The Shadow Kingdom
Chapter 6: One Wild Ride
"Can't this piece of shit wagon go any faster?" Bakugo complained from the back. "I can walk faster than this."
"We may be in a hurry Bakugo but we can't afford careless mistakes." Todoroki told him riding side by side the wagon atop his own horse.
"We're making one right now by taking our sweet ass time." He grit his teeth in frustration. "Damn this is so fucking irritating. Why the hell do I have to sit and wait in this stupid cart when I could be miles ahead of you by now. I can rescue Usagi just fine all on my own."
"So says the one who lost to her in the tournament…" Sero muttered and Bakugo's temple throbbed and he jumped up in place and stood on the wagon.
"I heard that, flat face! You wanna go, then let's go! In fact i'll take you all on!" He mocked rolling up his sleeves and explosions popped along his skin.
"Stop with the explosions Bakugo, you're spooking the horses." Kirishima tried to call the situation down.
"Bakugo…" Shoto spoke up suddenly and Bakugo turned his rage face back to him.
"WHAT?!"
"How did you and Izumi meet?" He asked suddenly and strangely calm.
"Hah? Why the hell should I tell you?"
"Just curious is all. Dagohban's don't normally allow outsiders but Izumi seems to be a special case." Truth be told he wanted to divert the conversation so Bakugo wouldn't explode and send the horses into a fretful gallop.
"Tch…" He crossed his arms and sat back down. "I caught her in a trap."
"A trap?" This from Ochaco who took an interest in the story.
"Oh yeah I remember that!" Kirishima stated and looked to Sero before both started snickering. Bakugo's spine tingled and he went completely rigid.
"What's so funny?" Ochaco wanted to know.
"Sero and I were both there when we all met Midoriya for the first time. Let's just say it was an interesting first meeting."
~Flashback~
"Ow that hurts! I told you I'm not a pet! Let me go!" Little Izumi hobbled behind the small pack of boys pouting. They'd tied her wrists together and Bakugo was now pulling her along like a dog on a leash.
"Ne, Katsuki, do you really think your parents will let you keep her? I mean She's not an animal she's an outsider." Sero glanced back at Izumi who whined and complained the whole way.
"A pet is a pet. I caught her, so she's mine!" He stopped but yanked Izumi to him. "Geez you're slow, Usagi." He picked her up despite his small size and made her squeak.
"Kya! Put me down! This isn't funny!" She wiggled and landed on the ground with an oof when he dropped her. "Ow! Why do you have to be so mean Kacchan?"
"Ka-" Bakugo flushed a little as the guys snickered. "The hell did you just call me?"
"Kacchan… your name is Katsuki right?" She blinked her big green eyes at him. "It's a nickname I just made up." She giggled at his embarrassed expression, her smile bright and lighting up her whole face. "I think it suits you."
The smile and giggle had Bakugo going beat red and he tried to get words to come out but couldn't.
"Wow… I've never seen you turn that color, Kaaaaaaaachan." Sero teased with a snicker.
"Or that tongue tied. Has the almighty prince Bakugo actually met his match?" Kirishima wondered.
"Shut up! Don't call me that!" Bakugo whirled on the two of them. While his back was turned and his focus preoccupied Izumi started to work the vines off her hands. She smiled as they came loose and she stood up dusting herself off. While they argue amongst themselves she made a break for it and headed back to where she'd dropped her journal and bag.
"Well that worked, guess boys are the same no matter where you come from." She giggled.
"Ah, Hey Bakugo. Your pet just ran away." Kirishima pointed out. Bakugo whirled around and cursed.
"Damn Usagi, come back here you stupid rabbit!" He ran after her into the brush.
"Gonna have to catch me again first, Kacchan!" She shouted over her shoulder running as fast as her feet would carry her.
"Baka Usagi, don't call me that!" He retorted and managed to snag her by the back of her dress.
"I'll stop calling you Kacchan, once you stop calling me Usagi!" She countered. She slapped and shoved at him the two arguing as Bakugo tried to tug her in the direction of the tribe but met with iron resistance.
Both Kirishima and Sero stood on the side watching with great amusement as a new and odd friendship formed.
~end of flashback~
"I'm gonna murder you!" Bakugo screamed at the two laughing idiots. Shoto too had to hide his own amusement at the story.
"Awwww!" Ochaco went flushed and starry eyed. "That's so cute! Oh I wish I'd seen a little Midori-chan! She'd have been so cute!"
"Cute doesn't even begin to describe it. We ended up having to take her all the way back to the farm because Bakugo's mom and dad told him he couldn't keep her. So in the end Bakugo had to set his cute rabbit free. Still he made her promise to come out and play whenever he demanded in return for him letting her go. Midoriya has had Bakugo whipped ever since." Kaminari said joining the laughter.
"You bastards, this is the thanks I get for letting you losers tag along. I'll kill you!" He boiled his temple throbbing and face bright red with embarrassment.
"Oh get real, Bakugo. We've all seen your soft side thanks to Midoriya. No need to attempt to get your manhood back."
"Hey come on you guys Bakugo is manly. What's more manly than protecting your mate?" Kirishima defended earning a grunt of gratitude.
"You really think she'll want to come back after the way he treated her?" This from Shoto who had the reins of his horse fisted tightly in hand. He ignored the pissed off look from Bakugo but Kirishima just laughed and shrugged it off.
"Well yeah… I mean this isn't the first time they've been at odds. They've gone months without speaking, but they always come back to each other because they care for one another. Right, Bakugo?" Kirishima glanced over and Bakugo sniffed and suddenly took interest at the other side of the forest.
"I take care of what's mine… that's all. Fight or no fight nothing's changed. She's been mine since I caught her in that net," he slowly turned his eyes to Todoroki daring him to challenge his authority. "... and I won't let anyone take her from me."
~Izumi and Vanguard~
"It's so hot in here…" Izumi wiped sweat from her brow. "Are you guys sure that volcano isn't active?"
"Absolutely!" Twice shouted and then curled up in thought. "Probably…"
"Its not active… the heat you're feeling is from the Dragon nest." Compress explained calmly lifting his face mask up just enough to wipe some of the sweat away from his eyes.
"Did you say dragon?" Izumi tensed up. "You mean we're walking straight into a dragon's nest?"
"Relax… it's hibernating season. So long as we don't make too much noise and fuss it will ignore us." Dabi assured her. "Besides the large mouth of that cavern they use is the only exit that our comrades aren't guarding. It's our best option for getting you out of here."
Izumi grumbled and played with her fingers nervously. How the hell had she gotten herself into this mess? Why couldn't things go smoothly for once? Seems like every time she thought something was going her way, something diverted it and tripped her up.
It took them another fifteen minutes to reach the opening of the volcano. Izumi could see the break in the mountain and the slight breeze flowing in through the mouth. She let out a long sigh of relief… but immediately tensed up when movement caught her eye.
"DRA-" She started to shout but Dabi slapped his hand over her mouth.
"Shh…" the large red dragon shifted but immediately curled back into sleep. "No loud noise, don't touch it, don't bother it, and it won't eat you." He nodded his head to the right motioning her to go around.
Izumi numbly nodded and slowly let out a breath. She kept her eyes on the dragon, careful to step around the sprawled out portions of its body.
Ahead of her Toga leapt nimbly over its swinging tail and Izumi quickly backed up and away to avoid it, her back slamming against the wall of the cavern. She let out a shaky breath her eyes wide and face pale with fear.
Don't look at it! She shouted at herself and turned her back to the dragon. If you just pretend it's not there then you can just ignore it. Ignore the dragon, get out of the cave… get…
Her thoughts drifted off as her gaze took a look at the grooves of the wall. She backed up just enough to look up. She immediately recognized the figure depicted on the mural.
"Nomu… what is this?" Her eyes wandered around at the pictures taking in the scene of a battle. On the left was the god of creation, a figure of strength and ambiguity, on the right was the hooded form of death, and from its hand it held strength attached to Nomu's shadowy form, but a few were snapped showing that even death could not control it's monstrous beast. The battle was death and despair incognite… but at the center was a single figure glowing like a beacon. Her fingers brush over the aura and the shadowed person that couldn't be deciphered from man or woman.
"Is that me?" She murmured and then looked down at the wording below written in ancient script. She bit her thumbnail as she tried to translate it.
Nomu shall rise again!
Awakened from it's sleep by the screams of new life, it shall rage upon the mortal world bringing forth death and destruction as it was created to do.
The chosen hero shall step forth from the decay, willingly sacrificing it's light to bring about peace and rise the sun in the realm of shadow.
It is not power that strengthens the hero… it is not death that defeats Nomu.
The balance must be maintained.
It is not death… Izumi read the phrase over and over again her eyes focused and mouth murmuring the words. Why did she keep seeing that phrase repeated? After reading through more journals it wasn't just the first user who quoted this. It was an important piece of information… but why? What did it mean!?
"Hmmm?" Toga stopped walking to glance back at Izumi who was frozen in front of the mural. "What is the cute girl doing, Dabi?
"She's pissing me off that's what." Dabi grunted and tapped his fingers on his arm impatiently. He took a wary glance at the dragon before stomping back to Izumi. "Oi, princess bookworm, let's go. We don't have time to dilly dally."
He grit his teeth when she ignored him. Izumi was far gone from the present, her mind scratching at the surface of what she was sure was some kind of breakthru.
"Not death… if it's not death, then does that mean life will defeat it? Life… Death… balance…" Her eyes suddenly lit as she touched her belly. "This life?" She shook her head. "No, no that doesn't make sense. I won't give birth for at least 7 more months and Nomu is already breaking free. Which means it has to be something else… Death… death created Nomu, and you can't kill something that's already dead. So what can you do to it?"
Her eyes scanned the mural, and eyed the various figures… humanity vs. monster… God of Life vs. God of Death… Light Vs. Shadow…
"Light… the prophecy says a hero must sacrifice their light not their life." She looked up to the god of gods. "Light… a light to match against the dark… not to kill… Holy Crap That's IT!" She whirled around her eyes sparkling as she looked at Dabi. "The light doesn't kill! It's not meant to kill, it's meant to purify!"
"What the hell are you so excited and stupidly happy about? You just spent a good half an hour staring at that wall muttering to yourself."
"Oh Dabi don't you see… this is my answer! Oh I gotta write this down!" She pulled out her journal and started writing hurriedly. "I can't believe I didn't think of this before. I was so focused on destroying the dark that I didn't think about the balance. Killing will just result in more death, but purification, a light to match the dark and bring balance! There's gotta be some kind of spell for that, right? Maybe Ochaco knows something, or-"
She drifted off when she lost her lighting for writing. She lifted her head seeing Dabi glowering at her… but it wasn't the annoyed ex-prince that made her suddenly go pale.
"D-D-D…"
"D-D-D… Damn it you're annoying!" Dabi stomped too to toe with her shivering form. He reached out for her. "Stop writing and let's-"
"DRAGON!" Izumi pointed behind Dabi and the group whirled around staring at the dragon that now stood tall and grumbledover them. It's gold eyes slit in their direction and let out a monstrous roar.
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Dabi hoisted up Izumi over his shoulder and the group made a break for the exit.
The sounds of the dragon coming up from behind were thunderous and foreboding. Izumi risked a glance up and squeaked seeing the massive beast spread its wings. Knocking into rock and making the mountain shake.
"Faster! Must go faster!"
"I don't want to hear that from you, you mumbling twit!" Dabi retorted. He glanced back at the dragon gaining and shouted out. "Compress!"
"Rodger!" Compress snapped his fingers and the group of them vanished from sight just as they broke free of the cavern exit. When the dragon breached the opening and took to the sky, the whipped like a hurricane. Its eyes narrowed searching for its prey.
Compress released his hold on the group the lot of them reappearing at the cavern entrance. Toga shakily got to her feet and stared up at the soaring dragon above.
"Wha ha, that was scary. I thought he would kill us."
"What was that? Was that your magic Compress?" Izumi blinked in wonder.
"Yes," he let out a slow sigh of relief at narrowly missing his timing. "I have several other tricks and illusions I use but what you saw is what I call instant compression. It's a form of manipulation."
"Oh I see…" since her notebook was still in hand she used a fresh page to write that down. "Fascinating."
A roar from above had them all on edge again.
"We're not in the clear yet. He's circling back. Quick into the trees! Make a run for it!" Dabi ordered and pit Izumi on her feet. Izumi jammed her notebook back on her satchel and ran when Dabi snagged her hand and pulled her into the brush.
~Meanwhile~
"Why are we stopping yet again? You losers are really missing me off." Bakugo jumped from the wagon and stare up at the mountain. We're close… I can smell it."
"I know, that's precisely why we're stopping. I don't want to take the horses any further in." Shoto explained and looked around the clearing they'd pulled into. "We'll walk from here."
"Oh joy…" Ochaco groaned and pat her seat. "How bout Tsuyu chan and I just sit and watch the cart?" She sighed heavily. "I'd just be in your way like I was last time."
"Ochaco?" Tsuyu croaked. "No one is blaming you."
"I know that I'm just saying at my current level I won't be any good in a fight." Though that, Ochaco thought with a firm look, was something she was determined to change. The ground rumbled under their feet causing the horses to stir and whine. Shoto held the reins of his mare petting her and trying to soothe.
"What the hell was that?" Shinso looked around. Out of habit the group of Dagohban's formed a circle for protection around the group.
"Up there!" Bakugo's eyes narrowed above them at the wide cavern entrance. They witness the massive dragon coming out of the mountain crying out a monstrous roar.
"Wow! It's a real dragon! I've never seen one up close before!" Ochaco's eyes sparkled with wonder.
"This is odd…" Sir Might murmured.
"Indeed…" Torino agreed. "Dragons normally hibernate during this time of year. Something must have woken it."
Bakugo suddenly went on high alert as every muscle of his body began to tingle. He curled his fingers and cracked a few.
"Something else is coming. I smell humans…" His eyes narrowed on a slight gap in the brush.
Todoroki stood beside his group his sword out and ice at the ready. Iida too unsheathed his sword as the women steadied the timid horses.
What broke from the brush had the entire group blinking in surprise.
"What the-" Iida started.
"- fucking Hell?" Bakugo finished twitching.
"Izumi?!" Shoto gawked watching this rag tag group run right for them, hostage in tow.
"Don't just stand there looking stupid, you idiots!" Dabi insulted and pointed up at the red dragon coming up behind them. "RUN!"
As the group broke through the rest turned to follow suit. The dragon soared overhead, most ducking down to avoid being hit.
"Dabi don't you think now would be a good time to remove my magic cuffs!" Izumi shouted at him, her legs aching from the running and her stamina starting to wane.
"You really think we have time to stop and- SHIT!" He jerked as the dragon talon narrowly missed his head. He gasped when his hand jerked upright and Izumi's hand slipped right through his as the dragon's talon had snagged its prey. "Bookworm!"
"Eh?" Izumi felt her feet leave ground and glanced up, the strap of her bag caught on one of the large talons. "EH!?"
"Izumi!" Shoto stood upright running after his fire blazing.
"No, your highness! You might hit her by accident!" Iida grabbed his arm.
"Then what do you propose we do? We gotta go after her!" In a panic he continued to run just to keep her in sight. He shouted with absolute dread. "IZUMI!"
"SHOTO!" Izumi screamed from above. The strap of her bag was rubbing on the sharp claw and was starting to tear. She stare down at the ground her face pale with fear. Without her magic there was no way she could survive the fall. "No, no, no… please god no! AHHH!" The last threads ripped and she fell herself free fall.
"IZUMI!" Shoto screamed in absolute dread watching helplessly as she dropped like a stone from the sky.
"USELESS FOOLS!" Bakugo rushed ahead his hands blasting under him like rockets and propelling him upward. He caught Izumi in his arms and cradled her close. He had an instant to inhale her scent and relish it before he felt himself free falling again. Cradling her close he braced for it, landing on the top branch of the tree which instantly gave way to their combined weight. That sudden impact was enough to slow the descent enough and have him leap from branch to branch and land safely to the ground.
He let out a slow sigh of relief and smiled at the trembling mess in his arms. Her eyes shut tight, face white as a sheet and covered with a cold sweat, but she was safe. Here was his mate… his Usagi. Finally… he found her again.
"YEAH!" Kirishima shouted and pumped his fists. "There's our future chief! Way to go, Bakugo!"
Izumi, whom had just clutched onto the warmth without looking, tensed up when she heard the name. Her head slowly raised up and eyes open to stare up at the face smirking down at her.
"Bakugo… Kacchan?"
"For crying out loud." He slowly set her down onto her feet but kept her close to him. "First you get yourself kidnapped, and then go get chased and nearly carried off by a damn dragon. Just what the hell am I gonna do with you, baka Usagi?"
Tears filled her eyes and her shaky hands slowly reach up cupping his face.
"Am I dreaming? Did I die? Or are you really here in front of me?"
"You're not dead Usagi…" he held her hand on his cheek. "...and this sure as hell ain't no dream. So be grateful, yah damn rabbit."
"Kacchan!" Tears fell like rain down her face and she leapt up hugging him tightly and sobbing. "You're really here! You're really here!"
"Yeah, yeah I am…" He stroked her back and held her to him. He closed his eyes breathing her in and he murmured softly so only she would hear. "I'm sorry. I won't shove you out again. So don't lie to me ever again."
She nodded and held on not knowing what else to do.
"Good… now stop yer crying." He lifted his head, spotting Todoroki who glowered at them, hands clenched into fists at his side. He couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. "From now on, I'm going to take care of you."
~Ask Briry~
Briry: LONG TIME NO SEE FAITHFUL READERS! I blame addictive sports anime… curse you Haikyuu! why do you have to be so goddamn irresistible?
Next Chapter: The Prophecy