Important Note: I am in the process of archiving/deleting my FFN content and fully migrating to Ao3. This is the only story I still update on FFN, and eventually I will stop cross-posting to cut ties with this platform. I encourage you to seek me out on Ao3 (Rainglows) and subscribe to this story there.

When Ochako awoke, the faintest traces of daylight had just touched the mountains. The light reflecting off the snow oozed into the room through the single window, casting everything in pale shades.

Ochako blinked slowly, taking stock of things.

She laid atop the blankets, still dressed in her travel clothes and warm from Izuku's magic filling the room. Izuku sat beside her, legs crossed and hands fidgeting with his belt that he hadn't bothered to put back on. His shirt was also forgotten, not that Ochako was surprised.

His single visible eye glowed brightly, and his expression was distant, indicating he was focused on the world around him.

Then… there was his hair.

Apparently Toru had woken up at some point last night and if Ochako knew anything about the sprite, it was that she hated being ignored. And given Izuku was very unlikely to take a break in his watch to play with her, Toru had chosen to retaliate in the most childish way possible.

Ochako bit her lip, doing her best to not alert Izuku that she was awake, but given that his hair was now sticking up in ways she didn't think was possible, it was really hard.

Toru sat in the middle of her makeshift hair fortress, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out as she sulked.

Of course, the moment was hard to appreciate when Ochako remembered what the ecosystem showed her earlier that night. With a sigh, she pushed herself up into a seated position, rubbing her gloved arms. "Izuku?"

Izuku made a questioning noise, turning his head slightly, although his gaze didn't shift.

Ochako scooted up beside him, resting her fingers on his good arm. "Can you see the King?"

Izuku shook his head, blinking away his vision. "I can't see into the eastern ruins. I guess because of the curse magic. I also can't get the divination core to help either."

Ochako nodded, lightly stroking his forearm. "That's okay. I want you to take a break now. You need to eat."

He sighed loudly, and while it was clear he disliked the idea, he did as she asked, turning his head to face her as the light in his eyes simmered down into a faint glow.

She rewarded him with a smile, gloved hands cupping his cheeks. "Thank you."

He stared at her for a moment, then smiled faintly. It barely counted as a smile, so Ochako pulled his face down and pecked his nose.

That didn't get her a better smile, but it did grant her a very surprised look from him, and she had to bite back a smile of her own.

"You're cute, you know that?"

He blinked, visible eye wide, like what she said was hard to believe. "I… am?"

"Mmhmm." She brushed her gloved thumbs over his cheeks, letting one trace the jagged scar that trailed out from under his eyepatch. "Very."

His brow furrowed, confused. "...How?"

She blinked, taken aback by his question, before she snorted and shook her head. Of course he would ask something so silly.

"Mm, well," Ochako started, knowing they should get up and start moving but knowing this was also important for other reasons. And if it meant he would stop and rest for a few moments, then she was more than happy to shower him with compliments.

She would have done it anyway, now that she realized she had been neglecting this aspect of building him up.

With a gentle sweep of her thumbs over his cheeks, she narrowed her eyes, as if scrutinizing his appearance, pretending like she didn't know exactly how he looked.

"First, you have all these cute freckles. They get more pronounced in the sun, did you know that?"

He shook his head from within her grasp, eye intent on her. She smiled and continued. "Anytime you came in from training, they always stood out to me. I think if I had the time, I'd like to kiss every single one of them."

His mouth fell open, and it was all Ochako could do to not break out into giggles when he replied, "That's a lot of kisses."

"Guess I'm dedicated," she said with amusement, letting her fingers slide down his neck and to his shoulders. "Do you want me to continue?"

He nodded, his hair bouncing. Toru, who had been momentarily forgotten, huffed, and grabbed onto a lock of hair. "You ignore me but you don't ignore Ochako! That's not fair!"

"Toru," Ochako said sweetly, eyes flicking up to the tiny disgruntled sprite. "The sun's rising and about to touch the mountains. Do you want to go see how they shine?"

The sprite sucked in a sharp breath, snapping up into the air. "Yes! All of the mountains will be shiny; I almost forgot!"

And without another word she blasted off, slipping through the cracks of the window and zipping out into the sky.

Izuku blinked, looking out after her. "Does that… really happen?"

"Yes, it's called an alpenglow," Ochako said softly. "The sunrise or sunset paints the mountains different colors."

"Oh."

That was all he said, turning to look back at her. She held his gaze momentarily, finding herself lost as she stared into the one eye she could see. His expression was both earnest and intent, filled with a curiosity that she adored.

She wished she could take the time to kiss those freckles. He had so many on his cheeks alone. She wished she could spend hours telling him all the things she liked about him, that were both cute and not.

She wished she could talk about the ways she loved him, and the things she was falling in love with him for.

But they didn't have that luxury, at least not right now.

However, she would force these few minutes because he needed to see he was more than just the bearer of a great power. He was more than a magical soldier. He was a person, real and beautiful, despite his scars and despite his trauma.

He was someone she had fallen for, against her better judgment, and now there was absolutely no turning back.

It was damning, but damnation felt addicting.

Ochako hummed, lightly trailing her fingers down his arms, dipping into the contours of his inner elbows briefly before she captured his wrists. Izuku's gaze followed her fingers, so she took that opportunity to lean in and press a tiny peck to his lips, startling him out of his thoughts.

She smiled slightly, pulling back just enough to look at him, but she could feel his breath against her lips, shallow and maybe a touch nervous. "I like how you look at me. Sometimes it's cute, like when you're curious. Your eyes get really big and your face is full of wonder. But… sometimes you look more like this, and I don't think 'cute' is the right word, but I like it just as much."

His mouth moved, but it was clear he wasn't sure what to say. Whether or not it was because he was nervous or just processing her words, Ochako wasn't sure, but she felt a little giddy at how the atmosphere in the room had shifted.

"Really?" he asked quietly. "E-even with my scars? And my eye?"

She nodded slowly and deliberately, letting go of his wrists so that she could lightly touch the eyepatch hiding his eye from her view. "This eye is the result of someone who went into a battle he wasn't sure he could win and did his best."

Izuku swallowed thickly, and Ochako was certain she could drown in the depths of how he looked at her. Instead she looked down and trailed her fingers along the edges of his arm, where the flesh ended and the prosthetic began. "And here is where you kept fighting, despite those odds. To save me, and to save Yuuei."

His gaze followed hers, staring at the arm he lost, and the replacement he was given. Ochako felt like he might linger on what could have been, if he had more time to prepare, so instead she gently cupped his cheek and tilted his face back up to hers.

"And those scars show me your perseverance, Izuku. They show me someone who, against everything, survived. You didn't deserve any of these scars. Not a single one. I wish I could take them away from you, but I also think of them as a part of you. I think I would like to kiss them as well, one day."

He stared at her, eyes watery like he might cry. He didn't, but his lips hesitantly pulled into a wobbly smile. "You really think that? About me?"

"I do," Ochako said softly, cradling his cheek and holding him captive. "I hope I get the chance to show you, one day, when we're safe and not trying to save the world."

He exhaled softly, almost in disbelief, like he didn't know what to say to that. And probably he didn't, given how much he struggled to express himself anyway.

That was okay. Ochako had learned to read him quite well, despite his shortcomings. Maybe even too well, like she needed any more evidence for how deeply they were connected.

"I…" Izuku paused, carefully searching for the words he wanted to say. Ochako waited patiently, content to admire the dip in his brow, the pink of his lips, and even the little silver scar that cut into the corner of his mouth. "...Okay."

She blinked, looking up at him. "Okay?"

He hesitated, then quietly admitted, "I… want that, I think." He paused, swallowing, before clarifying, "I mean… I don't really know what I want. I just… I know I want you. Is… is that bad?"

Despite the words he used, Ochako understood what he was trying to say. It still had the unintentional effect of making the back of her neck feel hot, because he was admitting he wanted everything she would give him, no matter what that was.

He was purely and wholly devoted to her, even beyond ways he could comprehend, and she was now in dangerous territory.

Remembering he asked a question, she smiled and shook her head. "It's not bad, I don't think. But let's not… rush. Okay?"

He tilted his head into her hand. "Why not?"

Oh. Dear.

"Because…" Ochako said, voice dropping to a whisper. "There's a lot of things I could give you, and some you may not want, and it's better if we are careful so neither of us get hurt. We… we're under a lot of stress, Izuku. I don't want our relationship to be part of that stress."

"But it's not though!" Izuku's brows lifted, rising with his voice as he protested. He then hesitated, shrinking on himself. "It's not… is it?"

Ochako sighed softly, fingers sliding up into his hair and brushing it out of the weird style that Toru had put it in. This was… not the time for such a conversation, and her attempt to lift him up was going to be soured if she didn't stop this topic carefully.

"No, not like that," Ochako agreed carefully. "But our relationship is tied to other things that are stressful, like our bond. Let's… talk about this once we have time, okay? Right now we need to get breakfast and continue our journey up to the fortress, right?"

He sighed, clearly not liking that answer, but bringing reality back to him had the intended effect. "...Yeah."

"Hey…" Ochako tipped his chin back towards her when he began to look away. "I promise I will kiss your freckles one day, okay? But for now…"

She leaned in, pressing a soft, chaste kiss to his lips. He held still, watching her with a heavy-lidded eye as she pulled away.

"You're really pretty, Ochako," Izuku finally mumbled as he pulled back and grabbed his tunic. "I'm not … I'm not good with words like you, but maybe I can figure out how to show you instead, one day."

As he pulled his tunic over his head, Ochako exhaled nervously and pressed a hand to her flushed cheek. If he held good to a promise like that, she was in trouble.

XX

While Izuku, Ochako, and Shouto left for the Western Fortress, Tenya doubled back to Ultra with Toru as his travel companion. The little sprite had burrowed into Tenya's robes, but not before pulling out a piece of his embroidery to wrap around herself like a tiny belt.

It was barely visible, but it made her happy, so that's what counted.

Shouto had not been prepared for Izuku to insist on carrying him, too, and the amount of laughing Ochako did as Izuku scooped up both of them, and their travel bags, and took off with all of them wrapped in his magic was immeasurable, echoing through the mountains.

The world turned to a blur of white as Izuku rushed up the narrow mountain path dug between walls of ice. The wind whistled in Ochako's ears, even with the buffer of her own magic keeping the cold off of her.

Shouto looked like he might lose his breakfast, face pale as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to pay attention to the world zipping past them.

When they finally came to a stop, Ochako's brows lifted at seeing the towering stone walls of the Western Fortress. Izuku carefully let them down, although he kept his magic up around him, largely because the stationed guards were all posed to attack, alarmed by his sudden and daunting appearance.

Shouto swayed, gripping Izuku's shoulder tightly as he steadied himself, his other hand pressed to his stomach. "That… you're a terrible horse, Izuku."

Izuku blinked, looking over at Shouto. "How am I a horse?"

"Identify yourselves in the name of King Enji Todoroki of Yuuei!"

The three looked up, one just now remembering that they looked like a threat, one realizing he had a job to do, and one slightly exasperated at the other two.

"I am Prince Shouto Todoroki of Yuuei, younger brother of General Natsuo Todoroki and heir to the throne. These are my travel companions, Izuku and Ochako of House Midoriya."

Ochako whirled on Shouto, eyes blown open wide at the statement, and Izuku tilted his head in confusion. "That's not Ochako's–"

"What the fuck, Shouto?!"

"What, do you want me to tell them where you're from, or that I'm traveling with an outlaw?" Shouto snapped back irritably. "You two act like a married couple anyway. This is far easier, and it saves us having to explain everything to everyone."

"Well, next time warn us!" Ochako hissed, clinging to her cloak like it might hide her embarrassment. Was this Shouto's retaliation for being hauled up the mountain side by Izuku's magic, and if so, why was she the only one embarrassed? Izuku wasn't even capable of shame! This was unfair!

Exasperation leaking in her words, Ochako added, "There's no way they'll believe us–"

"Please, they can't see the face you're making from this far away," Shouto replied, stepping forward and turning his palms up. Fire erupted from his hands, dancing brightly as the torches lining the fortress wall responded to his core and flickered in tandem.

And then, with a snap of his fingers, all the fire turned from brilliant red to beautiful wheat gold, flashing twice before returning to their original color. "This should be sufficient proof of my identity. Please let General Todoroki know I have arrived."

As the gates to the fortress opened, Ochako had to wonder if Shouto's response to the stress he was under was just to be catty about everything.

XX

The sound of footsteps felt ominously loud as Shouto was led down the corridors towards his brother's chambers. Truthfully, he wasn't nervous about being poorly received, because that wouldn't happen, but he was nervous about having to break the news of everything that had transpired back in Ultra.

He'd not done well to keep his brother informed, fearing letters might be intercepted, and he had to hope that Fuyumi had been wise enough to have that same reservation.

Hopefully Natsuo would be understanding, and if not, hopefully he would be forgiving.

Steeling himself for what might be a very long few hours, Shouto nodded to the soldiers escorting him, then entered the General's chambers.

He made it two steps in before someone burlier barreled into him and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Shouto! It's really you!"

Etiquette and worry forgotten, Shouto reflexively hugged his brother back, gasping slightly in surprise. "Natsuo!"

Natsuo pulled back a moment later, a wide grin on his lips. He looked so much different than Shouto remembered, with a thick, white beard that rivaled the frost white of his hair.

"I am both surprised and delighted," Natsuo said, wonder in his voice. "I know I said I wanted you to visit in my last letter, but truly I didn't think you'd come so soon!"

Shouto smiled softly as his brother clapped his shoulders fondly. "I also didn't think I'd make it so soon but… a lot has happened, and I wanted to make sure you heard it from the right sources."

The smile slipped off of Natsuo's face as his expression became guarded. "For you to come deliver it in person, I take it that it's very bad. Aftermath of the attack on the capital?"

"In ways, yes," Shouto admitted, glancing around at the guards standing by the door. "I'd like to speak with you privately first."

"Of course," Natsuo said. As he gestured for Shouto to follow him through one of the doorways, he added, "Even if you come bearing bad news, I am still so delighted to see you alive and well, my little brother."

"As am I, to you," Shouto replied sincerely.

They came to a stop inside Natsuo's private chambers, and his brother shut the door behind them. A warm fire danced merrily in the hearth, and before it were two chairs and a table with a chess set.

Natsuo hummed, glancing back at the door he just closed. "I just realized… have you no escorts? Surely you didn't travel alone."

"Ah…" Shouto hummed, unhooking his cloak. "I didn't travel alone, no, but my companions and I parted ways."

"Back towards the valley?"

Shouto shook his head, hanging his cloak up on a hook. "No. They've entered the endless vortex. Their destination lies within."

Natsuo turned sharply to him, expression alarmed. "You're joking. That's suicide. No one can survive that spirit's blizzard. I can barely handle such cold, despite my magic. The number of foolish cadets I've lost to that winter storm is far more than I want to admit."

"Well," Shouto said, taking a seat at the table in front of the fire. "My companions aren't cadets. Far from it. In fact, I'd say they're more powerful than any spirit out there. They're playing chess in a league of their own, even."

It was a poor analogy, because Ochako was terrible at chess and Izuku didn't even know how to play, but it seemed to get the point across. Thank the spirits that Katsuki wasn't around to hear this though.

Natsuo stared at him, face wrought with disbelief. Then, without a word he stalked over and took a seat across from his brother, bracing his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together.

"Tell me everything."

XX

The winter vortex that guarded the Tower carried a magic so thick that Ochako was certain she could choke on it. The only other spirits that Ochako had encountered with such ancient, deep magic were the Queen and her Rabbit, but both knew how to contain themselves.

This spirit either did not know, or did not care, unleashing its full self onto the world, unyielding and persistent.

Everything around them was frozen, and Izuku had to use his black extensions like hooks to keep his footing, moving across the ice steadily as the wind howled around them.

The amount of effort it took for Ochako to keep the frost from reaching them was considerable, and sweat was forming on her brow as she kept up her concentration.

Even with the heat she was pouring in from the ecosystem, the air around them was still… chilly.

This spirit's reach was impressive.

It felt like hours before Izuku finally reached the eye of the storm, and Ochako stared at what was in the center. The spirit itself stood there in a dress made of snowflakes and icicles that spiraled around her, her hair long like icy blue silk, with glowing blue eyes that matched.

She stared them down as Izuku came to a stop, and Ochako found that, despite her intensity, she was beautiful.

Izuku took in a shuddered breath and bowed his head in greeting. It was only thanks to the magic carrying his voice that Ochako heard him speak over the roar of the storm around them. "Requiem says 'hello', Nejire."

The spirit jerked her head sharply in recognition, staring intently at both of them. Although her mouth didn't move, Ochako felt her words echo deep inside.

A new vessel. Small. Fractured. Incomplete. You are not the same as before.

Izuku nodded slowly and Ochako could feel him tense from her place on his back. "Yes. I'm the holder now, and I seek my master's Tower so I can… become complete. Will you let us pass?"

Nejire was silent for a moment, staring at them both. Then slowly she lifted an icy hand and pointed into her storm. The howling winds parted, showing a very narrow path that was eerily still compared to the rest of the world around them.

The way is shown once. Tread lightly, vessel. I care not for humans in my domain.

"Thank you," Izuku said, bowing his head deeply, then without further ado, he followed the path, leaving behind the spirit who watched them with an inhuman expression that Ochako could not ascribe an emotion to.

She watched for as long as she could, staring down the icy blue eyes at the end of the path they walked. Then as they got far enough away, Nejire waved her hand and the path behind them began to close, cutting them off from the center of the vortex.

Ochako pursed her lips and looked ahead, hoping the path before them remained, and to her surprise the way before them was clear. With a firm step, Izuku entered a clearing in the vortex, and both gasped at the sudden release of pressure from Nejire's magic as it slipped away.

"Oh wow," Ochako breathed, leaning heavily against Izuku as she finally peeled back a few layers of the heat spell she had kept them both in. "That… was rough."

"Yeah…" Izuku breathed, sagging a little. "Master shielded me from her last time, so I never… really had to feel that."

Ochako pursed her lips at that, realizing that the gap between Izuku and his predecessor was still massive. Hopefully, they would be able to amend that.

Something dark against the white caught her attention, and Ochako looked up, brows lifting at the sight before them. They stood in a hole in Nejire's vortex, where the winds didn't move and snow fell peacefully. And there, right in front of them, was a tall, stone tower, unimpressive in appearance other than it existed against a backdrop of blurry white and howling winds.

"This… is the Tower?" Ochako asked as Izuku hurried forward, feet crunching into the half-frozen snow.

"Y-yeah. It's inside Nejire's vortex, which is why most people can't get to it. Even for those who can tolerate her cold, she won't let you pass unless you can greet her as a spirit."

Ochako blinked as Izuku slowly moved down the slight slope towards the door at the base of the tower. "Oh… then you mean… you have to know your core's name?"

Izuku nodded, coming to a stop in front of the wooden door. Ochako's eyes fell to it, noting that it looked about ready to fall off the hinges.

Of course, if she knew anything about magic, it was that a place filled with enchantments never looked the same on the inside as it did the outside.

And sure enough, when they stepped inside, what greeted them was not the narrow stairwell of a decrepit tower, but the entrance of a massive citadel.

Carefully, Ochako slid off of Izuku's back, mouth falling open as she stared at the smooth arches and vaulted ceilings. Chandeliers of frosted glass hung from brass chains, lit with enchanted candles that cast the area in warm shades of sunset colors.

The pale stone floors were pristine, with one side leading up to a wide staircase that spiraled up into another floor. On the far side of the hall, a beautiful garden graced a central courtyard, untouched by the winter storm outside.

The other side of the hall led into a corridor, and lining the perimeter of the room were shallow channels of beautiful teal water, bubbling like they were fed from a hot spring.

Ornate banners and tapestries accented the walls, and the entire place was warm, like an invisible hearth stood before them.

With a soft sigh that carried a lot of emotion, Izuku turned and gave Ochako a wistful smile. "This is the Tower, where I learned about cores from my master, and where I inherited Requiem."