Chapter 16_A Restless Night

Chapter Summary: Despite their physical and mental exhaustion, neither Shouta nor the dwarfs can sleep. Shouta gets up to clear his head and meets the Queen.

Wildflowers that had been reaching towards the sun just hours before wilted, their petals shriveling dry. They let out a loud CRUNCH as a foot stepped over them.
The creatures were dark, but not in the way most would think. In fact, the beings that lurched across the dying field came in an array of colors, bright and otherwise. Yet even the most luminescent color only inspired feelings of dread. Demons were "dark" but not in a lack of light way, though they did happen to be missing another sort of light. There was no life in their eyes, no emotions, no will—nothing. An old shoe with holes had more of a soul than them.
They didn't have any empathy for the flowers that wilted and died from their mere presence. They didn't think about the animals they slaughtered with barely a flicker of movement.
All they had was one thought, one single thought that dragged them forward as if pulled on a leash;
"Find Snow White."
Nothing else mattered. There was nothing other than that compulsion- "Find Snow White, bring back his heart." The rest was obsolete and did not matter.
The magical command pulled them through dirt, mud, and blood. The only place they hesitated was once they were in the Daemonium forest, and that was because they had a message to give.
"Soon, you will no longer wait."
The forest was glad to hear this and gave the hallow husks no trouble.

The journey seemed long, but it actually went by quickly. In almost no time at all, the empty beings arrived at the base of the mountain.

A bell rang in their minds.

He was here.

He was in the mountain.

"Sn…..ow….wh….ite…."

The words came like a chilling breeze filled with ice. With their prey close, they made to find an entrance to the cordillera.

CAWWW!

Those who had heads lifted them just in time to see a fury of feathers.

777

Though exhaustion—mental, physical, and emotional—should have claimed him easily and dragged him into the darkness of dreamless sleep, he wasn't. Instead, the fair prince found himself tossing and turning instead. His brain was so foggy he was unsure if he had fallen into a restless sleep or never rested at all.
Despite wishing for a blank, empty mind Shouta thoughts were filled with a torrent of things;
Such as his stepfather, who was always cruel, but for the most part, uninterested in him. Then there was the demon bat who had swept him off the ground and would have devoured him if not for the demon bird who saved him. He then found himself wondering where the bird was and if it was alright. His mind then inevitably drifted to his dear Hizashi, who was being tortured at this very moment. And if Shouta would be able to save him before it was too late.

He then thought about each and every one of the dwarfin children and how they were almost killed in the forest twice. He remembered their frightened faces as they fought helplessly against the water, Toru screaming as he was unable to find her. Then there was the final attack of the woods where they were almost crushed-

With a snarl, Shouta sat up in his bed and tossed the sheets aside. Then he leaned forward and pressed his hands against his head, trying to shove every emotion in his brain away.

It was hard. This whole time, Shouta was useless, having to be saved by luck or some other force. Hell, the entire reason this mess began was that Hizashi was trying to protect him.

Soon they would have to pass through the imp territory. Thanks to Shouta's talk with Fatgum, he was uneasy about this. The best option would be for them to try and sneak past the imps, but knowing his luck, he would have to fight. And with his lack of skills, he'd lose. The kids might be able to fight with their quirks, but only Denki and maybe Momo had powers that could be combative. However, something happened to Denki, so he couldn't use large blasts anymore, and Momo exhausted herself really fast. Therefore, he didn't know how good they would be in a fight. All that aside, Shouta was the adult. He should be protecting them, not the other way around.

Shouta almost yanked out his hair. He hated this. He hated being powerless, being useless. But what could he do? Scrub his way through the plains?

'Fucking Shigaraki… All of this because a mad man wants my heart, just so he could…' A thought crossed his mind.

All of this was because Shigaraki wanted this "Erasure" power he had. A power that was a threat to the king.

A light lit in his brain. 'Maybe...'

Shouta stood and walked to a large round mirror sitting along a back wall. The mirror did its job and reflected his face, but Shouta almost wished it didn't. His face had stubble now, and his eyes had bags under them from exhaustion. Hizashi always called him the "fairest one of all." Would he say that now?

Shouta pulled his thoughts away from Hizashi as he recalled what Chiyo said about his powers.

"It's a power that allows you to nullify magic completely. It's a rare form of wizard magic. Only instead of drawing energy and converting it into power, it cuts magic from its source. Any spell or curse, your powers will dispel it. It's not honed very well yet, so it'll only work for a small amount of time."

'She said it's not "honed very well" yet. Does that mean I can hone it at all?' He doubted it, but if he could, then maybe—but how?

Shouta closed his eyes.

Hizashi sometimes used magic when talking to animals, such as when he enchanted his mare to carry Shouta off. He used some spell words, but the hunter told him that those weren't important; what mattered was the power and focus. In Hizashi's case, he concentrated his power into his voice. The words just made it easier. So maybe if Shouta just focused…

He tried some of the words Hizashi would use occassionally, but they felt weird on his tongue—not to mention they just didn't work. He glared deeper at his reflection, hating everything.

'Come on, come on! Do some-' "Yeowch!"

Just then, his eyes flashed red as a stinging pain consumed his eyeballs. Shouta hissed and stumbled back, clutching his optics.

'What was that?!' Was that his Erasure? Why did it hurt so much?! What good was that?!

Thinking back, he had felt this pain a few times before. Was he unknowingly using his power all this time? Chiyo hinted at it, but he didn't believe it.

"Well, at least something happened."

He practiced a few more times until it felt like knives were stabbing his eyes. Rationally he should have tried to return to bed and sleep so they could travel tomorrow. However, his body and mind wouldn't allow that right now. So, he decided that it would be best to move around a bit, calm his mind and tire his body, even though by all accounts both should be exhausted already. Maybe it was some leftover adrenaline?
Whatever the reason, he decided to for a walk. If nothing else, he should check on the kids. He stepped out.

The hall was empty, other than the silence that pressed on him.

Tap, tap, tap.

Every footstep seemed to echo, bouncing off the large walls. A sudden chill filled Shouta's bones as he shuddered. He was thankful for the torchlights, as dim as they were.

His fingers traced along the wall as he walked, brushing over both rough and smooth gems of all colors.

The crystals that decorated the wall were spectacular. They weren't as glittery as the ones in the dwarfs' mine, but Shouta like that he could look at them without going blind and could actually enjoy their beauty.

"Hmmm? Someone's up late." Shouta nearly leaped out of his skin. He turned, his hair whipping with the sudden speed. Behind him stood the Queen, her eyes glinting in the faint firelight. He swallowed, hoping to push down his nerves.

"Your majesty." he greeted. Himiko returned this with a nod. She approached, almost skipping, a light hum on her lips.

"You must have had a long day," she cooed. "Is your room not to your liking?" Shouta shook his head.

"No, it's not that… I was just checking in on the kids," he said. Himiko giggled.

"Ah, a bit of a nanny troll, hm?" Shouta didn't deny this. He did feel like a nanny, though he wasn't sure if "nanny trolls" were the same as human nannies. "I don't blame you. They really are cute."

She stopped by his side.

"Would you mind a little detour first?" It wasn't a question nor a request. Not wanting to insult their host—especially when she could execute them-Shouta followed the unspoken order.

He followed her, his heart beating against tense muscles. The Queen didn't move as a royal should. Instead, she bounced around like a teenager who was giddy about something. This unnerved the man more than anything, but he couldn't place why.

"So!" She said in a sing-song voice. "How are you enjoying your stay?" Shouta jumped when he was addressed.

"The accommodations are very nice," he said politely.

"So you like it here?"

"It's been—pleasant…" It was hard to find the words to speak. Shouta knew he had to choose his words carefully, lest he end up on an executioner's block for saying the wrong thing. Royals were—touchie, in that way. Himiko let out a pleased sound.

"I'm glad! I hope you'll stay here for a long time." Shouta shook his head.

"The offer is kind, but we really can't stay. We have to get to the elfs." The Queen tapped her chin.

"Ah, yes. You mentioned that… But are you sure they're even alive still?" Shouta came to a stop.

"What do you mean?" he asked, brows knotting together.

"Oh! You don't know?" The look on her face said she knew full well that Shouta had no idea what she was talking about.

"Well—" She leaned in closer. Instinctively, Shouta pulled back. "Ever since Endeavor became the leader of the imps, he and his kind have been raging a war against the elfs. Been going on for nearly a hundred years now."

"Why?"

The ruler of the troll folk shrugged. "Dunno, don't care. Pride, probably. Elfs did use to one-up them all the time back in the day. Of course, it could just be their nature. It's said that they have a fire in them that wants to destroy everything," she batted a loose strand of hair from her face. "But the whys don't matter, what matters is that nobody has seen an elf in nearly an eon, and no one has made it to their valley in that time. Even if you do make it across the tundra and the imps, chances are that after all this time, none of them still exist."

Shouta nearly fell over. No, that couldn't be true. They were his only hope to save Hizashi! If they weren't there, then…!

The human shook his head, exhaustion making him sway.

"I should get-" His back hit the wall as the Queen leaned into his personal space. Without any warning, she started to pet his ebony hair and breathed a hot breath on his neck. Shouta shivered, but not for the same reasons he would be if Hizashi were doing the deed.

"I really do adore your eyes," Himiko said with an airy sigh. "They remind me of blood."

Before Shouta could do or say anything, a tremor went through his body, and he fell limp to the floor.

'What the-?!'

The Queen continued to speak. "Most Imps have red eyes too, but they're red like fire. Not nearly as pretty as the red fresh from the vein."

He couldn't move at all! He was completely paralyzed. All he could move was his mouth and even that was a struggle.

"What...did you do?" The Queen giggled as she knelt beside him.

"Like my comb?" She tapped something in Shouta's hair. "I dipped it in my own special brew that I used to kill the last queen—she didn't have any blood, sadly, so it wasn't any fun at all." She seemed genuinely sad as she said this. "You see trolls don't bleed at all; we are made of the earth's soil. It's such a shame, really. I've always found blood to be so beautiful and tasty." As she spoke, a dagger raked across Shouta's arm. He couldn't even shiver. "Yours is especially pretty against your snow-white skin. But then again, everything about you is very... captivating." Shouta wanted to shove her away from him, but all he could do was grit his teeth. She seemed amused by the sight. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle. We don't get many humans around here anymore, so I don't get to play with them often."

The Queen twirled the dagger in her hands, sighing.

"Oh well. At least I have the dwarfs as condolence. And because I have seven, I can play as much as I want with them." Shouta went cold as she hummed to herself, the blade tapping against her chin. "I wonder if dwarfs bleed like humans or trolls? No one ever heard anything about them, so who knows? It'll be fun to find out, though."

Shouta tried to focus all his will on moving, even a little. He glared up at Himiko, teeth gritted.

"Don't… you… dare… touch... them!" he growled. Sadly, that was all he could do.

The troll woman let out a shrill laugh.

"Or what?" she teased. "I'm the Queen here. I can do whatever I like." She stood and rolled him over with her foot. "Besides, it's not like there's anything YOU can do to stop me." Shouta hated that she was right and cursed the fact.

The woman smirked at Shouta as he laid useless on the floor. She ran a hand up and down his cheek, brushing against the stubble.

"Aww, poor human. So pitiful and weak, it's almost adorable. But even so, I really like you," she said. She pressed the blade into his skin again. He winced, but only slightly. "I like you so much! I want to become you."

She ran her tongue along the blade, her eyes flashing gold.

777

Tenya did his best to try to fall asleep, but it was impossible. He felt terrible for this because he knew that tomorrow, they would have to continue their quest to find the elfs, and that if Tenya didn't get the proper rest, he would end up troubling the others. This did not help to settle his mind.
He let out a heavy breath, staring at the ceiling. He laid in a large round bed that held silken sheets and covers. The room itself was fine, it was just—empty.

He never thought about it, but he Denki and Ochaco's snoring as the latter repeated bumped against the ceiling when she accidentally made herself float at night. He found himself longing for Izuku's mutters in his sleep about the oddest things, Tsuyu's croaking and Momo's constant tossing and turning. He even missed Toru bumping things as she sleepwalked and getting up to tuck her back in before checking on the rest of them… He missed all of that. He missed the other dwarfs.

It was silly, he knew, but at the same time, they've been together for a really long time now. Not having them there… it just didn't feel right. Then again, very few things felt right to him after they were forced out of the woods.
Tenya pulled his legs to his chest in a motion very much unlike him.

He hadn't brought it up to the others, but he mourned the loss of their mines. Sure the work was tedious and didn't amount to anything, but it gave them purpose, gave HIM purpose. What was he supposed to do now?
He wasn't surprised when Denki and the others told him they hated mining. He didn't enjoy it either. However, it had been their parent's mine. It had been the very last connection they had to them. Tenya didn't have many memories of his family before the earthquake. All the memories he did have—aside from that final memory—were in the mine. He remembered his mother checking the jewels for quality meticulously every day until the clock sounded. Tenya remembered Tensei telling jokes as he and Tenya would zip around delivering messages and other items to the other dwarfs.

And now it was gone.

Just like his father, his mother, his brother, their village, their new friends Cementoss and Chiyo—even the cottage that had become their home. Everything was gone, and yet they kept losing more.

'Is it our fault?' the boy wondered. 'Did we do something wrong?' Tenya always did his best to be a good boy, to be helpful, kind, and diligent… where had he failed?

His eyes burned with unfallen tears. He didn't want to cry as he didn't want to fall apart. The others might need him. Then again, they had Mr. Aizawa now so, maybe they didn't. Maybe, Tenya wasn't needed anymore. Maybe-

There was a soft knock at the door before it opened.

"Tenya?" It was Momo. "Sorry, did I wake you?" Then the dwarfelle realized that she had knocked on the door. Not very loudly, but still… "Ah, right. Course you are. Sorry… I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." She seemed really shy as she said this, and Tenya jumped to action.

"I was awake before you came, so don't worry about it," he assured her. He tried to climb out of the bed but slipped on the silk sheets. He fell to the floor with a soft thump.

"Are you-?"

"I'm okay!" he assured her. He looked her over. "More than that, why are you here? Did something happen?" Momo's eyes dropped a little and she started to wring her hands. Tenya began to wonder if something really was wrong before she spoke.

"Not exactly. It's just… This all feels weird. I mean, the room is nice and all, but… It's also really lonely."

Tenya rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… It's the same for me, too," he admitted.

"Do you think… I could stay with you, tonight?"

Tenya didn't even hesitate. "Of course! I mean, if you're sure..."

"I asked! Of course, I'm sure." Momo said with a giggle.

Tenya nodded with a bright smile of his own. "Okay then! We'll sleep together tonight. Oh! But first I want to check on the others. Ochaco's probably floated up to the ceiling by now."

Momo looked thoughtful. "Will you be able to get her down?" she asked, looking up. "I mean, we're underground, but the ceiling's pretty high."

Tenya thought about that. "Hm. That's true. We may have to lasso her or make a really big latter to get her down safely."

They quietly left the room and were on their way to the others when they saw Denki, Toru, and Izuku standing in the hallway.
"Ah! Tenya! Momoyao!" Izuku said when he saw them.
"Is everything alright?" Tenya asked immediately.
"We're fine," Denki yawned. "We just caught Toru wandering around her room in her sleep."
"Hush up!" Toru steamed.
"It's true!"
"Guys?" They looked past them and saw Tsuyu and Ochaco approaching. "Why are you up?"
"Toru." Denki said immediately.
"You guys were up first!" Toru pouted, most likely embarrassed. Momo quickly understood and giggled.
"Looks like we all missed each other, huh?" she said. Everyone shifted in their own way, looking bashful.
"Hee, hee, guess so?" Ochaco said. "Don't get me wrong! The big room and beds are nice and all, but..."
"Yeah, I get it. It's just not the same." Izuku agreed.
"Maybe... we could all stay together tonight?"

The others agreed with Tsuyu.
"W-well, I guess since you guys and girls are having trouble sleeping, we might as well," Denki said, folding his arms behind his head. Ochaco gave him a playful shove.
"You're here too! Admit it! You're just as sad we weren't together!"
"Oof! Like-like I missed you, barbarian!" Denki stuck out his tongue, and Ochaco stuck out her own tongue as she gave him another playful shove. They all laughed a little, relief filling them now that they were together again.
"Think maybe we could slip in with Mr. Aizawa?" Toru asked after a few moments. "I mean, he's probably just as lonely as we were."

Tenya thought, then nodded. "Well, we should check on him to make sure he's alright at least."
As a group, they made their way towards Shouta's room. A figure stepped out of the shadows. They jumped at first, but then they saw who it was.

"Mr. Aizawa?"

The figure tilted his head at them. "Oh! Hey, kids," he said. "You're all up late. Can't sleep?"

The dwarflings shared a look. Something was odd here, but they couldn't place it.

"Um, not really..." Ochaco said. "I-in fact, we were wondering if we could stay with you tonight? If that's okay?" Aizawa smiled, but it was a smile that wasn't like him at all.

"Sure! That would be okay. But I have something to show you first, okay?"

"Okay..."

They watched as he walked towards them, a little hum in his throat. "Follow me!" he said as he walked past.

"Is… is he okay?" Tsuyu asked in a low tone.

"I dunno," Denki admitted. "He seems really weird."

"He's probably just tired," Momo said. "It has been a long day."

"Come along, children! Don't keep me waiting!" The kids shared an uneasy look with one another before following Aizawa.

777

"...o….no! ...Stop!...Don't!"

Shouta tried to call out to the dwarfin children as they followed the impostor but couldn't get his throat and tongue to operate properly. He was moved up against the wall, hidden from view. His arm had a long gash, but he didn't care about that right now. He tried to move his limb, but alas, he was paralyzed. All he could do was listen as the footsteps of the dwarfs got further and further away. His mind screamed.

'No!'

{To be Continued...}

A/N:

*You didn't think Shouta and the others would make it out of the mountain without SOMETHING going wrong, did yeah?

*Anyone recognize what the comb is a reference to?

Dwarfin Fact:

*Dwarfs are very sociable creatures, to the point where very, very few can live alone. Because of this it's not unusual for them to stay with their families until marriage and they have a few children. Single dwarfs who had to work away from home would often make apartments with others so they could sleep in the same room. The minimum was usually 8 on average. Any less and dwarfs can't help but feel lonely.

*Dwarf blood is like human's, but thinker and dries quicker so not too much blood escapes the wound.

Troll Fact:

*As the queen said trolls are made of the earth and don't have blood. Some trolls return to mud and muck when they die while others will simply become stone. This caused Himiko to develop a bit of orange and blue mentality towards other beings with blood.

Demon Fact:

*There are many types of demons, but the ones above known as "hallow demons." They're basically empty corpses who's bodies were formed from the dark emotions of a living person, before the soul vanished. It's unknown if the souls were desroyed or released.

Meta Note:

*Originally, there was going to be a subplot where Shigaraki sent Overhaul as an assassin and after causing multiple problems for Shouta and the others he makes a deal with the Queen to help catch him. But he was unnecessary to the plot, so I chucked him out.

*I was also going to have it that the mountain used to belong to the dwarfs before the demon attack and the trolls moved in after, but that didn't fit either.