Chapter Text
"Your form needs a bit more work, young Katsuki. Try tightening your core some."
Toshi, the village swordsman, took another swing at the blonde boy with crimson eyes. Wood clashed on wood as Bakugou Katsuki did his best to parry the older man, who predicted every damn move he made. The swords they used were fake, but no less important in case the village was ever attacked. The old man drilled this into his head over and over in the past few sessions as he trained the bullheaded boy.
Panting, Bakugou lunged again. The swordsman stepped aside, the wooden blade missing its mark. Then suddenly it was gone. Swatted to the ground by Toshi's blade through Bakugou's sweaty hands.
"That's enough, young Katsuki. We shall work on your parries another day. For now, let’s rest while it's still twilight." The older man smiled kindly at the grumbling boy and handed him a flask of water.
Toshi was one of the few of the village that did not hesitate to bring the blonde in when he found him wandering the forest wounded and in a daze. Alone and frightened, the swordsman gave him shelter under his roof along with his own son, young Midoriya. His wife, Inko, made him feel welcome and even stitched him several sets of clothes as he adjusted to his new life.
At the time, the other villagers questioned Toshi and his decision to bring an outsider home. They were suspicious of his pointed ears and scarlet eyes, suspecting a demon in disguise or cursed child that would bring misfortune upon them all. Needless to say, it took a couple years before he was trusted by others, but even so, under heavy scrutiny.
Fortunately, the children of the village held no grudges and ignored the elders' warnings of playing with the outsider. The boy with the red eyes was someone new to run around with and they all made fast friends with him. Before long, they were nearly inseparable as they created intricate games of their own design.
Toshi was happy for Bakugou to finally find a semblance of normal life within his village amidst the enigma of his past. As he grew older, the boy was put to work and found himself useful to the village to earn the respect of the others. Eventually, he was even given his own house nestled among a tree's branches and was tasked with keeping an eye out for the younger children.
Now, he trained. He trained for the day that Toshi would need to retire as the village watchman. He trained to be able to protect the small children that had welcomed him with open arms and grew fond of him. He trained to become someone the village could trust.
Every other afternoon, the two swordsmen practiced in the woods. A cacophony of thuds heard from wooden swords clashing against each other until the sunset. Then the warriors rested by the spring until nightfall.
"Do you think those stuffy prunes will ever accept me?" Scarlet eyes gazed across the orange and pink tinted water, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "I know I'm different than everyone in the village, but even when I do things to fit in... They still scowl when I look away."
The elder swordsman reached over and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Young Katsuki, while it is true the others are wary, I always have faith in you and you will always be welcome here." Toshi sighed, sharing his gaze at the glistening water. "Though it might help if you stop calling them names."
The young swordsman only scoffed. "Yeah right, even with perfect manners they still find fault in me." He raised the flask to his lips, rubbing his fingers along the smooth metal after he drank.
Both sat silent for a long while, watching the sun float farther down to the horizon. Toshi made the first move, his electric blue eyes finding Bakugou's crimson ones, small fires burning in the sunset. He scooted closer and wrapped a slender arm around the boy.
"Do you ever feel a strange sadness during the twilight hours? It's said that the lingering regret of spirits passing on to the next realm give us a feeling of loneliness when the sun sets. It's like a silent melody sung by those in the other place, every day without fail." The older blonde man pulled the boy snuggly into his side, tapping the boy's chin as he continued.
"I want you to know that every day without fail as I listen to that song, I view you as my son. Not an outsider, but as one of my own family. And every day, I see you grow more into a respectable young man. One which will do great things beyond the confines of this tiny village." The swordsman smiled sadly at him, a single tear dropping from his sunken face.
Bakugou stayed silent, eyes tearing as he hugged his mentor and the closest thing he had as a father. Toshi returned the embrace and continued, a small wobble in his voice. "Young Katsuki, one day you will see your worth in the eyes of the children as I have. My shy Midoryia already admires your strength and courage, often expressing his wish to grow up to be like you despite his distaste in violence."
A small sniffle left the young swordsman as he let go and ran his fingertips across the leather binder on his left hand. "I just want to be like you. Someone they respect and don't look down on. I'm trying my damn best."
The elder swordsman's hold on him tightened. "You will be so much greater than me. You just need to believe in yourself and disregard those who think they know better. For now though, lets head home." Toshi helped the young blonde up to his feet and patted him on the head. "Inko is making your favorite tonight."
Bakugou quickly swiped the tears from his eyes as he nodded, heading towards his dark horse stabled near the grove of trees. As he climbed into the saddle of his trusted Deku, Toshi stationed himself nearby with a hard look.
"Young Katsuki, I need to inform you that the mayor has tasked me with bringing a gift to the royal family of the northern country. I'm leaving tomorrow evening and I'm expecting you to guard the village while I'm gone." A shocked expression crossed Bakugou's face as this news overtook him.
"But why didn't you say so sooner? You can't just leave!" Bakugou clutched the reins in his hands as his eyes widened.
Toshi held a hand up to silence him, a knowing smile crossing his lips. "I believe you are ready and it will only be for a handful of days. Enough for now though, we will talk more tomorrow morning on what to do."
As they traveled down the worn paths in the dim light, Bakugou's mind raced at what was coming. Was he ready? Truly ready?
When they reached the quaint hut, a green-haired woman met them at the door with a large smile. Inko had always cared for him like a true mother, just like her other son that shyly stood behind her with matching hair. "I made pumpkin soup tonight, Katsuki dear, but it isn't quite ready yet. Hopefully, Toshi didn't wear you out too much."
Bakugou only shook his head as he hopped down from his mount and the elder swordsman scoffed. "Guess next time we train, I'll make sure you are! Be prepared young one." An impish smile flashed across the older man's face and the young warrior could only sigh exasperatedly.
Behind all of the feigned grumbling, Bakugou Katsuki honestly loved this family he found and wouldn't know what to do without them.
"Hoi!" A loud booming voice came across the small creek that ran through the village. Its owner was none other than the hulking Mayor Selkie. "Bakugou, if you need something to do, Snipe needs help herding the goats tonight."
Quickly, the young swordsman turned towards is adopted father and pleaded silently for him to tell the mayor no. Toshi only held a wicked grin on his face as he handed the young man the reins to his horse. "You did say you had some energy left. Dinner will be ready when you're done, young Katsuki."
With a frustrated growl, Bakugou lifted himself back onto the saddle and trotted towards the fields under the watchful eye of Mayor Selkie. Deku below him snorted in annoyance as they started climbing the tall hill that held the fenced enclosure.
Sure enough, several goats with their dusky blue fur roamed freely as a figure in a ranch hat shouted at them from the stable. "Git in bed you darn hula-hoop horned bessies!" One of said 'bessies' stared at him, grass in mouth, about-faced, and left an unsightly offering instead. Yelling in frustration, the man threw his hat on the ground and stomped.
As the blonde rider made his way closer, more strings of curses left the ranch hand's mouth. "Oi, Snipe. They giving you trouble again?"
The man pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Yeah the heifers are. Mind if I borrow you and Deku to round them up? Yer stallion there seems to enjoy running them around the field." The dark-haired man rubbed the back of his neck as he grumbled.
Sighing, Bakugou tapped his steed's sides as they set to work. The two bobbed and weaved around the groups of goats, neighing and shouting until the skittish animals finally gave up. As they fled to the stable, the two panted from the exertion and slowed to a gentle trot.
"Oi, great work, Bakugou and Deku!" The ranch hand had recovered his hat and waved them down with a lantern. While they were doing all the hard work, he had made his way to the fence leading to town. "Hop over when you are ready."
The blonde reached down and patted his horse, "Good job, Deku. Let’s do one more jump today and rest. Sound good?" The horse snorted before making a charge of its own towards the gate. In a span of a moment, the horse leapt, a feeling of weightlessness overtaking the blonde until they landed.
Before long, they had galloped their way to Toshi's house, greeted by the aroma of pumpkin soup and freshly made bread. It was good to finally be done for the day.
~~
Darkness persisted. No matter how far he ran, the darkness followed. Sometimes it formed a cavalry of faceless soldiers on horseback. Sometimes it was a horde of monsters of all gruesome sizes and shapes. And others? They were the town villagers carrying pitchforks and torches. Those were the shadows he feared most.
However, this time was different. This time he was surrounded. No escape.
Shadows of faceless people he couldn't recognize formed a circle around him. Various shades of color for eyes stared towards him from the deepest gold to the brightest violet. Their forms were nothing but voids of shadow, nothing distinctive about them except for height and their glowing eyes.
One stepped forward, a set of steel colored eyes leveling with him. It looked feminine in shape, but he wasn't sure. Upon her head was a golden crown, it had a familiar crest engraved into its intricate design. Voices of a strange tongue whispered around him as he watched in horror as the crown rusted and crumbled before his eyes.
As it did, the sky turned the colors of sunset and the shadowed figures around him disappeared one by one until the only one left was the former royal. Her left hand held an ethereal glow and slowly her features started to appear.
Long dark hair flowed down shoulders as she set her steely gaze firmly on him. With her glowing hand, she pointed straight to his heart. Raising his own hand towards her, he gaped at the same glow on his left hand. Looking back to her, she raised her hand skyward.
He followed her gaze into the sunset sky to find the same glow, nestled in absolute pitch-black darkness. A blot in the sky that promised doom within its void. The glow more of a threat to come.
When he looked back at the princess, he saw nothing but monsters in her place. They readied the charge, but he was done running. Instead, a heavy weight filled his hand as he lifted one of the most beautiful swords he had ever seen.
He charged... But never made it. As he kept running towards them, the distance never changed. A laughter filling his ears as the battlefield slowly became blackened by a void. Then the sound of his name, a scream in the darkness.
~~
"KATSUKI! WAKE UP!"
Bakugou startled awake and in his panic, rolled... straight off his bed. His face hit the ground with a solid thud and he groaned at the pain flaring in his nose. He crawled up to his knees, a hand rubbing the tenderness before he heard another shout.
"COME ON! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE SENDING MIDORIYA'S DAD OFF!"
He rubbed his eyes and grumbled at the noise so early in the morning before what he heard clicked. Jolting awake, he leapt to his window to find the village children crowded outside. The five of them were waving and beckoning him to hurry, worry filling their faces.
The eldest one with the sun-drenched green hair was Tsuyu, the adopted daughter of Mayor Selkie and the only other person Bakugou trusted with his horse. She probably had the most common sense out of all of them put together, not to mention her blunt attitude for when others do something stupid. She even told off the elders when they made mistakes.
The two children of the watermill were the dark-haired Hanta, and the electric blonde Denki. Both cheerful boys, but they were the plotters of the group of children, causing trouble with wide smiles. They were often the ones behind most of the petty thefts of food and shop goods.
Speaking of shops, the pink-haired Mina was the daughter of the shop owners, and more than not in cahoots with the two trouble makers. Not really the mastermind behind the shenanigans, she often was the one that riled them up with her bubbly personality. Coincidentally, if any of the children did get caught, she was always the one bailing them out with her sweet charms.
Lastly, was the shy green-haired Midoriya, hiding behind Tsuyu with a solemn face. The boy has always been timid, even when Bakugou first met him years ago. He shied away from swords and large animals whenever any came near. He always seemed intimidated by anyone larger than him, but even around the smaller kids he looked out of place.
Today, his eyes were watery with fresh tears.
In record time, Bakugou pulled himself together and flew down the ladder leading from his door. He didn't even hit dirt when the others surrounded him and bombarded him with questions. A low growl finally settled them down, a small pout forming on their faces before his softened a bit.
He reached down and patted the mat of green hair ready to burst into tears again. "It's only going to be a couple days. Be strong, he'll be back before you know it. Let’s go say bye so he doesn't worry." The young swordsman gave the boy only three years younger a soft smile before sprinting towards the village with the pack following him.
As the group reached the main square of their small village, the elders were circling Toshi with essentials for his trip. One of the finer horses was saddled, its saddlebags tied intricately and holding several gifts for the royalty to the north. In the swordsman’s arms were good luck charms and rations of food to last him for the journey. On his back was the finest steel he owned to defend himself.
He grinned widely seeing the herd of children seeing him off and his eyes seemed to light up as he saw his young apprentice. "Morning, sleepy head. Last night must have sapped what energy you had left, huh?" A deep chuckle reverberated from his chest as he gave Bakugou a tight hug.
"Yeah, yeah. You weren't any help in that, old man." The young blonde grumbled at him as the elder beamed.
Toshi turned to the smaller children, "Excuse us for a moment. I need to explain to him what must be done for your safety." Quickly he led the younger swordsman away while the children talked among themselves.
Once they were out of earshot, the older man held him out with a hand on Bakugou's shoulder. "Despite your grouchiness, I see the worry in your eyes. Know that I will be back before any real trouble happens. But if there is any trouble, just focus on protecting the children. Get them to one of the houses and then face the opponent head on."
Bakugou couldn't hold the facade any longer and sighed. "What if I freeze? Or I do the wrong thing? If I fuck up, the village will never trust me again."
Toshi tapped his nose hard, "Language, young Katsuki. Sometimes I wish you weren't constantly paired with Snipe. He's such a bad influence on you, but regardless, I have faith you can do this, my son."
The young blond gave a slight snarl as he rubbed his sore nose that kept taking abuse today. "He taught the basics, old man. Back to the protecting though, what do I watch out for?"
"Hmm..." The swordsman tapped his chin. "You've watched me when I was out and about. What do I normally watch out for when we go out hunting or patrolling. You're a smart lad. You’ll figure it out."
He gave the scarlet-eyed boy a lopsided grin before lifting his head up towards the other children. As he gazed longer, the smile faded to a concerned frown. "Where is my other son?"
Bakugou scanned the crowd of children, not seeing the messy mop of green that he could usually pick out. Panic started to seize him as he called out, "Yo brats! Where did Midoriya go?"
A guilty look crossed their faces but Tsuyu was the first to speak up. "We were talking about how the spirit spring sometimes grant wishes and blessings to those that travel... And when we turned around... he was just gone."
Bakugou passed a hand over his face in frustration at how predictable his adoptive brother was. "I'll go get him, you wait here until we get back." He began stomping in that direction when Toshi clasped his shoulder yet again.
"Be kind to him, he is just anxious about me leaving. I don't blame him." The older man looked towards the horizon before letting go.
Taking the hint, he stomped a little softer towards the spring. "Safe travels, old man." But as soon as Bakugou stepped out of earshot, he couldn't help but whisper, "I don't blame him either. Come home safe." A small frown crossed his lips as he rushed towards the forest.
The worn path to the spring was one of the first memories he had of the area. Nursing a head wound and broken arm, he couldn't remember anything from before Toshi found him. He was told he was wearing some regional clothes but never from where, and all that he had on him was an insignia that none of the village elders recognized. Or just neglected to tell him at the time.
It was also where he had his first encounter with Midoriya and Deku not long after. The horse was only a foal then, led around by a frightened child just as lost in the woods as he was. The front of his shirt was soaked from tears, his wailing was heard for a good distance.
The still injured wanderer found the boy that tried desperately to hide behind the small foal. However, his cries weren't the only thing's attention he attracted. Shuffling from the bushes was a small boar. It bowed its head and scraped the ground with its hoof. Ready to attack.
That day, Bakugou sensed the danger and only wielding a thick club of branch, drove off the animal... It squealed loudly from the fresh scratches as it fled from the red-eyed boy. After it was gone, he never remembered what happened after, at least not until he woke at the spring. He was only told that the small boy lifted him up onto the young horse until the elder swordsman found them.
These memories flashed though his mind as the edge of the spring came into view. Kneeling in the glistening water was the young brat with a mess of dark green hair. Both of his hands were clasped together in prayer as the water around him appeared to glow.
His eyes were closed with traces of fresh tears, but somehow, he knew. "I know it looks silly, Bakugou. But if there is any chance it helps, I have to try."
The young swordsman slowed his pace as his toes became wet, "How'd you know it was me?" He raised an eyebrow as Midoriya turned towards him and smiled.
"Who else would come out here alone? Besides, I know you are just as worried as I am." He patted the patter next to him, splashing himself a little bit more. "Want to pray with me?" A smirk lifted on the blonde's lips as he entered the deeper spring next to his adopted brother.
Bakugou should have known something was wrong then. His training should have kicked in.
He didn't notice the birds becoming silent as he made his first steps. He didn't feel the subtle rumble of the ground as he took a deep breath. He didn't see the ripples that he couldn't have caused as he kneeled. And he didn't acknowledge the gentle burn on his left hand as the cool water soaked him.
If he had... Things would have turned out much differently.
Everything happened in slow motion. He felt a searing pain on his neck just before a strong grasp flung his weight backwards. As he soared, he saw a tall man dressed darkly from head to toe surrounded by ethereally blue flames. A scarred hand reached towards the now alerted Midoryia, but then his vision went to black as a blinding pain laced through his skull.
~~
Bakugou woke with a throbbing headache. Where it hurt he felt the familiar sticky feeling of blood as his fingers grazed the wound.
His feet felt wet.
Cracking a scarlet eye open, he saw the glistening spring surround him... but several patches of grass were scorched. Grunting he tried to remember why he was here. A couple moments passed before a name flashed through his head.
MIDORIYA.
Panic consumed him as he scanned the area for any trace of his adopted brother. His heartbeat grew erratic in pace with his breathing. The scorch marks were leading out of the enclosed space towards the bridge to the north.
Wobbly, Bakugou picked himself and ran. His brother's life depended on it.
His footsteps were uneven as his gait wavered. He fumbled as the bridge came into view but kept pressing on as he lifted himself from the dirt. Wooden boards creaked under his feet as he charged across, his vision slightly blurred from the pounding in his head.
As soon as he hit solid ground, something felt off once again.
The sky was dusk... It was only afternoon mere moments ago.
Panting, he looked around to find yet more scorch marks among the shrubbery along the canyon that lead to the country north. All he could do was follow in hopes that he caught up to them. Even if he can't do anything, he would be there with him. With Midoriya.
He rounded another bend in the path and tripped, gasping in shock at the sight before him. He must have hit his head harder than he thought as a massive black wall hovered above with etchings made of orange glowing letters. The air around him was heavy...
Bakugou's eyes widened as something otherworldly happened before his eyes. A long and slender black arm with monstrous proportions came through the pitch-black barrier. He was starting to think wasn't a hallucination. He lifted himself on weak arms, barely making it to his knees when he was grabbed for a second time that day.
He struggled in the death grip, mustering any energy he had left to free himself. But to no avail.
The arm suddenly retracted into the black wall at an alarming speed, too fast for him to escape its clutches. It pulled him like he weighed nothing, until he felt the wall pressing against his body.
It felt wrong. Like a dense gelatin that someone was forcing him to swim through. It oozed around him as he was finally pulled through, his breath caught in his lungs. The air was suffocating.
The black arm that captured him brought him close. A monster he had never heard about from all of his mentor's stories. It was solid black with grotesque features littering its body and a creepy smile across its face. Its head prominently displayed what looked like a brain and the young warrior tried to kick at it with his dwindling breath.
One foot barely connected with its mark, but unfortunately didn't affect it at all. Its large eyes merely looked closer at the swordsman's arm. He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness when something took over.
A wave of warmth started from his left hand like an explosion. A brilliant flash of light cut through the sky of twilight as the beast finally let him go, tossing him to the earth.
Ba-dum.
His heart felt like it was going to burst, the beat sending a shiver through his whole body. All the hairs on his body were standing straight up as chills ran along his spine.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
His vision blurred once more as he grit his teeth, still trying to suck in what air he could. He could feel his hand burning now, the pain radiating with every pulse. He rolled over to his knees, hands splayed out on the earth that looked both foreign and familiar.
BA-DUM.
His bones cracked. His skin felt like it ripped. His chest collapsed in on itself.
BA-DUM. BA-DUM.
His body turned on him, he felt it. The traitorous feeling started in his feet before moving up his spine. Pain laced through him and all he could do was scream with the last of his breath.
The burning finally reaching his face as his voice pierced the twilit air... but as his vision faded to black once more, he heard a lonely howl of a wolf before his body slumped to the ground.