A Tale of Two Heroes
I hope you guys enjoy! So many special guests this chapter. Haha But the next chapter is when the real fun finally starts.
Chapter 4 – The Village of the Forgotten
The next day passed by quickly. As they walked, the forest became more than just an unbroken sea of foliage. They moved through what appeared to be the ruins of an ancient, overgrown city.
Where dozens of impossibly tall buildings had once stood, there were only skeleton remains of steel that had worn down or collapsed over time. There was no telling how high they had stretched toward the sky in their prime. Not a single one remained intact.
Some unknown disaster had clearly occurred in Musutafu countless cycles ago. There were too many signs of trauma etched into the earth, too much haphazard wreckage strewn across the land, but no one knew the truth. The people who were alive during that time were all mysteriously extinct.
"This is fascinating," Izuku murmured to himself, studying one of the many strange metal poles that seemed to grow from the earth itself. It was pointing in the same direction as all the others, bent sideways as if a powerful force had blown over the strong steel.
Izuku had no idea what the poles were for, but that was to be expected. The forgotten civilization had been much more technologically advanced than the Kingdom of Musutafu, and not much was known about them. Many modern luxuries like indoor plumbing, and even Tenya's glasses, wouldn't have existed without the influence of information gleaned from ancient writings and pictures.
Izuku wondered what had destroyed the people with such a rich culture. He doubted he would ever know.
He would have loved to stay and study the area more, but they needed to keep a steady pace if they planned on reaching Aldera by sunset. Tenya and Ochako were already strides ahead of him as usual.
He looked around and saw that Shouto was still standing next to him, lagging behind as well. Then, with horror, he realized what the prince was doing. Shouto's hand was outstretched, reaching curiously toward a perfect circle of mushrooms peeking out from the cracks in the crushed remnants of concrete.
"No, Prince Shouto! You mustn't touch that!" Izuku cried.
"But I'm hungry," Shouto complained. Izuku very hurriedly grabbed his hand to keep him away from the faerie ring.
Shouto stared at their clasped hands.
"No wonder this place is still deserted," Izuku continued, too distracted by his own chatter to notice that he was still holding his prince's hand tightly. "It looks like it belongs to the fae folk now."
Shouto pulled away. "… how can you tell?"
Luckily, the question was enough to distract Izuku. It launched him into a long lecture about the fae that had him regurgitating facts until well after the sun had begun its descent in the sky.
As they walked, they avoided disturbing the area around them. Soon enough, the ruins were gone, and the sea of empty grass returned. They wouldn't reach any kind of civilization until after dark. At least, that's what they thought.
Then, they all came to a sudden stop. Just over the horizon, a village came into view, nestled amongst the trees of the forest. Unlike the ruins they saw that morning, the settlement appeared to be modern. There were a dozen timber-framed thatched cottages, some even with smoke wafting from their chimneys.
"Wow, did we… arrive at Aldera already? Ochako asked uncertainly.
"No, of course not. We're still in the forest. No one should be living out here," Tenya insisted. He pulled out a map from his pouch strapped to Touya and pored over it. He looked for some kind of sign that they had wandered away from their planned trajectory, but there was no mistaking it. They seemed to be in a village that was unmarked on the map.
Shouto pulled up both his hood and face mask to avoid being recognized. Ochako shrunk her wand and put it back in her pocket to avoid drawing attention. They all cautiously followed the beginnings of an uneven cobblestone path into the main square.
The market was even smaller than the one in Chikamori. In the heart of it all, there only stood a single well. Only a couple stalls and carts lined the square, casks of goods stacked high behind them, but most of the surrounding buildings appeared to be residential. There didn't even seem to be an inn available for them to rest at for the night.
The few people who walked past them all stared or looked uneasy as they approached. Izuku smiled at them politely, but every one of the strangers looked away quickly or pretended that he didn't exist.
Despite the less than warm welcome, Izuku was happy to see people again. He doubted that they received many visitors in the Beast's Forest. They were probably wary of outsiders.
"They're everywhere," Tenya hissed under his breath. "Are these the people the king has been warning us about?"
Izuku frowned, confused, and looked around again. Then, he realized, with a start, that there was something different about almost every person he saw. Most of the time, it was subtle, but then he saw a villager with blue skin and shoulder-length blue hair. She froze when she saw them and quickly walked in the other direction.
Another person had large, red-feathered wings. His dapper black clothes, with ruffled white sleeves underneath his long, expensive coat, seemed out of place in such remote surroundings.
There was even a person who appeared to have the head of a beagle. His tongue lolled out of his mouth endearingly, but he walked briskly as if he was going somewhere very important.
"We should ask about the demons we're looking for," Shouto said, unphased by his surroundings.
Hooves clacked noisily against the stone below, heading toward them but sounding much different than Touya's heavy footsteps. Izuku instinctively moved to step out of its path as the figure slowly came into view, but instead of the long face of a horse that Izuku had expected, the creature had a pointy beak. Instead of a wild mane, feathers stood on end, covering the creature's body and puffing upward into a fluffy tail. Once believed to be hooves, Izuku clearly saw that the legs that stomped into the ground actually had talons. The giant bird was midnight black all over its body except for its yellow eyes, and the only thing about it that resembled a horse was its size.
Even more strange was the man who sat atop it on a saddle. He looked utterly human except for the fact that he had a similar raven-like head with black feathers, though his beak was yellow and his eyes were intelligent. He climbed off of his mount, leading it by the reins to a hitching post nearby.
Ochako inched toward him. "Excuse me, sir," she called out in her friendliest voice. "We are unfamiliar with the area. We were hoping you could tell us if you've heard about any demons that live around here."
The man glanced sideways at her, unphased by her presence. "I don't know anything about demons," he said.
"Too bad." Ochako sighed. She paused before finally working up the courage to say what she wanted to ask next. "That's a nice bird you have there. What's their name?"
"Dark Shadow," the man replied.
"He's amazing," Izuku breathed out in awe, also stepping forward. "I've never read about any kind of bird like this."
The man touched foreheads with the creature. "He is not just a bird; he is a part of me."
"May I pet him?" Ochako asked, barely able to contain herself as Dark Shadow stretched his fluffy wings in a majestic display.
The man thought for a moment. "You may... if he allows it," he agreed finally. "The sun is beginning to set. He is unpredictable in the dark."
Ochako reached out a steady hand and lowered it onto the soft plumage on the creature's head. Dark Shadow gave a small coo of contentment and leaned into her touch.
"Impressive," the man said, finally looking at them all with approval. "Dark Shadow seems to like you."
"If you do not know about demons," Tenya interrupted, determined to stay on task, "do you know who might have such information around here?"
The man looked Tenya up and down, taking in his knight's garb. He glanced at Shouto, who stood behind the others, suspiciously silent. Then, the man turned and motioned toward the only two-story building in the village. It read 'The Tadpole Watering Hole' over its door. "Many people like to gather at that tavern at night. You may be able to find knowledgeable people there."
"Thank you, sir," Izuku said as he reached to scratch under Dark Shadow's chin.
"A word of warning, however. They will likely not take kindly to a knight," the stranger said. "Ask for a man named Kaminari. Tell him that Tokoyami sent you if need be."
"Thank you very much, Tokoyami, for all your help," Ochako said, bowing.
Tokoyami nodded once, then with a showy flip of his dark cape, he disappeared into the abyss of an alleyway. Dark Shadow remained tied to the hitching post, obediently waiting for his master to return. Tenya tied Touya's reigns to the post next to him. Ochako gave Dark Shadow a final pat to his head before saying goodbye.
Then, the travelers crossed the square, and Izuku pulled open the door to the tavern. Dimly lit with candlelight, the small space was filled with laughter and movement. Just as before, they were met with curious glances.
A girl wearing a barmaid's dress with a flowery green apron came to greet them. Her black hair was tied into a bow at the end, and her long, frog-like tongue hung out the side of her mouth. She stared at them with round, perceptive eyes and chuckled. "It's not polite to stare."
Ochako blushed crimson. "I'm so- I'm sorry!" she said quickly, stumbling over words in her embarrassment. "I didn't mean anything by it!"
She knew that she shouldn't judge others based on their appearance. According to the king, she qualified as a 'monster' as well because of her magic.
Izuku and Tenya also looked away, ashamed. Shouto shifted and pulled his hood further over his head.
"You guys aren't from around here," Tsuyu commented. "My family owns the tavern. My name is Asui Tsuyu, but my friends call me Tsu. How may I help you?"
"Hello, Asui," Tenya said politely. "We're-"
"Call me Tsu," she insisted.
"Oh, uh, yes… Miss Tsu. We're looking for someone named Kaminari," Tenya attempted again.
Tsuyu pointed over to a table with four people sitting around it. "You mean Denki? He's the blonde one with the feather in his hat," she said.
"Did you say my name, Tsuyu?" the man giggled from across the room, a big, dopey grin spread across his red face. He held up a shot of sake and downed it all in one gulp, letting out a cry of satisfaction afterward. A man with black hair sitting next to him cheered.
Tsuyu led the travelers over to Denki's table. "It's Tsu," she said again calmly. "These people are asking for you."
Kaminari perked up with surprise. "Visitors? For me?" He looked at them with exaggerated suspicion. "How'd you know to find me here? I don't owe you money or anything, do I?"
"Certainly not," Tenya huffed humorlessly. "We met a man named Tokoyami that said you might be able to help us."
"Ohhhh, Fumikage sent ya?" Denki asked, slurring his words a little. "In that case, you must be good people. Anyone who can stand that moody bitch is fine with me. Sit down and join us! For a second there, I thought you were a knight or something."
"I am a-" Tenya started, frowning.
"Pull up an extra table and some chairs!" Denki shouted. "Everyone, make room for Fumikage's friends! They're good people!"
The room around them seemed to relax. The suspicious glances that strangers had turned their way finally subsided.
Tenya looked taken aback as a chair was forced upon him. Ochako and Izuku looked at each other and chuckled, each taking another chair. Shouto stayed quiet and followed suit.
"Want me to deal you guys in?" the black-haired man asked, motioning to the card game spread across the table. "We have another deck somewhere. It could make things more interesting."
"Yes!" Ochako exclaimed immediately, eyes gleaming.
"Uh, no thanks," Tenya contradicted stiffly. "We're really only here for-"
"Tsuyu, would you get us an extra deck," Denki interrupted with a wide grin, "and another round of sake?"
Tenya opened his mouth to protest again.
"Actually," Izuku said, beaming at the frog girl warmly. "Do you have any food? We've been traveling for a long time, and it's been a while since we've eaten."
As if in answer, Shouto's stomach growled. "I second that notion," he said. Izuku glanced at him and grinned.
Tsuyu nodded. "I'll go get you some menus."
As soon as she left, the black-haired man called out, "I'm Sero Hanta, by the way!"
"Ojiro Mashirao," said a calm, blonde-haired man wearing a mask and headband. Izuku realized with astonishment that he had a large tail.
"Shouji Mezo," said the strangest looking person they'd seen yet. His face was also covered with a mask, but he had six arms, some with extra ears or eyes grown into the ends of them. Ochako fought the urge to scream.
"And I'm Hagakure Toru!" yelled an empty chair. Izuku blinked and looked around for the girl who said it. He must have overheard someone from another table.
Tenya was hesitant to speak, knowing that his prince would be forced to say something if they all introduced themselves as well.
Unexpectedly, however, Shouto spoke up immediately. "Aizawa Shouta." Somehow the name of his teacher was the only one that he could think of at the moment. "These are my friends, Uraraka Ochako, Midoriya Izuku, and Sir Iida Tenya."
"You must be warm in all that, Aizawa," said Hanta, leaning back in his chair. "Take your cloak off. Have some sake."
"I'd rather keep it on," Shouto said, looking down at the table. "I don't like the way people look at me without it..."
Izuku frowned, wondering how truthful the prince's words were.
Shouto looked up, expecting judgment or pity from the strangers sitting around the table. Instead, he was only met with eyes full of understanding.
"We know exactly how you feel," Mezo said from behind his own mask. "Don't worry, friend. You're safe here."
"Wait... just a minute," Denki interrupted, narrowing his eyes. His alcohol-addled mind had finally caught up to the conversation. The travelers all tensed. "Did you say Sir Iida? So you are a knight." They all let out a breath of relief.
"Obviously, he's a knight, Denki," Mashirao sighed.
"If he was going to arrest us, then he would've done so by now," a girl's voice laughed. A disembodied glove floated into the air and grabbed a glass of sake in front of the empty chair, tipping it into an unseen mouth. Izuku realized with amazement that the girl's voice he'd been hearing belonged to someone he couldn't see.
"Arrest you?" Tenya asked, confused. "Why would I do that? We're here to ask if any of you have seen any dem-"
"Well, I mean, duh. That's what knights do," Denki snorted, talking over him. "They arrest people for fun. That's the only reason they ever wander all the way out here."
"Denki, hold your tongue. Don't insult the man," Mashirao hissed.
Denki shrugged exaggeratedly.
"He's not like that," Izuku assured them.
Before anyone else could voice their concerns, Tsuyu returned to their table, holding a stack of menus, another pack of cards, and a tray of more sake. "Call me back if you need anything else," Tsuyu said cheerfully.
"Thank you, Tsu!" Ochako replied, cheeks pink. Then, as soon as she left, Ochako turned back to the table, rubbing her hands together excitedly. A mischievous glint shone in her eyes. "Alright! Deal us in! We betting any money on this?"
Tenya sighed. It was going to be a long night.
Everyone at the table had long lost count of the number of drinks they'd had by the time Tenya finally managed to circle the conversation back to their mission.
"Demons in Aldera? Nope, don't know anything about that," Denki said, playing with the blonde fluff at the end of Mashirao's tail as he spoke. Mashirao watched him with a lopsided, fond smile.
"Me neither," Hanta chorused in a sing-song voice.
"Nor me," said Mezo, a stark contrast to the others in his soberness.
Toru gasped loudly. "Ohhh, wait! Do you mean the demon that's been harassing the king?"
Tenya blinked in confusion, his mind moving slower than he would have liked. He regretted indulging in a couple cups of alcohol when he should have been concentrating on his duties.
"Oh yeah, you're right!" Denki replied thoughtfully, leaning forward to rest his head on Mashirao's shoulder. "Was it a demon? … maybe it was a warlock."
"No, it was definitely a demon!" Toru said. "Just like the legend!"
Tenya looked at Izuku, expecting him to explain, but Izuku's face was scrunched up in concentration as he peered at the cards in his hand.
Finally, he laid down the card he had carefully selected. "Your turn," he said to Ochako. Ochako looked at her own cards, grinning widely. Izuku gulped at the expression on her face, sure he'd made a grave mistake.
Shouto turned in his seat to hide his face from view as he pulled his mask up just enough to down another shot of sake.
"What legend?" Tenya finally asked when he saw that all of his companions would be of no help in his line of questioning.
"Y'know, the one about the dragon and the sword, the one with no proper ending," Toru explained. Izuku finally snapped to attention as she spoke. "'One day the chosen one, the most powerful of dragons, shall destroy the demons threatening the kingdom and purify half of an evil. Only with the legendary sword shall peace be won in the land. All of this will only come to pass if-' blah blah blah."
Izuku's heart skipped a beat. "I've never heard it said that way before," he said. Sir Yagi had told him that there were other versions, but he never thought he'd hear the legend spoken so casually or so soon in his travels.
"I'm not surprised," Hanta said, shrugging. "Denki and I actually don't live in this village. We travel around a lot, trading and buying things. Everywhere we go, the bards are always switching up their songs."
"In the version I've always heard, the chosen one is supposed to pull a dragon's heart out," Ochako hiccupped, her round cheeks burning red. She motioned toward Mashirao to let him know that it was his turn next in their game.
"No way!" Toru hissed. "The dragon king is definitely the chosen one. His tribe won't stop bragging about it. That's why demons tend to give him such a hard time. They know they're all doomed, and he'll defeat them with the legendary sword one day."
"The dragon king?" Izuku asked, perking up.
"Yeah, he lives up on the dragon mountain, Ryuuzan," Mashirao said, glancing up from his cards.
"A whole mountain of dragons?" Izuku was fascinated. It had been so long since he'd seen a dragon that it almost felt like a dream.
"Actually, there weren't even that many dragons up there until the current king took power about… uh… four or five cycles ago," Toru explained. "Now it seems like every dragon in Aldera has made their home there. They say the king is so formidable that even the dragons pay homage to him."
"I know nothing of this 'dragon king,'" Tenya grumbled. "King Todoroki Enji is the one true king of Musutafu, long may he reign."
All of the villagers at the table grimaced at Tenya. "Don't be such an asshole," Denki groaned. "Read the room." He reached for a card and discarded another, causing Hanta to mutter complaints about how Denki always took the good cards.
"So… to find demons," Izuku interrupted before anyone became overly offended by Tenya's words, "we should ask the dragon king?" He was the only one at the table, other than Mezo, who was not impaired by alcohol, so he felt that it was his duty to steer the conversation back on target.
"Even if the demon that I'm thinking of isn't who you're looking for, the king knows everything that goes on around here. He's your best bet," Toru confirmed with a nod.
"I wouldn't recommend going to Aldera to ask him questions, though," Mezo warned. "He doesn't like his territory being infringed upon. He only tolerates us living so close because we trade with him and mind our own business."
"All of Musutafu is the king's territory," Tenya slurred, brows set in a deep frown, "and as a servant of the king, there is nowhere I cannot go in order to serve him."
"Yep, that's definitely something a knight would say," Hanta sighed with distaste, ending his turn.
"You know your king calls us 'monsters' for no reason, right?" Mashirao's icy voice cut through the air, causing the entire table to stop and stare at him. He was shaking with quiet rage. Tenya shrunk back at the look in his eyes. "I was bullied and humiliated by knights stationed in my hometown for most of my life, terrified every day that they would make an example of me, arrest me, or worse for no reason other than this tail I have. I came to this village, like most have, to avoid being treated like dirt all the time by your king and his mindless followers."
"The Todorokis have never cared about us," Toru sighed. The cards in her hand neglectfully pointed upright for all to see, the game forgotten. "Why should we acknowledge them?"
Shouto pulled at the hood of his cloak, hiding from view even further. He wanted to disappear.
"Y'know what really pisses me off?" Hanta grumbled. "If the king hates people who are different so much, then why'd he choose his youngest son as his heir? Y'know, the kid with a scar and hair that's split down the middle into two different colors? What a hypocrite."
"The prince is probably just like his father," Denki laughed. "I bet that's why he was chosen."
"Yeah, just another selfish Todoroki. More of the same bullshit," Mashirao muttered.
Shouto clenched his fists, fingernails digging into his own skin.
"They have no idea what it's like for us," Mezo said, nodding solemnly. "We're the lucky ones because we found a home here with each other, but there are so many others out there suffering. So many people like us can't find a steady way to make money. Meanwhile, the king sits on his cushy throne."
"If you ask me, the Todorokis are the real 'monsters,'" Toru sneered.
That was the final straw.
"You're right," Shouto said. "The Todorokis really don't know anything, do they?" He stood up and briskly ran out of the door.
There was a shocked silence.
"Yo, is he okay?" Denki asked, concerned.
"Uh… he just can't hold his liquor very well," Izuku said, laughing awkwardly. "I should probably go check on him." He stood up, rifling in his pockets for a coin to pay for his portion of the food.
Tenya and Ochako, both still drunk, reacted much more slowly. "Yeahhh, we should all probably be going anyway," Tenya said in a smiley daze. "It's getting quite late."
"But my money!" Ochako whined. "I want to win again!"
"Goodbye, everyone!" Izuku said, waving. "It was lovely to meet you!" All of the villagers at the table agreed and said their goodbyes as well.
"Before I leave," Tenya declared suddenly, wobbling as he stood up to bow, "I want to extend my apologies for my ignorance. My job as a knight is to listen to the citizens to make this country a," he hiccupped, "better place. I… I honestly didn't know how bad it was for-"
Izuku didn't stop to listen to the end of his apology.
With a squeak of the wooden door opening, Izuku hastily exited the noisy tavern and walked out into the chill night air. Everything was quiet. There was no one else in the town square except for one person.
Shouto was hunched over in front of Touya, sobbing and clutching his own stomach. The cloak draped over him shielded his body from Izuku's view.
"Prince Shouto, are you alright?" Izuku asked gently, kneeling beside him.
"They're right," Shouto rasped. "They're fucking right."
"It doesn't have to be that way," Izuku said. "Isn't that why you came on this quest with us in the first place, to see your kingdom and understand your people better?"
Shouto's whole body shook. Izuku worried that he might be sick from the drinks he'd had that night.
"You're wrong about me," the prince groaned. "That was just a stupid lie. I had nothing but selfish intentions for this quest. I'm just as much of a monster as they say."
"I don't believe that for a second. What-" Izuku trailed off, completely stunned.
Shouto finally looked toward Izuku, and the change in him was striking. The left half of his face, which usually bore a red scar, had warped into something disfigured and inhuman. His skin was completely black and hard like a scab. Sharp, overgrown fangs jutted out from an unsettling gash that covered almost the entire side of his face. The unnatural second mouth curled upward in a depraved grin, just shy of connecting with his downturned human one. One yellow, inhuman eye stared coldly up at Izuku. His other eye, still human, overflowed with tears.
"Shut up! You don't know anything about me," he snarled. It sounded like two people were speaking at once. One voice was a horrible, monstrous growl and the other was Shouto's normal voice, wracked with anguish.
Shouto expected Izuku to recoil from him, but Izuku stood his ground, unwavering in his desire to help despite his surprise. "What's happening to you, Prince Shouto? I don't understand."
Shouto cackled darkly. "Don't you get it? This is why my father asked Sir Iida to go on this mission. I'm the demon that needs to be cured."
Suddenly, all the pieces fit together for Izuku, and the weight of it felt heavy on his shoulders. He wasn't sure why Shouto was half demon, but it didn't matter. He'd only known the prince for a couple of days, but in that short time, he had earned Izuku's trust.
Shouto groaned, and the black, gnarled infection creeped further over his skin. It grew over his ear, sharpening it to a point.
"You can fight this, Shouto," Izuku said, offering Shouto his hand. "Concentrate. Take my hand and breathe."
Shouto roared like a beast, overwhelmed with pain and confusion. He batted Izuku's hand away. Why wasn't the boy running from him like everyone always did? "Just leave!" he shouted. "I'm not worth saving!"
"Yes, you are, Shouto," Izuku insisted. "I swore to help with this quest, and now that I know that it's for you, I won't rest until I find a way to help you. You will get better!"
"I don't want to be like my father," Shouto cried. Fire ignited in his left hand.
"You are you and no one else," Izuku shot back.
"... I don't want to be me either," Shouto sobbed. Ice crystals formed on his right hand, crawling further and further up his arm.
"Then be a better version of you," Izuku said. "Take this time you have away from home to learn about the world and learn about yourself. It starts with taking my hand." Izuku reached out again.
This time, after a moment of hesitation, Shouto reached back. He took a deep breath. Izuku held on tight, and they breathed in unison. For once, Shouto felt himself calming down, even in his demon form.
Then, the tavern's door swung open, and out stepped Tenya and Ochako, laughing and stumbling as they went. They stopped in their tracks at the scene before them.
"Y-your highness?" Tenya sputtered.
Ochako screamed. "What happened to him?"
Shouto howled loudly at them. Izuku held him down.
"He's okay!" Izuku assured them all quickly. "Shouto, you're okay! Don't look at them. Look at me."
Shouto's eyes darted back to Izuku, and he took a deep breath.
"That's it," Izuku said, breathing in and breathing out. "Everything's okay. You're okay now. Shhh, it's okay."
After a short time, guided by Izuku's soft reassurances, Shouto finally let his mental and physical exhaustion overtake him. He began to drift to sleep.
When he lost consciousness, the curse lifted. Slowly, human skin grew back in place, enveloping his gruesome features and morphing him back into the handsome prince that he once was.
"What happened to him?" Ochako asked in a tiny voice, careful not to wake him.
Tenya was still too shocked to move, unable to tear his eyes away from the changing form of his prince lying on the ground.
Izuku stood up, looking at Ochako and Tenya intensely. "We must find that cure for demons," he said. "Our prince needs it."
Ochako and Tenya both nodded, asking no further questions. They all vowed to help him, no matter how long it took.
Izuku sat up long after the others were asleep, the last embers of the dying fire illuminating the pages of his journal as he scribbled intently. The implications of the day's events swirled at the forefront of his thoughts. Unlike his other party members, who all promptly passed out as soon as they had crawled into their tents, Izuku's stark sobriety had forced his mind into overdrive.
Prince Shouto hadn't explained the origins of his demon half before he had fallen unconscious, so all Izuku could do was speculate. As he stared up into the black expanse of the starry sky, he wondered about the prince's life. After their conversation the night before, he understood that there were things about Shouto's scar and his family that he knew nothing about. Now, he was even more perplexed.
As far as Izuku knew, there was only one way to become a demon, and that was the use of dark magic. However, dark magic required sacrifice and torture of other living beings. It wasn't something that everyday people would be able to stomach. Only someone who had rid themselves of all mercy and humanity would be able to perform spells malicious enough to taint their very soul and transform them into a monster.
Izuku had witnessed Shouto's earnest desire to be a better person and to be loved. There was no way that he had performed dark magic. From what he'd heard at The Tadpole Watering Hole, it seemed like there were plenty of people in the country who hated the monarchy. Perhaps Shouto had been targeted because of the political unrest in the kingdom. Maybe he'd accidentally been hit with a hex meant for his father, or maybe someone had transfigured the prince to hinder his ascension to the throne. Admittedly, Izuku didn't know much about how that kind of magic worked.
Unaware that he was mumbling to himself, Izuku started when the sound of rustling leaves drew closer and overpowered his own voice. Izuku wondered if some kind of animal had wandered close to their camp.
Slowly, careful not to wake the others, he rose and followed the noise, inching his way toward the trees. His sword appeared in his hand when he silently called upon it, and he held a defensive stance, not taking any chances.
A small chuckle came from behind him. Then, a rush of wind. It happened again, from another direction that time. Izuku cautiously turned in circles, searching for whoever it could be. They always seemed to be wherever he wasn't looking.
Then, he looked up. Sitting on a tree branch was a man with blood-red skin, an unusually elongated nose, and giant, red-feathered wings. He wore a yellow suzukake top and matching hakama pants that Izuku had only seen once before in a prehistoric book. There was a small, round black bowl strapped to his head, upside-down like a hat, and a strange, red harness around his shoulders adorned with six pom poms.
It was a tengu.
Izuku recognized the creature and the uniform it wore from myths that his mom had read him as a child. Unlike many other creatures that he knew about, however, Izuku had been sure that tengu didn't exist. In songs, they were said to be tricksters with god-like powers who loved to cause chaos and lead innocent people astray. By contrast, they were also known to assist heroes and train them for greatness if the whim struck them.
Izuku renewed his grip on his sword, even as he trembled, and stared the tengu directly in the eyes. Friend or foe, he wasn't going to let down his guard.
"We meet at last, ninth holder of One For All," the tengu chuckled.
Izuku's heart stopped. How could he have known about that?
"I-I don't know what you mean," he mumbled, averting his eyes in a blatant lie. When he looked back, the figure wasn't there anymore.
Izuku searched the area again quickly before turning and coming nose-to-nose with the creature, nearly screaming in alarm at their sudden proximity. He jumped back, sword at the ready.
The tengu's constant, unchanging grin was unnerving. He stood perfectly still for an agonizing moment.
Finally, with a showy flourish, he curled a hand around his own face. It was hard to see in the dark, but to Izuku's shock, the creature removed a wooden mask to reveal sly, human features below. Izuku was sure that the tengu had been real. Had it really been a man in disguise the whole time? Tengu were known to be shapeshifters, so Izuku couldn't be sure.
As the man stood before him, Izuku vaguely recognized the blonde hair and red wings. He remembered passing someone in the village earlier that day who looked like that…
"Have you been following me?" he asked, frowning.
"Apologies," the man laughed, not sounding apologetic in the least. "It's been such a long time. I had to see the sword for myself." He stepped closer, his gaze intent on the Deku sword.
Izuku stepped back. "W-who are you, and what do you want?" he demanded.
"Where are my manners?" The stranger gestured toward himself with the hand not holding the mask. "Call me Hawks."
"That still doesn't really explain anything," Izuku said, continuing to hold his sword high. His thoughts anxiously returned to his friends, vulnerable and sound asleep just beyond the trees. He was already thinking of a plan to warn them.
Hawks stretched his arms and wings lazily, unphased by the weapon pointed toward him. "Don't worry, Midoriya Izuku," he said with a chuckle. "I don't mean you or your prince any harm."
Izuku took a moment to watch Hawks skeptically. He tensed when he realized that somehow the tengu mask had disappeared from his hand. Izuku had been watching Hawks closely, and yet he hadn't seen him move to put it away at all.
"Alright," Izuku replied finally, "then stop avoiding my questions. What do you want? Why do you know so much about me?"
"I wasn't going to say anything when I sensed the sword earlier, but then I overheard your little conversation with the locals, and now I feel like I have to intervene," Hawks explained. "It's funny to me just how wrong they got the details of the legend, and in the very presence of the chosen one himself, no less. Pathetic."
"I'm not- No. I mean, I'm not. The hero from that legend isn't me." Izuku stumbled over his words in his haste to argue. He knew that there was a possibility, but he didn't dare hope.
"Of course not," Hawks agreed, an unreadable smile on his face, "which brings me to why I'm here: unlike those people you spoke to before, I actually know the truth. What if I told you that the only way to make your dreams come true would be to go up the mountain tonight and slay the dragon king, just like the legend says?"
"Tonight?!" Izuku exclaimed, taken aback. "I… no. That doesn't make sense. Why would I do that?"
"Why not?" Hawks laughed. "What kind of hero doesn't slay dragons? You sure you even want that sword?"
"I-I can't kill an innocent person for no reason," Izuku retorted. "As far as I know, the dragon king hasn't done anything wrong. The people here seem to like him."
"Then, I guess you're not cut out to be the hero." Hawks shrugged with finality. With a sparkle of light, the sword disappeared straight out of Izuku's grasp and materialized in Hawks's outstretched hand.
"H-how did- did you-?" Izuku stammered, eyes wide with shock. He immediately looked down at his hands, moving and stretching them experimentally, but he didn't feel any different. One For All hadn't left him. He looked back at Hawks with newfound resolve and growled, "give that back! It's mine!"
"It's not yours," Hawks argued. "I've seen it get passed down so many times. It has belonged to so many. But I know one thing for sure: the prophecy will come to pass very soon. If not you, if not tonight, then someone else will be the hero." He shook his head, looking at the sword disdainfully. "It's probably for the best, anyway. Get out now before this thing sucks the life out of you."
"There has to be another way," Izuku cried a little desperately. "Killing someone like that, it… it's not justice. There's no point in being a hero unless you're fighting for what's right."
"There are plenty of 'heroes' out there who don't give a shit about justice," Hawks sighed. "The world isn't like it is in the songs. Good people are few and far between, and even if they do exist, they don't last long. If you can't beat them, join them. You might as well fight for what you want, even if you have to get your hands a little dirty."
Izuku stood in tense silence. Then, he lowered his head. "If that's the kind of hero the universe wants, then fine… but I'm not murdering someone."
Hawks opened his mouth to say something, but Izuku was too quick.
Izuku ran forward and held his hand high in the air. He called the Deku sword back to him, crying out for it in his mind with every ounce of willpower he had. The sword returned immediately, and Izuku spun to point it directly back at Hawks. "Maybe I won't be the one from the legend, and maybe I won't make much of a difference for very long, but I will be a hero," he declared.
A moment passed. Hawks looked at his empty hand, blinking in surprise. Then, he began clapping. "Oh man, I wish cameras were still a thing. That was so cool!"
Izuku was stunned, unsure of what to say to such a nonsensical response.
"I admit that I wasn't really rooting for you at first, but I like your style, kid," Hawks said with a twinkle in his eye. "I wasn't lying that you have to go see the dragon king tonight, but I may have fibbed a little about the killing part. I wanted to see how you would react. Sorry!"
"W-what?" Izuku shouted. "How do you expect me to trust anything you say then?"
"I mean, you can do what you want," Hawks said. "You're headed to Aldera anyway, though. It'd be a shame if you got there late and missed your opportunity to help the prince."
Izuku finally lowered his sword, and it vanished into thin air. "I can help the prince tonight?"
"Yes and no," Hawks replied unhelpfully, "but his fate, and the fate of the kingdom, depend heavily on what tonight's events set in motion."
Izuku sighed. "So I just… need to see the dragon king tonight? That's it?"
Hawks smirked. "Yes. He will help you, but only if you go to see him alone. And make sure that he sees the symbol on your sword. That's crucial."
"I can't do that," Izuku said, getting a sinking feeling in his stomach for even considering it. "No one can know about my sword."
"As soon as you see him, you'll know that you can trust him," Hawks said. "If I'm wrong about that, then by all means, don't show it to him and see where that gets you, but I assure you that I'm right."
Izuku nervously pulled at his gloves, mumbling lowly to himself as he weighed his options. He looked back at the direction of the camp, thinking of his friends.
Hawks said that he had to go alone. Even if they could go with him, there was no way that he could explain the situation to them. Izuku hated to abandon his friends, especially after everything that Shouto had gone through earlier that night.
Still, he knew that he had to go. If there was even a chance that he might miss out on helping Shouto, he just couldn't take that risk.
Izuku turned back toward Hawks, his mind made up, but there was no one there. The man had disappeared without a sound, leaving Izuku alone under the dark cover of the trees. Only a single red feather remained, laying on the grass below. Izuku wasn't sure why he did it, but he picked it up and slid it into his pocket.
With a final glance around him, he turned and headed back to camp. He tiptoed past his snoring friends and collected his belongings. He hoped to be back before the sun rose and the others awoke, but he knew that he couldn't guarantee such luck.
He tore a piece of paper from his journal, scrawling a message:
I'm sorry, everyone, but I went ahead to talk to the dragon king. I swear on my honor that I will help you, Prince Shouto. I will return soon.
- Izuku
He placed the note where his friends were sure to find it. Then, with his heart pounding in his chest, he set out toward the nearby mountain, Ryuuzan, to finally meet the dragon king he'd heard so much about.