AN: I'm excited about this, and the next few chapters. Let me know if you enjoyed it.
XX
When Izuku awoke, he was surprised to find the warm scent of food invading his nose. He hummed happily, turning over in his bed as he let the pleasant smells waft over him, pulling him out of slumber. Slowly daring to peek open his eyes, he found himself focusing on movement in the kitchen just past the hearth. Truthfully, he was surprised he'd slept through Ochako getting up and preparing breakfast, but he had come to realize a few days ago that something about her presence let him go into deep sleep.
He hadn't been a heavy sleeper since he was a child, and certainly that had taken a turn for the worst after Requiem moved in. He slept in the trees, always waking at the slightest sounds, always on guard for what might be out there. Then that changed when Ochako found him. Once he was in her care, he started sleeping through the night again. He didn't wake at every sound. He felt… rested. He felt calm when he woke up. He felt safe.
Tucking his arm under his head to prop it up just a bit, he watched her move around through the kitchen, content to just observe the woman he now lived with, eyes following her with all the curiosity of a cat. After several seconds of watching her magically move things around, he blinked once and let himself look at her core. The Echo was ever as brilliant, with various threads taking off and fading away, indicating her connection to the world. They all shimmered softly, like spiderwebs covered in dew, and he smiled at how pretty it was.
His eyes fell to one thread, blinking as he noted the golden shimmer to it, unlike the silver of the rest. It almost looked like sunlight was hitting it, and he had to wonder if it meant anything. It would be helpful if he could see the ends of those threads, but unfortunately, he wasn't there yet. He wasn't sure if he'd get there, either. Could a Hollow see an Echo's entire connection to the ecosystem?
He pondered that thought, eyes moving around the room. He noticed Toru's core bouncing around in front of Ochako's bed, cooing as she stroked Prince's fur over and over. The other cat was asleep at his feet, having claimed his bed as his own. He didn't mind, though he did find it kind of funny that the one named after Kacchan was trying to take over his bed.
A shimmer of energy outside caught his attention, and he lifted his head to turn behind him, seeing a core through the wall of the cottage that he didn't recognize. It hovered in the garden, shining in the form of spring flowers. He hummed a noise of confusion and sat up, catching Ochako's attention.
"Good morning," She called over from the kitchen, waving a hand to magically fill a kettle with water. "What's got your attention?"
Izuku looked over at her from where he was staring through the wall. "There's… a core in your garden. It's soft and… reminds me of flowers?"
"Oh!" Ochako's face lit up, and she smiled as she wiped her hands on her apron and crossed the room to open the cottage door. "Mina! Is that you?"
A sweet floral scent hit his nose, and he leaned back slightly in surprise as a little pink form floated in carrying a bundle of tiny wildflowers in her arms. She was about Toru's size, with hair made of pink flower petals and a dress of green leaves and vines. She had a pair of dragonfly wings that kept her afloat as she came to a stop in front of the witch. "Your garden is lacking in flowers, Ocha—oh!"
Izuku blinked as the sprite turned her attention to him, darting up into his face with bright, golden eyes. "Toru told me the Ancient One was living with you, Ochako! Are you married now?"
The question made Izuku freeze, eyes wide as he felt a heat rush to his face at the bold assumption. "Um… No, I…" He glanced over to Ochako nervously, seeking help.
She looked amused, arms folding across her chest as Toru came fluttering over and landed on her shoulder, bringing a breeze that stirred the windchimes in the open windows. "We're not married, Mina. Two humans can share a house without courting."
"Two shiny humans!" Toru agreed, nodding her head. "Aren't they both so shiny, Mina?!"
The newest sprite hummed, looking between the two, as if seeing something they couldn't. Her eyes widened. "Oh…oh, wow." She squinted at Izuku, then looked slowly back at the witch standing by the hearth. "Are you sure you're not married?"
Ochako rolled her eyes, and Izuku looked down awkwardly at his hands, taking great interest in his crooked fingers and the dirt under his nails. Suddenly, flowers were in his face, petals brushing the tip of his nose. "You! Ancient Holder! You should give these to Ochako! Boys are supposed to give flowers to girls!"
Izuku jumped, leaning back as his eyes crossed at the tiny bundle of baby's breath, phlox and lavender shoved under his nose. "I, um…"
The sprite huffed, pushing the flowers practically into his nose, and instinctually, he reached up to grab them to keep them out of his face. Holding back a sneeze as he pulled the tiny bouquet out of her hands, he winced at Mina and frowned. "But… Ochako prefers sunflowers…"
Mina gasped, pressing both of her tiny hands to her face, and the petals on her head curled upward, like a flower blooming in the sun. "You know her favorite flower?!" Her voice was shrill and utterly delighted.
"Y-yes…?" He swallowed nervously, unsure why that was important. His eyes flickered up to the witch, and he swallowed again at seeing her regarding him with a strange expression. Her cheeks were a little rosier than normal, but the emotion in her face was one he couldn't place. It made his skin tingle warmly, and he quickly looked back down at the bundle in his hands. With a strong measure of uncertainty, he continued. "Ochako… likes sunflowers because they remind her of home. If… if I want to give her flowers, those are the only ones I would give her."
He reached up to lightly touch one of the petals with a finger, only to have the bouquet shiver and transform into three wild sunflowers of varying shades of yellow and orange. He blinked in surprise, eyes falling to the faint yellow-green glow at the tip of his finger, which was the telltale sign that he had done this, not Mina. "Um…"
He lifted his eyes to the pink sprite who was giving him the most excited look, all but vibrating in place. "Grow magic! Toru! Ochako! The Ancient One has my magic! It's weak, but it's there! Eee! New best friend!"
"I–" He leaned back as she got up in his face, grabbing his freckled cheeks in her tiny hands. It was a stretch, but she managed, somehow.
"You! You have the best magic now! You can make all the flowers for Ochako! We could go on adventures together to make gardens grow! Do you want to come with me today? I'm going to the farms and am gonna make lavender grow everywhere!"
"Mina," Ochako interrupted gently, and Izuku jumped when he realized she had crouched down in front of them both, a tender smile on her face. "Izuku has very important things he has to do today. However, I bet we can work out something tomorrow morning."
He tilted his head curiously, unsure what Ochako meant. Tomorrow was when they would be going to see his mom. Maybe Ochako thought he should bring flowers to her? Actually, that seemed like a good idea. His mom really liked dahlias, if he remembered right…
Mina pouted, puffing out her cheeks as she let go of his face. "That sounds boring."
Ochako chuckled, putting a finger to her chin, and Izuku found himself thinking she looked cute when she did that. "What about a song, then? I'll give you a song if you'll let Izuku do what he needs to do."
The sprite pursed her lips, thinking. "Hmm… okay! Sing to me, Ochako! I'll turn the song into new growth!"
The witch smiled, looking back at Izuku long enough to wink at him, before she stood and walked back into the kitchen. Both sprites followed behind her, and Izuku sucked in a breath as she began to sing softly. The words were a lullaby, and he tilted his head at lyrics he hadn't heard in over a decade, and only ever in his mother's voice.
His eyes lifted to watch her as she poured tea into teacups, a smile on her face as she sang. He liked how it sounded. Warm and gentle, like a summer rain.
He glanced down at the flowers in his hands. That strange tightness in his chest was back again, strong as ever, and he felt his stomach turn a flip as he heard her laugh mid-song. He still didn't understand why he felt this way whenever he thought about her, and he wondered if he ever would.
Without a word, he stood up and went to find a vase for the flowers.
XX
Katsuki lifted his eyes to the door to his quarters as Eijiro came in, shutting and locking the door behind him. The lieutenant looked about as rough as he did, neither having slept well the night before. Eijiro, because, well, he'd learned a lot of new information last night, and Katsuki because, well, Eijiro fucking knew about him and Shouto. As did Kyouka, apparently. Fuck, at this rate, Deku was gonna say he knew because his core told him or some shit.
He felt like the control he had on things was slipping through his fingers, and it terrified him.
Rubbing his hands over his face, he made an attempt to focus his thoughts. "You look like shit."
"Yeah, well, so do you," Eijiro replied tiredly, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against the door.
Katsuki grunted, unable to even think of something snappy to say in response. "Do you still want to be involved in this?"
The other man glanced off to the side, working his jaw. "My stance hasn't changed, Kats. Knowing all this… stuff about Cores and… about Yuuei's Monster is a lot, but… it also means we're not completely in the dark. Things actually seem less bleak to me than they did twenty-four hours ago. I wanna help. And frankly, between the two of us, me running off investigating things on your behalf is going to cause a lot less suspicion than you doing it."
Katsuki inhaled, closing his eyes. Eijiro was right, as much as Katsuki was loath to admit it. He didn't want to relinquish more control, but delegation really was necessary to keep things going. "Yeah. …Yeah." With a groan he reached up and dragged his hands over his face, hanging his head as he tried to reign in his emotions.
"I'm not going to tell anyone, Kats." Eijiro said softly, looking down at the head of pale blond hair, unable to see his captain's face at the angle he held his head.
There was a moment of silence before the captain finally asked, "How long have you known?"
"Honestly? Since about the time we graduated. I kinda wondered if it was why Ochako cursed Shouto, but I guess I had it a little backwards, since I thought it might be out of spite." Eijiro admitted, reaching up to rub at the back of his head sheepishly.
Katsuki couldn't help the snort that escaped him. "I don't think she's capable of spite."
"I dunno… didn't she, like, rip out a chunk of your hair in a fist fight?"
Katsuki's lips pulled back into a sneer as he sat up, running a hand through his hair. "That wasn't spite. She was just being a shitty brat. Regardless, if you're sure you wanna help, I got work for you."
He reached into one of his pockets, pulling out the guidestone Ochako had once given him. He didn't need it now, but he'd kept the stone just in case. "I need you to collect the book from Ochako's. This stone will guide you to her house in the forest without getting lost. It can also guide you back out of the forest."
"Shit, I knew you were gonna make me go back in there again," Eijiro replied with a whine, stepping forward and grabbing the stone. He looked at it, flipping it over in his palm. "Won't lie, Kats. This just looks like a normal rock."
"You rub your thumb over it three times and it'll activate. But you gotta be in the forest to do it," Katsuki explained dismissively, waving a hand. "Don't tell anyone about it."
"I'd like to think that if I didn't tell anyone about your …big secret, you'd trust me to not tell anyone about this," Eijiro replied dryly, bouncing the stone in his hand. In response, Katsuki scowled, glaring off to the wallboard with the map of the country on it. Eijiro sighed, his expression softening. "I'll head out after I do my first rounds, if that works?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Of course. Oh, and Katsuki?"
Crimson eyes lifted to look at the lieutenant captain, knowing what was coming. Sure enough, Eijiro gave him a pointed look. "Go apologize to him for how you acted last night. He deserves better than how you treat him."
With that, he left Katsuki alone with his thoughts, and more importantly, his guilt.
XX
The Dragoirian guards surveyed the ruined village with dismay. Not a building remained standing, and several patches of red fire still fluttered in places. They had tried to put the fire out, and when they realized no amount of water could douse the flames, and no normal magic could snuff it, they immediately sent word back to the royal palace.
One of the junior guardsmen stood nervously, looking around at the carnage. Something was very wrong with all of this, and it wasn't just the enchanted fire. Unusual footprints could be found in the soil around the village, and several people were unaccounted for. They'd found no survivors, but they'd also found a startlingly small amount of corpses.
As if sensing his unease, his senior companion elbowed him. "Don't lose your lunch."
"I-I'm not. I just… is it really Todoroki fire, like the others are saying?"
The older man shrugged, pursing his lips. "Seems likely, but it's hard to imagine King Enji would do something like this. We have treaties with Yuuei. But that's why they've sent word to Her Majesty, because… well, a lot of people are dead or missing, and –" He stopped, sucking in a sharp breath that came in almost like a whistle. "Well, damn, I didn't think she'd send… them."
"Who?" The junior guard asked, eyes flying over the various guards. He realized a moment later who his senior was referring to. Two figures approached, one walking with her head held high and a decorated staff in her hands. She wore a dress in the Dragoirian royal colors, and her black hair was pinned atop her head with jeweled sticks. A frown clung to her lips as she surveyed her surroundings.
At her side was a shorter figure shrouded in a draping white cloak. The hood hung over the person's face, hiding it from view, but there was an odd shape to it, like the person wore an unusual headdress underneath, causing the fabric to stick up at the sides. The figure's steps carried power, but also caused hushed whispers to crawl across the area.
After a moment, the junior guard had the strong urge to look away, and as he stared down at the ground, his brows shot up as he realized what had arrived. "Oh, wow! Is that–"
"Sshhh, don't say her name! The last thing I want to do is have nightmares tonight," The older guard hissed through his teeth.
Before he could say anything else, the woman with a staff called out. "Guards! Please prioritize putting the dead to rest. My companion and I shall take over the investigation of the magic used in this place on behalf of Her Majesty."
She ended her statement by slamming the end of her staff on the ground, sending out a strange wave of violet light that washed over the area. It disappeared a moment later, and she closed her eyes, focusing. After a moment, she opened them and turned to the cloaked individual, speaking in hushed tones. The cloaked person responded by dropping down so that their head was close to the ground, like they were inspecting the soil.
They stiffened, then like a bolting hare, took off, taking to the hills in a white blur. Once they were gone, the strange tension in the area seemed to melt, and the senior guard stepped forward, motioning for the junior to follow him. "High Lady Momo. What did you determine?"
The woman turned to him, pressing her fingers to her lips. "It is indeed Todoroki fire, however the magical scent does not go towards Yuuei. It goes… towards the ruined kingdom. The Queen's Rabbit will confirm that is where the scent ends, but this does not bode well, no matter what she finds."
She sighed, brushing an errant strand of hair from her face. "How many lived in this village?"
"Our records indicate 187."
"And how many bodies have been recovered?"
"Less than twenty, m'lady."
Neither guard liked the haunted look in her eyes.
XX
The first thing Melissa of House Shield felt was pain. Her head pounded and her abdomen throbbed. She became distantly aware of her hand dragging across the ground at random intervals as something carried her. Her position was uncomfortable, draped over the back of some kind of animal or creature.
The smell of decay lingered in the air, and slowly she opened her eyes, finding herself staring down at blackened grass moving past her, catching her hair that was hanging down over her shoulder from where she was draped over some creature's back.
She remembered blue fire and a mage with a hollow laugh. He commented on her magic during the fight, and dread built within her. He could have just killed her. He should have. She was a novice mage, and they were clearly out to make corpses.
And yet, here she was, alive and at their mercy, and she knew, even in her inexperience, that it wasn't a good thing.
Dead grass turned into ruined stone, and she swallowed, eyes falling onto unfamiliar patterns and designs. Wherever she was, she wasn't in Dragoir anymore.
Dead grass. Ruined stone. Not Dragoir.
Her blood ran cold and she realized she was now in the ruined kingdom that bordered Dragoir and Yuuei. But how was she not dead? She tried to lift her head, but the effort made her body scream in protest and she gritted her teeth, eyes falling back down to the ground moving below her. A flash of black and purple caught her attention, and her gaze fell to a bracelet on her wrist that she'd never seen before.
The way the light reflected off the purple stones looked like little toothy smiles. It was unnerving, and it made her want to pull the bracelet off and throw it away. However, when she tried to move her limbs, nothing worked. Her fear compounded as she once again willed her arms to move and neither answered her call.
She was immobilized.
Whatever was carrying her stopped moving, and someone roughly grabbed her by her shoulder, dragging her off of the creature. As she was pulled back, her eyes fell to the thing that looked like it was made of shadow, with blue eyes and leathery black skin. It looked like nothing she had ever seen, and the moment she was no longer touching it, it melted into a puddle of black before disappearing into the earth.
"What did you bring me, Touya?"
The voice was raspy, harsh on her ears like metal against metal. Whoever was holding her lifted her up with an arm, dragging her across the ruined courtyard. Her eyes fell to a demonic looking man standing by an entrance, dressed in black, tattered fabrics. He was lithe and willowy, with ashen skin and white hair that tumbled over his shoulders. Bright, glowing red eyes regarded her with morbid curiosity coupled with something unhinged. Something wrong. Once again, she tried to get her limbs to move, but they hung there, lifelessly.
"Found her while collecting bodies," the man called Touya replied, and she stiffened as she recognized the voice of the man she had fought earlier. It seemed she still had some bodily function. Just not in her limbs.
The demonic man tilted his head in an unnatural way, his lips stretching into a grin that showed off chipped teeth. "Oh! If you brought her here, that must mean she has an interesting core."
Core?
"Tell me, girl," He leaned in, and she could feel the weight of his magic oozing off of him. It was suffocating, and she found it hard to breathe. "What is your magic?"
She had no intention of responding, but her eyes widened as her mouth opened, and the words passed through her lips traitorously. "Time Bubble."
His eyes went wide in delight. A sick, horrifying delight. "Time magic. Oh, Touya. What a delightful find. I'll be happy to add this core to my collection."
And before Melissa could begin to question what that meant, she felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest, like someone was trying to rip something out of her.
XX
Eijiro nervously stood at the edge of the swamp, mentally reciting what Katsuki had told him. There was a swamp spirit who would not let him pass without an escort. Katsuki had no way of informing Ochako that Eijiro knew everything, but the guidestone, coupled with the message Katsuki said to relay, would be enough to convince the spirit he meant no harm, and convince Ochako that everything was okay.
It still didn't make him feel confident, but he'd spent the last six minutes shifting back and forth from one foot to another, and–
"Oh, hiiiiii!"
He jumped nearly out of his boots, whirling around at the sound of a voice. To his surprise and horror, there was no one behind him. His eyes darted all around, and he found himself muttering under his breath. "The forest is not haunted. The forest is not haunted…"
"Up here, silly!"
Stifling a nervous squeak, Eijiro looked up and his eyes widened at seeing a tiny little sprite covered in flower petals and vines hanging from a tree branch. She beamed down at him, waving her little hands. "You look lost, human. Do you need me to show you the way out of the forest?"
Eijiro swallowed nervously, pulling up every ounce of courage he had. "I… um, I'm actually here to see someone… a witch who lives past the swamp?" Would it be bad to say Ochako's name?
In a flash, the little sprite was in his face, eyeing him curiously. "Oh? And what would a dashing human soldier want with the fair forest witch, hm? Do you intend to give her flowers?"
"...What?"
He watched the little spirit's mouth pull into an impish grin. "Why else would you come out all this way into the forest, knowing it is full of magic and spirits, if not to try and woo her with flowers?"
Eijiro had no idea if this was a joke. He'd never interacted with a sprite before, and he had to wonder if this was some kind of test? Was he supposed to say yes? Was he supposed to say no? Was it actually a riddle? Was there a right or wrong answer? His eyes almost crossed as he tried to think about how to respond.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, he wasn't certain which, a sudden surge of magic burst into the area, sending him falling back onto his butt. He let out a shriek when the Monster of Yuuei landed in front of him, appearing as a shadowy creature with inky black tentacles poised threateningly and emerald green fire rolling from his eyes. It was utterly terrifying.
"I-I-I'm on your side! Katsuki sent me!" Eijiro shouted shrilly, curling back away from the monster that was allegedly a man underneath.
And to his fascination, the black magic around the monster dissipated like sands in the wind, revealing a young man with curly hair and glowing green eyes. The flowery sprite floated down, landing in the green curls and began to weave flowers into them. With a voice startlingly soft and mild, the not-monster asked, "Kacchan sent you?"
Pressing a hand to his heart at this wild turn of events, Eijiro wondered if he was not long for this world.
XX
Ochako pressed her fingers over her mouth, her brows dipped low as she stared at the sight before her. Walking through her enchanted barrier was Izuku… wearing a very large and ornate flower crown, with Mina sitting atop of it like she had conquered him. Beside him was Eijiro who appeared to be in a state of shock. Tsuyu sat on his shoulder, her long hair draping down over him like a cape, much like she had done to Katsuki the first time he visited.
Spinning around them, giggling to the high heavens, was Toru, tossing and tumbling through the air like a tiny, hyperactive acrobat.
Despite the utter ridiculousness of the entire thing, Ochako felt her gut twist in a knot. "Is… are they all right?"
Eijiro's brows shot up, and he lifted his hands in a pacifying manner. "They're fine! They're fine… um. So… I kinda… found out last night. About, um, well, everything. I think. Katsuki said it was everything. And, well, um. He said you'd believe me if I said…" He paused, trying to remember the exact words, "You and 'Deku' are meeting him tomorrow to see Deku's mom."
Ochako nodded slowly, folding her arms over her chest. "I believe you, Eijiro. Katsuki gave you my guidestone, did he?"
Eijiro nodded, glancing down at his pocket. "Yeah, um… that's really cool." He paused before his shoulders slumped. Tsuyu slid down to the ground with the action, moving past him to stand beside Ochako. "Ochako… first… it's really good to see you, and I'm glad to know you're safe and well. And…" He paused, sucking in a breath. "I want to apologize. I was one of those people who thought you'd done something… bad. Katsuki told me everything, and…I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted. I had to make it convincing for their sakes." The witch replied warmly, giving him a tender smile. However, she paused, thinking over everything he said, then lifted her brows. "So you do know everything, then. Even… that?"
Eijiro shifted uneasily. "That might be the reason the rest of this, uh… came to light. I… thought they were in the forest last night, for, uh… that."
Ochako pursed her lips, but held onto anything she could say as Izuku tilted his head. Softly, he asked, "What are you talking about?"
Eijiro looked over at him, then back to Ochako. "He… doesn't know?"
"W-what don't I know?" Ochako could tell there was panic leaking into his voice as he looked between Eijiro and herself, worry spreading on his face. Given how much information had been thrown at him lately, that wasn't an entirely unfair reaction for him to have.
Without hesitation, she crossed the small distance between them and took his hands in her own, giving him something to ground himself. He startled only slightly, but immediately responded by curling his fingers around hers. He met her eyes, staring at her intently, and she responded with a reassuring smile. "It's nothing to do with magic, Izuku. It's just… something personal about Katsuki and Shouto's relationship."
Izuku bit his lip, nodding a little. "Is it… important?"
"Yes," Ochako replied, eyes sliding over to Eijiro who was watching the exchange with blatant curiosity. "It's very important, but in a different way. Do you trust me?"
Izuku nodded again, not looking away. "I trust you." His voice was soft, but very earnest. It made a smile tug at her lips.
"Good. I'll tell you after dinner, then. We have other things to focus on right now. You have training, and if I had to guess… Eijiro is here to retrieve the book."
He nodded once more, slowly pulling his hands out of hers, albeit hesitantly. "I should…get back to that. Are you sure everything is okay?"
"Very," Ochako said, smiling. "But… you might want to remove your new crown before you go."
Blinking, Izuku gave her a confused look, before his hands reached up to find the flowers piled atop his head, some petals fluttering down in front of his face from the effort. His cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as he heard Mina giggle above him. "Now you can just gift yourself to Ochako!"
Ochako rolled her eyes skyward, trying not to laugh. "Mina… please. Izuku is not a bouquet."
"He is now!"
XX
Izuku waved to Tsuyu as he left the swamp, and the spirit replied by tilting her head, before mimicking the action as if she hadn't done it before.
Stepping out into the forest, he turned to find both of the sprites were still with him. "Ah… you don't have to stay with me. I'm just going to be training."
"We wanna help!" Toru replied, utterly delighted at the idea of being helpful. Beside her, Mina nodded enthusiastically.
Izuku gave them an anxious smile, fidgeting in place. "I mean… I don't have anything to give in return. I can't make deals with you."
"Are you so sure about that?" Mina asked, her tone impish. It made Izuku nervous, and it must have shown on his face because the sprites started giggling.
"Um…"
With pure glee in her voice, Mina continued, "We'll help you train if you give Ochako–"
"Shinies!"
"Flowers!"
Both sprites looked at each other before huffing simultaneously. "We agreed on flowers!"
"No, we said shinies!"
The two sprites began bickering, and Izuku took a hesitant step back, not wanting to get caught up in the clash of obsessions. He honestly wasn't sure how helpful they would be anyway. Unless it was Ochako, he couldn't fathom anyone really understanding the scope of what he needed to do.
He still wasn't sure he understood.
Turning, he went to find a good spot to practice when both sprites were suddenly in front of him again. "Okay, okay," Mina said, pouting. "We'll help without making a deal."
Izuku hesitated, pursing his lips. He may not have had much direct interaction with spirits, but he knew more than the average person. "Why would you do that?"
Both sprites stopped and looked at each other, and for the first time, something serious passed across their faces. Mina turned to him, speaking carefully. "You're the reason this world continues to exist."
Toru nodded. "And we don't want it to end."
And as quickly as the mood sobered, both sprites beamed at him. "So let's play tag!"
XX
"So…" Eijiro trailed off, looking around the inside of the cottage as he followed Ochako. "...You've lived here since the wedding?"
Ochako nodded, moving over to the table where the Empty Book lay closed. "Yeah. I asked the forest, well… the ecosystem to help me create a place to hide. This was the result."
"It's… quaint. Kinda reminds me of my grandmother's," Eijiro replied earnestly. He paused, before adding, "That's a compliment. I love my grandmother."
The witch chuckled, picking up the book and turning to him. "It's good to see you, too, Eijiro. Thank you for watching after Katsuki and Shouto."
"You make it seem like it was a chore–" He paused, and they both exchanged a look. "Yeah, okay, ignore that."
She held out the book for him to take. "It's mostly complete, save the last chapters. I've read over it, and it's a very detailed account of types of cores, grades of strength, and hypotheses on how a core chooses its host." She hesitated, pursing her lips. "I… am not sure we should just walk up to the king and give him this information. Not without careful planning."
Eijiro pursed his lips, taking the leather-bound book from her. "You think he'd react poorly."
"Although I personally can't stand the man, I want to believe he'll do the right thing for his people. But that doesn't mean I think we should just assume he will. If we present this information, it needs to be with the right witnesses. Where he can't do anything but accept what he's been told and no amount of clout will allow him to bury it."
"A public event?" Eijiro asked, and it was clear he was doubtful. Ochako shook her head.
"No. He would treat that as public humiliation. I think we know how well he handles that. It needs to be in front of others who have power, who won't also just try to bury the truth. I… I don't know who those people will be. I'm too far removed from those circles. That's where Katsuki, Shouto, and probably yourself have choices to make."
Eijiro frowned. "I'm… not sure who that would be. Some noble families, maybe?"
"Maybe," Ochako agreed, shrugging. "Just… make sure they both don't do anything stupid like let the king see this book in private."
"Heh. I'll do my best." Eijiro gave a tight-lipped smile, pocketing the book in the leather bag he brought. "Anything else?"
Ochako shook her head, looking around. "We're focusing on Izuku's magic and mastery of his cores. We're also trying to stay hidden while we do it, although I'm running out of time before I can no longer hide from the enemy. Soon even this place will not shield me from their eyes."
Eijiro frowned. "What will you do? Stay on the run?"
"I…honestly, I have no idea," Ochako admitted, not looking him in the eye. "I don't think there's anywhere out there with deeper magic that can obscure me, so likely, yes, we'll keep moving. My hope is by then, Izuku's got enough mastery of his magic that we'll be prepared for whatever they throw at us."
"Does it scare you, knowing you're their primary target?" Eijiro asked, and if Ochako was bothered by the bold question, she didn't show it. Instead, she sighed, giving him a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Scared? No, I'm terrified."
XX
Fumikage frowned from where he stood, watching the large amount of unusual activity around the ruined reliquary. From his spot hidden between two crumbled walls, he was able to see the sheer amount of corpses piled up in the ruined courtyard, dragged in by one of the mages' shadow summons.
He knew enough to know those corpses were what they created Nomu from, but never had he seen more than a dozen at a time. This was dozens, probably well over a hundred bodies, and it made his skin crawl.
He couldn't risk getting closer, and honestly, he probably needed to back off before he was spotted. The archer had excellent vision, and she was the hardest one to shake once she saw him. He'd almost been shot three times since he started his investigation.
As he began to back away and into the shadows provided by the afternoon sun, he heard a pained scream. There was a small commotion afterward, followed by cruel laughter, and he saw someone in red, white, and gold run out of the old entrance of the reliquary.
His eyes widened behind his mask as he recognized the Dragoirian robes, and to his shock, he noted no one followed after the woman.
Shock became horrified realization, and he quickly took off in a sprint after her, trying to catch up as quickly as possible. Fortunately, she wasn't very fast, either too injured, too hysterical, or both.
As she stumbled down a small hill, half-crashing into a dead tree, he caught up to her, grabbing her wrist. She screamed, turning around to hit him, and he grabbed her other hand. "Please, stop! Time is not on your side!"
Her face was distraught, tears pouring from her cheeks, and he grimaced under his mask at seeing the gray lines crawling across her skin. He had minutes, maybe even just seconds, before she crumbled to pieces from the land's curse.
"M-my magic! They t-took my magic!" He barely understood her through the broken, hysterical sobs, but he understood it well enough with the context of what he'd seen over the weeks.
He let go of her wrist and covered her forehead with his hand, palm pressed to the space between her eyes. "Please do not resist. I am trying to save your soul."
She whimpered, trembling as the decay spread over her body, eyes wide with fear as she stared at her hand that began to fall apart like crumbled ash. "It hurts… it-it hurts…"
Blocking out her voice so he could concentrate, he muttered under his breath, invoking the beginnings of a curse. His incantation grew more audible the closer he got to the curse's completion, until he ended with, "...and I curse this poor, mortal soul."
The woman sucked in a sharp breath, watching as the decay stopped spreading across her skin, staring at her hand now missing the tips of two fingers and part of her pinkie. "O-oh, oh great spirits."
She fainted, and Fumikage couldn't really blame her.
XX
Childlike laughter could be heard throughout the forest as the winds picked up to almost hurricane levels. Toru squealed, weaving and diving through branches and around trees. Behind her, Izuku gave chase, green-black magic pulling and tugging himself along as he tried to keep up.
"Silly! You got all that magic, but you're still using only one kind!" Toru teased, her voice carrying on the winds that pushed against him in all directions.
"That's because humans are boring," Mina called as she rode on Toru's tailwinds. "Except Ochako! I bet Ochako would have caught Toru by now, silly holder!"
Izuku ground his teeth, using his magic to pivot sharply in an attempt to cut Toru off. However, as he reached for her, she split into separate winds, reconnecting as her core self behind him. With a delighted laugh, she blasted him forward with a strong gust, sending him crashing through the trees. "Too slow!"
He twisted, catching himself on a branch and flipping up to land on it, using his augmentation magic to aid him. Exhaling in frustration, he considered the two sprites before him. They were right. He had so much magic available to him, but he kept leaning on the same ones because it was … easier. Familiar.
He couldn't afford to keep doing that, not knowing what he was up against.
Reaching up to brush sweat-damp hair from his face, he braced himself against the tree, concentrated, and then let out a strangled squawk as a vine wrapped around his foot and yanked him down to the forest floor.
The resounding crash sent birds to the skies, and Mina's roar of laughter could be heard all throughout the nearby farmlands.
XX
Shouto glanced out the window, noting the late hour. The sun had almost set, and he wondered if Katsuki was going to ignore him the entire day after yelling at him last night for his slip-up. Katsuki had a temper, but last night had been… excessive. Sighing softly, he stood up from his desk so he could refill his teapot.
A series of knocks came at his door, in the code Katsuki used to let him know it was him. Pursing his lips, Shouto turned and announced with authority, "Enter."
The Dragon of Yuuei appeared a moment later, a bag on his shoulder that had the Empty Book, if the shape pressed against the fabric was any indication. Shouto's eyes fell to it and he nodded stiffly as Katsuki kicked the door behind him.
Shouto knew how this was going to go. Katsuki would deliver the book, offer a half-assed apology at best, then leave him with heartache and a night of no sleep as he fought with the noose around his own feelings. He watched the other man quietly deposit the bag onto his desk, half listening to what he said. "Eijiro says it's almost done. Ochako's read over it, but I haven't had time yet, so I don't know what's in it."
The prince nodded stiffly. "Anything else?"
Katsuki ran his tongue over his teeth, glancing down at the polished floors. 'Ah, here comes the half-assed apology...'
"You deserve better than what I give you."
Shouto paused, mismatched eyes cutting over to the shorter man who still stood a polite distance away. 'No, no, no. Don't tell me he's…'
Crimson eyes met his own, and a pained expression crossed over Katsuki's face. "I… tried very hard to keep us at a distance… so we'd be safe. So you would be safe. I thought no one knew, because we were so fucking careful. I thought I was in control, but… I'm realizing I never fucking had control over any of this shit. I…"
He stopped, struggling for the words as a series of emotions rolled across his face. "I had this delusional idea that if I kept you by my side, but always at arm's length, that would be good enough. That I'd be okay with that. And…"
He stopped again, taking in a long, uncomfortable breath. "...And I'm an asshole. The more we do this, the more it hurts, and people are still finding out anyway."
Shouto felt like he couldn't breathe. Katsuki really was going to… He shuddered, shaking his head in disbelief. "You… really know how to twist the knife deep, don't you, Katsuki."
"Fuck, I'm not trying to," Katsuki replied, dragging a hand through his hair. "I'm trying to… I…" He searched for the words he wanted to say, but seemed to come up empty. With a frustrated snarl, he gave up on that method of communication and crossed the room, eliminating the space between them. The space was only a few steps but it felt like an ocean.
Calloused hands cupped Shouto's face, and his whole world came crashing to a halt as chapped lips pressed hard against his. It was an emotionally charged kiss, but not necessarily the most intimate or tender. It was a statement of intent, and Shouto responded by cupping his hands over the ones holding his cheeks, squeezing his eyes shut so he could just appreciate this moment.
They stayed like that, frozen in an eternity that neither wanted to end. Eventually Katsuki pulled back, and Shouto opened his eyes to find that intense crimson gaze that he loved so much. Quietly, and with confusion, he asked, "So this is not a goodbye?"
Katsuki made a choking noise, unshed tears in his eyes. "Fuck no. I dunno what it is, but it's no damn goodbye."
"Good," Shouto replied, before leaning in to kiss him again.
XX
Kyouka frowned, pacing in front of the ruined wall where she was supposed to meet Fumikage. The meetup time was not exact, but she was getting antsy nonetheless. Was the letter a hoax? Was he really out there, and had she really been unable to remember him? He said it was because of his magic, but that would mean… it was a curse.
Had he cursed her? Himself? She had so many questions, and part of her still wasn't sure this was a trap. What if someone was pretending to have information and lure out what she had learned? But that would mean they knew she knew, and she was certain she wasn't being trailed. She'd hear it. She'd know.
She froze when she heard the first footsteps approach. They were heavy, overburdened, hurried. They weren't how she remembered Fumikage and immediately her hand went to the flute at her side. She swallowed, waiting at the entrance, unsure of what was coming.
What she didn't expect was Fumikage carrying an unconscious Dragoirian mage in his arms. "Fum–"
"Kyouka," He interrupted, his breathing labored. "It worked?"
"Y-yeah, it worked. I got your letter, just… who is that?" She stared at the unconscious woman, gray cracks on her skin, and her hands looking like a weathered stone sculpture.
"I do not know her name, only that she escaped from the people I have been shadowing. They left her to die out here. I have cursed her to stop the land from killing her."
"People? Cursed? How–"
"Kyouka," Fumikage interrupted, his voice stressed. "This woman is in need of help. We need to get her to the nearest village that might have a medic or healer."
"Uh, right," Kyouka replied, thinking about where the closest settlement of any kind was. "I think there's–"
"Don't look away!" Fumikage warned as she started to turn. "The moment you look away, you will forget I am here. That is my curse. I have a very detailed letter on what happened and why, but first we need to ensure this woman gets treatment for the damage the twisted dark magic has done to her before I could stop it."
"Shit, Fumikage," Kyouka breathed, gritting her teeth. "What the hell is going on?"
Fumikage sighed, stepping through the hole in the wall. "Can you carry her and keep your eyes on me as you walk?"
"Please. If I can carry my husband across half of Yuuei because he twisted his ankle, I can carry her. Hand her over and let's go."
XX
Guards stood at attention as High Lady Momo walked past, her pace brisk and her jaw set. The Queen's Rabbit walked beside her, matching her pace and steps like a perfect mirror. The heavy cloak draping over the shorter form swept across the carpeted floor, occasionally showing a glimpse of furred feet behind the ominous white of the fabric.
No one looked directly at the spirit at her side. Even with the cloak, most felt, and gave in to, the urge to look away.
The great ornate doors to the Queen's hall were closed, but before Momo could raise the knocker to announce her request for entry, the doors swept open in silent invitation.
Pursing her lips, the high mage nodded once and walked in, the spirit beside her matching her movements once again like a mirror image.
Momo came to a stop before the ornate throne, dropping down into a graceful bow, a fist over her heart. "My Queen. We come bearing news about the village of Jaku."
There was a rustle of fabric as the queen shifted, giving her advisor her full attention. "Please, continue, Lady Momo."
Momo nodded, rising up out of her bow. "Thank you, my Queen. We found three traces of magic in the village: fire, shadow, and time. I can confirm the fire magic is indeed Todoroki fire in origin, however the Rabbit confirmed both the fire and shadow magic traces lead into the ruined kingdom. Neither came from Yuuei, unless they somehow passed through the ruins first."
The queen was silent for a moment, considering the information. "I see. And the third magic? Is that from the mage stationed at Jaku?"
Momo nodded. "According to the ledger, a recent academy graduate, Melissa of House Shield, was stationed at Jaku to temporarily replace the magus who had fallen ill. The magical residue in Jaku strongly indicates she engaged in combat with whomever attacked the village. We found her staff, damaged by fire, but we have not found her body."
"What are the casualties?"
Momo swallowed, closing her eyes. "...Jaku had a population of 187, and we have recovered nineteen corpses. We have found no survivors."
The queen was silent, and Momo opened her eyes, looking up at the regal woman, dressed in silks of deep crimson and gold threads, her headdress of white and gold announcing her status. Her face was carefully void of expression, although Momo had served her long enough to understand that did not mean she felt nothing.
"It seems someone is trying very hard to turn us against Yuuei," The queen hummed, turning her gaze out towards the tall, stain-glass windows that sent beams of color in all directions of the room. "How unfortunate for them that I am not a creature of impulse. Lady Momo, declare tomorrow a Day of Remembrance for all residents of Jaku village. Please check the registries for any surviving relatives in other villages and ensure they are aware of what has happened and that I am addressing this matter personally."
Slowly, the queen stood, and the air in the room seemed to get thicker, heavy with a deep, old magic. "Finally, send word to King Enji Todoroki of Yuuei that Queen Ryuko Ryukyu Tatsuma the Sixth requests an audience and shall arrive in Ultra the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, My Queen."