(A/N: Thank you Inuyoiushi for your review and continued support. :) I'm not sure if the rumors that Dabi is Todoroki's brother are true, but I decided to go with that in this story. I don't know much about Natsuo either, except what I read on wiki, but I wanted to add most of all of Todoroki's family to this. :3 Also two certain villains will appear at the end of the story, and if anyone wants to suggest what type of yokai they could be. I'm all ears since I have no clue at the moment. xD)
Heading back to Amajiki's residence, Kaori paused when noticing the indigo haired male standing in his yard that had a beautiful rock garden design. He had what appeared to be insects flying around him, and Kaori was astonished to see that they were butterflies of all creatures.
"I had no idea butterflies came out during the night," Kaori voiced. When Amajiki let out a startled cry and jumped, the light blue haired girl grinned sheepishly and rubbed at the back of her neck. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you!"
"It's fine..." Amajiki was quiet for a moment before he spoke up. "They're called Hedylidae or the American moth-butterfly. They truthfully aren't associated with the more loved insect, but even a moth can still have it's own beauty." A soft smile formed on his lips, the dark eyed male extending out his index finger where one of the grey moth's could land upon it.
Kaori couldn't help but smile herself since for someone who seemed to become so easily tense, Amajiki really looked like he was at peace. He must have had a great fondness for the tiny creatures who's lifespans were so tragically short.
"It's a shame there aren't actual butterflies around here. But it's always night, so I suppose they wouldn't survive..." Amajiki voiced, his tone taking on a more somber one.
"So, the sun never shines here?" Kaori questioned softly, a small frown forming on her lips. She supposed she had always been a night owl more than a morning person-Izuku was always teasing her that she would end up sleeping her life away since she would often stay in bed till noon if she could-but the blue haired female couldn't imagine living in a world without the sunlight.
Amajiki shook his head, gazing up at the starless sky after the moth left his finger. "I can't even remember the last time I saw the sunlight. It's been so many years..."
"That Bakugou guy did mention how you all were trapped here after he attacked Izuku and me...Still, I can't believe how different the solar system in this world seems to be from the one on earth. There's no stars, no sun, so I'm guessing everything here doesn't require sunlight to live..."
"Wait...Bakugou attacked you?!" Amajiki gasped out, his slanted indigo eyes growing large. That was the main thing he had heard out of her little analogy that Kaori had drifted off into.
"Oh well, he tried. But Izuku stopped Bakugou with one of the paper charms I had on me..." Kaori answered, awkwardly scratching at her cheek, not wanting to say directly she had brought the talismans with her in case any yokai Izuku and her might have run into turned out to be hostile. "I still have no clue what happened, but Mirio-san said he doubts Izuku will be in trouble because Bakugou wasn't badly injured. And that Kirishima will make sure the crazy wolf doesn't pull a stunt like that again..."
Amajiki unleashed a sigh since it seems things hadn't escalated. Still, did this mean that Izuku kid could use spiritual powers, something that was normally wielded to execute their kind...? And did Kaori have those same abilities? It would mean he'd need to keep a closer eye on her than ever, and that made him feel more anxious than he already was at having the human female here.
He already became a nervous wreck around girls in general, and it didn't help that this one had a rather nice scent to her. Amajiki would have found it even calming, if he wasn't so scared that he'd give into his more basic instincts if he allowed himself to get too close to Kaori.
When he caught a whiff of another familiar scent however, Amajiki blinked. He only now noticed the wrapped box Kaori gripped in her left hand. "Are those takoyaki balls..?"
"Mhm. Nejire-san and the others took me out to eat. She told me they were your favorite, so I figured I'd bring some to you," Kaori said, walking over to hand him the box. "I hope you haven't already eaten?"
"N-no, I haven't...Thank you..." Amajiki murmured, his pale complexion turning a light pink.
When Amajiki moved to sit on the engawa, Kaori followed him over to the long porch. It was quiet between them, the only sound often coming from the timid male whenever he ate on one of the takoyaki balls. The light green eyed female couldn't help but turn her attention off the moon to glance over at Amajiki. After meeting some of the resident's it dawned on her that, other than his ears, Amajiki didn't appear all that supernatural.
"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but what kind of yokai are you?"
"I'm an obake...I'm not really impressive like Mirio and the others are..."
"But that means your a shape-shifting yokai, right?" Kaori voiced, her eyes brightening. "You can transform into anything you want and use the abilities of whatever form you take on. That's such a cool power!"
Amajiki felt his face and the back of his neck heating up, and a nervous gulp escaped his lips when Kaori had leaned closer to gently run her fingers through the top of his thick, but soft hair.
"Though it's a shame your not a raccoon dog. Then you'd have the cute ears and tail," Kaori mused.
"I-I'd doubt they'd suit me. Shouldn't you be more afraid by what I just told you..." Amajiki stated more than asked. Not all humans had been terrified of them in the past, they had even been friends with a few, but it was still rare for mortals to get so close and not at least show a little fear in the beginning.
"I guess I was a bit concerned when Izuku and I arrived here, but you and everyone else seem like kind people," Kaori said, smiling faintly as she moved back to her spot that wasn't too close to the male. She kept forgetting he appeared to be the type who disliked close contact. "My father used to tell me supernatural stories instead of the traditional fairy tales when I was a small girl...I sometimes used to wish that one of the cool yokai's in those tales would take me away just so I could live with them instead."
"Why would you wish for something like that..."
"...My parents weren't very nice people, and I just figured having a yokai as my family would be more of a blessing than them...Dad wasn't so bad, but he never tried to stop mom when she was punishing me for doing something she didn't approve of. Which was most of the time," Kaori said in a hushed voice. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin upon them. "I guess you could say they were villains in a sense. They did a lot of bad things and hurt a lot of people..."
"I'm sorry..."
"It's alright. They were arrested when I was six, and my uncle and his fiancé at the time took custody over me. They were still in their early twenties, but they did everything they could to make sure I had a happy life," Kaori replied, turning where she could send the dark haired male a light smile. "Most kids knew about my parents from their own, so they avoided me or bullied me at school. Izuku was the only one kind enough to try and talk with me, and we've been friends ever since. He's like the sweet, but dorky brother I needed in my life."
It's almost similar to Mirio and me Amajiki pondered, gazing down at his hands that rested on his knees. He had been alone when he was younger, having lost his parents to much more powerful demons. He had escaped, but this still made him an easy target for other Ayakashi, much older and darker demons than those that resided in the village. Mirio, despite having been young himself, had saved him during one of those attacks. They had grown close and stayed together ever since. It wasn't until later on that they would meet Nejire, and the three of them had been inseparable.
Yet after Nejire and Mirio had mated, it felt like a hole had formed in his heart. They had each other, but who did he have...?
Hearing Kaori letting out a small yawn, Amajiki came out of his thoughts, and peered over at the female.
"Maybe you should go rest..."
"Mmm, your probably right. Today was pretty eventful," Kaori agreed, standing up where she stretched out her arms above her head. "Is there a room you want me to stay in? I only saw one bed in the one I woke up in."
"No...I mean, I haven't prepared one for you yet," Amajiki mumbled in embarrassment. He was so used to residing in his moderate house alone, it had completely slipped his mind that he even had a guest. "You can just use my bed."
"I can't do that! Then you'd have no place to sleep! I'll just use the floor as my bed," When noticing Amajiki looked ready to argue, Kaori shook her head and grinned. "I don't want to be a burden, and I can pretty much fall asleep anywhere. I once slept through an earthquake, so if you want to just toss me out here 'cause me being in your room is too weird, feel free to do so."
Amajiki felt multiple beads of sweat trailing down the back of his head. He couldn't fathom how someone could manage to sleep through an event like that. More importantly, Kaori had given him a little wave before she headed inside the house where he was unable to say anything more on the matter.
She's a little peculiar...but nice Amajiki thought a small smile forming on his lips, deciding he might as well finish off the rest of the food she had brought him.
Izuku couldn't help but squirm nervously. Todoroki had left him in his room, saying he was going to see how dinner was coming along and he'd come fetch Izuku once he was certain it was complete. Waiting around was just making him feel more antsy. Glancing over at the many books Todoroki owned, he decided maybe he could occupy himself that way.
One titled, 'The History of Our Past', caught Izuku's attention, and he sat down on the blue cushion at the short desk where he began to read out loud to himself. He figured his own voice would help calm his nerves from the eerily quiet room.
"Enji Todoroki, or Endeavor as his enemies liked to call him, was the previous leader of the yokai until his unexpected and tragic death. Normally a battle is waged to determine who should lead our people, yet through a unanimous decision, Enji's youngest son, Shoto Todoroki, for his intelligence and prowess, was chosen to become our new king. We yokai are a free race, but that does not mean we do not require someone to make sure certain laws are upheld. Enji created many of these laws, yet it was Shoto who decreed no human should ever be harmed. This of course angered a great number, mainly those who have lived through numerous eras, for the truthfully shocking order. The mortals and we have, after all, been enemies since the very beginning. And this is a fact that will never change..."
Izuku paused after reading the disconcerting passage. He wasn't sure what caused his chest to ache more. The fact that Todoroki's own father had died or that these supernatural beings and his own kind seemed to have a harsh past that he couldn't even begin to imagine...
"I wonder if it's really right that Kaori and I are here...?" Izuku murmured, a hand moving up to rest over his heart.
"Who can say. My little bro certainly seems pleased at any rate," a low and slight raspy male voice spoke up.
Feeling arms snaking around his form that pulled Izuku close to a hardened chest, the green haired male instantly tensed up. And he became even more alarmed when the unknown figure had moved his mouth close to his ear where Izuku could feel his warm breath brushing against it.
"You surprisingly have an intoxicating aroma to you, so I can see why. It's like honeysuckle and fresh grass. Such a pure scent. I bet you're still pure, aren't you?" the male continued, and Izuku had a feeling he was smirking right now. "I could fix that for you~?"
Izuku could only stutter, not able to form a coherent sentence. The strangers breath that was now hitting his neck, having moved from Izuku's ear to take in his scent, was causing him to shiver. Heat felt like it had encased his entire body, and it didn't help that the man's hand was trailing leisurely up and down his chest before inching lower where it was moments away from entering inside of his pants.
Hearing the male let out a sudden "oof!", Izuku realized why since he had apparently been hit by a slipper. Turning to the open door, Izuku noticed a woman with white hair flecked with crimson that was glaring at the person behind him.
"Touya! Just what do you think you're doing? Scarring the poor thing like that!" she scolded, placing her hands on her hips.
"I was just having a little fun with him, no need to freak," Touya sighed out, pulling away from Izuku.
Nervously peering at the male, Izuku couldn't help but let out a startled gasp. Touya was a tall and lanky male with long spiky black hair. That wasn't what stood out the most about him, though. His pale skin was covered by patches of gnarled, wrinkled, purple skin that enveloped much of his lower face and neck, all the way down past his collarbone, below his eyes, and on his arms and legs. What was most startling, they appeared to be attached to the rest of his skin by multiple, crude surgical staples or hoop piercings, making it impossible to tell if these scars were accidental or self-inflicted...
"Heh! I know I'm pretty fucked up looking, but don't worry. I don't bite. Not much anyways," Touya chuckled out, sticking his hands in the pockets of the dark blue jacket that he wore. "You can call me Dabi. I prefer it."
"R-right," Izuku managed to gulp out. He turned his attention on the more friendly looking female. "Um, I guessing you two must be Todoroki-san's siblings...?"
"Yes. My names Fuyumi, and that's my older brother, I'm afraid," she mused with a sheepish smile, shaking her head when Touya rolled his eyes at her before leaving the room. "We also have another brother, Natsuo. Don't worry. He's a lot less intimidating than I know Touya can be."
"I see...Um, why did he say he wanted me to call him Dabi?" Izuku couldn't help but ask curiously.
Fuyumi smiled awkwardly, placing a strand of her short hair behind her ear. "He doesn't like the name because it's the one father chose for him...My brother's didn't have the best relationship with our father, and they hold immense hatred for him..."
Izuku just frowned at this, but he could understand. Considering Dabi's wounds, he had a feeling Todoroki and his relationship with their old man was a lot more complex than the one he had with his. But it didn't change the fact that Izuku hated Hisashi for cheating on his mother and leaving her for another woman when he was supposed to be working abroad...
"Todoroki wanted me to inform you that dinner is ready. I hope you don't mind eating with us? I promise we're not bad people," Fuyumi laughed out, the two white ears on top of her head twitching awkwardly.
"No. I mean, I don't mind," Izuku replied with a faint smile, standing up where he made his way over toward the woman. She had a calming presence to her, and Izuku felt a bit more at ease while he followed behind the female through the rather large Japanese manor.
Izuku noticed that Dabi had already taken his seat at the short-legged table, his elbow propped on the mahogany wood where his cheek rested lazily in his hand. Another male Izuku didn't know with spiky white hair and a much more muscular physique than either Todoroki or Dabi sported was sitting beside him and laughing about something, but he turned when hearing footsteps where a friendly grin spread across his face.
"So your Midoriya-kun, huh? Sorry if Dabi gave you a fright. Apparently he doesn't mind suffering Shoto's wrath," he chuckled out. "I'm Natsuo, by the way."
"You don't actually think I'm scared of our little brother, do you?" Dabi drawled out. Feeling an ice cold hand on his shoulder did make Dabi scowl and he shifted his shoulder away from the hand that was tightening on his limb. "Relax, Shoto. I didn't touch him. Don't see why you get to hog the human where the rest of us can't enjoy such a rare treat..."
"He isn't here for you to enjoy. Nor is he a treat," Todoroki said coolly.
Izuku felt beads of sweat running down the back of his curly hair seeing Todoroki and his brother exchanging heated looks. He felt he should say something, yet that would probably make things only worse. Natsuo seemed awkward by the sudden tense atmosphere himself for he was rubbing at the back of his neck, so Todoroki was relieved when Fuyumi entered into the room; the looks she sent the two causing them to retreat from their silent glaring match.
"So, Izuku. How do you like it here so far?" Fuyumi asked with a soft smile, taking her seat once she had helped some maids bring out the various dishes to place on the table.
"Huh? Oh well, it's a very nice place. To be honest, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this world exists," Izuku admitted sheepishly. When Natsuo offered him some yakitori, Izuku nodded, hoping he didn't start drooling. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until all the different delicious aroma's hit him.
"So that's why you were reading that book. I'm guessing you want to learn more about this place, which I can understand," Fuyumi expressed with a gentle laugh.
"You were reading?" Todoroki asked curiously. He wasn't sure if any of the literature here would catch Izuku's interest. The male seemed to be so easily frightened-Todoroki swore he was going to pass out just from jumping across the rooftops to reach here with him-so he was amazed Izuku was trying to learn more about him and his kind.
Having already devoured the yakitori and now working on a bowel of udon, Izuku wiped at his mouth before saying. "I thought it would help me learn more about this place. I don't want to come off disrespectful or anything," he murmured, squirming slightly in his seat. "I didn't get very far. I was only able to read the passage on...well on Enji Todoroki."
"Ah yes, our great and powerful father," Dabi said with clear sarcasm. Izuku bit his lip noticing that even Natsuo was scowling at the mention of Enji while Todoroki had paused in his eating. "Suppose that book didn't tell you how he died, did it?"
"N-no. The passage only spoke of him succumbing to a tragic and unexpected death..."
Dabi smirked, glancing over at Todoroki. "Of course it wouldn't mention that Endeavor was killed by his own son. Right, Shoto? Not that any of us blame him. The bastard deserved to be killed. He forced me to use my powers until my own flesh caught on fire, leaving me in the state you see right now. He verbally and sometimes physically abused Fuyumi and Natsuo...Not to mention gave his pride and joy his lovely burn mark which Shoto's hiding behind that mask. You that ashamed for the human to see your face?"
Izuku nibbled on his lower lip. He had a bad feeling about this Enji guy, but he didn't expect it to be this tragic. So that was why Todoroki was wearing the mask...Izuku had found it odd that he was donning it while eating. Todoroki was even being careful not to lift it too high up where the green haired male couldn't even try to get a peek at his features.
"I didn't murder our father..."
"Tch! Why are you still denying it?" Dabi voiced, his calm voice turning to one of anger. "He drove our mother to suicide! Do you think we'd give a rat's ass what happened to him?! Or is it because the Onmyoji were able to trap us here where we could never enter into the human world because we weren't strong enough to take them? No...I guess that isn't fully correct. If you allowed us to enter into the forest now, we could go into the human world. It's the rare time we're able to."
"...That forest is dangerous. You know exactly who along with what other creatures lay out there. I won't send anyone into unnecessary harm..."
Dabi stood up, slamming his hands on the table which caused both Fuyumi and Izuku to jump. "That's because you're a coward! Even more so because you have the person right here who could-"
"Touya. Shut up."
The words were calm, but such a chill was behind them that it caused even Izuku to shiver. Dabi only gritted his teeth before stomping out of the room, completely ignoring Fuyumi's cries for him to come back. Nothing more was said, and the small family simply went back to eating despite the pained expression Fuyumi's face now bore.
Despite having suddenly lost his appetite, Izuku forced himself to eat. It didn't feel right to leave the room, despite feeling like he had heard something he should not have. And it didn't help that Dabi's words kept repeating in his head. Just what was the dark haired male going to say before Todoroki cut him off? And how did it involve him?
A greyish-blue haired male sat on a tree stump that was the color of blood. His red eyes had been focused on some ants that had been crawling across the ground, but he peered up when hearing footsteps; a wide grin appearing on his uneven and chapped lips when he noticed Dabi.
"So tell me, what news do you have on our two little guests?"
"I don't know much about the girl, but the boy has the spiritual power we need," Dabi said, running a hand through his locks. "We finally have a chance to be free, but Shoto doesn't want to break the barrier. It's almost like he wants to stay in this boring world for the rest of our now meaningless lives. I don't understand him anymore..."
"That's because your brother has grown soft. He just can't see the bigger picture that's right there in front of him," the man known as Shigaraki spoke extending out his arms. "He doesn't care if we grow weak just like those human's...They should be bowing at his feet and serving us all. It's only natural the less potent species is dominated by the strong, don't you agree?"
Shigaraki crushed some of the ants under his feet to emphasize his words, this making Dabi roll his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever you say. All I care about is being free to go where I please and do what I want...But that's not gonna happen. Shoto will never let Izuku out of his sight..."
"Izuku, hmm? Don't worry. We've come up with a plan for that. The little human won't be able to help himself but to come into the forest, forbidden or not." Shigaraki mused with a dark chuckle, glancing back at a small girl, who was standing next to a tall man wearing a plague doctor mask, quivering in obvious fear.
