Ochako sat in her field of sunflowers, staring at the space Izuku had just occupied. His soft words echoed in her head. Again, and again, from the simplicity of the statement, to the sincerity.

I love you.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there until the numbing shock finally ebbed for her to start actually processing what had just happened, and more importantly what it meant.

The word 'love' could be used in many different ways, but she knew Izuku wouldn't understand the nuances of all those different ways. But what did he understand? Clearly, he understood familial love. Inko loved him dearly, and that had picked up right where it left off after all these years. Did he understand platonic love? Romantic love? Ochako didn't think he was incapable of either, but she also didn't think he would have been able to name either of those emotions.

But still, how did he mean it? That was the real question, and it was the one that had her feeling weak. She, herself, had been falling for him, romantically, but it had been mostly easy to address, because she had considered it one-sided, in a way. Or perhaps she had simply told herself it was unrequited, because that made it easier to navigate.

Their relationship, whatever it was, was unorthodox, certainly. The magical bond was definitely playing a part of that–

She sucked in a breath, pausing her thoughts. "Echo. Requiem."

She felt the presence of both cores at once, indicating they were listening. "You told me before that Izuku and I naturally formed a bond by growing close."

"That is correct," Requiem said.

"What was the criteria? The emotions necessary for it to work?"

"Strong positive emotions towards each other," Requiem replied. "The desire to protect. To cherish. To build up. Anything positive that pulled you both closer. That builds the bond."

"And love?"

"Are those not all facets of such a broad word?" the core asked, and Ochako wondered if cores could be facetious.

She sighed, and this time, her own core spoke. "What troubles you, child of mine?"

The witch pursed her lips, watching the sunflowers way before her. "Izuku said he loves me. I don't know how he means it."

She felt a gentle warmth at her side, as if the core itself had taken a seat beside her. "I do not feel emotions, but my years with you have given me some understanding of what they are, and how you feel them, since we are connected. I understand that love is a good thing, so I am confused as to why you are upset, my vessel. After all, Izuku is content with this feeling."

Ochako sighed. This was a terrible idea, because cores just didn't get the nuances of these things, just like Izuku–

She paused, mouth parting slightly as a realization blossomed in front of her, like a sunflower in her field.

Was she treating Izuku like a spirit?

She reached up, pressing her fingertips to her lips as she thought about it. Izuku was human, but in many ways, he acted like one of them. He didn't understand social nuances, because he'd never been properly exposed to him. His vocabulary was limited, but that was due to minimal education, and living estranged from society since childhood.

But unlike cores and spirits, Izuku was capable of feelings, of emotions. Deep ones, complex ones, ones that evolved.

And it was unfair to assume he could not evolve as a person, or that his feelings toward her could not evolve as well. He had been doing just that ever since she found him at death's door. He had let her pull him out of his shell, and now, she was watching him start to stand on his own feet, in many different ways. He was human, beautifully human, with a pure heart and a sincere desire to do what was right, no matter the cost.

But that was exactly it, wasn't it?

Izuku saying he loved her wasn't the problem. No matter the kind of love it was, he deserved to feel those emotions and embrace them. But when he confessed, it shattered the illusion keeping her feelings at bay - that he was unreachable, that it was safe for her to admire him without fear of having to face her feelings, because he would never understand.

Now, without that illusion, she had to acknowledge that she knew exactly what kind of love she had for him.

…And it scared her.

XX

Izuku quietly held the teacup between his hands, staring down at the dregs at the very bottom. Now that he'd had several small meals and more sleep, he was starting to physically feel less drained. Mentally was still another story.

Katsuki sat across from him, chin in hand as he stared at Ochako's sleeping form. Now that Izuku was awake and mobile, they had reduced the number of people on rotation to guard him and Ochako. Currently, it was just the three of them in the room. Even Tsuyu had left to patrol the waters around the city and look for anything suspicious.

And thus, when a sudden commotion outside snapped them both out of their post-breakfast daze, Izuku's entire body ran cold as he saw Katsuki's face pale. "Oh, no. No, no. Fuck, not him."

Seeing the captain react like this sent every exhausted battle-ready nerve on alert, and Izuku all but dropped his teacup, whirling towards the door. However, when his vision switched to Hollow, he stared in confusion at what he saw.

Shoto's core was approaching, and beside it was one Izuku didn't recognize. The magic was fairly foreign, and it took him several seconds of staring to really understand the type of magic the core made up. It was strong enchanting magic, but why would that scare Kacchan?

The answer came with the door swiftly opening and a tall blond man decorated in the most lavish blue fabrics stalked in, eyes hard. "Is this the deviant that ruined my clothes, Prince Shouto?"

Izuku blinked several times, watching as the prince walked in after the man, hands turned up in helpless apology. "Ah, well, calling Izuku a deviant is a bit harsh, Sir Tsunagu… you saw the fight, didn't you?"

The blond man snapped his attention to the prince, eyes glaring over the blue silk scarf wrapped around his lower face. "Barely counts as an excuse."

Shouto's mouth fell open, but the man, Tsunagu, waved his hand at him dismissively, walking up towards Izuku, hands on his hips. "All right. Let's see you, boy. Stand up."

Izuku blinked again, expression confused, then looked at Katsuki. The captain was sitting there with both hands covering his mouth, crimson eyes staring at this newcomer with concern.

Tsunagu seemed to notice him a moment later. "Young Captain. You've been avoiding coming by my shop to get your formal suits updated for the season. Don't think I haven't noticed."

Izuku watched Katsuki swallow nervously. "Been busy, Sir."

Sir?

Tsunagu swept his bangs to the side in a motion that seemed unnecessarily exaggerated, from Izuku's perspective. "Not that busy. I refuse to have you showing up at a dinner in last season's fashion, so if you do, I will mount your head on my spinning wheel."

Katsuki nodded, not making eye contact. "Y-yes, Sir."

"Good," Tsunagu said, dusting his hands, once again in a way that seemed over the top. He returned his attention to Izuku, who still had no idea what was going on. "Come on now. Stand up. Let me see you, boy."

Izuku frowned but did as he was told, sliding to his feet. The much taller man took a step back, putting a hand to his scarf-clad chin as he scrutinized him. "Average height. Very toned build, yes, okay. Drop your shoulders, you're hunching up. Drop! Good. Now, turn to the side. Yes, good. No forward tilt in your posture. Normal foot arch. Excellent. Now, turn the other way and–what in the three faces of cotton twill is going on with your arm?"

Izuku shrunk in on himself, nervously tugging the sleeve down over the magical appendage. "It was… damaged during the fight and–"

"Yes, but why pink and green?" Tsunagu asked in exasperation, grabbing Izuku's wrist and pushing the sleeve up. "The base color is fine, but these veins are just clashing with each other, ugh. We'll need to cover this."

"I-I–" Izuku stammered, unsure of what to say. This was so confusing, and he really had no idea why the colors even mattered. Did that imply a magical conflict?

Shouto sighed, stepping forward to stand beside the two. "Izuku, this is Tsunagu of House Hakamada. He owns Best Threads and Finest Fibers, which serves the royal family, and also who made your clothes. He's… very particular about his work, and he's upset that your clothes got ruined during the fight, even though we all understand that was not your fault."

"Hmph," Tsunagu huffed, eyes scrutinizing the arm. "Certainly, I am impressed at the state of utter destruction the tunic is in. It takes quite a bit of effort to destroy my enchanted fabrics. I am fascinated by how much of a fashion disaster you are by mere existence."

"I'm what?" Izuku asked wearily. All of these words that made no sense were giving him a headache. He shook his head, tugging his arm free. "I had to fight. I'm sorry the clothes got messed up, but I didn't want anyone else to get hurt. And… the magic running through my arm is a combination of mine and Ochako's. I-I like it. I don't… I don't want to cover it. It's…" he sighed, flexing the fingers of his magical hand as he glanced at the sleeping form on the bed, "a reminder I want to keep."

He was too tired to articulate why, and this man probably wouldn't care. He hadn't been there. He didn't understand.

Tsunagu went quiet, eyes flicking up to look at Izuku, who peered back at him through his bangs. "I saw the fight. At least part of it. I saw the creature you were up against." He paused, and although Izuku couldn't see his mouth, he got the impression the man was pursing his lips. "A large part of the city watched you and that woman fight for them."

Izuku shifted, gaze moving back to Ochako, asleep on the bed. "The war isn't over…" he said softly, tiredly. "We will have to fight again."

"And that is why I am here. You defaced my work and it wasn't even at the finale!" Tsunagu threw his hands up in the air. "I cannot let this happen! If you have a war you must fight, so be it, but I will not let you go into battle in rags that will fall apart! You will prevail, and you will do so in style."

"Wha…" Izuku didn't even get to form the word before Tsunagu pointed at his face.

"The magic on your face. What's it hiding?"

"I–" Izuku started, before sighing and dropping the magic, showing the prosthetic eye. "My eye sees magic in the air, but it's a lot to have all the time. I use my magic to block it out."

Tsunagu's face lit up. "Oh, yes. I have ideas. Yes. I do love a good challenge. Hm. And the woman - is she your battle partner?"

"Um… yes?" Izuku replied, tilting his head. "Ochako fights with me… I need her."

"Then I have two projects to undertake," Tsunagu said, turning and walking toward the bed. "Can we wake her up? I need to get measurements."

"Oh my fucking god," Katsuki groaned. "She's in a coma, Sir."

"Well, that's inconvenient."

XX

Izuku sighed, walking down the castle halls on his way back from the inner garden. The morning's conversation with Tsunagu had left him feeling disoriented, and at his mother's request, he'd stepped out into the garden to get some fresh air, given how he hadn't been outside since the battle. And so he tucked himself under a manicured tree, quietly watching the koi in the pond as they swam around their enclosure. People passing through the cloister surrounding the garden paid him no mind, allowing him to get lost in his thoughts.

As tempting as it was to take a nap and go back to Ochako, he didn't, instead watching the way sunlight occasionally caught on the scales of the koi as they briefly broke the water's surface, while he played with a smooth stone he found, fingers rubbing over the rounded edges.

This was all so… hard. There was so much said between words that he knew he wasn't picking up, but he couldn't decipher it. If he was lucky, Kacchan or Shouto would explain what he didn't get. If his mother was present, she would walk him through the exchange, breaking down what wasn't being said that everyone else seemed to understand. He sighed, pursing his lips as he glared at the pond in front of him. It felt like he was so far behind everyone else, and it shouldn't have been important. What was important was honing his magic. Strengthening his bond with Ochako. Keeping people safe. Defeating the Blackened Core. Words and conversations shouldn't have to be a part of that.

But… they were. And even he knew it. He just didn't understand it enough to play the game, and now for the first time consistently around others, and without Ochako to mediate, he was painfully aware of his shortcomings, and it hurt.

A rustle of wind informed him of Toru's arrival, and he looked up to see the sprite spiral down from the skies, twirling with delight. Her semi-transparent form was wrapped in a set of red and black bangles that reminded Izuku of the sound mage, Kyouka. Toru giggled, landing on his foot that was stretched before him, and in her arms was a tiny piece of rolled up parchment. "Hi!"

"Hi," Izuku said, tilting his head. "What are you wearing?"

"My new shiny!" Toru exclaimed with utmost glee, hopping in place on his toes. "Watch what happens when I do this!" Tossing the paper into the air with a gust of wind, she spun around on his big toe, letting the bangles twirl around her hips and chest. Izuku watched as she came to a stop and caught the paper as it fell. "Isn't it shiny?!"

"It is," Izuku agreed softly, offering her a tiny smile. "Was it for a deal?"

"Yeah! I thought only Ochako made good deals, but the sound mage does, too! I like her!" Toru declared happily, beaming up at him.

"That's good," Izuku said, eyes falling to the scroll in her arms. "So…does that deal have to do with that paper in your hands?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! I'm supposed to deliver this to you!" Toru said loudly, squeezing the paper to her chest. She then paused. "Well, I was supposed to deliver it to either you, or Grumpy, or Storyteller, but I saw you first!"

"Oh, okay," Izuku replied, holding out his hand. The sprite shivered, depositing the small scroll into his fingers.

"Deal complete!" she proclaimed, pumping her tiny fists into the air. And without another world, she took off into the skies, leaving echoing giggles throughout the gardens.

Izuku watched her go before looking down at the tiny scroll that had a wax seal on it. He could feel a gentle thrum of magic running through the paper, and with mild curiosity, he removed the tendril covering his eye to see what the paper looked like.

Kyouka's magic was woven tightly through the paper and the seal, infused into it. Clearly, something would happen when he opened it up, but he couldn't quite identify what. Without ado, he pulled the wax off the paper, unfurling it.

The paper was blank, but Kyouka's voice reached his ears, like she was sitting in front of him.

"Hey! Not sure which one of you will get this, but hopefully the sprite delivers with haste. I just went out to collect Tenya and Denki at the city's entrance. They have the Dragoirian mage who had her magic stolen. I've sent another message to Queen Ryuko, as she wants to see her, too. Can you get the others and go down to the east parlor? The Queen will be there, and probably King Enji, too. I'll meet you there."

Izuku blinked as the paper went silent, watching as the magic wrapped around it disappeared, leaving behind only a lingering residue. Folding it, he put it in his pocket and stood up, covering his eye once again. He supposed he needed to go find the others. He didn't even know where the East Parlor was.

Looking back towards Ochako's room, he made sure he could see others with her, relaxing when he saw Tsuyu's core along with Mina's and his mother's. Nodding to himself, he scanned the castle, looking for either Shouto or Katsuki. He spotted both of their cores together not too far away, so he navigated towards the exit and down through the halls.

This part of the castle was fairly empty, with very few people going through it. Izuku hadn't been down these halls before, so he was simply doing his best to get closer as he focused on the two cores he was closing in on.

Finally, he rounded what seemed to be the last corner, but what he found was not what he expected. He came to an abrupt stop, staring at his childhood friend in a liplock with the prince, hiding in the shadows of the empty hallway. Neither seemed to have noticed him, given he had approached barefoot and silent, and Izuku found himself unsure what to do.

Did he interrupt? Was it rude to interrupt? They needed to go meet the Dragoirian mage, so he couldn't just come back later…

He fidgeted, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. His parents had never seemed to mind if he interrupted their kisses with a question or comment, so probably it was okay, and they really needed to go to the parlor. And, thus, with that foolproof conclusion, Izuku decided to speak. "Um… Kacchan?"

Katsuki's eyes snapped open, and when they landed on Izuku, he shoved Shouto so hard that the prince crashed into a tapestry on the opposite wall, bringing it down over his head. "Fuck, Deku! What the actual fuck?!"

Oh. Maybe interrupting wasn't okay after all.

XX

Everything hurt.

That much, Melissa of House Shield was certain of. Everything else… not so much.

She could remember things. Plenty of things. She remembered the fight against the fire mage. She remembered the man who stole her magic, and the pain that followed. She remembered watching her body starting to crumble before her very eyes in the Eastern Ruins.

But then there was a blank, and the next thing she knew, she woke up in a strange house that had a mixture of Dragoirian and Yuuei decor, with a Yuuei man checking on her wounds. The first thing he said to her was that things would get better.

As she counted the missing fingers and toes and stared at her pocked flesh, she didn't believe it. As she tried so very hard to use her magic and felt nothing, she really didn't believe it. And right now, as she tiredly let Sir Denki and Sir Tenya help her into the castle, the only thing she could muster inside herself was bitterness.

They led her down a hall, each giving her an arm. She didn't want to resent these Yuuei men trying to help her. She tried not to take her frustrations out on them, but she hated being vulnerable. She hated having to rely on them. She had spent years proving she could make her magic work. Control it.

And it was gone, taking her career, her dreams, and her hope with it.

She wasn't exactly sure of why she was summoned to the castle. Sir Denki had mentioned a few things, but she didn't know how to tie them all together.

His wife was currently at the castle on behalf of Queen Ryuko, who was visiting. There were also people she needed to meet, but Sir Denki couldn't tell her if they would be able to help. It sounded more like they had questions for her. And then allegedly the entire city had been attacked by monsters? And Sir Denki implied that it was somehow related to her?

When she tried to ask his wife, who greeted them at the gates, she shook her head and said they would discuss things in the castle, because the streets had ears.

She had more questions than answers, and it was frustrating. What was going on?

When they entered the parlor, she blinked as several sets of eyes landed on her. The Queen sat with High Lady Momo, each holding a teacup. The Queen's Rabbit was in the corner, unmoving. A man with blond hair and Yuuei royal armor was leaning against the wall, scowling. King Enji of Yuuei stood before the windows that overlooked the city, his arms folded behind him, but he turned when she came in, regarding her with an unreadable expression. Beside him, a young man with mismatched eyes and similar royal garb nodded to her in greeting. And the last person sat by himself on the floor, legs crossed and a strange manifestation of magic wrapped around part of his head. He was barefoot, with clothes that weren't tailored to fit him and his hair a shaggy mess. He was lost in thought, his one visible eye glowing a soft green.

That eye landed on her, and for a moment, Melissa was certain he could see right down into her very soul. However, he simply tilted his head in an innocent sort of manner, like an animal encountering something new.

Fortunately, the woman, Kyouka, was willing to start things. "Please forgive our delay. The streets were very busy," she said, bowing her head. "Everyone, this is Melissa of House Shield from Dragoir. And Melissa," Kyouka paused, gesturing towards the man sitting on the floor, "this is the mage with the ability to stop the man who stole your magic."

Melissa stared at him, as he sat there holding his feet by his toes and staring up at her with one eye.

Well, that was disconcerting.

XX

Half an hour later, Melissa found herself still staring at this man, Izuku, albeit for vastly different reasons.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, running a bandaged hand over her face. "This is a lot to take in. You're all telling me that this… the man who stole my magic also created the monsters that attack your country? A-and he can just… steal anyone's magic, and… if he steals yours, the world ends?"

Izuku nodded from his place on the floor. He hadn't bothered moving, despite there being plenty of open chairs.

"So there's…no way I can get my magic back," Melissa said with resignation, clutching at the skirt of her dress. She still wore bandages over most of her skin, hiding it from view. She didn't want to see it anyway.

The strange man, Izuku, shook his head. "Not… that I know of. I'm sorry."

She sniffed, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's… fine. I think I just needed to hear you say it. Um… so, I guess… now that you've told me all this stuff about… cores and the man who kidnapped me, what is that you want to know from me?"

"Your magic," Izuku said softly, looking up at her. "How fast can it make time go?"

Melissa hesitated, thinking. "I…the best I could do was make a minute pass in a second. But I could only keep that up for a few seconds. It's… very difficult to control."

Izuku nodded, pensive.

"What are you thinking, child?" Ryuko asked, walking up to stand behind him, touching the top of his head with well-manicured nails. Izuku jumped slightly, but didn't look up.

"Ochako had a vision, and in that vision, the Blackened Core's vessel was using time magic to wrap around an hourglass that he seemed to be chained to," Izuku explained softly. "I…think that is the curse binding him to the Eastern Ruins."

There was a heavy silence before Katsuki asked, "Did she see how much sand was left in it?"

"Less than half," Izuku replied quietly.

"Without knowing how long the curse was supposed to hold him, we have no way of estimating when he'll be free," Momo reminded. "All we know now is that he is bound, and he has magic to accelerate his freedom. We need more information."

"Maybe we need to see if our prisoner's willing to talk now that …Izuku is awake," Katsuki suggested, waving a hand. "She might know something."

"I can also try to rendezvous with Fumikage. I haven't seen him since he saved Melissa," Kyouka said. "Maybe he's heard something, too."

"Who saved me?" Melissa asked, looking at Kyouka. "I don't actually remember how I escaped. After that man took my magic, the fire mage ripped off the bracelet on my arm and I ran into the dead forest. That's all I can remember."

Kyouka opened her mouth to respond, however Enji interrupted. "The fire mage who attacked you. Describe them to me."

Melissa frowned, looking up at the king. "I…he was a young man. White hair. Dressed in leathers. His… skin looked very unhealthy. He was cruel. I… don't know what else to tell you. I've never seen someone use blue fire like that."

"Blue fire?" Momo echoed, alarmed. "When we arrived at Jaku, the remaining fire we extinguished was red."

"There was no red fire when I was there," Melissa replied to Momo, before looking back to Enji. However, she froze, staring at the king, who was staring back at her in horror.

"What did you just say?" Enji asked hollowly, face drained of color.

Melissa swallowed, not liking the look he was giving her. "He… manipulated blue fire."

"And he had white hair…" Shouto repeated, eyes wide in shock.

"Why?" Melissa asked, looking between the two. "Is it someone important?"

Enji said nothing, apparently shocked beyond words. Shouto, however, gave his father a pained look before turning back to Melissa. "My oldest brother had white hair and could turn his flames blue."

"A Todoroki attacked me?" Melissa asked, horrified.

"No, that's impossible," Enji replied tersely, hands fisted at his sides. "It wasn't Touya."

"How can you be sure?" Melissa asked. "This man is responsible for what happened to me! If you know him, then–!"

"He is dead," Enji snarled, sending the torches in the room roaring. "I watched him take his last breaths in my arms, girl!"

It was then Izuku sat up straight, head snapping off to the side, eye wide. Everyone stopped, looking at him.

"What is it?" Katsuki asked with concern.

"Ochako's awake," came the breathless reply as Izuku pushed himself to his feet. "I'm going to her."

"Uh, wait, De–Izuku," Katsuki started, stepping forward. "This is kind of important; you can't just leave in the middle of–"

Izuku swiped his hand, ripping a portal open in the room. Looking back at Katsuki, he replied, "It doesn't matter who the fire mage is. He's just working for the Blackened Core, and that's who we need to defeat. I'm going to Ochako. "

"I order you to stay here!" Enji snapped, his voice filling the room as smoke rolled up off his shoulders and the lights flickered violently.

Izuku met his gaze, brows furrowing. "...No."

And with that, he walked out, the portal closing behind him, leaving behind dumbfounded silence in the room.