Archive of Our Own ^beta

Katsuki wakes up to cold rain drenching his fur. He lifts his snout from his mother’s gravestone and looks up into the cloudy gray sky, watching as the raindrops fall relentlessly. Down, down, down, until one lands in his eye and he feels the familiar sting. He can’t find it in himself to move into the church; it’s warmer out here by his family than it is in that dilapidated building. He pads over to his father’s grave and curls up there, letting his eyelids fall shut to the rhythmic beating of the pounding rain. 

He dreams vividly. 

He’s splashing around in puddles, his mother chastising him for trekking mud into their home. His father is cleaning the churchyard, watching affectionately as Katsuki whizzes around the headstones, stopping to recite the names and dates on each one with the natural curiosity of a 5 year old. When Sundays come around their home is packed to the brim with people from the nearby town, and his father listens patiently to the confessions of each who seek him out. 

In his teenage years Katsuki gets angry at the world. He’s bound for bigger and better things, he just knows it! But his stupid hag of a mother and pushover father wanted him to take over at the church. 

“Katsuki, it’s an important job. People come here to seek peace and forgiveness. They need us; we mustn’t let their safe haven fall into disrepair.”

But Katsuki wants to know what is out there, beyond their little home in the middle of the woods. The only places he had travelled to was the town, and only to gather food and clothing. He wants to know what lay beyond the rolling hills, wants to know what it would be like to climb the tallest mountains. Would he be able to touch the sky, he wonders.

The anger festers the longer he stays, and he longs for the day he is finally of age and can set foot into the world on his own. His parents had long since given up on convincing him to stay, but on winter nights he still hears them talking lowly around a dimly lit fire, wondering about the fate of the church. But Katsuki isn’t worried; he has plenty of years to explore the grassy plains and the azure blue sky, then he’ll be back to take over at the church and the memories of his countless adventures will be enough to keep him company for the rest of his days. 

Except a few days before he turns 16, his father collapses. A few days after that, his mother follows. And Katsuki forgets all of his grandiose plans, and prays. The town healer brings vial after vial of potions, whispers incantations in unknown languages, but nothing works. His parents grow weaker by the day and Katsuki can only watch, completely helpless, but still praying. 

They’re buried next to each other in the churchyard, and Katsuki cannot find it in him to cry. He hears the townspeople whisper about a curse, about how he will be the next one to fall, and he just keeps silent, clenching his fists until blood is drawn. Only when everyone is gone does Katsuki scream. He rages, tears streaming down his face as he sits on the pew. 

The next day Katsuki wakes with bloodshot eyes and dark circles weighing down his face. He assumes his duties as though it were any other day, but now he’s sweeping up the leaves in the churchyard, removing offerings that have sat for a little too long, and cleaning some of the headstones that have accumulated grime. The first Sunday after his parent’s passing, he’s ready to lend an ear to the town, but only a few of them show up. It’s when he’s listening to an elderly woman that he feels a sudden and violent urge to cough. When he uncovers his mouth, it’s to red spots staining his palms. The old woman gasps and hurriedly leaves, and the Sunday after that, Katsuki is all alone. 

His last few days are spent lying in bed, in too much pain to move. He curses at the universe, wonders aloud why it can only take from him, when all he’s done is give. He laughs bitterly at his family’s naivete; for all the talk about how much the townspeople needed them, they were quick to turn away when tragedy struck. On his final day Katsuki feels a deep sense of regret wash over him for how his life has been cut short, but also a sense of relief that he’ll no longer be alone. 

When he comes back into consciousness, he expects to find his family waiting for him. Except when he does, he’s by his own grave. He howls in anguish, but there’s no one to listen.

Katsuki wakes with a start and realizes that the rain has stopped. He stretches languidly and stands, shaking off the wetness that clings to his coat. There are remnants of tears in his eyes, and the painful memories coupled with the gloomy weather has the tight feeling in his chest feeling particularly strong today. Figures, considering today is the 4th anniversary of when he passed on, and the day he awoke as a church grim.

Happy fucking birthday to me. 

He had heard tales of the church grim, a protector who kept nefarious forces away and kept the peace of the holy sanctuary. His father had told him stories about how the grim kept watch until the newly buried assumed its post. Once upon a time he had been fascinated by those stories and thought it would be cool to see the black dog patrolling around their home. As he grew older he pitied the grim, stuck in this realm unseen by the masses, only to be set free when another came to take its place. 

He didn’t think those stories had any merit, until he woke up the day he died, his form that of a large black dog. The first thing he tried was to leave the church, but every time he tried to walk past the gates he felt an inexplicable force pulling him back, as though reminding him of his duty. He’d tried jumping over the fence, tried digging a tunnel to get beyond the borders. On a particularly desperate day he’d even tried jumping off of the church. Nothing worked. 

As he slowly began to accept his cursed fate, he recalled more hazy memories of his father’s tales. He sought out those tomes in the library, using his nose to turn the pages. He discovered that he could shapeshift back into his human form, that he could change at will to mimic any living creature. He learned that he had the unique ability to repel dark magic and ill intentions, and he was unseen to all, his form invisible even to those who dabbled in magic. Those books became his escape, and he pored over them again and again, committing the lines to memory as the days continued to drag on.  

Even though he tried at the beginning to resume his human form and continue to care for the church, it became increasingly painful to stay that way, especially when he grew and aged as though he were still alive. It only reminded him of the painful memories near the end of his life, and at least in his canine form the pain was dulled. 

After Katsuki passed, the townspeople avoided the church; even the villagers who had loved ones buried here never came by again. The once carefully kept area fell into disrepair with no human hands to tend to it. Foliage overgrew around the fences and climbed up the stone walls, and the headstones fell victim to the elements, slowly eroding away. Katsuki doesn’t know what rumors have been spread about the place, but he hasn’t seen a single soul since he assumed the role of the grim. 

The only living beings he’s had for company in the past few years are the occasional deer that wander a little too close to graze. It’s always inevitable that they spot him, however, and then they’re taking off in a mad dash, leaving him all alone again. The few times he encountered people of his kind (although he’s not really human anymore) were those who wished to desecrate his home. Though they couldn’t see him, his ominous presence must have been palpable in the air. They never were able to stay for long, getting jumpy and feeling the shadows creep into their minds.

Today Katsuki wanders aimlessly around the church grounds, head hung low and tail drooping. It’s been 4 long years of a lonely painful existence. He doesn’t know if he can stomach an eternity as a chained dog, but he’s doomed to.

He had desperately wanted to live, but not like this. 

He lays down again, this time by his own grave, and frustrated tears spring to his eyes. Maybe he’ll sleep the day away; the one thing that has remained the same after all these years are the haunting dreams of days gone by. He’s just barely gotten comfortable when he hears the church gate swing open with a creak, and his eyes snap open. 

2 moons ago

Izuku stops by at an inn for the night, and wakes the next morning with a familiar stirring in his chest. He bolts out of town after hastily mumbling his thanks to the innkeeper, forgoing breakfast at the nearby tavern. He runs deep into the nearby woods and when he is sure that he is far enough away from town, he lets go of the built up tension with a scream. 

A dark purple burst of energy bursts forth and slams into the nearby trees, instantly corroding through the wood and disintegrating everything in its path. When Izuku has screamed himself hoarse and a deep fatigue settles into his bones, the entire area around him is dead, and he drags himself away. He feels sick to the stomach at the thought of all the life he has unwittingly taken. 

The darkness is only getting stronger and more violent, and he fears for the day it’ll wipe out everything and take him with it.

Now he wanders into town, exhausted from having travelled on foot for the past week and only sleeping in caves. The dark energy usually took a little longer than 3 moons to come to a tipping point so he’s fairly confident that he’ll be able to control it if it tries to run berserk, not to mention he desperately needs a warm bed to sleep in for the night. The innkeeper greets him with an unsure smile, but doesn’t question his haggard appearance. Very soon he’s given a room and he carefully places his wooden staff onto the bed before flopping down next to it. Before he knows it, he’s out like a light. 

“Look mama, look,” a young Izuku exclaims as he holds a beautiful dandelion up. He has just gotten the hang of making flowers bloom and really wanted to show off the fruits of his labor.

“Aww is that for me?”

He nods and his mother ruffles his hair fondly, taking the flower from him and tucking it into her hair. 

“Thanks love, it’s beautiful.” 

“You look pretty, mama.”

Izuku reaches out her chubby hands and squeezes his mother’s cheeks. Then a strange feeling washes over him and he scrunches into himself, his hands still on his mother’s face. There’s something stirring inside him and all of a sudden, his mother screams and Izuku jumps and falls backwards onto the grass. 

His mother is cradling her face in her hands when the townspeople come running. One gently pries her hands away and Izuku stares, transfixed at the purple tendrils snaking up the sides of her face and drawing blood. He looks down at his hands and notices that they’re glowing a faint purple, and the grass and flowers around where he landed have disintegrated. 

Izuku watches, confused as they lead his mother away to the healer but not allowing him to follow. The town elder guides him back home and orders him to stay indoors. He watches from the window as 2 guards stand by the front door and his neighbors gather around his home.

It doesn’t take long for his 6 year old self to put two and two together. He sits on his bed and bawls until his mother comes home, the sides of her face bandaged up. 

“Mama I’m sorry!! I didn’t mean to hurt you mama, I promise!”

“Oh Izuku my baby it’s okay, I know you didn’t. I love you so much baby but we have to leave now okay? Be a good boy and pack your things up.”

“But why do we have to leave mama?”

His mother gives him a sad smile.

“Just trust me, okay?” 

Izuku nods and obediently packs his few belongings. They leave the home hand in hand, Izuku keeping his eyes downcast and trying to shut out the whispering. 

Cursed. Dark magic. Death.

His mother, bless her soul, puffs up her chest and glares until they quieten down. They part to allow the mother and son passage, and then the elder is leading them into the woods with guards flanking them from behind. Izuku’s feet start hurting after a while and he’s exhausted from the events of the day. His mother notices the falter in his footsteps and whispers quiet assurances to him, tugging him along gently as he stumbles on the uneven path.

They finally come upon an old stone cottage, the area around it overgrown with weeds and the wooden door broken in certain places. 

“We’ll bring you supplies every week. We don’t abandon our own, but Inko, you have to understand that your son poses too great a danger. I’m sorry we have to do this but you chose this when you refused to be separated from your son.”

Izuku is still too young to understand the implications of his mother’s sacrifice. All he knows is that he’s dangerous, really dangerous.

“He’s my son and my entire world. I’m not as cruel as to throw aside one of my own,” she retorts, using the elder’s words back against him. 

“Suit yourself. And remember, no setting foot near the town, or we won’t be as lenient as we have been.”

That night Izuku gets ready for bed and watches as his mother removes her bandages, wincing. The sides of her face are ash gray and sloughed, and Izuku wails. 

“OH it’s okay baby here okay okay okay I’ll cover it up, is that better?” she asks as she applies a fresh set of bandages. 

“I hurt you bad, mama.”

She walks over and gathers Izuku into her arms.

“Shhh it’s fine baby, I’m okay. We’ll find a way to control this, I promise.”

Izuku feels his eyelids growing heavier and lulled by the soothing melody that his mother hums, slowly drifts off to sleep.

“Don’t leave me, mama.”

The last thing he remembers is the gentle rocking of her arms as she cradles him like a newborn babe.

“Never, Izuku.”

Izuku opens his eyes and immediately squints at the harsh sunlight coming through the window of the inn. Out of habit, he searches for his staff and heaves a sigh of relief when he realizes it’s exactly where he left it the night before. It had been a gift from a witch, 7 moons after his 13th birthday. 

When Izuku turned 13, his mother began actively searching for a witch or warlock who would take him in as an apprentice. Someone who could give them answers to Izuku’s powerful magic, and someone who could teach him how to control it. They travelled from town to town, but alas they were turned away from every last magic folk. Finally they came upon the home of a wizened witch, who invited them in and listened to their story patiently. 

“I’m afraid I cannot be of any help to your son. Not only am I unfamiliar with dark magic, I am the protector of this town and cannot risk having an untrained warlock with such immense raw power around. What I can do for you, however, is give you this,” she said, handing Izuku a wooden staff. 

“It doesn’t look like much but is fashioned out of a special type of wood that has the ability to absorb magical energy. It should help you contain the dark energy when it tries to go berserk, but only to a certain degree. I wish you luck in your journey; you’ll be hard pressed to find someone well-versed in dark magic, but I pray you do.”

They didn’t. Izuku was relegated to training by himself, trying and failing to contain the dark magic that burned inside of him. It only grew stronger with each moon, and Izuku grew increasingly disheartened and became acutely more aware of how much of a burden he was to his mother. His sweet, loving mother who had given up her entire life for him. 

So when Izuku turned 16, he packed his bags and left with a tearful goodbye from his mother. She had cried when he told her of his plans to travel around in search of a mentor or a place where he could practice his magic without fear of hurting anyone. She tried to convince him to stay, but he had made up his mind and knew this would be the best (and safest) way forwards for the both of them. She would be able to move back into town, and he’s sure that they would welcome her back with open arms. After all, she was the very best cook around. 

That was 4 years ago, and since then Izuku has been wandering from one town to the next. He survived by hunting for food in the woods and fishing in the rivers. Sometimes he would take on a request from a town to dispel a beast or make the crops grow. Tiny jobs that would not raise suspicion and would still earn him a pretty gold piece. He stashed these religiously, only using them when he really needed an inn to sleep at or a tavern to eat at. After all, being on the road constantly does take its toll on a man.

He looks into his bag and realizes that he’s running dangerously low on gold pieces, only enough to buy him 2 meals and a single night’s stay. 

Maybe it’s time to look for a job. 

He heads down the stairs and waits around until the innkeeper returns to the front. 

“Do you have any jobs that you need done around town?”

The innkeeper looks him up and down, and Izuku knows he doesn’t make a very reliable sight, with his torn robes and mussed hair. 

“A scrawny one like you? No.”

“Ah sorry I should have explained. I’m a traveling warlock and I’d be happy to help you with anything in exchange for payment.”

“A warlock huh,” the innkeeper muses thoughtfully, “you don’t look like much but there is a problem that the town has been dealing with for a couple of years now. You should go talk to the elder. He’s usually at the tavern by the edge of town at this time of day.”

Izuku thanks the man and bows respectfully. Just before he leaves, he catches sight of a wilted flower in the vase and with a simple wave of his hand, the flower is revitalized and blooming again. 

There mustn’t be a witch or warlock in this town, Izuku thinks, if such basic magic can make the innkeeper’s eyes widen in surprise.

He makes his way through town and most of the locals watch him wearily before averting their gaze when Izuku makes eye contact. 

What a fearful bunch. They mustn’t get many visitors, if any at all.

When he enters the tavern, the conversations abruptly cease and there’s dead silence for a few seconds while Izuku meanders through the tables to the barkeep. The noises only start up again when he orders some food and drink, and he’s directed to a table with a middle-aged man. 

“Uh hi you must be the elder of this town. I’m a warlock and I’m looking for a job that will pay me a few gold pieces. I heard from the innkeeper that you have a problem that I may be able to help you with.”

The elder, who hasn’t looked up since Izuku sat down, lifts his head and then scoffs. 

“Forget it boy. The only problem we have in this town is too dangerous for a mere boy like you.”

Izuku is getting really tired of being doubted. It’s not like he can tell them his magic is probably more dangerous than whatever problem they’re facing, but he’d really like to be given a chance.

“With all due respect, I may be young but I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with dangerous magic. I’ve taken many jobs in my short life, lifted curses and moved the earth, brought rain and slain beasts. At least let me try.”

“Curses, you say?”

“Yes sir.”

The elder studies him with narrowed eyes and shrugs. 

“Notice how everyone here is skittish and wary? They live in fear that they will fall victim to a curse that wiped out a family 4 years ago.”

“A curse?” Izuku interrupts, “did the family gain the ire of anyone?”

“No. The Bakugou family lived and took care of a church just a little ways out of the town in the woods. Their son was a little questionable in terms of his personality, but in general we loved and respected the 3 of them for they were providing us a safe haven to seek repentance. About 4 years ago the patriarch suddenly collapsed and the matriarch was soon to follow. Our healer couldn’t find the cause of their illness and the two only got sicker and passed on quickly.”

That doesn’t sound right. 

In Izuku’s experience, curses were usually cast by a vengeful witch or warlock and could be placed onto an individual, or a location. Not only is curse magic complex, its effects were typically drawn out to maximize the victim’s suffering. From the sounds of it, the Bakugou family was every bit the pious family and had no contact with magic folk, and their sudden deaths certainly didn’t fit the profile of a curse.

“And their son?”

“After his parents died, we attended the funeral but then fewer people dared to return to the church for fear of being next. My mother, bless her heart, went to church the first Sunday after and saw the young Bakugou cough up blood. She left quickly after that. A week or so after, my father who was the previous elder decided to check on the youngest and found him dead in his bed. He gathered a few men and gave the boy a proper burial next to his parents, and then the church was declared off-limits and no one has entered since.”

The elder clears his throat and takes a sip of water.

“I don’t have a lot of hope that you will be able to help, but you can give it a shot. If you do manage to lift the curse, you’ll be rewarded handsomely. This was a terrible tragedy to befall one of our own, and we would love to be free from it.”

Izuku laughs mirthlessly.

“Don’t make me laugh. You know, I’ve heard a lot from people about love . You all claim to take care of your own, but really you are all selfish and scared. You abandoned the Bakugous and doomed the youngest when you let that fear overtake you.”

“We brought the healer to them, we buried them; what more do you want from us? We’re powerless against a curse of unknown origin.” 

“Don’t give me that bullshit. You could’ve sent for a witch or warlock all those years ago if you really thought it was a curse. Tell me, has anyone else died similarly since then?”

The elder bristles in anger and looks like he wants to lunge at Izuku but eyes his staff wearily and shakes his head. 

“Just as I thought. I’ll tell you right now, you’ve all been living in fear of something that doesn’t exist. If the Bakugous had indeed been cursed, which I highly doubt, it could never have spread to anyone else. If the church had been cursed, your father, mother, and everyone else who attended the burial or entered the church grounds during that time would’ve faced a similar fate. The Bakugou family’s blood is on your hands. Yours and everyone else’s who lived here in that time. You let their son die frightened, in pain, and all alone.”

Izuku’s voice grows louder the more incensed he gets, and he realizes with a start that the entire tavern has gone silent and all eyes are on him. Mindful of his surroundings, he continues with a similar intensity but lowers his volume just a tad, making sure he’s still loud enough for everyone in the tavern to hear. 

“I’ll accept the job, not for you or your town, but so the Bakugous can find peace. And you can keep your gold. I won’t be coming back after paying a visit to the church. Your people can continue to live in fear, or they can open their eyes and realize that they’ve made a mistake all those years ago.”

The elder looks shocked at Izuku’s tirade and shrinks back at his intense glare. Without a further word, Izuku stands and brings his finished plate to the barkeep, mumbling a thanks for the food before exiting the tavern. He takes a deep breath once outside and walks towards the edge of town. He asks the guard for directions to the church and waves away the young man’s concerns. 

Before he gets very far, he hears rapid footsteps approaching from behind. 

“Wait, mister warlock!”

He turns around and sees a young girl, maybe about 10 years of age, running up to him. 

“I’m coming with you.” 

“Uhhh who are you?”

“I’m Eri! I’m the daughter of the town healer. I heard what you said in the tavern and I want to come with. Mother’s been feeling guilty ever since for not being able to save the Bakugous.”

Izuku crouches down to meet her eyes. 

“It could be dangerous, you know? Does your mother know you’re here?”

“No. But don’t worry about me mister, mother says I have a rare form of healing magic. I am able to reverse someone’s body to a previous state. If my powers had developed back then, the Bakugous may have been saved. I can’t do anything for them now, but maybe I’ll be of use to you in case something happens.”

“Alright then, but only on one condition. You stay outside of the grounds until I say it’s okay for you to come in.”

“I promise, mister.”

“And stop calling me that, my name is Izuku.”

“Okay, mister Izuku.”

He shakes his head fondly; was it possible to be attached to a child he has just met? 

When they near the church, Izuku stops and places his hands onto the ground, breathing deeply and closing his eyes. 

Nothing. Just as he expected.  

There are no signs of dark energy in the nearby soil, and the aura around the church is very much just one of serenity and a tinge of loneliness. 

He gives a pointed look to Eri and she mock salutes him, dutifully staying still and peering from her place behind a tree. He takes a deep breath and unlatches the front gate, steeling himself before stepping inside. Although he’s fairly certain this is not the work of a curse, something had happened in this place 4 years ago and whatever it was could still be lingering around.

Katsuki stands hurriedly and his lips pull back over his razor sharp teeth as he growls. There is an unfamiliar young man stepping into his territory who looks to be about his age. He’s clearly not from the town, with his wooden staff and robed figure.

Warlock intruder, his mind supplies. 

No matter, none of the others have ever gotten past the first row of headstones. They all falter before then and are compelled to turn away. 

Except this one does. He gets past the first row, then the second, and then the third. He’s getting dangerously close to the church and Katsuki doesn’t care to understand why his power to turn away intruders has waned. He steps directly into the man’s path, hoping his body will exert a more ominous influence and drive the stranger away. But this strange man just keeps moving forwards, closer and closer, and Katsuki despairs. He hadn’t managed to do anything in his short life, is he really going to fail to protect the church and his family even in this form? 

Katsuki is prepared to pounce although he’s unsure that it will accomplish anything. He’s never tried to make contact with humans before; clearly he doesn’t phase through objects, but does it apply to humans who cannot see him? 

Before Katsuki can do anything, the man is dropping to his knees in front of him and dropping some dried meat on the ground.

“Aww there’s a puppy! Here you must be hungry, there is no one around these parts.”

Katsuki cocks his head in confusion, then realizes with growing horror that the man is no threat at all, just a huge idiot. There’s a part of him that rejoices at the fact that the powers bestowed upon him as the protector of the church is still intact. He’s also extremely intrigued by the warlock who can somehow see him, and who thinks he’s a common dog. Last he checked, no one could see him.

“Mister Izuku, who are you talking to?”

Katsuki snaps his head to the source of the sound and sees a young white-haired girl standing just beyond the gate. Good, he’s still essentially invisible to everyone. Everyone except for this warlock. 

The man named Izuku looks confused and gestures to Katsuki. 

“Are you feeling alright, mister? There’s nothing there.”

Katsuki shakes his head and while Izuku is still turned away, he focuses and morphs into his human form. He hasn’t done it in so long that it’s jarring to feel his joints reset and his facial features retract. 

“She can’t see me, idiot. In fact, no one can, which begs the question just who the hell are you and what are you doing here?”

The dumbass yelps and falls backwards. Then his eyes widen in awe and Katsuki suddenly feels his personal space get encroached on as the man prods and pokes at his skin.

“That’s so cool! Are you a warlock who specializes in shapeshifting? Ah but I guess you can also make yourself invisible. Oh you must specialize in stealth magic!!! That’s it isn’t it? You’re so young too! I’ve never met another warlock my age, you must have immense magical power to be able to shield your presence from everyone! Ooh can you teach me??”

Katsuki learns for the first time that church grims can get a headache. 

“Slow down, Deku . For all you know, I could be dangerous and you’re just here making a bunch of assumptions about me. All incorrect, by the way. Now if you would please kindly get out of my home.”

Deku laughs and acquiesces, stepping away from Katsuki and letting him breathe. 

“First of all, my name is Midoriya Izuku, not Deku. I’m pretty sure I’m more dangerous than you are but thank you for your concern. I’m here to research what happened 4 years ago, I mean you no harm, I promise. What are you doing here anyway, are you doing the same?”

Katsuki suddenly finds this a lot less amusing.

“Get out. I mean it Deku. The past doesn’t need to be dredged up and my life is sure as hell miserable enough without this bullshit.”

“Wait! Who are you?”

Katsuki ignores him and turns away, morphing back into a dog to make it clear that he is done with this conversation. 

Deku seems awfully persistent and reaches out to him, but he shrinks back suddenly and collapses, only propping himself up with his staff. 

“Shit…” he mumbles weakly, “not now. Get away from me, now, both of you.”

The little girl seems torn and wants to help, but when the warlock lets out a tortured scream and a purple haze starts to envelop his form, she backs away slowly. 

Katsuki looks on, fascinated as the warlock begins hovering in the air, gripping tightly onto his staff as the energy gathers and swirls around him. The sky above darkens and storm clouds gather instantly, and Katsuki feels the air thrum with something strong and ominous. Dark purple energy bursts forth from Deku and instantly disintegrates everything in that immediate area. The grass under his feet wither and die, and the closest headstones crack. The second wave reaches a further distance and Katsuki braces himself as it comes racing towards him, only for it to dissipate the second it touches his form.

Interesting.

Deku lets out another pained scream and his eyes glow purple, tears leaking out as he convulses and another wave of energy forces itself from his body. 

Katsuki slowly walks up, digging his paws into the cracked ground to keep from being blown away. The closer he gets, the louder the air around him hums and the more overwhelming the energy becomes.

“Stay away! Please, I don’t want to hurt you!!!” 

Shut up and let me help you, you dumb Deku.

It takes a little while but Katsuki eventually reaches the epicenter of the magical storm, and gently brushes his snout against Deku’s outstretched hand. The effect is instantaneous. Deku drops to the ground harshly and the magical energy dissipates into nothing. The clouds above clear up and the air settles back once again to stillness. 

“How….what….” Deku gasps while still trying to catch his breath.

Katsuki rolls his eyes and morphs back into his human form.

“Bakugou Katsuki, church grim. I’d say it’s nice to meet you but considering the circumstances that would be a lie. Now that you’re fine and all, goodbye.”

Deku sits up slowly and inches forward. Then Katsuki is letting out a surprised grunt as he falls backwards with the strength of the warlock’s hug. Oh, so he can touch people, or at least he can touch this one. It’s been so long since he’s had human contact that he leans into the hug, savoring the warmth of another human body.  

“Thank you thank you thank you! You managed to stop my dark magic and no one has ever been able to do that before!! Of course! Grims are sworn protectors of holy grounds who can turn away dark forces and nefarious energy! Your entire being essentially cancels out my magic!”

For someone who just let loose a ton of dark magic, he sure is energetic.  

“Yeah yeah you’re welcome nerd. Bye now.”

Deku still looks ecstatic at having discovered the counter to his oh-so-impressive magic, but then pauses and pulls apart from Katsuki. Katsuki resists the urge to let out a sigh. He does not miss the soft hug, he doesn’t!

“Wait...did you just say Bakugou?”

“That’s me,” he grunts, “I’m who you wanted to research. Died, became a church grim, destined to forever roam the church alone. There, mystery solved. Wow would you look at that, it’s time for me to patrol the grounds for invaders.”

Before Deku can reply, and he looks like he really wants to, the little girl runs up to them.

“Mister Izuku, are you okay? What was that??”

“Eri!! I told you not to come in without my permission!”

“You were glowing purple and destroying everything around you. I’m sure the greatest danger is over now,” she deadpans.

Ooh, I like this one, Katsuki thinks.

Deku sighs and settles to the ground, gesturing for the two to do the same.

“You’re not wrong Eri. I possess a natural affinity for dark magic and an immense amount of it. Most of the time I’m no more dangerous than the common person, but every 3 moons or so, the dark magic that’s built up inside me gets to be too much to contain, and it erupts. Usually I can predict its onset and make sure I’m away from anyone when it happens. The magic accumulates faster when I feel strong emotions, and this morning at the tavern must have triggered its outburst. Katsuki here canceled it out thankfully, or I could’ve done much more damage.”

“Um mister, who is Katsuki?”

“Oh right! Eri, this is Bakugou Katsuki. I guess you can’t see him, but he’s sitting right next to me. He became a church grim after he died and has been guarding this church since then. Katsuki, this is Eri! She’s the daughter of the town healer and we’re both here to try to find out what happened here 4 years ago. The townspeople think…”

“I know what they think,” Katsuki interrupts, “they think the church is cursed and haven’t come back since my parents and I died.”

“And they’re wrong,” Deku states matter-of-factly. “There are no signs of curse magic at all, and I want to find out the true cause of those events all those years ago.”

“What’s it matter, we died , Deku.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Maybe you and your parents can finally rest in peace knowing that you weren’t victims to a curse.”

“You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

Deku gives him a small smile and shakes his head. 

“Fine. You can look around the place but I want you gone by sundown. There’s nothing I can tell you that will help so don’t get your hopes up.”

Deku gives him a grin and stands up, his legs wobbling unsteadily. 

“Let’s get to work! Eri, don’t touch anything and call for me if you start to feel strange.”

“It’s really weird to hear you talking to yourself mister. And I could say the same to you; I’m pretty sure I’m a better healer than you are.”

Katsuki barks out a laugh. It feels wonderful; he really hasn’t felt such exasperated joy in such a long time. It’s going to be very lonely when the two inevitably leave. Who knows how many more years he’ll have to go without human contact. 

He follows behind the child as she flits from one area to the next, poking her head into the church and gaping at the high ceilings and stained glass windows. Her eyes light up at the sight of all the books in their family library, and she wrinkles her nose in distaste at the cobwebs that line the walls. When she’s satisfied with the interior, she heads back into the grounds and passes Deku going in. 

She weaves through the headstones and Katsuki is suddenly reminded of a younger version of himself doing the same as his parents watch on. The wave of nostalgia washes over him and he rubs furiously at his eyes. 

He almost crashes straight into Eri who has suddenly stopped and is currently staring down at the ground. She bends down and plucks a flower from the ground, examining it carefully. Then she’s whipping her head around and examining the churchyard with a ferocious intensity, and Katsuki can almost see the exact moment that she comes to a realization.

“Mister Izuku….mister Izuku! I’ve found it!”

Deku comes running out of the church, his green curls bouncing ridiculously and almost tripping over himself in his haste.

“What did you find Eri?” 

“These are Haki flowers! I read about them in one of my mother’s books on poisonous plants. They’re not usually toxic but on their first bloom, exposure to them for prolonged periods of time can cause sudden death.”

Deku bends down and studies the flower in Eri’s grip intently.

“Oh my, you’re right. I completely missed that.”

Katsuki cackles and Deku looks startled. The hilarity of the situation is not lost on him; his entire family died because of a fucking plant. 

“Fuck. My father planted those the spring before we died. He purchased the seeds from the town florist and thought they would look pretty among the graves. Fucking hell, old man,” he laughs.

He can already imagine how his parents would react if they knew. His mother would slap her knees, throwing her head back and laughing till she cried. His father would sheepishly smile and apologize while his mother would simply lean into him in her amusement. 

“Eri you should head back to town. The sun is starting to set and your mother will be worried if you’re still not home. Do me a favour and tell the florist to stop selling those seeds please.”

“Aren’t you coming back with me?”

“No Eri, I’ll be continuing my travels to find a place where I can learn to control my magic. Maybe one day I’ll be able to use my power to help others just like you.”

Eri looks disappointed but steps forward and wraps her arms around Deku’s waist. She fishes out a pouch from her bag and pushes it into Deku’s hands.

“Take this as thanks for letting me come along, I’ll miss you mister Izuku. Come back and visit me sometime, I’ll convince the townspeople to come here and we’ll take care of the place again. And Katsuki, my mother is sorry she couldn’t help you and your family 10 years ago. I hope you find it in yourself to forgive her.”

Before Katsuki can reply, she’s running off back to town, back to the place he once knew. 

“Tch, precocious little brat,” he says fondly. 

Deku opens the pouch and shrieks. 

“Eri this is way too much gold!!!”

The girl is already too far away to hear him and Deku starts mumbling about whether or not to go after her. 

“Alright nerd. As grateful as I am that I now know the cause of my family’s deaths, it doesn’t change anything. So uh...thanks and goodbye I guess.”

Deku seems to pause and consider something for a few moments. 

“Wait, Katsuki, do you want to come with me?”

Izuku waits with bated breath as Katsuki stares at him incredulously.

“Don’t be dumb Deku, you know I can’t leave the church as a grim. I’m doomed to remain here forever since there will likely be no one to replace me. It’s cruel to get my hopes up, and this little bit of company you and Eri provided today will make it all the harder for me to go back to being alone.”

Izuku comes to a startling realization as he looks past Katsuki to the spirits of the older Bakugous behind him, who give him a rueful smile and wave.

He can’t see them, he thinks, utterly horrified. He thinks that he’s been all alone all these years when really, his parents have been too worried to move on without him. 

Izuku has been cursed (or blessed), depending on the situation, with the power to see spirits since he came into his magic. He doesn’t know for sure, but he attributes this ability to the dark magic that lies inside him. He’s heard tales of warlocks that practice dark magic going mad with power and raising the dead, practicing necromancy and performing unspeakable rituals. That’s one of the motivations for his travels, to learn to reign in the darkness before it consumes him.

“Katsuki,” he whispers gently, “your parents have been with you this whole time. I can see them. They’re standing behind you and have been following you around. They never left you alone, and I’m so sorry you had to think that way for 4 long years.”

Katsuki whips around and sags a little when he doesn't see anything. Izuku wisely stays silent as Katsuki rub at his eyes furiously. 

“Stupid old hag and git. You’d better not be lying, you stupid nerd.”

Izuku holds his hands up in surrender.

“I’m not, and I can prove it. I wasn’t lying before either when I said I could take you away from here. The first thing I should tell you is that you were wrong about how you became a church grim. You didn’t become one because you were the last to be buried here. You became one because you had lingering regrets in this world and didn’t want to leave your home unprotected. I know it’s been a lonely existence, but I can set you free, only if you want to of course.”

“Tell me,” Katsuki says without a moment’s hesitation.

“We can perform a ritual that will bind you to me. You will serve as my familiar and I will share my magic with you. We will share everything, age together, die together. We will forever be connected, mind and soul, and this is a sacred bond that can never be broken, even after death. You already know about my plans and desire to tame this darkness inside me, and I can’t promise that the life you’ll have with me will be easy. We may have to move around forever, sleeping in caves or dirty inns. So be sure that you want this before you give me an answer.”

Katsuki stares at him and cracks a grin.

“Are you really proposing to me after we just met, Deku?”

“P-p-pr-propose?” Izuku squeaks, utterly mortified. He can see Katsuki’s parents snickering and giving him a thumbs up and he blushes even harder.

“Relax nerd, I was just teasing. That shit comes later.”

Oh thank god, he was just joking. Wait...later?!?!?!

Before Izuku can combust from embarrassment, Katsuki’s expression turns serious and he stays quiet for a few minutes. 

“What about my parents? And the church?”

“Your parents will move on to whatever comes after,” Izuku hesitates, only continuing when he receives a nod from both of the Bakugous. “Don’t worry about the church, Eri promised to take care of it with the townspeople and I have the feeling she’s a resilient little thing who keeps her promises. And we can always come back to visit.”

“You’re sure this will work? I’m not just some common pooch you know.”

“I’m sure. I’ve heard of witches and warlocks who have magical creatures as familiars, including fae and dragons.”

Katsuki considers this briefly and then turns to Izuku with determination in his eyes.

“Alright, how do we do this?”

“Uhhh...well I don’t really know the specifics of it. From what I read, we only have to make a small cut in our palms and then join our hands together. The words we have to say should flow into our minds and the bond should be formed then. Of course, the ritual can only proceed if both parties are willing and aware of everything the contract entails.”

Izuku picks up a rock from the ground and uses its jagged edge to cut into his palm before offering it to Katsuki who does the same. Then Katsuki steps closer and they’re leaning into each other, interlocking their fingers and pressing their palms together. The words spring unbidden into Izuku’s mind, and he feels the magic within him stir. 

May we be bound by the red threads of fate

May we be bound by the embers of our soul

May we be freed from our darkness innate

May we be joined as two halves to a whole

String our soul seven times around the yew tree

Until the day we slip together into eternity

Izuku, grant me a new name. Bind me to you for now and forever.

Come, Kacchan.

The process ends as abruptly as it began, after Izuku and Katsuki have alternated speaking the lines. When Izuku cracked an eye open during the ritual, he saw purple chains floating around them. And now, their pinkies are joined by a purple string which then disappears after a few moments. He looks up to ask if Kacchan is feeling fine, but his new familiar is not looking at him. Instead, he’s staring at where his parents are standing.

Of course. The bond must’ve given him some of Izuku’s dark magic and granted him the sight. 

Kacchan stumbles forward and buries his face into his mother’s chest. The family hugs tightly, no words needing to be spoken. When Kacchan finally pulls away, there are tears in his eyes and his nose is red. 

“It’s time for you two to move on or some shit. Don’t worry about me, I’m sure I’ll have the life of adventure that I wanted with this nerd. Wait for me, until our time in this world is over.”

The older Bakugous each plant a kiss onto Kacchan’s head and then join hands, their forms becoming more translucent as they walk away, leaving their final thoughts to be carried in the wind.

We love you so much and are so proud of you, Katsuki. Izuku, take care of our boy. We’ll be waiting and watching over you. 

Izuku is left with a profound sense of loss and he realizes that Katsuki’s emotions are now a part of him. He lets out a loud sniffle and wipes at his eyes.

“What the fuck are you crying about nerd?”

“I can’t help it Kacchan! That was so touching and your emotions are now mine and vice versa! You signed up for this by the way. You’re going to have to deal with my emotional self for the rest of your life you know.”

Kacchan runs a hand through his hair. 

“Yeah yeah, I know. Yo what is up with the name you gave me by the way? Kacchan?”

“Ah…” Izuku starts sheepishly, “I just kept thinking how cute you looked as a dog so….Kacchan it was. Kinda like Wanchan.”

Kacchan stares at him exasperatedly.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

Izuku musters up the courage to link their hands together, reveling in Kacchan’s look of surprise and the light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

“I know.”

Izuku starts to pull Kacchan out of the church grounds, but then stops short and kneels down at the patch of dead grass. 

“Oh. I almost forgot. Lend me your strength Kacchan.”

He places his palm on the ground and wills his limited nature magic forwards. It’s infinitely easier to channel the energy with Kacchan around, and soon he feels the familiar tingle in his fingertips. He hears Kacchan gasp as the magic flows out and seeps into the earth. When he opens his eyes seconds later, the ground is once again lush with vegetation and all the flowers in the grounds are blooming. 

“Shit Deku, this is impressive! What else can you do?” 

Izuku smiles widely. 

“Don’t worry Kacchan, you have the rest of our lives to find out.”