Alternate Summary: A story where Ochako stumbles upon a gravely injured monster and discovers the lonely boy underneath, and Katsuki tries to find ways to stop the invading monsters while keeping his idiot boyfrie-err, Prince safe.
AN: This was supposed to be a Halloween one-shot. Clearly, it's not. As always, feedback's appreciated.
Additional notes:
- Using Yuuei instead of UA since that kinda works better for the name of a Kingdom.
- The Nomu are not the same as in canon. I'm mostly stealing the name because reasons.
- Primary pairing is Izuku/Ochako (slow burn, but story-centric), secondary is Katsuki/Shouto (less slow-burn, but less central focus)
Let's goooo.
1: The Monster of Yuuei
The retreating orange glow over the mountain range left shadows in its wake, slowing the farmers down as they ended their day. Working now by torchlight, they hurried to get the carts rolling, to secure the livestock, and most importantly, to quickly get back to their homes.
From the edge of the woods, she watched them, blending into the darkness. The torches brought some modicum of security, as they should, but until they were back behind barriers, they were still at risk.
They could come at any time, at random; too random and too infrequent to live in a constant state of fear, but often enough that staying out after dark without magical protection was a risk too high to take for the common folk.
Her domain was the forest, and yet, knowing they had to work late today, she found herself standing at its edge, like a quiet protector.
She heard the shrills before she saw the movement, and her hands gripped her staff as silhouettes bounded across the meadows from the east, half-flying, half-leaping. A pack of Nomu charged in, their mottled flesh appearing black in the fading light, the glowing red of their eyes like embers from dying coals.
The farmers started shouting, dropping what they were doing to scramble back towards their houses, torches signaling their panicked movements in the growing dark. She began to sprint away from the forest, soft glows of light popping around her like fireflies as she called upon her will.
However, just as her foot hit tilled soil, it appeared. Inky tendrils whipped in the air as it bounded in great leaps, green-black lightning crackling around it and wisps of smoke left in its wake. The people were still screaming even as it landed on the closest creature, pummeling it into the ground. It moved across the pack with lightning-fast strikes that were met only with inhuman shrieks, smoke and black lightning leaving a trail in its wake as the monsters fell.
She watched as it ripped the last of the monsters in two, spattering the black blood across the soil. It turned towards the cowering farmers, their torches casting red light off its hunched and tattered form, the smoke billowing around it, and its tendrils waving ominously.
And then it leapt off, bounding over the fences and off towards the eastern border.
It seemed the Monster of Yuuei had defended its territory tonight.
XX
Some time later…
"It feels like the attacks are getting more frequent; don't you think so?"
"I heard His Majesty has insisted everyone have a source of Todoroki fire in their homes for protection."
"I've heard Captain Bakugou has concentrated troops around the eastern borders."
"Did you hear about the traveling caravan? They got delayed by the storm and caught up in the dark last night. An entire herd of those creatures came for them but the Monster of Yuuei slaughtered them all."
"Even the caravan?!"
"Apparently just the creatures. The caravan's archer managed to scare it off with exploding arrows, I hear."
"Oh, thank the gods! That thing is terrifying; have you ever seen it?"
"Only at a distance. It felled a tree with a single swipe! I've heard it drinks the blood of livestock!"
Ochako pressed her lips into a thin line and moved away from the fabric stall, and ultimately, away from the gossip. It bothered her, as it always did. People always feared the unknown, and in this case, that 'unknown' was the Monster of Yuuei.
A monster that always attacked the Nomu.
A monster that had never had a confirmed killing of a human.
A monster that looked strangely human-like, in her humble opinion.
Perhaps she had more of a chance to catch glimpses of this supposed monster than most. She did live in the forest, after all, only coming into town once a week to trade her wares for supplies she could not get on her own. So she knew many things about this alleged monster.
It was not confined to the night. She had seen it darting through the canopy during the day.
It was omnivorous. She had once caught it swiping apples from a tree.
It had self-awareness. She had seen it staring down at its reflection in a pool of water in a grove.
And when it was not ripping apart the Nomu… Its shape under all the tattered rags and caked filth looked… kind of human.
It had been around for years. She remembered the first stories from when she was thirteen, right when the Nomu had started appearing. The descriptions were vague at best, as it was all so new and everything happened in the dark. But over time, with enough sightings and enough encounters, the Monster of Yuuei became a truth over a myth.
Just as the Nomu became a promise of something terrible lying in wait beyond the eastern borders.
She shook away her thoughts, giving a singular nod under her crimson cowl as she passed her basket over to the apothecarist. He skimmed the sachets and bundles, before handing her some coin.
Now done with her weekly exchange, she saw no reason to stay in the marketplace. It was best to keep a low profile, after all, and the clouds were so dark that it looked like it might rain at any moment. Turning down a quiet street, she paused when she heard the heavy clop of boots behind her. She stilled, before a familiar voice grunted, "Thought it was you, witch."
She turned, peering around the edge of her cowl. The Captain of the Royal Guard stood before her, the red and black of his armor boldly announcing his allegiance to the Todoroki family. One hand rested on the handle of his sword, the other kept his helmet tucked under his arm. His ash blond hair was as wild as ever, with short, choppy spikes contrasting the thin rattail that waved from the base of his neck.
Sharp crimson eyes narrowed at her as she considered the situation. The alleyway was empty, although the marketplace just beyond them was still teeming with afternoon business. Finally, with a sigh, she lifted her hand and called forth her magic. Like dappled sunlight through the forest canopy, soft light twinkled from her fingers. The area around her rippled, and suddenly, she disappeared from view.
She waited.
Bakugou stepped through the veil a moment later, glancing behind him as he did so to ensure no one saw him. Once inside her illusion, he let the scowl soften on his face, and he reached up to run a hand through his hair. "Took your sweet time with that, didn't ya?"
"It's not like I want to be seen with you either," She replied, a warm smile on her face as she removed her hood, revealing a wispy mess of honey brown hair and sun-kissed rosy cheeks. "Are you keeping well, Katsuki?"
He lifted a brow at her, scoffing at her audacity to ask. "Of course I am, ya brat. Who do you think you're talking to?"
Ochako rolled her eyes. "The young genius who became Captain of the Royal Guard at the age of seventeen, who successfully stopped the invasion of Ketsubutsu last year, and who is known for having the absolute worst temper the Guard has ever seen?"
"Hey," He warned, glowering. "If they weren't such fuckin' slackers, then I wouldn't have to yell."
"Uh huh. How's his Young Majesty?"
The scowl on his face deepened, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes, and maybe just the faintest traces of a blush on his cheeks. Ochako knew well enough what it all meant, and she smiled as he glanced away. "He's fine," He muttered gruffly.
She grinned, reaching up to pinch his cheek. "You're cute."
He swatted her hand away, scowl deepening. "Cut that shit out, ya brat!"
Her grin melted back into a soft, faint smile as her hand fell away. "I'm glad you're both doing well. I miss you."
He paused, looking down at the young witch who barely reached his shoulders in height. He sighed, some of his fire leaving him. "Yeah, I miss you, too, 'Chako. So does Shouto, and the others."
She closed her eyes, shrugging graciously. "It was a sacrifice worth making. Maybe if you can sneak away at some point, you should visit me for dinner. Does your guidestone still work?"
"Yeah, it does. And yeah… maybe. Dunno when that'll be though. The increased attacks have got people scared shitless and my men are on double patrol duty. Something doesn't feel right lately. A sour taste in the air, coming from the east."
Ochako frowned, rubbing at her arm. "About that, Katsuki. I think–"
Screams interrupted them, followed by a heavy tremor that shook the buildings around them. The witch and the captain both whirled around. "Take cover," Bakugou snapped, shoving on his helmet and diving off through the veil.
Ochako scowled, pulling her hood back over her head. "Take cover? Just who the hell do you think you're talking to, Dragon of Yuuei?" With a snap of her fingers, she dispeled her illusion and darted back out into the marketplace to see what had happened.
Her breath caught in her throat at the large, hulking creature in the center of the square. It stood atop the now fallen statue of King Todoroki, its hulking form towering over the shattered stone. It was nearly ten meters tall, with black talons and flaky, gray flesh that stretched over sinewy muscle. Webbed skin clung to the underside of its arms, and several bony protrusions stuck out from its skull and back, protecting it from attacks from above.
Never, until this moment, had a Nomu appeared during the day. And never, until this moment, had one appeared this large.
Amidst the broken kiosks and stalls, people were scrambling to get away. It whipped its head around, as if deciding what to attack first. Its massive jowls oozed a dark substance that sizzled when droplets of it touched the ground, promising agony to anything it came in contact with.
It spotted a group of panicked merchants and it screeched, lunging forward with a gnashing of teeth. A massive explosion of fire knocked its head back, disrupting its attack and making it howl with rage.
Bakugou stood, hands outstretched, sparks coming from his fingertips. He made no move to draw his sword, especially after seeing that his blast had done nothing but anger the beast, so he darted off to the side, trying to draw its attention away from the fleeing people.
"C'mon you oversized ballsack, let's dance!" He crowed, launching a volley of explosions at the Nomu's head. It lunged at him, leaving its perch in the square to follow him as he began to try to kite it towards the city gates. However it was fast, and he found himself spending just as much of his energy trying to evade its attacks as he slowly advanced towards the exit.
He tucked and rolled as a swipe came down, narrowly missing him as the beast smashed into a wall. Just as he bounced back to his feet, its tale came whipping around, and Bakugou's eyes widened as he tried to change trajectory a moment too late.
A flash of golden light erupted in front of him as the tail crashed into an invisible barrier. The shield shattered, but it was enough time for the captain to move, and he dove under it, shouting, "I TOLD YOU TO FUCKING LEAVE."
Ochako said nothing, hands outstretched and her usual brown eyes glowing softly as she commanded her magic to her will to aid the captain. Unfortunately, her use of magic had caught the Nomu's attention, and it whirled around, red eyes coming to focus on her.
Its mouth moved, and much to her horror, broken speech followed. "Relic. Give. Relic."
She faltered, realizing her mistake too late when it lunged for her with a head-splitting shriek. An explosive blast rocked it, but it did not deter its course, bearing down on her. She raised her hands to call her magic, but without her tools her ability to manipulate the energy of the world was greatly hindered.
With wide eyes, she watched a form of crackling green-black lightning barrel into the Nomu, sending the beast crashing down the street, tendrils of smoke and black ink whipping behind like flags in the wind.
The Monster of Yuuei advanced the moment its feet touched the street, bounding up and over the tumbling Nomu, before slamming itself down on top of it. The beast roared, flinging the smaller monster away, where it landed on the city's wall, perched atop the gate, its black appendages spreading out behind it like a great set of antlers.
By this point, sirens and bells were sounding, melting in with the distant shouts of the guards as they hurried towards the battle. Bakugou roared, slamming another blast of fire into the creature, rocking its body violently to the side. However, the Nomu kept its attention on the Monster of Yuuei, staring at it intently.
"Relic."
It lunged, and the smaller monster flipped back, jumping away from the gate and out into the open fields outside the city. The Nomu followed, crashing through the gates, taking out chunks of stone as it collided with the infrastructure.
As people took that time to flee, Ochako found herself rushing towards the gate in its wake, watching as Bakugou took off after the two monsters. As she darted past the towering red walls of the city, she could not shake the feeling that the Monster of Yuuei had purposely led the Nomu away from the people.
She watched as it ducked and dove around the creature's fast attacks, moving with inhuman grace. Its tendrils seemed to aid it, pushing and pulling its body around, weaving between the legs, over the tail, and away from talons and teeth.
As it moved, Bakugou continued his onslaught of attacks, firing explosive magic at the Nomu, aiming for anywhere he thought might be vulnerable. A shout from behind alerted her of the royal guard, and arrows started flying from the city walls.
With some alarm, she realized the guards were being indiscriminate in their attacks, and Yuuei's monster was now having to evade danger from multiple directions.
A harsh cry sounded, and a soldier rushed past her, charging into the fray. The Lieutenant Captain of the Guard slammed his shield into the foot of the Nomu, causing it to stumble. It did not fall, but the fact that Kirishima had rocked it from a shield charge alone said something about his tenacity.
The Nomu curled in on itself, in a sign that looked like it might be wounded. However, its entire form rippled, and Ochako watched with dawning horror as the spikes on its back twitched. "Watch out!" She shouted, pulling her magic around her into a barrier just as the Nomu's back exploded, sending a shower of projectiles in all directions.
Kirishima dove in front of his captain, raising his shield to cover them both from the onslaught. Several guards screamed, and Ochako closed her eyes, wincing as the spikes rained down on her magical barrier, making it stutter.
She chanced a glance up to the Nomu, and her eyes continued up, to the much smaller form floating in the air several meters above it. With an explosive boom, the Yuuei Monster shot down, sending a crackle of black lightning dancing across the cloudy sky. There was a splatter of black ooze, and the creature keened, crashing down onto its side.
She lowered her shield, watching in awe as the Nomu wobbled to its feet, a gaping hole tearing clean through its torso. The Monster of Yuuei landed, several quills from the Nomu sticking out of it. The black electricity around it flickered, and it turned just as Bakugou shot a blast of fire through the giant hole in the Nomu, setting it aflame from the inside.
It keened again, before it collapsed once more, not getting back up.
The guards who were still uninjured rushed forward, weapons drawn as they circled around the fallen Nomu and the Monster of Yuuei. The latter did not immediately move, its ragged and mottled form eerily still. Then, without warning it leaped up over the guards, avoiding a rain of arrows, and dashed off towards the forest.
"Cut that shit out!" Bakugou howled, waving his hands at his men. "That beast is the least of our concerns; did you not see all the injured civilians, you brainless turkeys? Get over there and make yourselves useful!"
At his orders, the men retreated, rushing back into the city to assess the damage and provide aid to those who were caught in the initial attack. Ochako watched them go, before looking back to the two who remained by the fallen Nomu, its body already starting to decay. The Captain, as if knowing she was looking at him, turned to face her, and although she could not easily see Bakugou's expression through his helmet, she understood as he shook his head slowly.
'It's not safe for you to be here. Go.'
Although it pained her, she knew he was right. Staying to help would risk too much. Nodding to indicate she understood, she turned and walked off back towards the forests she called home.
It was at the edge of the forest when she saw the first one. She stared down at the black, bloodied spike on the ground. Another one, smaller, was discarded a little further.
She stepped into the canopy that was her home, and the trees whispered to her as she looked around. "Show me," She said, and with the gentle guidance of the woods, she could see it all.
Droplets of blood drying on foliage. A smear against bark. Another bloodied spike, and another. A tattered piece of fabric, stained red.
She frowned and followed the trail.
It was deep in the thicket, by a pool of water, that she found it. The slow rising and falling of its chest indicated it was still alive, although the stained earth around it promised not for long. Gone were most of its tendrils, although one remained, slowly pulling a spike out of its leg, tossing it away. The green-black energy that surrounded as it moved had also disappeared, and now without that monstrous power, laying in its own pool of blood, the being before her felt… fragile.
She stepped forward, and it jerked, sensing her presence. Shakily, it tried to push up, but lacked the strength to do so, collapsing back down on itself. Idly, she watched it dig fingers - yes fingers - into the earth, trying to find purchase to move.
It was going to die unless she did something.
It heard her approach, weakly lifting its head as she came to stop in front of it and crouched down. Now close, her brow furrowed as she took in the shape of its head, realizing that what she was looking at was a leather mask, held together by frayed bindings and covered in mud. Tattered furs and rags wrapped around its body, pieced together with leather strips and coated in grime. Its clawed feet were actually boots, corroded iron giving the illusion of talons. She could even see a leather belt at its waist.
Exhaling softly, she made up her mind, calling forth the wind to aid her. Gently, she touched its back, and it trembled in response, but lacked the strength to do anything else. Slowly, carefully, she allowed her magic to lift it off the forest floor, and wrapped in a cradle of air, she carried the creature off deeper into the woods.
She hurried deeper into the forest, following a trail that only she could see until the trees parted and she found herself at the edge of a small swamp. Sighing softly, she stepped onto the wooden walkway and crossed the still water, the monster floating behind her. As movement stirred in the waters below, Ochako spoke. "Let this being pass, Tsuyu. I take ownership of it."
The top of a head and a pair of eyes broke the water, watching as she walked by. The guardian spirit did not make a sound, before disappearing back into the pool.
Her home was past the swamp, hidden from the world by rich enchantments. Stepping past the barrier, she was greeted with the birdsong and flowing water from the stream that divided her little yard. The garden was in full bloom, with pollinators bouncing about. Her cottage was small, with stone walls, a moss-covered roof, and round windows. Stepping through the door, she ushered the wind to bring her ward inside.
Now in the heart of her domain, she set to work, clearing off the table in her small kitchen so that she could lower the unmoving body onto it. Allowing the wind to retreat, she wasted no time, rushing to a shelf and pulling a small, leather-bound book from a pile. Unsnapping the bindings, she let it flutter open as her fingers moved, asking for guidance.
Wind chimes sang as the air picked up around her, orbs of faint, green light flickering through the room. The wind flipped away the cowl from her head, causing her hair to flutter around her. Healing magic was something she had little strength in, but combined with the Recovery Memoire, she could at least ensure this creature did not die.
She could taste the magic on her tongue, cool like an autumn morning and sweet like wild honey. It wrapped around the prone form on her table, encasing it in a soft green glow. With a whistling chime, it shattered, particles of green light seeping into the body. The creature took in a deep, shuddering breath followed by a wet cough.
With an outstretched hand, she let the last pieces of the spell work before snapping the book shut, saying thanks to the magic for its aid.
Now past the most critical point, she realized just how dangerous this all was. She had invited a powerful being into her home without any idea what it was. Humanoid, yes, but was it a demon? A cursed human? One of the Fallen? She had no idea. And yet, she continued, grabbing a pair of shears from her kitchen. With careful precision, she cut the bindings holding the mask in place, and once it fell loose, she pulled the weathered material off of its head.
A mess of green-black curls tumbled out of the helmet, tangled and matted. They fell to frame a pale face. A pale human face, boyish and smudged with dirt, with a smattering of freckles and cracked, chapped lips stained red with dried blood.
Eyelids fluttered, and Ochako's breath caught when she found herself staring down into a pair of bright green eyes. The young man looked at her, vision out of focus, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
The Monster of Yuuei was a man.