A night full of bright stars and a full moon covered by grey clouds. It was the perfect night for an unnerving romance... and the pool of envy and hatred...
At hours like these not even a spirit would touch the grounds of the forest. No demon dared to encounter the menace of the forest.
But somehow... someone did.
With a long cape on it's back, a figure wondered about the fog and piercing branches through the forest. It was in search of something, something dangerous to anyone else.
But this person had an intention and determination would make it come true.
Soon, the figure stopped in front of the largest tree with hand-like branches. Before the tree could grasp the likes of this foreign figure, it spoke.
"I would like to be granted a wish..."
Then, the cape was lifted from the head, revealing a spiky blonde hair and piercing red eyes on a curvy female figure.
The tree stopped it's approach. "Are you certain of your wish, madame?"
The woman closed her eyes, remembering her medallion being placed on the neck of her enemy's daughter. "Yes..."
"What do you wish for?"
"For the Grand witch to suffer the consequence of unleashing a beast into the world..."
"And what may your exchange be?"
The woman stared up at the tree, the moonlight reflecting in her red eyes. "Any bits of love I had left for my son..."
The mid day sunlight struck Uraraka's face like an unwanted alarm clock. Like every other day, she was used to waking up to the smell of cooked fish or any other catch, but this time nothing filled her nostrils.
She sat up in her place, stretching her arms up to the ceiling. "Hey Bakugou why haven't you made any- Bakugou?"
The witch looked around, finding herself talking to empty space.
"Bakugou?"
She told herself that he might have been outside the cave, but as she approached the outside she found that he wasn't there either. Something in her heart clenched, making her panic and cloud herself in doubt. Subsconsciously, her hand grabbed on to the medallion on her neck, her line of hope.
"Oh I hope you are well Bakugo-"
"Missed me?"
Looking above the cave, she met the gaze of the man she was searching for. His hair was a wet mess and his skin shiny from it. It was rather hot.
Uraraka turned away, trying to conceal her blush. "N-no! Besides, were you bathing at such an hour?"
"I was..." he jumped down from the top of the cave and landed right in front of Uraraka.
The witch's immediate action was to look down at the beast's crotch, seeing as only a piece of white cloth covered the bottom half of his body. As she realized what she was doing, she turned her gaze even further. "Bakugou! Do you not have the decency of covering yourself before approaching a lady?!"
Bakugou smirked. "What? Have you not seen a man half naked in your life?"
Uraraka looked back at the man and blushed. "I have! But... not like this!"
The beast laughed under his breath, watching the girl sit near the entrance of the cave, her back facing his way. "Fine, round-face, you can miss the show if you so desire!"
She heard as the resemblance of a towel fell to the ground behind her. The witch didn't make a sound, resisting the urge to turn around and watch. It wasn't ladylike to look at a changing man.
To keep her mind elsewhere, she focused on another question she had wanted the answer to since the first day. "Bakugou?"
"Yes?"
"What is the 'tree of a thousand hands' exactly?"
Bakugou's eyes stared at the ground below him, making remembrance of his own arrival. "It's... a deadly tree as you may already know..."
"Yes, I do know that believe me."
"But, it is also a wish granting tree..."
Uraraka turned around, suddenly forgetting about her half naked companion and turning back around. "A wish granting tree? So it is one of the last remaining-!"
"Promise me you will never get near it..."
The witch's eyes widened in shock at the beast's sudden request. "Why?"
"Just do not wish for anything under it's branches..."
Once again, she turned around to find the man fully dressed in his usual attire. She wasn't sure what to answer but went for the most reliable words. "Okay... I promise."
It was her turn to refresh herself by the river. It had been a few days since her last shower and it was already time to take another, as the clothes on her body kept getting dirtier each day.
As she reached the edge of the river, Uraraka let out the most relieving sigh. "Finally... some refreshment..."
Her hands traveled to the hem of her dress, ready to take off everything in her body... until a narrow feeling struck her chest. Something like... hope.
"What-?"
Uraraka…?
The witch looked at her surroundings looking for the source of the dwindling voice. The tone was familiar. "Who goes there?"
Once again the voice spoke. Uraraka! It's me-!
"Deku!" Uraraka searched with her gaze for the green haired man, but found nothing.
I'm so happy you're alive Uraraka! We've all been searching through every corner in town, yet there is not even the smell of you! The voice sounded like it was about to cry. W-where are you?!
"I'm in the woods! Deep within them, but I didn't manage to find my way out!"
Well, now you will! Wait and follow the flock of birds from east to west, they will lead you back to us!
Uraraka stared up at the sky, watching for any hint of the birds. "I will- I will come back to you and everyone else, Deku!"
Yes! We will be waiting for you!
Forgetting all about the refreshing river, Uraraka rushed back to where she came from. She couldn't wait to tell Bakugou the exciting news, and even better, welcome him back to the town. It was the perfect plan!
A few feet remained between her and the cave, but she couldn't contain her excitement. "Bakugou! Bakugou!"
From the darkness of the cave the tall blonde man emerged, slightly panicking from the witch's tone. "What?! What's wrong?!"
Uraraka stopped right in front of him, trying to catch her breath. "Nothing is of any wrong, Bakugou! It is the opposite of bad!"
Bakugou approached the girl and grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to comprehend. "Then say it woman!"
"I can go back home!"
At her words, Bakugou let go of her shoulders and backed away, sad. "Go back home?"
"Yes!" Uraraka's expression turned to worry. "Are you not happy?"
"Y-yeah, you can finally return..." the beast slowly turned around, staring at the empty space of the cave.
Suddenly, warmth enveloped his hand. "Huh?"
"You should be, cause I'm taking you with me! I'm bringing you back to civilization!"
Bakugou stared at the girl in shock. Her words couldn't be honest in any way. "D-don't bring such hopes in me, round face! For if you do I'll-!"
Uraraka smirked, and placed her face close to his. Her words coming out without a single thought. "You will what? Dismiss me with a kiss?"
At that, both blushed crimson red: Bakugou in mere surprised and Uraraka in embarrassment.
"I mean- I Uh..." She stumbled on her words, unsure of what to say next. But before she could process anything else, a flock of birds crossed from the top of her view. "Oh! we must leave in this instant and follow the flock of birds! That is our only direction back!"
"Well then, climb on my back!"
And Uraraka did as told, climbing and holding on tight.
They followed the flock of birds for a long time, smiling as they did so. They would soon return to the place they once called home and they couldn't be more happy. Uraraka would return to her family and friends, while Bakugou would be accepted back into that life he always wanted.
It was all about redemption and returning, yet something felt missing.
Trees turned to less and less as they approached the town, and the clouds were smokier than usual. The smell of burning wood reached the noses of both the witch and the beast.
"Bakugou do you smell the same as I do?"
"Yes... I do..."
Their steps became slower and slower. They were afraid of the worst.
Uraraka hopped off Bakugou's back approaching the nearest tree a peeking through. It was the worst thing she had ever seen.
The screams became loud and clear as fire arose from a few houses down the line of the market. Wood and metal collapsed in pieces on the ground, bringing up large clouds of dirt. People ran from side to side with buckets of water. Uraraka saw even a few familiar faces reaching for their nearest injured and fallen.
The witch made her way out of the woods and into open ground, unable to wake up from her shock.
Bakugou followed behind, doing the same as Uraraka but waking up first. "We need to go...Uraraka, we need to go!"
Yet, Uraraka remained in her place seeing everything around her in slow motion. "My parents..."
The beast grabbed on to the witch's hand, trying to pull her away from the smoke. "Let's go!"
But the witch couldn't contain her worry. "No! I need to find my parents!"
With that, the witch ran through the smoke and the big crowds of injured and screaming people. Despite the loud noises, everything around her became muffled. She couldn't even hear the beast approaching her from behind.
As the beast tried to follow behind the girl, something on the side of his vision caught his attention. A shifting figure. No...
They grew closer and closer to Uraraka's home and the closer they got the more horrified the witch became. As the cabin came to view, a large rim of fire engulfed the house.
Uraraka could only run. "Mother! Father!"
Pieces of the roof fell in front of the pair as the fire became larger and larger.
"I have to go in there! My parents are in there!"
Before she could do so, Bakugou grabbed her by the arm and pull her back. "No! I won't let you go in there!"
She kicked and flailed her arms in an attempt to free herself from his grasp, but found that the man was stronger. "Let me go! My parents are in there Bakugou!"
"I'll go!"
Bakugou pushed the witch back, causing her to fall down on the ground. Then ran to the burning house.
"Bakugou!"
Inside, burnt wood and brick fell in pieces around him, blocking paths and halls. It was the worst thing Bakugou had ever seen. Yet, adrenaline pushed him to go through, not feeling the heat of the fire, or the cut caused by the sharp edge of metal.
He kept, pushing through every deadly scene until he heard the scream of a woman.
"Help! My husband! Help us!"
"I'm here! I'm coming!" The beast responded, trying to ignore the severe inhales of smoke he was taking in.
Once he toppled over fire and sharp pieces of wood, he reached the couple laying on the floor. Around the woman a sphere of green light.
"Oh my gracious! Thank you!" The woman with short brown hair, similar to Uraraka's, had tears streaming down her face as she protected her unconscious husband underneath her arm. "Please help my husband! He is fighting death!"
"Don't worry, I'll get you both out of here!"
Bakugou made his way through the barrier, grabbing the man and putting it over his shoulder, while pulling the woman under his cape. "Follow me!"
And safe and sound, the three made their way out of the house before it could completely collapse over their head.
Outside, Uraraka watched as her parent's came to view. "Mother! Father!"
Before bakugou could stop her, the weak mother ran to her daughter, hugging her as tightly as she could. "Oh my dearest Uraraka! I knew you would come back to us!"
The young witch couldn't stop the tears from going down her face. "I'm so sorry!"
Bakugou placed the man from his shoulder to the ground, gently. The man slowly regained consciousness, coughing up small bits of dust and smoke from his lungs. Uraraka shifted from her mother's embrace to sitting beside her father. "Father!"
"Uraraka… you are alright..." The man spoke weakly. "You must leave... You can't stay here, they'll get you too darling..."
"Mother, what is he talking about? What happened?"
The grand witch stared at the blonde man beside her, paying attention to the small mark on his chest, his blonde hair and the vibrant red eyes. It was him. "The child..."
Bakugou stared deep into the grand witch's eyes, afraid of her words. "What-?"
Uraraka couldn't wait and shook her mother spontaneously. "Mother! What happened?"
The grand witch returned her gaze to her daughter. "We were attacked! A creature with his brain exposed appeared right at our door... and... and..."
Suddenly, the mother fainted on her daughter's arms. "Mother... Mother!"
Something on the edge of his vision shifted once again, catching Bakugou's attention. As fast as he could, the beast looked over the remains of the house and saw the creature Uraraka's mother spoke about. "Nomu..."
Bakugou's hands lit up in sparks of fire, catching Uraraka's attention. "Bakugou?"
"Stay here, I found the culprit of this scene!"
And just as he was about to fire away his fire, a toungue-like slug wrapped around his arm, pulling him away and down to the ground. "Ugh!"
In front of them a large crowd of people gathered with angry and upset faces, their leader: a familiar face covered by messy green hair.
Uraraka turned her gaze at the young man, unsure of what was unfolding in front of her. "Deku?"
"Uraraka I'm so glad you're safe!" Something seemed off about the boy. "Don't worry we'll free you from this beast!"
The witch's confused expression turned to one of horror as the realization of misunderstanding kicked in. "Wait he isn't the-!"
"Now!"
And with Deku's command, the crowd gathered around Bakugou, kicking him and punching him with all the force in the world. In the crowd a few familiar faces came in memory of Uraraka: Denki, Asui, Mineta,...Iida. All of those people she thought of being the symbols of kindness and comprehension. All of those who she considered humane.
They all had turned to monsters.
Everything went in slow motion. The witch let her mother on the ground, running to the crowd as fast as she could. The beast's eyes met hers... they were the cry of help as blood trickled down his mouth.
"No! Bakugou!"
Before she could even reach the crowd, a strong arm pulled her back. It was adorned in bright colorful stripes and, by the way the giant shadow formed in front of her, she knew who it was exactly.
"Let me go All Might! He is not the man nor the creature you are looking for!" Uraraka fought the strength as much as she could. "He is an innocent man!"
All Might still held her in place, "He is not a man! I had warned you fo the creatures in the forest and look what they had done to our town! To your own home!"
Uraraka didn't care, she knew that the beast wasn't the cause of the destruction. "He wasn't the one! Just let him go!"
In front of her, Bakugou slowly closed his eyes. Life was vanishing from his grasp, and he was too weak to unleash his power. In his mind, he didn't blame the witch, it was him the fault of the disturbances in their mind. He was always the cause of everything...
The witch's eyes grew foggy with tears. She didn't know what else to say that could convince anyone of the beast's innocence... until.
"The tree..."
All might stared at the girl in confusion. But before he could hold her even tighter, the witch met Bakugou's weak gaze and vanished.
I'm sorry Bakugou…
Even in pain, Bakugou could hear the witch's voice, and fear trembled down his spine. "Uraraka no!"
The young witch appeared right in front of the most dreaded tree, letting her breath go and her body go limp like a bow. She could feel the negative energy emerging from the depths of the demonic tree. She could even sense the long branches slowly surrounding her.
She kept her bow low, like a prayer. Her heart ached with despair as she remembered the horrific expression in the beast's face.
"Tree of a thousand hands... Tree of life and death..."
The tree's branches stopped their destination towards the girl's body. "Hmm? It appears we have met before... And you come for a request."
Uraraka couldn't hold back her tears. "Yes! Please grant me this wish for I have no other source than you!"
"Go on..."
"Please save Bakugou! Please save the so called beast of the forest! He is paying for a crime that he has not commited!" Uraraka looked up at the tree. "Please grant him the happiness he deserves!"
The tree paused for a moment. "What do you exchange for this wish?"
The witch didn't ask nor think twice of the tree's question and answered from the bottom of her heart.
"All of my happiness and... My powers."
"Then, your wish shall be granted."