Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Two boys and their mother sat by the fireplace, curled up together curled up together in the tower room. Quiet laughter came from the brothers as they wrestled on the rug, fighting for the warmest spot. Rei sat in an old rocking chair with blankets piled on her lap, protected from the frigid air.

The three of them froze up as they heard quiet footsteps coming from the hall. The steps grew closer, and they sat stock still, holding their breath.

Three taps came from the door, one long, then two short. The tension in the room visibly lessened, and the door opened.

Their sister walked in, holding the youngest sibling. She closed the door silently behind her and crossed the room, handing the child to her mother. The toddler curled up in his mother’s lap.

The sister sat down near her the other two, and pulled a strand of white hair from her face. “Kamiji-san says she can buy us some time, but Father will be home soon. She’ll be knocking on the door to give us a warning.”

The mother wraps her youngest son in the woollen blankets. He snuggles even closer. “Thank you, Fuyumi.”

The oldest brother nods. “I’ll thank Burnin’ when I get a chance. She’s sticking her neck out for us.”

The boy with white hair flops over his older brother’s lap. “Mother, tell us a story?”

“Aren’t you a little too old for stories?”

“No I’m not!”

“Both of you, quiet.”

“Sorry, ‘Yumi.”

Rei chuckled at their antics, before humming at the child in her lap. “I can tell a story. Any requests, my little peppermint?”

The boy with red and white hair rubbed his eyes and sat up slightly. He blinked slowly, lost in thought. “....brothers,” he finally whispered. “Can you tell us about the brothers, mama? The ones with fire and plants?”

“Nova and Verdure?

Shouto nodded.

Natsuo winced; he had heard these stories many times before, and was about to raise his objections when sharp glances from his older siblings stopped him.

For Shouto, their gazes said.

For Shouto, he reluctantly agreed.

The five of them settled themselves comfortably, curling up together, as their mother began. The youngest sat watching his mother with wide eyes, as she spun a tale of two gods-blessed boys who eventually became deities themselves.

“Once upon a time…” she began.

“That’s dumb,” Natsuo mumbled.

“Shush, Nat! Mom’s telling a story!”

“But it is!” he protested. It literally just means it happened at some point!”

“Nat!”

“Sorry, ‘Yumi,” he mumbled again.

Rei smiled slightly at their antics. “Very well then,” she said, then began again.

“A long time ago, there were two brothers.

“The elder brother was fierce and fiery, like a star, the god of explosions and conflict. He loved showing off, constantly blowing things up and provoking fights to prove that he was the best. The other one, the younger one, he was quieter, more peaceful, and prefered gardening to fighting. Both of them were extremely powerful, but in completely different ways.

“They called themselves Nova and Verdure.”

“So, kind of like opposites, like you and dad?”

“Not quite.”

“Why not? Aren’t they, like, life and death?”

“She’s getting there, Nat!”

“...sorry, ‘Yumi.”

Rei laughed again before continuing. “Despite the two of them being almost complete opposites, they got along extremely well. They were practically inseparable! Sure, the older one liked to yell, and occasionally blew up at his brother, sometimes literally, and sure, the younger one sometimes ignored the elder in favor of tending his gardens, but when it came down to it, they always had each other’s back. They understood each other like no one else. If it came down to their brother or the rest of the world, even against the gods, they would choose the former every time. And they did. And they won, time and time again.”

“Even so, when it came down to it, they were more alike than you might think. After all, fire is used for warmth and protection, and every forest has its thorns.”

Rei told them many stories throughout the night, stories of power and magic, and the four children listened with rapt attention. She was in the middle of describing Verdure and a sacred forest, full of magic and wonder, when they heard a sudden knock.

“Todoroki-sama is nearly home,” came a whisper through the crack in the door. “The children need to get to their rooms.”

Rei murmured her thanks before untangling a mostly asleep Shouto from the blankets and handing her back to Fuyumi. Touya helped his little brother up, and the four of them made their way to the door, whispering quick goodnights to their mother.

“Goodnight, mother!”

“Night, mom.”

“Sweet dreams, children,” she said, smiling. “We’ll continue some other time.”

Rei smiled at her children, then turned away from the door. She doused the fire with her ice magic and rearranged the blankets, making no move to get up from the chair. She looked out the frosted window, keeping watch over the gate. If she strained, she could see a carriage in the distance, carrying her husband and his entourage.

She thought back on the many stories she had told her children over the years. A damsel in distress, locked up in a tower, guarded by a deadly fire-breathing dragon. How ironic. She nearly laughed at the parallels.

Rei sighed, before pulling the blankets up to her chin and closing her eyes.

She prayed to the gods that her children made it to their rooms safely before her dragon returned.

Chapter Text

“Again.”

Shouto hissed under his breath, cradling his injured arm as his father stood over him. He stood up, slowly, swaying slightly on his feet. 

A flaming hand came out of nowhere, striking him soundly on the jaw. He collapsed, doing his best not to yelp as he landed on his injured arm. 

“Again.”

He struggled to get up. He took a moment, breathing hard, then rose to his feet again. His father glared at him. 

Another fist came his way. He couldn’t do anything to avoid it, so he twisted to the side, letting the hit land, and did his best not to fall on his injured arm.

He failed.

“Again.”

Shouto tried to gather the strength to stand up, but he could barely move, gritting his teeth to keep himself from tearing up because of the pain. If he cried, his father would only get angrier.

Weak. Useless. Pathetic. You are my son, heir to my Empire, and you can’t take a single punch.

Stop crying, Shouto. 

He was not allowed to cry.

Crying is a weakness. You’re not allowed to have weaknesses.

He couldn’t show any weakness.

He struggled to get up, but collapsed yet again. His father gave him a disgusted look before turning away, leaving him bruised and battered on the floor of the training room.

“Burnin’!” he called, stepping away from the fallen form of his son. 

A woman with bright golden flames for hair stepped silently through the doorway. “Yes, Endeavor-sama?” 

His father growled at her before stomping down the hall. “Get me a bath, then have someone fix my son. I expect him to be able to fight tomorrow.”

“Right away, Endeavor-sama.” His father’s top officer bowed deeply, then risked a sympathetic glance towards Shouto before proceeding to scurry off behind his father, silently shutting the door on her way out.

Shouto sighed and curled up, relaxing as much as he could on the cold floor. Hopefully, Burnin’ would direct someone his way soon. He wasn’t sure if he could get up on his own. His father had gone far past his usual “training,” not stopping when he usually would. Shouto and his siblings had seen this coming of course, but they couldn’t do anything about it. Tomorrow was the anniversary of his eldest brother’s untimely “death,” and the three of them had watched as their father grew angrier as the citizens put up shrines and lanterns in memory of the prince. 

As furious as he got, Shouto wondered if it would be worse if the people knew the truth. Touya had been beaten mostly to death by the emperor himself, then had run away. Fuyumi had hoped that he was still alive somewhere, living free in another kingdom, but he and Natsuo agreed that as sad as it was, he probably hadn’t survived his burns.

A quiet knock came from the doorway. Shouto shifted his head to see who it was, wincing from his bruises and burns. It was Fuyumi, still dressed in her finery from dealing with the court. She rushed inside, not bothering to close the door, and knelt beside him. 

“Oh, Shouto,” she whispered, taking in the state their father had left him in. “Let’s get you to my room.” She gently helped him up, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as the two of them struggled to get to the door.

“You’ll get blood on your dress,” he mumbled.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“But you’re supposed to be a host for all those foreign diplomats or something. You can’t just show up a bloody mess…”

His sister huffed a quiet laugh. “Father will just have to buy a new one if he doesn’t want me to be a complete embarrassment.”

The two of them slowly made their way down the cold stone halls. A few servants passed them on the way, all sneaking furtive glances before rushing on their way. No one wanted to be caught between the Flaming Emperor and his children. Shouto didn’t blame them.

Shouto hissed under his breath as they stepped up the stairs towards Fuyumi’s room. The two of them inched their way to Fuyumi’s door, then collapsed against the doorframe and caught their breath. Fuyumi opened the door and practically dragged her little brother inside. 

His sister ran inside and grabbed some towels, spreading them out on the tile floor. Shouto plopped on top of them unceremoniously. Fuyumi rushed around, grabbing strips of cloth and salve from various hiding places in her room. She came back with her arms laden with medical supplies and kneeled by his side.

Shouto hissed as she cleaned the blood off him, gently dabbing at the burns and bruises with a soaked cloth. It was the best medicine money could buy, and Fuyumi made sure to have a steady supply of the magic-saturated gel. 

Shouto did his best to let his mind wander elsewhere while his sister cleaned and dressed his wounds. He thought of the upcoming festival-one to celebrate the ancestors and the dead-and how it was affecting everyone. The townsfolk put up shrines of their dead family members, hoping to contact or at least please them. This year, most of them were setting up a small shrine for the Emperor’s eldest son as well. Touya had officially been gone for five years, and more people were doing it than ever. His father was angered at this-in his words, such a “weak, useless failure” should never be honored. However, he had to keep up his appearance as a loving father. 

Which meant he took his frustration out on Shouto.

Now, more than ever, Fuyumi and Natsuo spent their time doing damage control and Shouto spent most of it “training” or healing from said training. Any spare time was spent on his studies-he was the heir of an empire after all, and had to know quite a lot to do that. His siblings covered for him whenever they could, but his mother…

His mother was as good as gone. 

The last time he had seen his mother, she’d thrown a kettle of boiling water at him and then been dragged off by the guards, sobbing and rambling about dragons and princes. Enji had her locked up and declared delusional for “harming his masterpiece and then spouting off bizarre fairy tales.” Shouto hadn’t seen his mother since.

His father definitely cared more about the first part. His masterpiece, his successor was now scarred and ugly, no longer the picture-perfect prince. Shouto took pride in the scar in a way. His mother had ruined his father’s image, and he could respect that, even though he had been almost blinded. (the pain was nothing new.)  

Fuyumi finished wrapping up the last of his burns. At this point, he looked more bandage than human, but he’d take what he could get. His sister had been taking care of his injuries for as long as he’d been getting them.

Fuyumi tied off the last wrap and sat back with a sigh. “Would it work if you stayed out of his way?”

“He’s been looking for me specifically, ‘Yumi. If I start avoiding him it’ll only get worse. Or he’ll take it out on someone else.”

She huffed. “I know, it’s just…” she trailed off, gazing at the stone walls.

“I can’t let anyone else get hurt.” Not after what happened with Touya. Shouto had had this exact conversation a million times. He knew what was coming next.

His sister rounded on him with a glare. “And why can’t you, Shouto? You’re the youngest of us! We should be the ones protecting you!”

“He’d be doing this to me no matter what happens. Remember, I’m his masterpiece. Father focuses on training me for the throne. He won’t do any lasting damage to me. This is the best option we have-it only hurts one person, and he has to stop himself from harming me too much.”

Fuyumi put her head in her hands. “Would it be so bad? To share the pain?”

Shouto looked away. “I can’t put this on anyone else, ‘Yumi,” he whispered. “He’s already hurt most of us. Besides, it’s too late to change anything.”

His sister slowly stood up and walked away. “I’ll have someone bring you dinner. Stay in here as long as you need it. Father won’t dare to train you again today.” She glanced back at him, sadness and frustration evident in her eyes, then looked down and walked out to the hallway. 

Shouto let out a breath and stared up at the ceiling. Fuyumi tried her best, and for that he was grateful, but it was nearly impossible to hold together his family. Rei was insane, Touya was missing and likely dead, Natsuo barely left his room, Shouto was beaten up almost daily, and Enji was, well, the Flaming Emperor-a tyrannical warlord who owned half the continent. On top of this, his sister was overworked with her diplomatic duties, and she along with Burnin’ practically ran the castle. 

It was a losing battle, but his sister hadn’t given up yet. She was one of the only bright spots in his life-one of the only reasons he managed to get back up when his father beat him down. (The others were his brother, the occasional sympathetic glances from Kamiji, and his distant memories of the stories his mother told him.)

He sighed and slowly sat up, resigning himself to a few hours of pain and boredom.

Chapter Text

Shouto sat on his bed, picking at his bandages. He’d have to get up and get changed for dinner soon, but he was enjoying these last few minutes of quiet. He took what he could get, which wasn’t a lot these days. 

A bird flew by his window, chirping cheerfully. Shouto followed it with his eyes, watching as it fluttered out of his line of sight. He wished he could just fly out the window, leave everything behind...but no, he had to protect his siblings. One day, he had to be able to take care of his father’s empire, and he had to be ready for when that happened.

A knock came at the door. Shouto startled out of his thoughts and turned to face the entrance, mind racing to identify the noise. Father would just barge in. It’s too loud to be one of the servants. Nat is off on his trip, and ‘Yumi is trapped in hostess duties for the next hour or so…

“Kamiji-san?” he called.

The voice behind the door confirmed his thoughts. “Endeavor-sama wants you to be ready and downstairs for dinner in half an hour.”

Shouto exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Thank you. I’ll be down soon.”

He listened to the footsteps receding before standing up, walking to his closet to begin the arduous task of dressing for a ceremonial dinner.

-----

Shouto walked downstairs in his flowered robe, painted in red and gold, the colors of Endeavor. He could hear the party from quite a while away-laughing and chatting, and the tinkle of glasses filled with fancy champagne. His father had standards, of course, and the events he hosted were famous even in the neighboring kingdoms. 

He could hear most of the regulars-the foreign diplomats and dignitaries who tried to gain his father’s favor through regular gifts and compliments-and even a few royals. He wasn’t entirely surprised at the turnout. After all, the empire was having its annual celebration of the autumn festival, which always attracted quite a bit of attention. 

He took a breath to steady himself and walked through the entranceway.

He was immediately hit by an assortment of sounds and sights as he descended to the main room, where crowds of people were talking about everything from magic to politics to whichever scandal that was happening at the time. The parties were always the same. Everyone had a role: his father was the loud, boisterous leader, Shouto was the prodigious son standing at his shoulder, and the guests were the audience, reacting appropriately at all the right times. The only thing he got out of these events was information on the guests. In fact, his father actively encouraged him to eavesdrop on the conversation around him, to seek out potential weaknesses, and note them down for later. 

Looking around for his father, he spotted his sister chatting up some of the guests, playing her part as hostess perfectly. He walked in her direction only to be stopped by a woman. Her finery was mainly rose and silver, assumedly the colors of some neighboring kingdom- which one was it? Oh, yes, Uravity- and she smiled at him while purposely stepping in his path. Shouto nodded in greeting.

“Good evening,” said the woman, dipping her head in return. “I am Lady Juryoku, from Rakuseki province. I’m going to be the Uravity delegation tonight.”

“Good evening, Lady,” Shouto responded. “May I help you with anything?”

She raised an eyebrow at the comment, but didn’t say anything further. “Is there any chance we could have a relatively private chat at a time like this?”

Shouto noticed the urgency in her tone immediately. Lady Juryoku wasn’t making small talk, or trying to curry favor with Enji through him. “Unfortunately, nothing is guaranteed. I can wave off any servants or advisors, but my father may have me tailed anyways, and I will not be able to guarantee anything from the visiting guests.”

“Ah. I see. I suppose we’ll have to hope for some amount of luck.” 

Shouto nodded, then turned and walked towards the edges of the party, where the two of them would be less likely to be overheard. 

Once they were reasonably sequestered from the rest of the gossipers, he turned back towards the lady and nodded at her to continue, sipping a glass of fruit juice a servant had handed to him.

Lady Juryoku sighed. “As you know, the kingdom of  Uravity has been in debt to your father’s empire for many years. He lent aid to us when we needed it most, but demanded unreasonable things in return, and we’ve never really recovered.”

Shouto nodded. He knew all of this. Uravity was just another example of Endeavor taking advantage of the helpless: the broke country couldn’t afford to cut off relations, or else his father would declare war and swiftly take over the small kingdom. He’d seen it happen far too many times.

The older woman looked down. “According to Queen Uraraka, Todoroki-sama has been threatening her. She’s run out of time and resources and fears attack- it’s no longer a matter of if Endeavor will declare war, but when.”

“...I see.”

Lady Juryoku met his eyes, and Shouto was struck by the sheer desperation in them. “Queen Uraraka asked me to give you a message. She says that she has an idea of how he treats you, and that you were our best chance. She knows what she’s asking from you and it hurts her to make this decision, but she's begging you to buy her kingdom some time in whatever way you can."

Shouto exhaled sharply. "You know I could throw you in the dungeons for this. My father won't stand for any resistance."

"I knew there was a chance I wouldn't come back when I accepted this mission. Think about it, Prince. We're desperate enough to pull you aside at a public party."

"I'd figured."

She sighed again. "Just...give it some thought. We're begging you."

Shouto straightened. "I've already made my decision. I'll help you in whatever way I can."

Lady Juryoku visibly sagged in relief. "Oh, thank God, I-"

"Just… just be aware, that might not be much. My father won't listen to a word I say, so I'll have to corner him in a public space." Shouto bowed, deeper this time, and walked away. "Goodbye, Lady Juryoku. I'd suggest escaping while you can. My father won't harm a diplomat, but he may try to detain you."

-----

Shouto brushed past a few smaller groups as he made his way around the room. He listened in on conversations-occasionally interjecting, just to stay social-until he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see his sister.

"Who was that, earlier?" Fuyumi asked.

"Just some lady trying to gain favor with Father," he stated, looking at her blankly.

His sister met his gaze, silently reading him. Fuyumi could always tell when he wasn't telling the full truth. Hopefully, she could read the urgency in his tone well enough to back off. 

“Alright,” she relented, stepping back a little bit. “Just…please be careful?”

Shouto nodded, then turned and walked away, searching for his father. 

-----

It didn’t take long to find him. Shouto heard his laugh from halfway across the hall, and that was saying something, considering the size of the room.  He walked over, bowing slightly in respect before going to stand at his shoulder.

“Ah, Shouto!” his father boomed,. “I was just about to send for you! This is Prince Iida Tensei, from Ingenium!” Enji gestured to a man dressed in silver.

Shouto bowed to the guest and introduced himself, moving all thoughts of his father to the back of his head. He’s already flushed. By the time dinner rolls around, he’ll be thoroughly drunk. I can use that to my advantage. 

Prince Tensei beamed at him, and the two of them instantly struck up a conversation, talking about various things as his father watched on. Shouto was mostly on autopilot, scheming as Tensei practically gushed about his little brother, who was apparently his age. 

A few minutes later, the cook’s gong rang, and everyone began meandering towards the dining hall. Shouto gave the other prince a brief nod before walking briskly towards the head table.

When he got there, he took his seat directly to the right of the head of the table. His father sat to his left, waving to a servant for more wine. The “highest-up” guests found seats around the two of them, following the little cards placed on everyone’s plates. Shouto did his best not to look at Lady Juryoku.

Shouto continued planning as the first course came out, as the table was swept up in conversation, and as his father drank more and more wine. Eventually, as most people were finishing up the third course and laughter filled the room, the topics being debated got more...dangerous. Instead of the lighthearted semantics, people from all over began speaking in sharper tones, dueling, and backtracking and spreading gossip to make their delegation look the best. Numbers filled the room: people boasting about their population, land area, production, army, anything they had even the slightest advantage in. If you made even the tiniest misstep, dropped even a hint of a weakness, everyone around you would detect the whiff of blood and rip you apart. Words were thrown about like knives, slashing and parrying and jabbing where it hurt. People teamed up with their neighbors to take someone down, only to stab them in the back. This wasn’t idle chatting. These were battles, plain and simple, and everyone at the table had a lot to lose and everything to gain.

Todoroki Enji was the most vicious of them all.

Despite being drunk, or maybe because of it, he didn’t hesitate to ruin the people around him. He pulled up rumors and gossip about everything, from scandals in a royal family to the years of drought another empire was experiencing. 

Then, it finally happened. 

“I hear Uravity has been withholding resources from us.” Enji’s tone changed ever so slightly so that most people didn’t notice. Shouto knew better: Enji was preparing to drag the tiny seaside kingdom through the mud. 

The conversations around them slowed. Everyone at the table was either listening in or pretending not to. Lady Juryoku stiffened, nearly imperceptibly, then turned to face the Emperor. “Uravity has been paying its dues to the best of its abilities, Todoroki-sama.”

“Your best isn’t enough. I expect everything to be paid back by spring.”

Lady Juryoku protested; rightfully so, as this was a ridiculous expectation. “By spring? That’s only a few months away! Besides, we barely get any port traffic in the winter-”

Enji’s tone grew dangerous. He no longer looked like a drunk leader enjoying a party, instead, he looked unhinged, like a wolf ready to unleash his teeth and claws on his prey. “You will pay everything back by the spring equinox or I will come and take it myself.”

This was an impossible task. The droughts had hit Uravity hard, and they had barely enough money and products to feed their own people, let alone pay back everything Enji demanded from them. Enji was planning to take over Uravity, probably for port access and the land- and everyone knew it. 

Lady Juryoku visibly flinched. A few whispers of sympathy spread throughout the table.

Shouto took his chance.

“Perhaps you should give Uravity more time, Father,” he interjected.

Everyone turned to look at him.

“Why is that, Shouto?” Enji’s tone was low and dangerous, his piercing blue eyes boring straight through him.

Shouto gave him a slow blink, not letting him outwardly faze him. “Well, to pay everything back in the time you gave, Uravity would have to cannibalize itself, and even then, it won’t meet the agreements. By the time you get there, there will be nothing left to take.”

Everyone stared at him. He continued, refusing to back down. He couldn’t let this get to him or he’d fall along with Uravity. 

“I suggest giving them until this time next year. By then, you’ll be perfectly justified in taking your payment in whatever means necessary.” Shouto stared his father down, daring him to contradict the words of his treasured masterpiece.

“It makes sense,” someone behind him continued. Shouto turned to see Iida Tensei, the prince he had chatted with earlier under the watchful gaze of his father, backing him up. “Uravity would have to starve all its citizens to make it anywhere near the price you’ve set for them, and as the time period is through winter, a lot of them wouldn’t survive. I can understand having a grudge against the royal family, but don’t bring the innocent civilians into it.”

Shouto blinked again, surprised that anyone would take his side against the Flaming Emperor. Even more surprising was that a few people seemed to be nodding along. His father glared at them, silently fuming, but neither Shouto nor Iida went back on their words. 

“Fine,” he finally relented. “One year. No more. If the debt isn’t paid in full by the autumn festival next year, I will come and take double what I asked.” He signaled to a servant for more wine.

Lady Juryoku sighed in relief, and Prince Tensei visibly relaxed. He didn’t have to stick his neck out for me, Shouto thought. Maybe I wasn’t as discreet as I thought I was- or maybe he just wanted to make sure Endeavor didn’t get what he wanted. Plenty of people wish to stop my father but can’t do anything about it. Maybe I can create similar opportunities in the future…

Dinner continued, but the atmosphere was tense. People tried to make light conversation, but everything came out awkward and stunted after what was practically a declaration of war.

Desert came and went, and the guests started to trickle away, retiring for the night in nearby inns or going straight home. Shouto said quick goodnight to his father as soon as he felt like he could get away with it, and walked briskly towards his rooms.

Fuyumi stopped him on the way there. “I saw you from the next table over,” she hissed. “What did you do.”

“What I had to.” he didn’t elaborate.

“Shouto!” his sister hissed. “You may be his ‘masterpiece’ and all, but that doesn’t make you immune to him! He’s drunk right now! He’s going to cripple you, or worse!”

“I know,” he stated. “I’m sorry, Fuyumi, but I don’t regret what I did. It was either me or an entire kingdom.”

Fuyumi let out a half-choked sob and dropped her face in her hands. “Get to the servant’s quarters,” she mumbled. “I’ll try and slow him down. He’ll be angry when he can’t find you, but it’s better than the alternative.” 

“Thank you,” Shouto whispered. Then again, “I’m sorry.”

“You better be. Now, go!”

-----

Shouto ran through the castle, down the corridors he knew like the back of his hand. Left here, straight there. Down the stairs, then a right . Eventually, he made it to the identical rooms full of servants’ bunks, darting into an empty room and shutting the door behind him. He sat down on a bunk, catching his breath. Where would be the best place to hide? Behind the door?

He heard a knock at the door, and jumped, panicking momentarily. Not Father. Father would be yelling and stomping. Father wouldn’t bother to knock.

Kamiji-san’s voice came from the door. “Shouto, you in there? I saw you run by.” Her tone was urgent. “Fuyumi-san has a message for you.”

Shouto slowly walked towards the door and opened it. Kamiji-san grabbed his arm and pulled him with her, walking briskly down a hallway. “Forgive me, Todoroki-kun, but you won’t be safe here. The emperor is drunk beyond reason- Fuyumi-san tried to talk with him to slow him down and got slapped unconscious. Your father couldn’t find you in your room, so he’s got the entire castle on the lookout. Even the nearby towns might not be safe for you.” 

Shouto was upset, but not entirely surprised. “Where do I go, then? Should I risk it in an inn?”

“No. He’s got a reward out. I don’t have any connections that I trust enough not to turn you in.”

Thinking hard, his mother’s stories came back to him. “How about the forest? There’s no one there to turn me in, and I can defend myself well enough against anything in there.”

His father’s advisor bit her lip. “That could work. Let’s go.”

The two of them ran through the corridors, down passages Shouto had never seen before. Eventually, they came to a wooden door. Kamiji-san nodded at him. “Go through there- it should be out of the line of sight of most of the guards. Tell the guard at the end that you have permission from Kamoe, and to let you through.”

"What about you?" Shouto questioned.

"I've been doing this since before you were born. I'll be fine."

Shouto nodded back then slipped through the door.

-----

Shutting the gate behind him, Shouto stepped out into a narrow passageway between the outer walls of the grounds. He walked briskly towards the archway at the end.

“Halt.”

An armored guard stood in front of him, holding a lantern in one hand and a sword in the other. “Where are you going? What business do you have?”

Shouto continued walking. “I have permission from Kamoe, and I need to get through. It’s urgent.”

The guard’s posture softened. “Go through then, Prince. If you need to get back in through this gate, just say the word. Try to come back before He declares war on an innocent country, though.”

“Thank you.” Shouto walked past him, then ran down the path and cut across a meadow to get to his destination.

The trees loomed in front of him, looking almost black in the moonlight.

Shouto only hesitated a little bit before sprinting in.

Once inside, he slowed down, panting as his breath clouded the air around him. He was safe. Finally.

Now, it was time to wait.

Chapter Text

Shouto came to a halt, panting from his sprint through the underbrush. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath, then bowed his head and sent a quick prayer to any spirits that might have taken up residence in the area. This is Mother’s “sacred forest,” after all. She’s the only reason this place hasn’t been burnt down for land- Father’s too scared he’ll incur the wrath of either the spirits or the townsfolk.  

“I apologize for intruding,” he whispered to the towering trees. “I just need a place to hide for the night.” He bowed again, then sat down cross-legged on the mossy ground.

I hope ‘Yumi is all right. And Kamiji-san. And all the servants…I shouldn’t have run away, I should have stayed to protect everyone. Father’s definitely on a rampage by now. People risked themselves for me tonight, and I couldn’t even protect my sister...just like I couldn’t protect my mother…..

Shouto was saved from his spiralling thoughts by a loud crunch. He straightened up, summoning a fireball (burning, flames flickering across his skin) in his hand to get a better look around the darkened terrain. Shadows danced around the clearing, making it hard to tell a possible creature from a trick of the light. 

He could feel someone’s stare boring into him.

“Is anyone there?” Shouto cautiously called out, anxiously searching his surroundings.

A figure stepped out of the darkness.

Shouto’s first impression was that the figure was short, or at least too short to be a bear. Then they walked forward, and Shouto could see that there was another person in the forest. 

A scout of my father’s? Am I not safe even here? 

Shouto moved his hand, making his flame (his father’s) brighter so he could see more clearly. 

The figure was not one of Endeavor’s scouts.

A boy his age stepped into view. He had dark hair, curly enough to blend into his surroundings. He was wearing some sort of flowing robe, and he was absolutely covered in plants- they were wound around his arms, through his hair, they even seemed to be growing into his clothes. 

“Who are you?” the boy called, frowning. “Why are you here?”

“Todoroki Shouto,” the prince replied, “and I’m here to seek refuge for a night. The town isn’t safe for me.”

“Ah. Well, as long as you don’t mean any harm. This forest is meant to be a sanctuary, after all.” He walked to where Shouto was standing and sat down next to him, leaning back against the tree. Shouto relaxed, and put out the fire in his hand, slumping into the moss.

“Really? I thought it was just the home of some forest spirit.”

“You were desperate enough for a hiding place to risk angering a deity?” the green boy wondered aloud.

“Well, when you put it that way, yes. By the way, who are you? You said you weren’t sent by my father, and I highly doubt that a random townsperson would just wander the sacred forest late at night, especially during the Autumn festival. Do you live here?”

“You can call me Midoriya!” The green-haired boy beamed, and Shouto swore that the entire clearing lit up.

“That’s a bit on the nose,” he commented, and Midoriya pouted a bit. “Just call me Shouto. I dislike my first name.”

“Why?” Midoriya seemed genuinely curious. “It’s quite pretty.”

He doesn’t know about my father, does he?

“...I don’t like being referred to by my family name. When people talk to me, all they see is my father,” Shouto responded quietly.

“Hmm.” Midoriya paused, thinking. “Well, that’s not fair! You’re not your father, and he isn’t you! Why would they think that?” he leaned closer.

Shouto sighed. Well, he definitely doesn’t know anything about the emperor. Has he been living under a rock the past fifty years? “I am my father’s best creation. He married my mom for her magic and had children until one of us had a perfect mix of the two of their powers.”

Midoriya looked horrified.

“You’re hiding from your father, aren’t you,” he began slowly. “He sounds like an incredibly influential person, hence the towns being unsafe…”

Midoriya trailed off into muttering, and Shouto shifted uncomfortably as the green-haired boy picked apart every detail of their conversation to paint a frighteningly accurate picture.

He can’t tell if he’s awed or terrified.

Eventually, Midoriya seemed to realize this, and he turned bright red as he stuttered out apologies.

Shouto sighed again and brushed it off. “It’s fine. It was interesting to listen to, actually.”

Midoriya turned even redder and hid his face in his hands. Shouto turned away and looked around the clearing, watching the moonlight bounce off the leaves,

Eventually, the boy beside him broke the silence. “Are you going to stay up all night?

“I’ll be fine,” he replied. “I just need to stay here until my father gives up and goes to sleep. Or at least until he’s sober.”

Midoriya winced. “Well… at least get a few hour’s worth. I can keep watch- I’ll wake you up if anything comes close.” 

Shouto thought it over. On the one hand, he was letting a random stranger watch over him as he slept. On the other, he’d probably wake up at the slightest noise either way...and Midoriya didn’t know about Father, so he wouldn’t try to ransom him. Besides...Shouto found himself trusting the boy, despite having met him only a few minutes prior.

“Alright,” he finally relented. Midoriya smiled at him.

Shouto curled up at the base of the tree. The moss seemed greener, and the ground softer than it was when he sat down. 

The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was a flash of green.

-----

Shouto woke up to the sun streaming in his face. He sat up, throwing his blankets off of him- wait, blankets?

He was back in his room.

Shouto looked around. Last night-the party, the dinner, escaping from his father-

-and Midoriya.

Was it just a dream?

Shouto didn’t know.

Well, dream or not, he should get dressed. He got out of bed, and stopped.

There was a leaf on his desk.

He walked over and picked it up, then glanced around. The window was closed.

Shouto glanced at the leaf a second time-

There was a note written on the leaf in neat and careful Kanji.

The forest is a sanctuary. Come back if you need anything, even if it’s just someone to talk to.

-Midoriya

-----

Shouto walked quickly down the hallways, searching for anyone but his father. It wasn’t a dream, unless he somehow brought back a leaf, wrote himself a note, and forgot about it. Turning the corner, he nearly ran into a frantic Burnin’.

She froze.

“How the hell did you get back in the castle?” she hissed. “None of my guards noticed a thing! Honestly, I was hoping you’d take the opportunity to make a run for it!” 

Shouto looked her in the eyes. “I have no clue.”

“What do you mean you have no-”

“Kamiji-san, I fell asleep in the forest and woke up in my room. I have no clue.”

She paused. “...are you sure? People don’t just teleport in their sleep.”

Shouto took a breath. “I...met someone. In the forest. He helped me out quite a bit.”

She gave him a look. “And you think this mystery person somehow snuck you back in? Well, I hope they’re nice.”

“Yes,” Shouto replied. “He was.”