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Chapter Text

Day One of Izuku's Awakening...

The first time this green-haired boy opens his eyes is also the first time that he sneezes, followed shortly by the first time that he coughs and the first time he stands. He experiences his first fall almost immediately- his legs too weak to hold him up- and his first taste of pain brings his first whimper from his lips. Feelings flit through him as quick and light as a disturbed swarm of butterflies, colors and energy swirling through the depths of his horribly empty mind, assaulting the blank slate and granting meaning to that which he senses.

The sun was overhead when he first awoke, but by the time the onslaught of information ends, the stars are already in the sky. The boy rolls onto his back, his head throbbing and tears in his eyes, and stares at the dim lights above him until he falls back asleep.

...

The next time he wakes, his head no longer hurts, and the sun is overhead once more.

'...where am I?'

The green-haired boy pushes himself into an upright position, his arms trembling beneath the strain, and wipes away the tears that are still flowing from his eyes for an unknown reason. He needs to see where he is; he needs to take in every detail of this beautiful room filled with vines and leaves and grass and flowers-

In the process, he disturbs an odd flower that's covered in white fluff, and a burst of rainbow dust shoots up into the air, sparkling softly in the sunlight. With wide eyes, he stares at the plant and tries to figure out what kind of flower it is, but to no avail. He knows that it's a flower, but not it's name, or what it can do. The information he was given- he knows he didn't have it before, he doesn't remember anything but waking up shortly before The Onslaught- is limited, though he knows that he can find more information by looking around.

Seeing another flower with red petals on it, the greenette marvels at the fact that he can identify the vibrant color so easily, and reaches out to touch it. It feels unbelievably soft and smooth to the fingertips that have never felt anything like it before, and suddenly he's overcome by the urge to grasp it by the spiky green stem beneath it, only to feel a painful stinging sensation and yank back his hand to see the damage.

Red, on his hand, coming from his hand. Tiny scratches splitting the soft pink skin of his palms apart, letting the red bubble up and ooze down. Blood, drawn by gravity towards the center of the world... towards the sea of green vines and brown floorboards beneath him.

The boy clutches his hand to his chest, not wanting the world to take his blood from him, and is almost immediately distracted by the soft clothes he's wearing.

A long-sleeved shirt, white like the first flower he'd disturbed, is what he first finds his attention drawn to. He tugs on the long parts around his wrists a few times to see if it'll release a burst of colorful dust like the flower did, but no such thing occurs, so his focus turns next to the white pants he had over his legs, along with the much smaller fabric he was wearing beneath them. All of it is smooth and soft to the touch, but not as much as the petals of the red flower are, and apparently that's all he's wearing. His hands and feet are bare to the world around him, though after getting cut by that red flower's stem and seeing how many such flowers there are in the room, he feels that it would be a good idea to get something to protect them.

Looking around the room, ignorant to the way that his blood never quite stains the fabric of his shirt, the green-haired boy searches for something to use. He doesn't find any of what his brain defines as 'shoes' or 'gloves,' but he does spot a few doors leading out of the room- two smaller doors on the wall behind the throne, and one larger door on the wall opposite- and notes that the larger door leads to a staircase going down. He'll definitely be checking that out later, but for now he wants to go through the smaller doors and see what's behind them.

It seems a more efficient exploration method, to clear this floor before moving on to the next. He's right here, after all, and although he didn't know why exactly he was here in this place at this particular time, sitting down and thinking about it wouldn't get him any answers. Action was needed for that, and as such, it was action he would take.

Standing up on unsteady legs, the green-haired boy starts on his way towards the door on the left, pausing in his steps when he felt as though he would fall. His limbs are sore already- 'weakness,' his brain supplies, 'I am weak right now-' and he doesn't know how to handle or deal with it but continue moving forward, therefore that's what he does. He pushes on, his face scrunching up with displeasure at the mild pain he feels and the way his body shakes, and eventually makes his way through the door.

The room he enters isn't as well lit as the room he just left, but it isn't as overrun by flora, as the ceiling has no cracks to let the weather in. There are windows in two of the walls that allow some sunlight in, so he can still see rather well, and see he does. A room filled with functional furnishings- 'a bedroom,' he thinks- and a sheaf of glittering paper rolled up neatly in the middle of the bed, sitting atop a book bound in leather and cording.

The greenette immediately heads for the glittering paper, distracted from his initial goal of locating some gloves and shoes, and unrolls it to see a menagerie of unfamiliar markings upon its surface. Energy begins to swirl through his mind again, and he winces in pain, releasing the paper to clutch at his head. This time he feels a hard surface resting over his brow, and as it seems to be the source of his pain, he tries to remove it... but he fails. The object seems to be stuck fast to his head, and he's hurting himself more than he's actually making progress, so he stops and waits for the lesser Onslaught to end.

He doesn't pass out, this time, though he's not sure how much time has passed since it started. The light coming from the windows seems to be the same as it was before, so it musn't have been too long...

The boy shakes off those thoughts upon noticing that he'd dropped the paper onto the floor, and picks it up, wanting to get another look at the mysterious markings upon its surface.

"To you, whom reads this letter,-"

The greenette pauses, staring in fascination at the markings that he could now understand, and hesitantly brought his fingers up to the metal object on his head. It had done something when he picked the paper up, and it had done something when he'd first awoken, and he could understand more things because of it.

'Whatever the thing on my head is, the boy decides, 'it must be a good thing, even if it's painful.'

With that, he lowers his hand and goes back to looking at the paper, filled with wonder at the fact that he can read what it says.

"To you, whom reads this letter, and whenever that may be, I wish you a good morning. You have just woken up, and it is typical for people to wake up in the morning, therefore that is what I bid you- a good morning.

My name is Inko- when meeting new people, we introduce ourselves, as is polite. Although you are not new to me, I am new to you, as everything must be at this time. How does it feel, to be awake whenever you are? To wake with such innocence and curiosity, alone as you are? I wish you could wake by my side, but... I hope you're comfortable, and I apologize for the pain that circlet must have caused you, but it is a necessary thing. You're waking up in a world completely unknown to you, with nobody to teach you... magic will be your teacher in my stead, dear Izuku.

Ah, that's right, you don't know your name yet. Well, your name is Izuku, and you are my only child as of writing this letter. I dare not tell you our family name in a letter, as dangerous an action that is, but we are both related to one another, and your given name is Izuku. And Izuku, my child, my beloved child... I'm so sorry that I can't be there for you at this time.

If you have already ventured downstairs, you may have found the kitchens, and the library further still. In those places you will be able to acquire food for yourself and learn more about this world you're in; much more than I can say in but a single letter. You may find a few doors to the areas outside the keep- that's what the building you're in is called- but as they are warded, you won't be able to pass through them. I apologize for this restriction, but it is necessary, as you must learn more about the world before you may safely experience it.

As a starting place, I recommend you read the dictionary on the front desk of the library, so as to fill in the gaps left by the magic in your circlet. Psychic magicks are very intricate, and the more detail one tries to put into spells of the psychic variety, the more likely it is to go wrong. It was determined that your health and safety were too important to risk, and as such you have less information than you should have, but you are still fully capable of learning ordinarily. Hence, the library at the bottom of the keep, unlocked and waiting for you to explore.

Now, back to the room you're in at this moment. The bed you found this letter on is for sleeping in, the desk is for reading and writing at, the vanity is for checking and managing your appearance with, and the wardrobe is for storing the clothes you're not using at any given time. Right now, you may find interest in the wardrobe and the vanity- the shirt and trousers you're in at this time may be comfortable, but they aren't intended for everyday use, and therefore will be worn out quickly should you continue wearing them. Clothing of all human sizes, from child to adult, should be available for you in the wardrobe. I recommend you wear green first- our family looks wonderful in that color, and you may quite like how you look in it.

Ah, I'm rambling, and running out of space. I must be more succinct from here on out.

Everything here is yours, Izuku, and the next room over is a bathroom, where you may clean yourself and deal with other hygienic matters. Back downstairs are the kitchens and the library as I have mentioned, but there is also a dining area to eat in, a sitting room to relax in, a pantry that should be filled with magically preserved food, and various other rooms for you to decide the purpose of. I recommend you use one room for practicing your magic in, and another room for physical exercise, but the rest are for you to use how you see fit.

Dearest Izuku, I can only dream of the day you finally rejoin the world you were sealed away from. I love you so very much, my child, and I will work my hardest to make the kingdom a safer place for you to live in.

Yours truly, with all of her love; your mother, Inko."

The newly re-named Izuku stares at the letter, and re-reads it more than once; mouthing the words upon the page. He commits the letter to memory, it being the first thing anyone has ever communicated to him, and from his mother no less. Families... they seem to be important in this world, and as such, it is important to remember those who are a part of his own.

Rolling up the letter once he's done, the greenette turns his attention to the book that had been beneath it when he first arrived, and blew away the dust to read its title.

"The Green Valley Kingdom; A History."

This is likely the second book he should read, after that dictionary his mother had mentioned. There is also the matter of food- a substance that takes a variety of forms, that he needs to survive- which seem important enough that it should also be a priority. He doesn't know exactly how often he needs to eat, but it's been a day since he's woken up, and his stomach is beginning to hurt and make noises... is that hunger?

Turning towards the wardrobe, Izuku searches for some articles to replace those that he is wearing already, and also for those shoes and gloves that he wanted earlier. He's going to have to go through that throne room again to get to the staircase on the other side, and he doesn't want to get hurt by those thorny flowers on the way...

The Dreaming Prince has awakened, and all is calm and quiet.

Chapter Text

As Izuku enters the library, he nearly has a heart attack; shelf after shelf after shelf is laid out before him, filled to capacity and beyond with more books than he could read in a lifetime. He's almost lightheaded as he approaches the front desk and picks up the thick, heavy dictionary, knowing that this is only one book in comparison to the rest in the area... and all of them are filled to the brim with information about the world.

The greenette takes a deep breath, and trades the history book for the dictionary, leaving the former behind and moving on towards the sitting room. He has a lot to learn, and he'd lost a lot of time while he was sleeping... he has to start immediately. Letter a, letter a... the beginning of the book. No better place to start, right?

The sun sets and rises twice more before Izuku finishes reading the dictionary, with him only having slept once in-between the letters p and q, and the corners of several interesting pages being folded down for future reference. He's also located a bunch of loose paper and empty books for him to write in, and one of the sheets is torn up and marking down the pages where each new letter begins. What he's doing is called organization, beginning with the letter o, and he finds that it makes him... happy? Happy, beginning with the letter h, or perhaps he is satisfied, beginning with the letter s? He doesn't know for certain, but he doesn't mind that.

With all of those books in the library, he will have quite a lot of time to figure out exactly what he's feeling. For now, he can relax, and move on to the history book that had been left beneath the note addressed to him.

Opening the book and turning to the first page, he notes that the title of this chapter is 'The Tale of Dirge and Sonora,' and that it's rather short. Perhaps the history of this Green Valley Kingdom is told in stories? That would be a measure more exciting to read than the dictionary had been, even if he'd enjoyed reading that quite a bit.

"Once upon a time, somewhere far away in the corners of the earth where magic still exists today, there lived a colony of cool Elementals. Water, Ice, Winter, Death... Our tale focuses upon the last of this group; the coldest of the cold, the most unwelcome of guests at a party; an elemental of Death. His body was made of the blackest ice, his hair a light grey- like snow mixed with ashes- and his lips made of the darkest soot, and his burning ember eyes were the only signs of life shown from his dark, dirty grey skin. They called him Dirge, after the sad song that's played at one's funeral, and he never disputed them."

Izuku feels a grin of excitement spread across his face, as he reads the first paragraph that was written in the same handwriting as the note from before, and realizes that this is a story. It's a story being told to him by his mother, and even though he's never met her, he can't help but think that she must be a good person if she can make him this happy without even being present. Is this entire book handwritten by her? He hopes that it is, very much so.

Despite the urge to flip ahead through the pages and check, the green-haired boy exercises restraint (beginning with the letter r), and moves his gaze to the second paragraph on the page to continue reading.

"Dirge grew up alone, his family distant at best, and dropping dead at worst. Such was the way of his element; whenever someone got close to him, they got sick and slowly withered away, eventually separating themselves from him or meeting the ends of their lives. It's a horrible thing, to be born a curse, to be shunned quietly by everyone you grew up with and love. Eventually the young boy couldn't take it anymore, and carefully packed some things and ran away.

As he had been the last death elemental in the colony, his absence was greatly noticed, yet nobody looked for him. The reason why? Nobody wanted to. He was creeping death, sneaking up behind you and slowly taking away the lives of those you loved before your eyes, rendering you yourself incapable of protecting them. So the cool elementals let him leave; "Good riddance," they said.

Dirge wandered farther and farther away. He couldn't stand to be anywhere near the land he had once lived in, and found himself moving to warmer places. Here it was easier to find prey, to hunt and survive, and easier to lose himself. Alone, he lived in the woods for years, unintentionally honing his skills for a fight he didn't know was coming..."

"That's so mean! He can't help it, don't be mean to him just because he was born a certain way!" Izuku sniffed, glancing over the first few paragraphs again, before focusing on the last line. "I wonder what fight is coming?"

"Once upon a time, where creatures of mere myth and legend roamed, there lived a colony of warm elementals. There, a baby girl was born, her cheeks glowing like sunshine and her hair burning like the fire in the eyes of a thousand punk rockers. Her body was made of pure, golden light, and her eyes were unusual to these warm elementals- clear midnight blue, like a freezing river glistening in the light of a starry night. They called her Sonora, for she was a very pleasant child."

"Ooh, is this repetition? Mirroring? It's the same beginning for a similar situation, but with a different person. Are they going to meet?"

"She grew up cherished and admired by those around her, though admiration quickly turned into jealousy as she grew into womanhood. She was beauty and light personified, bringing health and life into the living beings around her. Sick people were healed, plants flourished under her care, but for all these good things she had done, they only made people hate her more. The girl was tormented by the dark sides of those warm elementals, burned by their harsh words and fiery fists, the brightest green flames of jealousy burning in the eyes of those around her.

By the time Sonora was almost an adult, she had retreated comfortably into a shell of her own making; no longer performing miracles as she had when younger, instead preferring to lock herself in her room and lose herself in the worlds hidden in the pages of ancient books. Reality was a curse set upon her, one she sought to escape from, content to do so after school each day. Yet the people weren't satisfied with this, even this. One day while she was at school, two kids chosen for their criminal tendencies and lack of morals broke into her house and burned everything she owned, everything that she cared about, and stole the valuables to pawn off for cash.

When she arrived home to ashes, she collapsed, fell into a haze she couldn't find her way out of until much later. When she came to herself, she was miles away from any place she recognized, in a cold, unfamiliar land. Here she settled, life living amongst death, and closed her eyes to sleep..."

"She was doing good things? Why did they hate her for doing good things? I don't understand."

"Once upon a time, where dragons ruled the mountains and pixies played mischievous tricks, there were two elementals separated from all that was familiar to them. They lived in the woods, unsuspecting of each other's presence until an accidental sighting by the river as the boy cleaned off his knife from a recent catch. Rustling in the bushes and a soft gasp alerted him to the presence of another person, and his head whipped around to meet the eyes of a cold elemental... in the body of a warm elemental. Dirge stared at Sonora, and Sonora at Dirge, until a loud splash across the river startled them both into scattering.

After that, they paid more attention to their surroundings, seeing where the other had almost run into them by mere hours missed. Occasionally one would catch sight of the other, and watch until they felt that they'd approach the other, at which point they'd turn and start off again. It was like a game; dancing with some bushes out of sight here, climbing massive trees to avoid being caught there, until they finally met up in an unfortunate situation.

You see, while the two had been gone, the warm and cold colonies had been suffering. Cold grew warmer, Warm grew colder, until it was a strange equilibrium that neither could survive in. They needed their lost elementals, and had tracked them to the little neck of the woods they danced in. The warm and cold elementals found Dirge and Sonora about to do their dance again, locked eyes across a river, about to circle around again, and interrupted. The water of the river surged as the cold elementals sought to snare Dirge, and the trees and plants waved and rustled as the warm elementals sought to entangle Sonora."

Izuku stares at the pages like they personally offended him. "You pushed them away, but want them back now that you need them? Why did you push them away in the first place?" He understands their need to survive, but he doesn't understand why they caused their own troubles, or why they didn't treat the other elementals nicely in the first place. Fear and jealousy, it said, but those were emotions that he hasn't felt yet.

"The two broke eye contact and ran, unconsciously, toward the other to escape their tormentors. In the middle they met, where there was neither warmth nor cold, on a rocky surface beneath a shining sun. Then into refuge, into a cave with only moss as a sign of possible elemental manipulation; water and plant merged. Finally, after running in silence with only heavy breathing and occasional words of panic, the two found a place to settle.

Deep within the bowels of the cave, Dirge and Sonora were alone. Listening, in case anyone approached, they began to speak. While doing their dance they had exchanged playful words, but now that their pasts were quite literally catching up to them, they needed to be serious. Each of their stories unfolded before the other, until finally they lapsed into silence and just looked at each other.

The two shared a bond, one that had existed since that first accidental sighting, one that had deepened with the telling of their respective tales. And as they gazed at each other, they found themselves holding the other in signs of comfort. They fell asleep like that, just looking at each other in soothing proximity, unaware of the moss being used to spy on them.

Once upon a time, in a place cold and humid, in a land surrounded by lush life and barren boulders, two elementals faced the unjust fury of their peoples for running away. They were taken as they slept, bound and shackled and brought far away from the other, unable to defend themselves. But their bond hadn't been broken. Even with such a brief encounter, they knew the other was still there, still open to them, a comforting presence in the backs of their minds and spirits as they were each imprisoned where they couldn't leave their colonies. The girl of pure life, the boy of undiluted death. They were separated, but linked together inexorably for the rest of time."

Turning the page, Izuku sees two beautiful little drawings of who could only be Dirge and Sonora; hand-drawn just as the words had been hand-written. The girl and boy are cuddled together in a cave in one drawing, and in the other, they're being carried away by other elementals with similar body types as theirs. These sketches keep Izuku's attention on them for several minutes as he takes in all the details, before turning the page again.

"Once upon a time, in a place cold and humid, in a land surrounded by lush life and barren boulders, two elementals faced the unjust fury of their peoples for running away. They were taken as they slept, bound and shackled and brought far away from the other, unable to defend themselves. But their bond hadn't been broken. Even with such a brief encounter, they knew the other was still there, still open to them, a comforting presence in the backs of their minds and spirits as they were each imprisoned where they couldn't leave their colonies. The girl of pure life, the boy of undiluted death. They were separated, but linked together inexorably for the rest of time."

The greenette perks up, now knowing that the story wasn't over, and pays closer attention to this part.

"They felt each other's presence in every waking moment, and walked together in their dreams. Their respective colonies began to heal; Warm elementals able to live comfortably in the warm colony, Cold elementals back to normal in the cold colony. Everyone was happy that the crisis had been diverted... yet furious that the two elementals they held apart were the cause of it. Dirge and Sonora would never leave again, each colony separately declared; would never even get the chance to.

Dirge was caged up high in the tree in the middle of the cool colony, no hope of climbing down without breaking the brittle branches and becoming injured. Sonora was chained deep underground, in the midst of hard, lifeless stone, no hope of breaking free without bringing down the colony on her very head. Caged, chained, the girl of life and the boy of death couldn't escape without the other.

Life grew harder for them and easier for the others, but at least they had their dreams. There, they could hold each other's hand and show each other their memories. Yet the good things had to pass, and soon they moved on to sharing the bad memories. Ending with the worst- their separation and the places they were being kept.

Dirge looked at the stone prison Sonora was being kept in and smashed the wall in anger. Sonora gazed upon the brittle tree Dirge was in and wept in sorrow. How could the other be kept in such a place? It wasn't right, it wasn't right. It wasn't right.

When the two were separated by the moment of waking, their prisons had changed. A hole had been blown in the wall of the stone keeping Sonora prisoner, the brittle tree holding Dirge given vibrant new life. This was undoubtedly the first use of such magicks over a distance, but the two spent no time wasted on thought. They ran about in the dim dawn lighting, ran through the sleeping colonies and through the woods between the two, being guided by their awareness of the other.

Sonora and Dirge, they met in the middle; they met in the center of the lake where they had been found and chased. Laughing, crying with joy, they embraced the other tightly to them. And then, a miracle brought by their magical love began.

The unnatural darkness around Dirge was washed away as he held Sonora. Her fresh, lively warmth cleansed away the soot and ash from him, leaving his body as clear as a river sparkling under a starry sky, leaving his hair as pure and white as snow.

The hideous burns covering Sonora were smoothed away in Dirge's arms. His beautiful, soothing coolness relieved the pain in her, leaving her body glowing softly like candlelight, leaving her hair burning like the embers of a fire that refused to die.

They were together, complete, one in each other's arms. 'She is worth melting for,' Dirge thought as the still ice of his skin began to drip away. 'He is worth freezing for,' Sonora thought as the dancing sunshine of her skin began to harden up...

Once upon a time, in a land of perfect balance and ethereal harmony, in the heart of where magic existed, there were the first humans to live in this universe. Sonora and Dirge, the last borne of the elementals, the pleasant sounding funeral song of their species, the beginning of a new way of life. The new beginning of Humanity, brought forth from a lovely, sad ending..."

Izuku stares at the last paragraph for a few moments, before turning the page to make sure that the story was truly over, and sees the title of the next chapter waiting for him. 'Humanity and Magic; Discovery and Innovation.'

It seems that this will be where his learning on "magic" begins, and if things continue as they have previously, Izuku is likely to find a note somewhere in this chapter directing him to the next books he should read. If he doesn't though, it's not that big of a deal, as the library's books are organized both by subject and in alphabetical order. There are shelves for magic things that he can search through if he has more questions than answers by the end of this upcoming chapter, so knowing this, he focuses back on the history book in his hands and continues to read.

By the end of the day, Izuku is in one of the empty rooms his mother had mentioned, setting things up for experimentation with magic. With nobody to stop him, he continues forth at a breakneck pace, devouring every scrap of knowledge that he can reach.

Chapter Text

Three Weeks after Izuku's Awakening...

Magic training is going... well, no, it isn't really going.

Izuku stares at the book before him, and at the candle he's been trying to light and put out with magic, but no matter how much he reaches for the energy within him, he just can't do it. The book says that every living being has some form of magic within them, but that sometimes they can't reach it, but that shouldn't be the case for him, right? His mother clearly expected him to be able to use magic, judging by her notes and the stories she's told him, but he hasn't been able to muster a flicker.

When he was first starting, the books told him to meditate until he could feel the energy inside him, and he did. He can feel that energy inside him clearly after several days of working to do so, and it feels... it feels amazing, so why can't he use it? Why can't he wrench it away from its flow throughout his body, and push it out? Why is it drawn towards the circlet he's wearing, and why can't he direct it elsewhere?

With the moon high in the sky, Izuku sighs in a mixture of frustration and disappointment, and leaves the room that he'd designated his magic training room. He probably has to eat, as he's neglected it for some time now, and then unless he wants to spend all night tiring himself out unnecessarily, he has to sleep.

The greenette elects to skip the food, not feeling hungry despite all the effort he'd been putting forth today, and flops down into his bed without changing. Maybe if he sleeps on it, he'll be able to figure something out in the morning...

As Izuku comes to awareness, his thoughts immediately wander back to his magic troubles, and he pouts at the lack of a solution falling into his lap to reward his taking a break on things. He's so disappointed in his mind that he fails to notice the soft rumbling noise coming from across the room for several minutes, but when he does, he's jumping upright in a mixture of shock and confusion. This place is empty but for himself- at least, it seems like it's supposed to be- and something is making a rumbling noise? In his room? What?

The rumbling stops at Izuku's sudden movement, and he whips his head around to look for the source of the noise, before spotting a flash of orange and white darting through his doorway. He blinks, staring for a moment and wondering whether he actually saw something or if it was his imagination, before an odd chirping noise comes from the throne room.

That's... definitely not one of the birds that like to perch upon the windowsills and the slightly ruined rafters, tending to the nests they've made up there. The birds make different noises; this sounds like something trying really hard to imitate a bird. Is someone in the keep with him? Why didn't they say hello to him? Did he even want there to be someone else with him? The keep was empty; it was supposed to be only him. He didn't know how to talk or react to someone else being there!

Pulling on his shoes, a bright red pair that'd looked nice with the outfit he'd started to favor over the past few days, Izuku slowly went through his bedroom doorway and towards the large throne in the back middle of the room; closer to his bedroom and the bathroom than the stairs. He tried to make his footsteps as quiet as possible as he moved through the grass and the flowers, and more of those odd chirping noises sounded from the other side. The rumbling noise from before was back as well, and as he approached the back of the throne, he could tell that something- or someone- was sitting on the sunlit seat...

'Alright, Izuku. Just... slowly lean around the side of the chair, and look. You can always run back to your room if you're not ready to deal with whatever is there...'

Izuku bites his lip, and takes a deep breath, before following through with his short and simple plan. His emerald eyes take in the sight of something small, and fluffy, and... vibrating? His brain, along with the dictionary he'd read, give him conflicting definitions of what he's seeing. It's got wings on its back, like an bird, or a bat, or an angel... but it's also got four legs and fur on its body, like a dog, or a cat, or a mouse. He can't tell what it is, but it's about the size of his forearm, and it's looking at him.

It's looking at him.

Izuku freezes, his nervous gaze locked with the vibrant blue irises of the animal-creature-thing sitting on the throne, and it stops rumbling to make a different noise. The noise it makes is something like a chirp, but also like a door creaking on its hinges as it's opened or shut, with hints of its previous rumbling around the edges. He stares, confused, and the creature makes the noise again before standing up on all four paws and stepping towards him.

The greenette squeaks, and enacts the emergency retreat part of his plan; stumbling back several quick paces and running off into his bedroom. If this room had a functioning door like the rooms downstairs, he'd be able to close it, but the door it does have is so overrun by flora that he couldn't even move it an inch when he'd first tried. So, Izuku just has to stay in his room, and hope that whatever the creature is doesn't follow him.

For what feels like hours, Izuku stays in his room, before the chirping and rumbling noises stop coming from the throne room. He waits a little longer, chewing on his lip and listening carefully for the return of the unknown creature, but hears nothing. This must mean that it's left, right? How it even got in is a mystery, as Izuku himself hasn't yet found an exit to the keep that isn't a window too high up or too small for him to feel comfortable climbing through it, but maybe its size let it in so easily? Or maybe its wings?

What sort of creature has wings, a tail, four paws, two triangular ears, and a furry body? If he can get to the library without running into it again, he can probably look for illustrated animal books to try and help him. Sweet stars, let there be no mystery creature waiting to spook him back to his room again the second he takes two steps out of it...

Slowly, Izuku leaves the questionable safety of his bedroom behind, and looks around carefully as he makes his way towards the stairs. Nothing else is in the throne room but him, and cautiously, he makes his way down to the library without any unexpected encounters. He's alone again, probably, and he can do his research in safe solitude.

It's a cat.

But it's also an owl?

It's a small cat with owl-like wings, and according to this guidebook on mythological creatures, it's called a tressym.

Slightly less maneuverable in tight spaces than ordinary cats, but exponentially more mobile in open spaces, tressyms are highly independent creatures that approach human levels of intelligence as they grow into adulthood. They can understand human speech after a time of living nearby human settlements, and though they lack the vocal cords to communicate with this knowledge, they can learn to communicate using other methods. They are also rather solitary creatures, and rarely live among others of their own kind, but generally get along well with any living being that isn't a stirge or a manticore... whatever those were.

The tressym that Izuku had seen seemed somewhat young, but is approaching adulthood, judging by its size. It may or may not have been around humans before, though given that the guidebook says tressyms are usually shy and skittish around potential predators at first, this one might be familiar with humans. It shouldn't harm him, so the next time he sees it, he'll have to try communicating with it to see whether or not it understands him...

Glancing over the entry on tressyms once more, Izuku commits the most important information to memory, and starts flipping through the pages to find the entries on stirges and manticores. Packs of cat-owl hybrids ganging up to take down hummingbird-mosquito hybrids and lion-dragon-human hybrids... it was fascinating! Sure, he has to cross-reference with several other books to figure out what exactly all these creatures are, but they're definitely interesting.

Stirges are the hummingbird-mosquito hybrids, and apparently like to target humans and elves and other, similar creatures for their food source of blood. Izuku remembers the cut he'd given himself that second day of being awake, as he carelessly grabbed what he now knew was a rose stem covered in thorns, and makes a face at the thought of something deliberately feeding on his blood. He likes his blood on the inside of his body, thanks, and though he doesn't know what exact purpose his blood serves yet, he imagines that it wouldn't be a very good thing to lose too much of it. Otherwise, why did his cut seal itself up? His body probably knows what's best for it, and until he learns more about it, he won't be doubting his instincts any time soon.

Turning back to the manticore entry, the greenette stares at the illustration beside its name, and frowns at the description he reads not long after.

"Hybrid creatures with the bodies of lions, wings of dragons, and heads of humans; manticores are known to be savage man-eaters and one of many evil creatures prowling the world. They are intelligent, and often ally with other evil creatures in order to bring strife and suffering to all. Their favored food is human flesh, but they are known to settle for the flesh of other creatures if necessary. Be wary of their tails especially should you encounter one, as they often have spikes or stingers with paralytic venom within them, which is used to take down their prey with little effort on their parts."

Quietly committing that tidbit to memory as well, Izuku flips next to the entry on dragons, and continues jumping from entry to entry in a similar fashion. His earlier magic study issues are placed on hold as he learns more about the creatures of the world outside his keep, and the things that they can do, and how he can potentially interact with them if he encounters one.

Once he finally figures out how to leave this keep, he'll be truly joining the world in which these creatures live, and he'd do well to learn as much as he possibly can before doing so.

Chapter Text

Three Months after Izuku's Awakening...

After reading most of his books on magical and nonmagical creatures alike, along with an assortment of fiction and nonfiction stories that he'd come across behind them, Izuku had returned to his previous focus of magic. He started training again, and much to his dismay, found himself hitting the same blocks in his path as before.

He can feel the energy within himself, and just as before, he can feel it flowing through his body. Whooshing, buzzing, dancing, humming- it fills him all the way from just beneath his skin to the center of his very core, but he just can't move it to his own desires. The candle before him remains unlit, the cup of water remains unfrozen, the dirt on his clothes remains unbanished, the plants in the throne room refuse to bend or grow at his touch... He's not sure what he's doing wrong, or if he even is doing anything wrong.

Maybe he just doesn't have magic. Or if he does, maybe it's just the magic that every living creature is supposed to have, and he can't use it because he needs it to live. It'll probably be a disappointment to his mother, according to the stories he's read about children being unable to do things their parents expect of them, if he ever meets or communicates with her.

Izuku doesn't want to disappoint her. Sure, he might be putting a bit too much weight on that first and only letter he ever got from another person, but it's the first and only letter he's ever gotten from another person! There are supposed to be hundreds of thousands of people in the world outside these walls, and he can't interact with any of them, because he can't even take the first step out the front door before walking into some sort of magic barrier at the threshold! He wants to meet someone, he wants to talk to someone about all his ideas and all the things he's been learning, and maybe he could actually start learning to use the magic locked inside him if he could just chat with a mage of some sort!

It was frustrating, so very frustrating to know how to do something, but not have the actual experience to do it well. He can access his magic, but he can't use it. He can empathize with the people whose stories he reads in the library, and he can recognize the personal touches of authors who very clearly love their work, but he can't talk with anyone! He wants to hear someone's voice, he has to hear someone's voice other than his own... he just-!

He has to...

"There goes my composure again," the greenette quietly mumbles to himself, bringing a hand up to wipe away the tears dripping down his cheeks. "There it goes, far away from reach, just like my apparent ability to use magic. Mother implied that I could use magic in her letter, but I don't think I really can. I need a teacher, or even just someone more experienced to tell me what I'm doing wrong..."

Izuku stares down at the pages of the 'Basics of Magic' book laying out before him, and folds down the corner of the page again, marking his place before closing the book. He wasn't going to get anything further today, even if he hit a sudden breakthrough- it was getting hard to see the words he was trying to read, with how dark it was outside, and the light chill sweeping through the air made it clear that it was time to return to the magically-heated upstairs area of the keep.

As he makes his way through the moonlit hallways and up the stairs, he continues to mumble his thoughts beneath his breath. The only voice he has ever heard is his own, and although it might be a sign of poor mental health according to some of the stories he's read, he'll continue talking to himself because he has nobody else. If he ever does actually meet someone, he'll just talk to them instead of himself, and everything will be fine then.

"Why hasn't anyone knocked on the door yet? Why is this place empty for all but me? Why couldn't my mother tell me our family name; why was it dangerous to do so? Why is the upper floor half in ruins, yet perfectly functional for all intents and purposes? Why go through the trouble of keeping me alive in a state of suspended sleep for all my life if I was never going to get any company? Are there truly gods out there? Is this some sort of sick joke from them? I used to be okay because I didn't know what I was missing, but someone left all these books for me to read, and each book I read just makes me want to leave this place even more..."

He enters the throne room, and makes his way through the grass and flowers, being careful not to crush any of the latter as he always is. By now, a path is beginning to be worn into the dirt, and the grass is dying in that area.

"I don't want to be alone anymore... I want to go out, and do things like the people in my stories do. I want to explore the world with friends by my side. I want to dance in the streets during a seasonal festival. I want to meet the people of the kingdoms, from the poor people on the streets to the Kings and Queens in their castles. I want to know why I woke up in a throne too large for my own body, like it was sized for someone else, and I want to know why I can't take this circlet off my head... I want to learn everything I possibly can, and if I do ever get out of here, I want to help everyone I come across live happier lives."

Taking off his gloves and shoes, Izuku places them on and under the vanity by the door, as he usually does each night before bed. He fumbles with the buttons on his vest, his fingers slipping in the remnants of his distress, but he finally manages to undo the article of clothing before tossing it aside and moving on to his shirt. He changes quickly and clumsily, just wanting to get into bed and not particularly caring where his day clothes end up, as he throws them aside and slips on the white tunic and trousers he'd first woken up in. He's sad, and he's tired, and he's...

He's tired, and he wants to go to sleep.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

"Izuku..."

"This way, dear, this way..."

The boy reaches out through the shadows, feeling a different energy than what he's felt before brushing against his senses, and wonders if maybe this is his magic instead. His mind is hazy, and the world is lighter than air, and there is no light despite the moon shining bright in the darkness above him. The place in which he's standing is unknown, but he's not afraid... and he's not alone.

"Come here... you're so close..."

Whispers brush against his ears just as lightly as his fingers had brushed against those red red rose petals the first time he'd seen them, and they encourage him, guiding him through the world he cannot see. Soft tugs upon his sleeves pull him forward, and he follows without complaint, his insides begging him to follow this lead towards what could be the help he's needed.

"The tragic tale of a king undone, the tragic tale of a war that's won..."

"Your power, it's your power, not his...!"

"The war won by the wrong side..."

Izuku falls to his knees beneath the emotion in those last whispers, and a flurry of activity soars up around him; the foreign and very much welcome energy surging to push it away.

"Not yet, not yet... that's for later..."

"Come now, let us help..."

"You're almost there..."

With the encouragement of disembodied voices that somehow feel warm to him, the greenette gets back up and keeps moving forward, until the darkness begins to fade away around him. Wait, no, the darkness isn't fading- he's leaving it. He's leaving the darkness behind, and the whispers are getting louder, and he's pushing open the door to one of the rooms he hasn't yet explored in the keep.

The world is so light and beautiful... Rainbows emanate from the contents of the glass box in front of him, dancing against the dirty walls and bringing out the sparkly stones hidden within the dust... It feels so warm, just like the whispers...

"Open it, Izuku..."

"Take what's inside; the birthright he stole..."

"Not from her, but from..."

Izuku reached for the lid of the glass box, and slowly lifted it, the light blinding him now despite the fact that it shouldn't have been any different than it was when the top was closed. Unless it wasn't glass, but...

"My descendant..."

"My successor..."

"You're next...!"

...magic.

"Use it well, Izuku..."

"Descendant, successor, inheritor locked away..."

"Use it well..."

Izuku surges upwards, his chest burning, eyes darting about as a new energy sparks within his veins. Much like in the dream he just had, he feels himself being pulled through the plant-filled throne room and down the stairs; guided by something that feels... bigger than himself. Ethereal, as though it'll fade away soon, as though daring to pull against it would mean missing something he'd never have the chance to reach again. His breath comes in short gasps as he stumbles forth, his unprotected feet cut by the thorns of the roses in the room and leaving behind a light trail of blood, following the pull in equal desperation both to find where it's leading and to make it stop.

Before him, the doorway he'd seen in his dream looms large; the wooden door heavy as he pushes against it with his full weight. He enters the room, and the door swings shut behind him, sealing the light of the hallway outside. The room is dark now, dark, darker, yet darker, and his breath has stopped altogether.

His chest burns- the cuts on his feet as well- and the circlet on his brow presses down angrily, but he can't turn back. He can't go back or it'll all be for nothing and he'll be lost forever and the people will never be saved-!

'What?'

Something lies ahead of Izuku in the darkness, but the pull doesn't stop until he's right in front of it. He's still not breathing, but he doesn't need to breathe. He needs to reach forward and open the box and open the box and open the box!

He reaches forward and opens the wooden box, shoving his hands inside with tears in his eyes, searching for an end to the conflicting sensations rushing through him. The immeasurable weight of the earth presses down on him from above, and something like fire burns him up from below, and the brush of leather and metal and paper against his fingertips feels like power beyond his current level of comprehension...

As Izuku's fingers close tightly around the heavy tome, his lungs allow him to draw air once more, and the pressure stops. Breathing light and fast, the green-haired boy stares at the object in the center of it all, and tries to get his bearings. He's panicking though, because this is the same thing he saw in his dream, and seeing real things in dreams before seeing them in real life is magic, or a vision from the gods, and that all means that somebody knows he's here, because he didn't do that himself and he's definitely not ready to encounter other people in the state he's in now!

The thick book slips from his grasp, and lands on the floor with a loud thump that echoes through the room. Izuku himself soon follows, his vision being overtaken by stars and his limbs being too heavy and awkward to keep himself up; his body landing beside the tome with the slap of flesh on wood. He's tired, so tired now... His sleep was interrupted, and he's so tired... but he's curious all the same.

Slowly, Izuku drags himself and the tome over to the thick wooden door, and aligns the spine with the thin crack through which a tiny amount of light seeps through. He wants to know what the title of this book is; what or who it was exactly that pulled him all the way down here and begged him for help with emotions alone. He's never felt true fear before, and he wants to know the reason he is now...

What is it, that makes him feel so restless and giddy and jumpy and afraid of... missing something?

What does it say, on the spine of this tome that's as thick as his arm?

What can he do, but try to see the letters and find out the answer?

"Use it well, Izuku... "

Finally, his eyes adjust to a dim lighting without stars, and he spies the words 'One For All' written in golden letters upon the tome.