AN: There's been quite a bit of artwork done for this story, but the FFN version is void of it since I can't embed images. If you're interested, the art is all in the Ao3 version, or linked on my tumblr/twitter if you want to go looking. Handles listed in my profile, since FFN is weird about links.

Ochako was not surprised to find Tsuyu down by the dungeon entrance. The guards standing at the entrance clearly did not know what to do or say to a spirit that had the appearance of a small, naked woman with water running down her form in a stream that led down one of the grates into the canals below the castle. And quite frankly, they looked terrified.

"Tsuyu," Ochako greeted warmly, reaching out with a hand. "You didn't need to come."

The spirit stared at her with unblinking eyes. "I wish to see how you respond to a human who tried to kill you and who tried to kill Izuku. Most humans would be filled with negative emotions. I do not see those emotions on you, ribbit. Why?"

Ochako hummed thoughtfully. "I'm reserving my judgment until I have more information."

The spirit tilted her head but reached out to take the blackened hand offered to her. "What does more information do? She still attacked you."

Ochako smiled. "Not everything is so simple, my friend. Come watch."

The dungeon was as Ochako expected, wet and dreary, and heavily laden with enchantments and runes. Katsuki walked ahead, with both Shouto and Ochako following behind him and Tsuyu in tow. Every guard stood to attention as the captain passed by and kept that pose until the prince had passed. Ochako paid them little mind, silver shimmering in her eyes as she called upon Izuku's Hollow core.

Of the occupied prison cells, some had modest cores, others more powerful. She wasn't able to read the magic very well, but the ecosystem whispered hints along the way. They came to a stop in front of one prison, and Ochako's eyes fixated on the core that moved from one end to the other, never stopping. The core manifested in a form not too dissimilar from frog eggs, clustered together in tiny violet orbs that clung to each other. Each piece pulsed softly and in unison.

Now in front of her destination, Ochako let the Hollow magic fade from her eyes. The magical barrier of the prison cell looked like a thin gauze wrapped around the room, pale and mostly transparent, not unlike the bubble this woman's accomplice had trapped Ochako in during the battle. However, Ochako could tell it wasn't quite the same kind of magic. It hummed differently, leaving an astringent taste in the back of her mouth.

The woman beyond the barrier was pacing, and she didn't stop when her guests arrived. Ochako watched her quietly. She had been pacing during the battle as well, and in fact, Ochako had never seen the woman stop moving.

And now, not fighting for her life, Ochako could see a lot more. The bloodshot eyes with dark circles. The pale complexion and lack of body fat reserves. This woman was constantly moving; constantly awake.

"This is your curse, isn't it," Ochako said, skipping introductions. "To always move and never rest."

The woman's head snapped up, as if just now noticing her guests. She slowed, pivoting to face the front of the cell where she began to rock from foot to foot. "No surprise you guessed that, Echo, not that it's hard."

Ochako said nothing for a moment, holding a steady gaze. "I was told you wished to speak with me."

The other woman shrugged a shoulder, maintaining an intense eye contact that would make most uncomfortable. "Yeah. I would say you took your sweet time, but given how much you look like shit and are having to use a Todoroki as a crutch, I'd guess this is the earliest you could make it."

Ochako smiled thinly, patting Shouto's arm. "Yes, I have been resting, but I'm here now, and I'm listening."

The woman pursed her lips, rocking back and forth. "You have no reason to like or trust me, and I'm not one to pretty my words. My offer is simple: if you or Requiem's holder can break the curse on me, I'll give you every bit of knowledge I have on the man who holds the Blackened Core."

Ochako saw Katsuki and Shouto exchange looks over her head. She paid them little mind. "Is that all you want? Not freedom or pardon?"

"I'm not in a position to bargain," the woman said simply, "and I don't think any additional requests I made would be considered. And if I'm being brutally honest… I'll rot in prison for the rest of my life as long as I can sleep again."

Shouto's brows lifted, but chose to not volunteer what he was thinking.

Katsuki finally spoke, "How long have you had this curse?"

"Four years," the woman replied without missing a beat. "If I stop moving, the curse activates. Within about eight minutes, I'm in agony. I sleep until the pain wakes me up, then I move until the pain goes away. Rinse. Repeat. It's a hell I wish on no one." She looked back at Ochako, something desperate in her eyes. "Can you break this curse, Echo? Can Requiem?"

Ochako closed her eyes, listening to the magical world around her. She had little experience in curses. Technically, even the one she had placed on Shouto was actually a protection spell and not truly a curse, not that anyone needed to know that since the result was still the same. Was this something she could do? Curse magic was so… fickle, and the requirements to break a curse were often convoluted or sneaky, not unlike a cleverly crafted puzzle.

"Bound to move or suffer from inaction, the only way to end the curse is to still everything."

Ochako blinked, brow furrowing. "Still everything…?"

Shouto looked down at her curiously. "What?"

"The ecosystem says that to end the curse, everything must be still." She quoted the exact phrasing the ecosystem echoed to her then paused and looked back up at the prisoner. "What have you tried?"

The woman snorted. "Everything short of dying."

There was a heavy, collective pause before everyone exchanged looks. "Oh you're fucking kidding me," Katsuki groaned. "Is it saying the curse can only be broken with death?"

The woman worked her jaw, nervously looking between the captain and Ochako. "Is that…is there no other way?"

Ochako went silent, pondering the cryptic message from the magical world and the ways it could be interpreted. Finally she exhaled, letting go of Shouto's arm so that she could place her blackened fingertips together. "I do think it means death, yes. The complete silence and stillness of a body. No movement, no breath, nor a heartbeat. But there's nothing in the requirement that states the 'stillness' must be permanent."

Shouto leaned forward to look Ochako in the eyes. "Can…you do that?"

The witch pursed her lips. "Definitely not in the way I would prefer, because the simplest method would be magic that paused time and space. However, none of Izuku's unlocked cores grant anything like that. And time magic is one of the few that is incredibly difficult for me to borrow from the ecosystem in its raw form. It's volatile, and the chance of having it spiral out of control or hurt me is high."

"Raw form?" Katsuki asked, looking down at her. "What's that mean?"

"Mm, well," Ochako tapped her fingers together, doing her best to articulate her thoughts, "what I've observed is the magic that belongs to cores is… refined, for lack of a better word. It has been molded into a specific type of magic with rules and characteristics. For example, your magic is a cross of fire and detonation. You cannot make water or wind or lightning with your core. For me, however, I borrow magic from the magical plane that cores are born from. That system is raw and unrefined magic that has the potential to be anything. Because of that, I have to mold it into what I want, and that's not something humans are designed to do. It's why using it excessively hurts me. It's also why certain things are much easier for me, such as elemental magic and enchantments. There's a scale of effort involved."

She paused, sighing. "And reality-altering magic is probably the most difficult. Things that touch the movement of time and space, that obstruct the order or bend the rules… that magic is complex, and it is dangerous." She held out her hands, turning her palms up. "Most of the damage my body took during that fight was because I warped the space around that Nomu, trying to crush it under its own weight. Had it been magic pulled from a core, I would have been fine."

Lowering her hands, she looked up at the moving woman on the other side of the barrier. "I can forcefully stop your body from moving, inside and out, using one of Requiem's cores. A telekinesis core. It will be brief, but it should work."

"Are you recovered enough to do it?" Shouto asked incredulously. "You're barely walking on your own. Shouldn't we ask Izuku?"

Ochako pursed her lips. "I'm not exactly sure Izuku has that kind of fine-grain control yet, but I know I do. And my fatigue is physical, not magical." She turned her attention back towards the other woman. "It's your call. Do you want me to do this? It puts your life in my hands."

"I don't have a lot of options," the woman said tiredly. "Is it likely you'll kill me? Probably. But I was going to rot in this cell anyway and never know rest, so I'm willing to take the risk. Let's do this, Echo."

"My name is Ochako," the witch replied evenly. "I've never taken a life, and I don't plan to start now."

"Well, Ochako," the other woman said, spreading her arms in invitation, "my name is Kaina, and I've taken many lives. But I think I'd like to put an end to that. If this fake death works, then maybe that's a good sign I should change careers."

XX

Izuku bit back a yawn as he followed Kyouka into the parlor. The sound mage had pulled him from his nap, indicating Queen Ryuko wanted to speak to him. Ochako hadn't yet returned from the dungeons, but nothing looked wrong with the cores down beneath the castle floors, so he shoved away his anxiety and did his best to not think about it.

The parlor had more people in it than what Kyouka said, judging by the cores present, and apparently she wasn't prepared when they walked in and saw King Enji and High Advisor Keigo in there. The Queen's Rabbit was in the corner, sending shadows crawling across the floor, and Melissa was sitting on a settee next to High Lady Momo. Tenya was also there, looking as uncomfortable as Izuku usually felt in social situations.

Kyouka exhaled, leaning in slightly to Izuku and whispering, "Sorry. Didn't know the king was crashing the party."

Izuku didn't know why she was apologizing and gave a half shoulder shrug, walking past her. He looked between the individuals before focusing on the one who had specifically requested him. Without preamble and without courtesy, he asked, "What is it?"

Enji grimaced but Ryuko did not give any sort of indicator of how she felt about Izuku's etiquette, short of matching it. "I must return to Dragoir. Although a stable country should be able to subsist without its ruler for a small length of time, extending my stay is neglecting my duties. However, I wish to confirm your plans so I can ensure my people can be of aid when the time comes."

Izuku blinked. "Okay. Ochako and I are going to the Tower. We'll probably leave tomorrow or the day after. When we get there, I'll go through my master's old library. He probably had books on the Blackened Core that might help. The enchantments there will prevent anyone from finding us, too."

Ryuko nodded slowly. "So you'll be out of contact? How would you reach us if you need to communicate information?"

"Not fully out of contact," Izuku replied. "Toru will be with us and can deliver messages. And I have a portal core. It lets us open portals to anyone we form a connection with." To demonstrate, he slashed an arm at his side, tearing open a rift in reality right beside him. On the other side was his mother, who blinked and looked up from where she was sitting in the gardens on the other side of the portal, a cup of tea in hand and Mina behind her growing a singular stalk of corn. A very large, singular stalk of corn.

Izuku waved at his mom then snapped the portal closed. "I can create a link to you, but only I can open the portal. It's possible Ochako can use my links or I can use hers, but we haven't tested it."

"So perhaps a routine check-in is an acceptable approach," Ryuko replied thoughtfully.

"Sure," Izuku said. "I can do that. But you said you've visited the Tower before. Did Master grant you the ability to navigate the vortex?"

Ryuko smiled, and for a moment her teeth looked very sharp. When she didn't elaborate, Izuku's visible brow lifted. "Oh." She was a spirit. Spirits were immune to those enchantments. And while it was likely she wouldn't travel herself, the spirit standing in the corners making shadows crawl across the ceiling was a likely messenger.

"What?" Kyouka asked, looking between them.

Ryuko shook her head, signaling she wouldn't be elaborating on that, then turned her attention back to Izuku. "While you and our dear Echo strengthen your bond, Kyouka has volunteered her ears so that we may hear if the enemy moves past the borders. Additionally, she plans to contact the curse mage who is acting as our de facto spy. He may have gathered more information we can use. And finally…" she paused, looking over at Melissa who looked up quietly from her bandaged hands holding her tea, "I have discovered Young Lady Melissa has a passion to right the wrongs done to her. Because of this, I will have her train under High Lady Momo to use core-bound weapons. I tell you this, because if opportunity arises for her to take back her pride on the battlefield, I request you honor that and allow her to fight this war."

"You'd send her to her death?" Enji asked, finally speaking up. "If things come down to a battle worse than what happened at Ultra's gates, it's likely she won't come back to you, Queen Ryuko."

"It is uncharacteristic for King Enji of Yuuei to show concern for a single Dragoirian mage," the dragon queen replied, brows high on her head as she pointedly didn't look at him. "What is your point?"

Enji pursed his lips, the action drawing attention to the lines on his face that seemed to have increased over the last two days. "She lost against Toya and sits before us without her magic and missing parts of her body. Is it not evident she is unfit for battle?"

Melissa curled in on herself, jaw set and staring down at the floor. Momo put a hand on her shoulder, giving Enji an icy glare, while Kyouka scowled, whispering a string of curses under her breath that only Izuku could hear. Izuku frowned, confused, but tried to pay attention to the details of this exchange.

Ryuko put down her teacup with an audible clink, rising slowly to stand before Enji at her full height which was the same as his. Holding her hands at her stomach in poised but stalwart fashion, she asked with all the authority in the world, "And who are you to decide what fitness for battle entails? You, who until recently did not understand the magic of this world. You, whose kingdom was saved by an ex-servant and a peasant girl. You, who joined a battle to defend your capital only after your youngest son was risking his life on the battlefield. I have been very patient with you, Enji Todoroki of Yuuei, with your cutting words and judgmental eyes, but my patience is not as exhaustive as my reign, and I daresay you are reaching its end. You do not want Dragoir as your enemy right now, not when the Blackened Core has demonstrated the only country it has interest in ripping apart is yours."

Somewhere in the middle of her words, Enji's mouth had fallen open. He stared at the monarch before him with no small measure of incredulity, and it was clear Ryuko's words had shocked him. In return, the dragon disguised as a human tilted her head ever so slightly, her golden eyes glittering ominously. The shadows in the room seemed to scurry away from her with the action. "People are what make a nation, King Enji. Not kings or queens or policies or schemes." She walked across the room, her heels clicking on the marble floors as she came to a stop behind Melissa, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Treating them with respect is how one nurtures a nation to become great. Melissa of House Shield lost a battle against your resurrected son, but she did not lose her war. She lives, and the fire in her burns strong, if you will appreciate the analogy. I wish to stoke that fire, because every flame deserves the chance to burn the brightest it can."

She paused, eyes scanning the room before they landed on Izuku. The faintest of smiles touched her lips. "And as you know, King Enji, flames wielded properly are valuable weapons."

XX

"How do you know she's not going to just skewer you the moment you walk through that barrier," Katsuki asked, eyes not leaving Kaina as she bounced in place in her cell.

Ochako spared her friend a slight smile. "Because they need the Echo alive, and I've seen her magic. She can't simply incapacitate me. It's kill or do nothing."

Shouto's mouth fell open. "That's why you told Izuku you wanted to do this instead of him. They want him dead, but they need you alive."

From her place in her prison cell, Kaina seemed impressed with Ochako's precaution, giving a faint nod of approval.

Ochako smiled with fake innocence, nodding to the runes that controlled the barrier. "I admit to nothing. Shall we?"

"You fucking manipulative little brat. Where the hell did you learn–"

"I spent three years around nobility; you damn well know the answer to that," Ochako replied flatly. "Open the damn barrier."

Katsuki responded with thirty seconds of profanities before complying, letting the shield down around the prison cell. Ochako stayed where she was as a shimmery glow erupted from her eyes. "Ready?"

"Does it matter?" Kaina replied wryly as she came to a complete stop for the first time since Ochako had seen her.

"Probably not," Ochako admitted as purple erupted at her fingertips. She lifted her hands up, the glow in her eyes intensifying as she called upon her connection to Requiem, singling in on the telekinesis core it held. She snapped her hand forward, palm out and Kaina went stock still, eyes wide and mouth parted in surprise as her entire body became encased in violet light.

Carefully, Ochako wove the magic through every part of her being, from her head to her feet. It wrapped around the organs, mixed in with the blood, and entangled with the nerves. And then, with a clench of her fist, she brought everything to a forced halt.

Ochako held there, hand clenched as she kept the magic in a frozen state for several seconds. She felt something shift inside the body she held tightly, and the magic around her whispered its hushed approval in a thousand otherworldly whispers. With a heavy exhale, she let go of Kaina who gasped raggedly as she slumped to the floor.

Ochako collapsed too, but Shouto was already moving, hands catching her under her arms as he pulled her back up to her feet, steadying her against his chest. "Careful…"

"Did it work?" Katsuki asked, expression dubious. "She looks the same."

"It wasn't going to change her appearance, dumbass," Ochako replied. Katsuki snarled, whirling around and flicking her on the forehead.

"Ow! Fuck, that hurt!" Ochako whined, rubbing her forehead.

"It's what you get for being a shitty brat!"

Shouto rolled his eyes. "You can pull out each other's hair after we confirm Ochako's theory worked."

"Oh, right," Katsuki replied, looking back at Kaina who had pushed herself into a seated position. Her eyes were wide, nervous, as she sat there in anticipation.

"Eight minutes," Shouto confirmed, looking at her."

"I feel pain after five," Kaina said cautiously, not looking at any of them. "It's been half a minute."

They all fell silent, each quietly counting the seconds. One minute. Two. Three.

Kaina swallowed, fingers digging into the stone floor. Ochako shifted until she was simply using Shouto for balance. Katsuki picked at his teeth with a fingernail. Tsuyu stood wetly.

Four minutes. Kaina started sweating, breath picking up. It was clear her body was conditioned to know being immobile was bad. Ochako watched her eyes dilate as she took in shallow pants.

Five minutes.

"Any pain?" Katsuki asked like he was commenting on the weather.

Kaina shook her head, nervously swallowing again. "Maybe I'm off on my counting."

"We're all counting. It's been over five minutes," Shouto said empathetically.

Her eyes darted back and forth, as if scared to have hope and believe it worked. More seconds ticked by. "I– ...I feel nothing." She looked up, her expression awed. "There's… there's no pain. You really did it."

"Guess so," Ochako replied, smiling faintly. "Why don't you have a nap. We can talk about what you know after." Despite the phrasing being a suggestion, it was clear the witch was making it an order.

Tsuyu stepped out of the corner she stood in and grasped Ochako's hand, a finger on her chin. "Now I think I understand, ribbit."

Ochako smiled at her, and as the barrier wrapped around the prison cell once again, she heard an emotion-filled 'thank you' from the woman within.

XX

"Are you sure you don't want to rest?" Shouto asked as he handed Ochako a cup of tea.

Ochako smiled from her perch on the stone garden bench, watching as he took a seat across from her in the courtyard. She was still in Izuku's clothes, although a blanket was draped over her lap, giving her a little extra insulation from the mild weather. "I'm sure. I'll probably retire early tonight after dinner."

He nodded, looking at her thoughtfully. "This is the first time we've been alone together since our school days."

Ochako blinked a few times, thinking about it. "Huh. So it is. And even then, we had to sneak around to do it. It wasn't proper for the young prince to be alone with his future wife."

Shouto rolled his eyes, sampling his tea. It was the one that Katsuki liked, rich and spicy. They were quiet for a moment before Ochako continued, "You aren't being as careful as you used to be, are you?"

The prince paused, looking up at her. "You mean with…?" Katsuki?

She nodded. "Izuku mentioned walking in on you in a place anyone could have. You never did that before. What changed?"

"I…" Shouto furrowed his brow, thinking. "I honestly don't know what it was exactly. I left the door open for him. Several times. But sometime during all of this… he finally ran through that door."

"Didn't even walk, huh?" Ochako asked, a smile touching her lips. "Barged in like he owned the place."

"I don't mind," Shouto admitted shyly, eyes fixating on the liquid in his teacup.

"What about," she paused, trying to find a way to say what she wanted but indirectly, "repercussions?"

"Honestly?" Shouto started, looking up from his tea. "I feel pretty damn bold about how I live my life when I'm allied with the two strongest mages who my father cannot even stand up against."

Ochako was in mid-sip of her tea when she stopped and carefully pulled the teacup away from her lips. It was very clear she was trying to not laugh. "I… don't even know how to respond to that. I suppose I'm happy I can enable you to live the life you choose. Or at least, close to it."

"You've done a lot for me, even if the world thinks the opposite," Shouto said fondly. "But… enough about the thorn in my side that I love and refuse to remove. What about you?"

"Me?" Ochako echoed, tapping her blackened fingers on the rim of her teacup. "I think you saw very well how we're getting along. We insult each other affectionately like we never left the academy."

Shouto smiled slightly, putting down his tea and grabbing a pastry from the dish between them. "That is not who I meant, and you know it. Don't play coy. You're terrible at it."

She scowled in response. "That's rich coming from you."

He chuckled quietly. "Perhaps, but I'm still right. Do you not want to talk about it?"

"I–" Ochako paused, and it was clear she was thinking about what she wanted to say. "It's not that. I just… I'm still figuring things out. A lot happened quickly."

Shouto took a bite out of the pastry, dabbing his mouth with a handkerchief. He said nothing, waiting for Ochako to continue. She was silent for several more seconds, gathering her thoughts. "I think…I just need some time to sit with my feelings. I've been holding them back, and I think I can stop doing that. But I don't want to jump head first. I need… to feel reassured, I think. That he's ready for this. Maybe that I am, too. So once I have that, then I think I can embrace those feelings I have for him. I can reciprocate what he has for me."

Shouto hummed thoughtfully, picking up his teacup. "What would give you that reassurance?"

"I don't know," Ochako admitted honestly. "But I'll recognize it the moment it happens."

XX

Shouto and Ochako got maybe another half hour of catching up before Tsunagu appeared in all his glory. Rolling out a carpet for him to walk across the garden grass was probably a touch unnecessary, though.

The scream he gave when he saw Ochako wearing Izuku's scarf like a skirt was probably also unnecessary.

After he calmed down, Ochako dismissed herself from tea time to see what utter chaos of clothing the man designed for her, but admittedly found herself impressed as she inspected the outfit that mirrored the design elements of Izuku's battle wear. Instead of green, her tunic was crimson, and it was sleeveless. A pair of silky black gloves that went up her arms were to be used instead of sleeves, with Tsunagu explaining her magic would snap to the fabric and provide her a buffer for her sensitized skin. She also had a cloak similar to Izuku's cape, but fuller and with a hood.

"This is adequate," Ochako said softly, activating Izuku's augmentation magic. It crackled along her skin before wrapping into her clothes and infusing into it with a soft pop. Curiously, she pressed her fingers firmly into her wrist and noted the touch felt far less sensitive. "Thank you."

Tsunagu hummed, tapping a folded hand fan against his palm. "Prince Shouto informed me you both will be traveling into the Western Mountains, so I have brought clothes that would weather its endless storm. The fur is made of mink, and for the exterior I imported a–"

"That's nice," Ochako interrupted mildly, having no interest in the details. "Is there anything else?"

Tsunagu snapped his fan sharply against his palm. "Yes. I was informed that unlike your counterpart, you actually own clothes, although their design is a disgrace. So, I've brought you the latest fashion for the season, which, by the way, is chintz yet again–"

Ochako turned away from him, looking at the bathtub of river water. "Tsu."

The water splashed as the spirit's head poked up over the tub's edge. Tsuyu looked at the witch patiently.

"Inside my cottage you will find the wardrobe by my bed. Bring me some clothes. The combination doesn't matter, but ensure the clothes you choose collectively cover my chest and my thighs. It's okay to get them wet. We'll dry them once you return."

Tsunagu let out a gasp that was louder than Izuku could probably talk, and the witch gave the tailor a tired look. "I am grateful for the pragmatic clothes you've brought, but I draw the line at fashion. If there's nothing else, I'd like to rest now, please."

"Very well," Tsunagu replied stiffly, waving a hand. "But be sure your final battle is flashy and somewhere public and marketable, and please never wear a cape as a skirt ever again. Now, I must be off. Katsuki of House Bakugou is still avoiding me and I will have no more of it!"

With that he stalked off, his assistant in tow.

XX

Izuku left the parlor after the details he cared about had been shared. Whatever was going on between the monarchs were things he didn't have an understanding for, and thus, he cared little.

As he walked the halls back towards Ochako's room he ran into Shouto, who was apparently looking for him. "Ah, there you are. Can you come with me? I'd like to coordinate my journey with yours, if possible."

Izuku blinked, tilting his head. "Okay."

He followed Shouto through halls he'd not really traversed before and found himself being led through a set of double doors into a meeting room of sorts. He looked around the empty room filled with a large table and chairs, then at the sprawling detailed map on the wall. Quickly, he realized it was a map of Yuuei and the surrounding countries, even as Shouto walked up to it and gestured for him to follow.

"I realize that the Tower is hidden and probably not mappable, but do you know which side of the mountains you'll need to enter from?" Shouto started, gesturing to the mountain range that wrapped around Yuuei's western border."

Izuku hummed, looking over the map. "Maybe… I'm actually not very familiar with looking at maps, and my knowledge of the west side of the country is bad. Nomu only attack from the east. Why?"

Shouto nodded, tapping a building drawn in the mountains of the map. "This is the Western Fortress. I plan to travel there to speak to my brother. My thought was that if our paths overlapped, we might travel together for extra safety, but the mountain range is vast. I know to reach the beginning of the mountain pass is a three day trip by horse, then it slows down once you reach the edges of the blizzard vortex. I wasn't sure about the Tower, but figured the worst case was that we traveled then split up."

Izuku frowned, looking at Shouto. "But I run."

Shouto blinked. Then blinked again. "I'm sorry?"

The younger man shrugged. "With my magic, I can run faster than a horse. So I am going to carry Ochako to the Tower because that's the fastest."

Shouto blinked again. "...you're going to run the whole way."

Izuku tilted his head. "Yes?"

The prince exhaled incredulously. "Okay. New plan I guess. I thought you'd be traveling by horse, so that won't work."

Izuku stared at the prince then looked back at the map thoughtfully. Carefully, he brushed his augmented fingers along the ink strokes in the vague shape of mountains. "I wonder…"

'Echo… can you help me see?'

At his request, the magic around him stirred, rushing into his senses. The place his fingers touched suddenly appeared in his vision as towering white mountains covered in snow. Curiously, he moved his fingertips down to the symbol of the city in the southwest. The vision dancing in his head changed, showing a place he had never visited, full of stone buildings with smoking chimneys, thatched roofs, and shaggy furred horses pulling carts. He continued, moving his fingers along the western side of the map, trying to identify things. He saw the mountain pass that Shouto spoke of, realizing he had traveled it before with Master Toshinori. The Western Fortress looked the same as he remembered as a child, cold and uninviting. As his hands moved past the endless vortex drawn on the map, he saw a spiral of white, and the icy blue eyes of the spirit at the center. Now he was starting to get a feeling for where everything was in relation to the Tower. He moved down, back into the valley before the mountains, touching over small towns and military outposts. There was the big lake that was north of the capital, and–

He sucked in a breath as he touched a spot on the map up north, surprised at the familiar image that flashed across his mind. He lingered there for a moment in awe before he pulled away and looked at Shouto. "Okay. I now know where the Tower is in relation to the Fortress. I also have an idea."

XX

"You wanna help, eh?" Katsuki stated more than asked, crimson eyes focused on Tenya who stood beside him in front of the castle's main gates. Beyond the gates, Queen Ryuko's party made their exit, Kyouka leaving with them to return to Heights Alliance port.

Tenya nodded, expression hard. "What little I've done hasn't been enough. While I'm glad the swords I core-bound for you were advantageous in battle, that's a drop in the lake compared to what I think I can offer."

"Yeah, I agree," Katsuki admitted, eyes moving to follow the leaving Dragoirians. "While I wanna put your Creator skills to heavy use, I actually have a different job for you, if you're up for it."

Tenya gave the captain a scrutinizing look. "Something that doesn't require my magic?"

"Not directly, no," Katsuki admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "It's… not an official request, either. King Enji doesn't know about it."

"I don't follow," Tenya replied, shaking his head.

"Yeah, sorry. Fuck me for being cryptic," Katsuki replied, waving a hand. "Look, Shouto wants to travel and see his brother in the Western Fortress. I don't want him to go alone but I can't spare the guards. We can't risk a Nomu attack like that again. I'd ask Kyouka, but she's got her orders already, and while I would prefer to employ your skills to upgrade the guard's weapons, Shouto's safety is a priority in my personal fucking opinion. Deku–fuck, Izuku and Ochako plan to travel part of the way with him but can't do the whole journey."

He paused, working his jaw before he finally asked, "Can you escort him, at least for the parts he'd travel alone? Then you can return here, and I'll make your core hate you for all the work you'll be doing."

"I am honored you trust me," Tenya said carefully, pressing his hands together, "and normally I would accept, but… I don't think his majesty will let Prince Shouto make that journey."

"He's barely paid Shouto or the rest of his family any fucking attention since he learned that Touya might be alive or un-alive or something," Katsuki replied dismissively.

"Captain Bakugou…" Tenya said carefully, a certain edge in his voice. "The eastern ruins can be traversed by people with active curses."

"Yeah–" Katsuki started, but he froze, eyes widening in horrific realization. "No…"

Tenya nodded gravely. "Yes. I was surprised none of you mentioned it, but I realized that perhaps you've all been focused on the much bigger problems presented and that maybe I should speak up. Prince Shouto still has a curse, and based on what I have seen these last few days, I do not think His Majesty would hesitate to exploit that for his own goals."