokoyami leapt to his feet, Dark Shadow leaping to the defensive at his wielder's panic. "I will not enter those cursed trees, defenseless and weak, ever again; not if my life depends upon it. That place will kill me! It will kill us all!" His usually flowery and mysterious language dissapeared under true panic.
Silence fell like a weighted blanked at his words. His eyes were wide and panicked, Dark Shadow puffing up and hissing in defense of his master. Shoto tried to calm the bird-headed boy, but Tokoyami kept retaliating with more cries that he wouldn't go.
Ostrich sighed. "I knew this would happen." The long and thin boy clambered to his feet to stand by his brother. The others followed suit. Ostrich looked resigned to some strange fate. "In this case, I'll need a partner to run with me."
"No!" Tokoyami rounded on his brother, even more panicked than before. "You cannot be serious Ost! That place is evil! It will destroy you and whichever poor soul who is foolish enough to venture with you!"
The other boy smiled, but it looked stretched. "I don't believe that. Back before the Forest, the League of Independant Cities, that was evil. The Midland Forest is not that. Besides, I know the stars and the four directions and I know how to navigate and survive the Forest better than anyone! I have to go. I know you can't, but I have to."
Tokoyami looked like he wanted to say something, to argue and convince his dear half-brother that this voyage was not necessary; but he couldn't. Tokoyami slumped against the wall, defeated. Ostrich hugged his brother, whispering comforts.
No one dared to speak, lest they break the spell of affection. Silence reigned for a few minutes.
Izuku wondered if he and Eri would have ever gotten this close. Was Shoto this close to his siblings? Dabi looked pained at the sight of brotherly affection, as if it reminded him of some heartbreak.
"I'll run with you." It was Iida who spoke. He stepped forward, determination set in his eyes. "I cannot stay here and be useless. I must do some good for everyone here at some point. I am the second fastest of the Knightly Program. I will run with you."
And so it was decided.
They didn't leave that night. They waited another week to make plans, prepare the minimal amount of food and provisions, and to wait for Akaguro to leave for produce in the Cities. An hour after Akaguro left, when night had fallen, the two brave boys were whisked out of that cursed camp: the goodbyes were hasty. Both Ost and Iida were extreme runners, Ost through magical mutation and Iida through hard training and diligence.
Iida was glad that he was finally being of value to the trapped people in the camp: he'd been stuck in its walls for over six months. He knew his departure signalled new hope for them all.
Ostrich was less overjoyed. He was leaving his only family behind. His only trust that his half-brother would be safe was the promises of the captives and Dark Shadow: the little Shadow had cried upon seeing Ost leave, sprinting beyond normal human capability.
Izuku shuddered and turned away as he could no longer hear their footsteps. "Let's go inside. There's nothing else we can do for them now." The others nodded. They all silently said a prayer that the two would make it safely to Yuuei, then trotted inside out of the evening cold.
Someone else slunk out of the bushes: someone uninvited to the sending off.
To occupy his time until Akaguro eventually found out, Izuku headed to the piano room. Over the three months total he had been here, Izuku had fixed up the instrument and had even fashioned a pair of gloves for him to wear while playing. It was nothing like his grand piano back home, but it worked and carried his tune. The instrument was situated within the camp so that its song could be heard without the whole of its interior. Izuku's playing had become a small moral boost. He had memorized his piece, but still found that road block in place no matter how many different variations or possible endings he tried. His mother said it was like a story.
Izuku sighed, cut off his playing, and rested his forehead in his palms.
If this was a story, than it was clearly his own story. He could see the unintended parallel between the emotion and movement of the song and his own life. "But who would want a story like this? One where a boy with everything was too much of a fool and lost it all?"
Izuku missed his home. He hadn't even known someone could miss something and someone so much it hurt so badly. He could imagine Kai going into lecture mode at him.
"You started something boy. You need to finish it, one way or another."
Izuku internally closed his eyes, imagined taking a deep breath, and set his hands over the keys. He let himself move on instinct, like as he had in beginng the song. His finger fell on a key, holding out the note: then another; and then yet another. The song fell from a glory of security to a tumble of trouble and fear, carrying on and on, increasing in tension and spurring Izuku's heart. He poured his worry for his friends into the song: he poured his fear for Iida and Ostrich in: he poured his hatred of his idiocy in: he poured his longing for home in: the entirety of Izuku's frustrations, fears and longings were wholeheartedly dumped into this section of his music. The music flowed and grew under his fingers. He mapped out each note in his head, committing the new tune to memory.
As expected though, as he finished this new chapter in his song, Izuku hit yet another roadblock. This time however, instead of feeling frustrated that he couldn't progress, Izuku was proud of himself. He'd simply have to wait for the next chapter to finish his song.
"That's really pretty."
Izuku screeched. He whipped around on the piano bench.
Toga was practically hugging the doorframe with her entire body: as usual, she had a less than desirable amount of clothing on (technically still modest, but Izuku didn't look any further down than her chin.)
"Oh, Himiko. Didn't know you were there..." his voice trailed off awkwardly. He most certainly did not like Himko Toga, no sir. He did not like how she smiled at him or watched his every move with her cat-like eyes. Plus there was the whole modesty issue.
She smiled wider at him. "You play so pretty... can I hear the whole thing?"
"Well," he rubbed his arm. "It's technically not finished, but I guess-" She leapt to his side as soon as he even began to hint he would replay the song. His gears clicked and groaned in annoyance as the girl pressed into his side, limiting his movements. "H-hey! I need that arm to play!" He tried to shake her off, but Himiko wouldn't move. "I won't play like this."
That threat removed her, but she was pouting and moving at a snail's pace. Izuku almost felt bad. Almost.
With a sigh, he positioned himself, and started from the beginning. Toga was frozen in place by the music, not bothering Izuku again until he reached the end of his progress.
"There. Happy now?"
"Again!"
Izuku gaped at her (or, as well as he could gape for someone with a small vertical rectangle for a mouth.) "A G A I N???" He stood up, hands in the air. "Nope. No, I am not playing again. It's late, I am tired, and I need sleep."
Toga leapt to her feet as well. She grabbed one of Izuku's wrists in both of her hands, making the boy yell in surprise. Her smile looked far more predatorial than he had ever seen. "Please, Izuku?" Her voice was soft, ringing in his head.
He whipped his hand out of her grasp like she burned. He pointed a trembling finger in her face. "No." Turning on his heel, Izuku stormed off.
He knew he shouldn't have reacted that way to Toga: she was a prisoner here, just like the rest of them; but she was insistent and bratty, and constantly setting him on edge like a rabbit set on edge by the gaze of a hound.
Izuku tried to calm himself. Things were finally starting to look hopeful for them: Iida and Ostrich would get to Yuuei, deliver the letter with Shoto's personal signature, and get the all the knights of every order to rush to their salvation. And then everyone could go to the kingdom's finest healers and be cured of extended exposure and control of a charmer. Izuku could revel in his mother's and father's love deep in the seclusion of the Eighth Mansion. Shoto could romance and wed Momo, eventually ascending as King of Yuuei. Tokoyami would be reunited with his brother. Iida would be a respected hero. Everyone else would be returned safe and sound to their family.
Everything was coming together.
Or...
Not...
Izuku felt pure icy fear shoot through his body as he drew closer to his sleeping quarters.
This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not so soon.
Akaguro was back early.
And he
Was
Livid.
A/N
DUN NA NA!
*Doofenshmirtz voice* EVIL
Sorry I'm cutting it here. The cliffie is too tempting, and I have a few things to discuss.
One, I have an actual bio on this website now, so (if you are so inclined) go check that out and see which stories I am putting any actual effort into and focusing on.
Two, though I am loathe to say this, Redeemed is most likely not going anywhere fro a while. I don't really know why I am having such trouble writing Redeemed, but for the life of me it will not come. So it shall continue teetering on a cliffhanger for an indefinite amount of time. I feel awful about that, but that is just how it is.
Three, another story is taking Redeemed's place! It's technically a really old story of mine that effectively died (like Redeemed has) that I have always wanted to revive! I tried revamping the chapters to suit my new standards and it's as if the story began writing itself. So, I figure, officially take a break from Redeemed, and write some in 'His Only Beliver'.
I can't rightly promise that Redeemed will ever be brought back to life, as I'm bad with promises, but I will try my very best to at some point revive it, and keep trying until I succeed.
With that outta the way, comments!
Once again just bp but that's fine with me, cause whoo boi this is a biggie. First, I wasn't sure what you meant by fixing paragraph 11, so I pretty much just rewrote the whole paragraph. Hope that fixed it. Second, (I should clarify,) Kai doesn't necessarily have a low view of All Might and the succession: he was just trying to teach Izuku about 10 years worth of education he should have gotten, all in one year, and so he skipped out on some things "less important to your studies." Lastly, I'm only saying one thing about the fight: I will certainly try to make it as amazing as you're building it up to be.
Now I do belive that is all! So long Lovies!
