let’s here it for drabble #100! Thank you so much for your support everybody! <33333
(also this may or may not be an excuse to write the mha fantasy au) (also not me rewriting this three times because I couldn’t decide on what adventure I should take them on)
———–
Danny yawned as he watched the sun rise over the horizon. He had decided to take first watch, but had unfortunately been too awake to fall asleep, so he decided to stay up with Midoriya, ever the early riser.
He had spent the entire shift scribbling away in his notebook. Not that Danny minded, of course. It was a nice background noise as daydreamed about what kind of treasure they might find on their journey.
As the sun rose, the others rose with it. Iida was the first, his movements slow and careful so he didn’t accidentally hit any of the armor pieces he had taken off the night before. Next was Bakugou, who had thrown his red cape over his shoulders and marched off into the forest in search of their breakfast. Uraraka was woken by Kirishima’s snoring, as well as the quiet chattering that happened as Danny started a fire to cook whatever Bakugou brought back. And when Bakugou returned, he kicked Kirishima in his side to wake him up, barking loudly at him at how it was unacceptable that he always rose so late, though the sun wasn’t even fully over the horizon yet.
“So, just a recap,” Kirishima said with a yawn, rubbing the back of his head. “We’re going on this mission for what?”
“It’s a rescue mission,” Danny explained. “There’s a town that’s supposedly under a horrible spell by an evil necromancer, and we’re supposed to free them.”
“And after that, we’re rich,” Uraraka stated happily, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she adjusted her hat.
“But that’s not the most important part,” Midoriya said, snapping his notebook shut. He slipped it into his pack and adjusted the leather strap that sat across his chest.
“We need to hurry,” Iida said, slipping his helmet on. He began untying their horses, and handing the reins to their respective owners. “The stories say he gets stronger at night.”
———
It was early evening when they finally reached the town. It was mostly deserted, with the remaining citizens running and hiding and their bright, colorful presence.
Kirishima tries to smile warmly at one of the townspeople, but they squeak in fright and slam the door in his face. Whoever had taken over this town had certainly done a number.
They do their best to stick to the shadows so they aren’t seen by the Shadow’s guard. They can’t get caught before they get the chance to sneak into the castle. Hell, even Bakugou is quiet. He of all people understand the stakes.
This is his kingdom after all.
Or, at least, it was.
Bakugou took the lead since he knew the kingdom the best. He took them through backroads and alleyways. Through secret entrances and under taverns, until finally, a couple hours later, they were sneaking their way through the dungeons under the castle.
“Do you seriously have to wear armor for this trip?” Bakugou asks as Iida shifts uncomfortably. The clanking of his armor is loud, and he’s sure that if the castle hadn’t been mostly empty, they would have been caught already.
“How else am I going to protect myself?” Iida hisses. “Besides, as a knight I need to keep my armor on at all times.”
“You took it off to sleep last night,” Midoriya points out. Iida goes red and sputters out a, “w-well. I need to keep my armor on at all times unless I’m sleeping.”
“Nice save,” Danny whispers to him, snickering.
“We should probably keep moving,” Midoriya points out. “The closer it gets to dusk, the harder it will be to beat this villain.”
“Nerd’s right,” Bakugou huffs. “Let’s go.”
————
The large double doors to the throne room open on their own. They can all feel the dark magic wafting off of it, though. Danny frowns as he grips his sword in one hand and his shield in the other.
The others have their weapons out, too. Uraraka has her wand, and Midoriya his own sword, though it looks ancient. Bakugou’s hands are sparking with fire, and Kirishima has his battle axe at the ready. Iida has his own sword, gleaming in the firelight.
“Ah, you’ve come to kill me, have you?” A deep, dark voice says. In the very back, sitting on the throne is a dark figure with a bird-like head, concealed in dark clothing that helps him blend in with the shadows more. He looks at them lazily, almost uncaring, but they can all see the sharpness to his gaze.
“We won’t have to if you just surrender now,” Bakugou snarls. The figure rolls his eyes and gets off the throne. He moves slowly but with purpose, closer and closer still, before stopping at the foot of the stairs that lead up to the royal throne.
“Do you know who I am, boy?” He asks.
“You’re Tsukuyomi,” Midoriya says, voice hard. He’s gripping his sword with both hands as his eyes scan the area around them, calculating.
“That I am,” Tsukuyomi says. “The master of shadows, and the last thing you will see before you die.”
That’s all the warning they get before a large shadow creature launches itself out of the shadows and towards the group. Danny blocks the attack with his shield and swipes with his sword, making a shallow slash. Dark Shadow hisses with pain, but does not let up.
Uraraka is quick to help him, sending spell after spell towards the shadow creature. The light makes it weaker, they find, and Danny uses his own magic to use against the shadow.
Meanwhile, Bakugou and Kirishima lunge towards Tsukuyomi at the same time. Bakugou’s hands spark while Kirishima is spitting fire. They manage to catch Tsukuyomi off guard as his cloak catches fire. He quickly sheds it, revealing pale muscled arms decorated in rings and bracelets. He lifts his hands, and they start to glow with a purple energy.
His attack misses Bakugou, but it hits Kirishima and sends him flying into Iida. They crash to the floor in a loud heap, followed by Kirishima’s groaning. But Bakugou doesn’t let them distract him, doesn’t let up for even a second.
He sends another bright blast towards Tsukuyomi, who is blinded by the brightness. Iida, who has recovered from his tumble with Kirishima, moves faster than anybody thought possible, slashing his sword down Tsukuyomi’s back.
Tsukuyomi cries out in pain as he falls to his knees. Blood drenches his clothes, and drips to the floor, but he still has some fight left in him. He makes a swipe for Iida, who just barely manages to dodge. It’s enough of a distraction for Bakugou to kick Tsukuyomi in his side, sending him sprawling.
“I got this!” Uraraka tells Danny as the shadow is once again pushed back. “You go help them!”
Danny nods and runs off, narrowly avoiding an attack the shadow sends his way. When he reaches the others, he quickly helps Kirishima to his feet before returning to the fray.
Bakugou attacks once more, but Tsukuyomi sees it coming this time. He throws up a shield with his magic, and the blast bounces right off. But He’s so distracted by Bakugou and his ferocity that he doesn’t see Danny coming in behind him.
Without hesitation, he sends his sword through Tsukuyomi’s back and out his chest, glowing with his own green magic. Tsukuyomi chokes on his blood, gargled and harsh. When Danny pulls his sword out, he falls to the floor, dead.
———–
“You’re all free!” Bakugou yells out at the crowd that’s formed. “Tsukuyomi is dead! May we rebuild in peace, and keep moving forward! After all, it’ll take more than a little dark magic to destroy us!”
The townspeople cheer, louder than they have in weeks. The sun is shining brightly above their heads, with not a dark cloud in sight. Bakugou’s friends stand behind him, tall and proud as the crowd cheers them on.
———-
“And that looks like a good stopping point,” Tucker says, closing his notebook. Around him, everybody but Bakugou whines.
“Dude, that was such a sick kill!” Kirishima says, clapping Danny on the shoulder. The dice tower Danny was in the middle of making gets knocked over with the movement, and Kirishima smiles at him apologetically.
“It was super satisfying,” he nods in agreement. “Sorry about your character, Tokoyami,” he ads, looking towards his friend.
“I was happy to become one with the darkness for one session,” Tokoyami tells him with an amused glint in his eye. “It seems that even in fantasy, the light is too much for the shadows to handle.”
“You killed us!” Dark Shadow whines, crossing their arms over their chest.
“You can make a new character if you ever decide you wanna play with us again,” Uraraka points out. That seems to cheer Dark Shadow up, and Iida nods enthusiastically.
“You took my kill!” Bakugou yells at Danny angrily.
“Should have killed him faster,” Danny shoots back with a shrug. But before Bakugou can lunge across the table to strangle Danny, Midoriya interrupts.
“That was so much fun! I have so many questions now! Do you mind if we hang out sometime this week so I can ask you?”
“I would love nothing more,” Tucker says, stacking his notebooks and gathering his dice. “Now, I have to run to my dorm before curfew. Same time next week?”
“Yes, that should work,” Iida tells him. Tucker nods, does a weird little handshake with Danny, and sprints out the doors of the 1-A dorms.
“So,” Danny grins, “How’s you like your first session of dungeons and dragons?”
Notes: you should know that this was supposed to be a one-shot…. oh well here’s the final bit :) enjoy
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The Beautiful Queen took a seat at her throne, giddy for her dauhger to join the party. Everyone else in the grand hall was still starting to wake up, groggy from their unscheduled nap. Except for the guests from the Dragon tribe who were already deep into the feast, lounging as they drank from wine goblets and ate turkey legs.
“Mina!” Eijirou called out as he ran towards his mate, her black and gold eyes widened as she spotted him and gleefully jumped into his waiting arms.
“Eijirou! I thought you were with Katsuki meeting his mate.” Mina asked as she nuzzled into the red dragon shifter’s chest.
The boy gave her a bright smile and told her to ‘just wait’ which made her pout.
The rest of his friends jumped in, demanding information and the three queens only giggled at the young folks’ antics.
“Wh.. When did you get back, darling?” The King Nadir stretched as he woke up, looking over at his Queen.
“Just now, dear, now straighten yourself out, it’s a big day.” The Queen got out her handkerchief and wiped away some drool at the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, yes. Where is our daughter? Is she back? Where are those fairies?” The King straightened up and looked around the large ballroom.
The trumpets blew, and the King jumped up in his seat, the anticipation killing him, the women all giggled as King Nadir reminded them of a child on his birthday.
“Come along, we’ll watch from here.” Momo guided her comrades to a stone balcony overlooking the ballroom. This was the moment they had all been waiting for, for 18 years. It was bittersweet, they would no longer be with (y/n) in the cottage in the woods, but at least she was happy and safe, her Prince by her side.
“Wait… isn’t that… Queen Mitsuki? When did they get here.” The King asked as he suddenly noticed a few other Dragon folk.
“We have a bit of catching up on dear.” His Queen comforted, giving his hand a tight squeeze.
Everyone watched the large staircase as the Dragon Prince walked with the Princess, her hand wrapped around his bicep, a shy smile on her face. The Princess’s cheeks were rosy red as Katsuki wore a cocky grin, whispering something in her ear, which only made her hide her face with her free hand, a large ruby and gold ring resting on her ring finger. Katsuki only laughed before kissing her cheek as they continued down the broad staircase.
“Is that?” Sero asked as she immediately recognized the Dragon Prince.
“Yep,” Eijirou confirmed
“With the princess?” Denki’s mouth dropped open.
“Yep.”
“Look how cute they look!” Mina practically squealed as she jumped up and down in excitement. She had to resist from morphing into her dragon form and roaring in delight.
When the handsome coupled reached the bottom of the stairs, (y/n) leaned up and whispered something in Katsuki’s ear, and it was his turn to go red as the Princess giggled and left his side to greet her parents.
The Queen wrapped her arms around her daughter and then led her to the King, happy tears in his eyes.
“Father.” The Princess slightly bowed her head and reached down to lightly graze his feet, uncertain what to do, and the King only laughed and embraced his daughter for the first time.
“Welcome home.” The King whispered, a gentle smile on his lips as he patted her dark locks.
The three faires watched the reunion from above, Izuku was in danger of flooding the balcony with all the tears leaving his eyes and Momo was quick to hand him several handkerchiefs.
Katsuki walked to the King and Queen and (y/n) returned to his side. The Dragon Prince bowed respectfully to the majesties.
“… Is this?” King Nadir asked his wife, who smiled up at him, reading his mind.
“Yes, dear.”
“Well then, Son, thank you.” The King wrapped his arms around the young Prince, clapping his back, and Katsuki coughed tried to hide his pain, (y/n) ’s old man was stronger than he looked.
“…. Do they not have shirts where you are from?” The King jested as he pointed out the very exposed Dragon Prince’s chest, who rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not sure if he was making a good impression on his true love’s parents.
“Son? Nadir, you can’t be serious.” An angry man that (Y/n) had never seen stepped forward and basically towered over, his teal eyes glaring at her and her Prince.
“THis is outrageous!!! You think I’m going to stand by and let this savage-”
Katsuki let out a yell of defiance was ready to teach the rude red-haired man a lesson, but someone beat him too.
(y/n) in a small rage curled up her fist and sucker-punched the tall man square in the jaw, her large engagement ring leaving a lovely red mark on the right cheek.
“That’s my future husband, you are talking about.” (y/n) huffed, ready to take down the intimidating man a notch if needed.
“That’s my girl.” Katsuki smirked as he took the hand she had used to sucker punch into his hand to check on it, kissing her knuckles tenderly as she smiled at him. Her hand and the ring was fine, Enji’s face on the other hand… well maybe it was an improvement.
“Sorry, King Enji, true love conquers all, even betrothals.” Queen Sabina smirked at him, and Enji sneered before stomping off.
“Oh that’s right.” (y/n) gasped and looked around for the Prince she was promised too, catching sight of a two-toned prince standing with his snow-haired mother.
She lifted her royal blue skirt and rushed over.
“Prince Shouto, I presume.” (y/n) asked as she stood in front of the Prince.
“Yes, Princess. I’m glad that you are well. I apologize I didn’t introduce myself upstairs, there was…. a lot going on.” He said, giving her a polite smile.
“Thank you. I thought I should say… I’m sorry that I must break the betrothal. But I hope we can move together in friendship.” Princess (y/n) hoped that the Prince was nothing like his father.
“I would like that.” His smile grew and lightly took her hand in his, the future of the neighbouring kingdoms would seem to be at peace.
“Beat it Half N’ Half.” Katsuki barked at Shouto as he grabbed (y/n) ’s hand and dragged her away. The beauty smiled apologetically at the red and white-haired Prince, who just blinked owlishly as he watched.
She didn’t make it far till she felt her body ripped from Katsuki’s grip, and the Princess was looking into black eyes with gold iris’s.
“Oh my god! You’re her!? You’re the one that had Katuski tearing apart the treasury! You’re gorgeous! And wow, nice right hook! Hey, how did you two meet? What do you like about him? Wha-” The excited girl with pink scales was ripped away.
“Fuck off raccoon eyes.”
“Boo! Your no fun Katsuki!” Mina pouted as she crossed her arms, slightly fuming that her girl-talk was interrupted.
“Don’t mind him, babe, he just doesn’t want to chance anyone taking his girl.” Eijirou stepped up and threw his arm over his mate’s shoulder, trying to keep his two favourite people from causing a scene.
“Princess (y/n), this is my mate, Mina. Mina, this is Princess (y/n).” Eijirou introduced the two, (y/n) curtsied to the pink dragon shifter, but Mina just rushed forward and bear-hugged the Princess.
“We should go flying soon, I’ll show you all the spots. We’ll have a girls day and visit the hot springs and -” Mina rambled until Katsuki had enough and threw his sunshine over his shoulder and ran away to the other side of the ballroom before anyone else could take her away from him.
The orchestra started up and (y/n) patted Katsuki’s back as she still being hauled like a sack of flour.
“Dance with me?” She requested.
“Only for you.” Katsuki placed her down on the floor, and her delicate hand slid into his large, rough as he placed his other hand on the small of her back, his fingers softly feeling the exposed skin in the space between her cropped blouse and skirt.
The two danced across the marble dancefloor, the crowd watched in awe how in sync and graceful the couple danced as if they have done this times and times before.
As they danced, Katsuki leaned close to (y/n) ’s ear and sung softly, and she joined, only loud enough for the two to hear. For it was their song.
I know you and walked with once upon a dream
“Why, Izuku, what’s the matter?” Momo asked as she caught the green fairy trying to hide his sniffles.
“I just love happy endings.” He wailed, and Uraraka just giggled at her emotional friend.
“Oh, don’t they look lovely.” Uraraka gushed as she swayed with the music.
“Yes very- blue?!” Momo gasped as she couldn’t believe she had let the Princess walk in anything but pink. It was merely the superior colour in the red fairy’s eyes.
“Make it pink.” Momo waved her wand and (y/n) clothes changed from the royal blue to bright pink.
“eh! What?! Make it blue.” Uraraka jumped in shock before retaliating and changing it back.
The two tried to out spell the other while Izuku just enjoyed the dance, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to stop the two.
Momo missed her target, and Katsuki’s cloak turned bright pink.
“Pfft.” (y/n) tried to hold back a giggle, but Katsuki just growled, even (y/n) ’s parents laughed lightly at the sight.
“Ya damn fairies!!” He snarled as practically bared his teeth at the three on the balcony.
“Whoops sorry!!” And the fairies all hid from view while Katsuki ripped his now pink cloak off his back.
“Here, I’ll take it from you, buddy.” Eiji said as he jumped in, and Katsuki threw it at him.
“I thought that colour looked quite nice on you.” The Princess couldn’t help but tease as she laid her hand on his shoulder, fully able to admire his jewellery and muscles now that his cloak was gone.
“Get over here, I’m not done with you.” Katsuki smirked and took her around the dancefloor in a waltz once more.
I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you’ll do
You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream
.
.-.–.-.-.-.-
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“and they lived happily ever after.” The beloved and trusted Uncle finished
“What happened to them?” The children protested to the end of the story, what happened next?
“They lived happily ever after. What more do you need?”
The door creaked open, and everyone froze, all three wore guilty looks on their faces.
“You were supposed to be asleep hours ago.” A woman with long dark hair top with a gold crown, her massive red and gold skirt gliding across the ground.
“aww Mama, Uncle Eiji was just telling us a story.” The young girl pouted, her large ruby eyes working their magic.
“was he? What was it about?” She asked as she sat down on the soft bed.
“A beautiful princess, and dragons and curses!” Her four-year-old son, with his father’s ash blonde hair, crawled his mother’s waiting arms. She had been in exhausting diplomatic meetings all day long, and she was in desperate need for a little cuddle time.
“My, now, where would he get such a story?” The woman teased as she rocked her young son in her arms, and the red-haired man gave a guilty smile.
“C’mon, time for bed.” She tucked in her children and placed a kiss to their heads, promising them that they would go for a picnic the following day.
“Sorry My Queen, they asked for a story, and I couldn’t resist those big eyes.” Her long-time friend apologized, but he was smiling as he did so, hos sharp teeth on full display.
“Nothing to apologize for, thank you for looking out for them. How are the hatchlings?” She asked as he walked her to her chambers.
“They are starting to use their wings, it’s a bit hazardous but really exciting.” His broad proud grin was infectious.
“If you and Mina are free tomorrow, then perhaps we can all go for a picnic in the meadow by the cottage where I grew up. Maybe without scaring the deer this time.” Queen (y/n) proposed, and Eijirou nodded.
“Mina would love that. Though I can’t promise the little ones won’t try and catch a squirrel or two.” Eijirou mentioned and (y/n) giggled, Eijrou’s kids were just curious, she knew she didn’t have to truly worry about the safety of her animal friends.
“Goodnight, my friend.”
“Goodnight, your majesty.” He gave her a small salute before running off, eager to make it home to his own family.
The woman walked into her bedroom, the guard opening the large ornate door for her.
She hummed a song as she removed her crown, heavy earrings and bangles, only leaving on her wedding ring, a gold ring with a large ruby guarded by a gold dragon.
As she brushed out her hair, she let her heart’s song slip from her lips.
(y/n) wondered how Eijirou told the ‘infamous’ tale of Sleeping Beauty. He probably dramatized it a bit, but she was certain it was better than the way her husband told it.
“This Bird-beaked bastard was in my way to you. So I demolished him. Easy.”
She slipped her choli over her head and arms wrapped around her from behind, and warm lips kissed her bare shoulder.
“I can never get enough of you, why is that Sunshine?” A husky voice spoke into her ear before laying another a kiss on her neck.
“BEcause you are insatiable- eep.” She squealed as the man pinched her bottom.
“How are the brats?” Katsuki asked a gentle tone despite the gruff term of ‘endearemnt’ for his kids.
“Looking more and more like you every day, it’s not fair.” (y/n) pouted as she turned around in his grip and threw her arms over his shoulders.
“I’ve got strong genes. Maybe the third one will look like you.” Katsuki loved that his kids looked like little tan versions of him, and they had her smile, the world needed more of that precious sunshine she created.
“Insatiable.” (y/n) teased as she removed his cape and let it fall to the floor, her bare chest touching his. Katsuki’s fingers fidget with the tied knot holding up her skirt before pulling on it slightly, letting the heavy red and gold skirt slip away to the floor, leaving his Queen bare and vulnerable before him.
“Or the fourth… Or the fifth.”
“You just want your own little army of Dragon Princes and Princesses.” She teased as his hands traced up and down her bare back before resting on her hips, playfully giving her soft skin a squeeze…
“You gotta problem that?” A devilish smirk crossed his lips, but his ruby eyes held nothing but adoration for his Queen.
“Not at all.” She easily gave in and leaned into his strong form, resting her head against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.
He subconsciously patted her hair and started humming a familiar tune, swaying from side to side in an intimate dance, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as his true love close.
(y/n) kissed the skin around his heart and then leaned up to meet his lips in a tender kiss, a tenderness that only she brought out of the Dragon King.
But if I know you, I know what you’ll do
You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream
A howl echoed through the forest, deep and long. It seeped through the gloom of the trees, winding around the trunks and branches and leaves to fade deep into the earth. Yet there were no answers to the wolf’s call, just an eerie silence. As the lonely call warbled in Izuku’s ears, he used the sleeve of his tunic to wipe his sweaty forehead with a huff, then once again grabbed the hilt of his shortsword that was buried deep into the corpse of the dire wolf sprawled onto the ground.
“Upsie-daisy!” he grunted, planting his foot into the wolf’s matted fur and yanking hard on the sword. With a squelch of flesh and a weak spurt of blood, the blade finally pulled free of the wolf’s thick body. Huffing, Izuku crouched down to wipe the red liquid from the steel blade. He looked around as he did so, mentally counting the dead dire wolves littering the clearing.
One, two, three, four, five. That’s all of them! He thought with a smile. He sheathed his now-clean sword into the scabbard strapped at his hip, then put his hands on his hips to survey his handiwork.
“Five dire wolves!” he preened to himself. It was the most impressive feat he’d accomplished yet, and admittedly a welcome change to the daily grind of running off curious bears and retrieving wandering livestock. Much more befitting a burgeoning knight like himself! His sense of accomplishment made him swell with pride, his chest pushing out a little. Wait until he told his mentor about it! He might even compliment him for once.
“All right. Better go report in to the farmer!” he told himself. It seemed a shame to leave the dire wolves lying around, but he certainly couldn’t haul them all back to his village by himself. He’d let the farmer know their location—he had to facilities to butcher and skin them, and he’d be able to sell the furs for a pretty penny. The dire wolves had been hunting his livestock, after all, so it would be a welcome reimbursement. Izuku set off down the path, whistling a jaunty tune that the songbirds took up in symphony.
Izuku Midoriya was a knight-in-training—well, as much of a knight-in-training as one could be in the quaint little village of Emershire. Just a cluster of farmsteads and small village abodes in the rolling green hills south of the illustrious capital city of Yuuei, it certainly wasn’t the most exciting place to call home. But it was home, and a home that Izuku defended most ardently. “Defended” being a loose term, of course; really, the only threat came from the occasional roving pack of beasts venturing in from the great forest lands to the east. Who would want to attack a little settlement of retirees and farmers?
As Izuku passed the threshold of the forest and stepped out into the sunshine, he looked up at the sky with a slight frown. Part of him wished that he had been born someplace else—someplace where he could really be trained as a knight! After all, what hope did a little guy like him from podunk nowhere have of becoming All Might’s successor?
All Might… he thought, his heart fluttering at the mere thought of his hero. Everyone knew the story, even in a little place like Emershire. Fifteen years ago, the great king had led an alliance of many kingdoms to confront the evil sorcerer All for One. They had battled in the crags of Elmorta, a blackened and forsaken land far to the east. He had sustained a grievous injury, however, and many had perished in the long struggle against the wicked entity—including all of the Priestesses of Uravity. With the guardians of their world lost forever, All Might had realized that he would need a particular strong and just heir to lead Yuuei and the allied nations into the next era. For fifteen years, many had tried to win the honor of being chosen by the king… but all of them had been turned away.
Ahh, it would be so amazing! To be trained under the great All Might! Even if he wasn’t chosen as the successor, just having the opportunity to learn from the legendary knight would be a dream come true. But only a dream, Izuku thought with a small groan. Only the best of the best were selected to travel to the capital city and be put to the test. Someone like him would never be noticed…
“Don’t think like that!” he scolded himself and slapped his cheeks a few times to forcibly banish the thoughts. “As long as you work hard and be an honorable knight, you’ll get there!” Hard work and virtue—when the doubts started to creep in, he always reminded himself that was all he needed to achieve his goals. “All right! There’s still plenty of daylight left—if I hurry to go report in to the farmer, I can get some sword training in before sundown!”
He took off in a jog down the path, his old and worn shortsword thumping at the side of his leg. A smile spread over his face as he considered that he was running towards a grand adventure, one that would begin very soon as long as he just kept at it…
“Mom! I’m home!”
Izuku used the heel of his boot to kick the door behind him, too busy wiggling out of his cloak. He hung it on the hook in the entryway, then sat down to begin tugging off his dirt-caked boots. As he was pulling his right one off, his mother tottered into the entryway looking a fright.
“Izuku! Oh, I was so worried about you!” she cried as she came over. Though he was still sitting on the ground, she leaned over to wrap him up in a tight hug. “When you weren’t home by sunset, I was just so concerned—”
“Mom, I’m okay!” he laughed, his voice muffled by her arms wrapping around and squeezing his face. “I told you that I might be a little late today since the farm was on the edge of the village. But… I also stopped on the way home.”
Inko stepped back to look at him inquisitively. Smiling, Izuku pulled out a small paper-wrapped round object from the inside pocket of his tunic, then held it up to her. Her eyebrows slowly cinched as she took it and began to gingerly unwrap the parcel.
“Is this what I think it is?” she gasped, delight bleeding into her tone of surprise.
“Yep!” Izuku confirmed. His heart fluttered at the sheer joy that blossomed on his mother’s face. “The farmer paid me well, so I thought I would stop by the bakery and get your favorite dorayaki!”
“Oh, Izuku,” his mother sighed, reaching down to give him a gentler but no less loving embrace. “You shouldn’t have! You’re saving up all your money for your adventure. There’s no need to spend it on me…”
“Of course there is!” Izuku laughed while reaching up to hug her back. “You’re my mom. I know it’s hard on you and you worry, but you support me in my dream. I want to thank you any way I can. If that means buying you your favorite snack every now and then, then so be it!” Truth be told, Izuku had saved up a lot of money doing these odd jobs around the village. He had a feeling that soon he would have enough funds to embark on his quest—his journey to Yuuei. If he could just establish himself there and earn All Might’s attention, then maybe—!
Best not to get himself too excited, he thought, derailing that train of thought. He knew that his mother would be sad and lonely when he finally set off, so he wanted to fill the little time he had left with as many good memories and feelings as he could. He couldn’t give her fancy dresses or jewelry or other niceties that she deserved, rare and expensive as they were in Emershire—and besides, his mother had always been the type to appreciate a gift from the heart much more than a fancy present she had little use for.
“Well, this will be a nice dessert after dinner,” Inko said, standing up and wrapping the package back up. “You and I will split it.” When Izuku began to protest, she gave him a stern glare. He smiled wanly; there was no use defying her. He stood up, and he could tell from the way that Inko’s eyes swept up and down his form that she was considering how tall and broad he’d gotten in the last year. He had been training intensely since he turned fifteen, the official age that young men could undertake squireship—and it seemed that Izuku wasn’t the only one who’d noticed his progress. Smiling, he pulled his mother into a one-arm hug and propped his chin atop her head.
“All right, Mom. Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?”
“No. Everything is ready.”
Just as they were pulling out their chairs and getting ready to eat, there was a knock at the door.
“Now, who could that be?” Inko frowned. She set her napkin, which she was about to place in her lap, back on the table and hurried to the door with a shout of “Coming!” Curious as to who would come calling at this evening hour, Izuku followed after her, standing a distance back in the entryway. His mother opened the door, and he frowned; the person was clearly smaller than his mother, since he could not see them around her short and plump form. When she stepped aside, however, he grinned. It was no stranger!
“Master Sorahiko!” Izuku greeted his mentor enthusiastically, rushing up to take his cloak and hang it on the hook alongside his own. “What brings you here?”
Sorahiko Torino was the ruling lord of Emershire. The Torino family had ruled the quaint country since its inception, which was relatively recent in the age of the continent. Sorahiko Torino was no stuffy aristocrat, however; he was a knight, through and through. As a young lad, he had apprenticed in Yuuei and earned such respect from the king that he had been chosen to train the heir—All Might himself! Of course, Sorahiko had participated in the campaign against All for One, leading a small force of Emershire men in a valiant battle against monster hordes that were sieging the countryside while All Might battled the evil sorcerer far to the east. Though they were hopelessly outnumbered, Sorahiko’s tenacity and tactical prowess led him to conquer the monsters without a single life lost! He had been offered a position in Yuuei afterward, but he had elected to retire and train an heir in Emershire since he was unmarried and childless.
And he had chosen Izuku as the person to inherit his lordship and land.
Of course, that was a long time coming. Sorahiko Torino was no spring chicken, but he was a grizzled old coot with plenty of life left to live. Which is why Izuku was surprised by this unexpected visit.
“Lord Sorahiko! We were just sitting down for dinner. Please, join us at the table! I’ll get you a bowl of stew!” Inko cried, flustering about. After all, even a lord of a tiny country was a lord.
“Thank you, Inko. Much obliged,” Sorahiko grunted. He toddled into the kitchen and hopped into a chair, and Inko placed a steaming bowl of soup and a spoon in front of him. She quickly followed with a tankard of ale. “Thank you,” he said, then spooned a bit of the soup into his mouth. “Mm, this is very good.”
Inko preened under the praise, sinking into her chair with her hands plastered to her reddening cheeks.
“Ah… Master, about why you’re here…?” Izuku pressed as he sat down. He didn’t want to be rude, but he was itching to know why his master had come. Had he heard about the dire wolves and come to praise him?
“Mm!” Sorahiko said, as if he suddenly remembered why he was there. “Ah, yes. I heard from the farmer that you had slain the pack of dire wolves that had been killing his livestock. Seems like that sword I gave you isn’t just useful as a letter opener after all.” It was as good a compliment that Izuku had ever gotten from him, and it made him light up in happiness. Sorahiko raised an eyebrow at him when he opened his mouth to speak, indicating that he was not yet done; Izuku obediently snapped his mouth shut. “You have been doing very well defending this village from threat… The troupe of robbers last month and the beastly bear before that, and now these wolves. You have come a long way.”
“Thank you!” Izuku grinned broadly. So his efforts had indeed been noticed! But Sorahiko could have told him this at his training session tomorrow. Why come all the way to his home?
“You have learned all you can learn from me. The rest you must learn on your own, and from better masters. It is for this reason I have recommended you to study under my pupil, All Might, and petition to be his successor.”
Izuku’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and his mother fainted.
Art was done by Pluto for the BNHA Fantasy Bang! Link here!
Light and darkness—two sides of the same coin, two forces forever locked in conflict. Their collision is the subject of timeless tales passed down through the generations, legends and myths ingrained deep within our consciences. Yet within every myth is a grain of truth, and behind every legendary hero and wicked villain is a true struggle hidden within… This is but one of those truths preserved in time.
It began, like many tales do, with a great king of men.
On the western coast of the continent stood the Kingdom of Yuuei, a glimmering city on the sea. Merchants from all across the continent flocked here to exchange goods of all kinds, taking with them riches to supply their own lands. Presiding over this glorious capital city was a young but accomplished king—Toshinori Yagi, wielder of the legendary greatsword One for All . Above everything, Toshinori valued compassion, honor, and justice; he ruled fairly and justly, and the kingdom of Yuuei entered an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. Never before had the lords of the continent united together in an effort for all to share in wealth and comfort and security…
Yet in the east, a shadow began to grow. Amidst the black crags of lands once scorched by dragons’ breath, cursed by black mages, wrought by giants’ hammers in countless wars of old, a sleepless malice emerged. A mysterious sorcerer known only as All for One gathered evil forces from across the continent and established a kingdom of darkness: Elmorta. He launched a war for dominion of the continent, centered around a singular goal: claiming the power of the Priestesses of Uravity.
The city of Uravity sat upon the Angel’s Fist, a plateau overlooking the city of Yuuei. The Priestesses had watched over the continent since the early days of civilization, as charged by the gods. Gifted with incomparable magic power despite being few in number, the Priestesses guided the fate of the world by offering council to lords and kings and providing their power in battles against forces of darkness. Yet, there was one power in particular that All for One coveted. It was the gift given to the High Priestess, the greatest of their order—the gift of foresight.
All for One’s evil spread across the west, hordes of monsters and beasts and evil creatures invading all corners of the land. With each kingdom locked in turmoil, All for One’s march to the Angel’s Fist was uninhibited. All hope seemed lost. The future seemed destined for darkness, an eternity under tyranny…
Yet it when the darkness is the strongest that the light shines brightest.
Toshinori Yagi rallied the other kingdoms, creating a continent-wide alliance that had never before been seen. He and the High Priestess led the charge, eventually driving All for One’s forces back into the crags of his wretched kingdom. And it is there that one story ends, and another begins…
It was hard to breathe. It had been hard to breathe ever since they marched upon this desolate land, the ash and dust choking the air filling their lungs with poison—but the gaping wound in Toshinori’s side certainly didn’t help things. He could feel his innards squishing between his fingers as he pressed his hand into the gash in his chainmail. Was that one of his ribs that he just felt brush against his fingertips? Blood loss was already making his head spin, so it was hard to discern what was reality and what was delusion.
He wasn’t sure when he fell, but now here he was, sitting on his knees on the jagged rock. Every inhale sent pain spiderwebbing across his nerves, making his body crackle with electricity. Or perhaps it was the lingering effects of the black magic that had scorched his skin and gouged his flesh.
All for One, he remembered, and adrenaline rushed through his system once more. The last few moments had all been a blur; a tumultuous collision with the dark sorcerer that had left him kneeling amongst this ruined earth. Had Toshinori managed to best him? Had the man slipped away like the snake he was to hide in the cracks and wait for his chance to strike? Groaning, Toshinori groped around the rock for his sword. He felt immense relief as soon as his fingertips brushed across its gilded surface, and strength returned to his bones as he wrapped them around its leather-lined hilt.
“Be at peace, All Might.”
Yes. All Might, that was what they called him; a paragon of strength and honor, a king among kings. Toshinori looked up, peering through the bloody tufts of blond hair falling into his eyes. Amidst the scorched earth and whirling dust began to grow a soft, pale pink light. The dust swirled away, as if so tainted by evil that it could not occupy the same space as something so pure. The light grew, and grew, and from it emerged the form of the High Priestess, her pale pink robes trailing behind her and glowing with ephemeral light.
“You are unharmed,” Toshinori breathed, his body sagging in relief. He then tensed up again as she came closer and her hazy form began to come into focus. The priestess he knew was a mature woman, tall and graceful; yet what stood before him was… a young girl, round-faced and rosy-cheeked. “Ochako…?”
“I have spent much of my magic power,” Ochako explained, then looked down, “in order to obtain this.” From within the folds of her clock came a dark tome, bound in black leather and pulsing with violet light. She had it encapsulated in a bubble of her pink magic. The black magic within the spellbook crackled like lightning, zapping each time it collided with the barrier of her white spell.
“All for One’s spellbook!”
“Yes. He has retreated within the ruins of his kingdom, but I have taken the source of his power,” Ochako said. She set the bubble aside, letting it float beside her while she kneeled before him. She reached out her hands, resting them over the gaping wound in Toshinori’s side. “For now, we have achieved victory, my young Lord Toshinori.” Light spilled from her hands, flooding into the wound. Toshinori breathed a heavy sigh of relief as a cool, soothing sensation washed over his irritated flesh. He was so euphoric from the effects of the spell that he didn’t catch it at first.
“… For now?”
“Yes,” Ochako murmured. She did not look up at him, her gaze instead trained on his grievous wound. “All for One’s malice and cunning is greater than I ever could have imagined. He has evolved beyond a mere mortal… We obliterated his body, yet he remains.”
“How is that possible?” Toshinori grunted, falling back on his behind. He stretched out his legs on either side of Ochako, relaxing as she continued to use her magic to stitch his own rent body back together. He could feel it, though; her magic lacked potency—she was weak.
“An ancient and dark magic used by evil sorcerors far before your time, servants of dark gods long sealed away. They developed a spell that could bind their life force into an object.”
Toshinori followed her gaze to the spellbook suspended within her bubble of magic. The black magic seeped out of the pages, swirling within the sphere like poisonous fog.
“His spellbook?”
“Yes. Unless it is destroyed, All for One will endure. He will bide his time, regain his strength, and unleash destruction upon our world once more.” As Toshinori reached for his greatsword, Ochako sighed. “Do not bother, Toshinori. No mere weapon of men can undo the evil that has been woven into those pages.”
“What about your magic?” Toshinori cried. “We cannot allow this to come to pass. It took all we had to defeat him this time! And I…” His voice faltered as he looked down at his side. Ochako’s gift had never been healing. “And the other Priestesses…”
“Yes,” Ochako murmured. Toshinori looked up, realizing how choked her voice seemed, just in time to see the tears drip from her tear-laden lashes. “They are gone. I am all that remains, and my magic is spent. Even I cannot destroy the book as I am now…”
“Then… is there no hope?” Toshinori whispered. His entire body went limp as the shock of it seeped in. All the effort… All of those that had perished and suffered… Would it all be in vain?
“Toshinori,” Ochako said, her tone scolding. He looked up at her to find her smirking. “Did I say that?”
“You have foreseen something?”
“Yes. We have time to prepare… Fifteen years, to be exact. The old alliances will fail, and a tremulous peace will befall the land… But All for One will be working his influence in the shadows. He will rise again.” She looked back to the spellbook. “But without his spellbook, he can never again threaten us as he has now. We have the benefit of preparation. You must find a successor worthy of wielding your great blade, your hope. When the time comes, he must gather an army unlike any this world has ever seen, and he must journey here to make our last stand. It was within the catacombs of Elmorta that this book was made, and it is only within its caverns that it can be undone. That is what I saw.”
“Do we succeed?”
“Alas, even my eyes cannot pierce a future so uncertain,” Ochako sighed, her eyes falling shut. “Even now, they grow clouded… My magic is too weak to see as I once have.” She sighed, her body slackening; her hands fell away from Toshinori’s barely-healed body. Still, he lunged forward to catch her, and was amazed to see her growing younger before his very eyes. A teenager to an adolescent to a child small enough to be cradled in his muscular arms.
“Toshinori…” Her high-pitched, sweet voice sounded so foreign to his ears, but the wisdom swirling in her deep brown eyes was more than familiar. “I must sleep. Take me back to the ruins of Uravity and place me within the crystal pool you find there. I do not know if I can regain the power necessary to contend against All for One again… But I must try. For the sake of our future, our world… and the hero yet to come.”
She yawned, and Toshinori couldn’t help but smile at how childish she looked, her eyelashes fluttering and her lips smacking. The world truly was a mysterious place. He ran a hand over her wavy tufts of silken brown hair.
“Sleep in peace, Ochako. I will watch over the world until you awaken. No matter what… this dark future will not come to pass.”
Hello, everyone! I am happy to present the story that I started for the BNHA Fantasy Big Bang! Please be sure to check out the art done by my artists, LeighandPluto. This is a story I’ve been wanting to write for a long time, so I hope you’re all as excited as I am to see what develops! :)
- No crown, no gold, no coins at all. They trade without money and sometimes your payment can also be “living another day”. Their territory is three times as big as that known by humans.
- Keigo is not a prince.
- The next in line to be King is whoever can kill Shinyo. The skulls are from beings that challenged him.
- The King’s job is to protect the territory from humans, ancient giants and eldritch gods.
- The Kei can litterally walk around and disrespect monsters. They’re not gonna touch him.
- No crown, no gold, no coins at all. They trade without money and sometimes your payment can also be “living another day”. Their territory is three times as big as that known by humans.
- Keigo is not a prince.
- The next in line to be King is whoever can kill Shinyo. The skulls are from beings that challenged him.
- The King’s job is to protect the territory from humans, ancient giants and eldritch gods.
- The Kei can litterally walk around and disrespect monsters. They’re not gonna touch him.
