Chapter Text
There has always been one rule known by every traveller that crossed this land: never stray from the path.
A simple rule that follows anywhere you go. It does not refer to any and all paths but to one specifically, one that runs through the Red Woods
A name that is also is known by all, bringing fear to all that hear it. The Red Woods is a vast spread of ancient forest surrounding its heart of mountains that are just barely visible through a spyglass, even at the edge of the woods. As for why it's called that, it's not the woods themselves but rumours and myths of the dragons that inhabit them.
Some say they have seen a glimpse of colour flying amongst the mountains and those who have travelled along the path talk of strange sounds in the distance.
No one knows what is in the Red Woods. One would have to stray from the path to find out, but no one has come back from that.
That is the reason everyone knows not to stray from the path. Although no one knows exactly what is in those woods, there is certainly something that resides there.
However fear inducing the woods seem, there are many who frequent the path as it connects most villages and towns. Inko Midoriya, a renowned herbalist in the nearby villages and towns, has done so for years now, visiting patients who were too ill to walk and gathering the medicinal plants that grew wild under the shelter of the trees.
Inko was on yet another trip to visit a patient with her 4 year old son, Izuku, in tow. It would take another day or two in the woods to reach this particular town. It was an exhausting journey but Inko was willing to travel the distance for her patients.
Izuku, however, has always enjoyed these trips. He had never been scared of the woods and it's stories, instead he found it fascinating with its ancient oaks and other such trees towering above him as well as the many woodland creatures that scuttled about.
The subtle shake of branches brought Izuku's gaze upwards where he caught sight of a fluffy brown tail amongst the green. He followed the squirrel as it jumped from its branch across the path and scampered down the other tree. It paused when it reached the ground and Izuku stopped in his tracks to watch as the small creature looked around, tail twitching. He has always wondered what it would be like to pet it but his mom said that most animals are shy of humans so they don't like being touched. So he refrained from his urges. He didn't want to make the creatures sad.
"Izuku?" the squirrel jumped and ran into the thick of the brush at the cheerful voice. Inko looked back at him having gotten quite a bit ahead. "We have to keep moving while it's still light, sweetie."
"Sorry ma, there was a cute squirrel." Izuku said as he ran to catch up with her.
"Don't worry, there will plenty of time to wait when we set up camp. Then you can watch them as long as you want, okay?"
"But won't they be asleep by then." He looked up at his mom, who held a soft gaze.
Inko smiled fondly at her son. He had such a curiosity for the woodland creatures, no matter how many times they walk through the forest, he always was in awe. "They will still be about for a bit until they head to bed, sweetie."
They continued their travels until the sun started to set, casting an orange glow through the trees.
They set up their makeshift bed as Izuku was still too young to be trusted alone in the woods. It also meant they could bring less blankets, instead of straining Inko's back any further. Izuku has offered to carrying some of her stuff before but she usually refuses or hands him the lighter items at most.
Although recently Izuku has convinced his mom that he's strong enough to carry some of their food in his small leather bag. He needs to get stronger to save his mom from those nasty back aches.
Inko brings out the food from his bag and makes him a simple cheese sandwich. She didn't want to risk going off the path for firewood or carrying extra weight by bringing some from home so she avoided bringing anything that needed to be cooked.
After they were properly fed, Inko sat with her son in her lap, regaling stories of people she has met when helping out in other towns, hand carding through Izuku's curls.
"There was one time, where I was called in to help quite a rich merchant, apparently no one knew what had happened, but he had suddenly gotten extremely ill. When I got there I saw all these cages with so many different animals, they were all cramped and couldn't run free like in the forest."
"That's mean! If they couldn't play then they must have been really sad" Izuku couldn't imagine being stuck in a cage, mom had always allowed him to play in the field outside their house. If he was stuck in a cage then he wouldn't be able to visit the woods. The thought made frown, eyes tearing. He loved the forest, it was so pretty.
"Yes, they were very sad, but I noticed that one of the cages were empty. It was one that was made of glass and it was next to other cages like it with snakes inside. I had a feeling of what happened so when I checked up on the merchant It became clear what had happened." Izuku's eyes were wide and glued to her, not yet understanding the story.
She continued, "One of the snakes had managed to escape and bit him."
His eyes widen with surprise but settled with some sort of pride. "Good! He wasn't nice to them, he deserved it." Then confusion crossed his face, "Wouldn't they have realised what happened then?"
"Well, the merchant was too sick to talk and the snake had bitten him in a place no one would look. Right on his butt." Inko grinned as she pinched Izuku's butt. He squealed and dug his way out of her arms before Inko pulled him back and tickled him. Izuku's face was pulled in a giant smile unable to stop the giggles that burst out.
They settled down once more and Inko continued with her stories until she heard soft snores from the small body. With a fond look she tucked them both in bed, closing her eyes for the night.
A loud snap shook Izuku awake. He turned to his mom, still sleeping soundly beside him.
He looked around for the source of the sound but was distracted when he realised there were small, green lights in the small trees and shrubs.
He carefully stood up and curiously walked towards the nearest light.
It seemed like a little bug, he reached his hand forwards only for the light to go out.
He quickly withdrew his hand holding it against his chest, "Oh no, sorry I didn't mean to scare you," Izuku leaned back with a slight frown when the light didn't come back. He must have scared it really bad.
Looking around, the lights were everywhere. Curious still, he followed the trail of those strange light bugs. They were so pretty and bright but not too much so that it hurt to look at; just a soft yet bright green glow.
He wondered what made them so bright. They definitely couldn't be on fire which was what made candles brights; were they like the sun? No, it was a different kind of light. Maybe they were like stars, or even the moon, but that didn't explain the colour.
Maybe they were just magical bugs. Either way Izuku found them beautiful, lighting his way in the darkness, like little guides.
He walked for a while, gazing in awe at the trees and bushes that held the bugs.
He was so mesmerized that he didn't realise where he was going until he tripped on a raised root.
Snapped out of his trance, Izuku was suddenly aware that he wasn't on the path, in fact he couldn't see his mom at all. Fear crept up inside him, tears threatening to burst.
"M-mom?" he choked out, tears already overflowing from his eyes. He looked around from where he fell but there wasn't anything in sight.
Fear racked him now as Izuku wept to himself, he called out again and again but his mom was nowhere to be seen.
Izuku yelped as he felt something poke him in his back. He quickly turned to face whatever did so, crawling backwards from it.
Red eyes stared back at him, "You aren't meant to be here." It was a boy around his age with spiky hair, wearing only shorts and a beaded necklace.
"I-I got lost." Izuku sobbed, "I just wanted to look at the lights but now I don't know w-where I am."
"That was stupid." The red eyed boy looked at the crying mess on the ground for a few thoughtful seconds, "Come on," he held his hand out in offering.
Izuku looked up at the hand, wiping his face before taking it. He was dragged up with surprising strength from the other boy. "T-thank you," Izuku's voice still shaking.
The red eyed boy walked ahead seemingly effortless in navigating the shrubbery, "Just hurry up before they see you."
"Who are they?" Izuku asked, stumbling after him.
"My parents." A branch hit Izuku in the face.
"Why shouldn't they see me?" Curiosity was filling him once again as he tried to avoid any more attacking branches.
Red eyes looked back at the stumbling form, "You're not allowed here."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because what?"
"Because shut up." The boy was scowling now.
"That's not very nice." A pout on Izuku's face.
"Hey! I'm helping you out here!"
Oh yeah, he probably shouldn't annoy his only guide back.
"Sorry!"
For a while there was silence, broken only by the snapping of twigs under their feet.
"So what's your name?"
"Do you ever fucking shut up?!"
Izuku gasped, "That's not very nice, my mom says-" once again Izuku tripped on a tree root, falling face flat on the ground.
The boy burst out in laughter, Izuku was pouting, hurt from the fall. He was about to cry again but instead focussed on the laughing boy, he liked it. Laughing means you're happy and he liked when people were happy.
"Come on Deku."
Izuku wiped the dirt off himself as he got up, "That's not my name, it's Izuku."
"Well you can't seem to do anything without falling over so you're a Deku." The boy was still grinning, amusement bright in his eyes.
Izuku huffed as they started to walk again "Can you at least tell me your name then?"
The boy snorts, "Fine, it's Katsuki."
"Ka-kaschuki," the name was difficult on Izuku's tongue, it made him frown at the uncomfortable feeling. "Maybe I'll just call you Kacchan, it's easier,"
"Come in it's not that hard," the boy - Katsuki - said with an annoyed huff.
"Hey you get to call me Deku so I can call you Kacchan,"
The boy shrugged "Alright." A smirk grew on his face, "but at least I can actually say Izuku."
Izuku just pouted, "That's mean."
They fell back to silence until the path was in sight.
"Thank you Kacchan." Izuku smiled at him, heading towards the familiar figure of his mom on the ground.
"Just don't tell anyone." Katsuki whispers.
"Why?"
He groaned in annoyance, "Just- No one is allowed to know okay?" Katsuki turned to leave but paused, "Don't go off the path again, it's not safe." He walked off, back into the deep woods.
Izuku sighed as he laid down, snuggling into the blankets.
The little lights still sprinkled on the leaves above.
He wondered if he would see that boy again, he wanted to be friends. Did Kacchan live in the woods? he seemed to know where to go, so it wouldn't be surprising. But then everyone said to say on the path, people can't be in the forest. That must be wrong, Kacchan was in the forest. Though even he said to stay on the path.
The green haired boy sighed in defeat as he curled up in the blankets, closing his eyes.
Hopefully he would see that strange boy again.
When they woke up that morning, Izuku still felt tired from his crying the previous night.
"Are you alright Izuku?" Inko's concerned voice broke through the morning silence. She was digging through the bags to make some more sandwiches for breakfast.
He paused; Kacchan said no one could know, and even though he had not known the red eyed boy for long, he felt he should follow his words. He did help him after all and his mom didn't need to stress about something that was already sorted. "Yeah mom, I'm just tired." He settled with.
They continued their travels after breakfast and Izuku found himself searching the woods once again, no longer for the small creatures he loved, but for those red eyes.
He could not find them.
"Mom?" Inko turned to her son, a questioning look on her face. "What do you think lives in the woods,"
She thought for a second, "I think it is mostly just the normal animals like in the other forests."
"Then why do people say to stay away from these woods?" If it was just like the others, then why did everyone say to stay away? Was it because they believed the stories, the ones about monstrous dragons that ate anyone who left the path.
As much as Izuku loved the idea of dragons, he did not think the would be monstrous. They should be like any other animal, only trying to survive.
"Well, that's because anyone who has gone off the path, hasn't come back," but Izuku came back didn't he? Maybe they just didn't have Kacchan to help and got lost.
He hesitated for a bit, "Do you think that people can live in the woods?"
Inko frowned, "No, it's too dangerous." She looked concerned at her boy, "Why do you ask?"
Because I saw someone. "I'm just curious if people could live there like the animals do."
"Maybe in other forests, but in these woods, it's too dangerous to leave the path." With that, silence fell once again barely broken until the sun reached the horizon and the Midoriya's headed to sleep, stomachs full on sandwiches.
As the night grew darker and darker, Izuku found he couldn't fall asleep but he stayed in bed anyways.
The green haired boy loved sleeping in the woods. The soft winds and sounds were a familiar comfort, often lulling him to sleep, but now; he just couldn't.
He was too curious about Kacchan. How was he in the woods? did he help people who were lost? Would Izuku be able to see him again?
As he dabbled in these thoughts, the night grew colder and colder.
Izuku was finally drifting to sleep when a soft snap sounded through the trees. He looked around to see red eyes, the spiky haired boy shifting between the trees.
Izuku's eyes were wide in surprise, "Kacchan!" He whispered loudly.
"Ssshh!" Kacchan pointed to the sleeping figure on the ground. "She can't know I'm here," the boy kept his voice low.
Izuku frowned, why was his mom not allowed to know about Kacchan? But he had said before that no one could know, for whatever reason.
"Are you following us?" Izuku asked, wondering why the boy was here.
Kacchan rolled his eyes, "I was making sure you didn't get lost again."
"I wouldn't." The greenette replied in a defensive tone.
The other boy just scoffed, "Really, you aren't going to chase anymore lights like an idiot?" His voice holding a slight playfulness.
"I was curious, okay?" Izuku crawled out of the covers and walked towards the other, "Well at least it meant I got to meet you."
His face grew a small smile. As rude as he could be, Kacchan was nice.
He rolled his eyes and sat down against a nearby tree and Izuku followed suit.
He looked at Kacchan and frowned, his red eyes looked so lonely. Izuku decided he would fix that. "Hey Kacchan, does this mean we're friends?"
"Where'd you get that idea from."
"Well you helped me back then and you said you were worried about me,"
"Hah? The fuck you talking about Deku, I didn't say shit." Red eyes squinted in light anger, daring Izuku to challenge him.
"Yes you did."
He scoffed, "When!"
"You said you were following us so I wouldn't get lost, so you must have been worried,"
Kacchan lowered his voice again, realising he was getting loud but the tone was still angry, "I was just making sure your ass didn't wander off again, seeing how stupid you were."
"So you were worried I would wander off again." Izuku's grinned, his voice was light and playful.
"Yeah right," Kacchan replied with light sarcasm.
The two sat in quiet for a bit.
"So we are friends right,"
Kacchan inhaled in a frustrated manner but just rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Sure Deku."
Izuku grinned widely, making the red eyed boy look away in an attempt to seem nonchalant but Izuku saw a slight joy replacing the loneliness in his eyes.
"Kacchan, why is everyone afraid of the woods?"
He turned to Izuku with a bored face, "Because they're not allowed here,"
The greenette just looked at the other, waiting for him to continue.
He huffed, "These woods are for us only, any outsiders get punished."
Izuku frowned, "Do you- do you kill them?" Was that why the woods were dangerous? Why people never came back from them?
Kacchan hesitated, "I don't, at least not now, but yeah."
They waited in silence as Izuku processed it.
It made sense, but why were outsiders not allowed? was there something special there? Could it be because the animals didn't like them?
Actually, when he thought back to that story of the merchant, Izuku agreed with that reason. He did not want the woods' animals to be hurt like that.
But then if outsiders weren't allowed, why wasn't he killed.
The thought froze his blood.
He could've died.
But Kacchan had helped him instead. He doubted Kacchan would hurt him but last night he said to hurry up so his parents wouldn't see Izuku, probably because they would.
"Why did you help me then? Wasn't I intruding?" The greenette was confused, why would the other help him when they had never met before.
Kacchan let his gaze wander as he thought for a bit, "You seemed so scared and before I saw how gentle you were with the bugs, you didn't want to hurt them. I couldn't just leave you there." His voice was quiet even for a whisper.
The two sat in the calm quiet, Izuku wanted to stay and talk but his eyes were getting heavy and he couldn't stop the yawn from escaping his mouth.
"You better go sleep now."
The greenette just hummed in agreement getting up from the ground. He looked back at the other boy, "Will I see you again?"
"I will always be in these woods, I might be busy somewhere else sometimes but I'm usually around the path." Izuku nodded, a small smile on his face as he headed back to the makeshift bed.
"Goodnight Kacchan,"
"Night Deku," The red eyed boy turned and walked away.
Curling into the warmth once again, Izuku fell asleep with the thought of a new friend.