Chapter 1: Engagement? Escape!
I'm back weebs! I hope you liked it so far, it's only my second story. Enjoy guys, and stay imperfect! Note: Italics equal dream, flashback, or thoughts. Italics and underline mean dream or flashback, and thoughts.
Bakugo's POV
I almost blow up the entire room. "Old man, are you freaking kidding me?!" I scream at my father. He doesn't even flinch, unlike most people I scream at. They're afraid I'll kill them with one look. I wish. "You need a queen to rule the kingdom. That has been the rule of our family for generations, Katsuki." Father says. I grit my teeth. I hate how father calls me by my first name. Like a taunt, I'm the king. I can do whatever I want. He does it to everyone, he's like a child. It really bothers all the children of the court, or teens my age that are forced to go to court because of their parents. "Shut up old man. I'm not going to marry Uraraka." I mumble quietly. Father scoffs. "Speak loud and proud Katsuki! And about the girl... As Prince of U.A, you will, whether you like it or not."
I sigh. When he get's like this, there's no arguing with him, unless you want to spend the night in the dungeon. And trust me when I say... YOU DON'T!"Remember to bring your sword," he smirks. "The ladies just love a warrior." Then he walks away, chuckling to himself, like the bastard he is. I am now at the point where the dungeon doesn't seem so bad, as long as I can get away from Father. When I'm king, I'm gonna put him in the dungeon. See how he likes being in there for weeks without food. Not fun, is it? I begrudgingly strap my sword to my belt. Not for Uraraka or even Father. I just like it, and if Father let me, I'd sleep with my sword on.
I walk into the Great Hall to meet with the rest of the court. All the lords, ladies, and children of the court are there. The five lords are, Lord Uraraka, Lord Endeavor, Lord Yaoyorozu, Lord Iida, and Lord Kaminari. Three of them have sons my age who are also training to be knights for the Royal Army. The other two have daughters, one of which is Uraraka, who I'm forced to marry. Seated at the front were two thrones, one golden, one a metallic blood red. One for Father, one for me. As I pass Lord Uraraka and his daughter I smile at her, hoping to ease her mind. She gives me a small, cute smile back, but her father glares at her. Uraraka keeps a neutral look on her face, but I've known her long enough to know she's scared. And I got her in trouble. I always seem to, one way or another.
"We are gathered here today," Father starts. Damnnit, do you have to make it sound like a wedding old man?! We're not married yet at least. Let me have my last ounces of freedom, before I have a queen nagging at me day-in day-out. "To make a very important announcement." Father says in his, "I'm your king, you respect me, or die." voice. Your a king, act like it. he says. "My son Katsuki, and Uraraka's daughter Ochako, will be married very soon! By next spring, they'll have come of age!" And there it is. The end of my life, as I know it. The lords son's glance at me like, Sorry Bakugo, but we all have to go sometimes. We joke about our future wives a lot, but never actually realize what it'll be like. Todoroki has his fiancé, but he wanted to be with her anyway. Iida is just hopelessly oblivious to every girl... and let's not go into Kaminari for now. He's... different, in more ways than one.
When Father finishes, I hear some cheers coming from Uraraka's family, and even some moans from the other un-married daughters of the court. The whole court is making some kind of noise, some of which I find disturbing. Most of them are lower ranking, and are total bitches. They wanted to be queen a lot more than Uraraka does. It's not her choice as much as it isn't mine. At least, I think... Whatever, I think. They just want the throne, they don't care about me. Uraraka probably cares at least a bit about me... My mind trails off to her. It never did that until I learned about our betrothal, but it's not like that! I swear...
Uraraka turns away, and I realize I was staring. I turn away, but I can't get her image out of my frickin head! I bet the old man out some Black Magic on me so I think stuff like that. I don't like Uraraka, we're childhood friends. Yeah, that's all, but... Uraraka... Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this but here I go. She looks pretty in that dress, but the short (not in a perverted way) back skirt, with a pink and black shirt suits her better than her audience-with-the-king clothes. I bet she thinks so too... Wait, I think as I see Uraraka going to leave. Do I...? No we're friends, just friends. I remind myself again, and again. I can rule without a queen... but do I really want to? I think as she slips out the door. Where is she going? Her father doesn't seem to have noticed her go. He's to busy talking about money and power with the old man, and getting drunk. I won't get her into more trouble then I already did. I think. I don't know what happens in the Uraraka family for a punishment, but if it's anything like the palace dungeon... it's not pretty.
Midoriya's POV (Oh yeah!)
An image swirls around my brain. I see a small boy running towards the playground. "Hi, I'm Izuku, what's your name?" The boy smiles. No one ever talked to him so casually before. "I'm Katsuki." he says. "Okay, Kacchan. Bet you can't catch me!" I holler. We play for hours and at last, find two wooden sticks. "Let's battle!" we shout together. Kacchan was really good, and beat in no time. "Izuku? More like Deku! That means useless, someone who can't do anything." "That's mean Kacchan." I say sadly. Kacchan ignores me. "I have what it takes to be a real knight!" A knight, so I can beat Kacchan. I think. That was my motive. And so my training began. I would become a knight. I saw Kacchan at the playground sometimes, but I saw him less and less. And each time he came with bigger, and meaner friends. One day he stopped coming, and I still stop by to see if he's there. Inside, I know he isn't.
The image shifts. Later on, in junior high, Kacchan would visit the class. I didn't know until then, he was Prince Bakugo, but I treated him the same. "Kacchan, remember me?" He looks at me. "Deku... you're a... civilian?" I nod. "And your a prince, huh? I guess that should explain your skill with a sword." I say. My classmates stare, watching me talk so normally with the teen they've idolized since childhood. "One day, I'll be as good as you!" I smile. He shakes his head in disgust. "You will NEVER be a knight." he says. Kacchan's words sting. Burt I keep trying. I'll get there one day. Just as I told Kacchan. Now I've graduated junior high. I still have the same dream. And I will do anything to make it come true.
"Izuku! Wake up, we need to open up shop!" yells Mom. I open my eyes. I love that dream. It reminds me of all my hard work and determination. Everything I've done to get here. All those years, and I've finally come of age. I can finally fill out the form for the Royal Army trainee course, my first step to becoming a knight. And I will become a knight. "Coming Mom!" I shout down the wooden stairs. After I finish my chores for the day, I'm going to the woods to practice my knight skills. To be accepted as a knight in the Royal Army is no easy task, but it's my childhood dream.
After having breakfast, I sweep the floor, and turn the "Welcome" sign. "Mom, I'm going out!" I call from the bottom of the stairs. "Again? Where have you been going?" she asks. Great, I can't tell her. Mom is just like all the rest of them, telling me to quit, to try something else. I know she cares, she just doesn't want to see me get hurt physically and mentally, because we don't have enough money. I can't give up though. Because I want to be a knight more than anything else in the world. So I'm forced to lie. "I...I'm looking something." I say quickly. Before she can even decide if it's the truth or not, I'm out the door, and into the trees. My favorite place, away from society. They just don't get me, I think. And they never will, says a voice inn the back of my head.
I go deep into the forest, where no one will see. I'm self-taught, so it's a little embarrassing. My family never had enough money to pay for lessons like all the other village kids my age. Especially the girls, they were so fast and agile. However, being poor isn't my problem. Being rejected is. I won't... no. I can't be rejected anymore. Under a tree I marked with my initials, is a sword I bought with three years of savings. Made of real steel and a gold hilt, almost as fine as the swords of the Royal Army trainees. Three years... it was worth it. I've gotten so much experience from this sword, and it's my most prized possession. My dream depends on it, so naturally no one else knows where it is, or that it even exists.
Sword in hand, I begin to practice. Just like how Kacchan did the first time we met. I've studied sword fighting and I think I'm getting better. Still not good enough to beat Kacchan though. I slash my sword in a diagonal line to get my fake opponent by surprise. Then I flick my wrist to catch their arm. If this person was real, they would have lost an arm, and have a scar across their chest, about one centimeter deep, and 30 centimeters long. I take all these notes, making sure I make no mistakes. There is no room for failure for a knight, even if they're still training. Thank All Mighty no one was watching. They would've thought I was crazy, for muttering all of this to myself. It's a habit, and it helps make sure I know what I did right, and what I did wrong.
I'm about to plunge my sword, that I named All Mighty, into my fake opponents heart. This was it, the final blow, the FATAL blow. Then, I hear footsteps. I stop, jumping behind a tree. People from the village don't usually come around here. It couldn't have been an animal, the noises sounded human. I think nervously. Could it be... Kacchan? No, he's a prince he wouldn't be all the way out here, no one from the court would. I sigh, remembering my old friend. I bet he doesn't even remember that I exist. Looking out, I see a girl about my age, sitting beside the river. I guess I've never seen it before, I'm always to focused on training. The place is beautiful, and it looks like she belongs there. Right there, out in nature. She wears a cute black skirt, and a black and pink top.
A small, red bird hops over to her. "Hey little one," she says in a high voice. "How come your all the way down here?" The red bird points it's beak at it's broken wing. "Oh poor thing! Your grounded! I wish I could help you, but so am I." The bird nuzzles against her finger, urging her to try. "Okay, where do you live?" The bird points it's beak at nest, high up in the trees. There's no way she could climb up there. I think. She'd need to me a Royal Army train... Before I can finish my thought... The girl cups it in her hands and climbs the tree. She scratches her knee, but she keeps going. I can see blood fall to the ground. Once she places the bird in the nest, she climbs back down, just as quick as she went up. The bird whistles a thank you. "No problem." she says.
All the while, I'm staring, awestruck. She's kind, and strong enough to be a knight? If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up! I think. I have to meet this girl. I think. Just as I start to walk towards her, I crunch on a leaf. Crap! She turns around, and I hide behind the tree, even though I wanted to meet her, wanted to talk to her. I catch a glimpse of her face and realize why. My heart ran before my brain had a chance to react. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. It wasn't because she was scary though... Not only was she kind and strong, she's beautiful. Her warm amber eyes, scared as they dart around. Her brown hair bobs as she hurries away.
"Good bye little bird! Maybe one day we can both learn to fly." she says. Her words were poetic, but before I can voice this feeling she's gone. Dang it, I scared her away! And I never even learned her name... I think. In an instant, I became obsessed. I made a vow to myself. When I become a knight, I will find her. I memorize her face as I walk away, picking up All Mighty. I check my watch. I would've gone home already, but... I have to become a knight. I pick up All Mighty. I have a lot of work to do, if I'm going to be good enough for the Entrance Exam for the Royal Army trainees. I realize something, as I continue to practice. This girl, I'm amazed by her. I will see her again. you can bet on it!
Okay, that's a wrap on Chapter One. I hop you became more educated about the story and it's characters. See you in the next one! Stay imperfect!