Chapter Text
Shouto awoke to a series of sharp, metallic clangs.
Memories came back to him slowly. Castle. Shadows. Midoriya. Mind control?
He groaned, drowsily opening and closing his eyes. As he regained his senses, ears ringing and nose filling with the musty air, Shouto realized that he, to his embarrassment and utter mortification, was leaning heavily on Izuku, his head tucked snugly in the crook of his neck and his arm on his leg.
Shouto twitched away instinctively before he could think and knocked his head on Izuku’s chin, jerking his friend awake like a smack to the face.
Izuku squinted at him, mumbling a groggy “Wh?...”
Shouto stared at him and said back stiffly, “Good morning,” hoping against hope that Izuku hadn’t noticed the compromising position they had been in a few seconds ago.
Meanwhile, the purple-haired man from last night raised his eyebrows and rattled the bars again, saying apathetically, “Perk up, sleepyheads.”
When there was no response, Izuku having actually fallen asleep again, he rolled his eyes and turned to Shouto. “Hey, prince. Seems you’re the only light sleeper here. Can you wake up your little friends, please?”
Shouto could only incredulously stare back.
“What,” the man snapped.
“Oh- okay.”
Shouto placed his hand on Izuku’s shoulder, ignoring the tiny swoop in his gut when his fingers met the soft curve of his collarbone, and carefully shook him.
With a comical sputter, Izuku jolted awake again and Shouto pulled his hands back as fast as humanly possible. Apparently having not noticed, he yawned, stretching an arm into the air. “Oh… Did I fall asleep again?”
Shouto gave him a nod and shifted around in what little space they had to face Momo and Iida, the floor digging into his heels. He nudged both of them repeatedly, one with each foot, until they both were sufficiently roused. Shouto watched rather amusedly as Momo swept her thick hair out of her eyes and Iida readjusted his crooked glasses.
“Alright,” the purple-haired man then said, pulling out a long ring of keys and carefully selecting an apparently special one out of three ones just like it and unlocking the door, “up you get.”
Shouto stood up, pushed it open, and heard his friends move behind him. “No annoying mind control?”
He gave a rueful smile, the slight shadows under his eyes curling as he gestured rather mockingly out of the cell. “No annoying mind control, your highness.”
He then started to walk off, forcing Shouto to follow, the others not far behind. They walked through the confines of the grey stone castle, a simple building smelling faintly of cats. Their small stroll led them to a throne room, their guide leading them up to a dark-haired man with shadows rivaling those of the guard’s, perched on a seat made of stone and draped with a white blanket. Around him, to Shouto’s slight amusement, were several cats lounging on the steps, quietly purring in their sleep. Izuku also seemed tickled at the sight, lips pursed in an attempt to suppress a grin. The sight gave Shouto’s stomach a whirl and he felt something bubbling up in his chest, his mouth twitching upwards at the edges.
The king interrupted their cat appreciation session with a coarse cough. “ Ahem. ”
Shouto snapped to attention and hurriedly returned his gaze to the king. What did he look at? Nose? Eyes? Was he being disrespectful? Nearly a decade and a half of royal etiquette instantly slipped into the dark, untouched recesses of his mind. “Yes, your majesty?”
The king sighed before grumbling very audibly, “if you weren’t a prince…” he rested his head on his palm and continued. “I’d like to know why you are here, Crown Prince Todoroki.”
He heard Momo shuffle minutely behind him and thought wish me luck , taking a deep breath and responding in his clearest, most confident voice, “Firstly, your majesty, I apologize for intruding on your city. I’m sure that must have been a huge inconvenience and I give my sincerest apologies.”
“Mmm.”
“To answer your question, I am here to ask for a favor.”
“I see.”
“The favor will be large and unreasonable, and I completely understand if you decline, but I hope you consider this, as it concerns the peace of all our kingdoms.”
Good, he thought, keep this going.
“How so?”
“The king is preparing to go into war. Although I am but a prince, I still have a fairly large sphere of power, and have heard some unsavory rumors swirling around the palace. I trust you’ve caught wind of the attack on the Yuuei capital?”
“I know you led it, yes.”
Shouto winced internally, nerves sliding a cold finger down his back. “I will not deny doing that, your majesty. They were fought off, but I hope you know that the army sent then does not even remotely hold a candle to what my father has in store. But to transport an army of that size, they need…”
The king’s face turned stony. “They need us.”
He nodded. “With the power of the shadows, the elves will be unstoppable.”
His bloodshot eyes narrowed in suspicion and he leaned a little closer, hands squeezing the armrests of his throne. “And why would that be a problem for you ?”
Shouto took an actual step backwards that time, his spine tingling. “The same reason that I am here now, your majesty. I am nothing like him.”
“And how do I know this isn’t just an elaborate scheme?”
“You’ll just have to trust me.”
“Trust isn’t something that can just be given . It must be earned , princeling.”
“Then how do I earn your trust?”
The king paused and pursed his lips in thought.
“A… quest.”
“A quest?”
“A quest,” he repeated. “I send you on a quest, and if you come back, I will trust you. In fact, I’ll help you on your mission.”
Shouto looked at Izuku from the corner of his eye.
A minute nod.
Not daring to move from his spot, he hoped Momo and Iida were in agreement and replied, “Yes, your majesty. We will participate. You name your quest.”
The king raised an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth perked up, as if he hadn’t expected Shouto to say yes. “Alright then, well…”
———
Head west of the capital, through the great forest. Eventually, you will reach the mountains, and at the bottom of the mountain shaped like a flame, there will be a cave. Inside that cave is a formidable dragon. Bring that dragon to me, and consider your trust earned.
Shouto folded the hand drawn map and tucked it into his belt as he stared into the gaping maw of a dark cave, every sound in its depths resonating and spiraling through the sharp entrance. “Alright, guys. Are you ready?”