Chapter Five:

Izuku kept his breathing steady and his eyes closed as he woke up. He inhaled, seeking any invisible clue about his surroundings. An intense floral scent hit his nostrils: morning glories, carnations, hydrangea, and zinnia. A fae nose could detect such fine details. The air felt warm but not uncomfortably hot. Admittedly, summer fae had a high tolerance for heat. Soft sheets rubbed against his back. He lay on his side with his wings folded. The blanket over him felt light. A faint breeze tickled his hair.

"I know you're awake," All for One said.

Izuku's eyes shot open and he sat up.

He'd been placed in a giant bed shaped like a sleigh with white morning glory vines creeping up the back. A gauzy curtain fell over the bed, though it hung open to let All for One watch him sleep. The fae king sat in a wicker chair with his legs crossed. Tall, thick ryegrass grew up from the floor. The walls looked like the hollowed-out inside of a tree. Moss ran up the ceiling. An entire garden of flowers grew around his bed: all the same ones he'd smelled. Each flower had green petals. A branch sprouted from the floor, forming the shape of a bookshelf. There was a dark purple cushioned seat tucked next to the windowsill. Two half-open doors led to a closet and a bathroom.

There was no light, because there was no need with the giant window taking up most of a wall. A thick forest spread out below. Izuku could tell from the branches stretching out his window that he was, in fact, inside a hollow tree. A very high tree, towering far above the others. The sun beat hot overhead. Although Izuku felt strange admitting it, he felt more healthy, well-rested, and brimming with magic than he had ever been in his entire life. The lack of iron felt wonderful, but this was even stronger than the effect of the fae marketplace. That shining, brilliant sun overhead seemed to nourish him. It was as if he'd spent his entire life on allergy medication, and now could breathe clearly for the very first time.

Izuku had been changed into a soft, silk white robe. The realization made him flinch. "My clothes…"

"Human items aren't allowed here." All for One spoke as if this should be obvious. "You can still have your broach." Sounding as if he thought himself very generous, he included his head at the green fan pin sitting on the end table. "I removed the dangerous magic."

Izuku snatched the fan up. He was tempted to put the sharp edge through All for One's eye, but that would be very foolish. The older fae was too powerful to be turned into a weasel, unfortunately. Even if Izuku could somehow win against a fae king, he had no idea how to get home. He licked his lips.

All for One held out a cup of cold water. "Here."

Izuku eyed it suspiciously. "You already tried that trick, father dearest."

He'd meant the title sarcastically, but All for One smiled. "Your knowledge of your own culture appears to be lacking. No summer fae needs to fear eating food in our own realm. Imagine if we had to be wary before every single meal! You will not incur a debt for anything you eat here. This is your palace and your kingdom."

Izuku hesitated, staring into the clear water with his throat itching. This sounded legitimate. Izuku had never needed to ask his parents to clear him of debt when eating at home. Yet still he turned All for One's words around in his mind, looking for any hidden loophole. A fae so mad that he could lie should not be trusted. For that matter, what if the drink was drugged?

Eyes narrowed, All for One growled, "Drink the water, Kazuki Shigaraki." Then he smirked as if he'd believed he'd done something clever.

Izuku realized that 1. All for One believed Kazuki Shigaraki to be his true name; and 2. The command had zero impact on him.

True names were tricky for fae. Normally your true name was your first one whether you knew it or not. But fae had sometimes been able to change their true names. The trick: you had to honestly believe your true name was something different. The more calculated the attempt, the less likely it was to work. A handful of pitiful fae had accidentally made their fake, commonly used names into their true names by neglecting to think of themselves by the old one, and then they had no choice but to flee the fae realm. That was another reason why some fae considered it wise to swap true names with their most trusted loved ones, to keep the names in use.

Izuku had always believed his true name to be the one Yoichi had given him: Mikumo Akatani. Even now he felt no pull towards the name Kazuki. He expected this had a lot to do with him refusing to acknowledge All for One as his true father. If he thought too hard about this then it might stop working.

There were only seconds to decide what to do. Izuku had every reason to let All for One believe that his control had worked. This could be an important weakness to exploit to escape. It was worth the risk of a drug in the water. Reaching for the glass, Izuku drank.

The water tasted milky and smooth, which gave Izuku a brief moment of panic before he realized it was mineral water.

All for One smirked. "Now we have that out of the way, let's lay down some ground rules. Children need boundaries. Kazuki Shigaraki, by your true name, I bind you: you will obey any and every direct order from me. You will not circumvent my orders. You will not leave the summer palace, and you will fight anyone who tries to remove you. You will make no effort to dethrone or seal me. You will not harm yourself or me, nor stand idle when you could prevent harm." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh, and you won't harm your Uncle Yoichi either."

Izuku gaped, stunned that All for One's very first order had been for him to obey all other orders. Whoa, he wasn't even giving Izuku a chance to cooperate before skipping straight to total enslavement. Not that Izuku had been planning to cooperate, but still. It was also extremely telling that All for One had not forbidden Izuku to stand by idly while Yoichi got harmed. From a fae king, there was no chance that part of the order had been omitted accidentally. All for One intended to do things to Yoichi that he knew Izuku would classify as harm.

All for One was watching him carefully. Of course Izuku would be expected to have a big emotional reaction to being enslaved for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, Izuku had never been a particularly good actor. And he didn't feel horrified, just pissed off.

To hide his expression, Izuku threw himself onto the bed and buried his face into a pillow. His shoulders heaved, his wings bristled, and he made sounds imitating sobs.

All for One patted his head. "There, there. It won't be so bad. You'll get used to it. Yoichi got used to it, after the initial temper-tantrum." His voice held a wistful note.

Izuku shuddered, for real this time. "You're a lying oath-breaker." That was a heavy insult, and he spat it out with according venom. "You swore not to harm me."

"And I meant every word," All for One said. "I'm your father, and it's my job to protect you even when you don't want it. In your home, you'll become the summer prince you were always meant to be." His fingers ran through Izuku's curls. "I brought you here to heal you from the taint of that wretched human and changeling. They destroyed my little brother, twisted him and turned him against me, then used him to seal me away."

Not true, Yoichi had sealed All for One away of his own initiative. But All for One had somehow convinced himself of this despite the timing not adding up. A fae who could lie to himself so well that he could deceive others was a twisted abomination. Izuku shuddered again.

"You need rest, little prince. A temporary order: do not leave this room until I return for you." All for One rubbed the space between Izuku's wings and sang a soft lullaby, which Izuku realized was meant to lure him to sleep. He faked it to get the fae king to leave.

Once alone, boredom quickly set in. Izuku explored his small bedroom and found nothing to use as a weapon. His captivity already pressed on his spirits. The door had not even been locked, due to All for One's confidence in his orders. The open window made his wings twitch. But realistically, Izuku would not last long being hunted alone in the summer realm. He needed to fake compliance long enough to convince All for One to take him out of the palace. Then perhaps he would have a real chance.

By the seasons, his parents must be worried sick. Shouto probably blamed himself. Looking back, Izuku realized he'd made a mistake in phrasing his question "If you were me, how would you find Touya Todoroki?" All for One had known Dabi meant harm to Shouto, but someone like the summer king wouldn't hesitate to use Shouto as bait. Izuku had thought he'd been so clever at the time, but he'd walked into a trap. All for One had planned to use his connection to Dabi from the beginning. What had happened to Shouto after Izuku's capture? Had Dabi hurt him? Izuku paced faster, wings fluttering hard enough to kick up his sheets.

Someone knocked on the door. All for One probably wouldn't knock. Izuku opened the door a crack.

A fae stood in the hallway. His skin appeared to be made of swirling black shadows, completely obscuring his face. The shadows rose up to form jagged wings at his back. His eyes glowed yellow. He bowed. "Your Highness, I'm here to help you get dressed. My name is Kurogiri."

Izuku gasped. "Did you…just give me your true name?" Fae introduced themselves saying they were called by a certain name not that it was their name.

Kurogiri said, "I'm dead, so I no longer have a true name. Only His Majesty can command me. As he took my magic and breathed back his own power into me, I belong to him."

Then this fae (former fae?) was one of All for One's mindless servants. Izuku's skin crawled. The power radiating off Kurogiri felt like summer, yet stripped of all life. It was wrong, wicked, an abomination. But that wasn't Kurogiri's fault, and Izuku's parents had taught him manners. He stepped back and opened the door. "I appreciate your help."

Kurogiri selected a green kimono. The matching green coat had white and black swirls on the sleeves. Izuku didn't need help getting dressed, so he persuaded Kurogiri to leave and then come back to fasten his belt.

Although Izuku had hoped to leave now, Kurogiri went into the closet and came out with a box of jewelry. A dazzling number of shinning jewels filled the case. Kurogiri selected a set of five rings, each attached to a silver chain that in turn attached to a silver-and-diamond bracelet. He slid it onto Izuku's right hand. Izuku didn't like it—it felt like he was wearing chains. But no one asked him. Kurogiri added an identical set to his other hand. Next came jade beads over his neck. Kurogiri fussed with his hair, deeming it too short for a bun but slicking it back. Finally, Kurogiri placed a crown on his head: a golden tiara interwoven with sapphire, rubies, and diamonds. A large emerald sat heavily in the dip down on his forehead.

Izuku murmured, "That looks more like a Western than a Japanese crown."

Kurogiri said, "The summer prince's crown dates back to before the fae crossed the ocean over to Japan."

Izuku startled. He hadn't expected a reply.

Kurogiri held up a mirror. "How do you like it?"

There was no way to respond both politely and truthfully, but Kurogiri didn't deserve to be blamed. Izuku settled for: "You did an excellent job."

"I agree," All for One said from the doorway. The fae king swept into the room and lifted Izuku up in his arms.

Izuku squirmed on instinct, then went limp, afraid he would reveal his secret. Except he hadn't been ordered not to squirm so maybe he could have? Maybe it would be more suspicious not to struggle? Aargh, this was going to become frustrating very quickly.

All for One carried Izuku into an old-fashioned office with bookshelves covering two walls. An ink well and many scrolls sat on the desk. He set Izuku down in a chair with a red velvet back. "You can play here while I work, like my little brother used to." He handed Izuku a box full of large wooden puzzle pieces. "Why don't you solve this?"

"Uh…how young do you think I am?" Izuku pushed the small puzzle together in five swift movements.

"Good job." All for One patted his head. "It appears I've missed so much of your childhood. There might be a way to make you younger again…but I need you to look like yourself for now…"

Izuku shuddered and revised his estimate of how long he had to escape.

All for One handed Izuku a book. "Here, this used to be a childhood favorite of mine."

Izuku took the book without looking. "I'll read peacefully without disturbing you, if you will please tell me what happened to Shouto Todoroki." Fear for his friend had been scratching at the back of his mind.

All for One raised an eyebrow. "You'll sit quietly regardless if I order it…but very well. Such a small request can be granted. After you came through the portal, the fight drew the attention of human heroes. I ordered Dabi to leave. Shouto Todoroki suffered no harm other than being stepped on. It would not be politic for me to pick a fight with the yuki-onna at this time. But now I have the Clan Head Rei's son as a hostage, I will be able to prevent them from supporting the Winter King."

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. Then he frowned. "Order? Hostage? Does Dabi not serve you willingly?"

All for One chuckled. "I have control over the minds of those I raise from the dead. Dabi owes me such a massive debt, he'll never be free of it. That fool is so easy to manipulate, he believes that he's serving me of his own free will. A little tweak to his mental state is all that it takes to send him into a rage. Why, he'd even kill his own little brother for me! What a worthless, weak-willed creature. I've clouded his mind until he feels nothing except hate. If he goes too far, then an order jerks him back in line."

"I'm surprised you so carelessly risked the secrecy of the magic world to kidnap me," Izuku muttered.

"Bah. Humans attribute everything to quirks. Dabi is just another villain to them." All for One flipped his hand. "Besides, I could have used Dabi as a scapegoat if anything went wrong. No one currently connects him to me."

"Clever," Izuku said. Evil, but clever. He was currently pretending to be a nice, cooperative prisoner who developed Stockholm Syndrome super-fast, and this was his first chance to offer a compliment he could say honestly.

All for One smiled. "I learned such tricks to survive. Fortunately, you have me to look after you, so you'll never need to struggle for your life."

There was nothing positive to say to that, but fortunately All for One did not seem to expect a reply.

As All for One sat at his desk and worked, Izuku read. His parents had given him this same fantasy book before, but it was a mindless way to pass the time. When Izuku itched his ankle, he noticed something written on the chair leg. Bending over, he read: Help, help, I'm bored out of my mind.

It was Yoichi's handwriting. Izuku found it more horrific than funny. How long had Yoichi been trapped in this chair by an insanely possessive brother? No wonder Izuku's parents had been so frantic to take him away as a baby and keep him from All for One.

Kurogiri knocked on the door, then entered. "Your Majesty, Dabi is here to see you. He's brought Tenko Shimura."

Izuku stiffened upon hearing the name of Nana's grandson.

All for One smiled. "Excellent. You may bring him in." He turned to Izuku. "Do not speak a word in young Shimura's presence."

Sarcastically, Izuku mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

A young man with shaggy white hair entered. Licking cracked lips, he said, "Than—um, I mean, I'm greatly honored that you agreed to meet me, Your Majesty. I've been manifesting summer fae magic, and I believe that I'm a changeling. I'm looking for my biological family because I've been having trouble controlling my powers. My friend Dabi said that you might be able to help me."

All for One smiled, a normal smile for once, which meant it must be fake. "Helping changelings is within the scope of my duties as king. Of course, there will be a small price."

Izuku paled. He remembered the story of Kotaro Shimura obtaining fae magic for his son. Tenko was looking for family in completely the wrong place. Nana was Winter King All Might's foster mother, which made her All for One's enemy. All for One definitely planned to take advantage of this situation. Izuku refused to let that happen to his Aunt Nana.

Ripping off his crown, Izuku threw it like a discus. The priceless summer artifact smashed through the window with a crash. Looking straight at the fae king, he smiled brightly.

All for One rubbed his forehead. He mumbled, "Yes, this rebellion happened with Yoichi too. He always hated crowns. Young man, no dessert after dinner for you. Sit there while I retrieve the crown." All for One vanished the rest of the window with a blast of magic, then flew out.

As soon as they were alone, Izuku hissed, "Psst! I know your grandmother, Nana Shimura. She's a tengu. You had fae magic implanted as a child. All for One hates your grandmother and has no good intentions toward you. Turn him down, but do it so that he doesn't realize you know. And please, please, please don't tell him that I spoke to you or he'll make me pay for it."

Tenko gaped, shocked at the outpouring of words. "How do you know—?" He stopped talking as All for One returned.

Izuku was taking a big risk. But Nana was family, and that made Tenko family too.

All for One flew over and placed the crown on Izuku's forehead. "There you are, little prince. A new order: no deliberately destroying your clothing or losing your jewelry."

Tenko cleared his throat. "You look busy. Perhaps I should come back tomorrow? I'll sign a contract if you have it ready then."

Distractedly, All for One nodded. "Yes, it's Izuku's first day and I have many preparations to make. Return tomorrow, and I'll have a contract prepared. Kurogiri will show you out."

As Tenko left, Izuku heaved an internal sigh of relief that his gamble had paid off.

With the exception of that excitement, the day passed boringly. All for One barely interacted with Izuku as he worked. From the overheard bits, he seemed to be preparing a ball. Izuku couldn't help noticing that All for One didn't seem interesting in getting to know him so much as possessing him and showing him off.

Even at mealtime, All for One seemed much more interested in teaching Izuku about the summer realm than learning anything about Izuku's own life. Izuku got to hear a lot of stories about Yoichi's childhood. He was curious, because his poppa never talked about it. After All for One told a "funny" story about tricking Yoichi into thinking one of his servants wanted to help him escape as a lesson to teach him to trust no one, Izuku understood why Yoichi didn't talk much about his past.

That night, All for One tucked Izuku into bed with a stuffed rabbit. "If you have trouble sleeping, you're welcome to sleep in my bed."

Izuku twitched. "It will be fine. I fall asleep very easily." Goosebumps raised down his arms at the infantilizing tone. When it became obvious that All for One wouldn't leave until he slept, he faked slumber again.

Even after that, All for One spent too long watching before he finally left.

The next morning, Kurogiri dressed Izuku up in another fancy outfit for breakfast. Over an omelet, All for One asked, "Do you know how to dance?"

Izuku's wings flared up. "Of course I know how to dance." The question was extremely insulting. You might as well ask a merperson or selkie if they could swim.

"Good, otherwise we'd need to fake an injury," All for One said. "Kurogiri will test your dancing after breakfast, then dress you in your costume. You will be introduced to all the fae from around the courts who I could gather on short notice this evening. You will behave. There will be no mischief and broken windows like yesterday."

It wasn't a request, because Izuku had no choice. Whoa, being forced to pretend to obey orders didn't feel a whole lot better than actually being forced to obey orders. He stabbed his omelet viciously. "Why are you in such a rush to introduce me anyway…?" His voice trailed off as he realized. There was only one reason All for One would be in such a hurry and invite foreign guests to his ball. All for One wanted the world to know that he had Izuku. To be more precise, he wanted Izuku's parents to know.

Izuku remembered All for One's confidence that he would get his brother back in his grasp. He would serve as bait for his poppa. And unfortunately, he knew it would work.

All for One chuckled. "I think it's important that a family spend time together." Either he thought Izuku too stupid to pick up on such a blatant hint of his true intentions or he didn't care.

Izuku felt so sick he could barely choke down his food.

Dancing practice with Kurogiri was at least a little fun, because All for One didn't bother him. Kurogiri said the king was too busy preparing for the ball. In a quieter voice, Kurogiri added that All for One had been in a bad mood because Tenko didn't return, so Izuku should do his best to behave.

Izuku was not thrilled about a costume getting picked out for him, but he felt relieved to be out of the heavy and constricting kimonos. Kurogiri dressed him in light green pants with a dark green jacket. The jacket had a pattern of little bunnies and white ruffles in the front. The outfit came with a small green sequined mask, as if All for One wanted to hide as little of Izuku's face as possible. Next Kurogiri placed on a headband with soft, floppy green bunny ears that fell down over his cheeks. There was a cotton tail (also green). And of course the outfit came with more jewelry: golden rings on his fingers and wrist cuffs as tight as chains. Finally, Kurogiri added sparkles all over his face like extra freckles.

When All for One strode into the room, Kurogiri immediately bowed and retreated. All for One was dressed like a demon king: a scaled red bodysuit with an armored black coat. Silver spikes jutted from his shoulders. The belt at his waist had a clasp shaped like a bat and glowing with a flickering internal fire. More silver spikes jutted from his knee-high boots. His mask was obsidian and ferocious, with golden ram's horns rising above his head. Black bat wings spread behind him.

Izuku startled. "Did you shapeshift your wings?"

"Oh, no, this is merely a little illusion magic." All for One winked, and his wings shifted to black butterfly wings, then back again. "You looked adorable, my little bunny." He bent down to kiss the top of Izuku's head between the rabbit ears. Then he extended his hand. "Come."

Pretending a compulsion to follow orders had gotten old real fast. Izuku grabbed the hand before his hesitation looked suspicious. He'd damn well better be able to use this against All for One later.

All for One ripped his claw through the air, opening a swirling portal. They stepped through.

The ballroom was already full, but all noise stopped when they arrived. The massive room had red and gold walls, with gilding running down the pillars and a fresco of frolicking fae above. The chandelier was truly massive, made up of what must have been thousands of crystals, with four separate smaller chandeliers dangling around the larger one in a square.

All for One walked Izuku down a red carpet, toward two cushioned red thrones against the back wall. One was large with a gold back, the second smaller. The guests stared as they passed. Everyone here appeared to be fae, judging from their wings. Most wore animal masks and costumes, though Izuku also glimpsed a few others, such as a blue jester mask, seashells, and a flower headdress.

When Izuku passed a man with spiky red hair, a scar, and gauntlets, he stumbled. But a second glance quickly revealed this was not his papa—the fae was much taller and skinnier with a longer face.

Following Izuku's stare, All for One murmured, "I see someone came dressed as the Iron Maelstrom. What poor taste." Something dark lurked in that droll tone, making Izuku fear for the life of whoever had picked that foolish costume.

Now Izuku noticed several other guests dressed up as humans: a woman in a sparking green flapper dress, a man in a samurai costume. Given that the theme of this ball seemed to be animals, Izuku wondered if this said something about how fae viewed humans. Or maybe he was too sensitive—All for One had dressed as a demon after all.

Inclining his head at the samurai, All for One whispered, "Quite a few fae think that's the latest in human fashion."

Izuku stifled a giggle. No wonder it had taken the fae so long to notice that humans had guns.

At the other end of the room, All for One sat down on this throne and waved Izuku to the smaller one next to him. Raising his voice, he called, "I'm pleased to present my son, Prince Izuku. You may resume."

The band started playing again, a traditional Japanese folk song. The masked fae around the room whirled and spun.

Izuku looked around. There was a food table on the right wall. He did not see any windows, and there was only one door in the front. Armored fae stood guard. He didn't think he'd be escaping today. But then, he'd already known that. He needed a better plan. Unfortunately, that required patience.

At the least, he'd love a bit of time away from All for One. Leaning over, Izuku whispered, "Can I dance, too?"

"A prince should not ask his inferiors to dance." All for One looked indifferent. "If someone else requests a dance from you, then I'll allow it."

Izuku slumped down in his seat. That sounded suspiciously like a no. Then what had been the purpose of testing his dancing? Just for him to sit here bored? "How often does anyone ask you to dance at these affairs?"

"You'd be surprised," All for One said cheerfully. "I'm a fae king. I'm considered quite a catch."

Izuku stared.

All for One laughed. "You should see the look on your face! Jealous at the idea of sharing your father?" His taunting tone made it obvious he was joking. Even he couldn't be that deluded. He reached over and pinched Izuku's cheek.

"Excuse me?" a hesitant voice called. "May I have a dance with His Highness?"

Izuku sat up straight. A girl stood before his throne with her hand extended. She wore a flowing white dress with a pink sash and a feathery white-pink boa so thick it nearly looked like a coat. A crown of pink feathers rose off her flamingo mask. She had pink hair and yellow horns—Mina Ashido!

Mina winked at him. He started to reach for her hand.

"Not with the traitors' daughter," All for One said coldly. The entire room seemed to become hotter even as the light dimmed. The murder radiating off him made the closest dancers stumble and fall.

Mina's legs shook and her wings folded tightly. Casting one last glance back at Izuku, she stumbled away.

Izuku slouched. "I knew you meant no."

"No need to pout, bunny." All for One stroked Izuku's curls. "I'll let you dance with the next fae who isn't one of All Might's fools."

"No one is going to ask me after you put on that display," Izuku growled.

"P-please pardon me, oh magnificent king and beautiful prince. If I'm bothering you at all, then I'll go away," a high-pitched voice squeaked. "Um…m-may I…have a d-dance?"

To Izuku's astonishment, he recognized this fae as well: Yuga Aoyama, sweating so hard he'd soaked his cravat. He'd dressed like a French cavalier, complete with the curly white wig and a white mask with black lace around the eyes. But his rainbow wings were unmistakable.

"Go on then, you can dance with the lad," All for One said, smiling indulgently.

Izuku leapt to his feet and grabbed Aoyama's hand before the offer could be revoked.

The music had shifted to a lively jig. Izuku took the lead because Aoyama could clearly barely remember the steps.

Aoyama whispered, "I'm sorry for turning you in." His hands were so sweaty it became difficult to hold on.

"You're forgiven. I never blamed you," Izuku said, surprised at the apology. Aoyama had owed a debt to All for One, what else could he have done?

"I don't want to be involved in this," Aoyama muttered. "I'm only here because I really am sorry, and because Ashido and Uraraka get scary when they're angry. They thought that All for One might not let you dance with a winter fae, so Ashido tried first. They were hoping he wouldn't recognize Ashido. Then they forced me to ask you! Uraraka had to sit on Todoroki to stop him from trying."

"Todoroki is here too? I thought the ball was only for fae."

"May I cut in?" Shouto asked, answering the question. He wore a furry snow leopard's mask covering half his face. His suit had a white-with-black-spots pattern. He had a cat's tail and tall white boots. Strangely, his ears were pointed like a fae. His shimmering silver wings gleamed like knives. Surely the wings must be fake, but they moved slightly.

Aoyama threw Izuku at Shouto, then fled, heading straight for the exit.

Izuku fell forward, ending up with his face pressed uncomfortably close to Shouto. At this range he could feel the yuki-onna's slightly frosty breath tickling his face. "Hey," he said breathlessly.

"How are you doing? Did All for One hurt you?" Shouto demanded, grabbing his face to examine him.

"I'm physically unharmed, just trapped here." Before anyone bumped into them, Izuku grabbed Shouto's hands and spun him away. "How can you be here?"

Shouto dipped Izuku as an excuse to lean close, then murmured into his ear: "Uraraka snuck me in, disguised as her brother. Sylph and yuki-onna magic feels very similar. She's using illusion magic on me, to give me fae ears and wings. We have to stay within eyesight of her so she can manipulate my wings to move." He jerked his head at the food table.

Ochaco stood by the punch bowl, munching on meatballs on a skewer. She waved at them. She'd dressed as an angel, with a short frilly white dress and flowing lacey sleeves. Her pleated skirt turned black at the bottom, almost as if she was an angel in the process of falling. She had a halo made of half-white, half-black feathers. Combined with her claws and knife-like wings, she gave off the impression of the type of angel who cried "Fear Not!" She tossed her skewer in the trash, then grabbed another one. With her other hand, she wrapped mochi in a napkin and slipped it into her purse.

Instinctively, Izuku looked for All for One too, but he couldn't see the fae king amongst the crowded dancers. It gave him a tiny bit of relief.

"You look amazing as a fae. Not that you don't always look amazing." Izuku flushed. The music turned faster, forcing him to step rapidly and making it even harder to think. "The costume, I love the costume, it's very you."

"How kind of you to say." Shouto twirled Izuku. "Your bunny costume looks adorable."

"I'd prefer cool or ferocious." Izuku sighed.

"I wouldn't dream of underestimating you." Shouto spun them in a circle. "I'm sure you could bite through my throat like a carrot."

"You say the nicest things." Izuku giggled.

The fast beats made it difficult for them to find a moment to talk. At least it was fun dancing with Shouto. He had an instinct for moving with the beat.

Fortunately, the next song was a slow one. Izuku put his arms around Shouto's back and pressed their cheeks together. Then he whispered, "Is it safe for you to be here?"

"Not at all," Shouto whispered back. "All for One made a promise guaranteeing the safety of his guests. That's the only reason Ashido and Uraraka's parents let them come. However, I'm not invited so I'd be in big trouble if anyone found me."

"Then you should leave," Izuku hissed, struggling to keep his voice low.

"I had to see if you were safe with my own two eyes." Shouto held on a bit tighter. "It's all my fault that you got captured. I'm sorry."

It was on the tip of Izuku's tongue to send Shouto away. But he realized that running away like Aoyama could possibly look suspicious. It would be better to finish the dance, then have him go. "No, please don't blame yourself. I made plenty of mistakes to lead me to this point. It wasn't even entirely Dabi's fault. It turns out All for One has been controlling his mind."

"That's helpful to know." Shouto sighed, his breathing soft against Izuku's neck. Even under the present circumstances, Izuku couldn't help blushing. Shouto cradled Izuku's face, blocking their lips from being read. "I'm sorry, I've thought of a million plans, but I can't find a way to get you out of here. There are too many guards."

"I know. This ball is a trap." Izuku wouldn't expect someone who hadn't been friends with him for very long to take on All for One. "Please don't risk your life."

Shouto's body heat burned hotter from his internal furnace. "I'll find a way to help you. My parents are powerful, and this is our fight, too. All for One has my big brother."

That was a very good point. However, Izuku wasn't optimistic. Hopefully the Todoroki parents would keep Shouto's recklessness under control. Izuku murmured, "Could you pass along a message for me? Tell the tengu Nana Shimura that All for One has his sights set on her grandson."

Their faces still touching, Shouto nodded very slightly. "I will."

"And tell my parents not to come to the fae realm. All for One is using me to lure them into a trap."

Swaying with the music, Shouto hesitated. "I'm sorry, I don't know how to contact your parents. You never told me where you live, and I don't think it would be a good idea to tell me now. All for One probably isn't eavesdropping, or he would have interrupted us already. But even if the odds are low, the risk is too great."

"You're right. It wouldn't be worth it, not to tell them what they already know." Izuku's eyes stung. "Not to give them a warning…that they won't even listen to…" Because Izuku knew his parents would come for him, no matter what. Kaiji and Sanzou would die, and Yoichi would be enslaved. It would be all Izuku's fault, for making the poor choices that had led to this point. His stupid teenage rebellion would end in the death of his family. Tears overflowed from his eyes and dripped down his face.

Shouto stopped dancing. He put an arm around Izuku's shoulders. "It will be okay." With people turning to stare at them, he did not say what would be okay.

Izuku sniffled and tried to stop his tears, but they only fell harder. Shouto pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped at his face.

In a voice that cracked the air, All for One demanded, "Did you make my son cry?"

The crowd parted as the furious fae king rose up in the air.

A skewer sticking out of her mouth, Ochaco flew forward and grabbed Shouto, knocking him backward. Mina quickly danced in front of them to hide them from view, dragging along her partner, a girl with chin-length dark purple hair and an asymmetrical fringe. She was doing an excellent impression of someone failing to notice the sudden lack of music. White mist rose up around Ochaco and Shouto, then they vanished. Ochaco must be using her illusions to hide them.

Izuku leapt in front of All for One and wrapped his arms around his waist to stop him. "Dad, he didn't do anything to hurt me. My emotions overwhelmed me suddenly. I'm tired. Please, take me home."

All for One looked down at Izuku's teary eyes, and his expression softened. "Perhaps this was a bit much for your first time out in public. Very well." The fae king wrapped Izuku up in his wings and carried him away.

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: How Dabi Got Bound, Version One

Dabi: Thank you for saving my life, kind fae king.

All for One: Got you.

Dabi: This is so embarrassing…I thanked a fae…I'm going to pretend to be serving him of my own free will because it's too embarrassing.

#

Omake: Dabi Joins the Darkside, Version Two

All for One: Serve me or I'll make you dance to death.

Dabi: (Crying from joy) I always wanted to die dancing! I'll devote myself to your cause.

All for One: Whelp that unintentionally worked out in my favor but I still feel annoyed.

#

Omake: Pre-Ball Preparations

Shouto: Do my leopard fangs look adequately ferocious? I need to show Izuku that I'm capable of protecting him.

Ochaco: Can someone else carry my belongings? I'm stripping all the contents of my purse so that I have as much room as possible for swiping food.

Mina: All for One will never recognize my pink hair and yellow horns if I'm wearing a mask. My disguise is perfect!

#

Omake: Time is Hard for Fae

Fae wearing a 1920s flapper dress: Heh, look at that fool in armor! I'm wearing the latest human fashion from America.

Izuku: Uh, did you get it from a store selling retro clothing?

Fae: Yeah, doesn't retro mean trendy among the humans?

#

Omake: Misunderstandings

All for One: Ah, I see that the Ashidos have realized their daughter is the only summer fae of an appropriate age to make a match with my son, and decided to use her to worm back into my good graces. How trashy.

Mina: Um…no offense to Midoriya, but my parents would disown me if I made them in-laws with All for One.

#

Omake: Against the Natural Order

Shouto: If only I was a fae so I could attend the ball. But if my family was fae then my oldest brother would be good at dancing.

Dabi: Hey!

#

Omake: Priorities

Shouto: I'm here for true love.

Aoyama: I'm here out of guilt.

Mina: I'm here for the rightful heir to the throne.

Ochaco: I'm here for the free food.

Author's Note: Today's Lord of the Rings quote is: "I want to be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren." Such a noble and beautiful Eowyn quote got warped by All for One's so-called desire to heal Izuku. Why does All for One keep getting all the non-creepy quotes while other characters get the creepy ones?

For anyone curious, Kyouka Jirou is an autumn fae. Also, Ochaco escaped that party with her purse stuffed full of sweets.

I just love the art from Possiblycringe (tumblr) / BucketOfMud (Ao3) / Popsicles (discord). The TodoDeku moment is adorable, their costumes are cute. All for One looks wonderfully menacing in the background. This is one of my favorite art pieces—okay I have a lot of favorites. It's time to just admit they are all my favorite. Delete the spaces for the link:
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Discord link for same picture:
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