A/N: Hi there. I'm sorry that I couldn't actually finish up this series. I love it very much, but I've fallen out of love with BNHA now that I don't have access to the manga every week. That and other copious amounts of things happening this year have made it difficult to get back into the WTS series mindset.
Still, I don't like leaving things unfinished if I can help it and thankfully, back when I first conceived this idea, I had a very clear picture of how EVERYTHING was going to go. So I've included the full outline and the little bit I've written for Burn here. The second chapter will be all my background notes.
Again, I apologize for both making you all wait so long as well as being unable to finish this series. Maybe one day I'll have the energy to commit to actually writing out all these scenes, so we have the placeholder with this fic now. Thanks for your support.
Act 3 - Burn Scene 1
It is midday by the time the Tsuyu, Eijirou, Tenya, and Izuku are ready enough for Katsuki. The single night of sleep had entirely rejuvenated him of his exhaustion, or maybe his sheer frustration with Ochako's departure pushed aside any lingering inclination to sleep. He all but paces at the designated meeting point, ready to take off in the direction of Etruria without the other four, if they did not arrive soon. There are hoof-steps on the cobblestone path leading out of Ostia and a quiet whooshing noise of leathery wings. The knightly pair walk their steeds towards him and Katsuki nearly sneers.
This was no time for delay.
To avoid snapping at them, he turns to the more familiar faces of the thief and the wyvern rider. Kouka settles next to him with a toothy lizard equivalent of a grin and he dodges the snap of her jaws. Before he can yell at the overgrown gecko, her yellow eyes swivel to the incoming horse and pegasus who jerk a little at their reigns when the predator comes in view.
Eijirou jumps between Kouka and the saddlehorse and winged white creature. "Hey now, Kouka, c'mon, girl!" he coaxes, trying to win her attention. "They're friends, not food!"
It takes a few minutes and both Eijirou and Tsuyu's hands petting her before Kouka settles enough for them to lash the last of their belongings onto her harness.
Scene 1 Trials
characters are struggling with their solution, but with renewed vigor, success!
The crew sets out and gathers Kouka, Gear (pegasus), and Detroit (horse). Small moment where Eijirou has to tell Kouka they aren't food. Everyone is on their steed… except Katsuki. Tsuyu is already behind Eijirou and Kouka doesn't like him anyway. He tries to get Tsuyu to switch, but Eijirou protests with a red face. He doesn't want to ride with either of the other two, but time is of the essence. Ends up begrudgingly behind Izuku and hates every minute of it. Loudly.
Ochako is in the rain, walking and stumbling, exhausted. She used an emergency teleport seal she kept on her person to escape the Fang to put some distance between herself and the others. She's upset, but determined to not let anyone get hurt. She surprises herself by including Katsuki in the list of people she wants to keep out of the trouble she's in.
The use of their assorted calvary gets them to Aquleia in record timing with the aid of Katsuki's brutal pacing and schedule. Izuku asks if they shouldn't be looking for Ochako and not rushing ahead to the Fang. He snaps back that if they run into her, fine, but right now their goal is to beat her there.
They reach the gates of Aquleia and Katsuki braces himself to face his mother. The guards don't recognize him until he unsheathes Hauza. They immediately escort him into a war room, the rest of the crew awkwardly waiting outside.
Ochako is out of the rain, the day decidedly bright and sunny. She scorns the blue sky and takes a momentary break to sit and eat some rations. She misses Tsuyu, Eijirou, Kouka and Katsuki, imagining how each would react in the current environment. She takes off her gloves and sleeves, tracing the faint marks of purple before looking at the black seal on her arm. It has gained another line/grown.
Pinch
so much for that success again *shrug*
The Burning General is an intimidating woman, even to her own son. The council of mages that she had in her meeting are dismissed flippantly, not a single one reacting to his presence. She tells him to put down Hauza, he has no need to grip it so tight. She is his mother, after all. Katsuki doesn't let go. "Oh, for heaven's sake, boy." Ice magic is whipped at him, freezing Hauza as he uses it to block. The cold stings through the metal and he has to drop it. "Now, why did you bother coming back, my little runaway?"
Tsuyu is on edge outside, noticing additional guards in this hall than the others they passed through. She tugs on Eijirou's tunic and directs his attention to a pair of shadows at the end of the hall. She grips his hand and Eijirou squeezes back. The shadowed figures match Tsuyu's description of the arena attackers and they are unarmed.
Ochako is packing her stuff back up, ready to hit the road again. She has to be more careful, being so close to Aquleia, but she needs to pass around it to get to the port cities and hitch a ride back to Dia. As she gets up, she sees something out of the corner of her eye. A dark figure with glowing golden eyes.
Katsuki dives right in, demanding answers about Etruria's connection to a resurrection of the Black Fang. His mother's expression looks haggard for just a moment before hardening. She explains that the rule of the Western Isles should never have left Etrurian control, piracy and criminals run rampant even after they developed their own government. Only Etruria can keep them in check with an iron grip. As for the Black Fang… she tells him to pick up Hauza, which has slowly been melting the ice encasing the blade. The tired look returns to her face as she raises her hand against him. His eyes widen and he dives for the blade as a dagger of ice flies his way.
The shadows at the end of the hall are getting closer, the taller with glowing gold eyes. The smaller makes a motion with her hand and the guards rush the group. Izuku and Tenya wrest a lance each from their attackers while Eijirou pushes Tsuyu back. He gets clipped with a lance for his trouble and Tsuyu flashes past him, procuring hidden daggers and killing the man instantly. She kicks the lance to him and takes up a defensive position as the dark pair approaches. In the light, it is easy to identify them as her and Ochako's attackers.
Darkest Moment
Jesus Christ, how are we supposed to wade through all this crap? Everything is just really shitty man
Katsuki keeps dodging the icy blades, slicing others, but careful not to touch them. The scar on his side pulls with his movements, a reminder of the last time he dealt with these attacks. Despite her title as the Burning General, she can't use fire on her son, as it powers him up and besides, who wants to burn down a perfectly good manor? He keeps pressing his questions, increasingly frustrated. She answers cryptically, but implies that she knows about Ochako and the Fang's connection. She seems distracted and he takes his chance, still not sure if he has the gumption to cut down his own mother, horrible as she was most of the time. As he closes in, she whispers to him, "They're here. You can stop this." The spell in her hands is fire, red and spiraling. "You always burned so bright, Katsuki."
Himiko bragging to Tsuyu and the others about how they've been tracking them all since the incident in Ostia, having gotten a tip in Thria. They have such potent quintessence, she just wants to rip it out of them and mold it as her own. Dabi reminds her that they showed themselves for a reason. Tsuyu cuts in, speaking up with only a small tremor in her voice. "What do you want with Ochako?!" Oh, it isn't what we want… it's what we need. She's a very special girl you see… Cue Katsuki being blasted through the doors, a backwash of flames following him.
His flight path knocks Izuku away from the rest of the group and as he struggles to get up he notices Himiko and Dabi, her voice high and irritating. Dabi's hands are out and the floor is glowing in patterns. Himiko: These look like good souvenirs, right, Katsuki dear? I'm sure your girlfriend would love… some motivation.
He stumbles to his feet, Eijirou, Tsuyu, Tenya, Himiko and Dabi flickering before his eyes. The teleportation spell completes and they are gone. The guards are still there and, with Hauza charged, he rushes for the exit, breaking anyone in his path. Izuku follows quickly, not entirely sure what just happened.
Ochako's feet dangle off the ground, a vice grip on her throat and flaming/wind-whipping hands having no effect on her assailant. Those gold eyes are round and empty as a flat feminine voice comes from beneath the cowl. "You are pitiful. To think we need you to complete the ceremony when I am all you could have been and more."
Scene 2 Power Within
nowhere but up from here, characters pull themselves up from the bootstraps
Eijirou, Tusyu and Tenya are thrown roughly into a cell, weapons and armor stripped from them. Eijirou gasps and curls into a ball. Tsuyu is at his side in an instant, rolling him over to assess his wound. Himiko cackles and taunts them, swinging the key around her finger. She tells them to try and keep their strength up until the guest of honor arrives; they need to put on a good show for Ochako's cooperation. Tenya calls her a witch and she just laughs darkly. He starts shredding his shirt to wrap Eijirou's wound, the redhead resting on Tsuyu's lap. They ignore Himiko until they start hearing screaming from the next cell over. It causes a chill to run down their spines and Tenya goes to peek out from between the bars. A hand is stretching out of the next cell, tense and convulsing. The coloring of skin pales and mottles blue and white until the screaming stops and the arm falls bonelessly. Himiko exits the cell a moment later, a smirk on her face, clutching a pinkish white… something that looks wispy, vaporous.
Izuku grabs Katsuki by the jacket as they keep running, dragging him back over to where they'd hitched Detroit, Gear and Kouka. Any escape would be easier by tenfold when flying. Katsuki is rustled by being told what to do, but the situation and adrenaline dampens his insults. They cut through the ties and Izuku slaps Detroit to make him run out into the town, yelling that he'll come back. He approaches Gear and talks quietly to him. The pegasus bumps its nose against Izuku's hand, understanding that they will be going to wherever Tenya is.
Izuku mounts Gear, only to find Kouka and Katsuki in a staring contest. "Look, you overgrown lizard, Ochako is being a dumbshit, Eijirou and Tsuyu are gone and you're gonna fucking get me there! No, I don't like you, but you're gonna have to trust me; that fucking redhead and his girlfriend are in trouble, dammit, and I'm not gonna let you carry me there in your sharp as shit claws! I'm riding you and that's it!" Kouka snaps at him making him screech, but she dips a shoulder down and he scrambles up. They start flying north just as the guards spill out of the doorway, dodging javelins and spears thrown their way.
Ochako is thrown to the stone floor, coughing and sore. When she looks up she sees her attacker, a pale shade of herself, with glowing golden made a morph from her quintessence that was taken in the forest. Twice arrives with Dabi and another morph. They demand her cooperation at the price of her friends' lives.
She stands, determined to save her friends and make a chance for them to escape. She doesn't know quite how, but she wants to sabotage their plans as well. Her life is forfeit anyway, she'll do whatever it takes.
Action
Charge!
Kouka is flying like a missile, Gear and Izuku are only just able to keep up. The forested island of Dia comes into view and Katsuki ignores the windburn and coldness of the sky and clouds they're flying through. He grits his teeth, trying to pick out where the hideout may be. Izuku yells over the wind rushing in his ears, are they sure they're in the right place? There's nothing but forests and mines here! Katsuki closes his eyes in frustration and takes a deep breath, when he feels a shudder go up his spine. He can feel festering dark magic down there and guides Kouka to dive, banking to get closer to where he felt it. His skin is crawling with the dark magic, an aversion due to his Healtouch ability, he thinks. It's similar to the forest where he found Ochako outside Ostia.
Twice sends Dabi out to 'greet' their guests. Some chatter about Eijirou and Tsuyu from Katsuki, Tenya from Izuku, and Dabi volunteers info on Ochako being present as well. The end is near for Elibe. Unfortunately for Dabi, his focus in magic is fire-based. Katsuki makes quick work of him and the pair run into the hideout, some abandoned ruins that are overgrown with vines and other flora.
Tsuyu places Eijirou's head on the ground carefully and makes her way toward the bars. Tenya questions her and she replies that though her daggers are gone, they didn't relieve her of all of her tools. She procures a set of lockpicks from the lining of her shirt and listens intently for a few moments before starting to pick at the lock. Tenya starts asking questions, but she cuts him off; she needs to hear to do this blind.
Twice villain-monologues at Ochako: Over two centuries ago, a man named Nergal used this brilliant technique to gather human quintessence, the life force of humans. The more potent came from the stout-hearted and strong populous, but when combined in its raw form, could be used to amplify the molder's powers or even… create life of its own. The possibilities were endless: recreating those the quintessence was taken from into a powerful shade of their past selves, enhancing strength and stamina, creating new bodies and life in whatever manner you sought fit. He even created a living magic seal! All these could been modified, emotions removed and memories implanted or erased; truly a virtuoso of the dark arts, the pinnacle of magic!
Katsuki and Izuku fight through guards as they come across them. Eventually the singular path branches off into three. Katsuki is begrudgingly working with Izuku and gives him a curt nod as Izuku wishes him luck down his path. Izuku heads down a different tunnel and wishes that the one Katsuki went down leads to Ochako. He ends up stumbling across the prison blocks when he hears a cell gate slam shut. Tsuyu and Tenya stare at him in wonder at how he found them. Tsuyu pushes the gate back open and asks if Izuku has an vulneraries on him. Izuku, always prepared, has an elixir (one better than a vulnerary).
Katsuki runs down the other path, only to find it end in a cave-in. There's a rumbling in the grounds and he sprints, panting back the way he came, slipping as he cuts the corner into the third shaft. The rumbling is getting louder and his desperation to stop whatever is going on reaches the pinnacle. The hall gets darker as the torches get further apart. There's a certain orange sheen that reminds him of his mother's fire, the flames that pushed him away from his childhood home, out of the castle after confronting 's a light ahead and he swipes Hauza through the last two torches to get the axe glowing red.
Converge
all the plots come together, everything is chaos
More Twice monologuing: Imagine using it on yourself, creating an army of clones and powerful allies, made to do your bidding, (insert stuff similar to his canon storyline, he may not be the original Twice), when you discover that there is another way to gather quintessence… another way to rip power from this world and the next. Are you familiar with The Scouring and its causes? (insert crazed plan to create a second Ending Winter, rip a hole in the fabric of dimensions and return dragons to Elibe)
Female voice cuts him off, the Burning General has arrived. She explains that she was grateful for their help in recovering the Western Isles from the inside, but this was not part of the deal. Even she can't stand by as someone threatens to return dragons and oversaturate the land with magic; the natural disasters would be too costly. She sends flames directly at Twice and morph-Ochako intercepts. Twice threatens Ochako into cooperating and fuels her internal hatred of Etrurians. Ochako is confused, but does attack in joint with her morph.
The Burning General's orange flames are brighter and hotter than Ochako's ever were and she finds herself leaning on her wind magic which is stronger. Her morph is using strictly dark magic, which has the advantage over anima. Twice keeps yelling in the background and the battle is breaking pillars and shaking the ground. She wonders if he didn't plan for this, a warmup round of powerful magic before the storm. She can see how similar Katsuki and his mother are and she finds herself wishing he was there, fighting with her. Surely, if they teamed up like they had in times past, they could take out Twice and stop everything.
Eijirou is on his feet, still a little tight where he was slashed, but otherwise able to move. They pick over weapons back the way they came and equip themselves best they can. When they reach the branch of halls, Himiko is there waiting. Tsuyu and Tenya attack first, being the fastest of the four. Tenya has a higher resistance than Tsuyu so the omnidirectional wave of black magic only slows his lance down; he still lands a hit on Himiko's arm. Tsuyu ducks without a second to spare, sliding under the wave and slashing at her ankles. The witch is equipped with a lancereaver, parrying Tenya's second attempt while blasting Tsuyu again. This one catches her off guard and she screams as she's thrown back into the wall next to Eijirou. Eijirou rushes, enraged (skill activated) and while Tenya tries to keep HImiko's blade engaged, stabs her in the shoulder. The force of the hit knocks her on her back, Eijirou kneeling over her. She leans up, embedding the blade deeper and comments on the color of his quintessence and how much brighter it got when that little girl got hurt and isn't that curious? She wonders what other colors she can make it turn.
The flames singe her skin and on instinct, Ochako reaches into the dark depths of her magic, firing a black miasma back. The magic overpowers the beginning of the Burning General's next spell, leaving her open and shocked when a dark arrow slices through her, courtesy of her morph. She watches in horror at herself as the ash blonde woman falls to the ground. In the distance, at the entrance to the chamber, stands Katsuki.
Scene 3 Battle
charge x2! Chaos x2!
Eijirou is shocked at the mixture of crazy and confident in Himiko's eyes which flick to Tsuyu who is just getting to her feet. Suddenly, he understands: she knows Nosferatu (health draining spell). He twists the lance in her shoulder and yells at Tsuyu to leave. Tenya must realize too, as he tells Izuku to find Katsuki and Ochako. Tsuyu doesn't want to go as Eijirou shifts to step on Himiko's hand that was starting to cast. Tenya steps between them, leaning on his lance heavily. Izuku takes Tsuyu's arm and starts taking her down the hall the noises are coming from.
Katsuki watches his mother fall in a flash of dark magic. Beyond her, two Ochakos stand, one impassive, the other shocked and both staring right at him. The one with golden eyes rushes him, but he's more concerned with reaching his mother, who is glowing and twitching. He ducks under the bile-inducing dark magic and is about to come into no-miss range of the morph when wind whips through the hall. It blows the morph off course and him to his knees, skidding to his mother. The real Ochako bursts into action, trading dark blows with her mirror.
Katsuki cradles his mother, watching the color drain from her, her lips tinting blue. The glow is concentrating around her chest, orange and warm-looking. He tries to force Healtouch, not sure what he's supposed to do. His mother's last few words to him are about finding his own way, the spark of good she always knew was in him will lead him to make the right choices. Things are hard right now and she's sorry she put him in this position, that she couldn't take care of her own messes. She only ever wanted him to be strong enough to see what he wants, seize it, and never let go. Or something.
The golden orange light is blinding and her body goes limp in his arms. It feels warm and familiar to Katsuki, but zooms away. Following it, he sees the orb in Twice's hands. Twice is cackling and exclaiming he's never see such a pure connection to the element of fire; the second End Winter might be the End Summer!
Tsuyu and Izuku arrive at the entry of the chamber.
Climax
Solution Mach 2 is put into use, and the chaos is quelled
Katsuki wants to get to Twice, but the orange light that is his mother's quintessence is absorbed into the stone table laid with five orbs. Four are lit: orange, blue, yellow and white. They don't have much time. The sounds of Ochako's magic sizzles in his ears and his stomach is rolling with the heavy dark magic. Movement attracts his eyes over to the entryway, where Izuku is with Tsuyu who has fallen to her knees, eyes locked on the magic duel before her.
It's clear that Ochako and her morph are even matches and while both are using dark magic, it is almost impossible to tell which is which. Izuku sees that Katsuki can't get very close, an ill look on his face, and makes the decision that something must be done. Katsuki is stuck at the crossroads, equidistant between the dark magic duel and Twice's table. Izuku guns it for the identical pair, hoping that he will strike the correct one, that he'll have some hint. Katsuki watches him as he starts to crackle with energy, a lightning based nature. He sees that the real Ochako's back is to Izuku. WIthout thinking, Katsuki dives, ignoring the cold sweat dark magic causes him. Izuku leaps over the pair and uses One for All on morph-Ochako.
Himiko's use of Nosferatu on Eijirou knocks him back, ripping open his newly healed wound. Tenya takes up the fight, as Eijirou looks on blearily. Tenya is doing alright, but the lancereaver and draining magic is starting to take its toll; he's getting slower and sloppier. Himiko all the while only addresses Eijirou, ignoring Tenya and focusing on picking apart the relationship between Eijirou and Tsuyu with wild but still fairly accurate conjecture. A large blast knocks Tenya back into a wall and knocks him out. Eijirou still hasn't been able to get up, but wraps a hand around the hilt of something. Himiko saunters over, licking blood off her blade and hovers over him. She's delivering another taunt when she coughs blood, eyes wide. Eijirou stands and lifts the axe he's taken hold of. Kouka is hovering behind Himiko, the mage girl's back crushed in her powerful jaws. Eijirou says she can't hurt anyone anymore, stealing life and threatening others, it all ends now. He drops the axe and there is a thud. He falls forward and Kouka's neck stretches down to catch him. He pats her lovingly and sits next to Tenya, Gear nuzzling his face.
Izuku is too injured to move as morph-Ochako's energy floats to Twice, a dark green. Twice has warped the injured Tsuyu to his side and holds her as a hostage. Katsuki suddenly gets a bad feeling. Twice beckons Ochako over as the final orb glows faintly, flickering with the impure energy of her morph self, too muddled with dark magic. Ochako straightens, but is clearly exhausted, red and black and purple marks covering nearly all of the skin exposed on her arms. She agrees to give herself up in return for Tsuyu, Katsuki and Izuku to go free. Twice cackles and accepts.
She starts to walk over, shoulders squared, but Katsuki grabs her wrist. He can't say anything, doesn't even know what to say. She looks back and just says his name softly, smiling. His grip is lax and she pulls her hand through, their fingers catching on each other. "I was never meant to touch the darkness, but I have. They forced me, but… I embraced it. This is my penance." As she slips out of his fingers, he sees there is a dark line tracing up her neck onto the edge of her jaw.
Resolution
the aftermath, the "happily-ever-after"… or not.
Ochako walks towards Twice, shedding her sleeves (is she still wearing them?). Tsuyu is holding her injuries and begging Ochako to not do this. Izuku is struggling to see what's going on, his energy completely drained from using his skill. Mizuki's body is cold and still. Katsuki gets to his feet slowly, arms limp at his sides. He doesn't know what to do. His mother is dead, Ochako is walking right into enemy hands, and whatever that asshole has been on about is about to happen.
Ochako reaches the stairs to the altar. She tells Twice to let Tsuyu go. Twice decides to humor her and tosses Tsuyu down the stairs. Ochako catches her before she can trip and fall, but pushes her away and towards Izuku before Tsuyu can get a grip on her. Tsuyu pleads with Ochako as Izuku struggles to get to his hands and knees to see. Ochako looks over her shoulder and smiles lopsidedly. "I hope you live long and happy lives. I was really glad to have met you. All of you." Twice holds out his hands for her and Ochako places hers over his.
It is the small tremor in her hands that snaps Katsuki out of it. He starts to move forward and there's a flash of light as he yells her name. A ring of fire taller than any she's produced climbs between Katsuki and Ochako. Twice admonishes her for wasting her energy, but deems that she only is useful for her wind affinity. Afterall, he got what he needed for fire from the Burning General.
Eijirou and Tenya stagger into the room. Eijirou sees Tsuyu and limps for her as fast as he can. They collapse together and stare at the red and gold flames lashing higher and higher and the green glow behind it.
Katsuki stares in shock at the wall of flames, shocked and perplexed. It looks like a clear message to stay away, but Ochako knows he's fine with fire. Does that mean she's giving him an opportunity to help?
Twice starts pulling at Ochako's magic, her life force, a murky green glow gathering between their hands. She grits her teeth and pours out all the dark magic she possesses, hoping to sully her energy as to make it unusable in his ceremony. His distraction at her green energy is cut when the dark green dyes near black. He looks up to see the energy hovering around Ochako, clinging to her skin, marring it black and purple. Her brown eyes are glowing hazel. This energy would be unuseable, but he can't cut their connection. He tries to pull his hands away, but the corrosive magic has sunk its hooks into him. Twice's hands are dying grey and black, shriveling under the force of her energy.
A masculine screech comes from the wall of fire and the creeping feeling of dark magic grips Katsuki's spine. He tightens his grip on Hauza and rushes forth through the flames. The miasma is thick and at the center of it all is Ochako, cloaked in pitch and purple. Twice is on his knees, looking decades older and grayer than he'd been minutes ago. Hauza gleams in the light of the flames, but as Katsuki takes a step forward, something in Ochako's dark magic stutters. The blackness coalesces into an orb, shrinking, shrinking, until it splinters. The backlash whips into Twice and strikes the tablet that holds the other orbs. The orbs shatter at contact and the explosion is too bright and too loud. The ruins rumble and debris rains from the air.
Katsuki opens his eyes to see the fire gone, Ochako lying motionless feet from him. Twice is on his knees, deteriorating, skin peeling, and eyes wild as he looks over his ceremony laid to waste. He's cackling maniacally as Ochako struggles to push herself up, she didn't save anyone, she only delayed what would come to be! And now for her treachery she would die to resurrect him, to build him a new body, and her friends would suffer the same fate. Katsuki moves to block the path between them, but Twice takes it as an opportunity.
Ochako watches in horror as Twice turns his lifetaking hands on Katsuki. Katsuki blocks the Nosferatu attack with Hauza, but something is wrong. Twice is using his ability to steal quintessence, not just the energy Nosferatu would take. It isn't long before Hauza loses its golden shine, the blade splintering. Katsuki drops the axe and as he looks up to see Twice cackling in victory, he's pushed to the side. Ochako is there and the green glow is back, bright and pure like the rolling fields in the Etrurian countryside.
"You want energy? Fine. I'll give you so much that you won't know what to do with it!" The glow gets brighter and brighter, but Katsuki can't look away. The wind is picking up and for a second he thinks Ochako is floating, aloft with her magic, the green waves sharpening into daggers and whips, cutting into Twice. The energy is coalescing and Katsuki feels anxious, because it is doing so outside of her body. Would she die if it shattered like the black energy? Before he can ponder further, he grabs her from behind, pulling her into his chest. The wind cuts at his arms and face and back, whipping his hair and drying his eyes. Twice is on his knees again, unmoving, but still breathing. "That's enough, Ochako. It's enough."
Katsuki looks at the fallen Hauza, dull and chipped, all the wear on the magical blade evident now that the imbued power is gone. As the light and wind dies down, Ochako slumps into his embrace. He holds her easily as he picks up his blade. He doesn't need the power of a magical object. He has his own. Ochako is tucked into his side as he holds the axe to Twice's throat. No expression is on the man's face, eyes vacant and skin grey and sunken in. Katsuki considers killing him, but someone will need to publicly atone for his mother's death and be the face of the corruption he will exterminate. If he's going to go back to Etruria to fix things, if he's going to make his own path, it truly starts here.
Twice is chained up and slouched in the corner, more dead than alive. A seal they find is applied to his chest, looking eerily similar to Ochako's tattoos. Ochako identifies it with some hesitance and is absolutely sure that it will stop magic. No one questions her how she knows this, but it is clear it was used on her or in front of watches over him, lance in hand. Izuku raids the base for supplies, finding some vulneraries which he begins to apply to himself and distribute to Eijirou and Tsuyu. The pair take their time applying the salve on each other's wounds until Eijirou brushes some over a cut on Tsuyu's cheek. She grasps his hand and holds it to her face. Nothing needs be said and Eijirou cups her other cheek and leans forward to kiss her forehead. When Izuku looks over to give some to Katsuki and Ochako, but pauses as they are still huddled on the altar. He decides to move the General's body from the way she fell to a more natural looking sleep.
Ochako is boneless and shuddering in his arms. She's wracked with sobs and is staring into nothingness, only muttering that it was over, over, finally over. He tries to get her attention, but no name works until her real one. He pushes her back as her shoulder stop shaking, eyes wide and wet. He takes her hand and hopes that this time, he can use the skill he inherited from his mother.
Her hands are made to skim the wind, commune with nature. His are for power and destruction. How ironic that she casts death and the deepest black and he glows pure and restores the world from her cuts. He holds her scarred and mottled hands, still soft, but in the way of worn books and leather. He concentrates only on this moment, only on her and her hands, smooth against his calluses. He can feel the spark in his chest move like liquid through his veins and into his palms and fingers. The white aura is there, pulsing and caressing her skin. Ochako is crying, eyes not leaving his face, paying no heed to the receding purples and blacks that mar her skin, the healthy peach that shines through. He just holds her hands tighter, leaning closer to press their foreheads together. "Katsuki…" "I have you."
Insert somewhere!
Somewhere in early act 2 or late act 1, a run in with the Bern guard. Make sure to bring it back or wrap it up in Act 3. Maybe faking their deaths? Setting Kouka free or at least trying to, but she doesn't want to leave them?