Chapter 24_The Poisoned Apple

Chapter Summary: Everything seems to at peace now. The Demon King and his army of evil trees were gone, the imps were no longer a threat, and the elfs could travel the land again. More importantly, Shouta finally had Hizashi. Then he is offered a strange apple…

Hizashi was taken to the same room Shouta had slept in before. After checking him over, Chiyo decided that the man didn't need healing, just rest. It was highly insisted that Shouta take the time to rest as well. Shouta did so now and then, but never leaving his love's side.

Days passed, but Hizashi remained asleep. Nezu assured him this was nothing to worry about. The mental battle of resisting the curse and the Demon King had taken its toll, so Hizashi needed to recuperate. Not many were able to return to their natural forms after being changed into a demon, but Hizashi was a lucky one. There would still be changes that separated him from normal beings, but Nezu didn't foresee any long-term harm, which Shouta thanked the gods for.

The dwarfs would come in now and then to visit and see the man who meant so much to Shouta. They were surprised when Shouta had informed them that Hizashi had been the giant bird the whole time.

"He doesn't look like him at all," Ochaco said as she stared at Hizashi from the edge of the bed.

"He was transformed into a bird. Of course, he looked different." Shouta said.

"Why a bird?" Tsuyu asked from his arms.

"No idea. He's usually squawking all the time, so that might have something to do with it." he joked. The others gave a little laugh.

"I hope he wakes soon," Toru said. "I want to meet him for real." Shouta's eyes drooped a little.

"Yeah. Same here."

For the most part, the children spent their time with All Might. Izuku especially was excited to chat with his hero. During their time together, All Might told the children stories of their people and things the children didn't know or forgot.
There was talk about going back to the area where their jewels were to gather them now that the forest was gone. Tenya was eager, but Denki was vehemently against going near any mine, tunnel, or just near that area ever again. He definitely against digging them out, determined to never mine again. This was a debate still going on as none of the dwarfs were unwilling to separate.
Shouta was pleased to hear that most of the imps had survived the attack. There was a concern that they might try to attack the elfs on sight, but to their surprise, they didn't. They were just glad that the demons and even the snow were gone. Some even apologized for not being able to stop Endeavor.
Speaking of which, it seemed that now Endeavor wasn't able to pose any harm anymore. There would be a trial, and it was agreed that the elfs would attend as a jury as well since they were hurt just as much by Endeavor's envy.
As he was no longer strong enough to hold his position Ryuko had taken leadership and was working hard to tend to what remained of their people with Shoto and his siblings.
Bakugou was returned to his family as well. It was only once he was in his mother's arms did Nemuri remove her spell. He was an angry firecracker, furious that he wasn't allowed to fight the demons. Mina assured everyone that he was happy to be home, despite all that. Nemuri had taken her word for it. Bakugou had wanted to settle the score with the dwarfs, but after a private talk with his mom and Ryuko who brought that there was no pride in winning against small children, he decided to forgo it. For now at least.

Shouta wondered if the dwarfs were okay with Bakugou getting off scot-free, but they assured him that they were okay with it, though they wanted to keep away from him for a while at least.

Everything seemed to be wrapping up nicely. All that was left was for Hizashi to wake up.

'How much longer is he going to keep me waiting?' Shouta thought impatiently, foot tapping. He held Hizashi's hand in his own, not wanting to ever let go again. It was just the two of them in the room now, which he was sort of glad for as it gave him time to think. He rubbed a thumb against Hizashi's skin. His face turned pink as he remembered Hizashi's words;

"I didn't remember anything. I just knew that the moment I saw you… I had to protect you."

"Idiot." He wanted Hizashi to wake up. He wanted to hit him for sending Shouta off alone and for putting himself into danger for him so many times. Then he wanted to hold him. This time he would never let go. Ever.

"Still sleeping, hm?" Shouta looked up as Chiyo entered the room.

"Yes." He let out a heavy sigh and a grumble. How long would it take for Hizashi to wake up? It had been almost a week, hadn't it?

The woman hummed slightly. "I suppose he has gone through a lot." The old woman walked up to him, carrying a basket. "And you? How are you fairing?"

"I'm fine." 'Just anxious.' But even if Shouta had a dagger in his back, he wouldn't have moved. He was afraid if he did, he would lose Hizashi again. It wasn't exactly rational, but with his luck lately, anything bad could happen.

Chiyo giggled as she reached into her basket. "I'll bet you haven't eaten for a while, have you?" Shouta slouched forward on the chair like a guilty child.

"Not really hungry." the prince mumbled. Chiyo clicked her tongue.

"That's no good, you know! You don't want to pass out before your friend has a chance to wake up, do you? Not to mention you're going to worry the children."

Chiyo withdrew her hand from the basket and offered the item she grabbed to Shouta.

In her withered hand, she now held a spellbinding, bright red apple. Shouta's red orbs were drawn to it like a moth to the flame. The skin was redder than anything he had ever seen before in his life. There seemed to be a soft glow to it. He waved that off as a trick of the light, but even so, it was—enticing.

Chiyo gave a large grin. "Have a bite," she said. "It'll help keep your strength."

There was no reason for Shouta to refuse. True he wasn't that hungry, but he should still keep up his strength. Besides, while he didn't usually like apples, this one was really, really tempting.

Shouta reached out and took the fruit. "Thank you."

He lifted the apple to his pale lips, its aroma making his mouth water. Its skin glistened for a moment before he broke it. Teeth sank into the soft flesh, the juice dribbling down his chin. It was sweeter than anything he had ever tasted before. The flavor danced on his tongue like a royal waltz. He was almost tempted to swallow the whole thing then and there.

Then-his breath stiffened.

The apple fell from his grasp and to the reflective floors. He pressed a hand to his throat. He tried to take a breath, but with every passing moment, his air left him, leaving him to gasp. Despite this, his other hand held tight to Hizashi's.

Chiyo laughed a familiar and unnatural laugh as Shouta fell to his knees.

"That was way too easy!" she heckled.

Shouta's eyes rounded with fear. 'That laugh… it couldn't be!'

He gritted his teeth and activated Erasure. The disguise fell away, and there stood Queen Himiko, still laughing at him. Shouta's heart rate jumped.

"You!" She grinned, revealing all her teeth. "Me!" she said in a sing-song voice.

"But you… died…?"

Did she? Shouta had assumed she had been crushed under the mountain or died from her wounds. She should have died. Her skin was blotchy and red as burns covered her entire body. Her hair had been burned away, leaving only a few strands around her horns, one of which was broken.

Himiko hummed. "Not exactly! See, before you came along, I was working on mines to travel the continent. And since you told me where you were going, I knew just which one to take. Once I dug myself out, that is."

She walked over to the prince and ripped him up into the air. Had he the air, Shouta would have cried out as his grasp was yanked from Hizashi.

"Like the apple?" she asked, brushing a hand against his face. Shouta yanked his head away best he could. "It's my own little poison; the Sleeping Death. I used to use it on my victims before the mountain became bare. However, it had a bad habit of stopping blood flow completely, so I switched to the comb, which I'm sure you remember. Sadly, I lost it on the way here, so I had to improvise."

She tossed him to the other side of the room. He grunted as his side hit the wall. This was worse than when she used the comb on him. Back then he just couldn't move. Now it felt as if he was actually dying. Even so, he managed to gather enough strength to glare at the insane woman.

She glared back, her gaze much more frightening than Shouta's. "You took away my kingdom and my power, but I'll get it back," Himiko went on. "I'll kill every one of those trolls who betrayed me. I'll kill those annoying imps. I'll kill those silly little elfs. And I'll make sure to bleed out every single one of those cute little dwarfs. After I watch them bury or burn you alive when they believe you're dead. But first..."

She turned away from Shouta and drew a knife. His eyes widen in pure horror as she approached Hizashi.

"No!" He tried to stand, pushing every muscle in his body, but couldn't.

This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening! He just got Hizashi back. He just got him back!

The Queen laughed as she raised the blade over her head, eyes flaring with power.

"I'll make sure the last thing you see is my knife plunging into your beloved's heart!" she cried.

"Don't!" Shouta reached for them, but just as Himiko swung her blade down darkness claimed his vision. "Hizashi-!"

Then there was nothing.

777

Himiko raised a long, silver blade. It glinted with a thirst for flesh as she plunged it downward.

"STOP IT!" a tiny figure ran across the room. "Don't hurt them!" Izuku barreled into the Queen's side, throwing her off balance momentarily. She regained herself and let out a beastly growl. Izuku yelped as Himiko yanked him off by his hair. She then slammed the dwarf against the wall with a large THUD!

"So you want to die first?! Fine!" Before she could stab the child though, her wrist was caught and she was yanked back. Himiko was forced to drop Izuku. She turned and saw blue eyes glaring at her from under a daunting brow.

"That's enough!" All Might growled. Himiko snarled. "Don't tell me what to do!"

The third time was a terrible charm in this case, for after two failed attempts to stab someone, this time she succeeded.

Her sudden movement caught the warrior off guard and slashed him across the chest. In shock, he released her, after which Himiko stabbed him in the gut. As he stumbled back, coughing blood, Izuku cried out.

"All Might!" All Might's back hit the wall, and he slipped to the floor. Hearing the commotion, the others ran in. They all gasped in terror when they saw the Queen in her horrid state.

"All Might?" Himiko looked down at the bleeding man and scoffed. "Him? You have to be joking." She reached into the pocket of the ragged dress and withdrew a stone with a sigil carved on it.

"You all didn't think I came unprepared, did you?" she hummed. She dropped a stone, and there was a loud boom. Everyone was thrown back. Himiko laughed with glee.

"I'd love to save your blood—but I think I'll be satisfied with watching it spill from your guts!"

She pulled out another rune, and everything started to float, including Toru and Momo. They screamed as they flew around.

"Toru! Momo! UWAHH!"
"Denki!" Denki was pulled into the air by the whirlwind. Tenya jumped to try and grab him, but as he did so a broken piece of pillar crashed into him. He cried out in pain as he was shoved into a corner where his leg snapped as rocks wedged in, thrown by the wind.
"Tenya!" Denki cried before he crashed into Toru. The two spun in the air, yelling in terror, before they were grabbed by a slippery tongue. Tsuyu did her best to ignore the pain as she clung to a corner.
"Kids!" All Might tried to pull himself up to help them, but his wound made it impossible. If only the elfs hadn't all left to celebrate or help the imps!
All Might had to do something! If the children died, then he would be alone again! He failed once! He couldn't fail again! He couldn't-!
"All Might!" Izuku jumped in front of the fallen All Might and blocked a flying rock. The rock scraped against his arms, leaving them bloody and in pain.
"Izuku!" All Might cried out in worry. Izuku fought to keep himself from flying but was almost pulled away. All Might reached out and grabbed him just in time, however, to keep from floating away as well, he had to hold onto a pillar. All Might started to pull him back when another voice called out to the green-haired boy.
"Izuku!" Momo tossed him a rope, but while Izuku caught it, he couldn't help her down. Even worse, the force that pulled at her threatened to take All Might and Izuku as well.
Himiko watched them all with glee. "Let's have fun, everyone!"

Ochaco groaned from behind the Queen as her laugh echoed out. Ochaco flinched back at the sound and gripped her throat as she remembered the Queen pressing the blade to it. She watched as the others cry out, including her friends. Everyone twisted around the room as if they were in a tornado. Occasionally Himiko would toss stones into the air and create explosions. One stone nearly hit Tsuyu, who almost lost Denki and Toru as as she tried to pull them to safety.

Ochaco knew she had to do something, but what? What could she do against the Queen? How could she stop her and save everybody? If only she had been crushed under that mountain-! Wait, that's it!

A plan came to her. It was a horrible thing to do, she knew, but it was the only plan she had. If she didn't act, then she would lose her family again.

Ochaco steadied her nerves and crawled on top of a boulder. Taking a deep breath, she activated her quirk, hoping that she wouldn't get caught in the storm. Fortunately, not only did this not happen but Himiko was so wrapped up in her "play" that she didn't notice the stone overhead.

Ochaco gulped back her tears. She hated what she was about to do, but Ochaco decided that Himiko wasn't going to hurt anyone else ever again. "Release!"

Himiko looked up just in time to see the stone fall.

The storm faded, and everything started to rain down, but Ochaco didn't open her eyes. She didn't know if she ever wanted to open them again. Finally, she heard a voice.
"Ochaco?" It was All Might. It wasn't angry or blaming her, but concerned. Even so, she didn't open her eyes or respond. Instead, she started to whimper until they evolved into tears. "Hey… It's okay." He lifted her off the rock and carried her away from the scene so she wouldn't have to see what she had done.

Ochaco opened her eyes when she heard the voices of her friends.
"You did it! You saved us!" Toru exclaimed. Everyone was smiling at her. She could tell that some were forced, but at least none were blaming her.
"Y-yeah…" Ochaco swallowed her true feelings.
"She's really dead, right?" Denki asked. "She's not going to come back?" All Might shook his head.
"She's gone," he assured them. They all fell quiet, not knowing what to say. Finally, a thought came to their collective mind.
"Mr. Aizawa… Where's Mr. Aizawa?" When they realized he was nowhere in sight, the dwarfs all began to search the area for him.

It took some time, but they finally found him. They pushed aside the rubble and saw him laying on the floor, cold and paler than usual. He didn't move, but instead lied there with his hand outstretched towards where Hizashi slept, somehow protected from the chaos except for a bruise or two.

"Mr. Aizawa?" The dwarfs shook Shouta as they called his name, but he didn't respond. Soon they realized that he wasn't even breathing.
"Mr. Aizawa…! Mr. Aizawa?" They called to him over and over, their cries growing more and more desperate until their voices became haggard sobs.
But he never awoke.

{To be Continued…}

A/N:

*Short chapter, but I'll be posting the final chapter tomorrow. Hope to see you there!

*Sorry if the final chapters feel rushed. That wasn't my intention, but this and that happened and here we are.