AN: Sorry. I put this on Ao3, then forgot to hit 'publish' here. My bad.

"Fuck, what is taking you so long, Deku? It's just a shirt and pants."

Izuku opened his eye, looking up at the door, then back down at the shirt in his hands. He had retreated into his core to tell Ochako about the request to join King Enji for dinner. He could tell she didn't like it, even before she stated as such. She seemed a little less disconcerted when Izuku told her that Shouto would be there, and had said he would do his best to mediate everything.

He promised to update her tonight after the dinner was done. Katsuki banging on the door pulled him out of his core after that.

With a wave of his hand, he opened the door to reveal Katsuki standing there. The captain glared at him. "You aren't even dressed. What the actual fuck, Deku."

"I was talking to Ochako," Izuku said tiredly, pulling the shirt over his head. "I wanted her to know about the dinner."

Katsuki was quiet for a moment. "Shouto told me what you told him. Are you sure this bond is safe?"

Izuku frowned. "Why wouldn't it be safe?"

Crimson eyes stared at him intently, and like he was an idiot. "Why would you assume it is?"

"B-because Requiem said–"

"Your core has a habit of not giving you a lot of information, Deku," Katsuki said testily. "Like, I get that's how fucking magic and spirits are, but if it wants us to actually fucking win it needs to stop with this hint-dropping bullshit and actually tell us what to do. You two almost fucking died, and I don't believe for a second it couldn't tell you what was going on. It could have found a way without risking the bond, or at least given you insight."

Izuku chewed on his lip, looking up at his childhood friend. "Right now, the bond lets me talk to Ochako. It's linked us together. I… don't see how that is a bad thing."

Katsuki sighed, running a hand through his bangs. "Yeah, well, sometimes it's what we can't see that we should be worried about. Anyway, stand up. Let's see how bad you make my clothes look."

Izuku frowned, pushing himself up off the bed. The clothes were a pair of Katsuki's, a simple shirt and trousers that he wore under his armor. They fit, although the pants were a little too long and needed to be rolled up to his ankles. Katsuki crossed his arms and gave him an appraising look. "Decent enough, I guess. You'd look like a court jester if we tried to dress you in anything fancier. Let's get you a belt and some shoes. C'mon."

Despite wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep, Izuku wearily followed Katsuki down the hall.

XX

Izuku had never really seen things like the inside of the dining hall. It was filled with rich tapestries, table runners, and accented rugs. The gilded trim of the furniture reflected light from the chandeliers, and the wood was so glossy and smooth. All the tableware was immaculate and matched, and there were so many utensils, and he had no idea why.

It was foreign. Strange. Heavy perfume in the textiles assaulted his nose, mixed in with the smells coming from the kitchen. The liquid poured into the goblet in front of him was dark red, and Shouto told him it was wine.

It smelled awful. It tasted worse. Izuku pushed it away. Why would someone drink this?

People kept glancing at him when they thought he wasn't looking. He may have had only one eye, but he had sharp eyesight thanks to his core. The only person not looking at him was the Queen of Dragoir, who was quietly fanning herself with a lace and sandalwood fan, expression thoughtful. Even Shouto seated beside him kept glancing at him, although his expression was less curious and more concerned.

Izuku appreciated that, at least. Out of all the people in the room, Shouto was the person he was closest to, but that still didn't feel very comforting. Still, the prince had chosen to sit beside him, and did little things to distract him, like explain what each utensil was for, and quietly tell him the names of the people Izuku didn't know, like Shouto's mother and sister.

When King Enji arrived, Izuku was confused when everyone stood up, and Shouto gently touched Izuku's elbow, encouraging him to follow. Izuku did, mimicking the actions until he was seated again. That seemed kind of pointless, really. Everyone was already seated. So why did they have to stand back up?

The king was looking at him. Izuku didn't want to meet his gaze, but when the king didn't look away, Izuku finally locked eyes with him. Or well, eye, in his case.

Enji pursed his lips, swirling his goblet in his hand. "Izuku of House Midoriya. Monster of Yuuei. Holder of… Requiem, and successor of the All Mighty Mage."

Izuku blinked, brow lifting questioningly. He glanced at Shouto, who kept a careful neutral expression, then back to the king. Enji took a sip of his wine, and Izuku wondered if he was drinking something different because he certainly didn't seem bothered by its awful taste or smell. Maybe what Izuku had was spoiled?

"My son has given me a lot of information to digest," Enji said carefully, finger tapping the side of the goblet. "And Queen Ryuko confirmed much of it. I have spent these last few days mulling over what I have been told. What I did not know. And how you, and Lady Uraraka are at the center of it."

Enji went quiet at that, and Izuku realized he was waiting for him to speak. Izuku wasn't sure what he was supposed to say, and Requiem seemed uncertain as well. Or at least quiet. Katsuki's words echoed in his mind, and he tried to push it out, realizing he needed to answer. He decided on a question. "Do you believe us? About the cores and the veil, a-and the Blackened Core?"

Enji lifted his brows. "Between that battle, the Empty Book that is no longer empty, and accounts from too many people with no connections, yes. I do."

Izuku nodded. Silence reigned before Enji put down his goblet and laced his fingers together, leveling Izuku with a hard stare. "You and Lady Uraraka are the reason my kingdom is being plagued by monsters."

The room went deadly quiet. Even the distant sounds in the kitchen seemed to die down. Izuku stared at Enji, and he furrowed his brow. It was… technically true, but it was a really strange thing to say. Izuku tried to understand the meaning behind it, minding Shouto's words that everything his father says had hidden meaning, had motive. Unfortunately, Izuku just didn't have the exposure to such things to see it for what it was. To understand it. And really, when he thought about it all… It was frustrating. He was tired. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to hold Ochako. He had bigger things to worry about. He probably couldn't say those things, but he had to say something.

"I guess you can say that, but we're also the reason the monsters are dead."

The words came far easier than he would have ever thought possible. Words were hard. He struggled with words. And yet, right now, they felt like the right words to say.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryuko smile, giving the faintest nod. Approval. Encouragement.

He sucked in a deep breath, fisting his hands into the fabric of his borrowed pants. He had more words. He wanted to say them. So he did. "The Blackened Core will do anything to get to Ochako, and then to me. You could blame us for what it does, but that doesn't really solve anything. If we leave, the Nomu follow, but that's temporary. If we fail to stop the Blackened Core, then you won't have a kingdom left to protect."

Enji narrowed his eyes, and Izuku gave him a tired look. "I'm not your enemy, and neither is Ochako. I think you know that, too, because you're letting us hide here. Kacchan tells me there are rumors in the city. That people think I am your monster. But you haven't kicked us out. Because you know that's bad."

Enji lifted a brow. "You make a lot of presumptions, boy–"

Izuku exhaled, letting the black magic fall from his face to reveal the ball of green flame that sat where his eye used to be. It had the desired effect of making Enji hush, and the king stared intently at Izuku, expression disconcerted.

"You saw what the Blackened Core is capable of, and that's without even leaving the eastern ruins," Izuku said quietly, staring Enji down. "You saw what it took for Ochako and I to stop that big Nomu. You see my injuries, and you saw hers, and you saw our power. If the Blackened Core's holder can escape the ruins, he will destroy everything, and he won't need Nomu to do it."

The king worked his jaw, fingers digging into the polished surface of the table. "You say 'if'. Can it be stopped, or are you saying the end is inevitable?"

Izuku blinked, letting the black tendril come back to wrap around his eye, shutting out the view of the ambient magic floating around them. "Yes, I can stop it. With Ochako's help. I now know what I have to do. But… we need to recover. And we need… time for our magic to grow stronger."

Enji lifted a brow. "You're asking for me to let you stay in the castle?"

Izuku gave him a strange look. "I-I didn't ask that. That's a terrible idea. The castle can't protect us."

The king looked like he bit a lemon, and Izuku heard the faintest of noises from Shouto, like he was muffling a snort. Izuku didn't know what that was about, but he continued. "As soon as Ochako is strong enough to travel, we'll leave."

"Wait," Shouto said, looking at Izuku. "Where? You told me that the–" he paused, realizing he didn't want to state where Ochako had been hiding in front of his father, "-that Ochako's home wouldn't be able to hide her."

Izuku nodded, eyes falling to the dinner plate in front of him. "We'll go … to the mountains."

"Ah," Ryuko's soft voice carried through the room without effort. Izuku glanced up at her to see her smiling. "You're going to the Tower."

He blinked rapidly. "How did you know?"

"I've been there before," Ryuko said simply, eyes glittering. "I was helping Toshinori prepare for his fight against the previous Blackened Core's holder. I do recall he had taken on a page. A boy with a Hollow core, whom he saved from the Blackened Core. Was that you, child?"

Izuku stared at her, with a wide eye and parted lips. Although Requiem had said Ryuko was an ally, he hadn't really processed what exactly that meant. "Y-yes."

"Who is Toshinori?" Enji asked, looking between the two.

"You know him as the All Mighty Mage," Ryuko replied, picking up her goblet and sampling its contents. "The Tower was his creation some years ago - a place hidden deep in the Western Mountains, with the strongest veils and magic to protect it from the Blackened Core. Toshinori kept all of his artifacts there. Every weapon or tool he core-bound is in the Tower."

"Core bound…?" Shouto echoed.

Ryuko nodded, "Toshinori's original core was a Creator. Tell me, child, was that passed to you?"

Izuku frowned, closing his eye. "I… don't know. I haven't unlocked all the cores Requiem has, but it could have been stolen in the fight that killed him."

Enji steepled his fingers together, expression pensive. "Did the All Mighty Mage die in a fight against the Blackened Core?"

Ryuko hesitated, eyes falling to Izuku, and he gave a stiff nod. "The year before the Nomu appeared. Both died, and both cores moved to new holders. Requiem… came to me."

Ryuko hummed, frowning. "That is the one piece of this story I still do not understand after all these years."

"That it chose me?" Izuku asked, fidgeting.

She shook her head. "Certainly not that. There is no mistake that you are a worthy vessel. It's just that… Toshinori knew the fight was a suicide, and he told me he had a contingency plan. In fact, it is why I did not immediately begin my search for his successor, because I thought Toshinori wasn't dead. However… he did not reappear. It seems whatever plan he had in place didn't work."

She sighed, bowing her head.

"I… didn't know," Izuku said softly, shocked by this revelation. He had no idea that his master had known he would die, or that he'd tried to put a plan in place. What kind of plan was it? Why didn't it work? He'd never know now, but it definitely would plague his thoughts for many days to come.

"No, I imagine he wouldn't have told a child he planned to commit suicide and resurrect," Ryuko said, finishing the contents in her goblet. "With that said, he probably should have, considering his page ended up his successor. What a difficult time that must have been for you."

Izuku shifted uncomfortably, glancing away. Silence fell over the room once again, before a bell chiming signaled dinner was incoming. Various platters of food were brought in, rich and hearty in scents and appearance. Izuku half paid attention, mind going over everything. He was so tired, and all he really wanted was to go to sleep. But he had to at least eat.

No one was reaching for the food, and Izuku looked around, confused. Everyone turned their attention to Enji, and Izuku followed. The King sat there for a moment, expression unreadable. Finally, he said, "How confident are you that you will not meet the same fate as your predecessor, boy?"

Izuku met his gaze with unwavering conviction. "I have Ochako. We will win. We just need time."

The king sighed, appearing well beyond his years for a brief moment. "That is the one thing you probably don't have a lot of, boy."

And without any further ado, he invited the table to eat.

XX

Ochako sat in Requiem's valley of cores next to the divination core. She had hoped it might allow her to see things through Izuku's eyes somehow, but she had discovered that the visions were tied to the ecosystem, interestingly enough. Despite that, it was fickle magic, and tapping into it while she was unconscious was a trial. So she asked her own core for assistance.

Even in the dreamscape, it responded with childlike glee, brushing up around her as visions imprinted on her mind. A flash of a royal dinner, with Izuku staring down King Enji. The woman who had almost killed her pacing in a cell somewhere deep underground. Toru zipping through the forests near the eastern ruins' border, searching for any enemy activity.

And then… the Blackened Core's holder hunched before a strange, ornate hourglass wrapped in a golden bubble of light. She fixated on that vision, trying not to lose it. He stood there, sweat gathered on pale skin, fingers trembling as they extended towards the dome. After several seconds, he all but collapsed, hands dropping as the dome shattered into particles of light. He shouted, screamed, pulled at his hair. He got up and paced, and that was when Ochako saw the glimmer of ethereal shackles, tying him to the hourglass.

And then, when he sucked in a breath and tried again, she saw exactly how the barely moving grains of sand began to fall faster once surrounded in golden light.

Izuku was right. The Blackened Core's holder was trapped. And Ochako suspected that when the last grain of sand fell, that would no longer be the case.

She let go of the magic, feeling the strain it had on her even in the dreamscape.

How much time did they actually have?

XX

When Katsuki came back from his evening patrol, he expected to find Izuku asleep in his room. He was barely standing before dinner, so it would make sense he'd crash afterward. He'd get the details from Shouto, since it was his turn to keep watch over him.

However, the room Izuku had been in was empty. No one was there, not even the guards at the front door, and immediately, Katsuki knew what that meant.

He scowled, stalking down to Ochako's room, where the guards stood at attention. When he opened the door, he stared.

Ochako was asleep in the same position he saw her last. Izuku was curled up next to her, head pressed against her shoulder. He had taken her hand and was clutching it between his own against his chest. He still slept atop of the quilts, with a separate blanket draped over him.

Katsuki wasn't surprised, but he wasn't pleased, either. Movement drew his attention to the far side of the room and he lifted a brow at seeing Shouto sitting in a chair by the window. He had a cat in his lap, a sprite on each shoulder, and Tsuyu in her tub of water at his feet. A book was in his hands.

"The fuck are you doing?" Katsuki hissed as he walked over, careful to not let the door slam behind him.

Shouto lifted the book up. "I'm reading them a story. They don't know how to play chess, so this was the next best way to pass the time."

"Yeah!" Mina whispered loudly, sticking her nose up. "We don't know how to read!"

"Want to join us, Grumpy?" Toru asked, shivering in her spot on Shouto's shoulder.

"No," Katsuki said flatly. "He probably chose a lame story."

"Nuh-uh!" Mina protested, her whisper so loud it might as well not have been a whisper. "It's a good one! About romance!"

"And shinies!" Toru quietly cheered.

"And strange human decisions," Tsuyu added.

"The fuck are you reading to them?" Katsuki asked.

Shouto rolled his eyes, moving his thumb to show the title, The Snow Queen. "Did you come here to harass my tea party?"

Katsuki's brow twitched. "No, I came to find out how the dinner went, and Deku's asleep so I can't ask him."

"Well, I'll tell you after we finish the story. We have two chapters left," Shouto said simply.

"You are such a goddamn brat," Katsuki growled.

The prince smiled, turning the page. "I'm pretty sure that's why you like me."

Katsuki opened his mouth, before snapping it shut. He was not about to say anything incriminating in front of the spirits, they would repeat it to the entire damned castle.

Toru tilted her head, putting a finger to her mouth. "What's a brat?"

Damnit.

XX

When Izuku had landed back in his core after the dinner, Ochako told him about her vision, and in return, Izuku told her what Momo had said about the mage who had her magic stolen.

It was clear the Time Bubble was being used to accelerate the curse, but neither knew how long it would be before the curse was broken. Trying to scry into that vision again didn't yield any fruitful results. Divination was a finicky thing, and historically unreliable. Ochako mentioned they were lucky to have seen what they did so far. Izuku said he would tell others in the morning about her discovery.

Izuku then told Ochako about dinner. She listened patiently, although her lips were pressed in a thin line. When Izuku asked what she thought, she commented that he'd done well to not be intimidated by Enji.

Izuku admitted he didn't know he was supposed to be intimidated, which got a snort from the witch.

They spent the rest of the night talking about other things, to give them both a break from the weight of the world. Ochako sat between the sunflowers, Izuku's head in her lap and her fingers carding through his hair. He had a soft smile on his face, hand held up above him as he watched the sunflowers sway and bump against his fingers.

"I'm proud of you, you know," Ochako said quietly, looking down at him. He met her gaze with his good eye, holding it for several seconds.

"Thank you," he whispered, his expression holding a childlike reverence. He made a soft, pleased sound when her hand came down from his hair to briefly cup his cheek, causing him to scrunch his good eye closed in delight.

She lingered there, caressing freckles and scars before she returned to petting his hair.

When Izuku felt his body trying to wake up, he sighed, sitting up and turning to Ochako. She smiled pleasantly, giving his cheek a playful pinch. "I'll be fine. It's okay to leave."

He frowned. "I still don't like it."

"I know, but… good things are coming from it. And it's not permanent. We know that."

He nodded, trying to give a tiny smile. "Y-yeah. It's just… a lot. Without you. I'm still scared. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I see you on fire. I see you hurt. I don't want to see that."

She scooted forward, pulling him into her arms. "When the nightmares come, think–"

"-of the sunflowers," he finished quietly, voice muffled against her shoulder. "I do. And I find my way to you."

"I'll always be here," she whispered back, turning her face into his hair.

"I know," Izuku said reverently, squeezing her torso. He pulled back a moment later, reluctance on his face. "I'm waking up now. I'll see you later."

Ochako nodded, and before she could say goodbye, Izuku leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

He disappeared in a ripple, and Ochako was left staring at the space he left behind, sunflowers waving their goodbyes in his wake.