As an apology for the long wait between the last few chapters, have a new chapter right now. This one was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy!

"You think Stan has any decent board games?" Shouto wondered, as Izuku opened the closet door. "These don't look like they've been touched for ages."

"Just because they're old doesn't mean they're bad," Izuku pointed out, as he dusted some of the games off to read their titles. "I mean, Monopoly is still pretty popular, and that was invented centuries ago. Now let's see… Battle Chutes & Ladder Ships, Necronomiconopoly, Don't Wake Stalin… What Could Go Wrong, The Game?" He squinted at the cover. "The last players who opened this box never made it out alive?"

"No thanks," Shouto said simply.

"Yeah, maybe not a great way to spend the next thirty minutes."

"Emergency meeting! Emergency meeting!"

They both turned towards the sound of Ford's voice, then back to each other. Shouto raised an eyebrow, and Izuku shrugged, before putting the board game he was holding back in the pile. They headed over to the kitchen, where Ford was placing a large black bag on the table, his expression harried. Next to the bag was a stack of old scrolls.

About a minute later, Ochako and Mina arrived as well, and Ford seemed to notice the four of them. "Ah, children. Come in, come in."

"What's going on?" Izuku asked, as they gathered around the table. "Not that we're not interested or anything, but this is pretty sudden."

"Yes, I'm sorry for the suddenness of this all, but it is rather important." Ford unfolded one of the scrolls, and held it up to show them. "Do any of you recognize this symbol?"

On that scroll…

…Was Bill Cipher.

Izuku sucked in a breath. Next to him, Shouto stiffened, and Mina glared at the image.

"Cipher," Ochako said shortly. "Yeah. We know him."

Ford lowered the scroll, surprise coloring his face. "You - you know him?"

"We've personally dealt with him twice this summer," Izuku explained softly. "The first time… well, it wasn't Shouto's fault! But Cipher kind of tricked him and stole his body for a bit." Shouto lifted up a bandaged arm, and Ford's eyes widened in understanding. "The second time, he tried to invade Stan's mind, and we managed to chase him out." He could see anger flit across Ford's face at the mention of Stan being in danger, but the man managed to keep his cool.

"Gideon was trying to summon him again," Mina added. "We saw the summoning wheel on the wall when we broke into his prison cell."

"Bill did mention he was making deals," Ford murmured to himself. Then he frowned. "Again? Gideon has summoned him before?"

Mina nodded. "He was the one who summoned Cipher to invade Stan's mind in the first place. He wanted to know the code to the safe so he could steal the deed to the shack. We stopped Cipher, so he ended up using dynamite instead."

"I… see." Ford seemed to take all of this in. "The fact that you've dealt with Bill is gravely serious. So is the fact that this Gideon is so intent on summoning him again."

"So you do know him," Shouto confirmed. "We saw your warning in the journal, and you seem to know a lot about him. You said he was making deals?"

"I… had my own encounters with him, before I went through the portal," Ford admitted. "And Bill attempted to invade my dreams last night. He's clearly making his move again. His powers are getting stronger, and if he pulls off his plans, no one in this universe will be safe."

No one in this universe? Izuku had already known it was serious. From their first encounter with the being, he'd known everything to do with Cipher was serious. His powers were terrifying and chaotic, to the point where Shouto couldn't control the fraction of power he'd gotten. But this…

"What can we do to stop him?" He asked softly.

Ford opened another scroll, which turned out to be a map of the shack. "For starters, there should be a way to shield us from his mental tricks. A way to Bill-proof the shack, so to speak." He started murmuring to himself as he marked places on the map. "I'll I'd have to do is place moonstones here, here, and here… sprinkle some mercury… let's see…" A thought seemed to strike him, and his expression darked. "Oh, right. We'll need unicorn hair."

Izuku exchanged glances with his friends. "Is that hard to get?"

"It's hopeless," Ford sighed, pulling out the first journal. "Unicorns reside deep in an enchanted glade, and their hairs can only be obtained by a pure, good-hearted person, who goes on a magical quest to find them."

There was a pause, and then everyone turned to Izuku.

Ochako smiled. "Well, with Deku here, we've got this in the bag!"

"Couldn't find a more good-hearted person," Mina agreed.

Izuku could feel his face heating up, and knew he was blushing heavily. He tried to fight down his embarrassment at the praise. "I-I mean, are you sure? You're all pretty great too, and I don't know if I'd meet the qualifications these unicorns have for good-hearted-"

"You've been endorsed by All Might as a good-hearted person," Shouto pointed out. "If the unicorns can't see that, then they're idiots."

Izuku really wanted to melt into the floor right now. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to the praise from his friends.

But if it was their only chance at protecting themselves from Cipher, didn't he have to at least try?

"I'll - I'll try and talk to them," he managed. "I'm sure if we explain why we need the hair, they'll be understanding and help us!"

Ford nodded. "Alright, but be careful. Take this." He handed Izuku the first journal. "And this." He pulled out a crossbow, and handed it to Izuku as well. "I haven't been in this dimension in a while - it's okay to give children weapons, right?"

"I'll use it responsibly," Izuku promised, as Mina and Ochako cheered.

"I'm gonna call up Candy and Grenda," Mina said. "I know Grenda especially loves unicorns. Wouldn't be fair to leave her out."

Ochako pumped her fist in the air. "Let's do this!"

Shouto was still seated, staring off slightly into space, holding his bandages. Izuku frowned at him, worried. "Shouto? Do you want to come?"

His friend startled slightly. "No, that's alright. You three go without me."

Mina immediately frowned. "Are you sure? I can stay with you."

"Thanks, but you should go." He nodded at her gratefully. "I'll be fine. I just need to… regain my bearings, I guess."

Ford hesitated, then rested a hand on Shouto's shoulder. "If you would like to work with me on another of my plans to help protect us, that would be fine with me. It's in the shack, so we won't have to leave."

Shouto considered this. "I… think I would like that."

"We'll be back with the hair soon," Ochako promised.

He nodded. "Go do your thing."

"Pacifica?"

Pacifica gave the three of them an awkward wave. "Hey."

"We exchanged numbers after the party," Candy said cheerfully. "She was over at my house when we got the call. I thought she could come along!"

Ochako looked at the other two and shrugged, before smiling at Pacifica. "Sounds fine to me, then. You up for finding some unicorns?"

Pacifica blinked, looking a bit surprised. Ochako could understand - after everything, it was a little weird to let bygones be bygones. But with all that happened at the party, plus the knowledge that she was hanging out with Candy and Grenda, it seemed like she really was turning over a new leaf.

Eventually she just shrugged. "Why not? Should be interesting, at the very least."

Grenda clapped her hands. "Well then! Who else is ready to meet, touch, and/or become a unicorn?"

Candy laughed. "I hear if you lick a unicorn's neck, it tastes like your favorite flavor in the world."

"Is that an aspect of the unicorn's mythos over in this world?" Izuku wondered. "I don't think I've ever heard it before. Then again, I never did a ton of research into unicorns, so maybe I just missed it…" Ochako smiled fondly as her friend trailed off, muttering to himself.

The forest around them was getting brighter with some sort of strange sparkle. Pink butterflies flitted around Ochako's feet, and one landed on Mina's horns. Out of the corner of her eye, Ochako was pretty sure she could see the Fluvius Cantus river flowing by, and made a mental note to steer clear.

Eventually, they passed through an arc covered in bluebells, and looked out upon a very magical-looking clearing, covered in strange stones.

"This should be the part of the forest we're looking for," Izuku said, checking the journal. "Let's see. The gnome tavern is over there, the fairy nail salon is over there… aha! It says here that to summon the unicorn, one must bellow this ancient chant, droned only by the deepest-voiced druids of old."

"On it!" Grenda took the book from Izuku, stepped forwards, and began chanting.

Beneath them, the ground rumbled, and one of the circles of stones rose from the ground, revealing that underneath was a glistening stone wall, and a massive bejeweled golden door, shimmering in the sunlight.

It was an awe-inspiring sight. Even Pacifica's mouth hung open for a moment. Ochako took a second to gather her bearings. "Everyone ready to head in?"

Izuku took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, let's do this!"

They opened the doors, and pink and purple butterflies, each giving off their own slight glow, fluttered out. Inside, sitting on a rock next to a tiny waterfall that reflected a rainbow over it just right, was a unicorn, white-furred, rainbow haired, and elegantly poised.

"The paintings airbrushed on the sides of vans were true!" Candy whispered, looking a bit giddy.

"Ohmygosh, she's so pretty," Mina gushed. "Or maybe he? Either way, super cool."

They stepped into the glade proper, a small satyr playing a cheerful tune to their entrance.

The unicorn shook its mane before speaking in a feminine voice. Her horn glowed, and the words connected in Ochako's mind. "Halt, visitors to my realm of enchantment."

Izuku stepped forwards nervously. "Um, hello! I'm Izuku, and this is Mina, Ochako, Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica. Can I ask for your name?"

"I am Celestabellebethabelle, and I am the last of my kind," the unicorn responded. Pacifica frowned suddenly at this, and Ochako took note of it. "Come in, come in! Just, take off your shoes. I have a thing about shoes." They all slipped off their shoes, some with more trepidation than others, and came closer.

"Celestabellebethabelle," Izuku said slowly, careful to pronounce it right. "Our friends, our home, it's in serious danger from a… well, it's sort of a demon thing? But it's threatening the whole world, and we're trying to stop it. We were told that a lock of unicorn hair could help protect us from this thing. I'm really sorry to ask, but could we have just a bit of hair?"

Celestabellebethabelle considered this. "Very well! To receive a lock of my enchanted hair, the one with the purest heart must step forwards." Ochako nudged Izuku forwards, and he gave a nervous smile.

The unicorn reeled back. "What? You? I can see into your heart, child, and you have done wrong! Wrong, I say!"

Ochako frowned, taken aback. "Wait, what? Deku? You've got to be mistaken."

Izuku flinched and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Pacifica covered it. "Tell us what he's done wrong, then. Go on."

"Well, he's hanging around an empty-hearted girl like you, for one," Celestabellebethabelle said, almost snidely. This time it was Pacifica's turn to flinch, and Ochako only felt more indignant. "I told you, a unicorn can see into a person's heart! Are you doubting me? That alone says you all have something to hide. Your bad deeds… they make me cry!" A rainbow tear fell from her eyes and onto a flower, which wilted instantly.

"Hey, Izuku's the most pure-hearted person around!" Mina snapped. "Maybe your horn-sensor-thing is wrong."

"Please, we really do need the hair for protection! Maybe you see something wrong, but isn't the genuine need to protect ourselves and our friends enough?" Izuku's voice cracked a bit with desperation.

"My horn is never wrong! It is you who have committed wrongs! Leave my presence, and don't come back until you are pure of heart!" Celestabellebethabelle whinnied. "Exit is that way, please. Remember to take your shoes."

Ochako put her shoes back on and shot the unicorn one last glare as they left, the doors shutting behind them.

Immediately, Izuku wilted. "I'm so sorry guys. You were counting on me, and I guess I'm really just not-"

"How good you are has nothing to do with it, idiot," Pacifica interrupted, eyes narrowed at the glade behind them. "That whole thing was a scam. Couldn't you tell?"

The others stared at her, wide eyed. Ochako frowned. "Now that you mention it, something was a little weird. I just couldn't put my finger on it. If it hurt or anything to cut her hair, she would've just said so. Denying people in danger protection just because they don't meet some arbitrary standard of goodness… doesn't sound pure-hearted to me."

"Not just that. There was the "last of my kind" comment, for starters," Pacifica explained. "That's what tipped me off. Why would someone so easily call themselves the last of their kind to total strangers? And with such a nonchalant attitude. Wouldn't they have, I don't know, complicated feelings about that? Then there was the fact that she never actually said what she saw "wrong" about Izuku, even when prompted. She tried to make us doubt ourselves, and then got really insistent at the end, before making us leave."

"You're saying the unicorn is a con-artist," Grenda noted flatly.

Pacifica shrugged. "Oh, come on. You three live with one, don't you? You really didn't notice?"

"No, now that you mention it." The pieces were clearly fitting together for Izuku as they had for Ochako, now that the hurt and anxiety had faded. "That did really sound like a scam, especially the things you mentioned. But we do still need that hair, don't we?"

"We'll just need to get it another way then," Mina decided. She grinned at them. "If Miss prissy unicorn is gonna use cheap tricks, then why can't we?"

Usually, when they took the elevator to the basement, they went down to the third level. This time, however, they only went down to the second. The door opened, and inside was a somewhat cozy-looking study, with a large machine at the back of it.

"Welcome to my private study," Ford announced, as they entered. "This is where I keep my most ancient and valuable secrets. Even Stan doesn't know about this place."

They walked through the study, Shouto noting the memory gun on one of the desks, the paintings that Ford had covered. They reached the machine, and Ford started rummaging around in the cabinets below it.

"Just in case we can't Bill-proof the shack, we'll have to do the next best thing." He pulled out a strange-looking headpiece. "We're going to have to Bill-proof our minds." He motioned towards the machine. "This should encrypt your thoughts, so he can't enter them."

"What about you?"

Ford rapped the side of his head, and it made a strange metallic sound. "I had a metal plate put into my skull to protect me." Shouto idly wondered if that was overkill, then considered Cipher, and decided it probably wasn't. He put on the offered headpiece and sat down while Ford started up the machine.

"I don't suppose you know what Cipher is, exactly?" He wondered aloud.

"No one knows for sure," Ford admitted. "Not even me. Accounts differ on his true motivations and origins." He pulled out a file and handed it to Shouto, who opened it. Inside, he noted images of Cipher throughout the world, during all different time periods."I know he's older than our galaxy and far more twisted."

The last item in the file was a drawing that could be opened up. Shouto did so, and noticed the three sections - Nightmare Realm, Mindscape, and Our World. The drawing showed Cipher in the former space, a human skull in the later, and Cipher speaking with a human in the middle.

"Without a physical form," Ford continued, "He can only project himself into our thoughts through the Mindscape. His ultimate goal seems to be getting into our physical reality, which he would most likely attempt to shape to his liking."

And wasn't that a terrifying thought?

Shouto closed the file as the machine finished starting up. Ford pressed a button, and words flowed onto the screen, most too fast for him to read. "Alright, say hello to your thoughts."

Some of the thoughts were obvious - thoughts about the machine, his curiosity towards how it worked. Others - where the exits to the room were, worry about Fuyumi - Shouto didn't even consciously realize he was thinking. He awkwardly turned away.

"How long should this take?" He asked Ford.

"About an hour," Ford admitted. "Best to get started now."

Ochako kicked open the door to the gnome tavern and ducked inside. "We're looking for someone who knows how to take down a unicorn!"

"No tricks or games, the real deal," Pacifica added.

Candy grabbed a bottle and smashed it on a tree-stump table, brandishing it threateningly. "We're human! We take what we want!"

There was a pause as the gnomes looked at them, wide-eyed.

"Fairy dust," A low voice said, and Mina noticed a grim gnome in the corner, with a knife sticking into his table. The six of them gathered around, and he continued. "A whole magic bag is enough to put a unicorn out cold. But if I do something for you, you gotta do something for me."

Grenda smashed a fist on the table. "Just spill it, half-pint."

"Butterfly trafficking is illegal in this part of the forest," the gnome told them. "But I like butterflies. They tickle my face and make me laugh. Bring me a bag of butterflies, and we've got a deal."

"You know," Izuku started, half-jokingly, as they made their way back to the glade, a bag of fairy dust in hand, "We just engaged in illegal butterfly trafficking. I don't think any of us are pure of anything anymore."

Mina waved him off. "Meh, it's for the greater good. And Celesta-something deserves it anyways."

They snuck into the glade to see Celestabellebethabelle reading a book while her satyr played nice toons for her.

"I wish I could travel," she was saying, "But it's just not feasible in this economy-"

Mina chucked one of the fairy dust bags at her. Seconds later, she was out cold.

The panicked satyr tried to play an emergency tune, but Grenda stuffed a chloroform towel in his mouth. "Sleep now. Sleeeep."

Mina bent down to the unicorn, taking the offered lock of hair from Ochako, and held it up to cut it off.

"Hey! What do ya think you're doing!?"

Mina looked up. Underneath her, Celestabellebethabelle jolted awake.

Two more unicorns emerged into the glade, one in soft greens, the others in pinks and purples. "Put down the hair, man," one of them said in an accent Mina couldn't place. "That's just rude."

Before Mina could pin her down, Celestabellebethabelle shot up and backed away. "Those little brats-!"

"Oh, are you going to try to scam us as well, then?" Pacifica scoffed at them. "Or do you have a better hobby than she does?"

The two new unicorns paused, and one rolled their eyes. "Oh, she's pulling that con again. Yeah, that's pretty messed up."

Izuku paused. "So, about the hair we need to protect ourselves-"

"Oh, you still can't have that," One of the new unicorns told him. "You think we just give that stuff out cause some dumb human needs it to "save their family" or whatever sob story you have? Get real."

Celestabellebethabelle laughed at their expressions. "So now you know our secret. We're jerks, who have more hair than we know what to do with, and we keep it to ourselves just to tick humans off. What are you going to do about it, huh?"

Izuku gaped at them. Then, to Mina's surprise, his stunned expression morphed into a glare. "Fine, then. We asked nicely. We still need the hair. You clearly don't give a damn about anyone else, and Celestabellebethabelle tried to scam us rather than just asking us nicely to leave. You know what? We came here to get the hair, and we're not leaving without it."

"Damn straight!" Ochako agreed, bouncing into a fighting stance. Grenda grabbed a log. Candy held up her broken bottle. Mina tossed Pacifica the scissors, and grabbed a large rock for herself.

"So it's a fight you want?" Celestabellebethabelle taunted. "Then it's a fight you're going to get!"

The six humans and three unicorns charged at each other.

Shouto was pretty sure it had been longer than an hour. Especially considering Ford was snoozing on his desk.

There were still so many questions he had. About Ford, about Cipher. Ford had mentioned that he'd met him before entering the portal, but nothing else. He clearly had done his research since then, and knew more than the rest of them, but what had actually happened? What exactly had prompted that journal entry?

Ford would tell them eventually, wouldn't he? Except, eventually felt like it was stretching on too long, because apparently Cipher was coming, and they needed to protect themselves from him immediately, and this was no time for secrets because Cipher was coming.

Just a quick peak. Ford might not even be thinking about it, so it might not matter. Just one peak.

He got up and put the machine on Ford's head.

Rather than words, images flashed on the screens. Cipher laughing. Ford tossing in his sleep. A young Fiddleford, begging a young Ford to tell him where his ideas were coming from, who he was working with. The "Trust No One" phrase being scribbled down.

A young Ford, holding out his hand. "Then it's a deal. From now until the end of time."

Bill, shaking. "Just let me into your mind, Stanford."

"Please, call me a friend."

Laughter.

Yellow slitted eyes.

Shouto backed away, hand sliding over cloth, pulling down drapes to reveal images, so many images of Cipher.

Ford woke up, taking the machine off his head. His glasses reflected the light of the machine, so Shouto couldn't see his pupils or irises.

Shouto's hands were on fire. When did he light them on fire?

No. No, fire against Cipher was probably a bad idea. Cipher could actually control his powers, and Shouto couldn't. He reached for anything else he could use, and his fingers curled around the memory gun.

Ford? Cipher? Was talking to him, telling him to "Calm down P-"

"Pine Tree? Is that what you were going to call me?"

"I was going to say please, kid!"

He was backed into a corner. He couldn't do anything.

He fired the gun.

The bolt of light bounced off of Ford's head (metal plate, how could he forget?) darting around the room, refracted by all the different prisms, until it crashed into the machine, shattering it.

"Shouto, Shouto, look at me. Look at my pupils! It's me!"

Shouto looked, really looked. Brown irises. Normal Pupils.

Not Cipher.

"Breathe, kid," Ford encouraged. "Can you breathe with me? Come on now, you can do it."

Shouto took one breath. Then another. Then some more. Slowly, he felt his thoughts start to settle.

Ford had the metal plate to protect him. Otherwise, Shouto realized with a sinking feeling, he would've erased the man's mind. And now, the encryption machine was broken.

Just like the laptop.

He'd screwed it up again.

Useless.

"I'm… I'm so sorry," he managed.

"It's alright," Ford insisted, smiling gently. "You were panicking. If I didn't have the plate and Bill had gotten in, you would've done great. Heaven knows I wish I'd had that instinct when I was younger."

"I didn't," Shouto muttered. "Not at first. Not until after he'd broken and cut up my body, and almost killed my friend using me."

"Then you and I are a lot alike," Ford admitted softly, gentle hands directing Shouto over to a chair, which he found himself collapsing in. "The reason I've been trying to prepare you all for Bill's tricks is because Bill tricked me. It's the biggest regret of my life." He sighed. "There's a story I think you should hear." He looked around. "Although, perhaps we should do it in the basement. The cloth was up until I could take everything down, and I don't think either of us want to stay in a room with all that imagery."

"No," Shouto agreed, slowly standing up and following Ford to the basement, the older man beginning his story as they went.

A roadblock in his research. Finding a strange inscription on a cave wall that led to a strange dream, with a yellow triangle claiming to be a muse. A deal, and the inspiration for the portal Ford built.

Ford realizing he'd been played. Cipher's claim that their dimension would soon learn how to party, that Ford couldn't stop what was coming, but that Cipher would love to watch him try. Ford hiding the journals with the portal's instructions.

They were sitting in the work area of the basement when Ford finished. "...Bill's been waiting for the gateway to reopen ever since. And when Stan opened the portal, he got a lucky break." From one of the cabinets, he pulled out a strange snow globe with a crack in the glass, filled with what looked almost like a glimpse into another galaxy. "This is a rift - something that can be used to open gateways to other dimensions. Something that was created when the portal last opened. Bill will do anything to get his hands on it - will possess anyone he can trick."

Shouto eyed the rift in Ford's hands. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I wasn't sure what to think of you four, at first," Ford admitted. "All I knew was that you were from a completely different dimension than all the ones I've visited, and that Stan liked you. Now that I know you all better, I know for sure that you're trustworthy. But after what had happened the last time I met an interdimensional being, I didn't want to blindly place my trust too fast."

Shouto thought about this. "That… makes sense." After his embarrassing freak out just now, it wasn't like he could say much.

"I was going to tell you all tomorrow," Ford admitted. "My plan was to seal the rift with a special adhesive I need to get, then to let you four know about it. Better safe than sorry, I suppose. Now, however… I don't suppose you would like to come with me to get it?"

Shouto's eyes met his, unconsciously straightening in his seat. "Are you sure? After what just happened-"

"I'm sure," Ford said firmly. "Two heads are better than one, after all. And it always feels good, being able to physically do something about a problem."

"It does," Shouto agreed softly.

Ford smiled. "Chin up, Shouto. We weren't the first to have been tricked by Bill, but if we work together, we could be the last."

And that… was definitely a nice thought.

"We're back!" Izuku announced cheerfully, throwing piles of unicorn hair onto the table where both Shouto and Ford were sitting, seemingly lost in thought. They both startled a little, which was weird, because it wasn't as though they were being quiet. "And we brought unicorn hair!"

"And unicorn tears," Candy added, showing off some of the tears that dripped from her shirt.

Grenda blinked prettily. "And unicorn eyelashes!"

"They finally gave us this treasure just to get rid of us!" Mina placed the large treasure chest down on the table with a thunk.

Pacifica eyed Shouto. "You don't look so hot." She paused. "…You okay?"

Shouto blinked, before offering her a nod. "I'll be fine. The thing we were working with… didn't go so well."

"But at least we have the unicorn hair!" Ford smiled down at their catch. "You really did it! Good-hearted indeed."

"Oh, that was just a scam," Izuku informed him. "They're total jerks, so we had to fight them for this stuff. But it was worth it in the end!"

"And it was fun!" Ochako added brightly.

"Money!" Stan ran in, scooped out a pile of gold from the treasure chest, and ran out again, presumably to stash it somewhere. There was a moment where the rest of them looked at each other, before they all shrugged.

"Wanna split this up and cash it in for more actual money?" Ochako offered.

"Sure!"

"Might as well."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

We're getting into the final stages of the show now. No time for a road trip, there's a rift that needs to be sealed... and an apocalypse to start. I hope everyone is ready!

I hope you all enjoyed! Once again, please leave a review if you enjoyed! Reviews always make my day, and make it so much easier to write this story.